Stlouisgreen.com blog

Some of you may or may not have heard about the movie GasHole, yet. I believe everyone should see this film. I know you are probably saying you do not have time or Craig has lost his mind again, better yet what does he know. Do yourself a favor see this Movie. I have attached a review from Joe’s Movie Lounge. At the least, please read it, but I would love for you all to see this film.

stltoday.com

A couple of months ago Kevin Herdler from St. Louis Regional Clean Cities called about this movie, GasHole. Not sure what to make of it I watched the trailer, then talked with Scott, one of the co-directors. I was completely thrilled to be a part of the film coming to St. Louis. A couple of weeks prior to the screening of the film, I stumbled upon the Hi-Pointe Theatre to be available.

As I sat in the theatre and watched this movie, I kept asking myself questions, if this is true, could it be true, what part am I responsible for, or what part have I been irresponsible for? If you drive a car, truck, hybrid, motorcycle, bike, anything, this movie should be required viewing. It is a must see, if in one place just to ask the question, is this possible?

Here are some details from a press release:

EXTENDED VIEWINGS OF THE FILM GASHOLE AT THE HI-POINTE THEATRE JUNE 20-22

Narrated by Peter Gallagher

“St. Louis was an amazing experience! The response was huge and we are thrilled that “GasHole” did so well it was extended for another weekend.” - Scott D. Roberts & Jeremy Wagener directors/producers

The film tackles the enormously timely issue of gas consumption and alternative fuel.

Showing Friday, June 20 at 7:15 p.m., Saturday June 21, 2:30, 4:45 & 7:15 and Sunday, June 22 at 2:30, 4:45 & 7:15 at the Hi-Pointe Theater at 1005 McCausland Ave, St Louis, MO 63117, ironically under the shadow of our favorite, giant Amoco sign at Clayton Road and McCausland Avenue.

GasHole tickets for the June 20-22 shows are $8.75 for adults and $6.75 for seniors, students and matinees. Tickets are available now at stlouisgreen.com and at the door day of the shows.

Check out our site stlouisgreen.com and gasholemovie.com to learn more about the movie and read some reviews.

Hope to see you all there. This is truly one to see if you buy gasoline, you should know what this movie is presenting. Please pass it on to anyone else you might think be interested.

Thinkin’ Green,

Craig

Going Green for Baby
1 - There are many online stores selling organic and green baby food, clothing, personal care products, diapers, etc. Check out Fit Pregnancy’s Going Green for a list of these companies.

2 - Indoor air pollutants are often more dangerous than outdoor ones. When painting your baby’s nursery, be sure to use no-VOC paints. Also, switch to safer, biodegradable, and non-toxic brands for your air freshener sprays, toilet bowl cleaners, floor cleaners, wood polish, dish soap, and all other cleaning products.

3 - Cloth diapers to reduce the amount of landfill waste. For disposable diapers, choose chlorine-free, or even better, choose the biodegradable and flushable gDiapers, which break down completely in as little as 51 days. Wet gDiapers compost very well in your backyard.

4 - Resale shops offer new or almost new infant and children’s clothing at a fraction of the cost. In St. Louis, check out Kangaroo Kids or Once Upon a Child for gently used baby and kid items. Buying and selling used saves you a lot of money and also gives items another chance to be useful to someone else before finding their way to the dumpster.

Thanks to little R!

What is organic cotton?

Organic cotton is cotton that has been grown for at least three years without chemical pesticides, defoliants, or fertilizers. It is also processed without oils, chemicals, and pesticides.

What is transitional cotton?

Transitional cotton is cotton that has been grown organically, but for less than three years. As farmers transition from growing cotton without pesticides and chemicals to growing it completely organically, the soil needs time to return to a non-fertilized state before the cotton grown in it can be truly considered organic. Buying transitional cotton helps farmers take the steps to eventually grow 100% organically.
Information found at: http://store.kidbean.com and stlouisgreen.com e-news.  To receive the e-news visit www.stlouisgreen.com and submit your e-mail.

You’ve probably heard by this point that bamboo isn’t a tree at all, but a grass. Bamboo represents a family of grasses that range in size from tiny to huge, and in color from lime green to maroon stripes. It is incredibly fast-growing and versatile, and it has become the unofficial poster material of environmental designers and builders.

Bamboo can be flattened into flooring, molded into furniture, pressed into veneers, sliced up to make window blinds, or hey, you can just build your whole house out of it. Using bamboo in buildings earns architects and builders LEED points.

Most bamboo comes from China and is grown with few or no pesticides. Because it is so fast-growing, it is much easier to maintain healthy bamboo forests. Although, this also means it uses a lot of water and harvesting too fast can deplete soil fertility. Some growers do use pesticides and other chemical inputs, however, so keep that in mind. But for the most part, bamboo is one of the greenest materials around.

Information found at: treehugger.com and stlouisgreen.com e-news

1 - Only fill up your auto in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. All service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground, the more dense the gasoline. As the ground warms, gasoline expands, and so buying in the afternoon or in the evening… your gallon is not exactly a gallon.

2 - When you’re filling up, use the slowest speed; do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. The trigger has 3 stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode, vapors created by pumping are minimized. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping quickly, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor and gets sucked back into the underground storage tank.

3 - Most importantly, fill up when your tank is half full. The reason is that the more gas you have in your tank, the less air you have occupying the empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.

4 - Last, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up — Most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as more pours into the tanks, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

thanks to Jessica Ingraham.

Here are 12 tips for how to stretch a tank of gas.

1. Change your air filter. A clogged air filter leaves your engine gasping for breath and means you’re probably running with a “rich” mixture, that is, more gas and less air. Many department and auto stores carry air filters, and they are simple to change. A clogged air filter can cost you 1 mpg. Replace your air filter regularly.

2. Change your oil as recommmended by manufacturer. Usually every 3000 miles. Dirty oil cuts back engine efficiency, so make sure your oil is changed according to the car manufacturer’s recommended schedule. You can change your own, and buying your own oil is much cheaper. There’s a drain plug under your engine that will come out readily with a wrench. Have a bucket ready to catch the dirty oil, and remember to dispose of it safely and responsibly. NEVER empty your used oil in the sewer or in your lawn.

3. If your fan belt is too tight, your engine is working too hard and wasting gas. The belt should give a little to finger pressure when the engine is not running. if it doesn’t, you can easily adjust the tension with a wrench.

4. Change your old spark plugs. Badly worn spark plugs can cost you as much as 2 mpg. This is probably a job for a trained technician.

5. The car has been a way of life for most Americans. There are alternatives. These include mass transit, bike paths, and carpools.

6. Purchase smaller vehicles. Heavier cars are more costly to run. A reduction of 200 pounds in automotive weight typically improves fuel economy by nearly 5 percent.

7. Use the air conditioner in your car as little as possible. It uses a lot of gas. Roll down the windows and get some fresh air!

8. Using cruise control can save gas. If you drive on the open road often, staying at a constant speed will save fuel.

9. If you are taking a trip, start while traffic is light. Plan to stop for meals at times when traffic is heavy.

10. Don’t let your car idle for a long time to warm it up. Also, don’t let your car idle for more than a minute after it is warmed up-this idling wastes more gas than restarting your car.

11. Do not rev the engine and then quickly shut your car off. This wastes gas. It also pumps raw gasoline into the cylinder walls. This can wash away a film of oil that protects the cylinders and will increase engine wear.

12. Check your tires. Your owner’s manual has important information on your tires, including the correct air pressure that should be in them. Underinflation of your tires can cost you as much as 1 mpg. Radial tires have 50 percent less road resistance, so they give you 3 to 19 percent better mpg.

Adapted from 547 Ways to be Fuel Smart, by Roger Albright. Thanks Critter!

I found this site to be helpful in reducing catalogs sent to my house. It was passed on to me, please take a look, catalogchoice.org I have picked catalogs that I continue to receive even after calling to cancel. It takes less time through the site to post rather than calling in. Reduce a few catalogs!

What is Catalog Choice?

Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources.

I traveled out to Washington , MO to visit with Innovative Enterprises, Inc., I know by the name what do they do. Well they have been making paper pallets for shipping and packaging for 30 years. Completely recyclable, and eliminates the use of wood. One question I forgot to ask, is if the cardboard they get made completely from post consumer waste? The glue they use is free of formaldehydes.

Well to my surprise when I got there I realized I went to high school with the owners of the company, I know so St. Louis. It was a thrill though to put it all together. The business is a family owned and operated. With Dad at the helm and the two sons working the operations and sales, they are getting it done.

The building process of the pallets was fascinating to me. They have a large warehouse with a bunch of pallet making equipment and people working the machinery in a complete rythmatic movement, quite impressive. Cardboard being folded, cut, shaped, glued, stacked and then out comes a usable packaging pallet to be shipped out for use. And it is all recyclable, very green.

I will be visiting them again real soon, so next time you are in the grocery store and pick up a bag of chips, ask yourself, hum where these shipped in on a wood pallet, or on a recyclable paper pallet. Oh by the way the pallet I stood on held 2500 lbs.

Being a huge Cardinal Fan as most people in this area can be, it was a real thrill for me to go and meet with the St. Louis Cardinals building operations today and discuss the new processes they have put in place and are looking into to be more green. They have added an additional self contained recycling dumpster which is serviced by QRS Recycling. The container is single stream recovery, which basically is everything other than the aluminum, that is collected in a separate container. Also they have added containers to put bottles, plastic and glass, along with cans in, so if you see a “roll away” bottle or can, please help out and throw them into the containers. You can also help out by taking them from your seat and throwing them in there appropriate containers. Labor is a big cost associated with recycling, all little bit helps from our end.

A couple of other cool things the Cards are doing is they are working with their suppliers to work on the products that are brought into the stadium. They are making a conscious effort to look at all the packaging, if it is recyclable or not. Also they are looking into if the Stadium qualifies to be certified through the USGBC LEED certification process.

Again for me it is just great to see the St. Louis Cardinals in transition to becoming more green in their efforts. Look for more to come with them and when your at the stadium give a quick hand, pick up a bottle or two and put them in a container. GO Cards!

Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed or deflected by leaves on deciduous trees in the summer.

The more compact the foliage on the tree or group of trees, the greater the influence of the windbreak for slowing cold, winter winds.

Trees intercept water, store some of it, and reduce storm runoff and the possibility of flooding.

Temperature in the vicinity of trees is cooler than that away from trees. By using trees in the cities, we are able to moderate the heat-island effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial areas.

In the process of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, leaves also absorb other air pollutants-such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide-and give off oxygen.

Information found at: TreesAreGood.com