Photo: Wikimedia Commons

1. De-clutter your desk.

Stop looking at memos from 2011, and finally throw out that tabloid magazine from – ahem – last March. A clean space will provide a fresh start for the day and make your working life is a little more organized. Scan, create and save electronic versions of important documents onto your computer. File through scribbled notes and type the pertinent info into a Google Doc. Gather all paper items (magazines, office paper, notes, etc.) for recycling.

2. Get a coffee shop-free caffeine boost.

You don’t have to spend $4.45 at Starbucks to get that kick you need at 2:30. Making your own beverage will not only save you money, but you’ll be buying – and ultimately tossing – one less of the 4 billion coffee cups that are thrown away each year. Try whipping up one of these recipes for a spice chai or gingerbread latte.

3. Change your lighting.

Having the right light in your office is especially important during the dreary winter. Over the years, our editors have tested several bulbs – incandescent, LED and CFL – for efficiency, quality and energy bill savings. While incandescent bulbs burn bright, they set off high heat, and they don’t last very long. However, this LED bulb and this CFL bulb kept the temperature (and bills) low, but still gave off a bright light.

4. Snack on healthy items every two hours.

Don’t eat a heavy meal at lunch. It will set you up for a sleepy afternoon. Instead, eat a moderate lunch and nosh on whole snacks – nuts, granola or dried fruit – throughout the day. You’ll notice that not only are you eating less in the long run, but your mind can focus on other tasks instead of thinking about food. For tomorrow, bring your own meal. Here are 5 ways to pack a zero-waste lunch.

5. Find one way your office can “go green.”

In true 2012 spirit, your boss is probably down for making some changes, so now’s the perfect time for suggesting new ways to eco-innovate. Does your office recycle? (No? Here’s how to start and office recycling program.) Does payday come via direct deposit or paper checks? Is there room in the kitchen for reusable mugs instead of foam cups? Look around the office for wasteful ways, or take a poll of your other co-workers on ways they think the workplace could change for the better.

Photo: ZUMA Press

Written by Matt Hickman, MNN

Before your eyes roll completely out of your head with the news that accomplished underpants model Gisele Bundchen and her husband, lusted-after professional football playa Tom Brady, will soon be moving into their 22,000-square-foot “green” dream home in the chichi Brentwood section of Los Angeles (neighbors include fellow mega-rich supermodel Heidi Klum), I’ll say this much: at least she tried.

Brazil-born Bundchen, in addition to her modeling and occasional acting duties, has served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 2009, and frequently lends her face and name to various environmental causes (perhaps something she picked up during all those years dating Leonardo DiCaprio?). The 31-year-old beauty with a chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease was also recently named Best Green International Celebrity.

So of course, Bundchen felt the need (or the pressure, rather) to walk the talk when it came to reportedly outfitting her $20 million home castle with as many eco-friendly bells and whistles as possible: solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, rainwater recycling, sustainable building materials, and more. The home, which has been under construction for 18 months, also features eight bedrooms, a six-car garage, a nursery for Bundchen and Brady’s young son Benjamin, a wine cellar, an elevator, a training area for Brady, an indoor bridge connecting the two wings of the home, a lagoon-shaped pool, and enough water features to make Celine Dion drool at the mouth. And what? No breastfeeding suite?

The home, which looks more like a hotel than anything, appears to be a chateau-inspired monstrosity, of the kind favored by NFL players and Candy Spelling. And from what I’ve seen of the nearly completed home, I don’t think the Bundchen-Brady residence is that exciting or innovative looking … just a really, really big home for two really, really good-looking people who receive really, really big paychecks. I’d be curious to hear more about the supposed sustainable features once the couple is all moved in.

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This article was reprinted with permission from Mother Nature Network. It does not necessarily describe the views or opinions of Earth911. You can read the original article here.

What’s Killing Carbon Capture?

Ken Wells and Ben Elgin for Bloomberg Businessweek
July 21, 2011

If you’re not up to speed with the carbon capture controversy, Ken Wells and Ben Elgin will explain the technology and, more importantly, why pilot programs are pulling the plug on it.

Read it here

The Acid Sea

Elizabeth Kolbert for National Geographic
April 2011

Will oysters, mussels, coral reefs and other creature of the sea be around in 100 years? It’s a hard pill to swallow, but carbon dioxide is slowly changing the natural balance of the ocean. Could the results be catastrophic?

Read it here

The Fracturing of Pennsylvania

Eliza Griswold for The New York York Times
Nov. 17, 2011

It could quite possibly be the biggest environmental news of 2011. Also called “fracking,” is the process of extracting gas from rock. Oil companies tout the process as “revolutionary,” while environmental groups such as the NRDC are heavily opposed.

Read it here

Thrift Stores See Boom Times in Hard Times

Steve Lopez for the Los Angeles Times
July 27, 2011

While 2011 was no short of dismal for many businesses, thrift shops and buy-used stores saw a nice jump in sales. Is it simply a sign of the hard economic times? Or are we becoming more eco-conscious consumers?

Read it here

A Manifesto for Sustainable Capitalism

Al Gore and David Blood for The Wall Street Journal
Dec. 14, 2011

Former Vice President Al Gore and David Blood, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, have teamed up to create Generation Investment Management, a London-based firm that focuses on sustainability factors. A must-read for any entrepreneur, their manifesto is an outline of how any business can apply and measure sustainable practices.

Read it here

“My kids would LOVE to win a set of Preserve plastic bowls and plates! My daughters are becoming “little environmentalists” and they want to save the polar bears. My older daughter brings home her recyclables (and sometimes her friends’ bottles too!) and doesn’t use any baggies in her lunch. My kids would get such a kick out of knowing that the plates are made from recyclables, and I love that that the Preserve set is BPA and melamine free and they are MADE IN THE USA!” [sic]


- Laura Ricketts, winner of the Preserve Tablewear Set from Gifts for the Student

“My daughter is adopted and she suffers from several mental illnesses. She is going to a hospital before Christmas where she will live from a year to maybe more. She is 13 and loves jewelry and trying to look cool. She does not have many friends as a result of from her peculiar behaviors. She does not deserve the life she is having to live and I don’t have much money as a single mother. I can’t buy her all that she wants but I believe she would love this bracelet. Thank you!” [sic]


- Destry Stokes Keye, winner of the Urban Lace Bracelet from Gifts for the Girlie Girl

“My teacher and best friend, Ms. Turner helped me through my darkest times and has always been there for me. She is now pregnant with her 3rd child, and wouldn’t wearing natural Raw Mascara by Ethical Ocean help her avoid toxic chemicals and parabens and keep her and her baby safe? I’m sure being such a busy person, she wouldn’t even have time to consider the dangers of makeup!”


- Angelina Choi, winner of the Raw Mascara from Gifts for the Girlie Girl

“I would love to win the robe for my daughter. She is a Mom, a full time student and also works full time. She rarely has a minute to relax so the robe would be perfect for those precious moments when she does.”


- Susie Clay D, winner of the Organic Spa Robe from Gifts for the Parents

“I would love to win the necklace. I would give it to my daughter. She is 15 years old. A year ago she lost her dad and grandmother in the same month. Her grandmother recycled everything that was recycleable. She recycled newspapers, milk jugs, aluminum cans, and etc.My daughter has been very sad with the holidays approaching. She would love this gift because she truly loved her grandmother.” [sic]


- Selena Grimes Neill, winner of the Bottled Up Necklace from Gifts for the Fashionista

“My coworker and her family adopt a family in need every year. Times are so rough they have adopted 2 families this year. One of them has an 11 year old boy and I’d like to give the Windpower kit to him.”


- Denise LeBegue, winner of the Windpower Science Kit from Gifts for the Techie

“I’d love to win the grow-your-own mushroom kit for my little sister. a long time ago I (being a loving older sister) threatened to lock her in her closet. surprisingly, she was not upset by this at all. when I asked her why, she replied, “i’d be very happy in there. I’d cultivate mushrooms for food.” with this, her dream could come true!” [sic]


- Agnes Walden, winner of the Grow-Your-Own-Mushroom Kit from Gifts for the Foodie

“Entering to win the Viola Mini-Garden-in-a-pail. My mother loves to garden but was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 6 months. This means that she won’t be able to plant flowers again. I feel that her being able to see flowers growing during her journey home would help keep her spirits up.”


- Patti Evans, winner of Mini Garden-in-a-Pail from Gifts for the Nature Lover

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Written by Russell McLendon, MNN

Congress has dodged a government shutdown, agreeing to a $1 trillion spending bill that features a variety of rare compromises. Both Democrats and Republicans won some concessions, and it’s too early to say who came out on top. But there’s one issue where the GOP seems to have won lights-out: the battle of the bulb.

House Republicans have become livid in recent months about the Energy Department’s updated efficiency rules for light bulbs, which were signed by President George W. Bush in 2007 and scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The standards are meant to help the U.S. use less electricity, requiring that traditional incandescent bulbs become 30 percent more energy-efficient by 2012.

READ: 6 Reasons Repealing the ‘Light Bulb Ban’ is a Bad Idea

But under the new omnibus spending bill, Republicans have blocked the light-bulb standards by prohibiting the Energy Department from using federal funds to implement them. The rules can technically still take effect next month, but the GOP rider will prevent the U.S. from enforcing them through Sept. 30, Politico reports.

Critics have cast the standards as a “light bulb ban,” suggesting they would outlaw incandescent bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs. But supporters point out that no specific type of bulb would be outlawed; incandescent bulbs could still be sold under the new rules, as long as they’re 30 percent more efficient than older models. CFLs and other energy-efficient bulbs are costlier to buy up-front, but they save money in the long run: A typical CFL saves $30 over its lifespan, according to the U.S. Energy Star program, and pays for itself in about six months.

CFLs do contain small amounts of mercury, but it’s only a risk if the bulb breaks. This can make recycling CFLs difficult, although proponents point out that coal-fired power plants release mercury directly into the environment. Since traditional bulbs need more electricity, they argue, CFLs actually have a smaller “mercury footprint.”

The pushback against the efficiency rules was led by conservative talk-radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh, as well as by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who’s running for president. (“President Bachmann will allow you to buy any light bulb you want,” she said earlier this year.) And while Republicans have recently abandoned several other environmental riders in the spirit of progress — including major cuts to the EPA — many felt too strongly about the light-bulb issue to simply let it go.

“Speaker [John] Boehner to Chairman [Fred] Upton to Chairman [Hal] Rogers, they all strongly support keeping it in,” says Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2007 when the energy law was approved. “And it’s a personal commitment because of their philosophy.”

According to Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., the GOP bulb block is “just another poke in the eye.” Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., attributes it to “the power of Michele Bachmann and the presidential campaign.” And on Twitter, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., wrote, “I strongly oppose that language. I hope it’s deleted from any final bill that we pass.”

A spokeswoman for the House Appropriations Committee, however, says the GOP’s anti-efficiency provision remains in the final version of the bill. “There is no change in this language from the version that was posted last night,” she tells the Hill.

On Thursday, some lawmakers from both sides of the aisle expressed exhaustion, even apathy, about the measure. “Is it a must-have for me? No,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “That was not something that I got focused on or took up as an initiative.” As Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., groused, “It’s not even worth talking about. It’s something that can always be worked out.”

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This article was reprinted with permission from Mother Nature Network. It does not necessarily describe the views or opinions of Earth911. You can read the original article here.

The Naturwall allows anyone to create a custom vertical garden using disposable coffee cups. Photo: Behance Network

Vertical gardens are a fun way to bring greenery indoors or to small patios and yards.

Now Turkish design firm Designnobis has created a living wall system with an upcycled twist: Their Naturwall allows anyone to create their own vertical garden using disposable coffee cups.

Rather than ending up in the landfill, coffee cups take on a second life as plant pots in the Naturwall system, which includes an aluminum metal frame with 10-12 cup holders. Users can set up the living wall in any arrangement that fits the size and type of their plants.

Designnobis believes that these vertical garden systems benefit the environment by not only reducing plastic waste, but also by increasing the number of plants indoors and in small outdoor spaces, which can help absorb carbon emissions.

The Naturwall received the 2008 Green Dot Build Award, which recognizes innovative design and architecture that achieves the highest level of environmental responsibility.

READ: Add Your Own Upcycled Lampshade to This Light