ReGeneration Roundup - 2008-05-02
Does the Environmental Cost of Producing a Hybrid Vehicle Outweigh its Benefits?
I experienced a bit of synchronicity this morning. Just as I was thinking about an interesting question that was posed in Cafe RE about the environmental cost of producing hybrid cars, I stumbled upon an article that asks if it wouldn’t be a “greener” choice to keep an old gas guzzler instead of trading it in for a hybrid (you may have to view an ad before you can get to the article). The answer given is as nuanced as you’d expect, and there is a lot to think about in there. Here’s a tidbit I learned from the piece: The bigger SUVs out there today use more energy (to manufacture AND fuel) in two years than a hybrid does in its entire lifetime, but here’s the tricky part - what happens to that SUV once it’s traded in? Most likely it will be resold and put back on the road.
Mindful Momma Gives Tips on Raising “Green” Kids
Micaela Preston, AKA Mindful Momma, recently guest blogged on SavvySource with some tips on raising your children to be, well, mindful of ecological concerns and practices. She divides her tips into ones for toddlers - such as letting them help pick produce at the grocery store and taking them on frequent nature hikes - and others for elementary-aged children - like letting them separate the recycling and giving them their own plot in the family garden. The activities she lists sound educational and fun for kids, and should do wonders to help mold the next generation into a ReGeneration.
Reuse Those Old Documents With Invisible Ink
We’ve all been told that we should do our bit for the environment by putting our paper in the recycling bin, but there’s an even “greener” way to handle those old documents - reuse them. In this spirit, the folks at Xerox have been experimenting with a new kind of paper that erases anything on it after 16 to 24 hours or sooner if it’s run through a special printer. This will allow the paper to be reused indefinitely until the paper itself gets damaged or crumpled. Large and small businesses alike will be able to provide daily updates without using a new piece of paper. Kudos to Xerox for finding a creative (and fun) way to reduce waste in the workplace, and thanks to CNET for reporting on it.
10 “Anti-Cycling” Tips
Keeping with the “reuse” theme we started with the Xerox disappearing ink article above, celcias has blogged a list of tips to help us remove products from the cycle altogether, a process they call “anti-cycling.” With the premise that reuse is preferable to recycling, the tips offer suggestions that should help reduce our footprint on the environment. Several we’ve seen before, like bringing your own container with you for take-out when dining at restaurants, but there are some tips in there that we haven’t covered before - such as using the Internet to read magazine articles, pay bills online and organize your bank statements. I guess there’s a method behind the order of the old saying “reduce, reuse, recycle.”
