Sell (recycle) your old electronics

Be green and make green by selling your old electronics. Gazelle.com will give you an estimate for your product, and once they receive it, they will clear your personal data and send you a check. The product is refurbished and sold or recycled responsibly. For more information, check out Gazelle.com or http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10293812.

Don't cry for Kleenex!

I am appalled at what I just learned. Greenpeace has a huge campaign against Kleenex because they cut century-old trees to make their tissues. They kill wildlife and deforest trees, leaving only stumps behind. I think there is a definite need to bring back the hanky. They are fashionable, personalizable, and completely reusable! Please consider it, and check out the Greenpeace website at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/kleercut.

Walk and Run holes in your shoes!

Building 19 has done it again with an amazing deal on sneakers. You can walk or run in comfort and style while saving money. Check out www.building19.com for a store near you.

Did you know?

Thirty percent of all consumer waste is packaging material, according to the EPA. Buying things from bulk bins can greatly reduce waste and the cost of packaging the product.

Psychologists Probe What It Means to Think Green

The Daily Green.com is a source of news, tips, recipes and other information for regular people who want to go green. Check it out at http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/psychology-going-green-460808?src=rss.

Transaction's Thoughts: We believe that everyone has a vested interest in the world. There are so many ways you can reduce and reuse everything around you. Less is more, and it will not only save you money but also save the environment.

Audio book sale!

Hello commuters with MP3 players and CD walkmans! Why not commute while listening to a great book on tape. Building 19 is having a big sale on audio book CD’s this coming week starting Sunday, Aug. 17^th. I don’t know about you, but a sale always sounds good to me. Check out their website for a location near you. www.building19.com

Gas from Corn?

A company called Poet is working on research and development of a pilot facility that will produce 20,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol. This biofuel is made from corn cobs and the fibers from corn. They are also looking into using other plant residuals to produce cellulosic ethanol. The company is hoping by 2011 to have a large scale commercial plant open.

Read more at http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10016209-54.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=GreenTech.

Consumers converting own cars to electric

Instead of waiting on long lists for electric cars, this article highlights how consumers are converting their cars and taking out their gas-run engines and installing electric motors. There is also a how-to article on how to do this.

Check out the story on:

http://www.cnn.com/

MBTA adds new buses to North Shore area

The MBTA has recently added new buses to the North Shore area routes serving over 12 communities. These buses provide strict regulations for emissions and are just part of a $750-million-dollar budget aimed at improving service and air quality.

For more info, check out http://mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=15541&month=&year=.

Decrease in road travel

A story was posted on The Boston Channel’s website today. The story highlights the decrease in miles driven by Americans since November 2007. A 4.7% decrease was seen in the month of June alone, compared with June 2007. This brings up an interesting topic: tax revenue. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters says, “We can’t afford to continue pinning our transportation network’s future to the gas tax”. In a nutshell, the less gas we purchase, the less tax revenue is received for infrastructure. We all know the condition of our roads and bridges.

Check out the article:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/automotive/17178354/detail.html

Sustainable Fashion

Just came across this great website Dig ‘N’ Swap (http://www.dignswap.com/index.php) You start an account, you upload images of clothes you don’t want, and you look for clothes you do want. Then you swap! How fun and environmentally friendly! See the website for more information.

Cambridge Bike Shops

Interested in getting a new bike or a new bell for your old bike? These shops will be more than happy to help you. Biking helps burn calories and reduce emissions.

• ATA Cycle
  1773 Massachusetts Avenue (617-354-0907)
• Bicycle Exchange at Porter Square
  2067 Massachusetts Avenue (617-864-1300)
• Broadway Bicycle School
  351 Broadway (617-868-3392)
• Cambridge Bicycle
  259 Massachusetts Avenue (617-876-6555)
• Emerging Vehicles
  One Broadway, Kendall Square (617-583-1379)
  (Sells and repairs electric bicycles and electric motorscooters for commuting, etc.)

Commonwealth passes 5 new energy bills

On Aug. 2nd, 2008, Gov. Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts legislation passed five "green" bills. The passage of these initiatives puts Massachusetts at the forefront of energy and environmental policy in the United States. The measures include: The Green Communities Act, Oceans Act, Clean Energy Biofuels Act, Global Warming Solutions Act, and Green Jobs Act.

These first-in-the-nation policies mean gasoline tax exemptions for cellulosic biofuel, mandating a blended biodiesel, investments in and development of wind, wave, and tidal power generation while protecting state waters. The Global Warming Solutions Act mandates greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050.

For more information please check out the Boston Globe article "Green, with Envy."

For a transcript from the Energy Bill Signing or the press release, visit the Boston Government website.