How to Convert Your Car to Run on Vegetable Oil

With the cost of gas consistently rising, more people are looking into converting their car to run on vegetable oils. While we all may dream about a world where we never have to pay for gas again, only individuals with diesel cars are able to convert their car to run on vegetable oil. However, what the gas industry doesn’t want you to know is that converting to vegetable oil is easy! Almost any diesel engine can be converted to run on vegetable oil as long as it is not an older model that contains rubber seals in the fuel system. Only a few older models contain these seals. The seals will deteriorate over time if it runs on vegetable oil.

The conversion process is easy because diesel was originally designed to run on vegetable oils. Rudolf Diesel designed an engine to run on corn oil around a hundred years ago. He was looking for a more efficient way to run his farm equipment because gas had reached a high of $0.05 a gallon!

To convert your car, there are two options. You may either purchase a conversion kit ($500-$1,500+) and install it yourself, or you may hire a specialized mechanic to do the conversion for you ($3,000+). Most mechanics will tell you that if you are not very proficient with the mechanical system of your car, don’t take the chance of botching up the job and instead have a professional do it for you. You will need to install a separate fuel tank and gauge.

Once your car is set up, you will have to find the vegetable oil. You will not want to purchase it from a supermarket because that would end up costing more than gasoline. Instead, almost all restaurants and bars likely pay a fee to have their used vegetable oil taken away. Talk to the managers of these establishments and offer to take their oil away for free. Make sure it is non-hydrogenated oil. The oil will have to be collected and heated in a barrel before it can be pumped into a car.

Although the cost-savings of using vegetable oil may take years to breakeven from the initial start-up costs, there are several environmental advantages of using veggie oil as fuel. Vegetable-based fuels burn cleaner and are non-toxic. Unlike oil, vegetable oils are not fossil fuels and can therefore be produced using agricultural methods.

However, can enough vegetable oil be produced to fuel an entire nation? What do you think?

A Travel Agency for Environmentalists, Vegans & Vegetarians

Traveling as a vegan, vegetarian or eco-conscious individual can present its own unique set of challenges. As a vegan, you may need to do some research on how to say “dairy” or “eggs” in another language. As an environmentalist, you may be concerned about your environmental footprint as the result of a trip and seek out ways to minimize it.

Many “green” and vegetarian travelers enjoy being in a group with similar-minded people. Green Earth Travel, LLC., founded in 1997 as the nation’s premier vegetarian/vegan/eco travel agency, seeks to reduce these challenges by organizing travel trips for the environmentalist or vegetarian/vegan traveler.

Recently, Green Earth Travel has announced “trips that make a difference” vacations. These trips, scheduled for the later part of 2011, enable animal lovers to care for orphaned animals at an animal sanctuary for a few days before camping at the Grand Canyon or staying at an eco spa resort in Zion National Park.

“We are proud to once again offer these unusual trips for animal lovers around the country,” comments Donna Zeigfinger, Green Earth Travel President. “Guests will enjoy high quality time at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary caring for furred and feathered residents of their choice and learning about Best Friends’ tradition of service. Following two days of dedicated service to rescued animals, participants enjoy the dramatic beauty of our desert southwest.”

The August trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the Grand Canyon is scheduled from August 8th to 13th, 2011. Animal behaviorist, naturalist and author Jonathan Balbombe – author of the best-selling book Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good – will join this particular excursion.

Marie Oser, best-selling author, host/producer at VegTV and Managing Editor at ecomii.com will join the October trip, scheduled for October 10th to 15th, 2011.

In addition to these animal-lover volunteer trips, Green Earth Travel offers green trips across the globe. Yoga retreats in Hawaii, vegetarian tours of South America, Monarch bike tours and vegan New York tours, to name a few, are available. Costa Rica trips are always popular, and prices vary depending on the trip.

Green Earth Travel and founder Donna Zeigfinger have been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Veg News, Vegetarian Times, Travel Life and Travel Age.

Are Plastics the New Smoking?

Plastics are all around you. Plastic products make up most of the containers and packages your food comes in. Plastic is present in products throughout your home, office, school and transportation vehicle. It is easy to assume that with this much plastic in our world, it must be 100% safe for us.

However, there is a lot of debate and controversy surrounding the safety of plastics for human health. A recent Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) blog post states that plastic is the new smoking. The argument follows that plastics (like smoking) are harmful to both the environment and human health.

According to the Ecology Center, chemicals in plastics can cause toxicity, exposure to carcinogens and endocrine disruption that can lead to cancer, birth defects and developmental problems in children.

One known endocrine disruptor is the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is present in most plastics. A study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group last year identified BPA in nine out of ten cord blood samples from newborn babies.

“This study proves newborns are exposed to BPA in the womb,” states Anila Jacob, MD. “After they are born, they’ll encounter more BPA by drinking from a bottle, consuming canned infant formula and, eventually, eating canned food like ravioli and chicken noodle soup.”

Additional tests were conducted with the newborn blood samples at five laboratories across the US. Besides BPA, tests found a toxic flame retardant chemical called tetrabromobisphenol A. This chemical is found in computer circuit boards. Synthetic fragrances commonly used in cosmetics and detergents were also found in the blood samples as well as perfluorobutanoic acid, part of the Teflon chemical family that is used to make non-stick coatings for cookware.

Other studies hypothesize that the temperature of the liquid in the container determines how much BPA is released. A University of Cincinnati study found that 55 times more BPA was released from a container that was exposed to boiling hot water than before exposure to hot water.

Earlier this year, the FDA changed their stance on BPA. The FDA previously stated BPA is a safe additive for food and beverage container packaging. They have now reversed their stance indicating that there are safety concerns surrounding BPA. They are conducting further tests and taking “reasonable steps” to reduce human exposure to BPA.

Many plastic companies are already making efforts to eliminate their use of BPA in products. Although no plastic product can be deemed completely safe under all circumstances, many plastics without BPA are generally considered safe based on current research. An article on EcoVillageGreen.com evaluates plastic number groups and discusses the health safety of each.

Reducing Plastics in Your Life

Although few people can eliminate plastics completely, many environmental and health groups recommend avoiding them when possible. Should you choose to take steps to reduce plastic products in your life, here are some suggestions on ways to reduce your exposure to plastics:

• Avoid heating food in plastic containers or storing fatty foods in plastic containers or plastic wrap.
• Do not microwave a container covered in plastic wrap.
• When possible, buy food from bulk bins and bring your own glass container (many natural grocery stores allow you to bring your own container and weigh it before and after purchasing bulk products).
• Use reusable shopping bags.
• Store leftover food in glass containers rather than plastic containers.
• Give babies natural fiber toys rather than plastic toys.
• Replace plastic dishes and silverware with glass dishes.
• If you need to have a dental sealant, ask the dentist to confirm that the sealant does not contain BPA.
• Avoid using bottled water.
• Do not place boiling water in plastic containers.

I Recycle, Do You?

Today, November 15, 2010, is a day to remember the forests, oceans, animals, lakes, streams, trees, deserts and all of the earth’s natural environments. It is a day to appreciate the natural beauty in the world, and it is a day to work towards preserving it. Today, November 15, 2010, is Keep America Beautiful’s America Recycles Day.

On America Recycles Day, millions of people pledge to increase their recycling habits at work, at home and while on the go. Events designed to educate and inspire others to recycle are held throughout the month of November in celebration.

America Recycles Day is the only day dedicated specifically to recycling promotion in the United States.

Please do your part. Here are ten ways to incorporate the three Rs into your life.

1. Reduce and reuse. Recycling should be a last option. Focus on reducing the amount that you consume. This could mean buying food from bulk bins and reusing containers to minimize packaging waste. It could also mean shopping at thrift stores to reuse goods. Rather than recycling plastic water bottles, purchase a water filter and eliminate your need for plastic water bottles completely.

2. Be aware of the recycling rules for your community. Each city has its own specific guidelines, and it decreases efficiency if non-recyclable products are placed in recycling bins.

3. Compost your food waste – your plants will love it.

4. Give away old clothes, furniture, books and other products to friends or through online sites such as Craigslist.

5. Make an effort to purchase items made from recycled materials.

6. Print double sided on paper and reuse “scrap paper”.

7. In addition to reusable grocery bags at the checkout, also reuse produce bags or choose not to place your fruits and vegetables in bags at all.

8. Use your own coffee mug.

9. Wash and rinse zip lock bags to reuse them.

10. Find creative ways to use old clothes. T-shirts can be made into scarves or skirts and a variety of clothes can be used to make quilts.

Inspire others to recycle as well. Here are some daunting statistics that may motivate even the non-recycler.

Aluminum Recycling Facts

- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.
- An aluminum can that’s thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now.
- An aluminum can may be recycled an unlimited amount of times.

Paper Recycling Facts

- If all newspapers in the United States were recycled, it could save 250,000,000 trees every year.
- The average household throws away 13,000 pieces of paper each year.

Plastic Recycling Facts

- Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.

Glass Recycling Facts

- A modern glass bottle takes over 4,000 years to decompose.
- The mining and transportation of materials for glass produces approximately 385 pounds of waste for every ton of glass that is made. If recycled glass is substituted for just half of the raw materials, waste is cut by more than 80%.

The US produces the most trash in the world. This means that approximately 5% of the world’s population (Americans) create 40% of the world’s waste.

Source: Recycling Revolution

Green Your Wardrobe with Organic Fabrics

Few people question the benefits of buying organic foods. Organic foods are better for the environment because pesticides are not used on the crops. They are also better for your health because you are not ingesting a host of chemicals, pesticides and genetically-modified foods. However, there seems to be a disconnect between purchasing organic foods and applying those same ethical principles to buying organic clothing.

Cotton is the most widely sprayed crop in the world. Some estimates state traditional cotton farming accounts for 25% of the world’s insecticide consumption. While the pesticides and insecticides are harmful to other plant and animal life in the area, they can also leak into groundwater reserves and contaminate tap water. Aerial spraying is commonly used to spray cotton crops. With this spraying method, the insecticides often blow through the air into residential areas or on neighboring crops.

These chemicals can also end up on the cotton and in the clothes that touch your skin every day. Some natural health experts believe your skin can absorb the chemicals from clothing. The chemicals in cotton can also cause skin allergies. By purchasing organic cotton, you can have peace of mind knowing your clothes are not causing any harm to the environment or human health.

Organic bamboo is another natural fabric that is gaining popularity, and there are many benefits to wearing bamboo clothing. Bamboo fabric is softer than cotton and it is naturally a hypoallergenic product. Bamboo plants are also grown without pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers. They grow fast and are a renewable and sustainable crop because new bamboo shoots are always growing to replace the old ones. Another surprising benefit is that a bamboo plant releases more oxygen into the environment than a tree. It also requires less water to grow and less water is used in the color dye process.

Browse through our collection of organic apparel to see how fashionable choosing organic fabrics can be!

5 Top Fuel Efficient Cars

You’ve installed solar panels on your house, gone vegan and purchased a Brita filter so you can avoid ever having to use plastic bottles again. Yet, as you drive around in your mid-sized SUV, something doesn’t seem to mesh with your green lifestyle. So, you begin looking at fuel efficient cars, and if you’re like most people, your first test drive is probably in a Toyota Prius. While the Prius continues to hold its position as the king of green cars, there are other cars on the market that have been working towards the standard set by the Prius. Here are some of the vehicles that FuelEconomy.gov lists as the most fuel efficient vehicles of 2010.

1. Toyota Prius

No surprise here. The Toyota Prius still hovers above all other gas-powered cars with a mile-per-gallon rate of 51 in the city and 48 on highways. The Prius has an energy impact score of 6.9 barrels of petroleum used in one year, and it scores an 8 on the air pollution scale with 10 being the best possible rating.

2. Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic Hybrid is not far behind the Prius in mile-per-gallon ratings. The Civic Hybrid gets 45 mpg with highway driving and 40 mpg with city driving. Its energy impact score is 8.2 barrels of petroleum used in one year, and it scores a high air pollution ranking with 9 out of 10.

3. Smart Fortwo Coupe and Smart Fortwo Convertible

Smart cars are popular in Europe, and they are slowly catching on in the United States. The cars comfortably seat two people. Smart cars are not hybrids, however, they still get good mileage. In the city, smart cars get 33 mpg while on highways, they get 41 mpg. Smart cars have an annual petroleum consumption of 9.5 barrels. Their air pollution score is 6 out of 10.

4. & 5. Audi A3 and Volkswagen Jetta

The Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Jetta tie in all energy-efficiency categories. For being small station wagons, the Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Jetta have impressive mpg ratings. Both cars get 30 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on highways. Their annual petroleum consumption is 11.6 barrels, and they both score 6 out of 10 for their air pollution ratings.

Choosing to purchase a green car is the first step in reducing your environmental impact from driving. How you drive your vehicle and how well it is maintained will also make a difference in how many miles per gallon you are able to get. Greenercars.org recommends avoiding aggressive driving, opening windows instead of using air conditioning and coasting when possible as opposed to sudden braking. Tune-ups and regular emissions tests are also recommended.

Green Your Halloween in Five Easy Steps

Halloween is a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends, enjoy the outdoors and see the excitement on children’s faces. However, between the candy, costumes and parties, Halloween, like most holidays, encourages spending. This year in the United States, consumers are expected to spend more than $5 billion on Halloween-related items. These items may include costumes that will only be worn once, non-fair trade chocolate, candy packaging material waste and pumpkins sprayed with pesticides.

While it wouldn’t be practical to forget about Halloween completely, here are some ways to make your Halloween a little more environmentally friendly.

1. You would probably be amazed by the treasures you have stacked away in attic boxes or at the back of your closet, so pull together a costume from materials you already own. If the closet hunting returns no good finds, check your local Goodwill for costumes. Borrow old costumes from friends, or search for costumes on Craigslist. Recycling costumes, instead of purchasing a new costume every year, wearing it once and tossing it or storing it in boxes, is much better for the environment. The Daily Green website features 100 Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas.

2. Avoid candy with high fructose corn syrup, strange animal ingredients and hydrogenated oils. Instead, hand out apples, fair trade chocolate and organic, vegan candy. If you want to avoid food all together hand out little toys and trinkets, such as baseball cards and stickers. Choose recyclable toys over non-recyclable plastic toys. Apple cider is also a welcome treat for kids who have been running around all night.

3. If you do plan on decorating with lights, conserve energy by using LED lights – these can also be used to light up walkways, making them safer for children. Using pumpkins, gourds and hay could provide more natural décor and can be sourced from a local farmer or even your own garden. Use soy candles to light up jack-o-lanterns – these are more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based paraffin candles.

4. Use reusable bags for trick-or-treating. Endless plastic bags are an environmentalist’s nightmare. Use your reusable green shopping bags or give your kids empty pillowcases to fill with candy.

5. Talk to your neighbors and see if they are also interested in handing out healthy treats. Your effort may not catch on with everyone, but it is worth a try.

Be Amazed At Your Water Usage :: And Make A Change Today!

In all of my efforts to be green, I still find ways to improve!  I was just turned on to WECalc.org, and I am completely dumbfounded at the results for even my personal life… honestly I am a bit too embarrassed to share them right now, but I learned so many great ways to cut down on my water use and water-related carbon footprint.

WECalc is all about water and how you are using it – even unconsciously.  First, the program gathers several obvious pieces of information about your household water usage; it goes deeper than surface level considerations of regular water usage.  Most importantly, however, is that WECalc.org provides reasonable results for you on how to not only save the environment, but also how to save money.

You’ll have to do it for yourself to see just how cool it is!  Here are some cool facts about water conservation that I learned while doing this for myself.

• Shortening Showers by 1 minute per day (at my household usage) can save about $19.00 per year, decrease my water usage by 4.37 gallons per day, and decrease my CO2 emissions by 184 lbs. per year.
• Installing 1.5 gpm faucet aerators costs about $1.00-$4.00; this will save me 17 gallons of water each day, decrease my carbon emissions by 439 lbs. annually, and could save me $53.00 this year.
• Rinsing clothes in COLD water lowers CO2 output by 206 lbs. each year and can save $15.60 annually.
• The global average carbon footprint (emissions per person) is: 5.4 metric tons, or 12,000 lb of CO2-eq emissions per year.
• Installing a Solar Hot Water Heater may seem expensive, but it can cut CO2 emissions 16.3% annually from the global average.  It also can save you around $150.00 each year.

I learned so much more about water usage than I could begin to adequately share here; please investigate this for yourself!  It will also challenge you to think more actively about how everything that we do is related to the footprints that we leave behind us on the Earth.

Terrapass: Offsetting Your Personal & Professional Carbon Footprint

All of us leave a carbon footprint, and while some footprints are bigger than others – it’s wonderful to see companies developing ways to help offset some of the eco-damage that we can cause. I recently was turned on to Terrapass, and was very impressed with what I saw.

First and foremost, Terrapass is a company that allows you to purchase the reduction of your carbon footprint. Here’s how it works: You (as a consumer or a business owner) may calculate an estimate of your carbon emissions, you may then purchase your TerraPass online, the proceeds then go to 10 separate projects (in 2010) in North America that are either Wind Farms, Landfill Gas Capture, or Farm Power (making the best use of animal waste.

Terrapass walks the walk as well as talking the talk. 100% of their carbon offsets are verified annually by broadly accepted standards. They also only sell carbon offsets that are happening in today’s world and do not depend on future developments (for example waiting for the maturation of trees). Finally, they maintain transparency by promoting and making available the sold carbon credits, including the project name, location, type, standard, verifier and the exact quantity of carbon credits that they purchased from each project. This way, you know exactly where your money goes.

If you haven’t checked this out yet, you should! It’s a great way to help save the planet while maintaining responsibility for your own carbon footprint!

Sheryl Crow, Green Rocker Mama Extraordinaire!

With a new album on the way, rockstar Sheryl Crow is the epitome of a green celebrity living the true sustainable life (for a rockstar).  Not only is the green mother of two committed to mother earth, but also is committed to rocking our socks off year after year. In honor of a music legend releasing yet another (now here 7th) album, 100 Miles From Memphis, this is a little something recognizing her efforts.

●     From flights to ground transportation, the entirety of the carbon footprint of her tour is neutralized with the support of renewable energy source.

●     All food provided is organic, locally sourced and packaged in biodegradable/compostable containers.

●     Ms. Crow is a founding member of the Green Music Group, a group committed to rallying the music community to take environmental action.

●     Water stations with reusable water bottles have replaced plastic bottles,  for crew members and band.

●     Non-toxic supplies clean Crow’s tour buses and bathrooms are furnished with post-consumer recycled bathroom tissue.

●     The carbon footprint of Crow’s touring vehicles are nearly non-existent–they all use B20 biodiesel.

●     All of Sheryl’s concerts feature a Reverb Eco-Village offering attendees the opportunity to meet with local non-profit groups and access an on-line carpooling service.

●     A comprehensive recycling/waste reduction system has been implemented backstage and on her touring vehicles.

●     Concert programs printed on, Forest Stewardship Council paper — an eco-friendly, responsible resource that uses soy inks.

Thank you to Sheryl Crow for showing all of them out there in the music land how living responsibly and kindly to the environment is done! Check out her video to learn more about her efforts.

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