Coming Soon - Dr. Dyer Joins the Green Living Community

Sometime in September when Wellsphere rolls out it's new communities, Dr. Dyer and My Green Doc Blog will be included as a Top Health Blogger in the Green Living Community.

I am honored to be joining the Health Blogger’s Network on Wellsphere to help encourage people to

* Go Green * Be Green * Eat Green * Live Green * Share Green * Teach Green * Love Green *

Their vision to help people improve their health and wellness is the same one that I have been promoting, teaching, writing and blogging about for many years.

I am excited at the opportunity to share my thoughts on improving health and well being with a wider audience and look forward to promoting healthier lives and healthier living.

About Wellsphere
Wellsphere builds online healthy living communities that help people ‘Get active, Eat better and Unwind’.

Wellsphere’s groundbreaking platform works by connecting each member with local health and wellness resources, classes and activities that match their unique interests and goals, and with the personalized advice and social support they need to sustain healthy habits.

Keep checking back for more information about when the new version of the site goes live.

Joining the CO2 Stats Project

My Green Dog Blog has added in the online tool for the CO2 Stats Project to keep track of our the carbon dioxide that results from Web traffic to this site. You can see the tracking tool as the bright green box in the side bar.

Once the widget / tool is installed on websites, it monitors Web sites and blogs for the amount of climate-warming carbon dioxide their visitors to a particular site consume and then offsets it for free.

The CO2 Stats counter was developed by Alex Wissner-Gross from Harvard and Tim Sullivan at Yale, both are PhD candidates.

For each pound of carbon dioxide that results from Web traffic to a site where the widget is installed, the project buys carbon offsets from Sustainable Travel International.

Remember renewable energy is good for the environment.

The more renewable energy we support, the less non-renewable energy will be required in the future.

For More Information see CO2 Stats.com

Save Our State Parks Program

I've spent a lot of time hiking and enjoying the many State and National Parks in California. Understandably, I am quite concerned about the upcoming proposed budget cuts set to impact many of our State Parks later this summer.

The Background

On January 10th, Governor Schwarzenegger released the proposed FY 08-09 state budget which severely impacts the California State Parks and State Beaches.

To cut costs, the budget proposed closing 48 state parks and to reduce lifeguard staffing on 16 state beaches. You can view the list here, see a map here, or watch the list in this YouTube Video of Parks scheduled for Closure.



5 Things Individuals Can Do

If you are concerned about the State Park Closures, you can get involved by supporting the Save Our Parks Program. There are several steps you can take:.

1. Contact your legislators. Tell them to oppose any park closures.

2. Write a letter to the editor to your local paper.

3. Involve others in the campaign to save our state parks.

4. Share your story about enjoying California's state parks.

5. Visit A State Park. (this will open the official State Parks website)

Send an E-Card

One more thing you can do is to send an E-card to your friends and family and get them involved in the Save Our State Parks Program. Send an E-Card to your Friends and Family

This image (one of the e-Cards) is from Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve near Guerneville is scheduled from closure. It one of the beautiful places that I've visited with my husband and would still like to be able to take my daughters to see.

You can learn more about Armstrong Redwoods by watching the YouTube Video to Save Armstrong Redwoods.

About Save Our State Parks Program
The Save Our State Parks Campaign is a project of the California State Parks Foundation.

National Junior Ranger Program

We took our daughters to Yosemite on April 26 to participate in the National Junior Ranger Day Program where they explored, learned and protected.

The National Program included one-hour-long ranger-led program that took the kids through demonstrations of four different neighborhoods.

Almost on cue from the Park Ranger, we had the unusual experience of seeing a Mother Brown Bear and her two cubs casually eating berries. The National Park Service wildlife biologists were on-hand with lots of interesting bear-related information and equipment. All of the children got to climb into a bear trap.

The second half was a fun work service project where the children learned more about park restoration efforts. They helped dig out some of the 'weeds' or non-native species, in this case the Vinca plant.

When they were done the children all got to participate in a swearing in ceremony receiving patches, badges and signing the official National Park Junior Ranger book.

Raising Green Kids

The National Junior Ranger Program was a great way to get everyone outside, to get the girls to learn more about the environment and to let them have first-hand experience with park restoration efforts and encouraging them to become Green Kids.

More on the National Junior Ranger Program

You can find out more about the National Junior Ranger Program including which National Parks offer Junior Ranger Programs at the National Park site below.

National Junior Ranger Program.

Yosemite Junior Rangers

In Yosemite, children can become a Yosemite Junior Ranger at any time by purchasing a self-guided booklet published by the Yosemite Association and completing the designated activities.

In order to earn a Junior Ranger patch, the booklet must be completed, a bag of trash collected and a guided program attended.

This booklet is sold at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, Nature Center at Happy Isles (May through September), and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center (June through September), and Wawona and Big Oak Flat Information Stations (May through September).

More on Yosemite Junior Rangers:

You can find out more about the Yosemite Junior Ranger Program at the Yosemite National Park site link below.

Yosemite's National Junior Ranger Program.

Who is Generation G (Generation Green)?

Defining Generation G or the Green Generation

My Definition of Generation G (Generation Green) or the Green Generation is slightly different than others that are out there. I believe Generation Green is:

• Multi-generational, crossing all age groups.
• Multi-ethnic, crossing all ethnic groups.
• Multi-diversity, crossing all types of people.
  

Generation Green is a diverse and growing body of people who are are concerned about doing green things or eco-friendly things for themselves and the environment. They are a generation that goes green, lives green, eats green, shares green, teaches green and loves green.

For Generation Green,

It's so easy to be green.

No Age Limits
The Green Generation knows no age limit. Generation Green are children, young people, middle aged and older people. The Generation G are children and parents, students and teachers, grandparents and grandchildren all working together to save the planet.

Other Definitions of "Generation G"

When I tried to find a definition of "Generation G" I was surprised at the results. To me I figured that "Generation G" must stand for Generation Green, but I soon discovered that people had other ideas.

Generation Global Economy
According to Deal Architect, Generation G is Generation Global Economy. This Generation G is are part of the new Global economy - the Generation G. Commerce Corps.

Gaming Generation
According to Ian Lamont and Richard Van Eck, associate professor of instructional design and technology at the University of North Dakota, Generation G is the Generation of Games.Generation G is the group of under-40's who belong to the video game generation, who grew up with video games as children and continue to play them as adults.

Generation Geriatrics / Generation Golden Age
Blogger Nomadicasian regards Generation G: the Generation of the Golden Age or the Generation of Geriatrics.

In this case Generation G refers to the people who are past of their prime and living their golden years.

My Definition of Generation G or the Green Generation
I still prefer my definition of Generation G, as the generation is concerned about the environment, the generation that knows no age limit.

This is the one group where the gaming generation and the geriatric generation can work together for the sake of the environment.

My Green Doc Blog is dedicated to the Green Generation.

Earth Day 2008 - Tips to Help Our Climate

Each person can make a difference
because one small positive act
multiplied millions of times
produces immense benefits.

Patrick Gonzales
Nature Conservancy Scientist

Patrick Gonzales, a Nature Conservancy climate scientist, offers his top tips for lowering carbon emissions. The tips are ordered in the order that I would find them the easiest to do.

1. Recycle and use recycled products. Products made from recycled paper, glass, metal and plastic reduce carbon emissions because recycled products use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials.
2. Inflate your tires. Cars get better gas mileage when the tires are fully inflated, so it will burn less gas and emit less carbon. Check your automobile tires monthly to ensure that the tires are fully inflated.
3. Turn down the heat. Heating and air conditioning account for more than half of the energy that a home uses in the United States. You can help make a difference in your overall energy use simply by turning down the heat or air conditioning when you leave the house or go to bed.
   
4. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. These energy-efficient bulbs help fight climate change by reducing the amount of fossil fuels that utilities burn.
   
5. Travel light. Walk or bike instead of driving a car. Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Walking or biking when you can instead of driving will save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel.
6. Teleconference instead of flying. For office meetings, if you can telephone or video conference, not only will save time and money, but you will also save carbon emissions.
   
7. Act globally, eat locally. Shopping at a local farmers' markets can help save the climate by reducing shipping costs of food seen with large supermarkets. Shopping locally will bring fresh, healthy food home and help save our climate.
   
8. Plant native trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source, producing oxygen for us to breathe. A single tree can remove and store 700 to 7,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime. Trees that shade a house help can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner.
9. Buy renewable energy. A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels, windmills and other technologies. If your utility offers renewable energy, buy it. If not, send them a message asking for clean energy.

Remember it is the small changes that we make in our everyday lives that can make a big difference.

You can find more details behind the science of this Scientist's Conservation choices at the Nature Conservancy site.

Source: Gonzales P. Climate Change: What You Can Do. Nature Conservancy.

Green Things That Can Make a Difference

You can make a difference go green and do something positive and live a greener day today.

These are all simple things that you do and them some simple things you can teach your children.

10 Things You Can Do to Be Green

1. Turn out your lights when not in use.
2. Buy energy-saving lights.
3. Turn electrical goods off when not in use.
4. Pump up your car tires to reduce fuel consumption.
5. Walk when you can to save energy.
6. Turn down the thermostat in the winter, turn it up in the summer.
7. Wash full loads of laundry or dishes.
8. Microwave foods instead of using the stove.
9. When you cook on the stove, be sure to cover the pots and pans to reduce energy wasting.
10. Drive the speed limit. It saves gas.
    

See more ways to Be Green at Earth Hour 2008 on Squidoo.

Go Green with iGo Green Tip of the Day

One of the very cool things now (compared to the early days of the Internet when we started the Journey of Hearts site), is all of the cool widgets available from other sites.

The iGo Green Tip of the Day provides daily green tips from iVillage.

Some very Cool Tips to help you and your family Go Green.