http://greenerspirit.com Making Our World Greener Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:35:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en California is leading the way once again, setting tough new emission standards for small engines, including lawn mowers, which should cut smog emissions by 40%. The EPA plans on extending these regulations nationwide.  A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as driving a car for 100 miles, mainly ... http://greenerspirit.com/make-the-switch-to-an-electric-lawn-mower/06/13/2007/ PVC or vinyl is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. The EPA tested vinyl shower curtains and found that one new shower curtain can elevate indoor air toxins for over one month. http://greenerspirit.com/your-shower-curtain-may-be-toxic/06/03/2007/ New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday his plan to replace every cab in the city with a hybrid by 2012. The city now has 375 hybrids among its fleet of 13,000 taxis. The standard taxi in NYC is the Ford Crown Victoria getting only about 14 mpg. The hybrid ... http://greenerspirit.com/new-york-city-cabs-go-hybrid/05/23/2007/ Before you make your next purchase of flooring, furniture or other product made from traditional wood think about bamboo instead. Bamboo is a high-yield renewable resource which is superior to conventional timber in many ways. Fast Growing It is an extremely fast growing (up to 2 inches an hour) grass and can ... http://greenerspirit.com/why-choose-bamboo/05/22/2007/ In 1999, the American Forest and Paper Association reported that Americans used 10 billion paper shopping bags, the equivalent of 14 million trees. How many trees can you and your family save by using reusable bags? http://greenerspirit.com/paper-bags-destroy-trees/05/10/2007/ After more than 30 years of the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) Americans still create 4.5 pounds of trash per day per person, of which only 1.5 pounds are actually recycled. The concept of zero waste could change this. Seventh Generation's Non-Toxic Times Newsletter describes zero waste as a system in which ... http://greenerspirit.com/what-is-zero-waste/05/08/2007/ Every gallon of gas your car burns sends 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. What better reason to give some thought to how we can make our cars more fuel-efficient? Watch your speed. Gas mileage decreases greatly after 60 mph. Use cruise control when you can and avoid sudden starts ... http://greenerspirit.com/reduce-your-vehicles-carbon-emissions/04/26/2007/ Conventional cotton farming contributes 1/4 of the world's pesticide use. Organically grown cotton may cost a little more but it protects our soil and water. http://greenerspirit.com/organic-cotton/04/23/2007/ Over 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Join the 500 million people worldwide who will be celebrating Earth Day 2007 and incorporate some of these changes into your life. Get a home audit from your utility company. Find out how you can lower your ... http://greenerspirit.com/honoring-earth-day-2007/04/16/2007/ Everyone loves to hate Wal-Mart, but the world's largest retailer has been in the news for their environmental efforts. Wal-Mart has recently set a goal of reducing their greenhouse emissions by 30% over the next four years and solid waste by 25% in the next three years and an eventual goal of ... http://greenerspirit.com/wal-mart-goes-green/03/29/2007/