GM’s Chevy Volt Named ‘Green Car of the Year’

General Motor Co.’s Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in vehicle intended to go as far as 40 miles solely on electricity, was named the 2011 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The rechargeable model was selected over competing electric vehicles including Nissan Motor Co.’s battery-powered Leaf hatchback, said Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal, which sponsored the award. Volkswagen AG’s Audi diesel A3 TDI luxury car won the award last year.

Go Green: Are Eco Friendly Buildings More Lucrative?

A new study shows sustainable buildings will be more lucrative than traditionally managed properties, reports the Real Deal.

The study, which was run by CB Richard Ellis, McGraw-Hill Construction, and the University of San Diego, found that owners of green buildings nationwide expect a 4% higher return on their property investments and a 5% larger appreciation in their buildings' value than those who handle traditional properties.

Buildings with any level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification or the Energy Protection Agency's Energy Star label were considered green properties, according to CB Richard Ellis. Most of the buildings analyzed also embraced other sustainable practices like recycling, adopting water conservation measures, and using environmentally friendly cleaning methods.

About 79% of the owners surveyed expect their property's green label to lure in enough tenants to bump up their building's occupancy by 5%. The managers also anticipate a 1% increase in rental income.

According to the Real Deal, 10% of green building residents reported improved productivity and 83% of the tenants felt their environment was healthier.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2010/11/18/2010-11-18_study_predicts_green_buildings_will_be_more_lucrative_than_traditional_propertie.html#ixzz15jVpzNRw

Go Green By Saving Rainwater

Rainwater barrels are both an old and modern practice. Collecting the runoff from your home’s drainpipe is a simple way to maximize natural resources and go green without straining your region’s water supply. Collecting rainwater is easy and can benefit both wet and arid climates.

What is rainwater used for?

It works best for watering your plants, shrubs and garden. Generally, rainwater must be treated to be drinkable. Rainwater is also free of additives like chlorine and fluoride, making it better for plants.

What’s the environmental benefit?

Harvesting rainwater obviously reduces the demands on your local water supply. But it also keeps runoff water from entering the storm drain system, reducing erosion and the amount of pesticides that wash into water systems. Harvesting can also keep your garden alive during summer months if your area undergoes water restrictions.

Is water from my roof safe?

Most roofs are fine to collect water from, but those made of treated shakes, copper and asphalt may add contaminants.

What are the downsides of collecting rainwater?

Two words: mosquitoes and algae. Avoid mosquitoes by fitting your barrel with a screen, or using Mosquito Dunks tablets. Prevent algae by using an opaque container and keeping it out of direct sunlight.

Can harvesting rainwater save money?

Yes, but do your math carefully. Simple rain barrels cost between $80 and $130 or more, and they hold about 50 gallons of water. You can buy multiple barrels to save more water, or make your own out of a clean plastic barrel to save money.

How much water will I collect?

The Saving Water Partnership at Washington State –– an area that’s no stranger to rainwater –– offers a calculation to find out how much rainwater you can expect to collect. First, multiply your home’s length by its width (in feet) to estimate its ‘footprint.’ Then, estimate the portion of your roof that drains into a single downspout. Researchers say that one inch of rain falling on a single square foot of surface yields about 0.6 gallons of water. So, the equation is:

Inches of rain X 0.6 X home’s footprint = Rainwater caught (in gallons)

Getting started

While harvesting systems can be elaborate, basic ones are simple to construct or purchase. Even the simplest rain barrel should have the following:

• A storage barrel or container (preferably plastic).
• A device or system for diverting water from your downspout into the container.
• A device to direct overflow water into nearby soil, away from the house.
• A valve or spigot for attaching a hose.
• Rot-resistant construction and screens or filters to keep debris out of the water.

Did you know?

Rainwater harvesting dates back to the 9^th and 10^th century in Asian civilizations, where rain dripping off roofs would be captured in small jars or pots.

Bill Clinton Announces Financing for 16 Cities to Go Green

Former President Bill Clinton (speaking at a press conference in New York) announced that 16 cities will receive financing to facilitate the transition to "go green" as part of global plan to reduce carbon emissions and save energy. The sixteen cities are based around the world and include New York, Chicago, Houston, Tokyo, Berlin, London, and Rome, among others.

Bill Clinton's foundation has arranged for four major energy service companies and five global banking institutions, which include Citi, JP Morgan Chase, and Deutsche Bank, to contribute $1 billion each to help finance the cities movement to "go green". The cities will perform widespread renovations of buildings and factories, utilizing new technology to cut carbon emissions and save energy.

Quoted in an Associated Press article on Yahoo News, former President Bill Clinton said, "If all buildings were as efficient as they could be, we'd be saving an enormous amount of energy and significantly reducing carbon emissions. Also, we'd be saving a ton of money."

Bill Clinton made the announcement alongside the mayors of several cities, including Mayor Bloomberg, who was quoted in the Associated Press article on Yahoo News as saying, ""It really is groundbreaking; it really is going to make a difference."

The meeting of Bill Clinton and the mayors is the second such meeting of the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, which was created for the purpose of devising and sharing strategies to combat climate change and enable cities to become more energy-efficient.

Many cities across the world, including Chicago, have already taken steps to "go green", and have managed to save huge amounts in energy costs over the past several years as a result.

Bill Clinton wants his foundation to expand the number of cities that will receive financing in future months. In an Associated Press article on Yahoo News, Warren Karlenzig, author of "How Green Is Your City?", said, "The technology is there; it's just that the financing has been missing."

What Are Eco Friendly Products?

It is becoming clear that lately, more and more companies are starting to support the green movement by either going green themselves, selling eco friendly products, or both. This is a good sign for both the environment, as well as you and me because it means that sustainable and energy efficient products are easier to get now than they used to be. There is also a wider range of eco friendly products that are available.

For example, Energy Star is a company that was created by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) in order to promote energy efficient products. Energy Star sells everything from energy efficient light bulbs, to computers. Their purpose is to offer a product line that helps the environment, and helps you and me save money. In fact, Energy Star users saved $19 billion in utility bills in 2008 alone.

If you're not quite ready to commit to brand new appliances, water filters are a very effective and inexpensive way to increase the energy efficiency of your home. By placing a water filter on your kitchen sink instead of buying water bottles, you will help the environment because it takes a lot of energy to process plastic and deliver the bottles. Water filters are also an excellent money saver because water from the tap is free, whereas bottled water can cost $10 for just one pack.

The main goal of going green is to help the environment by changing wasteful habits. The process doesn't need to be overwhelming because it isn't necessary to completely renovate life as you know it. Trust me, every little change makes a difference.

How to Be Eco Friendly

What Does It Mean to "Go Green"?

The "go green" movement is becoming more and more popular because it's clear that green and sustainable living is the best living for us, and for the environment. The concept of living an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn't necessarily require you to sacrifice the things that you love in life, all you have to do is make a few adjustments that will make a difference.

For example, you don't have to renovate your entire house so it uses solar panels and solar energy. If you can afford to do this, it would be great, but most of us cannot. Therefore, you can still go green in your home by using energy saving light bulbs (ESLs) or using Energy Star appliances instead of standard ones.

What are the Benefits of Going Green?

Going green and living an eco-friendly lifestyle is beneficial to everyone because it is so rewarding. The results of global warming and the greenhouse effect are becoming more and more dire for Earth, as well as the human population.

If everyone could go green and use renewable energy, the environmental improvements alone would be amazing. Also, going green is an excellent money saver because gas and electricity don't exactly come cheap. Therefore, whether your motives are environmental, economical, or both, going green is clearly the best way to live your life in the years to come.

Green Life-Money Saving Tips Without A Money Expert

How To Save Money By Living A Simple Life

Saving money, protecting the environment and living a full healthy life go hand in hand especially now with the uncertain economic times. It just makes perfect sense to stretch every dollar you have while enjoying a green lifestyle.

First you have to consider all the things you need to live a happier and healthy life and those you can do away with because sometimes you can burden your live with none essentials which end up taking all you money hence sending you into debt.

Comparison Shopping-Best Way To Save Money

The age of technology has made it a lot easier to do comparison-shopping, which is really a good idea if you are considering saving money and living a green lifestyle. You can do comparison-shopping for groceries, gas, general household products and it is even better when you are shopping for premium products like insurance, cell phone or banking. Therefore, whatever product or service you decide to purchase make sure you are getting the best deal and there by saving more money. However, it is always crucial to stick with essentials and avoid all the extra services that you might not need or want.


Can You DIY-Answer This Question Before Buying And You Will Save More Money


So many items can be made at home with very inexpensive materials. You can easily make your own shampoo, household cleaning products; fix a bike, cut hair, fix plumbing, house repairs and you can do your own yard work. All this and others you can brainstorm do not have to cost you money instead you can be creative and save money in the end.

Go Green and Save Money At the Same Time!

If there's one thing that everyone can agree on, it's the fact that saving money is of utmost important. Going green is great because not only does it benefit the environment, but you can save a little green at the same time. Here's how:

1. Turn off the air conditioning. Although it's summer and it gets pretty hot, you can save a tremendous amount of energy by waiting for the real dog days of summer before using the A/C. Unless it's miserably hot, a ceiling fan will do just fine and your energy bill will thank you.

2. Buy generic. Generic brands are more efficient because by definition, they are produced with as little waste as possible. Not to mention, the store brand is usually significantly less expensive than the popular brands so you will see a huge decrease in your usual expenditures.

3. Bring your own lunch to work. Brown bag lunches may not be as glamorous as chicken salad from your favorite restaurant, but spending $5 or more every single day during lunchtime really adds up quickly. Even if you can't completely give up going out to lunch, bringing your own food at least a couple of times a week will make a sizable dent in your spending.

4. Eat what you buy. This one is simple, wasting food is wasting money so stick to buying whatever you or your family can actually finish.

5. Fire the dog walker. Taking your own dog out for a 30 minute walk will not only improve your own health, but it will strengthen the bond between you and your pet while saving you some cash.

The Jonas Brothers Encourage Disney to Go Green

Those Jonas Brothers are at it again . . . they're trying to make the world a better place! They were recently interviewed on Radio Disney and their mission was to get the word out to their young fans. They talked about the things they do to save energy and gave some great eco friendly tips and ideas that their fans could use.

For example, Joe Jonas talked about how he and his roommates always try to recycle and turn off any appliances which aren't being used. Kevin also made a great point about leaving things plugged in even when they're turned off. Lots of people leave their laptop charger plugged into the wall even when the laptop isn't being charged. Remember that whenever something is plugged in it is using up energy so either plug everything into a surge protector that can be turned off or just be careful about unplugging whenever you're done using your electronics.

Go Green During the World Cup!

The World Cup is finally here and it's time for soccer fanatics to unite and cheer on their favorite teams. Did you know that this glorious event is also the perfect way to go green and save money? Eco friendly televisions for example are the perfect way to save energy during the World Cup because Energy Star qualified TVs allow you to leave the tube on 24/7 without worrying about how much juice you're burning.

You can also have an eco friendly World Cup by using recycled and biodegradable products to serve food instead of Styrofoam and plastic. Even if you plan to watch the festivities at a friend's house or a bar, you can be more efficient by car pooling to and from the destination.

Go Green -Recycling Everything in Your Home and Business

Recycling started several years ago when businesses started recycling cardboard boxes for further use in their business operations. The main reason these businesses were recycling was because they wanted to save money. Saving the environment from waste was not on top of their agenda, but things are different now that everyone is aware of the impact of waste in the landfills.

Go Green by recycling your daily waste because this will be one step toward a clean environment. The problem is that few are performing this very easy task. Some cities are already making it mandatory to recycle but more work lies ahead before recycling becomes a lifestyle.

Start separating your waste today and you will go a long way in ensuring your valuable contribution towards a safe and green environment.

Recycle all your electronics and paper today because your prompt action will ensure a better environment for all of us.

Green Lifestyle

Living Green

One of the best global innovations of the 21st century has been the green lifestyle. A few years before Al Gore blew the trumpet, no one was seriously thinking about the planet's well being. Today "go green" is the new mantra. I sometimes wish that everyone would live in a more eco friendly way because the lifestyle benefits are amazing.

Eco lifestyle

• Choose a reusable bag


• Shop for a reusable water bottle


• Replace your household cleaners with eco friendly products


• Replace your paper towels and napkins with biodegradable brands


• Recycle and reuse


• Recycle gifts


• Look for used books before buying new


• Search of Eco friendly stores


• Shop for environmentally safe jewelry and eco fashion


• Subscribe to an online newspaper
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Advantages Of Going Green

Going green is not only a great lifestyle decision, but the benefits of going green are numerous. First, the money you will save by using eco friendly products will outweigh the cost because today, more stores sell eco friendly products at affordable prices or sale prices.

Just see how much you will save by doing the following:

* Wash only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines: Save $51

* Turn the water heater down to 120 degrees from 140: Save $22

* Remove room air conditioners during winter: Save $40

* Use Energy Saver features on dishwashers, dryers, fridges and freezers: Save $21

* Wash clothes in cold water: Save $33

* Air-dry clothes during the warmest six months: Save $57

Those are just a few of the benefits of going green. For even more info, please visit:

http://www.go-green-live-long.com/

http://www.eco-friendly-green-coupons.com/