Fast Facts

Get the quick-and-dirty facts on your real-time environmental impact coupled with a quick tip on what you can do.

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06-22-2007

Tips For Greener Travel

Reducing your speed to 55 mph from 65 mph may increase your fuel efficiency by as much as 15 percent; cut it to 55 from 70, and you could get a 23 percent improvement.
What Can You Do?
- Stay closer to home. The less you drive, the easier your trip is on the environment. Instead, take an alternative form of transportation, like a train or a bus.
- Increase your fuel efficiency on the road. Inflate your tires, and drive at a leisurely pace.
  If your trip requires flying, or driving a long distance, rent a hybrid. Hertz recently started renting Toyota Prius at major metropolitan airports, and for inner city driving, check out car shares. Zipcar, available in bigger cities like New York, Chicago and Washington D.C., provides hybrids on a per-hour basis.
- Get to know the country through the window of a train. If you're really intent on taking a big vacation, consider splurging on an Amtrak North America Rail Pass ($999 peak/$709 off-peak; www.amtrak.com). The pass allows you to travel to over 900 cities in both the U.S. and Canada for 30 consecutive days.
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04-04-2006

Eat Local

In North America, fruits and vegetables travel an average of 1,500 miles before reaching your dinner table.
What Can You Do?

Buying local not only saves energy used to ship produce, but also preserves flavor and nutrients. Here are three avenues for picking fresh, local produce.
- Visit the local farmers' market. Visit www.localharvest.org or ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm to find one in your area.
- Get involved with a community garden or start one on your own. See www.communitygarden.org to see what's growing in your neighborhood and for tips on planting your own crops.
- Join a Community Supported Agriculture group (CSA). CSA members prepay a fixed seasonal fee to a local farmer in exchange for a weekly share of the harvest, delivered to a location near your home. Don't wait, though. CSAs are popular and can fill up. For information on joining a CSA group near you, go to nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa, sare.org/csa or justfood.org.
04-03-2008

Kick the BPA Can

Bisphenol A (BPA), which has been associated with health risks including, diabetes, heart disease and obesity, is found in the blood of 92 percent of all Americans over the age of five.

What Can You Do?

Even after abandoning BPA-leaching polycarbonate water bottles, the hormone-disrupting chemical can still make its way into the bloodstream via seemingly safe foods like canned soup. The majority of canned foods on the market come in containers whose linings are laced with traces of BPA that can migrate into food. Cut back on BPA by purchasing foods packaged in Tetra Paks, aseptic cartons made from layers of paper, and pick up products packaged in BPA-free cans, like beans and soups by Eden Foods.

Even better, avoid packaged foods altogether and stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and homemade dishes.