Archive for January, 2009

Cleaning Green with Any Budget

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

Switching to green alternatives is not as wallet-draining as it once was.  One of the reasons I wanted to start Green Crawler was to erase the notion that all green products are too expensive.  In fact, one of the key attributes of being “green” is using fewer resources without taking away from the life we’ve grown accustomed to.  This starts in the kitchen.  In a segment from The Early Show, author David Bach (Go Green, Live Rich), discusses how we can switch to green cleaning products and ultimately use less of them.  Instead of having 5 different cleaners (one for the stove, one for the mirrors and windows, one for the counter tops, etc.), we can use one all-purpose, plant-based cleaner.

As prices of green products continue to drop, we can now replace plastic bags with biodegradable “green” bags that are designed to biodegrade within two years, for the same price.  We can replace paper towels with recycled-paper towels for the same price and we can use home remedies like baking soda and water to clean drains, instead of hazardous products like Draino.  It’s a win-win situation.  You will save money, use healthier products, and have less clutter under your kitchen sink.

David Bach’s book, Go Green, Live Rich, discusses his transformation to a greener lifestyle by moving to a green apartment building near his son’s favorite park, only to discover the health benefits and financial savings of this change in lifestyle.

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Climate Change Sparks Urgency

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

How urgent must the world act on climate change? To put it into perspective, the Obama administration has been in office for 8 days, and immediate action is taking place. In order to meet the climate challenge, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named a special emissary earlier this week to forge new international bonds with world leaders to reduce carbon emissions and develop clean energy. Clinton named Todd Stern the principal adviser on international climate policy and strategy, and the chief climate negotiator for the new administration. “The time for denial, delay and dispute is over. The time for the United States to take up its rightful place at the negotiating table is here,” Stern said.

And he is right. Today, former Vice President Al Gore (more…)

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“Green” Cars Highlight the 2009 Detroit Auto Show

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Just a few months ago, if I were to tell you that the Dodge Ram and Ford F-Series would be virtually non-existent at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, you would have asked, “2009!?”  But, that is true.  This year, automakers are doing all they can to portray themselves as the greenest in town.  In years past, companies like Toyota and Honda have led the way at the Detroit Auto Show with hybrid and electric vehicles, but this year, Ford and Chrysler have joined the movement.  While most of the cars are prototypes for the not-too-distant future, we can expect some of the models to be on the market as early as next year.  The cars look slick, futuristic, and most importantly, they look like cars…not little roller-skates (for the most part).

The 2010 Toyota Prius

The 2010 Toyota Prius

Let’s start with the most popular hybrid on the market…the Toyota Prius.  The 2010 model has moved away from the traditional Prius body shape, and has even increased in size.  As for the fuel mileage, the 2010 Prius will have a fuel mileage of 50mpg, compared to the 46mpg in the older model.  It is even quicker.  To solve the complaints that the old models were too sluggish, The new Prius can go from 0 to 60 in 9.5 seconds, due to larger engine displacement.  It will feature (more…)

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Magazines that print on recycled paper…and magazines that don’t.

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Which magazines on the newsstand use recycled paper?  I asked myself this question during my last visit to the local bookstore, because of a few recent statistics that caught my attention.  If the entire North American magazine industry used just 30% post-consumer recycled paper,

  • 1,448,487 tons of wood would be saved, or the equivalent of 10,027,984 trees;
  • 6,275,322 million BTU’s of energy would be conserved, or the equivalent of the energy used to power 68,960 homes in a year;
  • 1,694,830,791 pounds of greenhouse gases would not released into the atmosphere, or the equivalent of greenhouse gases emitted by 153,894 cars in a year;
  • 3,377,016,271 gallons of waste-water would not be produced, or the equivalent of 5,113 Olympic-sized swimming pools; and
  • 760,160,370 pounds of solid waste would be conserved, or the equivalent of 27,149 fully-loaded garbage trucks (seyboldreport.com).
One would think that National Geographic uses recycled paper...

One would think that National Geographic uses recycled paper...

These stats don’t even include the other important factor in a magazine’s supply chain.  The distribution to customers.  Almost 3 billion of magazines on newsstands are not even read…each year.  That is enough magazines, placed end to end, to circle the Earth 20 times (Co-op America).  So, not only do magazines continue to print on virgin fiber paper, they continue to overproduce their publications as well.  But, why would a magazine company overproduce? Wouldn’t they lose money?  You may be surprised.  The magazine industry is one that rewards overproduced publications.  Magazine publishers intentionally (more…)

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Green fashion ain’t your 8th grade art teacher’s fashion anymore

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

Remember that 8th grade art teacher you had?  The one with the Birkenstocks, gray socks, loose cloth pants (probably a wild orange or turquoise color, too), fanny pack and rugged t-shirt with paint all over it.  Well, this same style has been directly correlated with green, all-natural, environmentally conscious – whatever you want to call it – fashion for years.  The notion that you must sacrifice style and trendy fashion concepts if you want to wear clothes that use natural materials and fair labor practices is still ingrained in the minds of mainstream shoppers and fashionistas.  Well, this notion can be put to rest.

Click to view some of the green clothing items featured in Marie Claire's Green Issue

Click to view some of the green clothing items featured in Marie Claire's Green Issue

Marie Claire and Vogue, two of the most respected female-interest magazines, featured green issues within the past year, showing how the “hippy”, non-stylish look of green clothing has been given an extreme makeover at the hands of environmentally and socially responsible designers.  Now, being fashion conscience and environmentally conscious go hand in hand.   Out with crunchy, cloth pants and shirts that look like the one Mel Gibson wore in The Patriot, and in with pea coats made from organic wool and stylish organic jeans from 100% organic denim.  Many new clothing designers are creating runway looks that are environmentally friendly.  Elle Magazine features an annual Project Earth Day Fashion Show (this year, it will be on April 23rd, 2009), in which student designers create eco-friendly styles with fabrics like bamboo and organic cotton, recycled elements, and re-purposed materials.  The new era of green fashion features clothing that people can wear to work or wear for a night on the town.

The fashion universe has really warmed to the idea (more…)

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What’s cheaper than solar, cleaner than coal, and has already proven that it can reduce our energy consumption? Efficiency.

Saturday, January 10th, 2009
This compact flourescent bulb lasts 8 times longer than a incandescent bulb and 75% less energy.

This compact fluorescent bulb lasts 8 times longer than a incandescent bulb and uses 75% less energy.

What is the cheapest, most energy-efficient, new power plant?  One we don’t have to build.  I know…urging energy-efficiency seems redundant, but in a society that continues to waste its watts, redundancy is a necessity.  How important is the current energy issue?  If you checked the newsstand this week, you may have noticed a couple of very reputable current affairs magazines’ featuring front-page stories on the energy and climate crisis.  TIME Magazine and The Economist.  Yes, even with the current tragedy in Gaza making global headlines, Time Magazine’s latest issue features a front-page story that pertains to another crisis…energy.

This story in TIME Magazine by Michael Grunwald caught my attention with its different approach to energy.  Don’t waste it.  We always here the same things…drive less, turn off the lights, turn down/off the heat, and put air in our tires.  (more…)

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Green Crawler introduces new product submission process, as launch nears

Monday, January 5th, 2009

As we approach the launch of our new and improved website, we have now updated the “Add Products” tab on the Green Crawler website.  We have a new data feed process that uses the Google Base format for XML and TSV/CSV files, making the product submission process much more efficient and merchant-friendly.  For now, merchants may create their XML file or they may use their Google Base TSV/CSV or XML file (if you are a current Google Base merchant), and submit their file to info@greencrawler.com.  We will then use the file for testing and add the file to the Green Crawler database, just in time for the upcoming launch.  If you are a merchant, (more…)

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