GO.. 30 Seconds to Green!

There is so much information out there telling us how to go green. And most of it is right on track. Some of the advice is a long-term goal. Like spending less, driving less and installing eco-friendly appliances once yours need to be replaced. However, there are many many things we can do each day. And this great list by Jennifer Chait from GrowingAGreenFamily.com is a perfect example of small changes with big impact that we can start implementing today.

Read the full 10 steps on Greenwala today!

How to Build Community Poster!

Ideas like:
Start a tradition
Turn off your TV
Mediate Conflict
Plant flowers
Plant food
Have Potlucks

For ideas on having your town be a Transition town model click here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/


So what exactly is a Transition Town? 

A Transition Initiative (which could be a town, village, university or island etc) is a community-led response to the pressures of climate change, fossil fuel depletion and increasingly, economic contraction.

Buy Green- Earth Top 15 Actions!

Changes You Can Make

1. Plant a local native species tree in your yard or start a garden for you and your neighbors to share.
2. Simply stop using pesticides and use chemical free cleaning products.
3. Turn off most lights and standby electronics when you leave the room and buy energy-saving, electronics, appliances and lighting.
4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
5. Shop and Buy Green. Be a consumer that uses your dollars to support companies and products that are better for the Earth.
6. Lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. Make sure your house is well insulated.
7. STOP buying bottled water and use a reusable non-plastic bottle.
8. Reduce your water consumption - Especially on the lawn, bathroom, kitchen and washing your car are good places to start
9. Start a compost pile in your back yard or on your rooftop.
10. Buy foods locally, mostly organic and in season.
11. Ride a bike, walk, jog, skate, bus or run everywhere!
12. At holidays and birthdays, give your family and friends the gift of saving the earth ~ donate to an environmental cause in their name.
13. Get off junk mail lists. GreenDimes can get you started. They'll even plant a tree for you!
14. Buy products that use recyclable biodegradable materials whenever possible.
15. Bring your own non-plastic bags to the grocery store... recycle your plastic bags NEVER DISCARD!

Shop for more products online or locally here: http://www.buygreen.com/

Tribewanted in Fiji!

Tribewanted: Vorovoro
ON A REMOTE FIJIAN ISLAND A GLOBAL AND LOCAL COMMUNITY LIVES
Tribewanted is a unique cross-cultural community tourism project on Vorovoro Island, Fiji and a global online social network.

So what Is Tribewanted?

As well as being an adventure of a lifetime, the aim of Tribewanted is that the evolving island community becomes a model for sustainable living that positively impacts and inspires both locally in northern Fiji and globally online to improving the way we live.

Tribewanted and the local team are developing a cross-cultural community from scratch, fusing traditional Fijian customs and ways of living with international ideas for sustainability
and innovation. On-line, Tribewanted has built an award-winning social network of 10,000 members who participate with and follow the island project.

http://www.tribewanted.com/about

The Sustain miniHome: A Modern Green RV!!!

The miniHome was created by the Sustain Design Studio team, and they describe it as:

The world’s first, completely self-sufficient, ecological trailer design, the miniHome features many of the ‘mod-cons’ that consumers have come to expect, without the associated energy, resource or material use. Within a well-organized 38 sm (350 sf), there is everything you need for comfortable, year-round, sustainable living.

We have designed the MiniHomes with:
* Engineered, High-Strength Recycled Steel Chassis (allows for easy siting and relocation)
* Natural and Rapidly Renewable Materials
* FSC Certified Woods
* Non-toxic and healthy finishes (no vinyl, no formaldehyde, no VOC’s)
* Wood-Efficient Framing Technologies (30% less material)
* Passive Solar Heating with Optimized Area:Volume ratio
* Natural Ventilation (exhaust high, supply low, cross ventilation)
* Passive Solar Shading (to prevent overheating)
* Air-tight Construction (to 0.7 ACH/hr)
* Heat Recovery Ventilation - for a constant supply of pre-heated fresh air
* Ultra-High Efficiency, Quiet Air Handling Unit (20W)
* Tankless Boiler/Water Heater
* Excellent control of vapour-flow and thermal resistance in the building envelope
* Rain-Screen Detailing (commercial grade)
* AC and DC Circuits
* LED Lighting
* Ultra-low Load Appliances (best of class Energy Star ratings)
* Hybrid energy systems are designed for the ‘plug-and-play’ addition of renewable energy sources, such as solar (photovoltaic) and wind.

Our models can be classed as trailers (ANSI-A119.5 or CSA Z241.1) or buildings (Conventional Building Permit Obtained for our site-built Kit Version) to comply with your municipal zoning or financing requirements. Turnkey and low-maintenance housing solutions are available from as low as $109,900 (USD) and with total combined annual operating costs of less than $500 - the MiniHomes represent excellent value for your dollar.

http://www.metaefficient.com/architecture-and-building/the-sustain-minihome-a-modern-green-rv.html