thingloop

If you've ever bought a book or a DVD, read or watched it once, and decided you didn't really like it all that much, you've probably regretted plunking down the cash in the first place, especially if you find out that your friend, brother, sister, or coworker owns the same thing and could have lent it to you anyway. Imagine how much money you could have saved, and how you could help save the planet by borrowing instead of buying.

That's basically the idea behind thingloop, a social tool that lets you connect with friends and family and build a list of things you want to share with them--you even get to see the stuff that they're willing to share, too, so you're all working together to get what you need, save money, and prevent wasted items from accumulating. If you've been burned too many times by people borrowing your things and never returning them, thingloop helps you keep track of your item.

Make sure to watch the video below to get learn more about thingloop and how it works.

Lost Causes

What's going on at Professor Thom's Bar and Restaurant in New York City this weekend? Why, a Lost-a-thon of course! 3 friends have been watching all episodes in one sitting. They're hoping to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records, but they're also raising money for charity. You still have a couple of hours to donate to the Nature Conservancy. The other 2 charities are Doctors without Borders and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

U.S. embassy in Manila cuts paper use in visa application process

Applying for visas to other countries takes a lot of paperwork. You have to present a certificate from your bank saying that you have enough money to travel, a certificate of employment, income tax documents, plus the application form as well. The U.S. embassy in Manila, Philippines is trying to cut down on paper use and making the application process faster by allowing people to submit their applications online.

Filipinos who want to travel to the United States and get non-immigrant visas (NIV) will be asked to submit their visa applications via an electronic, online form known as the DS-160, the US embassy here said in a news release.

“The new on-line application form replaces three paper forms, so it should be easier and faster for clients to complete their applications,” it said.

There are more people applying for U.S. visas, so it's probably not likely that other embassies would follow suit. But it would be a great idea nonetheless, so people would only have to come in for any interviews.

Homemade car air freshener

I haven't used a car air freshener for a while now, so last week, I bought one that comes in a can and smells like lime. That didn't bother me in the past, but now, I realized how unnecessarily powerful--and toxic--it smells. So my project for the week is to make my own car air freshener. Nothing elaborate, I might just get some wood shavings, drizzle them with an essential oil (lavender or peppermint would sound good), then pour them inside a pouch with a long string, to be dangled from the rear-view mirror. If it all works out (read: smells wonderful), then I can just wait till the canned scent is all used up before replacing it.

Do you use any homemade air fresheners for your house or your car?

In Architectural News...

On 4 May 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was devastated by a powerful tornado. In the years since, the town has turned to environment-friendly ways to rebuild. Eco-homes are being built, City Hall is made from reclaimed brick and wood, the art center is solar-powered. Here's the full article from npr.
I've been on a retreat to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I stayed in a dorm room where I was either too hot or too cold. I found this Boston Globe article extolling the virtues of the new energy-efficient and eco-friendly dormitory. It might be time for another retreat. Perfect for spring.

Grom

If you're in the mood for some high end gelato in New York City, get a taste of Italy at Grom. Their Grom loves world project means that instead of plastic, they use Materbi, a biodegradable material made from vegetable oil and cornstarch.
They use only fresh seasonal organic fruits, whole milk, organic eggs. You can taste the difference. (Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of what we ordered. It was gone before we knew it. Visit their website to get you salivating.)

There are no artificial additives or colorings in their products.

They use FSC certified paper.

They utilize eco-friendly waste management and low emission trucks.

Gulf Coastal Crisis

From Environment New York's Anna Aurilio:

"As we witness a major environmental disaster unfold in the Gulf of Mexico, it's time for President Obama to reconsider his recent support for more drilling off our nation's shores.

Tell the president and his administration to reject new drilling off America's coasts.

By Wednesday, the oil slick emanating from BP's Deepwater Horizon rig had spread over 3,200 square miles of the Gulf. That's more than three times the size of Rhode Island and the slick is growing by the hour.

It's hard to overstate the likely ecological damage. Already, as much as 200,000 gallons of oil per day are bubbling up through waters populated with endangered bluefin tuna and sperm whales. The Breton Island National Wildlife Refuge -- established 100 years ago by Teddy Roosevelt and home to thousands of brown pelicans -- stands right in the oil slick's path. As the oil oozes towards the shore, Louisiana's famed seafood -- fish, shellfish, oysters -- will be hit hard as well. [1]

This is the catastrophe that the oil industry has been telling us is impossible. We can expand drilling, they've told us, because new technology has made drilling "clean and safe." As it turns out, not so much. [2]

Yet it was just a few weeks ago that the Obama administration announced plans to open another 165 million acres off our Atlantic coast (an area almost the size of Texas), and another 40 million acres off Florida's west coast, to more oil drilling. The administration's Minerals Management Service is accepting public comments on part of their offshore drilling plan now.

This should be, as the president himself might say, a "teachable moment." As Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, a recent supporter of some offshore drilling until he flew over the spill, said, "If this doesn't give somebody pause, there's something wrong." [3]

Disasters happen, especially when drilling holes thousands of feet into the ocean floor for an inherently dirty fuel. Click here to tell the Obama administration that "drill, baby, drill" is not the answer to our nation's energy future.

And thanks, as always, for making it all possible."

[1] http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-oilspillside_27tex.ART.State.Edition1.42684f.html
[2] The Deepwater Horizon was drilling in water 5,000 feet deep on a well that extended another 20,000 feet under the ocean's floor. Containing and stopping spills at that depth is incredibly difficult. Containing a full-blown explosion like the one we saw last week is near-impossible. It could be one or two months, at least, before we see this thing brought under full control. For the fish, the birds, and the Louisiana coast, it will be far too late. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6974381.html
[3] http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1985197,00.html#ixzz0mRhtwEvH

Ask and you shall not Receipt

I've taken to refusing receipts at the ATM or gas pumps, because all they do is clutter up my wallet. I thought they only wasted paper. It turns out they're also toxic. Retail Software Advice wrote an interesting blogpost on the environmental impact of paper receipts. Think you know where you stand on this issue? You can make your opinion known by taking the online poll. I say we get rid of this paper trail. Next time you make a purchase, tell them "no receipt".