Our attire should reflect the outside temperature in our region, and thus our homes would not have to kept as warm if we dressed appropriately. According to Live Earth, just lowering your thermostat two degrees will save 4% on your energy bill and prevent 500 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere! Two degrees is hardly noticeable when proper layers are worn. Even for families like mine that heat with wood, conservation is still important, and less word burned is better for our environment too.

I have heard many people complain about making small changes in their lifestyles for the environment, and many people simply write off small changes as not enough. We all need to make small sacrifices to bring about positive climate change, and it is one way to feel empowered as an individual. I may not be able to afford the electric vehicle of my dreams, but I can afford to wear a sweater I already own. I always look forward to the cooler temperatures and wearing layered clothing. If adding an extra layer can help reduce my carbon footprint, then I am ready to bundle up!

1. Handbag knit purse from plastic shopping bags.

You’ve probably seen similar projects to this one: maybe a rug braided from plastic grocery bags. This Instructables project takes a slightly different approach: spinning the bags into a "yarn" that you then knit using an incredibly simple pattern to make a durable bag. I think you could easily make cute stripes with blue and white bags.

2. Yoga mat bag made from old pants

This project from personal fave ReadyMade magazine reuses "grandpa pants" (sorry Max!), but you can use any old pants, including denim, to make a very cute tote for your yoga mat. Can’t wait to try this one as soon as I "borrow" my mother-in-law’s sewing machine.

3. Tote bag made from old t-shirt

If there’s one thing I have a ton of, it’s old t-shirts. My storied (ha!) athletic career (and teaching career) left me with more t-shirts than I know what to do with. Most have sentimental value and I hate to throw them out, but I never wear half of them, and I’m not a fan of those t-shirt quilts. This project from Instructables is super-simple and, with a little work, could be the easy way to make all those reusable grocery bags you’ve been meaning to buy.

4. Insulated lunch bag remake.

Okay, this one is kind of cheating: it’s more of a makeover than a reuse, but if you happen to come across one of those cheap insulated lunch bags, Instructables recommends remaking it to be less hideous. Well, I’d make a cuter applique than the shifty-eyed donut, but that’s just personal taste

5. Customized reusable shopping bag

I can’t wait to try this, since I have a plethora of reusable bags I’ve gathered over the years. This Instructables project creates inner pockets in your reusable grocery bags to hold "produce bags you’re reusing at the store, a bottle of wine, or fresh baguette." Oh yes, I want to carry television-style grocery bags with a loaf of bread and leafy carrots sticking out of the top. Now I can make the myth a reality.

6. Handbag sewn from plastic shopping bags

Although the ReadyMade project on the right looks more complicated than the other projects here, the end result looks seriously stylish, and the only materials needed are grocery bags, thread, bobby pins, scissors, and a sewing machine.

7. Messenger bag from trash bags

Here’s some MacGyver bag-making: Make has a hip messenger bag, suitable for men and women, made from old trash bags using an iron to melt the plastic together. And you can watch it being made via their online video. If that’s not your bag (I couldn’t resist!), download the PDF instructions.

8. Handbags from old sweaters

If you’ve got old sweaters, Cosby or otherwise, lying around (maybe with your grandpa pants?), WhipUp’s got a pattern to turn them into one-of-a-kind totes.

Whether you desire to buy trees to help the environment for personal reasons, for investment purposes or you simply refer others to buy trees through our Affiliate Program,  PanAm BioFuels has made the process so simple that everyone can find a way to participate in it.

1) Purchase Trees for Investment

Jatropha trees can be bought directly from Pan-Am Biofuels for only $4 each in lots ranging from 250 trees for $1000 to 25,000 trees for $100,000.  Though delivery is possible for larger volumes, we will believe most people will take advantage of our Contract Farming Program where we will actually plant your trees on our plantations. 

With our Contract Farming Program we do all the work from planting to harvest to sale of the oil.  The only fee for all of this is a 10% fee from profits.  Then 90% of the profits are passed on to you, the tree owner.  All you have to do is purchase your trees in lots for only $4/each.

If you have priced trees at your local nursery you will see most prices range from $10 to $25. So now you may be thinking…

"How can you produce, plant and sell these trees at only $4 each?"

There are several reasons, including, but not limited to,

• Because the cost of living as well as labor is much cheaper in Central America where our nurseries are located.
• The efficiencies and economies of scale we enjoy by the huge volume of trees our nursery outputs allow us to save a tremendous amount of money passing the savings on to you.
• Our nursery is in close proximity to our Jatropha Tree plantation in Costa Rica where our Contract Farming Program is being implemented so there are minimal transportation expenses.

"So how much money do I stand to earn by buying your Jatropha Trees? What is the return on my investment?" 

Your trees can potentially bring  as much as 45% PER YEAR calculated  from your original investment once the trees start producing within 3-4 years.   Jatropha trees start bearing seeds the second year and reach maximum production at about 4 years.  You can review the full details and Financial Projections once you register and login.

Pan-Am Biofuels has truly created a unique situation and opportunity for the average person to take advantage of.

Now you can participate in an industry that has produced the wealthiest individuals and corporations in the world. The only difference is, instead of drilling for oil and destroying the environment, you will be growing oil and restoring the environment by owning oil producing Jatrpha Trees

2) Sell trees for Commissions as an Affiliate

We will pay you to refer customers! Pan-Am Biofuels has created a lucrative opportunity for webmasters,  business owners and individuals alike. By becoming an Affiliate you can help promote our Jatropha tree project, earn commissions and at the same time you’ll be doing your part to better our environment.  Learn more about how our Affiliate Program works.

Keep in mind that the typical consumer is NOT paying the true cost of food. The meat, dairy, and egg industries, in particular, enjoy many government subsidies, which keep the cost of these unhealthful products artificially low. The same goes for produce laden with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Also, organic fruits and veggies are usually not grown on an industrial scale, so efficiencies aren’t as great. Also, as pointed out in a recent article on the subject, "there are also significant costs involved in switching farmland from nonorganic to organic status. And there’s a lot more manual labor involved, such as weeding by hand."

So it’s not that organic is expensive; it’s the non-organic is cheap.

I’m always struck by the fact that so many people think organically grown food is some new-fangled, trendy idea. To grow plant foods with the least amount of chemicals as possible is to return to a time before industrical agriculture. Supporting local farmers is a very old ideal. As consumers, we should be shocked that an apple from clear across the world costs less than an apple grown a few hours from our home. When you go to a farmer’s market and buy directly from that farmer, you’re paying the true cost of that food.

Buying local and organic is the best thing you can do for so many reasons. First of all, the taste is absolutely superior, because the fruits and vegetables are grown with flavor in mind. When you buy produce that has been shipped in from all over the world, that produce is grown not with taste and flavor as the first priority but rather the ability to withstand the long shipments and sit on the shelf for long periods of time.

Also, when you purchase local produce, you’re purchasing produce that is seasonal - grown according to the climate of the region in which you live. And seasonal veggies are generally cheaper than purchasing out of season fruits and vegetables. But cost doesn’t refer only to dollars. As with the health costs that comes from eating an animal-based diet, there are also environmental costs, and when you buy locally at a farmer’s market or through something like Community Supported Agriculture, it means you’re paying for food that was driven down from a couple hours away as opposed to shipped from thousands of miles away. That’s a huge savings in terms of the resources required to get that food to your table – resources that include oil and electricity.

In terms of organic produce, when you purchase organic, you’re supporting a growing system that works with the Earth rather than against it. You’re paying for sustainable growing methods that enrich rather than deplete the soil. When you purchase out-of-season produce that was shipped in from other countries, there concerns about food safety, as well. The growing standards in other countries may not be the same as those in the U.S. or more specifically as high as those of the farmers you can talk to at the markets. I mean you can find out exactly how they grow their food, and in many cases you can also visit the farm yourself.

Having said all this, as we adjust to paying the true cost of food, it’s helpful to know which fruits and vegetables are the most highly sprayed so we can make informed decisions when we simply cannot purchase organic. Certain produce, termed the "Dirty Dozen" by the Environmental Working Group, is so highly sprayed with toxic chemicals that, many experts recommend eating them only when they’re organic. These include:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes, imported (Chili)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Spinach

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. The produce you can get away with purchasing as non-organic includes:

• Bananas (though I do recommend purchasing "Fair Trade" bananas)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Onions
• Peas

When I have the opportunity, I do tend to purchase many of these as organic anyway, mainly because I shop at farmer’s markets and also because I want to support local, organic farmers. But it’s helpful to have this list on hand (or in your memory) to help you make the best choices possible.

To make it even easier for you, the Environmental Working Group has a handy little guide called Pesticides in Produce that you can either download from their website Food News, or order a wallet-size version of to keep with you at all times.

Yeah, yeah, I know that cheap clothing is cheap for a reason (or several): exploitative labor practices and environmentally-destructive materials, to name a few. And I support paying a premium for items that are ethically made, just like when I grocery shop. It’s still hard for me to plunk down my hard-earned cash for upscale sustainable goods; I just don’t have that disposable income, and, frankly, clothes aren’t so important to me that even if I did have the cash to spare, I’d probably use it for something else. But a girl needs to feel good in her clothes, and I do have to exercise a modicum of professional dress when I’m teaching kids about renewable energy. So I set off on a quest to find five places where I could make better clothing choices without breaking the bank.

Disclaimer: "affordable" is a weighted word. What some people see as a bargain, others would and/or could never pay. My idea of affordable can best be described as middle-class: I’m a teacher, my husband is a teacher, we don’t come from money, and we have bills to pay. I’m not really looking for high-fashion here, but mostly basic pieces I can use in a variety of ways with my existing wardrobe.

I’ve loved American Apparel for a long time. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of woman, so AA clothing fits my style, and their t-shirts fit like a dream. Almost all of their entire line is cotton, and about 20% of the cotton they use is organic. The company has plans to expand that to 80% in the next four years. Most of the organic cotton they use now is in their Sustainable Edition line. They also recycle over a million pounds of fabric scrap per year and have solar panels on the roof of their LA headquarters. I like their clothes because they are comfortable and versatile; I’ve worn their skirts and shirts all over. Warning: there are claims against AA, mostly stemming from union-busting and sexual harassment accusations against owner Dov Charney, but their environmental record is promising.

Levi Strauss has been a leader in greening up denim, and their organic cotton jeans, t-shirts, and polo shirts for men and women also incorporate recycled rivets, zippers, and buttons; they also use natural indigo to dye their denim. Although their RedTab line is way out of my price range, their non-RedTab Eco’s are quite reasonable for new jeans: less than $70, and they’ve got very contemporary styles (although I don’t really have the courage, or the body, to wear skinny jeans.) If I can’t find jeans at the local thrift store, or wanted something more current, I’d try to find these. They also had some bargain men’s polo shirts at their online store that I’d probably get for my husband to wear to work.

Victoria E wrote about Jonano back in May, but I waited to check them out until recently, and I wish I hadn’t. What a jackpot! Jonano produces certified organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp clothing, along with their popular ecoKashmere blend, and their clothing is made using Fair Labor practices. Jonano’s fabrics are dyed using low-impact dyes, and their packaging and mailings are printed on recycled paper. Their lines are women-heavy, with hardly anything for men, but I fell in love with many of their pieces, including some beautiful dresses, shorts, and pants. I can’t wait to order from Jonano the next time I’m in the market for clothing.

Rawganique offers sweatshop-free organic hemp, cotton, and linen clothing from Ecolution, Blue Canoe, and their own line of clothing. Although many of their items seemed a bit pricey, I found some dresses, skirts, and sports jackets that were reasonably-priced, and they offer hemp and linen alongside the widely-found organic cotton. I’d use this place in a pinch if I couldn’t find what I wanted elsewhere, but they’re definitely walking the walk as far as sustainability. Check out their About Us for proof!

Finally, REI gets my vote for affordable outdoor gear that can double as everyday wardrobe. I wrote at length about their sustainability efforts last week. The versatility of their clothing — I can wear it to work or around the campsite — makes many of their pieces sustainable choices, and I didn’t gasp when I checked the price tag: $50 seems reasonable for a durable pair of pants for my husband or a warm recycled-PET fleece jacket. If you are looking for well-made basics that will take a beating, don’t be afraid to try this performance gear — it’s not just for the backcountry.

These are five places that fit into both my aesthetic and price range. I also recommend you check out discount websites that offer more expensive clothing at cut-rate prices. For example, I found Loomstate jeans at over half off on Bluefly.com.

The paper industry is one of the biggest environmental bad guys in big industry. According to NRDC,

"The pulp and paper industry may contribute to more global and local environmental problems than any other industry in the world. Paper manufacturers reach deep into species-rich forests for virgin timber, razing trees, polluting waterways and destroying precious wildlife habitat. Pulp and paper mills that use virgin timber are major generators of hazardous air pollutants, including dioxins and other cancer-causing chemicals. And the industry is the third largest industrial emitter of global warming pollution."

The average American uses 741 pounds of paper a year. We can reduce this excessive paper usage by narrowing the margins. Changethemargins.com is a campaign to do just this. The campaign’s goals are to:

• Convince Microsoft to change the default margin settings in Microsoft Word to .75 on all sides. The more convenient it is for people to change their habits, the better chance there is that they will actually do so.
• Persuade five corporations to officially sanction narrower margins for all company documents. In this way, people will get used to seeing documents with this formatting as the standard, as opposed to the exception. Never underestimate the power of peer pressure.
• Challenge five universities to adopt narrower margin settings as the standard for their students and faculty, and include this information in their course guidelines.

Changethemargins.com has started a petition to Microsoft to change the default margins to .75" on all of its software, of which there is no technical reason for the current default settings of 1.25". It has been my experience that some printers do not like margins smaller than this, but you can experiment with your own printer to see how small you can make your margins. Here are some more astounding facts on paper from Changethemargins.com:

• It takes 17 pulpwood market-sized trees and 390 gallons of oil to make a ton of paper
• That ton of paper, when disposed of, takes up nearly 8 cubic feet of public landfill space.
• That public landfill is approximately 36% waste paper products.
• Each one million pages of paper not printed saves 85 pulp trees.
• Americans discard 4 million tons of office paper every year — enough to build a 12 foot high wall of paper from New York to California.

There are other ways you can reduce your paper usage in the office. Use the print preview feature to be sure that there are no errors in formatting before printing. Furthermore, always print double-sided, or use scratch paper when possible. I am always shocked to find the majority of the paper in the bin at the recycling center has only been used on one side. The little things do add up! Even a fraction of an inch can save paper.

But what happens when the going gets wet? With autumn and winter just around the corner, it’s easy to let the wet weather dampen the excitement of the ride. As the days contract and sunshine turns to rain, do we trade in our bazillion-mile-to-the-gallon peddling machine and our great summer biking legs for a piddly twenty-five miles to the gallon? Not a chance.

It turns out that year-round bikers have a second theme song: "Riders On The Storm." Feel free to hum along as we look at some fairly easy ways to bike safely and arrive dry, even in the rain.

1. Always use front and rear bike lights for early morning, evening, and wet weather rides. You may be able to see without a headlight, but drivers have a more difficult time seeing you. A flashing taillight makes you more visible from behind as well.

2. Reduce your speed for greater control of your vehicle. Most times, we have fewer than 10 miles to go on our daily rides, so going slower will only add a few minutes onto the time of our ride.

3. Give yourself more time to stop. Wet brakes need to burn off water before they can grip properly. This translates into a greater stopping distance.

4. Apply even pressure to both the front and rear (or left and right hand) breaks to avoid skidding.

5. Keep in mind that motorists have poorer visibility and less control over their vehicles as well in the rain. Bike defensively and make yourself visible with bright clothing (more on clothing to follow bellow).

6. Put rain guards or fenders over your tires. College campuses have an affectionate term for the line of muck and water that wet tires can spin up onto your back: they call it the "freshman stripe." By the second year of college, most people have learned to appreciate fenders on their bikes.

7. Keep a wide enough distance from parked cars that you won’t have to take evasive action if someone opens his or her car door in front of you.

8. Bike predictably. When you are biking next to parked cars, maintain your place on the road. Even if a crosswalk or some empty parking spaces give you the chance to bike further to the right, keep biking in a straight line. You’ll be more predictable to motorists and you won’t have to worry about merging back into the flow of traffic.

9. Follow the rules of the road. This is true all year long, but is especially important in wet weather.

10. On roads with no bike lane, make yourself clearly a part of traffic. Be confident and assertive about your position on the road. When you come to a stop sign or red light and there’s no bike lane, maintain your place in traffic by coming to a stop in the line of traffic and waiting your turn to cross the intersection.

11. Where possible, avoid biking over metal manholes, painted pavement, subway ventilation grates, and construction plates. These can all be slippery when wet.

12. Also avoid puddles and wet leaves. Puddles can hide potholes and wet leaves can be slippery. Also, there’s no telling how deep puddles are. A friend of mine shared the amusing story of biking under a walkway during a period of heavy rain and ending up in chest-deep water. No harm done, but certainly a situation worth avoiding.

13. When bicycling over slippery surfaces, keep your wheels perpendicular to the ground and balance your weight evenly. Avoid sharp turns or leaning in the direction of your turn.

14. As usual, cross railroad tracks at an angle, preferably a perpendicular angle. Never attempt to cross railroad tracks with your wheels parallel to the tracks.

15. When locking your bike, turn your lock so that water doesn’t run into the keyhole.

16. Save your morning shower for after your ride. If your office does not offer showers, find a gym neaby your workplace so that you can rinse and towel off when you get near work. This rearrangement of your schedule will allow you to arrive refreshed and dry to work.

17. Bring a change of clothes. Either keep dry clothes in a plastic covering that you take with you to work, or leave a change of clothes in your desk.

18. Bring a plastic bag or shower cap to put over our bike seat if you park your bike outside. This will keep your seat dry until you’re ready to bike home.

19. Dress for the drizzle. If there’s one place that knows about biking in the rain, it’s the University of Washington in Seattle. The weather-savvy folks at this university have compiled their own list of wet weather clothing for cyclists:

• A cycling rain shell. This is different from a rain "jacket" or a rain "coat." Generally it will not have a hood, and it will have underarm and side ventilation (zipper or mesh). The advantage is that you can put what ever cold weather insulation you need on underneath of it, using your hoodie or favorite sweater for warmth. Beware of cheap imitations! You want something made out of plastic, or heavily coated nylon. Get it a little big, so that you can wear layers underneath. The underarm ventilation works to keep it from turning into a little greenhouse as you ride.

• Foot covers and wool socks. Nothing is quite as annoying as spending the rest of the day with wet feet. Not all of us have a locker or an office to keep a change in, so spend the extra few dollars on some Merino wool socks by SmartWool or Sock Guy. Wool will stay warm, even if wet. Combine wool socks with some kind of neoprene or other water resistant booties that go over your shoes, and you could have toasty warm toes all day! Booties also extend the life of your expensive bike shoes.

• Legs. Rain pants are a great option, but expensive and should be tried on before buying. Second Ascent (used!) in Ballard and REI are good places to go. Some folks swear by using mountaineering gators just on their calves, others prefer full leg rain pants and others think that having wool or polyester pants over Patagonia long underwear or cycling tights is the way to go. It kind of depends on your own sense of style.

• Visor and helmet cover or a cycling cap. It is important to keep something under/over your helmet to keep your head warm, and equally important to have a visor (especially if you wear glasses). Cycling caps are a cheap way to take care of that, but they are cotton and don’t dry well. Helmet covers are a good option, but tend to wear around where your helmet sticks out. It’s a personal decision, but it’s important to have something keeping your body heat in and the rain out.

• Gloves! Preferrably padded, and full finger or half finger with regular knit gloves underneath. They are very important to help keep your grip when it’s slippery.

20. Most winters only have a small number of truly pouring wet days. On these days, you can follow these tips to stay as dry as possible, but there’s no harm in jumping on the bus or the subway either.

Additional references and resources:

Riders on the Storm (bicycling video) | San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Biking in the Rain Tips | The University of Washington

Cycling in the Rain | Suite 101

The Ultimate Resource Guide for Commuting by Bicycle | 21st Century Citizen

Better Living Through Biking | GO

How to Ride Your Bike to Work | GO 

Lighter Footstep: How to Buy a Great Used Bicycle | GO

Environmental Defense: Bicycling to Work Pays Off | GO

Photo Source:

A Bicycle in the Rain | Flickr

Dave and Lillian Brummet’s Trash Talk is a book that aims to get back to minimizing waste and finding everyday uses for trash. Think of it as "Hints From Heloise" meets Mother Earth News. The introduction reminds readers that reduce, reuse, and recycle should be precluded by refuse — as in, refusing to buy items that generate a lot of waste. The book is divided into four sections: the first has ideas for reusing common household items (some not-so-common — who has a plethora of old oven racks hanging around?), and the second has plans for habits you can implement that follow the four Rs, like composting, or cutting open toiletries bottles to get all the product out. The third section focuses on tips and habits related to paper, and the brief fourth section gives statistics that remind the reader that the little things do add up.

It’s clear that the authors walk the walk: many of the tips are reuse ideas that I hadn’t heard of, and their extensive gardening background was surprisingly helpful. The home garden seemed to be a playground for reuse. And, again, this seems to be more for the crunchier crowd — it definitely had the vibe of Mother Earth News as opposed to Real Simple. That doesn’t mean that it was packed full of radical ideas; most of the tips and habits are pretty practical for those who are in the process of going green. But there were a few that I know would cause the light-greenest of readers to drop the book and never look back.

There are issues with the text. The editing leaves something to be desired; I don’t know if the format of the book was the best way to present the information. The second section just seemed a catchall for random green-living ideas. Why is there a whole chapter about picking up trash while going on walks in a book marketed as "an inspirational guide to saving time and money through better waste an resource management?" I don’t think there’s really enough material here for a book like this: there’s a lot of unfocused information that, while interesting, didn’t really have a lot to do with solid waste reduction. And for $19.99, you’d think you get a lot more out of a paperback than 190 pages with a lot of white space.

All in all, the book is worth a read, but not a purchase. You’d be better off checking it out from your library, if you can find it.

Recently, I discovered a tool for calculating a school’s carbon footprint that was developed by students at Irvington High School with the help of DriveNeutral. This tool is an Excel worksheet that takes into account many factors, such as the student population and the number of days school is in session. It asks what percentage of the student ride in a car to school, the school’s electricity usage, methane from waste disposal, etc.. The table ends with questions regarding solutions, such as offsetting and recycling.

The questions asked by the SchoolNeutral tool are not easily answered by a parent, child or teacher, but research is required and a manual is available to download. This tool was designed by high schools students for high school students, but it could be modified for usage in earlier grade levels. In addition, it would make a great senior project for a high school student to help an elementary school class figure out their school’s carbon footprint. As World Changing notes, "What makes the SchoolNeutral calculator stand out is that it has been designed to help high school students calculate emissions generated by a large group of people (the first version focuses just on student population) who work together at a large complex (the high school). Most carbon calculators focus on the individual or household carbon footprint, but SchoolNeutral shows how to calculate much larger, collective footprints."

Knowing a school’s carbon footprint may be the first step in promoting change. Faced with such staggering statistics, school boards are more likely to make decisions that will reduce carbon emissions, and children will be motivated to do what they can in their own classrooms. Parents can easily be involved in the process, and fundraisers could be held to purchase offsets. Furthermore, schools can make the necessary changes to lower their own carbon emissions and students can be involved in offsetting carbon emissions on the school campus by planting trees and switching light bulbs, for example. In fact, you may even be able to get a carbon credit company to take on your child’s school on as a project.

What is true cost? It’s most commonly defined as an economic model that involves including externalities into the pricing of goods and services. These externalities are most apparent in harm caused to living beings, including the environment as a whole. True cost includes everything from the depletion of non-renewable resources to pollution from shipping the product to you. Toothpaste from China may be cheap in price, but if it has anti-freeze in it, your true cost just went way up.

I love the concept - it applies the old adage of "you get what you pay for" in a new way. More importantly, it also allows us to calculate the real impact of our choices. For an everyday, real-world example, if I need to run an errand and decide to drive, at a minimum it will cost money for gas, add mileage to the car, and emit CO2. Even though I can’t really put a specific dollar cost on the CO2, at least I can recognize that there is a clear cost to the environment. If I walk, it only costs a little extra time, which I usually have. The better choice becomes clear.

The Reduce-Reuse-Recycle hierarchy comes in to play most often when considering purchases. I say "hierarchy," because this really is how it should be used: the best choice is reducing consumption. So, although I’ve been feeling pressure to have the coolest green products, it’s actually better not to buy anything new. At all.

To see how this felt, a week ago I decided not to buy anything new products (not including food, of course). This eliminates the use of resources in every stage of a product’s life cycle, from raw materials to disposal. It actually wasn’t too hard where I was concerned, but a baby shower broke my resolve – surely, it’s tacky to take used merchandise to a baby shower!?! I suppose I could have made something, but Martha Stewart I ain’t!

Gifts aside, this experiment felt really good, and not just for the sense of reducing consumption and saving money. More than that, it has taken the pressure off - I don’t have to have a new organic cotton shirt, because I don’t need another shirt, much less a new one. Whew! And I’m actually greener for it!

Of course, a complete ban on stuff can’t go on forever. But there are plenty of great options for reusing merchandise – the second level of the hierarchy – including thrift stores and garage sales. Check out Google’s new maps tool, which allows you to find all garage sales listed on craigslist near you. Cool events like swap-o-ramas are also popping up all over. Who needs bamboo underwear? OK, bad example.

Image credit: www.swaporamarama.org

The Thrills

• It’s refreshing. Think that iced lemonade is the last word in refreshment? Not even close. Cold showers arouse your senses like only a blast of icy, fresh water can.
• You’ll be saving energy. You may not know it, but your home water heater soaks up 14-25% of the money you spend on your energy bill. If you’re not ready to take the plunge into colder waters, you can still "flex your power" with gentler methods, like lowering the thermostat on your water heater to 48 C (120 F). Sip up more tips on the U.S. Dept. of Energy website.
• Chances are that if the water’s cold, your showers will be shorter. This will help you save water as well as energy. It can be hard to part with the steamy suds of a hot shower. Cold water = problem solved: you’re out in a flash and on your way to face and embrace the day.
• It will cool you down on a hot day or after some exercise. A cool, quick rinse-off feels great after a workout, or on a hot September day.
• It will cool you down after a hot date. Need we say more?
• It will prepare you for travel to places where hot water is simply not an option. If you’re not much of a traveler, then you can at least gain an appreciation for the daily feel of life in many places.
• It’s as close as you can get to the feeling of standing under a high mountain waterfall: wild and fresh (trust me). Call me crazy, but it just feels good.

The Chills

• It’s not for the faint of heart. Just like jumping into a cold lake or creek, for the first few seconds, cold showers can be much less than comfortable. I suggest using your preferred "Band-Aid method" to begin each shower: either start by slowly introducing your feet and legs to the water and move the showerhead gradually up, or take a breath and make a splash, wetting the back of your neck and your hair first and letting the water run down the rest of you from there. Once you adjust to the water, you can start enjoying the feeling of showering cold.
• Lowering the water intensity is one way to make the cold water more comfortable, since this lets the water warm slightly as it runs down your body.
• If you live in a cold climate, please consider the sanity of taking cold showers. I’d hate for you to catch a chill on account of saving energy and water.
• Even with a background in early morning swimming, nothing sounds more miserable than a cold shower when I first wake up. But that’s just me. Take your cold showers when you’re ready for a fresh blast of cool water.
• There are times when, no matter how sweet a cold shower might feel, I can’t help but to crank up the hot water. All good things in moderation, I say.
• You know that cold showers might not be for you if afterwards you look (or feel) like this:

References and Resources:

U.S. Dept. of Energy, Water Heating: http://www.energy.gov/waterheating.htm
Calculate how much water you use when you shower and what that costs in USD amounts: http://www.showersmartfaucet.com/imperial.html

Photo Sources:

‘Taking a Cold Shower’: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eenfotograaf/414085906/
‘Our Sammy. 2002-2004′: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_d_himes/248864279/

Some of you in urban areas might be thinking, "Well, so what?" I can assure you that this is a radical act where I am from. I grew up in suburban Des Moines, where driving around in cars is what we did for fun on weekends in high school. Even though I live in the city of St Louis proper, it’s still pretty unheard of for middle-class folks to be voluntarily car-free.

(Disclaimer: I am car-free, my husband is not — well, at least, not on purpose). So we do have a car, I just won’t be driving it to work or anywhere else I can walk or take public transportation.)

Why would I do this? Aside from the environmental piece, which is what put the idea in my head in the first place, the easiest answer is because I can. The bus comes right to my corner and goes right to the school where I teach in about ten minutes time. When the heat subsides, I can walk the work. That same bus will also take me to our local market, three farmers markets, a slew of bars and restaurants, a light-rail station (which will take me a plethora of places in and around the city, including the airport), downtown, Busch Stadium, my hairdresser, and several walkable neighborhoods with other businesses I patronize. Within a mile of my house, I can get books from the library, eat Mexican food or organic pasta, get a latte, buy yarn for my latest knitting project, pick up a pizza, drink beer, take my dog to the park, or pick up dry cleaning, and there’s always my bike for a longer jaunt.

In fact, anyone can easily see what goods and services are walkable from their home. Just go to GoogleMaps or Yahoo!Maps, and search for businesses, using your address as the "where" and "all" as the what. You can sort results by distance, and you might find some things you didn’t know were close to your home.

The other big (okay, HUGE) reason I sold my car is finances. I’m tired of a car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, vehicle testing, personal property taxes, and the like. If I don’t need a car, why pay so much for one? A monthly bus pas costs $60, a fraction of my transportation costs with a car, and I can stow the extra money away for tuition, savings, or vacation (or maybe a sporty little scooter…) My mom would be proud of my financial foresight, and I’m not giving money away to the insurance company, the oil companies, and the State of Missouri.

I know it’s not going to be sunshine and rainbows. I’m used to picking up groceries right after school and being able to run errands on a whim. Now, those errands are going to take a little more planning. I’m sure my friends are thrilled that it’s now never my turn to drive anywhere, but they never liked being covered in dog hair from the backseat anyway.

Of course, I’m well aware that this plan isn’t for everyone: not everyone has access to public transportation, or lives in a pedestrian-friendly area. Heck, it might not be the plan for me in a year from now. But for right now, it was the right choice. If you think about it, it’s a little strange that, in order to get anywhere, many of us think we need a two-thousand pound hunk of metal surrounding us. Even so, it was hard to gather my courage and get rid of my trusty Focus and the convenience that comes with it. But I’m glad I did, and it’s been a strangely easy transition. Truth be told, I can’t believe I waited so long.

A few weeks ago, when I knew I was going to try to sell my car, I walked to school one morning to see how long it would take. I put a little Sleater-Kinney on my iPod, and set off. As I was walking across a bridge in my neighborhood, I looked down and saw this incredibly expansive, colorful graffiti lining the culvert below. The only way anyone could see this urban artwork would be by climbing down into the culvert or by walking over the bridge. I smiled to myself, knowing I would have never seen this in my car. I can only hope that I have more moments like this in my new car-free life.

If this scenario seems like a dream come true, then you might want to consider World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). You can participate around the globe, even in your local area.

As well as being a chance to enjoy eating organic foods and traveling in style, learning organic farming from the farmers themselves is also a valuable educational opportunity. Understanding where your meals come from will change the way you think about food. Acquiring the skills of an organic farmer will also enable you to improve your own home garden and. Diversifying your skill base also widens your career opportunities and makes you more attractive to potential employers.

If you are interested in trying your hand at organic farming, visit www.wwoof.org.

Wild Vegetarian Cookbook

Late summer brings many treats, but my favorite is ripe wild blackberries. Blackberries are an abundant and delicious “wild” food in many parts of the world. There are many varieties within this large family, from the Japanese wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) to the Arctic raspberry (Rubus arcticus). Take advantage of the season while you can and sample some of nature’s offerings by picking these tasty berries wherever you find them. The next time you walk through a woody area or park, take a look around and see if you can spot the woody, thorned vines and generally white, rose-like flowers characteristic of blackberry plants.

The recipe, which serves 6 to 8, calls for a number of other ingredients that you can find growing locally, either wild or cultivated: apples for apple juice, oranges for orange rind, salt from the sea, and berries from the common spicebush. Depending on how many ingredients you can find around you and where they come from, your blackberry cobbler can be both inexpensive and organic.

Before we start, rest easy knowing that for this recipe there is an excellent backup plan. If you’ve gathered a basketful of berries only to realize that baking is not really your forte, sit back, relax, and enjoy a bowl of fresh, raw, local blackberries!

Now, on with the show. You’ll want:

• 5 cups wild blackberries
• 2 tablespoons tapioca pearls, ground into powder
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon apple juice
• 1 teaspoon dried orange rind or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon dried mint, finely crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds
• 1 1/2 cups sweet brown rice flour or 7 ounces any whole grain flour
• 2 tablespoons apricot kernel oil, walnut oil, almond oil, or corn oil
• 1/4 cup corn oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 teaspoon common spicebush berries, finely chopped, or ground allspice [if available, freshly ground from berries]
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons soy milk, almond milk, or unsweetened fruit juice, or as needed.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix the blackberries, ground tapioca, 1/2 cup of the apple juice, the orange juice, the orange rind, mint, and cardamom together in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture to a 14 x 9 x 2-inch oiled baking dish.

3. Sprinkle the fruit mixture with 3 tablespoons of the flour and dot with the apricot kernel oil.

4. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the remaining flour, the cream of tartat, baking soda, cinnamon, spice-bush berries, nutmeg, and salt. Mix in the corn oil, and then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon apple juice and enough soy milk to make a dough that’s neither sticky nor crumbly.

5. Using a rolling pin [or, in a pinch, a wine bottle] covered with a floured sleeve and working on a floured pastry sheet, roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick in the shape of your baking dish. Transfer the rolled out pastry onto the berry layer, cut slits for steam to escape, and sprinkle on more cinnamon for color, if desired. Bake the cobbler until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

In all instances I know of, blackberries and raspberries are such hardy plants that you can eat your fill from a plant, and still there will be more to pick for tomorrow’s cobbler or pie. In North America, blackberries have done so well by cultivation and cross-pollination with non-native strains that in many places certain varieties are now considered a “weed” that out compete other, native plants. Preparing this scrumptious cobbler is therefore also a good way to make some a small but rewarding impact in protecting native plant populations.

For a wild vegan blackberry cobbler that also combats climate change, try cooking your cobbler during the day in a solar oven, then serving it in the evening for a truly green gourmet treat! This may require a longer cook time, but it turns your cooking into a fun, green adventure.

Bon apétit!

References and Resources:

Learn more about wild foods with “Wildman” Steve Brill.

Buy Wild Vegetarian Cookbook.

This recipe was reproduced with permission from The Harvard Common Press.

Identifying blackberry bushes:

Photo Sources:

Wild Blackberry Cobbler: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38229873@N00/940551013/

Blackberries: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44987917@N00/1223686687/

Himilayan Blackberries: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maximillian_millipede/370352385/

Blossoming Blackberry Bushes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035720546@N01/743028652/

Back to school time is rapidly approaching, and it is a good time for parents and teachers to make plans for environmental education (EE). EE involves teaching children about the natural world and the way ecosystems work. According to the US EPA,

Through EE, people gain an understanding of how their individual actions affect the environment, acquire skills that they can use to weigh various sides of issues, and become better equipped to make informed decisions. EE also gives people a deeper understanding of the environment, inspiring them to take personal responsibility for its preservation and restoration.

Whether your child is homeschooled or attends public/private school, EE is an important part of education. Many school districts feel that they fulfill their EE requirements by sending sixth graders to outdoor camp, but EE should occur throughout the year. Concerned parents should ask their children’s teachers what their plans for EE are for the year.

The following EE curricula are ones I have particular experience with in K-8 education. Many curricula exist, and my approach has always been to pick and choose the best units from assorted curricula to provide EE in my classroom. Project Wild, Project Learning Tree, Keepers of the Earth, and Adopt-a-Watershed are my favorite EE curricula.

Project Wild is the most widely-used EE and conservation curriculum used in K-12 education, and most sixth grade outdoor camps use this curriculum as a basis for their programs. Project Wild emphasizes that wildlife has intrinsic value, and humans need to develop into responsible citizens of the planet. "Project WILD’s mission is to help students learn how to think, not what to think about wildlife and the environment." Project Wild also includes an aquatic curriculum and Spanish translation. One activity I remember from Project Wild involved creating a food web. Children represented different animals, plants, insects, etc. A ball of string was used to connect the children, as they made choices as to where the string should be connected. In my classroom, we extended this activity by creating a collage of an ecosystem on cardboard, then taking string and thumbtacks to make a visual representation of a food web. The only way to obtain Project Wild materials is by attending a workshop.

Project Learning Tree is a 30-year-old curriculum of the American Forest Foundation. Just like Project Wild, Project Learning Tree "helps students learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think, about the environment." Project Learning Tree is divided into eight modules: energy and society, forest ecology, forest issues, municipal solid waste, risk, places we live, biodiversity, and forests of the world. A children’s literature list is included to accompany each activity. One Project Learning Tree activity is the Environmental Exchange Box, in which children collect photographs, stories, samples of local food, natural objects, etc. representative of their local environment. This box is then exchanged with another box from a different school in a different locality. Children can use this box to compare and contrast the contents to their own environment. Just like Project Wild, you must attend a Project Learning Tree training to receive materials.

Keepers of the Earth is an EE curriculum based on Native American stories. "A collection is presented of carefully chosen North American Indian stories and hands-on activities that promote understanding and appreciation of, empathy for, and responsible action toward the Earth and its people." This curriculum is divided into ten topics: creation, fire, Earth, wind and weather, water, sky, seasons, plants and animals, life, death, spirit, and unity of Earth. A common theme throughout the stories is that the world is a family: "earth as our mother, sun as our father and the animals as our brothers and sisters. The stories foster an ethic of stewardship by clearly showing that we are entrusted with the responsibility to maintain the natural balance, to take care of our mother, to be keepers of the earth." There are several other books that have been written in the series, such as Keepers of Life and Keepers of the Animals. Keepers of the Earth is readily available through bookstores and online merchants.

Adopt-a-Watershed is a lesser know curriculum, which enables students to adopt a local watershed, study it, conserve it, etc.

OUR VISION is for education to serve as the
cornerstone of a sustainable community, in which all citizens live their lives consciously choosing actions that ensure a healthy quality of life for current and future generations.

Adopt-A-Watershed’s place-based learning programs promote this vision by engaging students in meaningful activities that lead to an understanding of sustainability and how their choices and actions impact the community and the overall environment.

OUR MISSION is to empower communities to care for their watersheds and enhance student learning by providing leadership development, educational tools, and access to a national network of resources.

As an Adopt-a-Watershed school, my classroom conducted bird surveys, planted trees, and raised steelhead from roe to fry in our classroom. The steelhead were then released in our adopted watershed. There are 18 units in the curriculum, and it is used throughout the world.

Environmental education is an important part of any child’s education. Parents and teachers can facilitate this learning through the many curriculums that exist. EE is one aspect of education that may not appear on a standardized test, but it is very important for our children and planet.

My first thought was, "Why is this such a big deal in the first place?" It wasn’t long ago that most people scoffed at paying a premium for what they can get for pennies at home. Remember that old joke that "Evian" was just "naive" spelled backwards? It’s been less than ten years since bottled water rose from a luxury product to a ubiquitous beverage of choice, yet mention banning bottled water, and "from my cold dead hands" cries ring out everywhere. When did we grow so attached to bottled water?

First off: provide an alternative. Nerinx Hall provided water bottles to its students, but it’s a private school, and I’m sure tuition could be adjusted to allow for Nalgene for every students. Public schools may have that option. See if your school store will sell reusable bottles with your school logo printed on it. If you don’t have a school store, maybe a student group could sell them for a fundraiser. I found them for just a few bucks here. Still better might be a school-wide incentive program for those willing to pledge to curb the bottled water habit–with the reusable bottles as the incentive.

Second: educate. Many people don’t realize that there’s a price to pay for that convenience: plastic bottles are made with petroleum. The light bulb goes off once people realize that the same stuff that causes climate change produces the bottles they throw away with little thought. Here’s a few articles that highlight just how harmful that seemingly-innocent bottle can be.

Third: check out the contracts you school has with vending machines. Do you have to have water in them? If not, get rid of it.

Four: point out the price factor. Most schools are pinching pennies. So why, at almost every meeting or professional development session, are we offered cold bottles of water (and, even worse, the tiny 8 oz, encouraging people to take more than one!). Why are we paying for this? We’ve got gorgeous refrigerated drinking fountains–get your school administration to purchase a few filtered-water pitchers for the teachers’ lounge instead.

Five: get students involved. I’ve blogged before about the impact of visiting a landfill or doing a waste audit of your school. Once they see the magnitude of the problem, they’ll be motivated to act. Who better than other kids to get students to say no to bottled water? Can your student council do an awareness campaign? Students and staff alike are more easily persuaded by student activism than teachers getting preachy.

I start school again tomorrow, and the kids don’t come back for another week, but I’ve already met with my Student Council: they want to continue to lead the way in creating a more environmentally sustainable learning environment. I can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with to tackle this problem!

Interested? Great, let’s get cooking! First, choose your menu options: something delicious that’s easy to make, like spaghetti and (vegan?) meatballs, fajitas and tacos, a salad, or even some simple sushi rolls. Call a couple of friends, preferably ones who can walk, bike, bus, or carpool to your house easily. The fewer fossil fuels they use to get to your house, the greener your party will be.

If you’ve also been looking for a chance to get to know your neighbors better, or maybe you’re searching for the right occasion to talk to that cutie down the street, don’t be shy; invite them over. Ask each guest to bring one or two of the ingredients you’ll need for the meal and give brownie points for any locally grown, organic, or fair-trade ingredients. When you’re shopping for ingredients, consider organic wine, locally grown fruit, or fair trade chocolate. Don’t forget to use non-disposable dishware.

Now enjoy the company of friends over a delicious, home-cooked meal. If everyone has a good time, why not take turns hosting weekly dinner parties and inviting new friends? You’ll build community, save money on groceries, and enjoy tasty leftovers. And, whether it’s your culinary prowess or the way you suavely compost the kitchen scraps, you might just make a splash with your neighbors as well.

So, if you love the good life, consider throwing dinner parties as a way to build community, reduce waste, supporting organic foods, and even fight Global Warming.

Bon appétit!

Want More? Try Workplace Activism: Bringing Slow Foods to a Fast Paced World

You can bring green dining to the workplace. Choose one day a week when two or three coworkers can team up from home to bring in a homemade lunch for the rest of the office. Ask them to keep track of what they spend on ingredients and have everybody who would like to join in the lunch contribute several dollars to cover the cost. Then rotate through the office to give others a chance to be designated as chef for a day. You can suggest that everyone use organic, locally grown, fair trade ingredients, or you can showcase these ingredients when it is your day to bring lunch.

What’s the payoff? When choosing where to eat lunch during the workweek, we run the risk of eating unhealthy fast foods and using wasteful to-go packaging and we often end up paying more than we would for food cooked at home. Shared lunches are healthier, use less packaging, and they add an important touch of fun and common ground to the workplace while saving you and your coworkers money.

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkonig/114636130/

When was the last time we saw so many major companies make a mad dash to become more "eco-friendly"? From oil companies to banks, "green" is becoming pretty hot these days. And it's not just another "consumer trend" either…the financial sector is paying close attention too. "Going Green" is not just about changing your lightbulbs anymore; it's something that has managed to trickle over to the financial market, attracting major investment dollars as well some of the world's most sophisticated investors.

It seems that energy saving alternatives for just about everything are springing up these days. There's always a more 'eco-friendly' version of this, an organic version of that, for nearly every consumer product known to man. So, what about investing? Is there a way to make your investment dollars….greener?

There are plenty of ways for the average investor to start greening their nest-egg now, in a rather more profitable & secure way you might think.

So, where to start? Depending on your investment objectives, you'll probably want to have a little chat with your financial advisor first. If you don't have one already, and investment bankers creep you out, you can find someone that suits your style at SocialFunds.com.

Green Banking

When it comes to choosing the right bank, there are tons of options. All of them are scrambling to offset their emissions and throwing money at climate change, so which are bluffing? Which ones have a widest range of investment tools and financial products? If you're looking for an eco-friendly 'one stop shop' (banking, advising, investing, etc.) you might want to look into the following:

• HSBC - Committed $90 billion to environmental initiatives. HSBC will also help you green your accounts, go paperless for everything, give discounts on eco-friendly products. Bonus: If you pay 3 bills online, they'll even give you a free "Green Kit"!
• Citibank - Just committed $50 billion to fight climate change; $30 billion of that is specifically for financing investments in geothermal, solar, wind and other renewable energy projects and technologies (guess they had to try and top Bank of America)
• Bank of America - Committed $20 Billion to make green loans to "eco-preneurs" with environmentally friendly/sustainable businesses and finance environmental projects around the world. They also recently unveiled plans for a new online carbon trading program. Bonus: Employees get a $3,000 incentive towards the purchase of a new hybrid

I'll give Wells Fargo an honorable mention. This bank has topped it's fair share of 'Eco-Friendly Lists' lately, seeing as 40% of the company runs on renewable energy. As far as services & products for consumers, there is no doubt that Wells Fargo is competitive, however, they like to play hard-ball with fees.

Need Solar Financing?

Besides Bank of America and Citibank briefly touching on this topic, here a few other smaller green lenders that will help you go solar:

• Wainwright Bank -Some green banks will give you loans to slap solar panels on your house at low rates (which helps you save some green for the future)

• New Resource Bank - Get solar just by paying your monthly utility bill

Greener Returns

If you're not skilled trader, odds are you're probably leaning towards a broader, more diversified group of investments. For many American's, this means stocks. Yet again, prepare to be overwhelmed with choices. The most typical, and easiest way to get started, are usually index funds, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds (EFTs). Before you dive in head first and throw money into an investment vehicle, make sure you have a nice, long chat with your financial advisor first. If you don't already have one, you can find one at SocialFunds.com

Just how profitable is this new wave of socially conscious investing? Well, according to an article found in Newsweek, the returns have proved to be rather hefty:

"Wall Street's own change in climate is nothing less than astonishing. "Save-the-planet" investing has suddenly, well, heated up. Four major investment banks - Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and UBS - have recently issued fat global-warming reports looking at stocks and industries likely to gain or lose. Investments in clean energy have more than doubled, to $70.9 billion worldwide, in just three years. In just six years, assets in U.S. "green" mutual funds have soared by 695 percent."
Read more: Newsweek

Determining Investment Objectives

Are you looking for something high growth? Or do you prefer security & risk management with a smaller, more conservative return? Small-cap or large-cap? Do you want fund that is entirely "green" or one that just focuses on alternative energy? Do you just want to avoid investing in cigarettes and alcohol, or do you want stocks that are environmentally sustainable and produce 'fair trade' products? The list of criteria you can apply are endless…Need something to narrow your search? Try the Social Investment Forum.

There's a great research firm called Innovest Strategic Value Advisors. They're an independent third party that just objectively analyzes and ranks companies according to various eco-friendly, social criteria. They've even made a list of the top 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the World.

Environmentally Sustainable Indexes:

• Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes - Includes 300-400 companies said to represent the top 10% of leading companies committed to sustainable practices worldwide.
• ABN AMRO Climate & Environment Total Return Index
• Claymore/LGA Green (GRN) - Claymore tracks an index of 225 large stocks in all the major industries…yes, even mining and oil, but they choose only the "greenest" companies.
• KLD Indexes - Constructs indexes for investors who integrate environmental, social and governance factors into their investment decisions. KLD's indexes are designed to be transparent, representative and investable
• Next-Generation Energy (NGE) Index - Fuel cells, solar power, alternative fuels, energy storage and other supporting technologies

Social Investment Funds

• Winslow Green Investment Funds - Out-performed the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 for 5 years in a row
• Calvert Social Investment Equity - has outperformed both the typical large-cap blend and the S&P 500)
• Vanguard Calvert Social Index - growth-orientated fund
• TIAA-CREF's Social Choice Equity - mid to large cap fund
• Domini Social Index Portfolio - oldest and largest
• Green Century Funds
• The Spectra Green Fund

To get all of these benefits, you don’t really have to wiggle your nose. In fact, if you can wiggle your nose, then please teach me how. All you have to do is to use a bicycle to get around.

From Paris to Portland, bicycling is catching on as one of the best methods of transportation for commuting, running errands, and just plain getting around town. Some bicyclists have even installed batteries on their vehicle, making it an electric "hybrid bicycle." Bicycling is ideal for trips of about 5-20 roundtrip miles; and for experienced bicyclists, even a trip of 50-miles or more is an enjoyable way to spend several hours getting from point A to point B.

Some companies, like Starbucks, are also recognizing the trend and are starting to offer their employees benefits for bicycling or taking public transit instead of driving.

Here is more information about some of the many personal, environmental, and social benefits that can be harnessed from your two-wheel wonder.

Personal Benefits

Your Wealth

According to Motor Trend and the American Institute for Economic Research, the average American car-owner can expect to pay between $240,704 and $349,968 during his driving lifetime. These figures will increase with the price of fuel and the rising cost of the vehicles themselves.

A bicycle can serve your transportation needs for commuting, shopping, and getting around town. Urbanites who are well acquainted with the frustration of paying parking tickets and towing fines will also find that bicycles are an excellent solution. Of course, you’ll still need that fuel: the occasional sandwich or cup of coffee will do nicely.

Your Health

Using a bicycle as your primary or secondary form of transportation is an excellent way to stay active. Cycling provides aerobic exercise, which burns calories, shapes leg and gluteal muscles and improves cardiovascular health. Health experts attribute current soaring rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity largely to a sedentary lifestyle. Bicycling is an excellent and often needed solution to these and other health issues.

In addition to the exercise that bicycling provides, bicycle commuters find that they are exposed to much less stress traveling by bicycle than by car. Bicycle commuters also report arriving awake and refreshed to work. And, as the Department of Health and Human Services reminds us, “exercise is related to positive mental health as indicated by relief in symptoms of depression and anxiety.”

Cycling is also a favorite way to enjoy the outdoors and gain an appreciation of nature. Benefits of bicycling in the outdoors include immersion of the traveler in his/her surroundings, the ability to appreciate the scenery and the ability to pull over at any time to for a closer look or a romantic moment when bicycling with a sweetheart.

In a sobering perspective on health, over 42,000 people die each year (1 million, worldwide) in the United States and some 2.8 million are injured as a result of automotive accidents. Another 70,000 lives are claimed each year in this country from medical conditions associated with air pollution (3 million, worldwide). Therefore, for personal safety and the health and safety of others, giving up the car keys is extremely important. As anyone who has experienced a car accident will tell you, car crashes can happen to anyone, not just bad or drunk drivers.

The good news is that studies indicate that bicyclists breathe in less air pollution, making cycling an even more healthy activity. Of course, bicycles emit no air pollution themselves, which ensures cleaner air and better lung health for everybody.

For traffic safety, it is also important that bicyclists following the rules of the road and cycling defensively and politely are important ways to avoid collisions, the most dangerous of which can occur with automobiles.

Environmental Benefits

Bikes get an infinite number of miles to the gallon of gas. Now that’s hard to beat! Bicycling emits no greenhouse, ozone, or any gasses of any sort. Cycling, therefore, is an excellent way for all of us to stand up to Global Warming, ozone thinning, acid rain, and other negative effects of air pollution that come in part from automobiles. If everyone biked or rode on public transit instead of driving, we could instantly cut 30% of the nation’s air pollution in a single stroke.

Bicycles also require smaller streets. By improving city planning to include more bike paths and fewer streets, more room is left as open space to beautify the city and protect the environment.

Social Benefits

One cannot overlook the social benefits of bicycling, both locally and around the world.

Locally

Healthy individuals are more apt to lead healthy social lives. Parents can help their children to stay healthy by teaching them to bicycle and thereby exposing them to outdoor exercise. Also, there are few more memorable a moment for children and parents alike than when a parent teaches his or her child how to ride a bicycle.

In communities, bicycles help to calm traffic by reducing the number of cars on the road. If you’re ever experienced road rage when driving behind a group of bicycles or a transit bus, just imagine how much more traffic it would create to place each cyclist or bus passenger in a car and place them on the road. Bicycling saves space and helps to reduce traffic.

Bicycling also encourages closer communities. Urban sprawl, which decreases property values, harms the natural environment and forces people to commute increasingly far distances for work, is a result of our dependence on cars. By contrast to North America, most European cities are built so that citizens can easily walk or bicycle from home to work or the grocery store. Bicycling discourages sprawl and encourages close-knit communities and better city planning as well as neighborhood stores and community centers.

Bicycling allows people in the community to easily stop, wave and greet one another as well as other passersby. This creates healthier, friendlier, happier neighborhoods.

Most cities and some states are also home to bicycle advocacy groups, which lobby to add bicycle lanes, improve roads, promote education about bicycling, and support clean air initiatives. These groups generally also offer a wonderful and vibrant sense community for bikers with regular social events and advocacy opportunities. Some examples of bicycle groups such as these are the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, MassBike (Massachusetts), the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and Bike New York.

Internationally

In countries like the United States, fossil fuels maintain a strong grip on the national economy and psyche. Access to oil is a strong incentive for territorial conflicts and even large international wars. It has been widely suggested, for example, that access to oil was one of the key motivators behind the U.S. invasion of the country of Iraq. Bicycling removes the incentive for these violent conflicts, thus helping to cure what has become known in the United States as an "addiction to oil."

References and Resources:

The League Of American Bicyclists

Bikes Belong Coalition

Safe Routes to School

Photos:

Woman on a Bicycle, http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/779714786/

Newcomers on the Green River Trail, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcalnan/214979024/

Bicycling in San Francisco, http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropol2/141404651/

Morning Cycling, http://www.flickr.com/photos/saikat/726582796/