Reduce Waste with Alternative Uses

One of the best ways to reduce our waste is to reuse everything you can. The more we reuse the less waste is created and we cut down on our contribution to global warming and pollution.

At GoGreenMug.com, you know that we are dedicated to reducing our waste and so we are pleased to join up with AltUse to offer a great promotion from the 10th-14th August.

AltUse believe as we do, that by reusing and finding alternative uses for products, we can seriously reduce our waste and reduce the effects of climate change. They enable us to save money and the environment by putting our stuff to use in many different ways. Check out http://www.altuse.com/ to find alternative uses for all your stuff.



The GoGreenMug promotion with AltUse starts Monday. With up to six winners everyday. We look forward to reading your entries.

Pressing for a Global Response to Climate Change

A recent article in Newsweek, http://www.newsweek.com/id/208164 had me thinking of the slippery slope of climate change and where we can go from here.

The problem with global warming is that it starts slowly, melting a little more ice over the arctic each year, but the rate of warming actually increases exponentially as the ice melts, melting more and more of it each year. Ice melt is just one example of why climate change is speeding up. The ice reflects much of the heat back out of our atmosphere. The less ice there is the less heat is reflected and the faster the ice melts. The Newsweek article above explains other ways that warming is speeding up.

The longer we wait to take action and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions substantially the more quickly and urgently we will need to act in the future. At GoGreenMug.com we have already discussed numerous ways in which you can make a difference personally. You know that we sell personalized travel mugs at http://www.gogreenmug.com/ so that you never have to waste another paper or polystyrene cup at a coffee shop or in the office again. We also follow many of the other ideas that we have posted previously.

Unfortunately though changes are required on an even bigger scale. We may be able to personally reduce our emissions and waste but without a global consensus from governments, our personal commitments will not be enough to reverse the effects of global warming.

We have already seen President Obama and congress pass an environmental bill, but we all need to keep pressing to ensure steps are taken on a national and global level to reduce the effects of climate change. Here are a few suggestions of where to start.

1. Send letters or emails to your senators or congressman or elected officials wherever you live. Let them know that this problem is one of your major concerns and as your representative you would like them to press for quick and substantial global efforts to reduce global warming.
2. If you are not sure what to write in a letter, then go to online action networks such as the one run by Surfrider Foundation http://actionnetwork.org/surfrider/home.html . All you will need to do is sign up and then use the action network to submit letters that have been specially drafted for specific causes.
3. Support environmental groups on Facebook and Myspace by signing on to their causes. Large action groups can help to effect large changes.
4. Continue to make the small changes you have already committed to, such as driving less, always using a reusable mug and helping at beach clean-ups.
5. Share this information with your friends and family and get them to do the same too.

Every little bit counts, but remember we are under a time constraint, so whatever you decide to do, do it today.

Everyday Tips for Combating Climate Change

Welcome, GoGreenMug Green News readers! This week, we'd like to discuss some easy-to-implement ideas for ways you can combat climate change.

Climate change affects habitats, wildlife, and people around the world. While some changes occur as a result of natural weather patterns, others can be directly linked to human activities. There is no question that the development of technology has advanced our capabilities exponentially over the past 150 years; unfortunately, some of that technology has had negative impacts on the environment, too. So now that we're aware of some of these impacts, it's our responsibility to our planet and future generations to take action. Many companies are devoting resources to designing cleaner and more efficient technologies to replace older equipment. But as individuals, there are many things we can change that will have a cumulative effect, as well. Some of these actions include:

1. Using compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) around the house - at least on commonly-used light fixtures, if not on all of them. The first few generations of CFLs weren't excellent; they took a while to warm up, and sometimes weren't that bright. But the technology has gotten a lot better, and there are many high quality options to choose from now.


2. Reducing the temperature setting on the water heater to "Warm" or 120 F. Especially during the summer months, your water will naturally be a little warmer, and things take less time to dry in the warmer weather (e.g., dishes, laundry).


3. Adjusting thermostat settings - during the summer months, increase the temperature a little, and if you have a programmable thermostat, remember to set it to turn off during the hours no one is at home. During the cooler months, decrease the temperature setting, and turn it off when no one is at home or when everyone is asleep.


4. Checking the showerheads - replace any showheads that use more than 2.5 gallons/minute with low-flow models.


5. Completely turning off appliances not in use. This means not only flipping the power switch on items such as tv's and audio equipment, since these usually have standby mode that continues to draw power. Turning off standby mode requires unplugging the device. As this is a little inconvenient, an easier way to implement this strategy is to connect multiple devices to an outlet strip; this way, you just have to flip the switch on the strip, and you're done. And if you use a surge protector rather than just an outlet strip, you'll have the added protection against voltage surges when the equipment is powered.


6. Checking that your vehicle's tires are properly inflated.


7. Using a resuable mug each time you get a drink, rather than using a single-use disposable cup. GoGreenMug.com is offering all mugs and gift certificates for only $14.99 this month.

We hope you will be able to make some of these minor changes to your lifestyles, in order to reduce your impact on the environment. All of these suggestions will also save you a good deal of money, as well. Have a great week, and if you have any other suggestions you'd like to share with the group, please submit a comment!

~Your friends at GoGreenMug