$$$-The 5 Rs-Respect-$$$

Hiya,
Today I'm going to talk about R.E.S.P.E.CT, that spells respect. If you want to help not kill our planet then all you have to do is show a little respect to her.

Please, please, please don't throw trash out your car window. I know a few people that do this and quite frankly it pisses me off. I'm not talking about apple cores and banana peals. It is still considered littering when you throw these things out the window, but I don't care because they are bio degradable (meaning nature will take care of them). I hate going for a walk or bike ride and seeing soda cans, fast food packages, candy wrappers, and cigarette butts on the side of the road. Just keep a bag or something in your car for trash. Or just throw it on the floor on the passenger side and throw it away at a gas station, rest stop, or at home. It's not that difficult. Don't smoke
Smoking is very bad for you, the people around you, and the planet. Cigarettes have lots and lots of chemicals that get in your lungs and the atmosphere. Things like arsenic (rat poison) CO2 (greenhouse gas-general killer of living things) and a whole host of other very bad things. Plus if you don't smoke you can save all that money, and yourself from cancer. Hey, we all know we want more of the former and less of the latter.

Follow the Golden Rule
My good friend Jesus Christ once said, "Love one another as I loved you." Another take on that is "treat others the way you want to be treated." I'm sure you don't want Earth to throw crap on you. If you look at the news, it's very obvious that our planet is pretty pissed at the human species (Homo sapiens). Remember Hurricane Katrina? Man she was a bitch. Now we can blame the Bush Administration all we want for lack of response. But fact of the matter is that Katrina happened largely due to a major shift in climate changes (global warming) around the globe. It's happening because we are not showing the respect our planet deserves and she in turn is showing us the respect we're due.

Just follow the other Rs. Don't just assume everything will be fine on its own. We have to do our own part to help make our world a better place for us and the generations that will follow. Show the respect to Planet Earth that you expect from other people. And remember: TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.

$$$-The 5 Rs-#4-Renew-$$$

Howdy,
So today I'm talking about renewing. Renewing things is a bit more difficult than the other 5Rs. It's tough for one of us (average Joes and Janes) to renew things. However, it's a bit easier to use things that are renewable (i.e. wind, sun etc). But, depending on your situation such things might not be readily available. I'll do my best to give you a little understanding on renewable resources.

Oil and Coal
Are great examples of NON-renewable resources. It takes like a gagillion (there's my fake number again) years for oil and coal to be made. And there is only so much oil and coal in our planet and we are burning it up at a frighteningly fast pace. Just think of all the cars in the world, the jets, the motorcycles, tanks etc etc. We are burning oil like there's no tomorrow. Folks, there is no tomorrow for oil and coal; once we use it up, it's gone for a very very long time (forever probably).
There's more things than our cars that rely on oil, "What things?" you ask. My answer "Darn near everything." You know how when gas prices go up so does everything else? Well gas prices go up because the price of crude oil went up (and gas comes from oil in case you've been living under a rock your whole life) and everything else goes up too. This is because the manufacture of many things is depended on oil in some way, shape or form. Plastics for example, others are lipstick (yeah I know), even paraffin wax. I don't know how many of you use paraffin wax on a daily basis (my girlfriend and I already had this discussion and it was hilarious, you should have been there), but it's a by product from the processing of crude oil. We seriously need to cut back on oil consumption and start using renewable energy like wind and solar energy.

Wind Energy
Comes from these huge @$ turbines that spin in the wind. As the wind makes the turbines spin some magic things happen and there's cheap electricity. It's more complicated than that but this isn't an engineering blog. The thing about using wind is that it's very clean, we don't hurt it's feelings, and as long as there's a planet Earth there's going to be wind here. Problem though is that as of now they are pretty expensive to put up, and you need to live somewhere where there's enough wind.

Solar Energy
You know how the sun comes up every single day? Well it's been doing that for over a gagillion years and will continue to do so for another gagillion. And using the awesome power of the sun doesn't hurt it one bit. Solar energy is cool. Someday I hope I can power my home with it. Now how solar energy works is the solar panels absorb solar energy and somehow electrons get all excited and just like with wind energy cheap electricity is magically created. Solar panels are becoming increasingly simple to install and inexpensive. I've even read an article where some company is making roll on solar panels that you can just roll on the roof of your house. Now that, that's just cool.

Bio Fuel
Bio fuel is cool too. It's made from things like corn that can be grown over and over again. Lot's of gas stations are switching the E85 which gets its name because its 85% Ethanol (made mostly from corn). That's good and all but we can do better, I know we can, I've seen it with my own eyes. Try going to Google and run a search for alternative fuel; you'll find neat things. I haven't seen many gas stations with E85 pumps (I think my count is between 0-1). But word on the the street is that they are becoming more popular since more and more vehicles are able to use it these days. E85 is way cheaper (pricewise I mean) than regular gas. So I know that if you are able to use it you will so I won't even ask.

This is just a very brief discussion about renewable resources. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface. I just wanted to plant the seed of it into your brain. I'll come back to these things in more depth in the future.

The cool thing about wind and solar energy is that if you have your own windmill or solar panels you can plug them not only into your house but the main power lines as well (I think you have to in some places, I don't know, check with you local power companies and see). If you make a surplus of energy (as in more than your home needs) the extra power gets sold to the power company and you can conceivably make money from the power companies (by that I mean you will get a monthly check from them). Holy cow that's cool! Just something for you to think about. Don't forget: TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

$$$-The 5 Rs-#3-Recylce-$$$

Willkommen!
Did you know that in Germany, and other countries as well, they are only allowed to throw away a very small amount of garbage? It's true, the rest they have to recycle or reuse. This is because landfills in Europe are overflowing and they need to put limits on garbage; and quite frankly, so does the U.S.

A bit about landfills
Have you ever seen one? They're disgusting. Just look at the picture. They are huge huge piles of trash. And even though precautions are made to ensure leakage doesn't get into the ground water, nearly 10 times out of 10 some oozy, gooey, probably some disgusting green colored stuff gets into the ground contaminating our water supply. They also smell really bad. Here's a money saving tip: if you want to save on rent, find a place near a dump. The renters usually charge less because nobody wants to live there because of the awful smell (it's especially bad on hot humid days). They also tend to emit methane gas (along with green house gases) which is harmful to to anything living.

Recycling Tips
You know when you look at the bottom of glass and plastic bottles and they have the recycle symbol with a number in the middle of it? And do you know that that number means something and that some glass and plastics are supposed to be separated? Know how you don't know which kinds of plastic and glass to separate? Well, neither do I. Generally speaking, you can co-mingle glass, plastic, tin, and aluminum in one container. To make it easy for you to recycle, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Recycling plants have a process where they seperate the glass, tin etc.; and in this process they will separate out the "special" types of glass and plastic. So don't worry about which kind of glass or plastic goes where, they'll find their place.
Same goes for paper and cardboard. There are so many rules for which kind of paper and cardboard can and cannot be recycled it's ridiculous. Well darn it all! How are we supposed to keep track? Well I say as a rule of thumb, if it doesn't have a bunch of food attached to it (ie pizza boxes, paper plates, etc) recycle it. I actually try to recycle all pizza boxes no matter how much cheese or sauce is stuck to them. I figure if they can't use it they'll take care of it.

Do you know why homeless people on T.V.-the ones who are always getting in the way of Batman and the cops-are trying to cross the street with a shopping cart full of cans? It's because there's a place on the other side of the road that will pay them for the aluminum. There are tons of places that will pay you for your aluminum cans and stuff. It's not a whole lot, but you get the satisfaction of helping out the planet and saving money doing it. And if you drink alot of soda or beer (which you shouldn't, they're unhealthy) then it could add up.

Electronics
Please don't throw away your old electronic equipment; especially batteries. Take your old phones, computers, stereos, etc. to Best Buy or Office Max. They'll recycle that stuff for you. They also take the batteries from phones as well. There are lots of places that will take your old electronics. Just ask around; somebody will take them, maybe even buy them.
Throwing away used batteries is a big no no. Batteries have battery acid which isn't good for the planet or anything living. As noted above, Best Buy and other electronics outlets will take your phone batteries. Places like Auto Zone and other car parts stores will take your old car, truck, or van batteries.

I read somewhere that it takes ten times more energy to produce a soda can from scratch than to make one from recycled material (I think it was on the side of a Pepsi can). That's pounds and pounds of CO2 being kept from going into the atmosphere choking our planet. Almost everything can be recycled and it saves the planet; so you might as well do it. If you don't do anything else, please just recycle as much as possible. It's the easiest thing to do and be able to say you're living a green lifestyle. Don't forget, TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.

$$$-The 5 Rs-#2-Reuse-$$$

Hey there everybody,
It's been a while, but I assure you I'm still around. Today's topic is one that is often easily overlooked by many. Reusing things is as easy as using them the first time except you don't have to go and buy it...again.

First things first, bottled water.
Almost everybody these days drinks bottled water, whether it's Aquafina, Dasani, Ice Mountain, or whatever; including me. But we all have this sneaking suspicion that all we're paying for is the plastic. Mostly this is true. Most of the cost comes from the bottles but since they have to process the water (ie distill, and use reverse osmosis) we pay for that too. So why not reuse the bottles? Ok so you don't want to use your tap water right? "Why would I buy bottled water if I trusted my tap water?" you say. I say, "Get a water filter." They are generally pretty inexpensive these days and they will definetly save you in the long run. You can get water filters pretty much at any store including Walmart, Kmart, Pick n Save, Target almost anywhere. Speaking of those stores Walmart and Pick n Save I know for sure have these neat little water stations where you can get gallon jugs or 5 gallon jugs (or you can use your own). It's about 67 cents for a gallon but if you reuse the gallon jug they reward you and it only costs about 36 cents depending on where you are of course.
Now I know there's an issue with reusing certain kinds of plastics (that's for a later discussion), but reusing them a few times won't kill you.

Next up is bags
Since I used to work there I know Pick n Save gives you a 5 cent discount for each reused paper bag. So if you brought it 5 of your own bags they will take off 25 cents from your total order. When I worked there some people would bring in like 10 bags (that's 50 cents) and only needed like two but they got the whole 50 cent discount. You can also buy a reusable bag that you can use over and over. Over time it will pay for itself and thensome. This is true for all Roundy's owned stores and I'm sure for some others too; ask around and see.
You can also reuse your paper bags for your paper recycling. I know where I live we have to put our paper recyclables in a brown paper bag and they do take grocery bags.

Paper
Before you recycle your paper, see if you can reuse it. I for one cannot remember anything hardly ever so I write everything down. When I do right little notes I usually use the back of some old school assignment or the edge of a newspaper or something. Try to keep some scrap paper around for things like grocery lists, to-dos, reminders, etc.

This is just a small small list of some of the things you can reuse. Just about anything can be reused for something. Old clothes for example can be used as rags for washing around the house or dishes. Dig for your creative side and try to reuse as much as possible.
and remember TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

$$$-The 5 Rs-#1 Reduce-$$$

Hey guys and gals,
Although the 5Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew and Respect) are generally incorporated into my discussions I figured they each deserve their own posts. If you haven't guessed already today's "R" is Reduce:

Reduce everything! I'm talking energy consumption, time driving, cleaning supplies, general "stuff", even your subscriptions to magazines and newspapers.

Energy consumption has been covered before and will probably be covered again; but just as a reminder, turn out the lights and turn down the heat (or A/C if you live in a warmer region: By the way my post about saving on your heating bill can also be applied to cooling costs). You can also replace your lights with high efficiency ones (they generally last longer and use less power).

If you're like me then you don't have a car :( but if you do use it less. Try to plan your shopping trips so you can pick up all you need in one swift spree. Carpool with friends and family and coworkers. Here's my favorite: ride a bike. Riding bike is very fun and saves you loads on gas. If biking isn't an option then walk. I know of too many people that drive somewhere when they could just walk. Walking is fun and it relieves stress quite a bit; go for a walk with your significant other rather than a drive (it's more romantic because then you get to hold hands). Just try to drive less is all I'm trying to say it helps the environment and your savings account.

Use as little cleaning things as possible. If at all possible clean with green cleaners that you can get at Walmart, Target, Kmart, and any other store. And also try to get multipurpose/surface cleaners rather than one for glass, one for wood, plastic, etc etc.

Reduce your stuff but don't throw it away use one of the other Rs. Most people in the US have way to "stuff" or as I like to call it: crap. Half the crap we have we don't need or even want we just get it to have it. I won't lie I have lots of stuff I don't need, or want anymore. Before you go shopping make a list of the things you need and stick to it. Other than the other Rs (ie recycle, renew, reuse) you can sell your crap on ebay or to some other sucker at work or school. Somebody always wants something.

Pretty much all the information you could want in the universe is on the internet. Since you're reading this I'm going to go ahead and say I know you have the internet. Use the internet to get your stocks, weather, sports, and celebrity news it's all here and free. So instead of paying for your magazine and newspaper subscriptions just go online.

Just make a list of all the stuff you have and use and try to figure out which stuff you could go without or with less of. And remember TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

$$$-Cell Phones-$$$

Hey there everybody,
Today I'm going to talk about cell phones. Chances are you got one. Chances are you use it. Chances are you charge it from time to time so you can continue using it. Chances are you leave the charger plugged in 24/7/365. Chances are you plug it in when you go to bed and let it charge all night. I'm not going to lie I do most of these things.

There's two problems with what we do with our cell phones: 1) We leave the charger plugged in all the time, and 2) we charge our phones all night. I'll explain these two now

Leaving the charger plugged in all the time.
Now I'm all for convenience like the convenience of leaving the charger plugged in all the time so you can just plug in the phone and charge it. This is a bad idea though. I read somewhere that if everybody unplugged their phone chargers when they weren't being used, enough energy could be saved to power like a gagillion homes. That's not a real number but it gets the point across. Chargers (and pretty much everything else) draw power from the socket even when they aren't being used; I don't know why, I don't really care why, I just read it a ton of times and figure it must be true (also my brother the electrician said it was true too).

Point being, unplug your charger please. It will save on your energy bill. It probably won't be obvious on a single billing statement but over the course of your lifetime it'll save you. And if everybody does it, it will be noticeable to the power companies (because they get to see how much total power they're selling). And with saving power comes reducing our carbon footprint, since most of us get our power from burning coal.

Charging our phones while we sleep.
Unless your me, you get an average of 8-9 hours of sleep a night. The average phone battery only needs to be charged 1-2 (I'll give you 2.5) hours. Do the math that's about 7 hours of killing our planet (sorry that was a little harsh, how about wasting power). I can't say I don't do this from time to time but I try not to and neither should you. They say you can't overcharge your battery these days and that it doesn't use extra power when the battery is charged but still, come on. I know when I have my phone plugged in the backlight stays on dim and won't go off, and lots of chargers have those annoying blue or red lights when a phone is plugged in.

An alternative to charging your phone during bedtime is during dinner. Your not using your phone hopefully (that would be rude), so why not charge it then. Ok so dinner isn't 1-2.5 hrs long well leave it there till bedtime then. I don't need my phone by me 24/7 in order to survive like some people I know so I can charge it whenever; but if you do, bring the charger into the room you're in most.

Another thing is that more power is in fact needed to make louder noises and vibrations (I hope you can figure this one out on your own), and no I'm not making sexual innuendo.
Remember TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

$$$-Heat-$$$

Hey folks,
Today's lesson is about heat. Today is a pretty chilly one here in Wisconsin and before you know it, it's gonna be winter. Today I'll give you some quick tips to winterize you home to save on your heating bill.

Cover your windows with plastic.
By plastic I mean the special window plastic you can get at Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Kmart, or pretty much any store. This stuff seems a little pricey at first but it will most definitely save you in the long run. When installed correctly and after you blow dry them you can barely notice that they're even there. But remember, if you have blinds, be sure to decide before you put on the plastic whether you want the blinds up or down all winter. Here's a little bonus tip: if you leave the blinds up the sun can help heat the house.

Don't heat unused rooms.
When you turn on the heat in your home shut all the doors to the rooms that are seldom used. For college students this might include your roommate's bedroom who went home for winter break. For everyone else, this could be walk in closets and the like. If your home is heated by forced air close the vents or cover them up with a blanket or towel. If your home is heated with water pipes or electrical heating units DO NOT cover them. That would be a fire hazard; you want to be warm, but not that warm.
If the doors in your home have a large space between the floor and the bottom of the door go out and buy some door sweeps to block the draft. Or, to save money attach (tape, staple etc) some old sweater, blanket, or towel to the bottom of the door to block the draft.

Turn down the heat when you leave for an extended period of time.
Now you have to be careful with this one. When you leave for the weekend don't shut off the heat completely because you will use more energy to completely reheat your home. Also, if you have water pipes they'll freeze and that's not a good thing. I would say turn down the heat about 10 degrees F.

And whatever you do please do not leave the lights on hoping they will help heat up your home because that's just plain silly.
Remember: TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.

$$$-Welcome!-$$$

Hello everyone!
This is a new blog which will teach you how to live a better more green lifestyle. To "live green" is to go about your daily life in such a manner that you're not polluting our planet. This blog will give you easy to follow tips that will reduce your carbon footprint on our planet, reduce waste, and even save you some money. If one of my blog posts is going to save you money I will add six dollar ($) signs to it's title (three before, three after) much like this one. I have also added the National Geographic Pic of the Day just so you can see how beautiful we can keep our planet just by living a more green lifestyle.

I'm going to try and update this blog as much as possible but I'm a full-time college student with two jobs and an internship so come back often. Also about this blog is that it's totally free. Sure you can find tips here and there online but a lot of people want you to buy their books which is just crazy! Our planet's future should not be something that you have to pay for in order to ensure; plus, I've always been all for the free exchange of knowledge.

Today I'm going to start out with something very simple and often overlooked-lights. Now, I'm not going to deluge you with numbers and stats but you can reduce your carbon footprint and increase your bank account quite a bit by just shutting off your lights when your not using them. It's pretty simple; most lights work by flipping a switch up (on) or down (off) all you have to do is whenever you leave a room for more that like ten seconds is flip the switch down.

It's a common misconception that it saves electricity and is therefore cheaper to just leave the lights on for those few seconds or minutes. I don't know where that came from, but don't believe it. I'm not saying you have to be in the dark, but if you're not going to use the lights why have them on? This tip can save electricity (reduce your carbon footprint), and save you on the cost of bulbs and your electric bill (increase your bank account). I'm going to end every blog post with this simple reminder: TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!