Your special day is finally on its way! With all the bells and whistles (and stress and headaches) that come with wedding planning, you might not have considered that your wedding could ever be made easily green. But you can make it even more special as you plan ways to help out the earth by helping yourself as well when you consider these five tips to make your wedding more eco-friendly.
5 Ways to Make Your Wedding More Eco Friendly
December 27th, 2011 
Tushar Mathur 
Posted in Green Living Green Home Restoration and Reducing Environmental Impact
December 26th, 2011 Tushar Mathur In the current state that our planet is in, living a green lifestyle and learning to care for the planet are becoming more important than ever. Thus it is vital for every home to attempt to lessen their negative effect on the environment every day.
Posted in Green Home Is The Chinese Demand For Air Purifiers Something The West Could Experience If Environmental Conferences Fail?
December 26th, 2011 Tushar Mathur Air purifiers are simply flying off of the shelves in China at the moment thanks to the heavy smog which is currently engulfing northern provinces. The smog is triggering health alerts which are expected to stay in place well into the new year.
Online retailers in China such as 360buy.com, who sell a wide variety of household appliances have seen sales of air filtration systems and humidifiers leap 50 percent since November.
Posted in Green Products Eco-Friendly Holiday Party Tips
December 26th, 2011 Tushar Mathur 
Planning a party around the holidays can certainly be a hassle, what with having a full calendar of events to contend with, not to mention shopping, wrapping, and shipping presents, baking and cooking galore, and hosting family and friends that you only see once a year. And yet, when all of your loved ones are gathered in your home, dressed to the nines and having a great time, you’re going to feel great about all your hard work on the front end – at least until you see the mountain of trash and realize that your moment of joy could have a long-term negative impact on the Earth. So if you love to throw a lavish holiday party but you’re tired of all the pollution and waste that go into it, here are just a few tips to help you green up your white Christmas (or other holiday).
- Food. Doubtless the most important part of any party (holiday or otherwise) is the food. When people come to your house you want them to leave happy and satisfied, and that starts with a good spread on the buffet table. But if you only knew how much damage can be done with even a simple slate of catering you might not be so quick to cook up the holiday faves. Luckily, there is a way to combat the chemical pollution and hydrocarbon emissions that are part and parcel of the food industry. Simply buy local and organic foods for your feast. You may even find that there are artisan vineyards or craft breweries in your area that create organic alcohol, as well.
- Serving. Plastic plates are handy, to be sure, but they’re also terrible for the planet. The problem with most disposable products is that they are non-biodegradable. So instead of increasing the size of the landfill, opt for green alternatives that are just as easy for you. Bare paper plates, for example, are sustainably created (with renewable sugar cane) and they are also compostable. Of course, if you’re looking for one-stop shopping, you may want to check out worldcentric.org. They can meet all of your serving needs with green options for plates, cups, flatware, and even containers with lids to send home leftovers.
- Decorations. This is where the eco-friendly side of party planning starts to get fun, because there are so many ways to green up the décor. For starters, get fancy with the linens. Skip the paper products and go with tablecloths, napkins, runners, and more made from organic fabrics with holiday print. And for centerpieces, use nature for inspiration. Go for a walk in the woods to collect fallen pinecones, branches, and even interesting rocks to place in a bowl with a bit of ribbon.
- Flowers. Cut flowers are pretty (and pretty easy), but on the whole, not so eco-friendly (unless you’re growing them yourself). Instead, think about adding some color to your space with potted plants (even a small, potted pine tree could be neat since you can decorate it) or get trendy by cutting out paper floral arrangements. You’ll be surprised how fancy they look and you have a million options when it comes to recycled paper products.
- Entertainment. Even if you’re doing corporate entertainment New York style or you’re planning a party in Vegas this holiday season, there’s no reason you can’t find ways to do it that are a little kinder to the Earth. Hiring local performers is a must since you don’t want to ship people in (adding to greenhouse gas emissions). But perhaps you can simply pull out the piano bench and get everyone in the holiday spirit with a few carols.
Posted in Green Living Preparing for Christmas in an Eco-friendly and Cost Effective Manner
December 20th, 2011 Tushar Mathur Christmas is a time for celebration, but also a time of excessive waste. With the copious amounts of food and drink being bought and not consumed, a great deal of money and valuable food resources get wasted. Not only is this bad for the environment, it’s also bad for your finances as you indulge in an almighty and unnecessary Christmas splurge.
Posted in Green Living Hybrid Car Insurance Rates
December 20th, 2011 Tushar Mathur If you are thinking about purchasing a hybrid model or have already purchased one, you are probably doing research on hybrid car insurance rates. While auto insurance rates vary based on a wide range of factors, some people are discovering is that in addition to saving money on gas, buying a hybrid can also help them save money on car insurance rates as well.
Posted in Green Auto How HR Can Help Make Your Office Green
December 19th, 2011 Tushar Mathur How HR Can Help Make Your Office Green
Maybe it’s because when you think of HR, you think of paperwork, or because HR takes the responsibility for employee satisfaction and more companies are realising that environmental awareness is important to their employees. For whatever reason, human resources departments are the ones who tend to institute “green” practices at the office.
What is Ocean Acidification?
December 18th, 2011 Tushar Mathur 
If you are at all familiar with the concept of global warming, then you are probably aware of the fact that carbon emissions (greenhouse gases) produced by industry and automobiles are responsible not only for air pollution (smog) but also for the climate change that we are currently experiencing (as more severe weather patterns sweep across the planet). But you may not realize that one of the gases responsible is the same chemical compound that we breathe out (and that plants absorb to create the oxygen we breathe in). Carbon dioxide (CO?) is not only contributing to the rampant pollution of our atmosphere, it is also the main cause of damage to our oceans, thanks to a little-known phenomenon called ocean acidification.
Posted in Green Technology Gift Ideas For Your Green Friends
December 17th, 2011 Tushar Mathur Over the last few decades our society’s awareness of the environment has grown significantly. With the evidence of the impact of our consumption on the earth and growing energy costs, we are all trying to reduce waste and our energy consumption. We all have more eco-conscious friends that are making large efforts to change their lifestyles while the rest of us are making much smaller changes.
Posted in Green Living Honda Civic Beats 2012 Green Car Competitors
December 17th, 2011 Tushar Mathur 
Honda Civic Beats 2012 Green Car Competitors
Each year the race is on to create automobiles that are more fuel-efficient and cost-effective than their predecessors, especially with the marketplace for green cars growing as consumers look for ways to save money while reducing their carbon footprint. And the Green Car Journal has chronicled the advancement of this eco-friendly undertaking since 2005 by bestowing the title of Green Car of the Year on the vehicle that best embodies what it means to be an environmentally responsible driver in an era of global warming. The competition was stiff, but the Honda Civic Natural Gas won the award, beating out a heavyweight lineup that included the Ford Focus Electric, the Mitsubishi i-Miev, the Toyota Prius v, and the Volkswagen Passat TDI (diesel). Thanks to a prestigious panel of judges (including Carroll Shelby, Carl Pope, Frances Bienecke, and even Jay Leno) the Honda took home the prize. And here are some of the features that helped this green car to win.
- Alternative fuel. The Honda Civic hybrid has been in production for nearly a decade now, but the inclusion of a compressed natural gas (CNG) engine seems to have made all the difference. This source of fuel is notably greener than regular gasoline in that it reduces carbon emissions by up to 20%. That may not sound significant, but when paired with a partially electric engine it just increases a driver’s ability to do his/her part for cleaner air, lower emissions, and a planet that is habitable for future generations.
- Cost. Honda has long been associated with cars that are just as friendly for the wallet as they are for the environment, and this little number is no exception. With a price point that starts around $26,000, it is fairly affordable (especially when stacked up against green competitors). But drivers of this eco-friendly vehicle will also pay less at the pump, thanks to fuel prices that generally run about a third less than the standard fare.
- Domestic support. Most Americans have a tough time buying American products for two reasons. First, they tend to be more expensive than imports (strange, but true). And second, it can be difficult to find made-in-America options. Not so with the Honda Civic. Not only is it a car that is manufactured in the United States, but the natural gas fuel that it runs on is found in abundance in America, making it a home-grown product that continues to support local businesses.
- Range. While fully electric vehicles may beat the Civic in terms of environmental friendliness, the practicality of a vehicle cannot be overlooked, and many electric cars simply can’t compete with hybrids. The Civic, for its part, offers an estimated range of 240 miles on a full tank, which means it can go about 2 ½ times the distance of even the best of its electric brethren.
- Industry-leading advances. The Green Car Journal has made it their mission to “showcase environmental progress in the auto industry”. To that end they are seeking eco-friendly automobiles that are both progressive and practical. While they didn’t exactly perform an auto insurance comparison, check registration fees, or look into maintenance costs, they did choose a vehicle that is functional and affordable for most drivers while offering eco-friendly incentives that go above and beyond industry standards. That’s why it was chosen over the competition as the Green Car of the Year for 2012.
Posted in Talking About Green 
