Green Tip of the Day (2/28/09) – Open the Windows!

Using the air and heat on your home uses a lot of energy. It is also quite costly these days. However, we can do something to help the environment and our wallets.

This is the perfect time of year to turn off the heat if you live in a warmer climate. The cold fronts are abating and the breezes are fabulous. Open the windows and let the fresh air flow. You will save energy and money. Plus, it is always good to get fresh air! As the air gets warmer and the windows being open do not cut it, start with fans before you close the windows and turn on the air.

If you live in a cooler climate, try turning the heat off if you can and put some warmer house clothes on. Then, when it warms up a bit, open the windows and enjoy!

Do your best to limit the amount of heat and air you consume. Remember, every little change makes a huge impact over time. Additionally, you will be saving the green in your wallet as well!

Any other ideas on to keep the heat and air off more? Post them below!

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Stay Green!

               

Green Tip of the Day (2/27/09) – Buy Used

A lot goes into making new products; energy, fuel, non organic materials and more. If we buy more items used, we will use less of the things that contribute to hurting God’s planet. Plus, we are being good stewards by making the most of everything we buy and use!

Some things we can buy used:

• movies. what’s the difference, really. used is cheaper, the same and better for the planet.
• music. see above.
• clothes. thrift stores can save you tons of money as well.
• books. buy them used or go to the library.
• cars. how used is up to you.
• furniture and appliances. garage sales and eBay are great places to start.
• homes. old houses are cool anyway.
• household items. there are many items you can pick up at a local good will or garage sale that are just as nice as going to the store and buying new.
• electronics. just be careful and always try it our before you buy.
• bikes. have you ever seen the price tag for a new bike recently. yikes! buy used and ride the bike as often as you can instead of driving. Double green for your trouble! lol.
• video games and systems. places like game stop are great. you can buy used, beat the game and then trade it in for another used game. too cool, right?
• toys. obviously clean and good condition are key here. if you look you can find some goodies. i have found a lot of cute items that my kids love.

As you can see, there are many ways we can help contribute to being good stewards of God’s planet. Including, buying used and spending our money wisely!

Any other ideas on things we can buy used? Post them below!

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Stay Green!

               

Looking for Contributors

We need some writers that are green savvy AND Christians. We have two openings for staff writers (with pay) and four openings for occasional contributors (link love).

Details on Positions:

Staff Writer

A staff writer consistently writes for their own column here at GCN 2-4 time per month. Staff writers are paid $5-$10 per column. They will also be listed on our contributor page with link and blurb.

A staff writer must be able to write well, submit work on time and use proper grammar and spelling.

It must be original content and may not be posted elsewhere. Period. That is why we are paying for the content.

Occasional Contributor:

An occasional contributor writes on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. They need to contribute at least one piece per month (300+ words).

Occasional contributors do not receive monetary payment. However, they will receive major link love;

• We will place your image, blurb and link on our contributor page.
• up to 2 links on the sidebar of all pages under “Contributor Links” heading. We currently have great traffic and a PR5, so you should benefit from the links.
• a button in our monthly newsletter (coming soon)
• a spot to blab about you and what you do in our forums
• plus links in any future stuff we do
• and any other ways we can think of to say thanx a bunch

Occasional contributors must also be able to write well, submit work on time and use proper grammar and spelling.

It must be original content and may not be posted elsewhere for at least 6 months. Once six months have passed, contributor agrees to let us know where the piece will be and they will give a credit link to GCN stating the article was originally written for us.

We have limited openings. Please contact us if you are interested and include a link to writing samples and explain what position you are applying for and what you have to offer. Thanx a bunch!

               

Green Tip of the Day (2/26/09) – Reuse It!

It is good practice to reuse as much as you can. It will prevent waste and for plastic items help keep them out of dumps!

Items you can Reuse at least once:

• water bottles. as long as you keep them clean, you can reuse them several times. It will save you money just to refill the bottle with tap. refrigerate it and you are good to go.
• newspaper. you can use old newspapers to clean your windows and mirrors, as shelf liners and more. reusing newspapers can really help save on paper purchases, thus saving trees!
• donate or free-cycle. items like clothes, toys, books…almost anything can be donated or given away instead of tossed. just make sure it is clean and in decent condition.
• make compost. use your unused natural food items to make compost.
• batteries. stop buying one time use batteries and only purchase rechargeable ones.
• refillable. buy condiments, shampoos and the like in large containers and refill smaller user-friendly container for it. This will help you buy less bottles and use less plastic!
• bags. stop using paper and plastic bags. buy canvas bags and reuse them over and over again.
• paper. any time your printer messes up or you make an error when using paper, let your kids use it to color on. or, you can use it as scrap.
• clothing. use old socks, t-shits and cloth materials as rags, to clean the car or to dust with.
• egg cartons. these can be reused for arts and crafts, paint holders, taco items, or even to organize jewelry or small items.
• plastic milk jugs. these can be used for pots for plants or even to water them.
• cardboard boxes. go to a fun place with your kids that has a hill and have a summer sledding competition! cut large squares and use the cardboard as your “sleigh.”

As you can see, there are many many ways that you can reuse items you use everyday. Be creative and brainstorm about how you can make the most of everything and be a good steward to God’s planet!

Any other tips to reuse items that we use everyday? Post them below!

Copyright © Green Christian Network

Stay Green!

               

Green Tip of the Day (2/25/09) – Nix the Car

Sure your car will get you where you want or need to go, however, why not make a difference for the planet that God made of stewards of and save some money as well? Hey, some of the ideas listed below can help yo shed unwanted pounds as well!

Ideas to Keep the Car Parked More Often:

• walk.
• ride a bike.
• jog/run.

How to help the environment when you MUST drive:

• shop at at a warehouse like Sams Club. Less driving when you shop all in one.
• buy an electric or other eco friendly car.
• car pool.
• keep windows open on highway.
• use the air and radio less.
• take routes that help you avoid stopping excessively.
• accelerate slower.
• make sure your tires have the right amount of air.

Any other tips to avoid driving or at least eco friendlier driving? Post them below!

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Stay Green!

               

Green Tip of the Day (2/24/09) – Recycle Plastic Bags

Recycle Your Plastic Bags!

If you have not given up plastic bag for your own reusable bags yet, no worries, you can still make a difference! Recycle them! How? Well, there are many ways you can recycle plastic bags. We have listed a few to get you started. Use your imagination!

21 Ideas for Recycling Plastic bags:

• for filler when sending packages or when you want to store fragile items.
• use old plastic bags for liners in your bathroom or office trash can.
• to pick pet waste.
• use them as baby bib.
• arts and crafts. (off site link)
• reuse plastic bags over and over when you grocery shop.
• store wet bathing suits in them when at the pool or beach.
• dispose of dirty diapers when out and about.
• put hubbies lunch in them instead of a lunchbox.
• litter box liners.
• use plastic bags instead of Ziploc bags when possible.
• store holiday items in them.
• as a cap when giving yourself a hot oil treatment.
• make a kite with your kids.
• as a toiletry bag when traveling.
• shred and cut them to make plastic bag confetti.
• use them as gloves when cleaning.
• have your kids put them over their shoes when playing in the snow to keep shoes dry.
• cut them in to big squares and let your children finger paint with them. (under supervision, of course)
• send them to the recycle bin at your neighborhood grocery store.
• or…avoid using plastic bags all together and REALLY make a difference!

Any other recycling plastic bags tips? Post them below!

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Stay Green!

               

Green Tip of the Day (2/23/09) – Intro

We have decided to start something new. Each day we will give our “green tip of the day.” We hope that this will encourage you to go green. One day at a time really will make a huge difference. We will still have our columns, articles and other content. This is just an extra added bonus.

Oh, and leave your own green tips to help the go green Christian cause!

Our first green tip…

Go Green Tip: Buying Food

Buy food locally, organically and in season. When you buy locally you are saving tons of energy. There is no need for packaging, huge delivery trucks filled with gas and using oil that can be used for more important things. It is also a great way to help out local farmers and store owners. Buying organic also helps the environment. Finally, buying in season saves a lot of energy as well, because if we stick to seasonal foods, we are again driving less, packaging less and using less of the planet’s resources.

Any other green food buying tips?

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Stay Green!

               

Suddenly I Cared

It started about five months ago. My Husband began talking about recycling and caring about our environment. He started taking items into his workplace to give to a coworker who recycles. Honestly, I thought he was off his rocker. For about a month he continued to drag items into work and then one day he called me from the office and said, “I’ve just set up recycling at home. I’m sick of dragging it to work.” I didn’t know what to make of it – he had never cared before. I figured I better find out what all the fuss was about so I started doing some research and what I found concerned me.

Did you know that plastic will never biodegrade? When disposed of it just sits, and sits, and sits until it does something called photo degrading – this is where it basically turns into small pieces over many (thousands) years. Chemicals are released into the environment – many of them toxic – and these chemicals then enter our food chain through rivers, streams, and even the very soil we grow our produce in.

Further shocking me with regards to plastic are some findings from Oberlin College: every year Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles and if every American recycled just one out of ten of those bottles we could keep a shocking 200 million pounds of plastic out of landfills yearly!

As if those types of findings online weren’t enough, I started just looking around our very home and noticing the wastefulness right in front of my eyes. It was not uncommon in my house to blow through an entire roll of paper towels in a matter of just two or three days. We used them for everything. We used them unnecessarily, and I had never thought about it before. As I would reach for a paper towel I began to find myself wondering if it was really necessary and then running for a cloth instead.

And it wasn’t just my house – I began noticing things as I would drive around town. Things like the fields full of plastic bags and empty bottles and cans that would blow out of the parking lots of major stores. I started thinking about how much could be done with just those items alone. Suddenly I found myself caring. Suddenly I found myself looking at packaging and making sure to put whatever I could into the recycling bins. I no longer wanted to use plastic bags and found myself making a quick, easy, and very inexpensive ($5 for 5 bags at Wal-Mart) purchase for reusable grocery bags.

Suddenly I cared.

And then one day as I was sitting here doing my daily Bible reading I decided to look at the beginning of the book of Genesis and I noticed that throughout the first chapter it is repeated several times that “God saw that it was good”.

“Good” – it was good.

And that was the moment of extreme change for me. I thought to myself that if God saw it was good, what must He think now when He sees what we have done with the earth? God gave us this earth and I just don’t believe He gave it to us to junk it up.

I’m certainly not an extremist. I am completely new to this world of “living green”, but I am also committed. I am committed to caring about what God created.

Throughout the months ahead I plan to document the things I learn and new things I am doing with my family to create a “green” lifestyle for us all while still making sure that our focus remains aimed at pleasing the One who matters most. I hope you will join me on my journey.

Copyright ©  2009, Becki, Green Christian Network, All Rights Reserved

               

Simple Green Habits to get You Started with Green Living

Going green does not have to mean expensive alternatives. With the popularity of going green on the rise, it’s become cheaper and easier to switch to greener habits.

10 Green Habits to get You Started with Green Living

Unplug all the electronics when they aren’t in use.

Turn off lights you are not using.

Reducing your heater use, and wear extra layers of clothes to keep warm.

Switch from toxic cleaners to the eco-friendly and home made alternatives to improve the quality of your indoor air.

Ride the Bus. This is a great way of supporting your communities green public transportation efforts and save you gas and car repair money.

Switch to energy efficient light bulbs.

Purchase some energy monitors and programmable thermostats in order to avoid wasting energy in your home.

Eat more organic foods and avoid packaged foods. Packaged food products can be harmful to your body, and in some cases, their packaging, may be harmful to the environment.

Walk more. If where you are going is less than 1 mile, try walking.

Quit smoking. Cigarettes are one of many sources of litter. Replace this bad habit with a healthier one.

These are just 10 simple habits to get you started with green living. One good green habit at a time and we can become better stewards of God’s planet!

Copyright © Green Christian Network

Stay Green!

               

Go Green by Switching to Organic Pet Food

Organic pet food comes with plenty of benefits for you and your pet. Your pet’s overall health will be improved while you begin to go green. The life span of your pet will also be increased. No hormones, chemicals and pesticides are to in the organic pet food. Organic pet foods are gluten free and hypo-allergenic. Conventional pet food can contain fertilizers and petroleum-based pesticides, both of which are not found in organic pet food. Organic pet food also uses meat from animals that weren’t raised with growth hormones or antibiotics. Such additives actually pollute the waterways and affect the environment as a whole. Another feature of the organic pet food is the fact that no animal testing is used.

Organically made pet food can have a very positive impact on the environment. Making the switch to organic pet food will not only protect your pet from harmful chemicals, it will also help you be a better steward of God’s planet.

Plus, your pet will be provided with nutrients free of chemicals and pesticides and its overall health will be improved. Go online to find a reliable supplier that can deliver you quality and organic pet food.  Purchasing organic pet food Online, means healthier pet food without having to leave the comforts of your home. Imagine not having to carry that heavy bag of pet food all the way from the store to your home.

You will want to check with your vet in order to determine the right type of organic food for your pet. Every pet has different nutritional needs. These needs must be taken into account when looking for the right organic food for your pet.

Tip: Mix your pet’s old food with the new organic one for several days until your pet gets used to their new food. This can also curb possible stomach upset. Once your pet is fully accustomed to the organic food, you should switch to it completely.

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Stay Green!