Using GPS fleet management, companies can streamline vehicle routing to make sure there is as little waste as possible. That saves resources.

In fact, waste is one of the biggest enemies of the environment. Since most fleet vehicles still operate on fossil-fuel products, wasted trips and wasted time in vehicles causes more environmentally harmful by-products to be released into the air than necessary.

Waste is also the enemy of a company’s bottom line. Companies that waste time, fuel and labour hours are destined for failure. That’s why environmentally friendly remote asset management using GPS trackers make sense from every point of view.

While imprecise routing costs companies’ money, so do bad driving habits. GPS trackers can help companies monitor the amount of time a vehicle is left idling, its speed and the number of sudden, hard stops. Excessive idling, driving at high speeds and quick stops waste fuel, creating a greater environmental impact than necessary.

Even when company tasks seem to be completed in reasonable amounts of time, businesses without remote asset management capabilities never know when employees are making unnecessary detours, leaving cars running when they should be turned off or driving in ways that endanger other drivers and company assets as well negatively impact the environment.

Problem employees can be called in and addressed individually, but company policies regarding idle times, unexpected route changes and other small things that impact both the environment and the bottom line can also be adjusted.

GPS tracking provides an array of statistical information that can be used to increase efficiency and therefore increase environmental responsibility. Having in hand the statistics that GPS tracking provides makes it easy to present a case for changes.

Just about every unmonitored vehicle is wasting something. When business owners multiply the bits of waste during one day’s use of one car by the total number of vehicles owned by the company, it’s easy for them to see just how big a difference GPS tracking can make.

With a complete remote asset management program in place, companies that were once flabby and unfriendly to the environment can become lean, responsible players in their industries.

Enter the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicle. It’s the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle and, despite its relatively diminutive size, it packs a considerable electric punch. The car comes with an optional adaptor known as the “AC Power Supply EZ adaptor.” This simple device converts the car’s built-in AC adaptor into a high-powered electric outlet that can power anything from traditional microwaves to rice cookers.

That might not seem remarkable on its own; in fact, to the untrained eye, it seems absolutely unnecessary. First and foremost, is the car even big enough to fit a microwave inside when there are passengers inside? But after careful consideration, the benefits of this technology become quite apparent: it’s a roving power supply, able to power full-sized electrical devices wherever it goes.

Consider that Japan, which is home to the Mitsubishi brand, recently experienced a disaster of unthinkable proportions. The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed tens of thousands, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, and left many stranded without the ability to even find food — let alone cook it. The i-MiEV electric vehicle could be used in emergency situation to provide power to stranded groups of people in the event of an emergency, quickly using that rice cooker to make the difference between life and death.

And as electric vehicle technologies improve over time, it’s likely that vehicles will be able to generate their electric power through resources other than electrical outlets, meaning a car would not require a typical charge via electrical outlet in order to store power. It could be as easy as allowing the vehicle to sit outside in the sunlight, or driving the car down a highway and allowing the window regenerate the battery’s charge and store electrical power for later use.

As people increasingly look for ways to reduce the burden on electricity-generating power plants — especially in Japan where the future of nuclear power is in question — the future of these electric vehicles looks quite bright. While they do currently use electrical energy from an outlet, this limitation is thought of as fleeting.

The ability to be able to store energy means that owners of these small Mitsubishi vehicles use their car as an alternative energy supply in the event of rolling blackouts or brownouts. It means that a downed power line is no longer a recipe for candles and a long night of board games, and it means that those who suddenly find themselves over-budget on energy expenses can use their car’s traveling power supply instead of tapping the resources of the traditional electrical grid.

Overall, this is a vehicle that has its sights set on a high-efficiency, low-usage future. And that’s an excellent step in the right direction.

Going online to get the cheapest Montreal assurance auto quotes is a very efficient way to save money and cut down on unnecessary expenses. Kanetix.ca is a free online quote comparison service where anyone can fill out a single quote to see which insurance companies offer the cheapest quotes.

1. One, you can opt to buy a kit where all the necessary materials and instructions are already found inside.
2. All you need to do here is follow the steps as your construct.
3. For the more adventurous ones, you can make the structure from scratch on your own.
4. Not to worry because do-it-yourself indoor greenhouse projects are very doable and a lot of people have tried them and succeeded.

The next concern would be the location.

1. Greenhouses will require space but for the indoor types, a few square feet will do.
2. What is most important is that your plants get sufficient sunlight.
3. You can put your indoor greenhouse in your patio or in your balcony.

Indoor greenhouses can be made out of various kinds of materials – from glass, fiberglass and even polyurethane.

• The advantage of using glass is that they are very transparent and can give your plants the sufficient amount of sunlight that they need.
• The downside to this is that they are very easy to heat up during hot days. But then again, this can be easily remedied with a good ventilation system.
• Glass is most popularly used for short growing seasons such as planting during late winter or early spring.

For the polyurethane, they are preferred by some gardeners because they are very cheap and accessible.

• The downside to this is that they are not very transparent to light and thus, are not very good for planting early in the season where light intensity is not that high.
• Fiberglass on the other hand, is more stable than polyurethane but still, transparency is less, just like the latter.

For those who do not have a patio or a balcony, then do not worry because you can always set up the greenhouse elsewhere inside the house.

What you need here is an artificial source of light to make up for the loss of natural light. But be very careful and monitor the light intensity as much as you can. This will depend on the kind of plant that you are growing. Too much light intensity can stunt the growth of certain plant species so try to follow light requirements as strictly as possible.

Another technique that you can use for growing plants in indoor greenhouses is hydroponics.

• Hydroponics makes use of water infused with essential nutrients and minerals in place of soil.

So never limit your dreams of owning a greenhouse to large open spaces.

• With indoor greenhouses, it is possible to grow your favorite plants and exotic vegetations the whole year through and inside your own homes.

Whitney is an expert in hobby greenhouse construction plans and at giving advice for those looking to get into indoor greenhouse gardening and other garden activities.

Well, that time is finally upon us which means that these tyrannical corporations are being forced to allow car manufacturers to move along with the times, thus the release of the Nissan Leaf.

The Leaf, however, isn’t the only EV (Electric Vehicle) out there, and those speed freaks who resist the move to clean power in the automobile industry, on the grounds that they’re too slow or look kind of silly, have simply not done their research. What most people don’t realise is that EV models produce full torque from the first second of acceleration, meaning that they simply beat out gas powered engines every single time.

Shelby SuperCars Aero EV

Released back in 2008, the car came under fire due to the performance stats Shelby claimed the car would live up to. No one seemed to think it possible but this electric supercar out performed even those predictions. The car has 500 horsepower (373 kW), an electric motor, reaches 60 mph in a mere 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of 208 mph. This dream car is also has a charge range of 150 – 200 miles and recharges in 10 minutes, but it carries a staggering price tag of $431,100.

Custom 1972 Electric Datsun

A slap in the face of every small minded, destructive person who felt that their gas guzzling tank shouldn’t be exchanged for ‘slow moving EV’, this custom Datsun proved that even the smallest, oldest EV could outperform a Ferrari. Dubbed the White Zombie, this speed demon goes from 0 to 60 in 2.95 seconds, covering a quarter-mile in 11.46 seconds with a 130 mph top speed. Rather famous for its performance in the field, there are numerous YouTube clips which show this EV massively embarrassing Ferraris and other top performing gas engine cars on the drag strip.

At this stage nearly a dozen or more major manufacturers are in full tilt EV production or conceptualisation but still, far too many of them are looking at releasing hybrid mixes which use part EV batteries and part standard gas engines. This could be in an effort to get consumers used to the switch over or it could simply be pressure from the oil companies to drain every last drop of oil from the planet before making a complete switch but, either way, it’s better than nothing.

While it’s a shame that analysts had long ago projected that the global oil supply would be almost expended by 2020, and we’re only now (in 2011) embracing the alternative, most people don’t even know what a world without oil is going to mean.

Gasoline – used to power automobiles, planes, boats, and many other forms of transportation
Diesel Fuel – used for powering automobiles
Kerosene – used in lighting and cooking
Heating Oil – used to provide homes with vital warmth
Lubricating oil – cooling heavy machinery
Grease – essential for automobile repair, train tracks, machinery upkeep, etc.
Tar – used in construction.

Warren Kings is a writer at heart and was practically born with a pen in his hand. He writes articles and blogs for a Cape Town Based company and enjoys every minute of it. His talents range from writing about his travels around South Africa, having an in-depth knowledge of the consumer protection act and an aarto certificate.

What I wanted to do was get together a list of things that could be done to be more green using your computer, or just where your computer was concerned. It might not be enough to undo any damage, but it is enough to offset the effect your computer has in general.

1. Turn It Off

This should be completely obvious but many people ignore it. Letting your computer idle or even go on sleep mode will still use energy, albeit less than when actively in use. GreenIt.org has some great information on this, giving comparisons of energy use and how much power could be saved by showing you what it could power. You can also get further tips and data on saving energy through more responsible electronics use.

In another practical example, my husband and I ended up with a real one just a few years ago. He had a habit of leaving his computer on at all times. I eventually convinced him to stop it, if only for my own sanity; it was in our bedroom and I hated the hum of the fans and the light from the tower power button. So he gave in and shut it off at night, and that month we got our electricity bill. It was $20 less than usual….quite a difference for such a small change!

2. Energy Management Settings

I use a laptop and one of the things I love about it is that it has an Energy Saver option. I can customize my6 own energy plan or use on of theirs, which is meant to both save battery life and help the planet by using less energy. These types of programs are usually on most computers in the Control Panel, and can be customized to fit your needs. They might dim the screen a bit, put it in automatic sleep mode if you haven't used it for a certain amount of time, or turn on deep hibernation with the click of a button. Mine is set to go into sleep when I close the screen, and it makes a huge difference on the battery, so I don't have to charge as often or plug in.

3. Print Less

One of the most damaging things we do with our computers both at home and work is over printing. It is easy to press a button and waste the paper and create garbage and you might do it for something as small as a coupon, using an entire piece for a single one. This is completely unnecessary, and you can do a lot for the planet by cutting back on how much you print out.

Here are two essential tips for your eco-friendly printing:

• Use less paper: here's a solid tip from MUO on
  how to print multiple pages on one sheet of paper and be eco-friendly
• Use green printing companies and services: even the huge and established priniting company like All Posters have an "eco-friendly" section for each of their posters. If you want to be both green and frugal, here's most recent All Posters coupons from Rather Be Shopping, my favorite coupon directory.

Luckily, we live in a world where this is becoming less and less of an issue. You can share information at work using email or through document sharing programs like Google Docs. You can text or call, or leave memos on cellphones. You can pass lists through apps on smartphones…there are any number of alternatives.

As for printing at home, the same technology can be used in many cases. When it comes to making shopping lists you can access online ones through your hand held device, or even type them into the memo feature. You can load coupons from stores onto loyalty and rewards cards. You can shop online to take advantage of savings codes.

Before you print, take some time to stop and think if you really need to. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.

Any other green tips for heavy computer users? Please let me know!

Annie is eco-friendly blogger who collects DIY ideas on her personal blog and writes for Home Loan Finder, an online free eco-friendly loan comparison tool. Check out our green guide on choosing solar panels while saving money.

cc licensed ( BY SD ) flickr photo shared by barnoid

By the end of the film, Paine concludes that the electric car is dead. But is the electric car really dead? Just five years after the release of “Who Killed the Electric Car,” Paine seems to be revising his opinion. Paine has announced he is working on a new film called “Revenge of the Electric Car.” This documentary will be about several large car makers that are working to change the auto industry and begin offering electric cars on a larger scale than before.

Looking at the attitude of the United States government today, it’s easy to see why electric cars are slowly yet surely trying to stage a comeback. In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama made a point of addressing electric cars. Obama hopes that “with more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels.” He went on to say that the US could become the first country to have one million electric cars on the road by the year 2015. He also states that he will be asking Congress to reduce the amount of taxpayer funded assistance the government provides to oil companies to free up more money for electric cars.

Obama’s comments are nothing new, considering the Cash for Clunkers program he authorized in 2009. The goal of Cash for Clunkers was to help boost the economy through car sales while at the same time putting safer, cleaner and more fuel efficient cars on the road. Cash for Clunkers provided special incentives for those buying electric cars, offering anywhere from $4,200 to $5,500 in federal tax credits to those who qualified. His State of the Union comments are just another step in favor of electric cars.

Electric cars are looking especially promising these days due to serious pressing concerns about pollution, global warming, dependence on foreign oil and the price of gasoline. In fact, the CEO of Nissan thinks that by 2020, one in ten cars in the world will run on battery power alone. However, for the electric car market to truly take off, there are several problems that must be overcome. The most notable problem is that electric cars are still expensive and inconvenient, which makes them unattractive to mainstream consumers. Why buy an electric car if you can get a regular car for less? It’s not like the average person is willing to stick out their neck to save the environment. Electric cars are far from dead, but a lot of work needs to be done before they can emerge as the preferred car of choice for the average driver.

Julie Rukavina is from the cheap car rentals website Car Rental Express.

Pollution: Despite the title, Pollution is a green app to its core. This small program provides a pollution monitoring service that tracks local pollution and air quality levels for nearly 1,400 cities around the globe. As the iPhone updates the user’s location, Pollution cross-references its database of nearly 100,000 monitoring stations for the most relevant local information. The app tracks overall conditions along with specific factors for residents who may be more susceptible to one particular pollutant.

Yowza: Yowza is a coupon app designed for shoppers who want their bargains on the go. While at first this app seems like it would only be green for those customers buying eco-friendly products, there’s a bit more to it. Due to the iPhone’s high-resolution display, merchants can actually scan the coupon’s bar code directly from the smartphone’s screen. Not only does this app encourage you to shop locally, saving energy and reducing emissions from cross-country shipping, but also it reduces demand for coupons printed on physical media. It’s a one-two combo: green living and discounts to boot!

GreenMeter: Of all the apps on this list, GreenMeter may be one of the most technical. This app can help users tailor their driving habits to their vehicle’s optimal conditions, increasing efficiency and reducing harmful greenhouse gas output. GreenMeter computes the car’s overall power and fuel consumption, and then uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to determine the optimal driving technique. This app can help drivers pick out the ideal cruise speed, understand the principles of drag and rolling resistance, and maximize fuel efficiency. Yet again, going green is the economical choice to make.

Shopgreen: Sometimes it’s difficult to measure exactly how much of an impact the green lifestyle really has. Shopgreen, a new app from ViralMesh, aims to provide a morale boost for everyone out there fighting the good fight for the planet. This program tracks a variety of factors including CO2 output, behavioral effects on the environment, and the user’s overall balance of green actions. For anyone who is concerned that they could do more to make a difference, shopgreen is a great place to start. Programming the app to track a daily routine is simple, and may be the first step towards a more ecologically responsible lifestyle.

iLocavore: Choosing the right kinds of food and other consumables helps in and of itself, but sometimes there’s more to be done. One major trend in the green movement is local purchasing, and that’s where iLocavore comes in. Thanks to globalization, it’s easier than ever to order products from all over the globe. Unfortunately, doing so contributes to global warming, as a lot of extra energy must be used to transport consumer goods far across the planet. iLocavore helps users to find great local deals and information about events in their area. By eating and shopping close to home, consumers can save the planet and support their local retailers.

Whether you’re saving the Earth by reducing your car’s emissions through efficient driving or saving your wallet by finding great local deals, there’s an app out there to make it easy. Today’s best eco-friendly apps help customers to shop, drive, eat, and live without any doubt that they’re doing as little damage to our planet as possible. Now that you’re well equipped, get out that iPhone and start downloading…the environment could use your help!

Allison Snowden regularly covers topics related to business and technology. She has also written about online shopping tips and deals. Some of her online shopping tips have been featured on www.savoo.co.uk, a discount code website and blog.

The days of printing out a memo for every employee in the office are over.  Think of all the obscene amounts of paper that have been used over the years.  It boggles the mind we have any trees left at all.  Thank God for the internet, e-mail, and document management systems.  These inventions are allowing us to manage our documents electronically and save, literally, tons of paper.  Now, if we can only stop companies from sending us junk mail we’ll be good.

Seriously, the new copiers on the market play a major part of delivering a solution for our paper consumption problem.  These new devices are the all-in-one printers, scanners, copiers, fax machines, and document management systems.  Let’s talk about the last and most important feature, document management.  These new copiers integrate with document management systems.  This allows them to store PDFs, documents, and large word data files in virtual space.  The virtual space comes cheap when compared to the priceless value of the environment.  If you consider the issue in those terms, leasing a copier costs a lot less than one real tree.

With New Document Management Systems Comes a New Attitude

Perhaps the biggest benefit of these new copiers is that they are getting people to think differently.  Instead of printing something out to the printer/copier it is made into a virtual document and stored in a portal.  This portal is securely encrypted with a 64 bit encryption that will keep all of the information safe.  That information can then be backed up to ensure there will be a safety net for that data.

New copiers are all equipped with some kind of document management system, or at least a way to connect to that if you choose.  The copier/scanner/printer is tied into a company’s file storage system.  With this, a company can stay more organized, be more efficient, and kinder to the environment!  It’s a win-win for businesses and the earth.

The greatest thing about the new age of technology is a document may be created, seen by thousands of people, used on a daily basis by everyone in the company, and store indefinitely.  All of this can happen without the use of ink and paper.  It’s a beautiful thing.

This advance didn’t come one moment too soon.  The world’s paper use was running ramped.  Now, it’s subsiding.  Hopefully, that trend will continue.  As we continue to do business in a smarter way it will continue to be a help to preserving the environment.

By Patrick Torres is a an environmental current events writer.

When you are ready to get started with your very own garden, you might want to check into hydroponics, which is a less invasive approach to growing healthy plants for eye appeal or to appease the appetite. Hydroponic seedling germination systems will help you to get started reproducing some of the plants that you already have, or those you bring over from Grandmas.

This is where all the information you have gathered will come in handy, and should supply you with everything you need to know about hydroponics so that you will be successful in this endeavor. Hydroponic seedling germination systems are only effective if you have somewhere to begin, and that can be as close as your home and gardening store. This method will also allow you to select from the plants that you have already been successful with as you clone them for another generation of growth and taste tempting treats right from your very own back yard.

Using hydroponic seedling germination systems that can be found online or your local suppliers, you will be able to start your seeds or cuttings off with the right mixture of nutrients that will assure you of a bountiful harvest when the time comes. Depending on your available space, you will be able to choose from systems with a maximum capacity of just 24 to several hundreds.

One thing that you must consider when working with hydroponic seedling germination systems is that temperature matters for optimal germination and consequently the number of new seedlings you will be able to use. As a novice to the whole routine of raising a garden should take into consideration how variations of temperatures can have an impact on the overall outcome of the entire process of germination.

Research into the specific types of conditions that are required by each species will allow you to see better results from your efforts with hydroponic seedling germination systems. While a few degrees either way, hotter or colder can make a difference in the survival rate of the seeds you are trying to germinate, so will the moisture content have an impact on selected species.

Since the only real pleasure that can be had from any hydroponic seedling germination systems is in the amount of benefits received, you will want to do it right the first time. Whether that benefit is in edible produce, or lovely flowers and plants, success is always measured by the outcome of the venture. Your success depends on how well you follow instructions.

Alexandru Chiuariu, Web Content Copywriter for Our Crazy Deals, providing webcopy and articles on the company’s Hydroponic Seedling Germination Equipment and special Hydroponic Growing Systems offers.

Many countries are encouraging fair trade products and this has led to huge demand for the products until last year. However, there was a slight decline in the demand for the products. Developed economies like United States have increased their import of fair trade certified items and the consumers are receiving it with high acceptance. According to a report from Fair Trade USA (a leading third-party certifier of Fair trade products in US), the growth of fair trade products have seen a huge demand and increased brand recognition for the products. Some experts believe that even though the world economy is affected by the recession, there was a continued increase and Fairtrade USA has certified 62 percent of the coffee as organic. On the other side, the fair-trade farming communities has earned more than US$220 million as against US$56 million in 1998. This has also helped them to invest in community development programs like establishing high schools and providing access to education for their children, proper sanitary and medical care.

Witnessing this huge demand, Fairtrade USA has decided to increase the product expansion into both new and existing categories and include vodka, green peppers, apparel, spices, herbs and other extracts. Currently, there are nearly 9,500 Fairtrade-certified consumer products which are offered by more than 700 industry partners available in 60,000 retail locations in US. More than 92 new producers have joined the Fair trade system in 2010 which represents 140,000 farmers. According to recent estimates from SPINS (a natural products market research firm), sales of Fair Trade certified-products rose by 15.2% in the health food retail stores and 17% in conventional supermarkets.  Coffee and its substitutes, tea, cocoa, snacks and soap are the top categories.

This article is written by Susan, an Environmentalist by profession and prefers to wear ethically made silver and gemstone jewellery.