VictorEric Design Journal Our Latest News & Thoughts On The Design Industry

How you can set up your Christmas tree to be as environmentally conscious as possible.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s now time to find a good tree for the family.

In case you missed it, “Pick of the Crop: Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree” by Half Moon Bay Patch contributor Katy Katzenberger will give you a detailed rundown of where you can get your tree (and chop it down yourself!) in Half Moon Bay, in addition to a farms in La Honda, Pescadero and Portola Valley.

There is no clear cut answer as to which Christmas tree to choose. This choice is based on one’s own tastes and desires. Included are a few general tips regarding the maintenance of your tree, what type of lights to use and where to get them, and how and where to dispose of your tree. Also, I wouldn’t be a very good environmental columnist if I didn’t present to you a reasonable argument supporting real Christmas trees as opposed to those plastic, synthetic trees...

Please click here for the full online article

Written by: Benjamin Rothfeder
Date: December 16, 2010

They may be one of our favorite things, but at Christmas we want more. We want sparkly, bright colors and beautiful ribbons and bows. The Christmas portrait isn’t complete without pretty packages under the tree.

But what’s that uncomfortable feeling you’re getting while flipping through tubes of shiny, new foil gift wrap at the store? Ah, yes, it’s the guilt of Mother Earth. We want to respect and preserve the planet and continue our eco-friendly habits at the holidays, but …

No “buts.” According to the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club, December and January record the most trash of the year thanks to the holidays. While the recession has lightened the load a bit (fewer gifts, less garbage), recycling and re-using is still vital.

Plenty of Earth-friendly changes or additions can be made to the holidays. From saving electricity to choosing the right cards to buying alternative, environmentally conscious gifts, everyone can find a way to lessen the negative impact of the season…

Please click here to read the full article online

Published by: NorthJersey.com
Date: December 11, 2010

Question: What’s better for our environment: buying a real tree each year or using a “fake” tree? Asked by Michael Thurman, South Pasadena, Calif.

Answer: If you’re dreaming of a green Christmas, the tree is a great place to start. And the best option is pretty clear: buy a living tree and then replant it after the season.

“Bah Humbug,” you say? Don’t have a plot of land to call your own, or a climate that will support a spruce or pine? Perhaps it’s just as well—too much time at room temperature can make even the hardiest tree unfit for outdoor conditions. Anything more than oh, say about 12 days, and you’d be planting a ghost of Christmas trees past. If you want a tree that will last from Black Friday’s post-Thanksgiving shopping spree until the New Year, we’ll have to survey the landscape of Christmas trees a little more closely.

Checking the list twice, both farmed and artificial trees may seem to be more naughty than nice to the environment. The problems with artificial trees are pretty obvious, from the steel trunk and needles made of either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE) to the energy needed to put them together and ship them, usually from the other side of the world. Live Christmas trees may look harmless, but they generally require pesticides, irrigation and fertilizer during the six to 10 years it takes them to grow…

Please click here to read the full online article

Written by: Micki Ream
Date: December 08, 2010

With so many tasks on your to-do list every day – feed the kids, do the laundry, make the school run – it’s not surprising that the idea of going green could be overwhelming. However, going green and being eco-friendly is simply about being mindful of the environment while still accomplishing your intended tasks. Have a tired room you’re just aching to redecorate? Before putting in a call to the interior designer or loading up your truck at Ikea, try an eco-friendly makeover instead. By gaining some new perspective and using small purchases for the biggest bang, you can accomplish just that.

Old Friends, Fresh Eyes

Call your Mother, call your best friend, call in your other best friend and get fresh eyes into your old rooms. Stress the fact that in order to be nice to the planet and your wallet, you’re undertaking an eco-friendly makeover by reusing whatever is already in your home. Have a poke around your attic, the garage, and maybe even under your bed.
- Take everything off the walls and shelves, start with a blank canvas. If possible, move as much furniture as you can out of the room before you begin.
- Remember the function of the room first and foremost. Is this a room your kids will be continuously tearing apart? Or do you want a front formal room with Grandma’s silver proudly displayed?
- Communicate what kind of atmosphere you want in the room – cozy, formal, funky, traditional. Let the theme drive the décor.
- Ask each friend what their favorite piece in the room is. An artist’s framed landscape? Cheery family photos? Use this advice and build the room around it as a focal point…

Please click here for the full article

Written by: GREENANDCLEANMOM
Date: November 22, 2010

Check out these 10 tips for making your Hallween more eco-friendly! You’ll soon be on your way to a “greener” Halloween!

It’s going to be a weekend full of sugar-hyped trick-or-treaters, creepy front-yard department store decor and makeup-covered adults sipping from spiked punch cauldrons.

Each Halloween, an estimated $40 per capita is spent on candy, decorations and greeting cards, all of which produce large amounts of waste. We’ve got some eco-friendly tips to make this Halloween a little less crushing for the planet, your wallet and your recuperation time on Nov. 1.

1. Hand out organic goodies.
From lollipops to gummy bears, many companies specialize in making healthier alternatives to traditional candy. YummyEarth offers organic treats with no chemical colors, artificial flavors or corn syrup. You can find them at major retailers like Toys ‘R’ Us and Whole Foods. Also, Trader Joes offers a line of organic lollipops.

2. LED the way.
Consider using LED lights or solar-powered lamps to light the path to your front door for those trick-or-treaters. Plus, an investment in solar garden lights can save you long term, with a return on investment of 47 percent over 10 years…

Please click here for the article and the rest of the tips

Written by: Amanda Wills
Date: October 26, 2010

MONTREAL — Vancouver has vowed to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. New condos in Toronto are going up without any parking spaces. Regina is doing away with one-way streets to improve public transit access in a revitalized downtown.

And in Montreal’s trendy Plateau Mont-Royal borough, Mayor Luc Ferrandez is doing his best to bring a little more country into the city.

“We’re looking at streets and asking ourselves, ‘Is it really useful’,” he said in a recent interview. “We’ve identified about 20 streets that are not useful, that can be taken out and retransformed into green spaces.”

Concerns about the environment have topped opinion polls for the last five to 10 years, says Pascoal Gomes, a spokesman for Montreal’s Urban Ecology Centre.

But in ever-increasing numbers, people — and cities — are acting on those concerns…

Please click for the full article

Posted by: The Canadian Press
Date: August 15, 2010