But the world has changed dramatically and more people than ever are not just facing up to fears of climate change but are looking to do something practical about it. In early 2006, More Than insurance conducted a survey that revealed that up to one in six people would consider switching to a hybrid car. Since then, sales of hybrid cars have doubled in the UK. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMM) show that 6,538 hybrid vehicles were purchased in 2006 to 2007 – while in 2005 to 2006, just 3,117 cars with auxiliary batteries as power sources were sold. Meanwhile, the SMM figures also reveal that sales of sports utility vehicles dropped by a not insignificant 12%.

Car insurance companies have wisely responded to the switch in consumer behaviour by offering ‘eco-friendly’ policies. CIS was one of the first companies to offer ‘ecoinsurance’. The policy offsets 20% of your car’s CO2 emissions by investing in projects like reforestation, renewable energy sources and third-world education schemes. It also offers a 10% discount for cars in tax band A – those that emit less than 100g of CO2 per kilometre. It also appoints repairers that only use recycled materials – a package of incentives that should rightly please the more environmentally minded.

More recently, other car insurance companies have come out of the eco-friendly woodwork. More Than offers all new customers free carbon offsetting for the first 3,000 miles, if you buy your insurance online. Drivers with hybrid, electric and alternative fuel vehicles are also offered a discount of up to 15%. Newly launched Ibuyeco also enables drivers to offset 100% of their carbon emissions. It offers two quotes – one for your premium and another to offset your emissions.

Although you need to look at all premium payments carefully before making a decision on your insurance, it also seems that some of the eco-friendly policies are competitively priced. CIS, for example, offers a good premium on a quote for a 35-year-old teacher driving a 2004 1.5l Toyota Prius (£307.83 compared to £339.15 with Tesco or £347.55 with Direct Line).

Most of us have been moved to consider environmental issues in recent years and it is good to see that insurance companies are responding to consumer pressure by providing policies that encourage motorists to go green. “Drivers are becoming more and more concerned over the impact they are having on the environment. By providing eco-friendly insurance policies, companies are giving motorists a real incentive to become environmentally friendly without having to sacrifice their cars,” said Sophie Neary, product director at BeatThatQuote.com. Neary also added some words of warning, however: “Some drivers may be spending more than they need to on car insurance – for example, opting for third party, fire and theft cover when a fully comprehensive policy can be cheaper. It is great to look at insurance incentives that suit your way of life, but be sure to remember your premium costs and to continue to compare policies carefully for the best deal.” Quite simply, eco-friendly policies may be good for the heart and the head, but don’t let a passion for the environment stop you from seeing the bigger picture in getting the best deal you possibly can for whatever car you decide to drive.

By: Caroline Poynton

About the Author:

Set your thermostat lower in winter and higher in summer to save on heating and cooling costs.

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) once your incandescent bulbs burn out.

Wash clothes in cold water as much as possible. Up to 85% of the energy used to clean clothes goes into heating the water.

Use a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes to save the energy  used during machine drying.

Take shorter showers to reduce water use.

Install a low-flow showerhead. They’re inexpensive and the savings on your bill will pay for itself in a short time

Walk or ride a bike to school/work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work.

If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat is expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can.

Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.

Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.

Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.

Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.

Wear clothes that don’t need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.

Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.

Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.

Recycle your cell phone.

You can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap. ]]> http://go-green.idealmma.com/9-ways-to-go-green/feed/ 0 http://go-green.idealmma.com/is-your-home-office-eco-friendly/ http://go-green.idealmma.com/is-your-home-office-eco-friendly/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:30:18 +0000 Go Green http://cmszoom.com/green/2008/11/is-your-home-office-eco-friendly/ Most of us are pretty diligent about recycling every week. For some of us, the kitchen scraps go to the composter, and glass, plastic and cans are all separated. That’s great for the kitchen, but what about the rest of the house? What most don’t realize is the home office offers a huge opportunity for eco-friendly living, but largely goes ignored.

Many don’t think twice of using high quality non-recycled paper, or tossing ink cartridges and old electronics in the garbage. Leaving a computer on overnight seems innocent enough until you multiply that energy use by millions of households.

The three main home office offenders are energy waste, paper consumption and hazardous waste. Here are some tips to make your home office a little more eco-friendly.

Put your electronics to bed at night. Connect your computer, speakers, fax, printer, etc. to a power bar and turn them all off with the flick of a switch at the end of the day. It’s a common misconception that you should leave a computer on all night. There is a peak in the power when you turn it on, but nothing compared to what it uses over a 24 hour period.

Opt for a laptop. Not only do these have the benefit of being portable, laptops consume one-eighth the power of a desktop computer. Imagine if everyone in a household all had their own computers, they still wouldn’t use the energy of one bulky desktop.

Go for the flat screen. An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or flat screen monitor uses less than half the energy of the traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors. Not to mention that they are easier to read, lighter and cause less eye strain.

Reuse & recycle. I had a friend who used to save any of her junk mail that was still in good condition and when doing simple printing jobs, she would use the blank side of those pages. It was such a simple concept that made so much sense, and worked great for those quick map or recipe print outs.

Save and reuse paper clips, elastics and push pins, and use rechargeable batteries and refillable toner cartridges.

For your garbage paper, keep a recycling bin next to your desk for handy use. Keep another bin nearby for expired rechargeable batteries, old inkjet and toner cartridges, or electronics. Once you have a collection built up, take them back to any Staples Business Depot for recycling.

Dead batteries should be saved and dropped off at your local waste depot for safe disposal. That corrosive acid they contain will seep out into the environment if left in a landfill site.

When buying paper, read the labels. What most people don’t realize is that much of the paper we use every day comes from old-growth forests. When you read the labels on the packages, look for: 100% recycled ( your 1st choice); or minimum FFC certification, which means the paper was made from trees grown in a sustainably managed forest.

Switch to fluorescent bulbs. A fluorescent bulb uses 2/3 less energy than a common incandescent bulb. When you add up all the bulbs in the house, that energy savings translates into saved dollars!

By: Matt Barker

Here are some tips that will steer you in the right direction.

Plan and Prepare Well in Advance of Your Travel Dates

Forego paper tickets and book electronically via telephone or online. You will save paper (and time).

Discontinue the newspaper while you are gone or have it delivered to the local library or doctor’s office instead.

Before setting out on your trip, reduce the heat on the hot water tank, lower the thermostat, and unplug all electronics (like cable boxes, cordless telephones, and DVD players).

Vehicles Have a Huge Impact on the Environment

If possible, try to use public transportation or airport shuttles. Rent a vehicle only as a last resort.

If a rental is your only option, try to reserve a compact vehicle that will be easy on gas. Some rental agencies even provide electric cars or hybrids.

Before you head out, check tire pressures. Underinflated tires cause increased gas consumption.

Instead of using the air conditioner, open a car window when feasible.

Drive conservatively. Save fuel with a light foot on the accelerator while staying well within the speed limit.

Avoid idling your vehicle. If it will be sitting for more than 60 seconds while you load luggage or run an errand, switch off the ignition.

Participate in bus, train, or walking tours when available.

See if you can find a bike rental and get out in the fresh air.

Hotel or Bed and Breakfast Accommodations

Book lodging that is centrally located to your intended activities.

Make a point of reserving rooms in an establishment that promotes eco-friendly practices. Be sure to ask the innkeeper or booking clerk what they are doing to protect the environment.

Leave a note for the maid. Tell her that you want to use hotel towels for a couple of days before sending them to be laundered.

Don’t turn on the radio or TV unless you are really paying attention to it.

Leaving the room? Turn down the heat and/or air conditioning and make sure that the coffee maker, iron, TV, and other electrical devices are switched off.

If your hotel or inn has an elevator, ignore it and use the stairs instead. Your body will thank you for the exercise, and you will be doing your share to conserve electricity.

More Eco-Friendly Travel Tips

Never use regular alkaline batteries. Instead, pack enough rechargeables to get you through a complete day, along with a battery charger. You might also want to investigate the purchase of a solar charger.

If you must recharge your cell phone, game console, or laptop, don’t leave it charging overnight. Start early enough in the day or evening so that you can monitor the progress and shut down the device when it is up to 100%.

Instead of working out on a motorized stair climber or treadmill in the hotel gym, put on your walking shoes and go for a jog or walk in the fresh air.

Disposable or regular film cameras are not environmentally-friendly. Invest in a digital instead. Prices are becoming more reasonable every day and the capabilities are rapidly improving.

Avoid individually-wrapped hand cleaner packets, disposable razors, and other one-use items. Stick with smaller-sized reusable and/or refillable products.

An all-in-one cleaner can take the place of shampoo, laundry detergent, and hand cleaner. It will save room (and weight) in your luggage.

Speaking of weight in your luggage: pack light. It will conserve gas on your way to the airport, and will result in fuel savings for all other types of transport while you travel.

Avoid buying coffee or snacks in disposable containers. Pack your own mug – and if you want coffee to go, ask the restaurant or snack bar to fill it for you.

Be a good eco-citizen and pick up any trash you discover while you travel.

These tips are just a beginning. Be eco-conscious in everything you do, and you will find other ways to help save our beautiful planet.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

By: Kathy Steinemann

Bamboo is one eco friendly option. Bamboo is a fast growing grass that can be selectively harvested annually. It is extremely durable and harder than red oak and maple, has 50% less contraction and expansion than wood and is a renewable resource.

However, Asian sources require significant embodied energy for transport so that is something to consider. You should also take care to look for bamboo products that have no formaldehyde added. But bamboo is still a great choice over hardwood flooring and can be stained in darker colors than just the blonde color that comes to mind for more traditional looks.

Cork is another eco friendly renewable resource material made out of the bark of the cork oak tree. Only the bark is used so the tree does not have to be cut down. What’s great about cork is that it often contains recycled content, is easy to clean if properly sealed and gives great foot support.

Just look for products that have no formaldehyde added and avoid cork-vinyl composites. Also consider its origin and remember that transportation requires embodied energy for transport so try to find products sourced as locally as possible.

Rubber is another new flooring material available these days. Virgin rubber is derived from rubber trees, a renewable resource; recycled rubber reduces the environmental burden of discarded tires.

The down side is that almost all rubber, except virgin rubber, has a significant odor from continual off-gassing and has indoor air quality impact so if you use the recycled rubber instead of the virgin rubber it needs to be used in well ventilated areas.

But its benefits are that it uses recycled material, helps reduce landfill, is easy to clean, offers good foot support, is very durable and can be installed without adhesives.

Linoleum uses the same ingredients today as when it was invented in 1863 — linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments, all pressed onto a jute backing. The ingredients are renewable items and often are recycled content, which is good for the planet.

Linoleum is durable, easy to clean and offers good foot support, however, it is most often made in Europe, resulting in significant embodied energy for transport. Make sure to look for “natural linoleum.” Vinyl flooring is sometimes generically called “linoleum” but is not the same thing.

Stone is another option to consider for your flooring. It is a natural resource and a very durable material. Stone, however, is a finite resource, can result in using significant embodied energy if the stone is mined or fabricated overseas and, if the stone requires sealing, the sealers can produce potentially harmful VOC emissions.

Look for locally mined and fabricated stone or even reclaimed stone and look for stone that does not have to be sealed. I’ve seen some really amazingly beautiful things done with reclaimed stone so don’t be afraid to explore this option.

Tile is another eco friendly durable material if you use tiles that contain recycled content. Tiles are durable, easy to clean and can use recycled materials like broken window panes and recycled granite dust. They do use though a significant amount of energy to fire and transport so try to make sure to look for local sources and make sure they use recycled content.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of flooring options but definitively some of the most popular eco friendly options you can consider using in your home.

By: Rebecca Noel

The problem with most homeowners is that they are not aware that there are existing resources in their own home that can be reused or recycled. For example, papers may be lying around the house, used only on 1 side. They can actually be used on both sides. And when less paper is used, more trees are saved, and the homeowners save more money by spending less on paper. So the key here is to be sensitive to the use of resources around the house. Here are some tips on how to start converting your home to an eco friendly house.

The first step to take is to clean up the house. Start by creating 4 different piles – one for paper, one for glass, one for plastic, and one for metal. Organize your items according to these 4 categories. If there are many items in your house, the process may take some time.

After that, you will need to spend more time sorting through the 4 stacks of items. Here is when you decide which items to keep and which items to dispose of. Again, bear in mind that there are items that can be reused. Pick them out, and put them aside.

For items that you want to get rid of, don’t mix them up again. Keep them within their own respective categories, and pack them nicely into boxes and trash bags. There is more you need to do.

Once your house is in shape, you may start locating a recycling facility near you. The recycling center don’t have to be located in your area. You just need to find out where the drop off points are. Usually, there are many drop off points in every area, and there should be one that is convenient for you. If you like, you can always call up a recycling facility to find out if there are any drop off points that are near to you.

Another alternative is to find out if your current garbage collector has an existing arrangement with a recycling center. If so, you can let them collect your recyclable items as per normal. That way, you don’t have to worry about making extra trips to drop off points.

Keep the compartments that you have initially created – paper, plastic, glass and metal. As and when there is disposable but recyclable materials, just throw them in the right compartment. When the compartments are full, empty them and start the process all over again. That way, your house will always be eco friendly.

By: Gen Wright

Tip #1 – Use Recycled Paper Whenever Possible – One of the main things that you can do to make sure that you have an eco friendly wedding is to use recycled paper whenever you can. You can get wedding invitations that are made out of recycled paper, place cards made with recycled paper, and even wedding programs that have been made of paper that is recycled. This is a great way that you can help to save the environment while still having a great wedding.

Tip #2 – Go Organic with the Food and Drink Choices – Going organic with the food and drink choices that you have is another way that you can have a green wedding. Consider going with foods that are organic and grown in your area. Also, wines and coffees that are organic are a great way to make sure your food choices don’t harm the environment. Choosing hor d’oeuvres that are meatless and offering seafood that isn’t endangered is another great choice as well.

Tip #3 – Go with Green Transportation Too – You can even choose to have green transportation at your wedding as well. Instead of using a traditional car to take you to the wedding and transport you to the reception hall, choose an alternate form of transportation. Consider a great hybrid vehicle for transportation, or if you really want a romantic option that is great for the environment, consider a horse drawn sleigh or carriage, depending on the season.

Tip #4 – Find an Alternative to Confetti – Traditional confetti can be a bad choice if you want to make your wedding eco friendly. Foil confetti can end up being harmful to the environment, so you need to come up with a great alternative. One excellent idea is to have well wishers throw flower seeds at you, which will either disintegrate or end up sprouting up. Another beautiful idea for an alternative to confetti is to have bubbles blown instead of using the confetti. The bubbles are friendly to the environment and they will look so beautiful at your wedding. Just think of the pictures of you and your spouse bustling away in a cloud of bubbles.

Tip #5 – Plant a Tree for Wedding Favors – Wedding favors can be pricey, and many of them are really needless little trinkets, so you may want to consider something a bit different for your green wedding. For a green wedding, planting a tree for all of your guests is a great idea. It’s a wonderful way to help save the environment and no doubt your guests will be thrilled with the idea as well.

Tip #6 – Digital Photography – One option you may not have thought about that will make your wedding more eco friendly is to go with digital photography. All the traditional developing of film and even the manufacturing of it is not great for the environment, so find a good photographer that will shoot the photos for your wedding using digital photography.

As you can see, going green for your wedding is probably actually easier than you thought. With these simple tips you can easily have a wedding that is eco friendly, while still being beautiful and exciting. You’ll be starting a new life with your new spouse and helping to preserve life on the planet as well.

By: Bennetta Elliott

The vibes around you will be always peaceful as result of eco friendly living. All these are possible surprisingly with relatively simple and easy to implement tips with added sound humor. This makes smart2begreen an awesome way to achieve Greener living. This complete online guide for an Greener living which is at your access always will enable to starting working on it in the simplest possible way. Every day a tip will slowly facilitate to get used to live in a Greener way. An exclusive section on the website for kids is available for those who are curious enough to know about benefits of a Greener Living. You can even submit a tip of any kind if you think that it’s a smart find and will make a difference to make one’s life Greener. All your smart findings on the same will be honored and included so that every one will share and implement them.

You will get all these as free newsletter which originated as intention to spread the significance of Eco friendly living. You will definitely learn new ways of clean and green living everyday in a funny way. In fact you even make some money out of any kind of recyclables collected by you. Recycle is one such way of making Greener living possible. Smart2begreen really brings to your notice a wise advice and tips on how to live, shop and save by adapting many proven green living tips. It will give huge amount of information on how to use reusable and recyclable products that conserve a large amount of energy which is precious.

So take a step forward to preserve the natural resources by the help of greener living. Since we are talking Green, obviously its free so with out any second thought go ahead and subscribe for the free eco news letter. Be the part of the revolution of achieving an eco friendly and Greener living in a funny manner. Tips, forums and a comprehensive guide with added flavor will be the sources of information. Smart2begreen sees that you stick to your decision to employ a Greener living which is actually the ideal way of living in an Eco friendly manner.

By: Ron Stuart

ThermoCellit honeycombed clay blocks are made from fired clay and have a honeycomb cross-section. The external walls of your property can be built rapidly with this single skin eco friendly build system which replaces conventional cavity walls. These thermocellit honeycombed clay blocks combine rapid build time with moisture protection, noise and thermal insulation all in one.

The large block size, coupled with the fact that cavity wall construction is no longer required to satisfy the Building Regulations, means that buildings can be much more rapidly built.

The blocks are laid with a horizontal mortar joint 8-12mm thick using a special light weight mortar.

Vertical joints are tongue and grooved and need no mortar. The ThermoCellit range includes special blocks for windows and corners, and lintels.

Internal walls can also be built with Cellit blocks.

The main and obvious advantages gained by using Thermocellit build blocks are rapid build times and more importantly the eco friendliness of the system along with the following:

• Easy to plan wall layout

• Easy to use

• Blocks can be cut

• No mortar is needed in the vertical joints due to a tongue and grooved edge, reducing mortar use by up to 40%.

• Very little thermal movement results in less cracking and better building resale values

• Surface fixings compare favourably with conventional masonry construction

• The blocks are very strong and have a high impact resistance

The large block size, which allows rapid construction coupled with excellent thermal properties, makes this a very eco friendly build system and is becoming very popular. We are already in the process of building 5 properties with this system. See our web site: www.1st2spain.com. There are several great external and internal finishes available. We use Mona Capa which is the best suited for Spanish climate in our opinion.

ThermoCellit block

Height 240 mm Length 260 mm Thickness 300 / 365 mm Weight 162 / 197 kg/m² respectively

Vapour diffusion resistance, ? 4 U-value with external render and internal plaster

0.36/0.30 W/m²K respectively Crushing strength of Thermocellit wall 4 N/mm²

Sound reduction (with render + plaster finishes) 48 / 51 dB respectively

Cellit block

Height 240 mm Length 400 mm Thickness 100 / 125 / 150 mm Weight 74 / 90 / 108 kg/m²

Crushing strength of Cellit wall 4 N/mm²

Sound reduction (plaster both sides) 47 dB (125 block)

Mortar 30 kg bag (mixed with 10 litres water makes 30 litres wet

mortar). Sufficient for 1.00 m² of 300 mm wall and 0.80 m² of 365 mm wall at 8-12 mm mortar joint thickness.

Maintenance

No maintenance required.

Humidity and condensation

High protection against dampness *********** and the formation of condensation.

Acoustic Insulation

Good results are easily achieved.

Quality of living environment

Healthier living environment is assured by the lack of dampness, the good insulation values and the resistance against biological growth.

Air quality

The clay blocks do not contain pollutants such as fibres, organic airborne materials (benzene, toluene, solvents, ethers), formaldehyde and so on (there are about 100 possible pollutants in organic airborne materials such as PFA). No fungicides or insecticides are present and no radioactive components.

Recyclability

Thermocellit clay building blocks are totally recyclable. href=”http://www.1st2spain.com”>http://www.1st2spain.com

By: K.Towers

But in recent months, it’s been becoming clear that the high mileage has taken its toll. Your vehicle has started wheezing and creaking, and needs a bit of coaxing before it will get going on cold mornings. Reluctantly, you’ve decided that your long-suffering car is nearing the end of its life. And you’ve fallen in love with a sporty new Chrysler Crossfire that will be perfect for you and your partner, now that the children have left home. So how can you dispose of old faithful in a sympathetic, eco-friendly way – without its life ending ignominiously, in a car-crusher?

If it’s a Chrysler, or a vehicle from another environment-friendly manufacturer, the problem is easily solved. Since 3rd March 2005, EU-Directive 2000/53/EG concerning the take-back of end-of-life vehicles has been implemented in the UK, through end-of-life vehicle legislation and its relevant provisions.

Under this legislation, a passenger vehicle with a maximum of nine seats, or a commercial vehicle with a maximum weight of 3.5 tonnes, that has been registered after 1st July 2002, may be returned for a free-of-charge take-back, provided that it fulfils the following criteria:

? All significant components, such as the engine, chassis, bodywork, catalytic converter or electronic control unit are present in the vehicle

? There is no waste in the vehicle

? The vehicle is or was registered in a member state of the European Union for a minimum duration of one month

? The vehicle registration documents are submitted with the vehicle

In order to achieve simple, eco-friendly disposal of end-of-life vehicles, Chrysler maintains a nationwide network of take-back stations. These will take back a used Chrysler free of charge, and provide a certificate of destruction. This confirms that the vehicle was properly disposed of, and enables the owner to legally deregister it. A certificate of destruction may only be issued by a certified Automotive Treatment Facility; a certified and authorised acceptance point; or a manufacturer-approved take-back station.

So what happens after a Chrysler take-back station receives a vehicle for end-of-life disposal? Firstly, it is de-polluted according to legal requirements, which ensure that all of the vehicle’s operating fluids (e.g. oil, brake fluid) are removed and recycled. Subsequently the reusable parts and recoverable materials are dismantled. Recoverable materials such as glass, tyres, and large plastic parts, etc. are fed into separate recycling systems. The remaining bodywork is shredded, separated into different categories, and, as far as possible, fed back into the economic cycle. It looks like the days of scrap-yards filled with rusting heaps of old vehicles are numbered!

For more information about Chrysler’s end-of-life vehicle take-back system, or details of the Chrysler range, visit http://www.chrysler.co.uk/

By: Sally Jones