Cape Cod Holistic

Rather than whine about how miserable the current outlook for our environment is, you can actually make a lot of difference by starting your own conservation revolution at home. Apart from implementing your own green initiatives at home, it would also help if you write or call your congressmen and senators and ask them to craft environment-friendly legislation. Here are a few helpful tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint at home.

Set Goals To Reduce Energy Consumption

Before revving up your green campaign at home, first determine a baseline to start your energy conservation activity. Make sure you set specific energy reduction goals, for gas, vehicle fuel consumption and electricity. Create a chart for your car’s fuel-reduction objectives, and chart the kilowatts-per hour or thermal readings at home.

Make Changes In The Products Used By Your Family

Some of the products and items you use at home may actually lead to a build-up in your carbon footprint, as well as to a spike in your electricity and gas bills. Remember to buy only energy-saving products where needed.

It would also help if you get your family involved by asking them to make changes to their daily habits. You could ask each of your family members to check all the lights and appliances before they leave at home, and to reduce water use when watering the lawn or washing the dishes and clothes.

Buy Only Green Certified Products

If you’re headed to the grocery or mall, make sure you only purchase green-certified products. Many non-government organizations and consumer groups have a listing of which green-certified products are available today. A product can only be certified as eco-friendly if it is proven to have come from biodegradable sources, or if it was harvested and manufactured using environment-friendly practices.

How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint While Working

There are lots of ways to cut down on energy costs, and reduce your carbon footprint while working. While significantly lowered power costs are one of the many benefits, you and your co-workers can also do more to save the planet.

First, instead of taking the car with you, why not walk, bike or carpool to work? In the workplace, you can also recycle paper, and reuse office supplies.   When shopping for copiers, printers or fax machines, remember to buy only the products that have an Energy Star rating, so that you will know how they efficiently use energy. If you are still using older products in the office, make sure you install a surge protector, so you can quickly power them down at night and on weekends.

Regularly Check Your heating Equipment

Before winter arrives, make sure you repair and do maintenance checks on your heating and cooling units, to enable them to run at peak performance. Always do the routine checks on your heating or cooling equipment, so you will know when to change filters, or spot any leaks.

Introduction to Eco Property Development

The real estate industry has seen a new eco-trend as of late, which renews the way people look at developing homes and properties. The concept of eco property development has indeed become the latest trend in the industry that has come as an effect (although not directly) of the climactic changes and the overall threats of global warming. More and more people have opted to build their dream home in a “green” manner, such as using eco friendly materials to reduce negative impact on the environment.

Aside from building your own home, there are several real estate companies that offer eco properties for sale for those eco-conscious buyers. The trend is catching up to the rest of the world and more people are indeed enjoying this new way of green living. The vast improvement in green technology and the affordability of the properties due to the reduce in costs has made it more accessible to more people. In fact, housing and real estate experts believe that the trend is just starting and it will eventually caught onto some other parts of the world.

Continued Rise of Eco Housing Trend

Whether you are in North America, Asia, or Europe, property buyers seem to be agreeing that an eco friendly property seems to be the smartest choice for them. There are specific dealers available for eco properties, which makes it easier for potential buyers to make their pick.

Nowadays, eco houses have a variety of design and functional options, depending on how you wish to benefit from it. Most are equipped with solar hot water heaters, wind turbines, solar power generators, and wind power generators, among other things. These features also increase the property’s selling potential, knowing how widespread the current consumers’ eco consciousness.

How To Build Eco Friendly Housing

Building an eco friendly property is very simple – it starts off by picking eco friendly or natural materials. Some of the common eco friendly building materials that you can use include straw bale, hemp, FSC timber, lime plaster, cob, wood, and bamboo. Since all of these products are all natural, you need not worry about toxic emissions over time, which is very common among treated or chemically infused products as the chemicals break over a certain period of time.

You can also save tons of money from opting for these building materials, which are far more affordable than traditional materials used for building houses and properties. Indeed, the benefits of opting for eco friendly houses just seem to keep stacking up.

Benefits of an Eco Property

Before you contemplate opting for an eco friendly property, here is a heads up on the benefits you can enjoy:

• An eco friendly property will enable you to cut down on energy consumption, which will automatically reduce your energy bills.
• It introduces a healthier living environment.
• The use of natural materials for the building of your home reduces exposure to toxic substances and other materials that expose you to hazardous elements dangerous to the health with prolonged exposure.
• It will improve general indoor air quality to reduce any sick building syndrome, allergies, and asthma.
• It will greatly improve the state of the environment by stopping causes of pollution. Thus, you can curtail damage caused to the environment and its resources.
• It will also reduce the overall expenses involved in building a home property due to the choice of materials.

Ready to build your own eco property housing? Then, make sure to take note of the above conditions so you can finally embark on this new eco trend.

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In this time of diminishing fossil fuels and the trend toward renewable energy, solar energy has once again taken the forefront of people’s interest. More people are installing solar panels on their homes now, than ever before.

Solar energy is the light and the heat from the sun. Solar energy is free and its supplies are unlimited. There are n air and water pollution caused about by using solar energy. But there is still some impacts on the environment although indirect.

Photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electricity uses silicon and also produce some waste materials. There are also large solar thermal farms and these farms can also be harmful to the environment and desert ecosystems if not properly managed. Read the rest of this entry »

PlanetHugger Boston 2010 is dedicated to educating, inspiring, and empowering children and adults, individuals and families, urbanites and small town folks to come together in their communities and workplaces to create a more sustainable planet for future generations. This year’s PlanetHugger Boston festival will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center on July 24th and 25th.

Well, today is the last day of the PlanetHuggerBoston event. Ed Begley Jr. was the keynote speaker at yesterday’s gathering, which was filled with thousands of excited, holistic minded, eco-conscious souls all pulling together to express their solidarity toward protecting our Earth Mother.

Today you’ll be treated to the likes of Tom Chapin, Rev. Fred Small and Mark Smith, Executive Director of Ocean Explorium as he presents “Sharks in Danger”. Mark will give a presentation and share news about how the crisis in the gulf is affecting these magnificent creatures.

The event is taking place at The Seaport World Trade Center on the water in Boston. Tickets are available online for $10 or $15 at the door.

PlanetHugger Boston speakers include:

	Ed Begley, Jr. Actor/Environmental Activist Turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, Ed has been considered an environmental leader in the Hollywood community for many years. He has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He still serves on those boards, as well as the Thoreau Institute, the Earth Communications Office, Tree People and Friends of the Earth, among many others.His work in the environmental community has earned him a number of awards from some of the most prestigious environmental groups in the nation, including the California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Baykeeper.
	Tom Chapin Entertainer, singer-songwriter and storyteller Tom Chapin (born 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning American musician, entertainer, singer-songwriter and storyteller. He is known for his children’s music, intended for the age group that is too old for Sesame Street but too young for pop music. However, he also writes and performs for adults.
	Rev. Fred Small Senior Minister of First Parish in Cambridge, MA and co-chair of Religious Witness for the Earth A former folksinger and environmental lawyer, Rev. Fred Small is Senior Minister of First Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Unitarian Universalist), and co-chair of Religious Witness for the Earth, a national interfaith environmental network. In March, 2007, Fred was one of the lead organizers of the Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue from Northampton to Boston, Massachusetts. In July, 2007, Grist Magazine named Fred one of 15 Green Religious Leaders worldwide.
	Mark Smith Executive Director, Ocean Explorium Mark’s professional experience includes the comprehensive design, construction, operation and administration of world-class zoological, educational and research institutions. While at Sea World Australia, Mark was responsible for coordinating a team of 60 husbandry and engineering personnel. His role included the design, commissioning and operation of marine exhibits and the coordination of research activities (e.g., capture, assessment, tagging and release of marine turtles; DNA sampling of humpback whales; aquaculture of food fishes; submarine archaeology; etc.). Mark implemented new diving legislation (AS2299-1990) and established a marine turtle rescue and rehabilitation program. Mark started Sea World’s education program and their research and rescue foundation. In his role at the Ocean Explorium, Mark has implemented practices that improved the safety of Australia’s beach protection program, reducing by-catch of humpback whales, dolphins, dugong and marine turtles. He initiated and co-organized the 1st International Elasmobranch Husbandry Symposium and was senior editor of the seminal Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual. At present, Mark is executive director of the Ocean Explorium—where he coordinates the activities of the entire center; mission, institutional advancement, management, education programs, research, marketing, etc.—and he is also a principal of cosestudi, a firm that specializes in the design and implementation of living and non-living centers / exhibits around the globe.

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According to the survey of the Natural Marketing Institute, there are Americans which they considered as LOHAS or those following and practicing lifestyles of health and sustainability.  About 63 million Americans are considered to have this kind of lifestyle.  These consumers are the perfect reason to establish a green business.

These people are intent on keeping a healthier and greener lifestyle and according to Fast Company are willing to spent more than 20% just for greener alternatives.  They are not the only target consumers.  There are also moderate green consumers who are willing to spend on clean and healthier alternatives based on the price and from time to time.

For entrepreneurs who are thinking of venturing into green opportunities, it is important to understand market trends.  There are leading products that consumers consider important to be natural or green. Aside from that, there are services which are important to keep people and the environment healthy and clean.

Here are some ideas that you can consider when looking for a business opportunity.

•    Trash disposal.

Everybody has trash that they want to be removed.   According to EPA statistics, there are about 245.7 million tons of rubbish disposed by Americans in 2005. Homeowners, businesses and even construction sites need to remove or dispose their trash.  About 10 million computers a year end up in dumpsites.  Cell phones, tone cartridges and electronic items are dumped.  Paper recycling entrepreneur can earn as much as $100,000 every year.

Small items and scraps could be recycled and used again. For example, collecting soda cans and papers, dropping and sorting them in recycling centers can already help you earn bucks.  Learning how to collect large numbers and identify what would be valuable from other people’s trash could pave the way as a recycling entrepreneur.

•    Selling organic products.

The demands for organic products are increasing.  In the United States, organic food and beverages sold an estimated $20 billion in 2007, according to the OTA Manufacturer Survey in the same year. The sales for 2009 reached $26.6 billion, achieving 5.3% of growth.

In the OTA Manufacturer Survey of 2009, the food industry only generated 1.6% of growth.  But organic food sales grew 5.3% which indicates that even if the economy is difficult, consumers are still trying to make smart choices and trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Organic non-food items like cosmetics and toiletries have earned $634 million which is about 35% of the entire non-food sales of 2009.

Such demand makes it ideal to explore venturing into this business.  There are different organic food and non-food starting kits available for beginning entrepreneurs.  The internet lists different organic companies which could be contacted for enterprising or retailing.

•    Organic and healthy restaurants

According to a recent survey, about 80% of Americans consider themselves environmentally aware and concerned.  The GRA or Green Restaurant Association said that there is a growing trend that instead of just eating outside, Americans also want to do something good, too.  Why not do two things in a GRA certified restaurant?

In fact there are some restaurant owners who would say that having their restaurants GRA certified was able to attract more customers and solidify their relationship with existing customers.

•    Green buildings

Green construction is another great business idea.  Homeowners and building managers are showing interest in practicing constructing methods that are energy efficient and green.   According to the Green Building Market and Impact Report released in 2009, the growth of green construction is getting steady.

Energy auditing is part of green construction and building.  Allowing you to identify areas/ appliances in your existing home or building that could be changed to become more energy efficient.

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