e  links and tips

We all need to know where to take our new CFL's (compact fluorescents) when they burn out, or how about where to stop all those paper catalogs from being mailed (they're usually available on the internet) and what about recycling batteries, cell phones and the like? Here are some places to find out all about these and other things to help our planet.

www.mendorecycle.org/  what and where for Mendocino County

http://www.grn.com/trade/aa939909.html - South Lake County

http://www.freecycle.org/ has a myriad of things to learn about

http://www.catalogchoice.org/ -  stop catalogs & junk mail.

dailytip@idealbite.com  - email site to share and receive tips

http://www.sierraclub.org/ - daily greentips newsletter email
http://www.flobeds.com/GreenMattress.htm  - local green bedding manufacturer
 

thought: As the label ‘green’ becomes less helpful and more a marketing term, product information's harder to sort out. Consumer Reports has a searchable site to help explain & clarify labeling practices.  at  http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm

TIPS:
 

ONE PLANT IN A CUBICLE CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE AIR QUALITY WHERE YOU WORK. OTHER ACTIONS TO ECO-IZE YOUR WORKPLACE AND OTHER TIPS; SEARCH FOR "TOP 10". http://www.idealbite.com .


These tips came from Best Life magazine:
Used carpet.  Every year, four billion pounds of old carpet gets tossed into landfills. each roll will take an estimated 20,000 years to decompose.  old carpet can be shredded and turned into fiber padding, insulation, or even new carpet.  Go to carpetrecovery.org for rug recycling centers.

Old shoes. Nike's “Reuse-A-Shoe” program turns rubber, foam and fabric from old sneakers into new synthetic surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts and running tracks. drop off your old shoes at Niketown stores or outlets.  They take any brand, but make sure they don’t have any metal – like cleats.

technotrash including Old CDs and DVDs.  When discs are burned at the local dump, they give off toxic fumes.  Instead, visit greendisk.com.  They’ll pick up old discs at your home, and recycle them into car parts or office supplies.

Old computers.  Many companies – like Dell, Toshiba, and Apple – have set up recycling programs that give you a small discount if you trade an old machine for a new one.  Otherwise, you can find a safe disposal site for your used PC through the website computertakeback.com.  They’ll make sure the mercury and lead from old mother boards don’t wind up in your local landfill.

Which is the better produce choice: local or organic? Depends...on how far the organic food had to travel. Produce shipped from Chile or Peru or elsewhere outside the country sometimes travels for a couple of weeks to get here. To protect it, there's often extra packaging and it might have been genetically modified in order to take the abuse of the long trip.

Buying local keeps more money in our community, supports local farmers and requires far less energy

Turn the computer off
 when you're through working Shutting off saves energy and it also keeps your hard disc alive longer.

if shutting your computer all the way off just isn't an option, even the sleep mode saves a lot.  Set your computer to sleep after a certain period of inactivity -- say 5 minutes -- and, according to the authors of "You Can Prevent Global Warming (and Save Money!)" you could keep up to 435 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions per year out of the air and save up to $22.

There's more at  http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/tools/pwr_mgmt.html <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=0sRUi1YxcNoU8nVe7Yphfw..>
 

Plastic Plant Pots:
Gardening seems as close to nature as you can get, but the 300 million pounds of plastic pots and trays used each year often clutter landfills. On the Mendocino Coast North Star Nursery on Hwy 1, just south of Fort Bragg, they take and recycle these pots and trays
Don't Scrub Things for Recycle:
No, a whole jar of applesauce wouldn’t be good in the recycling bin, but you don’t have to scrub it clean after dumping the sauce, either.  Most stuff gets cleaned out more than adequately during the process on the way to remanufacturing.  And it takes up to two glasses of water to clean one glass jar.  Save water, recycle easier!

 Don't Take It:
While they're awfully pretty, resist the urge to take home free brochures available at concerts, museums, or even real estate open houses. Most of the info exists online and just a Web search away -- and you’re less likely to loose it on your computer than your pocket.

Eye glasses:
When you get new prescription eyeglasses, don't throw the old ones away! Charitable groups such as the Lions Club as well as many eyeglass retailers collect these and redistribute them to individuals in need, both locally and around the world!

Batteries:
Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys. RBRC recycles the following battery chemistries: Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and Small Sealed Lead* (Pb)  Coast Hardware in Fort Bragg and US Cellular in both Ukiah and Clearlake are among those who will recycle your rechargables, also check at www.rbrc.org for more locations.

Gas Mileage:
Your folks probably told you this when you were learning to drive, but it’s still true…you can save a lot of fuels and improve your mileage by driving, accelerating and stopping smoothly. Try it! And, for extra fuel economy, drive with your windows rolled up. It really does cut down wind resistance and increase your mileage.

Wasted Power:
 Ya’ know all those things that glow around your house at night? Digital readouts, stand-by lights, etc.

Those are the work of phantom loads, the energy an appliance uses when it is plugged in, but not powered up. Others that don’t glow are pulling in energy too, like wall chargers for cellphones and other rechargeables.

Some estimates say that stopping all phantom loads in U.S. homes would save the energy produced by 17 power plants. Others say 10 to 40% of the energy used in an average home is feeding phantom loads.

Different statistics put it in different ways, but one thing is clear: we could save a lot of energy and substantially reduce emissions by shutting down phantom loads.

Use power strips or multi-appliance surge protectors to shut down several phantom loads at once, or simply unplug any DVD, computer, charger, microwave oven, etc. when it isn’t in use.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/12/ecotip_eliminat.php

Saving water:
 There is already a shortage of fresh water in many areas of the planet and it is getting scarcer. We all need to do our part to conserve. If you can, replace older toilets and showerheads with low-flow models. If you can’t, here are some ideas:

-Many toilets still use 5 or more gallons per flush. Fill a plastic bottle with water and put it in the tank. The bottle will displace - and save – a gallon or two per flush. (A brick works, too).
-Turn off the water while soaping up in the shower and turn it back on to rinse. Take shorter showers.
-Don’t let the water run while you brush your teeth. Turn it off, then back on to rinse.
-Only do full loads of laundry or dishes.
-Install a rain barrel and use rainwater captured from a downspout to water the yard.

Shop local:
For instance, groceries. In the U.S., food travels an average of 1,500 miles to arrive in the grocery store. That’s a lot of fuel. You can support local food producers AND shrink your carbon footprint by checking labels to minimize shipping distance and by buying from local farmers’ markets.

Oh, and bring your own bags.
Pump up those tires:
Estimates say the U.S. could save over a billion gallons of fuel every year just by making sure tires are properly inflated. Under inflated tires waste up to 5% of the fuel in a passenger vehicle. And current estimates say between 50 and 80% of vehicles have under inflated tires.

Lots more good ideas available on the web from the Friends of the Smithsonian National Zoo: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/GreenTeam
 

MENDOCINO COAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WANTS YOUR OLD INKJET OR TONER CARTRIDGES AND OLD CELL PHONES FOR RECYCLING PROGRAM.  PORTION FROM THE PROJECT GOES LOCAL SCHOOLS AND TO THE CHAMBER. DROP OFF AT THE CHAMBER OFFICE ON MAIN STREET IN FORT BRAGG. CALL 961-6300 FOR MORE INFORMATION