http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog en support@NeutralExistence.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-12T04:09:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/first-tesla-dealership-opens-for-business/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/first-tesla-dealership-opens-for-business/#When:14:28:00Z After many years of development, the long awaited Tesla all electric vehicle is now a reality. Tesla opened their first flagship dealership in Hollywood Thursday and plans to open the next dealership in a couple of months next to their home base in San Carlos. For those of you who know nothing about the Tesla, it is a high end all electric vehicle made primarily of carbon fiber and runs entirely on a 6,831-cell lithium-ion battery. The Tesla will go 225 miles on one charge and can be recharged in approximately 3.5 hours. The Tesla is fast too, this is not the electric car of yesterday, the Tesla gets from 0 to 60 in just under 4 seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. It is these stats which put the Tesla in the same category as Porsche and Ferrari however its $100,000 to $125,000 price tag makes it significantly more affordable than a high end Ferrari. The Tesla, of course, is not for everyone as the high price tag and the Hollywood location tends to lend itself to the more glamorous movie stars who wish to advertise their “greeness.” However, Tesla is planning to produce a more affordable family size electric vehicle and according to Snyder, head of client services for Tesla, “There’s a model in the works right now, a five-passenger sedan that will be styled comparable to the roadster but a lot roomier to accommodate families, and that is slated for 2010.” Until 2010, we will see the Tesla roadster being driven around by stars such as George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelsey Grammer and even musicians such as Flea and Will.i.am. Via Yahoo News General 2008-05-03T14:28:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/whats-in-your-garbage/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/whats-in-your-garbage/#When:19:37:00Z Most of us don’t like to dwell on the topic of garbage – it’s messy, often stinky, and we want out of our homes as fast as humanly possible.  The garbage is a place we tend to put all kinds of things we don’t know what to do with, and things we’re unaware should be put elsewhere.  Perhaps the reason we don’t know the answers to many “trashy” questions is because we’d just rather avoid the topic. Where do we put all of this stuff? Waste has likely been a problem since humans began roaming the Earth.  After all, it bows to the most basic tenant of science – matter cannot be created or destroyed – just modified.  As it piled up around us, we noticed a few things. One, its almost always ugly.  Two, it almost never smells good.  And three, everyone seemed to be getting sick from it. We tried burning it – sometimes we even still do. (Those of you living in the city and suburbs who think everyone puts a can at the curb, think again.  There are rural areas where the right to burn trash ranks up there with the right to own property.) But burning has its own set of problems, not the least of which is toxic air. And of course, the boredom of watching stuff burn has lead to a few fires over time. Someone then got the idea to bury the stuff in a big hole – probably someone watching another someone heave a refrigerator into a remote ravine full of Maytags, Kennmores and Amanas. The big hole was a good idea – put the stuff in, cover it up, never worry about it again. Until we learned about things like leachate, the liquid that results from decaying garbage and finds its way into our streams, creeks and waterways, and methane, that greenhouse gas byproduct of decaying organic matter, which we now know contributes to climate change. Many primitive, unlined landfills have been deemed toxic sites, were cleaned up, or are now in the process of being cleaned up. The Modern Landfill Today’s landfills may not look it, but are engineering marvels, lined, either with clay or plastic liners, to isolate trash as much as possible. Liners are also meant to kept trash dry and limit air contact – that, in turn, slows decomposition of trash – you’ve likely heard stories about excavated 30 year-old newspapers that look like they came from the corner news stand.  Generally speaking, many factors, quite a few related to groundwater and geology, must be considered during the landfill siting and proposal process (check out http://science.howstuffworks.com/landfill4.htm for details).  Aside from liners, landfills are composed of a series of cells, which, as they are filled, are compressed with heavy equipment to conserve space, and closed off with a cover of soil, usually about six inches.  Additionally, landfills contain drainage and collection systems for storm water and leachate, and in some more progressive designs, methane recovery systems allow collected gas to be used for energy.  Landfills are not designed for quick decomposition – in fact, even after they are closed, most must be monitored for years to detect possible environmental impacts.  Even organic material and biodegradable items break down slowly in these low-moisture, low-oxygen burial chambers.  But that doesn’t mean the “biodegradable” moniker is just greenwash.  Some trash inevitably ends up floating around in the world, outside of landfills, be it from our own carelessness, escape from trash trucks, whatever.  Better it break down quickly than collect vectors, mosquitoes and the like. There are some that would have us believe that the “landfill space shortage” crisis is an exaggeration created by activists.  After all, in the great big US of A, there is plenty of ground left for us to bury our trash in.  Perhaps. More likely, these folks have never been to a community meeting for a landfill siting or expansion permit.  Regardless of the wonders of modern engineering, landfills will likely always bring odor, blowing trash, unwanted animal life, and increased truck traffic, among other potential nuisances.  There’s always the argument that we put our trash in places where no one lives anyway – ala Yucca Mountain.  But, regardless of population, what state or states would volunteer to be the country’s garbage can?  Anyone who remembers that famous New York trash barge floating up and down the East Coast looking for a landfill that would take its cargo knows the answer. Amazon.com Widgets Rethink your trash. So, what’s a large country of consumers – Americans generate about four times more trash per person than the citizens of any other country – to do?  Here are a few ideas: Compost organics: Get a countertop compost pail (around $25 at Amazon.com) and start saving organics.  Most pails come with odor-killing filters, so have no fear of keeping them in the house.  Then, either purchase an out door compost bin, or build your own. Details on keeping compost are available all over the Web.  According to Mike Forbeck, of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, composting is one of the best ways to limit the amount of waste going to landfills.  “New products like cups and bottles made of cornstarch polymer can be composted along with leaves and yard wastes to produce richer soils,” Forbeck said.  “Some major venues are converting to these products, like PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.” Precycle: When you purchase products, look for those that use the least amount of packaging, or use packaging made from recycled materials.  In the grocery store, look for cereals, snacks, beverages, and frozen foods in boxes made of recycled material.  Buy in bulk – for instance, two liter bottles of soda instead of individual serving bottles or bundles of aluminum cans.  Avoid convenience packaging when possible.  “Reduce first,” Forbeck says.  “Be a smart shopper.  Buy recycled products, or those that use less packaging.” Purchasing items that use packing made with recycled content can actually save energy, too.  According to Forbeck, in glass plants, it takes less energy to make new glass from recycled than from virgin resources.  Making aluminum cans from recycled cans can use as little as 5 percent of the energy it takes to make a new can. BYOB: Bring your own bags. If you attend conferences and workshops, save those canvas bags they give you to tote around all of your paperwork, and toss them in your trunk. Dig out that L.L. Bean Boat ‘n Tote from your last beach adventure.  Make a commitment to use them at the grocery store, discount stores, department stores, the farmers market – wherever someone is likely to load your purchases in a plastic or paper bag. Some grocers offer a small discount to customers who bring their own bags – in the neighborhood of five or ten cents per bag. Even Macy’s is promoting this practice. Buy only what you need and use what you buy: Families often stock their refrigerators only to find it full of rotten or expired food after a busy week of evening activities and late nights at the office.  Try to plan ahead as much as possible – anticipate how many meals you’ll be eating at home as a family, how many lunches need packing, etc.  Buy what you need until you can make another trip to the store.  Store things properly – tomatoes keep longer on the counter, other fruits and vegetables do better in the fridge crisper.  If you have questions, ask your grocer. Recycle: The golden rule of environmentalists.  Follow the directions provided by your collector and make sure your recycling center or facility follows proper practices. “One of the most common misconceptions among the public is that their recyclables are always handled properly,” Forbeck said. Go beyond plastic bottles and aluminum cans.  Recycle plastic containers from single servings of fruit, yogurt, and pudding, as well as plastic containers from health and beauty products and household cleaners.  Check in with your recycling center or collector to find out which plastics they accept (that little number in the triangle on the bottom of most packaging) – most take numbers one and two, some take others.  If your recycler does not, ask where you can take numbers like 5, 6, and 7.  Find out if your recycler takes corrugated cardboard – if they don’t, it’s likely someone in your community does.  Look for neighborhood bins for phone books, newspapers and magazines, often located at malls and shopping centers.  According to Forbeck, recycling can play a key role in saving energy, as well as landfill space. “Every pound of steel recycled saves 5,450 BTUs of energy, enough to light a 60-watt bulb for over 26 hours,” he said.  “Recycling a ton of glass saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil. Recycling just one can saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for 3½ hours.” Cut back on paper use: Contrary to conventional wisdom, paper takes up the most space in landfills, not soiled diapers or plastic bottles (read more about what’s really in our landfills in Rubbish!: The Archeology of Garbage by William Rathje and Cullen Murphy of the University of Arizona’s Garbage Project). But don’t stop at that catalog cancellation site (junkmailstoppers.com; catalongstoppers.com, catalogend.com).  Make it a practice not to sign up for mailing lists.  If you really want information from a vendor, give your e-mail address instead.  Consider buying only from retailers who use sustainable practices for their mailings – like sustainable forestry paper, or post-consumer recycled paper.  Don’t sign up or drop your business card into bins for product drawings or sweepstakes – this is a classic marketing tool for gathering names and growing mailing lists. Always print double-sided, or give paper printed on one side to children for art projects (some elementary schools collect this kind of paper for this purpose). Shred newspaper and use it for pet bedding, or offer it to local farmers for livestock beds. Use Your Head: Don’t put things in the trash that don’t belong there.  Solvents, oil-based paints, motor oil, wood stains, tires, pesticides, herbicides, etc. should all be saved for a local household hazardous waste collection event.  Call your municipality to find out if an event is planned (they often happen in the spring and summer when people are spending time in their garages and sheds).  If not, ask that one be established, or find out if communities with collection days will allow you to participate (costs for these events are high, so they are often closed to residents of sponsoring communities).  Also, if you’ve actually been using compact fluorescent bulbs long enough that they’ve started to burn out, be sure to dispose of them properly. CFLs contain mercury. Visit http://ww.epa.gov/bulbrecycling for tips. Be creative: Find new ways to reduce and reuse.  Crafters can easily reuse discarded fabrics, clothing and linens, turning them into quilts, dolls, and other saleable items.  If you’re not the hobby-type, consider asking a friend or relative who is if they’re interested in items your considering tossing.  Give clothing you’re no longer using to Good Will, or other local charities.  Many groups collect professional clothing for out of work women to wear to job interviews.  Some charities even collect cars – make sure to get the proper paperwork for a tax write off.  Check out the Freecycle network where people trade useful items within their communities – www.freecycle.org.  Hold and promote a neighborhood garage sale or fleamarket – cottage and country decorating enthusiasts love these events, and often look for new places to “shop.” Check out Nike’s shoe recycling program.  Collect used and worn out athletic shoes from friends, families, and people in your neighborhood, and send them back to Nike (the brand doesn’t matter).  Nike uses the shoes to make NikeGrind, a special athletic surface used to build safer sports surfaces in lower-income neighborhoods. Trash will likely always be a problem as long as there are humans – but with some planning and foresight, we can likely minimize the implications of our consumption.  Trash collectors themselves are getting into the act – in some California communities, residents receive three collection bins – one for landfill, one for compost (the trash hauler collects it, cures it, and bags it for sale) and one for recycling.  Those who request smaller landfill bins and bigger compost and recycle bins see discounts on their trash bills.  Consider lobbying your trash company or municipality for a similar program, and look for more ways to limit your landfill contribution. General 2008-04-18T19:37:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/is-recycling-really-better-for-the-environment-part-3-aluminum/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/is-recycling-really-better-for-the-environment-part-3-aluminum/#When:16:21:00Z This is part 3 of our ”Is Recycling Really Better For The Environment” series and today we are going to talk about recycling aluminum. In the previous two articles I have shown that although recycling is definitely a good thing, in some cases, as in the case of plastics, recycling actually increases plastic usage and plastic waste. When it comes to aluminum, this is an entirely different story as aluminum is 100% recyclable and re-enters the product stream in approximately 6 weeks. Unlike plastics, who’s chemical bond weakens each time it is remelted, aluminum can be recycled an infinite number of times making it a true recycled material. So, by throwing your aluminum cans into the recycling bin, you are contributing to a process that conserves natural resources and saves money compared to manufacturing cans from virgin materials. Recycling aluminum into new ingots to be used for manufacturing takes less than 5% of the energy it takes to manufacture aluminum from bauxite ore. It only requires melting down the recycled aluminum and removing impurities, which is much less energy intensive than mining bauxite and refining it into alumina to be used to create aluminum. In fact, for every pound of recycled aluminum the industry uses, it saves over 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity it saves 4.5 pounds of bauxite ore from being strip-mined. To put it in human terms, by recycling one aluminum can you can save enough energy to light a 25 Watt CFL bulb for over 14 hours. Currently Americans are recycling approximately 45% of all aluminum beverage cans and 36% of aluminum found in containers and packaging. Fortunately, the largest concentration of domestic aluminum use falls in these markets, so the individual has much more control over the end results than manufacturing industries. Unfortunately, the demand for recovered aluminum is shrinking because of an increased use of plastics in beverage bottles over other packaging applications. Hopefully the demand for recovered aluminum will increase again because of the new CAFE mpg standards, which will require auto makers to use lighter materials to achieve higher efficiencies in their vehicles. To answer the questions of whether recycling is better for the environment when it comes to aluminum, the answer is absolutely yes. However, it does not stop there, if you really want to make a difference, try to NOT buy plastic beverage containers and opt for the aluminum containers instead and then recycle the aluminum container. This will not only reduce the use of virgin aluminum, but it will reduce the use of oil that is used to produce the plastic container which ultimately ends up in a landfill regardless of whether or not you recycle it. Remember, aluminum is 100% recyclable and can be continually recycled an infinite number of times and plastic is not and will generally be recycled 1 or 2 times before it is discarded. Stay tuned for Part 4: Glass, coming soon… General 2008-04-09T16:21:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/green-still-pulling-in-green-in-midst-of-recession/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/green-still-pulling-in-green-in-midst-of-recession/#When:02:50:00Z According to a recent article over at Newsweek, green homes are very hot right now, despite what is going on in the real estate market. While typical homes drop in value, energy efficient, environmentally friendly homes are not only retaining their value, they are now in demand and are selling at premium prices. The National Association of Home Builders, released some survey results showing that the average home buyer was willing to spend an additional $8,964 on a green home, if it would in fact save them money on their utility cost. Unfortunately, the average person knows very little about green building, and that is probably because it is such a broad topic which covers many different facets. When thinking of the term “green”, most people instantly picture huge solar panel arrays and wind turbines.  However, true green building techniques are executed well before these types of expensive additions. From site selection, building placement, energy efficiency and indoor air quality, real green building starts before the ground is even broken. It is only after these green building techniques are put in place that is it cost effective to start adding alternative energy sources. My rule of thumb is every dollar spent in energy efficiency will save four dollars on alternative energy. Architects(me:-) and builders are working very hard to educate consumers about which products and techniques will give them the biggest bang for their buck. In the meantime, organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council and Energy Star are offering certification programs to help rate the greenness of these homes. These certificates will allow home owners to receive additional tax breaks from the Federal government, and in some cases, they will be eligible to receive state tax breaks.  Green building advocates are hoping that these certificate programs will become widely accepted, like Consumer Reports, and create higher resale values for the home owners. This shift toward green building just might turn around this broken industry and many smaller builders will attest that their numbers are supper hot. Unfortunately, most of the larger builders are still only scraping the surface, doing just enough to get by.  However, as this market shifts, I believe that larger builders will be following suit. The simple fact is that people are becoming educated and they know that this “green stuff” means more money stays in their pockets, regardless of their political or environmental views. General 2008-03-13T02:50:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/bottled-water-bad-investment-and-bad-for-the-environment/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/bottled-water-bad-investment-and-bad-for-the-environment/#When:19:34:00Z I saw a wonderful little editorial cartoon sketch by Steve Greenberg over at http://www.greenberg-art.com about how silly bottled water really is. I have posted before about bottled water and how “not pure” it really is, but people continue to buy and defend it. I cant stress enough how terrible bottled water is for the environment. They are made using oil and most of them do not get recycled, and those that do get recycled, only get turned into secondary products that are then thrown away. I urge you to quit buying bottled water and instead, take the same money that you would have spent on bottled water and invest in a good water filtration system. If you check out our Eco Store, you will see that I have added a special section just for water products in hopes that we can help to curb peoples addiction to plastic bottled water. General 2008-03-09T19:34:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/is-recycling-really-better-for-the-environment-part-2-plastics/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/is-recycling-really-better-for-the-environment-part-2-plastics/#When:22:01:00Z This is part 2 of our ”Is Recycling Really Better For The Environment” series and today we are going to talk about recycling Plastics. Plastic molding is one of the most commonly used processes in product production. As a former industrial designer, I know plastics pretty well and because of the availability, cost and price per unit, plastics have dominated the product and packaging world. Unfortunately, plastics are terrible for the environment and recycling, although better than tossing in the garbage, does very little as applied to the plastic industry. Unlike paper recycling, plastic recycling does not increase source reduction, in fact studies show that plastic use and plastic trash increases in areas that push plastic recycling. This is a little counter intuitive I know, but if you think abut it, the reason for the increase is because of the increased positive perception of plastics as “eco friendly” because of the recycling programs. The danger of this type of thinking is that people buy and use more plastics, thinking that plastic is eco friendly because it can be recycled. The simple fact is that most of the plastic that is placed in your recycling bin is used to make secondary products that are not recyclable, like plastic lumber, textiles and containers. Even though this is better than going to the landfill right away, it still does very little to reduce the need for virgin plastics, and the fact that the secondary products are not recyclable, the plastics end up in the landfills anyway, but just at a later time. Unfortunately the virgin plastic manufacturers know all of this and realize that the increase in positive perception of plastics through public service ads focused on plastic recycling increases plastic sales. This why the majority of all plastic recycling advertisements are bought and paid for by the virgin plastic manufacturers. Not only that, but plastic producers use the recycling logo (chasing arrows in a triangle) on every plastic item that is made, but the logo does not mean anything, the only important thing about that logo is the number in the middle which classifies the type of resin used in that item. The district attorney in several different states are actually going after the plastic manufacturers for this false advertising and are trying to pass legislation to have the logo removed from non recycled plastic items. With all f this being said, I still believe that it is better to throw that plastic item in the recycle bin rather than the trash bin, however the main point of this article is to let you know the truth about plastics. The only way to truly help the environment where plastics are concerned is source reduction and the only way to to that is to be a environmentally conscious consumer. Here are a few things you can do to reduce your plastic usage: Do not buy items packaged in plastic. Instead buy items packaged in cardboard or paper. Only buy food items that are in glass containers. Instead of buying squeeze bottles of mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, but the glass containers. Do not buy bottled water. Instead, invest in a good water filter, the result will be cleaner water and a better environment. Reuse plastic containers. Plastic containers can be reused over 20 times before they need to be tossed in the recycling bin. Use eco tableware for parties instead of plastic tableware. Most of all, educate others about the woes of plastic usage and what they can do to help the environment. If you would like to learn more about plastics and plastic recycling, have a look at the Ecology Center’s ”Plastic Task Force.” Now checkout Part 3: Aluminum. General 2007-12-22T22:01:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/is-recycling-really-better-for-the-environment-part-1-paper/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/is-recycling-really-better-for-the-environment-part-1-paper/#When:01:39:00Z This is the first part of our "Is Recycling Really Better For The Environment" series and today we are going to talk about recycling paper and answer the question of weather or not recycling paper is better for the environment or not. With that said, et me first start by saying YES, YES and Absolutely YES! I am not sure where people are getting these ideas that recycling is worse for the environment, but nothing could be further from the truth. Now, of course I can't just make that claim without presenting some sort of evidence to back up my claim, so let me just say that this next blog post is going to be a pretty long. In fact, I will be splitting this post into several different sections each dealing with a different material. Part 1: Recycling Paper Is Better For The Environment! When talking about recycling any type of material, a key term that will always show that recycling is better is Source Reduction. Source reduction is a direct result of recycling and affect the entire life cycle of the product. As it relates to paper, when you reduce the use of new paper, you are also reducing the negative environmental effects of producing that new paper. When a forest is cut down to produce paper, not only is pollution produced form the use of diesel machinery, but when the wood is turned into pulp, it releases all of the CO2 that it has spent its entire life storing. Although trees are considered carbon neutral because they are only releasing the carbon that they have absorbed, the CO2 released from the erosion of the top soil is not carbon neutral because that topsoil loss would not have happened otherwise. Now, lets first take a look at new paper production vs. recycled paper production using simple logic before we get into numbers and empirical data. As you can see, recycled paper has a much more environmentally friendly life cycle than new virgin paper. Now lets take a look at some actual CO2 numbers: Type Of Paper CO2 per lb. Virgin paper 0% post-consumer recycled 7.14 33% post-consumer recycled 6.06 50% post-consumer recycled 5.50 66% post-consumer recycled 5.20 100% post-consumer recycled 3.90 The figures above have been taken from an extensive study done by the Environmental Defense, on paper production and publishing. If you wish to read the entire report please follow this link to the Paper Task Force Report at the Environmental Defense website. As you can see 100% recycled paper is almost twice as efficient as virgin paper and releases almost half of the CO2 emissions as well. Now this is not even taking into consideration the loss of forests due to clear cutting and all of the environmental effects which happen as a result. So, whats the moral of this story? Recycle, Recycle, Recycle... Its not hard, just put a recycle bin next your trash can and throw recyclables in that bin instead of the trash bin. Now checkout Part 2: Plastics General 2007-12-14T01:39:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/movie-review-the-story-of-stuff/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/movie-review-the-story-of-stuff/#When:09:03:00Z I don’t usually post twice a day, but I just watched this movie and I just had to share it. The movie is ”The Story Of Stuff” and its about 20 minutes and I highly recommend that you take 20 minutes out of your busy life and watch this movie. Annie Leonard narrates this wonderful short and explains the life cycle of things, from the mining and product production, to the consumption and final incineration. Not only does she follow the products, but she explains very eloquently every factor involved including natural resources, people and even governments. The system of production and consumption is seriously flawed and the human race cannot continue to consume at its current rate less we will be left with nothing more to consume. We need a paradigm shift from this dangerous mindset of consumption. Follow this link and watch ”The Story Of Stuff” because simply recognizing the problem will help to create this paradigm shift. General 2007-12-05T09:03:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/pollution-showdown-china-vs-us/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/pollution-showdown-china-vs-us/#When:18:36:00Z Everyone is talking about the China Vs. US pollution race and who will end up being the biggest polluter. Many environmental bashers, global warming deniers and people who just don’t care, will quickly point out that China recently surpassed the US in greenhouse gas emissions. They use this fact as and excuse, to say that we (Americans) shouldn’t even bother trying to curb our own emissions because we are doomed by China’s emissions. Personally, I believe this idea is absolute nonsense and that our moral obligation to do the right thing should not be based on what another country or person is doing or not doing. It should also be pointed out that per person; China’s emissions are much lower than the US. In fact, the US emits 6 times more greenhouse gas per person than China. What this means is that we are using entirely too much energy and that we actually have more power to turn things around than we may think.� Instead of sitting around waiting for a crooked government to make “good” decisions, why not start the change where it really needs to start, with the economy. Let’s face it, we live in a capitalistic society which is entirely driven by money. That being said, if consumers buy a specific type of product, companies will make more of them at cheaper prices. So, by buying green products, you are essentially creating a larger economy for that type of product, which will ultimately bring in large corporations who will want a piece of that profit. By buying green products from “green companies” you are further pushing the environmental concept and essentially forcing businesses to green up or loose out on this market. As these green companies grow larger, their lobbyist in congress will have that much more persuasion power ($) to assure that certain environmentally beneficial laws get put into place. Of course these environmental laws and regulations not only benefit the environment, but they also benefit their profits. General 2007-09-07T18:36:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/happy-earth-day-everyone/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/blog/happy-earth-day-everyone/#When:23:50:00Z Hello, I just wanted to write a quick blog post and wish everyone a happy earth day. I am happy to see all of the wonderful TV programs spreading the word about cutting down our emissions. It seems that being “Carbon Neutral” is now the “In Thing” which is great. I have noticed that over the past few weeks a lot of Big Businesses are going carbon neutral, for instance Yahoo just committed to start taking steps to be carbon neutral by the end of 2007. I keep saying it, we the people are the ones who will spark the change. We can make this happen by using our buying power and that way big businesses will follow. Well today is the day that I officially launched the home site of th Neutral Existence Project. Although not all of the pages are finished right now, you can be sure that we will be working very hard this week to get all of the information up so you can read it and put it to use. The website is http://www.NeutralExistence.com and coming soon is the social networking sister site just for environmentalist at http://my.NeutralExistence.com. Now the social networking site is currently closed until we work out all of the bugs, however that will be opening to the public within the next few weeks. Anyway, check back with us every couple of days to see how its going, or better yet subscribe to one of our blog feed and we will update you via the blog. Again, Happy Earth Day!! Adam General 2007-04-22T23:50:00-06:00