A Dose of Weekly Greens

Image by Rob Lee

With the holidays here, the hectic schedule has taken over my calendar and is keeping me busy. However, there were a number of great green articles I came across this week that I thought were definitely worth sharing. So here is this week’s dose of “weekly greens”:

1) Ikea gives free bikes to 12,400 employees: Love it! A terrific green and eco-friendly gift. Hopefully Ikea thought ahead enough to be able to provide a secure place for the employees to lock their bikes once they ride to work too.

Image by {eclaire}

2) Hitachi Plans to Recycle Rare Earth Magnets to Avoid Shortages: It’s always great to hear about companies think ahead, especially when they are thinking about being “greener” by recycling materials vital to the future of technology.

Image by foskarulla

Image by heatherlyone

3) Mountain Gorilla Population Increases: Good news! It looks like conservation efforts are having a positive impact on the Mountain Gorilla population. They aren’t out of danger yet, but an increase is definitely a step in the right direction.

Image by YXO

4) Island Nations Plead for Their Lives As World Dawdles at Climate Talks: As climate talks continue to move along, many smaller island nations are already feeling the dramatic effects of climate change. They’re now hoping for some quick action. Hopefully the climate talks can deliver.

Image by gavindjharper

5) What’s Not to Love About Strawbale Construction?: Okay, I haven’t seen or heard much about strawbale construction recently. But because they are built using renewable, recycled materials and they provide great insulation and help with indoor air pollution, I’d agree they are pretty eco-friendly.

Image by Mr. T in DC

6) Why Is There Not A National Recycling Law?: Good question, isn’t it? Makes you wonder. Americans are making progress in that a few decades ago less than 10% of solid waste was recycled and today an estimated 32% is being recycled. But there is a lot of room for improvement.

7) How to Prevent Food Waste: This is one we all could probably use a little refresher course on now that we are in the midst of the holidays.

Image by Kara Allyson

Now, this isn’t a new one, but one I thought was worth mentioning again, especially during the holidays. Remember to be an eco-parent. Our children learn by the example we set, so please be sure to set a good example for them.

Well, there are just a few of the interesting green articles I ran across. Remember if you are doing any holiday shopping this weekend, do some prep work first. Make a list, research out the best sales, check out your local consignment stores or online places such as Craigslist to see if you can get a gently used gift rather than having to buy new and of course, plot your route to cut down on your emissions.

Hope you enjoyed your dose of weekly greens! Have a productive and enjoyable weekend!