Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Jun
8
Navy Blue and GreenThe U.S. Navy is set to launch a force entitled “the Great Green Fleet” by 2016. This fleet will consist of ships, submarines, and planes powered by biofuels. The first group will be tested in 2012. This is part of an initiative opted to ensure at least 40% of the Navy’s total energy consumption comes from an alternative source by 2020. This plan also calls for: cutting petroleum usage in its 50,000 commercial vehicle fleet in half by phasing in hybrid fuel and electric vehicles; producing 50% of its shore-based energy requirements from renewable sources.
Although many Americans still remain leery of global warming, the Pentagon has acknowledged global warming as a security threat. “The Department of Defense takes climate change seriously,” said Amanda Dory, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy. The Pentagon has committed to produce 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The U.S. military accounts for nearly 80% of the U.S. government’s energy consumption, prompting the military to consider the lifetime energy cost of its operations. The navy has a head start on the other branches of the military. Approximately 17% of its aircraft carriers and submarines are already fuelled by alternative sources. However, the navy isn’t the only branch of the military committed to going green. The army is investing in portable wind generators and working to take its huge base in Fort Irwin, California off the public electricity grid in the next decade, using a 500MW solar panel array instead.
We have recently partnered up with Bongo, an international shipping company. As a result of our partnership we are able to ship internationally as well as to two new U.S. locations, Hawaii and Alaska!
Apr
10
Looking back to the FutureIt’s a hard to imagine that in the 1950’s we were more eco-friendly than today. With all the innovative technologies to help save energy and new ways to live green, shouldn’t our generation be more environmentally safe? The main difference between then and now is transportation. A person in the 50’s usually walked or took public transportation. But today living without a car is hard to even think about. We take the car to school, work, to meet up with friends, etc. The carbon dioxide levels rose 20% from 1958 to 2009.
Nowadays people are also buying everything in much larger quantities. Think about the last time you went grocery shopping? Did you get only the things that you need, or did you buy many items in bulk? In the 1950’s, average American households consumed 144 pounds of meat per person, this number rose to 222 per person by 2007. This does’t just apply to food, but also to clothes, to home décor items, and to electronics. The amount of energy we use has also increased in dramatic quantities. An average household now has two or more TV’s, a computer, a laptop, a couple of phones, and other electronic powered devices. Energy consumption is now about 3 times as high as it was in 1950. All is not lost though! Looking back to the 1950’s we can start to reduce our carbon footprint. Instead of taking your car everywhere, maybe ride your bike or walk? When you’re not using your electronic devices, turn them off. When buying things for yourself or your home, ask yourself, do you really need this? Simple steps like that can have a great positive impact our environment. Environmental movement has been on the rise. Everything from food, furniture, even clothes are being made from organic and/or eco-friendly materials. But now United Kingdom is taking this movement to a whole different level. The UK is developing new government programs to build eco towns! This is a fairly new concept but it’s already taking off. It is a long process and now it is becoming more difficult since new government has cut the funding for the program in half. But none the less projects are progressing. Whitehill Bordon has recently been awarded an eco-town status. Work has been started on retrofitting existing homes. This means loft insulation, water conservation and harvesting and recycling rain water and new homes and schools are being built with zero carbon. They are also exploring ways to add more public transportation, such as restoring an old rail line. New job opportunities will be open to people, where they will be exposed to “green skills”. Ideally these eco towns will be popping up all over the United Kingdom in just a couple of years. But Britain is not the only country taking dramatic initiative to make towns more environmentally safe, the U.S. is not far behind. A town called Greensburg in Kansas is rebuilding in a more sustainable way after being destroyed by a tornado. Greensburg will be using eco-friendly technology in all stores and restaurants. New homes are being built with energy efficient heating and cooling, and water efficient toilets. These towns in both UK and United States are a fantastic example of what our world could become in the future.
A recent article published at Discovery News discussed the possibilities of China’s 2008 Olympics pollution restrictions being applied more generally and greatly reducing pollution-related cancer risks. Decreasing driving, toxic output from factories, and the burning of coal can all contribute to cutting the lifetime risk of getting lung cancer in half. From the article:
There’s been a lot of buzz recently about sustainable, eco-friendly packaging and beverage containers. Whatever you’re eating or drinking, the following collection of innovations and news on sustainable packaging should interest you: Environmentally Friendly Coffee Cups : so many to choose from! Have you seen any of these out and about? Should Water Bottles Be Biodegradable, or Recyclable? Portland, OR Schools Still Serving School Lunches on Styrofoam Trays The 2010 Greener Package Awards What’s your approach to containers and packaging that you use every day? Do you use a reusable coffee mug or water bottle? Do you brown-bag your lunch? We are happy to announce that we have added six new bamboo rugs to our lineup! The new colors and styles are: Crimson, Coffee, Ebony, Pearl River, Premier, and Key West. Have you ever seen a bright red bamboo rug before?
All of these new bamboo rugs, part of the Villager Collection, are made from Anji mountain bamboo, harvested from the Zhejiang Province in China. They come in vibrant colors and patterns that you won’t see in your typical bamboo rug, like deep crimson and key lime shades. In addition to the traditional, woven thin slats style, you’ll also find less conventional variations in color and width of bamboo slats. Though these new rugs differ aesthetically from the older ones, they are just as easy to clean and maintain, and are just as durable. In other words, everything that you already loved about our bamboo rugs, you will love about these as well! Stop by to check them out!
This article appeared today in The Telegraph about a Croatian coffee shop that has replaced daily newspapers with iPads for its customers to read news on instead. This isn’t the first time iPads have been used to replace paper in eateries–there have already been reports of restaurants using iPads for wine lists and menus. From a recent article on Geek Sugar: “One steakhouse in Chicago has reported a more than 20 percent increase in wine purchases per customer after they switched their wine lists to the tablets.” Even fast service chain restaurants like Au Bon Pain are using them. What do you think of this trend? Eco-friendly or over the top? Would you prefer to read news or order food from an iPad or would you stick with your traditional newspaper and menu? The Kansas City Star ran an article a few days ago about 11 interior design trends for 2011. While everyone and their mother is blogging or reporting on trends and forecasts for the new year, there were a few points of interest that we wanted to address here. Will these apply to you? What do you think about these predictions?
1. First, a move toward intimate, more personal decor: “Ready for your home to look oh-so 2011? It shouldn’t be too hard because the on-the-horizon trends are all about making it more optimistic, functional and personal.” This bodes well for the green movement, which is all about functional, eco-friendly products and looking toward the future. 2. Good news for those who craft, repurpose, and/or recycle: “The ‘who knew?’ factor of upcycled house goods will be even bigger in 2011, according to those at Etsy, the online marketplace for handcrafts. Look for plastic bags turned into bowls and bike parts into clocks.” 3. Not such great news: “Victorian, Edison-style and squirrel-cage bulbs are surprisingly hot little numbers despite the shift toward CFLs and LEDs. No, not for all your lighting needs but perhaps for your decorative clear-glass and bare-bulb fixtures so that you can really see the filament.” Would you be willing to sacrifice your more eco friendly bulbs to return to “Victorian”-style lighting? According to the article, “New carbon-filament bulbs offer 1/3 of the light at 10 times the price.” Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/04/2560426/eleven-trends-for-2011-go-eclectic.html#ixzz1AbSSWVdO
The Verde Lifestyles coupon code for the holiday season is here! Use pumpkinpie at checkout to receive 20% off of your order! This is a great deal, especially with the gift-giving season right around the corner. Green decor is a great gift not only for those in your life who are environmentally-conscious, but also for anyone moving into new digs–students, newlyweds, someone who just landed their first job. Here a few ideas to get you started on your shopping spree:
Nothing says luxury like a sleek teak wood bath bar. It can be used in a multitude of ways–use it to enjoy your hot bath with a book, a soothing cup of tea, or just to keep toiletries and towels close at hand.
Add space and light to a small apartment, or just a small room, with a large mirror in a beautiful sustainable wood frame. Mirrors are great for opening up cramped or dark spaces, and their frames can add detail and color to a bare wall.
Our natural, versatile bamboo rugs are a must-have for any green interior, and are indispensable as far as eco-friendly flooring goes. |
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