Easily Green - a low budget approach with a minimum lifestyle change, something you would probably be doing anyway but with a green attitude, i.e., for apartment or house renters.

Easily Green | Moderately Green | Seriously Green

Sustainable Sites (SS)

• Install Bat Houses Around the Outside of Your Home
  Why use dangerous, toxic chemicals and pesticides when you can have your own bat eating its way to your mosquito free yard? To find out more about bat houses, click here. Visit Giaim.com, Inc and buy your very own Bat Conservatory right here!(click anywhere to hide)
• Sweep driveways and gutters
  Keep the garden hose rolled up and the electric or gas blower put away. Get out that old fashioned broom and add some years to your life with some exercise. Have any video game addicted teenagers in the house? - I do! For every hour of car chasing wrecks and laser welding battles, trade them for a half hour of debris sweeping. Do you have a discipline issues? What a great way to instill good work ethic values!
  For pine needles, or lots of leaves, rake them in a pile first. It controls the big stuff. Next, sweep them into the garbage can and transfer them to the compost heap, or bury them in your back yard. You're on your way to some awesome fertilizer in the Spring.(click anywhere to hide)
• Plant a Tree
  Easy enough, but be aware that rushing out and picking up a tree at your nursery and bringing it into the National Forest is against the law. Check with your National Forest representative.
  
  You can, however plant any type of an oxygen giving, shade bearing tree in your own yard and watch it grow; some even name their trees. If you've been affected by the bark beetle and have lost many trees due to their ferocious appetite, SOFA provides some information.
  
  You can even have a specially prepared tree planted in someone's name, honor a lost loved one or celebrate a special occasion. Memorial Tree Sympathy Gift Tree Givers plant trees all across the country using local professionals and often with the aid of Scout groups and 4-H clubs.(click anywhere to hide)

Water Efficiency (WE)

• Repair faucet leaks
• Conserve Water
  Turn the water off while brushing; feed your roses with the water you boiled your spaghetti in; fix that leaky sink. Click here for more information. (click anywhere to hide)
• Let mellow if yellow

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

• Wash Hands
  This little task is the number one way to eliminate the germs and keep them from entering your home. Download a free poster from washup.org(click anywhere to hide)
• Regulate Ceiling Fan
  Did you know that you should adjust your fan when the clocks change? In the Spring, we set are clocks ahead, so our fans should be blowing on our heads to keep them cool. In the Fall, we set our clocks back, so our fans should be blowing air up and forcing the warm air back down. This proper setting can save you some green on your heating and cooling bills!(click anywhere to hide)
• Install carbon monoxide sensor
• Use Pesticides Wisely
  The chemicals that we use to eliminate unwanted indoor pests are often times unavoidable, and very useful, but we can be wiser with their use. Keep them away from children, and read directions carefully. Wear a mask, gloves and goggles, and open the windows when using them. If you have a particular pest you want to get rid of in your garden, consider raising your own BUG ARMY - my favorites:
  Praying Mantis
  Lady Bug(click anywhere to hide)

Materials and Resources (MR)

• Dispose of Batteries Wisely
  Rechargeable batteries should never be thrown away! They contain toxic materials. Click here to find a center that will take your cell phone, toothbrush or camcorder batteries.
      Did you know that in California, as of 2/9/06, it is illegal to throw used batteries away? There are also laws requiring retailers who sell batteries, to take the old ones back at no charge. Click here to find a recycling center and to learn more about where you can take them (by county, in California). Automobile batteries are a little easier to recycle. They're worth money, and any parts store will gladly take yours as exchange for a new one.(click anywhere to hide)
• Recycle Cardboard
  There are hundreds of tons of pulp produced every year in the production of cardboard, actually classified in the industry as Packaging Papers and Boards. Of that, almost 50% is made up of recycled fibers. Before you toss the used packaging away in the recycle bin, try to find secondary uses for it:

  • Shred it for your pets' outdoor bedding
  • A collection of boxes make great building blocks for junior
  • Reuse the boxes for shipping presents, moving, and storage of heirlooms
  • Break them down and store for later use

  To recycle cardboard it first has to be highly saturated. The fibers are then separated, bleached, washed and filtered again. A very lengthy process, which uses a large amount of water and possible contamination of downstream water courses. Furthermore, the fibers eventually breakdown so far, that they loose their effectiveness. Another shortcoming to recycling cardboard is that it must be cleaned and free from food products, wax, etc.
  
  Therefore, get maximum use at of your packaging papers and boards, but continue to recycle. The industry is constantly researching ways to get more use from the fibers and finding better, more environmental solutions to the recycling process. One of the best things we can all do is to reduce the demand for packaging. Shop for merchandise that works toward the goal of, Less is More. (click anywhere to hide)
• California Material Exchange Program
  Does your company have a bunch of scrap art supplies you don't know what to do with? How about medical supplies, an old car, a used computer, or furniture. These things are useful to someone, somewhere, and not just in California.
  Check out http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/calmax/(click anywhere to hide)
• Dispose of Christmas Trees Wisely

  First of all, consider buying a live one, and planting it in the yard in January (or when the ground thaws, of course). In the UK, people throw their trees in the river. Some people take them outside and light them in celebration of the wise men's visit to the baby Jesus. Both are bad ideas.

  Check with your local disposal company for pickup days. Burrtec Waste Industries (San Bernardino County) will collect your Christmas tree at curbside during the two week period after Christmas. Simply put your Christmas tree next to your trash containers on your regular collection day. Trees over 6' need to be cut in half. Please take all ornaments and wooden stands off the tree, and most will not accept flocked trees.(click anywhere to hide)

• Donate old computers to education facilities
• Recycle glass bottles and jars
• Buy & Wear Clothes Made of Recycled and Recyclable Materials
  This winter you may be wearing a fleece jacket made from a water bottle you drank out of last summer. It's polyethylene terephthalate, or PETE, and often labeled #1, which is no coincidence, for it's the most common of recycled plastics. This plastic is often used in creating polyester and fleece.
  
  RockCreek.com, an outdoor clothing and supply store located in the Appalachian Mountains, is a big believer in reducing, reusing and recycling of our natural resources. The company utilizes recycled cardboard to ship their products and are striving to eliminate paper all together! They contribute to the Chaco's sandal recycling program where they offer discounts to customers who donate their old sandals to children in Nepal. The company also claims to benefit from 100% wind power, which provides electricity to their store in Tennessee. (click anywhere to hide)
• Pay bills on-line
• Recycle Plastic
  Plastic is all around us and most of it can be recycled. Like all waste, it needs to be disposed of in some way, whether it be recycled or not. Locate your local recycling facility and visit often; encourage your friends to, also. When you buy products, find items that use minimal packaging. Take part in your local cleanup days, or organize one yourself. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle!(click anywhere to hide)
• Boating Etiquette
  Untreated human waste dumped overboard from one vessel can carry more bacteria then the wastewater from a city plant of 10,000 people! Installing a Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) such as the Raritan Lectra/San MSD is required by law if your boat has a toilet facility and some have treatment capabilities, however many bodies of water prohibit any kind of dumping. Check with your local agencies.(click anywhere to hide)
• Donate Household Items to Goodwill
• Recycle Used Ink Cartridges
• Recycle Paper
  Over 40% of an average landfill consists of paper products, of which, 99% of that paper is recyclable! Paper that has been soiled, has plastic or wax coating, and stickers cannot be recycled. Junk mail, however can.even the envelopes with the little plastic windows. So, not only do we need to recycle, we should find paper & paper products that has recycled content. Using recycled paper reduces 35% of the water pollution and 70% of the air pollution generated from producing new paper.
  Here are some interesting numbers:

  • One half million trees are used to produce the Nation's Sunday newspaper.
  • 250 million trees would be saved if every newspaper was recycled.
  • The average American uses over 700 pounds of paper, and other paper products a year.
  • Americans recycle over 25% of the newspapers produced.
  • Recycling creates 4 times as many jobs per 10,000 tons of material recycled compared to 10,000 tons of garbage brought to landfills, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

  Note: Trees are our Nation's greatest renewable resource, and according to the American Forest & Paper Association, our nation's timberlands' net annual growth has exceeded harvest by over 45% for the past two decades! In fact, our forests have grown by more than 10 million acres in the last 15 years (a 39% growth since 1959) according to abundantforests.org. But, in order to keep that healthy balance and claim that we do it green, we still must do our part to reduce, reuse and recycle. (click anywhere to hide)
• Use Locally Grown Produce
• Recycle Holiday Wrapping Paper
  We generate more trash around Christmas time than any other time of the year, and approximately 80% of your holiday trash is recyclable, according to Burrtec Waste Industries of San Bernardino County, CA. All the gift boxes, wrapping paper, greeting cards, and cardboard packaging are items that may be placed in your recycling barrel. Most companies will pickup this additional waste the week following Christmas and New Year's for no additional fees.(click anywhere to hide)
• Dispose of Oil / Paints Wisely
  All chemicals, solvents, oil and oil based products are illegal to dump into the street or on the ground. Any certified recycling center will take these unwanted liquids in any type of container you bring. In San Bernardino County, call 1-800-OILYCAT for a center near you.
  
  In addition, these products are often used with rags for cleaning up and if not disposed of, or handled properly, can become explosive. It's called spontaneous combustion, and it's best to store these items in something that breathes. Click here to find oily waste containers for sale from Global Industries.(click anywhere to hide)
• Recycle Aluminum Cans
  Recycling soda, beer and energy drink cans have been around for decades, and the process just keep getting more economical and faster in it's process. In fact, the can you recycled this week could be yours again in two months! Aluminum, at one time, was more valuable then gold, and like gold can be melted down and used to make something new over and over again; never loosing any of it's material content. However, if tossed into a landfill will be still be sitting there 500 years from now. Not gold, though; that will probably be picked up by someone, especially a can of gold!
  
  Here are some interesting numbers:

  • 350,000 aluminum cans are produced every minute.
  • Aluminum cans accounts for less than 1% of the total waste stream, 50% of the aluminum cans produced.
  • Aluminum cans are becoming lighter - In 1972 a pound of aluminum produced 22 cans; that same pound of aluminum today produces over 34 cans.
  • Ten crushed aluminum cans put a nickel in my pocket as a boy, it now earns me a whole dime!

  For more fun facts and history, visit Earth 911. (click anywhere to hide)
• Donate Reading Glasses
• Make Toys and Gifts From Discarded Cans & Boxes
• Bring your Recyclables to the Children's Museum
  Various children's museums accept clean, unbroken, undamaged trash. Translated, that means cereal boxes, yogurt cups and egg cartons which haven't been crushed or ripped. They typically don't want glass or cans, but they will gladly take the lids of jars, bottles and yes, whiskey bottles. Children love to play grocery store or build fantasy castles and futuristic robots from these discarded treasures.
  Here are a few.
  BOSTON
  LOS ANGELES
  (click anywhere to hide)
• San Bernardino County Recycling Program
  It's also referred to as the Zero Waste Communities of San Bernardino County. Visit the site to download recycling and reuse guides and videos. Some are even offered in Spanish. Check out the soccer video! Look in your phone book for the latest Reuse and Recycling Guide.
  
  For more information within the County of San Bernardino, see the Department of Public Works Solid Waste Management Division.(click anywhere to hide)
• Eliminate Video Tape Use

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

• Use Compact Flourescent Bulbs (CFL's)
  The generation of flickering, white lights are gone; waiting for that annoying fluorescent tube to come on after you flip the switch in your Grandfather's garage. Now you can replace every light in your home with a Compact Flourescent Bulb, the new generation of illumination, and some are even dimmable. It's important, however, to check the label for CFL's specifically designed for that purpose. Using a standard CFL in a dimmable application is a fire hazard.
  
  CFL's use less electricity; a 13-watt CFL will replace a 60-watt incandescent. CFL's reduce pollution; replacing a 75-watt incandescent with a 20-watt CFL will keep 1,300lbs of carbon dioxide and 20lbs of sulfur from being released into the atmosphere by generating less electricity at the coal powered power plants. CFL's last longer; the higher quality bulbs could last 8-10 times longer, saving you money and time. Keep in mind, some are better than others.so test different brands.
  
  The EPA and DOE has established a program called Energy Star. We're promoting their Pledge Drive, here at WJRB Consulting & Design, and has set a goal of 1,000 individuals to participate. Your Grandfather will be so proud and you too, can save money, time and energy...and help change the world!(click anywhere to hide)
• Monitor Electrical Appliance Use
• Reduce Electrical Appliance Use
• Regulate Hot Water Heater
• Replace the Air Filter in Your Vehicle
• Support Racing that Supports the Environment
  NASCAR (National Association of Sports Car Racing) is becoming more environmentally aware by switching to unleaded fuels. These fuels are easier on the environment because they emit less CO2. The first race, in which this was tried in the premier series called the Nextel Cup, was the weekend of February 25th, the second race of the '07 season. Matt Kenseth drove away with the win, while poor Earnhardt blow an engine.because of the different fuel? Stay tuned.
  
  The IRL (Indy Racing League) has been racing with the idea to go completely corn based for years. This clean-burning and renewable fuel is non-toxic and 100% biodegradable. This year, for the 2007 season, all the Hondas will be powered by the high octane of Ethanol.
  
  The Champ Car World Series is claiming to be using 100% methanol fuels to lower their carbon footprint.
  
  Formula One, in the mean time, is doing nothing to their fuels. However, the Honda entry has a whole new look. Instead of painting their cars with the traditional red and white colors of the Japanese based team, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will be flying around the track in their V8 powered RA107 embodied with a beautiful lithograph of the world. Be a part of their environmental awareness movement and pledge to make a difference.You too can have your name on their car, just like WJRB has done!
  
  Racing has been exempt from the 1970 Clean Air Act, which requires all cars to lower their emissions. However, many environmental advocacy groups have criticized racing because of this exemption. Now, with the high cost of fuels and more awareness by the racing community, many teams, sponsors and sanctioning bodies are becoming environmentally responsible. Drivers are now looking for a new exemption; from the cursed green. Nowadays, racing Green can be very Lucky! (click anywhere to hide)
• Use Kitchen Gadgets Wisely
• Use LCD Computer Terminals
• Use Surge Protectors / Power Stripe
• Cook Biscuits Using Solar Power
  This may seem like just a fun little project, maybe something you did as kid in scout's, but more and more people all over the world are utilizing the sun's energy to cook every day. The Solar Oven Society is a great place to start, or check out the Solar Oven Archive(click anywhere to hide)
• Eliminate Styrofoam Use
• Use LCD Televisions
• Bar-B-Que More
• Maintain Proper Vehicle Tire Pressure

Innovation and Design Process (ID)

• The American Flag
  Flying your American Flag shows your patriotism, and even though you think green, you live by the Red, White and Blue.(click anywhere to hide)
• Pick up After Pets
  We've all seen, or even worse, stepped in the mess that an irresponsible pet owner left behind. This is crap...literally, and if an unsuspected child happens upon a pile, left from a dog or cat infected with a common parasite, such as toxocara, she could become blind. Don't be one of the cursed...pickup! Carry little Doggie Walk Bags which come in a pocket capsule you can toss in the glove box or clip to your dog's collar. (click anywhere to hide)
• Be Prepared
  No matter how much we conserve electricity, the power can still go out. We've all experienced it and had to wait it out in darkness. Keep the candles handy and the batteries fresh. There are, however, cool gadgets that can keep us in the light and provide us with the latest weather updates without using batteries, like the Grundig hand crank emergency radio!

Easily Green | Moderately Green | Seriously Green

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at wjrb@wedoitgreen.com