Avoid idling your car. We know: It’s cold, you’re waiting to pick someone up, they’re late, and you don’t want to turn off the car and get out, or you can’t park it, or both.

Sometimes it seems easier to sit in that car with the motor on. But the next time you’re tempted to idle, keep this action in mind. That’s all we ask: avoid idling. Not: don’t idle your car under any circumstances! Simply think twice about it, even if you don’t own a car but use one sometimes. Even if you ride in a taxi or an airport shuttle occasionally—and, for example, you notice the driver has the engine running in seasonable weather, with his window open. This way, you’re informed. And you can add 20 points to your score!

Of course, if you have an electric car you can idle all you want. Right?

Idling is a common—and unfortunate—practice among drivers, although there is little evidence that it has any benefit. Some people claim that idling in the winter is good for warming up your vehicle, but gently driving your vehicle will warm up it up much faster than letting it idle.

Others claim that it takes more fuel to start your vehicle than to let it idle for a minute. This is a myth; according to the Department of Energy, the fuel used to start your vehicle is equivalent to amount of fuel your vehicle uses when it idles for a few seconds. When your vehicle idles, it gets zero miles per gallon.

Idling also pollutes. There are schools that have adopted idle-free zones for dropping-off or picking-up kids so they won’t be inhaling that much exhaust—both inside and outside idling vehicles.

Reduce unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions by turning off your car if you’re going to be stopped for more than ten seconds.

During winter, try idling for ten seconds, then start gently driving to your destination.

Consider asking your school or local business district to adopt an idle-free zone.

• California Energy Commission: Idling Your Car
• SierraClub.org: Green Your Driving Habits–Don’t Idle
• Portland Bureau Of Transportation: Please Don’t Idle Near School
• FuelEconomy.gov: Many Factors Affect MPG

How long do you typically spend in the shower? Is 5 minutes enough time to get cleaned up? Read on. We know of a few gadgets and even a bunch of songs that can make this an easy switch. And at 20 points, this action is obviously one worth bothering about.

Taking shorter showers is an easy way to significantly reduce your water usage. The average shower length in America is approximately eight minutes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, standard pre 1992 showerheads use over five gallons of water per minute, while standard post 1992 showerheads and low flow showerheads average one and a half to two and a half gallons per minute.

By cutting your shower time to five minutes, you’ll effectively save five to fifteen gallons per shower. This can add up to thousands of gallons saved per year for just one person. Get the whole family involved and you’re like a team of water warriors.

Efficient water use allows more to remain in the ground or in a reservoir, which in turn helps maintain a healthier ecosystem by supporting wildlife and preserving H20 for future use. Even if you live in a place where it rains a lot, there may be a drought. At least 36 states expect shortages in the next five years.

Taking shorter showers will also save you money on water, heating, and sewer bills.

Keep track of your shower time. Set your watch alarm, use a kitchen timer, listen to two songs on the radio, or install a shower timer. Up the ante by turning the shower off while you shave, shampoo, or soap up.

Some devices automatically shut off the water after five minutes and won’t allow it back on for a set period of time. No cheating allowed.

To save more H20, don’t shower daily if you don’t need to.

Unilever Shower Ballad Unilever’s clever–and free–tool helps keep showers short. Visit their Facebook page, select your target shower time and music preference–wake up or chill out–and they’ll find your song. Press play and “sing yourself to a greener clean” until the music stops and time is up.

Five Minute Shower Timer This shower timer keeps it simple–and battery-free! Simply stick it to the wall, flip the hour glass, and when the all the sand slips through, your five minutes are up. Word is though that the suction function is not that reliable, so you might need to get crafty.

Water Droplet Shower Timer This digital shower timer is battery operated and beeps when your set time is up. The manufacturer says the strong suction cup will hold fast to any non-porous surface in your bathroom even the shower since it is steam and water proof.

Ripple Water Saving Timers Get the kids in on the short shower wave with these fun, practical shower times. The water proof digital shower timer sticks to the wall and displays a real time clock with an easy-to-program count down timer that beeps when shower time is up.

Envirosax 4 Minute Timer Keep it simple with this basic hourglass timer–sands take four minutes to run their course, so your shower should follow suit. Bonus! With any Graphic Series Pouch, Envirosax will throw in a free timer to help encourage households to conserve water and energy.

The news of Chevy Volts catching on fire does not encourage us to buy one any time soon – regardless of GM’s buy-back offer. We hope it’s an easily fixable glitch (anyone know how to fix a battery-coolant leak?), because the idea of being able to plug in instead of fill up is extremely appealing.

Purchase an electric vehicle

Click here for all of Practically Green’s Green Car actions.

We asked Jeff Evanson of Tesla for the big picture. Jeff’s a former race-car driver. Do these early days of electric-vehicle (EV) development remind him of the early days of aviation, when the Wright brothers et al crashed into cow fields and could not seem to get off the ground?

“It’s not really like aviation,” he explained, “because we’re transforming an existing industry.” It’s more like the invention of the iPhone, which has revolutionized handheld communications and so much more. Tesla launched a two-seat roadster in 2008 at an exorbitant price, and the strategy worked: it’s sold out and is being driven mainly by celebrities and other high-end types. “We wanted to prove that EVs don’t have to drive like a golf cart.”

Assuming electric cars are safe – and Jeff assures us they are – what is so great about EVs?

• they don’t use a drop of gasoline: they plug in
• cost of gasoline: zero
• emissions: zero
• cost of maintenance is also likely to be less, because there’s much less to break: “there are practically no parts replacements, no hot boiling pieces of metal under the hood; no bulky spark plugs…”

Battery range varies depending on the battery – and on factors like speed, cargo weight, climate control, and topography – it takes more oomph to drive uphill than on the flat. The Nissan Leaf can go for approximately 100 miles on a single charge; the Volt goes for 35 miles.

The Leaf has a partnership with SunPower solar for residential charging stations; this quick video is the simplest visualization we’ve seen of how the sun can easily power your EV.

We’ll confess a crush on the Tesla S series, made in the USA, coming in summer 2012. It ’s available with a range of 160, 230, or 300 miles. Model S will be able to be quick-charged – 150 miles in 30 minutes. (Here is the New York Times’ story about Tesla fast-charging.) The Tesla S will also cost significantly more than a Leaf or a Volt: $57,400, or $49,900 after a federal tax credit for green vehicles. Jeff compares the sedan to a BMW 5-series in size, except it has more cargo space because there’s no engine under the hood!

We spoke with Camille Ricketts at Tesla to find out what it’s like to work there. No, everyone doesn’t get a free roadster. But Camille and others who commute to the Palo Alto headquarters can do so in a shuttle van; they can order fresh produce to be delivered at the office; and employees bring their dirty laundry to work, where it’s sent to an eco-friendly dry-cleaning service.

Of course, before you buy a new vehicle, consider a pre-owned one. And if you take an EV for a test drive, please let us know how it goes!

I’ve recently been on a whirlwind tour of major cities in the US for Practically Green. Which, I know, is not very green. As half of this travel was on the West Coast (and we’re headquartered in Boston), eliminating the flying burden wasn’t really an option.  But I somewhat haphazardly decided that instead of jumping into a cab or renting a car, perhaps I could commit to trying out every other form of green ground transportation in the process. Yes, even in Los Angeles, that last city on this tour.

Knowing my Type A personality that could get a little over-zealous on this challenge, I did commit to three principles:

1.  I would not risk missing a flight or being embarrassingly late to a speaking engagement or client meeting for the sake of this green traveling challenge.  If time was unexpectedly tight, just suck it up and take a cab.

2.  If it was dark and I was alone, in an unfamiliar town/place, I would use good judgment about transportation choices and safety.

3.  Boston didn’t count. I live here.  I know the options.  Some work well (awesome ability to call for a hybrid taxi out of the line at Logan). Some not so great: public transportation from Newton to the airport at 4:30am.

With that, my first stop was Seattle, Washington. My birthplace. And a town not known historically for being super friendly to green transportation choices. Except that now it’s one of the greenest cities in the country and with that has come what might be my FAVORITE new train line in this country–the Central Link Light Rail, which opened in 2009.  It’s a bit of a walk from the terminal, but it whisks you right downtown and is extremely clean and light.  Had all my meetings and hotel been downtown, I would have been set.  Except I was having lunch on Capitol Hill, dinner in Mercer Lake and had meetings in Redmond the next day. Could I get to all of these–and back–on public transportation?  This is when I discovered that Google Transit is a green traveler’s best friend–and that Seattle’s bus system is really pretty good. I got to every destination with one transfer or less, the trips were on-time and I felt safe at all times. One city down, five to go!

Next stop was New York City and this is where I had to break the cab habit first.  In 10 years of living in New York City, I had never taken public transportation back and forth from LaGuardia or JFK. Which is, in hindsight, totally embarrassing. Fortunately, I was flying into JFK which has the awesome airtrain that connects you into one of two subway lines–the A or the E.  It also connects you to the Long Island Rail Road, which runs every 5-15 minutes during peak times.  The first trip, I tried the E.  It worked very well taking about 45 minutes from airport into the city.  The second flight in was on a Saturday and I tried the A.  That took forever—probably 1.5 hours–at least 20 of which was waiting for the A.  The third trip I tried the LIRR and that’s by far the fastest and easiest.  Will definitely choose that option from now on for the times I have to fly in. Once in Manhattan, the subway system is extensive and easy to navigate, if not extremely crowded at times.

Next stop:  Austin, TX.  This stop prompted one of the funnier responses to my attempts to navigate public transportation. I arrived extremely late and was staying near the airport so had the shared hotel shuttle to use that night.  However, the next day, I needed to get downtown. I asked the desk clerk whether I could get a train or bus into town and got back a completely blank stare.  ”A what?” she said.  ”A bus,” I said.  ”Oh–we don’t have those.”  Well, according to Google transit, yes they did. So I ended up taking the shuttle back to the airport and sure enough, for $1 I could take an Airport Flyer bus to a stop one block from my hotel. (For the record, Austin also has a train, but it doesn’t go to the airport).

Next stop: San Francisco.  Now this city has not just one, but TWO train systems. BART, which goes to the airports in Oakland and SF and the Metro, which goes around San Francisco.  And if the trains aren’t enough, there are also lots of Metro buses to get to and fro. However, San Francisco was also the scene of the first bailing due to being late. One $30 cab ride later, I was kicking myself for not planning better. Not only was green transportation better for the environment, but it was a ton better on my wallet!

Washington DC (Reagan National) came next and they win for “most convenient Metro stop to the airport terminal.” One thing I’d learned about all these public transportation options is that there is a trifecta for making it work as a business traveler: advance planning, flat shoes, and a light bag. I can’t figure out why it’s so hard to build these new stations closer to the terminals, but in many cases they are a 1/4 to 1/3 mile walk.  So you do need to be prepared to log some serious mileage. Except at National. Heels allowed.

So now, I’m five cities down and the last stop is the doozy–Los Angeles–the car capital of America–for Opportunity Green.  As our team was preparing a mobile application for the event, we asked several friends in LA about public transportation choices and the advice wasn’t particularly encouraging. Concerns were expressed about convenience and safety to the point where we questioned whether we should recommend it to attendees (we did), and I set out to see for myself. Google Transit directed me to the trains, but also said it would take close to 1.5 hours versus 16 minutes for driving. OK–that’s crazy.  Landing in LA, the information-counter guy warned me off the trains too.  But he explained that there was a non-stop, public bus called the FlyAway that would go to Union Station and from there, I could catch the LA Metro train to my hotel. Simple enough.

But now I needed to get to a meeting in Culver City and time was ticking—OK–resolution #1:  don’t be late.  So I asked the hotel for a taxi, preferably a hybrid.  I didn’t get a strange look at all and a few later, was whisked away in a hybrid. On the way home, I did take the bus back from Culver City to downtown.  It was relatively easy to navigate, fast and efficient, but as darkness started to fall, I will admit that it came the closest to feeling risky.

Six cities later, I am very encouraged about the improvements in public transportation in the major cities of America, at least for tourists and business travelers. Admittedly, it’s not Norway or China with rapid transit right into the terminal. And if it were not for Google Transit and nice people at airport information counters, it would be extremely challenging to figure it out. But armed with a smartphone and flat shoes, it is totally doable. It’s also fabulous on expenses. I estimate that I saved at least $500 in taxi and rental car costs for these six trips alone. Just think how much money an entire big company could save if their people were encouraged and motivated to use public transportation for conferences and other business travel! And for those people and companies tracking their footprints, the environmental impact quickly adds up.

If you are a member of Practically Green and want to green your business or personal travel, we’ve added a ton of new actions this fall to get you started:

Take public transportation between events

Walk or bike between events

Take a hybrid taxi or limo service

Share a ride to your hotel

Select a green hotel when traveling

Fly a greener airline

And now, for the record, I’m signing up for this action for the rest of the year: reduce unnecessary air travel with phone and video conferences. Happy Travels!

Commuting to work and school: what gets people to change their routines? Is it money, time, convenience, attitude? Something else? How do you launch a new habit?

I suspect it’s different for all of us.

Personally, there’s an internal conversation between the lame, stuck-in-her-rut Sarah and the creative, can-do Sarah.

Last night before bed:

Sarah: I really should go have that flu shot I’ve been meaning to get. Tomorrow morning first thing is a good time.

Lame Sarah: But how will you do that and continue on your new bike-to-work routine? You don’t even know if there are bike racks at the clinic! You don’t have a lock! You’ve never done this before!

Can-do Sarah: Bring the bike inside with you, L.S. You KNOW there’s access for wheelchairs and strollers at the clinic. Why not?

Why not indeed! Voila: me exiting the clinic with my bike:

I asked Megan Ramey, biker extraordinaire of A Better City, to share her professional perspective on changing commuter habits. After all, she spends her days coming up with ways to encourage an entire metro-region to change:

There are two important considerations regarding commuter mode shifting:  1) it’s a solo venture and 2) we are creatures of habit.  So unfortunately, it’s not the incentives like health, efficiency, time, community and money that cause a mode shift, it’s the large barriers like traffic, train delays, gas prices, congestion tolls, totaling your car (my case as an undergraduate student); or large lifestyle changes like moving to a new city or changing jobs.  The incentives work well to reinforce the good habit and influence future lifestyle change decisions, but ultimately the barriers are what disrupt the bad behavior and routine and force the person to try alternatives.

Note: In Boston, we are enjoying an amazing new bike-sharing program called Hubway. Powered by Alta bikes, Hubway has racks of tough bikes at convenient locations all around town. You can check the map displayed at every rack, take a bike for part of your trip. Train/bus/subway commuters can pick up a bike at South Station, for example, and ride over to a rack near the office or school, then walk the rest of the way.

This map shows my route from home (Start: walk to pick-up bike rack H); ride to flu shot clinic; ride to deposit bike rack H; walk across the bridge to the office (Finish). It’s not a straight line, one-mode solution, but it was fun, interesting, efficient — I got my errand done — AND I earned a bunch of Practically Green points! Click here for the Low Car Diet: http://practicallygreen.com/actions/low-car-diet.

New York City plans to launch its bike sharing program next summer. The San Francisco Bay Area won’t be far behind. Chicago, Miami, and Washington D.C. are already rolling.

So think about it: Could you bike for some of your errands, or for part of your commute?

If you live in Georgia, and especially if you work in the metro-Atlanta area, you probably know about The Clean Air Campaign. The Clean Air Campaign works with commuters and employers such as Coca-Cola, UPS, Aflac, and hundreds more to reward employees for kicking the ‘drive-alone’ habit.

In the past 10 years, more than 32,000 Georgians have participated in the Cash for Commuters program, one of just a few rewards programs the non-profit offers. Click here for details and here for a sample application.

While we don’t offer cash at Practically Green, we do award mega-points and badges for changes like these ones:

Walk to work regularly (200 points)

Take public transportation to work regularly (150 points)

Carpool to work regularly (100 points)

Bike to work regularly (200 points)

Carpool to school one day a week (50 points)

We even have a Low Car Diet! http://practicallygreen.com/actions/low-car-diet

October 24-28 is Clean Commute Week, which encourages students throughout the state to get to class by bus, bike, on foot, or via carpool. To date, The Clean Air Campaign’s Clean Air Schools program has worked with more than 300 schools in 30 counties throughout Georgia … impressive. You can follow the progress of Clean Commute Week on Facebook.

We were curious about how the Clean Air Campaign got started, so we called its (aptly named) Director of Communications, Brian Carr. It turns out that the Atlanta Olympics were the catalyst, in 1996:

“We were focused on the twin problems of extreme traffic congestion and poor air quality in Atlanta,” Carr explains. “We were worried about millions of people visiting: the athletes, dignitaries, VIPs, and about our citizens, who were already having a tough time commuting to work. A diverse group of private-sector and public entities emerged to solve the problem – the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the Department of Transportation, the Sierra Club, Georgia Power, Georgia Pacific, a number of businesses downtown – all trying to address it. It was remarkable — and it was ironic, frankly — because some of these groups were suing each other, but they wanted to collaborate, to do something about the link between transportation and air quality challenges.”

The Clean Air Campaign was born, a non-profit supported by all of them.

“We came up with ways for people not to have to come downtown to work while the Olympics were going on. It was a huge success: during those three weeks commuter traffic declined and the air quality improved substantially. The number of emergency room visits related to lung, breathing issues dropped 37 percent. From there we established the financial incentives program and we showed that habits could be made to stick, that the white-knuckled single-person commute didn’t have to be the norm. We consult with our partners, really listen to them, and we develop benefits to commuters that employers can call their own.”

Telework is another impactful strategy. Luiz Montoro, project manager for Coca-Cola, is a fan:

According to the 2010 Metro Atlanta Regional Commuter Survey, teleworking has overtaken carpooling as the number-one commute alternative … more than 600,000 metro Atlantans telework at least occasionally, a 20 percent increase since the last survey in 2007.

Why?

Some employers may be motivated by the fact that Atlanta loses $2.7 billion annually in productivity due to traffic congestion, and that the average Atlanta household spends more on transportation costs than on food. Numbers like that tend to grab your attention.

They sure do! Check out The Clean Air Campaign’s website for calculators, resources, checklists, and other tools for employers, commuters, and schools. All of these are free of charge.

http://www.cleanaircampaign.org

Follow them on Twitter @CleanAirGA

Meet Lori Alper: blogger, lawyer, mother – and passionate traveler. Here she is with her family in Paris, sigh. We asked for Lori’s Green Family Travel Tips and she doesn’t disappoint — her post hits on 8+ PG actions. Enjoy!

Fly non-stop rather than connect 20 points

Fly one of the top green airlines 5 points

Bring a reusable water bottle 10 points

Low-car diet 5 to 200 points

Keep your showers short 20 points

Shut off the water when brushing teeth 10 points

Turn off the lights when you leave a room 10 points

Contribute to the local community/economy 10 to 50 points

And we just had to add this one, partly because we loathe the red-eye and also because it’s worth a surprising 50 points:

Fly during the day, and not at night

*        *       *       *       *

10 Tips for a Green Family Travel, by Lori Alper

Traveling has always been in my blood. It began when I was very young. I took my first plane ride when my family packed up and moved from New York to Wisconsin. I spent most school vacations traveling by plane to visit my grandparents in Florida. Now living in Boston, traveling has remained an important part of my life. I travel with my family for vacation and to visit cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles that live in far off places.

As a self-proclaimed “greenie” I have given a lot of thought to my frequent travels. I know that the most eco friendly means of travel is to stay put or to travel by foot, bicycle or public transportation. When we stay local this works. But for long distance travel we need a plane. Fortunately, there are many ways us eco-aware tourists can make our travels green.

10 Tips for a Green Family Travel

Eco friendly skies

1. Fly non-stop. Thankfully new non-stop flights are popping up to more remote locations. Flying non-stop reduces carbon emissions since much of the fuel burned on airplanes occurs during take-off and landing.
2. Fly one of the top green airlines. Practically Green has a great list of airlines that have made an effort to reduce their impact on the earth.
3. Use a mobile boarding pass. This will save many trees from being used as paper. The only problem I have found with mobile boarding passes is that each family member needs to have a smart phone to download their pass. My young children don’t have their own phones so I haven’t been able to use this feature when traveling with my family.
4. Reduce waste. Sometimes when I travel all of my green habits are thrown by the wayside. I have been making a conscious effort to bring along my reusable water bottle. Although it can’t be filled when going through security it is nice to have along for the trip. I pack it empty and fill it later. I always try to avoid buying plastic bottles of water-they create waste and the plastic is harmful.
5. Once you’re there take public transportation, walk, or bike whenever possible. By choosing public forms of transportation you will keep your carbon footprint to a minimum. Sometimes there’s no better way to see a city then to walk or cycle.

The hotel

1. Find a hotel with sustainable practices. Hotels throughout the world are becoming more and more eco friendly, but some are doing a better job than others.  Before you book a hotel room check with a hotel rating site like Eco Hotels of the World, and find places to stay that take environmental issues into consideration.
2. Take advantage of the linen reuse program at hotels. Many hotels offer these programs to guests, encouraging them to reuse towels and linens. This on average saves the hotel 11 to 17 percent on hot water and sewer costs.  Although the hotel is directly saving money, this program has a large environmental impact by reducing the amount of water needed and detergent used.
3. Keep your showers short, and shut off the water while you’re brushing your teeth.
4. When you leave your hotel room don’t forget to turn off the lights, air conditioning/heat and television.

One more green travel tip: Contribute to the local community. Wherever you are, make an effort to shop at local markets and use local businesses. Buy local, seasonal product rather than imported products.

The good news is these tips are incredibly easy and don’t require much effort or sacrifice when traveling.

Are any of these tips already part of your family travel? How do you make your travel green?

Author note:  Lori Popkewitz Alper is the founder and editor-in-chief of Groovy Green Livin, a site dedicated to sharing simple green living tips and current information on sustainable living with individuals, families, schools and businesses. Connect with Lori and Groovy Green Livin on Facebook /Groovy Green Livin, via Twitter @groovygreenlivi.

Sign up for a car-sharing program

Stressed by your commute? Want to liberate yourself from the expenses and hassle of owning a car? Conscious of noxious fumes in the air? Do you really NEED your own car? Want to test a cool new low-fuel alternative?

My own experience with Zipcar has been magical. The most cumbersome part was the one-time sign-up process, but I suppose a relatively careful driver check is a good idea — especially since ZipCar provides complimentary gas and insurance coverage! Choose your vehicle and pick-up location online, and — amazing to me — the car is THERE as promised, and ready for you!

Zipcar offers vehicles in hundreds of locations: http://www.zipcar.com/find-cars/

If you’re a college student – or faculty, employee, or simply live in the neighborhood – chances are you have Zipcar or another car-sharing service close by. (Join ZipcarU on Facebook here.) And starting today, vehicle choices include a new fleet of Ford Focus and Escape vehicles at discounted rates. Bill Ford has been interested in traffic-congestion solutions for decades, and Zipcar convinced him that a partnership made sense:

“It’s a great way to reach these first-time drivers,” Mr. Ford said. “And the data shows that the No. 1 reason people leave Zipcar is to buy a vehicle, and that they are heavily influenced by what they have driven as a member.”

“Millennials appear to have developed a very different view of the automobile. Access and convenience are their top priorities, meaning that Zipcar and its alliances with companies such as Ford can deliver what they want easily, affordably and with the technology and sustainability they truly value,” said Zipcar chairman and CEO Scott Griffith.

Are you a Zipcar member? How do you like it? Do you have another idea to make transportation more convenient — and greener?

99% of Practically Green’s registered users already use reusable shopping bags.

Most have switched to a reusable coffee cup:

But bringing your own “people towel” on the go? To use instead of a paper towel or paper napkin when you’re at work or out and about? This is a novel idea – and it’s a good one!

“I know, checking your carbon offsets is a wonderful thing, but honestly I can’t really get into it,” says Linda Lannon, the Founder of People Towels. “I believe people want to do small, personal things that cumulatively add up.” Linda says bringing a reusable personal hand towel is the next popular eco-habit, “de rigueur for the savvy, eco-minded individual.”

It’s a new addition to the B.Y.O. roll call of eco-accessories: on-the-go, reusable personal hand towels designed to replace single use paper towels used outside the home. In Japan people do this all the time.  Remember, they’re living on an island and they’re really thoughtful about throwing garbage into landfills when they don’t have to…. most public rest rooms are not stocked with disposable paper towels. Personal hand towels are ubiquitous in Japan, where everyone from business men to school children carrying personal hand towels in public.

I clicked on over to PeopleTowels and ordered a set of very cute three feather-weight, organic cotton cloths. They have 25 designs to choose from. Now if I can just train myself to remember to take it out of my purse when I go to the ladies’ room! Grrr to Self: how long does it take for a positive habit to form? Linda says to chill: “It’s just a matter of getting used to it. Give yourself a chance!”

See our new Bring Your Own badge for 9 ideas on how to eliminate the use of single-use disposables, such as paper towels, napkins, plastic bags, and coffee cups. And, get a 15% discount code to order your own People Towels!

Pet-owners will want a stash to clean off damp paws:

Follow @PeopleTowels on Twitter, join them on Facebook/peopletowels.

View this quick video from the Daily Grommet and you’ll want to switch asap!

We’re celebrating On-the-Go summer actions and can’t think of a better guide than Megan Ramey, shown here biking to work with her daughter, who gets off at the first stop for childcare…. Check out these 7 biking actions – and their points! Megan gets 150 points on Practically Green for biking to work regularly!

“We’re a car-free family. This is how I function the best: using a bike for my transportation. It gives me peace of mind.”

Peace of mind? Biking in Boston, headquarters for extreme drivers? We asked Megan to please explain.

“Bike maintenance is so easy compared to auto maintenance. It’s not like a car that breaks down. Once you buy a bike, for maybe $400, you have a dependable means of transport. You’re in the fresh air. Second, it’s a built-in gym workout. I’ve lost 25 pounds over the course of five years. Third, it’s extremely easy to get around on a bike. I go door to door, don’t have to look for a parking pace. Don’t have to look for a gas station!”

What about blizzards? Thunderstorms?

“In bad weather I take the T.”

What about attire. This can be a challenge, right? Not for Megan:

“I don’t wear special clothing. I just think about it, don’t go too fast so I don’t get sweaty. I’m careful to stay four feet from car doors, I do not use roads that busses are on, and in Massachusetts it’s legal to take the lane. Google maps has a new biking option for directions, so it’s easy to figure out a route.”

Have to say we’re getting pretty interested. Maybe biking to work one day a week is possible.

More tips from Megan:

• The bike you ride is very important. You need a rack or a front basket – you do not want to carry stuff on your back because then you will get sweaty.

• Make sure you have a chain guard.
• And a bell.
• I ride a three-speed Phillips, it’s easy and durable.

“Hey, if you want to include some great resources for ‘on the go’ biking with kids: www.totcycle.com and www.2wheels1baby.blogspot.com.” {this is Megan’s blog}

What about helmet hair?

“Not a problem for me. I have a Bern helmet and it even has detachable earflaps for colder weather!”

Hmmm…. this crisp white one might be perfect for summer:

Psst to Megan, submit this product idea right on the action page!!    

Why not give it a try?

Okay, I just added Bike to work one day a week to my plan!!!!

What about you? Do you bike to work? To school? To shop? For fun? What are your tips and what might encourage you to bike more?

Note: Megan is the Sustainability Programs Coordinator for A Better City, which organizes partners around the city of Boston’s vision for transportation, land development and environmental sustainability.

A Better City is a new business partner at Practically Green, with a customized PG platform created to support their member and employee programs. If you work for a company that’s interested in creating a robust interactive tool for green initiatives, RSVP to Linda Natansohn, linda@practicallygreen.com.

Stressing about your holiday plans? Take a deep breath and consider a Staycation! Anna Rabhan’s guest post has me absolutely itching to…  stay home!

(P.S. In addition to all of Anna’s excellent suggestiuons, I want to share this one from my friend Tamara: the JBF America’s Classics. It’s a collection of amazing and little-known locally owned restaurants. See if there’s one near you!)

Stay Put: Make Your Vacay a Staycay this Year, by Anna Rabhan

It wasn’t until I left my home state that I realized how much I hadn’t seen of it. That’s a good place to start. Ask yourself, “What would a tourist to my area do?”

The term “staycation,” referring to saving money by eschewing the air travel, hotel stays and frequent restaurant meals long-distance travel requires, popped up in the U.S. during the 2007 financial crisis. However, growing climate concerns have caused us to also consider the detrimental effects of long-distance travel. The 3,000 gallons of fuel an airliner burns just on takeoff and the 50 tons of trash and over one million gallons of wastewater produced during a one-week cruise give us pause when dreaming of our getaway.

Staycationing is a greener option because eliminating air travel means not contributing to the significant emissions and fuel and energy consumption involved. Eliminating a hotel stay means not contributing to the several million gallons a year of water that a large hotel can use, the massive energy consumption its constant occupation causes, or the huge amount of waste it produces. Aside from those obvious environmental impacts, one must also consider that the food vacationers eat is generally not produced or distributed in a sustainable way, that vacationers produce much more waste than when they are home, and many more factors that aren’t as in-your-face as a jet.

Besides, planning a fabulous staycation is so easy! A good starting place, especially if you’re new to the area, is the local or state tourism bureau. Type “Visit(State or City)” into your browser and you’ll find tons of them. It’s a great way to discover local festivals and interesting things to do like the garlic festival in Gilroy, CA, stand-up paddleboard eco-tours in Florida, and Samuel Adams Brewery tours in Boston.

It wasn’t until I left my home state that I realized how much I hadn’t seen of it. That’s a good place to start. Ask yourself, “What would a tourist to my area do?” Chances are that you know of a lot of cool stuff to see and things to do that you’ve never actually seen and done yourself! A Texan may have been to Paris, but has he seen the Alamo? Been to the Space Center in Houston? We tend to overlook what’s close to us, perhaps thinking that we’ll get to it someday, in favor of what seems exotic. On a staycation you can explore those hometown treasures.

If you’d rather not hang out with all the other tourists, break the mold and search out the secret spots. There are several publications, like Hidden Portland by Carye Bye, designed to help you find these places. But part of the fun of these little American cubbyholes is finding them yourself. So, Oregonian, go on a solitude treasure hunt led only by Ev Hu’s vague clues. Just promise not to reveal the locations if you do find them!

Another great way to plan your staycation is to theme it up. Think about what you’re interested in. A Kansan history buff can follow a bit of the Santa Fe trail, learn about the intersection of Native Americans and European settlers, experience pioneer life, and sample everything from American Indian to vegetarian fare all in the little town of Council Grove. Check out USA Today’s “10 great places to discover Midwest charm” for more inspiration.

If you are a seasoned staycationer and it seems like you’ve exhausted your options, it’s time to get weird! How about visiting the remnants of The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices in Minnesota? Consult the Weird series of books to get started. With rocks that move all by themselves and a submerged town that rose up again out of Lake Mead, there’s way more weirdness in Nevada than just Las Vegas.

Check out Practically Green’s action pages on reducing leisure air travel and other travel-related topics, and start planning your awesome staycation today!

Anna Rabhan is a freelance writer, editor, educator and consultant. She writes a column about green issues as the Organic Adventurer and is a green home and living consultant. She enjoys taking her dog to the park, traveling, kayaking, photography and anything else that gets her close to nature. Check out her green actions on her Practically Green page!

Jan Devereux, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a writer and mother of three who is guest blogging for Practically Green today about a conundrum many of us face when we travel: How to Find a Green Hotel. Thanks for the great advice, Jan!

As a Practically Green reader, you’re probably putting a good deal of effort into greening your lifestyle at home. But what about when you travel? Whether you’re making vacation plans or hitting the road for business, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that hotels are going green, too.

What You Might Notice:

Individual bars of soap and sample-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner are gradually giving way to pump-dispensers in hotel bathrooms. Most hotels also offer you the option of re-using your bed linens and towels (if you don’t find a card inviting you to make this choice, leave a note for the housekeeping service). The more forward-thinking hotels are also offering guests refillable water bottles, recycling bins in each room, motion-sensitive thermostats and access to hybrid car services.

Behind the scenes:

Hotels are improving the energy and water efficiency of their laundries, buying local and reducing waste in their food service operations, installing energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting and LED signs, and using low VOC paint and carpeting.

Eco-tourism expert Tedd Saunders, who advises hoteliers worldwide on environmentally sustainable operations and practices, says the hospitality industry has undergone a “sea change” in the past decade. Saunders was a pioneer when he started his eco-consulting firm, EcoLogical Solutions, Inc., back in 1992. Today, he’s pleased to see hotels of all sizes implementing innovative green policies that go beyond mere compliance.

“The major chains used to roll their eyes; now they all have environmental teams,” Saunders observes. And, when you consider that the U.S. hotels spend close to $4 billion annually on energy, the industry’s new found enthusiasm for conservation has the potential to make an enormous impact.

Saunders notes that eco-conscious consumers are not alone in helping to drive these decisions; increasingly, corporate travel managers are exerting pressure on the major hotel chains to green themselves, or risk losing multimillion-dollar national accounts. Educating both industry execs and guests is one goal of the Ceres Green Hotels Initiative, which Saunders helped to launch. CERES developed a best practices checklist for hotels to self-assess and a comment card for guests to leave with the manager at check out, rating how the hotel’s green practices measured up.

The way Saunders sees it, the hotel industry is approaching the tipping point where, soon, the major consumer travel booking sites will throw their muscle behind helping travelers make more informed choices about how to travel green. He looks forward to the day when all the major hotel management companies will have built up an internal knowledge base of sustainable business practices so that his consulting services will no longer be in demand. But in the meantime he hopes eco-aware travelers of all budgets will help hotels see the market advantages of going green.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

For a list of some of the country’s greenest city center hotels provided specifically for Practically Green readers from EcoLogical Solutions, click here.

The Green Key Eco-Rating Program rates hotels in the U.S. and Canada based on a voluntary self-assessment of member hotels’ operational areas and sustainable practices, and its hotels are subject to random on-site inspections (about 20% per year are audited).

The following hotels have earned the highest Green Key rating (5 keys):

ARIA Resort Casino (Las Vegas), Fairmont Newport Beach (CA), Fairmont Pittsburgh, Grand Hyatt Denver, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach (CA), Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa Casino, Stowe Mountain Lodge (VT), Vail Cascade Resort (CO), Vdara Hotel & Spa (Las Vegas).

The Fairmont and Hyatt (Regency and Grand) chains led the pack in numbers of their properties achieving 4 Green Keys or higher.

Orbitz offers a list of green hotels by state, with symbols to denote those that have earned Energy Star or LEED certification.

And, finally, if you’re planning a trip to Boston and have allergies or respiratory problems, you’ll be happy to hear that The Lenox Hotel has an “allergy friendly” top floor. The entire floor was sealed and then treated for bacteria and mold to create a bio-shield. The floor has HEPA air filters and all rooms were renovated with hypoallergenic fabrics, carpets and cabinetry. Mattresses on this floor and throughout the hotel all have dust mite barriers.

Remember: Select a green hotel when traveling and earn more PG Points!

News Picks:

Dan Shapley, our friend from The Daily Green, wrote a great piece this week: The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars of 2011. The only thing more straightforward than the title is the article itself. In true Daily Green fashion, Shapley’s article is smart, helpful, and consumer-friendly. I suggest you give it read, it is truly astonishing how far we’ve come with fuel efficiency. And remember to get PG points while you’re at it!

The New Contraband: 8 Doomed Items in the New Green World: This slide show from Fast Company is a little frightening, but definitely worth a read. From common examples like Styrofoam and plastic bags, to surprising mentions like Happy Meals and pets, Fast Company opens our eyes to some pretty interesting environmental and health concerns.

You must check out the Green Wine Guide from TreeHugger! Instead of simply mentioning the formalities of the green wines (which is wonderful in and of itself), they feature a delicious recipe that perfectly complements each wine! When I read this I was dying to host a dinner party, I bet you will be too!

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the movie “Clueless” (it was the early 90’s, give me a break), and hence in love with Alicia Silverstone. So you can imagine how absolutely ecstatic I was when I found out that instead of making appearances on Law&Order or starring in infomercials, she’s making a living as a green superhero! Check out her website The Kind Life, or read her book, The Kind Diet (vegan awesomeness).

Multi-Media Pick:

With the Superbowl rapidly approaching, I couldn’t help but feature this hilarious commercial from 2010. It continues to be one of my favorites of all time. Bravo Audi, we love green!

New and Cool Pick:

Top 5 Green Gadgets that Juice Your Phone: I can’t stand it when my phone loses battery, but I feel guilty charging it all day. This article from Inhabitat gives a few great green options for keeping your phone fully charged with no more guilt! Don’t forget to earn those PG points, too!

News Picks:

Looking to help out with a great cause? Check out Million Trees NYC! This PlaNYC goal is one of 127 great initiatives to make NYC a better place. Get inspired to do the same where you live! With cool recent news stories and tons of different options to help out, the site is a must-see! Whether you locate a great place to plant a tree, volunteer to plant one, or donate $, there are endless options to do your part! And remember, get your PG points for planting a tree!

Next time you’re looking for a great read, check out Better World Books. Whether you’re looking for a mystery novel or cookbook (or Textbook if you’re me!), they have it all! The best part? They’re a great cause, too! I stumbled over the “Our Impact” section of their website and was beyond impressed. Not only have they “re-used or recycled over 53 million pounds of books and raised over $8.6 million for global literacy and local libraries,” they also feature an awesome story of a specific cause. (I read about Edna Adan Ismail of Somalia). Visit this website, you won’t regret it!

I’m a big fan of Preserve products, so I was thrilled when I found this article by Pablo Paster of Treehugger, one of my favorite sites! Preserve really means it when they say: “Nothing wasted. Everything gained.” Paster gives us the low-down on the benefit of recycled toothbrushes and more!

Benefits include:

• 54% less water;
• 75% less oil;
• 48% less coal;
• 77% less natural gas; and
• 46% less electricity.

Don’t forget to check out Preserve yourself for more info! And get PG points for switching to a recycled toothbrush!

Multi-Media Pick:

I was on The Environmental Blog website today and came across a hilarious video posted by johntarantino1 in 2008. If you haven’t seen it before, or even if you have, you have to watch it! As someone who tries to bike a lot, weather permitting, I could certainly feel this guy’s pain. As we try to do what we can to live healthy, green lifestyles, let’s laugh at the obstacles that come up! Do like this guy does and get PG points!

New and Cool pick:

Green Universities: Tips for Going Green at College:

Thank you, thank you to The Daily Green! I just HAD to share this awesome part of their site. Even if you’re not in college yourself, maybe you were at one time, or  know somebody that is. If so, they, and you, know how hard it is to be green when you’re away from home (I know I struggle!). This section of The Daily Green is all about going green at college! From the best dorm plants, to the best Environmental Studies programs, it is full of great information for everyone, and not just college students. I’ve never seen this type of resource, talk about new and cool!

News Picks:

19 Easy Home Winterization Projects: The Daily Green gives some great tips on warming up your house this season without turning up the heat! From the draft snake to caulking and weatherstripping, this article provides lots of energy-saving ideas to help you save money and earn PG points at the same time!

Rhoost Baby-Proofing Products: This video from Daily Grommet introduces a line of child-safety devices made of recycled materials with no screws or adhesives, without BPA, PVC, lead, or phthalate. The line, Rhoost, was created by Vianka Perez Belyea and Tavinder Phull, two mothers sick of the traditionally complicated baby-proofing methods. The products are also portable: perfect for visits to Grandma’s!

BaaLLS: Another great alternative to traditional dryer sheets! These reusable, handmade, wool dryer balls reduce drying time for a full load by 40%! They are also unscented, use no chemicals, soften clothes, and reduce static. Made in the U.S. of 100% pure virgin wool, these dryer balls are a great way to earn PG points!

Multi-Media Pick:

Air-Powered Car, AirPod: The Future Of Urban Transportation? This article and video from The Huffington Post covers the latest invention in transportation. In the UK, a tiny car was created running on — that’s right, you guessed it — compressed air. Emitting nearly nothing, with speeds up to 50 mph, this little car could be the future! It may seem out of reach for the average motorist, but for now there’s always the hybrid! Purchase or lease one today and earn PG points!

Interested in fashion? Sheila Viswanathan of The Good Guide gives a great interview with Howard Brown, co-founder of Stewart+Brown on his sustainable clothing label. The interview discusses Brown’s reasons for creating a sustainable fashion brand, what we can look forward to in the 2011 collection, and the importance of product transparency when promoting sustainability.

New and Cool Pick:

On cold winter days like these that we can’t help but dream of our next vacation. How about instead of a regular hotel or resort, you look to something different. The  5 Cool Eco Friendly and Green Hotels, from Montana to Botswana, chosen by the Travelphant Travel Blog are just the tip of the iceberg. Next time you schedule a trip, look for hotels like these! From organic food, to recycling waste, these destinations have it all when it comes to green.

Ever wonder how you might become a more eco-conscious airplane traveler?

Here’s how you find out:

Go to Practically Green and type the word “FLY” into the search box. You’ll get seven suggestions:

Drive on a short trip (<400 miles) versus fly

Fly non-stop rather than connect

Reduce leisure air travel significantly (1 or fewer trips per year)

Choose train over plane for most trips under 400 miles

Fly during the day, not at night

Fly one of ‘top 10′ green airlines

Purchase carbon offsets for a flight

These actions range in impact from low (5 points) to high (100 points).

Can you guess which one is the most impactful? The least? You might be surprised!

Do you have an idea that we haven’t thought of yet? Please suggest it to us! Below the search results you’ll see: “Are we missing something?” and a clickable button: “Please suggest an action.”

Once you’ve taken the Quiz and registered, you can also recommend products and services across the entire database.

*   *   *   Bon voyage!   *   *   *

News Picks:

Greening one of the country’s most popular gift lists: Over at Celebrate Green, Cory and Lynn took Oprah’s favorite things and gave each item an eco-twist. For example, Oprah’s pick: Andre Walker hair care products. Their greener pick: Hair care products from all-natural Hamadi Beauty. Get PG points for giving a green gift!

USA’s biggest city acts to cut down on waste: With over 8 million people, NYC must accumulate a lot of waste. NYC.gov recently redesigned their website dedicated to helping New Yorkers recycle more and waste less in the city, appropriately titled “NYCWasteLess.” The site also helps you get rid of stuff and compost stuff.

The world’s most beautiful ecolodges: You don’t have to take a trip to Kenya, South Africa, China, or Indonesia to look at these spectacular ecolodges. (Though wouldn’t we all love to!) This gorgeous book, perfect for the green architect or coffee table in your life, describes ecolodges as “low-impact, nature-based accommodations of five to seventy-five rooms that protect the surrounding environment; benefit the local community; and are designed, constructed and operated in an environmentally and socially sensitive manner.” We can’t wait to visit one!

Multi-Media Pick:

One man’s green school dream: This off-the-grid school even has a water vortex that provides it with power. John Hardy describes the steps he took to build this eco-friendly school made from all-natural and recyclable materials. The school, located in Bali, teaches sustainability and even grows its own garden. It has also inspired a neighborhood of green houses and businesses to pop up in its vicinity! Here is some information on how you can make your child’s school greener by starting or joining a Green Team.

New and Cool:

Back to basics: This nifty bottle helps support one of Food and Water Watch ‘ s missions – to take back the tap. This holiday season it won’t hurt to have a friendly reminder of the basics, such as switch to a reusable water bottle: so easy!

Phew, that’s 85 points in this one post alone! Not sure what we’re talking about? Start by taking the quiz.

News Picks:

Five kids who are changing the world: Read about five inspiring kids who are making the world a better place. Whether it’s growing organic crops and donating them to soup kitchens, or knitting home-made hats to fight hunger, these kids make us feel better about the world we live in.

How to turn an old iPod into cash: Every time you turn around, Apple is releasing a new generation of the iPod — making them smaller, more fun colors, touch screen…. (Does anyone remember the iPod with the original scroll wheel and four individual buttons?) It’s enough to give you whiplash! This article uncovers a few ways you can get cash for even the most archaic of gadgets, so you can get rid of that iPod mini collecting dust in your desk drawer. As a bonus, you can get 10 PG points for recycling your electronics.

Can we green our Planes next? Have those monthly business trips or annual family vacations put an annoyingly significant dent in your carbon footprint? Hopefully, soon this will be less of an issue. Many airlines are testing plant-based biofuels in an effort to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Multi-Media Pick:

Farmers market frenzy: Happy national farmers market week! People everywhere are becoming more interested in farmers markets, PG is lucky enough to have one right outside of our office in Boston on Tuesdays and Fridays this summer. You can find one near you here. Get 5 points on Practically Green for buying local produce. Check out this video featuring organic farmer Rebecca Schwen, as she discusses the growing interest in farmers markets.

New and cool pick:

Scrub your veggies clean: Skrub’a is a cool line of gloves you can use to scrub those veggies you just picked up at the farmers market, without losing any of the nutrients. There are different colors for veggies, carrots, and potatoes, and they sure beat the heck out of peeling or using (gasp) a paper towel.

Lots of us are getting our hands dirty in the garden the summer, and even more are eating wonderful food from farm stands and local co-ops. How about growing veggies in Alaska? Today we heard from our friend Debbie Clarke Moderow, a musher, mom, and gardener who lives eight miles south of Denali National Park. Debbie has run the famous 1,100-mile Iditarod race across Alaska twice; she and her husband and their two kids have thirty-seven sled dogs who are “the center of our household.”

We’re refreshed just thinking about being there!

“I loved the quiz at Practically Green. It encouraged me! Alaskans are behind, you know. Yes, we have some LEED National Park Service buildings, but for most of us, recycling might mean leaving stuff off that would get shipped to Seattle. So that sets you back, you stop doing it. Alaskans face recyclng challenges, due to low volumes and long distances. We are trying hard however! We have changed our habits over the years. We use cloth napkins. And when I took the quiz I thought, I’m not doing that badly! I liked it, and I wouldn’t like it as much if it made me feel guilty.”

“This is a really unlikely place to have a greenhouse. The summers are so short. But the days are so long and the temps so cool, nothing bolts! Right now my greenhouse is a jungle! I don’t have anything that isn’t organic in the greenhouse. I love going out there, cutting some chard and eating it. It makes me really happy.”

Debbie is working on a memoir as part of her work toward an MFA in Creative Writing at the Rainier writing workshop. Here’s a preview, reflections on gardening near the Arctic Circle:

Like many details in our Denali Park home, my greenhouse bears no resemblance to those of my Connecticut childhood. My mother was a horticultural wizard, and although we never had a greenhouse, I often tagged along when she went to visit others’. Those wondrous glass caverns were set on manicured lawns, beneath towering oak and maple trees. A visit inside revealed rows of orchids and lilies, begonias and geraniums, destined for blue ribbons in the upcoming garden shows.

No, my greenhouse would not turn heads in Fairfield County yet I know Mom is smiling down at my little treasure. Hand-built by my husband and son for my 54^th birthday, my greenhouse is tiny – 8’ x 10’ if you stretch the measuring tape. It has a Dutch door to keep out the arctic hares, one window, and a ceiling fan that comes on (a few times a week) when the temperature rises above 75 degrees. It sits fifty yards from our sled-dog team, and as I run to it in the mornings before feeding the dogs, they serenade me with an exuberant “it’s-a-new-day” howl.

The dogs’ home – our home – is located just 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, in a landscape fiercely bound to winter. Summer is short here – some say you might miss it if you travel out of state for a weekend. Still, the hours of daylight are long, offering the possibility of horticultural miracles. My greenhouse holds the warmth of the midnight sun, and yet stays cool enough for leafy crops to thrive for long weeks at a time. Stir fried greens with eggs and goat cheese for breakfast, basil pesto, butter leaf salads with pea pods and radishes–these are a few of the delights we are enjoying this season. Aware of the recent heat wave in the “lower-48,” last week I walked into my little warm haven, closed my eyes, inhaled and tried to recall summers when this would have felt cold.

Young greens by Debbie

It’s mid-July, and there’s a new chill in the air. The long hours of daylight have peaked, and now a construction heater sits alongside my peas and rainbow chard, set to turn on when the night temperatures drop below forty. I know harvest will take place in the next four to six weeks, but with the trusty heater, my crops just might make it to September 1. There are other things to harvest between now and then. The blueberries along the dog trail are ripening, and they’ll be followed by plentiful low-bush cranberries. By mid-August we’ll be running the dogs daily, then coming in for lunch salads and the traditional blueberry pie. Finally we’ll busily gather what’s left in the greenhouse and preserve what we can for brightening the dark winter nights. I’ll sadly close her up, but not before detailing the drawings for the little addition we’ll add in the spring. Maybe I’ll try some of those geraniums next summer.

Debbie is a Princeton graduate who found her way to Alaska after college and never looked back. She works for Innisbrook, the ubiquitous school fundraising gift-wrap outfit: “Innisbrook is striving to be the greenest it can be….they’ve introduced paperless online ordering, taken tubes out of the inside of the rolls, all of our giftwrap rolls are printed on partially recycled paper, etc., but let’s face it, my friends who are really green wrap their presents in cloth!”

Have a terrific Red, White, Blue, and Green long weekend, everybody! Here are a few snippets for a great holiday. First, of course, we hope you’ll head to PracticallyGreen and answer a few quick questions for suggestions of things you can do to make your life healthier and safer for you and your family — this weekend and anytime.

In a BBQ frenzy? Dive into Self magazine’s special burger section for mouthwatering recipes from beans, turkey, and spices. How about Rosemary-Sage Burgers With Apple Slaw and Chive “Mayo” or Portobello-Black Bean Burgers With Corn Salsa? YUM! http://www.self.com/about/burgers

Annie Leonard at a shoot for her new movie

Got sunburn? Stay indoors and watch The Story of Stuff, Gasland, Food, Inc. and get ready for Annie Leonard’s new movie, The Story of Cosmetics, releasing at the end of the month.

Kids bouncing off the walls? Plan a trip to your local library! Massachusetts libraries have a “Go Green at Your Library” summer reading program, featuring a special program for teens: tnk grEn (Think Green) .

Going on a trip? Ask if your hotel offers eco-friendly amenities, such as opting out of daily housekeeping service – for a $5/day credit! Read about two Phoenix hotels who’ve jumped aboard the burgeoning movement of green travel hosts.

Annika and Kerry

Beach reading: Eco-awesome designers Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager run London’s Junky Stylish fashion label. They make wedding dresses from men’s white button-downs and set up an O.R. in NYC last week to transform unwanted maternity wear, tuxes, kimonos, and pinstripes into high-fashion garb. Isn’t it somehow patriotic to remember our British cousins on Independence Day?  In the July 5 New Yorker magazine. Or pick up the book, Junky Styling: Wardrobe Surgery.