SoGoGreen defines green living as:
 Green living through saving energy, thus reducing our carbon footprint.
Green living through using organic products to reduce chemical proliferation.
Green living through conserving the precious resource of water.
Green living through the use of RRR (rapid renewable resources)
Some of our products are recognized as being environmentally friendly already, and some are innovative and new to the market. As we continue helping with your commitment to a green lifestyle, we will continue to look for new products that benefit the earth. In addition to personally using green products, consider green gifts. If everyone does something to help the environment, we can make a difference. Please share your green living experience with us, and, if selected, we will publish your story.
Decken Glacier, Mt. Kilimanjaro
As is the case with all glaciers, this one is showing the impacts of climate change. According to National Geographic magazine, deforestation also plays a part, reducing moisture in the air, therefore the cloud cover. The higher temperatures increase the number of forest fires, creating a devastating cycle.
|
Can you do without your dryer?
More and more families are finding that reverting back to the days of our parents' and grandparents' laundry habits are saving energy and increasing the life of clothes.
An average family spends about $100 on energy annually for one electric dryer. That's about 2400 lbs. of carbon into the atmospher. OK, so it's not the biggest user of energy in the house - the refrigerator and the washer take that dubious honor. Still, minimizing the use of the dryer is a great way to reduce a home's energy use by about 10%.
A secondary benefit is increasing the life of your clothes. There is a reason why makers of delicate items recommend racks or clotheslines. All of the lint you take out of the dryer trap is part of your clothes, ultimately reducing their life.
If you're not thrilled with the stiffness of some fabrics after line drying, try a little vinegar in the rinse cycle. This or an environmentally safe fabric softener should do the trick. If you have problems with wrinkles, place clothes in the dryer for 5-10 minutes before hanging on a line. Your clothes will smell and feel fresher if you dry them outside, but even indoor lines or hangers work great.
Other energy opportunities:
Have you checked the weather stripping around your doors recently? With winter around the corner, it helps to get rid of those nasty drafts and places where heat escapes. Sometimes electrical outlets or recessed lighting are culprits in energy leaks. Do some "googling" to find a good fix for your situation.
And Finally....
Have you seen all the new electric car models in the works? Everyone is getting in the game - FINALLY! This is great news for our environment and pocketbook. Keep the pressure on your congress persons to encourage the trend. There is no time to waste!
|
About JUCCCE (Joint U.S. – China Cooperation on Clean Energy:
Our rapidly changing environment calls for a dramatic change in the way we use and produce energy.
JUCCCE is a non-profit organization focused on bringing help to the area of greatest concern - and greatest opportunity for impact - China. Vice Minister of Construction Qiu BaoXing says, “We are at war with energy and China is our common battlefront.” Our initiatives are aimed at helping China accelerate 30 years of world experience and development into 10 years. JUCCCE advisors makeup a network of multi-disciplinaryed leaders in energy efficiency and clean energy supply within China and the US.
The JUCCCE approach is strategic yet tactical. Our advisors have identified a roadmap of programs that will deliver near-term results with greatest impact, including green buildings, an efficient industrial sector, smart transportation, cleaner coal and renewable energy. Our programs focus on accelerating information flow within a rapidly changing market, creating models for more energy efficient physical systems, and expanding opportunities for commercialization, technology transfer, sales and implementation of products locally.
Hot, Flat and Crowded
If you haven't read Thomas Friedman's book with this title, you might want to check it out. It is one of the best researched books I have read. Evidence from all over the world surely tells us that we are facing a crisis of too many people, using too much polluting energy, as the earth heats up.
Don't read this if you want a "feel-good" book. Although there are some great case studies of people and companies doing amazing things, we are a long way from solving the problems facing the world today. We need to be better stewards of the planet, including taking care of the rain forests and endangered animals. New energy alternatives need to be developed to eliminate carbon and take power away from the "petro-dictators", who are quickly becoming a security threat to our country. We can't single-threat the solutions - they need to all be tackled in a worldwide inititative.
|
