Please Consider the Environment Before Printing This ...

Do you know anyone who prints nearly every Email they receive? Do you print them? Have you ever thought about how wasteful that is? Do you cringe when paying $35 for an ink cartridge?

A few suggestions:

• Keep a "used" paper box under your desk for all those useless memos and messed up letters that only have print on one side. Take them home or use them again at the office if you must print Emails.
• Save or export your Email as a .txt file or Word doc so it's always there if you need it. Most Email programs allow this, but print to file works no matter what you have. Honestly, you don't need that much hard copy CYA (cover your a$$) material!
• If you're going to send a letter or report, scan the original and keep your copy electronically instead of on paper.
• Explore electronic signatures
• If you have trouble reading the small print: try adjusting your monitor's resolution, or hold the "Ctrl" button while rolling your mouse scroll wheel - it zooms.
• Add this statement to your Email signature: Please consider the environment before printing this email
• But, for heaven's sake, stop printing every Email!

Green (colored) Lumber

I'm talking about the lumber that is visibly green - the wolmanized, or pressure treated lumber that takes up the majority of the lumber area in Lowe's or Home Depot. You've probably read or heard about some of the controversy over that lumber, like you should not burn it, or that you should wear gloves when handling it.

The EPA announced yesterday that they will not approve one of the treatments called Acid Copper Chromate (ACC) for residential use because of the potential for harmful effects on humans. ACC is just one of a handful of different pesticides used, and the others are linked in a box on the right side of the page.

If, like me, you've always wondered about treated lumber and why it's dangerous, browse those pages and you'll be much better informed.

Alternatives? Again, I'm sad to tell you that many alternatives are costly and have widely varying properties. One just simply cannot keep untreated lumber outside for very long without it literally falling apart, so unless you have a lot of money to spend, you may be stuck with treated lumber. Some alternate treatments are listed here.

I built a play set last summer and used treated lumber except up on the decking where the kids will be in contact with the material the most. Up there I used a composite, which is recycled plastic extruded with sawdust or wood chips. It's more expensive, heavier, and not as strong so you'll need more joists. But, you'll never have to seal it and it won't warp or shrink, and it's safe for the kids to play on (no slivers either).

So if you're thinking about building something this summer, start your research now and see what's available in your area. You may even ask you local lumberyard to order something they don't normally carry. That kind of request is one of the few ways to help bring more environmentally friendly products to the masses. Many people believe that if Lowe's doesn't have it, it doesn't exist.

RE3 - Reduce Reuse Recycle

We've all heard that phrase a million times, but this group has taken a new twist on the old concept via YouTube (By the way, tonight being my very first visit to YouTube proves that one doesn't have to be a part of the geek squad to write a blog).

By the way, some of these videos are great!

PC Energy Use

I wrote before about a few ways to measure your energy usage. One user that you probably haven't thought too much about is the very thing you're looking at right now - your computer. Many people leave their PC powered up, on screen saver, when not in use. Multiply that usage by the number of computers in the US or world, and you're talking a huge amount of electricity. TreeHugger has been talking a bit about it lately, and in the post you'll find a link to a nice little energy calculator that will let you know how much you're expending.

2 Suggestions: power down when not in use, and set the monitor to turn itself off instead of going to screen saver.