SM, the largest mall chain in the country, in partnership with Unilever has started with an initiative to make shopping an environmental experience through the Green Bag. I am actually pleased with this move. I’ve been longing for this to happen.

But what I really want to say is that I want one. I shop at SM every week but always forget to claim my green bag. I hope I won’t forget it this week. Oh well, look at the picture above. I wonder why those girls look unhappy.

They might like it better if they sport Keira Knightley’s bag.

Anyway, to those who claimed their bags already, please use them as intended. Use them when buying groceries and not for other purpose. Remember that the purpose of that bag is to cut down the use of plastics. That’s all for now!

Photo credits: http://greenphils.com/

In an earlier post where Matt Dillon asks on how to save energy, I rejoiced because Yahoo! Answers has incorporated a feature such as having celebrities ask relevant questions pertaining to environmental messages. Once again, Yahoo! shows us what being green is all about with its new environment online hub called Yahoo! Green.

When you get to the main page, there’s a tagline which says “Many small changes equal one great change.” Yahoo! Green is focused on one of today’s hottest environmental topics: climate change. It has a section wherein you can calculate your personal impact to the earth. Apart from that, it also contains relevant information on environment and tips on how to be a better environmental steward. Take action and be counted!

I super recommend this site. Go visit Yahoo! Green and live it green!

Recommended must-read for today: How to Green your Coffee and Tea.

Last June 21, millions of Londoners joined the campaign to raise awareness on climate change. London turned off its lights from 9-10 PM during this night in an effort to make a difference for the environment.

An estimated 2 million light bulbs went out around the capital, saving roughly 750 MWh of electricity in just one hour – enough to run 3,000 televisions for a year.

Homes, shops, businesses, the Buckingham Palace, and Tony Blair participated in this noteworthy endeavor, showing to the rest of the world that London is a green city that respects the earth. Even the Piccadilly Circus Advertising Lights went out for the first time since World War Two! That is just amazing.

Check out the video of this event:

This is again another success story that can be replicated in other places. I admire London, its people and leaders, for their sense of environmentalism in spite of its first-world status. They are not afraid to give back to the environment what they have taken from it. For your social conscience, London, you are now close to my heart.

Know more about this initiative…

Once again, Keira Knightley, star of Pirates of the Carribean and Pride and Prejudice, was spotted carrying her “I’m not a plastic bag” handbag while shopping at a Farmer’s Market in central London last week.

The bag, which got sold out after Knightley was seen sporting it early this year, is from the eco-fashion line of Anya Hindmarch. At least, celebrities like Knightley choose to use their status to bring about positive change in society. Hopefully, more than being a fashion trend, this inspires people to imbibe greenism in their lifestyles.

To Keira, two thumbs up! You’re definitely more than just a pretty face! Thanks to ecorazzi.com for this scoop. Ecorazzi’s always first to know about the green trends of our favorite stars. Kudos!

I know it may sound crazy but sometimes, I do stop to appreciate the beauty of a tree. Its branches are like arms reaching out to me as if saying “Come, stay under my shade. I know you’re tired. Rest for a while. The sun’s too hot.”

Its huge trunk engages me to hug it. It tells me, “I know people are more huggable than I am but try to hug me. Commune with life’s energies. Some say it’s a form of ‘healing.’”

Then, some of its leaves fall to my feet. They fell like confetti, as if there was a celebration. The last time this happened was when I was at the play “The Night Before Christmas.”

“I feel like a winner, with all the nature confetti around me.”

Yes, you are a winner, a champion of the environment if you realize the true worth of a tree.

Read more »

Hmmm. You may be wondering what this post is about. Well, it’s about Adobe Systems. I coined the word Adob-E for them as a double monicker: E for their industry e-business and E for environment. I laud them for their great work in making their headquarters as energy-efficient as possible. They started to replace their energy-inefficient practices in 2001. Adobe identified 64 ways to end unsustainable practices. They began by replacing all the bulbs in their HQ with energy-efficient ones. After realizing the benefits of that action, they intensified their conservation and efficiency practices. Because of this, the company saves US$1.2 million annually and gets an additional US$400,000 in rebates. Neat, huh?

Guess how much they spent on their energy retrofitting, $1.4 million. And in a little more than a year, the investment already given its returns. It does not only give financial savings, it also helps the environment. So, cheers to Adobe!!

More photos and descriptions (Credits: Adobe Systems, CNET News)

This is how the building looks at night. Adobe HQ is America’s greenest building.

Adobe has tied digital electric meters to software that displays ongoing energy usage visually and in real time, allowing building engineers to respond quickly to any unusual spikes. Adobe estimates that this system has saved a total of $96,000 since 2001.

This is an example of their waterless urinal. It filters waste though a liquid sealant within replaceable cartridges. At the sinks, motion-controlled dispensers pump soap that is free of toxic fragrances and dyes.

Make a change on Earth Day.

I know that Earth Day is still more than a month away and a lot of people think it is just a day for environmentalists. I don’t see it that way. For me, it’s a day to do something for the environment, how small the act may be.

Step down on your energy habits!

1.) Most people do not know that chargers still chew up power even if their device has already been charged. For energy hogs, uplugging your chargers once the battery is full is already a huge step. According to a European-led Commission, if this simple habit is practiced by even a tiny fraction of the globe, enough energy can be saved to power thousands of households. Do check your gadgets when charging and help reduce your utility bill and unwanted carbon emissions.

2.) Proper ethics in using your computer is another way to have a power diet. In an article entitled “Do you need to turn off your PC at night?“, Microsoft rolled out a few myth breakers.

Turning your PC off uses more energy than leaving it on. Not true. The small surge of power you use when turning it on — which varies per PC make and model — is still much smaller than the amount you use in keeping it on for lengthy periods.

Turning your PC on and off wears it out. A decade ago, there was something to this, but not today, say Hershberg and others. It used to be that PC hard disks did not automatically park their heads when shut off, and that frequent on/off cycling could damage the hard disks. Today’s PCs are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure, and that’s a number you likely won’t reach during the computer’s five-to-seven-year life span.

Screen savers save energy. Not true. Screen savers, at a minimum, can use 42 watts; those with 3D graphics can use as much as 114.5 watts, according to Don McCall, a Dell product marketing manager who does power measurement studies for the PC manufacturer. “It’s absolutely wrong thinking that a screen saver will save energy,” he says.

Your computer uses zero energy when “off.” That’s true only if it is unplugged. Otherwise, the PC utilizes “flea power,” or about 2.3 watts, to maintain local-area network connectivity, among other things, McCall says. In “hibernate” mode, your PC uses the same 2.3 watts; in “sleep” mode, your PC uses about 3.1 watts. Monitors do use zero energy when turned off.

3.) Electric fans use more energy when they are oscillating. It is advised to focus the electric fan on one spot.

4.) The louder the volume of your television sets and radios are, the more energy it sucks up.

5.) Change your incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs give out approximately four times as much brightness per watt. Use a 25-watt CFL bulb instead of a 100-watt incandescent bulb. It makes you save energy. CFLs also last about ten times longer.

Lose carbon calories. Start your power diet now and gear up for Earth Day!

 1.) I turned off the faucet while brushing my teeth.

Did you know: Faucets can spout 2 to 3 gallons per minute.

2.) I walked a short distance from my place to the bus stop and commuted to get to work, instead of riding a car.

Did you know:According to the British Heart Foundation, walking around 10,000 steps a day will keep your heart healthy. So walk, walk, and walk. Take one step at a time. It’s the most doable and cheap workout.

3.) I placed the air conditioner on timer mode last night. I used an electric fan to keep the room cool when the aircon went off.

4.) I turned off the radio when I switched the television on.

5.) I purchased a cloth bag for shopping instead of using plastic.

6.) I threw candy wrappers in trash bins.