How Do You Start To Live Green?

Here are some tips that will help you to start to live green. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy most of these are to implement.

• > Re-use your grocery store bags. Or better yet, get a "bag for life" and use that each visit.

• > Is your car journey really necessary? Or could you walk instead?


• > Turn off un-needed lights and appliances. "Standby" is useful but you'd probably be shocked at how much power it uses. Turn appliances off at the socket instead.


• > Turn off your computer's monitor when you're not using it. Screensavers only save the screen from having a pattern burned into it. Energy saving options in Windows still use energy - switch it off (the switch is likely accessible and easy to find!)


• > Eat local food. And rediscover the seasons! We've got a wide range of food available year round but should you really be eating a bowl of strawberries that have traveled half way round the world in the middle of December? If you've got a farmer's market locally, give your taste buds a treat and shop there.


• > Buy what you need when you're shopping. The supermarkets exist to tempt us into buying more than we need with constant special offers, designed to load up our houses with unnecessary extras. Take a list when shopping and stick to it. You'll throw less food away and have a clearer kitchen as well as a clearer conscience.


• > Car share where possible. Talk to your neighbors or colleagues at work - there's a high chance you're making the same journey at about the same time. Share the car and the gas costs.


• > Adjust your heating and air-conditioning. Even a degree will make a difference to your bills and after a day or so, you won't notice the temperature difference.


• > Replace worn out appliances with more energy efficient ones. But unless your current one is really bad, don't buy a new appliance just to save in the future.


• > Recycle your waste. Most areas have recycling schemes. But don't make a special journey just to recycle.


• > Use rechargeable batteries. The initial cost will soon be outweighed by a lower toll on your wallet as well as on the environment.


• > Wash your clothes at a lower temperature. Better yet, throw out the detergent and use EcoBalls instead. I've been using them for several years now and always get good results.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com

Thunderbird Pays It Forward to the Enviroment

The time to act is now. Don‘t let another “Ondoy” happen!

Join our tree-planting activity simultaneously happening on October 24 in both Rizal and Poro Point properties. Three hundred fifty (350) trees will be planted to signify our commitment in reducing our carbon footprints.

October 24 is the International Day for Climate Action, with hundreds of activities expected to take place. Solving the climate change crisis means first and foremost taking action in our own lives and in our own communities. Science tells us that unless we reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, runaway climate change is unavoidable.

Here are ten reasons why you should partake in this tree planting activity:

1. Trees save energy and money. Just three trees strategically planted around your home can cut your air conditioning bill in half.

2. Trees save tax dollars. Trees in a city slow stormwater runoff and reduce the need for storm sewers. Tree shade also help cool municipal buildings, lowering electricity bills.

3. Trees cool our cities. Urban "heat islands" are directly related to massive tree-cutting for development.

4. Trees clean our water and air. From low level ozone in our cities to pesticide and fertiziler runoff from our farms, trees absorb harmful pollutants.

5. Trees help community life. Tree planting and community based forestry can add significantly to a local community's sustainable economy while restoring the environment.

6. Trees protect soil. By holding soil in place with their root systems, by deflecting pounding rain with their canopies, and by adding nutrients each fall with their leaves, trees are crucial to keeping and improving our soil.

7. Trees provide habitat for species of many kinds -- including endangered species. A key project of American Forests is “Trees for Tigers” in the Russian Far East that is restoring habitat for the endangered Siberian tiger.

8. Trees can pay your “carbon debt”. Planting just 30 Global ReLeaf trees will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide that is generated in the production of energy for the average American lifestyle each year.

9. Trees provide clean water and natural flood control. Forests act as natural reservoirs, and they protect watersheds, providing clean water for cities, bays and rivers.

Trees are a beautiful part of our lives. From striking individual trees that are of historic significance or are simply large and majestic, to a grove of trees in a city park, trees enrich our lives by simply being there. Trees are not just a key to the natural ecosystem -- trees are an essential part of community life.