Hello again hope that all is well, my calendar is telling me that suddenly it’s October - goodbye to another Summer, the build up to the holidays begins and our quest for a greener planet continues unabated. Welcome to issue 5 of the Green Gazette as I cast the net to the bottom of the Green news-feeds and share the best green ideas around and hope that some more catch on.

I’m sure the majority of you have dabbled with Facebook and you may be one of the millions who are fairly addicted. I was a bit like that for a while until I found myself filled with angst to see if somebody I hadn’t seen in 25 years was happy with the new Jacket they purchased with the money they found down the back of the sofa (that was one of the more exciting ones). Some people find the time to post on Facebook 10-20 times per day sharing their opinions of everything and explaining the nuances of their morning commute and dietary habits. I pulled back and now typically only check Facebook once a day…now if you are someone who loves sharing all you do - try sharing the events of your daily existence that have eco-friendly impacts.   Bettersphere lets you do just that - it’s essentially a facebook type application which allows you to share with the world every ‘green’ action you take. You get extra seeds for providing photographic evidence. It’s a fun idea that swings from innovative to cute to completely daft but it all serves a purpose. If you plant the most seeds you can win prizes but apart from that it helps you feel that people value recycling, people are being creative, people are using more public transport. It all comes down to the ideology that no deed is too small. Check out the bettersphere - you might pick up some great tips or just have a laugh. Some of the funniest ones I saw today:

• 30 second shower
• I picked up Minnie’s poop with toilet paper instead of a plastic bag
• Erin and I washed our hair together to save some water

If you’re anything like me you spend far too much time working at your computer and judging by online habits people spend more free time than ever before either surfing, shopping, watching video or playing games. When you combine those two facts it’s not a huge shock to learn that computers now consume 10% of all energy used in North America. (I found that to be an amazing statistic). This blog has put together a genuinely useful list of ways to reduce your computer energy consumption by up to 50%. I recommend you read the piece and implement what you can but for two quick examples: 40% of PC energy use is in standby or idle mode - often called vampire mode - it’s a terrible waste of energy. If you are leaving work, shut down your computer. If you are going to bed, do the same. If you’re eating dinner (guess the rest). Also, when you buy please do so responsibly and read the fine print to see how green your manufacture is. Failing that EPEAT lets you compare online many different green aspects of your purchase before you point and purchase or head to the store.

Next, a topic that makes me want to check the cupboard for cookies….MILK. I still on occasion love a cold glass of milk. I must confess that the milk here (in general) doesn’t taste as good as it did back in England. I always assumed it was the level of processing and that cows ate greener grass back there and left it at that *(sounds about right). I’d suggest you moo(ve) over to Planet Green’s blog and learn some udder facts about ‘green milk’. I dairy say you will be glad you did. Many useful pieces of information there and I am going to try organic milk this weekend and will let you know my thoughts. There has to be some value in the happy cow theory also. I’ve never tried the pure milk option but if you have please drop us a message on the blog.

A few more quick notes to increase your eco-awareness:

Green is not a colour we ideally want our teeth to be but eco-dentistry is a topic getting some press. If you don’t think there’s much that can be done think again, the statistics in this article will amaze you.

If you live in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada or Utah a trip to Phoenix might be ideal this November (and not just for the 80f sunshine). The annual Greenbuild expo takes place in Phoenix Nov 11-13 and it’s the biggest and best ever. Eco-lectures, environmental day trips, vendors (1800! exhibit booths) and people who care about world - plus keynote speaker Al Gore! Take a trip and report back to us!

I’m going to start a new feature soon about ‘eco-inventions/ideas’ and let readers of the blog vote on their weekly favourites.  An example of what awaits you is this upcycled cat bed - half of an old suitcase with eco friendly bedding for your furry friend. He’d jump in there anyway right? That’s all for now.

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Tags: Al Gore, bettersphere, computer energy use, eco awareness, eco community, eco ideas, eco-catbed, eco-dentistry, EPEAT, facebook, facebook addiction, green ideas, green milk, greenbuild 2009, Greenbuild Expo, happy cows, MILK, organic milk, PC energy use, PC use, Phoenix, planet forward, public transport, Recycling, saving electricity, sustainable practices

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