Sierra Club Green Home
A few years ago, Sierra Club Green Home explored the question, “Do trash compactors really reduce landfill space?” A few years later, things have changed.
Practically Green is environmental education for the 21st century: “It’s moving it online and going from one-way transmission of information to an interactive, engaging, social experience that is more effective.”
Almost half of the nearly 250 million tons of garbage that winds up in landfills in the U.S. each year could be composted. Curbside food waste collection programs could be the solution.
Do you want to have the best environmentally friendly gifts this year, without the price tag? Here at Sierra Club Green Home, we have an exclusive database of GreenCheck® products and service providers who work hard to bring you the most sustainable products and services at costs that fit all budgets. These GreenCheck® providers are offering promotional codes and discounts exclusive to SCGH readers. Just another reason to visit SCGH.com: SAVINGS!
A new line from Kurtis USA, these eco-friendly sunglasses are designed with handcrafted bamboo frames and polarized mutating lenses (they auto adjust based on UV exposure) made from a natural tree pulp base.
ASPEN, C0 — Once an active silver mine in the early 19th century, Aspen’s Hope Mine recently transformed from a barren, abandoned plot of land to a verdant, restored landscape, thanks to an innovative biochar initiative led by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES).
Misto Sprayers replace traditional disposable cooking sprays, such as Pam and Mazola, which rely on a combination of aerosols, propellants and chemicals. In place of ingredients like Propane and Butane, Misto builds pressure by hand as you push down and pull up on the lid. Misto is a simple addition to a sustainable kitchen! (Photo by Krizzzbeth-20, Flickr)
You’d think a newborn baby would have a fresh start when it comes to toxic chemicals. But chemicals move across the placenta, so a baby emerges with some of the same pollution in its system as its mother. Tests of umbilical blood have detected chemicals that cause cancer and birth defects as well as those that are toxic to the brain and nervous system…
Just over a decade into the twenty-first century, the defining concept of our time is sustainability. In the field of architecture and green building, Sierra Club Green Home explores an emergent movement known as ‘conscious design.’
Washing dishes at the sink can be a Zen-like ritual–or at least a way to get your hands warm and your fingernails clean. But automatic dishwashers have their benefits, too, and not just for the busy and the lazy. Used wisely, modern automatics consume less water and energy than washing dishes by hand.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTES – At the vivid intersection of sustainability and design, Lukasz Siodmok and Andrzej Sapierzyski, founders of LA Design Studio in Poland, have simultaneously captured the attention of environmentalists, automotive enthusiasts, and the art world with their design concept of creating recycled furniture from automotive engineering and high performance art.
All through the year, massive amounts of food are discarded in landfills in the United States. Not just from homes, but from grocery stores and restaurants as well. Much of this food is perfectly edible and, as the documentary Dive shows, still packaged. Why do we as individuals and a nation discard so much food? Is it just an automatic response? Are we too busy to find a happy home for the leftovers? Maybe many people do not think of food waste as a problem, because they assume it will biodegrade in the landfill (it won’t). (Photo by Ericortner, Stock.Xchng)
Guest blog post by Reena Kazmann, Designer and Director of Eco-Artware.com: Everybody likes a good surprise—especially when it comes in “green” gift wrap! As we try to lighten our footprint on the planet, we now substitute imagination for store-bought supplies.
What’s on your eco-friendly wish list? Browse, choose, and enter to win a gift of your choice in the Eartheasy Holiday Sweepstakes!
Ready for the holidays? Give with a conscience this season, and get inspired with these green gift ideas from the editors at Sierra Club Green Home.
Companies seeking venture capital to expand or launch new projects have a tough time of it, particularly green-based companies. More green entrepreneurs are turning to crowdfunding as a viable option to help them succeed.
Traveling brings joy, challenge, excitement, and cultural understanding to our lives. Unfortunately, whether your plane is taking off for another continent or you are buzzing around in a city taxi, fossil fuels are fueling your experience. Although a staycation is a great environmentally friendly option, there are also ways to green your long-distance travel! Bicycle tours, for example, allow you to connect with the local culture, stay active, and conserve resources. (Photo by Livestreets, Flickr)
Why should you use green, eco-friendly cleaning products over the refreshing, aromatic, effective, traditional, yet terrible, toxic, harmful, polluting products that you’ve been using forever? That question almost answers itself.
LOS ANGELES — For eco friendly closet designer Lisa Adams, making a living is all about making a difference. She utilizes green organization techniques and sustainable materials to make closets a space people can enjoy.
Dog waste disposal poses a dilemma to the environmentally friendly pet owner. Leaving the waste on the ground is hazardous, as it may carry E. coli, salmonella, or giardia, and the rain can wash it into rivers, streams, and oceans. Beaches and rivers have been closed to the public due to such contamination. So we need to pick it up. However, instead of taking this organic matter that would eventually degrade on its own, encasing it in plastic bag, and throwing it into an airless landfill where nothing decomposes, you can compost it. (Photos by Jim’s Photos1, Flickr)