Individuals who are intentionally environmentally friendly at home often try to carry their eco-conscious way of living with them when they travel abroad. An eco-friendly style of travel is beneficial to other countries and also makes the person a goodwill ambassador for their home country.
Whether a person travels for business or pleasure, there are plenty of ways to take care of the environment no matter where the individual goes.
It takes seconds to toss trash in the garbage, but the positive impact lasts years.
Environmentally Friendly Tips for Travel Overseas
Rent a Hybrid Car.
The use of hybrid cars, at home and on vacation, prevents gas and oil pollution that affects the environment and our health. Renting a hybrid car while overseas is beneficial to the immediate environment and may also introduce the driver to a new way of taking care of their home environment.... read more
Eco-friendly clothing companies are gaining in popularity, and many people are proud to champion them along. Eco-fashions have a lot going for them: They are environmentally friendly, and they are fashion-forward in every sense of the word. Sustainable fibers make it possible to create high-quality garments that are comfortable and that last.
If you ask shoppers what the appeal is, you are likely to get a range of responses. For instance, some may simply say they like the fact that they are doing something nice for the environment, but other consumers may say they like the style or fashion design, and still others may insist that the reason they buy eco-friendly fashions is because pesticides are not used in growing the materials.
Designers of today have lots of choices when using eco-friendly fabrics.... read more
For the rural parts of the United States, implementing solar arrays are not seen as a cost-effective solution for power demands. As costs of photovoltaic equipment has been decreasing steadily since the middle of 2012, the argument that rural areas can't have a renewable energy solution is seemingly more and more moot. There is a variety of ways that these sparsely populated areas can implement solar technology without upsetting the community with hiked rates.
1. Piecemeal - Solar arrays can be installed a piece at a time. An entire 1.5 gigawatt station doesn't need to be constructed immediately in order to quell some of the problems that the rural communities experience. In some areas, brownouts are so frequent that many have to buy back up batteries in order to prevent damage to computer systems. Even if the cooperative power company installed a handful of small panels at a time to alleviate some of the brownout issues, it could go a long way to improving customer service. Eventually, solar panels will drop so low that nearly everyone can afford them and those who are unhappy with his or her power company could eliminate that monthly bill all-together.
2. Billing Adjustments - Depending on the number of people within the cooperative power company's region, even the slightest of increases could help develop a solar array for the benefit of everyone. If the company was to put it to a vote from the population after delivering the benefits of the solar array, even a small one to two-percent increase in everyone's bill could begin developing a smarter and greener future for everyone. In smaller areas, saving enough money to begin construction could take a while unless the co-op company could develop a strategy to maximize funding.... read more
While I've made homemade cleansers and washing machine detergent in the past, I was wary of making homemade dishwashing detergent. I envisioned everything coming out dirty or with a sticky residue. Until recently, that is. It was a late night (when most stores were closed), we had a ton of dishes to do, and we were taking an early morning flight.
I quickly did some Googling, but all of the recipes called for borax or washing soda, which we didn't have. I finally found a recipe that called for neither. I was definitely skeptical, but it wound up working like a charm. It's cheap, too!
When you imagine the perfect garden, there's a good chance there's a bit of lattice somewhere in your mind. With its classic overlapping grid structure, lattice is extremely versatile in terms of purpose and appearance and it can be designed to suit any style!
Here are a few suggestions for incorporating lattice into your garden layout no matter the space you have to work with, as well as a simple DIY lattice garden project, plus best practices to keep in mind.
Lots of Lattice Options
Lattice is an excellent choice for so many things due, in large part, to its simplicity. In essence, a lattice is a panel of wood or metal strips made into a grid. Lattice in its natural wood tone provides a wonderfully blended backdrop to highlight whatever you are growing or you can paint the lattice in any color you desire to add a pop to your backyard landscaping!... read more
Rising fuel cost, increased environmental awareness, political posturing, and the long term stability of our natural resources has created a surge of hybrid vehicle development in the United States and abroad. Ford Motor Co. sold a record 11,600 Natural Gas Vehicles in 2012 (source) and Chevy sold 1,306 Volt's (electric car) in April this year (source). Another hybrid technology is compressed air vehicles; leading the pack overseas is Tata Motors (source) and I'd love to see them stateside. The demand for alternative fuel automobiles rises every month as does the options for consumers. Let's take a look at some of the available consumer level options.... read more
This is an update of a previous Green Father's Day Gift Guide. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there...and here are some gift ideas for their families! At the bottom there are some new additions.
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Father's Day is just around the corner. Thinking about what to get for the environment-loving dad in your life? Here are a few ideas:... read more
Prince Charles has launched a scathing attack upon corporate lobbyists and climate change sceptics for transforming the world in to a ‘dying patient.’
The Prince of Wales was speaking to UK ministers and tropical forest scientists at St James’ Palace as he attacked businesses that failed to care for the environment. Such businesses are unlikely to be in possession of an ISO 14001 certificate, which businesses can implement to reduce their environmental impact whilst still increasing profits. It can facilitate expansion in to new sectors and protect businesses against future legislation by possessing the certificate, demonstrating their commitment to reducing their environmental impact.
Prince Charles called for greater education regarding deforestation so that the world’s forests would be appreciated, hopefully resulting in the slowing down of deforestation. He sees forests as playing a critical role in the environment by providing food, water, energy and habitats for plants and animals. ... read more
Americans, on average, spend 25.5 minutes on their way to work according to the US Census Bureau. That's only one way. Which means most of us are spending nearly an hour a day traveling to and from work. 10.8 million Americans travel an hour each way. For 600,000 unfortunate souls, called mega-commuters, an average commute is at least 50 miles and 90 minutes one way.
Spending that much time in the car each day isn't very green. Using all of that gas, running air conditioning, idling in traffic — none of it is good for you or the environment. How much can you make your commute greener?
Choose the Right Route
How often do you feel like you're stuck in gridlock traffic?
Gridlock is bad for your mental health and productivity — that much is obvious. Traffic congestion has also been quantifiably tied to negative health effects. Scientists at Harvard's School of Public Health reported in 2011 that more than 2,200 premature deaths are annually caused by air pollution from traffic congestion.... read more
Guest rooms come in all different shapes and sizes but they aren’t always set up with the environment in mind. This may not matter to family and friends visiting from out of town because they are only passing through. However if you have a lot of guests visiting over the course of the warmer months implementing a few green upgrades to the guest room may tip the scales so it’s working more with the environment than against.
That being the case with the summer vacation season fast approaching consider some of the following tips for a greener guest room:
CFLs: Change all incandescent light bulbs in the guest room (and adjacent bathroom if there is one) to compact florescent lights (CFLs). These energy saving bulbs will use up to 80% less power meaning if a guest leaves a light on it won’t show much on the electric bill.
2. Drafts: Guests arriving over the summer are sure to use the air conditioning on warm nights, especially in humid regions like Fort Lauderdale. For this reason its important to make sure the system is working efficiently and not draining unnecessary power. This means fixing any drafts around windows and doors and cleaning or replacing filters.... read more
While I've made homemade cleansers and washing machine detergent in the past, I was wary of making homemade dishwashing detergent. I envisioned everything coming out dirty or with a sticky residue. Until recently, that is. It was a late night (when most stores were closed), we had a ton of dishes to do, and we were taking an early morning flight.
This is an update of a previous Green Father's Day Gift Guide. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there...and here are some gift ideas for their families! At the bottom there are some new additions.
Prince Charles has launched a scathing attack upon corporate lobbyists and climate change sceptics for transforming the world in to a ‘dying patient.’ 
Guest rooms come in all different shapes and sizes but they aren’t always set up with the environment in mind. This may not matter to family and friends visiting from out of town because they are only passing through. However if you have a lot of guests visiting over the course of the warmer months implementing a few green upgrades to the guest room may tip the scales so it’s working more with the environment than against.