Earth Friendly

Scheduling your next vacation so that it reflects your eco-friendly values can be overwhelming. First, you have to call various hotels and search their sites to see how green they really are. Oh, and don’t forget about renting an efficient vehicle to get you around town. By the time you’re done researching, you might end up looking at more of a travel expense than you initially intended.

Using RezHub.com can ensure your vacation is sustainable and more affordable without the hassle of researching for hours. Their Green Travel Hub has provided all of the information you need about hotels, because they have actually visited the hotels and made the phone calls. If you already know a thing or two about traveling in green style, post useful information for other travelers on the Green Travel Forum.

Finally there is a user-friendly directory of green hotels to narrow your searches and help you book the perfectly sustainable vacation. Currently, RezHub has ranked 1,600 hotels in over 40 countries. The scoring system ranks each hotel’s Green Amenities, and as a result, the hotel receives a designated amount of Green Branches to show their level of eco-friendly services.

If you’re unable to afford or fit one of these eco-friendly hotels into your itinerary, don’t worry because RezHub donates 20% of its profits from any trip booked on its site to environmentally friendly organizations. So even if you don’t choose a green hotel, you support the planet just by booking your vacation on the site. Traveling more eco-consciously couldn’t be any simpler.

EcoHearth is a new website where you can find all of your eco news. The articles are well-researched and present step-by-step approaches on how you can live a greener lifestyle. If you’re looking for certain eco-friendly products such as diapers, the Amazon Kindle, pet supplies, a 2009 calendar, etc., visit their online Eco Shop.

Also, check out their eco tips , which can provide you with unique and different ways to save money and preserve the environment. If you’re a collector of eco quotes from people such as Henry David Thoreau or Ralph Waldo Emerson, take a look at the pages of enlightening quotes they have collected so far.

Scientists from the Mt. Lemmon Observatory in Arizona have predicted that a meteor will enter the Earth’s atmosphere tonight. This meteor is about the size of a small car, but it will not pose any danger. However, it will be a spectacular sight to see for the people living in Sudan.

Meteors originate from a grain of sand, and sometimes you can observe them hitting the atmosphere as they cause streaks of light. The Minor Planet Center keeps track of asteroids that are large and more likely to be dangerous. At 10:46 p.m. EDT, people in northern Africa, the Middle East and maybe even in southern Europe will be able to see the meteor.

There are so many earthfriendly websites to help you learn how to live a greener life. Brightfuture.us is one of those sites, which has various articles that focus on solutions. Whether you have a small or large problem, you can find solutions that work. Or maybe you have solved a problem of your own that you wish to share with others. If so, you can publish an article to explain your experience. Plus, there is a network of like-minded people who want to make a difference in the world. Check it out and expand your knowledge about the environment.

It’s not surprising to me that Paris Hilton responded to McCain’s campaign ad. However, it was surprising to hear her give reasonable advice on the energy crisis. While I’m in support of new technology and alternative ways to meet our energy needs, it’s important to refrain from putting all of our eggs in one basket like we have so many times before. There isn’t one answer that is going to solve all of our problems, so we have to look into using a variety of methods. By relying on many effective methods, we can reduce the risk of overusing one method.  

For me, it’s been a disappointing summer, because the lake I usually go to is contaminated. Apparently, there are unsafe levels of E. coli in the water. Not only does this put a damper on my summer time fun, but it makes me wary of swimming in lakes and oceans now. Swimming in E. coli contaminated water can cause gastroenteritis, infections of the ear, nose and throat and rashes.

So how do unsafe levels of E. coli enter our lakes and oceans? Storm water runoff, sewage spills and overflows are the most common causes. In 2007, there were 20,000 beach closings and advisory days. So keep yourself safe by watching the news and keeping in touch with your local health department. If you smell sewage or see excessive amounts of trash, you shouldn’t risk your health to go swimming.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.flickr.com.

Because of palm-based biofuel, orangutans are losing their homes. According to Greenpeace, the forests in Indonesia are being destroyed at a quick pace-300 football fields per hour. The oil comes from the tree’s fruit, which is then used in various items such as snack foods and beauty products. I find that many of my vegetarian/vegan foods contain palm oil, especially the vegan butter.

Palm oil is a staple in Indonesia, so the demand for it is always on the rise, which makes it a valuable item. Fortunately, some companies like Dove soap and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream have decided not to support the clearing of forests for palm oil plantations. However, more efforts must be made because orangutans are losing their habitat and their food supply. You can help by spreading the word and making more people aware of this issue.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.flickr.com.

Although we all know recycling is beneficial for the environment, we don’t get immediate satisfaction when we do this good deed. Recycling is easy to do, but it takes time out of our busy lives. If your garbage service doesn’t offer recycling, you might have to drive to a recycling center. Your recycling probably piles up, because sometimes it’s the last thing on your mind. But how would you feel if you were monetarily rewarded for your good doing?

RecycleBank encourages people to recycle by rewarding the time you have spent. To find out if their services are available in your area, fill out their online form. If their services are available to you, all you do is place your recyclables into a specially marked container (no sorting required). Then RecycleBank records your recyclables and rewards you with points, which can be redeemed for useful rewards.

If helping the environment isn’t enough to encourage you to recycle, consider recycling for cash.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.flickr.com. 

I have to say that sugar is one of my favorite ingredients. Maybe that’s because I tend to be a sugarholic from time to time. Although sugar isn’t beneficial to the body, it might be beneficial to the environment.

The waste from sugar industries, specifically molasses, is being considered as having the potential to be an eco-friendly fuel. Vehicles in Brazil are already using this fuel, and according to Dr Jamil Anwar Chaudhry of Punjab University, when comparing this fuel to others, it causes 70 percent less pollution.

There are so many different alternatives that we can use for a fuel source. Maybe the answer isn’t in just one alternative fuel. Maybe we should think about using many alternatives. Then we wouldn’t be limited like we are when it comes to oil.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.flickr.com.

Often times I don’t think we give animals enough credit. They can see what we see, and I think they can feel the same things that we can feel. Animals have families, so why wouldn’t they mourn the loss of their mother, father, sister, brother, friend, etc?

In Hawaii yesterday, people were amazed at the fact that a turtle named Kuhina visited the memorial site of another turtle named Honey Girl who was killed. The video above shows Kuhina resting near the memorial. Some people thought that Kuhina was looking at Honey Girl’s picture. It’s heartbreaking to know that this turtle is grieving, but maybe it will make us think twice about how our actions can affect other animals.