He suggested that we each try to do the small things to save the environment and we will save some money along the way.

He brought a “real” perspective to his ideas by readily admitting most of us average folks can’t run out and buy a hybrid because the gas price went up.

Make a small adjustment today to save a little energy.  Walk to the store if you can.  Turn off you electronics that are using phantom power, turn up the thermostat during the day.  Find a little way to save energy and cash and try making it a habit.  I’m with ED one small change at a time is the only approach most of us can take.

Ed also had some really cool looking “plastic grass”  someday maybe I can afford that.

I hope more states and companies follow their lead.  Again I point the US Post Office, think how much energy our country could save if they just went to a 5 day work week.

Do you work a 4 day work week?

Home Depot announced  today they will recycle CFL’s in stores at the return counter.

They also have a plan to change out there existing light bulbs in the stores.

It’s nice to see more easy ways to recycle CFL’s.  You can read about it here

That is a real number for the US Postal Service.  A 3 Million dollar increase in expenses every time the cost of fuel goes up one cent!

YES 3 million dollars.

I believe it really is time to rethink the post office operation and the mail needs of this country.

As I have mentioned more than a few times, at least half of the mail I get in my box is unwanted and not necessary. Why should I be forced to contribute to this problem that I choose NOT to be a part of.

The problem in my opinion is HUGE! The cost OUTRAGEOUS and the waste of resources SHAMEFUL!

I have signed up for many do not mail list. I sign up and constantly request to stop catalogs and yet they still show up in my box weekly.

Why can’t it be simplified? How about a tag on my mailbox that indicates to the carrier, no deliveries allowed to occupant.
No fliers, no papers etc. Shouldn’t that be MY choice.

Shouldn’t my rights as a postal consumer be to only receive mail that is addresses to me?

I also favor elminintaing mail delivery at least one day a week. Think of the billions of dollars in fuel money that will save plus how much gas that will put back in the supply chain. If the USPS agreed to change to delivery 5 days a week starting in 2009 we could see gas prices back below $3.00 a gallon this summer. The announcement alone would stop the wild traders and speculators. I think if they announce it now and start in 2009 everyone will have time to adjust there schedules.

If we can eliminate a small portion of unwanted mail there should not be any extra burden on postal workers by eliminating a delivery day.

Maybe I should write in to Bill O’Reilly on FOX News, it really is time to stand up and do something!

Please share your thoughts by posting a comment

When I was younger, about 30 short years ago, no one in the U.S. had ever heard of 24/7, at least not where I grew up.  I can remember when the grocery stores started opening on holidays and my grandma used to say “DO NOT shop on holidays anywhere, or someday you will be working on the holiday yourself”  Grandma was sure right on that one.

We can barely schedule any family gathering now when someone doesn’t have to work.

Grandma believed very strongly that everyone should be home with their family on a holiday and  Sunday’s too for that matter.  She also knew we would survive Thanksgiving without the whip topping she forgot to put in the grocery cart the day before.  As I write this and remember the holidays I don’t remember what dress I wore, what food we did or didn’t have but I do remember how important family was.  Grandma would always say “turn off the TV when friends and family come,  they are so much more important!”  but that’s a story for another day.

Today let’s think about the price we are paying for 24/7.  The additional energy used to power virtually every store.  Yes I know there is still power on when the store is closed, but every time the outside door opens the climate control system heat or air has to be run harder.  Multiply that number for every store in the U.S.   The lights and computers in most stores NEVER get shut down.  The next time you are shopping at Walmart, look at how many lights are on.  AMAZING!

I would be in favor of returning to having to make it to the store before 10:00p.m.  I think if I don’t have it by then I can most likely make it until 7:00 a.m. without it and maybe that would save enough energy to help save our planet.

I am sure there are people who find it convenient to shop late, so maybe stores should offer 1 or 2 nights a week with extra hours instead of everyday at least until we can get used to a non 24/7 world again.

Maybe we would all take more time for friends and family.

What do you think? Please post your comments.

After receiving my ever increasing electric bill I decided it is time to unplug or at least power down all my home office equipment when I leave my office each day.

At first I was a little resistant to this idea, thinking I was already conserving power with the devices in sleep mode.

Then I read this quote  ”Our tests found that leaving a Playstation 3 on while not in use would cost almost… five times more than it would take to run a refrigerator for the same yearly period,” said the study which was published on Choice’s website www.choice.com.au.”

Now of course I don’t have a playstation3 in my home office (darn it), but I do have a couple of printers, a credit card processor, a caller id box and a laptop.

Now when I am done working for the day I turn off the power strip and that cuts the power to each of these devices.  I feel like I have helped in a small way make my home office greener and save a little energy for another day.  It’s too early to tell if my electric bill will benefit too.

I have noticed an advantage I was not anticipating; I feel more “unplugged”.  With everything off I choose not to run back in after dinner to finish that one last job, or check email or voicemail one last time.

So if you don’t already unplug your office, I highly recommend you give it a try.

I have seen this picture all over the net and TV with all kinds of captions and I really think the obvious needs to be stated.

Obama may enjoy bike riding, he may be participating in some family time, he may just be trying to relax. All great reasons to ride a bike.

Obama is most certainly NOT avoiding the gas pump.

He jets all over the country day in and day out and if I remember he jetted on out of the country too for a little R&R not that long ago.

Once he gets to his destination by air he then drives a vehicle all over a state. I don’t know the facts but I am guessing there are several other cars that make the same trect to keep him up to date on “things.”

Obama is not unique in his use of fuel from any other politician or many of millions of business people in this country, so please spare me by turning a weekend bike ride into a fuel saving political ad.

I would like to see any politician make a REAL commitment to minimal fuel usage.

How about both candidates agreeing today, no more traveling to campaign. Make all your statements right from your home. Think how much fuel and money that would save the hard working American people that keep donating their money to these campaigns.

Photo via AP

Wal-Mart recently reviewed their policy on offering $1.00 reusable bags in their stores.
They are rightfully touting the impact they are having, but it could be SO MUCH MORE.
(A Snippet of the release is below)

I truly don’t understand why a company as big as Wal-Mart wants to charge for reusable bags.
The average customer is so much more likely to try using a reusable bag if it doesn’t cost extra.

Why don’t they just print Wal-Mart on the bag and chalk it up to advertising expense.

Think how many MORE shoppers would use and hopefully bring back a reusable bag if it was free. 

I think they could start today and adopt a policy that a year from now only reusable bags will be used in their stores.  During this year the bags are free and next year you have to pay the $1.00 if you don’t have your bag to use or bring it in for exchange if it is worn out.

Maybe we should email Wal-Mart and suggest they make the bags FREE for 1 year.

Do you think this is a good idea or have other thoughts on ways large retailers can help solve the plastic bag issue?

How about it Wal-Mart?? 

SNIPPET
Bag Facts

In October 2007, we began selling reusable bags in all of our Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets for $1

each. Selling reusable bags is good for our business because it reduces the number of plastic bags we need to produce. More importantly,

it benefits our customers. Not only can we pass these savings along to our customers, but by using a reusable bag, our customers can

reduce the amount of waste that they generate.

• Our initial estimates show that each reusable bag will eliminate the need for at least 150 plastic disposable bags over its lifetime. We

have sold enough bags to eliminate the need for at least 800 million disposable bags.

• Each of the black reusable bags are made with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) plastic generated from approximately four

soda or water bottles.

• About the size of a regular paper bag, the reusable bags are expected to hold approximately the same weight as two to three regular,

disposable plastic bags.

• When the bag wears out, customers can return it to their local Wal-Mart store for recycling. We will combine the worn bags with the rest

of the used plastic generated by our stores into our super sandwich balers, where it will be bundled and sent to a certified recycler for

processing. So far, we estimate that we’ve diverted more than 97 million pounds of plastic from landfills.

You can create a sticky note, choose your color (one for each type of note works good), and drag it. Postica remembers the location of your sticky note so it will look the same on every computer.

It’s fairly simple to attach a file, change the color of a note, and e-mail it to another user.

You can even send notes to friends and family if they don’t have an account.

If you are still using paper post it’s, go virtual check out Postica.

If you are in a test city please send us reviews on how the program worked for you.

Program to expand the electronics, appliance recycling options available to consumers

MINNEAPOLIS, June 2 – Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) has launched a test of its newest electronics recycling program to in 117 U.S. stores, a complementary addition to the existing programs offered by Best Buy stores to help consumers take environmentally-responsible action with their old electronics.Starting June 1, 117 stores in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota markets are inviting customers to bring in no more than two (2) units per day, per household, for recycling at no charge. Customers can bring items such as televisions and monitors up to 32”, computers, phones, cameras, and other electronics devices and peripherals in for recycling.

The following items cannot be accepted through this program:

• Televisions or monitor screens greater than 32”
• Console televisions
• Air conditioners
• Microwaves
• Appliances (customers are invited instead to use Best Buy’s appliance haul-away and pick-up programs)

Best Buy will work with its stores, recycling partners, and manufacturers to evaluate the success of the test and determine options for scaling it across the U.S.

Meanwhile, Best Buy continues to offer these electronics and appliance recycling options, available in every U.S. store:

• Recycling kiosks: at the front of every store, ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CDs, DVDs, and PDA/smart phones can be dropped off for free recycling
• Appliance and television haul-away: Best Buy will remove an old or obsolete appliance or television free of charge from a consumers’ home when a new product is purchased and delivered by Best Buy Home Delivery or Geek Squad Home Theater Installation Service.
• Appliance and television pick-up: For $100, Best Buy will arrange a home visit to remove up to two (2) appliance units and/or televisions for recycling, with $20 for each additional unit.
• Tech Trade-In: Visit www.bestbuytradein.com to trade in select gently used electronics for a Best Buy gift card.

As You Sow, an investor corporate accountability group that engaged with Best Buy on its electronics recycling programs, praised the company’s action.  “We salute Best Buy for taking the initiative to offer free electronics take back at a number of its stores,” said Conrad MacKerron, director of corporate social responsibility, As You Sow.  “Making electronics recycling almost as easy as purchasing these goods has the potential to simplify recycling for millions of consumers who may be confused about where to return end-of-life goods in their area.”

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) operates an international portfolio of brands with a commitment to growth and innovation.  Our employees strive to provide customers around the world with superior experiences by responding to their unique needs and aspirations.  We sell consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services through nearly 1,300 retail stores across the United States, throughout Canada and in China. Our multi-channel operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com, BestBuy.ca and BestBuy.com.cn), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com and GeekSquad.ca), Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers (PacificSales.com), Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com), Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co. (Five-Star.cn) and Speakeasy (Speakeasy.net). Best Buy supports the communities in which its employees work and live through volunteerism and grants that benefit children and education