Posted by admin on September 25, 2009
Even though it’s still in the 90’s here in South Florida, other parts are experiencing fall weather.
Below are some green tips to for fall:
- Compost leaves.
- If you don’t compost leaves, then use biodegradable garbage bags.
- Weather proof your home.
- Turn the heater down and wear an extra sweater or layer blankets on your bed at night.
- Use a rake or broom instead of blowing leaves
- Put a towel or something at doors where drafts may come in
- Change your furnace filter
- Weatherstrip or caulk drafty windows
- Insulate water pipes
- Shop farmers markets for fresh local foods
These are just a few of many green fall tips.
Check back here regularly or sub to the RSS for more.
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Filed Under: Misc
Posted by admin on September 22, 2009
There are countless benefits of eating raw…
health, spiritual, mental and of course environmental.
Environmental Reasons:
Organic foods (no pesticides/chemicals polluting the earth or your body)
Less packaging (saves resources)
No need for lots of preparation or clean up so you save resources/power
Feel more connected to the environment when eating healthier foods in natural state
Helps heal the body, keep body in good health
Less waste
Doesn’t waste resources, food in animal agriculture (waste of land, water, fertilizer, and other resources that could otherwise be used for producing human food)
Reduces the waste, pollution, and deforestation caused by mass raising of animals
There are many other reasons…but going vegetarian or vegan or going raw are some of the best ways to help the environment as well as yourself.
Posted by admin on September 21, 2009
GoGreen Etc donates 10% of their profits to charities that focus on environment & humanity.
You can buy or sell eco friendly products at GoGreen Etc.
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Filed Under: Misc
Posted by admin on September 20, 2009
When working out, if you need fitness equipment, props and the sort consider using eco friendly versions.
Quoted from Natural Fitness:
Benefits of Bamboo
Fast-growing bamboo is a type of grass which is stronger than most woods.
* Bamboo requires no pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers in its cultivation
* It starts to re-grow immediately after it is harvested and it regenerates without need for replanting
* Bamboo is a robust and plentiful resource that removes a vast amount of CO2 from the atmosphere while releasing an abundance of oxygen
* Bamboo has the ability to grow in a variety of climates, from jungles to high on mountainsides
* Some varieties of bamboo can grow up to 1 ft a day in mature stands
* As a natural and renewable resource, bamboo offers an opportunity to turn away from the destruction of native forests towards managed commercial plantations that can be selectively harvested annually without the destruction of the grove or stand as is the case with forests
* Bamboo minimizes CO2 gases and generates up to 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees
* Bamboo has the tensile strength of steel allowing for virtually limitless uses
* New bamboo stalks naturally regenerate from the old root system which helps control erosion and maintains topsoil on deforested hillsides
* The bamboo industry employs many people, requires minimal investment and, for the most part, utilizes simple technology and equipment
Benefits of Hemp
* Hemp fiber is the longest, strongest, most durable, most elastic and most absorbent natural fiber
* A normal stand of 200 to 300 plants per square meter shades out weeds, leaving the fields weed-free at harvest and covered in leaves that improve the soil in a self-mulching eco-system
* A hemp field produces a very large bulk of plant material in a short period of time (stalks can reach 15 ft tall in 70-90 growing days). Yield can reach between 3 and 7 tons of dry hemp fiber stalk per acre
* HEMP IS THE NUMBER ONE biomass producer on planet earth. 10 tons per acre in approximately four months. It is a woody plant containing 77% cellulose. Wood produces 60% cellulose
* On a sustainable basis, hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber and can be used for every quality of paper. Creating hemp pulp reduces the need for acids and its creamy color lends itself to environmentally-friendly bleaching thereby reducing use of harsh chlorine compounds.
* Hemp softens with each washing without fiber degradation.
* All products made solely from hemp fiber are biodegradable, compostable and recyclable. As such, they are easy on landfills
* Hemp planting reduces deforestation and improves the soil upon which it is grown
Why hemp is better than cotton
* Globally, conventional cotton uses 25% of all insecticides and 10% of all pesticides. The hemp plant is highly resistant to most insect and disease, largely eliminating the need for most (or all) pesticides and herbicides.
* It is estimated that less that 10% of the chemicals applied to cotton are accomplishing their tasks, the rest are absorbed into the plant, air, soil, water and eventually, our bodies
* Hemp fiber is a better insulator than cotton fiber
* Compared to cotton, hemp is stronger, more durable, won’t mildew, is anti-microbial, shrinks less, is UV-protectant and uses less water
* Cotton crops in the USA occupy 1% of the country’s farmland but use 50% of all pesticides
Benefits of Natural Rubber
* Natural rubber is a renewable resource which is sustainably harvested from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis).
* Rubber trees remove harmful CO2 from our atmosphere while releasing essential oxygen within a natural eco-system.
* Natural rubber can safely biodegrade.
* Natural rubber requires the use of about 1/10 of the fossil fuel required to produce synthetic rubbers
* Natural rubber is produced by an environmentally friendly industry and assists in diminishing the environmental damage caused by the widespread use of fossil fuel energy sources
Posted by admin on September 11, 2009
Check the chart below for comparison of CFL’s wattage vs regular lighting.
Posted by admin on September 10, 2009
When you use regular plastic doggie bags to clean up after your pooch (you DO pick up afterwards right?) you’re just encasing it in plastic and keeping it from decomposing.
You should conside using biodegradable bags or use a pooper scooper to pick up after your pooch does his doody.
~ Use biodegradable bags that can break down in 10–45 days in commercial compost.
~Bio-bags are comparable in price to regular waste bags.
According to Ideal Bite, If 10,000 dog-owning Biters switch to biodegradable bags or a scoop, we’ll avoid the use of over 18 million plastic bags every year.
These doggie waste bags are 100% biodegradable and great for composting. They are tear resistant, have a 12-month shelf life when kept in a dry and dim location, and will break down in 10–45 days in commercial compost.
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Filed Under: Pet
Posted by admin on September 7, 2009
In the late 1980s, a two-year research study was conducted by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) to investigate ways to create healthy, breathable environments in outer space. They found that certain tropical plants, commonly used as houseplants, were rather effective in removing formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethane from the air and replacing it with oxygen that was breathable.
All plants provide some benefit to air quality, but their research showed that tropical plants (grown as houseplants in cooler climates) are particularly effective at processing gases and chemicals.
The result was a list of recommended plants for reducing toxic chemicals in indoor environments. Most of which are common houseplants that you should be able to find at your local nursery or garden center.
Chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide are harmful and deadly to human health, but plants can thrive on them as well as help remove those chemicals them from the air.
It’s better to get rid of air pollution naturally with plants than it would be to use chemical air fresheners, etc.
The EPA recommends placing two plants for each 100 square feet of floor space.
The following plants are excellent for helping improve indoor air quality and help against indoor air pollution. (Please note some of these may be toxic to animals or children if consumed, so do your research or keep out of the reach of animals, children)
English ivy
Gerbera daisies
Peace lily
Mother-in-law’s Tongue
Spider plant
Ferns
Philodendrons
Areca Palm
Bamboo
You may also want to read How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office
to learn more about plants that help with indoor air quality.
Posted by admin on September 1, 2009
With some kids already back in school and more starting after Labor Day, now’s the time to invest in waste free lunch kits and help educate your child on being more environmentally friendly during lunch time.
Environmental: The kit eliminates 100% of the paper and plastic waste generated daily by a brown-bag lunch. This waste usually ends up not being recycled or in landfills.
Personal Health: All food containers are stainless steel or non-leaching plastic, removing all exposure to potentially harmful BPA and phthalates present in many plastic bags and bottles.
Savings: $450 over the equivalent amount of saran wrap, baggies, napkins and paper bags. Save an additional $1500 if you substitute the stainless steel bottle for a $.50 bottle of spring water with each use.
Use & Care
Ideal Use: Perfect for children’s school lunches, or just buy the kit and use each separate piece as needed.
Cleaning: The stainless steel containers and sandwich wrap should be washed by hand with a non-abrasive cleaner and air-dried. The cotton bag and napkin can be washed in cold with a mild detergent to remove stains, and line-dried
Avoid: Not Microwave safe. Do not use any products as a cutting surface.
Kit Contents: Recycled Cotton Bag (1), Cloth Napkin (1), 8 oz. Stainless Steel Food Containers (2), 16 oz. Stainless Steel Bottle (1), Plastic Sandwich Wrap (1).
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Filed Under: Kids
