|


Green Technology
We're wrapping up Green Week with some hi-tech products and ideas that will help save energy. New York Times contributing writer, John Quain share ways you can Go Green with your cell phone, computer, television and other earth-friendly technology.
BIG SCREEN TVS
- LCD models consume much less power than plasma sets; but you should still unplug your set when it is not in use.
- Samsung Series 6 650 LCD HDTV (LN46A650T), $2,900: EnergyStar rating; special energy saving modes result in a maximum increase in energy savings of up to 70%; unique "Touch of Color" manufacturing process uses dual injection technology to infuse a hint of red color into the TV's bezel without the use of paint spray; no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or harmful mercury used in manufacturing; less overall materials used in production.
- Philips 42-inch Eco TV, $1,400: automatically reduces backlighting according light in room. The Philips has all the various energy and toxic chemical ratings.
POWER GAUGES
- Kill A Watt, $25, and Kill A Watt EZ, $35: gadgets tell you how much power anything plugged into it consumes; the EZ version lets you enter your cost per kilowatt hour and it will monitor the plugged in device and give you a cost per week, month or year, also has back up battery so you can unplug it and still get info
SMART SWITCH and POWER STRIPS
- Watt Stopper power strip, $90: 6 outlets, automatically shuts down some outlets if not in use, plus 2 unswitched plugs (for router and digital phone)
- Watt Stopper Sen Switch, $30: replacement light switch senses when there's no motion and turns off lights
- Smart Strip, $35: also shuts down outlets when not in use; should have 2 different models to show
CONTROL LIGHTS:
SOLAR CHARGERS
- Reware Juice Bag Beach Tote, ($250): for charging phones and PDAs; no battery
- Voltaic Backpack, ($250): 11 adapters a built-in battery for storing power; made from recycled soda bottles
- Solio H-1000 Hybrid solar charger, $80: wide variety of adapters; includes a storage battery so you can charge your device without the sun shining (one full phone charge; one hour of sun = 15 minutes of talk; 40 minutes of music)
- Solio Magnesium Edition, $200: very cool propeller design; built-in storage battery (two full phone charges; one hour of sun = 20 minutes talk; 50 minutes of music)
- Solar and Wind: HYmini, $50: handheld, universal charger/adapter device that harnesses renewable wind power (and has solar power option, Mini Solar Panel option, $25); also adapter for conventional wall plug power to recharge almost all your 5V digital gadgets; energy stored in its internal battery can be used to recharge your cell phone, MP3 player, iPod®, PDA, digital camera or other 5V devices.
LED ITEMS
- Princeton Tec Torrent LED, $60: extremely bright, durable, and water proof to 100 meters; can use lithium ion rechargeables
- Black & Decker 3 LED Hand-Crank Rechargeable Flashlight $30: 10,000 hour bulbs; crank for one minute, get about 15 minutes of light...but it can start to dim
- Black & Decker Weather Radio Flashlight/Cell Phone Charger, $40, : 10,000 hour bulbs; also can charge a cell phone; AM/FM, and weather alerts from NOAA
- Black & Decker Bright Bar 26 LED Work Light, $30: rechargeable, rated for 7 hours; LEDs last 10,000 plus
DESKTOP COMPUTERS
- New ratings can tell you what uses less power and contains fewer toxic elements; also some models are designed to generate less heat: Check out EPEAT or the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
- Lenovo ThinkCentre M57 Eco ($924 to $1,204) & the ThinkVision L197 Wide ($260): Industry's first PC with GreenGuard Air Quality certification & made from recycled post-consumer content (PCC) & brand new ThinkVision L197 Wide screen monitor (low powered monitor & EPEAT Gold).
- Apple Mac Mini ($600 to $800): reduced footprint also means reduced environmental footprint (price difference is 2.0 GHz CPU, larger HD 120 GB, and Superdrive);
LAPTOP COMPUTERS
- Generally laptops consume less power and are being built with fewer toxic elements
- Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 ($1,529 to $2,309): Energy Star 4.0 compliant, EPEAT silver rated and RoHS compliant; even though this system has a 14-inch screen, it only weighs 4 lbs.
- Sony Vaio ($1,100 and up): uses Intel's Core 2 Duo Processor delivers up to 40% more performance than previous generation of processors, while using 40% less power ; Energy Star rated
ECO-TECH TIPS
- Pay Bills Online: saves tons of paper and transportation
- Use E-Mail: faster, cheaper, and more eco friendly than snail mail
- Use Web 2.O: there are services that keep everything online so that you don't need paper versions and can access them from any computer or portable device. People doing fund raising, bake sales, etc., are moving it all online to save paper and other resources.
E RECYCLING PLANS
- The US Post Office has a pilot program for sending cameras, cell phones, and MP3 players (small gadgets) in for recycling. The "Mail Back" program is being tested in 10 cities. Just grab a free envelope from one of 1,500 participating offices and mail in your old gadget or inkjet cartridge for free.
- Some computer companies (Dell and HP, for example) accept old machines and printer cartridges returned to some retailers can earn credit and coupons; donations, such as the National Cristina Foundation a not-for-profit that accepts donated computers and other technology and then matches them to charities, schools and public agencies that are in need.
- Visit the EPA's website for a list of all the e-cycling locations in the US and visit Earth 911 for more great e-cycling resources.
- For cell phones: Call2Recycle will give locations for drop offs. The CollectiveGood does this; refurbishes old phones for people in developing countries.
Ways to Reduce your Carbon Footprint at Home
Green week continues with some great ways to reduce your ecological impact at home. Domino magazine contributing editor, Chassie Post shares some great tips that anyone can do!
WHAT'S A CARBON FOOTPRINT?
We've heard about carbon footprints all week and today we're going to show you how you can reduce your carbon footprint at home.
- It's easy, fast and in many cases affordable!
- A carbon footprint is a measure of how much green house gas your activities (as humans) have produced. It's measured in units of carbon dioxide
- The average American generates about 15,000 lbs of carbon dioxide a year from
- Transportation
- home energy use
- the energy used to produce the products and services we consume
- The good news = there are small changes that anyone can make in their own household (that in many cases will even save you $$)
- We got two small rooms to demonstrate the ideas. Let's get started...
USE ZERO "VOC" PAINT
- Here we have our first room - the kitchen - to demonstrate some of these ideas
- The first way to reduce your carbon footprint is with paint - specifically using paint with no volatile organic compounds (or VOC's as they're called) which are chemicals that evaporate at room temp
- It's what makes that bad "paint" smell
- They are bad for your health
- They pollute air indoors & outdoors
- And if you don't have money for major decorating/renovating, paint can do a lot:
- A fresh coat of paint can give a room an instant face-lift
- Zero VOC paint can be less than $20
- About 10% of the stuff that is depleting the ozone in the US comes from paints and other surface coatings w/ VOC's
- Zero VOC paints have no harmful chemicals and can be even less expensive than some traditional paints
- Now they come in wide variety of colors - today you don't have to sacrifice style to be good to the planet
Try Olympic Premium Interior Paint, $17.00 per gallon at Lowes Stores nationwide, visit www.olympic.com for stores
ADD A "LOW FLOW" AERATOR TO YOUR FAUCET/SINK
- Reduce your carbon footprint - just by using a simple attachment that screws onto your existing faucet - and it is under $5!
- Saves water, saves energy, and saves MONEY!
- Easy to find: you can buy these at any hardware or home supply store
- Faucet aerators mix air into the water to reduce the flow while keeping regular water pressure (ends up saving water and saving money on bill)
- By using aerators in your kitchens and bathrooms, your family can reduce water use by more than 200 gallons a month
- A normal sink's faucet flow is 3 to 5 gallons of water per minute, this aerator reduces water flow to 1.5 gallons a minute
- There are so many ways to save water or "lower the flow" in your house, and some simply require a change of habit-like not running the tap while brushing your teeth and running he dishwasher only when it is full
- But your toilet actually uses the most water of anything in your home
- A regular toilet can use up to 7 gallons of water every time you flush, depending how old it is
- But the new, dual-flush models have separate buttons for big and small flushes, using just 1.6 and .9 gallons (instead of 7!)
- They cost about $230 to $400, compared to $175 for a standard model, but will save you 5,000 galloons of water a year.
- Install low-flow showerheads, too, and save 2,700 more
- Save $72 a year and conserve 9,200 gallons of water a year by installing a dual-flush toilet, low-flow showerheads
- Look for products with EPA's WaterSense label; these products save water and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts
Try a Danco Energy saver Dual Thread Aerator, $3.39, at Home Depot and Lowes stores
BUY HOME APPLIANCES WITH AN "ENERGY STAR" RATING
- Buy home appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR (logo which appears on qualifying energy saving appliances) and you can save energy & money
- Here we have an ENERGY STAR rated refrigerator
- In most households, the fridge is the biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance
- Replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 (or earlier) with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model would save enough energy to light the house for 4 months
- All ENERGY STAR rated appliances require less energy to run, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- If every home in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances w/ efficient models, we'd eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year
- By using energy more efficiently at home you can lower your energy bills by more than 30% (the average home in the U.S. spends $1,900 on energy a year so saving 30% is substantial)
- ENERGY STAR products come in more than 50 product categories: everything from cordless phones to lighting to home electronics to kitchen appliances
Try a Frigidaire 18.2 Cu. Ft. Top- Mount Refrigerator, $467.97 at www.pcrichard.com and be sure to visit www.energystar.gov for more energy saving tips!
FOOD (EAT LOCALLY)
- We've all heard the term "eat locally" and what this means is = simply buying food from your local farmers market or food grown in your area whenever possible
- This is one of the most direct ways to reduce your carbon footprint (by eating food grown in your area you save energy and fuel, typical grocery store produce travels 1,500 miles before ending up on your plate)
- You get the freshest food possible and support your local community & economy
- And if there's no local market in your area, always better to buy fresh food at the grocery store instead of frozen - frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce
- Added benefit - many local farms are organic (means no pesticides used for growing)
- For the real enthusiast = Grow your own fruits/veggies; plant a fruit tree like an apple tree b/c it will provide you with lots of fruit, with zero carbon footprint, AND the tree itself with breathe in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - making this fruit effectively carbon negative!
Visit www.localharvest.org to find a local farm/farmer's market in your area.
OCCUPANCY SENSOR LIGHT SWITCH
- Who hasn't forgotten to turn out the lights?
- Now you won't even have to remember with this wall-mounted motion-sensing switch
- I know we keep saying this but it too saves energy & money
- Simply walk into a room and your motion signals the lights to turn on automatically
- More importantly, the lights automatically go off when the sensor detects no movement for a set period of time (15 seconds to 15 minutes - is adjustable)
- Connects in minutes, just like a regular light switch
Try a Wall Mounted Occupancy Sensor, $24.99 at www.HomeDepot.com
SOLAR-POWERED ATTIC FAN
- Attics can reach temperatures of 150 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit during a hot summer day, so ventilation is important
- The heat that builds up in there causes the attic to act like a giant radiator, passing heat back into your living spaces which drives temps & cooling costs thru the roof
- Also b/c the attic is too hot, moisture from your home can move up into the attic which causes insulation & construction materials to deteriorate
- Attic fans keep your home cooler by reducing the temp of trapped warm air in the attic so air conditioners wont have to work as hard
- A SOLAR Attic Fan easily attaches to your roof and actually gives you a double savings as it will lower your air conditioning bill and is powered completely by free solar energy (by the sun)
- This model costs about $350, is fully operational right from the box, installs easily, with no electrical wiring, so there's no expensive electrician and no permits
- Is also powerful - a single unit can fully vent up to 1200 square feet.
- Place it wherever you need improved circulation; attic, lofts, workshops, storage sheds, garages even barns
Try a Natural Light Solar Attic Fan, $349.85 at www.altenergystore.com
PUT UP ECO-FRIENDLY WALLPAPER
- Here we're moving to our 2nd room - the bedroom - to show you a few more ideas
- First is wallpaper
- It used to be that we were quite limited when it came to the choices of earth-conscious decorations for our home, BUT not the case any more - now lots of amazing and great-looking options
- Eco-friendly wallpaper is now incredibly stylish and costs the same as traditional wallpaper
- This particular wallpaper is printed on recycled paper using low VOC vegetable inks & dyes - it's recyclable and biodegradable
- The production of this wallpaper is less chemically intensive & emits less greenhouse gasses than the production of traditional wallpapers and because it is made of recycled paper also saves trees (which actually absorb carbon dioxide
Try Charcoal Chrysanthemum Wallpaper by Woodson & Rummerfield, $80 per roll at www.wandrlust.com
ADD INSULATING CURTAIN LINERS
- These are curtain liners that insulate your windows from heat & cold
- Reduces carbon footprint by saving energy and blocks 50% more light
- No need to go out and buy new curtains; they can be put behind any existing curtain to make them energy-smart
- Save on heating & air conditioning bills; keeps your room warmer in winter & cooler in summer
- Also adds "heft" to your existing curtains which can make them look more expensive (especially if your curtains are not already lined)
Try Thermalsuede Liners, $9.99 - 34.99 at www.Jcpenney.com
USE ENERGY-SAVING WINDOW SHADES
- The other part of this window we want to show you are the Bamboo shades
- Believe it or not, bamboo shades were a designer favorite even before people realized they were good for the planet - and these are even thermal
- These are made of a "rapidly renewable" material rather than wood (bamboo grows almost as fast as you can cut it) - so anything made of bamboo helps!
- Chic, sustainable & affordable
- Reduces our carbon footprint by saving energy & trees - insulates our windows from heat & cold
Try Bamboo Thermal Roman Shades, $60 - $72 at www.Gaiam.com
TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT
- You don't have to freeze to be green, but by adjusting your thermostat up or down by just three degrees all year round...
- you will save about $114 on your energy bill for a 1,500 square foot home
- and will keep 2 1/2 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere
- The biggest savings are seen during the winter months - for every degree you turn the heat down in winter, you'll bring your energy bill down by as much as 5 percent
- And if 3 degrees is too scary or cold for you, according to the Department of Energy, lowering your thermostat by just one degree-an imperceptible amount-it can save you up to $40 a year
- In the summer, melt 3 percent off your energy bill for every degree you turn the thermostat up
- And if you install a programmable thermostat-which can be bought for around $60-you can set it to turn your home temperature way up or down when you're at work or sleeping, saving $150 a year while keeping more than 2 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere
Try a Honeywell Programmable Thermostat, $58.27 at www.HomeDepot.com
BUY SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE
- As you would expect, tons of wood is used to make furniture - but almost half of the world's original forests have been cut down, with another 40 million acres vanishing every year
- B/c trees absorb carbon dioxide and reduce our carbon footprint on the earth - buy furniture that's made w/ wood certified by the FSC (forest stewardship council)
- they ensure that timber is cut down & grown in a land- and habitat-friendly way
- The frame of this headboard is made of FSC certified wood & is formaldehyde free
- And the inside of this headboard has filling made from recycled plastic bottles & the exterior is even covered with organic cotton fabric
- Sustainable furniture also often has the added benefit of being made with non-toxic glues, paints and finishing treatments that won't pollute indoor or outdoor air
Try Lee Industries "Natural Lee Package" furniture- prices begin at $380, visit www.naturallee.com for stores.
GET AN ECO-FRIENDLY MATTRESS
- Instead of buying a petroleum-based mattress made of memory foam that pollutes the planet as it is manufactured and again when it is thrown away, reduce your carbon footprint by using an earth-friendly mattress
- They are made with independent coils, organic cotton batting and wool from US organic sheep farmers
- Wool is actually a natural dust mite repellant and fire-retardant, so no chemical fire-retardants necessary
- Super soft and comfy
- Made domestically
- TIP = always look out for products made in the US - saves fuel on transportation of goods
Try Natural as Sleep Eco-Coil Mattress $1,600, at ABC Home & Planet at ABC Carpet & Home and www.abchome.com
USE ORGANIC COTTON BED SHEETS
- Use 100% organic cotton sheets - but of course this can be applied to anything cotton in your house like towels, blankets, etc
- Organic just means that the cotton is grown without the use of pesticides (which produce greenhouse gas emissions)
- In the US 25% of all soil-contaminating insecticides go into the growing of cotton
- Takes a full pound of pesticides to make just 3 tee-shirts
- Also the big deal about growing stuff organically is that organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide (absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere)
Try Organic Cotton Bed Sheets starts at $28/full set at www.bedbathandbeyond.com, OR Tile Organic Sheet Set $790 at www.potterybarn.com
USE ECO-RUGS
- Carpet production is notorious for making an environmental mess
- There are many eco-friendly rugs out there now but this company has shrunk its carbon footprint by half
- They reclaim old carpets and rugs (and have reclaimed 93 million tons so far) that they turn into new carpet backing
- This eco-friendly rug actually comes in carpet tiles or "modular" style which just means they come in individual squares - great b/c you can create any shape and/or pattern you want
- if you have a stain, you don't have replace the whole carpet - you can simply replace one square
- you can take it with you if you move
- Great for dorms and/or unusual shaped areas
- This company has a "Return/Recycle" program where they will arrange for your old tiles to be picked up and sent to their mill at their expense
Try Flor tiles, "Fedora" $6.99/tile at www.flor.com
CALCULATE YOUR OWN CARBON FOOTPRINT
- Educate yourself so that you can take action and make small changes
- You can use an online calculator to get an estimate of your (or your family's) personal greenhouse gas emissions
For more ways to reduce your carbon footprint and eco-friendly décor ideas, check out www.dominomag.com
Green Driving Tips 101
It's been announced that Green Week's Secret Wild Prize is a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid!

Stay tuned all week, as one of our lucky trivia callers will have the chance to play for this stylish hybrid.
The Highlander is not only a strong design statement, but also has many green features, including the advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive® system.
See below for more details about this great prize!
 news editor, Dan Shapley is here with simple Green Driving Tips that will help save money and the environment.
Get regular tune-ups
Make sure to replace dirty air filters and get regular oil changes with the recommended grade of oil (be sure the old oil is recycled!). You could improve fuel economy 10% or more.
Lighten the load
Extra-important when planning a vacation: Carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by about 1-2% The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
Watch where you park
Park in a garage or in the shade to keep your car cool in the summer. Use a windshield shade if parking outdoors
Physics lesson: As the temperature rises, gasoline expands, meaning you get less energy per gallon, and therefore fewer miles per gallon. A cool car will help you get the most out of a tank. Plus, when you suit down in a cool car, you're less apt to crank the air conditioner, which can reduce fuel economy as much as 12%.
Check your gas cap
According to some estimates, a surprising 10-17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps. A new one usually costs about $15. A faulty gas cap allows gas to evaporate, which not only means you're buying gas that you won't use, but also contributes to air pollution, particularly smog. One study in Kansas found a leaky gas cap can be responsible for 175 pounds of air pollution (not counting carbon) in a year. That means more smog, which triggers asthma attacks.
Check tire pressure and get tires aligned
Keeping tires properly inflated can improve fuel efficiency by 3% or more. An estimated one in four vehicles has tires that are out of alignment. Tires out of alignment can reduce fuel economy by as much as 10%.
Keep track when fueling up
Check your own fuel economy when you fill up. Use a little notebook: divide miles driven since last fuel-up by gallons pumped. If you see it slipping, you can identify problems early. If you make the same commute each day, but get better gas mileage one week over the next, it means you're burning more gas to drive the same route. That's means more oil pumped, refined and burned, producing pollution at each step of the way. At the gas station, divide miles driven/by gallons pumped for MPG.
Don't speed & Drive smoothly
Follow the speed limit. A rule of thumb is every 5 mph costs your fuel economy about 7%. Avoid "jack rabbit" starts, aggressive driving and tire-squealing stops. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
Assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. You can improve fuel economy up to one-third by reforming some bad habits, like riding the brake, coming to squealing stops and accelerating like a racecar driver.
Don't idle get going
Don't "warm up" your car in the wintertime. It doesn't need more than 30 seconds, and just wastes gas. Also, avoid idling - particularly in and around schools or other places where children congregate. Idling allows pollution that contributes to smog (which can trigger asthma attacks) to accumulate right around the car. Imagine a school parking lot full of idling SUVs and school buses! And it's pollution that serves no purpose - you get 0 mpg burning that fuel.
Use public transportation
Whenever it is available use the train or bus, and take the subway. The public transportation system in the United States saves 3.4 billion gallons of oil a year, eliminates 541 million hours of traffic delays and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 26 million tons. As an example, the average Manhattan resident, who has access to subways, buses and sidewalks, produces about one-third as much greenhouse gas pollution as the national average.
Buy a fuel-efficient vehicle
If buying a new car, buy a fuel-efficient vehicle. A car that gets 35 mpg will use half as much fuel to go as far as the SUV that gets 17 mpg. An average driver will pay about $900 to drive a 2008 Toyota Prius hybrid for a year, whereas a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee will cost more than $4,300. Check out this list of the ten most fuel-efficient 2008 vehicles!
Money-Saving Tips
We continue Green week with easy steps to help the planet while helping your wallet. David Bach the bestselling author of "Go Green, Live Rich" shares some Great Tips on how to save money and save the earth!
BOTTLED WATER
TIP: A perfect example of this is bottled water - Americans currently spend $15 billion a year on bottled water and the amount of oil required to make the plastic bottles is the equivalent to the amount of oil required to run 100,000 cars for a year.
ACTION & EFFECT: Simply by eliminating 1 bottle of water per day, people will save $500 per year and help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and waterways (96 percent of water bottles sold in 2006 were in single-size containers, which have a lower recycling rate than nearly any other form of plastic packaging.
GET RID OF JUNK MAIL
TIP: Let's face it, in America shopping is a leisure activity and we don't even have to leave our homes to play: Every day, catalogs and junk mail fill our mailboxes with temptations to buy things we don't need. In 2006, we bought $160 billion in merchandise from catalogs. And more than 8 million tons of trees are used to produce the 19 billion catalogs printed each year, requiring enough energy to power 1.2 million homes for a year and producing as many emissions as 2 million cars. As for junk mail, the average adult is on at least 50 mailing lists and receives 40 pounds of junk mail a year-nearly half of which ends up in landfills unopened.
ACTION & EFFECT: Cut down on junk mail by calling 888-5OPTOUT and cancel your catalog subscriptions by going to www.abacus-us.com and clicking on "Consumer Opt-out" to save $1,413 a year on unnecessary catalog purchases, helping us to collectively save 100 million trees a year.
GET RID OF A CAR
TIP: This may sound controversial or difficult, but the fastest way to cut your family's expenses is to get rid of one of the family cars. Consider this: there are roughly two cars on the road for each household in the U.S., and the average annual cost of each of those cars-factoring in gas, insurance, maintenance, parking and so on-is $8,580 per year. So do the math: if your household income is $50,000 per year and you have two cars, you are working 4 months of the year just to pay for them.
ACTION & EFFECT: If you live in one of the 48 cities in the U.S. where Zip Car operates-which allows you to reserve a car for 6 2-hour slots and 2 4-hour slots each week for just $162 per month-ditch one or both of your cars and save up to $8,580 each year while keeping 3,640 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air.
BRING YOUR LUNCH TO WORK
TIP: Today, Americans spend over $134 billion each year on fast food. While it's convenient, it's not always cheap or healthy. And takeout food packaging creates 1.8 million tons of trash in the U.S. each year, representing a huge waste of resources. Let's say you spend $9 a day on a chicken sandwich and soda at your local Subway outlet. That's $45 a week, or $2,250 every year. If you instead saved that amount and invested it, in 20 years you'd have more than $111,000.
ACTION & EFFECT: Save $2,250 per year by "brown-bagging" your lunch and help us to collectively reduce our landfills by 1.8 million tons of trash.
GREEN YOUR NEST EGG
TIP: With the current mortgage and credit crises, people are understandably nervous about investing in the stock market. But in the long run, investing in the stock market can make you rich and the good news is that the emerging "Green Economy" represents the greatest single investment opportunity of the 21st Century-as big or even bigger than the technology boom of the 1980s and 1990s. Catch the new "Green Wave" of investing by investing a portion of your savings in an SRI (Socially Responsible Investment), like a socially responsible mutual fund or an SRI exchange-traded fund. Today, it is possible to invest in Socially Responsible Index Funds that screen out companies whose practices are harmful to the environment or are otherwise socially and ethically irresponsible and screen in companies whose practices promote sustainability and benefit the environment-like clean energy and renewable energy companies or natural food companies. A number of "Green" mutual funds and exchange-traded funds have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past few years, and many more such funds are becoming available.
ACTION & EFFECT: "Pay yourself first" by investing the maximum amount allowed by law in your 401K plan or IRA, and allocate a portion of your savings for investment in a "Green" Index fund, mutual fund, or ETF. If your plan administrator does not have any "green" funds to offer, express your interest in having an SRI or green fund added to your menu of choices. Check out the Green mutual funds David recommends below.
BUY IN BULK
TIP: Buying in bulk doesn't mean buying large quantities of things you don't need simply because you couldn't resist the bargain. Buying in bulk does mean buying the largest size of products you were going to buy anyway both to save money (items typically cost significantly less by weight when purchased in bulk v. single-size/small packages) and to reduce your consumption of packaging/containers-which make up more than 31 percent of all municipal solid waste.
ACTION & EFFECT: Save up to one-third on your grocery bill by shopping in bulk while reducing the 80 million tons of packaging that ends up in landfills each year.
CLEAN IT GREEN
TIP: The average U.S. household spends $600 per year on about 40 pounds of chemical cleaning supplies-and it is a huge irony that many of the products we use to clean our homes are a source of poisonous chemicals-toxins that may cause cancer, asthma, or other medical problems. Chemical cleaning supplies are an $18 billion annual business, and they not only threaten our health but also end up in our rivers, soil, air, and oceans.
ACTION & EFFECT: Save $580 per year by making your own non-toxic household cleaning products and spare the environment 40 pounds of toxic chemicals. You can find recipes for making your own non-toxic cleaning products using everyday items like baking soda, vinegar, and soda water at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
PLANT TREES & SHRUBS TO SAVE ON ENERGY COSTS
TIP: Strategically planting trees and shrubs to shade your home and keep your home naturally cooler in summer can save you between $150 and $250 on energy costs per year-while also providing food and housing for birds, protecting against erosion, and cleaning the air as the plants soak up carbon dioxide.
ACTION & EFFECT: Start planting practically for free by purchasing an annual membership for $15 to The Arbor Day Foundation, which offers ten free shade trees for each membership-and save $177 on annual energy costs while reducing your home's CO2 emissions by 3,952 pounds per year.
SKIP UNNECESSARY CAR TRIPS
TIP: 40 percent of all car trips made in the U.S. are less than 2 miles long-a distance that could, in many case, be covered by bicycle or on foot. Also, an astonishing 91 percent of Americans commute to work alone in their car, averaging 30-miles per round trip. If every person in the U.S. commuted by carpool just one day a week or took public transportation instead of driving, we'd reduce carbon emissions by 149 million tons.
ACTION & EFFECT: Save $215 a year by carpooling to work just one day a week and help us to collectively reduce 149 million tons of carbon emissions.
"Green" Mutual and Exchange Traded Funds Currently Available for Consumers
- Calvert Funds is one of the largest active managers of SRI (socially responsible index) mutual funds, offering both index-based and actively managed socially conscious funds. Calvert Large Cap Growth Fund [symbol: CLGAX] has outperformed the S&P 500 over the last five years.
- For ETFs (exchange-traded mutual fund), check out ishares. The KLD Select Social Index "screens in" companies that have positive social and environmental characteristics. The ishares KLD 400 Social Index (symbol: DSI) tracks the Domini 400 Social Index, which "screens out" companies involved in alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and gambling, etc., and looks for companies with positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.
- Launched in 2001, Winslow Green Growth [symbol: WGGFX] is annually the best performing green fund over the past five years. This small-growth fund invests in domestic companies that that are either in specific green sectors or have shown strong environmental responsibility. Its creators are about to launch a second green fund, called the Winslow Green Solutions Fund.
- Founded in 1982, The New Alternatives Fund [symbol: NJALFX] holds companies-both overtly green and less visibly so-that it believes "have a positive impact on the environment." Many of its holdings are in the renewable-energy space, but it also invests in natural foods companies (like Whole Foods) and those involved in clean water and clean air.
- Green Century Funds manages two green funds. Started in 1991, they offer the Green Century Equity Fund [symbol: GCEQX] and Green Century Balanced Fund [symbol: GCLBX]. Both funds seek to track the Domini 400 Social Index Fund, which screens out companies involved in socially or ethically unacceptable areas (alcohol, tobacco, firearms, etc.) and screens in companies with positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Green Century is nonprofit and promises that its fees and profits are used to preserve and protect the environment.
- Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy [symbol: PBW] is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that focuses on companies that promote cleaner energy. Founded in March 2005, the fund seeks to mirror the Wilder Hill Clean Energy Index. Other "green" ETFs currently available include WilderHill Progressive Energy Portfolio [symbol: PUW], which focuses on companies that that provide technologies that improve the use of existing fossil fuels, PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio [symbol: PZD], Claymore/LGA Green ETF [symbol: GRN], Van Eck Global Alternative Energy ETF [symbol: GEX] and First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge ETF [symbol: QCLN].
- A great place to start your research is Morningstar.com, which evaluates funds, their diversification, and their levels of risk. Also, visit Social Investment Forum to find a financial planner who specializes in socially responsible investing, Visit www.socialinvest.org and click on "Individual Investors."
Listing of investment options and resources provided by David Bach, author of GO GREEN, LIVE RICH.
Green 101
It's been announced that Green Week's Secret Wild Prize is a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid!

Stay tuned all week, as one of our lucky trivia callers will have the chance to play for this stylish hybrid.
The Highlander is not only a strong design statement, but also has many green features, including the advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive® system.
See below for more details about this great prize!
Earth Day is just around the corner...and, in celebration of it's arrival, we are kicking-off Green Week with GREEN 101 from Real Simple magazine's editor-in-chief, Kristin Van Ogtrop.
RECYCLING BASICS
Cardboard: Do not recycle wet cardboard. It can clog sorting machines.
Plastic bottle: Do not recycle bottle tops; they're not made from the same plastic as recyclable bottles.
Cans: Cans are the most commonly recycled items. Recycling aluminum and steel cans directs valuable metal into new products, saving 95% of the energy required to manufacture aluminum from scratch and 74% of the energy needed to make steel. It's so efficient these days that a can is regenerated and back on the shelf in as little as 60 days.
Bottle Contaminants: Don't worry if there's a lime stuck in the bottle or a little bit of peanut butter stuck to the bottom of the jar. The recycler's machinery can tell the difference between contaminants and recyclable materials. It will zap all contaminants.
LIGHTS
Fact: Contrary to popular opinion, you won't waste energy by turning the lights on and off, and the bulbs lifespan will not be noticeably reduced. A 100-watt bulb left on 8 hours a day burns $30 worth of electricity per year.
Tip: Turn off the lights whenever you leave the room. Replace regular light bulbs and fixtures with Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) available at most hardware stores. CFLs cast a warmer glow. They cost more than regular light bulbs, but they use 70% less energy and last much longer (10,000 hours, compared to 750 hours). And they look just as good.
RED MEAT
Fact: Meat production, especially in mass-produced beef, is extremely resource-intensive. It can take 7 or more pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef, and livestock consumes 70% of America's grain.
Tip: Skip red meat once a week. Eat less of it and choose pasture-fed, sustainably raised beef whenever you can. If you give it up once every 7 days, you would save 840 gallons of fresh water is takes to produce a single serving.
LINT
Fact: The average American household spends up to $135 per year in energy costs drying clothes. A dirty lint filter can use 30% more energy to get the job done.
Tip: Free lint bunnies.
CANVAS BAGS
Fact: It sounds obvious, but in an average year, U.S. households use about a Billion plastic bags, 99% of which are never recycled.
Tip: Bring a canvas bag to the market. Stash some canvas bags in your car.
RECYCLED PRODUCTS
Fact: If every American household purchased one package of 100% recycled napkins, we would save 1 million trees.
Tip: Buy Recycled Paper Products. While you're at it, buy recycled paper towels and tissues, too.
|
|
|