Posted on May 3rd, 2008
Oh those lovely locks. You spent forever growing them out, tediously conditioning and caring for every follicle….but perhaps you're ready for a change in hairstyle? If you’re stoked on going short, consider donating your hair.
Locks of Love is a great program organized to make your donated hair into quality prosthetics for children (under 18) who suffered from a medical condition that has left them lock-less so your hair will continue to live on instead of ending up in a trash bin at the salon. Now that's one sexy way to style your hair!
Posted on April 24th, 2008
Do you wish your favorite market labeled its local produce, that compost was accepted at your curb that your local pub offered organic beer? All you have to do is ask...and maybe ask again. It sounds a bit simplistic but a good company will give the customer what they want. It worked on Enterprise Rent-A-Car. A recent ride with one of Enterprise's managers led to an interesting conversation. Mr. Rent-A-Car admitted the company had been holding out on adding the hybrid to its fleet of available vehicles in hopes that the car was nothing more than a trend, a fad, a passing fancy. No such luck - he was plagued with requests to ...
Posted on April 20th, 2008
Want to save max energy (and money) the next time you go out of town? Flip off breakers on large appliances (the ones you can't move to unplug) when you leave your house for extended periods. For every day energy trimming, unplug out-of-use appliances such as coffee makers, microwaves, cell-phone chargers, computers and lamps. Large appliances like water heaters and washers and dryers are usually much more difficult to unplug on a daily basis, due to their large size. Consider plugging these mammoth machines into power-strips with surge-protectors than can simply be flipped off when you're not using them. Flipping the breaker at the fuse-box will also cut the energy flowing to your sleeping ...
Posted on April 7th, 2008
Attending a formal occasion this Spring? Make prom (or whatever) memories last by taking digital pictures and skipping the traditional film. In addition to using less energy and fewer resources, digital photography doesn’t require all those nasty chemicals to develop the photos. Another benefit? Digital pics are easier to weed through and share with your friends post-event. Say cheese!
Photo by Larry Bethurum.
Posted on April 4th, 2008
Prom and other formal dresses are typically worn once before spending an eternity hanging in your closet. Reduce your impact by shopping for a pre-worn dress. You’ll save money, energy and materials too. Ask around! Your neighbors’ Fall Formal gown might fit you perfectly, while an old dress worn by your mom, aunt or grandma will show off your cool style while guaranteeing no one shows up in the same look.
Photo by Angie Bakke.
Posted on March 30th, 2008
It has been said that cigarettes are the most littered item in America - and if you have ever taken a close look at the side of the highway, it's easy to believe. Everyone has seen how a cigarette butt's white cylinder form stands out in the most beautiful environments, but being harsh on the eyes is only the start. The toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment, can take decades to degrade, and littered butts cause many fires every year.
A friendly reminder to a smoking friend who litters their cigarette on the ground could go a long way, but the easiest way to help this phenomena? Pick those butts up! 20, ...
Posted on March 29th, 2008
Tonight's the night! At 8:00pm on March 29th, lights around the world will be shut off for one hour to help combat climate change in an event called
Earth Hour. For sixty minutes, people and businesses across the globe will turn off their lights to reduce energy consumption and to focus on the impact we humans are having on the planet. Our continued reliance on electricity sourced from coal-fired power stations is causing a dramatic increase in the Earth’s temperature, resulting in rising sea levels, an increase in drought and severe storms, and massive changes to the environments we all rely on to survive. Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever ...
Posted on March 21st, 2008
If you should find yourself soaring through the friendly skies sometime soon, take a look down at the Earth and keep it in mind when the beverage cart rolls down the aisle. One easy way to minimize your impact is to drink your beverage straight from the can, instead of from a little plastic cup. Since the beverages are already chilled, you won't be nursing a tepid drink, you'll just be passing on plastic. Should you choose to drink from a cup, hang on to it until the end of the flight. Should the flight attendents offer you another chance to wet your whistle, you won't need to take another one. Feeling extra sexy? ...
Posted on March 17th, 2008
It's St. Patrick's Day, and if you're in the "21 and up" demographic, you might be throwing a party. If you're a fan of the larger events, consider planning ahead and reserving a keg. Instead of consuming several cardboard boxes full of bottles or cans, you'll have less recycling and clean up do the next morning. And let's just face it: it's just more fun to have a keg.
Feeling really sexy? Take your responsible drinking to the next step and provide keg cups made out of compostible plastics. Made for drinks under 110 degrees (a.k.a. your cold beers), compostible cups are made from corn, which means they degrade into water, carbon dioxide, and organic material ...
Posted on February 26th, 2008
Trying to quit smoking? Good for you! That’s one tough New Year’s resolution… We all know that smoking is bad for your health, but did you know it’s bad for the environment too? Yep. Those sneaky cigarette companies aren’t just throwing in additives that are harmful to you, but are harmful to nature as well. Each time you light up, you’re sending up to 4,000 chemicals into the atmosphere – things like formaldehyde, benzene and hydrogen cyanide, which are all air-polluting, smog- inducing VOC’s. In addition to the toxic smoke, tobacco farming is pretty shady too. Almost 500 different types of pesticides are used to protect U.S. crops from bugs, and ...
