This Week's Eco Events

source image courtesy of Mazama

MONDAY

• Summer Savings, Renew Boston Workshop

TUESDAY

• Green Routes Coalition Summer Bike Ride Series: Mystic River Loop

WEDNESDAY

• BCAN Story of Struggle

THURSDAY

• Monthly Planet Southie Meeting

FRIDAY

• Walk/Ride Day

SATURDAY

• Seed Saving from Your Garden

SUNDAY

• Download the iRecycle App

GoodGuide Brings Conscious Consumerism to Your Fingertips

GoodGuide is one of the handiest, easy-to-use apps for people that want to make smarter, greener, more ethical purchasing decisions. The iphone app has a barcode scanner so you can learn about the social and environmental impacts of a brand right while you are shopping. GoodGuide provides a great resource so consumers don't fall victim to greenwashing. The only problem is that it makes running errands take a bit more time...but all for a good cause!

Think Dirty App Simplifies Makeup Shopping

I am obsessed with this *free* phone app. Simply type in a cosmetic product you use and the app will instantly tell you if it is safe or not and why. It is as if you have the entire Skin Deep Database at your fingertips! Think Dirty also has a mechanism for favoriting products so you already have a list of safe products handy next time you hit the drug store!

iRecycle App Makes Recycling Easier Than Ever

Earth 911's iRecycle App is awesome. It uses your location to tell you how to best recycle different types of materials. This is a total game changer, because recycling systems are different from municipality to municipality. The app. allows you to quickly and easily learn the closest, proper way to responsibly dispose of almost any item! No more confusion about what items go in what bins!

New Perspectives: Most Affordable Boston Neighborhood

ZipRealty, Inc. has teamed up with Walk Score to rank the most affordable places to live in Boston without a car. To create the list, ZipRealty analyzed data provided by WalkScore.com and current median home sales prices to produce a carless/affordability ratio. The 10 highest-ranked communities have  a Walk Score, Bike Score and Transit Score of 60 or higher, which means they meet or exceed the following criteria: They are “very walkable,” have “good transit” and are “bikeable,” according to Walk Score. Most of the Boston communities reviewed in this study, however, have “excellent transit” options and are a “walker’s paradise.”

WalkScore.com assigns a number between 0 and 100 −with 100 being the highest −to rank the ease of walking, biking or using public transit from an address, whether it’s a single-family home or rental apartment. To calculate city- or neighborhood-level scores, WalkScore.com calculates the Walk Score of approximately every block across a city or neighborhood and then weights the Walk Score of each point by population density. Therefore, the walkability ranking reflects where people actually reside.

“Walk Score helps people find great neighborhoods to live that are close to the places and people they love and that offer easy access to public transit and shorter commutes,” says Walk Score CEO Josh Herst.

“Home shoppers are increasingly looking for places to live where they can be less dependent on their cars,” says Mr. Herst. “The average American spends over $9,000 per year on their car. This is the equivalent of a $135,000 mortgage and the second-largest expense for many households. Moreover, people who live in walkable neighborhoods report being happier and healthier and, on average, way six to 10 pounds less.”

Author: By Lanny Baker, CEO and President of ZipRealty, Inc.

5 Green Living Apps for iPhone

1.

image courtesy of CBSnews.com

LevelUp - This may not be officially as "green" as the other apps on my list, but LevelUp is at the top because I use it the most. Save paper by paying electronically (no receipt needed - it gets e-mailed to you instantly). LOVE this app, and bonus, the company is based in Boston!


2.

image courtesy of Pin App

One Small Act - Make green living goals, follow through, and get points!


3.

image courtesy of Inhabitat

Good Guide - this app is my new obsession. Scan the bar code of a product (or search by name) and Good Guide will give you an environmental rating and a health rating of the given product. Amazing!


4.

image courtesy of FishNavy.com

Seafood Watch - remember those cards that people used to carry around in their wallets that explained which seafood was safe to order? How old fashioned! Get the app -  it is both easier to read and harder to lose.

5.

image courtesy of itunes

Do It Gorgeously - Yes, Gorgeously Green has its own app with tips, videos, shopping lists and more. This one is great for when you're bored and ready to get some new green living ideas.

For more green living apps, check out Groovy Green Livin's top 6 green apps.

Interactive Green Living with Motley Green

image courtesy of  hmodeofaide.files.wordpress.com

I am a huge fan of the online tool Practically Green. PG is a great way to track your progress to a healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle, so I am not surprised to find similar tools popping up all over the web. One such tool I recently discovered is Motley Green. Like Practically Green, Motley Green prompts users to take a brief lifestyle quiz to gauge your level of greenness. Unfortunately, the Motley Green quiz is not geared for apartment renters - there are a lot of questions regarding lawn care and building insulation that is not usually something that urban apartment dwellers deal with.

However, I love the interactive aspect of Motley Green. It is like the content sharing that occurs on Ozoshare. I'm excited to start using Motley Green more often and get to know how it works a little bit better. I'll report back in a few months with my thoughts!

Instagreen

Boston Green Blog is now on Instagram! Follow "BostonGreenBlog" for the latest green living photos and to connect with others interested in living a sustainable healthy lifestyle.

Walkscore

Last week I discovered the tool Walkscore as highlighted on the Planet Southie blog. Walkscore rates locations on a scale of 1-100 based on ability to walk to grocery stores, restaurants, drug stores, entertainment, etc. This allows users to gauge the transportation footprint of a neighborhood before moving there. My apartment address in the North End scored a 100% which was exciting. Though, I wasn't too surprised, I walk everywhere! My childhood home in the suburbs north of Boston scored a mere 8%! This must be why I love living in the city so much. Definitely check out Walkscore and play around - its an interesting way to see what your transportation needs are compared to other places.

image courtesy of googlemapsbikethere.org

ePantry: Proof that Green Living is Easy Living

My friend and Just Us Gals co-author, Suzanne, recently told me about the California start-up ePantry (FUN FACT: though this company is based in San Francisco, its roots can be traced back to MA: the founders met at Amherst College). The idea behind ePantry is similar to Peapod by Stop & Shop, except that ePantry specializes in delivering green household products (ie. sustainable toilet paper, laundry detergent, soap, etc.) straight to your home depending on your needs and schedule.

You may be wondering how this is more sustainable than going out to buy the eco-products yourself. Well, how many times have you gone into CVS to pick up partyware or paper towels just to find that the most sustainable option has run out or is not available? This happened to me just last week! I ran out to pick up some plates for my Valentines Day Soiree (I don't have enough reusable plates in my tiny apartment for 15 people), and I was hoping to pick up a corn-based biodegradable option, or maybe plain paper - but no - the only option was styrofoam (YUCK!). Needless to say, I made my guests share my reusable plates because I refused to by styrofoam. ePantry is a simple way to avoid this issue. By using ePantry you can make sure your home always has the right amount of sustainable, safe supplies. I look forward to joining, and never having to run out at 8:00am on a Sunday to pick up (unrecycled) toilet paper!

"Just Us Gals Boston" Launch

I am very excited to announce my new project: Just Us Gals. I've teamed up with my friends Suzanne (web designer & DIY expert) and Meredith (real estate broker & stylista) to create a new blog designed for specifically for the ladies of Boston. I hope to be the green voice of the blog, while also writing about some of my other passions like art, books, and cultural events. So if you ever get tired of reading my green living tips, definitely go check out Just Us Gals for some fun and feminine posts!

If you like it, follow us on the following platforms:
Twitter: JustUsGalsBos
Pinterest: JustUsGalsBos
Instagram: JustUsGalsBos

I'd love to hear any comments, suggestions, or questions about the new blog!

Best of Boston: Green Websites!

Boston Magazine does a great job of rating everything in Boston each year. We look to these lists for restaurant suggestions, salons, the best boutiques, and just about everything related to Boston lifestyle. However, there is one thing missing - in my opinion at least - a list of local lifestyle websites! There are large compilations of Boston blogs on websites like Boston Blogs and Boston Bloggers but I've decided I'm going to turn my "Links and Resources" page into a list of Boston's top 100 green websites. These websites can be blogs, government sites, nonprofit sites, online apps and more  - anything as long as they serve as an online green living resource to people in the Boston area (or people around the world, but is based/written in Boston). If you have suggestions for my list, please comment!

Ozoshare: Facebook for the Eco-Savvy

Yesterday I created an Ozoshare account for Boston Green Blog, and I am very excited to start using it. Ozoshare is a social networking site that is set up like facebook, but it is specifically for green-minded people and organizations. It is a great way to network and share articles and information. Each individual/organization has a profile or "bio" page on which they can post photos, videos, links, and status updates (all relating to environmental issues of course). Instead of "friends", Ozoshare calls connections "partners" because it implies everyone working together for the same goal. Partners can see each other's posts and comment on them. Boston Green Blog has 17 partners so far!

If you're interested in using social media to learn more about green living, you should definitely check out Ozoshare. If you make an account, be sure to become partners with Boston Green Blog! See my Ozoshare profile here. 

Bead for Life at Equal Exchange Cafe

On my walk home from work the other day, I stopped at Equal Exchange Cafe on Causeway St. and was thrilled when I noticed that they sell BeadforLife products! Now I know where to buy my eco/ethical soaps (and get a to-die-for latte at the same time)!

FYI - Equal Exchange accepts LevelUp!!!! 

LevelUp Your Green Shopping

Unless you keep all of your receipts for your financial records, receipts are an unnecessary waste of paper. I keep track of my purchases online, so I really have no use for receipts and I always say no when a cashier asks if I'd like one. However, now there is an even easier way to avoid receipts - LevelUp!

LevelUp is a smartphone app. in which you can link your credit or debit card and pay by putting your phone up in front of a special scanner at the cashier stand. Not only do you get amazing discounts from this app, but your receipts are e-mailed to you! NO PAPER INVOLVED! Think about how much paper and ink can be saved if this becomes the norm! Plus, many local businesses already have LevelUp readers at locations throughout Boston - its a great (not to mention convenient) way to support local businesses.

image courtesy of social.razoo.com