When you want to live as eco-friendly as possible, there are many ways to reduce your waste and keep your carbon footprint small. Green living is a challenge that is best when taken one small step at a time, but there are some options that can make a significant difference without sacrifice. Online learning is one of those steps that can make a big difference for the environment, without impacting the quality of your education.

Turning College Green

Much of your traditional college experience will revolve around turning in papers that have been printed off the computer, driving to and from classes, and researching your subjects. Taking the time to assess the resources that you are using each and every day is a simple way to find things that you can change to benefit the Earth. For instance, purchasing notebooks and pencils that are made from post-consumer waste, and then recycling the leftovers, is a simple change that you can easily make.

You may also want to look at your energy usage for both college related and entertainment devices. Modern technology has now provided us with small solar panels that can be used to charge mobile phones, mp3s and much more. Taking the time to power off your television or computer and unplugging the device can also save energy. Remember that these devices use a small amount of power even when they aren’t on if they are plugged in. You can also find strip outlets that have an on and off switch if you don’t want to spend time unplugging items, just make sure the switch is off when you are done.

Saving Resources

Going green in college can also help you save money. If you are like most students, then you know that saving money is always a great thing. Shopping for like-new second hand clothes, dishes, paperback books, and board games can save money while also benefiting the environment. Make sure that you re-donate any items that are still in good condition after you have finished with them.

Attending online college can also help you save resources since you don’t need to drive to class. Most of your work will also be turned in online, so you don’t have to worry about wasting paper and other resources, as well. Getting an online education is often a simple solution when you want to attend college, but need more flexibility in your schedule.

Your Education

When choosing an online education you have all the benefits of a traditional student. You can visit your camps to use the gym and attend all university events. Going green is often based on the changes you can make that allow you to live the life that you want, while still maintaining your eco-friendly lifestyle. Online college is one of those things that benefit both you and the Earth.

Today’s guest post is a good one that deals with how your company and HR department can implement green practices to everyday business standards. This is something that can be simple to do and yet have far ranging impact if we all set it up in the way we do daily business.

A large multitude of human resource management departments across the world are opting with practices that promote going green. Going green is an excellent way to be environmentally friendly, while at the same time increasing the satisfaction of employees. Many HR staff members have testified they enjoy going to work for a company that utilizes green practices. Let’s take a look at several ways HR departments are being Mother Earth friendly; these very same practices can be utilized in your HR office.

Purchase Green Office Products
There is a large range of green office products available on today’s market that are equal in performance of traditional products, but these products help lower waste, lower energy usage, and use a lesser amount of chemicals than traditional products. Utilizing green office products often times means an HR department will endure cost savings in addition to being environmentally friendly.

Recycle Ink & Toner Cartridges
There are several retail stores that offer consumers with the ability to purchase re manufactured ink and toner cartridges. These ink and toner cartridges cost up to 15% less than traditional cartridges, so always remember to recycle used cartridges and buy re manufactured ones.

Purchase PCR Paper
Buying PCR paper means an HR department is buying paper made of Post-Consumer Recycled content; these types of paper are just as high in quality as non-recycled paper.

Store Paperwork Using Electronic Methods
HR departments most certainly use a lot of paperwork to conduct business; however, there is a large amount of paperwork that does not have to be printed. Storing paperwork in electronic methods extremely cuts down on the amount of paper being wasted in an office. HR workers are most times familiar with email methods, so instead of printing a piece of paper to show the worker next door, email it. Any paper that does get printed should always go into a paper recycling trash can.

Make Sure Electronic Products are Energy Star Labeled
Office electronics, ranging from computers to fax machines, can be bought with Energy Star labels. These types of electronics automatically shut down if they are not in use; this helps HR departments use up to 75% less energy when compared to using products that are not Energy Star labeled.

Go Fluorescent
An additional 75% of energy can be saved in HR departments by using Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, which also helps reduce maintenance costs associated with hiring someone to switch out light bulbs within an HR department.

Always Hook up Electronics on a Power Strip
Another additional 75% of energy can be conserved when HR departments use power strips to power their electronics. Plugging all electronics up to a power strip that can be turned off and on on a daily basis may be one of the simplest ways to go green.

Some of the green alternatives that can help you get good gas mileage include keeping your tire pressures at optimal levels and having regular tune-ups. You might not be able to buy a newer, more energy efficient automobile today, but you can still help protect the environment.

Conversion kits are available that allow people to changethe fuel that their vehicles run on. Practically any vehicle can be converted to run on electricity, although the conversion kits are expensive and the battery packs are bulky.

The best vehicle types for converting to electric are small cars, such as a Volkswagen or small pickup truck. Electricity may not be able to power a larger vehicle up a big hill.

You will always need some kind of backup energy supply, because the batteries will run down. Different options are available for extending the mileage, but for long trips, electric cars are really not feasible.

One of the newest green alternatives to help you get good gas mileage with your present vehicle, regardless of the make or model, is a conversion kit that allows you to run mostly on water. Estimates vary, but on the average, people are able to reduce their fuel bills by at least 50% by converting to water.

In addition to getting good gas mileage, people that have made the change are saving on maintenance and their vehicles run better. Water is simply cleaner than gasoline and, of course, there are fewer emissions.

Green alternatives are not always so appealing. Walking or taking the bus is not always a good experience. What are you supposed to do on rainy or snowy days?

Unlike the battery packs required for electric vehicles, you can create a never ending amount of power from a device smaller than a shoebox. The process has been demonstrated on YouTube and on a variety of different TV shows. If you have not seen it, you don’t know what you are missing.

We have used water to create electricity for many years. Environmentalists have encouraged large communities to take advantage of the power of the waves and the wind. Some people think there is some kind of conspiracy, involving the oil companies, because electric vehicles were available decades ago. Yet, the technology was never completely utilized.

You don’t have to wait on some big company to bring you the technology that allows you to run your car on water, instead of gasoline. It’s already here. Instead of getting good gas mileage, you will cut your fuel bills by more than you ever dreamed possible.

Choosing green alternatives in everything that you do will help to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and help save the planet for future generations. You can start now, by learning how to make the switch to water, instead of gasoline.

Biotech for food, fuel
Bioengineer: Corn to ethanol is wrong conversion

At the GoingGreen conference in Sausalito, Calif., J. Craig Venter says going from food to fuel–corn to ethanol–is taking resources in the wrong direction. He discusses oil palm and the jatropha genome as future fuel possibilities, and talks about algae as a way to convert carbon back into a useful chemical.

Green VC discusses eco challenges

At the GoingGreen conference in Sausalito, Calif., Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures offers his views on environmental challenges facing the world and how clean tech needs to deliver real results. He also criticizes the current green movement as more about style than substance.

Tony Perkins Editor of AlwaysOn puts on the Going Green Conference each year and bills it as “Where Green Entrepreneurs take on big business”. This years event was held at fabulous Cavello Pt in the Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. We spoke with Tony about the befit of bringing together this group of businessmen and money guys to discuss green tech.

Tony Perkins – Always On – Going Green 2008

Bio Fuels, using stock such as corn and sugar as the feed for the production of ethanol fuel, have been a big debate over the last year as the public has seen the effects of large scale ethanol production on supplies and pricing in commodity markets. However many of us may not know that behind the scenes there is real research going on to solve this problem and provide the world with renewable feed stock for bio fuel.

Mendel has discovered the functions of genetic switches that control many important aspects of plant growth, metabolism and stress responses. By modifying when and where these key genes are expressed within crops plants, it is possible to obtain significant improvements in plant productivity. Additionally, in many cases, knowledge of gene function enables the identification of natural or synthetic chemicals that can alter plant performance in useful ways.

At this years Going Green Conference in SF we spoke to Neal Gutterman of Mendel Biotechnology of Hayward, CA about his company’s efforts to develop feed stock for bio fuel production. Check out the conversation in the video below.

Neal Gutterman – Mendel Biotechnology – Going Green 2008

The Going Green conference kicked off last night at the spectacular setting of the Cavallo Pt Conference Center set in Fort Baker which is nestled among the hills at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. While the setting is beautiful the message of this meeting is optimistic in these days of fluctuating gas prices and concerns over global warming.

Tony Perkins has brought together a large group of industry leaders in bio fuels, solar, water tech, green tech and more to discuss where their industries are at and what they are shooting for in the coming years. Despite the swirling debate over fuels and what areas we should move into to solve our problems these industry execs and financial investment brokers are optimistic about the technologies that are being developed to resolve these problems on the large scale.

Vinod Khosla the noted VC investment broker who runs a large fund devoted to Green spoke most candidly in his key note address on Tuesday morning. He said,”Forget about the fashion statements made by celebrities about using one sheet of toilet paper or which hybrid car to buy, we need to focus on the issues that will make the biggest difference on the global scale.”

Vinod is bullish on biomass, but biomass that does not depend on food stock for fuel (as in corn for ethanol). He spelled out various technologies that are in development that do not depend on food stock but rather on perennial stock such as Miscanthus. He calls the corn market a stepping stone to the next generation of bio fuel.

GM is the big dancer in the room in terms of helping these biomass companies steer towards the future of oil independence. it will be 2030 before we have real energy independence with bio fuel supplies. Can these companies convince companies like GM away from corn ethanol and over to renewable source bio fuel sources. From what I have heard today I would say the answer is yes. Once we get some of our politicians away from “drill baby drill” and over to “grow baby grow”.

You can watch the conference webcast here

Watch for AEHQ’s video coverage of GoingGreen shortly

GoingGreen is slated to come to Cavallo Pt next week and presents a full line up of companies and mover and shakers in the industry of Green Technology. Tony Perkins has brought together another impressive panel of folks to talk about the business of green and to highlight the technological advancements that are making this such a hot sector for investment and growth around the world.

What is this all about? Well here is the blurb:

GoingGreen is where cutting-edge greentech CEOs meet the movers and shakers from the biggest industries on earth. Green technology innovators are transforming the global energy, water, agriculture, transportation, construction, manufacturing, and resource recovery establishments. This two-and-a-half-day executive event features CEO presentations and high-level debates on the most promising emerging green technologies and new entrepreneurial opportunities. At GoingGreen our editors will also honor the GoingGreen 100 Top Private Companies. Fifty of the top CEOs from the GoingGreen 100 will pitch their market strategies to a panel of industry experts in our “CEO Showcase.”

Here is the program for this years conference.

GoingGreen 2008 Program & Invited Speakers:

Monday, September 15th, 2008

Registration hours 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

6:00 pm Welcoming Remarks from Hosts:
Tony Perkins, Founder, AlwaysOn
Michael Grimes, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
David Chen, Vice President, Morgan Stanley
Ed Ring, Editor, EcoWorld

More on Going Green 2008 – Preview