CINCINNATI REDS E-WASTE COLLECTION DRIVE

About the E-Waste Collection Effort:
Players for the Planet is proud to have joined forces with Global Environmental Services and some of Cincinnati’s leading corporations to bring attention to the community wide effort of recycling. After a successful eWaste event at two Kroger locations in greater Cincinnati, Players for the Planet is looking forward to working with other players, ball clubs and cities in organizing future events. Volunteers from the various companies and environmental organizations can come to meet players from their respective home teams, who are out to support Players for the Planet and to help collect the items from the public, sign autographs, and provide information about how individuals can make their own environmental changes at home, work and school. Accepted items include televisions, radios, computer monitors, hard drives and parts and all other electronic items.

 

Click here to learn more.

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Untitled

Here are some interesting facts and statistics about sports:

 

The Environmental Impact of sports equipment is huge. Bats, helmets, balls, gloves, skin pads and other sports equipment is made primarily from plastics that are not easily recycled.

A side issue is the amount of water (bottles) energy bars (packaging) Night Lights (energy) and equipment going into landfills every day.

I Just Gotta Tell Ya:

• 30 Million new balls are made every year
• 2.5 Billion gallons of water/day are used to water golf courses
• 2 Million barrels of oil per day in wasted energy from over illumination (night lights
• 70% of the worlds sports balls are produced in Pakistan – where 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.

 

Click here to learn more.

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Josh Dorfman's Tips for Going Green on a Budget

Here is an article to help you go green:

Going green doesn't have to cost a lot of green! Use these simple tips to make a positive impact on the environment while keeping your wallet intact. It's easy, even for the laziest of environmentalists.

• Shut down and unplug electronics. Make small changes to use – and pay for – less energy, like shutting down your computer when you're not using it and plugging your cell phone and other electronics into power strips so you can turn several devices off with one switch.
• Wash your clothes in cold water. By using cold water instead of warm, the average household can avoid emitting 1,281 pounds of carbon dioxide annually and save on energy bills.¹
• Fill your bottle with filtered tap water. Choose the greener solution by using a reusable bottle, like the FilterForGood bottle, and filling it with filtered tap water. If you use a Brita filtration system you can make another responsible choice by recycling your pitcher filter when you replace it, which should be about every two months (or every 40 gallons). Find out more about recycling Brita filters here.
• Update your wardrobe for less. Instead of consuming new products, trade fashionable clothes, accessories, cosmetics and shoes for free (you only pay for shipping). By swapping merchandise you can lower the amount of harmful emissions caused by the manufacturing process. Check out swapstyle.com to learn more.
• Exchange CDs, DVDs and books instead of buying. Now you can avoid purchasing new products without forfeiting your entertainment needs. Visit swapacd.com, swapadvd.comand paperbackswap.com for access to thousands of CDs, books and DVDs.

 

Click here to learn more.

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Greening the World Bank

Here is a great green earth article: 

When I think Green Living, my first thought is not about what the World Bank is doing. But because they are behind so many international infrastructure, lending and development projects, how they view green development protocols and initiatives is important. Recently they took what I think is a big step forward in appointing Daniel Kammen, a UC-Berkeley energy professor, to lead their push for alternative energy programs in developing countries. His role will be as the chief technical specialist for all renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and was newly created for him “amid unprecedented demand from developing countries for support to address development and climate change as interlinked challenges.” The overarching goal of his position is to address difficulties in getting the 1.5 billion people who do not have clean, reliable and affordable energy services.

  Kammen is the founding director of Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory and has done extensive research and consulting on design and implementation of renewable energy systems. His new position will complement the appointment of Andrew Steer as the World Bank’s first special envoy on climate change earlier this summer. Steer is in charge of over $6 billion in projects through the World Bank’s Climate Change Investment Fund, and Kammen’s new position will provide the technical direction for the projects.

 

Click here to continue reading.

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Did You Know You Can Get Free Solar on Your Home in Eight US States?

You are lucky if you live in one of these 8 states and want to go green:

There are now at least eight states in the US where you can get a free solar system to supply your home’s electricity at a lower rate than your utility does. These eight states allow private companies to compete with their utilities that sell power by the kilowatt hour, through a “lease” or a power purchase agreement, or PPA.

The three companies that stepped in to offer these $0 down options are Solar City (OR, CA,TX),SunRun (CA, AZ, CO, NJ, MA) and Gro Solar (PA, CA). Sungevity also offers yet another PPA, providing yet a third option for Californians.

Typically, the way they do this is to find investors or banks who will front the money for a large number of installations, and they own the system, so you don’t have to apply for a bank loan to put solar on your roof.

Once installed on your roof, you either make lease payments or just pay monthly for electricity by the kilowatt hour, the same way you pay your current electric utility.

Companies offering leases or PPAs can in many cases offer $0 down. You get a free solar system and start paying a lower monthly rate than before.

Click here to read more.

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When Should I Buy Organic?

Here are some eco tips:

We all want the best for our kids, but going completely organic can be daunting. Compromise by choosing organic where it really counts. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group ranks 46 fruits and vegetables according to pesticide content (go to foodnews.org for details) — the greater the pesticide load, the greater the reason to consider buying organic.

Here, you'll find a quick round-up of which fruits and veggies are best to buy organic and which are OK to buy non-organic. Download our printable guide to keep this information handy -- tape it to the refrigerator or bring it with you to the market to make smart produce shopping a breeze.

Click here to view more.

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Eco-Friendly Tips

Here are some tips to keeping our planet green:

 

Bike, use public transit, carpool to work, drive slower, keep your tires inflated

One-third of all traffic is commuters. Use alternative transportation when possible. If you must drive, go slower with proper tire inflation. It saves both fuel and tires, and lowers emissions. It also saves lives.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost

Reusing packaging material saves more energy than recycling. By avoiding extra packaging, you save both energy and landfill space. Yard and kitchen waste (leaves/grass/vegetable scraps) are 30% of trash. Reduce this amount by composting. Also be sure to re-use plastic bags, or better yet... refuse plastic bags when you really don't need them.

 Conserve water

Don't let faucets run. Never water your lawn at midday. Place a brick in old toilets. Take low flow short showers. Run the dishwasher only when it is full. Let grass grow longer. Plant native or drought-tolerant garden plants.

 

Click here to view more.

 

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50-MW for Washington

It looks like Washington is looking greener:

 

The 50-MW Linden Wind Project in southern Washington has completed construction. The wind farm consists of 25 REpower MM92 turbines in Klickitat County, and has been under construction since November 2009.

Member of SCPPA serve more than 2 million residential and business customers in southern California, representing a population of about 4.6 million people.

The project, developed by enXco and owned by the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), will bring cleanly generated power to the SCPPA generation portfolio on behalf of participating members Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the City of Glendale.

The utility will receive 90% (45 MW) of power from the wind farm, representing about 0.5% of its renewable portfolio goal of 20% by end of 2010. The project will use existing transmission to deliver the power to the Los Angeles area.

 

Click here to see what others are doing to help this planet.

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Wallpaper Tree

Here is a cool decoration idea for crafting your home with recycled products:

 

Any blank surface becomes an enchanted forest with this patterned mural made from wallpaper scraps. Using this photo for reference, sketch a basic tree trunk on the back side of a sheet of wallpaper (you may want to practice first on butcher paper). Once you have your desired shape and height, cut out. On the back of another piece of the same wallpaper, again using this photo as a guide, draw branches of various sizes and shapes — including a group of three attached limbs for the treetop. Cut out the branches. Apply the paper trunk, then the branches, to your wall with ready-made paste. While the tree dries, trim remnants of other brightly patterned wallpapers into leaf shapes — you'll need about 60. Paste these to the wall so they appear to be sprouting from the branches.

 

Want to see more ideas? Click here

 

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Eco Gadgets: Solar energy harnessing Flower Cell offers a sustainable recharge

Here is a really great, eco-friendly idea for charging any of your portable devices by using the energy from the sun:

Eco Factor: Solar-powered portable electronics charger.

The current situation of the planet demands more use of alternative energy and systems that are less polluting and more environmentally responsible. This thinking has made several designers develop products that in some way or the other are helping retrieve the environment from its present state. Industrial designer Alan Ríos is a man on the same mission.

Alan has developed a green charger, known as Flower Cell, that relies on the use of solar energy to offer sustainable recharge to most portable electronic gadget you might be possessing. The flower-shaped device carries flexible solar panels in its petals, which harness sunlight and store it in its internal battery. Portable electronic devices that have the ability to charge via a USB port can be connected to the Flower Cell for a quick recharge.

Click here to view the rest of this article.

Green Lunch-boxes - For Your Back to School Needs

Taken from the website: www.gogreenlunchbox.com

Many of the local elementary schools are working hard to teach the children of our community the importance of protecting the environment. Since their kindergarten days, my children have been taught repeatedly the phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Over the past few years, with children taking the lead, my family has made changes in our daily lives to do our part to protect and conserve our environment – locally and globally.

In 2008, Go Green Lunch Box was founded simply out of "frustration." Packing two lunches everyday, I was appalled at the amount of waste generated by the packaging of single-serve items (sandwiches, juices, snacks, desserts, etc.). All of that – plastic baggies/wrap/cups, paper cartons/bags, cellophane bags – eventually wound up in our landfills. Upon reading a statistic about a typical American child generating 67 pounds of lunch packaging waste each school year, I knew I had to make some changes. After buying food containers and trying, unsuccessfully, to fit all the containers into the lunch boxes we already owned, resulting in either the lids or containers (or both!) not being brought back home from school, I decided to solve the problem . . . hence, Go Green Lunch Box!

I have partnered with a family friend and international businessman, Hinman Dunn, who has manufacturing and sourcing experience. Like many new products, customer feedback over the past year has provided Hinman and me excellent opportunities to improve our products so as to better meet the needs of parents and children. Consequently, our latest product line features not only design changes, but also, improvements in functionality and durability. We truly think these “second year” products will be very well-received by our existing and new customers.

To ensure quality of our products, Hinman has spent considerable time working with our contracted factories. Also, the lunch box and bottle have passed tests in accordance with the relevant FDA extract and California Proposition 65 (the nation’s most stringent law regulating environmental health and safety). Our food container is made of polypropylene, along with silicone to ensure freshness of its contents. Both are safe and recyclable (please visit www.americanchemistry.com for additional information on plastics and recyclability).

5 Go Green At Home Tips!

Green "to go." - Not brewing at home? Take a travel cup to your favorite java joint; they may fill it at a discount.

Put it to sleep. - If you'll be away from your computer for more than 20 minutes, change it to "sleep" mode.

BYOB. - Bags, that is. It's good for your wallet, too: Some retailers, such as CVS, now pay you for every disposable bag you don't take ($1 on a special CVS card for every four trips on which you BYO).

Book it. - Dr. Seuss's 1971 book, The Lorax, stars a creature who "speaks for the trees" against those who'd cut them down. Talk about the message with your tykes (book and matching plush doll, $5 each, Kohl's).

Pitch in. - Live in one of the 11 states with bottle bills? Have your kids collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles to redeem for cash to spend on a treat.

New Dress A Day

New Dress A Day is a project with 365 days, 365 new outfits all for $365 dollars. We read the feature on Yahoo yesterday and wanted to give a shout out of our own.

Article from Green Yahoo:

Marisa Lynch set herself a challenge: Transform 365 unattractive frocks in 365 days, for $365. Just before her 30th birthday, she got laid off. To some, losing a job means hitting the streets with a resume or wallowing in grief. But for Marisa, it meant getting the sewing machine out and upcycling thrifted fashions. Every day.

“I was just in this not-feeling-good, crummy kind of mood, and I didn’t know how to kick it,” says Marisa. That’s when Marisa saw the movie, Julie & Julia. “[Julie] was finding something to do every day that made her feel great. I was jealous. I thought, I want to find that.”

Thus, New Dress A Day entered the blogosphere. The task: To make a new fashion piece a day — on a budget of a dollar a day — for an entire year.

Think the uber-frugal budget and tight turnaround requirements can only mean shoddy, unfashionable duds? Not for Marisa. All you have to do is take a quick glance at New Dress A Day to see that while this West Hollywood resident may be short on money and time, she’s never short on style.

She’s also got an imaginative fashion sense, serious sewing skills, and some awe-inspiring powers of transformation. In each of her daily posts, Marisa shares the story — and impressively fugly before photo — of an old vintage dress found at a thrift shop or garage sale. Then comes the chic and cute after photo — along with details of where she wore the new-again outfit and how it was received.



This summer, for example, Marisa took a somewhat frightening-looking blue gown reminiscent of a Disney magician’s suit, and transformed it into a cool blue shirt perfect for her outing to a Dodgers game!

Always a fan of thrift stores, Marisa says she loves the “romanticism of wearing clothes from earlier time.” Marisa grew up seeing her mom — a home economics major in college — sewing things around the home, then learned to sew herself in a home economics class in seventh grade. Though she didn’t sew often, she did carry a DIY purse to her prom, made for just $4 using directions from a Sassy magazine.

Now, Marisa sews every day, under a deadline. The time commitment is considerable. Marisa usually goes thrifting and garage-sale-hopping on the weekends — Jet Rag’s $1 Sunday sales and the Melrose Trading Post are among her favorite stops — picking up dresses to overhaul during the next week or so.

Once home, each trash-to-treasure transformation takes anywhere between 25 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the condition of the original garment and the desired design.

While she sometime gets an immediate idea about what to do with a piece when she first sees it, most designs take more time to evolve. “I’m picking stuff because of the fabrics and because of the patterns — and maybe because of the great hardware or the buttons on the sleeve,” Marisa says.

Marisa’s first post is dated Nov. 27, 2009, but her birthday is actually in mid-October. That day is when she upcycled her first dress for the project — but New Dress A Day didn’t officially launch until about a month later, when Marisa got the mechanics of blogging figured out. Starting Nov. 28 though, the outfit in the post is the outfit Marisa wore that day.

Marisa’s now most of a year into the project, working to juggle thrifting, designing, sewing, and blogging alongside her job at a music company and her social life. What happens once the 365 days are up? At the moment, she’s thinking about partnering with a charity or other organization, perhaps auctioning off the 365 creations and donating the proceeds.

But those and other loose ideas have yet to be stitched together into a stylish plan. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she says. “But I’m not gonna stop.” Expect Marisa to keep on sewing and blogging at New Dress A Day until Nov. 26, 2010 — and beyond.

EcoStiletto

EcoStiletto dishes out daily eco-friendly fashion, beauty, lifestyle and celebrity advice that can help shrink your carbon footprint from a ginormous boot into an oh-so-slender stiletto. Quite possibly, you’re on a return visit: The site recorded 1.5 million page views and nearly 500,000 unique visitors in 2009, and that's all because of you. Thank you!

But back up a minute: Just what is a carbon footprint, anyway? In a nutshell, it's basically a way to calculate the amount of non-renewable energy it takes to support your lifestyle. Leading climatologists say we need to reduce this kind of energy use by at least 50% to fight global warming. And though some folks dismiss everyday green initiatives like buying green 'bulbs and hybrid cars as a mere drop in one helluva bucket, others agree that if we all take action in our daily lives, these drops can add up to a flood.

So if you drive a gigantic car and leave your lights on all day, your carbon footprint would be calculated somewhere along the lines of an Ugg boot. But if you're an eco-obsessive who bikes everywhere and burns soy candles to light your home, your carbon footprint would look, well, virtually nonexistent. Most of us fall somewhere in between. But most carbon calculators don't take into account that the daily decisions we make every day can reduce our carbon footprints. They don't care that you buy organic denim jeans or paraben-free beauty products. But these things count!

We're not about guilt, we're about information. We're not about forcing you to change, we're about giving you alternatives. Because everyone wants to make a difference, but no one wants to give up the little things that we love. Making a difference doesn't have to mean making a huge change in your lifestyle. Sometimes it just means considering the alternatives.

Support this great group, visit their website here!

For more information on how you can support the Players for the Planet movement, visit our website here!

Three Natural Makeup Brands

e.l.f Mineral Makeup

E.l.f probably has one of the best steals for mineral makeup and natural makeup in general. Even at only $5 they still use 100% natural minerals, no chemicals or dyes, no parabens, and absolutely no animal testing. The packaging is also 100% recyclable and the company is an avid charity supporter. As a bonus, most of the other products they make also contain natural ingredients and are only $1 each.

Burt's Bees

This is one of the natural makeup products many couldn't live without. Burt's Bees uses natural ingredients and oils , along with Omega acids and antioxidants. In the end, products are 99.6% natural and who can beat the price?

Physician's Formula New Organic Wear Makeup

Physician's Formula has come out with the first ECOCERT certified organic natural makeup lines in the United States. The packaging is eco-friendly and the ingredients are 100% free of chemicals, parabens, and synthetic preservatives. They offer a small yet nice selection of products to help anyone in there mission to go green.


For more ideas on how you can go green every day, visit our website!

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Three Green Workout Tips

1.) Team up:
Working out with other people is one of the most effective ways to stick with your plan; keeping each other accountable helps you both get fit faster. Finding a jogging partner or a tennis opponent makes it easier to schedule your workouts (and harder to skip them); even better, sign up for a group race or join a larger team to play soccer, softball, volleyball, or any other sport you love. Bonus: The team will likely have a lot of the equipment already, so you can skip buying your own or share.

2.) Gear up Green:
If you're going to make working out a regular part of your life, you might need some gear—even go-anywhere workouts (like yoga) are easier with a mat, and a biking routine is impossible without a bike. But you don't have to buy all new products: Check the web or your local sporting goods store (or your closet) for deals on used bikes, weights, and other equipment. Eco-friendly yoga mats, which are made of non-PVC materials, are easy to find, and you might be surprised at how good your workout can be two water-filled jugs, a dining room chair, and an old crate.

3.) Inspire change:
If you've decided that joining the gym is the best way to go (at least for the winter) you can still encourage your local health club to make some green changes: restrict the use of towels, invest in energy-efficient machines, offer recycling bins for water bottles (or, even better, stop selling them altogether), set up the televisions to shut off when the machines aren't in use. Some gyms are even harnessing human power to supply energy and reduce bills. Every little bit helps. Then talk to your workout partner about switching indoor workouts for weekend hikes or bike rides; you'll be able to switch up your routine and get a better workout while making everyone a little greener.

For more Green Workout Tips, click here.

To find out how you can join the Green Movement, click visit our website here!

Tips for Saving Water

The FAO has warned that within two decades, the majority of the earth's population could face serious water shortages.

The culprit isn't so much population growth, but poor water management practices. For example, I live in Australia - the driest inhabited continent in the world; yet we appear to be one of the leaders in water consumption per capita.

The biggest water consuming industry is agriculture. The FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) states 70 percent of all fresh water drawn globally is for agricultural use - higher in some countries.

While it would be easy to blame farmers, we are all in this together and we as consumers fuel demand for water hungry crops such as cotton. It takes around 925 gallons to produce a single pound of cotton and over half that water is lost through evaporation or other poor water management practices.

While there will always be X amount of water in the world, much of it will be useless or require a great deal of processing at the rate we're going - and that processing requires energy and creates by-products. Rather than us all looking towards processes such as desalination as the cure, as welcome as they are, we should see them as a sign that there's something very wrong in our approach to water.

For more tips and information click here.

To find out how you can be part of the green movement, visit our website here.

Eco-Friendly Wedding Tips

The term “green wedding” refers to weddings that are more eco-friendly and eco-conscious. According to a survey conducted by David's Bridal in 2009 almost half (48%) of the brides surveyed stated that they were committed to going green, this included registering for eco-friendly products. The wedding industry has ebbed and flowed into a sleek and stylish way to leave a smaller footprint on the Earth while still having a glorious wedding.

Here are a few ideas to go green for your wedding:

• Use recycled paper for the invitations
• Soy candles can be used instead of beeswax. Soy candles burn longer, slower and emit less soot than paraffin candles.
• Use a vintage wedding dress or find a designer that is made of cotton, hemp, and other organic blends.
• Serve an organic and local menu.
• Local wildflowers will also be a beautiful addition to adding nature to your special day

 

For a complete guide on how to have the wedding of your dreams while being green check out The Everything Green Wedding Book, published by Adams Media.

http://www.playersfortheplanet.com

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Reducing Trash

We bundle up lots of bags of trash each week. Factories, hospitals, and all businesses create tons trash every day. We're running out of land for landfills (garbage dumps).

Some of the trash we make is dangerous. It's called hazardous waste, and disposing of it improperly can hurt the land, the air and the water. These are big Earth problems, but working together, we can solve some of them.

Buying less is one of the best ways to reduce trash. Like buying toys or food that is packaged in the smallest amount of packaging, or none at all. Don’t buy stuff that you’ll need to throw away, like paper plates or plastic utensils.

Also, there are lots of ways to reuse items instead of filling up our trash cans. We can pack “Earth safe” lunches with reusable lunch bags. Rechargeable batteries can be used over and over. Washable dishes can be used for years. Reuse a sponge or rag for cleaning up spills instead of using paper towels. How many shopping bags do you collect each week?

http://playersfortheplanet.org

 

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Green Your Commute!

Did you know the average U.S. employee spends an average of 47 hours driving through rush hour traffic each year? All that time on the road means we waste 23 billion gallons of gas in commuter traffic a year. Learn how you can reduce your carbon commuter footprint with these simple tips.

Take public transportation.
In 2005, public transportation (like buses and metro) saved the U.S. 6.9 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Next week, leave the car in the garage and give public transport a whirl—it can save you time, money and 20 pounds of CO2 emissions per day. Haven’t used public transportation before? Start out slow; take it once or twice a week and before you know it, you’ll be confident enough to take it every day.

Carpool with Coworkers.
Save a few pounds of CO2 by sharing a ride with your neighbors or coworkers. If your office doesn’t already have a carpooling plan, take it upon yourself to see who’s interested. Wrap up your next staff meeting by seeing if anyone wants to share a ride, or send out a short memo to solicit feedback. You’ll position yourself as an agent of change, saving you and your colleagues time, money and vehicle wear and tear…all while helping the environment.

For the rest of the article, visit EarthShare.org

For more information on Players for the Planet and how you can be involved, visit our website here.

Living With Green Energy

The signs all point in the one direction - unless we do something fast about how we use and waste energy, our offspring will most likely not be able to enjoy the earth with all its beauty.

We need to pay more attention on ways in which we can live off the grid, because if we don't, it might well be too late in the future. Contrary to popular belief we can all contribute toward a greener planet without needing to be too tight about it. By helping to contribute to a greener planet you will also save money and precious resources.

By living off the grid and using environmentally friendly resources you can enjoy:

Being in charge and in control about resources that might not be available soon. Instead of paying a fortune for electricity make your own - for free. You can rely on your own home-made resources and power your home knowing that you are the master of your own little universe.

Freedom of usage of naturally available resources. Once your system runs free - meaning it's fully paid for and actually no longer costing you anything - you can produce energy at will for no extra cost. This alone is amazing and worth every penny you spend in the process. You can use as much or as little power as you like without putting any strain or demand on the environment.

Living off the grid also allows you to enjoy reduced power costs. It will save money and natural resources.

A healthier environment. You reduce air pollution and enjoy a cleaner way of living by living off the grid.

Living off the grid is very much possible and could most likely be the best thing you ever do in your life. Imagine a life independent of town resources with your own water source, power and perhaps even getting rid of fuel and using a water-powered car or hybrid car instead. It is possible! Where there is a will there usually is also a way.

Read more tips here.

Find out how Players for the Planet is helping with the Green Movement here: http://playersfortheplanet.org/

Fifty Green Tips for Earth Day and Beyond

By: Kathleen J. King

It doesn’t have to be Earth Day for me to think about how I can make an impact (or less of an impact) on our planet. Here are a few of my favorite tips:

1. Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat.

2. Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water. In fact, reuse everything at least once, especially plastics.

3. Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets.

4. Start a compost in your back yard or on your rooftop.

5. Buy foods locally. Check out Eat Local Challenge and FoodRoutes to get started. Buy locally made products and locally produced services.

For the rest of the article, visit: DivineCaroline.com

http://playersfortheplanet.org

Environmental Tips: First: Reduce

The critical first step of waste prevention has been overshadowed by a focus on recycling. Please help to promote a greater awareness of the importance of the "Reduce" part of the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle mantra. For a great overview of how raw materials and products move around the world, see the video The Story of Stuff.

• Simplify: Simplify your life as much as possible. Only keep belongings that you use/enjoy on a regular basis. By making the effort to reduce what you own, you will naturally purchase less/create less waste in the future. For information on voluntary simplicity, check out Voluntary Simplicity Websites. Learn more through books on voluntary simplicity. The Compact blog (and Yahoo group accessed from blog) supports individuals committed to not buying products for a year.
• Reduce Purchases: In general, think before you buy any product - do you really need it? How did the production of this product impact the environment and what further impacts will there be with the disposal of the product (and associated packaging materials)? When you are thinking about buying something, try the 30-Day Rule -- wait 30 days after the first time you decide you want a product to really make your decision. This will eliminate impulse buying.
• 
  
• Tree-Free Home: As much as possible, create a tree-free home:
  • replace paper napkins with cloth napkins
  • replace paper towels with a special set of cloth towels/napkins (or cut up old t-shirts for great towels) - store the used ones in a small container in your kitchen and just wash and reuse
  • purchase bleach-free, toilet paper that is made from the highest post-consumer waste content you can find (80% minimum)

For the rest of the story, visit GlobalStewards.org

http://playersfortheplanet.org/

Ways to Go Green at Work

Maximize computer efficiency
.

Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.

Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.

Print smarter
.

The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.

Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.

Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.

Create a healthy office environment.

Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.

Read the rest of the article here.

Visit our website and learn how you can be involved here.

Environmentally Friendly Campfires

Now that it is warmer more people are going to be spending more time outdoors. Many people will do this by camping or having bonfires in their yards. Since this is something that is fun to do, I thought I would share some tip that will help you to have a more Eco-friendly time.

• When camping in a state or national forest make sure you are following the fire regulations. These are set for a reason and need to be followed to ensure that everyone can have a good time while camping.
• Choose a good location to start a fire. Make sure that the spot you choose is level and open with no overhanging branches or dry bushes that can catch on fire. Many campsites will have spots that have already been used for fires by past campers. The rule of thumb is to have a 10 foot circle where there is nothing flammable around the fire.
• Respect the natural habitat. This means take a small 15 minute walk when you gather wood for your fire, this will disperse your impact over a larger area. Also the wood should be keep far enough away from the fire there will be no chance of accidental ignition.
• Size Matters. Only build a big enough fire for what you need, big fires just bring more hazards that could happen. If you pack more warmer clothes you will be able to stay warm without a really huge fire.
• No Plastics. Metals and woods that are chemically treated and plastics should never be burned as they create air pollution.
• Never leave a fire unattended, not even for a few seconds.
• Don’t leave children or pets unattended by a fire.
• Always have a bucket of sand or water to throw on the fire in case of an emergency.
• 30 minutes before leaving the campground make sure that your fire is completely out.Throw water on ashes after the fire has died down.
• Redistribute the leftover wood to where you found it so that you are leaving the area close to how you found it.

Find more eco-friendly crafts and tips here.

For more information on Players for the Planet and how you can be involved, visit our website here.

10 Tips to Greener Living

1. Change to Fluorescent Bulbs - If every house in the United States changed all of the light bulbs in their house, that would be equivalent to taking one million cars off the streets.

2. Don't Rinse - Skip rinsing your plates before putting them into the dishwasher. In average you will save 15 gallons of water per load. Plus, you will save time.

3. Hang Outside to Dry - Get a cloths line or rack to dry your cloths. Your cloths will last longer and you will save money

4. Turn off computers at night - don't just put them to sleep. You will save an average of 4 cents a day which ads up to $14.60 a year.

5. Use Both Sides of Paper - if you have a printer with a double sided print option use it. You will save half of the amount of paper you would have normally used.

Then when your done bring it to the recycle bin.

6. Get rid of baths - Don't take baths, take showers. You will in average save about half the amount of water that you would if you were taking a bath.

7. Don't get bottled water - Instead of bottled water get a reusable container to carry water. Also you can get a filter to make your home tap taste more like bottled water. It is definitely more cost efficient.

8. Turn the water off when you brush - Your parents have said this before, now I say it. You will save 4 gallons of water doing this alone.

9. Shorten your shower - Every minute you cut from your shower is roughly 5 gallons of water. The less time your shower takes, the lower your impact on the environment.

10. Recycle Glass - If you do not recycle this, it will take a million years to decompose.

Read the rest of the article here.

To find out how you can take a more active role in helping our planet, visit our website: Players for the Planet

April's Tips to be Greener

1. Take an Eco-Trip
There’s a chance you might get a cheap air deal to the city of your favorite team but those emissions will cost you. The biggest carbon footprint for your week more than likely is your transportation. But, you have a yearning to see the start of the baseball season that won’t go away, so instead choose an eco-friendly destination. This may involve sustainable housing, low-impact activities, and supporting local artisans and restaurants.

2. Take a Classic Spring Break Road-Trip
The open road, or maybe just free housing in a friend’s timeshare, is calling your name. Pack as many people into that car as it will hold, to pack the biggest punch in reducing your personal carbon footprint for what will surely be a memorable week. Better yet, why not rent a hybrid car while you’re at it. You’ll save on gas as well as save wear and tear on your car. Many car rental companies now offer hybrids among their fleet of rentals.

3. Find Fair Green Air Fares
Maybe your airplane tickets are already purchased, so there is no way to avoid those awful carbon emissions your flight will generate. Now what’s a green guy/gal to do? Well, carbon offsets are one way to take care of all of the CO2 you will generate. Another helpful option is to use tips to Green your Air Travel to make your time on the flight itself as green as possible.

4. Take Your Bike To Go
It will take a touch more planning ahead, but traveling by bike for a week is definitely the greenest way to go. Hop aboard a bus or train to the city or town to see the team you root for and spend the week learning the area, hanging out with the locals and just cruising around on your two wheels. Make sure you take a map with you and sunscreen, and get ready to see the town and your favorite team on an up close and personal level.

For more tips and information on Players for the Planet please visit the website!

Join Players for the Planet this Earth Day!

Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson promotes E-Waste Recycling Drives

April 22 at Western Hills Kroger and April 24 at Hyde Park Kroger

CINCINNATI -- Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson and his organization Players for the Planet have joined forces with Global Environmental Services and some of Cincinnati's leading corporations to provide an easy and convenient way to for Reds fans and residents of Greater Cincinnati to recycle old electronics.

On Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day) and Saturday, April 24 the public is encouraged to visit two Kroger locations with electronic waste items for recycling. Items accepted include televisions, VCRs, computer monitors, personal computers, hard drives and many other electronics.

The first 50 cars at each event will receive two tickets to an upcoming Reds game.

A contribution of $5 per car to support Players for the Planet is suggested.

Collection locations:

Thursday, April 22, 2010

7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kroger Western Hills, 6165 Glenway Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45211-6338

Saturday, April 24, 2010

10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Kroger Hyde Park, 3760 Paxton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45209-2306

Chris and a few of his Reds teammates will make special appearances at the events.

A full list of acceptable items are available at http://www.playersfortheplanet.org.

Global Environmental Services will recycle the items and turn the profits into a cash donation to Players for the Planet that will be reinvested into environmental education programs for youths and adults in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Event sponsers are Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions, Duke Energy, Rumpke, Hamilton County Solid Waste Management Distric, Global Environmental Services, Kroger and Cincinnati Reds.

Players for the Planet was founded by Chris Dickerson of the Cincinnati Reds and former Major League Baseball player Jack Cassel to bring together professional athletes and inspire individuals in communities across the United States to be aware of the power we have to reverse the environmental crisis we are now beginning to recognize.

On the web: http://www.playersfortheplanet.org

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Media Contact: Michael E. Anderson, Cincinnati Reds, 513-765-7333, manderson@reds.com

E-Waste Collection Drive

Players for the Planet Join Cincinnati Reds Players:

Chris Dickerson, Jay Bruce, Micah Owings, Drew Stubbs, Nick Masset

At the E-Waste Collection Drive

April 22nd and 24th, 2010

Players for the Planet is proud to have joined forces with Global Environmental Services and some of Cincinnati’s leading corporations to bring attention to this community wide effort.

On Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day) and Saturday, April 24, the public is encouraged to come to the Kroger locations in greater Cincinnati with their electronic waste items for recycling. These include televisions, radios, computer monitors, hard drives and parts and all other electronic items.

Volunteers from the various companies and environmental organizations will stand alongside Chris Dickerson and other Reds players to collect items from the public, sign autographs, and provide information for individuals to make their own environmental changes at home, work and school.

A contribution of $5 per car for Players for the Planet is suggested.

Donors can enter a raffle to win lunch for two with Chris Dickerson and a Reds teammate at the Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse.

Following the two-day event, Global Environmental Services will recycle the items and turn the profits into a cash donation to Players for the Planet that will be reinvested into environmental education programs for youths and adults in the greater Cincinnati area.

Event Sponsors:

Cincinnati Reds

CBTS

Duke Energy

Rumpke

Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services

Collection Locations and Times:

Thursday, April 22, 2010 – 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Kroger Western Hills

6150 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati

Saturday, April 24, 2010 – 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Kroger Hyde Park

3760 Paxton Ave., Cincinnati

About Players for the Planet

Players for the Planet believes the greening of the world must take place in all types of venues. Thus, Players for the Planet has dedicated its resources and the talents of the professional athletes who support its mission to educate all involved in youth, amateur and professional sports on how best to adopt environmental practices that will preserve the playing fields and stadiums where we all enjoy playing and watching sports.

The mission of Players for the Planet includes supporting one-on-one and group training and education with players, coaches, parents, team managers and owners and front office personnel. While the many of the programs undertaken by Players for the Planet will be on-field, a significant portion of the efforts supported by the organization will be structured for classroom settings where focused learning about the future potential of smart environmental activities can be evaluated and discussed by today’s generation and future leaders.

Players for the Planet was founded by Chris Dickerson, Cincinnati Reds Outfielder, and Jack Cassel, a former Major League pitcher, in 2008.