Wednesday, July 9, 2008

It's been far too long since the last blog entry, but it's my goal to get better at producing them more frequently. We've gotten a bit of flack lately that our blog isn't "eco" enough, so amidst my humorous witticisms and sophomoric humor, I'll bend to the will of The Man and include some bits of eco-wisdom and ultra-easy ways to green your life.

Perhaps even a few ways you haven't considered before...


But first, an update on what's cookin' in the world of Factory Green:

1. New Website: FG is having a completely new website designed and it's going to rock! Not even joking. Be on the look out for it towards the end of July.

2. Wikipedia: You know you're ballin' when you've hit "Wikipedia entry status." Check it out HERE.

3. Magazines: Factory Green will be in the September issue of Greenability Magazine! Daniel and Jack will be dressed like members from the Village People (only kidding...or am I...).


I wanted to talk a little bit about a GQ article that I read a few months back concerning just how important the little things are when it comes to reducing one's environmental footprint. One of the astonishing facts about reducing our individual carbon footprint—the standard way of measuring the CO2 emissions each person is responsible for—is that it doesn't take much effort at all to have an immediate impact on reducing the production of greenhouse gases. What's even more mind-boggling to imagine is the cumulative effect on these emissions if enough of us act together in these minor ways.

That's because so much of the way we live our lives is wasteful and, to put it bluntly, thoughtless. It takes nothing to unplug your phone charger, switch off a lamp, take a 5 minute shower instead of a 20 minute one, skip the pre-wash part of the dishwasher cycle, etc. And they all save $$$, which is one of the rather striking things about reducing your carbon footprint.


So we've mentioned before a couple ways to "green-up" your life, but here's a few ways I bet you haven't thought of...


1. Your Death: Eco-friendly funerals. Many private funeral homes are beginning to present eco-friendly alternatives to traditional coffins, including wicker caskets and shrouds (yes, shrouds). Traditional coffins are made of chipboard that is created using formaldehyde which, when cremated, can release toxic gases into the atmosphere. If simply buried, that same formaldehyde and glue leaks into the soil and groundwater.

FG's advice: Die in the desert. You'll fertilize the nutrient-depleted ground with your corpse or, better yet, become the snack of a starving animal.


2. Don't Be a Butt Tosser: There's a myth out there that cigarette butts, when simply tossed on the ground, will biodegrade over time. While partially true, decomposing cigarette butts release harmful chemicals that enter our land and drinking water during their break-down. Nearly 4.5 trillion (that's with a 'T' people) cigarette butts are littered worldwide each year.

FG's advice: Quit smoking. But if you gotta' smoke (?), carry around a 35-mm film canister to store those used butts in until you can discard them properly.


3. Standby No Longer: Leaving one's computer or tv on standby wastes huge amounts of energy. Electronic devices utilize 40% of their full running power while in standby-mode. Each year, the energy wasted in this way is the equivalent of the annual output of 26 power plants.

FG's advice: plug your 'energy vampires' into a power strip and turn it off when not in use.



-Daniel

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