Green is The Word/ Act XXXVII

Gooooood Friday fellow Timbers and Disciples!

With summer in full swing, the travel season in full gear and the
ozone layer choking us out, here are some tips to lessen the amount
of ground-level ozone.

~ Drive less during the day AND peak traffic periods.
You shouldn’t be driving during the day anyways-
you should be at work.

~ Avoid revving or idling your engine.
Revving? What are you trying to prove?!

~Idling to enable your vehicle to warm up? If you’re waking up in
zero degree weather and driving a clunker, maybe so.
Otherwise, any more than 30 seconds and you’re wasting fuel and
your money. A friend told me that her vehicle got better gas mileage
when it was warmed up. I asked her what kind of gas mileage
she was getting while idling and parked.....

~ Park your car and go inside instead of waiting in drive-through
lines. Consider it your five minute workout for the day.....

~ Fill your gas tank during cooler evening hours to minimize
evaporation. Gasoline evaporates faster when it’s warm.

~ Maintain your vehicle by properly inflating and aligning your tires,
repairing any leaks and replacing your vehicle’s air filter
and oil regularly.
If you can fill your gas tank, you should be able to inflate your own
tires.
If you don’t know how to fill your gas tank, don’t bother-
sell your vehicle.
If you’re not sure how to change your air filter, check your
owner’s manual. It’s not that hard.
If you don’t know where your owner’s manual is or don’t have one,
don’t bother- sell your vehicle.

Oh, and check out THESE filters, too!
http://www.knfilters.com/
They’re washable, reusable, and allow you to do it alot less often.

As for changing your motor oil and oil filter, the general
recommendation is every 3000 miles.
But if it’s dirty at 2K, it needs to be changed. Remember, the motor
oil is the life blood of your vehicle.
If you've never changed the oil, don't bother- SELL YOUR VEHICLE.

Lastly, slow it down. It’s not only safer but statistics show that
every mile per hour over 55 mph cost about 1 percent in fuel
economy.
Hey- it could be worse. You could be driving a diesel Volkswagen
Westfalia which screams of “life in the slow lane”.
0-60? Maybe never.


Praise be to the Almighty scenery!

Curtis
High Priest of Green

Green is The Word/ Act XXXVI

Mighty Good Friday! 
(Or as some say, "thank God it's Friday!")

Starting next month, Utah state employees will be
exclaiming "thank God it's Thursday". In a yearlong
experiment, Utah is about to become the first state to
switch to a four-day work week for thousands of
government employees. The aim is to reduce energy
costs and gasoline expenses.

Select employees will put in 10-hour days and get paid
the same. Of course, this will affect those who need
to use state services and find certain offices closed
on Fridays. Additionally, some parents may have to
rearrange their childcare to accommodate the longer
hours. Bus and commuter train schedules might have to
be adjusted.

It's been estimated that by turning off the lights,
the heat, and the air conditioning on Fridays will
save about $3 million a year out of a state budget of
$11 billion. Employees should save about $300,000 in
gas expenses.

"We feel like we can reduce the CO2 or the ozone by
around 3000 metric tons, as well as have an impact on
our air pollution," said Kim Hood, executive director
of the Department of Administrative Services.

Many Utah state offices will extend their hours and
stay open from 7am to 6pm so people can use government
services before or after work. Residents are also
being encouraged to use the Internet for hundreds of
ordinary services, such as automobile registration 
renewals.


"The heights by great men reached and kept, were not
attained by sudden flight. But they, while their
companions slept, were toiling upward in the night."
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Praise be to the Almighty "end of the work week",
whichever day it is!

Curtis
High Priest of Green

Green is The Word/ Act XXXV

It's Good Friday!

So what could possibly be eco AND patriotic?
The earth-friendly Patriot tapes from Philmo!

Designed to be the first earth-friendly option to
conventional duct tape, this product is made from
Regresa oxo-biodegradeable film that actually degrades
100% back into organic material within approximately
fifteen years from completed life cycle. It's also
made with a cloth that possesses 38% polyester fibers
made from recycled material such as discarded plastic
bottles. The core that the tape is wound on is made
from 100% recycled paper, ensuring that no trees are
used in order to produce this product.

This eco-tape will work for one year before starting
to break down. This is similar to any duct tape that
is exposed to the elements. The company offers
contractor's duct tape, utility duct tape, and extreme
utility duct tape- for those.......extreme jobs.

And finally, Philmo has established a "plant a tree" 
program and uses 5% of the proceeds generated by their
eco-tapes towards planting trees.

http://www.patriottapes.com/eco.html

So do as your politicians suggest and buy some duct
tape. Then stick it.


"Ask not what the world can do for YOU, but what YOU
can do for the world."
~ (to paraphrase a certain President)

Curtis
High Priest of Green

Green is The Word/ Act XXXIV

Goooood Fridaaaaay! 
(screamed at the top of my bloody lungs)

Since we’ve “covered” what goes over your eyes, this
week will be for what goes on your feet.

The product that needs reviewed for the hot summertime
is the almighty flip-flop/sandal. There are a number
of companies doing good things for your feet, but He
who pretends to know best has His recommendation.
Chaco, residing in Paonia, Colorado, not only makes an
extremely comfortable sandal but also does alot for
the environment.

The High Priest has worn His Chaco’s for awhile now,
to the point that they sorely needed to be re-soled.
Not only did they re-sole His sandals, but the
turnaround time was quicker than expected and He
didn’t lose a step in His priestly ways. They
practically looked brand new!  It did cost Him about
$39, but it sure beats the ol’ fashioned “throw-away”...

Chaco also pays their employees to bike to work,
volunteer their time, and advance their education.
In 2006, they were given the Community Award by the
Western Slope Environmental Resource Council and were
recognized by the North Fork River Improvement
Association for work in removing the Chipeta Dam.
And this year, Chaco purchased 400-megawatt hours of
windpowered Green Certificates to match 100 percent of
their yearly electrical usage. By doing this, they
reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 572,000
pounds!  In addition, they donate ten percent of
after-tax profits to organizations dedicated to caring
for people and the planet, including Southern Utah
Wilderness Alliance, American Whitewater, and The
Conservation Alliance.

Last but not least, they just announced this week that
they’re teaming up with the Green Living Project this
summer to help promote its lecture series taking place
at various retail locations across North America, like
REI. The lecture will revolve around an expedition
that documented sustainability projects across Africa
in March 2008. Other eco-topics will be discussed too.

So if you’re gonna tread on this earth, tread lightly
with Chaco.

And if you’ve got something to say, SCREAM IT!


Praise be to the Almighty summertime sandal!

Curtis 
High Priest of Green

Re: Green is The Word/ Act XXXIII

Bravo!!
GL

Green is The Word/ Act XXXIII

Good Friday and a happy summer solstice!

(one quick note- check out the blog for additional
information provided by Brothers Dan and Lewis
regarding green burials.)

As this is the first week for EcoTimber in it's new
home AND the first day of summer AND the thirty-third
Act, the High Priest thinks it might be High time for
the Act of the week to be thou beloved Trinity-
a triple dose of greenery!
Soooooo, off we go.....

As the folks here at "Central" know, we had our
EcoTimber BBQ to celebrate the move. The idea of
having organic food products came to Him and through
one email, it was manifested. As Margaret Mead said,
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's
the only thing that ever does."

Of course, we didn't change the world and not every
food product was organic, but the effort was there and
the thought planted for now and the future. After all,
organic food is to conventional food what the FSC is
to the alternative. Many praises to Brothers Lewis and
Michael for not only the BBQ, but for putting the
money where the mouth, beliefs, and purpose are!

With the first official day of summer coming tomorrow,
the time is overdue for sliding on your favorite pair
of sunglasses. Since the High Priest lost his recently
during a hike through the woods (what were you doing
wearing shades in the woods?), He was forced to wear
His backup pair, which as it turns out, are not in the
best of shape.
So the search was on for the eco-groovy kind!

The featured company is iWood ecodesign. They make a
pair of wooden-framed sunglasses, using the highest
quality, eco-sustainable, exotic wood veneer. The
temples are fully adjustable and precisely fitted into
each pair. The lenses are optical quality with 100%
UVA/UVB protection. All aspects, from the finish to
the temples, are hypoallergenic. And since only a
limited number are produced each year, you would most
likely be the only one on your block to be seen in
them! That is, unless I stole them from you.....but
don't worry, they're only for women!

http://www.iwoodecodesign.com/iWood_content.html

Now if only I had an extra few hundred dollars....

"Expect sunglasses made of recycled materials to be
available soon as the next environmentally friendly
option for nature lovers", says Sunglass Association
of America President Dave Bibbey.
Yes, the Sunglass Association of America.....
As for the men, you're out of luck. (do I smell a good
business opportunity?)

Last, but not least, the High Priest is taking His own
advice on cleaning products and applying it to
EcoTimber Central. In the coming days and weeks, He
will be creating the green cleaning products which
will be used around the office and warehouse. It's a
dirty job, but someone has to do it. And when it comes
to dirty, it doesn't get any dirtier than Him.
(don't get me started...)


Praise BE to the Almighty TRINITY!!!

Curtis
High Priest of Green

Re: Green is The Word/ Act XXXII

The biggest environmental problem with burials is not
the caskets or concrete, but the human bodies. We are
so polluted that when we biodegrade, we release toxins
into the soil and pollute local groundwater. New
cemeteries are now required to install a moisture
barrier 10' beneath the soil so that our rotting
carcasses don't poison the fish.
DH

At the old ET lumber yard, I once helped an old man
pick out some FSC lumber for his wife's casket.
I kept getting teary-eyed.
BVU

I have never seen a green man in the dark. Jolly Green
Darkman!! Hope the move goes well.
GL

Nice subject!? Can't give it a rest for one Friday -
even on moving day! (LOL)
JW

And then there is the freeze drying and ultrasound
fragmentation method .....
LB