31 March 2008

earth hour 2008.

my lights were out. were yours?

earth hour 2008 san francisco.

i love living in a u.s.a. city leading the way when it comes to environmental activism like this.

earth hour 2008 sydney, australia.

earth hour. cnn.com

earth hour 2008: did it matter? time.com in partnership with cnn.

what do you think? did earth hour make a difference?

28 March 2008

true as true can be.

bumper sticker i spotted last night:














how very true!

06 March 2008

going green? or going snob?

like nigel farndale, the author of the article, turn your nose up at eco-snobs, someone slap my wrist for my attitude toward those that aren't as or even striving to be as eco-friendly as me. i'm guilty of my ears perking up to someone in the market line refusing a paper bag while the woman in front of me gladly takes the offered bag. (at my local safeway here in san francisco plastic bags are no longer offered as a means to transport your groceries. it's paper or your own bag.) it's happened so many times. and what about those that walk by the recycling bin in the office and dump their empty water bottles in the trash can? shame on them? or shame on me?

farndale's article hit home with me and now i feel bad. take a read yourself. if you're going green, good for you, but be careful to avoid rubbing it in the face of those surrounding you. like some folks said in the comments of a treehugger.com article, going green should be treated like a religion. if you try to convert someone into changing their ways and thinking differently about the environment, you won't be successful by shoving it down their throat. my mother always taught me to lead by example and actions speak louder than words. in this day and age, those words of wisdom still ring true.

emily bazalon, a writer for slate.com, wrote another view of appearing or teaching a version of eco-snobbery: she fears what her family's purchase of their prius might mean to her children. her article is both witty and realistic.

don't puff yourself up thinking you're all that just because you reuse and recycle or drive a prius. join me in relieving the world of a few eco-snobs, myself included.

04 March 2008

greening your rented living space.

don't think that because you don't own your dwelling you can't green it up. sure, much sustainable talk is geared toward the general owner but there are lots of things you can do to make it a more efficient space:

1. apply weather-stripping. feel a draft? don't lose that hot air. this will also lower your utility bills.

2. change out your lightbulbs. we all know the importance of this seemingly-tiny task is.

3. sprout an herbal garden on your windowsill. my sister, an author to this blog also, is all about bringing the outside in. she's obsessed with her lemon tree. she's doing her part. plus, all the green inside her house creates more oxygen and a better place for her, her husband, and their cat to live and enjoy their time.

no step is too small and each counts toward doing your part so get going!

to read more, check out treehugger's article on the same topic.