12 Ways to be an Environmentally Friendly Photographer

Here are 12 ways that you can personally save the environment and ensure that future generations will have the same photographic opportunities that we have.

1. Tread Lightly
   Be gentle on your surroundings with as little impact as possible. The environment will help reclaim itself, but not if you keep beating it down.
2. No Trailblazing
   If you’re outdoors where trails are available, don’t make your own. If everybody with a camera left the trail, the impact would be massive.
3. Don’t Alter the Scene
   Staging a shot by moving or removing parts of the environment is a big no-no. Either make the shot work, or find a different scene.
4. No Souvenirs
   If everybody took something back with them every time they went out to photograph, there’d be nothing left to photograph. Get your souvenirs in your camera.
5. Keep Your Distance
   When it comes to wildlife, stay far enough away to keep your presence unknown. Disturbing animals can have severe effects on the local ecosystem.
6. Pack It In — Pack It Out
   It’s fine to bring waste-producing items with you on a photo outing, but don’t leave it out there. If you had the room to bring it, you have the room to take it away.
7. Clean Up After Others
   Packing out our own trash is good, but packing out the trash others left behind is great! Make the next photographer’s experience a better one.
8. Carry a 1-Gallon Bag
   Not only can this handy item protect your camera in wet weather, but it’s also a great trash receptacle.
9. Document the Beautiful
   Capture things that amaze us. Let everybody know just how beautiful that place can be.
10. Document the Ugly
    Capture things that disappoint us. Let everybody know that the environment needs our help.
11. Use Rechargeable Batteries
    If you have a compact camera or a flash unit that uses AA batteries, use rechargeables — they can last for years and help reduce unnecessary waste.
12. Be a Leader
    If you see somebody doing things that will harm our environment, stand up to them and make them aware of the impact they’ll have.

12 Ways to be an Environmentally Friendly Photographer

50 Quick, Painless Ways You Can Help the Environment Today

[Playing] your part to help the environment doesn’t have to be difficult, time-consuming, or sweeping. You can help out in little ways, making gradual changes, baby steps.

Starting today.

Pick one, and start today.

1. Take a shorter shower.
2. Use a rag or hand towel instead of napkins or paper towels.
3. Don’t print at least once today.
4. Carpool once this week.
5. Turn off the TV for an hour.
6. Turn off the lights.
7. Use a coffee mug instead of disposable.
8. Use CFC light bulbs.
9. Skip the foil and plastic wrap.
10. Inflate your tires.
11. Clean up.
12. Talk to your kids about the environment.
13. Reuse printed paper.
14. Turn down your water heater.
15. Plant a tree.
16. Hang out your clothes.
17. Buy a manual reel mower or electric mower.
18. Get a low-flow shower head.
19. Lower your thermostats.
20. Participate or organize a clean-up.
21. Avoid fast food.
22. Use acryllic paint.
23. Coat your roof.
24. Clean your filters.
25. Telecommute.
26. Wash clothes in cold water.
27. Fill your toilet tank.
28. Buy recycled products.
29. Recycle.
30. Buy a smaller car.
31. Buy a smaller home.
32. Look for energy efficiency.
33. Water grass early in the morning.
34. Plant shade trees near your house.
35. Use rechargeable batteries.
36. Buy used.
37. Walk instead of drive.
38. Unplug appliances.
39. Unload your car.
40. Try cycling.
41. Install a water filter.
42. Use cloth shopping bags.
43. Mend your stuff.
44. Compost.
45. Try mass transit.
46. Buy in bulk.
47. Buy durable.
48. Use your oven less.
49. Join a local organization.
50. Join Blog Action Day.

Read the entire article with more detail here.

A company I’d like to buy from

This is what will drive more people to recycle and reduce toxic waste from ending up in garbage bins. From batteries to bulbs and electronics to computers, all of our modern conveniences come with a price; they all have toxic materials. If the companies who sell these goods make it easy for the consumers to send the item back to them for proper disposal--at a reasonable price, I think more people would do it.

"What about this, though? What if GE or Sylvania or the other companies sold their CFL bulbs in little, post-office-approved, mailing tubes (made from a strong, recycled cardboard, say)? What if they included in the tube, along with the bulb, an adhesive prepaid mailing label? What if that prepaid mailing label stuck on the tube, with the burned-out CFL bulb safely placed inside, directed the bulb to a central CFL bulb disposal center? That would turn every mailbox in the country into a good, safe place to dispose of our CFLs."

No Impact Man: A company I’d like to buy from

Riding the Green Wave

A "green wave" is sweeping Canadian residential development. Here are some of the highlights...

Top five trends:

• More "free" power through the increased use of geothermal, solar and wind energy in new home construction

• Widespread use of paints, carpets and other building materials that are free of volatile organic compounds, commonly referred to as VOCs

• The use of more recycled or salvaged building materials such as glass, steel, aluminum, plastic and drywall

• More building products from rapidly renewable natural sources such as bamboo, jute, cork and sisal

• Products made or harvested using processes that use little energy or water, are free of pesticides ,and don't produce any emissions or other pollutants

Riding the Green Wave (TreeHugger)

Finding a Green Contractor

Considering an eco-friendly home renovation, new kitchen or roof but don’t know where to look for contractors or architects? Shop around at the sites below and remember to always ask for several references.

Your first (and maybe only) stop is the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) website. It lists building professionals accredited by the USGBC for having “demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and familiarity with LEED requirements, resources and processes.” To find LEED accredited professionals in your city and state, see www.usgbc.org.

Non-profit Co-op America’s Green pages also lists architects and designers that have been screened for a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. See www.coopamerica.org.

Also, many green businesses are members of local chapters of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), a network established to ensure “that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life.” To find local members, see www.livingeconomies.org.

Finding a Green Contractor

Google To Invest $10 Million In Green Startups

"Google will be investing up to $10 million in “green” startups, the company said today. Specifically, they are looking to invest $500k - $2 million in multiple for-profit startups that are focusing on electric/hybrid transportation. Details are here.

But startups don’t have much time to fine tune their pitches - proposals requesting funding must be submitted to Google by October 22 2007."

Google To Invest $10 Million In Green Startups

7 BIG ways to reduce your carbon footprint

"[We’re] going to be taking a look at the big things that you can do. The things that may take a bit more effort, that may even take a complete shift in lifestyle. But things that will make the biggest impact in reducing your impact. Do you want to have a tiny little carbon footprint and live as if we only have one planet between all 6,602,224,175 of us? You do? Read on."

7 BIG ways to reduce your carbon footprint at EcoStreet - Raising Green Consciousness since 2002