Time for some Spring greening

YES! It’s that exciting moment we’ve all been waiting for: Spring has sprung! I don’t know about you, but everything looks so vibrant and alive outside. In my opinion, staying “green” is much easier when everything is green outside. The weather is nice, and we spend more time outside, and run or walk or ride our bikes instead of driving. There are a few easy ways you can stay green in the spring, and a few projects you can start in your home that will help out your budget and your environment.

Consider some changes outdoors, on your lawn & garden. Do you use a lawnmower? If you have one that is gasoline powered, consider getting an electric mower or a rotary mower instead. Not only will it save you money on the extra gas, but it will stop you from emitting pollutants into the air when you mow. As an added bonus, electric mowers are quieter and easier to push than gas mowers. An example of a great electric mower can be found here..

Another green option for spring is keeping a vegetable garden. Growing some of your own food is a great way to save money, and when it comes from your own garden you can know that there are no pesticides on the plants, and no other artificial growing methods have been applied to them. Great seeds to pick up from the local hardware store or nursery include cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, chives or green onions, and green or red peppers. If you’re interested in making a garden, check out this backyard gardener website.

For garden fertilizer, try using a compost heap. Compost is a mixture of decaying organic matter, as from leaves and manure, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. Basically it means taking the organic food scraps from your kitchen (banana, cucumber, or potato peels, stale bread, tea leaves, eggshells, coffee grounds, ect.) and putting them in a composting container so that they naturally break down and turn into nutrient-rich soil. This soil works great in any home garden. For more tips on composting, visit earthEasy.com.

Spring is a great time to get green. Whether it’s working in the yard, making changes to your routine, or simply riding your bike instead of taking the car, living the green way is easy and fun. This spring, make time to make a difference in the environment.

Class of 2012 supports Prom with green fundraiser

Prom is one of the biggest events of the school year. The cost of renting a space, decorations, and food starts to add up. That price gets added to the ticket price of the students. The student association board has come up with a fundraiser that will help reduce ticket costs of the 2011 prom and help the environment.

The new fundraiser is called Eco Phones. The main idea of the project is to gather old used electronics that people aren’t using anymore. These items are then taken and given to a company that turns them into another electronic item. An old cell phone for example can be taken and made into another newer cell phone.

More than 80% of electronic items are reusable. Then remaining 20% are manufactured in Texas where they are once again, turned into other raw materials. Recycling old electronics can help the environment, while also helping schools.

The approximate value that RB will be receiving for one donated phone is between $10-$15. A laptop can be valued anywhere from $45-50. An iPod can make around $20. RB started this program on Monday, May 3^rd and has already collected ten phones, one keyboard, and one printer.

Class of 2012 treasurer Julie Sinde, said, “I think this is a good fundraiser simple yet effective and that makes an impact on both prom and the environment.”

Eco Phones will be an ongoing fundraiser until the last day of school. The Student Association board will be considering continuing the fundraiser next year based on its success.

Go get green

Let’s face it – “going green” is a phrase that most of us have heard before. I know I’ve bought into the craze – there are reusable water bottles all over my house, I LOVE shopping at Whole Foods, my entire family brings our own cloth bags to stores when we shop, and I try not to purchase food or clothing that isn’t environmentally friendly.

But this “green” thing is more than a passing trend for young urban professionals. Today, it’s all about managing world resources, focusing on fairness and sustainability, and reusing, reducing, and recycling.

There are green products you can buy for your home or office, from cleaning supplies to furniture to supplies that work just as well as any you’d get otherwise. The food you eat can be bought fair trade or organic, and can often taste fresher and more delicious than other non-organic processed foods. There are so many ways to “go green,” whether it’s in your clothing, or you home’s electricity, or even your school supplies.

This recurring column will provide you with simple green tips and tricks you can use in your everyday life, as well as great green products that are out there, and, of course, to highlight the things that RB is doing to go green. Because going green can be really, really fun.

This Week’s Green Tip:
Did you know that roughly 1.5 million tons of plastic are expended in the bottling of 89 billion liters of water each year? That’s a lot of plastic water bottles. And because recycling rates are lower than trash rates, bottles are filling up our landfills really fast.

But there’s a green solution – reusable water bottles. It seems almost elementary. There are water bottles made out of materials such as thick plastic or metal that can be used more than one time, and don’t have a harmful effect on the environment.

SIGG, Klean Kanteen, Springwise, and Nalgene are all reusable water bottle brands, and many sports or outdoor stores such as REI and Eddie Bauer sell sustainable water bottles. When you shop around, you find that they come in a variety of colors, prints, sizes, and materials. There’s a green bottle for everyone, whether you like to know how much water you drink or you just want a stylish addition to your wardrobe.

Water Bottle Sites:

http://mysigg.com/

http://www.kleankanteen.com/