So, I am driving on the off-ramp to get home. The passenger of the car in front of me rolls their window down and throws out a bundle. A half-eaten sub sandwich, the paper plate, and some potato chips flop onto the shoulder. I immediately think of the following quote:

“We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children.”
– Quote from a Native American

Human Complacency is one of the problems that needs fixin’ when thinking about our planet’s welfare.

I could not help but think of that quote. Here you have a person doing this lazy act and their ancestors must be thinking…THIS person is the product of our evolution?

Here is another quote that helps my thought pattern…

“Don’t expect everyone to do everything, but expect everyone to do something.”
– Laurie David, Global Warming Activist

It’s a matter of putting a bit more effort into the proactive rather than the reactive. For instance, the same energy it took to roll down the window, and use muscles for the toss, can be redirected into something as simple as, oh I don’t know, keeping it in the car until you reach a trash can and/or recycle bin.

I wonder how some of these individuals would feel if Mother Nature drove to their house and threw some trash on their lawn. Or, if someone threw a lit cigarette through their living room window and it falls onto their living room rug. I believe it would be safe to say that individual would be the first to complain about how wrong it was to do those things.

It only takes a few proactive actions to get the ball rolling in the right direction folks. If you’re already doing that, congratulations and thank you. If you’re not, then start doing things that make a difference. You have an amazing ability to make proactive choices and it feels great!

“No matter how insignificant you think your proactive action is…
it matters to someone or some thing.”
– Greg Ugolini

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Did you see or read “Back to The Future”? One of the characters, named Doc, fuels his flying car with banana peels, pop, etc. Are we there yet? No. However, alternative fuel sources like cellulosic ethanol may become more prevalent in the next few years. In fact, there are already several companies manufacturing it in the U.S.

What is cellulosic ethanol anyway? It’s a carbon-neutral biofuel (energy source) made from plants. Unlike corn-derived ethanol, it makes good use of the entire plant structure. That means we can make more ethanol when combining methods of corn and cellulosic forms. This can decrease our dependency on oil and increase the potential of a feed crop distributed for non-energy use (to feed the hungry for example).

How can that be possible? We don’t need to cut down trees and plant crops to get there. Think of all the people that have trees that have fallen in their area due to a storm. We can make them into ethanol. Believe it! Experts have spent at least a decade exploring the possibilities of harvesting source material. It is just a matter of identifying a cost-effective way of doing the gathering. Here’s a short list of material from which you make cellulosic ethanol:

• Perennial grass (lasts 2 growing seasons, or more, after harvesting)
• Scraps from sustainable logging practices and wood mills (wood chips)
• Corn stover (the leaves and stalks left over after harvesting the corn)
• Your tree trimmings and grass clippings
• Straw (stalks of cereal crops)
• Fast growing trees
• Rotten logs
• Hay

What are the benefits? It can lessen the demand on other biofuel sources like Palm Oil. Case in point, logging of rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra has threatened the habitats of, and members of, thousands of species including the orangutan. The methods of clearing include burning which releases CO2 only contributes to the stacking problem of global warming. Using alternative biofuel sources like cellulosic ethanol can help curb the demand on municipal solid waste plants by diverting material that would normally go there.

At what cost? America and other larger consumer countries have already had both a direct and indirect influence on third world countries by driving the demands of related biofuel exports. Will they just swap one product in demand for another? Furthermore, chemicals used in the making of such biofuels, and the manufacturing plants used to make them, need to be safer and greener than the alternative.

Cellulosic ethanol is just an example of where we can source biofuel. Other sources include algae, vegetable oil, and bagasse (the fiber/pulp left over in the process of turning sugarcane to sugar). Can you think of others?

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You may have noticed a trend in the gift card industry…the use of PLA plastic. Yippee! Oh sure, it better to find another way to give a gift that uses fewer resources like an online gift certificate. However, this is certainly a turn in the right direction when considering how popular the whole gift card giving can be.

PLA stands for Polylactic Acid manufacturers derive PLA from renewable sources containing sugar (and sometimes starch) rather than oil like other common plastics. Corn and sugar cane are the primary sources. That’s why you usually see the biodegradable claim on packages made with PLA.

If you are like me, you may have placed PLA into your recycle bin. Good job! Simply placing it in the ground will not cause the PLA to degrade. The average homegrown compost heaps doesn’t have the right conditions for proper composting of PLA. Ideally, it is best to compost it at a facility that monitors the ideal process (including moisture level and high heat levels) needed to break PLA down. During the process, it degrades to carbon dioxide (partially from the microorganisms assisting with the process) and water.  It also seems that many manufactures of PLA are constantly improving their processes and to keep the process as “green” as possible.

Many communities are still working out cost-effective solutions for separating PLA plastic from the traditional PET plastic. When separated in large quantities PLA can also be converted back to its magical ingredient — lactic acid. Neat.

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My excitement for upgrading my old phone to a shiny new iPhone 3G reminds me of the opportunity for cell phone recycling and donation. There are a number of ways cell phone users can accommodate reduce, reuse, and recycle practices.

A few years ago, I was at a friend’s party. I asked for some gum. They opened the drawer in their kitchen and pulled out a pack for me. I wasn’t amazed at the gum’s minty freshness, but rather the small evolutionary depiction of various cell phone models that lay in his drawer. I went home and realized that I also had a few cell phones collecting dust (even a bag phone — I know, I know). I made the decision to hold off on upgrading for a few years. My old phone served its purpose well. I have replaced the glass on the front, patiently watched technology transform from new to old, and dealt with scratches, scuffs, and dwindling battery stamina. Nevertheless, it’s still worthy of recycling.

Each month, Americans throw away millions of “old” cell phones and batteries that find their way to the landfill.  That is bad news when you think of the cumulative effect of toxins that leech into the environment from cell phones and their batteries alone. Only a small percentage is recycled.

Did you know? Some groups provide analog NSI (non-service initialized) cell phones to those in need. These can make outbound 911 calls even though they aren’t tied to a service, provider, or number. It’s an FCC requirement.

The great news: there are a number of ways to recycle your old cell phone. Some companies even give you money when doing so. The amount you receive depends on the company, the type of phone, and its age. Other resources for recycling include cell phone manufactures, your local recycling center, and even local churches and schools have collections every now and then. You can find your nearest drop off location by checking out the call2recycle program.

Just be sure to remove any personal information (i.e., phone numbers, addresses, text history, etc.) before recycling or donating the phone.

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1. Replace traditional plastic silverware and paper plates with a stainless steel set of utensils and ceramic plates. If you must use plastic, utilize a product made from 100% recycled material. Preserve tableware (made by Recycline, Inc.) is made with #5 plastic (polypropylene) that can be recycled and reused. Better yet, it is also reusable and safe for the dishwasher (manual and automatic). It comes in nifty colors too! A fun fact: it’s made of the same stuff used to make some video/DVD cases, backing on rugs/carpets, and even plastic lumber.

2. Use a gas or electric grill instead of charcoal. I know there are some that have vowed never to BBQ or grill with gas. The good news is there are many “green” alternatives to traditional charcoal briquettes that may contain harmful chemicals and even coal dust. Mmm yummy. Look for charcoal made from a number of alternatives like coconut shells, wood mill scraps, sustainably harvested wood, etc. Doing so will help minimize the release of carbon and soot and lower the impact on our forests. Whole Foods sells a few eco-friendly options in the realm of charcoal. You can also find a many brands on the web.

3. Use cloth napkins/towels rather than paper napkins. If you can’t, it is easy to find an alternative made from 100% recycled paper. It does the job just as well (my opinion). A fun fact: if 10% of the households in the U.S. replaced one package of virgin fiber napkins (250 count) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 100,000 trees. That’s a happy 4th of July in my book.

This post refers to several recyclable worthy items. When in doubt, check to see if your local municipality collects #5 plastic with their recycling program. To find resources for recycling in your area you can check out Earth911.org. They make it very easy to find the right spot to fit the need. For example, just type polypropylene and your zip code in their applicable boxes at the top to start your search and the site will provide you with a list of centers that accept the material.

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