Favorite Green Images

Unplugged: 60 Energy-Free Activities

1. Bike somewhere
2. Play any sports
3. Outdoor games (i.e. tag), races
4. Roll in the grass
5. Make a blanket fort
6. Read a book
7. Walk to the library
8. Play an instrument
9. Sing
10. Organize your closets
11. Declutter and clean your house
12. Garden
13. Give a massage (or get one)
14. Brush your teeth
15. Look at photo albums
16. Yoga on a mat
17. Read outloud to a child
18. Draw or color
19. Walk to a thrift store
20. Play dolls or action figures with your child
21. Brush and put sponge rollers or clips in your hair or your child's
22. Play finger games (itsy spider, etc.)
23. Go to the park
24. Write a story or journal
25. Write a poem
26. Do stretches
27. Knit
28. Sew by hand
29. Walk to the gym
30. Make homemade lotions
31. Write a children's book and illustrate it
32. Try origami
33. Get your hair cut or cut your child's hair
34. Play cards
35. Trim and buff your nails
36. Volunteer
37. Help a child with scout activities
38. Donate to good causes
39. Memorize scripture
40. Talk to someone and listen
41. Have a picnic with homemade food
42. Prepare lessons
43. Do exercises with free weights
44. Take the stairs
45. Put on a play
46. Give yourself a honey facial
47. Make a craft and save it for a gift
48. Play hopscotch or chinese jump rope
49. Learn sign language
50. Take a class
51. Explore a new place
52. Play a board game
53. Play party games
54. Do chores (i.e. hang your laundry to dry)
55. Take care of a pet
56. Hold a yard sale
57. Visit someone (walk to their house)
58. Meditate
59. Pray
60. Run outside (do an errand)

Any other ideas?

Top Green Cars and Why I Love Air Pollution, Don't You (Cough, Cough)?

I live in a big city and oh how I love to breathe in that dirty polluted air....

I mean, who wouldn't (cough, cough)?

It is so worth it to have all of those dirty factories making unnecessary stuff to clutter up people's homes (like my 30th pair of shoes!).

And the traffic. The traffic is GREAT. It totally makes sense.

I mean, I definitely would trade a few years off my life due to the air pollution and accept all of the accumulative affects of climate change for traffic and clutter.

I mean, what a pain to use the subway, bus, ride a bike or walk when I could take my SUV!!

I get to sit in comfy comfort all by myself in my huge castle-like car. It is like being a queen I swear!

It's all for a great cause. My comfort.

I get to relax in a temperature-controlled environment (my cozy car) while I drive across town to buy some awesome shoes on sale, even if it means that the world's future generations have to endure skyrocketing temperatures and mass flooding.

OUCH! What was that for? You are totally rude.

What did you say? Somebody needed to get my attention?

OK... make your point.

My shoes are ugly and I am a selfish what?

OK normally I would be offended by this, like most people, but for purposes of this blog post I will see the light....

I know. You are right. I should care about other people. Climate change will cause a lot of suffering. And the truth is that air pollution really sucks and I hate traffic. I suppose I can take the subway back to return the shoes. But what if I need to take a car sometimes?

So, what you are saying, is that I can still keep a car to use when necessary, but I should make a better choice?

What choice is that?

What? Buy a used Honda CRX, shove a built B18 or fresh K series engine into it, and achieve performance better than a Tesla, with a much MUCH smaller carbon footprint, and all for a fraction of the price?

That is WAY too confusing for me. What about new cars?

New cars are not the best choice because they use up natural resources and a lot of energy to manufacture? However, they often have better safety ratings, so if I want to go new here is the list to choose from?

The List

Rank	Vehicle	ACEEE Green Score
1.	Honda Civic GX	57
2.	Toyota Prius	53
3.	Honda Civic Hybrid	51
4.	Smart fortwo	49
5.	Toyota Yaris	46
6.	Nissan Altima Hybrid	46
7.	MINI Cooper/Clubman	45
8.	Chevrolet Cobalt XFT/Pontiac G5 XFE	45
9.	Honda Fit	45
10.	Chevrolet Aveo/Aveo 5	44
11.	Toyota Camry Hybrid	44
12.	Kia Rio	44

^{Source: ACEEE's "Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks"}

Cool. OK well maybe I will trade in my SUV for one of these....

but do you promise I will still feel like a QUEEN?

No, but I might feel like a responsible person with a brain?

Wow. Thanks.