7/23/13

You've heard of staycations, but have you heard of traincations? When traveling for work or play, choosing a train instead of driving or flying is the greenest way to go. The carbon emissions savings by using a train instead of a car is about 50 percent; instead of flying, it saves a whopping 68 percent. Most major cities have train stations in the heart of town, unlike airports that are often far away. Instead of the stress of driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, you have views from a comfortable seat where you can also plug in personal electronics. If half the fun is getting there, why not try a traincation?

7/22/13

The battery inside your smartphone can be recharged about 1,000 times before it needs to be replaced. One way to extend the life of your battery is to do just a few things to help preserve its lifespan. One easy tip is to take your phone's ring tone off vibrate; the buzzing motion uses more power than noise, and silent mode is the most energy-efficient. Also, disable any animated screensavers on your phone. A still image uses far less energy than one that moves.

7/21/13

Stray shopping carts along the sides of roads are common eyesores. They can also be a hazard to people and cars when improperly left in parking lots. But the biggest problem? They are expensive: They cost about $100 each to replace. When stores need to replace shopping carts, it affects prices, which hurts the bottom line for all of us. The simplest thing to do is to return shopping carts to their designated drop-off points. And if you see a stray shopping cart in the parking lot as you head into a store, push it back. It's these small things that can make a big difference all around.