http://www.greenerversion.com/todays_blog.php Todays Versions Blog RSS en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:55:24 EDT admin@greenerversion.com admin@greenerversion.com http://www.greenerversion.com/images/inner_greener_logo.gif http://www.greenerversion.com 2008-07-22 21:59:18 As you are aware, the main purpose of Greenerversion is to provide a database of 'greener' alternatives to everyday products. What you may not be aware of is that you (yes YOU) are able to add your own greener versions to the site. Here are the simple instructions to add your own versions to the site: 1. Become a Green Bastard 2. Log-In once your registration is active. 3. Click on My Products, followed by Add Product. 4. First enter the greener product and details followed by the conventional product (the 'less' green choice).  5. Upload product pictures and coupon links (if applicable). 6. Hit submit. 7. The new product will be activated and promoted to the site within 4 hours. Our go

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=25 2008-07-17 16:54:14 Earlier this month, famed Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens publicly announced his Plan to reduce America's foreign dependancy on Oil. Based on information from his website, the U.S. is currently importing 70% of it's Oil requirements. Another startling statistic mentioned on his site is that the U.S. uses approximately 25% of the World's daily Oil production, even though the U.S. represents only 4% of the World's population. Here are the general goals of Picken's Plan: - Currently, 22% of the Country's electricity needs are provided by Natural Gas. Pickens is lobbying politicians to focus their energy on promoting Wind Power development from a corridor that stretches from the Texas Panhandle to North Dakota - The Plan contemplates using Wind Power to satisfy the 22% current requ

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=24 2008-07-02 21:55:20 Due to the fact that I am on the road four days per week, I have accumulated my fair share of parking tickets. Based on each municipalities rules I probably deserved each and every one, but I had a problem dealing with each and every one. Other than making sure vehicles are not parked in front of fire hydrants, exits or causing unnecessary traffic delays, parking should be free on almost all streets. Instead of relying on parking meter violations to build their current accounts, municipalities should instead turn the focus of their Parking Meter Soldiers (Commissionaires in London, Ontario) from catching parking violators to catching energy wasters. I was returing home from out of town late last Wednesday, and was entering our City in a largely industrial area. While driving I noticed a huge demonstration of wasted energy. Most of the plants and facilities I passed on my way home had left the majority of their lights in their offices on, in addition, most of their very empty

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=21 2008-06-09 21:03:47 Along with the growing trend of going green, many people are looking past household items and their automobiles and choosing investment products that suit their socially conscious priorities. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is a hot trend in North America with total invested assets in socially conscious investments (mainly Mutual Funds) totaling over 2.4 Trillion Dollars (source: Jantzi Research). What exactly is Socially Responsible Investing? The main focus of SRI is to seek out suitable investments that are able to deliver the desired financial returns while affecting positive social change. The problem with such a general definition is that it can lead to liberal interpretation and possible missuse. However, there are some commonalities among most SRI Mutual Funds, such as the exclusion of any security in a portfolio from the following industries: alcohol gaming

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=20 2008-06-02 23:32:12 The focus of Greenerversion is to slowly but surely influence our collective purchasing habits to help create a more sustainable economy and planet. Within the last eighteen months, a book was published which sought to educate the public on the real impact of our choices on the environment, and the dangerous side effects of the Global economy. This book, The 100 Mile Diet, is a first hand account of two people's (Alisa Smith & J.B. Mackinnon) journey to only consume foods produced within a 100 miles radius of their home for one full year. The book follows the trials and tribulations of this experiment in local consumption, but it also serves as a sobering account of the real impact our convenience lifestyle has had on our environment. The most startling fact presented in this book is that the average food product travels a distance of 1500 miles from farm to plate in it's lifecycle. Facts like these serve not only as a wake up call, but also as a sel

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=19 2008-05-20 22:46:28 The headline itself causes a reaction, and based on experience it is usually a negative one. The library represents all that is right in the world; Order, Freedom, Ambition, Solitude etc. As our world becomes more digital, I have to pose the question - will libraries ever become obsolete? When I have the time, there is nothing I like more than reading a good book or magazine. The reason I enjoy reading is not the physical act of holding a five hundred page novel, it is due to curiousity and pursuit of knowledge. Over the past four years, I have gradually replaced a large amount of daily newspapers, monthly magazines and other reading material with a even larger supply of online information (I have not taken the leap and purchased an E Book Reader, but my intention is to do so by the end of this year). What do I enjoy most about opting for online information instead of paper based media? Here is my list: Convenience - If I wanted to find ou

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=18 2008-05-11 22:40:43 My whole weekend was spent landscaping, and it got me thinking about more ways to reduce our environmental impact without having to sacrifice the the look of a well groomed property. I looked around at many houses in our neighbourhood and realized that one of the most important features of almost every property were trees. We are lucky to live in an older area of our city with many mature trees lining our streets (the nickname of our city is the "Forest City). Here is some important inofrmation regarding trees which you may or may not be aware of: The average tree can absord 13 pounds of CO2 per year For every ton of new wood that grows, about 1.5 tons of CO2 are removed from the air, and 1.07 tons of oxygen are produced During a 50 year life span, one tree will generate $30,000 worth of oxygen, remove $60,000 of air pollution, and recycle $35,000 of water. This means the average tree during it's lifecycle is

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=17 2008-05-05 23:25:15 With more and more people trying their hand at personal energy production, it is becoming more likely that we may see De-Centralized Power sometime before I die (sometime in the next 50-60 years- hopefully). What is De-Centralized power you ask? It is simply generating enough energy through renewable sources to fulfill all your personal energy requirements. For residential consumers, due to huge advances in Solar and Battery technology, de-centralized power would mean stopping our reliance on massive power plants that require huge investments and may output more than power (pollution etc.). Another important step in de-centralized power is price. The price of residential solar panels and wind turbines have dropped substantially over the past decade - while improving in efficiency. This is due to higher demand for these products, which has lead to massive investments in these areas. Many of the preminent Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms have

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=16 2008-04-22 22:11:59 I think it is great that everyone and their cousin knew about Earth Day today. I have never seen such activity during a work week devoted to cleaning up our act. On the flip side, I have never heard so many whiners in all my life. It wasn't the hard-nosed climate-hating conservatives who were doing all the whining, it was the hard-nosed tree-hugging environmentalists. Now that 'going green' has become so popular, the once brilliant lustre has dulled somewhat in the eyes of portions of the environmental faithful. It is my belief that many of today's brightest environmental activists were attracted to this movement due to it's lack of acceptance in society in the past . In general terms some of these people simply wanted to be different, and now they aren't that different at all. All day today I listened to various radio shows who had numerous people as guests or 'call-ins' complain that the green movement has become to commercial, and that many people are usi

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=15 2008-04-12 07:44:31 According to recent statistics , our collective recycling efforts have increased dramatically (especially in the last 5 years). This is encouraging news since it is diverting millions of pounds of recycleable waste away from our landfills. This definitely points to a brighter future, but what about the past. Think about the decades gone by, and all that Tin, Aluminum, Plastic and Glass thrown in garbage bags, and subsequently buried underground. Think about all that valuable compostable waste that could be providing nutirents for our plants, trees etc. Could it be that our landfills are the Mines of the future?  This suggestion may seem far-fetched at present time, but this suggestion could become reality in the not to distant future. Think about it, companies spend trillions of dollars to squeeze every last  drop of oil out of the ground, why not spend some dollars to investyigate methods of was

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=14 2008-04-05 08:54:40 When the Duke Blue Devils left the floor at this year's NCAA basketball tournament, you probably thought they were simply outplayed - you are so wrong it hurts. The staff at Greenerversion have uncovered the truth to Duke's early exit this year. An unnamed source close to the team has provided detailed information which proves that the team just felt plain guilty about the huge Carbon Footprint caused by all the travelling throughout the year. In other words, they purposely lost their final game versus West Virginia. Early this year, Duke launched a new campaign to rally students, staff and alumni to reduce their collective impact on the environment, this campaign called "Bleed Blue. Live Green" was a huge success. Ever since that campai

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=13 2008-04-01 19:35:55 Slowly but surely our lives are becoming more green each day. It is refreshing to see more and more companies launching marketing campaigns centred around efforts to reduce their environmental impact. Whether it is more environmentally friendly product alternatives, or simply energy saving technology used in plants around the world times are a changin'. Some may argue that it is just clever marketing, I would argue that it does not matter – we are all being bombarded everyday with multiple ‘green’ messages. These messages can’t help but sink in. These messages are being sent to exact people that control our economies – the consumer. Slowly but surely, companies which don’t do their part for the environment will be squeezed out, and new and more eco-friendly companies will rise up. What I am suggesting is a symbiotic relationship where capitalism and eco-consciousness can exist together. This perceived utopia will

]]> http://www.greenerversion.com/blog_details.php?blog_id=12 2008-03-26 19:41:22 We are right smack in the middle of a turning point in the history of the place we like to call home – Earth. We are now beginning to see the effects of the efficient and convenient lifestyles we have all become used to. These habits that have provided so much enjoyment are the same habits that will cause us and the Earth nothing but despair in the future. Greenerversion is our small part of the puzzle we call change. Our goal is to slowly but definitively shape the habits of each loyal visitor to this site. How will we do so you ask? With your help and a good measure of effort! The main
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