Make Green Come True

Many political discussions today revolve around energy conservation and our environment.   Here is a brief timeline of some of the green projects that have been implemented in our nation’s favorite home:

1.  1979 – Carter’s administration installs a solar water heater in the White House.

2.  1989-1993 – Bush initiates a project to install more energy-efficient chiller system in the air conditioning system for the White House.

3.  1993 – Clinton initiates an extensive energy audit of the white house.

4.  2002 – Bush continues Clinton’s work, installing a new solar system and many other upgrades.

5.  2002-2008 – Compact flourescents replace many of the less energy efficient lights throughout the home.

6.  2002-2008 – Low water usage toilets and faucets have been installed.

7.  2002-2008 – The sprinkler system uses a computerized system to shut off during rainfall.

8.  2002-2008 – Insulation improvements are made throughout the house.

9.  2002-2008 – Motion-sensored lighting is installed in many parts of the house.

10.  2002-2008 – A long-term project to computerize light system, allowing power to be automatically shut off when not necessary is initiated.

Sources:

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa070201a.htm

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/08/455649.aspx

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/12/01/obama-plans-to-green-the-white-house/

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/greening_whitehouse.pdf

1.  I will use water wisely.   I will not run water excessively.  I will combine laundry and dish loads.  I will quit the spinkler habit during hot months.

2.  I will recycle more. I will investigate my community recycling policy and seek out ways to recycle goods that are not covered by regular recycling pickup (electronics, appliances, plastic bags, etc.).

3.  I will seek out new ideas. I may know the basics, but I will look for new ways to make my home, lifestyle and diet green and earth-friendly.

4.  I will conserve energy. I will look for ways to weatherproof my home and conserve electric power.   I will shop for green products whenever they are available.

5.  I will enjoy our planet. Enjoying nature brings the green mission close to one’s heart.

Australian scientists have discovered that trees in the Australian wilderness are responsible for storing nearly three times the amount of carbon dioxide previously thought.  This carbon dioxide storage is crucial to maintaining clean air and offsetting the emission of greenhouse gases.  Help save our forests by planting trees of your own, protecting those that already exist, and taking a global perspective.  You can help save the rain forest with this site or learn more about the Australian study here.

Before you let books collect dust on the shelf, consider some of these great green options for recycling your old books.

1.  Donate your books to a local library – Share knowledge, foster a lifelong sense of learning, and help others in your community learn by donating to your library.

2.  Post books on Amazon or Ebay – Help your used books find a new home and make some extra money at the same time.

3.  Contact hospitals or shelters to donate books - anywhere that people wait will be glad to have a change of reading material for patrons.

4.  Trade with Friends – Ask around and trade books to learn about new areas of interest and authors.

5.  Buy new books – Look around in your area for a secondhand book store that buys and sells books.  You can bring in your old books in exchange for new reading material.

As the 2008 Summer Olympics are coming to a close and the streets of Bejing are returning to their previous levels of traffic, let’s take a look at some of the ways that these summer games have helped reduce emissions and reduce the impact on our planet.

1.  Buses used in the Olympic village were powered with lithium batteries.

2.  Washers and Dryers in the Olympic village were water and energy efficient and some were detergent free.

3.  Solar energy powered many air conditioners and water heaters in various Olympic venues.

4.  Solar and thermal systems made the Bird’s Nest the world’s most efficient arena.

5.  New water treatment plants and water collection facilities have helped mitigate the impact of the games on the water system.

The green efforts by Olympic organizers were recognized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Greenpeace.

Make Green Come True will be returning to regular posts this week.  Sorry for the absence!  Here are a few ways to catch up on green headlines.
1.   Read about “Ocean Deadzones” and their impact on our world.

2.  Learn about possible changes to the Endangered Species Act.

3.  Discover tips on how to make your organic garden green.

4.  Decide your side on the debate between food safety experts and environmentalists.

5.  Find out more about wastewater problems in urban farms.

If you would like a daily measure of air quality in your area, the AIRNow site by the US government provides just that.  AIRNow publishes maps indicating which areas are at healthy levels.  If air quality levels are low, you might want to stay indoors or avoid exercising outside, particularly if you have respiratory ailments or are sensitive to air quality changes.

Visit AIRNow.

To help reduce the levels of air pollution in your area and to live a more green lifestyle, you may want to also check out these recent green living tips:

Reducing the Carbon Impact of Your Morning Routine

3 Ways to Save Trees with your Home Office

Organic Pesticides

Tags:  green environment

As you read green news, you may notice how often the term carbon footprint is used.  The carbon footprint for a person is the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere based on their activities over a day, month, year or lifetime.

The Conservation Fund has published an online carbon footprint calculator where you can calculate your impact.  Once you know your carbon footprint, you can begin to take steps to reduce or offset the amount.  To reduce your carbon footprint, try a variety of the energy and fuel saving tips found on this and other green websites.  To offset your carbon footprint you can plant trees and plants that take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

While reading data earlier, I found an interesting page.  It offers real-time data about the state of our planet – temperature, population, deforestation, oil depletion, and other environmental metrics.   If you would like to see the impact we are having on our planet, check it out.  If you would like to find a way to help reduce these numbers, start by browsing here for green living tips.  Everything you do has an impact, either positive or negative. Be a force of positive change in our world.

Earth Clock

While reading data earlier, I found an interesting page.  It offers real-time data about the state of our planet – temperature, population, deforestation, oil depletion, and other environmental metrics.   If you would like to see the impact we are having on our planet, check it out.  If you would like to find a way to help reduce these numbers, start by browsing here for green living tips.  Everything you do has an impact, either positive or negative. Be a force of positive change in our world.

Earth Clock