Bicycle and mixed-mode commuting can both be healthy and eco-friendly alternatives to your car, truck, or van. Riding your bike to work or using mixed-mode commuting (a combination of biking and public transportation) can have a significant effect on reducing the consumption of fuel, eliminating the emission of harmful greenhouse gases, and preventing the creation of air pollution. According to Southern California Edison, most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles, including 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons, which are the principal components of smog. Additionally, for every person that chooses bicycle commuting over vehicle commuting, there is one less car on the road to contribute to traffic congestion. A reduction in auto use also contributes to a reduction in maintenance costs, including oil changes, tune-ups, and tire replacements.

There are also many health benefits of bicycle and mixed-mode commuting methods. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), shifting from auto trips to walking and biking is the number one strategy for reducing inactivity-related illnesses.  Riding a bike even part of the way to work is a healthy alternative that can burn extra calories, combat obesity, coronary heart disease, and some forms of cancer, and contribute to muscle maintenance and growth. 

For those who are, for whatever reason, unable to make their complete commute by bicycle, the mixed-method of commuting still makes positive contributions to the health of the individual and the Earth as a whole. Most major metro transportation systems are outfitted with some type of bicycle storage and, even if they are not, perhaps a folding bicycle would be another option. Riding those first or last few miles on your bicycle may just end up giving you that extra energy to have a more productive and efficient day.

Does the prospect of a 4 day work week make you excited? What benefits would this reduction in days worked (not necessarily hours) have for both us as individuals and for the World as a whole? The most conspicuous benefit of the 4 day work week would be the reduction of fuel consumption and, thus, a reduction in harmful emissions. The less our vehicles are on the road, keeping in mind that approximately 60 - 70% of urban air pollution is caused by these vehicles, the less fuel is burned and the less emissions and pollution is created. In addition to this benefit, consider for a moment the potential savings in keeping the office shut down for an extra day every week: no air conditioning or heating, no computers or lights to remain on, no elevators to run, along with countless other energy-saving opportunities. The 4 day work week would also lead to a reduction in traffic congestion. Consider that if the work week were staggered, with 20% of workers each taking a different day off, this would logically lead to a 20% reduction in cars on the road and a 20% reduction in rush-hour congestion without the need to build a single new road. This reduction in congestion would also lead to a reduction in building and maintenance costs for roads and highways.

From an individual worker's perspective, this 4 day work week has potential benefits as well. When compared to the prospect of a "cost of living" raise, the advent of a 4 day work week prevails in popularity. Also, according to a recent study by the EPA, 50% of a person's exposure to ultra-fine particles (those linked to cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses) can occur during a commute. So staying out of that car an extra day every week can have health benefits as well. As far as personal financial expenses are concerned, not only would you save money on that gas that you didn't burn, but your car would also require less frequent tune-ups, oil changes, and new tires. Of course these savings will be more significant for some than others, but every little bit helps. Finally, less cars on the road means a decrease in the potential for accidents and more time to spend with yourself, your friends, and your family.

Sound good to you? 

So we all are very aware that recycling has tremendous positive effects on the environment, but which materials are best suited for the process? Which materials should you favor when purchasing goods? Below is some information that will help you make a more informed decision on subsequent purchases.

When discussing the benefits of recycling a specific material, we must focus on the potential energy saving and air pollution savings. When it comes to both energy and air pollution savings, aluminum is by far one of the most efficiently recycled materials around, contributing savings of around 95% for both. Glass contributes energy savings of anywhere from about 5 - 30% energy savings and about 20% air pollution savings. Recycling paper products contributes to approximately 40% energy savings and about 70% air pollution reduction. Other recyclable materials that contribute to energy savings include cardboard at around 20 - 25%, steel at about 60%, and plastics at about 70%.

Another necessary component of the recycling discussion is the relative level of difficulty that comes with processing the material. While some materials can be recycled with ease, others pose a much greater difficulty. Here is some additional information on specific recyclable materials:

• Batteries: Unfortunately due to the varied nature of sizes and types, batteries prove to be a very difficult item to recycle. Each similar size and type of battery must be individually sorted and each group requires a different method of processing. In addition to this difficulty, batteries contain potentially harmful and hazardous materials and, therefore, must be treated with care. Fortunately, however, lead-acid batteries, such as those used in automobiles, are relatively easy to recycle with many cities requiring vendors to accept used ones. In the U.S. this has resulted in a 90% recycling rate and for most new batteries to contain 80% recycled material.
• Plastic: There are distinct challenges that are posed when it comes to recycling plastics. Similar to the challenge posed by batteries, there are a multitude of different types of plastics, each with their own unique Resin Identification Code (a number between 1 and 7, with 1 - 6 denoting recyclable resins and 7 denoting all other types of resins, recyclable or not), and so they must be sorted prior to processing. This sorting process is a difficult task that is only complicated by the fact that most lids on plastic containers are made from a different plastic that is non-recyclable.
• Ferrous Metals (Metals containing Iron): These metals are easily sorted and processed, with iron and steel being the world's most recycled materials. Ferrous metals can be easily separated magnetically from the waste stream in contrast to the difficult separation processes of batteries and plastics. In addition, steel can be recycled to make new material of top quality without compromising its final integrity. As a matter of fact, 42% of crude steel produced today is recycled material.
• Non-Ferrous Metals (Metals not containing Iron): Aluminum is one of the most efficient and widely-recycled materials today. A desirable result of recycling aluminum is that no changes are made to the metal during the process and, as a result, it can be recycled indefinitely. Also, as has already been stated above, recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce new metal. 
• Glass: Similarly to aluminum, glass is another highly recyclable material that can be recycled indefinitely due to the lack of changes made to the product during processing.
• Paper: While paper is most definitely a recyclable material, the process causes paper fibers to subsequently break down, ultimately requiring new fibers to be added or resulting in downcycling the pulp into lower quality products. Although nearly all types of paper products can be recycled, some types are more difficult to process than others. Paper coated with a glossy finish, foil, or plastic, and paper that is waxed, gummed, or pasted pose difficulties in the recycling process and are usually not even recycled because it is too expensive.

While purchasing that Energy Star washer and dryer is a great first step in making your laundry room green, your efforts shouldn't stop there. Making the decision to go green with your laundry detergents and other laundry supplies is critical both for you and your family's health and for the health of the environment. While ensuring that you purchase green products may be difficult on your own, review this information to make your next trip down the grocery store detergent aisle an easy one.

Unfortunately, due to government trade-secret laws, manufacturers of cleaning products are not required to disclose ingredients on product labels, making it difficult for you as the consumer to make an informed decision. Well nonylphenol ephoxylates, or NPE's, are surfactants found in many laundry detergents that are petroleum-derived and potentially harmful to the environment. In addition to NPE's, other harmful substances found in laundry detergents can include synthetic dyes, fragrances, and other chemicals. Chlorine-based bleaches can also pose a significant health hazard.

So what is the solution? When you purchase detergents and bleaches think "less is more". While the synthetic fragrances, dyes, and brighteners may be appealing to the senses, they do not have any effect on how "clean" clothes come out. So consider whether that "spring fresh scent" is worth the potential health and environmental hazard. Also, because ingredients are not required to appear on labels, do not necessarily be fooled by advertisement of "non-toxic" or "biodegradable". Instead, search for products who list ingredients on labels or those with more specific labels such as "chlorine-free" or "no NPE's". Notable manufacturers who produce liquid and powder detergents without harmful chemicals are Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Bi-O-Kleen. In the end, however, the greenest way to go is to make your own detergent at home. Find out the quick, fun, and easy way here: www.ehow.com

Smart Meters, also known as Advanced Meters, take the place of conventional electric meters. Through a series of wired and/or wireless networks, consumption information and data can be sent directly to utility companies. This eliminates the need for monthly visits by a meter reader, which saves us the gas that would have been burned to visit all of those meters. More importantly, however, this means that utility companies will be able to closely monitor rates of consumption as it rises and falls throughout the day, therefore allowing them to introduce dynamic pricing that is based on simple supply and demand economics. Customers will then be able to track these variable rates and their consumption, with the hope that this will encourage homeowners to use less power during peak periods.

Many major utility companies are now experimenting with the Tendril Residential Energy Ecosystem, or TREE, introduced by the Tendril company based out of Boulder, Colorado. In this automated energy management system, homes are outfitted with items such as smart thermostats, power supplies, and other electronic equipment that are connected to each other and their power supplying utilities through a series of networks. These appliances can then be monitored by both the individual and the utility so that their power usage can be scaled back accordingly. It is a win-win situation for business or home owners and the utilities that supply them with power. Check out Tendril here: www.tendrilinc.com

Fuel cell technology has become more prevalent in the 21st century. So what exactly is a fuel cell and how does it work? In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery, however, a fuel cell does not require recharging  and will not run down. As long as hydrogen fuel is supplied, energy will be produced in the form of electricity and heat.

Fuel cells have many stationary, mobile, and transportation applications. In fact, more than 2500 fuel cell systems have been installed throughout the world, in hospitals, schools, office buildings, hotels, and more. These systems are either connected to the main electric grid in order to provide supplemental power and backup assistance, or installed as a separate generator for areas that are inaccessible by power lines. Cars, buses, scooters, trains, and other modes of transportation have been outfitted with fuel cell systems. Even in the world of Micro Power, which includes cell phones, laptops, and palm pilots, fuel cell technology has proven itself as an effective and efficient source of power.

The benefits of fuel cell systems are many and varied. A fuel cell system that runs on pure hydrogen produces zero emissions. Although some stationary systems use natural gas or hydrocarbons as a supplemental source, even these systems produce far less emissions than conventional power plants. Fuel cells also run extremely quite and contribute to a reduction in noise pollution. Vehicles that run on fuel cells are the least polluting of all vehicles that consume fuel directly. Since fuel cells do not burn fuel, they are fundamentally more efficient than combustion systems. The hydrogen that fuels these cells can also be produced domestically, helping to alleviate our nation's reliance on the import of foreign oil. 

Learn more about fuel cells by visiting this website: www.fuelcells.org 

Christmas brings us joy, love, and good times, but it also has the potential to generate a heap of waste. Here are some tips to maintain conservation of our natural resources while celebrating this joyous holiday!

• When you are looking for that perfect gift, gravitate towards those with the least amount of packaging and those made from recycled materials
• Use the same types of cloth bags that you do at the grocery store for your holiday gift shopping. Use them again, and again, and again...
• Look for a way to recycle your tree instead of sending it to the landfill. Check within your community today to see if they collect trees for mulching.
• If you buy an electronic device as a gift, consider giving the gift of rechargeable batteries and a charger along with it. Your gift recipient and your fellow man will thank you.
• Reuse the fronts of old holiday cards to send out as postcards or to use as gift tags. It would make a fun project for you and the kids!
• When you go out to shop save yourself some stress, gas, and time by planning out your trip. Keep it as local as possible, combine several errands into one trip, and bring some friends along for a carpool and some company! The more planning you do, the more efficient you will shop, and the more time you will have to spend with your family and friends!

If you haven't gone out to buy that new Energy Star refrigerator yet, GO! But in the meantime, here are a few tips to keep that older refrigerator efficient until you get that shiny new eco-friendly one:

1. Just as your mother always told you, Keep that refrigerator door shut!!! Every time that door is opened, the refrigerator can lose up to 30% of its cooled air, and that means it has to work that much harder and spend that much more energy to cool it down again (that goes for the heated air in the oven as well). So listen to the wise words of your mother and do the right thing.
2. Be sure to check the seal(s) on your refrigerator and freezer door(s). This can be easily done with a dollar bill. Just shut the door on a dollar bill and if you can easily pull out the bill then it is time to replace the gaskets. Replacement kits can be purchased from local appliance dealers or home centers. Weak seals on your refrigerator and freezer doors can lead to significant energy loss.
3. About twice a year vacuum those refrigerator coils to keep that compressor running efficiently. It's a dirty job, but it will save you money and energy costs.
4. Don't make your refrigerator too cold, try to keep it at around 36 - 38ºF. The same goes for the freezer, which should be kept at around 0 - 5ºF.
5. Try as hard as you can to resist the temptation of overloading the refrigerator. In order to keep foods at the proper temperature and maintain optimum efficiency, the cool air needs to be able to circulate freely.