Great Wolf Lodge Goes GREEN with "Project Green Wolf"

Great Wolf lodge has taken a number of steps to become more green and is using this in promotion materials -- a good idea as many families want to be green in their actions / vacations. They are the "first - and only - U.S. Hotel chain to have all U.S. properties Green Seal Certified Silver".

" ... Project Green Wolf, our initiative to make all of our resorts environmentally friendly. ... feel strongly that it's important for us to be leaders in environmentally responsible tourism, too. And we've heard from many of our guests that being "green" was extremely important to them. ... like to think of it as sustainable fun."

Here are some of their green efforts ... "... recycle almost all the water in [the] waterpark every day, changing lightbulbs, replacing showerheads, switching to friendlier soaps and detergents".

Also ... printing brochures on 30%chlorine free recycled paper and offering green tips and green links in their printed brochures.


Via: Great Wolf Lodge LINK

PNC Green Branch® Facts

In an earlier post I mentioned the PNC has the most green buildings of any company on the planet and that they have a drive to build green bank branches - and have trademarked the term "Green Branch".

Here is some more info about their LEED certified branches / buildings ... " More than 50 percent of the branch, including floors, wall covering and furniture fabric, is made from recycled or “green” materials., ... Carpet is made from 51 percent recycled material and is 100 percent recyclable into new carpet backing. ... Cabinets are wheatboard, a byproduct of wheat processing, instead of plywood. ... Entry way flooring is made of animal hair and reduces dirt/dust tracked inside. ... Energy usage is reduced 50 percent or more compared to a
traditional branch due to high-efficiency systems and insulation along with maximum use of natural light, ... Water usage is reduced by 6,200 gallons a year. ... walls are insulated above code to improve efficiency. ... construction waste, such as wood, steel and cardboard, is recycled or salvaged, reducing landfill waste by 150 tons per branch. "

Via: PNC.com LINK

PNC More LEED Certified Green Buildings than Anyone!

PNC has made a significant commitment to being green ... and was the first bank in the US to apply green standards and has more LEED certified building s than any other company ... on earth!

They have even registered the trademark "Green Branch".

" ... commitment to “green” business practices has enabled us to lower costs, increase efficiency and productivity as well as improve the health and vitality of the communities where we live, work and play. ... more buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) than any
other company in the world. ... term “Green Branch” is federally registered as a trademark of PNC. ... More than 40 Green Branch® locations opened since 2002, ..."


Via: PNC.com LINK

Thermal Energy Leak Detector

By now most of us know we need to insulate and / or caulk to stop air infiltration. OK ... how do you find the leaks?

In some cases it is obvious; when you can feel the draft ... but sometimes you need a little more help.

Black & Decker's thermal leak detector can " ... spot hidden energy leaks in your home ... Shine the light on the wall and set the reference temperature ... When the temp changes by 1, 5 or 10 degrees F (user adjustable), the light will change to red or blue to indicate a hot or cold spot ... "

"Energy Star states that plugging the leaks and drafts in your home can save up to 20% off your heating and cooling energy costs ..."



Via: Black and Decker LINK

Keeping Your Home Energy Efficient ...

In previous posts I listed some free and some low cost ways to save money / energy., Not everyone is able or willing to do some of these tasks ... yet they want to get the energy gains ... so what to do?

There are a number of services / handymen that will do these kinds of projects for you. I saw this one, Home Care Maintenance Services, while browsing the net ...

" ... HCMS home mechanics will come to you. ... preventive maintenance program lowers the total cost of home ownership, ... reducing energy consumption and utility bills ... maximizing the life of your home's components, equipment, and systems ... eliminating preventable failures and repairs ..."

Saving energy goes right to wallet in the form of less money spent! By not replacing appliances before their expected service life you also save money and reduces landfill waste.


Via: Home Care maintenance services LINK

Terracycle - How Juice Pouches are Turned into Totes and Backpacks

Watch this video to see how terracycle re purposed used Capri sun juice pouches and turns them from waste into totes and other products ... for sale at Target.com

The finished products can be found on-line at Target.com LINK

Terracycle has programs to help groups collect and return juice pouches ... "Sign up for free and collect juice pouches. We will pay $0.02 for all Honest Kids, Capri Sun and Kool Aid Drink Pouches and $0.01 for all other brand drink pouches you collect. You will receive free shipping boxes delivered right to your door."




Via: terracycle LINK

mobGAS© Mobil Application to Track YOUR Impact on the Climate

Knowing how your behavior can impact the planet is a great way to help make changes ... mobGAS© " ... will be the first mobile application about climate change with wide distribution in Europe and world. ... aims to make the connection between daily activities and the emissions of Greenhouse Gases and ... suggest changes to improve individual performances. "

" ... application includes several icons representing activities or appliances that are usually used every day (more than 60). These activities or appliances ... will finally be converted in individual emissions of GHG [green house gas] that may be compared with the weekly average or with country and world average."

Some tips / facts from mobGAS ...

"... bus carries the same number of people as 10 fully occupied cars, but takes up a third of the road space and emits half of CO2 per km per passenger. ... when your charger is not connected to the phone, it is still draining electricity. Unplug your mobile charger when you're not using it ... Reducing the temperature by just 1°C can cut 5-10% off your family's energy bill and avoid up to 300kg of CO2 emissions per household and year...."


Via: mobGAS LINK

New Life for Capri Sun Juice Pouches

Anyone with kids has probably used juice boxes or the capri sun juice pouches. Any green-type person is probably torn between the convenience these provide and the waste these create.

Terracycle will help you return these containers and re purpose them as back packs or bags. These are converted to other products - reused - as they are not yet recyclable. The material is a "... polyester-reverse side printed to aluminum then laminated to polyethylene (a plastic polymer) ... this packaging is not recyclable." These bags and backpacks are in effect ZERO carbon footprint ...

They can be found on-line at Target.com LINK




Via: terracycle LINK

Cisco - One Million Acts of Green

Cisco's One Million Acts of Green (OMAOG) project challenges us to think about how we as individuals act and how are actions can affect the planet.

OMAOG has lots of god resources to help, including blogs, tips, links, etc. as well as a challenge video from Cisco CEO John Chambers.

There is a calculated total (see picture at right) showing the combined results in the US an World Wide.

" ... Cisco launched One Million Acts of Green ... to show that individual, organizational, and community acts of green add up to something significant. ... It can be small: install a low-flow showerhead, take public transportation instead of driving, use a refillable coffee cup. Or something bigger, like covering your roof in solar panels."

" ... asks you to form a community, record your acts of green, and share your ideas to encourage others. It shows the power of people coming together and working toward meaningful goals—the power of the human network."



Via: One Million Acts of Green LINK

Green Laces

Athlete Natalie Spilger is trying to get athletes to consider their impact on the environment ... through a program called .. green laces.

"... athletes, ... can be particularly hard on the environment. ... Natalie Spilger is hoping you'll take a minute to consider your carbon footprint, ... a lot of waste in sports, from the fuel used in traveling to and from venues, to non-recyclable waxed cups of Gatorade they give you, to the plastic water bottles, to the stretchy, Styrofoam wrap we use to wrap our knees, for our shin guards, or tie our hair back, ... athletes can be pretty carbon intensive as a group."

" ... Spilger founded GreenLaces, a non-profit outreach organization that targets athletes and their fans to encourage them to become more eco-conscious. " See the video for more details ...




Via: greennexxus / green laces LINK