Search results matching tag 'Going Green'

Are You Participating in This Year's Earth Hour?

696612 — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:02:00 GMT

This Saturday March 27th, will be the largest ever public demonstration for action on climate change. At 8:30 p.m. local time, lights around the world will be symbolically turned off for one hour in homes, offices, iconic landmarks, government buildings and retail establishments across the globe. Some of these include the Las Vegas strip, Mount Rushmore, Sea World, the Empire State Building, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

There are now 92 countries and regions around the world who have made the pledge for Earth Hour to show the world what can be done to fight climate change.

We have an opportunity to participate with the rest of the world to make a mark in history on Saturday March 27th. Lets turn off our lights, light up some candles, enjoy each others company, and do our part to help make a change in the fight against climate change. It's as easy as the flick of a switch!

If you would like to read more about Earth Hour, feel free to visit the Official Site for Earth Hour here.

Lets all help to make a difference!

Everything Old is New Again

668781 — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:31:00 GMT

Mention the 1980's to anyone and you'll get one of two responses: a rolling of the eyes or a joyous burst of energy. I would fall into the latter category. I love the 80's. Love it all: the music, the ridiculous fashion, the neon, the cheese. I was pretty young during the decade, but I look back with sentimental fondness. In looking around me now, it appears that we can once again experience the 80's! Legwarmers, wristbands, skinny jeans, hi-tops, leggings, slouchy sweaters, and jean skirts are all back...with a vengeance! I'm old enough to have experienced all of these things, so just have to laugh when younger employees wear these fashion items and are excited over their "new" fashion statements...which just serves to make me feel really old!

Everything old is new again.

Think back to when you first started your real estate business or when you first started your Point2 Agent website. What sorts of things did you do, advertise, communicate that would once again be exciting or seem 'new' to recent or upcoming clients? What may have worked at that time, but is maybe something that you didn't repeat because you were too 'new' yourself to realize that you hit upon a great idea? I'm not saying that hi-tops were ever a great idea, but when you consider how many people wore them in the 80's and how many kids today are wearing them, you have to give kudos to whoever decided that more fabric was the way to go!

Sometimes a simple returning to your roots can provide some insight into how far you've come, how you were able to get where you are today, and what helped you progress. What did you do that has made you what you are? The answer may surprise you!

Share with us something that you have done (maybe a decision, maybe altering a misconception, maybe choosing one path over another) in the past that has made the biggest difference to your life...and how it will shape your upcoming days or weeks, effectively making something old new again!

Tanya

A Point2 Agent Member's 'Going Green' Website

668781 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:17:00 GMT

I'd like to direct you to a great example of a 'green realty' website that provides great information on going green, living green, and having a green home. It also has a focus on selling green homes: http://www.bercuhomes.com/

Simone has iFramed all of the Going Green sites into her website, which allows her to not only provide the information to online visitors, but also retain them on her website, should they want to then look at properties for sale or contact her.

The design of the site is centered around the images of plants, which symbolize life and growth. She also has the consistent image of a green Earth, complete with plant. Simone employed the services of Nancy Golliday, one of Point2's Alliance Member Program's Qualified Website Designers. Nancy does beautiful work, as you can see here!

One of the best things about Simone's website (and there are many!) is the fact that all of the photos are her own. This really helps those online visitors get to 'know' her and feel welcomed into her life and business. Great job, Simone!

If others have come across some great Going Green real estate websites, feel free to comment!

Tanya

Going Green Tip of the Day: Saving Paper = Saving Trees

668781 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:02:00 GMT

While we may not waste paper at home (likely because the costs come out of our own pocket!), it seems to be a common occurence for us to waste paper in the workplace, either through printing documents that don't really need to be printed, making multiple copies that end up being thrown away, or, the worse waste of all, printing only on one side, thereby doubling the number of sheets we use.

Tip for today: make a conscious effort to print double-sided every time you print a document, especially in times where you are making multiple copies of larger documents for meetings, presentations, filing, etc. You can also reduce the size of the font or remove graphics that, while adding to the meaning of the content and being visually engaging, take up space but are not essential to the understanding of the content (like the graphic you see to the right :) ).

I've even taken to including the following tag to the bottom of all of my emails, as an act of encouraging people to consciously think before they print. It may only save a few sheets of paper, but multiply that by as many people who work in offices as soon we're saving forests!

Tanya

Earth Day: April 22, 2009

668781 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:38:00 GMT

Happy Earth Day! In the interest of saving the environment and our beautiful planet, here are some ways to celebrate:

Reduce the amount of time your lights are on. Better yet, purchase energy-efficient bulbs (which you can now get at dollar stores, so there is no excuse!).
Be like IKEA and use recyclable shopping bags. I love that store more and more as time goes by!
Carpool.
Recycle paper, bottles, and cans from today.
Use a coffee mug instead of a paper or styrofoam cup. While out and about last weekend, I discovered that Tim Hortons actually gives a discount if you bring in a mug rather than rely on them for a paper cup.
Refuse to litter. If you've read one of my earlier posts, you'd know how strongly I feel about this act of, to be blunt, stupidity. Enough said. :)
Go outside and enjoy whatever green grass, trees, flowers, shrubs, etc. you can find. It is Spring and starting to be a little more lush outside. If this is not happening yet (as it is here in Saskatoon), then look for a local conservatory. If you're really needing green plants, check out local greenhouses. They often have little bistros too, which can turn it into a social event!

However you wish to celebrate Earth Day, do it in such a way as to celebrate the natural world around you...and do in such a way that will preserve that world not only today, but in the days, weeks, and years to come. Go Green. Live Green. Be Green.

Tanya

Living Green: Going Green in Your Kitchen

668781 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:45:00 GMT

We spend a lot of our time in the kitchen: preparing meals, washing dishes, visiting, baking. The kitchen is also a key area for energy consumption...and a key area for energy conservation!

Avoid using paper towel, and opt for a fabric cloth instead. If needing paper towel, choose one with a stronger composition, as you will need to use less.

When purchasing paper towel, look for smaller sheet sizes and more absorbancy, so that less can be used to clean up more.

Wait until the dishwasher is full before running it, which will save water and power.

Look for concentrated dish cleaners, as you will use less product per dishwashing session.

When running water, avoid turning the taps on fully. The faster the water flows, the more that is wasted.

Rather than running the water each time a dish needs to be rinsed, fill the second sink with a small amount of hot water.

Cool water in the fridge rather than letting the tap run. Added benefit: if water sits in the firdge for 24 hours uncapped, the chlorine will evaporate.

After boiling vegetables, use the water for soup bases; or allow it to cool, then use it to water plants in the garden or flower bed.

Start a compost bin with vegetable peelings, fruit cores, etc., which can then be used in the garden and flower beds to nourish the soil.

Rather than drain the last of the wine bottle down the sink, pour into ice cube trays and freeze. When needing wine for cooking, use your wine cubes!

Ice-free fridges and freezers take less energy to run.

Use a Brita pitcher, which can replace up to 300 500mL plastic bottles on the first filter.

Tanya

Going Green: Living Green Around Your Home

668781 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:43:00 GMT

Throughout the home, there are a variety of ways you can Go Green and not only start saving the environment, but also start saving money!

Turning off lights and appliances that are not currently being used will reduce energy consumption and save you money.

Unplugging appliances that are not being used will also reduce energy consumption that isn't even noticed, as most electronics with a remote don't have a true "off" switch, and are actually remaining on "standby" and still drawing power.

Screensavers use as much energy as the computer actually being on, so power down at the end of each day or usage session.

Avoid printing everything sent to you to reduce the amount of paper being used in the home. If printing is needed, ensure you recycle the paper in the future.

Mobiles and iPods only take a few hours to charge, so save energy by not setting them to charge overnight.

Save energy and turn your heat down at night. Your core body temperature will naturally drop a bit, and your covers provide insulation.

Regularly check your furnace filters to ensure they are clean. Dirty filters will require more energy and increase heating bills.

Close your curtains to keep the heat out during the summer and the heat in during the winter.

Install window and door sealers, weatherstripping, and caulking to prevent heat loss.

Paints that are low in (or have no) VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) are healthier for the environment.

Change current lightbulbs over to CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs), which use 75% less electricity than traditional ones and last years longer.

Recycle products like bottles, cans, computers, packing peanuts, electronics, metals, paper, etc. for a refund rather than throwing them into landfills.

One person's junk is another person's treasure, so consider donating or selling furniture, clothes, or other possessions rather than throwing them out.

Using gift bags rather than wrapping paper will cut down on the amount of trees being cut down, as well as makes it easy to wrap those special gifts.

Tanya

Washing Veggies.jpg

668781 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:56:00 GMT

Living Green: Going Green in the Bathroom

668781 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:52:00 GMT

Bathrooms can be one place in the home that we use a lot of water, which can mean expensive utility bills and stress on water supplies and our enviroment. Here are some ways to reduce that pressure all around:

Low-flow water fixtures will reduce the amount of water being used for general hygiene.

Installing water-saving showerheads, toilets, and faucets will mean less water consumption, saving you money, and reducing water waste.

Turning off the taps when brushing teeth, shaving, or lathering in the shower can significantly reduce water consumption.

When running water, avoid turning the taps on fully. The faster the water flows, the more that is wasted.

Showers can use up to 10L of water per session. Shaving off a few minutes can save a lot of water over time.

Bathroom tissue that comes in the Mega Rolls will reduce the number of cardboard cores being used, as well as reduce the number of times they need changing.

Look for an all-purpose cleaner that will tackle all surfaces, as it will mean fewer need to be purchased, reducing cost and extra containers.

Home cleaners: baking soda is a deodorizer and cleaner; vinegar kills mold and bacteria; lemons make glass surfaces sparkle.

Tanya

Going Green: Tips for Living Green in Your Yard

668781 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:36:00 GMT

Your yard is likely the greenest area you own - at least in terms of colour! There are ways, though, that it might not be the "Greenest" area. Here are some tips and considerations when tackling that Spring yard work:

Avoid using pesticides in the garden. They may kill unwanted insects, but they also alter the composition of the produce and can harm pets and children.

Avoid harsh insecticides as well - since ants can taste with feeling senses, try adding cayenne or lemon juice to affected areas to encourage them to move elsewhere.

Mow your lawn when it is dry, then let the clippings remain on the grass. They will decompose and feed your lawn, preventing the need for fertilizers.

Opt for less lawn, which means less watering. Replace lawn with rock gardens, flower beds, stone walkways. They are aesthetic and the butterflies love them!

Reuse old containers by converting them into plant holders.

Old bricks can be used to create borders around flowers and gardens.

When purchasing yard lights, consider the solar-powered variety that will save you energy and money, yet still illuminate your yard.

Set up a clothes line. Electric dryers are one of the most energy inefficient appliances.

Enjoy being outside and living green! :)

Tanya