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We don't follow hype of going or being "green". Instead, we've looked into the future and see the world being transformed by millions of everyday activists who are rooted in love.
Here, we bring this future of activism into the present, to press us toward creating daily lifestyles of practical, tangible, relational and compassionate action. Because real change is found in the simple, everyday action of people just like you.
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Don’t throw them out just yet!
If you’re like me, you like to have a cup a joe every once and awhile, or everyday. So what do you do with those coffee grounds after you get your caffeine fix? Throw them in the trash? Compost? Either way, there are some pretty neat things you can do to reuse coffee grounds. Here are just a few…
1. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.
2. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights.
3. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Rub into skin and then rinse. (I love when my face smells like coffee)
4. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors.
5. Put some dried coffee grounds in your favorite pair of stinky shoes and watch the odor drift away. (ok, maybe you won’t be able to see it)
6. Use your morning brew to fight cellulite. Mix the grounds with vitamin E oil and massage onto the area where cellulite exists. Repeat 2 or 3 times and rinse in the shower.
7. Rub coffee grounds on your pet before bathing to repel any fleas. (Love this one)
8. Remove furniture scratches with wet coffee grounds.
9. Use coffee grounds to repel ants. Cinnamon is also good for this.
10. Keep cats from leaving a little surprise in your garden by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout your beds or vegetable garden.
Drink up!
For a less environmentally destructive way than air-conditioning to stay comfortable in the heat, choose a portable or ceiling fan. Fans use 90% less energy than central air, and make rooms feel seven to ten degrees cooler because of the process of evaporation.
Sure, central air feels great, and, yes, it can help save the lives of the elderly or frail, who are sensitive to high heat. But it is also extremely energy intensive, and still typically relies on ozone-damaging fluorocarbons. Central air-conditioning is also prohibitively expensive for many who live in old structures or who are on tight budgets.
The best choice is an Energy Star-rated fan. Those ceiling fan/light combination units that receive the federal designation are about 50 percent more efficient than conventional models and will save you $15 to $20 per year on your utility bills. See a list of thirty companies that offer them here.
Most modern ceiling fans can also be run in reverse when it’s cold, pushing warm air down from high spaces. Learn more here.
Don’t forget to turn your fans off when you aren’t using them.
Bill Clinton wrote a short piece about what he thinks is the “best way to jump start job creation”. His answer? Painting roofs white.
“Look at the tar roofs covering millions of American buildings. They absorb huge amounts of heat when it’s hot. And they require more air conditioning to cool the rooms. […] Every black roof in New York should be white; every roof in Chicago should be white; every roof in Little Rock should be white. Every flat tar-surface roof anywhere! In most of these places you could recover the cost of the paint and the labor in a week. It’s the quickest, cheapest thing you can do.”
Considering that there’s something like 20% unemployment in the construction sector and that even non-skilled people can learned to do this, it would certainly make sense and pay for itself with energy savings. Via The Atlantic. See also: Global CO2 Emissions Reach All Time High in 2010 After Recession Dip
