Compost. Everybody's Doing It.

On my mom's birthday, here is one of her favorite tips:

Make a Compost Bin. Start now, even before you finish reading this – it’s just that important. Compost reuses/eliminates waste and rebuilds soil, and most importantly anyone can do it – even someone in an apartment with a bucket and some worms. Today’s compost bins can even fit on countertops and apartment patios for the space-restricted Treehugger with good intentions. You can add worms to the mix to speed up the process. If the bin is in your apartment or house, make sure to keep a layer (4”) of newspaper over the compost to keep the fruit flies down. Compost gives your garden a much-needed boost, providing soil that is high in a variety of nutrients. Plus, it keeps all of that waste out of area landfills. Buy one or make one yourself.

Cover the Pipes Under Your Sink

Fast Tip: Want to save a little more on your electric bill? Consider checking the pipes under your sink and cover them with some sort of insulated wrap. Its a fairly cheap way to save a little money. Porcelain is a really poor insulator. In fact, while you're at it, consider insulating all the exposed piping in your basement, attic and under your sinks.

Park Your Car

If you're not already doing it, consider choosing one day a week where you simply don't drive anywhere. Sad but true, most of us can't walk to work, so we need our car for our commute. If that is the case, then choose saturday or sunday where you leave that car in the garage. Walk, bike, carpool, whatever, just no direct driving. This will help slow down your life too as you learn to use the resources in your neighborhood and take time to just "be."

For the more ambitious out there in the audience, take one day a week where you choose to bike or use public transportation or even walk to work. This will save on gas, parking, tolls, wear/tear on your car and also your sanity. It might take a bit longer to get to work, but you might have less stress as you can just sit back, read a book and leave the worry of driving to someone else.

Turn Down the Heat on Your Water Heater

Many water heaters are set WAY higher than needed. Like say 140 degrees F. Ouch. We all enjoy a nice hot shower, but no one can stand a shower that hot. Plus, hot water like that can also damage fabrics when you wash clothes in it.

Take a minute to see what your water heater is set on and consider lowering it down to 104 degree F. Also, consider putting insulation or some sort of cover around your water heater, and related piping to make sure the heat stays where its supposed to be.

If your water heater is old and you're in the market to replace it, check out tankless water heaters. They are a little more costly up front, but in the long run will save you money on your electric bills since they only heat water right when you are going to use it. You can even pick one up at a local Home Depot or Lowes, its just that easy now.

Is That a Brick in Your Tank?

Toilets use lots of water. So if you are still using a conventional toilet, not a low flow one, not a grey-water system and not a giant composting hole in the ground, then at least consider using less water.

How can you do this, you might ask, without buying an entirely new toilet? Well, the easiest method is to put a brick or fill up a water bottle and place it in your tank. This will take the place of where the old water used to go, help your tank fill up faster after each flush and therefore use less water.

Keep an eye on this as some bricks may dissolve, thus causing you to need a new brick and that water bottle might float around so just make sure its not interfering with other things while its doing its job.

Inspiring Canvas Bag Music Video

A funny spin on using canvas instead of plastic bags...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVh15aUt8-c

Another Carbon Calculator

There are many carbon calculators out there, from basic to complex. The Carbon Account has come up with their own version of the carbon calculator that lets you change your consumption and monitor your patterns over time.

They also have an application on Facebook for those of you technically savvy folks. Or those you who think Facebook is better than Myspace. Yeah, i said. What are you gonna do about it?

Find them online at:The Carbon Account.

For their facebook application, check out: Carbon Account on Facebook.

*Manic Organic is in no way endorsing the carbon calculator. Just passing this tip along, do with it what you will.

Paperless Faxing

Paperless faxing.

This company (certainly not the only one) offers the ability to send and receive "faxes" without the paper print out and ink/carbon waste of a typical fax machine. Particularly for large corporations that send thousands of faxes, this small change can have a big impact.

http://www.easylink.com/our-services/on-demand-messaging/index.html

Care for your Clothing

Since we are a clothing company, here are a few tips to keep those clothing items looking tip top while not harming the environment.

- Avoid dry cleaners, and avoid purchasing items that need to be dry cleaned.

- Wash your clothing on cold. It takes extra energy to heat that water up.

- Hang your clothes to dry. Hanging your clothes out to dry will save their color. Okay we realize this a tougher item and probably only for the more die-hard of you out there, but dryers are very energy intensive. If you need a dryer, there are dryers that only use $7 worth of electricity annually to dry your clothes b/c they are super efficient.

How to spot Greenwashing

You've heard of whitewashing, right? The idea that you try to cover over some bad news and make it bland and less obvious. Used mainly in business when a company is trying to cover up a bad image.

Well the same goes for green and environmental companies and products. With the uber-popularity (that shoutout was for your Ms. Vonhof!) of green products today. Companies everywhere from Walmart to Banks are jumping on the bandwagon to improve their corporate "green" image. But how can you tell if someone is actually protecting the planet, and more importantly, your health, or if they are just...well..."greenwashing"???

A fun little website was created to allow you to watch ad campaigns and spot the greenwashing yourself. You can find them online at Green Washing Index.

An Alternative to AAA

You probably have a AAA (American Automobile Association membership, right? Who wouldn't when its pretty cheap and you get 24 hour car for anything that happens to your car. Especially for those of you here in southern California, where public transportation doesn't exist in our vocabulary, chances are you're going to run into car trouble at some point.

But did you know that AAA lobbies against fuel emission and gas mileage standards? Bummer. But did you also know that there is an alternative to AAA? Yay!

The Better World Auto Club offers all or more of hte same benefits of AAA and also gives money to protect the environment. The prices are pretty cheap and they'll even insure your bike if you just get around with pedal-power and need help in the event of a flat or accident. Check them out online at: Better World Club.

Carpooling Made Easy

Californians love their cars. But that doesnt mean that they can't learn new tricks. Icarpool.com allows area residents to get together and use those car-pool lanes when heading in to the city for business or pleasure. Try adding a link to icarpool.com for your next evite or group event and see if you too can teach an old sea-dog a new trick.

Working For The Green

For those of you local San Diegans looking for a job that is focused on more than the bottom line, there is a Nonprofit website devoted strictly to San Diego jobs.

Check them out here at San Diego Non-Profit Works.

Treehugger and Grist both now have job boards for green/eco job postings.

Green Volunteering

Seems like green is everywhere these days and plenty of groups are willing to shell out $$ for anyone with the right idea that just might save us all. Echoing Green offers seed money to the right social entrepreneur with the right idea and the drive to get it done. Green Corps - this PeaceCorps or AmeriCorps but with a focus on the environment.

If You Give a Child a Lightbulb...

Mr. Luna's Bright Idea!! One teachers' brilliant idea to save the planet by giving one CFL to each child in America. This will not only reduce emissions but also save at least $2.3 billion in electricity costs in America.

To donate or learn more, see: The Bright Idea.

Save Your Gas

For each gallon of gas you dont use, you save 20 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Try running your errands at once instead of making multiple car trips, or even take a bike or walk to the store. Every little bit helps.

Freecycle Shm-recycle

Got some junk that you need to get rid of? Try Freecycle. This group allows you get and give items in your area for free. Anything goes, so keep your eyes open for that old Underwood typewriter you've had your eye on for years, it just might show up.

No More Bottled Water

Its the oldest joke in the book: getting people to pay for water when they can get it for free. Dont fall into the trap - skip the bottle. This saves plastic and saves resources from some other community whose water you are stealing. Municipal water is subject to more rigorous inspections and therefore can be better for you than that bottled stuff.

'Sup Up Your Ride

Switching an average car to a 13 mpg SUV uses as much energy as leaving your refrigerator door open for 6 years. Ouch! Try a hybrid SUV or consider renting or using Zipcar or Flexcar for those rare times when you need to drive a tank.

Make the Change to CFLs

You've heard it said a million times, and we'd be crazy if we didnt include it here, but change those lightbulbs to compact fluorescents. They last way longer, use way less electricity and don't get hot from wasted heat like normal light bulbs. If you're really feeling inspired, try LED lights, which are even better than CFL's but cost more.

See future posts for where to recycle these lightbulbs.

The Best Thing You Can Do To Help the Planet

Live more simply. Consume less. Share more. Unplug that tv. This is probably one of the greatest things you can do to help the planet.

Phantom Power - Unplug it All.

Unplug those appliances. Even though that dvd player might be "off", its still using electricity, which costs you money and adds to the climate change problem by putting out more emissions. When you're not using an appliance, make sure its unplugged. You can also use a powerstrip to keep all your appliances plugged in without using electricity.

How to Find a Local Composter

Interested in finding a place to compost all of those biodegradable scraps? How about a place to recylce all of those biodegradable dryer sheets and other items that won't break down in a landfill.

Try Find a Composter.comto find a facility near you.

How to Recycle Your Tennis Shoes

Do you have old tennis shoes that you dont want to part with but have outlived their life? Do you feel bad buying new shoes every 6 months because you're constantly throwing them away? Fear not, because Nike will recycle those tennis shoes into park benches and other useful items.

Go to Nike Reuse A Shoe.

Ditch the Plastic

Every day over 1 billion (thats right, we said billion) plastic bags are distributed every day. These bags take over 1,000 years to biodegrade. Next time you're at a store or the grocery, bring a canvas or reusable bag, or just carry those items by hand if you're only getting a few things. Just think, every piece of plastic ever made is still in the environment today - not a single bit has biodegraded down to nothing yet.