Notes from Iowa: Earth Day 2012

Like many of you, I’ve spent part of the Earth Day weekend celebrating our irreplaceable planet. Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, turned out to be a bit cool and overcast with scattered showers. Yet, thousands of Eastern Iowans came to the EcoFest, an Earth Day-themed event, to watch demonstrations, enjoy live music, and—especially—to learn about [...]

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How to Plan a Green Vacation

As summer approaches, your thoughts are probably turning to planning a vacation. If you’re already making eco-friendly choices in your daily life, there’s no reason to ignore the benefits of going green while on vacation. With some planning and creativity, you can enjoy a vacation getaway that’s as fun as it is good for the environment.

Your vacation destination should be determined, in part, by how you plan to travel. In terms of carbon emissions, it may seem that driving is preferable to flying. Depending on the distance you plan to travel, this may not be the case.

Traveling on a full plane with a direct flight path is often more environmentally friendly than a long drive in a car or RV with frequent stops. A train is one of the greenest travel alternatives, if you’re not planning to cross any oceans and have some extra time….

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Home Builders and Remodelers Are Greener Than Ever

According to a recent report released by McGraw-Hill, 33% of home builders are committed to going green by 2016. Similarly, 34% of home remodelers have claimed that they plan to implement eco-friendly practices by 2016. Just last year, only 17% of home builders and 15% of home remodelers expressed interest in developing strategies to increase the energy efficiency and decrease the carbon footprint of homes….

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