Take the Cali Bamboo Green-Year Challenge
Bamboo Fencing. Solar Energy. Hybrid Cars. Green Building. Change.
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the critical need to protect our planet both as individuals and as a nation. It’s hard to ignore this call for change; the message is heralded by politicians, celebrities, scientists, and even religious leaders.
It’s hard to imagine how one person swapping a traditional light bulb for a CFL could ever solve our earth’s massive energy problems. But it does. Our Cali Bamboo Green-Year Challenge has two levels: the Green Citizen which offers simple steps easily completed in a few minutes, and the Green Champion – tips for folks ready to go the extra mile. Good luck!
Save Energy
Green Citizen
- Replace your traditional light bulbs with qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Swapping only 5 bulbs in your house will save you about $100 a year. If every home in the country participated we would cut greenhouse gas emissions by one trillion pounds. Learn more at this site about efficient lighting.
- Insulate your home with window coverings, and use CaliBamboo rugs on cold floors in the winter. Get the most out of the sun’s heat by opening south-facing blinds during the day. Check out our bamboo blinds, now in a variety of new colors.
- Consider biking to work 1 day per week. It’s far cheaper than a gym membership and costs nothing at the pump!
Green Champion
Install a programmable thermostat in your home to lower your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees when you’re not home. You’ll end up saving about 10% yearly on your heating bill.
Install a skylight to maximize on the sun’s rays and save on your electric bill.
Replace your old vehicle with a hybrid car!
Conserve Water
Green Citizen
Installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators will save a family of four up to $285 per year.
A forgotten sprinkler can waste over 1,000 gallons of water per hour! Try installing a tap timer to ensure you don’t overwater. And choose a sprinkler that produces big drops rather than a fine mist, which is easily affected by the wind.
Water your garden less often, but more thoroughly. This encourages your plants to extend their roots deeper, making them hardier, and less thirsty.
Green Champion
Xeriscaping (pronounced “zeri-skaping”) saves water as well as time and money by landscaping with drought-resistant plants. Contrary to what you may think, this technique does not limit you to a desert-like garden; xeriscaping can also utilize classic Mediterranean styles, exotic-looking succulents and bamboo (of course!) to add beauty as well as an eco-friendly touch to your yard. Finish off your xeriscaped garden with some of our Bamboo Edging.
Reduce Waste
Green Citizen
Ditch the plastic bag. About 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide each year, and one fifth of these bags are used and tossed in the U.S. alone. These bags stay in landfills for up to 1000 years, or in oceans where they cause the deaths of 1 million sea creatures a year. The good news is that this is an easy problem to fix. Bring canvas bags with you to the grocery store, and opt for biodegradable garbage bags.
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Stimulate the economy as you protect the planet! Everyone knows the environmental benefits of recycling, but did you also know that the 56,000+ U.S. recycling plants employ 1.1 million workers, making it a $236 billion a year industry? Check out the National Recyling Coalition’s site to learn what can be recyled in your area.
Say good-bye to junk mail. Cut down on the 4 million tons of unwanted paper waste sent each year in the U.S. by taking 20 minutes to stop junk mail from coming to your home.
Green Champion
Make your own garden mulch and eliminate kitchen garbage at the same time by adding a compost pile to your yard. From dryer lint and newspaper to melon rinds and corn cobs, you’d be surprised to discover what can be added to the pile and reused. By following the tips at this online composting guide, your compost will never smell or even require more than ten seconds of effort a week. Most compost bins can be purchased for about $30 or you can easily build your own!
Your Friends,
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