Technology is constantly in the news. The more the world goes digital, the more the media covers the "next shiny thing". What many parents and other concerned adults don't realize is that you can use this budding technology to help out the environment and reducing your carbon footprint.

1. Laptops: With the right laptop, you're able to unplug and still get the job done. Since a lot of college work is done on the computer instead of hand written, it also reduces paper use. Put your computer in power saver mode, unplug (yes, even at home), and type away.
2. Navigation systems: A little on the more expensive side, have a navigation system will definitely reduce the amount of paper (and ink) you use on Mapquest directions to the next party. Most smart phones have a navigation app, so use it wisely. Hook up your Bluetooth to the device so the directions are spoken to you. Remember, no texting and driving!
3. E-readers: Some book loyalists such as myself will argue against this, but e-readers are paving the way to save a lot of trees. With e-readers, you can receive books, magazines, and newspapers on one device. This also saves your allergies as those books collect dust over the years.
4. Storage devices: Backing up your files is essential in this day and age. Reduce the clutter of the mounds of childhood photos in the old albums and put them on your computer. Scared of losing them? Back them up on external hard drives like the ones from Hitachi. I personally use the G-Drive mini, which holds 250 GB of storage. That's enough for your photos, old awards, report cards, and any other embarrassing memorabilia your mom has kept from your childhood.
5. Online bill pay: I don't know many young adults who don't use online banking nowadays, but it's one of the greatest inventions ever. Make sure you sign up for electronic bill pay for those credit cards, and select to receive your bank statements online as well.
6. Video conferencing: Programs like iChat, Skype, and oovoo makes it easier to keep up with friends far away with using your cell phone minutes or endless text messages. Some employers are also moving to interviews via video conferencing to reduce commuting and still keep it somewhat personal.
7. Online shopping: Who needs to spend time, and gas, at the mall or grocery store when you can get all your shopping done online? Places like eBay, and ClickBee have just about everything you need to buy, and you can even rent textbooks from companies online like Chegg, where they'll send you the book in the same box you'll ship it back in, or Amazon where you can find textbooks for cheap. Even hospitals like Kaiser Permanente have hopped on the bandwagon and allow you to have your prescriptions mailed to your house.
8. Workout at home: You can get your workout without leaving your home! Fitness is becoming more accessible as companies bring the classes to you. YogaVibes offers classes streamed live online, and O2 Max Fitness allows you to receive nutrition and fitness advice and plans via social media, e-mails, and your cell phone.
9. Distance learning: Going to school in your pajamas has been just about every kid's dream, and now you can. You can get your education without stepping foot in a classroom. More classes, and even full degrees, are being offered online through distance learning programs. One school that is on the ball is San Diego State University, who just opened a virtual campus through SecondLife technology.
10. Cell phone apps: App stores are saving our butts in college and making things so much easier. There's apps for flashcards for last minute studying, accessing Microsoft Office files in case you couldn't bring your laptop, making travel arrangements easier when you're going home for break, and even an app to turn off your lights when you forgot to do it at home.

So, you’ve made the decision to “go green” at your work or internship. You are taking a stand for sustainability. But somehow, the green starting line feels like a lonely place. Sure, you’re committed and ready to move forward, but how will you get your team in the same mindset?

It may have taken you some time to make the decision to be green, so don’t be alarmed if your staff is slow to start connecting the eco-dots. Change is hard, even good change. But there are a few things you can do to encourage your team to jump onto the green bandwagon and start building enthusiasm for your eco-friendly paradigm.

Be Knowledgeable About Your Operation—Benchmark!
Strive to learn all you can about the environmental effects of your business operations. Find out how many kWh of electricity your hotel averages per occupied room; how many gallons of water per occupied room; and your ratio of waste to recycled materials. The American Hotel & Lodging Association provides a spreadsheet to help you establish benchmarks and document your progress, and members can take advantage of GreenQuest, a free online tool provided courtesy of Burton Energy Group. Use these tools to define and establish your goals, and then continually measure and discuss your progress. Build enthusiasm for reaching milestones.

Speak the Language—But Don’t Show Off
Understand green terminology. But know how to translate green-speak into layman’s terms. Once you have command of your green vocabulary, you will find it easier to explain environmental concepts to team members in meaningful terms. Again, AH&LA has provided a glossary of terms that will aid you in this process.

Diversify Your Green Team
Don’t make the obvious mistake of selecting only department heads to be on your green team, especially if you sense reluctance from them. Instead, find cheerleaders, those with passion for the cause, who will help to build enthusiasm long after the green meeting has adjourned. Interview interested employees to be sure they understand the mission of the team and can fulfill the duties with the needed level of conviction.

Hold a Kick-Off Event
Set up a table in your employee break room with information on the new green initiatives. Use balloons, posters, anything to draw attention and make it fun. Communicate the benefits of going green and provide recycling commitment cards (visit America Recycles Day website for sample forms). Consider offering ceramic coffee cups to those who sign commitments to help them reduce the use of disposable cups. Take pictures or video and post them to keep people engaged.

Solicit Feedback
Ask your team for their ideas on how to more effectively reach the new goals. This communicates that you’re all in it together, and everyone makes a difference. Use suggestion boxes and employee surveys. Provide incentives and give recognition for making suggestions. Hold a brainstorming meeting. Make it safe to suggest—there are no bad ideas when it comes to helping the planet.

Set an Example
Publicly recycle. Visibly adjust thermostats. Openly turn off lights. And yes, be seen going through the trash to remove recyclable items. Be a role model for taking a stand to make a difference. Be consistent, every day, every hour. Your team will respect this and follow your lead.

Keep Learning
There is so much to know about environmental stewardship. Keep yourself informed. Subscribe to news and blogs relating to sustainability and green hotels, such as Green Lodging News. Strive to learn something new daily, and share it with your team.

Celebrate Achievements
Make a big deal when things go right! People need to know that their efforts are paying off, so share the good news about your waste reduction, water conservation, and energy savings successes. Post it on bulletin boards and feature it in your newsletter. Incorporate ecology into your instant recognition programs, and catch people in the act of being green. A little celebration goes a long way.

Don’t Lose Heart
Along the way, there will be setbacks. You might be tempted to feel discouraged when people temporarily forget about green initiatives. Remember that humans learn through repetition. It takes 21 days, and 30 to 40 repetitions to form a habit. Your team needs to know that you are there to lead the charge through thick and thin. When you witness a green indiscretion, correct it, forgive it, and don’t stop believing. Always trust that your efforts are changing the world, one initiative at a time.

Julie A. Baylor, CHA, Julie Baylor Hospitality Consulting, can be reached at julie.baylor[at]hotmail.com.

This article first appeared on the Green Lodging News website. Syndicated by Sustainable Travel International.

It is safe to say that the average college student has a cell phone and computer. Chances are, if you were ever forced to live without either of them for more than 24 hours you might go a little crazy. Now, imagine if all of the information you've stored on these two machines evaporated into nothingness. Does pandemonium ensue? Do you give up on modern life and move into a cabin into the middle of the woods and live off the land? Probably not, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have a backup plan in place just in case this unfortunate situation does occur.

The biggest tech crisis you're not prepared for is when technology fails you.

I know this because I've lived it a few times. The blood drains backwards from your extremities, you get a bit lightheaded, and maybe you pretend like it didn't happen for a few minutes. Then the panic sets in and you wish that you could move backwards in time.

Luckily, you kind of can! Back up your data. Here are a few pointers:

• Get a reliable back-up external hard drive. I've had a few cheapies but even they've crashed my data long before my computer did, which defeated the purpose of backing it up. I recommend G-Tech drives because they 1) stay cool to the touch 2) don't spin the drive too much 3) have a well designed shell and 4) last longer than the average drive. (Our lucky Rainmakers get a one-time 15% discount on their first purchase online!)
• Get a few memory sticks for day-to-day files.
• Burn discs and mail them to your parents (in case of fires or theft).
• Schedule a weekly back-up day. (I back up on Saturdays.)

How to back up a...

• PC: Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup.
• Mac: Use Time Machine
• Both: Manually back up your files (watch this tutorial).
• Blackberry: Use Desktop Connect to backup and restore your data.
• iPhone or iPod: iTunes does it for you (here's a tutorial)

Take five minutes out of your weekend and back up your stuff! You'll be glad you did.

If you’ve been reading my blog or Tweets for a while, you know I’m not a fan of plastic. Well David de Rothschild, founder of Adventure Ecology, has found a way to make plastic work. After being inspired almost four years ago by a United Nations Environment Program Report, de Rothschild had an idea to build the world’s first boat made completely of recycled plastic bottles. David and his crew, heading from San Francisco to Sydney, set sail on the Plastiki last week.

The Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran, is named after the Kon-Tiki -- the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer, Thor Heyerdahl, in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands.

The Plastiki is made of 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles. She will travel 11,000 nautical miles across the Pacific to both raise awareness about the condition of our oceans as well as to see first hand the impact we people having on the environment. The Great Eastern Garbage Patch is one of the destinations prior to completing the journey three months later in Sydney.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Plastiki’s press unveiling a few weeks ago. I met the crew and was even able to go on board and check her out myself. David de Rothschild’s passion for this project and the environment is

obvious. For the past several years his life has been dedicated to saving our planet – even at great risk of his own.

Jo Royle, the Plastiki’s award-winning Skipper (hear my interview with her), was super-sweet and very enthusiastic about spreading the message about plastic and other pollutants in our oceans. Jo shared something that really made such an impact on me- and makes no sense to her: The boating industry is responsible for producing incredibly toxic waste, even though their own captains and crews see the effects first hand. Isn’t it time to change?

Another interesting person (and crew member) I met was Olav Heyerdahl -- Thor Heyerdahl’s (Norwegian explorer, writer and Captain of the Kon-Tiki mentioned above) grandson. Olav shared some of his own experiences sailing the world, comparing his journeys to those of his grandfather’s, via diaries and logs meticulously kept by the elder Heyerdahl. Since his grandfather’s travels, the condition of our oceans has changed drastically. Where sharks made it nearly impossible for his grandfather to swim, Olav said he has seen only a few. Where his grandfather was able to eat tuna daily, Olav only had one such, because there just wasn’t any tuna to be caught. Olav, unfortunately, has seen an abundance of trash, especially plastic; his grandfather, however, saw none. In fact, his grandfather never recorded seeing any man-made debris.

The Plastiki

Not that I’m an expert on boat building, but my first impression was how sleek she is. Nothing I saw made me think she was built from recycled materials. Actual bottles make up the body of the boat and provide nearly 70% of her buoyancy. The glue, made especially for the Plastiki, is a special mix of cashews and sugar (ok, yum!). The sails are one of the first to be made from recycled plastic and the masts are constructed from aluminum irrigation piping.

Matthew Grey, the Expedition Coordinator, demonstrated one of the most unique and interesting features of the boat – the on-board bicycle. The bike has a dual purpose: 1) to help prevent loss of muscle mass, and 2) to generate power.

One of my most favorite features was the vegetable garden. As a nutritionist and vegetarian, I thought this was such a great idea. Having on-board access to fresh, organic greens will no doubt help keep everyone healthy.

It took immense effort to make the Plastiki as sustainable as possible and if it’s possible for a boat, it’s no doubt possible for any building or structure. The homes we live in, the cars we drive, the offices we work in can all be made less toxic! The technology is out there. It takes commitment, but as David de Rothschild, his crew and the developing team have proven, it’s possible.

I commend them all for their dedication. David said that one of his goals was to show that it could be done. the Plastiki will definitely inspire other industries to head in the same direction.

Now I ask, how can you raise awareness and have a positive impact?

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

Check out Heather's site, www.getnaturalgetwell.com