December 2010 - Our Daily Green

Friday, December 31, 2010

Year end accounting for Our Daily Green

At the beginning of this year, Our Daily Green began to accept advertising from assorted affiliate companies. We decorated our space with banners encouraging our readers to click and consider the companies we promoted. We also pledged to donate half the proceeds of our advertising to the charity of our readers' choosing at the end of the year, under the optimistic assumption that we would generate tremendous income.

The results of the year long experiment are as follows:
  • We had a few advertisers that paid a few pennies per click. That netted approximately 14¢ in revenue.
  • We had a few advertisers who paid when friends signed up for a newsletter. That was a bit more profitable, resulting in $18.00
  • We had some sponsors buy space for their advertisements and that was a $30.00 one time payment.
  • Several of our sponsors paid commission for products purchased. Most of the purchases were our own, resulting in a rebate on items purchased of $15.68.
  • The last category were sponsored postings. We had companies that wanted links to their sites, so Our Daily Green wrote about a product that fit both our mission and theirs. That resulted in $88.32. (after pay pal fees were deducted).
  • We received a low flow shower head to test and 5 shower heads to giveaway.
  • Our Daily Green also received a pack of recycled goodies from TerraCycle to giveaway. 

This is a grand total of $152.14 in cash revenue generated as a result of advertising on this blog. As pledged at the beginning of the year, Our Daily Green will make a donation to a charity chosen by the readers. With your indulgence, the donation will be a $75.00 donation, with the $1.07 towards blog expenses. We did not count the merchandise as it was given away.

While we are happy to make the donation, the paltry amount generated from advertisements on the blog did not warrant cluttering our readers' eyes and distracted from the message of Our Daily Green. In 2011, we no longer will be using affiliate advertising on the sides of the blog. We will still accept sponsored posts provided they fit our mission, and we still will showcase products that we believe are in line with our ethical and earth friendly mission. In each instance, we will disclose any financial incentive we receive and we also pledge again to donate half the proceeds to a charity of our readers' choosing.

Please nominate a charity in the comments below. Some suggested charities can be found in these blog posts from the past year. 


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Giveaway Green

On occasion, Our Daily Green's affiliates give us opportunities to pass along to our readers.  Here is a simple opportunity to win gourmet salt and pepper mills from 123West.
Peppermills


Win Free Peugeot Paris u'Select Pepper and Salt Mill Set


125west.com Online Catalog of Specialty Home and Outdoor Products Since 1999On January 15, 2011, we will pick one our Facebook “Like” friends to receive a free Peugeot Paris u’Select 9″ Black Lacquer Pepper and Salt Mill Set! Made in France, the Peugeot Paris mill is an all-time favorite used in hotels, restaurants, and homes around the world. Each mill features a turned beech wood body with 7 coats of hand-rubbed gloss black piano finish. The u’Select mechansim gives a choice of pre-set levels of grind from very fine to coarse.

It is very simple to enter the contest. Simply click on the Facebook “Like” button found on each 125West page in the lower left column. Good luck!

(to clarify... NOT the like button embedded in this post... but actually become a fan of the 125West facebook page, by going to their site).  Liking my post does nothing but stroke my ego, it doesn't qualify you to win the prize. (which is valued at over $60) So please follow the links throughout the post (NOT at the bottom) and then like the actual site, click the "like" on FB to enter to win! Click on anything in ORANGE text to enter.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

No more bed head from the showerhead green

Our Daily Green has been extended an incredible opportunity. We've used low flow showerheads in the past, and honestly must admit (as green as we are) that the flow and wash was absolutely pathetic. It could only be described as using a squirt gun to shower. We lumped low flow showerheads into the 20 category of our 80/20 pledge to live green. A noble idea, but not really practical or a desirable change. Feeling grubby and unclean isn't a way to inspire green living. 
Learn More!

Then we learned about the Bricor showerhead. Intrigued by a showerhead that promised both pressure and water savings, we contacted Bricor. Bricor generously agreed to send us a showerhead (FREE) to test and also offer FIVE more showerheads as a giveaway to Our Daily Green readers. There is our disclaimer. We got a free showerhead. But if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have agreed to promote it past that.

After using replacing my old showerhead with the Bricor, I cannot sing my praises highly enough. This showerhead delivers. I'm keeping the Bricor. To quote my daughter, it felt like a rainstorm. She said she couldn't tell the difference at all. I will admit that it takes longer for the water to warm, (since it's not coming through as quickly) BUT, I feel CLEAN. I feel like the water I use is actually being used efficiently. I really cannot say enough wonderful things about this product. I do plan to evaluate my water bill at the end of this month to assess the savings and chart how long it takes for the Bricor to pay for itself.

It's not necessary for me to go on, the proof is in the test. Our Daily Green has five Bricor showerheads to give to our readers. I encourage our readers to please post a blog about Bricor if you are inspired to support them. They are a small startup company and have been incredibly attentive to Our Daily Green. We received the showerhead within a day, and when they sent the givaway showerheads, they also included packaging material and an expense check. In other words, this company has integrity.

Even if you don't win the giveaway, Bricor has extended a discount to our residental and personal readers. Just order a showerhead and tell them you learned about them from Our Daily Green and you will receive a $10 discount on any product priced $39.95 or more. (commercial customers, contact Bricor directly for bulk discounts).

It's very important to know that the Bricor operates optimally at a water pressure of 50psi.

If your water pressure is below that, the Bricor may not work for you. Most municipalities are at least 50psi, so the concern is primarily for rural areas. 

Qualifying for the giveaway is simple

1. Comment your interest in this post with the understanding that if you're chosen, you must send me your mailing information. I cannot send you a prize otherwise. I do promise not to use your name/email for any spam activities.

2. Follow Bricor on either Twitter or Facebook. If you are not active on either of those sites, please state as much in your comment to qualify. If you are not following on Twitter or FB and you've not indicated as much in your comment, your entry will be disqualified. I will check to make sure entrants have followed appropriately.

3. The giveaway will end once we have five participants. So hurry. This is a limited time offer for the first five responders.

Thank you for your interest and for caring about ways to conserve water. Good luck!



Friday, December 3, 2010

12 Days of Christmas Green

While Our Daily Green tries to eschew the commercialism of the holidays, there are several modern and earth-friendly ways to share our blessings with those less fortunate.

As a holiday tribute to the 12 Days of Christmas song, we have gift ideas from assorted fair trade, charitable, and third-world organizations that will last more than disposable goods manufactured under unsafe conditions and still satisfy our desire to share generously.


Partridge in a Pear Tree
: The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is a nonprofit charity dedicated to planting edible, fruitful trees and plants to benefit the environment and all its inhabitants. Their programs include the donation of orchards places such as public schools, city parks and gardens, low-income neighborhoods, and hunger relief sites.

Turtle Doves: Adopting a sea turtle and preserving their habitats will help keep them from extinction.

French Hens: Why not give the gift of chickens? Chickens give children and families a lasting source of nutrition and income. Fresh eggs raise the levels of protein and other nutrients in a family’s diet, and the sale of extra eggs and chickens can pay for vital basics.

Calling Birds:  Or maybe just a way for a soldier to call home. Recycle and donate your old cell phone to a soldier. See the link for donation information and a prepaid postage label.

Golden Rings: If you'd like to give jewelry, Brilliant Earth is a source of ecologically and ethically mined gold and diamonds.

Geese Laying: If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck which is closely related to geese. A donation of 5 ducks to a hungry family and they can benefit from hundreds of large, protein-rich eggs all year long. A duck also offers valuable down-feathers, famous for their thermal insulation and padding — great for use in bedding materials and warm clothing, or to fetch much-needed income at the market.

Swans Swimming: Clean water is essential to safe swimming. Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. Charity:water is a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Maids MilkingA good dairy cow can produce four gallons of milk a day - enough for a family to drink and share with neighbors. 

Ladies Dancing: Made by Survivors is a fabulous network that helps emancipate women and girls who have been sold into slavery. They sell handmade goods via catalogs and hope parties. These women get a new lease on life and a chance to truly dance.

Lords Leaping: One World Futbol offers children around the world the chance to play with indestructible soccer balls.

Pipers Piping: Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation keeps music alive in our schools and communities by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs, giving youngsters the many benefits of music education, helping them to be better students, and inspiring creativity and expression through playing music

Drummers Drumming:  600 million people in the world are deaf, but only 8 million have hearing aids. The Solar Ear was created by Howard Weinstein specifically for those in rural areas worldwide where electrical power and money are scarce. The solar-powered digital hearing aid has been created to help the millions of people globally who are deaf, giving them sound and aiding them to get jobs.

With a little creativity and generosity, the 12 Days of Christmas can become the 12 months, years, and decades. We have a chance to make a difference. Which one is your favorite? Can you think of some others?

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Lighting a Candle Green

Sometimes, Our Daily Green finds inspiration in the most unexpected places.


This morning, we've been preoccupied with the news of a little friend in our world who is undergoing treatment for a cancerous brain tumor. Her parents have asked us to say some prayers and light a candle because that is one of their child's favorite rituals. Our Daily Green believes in the power of prayer, even from unexpected places in the universe, so when we tweeted a prayer request and the next tweet in the FreshGreenKim feed was about using "green candles" it inspired us to write this post.

Most candles are made from petroleum based paraffin. According to Bnet's health and fitness archive:

Paraffin is the predominant wax used in the candle industry. Paraffin is basically the "bottom of the barrel" even after asphalt is extracted. Paraffin is the final byproduct in the petroleum refining chain. A retired chemical engineer who worked with the largest refiner of mineral oils and petrolatums in the United States, explains that one barrel of crude oil when refined gives the following percentages:

  • LP gas - 2.3 
  • Refinery gas - 3.7 
  • AV gas - 0.2 
  • Motor gasoline - 45.7 
  • Jet fuels - 6.8 
  • Kerosene - 1.2 
  • Diesel and heating oils - 21.1 
  • Residual fuel oils - 11.3 
  • Petrochemical feedstock - 4.6 
  • Lubricants - 1.3 
  • Asphalt, road oil, coke and paraffin wax - total 5.3

The original beeswax or newer soy based waxes are safer alternatives for candles and readily available. Petroleum-based paraffin releases volatile organic compounds such as benzene and toluene when burned. Sort of kills the reverence and mysticism behind candle lighting if it involves inhaling toxins.

Do yourself a favor and find beeswax or soy candles. Then light one and pray for our little friend. She can use the glowing warmth and hope.

Thanks!