Mint Green Lifestyle

Sonic Death

2010-01-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

"TALLAHASSEE - Marine conservation group Save Our Shores! Florida released a report today about a new danger to ocean animals living off Florida's coasts.

The push to open Florida's coasts to offshore oil drilling brings to light many more issues than just the damage to Florida's white sand beaches and tourism industry. One of the most disturbing of these issues is the destructive scale of ocean floor mapping that is necessary before drillers "break ground" on new projects. The science behind ocean floor mapping is frightening.

To map the ocean floor, the oil and gas industry typically relies on airguns, which fire sonic blasts of up to 260 decibels (db). These airguns are towed behind boats in long arrays, firing shots of compressed air into the water approximately every ten seconds. The intense pulses that they produce travel down through the water column, penetrate the seafloor, and rebound to the surface where they can be analyzed.

These blasts have been called the most intrusive form of man-made undersea noise short of naval warfare, and with good reason.

A 260 db sound is very intense. As a comparison, damage to human hearing starts at 85 db. A police siren from thirty meters is about 100 db. Decibels are logarithmic, meaning every 10 db increase translates into roughly ten times more intensity, and sounds approximately twice as loud to the human ear, which also perceives sound logarithmically. That means the 260 db airgun blast translates to ten quadrillion times more intensity than a police siren at thirty meters, and would sound to humans about 16,384 times as loud.

The threshold at which humans die from sound alone is 160 db."

To read full story: http://www.examiner.com/x-29137-Tallahassee-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2010m1d14-Sonic-death-blasting-the-cceans-in-pursuit-of-oil?cid=exrss-Tallahassee-Environmental-News-Examiner

How to beat the flu

2009-11-13T05:14:00.004-05:00

How to beat the flu:

Vit D3.
The vitamin D council suggests adults take 5,000iu/daily. Children take 1,000- 2,000iu/daily. Infants take 400iu/daily. Vit D3 has been shown to have more success at beating the flu than vit C. My fav brand is Carlson. It comes in a tasteless liquid that is easy for all ages to take.

Probiotics/Acidophilous.
Yogurt just doesn't cut it. It is recommended to supplement with different brands each time you finish a bottle so that you are ingesting a variety of strains. My favorite brands are: New Chapter, ReNew Life, Dr. Ohiras, Jarrow, Garden of Life and Good Belly.

Raw Garlic with a large meal. Adding it last to the meal so that it is not cooked, is best. Precaution: Garlic is a blood thinner. If you are on prescriptions, or about to have a surgery, speak w/ doctor 1st before adding large amounts of raw garlic to diet.

Do: Eat more RAW fresh fruits & greens. Why raw? cooking not only weakens the strength of the vitamins and anti-oxidants, it completely destroys the enzymes which are needed to digest the food properly. Think dark. The darker the more nutritious. Blackberries, Cherries, Kale, Spinach, etc.

AVOID: Sugar, Caffeine, Processed/Preserved foods, Canned foods. All these actually stress our bodies out and weaken the immune system.

From our Pediatrician...with Love

2009-11-09T06:50:00.003-05:00

Photo: my idea,
Research: from our much adored pediatrician.

Read on!

Many people have called to discuss rumors they have heard about the H1N1 virus. Rumors create unneeded and unjustified fear. For instance, a mom called last week to state she heard 19 children died from H1N1 at the children’s hospital in Miami – very close to our community. This is not true. Nineteen children who died from the H1N1 virus were reported to the CDC during week 42 of the 2009 calendar year. This does not mean nineteen children died during this week alone – nineteen cases were reported. Remember, 70% of deaths in children are occurring in those with preexisting medical conditions.

Another rumor I heard was from a pregnant mom in my practice (she is an attorney and quite bright). She called me very distressed that her OB told her that 20% of pregnant women are dying from the H1N1 virus and therefore she should receive the vaccine. I looked into this for her and learned that 20% of pregnant women who are admitted to the ICU (not just the hospital) have died. Please know that less than 100 pregnant women with H1N1 illness have been admitted to the ICU since April. Again, the majority of these women who died had pre-existing medical conditions. For more information on what the local OBs are thinking about the H1N1 vaccine, read the Naples Daily News front page article from today. Several OBs are highly recommending the vaccine and one group of OBs (which includes the president of the Collier County Medical Society) is not even carrying the vaccine in their office due to safety concerns.

To keep you current and to avoid unfounded rumors, here is the mortality graph from the CDC for week 43 (released 2 days ago.) http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/IPD43.htm. There were eighteen influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported. Fifteen of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and three were associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype was undetermined. None of these deaths occurred during the 43^rd week of the year. All of the deaths occurred earlier in the year and were simply reported during this week.

Also, here is a link to the CDC showing the number of positive influenza cases by week. The orange color bar is influenza A (subtype H1N1) confirmed; the yellow bar is influenza A not sub-typed. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/WhoLab43.htm. Week 35 is when school started so you see a corresponding rise in cases. Week 43 shows a decrease in number of influenza positive cases despite a huge rise in visits to the doctor for influenza-like illnesses since everyone is scared they have contracted the virus. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/picILI43.htm. This is good news since so many people are going to the doctor and fewer are testing positive. This decrease in H1N1 positive tests is not due to the vaccine since this just became available in the last two weeks and with limited availability. This decreased trend is more likely due to a natural plateau of the illness as it moves through the population. You can see this in the laboratory-confirmed hospitalization rates by age for week 43. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/EIP43.htm.

Viktoras Kulvinskas

2009-10-27T22:38:00.003-04:00

If you ever have the chance to catch Viktoras Kulvinskas give a seminar. DO IT.

He's down to earth, endearing, charming, funny and knowledgeable to the max!

I had a great time at tonight's Naples Living Foods Meetup event.

For more info:

http://viktoras4u.com/

Anti-Flu/Cold Smoothies

2009-10-26T08:07:00.005-04:00

Why do smoothies instead of juicing?
1. Juicing gives your body a super blast of sugar w/ out the fiber.
2. God created so much good stuff in a fruit/veggie that juicing tosses in the trash. Smoothies utilize all the good parts of the plant.

These recipes were developed by Qigong Teacher Jeff Primack & Anne Jinnett in the their book Smoothie Formulas.

Smoothies are best done in a 3 horse power blender.

"Jeff's Most Recomended Smoothie for Excellent Health"
2 1/2 cups distilled water
8oz organic strawberries
1 ear organic corn cut from the cob
1 organic avocado w/ seed (not the skin just the insides) - if you don't have a 3 horse power blender do not include seed
1 fresh organic basil top w/ stem
2 fresh organic mint tops w/ stem
3 nodes fresh organic cilantro
1 inch of organic rosemary
1oz organic goji berries
1/2 small organic red beet
1/2 organic cucumber
1/2 organic fuji apple w/ seeds
1/2 organic (peeled) lime w/ pith & seeds

"Phytochemical Blast Smoothie" for Excellent Health
2 cups distilled water
8oz organic strawberries
4oz organic blueberries
4oz organic raspberries
2 fresh organic basil tops w/ stem
1 1/2 sprig organic rosemary leaves
3 fresh organic mint tops w/ stem
1" slice organic ginger root
1/2 organic (peeled) lime w/ pith and seeds

"Tropical Sunset Smoothie"
1cup distilled water
4oz organic strawberries w/ tops
1 ripe peeled organic kiwi
1 organic orange peeled so that white fuzz is still there, & seeds
3 organic mint leaves w/ tops
1/2 organic lime peeled so that white fuzz is still there & seeds
1/2" sliced ginger

NO to Swine Flu Vaccine (H1N1)

2009-10-03T05:28:00.001-04:00

From a Pediatrician:

Many of you are contacting me regarding the swine flu vaccine and whether you should give it to your children. The Collier County Health Department, the Collier County Medical Society, the Collier County School System and a handful of pediatricians are sending a letter to the parents of every Collier County Public School student advising them to allow their child to be vaccinated by the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. Please read the following before you agree to this institutional request so you are fully informed. The last time the government approved the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine was in the late 1970s and this vaccine was pulled off the market for causing Gullian-Barre Syndrome, an ascending partial-to-total paralysis that may result in death. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/emergency/swineflu.htm. As you will read, the safety and efficacy of this new H1N1 vaccine has not yet been demonstrated and is based entirely on a different vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on September 15, 2009 that it has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. This affirmation means the “FDA has approved the manufacturing oversight, product quality testing and lot release procedures of the H1N1 vaccine.” This does not mean that the vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in various groups, i.e. pediatric population, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with asthma, the elderly and healthy adults. Per the CDC and the FDA, the safety and efficacy of the vaccine is being researched and results will be available in the “near future.” http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm182399.htm.

So when is the “near future?” The National Institute of Health website detailing the government’s research trials shows that all the H1N1 vaccine safety trials are only in Phase II out of four phases. The estimated date of completion to show whether or not the H1N1 vaccine is safe is June 2010. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=h1n1. This means that the recommendation by the CDC and FDA is more of a political one than a scientific one. If you and/or your child decide to receive this vaccine at this time then technically you and your family are informally enrolling in an open clinical trial. The CDC is working closely with local health officials to monitor safety issues associated with the vaccine since it has not yet been adequately studied. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/safety_planning.htm.

Regardless of the lack of scientific evidence of the vaccine’s safety, the CDC recommends that the H1N1 (swine) vaccine should be initially administered to persons in the following five target groups (order of target groups does not indicate priority):

· pregnant women,

· persons who live with or provide care for infants aged <6>

· health-care and emergency medical services personnel,

· persons aged 6 months--24 years, and

· persons aged 25--64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr58e0821a1.htm.

The CDC is making this statement since the regular influenza vaccine is preferentially given to these groups first. Additionally, the safety of the regular seasonal influenza vaccine is not studied each year but rather the government relies on past research of the same vaccine to support the safety and efficacy of the current year’s vaccine. For instance, the research supporting the safety for the 2009 Fluzone vaccine for young children is based on the 2003-2004 formulation of Fluzone vaccine. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM123704.pdf. The government is using the same thought process for the H1N1 vaccine but the difference is that the H1N1 vaccine specifically has not been studied, this is a new biological product and the last time it was used it caused widespread Gullian-Barre Syndrome. Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of the H1N1 vaccine for children 6 months and older, states in their package insert that the immune response and safety of the H1N1 vaccine in the pediatric population ages 6 months and older is based on the 2003-2004 Fluzone vaccine study of only 31 children and not on the new H1N1 vaccine. This is troublesome since the CDC and FDA is allowing Sanofi Pasteur to state that one vaccine safety level is interchangeable with another and that a study of 31 children with a completely different vaccine is enough evidence to extrapolate the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf.

These recommendations are safe for the regular seasonal flu vaccine yet worrisome for the H1N1 vaccine. Further complicating this issue is the fact the Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Package Insert states this vaccine is Category C for pregnant women and nursing mothers. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf. The FDA definition of Category C is: Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy_category. Please know that doctors routinely use Category C medications in nursing and pregnant women when the immediate circumstances warrant the risk. For example, if you had intractable vomiting and are pregnant, it would be reasonable to give you phenergan to help stop the vomiting even though the drug is Category C. The difference with the vaccine is the immediate circumstances do not warrant the risk, especially if you are otherwise healthy and given the mild nature of the H1N1 influenza virus.

The H1N1 flu has been in town for several weeks and I have diagnosed plenty of cases. Many of us pediatricians have commented to each other how mild this illness has been. Everyone in my practice has recovered without incident except for one little girl with bad asthma who had to be hospitalized. Unfortunately the National Institute of Health has not started to recruit participants to study the safety and efficacy of an H1N1 influenza vaccine in people with asthma. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00978120?term=h1n1&rank=1. This needs to be studied since safety research demonstrated one of the approved seasonal flu vaccines is contraindicated in children under 5 years old who have asthma. Until thorough research is completed no one knows the potential side effects of a new vaccine.

The health department, the school system and the medical society are trying their best to help protect you and your children. Hopefully you can see that the request to vaccinate you and/or children against the H1N1 virus is poorly planned at best. The time to administer a vaccine is only after it has been adequately tested unless there are compelling and urgent reasons to do otherwise. My job as a pediatrician is to be a spokesman for the disenfranchised. This role includes calling out any agency for attempting to make what is scientifically uncertain re-categorized as scientific certainty.

I hope this vaccine is safe since it is being administered to so many people without adequate safety studies as a result of much media hype. I just want to make sure that you are fully informed before putting yourself or your family in potential jeopardy. But then again – it may save your life.

Please pass this email on to everyone you know so they may be informed as well.

Thanks,

Dr. T

Green Your Halloween

2009-09-30T10:39:00.003-04:00

Green Your Halloween!
No tricks, just Treats

( From The Green Guide )

For children, Halloween is one of the most thrilling days of the year-chock full of goblins, ghouls, witches, and all manner of sweet confections. But by the time the masks come off, the over-indulgences of the day may well have taken a toll on your kids-and on Mother Earth. This year, why not take a few small steps toward ensuring a healthier, greener Halloween for all?

Organic Halloween Treats

Consider taking the environmentally friendly step of offering organic treats to the fearsome creatures that come knocking at your door. Rest assured, certified organic products won't leave your pocketbook as empty as a ghost town. Most are available now at natural foods supermarkets or may be ordered (or sourced) online. And never fear: they all come safely wrapped.

Chocolate.Several bite-sized options have king-sized kid appeal:

Bug Bites: small organic squares from Endangered Species Chocolates in milk or dark chocolate. Each square contains one of 48 different endangered species trading cards, and 10 percent of profits go to animal and conservation causes.

Fair Trade sells organic, individually wrapped dark chocolate from Equal Exchange. You'll get 42 pieces to a bag.

Rapunzel offers small ladybugs, complete with legs that contain hazelnut truffles. (Caution: some kids are allergic to nuts, so check before handing them out.)

Cookies. Barbara's Bakery offers carry bags of organic animal cookies, in chocolate chip, oatmeal wheat-free, vanilla, and vanilla-fruit-juice-sweetened. The website offers online purchasing.

Popcorn. Hand out individual microwave popcorn packs from Newman's Own Organics Pop's Corn.

Hard Candies. Organic Candy Company sells bags of organic Sour Fruits Hard Candies in cherry, lemon, pineapple, and orange. The website offers online purchasing.

Lollipops: Pure Fun is a new company that has created a superb-tasting line of organic hard candy. Try a variety of flavors with this colorful mix of lemon, green apple, watermelon, goji berry, tangerine, and pomegranate lollipops. Contains approximately 36 lollipops. Individual flavors also available separately. You can also order Pure Fun Organic Fruit Lollipops Mix in a bulk, two pound size. Approximately 70 individually-wrapped pieces per pound.

Also keep these options in mind:

Organic Raisins. Earthbound Farm sells their organic Thompson Seedless Raisins in handy snack packs, just right for kids. Pavich Raisins are available in individual small boxes but are not sealed.

Honey Sticks. Very little organic honey is currently available, but Stash Tea, a maker of organic teas, makes delicious, naturally-flavored honey sticks. The website offers an online store.

Fruit: The Real Thing, if only for around the house. There is nothing better than this season's local organic apple even if your face is painted green and your hair stands two feet above your head. Also, dried fruits are always a winner.

Organically Perfumed

2009-09-28T09:34:00.005-04:00

Miessence® Botanical Perfumes are hand-blended in the traditional artisan method of natural perfumery using rare and exquisite botanical extracts, absolutes and essential oils solely as their aromatic source. The entire cornucopia of aromatic plants is explored in our perfumes... flowers, fruits, blossoms, leaves, twigs, barks, resins, woods, roots, rhizomes and seeds are all utilized for a multifaceted aromatic experience. Miessence® Botanical Perfumes are imbued with a depth of character lacking in synthetic perfumes.

Eliminating Labeling Fraud in Organic Personal Care Products

2009-09-24T08:06:00.002-04:00

Calling it ‘the victory of the week’ the US-based Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has released the following welcome
report. It reads: ‘A committee of the USDA National Organic Standards Board wants to ‘Solve the Problem of Mislabeled Organic
Personal Care.’
The Organic Consumers Association is very encouraged by the committee’s proposal to make sure that any use of the word
‘organic’ on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA standards for products that are ‘USDA
Organic’ or ‘Made With Organic Ingredients.’
This is what OCA’s Coming Clean campaign has been pushing the USDA to do for the last 5 years. Unfortunately, the USDA has
been hostile to the idea and even USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, an advocate for organic agriculture, has resisted
consumer pressure on this issue.
So, the long struggle for USDA enforcement of organic standards in personal care continues. But this also promises to be
somewhat bigger than just a baby step forward. If you are interested in adding your support to this latest push for more honest
labelling, you can go to its website and put your name to a support document.
The next step is getting the full NOSB to adopt the committee recommendation. The deadline for sending comments to the
NOSB in advance of their November 3-5 meeting is October 19, 2009. Clink the link below to submit a comment:

LINK

Today is World Peace Day

2009-09-21T12:44:00.005-04:00

But don't let it stop you from having World Peace Month, & better yet, carry that feeling through the year.
http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/welcome
Have a World Peace Year.

The literal Trash of September 12th, 2009

2009-09-14T09:25:00.002-04:00

The literal Trash of September 12th, 2009

by oznick

Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 11:35:21 AM PDT

So, getting towards the end of browsing the images people had taken for more additions to to this image, I started noticing a trend.

After using Publicly Funded Transportation and Publicly Funded Roads to get to the Publicly Funded sidewalks to walk to the Publicly Funded Parks, at the end of their protest, what did these haters of Government Interference do ?

They threw their rubbish down for the Publicly Funded garbagemen & women of Washington DC to take care of. Carrying home all those thin sheets of Cardboard was obviously the task of someone with a larger work ethic.

More below, with an added sting.

Here's a few more, can you spot the sting ?

The last picture ? Yes, someone even threw out their American Flag when they were finished, and then no other passing protester noticed it. So I guess their disrespect for the Laws of the United States includes US Code Title 4, Section 8

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
...
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning

Obviously John McCain was busy, otherwise he would have swooped in to ~~steal~~ rescue them, ala last September.

Yes, I know, the response will be that some passing left-wing-media flunky, seeing a photo opportunity tackled Ms Ilene Johns, 98, of Jacksonvillem, Arkansas, and stole her flag to use as a prop in this photo, shortly before being tackled by a horde of righteous protestors carrying "Who is John Galt" signs who rescued the flag and mailed it off to be reused at some Future, unspecified rally to be determined.

Posted using ShareThis

So did Cash for Clunkers Work?

2009-09-07T09:21:00.002-04:00

Is Detroit a bustling city again?

Get Informed, Gardasil Kills.

2009-09-02T06:06:00.000-04:00

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/05/hpv_vaccine_gar/

http://www.brockovichblog.com/2009/03/two_girls_and_spain_takes_down.html

http://www.judicialwatch.org/gardasil

http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2009/02/gardasil-death-brain-damage-national.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/gardasil-death-and-danger-update.html

EPA doesn't tell the whole story

2009-08-26T06:40:00.003-04:00

EPA Fails To Inform Public About Weed-Killer In Drinking Water

(VIDEO)

Washington Post Investigative Fund | Danielle Ivory

One of the nation's most widely-used herbicides has been found to exceed federal safety limits in drinking water in four states, but water customers have not been told and the Environmental Protection Agency has not published the results.

Records that tracked the amount of the weed-killer atrazine in about 150 watersheds from 2003 through 2008 were obtained by the Huffington Post Investigative Fund under the Freedom of Information Act. An analysis found that yearly average levels of atrazine in drinking water violated the federal standard at least ten times in communities in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kansas, all states where farmers rely heavily on the herbicide.

In addition, more than 40 water systems in those states showed spikes in atrazine levels that normally would have triggered automatic notification of customers. In none of those cases were residents alerted.

In interviews, EPA officials did not dispute the data but said they do not consider atrazine a health hazard and said they did not believe the agency or state authorities had failed to properly inform the public. "We have concluded that atrazine does not cause adverse effects to humans or the environment," said Steve Bradbury, deputy office director of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.

Officials at Syngenta, the Swiss company that manufactures atrazine, declined requests for interviews about the testing results. In a statement on its Web site, the company says that atrazine "poses no threat to the safety of our drinking water supplies. In 2008, none of the 122 Community Water Systems monitored in 10 states exceeded the federal standards set for atrazine in drinking water or raw water."

Atrazine has become an issue of concern for environmentalists and consumer groups as the use of the herbicide has soared in the United States over the past few decades. Some scientists who have studied atrazine said the information about its higher levels in drinking water should be made public.

"This is an issue of the EPA not being forthright about what they know," said Robert Denver, a neuroendocrinologist at the University of Michigan who has served on two of the EPA's scientific advisory panels on atrazine.

"It is the responsibility of the EPA and Syngenta to inform the public of accurate levels of atrazine in their drinking water," said Jason Rohr, a specialist in ecotoxicology at the University of South Florida who studies the effects of atrazine in animals, and who served on the EPA's atrazine panel this past spring.

Atrazine is sprayed on cornfields and other major crops during the summer months and can run off into rivers and streams that supply drinking water. It is also commonly used on golf courses.

Studies of atrazine's potential links to prostate and breast cancer have been inconclusive. Based on the recommendations of its scientific advisory panels in 2000 and 2003, the EPA has listed atrazine as "not likely" to be a carcinogen but does officially consider it to be a potential hormone disruptor - a risk factor explored by researchers testing animals.

In recent years atrazine has been the subject of intensive debate among scientists about its effects on the reproductive systems of frogs and other vertebrate animals. In some studies, male frogs that were exposed to high levels of atrazine have been documented to grow eggs.

In 2004, the European Union banned atrazine because it was consistently showing up in drinking water and health officials, aware of ongoing studies, said they could not find sufficient evidence the chemical was safe.

State regulators in the U.S. test their local water systems for atrazine a maximum of four times a year, under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. In 2003, the EPA again approved atrazine for use in the United States but it made some demands of Syngenta for the re-registration.

The EPA and Syngenta negotiated a deal for more extensive monitoring of about 150 vulnerable watersheds. Under that arrangement, the company pays for weekly monitoring and sends the results to the EPA, as well as to the local water companies and most state regulators.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy organization, is expected to release a report on Monday that fully analyzes a smaller set of Syngenta's weekly testing results -- from 2003 through 2006 -- and reaches conclusions similar to the Investigative Fund's analysis of all five years of data. The group supplied an advance copy of its report to The New York Times, which today published an article about the tests and other safety questions about atrazine.

Misleading Water Bills

The EPA plans to revisit its rules for atrazine in 2011. Presently the agency requires water systems to notify their customers if the quarterly state tests average higher than 3 parts per billion (ppb) annually. According to the EPA data obtained by the Investigative Fund, cities in four states -- Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kansas -- had yearly averages of atrazine violating that standard from 2003 to 2008.

In addition, more than 40 water systems in those states showed spikes of atrazine over 12 ppb - which if found in the state quarterly tests would have required the water system to notify the public within 30 days.

In none of those cases were residents notified of the high levels. In fact, the brochures in their water bills - reviewed for this report -- contained misleading numbers based on the state testing.

For example, based on the quarterly tests, residents of Mt. Olive, Ill., were told that the highest level of atrazine in their drinking water last year was 2 ppb. However, the EPA data shows a spike in June of 16.47 ppb. The same year, residents of McClure, Ohio, were told that the highest level of atrazine in their drinking water was 3.4 ppb. The EPA data shows a spike in June 2008 of more than ten times that amount -- 33.83 ppb.

Both of these cities' water utilities received the weekly EPA data directly from Syngenta, but did not report it. Legally, they didn't have to. The drinking water act only requires cities to report data collected by the state. State tests are performed infrequently, so they are vulnerable to missing the chemical spikes that consistently occur around the time the weed-killer is being applied. With weekly tests, such as those ordered by the EPA, it is all but impossible to miss these spikes.

Asked why the results of the weekly tests had not been published, the EPA's Bradbury said "no data is withheld from the public." Bradbury said the information has been posted on the agency's electronic public docket. In fact, the weekly test results are one of the only items on the docket that are not posted on the site.

Instead they are listed as available only through the Freedom of Information Act.

In an on-camera interview with the Investigative Fund in June, Bradbury also said that the weekly monitoring had found no spikes in any watershed over 3 ppb. "It's these spikes that we're focusing on," he said. "There have been no exceedances." In fact, the EPA's data recorded more than 130 spikes over 3 ppb during 2008 alone -- not only in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Kansas, but also in Missouri, Louisiana, and Texas. Bradbury declined to elaborate on the apparent contradiction.

The EPA does not consider one-time spikes of atrazine to be dangerous, but several peer-reviewed scientific studies suggest that the chemical may be harmful, particularly to developing fetuses, in doses as low as 0.1 ppb. One study, published this year in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica, found that birth defect rates in the United States were highest for women who conceived during months when atrazine levels were spiking.

"If you happen to become pregnant in June, you care about the levels [of atrazine] in June, not in January," said Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at the University of Rochester who has studied atrazine's effect on semen quality and development.

"For pregnant women, you have a critical period of a couple of weeks to a couple of months," Swan said. "If you have a peak exposure in that period, that's what's relevant to the pregnancy."

"The annual average might be relevant for [measuring the risk of] cancer, but it's obviously not okay if they [the EPA] care about regulating for reproductive toxicity," she said.

Had the EPA, the state or the local water companies made the weekly testing results public, residents could have made different choices about their water consumption, such as using inexpensive household carbon water filters or bottled water.

Asked about the discrepancies between the state and weekly EPA data, an EPA spokeswoman, Deb Berlin, said in an e-mail, "Consumers need accurate information to make health decisions for themselves and their families. EPA and state authorities would be interested in knowing about any situation where a public water system is not reporting accurate information to their customers as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act."

'I'd Do More Testing'

Under the terms of its 2003 agreement with the EPA, Syngenta for the past five years has been monitoring water weekly in 10 states, with special emphasis on Illinois, Ohio, and Kansas.

This is how the EPA's testing program generally works: Syngenta sends boxes containing two tubes to about 150 water utilities. During the summer growing season when atrazine levels are likely to spike, water operators at these utilities take samples on a weekly basis. Every week, they fill one test tube with river water and one test tube with drinking water. They ship these samples to Syngenta labs, where the company analyzes them. Syngenta then reports the data to the EPA, as well as to the water utilities themselves and the state regulators.

Testing at the state level is much more modest. Up to four times a year, but as infrequently as once a year, water utilities ship one test tube filled with drinking water to their state regulator. The state analyzes the water and reports the data back to the water utility. This limited data is reported to the public, as required by federal right-to-know laws.

There are vast discrepancies between the two data sets. The Huffington Post Investigative Fund contacted water plant operators to see if they had noticed.

Some local water officials said they provided weekly samples to Syngenta but did not realize the company was acting under a requirement from the EPA intended to supply more data as a safeguard for their drinking water. They indicated they paid little attention to the results of the tests.

Robert Leonhardt, the water plant manager in Mt. Olive, Ill., received the weekly EPA data but said he was not aware of any of the spikes during the last five years, including a high reading of 16.47 ppb. He said the weekly testing was not a central part of his work. "This is a side thing," he said.

Steve Kubler, the water plant manager in Chanute, Kan., initially said of the state and weekly tests: "The numbers match up pretty well. I've never noticed a discrepancy." He added, "If I did, I'd do more testing."

According to that data, his town of Chanute recorded one reading of 6.51 ppb last year. The city reported a high of 1.4 ppb to the public. Asked about the numbers, Kubler said, "Look, what I do with Syngenta -- it's in excess of what I have to do. I don't know even know why they're testing."

In Illinois, Roger Selburg of the state's Environmental Protection Agency said that he looks at the weekly data. But he said he does not use it to determine violations, nor does he report any of it to the public, because he does not know if the data are reliable or accurate. "We are only required to report the state data," he said.

Other water officials expressed some surprise and dismay about the levels of atrazine that showed up in the weekly tests. Osawatomie, Kan., showed a spike of 8.70 ppb in May 2008, although the city reported to the public a high of 0.89 ppb for the year. "That's a pretty good spike," said Marty Springer, water plant manager at Osawatomie's plant. "And no one knows about it."

McClure, Ohio, showed a spike of 33.83 ppb in June 2008, but the town told its residents the highest level that year was 3.4 ppb. "If we had been using Syngenta's data, obviously we would have hit the maximum contaminant level," said Christopher Diem, superintendent at McClure's water utility.

In Baxter Springs, Kan., atrazine spiked above 11 ppb in May 2008 while the town told its residents the highest level during the year was 1.3 pbb.

"We may have passed the quarterly tests for the state, but we're not passing them weekly or daily," said Stan Schafer, a water plant operator in Baxter Springs. "Somebody's got to do something," he said. "I live here. I drink the water. My parents drink the water. My kids drink the water. I just try to keep it clean."

Schafer said he regularly receives atrazine testing data from Syngenta, along with the results from the state, but he doesn't think he is allowed to report it to the public.

That fits with the impression that Kansas state health officials gave Lloyd Littrell, director of utilities in Beloit, about the weekly test results from Syngenta.

"I kept track of those numbers for a couple of years, but I stopped," Littrell said. "The state of Kansas would not let us report the results. We had several conversations about it. They said it wasn't certified by the state or something. I stopped trying. If we can't use it, what's the point of me looking at it?"

According to the EPA data, atrazine spiked above 20 ppb in May 2008, but Beloit reported a high of 2 ppb to the public.

"It concerns me," Littrell said. "If it's an actual health hazard and they know and the EPA knows it's getting in water -- I can't believe they're not doing anything about it.

You

Random

2009-08-25T06:03:00.002-04:00

A survey of more than 3,000 scientists found that the vast majority believe humans cause global warming.
In Belgium, the small city of Ghent, with its cyclists, winding canals and towering spires, has declared every Thursday a day free of meat, fish, and shellfish
In America, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore is spearheading a "meatless Mondays" campaign with 28 other public health schools, running outreach programs to promote a meat-free start to the week. In England, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Richard Branson, Bryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, and other celebrities have just launched a campaign for Meat-Free Mondays.
Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees
Approximately only 10 percent of every landfill can be cleaned up.
Here is an example of the water we use everyday:
Here is an example of how long it takes some things take to break down:

Losing Home

2009-08-10T07:34:00.007-04:00

With all the talk about Health Care Reform, and Town Hall Meetings gone aggressive, and cash for clunkers...let's NOT forget....

These guys are still losing their homes each day.

Do Something:
Stop driving your car so much, bike or ride public transportation, car pool. The need to greatly reduce our carbon footprint is necessary now, more than ever! We need to keep acting!

http://www.savethepolarbear.org/

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html

http://www.savebiogems.org/polar/

Health Care Reform

2009-08-08T19:45:00.008-04:00

Why is it that we refuse to pay higher taxes to have a reformed health care system, but we have no problems spending Billions on war?

Cash for Clunkers Disaster

2009-08-06T07:30:00.004-04:00

Instead of following the motto Reduce Reuse Recycle...seems like the government is teaching us to skip the first two parts and just go straight to recycle. The new cash for clunkers program promotes consumerism w/out promoting the most important "REDUCE our USE." It also skips over another important part, "REUSING". All the cars that are traded in are immediately destroyed. They are turned into rubble, the parts that can be recycled (steel, copper, etc) are being doing so, but there is the "unsuable" parts that are going straight to the landfills.
I feel this is a huge injustice. We are not teaching valuable lessons here. We should be teaching our society to reduce it's over need to buy buy buy. We should also be teaching our society to reuse, reuse, reuse, until the vehicle is just not worth it anymore. Even an fuel inefficient car is better than a landfill car. We need to come up with ideas of how to make fuel inefficient cars, efficient instead of trashing them. It makes me sad to see a '57 Chevey driving around and then think..you rarely see a car from the 70's, 80's or 90's being still driven. They are "worthless"for many reasons unnecessary reasons. What happened in the 60's/70's that made us stop driving cars to their final end. ???
I've rambled enough. Cash for Clunkers only promotes consumerism, which is what got us into this huge mess in the first place. We can't keep spending spending spending.. especially on an item like cars, that produces so much waste and so much resource destruction. If we want to promote consumerism, why not do it for something good like solar, wind power, or organic foods.

Back to School Blues, I mean GREENS

2009-08-05T03:05:00.005-04:00

Environotes Recycled
Index cards

"I'm Organic"
Lunch Bag

Banana Leaf Paper
Notebook

E-Color-gy Recycled
Content Markers

Eco-Friendly Planners

War! huh-yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing Uh-huh

2009-07-24T07:57:00.004-04:00

I wish the country would get riled up and motivated to do something about war, as much as they do about health care revision.

Wow, seems our priorities are a bit skewed.

Don't get me wrong, our health care system is way out of whack. Super sized out of whack. And it NEEDS to be fixed, I just wish people had the same passion for anti-war.

I saw these 2 bumper stickers:
"You can't be Pro-Life and Pro-War" &
" War, It's stops a beating heart...Thousands of them".

Let's fix the horrible state of affairs for health care, but let's also put the same amount of energy, and actually more, into fixing how we handle war.

Plant a Tree w/ Your Phone

2009-07-22T19:50:00.004-04:00

"A small band of idealists comes together to further the causes of human rights, women’s rights, peace, environmentalism and an entire progressive agenda. They have an idea about helping people spend in a socially responsible way, turning everyday purchases into automatic acts of generosity.

So they establish a company called Working Assets. It is 1985.

And then - long before “corporate social responsibility” is a buzzphrase - they develop an innovative long distance service where 1% of your charges goes to progressive nonprofits you vote on, your bill serves as a progressive newsletter and your phone company as a progressive lobby.

And something really clicks with consumers.

This Working Assets movement grows steadily over the next 23 years, providing steadily growing support for a wide range of progressive nonprofits, before taking the natural next step into mobile phones - along with a name that better reflects their current business: CREDO Mobile.

To date, the company and its members have donated more than $60 million to amazing groups - groups that members themselves help select - like Doctors without Borders, the ACLU, the Global Fund for Women, Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood, and more, while generating 5,652,914 letters, 15,785,829 emails and 932,992 calls to political and corporate decision-makers.

And though the name may have changed and the business evolved, the company’s philosophy and mission remain the same: to make it easy for passionate progressives to make a difference."

https://www.credomobile.com/

Polyester is a Plastic Disaster

2009-07-17T09:13:00.003-04:00

It is my firm belief that we should not have polyester filled pillows, comforters or any type of bedding. It is very hard to find 100% all natural filled products for the home. Couches are definitely not eco-friendly or health friendly
Why is it that so many things are filled w/ anti-healthy polyester? Cost. Cost is the answer. It always comes down to the mighty dollar. Who cares about customer's health when there is $$ to be saved?
Well, I for one am sick of the textile industry and it's overuse of un-natural fillers. But what is a consumer to do? We are pretty much pigeon holed into buying only polyester filled items. Natural filled items are few and far between.

As a consumer, when I find a real 100% natural product, I write the company and thank them. If we as consumers write more and more companies to thank them for their 1 or 2 natural products, maybe this would spark them to add more and more natural options and reduce their use of poly fill.

My firm belief is that recycled plastic and poly fill should only be used on items that we are not wearing or snuggling into 12 hours of the day. Recycled plastic should be left to items like outdoor furniture, reusable shopping bags, "wood" planks for decking, etc. Not clothes, Not filler for bedding or pillows, Not for the inner lining of my winter jacket.

See where I'm going with this?

Stop surrounding yourself w/ endocrine disrupting poly fill.

Trashity Trash

2009-07-17T07:40:00.005-04:00

Eco-Facts

Recycling creates 6 times as many jobs as landfilling.
Each person throws away approximately four pounds of garbage every day.
Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees.
14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year
84 percent of all household waste can be recycled.
Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months
Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours.

Water Bottles Sunk

2009-07-16T08:01:00.004-04:00

Australian Town, State Govt Ban Bottled Water
Residents of rural Bundanoon, a picturesque tourist destination 150 kms
(93 miles) southwest of Sydney, voted overwhelmingly this month to rid
the town of bottled water to combat the carbon footprint from bottling
and transporting it.
Local businesses in the town of 2,500 people have agreed to replace
all single-use bottles with reuseable bottles that can be filled from water
fountains and to bear the loss of sales.
Read the full story

Consider the Impact
For some figures on the environmental, financial & health concerns
associated with bottled water, download this alarming presentation:

Ecoutlet’s Bottled Water Blog
Ecoutlet’s Bottled Water Blog explains why drinking bottled water is
environmental madness:
• Bottled water is on average 1000 times more expensive than tap
water
• Labelling of bottled water carries no requirement to reflect its chemical or bacteriological content
• 22 million tonnes of bottled water are transported between countries every year
• Most water bottles are made using PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) - less than 15% are recycled and PET takes up to 450
years to break down in landfill
• In 2004, the plastic bottles that delivered 26 billion litres of water to Americans required more than 1.5 million barrels of oil
• One third of the money spent on bottled water would be enough to halve the number of people without ready access to clean,
safe drinking water

San Francisco Ban on Bottled Water for City Staff
San Francisco city workers have not had bottled water to drink since 2007, under an order by Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom estimates San Francisco could save $500,000 a year under his directive, which also addresses environmental concerns
over the amount of oil used to make and transport plastic water bottles.
‘All of this waste and pollution is generated by a product that by objective standards is often inferior to the quality of San
Francisco’s pristine tap water’ according to the order.

We Want Tap - A Business Solution
Tap is a British Project aimed at promoting the use of tap water over bottled water, while raising
awareness of the issues and using profits to fund water projects in the developing world.
The Intention is to ‘create a campaigning brand that gets people to re-think bottled water.’
Check them out

Good Reads...Join

2009-07-15T17:02:00.001-04:00

Eco-Facts

2009-07-15T08:47:00.001-04:00

Agent Orange is one of 15 herbicides that were used to defoliate the Vietnamese jungles, so North Vietnamese fighters could not use them as cover.

Between 1961 and 1971, over 20 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed over the Vietnamese countryside where lingering effects can still be found.

Farm land has been a battleground where cluster bombs pollute the fields.

Advancements in military technology used by combatants have resulted in increasingly severe environmental impacts causing unprecedented levels of deforestation and habitat destruction. This has resulted in a serious disruption of ecosystem services, including erosion control, water quality, and food production.

Reflect

2009-07-14T07:14:00.003-04:00

The Environmental Working Group’s investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 don’t provide protection and/or contain chemicals that may pose health hazards. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena.
Many millions of cases of skin cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year. Yet due to huge legislative gaps, companies in many countries are free to claim - but not provide - broad spectrum protection.
Stay safe and keep your children safe by switching to the risk-free, organic alternative: Reflect Outdoor Balm.
You may need to apply it a little more frequently. But what’s that small inconvenience for the reassurance of knowing that you’re protecting precious young skin from damaging rays in a safe, non-intrusive way?

Is 1% safe?

2009-07-09T07:44:00.003-04:00

My question is this: Is 1% (or less than) safe? A lot of companies will say they use a synthetic (often toxic) ingredient and then back it up with a statement similar to "It's only in a small small amount, less than 1%".
I asked several leading professionals in the skin care, nutrition and medical industries what their opinions were, and they unanimously said that even "less than 1%" is not safe. The reasons

Accumulative effect
Multiple products x Multiple uses per day = more than 1%

It breaks down like this. A lot of toxic chemicals do not break down in our bodies or take a very long time to do so, thus they accumulate, so that less than 1% adds up over a short period of time to be more than 1%. Take for example parabens which our bodies can not figure out what to do with and they end up trapped in our fat cells, most alarmingly in breast tissue.
Next but not least is our #2 concern, multiple uses. Take a moment to tally up how many products that absorb into your skin each day and then multiple by how many times you apply/use them during the day. Your list may be shorter or longer, but here's some examples.

Soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
Face Soap
Face Toner/Astringent
Face Cream (maybe 2 types)
Sunblock
Hair Gel/Spray
Body Lotion
Hand cream
Perfume
Shave Gel
After Shave
Cologne
etc...

How many products do you use? Now take that # x's it by how many times you use each product per day. Now x's that by .50 (we'll be lenient) and I bet you get a number larger than 1.
Do the math and you will see that less than 1% really does not add up to -1%. Heck it doesn't even add up to 1 or 2 %. It far exceeds that original little # the companies are trying to make you think you are getting & keep this info in your mind the next time a company tells you their small amount of toxic ingredients are safe.

Summer Eco-Facts

2009-07-08T06:51:00.002-04:00

Eco-Facts

1 rider lawn mower emits the same pollution as 34 cars. The reason being, they lack catalytic converters. As of 2010 all lawn equipment will be mandated to have catalytic converts, thus reducing the amount of pollution they create.

According to an article, by Alliant Energy, electric grills emit 99% less carbon monoxide than charcoal grills

There are approx. 20,000 species of butterflies in the world.

A single ladybug may consume as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. That's why they are the ultimate garden defender. Encourage ladybugs to stay in your garden by placing a ladybug house in your garden.

Removing a Mountain in the name of Energy

2009-07-07T07:54:00.005-04:00

"Clean Coal"

It emits much more carbon per unit of energy than oil, and natural gas. CO2 represents the major portion of greenhouse gases. It is, therefore, one of the leading contributors to climate change. From mine to sky, from extraction to combustion -- coal pollutes every step of the way.

Coal-fired power and heat production are the largest single source of atmospheric mercury emissions.

"Clean coal" methods only move pollutants from one waste stream to another which are then still released into the environment.

Despite over 10 years of research and $5.2 billion of investment in the US alone , scientists are still unable to make coal clean.

Instead of traditional mining, many coal companies now use mountaintop removal to extract coal.
Coal companies are increasingly using this method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams while reducing the number of workers required to a fraction of what conventional methods require.
Mountaintop removal involves clear cutting native hardwood forests, using dynamite to blast away as much as 800-1000 feet of mountaintop, and then dumping the waste into nearby valleys, often burying streams.

More than 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams have been buried or damaged by mountaintop removal mining. At least 724 miles of streams were completely buried by valley fills from Appalachian mountaintop removal between 1985 and 2001.
400,000 acres of rich and diverse temperate forests have been destroyed during the same time period as a result of mountaintop mining in Appalachia.

www.cleanenergy.org

www.appvoices.org

Eat Less Meat

2009-06-29T08:24:00.005-04:00

Eating one kilogram of beef is equivalent to a three-hour car ride while the lights are left on at home; equivalent to 36.4 kg carbon dioxide.

Food production is responsible for 12% of greenhouse gas emissions.
1 t-shirt's worth of cotton takes almost a pound of chemicals (pesticide and fertilizer) during the farming process.
A four year study proved that foods grown organically had higher amounts of vitamins and anti-oxidants than food grown with chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizer.
If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1. million barrels of oil every week. That's not gallons, but barrels. Small changes in buying habits can make big differences. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast.

Chakra

2009-06-28T06:30:00.000-04:00

Chakra Rebalancing

Using a combination of aroma mists and stones to balance the Chakras during massage.

"Chakra is a Sanskrit word, which means wheel.
The Chakra System embodies the energy we use to live, love, work, play, study, meditate and all of our other daily activities. Each Chakra is linked to specific areas of the brain and parts of the body. The Chakra System is of basic importance to our well-being. Everything will run smoothly when it is balanced, but one unbalanced Chakra or more will affect our body and mind till it degenerates and leads to weaknesses in the body."

Need your Chakras Balanced?
www.HealingWithOrganics.com

Florida Phosphate is NOT good

2009-06-27T08:56:00.005-04:00

"Florida Phosphate"

Things that make you say "What in the world are they thinking?"

Today, Florida produces 75% of the United States and 25% of world's phosphate.
Mining is a major user of water.
Loss of Panther habitat
Huge reduction in wildlife habitat. Loss of important wildlife habitats that have taken millions of years to create and will never be replicated since mining operations and reclamation practices dramatically alter the natural soils, topography and surface-drainage patterns of the area mined. When the Florida Statutes effective July 1, 1975 required the reclamation of land that is mined pursuant to mandatory phosphate reclamation standards, these standards applied only to wetland areas. There are numerous bird species that have been observed on site. Many are transient and migratory species, and these will be severely impacted by the numerous toxic slime ponds within the area.
Scientific studies have documented that sixty percent (60%) of the radioactivity associated with phosphate is concentrated in clays and sand tailings created by phosphate mining operations. These radiological materials can accumulate in plants, animals and humans. Studies have indicated that phosphate mining may be related to an increased risk of leukemia, lung cancer and colon cancer observed in Florida's mining regions. Many pollutants spread throughout the surficial aquifer are then transported throughout the basin, where they enter the food chains of many species, including humans.
Fluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6), used to fluoridate drinking water, is derived from the pollution scrubbing operations at phosphate companies.
In my words: It seems that the Pro-phosphate propaganda is playing on people fears that world hunger problems need to be solved by the mining of more habbitat destroying phosphate to solve the problem. This sounds frightening similar to Monsanto's cry for more GMO crops to solve world hunger. What we need to do is teach farmers how to rotate crops, compost and fertilize their crops with non-toxic methods.

Say no to GMO Corn this summer

2009-06-06T22:02:00.002-04:00

Don't do it. Don't picnic w/ GMO Corn. How do you know if you bought GMO corn? If it's not organic corn, you will not know. There is no "GMO sticker" on produce. For a sure fire way to avoid GMO, buy organic. Organic standards do not allow GMO seeds or crops.

Yippie for Organic!

Here are some great websites devoted to educating about GMO's and their dangers.

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/

h ttp://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

1BOG

2009-05-17T08:31:00.005-04:00

1 Block Off the Grid aka 1BOG

"One Block Off the Grid can help with that. 1BOG forms cooperative groups of homeowners in cities across the U.S. When a city has 100 to 150 households registered (at no cost or obligation) they guide the group through the process. They find the contractor, arrange for everyone to have a site study, get the bids and then they negotiate with the contractor and the suppliers to get the best deal for the group. Then group members can decide to participate or not.

If nothing else, check out their website. Now is a great time for residential solar because the federal and state incentives have never been better."

How to Stop using chlorine in your pool~ DIY

2009-05-15T02:17:00.001-04:00

Excerpt taken from Here

The two most common pool and spa chemicals are chlorine and bromine.

These are two exorbitantly deadly toxins. Known Chlorine Dangers:

Chlorine combines with natural organic matter decaying vegetation to form potent cancer causing trihalomethanes (THM’s)
Collectively include such carcinogens as chloroforms, bromoforms carbon tectachloride, bischlorothane and other cancer causing agents
The level of chlorine in swimming pools is over 1,000% the level deemed minimally safe by the EPA in water
Causes atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attack
Causes skin to prematurely age
Damages the human eye
Causes bladder, breast, testicular, bladder, colon, or rectal and bowel cancer as well as malignant melanoma
Damages lung tissue
Causes acne, psoriasis, seborrhea and eczema
Converts to dioxins - the most dangers of cancer causing chemicals and which build up permanently within a person's body
causes infertility and birth defects
Damages the nervous system permanently

"Chlorine is so dangerous" according to PhD biologist/chemist Dr. Herbert Schwartz," that it should be banned. Putting chlorine in water is like starting a time bomb. Cancer, heart trouble, premature senility, both mental and physical are conditions attributable to chlorine treated water supplies. It is making us grow old before our time by producing symptoms of ageing such as hardening of the arteries." Dr. Stephen Askin wrote: "The real issue is not just how toxic chlorine itself is but how the unintended by-products of chlorine (organochlorines and dioxins) remain in the environment. They are persistent in the environment; they do not break down readily and therefore bio-accumulate. This can create a very serious health problem; the dioxins and other toxic chemicals accumulate in the fatty tissues. These contaminants are also hormone disrupters because they mimic estrogen. The EPA has observed and documented hormonal imbalance, suppressed immune systems, reproductive infertility and alterations in fetal development of animals. In viewing the big picture, these factors are perhaps the most frightening results from the widespread use of chlorine." In Super Nutrition for Healthy Hearts Dr Richard Passwater shows how "the origin of heart disease is akin to the origin of cancer" Chlorination could very well be a key factor linking these two major diseases. Chlorine creates THM's and haloforms. These potent chemical pollutants can trigger the production of excess free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals cause cell damage. Excess free radicals can cause normal smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall to go haywire, to mutate. The fibrous plaque consequently formed is essentially a benign tumor. Unfortunately, this tumor is linked with the origin of heart disease."

Is Bromine a safe alternative? Known Bromine Dangers: * If spilled on the skin, it produces painful sores * Has strong unpleasant odor * Is Toxic * Converts to dichlorobromomethane, bromoform and bromate* The Metropolitan Emergency Response Network defines dichlorobromomethan as particularly dangerous and harmful (see below)
Vapor will attack the eyes and lungs

* Causes cancer* Damages skin

* Damages the liver * Causes depression and brain damage

* Damages the nervous system and muscles

* Bromine vapors are known to reduce male sperm count, causes malformed sperm resulting in birth defects and causes male infertility

* Maximum safety precautions should be used when handling it

The Metropolitan Emergency Response Network advises: "Dichlorobromomethane should be handled as a CARCINOGEN--WITH EXTREME CAUTION. * Exposure can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Higher levels can irritate the lungs and may cause you to become dizzy, light-headed and to pass out. Could cause death. * Repeated exposures affects the liver. * Contact can irritate the skin." EVEN WORSE, some pool and spa suppliers urge using both chlorine and bromine together - which doubles their sales. Combining chlorine and bromine is the second most powerful cancer-causing liquid mixture only surpassed by drinking highly radioactive liquids. When combined, chlorine and bromine make 97 carcinogens, 82 mutagens, 28 acute and chronic toxic contaminants and 23 tumor promoters. Many of these complex chemicals resulting from the conversion of chlorine and bromine to other chemicals permanently accumulate in a person's body fat. Each time exposed, the level of carcinogens, mutagens, toxins and tumor promoters increases. With each increase, the risk of cancer increases to a point of it no longer is a question of if the person will develop cancer.

Many people add hydrogen peroxide to their bath and foot bath water for health reasons. H2O2 oxygenates the skin and helps to clean skin (skin is porous and builds upon waste excretion). Hydrogen peroxide also kills fungus and other micro-organisms that live on and just below skin surface. There is no harmful side effects possible as H2O2 is non-toxic.

No one pours typical chlorine and bromine pool chemicals into their bath water believing it healthy.

HOW HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WORKS AGAINST ORGANIC SUBSTANCESHydrogen peroxide has been called a "kamikaze" or "depth charge" chemical against organic substances. H2O2 is simply water (H2O) with an extra oxygen molecule loosely attached (H2O2). When H2O2 contacts any organic molecule, the contact knocks off the extra oxygen molecule. The result is two fold. First, energy is released. Though certainly not noticeable at the atomic/molecular level, the power in "decomposing" H2O2 is so great that hydrogen peroxide has been used to power rockets into space, powered the X-15 first subsonic jet and the U.S.S.R. supersonic attack torpedoes. When the atom breaks free, the kinetic energy holding that atom is released, resulting in a flash of steam heat. The first "killing" ability of the H2O2 is to blow up the organic molecule. The free oxygen atom then impacts the organic molecule, resulting in burning the molecule. Organic substances in contact with pure oxygen "burn" (or more precisely oxidize. The combined result is that the organic molecule is blown up and burned. What remains, then, of the hydrogen peroxide atom? It is now only pure water (H2O2) and pure oxygen (o). It destroys the organic substance and then converts itself to pure water and pure oxygen in the process. There are no toxins in hydrogen peroxide and it is the pure bio-degrading chemical that can not build up in your pool or spa. It not only destroys organic contamination, but also destroys itself in the process to the two purest and most beneficial chemicals: pure water and pure oxygen. There are no other elements in hydrogen peroxide.

NO TOXINS IN HYDROGEN PEROXIDE: H2O2 in pool treatment is not only neither toxic nor harmful, it actually is good for your skin by oxygenating skin (rather than bleaching and poisoning it). As the elements of H2O2 are only pure water and pure oxygen, it will naturally decompose in its usage cycle for 100% decomposition into pure and safe atoms of water and oxygen only. Thus, there is no chemical build up nor conversion to other chemical compositions.

Spa Usage and Costs

The cost difference makes hydrogen peroxide highly attractive if all actual costs are figured. While H2O2 can cost more than other pool chemicals, if you add the numerous support chemicals, testing, and frequency of draining the pool to total comparison makes H2O2 less costly. If you try H2O2 in your spa, you will fall in love with your spa again and never go back to chlorine, bromine or secret ingredient pool chemicals. The H2O2 will eliminate the bad smells that come from untreated spa water, but also has none of the chemical smell of spa treatment chemicals.

Pond Maintenance: Hydrogen peroxide also can be used in ponds with plants to reduce algae and micro-organism growth.

The finest commercial aquariums now use H2O2 to treat their tanks, which contain sea life inventories valued into the tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Draining and cleaning tanks is extremely costly, dangerous to sea life that has to be removed and particularly harmful to plant life that can not be removed. However, they can not use the toxic chemicals used for water treatment.

What they found is that H2O2 "attacks" the lowest life forms first - meaning the micro organisms such as fungus and bacteria that harms their sea life. Next, the H2O2 will attack algae and lowest plant life forms. They cease H2O2 treatment level at that point to avoid harm to the higher plant, fish and other aquatic life. The H2O2 that remains in the water will quickly decompose to merely pure water and gaseous oxygen by its interaction with the organic matter in the tank and U.V. from the display lights or sunlight if outdoors. We DO NOT recommend amateur usage of H2O2 in ponds or aquariums with fish. This requires fairly exact testing of concentration levels and supervision that is best left to the professionals in marine life. However, H2O2 treatment is an outstanding way to minimize algae, fungus and other infestations growth turning a beautiful pond into a smelly, cloudy mini swamp.

Safety Issues of 35% hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide for water treatment has been extremely popular and preferred across Europe for decades and in greater numbers in the U.S.A. each month. It not only poised economic challenge to the suppliers of pool chemicals (that require more pool chemicals, refreshing pool chemicals, and then pump-it-all-out and start again with chemicals - but also the manufacturers of complex pool systems for usage of such chemicals. There is little legitimate criticism to make of hydrogen peroxide because in diluted form it is good for your health. Yet the chlorine and bromine merchants must find reason. As a result, we have read some very alarmist warnings of the dangers of hydrogen peroxide. The most common is to read "Imagine the terrible thing that could happen in a serious auto accident in which the hydrogen peroxide bottle is broken!" That is a curious one, given that vehicle also contains many gallons of explosive gasoline and an impact would have to be massive to bust a plastic bottle being driven home. The solution is to transport hydrogen peroxide (and all other chemicals) in the trunk or back of your truck. There is a danger factor to 35% hydrogen peroxide concerning handling that applies to all chemicals in general. It is highly concentrated and if undiluted will sting a person's skin. If you spill 35% hydrogen peroxide on you, in a few seconds your skin will start to sting and to turn white where contact was made. The "treatment" is to quickly wash the area off with water or any safe liquid (soda pop or any other non harmful water based liquid.) Your skin will continue to sting for a few minutes and will turn light yellow or white where there was contact. Within half an hour to an hour, skin color will return to normal. There will be no scarring and no toxins entered the body as H2O2 has no toxins. Like all liquid chemicals, concentrated hydrogen peroxide can damage eyes. Unlike other chemicals that are not water based, flushing the eyes with water not only is the treatment, but water also dilutes hydrogen peroxide to a safe concentration level. 35% hydrogen peroxide will not burn or explode. If spilled on the ground where plants grow, spray it with water to reduce the concentration and it will benefit the plants and grass. Gardens and farmers use hydrogen peroxide for house plants, gardens and commercial farming to oxygenate the soil and kill harmful micro-organisms. The only safety issue of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide is to avoid splashing it on yourself or in your eyes, and to store it away from children or incompetent adults. Carry it in your trunk if moving it.

SAFETY COMPARISON: Once the hydrogen peroxide is diluted in your pool or spa, there are exactly ZERO safety issues. When diluted, all danger vanishes. H2O2 contains no poisons or toxins or any harmful substance. It is water and oxygen. It does not cause cancer. It does not harm or age skin (it refreshes skin). It does not harm the liver, brain, nervous system or brain. Hydrogen peroxide in your pool or spa as the water treatment will not and can not harm you.

SAFE FOR YOUR POOL OR SPA FILTER AND PUMP? Some pool and spa chemical suppliers and Internet retailers warn that hydrogen peroxide will damage the pump and/or filtration system. Is this true? The answer is no, maybe, and no. Hydrogen peroxide in a concentrated form can damage natural rubber and certain metal (silver). Nearly all pools and spas use plastic, steel, synthetic "rubber", fiberglass and stainless steel. Those would not be harmed by any concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The answer is "maybe" if natural rubber is used AND if you have the mindset of the chemical merchants. Their view of water treatment is that you pour powerful chemicals into your pool to remain permanently in the water. As those turn to other chemicals, you then should add more chemical. Finally, when the chemical soup is so out-of-wack and awful, you should pump it all out and start with a new chemical soup and repeat the process. There is no rationality if following that apparent love of chemicals in usage of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide will kill the organics - and convert itself to pure water and pure oxygen in doing so. What hydrogen peroxide remains will also convert to water and oxygen over the next few days by reaction to the U.V. in sunlight. No only does H2O2 purge your pool of organic contamination, it also then purges your pool of itself. There is no increasingly chemical build up with H2O2. Most who use H2O2 for their pool add it at night, turn off the pump and forget about it. Across the night the atoms of H2O2 will destroy micro-organisms. The next day, the sun will reduce the H2O2 concentration further. The pool owner can turn on the pump anytime. Most bleaches, chlorine and pool chemicals also harm rubber - and unlike H2O2 they also build up chemical film and clogging build up. So IF you have natural rubber fittings and IF you pour in lots of H2O2 over and over like other pool chemicals, it could damage your seals, fittings and pump like other pool chemicals ultimately do. So then the final "no", not if you use H2O2 as H2O2, rather than like other pool and spa chemicals - meaning always building up the level of chemicals in your water.

SWIMMING POOLS AND HOT TUBS

The following information on the use of hydrogen peroxide for swimming
pools/hot tubs is considered experimental. Check with your swimming
pool or hot tub manufacturer about the compatibility of hydrogen
peroxide to your system.


Swimming Pools

It has been found for start up that 1 pint of 35% food or technical
grade hydrogen peroxide should be added for each 1000 gallons in the
pool system. Let stand for one day with the circulation pump running
intermittently. (Dr. Donsbach indicates from his experience that an
average size pool takes about eight gallons to begin with and then
one-half to one gallon must be added per week.) The pool should be
maintained at 40 parts per million. This can be determined by peroxide
test strips or by use of a titration kit.

It is extremely important to keep the filters clean. The addition of
an ultra violet light or an ozonator will reduce the amount of
hydrogen peroxide that you will need to add.

Sunlight will dissipate hydrogen peroxide just as it dissipates
chlorine, so regular additions of H202 will have to be made. The
number of people using the pool or frequency of pool use determines
the amount of H202 that must be added.

Most water from municipal water supplies contains chlorine. This is
why the original "shock" of a large amount of hydrogen peroxide is
necessary for start up. Hydrogen peroxide forces chlorine out of the
water in the pool or hot tub.

One incident where H202 did not work in the pool was because of the
mineral content of the water. A diatomaceous filter will require more
attention than a sand filter because a diatomaceous earth system will
filter out smaller particles than a sand filter. If you have a
diatomaceous earth filter, the addition of a paper filter ahead of the
filter will keep it from clogging up as frequently.

Just a note as to what may happen with extreme amounts of hydrogen
peroxide. I swam in a pool with one hundred parts per million and
noted on getting out of the pool the dead skin flakes that floated on
top of the water. It was very refreshing.


Hot Tubs

Check with the hot tub manufacturer to determine the compatibility of
your system with H2O2 The average size hot tub could be started up
with one quart or more of 35% H202 until it tests 40 ppm. Turn the
circulation pump on to distribute it evenly, then intermittently
during the next 24 hours. Add enough hydrogen peroxide from time to
time to maintain it at approximately 40 parts per million.

Travel Size Organics

2009-05-13T07:33:00.010-04:00

Travel Sizes to feel good about.

* Certified Organic Products.
* In Eco-friendly packaging.
* Packaging 100% Recyclable.

Energy of Certified Organic Ingredients
- Clean and potent plant extracts of high vitality!
- More vitamins, nutrients and cancer-fighting anti-oxidants!
Revolutionary Bioactive Cold Formulation
- Superior quality active ingredients!
- Significant quantities of bio-available nutrients to literally feed your skin!
100% Beneficial Ingredients
- Every ingredient in every product must be beneficial
- All ingredients are active!
- No synthetic functional ingredients (e.g pH adjusters, colours, pearlisers, consistency modifiers, preservatives)!
Unique Emulsification and Preservative Systems
- No chemical emulsifiers- unique all-natural emulsion!
- No chemical preservatives- tested and proven all-natural shelf life!

Product Comparison:

Typical Moisturizer Ingredient Label

Water
Dimethicone (silica)
Carbomer 941
PEG-50 Almond Glycerides (almond)
Sodium Laurenth Sulphate(coconut)
Cocoamid opropyl
Hydroxysultanet
Triethanolamine (TEA)
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Phenoxyethanol
Methyl Paraben (organic preservative)
FD&C Yellow No.6
Fragrance

Miessence Moisturizer Ingredient Label

Organic aloe vera leaf juice
Purified water Organic
Rosehip seed oil
Organic jojoba seed oil
Organic safflower seed oil
Organic shea fruit butter
Organic sugar-cane ethanol
Non-gmo lecithin
Organic bitter orange extract
D-panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
Organic lavender essential oil
Organic grapefruit seed extract
Organic olive juice extract
Natural gum
Olive leaf extract
Organic calendula extract
Organic chamomile extract
Organic marshmallow extract
Organic olive extract
Organic St. John's Wort extract.

Click here to see their toxic ingredient directory where you can learn how many ingredients used by other companies are harmful, irritating and environmentally dangerous.

Recycle Credit Cards, Gift Cards...it can be done

2009-05-12T06:49:00.007-04:00

"There are 10 billion new gift cards placed in circulation every year, with the potential to add 75-100 million pounds of PVC material to the waste stream."

Taken from: http://www.earthworkssystem.com
Demonstrate your commitment to green.

Along with a growing environmental awareness, the consumer conscience is greening. As your customers demand more and more green products, Earthworks™ provides you a solution—an earth-friendly plastic material for use in gift card and customer loyalty programs. This American-made 100% recycled PVC card material is an easy, zero-cost way for you to demonstrate your company’s commitment to environmental responsibility and resource conservation.

Does your store collect customers’ used gift cards at the register?
Instead of throwing them away, recycle them with Earthworks.
What about obsolete cards from last year’s inventory?
Don’t throw them away! Be a responsible corporate citizen by contacting Earthworks to inquire about properly disposing and recycling your leftover gift cards and customer loyalty cards. "

"What's in your Wallet" popular catch phrase...but did you know it has meaning?

Student ID cards, driver’s license, credit cards, and gift cards. Lots of cards.

Most of these cards can be made from recycled PVC.

ID cards, credit cards, driver's license, library card, video rental card, membership cards, shopper discount cards, retailer gift cards…

Many of these cards are made from a base material of PVC plastic. There are 10 billion new cards placed in circulation every year. When these cards are replaced or reach their expiration dates, most of them are thrown in the trash, contributing more than 75 million pounds of PVC material to the waste stream every year.

What’s the solution?
Earthworks™ provides a green alternative to PVC by producing cards made from 100% recycled PVC material. Using this American-made recycled card material conserves energy by reducing the demand for new PVC, and goes a long way toward reducing landfill volume and protecting the environment.
What can I do?
Living green isn’t just "buzz" anymore. Voice your demand for earth-friendly recycled PVC gift cards and customer loyalty cards at your local retailer. The next time you purchase a gift card, ask your retailer if they offer the Earthworks earth-friendly alternative.

Does you hotel offer this?

2009-05-11T07:32:00.009-04:00

Vacation time is around the corner. Make your trip green.

Not all Green Ratings are Equal and there are many shades of green. Looking for a hotel or B&B that shares your shade of green may be just a click then a phone call away.

Here are the things a green hotel should offer and/or do. If your hotel ranks with few "yes" check marks maybe it's more of a muddy green if it ranks with a lot of "yes" check marks, then consider it the bright shade of green from a traffic light. GO!

Towel Program (room has signs suggesting you use your towels more than once, to save water and energy)
Sheet Program (same as above)
Cotton Towels/Sheets (Polyester is made from plastic..not so eco-friendly. Finding a hotel with Organic Cotton sheets is like hitting the lotto, you win big!)
Alternative Energy (i.e. solar power, or participates in alternative energy credits)
Maintenance for Conservation (planting appropriate landscape for the area)
Energy Conservation (uses those cute spiral light bulbs in lamps, etc)
Bulk Soap & Amenities (those little 1 time use bottles are not eco-friendly)
Newspaper Program (allowing guests to opt out of receiving daily newspapers)
Composting ("recycling" all waste product from the kitchen and un-eaten portions from guests)
Organic Food Served
Eco-friendly Food Served (fair trade &/or shade grown)
Promote "greenness" in PR
Educate Guests to "green"
Educate Staff to "green"
Participate in Green Program(s)
Fresh Air (can you open your windows?)
Non-Smoking Rooms
Environmental Cleaning (using toxic free cleaning supplies, NOT using bleach)
Water Conservation (low flow faucets, dual flush toilets)
Xeric Garden (planting for low water use)
Gray-Water Recycling (re-using waste water)
Recyclable Disposables
Compostable Disposables
Durable Service Items
Guestroom Recycling Bins
Hotel Recycling Bins
Donating to Charity
Conference Center/Rooms
Transportation
Fitness Center
Internet

How to find a
Green Hotel

iStayGreen.com

Orbitz Green Site

Environmentally Friendly Hotels

Eco-Tropical Resorts

"Green" Hotels Association

International Eco-Tourism Society

If your hotel isn't green, share these sites with them:

Green Lodging News

Eco Crown Hospitality

Green Holtelier

Make your
Air Travel Green

American Airlines - Green Jets

Continental Airlines

Offset your Carbon Emissions

Plant a tree to offset

Green your
Car Rental

Orbitz Hybrid Car Rental

Hertz, Avis, Enterprise Hybrid Car Rental

Hawaii's Bio-Beetle Rental

Zip Car

Green you Cruise

Try sailing

Cruise Lines International Association Cruise lines have agreed to adhere to a voluntary list of eco-standards

GreenYour.com

Dining Green

Happy Cow Resturante Guide

Local Harvest Organic Guide

VegDining.com

Country Living Magazine Organic Dining Guide

Peace WILL Bring a Greener Planet

2009-04-30T07:21:00.004-04:00

If we have true peace on earth, our planet's health will just follow.
Not until we rescue ourselves can we truly rescue the planet.

I"m not the only one who thinks this way. Check out these few links:

Happy Every Day is Earth Day

2009-04-22T08:40:00.006-04:00

While tooling around on the web to find a graphic for today's entry, I found this humorous little pic.

Enjoy, and may Earth Day make you feel all warm and comfy inside, just like tomato soup does.

Organic Gift Certificates

2009-04-20T14:59:00.003-04:00

Can't think of what to get someone?
Don't have time to mail something because life got in the way, and now it's the day. Online gift certificates are great, paper free ways to go about gifting.

Click picture to go to Organic Gift Certificate Purchasing.

Mother's Day Gift Set

2009-04-11T17:16:00.005-04:00

Two Natural, Nurturing & Nourishing Products to make your Mother feel wonderfully cherished. Wrapped in an Organza drawstring bag. This unique gift is delivered to your Mother's door, wherever she may live
Happy Mothers Day! Rose Monsoon: 30ml/1fl.oz In Eastern traditions, the aroma of the Thousand-petalled Rose promotes strength and vitality enhances harmony and balance. Perfect for rehydrating and invigorating your skin, especially in air-conditioned environments, such as offices and aircraft. Nourishing Hand Cream Size: 40ml/1.35fl.oz An ultra-rich and nourishing cream for dry, chapped hands with antioxidants that help protect the hands from environmental stress. Organic shea butter and phospholipids keep the hand soft, supple and smooth. Helps to refine the texture of the hands, and brings moisture to the skin. Absorbs quickly without leaving the skin greasy. Perfumed with divine organic rose essential oil.

Miessence Organics ~ Buy 1 Get 1 Free

2009-04-09T11:50:00.004-04:00

Buy 1 set of baby care products, and get a 2nd set free!

A Great way to try the baby line: Get a friend or a sister who wants to also try, and split the initial cost. What an even better savings!!!

Buy one Mother & Baby range pack and get a second pack free!

Protect your baby with the world’s first complete range of certified organic baby care products.

miessence® mother & baby range. Pure. Safe. Gentle. Totally free from synthetics, allergens, perfumes and essential oils.

Available in this special 2 for the price of 1 offer for the month of April. You must enter the special babypromo code during checkout.

P.S. Remember, you must enter the special babypromo code to your Mother and Baby range pack order during checkout in April to receive your second Mother and Baby range pack FREE - a saving of more than $175!

Eco-Friendly Scrapbooks...Yes, it's possible.

2009-04-04T18:06:00.007-04:00

Save the Trees for Hugging.

Finally a scrap book company that offers ECO-PAPER for SCRAPBOOKING!
Check out K & Company's recycled collection. Though there is only a small offering...it's a start. It should catch on and grow to many, many offerings if we all choose to vote with our dollar and buy eco-papers for scrapbooking.

You can find K & Company at Target.

Where's the bailout for the Polar Bears?

2009-04-02T08:56:00.006-04:00

While we are dolling out billions of dollars to save the auto industry, who created the a large majority of the environmental devastation we face, one has to ask
WHERE IS THE BAIL OUT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

Since the gov is not going to do it, we must!

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/polar_bear.php

http://www.savebiogems.org/polar/

Tonight 8:30pm Your Local Time.

2009-03-28T08:25:00.006-04:00

March 28th~ Earth Hour is upon us... at 8.30pm local time around the world millions of people are turning off their lights for 1 hour.

This is not so much about saving energy. It is more a massive, global and overwhelming signal to our nations' leaders to say that climate change is important. That it matters a great deal. That we care. Now do something about it!

Find out more about Earth Hour

Organic White House

2009-03-27T08:06:00.002-04:00

Obamas to Plant Organic Vegetable Garden at White House

By Marian Burros
NY Times, March 20, 2009
Straight to the Source

WASHINGTON - Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of the South Lawn on Friday to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets - the president does not like them - but arugula will make the cut.

While the organic garden will provide food for the first family's meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.

"My hope," the first lady said in an interview in her East Wing office, "is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities."

Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington will help her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot, in a spot visible to passers-by on E Street. (It is just below the Obama girls' swing set.)

Students from the school, which has had a garden since 2001, will also help plant, harvest and cook the vegetables, berries and herbs. Virtually the entire Obama family, including the president, will pull weeds, "whether they like it or not," Mrs. Obama said with a laugh. "Now Grandma, my mom, I don't know." Her mother, she said, will probably sit back and say: "Isn't that lovely. You missed a spot."

Whether there would be a White House garden had become more than a matter of landscaping. The question had taken on political and environmental symbolism, with the Obamas lobbied for months by advocates who believe that growing more food locally, and organically, can lead to more healthful eating and reduce reliance on huge industrial farms that use more oil for transportation and chemicals for fertilizer.

Then, too, promoting healthful eating has become an important part of Mrs. Obama's own agenda.

The first lady, who said that she had never had a vegetable garden, recalled that the idea for this one came from her experiences as a working mother trying to feed her daughters, Malia and Sasha, a good diet. Eating out three times a week, ordering a pizza, having a sandwich for dinner all took their toll in added weight on the girls, whose pediatrician told Mrs. Obama that she needed to be thinking about nutrition.

"He raised a flag for us," she said, and within months the girls had lost weight.

Dan Barber, an owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, an organic restaurant in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., that grows many of its own ingredients, said: "The power of Michelle Obama and the garden can create a very powerful message about eating healthy and more delicious food. I don't think it's a stretch to say it could translate into real change."

While the Clintons grew some vegetables in pots on the White House roof, the Obamas' garden will far transcend that, with 55 varieties of vegetables - from a wish list of the kitchen staff - grown from organic seedlings started at the Executive Mansion's greenhouses.

The Obamas will feed their love of Mexican food with cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale. For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White House carpenter, Charlie Brandts, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey.

The total cost of seeds, mulch and so forth is $200, said Sam Kass, an assistant White House chef, who prepared healthful meals for the Obama family in Chicago and is an advocate of local food. Mr. Kass will oversee the garden.

The plots will be in raised beds fertilized with White House compost, crab meal from the Chesapeake Bay, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying mantises will help control harmful bugs.

Cristeta Comerford, the White House's executive chef, said she was eager to plan menus around the garden, and Bill Yosses, the pastry chef, said he was looking forward to berry season.

The White House grounds crew and the kitchen staff will do most of the work, but other White House staff members have volunteered.

So have the fifth graders from Bancroft. "There's nothing really cooler," Mrs. Obama said, "than coming to the White House and harvesting some of the vegetables and being in the kitchen with Cris and Sam and Bill, and cutting and cooking and actually experiencing the joys of your work."

For children, she said, food is all about taste, and fresh and local food tastes better.

"A real delicious heirloom tomato is one of the sweetest things that you'll ever eat," she said. "And my children know the difference, and that's how I've been able to get them to try different things.

"I wanted to be able to bring what I learned to a broader base of people. And what better way to do it than to plant a vegetable garden in the South Lawn of the White House?"

For urban dwellers who have no backyards, the country's one million community gardens can also play an important role, Mrs. Obama said.

But the first lady emphasized that she did not want people to feel guilty if they did not have the time for a garden: there are still many changes they can make.

"You can begin in your own cupboard," she said, "by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables."

Sign the Declaration

2009-03-24T11:28:00.008-04:00

"The current law regulating toxic chemicals was passed in 1976. And it hasn't changed since, even though 20,000 new chemicals have come onto the market since then.
Babies are born pre-polluted with 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies when they enter the world.
It's up to us to change that, and together we can do it. Click Here to spread the word. Friend by friend, we'll build a powerful movement."

Click here to watch important video (top right corner of screen)

.

8 Days Away

2009-03-20T08:39:00.006-04:00

" VOTE EARTH"

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour. "

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

all this text was taken directly from the Earth Hour website.

Everybody's got one...

2009-03-08T12:26:00.005-04:00

Everybody has an opinion on the financial crisis, etc.
I'm no exception. I'll make it short and sweet, but the rant must be. I have held it in and now feel my blog is here for days like these.

When small businesses were folding because Wal-mart came to town, who bailed those people out? Jobs were lost to good honest businesses. But now, we are bailing out thieves. ???

Why are we rewarding car companies for over populating our planet with gas guzzling, earth killing vehicles? This is the government's chance to put a real price on greening the planet. Bail out ONLY and ONLY if the companies produce green cars. And stop with all this over-production. If we stop to think about how many cars are really produced each year vs. how many are actually bought, I bet we'd be blown away at the amount of waste created. Why are we so focused on buying buying buying...why not share?
If car companies can't stay in business by selling their over priced pieces of crap, then why should we save them? If they mis-manage their money, that's their fault. Move on.

Why do we listen to all those speculative news shows that obviously have NO IDEA what is spewing from their mouths.

Am I mad? Heck yeah! We are rewarding companies for ruining the planet and over production of things we don't need. Yippie for commercialism.

The people who work hard for all those thieving, earth ruining car companies, are going to suffer will the Ceo's sit fat in their castles.

While I'm on my rant about car companies and waste. STOP crashing vehicles for t.v. commercials and comedic factor. We have special effects, no need to crash real cars these days just for a split second of "entertainment" WASTE WASTE WASTE

BringSeanHome.org

2009-02-23T21:57:00.004-05:00

39,000 Signatures Needed. Click the Care2 banner to sign

After seeing this story on NBC Dateline, I had to pass it along. I know it breaks from my traditional "Green" blogs, but it's a break worth doing.

My Famous Fakers & Not Fakers

2009-01-12T20:07:00.019-05:00

I posted this list more than a year ago...Since then it has grown...and also moved down the list of my blog. So here it is again for all my new readers...Updated and fantastic.

If I upset anyone, It's NOT my intention. My only request is that if you don't agree with me, then don't utilize my list. Please no hate email or hateful posts/replies. I wouldn't do it to you, so please don't do it to me. This is not an attack on anyone who works for a company or buys from a company I have put on my Fake Lists. If you work for a company on my fake list and you are mad I put you there, contact your company and yell at them, not me. I did my research thoroughly and read ingredient labels carefully. It took me HOURS & Months to put together this list. I also work in the industry and am VERY familiar with many of these companies. (I've worked in the health and wellness field for over 6 yrs)

I do commend the companies who use organic ingredients, because this is great for the planet! I wish all companies used more organics. However, I do not think combining them with chemical synthetics is good for the planet or for people. Some body care chemicals are toxic to create, while others are toxic to our health. So if a company is using organics and synthetics in the same product, one has to wonder...who's interest do they really have in mind?

I'm only judging products/companies for their personal body care lines (ie. shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, etc)

Body care is not a regulated industry.
The USDA Organic regulations/laws only extend to food items or body care items that are food grade.
Because of lax regulations a body care company can use the word "Natural" any way they want, regardless of if they threw in chemicals and synthetics to the final product.
A company can only use the word Organic on the front of their packaging if the product contains at least 70% organic ingredients
For a company to display a label that reads "Made with Organic ingredients" the product must carry 70% or more organics with no restrictions on the other ingredients.
For a company to display the USDA organic label, it must have 95% or higher organic ingredients with the other 5% being from an approved list.
To carry the new Natural Products Association Label the natural product must only contain pre-approved naturally derived ingredients.

The Eco-Cert label has fallen under scrutiny lately, for allowing synthetics in products (which is against it's own rules) with many interest groups now not trusting the integrity of the EcoCert logo.

THE LIST:

Fake Organics: These companies use synthetics and sometimes very little organics in their finished product. The ingredient names following the brand name are examples of the exact toxic ingredients these companies use, that landed them on my No No list and the USDA Organic regulations do not condone use of. You won't see the USDA Organic logo on any of these brands, yet, they still try to trick the uneducated public into believing they are an "organic" product by calling their brand name " ____ organic".

Alba Botanica - Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Octinoxate , Oxybenzone, Peg-100, Sodium PCA, etc.
Avalon Organics - Cocamidopropyl betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium oleamido succinate, Sodium PCA, Octinoxate, Oxybenzone, etc.
Babywise Organics - Octyl Palmitate (I'm finding this to be another name for Dimethicone..correct me if I'm wrong), Retinyl Palmitate , Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, etc.
Derma E Organic Expressions - PEG-7, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Dimethicone, Peg-175, PEG-200, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, etc.
Giovanni Organics - PVP (which is vinyl), PEG-40, Polysorbate 60, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Octylmethoxycinnamate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocamphodiacetate, PEG-8, etc,
Head Organics - PEG-7, PVP (which is vinyl), Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Cetrimonium Chloride, etc.
J ason pure natural organic - Cocamide MEA, Polyquaternium-7, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone,
Juice Beauty - Retinyl palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl (octyl) palmitate, Cocamidopropyl betaine. Only 4 of over 30 products actually carry the USDA Organic logo, all other 30+ products do not. To me having only 4 certified products, does not make you an organic company.
Kiss My Face Organics - Phenoxyethanol (funny their adverts claim they are "Obsesivly Organic". HA! Really?)
Lotus Touch organic & natural - PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Bisabolol,
Mill Creek Organics a.k.a. Amazon Organics - Cocamidopropyl betaine, Octyl dimethyl PABA, Acrylates copolymer,
Natures Gate Organics - Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-120, Avobenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Oxybenzone, PEG-100, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, PVP, Dimethiconol,
Organix - Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Dimethicone, (Behentrimonium 2 of 4 are toxic, they don't notate which of the 4 types they are using..so this one is iffy), Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone, etc.
Organix South Inc, a.k.a. Thera Neem - Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Lauramide DEA, PEG-7, PEG-40,
Pharmacopia Organic - Phenoxyethanol; Chlorphenesin, Cocamidopropyl betaine
Sexy Hair Organics. i can't find even 1 website online, including the company website, that lists the ingredients. next time i'm at the mall i will jot them down, this is where I saw them first and was appalled by the list of toxins.

Fake Naturals: These companies claim they are natural, safe, part of wellness, or pure; but use toxic synthetics in their products. The words Natural, Pure, & Safe have no regulations guiding their use. Any company can make these claims regardless to if the claim is true or not. I have listed some of the exact toxic ingredients they use.

365 by Whole Foods (so confusing to me at to why their body care products contain junk ingredients).
Alba - Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Octinoxate , Oxybenzone, Peg-100, Sodium PCA, etc.
Arbonne - Cocamidopropyl Betaine Coconut , PEG-80, Peg-120, Retinyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol , Hexylene Glycol , etc. (their baby line is horribly toxic).
Arm & Hammer Essentials Deodorant- propylene glycol, tricolsan, (they test on animals, this alone is enough to boycott them)
Aveda - Many forms of PEG's, Dimethicone, etc. (sorry list not complete. I popped into an Aveda Salon because Aveda does not list online nor will reply to my emails. I did a brief look over of the bottles before it was frowned upon by the salon staff and I left.)
Aveeno - Dimethicone, Petrolatum, Distearyldimonium Chloride, PEG-80, Trisodium EDTA, PEG-150, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
The Body Shop - PEG-100, Parabens (1 product alone had 5 different types of parabens), EDTA, Yellow #5, Red #4, PEG-8, Cocamide DEA, Dimethicone, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-18, PVP
Derma E - Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Dimethyl MEA , PEG-100, Cocamide DEA
Earth Science - Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, benzophenone-3
Healthy Times baby line - Parabens
Huggies/Pamper naturals. "Yeah, right." yes that was sarcasim
Jackson Reece Herbal baby wipes - cocamidoproyl betaine, phenoxyethanol
Kiss my Face - Trisodium EDTA, Retinyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Octinoxate, Oxybenzone, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Propylene glycol, Triethanolamine.
Korres Natural Products - Propylparaben, Methylparaben, PEG- 8, Aluminium Oxide, PEG-100, Phenoxyethanol, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Methylparaben, PEG-60, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol (one product had 5 parabens & pheno. That's just ludacris)
Lush - Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, (this company is at least 1/2 honest...when listing their ingredients, they color code the natural & synthetic so it's easy to read, but they call them "safe synthetics", I have to disagree)
Melaleuca - Dimethicone, PEG - 100, Phenoxyethanol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Avobenzone, Ostisalate, Octinoxate, Octocyrlene, EDTA, Triethanolamine, PEG-7, PEG-60,
Method - Cocamidopropyl betaine, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Cocamide DEA, retinyl palmitate, (gets sneaky & shady by not disclosing the name of their preservatives or what type of color they use. it just says "preservative" "color")
Mill Creek Botanicals - Disodium-EDTA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Imidazolidinyl Urea
Nature's Gate - Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Octinoxate; Oxybenzone, Dimethicone
Pure and Basic - Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-90, Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben
Shaklee - Phenoxyethanol, Didodium EDTA, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Oxybenzone, PEG-10, Dimethicone, AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE, SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, PEG-12, RETINYL PALMITATE
Tom's of Maine - SLS, Proplyene Glycol
Zia - Phenoxyethanol, Octinoxate, Oxybenzone, Octisalate,

Real Organic: no synthetics; never ever.

Badger Balm
Bottled Earth Company
Dr. Bronners
Earth Mama Angel Baby
Eco-Beauty Organics
Eminence
Essensa
Gratefulbody Organics
iLike (i have no idea how to pronounce this one)
Intelligent Nutrients
Le FP Green body Care
Miessence Organics (food grade, carries USDA label)
Nourish (food grade, carries USDA label)
Oracle Organics
Organic Essence
Pangea Organics
Perfect Organics
Sun Dog
Trillium

Real Natural: though they might not use all organic ingredients, their finished product has NO added synthetics.

Alaffia (* Fair Trade)
Aubrey Organics, (they are not on my organic list because not all products are fully organic, though they never use chemicals or synthetics in finished product)
Bon Vital's natural line
Devita
Dr. Bronners
Earth Mama Angel Baby
Mexitan
Mychelle
Nature's Baby Organics
Rare 2 B
Suki
Weleda
Zum

Hit & Miss/ Murky Companies. These companies have some products that are really clean and other products that are not. Read Labels and know what you are choosing before you spend the $$. be on the look out for: Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, PEG's, Parabens, Urea, Propylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine...if those are in it, stay away.

Aura Cacia - Very Hit and Miss. Their certified organic line of esseintial oils are the bomb though, VERY high grade and very clean!
Bare Minerals- I found Dimethicone in 1 product out of about 12 that I researched. Seems they have taken out most of their nasty ingredients. I used to have them on my fakers list.
Beeceuticals - some products carry the USDA logo, other products have phenoxyethanol in the ingredients. I have spoken with the owner of the company and they are working on an enzyme based presevative to replace the pheno. so be on the look out for this positive change.
Burt's Bees - the good thing, is each product tells you on the front of the bottle exactly what % it is natural. they are a pretty clean company. there's not much i would shy away from.
Desert Essence - again a truly hit or miss. mostly miss. mostly on my fakers list with the exception of their pure oils and castile face soap, essential oils; those are truly natural and some even organic
Eco-Bella. All of their body care is 100% clean, but their cosmetic line still carries several ingredients of concern, including parabens.
EO - Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Dimethicone; mostly on my fakers list, though their lip balm is really organic
Honey Bee Gardens
ikove

Please check out www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare for a great petition and more info on the bad companies

DON'Tget excited when you see "PARABEN FREE" ...

2009-01-10T07:56:00.004-05:00

Don't get all excited just yet! CONSUMERS BEWARE.
Many companies are replacing parabens* with a lesser known, but just a toxic, synthetic ingredient called, Phenoxyethanol. "Pheno" has the same warnings and health concerns that made parabens such a popular ingredient to boycott.

The MANUFACTURES of "Pheno" have this to say about it:

"Harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. May cause reproductive defects. Severe skin and eye irritant."

If you see Disodium EDTA on an ingredient list, then stay away! Not only is it toxic, worsely it is a Penetration Enhancer, which simply means that it helps all the other ingredients penetrate deeper, taking those other toxins (and it's self for that matter) deeper into your system! Way to make sure those toxins really get in us! YEAH.

Just remember, readers, 89% of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have NOT been evaluated for safety. Over the last 30 years, only 9 of those 10,500 ingredients in personal care products have been banned or restricted.

*Parabens are: methylparaben (E number E218), ethylparaben (E214), propylparaben (E216) and butylparaben. Less common parabens include isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben.

"Earth Bottles"

2008-12-23T21:42:00.008-05:00

"Earth Renewable Technologies, LLC was born in 2004 from a research cooperative between Clemson University’s Public Service and Agriculture Departme nt, Clemson’s Institute for Nutraceutical Research (INR), and Gaia Herbs, Inc. to develop an all-natural, renewable packaging solution for the natural products industry."

EarthBottleTM is made from polylactic acid, which is a starch and sugar blend made from plants. Which is then blended with other plant-based materials such as flax or cotton.

EarthBottleTM Benefits vs Glass Bottle

Non-breakable = safer & less liability
Over 5X lighter = less freight costs
Far less embedded energy

EarthBottleTM Benefits vs HDPE/PET Bottles

Responsive to demand for sustainable alternatives
Natural anti-oxidant/anti-microbial components
Comparable technical specifications
Cost competitive today, more so with scale
Safer = No trace petroleum chemistry
Looks and feels natural = ideal for brand positioning
Works on both 1 and 2 stage injection blow molding equipment
Suitable for a wide range of container molds

I'm very excited about Organic Essences newest packaging on the market!They call it an organic bio container.
"We’re excited to announce the world’s first biodegradable jar! This ultimate green package represents a new opportunity for people to enjoy the hightest qualiity skin care while also doing the most to protect the environment. Based on a paper tube, this organic jar defines a new level of environmental responsibility - even the label is biodegradable - it’s made of soy inks printed on 100% PCW recycled paper with an organic adhesive and glaze. You could actually plant the entire container in your garden. Whether or not you have a garden, this container will actively help the environment."

The Sun is Still FREE

2008-12-17T06:52:00.005-05:00

Solar WATER heating...why don't we use more of it?

This article is from: Link

Solar water heating systems are an effective way of conserving energy and reducing your electrical and gas bills.

Contrary to popular belief, solar water heating is not a new technology. Solar water heating systems have been used commercially for over a century now, with the first commercial water heater (the Climax Solar-Water Heater) going on sale in 1891 in the United States. By the year 1900, over 1600 houses in California were equipped with this solar water heater.

Due to its effectiveness and low cost, the solar water heating gained popularity until, by 1941, more than half the population of Florida was getting its hot water through solar water heaters!

Solar water heating only lost its popularity as a result of lowered electricity rates, and an aggressive campaign by Florida Power and Light to increase electrical consumption. This was done by offering electric water heaters at bargain prices. Thus Florida's solar water heating was brought to halt.

The United States is not the only country with a solar water heating history. There are many other countries where solar water heating was used in the past and has since fallen out of use - but not all of them. In fact, currently more than ten million Japanese households heat their water using solar water heating systems. This is definite proof that it is a workable technology.

Important Facts about Solar Water Heating Systems

Solar water heating can be used in any climate. Sound unbelievable? Check it out on the U.S. Department of Energy website. They say so as well.

The fuel used to run a solar water heater is sunshine. And, at the time of this writing, sunshine is free - no tax has been added yet.

A solar water heater can reduce your water heating bill by 50%-80%. But with energy prices going up, the amount of savings will soon be even higher.

Aside from reducing your energy bill right now, a solar water heating system will protect you from future energy price increases. Your heating will no longer rely on fossil fuels for electricity.

When building a new home, or when refinancing, the economic aspect of this becomes even more interesting.

You can, for instance, include the cost of a solar water heater with a new thirty-year mortgage package. This would usually amount to about $13.00 -$20.00 a month. Federal income tax deductions for mortgage interest would reduce the payment for the solar water heater by about $3.00 -$5.00 per month.

If your fuel savings with a solar water heating system is $15.00 or more per month (which it likely will be) you will have reduced your monthly heating bill right then and there.

Solar water heating will significantly reduce your carbon footprint, and reduce the demand for fossil fuels which pollute the environment.

Solar heaters can be installed in combination with backup systems. In fact, you could install a solar water heater next to your existing system and make it possible switch to conventional water heating whenever necessary. This way you are guaranteed always to have hot water.

Types of Solar Hot Water Heating Systems

There are two types of solar water heating systems, active solar water heating systems and passive solar water heating systems. They both work on the same principles.

The only difference is that active systems have a pump or other mechanical means of moving the water through the solar heating systems, and passive systems rely on nature's principles: warm water rises to the top, and cold water sinks to the bottom. With a passive solar water heating system, the water storage tank must therefore always be positioned above the solar water heater collector.

Active Solar Hot Water Heating

There are two main designs of active water heating systems. Which one is best for you depends on the climate you live in.

There is what's called an "indirect circulation system" which uses a non-freezing heat-transfer fluid to transfer heat from the collector to a heat exchanger (a device used to transfer heat from the heat transfer fluid to the water in your storage tank). This is good for colder climates.

There is also the direct circulation system, where water is simply passed through solar heat collector and then routed to the water storage tank for use. This system works fine in milder climates.

Passive Solar Hot Water Heating

Passive solar water heating systems are usually cheaper than "active solar water heating systems," as they do not need controls or pumps to circulate the water. As such they are easier to manufacture and don't have many expensive components.

But generally, they are not as effective as the active systems. If you live in a warm climate, a this type of water heating system might be all you need. Passive water heating systems are also known for being very reliable, this is due to the simplicity of the system and lack of pumps or other mechanical parts. There is not much that can break down on a passive solar heating system.

Essentially, solar water heating systems consist of a water storage tank and its solar collectors. The solar collectors are used to collect solar energy which heats water, and the tanks store the heated water. That's all there is to it.

Find Solar Water Heaters

Silicon Solar is a good source of home solar power systems including solar hot water heaters, home solar panels, solar pool heaters, and more.

More Resources:

http://solarroofs.com/goingsolar.html

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/make_a_solar_wa.php

Other Water Heater Options

Organic for newbies

2008-12-14T15:38:00.008-05:00

I love this site for those who are new to the adventure into organics.

On their site you can find a myriad of info:

This site is a definite for the activist in all of us.

SOS: Safeguard Organic Standards

Coming Clean

Clothes for a Change

Reduce Your Use Rally Ride

2008-12-06T11:18:00.009-05:00

REDUCE YOUR USE!

This event will be held in NAPLES, FL on DEC. 13th.

All scooterists, motorcyclist, bicyclist, hybrid car, veggie fuel car, and electric car drivers are welcome to join the Rally Ride.

We'll be starting from the Home Depot Expo Plaza on South East corner of Immoklee Rd & 41.
Riders meet up at far end of plaza across from Starbucks by Moe's Southwest Grill.

The event will begin at 10am, and the ride will move out at 10:45 am sharp.

We'll ride south on 41 ending at Cambier Park, where there will be organic refreshments and snacks provided by Sunsplash Market. The event will end around 1pm.

Our peaceful & positive rally is meant to promote our country's reduction in our independence from petroleum.

Make banners, Use streamers, anything to catch attention as we rally down the road.

Need more info? Or want to help out, let me know.

Carbon Free for Free; First Come, First Serve

2008-12-04T19:13:00.003-05:00

"The peace movement, the climate crisis movement, and the organic community"

2008-11-22T22:28:00.006-05:00

Planting Peace @ http://organicconsumers.org/plantingpeace/index.cfm

A Resource Center for news and activities that seek to build a powerful coalition to bring about cooperation and synergy between the peace movement, the climate crisis movement, and the organic community.

"On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, a new report from Oil Change International, entitled A Climate of War (pdf) quantifies both the greenhouse gas emissions of the Iraq War and the opportunity costs involved in fighting war rather than climate change. Here are some facts on the war and warming:

Projected total US spending on the Iraq war could cover all of the global investments in renewable power generation that are needed between now and 2030 in order to halt current warming trends.
The war is responsible for at least 141 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) since March 2003. To put this in perspective, CO2 released by the war to date equals the emissions from putting 25 million more cars on the road in the US this year.
Emissions from the Iraq War to date are nearly two and a half times greater than what would be avoided between 2009 and 2016 were California to implement the auto emission regulations it has proposed, but that the Bush Administration has struck down. Finally, if the war was ranked as a country in terms of annual emissions, it would emit more CO2 each year than 139 of the world’s nations do. Falling between New Zealand and Cuba, the war each year emits more than 60% of all countries on the planet.
Just the $600 billion that Congress has allocated for military operations in Iraq to date could have built over 9000 wind farms (at 50 MW capacity each), with the overall capacity to meet a quarter of the country’s current electricity demand. If 25% of our power came from wind, rather than coal, it would reduce US GHG emissions by over 1 billion metric tons of CO2 per year – equivalent to approximately 1/6 of the country’s total CO2 emissions in 2006.
In 2006, the US spent more on the war in Iraq than the whole world spent on investment in renewable energy.
US presidential candidate Barack Obama has committed to spending“$150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of green energy technology and infrastructure.” The US spends nearly that much on the war in Iraq in just 10 months."

Taken from: http://priceofoil.org/climateofwar/

Goey Ooey

2008-11-22T20:25:00.007-05:00

Bits and Pieces about compost (from www.AllGreenThings.com)

"Managing organic material at your home can decrease the amount of material that you send to the landfill and help turn your organic waste into a landscape asset.

Did You Know That Compost Can...

Suppress plant diseases and pests.
Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.
Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste.
Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from storm water runoff.
Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.
Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.
About 28 billion gallons of water are wasted to produce and recycle junk each year."

To find out more great things about composting: Click here

GreenLeaf Auto Recyclers

2008-11-11T07:31:00.009-05:00

Have you ever needed a spare part for your car? Companies like GreenLeaf help make that a more eco-friendly choice. If you can't find GreenLeaf in your area, maybe there is another company just like it. So search "auto recyclers" to see if you can help green the planet a little more before buying a new part for your car.
Go recycled, Go refurbished!

Here's info cut and paste from their site:

Helping the Environment

Our vehicle disposal process recycles everything we possibly can. Parts are purchased by our customers as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to purchasing from traditional parts sources. Parts that can be refurbished (i.e. radiators, alternators, compressors) are sold for remanufacturing. Many vehicle fluids including gasoline, oil and antifreeze are recycled. Ferrous and nonferrous metals are recycled and sold for reprocessing in new products. All of this reuse reduces the amount of new products that need to be manufactured, not to mention the raw materials and energy needed to create them.

Our environmental practices are second to none and exceed all federal guidelines. From our extensive experience, we have implemented standardized policies and procedures at all locations for managing vehicles and disposing of hazardous wastes. In fact, our best practices set many of the standards adopted by local communities as guidelines for others to follow.

All of these efforts taken together protect the environment, beautify our neighborhoods and reduce the cost of new goods by returning valuable raw materials into production.

America Recycles day: Nov 15th.

2008-11-02T08:41:00.007-05:00

Celebrating recycling should be an every day occurrence, like the saying goes "Every Day is Earth Day". On Nov. 15th you can show your support for recycling. Talk to neighbors who you notice don't recycle. Maybe they don't because they think it's too confusing. Help them learn that recycling is actually easy. If your office doesn't recycle, start a program and get recycling today.

The following info is taken from the NRC website:

Recycling 101

The Basics, The Benefits
With the involvement and enthusiasm of people like you, recycling is back! And so are thousands upon thousands of recycled products made from materials that would otherwise be piling up in our nation's landfills. It doesn't just make sense. It makes a huge difference to our environment, our quality of life and our country's future.

Why It's Important
Recycling helps protect our resources, our environment, our quality of life.
Learn More

How It Works
There are three parts to the recycling cycle, and you're critical to at least two of them.
Learn More

DOs and DON'Ts of Recycling
It ain't rocket science, but following the guidelines can give recycling a boost.
Learn More

Interesting End Products
You can make what out of what? Now that's amazing!
Learn More

Suggested Reading
If you're a bookworm, get ready to dig in.
Learn More

Bamboo is taking over the World of Electronics

2008-09-27T07:52:00.008-04:00

Growing like a weed, some species as much as 1-2 feet high in a day, Bamboo is a great renewable resource. With it's natural resistance to pest and innate ability to rapidly grow, Bamboo farms are not known for their use of chemical herbicides or pesticides, making Bamboo farming eco-friendly. Some farms go as far as obtaining proper organic certification. Incredibly strong, this grass is often used in place of wood from trees. Did you ever think a day would come when your pc, laptop or even speakers would be made partially from Bamboo?
That day has arrived. Even if we can't eliminate our dependence on petroleum based plastics 100%, we can at least lessen (drastically) the need for so much. REDUCTION is key.

Check this out:

By Dell:

By a company you'll need to know Japanese, but here's a translated page:

By Evergreen:

By Escalante:

By Simple Tech:

Green Buildings after the "Storm"

2008-09-24T19:15:00.009-04:00

Will the towns destroyed by Ike rebuild with greener options?

What would it take to convince them to do so?

Are there organizations out there dedicated to this? Seeing as "Green Building" is such a big deal these days, (thank goodness) having an organization dedicated to helping hurricane, tornado, and river flood victims rebuild greener and wiser would be amazing!

While pondering my ponder I stumbled on these sites that may be useful.

http://www.greenbuilding.com/
http://www.usgbc.org/
http://www.sustainableindustries.com/greenbuilding
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/
http://www.buildinggreen.com/

Eco-Friendly Halloween

2008-09-23T09:44:00.009-04:00

For all those DIY mom's there are Organic Fabric Options out there for you to sew that most wicked costume. Ha rmony Art has a wide selection of certified organic fabrics that are dyed with low impact colors.
Now let's talk about the fun part, the candy. Here's some Organic candy's that will trick your treat.

Yummy Earth has Organic Lollies and Candy drops
Endangered Species Chocolates makes a mix bag just for Halloween
Sunspire Sundrops (just like M&M's...but better)
Edward and Son's "Let's Do Organic"... can we say yummy gummy.

How about a Ghoulish porcelin Tea Set for the kiddos

Or a Nesting Set of Cats and Jack-o-Lanterns.

More ideas might be found at the Organic Candy Blog...

This is a list of Organic Trade Association members who sell organic fabric directly to consumers:

Company	Phone	Website
Ambatalia Fabric	(415) 388-6278	www.ambataliafabrics.com/
Anna Sova Luxury Organics	(214) 742-7682	www.annasova.com
Chandler & Greene, Inc.	(407) 884-9784	www.chandlergreene.com
Cotton Plus, Inc.	(806) 428-3346	www.organiccottonplus.com
Dream Designs Co. Ltd.	(604) 254-7030	www.dreamdesigns.ca
Earth Friendly Goods	(919) 277-6299	www.earthfriendlygoods.com
Furnature, Inc.	(617) 926-0111	www.furnature.com
Greenfibres	44-1803-868-001	www.greenfibres.com
Green Mountain Spinnery	(802) 387-4528	www.spinnery.com
Harmony Art	(707) 884-3347	www.harmonyart.com
NearSea Naturals, Incorporated	(877) 573-2913	www.nearseanaturals.com

Food colorings the same as LEAD

2008-09-12T07:20:00.002-04:00

It seems like the UK and other places in the world like New Zealand and Australia are well ahead of America when it comes to removing harmful additives commonly found in foods. These additives (colors, preservatives, etc) have been scientifically studied and found to be harmful. Linking them to problems such as hyperactivity, obesity, and more seriously ADHD, diabetes, Asthma and so on. Will America catch on? Will there be a movement here, of concerned parents who ban together to fight this? When searching on the web I could only find online groups from the UK, New Zealand and Aussie fighting this fight. If you know of a group here in America, please post it on the comments of this entry. You can remain anonymous if you want.

It is good to know that Certified USDA Organic foods can not contain synthetic chemicals or additives to the ingredients. Yet another great reason to go organic!

"Six artificial colours (102, 104, 110, 122, 124, 129) are being removed from all food in the UK after scientists said their effects were like those of lead on children’s development."

From: http://www.additivealert.com.au/

"It's a sad fact, but food is not just food anymore. Over the past 50 years the use of food additives has skyrocketed to the point where very few of us have any real idea exactly what`s in the food we eat. Alarmingly, the rates of diseases such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, autism, depression, asthma and ADHD have also increased dramatically over this time. Every year, Australians consume over 5kg of food additives each, yet how many of us really know what these chemicals do, which ones are safe and which ones are known to be harmful?

Thankfully, not all food additives are harmful. In fact, of the 300 or so additives approved for use in Australia, most of them are safe, well tested and pose no problem for most people. However, there are at least 60 food additives used in our foods which are at best questionable in terms of safety, or at worse, known to be harmful. "

T minus 30 days

2008-08-30T06:12:00.011-04:00

You have less than 30 days to have your voice heard!

This is my opinion on the matter:
First off the logo chosen is very misleading. It's a very friendly and inviting looking logo. If a consumer doesn't know what the logo stands for, they will think they are buying a healthy or earth friendly product. The logo should be
more of a warning type logo, in red and dangerous looking, since the product is now a hazard, the logo should match. When you walk into a doctors office they have red warning labels for the x-ray area, well, then "x-rayed" food should
have the same type of label. Don't 'greenwash" this logo and make it look friendly and appealing to the consumer as if they were doing something good by purchasing that toxic spinach.

Secondly, consumers don't want more toxins, and less nutrition in their food. We
need all the live nutrients we can get from our foods. Stop killing our
nutritional values. Pesticides, irradiation.. when will it end? Keep Food Alive!

Alert of the Week

FDA OKs Irradiated Lettuce and Spinach

Rather than dealing with the problems inherent in a disease-ridden factory-farmed food system, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in mid-September it will allow the irradiation of lettuce and spinach. Food irradiation is the controversial practice of bombarding food with high levels of x-rays (ionizing radiation) in order to destroy disease causing pathogens. Unfortunately, in the process of irradiation, other hazards arise, like the creation of toxic free radicals, vitamin and nutrient loss, and the formation of carcinogenic chemicals.

Radura Symbol

A product bearing the Radura symbol has been irradiated.

While irradiated lettuce and spinach must be labeled in supermarkets, there are currently no labeling requirements whatsoever for restaurants, schools, hospitals, or nursing homes serving irradiated produce or other nuked foods such as beef. Over the past decade, OCA and our allies in the organic community have prevented corporate agribusiness and the nuclear industry from contaminating organic standards. Food irradiation is prohibited on any product labeled as "organic." There is currently a 30 day comment period for the FDA's new rule.

Click Here to Tell the FDA to clean-up industrial feedlots instead of irradiating our food

Keeping our Addiction Strong

2008-08-24T12:52:00.005-04:00

It's almost a feeding frenzy amongst car companies and car buyers. Free Gas with a purchase of a new car. Well that's just absurd! It's just keeping our need and our addiction to petroleum stronger than ever. What car companies need to do is promote deals and freebies that prompt buying hybrids and smaller cars, not freebies that encourage gas guzzler purchases. Better yet, why don't car companies focus their spending on developing petroleum free cars faster than they currently are.
I think that these promos are just one last ditch effort to keep us buying the gas guzzlers they've already churned out and prolong the inevitable...gas free vehicles.

Snail Mail Spam Blocker

2008-08-07T07:27:00.006-04:00

STOP unwanted JUNK Snail Mail. Even without a spam blocker, you can be the boss of your inbox that's at the end of your driveway.

Check out: http://www.donotmail.org/ to sign a petition and download printable forms to get removed from mailing lists.

"It takes more than 100 million trees to produce the total volume of junk mail that arrives in American mailboxes each year—that's the equivalent of clear cutting the entire Rocky Mountain National Park every 4 months.10

The manufacture of junk mail releases more greenhouse gas emissions per year than the emissions released by 9,372,000 million average passenger cars.11 Check out the side bar to find out more facts about the Junk Mail Effect, or read our full report.

The Canadian Boreal forms part of the greater Boreal Forest, which stores more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem on earth.12 Despite this natural ability to protect us from the effects of global warming, the Canadian Boreal is being logged at a rate of 2 acres a minute, 24 hours a day13 to produce junk mail and other paper products.

Deforestation of Indonesia’s tropical forests is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions.14 This destruction is largely driven by demand for pulp and paper for end uses like junk mail. Logging contributes to Indonesia’s status as the world’s third largest emitter of CO2 into the Earth’s atmosphere, despite its relatively small size.15

Junk mail in the U.S. accounts for over 100,000,000,000 pieces of mail each year1—about 30% of all the mail delivered in the world.2

Approximately 44% of junk mail goes to landfills unopened;6 the average American will spend 8 months of their lives dealing with junk mail.7

By the year 2010, almost 50% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is expected to be paper and paperboard waste.19

Since 1991, national polls have consistently shown that between 80 and 90% of respondents dislike junk mail and would take some action to reduce it if they could. "

Back to School Greens

2008-08-02T07:02:00.013-04:00

School shopping CAN be eco-friendly. Here's my list of suggestions to be green this year and the next and the next...

1. Look for items that are durable and can be used next year, and the year after. Stop the insanity of disposables. Ugh.

2. Look for recycled and high %'s of post consumer waste when buying paper goods.

3. Skip the plastic when non-plastic is an option.

4. Many brand names have online coupons

5. Of course buying second hand is more eco-friendly than buying new, and I totally know that most kids think second hand is lame. But teaching them how to shop for great finds will hopefully open their eyes.

6. If it has to be new, at least know the eco-ethics of the company you are purchasing from. A little Google work can do the trick (check out this Google search engine: http://www.ecosearch.org/) Choose companies with high green goals.

7. Encourage your school board to convert their diesel buses to be green.

8. Check out my Green Your Office entry for more mint green suggestions.

Here's some groovy must haves for school (photos are links to sites):

Skip the plastic by buying a reusable water bottle.

"In 2006, Americans drank about 167 bottles of water each, but only recycled an average of 23 percent. That leaves 38 billion water bottles in landfills. Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon and 90 percent of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label. It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars. "

Recycled Cotton Reusable Lunch Tote

Kicks that rock!

Not so nerdy backpacks

Eco-Fabulous Fashions!

Check out the links for Mint Green Businesses on the righthand tool bar of this blog for more mint green shopping fun!

Ban the Plastic, Ban the Paper

2008-07-22T21:42:00.007-04:00

This is going to be long winded, so bare with me and please read on.

OK. The health food store where I work has started to really push our sales of reusable bags (finally.) We have a sign that says "paper, plastic, or reusable; it's your choice." I guess our corporate office is not trying to push the bag thing since whole foods was getting heat for taking their plastic bags away.

Apparently WF is "in trouble" because they are mis-leading the public that paper bags are more enviro friendly than plastic.
This is where I get heated. NEITHER ARE GOOD FOR THE PLANET.

*Petroleum is needed to make plastic bags
*Plastic bags do not break down (in nature) but rather just become smaller and smaller bits of plastic, thus polluting our soil w/out us seeing it
*Plastic bags take virgin plastic in order to create a "recycled" plastic (maybe this technology is outdated, but i was once taught that all recycled plastics still depended upon a bit of virgin in the final composition. and to be honest, i haven't brushed up on that fact lately to see if it's still true, so if you know, let me know)
*Plastic bags (when left in nature) can kill wild life

*Paper uses more water & energy than plastic to recycle
*Paper bags break down fully (when left in nature) to become basically fertilizer
*Virgin paper bags use trees
*100% post consumer content paper bags do not use trees
*I haven't' heard of paper bags suffocating wildlife, or wrapped around a sea turtles head
*Paper bags attract bugs like roaches when being warehoused (funny thing, so do the cardboard boxes that plastic bags come in)

I could go on forever.

Here's what got me heated the most. Check out this link and give me your stance on it. http://www.enviroaffairscouncil.org/blog/2008/04/corporate-green.html

It seems they are really slamming Whole foods for the whole anti-plastic shopping bag thing, and trying to make plastic bags to be super heroes. WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE BOTH BAD FOR THE PLANET AND WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON MAKING PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THEIR OWN COTTON BAGS. BAN THE PLASTIC, BAN THE PAPER.

If you read the whole grievance the Enviro Affairs Council has to say about WF, you would be amazed at how petty they are being. And how they are just as guilty of greenwashing; they very thing they are accusing WF of.

For example: One of their slams is that Paper bags attract roaches thus causing a health risk for customers. HELLO, cardboard boxes do the very same thing and plastic bags are stored in cardboard boxes, but of course they glide over that and don't mention it.

The EAC seems to be just as guilty as WF when it comes to giving one sided view points or glossing over facts so that they are only using facts that will support their propaganda.

Enough with the paper or plastic banter, let's get with the program and educate about REDUCING, REUSING, then RECYCLING.

Organic Baby Range

2008-07-17T05:14:00.002-04:00

The most amazing thing about this product line is that it's by a company that I just adore. And my fav new product is the Baby Bottom Mist. Spray it on and no gunky mess on your finger tips. Hallelujah.

"And I would walk 10,000 Miles..."

2008-07-08T09:52:00.005-04:00

It sounds like they are building a house, not a shoe.

I love this company! I love their vision. I love their style!

Their motto "Shoes with less junk in the them". So what makes these "shoes for a happy planet"? For starters they re-use old tires. If ties are great for your car's "feet" then, why not our feet too. They also use: Natural Crepe Rubber, Latex, Organic Cotton, Felted Wool, Coconut, Recycled Inner Tubes, Hemp, Recycled PET & Latex Elastic, Jute, BLC (Leather) and ISO 14001 (Suedes), Recycled Plastics (PET), Cork, Bamboo, Water Based Cements/Glue, & Post-consumer Recycled Paper!

Here's my fav shoe and satchel:

Check out more by: Simpleshoes

Green Your Bathroom

2008-07-05T08:20:00.010-04:00

PVC is a NO, NO for your health and the environment. Remember that plastic smell of the shower curtain when you first opened it? That's a smack to the senses and is toxic! The plastic will off gas almost odorless toxins throughout its lifespan. It's the PVC found in the vinyl that does this.

So what's a mint green person supposed to do? Here's my list from Best to Good.
Organic Hemp Shower Curtain. Naturally mildew resistant.
Organic Cotton Shower Curtain with PVC FREE liner (if you feel you need a liner)
Cotton Shower Curtain
PVC Free Shower Curtain.

Wet Feet need love too. Try an all natural bath mat.
Organic Bath Mat
Cork Bath Mat

Replacing old worn out plumbing fixtures with newer, greener choices should be a must.
Try low flow shower heads and faucets. Low Flow's save on water, but don't skimp on pressure. You'll still get the shampoo rinsed out. Installing a solar water heater or tank less system can help you save mucho dinero on your electric bill and also help save our resources by reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the water.

Having an Eco-Fabulous bathroom doesn't end with decorations and fixtures. You can take it one step further by making sure your cleaning products are eco-friendly (just say no to bleach) and also your personal body care products.

To find out more about the dangers of PVC:
http://www.pvcfree.org/

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/toxics/go-pvc-free

http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/alternatives.html

Green Your Kitchen

2008-07-04T05:13:00.011-04:00

A little Bamboo Fun and some Organic food will do the trick.

There are so many ways you can have meal times be Green. Let's start with the plates and forks/spoons. Bamboo is a great choice and Bambu is a fun company that has wonderful ethics! Why bamboo? Bamboo is a fast growing grass. Some species of bamboo can grow as quickly as 1 foot per day. With such a fast paced growth life, this renewable material doesn't take long to replenish. It's also hardy and doesn't need harsh chemicals in order to be healthy. Bambu company has gone one step further to get their bamboo certified organic. Bamboo, though usually grown organically, isn't normally certified. Bambu is changing that with their certification measures.

Another great way to Green meal time is by starting your own organic garden in the yard and using those veggies. And if you have kids, it's been shown that they are more likely to eat their veggies if they had part in growing and harvesting them. There are even systems you can buy to do potted gardening for apartment/condo dwellers.

If you don't have a green thumb, then buy LOCAL.

What about clean up time? Did you know there were Organic Cotton kitchen towels? Or how about 100% recycled, bleach free paper towels! Of course using your own home made cleanser made from vinegar, baking soda and some lemon juice would be the most mint green, but if you have to buy from the store, then go eco-friendly with companies like Ecover, Earth Friendly, BioKleen.

Taking out the trash can be less dirty by using the eco-friendlier bags by BioBag.

Leftovers? Go glass. Forget plastic storage containers that promote petroleum dependence.

Scraps? Remember that garden you planted? It will need yummy fertilizer in the form of Compost.

Green Your Office

2008-06-21T19:17:00.010-04:00

Groovy, Pop, Modern Eyecandy that is 100% Eco-Friendly.
From Journals to day planners and even file folders, this collection is sure to please.

Ever wanted to buy truly eco-friendly office supplies but didn't know where to start?
The Green Office sells everything from recycled paper to reusable biodegradable cups. Even though they carry a wide variety of printer paper, the most eco-friendly is the 100% post consumer content papers. Both the Aspen 100 and Exact Eco 100 paper fit this catagory. Just remember even if it says 100% Recycled, you still need to look for the post consumer content, the high that % the more pre-used paper material went into that product, vs. scrap virgin material that they coin "recycled" because it was saved from the trash.

Envirotech makes a great line of envelopes and folders with high post consumer percentages.

And binders? Did you ever think they would finally come out w/ eco-friendlier 3 ring binders? Well there are several to chose from at The Green Office.

The Green Office even gives easy logos for each product so you know how eco before you buy:

Third Party Certified Recycled Content

Conventional Product Biodegradable/Compostable

Reduced Chemical Content

Dell's new desktop PC which uses 70% less energy, is Energy Star rated, and can even have an outer shell made of Bamboo (saves plastic resources)
"

Introducing the NEW Studio Hybrid^TM

Dell’s most unique, stylish, and conscientious desktop PC. Designed to fit into your environment while protecting the environment.

Personalize with 6 interchangeable color sleeves or bamboo
Ultra-compact design with Intel mobile technology performance
Features include slot-load DVD, HDMI, and optional Blu-ray^TM
Dell’s greenest, most power-efficient consumer desktop"

Staples has their brand of 100% Post Consumer Recycled printing paper and other eco-choices.

Destroyed and Leveled

2008-06-16T06:58:00.004-04:00

"In May 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was leveled by one of the largest tornados in U.S. history. Very few structures remained in the aftermath of the deadly EF5 tornado, and the town lost everything. Inspired by the desire of the townspeople to rebuild ‘green,’ Planet Green, along with executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio, is chronicling the rebuilding of Greensburg into an environment-conscious town. The epic docu-series is a mixture of compelling human stories and amazing feats of green building and engineering that will give the people of Greensburg a new home and a new town built for the future. GREENSBURG will premiere on Planet Green on Sunday, June 15 at 9:00 PM ET/PT and will air every Sunday for 12 additional weeks."

My thoughts: with all the tonadoes and hurricanes destroying our towns and cities, I hope this t.v. show will inspire green rebuilding! I just love this Leonardo DiCaprio...way to use your star power in a postive and wonderful way!

Super Seed that Powers a Car

2008-06-12T07:29:00.006-04:00

Could the Jatropha solve the energy crisis? I believe so. This amazingly well adapted plant can grow just about anywhere that has poor soil conditions and or rainfall. With so much of the planet experiencing droughts and our water usage for normal everyday life skyrocketing, why not plant a crop that is tolerant of low irrigation?

Jatrophas can grow in very sandy, well drained soil or rich soils supplying a higher yield. They have even been found thriving in the crevices of rocks surviving on the humidity in the air. On the other hand they can withstand light frost .

Why is this plant most amazing? Well, the seeds are packed with a punch. These small fruits, literally explode open once ripe. Personal experience: I once had harvested a handful of the fruit to take home and plant in my garden, I forgot them in my pocket, and POP. Scared me to death. Nothing like having your pocket snap alive while watering a section of garden, lost in meditation.

The seeds of the Jatropha are being used to create Bio-Diesel. Imagine if all the diesel trucks ran on this seed alone.

The second amazing thing about Jatropha, it likes to share it's land. So shade loving crops like tomatoes can be grown in the same space. I like farming like that!

Wa$ted & Addicted

2008-06-08T06:56:00.005-04:00

I'm so addicted to this channel. My fav show so far is Wa$ted, where they take a home and tell the owners how large their eco-footprint is, then help the owners lessen their impact with wonderful ideas. Though, I can see where repetition and duplication will most likely occur throughout some episodes, I also think that this type of same solution, different story, will help viewers see how easy and important it is to be green.
Another fun show, is Stuff Happens, where Bill Nye the Science Guy explores stuff and it's eco-footprint. Bill Nye "unlocks the secret lives of everyday things before and after we consume them".
So yes, there's a lot of "footprinting" going on on Planet Green. But we need the wake up call most definitely!

Credit Cards that reward the Planet!

2008-06-05T20:53:00.006-04:00

Credit cards give you free trips in airplanes, donate a % to a charity, or even cash back; but now they are giving back to the planet.

Brighter Planet is joining the forces of Bank of America and Native Energy to gives you carbon offsets with each purchase. Now that's forward thinking.

Now go out and buy organic food, organic clothing and charge it on your card that gives eco-credits.

Celebrate Dad

2008-06-02T21:49:00.013-04:00

What do you get a tree hugging dad for father's day?
Dads sometimes need help with fashion, and yes, men can be "Eco-Fabulous". And what guy doesn't like techie gadgets? Well, this Father's day can be Eco-Fabulous and techie while remaining "Green".

T-shirt made from Bamboo
"I support Organic Farming"- Organic T-shirt

Ohm Dog Organic T-shirt

Organic Cotton Shorts (very mod)

For the dad to be "The Green Parent" book.

Solar Shed/Garage Light

Solar Car Battery Charger

"It's Easy Being Green:" book

Solar Powered Gnome garden light.
Organic shaving products
A subscription to "The Green Guide"

Everyone's doing it...why not you...come on you know you wanna...

2008-05-23T07:48:00.012-04:00

Many areas of the country are looking to follow San Francisco's lead by banning the plastic bag. The popularity of taking your own bag to the grocery store has sky rocketed. Now you can buy the store's branded bags right at the register.
My favorite place to buy bags is from Reusable Bags. They offer a plethora of choices. For those of you who want to go organic cotton, to those of you who want to recycle used plastic into a re-purposed bag. So many choices and ways to be Green.

The site has a running ticker of how many plastic "toss and use" bags have been wasted each day. It's scary to say the least.

Plastic bags consumed this year:*
This was the count at 7:53 am EST : 196,284,920,611

So take your own bag, be trendy, 'cause the green trend is a good trend. If you had to pick one area in life to go full steam, ultra trendy, this would be a great start!

Some of their most trendy looks.

Even reusables can be Eco-Fabulous Darling!

SPF 45 not as good as you think.

2008-05-21T07:05:00.011-04:00

The cosmetic data base finds that 89% of 993 sunscreens currently available do not provide the protection we need. In this 89% you can find ingredient lists that are shockingly toxic. They found that 15% of the sun products on the market are actually safe and at the same time effective.

The FDA's guidelines are only for UVB rays, the burning rays. The regulations do not cover UVA ray protection (damaging rays that lead to cancer)

So what's with all that SPF rating you see on products? Well, it's rating the amount of time you can be in the sun, past your normal exposure, with out getting burned. It's measuring UVB ray only. Burning can lead to cancer down the road, so it is great to protect against UVB's. However that super high SPF is only protecting you from the burning rays, it is not regulating a protection factor for the UVA rays, which also lead to cancer.

Here's the break down on rays:

All three can break down the collagen in your skin. This decreases your elasticity and accelerates the aging process in your appearance and skin's structure.

UVA= Aging rays, gives you wrinkles, sunspots, etc. Breaks down collagen at a faster rate than UVB and UVC. Not protected by SPF regulations or ingredients. Unlike UVB, UVA rays persist year round, even in winter. Pass through windows. From sunrise to sunset even if cloudy, they can get you. Penetrate the deepest in the skin.

UVB= Burning rays, but also responsible for Vitamin D production and melanin production. So if you are wearing sunblock all the time, you'll probably need to supplement with a vitamin to get your D. UVB can also damage our DNA cells.

UVC= Can damage DNA cells. Is a known germicidal. Has a low risk to us.

My favs on the market:

Reflect Outdoor Balm (*made with organic ingredients)

Badger Balm (includes organic ingredients)

Ingredients to avoid: Titanium Dioxide, Octinoxate, Oxybenzone, Para amino benzoic acid, Octyl salicyclate, Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Cinoxate, Padimate O, Dioxybenzone, Penylbenzimidazole, Homosalate, Sulisobenzone, Menthyl anthranilate, Trolamine salicyclate, &/or Octocrylene

Instead, look for: zinc (zinc oxide), which is a naturally-occurring mineral.

You will also want to avoid Nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are defined as being smaller than 100nm. This allows product to be absorbed into the skin more readily without that white ghost look.

Green is the new Black

2008-05-20T11:42:00.006-04:00

Funky, Chic, Fresh. I think these organic clothes rock the green world of style.

The BEST part of their shopping feature is the "Surprise Me" button. Don't know what you want to buy...Just click "Surprise Me" and they'll do just that. I LOVE that idea.

Their blog is just as Fresh as their clothing line.

http://pamoyo.com/

World Earth Day ~ June 5th.

2008-05-16T08:45:00.007-04:00

With Earth Day being such a huge success this year, here in the States, having a second chance to be a greenie is wonderful.

World Earth Day is celebrated in approx 100 countries every year. It began in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly.

This year the main celebrations will be held in Wellington, New Zealand and this year's theme is CO2 Kick the Habit. You may remember in 2005 the celebrations being held in San Fransisco.

Here's more info: http://www.unep.org/wed/2008/english/

Soy Milk Powered Wind Turbines

2008-05-15T08:58:00.005-04:00

Check out the promotion being run by Silk Soymilk. When you purchase one of their cartons that has a green cap you can register to help them promote green energy and also enter for a chance to win a green home makeover.

http://www.silkgreencaps.com/

(you don't need to purchase to win, at the bottom of their webpage you click the need a code link to get your free code)

HG(REEN)TV

2008-05-14T08:06:00.007-04:00

HGTV is going more and more green. They have a page devoted to teaching you what makes a green building. Definitions, tips, and videos.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/green_building/?xp=1

Mint Green in Europe, not so much in the States

2008-05-10T07:13:00.006-04:00

It is very disconcerning when a corporation has two set of standards!
http://www.takebackthefilter.org/

It's a G thang

2008-05-09T07:34:00.007-04:00

So here's the low down on the gDiaper. They are Cradle to Cradle certified!

It's a reusable diaper with a plastic free, liner. The liner can be composted, flushed, or tossed in trashbin.

The breathable diaper "consists of a washable, cotton outer pant and a plastic free flushable refill. They are made of breathable material just like sports clothing. So, babies stay dry and happy and are far less likely to get diaper rash."

My thought on these, are two thumbs up! If you or hubby is against cloth diapers because of an ick factor, but you don't want the plastic, landfill destined conventional types, then gDiapers sounds like a great option.

Here's a link to find out more about them and see their styles.

Dr. Bronner Update

2008-05-07T13:44:00.008-04:00

I want to say a HUGE, BIG, GIGANTIC " Thank You" to the folks at Dr. Bronner. Thanks for sticking up for us, the consumer.

All the below was directly cut and paste from the Dr. Bronner website, enjoy:

"On April 28, 2008, after discussions with offending “organic cheater” companies failed to resolve core issues, Dr. Bronner’s filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court. Click here to read our press release, and here to download our brief (pdf 300kb).

We remain optimistic that various companies will settle with us according to the straightforward settlement agreement we offered (click here to read pdf 106kb).

Click here to read the San Francisco Chronicle article.

We are taking necessary and dramatic steps in concert with the Organic Consumers Association “Coming Clean” Campaign, to clean up the natural personal care industry. Dr. Bronner would be rather incensed by the rampant organic fraud perpetrated by companies and brands that should know better, but pumped about how we are stepping up with his shoes to address the situation, just as he would have done.

Click here to learn more."

The Label is Unveiled

2008-05-01T10:45:00.010-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY2008

THE NATURAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION, WITH LIKE MINDED BRANDS UNVEIL THE NATURAL SEAL FOR PERSONAL CARE

"The Natural Products Association in conjunction with Burt’s Bees and other leading natural brands has unveiled the first credible standard in natural personal care with a corresponding seal. The universal standard and seal serve as definitive markers of personal care products that are truly natural.

"Arriving at one definition of the word natural and clearly and easily communicating it to consumers is essential for the industry,” says Mike Indursky, Chief Marketing and Strategic Officer of Burt’s Bees. “It’s that we believe if a product is labeled natural, it should be just that—natural—and avoid synthetic alternatives.” With industry collaboration, the US Natural Products Association Standard for Personal Care outlines which ingredients and processes are best to maximize the well being of consumers, as well as those that aren’t. "

The following is from the NPA website:

"To ensure that the integrity of the seal is maintained, its use must follow these guidelines:
*Only brands with at least 60% of their products meeting the association’s standard are permitted to use the seal, and the seal can only be used on those products that specifically meet the standard.
*Manufacturers have permission and are strongly encouraged to use the seal on packaging, communications, etc., as allowed by the Natural Products Association.
*Retailers are permitted and strongly encouraged to use the seal as education for those products in their stores that meet the standard.
*A committee at the Natural Products Association will oversee the usage of the seal to ensure its integrity is maintained.

Under The Natural Standard for Personal Care Products, allowed ingredients come or are made from a renewable resource found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral), with absolutely no petroleum compounds. Learn more about allowed processes and ingredients.

For each ingredient, the substance must be listed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when used in accordance with FDA's good manufacturing practices (GMP) and contain no residues of heavy metals or other contaminants in excess of tolerances set by FDA or EPA or has been reviewed using criteria in this Standard. Manufacturers and retailers can find the full list of allowed and prohibited ingredients and processes within the appendix of The Natural Standard for Personal Care Products.

Other Guidelines
The Natural Standard for Personal Care Products also requires that companies be transparent, fully disclosing their ingredients accurately and truthfully. They should strive to maximize their use of recyclable and post-consumer recycled content in packaging. And no animal testing of ingredients or products is allowed. "

-end info from NPA website.

I think this is great news. Now there will be a clear label for consumers to help guide them; similar to the USDA Organic Label. You'll notice parabens (methyl, butyl, propyl) are not allowed, neither is dimethicone, phenoxythanel....so if your products contain those then they would not be allowed to carry this new logo, no matter what the company calls it's self or how it brands the product.

Gas boycotts, a sham.

2008-04-30T08:13:00.017-04:00

This whole not buying gas on a national boycott date doesn't work. Eventually you buy the gas, whether its the day before or after, so you really aren't hurting anyone. What we need to do is truly reduce our dependence all togther.

Make a real difference!:

*car pool or use public transportation.

*ride your bike more often

*plan your route so you make more right turns (left turns waste gas. UPS did this and have proven to save mega amounts of gas)

*if you have a diesel, convert it to bio-diesel, it's simple, and affordable.

*buy an electric scooter and recharge it with solar power. Link 1

*when replacing lawn equipment, go gas free with electric or manpowered. yes, reel mowers really work and brooms can still sweep leaves. There are even solar powered lawn mowers and some mowers can be converted to biodiesel too.

*open your windows more often, turn off that a/c or heater. a fresh breeze through the living room is a wonderful thing.

*stop buying petrol based products (like non-organics.) did you know that fertilizers are made w/ petroleum based products...so switching over to organics will help reduce our dependence on oil.

* buy local produce. buying local obviously saves petrol because your kiwi isn't shipped from new zealand. Link 1

*buy alternative "plastics" made from vegetable cellulose. Link 1, Link 2

*take your own cotton bag(s) for all shopping. plastic bags are made from petroleum.

Double, No make that a Tripple GGRRRRRR

2008-04-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

No photo to accompany this entry today. I don't feel I should assist in the circle.

I am fed up, sick up "to here", had it, angry and even bitter! Why must companies wreck and crash cars just for the sake of 30 second commercial? It seems that everyone is doing it these days to make one point or another. A car insurance company, or a car dealer, or a company that has nothing to do with cars but it is for comedic value. Well, waste is not funny. And that is waste to its most extreme.
I'm going to dig deep for this. I'm going to find out what happens to those wasted cars after they've been wrecked for our "amusement". I don't find any entertainment value in it what so ever.