CustomEarthPromos - Eco Blog US

Victoria Bowness is originally from Macclesfield, near Manchester, England, but this British mother of one now lives on a mountain in the outback. She reveals how she turned her back on her life in England to live off the grid with her 27-year-old Australian partner Johnny Clapham. The 35-year-old has swapped her modern city house for a simple dome on a 120-acre plot. It is a two hour journey for groceries, and she is almost four hours away from the nearest city of Brisbane, Australia. The family uses no taps and has no electricity bill. Victoria purifies water for washing in, and all of their power comes from solar energy. In her early twenties, Victoria lived in the fashionable neighborhood of Manchester's Northern Quarter. She worked in a successful marketing firm. She says that she was always desperate to escape the fast-paced lifestyle for something more relaxed, becoming more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious in the process.Become more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious by purchasing from Custom Earth Promos. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, "For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to know what was beyond where I was—I was always looking for something more."35-year-old Victoria Bowness After losing her mom when she was 24, Victoria was motivated to live "life to the fullest." Three years later, she moved to Australia. It was there, in Sydney, that she met Johnny, a landscape gardener. They had plans to settle down together when Victoria became pregnant six months into their relationship. The cost of housing in Sydney was at an all-time high at the time. The couple knew they'd need an alternative. When Victoria gave birth to their daughter, Anaya, 14 months ago, the family decided it was time to leave the city. With "nothing left to lose," they began to look for a plot of land far from the "urban sprawl." Eventually, they came across space in the middle of a mountain. It was three-and-a-half hours away from the nearest city and a full ten minutes away from their neighbors. "Most people come out here when they need a break, it's space for the weekend. We didn't want a life that we needed space from. We wanted to live together as a family."35-year-old Victoria Bowness With no traffic, and without the hustle and bustle of a big crowd, Victoria notes that the only noises are from their "kangaroo neighbors," among deer and other wild animals. Rather than going shopping, or ordering take-out and spending the night watching tv, they spend their time in this quiet environment sitting together, walking, and talking. Despite their off the grid living, the pair are connected to a 4G network. This allows them to keep in touch with friends and family. It is very useful for Victoria, who is a small business consultant and advises small business on how to best target their audience. "My job lends itself to this lifestyle. We want to inspire people as well. You don't have to go into an ...

There are two equally compelling arguments for solving climate change. But, what will it actually be like? Better than today, or worse? Will we live in tents and farm some climate change created post apocalyptic nightmare, or will we have flying cars and live in a science fiction fan's dream? Comfy homes, good food, whip-smart appliances, and robots whizzing around on farms all seem pretty likely. This is according to experts queried by USA TODAY. Overall, our living standards won't change much, they'll just become greener and more efficient.Make sure you advertising is green and efficient by selecting Custom Earth Promos. This is in stark contrast to the other side of the coin; a common complaint by critics who object to making global warming-based changes to the economy. They suggest that such changes will destroy America's standard of living. It will force us all to "live in yurts and eat tofu," as one of the commenters on this NPR excerpt put it. "Every single proposed solution will simultaneously improve life and decrease carbon emissions." Professor of Climate Science at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, Noah Diffenbaugh These predictions presume that the shift to carbon-neutral energy, industrial, and transportation systems happens in enough time to slow, and eventually reverse, the effects of global warming that the planet is already experiencing These include rising oceans, more flooding, worse storms, and increasing heat waves and droughts. Experts say that whatever happens next depends entirely upon how quickly we act. Many of the proposed technological and policy changes are already underway. However, they need to be sped up. Today, human pour 37 gigatons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere...annually! People must avoid those carbon emissions within a relatively short amount of time—the next 20 years—to avoid "rapid, far-reaching, and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society," says the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Monday, April 22, was Earth Day. Let's assume that, for Earth Day, we have "solved" global warming and successfully switched to a carbon-neutral world. You, and/or your children, and/or your grandchildren, are waking up sometime between 2050 and 2100. What does this new world look like? Heating and Cooling Houses themselves won't look much different, for example, although appropriate areas will most likely have solar panels installed. This will be especially important in hot, sunny parts of the U.S. as it will decrease the pressure on power production for cooling during the day. California has a law in place, currently, that will require any new house built after 2020 to have solar panels installed. This shift is already slowly happening. Today's refrigerators are about 20 percent bigger, but they use one-quarter of the electricity those sold only 20 years ago did. The LED lightbulbs people now buy use 20 percent of ...

Death. It's an inevitable part of life. But, what to do with the body? There are plenty of eco-friendly options, including biodegradable caskets that return to the earth with the body (such as wood, cardboard, and woven materials such as bamboo or wicker), shrouds, urns designed to be buried and have a tree planted on top, sprinkling the ashes of a loved one into an artificial coral reef, and having your ashes mixed into a professional soccer field when it's reseeded the next season. But, have you ever heard of "human composting?" Washington State is expected to become the first to legalize a burial alternative that will turn bodies back into soil within weeks. A bill allowing "natural organic reduction," also known as "human composting," has passed the legislature and ended up on the desk of Governor Jay Inslee. Inslee is running for president in 2020. His campaign is all about climate change. A spokeswoman for his office has said that the accelerated decomposition process "seems like a thoughtful effort to soften our footprint" on the planet.Take a "thoughtful effort to soften your footprint" on the planet by purchasing from Custom Earth Promos. According to the bill's sponsor, Senator Jamie Pedersen of Seattle, compared to burial, the natural organic reduction process takes up less space. It could also reduce the carbon emissions emitted by cremation. Human composting creates, on average, one yard of soil per body. That's about enough to fill two large wheelbarrows. If the bill passes, relatives would be able to keep the soil in urns, spread it on public land, or plant a tree using it on their private property. Pedersen said the laws for scattering cremated remains would still remain in effect.Plant a tree and sprinkle the human soil with seed paper. Once used, this paper can be soaked and planted to create wildflowers. "It is sort of astonishing that you have this completely universal human experience—we're all going to die—and here's an area where technology has done nothing for us. We have the two means of disposing of human bodies that we've had for thousands of years, burying and burning. It just seems like an area that is ripe for having technology give us some better options than we have used."Senator Jamie Pedersen of Seattle, Washington Pedersen got the idea from a constituent, who modeled their method on the ones farmers use to dispose of livestock.Dispose of single-use plastic by switching to reusable water bottles and shopping bags. Katrina Spade ran a pilot project after studying the process for her master's thesis. She decomposed six bodies at Washington State University last year. Spade said that converting the bodies to soil took anywhere between four and seven weeks. Her company, Recompose, plans to provide "natural organic reduction" services "to all who want them." The company told NBC News that it aimed to charge $5,500 per body. Compared to a traditional burial with a funeral viewing, it is ...

Next week is Earth Day, and the state of Virginia will be celebrating with educational events and service projects. Year round, however, environmental solutions have inspired creative businesses around Richmond. Three of them are run by women, who have successfully managed to merge creativity and entrepreneurship.Celebrate Earth Day by getting your reusable promotional items from Custom Earth Promos. Scrap RVA In the neighborhood of Northside, Richmond, Virginia, Scrap RVA Director Amy Turner is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling shelves full of art supplies and strange craft materials. "Canvas frames, oil pastels, acrylic...feathers, googly eyes, glitter..."Scrap RVA Director Amy Turner These are just some of the materials, among them keys, bottle caps, baby crib-bumpers, circuit boards, and other forgotten machinery parts.Make your next project with seed paper. This interesting material can be planted after use. "We have the weavers, the crocheters, knitters, quilters, the jewelry people, the fine artists. It's amazing the collection of people that we can hit every single spectrum in the art world."Scrap RVA Director Amy Turner The non-profit store is donation based. This allows it to provide a wide range of supplies at a low cost. "It saves money. It keeps everything out of the landfill, keeps it moving. And it's an adventure; it's a treasure hunt and it's a win-win for everybody."Scrap RVA Director Amy Turner In 2017, Virginia generated nearly eight million tons of waste—that's about 2,000 pounds per person! According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, only about 40 percent of this is recycled! Scrap RVA is doing their part to increase that number. Last month, residents donated almost 4,000 pounds worth of supplies! "That's two tons of waste—things that are kept out of the landfill."Scrap RVA Director Amy Turner Top Stitch Mending Lisa Hutchinson started Top Stitch Mending in 2016. She works out of the foyer of her home, where two long tables hold all of her sewing supplies. Underneath, are bags filled with scraps of thread and fabric. Hutchinson uses every bit of material she collects. "I do anything from a missing button all the way to vintage restorations and alterations are always sprinkled in the mix. Anything on its last leg or in between just to keep it in circulation."Top Stitch Mending CEO Lisa Hutchinson Hutchinson utilizes her platform to promote repurposing clothing that can't be fixed. She also aims to raise awareness of the dangers of "fast fashion."Rescue your lanyards from "fast fashion" by making sure they are made from sustainable materials. "When something's damaged it's not the end of it's life. We've had a lot of disposable clothing produced in the last, well 20 or so years. And the faster it gets, the easier it gets damaged."Tom Stitch Mending CEO Lisa Hutchinson So far, Hutchinson pays a few of her friends to help her with the mending, but she hopes to ...

Two mechanical engineers have created an eco-friendly razor. It's plastic-free and incorporates the simplicity of an old-fashioned safety razor with the technology and comfort of a modern cartridge razor. The product is called Leaf Shave, an all-metal razor with a pivoting head that can be customized with up to three blades. It was invented by Adam Simone, of Mystic, Connecticut, and Adam Hahn, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and launched through a $100,000 Kickstarter campaign back in July 2016. "It's customizable so if you have sensitive skin, you might only put two blades in and if you have tough hair, you might put in all three. When you close it up, suddenly it's a multi-blade pivoting head. Take care of it and it will last forever. It's a really simple mechanism."Leaf Shave Inventor Adam Simone Simone said that he and Hahn saw how much success companies like Dollar Shave Club and Harry's were having, but their goal was to create a plastic-free razor that would stay out of landfills.Are you looking for something plastic-free that will stay out of landfills? Try a reusable water bottle. "The clubs were using the same kind of razors that Gillette was using—a plastic disposable razor—and we thought if we could invent a new kind of razor we could make something really interesting for the industry so that's what we set out to do. Also, the EPA estimates 2 billion disposable razors are thrown out annually in the U.S. alone and there is really no need for that."Leaf Shave Inventor Adam Simone Simone mentioned that while all-metal, double-bladed safety razors had their advantages, they were difficult to use. "Those were quality tools and they've been around for many years and they cost pennies, which is awesome, but safety razors are kind of challenging to use. It's easy to cut yourself, there's a learning curve, and some people don't want to take that time, which is why we have these pivoting heads and modern cartridge razors."Leaf Shave Inventor Adam Simone Simone and Hahn met while working at Blue Belt Technologies. Blue Belt is a medical device startup in Pittsburgh that builds medical robots for orthopedic surgery. Hahn was in charge of the mechanical engineering group, and Simone ran the marketing group. However, Blue Belt was acquired by another company in 2016. This gave Simone and Hahn the capital they needed to split off and build their own business. "Adam specialized in developing small, mechanical instrumentation and that lends itself really nicely because these are small and precision. He and I have compatible skill sets. He handles engineering, design, and manufacturing; and I handle sales, marketing, and customer services and operations here."Leaf Shave Inventor Adam Simone Also working in their Stonington, Connecticut, warehouse is Adam Simone's wife, April Collier. She is the company's fulfillment manager.Collier grew up in Pawcatuck and North Stonington, while Simone grew up in Canterbury and Norwich; ...

Skipping rush hour traffic by hopping into a flying taxi may seem like a long shot dreamt up by science fiction authors, but a number of corporations and startups are currently working on prototypes. In October, Cora, one of the aforementioned companies and startups, partnered with Air New Zealand in a step towards commercialization. Boeing tested out their own self-flying taxis in January. Uber even has plans to launch a flying rideshare service by 2023! These prototypes may be electric and give off no greenhouse gases, but mining and producing the electricity to charge their batteries still has an environmental cost to it. But the flying taxis of the future may be greener than they seem—provided everyone carpools and only uses them for long-distance travel. This comes from a study done by University of Michigan scientists, and published in Nature Communications last Tuesday, who recently considered the cost of the futuristic vehicles compared to ground-based cars. "I was surprised by how competitive the flying cars were in these scenarios that we explored because of the energy intensity to lift the vehicle."Study Author and Director of University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems Gregory Keoleian Flying cars rely on distributed electric propulsion. This is essentially a series of small propellers on the vehicle's wings. By using this, they can avoid runways, moving much more like a drone, with a vertical take-off and landing. To understand the necessary energy, scientists used data from other scientific and industry reports. the model they considered had one pilot and four passenger seats, flew at an altitude of 1,000 feet, and could travel up to 150 miles per hour. This was compared to two cars: one gasoline-powered vehicle that gets 34.1 miles per gallon; the other an electric vehicle that, based on its energy use, got a whopping 108.5 miles per gallon! Efficiency was compared at distances anywhere from 3 all the way up to 155 miles. For short trips of 22 miles or less, both of the cars beat the sky taxi in efficiency. Most of Americans only make short trips, the average distance being around 11 miles. This would leave the taxi mostly hovering, using up a lot of energy. Over long distances, the taxi's efficiency improved. for a nonstop, 62-mile trip, use of the taxi led to 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the gasoline car. Compared to the electric vehicle, unfortunately, the taxi had 28 percent more emissions. However, this scenario ignores passengers. If you load all four people into the taxi and compare it to cars with average occupancy, 1.54 people, to be exact, it looks even greener. On the basis of emissions produced per passenger across the same 62 miles, the taxi has 52 percent fewer emissions than the gasoline car and 6 percent less than the electric!Produce less emissions by producing less waste, by purchasing reusable items from Custom Earth Promos. This implies that these vehicles ...

In this modern era of glass and steel, wood might seem like an old-school material. However, researchers say that they have given wood a makeover. It is not only a sturdy materials but transparent and able to both store and release heat. This could aid in the construction of energy-efficient homes. Researchers hope to develop a biodegradable version. This would increase the eco-friendly credentials, and the material would become an alternative for plastics, glass, or (maybe) even cement!Increase your eco-friendly credentials by purchasing from Custom Earth Promos. "We prepared a material that is multifunctional—it can transmit light very well and also it can store heat. We combined these two functions in a single material." Céline Montanari of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden Montanari will be presenting this work at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Orlando, Florida, this spring. To produce this material, previous work was built upon; the lignin was removed from balsa wood. Lignin is component that gives wood its strength and color. Acrylic was introduced into the remaining tissue to fill the pores left over from the lignin removal and the hollow vessels that carry water. While acrylic is water repellent, it is not biodegradable. Montanari said this not only helped maintain the wood's structure but also restored its strength and improved its optical properties. The end result was a frosted-looking wood-based material. This time around, acrylic was mixed with polyethylene glycol. The polyethylene penetrates wood well but has another crucial feature as well: when heated, it absorbs energy and melts; when later cooled, it hardens and releases energy in the process. The team says that this means their material, which would go from semi-transparent to transparent as it heats, could be used to make buildings more energy-efficient. Energy captured from the sun during the day would later be released into the building's interior. "If you take 100g [about 3.5 ounces] of this transparent wood material with the polyethylene glycol inside, it can absorb up to 8,000J [Joules] of heat, which corresponds to what a 1W [watt] bulb could produce in two hours."Céline Montanari of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden She added that different types of polyethylene glycol melt at different temperatures. This means that the team could tweak the wood's properties according to its application(s). Materials that can trap and release heat in this way are not a new idea in construction. Various types are available as an innovative form of insulation to reduce energy consumption and costs. The team says that their approach is different, however, as the natural material reduces the need for oil-based materials and related CO2 emissions. Montanari says there is plenty of work to still be done. This includes: replacing the acrylic with a biodegradable alternative for certain ...

What do you think of when someone mentions prison? Probably a concrete building surrounded by barbed wire, chain link fences, with flood lights and extensive alarm systems.Surprise! That's not the case with this prison in Sweden, which recently won an award for being environmentally friendly. Tabellen 4, a building in Sollentuna High-Security Remand Prison, won the 2019 BREEAM Public Projects In-Use award for its eco-friendly initiatives. these include a 1,100 square meter (11,840 square feet) green roof made of plants and the necessary turf, a ventilation system that recycles heat straight from the air, and a waste disposal room with storage for eight different types of waste.Get rid of a very large waste problem by purchasing a reusable water bottle. The building is wrapped in 6,000 square meters (about 1.5 acres) of insulating glass. This both regulates the temperature and has built-in alarms. "The judges were impressed by the way they had tackled sustainability issues through the physicality of the building, regardless of security issues."BREEAM Judging Panel Chair Alan Yates Bought by Swedish company Vasce in 2010, the building was adapted by working alongside the Swedish Prison and Probation service. The vegetation and turf "...protects the roof from solar radiation, rainfall, and temperature changes," as well as helping "facilitate the runoff of surface water onto the property, while also enabling pollination...for insects," said Sara Jägermo. She is Vasce's head of property. This is "...of most importance since the bee population is declining." Other features include low-flush wet rooms, bathrooms designed so every surface can get wet, that reduce water consumption; more energy-efficient fridges; and LED lighting that can be switched on and off from a central surveillance center. The building is heated and cooled using a mechanical ventilation system. According to Vasce, this system, which recycles the energy in the air, has reduced the energy needed for heating by 50-60 percent. They also convert all food waste into biogas. Twelve percent of offerings are organic, and at least two meals a week are vegetarian. This is according to Patrik Snellman, former assistant governor of Sollentuna.make sure whatever you shop for is stored in an eco-friendly way by using reusable bags. There is also an underground corridor that connects the prison, prosecutor's office, and court house. This is so "prisoners can be transported safely without cars," says Snellman. Tabellen 4's improvements are part of a wider effort from the Kriminalvarden, the Swedish prison service, to increase the wellbeing of those interacting with prisons. "Employees, detainees, relatives, and other visitors have presumed higher stress levels in an institutional environment like this. Research clearly shows that people are more contented in verdant settings, have better concentration, and demonstrate more empathy, which, in turn, leads to better ...

The headlines detailing extreme weather events seem to be more frequent than ever! Your social media feed might be full of record setting temperatures. Unfortunately, some people in power are still denying not only the full impact but also the existence of climate change itself. The reactions to this haven't been very sunny. An academic paper on climate change was published and quickly went viral, with some reports suggesting it's been downloaded more than 110,000 times! Apparently it's so grim, it's resulted in readers seeking therapy! According to 16-year-old Swedish Climate Change Activist Greta Thunberg, who founded the school strike for climate change movement last year, "Adults keep saying, 'We owe it to the young people to give them hope.' But I don't want your hope, I don't want you to be hopeful, I want you to panic."Swedish Climate Change Activist Greta Thunberg It seems that this has begun to ring true. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the issue and mindful of their position as just one person on a planet of billions, some people have begun to panic and also feel powerless. This has led to what is being called "eco-anxiety." Described by Psychology Today, eco-anxiety is "a fairly recent psychological disorder afflicting an increasing number of individuals who worry about the environmental crisis." No stats are available on the prevalence of eco-anxiety, but experts have noted increases in public anxiety around climate change. "We can say that a significant portion of people are experiencing stress and worry about the potential impacts of climate change, and that the level of worry is almost certainly increasing."Susan Clayton, Professor of Psychology and Environmental studies at The College of Wooster, Ohio & Co-author of 2017 report "Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance" Eco-anxiety is not yet in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the guide book American mental health professionals use to make diagnoses; however, the American Psychological Association published a report back in 2017 that detailed the impacts of climate change on mental health. It referenced the term "eco-anxiety," which the glossary described as "a chronic fear of environmental doom." The report described the source of stress as "watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children, and later generations." It added that some people "are deeply affected by feelings of loss, helplessness, and frustration due to their inability to feel like they are making a difference in stopping climate change."Do your part in making a difference in stopping climate change by purchasing your promotional items from Custom Earth Promos. It's not a huge surprise. It's hard to read last year's landmark report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which called for "urgent and unprecedented changes" to ...

Easter is right around the corner. In just under a month, children everywhere will be hunting for plastic eggs full of candy. While this is greener than it sounds, as these eggs are reusable, unfortunately, a lot of people just toss them into the trash when Easter is over. But what about the chocolate inside? How do you make sure that your candy is eco-friendly? Here are some British brands to stock up on while they are on sale, and you can skip the middleman—these eggs are chocolate!Cut out the middleman when purchasing eco-friendly promotional items and buy them from Custom Earth Promos. Divine Milk Chocolate Popcorn Easter Egg Divine Milk Chocolate Popcorn Easter Egg is exactly what it sounds like. Salted caramel popcorn is actually melted right into the hollow egg's chocolate shell, making this egg extra crunchy. Infused with Madagascan vanilla, this Fairtrade and plastic-free product is perfect for the sweet-toothed among us. It doesn't come cheap, but you can rest easy knowing that the high price goes to ensuring cocoa, sugar, and vanilla farmers are paid a fair wage. The Real Easter Egg Milk Chocolate This hollow egg is also Fairtrade. Smooth and creamy, this generously sized egg comes from the Meaningful Chocolate Company. Not only is it plastic-free but it is also free of palm oil. Another added benefit is that this sustainable business is giving a large portion of its profits to charity. Oddly, it also comes with a 24-page story and activity book for the religious among us. The book is all about Jesus and "celebrates the real meaning of Easter." Find it at the Meaningful Chocolate Company in the UK. Original Goupie Easter Egg If you are looking for something more than just candy, Goupie eggs offer a hand-painted, reusable eggshell box that comes in 36 different designs. Inside are vegan dark chocolate rice crispy bites made from Fairtrade cocoa powder. The box even gives you ideas on how to reuse your eggshell. Unfortunately, it is not plastic-free. The bites come in a polypropylene bag to keep them fresh. It is, however, 100 percent recyclable. Make sure that all of your bags are recyclable by purchasing bags made from recycled materials. Hotel Chocolat A Dozen Quail Eggs No, these are not real Quail eggs. Hotel Chocolat A Dozen are an interesting solution to plastic-free packaging. Made from the compostable, biodegradable sugarcane byproduct bagasse, this egg container is filled with six different flavors of alcohol-free truffles. From "Nuts about Raspberry" to "Salted Macadamia," these are perfect for sharing, gifting, rationing, or binging! So Free Plamil Dark Chocolate Easter Egg This is the option for those on a budget—and a special diet! This egg is milk, wheat, and gluten-free. It is a good option not only for vegans but also for celiac patients. The ingredients are all natural, and no plastic or palm oil is used. The egg itself is thin with a light and subtle flavor. This may be due to ...