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Macy's put solar panels on some store roofs, is working to cut energy use, recycling more and generally trying to "green up." But the department store still wants shoppers to use bags. Some bag, any bag.

"It is not necessarily a good thing for people to be walking out of a store with merchandise that's not in a bag," explained spokesman Jim Sluzewski. Sure, some people would rather forgo having their purchases put in a bag, but Mr. Sluzewski also believes customers wouldn't appreciate being stopped for a receipt check every time they leave a store.

So Macy's has come up with a compromise.

The chain will replace the 43 million or so laminated paper bags that it uses annually with a recyclable version made of 30 percent recycled materials. In addition, it will begin selling reusable cotton totes.

Retailers nationwide are moving to give environmentally active customers choices while fending off, as much as possible, government rules that would limit the industry's options. The shopping bag offers a particularly visible example of how different stores have moved quickly to tailor the growing green trends to fit.

A few years ago, the American bag seemed secure in its job, taking home goods and doing a little advertising work on the side. Debates were limited mainly to paper vs. plastic.

But environmentalists noted it takes hundreds of years for plastic to break down. People could see bags littering streets, and statistics showed only a small percentage making it to recycling. San Francisco passed rules to require use of compostable bags.

Rather than be forced to go that route, many retailers found other ways to answer the call for fewer bags on the planet.

Whole Foods Markets has been selling reusable bags for years but is now going a step further. The natural foods grocer is on track to stop using disposable plastic grocery bags in its 270 stores by today, a company spokeswoman said.

Swedish furniture chain Ikea will stop offering disposable plastic bags for purchase by October. The retailer started its phase-out last year by charging 5 cents for plastic bags and donating the proceeds to a forestry group. The company claimed it reduced U.S. plastic bag consumption from 70 million plastic bags to 35 million.

Shoppers at Wal-Mart, Target, Giant Eagle, Trader Joe's and many other groceries now see displays with reusable bags for sale. Discount grocer Aldi has long charged for disposable bags as part of its low-cost business model.

The deeper retailers get into the issues around the shopping bag, the more nuanced it can be. McGinnis Sisters specialty food stores introduced reusable bags made in China last summer. In March, the grocer with stores in Brentwood and Monroeville began offering more expensive versions made in the United States.

The concern was not just national pride but also the environmental costs of transporting bags. So far, consumers have purchased about 2,500 bags from China and 800 of the newer offerings. Jennifer R. Daurora, who handles business development for the stores, estimates at least 25 percent of customers bring a reusable bag.

Growing acceptance of such programs spurred state Rep. Lisa Bennington, a Democrat from Morningside, to introduce a bill that would phase out the use of nonbiodegradable plastic bags at large stores in Pennsylvania that carry groceries.

A week or so before the bill was scheduled for an early April committee hearing, lobbyists began contacting her. Letters came from groups such as the Progressive Bag Alliance, the American Chemistry Council, convenience store and food merchant groups, even massive retailer Wal-Mart.

Most of the lobbying letters expressed concern over the bill but indicated support for recycling, she said. "They want recycling. They're going to get recycling." Ms. Bennington now plans to offer an amendment that, instead of trying to stop use of noncompostable plastic bags, would mandate retailers offer at-store recycling programs.

Giant Eagle officials have said in the past that they evaluated using compostable bags but rejected them. Instead the company has been pushing recycling and reusable bags. Last year, the O'Hara grocer said it collected for recycling more than 1,200 tons of film plastic, much of which wasn't from bags, compared with 450 tons in 2006.

The company has sold several hundred thousand reusable bags since it began offering them in November 2006. This year, Giant Eagle put up posters promoting reusable bags. The signs were designed by students at Carnegie Mellon University.

Ms. Bennington's bill does not address bag use beyond large supermarkets and drugstores carrying grocery items. She noted the sheer volume of bags that consumers tend to pick up during a visit to the grocer typically exceeds that at most mall stores.

Putting recycling bins at the front entrance to a store such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Victoria's Secret or J.C. Penney might not fit the image that such retailers try to convey but, as the recent changes at Macy's show, the push to change shopping bags no longer stops at the mall doors.

Last weekend, the Mall at Robinson was one of 15 shopping centers owned by Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises to give out reusable canvas tote bags to customers who brought plastic bottles to recycle.

After the promotion ended, the bags were to be sold at the guest services desk for $3 each. Any proceeds will go toward ordering more, said Shema Krinsky, director of marketing. "My hope is to offer them to our guests every day."

If there's enough activity on the part of retailers, they may be able to please the customers who focus on such things and cut bag use while avoiding too much governmental intervention on the issue.

Being flexible makes management's decisions easier. For example, Macy's will still use small plastic bags that seem to work best for items such as socks, jewelry and other small goods. Meanwhile, the retailer doesn't mind if customers bring reusable bags from other places.

There also is some leeway for individual stores on the department store chain's policy of getting merchandise into bags rather than letting customers just go bagless. "It's not necessarily a hard and fast policy," said Mr. Sluzewski.

In the end, he's not sure how many shoppers will decide to bring their own, rather than walk out with a new department store bag. "It does require you to remember to take them. But if it's important to customers, they'll do it."

Paper or plastic grocery bags - which are better for the environment?

You probably think you know the answer. And you're probably wrong.

Paper bags are not necessarily better for the environment than plastic - despite many consumers' long-standing assumption that paper beats out plastic hands down when it comes to eco-friendliness.

"There definitely was a period of time when the message was, 'Choose paper over plastic,' " said Jenny Powers, a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "That's not the way to view it."

Powers and other environmental experts now say the best choice is neither paper nor plastic - it's reusable shopping bags made of substances like cotton, hemp, nylon or durable mesh-like plastic.

"The ideal option is bring your own bag," Powers said. "Second choice is to ask for the type of bag that you know will be reused - plastic if you'll use it for holding trash, or paper if you will recycle it."

The question of the relative merits of various kinds of grocery bags sounds simple.

But in fact, scientists spend large amounts of time trying to nail down the environmental impacts of creating, transporting and disposing of products such as grocery bags - a process known as life cycle analysis.

The final answer depends on numerous details, including:

-- Whether the bags are made from recycled or virgin materials.

-- How far the raw ingredients and finished bags must travel before reaching consumers.

-- How much energy and water are used in the manufacturing process.

-- Whether bags that are labeled "recyclable" or "compostable" actually end up being recycled and composted, or just get dumped in the trash.

The stakes are high. Ninety percent of today's grocery bags are plastic. Californians alone use 19 billion plastic bags each year - 600 bags every second - according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

And fewer than 5 percent of plastic bags historically have been recycled, compared with 21 percent of paper bags.

Plastic bags are a particular problem in coastal regions like the Bay Area, where they often end up in rivers and oceans - poisoning or strangling marine life. Sixty to 80 percent of ocean debris is plastic, according to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. And while plastic may gradually shred into smaller pieces, those fragments will persist and threaten sea life for up to 1,000 years.

But paper bags have other negative effects on the environment.

"If you're comparing a paper bag made from virgin timber with a plastic bag made with natural gas, the paper bag causes more global warming pollution, more biodiversity impacts and more water impacts," said Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist with NRDC who has worked on life cycle analyses for two decades. "If the paper bag is not recycled, it will generate greater carbon emissions during incineration than plastic would, or greater methane emissions if it is landfilled."

One thing is clear in every study that has been done: Reusable bags beat both paper and plastic on virtually all environmental criteria.

For instance, a 2002 Australian study concluded that someone using plastic grocery bags for a year would go through 520 bags and generate 6.08 kilograms of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Someone using paper bags would also go through 520 bags to generate 11.8 kilograms of greenhouse gases.

But a year's worth of reusable polypropylene bags - estimated at four bags, used twice a week - would generate less than 2 kilograms of greenhouse gases.

"The best thing is for people to be encouraged to take reusable bags," said Hershkowitz. "That's a truism everyone can agree upon."

 

 

Emissions disputes symptom of eco-nationalism

Do carbon emissions that are causing climate change and threatening the survival of Planet Earth have distinct and different nationalities? Are they — or should they be — American carbons, Chinese carbons, Indian carbons, etc? Or should carbons — like trade and information — have an increasingly globalised identity? In many forms the 19th century concept of nation states has become obsolete. The transformation wrought by changes in perception of and attitude towards various issues — such as trade, business process outsourcing, employment opportunity, information flow, communication and entertainment — has blurred geographical, cultural and political boundaries, greatly enhancing their reach for common benefit. However, the last bastion of diehard nationalism, the environment, exists as an antithesis of its own nature. The environment ought to be the fundamental, universal premise for any kind of global thinking. Strangely, though, the very environment that makes possible globalised progress on all fronts is burdened with the tyranny of nationalism.

The UNDP’s Human Development Report released on Tuesday, whose contents were reportedly “trashed” by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, focuses on the impact of climate change on development indices. The report says that the effects of climate change would, for the first time, erase benefits of development achieved in previous years. The other point made is that whether a particular country — anywhere on the globe — takes action or not to curb emissions, the impact would be more pronounced in developing countries of Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands.

India takes great pride in its traditional proclivity for nurturing a universal consciousness. Its leaders have made a habit of quoting from the scriptures to proclaim how the world is one big family — Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. India’s decisionmakers shouldn’t let themselves fall into the very same trap that the developed world is trying to get out of. It is clear that carbon footprints are to be taken seriously. Since emissions do not stay put within national boundaries and since anyway, India would be among the worst hit if global warming continues unabated, eco-nationalism would only drag us deeper into the morass. But then, this is not a problem that can be solved by India, or the developed world alone.

There has to be more thought on what would constitute universal criteria for emissions reduction, which would be fair, equitable and acceptable to all nations. First, we need to clear the decks at the conceptual level. It’s not an either/or choice between clean air and economic growth. Policy needs to factor in both issues.

The Gangotri glacier is receding 23 metres each year. This is not the only Himalayan glacier vanishing, all of them are
    The sea level is set to rise by 20 feet. As much as 20% of India’s coastal areas are threatened by the rising sea. The recent floods in Mumbai are a grim reminder of what might be in store
    More than a million species are today threatened and could be extinct by 2050. Within 25 years, 3 lakh people will die every year worldwide because of the devastation resulting from global warming
    Global warming—two words that today spell the most urgent issue facing humanity. We no longer have the luxury of time to debate the issue. As top Indian environmentalist R K Pachauri, who currently heads the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says: “If there’s no action before 2012, it’s too late. What we do in the next two-three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.’’
    The time is over for arguing that the developed western countries are responsible for the current mess and should, therefore, clear it. It’s too late to determine who ignited the fire. It’s raging and before it mars the future of our children, we need to act.
    Each one of us has a role to play. The Times of India has been highlighting several simple measures in our day-to-day lives that can slow down global warming. But action has to go beyond individuals.
Corporate houses and communities must realize the immediacy of the issue. Scientists have recommended that the international community should
    commit itself to meaningful
    emission cuts. Enlightened individuals realize that we cannot have a better tomorrow if there is no tomorrow for the Earth itself. The Times of India applauds their vision. To hold them up as role models, and encourage others to follow suit, we announce the JSW-Times of India Earth Care Awards for excellence in climate change mitigation and adaptation, with technical assistance being provided by the Centre For Environment Education and The Energy Research Institute.
    It’s the only world we have. Let’s heal it.

Just say no. Buying a single lemon or bottle of aspirin? Do you really need a bag to carry it in?

Use it again. Reuse the produce bag you got at the store for last week's lettuce to hold this week's arugula. And the bag your bread comes in is the perfect size to carry a sandwich for lunch at work.

Choose something biodegradable. Wrap your food in paper instead of a plastic bag.

BYO grocery bags. Some stores offer incentives to shoppers who bring their own bags - a nickel back, or a chance to win a $25 store gift card. Make a habit of remembering your bags by hanging them on the doorknob as soon as they're emptied, then store them in your purse or car.

Take a tote. Reusable bags aren't just good for groceries. You can use canvas or other totes for clothes and holiday shopping, too.

Double up. Why take a plastic bag from Macy's when there's still room in that Target sack? You don't need to get a fresh bag from every store.

Reuse for Rover. When picking up after your dog, use something that's headed for the landfill anyway.

Don't toss good bags in the trash. Instead of buying kitchen garbage bags, reuse the bags that you already have. And remember to recycle what you can't use. Even the wrapping from dry-cleaned clothing can be slipped into grocery stores' plastics recycling bins.

Buy BioBags. Sold at natural-foods stores, BioBags work like plastic bags, but they're not made from petroleum and are biodegradable.

Look up our range of reusable bags, or more for information write to us at info@suncorp.in 

 

India may be enjoying an unprecedented economic boom, but the country is also facing a darkening environmental scenario.
    A just-published research paper has warned that a blanket of smog hanging over the subcontinent is cutting down sunlight. In fact, the study, by Padma Kumari and her team of scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, says India is getting about 5% less sunlight than it did 20 years ago.
    Published in the Geophysical Research Letters and reported in the New Scientist this week, the study found that the amount of solar radiation reaching India’s land mass dropped on an average by 0.86 watts per square metre each year. The decrease was greater during the ’90s than in the ’80s, suggesting that increased industrial activity was accelerating the trend.
    Padma Kumari and team studied data from the India Meteorological Department, measuring differences in solar radiation at 12 stations across India between 1981 and 2004. They determined that the average decline corresponded to a 5% drop in sunshine over the two decades.
    According to Kumari, smog from industrialization, vehicular pollution, biomass burning, dust storms and the like, is increasing Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). Greater AOD, which is the optical depth due to extinction by the aerosol component of the atmosphere, results in reduced sunshine.
    “And because India is on a steep industrialization and development curve, the AOD is only increasing, and sunshine lessening,’’ she told TOI from her office in Pune. How bad it would get depended on a variety of factors, she added, pointing also to a reverse trend in the West.
    “The phenomenon occurs more due to increased aerosol loading in the atmosphere which is the integrated effects of urbanization, industrialization, greater use of vehicles, biomass burning and some other natural causes,’’ she said.
    Ironically, this phenomenon, known as “solar dimming’’, may also be protecting India against global warming. Kumari and her colleagues believe that India is escaping the worst of the warming by greenhouse gas emissions because of smog.
PLUS MINUS
India is getting 5% less sunlight than it did 20 years ago because of a blanket of smog, says a new study
This is because of the integrated effects of industrialization, urbanization and greater use of vehicles
Ironically, the ‘solar dimming’ may be protecting the country from global warming by greenhouse gas emissions
Maximum temperatures during the day have risen by just 0.040°Celsius because of the smog shield. Minimum nighttime temperatures have risen by a much greater 0.310°C Smog shields against global warming
Washington: A study by a team of scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune has revealed that smog has resulted in India getting lesser sunlight than it did 20 years ago. Ironically, this phenomenon—solar dimming—may also be protecting India against global warming.
    Padma Kumari, who led the team, and her colleagues believe India is also escaping the worst of the warming by greenhouse gas emissions because of smog. Looking at temperature records since the ‘80s, they found maximum and minimum temperatures have both increased, but to different extents.
    Maximum temperatures, which occur during the day, driven by sunshine, have risen by just 0.040°C because of smog’s protective effect. Meanwhile, minimum night-time temperatures, independent of sunshine, have risen by a much greater 0.310°C. However, if the West’s experience and the correctives it applied are any indication, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and brighter days may be ahead, although it might not be anytime soon.
    It turns out that smog produced by the US and Europe until about 1980 had resulted in similar dimming across the world, according to a separate paper by Martin Wild cited by Kumari. But when the West cleaned up its act in the ’80s and ’90s—just as India and China were starting to spew—clearer skies returned. Researchers have described this as “global brightening’’. The downside is that this was accompanied by an accelerated rise in global temperatures.
    Incidentally, Kumari and the team also found that solar dimming over India reduced during the monsoon—because rains brought the fine particles back to earth, allowing more sunshine—giving a new twist to the expression through rain and shine.

Six alternative fuels that finally make sense.

It's easy to forget about the environment these days. Focusing on using less oil can seem trivial next to fighting a global war on terrorism. But driving fuel-efficient cars and turning down the heat can do more than make the air a little cleaner. These acts can strengthen our national security. At $65 and up per barrel of oil, the United States is practically funding the very nations that pose the greatest threats to our safety. Imagine if we had other sources of energy to power our lives.

We do. Alternative fuels are here, and they could transform our power grid. The following are some options that electric and fuel companies are already using to generate energy. Visit SmartPower.org to see how your town can commit to clean energy now. After all, it's up to us to define the next chapter of world energy.

Wind. Increasingly, air's kinetic energy is being converted by wind turbines into electricity for homes and businesses. A turbine can cost anywhere from $250,000 to upward of $1 million, depending on its size. But a single turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 300 homes. Since the wind doesn't blow all the time, however, communities and businesses still need to rely on local power companies as a backup. Check out the American Wind Energy Association's website: www.AWEA.org.

Solar. Forget about putting a mirror on your roof. Nowadays sophisticated solar-energy systems called photovoltaics produce electricity from the sun. Photovoltaics run $14,000 to $20,000, but these systems can substantially cut homeowners' electric bills, depending on sun exposure and electric rates. Excess energy can even be sold back to the electric company for more savings. However, solar energy often needs to be supplemented by another power source at night. You can learn more at Solar Today magazine: SolarToday.org.

Ethanol. Currently, ethanol is primarily made in this country from corn, and is competitively priced with the gasoline it replaces. A 10% ethanol/ 90% unleaded gasoline combination known as E10 is used in roughly one-third of all gas pumped in the United States; you might have some in your car right now. Plus, "flexible fuel" vehicles (FFVs) are on the market; they're designed to run on an 85% ethanol/15% unleaded gasoline mix called E85, and can use just gasoline when E85 isn't available. For now, though, ethanol production requires a great deal of energy, so its efficiency is debatable. Check out E85Fuel.com.

Biodiesel. Made from crops like soybeans, biodiesel is a nontoxic fuel that can be mixed with petroleum diesel or used alone to dramatically reduce emissions. Diesel engines can run on biodiesel right now, with little or no modification to the engine or fuel system. And biodiesel is competitively priced with regular diesel -- though it, too, depends on energy to be produced. Go to Biodiesel.org for more.

Nuclear. When uranium, a metal found in rocks, is processed in a nuclear reactor, thermal energy is created. This energy introduces no greenhouse-gas emissions into the air or water, and is affordable. Currently, nuclear power provides 20% of the country's electricity, but the infrastructure is already in place to provide sustainable energy on a more massive scale. Once uranium has been processed for energy, however, it's considered "spent fuel" -- or radioactive nuclear waste -- and its storage and disposal pose serious safety concerns. For more, go to the World Nuclear Association: World-Nuclear.org.

Hydrogen. How can you generate power without emitting anything but clean water? Hydrogen fuel cells. Unfortunately, separating pure hydrogen from other compounds, like hydrocarbons or water, means using an alternate energy source. Storing hydrogen is also difficult; its density is so low that it's tough to put a lot of hydrogen into a small space. That's one reason why -- though most auto companies have a hydrogen program -- hydrogen cars and fueling stations are hard to find. Nevertheless, hydrogen fuel-cell stacks are available in some markets to power homes and businesses. And many areas are rapidly progressing: California has a "Hydrogen Highway" plan, and several states have initiatives to ramp up hydrogen infrastructure. Visit HydrogenForecast.com.

Ordinary citizens throughout the country are quickly becoming the newest superheroes in the battle to protect the earth. Rather than emerging from a phone booth dressed in a cape and tights, this new breed of superhero looks more like the person you see in the mirror each morning.

Want to be an Eco Action Hero? There are countless ways to fight pollution and waste and become a champion for a clean earth. You may know that unplugging the electronics you aren't using -- like your VCR, boom box or cell phone charger -- and turning off the power strip to your computer can save energy and money. But did you know that choosing local native plants for your garden, which thrive on the normal rainfall of your region, can save water?

From the simple decisions we all make every day to planning eco-adventures, the power to make the world a cleaner place is in our hands. Here are some ideas to help unleash the Eco Hero within you.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!
Tired of squirrels, bunnies and other critters munching the tasty plants and grasses in your yard or vegetable garden? Rather than using chemical-based pesticides, try dosing your delectables with a large shaker of cayenne pepper or Liquid Fence, a natural spray made of pepper and garlic. Remember not to inhale, and to wash your hands afterward. And be sure to reapply after a heavy rain. A little "pre-seasoning" may make the vermin head for the border, and you won't turn your backyard into a toxic wasteland.

Eat Your Heart Out.
Changing your menu is another way to lighten your impact on the earth. Eating certified organic means your food has been produced without the use of persistent toxic chemicals. In turn, the soil, groundwater and nearby water supplies stay healthier -- and so do you and your family.

Growing your own or buying locally grown food also means lower energy and transportation costs. The shorter the distance your lettuce has to travel, the fresher it tastes on arrival -- with less fuel consumption and air pollution along the way.

Local farmers' markets are a great way to shop, and some area farms even deliver right to your doorstep. Many city and suburban dwellers purchase seasonal shares in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms. It's like subscribing to a season-long fresh vegetable delivery service.

To find farms and organics near you, go to LocalHarvest.org. You might just get your kids to eat their vegetables -- and you'll definitely get extra Eco Hero points for that. 

Water Warriors.
Armed with shovels, shears, nets and clipboards, citizen-scientists across the country are discovering that observation is often the most critical step in identifying pollutants and protecting their own backyards and district waters. As state natural resource agencies have become increasingly short-staffed and underfunded, they are less able to detect and respond to threats. Everyday citizens can play an important role in helping protect local resources by serving as guardians, observers and first-responders.

Getting your feet wet in neighborhood conservation efforts can be as simple as joining your area river, lake or wetlands organization. Across North America, volunteers are helping to transform overlooked waterways into cherished assets. Many citizens' groups are even developing water-quality monitoring programs to chart the health of their local waters. And often residents are the first to discover a nasty spill or a fish kill in their area. To learn more about efforts near you, visit the River Network online directory at rivernetwork.org, or contact your regional chapter of the Izaak Walton League, Ducks Unlimited or Trout Unlimited. 

Hands-On Habitat.
Reptiles and amphibians are often overlooked -- and, by some of us, avoided at all costs -- but these fascinating and elusive creatures can be a valuable indicator of environmental quality. By tracking population trends, and charting the presence or absence of particular species over time, scientists keep a finger on the pulse of the ecosystem. If the local population of a particular critter vanishes or exhibits malformations, it serves as a red flag. And you can help! The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program recruits and trains committed volunteer observers to listen for and identify frog calls. To try your hand at the online frog call quiz and learn if the survey is active in your state, visit www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp. Or just going on a frog hike may tap into your inner biologist! And your kids will totally think it's cool.

Taking Flight.
If feathered creatures are more your speed, establish a new winter tradition this year by participating in the National Audubon Society's 107th annual Christmas Bird Count held nationwide, and throughout the Americas, from December 14, 2006, to January 5, 2007. Believe it or not, counting birds is not just a hobby; it arms scientists with valuable data. This survey helps monitor the status and distribution of bird populations across the Western Hemisphere.

As with reptiles and amphibians, the presence (or absence) of certain species can be an important measure of environmental health. Local trends can pinpoint contaminants or habitat degradation. Visit the Audubon Society website, Audubon.org, to get involved, and you can become a citizen-scientist even if you never touch a frog.

Get Going

Get Outta Town.
Ready to relax? Take a vacation -- an environment-friendly getaway. What's that? You don't care to sleep on the ground and dine on nuts and berries? No worries. Ecotourism runs the gamut, from plush hotels to rustic cabins to more au naturel accommodations; but no matter the lodging, all eco-friendly destinations encourage travel that treads lightly over Planet Earth and conserves resources.

For a full-service luxurious getaway that won't completely pummel your eco-conscience, the Amaryllis Beach Resort in Christ Church, Barbados, West Indies, may be the ticket. It boasts amenities like golf and banquet facilities, but is also committed to water and energy conservation. Or, for a simpler escape, check out the Maho Bay Camps in St. John, Virgin Islands, where tent-cottages with simple furnishings and elevated walkways deter soil erosion and protect the beach and coral.

Last chance for extra Eco Hero points! Try a working vacation. But wait -- it's more fun than it sounds! The Sierra Club, the American Hiking Society and the World Wildlife Fund all offer service trips that mix saving the earth with amazing locales. Whether it's improving trails in the Virgin Islands or searching for artifacts with U.S. Forest Service archeologists in Utah, these memorable trips are affordable and serve a valuable purpose.

Instead of a spring break to an overcrowded resort or a summer vacation to a noisy theme park, why not get family or friends together and do something you can be proud of? Now, that will earn you an Eco Hero badge of honor.

 

Almost everyone loves trees, but did you know that trees can help people heal faster?

 

It's true. According to the International Society of Arboriculture, hospital patients have been shown to recover faster when offered a view with trees. And while trees certainly benefit any landscape -- whether lining residential streets, dotting urban areas, or in full resplendence in the forest -- they are actually important to our daily well-being.

Trees improve the quality of the air around us by absorbing dust and other particulates. Their leaves also absorb noxious gaseous pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, before we ever inhale them. Plus, trees protect us from the effects of the sun and from rain, hail, and snow -- which can wreak havoc on unprotected homes -- and emit clean oxygen for us to breathe.

f the health of people and the environment isn't high on your list of concerns, perhaps your wallet is: Trees make economic sense. A home surrounded by trees costs less to cool and heat. Neighborhoods with trees are often several degrees cooler than those in similar climates that don't have trees. In winter, trees can keep your house warmer by blocking high winds. Also, less water is needed in tree-shaded areas where the sun isn't constantly beating down on the earth below.

Besides, trees can enhance privacy, block objectionable views, and boost the value of your home. Unfortunately, these days, mass construction projects tend to wipe out all the trees in an area before creating new neighborhoods and buildings. That's why it's more important than ever to plant a tree in your community.

Check out the National Arbor Day Foundation online at ArborDay.org to find out more about planting a tree in your area or how to volunteer in an urban center. You can even donate funds to help the foundation replant trees in New Orleans. Trees also make great gifts and wedding favors; the Arbor Day Foundation can tell you how to plant a tree in someone's name as a gift, donate a tree in someone's honor, or memorialize a loved one by planting a tree. Make Arbor Day a true holiday this year -- plant a tree.