Green Spot

The marketplace is full of great greencessories and items that are made from post consumer material and help to live a more environmentally favorable existence. Gizmodo recently had a “Best of Treehugger” list post sponsored by Kohler which detailed a few ‘green’ items and technology new to the eco-scene. Among the list was a park bench that you pay for to site and relax, a miniature trailer/tent, an iPod case that charges while it protects, and a few Apple iPhone/iPad/iPod applications (apps) that help you to go green. One app helped connect fishermen to buyers and another was a game that rewarded high scores of the week with the promise of planted trees.

Apple is renowned for software and especially hardware, and their famous App store has quite a few applications that can help you live an eco friendly life. Although most of the apps listed provide advice and tips towards living a ‘greener’ life, such as Green Tips, there’s an app that can help you read your power meter outside of your home or in the basement/carport of your building and help you determine what your energy output and costs may be. This can not only save you money and better help you and your friends and family know how to conserve more efficiently, it reduces energy waste and teaches. Another app uses the accelerometer in the hardware to understand your driving. The technology is profound, and as you drive, the app takes readings based on geo-locale and more to provide information on your gas usage, better routes, tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint and getter mileage out of your vehicle.

As time goes on, more innovative features in these pocket life-guides will help us better the world around us by having a plethora of good information at our fingertips to spread the eco-friendliness unto the world around us.

Apple's iPhone can help the world go green.

Tianjin, a port city to the south of China’s capital, Beijing, will be the starting point of a new Light Rail Transit that has brought together both the Chinese and Singapore Governments. Not only will this new train connect to Beijing, but its inaugural ride will mark the arrival of a new trend in city planning, as Tianjin is called the eco-city.

It is a 30 square kilometer (About 11 square miles) city that will be the planned home of up to 350,000 people. All buildings in the Tianjin eco-city are being constructed with post-consumer materials and in strict, eco-friendly fashion to ensure energy efficiency and can utilize renewable energy resources such as solar and geothermal power. The city also boasts water recycling, desalinized water that will be reused and recycled for less waste and better use of resources, as well as hydropower that is harmonious with the surrounding ecosystem.

This venture was created due to the growing needs of the large country and population of China. Singapore, a highly advanced nation near Malaysia, has experience in building eco-friendly communities and technology. That nation’s government was called upon to help China create one of the world’s first “Green” cities. Although it won’t be 100% eco-friendly (renewable energy will only be about 15% of use in its flagship years), it will be more than friendly to it inhabitants. One out of five homes will be under government subsidy, ensuring that low-income families can take part in this new feat of living, and:

“Social harmony will be a key feature of the Eco-city.  The Eco-city will be barrier-free to cater to the needs of the elderly and the mobility-impaired. Public social and recreational facilities will be located within easy access of homes to meet residents’ needs and provide opportunities for residents to interact.”

As the world population grows, more governments will come together to create new “eco-cities” such as the Tianjin locale (which will be ready in about 10-15 years), and will pave the way for a new and cleaner, greener era on Earth.

Tianjin, the Eco-City (a rendering).

And do it as much as possible. Back in December, 2009, an article ran in The New Republic that stated America was “Un-greening” itself in a few ways.

First, the economy has still not recovered, and innovative change towards better technology and diverse resource discovery is expensive - therefore, progress halts. When consumers no longer partake in the economic cycle, many public programs suffer including any that would benefit the environment. Although recent bills introduced in Government proceedings would help ween us all off of foreign fossil fuels and more, if economics do not fare well for people, the estimated 44¢ per day per American seems a bit too taxing.

Second, nearly half of the American population have experienced a change in opinion and have gone in a more radical direction with their ideological beliefs. Many no longer believe in global warming, and abandon the current administration in the midst of its ‘rebuilding’ process and return to Tea Party beliefs.

Finally, it seems that media has inundated the mainstream focus with messaging that inhibits common sense and that which is right by stating that environmental support from any and all people is what caused the recent BP and Deepwater Horizon spill. The constant agitation from public figures and media channels ensures that intelligent rebuttals to nonsensical statements are proven false. Nonetheless, people become susceptible to quotes like:

“Radical environmentalists: you are damaging the planet with your efforts to lock up safer drilling areas. There’s nothing clean and green about your misguided, nonsensical radicalism, and Americans are on to you as we question your true motives.”

Beyond current issues and politics though, there is a chance for real change. By separating allowing any and all participation, all who are able-bodied can get involved. However - It seems that future requires a new focus and drive for all people, students, interns and more to become familiar with the fact that caring for the world must be done daily.

Every day is a chance to help the world.

From Soy-based lubes to rechargeable vibrators, yes, your sex life can go green too.

Even safe sex can be had over and over with Vegan Condoms, yeah, prophylactics without Casein, a protein derived from Cow’s milk. But if a vegan lifestyle isn’t appealing, support a free-trade Brazilian condom factory that provides jobs for thousands of people in rain forest lands, and farm the tree rubber with little to no environmental impact.

Mother Earth needs love too, just as we do. And there’s nothing wrong, but everything right about wearing lingerie or underwear made from bamboo. Bamboo is one of the most sustainable, organic materials on the market today. Bamboo plants grow, and absorb CO2 faster than trees - and is one of the most durable reusable bag materials we use at Simply Green Solutions. As many know, clothing meant for the bedroom doesn’t have to maintain much durability, as it doesn’t stay on for too long.

Eco-friendliness has indeed made its way in to most aspects of our lives, and in the case of sex, it definitely creates a better and friendlier experience for you, your partner (yourself?) and Mother nature too.

Green is Sexy

California, always the front runner in progressive change in the United States of America, has vowed to reduce emissions and pollution by about a quarter of what is currently exhausted in to the world by the year 2020. To do so, the state government must uphold the necessary laws of nature, such as clean energy solutions, and eco-friendliness, or else. Small businesses that do not comply and do not “go green” may be taxed according to a proposed law that may go in to effect soon in California.

This also means that many small businesses and jobs that they provide to people in the state, may leave. The proposition of higher taxes on top of a nationwide-record sales tax, significant property taxes and more, are too much to bear - it doesn’t seem the environment or state ambition is worth it.

Sooner or later, we all must face the fact that there must be a change to “go green” and reduce waste, clean up our act, and run a cleaner “ship” so to speak. Business expenses and taxes do not have to keep small business owners in the red, and this new law ensures that they are in fact - in the green.

Energy and land use as well as other state taxes seem to be increasing in most of the U.S., and currently, its seen and felt as a bad thing. For years we’ve come to accept energy at a certain price, no matter the end result when it came to waste or peak supply. The time has come though that as a people, we must overcome the expenditures that make us cower when doing business, but understand that the future of our own world depends on us to take action now, go green, and fund development of better technology that can one day help small business reduce overhead and return to sunny and beautiful California.

Is our community's surroundings worth its weight in gold?

The web is a blending machine of information and if the correct pulse setting is used, you can extract the perfect blend of ideas and useful data to help understand the world around you. For many people, there is little time, or learning habits are different - we face the same problems daily at Simply Green Solutions. Becoming catalysts for change in society to bring about more eco-friendly habits is tough. The collective mindset of the world has evolved, and for all people to reduce plastic waste by using reusable bags and reusable canteens is asking a lot.

By practicing reusing, reducing and recycling daily, we can teach ourselves and those around us to live greener lives. for those that do not learn by action - watch. Children are very aware of their parents habits. If those habits happen to be eco-friendly, the kids have a better chance of performing in a similar manner.

Maybe its a video that can help to educate, after all, YouTube, the world-famous site where about 24 Hours of video is uploaded from around the globe each minute - has plenty to offer your eyes to learn. The web is chock full of environmentally focused programs to watch, such as:

• Environmental Documentaries from FreeDocumentaries.org
• The GREEN Channel Category on Hulu
• FORA TV’s Environmental Channel
• Docu-View’s Free Environmental Documentary Category
• SPR’s Spread The Word Free Documentaries on the Environment
• PBS’s Frontline, Nova and Nature Online

The above links are just a small taste of what educational pathways are available for you and others online, and for many people, is the best way to learn and retain information. Television, film and online video have allowed the human race to experience the intake of information in innovative and influential ways. So the next time someone talks to you about going green, the environment and our precious world, take a moment to click something above, watch, listen and learn.

If they can learn by watching, so can you.

It can be, just like this Chinese concept car that seems to create a better atmosphere and environment while it runs - albeit somewhat impossible at this point in time (keep in mind, its a concept car). Give it some time, it may appear on the Blog - FuglyRides.com. You have to admit, its not the best looking car out there - rivaled only by “The Homer.”

As the world and consumer demand push towards a more sustainable future, Governments and car makers continue to develop technology and programs that not only become more affordable for families to go green with their transportation needs, but allow “green” car availability to become more widespread around the world.

Nissan’s Leaf (‘LEAF’ is an acronym for Leading Environmentally Friendly Affordable Family car) has gone into mass production and over 50,000 have supposedly been pre-ordered in America, Japan and Australia. With Government tax rebates, the cost of this electric car is just over $20K with charging stations only about another $1K including professional installation. This lithium-ion battery-charged car can go 100 miles in a charge, and top speed is nearly 90 MPH. This model may give fully-electric vehicle companies like Tesla Motors a run for its money, and as sales for the high-end Tesla Roadster dwindle, Nissan (and Toyota’s Prius line) may become more synonymous with the words “electric vehicle” sooner than expected.

The Leaf model will also have an advance network in each of its vehicles to optimize information delivery and entertainment too. Similarly, Ford’s 2011 ‘Edge‘ model gives drivers a new feature called The Eco Route, which helps saves gas. In the end, we hope to live in a world where gas-run vehicles become a thing of the past and ‘Zero Emissions’ becomes part of everyday vocabulary.

Composting. You do it, we do it, everyone does it.

NO - not really, actually not enough people do it. MOST people don’t compost. We applaud you if you do! Why? ‘Cause its kind of a dirty little chore in which you place organic waste matter (usually plant or food waste) in a container in order to induce bacterial fermentation - that can enrich dirt to create nutrient-laced soil. Plants love the stuff. Metropolitan dwellers on the other hand, couldn’t be bothered with the idea of a countertop or next-to-home receptacle that can smell, attract fruit flies, or spontaneously combust.

Yes, it can explode. Left for to long without occasional stirring or plant feeding, compost can develop methane that heats up, and <BOOM> fire erupts. But that rarely happens, and if it does, usually only in larger piles.

Here are Types of composting:

• Backyard & Facility composting — If you have a yard or space and a balance of ‘browns’ (fallen leaves or straw) and ‘greens’ (grass clippings and food scraps - such as banana peels, coffee grounds and egg shells), you have all you need to make compost. Isn’t that exciting? Don’t all rush out at once…
• Worm composting (vermicomposting) — If you have a tiny yard or live in an apartment or have an abundance of food scraps, this type of composting is for you. Did you ever eat worms as a kid? If so, see a doctor, it could still be inside you having lots of worm babies.
• Grasscycling - If you have grass clippings and don’t want to use them in a compost pile you can leave them on the lawn to decompose, or gather it in a reusable garden sack with a draw string. There are many techniques and benefits - just don’t feed them to cows, the blades decompose fast and can make them sick. Nobody likes green milk!

10 good reasons why you should compost:

1. Yard and food waste make up 30% of the waste stream. Composting your kitchen and yard trimmings helps divert that waste from the landfill, waterways and water treatment facilities.
2. You will significantly reduce pest problems–and your use of pesticides.
3. Healthy plants from healthy soil look better, produce better and have a much greater ability to fight off pests and diseases.
4. Adding organic materials to the soil improves moisture retention.
5. Adding decomposed organic material to the soil feeds beneficial organisms.
6. Compost amends both sandy and clay soils.
7. Compost provides a balanced, slow–release source of nutrients that helps the soil hold nutrients long enough for plants to use them.
8. Composting saves money–you avoid the cost of buying soil conditioners, bagged manure etc.
9. Feeding your plants well will improve your own diet. Plants grown in depleted soils have a reduced nutrient content.
10. Home composting is a valuable tool in educating children about nature and the cycle of life.

Initial stages of composting is easier than how gross it looks.

Stir it up after gathering it for awhile, or it can get VERY hot.

Adding it to dirt creates a "super soil" that plants GROW wild over.

Grow something. What are you waiting for? As a human being, be it man or woman, knowing how to properly plant, grow, tend to and harvest is an essential piece of knowledge we should all have.

Here in Los Angeles, the Pedal Patch Community (PPC) helps not only bring the community together for poverty and hunger awareness programs, but generates -

“…sustainable communities one patch at a time through the application of urban agriculture.”

With over 6 acres of urban land for group and volunteer cultivation, PPC volunteers and workers that are supported through charitable donations help at risk youth, and neighbors in low-income neighborhoods tend to communal gardens and learn about how being social helps a plant, fruit or vegetable grow better.

If you have a lot of unused property and land ripe for crops, gardens and more, check out SharedEarth.com - you may be connected with someone willing to till your land and if you’re in the U.K., check out LandShare.net (or FarmLink if you’re in Ontario, Canada). The shared gardening community is slowly growing due to the social power of the internet, and even in metropolitan locations such as New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles, there’s Yards To Garden - which displays mapped listings of potential neighbors you can team with to revitalize yards and grow fruits and vegetables, and another called Sharing Backyards.

If you’re a young, aspiring farmer though (which is severely lacking - Farmers age 65+ currently outnumber those age 35 and below Sixty to One), there are programs in nearly every U.S. state to introduce farm work to up and coming workers looking for an agricultural shift in their lives. Hyper-Local production of garden vegetables and fruit could free up thousands of acres of farmland for other, more in-demand crops. Plus, the savings in transportation costs would be great too. A common snag in modern life is that the ones who want to grow gardens haven’t had access to land to do it. Websites like this will really help make that possible. So long as land owners know the squatter laws (primarily in the U.K.) and draw up simple liability protection contracts, social gardening can bring us all together and make our neighborhoods a better place to live in.

Community Garden in Inglewood - In Progress

Like each Earth Day since 1970, people everywhere will be living their lives with mother Earth on their minds. Thanks in part to the vast expanse of media available, Earth day and the many “go green” events, communities and companies - each year brings a larger awareness of Mother Earth’s lil’ plights to humanity.

The eve of Earth Day brought about announcements from the office of the Vice President of the United States that a new “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program will help create jobs in the U.S., and reduce energy costs in commercial buildings all over the nation. As part of the Recovery Act and Stimulus package, $452 Million dollars will be given to specific communities to put Americans back to work, reduce unemployment, reuse labor at home, and utilize recycled materials to retrofit a country in need of a good Earth Day push.

Still, more of a difference could be made, and every day here at Simply Green Solutions and eco-friendly start-ups like us, change happens little by little.

Marc Gunther of Greenbiz.com brings up a good point and like many mainstream holidays, Earth Day is slowly becoming another holiday spent hearing ‘cha-chings’ at the register, and is losing its hopeful foundation as a catalyst towards a better planet. The article sums up the popularity of “going green” and its consumer tie to the fact that there are indeed many companies, including Simply Green Solutions, that provide eco-friendly initiatives to push for a good change.

Howabout - Stop using plastic, look into alternative energy solutions, don’t fly, try to walk more and possibly rid your car from your life, eat more vegetables and try becoming vegetarian for awhile or forever, use one of 50 ‘Green’ apps on your smartphone and buy local. Or, if you would like to further educate yourself, check out the BBC’s acclaimed “Planet Earth” documentaries.

Here’s an Earth Day fact to stump your friends with: What is the most recycled object? Tin Cans? No. Paper? Close, but still no. It’s actually the Battery in our cars.

In the end, please take a moment to do your part as this great planet has done for the many millions of years it has floated as a lovely green rock in space - our home, the Earth.

Bring your reusable bag along to help on Earth Day!