EcoInsomniac

I’ve got a green New Years resolution. Do you?

Jason — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:19:14 +0000

I thought really long and hard about if I wanted to set a New Years resolution because they tend to be forgotten after a couple days or weeks. Then I got inspired by this contest at JessicaKnows.com and the people who entered it. So, I thought I’d share my green New Years resolution with you.

My green resolution for the New Year is to work daily to help myself and others to go green. I will get my Eco-Handyman business off the ground and use the business to do some good in my local area. I will reuse all the material from building and demolition jobs to build new products that can be sold with a percentage of the profits going to local green organizations and/or the local animal orphanage. I will use the local ReStore to shop for materials before going to a big box store when possible. I will start saving to fund the purchase of more land outside of San Antonio to build my family a green home and personal farm.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you share your resolution with me by using the comment form below. I hope you have an amazing New Year!

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Guilott Realty owner being threatened with arrest for being green

Jason — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:58:01 +0000

Gay Guilott is the owner of Guilott Realty, Inc located in Bandera, Texas made a decision to go green with her company and did it in a big way. Guilott Realty, Inc built a brand new building and went as green as they possibly could.

Here is the list of things Guilott Realty has done:

Renewable pine walls in the interior (no sheetrock)
Implemented a new recycling program for waste
Fluorescent light bulbs used throughout
Composite plastic decking for the outside deck
Rainwater collection (no use of city water at all)

This is a great set of accomplishments for any company that made a commitment to go green. There is a problem though. The rainwater collection part of that list is raising all kinds of stink in the small town of Bandera. The city is demanding that Guilott connects her building to the city water line and starts paying a bill even if it’s the minimum monthly bill of $16 a month. City officials have gone so far as to threatened arrest and a $200 a day fine if she does not comply soon. I think this is completely wrong. I’m not sure if it is part of the building code or what, but Bandera is a small enough city that it should be able to change with the times.

Mrs. Guilott had the ability to see that the time to go green is now. These cities especially small cities should be grabbing a hold on the green movement and using it to gain ground and a better tax base by giving incentives to go green. Threatening people for saving the city and its taxpayers water and probably money is just not the way to go about business Bandera.

I’m proud to see small businesses still leading the way in innovation and taking risks. I hope that the city does right by this woman, her business and the citizens of Bandera Texas by allowing and celebrating green building.

What do you think? Have you ever done anything green just to have some entity come and tell you that you couldn’t?

KSAT’s story about Mrs Guilott’s fight

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Top Gear got their hands on a Tesla Roadster UPDATED

Jason — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:18:10 +0000

Top Gear is a great show for motorheads who can’t get enough of seeing the newest cars put to the tests or crazy races by the three hosts. I really do enjoy the show as I’m a big car fan. They finally were able to get a hold of a car that appeals to my car side AND my green side the Tesla Roadster. Want to see the result? You can watch it below or click on the video to watch it on youtube in a wider version.

UPDATE: Here is Tesla’s response to the Top Gear video: http://jalopnik.com/5112828/tesla-issues-response-to-top-gear-review

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GE creates a CFL bulb shaped like an incandecent

Jason — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:50:53 +0000

Many people have shunned the CFL bulb because of its weird shape and inability to cover with some lamp shades and no company had really answered the problem. GE’s latest announcement is a great solution.

“These fit in more lamps and fixtures than standard GE Spiral® CFLs with the plastic base,” says Kathy Sterio, general manager of consumer marketing, GE Consumer & Industrial. “Some people just want an incandescent bulb profile so they can easily use it with clip-on lampshades or smaller table lamps. Other people may see it as more aesthetically pleasing than GE Spiral® CFLs in lamps or fixtures where the bulb is visible. It provides a more finished or tailored look that appeals to a lot of consumers.”

GE plans to have a 15w version (60w equivelant) of the newly shaped light bulbs in Target stores by December 28th and they’ll spread out from there first to Ace Hardware in January then everywhere else come Earth Day on April 22nd. I think we may a faster shift towards CFL bulbs with this new shaped bulb on the market. I don’t know about you, but I’m very please by that. Here is what it looks like:

Fancy isn’t it? Check out the complete press release here.

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Beautiful biodegradable dishes made of pressed leaves

Jason — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:59:47 +0000

Interesting title, eh? I wasn’t kidding either VerTerra has come out with some absolutely beautiful sustainable temporary dinnerware. Let me explain how they’re made so you know just how eco-friendly and sustainable these things are. Their fair-waged workers gather fallen palm leaves, steam and press the leaves into the molds, then the molded dinnerware is heated to set the shape. That’s it then they’re packed up and sent for us to use them. No dye, toxins or chemicals are used in these products at all. They’re ready to be used and tossed in the compost pile with the rest of your veggie scrap.

This line of disposable plates and bowls only has one problem. They’re way too pretty to toss out. Don’t go putting them in the trash these things are 100% compostable dinnerware. VerTerra designed these plates to bio-degrade in around 2 months once disposed of in the compost pile. Beautiful dinnerware and no waste sounds like a heck of a deal. The plates cost between 50 cents and a 1 dollar depending on the size, shape and quantity that you purchase. You can buy them here at the VerTerra shop.

Let me know what you think of them if you pick them up or if you’ve tried them before. I’m going to order some for our next get together and when that happens I’ll get some pictures with some food on them. I added some pics below for you to check out before you buy them.
Credit for the beautiful photography goes to: Theodore Samuels

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It’s time to be counted in the fight to stop climate change!

Jason — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:13:43 +0000

We Add Up has come up with a great program to show the number of global participants in the fight to stop climate change. They use 100% organic tee shirts that are sweatshop free and made in the US to get the point across. Here is an example of one of the t-shirts they offer:

When you order a shirt it is hand printed with the number that represents YOUR position in the world wide battle to stop climate change. Not only that, but if you purchase this particular style shirt called “Plant Trees” WeAddUp.com will plant or save 10 trees in the Central American rainforest with the help of their partner Sustainable Harvest International.

Here is another example:

If you purchase this shirt We Add Up will donate $1 to Green For All, which is working to lift families out of poverty by helping to build a green economy. These two shirts are only a small example of the great products that We Add Up offers and I hope you make a trip over to see what else they offer.

The folks over at We Add Up are so excited and helpful that they issued us our own coupon so all our readers can get 10% off their order by putting in the coupon code: “ecoinsomniac“. I hope to see pictures with you and your number soon! You’ll be seeing mine as soon as my shirt comes in.

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IMOrganic.com sent me a coupon to share with you

Jason — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:28:45 +0000

IMOrganic.com sent me a coupon to share with our readers and it’s so great that I didn’t ignore it. If you buy $40 or more worth of products from them then put in the coupon code “FROSTY” and you’ll receive $20 off AND free shipping! That’s a great way to get started buying organic. In full disclosure I do make a little bit off of your purchase and usually don’t put up affiliate posts, but I decided the coupon was worth it and you guys/girls may enjoy it. Hope you find something you like!

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Ted Talks: Andy Hobsbawm shows off a Green Ad

Jason — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:43:11 +0000

This quick little ad shared by Andy Hobsbawm who is the European chair of Agency.com gets a point across. It’s pretty funny and enjoyable check it out.

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Virgin America gives its customers the option to carbon offset

Jason — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:12:14 +0000

Carbon Offsetting has drawn a lot of fire and praise in the past from all sides. Some call it a scam or greenwashing, but I think with the right organizations involved it is a worthy option at least for now. Virgin America has chosen to partner with CarbonFund.org and turned to the EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) for ideas on which projects to contribute to. Here are two of the projects that were picked:

• Inland Empire Utilities Agency Biodigester, a methane capture project that creates clean, renewable energy and reduces more than 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year, while also protecting the quality of the region’s groundwater. The project is located in Chino Basin, Calif.

• IdleAire, a truck stop electrification project that reduces tailpipe emissions from trucks by connecting truck cabins with electricity at rest stops and eliminating the need to keep engines running for power. This approach saves a gallon of diesel per hour.

The IdleAire project is extremely interesting to me and has already been proven to work in other channels such as tankers and cargo ships. I cannot applaude Virgin America enough for their continued support of the environment.

Why do I support a company who is in one of the dirtiest businesses around? Because they’re trying to make a difference in the business that they’re involved in. Not just because of PR stunts or because government mandates, but because they care all the way to the core of their brand. In 2006 Richard Branson pledged the next 10 years of profits from Virgin Air and Rail companies to the environmental investment in his company Virgin Fuel to the tune of $3billion dollars to research alternative fuels that do not upset the food levels of the world.

I’m interested to see what comes out of the projects of the partnership between Virgin America and CarbonFund.org. Aren’t you?

Source: CarbonFund.org Press Release

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Green things I learned last week.

Jason — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:00:17 +0000

“Using a 2 stroke leaf blower for 30 minutes pollutes as much as driving a car for 2,200 miles.” Learned on Stuff Happens
“Many water houses made these days are made with PVC + Lead as a stabilizer and can be a source of lead poisoning if water is left sitting in them.” Learned on Stuff Happens

“You can recycle an old cassette tape into a coin purse.” Learn on Chezlin.com

“Treetents are in insanely awesome.” Learned from Dre Wapenaar

“Amazon offers frustration free packaging now and that means no more plastic packaging for many products.” Learned from Inhabitat

What’d you learn last week? Share with us by commenting below.

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Big Givers: Wal-mart to Donate 90 Million Pounds of Food

Jason — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:46:15 +0000

I know Wal-mart isn’t on the top of every ones list as a do-gooder or a great corporate citizen, but recently they’ve been readjusting their image for the better. This isn’t about Wal-mart going green though. That is a whole other article to come in the near future. This is about Wal-mart’s philanthropic efforts this holiday season. They are donating 90,000,000 (90 million) pounds of food to the Feeding America organization by the end of 2009. That is estimated to be about 70 million meals for Americans in need of a good meal. Instead of just donating the usual canned foods and powdered potatoes they’re actually donating produce, deli meat, chicken, beef and dairy products directly from the local stores. To be sure that Feeding America has the means to handle such a big donation Wal-mart is also donating $2.5 million dollars so they can improve warehouse capacity and purchase 20 new refrigerated trucks.

This is a huge step in the right direction for America. In a time where so many Americans are worried about where their next meal will come from it is great to see a giant like Wal-mart step up and help out. I’m grateful that Wal-mart feels compelled to do some good with all the success they’ve found and I hope that as time goes on they’ll keep up such good deeds.

Check out the press release here

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Vacation! We’re off to Port Lavaca for the weekend.

Jason — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:26:37 +0000

My girlfriend, my dog Lucky and I are going to be heading down to Port Lavaca for a one night stay with my parents. A trip totaling about 300 miles which we’ll be doing in my parents Prius. We’re heading down for a break and so my parents can see the 10 lots I bought in a neighborhood off of the Tres Palacios River. I’ve owned it for almost 2 years now and they’ve never been down so we’re going to go check it out. Hopefully there aren’t any alligators at the river to greet my little dog.

Until I got involved in the environmental issues that my owning the land has an actual positive environmental impact for my life. Not that I need to offset much, but it’s good no less. The land totals an acre and I’m not sure how to calculate what kind of CO2 that offsets, but it’s good to own and since I’m not building on most of it for quite a while it will continue to be a positive impact on the environment.

One of my goals in life is to own a lot of land maybe a working Ranch or Green Farm. We’ve been shopping around the area and have found many good deals, but my current employment issue won’t allow us to buy anything for now.

Do any of you own land? How does your job or lack of job effect your life? Do you have goals of owning land if so what is holding you back?

Have a great weekend

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What do you think about the bailout failure?

Jason — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:08:13 +0000

Personally, I’m glad the bailout went down when it did, but only really because I believe a better proposal will come of it. I’m no economist and I’m not one to listen to the scare tactics of the media either, but the economy is messed up and that’s apparent. My only concern is how rushed the act was and how many scare tactics were used to get citizens to implore their representatives to vote to pass the bill.

I am a (very)small business owner and it is pretty worrisome to see the economy where it is as far as lending and banking stability. The thing is it doesn’t matter how bad the economy is if you have a good idea and the ability to explain the idea in a way that makes sense to people with money then you will have no problem getting money to do business. If you just say, “Hey, I’ve got a website and it will make money because people click on ads!” or “We’re offering our web product for free for now, but someday next year we’ll add a pro service and everyone will want it!” then you’re out of luck the days of handing out money because a young kid made an awesome looking homework project is over for now. Don’t fret though I’m sure it’ll be back there is tons of money just waiting to be spent.

While this turned into a kind of rant for me I truely do want to know what you think of the bailout and our economy in a whole. Do you believe it’s in as bad of shape as they say it is? Do you see signs in your area?

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Some of my favorite Green Blogs.

Jason — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:56:00 +0000

I pull inspiration from many different sources and while my blog posting has severely slowed down to nearly a halt others have kept up the pace and continued to provide readers with awesome posts to inform and entertain. I’ve been reading quite a few blogs lately to get myself back into the swing of things. Here are a few of my favorites:

Autobloggreen.com - I am a car lover through and through so autobloggreen.com gives me the best of both of my worlds.

Treehugger.com - This is a give me and I’m sure most of you who read this have been to Treehugger.com they offer a great assortment of bloggers who provide amazing stories and posts for us to enjoy. They’re owned by Discovery and use the resources provided to them to bring stories to Treehugger that I could only wish to offer.

GreenDaily.com - Is another big name blog that I love to read. They’ve always got something new to say and the writers are great.

EarthandEconomy.com - Is really more of an aggrogator of green blogs, but really puts it together in a very readable way so that I can quickly and easily determine which articles could be worth my time. The fact that they hand pick the articles that show up means that most of the reading is worth anywhere from a glance to a full read. (Though none of my articles have managed their way on to the site *wink wink*)

I read many more sites and would love to share them with the rest of you, but that’s for another time. If you have any favorite green sites please do share them with me by emailing me or commenting below.

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Greenwashing? Tell me what you think it is.

Jason — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:46:45 +0000

Honestly I haven’t a clue what exactly “Greenwashing” is and I don’t think many people do. I’ve heard companies labeled “greenwashers” because of the products they create or use or way they make things. I’ve heard Clorox be called “greenwashers” because of their green line of cleaning products. Lexus was called a
“greenwasher” because the Hybrid they came out with gets something like 2 mpg better then the regular version.

I get that some companies are jumping on and using the word green as a marketing ploy. Clorox has put out a green range of cleaners that many organizations have gotten behind. Organizations that have been green long before most of the people handing out these labels have been.

What do you think “Greenwashing” is and who do you think is the worse offender when it comes to your definition?

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Going green isn’t being marketed very well.

Jason — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:17:46 +0000

You know it doesn’t matter what side you’re on or what news department you listen to anymore. The economy is going down the drain period. There is no ifs ands or buts about it anymore. So, then why isn’t something that doesn’t appeal to the masses in America being marketed more towards this economy? As I see it many commercials, marketing plans and websites are out there trying to convince people in America to go green because we have to because its good for the earth. I absolutely 100% believe that is the truth. The earth needs fixing the environment has been trashed and its past time to clean it up.

So, why not go after Americans where it counts? Go after the wallets and the end of the month bills that hurt them so badly to open that they sit for a week on the coffee table or kitchen counter. It needs to be explained to those people who don’t care about the environment that going green can and usually does save money in the long run. That the investment in their home and lifestyle not only is good for the earth, but has an ROI.

Would that be so bad for the green movement? No, absolutely not it would be great. Our end goal after all is to get more people thinking responsibly so that the earth benefits and has a chance to do some recovering. Now if that means showing others that going green means they can cut down their monthly bills and save some money in the long run then by all means that is what needs to get done.

Trying to convince the people who care about the planet that going green is the thing to do is a no brainer that’s easy. Advertising firms are milking it and taking the easy money convincing those that need no convincing. Enough of that go after the people that don’t care and make them care if not about the green earth then the green in there pocket. It’ll be good for all of us in the end.

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Long time away, but I’m back now

Jason — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:21:01 +0000

I can hardly believe that I’ve been gone for a month from EcoInsomniac and I’m amazed that people are still stopping by and participating by sending emails or leaving comments. I appreciate the loyalty and interest in the environment that everyone is showing.

Life has been super busy lately as I’ve been trying to find ways to make a living and de-stress my life. EcoInsomniac is a great outlet for me and now I’m back to write and I hope it is of the same caliber that it was before.

I’m up for suggestions on subjects, projects or features so please leave a comment or send an email using the Contact page. Thanks everyone!

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Honda releases first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

Jason — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:41:35 +0000

Honda has long been a player in the efficient car department especially when compared to the “BIG 3″ here in America. Their latest vehicle to be released is a great addition to the Honda line up. The Honda FCX is a great looking vehicle and shouldn’t get users an excuse of it doesn’t look like a normal car as the Prius did. The Honda FCX stores compressed hydrogen in a fuel cell in the rear of the vehicle and when full it has a range of around 280 miles.

While the stats and looks are great my problem with the FCX is Honda’s lack of commitment to it. With only 200 planned deliveries for the next 3 years it won’t exactly help create a marketplace for them or help put pressure on the lack of infrastructure. Honda has also rolled out a pretty silly plan to get these vehicles in the hands of consumers by only allowing them to be leased at a price tag of $600 a month available from 3 dealers in California. Yes, this will get the word out that it’s possible and yes it will get people thinking and talking about going hydrogen powered, but no it won’t create an infrastructure to support future vehicles.

I understand that Honda has also created a way for users to create Hydrogen at home from natural gas, but that is not available for everyone especially in some newer neighborhoods. It’s a great technology advancement and I’d love a ride in one, but the low numbers leave me wanting more of them on the road and more of a commitment to getting America off fossil fuels.

Source: Honda

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Planet Green TV is my new favorite place

Jason — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:55:12 +0000

The other day I wrote about Planet Green coming to TV’s near you and said that I’d get back with my views on the channel. Well, as you can tell I haven’t been around for a few days because I’ve been watching the channel the whole time. I’m kidding of course, but I love the new channel and when my TV is on if it’s not on Science Channel for “How it’s made” then it’s on Planet Green.

I haven’t felt any disappointment for any of the shows as of yet. It gets a little repetitive having so many green your house type shows, but I think they explain stuff at different levels on different shows. They promised no preaching about “Green” and so far they haven’t been preachy just informative which is fresh and quite awesome.

I’m learning quite a lot about products and ways to go green that I’d yet to think of. Have you had a chance to watch Planet Green? What do you think?

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EcoInsomniac

I’ve got a green New Years resolution. Do you?

Guilott Realty owner being threatened with arrest for being green

Top Gear got their hands on a Tesla Roadster *UPDATED*

GE creates a CFL bulb shaped like an incandecent

Beautiful biodegradable dishes made of pressed leaves

It’s time to be counted in the fight to stop climate change!

IMOrganic.com sent me a coupon to share with you

Ted Talks: Andy Hobsbawm shows off a Green Ad

Virgin America gives its customers the option to carbon offset

Green things I learned last week.

Big Givers: Wal-mart to Donate 90 Million Pounds of Food

Vacation! We’re off to Port Lavaca for the weekend.

What do you think about the bailout failure?

Some of my favorite Green Blogs.

Greenwashing? Tell me what you think it is.

Going green isn’t being marketed very well.

Long time away, but I’m back now

Honda releases first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

Planet Green TV is my new favorite place

Top Gear got their hands on a Tesla Roadster UPDATED