Monday, August 22, 2011
Irrational Use Of Land In Last Few Years
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Environment friendly Campuses
With a large number of companies setting up (insanely) huge office campuses in the country and for catering these companies an even greater number of colleges being set up, I see a large untapped sector which can give a lot more attention to environment and its problems. I do agree that most of the aforementioned institutions already pay a attention to the needs of the environment but the questions remains if that's enough. Also, most of this "attention" is voluntary. Some colleges do it because , well, they are colleges and they ought to do the right thing. Some companies do it because at times people who are NOT corporate stooges take decisions there(hail Infosys and the ex-CEO Narayan murthy). What if every educational institution and every industrial campus is bound to this "favor" to the environment.
It is imperative that this "green-campus" strategy is adopted by all Companies and Educational Institutions alike. There were some 40 odd engineering colleges in the non-metro city I used to live-in. Imagine how much would the city's environment benefit if all them decide to go green. and that was just the number of engineering colleges. I don't mean, 'pretty green' here. Most of the institutes go for 'well maintained' garden in the name of greenery and personally I feel these namesake (pretty) gardens take up more resources from the environment in terms of water and nutrients than what they give back to it. I am talking about a defined percentage of land in every such campus to be dedicated to as many trees as possible. Diversity in those trees is of course expected.
City authorities can impose this on all such existing campuses. If that is too difficult for them, they can at least make sure that permissions for new college/industrial campuses come with this restriction.
Planting trees is probably the simplest and most economical thing that they can do, why not make it compulsory. By law.
chew over it.
-Siddhant Jain
GYV11-270
Monday, August 8, 2011
101 ways to go green & save money
Monday, August 1, 2011
10 Things Kids Can Do To Go Green And Reduce Environmental Impact
1) Ask mom for green school supplies. Going back to school and going green can go hand in hand! Kids can get green school supplies that will make a difference at prices that will make mom happy. Your green school supplies also provide an opportunity to share your thoughts on the environment with other students and teachers who notice that they are a little different.
**Want to take your green routine to the next level? Use a printing company with solid green printing practices to produce your reports and projects.**
2) Walk, carpool, or take the bus to school. Less carbon emissions and less smog comes from less burned fuel. We have to use gasoline to run most of today’s cars – so, let’s use as little of it as we can! When you share a ride with others, it means fewer people have to use gas, and when you walk or bike there is no fuel burned at all…except maybe your breakfast 
3) Turn off the water while showering and brushing teeth. Most people let the water run while soaping up or brushing, but that wastes water. Run the water to get your towel and body or toothbrush wet, and then wash or brush with the water off. It saves water AND time because you end up focusing on getting clean and getting out of there!
4) Start an organic garden at school and create compost for it. It’s a large undertaking, but if you can get your science teacher behind you, it’s very likely that your principal will allow you to start an organic garden of some kind and a compost heap to fertilize it. Learn about composting for kids here, and get your science teacher to help you learn about gardening. You’re sure to get extra credit!
5) Turn off lights and appliances/electronics when not in use. Kids who aren’t environmentally conscious don’t usually think about turning off lights and appliances because kids in general aren’t cost conscious. That means kids waste stuff. (Don’t worry – your parents did it when they were kids, too.) Kids who reduce, reuse, and recycle know that wastefulness is not good, and one thing they do not waste is energy. Although cleaner energy is becoming more common, no energy should be wasted. When you’re not using lights or appliances/electronics (TV, computer, video games, etc.) TURN THEM OFF! Let mom and dad unplug them from the outlets as they see fit for safety.
6) If parents recycle, allow kids to sort. The family that recycles together stays together! If mom and dad recycle, ask them if you can sort if you already don’t. Sometimes parents don’t realize how much you care. Going green is a lifestyle, so get in on the day-today activities by doing your part. Kids in the UK can also ask mom and dad to use a house clearance service that recycles waste materials when you move or when it’s time to clean out the garage.
7) Volunteer with community organizations that plant trees. Trees help us enjoy cleaner air and more beautiful landscapes. Get help finding organizations where you live who plant trees, and then volunteer to help! The Arbor Day Foundation is a good place to start if you need help locating a group in your local area.
8) Hand-wash dishes or only run the dishwasher for full loads. Most people don’t realize it, but dishwashers use considerably more water to wash a load of dishes than the traditional sink method does. A LOT MORE. So, to conserve water, it’s best not to use the dishwasher at all. If you do, use eco-friendly dishwashing detergent and only run the washer when it is completely full. If it’s not full or if you can, choose to wash dishes in the sink instead, of course, with eco-friendly dishwashing liquid.
9) Reduce waste by curbing use of disposables. It’s easy to use throwaway cups, plates, wrappers, and utensils, but it only creates more waste for landfills. Also, disposable paper products like facial and bathroom tissue and paper towels and napkins also end up in the trash. We can save more trees by using less paper products, and we can keep more plastics and styrofoam out of the landfills by using less throwaway utensils and containers. Also, eating less often at fast-food restaurants cuts down on your useage of these items, too.
When you have to use them, use less. When you don’t have to use them, DON’T.
10) Ease up on the video games. Playing video cames on both computers and systems uses a LOT of energy! That’s why your system or computer feels hot afterwards! You can save on energy by simply doing homework or going outside to play instead of posting up in front of the TV or computer screen. This activity uses more electricity than regular TV or computer useage, so it should be kept to a minimum.
Tree Plantation Drive on June 5,2011 by Green Yatra
Few important n smart ways to go green while shopping
Ten smart ways to go green while shopping
Everything you buy affects the environment, but some choices are better than others. If you believe in the “Change begins with me” motto, here are some cool ways of going green when you go shopping. And not just going green... saving money too!
1. Make a list
Even before you are actually doing your weekly shopping you can start being eco-friendly. Make a list of everything you need to buy so that you can save on making any unnecessary trips in your car again, just because you forgot buying the potatoes. Just a bit of pre-shopping preparation can save fuel, money and effort.
2. Buy local
Much of the food we buy in the grocery store that usually could be bought locally is shipped in from other parts of the country. Why not just buy from local farmers to get fresher produce that will taste better? What's more, you reduce your carbon footprint by not buying products that needed to be transported from far away.
3. Avoid excess packaging
Look for products that have less packaging, or buy in bulk -- you'll have less to throw away. You can also buy items with packaging that can be reused or recycled.
Also, if you can, put all your products in one bag, even if it is from different shops.
4. Check the energy star label
Look for the BEE Star Energy Efficiency Labels when buying new kitchen appliances or electronic items. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Star Energy Efficiency Labels have been created to standardize the energy efficiency ratings of different electrical appliances and indicate energy consumption under standard test conditions.
You not only save energy consumption but also money on your electricity bills.
5. Buy used
Items like books, CDs, furniture and even cars in good conditions can be easily brought at a used goods store. Buying used items means that your purchase doesn't use more resources or energy.
6. Buy recycled
When buying items like tissue rolls or bags, get stuff that is made from recycled materials. Buying items made with recycled-content materials means that fewer natural resources, such as trees, were used to produce the products.
Products made from recycled paper, plastic, and other materials are usually easy to recognize in the store -- just read the labels. Try starting with school supplies. Many stores carry recycled notebooks, pens, and other products.
7. Buy durable items
Instead of buying disposable products, which are wasteful, buy things that will last a long time, such as rechargeable batteries and reusable ceramic mugs for drinks. Junk the paper towels and buy cloth napkins instead for your kitchen and table that can be washed and reused over and over.
8. Share and swap
Another way to save resources and energy is to swap with friends and family instead of buying brand-new products. Maybe you and your friends like the same video games. Why not share your games instead of each of you owning the same game? Or maybe you can rent the game first to see if you really want to own it.
9. Buy in bulk
Small sizes use more packaging for each ounce of product than larger sizes. So, if you buy large sizes, you save money, reduce waste, and help the environment.
Items with longer shelf life can easily be brought in larger quantities like rice, flour, pulses and cereal.
10. Carry your own bags
The most basic way you can contribute to going green is to carry your own bags, preferably cloth or jute and avoid using plastic bags. When out shopping, if it's just for one or two items, don't accept a plastic bag. And reuse the ones that you do have.
Don't just throw away the plastic bag you get from stores, stash it and carry it for the next time you go shopping.
With Green Heart n Love,
Green Yatra
Be the Change, Bring the Change...
Top 16 Ways to Save Paper in Your Office
I Just Gotta Tell Ya
- The Average office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. According to the EPA each employee in a typical business office generates 1.5 pounds of waster paper a day.
- A Ton of 100% recycled papers saves 7,000 gallon of water, 60 pounds of air emission and 3 cubic yards of landfill space
- According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge ‘keeps approximately 2.5. pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills and conserves about a half gallon of oil.
What you can do
- Use recycled office paper and products. See Staples, and Office Depot.
- Buy Paper that is PCF (processed chlorine free)
- Use unbleached and uncolored paper.
- Buy products in bulk to minimize packaging .
- Stop Printing if you can, read online, and order catalogues, newsletter online instead
- Print on Both Sides
- Avoid Color Printing
- Ask to be removed from mailing lists
- Make hard copies only when necessary. Use Email or E-vite
- Use a stick on label on the first page of a fax instead of a cover sheet.
- Recycle toner, and ink cartridge and buy remanufactured ones.
- Post Employee manual and similar materials online rather than distribute print copies
- Get rid of paper files and folders- put it all online
- Go Paperless
- Use the back side of old paper for scratch pads
- Recycle all paper
How Much Can you Save?
- A single sided 10 page letter cost .55 cents to mail. Same letter copied on both side of the paper uses only 5 sheets and $.34 in postage.
- A carton of paper costs $50.00 (5,000 sheets) cutting your paper use in half can save you $50.00 per employee per year.
With Green Heart n Love,
Green Yatra
Be the Change, Bring the Change...
www.greenyatra.org
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