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How to be green?I- How to choose your Green

car?With all the options available on the market, how do you choose a fuel efficient, green automobile that suits the needs of your business? There are several factors that determine how eco friendly a car is, so be sure to pay close attention to these details when choosing your green car.

Fuel Efficiency

The first factor is choosing an eco friendly vehicle with high gas mileage, something that tends to be the driving factor in determining how green a car is overall. Many electric and hybrid vehicles on the market provide the greatest gas mileage when compared with standard gas automobiles. Hybrid cars offer the speed of traditional cars and the convenience of never having to charge the battery from a wall outlet. Electric cars are the most efficient of all alternative fuel vehicles, but struggle with long range travel and charging times.

If fuel efficiency is paramount, then choosing an electric car may be the best way to go. If the vehicle is going to be used for mainly short distance driving, it becomes a better option to choose an electric car since charging will not be difficult. However, for any long range travel, a hybrid car is probably the best green market option available at the moment. Fortunately, the alternative fuel market is currently in a boom period and electric car efficiency will greatly improve over the next few years.

Features

Many of the green cars currently available lack significant features that businesspeople enjoy, especially luxury features.

Strong competition from non-Japanese car makers has made the hybrid market expand far beyond the reaches of Honda and Toyota. Such competition also has led to the addition of luxury features such as leather seats, heated windows, navigation systems and assisted parking tools. The hybrid market also has expanded beyond the sedan and

compact market, making it possible to now purchase trucks, vans and SUVs that run off of battery power as well as fuel. Hybrid and fuel efficient green cars are slowly creeping into the luxury car market, so make sure to monitor the new green cars of Lexus, BMW, Audi, etc.

As you can see, there are several factors that help determine what fuel efficient car is right for you or your business. Depending on your particular needs, finding an eco friendly vehicle that consumes alternate fuel will not be a problem.

Written by EAA, Content provided by Associated Content for MercaTrade.com

II- How to build a green houseIf you are considering having a custom home constructed, you are likely thinking about the costs associated with this endeavor. Home construction costs can become very large, very quickly. However, the long-term costs of the house and its continual use and upkeep are also considerations. By building a green house, you will reduce the overall costs of the home in the long run; reduce the carbon footprint of the residents; and help reduce waste and environmental damage. Remember that green technology creates energy savings over time. There are several areas of home construction that should be evaluated when you build a green house.

Insulated Walls and Windows

The key to maintaining a constant inside temperature in a home is proper insulation. By ensuring that all the walls and windows are insulated properly and that windows are double paned or better, you can save a lot of energy and cost by keeping the heat in and forcing the cold air outside. Proper insulation is sometimes the law with new homes in many countries as it is a simple way to save money and preserve wasteful energy use. By preserving the heat in your home, you will save money on your heating bills.

Passive Air-Conditioning & Heating

A passively heated home needs no energy to maintain a constant temperature. Passive homes have long been a rage in Europe, but the idea has yet to catch on in mainstream home construction around the world. The idea is to situate doors and windows strategically so as to bring in the daylight and move air through the house in a way that keeps it cool in the hot summer months. Usually, passive homes have a backup heating unit for those extremely cold days.

Solar Panels

Solar panels can be installed on the side of the roof that gets the most sun. Solar panels can either charge a battery to be used as a backup energy source, or they can be used to reverse the energy grid to attenuate the electricity bill (or conversely earn money). Solar panels are expensive at first, but they pay for themselves with the free energy they capture from the sun. Photovoltaic technology has become very efficient in recent years and should be employed with your green house.

Instant-On Water Heating & Water Shutoff

A lot of water can be wasted while waiting for warm water to enter the shower, sink or dishwater; it is critical to avoid this to save water and create savings. Instant-on water heating also saves energy by not having to keep a large reservoir of water hot at all times. You get to 'instantly' heat a certain amount of water at the time of its consumption, which saves money and frustration.

Your green house can also have water shutoff valves in areas like sinks and shower heads to prevent water wastage.

Drip Irrigated Lawn

If your green house needs to have a lawn, make sure that the lawn is drop irrigated as opposed to watered by sprinklers. Sprinklers waste a lot of water by causing it to drain off onto sidewalks and into areas that do not need water. Less water will usually suffice for your lawn, so instead of wasting excess water, save money and energy by using drip irrigation.

Sources:http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/windows.htmlhttp://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/999http://www.builditsolar.com/SiteSurvey/why_solar.htmhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/421964/tankless_hot_water_heaters_versus_hot.html?cat=6http://www.urbanfarmerstore.com/library/pdf/drip/subsurfc.pdf

Content by EAA, Associated Content for MercaTrade.com

III- How to be Green at the office Offices around the world are intense users (and wasters) of energy - from high-volume paper use to energy-wasting electronics and lightbulbs. In this age where being green does matter, both at home and in the workplace, offices can no longer be nonchalant about their carbon footprints.

Below are 10 easy techniques for greening your workplace. Offices that implement these environmentally friendly practices will not only save energy and reduce their carbon footprints, but also they will save a considerable amount of money in the process.

Print double-sided documents when possible.

Much of the paper that is printed in the office can easily be printed double-sided. This simple technique will save your office money and help the environment in many ways. Also use the backside of already used paper when printing interoffice memos and faxes.

Use a scanner.

A scanner is an essential green product for the workplace. It saves paper and saves money. Employees must learn to scan e-mail papers to clients and coworkers instead of using paper to send them via the mail.

Recycle all old ink and toner cartridges.

Recycling old ink and toner cartridges from printer, copier and fax machines will reduce your office's carbon footprint. Many office supply stores will take old cartridges and recycle them properly. When in doubt, call the company from where the cartridge was purchased and request a recycling kit.

Organize office recycling procedures.

Offices no longer have an excuse for not recycling used paper. Most office buildings have a recycling system in place. If yours does not, insist upon one being established. Make sure all employees have easy access to a recycling bin. Make recycling the norm, not the exception.

Shut down all electronics at night.

Electronics that are left on waste energy throughout the night. All employees should get in the habit of turning off every computer, fax and copy machine at night to save energy. Computer "screen savers" do not save energy, so employees should set their computers to enter "sleep" mode after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Monitor air conditioning and heating in your building.

Air conditioning and heating costs offices billions each year. Turn off the heating and cooling at night to save energy and money.

Lighting.

Energy saving lightbulbs are now readily available in many countries. These will save on office energy bills and reduce their carbon footprints. Insist that employees turn off lights when leaving their offices, and ensure that all lights in the building are turned off when the office is closed. Encourage employees to take advantage of any and all natural light by keeping window shades up during light hours of the day to save energy.

Purchase green products.

Many office supply retailers now offer green products such as fair trade coffee, recycled paper towels and tissues, nonpolluting soap and eco-friendly cubicles. These green products will cut your office's carbon footprint.

Sign up for office water delivery.

People across the world waste billions of plastic water bottles a year. Encourage your employees to cut this waste by signing up for office water delivery. Large water retailers will deliver 5 gallon tubs of water to your office, reusing or recycling the tubs when you are finished.

Offer incentives for green commuting.

Award bonuses or offer discounted transit cards to employees who commute to work, either by carpooling or taking public transportation. Green methods of transportation are imperative for offices trying to lower their carbon footprint and to save energy.

Written by EAA, Content provided by Associated Content for MercaTrade.com

IV- Green tourism: eco-lodgingEco-lodging is the first step toward ecotourism. After all, even the most environmentally friendly ecotourist isn't going to sleep in a tent.

The most common trait of eco-lodging is that the hotel is an energy-saving facility that offers green products, located in a setting in which vacationers may experience the natural environment (and foods) of the homeland. This concept started during the late 1980s, when global warming gradually became a concern.

Latin America is a hotbed for eco-lodging and ecotourism, as nations support entrepreneurs who strive to attract upscale visitors from the United States, Canada and Europe who at least perceive themselves as environmentally friendly and as green advocates.

Costa Rica Is An Eco-lodging Pioneer

Costa Rica is at the forefront of eco-lodging in Latin America. One example is the efforts of E4 Initiatives, which describes its mission as providing "the best services for our guests in Costa Rica, while finding ways to minimize travel impact on our environment."

Some of the most devoted activists in the environmental, anti-global warming movement are critics of eco-lodging and ecotourism in places such as Costa Rica, or in Latin America or Africa as a whole. They assert that a typical vacationer who heads for an eco-lodging experience starts with jet travel that consumes huge quantities of fuel. Furthermore, they say that some eco-lodging facilities are built in the middle of natural areas, actually causing ecosystem damage rather than representing progress.

This does not deter Costa Rica's E4 Initiatives, which tells vacationers seeking eco-lodging: "Let E4 be your guide to one of the most biologically intense places on the planet. We invite you to explore our site and discover our commitment to unique, responsible and unforgettable travel experiences in Costa Rica."

Eco-lodging Provides 'Conservation' With 'Comfort'

E4 Initiatives has rated Costa Rica's top five eco-lodges based on "conservation, education, comfort, and hospitality, with a strong emphasis on (eco-friendly) sustainability and interaction with nature. ... We love remote locations with minimum tourism traffic, opportunities to be alone with nature, and unique encounters with wildlife."

Again, the eco-lodging cynics enter the picture. They wonder whether "comfort" involves rooms with air conditioners that send carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which today is considered an environmentally friendly no-no.

You will notice a common thread in the names of the E4 Initiatives' top five eco-lodging picks. They are La Cusinga Rainforest Lodge, Esqunas Rainforest Lodge, Laguna del Legarto Rainforest Lodge, La Amisad Ecolodge and Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Lodge.

Howler Monkeys and Humpback Whales

Here's part of the E4 Initiatives' pitch for La Cusinga: "For visitors who want to wake up to howler monkeys just a few feet from their bedroom window, see humpback whales passing through Ballena Bay, or explore the numerous trails on La Cusinga's 250 hectares of virgin rain forest by day and night, this is the place to be."

An eco-lodger at La Cusinga is assured that the lodge and its furnishings were built from trees on site, and that total reforestation took place. Solar power is used. Soaps and shampoos are biodegradable. Menu dishes are "97 percent organic." Waste food is composted. Most employees, including tour guides, come from the home community of Uvita.

Costa Rica is just one example of nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa that are promoting eco-lodging. The United Nations in 2002 celebrated the "International Year of Ecotourism."

Sources:

E4 Initiatives, Costa Rica

Ecotourism Activity Guide

Center for Biodiversity and Conservation

Sustainable Ecotourism Info Sheet

What is Ecotourism?

Content by Michael Thompson, Associated Content for MercaTrade.com

More information on www.mercatrade.com