The Armchair Ecologist » Individual Actions http://planet-u.com/blog Empowering individual actions that create a better planet. Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:56:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Going paper…less trees http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/06/going-paperless-trees/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/06/going-paperless-trees/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:52:19 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=57 Hey we may have another thing in common! Really. We both have been paying bills and receiving a few paper statements that still make their way to our mailbox despite our green efforts.

You can log on to your account and go paperless. And, it is easier than ever. Every utility company, credit card, or other service I interact with now offers this as a convenient option. That is a magic word for humans right? “Convenient.”

This is not necessarily something folks didn’t know, but have you acted on it yet? I have taken advantage of it in the past and recently. Some offer automatic billing and/or they will email you an e-copy of your bill with plenty of lead time before it is due. There are often many options from which you can select. I love it.

Some companies like AT&T will even plant a tree in your honor for going paperless.

Try it…you’ll like it.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/06/going-paperless-trees/feed/ 0 Earth Month revisited http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/05/earth-month-revisited/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/05/earth-month-revisited/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 18:09:50 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=56 I took an oath not to be preachy or make attempts to prod people into making hefty contributions during Earth Month (ya know…April).  That oath was limited to the blog. That did not stop me from promoting it in businesses.

It was very interesting to see how quickly people were ready to contribute when provided with a recycling opportunity within close proximity to where they worked.

The picture below is from one of the break rooms at a large corporation after a week of collection. Everything you see in the box would have made it into the trash and our landfills.

The organization already recycles paper, aluminum, and plastic bottles. For the week-long challenge, people were encouraged to recycle their paper cups and glass bottles.

There would likely have been more on any other week. The reason? Most people also brought in a mug or cup for their favorite beverages to reduce the resources used. Every little bit makes a difference.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/05/earth-month-revisited/feed/ 0 Earth Hour – turn out the lights on 3/27 http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/03/earth-hour-turn-out-the-lights-on-327/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/03/earth-hour-turn-out-the-lights-on-327/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:15:47 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=53 Planet U will turn off all non-essential lighting for Earth Hour, and we encourage organizations and individuals to do the same. This will be awesome!

Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change and toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. 2010 marks the third year of the event, which attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York’s Empire State Building.

Notable U.S. landmarks such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Sea World in Orlando, the strip in Las Vegas, New York’s Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral, California’s Santa Monica Pier and the Space Needle in Seattle are among the hundreds of sites that will turn off non-essential lighting for the hour, in what is expected to be the largest-ever call to action on climate change.

Are you willing to make the 1 hour commitment? Join here (pretty please).

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/03/earth-hour-turn-out-the-lights-on-327/feed/ 0 Fixin’ to pitch that fir (tree)? http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/01/fixin%e2%80%99-to-pitch-that-fir/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/01/fixin%e2%80%99-to-pitch-that-fir/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:13:11 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=52 Although I celebrated this holiday without any tree (live or artificial), some of you had.

If you are like most, you’re now ready to get that beautiful “live” tree out of your home to pitch it. Please remember that many local municipalities have programs that allow you to leave the tree at the curb for recycling.

They will then come by on specific dates to shred the tree. Some areas compost where others use it for mulch. It sure beats sending it to a landfill.

One of my friends even likes to submerge them as structure in ponds that have little shelter for aquatic animals.

Happy new year everyone!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/01/fixin%e2%80%99-to-pitch-that-fir/feed/ 0 Cereal gets serious…with the environment in mind http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/11/cereal-gets-seriouswith-the-environment-in-mind/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/11/cereal-gets-seriouswith-the-environment-in-mind/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:09:11 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=51 Three Sisters Cereal is a newer cereal I started purchasing during my short treks to the local Whole Foods Market. What intrigued me the most… it comes in a plastic bag.

I know, you may be saying to me… “How is that good for the environment?”  Well, that is a good question and I am glad you are challenging the thought process to make greener choices.

Consider the alternative, boxed cereals have a plastic liner. Three Sisters Cereal eliminates the use of paper altogether and uses the plastic for storage. Plus, each bag comes with a handy zip seal that keeps the cereal fresh (I like that a lot).

I have tried three of the six flavors thus far: Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, and Sweet Wheat – all are yummy. And, yes I have a sweet tooth when it comes to cereal mom (hence my choices in flavors).

Want another reason to opt for this brand…Three Sisters Cereal uses environmentally conscious business practices that include recycling and using wind energy to produce their cereals. Woohoo!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/11/cereal-gets-seriouswith-the-environment-in-mind/feed/ 0 Move over trash — hello green! http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/07/move-over-trash-%e2%80%94hello-green/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/07/move-over-trash-%e2%80%94hello-green/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:52:05 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=47 Are you going to participate in a family move or work at a business that is relocating? There can be a lot of trash generated as part of a move. The key is to separate the usable “material” from the “true trash”.

This can include recycle worthy or reusable paper products, office supplies, books/magazines, furniture, plastic containers, etc.

A friend of mine recently went through a corporate move. A friend of mine stepped into action after noticing the company was creating trash piles in an empty office that included the above examples.

What did they do? They called a few local schools and non-profit organizations to see if they wanted any of the spare office supplies that one would have wasted.  It sounds like the organizations were absolutely tickled to have the opportunity to reuse “material” that folks were just going to throw away.

Kudos to you my friend! That is a great example of taking a proactive choice to help people and the environment.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/07/move-over-trash-%e2%80%94hello-green/feed/ 0 A lotto opportunity to help our Planet http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/05/a-lotto-opportunity-to-help-our-planet/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/05/a-lotto-opportunity-to-help-our-planet/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 01:43:49 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=44 I walked to my local convenience store the other day because I had a “sweet tooth”. This time, it was chocolate.

When I approached the checkout counter I noticed that a person (or people) had recently checked their lottery numbers and had discarded the tickets in the trash. There were at least 40 ticket stubs in the trash!

Is this a recycling opportunity? Yes. I have confirmed this a few times in the past for my own benefit and for other folks too. Thought you would like to know.

Lottery tickets printed on paper can be recycled (the ones printed on thermal paper or laminated film cannot).

I normally wouldn’t recommend digging through trash bins. I reached in and grabbed the ones resting on top of a piece of “clean” trash, walked them home, and placed them in my recycling bin.

This message more, or less, gets at the process of opening our minds to recycling opportunities – from sugar sachets/packets, to lottery tickets and everywhere in between.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/05/a-lotto-opportunity-to-help-our-planet/feed/ 0 Happy irthday……ahem…Earth Day! http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/04/happy-irthdayahemearth-day/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/04/happy-irthdayahemearth-day/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:27:56 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=43

No matter what season you are in around this glorious planet, there are always opportunities to give something back to Mother Nature. We often dedicate month’s to focus on specific celebrations or important themes. No reason they can’t carry over into our daily lives…right!

A fiend of mine recently said to her children “…there are enough of your diapers in landfills that it’s time to balance things out a bit!” Way to go!

So, pick up that litter, reuse that paper, plant a tree, adopt a pet. Certainly feel good about the tremendous choice you have to do so. Thanks in advance for helping the planet out folks. You rock!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/04/happy-irthdayahemearth-day/feed/ 0 Spring…into cleaning the environment http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/spring%e2%80%a6into-cleaning-the-environment/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/spring%e2%80%a6into-cleaning-the-environment/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:29:56 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=40 March 20th welcomes the “official Spring” for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere of our beautiful blue planet. Depending on where you live, this can coincide with warming temperatures and a bit of flooding.

There are several places in my area where the snow piles have melted and the floodwaters receded. Both are popular places for trash to collect (both naturally and/or through human influence). Has your keen eye noticed locations like these in your area?

 

It is a great opportunity to go out with a pair of gloves and pick up the litter. I recently scoured my neighborhood in two 10-minute sessions. I dedicate the first wave to gathering trash and the next for any recycle worthy items. I even got a nod from a family in the area and they started their own little clean up too. Nice!

When I finished got exercise and helped the environment. I encourage you to look for ways of taking your Spring cleaning to the next level.

Hope the rest of your week is great!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/spring%e2%80%a6into-cleaning-the-environment/feed/ 0 Free will, ecology, and YOU http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/free-will-ecology-and-you/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/free-will-ecology-and-you/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:56:21 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=39 Your neighbor, your family, your friends, and your partner are not you. Well, duh! Seriously — that is o.k.  You are an amazing creature.

All living and non-living things exist on this planet for better or worse. So, why not make it better. It is important to remind ourselves that we are interconnected and have tremendous power as individuals. You really do have a choice in all the actions you take. It is a matter of changing up a few of your actions along the way to help keep momentum moving in a positive direction. You know, that thing called “free will”.

Complacency is an easy way out and often seen as lazy when faced with the alternative. Being proactive with positive intent is far more rewarding — even if the individual does not realize the beautiful trend that follows. This applies to just about anything. When we give that attention to ecology, think and work smarter with our use of natural resources, or even feeding the hungry —you can literally change the world.

There is an older Public Service Announcement (PSA) commercial from the United States Forest Service with good ole Woodsy the owl. They closed one variation of their message with the phrases:

”Give a hoot, don’t pollute” and “In the city or in the woods, help keep America looking good!”

To this day, Woodsy and Smokey Bear (and other icons) help remind us of how the importance of individual actions. Awareness, education, and action are keys to making this world a better place — for all. Do the right thing…I believe in you!

I said all of that to lead into my surprise when reading the recent poll results conducted at Planet U. Here is the question and the results:

Wowie! Only 17% of folks would actually pick up a can and recycle it. I welcome your comments and I am curious as to what gets in the way of NOT doing that action (i.e., don’t want to carry it around, think others will do it, hello-germs ew!, etc.).

Here is a tip that I do that makes it easier. I fold a piece of paper destined for the recycle bin and put it in my pocket while on walks. When I see a can, or something else recycle worthy, I use the paper as a buffer if it is sticky, dirty, or wet. Then I plop it in the recycle bin. Wait for it…

Ahh what a great feeling!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/free-will-ecology-and-you/feed/ 0