Goal For The Green

Poor Dad. He’s a green-loving, compost-cultivating, carbon footprint-reducing, tree-hugging kind of guy. But when it comes to Father’s Day, the neckties and coffee mugs keep rolling in year after year.

Time to break the cycle of pointless gifts and give your dad something he will truly enjoy. Need some ideas for the earth-friendly dad who has everything? Read on:

Ikea Solar-Powered Garden Lights

The iconic Swedish home decor store has numerous solar-powered lights in their Solvinden collection, but we particularly like the garden fairy lights, which illuminate without the use of batteries or electricity. Simply stake the lights into the dirt in any formation you like, and the solar collector powers them all through the night. This is a fun and inexpensive gift at only $12.99 for a strand of five.

Bamboo Keyboard and Mouse from iZen

Not only will a keyboard and mouse set made entirely out of bamboo look cool on your dad’s desk, it’s also bio-degradable, unlike its plastic counterparts. Each one looks slightly different, which adds to the uniqueness of the gift. Compatible with either Mac or PC, it costs $89.99, which is a tad higher than a regular keyboard and mouse, but it’s worth it.

Banzai Tree

Blooms aren’t just for Mom, you know. Dads with green thumbs love plants. After all, they do keep the air clean. Not sure what kind of plant to get your pops? FTD’s florists will help you pick a plant that Dad will love. Bring out his inner Mr. Miyagi with a Banzai tree, or provide some shade with a big palm plant. Either way, Dad will love a gift that continues to bring joy long after the holiday is over.

Epoch Sustainable Golf Tees by Evolve Golf

Evolve Golf has taken teeing off to a whole new level with Epoch tees, made from eco-friendly, sustainable materials. If Dad needs to work on his short game, get him a set of 50 tees for around $8, and don’t forget to mention that his new tees are ranked number one in performance on tour. Up the ante by setting up a tee time for him at his favorite course, and then join him, even if you’re not a big golf fan yourself. He’ll remember the thoughtful gesture for years to come.

SodaStream Soda Maker

This is one of our favorite gift ideas to come along in the past few years. The SodaStream lets you make homemade flavored sodas or sparkling water without the weird chemicals and unhealthy fake sugars found in store-bought soda. Furthermore, making soda at home means no more purchasing plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Dad can customize his beverages any way he likes by adding a variety of flavors. The Fountain Jet starter kit starts at $79.95.

Nest Smart Thermostat

Surprise Dad on Father’s Day by installing a Nest learning thermostat. Intuitive and easy to program, the Nest will lower your father’s heating bills by learning his schedule and automatically adjusting the temperature while he’s not home. He can even install the Nest app on his smartphone and control the temperature remotely, which is particularly handy if Dad is called away unexpectedly. Units start at $249.

The current world record for fuel economy is currently set at 12,665 miles per gallon on a gasoline equivalent, according to Fueleconomy.gov. The PAC-Car II, which set the record in 2005, in France, placed the bar quite high for other vehicles.

However, automakers do deserve some credit. More eco-friendly cars are available now than ever before, giving buyers numerous options to go green.

Ford has been working steadily to develop a line of fuel-efficient vehicles that will measure up to the competition, and it looks as they’re succeeding. Here are four of the company’s most eco-friendly offerings. If you’re in the market for a green vehicle, Ford might have just what you’re looking for.

Green vehicles by Ford

C-Max

The new C-Max may be setting a new standard in the hybrid category, and upsetting the current dominance of the Prius in the process. According to Motortrend.com, the C-Max beats out the Prius in almost every category — it’s faster off of the line, gets slightly better gas mileage and handles significantly better. It was impressive enough that the senior features editor of the magazine was quoted as steering potential Prius buyers away from the car, and toward the C-Max.

The car starts off with a base price of $28,995, and an estimated fuel economy of 47 mpg. With four doors and a hatchback, it offers plenty of room for a small family.

Fusion

The Fusion now comes in five different power trains, some of which are extremely environmentally friendly. Ford recently released the newest addition, the Energi, a hybrid plug-in vehicle. The Fusion can go an estimated 100 miles per plug-in charge using gasoline and electricity. Charge time is around 7.5 hours in a normal outlet, and 2.5 hours when plugged into a charging station.

The new plug-in hybrid electric comes at a cost, though. With an MSRP of $40,200, it’s almost twice as expensive as the basic 2.5 gas-engine Fusion. For some, though, the price will be worth it.

If you’re looking for something more modest, the Fusion also offers several other fuel-efficient engine models, including a 1.6-liter EcoBoost and a 2.0-liter EcoBoost, with an estimated fuel economy of 22/25 mpg and 31/37 respectively. According to Forbes.com, the 2.0-liter version is an excellent option if you want to spend less, with a starting price of $30,200.

Lincoln MKZ

According to Kelley Blue Book, the 2013 Lincoln MKZ is one of the 10 best green cars of the year. The hybrid luxury vehicle offers the best of both worlds, fine materials and craftsmanship, combined with an eco-friendly hybrid drive train.

Some argue that there isn’t much difference between the Ford Fusion and the Lincoln MKZ as the Lincoln was based upon the less expensive Fusion.

The MKZ starts out at $37,815, although it can get a bit pricier with the luxury add-ons. It comes standard with a 2-liter, 240-horsepower EcoBoost engine. The New York Times reviewer was unable to achieve the 22/33 mpg abilities that the car is supposed to get, instead averaging about 26 mpg.

What does eco-friendly shopping mean?

Eco-friendly shopping means comparing prices online and even considering well-maintained used models. Market demand sets prices for previously owned vehicles, so consider expanding your shopping zone outside your local area. For example, Ford dealers in Phoenix, which is a large consumer market, might have somewhat better prices than a small market like Taos, N.M., which has a population of only 5,700.

In our lifetimes, we will likely never see the 12,000-plus miles-per-gallon vehicle, but we’re seeing better mileage than our parents and grandparents saw half a century ago.

Odor Free is a small machine that is capable of cleaning the air inside homes and making the breathable air indoors healthful for residents. The machine is an ozone generator. Attacking all bad and toxic odors, Odor Free finds the source of odors and eliminates them totally.

English: Ozone molecular electrical potential surface 3D-vdW (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Types of Bad Odors

The ozone generator will eliminate bad odors like smoke, mold and mildew, food and pet smells. Homes, cars, boats and other indoor places can experience growing and overpowering smells of various types from numerous causes. For instance, the more a smoker smokes in an enclosed room or car, the more the walls and furniture as well as the carpet absorb the smoke.

How Important is Clean Air?

More and more people are ending up in the hospital or are contracting deadly illnesses because of the air that they have breathed. Air that has a high concentration of an odor like mold may make someone ill after just a short time, but often the bad odor does not seem very bad. Time continues, and gradually the body’s immune system weakens in its fight against the toxic particles in the air. Clean air is vital to the health of people and pets, and it is important for those who are in the realty business. Those looking to rent or purchase homes are aware of odors and look for them in homes they might rent or buy. Odor Free is the ozone generator to the rescue that creates clean air by completely eradicating unhealthful odors.