In the exciting run up to this Electric Picnic 2011, GreenMe would like to remind all  fellow picknickers to  minimize the overall environmental impact of this year′s festival. Driving Green – Using less fuel, creating less CO2 Please don’t drive – Use public transport to get to the festival If you have to drive, car pool – check out www.tripmi.ie Bring your bike on the train and cycle. The nearest station is Portlaoise train station. Secure bike parking is available at the picnic this year If driving make sure your engine is well-tuned and tyres are pumped to correct pressure… Read More »

Hypermiling is the newest craze to take American drivers by storm. And now we’re getting in on the act too.  Hypermiling is a method of increasing your car’s mileage by making skillful changes to the way you drive.  In turn you save fuel and the environment at the same time.  Let’s face it the money saving aspect alone makes it worth giving a try! So what do you need to do?  Well the following is an excerpt from a great article on Hypermiling. Keep your foot off the accelerator except when absolutely necessary. When you come to a stop, coast… Read More »

MEETING YOUR NEEDS I never noticed, or remember bad weather days when I was a child. I also can’t imagine being hot when my toes feel like icicles. It’s no doubt a safety feature we have built into us so we don’t suffer unnecessarily. Imagine being able to feel toothache when you don’t have it…not nice at all. There must have been days when I just couldn’t go out though and I also must have found things to do to occupy myself. I remember having a day off school because of an illness when I was about six. This must… Read More »

Coffee is one of the world′s most commonly traded commodities, and tea is the world′s most consumed beverage after water. So how can you make sure your brew is fairly-traded, and eco-friendly as well as a tasty sip. 1. Go Local Seek out the coffee and tea that have traveled the least distance to reach you and also aim at supporting local coffee shops selling fair trade coffees. 2. What A Mug Go ahead, find that perfect mug and make the investment. Not only is a reusable mug more pleasurable to sip out of than a paper cup, but it… Read More »

Between the economic meltdown and the push for green buildings, saving energy, water and money in your home is more popular than ever. Fortunately, greening your home doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. We caught up with Eric Corey Freed, principal of Organic Architect, and author of the new book, Green$ense for the Home. Here’s his list of nine simple things anyone—renters and homeowners alike—can do in their homes today. 1. Change your light bulbs already! How many environmentalists does it take to change a light bulb? There are several answers to this joke (none of them that… Read More »

In the last few years particularly, I have found myself easily spending €50 to €70 per week on my daily lunch. If you eat your lunch out every day, you might not realise just how much it is costing you. A soup, sandwich and a drink doesn’t give much change from €10! I very much doubt I would spend that same amount if I pepared these lunches at home! If you take this saving and calculate what you could put away over a 5 year period, it equates to quite a tidy sum!! Perhaps the Take your Lunch to Work campaign can take over… Read More »

No, GreenMe are not advocating a slovenly lifestyle, just encouraging you to take it outside!! Cancelling your gym membership will not only save you money, it will also lower your carbon footprint!! Link to this post!

Spring is in the air and as the weather finally changes, everyone around me seems to be coming down with a cold. Like so many Irish folks, I am sensitive to foods containing gluten.  And, I try to stay away from dairy in the damp weather.  And, I’m a vegetarian, hmm…. No meat, no wheat, and (mostly) no dairy.  Alas, I’m a professional cook so I spend a lot of time creating recipes to suit a variety of diets. Here’s one of my favorite cold weather  meals that’s tasty, satisying, easy to make and good for ya! Link to this… Read More »

I came across sweet almond oil when a friend of mine put together a hamper of organic skin products straight from the health shop .  To be honest I was dubious, as I think when it comes to skincare, you get what you pay for. However the claim that it doubles up as a moisturiser and a makeup remover won be over (convenience is also very high on my list of priorities). The fact that I happened to tune in to one of those UK makeover shows when the make-up artist announced that almond oil is her one can’t do… Read More »

Want to help save the planet, but also want your wedding to be memorable?  The following is a great article written by SUE LEONARD of the Irish Independent on how to make that special day environmentally friendly We’re all worried these days about global warming. We want to protect our environment and we do our bit to recycle and reuse. When it comes to weddings, though, we tend to throw green ethics aside. Link to this post!

There are plenty of us out there who think that there is nothing as nice as snuggling up on front of a blazing open fire on a cold miserable night?  And let’s face it there’s no shortage of those at the moment.  However, gorgeous as it looks and feels it can be an expensive and inefficient endeavor. A fireplace sends most of the heat in your house straight up the chimney emitting as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour to the outside!  Bottom line – not very green.  But as GreenMe are the no sacrafice, guilt free… Read More »

With the holiday season upon us, why not pack a more natural mosquito repellent on this trip. Citronella, basil, anise oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh garlic are all effective mosquito repellents (all in their own right – you do not have to mix them together you’ll be glad to hear). They are all less harsh on your skin than the conventional pharmaceutical variety.  However, the fresh garlic alternative may acutally repel more than the mosquitoes! Link to this post!

Caulk it This winter I have found that my house seems to be leaking. By that I mean that I have noticed little drafts in certain rooms that I never noticed before.  Small spaces and gaps around windows and pipes and wires entering the home create create energy wasting drafts that can cut the efficiency of your heating system. Most caulking products are cheap costing under €10. It’s a no brainer for a cosier home and your saving on your home heating bill too! Link to this post!

When we buy organic or fair – trade food, the benefits are obvious- it’s healthier, it tastes better and we know we are helping producers earn a decent wage.  We love the feel good factor that we are supporting our local farmer.  So why is it practically impossible to get consumers to shop for fashion locally, let alone ethically? Link to this post!

This time of the year we are loath to open windows in fear of Jack Frost invading our homes.  This can often lead to a musty or stale air environment. While we are not advocating that you keep all windows and doors closed throughout the whole winter, we do realise that anything more that 10 minutes airing per day is often as much as our senses will allow us bear. So to counter any nasty stagnant air invading your home we recomment the age old redemy of using vinegar and lemon, or a bowl of baking soda to absorb odours. … Read More »

It never fails to amaze me that no matter how good my intentions, I still spend the last 4 weekends in the lead up to Christmas on the batter.  Whether it′s work related, partner related or family and friend related there always seem to be a plethora of dinners, parties or shindigs to attend. Link to this post!

Tips for making savings on food and money in the kitchen

When old man winter comes knocking at our door,  as he most certainly has today, I start to think about keepping warm.  Inevitably, I want that to be as cost effective as possible but also as environmentally friendly as possible.  Thankfully staying warm and green on those long, winter nights without seeing your monthly bills skyrocket as the temperature falls in not out of the question. A good place to start is checking for drafts coming from the doors and windows. Look to see if the caulking or weather stripping is damaged. If it is damaged or even destroyed, replace… Read More »

There are several areas that you can make eco-friendly, earth-friendly and healthier choices to Green Your Halloween. Food Focus on making healthier foods more fund to eat.  For treats consider organic candies, dark chocolate and low fat foods like licorice. Costumes Reuse your costume from before. Create a costume from reused or recyclable items or clothes. Decorations Decorate with reusable items or recyclable ones like newspaper, leaves, sticks, branches, cornstalks, cardboard boxes. Activities Attend Local fireworks or Halloween festivals.  Focus on treating others rather than ‘treats’ or volunteering your time to fundraise for a good cause. Link to this post!

Householders are being urged to improve the quality of the material they put in their recycling bins as contamination is dramatically reducing its commercial value. That is the theme of this year’s Recycling Week, which starts today. The initiative is organised by Repak, the industry-funded group focused on improving recycling rates. Repak wants the public to recycle more and recycle better, particularly in the bathroom where half of plastic bottles are thrown out. People are being urged to wash out items such as food cans, because if they contaminate the other recyclables it will dramatically reduce their value. According to… Read More »