Weekly Random Green Observations

After making the cashier at Safeway roll his eyes at me in the express check out lane because I asked for paper instead of plastic, I began to look at all the green around me.

It started with plastic bags. I preached the importance of my canvas grocery bag to my friends and gave them the facts about how you can’t recycle plastic shopping bags. You can only reuse them. My friends gave me the same look as the cashier.

Simply asking for paper bags over plastic is a necessary step if you care about the state of the environment — even if it bothers a cashier or two. You can also take the paper bags back to the grocery store if you’re not into buying a canvas bag (which is only about $1 per bag).

But what if you want to reuse the plastic bags you have? Target puts its ideas for reuse right on the bag.

Here are its 10 ways to reuse a Target bag (printed on the side of each one):

1. Tiny Trash Can Liner
2. Doggy Duty
3. Water Balloon
4. Road Trip Rubbish
5. Soggy Laundry
6. Ice Pack
7. Toiletry Tote
8. Kitty Litter Liner
9. Tomorrow’s Lunch Bag
10. Care Package Padding

If you’re like me, you already use these tips in your everyday life and don’t even realize it.

My next observation came while I was watching the NCAA tournament — or the many repetitive commercials that air during timeouts.

One advertisement stuck out in my mind: Chevy’s hybrid Tahoe.

The gargantuan Tahoe recently won the Greenest Car of the Year award from Green Car Journal.

Here is just one of the commercials, in which children learn about the car and about hybrids:



These were my observations. Look around you, and you'll see green all around, too.

Getting Back to Green

After my eco-UNfriendly spring break where I flew to San Francisco and drove about 18 miles from my boyfriend's house in Tempe to my parents' house in Chandler twice a day, I decided to get focused on my original goal of this blog.


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During my break, there was a lone green instance where my mother and I rode our bikes to the local Whole Foods Market. While looking for my mom's favorite flavor of Celestial Seasonings brand tea — which uses only natural products — I noticed the vast amount of skin products and makeup the store carries.

Each product has the market's stamp of approval — the Premium Body Care symbol. After two years of research, the company created the standard for more than 1,200 beauty and skin care products.

The market's Web site also reveals the falsities that surround natural products:

• The U.S. government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for personal care products.

• There are many non-natural components and processes in most U.S. body care products. Even those labeled "natural" may contain harsh preservatives or ingredients with environmental concerns.

• Sunscreen is recommended by experts, yet many chemical sunscreens have been shown to have questionable safety. Our Premium standard allows only those that physically screen sun as a safer alternative.

• Science never stops. Our customers trust us to stay on top of the latest breakthroughs, so the Premium standards are designed to evolve as new science-based studies and research come to light. We are excited to consider them as a starting point, a work in progress, an opportunity to raise the bar ever higher.

There is even a video, in which people were asked what they think natural means when it comes to skin products.



I just hope that these products will get me back on the right track after I fell off the wagon during my break.

A Water Shortage in the City by the Bay?

SAN FRANCISCO — I'll keep this entry short because a) it's St. Patrick's Day and I plan on practicing green living with green beer, and b) it's spring break.

A Green 5-year-old?

My nephew turned five this weekend, and while I was sitting at his pirate-themed party, I started to realize the amount of waste it produced.

Between the gift-wrap, tissue paper, party favors and plates and napkins, it was far from a “green” event.

And as my faux pirate tattoo is still flaking away, I started researching alternatives to a wasteful and an eco-unfriendly birthday party.

Gift-wrap

While doing research, I found a lot of stories about parents who asked their children to choose to give gifts to the less fortunate or back to the Earth.

This would not fly with my nephew. He’s not a dumb 5-year-old and made the connection of “birthday means presents” a long time ago.

So I began to look at the gift-wrap.

Paporganics offers Hemp Wrap blends hemp with recycled fibers to create a thicker product than straight recycled material. There were only a handful of prints available with nothing that could appeal to children ($4.99 for two sheets).

The company also sells 100 percent biodegradable ribbon called Natural Ribbon.

Gift bags are easily recyclable. Instead of throwing them away after the tissue paper is strewn about, keep them and use them next year or for other people’s birthdays. The tissue paper can also be saved, granted the child does not rip the paper apart.

Party favors

It was very difficult to find aesthetically pleasing parting gifts.

“Green” toys would not appeal to children because they usually don’t feature the latest movie or toy craze. There are some choices on Green Living, but they are more expensive than toys that can be bought in bulk.

Some forums and blogs online suggest staying away from plastic gift bags and products made in China.

Also, having the children do take-home crafts while at the party is also a better alternative.

The cake

Ideal Bite suggests three different types of organic cakes from a pre-made mix.

• Dr. Oetker Cake and Icing Mixes: approximately $5 at most health food stores, available in chocolate or vanilla
• Pamela’s Products Luscious Chocolate Cake Mix: approximately $5 for this gluten-free mix
• Goodbaker Chocolate Cake and Cupcake Mix: approximately $5 for this whole-wheat, vegan mix

Cutting back on the fumes

OK, this is one green offense that I’m definitely guilty of.

I drive my car back and forth to school every day — sometimes twice a day. But since I live almost five miles outside of campus and work long hours into the night, what’s a girl to do?

Well, in light of the fact that oil is passing the $102-per-barrel mark of last week and the price of unleaded is creeping past $3 a gallon, I decided to do something about my driving habits before my tank hits empty.

There are a few alternatives that piqued my interest: a shuttle that runs to and from my apartment, the public transit route, investing in a bicycle or setting up a carpooling system with my roommates.

Many apartment complexes that are located beyond a square mile of the university offer shuttles that take about 20 students to and from the University of Arizona in 20-30 minute intervals throughout the 8-5 p.m. school day.

It isn't rare to see students outside the Communication Building waiting for the next pick up (see photo).

Some student apartment complexes that carry this service include Gateway at Tucson, The Reserve at Star Pass and NorthPointe.

I’ve lived at The Reserve at 41 S. Shannon Road for almost three years, and over time, I find myself using the service less and less. This trend is due mostly to my schedule.

If you have a set schedule daily that ends around 5 p.m., this is a great service. I still use the shuttle to cut out a second midday trip to my apartment — in case there is a need for a quick nap before my workday begins.

Unfortunately, Tucson is not San Francisco. There are no BART or MUNI systems. Tucson does, however, offer Sun Tran, a public transit bus route. The system-wide transit map shows that the routes range all over the city, from the east side to the west side — stopping right before my apartment complex.

Yes, buses can be very intimidating. But here’s hoping that all of those preconceptions are just stereotypes.

I’m not really into the bus system, though. These are the days that I wish I still owned a bicycle — and still knew HOW to ride one. It could be a decent investment, especially since the weather is becoming more cooperative.

It's been catching on for years too, as many bike racks around campus are relatively full throughout the school year (see photo)

But if a bike is not in the cards for you, one other suggestion is to create a carpooling group. I’ve never been too shy to mooch a ride home with one of my gas-guzzling roommates.

Whatever the solution, there are many out there. Check out Clean Air Online for even more suggestions.

Until then, I’m going to be avoiding the gas station.