Top Environmentally Friendly Companies

It seems like companies across the world do not care about the environment because they are too focused on profits, but there are some companies who really do care. Here is an article that describes what some of those companies are doing to help our environment. The link is just below.

Top Environmentally Friendly Companies

Saving Our Water Supply One Person At a Time

This is a good article about how one person can save a lot of water that would otherwise be wasted by draining down the sewer. If only 1 out of every 100 people did what the article suggests, then we could save 100 billion gallons of water a year. This is one article you need to see.

Saving Our Water Supply One Person At a Time

Going Green - The Sequel

We are all implored to do the simple things to go green. The media and blogs, like this one, tell us it is quite simple to go green. Just put in new CFL bulbs, don't run the water when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, do not water your yard when the sun is up, and on and on and one.

What can we do to go to the next level? Are there things we can do that take a little more effort? Let's take a look at some of these things.

1. Paint with low or no VOC paints which will put less harmful irritants into the environment.

2. Buy a push mower or an electric mower. Of course, this is probably a better option for people who have smaller yards. Even better, go to a xeriscape yard and cut out the need to mow or water.

3. Buy energy star rated appliances. Did you know that purchasing an energy star rated washer will pay for the accompanying dryer in short time?

4. Buy produce from a farmer's market to help cut down on transportation costs in delivering produce from far away markets.

5. Build a rain catchment system so that you can recycle all that free rain water that would otherwise drain away. This is a great way to provide needed water for your yard, flowers, or gardens.

6. Replace your energy hogging windows with energy saving ones.

7. Only use non-toxic pest control.

8. Finally, take a shower with someone else. This one is fun and saves a lot of money so you can't get better than this one.

Tell me some of your green efforts.

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition

I found a really cool book that many people rave about and I checked it out.  The book is called 

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition And It Is In Hardcover Format. If You Are Into This Kind Of Thing, And You Probably Are If You Are Reading This, Then You Might Want To Get A Copy Of This Book.

Here is the description that Amazon gives about the book: Anyone who wants to learn basic living skills—the kind employed by our forefathers—and adapt them for a better life in the twenty-first century need look no further than this eminently useful, full-color guide. Countless readers have turned to Back to Basics for inspiration and instruction, escaping to an era before power saws and fast food restaurants and rediscovering the pleasures and challenges of a healthier, greener, and more self-sufficient lifestyle. 

Now newly updated, the hundreds of projects, step-by-step sequences, photographs, charts, and illustrations in Back to Basics will help you dye your own wool with plant pigments, graft trees, raise chickens, craft a hutch table with hand tools, and make treats such as blueberry peach jam and cheddar cheese. The truly ambitious will find instructions on how to build a log cabin or an adobe brick homestead. 

More than just practical advice, this is also a book for dreamers—even if you live in a city apartment you will find your imagination sparked, and there's no reason why you can't, for example, make a loom and weave a rag rug. Complete with tips for old-fashioned fun (square dancing calls, homemade toys, and kayaking tips), this may be the most thorough book on voluntary simplicity available. 2,000 color photos and 200 black-and-white illustrations.

Of the 95 reviews that the book has received on Amazon, 92 of them are 4 or 5 stars.  That is an amazing review record so you know it is a good book.  

If you want to read more or find out more information about this really cool book, then click the link below. You will really find out what the book can do for you by reading all of the reviews.

What Are The Top Green Cars in America?

2012 Ford Focus Electric

Going green is big in America right now.  One of the most visible ways of demonstrating that you are green is your car.  Manufacturers are pushing the greenness of their cars more than ever before.  We did a little look into the cars that are considered the greenest in America.  There are a number of different sites claiming to know which cars are the greenest.  They almost all come up with the following list of 5 cars:

Toyota Prius - This car has been chosen the greenest car in America 7 years in a row by Consumer Reports.  It gets over 50 mph.

 Ford Fusion Hybrid - This is the most expensive Fusion of all and USA Today says it is the best hybrid built in America.

Honda Insight - The Honda Insight is not as fuel efficient as the Prius but is less expensive.

Honda Civic Hybrid - This car looks like the regular Civic and gets about 42 mph. It is routinely rated as the safest car on the road.

Ford Focus Electric - The Ford focus Electric is a 2012 car and it is in limited production but it takes no gas and that is pretty green.

Green Electricity Guide for Beginners

Thanks to our friend Big Green Web for this wonderful explanation of green electricity and the way it can be delivered through hydroelectricity, geothermal, solar, and wind power.  This will give you a nice brief explanation of these green ways to deliver electricity to the masses.

Green Electricity – A Guide For Beginners

By: BigGreenWeb

Green electricity can be delivered in a number of ways. First, let’s take a look at one of the most widely used sources of green electricity in the world.

Hydroelectricity has an advantage over many kinds of green electricity for being the longest-running source of green electricity. There are hydroelectric plants around the world that have been operating for more than 100 years. Hydroelectric power is currently experiencing a resurgence of growth in areas of the world like Asia, with China currently taking the lead in development.

Hydroelectricity is the conversion of water energy into electricity. In the simplest of terms, hydroelectricity works by utilizing the gravitational flow of water to meet and turn turbine blades. The turbine drives a rotor in a generator that produces electricity. Many hydroelectric plants are associated in the public mind with huge hydroelectric dams, although plants using straight river flow also generate hydroelectricity. Hydroelectric power is commonly believed to be one of the cleanest methods of producing green electricity.


Geothermal power is another source used to generate green electricity. Geothermal power uses the natural heat from below the planet’s surface to create and capture steam. There are several ways of achieving this. One is to simply pipe out the natural steam from under the earth’s surface and use it to run steam generators that generate electrical power in much the same way as hydroelectric generators. Another process is to run water through pipes under hot magma rock. The magma super heats the water in the pipes into steam and the steam is used to drive electric generators.

The most widely subscribed source of green electricity is solar power. In using solar power, photons are collected by the sun. The photons generate DC electricity. In most solar energy systems, the DC electricity is converted into AC electricity through the use of a device called an inverter. The electricity generated through solar energy can be stored in batteries. In residential applications there are usually two kinds of solar power options available. One is called bill reduction, and is used to supply electricity back to your grid. Your electric company then discounts your bill according to how much electricity you generate with your solar panels. The other residential option is blackout protection, wherein your green electricity is stored in batteries and used in case of a power failure.

Another kind of green electricity is produced by wind power. Wind is air in motion created by the sun’s uneven heating of the earth. Wind turbines use blades to collect the energy of the wind. Similar to hydroelectric power and geothermal energy, the wind is used to turn a rotor that drives an electric generator.

Green electricity is constantly evolving and there are other ways of generating electrical power from green sources. One of these is wave technology, in which the ocean is used as a source of electrical power generation.

Certainly, green electricity is the trend of the future, as more and more consumers are turning away from the environmentally degrading use of fossil fuels to clean energy driven electricity.

To learn more about ways to go green, save money and help the planet, go here to receive a FREE green living tip delivered to your email inbox daily: Green Living Tips
Article Courtesy of Green Living Article Directory

A Checklist for Buying or Renting a Green Home

This is a great article by our friend Paige Green that details a little bit of information on buying or renting a green home.  It is a great start if you are interested in making your home make a difference.


A Checklist for Buying or Renting a Green Home

Author: Paige Green

Looking to buy or rent a green home? These days, lots of green homes are going on the market as sellers and landlords recognise they're in demand. But how is one to know which homes are truly green?

Here's a checklist of features to look out for and questions to ask to determine the green quality of your next home:

Eco Home Tip #1-  Location Location Location - pick a location that's convenient and easy to get to. Close to shops, amenities and public transport will reduce the amount of emissions that come from getting around. Inquire about the council's recycling program.

Eco Home Tip #2 -  Orient yourself with the right orientation - If a house is to have good eco principles, it will designed with the right orientation. This means that the living areas will face due north, to make the most of the winter sun while allowing the hotter summer sun to pass overhead. Sleeping rooms, meanwhile, will be oriented towards to the South to capture cool summer breezes.

Eco Home tip #3-  Cosy is not a four letter word - Consider how the space is used as much as the size of it. Oversized houses utilises more resources in both construction and maintenance, while smaller dwellings are cleverly conceived can feel quite spacious.

Eco Home Tip #4 -  Inquire about insulation - Ask about the insulation. Higher R values means the house will better protected against extreme weather elements. See if the windows are double glazed. While you're at it, ask about other green home features such as solar panels and solar hot water. Make your message loud and clear!

Eco Home Tip #5 - Good green help - There are a few green realtors who specialise in green listings. Check the Green Pages green directory for real estate agents who will help you find the perfect green home.
The important thing is to ask before you buy. Even if the real estate agent can't tell you upfront, it's important to let the market know that buyers and renters are looking for this bit of information. While no single home will have all of the sustainable features listed, at least you can get a clear picture of what the potential home has to offer.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/checklist-for-your-next-green-home-855569.html
About the Author
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