Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Online Ordering

If you are someone who shops and buys online, use some of these tips to become energy- and resource-conscious.

- All other things being equal, try to pick a distributor that is nearest you. For example, if you live on the east coast, try to pick an east-coast provider.
- Consolidate purchases and buy in bulk when possible to cut down on packaging and energy consumption. You may also be able to save money if the company offers free shipping on large orders.
- Chose ground delivery over air delivery when possible.
- Many order forms provide a space for comments. Use the space to request used packaging. Shipping and receiving centers have a lot of used material on hand from returns and they just may accommodate your request.

source: "It's Easy Being Green" by Crissy Trask


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Free Water!



So you've all checked out freerice.com, right? Well if you want a break from vocabulary and want to sharpen your geography skills, check out

No membership is required, all you need to do is answer geography questions to donate cups of water to those living in extreme poverty all over the world. The closer you tack your pin to the correct location on the map, the more cups of water you donate. You have to be quick on your toes though, because if you don't answer within the time limit, you lose one of your 5 lives. But don't worry, you can play the game as many times as you like!

I personally think that many people need to improve their geography skills and this is a great way to do it! So the next time you have a couple minutes to kill, donate some cups of water!

This website was brought to my attention by fellow SocialVibe member, monsterness. Thanks!!



source: www.freepoverty.com

Friday, September 4, 2009

Unwanted mail?

The amount of paper junk mail sent each year in the USA is staggering -- some 4 million tons, nearly half of which is never opened.

Do you get catalogs, magazines, or junk mail that you don't want? Take the action of removing yourself from the mailing list to save paper and resources used for production and transportation of this mail.

If you receive unwanted catalogs:
AKA, magazines that are filled with products for you to buy, e.g. Fossil, Newport News, Body Central. Have the catalog ready and call the toll-free number on the back. Ask to be removed from the mailing list and be ready to give out your name, address, and code that is located on the back of the catalog.

A couple days ago, I cancelled all of my mom's catalogs that she barely looked through and would just throw away as soon as she got them. It took me about 30 minutes on the phone to cancel 19 of her catalogs. All of the representatives on the phone were more than happy to help and did not pressure me to continue to receive their catalog.

If you receive unwanted junk mail:
If it is first-class mail, cross out the address and bar code, circle the first class postage, and write "refused: return to sender". You can then put it in any mail box.
If it is bulk mail, you may not be able to stop it. it is the trickiest kind to stop but if "address correction requested" is written on the label, circle "address correction requested" and treat like first class mail.

If you receive unwanted credit offers:
If you are getting credit offers from the agencies Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and/or Innovis, call 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688), available 24 hours a day. Have your mailing address and social security number ready.

If you receive unwanted AOL disks:
Call 1-800-605-4297, available 24 hrs a day. Tell them that your first name is "Current", last name "Resident".

If you receive unwanted local business and supermarket fliers:
If you get the fliers that have advertisements and pictures of missing children, call 1-860-285-6100 to get off the list. You may have to send a postcard to "ADVO Consumer Assistance, POB 249, Windsor CT 06095-4176".
If you don't want to receive Val-Pak coupons, click Here.


To deal with junk mail as a whole, start by sending a postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643 Include your complete name, address, zip code and a request to "activate the preference service". For up to five years, this will stop mail from all member organizations that you have not specifically ordered products from.

To prevent future junk mail, use some of these tips:
1. Whenever you donate money, order a product or service, or fill out a warranty card, write in large letters, "Please do not sell my name or address". Most organizations will properly mark your name in the computer.
2. On the telephone, ask "Please mark my account so that my name is not traded or sold to other companies".
3. Avoid filling out entry cards for contests or sweepstakes, as they will use your name and address to send you junk mail.


For more information about stopping junk mail, visit http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/.

source: http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Free Rice!


"Every day 25,000 people die from hunger and hunger related illness — greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Word of mouth is a powerful tool in the fight against hunger!"

There is yet another website out there that allows you to help people in third world nations and make a difference. This one is FREE and no membership is required. Do you have some down-time to kill? Perhaps you are waiting at the airport or waiting for your favorite show to come on TV. Well use your internet connection wherever you are to help donate some grains of rice to refugees in Africa!

Freerice.com, sponsored by the UN World Food Program, is a fun, addicting website that is easy to use. All you have to do is answer vocabulary questions! Each correct answer donates 10 grains of rice. But believe me, it adds up fast! So you actually learn while helping other people! How cool is that?

So the next time you have a minute to spare, check out Freerice.com!
Click Here to play the game or Click Here for more information about Free Rice.

source: www.freerice.com