Saturday, June 28, 2008

Rechargeable Battery Testing

courtesy Groovy Green

Rechargeable Battery Testing

Popphoto has published a good comparison of rechargable AA batteries, testing them on digital cameras to see which were able to hold the biggest charge and which performed the best. They were also compared by charger type and against traditional "disposable" batteries* .

battery comparison

It’s uncertain whether these values will translate into optimal performance for your gadget or flashlight, but click the photo or link above to check out their results.

*Please don’t throw away batteries. Check with your trash/recycling hauler or local stores, many of which now will take your dead batteries in free of charge (no pun intended!).

Friday, June 27, 2008

Trash is more than a problem in the UK

Take Out the Trash Precisely, Now. It’s the Law.

By SARAH LYALL

Published: June 27, 2008
WHITEHAVEN, England — The citizens of Whitehaven try, really they do. They separate out their cans, their paper, their cardboard and their glass, and they recycle them all. They compost. They jump up and down on their trash to cram it into their government-issued garbage cans, and they put the trash out for collection at exactly 7 a.m., twice a month. (Thanks John!)

Thursday, June 26, 2008

They Say Reading is The Best Form Of Knowlege (not really)

Ignoring the terrible title, I will attempt to share with you a cool new website for used books in Rhode Island. In case you didn't want to scroll through their description, the site is MARIAB.
In their own words:

Founded in 1976, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers, Inc. (MARIAB) has now grown to include over 130 members.

The organization's members include bookselling firms founded as early as 1825. Our booksellers offer books from the 16th through the 21st Centuries, plus broadsides, maps, manuscripts, prints and ephemera. You can find an index of specialties on this site. Many of our members also purchase books and other material, and you are invited to contact them directly.

Some members also offer services such as appraisals, book searches or collection development assistance to individuals and institutions; and some issue occasional lists or catalogues. The listings in our directory include booksellers who conduct business in open or group shops, by appointment, and by mail order. All members subscribe to the organization's Code of Ethics. If you own a Massachusetts or Rhode Island based book business and would like to learn more about MARIAB Membership, please contact the Membership Chair.

Every year, we publish a handy, glove box sized directory of our members, including contact information and an index of dealer specialties. The directory is available at most member shops, or you can request a copy by mail .


Picking The Right Compact Fluorescent Light For Every Room of Your Home [Lighting]

from Gizmodo
Picking The Right Compact Fluorescent Light For Every Room of Your Home

We have all heard about how it pays to go green when you ditch your power guzzling incandescent bulbs for money saving, eco-friendly CFLs—but have you given any thought to what type of CFLs work best in a particular room? Wired has, which is why they came up with a guide that covers the best lighting solutions for reading, brushing your teeth and the all-important "business time." Hit the link for the full list. [Wired]

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Garden Plots

I had no idea this existed, but, apparently it does:

Hi, UGers[See Post On Urban Greens].

There are three community garden plots available NOW at WBNA's Bridgham St. Community Garden (at the corner of Bridgham and Westminster) . The plots are 4'x16' each.

Are you or someone you know interested in a plot? The basic deal is this:

* $35 annual fee payable to WBNA
* No chemical fertilizers or pesticides allowed
* Gardeners all pitch in to maintain and improve common areas
* Gardeners are responsible for planting their plot ASAP, maintaining it throughout the season, and cleaning up/bedding down the plot in the fall

It would be great to have these plots in use by the next week or so. Please forward the message and get back to me ASAP if you are interested! I'm happy to answer any questions.

-Rachel

Those interested in this may contact her at r.n.greeneATgmailDOTcom

12 Creative Ways to Recycle Wooden Pallets- Life Hackery

courtesy Life Hackery
12 Creative Ways to Recycle Wooden Pallets

Have you ever seen wooden pallets sitting outside of a commercial building? Have you ever wondered what happens to them?

In some cases, the pallets are recycled or sold to someone who can use them. A lot of the time, though, they end up in the garbage - approximately 150 million of them per year. Wooden pallets are a massive drain on resources and a huge burden on the waste disposal system.

So why not give them a new life? Some businesses are happy to get rid of their wooden pallets. If they normally pay to have them hauled to the landfill, they will be happy for you to take the pallets for no charge.

What can you do with pallets? Realistically, they aren’t the highest quality wood you’ll ever find. However, they are good enough for inexpensive furniture and decorations when you can’t afford to buy pre-made…or if you’re a believer in the dorm-room school of design.

Below, we’ve gathered our favorite links that will give you new and interesting ways to use those wooden pallets. Some of these projects may not be appropriate for certain climates. If you are thinking of using wood obtained from pallets for an outside project, be sure to treat the wood first to protect it from the elements.

1. Keep the good critters in and the bad critters out: build a pallet fence.

2. Make an inexpensive shed for storage.

pallet birdhouse

3. Earn some money while you’re recycling! Make these rustic bird houses.

4. Need a temporary emergency shelter? Here’s now to make one from discarded pallets.

5. Get control of your compost heap with this excellent compost bin using pallets and a few inexpensive pieces of hardware.

6. Make some almost-free planters for your gardening endeavors.

pallet chicken coop

7. Build a chicken coop to house those unruly little cluckers.

8. If the pallets are made of untreated wood, use them as a free fuel your indoor or outdoor fire.

9. Not into gardening, animal keeping, or burning stuff? Make some unique and beautiful art with your pallets.

10. Make an attractive table for your home! Or try this one or this one.

11. Don’t spend big money on an expensive computer desk. Just build your own from discarded pallets!

12. Put them on the ground outside to keep plants or firewood elevated.

These are just a few of the many creative uses for old wooden pallets. Do you know of any other bright ideas to keep pallets out of landfills and make something useful and/or beautiful? Let us know below in the comments!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The Cloth Bag Project

Taken from our website:

Right now, this project is in the beginning stages. This is the email sent out to begin the project:After reading this(http://www.greenbaglady.blogspot.com/) inspiring blog about a woman who is giving out free fabric bags to anyone who wants one, I decided to try the same thing with our city of Providence, RI. Kathleen over at RRIE(http://rrie.org/) might be able to provide the fabric. I have several contacts at RISD and Brown who may be able to organize students for the sewing(Andrea has connections with sewers). If this sounds like a project that you might be interesting in participating in please contact me and we can organize. The bulk of my idea is to hand out bags created by students to the citizens of Providence. Bags may be able to be distributed at WaterFire and Whole Foods. Ideas and comments on this seed are very much appreciated. Thank you.

New Site

If you didn't come from our new site go now! ProvidenceGreen.com

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Origin

Providence Green is a community growing to help mother earth stay clean. We begin projects that encourage recycling, reusing and awareness of being taking care of the environment. Thank you.