I’m still working on setting up a Kill-A-Watt Lending program for Miami. Another cool idea? Berkeley’s Tool Lending Library. Local residents can borrow tools, even lawn mowers, "carpentry tools, electrical tools, plumbing tools, power tools, and ladders". All with just a library card. Now that’s a good idea!
Via - Eco-Chick
The public library sounds like a good idea, but you don’t have time to go? Love to read and buy lots of books, only to finish them and have no use for them? Sounds like the borrow-by-mail program may be just for you!
Why is it important to use programs such as the public library? It comes down to the fact that sharing is better for the environment. Why create more objects than we need, only to have to dispose of them later? By using the library, many people can utilize fewer resources.
How Borrow-by-Mail works: First of all, you need to be a member of the library, which is free. To request a book, follow these steps:
Each item requested by mail costs $2. You may return the items to any Miami Dade Public Library or by mail, paying the postage yourself. Return labels are provided.
For questions, contact (305) 375-BOOK or your local branch of the library.
A - Z Disposal & Donation Guide for Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida
This guide is meant to help residents learn how to dispose of items properly, as well as provide ideas on where to donate items that may still have further use for another individual. Updates to this list will be continuous. For additions, deletions, and corrections, please contact: greenermiami@gmail.com.
Biz Ideas, a new category to GreenerMiami, will cover ideas for businesses that I think should exist in the Miami area and other areas. You may take these ideas and develop them in complete confidence. If you’d like to team up with me on one of these ideas, that’s great, too. Use them, talk about them, and make them happen - and be sure to let me know how it goes!
Our first Biz Idea is based off of PhillyCarShare’s business model (thanks for the tip, Treehugger). Here’s the idea: rent cars to people not by the day, but by the hour. Have cars located around the city for easy pick up and drop off. Include in the price: insurance, gas, maintenance, and child-seats. Use hybrids/fuel efficient cars and also have trucks available for larger loads.
PhillyCarShare’s Mission:
PhillyCarShare is a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization dedicated to reducing automobile dependency in the Philadelphia region through community-based car sharing – improving neighborhood livability; increasing transit ridership, walking, and biking; improving air quality; promoting economic development; mitigating development; mitigating parking demand; and increasing accessibility while alleviating the burdens of auto ownership.
And their prices? $15/month for an Advantage membership, $5.90/hr plus 9 cents/mile. Customers only pay 2 hours from midnight to 8am.
So, using those numbers, if a car was stationed in Brickell, and rented to go to the nearest Wal-Mart, 2 hours / 24 miles, it would cost just under $14.
Think about it - for people that may live in walking distance to work or use public transportation to get there and only need a car occasionally, or any number of other different scenarios. It could work in Miami!
Ben & Jerry’s Double Dip: Lead with your values and make money too, was written in 1997, but I only just discovered it.
This book is a fun and interesting read - I highly recommend it.
Ben and Jerry talk about the beginning of their business, how they got started, and how they made decisions on the direction of their business. They also talk about a concept called Social Responsibility which will talk a lot about here in GreenerMiami in the future. I’m not really a Ben & Jerry’s customer, in fact, I can’t even think of the last time I had their ice cream. But this book made me want to be associated with them.
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