Next Thursday, we'll launch another regular feature at the Green Options blog: Green Myth-Busting. Myths abound about environmentalism, sustainability and green living, and we want to make sure that those of you considering your green options have the facts you need to make informed choices.
Normally, we'd announce a feature like this with it's first installment, but we're jumping out ahead of this one because we'd like to give you the opportunity to let us know about "green myths" you've encountered. Our writers have already started discussing some topics, but we also want to hear from you: what myths are out there about the green life that you'd like to see addressed? Or, perhaps you've heard something about recycling, composting, renewable energy, etc., that doesn't quite sound right, but you're not sure. Send it along — we'll check it out.
After overcoming a few technical challenges, we're very pleased to announce the launch of 30 Days to a Greener You, Green Options' e-course on greening the good life.
From the beginning, we've wanted Green Options to serve as a hub for "green newbies" — those people who are excited about the potential to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, but who also aren't completely sure where to start. There's a lot of information out there, and trying to filter through it all can be daunting.
30 Days to a Greener You helps you do just that by presenting daily lessons and actions you can take that will help you lighten your environmental impact while still living a comfortable lifestyle. We start with the "low-hanging fruit" of easily-implemented changes, and progress to bigger decisions for you to consider. Throughout, we point you to authoritative information, and guide you through the process of integrating it into your life. By the end, you should not only feel better about your relationship with the natural environment, but also understand practices you can implement that should save you money in the long term.
We're pretty excited about 30 Days — we hope you are, too, and that you share it with family and friends looking for ways to "green the good life."
You can subscribe to the course in the box on top of the right sidebar on this page. Please send any questions or concerns to 30days@greenoptions.com.
Our own Kelli Best-Oliver asks:
Spring gardening is happening! Anyone have sustainable gardening tips?
We're sure you do, so give them to Kelli in the forum.
One thing I'm going to do this year (though not until April): plant buffalo grass
in the back yard. It's a native prarie grass that's incredibly drought resistant, and requires little watering, fertilizing, etc. I'm not doing it until later because it's a summer growth grass…
OK, I've started… your turn! Of course, you can always check out our Lawn & Garden information in the Green Life Guide.
I received a note from fellow green blogger John-Paul Maxfield yesterday about his new Colorado-based concert promotion company Simple Folks Present. John-Paul's a pretty green guy himself, but he'd like some help in figuring out how to make his new venture more eco-friendly:
I would love your input on ways to green the company and bring people together in a way that allows them to enjoy the music they choose, while also giving them the opportunity to give back to that upon which they groove.
As a fairly regular concert-goer (though not as regular as I once was), I know greening these events is a pretty big challenge. Once need only look at the packed parking lots (in which most cars are all idling in the bumper-to-bumper race to leave after the show), and the packed, usually overflowing, trash cans to recognize the need for green. Yet bands, venues and promoters are all on the job:
Those are the fex examples that come to mind immediately. What have I missed? Give John-Paul your own ideas in the comments, or join in the discussion on this topic in the Forum.
Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday, Dell founder and chairman Michael Dell issued a challenge to the personal computer industry: make free recycling of used computers a standard part of doing business. According to the New York Post, Dell said,
"Today, I challenge every PC maker to join us in providing free recycling for every customer in every country you do business, all the time - no exceptions. … It's the right thing to do for our customers. It's the right thing to do for our earth."
Additionally, Dell announced that the company would also would begin a program called "Plant a Tree for Me," in which customers could elect to have a small portion of their purchase price ($2 for notebooks, $6 for desktops) donated to The Conservation Fund and CarbonFund.org to fund tree-planting efforts. Dell would cover the administrative costs of the program.
This is a smart move by Dell. E-waste recycling isn't mandatory nationwide in the US, but it's likely coming: already some states and local governments have implemented requirements for disposing of used electronics. Carbon regulation is also on the way. Dell not only prepares itself for these requirements, but gets green credibility for making this voluntary move — Greenpeace, for instance, has praised the company's efforts thus far. More and more, these kinds of moves are going to put companies on top not just in terms of eco-consciousness, but also in terms of profitability.
New York Post: Dell: PC Industry Need to Go Green
New York Times: Dell Founder Wants to Offset Energy Consumption
Dell Earth
