PLAYgreen

Movin' on Up

Exams are done. Papers are turned in. Your scored a date with the cutie from Econ. However, your dorm looks like it's hit by a hurricane and your parents will be here in less that 24 hours to pick you up. Avoid throwing stuff away this year with these great recommendations...

Cash Flow

Get some much needed cash by selling goods on Craigslist or eBay. Another person's trash is another person's treasure. 

Donate

On your way out of town, hit up Urban Ore on Ashby. 

Swap

Use the online swap sites  Freecycle, Rehash Clothes, or Swaptree to exchange gear. You're done with Chem but still need a language credit? Check out Bookbyte. 

Trade

Even though the summer will only last for three months, campus technology will be a whole new scene when you return in for Fall semester. Upgrade your gadgets with cool programs such as Gazelle.

Source: Ideal Bite, "Ideal Bite: Graduation Day" May 19, 2009

How Green is Your Workout?

 

Do you sweat when you work out? Do you sweat when you think of our planet's future? Well, whether you spend hours at the RSF, run laps around Edwards Track, or go for quick power walks on Golden Bear Track, this is the quiz for you. You might learn a thing or two about burning calories instead of carbon.

 

Take the quiz

 

Source: Sierra Club

Mother (Earth)'s Day Gift Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treat your mother well this Mother's Day. Check out these eco-friendly gifts.

For the Cookin' Mom....
After all of those years of homecooking, your mom deserves some updated and eco-friendly kitchenware.  Bambu offers elegant and minimalist bowls and utensils are a useful addition any kitchen. Made from 100% organically grown bamboo, each item is constructed of renewable materials by a manufacturer working to integrate safe and sustainable business practices in China.

For the Pampered Mom...
Pamper the most important lady in your life with handmade soaps, rich bath and body oils. Stop by Body Time on on Telegraph Ave.

For the Sporty Mom...
Perfect for the mom who likes to get outdoors, Patagonia has a wide collection of threads and gear. You can track the footprint of your goods with the Footprint Chronicles feature. 

For the Metropolitan Mom....
Does your mother want a green thumb but doesn't have the space? Give her a "Garden in a Bag".  Choose from basil, cilantro, chives, dill, lavender, oregano, parsley, and sage, or get them all. It's a no-hassle system that works in well in all types of kitchens and homes.

For any Mom....
Quality time together. Nothing says "Mom, you're the greatest!" more than an afternoon with your mom. If your mom is local, take her out for a walk, hike, bike ride, or trip to the Berkeley Rose Garden. If that's not her style, make her a farm fresh dinner with goodies from the Farmer's Market. It's fun, easy on the budget, and a great way to say thanks.

Good for Mom; Good for Mother Earth

Still looking for a gift for Mom? Why not go green this year and give her an inspiring and eco-friendly gift? Show mom you care about her -- and mother earth -- by sponsoring a Wild Place in her name! A virtual Wild Place sponsorship helps to preserve America’s wild legacy, and shows you care about our beautiful places. Choose from the Everglades National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Giant Sequoia National Monument, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Acadia National Park. Maybe next year you can go there together!

Help protect these wild places and the wildlife that live there. A virtual sponsorship in her name only costs $20 and comes with a letter of recognition, personalized certificate of sponsorship, fact sheet with fun facts about the special place and the wildlife that live there, and a frameable picture of your special Wild Place. More info.

Source: Sierra Club

Electrifying Workouts!

Improving the health and wellness of employees at work is important. To that end the Department of Rec Sports offers WorkFIT -- an in-house fitness program where our certified fitness instructors come to your site and lead regular fitness classes at a time convenient for your staff.

 

Healthy people need a healthy planet, so rather than hauling our gear across campus  -- about 90 trips per month to our 15 WorkFIT sites -- we thought it made sense to do so sans gaz.  The result of this green ethic is the little yellow electric truck pictured above.  The truck has a battery life of 115 minutes and a maximum speed of 25 mph, but the coolest thing is the zero emissions that it produces.

 

Of course, an electric truck is only as clean as its energy source. This one plugs into the campus power grid. The campus receives electrical power from Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), and according to PG&E, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest electric power: non-emitting nuclear generation (23 percent), large hydroelectric facilities (13 percent) and renewable resources (12 percent) such as wind, geothermal, biomass and small hydro. The remaining portion comes from natural gas (47 percent), coal (4 percent), and other fossil-based resources (1 percent). 

 

And you thought only the workouts were electrifying!