eco-hacks / if it's this easy to go green, i'm in

Bloggers across the globe are preparing to converge on San Francisco at the end of next week to attend the fifth annual BlogHer conference. Conferences are wonderful, and there is no replacement to face-to-face time to meet others and share ideas. But conference travel, hotels and meeting places are notorious for producing landfills of waste and creating a huge carbon impact in their wake.

Thankfully, BlogHer is committed to green practicesin practical ways that are very exciting--and all too rare at conferences--to see. The Blogher organization is a notable Internet leader, and their actions set a terrific example. They e-published a conference guide that lists some of the conservation ideas that have been put into action in their conference planning:

• working with the hotel to reduce waste
• setting up a Recycle Room hosted by Zwaggle (a listing of free used items for children and parents) for undesired freebies
• teaching attendees how to use the local public transit system
• encouraging participants to bring reusable cups and utensils, and offering water in renewable sourced containers
• increasing prevalence of recycling bins at the venues
• GM shared a fleet of hybrid cars for Blogher coordinated carpooling
• using organic cotton totes (much better than plastic, but, shoot, too bad they aren't bamboo!)
• featuring the dynamic new Greenopolis.com to participants

Best of all, I was thrilled to see that conference sponsor Michelin donated to offset 200 tons of CO2 to help minimize the carbon footprint that will be created even with enhanced measures. Not only is this a tremendous best-practice for conference organizers and a responsible choice for a partner such as Michelin, but it also sets a standard for all IT and Internet conferences while educating all participants.

Unless we want to radically change our lives, we create carbon havoc. It is so easy to create a personal practice of purchasing offset credits from those who will replant and replenish the Earth to make up for the carbon footprint of our new shoe purchases, not to mention laptop sticker manufacturing, business card printing and cross-country travels.

I hope some of the blogging community who are attending BlogHer also make personal carbon offset donations, even small ones, to follow BlogHer's great lead. Our ECOHACKS donation program for bloggers makes it easy to donate by Paypal (in the column to the right) to the planting of super-renewable, mega-sequestering bamboo to bolster our offsetting project.

It's simple, bloggers keep blog, and we plant the bamboo on their behalf! With at least a five dollar donation, bloggers are listed on our ECOHEROES permanent blogroll to show their leadership and green commitment. We welcome Bloghers to our blogroll and look forward to meeting as many as we can next week!

Posted in: bamboo, carbon footprint, carbon offset, conserving, Ecohero on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at at 12:51 PM 14 comments  

Rising gas prices are changing every part of our lives. People are losing their jobs at the thousands and have less spending power at the same time that the prices of all goods are increasing because of increased transportation costs. Families are increasingly hard-pressed to make ends meet and pay mortgages, let alone pay for higher education or other "optional" expenses. It feels like our culture is finally facing the costs of our wasteful ways and our foolishness at creating an economic system that depends upon fossil fuels.

The only positive part of our current crisis is that finally the majority of people are truly questioning our country's priorities and the way we have set up our lives. Commuting long distances alone in big vehicles now seems ridiculously indulgent, leading people to downsize their cars, park their gas guzzlers at home, take public transport or car pool. People are expressing feeling trapped by their lifestyles. More people than ever are asking the government to make changes to improve public transportation and asking their employers to accept four-day work schedules or telecommuting agreements. Small things, like forgoing plastic bags for reusable grocery sacs are finally catching on as we get a deeper understanding of the personal cost wastefulness can bring. Maybe Americans are finally getting it: resources are limited.

I hope that the next step in awareness includes a deep understanding that conservation and low-waste lifestyles are the first step, and that the next step is to replenish what we have lost. When that happens we will truly find hope in rising above this crisis. Making one change can truly create the growth of hope: hope that we will change our lifestyles, hope that we won't feel trapped by old choices or political price changes, and hope that the planet will continue to provide for us if we take care of it properly. Hope is why I believe in building our bamboo resources. Conservation is essential for today, and hope will get us to tomorrow. Hope, and a little bamboo!

Posted in: awareness, bamboo, carbon footprint, conserving on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at at 7:35 AM 1 comments  

Earth Day is honored tomorrow, Tuesday April 22. Have you made plans for attending local observances or for finding ways to make tomorrow the best Earth Day opportunity for your family?

While every day is truly Earth Day, it is useful to have a day designated to celebrate accomplishments, spread awareness, and boost buy-in to eco-friendly decisions. Public awareness for children is an important aspect of Earth Day, and schools and families have access to many events and home-based activities to enjoy throughout the week.

Earth Day is also a terrific time to make one more commitment to an eco-friendly lifestyle change. Let the day bring your focus to a new aspect of green living. I am not an advocate for buying simply to consume, but if you are in the market for eco-products, now is a good time to comparison shop at"Earth DayAmazon because they have very big sales in their Green Living store this week.

Most importantly for me, the attention on Earth Day means that legislators and policymakers, both at the state and federal level, might be more interested in hearing about green issues. Call your legislators, and let them know what is important to you. It is very easy to advocate---they all employ aides whose talk to callers and take down messages which are sometimes forwarded and always tallied for the legislators. You can also email legislators, but phone calls are much more interesting. It really does make a difference to get involved! Here's a great link to use to begin exploring how you can use tomorrow as a launchpad for talking about your ideas for change.

I'll be with you tomorrow, and each day, in solidarity as we take step by step to improve the health of our fabulous planet. Happy Earth Day!

Posted in: awareness, tips and recipes on Monday, April 21, 2008 at at 7:49 AM 0 comments  

At Eco-hacks we are specifically concerned about the impact electronics have on the environment. It is the primary reason we are committed to planting bamboo to restore balance to the planet.

It's important to conserve everyplace we can, so we are thrilled to learn about a great product that really works. If you don't already have a battery charger, but use a battery in a wireless mouse, keyboard or remote control, consider getting one of the new USB port chargers. You just pop the top off of the battery itself--no extra device! and in quickly charges off of excess energy in your CPU or laptop. That makes your devices a self generating cycle that wastes less. Battery manufacturing and batteries in landfills is a huge ecological problem, so conservation deserves some thought. This would also make a great eco-aware gift, especially to a young person who would benefit from some encouragement to conserve, or to graduates to show you believe in their future.

Posted in: carbon footprint, conserving, gifts on Thursday, April 3, 2008 at at 6:34 AM 2 comments  

At Ecohacks we have been very busy the last two weeks clearing land, and I have raging wild poison ivy rashes to prove it. Clearing land makes way for more wonderous bamboo, though, so it's worth it.

Our news is reaching ever more people, and we have several bloggers to thank for their very generous support of our cause. Your support is what keeps us motivated and able to plant more, and it means a tremendous amount to us. Check out our growing blogroll of Ecoheroes to the right!

You need to go meet A Girl for All Status. Written my a woman in Manila who blogs her way through being newly single, raising two children and finding herself again. She is also a great resource for links to information about Autism. One of my favorite posts is her tips on raising green-aware children. She's a brave, cool mama.

I really want you to meet Stick Figure Lis at her blog Every Little Thing, although you probably already have! Lis is a worldwide blogstar and her work is always good for a laugh. Both her cartoons are her writing are sassy and funny, and she also has a great eye for finding interesting things online. We truly appreciate her support.

No matter what your vocation, understanding marketing and web dynamics will empower you to reach a wider audience. As environmentalists we never thought that we would be seeking out SEO information, but we can do our job better when we do. Reap Money Online is a blog with answers--ranging from blog basics for beginners, to search engine optimization and higher level tips. We're starting from the basics and working up from there--including studying some free e-books from Reap Money Online.

Our cousin environmental blogs already dig deep for the cause, so we are very honored that they further work to join in the Ecohacks Ecohero Blogroll. Treasure Nature is a great addition to the eco-blogosphere, with very easy-to-access articles focusing on awareness and everyday changes. I love alternative cars, so I loved this post!

We Love Nature has a great, simple name and a very appealing blog that looks at eco solutions, politics, and enjoying the outdoors. If you camp, you should look at his hack for an easy-going alcohol stove that doesn't waste alcohol.

I hope you enjoyed pausing with comrades from around the work last Saturday night at 9pm. It's an awesome feeling to individually contribute to a bigger project. We're glad you are also part of Ecohacks...it takes all of us to make it happen.

Posted in: awareness, Ecohero on Monday, March 31, 2008 at at 6:55 AM 1 comments  

Sometimes simple pleasures add to the lovliness of our days. One thing always works to help me enjoy my living and working more: bringing a little of the outdoors in. I brought in a few snips of a blooming azalea from my walk this morning, and just that little splash of pink brings life to the room.

Yesterday I downloaded a free, STUNNING, screensaver from the BBC Planet Earth series. There are six photos each in two different sets. I have the polar bear one, because there are photos of a Tibetan fox and of a chimp that move me. Just simple ways to cope with having to be indoors on a beautiful spring day. Happy Spring to you!

Posted in: on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at at 8:44 AM 57 comments  

The politics of coffee? How can our traditional, cherished caffeine-rich friend be political? Of course coffee is highly political--it is the second largest internationally traded product, with oil of course as first.

The coffee industrial complex is destroying land and has an inestimable eco-impact. Some of the poorest people of the world are dependant on coffee bean farming. They are deforesting and eroding their land and polluting all adjacent waterways.

• more pesticides and fertilizers are used to grown coffee beans than any other crop
• during the fermenting process the beans are soaked in water that is toxic by the time it is dumped back into local rivers
• acids within the coffee and added pesticides leach out of the beans and back into what remains of the forests
• forest is cut for more planting land and for firewood to stay warm while farming on the cold mountainsides

What are some ways to slow down the disaster of toxins, erosion, and pollution? Organic coffee means no pesticides or fertilizers are used. This at least means no added toxic waste, and is some cases organic also means that responsible growers and purchases have implemented recycling and water treatment remedies. One farm can cut water usage by 50 to 90% with organic practices.

Shade grown coffee means that trees are not cut as drastically to make land for coffee. Indigenous trees are left and grow amongst the coffee plants. Advantages include reducing erosion and giving the local farmers a variety of crops to tend and earn income from.

The best intervention is to learn more and then make your consumer choices appropriately. Do you know where your coffee bean's been?

More information:

World Wildlife Fund on Coffee

Organic Trade Association

Coffee and Carbon Sequestering

****
If you need some coffee money this week (and who doesn't!?) Entrecard friends pointed me to a generous blog, Colorfulmars.com that is giving away $20 bucks in coffee money each week. You can feel great about spending a little more to buy ethically grown coffee with that little bonus. His blog has a whole color spectrum of content, from celebrity gossip to blogging tips, so find out How to Become a Gosh Guy by reading ColorfulMars.com

Posted in: awareness, carbon footprint, conserving on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at at 12:45 PM 3 comments