greenrightnow.com http://www.greenrightnow.com Living a green lifestyle Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:19:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Palm oil industry’s big carbon impact http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/palm-oil-industrys-big-carbon-impact/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/palm-oil-industrys-big-carbon-impact/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:35:59 +0000 BKessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6852 By Shermakaye Bass Green Right Now It's The Year of Living Dangerously all over again. [caption id="attachment_6862" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Orangutan (Photo: Tom Theodore/Dreamstime)"]Orangutan (Photo: Tom Theodore/Dreamstime)[/caption] On Tuesday, two journalists were arrested in Sumatra while covering a politically sensitive topic - palm oil harvesting and the ensuing decimation of Southeast Asia's old-growth, carbon-capturing rainforests, and the subsequent release of giant CO2 pockets that lie beneath the forests and their peat swamps. More disturbing than the reporters' deportation, though, is how little we consumers seem to realize that, not only are we what we eat, but when it comes to palm oil, we are eating our own lifeblood. We're 'eating' our oxygen, we're 'eating' our fellow species. We're consuming our own future by driving up carbon emissions much faster than we can offset them. We are the snake eating its own tail.]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/palm-oil-industrys-big-carbon-impact/feed/ 0 Don’t let energy vampires suck away your holiday cash http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/dont-let-energy-vampires-suck-away-your-holiday-cash/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/dont-let-energy-vampires-suck-away-your-holiday-cash/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:43:07 +0000 BKessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6843 Green Right Now Reports You don't have to wait for next Halloween to track down energy vampires in your home. Any time of the year will do. Just follow these Alliance to Save Energy guidelines, which are fun for kids and can be enlightening for adults too. First step, turn off all the lights and appliances in the house. Take a flashlight outside to see if the meter is still running. It probably will be, because you've got things on "stand by" all over the house -- hair dryers, phones, computers, televisions, DVRs.]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/dont-let-energy-vampires-suck-away-your-holiday-cash/feed/ 0 Growing evidence suggests climate change affects infectious disease transmission http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/growing-evidence-suggests-climate-change-affects-infectious-disease-transmission/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/growing-evidence-suggests-climate-change-affects-infectious-disease-transmission/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:02:20 +0000 Tom Kessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6846 From Green Right Now Reports An emerging body of evidence suggests that the changing global climate is already affecting infectious disease transmission patterns. At a symposium today at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Washington D.C., experts reported that such changes are expected to have a profound impact on global public health. "There is concrete evidence that the global climate is changing, and these changes are expected to greatly impact human health as surface temperatures rise, agricultural belts shift, and extreme weather events become more commonplace," Mary H. Hayden, Ph.D. of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said in a statement. "Although most scientists agree that climate change is underway, the role it plays in infectious disease transmission is still in contention. The evidence presented today suggests that climate change will exacerbate the challenges of controlling infectious diseases in the developing world."]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/growing-evidence-suggests-climate-change-affects-infectious-disease-transmission/feed/ 0 Switch to LED holiday lights http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/switch-to-led-holiday-lights/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/switch-to-led-holiday-lights/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:58:34 +0000 Tom Kessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6839 http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/20/switch-to-led-holiday-lights/feed/ 0 Dreaming of an Energy Smart Christmas tree http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/dreaming-of-an-energy-smart-christmas-tree/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/dreaming-of-an-energy-smart-christmas-tree/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:53:00 +0000 BKessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6826 Christmas Vacation? Apparently many Americans would have been happy to help him kick that plastic Santa to death. A new survey commissioned by GE of 1,050 Americans found that dealing with those tangled, twisty lights appears to be one of the Christmas season's biggest hassles. Of the people who plan to decorate with lights (870), a majority (56 percent) cited untangling last year's lights as the season's "biggest hassle". Others noted that stringing lights on the house or in the yard (47 percent) and stringing lights on the tree (39 percent) as the season's biggest non-joyous headache.]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/dreaming-of-an-energy-smart-christmas-tree/feed/ 0 Chicago’s Greenheart Shop declares ‘Green Friday’ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/chicagos-greenheart-shop-declares-green-friday/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/chicagos-greenheart-shop-declares-green-friday/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:09:50 +0000 BKessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6815 Green Right Now Reports Chicago's Greenheart Shop is declaring that Black Friday will be Green Friday this year at their store, which sells Fair Trade, eco-friendly and socially conscious gifts, food, clothes and accessories. Greenheart, a non-profit cultural exchange and storefront (at 1911 W. Division) will be serving free Fair Trade wine, cocoa and snacks to shoppers. Visitors can also see a make-your-own gift wrap demonstration. The event, on Friday, Nov. 27, will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those who can't attend can still buy Greenheart products online. The goodies sold at Greenheart benefit disadvantaged workers, coops in developing nations and support ecologically sound growing methods, like shade-grown cocoa. They include:]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/chicagos-greenheart-shop-declares-green-friday/feed/ 0 Next generation of green cars coming to LA Auto Show http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/next-generation-of-green-cars-coming-to-la-auto-show/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/next-generation-of-green-cars-coming-to-la-auto-show/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:39:45 +0000 Tom Kessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6808 From Green Right Now Reports A host of new greener vehicles will be making their North American debuts at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show from Dec. 4 through Dec. 13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Mercedes-Benz will show off the fuel-sipping E350 BlueTEC and the fuel-cell-powered F-Cell. The company also will showcase the just-launched ML450 Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz's first hybrid SUV. Essentially an electric car that makes its own power on board, the new Mercedes-Benz F-Cell has a range of about 240 miles and, running on compressed hydrogen, boasts an equivalent fuel mileage of 86.6 city-highway combined miles per gallon. In 2010, Mercedes-Benz says 200 production F-Cell cars will be delivered to customers in the U.S. and Europe as part of a special lease program.]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/next-generation-of-green-cars-coming-to-la-auto-show/feed/ 0 JC Penney dumps big book, saving money and forests http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/jc-penney-dumps-big-book-saving-money-and-forests/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/jc-penney-dumps-big-book-saving-money-and-forests/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:36:56 +0000 BKessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6810 Green Right Now Reports If anything makes as big a thud on your doorstep as the Yellow Pages books, it has been the JC Penney semi-annual "big book." [caption id="attachment_6811" align="alignright" width="153" caption="The 2009 Big Book - Collector's item?"]The 2009 Big Book - Collector's item?[/caption] But the retailer has decided that that thud has outlived its impressiveness and is taking a heavy toll on marketing costs and forests, announcing today that it would stop sending the giant catalog in order to dedicate resources to specialty catalogs and online services.]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/19/jc-penney-dumps-big-book-saving-money-and-forests/feed/ 0 Top green cooks transform Thanksgiving dishes into natural wonders http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/top-green-cooks-transform-thanksgiving-dishes-into-natural-wonders/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/top-green-cooks-transform-thanksgiving-dishes-into-natural-wonders/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:41:28 +0000 Melissa Segrest http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6599 By Melissa Segrest Green Right Now
What if we could reinvent Thanksgiving Day’s traditional dishes?
Could we replace baked yams topped with melty marshmallows with something natural and organic? Could we convert Mom's canned green bean casserole into a healthier, Earth-friendly dish – complete with crunchy onion bits on top? What if we asked some of the best-selling organic cookbook writers in the country to overhaul our Thanksgiving table? ]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/top-green-cooks-transform-thanksgiving-dishes-into-natural-wonders/feed/ 0 Organic Gardening’s Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Shallots http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/organic-gardenings-shredded-brussels-sprouts-with-crispy-shallots/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/organic-gardenings-shredded-brussels-sprouts-with-crispy-shallots/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:36:41 +0000 Melissa Segrest http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6626 [/caption] Late autumn is the best season to enjoy Brussels sprouts since they tend get sweeter after a winter frost. Buy them freshly picked, on the stem if possible. Avoid the sulfurous fumes that Brussels sprouts naysayers complain about by getting the freshest sprouts available (and avoid overcooking). -- Organic Gardening Magazine's Abigail Poulette]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/organic-gardenings-shredded-brussels-sprouts-with-crispy-shallots/feed/ 0 Jackie Newgent’s Earth-Style Sweet Potato-Butter Bean Gravy with Rosemary http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/jackie-newgents-earth-style-sweet-potato-butter-bean-gravy-with-rosemary/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/jackie-newgents-earth-style-sweet-potato-butter-bean-gravy-with-rosemary/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:33:53 +0000 Melissa Segrest http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6619 [/caption]]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/jackie-newgents-earth-style-sweet-potato-butter-bean-gravy-with-rosemary/feed/ 0 Mark Bittman’s Pearl Coucous Gratin with Pesto and Goat Cheese http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/mark-bittmans-pearl-coucous-gratin-with-pesto-and-goat-cheese/ http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/mark-bittmans-pearl-coucous-gratin-with-pesto-and-goat-cheese/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:24:56 +0000 BKessler http://www.greenrightnow.com/?p=6742 How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Ingredients: [caption id="attachment_6746" align="alignright" width="203" caption="Coucous provides the base for a sophisticated substitute for bread stuffing"]A Moroccan grain provides the base for a sophisticated substitute for bread stuffing[/caption]]]> http://www.greenrightnow.com/2009/11/18/mark-bittmans-pearl-coucous-gratin-with-pesto-and-goat-cheese/feed/ 0