Garden of Eating Blog Features Giveaway for Eco-Friendly Cookware via MightyNest-

Visit the Garden of Eating blog to enter a giveaway for a $100 gift certificate good toward MightyNest products. The company features a hand-picked selection of the best kitchenware products to help you create a healthy, non-toxic kitchen. From glass bakeware and food storage to stainless steel kitchen essentials to safe dishware — all free of harmful chemicals like BPA that can leach into food. The link above will take you to the blog and outline steps to increase your chances of winning this companies products!

We at GEN are undoubtedly animal lovers and for that reason are in the process of opening a cage-free boarding and training facility at our compound in Agua Dulce, CA. Seeing that we’re all about lowering our environmental impact wherever we can, we have been contacting many eco-friendly companies to try out their products for review. Enter P.L.A.Y — or Pet Lifestyle and You — a company dedicated to reducing environmental waste by recycling old bottles and turning them into pet beds. This awesome company offered to send us one of their swanky beds for large breed dogs. We tried it out and here is our honest opinion on their product:

Comfort-

This bed is SUPER plush especially considering it was made with recycled bottles. My husband decided to try it out himself and said that it is not only spacious enough for a person to lay on (in the fetal position, granted!) but its also provides ample cushion to keep him from sinking into our hardwood flooring. He also weighs about 200 pounds, by the way. It should be noted that my business partner purchased a few of Costco brand dog beds to cut costs, which are similar in size — and those beds don’t even come close to the padding that P.L.A.Y provides. Definitely a well made dog bed.

Durability-

About 4-5 dogs have already made their home on the P.L.A.Y bed, and every seam and stitch is completely in tact. In comparison again with Costco brand beds, P.L.A.Y is MUCH more durable – as the former already had snags at the seams before any dog even touched it. Since we’ve only been using the bed for about 2 weeks, it is too early to tell the true durability especially because we haven’t had too many dogs coming in and out of the facility yet. Photo below is comparing the cushion in the Costco brand bed (left) to the P.L.A.Y brand dog bed (right).

Design-

The style of this “Savannah” dog bed in the sepia/dark chocolate color scheme is absolutely stunning. The top of the bed features a glossy, almost elephant skin looking design, but colored to fit the African desert. They also have an ash grey/cool grey option that actually much more resembles elephant skin, but the brown tones were more appropriate for our indoor dog lounge area. This bed could definitely fit the more upscale home decor.

Eco-Friendly Factor-

The best part about P.L.A.Y beds, as we mentioned before, is the fact that they are made to help reduce the world’s environmental waste. An astounding 92 recycled bottles made their way into the polyfiber filling for this particular bed. Not only that, but all the tags on their products are made from F.S.C. certified paper. While it would have been nice to see the entire bed being made out of re-purposed materials, the filling is a good start.

All in all, we couldn’t find too many negative aspects about this bed. However, with a price tag of $189 USD, it seems to be more well suited for the sophisticated dog owner looking to lessen their environmental impact a bit while still considering style.

As required by the FTC: I received no monetary compensation for this review. I received a product sample for the purpose of my review. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

You can make a difference. Making the effort to be more environmentally friendly is easier and cheaper than you realize – and good for both you as well as the environment. Read on for 5 easy ways to do your part.

Recycle.

It is so easy and simple to recycle these days that it’s almost harder not to recycle. Your local council will have provided you with a recycling bin and a calendar so you know which days to put out your recycling.

Have you ever had friends over and they have been confused when they go to throw out something and discover you don’t have a recycling bin? Avoid potential embarrassment and change this as soon as you can!

Glass, plastic, cardboard or aluminum should be recycled wherever possible. If you are unsure, turn the item upside down and look for the green triangle that will let you know if it can be recycled.

Going one step further and making an effort to buy items that are in biodegradable or very little packaging is even better if you can.

Bike or walk.

Cars are the largest contributor to air pollution in the world today and while you can do your best effort to look after your car or invest in a hybrid or greener model, the truly best thing you can do is reduce your car usage altogether! This will save you money AND work wonders for your health.

Switching your drive to work in the morning for a bike will mean you get exercise, fresh air and also save time searching for parking or being stuck in traffic – as well as save you money on petrol.

If biking isn’t your thing, go old school and walk – set yourself a challenge or a limit: if a place is less than 20mins walk away, make it a rule to always walk rather than drive. The more you get used to walking, the easier it will be, the fitter you’ll get, and the cleaner your air.

Cloth bags not plastic bags.

Green bags are very widely available and there is absolutely no reason that you should still be using plastic bags.

Not only are they reusable: they are also convenient. You can fit a lot more in cloth bags, including heavier or sharp items that just tear through plastic bags, and you can use them for pretty much anything.

Make a habit of keeping one handy at all times: there’s nothing more frustrating than heading to the supermarket and realizing you have left these bags at home. Constantly buying enviro bags is just as bad – if not worse – as constantly using plastic bags, and defeats the purpose.

Support eco businesses.

While it’s very easy now for businesses to practice greener habits, to recycle, to buy and stock environmentally friendly products and use eco promotional bags: it’s typically not the cheapest option for them.

Those businesses that are environmentally responsible are making a conscious effort and investment – and we are consumers are responsible in helping make their efforts worthwhile.

There are still so many businesses out there that, no matter what, will always choose the cheapest and easiest option because they only care about the bottom line.

The more we demand that businesses turn green, support those that do and avoid those that don’t, the sooner businesses will relent to pressure and start introducing more environmentally friendly practices.

Encourage your friends.

As one individual you may not think that your efforts alone can have a significant effect: but if you spread the word to your family, friends and all others you know, you can create a ripple effect and soon there will be an extra 100 or 1000 people practicing eco-friendly habits – all thanks to you!

Lead by example and become conscious of how others might be inspired by your habits – and encourage them to do the same.

New LEAF System Will Provide Easier & Quicker Charging for Owners-

While the Chevy Volt has been making headlines in a not-so-desirable way with its battery fire debacle (any publicity is good publicity probably doesn’t apply here), Nissan LEAF is once again proving itself a more than worthy competitor in the EV market – especially considering the LEAF is an actual EV. Yesterday at the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan announced its newest wireless charging technology which will allow owners of the LEAF to completely recharge its battery without having to install a charging system or find an extension cord. The flat floor pad can be positioned anywhere your car can fit, like a driveway or parking lot space. When LEAF owners park over the charging pad, sensors located underneath the EV will activate an electromagnet that sucks electricity from the car’s recharging coil. The auto maker affirms that weather conditions will not affect the wireless charging system. Another positive aspect about the new system is the accelerated charge time, which is eight hours using the pad. Typically, plugged into a standard 110V outlet, the charging time can be up to twenty hours if the battery is fully depleted. Nissan says its wireless system will become available sometime in 2013. Unfortunately, the currently existing LEAFs can not be altered to feature this technology, so those who have already purchased one will have to continue using the standard outlets and charging stations.

Crash Test last May Reveals Volt Batteries May Not Be Safe-

With all the positive buzz surrounding the Chevy Volt these days, it was surprising to hear about the latest scandal linked to the new hybrid vehicle. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested three Volt batteries and one of them actually caught fire, with the other two reportedly overheating. The investigation was prompted to due the crash safety test performed last May, in which the Volt battery had allegedly caught on fire during routine inspections. NHTSA’s analysis aimed to mirror the circumstances surrounding the May battery incident. The NHTSA released a statement, in which they reported, “This past May, NHTSA crashed a Chevy Volt in an NCAP test designed to measure the vehicle’s ability to protect occupants from injury in a side collision. During that test, the vehicle’s battery was damaged and the coolant line was ruptured. When a fire involving the test vehicle occurred more than three weeks after it was crashed, the agency concluded that the damage to the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery during the crash test led to the fire.” The regulatory agency said its unknown at this time whether there will be a recall of any parts or the vehicle in its entirety. GM will be giving out free vehicles on loan to Volt owners who are apprehensive about driving the car until the situation has been resolved. It might be beneficial to note that other electric-powered vehicles on the market today, such as the Nissan LEAF or the Mitsubishi MiEV, have not reported any problems with battery packs.

Comedian Raves About Chevy Volt to NY Times, Slams Nissan LEAF-

As most know, Jay Leno has always been a car aficionado – with roughly 190 cars and motorcycles in his possession. He’s never owned an alternative powered vehicle — until now, that is, as he recently made the leap and purchased a Chevy Volt. The comedian drives to and from work every day, around 35 miles each way. Because of the (roughly) 40 mile range on the Volt, Leno is able to charge up while at work and then once again when he gets home. Since his purchase in December 2010, he’s reported using around 11,000 miles and claims he’s never once had to fill up the gas tank. Leno boasted about the efficiency of the car to the NY Times, noting it’s superiority in performance over the Nissan LEAF. While it is impressive, his situation is not typical as recent polls have determined that daily commutes are longer and more tedious since the almost five year long U.S. recession, and that’s especially true in cities with larger populations. It would be much more difficult for the average American consumer to work the extremely short range into their commute and expect to use zero gas.

The Electrical Vehicle (EV) market is set to take off and those fast enough to capitalize on the trend are positioned to make significant profits. An estimated 3 million EVs are expected on the world’s road by 2015 – 1 million alone in the US. To power these cars an estimated 5 million chargers will be needed, including some 1.5 million in the US. But get this – currently there are only 1,500 public charging stations nationwide, providing enormous potential for growth.

As the New York Times has noted, “the route to a fully charged electric vehicle runs through the parking lot.” (26/08/2010) Parking facilities in such as the workplace, hotels, shopping malls, industrial and commercial parks, airports, universities, hospitals, gas stations, and residential/office buildings will all be installing chargers in the near future.

Shawn Conrad, Executive Director of the International Parking Institute (IPI), the largest trade association in the parking industry, says that it is set to become a major player in the electric vehicle charging field. “Readily available charging locations will be critical, especially in the early years as consumers begin to drive electric vehicles. The parking industry is ready to step up and take on a major facilitating role in electric vehicle rollout.”

All over the world governments are requiring the installation of EV chargers in public and semi-public parking facilities. In the US, a bill introduced by US Senator Greenstein would require new shopping centers to allocate no less than 5% of their parking space to EV charging stations. In China, the country’s Electric Vehicle Development Plan for 2011-20 calls for its “EV pilot cities” to include charging facilities in no less than 20% of new public and community parking spaces. In France, the government has declared that by 2012 all new apartment building parking lots must have chargers and by 2015 all new office building parking lots must have them. Meanwhile London’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy Plan includes a condition that between 10-20% of parking spaces in new developments be provided with charge point infrastructure. No wonder then that a recent IPI survey of parking professionals ranked accommodating electric vehicles as among the top emerging parking trends for 2011.

As the only company that originated in the parking services and real estate fields, Success Charging (SC), a market leader, is well positioned to capitalize on the new trend. SC owner and CEO Tsahi Merkur, who is considered the “king” of the Israeli parking lot market, has many years of experience in these fields and understands both the pitfalls and the opportunities of the domain. “Parking areas which install charging units will gain a host of benefits,” says Merkur. “They will attract more customers, giving them a competitive edge, upgrade their property values and improve their image by associating themselves with the environmental movement. Chargers also present a possible revenue source depending on the business model.”

The company is offering free charging units and installation as well as free maintenance, promotion, management and back office support such as billing and reports. Considering an average level 2 charging unit with installation can cost several thousand dollars, this is no small feat. The combined package offers property owners the perfect entry into this lucrative market.

StreetScooter, a lightweight electric car, is currently in development by a group of 80 engineering firms, electronics companies and auto parts suppliers with the goal of providing a financially sustainable alternative to today’s high cost EVs. It was recently unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show, and with its many innovations proved itself a worthy competitor in the race to offer marketable, affordable green vehicles to the masses. The Scooter runs solely on rechargeable batteries and uses state-of-the-art technology like its heating and air conditioning system which uses roughly 20 percent battery power when compared to the standard.

Those who’ve ever driven an electric car most certainly know all about the “range anxiety” that kicks in when the battery power is low, home is still miles away, and its over 90 degrees outside. But apparently, the StreetScooter’s HVAC technology will lower the instance of such occasion which is a big plus. It only reaches a top speed of about 74 miles per hour, however, and unfortunately its range only extends to roughly 50 miles per charge. While its not ideal for long distance travel, it is a viable solution to around town driving and its cost is much lower than, lets say, the Nissan LEAF. Consumers can choose to buy their StreetScooter with up to three batteries depending upon their needs, with each battery lasting about 28 miles per charge. The downside really is the size and range of this little guy. Its only a two-seater so it doesn’t offer the option of family trips, and it will probably even be a feat to hold luggage for two. With all that said, this car could really be the start of something great in terms of the affordability factor. StreetScooter should be available for market sales in Europe by 2013, and will cost only $7,000.

by Raina Russo

I just returned from the Solar Power International (SPI) show, an annual event for the solar industry, and there were a few things I kept hearing over and over.

One was: “It’s simple: People can live better with solar.” The second was: “The price of electricity will rise over the next decade.”

Over the last 40 years, Americans have been fortunate to have largely consistent electric rates. But as utility providers need to replace aging systems and fuel costs rise, experts predict that homeowners will soon need to pay more for electricity.

In this economy, where jobs are uncertain and the cost of everything keeps going up, everyone wants to save money. But most of us don’t want to sacrifice to do it. With a solar installation, the panels are virtually maintenance-free. You don’t have to think about it any more than you think about the electricity used right now to power your home. You’re connected to the same grid. You flip the same light switches. You even pay the same company – except you’ll pay a lot less! And, those low prices will be locked in forever, regardless of how high electric prices rise.

Let’s Get Real: Facts and Figures on Solar Savings

In March, I purchased a 10.4kW system, which means it produces 10kW of electricity per hour in full sun conditions, or about 55kWh (kiloWatt hours) per day. I’ve consistently saved 60 percent or more on my home’s electric bills. My system is on the large side, though, and may not be a typical example.

A 4,000-watt DC system is an average size, and can reduce your utility bills by about 40 percent. The cost would average about $25,000, but don’t go into sticker shock; after rebates, tax credits and incentives, your out-of-pocket cost will actually be about $7,500 for your solar array.

If you’re an average homeowner in the New York tri-state area, you’ll save about $1,650 per year in electric. The system will literally pay for itself in about four years. Over the life of the system – about 25 years – you’ll save about $41,000. I personally can’t think of any other cash investment that promises a return of more than five times your initial investment. But you don’t have to wait 25 years. You’ll have extra money in your pocket because of lower utility bills from the first day you turn on your system.

Solar Leasing and No-Money-Down Programs

If you’re wondering how to afford that $7,500 upfront cost, this may surprise you: You don’t have to. No money down, zero percent financing and solar leasing programs are available to help you cover those costs. Your local solar PV installer can help you find the program that’s the best fit for you.

Sold on Solar?

You will save money with solar. As electric costs go up, as inflation drives up the price of everything, the cost of your home’s power will remain the same. As the saying goes, “your mileage may vary.” The price of solar, plus the savings you’ll enjoy depends on state and local municipality incentives available, plus the cost of electricity in your region, along with many other factors.
The solar savings calculator at www.ecooutfitters.net is a tool that will give you a good estimate of exactly how much you’ll save with solar, and a call to a local PV installer will let you know the exact cost of the system.

However, there’s one benefit to solar energy that is consistent regardless of where you live: You’re creating clean, home-grown power, reducing your family’s carbon footprint and showing a commitment to our environment. Solar isn’t just a way to save money. It’s peace of mind. It’s a better lifestyle – now and in the future. And you can take that to the bank!

For Raina Brett Russo, taking care of the environment is a necessity, not an option. Having grown up in Israel, a place where conservation is required and solar hot water heating is the norm, Raina knows the importance of solar energy. She is fortunate that her work as co-founder and president of EcoOutfitters.net, an information-rich online portal that bridges homeowners and businesses with qualified renewable energy installers, allows her to be involved in the solar industry’s growth.

With the rising cost of electricity people are starting to look to alternative ways to power their homes. Think about the increased rent you could charge on your investment properties! The need to provide electricity using more environmentally friendly methods is also becoming more important. Having solar panels for your home (or investment property) is one method of producing alternative power and many people have already taken this on board. If you go to sell your home there are certain real estate agencies that deal specifically with environmentally friendly homes, but it is also worthwhile speaking to conveyancing services who can offer you professional advice.

Solar Energy

Solar energy is created by collecting the sun’s energy in the cells of solar panels and transferring it to power. Solar panels can be installed on the roof of your home and power your lights and your appliances. It can be used to heat your hot water system and your swimming pool and solar energy can even power cars. Small appliances like calculators can run on solar power. Solar power is a green alternative and does not create any carbon emissions in its production. Solar power is an extremely effective way of creating electricity.

Hydro Electricity

Harnessing energy created by moving water has been done for thousands of years. People would use flowing water to push a wheel that would then go on to grind grain. Today hydro electricity is created in much the same way. Water is directed to flow through a turbine which causes it to spin which then powers a generator. Much of the United States’ energy is created this way. Hydro electricity is a greener option and it is a recyclable energy source as the water can be directed back up through the turbine.

Wind Power

Australia has the resources to provide a substantial amount of energy created by the wind. The southern states are subject to the Roaring Forties and wind speed is enough to create a large portion of energy. Currently about two percent of Australia’s energy demand is being met by power created by wind turbines. There are fifty-two wind farms in Australia.

Geothermal

While it might only seem appropriate for those living near volcanic activity, geothermal power is actually viable anywhere you have some space to dig deep. Six feet down, the earth holds a constant of around 50° and 60° all year. By laying some pipes underground, running fluid through a “heat exhanger” – or heat transfer from one medium to another – and adding a compressor to the mix, it is possible to produce a consistent air flow that keeps you cool in the summer months and warm during the winter. To boot, a geothermal heating and cooling system provides better air quality than you get by circulating an A/C or heater.