Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. When we light the menorah, it is a celebration and a reminder that just one day's worth of oil burned for eight days (and the victory of the Jews of course). This tiny bit of energy went such a long way. I like to think about this each year and remember that we can and should try to use the smallest amount of energy and resources to get the greatest gain from them.

If you are lighting a menorah this year, maybe think about moving toward choices that will allow our limited sources of energy to last for as long as they are needed, and with minimal impact on our planet. Here are some great ways to promote this state of mind:

Wind-Powered Electricity - Call your power company and ask to switch to wind-powered electricity. 100% wind-power reduces CO2 emissions, the same as not driving 20,000 miles in one year. Call your Synagogue, Hillel, or JCC and ask them to switch to wind-power as well.

Driving - If you can, choose one or more days during Hanukkah not to drive at all, and lessen driving as much as you can during this time. And of course, see if you can add this sort of thing to your life more often. Could be a nice time to take a walk or ride a bike (depending on where you are and how cold it is)!!

Workplace - Urge your bosses, (or maybe you are the boss) to arrange an energy audit. Your utility company can tell you how to get one for free or at low-cost.

And for fun, here are some crazy eco menorahs. But if you don't have one, check out CraigsList to find a groovy one and reuse!

Recycled Steel Menorah

A Galvanized Pipe Menorah

An Electric Menorah (which yes, uses electricity, but doesn't use paraben candles or other not so great candles)

And for cards, here are some cute ones that are made from 100% recycled material. Of course, reusing old cards is a more eco way to go, but if you choose to go for new, these are a great way to go.

And this might be a little nerdy, but I had to include it here... the eco friendly dreidle.  You can find it at the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network's website. Click here, and look under "Bar/Bat Mitzvah Suggestions", and click on the "Green Dreidle Project." You fold it and make it and it lands on cute eco suggestions.

Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays!

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Once you’ve chosen thoughtful, eco-friendly gifts for your loved ones, the challenge is to wrap them without contributing to the extra 5 million tons of garbage generated in the US each holiday season (that’s about 25% more garbage than we generate at other times of year!). Girlie Girl Army has a couple of great ideas for cutting down on waste:

• Wrap gifts in old newspaper or thrift store fabrics and ribbons
• Use brown paper bags (although hopefully you don't have a tone of these, because you are using your resusable canvas bags), or get creative with magazines and even junk mail (hopefully you have stopped your junk mail. If you haven't, go here to learn how).

For any gifts we give, we save ribbon, boxes and paper all year round from gifts we have received. And we just use all of that to make our gift wrap.

What other gift-wrapping ideas do you have?

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Adopt a Christmas Tree
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Now that Thanksgiving is over, many families are starting to decorate for Christmas. If you love the traditional Christmas tree and haven’t gotten yours yet, read this before you decide where to get it!
 
Many areas now offer live tree rentals or “adoptions.” This is way more eco than going out and buying a tree that’s been farmed then chopped down, only to be discarded after the holidays.
 
Here’s an update on the companies specializing in live or potted Christmas trees that I featured last year (plus a new one on California’s Central Coast):
 
San Diego is offering the same program they did last year, but hurry, because they usually sell out! This adopt-a-tree service sends dancing elves to deliver the tree to your door, then you get to decorate it and keep it for the holidays. Afterward, the elves come back to pick up the tree and plant it in a good location.

In Los Angeles, you can rent a potted Christmas tree from Living Christmas Trees. They drop off your tree before the holidays, then pick it up afterward.

San Francisco offers a similar tree “rental” service, in which you pick out a tree, pick it up, and then either return it or arrange to have it picked up for a $25 fee. After your tree is picked up, it gets planted along San Francisco’s city streets.
 
In California’s Central Coast, Rent A Living Christmas Tree delivers to your door and picks up after the holidays. The trees either get used in landscaping, or you can opt to plant your tree in your own yard.

Portland, Oregon offers a potted tree rental for the holidays from Living Christmas Trees (different company than the one in Los Angeles). They will drop off your tree and pick it up after the holidays, then they plant the trees around schools, churches, in parks, and watersheds all over the Northwest.
 
Here are a few more companies that offer both cut trees (boo) and potted, living trees (yay!):
 
Denver, Colorado – Tagawa Gardens sells potted trees that you can keep inside for up to seven days, then plant in your own yard. If you go this route, be sure to dig the hole you plan to plant the tree in before the ground freezes – that means early December according to their website, so if you want to plant a tree in your yard, dig that hole soon!
 
Somers, Connecticut – Pell Farms is another company that sells both cut and potted Christmas trees. The potted trees are available from 2’ to 6’ high ranging in price from $20 - $90. They also have a location offering the same in Grafton, Massachusetts. Another tree farm in Massachusetts is the Cape Cod Tree Farm located in South Dennis. In Springwater, New York – All Western Trees sells potted trees.
 
An Even More Eco Option…
 
Instead of buying a tree, decorate one in your yard using decorations you already have, along with energy efficient Christmas lights, if you like. You can also hang these DIY pine-cone bird feeders on your outdoor Christmas tree to celebrate the season with your feathered neighbors. Be creative!
 
I’m always so sad when I walk the streets of New York after the holidays. All the trees lay out dead and discarded on the street. It feels so wasteful and sad. Luckily, there are lots of alternatives – let’s not be the people who leave our discarded Christmas trees out on the curb!
 
I love these options! Are you doing something more eco than getting a tree? What are you planning? Share your eco-friendly tips in the comments below!

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We all know plastic bags are terrible for the environment, but that’s not the only bad news! Discarded plastic bags also kill 100,000 marine animals every year.
 
That’s why teen environmentalist Athman Adiseshan created the website Bagsgag.org. His mission is to educate the public about the devastating effects of plastic bags and to distribute reusable bags. At Bagsgag.org, you can also sign a pledge not to use plastic bags, and even become a regional leader in the effort to ban plastic bags and educate others.
 
There is encouraging news: more and more cities are banning plastic bags. The list includes all unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, as well as the cities of Santa Monica and Calabasas.
 
Has your city banned plastic bags, or is there any pending legislation that would ban them? Let us know how we Kind Lifers can help you ban plastic bags in your city!

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Recently, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) announced the winner of their Green Your School Contest, challenging students to make their schools as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.

The winner, West Geauga High School in Ohio, set an amazing standard for schools everywhere. What they’ve done is inspiring for those of us who strive to make our homes and communities as green as possible too.

Here’s a list of these students’ accomplishments:

• Hosted a “Better Bulbs” event in which 400 CFL and LED bulbs were distributed to the community and all of the old, incandescent bulbs in a local building were switched out for eco-friendly versions.
• Implemented a bulb recycling program at their school.
• Created a rain barrel made and decorated by students to divert runoff from storm sewers and provide water for an outdoor classroom garden the students built.
• Implemented a bottle and can recycling program at their school.
• Created a nature trail for students, complete with benches made from recycled composite wood and steel, as well as native plants planted along the trail.
• Organized a field trip and seminar to educate the community about preserving Ohio’s vernal pools.
• Testified for a bill that would make the Spotted Salamander, a vernal pool dweller, Ohio’s state amphibian.
• Created a “power walk” that captures energy from students’ footfalls as they walk to class that is then converted into power used to light hallways – sounds amazing!
• Created an outdoor cafeteria and patio where students can eat and appreciate nature. There are plans to plant a vegetable garden nearby.
• Integrated eco-initiatives into the school’s curriculum so students learn about eco-friendly practices while satisfying Ohio state education requirements

Great job kids! What an inspiration to see groovy, smart kids making a difference.

What kind of eco-initiatives are happening near you, and what’s one thing you can change in your home or community to make it more eco-friendly?

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Hi everyone!
 
The folks at the Los Angeles Green Festival are giving away three pairs of tickets to three kind lifers who’d like to attend this weekend’s festivities!
 
The Green Festival is a two-day celebration of eco-friendly solutions that are working in our communities. It's happening this Saturday and Sunday, October 29-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Festivities include presentations by more than 125 green experts, DIY workshops, films, kids activities, organic beer and wine, organic veg cuisine, music, and a marketplace of local and national green businesses and organizations. The festival is now in its tenth year and 25,000 people are expected to attend the Los Angeles event. One of my favorite eco experts, Mary Cordaro is speaking on Sunday about pregnancy, babies, and healthy home interiors. Even if you don’t have kids, Mary has a ton of great tips for making any household healthier.
 
Anywho, if you and a friend would like to attend the Los Angeles Green Festival, leave a comment below telling me what you’re most excited to see or do there! Each winner will get two tickets they can pick up at will call tomorrow.
 
I’ll pick the three winners at 5PM PST today, so start commenting!

This weekend, the non-profit Green America is putting on a Green Festival at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA. The festival is open to everyone, and features some phenomenal speakers. Best of all admission is only ten bucks!

The Green Festival is a two-day celebration of eco-friendly solutions that are working in our communities. Festivities include presentations by more than 125 green experts, DIY workshops, films, kids activities, organic beer and wine, organic veg cuisine, music, and a marketplace of local and national green businesses and organizations. The festival is now in its tenth year and 25,000 people are expected to attend the Los Angeles event.

One of my favorite green experts, Mary Cordaro (you know her from my previous healthy home posts), is speaking about pregnancy, babies and healthy home interiors on Sunday. Mary is the real deal, an expert on all things green and healthy. I trust her so much, and $10 to hear her speak is an absolute steal. So if you live in LA, go for it! Even if you don’t have kids, this talk would be great to attend to pick up some healthy home tips for yourself. We’re all little babies deserving a healthy home environment!

Here are the details about the festival:

Los Angeles Green Festival
October 29-30
Los Angeles Convention Center

And Mary’s talk:

Pregnancy, Babies, and Healthy Home Interiors
With Mary Cordaro
Sunday, October 30 at 4:30PM
Green Building and Alt Energy Stage

“When it comes to healthy buildings and interiors, the most important and sensitive individual is by far the developing baby. Join Mary Cordaro to learn how to make better materials, ventilation and electrical decisions for a healthy home. Whether you are currently pregnant, are planning a family, or have small children, Mary has home health tips you can use right now.”

For those of you who don’t live in LA, Mary also recorded a radio show on this topic recently. You can check it out here.

If you’d like to learn more about the Los Angeles Green Festival and see the lineup of speakers, go here. You also may be interested in San Francisco Green Festival November 12-13 and the New York Green Festival April 21-22.

Have you been to any green events lately? What did you learn?

When I posted my EcoTools back to school giveaway, I asked you to share how you plan to make this year your most eco-friendly school year yet. I was so excited by all of your answers!
 
Here are your top 25 eco resolutions for the new school year: good work people!!!

1. Pack 100% reusable lunches by using eco-friendly, washable, resusable lunchbags, thermoses, and snack containers instead of plastic baggies and disposable lunchbags
2. Go out to eat less
3. Take on a leadership role in your fave enviro org
4. Walk or bike to school instead of driving
5. Share vegan snacks with classmates
6. Plant a winter garden
7. Take public transportation
8. Start composting
9. Teach kids to cook kind foods
10. Host monthly clothing swap & potluck party
11. Craft with recyclables
12. Purchase tree friendly binders and notebooks
13. Use scrap paper to take notes instead of fresh sheets
14. Go completely paperless
15. Volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter
16. Give away unused or old items on FreeCycle.org
17. Buy back to school clothes at consignment shops instead of brand new
18. Make DIY household cleaning products and beauty products, for example, clean with vinegar and baking soda instead of going out and buying a bottle of household cleaner, or make your own lotion out of shea butter and essential oils instead of going out and buying lotion
19. Stop buying bottled water and soda and carry a reusable water bottle instead
20. Learn to cook a few new veg dishes
21. Plan to sponsor a turkey at an animal sanctuary for Thanksgiving
22. Make eco-friendly Christmas presents
23. Use only reusable grocery bags
24. Rent books instead of buying (if you want to buy used, that's a good option too, but checking out books from the library is the most awesome, of course!)
25. Go vegan!

I can’t wait to hear how this year has been going for you! What have you done to kind your school year so far?

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This October, high school and college students across the country are participating in Project Green Challenge. Each day in October, participants will be challenged to do something green. Each challenge will feature green actions, resources, facts, tips, a glossary, videos, and more. Throughout the month, participants will share their progress via Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
 
At the end of the month, finalists will be chosen to attend Green University, a two-day eco summit taking place December 3-4 in San Francisco. At Green University, finalists will learn from esteemed eco leaders, present experiences from the 30-day Challenge, and work together to create social action ideas for Teens Turning Green in 2012. A green champion will be chosen from among the finalists and given an awesome prize package, including a $5,000 college scholarship.
 
So if you’re in high school or college, sign up for Project Green Challenge! Tell everyone you know to do the same, and if you have kids or relatives who are in high school or college, encourage them to participate. Even if you’re not competing to be a finalist, you can do the challenges!
 
Are you excited about Project Green Challenge?