http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/19/recycling-by-mail.html

Here’s a quick one on recycling just about anything including:

• iPods
• plastics
• shoes
• batteries
• electronics

Ryan Bros Coffee of San Diego - Organic, fair trade and quite delicious

One of the easiest ways to start to go green is with a daily cup of organic and/or fair trade coffee.

If you live in San Diego, CA you can stop by and pick up a cup of fair trade coffee yourself. You can also buy organic coffee and fair trade coffee online at http://www.ryanbroscoffee.com/.

Ryan Bros are:

• Fair trade certified
• And organic

Support your independent organic and fair trade coffee retailer. For more information on organic and fair trade coffee in San Diego visit the Ryan Bros web site.

New York, July 15th, 2008: Business Development Institute and PR Newswire have partnered together to produce a conference on the ways companies have embraced the green movement and now incorporate it into their lives, products, and business strategies.

“Green Communications 2008: The Case Studies Conference” will reveal case studies from companies that have successfully created and implemented green communications campaigns. This half day event will be held at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City on Tuesday July 15th beginning at 1:30 pm, with a networking reception to follow.

Case studies to be presented include:

• Thomas Mattia, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Public Affairs and Communications, The Coca-Cola Company
• Andrew Fox, Senior Manager, Global Communications, AMD
• Matthew Greene, Director of Marketing Communications, Eaton
• Lisa Swann, VP of Communications and Marketing, Earth Day Network

400 advertising, communications, and media professionals are expected to attend including corporate communications executives, media executives, corporate marketing and branding leaders, advertising agency thought leaders, PR agency thought leaders, and technology gurus.

To register and receive the discounted price of $145, enter promo code TGM at:
http://www.bdionline.com/greencommunications2008

I was turned onto Bluefields Bay Villas today by a friend I told I was interested in ecotourism / ecofriendly Caribbean vacation package. He told me about Bluefields Bay, an all-inclusive, ecofriendly Jamaica rental vacation villa.

I spoke to someone on the phone at Bluefields Bay Villas and here is what I found out.

Bluefields Bay Villas – a good Caribbean ecofriendly vacation choice
They don’t tout themselves as being an ecofriendly Caribbean vacation destination for those interested in ecotourism, but they sound like one to me. They work with the land and the locals to make your vacation in Jamaica as enjoyable and sustainable as possible. They have been doing it for more than 10 years.

What the Washington Post has to say about Bluefields Bay Villas in Jamaica

You will never stay at a Caribbean resort so seriously, memorably indulgent - and yet so congenial with the neighborhood, both socially and ecologically.” Washington Post, August 10, 1997

More information on Bluefields Bay Villas in Jamaica:

• Private luxury waterfront Jamaica villa. 5 vacation villas to chose from.
• All inclusive Jamaican vacation villa that covers full staff, meals, liquor, soft drinks, airport transfers, sports equipment, beach area, night-lit tennis court, more. (All-inclusive may differ based on the villa you choose).
• They’ll host your Jamaica destination wedding package.

What you will find on the Bluefields Bay web site:

• Pictures of Jamaica
• Jamaica vacation and travel information
• What to do in Jamaica including:
  • Massage
  • Deep sea fishing
  • Scuba diving
  • Snorkeling
  • Golfing

For more information on Jamaica vacation villas, ecotourism / ecofriendly Caribbean/Jamaica vacations or to book your Jamaican vacation contact Bluefields Bay Villas at (202) 232-4010.

It’s taken me about 2 months to find this bamboo business card holder from Canoe in Portland.

I thought it would be a piece or cake to find an ecofriendly business card case. Not so. I looked for:

• recycled business card case
• sustainable business card case
• ecofriendly business card case
• free range business card case
• green business card case
• fair trade business card case

I also searched for all of the above, but replaced “case” with “holder.” There was nothing impressive out there. Though I did find a Tilapia leather business card holder that was a bit too feminine for my taste. I was unable to relocate the site at the time of posting.

I’m not sure what I finally searched for to find the Canoe site, but this bamboo business card case came up. The site said out of stock. Out of desperation I emailed the shop. After a pleasant phone call with the owner, I have 2 bamboo business card cases in the mail.

Canoe doesn’t tout itself as a green store store per se, but they carry quite of few ecofriendly products and sell items from local artists. Sounds pretty green to me. Thanks Canoe of Portland.

TreeHugger makes going green super-easy. Almost as easy as painting by numbers.

They have information on going green on just about anything you can think of, including your sex life.

Some of the other topics they cover, and this is just the surface, include:

• How to Green Your Sex Life
• How to Green Women’s Personal Care
• How to Green Your Furniture
• How to Green Your Work
• How to Green Your Water
• How to Green Your Lighting
• How to Green Your Electricity
• How To Green Your Wardrobe

For loads of “how to green” information, check out TreeHugger.

I had a chance to talk with Nancy H. Taylor, author of Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community. Nancy gave some great tips on how to green your home, work and community.

Podcast - 30 minutes
Listen to Nancy’s great advice on going green via Think Green Media’s first green podcast.

Podcast correction - I incorrectly referred to the URL of Planet Jackson Hole as PlanetJH.org.” The correct URL is Planetjh.com. This is referring to where Nancy Taylor publishes environmental and going green related articles.

Nancy also gave us ten (10) tips to help you green your home and family. They include green energy tips, water conservation tips and more.

1. Green your home with compact fluorescents (CFLs) light bulbs


Change your non-dimmable light bulbs from incandescents to compact fluorescents. 



CFLs come in all shapes and sizes and even many shades of the color spectrum; so you do not have to have a white glare or even use the curly bulbs. Incandescent bulbs are going to be obsolete soon, so educate your kids about how much energy CFLs save. Because CFLs have a trace of mercury in the bulb, they must be disposed of at a recycling center.

2. Green your home by reducing the temperature of your water heater 


Turn down the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees F. or 50 degrees C. 



If your water heater is not insulated, wrap an insulating blanket around it. If your water heater is gas, and not insulated, be sure to leave room for the air vent. Do not cover any venting pipes with a blanket.

3. Green your home with an energy audit


Arrange to have an energy audit for your home or apartment, which can be done through most utility companies or through an independent contractor. 



This audit will tell you where and how you are wasting energy, or areas that are lacking insulation. If you follow some of the suggestions, it is possible you can get a rebate from the utility and possibly a federal or state tax credit.

4. Green your home by reducing the amount of heat and electricity you use


Get a programmable thermostat for your furnace or home heating system.

If your home or apartment is vacant all day, setting the heat to turn down while you are gone will save you money and energy. Also, turn the heat down at night. Adjust your air conditioner, so that it cools to a warmer temperature in the summer. Use shades to keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer. In the summer, open windows at night to let the cool night air in, then close windows and curtains to keep the house cool all day.

5. Green your energy use by reducing your consumption


Turn off lights and the TV when you leave a room. We are used to leaving appliances running even when we don’t need them. 


Appliances that run unnecessarily:

• Draw energy
• Cost us money
• Create carbon dioxide

When you buy an appliance, be sure it is Energy Star rated; there are ratings for everything from air conditioners to Xerox machines.

6. Green your energy use by using a power strip


Involve everyone in the family in using power strips. Any gadget that has a digital readout or transformer box on its power cord needs to be plugged into a power strip and then turned off when not in use. They include:

• Computers
• Printers
• DVD players
• TVs
• I-pods
• Phone chargers
• Adding machines
• Coffee makers
• Microwaves

Just about any any device draws power even when it is turned off.



If you plug the devices into a power strip and then turn the power strip off at night or whenever your computer or TV is not in use, you can save up to 10% on your energy bill.

7. Green your home by reducing your carbon footprint
Try walking, biking and more 

Try to minimize the carbon-producing transportation patterns of your family.

• Take public transportation
• Carpool
• Ride your bike for more than just recreation
• Join your neighbors for shopping trips, meetings or events
• When you fly offset the carbon footprint of your trip by buying green tags


Learn more about your energy consumption and how to go green at www.terrapass.com or www.nativeenergy.com.

8. Green your home with organic, sustainable local food and change your shopping habits


Food buying patterns use energy too. Most food travels 1500 miles from farm to fork. See if you can find food that was not transported from far away. Many stores carry local produce from neighboring farms.

• Read the labels on fruits and vegetables to see where they were grown
• Buy in bulk
• Avoid foods that use large amounts of packaging
• Buy from a farmers market or community supported agriculture (CSA)
• Bring your own bag to the market. Stop using plastic bags for supermarket shopping. Plastic is a petroleum product

9. Green your home by reducing water consumption

Water is another source of energy use; it needs to be heated for showers and washing dishes. 


• Take shorter showers or put a shut-off valve on the shower to turn it off while soaping, shampooing or shaving
• Put a water-saver nozzle on your showerhead and all faucets
• Use cold water to wash your clothes and dry your clothes on a rack or a clothesline
• Turn the water off when brushing your teeth, (a great way to teach kids about not wasting water) or while shaving

10. Green your home by reusing water
Using potable water from the hose to water lawns and plants can deplete your water supply, especially if you are in a drought region of the country.

• If you live in a place where you could collect rainwater, catch it in a barrel and use it for watering plants and landscaping.
• If you are landscaping, plant drought resistant plants using a method called xeriscaping.

Find out more about Nancy Taylor and her book Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community

I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to carbon-offset my travel arrangements with Continental for a mere $4.19. I’ll gladly pay it.

Here’s the skinny on Continental’s sustainable travel product for your ecotourism travels.

Carbon Offsetting Option Continental has partnered with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a non-profit organization that supports global climate protection and environmental conservation. STI offers customers the option to make a contribution to offset their carbon footprints for travel on Continental. All contributions are paid directly to STI. Continental does not receive any portion of any contribution.

Not only, but Continental also uses less fuel than most air carriers

Continental Airlines flights generate, on average, 7.8% less greenhouse gas than passenger flights of other U.S. major air carriers. (Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, T-100 and Form 41 mainline passenger traffic and fuel consumption data of major air carriers.)

I don’t know if other carriers practice sustainability or ecotourism. If you favor another carrier check it out. Let us know by posting a comment.

By the way, I don’t have stock in Continental, but I’m considering it now.

More information on Continental Airlines’ carbon offsetting program

I’m very wary of greenwashing. This looks valid to me. If you know otherwise, please let us know via this post’s comments. At this point I don’t see a reason to not give both companies a plug.

Looking to maximize your green energy by building your own electric mini motorcycle? Maybe a young Canadian can help. Ben Gulak, 18 years of age, has built his own mini/unicycle motorcycle.

Electric mini motorcycle specs

• It tops out at about 25 mph.
• It weights in at about 120 pounds. Light enough for some to carry it indoors to be recharged.
• A single charge is equates to 2.5 hours of riding time for Ben’s electric mini motorcycle.

Ben’s creation is not in production yet. For more information on this crazy ride, see Uno: Crazy Electric Unicycle Motorbike

Bush talking about global warming
Can you take this man seriously? He offers one false promise and a vague and misdirecting statement after another.

Here’s an except from the Yahoo! article

… Bush will articulate a “realistic intermediate goal” for the United States. Bush will emphasize the importance of offering incentives to promote technology as an effective way to reduce green house gas emissions, she said.

When has he ever been realistic about the environment? When has he ever been realistic?

The full Yahoo! article.