Poland Springs "eco-shape": What a Joke!

The environmental movement has come up with a new word for companies that use fake green credentials to deceive consumers into believing their products help the natural world: greenwashing. Poland Springs has come out with a new "eco-shape" bottle that uses 30% less plastic then other bottled water companies. The label on the bottle neglects to mention that the water bottles are one of the most detrimental products for the world, even if they have less plastic than their competitors. Look at it this way, a gas guzzling SUV that gets 10 mpg is bad for the environment. If the same gas guzzling SUV got 30% better mileage (13mpg) it would still be ecologically detrimental, and could not be considered eco-friendly in any sense.

People naively assume that since something is marketed as eco-friendly, it is friendly for the environment. The Poland Spring Eco-Friendly water bottle does have 30% less plastic than an average water bottle, however, though that is a nice baby step in the right direction, it doesn't change the reality. What happens to a Poland Springs Eco-Friendly water bottle after it is used? About 80% of them are thrown away after a single use. According to the Container Recycling Institute, Americans threw out about 50 billion recyclable water bottles so far this year. Water bottles are a growing industry, and as the industry grows, so does its carbon footprint.

The bottom line is that you can get the same clean, great tasting water right from your tap. All you need is a Brita Water Pitcher and a reuseable bottle.

Bring Your Own Bags!!

The Planet Bag

The best answer to the question "Paper or Plastic?" is No, thank you. One of the best and easiest ways to save the planet is to bring your own reusable shopping bags to any store. Many grocery stores are now offering credits for each reusable bag you use in the store. The credits range from 2 to 10 cents depending on where you live. That's like an instant coupon that you don't have to clip!!!!

The positive impact on skipping plastic shopping bags is huge! As many as 30 BILLION plastic shopping bags end up as litter each year. They make their way into our oceans, killing birds, and ocean creatures by the millions.

Paper bags can be worse than plastic. Even though Americans recycle 20% of paper bags, it takes more energy to make one paper bag, and creates more waste than two plastic bags.

Klean Kanteen

Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Colored Water Bottles with Poly Loop Cap

Klean Kanteen is a lightweight, re-usable, body-friendly bottle free of bisphenol A (BPA). This bottle is durable enough to last a lifetime. This eco-fabulous container is easy-to-clean, and easy-to-carry. Beverages are clean tasting no matter how many times you use it!!! It was the best $10 investment I've ever made!!!

An Inconvenient Truth

An Inconvenient Truth


Wake up and smell the coffee everyone!!! An Inconvenient Truth is a wake up, slap in the face eye opener. Al Gore reviews the scientific opinion on climate change, and describes the consequences he believes climate change will produce if the amount of human-generated greenhouse gases is not significantly reduced. If you want to learn about global warming this is the movie to see!!!

Grow Your Own Fruits & Vegetables

Our food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles to reach our plates (Wow! That's almost like driving from here to California!!). Trucks use a lot of gas and fumes to make that trip. Why not grow your produce in your own backyard? A simple garden will not only will this save you money and reduce carbon emissions, but you will know exactly how your food is grown and what went into it. You won't have to worry about harmful pesticides or other chemicals that might be lingering on your food.

If you are unable to grow your own produce at home then you may want to consider shopping at your local farmer's market. By doing so will definitely save on "food miles".

Buy In Bulk

When I say buy in bulk I don't mean buying large cases of individually wrapped goods. Buying in bulk means buying the largest size of a product that you need. For example, buying a 64oz bottle of laundry detergent rather than a 32oz bottle is better for the environment because it uses less packaging per unit. Not only is this better for the environment to buy in bulk, but it is better for your wallet because the larger size almost always costs less.

Join a bulk buying club like BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club so you can save money, and the environment by purchasing larger-sized containers of almost anything you use in your home.

What happened to the EV1??

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Talk about a conspiracy...This is by far one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. This movie explores the creation, limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the battery operated vehicle in the United States, specifically the GM EV1 of the 1990s. The film looks at the roles of car companies, the oil industry, and the US government. I never knew this car exsisted until I watched this film...