My green guilt kicked in (again) last week as I enjoyed my favorite winter sport – downhill skiing – during a long weekend trip to the Colorado Rockies. We carpooled from the Denver airport over icy mountain passes in a (less than fuel efficient) vehicle that I will admit to being pleased to have had considering the many vehicles we passed which were either flipped over or crashed into the guardrail (we counted 6 auto and 2 truck accidents!) on our way to Vail, CO.

Skiing is an energy intensive sport, but Vail is one of the few resorts that have recently implemented self imposed energy reduction strategies. Using hybrid buses for mass transportation and making recycling receptacles readily available, were some of the more visible green efforts I noticed. Other efforts were noted in a Newsweek article last winter. Despite these surface efforts, however, I think the onus should be shifted to skiers to seek out ways to improve the green impact of our beloved winter pastime. Creating demand for energy efficient means of traveling to and from our favorite downhill destinations (like a high speed train or electric AWD vehicles capable of making the treacherous journey on I-70 safely) is just a start.

In addition, staying in green hotels, purchasing eco-friendly snow attire, and seeking out sustainable options for the boards we strap to our feet on which to speed more sustainably down the slopes, skiers passionate about our sport and our planet should be driving change.

If you are interested in learning more about skiing green, consider joining the Mountain Riders Alliance which is a “group of like-minded people dedicated to making a positive change in the ski area industry, as well as supporting the environment, surrounding communities, and what’s best for the ski community.

Ironing is one of my least favorite domestic tasks and I had hoped that going green might get me out of this much dreaded household chore. I considered simply not ironing, but realized after a short experiment in ironing abstinence, that I looked too unkempt to continue on in that manner.

Short of replacing 75% of my working wardrobe, I would simply have to fire up the iron and press on… (pun intended).

If iron I must, I decided to do some research to see if there was a more eco-friendly way to accomplish the tedious task.

One article I found instructed that one should, “collect as many pieces as you can to press at the same time.” As indicated by the photo, I could check this pointer off my list! The author also suggested that, “While the iron is heating up, press the thinner clothes that require less heat first. When the iron is hot, press the more difficult ones. If you have thinner items again you can turn off and unplug the iron and press the clothes that need less heat again to end.” These sounded like wise words.

A typical steam iron uses between 1000 and 1700 Watts/hr. According to another insightful blogger, there was an additional trick of the trade I needed to employ. The blogger advised, “to reduce ironing time and save energy, put foil under the ironing board cover. This will reflect heat up on the clothes as you iron.”
I tried this, and noticed that it did help get the stubborn wrinkles out more readily.

Do you have any green ironing insights to share? If so, please add your comments below!

Nareg Torosian, guest blogger and dear friend, shares his insight into how he is making a choice between energy providers when PECO raises rates in January. Please read up on Nareg’s insights and consider that, of the choices he considers, BlueStar is the only 100% US produced wind powered provider. BlueStar is also Green E-certified as a renewable energy provider!

Intro
PA residents: In case you weren’t aware, PECO will be raising their electricity delivery rates by roughly 10% (about $8 more per month), starting on January 1.
http://www.peco.com/newsroom/newsreleases/NR+033110.htm

The estimated rate PECO will be charging is called the Price To Compare (PTC), which is used to evaluate offers from its competitors. The PTC is updated on a quarterly basis and looks to be 9.92 cents per kWh for January 1 – March 31, 2011, and is estimated to rise to 10.16 cents/kWh from April 1 – June 30.
For more on PTC click here and click to view 2011 PTC rates

Shopping around
Given the current state of the economy, PECO is encouraging customers to look for cheaper providers, and the PA Public Utility Commission has created the PA Power Switch website to help people switch their power supplier.

On the PA Power Switch homepage, click the Find Suppliers link in the main graphic on the right. You will then be prompted to enter your zip code, followed by the type of service you want to shop for. (Pick Regular Residential Service for electricity providers.) You’ll then receive a list of providers in your area. The rest of this note will detail my research for the providers in my zip code.

Of the 17 electric suppliers I received in my search results, I immediately crossed off all those that had variable price plans. Of the remaining companies with fixed plans, I narrowed it down to the three with the cheapest listed rates: BlueStar Energy Solutions, Dominion Energy Solutions, and Gateway Energy Services. I called each company and asked them the same four questions. Here were their responses:

1. What are your 2011 rates?
BlueStar: 8.88 cents/kWh, fixed for 12 months
Dominion: 10% less than PECO’s PTC for 6 months, then a flat rate of 8.99 cents/kWh for the next 6 months
Gateway: 8.90 cents/kWh, fixed for 6 months

2. Do I have to sign a contract?
BlueStar: Yes, for 12 months
Dominion: Yes, for 12 months
Gateway: Yes, for either 6 months (at 8.90 cents/kWh), 12 months (at 9.90 cents/kWh), or 24 months (at 10.8 cents/kWh)

3. Is there a cancellation fee if I break the contract?
BlueStar: Yes, $10 for each month left on the contract
Dominion: No
Gateway: Yes, $12 for each month left on the contract

4. Do you provide any other discounts or promotions if I sign now?
BlueStar: No
Dominion: No
Gateway: Yes, a $50 Visa gift card, which you will receive after 1 month of paid service

Monthly payments
So, let’s crunch some numbers. Say you use an average of 500 kWh per month. (This number will be laughably low for people with high-end electronics, energy-guzzling appliances, and/or children. You should see the real number on your monthly electric bill.) Multiplying your kWh usage by the rate gives you the amount you will spend per month. Remember that when we say 8.88 cents, we’re multiplying by 0.0888.

BlueStar: $44.39 per month for all of 2011
Dominion: Since PECO’s PTC changes per quarter, you’re actually paying one rate from January until March (8.93 cents) and another rate from April until June (currently projected at 9.13 cents). That means $44.65 each month for the first quarter of 2011 and $45.70 per month for the second. For the remaining half of the year, you’d pay $44.95 per month.
Gateway: If you sign to a 6-month contract, $44.50 per month for the first half of 2011, minus the $50 you get back with the gift card

Verdict
Though all three providers would still give you significant savings over PECO, Dominion is obviously the most expensive. If you don’t like putting in a lot of time or research to save money (i.e. “set it and forget it”), then go with BlueStar.

However, because of that $50 Visa gift card, Gateway is the least expensive provider for January through June (a total savings of $49.34 over BlueStar for the same period). Of course, that means that I have to shop around for another provider come July 2011, but as you can probably tell, I don’t mind doing a little research.

Hope this helped! Let me know if you have any questions.

I met with Lori Jacobs of the GreenSpring Institute last week for coffee. Beyond her adventures as a talented internationally acclaimed musician, she is a brilliant woman with interests stemming from years of experience in the IT realm, and a burning desire to go Green! She coupled these attributes with her knowledge of building inspections and architecture to help found the GreenSpring Institute.

GreenSpring offers a virtual training suite of green building, OSHA, industry code, and specialty courses. They are a part of the U.S. Green Building Council and have resources for professionals and homeowners to learn more about green building practices, materials, and energy efficiency options. As a former Environmental Health and Safety professional, I found the information on hazardous materials training particularly helpful!

Thanks Lori for sharing your vision to “create a regenerative world through integrative education” with me. If you are interested in learning more about this expanding field, GreenSprings Institute is a great place to start!

With preparations for Halloween underway, I’ve been thinking about more macabre topics. As I contemplated making a faux cemetery of recycled cardboard on the front porch for the trick or treaters, questions about the earthly remains of the departed came to mind.

I mistakenly thought cremation was the most eco-friendly method of disposing of human remains. When my mother brought up the topic prompted by a recent article by Susan J. Tweit in Audubon magazine, I realized I had much to learn. From Tweit’s article, it seems that the ashes to ashes concept has many more consequences in terms of fossil fuel consumption and air pollutants emitted than I suspected. In her Dying to Be Green article, Tweit reports that approximately 350 pounds of carbon dioxide are put off per cremation in addition to “soot particles, sulfur dioxide, and trace metals…Then there are the fossil fuels consumed in heating the ovens” (Tweit, 2010).

Traditional burials turn cemeteries in to toxic waste sites. After being “pumped full of formaldehyde-based embalming fluids, which cause elevated rates of cancer in workers who handle them every day…our remains are often sealed inside “decay-proof” metal caskets, and entombed in concrete vaults”. As if this weren’t enough, we need to consider the upkeep of the cemetery grounds which can require a host of pest and weed controlling chemicals (not to mention the use of fossil fuels for mowing, digging, etc.)

Opting instead to be buried in a simple shroud without embalming fluids in a natural preserve is becoming an increasingly popular (and less expensive) option, but one which requires planning. Talking to loved ones now about these important choices can help us carry our green values to the grave and beyond.

For more information on this interesting matter of life and death, check out the Green Burial council or Mark Harris’s blog, Grave Matters.

This month at betterworldbuys.com, we are thinking of how frightening the conclusion of October can be… This reminded us of other things that scared us (the dark, spiders, war, famine) and how horrifying the world might be if so many concerned individuals didn’t try every day to make the world a better place.

With these thoughts prompting us, we’ve created the October challenge! Respond to this blog post with details of how you make the world a better place, and we’ll say “Thanks” with a coupon good for $5 off of a $25 purchase, $10 off of a $50 purchase, or $20 off purchase of $100 or more at betterworldbuys.com (good through December 31, 2010!).

How do you make the world a better place?

I may be a little outdated in my cinematic experiences but I recently received the movie Avatar as a gift. With a large pile (or 5) of laundry to fold and three plus hours of time at my disposal, I plugged in the television, switched on the DVD and hit “Play”.

Better late than never. My next several hours vanished into thin un-breathable air on a distant planet populated by large blue human like creatures.

I resisted the film at first for several reasons. These included, a lack of free time to watch movies, the price of admission at the theater, and the peer pressure to go see it. In addition, the film seemed to be so grossly over-marketed that I resented the push to view what I perceived to be an animated kids flick.

I couldn’t have been further from being correct. Avatar was not only a delight of visual imagery, but it carried a strong message of humanity, greed, and environmental and social irresponsibility. Aided by technology, we have the power to do right or wrong but as the principal at my child’s school can be constantly heard saying, “we need to make good choices.”

The lack of awareness in our society make it easier for us to ignore making these choices. If you haven’t seen this blue vision of a sister planet, I (like those who suggested it to me) encourage you to set aside the three hours you’ll need to enjoy the message of interconnectedness and environmental and social responsibility that run throughout this film. If you saw the movie, what did you think of its ability to raise our awareness of issues outside the theater (or living room, as was my case)? If not, what are you waiting for???

Note: If you go to the Avatar website, they have a Home Tree Initiative whereby they launched a worldwide effort to plant one million trees. When I checked there were 233,515 of 1,000,000 adopted. You can search the site to see where the most trees have been “adopted” and join the effort by adopting your own home tree.

During a recent girl’s weekend in Chicago, this blogger enjoyed several glimpses of “green” in the go. Enjoying the public transport around town and covering quite a bit of ground by foot, there were several highlights worthy of suggestion to any interested in future travels to the windy city.

The first evening we commenced our gathering at Berghoff’s restaurant whose menu highlighted some local food options. My local selection was the Roasted Sweet Potato Panini which was specifically and sustainably succulent. After a filling dinner inspired by Deutschland, we took a walk to see what sights were nearest to our hotel and discovered the beautiful Chagall mosaic and the nearby Eye before returning to our hotel to plan our next few days.

Our second day began with some light exercise and a visit to the Green Mart of Chicago. This farmers market near Lincoln Park offered the most delicious crepes and organic fruits and berries which we procured for consumption on the grassy park area surrounding the Mart. The people visiting the market were equipped with reusable bags and totes and acoustic music could be heard from just beyond many of the outdoor vendor stalls. It was a refreshing gathering topped by a fantastic drink of Maple Water which from what I understand is filtered both by the Maple tree and the evaporative process involved in the creation of maple syrup. The water was clear, refreshing and left no aftertaste.

Our guide for the architectural tour pointed out many of the green architectural initiatives ongoing in the city and indicated some of the major efficiency efforts underway to improve upon buildings that predated the conscious current in architectural awareness.

Though a small book could likely be drafted on all of the fun eco-savvy travel tips for a visit to Chicago, these were a few of the highlights that were worthy of mention from my most recent weekend trip. Click here for some more insight into green Chicago travel or post your tips for green summer getaways to Chicago and beyond?

For more information, check out this link!

I took a trip to a Delaware State Park beach late last week to spend a few days seaside enjoying the sun and surf with my family. I was dismayed to find the beach littered with trash and believe it or not a few scattered clumps of oil (which a nearby litter cleaning volunteer stepped in and had a terrible time getting off).

After getting several notes from friends around the world expressing concern over how our country is handling the BP fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico, I found myself shocked to see the impact on such a distant shore. One particular note I received from friends in South Africa’s Cape Town, expressed their dismay over the handling of this crisis-not by our government, but by our citizens. Their note indicated serious concern that our pubic wasn’t outraged and demanding action and resolve.

I was taken aback by the accusation that we were unconcerned as a society about the situation. Taken aback, that is, until I spoke with friends, coworkers and family to gauge for myself the level of this accused apathy.

I hate to admit it, but I was more than disappointed. It seemed the accusations were on target. Few people could tell me what was going on with the spill. Almost all, however, could tell me who won the Stanley Cup, the NBA championship or American Idol. Many had no concept of the irreparable damage being done to such vast ecosystems or the potential impact not only to our fisheries, but our little known oceanic frontier.

In this bloggers opinion, if we continue to be blissfully unaware and apathetic about negative consequences of our consumption decisions, the devastation of our environment will become much more than a “Shore” thing.

Worms at Work

If composting outside has you all hot and bothered this summer, consider the cooler indoor alternative of vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is composting with worms and is becoming increasingly popular with those interested in gardening, and minimizing their ecological footprint through a reduction of their waste stream.

To setup a home verimicomposing system, you can purchase a fancy model of worm composters available online, or you can make your own. The Environmentals created a great short film with some easy and entertaining instructions on how to build your own unit for garage, basement, or even under your kitchen counters in a few quick steps. Following their instructions and purchasing Red Wigglers online cost me less that $40 to get a home unit that nicely manages my kitchen scraps for a family of four each week.

There is no odor, and the compost produced is like magic for house and garden plants when used as a rich soil conditioner. For more detailed information on vermicomposting, check out these helpful books on worms, compost and a greener garden: Worms Eat My Garbage, The Complete Compost Gardening Guide and The Green Gardener’s Guide.