Ahh, the joys of summer: sunshine, no school, long days, lemonade, beaches, sandcastles, vacations... the list goes on and on.  As August approaches, we are all scrambling to fit in our last summer vacations and planning our weekend day trips.  This past weekend, my husband and I passed up on spending the day at a local water park or amusement park, stayed close to home, and spent the afternoon at the Guadalupe Park Rose Garden in San Jose, California.

It was great!  We did not have to leave the dog at home, and better yet, we minimized the negative impact our day trip had on the environment.  Some things I keep in mind as I fill in my calendar for the remainder of the summer include staying close to home to reduce gas usage. Furthermore, I try to drive during off hours which also reduces gas consumption (AND doubles the benefit by increasing the amount of time we get to spend at our destination!).  When possible taking a train, bus, or other public transit is even better, though I must admit, I am not always the best at this (in my defense, the California Bay Area has awful public transportation).  Biking is even better.... read more

What have nearly 2,500 people and teams been doing over the last few months?  Entering into the National Geographic sponsored Green Effect contest.  The contest is based on submissions from every day people involving an idea about some small green task that will have a possible big effect on the envrionment - a green effect.

This huge amount of submissions were combed through by a five judge panel, including hollywood star Edward Norton, whom chose the ten best.  The judge panel then went through these entries and picked the four best.  Another winner was added from online voting.  Each of the winners recieved a $20,000 grant to make their dreams realities.... read more

Welcome everyone to another trip across the blogs.  Today we are looking specifically at pets, those furry friends that we all love so much.  We may try to recycle all plastics, eat local and use a canvas bag whenever we go out, but what about our pets?  What are we doing to help make their lifestyles more sustainable and eco-friendly?  Well, today we chose articles that can help you in this evolution (or is is it devolution) into an earth friendly pet.

How to Go Green: Pets: Planet Green is always a great source of simple greening guides. The pet guide provided is no different. Providing a list of tips, links to articles and green pet products; this pet guide is one of the best places to start the changes in a pets life.

Great Green Pet: Now, let's highlight one blog that is all about pets. GreatGreenPet is a shopping blog devoted to the green, eco-friendly, pet owner. A cool source to find all those eco-friendly doggy type such as the Tux. The tux is pliable, bouncy, non-toxic, recyclable and buoyant toy including a space for doggy biscuits.

5 Ways To Be a Green Pet Owner: Start With A Recycled Dog Or Cat: A wonderful idea for many would be pet owners. The Fun Guide is pointing out that not only materials are recycled but also our good companions. Next time you need to introduce a feline to your family maybe go to the local shelter or take a cat off someone no longer able to take care of it. Those furballs still have so much love to give.

And today, I am cheating a bit by choosing two articles from a single blog. Green Living Ideas just provided two of the most amazing tips I had to highlight both. 5 Natural Flea Treatments is first with two just brilliant ideas; washing your pet in salt water and adding brewer's yeast to your pets food. Homemade Dog Food Serves Up Natural Nourishment is wonderful article because it provides super easy, natural recipes to feed that pooch you have.

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I've got a closet in my house that is an electronics graveyard.  Dead cell phones, laptops that didn't pay to repair, and 2 desktop computers circa 2000.  I didn't know how to properly dispose of these things, so I just stuck them into a closet where their only current purpose is catching dust.... read more