It’s become trendy to be ecofriendly.

I used to pull soda cans out of other people’s trash can, walk down the hallway, and deposit them into the recycling bin at the end of the hall. We don’t have deposits in Maryland, so there was no profit motive, but it always amazed me how inconsiderate some people were. I know I got some strange looks, lifting stuff from people’s trash bins at the office, but I didn’t care (I only took the ones off the top, I didn’t dig and I didn’t tell the person about their inconsiderateness). The utility I gained from recycling that can, or picking up that bottle to recycle it at home, far outweighed the hit I may have taken going through someone’s trash. Thankfully, recycling has become more trendy so I no longer get those strange looks.

In addition to becoming trendy, being ecofriendly can benefit your wallet in ways you probably didn’t imagine. We all know that consuming fewer fossil fuels is one way to be ecofriendly and help your wallet, but are there other ways? Other ways to save the planet and dollars besides carpooling and hypermiling?

Yes, here are five areas you can contribute to the Earth and save yourself some green.

Use Less (Hot) Water

Water is exceptionally cheap; we pay around $50 a quarter to consume 7500 gallons of water, or a little over half a cent a gallon. Consuming less water by itself is hardly a significant way to save money but consuming less hot water is. Hot water takes electricity to heat up, which is generated by burning fossil fuels. Pumping water also takes electricity. While you may not save a ton of money by using less water, you do help out the earth, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by a little bit, and save a few cents in the process.

• Use cold water to wash your clothes. Detergents are now effective enough to kill germs with cold water, hot water is no longer necessary to kill the germs on our clothes.
• Install a low-flow shower head. Current federal shower head regulations require that new shower heads have a maximum throughput of 2.5 gallons per minute. Older shower heads can run as high as 4 GPM. A 5 minute shower each day (30) would use 600 gallons.
• Flush less. I don’t know about the whole yellow let it mellow, brown flush it down but getting a low capacity toilet is a great way to save on water. A frugal solution would be to carefully place a brick inside the tank.

Skip Plastic Bags, Go Reusable

Plastic bags, like all plastic products, are products of petroleum and one of the biggest items of pollution on the planet. The massive floating trash island in the Pacific is made of plastic and it’s absolutely disgusting, we should all do our part by limited our use of plastic where we can.

• Some stores are now offering 5 cents off for each reusable shopping bag you use. In fact, we recently went to our local Giant Foods with a couple plastic bags from home and were given the credit for those as well.
• If you buy a reusable bag, they’re no more than 99 cents at the store and you can get 5 cents off for each less bag you use. You don’t need to buy them though, just bring a backpack or some other bag with you and that will suffice as well.
• If you have a lot of plastic bags, consider recycling them at the bins outside your local grocery store. Most will have drops where you can leave plastic bags for recycling.

Turn Down The Air Conditioner

In the summer, one of the greatest draws in power is your central air conditioning unit and turning the temperature up on the thermostat is a great way to save yourself some money while doing the Earth some good. The real value in this is in the energy savings, which reduces demand on the grid and lowers the amount of fuel the power plant needs to consume to generate electricity. Likewise, your wallet will smile since it’ll be a little fatter given the skyrocketing price in energy.

• Consider a programmable thermostat that can regulate the temperature in your home. We have ours set to turn on at 6pm and shut off at midnight, though we do keep a ceiling temperature of 82 during the day. If it gets too hot during the day, it would take too long to cool at night.
• It’s estimated that each degree you set your thermostat above 78 is a savings of 7 - 10% on your cooling bill.
• Use fans instead of air conditioning. Fans work by blowing the warmth your body radiates away from your body. Much like how wind chill in the winter works, blowing air across your body naturally cools it.

Turn Down The Water Heater

Here’s something you probably didn’t think of - try turning down your hot water heater. Your water heater is another large draw of power in your home as it tries to keep that huge tank full of burning hot water. In the summer, we tend to take cooler showers so why not help that along by lowering the temperature of the hot water?

Practice Energy Conservation at Work

Energy conservation at home is easy, because you get all the benefits. Every dollar you save is one that you can put towards savings or spend at your next outing. At work, it’s less transparent but you still do benefit. If you and your co-workers can save your employer some money on utilities, that can translate into a slightly better bottom line and high salaries for you. Electricity is the number one cost at most companies so employ the same techniques you do at home at your workplace, and be an evangelist about it.

• Turn off your computer and your lights after you leave the cube or office.
• If you have a window, draw the shades to keep the office cooler and put less demand on the HVAC system.
• Turn off appliances that draw energy but are no longer being used like microwaves and coffee makers.
• Print only when necessary, as to conserve paper and ink.

With a few easy steps, you can both help the environment and your wallet!

(Photo: lori_greig)

Every Thursday outside the local library, there’s a farmer’s market. About a dozen farms come to participate and sell all manner of fruit, spices, vegetables, cookies, pies, breads, and almost anything else you can think of. It’s really a delight to walk over, chat with the proprietors, and pick up some produce (and some pies) on the cheap. Farmer’s markets are a great way to save money, support your local businesses, and help out the environment all at once. Here are four reasons why we shop at our local farmer’s market.

The Reasons

Supporting Local Business
If you want to complain about Wal-Mart closing down Mom and Pop shops, you’re the perfect candidate to shop at your local farmer’s market. Supermarkets have been shutting down local farms for years, so supporting local farmer’s markets is the best way for you to support your local farms.

Local businesses also have a vested interest in the improvement of the community. Sure the corporations care a little bit about the neighborhoods they’re in, but it’s not on the same level as actually local business owners who live and breathe their livelihood in the area.

Better Buying Experience
At the market it’s often the owner’s family running the stands. It’s a lot of fun to chat with them about what they do, about the farm, and learn more about the things sitting on the table. You’ll find out whether the strawberries you’re buying are too tart for straight eating and would do better in a pie. You’ll learn how to tell if something is ripe or whether you should let it sit for a little bit. Those aren’t things you can get from the disinterested employee stocking shelves at the supermarket.

Conserve Fuel
You personally save fuel by visiting a local market instead of the supermarket, especially in my case where I’m able to walk to the store, but the bigger picture fuel savings is in the transportation of the produce. Since fuel prices have been so low for so long, we got used to buying out of season fruits and vegetables because we could important them from places where they were in season. Now that prices have substantially increased, we’re finding out of season produce to be much more expensive than they used to be, which can be a good thing. By buying local, you ensure you’re getting something that was produced relatively close by and thus has cost less fuel to get to your table.

It’s not 100% though, sometimes the farmer’s market vendors branch out so they can provide more of a one-stop-shop experience. Usually they’re selling all their own stuff though.

Saving Money
The local Giant Food supermarket and the farmer’s market are within walking distance so one day I did a price comparison. In every single case, the fruit and vegetables at the farmer’s market was cheaper. Squash, zucchini, roma and beefsteak tomatoes, green peppers, radishes, garlic, plums, apples, strawberries, and few others were all cheaper. The supermarket had a wider selection (no one at the farmer’s market last week had orange, yellow, or red peppers) of course but the prices were all several cents higher per pound.

I was actually surprised by this. When you look at Kona coffee, produced with American labor being paid at least minimum wage, you’re paying around $20-30 per pound. When you look at Colombian coffee, produced with non-American labor not being paid minimum wage, you can find prices under $10 a pound. The disparity is amazing in that market. I would expect that the same market forces govern the produce industry but I suspect that local farmers are simply taking in less than minimum wage for their work, which is even more reason to support them. (I don’t really know, I’m just supposing as once would at the dinner table)

Finding Farmer’s Markets

So, you’re sold on farmer’s markets, how do you find them? I would check with your state’s Department of Agriculture or simply relying on Google (search for “farmer’s market + state”). In Maryland, the Department of Agriculture has a list of the state’s farmer’s markets so you’ll want to look for something similar in your state.

Tips for Shopping

Here are a few tips on shopping:

• Check the size of the market first. The market by us is a decent size for our area with a good mix of produce, baked goods, and jams. Some markets would make our dozen vendors look tiny, especially markets out on the west coast, and so it’s good to get an idea of how big the market normally is. If it’s too small, it might not be beneficial for you to go.
• Bring reusable shopping bags or just regular bags. It’s good to be ecofriendly but introducing another plastic bag into the wild is a bit counter productive! I just bring a backpack and throw my stuff in there.
• Bring small bills. You probably won’t be spending a ton of money at any one stand and having the vendor break a $20 for a $2 purchase can put a damper on their change situation.
• Talk to them. Ask them about the fruit, ask them about good ways to prepare them. They love talking about it because it’s their life and their baby plus they can give you wonderful ideas.
• Save your containers. Sometimes the fruit comes in little cardboard containers so we’ll save those to bring back and return to the vendor. We don’t get anything for it but it’s better to reuse something than it is to recycle or toss it.

If you have any more tips or any good reasons I missed, please share in the comments below. As for me, it’s Thursday so I’ll be heading over to the market! We’re going to pick up some squash and zucchini and get together the stuff we’ll need for a little zucchini bake.

(Photo by shanebee)

I’ve been cleaning out my closets and trying to get some Spring mid-Summer cleaning done and I’ve discovered a lot of old electronics equipment I no longer use. My wife jokes about how I have a computer graveyard in my closet (lots of old cases, motherboards, a stack of hard drives) and I’m moving towards recycling or donating as much of it as I can. The last thing I want to do, and the last thing anyone should do, is send electronics directly to the landfill.

Below I have listed some suggestions for places to go to recycle the items listed. In every case, I recommended doing a search on Google to find out if there are better local options than the ones I’ve listed. For example, in California you can call on YNot Recycle to come pick up electronic equipment including computers, monitors, and televisions absolutely free (Staples charges $10 and you have to bring it to them). A little searching can yield superior options than the ones I’ve listed. Look for local options because you’ll be surprised at what’s out there when you look.

Goodwill Industries

Goodwill Industries, in many areas, will pretty much take anything with a cord or a battery. Call your local Goodwill to see what they’ll take. Outside of Goodwill, or local options, here are some ideas based on electronic item.

CRT Monitors

Unfortunately, you can’t donate CRT monitors anymore because they no longer have much value given the popularity and relative inexpensiveness of LCD monitors. Your best bet is to find a place that will recycle it for free or find a local Staples and they’ll take them for a $10 fee on “large items.” They don’t specify what large means. While $10 seems like a lot, think of it as a small price to pay to reclaim some space in your house without harming the environment.

Computers

Your best option is to find a local recycling center or charity that will take your machine. If it’s a Pentium 4 or newer, a charity will likely be able to use it and take advantage of it. If it’s older, they probably won’t and you’ll have to turn to a recycling center near you. If there isn’t one nearby, you can always go to Staples and pay the $10.

Televisions

Like CRTs, donating and recycling televisions is still difficult. Barring manufacturer promotions, your best bet appears to be to bring it to Staples and pay the $10 fee. Some companies, like Best Buy, will take away old televisions for free when you order one with home installation.

Cell Phones

If you can’t sell the phone on eBay, consider donating it to a worthy cause. I recently donated an old Samsung to Cell Phones for Soldiers. They make it really easy to donate a cell phone, just print out a pre-paid shipping label (or pay for shipping), slap it on your package and drop it in the mail.

My opinion is that if you can’t get more than $50 for your cell phone, donate it. It takes too much time to list the item, track the auction, collect payment, and then ship the package. A $50 sale will be cut down to $40 after fees and the whole process could easily take a few hours - just donate it to a worthy cause. I chose Cell Phones for Soldiers but there are many other worthy causes like the Support Network for Battered Women.

If your cell phone is really old, like 5+ years, with little reusable value, I’d just toss it in a recycling kiosk at Best Buy.

Ink/Toner Cartridges

If it’s a HP, Lexmark or Dell ink cartridge, you can get a $3 coupon for future ink purchases if you bring it to a Staples retail store. Otherwise, you can just drop them off at kiosks at any local Staples or Best Buy for recycling.

Batteries

Batteries are extremely toxic and should always be recycled. For rechargeable batteries, check out Call2Recycle to find one of 30,000 drop off locations. For regular batteries, you can just drop them off at your local Staples or Best Buy.

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

These aren’t really “electronics”, but I wanted to add them in because CFLs are becoming more popular and many people don’t realize they need to be disposed of correctly. CFLs have mercury inside and so you’ll want to bring burned out bulbs to Home Depot for recycling. They recently kicked off a nationwide initiative to recycle these bulbs, good move by them.

Photo by greenpomme)

Last weekend, on July 4th no less, my wife and I stopped by our local Toyota dealership and test drove a Prius. Fortunately for us, neither one of us drives a gas guzzler (I drive a 2003 Toyota Celica and my wife drives a 2004 Honda Civic) and neither one of will need a replacement car for quite some time but with a day off and being in the neighborhood running errands, we figured stopping by would be a fun little diversion. Our friends from New York own a Prius, which they love, and we’ve ridden in it before, but never really “test drove,” complete with salesperson pointing out every last feature. Overall, we were impressed and it certainly would be on the short list of vehicles we’d consider if we were to replace either of our cars.

What We Liked

My wife really liked the Prius and here were some of the reasons why:

• The ability to help be a part of the solution to global warming instead of the problem.
• Her commute will be changing to mostly city driving from highway driving. The Prius performs best in city driving conditions, with lots of stop and go, so this would be the optimal time to drive the Prius to take advantage of the 48MPG city fuel economy rating.
• The Prius was surprisingly roomy in the back, with enough room to fit four adults comfortably (maybe five if you have three skinnier friends in the back). This is a big plus over her current 2-door Civic that doesn’t fit any adults comfortably in the back for long drives.
• She was impressed with how quiet it was while idling because the engine shut off.

I liked the heads up display and the statistics it showed. The HUD showed your current fuel efficiency as you drove, 99.9 MPG in times when only the electric motor was engaged, and I was amazed at how low the numbers were in certain conditions. At first, I thought the efficiency was horrible. Then, I realized that I had no reference point. I saw the Prius get 2.5 MPG over a particular hill and thought that was bad, until I realized that I simply didn’t know what my car got (likely 2.5 MPG too, as I drive a 4 cylinder car) in those situations.

What We Didn’t Like

Here’s what my wife didn’t like:

• This isn’t so much a dislike as it is a reason we shouldn’t get one. Her Civic gets ~38MPG, based on empirical data, which would only mean a fuel efficiency boost of around 8 MPG. With 15,000 miles a year @ $4.10/gal, it’s an annual savings of only $281.47. At this point it would take over five years of gas savings to even make up the 6% sales tax on the $25,000 base model car, forget the cost of the car itself. My wife suggests checking out the Fueleconomy.gov’s Side by Side Comparison tool if you’re looking to compare.
• She also wasn’t a fan of the wait, there is roughly a 2-3 month lead time because the factory isn’t able to keep up with demand.

I didn’t like how the numbers couldn’t justify purchasing the car. While I like the idea of helping the environment by reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and I like the idea of helping America get off dependency on foreign oil, the financial figures simply don’t work. If we were driving a 10MPG Hummer, then we’d be talking an annual gas savings of $4813.40 and it starts making sense.

Things To Consider

My wife wanted to add a few additional ideas to help those who are thinking about the Prius:

• What are the new fuel cell car going to be like? Honda already has a hundred fifty ‘08 FCX Clarity vehicles on the road in South California. A zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell is a compelling offer - no oil, no emissions.
• Chevy is pushing up the release of their Ford Chevy Volt (whoops!) to compete with all the other alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles.
• Lastly, Toyota is reported to come out with a new model Prius with better technology… it’s like computers, technology is always improving.
• Given all that information, is it better to just wait for new/cleaner technology, like fuel cell technology? Right now we’d be trading in a Civic, that gets 38 MPG, for a Prius, that gets 46 MPG, which is only a meager fuel savings and that would definitely preclude us from getting newer technology should it come out in the next five years.

After all that, I don’t think we’re getting a Prius but it certainly was fun driving it.

Finally, we leave you with one interesting note. Normally, heat in a car is free because it comes from the heat of the engine and air conditioning costs fuel because the compressor needs power. In the Prius, because the engine doesn’t run as often, you don’t get “free” heat. It actually costs you to turn on the heat! The trade-off then is that AC is “free.”

(Prius photo by MaryMactavish, HUD photo by Andrew Huff)

Energy Star is a sham. That’s right, I said it, the Energy Star label as it stands today doesn’t really mean much for a lot of the products its put on.

Let me give you a ridiculous example. On televisions, the Energy Star label is applied on products based on the energy they consume when the unit is OFF. What!? Are you kidding me!? I’d like to meet the individual or individuals in charge of that decision because it defies all logic. I argue some ridiculous positions in my Devil’s Advocate series and even I have difficulty justifying applying the Energy Star label based on a products phantom electricity usage.

But, moving past that, Leigh Gallagher, senior editor of Smart Money magazine, and their staff went behind the scenes to dig deeper behind the meaning of the label. It’s meaningless for some products, like televisions, but it’s reliable for others. That inconsistency bothers me because inconsistency in a brand, and Energy Star is very much a brand in and of itself, leads one to question it and we live in times when we shouldn’t give any reason to question environmental friendly markers.

According to Smart Money, these are the appliances you can’t trust the Energy Star label on:

• TVs
• Air Conditioners
• Computers (Desktop & Laptop)
• VCRs

On those items, check the yellow and black EnergyGuide label required by the FTC. Those will tell you how much energy it consumes and where it is relative to its peer appliances.

These are the products that you can trust the Energy Star label for:

• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Washing Machines

Now, there are items that carry the label but aren’t actually regulated (which mean the label is meaningless!):

• Dryers
• Ovens
• Home water heaters
• Toaster or toaster ovens
• MP3 players

See what I mean about the confusion? Fortunately they’re making moves to make the Energy Star more consistent and reliable, such as changes in the way televisions are tested, so perhaps we’ll get more consistency and reliability in the future.

The Truth Behind Energy Star [CBS]

A few weeks ago we replaced a relic of a dishwasher (a Whirlpool made in the early 80’s) with a new Frigidaire model (the FDB2810LDC) for a mere $150. We weren’t in the market for a dishwasher at the moment but it was certainly on our To Do list. From a functional perspective, the Whirlpool was serviceable. It still worked, though the seals weren’t very good (ants could get inside, but no water leakage) and it was very loud. From an ecological perspective, it consumed a lot of water and electricity, since it was made in the Days of Yore™ before Energy Star was in vogue, so there was a financial incentive outside of the $150 price.

Dishwashers, if they are old enough, make a great candidate for replacement if you have the budget for it. Here are three other appliances you might consider replacing before their time.

Refrigerators

Refrigerators, among appliances, is the number one consumer of energy, so it makes sense to start with it. Everyone is aware that refrigerator technology has come a long way in the last ten years and the advice to replace your refrigerator, especially during our skyrocketing energy prices, is a solid investment that can pay off in a year or two. Consider this: Energy Star qualified units have to use at least 20% less energy than federal standards and 40% less than units sold in 2001, 7 years ago! If you have a conventional fridge made before 2001, expect a 40% savings in energy (of course, always check your unit’s manual or label for actual savings).

If you do replace your old fridge, remember to recycle it!

Freezers

If you have an standalone freezer or compact freezer, switching to an Energy Star model means that you will consume 10% less energy (or 20% for compacts). You can save 100% if you stop using a separate freezer altogether, but the bulk purchasing savings might make having a freezer a smart move. Remember, a Frigidaire GLFN1326GW, a 12.9 cubic ft Energy Star-compliant chest freezer consumes 326 kWh a year, so unless you’re saving more than that in grocery bills… it’s not worth it.

Water Heaters

Besides the energy savings that may come with a newer unit (Saladdin, I haven’t forgotten about the tankless water heater!), water heaters fail in one of two ways. One way is a nuisance, another is catastrophic. The annoying way they fail is by ceasing to heat water, so you’re stuck taking cold showers. The catastrophic way is if they leak or break, turning an otherwise dry room into a pool. Replacing an aging water heater could be a way to save some money and headache later. Replacing something on your own schedule is always more convenient than on someone elses.

Televisions

Want an excuse to get a new television? Energy Star compliant televisions use less than 30% of the electricity their non-compliant friends use. Also, effective November 2008, Energy Star compliance will be much stricter, broader, and cover all television types (LCD, plasma, etc). Right now, they are only test in off/standby mode (who knows why!?). So, if you have one of those ancient set top boxes and have been eyeing a new unit, consider a newer HDTV that might use less power.

For anyone looking to convince their significant other about the ecological friendliness of a new television, feel free to print this out and show them.

Frugality has met environmentalism at my local Giant supermarket as those 99 cent reusable shopping bags can now net you a five cent discount at the checkout register. It’s estimated that Americans consume a hundred billion plastic shopping bags each year and we recycle about none of them. Those hundred billion end up in the woods, in the water, and in the throats of small furry animals, so do your part and start using reusable shopping bags because it can actually save you some money too.

At 99 cents each and a nickel discount each time you use them, it’s a mere twenty visits before each bag pays for itself. After the twenty visits, you start turning a small profit on the bags and can save yourself some money while saving the environment. And if you don’t want to spend the dollar on a reusable bag and you don’t have any totes, you can always turn a tanktop into a shopping bag (or use some other feat of ingenuity).

These stores offer some sort of discount for using a reusable shopping bag:

• Giant Foods,
• Whole Foods,
• Trader Joes,
• Krogers,
• Super Fresh

If you know of a store that offers a discount for using a reusable bag, please leave it in the comments below and I’ll add them to the list.

(Photo by bsing)

Tomorrow is Earth Day, so why not start off the week with an environmental friendly post? When most people think of being green, their brains immediately jump to organic foods and recycling. Organic foods can be expensive, recycling can be a pain, and many come to the same conclusion as famed philosopher Kermit The Frog, who once sang, “It’s not easy bein’ green.” In all fairness, what Kermit was singing about was entirely different but it perfectly sums up what many people think of environmentally conscious living - it’s not easy. That’s because many focus on the difficult and expensive aspects of going green, because we commonly associate difficulty and expense with impact, rather than the relatively easy things we can do that can still make a difference. In fact, many of the easy things can save the Earth and a few dollars (and even a few pounds!).

Reuse Plastic Containers

Most people think recycle, recycle, recycle - but remember the mantra is actually reduce, reuse, recycle. Reusing plastic containers, when it’s safe to do so, is a great way to reduce the amount of plastic we consume as a whole. When we order take-out food from the local Indian restaurant, our meals come in plastic containers we can then turn into lunch boxes. While it’s great to also recycle, some municipalities don’t take certain types of plastic so reusing is the only option, besides throwing them away. Reusing plastic containers helps your wallet because you don’t have to buy these containers yourself! Plus, I always get the feeling that those Glad or Tupperware containers are overpriced anyway.

No More Bottled Water

I understand it’s convenient, I understand it’s healthy, and I understand you think your tap water tastes like crap. But every single year 29283094293 plastic bottles are thrown out and the poor penguins are choking on them. If you think my random number is an exaggeration, it’s actually not too far off because the Clean Air Council estimates that Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour (that’s 21,900,000,000 a year). Can you imagine that? No, I can’t either.

Want a good reason for your wallet? The cost of tap water, even if you add in a filter, is microscopic compared to the cost of bottled water. Buy a reusable water bottle, a filter, and fill your own each day and you can save yourself some serious money. If you buy a $1 bottle of water each day, that’s $365 a year you can spend on anything else. And you don’t contribute to this ridiculous level of wastefulness.

No Prepackaged or Premade Food

We love convenience right? We love throwing a Healthy Choice or Stouffer’s freezer/TV dinner into the microwave and eating it for our lunch or dinner. The only problem is that you introduce a paper box and a likely non-recycleable plastic container into the trash. Plus, to be honest, it’s really really not good for you. The amount of sodium in a typical meal like that, even if you can get it for a buck when it’s on sale, is ridiculous. If you consume that much sodium on a regular basis, it’ll have significant negative effects on your body (high blood pressure, heart disease) which will definitely impact your wallet in medical costs down the road. Instead of going with the prepackaged or premade foods, check out allrecipes.com and try making your own meals. You’ll find them more fulfilling (who eats only one of those meals anyway?), healthier, and perhaps even cheaper.

Carpool

You can’t have a list about being green and saving green if you didn’t throw in carpooling. The secret to cutting your gasoline bill by 20% is to carpool once a week. Brilliant right? That’s because saving on gasoline is not difficult, people just don’t want to be inconvenienced and the best way to do that is to strategically pick the day you’re going to carpool. By consuming less fuel, you contribute less in greenhouse gases, reduce the demand for petrol, and you save yourself some money each time you hop in a rideshare. Considering how many people complain about fuel prices, it’s amazing there aren’t more carpoolers.

Eat Less Red Meat

How could I, editor of Grill Maestro and lover of red meat, possible endorse the idea that we eat less red meat? I do this because I read in a recent Ode magazine article that stated a single cow produces as much as 132 gallons of methane a day! The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization calculated that the livestock industry accounts for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 13.5% produced by all of the world’s transportation. That’s downright amazing. And meat is hardly cheap too, chicken on sale is $1.99 around us and beef is far more expensive (obviously depending on the cut). I don’t think I’d ever go vegetarian, ever, but consuming less red meat is something we’ve done accidentally given the rise in prices and changing food preferences.

Bag Your Lunch

Bagging your lunch is better for the environment because you don’t need to drive somewhere to eat and you don’t have all the waste associated with the restaurant. For your wallet, saving yourself that $6-$10 lunch each day is going to translate very nicely to your bottom line and you’ll probably be eating healthier if you cook the food yourself. There’s a reason why so many restaurants are fighting new regulations regarding nutritional information - their food is terrible for you. Super Size Me may have been a gross exaggeration but the point is still clear, fast food restaurants are horrible for you and the fact that they don’t want to list nutritional information on the menu is proof positive they know it too. So, save yourself a few dollars, save yourself the gas, and save your arteries!

Buy Stuff Online

I once gave 8 reasons I do my shopping online and reason #5 was that online shopping meant less driving. Less driving, of course, means less fuel. Now, the trade-off here is that companies will have to ship you the packages, which will mean more driving on their part. I believe that since they are shipping packages anyway and are on optimized schedules and driving routes, their consumption, after you factor in how they won’t need to ship that product to their stores, will be less than yours. I think there will never be a provable answer to this but I’m confident that shopping online is better for the environment.

There you go, seven easy ways you can be green and save green - just try one this week and see how easy is and good it feels!