Green Your Day

Image by annienothi

We have all been there: we wake up groggy, we grab the kettle, carelessly fill it all the way up, and then wait impatiently for our morning coffee so that we can start facing the long day ahead of us…

Little do we actually consider the unnecessary energy and water that is being wasted as we are doing this.

Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?

Easy: Don’t fill the kettle all the way to the top, simply boil as much as you really need. If you are making yourself a cup of coffee or tea you don’t need to boil enough water for the entire family.

You’re driving down Ayalon highway and casually shift to the left lane. A few minutes later you casually shift to the middle lane to pass the asshole in front of you. Once again you’re back on the left lane, when suddenly: Oops! You almost missed your exit and you whoosh back to the right-hand lane to get off.

No harm, no foul, right?

Wrong.

Every time you casually shift lanes, acceleration is necessary - which ultimately leads to increased fuel consumption…

Yeah, but what could I possible do about it?

Pick a lane and stick with it for as long as possible and avoid shifting lanes until absolutely necessary. Not only will you be saving gas and money, you just might be saving lives.

Who would have thunk? By choosing the wrong size pot or pan we are wasting energy from having to heat the empty space on the pan.

Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?

Use cookware that is appropriate for the meal you are making and save energy without even trying. For example, if you are boiling water for your non-fat, whole wheat, organic pasta ;), don’t use a pot that is bigger than absolutely necessary.

Did You Know?

Every month, we throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper (think Tel Aviv’s Azrieli towers full of glass jars). And guess what? All of these jars are recyclable!

SOURCE

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the “stuff” in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is intentionally hidden from view.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.

It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the “stuff” in your life forever.

Bottom line: this short movie is a ‘must’ in order to raise awareness in our society and needs to be seen by as many people as possible, and FAST.

Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?

1. Watch it: Clear 20 minutes from your busy, busy schedule to see the bigger picture.
2. Live it: Live by example, be the change that you want to see in the world.
3. Speak it: Tell everyone you know about it: your email list, your family, your friends, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus… you get the picture.
4. Host it: Share it with your community by showing the film at a house party, or classroom, or church group, or neighborhood association or any other location. (The official websites includes everything you need for a successful event including invitations, group activities and more.)

The new law in Israel prohibiting smoking in public areas and restaurants means one step closer to cleaner, greener living, right?

Not exactly, walk by any coffee shop in Tel Aviv and the first thing you will notice are dozens of cigarette butts surrounding the area.

Why is this happening? Restaurant owners are prohibiting smoking anywhere on restaurant property (including tables outside) and requesting that their customers smoke just outside the property line before returning to their tables.

The result? City sidewalks and curbs are turning into heavily littered personal ashtrays.

Yeah, but what could I possible do about it?

1. Don’t smoke. I know: easier said than done. But if you can’t not smoke, then at least smoke less.
2. When you finish your cigarette, head to the nearest garbage can. Since most coffee shops in Israel are located under residential buildings, a garbage bin can usually be found within seconds if you just make an effort.
3. Talk to the restaurant owner or manager and request that they provide an ashtray to place where their customers stand to smoke.
4. Quit assuming that there is some kind of cigarette fairy that comes out in the middle of the night to make your dirty litter magically disappear. Street sweepers work extremely hard in tough weather conditions to make sure that you and I have a clean street to walk on. Most of these workers are old enough to be our grandparents.