Thank you faithful reader (dare I hope and say readers?) for bearing with me during my absence. Illness and work have kept me away, but as I gear up for my volunteer efforts in the next presidential election (which happens to fall on my birthday), I am figuring out that one must learn how to prioritize. So Everyday Environmentalists, wait in darkness no more – unless you have the lights off to conserve energy, then kudos.

My tech savvy roommate recently sent me an item from a technology blog he reads regarding one of the biggest environmentally household demons, the dryer (as in Washer And…). Not only do they consume so much electricity that Energy Star does not even find it worth the time to mark them, but they are the also the villain in many a sad clothing tale. How many times have you taken out that perfectly fitted top only to find it’s pushing the word “snug” to new limits. Or what about when you want to dry that dress, just for a minute, and then discover it covered in those balls, those dreaded little fabric balls! I would honestly dry my items by clothesline, if I had a yard, sun, or a line.

Well, for those of you who do own a dryer, a solution has finally arrived. Hydromatic Technologies has invented a devise that can be added to many dryers to not only reduces drying time by 40%, but also cuts down on shrinking!

The devise will run you about $300 when it first hits the markets, but we can hope that like the iPhone, prices will go down shortly. In the meantime, check out the link below for more information on the little Earth warrior who is also looking out for your wardrobe.

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9872365-1.html

Story of Stuff

Some of you may have heard of this short before, but I think it's worth posting about. It's a great eye-opener and is told in a way ANYONE can get. It relates to far more than environmentalists and points out how the devastating poverty of areas can contribute to the amount of environmentally hazardous toxins they are exposed to. Thanks to my friend Vinny for sending me this link today. The teaser is below and you can find the whole video (it's only 20 minutes long and totally worth spending your lunch break watching) at http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html

Most Simple Tip Ever

Okay friends, and random cyber stalkers (oh, how I flatter myself) here is, perhaps, the most simple tip I will give. And what do you come here for if not for simple environmental tips? Or because I've asked you really nicely and you're a good friend, or because you need something else to laugh about behind my back.

I live in NY and probably abuse my take-out options more than I should. That being the case, I have started asking food establishments to not include utensils and condiment packets. Seriously, how many packets of mustard can I build up when I have two huge bottles in the fridge? (thanks Target)

I have recently decided to try and take this to the next level, and I realize that some eateries may not be cool with this, but if you have favorite joints you like to haunt, or if you eat at eco-friendly establishments and are ordering take-out, ask if you can bring in your own dish. Okay, maybe you don't want to take your tupperware out of your home, but it truly is such a simple way you can cut down on waste. If this isn't an option, then asking restaurants to exclude the plastic utensils, ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, etc. that you already have at home and probably don't need is a great first step in reducing your waste.

Happy Super Tuesday!

I wish I had the time and resources to come up with a chart comparing the presidential candidates on environmental issues, thankful, Grist.org does, and also access to interviews with each candidates.

Now I wish I had a better understanding of HMTL so I could actually put the chart on the blog, but once again, goose eggs.  So, here is a link for the chart:

http://www.grist.org/candidate_chart_08.html

Here is a link to the article which details their various stances and provides references for each:

http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/06/candidates/

They've been keeping it updated and the most recent update was today, so read and go vote!

Go Team...Obama

I think it says a lot that in his Super Bowl ad, Barack Obama decided to focus largely on "saving the planet."  He could have easily played to a different demographic, but instead he choose the platform that he knew would gain him the most viewers and called for an end to war and stated we could save the planet.  In essence, he not so subtly suggested that the environment was just as important as ending the war in Iraq.  And this is why he has my vote in a few hours:

I'm not a ____ bag

I really don't want to be one of annoying those "I was green before it was cool" people, but I was.  Because of this, I find myself really excited about how trendy living the green lifestyle has become, yet at the same time frustrated at those who I know will go back to their SUV driving, light leaving on-ing, baby seal clubbing ways once no one is looking.

Perhaps some of you will remember the Whole Foods bag craze from last summer.  I remember because I was walking past the store in Union Square around 11 PM one random night and saw teens camped out for blocks like John Lennon had risen from the dead to play one last song - or Hannah Montana was doing a private accoustic show, take your pick.  I later found out that they were waiting for the limited edition "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" designed by Anya Hindmarch.

I'm all about raising awareness in non-traditional methods and reaching out to the young generations to engage them in this fight against climate change, but this is one of the times where I feel like the mark was completely missed.  Mere hours after being on sale the bags were available on ebay for hundreds of dollars (they originally retailed for $15).  Soon they were accompanying the oh-so-stylish arms of Keira Knightley and Lily Cole.  "Okay," I thought as I saw girls use them for purses around the city, "Sure they're just using them as an addition to what I am sure is a large purse collection and not as a substitute to transport groceries, but at least they're getting the message out there, right?"

I had almost forgot about the bags until a few days ago, when I walked down to the uptown A, C, E platform at 14th Street and saw a woman who was using it as her purse WHILE CARRYING A PLASTIC BAG FULL OF GROCERIES.  I took a few deep breathes and overcame my immediate instinct to push her in front of the train (it did help that she moved just a little beyond my reach).  I still think I could have made an argument in court, not to just the tree huggers, but to any rational human being who realized the sheer stupidity of the situation.  In fact, I may have been awarded a Darwin award, or at least helped this unfortunate girl earn hers.

I'm trying to think of a way to end this entry with a tip, but all I can come up with is: Don't be stupid and people won't push you in front of trains.

What is one of the most powerful ways you can fight global warming?  By shopping.  No, this isn't the beginning of a cliche-filled Carrie column, but a brief examination of how changing and improving small habits can have a big effect.

It's sometimes hard to keep up with eco-friendly, social responsible shopping for financial and availability reasons.  I could list numerous green companies that I like to patronize but sometimes just don't have the financial means to.  However, despite the challenges, we should be thinking about long term consequences every time we pull out our Amex (especially us women, as the book Big Green Purse points out, we have a lot more power than we even realize as, statistically, women spend so much more of the shopping dollar - they also have a great website for responsible online purchasing www.BigGreenPurse.com).

A very simple way you can use the power of your purse for good is Method products.  Per their mission, they look at the world "through bright green colored glasses" and do so in a

 way that won't prevent from that Moo Shoes shopping spree you've been saving up for.  Not only are they green and cheap, but they work great!  And you can find them at many local retailers, including Target.  I'm personally a big fan of the pink grapefruit line.  Their refillable products use far less packaging than just about anything else out there and their website just makes you want to smile, just like using their products will.  You can get their "detox" cleaning kit, which includes 7 cleaning products covering everything from dishes to hardwood floors to bath tubs for $28 online!  And don't you just want to clean more when you have new fun products with which to clean?  

www.methodhome.com