Carbon Offsets are Making Big News

Whether we're getting attention in newspapers and magazines, or televised media, BeGreen is making news and growing in recognition. This growing attention leads to more offsets and better health for planet Earth. Check out what's being said by and about BeGreen.

Your Home’s Energy Usage, Online in Real Time

July 1st, 2009 - posted by Sarah

In the burgeoning market of home energy monitoring, three familiar high tech and telecom names are trying to make an early splash. By integrating energy monitoring into your plugged-in world, Google, Microsoft, and Verizon hope that people will make better decisions about how and where to cut energy use.

Climate Bill passes to House Floor Vote

June 26th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

The Waxman-Markey climate bill eked by with a vote of 217-205 to pass to a floor vote in the U.S. House today. The 217 “yeas” did not include 30 moderate Democrats, which were a mix of representatives from coal states and young freshmen concerned about reelection.

Reduce Your Pesticide Exposure, One Bite at a Time

June 24th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

Exposure to pesticides over a lifetime can have adverse effects on your health, including damage to the endocrine system, the nervous system, or to a person’s hormonal rhythms. Choosing organic produce is a great way to avoid harmful pesticides.

However, if you can’t afford organic fruit and vegetables all the time, spend your money wisely with the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides”. The guide provides a straightforward list of popular fruits and vegetables ranked by their estimated pesticide contamination. By avoiding the top most contaminated fruits and vegetables, or by buying these in organic forms, consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by up to 80%. See below for their “Dirty Dozen” (which you should buy organic) and the “Clean 15″.

While many consumers think that rinsing or peeling their produce is enough to rid food of any contaminants, the EWG’s warns that this will not protect the consumer, as all of the fruits and vegetables ranked highest on the pesticide scale had been thoroughly cleaned or peeled before being tested. By making a few simple diet changes, you can avoid this worry altogether.

So which fruits and vegetables should you opt for this summer? Many of the most refreshing fruits sit low on the pesticide scale, such as mango, pineapple, watermelon, papaya and kiwi. Before you head to the supermarket, grab the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” application for iPhone (available at www.foodnews.org) so you can be a savvy shopper at the touch of a button.

As you reevaluate your purchasing habits, remember that buying locally grown produce is an easy way to “be green”. Produce can often travel a thousand miles before it reaches the shelf at your favorite grocery store, so look for farmer’s markets in your area and buy produce with a small carbon footprint. Visit www.localharvest.org for a listing of farmer’s markets in your area.

New US climate change report faces facts

June 17th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

The United States Global Change Research Program, a collaborative group of 13 government agencies, published a comprehensive report on impacts of and science behind climate change today. Called “Global Climate Change Impacts in the U.S.”, the report was commissioned by the Bush administration yet confirms many of the Obama administration’s climate change initiatives.

FutureGen clean coal project gets a second look

June 12th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

FutureGen, the clean coal project in Illinois that was shelved by the Bush administration for escalating costs, was revived today. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu restarted studies of the cost of carbon capture and sequestration technologies that could be used to make a zero emissions coal plant.

Reduce Waste, Save Money with our new BeGreen Kanteen

June 10th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

Just in time for summer, we’re happy to introduce our newest product:the BeGreen Kanteen. In partnership with Klean Kanteen, we can now offer a safe and affordable way to break the plastic bottle habit.

Cattle, Land Use, and Climate Roundup

June 5th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

During my normal browsing of various environmental news today, I noticed an unusual number of stories dealing with the role of relatively “nontraditional” emissions sources. The raising and feeding of cattle, as well as how we use and abuse land, all popped up more than a couple times. Perhaps these issues are edging their way into the debate on how to curb emissions?

Cameron Diaz’s Grassroots Eco-Documentary

June 3rd, 2009 - posted by Sarah

Adding a little star power to the green movement can never hurt. And sometimes, like this, it really helps. Cameron Diaz just put out a short 5 minute video chronicling her journey to talk to regular Americans about the environment. Touching on issues like environmental justice, health, and safety, Cameron puts a genuinely charming and inspiring spin on communicating the importance of environmental action to all Americans.

The Argument for Carbon Offsets

June 2nd, 2009 - posted by Sarah

Chances are that you’ve probably read an article or heard a pundit argue that carbon offsets are a scam. They don’t reduce emissions, they’re the same as catholic indulgences, they’re lining the pockets of greedy swindlers…you know the drill. With all the bad press that carbon offsets receive, you might wonder why any company would still be in the business. Well, here’s why. Carbon offsets are simply more efficient at balancing out emissions.

Clinton Climate Initiative & USGBC partner to create “Climate Positive” communities

May 29th, 2009 - posted by Sarah

The Clinton Climate Initiative, an outgrowth of the Clinton Foundation, recently launched a new program to guide communities toward being “climate positive”, meaning they would reduce their CO₂ emissions below zero. The idea is to get building developers and government officials working together holistically to implement large-scale energy saving strategies. The US Green Building Council, creator of the LEED green building certification program, brings technical expertise to the effort in combination with the Clinton Foundation’s long history of philanthropic investment around the world.