most recent 30 from http://www.stopthesearch.com 2010-09-08T11:48:08Z http://www.stopthesearch.com/feeds/user/2 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/2/how-can-i-get-white-laundry-to-remain-white-without-using-harsh-chemicals Jeff 2009-09-22T17:28:47Z 2010-04-20T06:21:36Z

<p>Bleach works but it is so harsh on the clothes and the environment. How can I get clothes white without bleach?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/113/what-should-i-do-with-fallen-leaves Jeff 2009-10-25T19:48:37Z 2010-01-05T08:59:03Z

<p>Should I leave them on the lawn (it doesn't look ugly - it looks natural) or should I rake them up? If I rake them what can I do with them beyond burning them or sending them in one of those yard waste bags with the trash?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/138/do-car-engines-need-to-be-warmed-up-before-using-them-in-freezing-weather Jeff 2010-01-01T22:39:11Z 2010-01-05T08:55:08Z

<p>My car has an indicator that the engine is cold when I turn it on in the mornings - the weather is below freezing in my area. Do I need to warm the car before using it or can that warning be safely ignored? As a follow-up - if it is okay to drive with the light on should I avoid the highways until it goes off and just stick to slower speeds?</p> <p>I'd like to avoid the waste that goes with idling the car every day if possible.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/140/what-can-i-use-to-melt-ice-instead-of-road-salt Jeff 2010-01-02T17:57:28Z 2010-01-05T08:50:31Z

<p>Using road salt keeps my driveway free of ice during the winter months (mostly) and I combine that with shoveling. But I'm sure the rock salt isn't the best way to go as it can cause damage to cars it must be doing crazy damage to the lawn and animals around here too.</p> <p>So what can I use instead of the salt that will keep the driveway and sidewalk free of ice but do as little harm to the environment (and my car) as possible?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/142/what-temperature-should-i-set-the-fridge-and-freezer-at-for-maximum-effectiveness Jeff 2010-01-04T06:41:03Z 2010-01-05T08:46:49Z

<p>Knowing that the fridge consumes the most energy of all household appliances I'd like to know what I can do to minimize its impact. What temperatures should I set the fridge portion and the freezer portion to for maximum savings and usefulness?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/139/laundry-balls-and-disks-do-they-work Jeff 2010-01-01T22:53:48Z 2010-01-01T22:53:48Z

<p>Laundry balls are placed in with your clothes when being cleaned and are meant to replace harsh chemicals while still providing all the cleaning power needed.</p> <p>These products look good and if their claims to reduce chemical use and clean just as well as store-bought detergents is true they should clean well and save money - but I don't know anybody who has directly used them. Do they work as advertised or is this another case of a products that is too good to be true?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/41/wash-dishes-by-hand-or-in-the-dishwasher Jeff 2009-10-04T01:42:11Z 2009-12-04T17:27:23Z

<p>Which will take less water to get the dishes clean?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/130/should-i-use-recharagable-batteries-or-the-normal-kind Jeff 2009-11-30T05:35:34Z 2009-12-04T15:46:29Z

<p>I've always felt I was doing the "right" thing by buying/using rechargable batteries - and yes I do recharge them multiple times - but could I be mistaken? Perhaps the chemicals need to build something that can recharge are actually worse for the world...</p> <p>If I use a rechargeable is there a point where things switch over - ie, if I charge twice its good but only once its bad or is there some other way to know?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/109/why-is-350ppm-important Jeff 2009-10-24T19:41:46Z 2009-12-04T15:12:19Z

<p>I've heard that 350ppm is an important number to fight global climate change but where can I find more information on this?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/100/tip-buy-products-with-minimal-packaging Jeff 2009-10-21T02:42:23Z 2009-12-04T15:04:35Z

<p>Try to buy products with minimal packaging - not only will you be producing less waste but you'll be encouraging companies to package their products with less waste as well.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/97/tip-dont-want-the-yellow-pages-to-be-delivered-to-your-house-visit-this-site Jeff 2009-10-20T04:46:32Z 2009-11-25T14:56:57Z

<p>If you live in the US you can try this website (<a href="http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/" rel="nofollow">Yellow Pages Goes Green</a>) to have the yellow pages delivery stopped. It also looks like it should stop the white pages from being delivered.</p> <p>Stopping delivery of the white and yellow pages is a great idea - everything is available online now and those huge print outs are always out of date so there's no need for those massive books.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/118/burial-or-cremation/122#122 Jeff 2009-11-08T05:26:35Z 2009-11-08T05:26:35Z

<p>Perhaps if we had a different view of burials and the afterlife this may be an easier choice... rather than treating cemeteries as sacred lands which can't be touched we should approach cemeteries as a place for rebirth. If we were to bury the bodies then plant a tree or bush to mark the spot we'd be taking a small bite out of our CO2 levels and we'd be using our land to the optimum advantage.</p> <p>I would think that if we could re-use our cemeteries turning them into parks and urban playgrounds we'd be able to honour the dead and keep the land usable.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/107/how-do-i-know-my-tire-is-properly-inflated Jeff 2009-10-23T15:39:58Z 2009-11-06T23:30:59Z

<p>I've heard that the most effective way to save gas is to ensure that my tires are inflated to the proper PSI... but how do I know what that amount should be? It is different for all tires? What about the weather - should I adjust the PSI based on how hot or cold it is outside? What if I do mostly highway driving - should I keep the number slightly lower than if I were to be doing mostly city driving?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/110/what-is-global-warming-and-whats-the-problem-anyway Jeff 2009-10-24T19:55:37Z 2009-11-02T23:40:28Z

<p>What is global warming and what's the problem, anyway? Doesn't the earth's temperature move in cycles anyway? This is better than another ice age isn't it?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/112/what-is-the-difference-between-co2-and-co2e Jeff 2009-10-24T20:21:52Z 2009-10-27T14:05:14Z

<p>CO₂ is well known but I've never heard of CO₂e. What is the difference and which should I be concerned about?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/111/how-do-we-actually-reduce-carbon-emissions-to-get-to-350ppm Jeff 2009-10-24T19:56:50Z 2009-10-25T01:45:01Z

<p>If we're already past 350ppm of carbon dioxide how do we fix this?</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/106/tip-turn-your-halloween-green Jeff 2009-10-22T19:58:15Z 2009-10-22T19:58:15Z

<ul> <li>compost your pumpkin after use - don't throw it in the garbage - it is better for the environment and </li> <li>roast your pumpkin seeds - they are delicious and nutricious</li> <li>don't buy a throw-away costume this holiday - make one from used/old/second-hand clothes or create a costume that can be used for other occasions as well</li> <li>Why not really go green - dress up as a tree or the sun or maybe the Eco-Avenger!</li> <li>Don't drive the kids around door to door - they need to work off all the sugar they'll be collecting so let them walk - even if that means you have to walk along with them</li> <li>If you are throwing a Halloween Party make sure that you don't use paper plates and plastic forks and knives - go for finger foods and real plates - if you're really worried about breakage go for reusable plastic plates</li> </ul>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/103/how-do-i-use-stop-the-search-most-effectively Jeff 2009-10-21T04:32:29Z 2009-10-21T04:32:29Z

<p>Okay, so this site is neat, and I know I can get my questions answered here, but I'm still pretty confused about how to use it properly. Can someone write up a quick and easy explanation/tutorial for newbies like myself? For example, how am I supposed to respond when someone answers my question? I read the answer and think, 'Okay, that answers my question. thanks.' Do I post a response with that (like in a forum), or is there a different method for acknowledging a good answer?</p> <p><hr /></p> <p>Stop The Search is primarily for questions and answers, secondarily for discussion. This is a bit different than a forum, which is primarily for discussion, secondarily for questions and answers.</p> <p>Here's a quick run-down of how to use the site as a new member. First here's what a new member can do right off the bat:</p> <ul> <li>Ask questions. Click on the "Ask Question" button in the upper right of the screen, and ask away. The more specific your question title, the better. Also, the more specific your question, the better. Then choose some tags from the ones already in use, and then click the "Ask Your Question" button in the lower left.</li> <li>Answer questions. If you see a question that you can answer, then you can do so by typing your answer into the box, and clicking on the "Post Your Answer" button. You're also allowed to answer your own questions if you find the answers to them before someone else does! One distinction though: this is the place for answers to the question, not comments on the question or an answer. Comments are treated differently than answers, so stick to answering the question in this section. </li> <li>Accept answers to your questions. If someone responds to one of your questions and you feel that it answers your question very well, they you can accept the answer by clicking on the check mark to the left of the answer. You may only accept one answer at a time, but you may unaccept an answer to accept another one. Accepting others' answers to your questions increases your reputation by 2.</li> </ul> <p>As you ask and answer questions, people who can do so will vote them up or vote them down. Upvotes increase your reputation by 10, and downvotes decrease it by 2. The higher your reputation, the more the system trusts you, and the more different ways you can contribute content and acknowledge good or bad content. Reputation is earned by the quality of your questions and answers. Admins cannot just give you reputation.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/57/are-certain-trees-able-to-remove-more-co2-than-others/58#58 Jeff 2009-10-09T04:02:33Z 2009-10-20T20:53:27Z

<p>I haven't been able to find too much information on one tree vs another but there are a few notes to think about here:</p> <p>The CO₂ benefits aren't instant - you're looking at a semi-long term time investment before the CO₂value is realized. Large healthy trees remove 60-70 times more pollution than small trees. Large healthy trees sequester up to 1,000 more CO₂ than small trees. The benefits also require that the tree remains healthy and lives long enough for the offset to be of value. <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org/arbor-week-2009/the-value-of-trees.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.mortonarb.org/arbor-week-2009/the-value-of-trees.html</a> So, from an environmental point of view get a tree that's big and lasts a long time... but from a homeowner point of view get a tree that's appropriate for your location and will be hardy enough to survive for a good long life.</p> <p>Interestingly, it appears that pine trees may be more productive in high-CO₂ environments than other types of trees though that isn't necessarily on topic. <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/higher-co2-makes-pine-trees-more-productive-129748/" rel="nofollow">http://blog.taragana.com/n/higher-co2-makes-pine-trees-more-productive-129748/</a></p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/57/are-certain-trees-able-to-remove-more-co2-than-others/98#98 Jeff 2009-10-20T05:08:38Z 2009-10-20T05:08:38Z

<p>Here's something interesting <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news166374180.html" rel="nofollow">Synthetic Tree Captures Carbon 1,000 Faster Than Real Trees</a>. The invention certainly isn't perfect but it is a step in the right direction - these fake "trees" could then be placed in high CO2-producing areas (such as in city downtown locations).</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/25/fuel-economy-keep-the-car-gas-tank-near-full-or-near-empty-or-does-it-even-ma Jeff 2009-09-29T02:53:20Z 2009-10-19T13:12:26Z

<p>I've heard that it is best to keep the gas tank near full since it reduces the amount of work that the internal fuel pump needs to do. Of course I've also heard that keeping your car near empty (but not <em>too</em> close) is best for the environment since your car will be lighter so less gas is needed to make it go. Then again, how heavy is a tank of gas - could I get the same efficiencies by simply ensuring the trunk is properly cleaned out.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/63/which-houseplants-are-best-at-removing-pollutants-in-my-home/85#85 Jeff 2009-10-17T04:26:46Z 2009-10-17T04:26:46Z

<p>You have quite a few options but here are a few that you should check out:</p> <ol> <li>English Ivy - this plant spreads quite quickly and tends to take over but it will do wonders for your home cleaning out pollutants like fecal particles, formaldehyde aerosols, benezene and much more</li> <li>Garlic Vine - The garlic vine is well known for its leaves that emit a garlicky smell only when crushed. Interestingly, it is not related to the common onion or garlic but you'll be fooled when you smell it. Use the plant to treat fevers, colds, sore throats, or other minor issues.</li> </ol>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/83/i-resolve-to-bring-my-reusable-bags-more-often-when-shopping/84#84 Jeff 2009-10-15T18:25:23Z 2009-10-15T18:25:23Z

<p>I've now got quite a stash of reusable bags - enough that I can now keep 3-4 in the car at all times. Just having them handy in the backseat makes it easy for me to remember. </p> <p>Another trick is (if you bring a lunch to work) is to pack your lunch in a reusable bag rather than in plastic or some other manner - then you've always got a reusable bag with your wherever you go.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/67/how-can-i-save-when-printing/76#76 Jeff 2009-10-13T01:39:52Z 2009-10-13T01:39:52Z

<p>Here's an idea that's rather interesting - a font that's built with holes in it to use less black ink. The makers of this say that you'll be able to save up to 20% of your printing costs - oh and it looks better when printed - those little holes aren't nearly so noticable. </p> <p><a href="http://www.ecofont.eu/downloads%5Fen.html" rel="nofollow">Download the Font now</a></p> <p><img src="http://www.ecofont.com/assets/images/ecofont%5Fvoorbeeld%5Fklein.jpg" alt="EcoFont" /></p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/60/are-there-any-safe-plastic-refillable-containers-to-drink-from/74#74 Jeff 2009-10-12T21:08:41Z 2009-10-12T21:08:41Z

<p>Check the Recycling symbol on your plastic bottle. If you are using a #2, #4, or #5. Most recyclable bottles are type #1 which is meant for single-use only but if you're just refilling water bottles with more water I'm not sure the universe will go after you - however, Type 1 does have a high chance of leeching (basically you can taste the plastic and chemicals when you drink) and should be recycled instantly if you can taste it.</p> <p>The numbers for plastic recycling actually go up to #7 at the moment though it seems that #7 bottles have the potential to leech BPA into the liquid which is extremely harmful and has been banned in some areas/countries.</p> <p><img src="http://healthychild.org//uploads/image/blue/recycle1.gif" alt="alt text" /><img src="http://healthychild.org//uploads/image/blue/recycle2.gif" alt="alt text" /><img src="http://healthychild.org//uploads/image/blue/recycle4.gif" alt="alt text" /><img src="http://healthychild.org//uploads/image/blue/recycle5.gif" alt="alt text" /></p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/35/kindle-vs-books/69#69 Jeff 2009-10-12T14:29:59Z 2009-10-12T14:29:59Z

<p>Here's a great analysis of the information currently available <a href="http://ecolibris.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-report-finds-kindle-greener-than.html" rel="nofollow">http://ecolibris.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-report-finds-kindle-greener-than.html</a> . Unfortunately Amazon has been reluctant to provide real-world figures on what it takes to produce a Kindle so the figures are best guesses.</p> <p>I don't own a Kindle though my experience with my ebook reader - the Sony EBook Reader PRS-505 leads me to believe that the estimate of buying 3 ebooks a month is far higher than reality. Now, the Sony reader's online store is quite difficult to use - I'm sure I'd have bought more if I had a Kindle but still buying 30 or more books a year seems high to me.</p> <p>So, until Amazon opens up the best we can do is make educated guesses. One company has done the analysis and come out in favour of EBook Readers but their assumptions seem to be more forgiving than perhaps they should be... even so, the numbers aren't too horrible though it depends entirely on how long you keep the reader and what your reading haits are.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/47/reusable-bags-will-they-harm-the-environment-more-than-regular-bags/64#64 Jeff 2009-10-11T05:37:33Z 2009-10-11T05:37:33Z

<p>When transporting food with your re-usable bag be sure to do so in a clean and safe manner. A study by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) in Canada discovered that: </p> <ul> <li>64 percent of the tested reusable bags were contaminated with some level of bacteria.</li> <li>Nearly 30 percent had bacterial counts higher than what is considered safe for drinking water.</li> <li>40 percent of the bags contained the presence of yeast or mold.</li> <li>Some of the sampled bags contained unsafe levels of coliforms and faecal intestinal bacteria.</li> </ul> <p>True, EPIC's funders were likely looking out for their industry who were in the process of losing a public battle in Toronto that turned the tide heavily in favour of reusable bags but that's no reason not to trust their health discoveries. You can download the report from <a href="http://www.cpia.ca/files/files/A%5FMicrobiological%5FStudy%5Fof%5FReusable%5FGrocery%5FBags%5FMay20%5F09.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.cpia.ca/files/files/A_Microbiological_Study_of_Reusable_Grocery_Bags_May20_09.pdf</a></p> <p>Basically, yes reusable bags are great for the environment. But, as with anything food-related, ensure you take proper care of your newly found investment.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/1/sigg-klean-kanteen-or-otter-bottle Jeff 2009-09-22T17:22:45Z 2009-10-10T03:26:10Z

<p>Of the 3 major bottle manufacturers is there any reason to choose one over the other health-wise? They obviously have different designs and sizes but I'm mainly interested in knowing if any are particularly <strong><em>better</em></strong> than the others.</p> <p><a href="http://www.otterbottle.ca/" rel="nofollow">Otter Bottle</a> <a href="http://mysigg.com/" rel="nofollow">SIGG</a> <a href="http://www.kleankanteen.com/" rel="nofollow">Kleen Kanteen</a></p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/40/e85-flexfuel-cars-and-trucks/59#59 Jeff 2009-10-09T15:54:50Z 2009-10-09T15:54:50Z

<p>From what I've been able to find the E85 Flexfuel system appears to be almost wholly for marketing and promotional gain vs actually helping the environment.</p> <blockquote> <p>Ottawa's push to use high-level ethanol fuel in cars is doing little or nothing to cut Canada's greenhouse gas emissions nor will it, says a government briefing note prepared for Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt and obtained by Canwest News Service.</p> </blockquote> <p>E85 fuel is available in only four locations in Canada at the moment, so the 300,000 or so Flex Fuel Vehicles now on the road use regular gasoline.</p> <p><a href="http://www.canada.com/technology/Environmental+impact+ethanol+fuel+overstated+government+warned/2060350/story.html" rel="nofollow">Source - Canada.com</a></p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/53/how-do-i-change-my-avatar/55#55 Jeff 2009-10-07T02:09:15Z 2009-10-07T02:09:15Z

<p>The avatars on StopTheSearch.com are handled via <a href="http://www.Gravatar.com" rel="nofollow">Gravatar</a>. It is an outside service unfortunately but it is actually quite convenient - once you sign up fro gravatar you'll be able to use your avatar across a number of sites.</p> <p>Once you set your email address the same on Gravatar and in your profile here your avatar will automatically be pulled in. And when you update your avatar choice in Gravatar it will update here automatically too.</p>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/100/tip-buy-products-with-minimal-packaging Jeff 2009-12-07T02:08:01Z 2009-12-07T02:08:01Z

For the 2008 holiday season Amazon introduced eco-friendly frustration-free packaging. I don't know if they are doing it still or will continue to do so but this was a great idea.

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/1/sigg-klean-kanteen-or-otter-bottle Jeff 2009-10-22T04:19:34Z 2009-10-22T04:19:34Z

There's now another interesting competitor called Water Geeks which has an integrated water filter - <a href="http://www.thewatergeeks.com/Filtered-Stainless-Bottles-p-63.html" rel="nofollow">thewatergeeks.com/&hellip;</a>

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/11/how-do-i-effectively-do-the-100-mile-diet-in-a-cold-climate/82#82 Jeff 2009-10-17T03:31:29Z 2009-10-17T03:31:29Z

Migration is an interesting idea but not entirely practical given country borders and the non-transitory nature of most peoples jobs.

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/60/are-there-any-safe-plastic-refillable-containers-to-drink-from/73#73 Jeff 2009-10-12T20:59:09Z 2009-10-12T20:59:09Z

Glass isn't as convenient as plastic in many ways. Glass breaks more easily and is heavier. Plus I'm not sure I've seen too many water bottles for re-use that come in a variety of designs like the plastic ones do.

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/25/fuel-economy-keep-the-car-gas-tank-near-full-or-near-empty-or-does-it-even-ma Jeff 2009-10-01T04:47:58Z 2009-10-01T04:47:58Z

government mandated changes can undeniably have a huge effect on the environment but the simple things in life shouldn't be overlooked. Changing our daily habits - small though they may be - can still have a huge effect. I see it much like the role of community policing - sure they may not be able to do high profile robber-barron take downs but their presence can make the streets safer. If we as a people change our habits it will be impossible for big business and gov't to ignore us.

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/11/how-do-i-effectively-do-the-100-mile-diet-in-a-cold-climate Jeff 2009-09-26T02:20:48Z 2009-09-26T02:20:48Z

This is a great question. I've been looking at trying the 100 mile diet as well and hit the same issue. I'm in Toronto so it isn't as cold as Winnipeg but the basic issue is the same.

http://www.stopthesearch.com/questions/4/how-do-i-log-in-with-an-openid/7#7 Jeff 2009-09-23T03:25:30Z 2009-09-23T03:25:30Z

Thanks Anton, I contacted moms4mom.com ahead of time and asked to copy the text since the answer on their site by Scott was pretty much perfect. I switched out their URL and stuck in ours :) You can see the original at: <a href="http://moms4mom.stackexchange.com/questions/6/how-do-i-log-in-with-an-openid" rel="nofollow">moms4mom.stackexchange.com/questions/6/&hellip;</a>