Green Maus

Barbecuing has become an American pastime, reaching its height in the Summer right in your backyard. But how about thinking Green when you plan your next BBQ with friends and families? Here are a few tips to make your gathering more environmentally friendly!

• Prep your grill by rubbing it with an onion instead of dousing it with chemical spray
• Invite your friends to bring their own specialties in reusable Tupperware. This helps with your grocery list and allows for less waste with reusable containers.
• Use recycled-plastic durable dishware, reusable cutlery
• Place a garbage can and recycle can near the picnic area. Recycle all that you can Choose Local, buy seasonal
• Visit local fresh markets to pick up your fruits and vegetables that are home grown and fresh from the ground. Local produce typically means fewer chemicals were used to grow and preserve foods.
• Consider using organic or grass fed meat
• Bring your own reusable bags to the store
• Get Grilling
• Grilling with the hood down helps maintain energy efficiency and ensures that the heat is distributed evenly
• Make sure to marinate lean, organic or grass fed meat before grilling and baste continuously
• Put vegetables in a bowl with olive oil and herbs to marinate before grilling.
• Enjoy!

Following a May meeting on a Copenhagen Climate Council study, it is estimated that 2 million new jobs would be created in the U.S. if its stand to formulate cleaner sources of energy is pursued.

The Copenhagen Climate Council study said the United States would gain that many jobs if its electricity use grew by just half of 1 percent a year and a quarter of its electricity came from wind energy and other renewable sources.

Further talks between the European Union Commission and the U.N. are being scheduled regarding the regulations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. The countries represented at the Major Economics Forum account for 80% of the global emissions of heat-trapping gases.

For more information on these meetings please visit www.msnbc.com.

More tips on how Going Green will save you money:

Saving money while saving ENERGY:

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and few degrees higher in the summer to save on costs
• Unplug appliances when you are not using them OR use a “smart” power strip that senses when appliance are off and cuts “phantom” energy use
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible.
• Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during the machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut the drying time.

Saving money while saving WATER:

• Take shorter showers. This will lower your heating bill too.
• Install a low-flow showerhead.
• Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
• Plant drought- tolerant native plants.

This Spring, Toyota and The World Resources Institute (WRI) launched Southern Forests for the Future, a WRI project designed to raise awareness of the threats facing southern U.S. forests and increase the amount of forest conserved or managed in a sustainable manner.

With acres of forests diminishing each year, Toyota has made a pledge to fund the project with a $1.49 million grant over the next three years, with the following three components being fulfilled:

• Increase awareness about the threats facing southern forests and the value they provide
• Identify and develop a portfolio of options that align economic incentives with forest stewardship
• Pilot test and implement these options

The forests included in this project stretch from east Texas to Virginia and from Kentucky to Florida. Covering more than 200 million acres, they are among the most biologically diverse temperate forests in the world and provide a wide range of ecosystem services including: timber, paper, watershed protection, carbon storage and recreation. It is estimated that currently, one million acres are lost each year to
urban development and unsustainable forest management.

With constant innovation and a commitment to improving the environment, Toyota has contributed more than $464 million to philanthropic programs in the United States.

For more information on what Toyota is doing for the environment visit Toyota.com.

With the assistance of Carbonfund.org, Volkswagen is giving VW owners the comfort in knowing that being a customer of VW is helping reduce carbon emissions and better our environment. To kick-start the project known as the Carbon Neutral Project, Volkswagen donated hundreds of thousands of trees to help offset some of the carbon emissions of its community.

The contributions will be put toward VW’s chosen means of carbon neutralization, the re-forestation of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley – aka The VW Forest.

Through the development of the VW Forest and the efforts of the VW Community, the Carbon Neutral Project has formed a “Carbon Neutral Counter” that as of today has calculated the following:

• 280,395 trees will be planted in the VW forest
• 80,387 vehicles’ emissions are being offset by the VW Community
• 416,429 tons of carbon are being offset by the VW Community

The idea behind the VW Forest is simple; to plant enough trees to offset a year’s worth of carbon released by a vehicle. The trees remain in a lush wildlife preserve that will actively absorb thousands of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The wildlife will also benefit any animals currently becoming extinct with the disintegration of our US forests.

To find out more about the VW Carbon Neutral Project please visit vw.com.

1. Be Water Wise
Reduce your lawn area by decreasing the amount of grass you have and increasing the amount of planted flowers. “Flowers need less hydration than grass. Putting in gravel or pathways also will do the trick” said Sid Davis, author of Your Eco-Friendly Home.

Other ways to save on water:

+ Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving
+ Take shorter showers
+ Get a good aerator for your faucet

2. Power Down as a Family and Go Out
Designate 30 minutes a day to turn off all lights, unplug all appliances and go outside as a family for a walk or bike ride. This also encourages family time together without modern day technology getting in the way.

3. Shop From Home
Shopping online is a great way to compare prices and save on gas. Researchers estimate that comparison-shopping online instead of driving from store to store could result in up to 35% less energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions.

4. Be a Good Driver
So doing the speed limit is not only the law but it’s also more energy efficient. Typically gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 mph, meaning the faster you drive, the more fuel you use to get wherever you are going. Plus you’ll save in speeding tickets.

5. Watch your Spin Cycle
Using a cotton waffle weave towel will cut down on the time it takes in the dryer. “Fluffy towels take much longer in the dryer, which is one of the most expensive uses of energy. Plus waffle towels naturally exfoliate your skin when you dry off with them.” Said Barbara Flanagan, author of Flanagan’s Smart Home.

David Maus Toyota is giving away tickets to the advance screening of Disney’s new movie, earth.

• When: Wednesday, April 15th at 7:30pm
• Where: AMC Theaters in Altamonte Springs
• How do I get tickets? From now till April 15th, drop off a school supply at David Maus Toyota and receive a pass good for two people (while supplies last)

As the first film in the Disney nature series, earth tells the remarkable story of three animal families and their amazing journey across the planet we all call home.

As the presenting sponsors, David Maus Toyota and the Orlando Sentinel are utilizing this promotion to increase awareness of Earth Day as well as the importance of keeping a focus on our educational system through the school supply drive.

“We are proud to be a presenting sponsor of this event; Disney has done an amazing job of telling this story and the animals effect on our planet. Plus we are trying to contribute back to the community through the school supply drive,” said David Maus, General Manager of David Maus Toyota.

The presentation of the film also coincides with the launch of David Maus’ new initiative, www.GreenMaus.org, a website dedicated to informing customers and bloggers about what the automotive industry is doing to revise their technology to be more environmentally safe, what the David Maus automotive dealerships do internally to make a difference and what you can do at home with your family to keep our planet clean for years to come. David Maus Toyota will also be donating trees to local public schools to plant in honor of Earth Day.

“The GreenMaus initiative is one that we feel strongly about, most of our charitable focus is for children but without a clean and prosperous planet, our children will face a difficult future. We are doing our part to increase awareness and keep our consumers informed through this website,” said Maus.

To learn more about the Advance Screening Event please call David Maus Toyota at 407-548-2066.

With ‘green cars’ representing the future of the automotive industry, an honor such as the Volkswagen Jetta TDI being named the 2009 Green Car of the Year by the Green Car Journal is very reputable. The automotive industry no longer has an option whether to build ‘green’ products or invest in ‘green’ technology, it is becoming a requirement for their future.

Volkswagen has addressed their green initiative by focusing on fuel efficiency and the impact on the environment its’ vehicles can make. Breaking new ground in the field of diesel technology, the VW Jetta features a quiet-running, diesel-powered car with “clean diesel” technology and an EPA estimated 41 mpg fuel economy. The Jetta TDI has achieved emissions certification in all 50 states without the use of special additives or other measures.

What is the Green Car Journal? Green Car Journal is the industry leading measure of environmental progress, identifying the one vehicle model that offers the most significant achievement in this area during the new model year. Selecting the Green

The 2009 Jetta TDI is also eligible for the $1,300 Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Income Tax Credit.

For more information on the VW Jetta TDI, please visit www.DavidMausVW.com.

As with most companies, David Maus Toyota has a lot of paperwork that has to be completed and sometimes thrown away or shredded due to the nature of its business. But instead of just tossing the paper in a basket or shredding it by hand and then dumping it, David Maus Toyota hired a company that not only does the shredding professionally but then recycles the shredded paper. The company, Shred It, has a motto: “Securing your office and the environment. We recycle”.

Shred It’s main purpose is to destroy confidential information and recycle, so what does that mean for David Maus Toyota and the environment?

On December 25,2008 a Certificate of Destruction was issued to the store with the notification: This year your firm’s share of wood saved through the recycle program amounts to 197 trees.

That’s right, through our shredding efforts at David Maus Toyota we were able to recycle 197 trees to be used in recycled paper products, which we use in our bathrooms. In addition, the paper that we use for every day copying is 10% recycled.

We are doing our part each day to improve on our efforts to help the environment, one piece of paper at a time.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and Toyota announced a new project designed to raise awareness of the threats facing southern U.S forests and increase the amount of forest conserved or managed in a sustainable manner.

WRI is known for its long and successful history of transforming information and analysis into practical solutions for sustaining our natural ecosystems. The forests of the southern United States stretch from east Texas to Virginia and from Kentucky to Florida. These diverse temperate forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services including timber, paper, watershed protection, carbon storage and recreation.

The project includes three components:

1. Increase awareness about the threats facing southern forests and their value
2. Identify and develop a portfolio of options that align economic incentives with forest stewardship
3. Pilot test and implement options

Toyota is funding the project with a $1.49 million grant over the next three years.

WRI’s director of People & Ecosystems Program stated, “We need to implement new approaches to get economics and forest conservation aligned,”

Toyota has contributed more than $464 million to philanthropic programs in the United States with a focus on three elements – education, environment, safety.