This post was originally posted here: The Story of Second-hand Cultures and Thrift

Is Buying Second-Hand a Risky Business?

Vintage is cool, there’s no doubt about it, but does this mean that the stigma attached to buying second-hand has subsided? Second-hand items can be brought through all kinds of means – online auction sites, charity and thrift shops, car boot sales, garage sales, Freecycle and more. There are many advantages to buying things second-hand, both for the individual and for the environment, and it really is key to a sustainable future.

Second-hand shopping

Buying second-hand things stops the need for items being manufactured from virgin materials, and makes use of what we already have. It is a form of recycling, and sustainable for this reason. It is also a great way to save money, although some items can cost considerably more of course for being antique or vintage. There are two types of second-hand consumer. Those who buy second-hand items through choice, because they value the history, authenticity or sustainable element of the practice; and those who are forced to buy second-hand items through necessity because they can’t afford it new. Academics have branded this second type of consumer as the ‘excluded consumer’.

Past lives

The part of buying second-hand goods that some people are uncomfortable with, are the fact that it has had a previous owner. Anything acquired second-hand has a past life that is unknown to the new owner. Does this mean that acquiring second-hand items is a risky business? It has long been thought that material items can mean far more to people than their worth in scrap materials. People can harbour emotions towards material things, so that they can come to symbolise something much bigger.

Sometimes the past life of an item can add to its value; if it has survived history, or has connections to some kind of place or person. Each item is embedded with a symbolic value as well as a material worth, indeed all material worth is subjective. One person’s gold is another person’s garbage. Once an individual chooses to buy something second-hand they have to weigh up the perceived risk (will it work? Will it last? Where has it been?) with the perceived gain (financial, ethical, emotional). Shopping for any second-hand items can require a higher time commitment than new items, but with this comes a sense of excitement and heightened satisfaction. Going into a thrift store can be like embarking on a treasure hunt, something which takes us back to our childhood.

Wearing clothes

Buying second-hand clothes could be deemed particularly ‘risky’ because of their close proximity to the body. Indeed academic researchers Louise Crewe and Nicky Gregson have found that the closer to the body an item is worn, the more uncomfortable it makes people. Most people would be happy to buy a second-hand coat, but not second-hand underwear. Second-hand clothes have often had something of a stigma attached, but this has decreased somewhat in recent years with the popularity of vintage fashion.

Vintage fashion is very much on trend, but sometimes vintage can be used as an excuse to charge more for clothes. Bargains can still be found in charity and thrift stores, or online auction sites.

Searching out and buying second-hand items can be exciting, satisfying and worthwhile. It is also easier than ever and can be a great alternative to cheap, mass-produced goods.

Emma Waight is a retail geography researcher and fashion writer for www.clothes.org.uk. Follow Clothes for reports on women’s clothes and trends.

This post was originally posted here: Green Roads, Green Air: Is An Automotive Revolution Underway?

The pollutive past

The 21st century greening of the roads and motorways has been a long time coming. Back in the early days of the motor car, of course, the machine itself wasn’t energy or emissions efficient. But there were so few cars on the road that it hardly mattered – the chief emissions causes back then being industrial and domestic coal and oil burning.

But as the 20th century wore on, the car’s march forwards became as widespread as it was inexorable. High capacity roads were built in and around larger urban populations to make room for this brave new world of four-wheeled proliferation. And at some point even that was unable to deal entirely effectively with traffic circulation – as anyone who’s ever driven around London or New York will be all to readily aware.

Meanwhile, some of the urban populations mentioned above? Something happened to them in the 20th century. Something literally awesome. Something unprecedented. Large masses of unbroken conurbation started to form between them, and as a result the world witnessed the phenomenon of the megalopolis. Megalopolis: a city so big that it’s not a city any more – it’s a concatenation of cities. A megacity. A geographical entity so incredibly modern, populous and sophisticated that it almost beggars belief. Somewhere lives are lived in their tens of millions, fortunes made, dreams realised – and with transport and communications infrastructure behind it so technologically complex that even to a few generations prior, this place would be powered by magic.

The non-ideal but improving present

Big changes in the design of cars have brought big improvements. In the UK, road traffic death rates continue to fall significantly year on year, with two digit percentages not uncommon. Something is definitely going right.

But what about emissions? Well, since the introduction of the catalytic converter things have improved by a very great measure. Time was when vehicle exhaust was visibly filthy – and up until the year 2000, leaded fuel was still available for sale.

As a result of cleaner transport the figures for emissions continue to be encouraging. The UK government’s environment department (Defra) states in its ‘emissions inventories’ that road transport emissions of these fell by 34% between 1990 and 2000, with a further 25% forecast between 200 and 2010 which in fact was bettered by a few percent when the figures for the most recent full decade were calculated.

And of course there’s still room for improvement. The goal is to eventually reach a stage where not just road travel – but industry and agriculture – emit negligible amounts of pollutants. Recent reports that up to 13,000 people a year could be prematurely dying only serves to underpin the importance and urgency of the task ahead.

The future: an ecological utopia?

It certainly looks like sustainable and emission-free power is on the way. Robust and ambitious targets for renewable mean that sooner or later the likelihood is that we’ll see the energy mix being dominated by renewable on the one hand, and nuclear on the other. Burning coal to make electricity – it’s so safe a bet as to be a virtual certainty – could very well become obsolete this century.

Another near- certainty is the rise of the electric car. Increases in performance and battery life coupled with a fall in price means that sales of these vehicles are likely to reach critical mass within a decade. And the meeting point of emission-free electricity generation with emission free electric cars consuming that electricity? Well, we’ll have truly turned a corner the day that situation arrives.

Ian writes for various health and technology blogs for AXA PPP International, a health insurance provider for expatriates.

This post was originally posted here: Retirement: the best time to help the environment

Even in retirement, many people still feel the urge to keep active. This is completely normal, especially considering that many of today’s vintage generation reach older age in very good physical and mental condition. Your retirement time, in fact, can be the best period to do your bit to improve the environment.

Helping the environment can also be a great way to keep your muscles working and remain healthy generally. If you’re short of ideas, then there are a few things that might encourage you to ‘go green’.

Outdoors

These days, there are a number of groups and organisations running all sorts of projects related to ‘green activities’. A recent study published by the University of Helsinki (Finland) proved the influence of a green environment and horticultural activities on the subjective well-being of elderly residents living in long-term care.

Aside from physical activities, older people can also organise meetings and seminars to find interesting solutions to solve the environmental problems in their local areas. This will also be a good example for younger generations.

Indoors

If your physical condition does not allow you to move as much as other people and you generally feel better staying at home, this is not a problem either. There are many ways of helping the environment at home. Have you ever heard about the three Rs? Reduce, reuse and recycle. It is a simple but effective way to do your bit for the planet.

Starting a small vegetable garden is another unique ‘green idea’ which will allow you to grow and eat your own food – don’t forget that a healthy diet is the key to keeping your body and mind healthy. If you have problems moving around the house, remember that stair lift solutions offer older people a wide range of products to improve their mobility and living environment.

Don’t let your physical condition stop you achieving whatever you wish to do, with a stair lift for the elderly there is no reason to feel restrained.

Whether physically or mentally, the free time offered by retirement allows senior citizens the opportunity to do more for our environment.

This post was originally posted here: Tips for Home and Small Office Energy Consumption

Tips for Home and Small Office Energy Consumption

Image by winterofdiscontent

As well as helping you to be friendlier to the environment, reducing your energy consumption in the home (or in an office) can produce great savings on your electricity bills. Most ways to reduce your usage are either free or relatively inexpensive and will serve to make your home or business more efficient and productive. Use these tips to get your started and think about other ways you can save energy and money.

Turn off EVERYTHING

Think about all the electrical equipment in your home, now think about how much of that equipment actually needs to be on all the time. Things like lights, televisions, printers, computers all take a lot of power to consume, and if you’re leaving these on for long periods of time it add a hefty amount to your electric bill. When you leave a room, turn off the lights. If there’s no-one in the room then there’s no point in lighting it. For offices that require lighting to be on for security reasons, invest in motion detectors for lights and CCTV cameras. That way these devices will only use power when they need to, and will not sit idle while ramping up your power costs.

If you have a lot of computers make sure that they are not left on overnight unless absolutely necessary. Modern PCs and monitors will have low power modes that can be set to activate after a specific time so set these to 10 minutes or so. This will mean equipment isn’t running at full power while not in use, and the 10 minute delay means that the PC won’t go into sleep mode while you’re working. TVs, radios or DVD players usually have standby modes. These still draw power even in standby so make sure that you turn them off completely or even at the plug. Pay attention to the power consumption of these devices, CRT and Plasma televisions will use considerably more power than LCD and LED based TVs, so consider upgrading for a long-term saving.

Invest in solar power

Upgrading to solar power sounds like an expensive and laborious process, but the price of solar equipment is getting cheaper. When you weigh up the long-term benefits against the initial cost, you will find that it won’t take long before you’ve saved enough money to cover the price of installation. Contact your local governments and green energy charities. Many of them run subsidisation schemes that can help with the cost.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be entirely reliant upon solar power. You will still have access to the main electricity supply; just make sure that it only kicks in when your solar panels aren’t providing enough juice. You might also consider switching to a green energy supplier. These electricity companies only supply power taken from renewable sources, which will benefit the environment as a whole. Many of these companies also offer cheaper rates than standard electricity suppliers.

Make your heating and light more efficient

Swap out your ordinary light bulbs for energy efficient ones. Each bulb that you fit can save up to $60 over its lifetime. If you replace all the lights in a home or office you will soon notice the savings. Consider switching off the air conditioning and open a few windows and let the natural air flow to keep you cool. Even if you don’t want to turn it off, consider turning it down. In winter, turning down the heating by just one degree with decrease the cost by 8%.

If you need to keep your air conditioning running, or its winter and your heating is on, remember to keep windows CLOSED. Air conditioning does not function correctly if there’s a lot external air flow and leaving windows open in winter will allow heat to escape, increasing power consumption and cost. Couple this with improving your wall insulation; the more efficient the building is at keeping heat in, the less power you will need to keep it warm.

Make your work more efficient

If you conduct business from home, or work in an office, try to minimise on travel. A PC with a webcam will allow video meetings with colleagues and clients, saving you travel time and fuel costs. This also means that you’ll have access to your own PC during the meeting without having to carry a laptop, and there’s no chance of you forgetting anything you might need on your home computer.

Most traditional offices use a lot of paper. So make sure you purchase recycled paper and recycle your own. If you deal with a lot of sensitive information use a shredder or use a confidential recycling service. Recycled paper takes considerably less energy to produce and shredding paper will reduce your waste size as it can be stored in smaller sizes. If you’re printing information for internal use, set your printer to double sided and reuse paper that is only printed one side. This can effectively half your paper usage.

There are many more ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home or small office so use these tips as a starting guide, do some research and try to come up with your own methods to reduce consumption. You will be amazed at the money you save.

Jessica Wilson is a renewable energy and conservation enthusiast. When she isn’t writing about renewable energy she enjoys hill walking and kayaking. She currently writes about energy saving tips and renewables for home and business for Solar Contact.

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This post was originally posted here: On the Hunt for Gold: How Mining Hurts the Environment

Do you remember images of the major gold rushes of the 19th and 20th centuries? Gold miners were using pick-axes to search for gold. They would break up hard surfaces, usually rocks that contained gold, or they would use other techniques, one of them called panning. Sand and gravel that may have contained gold was placed into shallow pans. The pans were submerged in water and then shaken to separate the gold from the sand and gravel. These two methods, among others used during the gold rush are no longer used in gold mining, except in very remote places.

A Dirty Business
Unfortunately, the gold mining industry has become a major destructive force to our environment. Without a doubt, it has become a dirty industry. Besides endangering the lives of families, air, bodies of water, drinking water, land, and pristine environments are frequently contaminated. Gold miners are using methods that have the capacity to poison the earth.
Open-pit Mining
To comprehend the extent of environmental contamination, it is important to know how gold is mined. The initial step in present day mining is to find a subterranean ore deposit to process. This deposit is brought to the surface by blasting the soil and rock from the outside surface. The term used for this type of mining is open-pit. The deposit could have been brought to the surface through digging underground shafts; however, it is less expensive and easier to use the open-pits.
Gold is typically found in much lower quantities than in the past. Less than 10 grams of gold per ton is a typical concentration. To extract these small quantities, the mining companies believe using open-pits is necessary and more effective than tunneling.
Rubble is piled as high as 100 meters, close to the height of a 30-story building. Mercury, arsenic, selenium, and lead materials leak from the huge piles of rock. The result is disastrous for untouched pristine environments, land in use, drinking water, and air because they absorb these poisons. Although underground mines produce 8 to 10 times less rubble, open-pits are preferred.
The ore is compressed, piled up to great heights, and sprayed with cyanide. The cyanide drips into and attaches to the gold. The result is a gold-cyanide solution that has to be chemically separated. After separation, the cyanide is stored in man made ponds for reprocessing in the future. To top that off, contaminates are added by the miners during the ore processing stage.
Heap Leaching
The next step is processing the ore to extract gold from the cyanide. To extract gold, a process called heap leaching is used. This method of using open-pits and heap leaching is what endangers our environment.
The ore is crushed and piled on a leach pad. It is irrigated with a leach solution. This solution dissolves the gold. The entire heap leaching technique takes a few months to accomplish, at which time more fresh ore is piled on the heap. Assessing the duration of the process, which is typically a period of decades for these operations, and given the magnitude of these tasks, more contamination of the environment with cyanide and other chemicals is inevitable.
Effects on the Environment:
• Water – Gold mining generates contamination of water through acid mine drainage, contamination of metals, and sediment levels in streams increasing over time. Cyanide, even in low levels, is toxic to fish and invertebrates. Mining companies are also poisoning our oceans, lakes, and rivers by dumping their mine waste. The toxins that are being dumped consist of chemicals that can amount to three dozen at a time.
• Air – Minute solid particles or droplets of liquid called particulate matter are released when over burden is removed from a site. Wind and road traffic cause it to be airborne. This particulate matter can be comprised of cadmium, arsenic, and lead resulting in air pollution that causes human respiratory tract illnesses.
• Land – Physical disturbances to the land contribute to a decline in wildlife and plants. A mine’s surrounding soil can be severely polluted through acid mine drainage.
The EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency, other governmental agencies, and national organizations made up of volunteers spread the word to consumers of the environmental dangers of gold mining. They are making a significant impact on the mining industry. They offer advice to mining companies on safer methods of mining and ways to restore abandoned mines into wildlife habitats, parks, and areas of recreation. The mining companies have been advised to protect people and the environment from irresponsible toxic waste by adopting measures to reduce the level of toxins considerably.
The Best Way to Buy Gold
Nevertheless, since gold is resistant to chemical changes that cause tarnishing or degrading of its surface, this makes it one of the most stable elements on earth. The best way to buy gold is to know where it originated.
Gold is still one of the most potent symbols of wealth, power, and prestige. Yet, there is no international legislation requiring mining companies to disclose the source of their gold. In spite of this, in March 2010, the Fairtrade and Fairmined Standard was adopted in the United Kingdom. For the first time, gold jewelry customers can know exactly where their newly purchased gold originated. Up until now, the gold industry was secretive, exploitive, and without any type of regulation.
Soon, the best way to buy gold in the United States will be made easier for those who want to avoid the unscrupulous mining and gold companies. Legislation is expected to be set in place for both gold and mining industries in 2012. Each piece of gold will be fully traceable, and it will include its own certification upon purchase. This is exciting news for those who want nothing to do with mining and gold companies that continue to compromise their values to market this precious commodity that may have originated through a system of dangerous pollutants, social injustice, and secrecy.

Fran Delaney is a passionate environmental rights writer who advocates sustainable mining practices.

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This post was originally posted here: The Importance of Environmental Care

Is Making a Difference Even Possible

When it comes to caring for the environment, many people wonder: “I’m only one person, is making a difference even possible?” Or perhaps they think: “I won’t be able to see the change in my lifetime so why start now?” Confession. These are the two questions which floated around in my head long enough to prevent me from doing anything. For me, it was all or nothing. I chose nothing.

I chose nothing until I had a major life experience and decided that my opinions, about most things – including the environment – needed changing.

I became a parent. I realized immediately that the world in which we live, whose status quo used to be acceptable, all of sudden was no longer OK. I am not proposing that everyone go out and have a child in order to realize the benefits of environmental concern – in fact, overpopulation is a major reason why the environment’s ability to support people is being stretched. What I am saying, though, is that I gained perspective with parenthood. It affected nearly every opinion I held, about anything and everything. I want the world in which my son grows to be better than the world into which I was born. With the population speeding up, collectively, we need to consider how to ease the pressure of such rapid and substantial growth on our planet.

Limitations and Resources

Nearly everything on Earth has limitations. Especially natural resources. Economically speaking, the demand is greater and is growing faster, than the supply. The world population just hit seven billion people recently. To speak bluntly, people are being born faster than others are dying. All of those people need the basics: food, water, shelter. The United States of America, and a small number of other First World countries, are responsible for a huge percentage of the world’s consumption of resources and have the greatest output of waste. Currently, this particular trend is not slowing down. We need to find ways minimize waste through recycling, renewing, and reusing.

Doing Nothing Guarantees There Will Be No Impact

Doing something doesn’t guarantee an impact will be made. However, doing nothing guarantees there will be no impact. This is not a chance we can take. None of us will save the Earth’s environment single-handedly. However, if we all do something – recycle, compost, reuse plastic bags – we can make a huge difference. Instead of focusing on what I can’t do and what difference I can’t make, I’ve decided to focus on showing my son why it is important for us to do anything we can. If we raise future generations to do what our parents didn’t, the difference will happen sooner rather than later.

We only have one Earth. Saving it, protecting it, and helping it heal are our only options. Sure, you are only one person, but you are mistaken if you think that is not enough to make an impact. Do some research into what small things you can do in your life, home, and neighborhood to care for the environment. You can only make a difference if you begin.

This article was contributed by allgreenshopping.com who offer a variety of green cleaning products, and carries a variety of organic food.

This post was originally posted here: Be Kind To Your Skin And Nature

Do yourself and the planet a favour by using high quality environmental products.

Personal Care Gone Further

The further the planet moves on through time, the more and more time and attention the human population gives to personal care and looking great. Conventional wisdom suggests that looking great is directly linked to feeling great, which explains why the already massive personal care market continues to grow at pace. Thanks mainly to media exposure; people on Earth are also becoming acutely aware of the importance of sustainable living, and taking greater levels of action in order to have a positive impact on society as a whole. Adding environmental products into your personal care regime is a great way to kill these two birds with one stone.

Environmental products have evolved greatly from the stereotypical views held over the past to decades. Traditionalist, entrenched views would have them down as gunky, putrid products that one simply cannot use, be it down to texture, smell, or another reason. That simply could not be further from the truth.

Something For Everyone

It would be accurate to say that you could potentially make up your entire personal care plan from environmental products. As well as being Earth friendly products, the reasons behind this mean the product will do your skin the world of good too. Naturally produced ingredients usually make up the entirety of a great deal of products. These natural ingredients have a profound effect in cleansing and nourishing our skin, as has been proven in recent times. Such knowledge has seen the market for environmental beauty products, as well as items such as naturally occurring vitamins and foodstuffs, gain considerable traction in recent years.

The Total Package

Unlike a number of brands who claim to be environmentally friendly yet then proceed to package their product in what ultimately becomes waste plastic in a landfill site, the best environmental products tick all the boxes. As well as the product cleansing and making your skin look healthier than it probably ever has, they will be packaged in such a way that there is either no waste at all, or what there is will be 100% recyclable.

Environmental products are also an elegant gift idea. Although a growing market, there is still a view of these items as unusual and quirky products, so what better way to spread the word than buying an environmental skincare product for a close friend or relative. Complete with a personal recommendation from yourself, both their skin and the planet will have much to thank you for.

The use of high quality environmental products in your personal care is a potential to do something not only for everyone but also for all the planet. Utterly Eco is an online shop that provides a wide range of green products.

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This post was originally posted here: 6 Quick and Easy Ways to Green Your Groceries

Let’s face it: eating organic isn’t always easy. It can be difficult to find organic produce and, when you do, it can be so costly that it simply doesn’t fit into your grocery budget. If you are interested in introducing more organic foods into your diet, and into the diet of your children, continue reading! Here are some great ways to get more “green” onto your table:

Farmer’s Markets

Not only does shopping at the farmer’s market support the local economy but it’s also often a source of more affordable organic produce. While your choices may be more limited depending on where you live and what’s in season, your choices will undoubtedly be healthier ones. Organic produce is grown without harmful chemicals and pesticides, which means that you won’t be introducing these toxins into your body.

Join a Co-Op

If you don’t have the benefit of having a farmer’s market close by, look for a co-op that you can join. Co-ops often buy a large batch of organic produce with combined funds and then split the order. Co-ops are another great way to introduce organic produce to your children but again, your options may be limited depending on the type of produce that is currently in season.

Canning

If you have a farmer’s market or can join a co-op, it would be in your best interest to learn how to can. Canning isn’t difficult but it can take the better part of a day to complete. Depending on the amount of food you have to can, you may even find that it turns into a weekend project. Most vegetables can quite readily and those that don’t can be frozen instead. Just think about how nice it will be to have a fresh batch of green beans on your table in the middle of winter!

Grow Your Own

If you’ve got a backyard that has sufficient space in which to grow a garden, why not learn how to grow organic produce for yourself? What you grow is totally up to you! There are tons of books that can teach you how to garden organically and your entire family can reap the rewards of your labor. Start off small while you are learning; you’ll always have next year to expand your garden.

If you don’t have a backyard, consider planting a container garden. Container gardens are great for those with very limited space like a deck or balcony. Even apartment dwellers can grow organic produce if they put their mind to it!

Have it Delivered

There are many services that will deliver organic produce right to your door! Many of these delivery services will charge you the same prices that you’ll find at your local markets with the addition of a small delivery fee. This can be a fantastic way to get organic produce on your table.

Don’t Stop at Produce

You can find organic meat, eggs and dairy products in the aisles of your local grocery store. Look for the “certified organic” label and you can be sure that these foods have not been artificially enhanced. Food animals are often fed large doses of steroids, hormones and antibiotics throughout their lives. By purchasing foods that are certified organic, you can be sure that you won’t be introducing these chemicals to your children’s bodies.

Introducing organic foods to your family doesn’t have to be burdensome. Look for budget-friendly, convenient options for adding more green into your diet. You’ll soon find the health of your family is much improved by this nutrient-rich, toxin-free way of eating.

Renee Varney is a freelance blogger and occasionally writes for delivery.com a site she loves using to find local Delivery Food Online using their Boston Delivery directory.

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This post was originally posted here: Reduce Your Heating Bill in 5 Easy Steps

There is nothing worse than asking for advice on how to reduce your heating bill and having people tell you to dress up warm. Staying warm in winter doesn’t have to be followed by the icy chill of shock when you receive your heating bill if you follow a couple of excellent tips that will save you money and maintenance.

image source

Five Ways to Save Money on Your Heating Bill

1. Do not think that switching your heating on and off will save you much money. You actually use more power to heat up your home than to maintain a constant temperature. You can keep your heating system running at a lower temperature even if you’re not at home and you’ll find that you use less power overall to keep it ticking over. The ambient temperature will also rise. This means that you don’t have to turn it up to full when you come home each day. You can test this system if you have access to your meter. Keep your heating on at a lower temperature constantly for one week and then compare the usage the next week by turning it on and off as and when you feel chilly.

2. Only heat your rooms if you use them. Another great way of saving money on your heating bill is to only heat the rooms that need it most. If you have individual thermostatic valves on radiators in each room, you only need to heat the space that you are using. Guest bedrooms are a prime example of rooms that do not need to be heated unless in use.

3. Install a programmable thermostat so that you have complete control over the temperature. When you go out you can turn down the heat just enough so that your home is still warm when you get back. A reduction in the temperature of just 1° Celsius could result in a saving of up to 10% on your heating bill over a year.

image source

4. Use nature to heat your home. Even in winter when it seems as if the sun never shines, you need to take advantage of every bit of nature’s solar power to heat your home. Open all curtains in south facing rooms and let the lower angle of the sun heat your home. Make sure that there is nothing blocking the sun’s access to your windows. Installing solar panels can also help with your overall heating bill. There are many initiatives and programs that have helped lower the price of installing solar panels in your home and the cost savings after a few years are notable.

5. Cleaning and Maintenance. Depending on the type of heating system that you have, you don’t have to call a plumber or heating specialist to perform simple cleaning tasks. If you have a furnace, then check the furnace air filter each month especially during winter. Consider investing in a water heater blanket to insulate your hot water heater and make sure that there is no chance of heat escaping from your home.

Escaped heat is probably one of the biggest causes of an increased heating bill. Before winter starts and you feel the need to turn on your heating you need to make sure that all windows and vents are sealed properly. Check the caulking around all vents and do a draft test to ensure that you’re not losing money through lost heat.

This article was written on Behalf of Promtional Codes Uk – save money on everyday items, brands and well known stores with a range of coupons and offers including Zavvi discount codes.

This post was originally posted here: The Indirect Benefits of Gardening

Gardening has many benefits that extend far beyond having the nicest flowerbeds in the neighborhood. Although it is nice to have roses, tulips, carnations, and daffodils adding beauty and color to your garden, the indirect benefits of gardening are even more important. Some of those benefits include getting exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. In addition, gardening can save you money, provide valuable stress relief, lower your blood pressure and give you hours of enjoyment. Although the benefits are nearly endless, these are a few that really stand out.
Physical Activity and Fresh Air Are Positive Benefits Enjoyed by Gardeners.
Getting exercise is important because people’s bodies are made to move. Sitting on the couch eating potato chips and watching television causes your muscles to atrophy and your waistline to expand. On the other hand, a physical activity like gardening works your muscles, improves flexibility, and burns calories. If you have the choice between watching television or weeding the flowerbeds, weeding should win you over every time. Exercise is good for your health and helps to lower high blood pressure, stimulate the appetite, and improve digestion.
Spending time outdoors in the yard exposes to fresh air and sunshine. If you have a full time job, then you know what it’s like to breathe recycled office air all day long in your cubicle. When you are out of work and the sun is shining, why not enjoy the fresh air outside and let the sunshine warm your skin. Yes, it’s important to wear sunscreen if your skin will be exposed to the sunlight for an extended period of time, but sunshine is also important for your body to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin because your body needs sunlight to synthesize it.
Gardening Is a Cost-Efficient Hobby.
Gardening can save you money in many ways. Some are surprising. Others are not so surprising, but saving money is always a delight. Turning off the television, the computer, the lights, and the air conditioning indoors while you whittle away hours of time in the yard will save money on your energy bills. Gardening is also cost-efficient compared to shopping at the mall, going for a drive, renting a movie, or going out to dinner. You can’t go wrong with an activity that’s virtually free versus all those other leisure activities that take money out of your pocket. Of course, gardening can also cut down on your food bill. If you grow your own fresh produce, you can save money every time you shop at the grocery store. Consider growing fresh tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and any other fruits and vegetables that grow well in your climate. Fresh produce is expensive at the market, so growing your own can result in significant savings when you shop – and you don’t have to major in life sciences to know that.

Many People Enjoy the Relaxing Qualities of Gardening.
There’s something that you can’t put a price on, and that’s stress-relief. In today’s fast-paced society, people are very anxious, stressed, depressed, and overwhelmed. Working a stressful job, a long commute, and even family issues can cause people to become extremely nervous and stressed-out. Fortunately, it has been noted that working in the garden provides excellent stress-relief. The repetitive and soothing motions, the peace and quiet, the solitude all join together to create a stress-free environment. Plus, the gentle exercise will enable you to sleep more soundly at night and keep restless thoughts at bay.
There is really no other activity that can provide so many indirect benefits like gardening. People who are avid gardeners report feeling a great sense of satisfaction from their work. What about people who don’t have access to a little plot of dirt to call their own? Apartment dwellers can get some of the same indirect benefits of gardening by planting mini-gardens in pots or window boxes on fire escapes or windows, anywhere there’s a little available space and sunlight.

This article was written by Philip Russell who blogs for Hunting Life Sciences. Gardening is one of his many hobbies and he has spent many years enjoying the benefits of a good day’s work outdoors.

This post was originally posted here: 14 Ways to Save on Gas Before Considering a New Car

As gas prices near $4.00 per gallon, it’s common for talk of fuel efficiency to increase. Sales of more fuel efficient cars do, too. Hopefully, that’s because people simply opt to make more economical choices when they need a new car, rather than chucking the old one to save at the pump. Rarely does it pay to swap cars solely for savings on gas.

Accounting for new car payments, increased insurance and registration (www.carinsurance.org.uk) , unless you’re buying the new car with cash, and gaining a huge gas mileage increase, swapping cars to save on fuel is almost always a losing proposition. Case in point: If you get 22 miles per gallon and drive 1,000 miles a month, increasing your mileage to 36 mpg would only save you $71 per month on $4.00 gas.

If you’re taking out a new loan to save that $71, save yourself the trouble, and try some or all of these methods instead. We’ll stick with the 22 mpg and 1,000 miles per month for all the numbers below.

1. Crack open your owner’s manual. Find out if the more expensive gasoline is required. If it isn’t, you aren’t accomplishing anything more than voluntarily paying 10 or 20 cents more for every gallon. Cheaper gas can easily save you $5 or $10 a month.
2. Got a smart phone? Find an app that will lead you to the cheapest gas on your normal route. Pay attention if a particular gas station offers weekly specials and promotions, but don’t go out of your way for a penny. Every mile costs you about 18 cents in gas.
3. If you can find a credit card that offers cash back rebates (especially on gas– read the fine print!) you can put that money back in your gas tank and decrease your total gas bill depending on your overall spending. Many supermarkets also offer gas discounts to members now, helping you save another $5 a month.
4. No, you don’t need “warm up time.” Most newer vehicles warm up faster once it’s in motion anyway. That being said, cars do perform more efficiently when warm, so it makes sense to combine trips, not just to reduce miles driven, but to keep the engine warm.
5. If you are waiting in your car, shut off the engine. Idling causes pollution and is a waste of gas, too. There’s a reason why hybrids shut off the engine even at stop lights.
6. Use cruise control. It will help you increase your fuel efficiency by making smaller adjustments to speed and keeping momentum. It’ll also help you avoid speeding.
7. Look down the road a bit and use your powers of anticipation to decide if you might need to slow down soon for a red light or slower traffic. Instead of braking, let up on the gas. Think of it this way: braking hard after an acceleration is literally burning gas to heat up your brakes.
8. Leave a cushion with the car in front of you. Stop and go traffic is a major cause of accidents, and wasted gas, too.
9. Start slow. Do you floor it when the light turns green? Over many accelerations in a day, you can burn a huge amount of gas without going very far. Gentle accelerations can add as much as 10% to your day’s mileage. Over a month, that could save you $18.
10. You need to be comfortable when you drive, so air conditioning is important, but it’s drain on mileage does add up, especially when in town. Use a sun shield and park in the shade when possible to keep the car cooler in the first place, and think about whether some fresh air wouldn’t cool you off just fine. Contrary to popular assumptions, rolling down your windows doesn’t cause enough drag to worry about your aerodynamics.
11. 100 pounds in your trunk reduces fuel efficiency by up to 2%. A roof rack even more. That could mean $3 to $5 a month in gas, not to mention added brake wear.  If you don’t need to haul all that stuff, don’t. A ski rack doesn’t do you a lot of good in August.
12. Check your tire pressure. The recommended tire pressure for your car is usually listed inside the door, and right on the tires. Tires slowly deflate over time, which cause them to wear faster (a major expense), while also costing you $1 to $5 a month in wasted gas.
13. Your car’s manufacturer recommends a certain grade of oil. Be sure to change it regularly and use the right oil for the season. A poorly maintained engine is bound to lose a lot of efficiency.
14. This is the biggest, and possibly the most unpopular suggestion: according to fueleconomy.gov, driving slower saves money. If you drive a lot of highway miles, and you prefer 75 to 55, you could be sucking up $50 of extra gas every month! Yikes. Get an audio book to listen to and relax.

Have you been adding up some of your possible mileage gains? If so, you’ve probably noticed that you could very well save MORE than that new car would save you in gas, just by being a more conscientious driver. Many drivers are able to reduce their gas by an entire fill up, without even making changes to their total miles driven. So before you pin your hopes on the reported mpg on the window sticker, and shell out the big bucks, try spending nothing and extend your gas, your brakes, your tires and your engine in the process.

George Zeed lives in Grants Pass Oregon and works for ImpactBattery.com. An avid outdoorsman and environmentalist, he writes about topics related to all kinds of recreational vehicles and accessories. He is also the “go to guy” for information when shopping for items like motorcycle battery chargers and foldable solar panels

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This post was originally posted here: Sustainable Hardwood Flooring

There are few floors that can compete with a well maintained hardwood floor. There are some gorgeous stone and tile floors, but they don’t convey the same sense of home that a once-live material like hardwood can. In addition to being beautiful and durable, hardwood floors can also be sustainable.

Reclaimed wood is the most obvious way to be sustainable, taking wood from old buildings, furniture or boats, industrial producers, and even demolitions and reusing it to create beautiful hardwood floors.  With a higher emphasis on sustainability in general, it has become easier and easier to locate reclaimed wood in communities around the globe. Rather than being tossed into a landfill, demolition crews are taking great care to keep the recovered wood products in excellent condition.

Wood recyclers have popped up around the world, specializing in transforming the recovered materials into workable product.

In addition to recycling wood, many in the forestry industry are replanting their harvested inventory, both voluntarily and to comply with the ever-growing number of regulations focused on building sustainable practices. Considered by many to be the leading organization in sustainable forestry, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a not-for-profit global organization dedicated to promoting responsible forestry management.

Following are some of the top sustainable woods for consideration when choosing a hardwood for your flooring:

Ash

White ash is stiff yet pliable, and it doesn’t wear down saw blades much more than soft woods, making it a very easy wood to work with.  It glues well and holds screws tightly too. There are millions of acres of FSC approved forest in the central and eastern United States that are great sources for white ash, making it a very sustainable choice.

Cherry

Black cherry, abundant and having qualities similar to mahogany, is valued in flooring, furniture, doors, trim and more.  It’s less dense than white ash, so it’s even easier to work with and to glue.  It’s plentiful in the forests of New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, making it an easy choice.  It’s the most valuable wood of the many FSC forests in Pennsylvania.

Maple

Hard maple (from sugar maples) and soft maple (from red and silver maples) are both great choices for wood floors, particularly if you want to show off the beauty of the wood.  There are many varieties, including quilted, swirled, and fiddleback, and the process of kiln drying before rot sets in creates beautiful designs in the wood.  The hard variety of this type of wood is great for stairs and railings, due to its ability to handle curves well.  It’s very abundant on the east coast, from Canada down into the gulf coast, and in the northern part of the Midwest, making it a very accessible and popular wood for flooring.

Oak

Oak is perhaps the most popular of the sustainable hardwoods, durable and naturally waterproofed, and is great for cabinets, bridges, and barrels.  Boards may be susceptible to splitting, but it has a texture that you can feel and see.  It is a hard wood, yet it still handles machines and tools well, making it a carpenter favorite.  In the east, the northeast, and the northwest, this is a very abundant wood which lends to it being sustainable.   It’s a solid choice for many types of flooring.

Mahogany

Mahogany, well known for its use in furniture around the world, is a tropical wood which is tough enough for outdoor and industrial use.  It’s a great wood for porches and decks, particularly around pool areas.  It’s easy to work with using tools and is also easy to polish.  Smooth enough to avoid splintering bare feet, it’s found in Australia, Central America, and South America.

Ultimately the type of wood used depends on the desired look.  Each wood has particular strengths and weaknesses that make that particular variety great for various purposes.  Knowing what you’re looking for beforehand can help you to narrow your choices down, selecting one of these fine hardwood varieties and using it to craft a beautiful floor that will last a lifetime.

Written by Phillip reese for Erik Organic, a custom furniture company that specializes in using sustainable products. From beautiful dining tables to elegant chests-of-drawers, Erik Organic makes the custom furniture process simple and enjoyable.

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This post was originally posted here: Natural Alternatives To Chemical Dyes

If you’re looking for a natural alternative to harsh chemical dyes then you really need to look to what our ancestors used as well as the third world. Natural colourings are all around us and it’s only lack of knowledge and the time for preparation which is stopping us from having a natural, chemical free lifestyle.

Hair Dyes

If your colour of choice for hair is black then you’re in luck – Indigo, along with Henna are two plants freely available worldwide which produce a very dark blue dye which looks black in concentration. The Indigo plant has been used for thousands of years as a natural dye and this was the natural colouring chosen for the colouring of cotton for use in blue jeans, but it is as hair dye which is commonly used in places like India and Pakistan to take fading hair colour back to black.

When indigofera (the plant which supplies the colour) leaves are crushed, fermented and dried the powder produced can be mixed with water to produce a very dark blue paste. Mixed with extracts from the Henna plant, this makes a useable and semi-permanent hair dye which lasts for several weeks without any harsh chemicals.

Dyeing Clothes

There are many freely available totally natural dyes available today. You may not realise it, but most environments contain rocks, plants or organisms which can give us dyes which can be applied to materials to make clothing. Most of these dyes can permanently change the colour of cotton, wool and other natural fibres, meaning you can have totally natural, safe and environmentally aware clothing.

A freely available plant in the UK which produces a vivid blue colour is Woad – this has been used as a clothing dye for thousands of years and grows easily in temperate climates, is quite easy to process and produces a pigment which binds to natural fibres very easily as well as animal hides and skin (you have been warned!)

Dyeing Leather

Leather production nowadays is very chemically intensive and damaging to the environment, but it wasn’t always the case. Natural tanning of the leather to stop putrefaction was originally carried out using natural tannins from bark and rotting vegetation – this stopped the leather from rotting by a natural chemical reaction.

As far as dyeing leather naturally, there are available a range of plant and invertebrate based dyes which can be applied including those extracted from insects, invertebrates and natural plants such as Cochineal (which gives a crimson red colour), Cow’s urine (yellow, not surprisingly!) and even chlorides of metals such as Copper, which gives a lovely green colour.

If you fancy a go at dyeing your own clothes such as jeans and any other natural fibres you have remember, it may be faster to go out and buy a commercially available chemical dye, but the satisfaction to be gained from creating your own dye and applying this is immeasurable and will provide you with a whole new set of skill!

Citations:

• Image courtesy of Llez

Jeanstore offer a great range of jeans from top brands such as Wrangler and Levi Strauss who have been using natural Indigo dyes for years.

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This post was originally posted here: Dry cleaning Pompano Beach – A Sure way to get Your Clothes Completely Cleaned

Dry cleaning is done for clothes that need removal of dirt, dust and oil and other stains by a proper dry cleaning method. Most of the people do not know the right method or do not have much time for doing them at home. That is the reason you need to choose dry cleaning Pompano Beach, for a properly treated set of clothes that looks good after thorough cleaning.

The labels of most of the clothes have the words – dry cleaning only and for that you will not feel comfortable to wash them at home. Always check the labels of clothes and mark them accordingly for home cleaning or for dry cleaning. The motor and the pump of the dry cleaners Pompano Beach cleaning machine can store and spray the cleaning solvent over the dirty clothes is a good speed so that the dirt is separated from the clothes. The machine often holds 9 – 45 kg clothes and the base of the machine is a steel bucket that holds all these clothes. The washer and the dryer are both set in the same machine and that is the reason the solvent used for cleaning the clothes can be used and then recovered and then filtered to be able to use them for a second wash of another set of dirty clothes.

The fabric that you need to send for the dry cleaning Pompano Beach has to be treated by the solvent that is drawn by the pump and cleaned by the filter and then it is passed over the clothes. The solvent flows into the basket and the chamber constantly and the clothes are immersed in the solvent and gets a slight pounding against the baffles of the cylinder.

The solvent is again collected in the recovery area and then cleaned again and then recycled through the clothes, – till the clothes are clean enough. The dirt is trapped in the filter. The clothes are free of the dirt and stains and then are set for drying in the spinner. The next stage is to dry the clothes of the solvent by spinning the clothes to drain the liquid. Then a gush of warm air makes it dry to some extent. The main idea is to make the clothes soft and easy to dry completely. The solvent is dried and then clothes are cooled over the cooling coils. The solvent used by most of the dry cleaners Pompano Beach, is petroleum solvent and not the usual perc that is highly flammable. The clothes get a new shine and then they are pressed ironed to be delivered to the clients. The dry cleaners use stain removal liquids on the clothes that have stain on them to remove the stain and these clothes get a special wash for stain removal. A professional dry cleaner is most dependable service provider the cleaning of clothes that give you confidence in the outer world.

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This post was originally posted here: Realistic, Responsible Plastic Use

The urge to avoid plastic grows ever stronger, given reports of wildlife getting entangled in six-pack holders and vast patches of garbage swirling around in a part of the Pacific that only grows larger and more polluted each passing day. Countless bloggers talk about striving – if vainly – to eradicate plastic from their lives, seeing this as one of the greenest actions one can do to lower their eco-footprint.

While eliminating plastic may seem ethical, and key to living lightly, the environmental reality isn’t quite so cut-and-paste. In today’s day and age, it is nigh impossible to live completely without plastic. In its inception in the 1930s, plastic was created in order to conserve natural resources that were going scarce at the time, such as tortoiseshell and ivory.

Understanding plastic’s true worth and using it responsibly is a far more prudent approach to getting our growing waste problem under control, as opposed to attempting an overreaching goal of complete elimination of these “unnatural” synthetics. Did you know that an estimated 600 billion pounds of plastics produced each year go into single-use products? These include, but are not limited to, plastic straws, cups, packaging, lighters, and that bane of nature – plastic bags. Consider what plastic grocery bags are designed for – that quick one-time trip it takes from the store to the home. This example brilliantly points out the one big flaw in human thinking: plastic isn’t necessarily a bad thing; if intelligently used, it can be nature’s greatest ally. Unfortunately, the use of so much plastic in our daily lives for the sake of expediency has led to a collective thought: nowadays, plastic is synonymous to cheap, disposable, and worthless, when it can be one of the most valuable materials on the planet today.

The dilemma is in the usage – and subsequent overusage – of plastic. Lessening our dependence on it will greatly reduce the negative impact it now presents on the environment, resulting in less waste and less accumulation. Going recycled and promoting responsible use of materials we already have are only a few ways we can do this. Recycling plastic bags and bottles at home helps save the space required for landfill, saves energy, saves wildlife from getting caught in its snares and minimizes air and water pollution. Because plastic isn’t easily broken down by natural means, leaving it out does not make it go away magically. Reusing a bag or container helps in the sense that it eliminates the need to purchase new, saving money as well.

Tara F is a freelance writer who works for PlasticPlace.net, an Retailer of Quality Garbage Bags Online. She Enjoys Writing but all to often gets side tracked by Google+ , Reddit , and Twitter.

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This post was originally posted here: Simple Steps To Help Slash Your Water Bills

At this time of economic recession those who own a family home are really feeling the pinch. Energy bills have risen considerably in recent years and this trend does not look set to reverse any time soon. Moreover, water bills tend to represent a substantial outgoing on a month by month basis.

However, just as measures can be taken to reduce heating usage and electricity consumption, homeowners can also reduce their water rates. With an estimated two thirds of water consumption originating in the bathroom in the average household this is a good place to start.

Turn off the taps

When using the bathroom sink the most obvious water saving is achieved by turning the taps off when not in use. However, this could equally apply to the kitchen sink while preparing food or washing up

In the bathroom many people leave the taps running while cleaning their teeth. By only using water at the beginning and the end of this process a lot of water and therefore money can be saved. Although not as practical, a similar principle can be applied when washing hands.

Take a shower not a bath

It is well known that taking a shower uses a fraction of the water that would be used in filling a bath. This is probably one of the most effective money saving tips in the bathroom. However, by fitting a low flow showerhead to the shower and ensuring showers are as quick as possible still more water can be saved.

If it is necessary to use the bath, only fill it to the level that is necessary and not any higher. Moreover, carry out any shower or bath repairs promptly. A leaky or broken shower will consume far more water than would otherwise be necessary.

Use a shorter flush

The toilet is another area of the bathroom where the average household can stand to save a lot of water. Many homeowners insert a brick or a more specialist equivalent into the cistern to prevent a full refill. The result is a shorter and less effective flush but much less water is used.

A more practical but more expensive solution would be to install a dual flush or variable flush toilet. These toilets allow the user to determine the length of the toilet flush according to necessity.

Some households take the water saving initiative a step further and only flush the toilet on a periodic basis rather than after every use. This can be effective and relatively safe when common sense is applied, however the hygiene of such a solution is somewhat questionable even then.

The bathroom is just one of many areas of the home where large quantities of water and therefore money can be saved on a regular basis. By applying much the same principles to the kitchen and only using dishwashers and washing machines when a full load is ready still more water can be saved by the average household.

This post was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of Hometech who can fix your broken shower and provide bath repairs.

This post was originally posted here: Eco Friendly Engineering and How Life May Solve the Energy Puzzle

There are a lot of ways we can use the living world to solve needs and wants in human society and we’re not just talking about simple ‘dog on a treadmill’ solutions that have been around for a long time. Recently, there are some interesting ideas that have come out of research institutions about novel ways we can exploit biochemistry to solve our energy needs. There are two especially worth mentioning and these are Chlorophyll Based Solar Power and Bioluminescence.

Photosynthesis Solar Panels

It has long been known that plants absorb energy from the sun using a dye known as chlorophyll. There are a number of different types of chlorophyll which absorb different frequencies of light, but also a much broader spectrum of light than a silicon based solar panel. Essentially, chlorophyll releases electrons when exposed to sunlight which is the basis of a chemical reaction that creates energy stores in the plant. Until recently, it was difficult to stabilise chlorophyll molecules for the purpose of energy harvesting.

It is now possible however, to create a smear of chlorophyll along a panel to create an effective solar panel when exposed to sunlight.

The pros of this are that the solar panels proposed by this would be very cheap to produce, simply a by-product of any farming operation. The panels will present less disposal issues and be easier to repair and maintain than the present silicon technology.

The downside of the technology so far is that it still doesn’t work effectively. Currently the best bio based solar cells produce only about 2-3% of the energy that a conventional solar panel produces. There are ways that scientists and engineers believe the technology can be improved, and in the future may match or exceed the current solar panel technology. This is in part due to chlorophyll’s ability to react to a much broader spectrum of light.

Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence refers to the phenomenon of chemical reactions in many living organisms that create light. The most common one that comes to mind in people is the firefly, but there are actually many different species and types of plants, animals and fungi that display bioluminescence.

The main advantage of bioluminescence is that it is a ‘cold light’ meaning heat is not produced as a part of the reaction. The other advantage is that it is simply a conversion of energy that may have originally come from bio-matter or sunlight initially.

One proposed idea is that a type of tree could be engineered (genetically) with bioluminescent properties to line the roads or highways, reducing the need for electricity. This would be a clean and relatively green solution to our road lighting requirements.

Different coloured lights being available suggest this might also be a good way of creating decorative lights, such as those on Christmas trees but without the usual associated fire risk.

Conclusion

So, here are two promising and novel technologies that could help solve our energy needs in the years to come. The solar panels are especially promising, providing they can be made more efficient. Bioluminescence also holds big potential due to the sheer amount of energy we use on lighting. Hopefully we will see more green technology like this in the future.

This essay on green technology is provided by a company that connects people to bathroom designs perth and other bathroom related contracting needs.

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This post was originally posted here: Great Ways to Go Green During Spring Cleaning

Perhaps you have been considering the possibility of taking your home green, but aren’t sure when, or how to go about it. Or course I am not talking about the latest shades and hues of the color green, but rather taking steps to help protect the environment, as well as your home.

There is probably no better time to do it, than in the spring…and specifically, during your spring cleaning chores. Yes, it’s a great time, because you can open the windows, have garage sales, and de-clutter better than no other time, in my opinion.

Also, using natural ingredients and products can significantly reduce your risk of triggering asthma attacks, all while ridding the home of most allergens. It’s just done without the harsh chemicals we have been ‘trained’ to believe in for so long.

Going green is on most people’s minds these days. More and more of us are accepting the fact that this can have a large impact on our future, as well as our children’s. I will share with you some ideas to help you go green, naturally, easily, and inexpensively.

But first, I want to share a very simple quote that is fitting to going green…health for our mind, body and earth… ‘The greatest wealth is health.’  ~Virgil

Using Natural Ingredients for Cleaning

The good news is that much of the natural cleaning products you can either make, or use to help with a mold or dust mite allergy, you probably already have in your house.

Vinegar is great for bringing back the shine to chrome, or deodorizing areas that tend to smell. I have made ice cubes out of white distilled vinegar to use in the garbage disposal. The ice is actually good for the blades, while the vinegar kills odors.

Baking soda is great to use on mold and mildew. Simply dab it on and let it sit for a while, then wash off. Tea tree oil is also good for this, as well as hydrogen peroxide. Both are sprayed on and left to dry, before washing off. Tea tree oil can also be used to remove grease, but use very sparingly. I have mixed 1 teaspoon to 2 cups water before, and it works well.

Lemon is wonderful to use for both removing stains, but also a natural way to add fresh scent while cleaning. It’s a common fragrance that is unnaturally added to cleaning products. So, why not use the natural source. It’s inexpensive, as well as good for going green

Natural Tools

In addition to using natural ingredients, there are cleaning tools that are considered ‘green’ and will help to remove allergens and germs, as well as protect the environment at the same time.

If you don’t  already have a Hepa-filter vacuum, you might want to look into getting one. They have increased in popularity and are easy to find now. In fact, the last time I was shopping, I noticed there were more were Hepa, than were not. These are known to rid the home of more dust mites and pet dander than traditional vacuums do.

Also, use biodegradable scrubbers and sponges. The fact that they are called ‘biodegradable’ is fairly self-explanatory. The oil-based traditional sponges, or plastic of traditional scrubbers can clog landfills. Using sponges instead of paper towels, also help the environment, as well as your budget.

Time for Recycling

There might not be an easier time to start recycling, than the time you are trying to get rid of clutter. You can donate items by dropping it off to thrift stores, or to a local church. If you are short on time, there are places that will even pick it up at your house.

Helping others is always a great feeling, but you are also helping your family, by removing clutter that will collect dust, from their living area.

After the de-cluttering day is over, you can set up bags, or bins to help you sort items out when you are done with them. This will make it incredibly easy to sort paper, plastic, and metals, all while keeping it orderly until you are ready to get rid of it all.

Miscellaneous Things You can Do

There are small things you can do that will have you green in no time, such as:

• Live Plants – They are known for improving oxygen and air quality.
• Canvas Bags – Use reusable canvas bags at the grocery store to save on disposable bags.
• Change Light Bulbs – Change your energy zapping bulbs into eco-friendly bulbs.
• Pay Bills Online – Eliminate unnecessary use of paper.
• Walk Outside – Instead of using an energy-powered treadmill.
• Cold Water Washing- no need to heat the water with most washings.
• Turn Water Off – Don’t let the water run unnecessarily when brushing your teeth, or doing dishes.

Of course this is just a short list of things you can do to help with the environment, and actually save money for your family at the same time. You can find more by doing some research, but this is a great list to get started.

In Closing

Going natural is great, whether your reason is to save the planet, money for your family, or to help with your ragweed allergy. It really doesn’t matter what your reason is, or how slowly you start. I like the idea of starting with natural cleaning products, because it’s an easy first step. Most of the items you would need are probably already in your pantry. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Munroe is a freelance writer, who writes on topics such as allergies, to help his readers. He is married and lives in Nevada with his family.

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This post was originally posted here: Educate Yourself On Sustainable Living And You Will Live Happier

Sustainable living is a relatively new trend that promotes a conscientious effort to reduce waste and limit the production of products made from non-renewable or slow-renewing resources. It comes at a time when people are beginning to realize that their everyday actions are not without an impact. With so many humans being on the planet and most of them living in industrialized, consumer-centric countries, that impact really adds up.

The first step in living sustainably is to educate yourself. Learning the ins and outs of sustainable living will help you to make better choices, keep yourself and your family safer and make the planet a healthier place to live. Here are some of the potential benefits of learning how to live sustainably.

Cleaner Air

There are a plethora of ways that pollution gets into the air. Car exhaust, industrial smog, emissions from both nuclear and fossil fueled power plants, chemical dispersal from factories and pesticides from agriculture are some of the threats that you must contend with on a daily basis. In fact, the levels of certain toxic chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides and others have more than doubled within the past 100 years.

With worsening air quality often comes a worsening of health. Allergies, asthma and other respiratory ailments are significantly more common than they were even 50 years ago. Choosing a more sustainable way of living helps to reduce the demand for the processes that create these toxins.

Healthier Wildlife

Many people enjoy taking in the wonders and beauty of nature. There are so many beautiful creatures to admire. Unfortunately, many of society’s modern practices are killing off the wildlife. This phenomenon has been blamed on a variety of factors ranging from toxic pollen from GMO crops to city workers spraying for mosquitoes. Bees have proven to be among the most vulnerable creatures to fall victim to chemical assaults. Should their populations dwindle too much, the ecosystem could suffer terribly without these valuable pollinators.

Better Nutrition

Modern farming practices, despite their massive production capability, are not even remotely sustainable. The chemicals and poor soil management leave fields nearly barren. Meanwhile, factory farms are feeding animals foods they aren’t meant to eat while injecting them with synthetic hormones to increase meat and milk production. Awareness of this sad fact is growing and so is the demand for wholesome, pasture-raised meat and dairy, as well as sustainably farmed produce and grains. These foods are not only vastly superior in flavor and nutrition, they also avoid the irresponsible practices of commercial food production.

Reduced Dependence on Oil

Although crude oil is a naturally occurring substance, it takes an incredibly long time to form in the ground. It is also very dangerous and contains a number of chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system. By reducing how much you drive and avoiding the use of petroleum-based plastics as much as possible, you can help to keep countless barrels of this stuff out of production and deep underground where it can’t hurt you or the planet.

Solar Energy

Technological advances in recent years have brought solar energy to the forefront of the alternative energy debate. The means to power a home using solar panels has improved drastically over the last several years and has also become less expensive. They are much better choice when compared to conventional electricity sources like nuclear and coal power.

This article was contributed by American Tree Masters, Phoenix tree trimmers in Arizona dedicated to sustainable practices.

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This post was originally posted here: Recycling Building Materials: Shocking Uses For Unusual Recyclables

We are officially in the midst of the era of green initiatives. If you haven’t noticed yet, more and more people worldwide are catching on to the fact that most materials can be recycled, and if they’re not, we’re harming our environment and in turn harming ourselves.

With green issues becoming very real, it’s been easy for most people to hop on board the green train, but there is still a lot out there to learn about really “going green.” What unexpected materials can be recycled? And what can we do with all of these recyclables, how can we reuse them?

Believe it or not, there are a ton of materials in the construction industry that are being put to waste on a daily basis. These materials can surprisingly be reused to build new, creative and innovative buildings and homes that have never been seen before.

So board the green train and come alone for the ride as we explain some shocking uses for recycled building materials and take a look at some seriously green homes.

What Can I Recycle?

Aside from the normal recyclable materials that we’ve grown accustomed to separating from our normal trash, certain materials used in building and demolition can be recycled for reuse in a new building or home.

The usual large pieces of timber and the always coveted dimensional lumber can of course be salvaged before a demolition and reused in future projects. Any scraps of these materials can also be used in a new construction.

Wood flooring and wood trim are also very recyclable items. Instead of encouraging the flooring industry to cut down more of our precious tress that provide us with clean oxygen to make new wood flooring for a new home, think about using wood that’s been recycled, and certainly recycle your wood floors if you’re planning a demolition of any sort.

Cabinets can always be reused, too, as long as they are removed carefully. And surprisingly, concrete can be ground and used again for a new construction, and double-pane windows and non-hollow doors make great items for reuse.

Additional industrial “scrap,” aside from these items commonly found in homes before demolition, include scraps of aluminum (perhaps commonly found on a construction site), batteries, used motor oil, corrugated boxes, fluorescent lights, scrap steel and plastic, pallets and automobile tires.

Still wondering how some of these materials are possibly recycled and reused in construction? Here are just a few surprising examples.

Kaleva Bottle House

There is a home in Kaleva, Michigan that is constructed entirely from recycled materials, mainly bottle wall construction. The house was built way back in 1941 and is still standing, with around 60,000 bottles sitting on their sides with the bottoms facing outward.

The bottles are lined up and cemented in with dirt. The home was constructed by a man who owned (surprise) a bottle manufacturing company. In 1980, the home was bought by the Kaleva Historical Society and converted it into a museum, but it still stands as a perfect example of a completely “recycled” home.

The Beer Can House

The Beer Can House is a landmark in Houston, Texas, constructed entirely from recycled beer cans. The house owner, John Milkovisch, is a retired upholsterer who used to work in the railroad industry and he began construction on the home back in 1968.

Milkovisch grew tired of mowing his front and back yards, so he covered them both with inlays of marble, piece of metal and rock. But when the yard was finished, Milkovisch wasn’t. He then moved on to the house, covering it in “new siding” consisting of flattened aluminum beer cans until everything was completely covered.

Some consider it a work of art, others just a cool sight. Garlands of cut beer cans adorn the exterior of the home, hanging from the roof all the way around the house, that are beneficial for reducing energy costs within the home.

It is a truly incredible monument to recycling, using an estimated 50,000 cans of beer that Milkovisch himself (with the help of his wife and neighbors) drank.

Recycled Materials Cottage

The Recycled Materials Cottage was designed by Juan Luis Martínez Nahuel, who was looking to build a house completely from preserved demolition materials in Panguipulli, Chile.

The house was built using parts of other houses such as the glazed doors from a 1960s house, eucalyptus flooring from a 1970s house and commercial laminated beams and pieces of steel from a former temporary exhibition.

The windows are all glass and the house is separated into two sections based on areas of most and least privacy. The interior is naturally decorated to continue with the recycled theme.

The house itself is a natural monument to the recycling and reuse of scraps of industrial materials that has never been done before.

Tire Houses

Yes, there are several houses out there today being constructed from recycled tires. The tires are packed with dirt, piled side by side and on top of each other and covered with plaster or recycled concrete to form walls.

The rubber of the tires provides several benefits in terms of safety and protection. In areas where earthquakes are of concern, the rubber provides a bit of give in a case of the earth moving beneath the house, and the rubber will never degrade like wood often can.

As far as the benefits for the environment go, well, they’re quite obvious – an average-sized house using tire wall construction can recycle up to 2,000 used tires that would otherwise pile up in landfills. Plus, the tires add natural insulation to the home that cuts down on the use of synthetic materials for insulation and reduces the energy use of the home.

So the next time you have a home improvement project on your list, remember to recycle even the most unheard of items, because you never know what crazy architect or green enthusiast might want to use your recycled industrial materials to build a new home or building of their own!

Recycled Materials Cottage Photo Credit: trendhunter.com

Jackie Ryan is a freelance writer who lives in a normal-architecture home, but is keen on the green initiative. Any times she does home improvement projects, she makes sure to use the best industrial material handling companies to recycle her old building materials and she encourages everyone to start thinking of doing the same.

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This post was originally posted here: Five More Ways to Be a Green Teen

These days everybody is taking action to be more eco-friendly. How can you set the example for your friends and show them how to be green teens?

Greener Style

One of the ways to go green with style and save money as well is to opt out of spending big on mass produced clothing made from wasteful production processes. Instead, browse the thrift stores or charity shops (or even garage sales) to assemble a unique vintage outfit that’s in the height of fashion – 70s styles are in so you won’t look out of place.

Green Creds for Education

Since you’re planning to leave school it might be worth asking about the eco-credentials of your University or College. At the very least you will expect them to have a recycling policy in place but is there anything innovative they are doing that will give them the edge over other institutions? It would be nice to know that the university you plan to attend shares your thinking about environmental issues.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Another option is to get active by doing your bit to clean up your neighbourhood. It’s amazing how much litter is left lying around and that can cause serious damage to the environment. You could volunteer to be part of a clean-up program or set up your own if one doesn’t exist. It’s a wonderful way to make a visible difference to your immediate environment.

Green Music

You’ll be glad to know that another way to support the environment is probably something you’re already doing. Every day teens download thousands of music tracks. Without even thinking about it they are cutting down on the need for CD cases and worldwide shipping which obviously reduces the carbon footprint produced by the music industry. So keep doing what you’re doing and you’re already doing your bit. If you want to take it a step further look out for downloads of music made by eco-friendly artists and support them by buying those tracks. There’s never been a better reason to check out the music of Kanye West or John Mayer.

An Active Green Lifestyle

Finally, encourage those around you to go green. In part you can do this by setting the example and following the steps outlined above. You can also discuss environmental issues with them or host a move night with an environmental theme. An Inconvenient Truth, Erin Brockovich or the 11th Hour are sure to make people think about human impact on the environment and if you do that then you’re definitely a green teen.

This article is provided by leavers hoodies maker Hoodie Tee.

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This post was originally posted here: Be More Green and Save More Green with Free Online Calculators

“Going green” is hard to do without spending money, while saving money is difficult to do these days without taking steps to lead a more sustainable life. It’s an undoubtedly obnoxious cycle for those who care about the environment, but are too strapped for cash to do much about it.

Before tending bar or donating eggs in order to make ends meet while adhering to a more eco-friendly lifestyle, seek the assistance of free online calculators. They aren’t going to solve all your financial problems or show you how to never pay another dime to the electric company, but considering they’re free of charge, the following six calculators are worth checking out if you’re interested in saving green as well as going green:

Household Emissions Estimator: Based on your primary home energy source, weekly mileage of your automobiles, and many other factors, this calculator will determine how many pounds of CO2 your family is pumping into the atmosphere every year, and the ways in which you can reduce this figure.

Credit Card Repayment Calculator: Many people make the mistake of blindly paying minimum to near-minimum monthly payments on their credit card bills, which can lead to thousands of dollars of extra interest paid over the course of the debt being paid off. Use a free credit card repayment calculator to find out how much you need to be paying monthly in order to pay minimal interest over time.

Cost-of-Smoking Calculator: If money is tight, then maybe it’s time you or a loved one finally quits this unhealthy habit. The potential savings are almost certain to be substantial – as much as $2000 depending on the extent of the habit. Use a cost-of-smoking calculator to see what could be saved if a smoker in the home quit for good.

Fuel Economy Guide: With gas prices guaranteed to go up in coming years, few of us can afford to drive the gas guzzlers we used to take everywhere. When in the market for a new vehicle, use a fuel economy catalog to compare affordable options for the most cost-effective car you feel safe driving.

Home Energy Saver: Instead of focusing on the estimated carbon emissions created by your home setup and habits, the Home Energy Saver is honed in on ways for you to save money through various upgrades and installations. While the suggestions aren’t always in your price range, they provide a place for you to start if you should ever have the opportunity to make such improvements.

Carbon Footprint Calculator: From your frequency as a flier to your dietary habits, this calculator provided by the Nature Conservancy provides you with an extremely detailed portrait of your carbon footprint. While it doesn’t offer any direct advice on how to save money, the results are sure to shock you into reducing waste, which in turn will save you money.

If you don’t have the money to throw at making your home more energy efficient and eco-friendly, then take advantage of free online calculators that can help you do one or the other or both. If you’re serious about saving money as well as saving the environment, it’s the obvious thing to do.

This post was originally posted here: Energy Star Isn’t Good Enough Anymore: How New HVAC Technology is Crushing Old Standards

For years, the echelon of energy efficiency in home appliances (such as fridges) and HVAC equipment has been the Energy Star rating. If you want that coveted tax rebate for your new furnace, you purchase an Energy Star device. If you want to ensure your next electric bill is as low as possible,  you buy an Energy Star rated air conditioner.

But, increasingly, the push by major manufacturers to produce extremely efficient devices has resulted in energy efficiency levels above and beyond what the EPA and DOE recommend. Here are a few of the technologies making it possible and the devices in which those technologies are making waves.

Communications Systems

In modern furnaces like the AMVM96 from Amana, communications technology is making it possible for your furnace to interact more accurately with the thermostat and other components of your HVAC system remotely and adjust accordingly. This ensures the perfect indoor temperature (in each room) as well as humidity and with variable speed circulation. There are more options than just “on” and “off” – this allows furnaces to make small adjustments and maintain the exact temperature entered into the thermostat.

Construction

The construction of modern furnaces is designed to allow for multiple levels of heat exchange without sacrificing the portability of the device. The Arcoaire VC97, for example, has four way installation and 12 different venting positions to ensure it will fit your home’s needs. Because of the recapture rates of the gas valve and heat exchanger assemblies, these modern construction methods have resulted in much more complex but efficient furnace cabinets.

Circulation

A number of manufacturers have focused their efforts on increased efficiency in circulation of heated air produced by your furnace. However, the York Affinity modulating ECM furnace epitomizes this push in technology. The ECM furnace is designed for 98% AFUE and works to distribute air for longer periods to ensure even, long lasting heat.

The comfort control settings can get the room temperature within a half degree of the thermostat setting at all times, while using much less gas than an older model.

Multi-Stage

The multi-stage operation of modern furnaces allows them to recapture and utilize heat that would be otherwise lost into the flue. Keep in mind, however, that multi-stage heating results in much lower exhaust temperatures which can have a dangerous effect on your chimney liner if it is not properly upgraded. Condensation filled with acidic compounds can destroy your chimney’s liner and present a health hazard if not properly protected against.

The Push in Technology Toward Perfect Heating

Heating technology has come a long way in just a few short years. From the days of 80% being “good enough” we’ve advanced to the point of an arms race between the nation’s top HVAC manufacturers to get as close to 100% AFUE as possible while reducing consumption and maximizing comfort. The result is some of the finest, most efficient, Energy Star busting furnaces ever created.

This information is courtesy of Heritage Air & Heat, a New Jersey heating and air conditioning contractor. Their goal is to always provide exceptional service to all their customers, as well as information about the latest technology available.

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This post was originally posted here: How to Be Active In Cleaning Up Our Environment

Helping the world can be expensive and time consuming.  Which is a shame considering we all may want to do our part, but lack the time away from our careers to clean up rivers and highways, or the money to donate to organizations that do have the time.  But there are other ways you can help if you want to take an active part in protecting our environment and don’t have the time or money.  Start with your email inbox!

It sounds like an odd request, but research has proven that Spam carries a huge impact on our world by emitting Green House Gases (GHG).  So by doing your part to report spam to the government, installing a top quality spam filter, and informing others to do the same…by word of mouth.  Or maybe we’ll get lucky and some company offering SEO services may help optimize for this cause, which in doing so would help spread the word. But why count on that, and enjoy the satisfaction from helping clean up our world!

Shane loves to help make the world a better place, and when its as easy at sitting at your computer, how could you say no!?

This post was originally posted here: Who Doesn’t Want To Live In A Better World?

It does not take much to adjust your lifestyle so you have less of an impact on the environment. While it might seem just a little inconvenient to recycle your paper and plastic bottles, if everyone did their part, it would have a meaningful impact on our environment. There are many ways individuals can go Green and help protect our limited natural resources. It is in our interest and the interest of our children and grandchildren, that we all do our best to preserve the air, water and land that supports and enriches our lives.

When you think about becoming more environmentally friendly, you should think in small steps. While some people can easily immerse themselves completely into a Green lifestyle, others need to go more slowly. Any commitment toward reducing your carbon footprint, or participating in programs or activities that do not harm the environment, is a positive contribution.

YOUR HOME

There are plenty of things you can do in and around your home to become less dependent on fossil fuels and reduce your impact on the environment. Lighting, heating and cooling one’s home all require energy. By using less energy generated by fossil fuels and more energy generated by renewable resources, you are helping to create a Green home. Solar panels can warm your home or heat your water. Non-potable water can be recycled to water your lawn and plants. Adding more insulation and making sure your windows and other openings are tightly sealed can cut energy costs. Do laundry only when you have a full load to keep from wasting water. Washing your clothes in cold water will save on electricity. Hang your clothes on a clothes line instead of putting them in an electric or gas dryer.

Remember to pay attention to your yard and property outside of the house. You can use food scraps and other biodegradable material to create a compost pile to fertilize your plants. Speaking of plants, you can grow your own fruit and vegetables to supplement your diet. Shade trees placed strategically around your house can also keep it cooler in the summer. Water only as needed. Most established plants and trees do just fine with the water they get when it rains.

TRANSPORTATION

Your vehicle can have a big impact on the environment. While no one is suggesting that you give up your automobile and get a horse and buggy, your choice of cars can make a big difference. Smaller cars that get 35 or 40 mpg are more environmentally friendly than pickup trucks or big SUVs that only get 15-20 mpg. Eventually, millions of people will be driving electric vehicles which are even better for the environment. If you can cut back on your driving or maybe carpool to work, you will also be lowering the amount of pollutants that fill the air.

Taking public transportation whenever possible is a good start. Consolidating all of your errands into one trip will save on gas. If you need a bottle of milk, why not ride your bike to the corner store instead of automatically jumping into the car? Walking more is great for both your health and the health of the environment.

AT THE GROCERY STORE

Bring your own reusable canvas grocery bags. Some stores allow you to just box your groceries. Landfills are full of those plastic grocery bags that take years to decompose. Support companies that are environmentally conscientious. Insist that your local grocery store has its own Green strategy.

CONCLUSION

The nation, as a whole is becoming more aware of the importance of protecting the environment. More and more people will participate in Green programs. Working together, we can all help make America and the entire world a cleaner and more beautiful place to live.

This article was a contribution to promote green shopping and sustainable education.

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This post was originally posted here: Is Population Control Really Necessary for a Greener Planet?

Population control is always a contentious issue for a huge variety of reasons and, as a result, is something many of us are wary of discussing at all, with the horror stories we’ve heard from countries that have implemented population control policies lurking in the backs of our minds.

However, any attempt to formulate a global strategy to mitigate mankind’s impact on the environment is essentially incomplete without placing the question of our ever increasing global population within its scope. Put simply; the more people on earth, the greater the strain on the finite resources at our disposal.

The Problem of Food Production

Take, for instance, a trio of the most basic resources that humans (and pretty much every other form of life on the planet) depend on for survival; space, food and water. The best part of half of Earth’s surface (40%) is used for agricultural food production, with more being cleared for this purpose (at a huge environmental cost) all the time. On top of that, around 70% of all human water usage is accounted for by agriculture. We are quickly running out of arable land and that we can use for food production. And that’s without even thinking about fossil fuels reserves. But does this mean population control is the answer?

A booming population certainly isn’t going to cut demand for any of these finite resources and, to make matters worse, the agricultural practices that are currently used to ensure yields high enough to meet demand contribute massively to global warming. This fact, in of itself, could potentially cause a self perpetuating cycle of starvation as world hunger demands bigger agricultural yields, which increase global warming and may lead to weather extremes which, ironically, would destroy crops.

Some studies have predicted that by the midway point of this current century the world’s population will come to exceed 10 billion people, causing many commentators to conclude that promoting a change in attitudes towards the issue of birth control around the world may be a more effective way of saving the environment than almost any other course of action. However, whilst it could potentially be highly effective, it’s also a highly impractical solution…

Cultural Considerations

A huge number of people around the world, for reasons ranging from economic considerations, to political and religious beliefs, cannot get access to, or are unwilling to use birth control. In addition, several figures with a huge level of influence have taken a stance against various forms of birth control, from the Pope, who promotes the Catholic view on contraception, to former president George Bush, whose administration withdrew U.S funding from all foreign organizations giving women the option to have an abortion. Clearly the complex ideological issues behind such stances make the likelihood of world wide support for enforced population control seem very low.

The vast majority (98% according to some figures) of the population growth in question is coming in poorer countries. Indeed, in many more developed Western nations populations are actually falling due to demographic transition. However, these countries are not helping to redress the imbalance between rocketing demand and the resources available. In fact, they exacerbate it due to the high consumption lifestyles enjoyed in these countries. The U.S.A, for example, is home to about 4% of the world’s population, yet consumes roughly 25% of the world’s resources.

Possible Ways Forward

This simple fact seems to suggest that, for all the reports and analysis into the subject, the morally problematic question of somehow imposing some level of control over the global population is, on a fundamental level, secondary to how resources are distributed and used. The evidence from 1st world countries demonstrates that a stable population is often a by-product of prosperity. It would seem then, that by focusing on how sustainable practices, such as organic farming, can be used to bring food stability and relative wealth to as many nations as possible, the environmental problems caused by a larger population will be checked naturally, without the need for forced intervention.

Steve Waller writes about a vast range of environmental issues on his blog, GreenSteve, from how to shop sustainably, to how to stay warm without wasting heat.

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This post was originally posted here: Green Habits that Cost Nothing

It’s incredibly important to green your lifestyle and lower your personal impact on the environment. Unfortunately, many of the best ways to do this can be expensive, such as purchasing more energy-efficient appliances or purchasing sustainable materials and organic products. If you want to be more eco-friendly, it is possible to do so without even touching your bank account. Here are some simple green habits that cost you nothing.

Launder Differently
Your clothes washer and dryer use a great deal of electricity to run. Washing also uses a lot of water. If you launder your clothes differently, you can save a lot of energy and water. When washing clothes, use the cold washing temperature rather than hot. Rather than doing lots of small loads of laundry, try to wash more clothes at one time. Finally, air dry whenever possible. In the warm weather, hang clothes outside on a line. If you do use your dryer, don’t over-dry your clothe; put it only for the minimum amount of time needed to dry them.

Recycle Everything
Taking your recycling to the local recycling center is free, so make sure you recycle absolutely everything you can. Don’t throw away anything that can be recycled. Take a closer look at all the items you throw away on a daily basis. Keep a bin for scrap paper and junk mail that can be recycled. Recycle the tubes of your toilet paper and every piece of plastic or aluminum in your home. So many materials can be recycled. Don’t let any of them go into the trash.

Reuse Whenever Possible
Don’t throw away or recycle anything until you’ve maximized its use. If you can potentially reuse or repurpose an item, do so. This is especially important for things like plastic shopping bags. Don’t throw them away – keep them and use them on your next shopping trip. Consider if an item that has no more use for you could benefit someone else. For example, pass your daily newspaper on to a friend instead of immediately recycling it. Donate your old magazines to your local library. When you finish a bottle of spray cleaner, rinse it out and use it for a homemade cleaning solution made of vinegar and water.

Drive Smart
Your car contributes to a great deal of the toxins you release into the environment. If you can practice greener driving habits, you’ll make less of an impact on the world. One easy thing you can do to use less gas is to go easier on the brake and accelerator. Also, plan to do errands when you’re already driving near the store like when you come home from work or drop the kids off at school. If possible, team up with a friend by carpooling and doing your errands together.

Turn Things Off
Your lights and electrical gadgets are a big energy drain. Make sure you turn off the lights whenever you leave a room. Also, shut down your electronics when you’re not using them. Don’t leave the computer or TV running if it’s not in use. At the very least, make use of standby mode. Leaving lights and electronics on more than needed can waste a great deal of energy, so be more conscious of using the power button.

Terry Ford always uses a grammar checker to make sure her articles about a wide range of topics are as user-friendly as her eco friendly cosmetic bag.

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This post was originally posted here: Why You Should Dispose of Computer Equipment in an Environmentally Friendly Way

This piece on environmental safety is written by James, a blogger for one of the better accounting firms in Perth.

Recently, there has been increasing awareness of the potential pollution problems that come from used computer equipment.

In most cities the Local Government, or the group that is responsible for your rubbish collection, will have information on how to dispose of your electronic goods.

Here are the reasons why you should dispose of computer equipment correctly and ensure that it is recycled whenever possible.

Precious Metals

Computer and mobile phone circuitry contains expensive metals such as gold. This is useful for the economy and will help make future computer parts cheaper for you. It is far cheaper to extract gold and precious metals from a phone than it is to mine them from the ground.

Dangerous Metals

Phones and computer motherboards contain batteries, which are often a source of dangerous chemicals and heavy metals such as Lithium or Lead. The electrolytic pastes need to be disposed of or recycled properly to avoid them working their way into the topsoils and ground water supply.

Another big concern is mercury. This is present in fluorescent tubes (which should also be recycled) and LCD monitors. The mercury needs to be disposed of safely or it will become a pollutant in the local water supplies eventually. Typically this is solved at disposal facilities by reacting the Mercury with Sulfur dust. Sulfur dust is sprinkled across the crushed tubes to react with the Mercury and make it a little safer and not water soluble.

Old CRT monitors contain significant amounts of lead, so it is recommended that these are now disposed of at recycling facilities and not in general waste.

Glass and Plastics

Computer parts have a large amount of glass and plastic, which is very possible to recycle. Computer recyclers will do this as well. Flourescent tube glass is also recyclable and there are companies that do this.

Legal Requirements

In many countries, it is becoming law that large manufacturers of electronic goods be responsible for making sure that good recycling programs are in order. Most developed countries have the ability to recycle nearly any type of electronic goods. It is just a matter of contacting your local waste disposal firm and they can help you or point you in the right direction.

A Better Future

If you recycle your electronic goods, you are doing your part to prevent the leakage of dangerous metals and chemicals in to the local environment. Remember that your nearest landfill is actually not that far away from you, and the dangers of incorrect disposal of e-waste will only increase over the coming years.

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This post was originally posted here: 5 Easy Recycling Ideas to Save Our Landfills

Back when cavemen and women walked the earth, there wasn’t a lot of waste. If a guy’s stone club broke it was still, well, a stone. That’s not so today. We use a huge variety of products to the end of their life cycle and then struggle to dispose of them properly.

Here are 5 easy recycling ideas to help our landfills.

Cellphones and Other Electronics

Many of us have lost count of how many cellphones we’ve had over the years. These need to be properly disposed. There’s good news in the case of cellphones: many can be sold online for cash. Sellcell.com and Ecosquid.com are two sites that will hook you up with a company willing to buy your old phone. Just enter the make, model and condition and within a few seconds you’ll see if there’s cash in your old cellphone.

Try Buymytronics.com or Nextworth.com for other electronic items. They take a wide range electronic items, such as game consoles, computers, Blu-Ray players, audio systems, tablets, digital cameras and more. If you don’t want to bother with an eBay auction, or Craig’s List ad, this is the way to go.

If you would like to support a charity, take a look at eBay’s Rethink program, and for basic recycling, your local Best Buy store will take your old electronics off your hands for no charge. Apple will also take various electronics and computers and sometimes give you an Apple gift card.

Some cell phone providers have collection bins at their offices, especially near the holidays, to collect old cell phones for our troops. This enables our overseas soldiers to call home for Christmas.

Batteries: Big and Small

Rechargeable batteries can be recycled. There are valuable metals in the batteries, including cellphone batteries, that can be reclaimed and reused. Sometimes old batteries can be refurbished and resold. Find a drop off spot near you at Call2recycle. Call2Recycle donates a percentage of its proceeds to various charities.

For bigger batteries, car batteries specifically, local automotive garages and car part dealers often act as drop off points for recyclers. There may be a small fee assessed. The first place to check is wherever your battery initially came from. Also, local solid waste agencies may have a location that accepts batteries.

Plastic Bags and Packaging

Plastic is everywhere and we all probably have a horror story or two that involves wrestling with clamshell packaging. Fortunately, much of the plastic we encounter on a daily basis can be recycled, including grocery bags.

Many stores have a drop off location where you can stuff your used plastic bags. Of course, reusable bags are the best long term option, but for some families, toting around a boxful of strong, reusable bags isn’t a practical option. If your store isn’t recycling plastic bags point your browser over to Plasticbagrecycling.org and get connected to a local drop-off spot.

Other packaging, like plastic bottles, can usually be taken to your local recycler. Check the code on the bottom and find out which kinds of plastics are accepted.

Automotive oil

Frequent oil changes are absolutely necessary to prolong the life of your car’s engine, and fortunately modern oil lasts a bit longer than the oil we used to pour into our cars. However, Americans still go through a lot of oil. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that if everyone who changes their own motor oil recycled, it would save enough motor oil each year for more than 50 million automobiles. Pretty slick, huh?

With just a little research you’ll be able to find a service station or recycling center that will take your old oil. And, don’t forget about the used oil from marine engines, lawnmowers, farm equipment and other motors.

Wood

If you’ve ever done any remodeling, you probably have a good appreciation for the amount of debris that is created. Many of us remember to recycle our office paper in order to “save a tree” but we forget about all the wood scraps sitting around our yards and garages. Imagine the number of trees we could save!

The federal government estimates that they are more than 500 plants across the nation that will process your scrap wood and sometimes they’ll even pay between $12 and $24 for each ton. Call your local recycler to find the location nearest to you.

Those my 5 easy recycling ideas, but I suspect many of you have your own recycling tips you could share. How about it?

Chris Turberville-Tully is a marketing strategist for Denios, a hazardous material storage company in Germany specializing in health and safety products storage, containtment and spills.

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This post was originally posted here: Top Ways to Go Green in 2012

In need of some new ideas when it comes to going green? Make 2012 the year you finally finish your mission of turning your polluting homestead into an energy-efficient eco-friendly unit by hopping on the latest technology and techniques that help you lead a greener life. While you may not be able to afford everything on the list, these are no doubt the latest ways to save big on home energy:

Home energy automation: Think of home energy automation as nothing more than the ability for lights, appliances, and heating and cooling to all be placed under sophisticated computerized control. When nobody is detected in a room for thirty seconds, the lights turn off, when more people enter the home, the cooling is increased to make up for the added humidity. It sounds expensive, but thanks to wireless technology and the lowered cost of motion sensors and other detection equipment, home energy automation is cheaper than you think.

Water conservation: The most looming ecological issue of the 21st century is where humans are going to be getting their water. Indeed, the days of seemingly unlimited supplies of water are over. Say hello to a world where water saving devices are certain to become a normal installation in the majority of American homes. If you have the money to afford it, invest in such technology today.

Complete CFL conversion: This one is easy and cheap enough that just about anybody can do it. And, thanks to federal law, it’s kind of a requirement. By replacing all your traditional bulbs with CFLs, you’ll save roughly $40 for each socket over the course of your new bulbs’ lives. Convert those savings to energy savings and it’s clear that this is an eco-friendly measure every family ought to be putting into practice.

Cool roof conversion: In addition to updating your lighting fixtures, another relatively easy and inexpensive home energy saving strategy is to paint your roof white. Apart from figuring out a way to get the supplies on and off the roof, it’s no harder than painting a room. Afterward, you can look forward to anything from 10-20 degrees of heat being removed from your upper floors thanks to the sun’s rays being reflected instead of absorbed by your roof.

Geothermal heating and cooling: While this sounds incredibly complex and expensive, it couldn’t be farther from either. Truth be told, geothermal heating and cooling is perhaps the most simple and efficient form of home climate control. It works like this: no matter the weather, the temperature in the ground never moves much around the mid-60s. In the summer, warm air is sent through the cooler ground via pipes and vented back into the home, and in the winter the cold air goes through an identical process and returns warmer than it was. This sure beats the energy used in traditional forms of heating and cooling.

If you’re out of green ideas already this year, here are five ones to seriously consider. Some aren’t exactly for the cash-strapped among us, but all are certain to make a difference in the energy effeciency and eco-friendliness of our homes.

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This post was originally posted here: Creative Ways to Save Ink and Paper

If you do a lot of printing at home, it can get fairly expensive. You’re continually using up your ink and paper supplies, and those items aren’t cheap. Ink especially can be very costly. If you want to save on ink and paper, you have to be very conscious of your printer usage. If it’s difficult or impossible for you to cut back on the number of documents you print, here are some creative ways you can conserve ink and paper and save money.

Font
When you’re printing the documents you create, are you using an ink-friendly font? Avoid printing bold or underlined type whenever possible, for example, and use as small a font size as you can manage. Also, consider purchasing a font that is designed to use 20 percent less ink. It’s called Ecofont, and you can download it at Ecofont.com for as little as $24.95. It can save you approximately $50 per year on ink, and as you continue to use it for years to come, the savings will add up and be more than worth it.

Selective Printing
You could be wasting tons of ink and paper by directly printing websites and emails from the original site. You’ll print the article or picture you want, but you’ll also get everything else on the page including unnecessary ads. Try a website like PrintWhatYouLike.com to help you print more selectively. Just enter a URL, and you’ll be able to easily and quickly delete anything you don’t need before printing. If you need to print an email, consider copying and pasting only the relevant content into a Word document. Then you can even adjust the font style or size, or choose your Ecofont, to save more.

Scrap Paper
A great way to save paper is to keep a collection of scrap paper to use for printing. Consider every paper you no longer need and would otherwise recycle to be potential scrap paper. You may receive a promotional flyer for a community activity, for example, or a non-essential letter from your health insurance company. Any of these papers that do not have double-sided print can be saved as scrap paper. The next time you need to print something where the back of the paper won’t matter, such as a coupon or to-do list, just use paper from your scrap pile.

Old Ink Cartridges
When you’re nearing the end of your ink supply, don’t take your printer’s word for the lack of ink. When your computer notifies you that your supply is running low, remove your ink cartridge, wipe it lightly with a damp paper towel, and replace. This may help the last of the ink flow out. Then, use your cartridges until the very last drop when the text on your documents is no longer visible rather than inserting a new cartridge as soon as you get the warning.  

Double-Sided Printing
You’ll also save twice as much paper if you print double-sided documents rather than let everything have a blank back. If you don’t have a printer that automatically creates double-sided documents, do it manually. It may take a few minutes extra time and be slightly annoying, but by printing documents page-by-page and manually reinserting the paper, you’ll save a great deal.

Terry Ford has lived overseas and found that having a good international wireless phone service is key to stay in touch with your family.  A grammar checker helps her writing be clear and concise.

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This post was originally posted here: Should We Ban Plastic Bags?

If you’ve ever been caught out in a supermarket without your re-usable Bag for Life, you’ve probably endured the checkout assistant’s withering stare, and been made to feel like you’re singlehandedly responsible for global warming, deforestation, and the extinction of half a dozen exotic species.

Plastic bags have a very bad reputation. They’ve become adopted as the sign of how wasteful our culture is. But are they really that bad? Should we ban plastic bags, and if we do, what should take their place?

Encouraging Re-Use

Plastic bags do pose some problems for the environment. Some bags (but not all), take a long time to degrade. If they’re not disposed of properly they can cause all sorts of problems for animals that get tangled up in them or attempt to eat them. If they get washed away to sea, they can release all kinds of toxins into the water, harming our already fragile marine eco-balance.

However, some alternatives aren’t much better. Paper bags, used by many high-end stores, require more energy to produce; are more likely to rip, tear, or decay if it’s raining; and are usually single use items. A plastic bag can be scrunched up in your pocket when you get home, and re-used on your next shopping trip.

More widespread recycling of plastic bags, and other plastic-containing items such as jiffy bags and plastic containers, would go a long way towards offsetting some of these environmental problems.

The environment agency has calculated that cloth bags – much loved by the eco-conscious – must be used 131 times before they have “paid off” their environmental impact compared to a single plastic bag. So, if you’re the kind that buys and loses bags, or forgets to re-use them, then you’re probably doing more harm than good!

The hardwearing plastic Bags for Life are a nice compromise – they’re thicker, stronger, and longer lasting than standard plastic bags, so they can be used for longer before they need disposed of. However, unless customers know that they should recycle the bags (rather than sending them to landfill), there’s still the risk of the bags damaging the environment at the end of their life cycle.

The Best Option – No Bag!

The best option, it seems, is to not use a bag at all. Of course, that option is only viable if you live close to a shop and choose to walk there to pick up items as and when you need them. If you drive to the shop, you may as well stock up on a lot of items in one go to save on fuel.

There are other occasions when packaging is a requirement, too. The ubiquitous jiffy bags, used by ebay sellers, catalogues, and mail order companies, are not widely recycled, thanks to their annoying mix of plastic and paper. Some independent sellers do try to re-use jiffy bags by peeling off postage labels and sticking new ones on, but in a world where appearances count, recycled jiffy bags create the image of a cheap seller, not an environmentally friendly one.

Written by Amy Fowler on behalf of UK Packaging; suppliers of jiffy bags and other forms of packaging that they strongly urge customers to reuse!

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This post was originally posted here: 5 Steps to Tree Transplanting Success

Moving trees and shrubs from one location to another comes with a significant margin of sensitivity. However, understanding when and how to transplant trees and other plants aids in the success of the endeavor. Knowing the right conditions for planting a tree or shrub is crucial to the rooting process, and the eventual maturity of the plant. Here are five great tips for successfully transplanting a tree to a suitable location.

Right Season
Though some trees aren’t affected by extreme weather conditions, most require moderate temperatures to thrive. It’s best to transplant a tree in early spring before the first buds appear and the ground is thawed from the winter.
Trees can also be planted in late fall after the leaves have dropped. Geographic locations with moderate winter temperatures are more suited for late fall planting than Northern areas where the ground freezes earlier in the season.

Ideal Location
The type of tree or shrub you are transplanting ultimately determines the right location for it to flourish. The environmental factors that contribute to optimal growth include adequate exposure to light, water sources, fertile soil, and wind exposure.
Testing the soil pH and moisture level will help determine if the soil will support your tree. Many times adding organic compost to the dig site can encourage your tree to root more effectively.

Suitable Tools
When digging up a tree it’s important to use a sharp spade to cut roots with a clean edge. As soon as the tree roots are exposed they must be completely severed before the tree can be uprooted.
Small deciduous trees and shrubs can be removed without the soil ball, since soil can get very heavy. Yet typically any tree or shrub should be removed with a soil ball sat least two-thirds of the branch spread. Large trees require digging a trench below the major roots, typically about 15-24 inches. However, small shrubs do not require this method.

Proper Planting
Digging the right size hole, both in depth and diameter, is very important for successful root growth. The hole should be two or three times the circumference of the root ball and deep enough to submerge the entire root ball while keeping the top level with the surface. If the soil is hard-packed or contains clay rough the walls of the hole with the tip of the shovel to allow the roots to spread. Adding water to the soil can prevent initial postplanting water to permeate the surrounding soil.

Tree Maintenance
Watering a newly planted tree too much or too little can be devastating to new roots. Water the tree immediately and then every 10-14 days afterward if there isn’t regular rainfall. Placing mulch around the base of the tree helps insulate the root ball and retain moisture levels. Adding fertilizer jumpstarts the rooting process, but excess nutrients are typically unnecessary if the soil pH is ideal. However, if a tree fails to thrive or grows slower than expected it may require support. Cabling, bracing, or staking strengthens the trunk and feeble branches of the tree, while pruning can reduce the weight of the canopy to encourage a better growth rate.

Any uprooted plant is fragile and extremely perishable, so it’s important to get it into the ground as soon as possible. It’s best to determine a location and dig a hole in advance so the tree can go directly into its new home. If there is a reason for delay, make sure to store your tree properly. Wrap the root ball with a damp material that doesn’t restrict airflow. Protect the canopy from wind, sun, and extreme weather exposure until it’s ready for planting.

Syd Martin is a writer for Premiere Tree Services and enjoys writing articles about trees and nature, green living and environmental issues.

This post was originally posted here: 5 Celebrity Eco Homes

Many celebrities spend their fortunes on large lavish homes with stunning appliances, large open spaces and state-of-the-art technologies. However, a new trend is emerging amongst celebrities for eco-friendly green houses that help the environment. Some of these homes actually create enough energy that they contribute to the national grid, whilst others will never have to pay a penny in energy bills. But even though these homes are green, they are most definitely not boring – read below for 5 celebrity eco homes that are large, expensive and over-the-top.

1) Darryl Hannah

Darryl Hannah is well-known on the celebrity circuit for her environmental work as much as she’s known for her acting work and appearances in some of the biggest-grossing movies of our time. Her converted coaching inn is situated up in the Rocky Mountains and is pretty much entirely solar-powered, with a bio-diesel generator to provide electricity just in case there isn’t enough sun! Next door to the coaching house, Darryl also has a huge winterised barn made from reclaimed wood – and inside, Darryl has a huge stone covered with moss that also doubles as a (rather uncomfortable) sofa.

2) Orlando Bloom

International film star and all round lovely celebrity Orlando Bloom is a green machine – green paper, the Orlando Sentinel (namesake Mr. Bloom) described how Orlando was building his very own eco-friendly home in London, using the very best state-of-the-art green technology, such as special insulating glass, solar panels and energy-efficient light bulbs. Orlando said that the finished home cost nearly twice as much as he’d budgeted, probably because of the new technologies included, but he’s also keen to stress that being green isn’t about spending money – unplugging your phone charger or using different light bulbs is a step in the right direction.

3) Leonardo DiCaprio

Although Mr. DiCaprio used to be well-known for being a heartthrob as well as a brilliant actor, these days he’s less about the image and more about being eco-friendly. Leonardo has discussed living green with Oprah and even interviewed Bill Clinton on climate change a few years back. His home is filled with green technology, including solar panels, organic bed sheets as well as a $3,000 energy-efficient toilet. (No, we don’t know how a toiler can be energy-efficient either).

4) Johnny Depp

Reclusive film star Johnny Depp has his own Caribbean island that he’s currently in the process of turning into a fully self-sustaining off grid property that runs only on solar power and hydro power. The island is a 35 acre plot and we’ve no doubt it will be one of the most stunning celebrity homes we’ve ever seen when it’s finished – it’s just a shame about his commute to work!

5) Jessica Alba

Leading lady Jessica Alba is 5th on our list with her sustainable green home. It seems that since Alba became a parent, she’s turned into a bit of an eco-warrior – her home is decorated in entirely non-toxic paint and is furnished with bits and bobs made from recycled material. There’s also plenty of art made from recycled materials and she also has ‘grass’ made from recycled tyres in her back garden. And her eco status doesn’t just end in the home – she also makes every effort to dress her little one in organic clothing.

This article was produced by Liberty Games, who can sell you an air hockey table for your home as well as loads of other great games room gear.

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This post was originally posted here: How to Create Sustainable Living at Home

Sustainability is the big buzz word in the environmental movement today. But it’s not just something for huge companies. We can all create a sustainable lifestyle in our own homes. Here are some tips on getting started.

Use Wind Power

If you’ve got the space and the money consider getting a home wind turbine. You can’t get much cleaner energy then wind energy so it’s a good place to start. Many councils offer grants for this environmentally friendly initiative and you can often generate enough electricity to power your whole house and even sell some back to the National Grid. Not only will you reduce your own electricity consumption but you will also be putting something back – and you will make some money too.

Solar Energy

If you happen to be living in a place that gets a lot of sunshine then consider installing solar panels so that you can use solar energy to heat your water. Again, this is another way to reduce your consumption of fossil fuels.

Reduce Consumption

As well as generating your own electricity you also need to cut down on your electricity consumption. There are several ways that you can do this. Amazingly, just turning off electronic devices instead of leaving them on standby can reduce your electricity bill considerably. If on top of that you also install energy-saving light bulbs and turn off lights when you’re not in a room you could cut your electricity bill even more.

Save Water

Sustainable living is also about saving water. Again, there are lots of ways to use water more wisely. For example, you can collect run-off water from your shower in plastic bottles and use this water to water your house plants or for tasks such as washing your garden tools. It’s always a good idea to check your plumbing and make sure that you have no leaks as this can waste a lot of water over the course of a year.

The 3 Rs – Or Should It Be 4?

Let’s not forget about the 3Rs. Reduce, reuse and recycle has now been joined by a fourth: refuse. That means refusing unnecessary packaging as well as recycling wherever you can, reusing bags and containers and generally reducing your consumption and the amount of waste going into landfill. At home, not only can you recycle but you can use a composter to reduce vegetable waste.

Finally, think about transport. Perhaps you can walk to your local shop instead of driving to the supermarket. Not only does that reduce food miles but it helps to support local business. Maybe you can share a car with someone in order to go to work or even take public transport. There are lots of ways that you can cut down on your consumption of fossil fuels to help preserve the environment.

Freelance writer Sharon Hurley Hall tries to make green choices. Today she writes for the leading London water cooler company, Eden Springs, who are certified carbon neutral.

This post was originally posted here: 5 Top Ways How You Can Create A Green Home Office For Free

A lot of people think that green computing is complicated, expensive or simply something that doesn’t concern them. There are also many people that think they are being green and doing their bit, yet they are not. For example, many people will throw away their computer and upgrade it to a more energy efficient computer. Sounds like the right thing to do doesn’t it? Well it’s not. The extra power and materials required to build your new computer and the fact that your old computer may end up in a landfill somewhere means that replacing your computer is often one of the least green things you can do!

There are actually plenty of ways that you can start transforming your home office into a green office, without spending loads of money on a new low power pc. These next 5 simple steps will help you to reduce the amount of money that you are spending and the amount of waste you are producing.

Clean your computer!

There is plenty of software available, much of which is free of included with your computer when you buy it which can help to clean your computer up by removing temporary files, arranging the files on your computer in a certain order and tweaking settings so that your computer runs more efficiently.

Switch It Off!

It may sound obvious, but if you are not using your computer, turn it off. Even if you have a low power computer, turning it off will save a considerable amount of energy. If you are leaving it for a short period of time, ensure that you have turned the monitors off but leave the computer on.

Pause Before Printing!

Do you really need to print that email off? What about that funny picture? Before you send something to print, just pause for a second and think about if you really need to print it. Could it be saved on the computer instead? If you are sending it to someone, how about sending it via email instead?

Recharge Rather Than Replace!

If you are using batteries in anything, for example a wireless keyboards and mouse or digital camera, try to use rechargeable batteries rather than standard batteries. This will not only save you money and save the environment, but it’s also a lot more convenient than having to go to the shop for batteries all the time.

Research Before Buying!

When your computer packs up, your printer decides to stop printing or your monitor fades out, don’t just run out and buy the cheapest computer you can find. Shop around for green, low power alternatives. They may cost you a little bit more at the start, but you will save money and the planet in the long run.

The author writes about a range of technology products and services, covering everything from Green IT and computer recycling, through to the latest video games consoles and mobile phones.

This post was originally posted here: Four Things to Look for in Commercial Water Filtration

It’s just as important to have tasty, clean water in your place of business as it is to have it in your home. This is why it is a good idea to look into a commercial water filtration system.

Keep in mind that a commercial water softener isn’t the same thing as a filtration system. Softeners can often do undesirable things to the water, and they aren’t the best bet when it comes to the environment, either.

Whole-house (or whole-building, in the case of your business) filtration systems are your best bet in terms of quality and environmental safety. Here are four reasons why whole-building filtration systems are superior to others.

1) Gets Rid of Contaminants Without Adding Contaminants

One thing that most water filter systems and softeners do (if they are any good at all) is remove contaminants like lead and other potentially harmful impurities from the water.

Another thing that these kinds of filters do — which you may not be aware of — is to add other contaminants to the very same water! Softeners often use salt to purify the water, which isn’t toxic to you, but is toxic to the soil and permeates the water table. Salt is also something you don’t want to inadvertently add to your diet — it can raise blood pressure.

Natural water filtration systems like LifeSource, on the other hand, use plant matter to purify the water without adding anything harmful to it. These filtration systems use coconut shell granules, gleaned from coconuts used in food production. This doesn’t add anything to your water, is safe for the soil and water table, and actually maintains beneficial minerals for your health.

2) Safe for a Variety of Tasks

Drinking isn’t the only thing you can do with water filtered naturally. These whole-building filtration systems filter every bit of water as it enters your building, so you can use pure, clean H2O for everything, from washing dishes to watering landscaping plants outside. You can even give it to in-office pets, if you have any.

3) Environmentally Friendly Option

In addition to being safe for the soil and the water table, water filtered through a whole-house filtration system doesn’t create any waste. Although you might have to replace components of your system after many years, you will never have to invest in bottled water again.

4) Low Cost & Long Life

One of the best things about whole-house filtration is that it is one of the lowest cost options for drinking water and it lasts for decades. On average, whole-house filtration costs fractions of a penny per gallon. And unlike other filtration systems, you don’t have to bother with replacing filters or adding attachments to every sink in the building.

If you are interested in learning more or purchasing a water filtration system for your commercial property, go to: www.lifesourcewater.com.

To Jim, writing is everything. The topic he most enjoys writing about is water. If you’d like more information regarding Commercial Water Softener, please visit http://www.lifesourcewater.com/

This post was originally posted here: 5 Ways to Make Your Wedding More Eco Friendly

Your special day is finally on its way!  With all the bells and whistles (and stress and headaches) that come with wedding planning, you might not have considered that your wedding could ever be made easily green.  But you can make it even more special as you plan ways to help out the earth by helping yourself as well when you consider these five tips to make your wedding more eco-friendly.

The rings.  As controversy grows over mining practices that involve precious gems traditionally used in wedding ceremonies, you can simply eschew diamonds altogether.  However, if diamonds are a must, research jewelry stores that stock precious gems and will certify that their products have been ethically and environmentally mined.  As an alternative, titanium rings are increasingly popular.  You can also consider antique jewelry, which are romantic as well as classic.  Think about using heirloom jewelry.  Imagine the romance inherent in using your grandparents’ or even your great-grandparents’ wedding rings.  You can have them reset or recut to suit you and future spouse.

Cut the rice.  You may have noticed that tossing rice is out … bubbles and bird seed are in!  Bubbles are aesthetically more pleasing, but if you’re worried about any potential soap pollution, you can substitute bird seed instead.  Place cards and party favors aren’t strictly necessary, so you can cut them altogether if you wish.  If you don’t wish, you can also offer guests garden seeds as party favors that are inexpensive and green to boot.

The great outdoors! Reduce your carbon footprint by skipping the church and reception hall and holding both events at an outdoor location.  You will save on electricity and enjoy the flattering benefits of natural light.  You can also save on flowers by choosing a location with a bounty of beautiful flora that will not be thrown away after the ceremony concludes.  And since destination weddings require lots of travel that create lots of emissions, help out the environment by choosing a location closer to home.

The invitations.  Cyber-invitations or using social networking websites are growing increasingly popular.  They also save paper and postage as well as the energy required to deliver them.  If you feel that some of your guests will be insulted when receiving an online invite, you can purchase (or better yet, make your own) invitations using recycled paper and vegetable-based inks.  No one will be able to tell the difference.

Attire.  You can scan the internet for the used dress of your dreams, and even if you don’t, you can always alter it yourself or hire a tailor to help you build your own unique wedding gown.  In that vein, you can embrace the traditional side of your family by wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress.  If you are planning to buy a tux, considering renting instead.  Select cocktail dresses for your bridesmaids that they can wear again at non-wedding functions, and see if your groomsmen can provide their own similar pants and shirts.

You can have your special day and help to save the earth at the same time without sacrificing the aesthetics that will make your wedding perfect.

Sarah Danielson writes for Los Willows, the premier San Diego wedding venue.

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Holiday Party Tips

Planning a party around the holidays can certainly be a hassle, what with having a full calendar of events to contend with, not to mention shopping, wrapping, and shipping presents, baking and cooking galore, and hosting family and friends that you only see once a year.  And yet, when all of your loved ones are gathered in your home, dressed to the nines and having a great time, you’re going to feel great about all your hard work on the front end – at least until you see the mountain of trash and realize that your moment of joy could have a long-term negative impact on the Earth.  So if you love to throw a lavish holiday party but you’re tired of all the pollution and waste that go into it, here are just a few tips to help you green up your white Christmas (or other holiday).

1. Food.  Doubtless the most important part of any party (holiday or otherwise) is the food.  When people come to your house you want them to leave happy and satisfied, and that starts with a good spread on the buffet table.  But if you only knew how much damage can be done with even a simple slate of catering you might not be so quick to cook up the holiday faves.  Luckily, there is a way to combat the chemical pollution and hydrocarbon emissions that are part and parcel of the food industry.  Simply buy local and organic foods for your feast.  You may even find that there are artisan vineyards or craft breweries in your area that create organic alcohol, as well.
2. Serving.  Plastic plates are handy, to be sure, but they’re also terrible for the planet.  The problem with most disposable products is that they are non-biodegradable.  So instead of increasing the size of the landfill, opt for green alternatives that are just as easy for you.  Bare paper plates, for example, are sustainably created (with renewable sugar cane) and they are also compostable.  Of course, if you’re looking for one-stop shopping, you may want to check out worldcentric.org.  They can meet all of your serving needs with green options for plates, cups, flatware, and even containers with lids to send home leftovers.
3. Decorations.  This is where the eco-friendly side of party planning starts to get fun, because there are so many ways to green up the décor.  For starters, get fancy with the linens.  Skip the paper products and go with tablecloths, napkins, runners, and more made from organic fabrics with holiday print.  And for centerpieces, use nature for inspiration.  Go for a walk in the woods to collect fallen pinecones, branches, and even interesting rocks to place in a bowl with a bit of ribbon.
4. Flowers.  Cut flowers are pretty (and pretty easy), but on the whole, not so eco-friendly (unless you’re growing them yourself).  Instead, think about adding some color to your space with potted plants (even a small, potted pine tree could be neat since you can decorate it) or get trendy by cutting out paper floral arrangements.  You’ll be surprised how fancy they look and you have a million options when it comes to recycled paper products.
5. Entertainment.  Even if you’re doing corporate entertainment New York style or you’re planning a party in Vegas this holiday season, there’s no reason you can’t find ways to do it that are a little kinder to the Earth.  Hiring local performers is a must since you don’t want to ship people in (adding to greenhouse gas emissions).  But perhaps you can simply pull out the piano bench and get everyone in the holiday spirit with a few carols.

This post was originally posted here: Preparing for Christmas in an Eco-friendly and Cost Effective Manner

Christmas is a time for celebration, but also a time of excessive waste. With the copious amounts of food and drink being bought and not consumed, a great deal of money and valuable food resources get wasted. Not only is this bad for the environment, it’s also bad for your finances as you indulge in an almighty and unnecessary Christmas splurge. Instead of heading off to the supermarket and filling your trolley with an abundance of tasty treats which are destined for the garbage heap rather than your stomach, think about the environment and your finances this Christmas.

Food and Drink

Doing the Christmas shop is a dangerous task for all involved, with the advertisements of slashed prices surrounding you as you take a trip down the aisles it can be hard to only buy what you initially intended to. The best way around this is to make a list and have no exceptions (no matter how good the deal on chocolate biscuits are, do you really need 10 packs for your family of four?)

Beware of “bogus” deals in supermarkets too, as part of their marketing strategy they make a big deal about a price reduction when really it isn’t a valuable saving at all. Supermarkets have been known to advertise deals such as “buy 2 for X amount” and when you calculate the saving it’s actually more expensive to buy two! Beware of these bogus deals, if you see a bid reduction sign, calculate just how much of a saving you’re making before jumping in a purchasing.

Make sure you have adequate freezer space for your Christmas day vegetables. You’re guaranteed to buy too much veg, in which case you can either freeze it or make a winter vegetable soup to serve as a starter before your Christmas day meal.

Presents

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without presents wrapped in festive paper! This paper however, can produce an excessive amount of waste and be contributing to deforestation. Try to recycle any wrapping paper, always check with your local authority to see if they accept wrapping paper for recycling. Try to use minimal sticky tape too as this makes recycling the paper increasingly difficult. Alternatively, purchase some recycled wrapping paper which hasn’t contributed to deforestation.

Heating the Home

If you’re entertaining on Christmas day, you’ll want to ensure your guests are warm and comfortable as it can be rather chilly over the festive period. Ensure all guest rooms are equipped with additional blankets and hot water bottles so you don’t have to leave your heating on overnight. Try to keep all your guests in one room too, and turn individual radiators on as required rather than having them all on throughout the house.

When entertaining this Christmas try to minimise your amount of food, energy and paper waste. Christmas is a time of giving and thinking of others, so think of the environment! Before picking up those last loaves of bread off the shelves, just ask yourself “are they really going to get eaten?” most of the time, they probably won’t!

This guest post is written by Stephanie Staszko who writes for Solar Choice solar pv panels you can catch her on Twitter @StephStaz where she talks about eco-friendliness, money saving tips and home improvement.

This post was originally posted here: How HR Can Help Make Your Office Green

How HR Can Help Make Your Office Green

Maybe it’s because when you think of HR, you think of paperwork, or because HR takes the responsibility for employee satisfaction and more companies are realising that environmental awareness is important to their employees. For whatever reason, human resources departments are the ones who tend to institute “green” practices at the office. “Many employers now recognise that green programs in the workplace can promote social responsibility among workers and help retain top talent,” said Don Sanford, managing director of Buck Consultants, a human resources and benefits consulting firm. Luckily, going green at the office isn’t difficult. Here are several areas where you can easily incorporate a more environmentally conscious mentality:

• Use the internet or teleconferencing to cut down on business travel
• Put employee manuals, policies or other company information online to reduce printing
• Promote the reduction of paper usage
• Store paperwork electronically
• Provide recycling trash bins for paper around the office and for bottles and cans in the break area
• Start telecommuting/work from home programs
• Institute Ride/Share programs

Research has shown that employee involvement in green programs dramatically increases when organisations appoint one employee to lead the efforts. Encourage this individual to start a companywide movement toward:

Purchasing Green Office Products There is a large range of ‘green’ office products available that help lower waste, lower energy usage, and use a lesser amount of chemicals than traditional products. A good example is Flyerzone, an online printing company. The company sells a number of office products, such as business cards which are designed using a network of designers. Also on offer are leaflets, flyers and office stationary – all of which are produced in an environmentally friendly way.

Ink & Toner Cartridges Several retail stores offer consumers the ability to purchase remanufactured ink and toner cartridges, which cost up to 15 per cent less than traditional cartridges. Also remember that you can recycle your used cartridges.

PCR Paper PCR paper is made of Post-Consumer Recycled content and is the same quality as non-recycled paper.

Energy Star Electronics When buying office electronics, such as computers or printers, look for those with Energy Star labels. These products automatically shut down if they are not in use, so they use up to 75 per cent less energy.

Saving Energy The entire company can easily help conserve energy and energy costs with a few simple changes.

Be Bright About Light Use natural light when you can, and make it a habit to turn off the lights when you’re leaving any room for 15 minutes or more.

Go Fluorescent You can save up to 75 per cent of lighting energy by using Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs and also help reduce maintenance costs.

Use Power Strips An additional 75 per cent of energy can be conserved when you use power strips to power your electronics. It’s easy to turn the power strip off at the end of the day, and on every morning, rather than letting electronics run 24/7.

Eating In If the company provides a comfortable, relaxing area for employees to spend lunch and snack times, many will pack a lunch instead of consuming fuel to go out to eat. Decorating with real plants, when possible, will also help clean the air.

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This post was originally posted here: Gift Ideas For Your Green Friends

Over the last few decades our society’s awareness of the environment has grown significantly. With the evidence of the impact of our consumption on the earth and growing energy costs, we are all trying to reduce waste and our energy consumption. We all have more eco-conscious friends that are making large efforts to change their lifestyles while the rest of us are making much smaller changes. Environmentally conscience friends may seem a little difficult to shop for but the tips below will help you shop for all of your friends.

Support Their Favorite Organizations

When it comes to exchanging gifts, many friends would prefer to see that their favorite organizations get the support needed to continue work for the environment. Consider making a donation in your friends’ names to an environmental organization. If you do prefer to give them a personalized gift, several non-profit organizations partner with retailers to offer items with proceeds to benefit the organization. These items are often designed so that the wearer or buyer can raise awareness and show others their support for the organization. A gift in support of worthy organization would also be a welcomed gift.

Make Your Friends Handmade Gifts

A personalized homemade gift expresses the spirit of the season and shows generosity without the trappings of consumerism. If you have creative talents you can express them in your gifts.

Your friends may appreciate a basket of homemade muffins, cookies, or fudge. If they have any dietary restrictions or their favorite ingredients you may want to keep that in mind when considering what to make for them. If you can make jewelry, a beautiful bracelet or necklace crafted especially for them using sustainable materials may be a complement their taste.

If you are a photographer a framed print of a landscape or portrait with special meaning for the receiver would be treasured.

Give Gifts of Experiences

Some of our fondest memories are of experiences with friends and family. Why not give your green friends a gift that you can share with them. Give your friend tickets to a game or concert you know they will enjoy. A gift certificate for a massage may be a welcome luxury that they may not purchase or experience for themselves often. A dance or music class, and joining them so they have a partner with which to practice, may be an especially thoughtful gift. Gift certificates for a dinner out to a sustainable restaurant with a philosophy in line with their own would be a special treat.

With any friend, it’s the thought that matters. With your more enviromentally friendly purchases, though, more often than not, you find yourself buying more appropriate and personal gifts anyway. Why not buy green for all your friends this year – not just those you know would prefer you limit your consumable spending?

Jackie Ryan works frequently with a company that encorages everyone to think a bit greener with everything from rubbermaid recycle bins to proper waste receptacles. She wishes everyone a safe and healthy holiday season, and hopes that everyone gets to spend time with family and friends.

This post was originally posted here: Being Green, Good for You, Good for the Planet

There seems to be a lot of debate over whether being “green” is a good strategy for people to adopt. Those that argue for it claim that being “green” helps to save the planet, while those that argue against it claim that the effort is not worth the outcomes. The truth is that being green is not only good for the planet, but it also is good for your quality of life as well.

Being “green” has been portrayed as a cumbersome process that requires lowering your standards of living and engaging in time consuming processes. In actuality, being green is very simple and it can be done by making small changes to your routine. For example, using energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances is a good way to be green, as is recycling, planting a garden and buying produce grown locally. These small changes allow you to enjoy your lifestyle, while still reducing your carbon footprint.

Change is something that most people resist, even if it is for their own good. One reason people resist making “green” changes to their life is that they just do not understand what the change involves or how it will benefit them. These are the issues that need to be clarified.

Becoming Green Painlessly

As mentioned above, there are many simple steps you can take to become “green.” In addition to the steps already mentioned here are a few more ways to quickly reduce your carbon footprint: (1) walk or ride your bike, (2) reuse your plastic grocery bags, (3) turn off lights in rooms you are not using, (4) reduce your weekly mileage (driving), (5) take the bus instead of driving your own car, (6) plant trees and other plants, (7) compost your organic waste, (8) select products that are nontoxic and biodegradable and (9) find ways to reuse materials.

Understand the Value of Being Green

It is easy to just say that being green is important, but many people who are resisting green practices are doing so because they do not understand its value. For example, they do not know that by restoring ecological health to riparian (riverside) ecosystems that they are protecting their homes and communities from floods, erosion and landslides, or that by disposing of their toxic materials in the right way can help protect the quality of their drinking water. As you examine each green strategy you begin to realize that being green is not just about saving the planet, it is about protecting your own quality of life.

The more effort you put into being green the off your quality of life will become. Think about the changes you can make to enhance the quality of the air you breathe, the water your drink and the environment you live in. As these factors improve, your risk rates for cancer, illness and premature death will go down. Now that is not a bad trade off for putting a little more effort into the decisions that you make on a daily basis.

Madeline Binder is an education specialist who is interested in enhancing the quality of life of her readers. She does so by helping students to become of aware of their environment by doing solar energy science fair projects.

This post was originally posted here: How Green is Your Love Life?

Think back to your most recent date night.  If it was your average, run-of-the-mill sort of date, you probably did a lot of damage to the environment in the process.  First you probably picked up your date and drove to a restaurant, polluting the air with hydrocarbons the whole way.  Then you ate a meal that consisted of meats, vegetable, grains and so on that were full of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and potentially a whole host of chemical dyes and preservatives.  You may have thought it tasted pretty good, despite the fact that the growing, raising, and manufacturing processes spread massive amounts of pollutants into the soil, water, and air (and that’s not even considering the shipping).  Maybe you went to a movie after and spent two hours in an air-conditioned theater being entertained by energy-guzzling electronics.  Finally it was time to return to your place for a little romancing, complete with electric lights and music, not to mention disposable prophylactics.

So, yeah, in case you didn’t know, your average date is not very eco-friendly.  And when you consider the entire history of a single love life, the pollution and waste are astronomical.  So what can you do if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint while you’re looking for love?  There are actually plenty of options to create a romantic relationship that meets your physical, mental, and emotional needs even while doing less harm to the environment.  And since you’ll eventually find that special someone that you want to build a future with, it behooves you to ensure that the planet will still be habitable in 20, 50, or 100 years (hey, people are living a lot longer these days!).

When it comes to dining, which is often an integral part of our dating lives, you should consider making your own food (where you can easily control the supply chain and cut back on waste and pollution) or else seek out eco-minded restaurateurs.  Look for establishments that use organic produce and meats, contract to local farms for fresh foodstuffs, and take steps to conserve water and energy within their walls.  And if you live in a temperate climate, consider going local so that you can ride your bike or walk to the restaurant instead of driving.

As for entertainment, you can go for a hike, star-gaze, or play a game (strip poker?).  There are all kinds of interesting ways to entertain your date that don’t involve ruining the atmosphere in the process and most prospective love interests will find your creativity in this matter both refreshing and appealing.  Of course, there is always bedroom sport to keep you entertained (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).  But unless you want to start looking for STD testing locations the following day you should probably still use protection.  And here you can go green, as well.  You’ll want to skip polyurethane condoms; this plastic is not only non-biodegradable, but some people have an allergic reaction to it. Natural lambskin is totally biodegradable, but it will only protect against pregnancy, not STDs.  So your best bet is latex, which takes many years to biodegrade, but does so eventually (provided it is not submerged in water, so don’t flush it!).

This post was originally posted here: Eco-Friendly Ways to Exterminate Bed Bugs

A few short years ago, you probably only heard about bed bugs when it was time for the kids to go to bed and you told them to sleep tight before cryptically warning them not to let the little buggers bite.  These days the fast-spreading parasites have become so prevalent in large cities that there are task forces (complete with bed-bug sniffing dogs) to ferret them out and bug-bomb them into oblivion.  Of course, the chemical pesticides used to exterminate bed bugs are probably more harmful than the biting blighters themselves.  So if you’re concerned about bed bugs in your home and you’re looking for a few less-toxic methods of removal, here are some green treatments that will help to get your home bed-bug free.

1. Rubbing alcohol.  It is extremely rare to find bed bugs on people or pets simply because they come out to feed nocturnally and then return to a hiding place during the day (and they don’t like to be disturbed).  However, should you wake up to find them using you as a buffet, you can effectively kill the little freeloaders with rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol).  It is safe to use on both humans and animals (although you should rinse after as it can dry out your skin).
2. Heat.  This is one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs, especially if you’re not interested in throwing away your mattress, carpeting, and other plush furnishings.  Clothing can easily be treated by throwing it in a washing machine with hot water, and a handheld steam cleaner can be used to go over your mattress, furniture, and carpeting (pay special attention to edges).  However, you may have no real choice but to toss some items (like a headboard, which will warp if treated with steam).
3. Cold.  There may be small items that you don’t necessarily want to expose to steam heat, and luckily, cold works just as well.  You can place small items in a freezer to kill any bedbugs that may be hiding on them.  But remember to vacuum thoroughly after treating with heat or cold to remove bug remains and larvae left behind.
4. Green pesticides.  Unfortunately, there’s really no way to guarantee bed bugs are all gone without the use of pesticides.  However, there are green options; diatomaceous earth is a good place to start as it is both natural and a known insecticide.
5. Forethought.  Okay, so this isn’t very useful after the fact, but if you’ve had bed bugs, you definitely won’t want to deal with them again.  And if you know the history of bed bugs, then you’re probably aware that once they move in, they’re darn difficult to get rid of for good.  In fact, it took a targeted regimen of continual chemical bombardment to remove them in the first place (at least on a large scale).  Although we got a good 30+ years without any major infestations, who knows what the price to the environment and our health was.  So if you suspect that you’ve stayed in a place with bed bugs, your kids are exposed at school, or you simply hear that they’re in your area, take all precautions to ensure that they never make it into your home in the first place.

Sarah Danielson is a contributing writer for bedbugs.org where you can find information on what causes bed bugs and learn how to eliminate them from your home.

This post was originally posted here: Want a Greener City? Let Loose the Cabs

Green Cities are not only the dream of ardent environmentalists but also the hope of residents of densely populated areas on both coasts. Many believe the logical solution, taking cars off the street, will help. So they restrict the number of cabs allowed on the streets.

As an alternative, advocates believe that pollution and traffic can be improved if people had access to more taxicabs within the city limits. This would eliminate the need for so many private cars in use about town. Seattle cab companies, citizens and City Hall are caught in a tug of war over the issue.

Taxi Licensing Limits

Most attribute the problem to restraints local taxi boards place on the number of taxis allowed.  Boards may limit the number by imposing high licensing costs, often running into six figures. In areas like New York City, cab permits have sold for over $1,000,000. In many cities, applicants must prove the cab market has room for more taxis to be approved. In some cities, competitors can petition against a potential newcomer, making it even harder to add cabs in a city.

The problem is particularly pressing in the northwest where the ratio of cabs to people is low and fares relatively high. In cities like Washington DC, fares are lower than most other regions because of the higher proportion of cabs per passenger.

Benefits of Additional Taxi Availability

As things stand, the limited availability of cabs in any city encourages more people to drive their own cars rather than pay high fares and wait in line for a ride. While mandating a greener fleet would offer some help, it would do nothing for traffic congestion and the wasted productivity of those at the cabstand.

Over-restricting cabs severely limits the ability of residents to move about their city and has a negative impact on local economies. People tend not to stop and look around in their cars. If more used a combination of walking, public transportation and cabs, local businesses would benefit from the added foot traffic. City dwellers could sell off their second cars, secure knowing a cab will be available when needed.

A Better Way

The best solution is a combination of additional cabs but not just any cabs. Let more taxis on the street, so long as the cars meet certain fuel efficiency standards. You’ll see fewer cars, more pedestrians and less traffic congestion.

The future of green cities draws closer. New York City has begun its foray into greener cars with the introduction of a number of hybrid electric vehicles into their taxi fleets.  Some Seattle cab companies run green fleets as well. But that’s just start. Cities choked with passenger cars need more cabs. As Moses might have said, “Let my taxis go.”

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Stita Taxi runs a fleet of green Prius hybrids in Seattle, Washington.

This post was originally posted here: Want An Eco Friendly Yard? Try Front Yard Farming

Did you know that many people are replacing their front lawns with gardens that offer fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other edible goodies?

It’s called “front yard farming” and it can help you live a greener lifestyle. This article will cover front yard farming and what to keep in mind if you’d like to try it. Some of this information comes from HubPages author Farmer Brown, who is a front yard farmer herself.

Benefits

You’ll save money by growing all-natural produce from home, rather than running up your credit card balance buying organic versions at the store. You can even make money by selling any surplus at a farmer’s market. Plus, you’ll be living an eco-friendly lifestyle by making the most of your yard.

Regulations

Some county, city, or neighborhood regulations limit what you can do with your property. Look up code violations online or at your local office before starting your front yard farm.

Sunlight

Spend a few days watching how the sunlight hits your yard to find out what you can grow in each area. Draw a quick sketch of your yard, marking down the shady, semi-shady, and sunny areas.

Costs

Take landscaping, soil, building, fertilizer, equipment, water, and mulch costs into account. Before you start digging, get in touch with your local utility company to make sure you’re not too close to electrical or gas lines. In order from most costly to least costly, you can hire a company to dig out your yard, rent a rototiller, or do it yourself with a shovel.

You can also use terraces or raised beds. You can build them from a kit or make them from your own materials. This is a great way to re-purpose wood.

Proper tools are needed for farming. You’ll probably need at least a trowel, hoe, rake, shovel, and pruners. More expensive tools may be lighter or easier to use.

Next, consider soil, fertilizer, and mulch costs. You can buy these items from the store, or use what you already have. If you try lasagna gardening, you can use spare paper, leaves, kitchen scraps, and other household extras.

Finally, decide which plants to grow. Your garden sketch should help. Buying plants from the store costs more than buying seeds.

Remember, benefits, regulations, sunlight and costs.  With these 4 key points, you’ll have the tools you need to start your eco-friendly yard.  People often overlook regulations, but as recently reported on the news, a resident got into serious trouble with her city when she planted a garden in her front yard without getting the necessary permits.

Sierra Dawson contributes at CreditDonkey, a consumer credit website. Visit her blog to learn more ways to save money for the family including deals on grocery credit cards.

This post was originally posted here: Live Green and Buy Eco-Friendly Gifts

Buying eco-friendly products not only save the earth, but it helps you find unique gifts that you’ve been looking for. If you’re in need of a new handbag, clothing, or other accessories, there are many earth friendly sites that support recycling materials and coming up with fashionable items. Find an amazing gift for a birthday gift or for the upcoming holidays.

Going to sites that offer a variety of products, you will find countless of items that are eco-friendly. If you’ve recently gotten into yoga, find extra-thick ¼” Phthalate-Free Eco-Friendly Yogee mats at a site such as Amazon.com. These colorful mats also come in five artistic colors. Or, if you know a friend who is planning a wedding and wants it to be eco-friendly, buy her a book titled Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration.

At SeaBags.com you’ll find a number of eco-friendly accessories that are practical and useful. The Sea Bag anchor tote is made out of a recycled sail from a sail boat and comes with white hand spliced rope handles. Go sailing and bring a tote and store your sailing jacket and other gear inside. Take out your gear from the tote when you are on the water and enjoy the sites!

If you’re looking for more of a practical gift, discover a creative hummingbird feeder water bottle. Don’t get dehydrated with a decorative water bottle with cute hummingbirds and lovely flowers on it. Or, find a decorative water bottle that has a water hose on it. The bottle can be reused many times and you can wash it in the dishwasher. This makes it easy to use and wash for next day use. It’s also perfect to make sure that you’re drinking enough water through the day! Find eco-friendly accessories and clothing at Ruche, shopruche.com.

A gorgeous ivory dress that’s made out of organic cotton is a perfect gift to save for the spring time or wear yourself while you’re on vacation. Discover wonderful elements on the shoulders of the dress and also on the front of the frock. The waist has an elastic band for easy wearing and the skirt is made lined. This dress is one of many fashion accessories that are made from materials that help preserve the earth.

With so many businesses that offer eco-friendly products, there are many gifts to buy and money to be saved in the process. Plus, you are saving the earth and re-using valuable resources that need to be preserved before it’s too late. Living green and safeguarding the earth by investing in fashionable items will help glam up your style and give you excellent gift ideas.

A freelancer and fashion lover, Sierra has fun writing for JoeShopping.com, a social shopping site where you can find the latest Amazon coupons. Sierra also runs her own personal blog at Ocean Dreams.

This post was originally posted here: Natural versus Organic Vitamins: What’s the Difference?

You may think that the differences between natural and organic products are small.  After all, they both come from nature and they haven’t been enhanced, right?  Actually, this isn’t necessarily true, and besides the differences in how the foodstuffs that bear these labels are produced, there are actually some legal differences to consider since most products are regulated by governmental agencies and there are laws revolving around how products may be labeled and marketed to the consumer public.  So sit back, relax, and get ready to take a journey into the world of vitamin supplements and how some may be better than others.

It begins with the meaning of a word.  What is natural?  Well, you might assume that a natural product is one that comes from nature.  It is certainly different from synthetic products, which are man-made.  In terms of vitamin supplements, you can generally say that synthetic ones contain chemicals that are synthesized to behave like products found in nature while those that are natural contain only plant- or animal-based ingredients.  But when it comes to labeling a product as natural, the lines get a little fuzzy.  This is because the term “natural” has no legal definition.  So a company could put a single natural ingredient in their vitamin supplement and legally slap a natural label on their product.  This hardly seems fair.

Then there are organic vitamins.  And here there is a lot less leeway with definitions.  Organic produce must be grown without the use of any chemicals, including pesticides, fertilizers, and so on.  Further, the soil used to grow these crops must be free of such toxins for a certain number of years prior to growing the organics.  And animals raised in an organic fashion must be free of antibiotics and hormone injections.  They must eat only organic feed and often, they are free range and humanely treated.

But even beyond that, the term “organic” has a legal definition and organic products are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that anyone using the organic label is not lying to the consumer public about the chemical-free nature of their products.  In fact, if you see a USDA Certified Organic label on your vitamins, you can guarantee that they are 100% organic.  Products that bear the term “all natural”, on the other hand, may be only partially natural.  And even if the ingredients are somehow miraculously all natural, they have likely been treated to the types of chemicals that organics eschew.

The long and short of the matter is that you simply don’t know what you’re getting when you purchase natural vitamins.  The “all natural” label on your bottles of multivitamins, CoQ-10, and B-12 spray could be referring to the label itself for all you know.  You may as well save your money and get the synthetic vitamins.  But if you’re truly trying to do something better for your body (and even for the Earth) when you opt for healthier ingestibles across the board, your best bet is to choose organic options.

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This post was originally posted here: How to Leave A Smaller Carbon Footprint Using Green Technology

Reducing the carbon footprint requires quantifying the size and type of the carbon footprint. The size will be determined by the use of carbon generating materials such as electricity, gas and diesel fuel usage, and certain cleaning products. The term “carbon footprint” refers to the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere in any twelve month period.

Perhaps the size cannot be measured in terms of CO2 produced by the family every day, but a realization of the total potential CO2 production is achievable. Enough information is available to implement a carbon management program if a conscious analysis of carbon generating activities is made. Understanding how CO2 is created provides an understanding of how it can be managed.

There are so many ways that CO2 is produced, and so many opportunities for a CO2 management program to be implemented. Many can begin with the family and in the family home. More education would be helpful, and more examples could result in achieving successful results.

CO2 is responsible for the drastic changes in our climate. This should be the motivation for every citizen to take every possible action to reduce the carbon footprint. We would probably never guess that using a diesel Type A motor home would emit less CO2 than any other method of vacation travel. In fact, the CO2 emitted is a ton less than what some people would believe to be the easy way of traveling.

Our daily household operation can be changed to buying organic food because it is likely to be grown in an environmentally friendly way. We never think of the more exotic coffees as creating a big carbon footprint, but they do considering the distance the beans travel to get to our favorite coffee shop. Think about the way food is packaged. Choose to buy loose tomatoes and pass up the plastic-wrapped tomatoes. Take reusable bags to the grocery. Although plastic bags are better than paper bags, a reusable cloth bag is the best. Water in plastic bottles leaves one of the largest carbon footprints. Shipping small plastic bottles across the country is not eco-friendly, and they leave a large carbon footprint when they are not recycled.

The use of green products is essential to reducing the carbon footprint. Perhaps the most important resource is the array of green products, which are eco-friendly, safer to use, and readily available.

The florescent light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than the older light bulbs, and they also have a longer life. Considering electricity consumption, all of the electronics in the home continue to use electricity even though they are not in use. Unplug them or use a power strip with an on/off switch.

Talk with others aboutr using green products study their usage online. We are constantly learning about new and easy ways of reducing the carbon footprint with eco-friendly products, and sharing these with our families and our neighbors is often the way to achieve an even greater reduction.

Christine Artesia graduated with a degree in journalism and is now working as a freelance writer covering niche topics about technology.

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