Boo: Cotton Industry Commercial

Cotton Commerical - Goodbye

The commerical says, “Goodbye Mystery Fabric, Hello Cotton.” Great. That’s not the message I saw when I watched it. I saw people throwing clothing - usable clothing, good clothing - in the garbage. According to this article, over 145 billion pounds of recyclable clothing is sent to landfill each year. So many useful items that could have been donated to a resale/thrift store. Goodwill takes unsaleable textiles and sells them to textile recycling centers.

Annually, textile recycling removes 2.5 billion pounds of consumer clothing waste headed for landfills. This is an average of 10 pounds per American, but it barely puts a dent in the amount that goes to waste.  Almost half of the garments reclaimed by textile recyclers are exported to Third World nations to clothe the world’s poorest people.

We’re not even going into traditional cotton (which uses about 25% of the  all insecticides).  If you want to read stats on cotton - this is a good resource.  Anyway - watch the video above - lemme know what you think?  I don’t think it’s a very good message…I know that I’m probably being too nitpicky.

Source: North Texan Online

Brazilians Buy Local: Amazon Condoms

The Amazon rainforest is a victim of deforestation.  Yes - that’s OFN (see urban dictionary if you don’t know that acronym).  In an attempt to provide some economic incentive to keep the forest intact, the Brazilian government is opening a condom factory.  The government is trying to get people to “buy local” and displace about 100 million condoms that the country currently imports.  They currently give away condoms for free as part of a national program to combat HIV/AIDS. 

According to Reuters, the latex comes from the Chico Mendes reserve, named after a conservationist who was killed in 1988 by ranchers.  More than 550 families will earn a total of $1.3million annually from producing condoms.  That’s a good income in that part of the world.  The Brazilian government, the single largest buyer of condoms, also says that these will be the first condoms produced from latex harvested in a tropical forest.  Maybe that will add some extra passion to your action…or give a new meaning to “jungle love.”  I have to imagine that just because they are from the Amazon, they aren’t all “amazon” sized. 

The Time - Jungle Love

Source: Grist, Reuters

Dell Headquarters Powered With Clean Energy

Dell’s 2.1million square foot headquarters is now powered entirely by “clean” energy.  60% of the energy is coming from TXU’s wind farms.  The remaining 40% comes from Waste Management’s landfill gas-to-energy plant.  These initiatives let Dell meet its 2008 carbon neutral committment. 

If you’re not familiar with landfill gas-to-energy plants, it’s pretty interesting.  A major problem with landfills is that they are filled with methane gas.  Methane is way worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas affecting climate change.  Many landfills burn off the methane as it escapes from stand pipes.  Waste Management has several plants around the country where they are taking that methane gas and turning it into electrical power.  Geneva, IL - just down the street from me - gets 10% of its power from gas-to-energy conversion.

As an IT manager in my day job, I’m happy to see Dell making these moves.  I am hogtied to using Dell products and I am happy to know that they are trying to do their part for the environment.  In addition to these recent moves, Dell also will recycle anything that they make.   On top of that, my laptop, the Inspiron D630, was rated by PC Magazine as one of the top green notebook pcs.

“We’re very pleased that our Austin Community Landfill’s gas to energy project will play a key role in Dell’s commitment to using renewable energy. This project is part of our company’s environmental initiative to increase the production of waste based energy. Today, we create enough energy for the equivalent of 1 million homes each year and by 2020 we expect to double that output, producing enough energy for the equivalent of more than 2 million homes,” said David Steiner, chief executive officer of Waste Management, Inc.

“This is yet another example of TXU Energy’s commitment to offering renewable power choices that are good for business and the environment,” said Jim Burke, chief executive officer for TXU Energy “TXU Energy is dedicated to improving our use of renewable power and encouraging greater energy efficiency, both of which help preserve our environment.”

“For Dell to partner with Waste Management and TXU to source renewable energy on this scale is great news,” said Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group. “Greening the company’s Texas operations not only underpins Dell’s bold carbon neutral commitment but helps drive clean energy investment and tackles climate change.”

Source: Dell Blog, Dell Press Release

Beep Beep! Roadrunner Shower Head Review

Evolve has a shower head called the “Roadrunner.”  It’s a lower-flow shower head at 1.59gpm.  I had been using a shower head that was under $10 - that was basically an aerator - kinda like this one, but without the shut-off.  The old shower head worked well.  It had an output of 1.5gpm - I even timed it and measured out the water once.  The only issue was that since it was so stubby, the water seemed to spray all over the place.  I wasn’t necessarily looking to replace my aerator one, but I read about the Roadrunner from Evolve and it sounded interesting.  I emailed them to ask questions about it when I first read about one in February.  They graciously sent me one to try out. 

One unique feature of this shower head is the Showerstart™ technology.  I was never one to run the water and do other things while it was heating up, but I guess some people do.  So here’s how it works.  You turn on the shower.  When the water reaches 95°F the water shuts off to a trickle.  Now I turn on the shower, and I get out my toothbrush and stick it under the cold water.  I fill up a glass with some water coming out and I brush my teeth while the shower is heating up.  As soon as it gets to that magical number, the water shuts off waiting for your nakedness.  When I’m ready to get in the shower, I pull the rip cord - a little cord that hangs from the shower that starts the water back up again.  You want to make sure the water is the right temperature so you don’t burn yourself. 

Yeah - Showerstart™ technology sounds like a gimic.  It’s actually kinda nice.  This shower head is pretty cool.  The water pressure is great for me.  The water flows nice and evenly now - it’s not spraying wildly.  I’ve waited a bit to write this review because I wanted my wife and I to get ample use out of it to make a sound decision.  This shower head is staying put in our house. 

I had a bunch of questions for the company when I first emailed them.  One nice feature would be the ability to pull the cord again to turn the water off.  You could turn the water  while lathering up, shaving, or whatever.  There is a work around for this.  Just turn the water off and right back on.  The water will already be above the 95°F and be at a trickle.  I shave in the shower, so this is great.  I can turn the water off, shave, and resume easily by pulling the cord.  I also asked for a clarification on “low flow” vs “lower flow.”  Technically, anything below 2.5gpm is “low flow.”  Evolve uses the term “lower flow” because they are significantly below the 2.5gpm.

Evolve is based out of Scottsdale, Arizona.  It’s always nice to see companies in an arid region like the southwest developing products that promote conservation.  So much water is wasted in this country.  Technology has come a long way since that famous Seinfeld episode called “The Shower Head.”  Don’t be afraid - the water pressure will be fine.  You can adjust.  You don’t need your old 3.5gpm shower head.  The water usage at our house has dropped significantly.  Not only from the shower head, but from things like our rain barrels and just general conservation.  Every site I check has a different number, but the average American uses about 110 gallons of water every day.  My household is at about 35gal/day/person.  That may change as our children get older, but I hope that they will be smart enough to conserve.  I’d think that if we switched to a front load washing machine, we could reduce our water usage even further.  Starting with a shower head and new aerators in your faucets is a very easy DIY project that can make a difference.  The Roadrunner is only $40 at most places online.  You should recoup that money in the first year of use.  A 1.5gpm shower head will give you a 40% savings over the standard.  Give it a try! 

Still on the fence?  The folks at Evolve also sent me a white paper that goes over many considerations people should consider when choosing a lower flow shower head.  I’ve attached it here for everyone to check out - Choosing Lower Flow Shower Head

Go Green, Live Rich: New David Bach Book

Author of five books on the New York Times Best Seller list, David Bach, has a new book coming out.  You may know him from his wildly popular book, Automatic Millionaire.  His new book is titled Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Ways to Save The Earth (and Get Rich Trying). 

David Bach has teamed up with Waterkeeper Alliance.  Waterkeeper Allianceis an organization dedicated to keeping America’s waterways clean and free of pollution.  If you buy this book from now until April 11th from his microsite, GreenGreen.com, David will donate $1 to Waterkeeper Alliance for every book sold.  So if he sells 100,000 copies, then Waterkeeper Alliance gets $100,000.  That’s huge.  On behalf of his company, he’s already donated $50,000 to the Waterkeeper Alliance last year.

As an added bonus, David has also joined forces with Gaiam.  Gaiam will plant a tree for each of the first 1,000 books sold via greengreen.com. 

There are also a ton of prizes you can win for buying the book through their site through April 11.  This includes a trip to Mexico - not too shabby.  You can win tickets to the Green Festival, the Go Green Fest in NYC, a SIGG prize basket, ebooks, and a bunch of other cool stuff.

Said David Bach, “I am honored to join forces with Waterkeeper Alliance and Gaiam in seeking to raise public awareness of the importance of fighting against environmental destruction and climate change, to raise the money needed to accomplish that goal, and to remind people that through our individual actions, however small, we each have the power to make a difference to the long-term health and survival of our planet.”

Here are some quick numbers from the book:

• You can save ~$72/yr by using low-flow showerheads and turning off the water when brushing your teeth
• Buy some groceries in bulk when you can, reducing packaging and cost to yourself
• Improve your car’s fuel economy and save ~$884
• Seal leaks in your home and save ~$129
• Bring your lunch to work and save ~$2,250

To be honest with you, I haven’t read the book yet.  I plan on picking up a copy and checking it out.  I don’t believe that he’s just out to greenwash us.  He picked up the passion when he moved into a green building.  His allergies improved and his sons asthma start getting better, too. 

I was hoping to find some information on how this book was printed and distributed, but haven’t as of yet.  I’ll try to track that down and include it in a future book report.  I want to know if it was printed on recycled paper with no chlorine and soy based inks, etc.   Anyway - check it out and maybe you’ll win some cool green prizes.  I’m sure you’ll pick up quite a few tips and tricks along the way.

For full disclosure, I am receiving a comp copy of this book.  After my wife and I read it, we plan on passing it along to a loyal reader.

Source: GreenGreen.com

Neti Pots Are Nasalicious

The song “Lollipop” is ringing in my head, but instead of the word “lollipop,” it’s “Neti pot, neti pot, neti pot…”  I’m not sure how many of you, if any of you, use a neti pot.  It sounds kinda gross, but isn’t so bad.  Jala Neti is the official term for this nasal irrigation technique.  You take this little “genie” lantern looking pot and fill it with a salt water solution (you can buy kits, little tubs of special salt, or you can make your own solution).  Then you take the neti pot filled with warm salt water and shove it in a nostril.  Next you tilt your head and pour.  Water should start coming out the other side. 

So here’s the story.  My wife is into yoga and has been thinking about getting a neti pot for a long time.  She’s seen it on TV and from her yoga instructor.  She has sinus and allergy issues, so she figures that this can’t hurt, right?  The warm water flows into your sinuses and flushes them.  Ahh - you can breathe clearer.  She finally bought a neti pot about two months ago.  To be honest, it has intrigued me, yet kinda scared me at the same time.  At first, she struggled a little bit.  If the water doesn’t flow as planned, it can kinda make you feel like you’re being drowned (or waterboarded from the US government).  Who doesn’t like that drowning sensation, right?  She gets the process down after a while and is using the pot regularly each night and she feels great after.

I finally break down and think about the line from Risky Business where the then some-what-normal Tom Cruise says the line, “sometimes you just have to say ‘what the f..k’.”  So I say, “WTF!”  Let’s do this thing.  I get everything out and shout out the bathroom door to my wife, “how much salt do I put in this thing?”  I put in the required one tiny scoop and fill the magical lantern with warm water.  In my mind, I’m thinking that I’m going to start choking and semi-drown while my wife is in the next room laughing at my failure.  It’s go time.  I tilt my head and start to pour.  I can feel the water percolate throughout my nasal cavity and slightly drip saline in my throat and then all of a sudden water is freely flowing out my other nostril.  It’s fantastic.  I must have the magic touch or just be lucky because I stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.  I do the other side with the same ease, just staring in the mirror as the water flows like a Japanese water feature. 

I recommend giving it a try.  It’s really not that bad and you feel great afterwards. 

Al Gore Denounces Global Warming

In a shocking turn of events, Al Gore has decided to change his views on Global Warming.  He believes the scientists are all wrong and they are just making this “nonsense” up to make money, the same as he did.  In a statement released this morning, Gore says “I thought that the science was compelling enough that I could lead the country into believing this crap.  I saw a cash-cow sitting in front of me and now I’m rich, bitch!”  He went on to say “I can’t believe that I had so little resistance to “the facts” about global warming.  Who cares about a bunch of friggin polar bears in the Antarctic?  I know that I could have milked this for years to come, but I just didn’t feel right and I’m rich enough already.  I mean, come on - like melting polar ice caps means anything to me.  I’ll be dead by the time I see ‘climate change.’  I even had Oprah telling people to change a light bulb and the world would be a better place!  Haaa.  Suckers.”

 It will be interesting to see how the world takes this news!

UPDATE (10:30pm): Well - as you know - April Fools!  Thanks for being loyal readers.