Bike Ride to Work 2010
It’s time to ditch the car and try riding your bike to work. May is Bike Month, so that means there’s no better time to get in shape while do your part to reduce gas consumption and pollution.
Bike Week Events
Cities all across America will be holding events during the entire Ride to Work Week, the week of May 17th – 21st and end with National Bike to Work Day on May 21st. The League of American Bicyclists have a list of events in almost every major city in which you can participate. If you don’t see your city listed or you don’t want to participate in an event, don’t sweat it. You can either ride on your own or get your families, friends and local community involved to participate in your own event.
Even Google is joining in on this even by providing a Google Maps for both the desktop and the Android phone that shows Bike Paths.
Can’t Ride?
There are many out there that don’t feel they could ever ride their bike to work just because it’s too far from their home or their streets are too dangerous. This doesn’t mean you still can’t ride your bike to work. Many people drive part of their trip and park their car in a parking lot and ride their bikes the remainder of the way. Bikes like Montague’s Swissbike are available that make it even easier to bring your bike along without having to have a bike rack.
If you don’t have a bike or don’t have room for one, you can also try carpooling or other ways to reduce you gas usage. You may not get the health benefits like bike riding, but do your part can make a difference.
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Please share if you are participating in Bike to Work Week.
A Greener Way Through Airport Security
On a trip to Florida to visit my family for Mother’s Day this past weekend, I had a bit of a breakthrough. We can all agree that having to pay $5 for a bottle of water that would be $1 or less elsewhere is ridiculous.
But with current TSA regulations dictating that each traveler may only bring liquids that will fit in three-ounce bottles (which then must all fit in a one-quart plastic bag), this is what thirsty passengers have to do once they pass through security.
At least, that is what I used to do before discovering a greener (and very inexpensive) alternative! Sarah Pascarella at SmarterTravel.com recommends bringing an empty water bottle through security to fill at a water fountain on the other side. The TSA website does not explicitly state that empty water bottles may be brought through security, but common sense indicates that, since the current rules regulate liquids rather than the containers that hold them, an empty water bottle would be permissible. So I decided to test Pascarella’s recommendation this weekend and made it through security with my empty water bottle with no trouble whatsoever!
Until a TSA official instructs me to the contrary, I will be bringing my own empty bottle to the airport from now on – and save $5 and avoid having to recycle a newly purchased bottle.
Love at First Sip: The Journey of a Water Bottle
Water. One of the building blocks of life. Aaahhh, how I love thee. I love thee so much that I do not drink you when you are bottled in plastic. Now, thanks to some innovative minds, I can drink thee no matter where I am. Not only will you be delicious but you will also taste like a glass of fresh, cool, and delicious…well, you!
Now my journey to find the perfect water bottle has been a long and distracting one. Initially, I had not grown wise to the dangers of plastic water bottles, nor had I known about metals leaching. I was what you would call, naive in the department of ethical, ecological, and down right smart water bottle etiquette. But today I am happy to write to you all to tell you that I have met my match, and although it may not be perfect, it is the best match that I have found in this lifetime and I am not about to let it go. Yes, I am still talking about water bottles. Sometimes you have to know how many bad apples are out there before you can truly appreciate finding ‘the one’.
It all started with a Nalgene, a plastic, durable, easy to measure Nalgene. Then I read about the dangers of BPA leaching into not only baby bottles, but my own water bottle! I had bypassed disposable water bottles long ago since they provide horrific build-ups in landfills and the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. And truly, who wants to deal with more waste (and plastic)? With tap water being plentiful in the United States, I am opting out of using resources to bottle and transport “portable” water bottles. Why not just wash one I like and plan on keeping (and that doesn’t contain harmful carcinogens)? It doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.
So I graduated from my camp-friendly Nalgene to the new and improved metal water bottle. It was free of BPA, durable, and although I couldn’t measure or see the liquid inside, I was sure that I had really made a better choice. Sip after sip I was reminded of my metallic choice and then a little something in the News happened. Metal = Bad. Uh-oh. Now not all metal is created equal, and thankfully I had chosen a safe option but here is the skinny on metal water bottles.
First, like I said before, they are not all bad so don’t throw yours out (recycle or reuse it is what you were really going to do anyway though) just yet. Now the first distinction is between stainless steel and aluminum. Aluminum is known to leach, so I suggest taking any aluminum cookware and water bottles out of your kitchen. Stainless steel on the other hand is the “good” metal. Yet some water bottle manufacturers were coating them with plastic, plastic that contained BPA. Sigg water bottles, once heralded as the most eco-friendly water bottles in the World was taken down by this fact. They had at first denied the claims, but then realized that BPA was in fact present in their water bottles.
So now what? Two options, first buy a stainless steel, non-plastic coated water bottle (Klean Kanteen has wonderful recycled bottles) or see what these ecological and health concerns have spurred in the realm of innovation. I chose the latter and am pleased to announce the happy union of me and my new, improved (and nearly perfect) water bottle. Please meet my glass water bottle, all 22 ounces of bottle.
Isn’t it beautiful?
Now I will let you in on our little secret…why I love this water bottle so much, and why you just may want to get your own.
First, there really is nothing like a cool glass of water. Honestly, every sip tastes like a fresh glass of water. Now I am not a picky customer when it comes to anything outside of ecological or social standards (then, you may have realized, I definitely am hard to please). So the fact that I noticed the difference in taste means that it must be significant.
Second, it is easy to clean. As much as I loved my stainless steel water bottle, the small mouth made it a bit tricky to really clean. This water bottle has a wide mouth, and since it is glass, nothing is lurking in the shadows.
Third, I have won back the option to measure my drink! Now for some of you this may not be a selling point, but for anyone who mixes things in their water bottle from lemonade to iodine to clean it, this can come in very handy. The large loop at the top provides an easy to grasp handle for anyone. It is made out of plastic #5, the only type of plastic that has undergone extensive testing (and passed) for having a benign effect on human health.
Lastly, the silicone (yes, I know, not perfectly sustainable) protective layer really does work. I can only say that after two months of extensive testing (read: dropping, throwing, stepping on, and accidentally kicking). Once it leaped, yes leaped, right off of my bicycle and was still just fine when I came back for it.
Now to address your concerns before making this (under $25) commitment. First, yes it is slightly heavier than a plastic or metal water bottle. Noticeable? Only a little bit. Honestly after the first two weeks, I didn’t even notice and I carried this water bottle everywhere. Next, like I stated before, I am yet to successfully break the bottle, despite my intentional and non-intentional efforts. Lastly, will you forget it? I got in the habit of putting it in my purse (yes this may be a little heavy for some people), and I haven’t forgotten it since. My stainless steel water bottle had a fifty-fifty chance of making it into my bag. Since this water actually tastes distinctly different it helps trigger my mind in the morning that, yes, I would in fact like to have a fresh drink of water throughout the day.
So if you think you may be equally compatible (it is hard to believe that anyone could possibly love this water bottle more than I) then visit Buygreen.com and pick out your dream color. Yes, it’s true. Even though this water bottle and I are truly meant to be together, I am going to share its ‘digits’ with you, so you too can find water bottle love.
They also sell Kleen Kanteen, for the stainless steel lovers out there, as well as glass baby bottles similar to my dear love, pictured above. So you can explore what bottle love may be for anyone.
Cheers!
The Seven Year Pen
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about money-saving printing tips. But the truth is that I handwrite a lot more than I print. Especially at work. And, as of today, my office is out of pens.
What can we do to replenish our supply of writing instruments in a world in which billions of pens undoubtedly end up in landfills every year? Fountain tip pens are certainly an option, but they can be messy to use and seem to be rather impractical in a modern office setting.
Not using a pen at all is also an option. But imagine talking on the phone with a client and saying, “Excuse me a moment whilst I turn on my computer so that I may take note of your contact information.” Again, in a fast-paced business environment this seems impractical.
Luckily, I’ve found a practical solution that is both greener and, in the long run, less expensive than the conventional pen.
The Seven Year Pen is an invention that rivals the space pen (you know, the pens that write upside down and under water) in coolness. The Seven Year Pen has enough ink capacity to write two meters every day for seven years. That amounts to a little over three miles of writing power! Almost even better than its green cred is the fact that the Pen is comfortable to hold, writes really smoothly, and comes in a different color and design for each person in my office to have his or her own unmistakable Pen.
Now here’s hoping I can manage not to lose my new favorite pen!
Sustainable Snacking?
I have always been a fan of Frito-Lay brand Sun Chips, as I think they are a healthier (and tastier) alternative to potato chips. The last several times that I have purchased Sun Chips at the grocery store, I noticed that the packaging had a little green “e” icon on it. After Googling the little green “e”, I was able to find out that the Green-e logo is actually a carbon offset program created by the Center for Resource Solutions (www.resource-solutions.org). Intrigued, I went to the Sun Chips website to learn more about the company’s commitment to green energy. According to www.sunchips.com, they have one factory that relies on solar power as its main source of electricity. The Modesto, California plant is currently the only Sun Chips factory (out of eight total) that utilizes solar power, but as their website claims, “it’s a small step in the right direction.”
On my most recent grocery shopping trip, I realized that there has been another change to the Sun Chips bag. Now the package advertises that the bags themselves are fully compostable and claim that they will successfully break down in about 14 weeks. Another example of “green washing” intended to draw in socially conscious shoppers? Maybe. But it seems that other companies are now following suit.
Boulder Canyon Natural Foods, which produces All Natural Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, has also introduced a compostable snack bag, unveiled during Earth Day week. Snyder’s of Hanover, not to be outdone by the other companies, has also made plans to market their organic line of pretzels in compostable packaging. According to www.sustainablelifemedia.com, Snyder’s compostable bags will be derived from plant-based materials and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 52% during the production process.
Is the switch to more ecologically responsible packaging due to a consumer demand for greener products or, is this simply a clever marketing tactic that allows these companies to add substance to their green statements? Mother Earth News asked a similar question in the article, “Mother Earth News Finds Compostable Packaging Claims Half-Baked.” After testing several brands of trash bags that were marketed as being compostable, Mother Earth News came to the conclusion that most of the bags did not break down as promised. While the magazine tested trash bags and not snack bags, it makes one wonder how the new compostable snack packaging would fare.
So, what is the bottom line here? If you do not mind the surprisingly loud crinkling of these bags, which makes secret snacking nearly impossible, then I would recommend giving one of these brands a try. If the new compostable packaging lives up to even part of its claims, then there is a clear savings in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and in the amount of waste left behind when you have finished the products. When faced with the choice between a snack packaged in a compostable bag versus one that is made from a petroleum-based material, I know which one I will end up in my shopping basket.
Confessions of a Podcast Addict
I recently wrote a post about how to read books, watch movies, and listen to music for free (courtesy of the public library), and I would be remiss if I failed to mention another great resource that I use on a daily basis and that is also free and easy to use: iTunes podcasts.
Want to learn French? There’s a free podcast for that. Want to listen to a Jane Austen novel? There’s a free podcast for that, too. Want to stay up on the latest environmental news, current events, sports and entertainment information, and last week’s installment of A Prairie Home Companion? Well, you get the idea.
The Apple website encourages its users to “go on a free podcast spree,” and I agree! Jumping in headfirst is a great way to learn more about podcasts or, if you’re a podcast pro like me, to discover new ones. Simply download iTunes (for free here), and you’re on your way.
Two of my favorite podcasts are KCRW’s The Score (weekly sports commentary by Diana Nyad) and NPR: Story of the Day. If you have a moment, please share your favorite podcasts in the comments section! I am always looking for new ones to listen to on my iPod during my daily commute.
Spring Cleaning Giveaway Winner!
The winner of the Naturally It’s Clean cleaning products is Susan. Susan will get their six top cleaning products kindly donated by Denny and Mike. Even if you didn’t win, be sure to check out all of Naturally It’s Clean products.
Thanks to everybody that participated in this contest. If you haven’t already, please sign up for my Email and RSS Subscription service to get all the latest articles, contests and news on my blog.
