Go Green with Green Alternatives to Everyday Products...

Although you can't single-handedly clean up the environment, you can make choices in your everyday life that will benefit the health of the planet and your community. Simple changes, such as finding green alternatives for the everyday products you consume, can have a beneficial impact on water quality, energy use and the amount of pollution and waste you generate.

Personal Care Products

Everyday products such as soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics and hair care items, often contain chemicals that, when washed off during showers and baths, enter the waste-water stream and can pollute the waterways. When purchasing personal care items, read labels carefully. Products with "natural," organic" or "hypoallergenic," on the labels can be misleading, since there little regulation on the use of these terms. Look for products that list fewer ingredients, and ingredients with names that can be pronounced. Green alternatives include avoiding products with synthetic fragrances, and trying to use fewer personal care products overall. (See Reference 1) You can even make many of your own personal care products with natural ingredients. For example, substitute natural, oil-based soaps for commercial shampoos and rinse your hair with plain cider vinegar. Make your own lotions from essential oils and other natural ingredients, such as aloe vera, shea butter and jojoba.

Home Cleaning Products

Homes now contain up to 10 times more pollution than is found outdoors, much of it from the use of cleaning products. In addition to the health risks, these chemical cleaners also harm the environment in their manufacture, use and disposal. (See Reference 2.) Green alternatives to chemical cleaning products are often found in the kitchen. For example, the U.S. EPA's guide to safer cleaning recommends using 4 tablespoons of baking soda to one quart of water for an all-purpose kitchen and bath cleaner. Substitute 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of borax for automatic dishwasher soap. To clean carpets, sprinkle with a mixture of 1 cup of borax and 2 cups of cornmeal, and allow it to stand an hour before vacuuming. Clean hard-surface floors with 1/2 cup of white vinegar in 1/2 gallon of water. (See Reference 3.)

Disposable Paper Goods

Paper and cardboard make up almost 33 percent of solid wastes in landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (See Reference 4.) Cut down on your landfill contribution with greener options for everyday paper products. Opt for cloth napkins over paper napkins, and substitute washable plates and cups for disposable ones. Instead of using paper towels, wipe up spills with re-usable cleaning cloths, and dry windows with clean, lint-free cloths that can be laundered. Carry your work or school lunches in fabric bags rather than disposable paper brown bags. Buy recycled copy paper instead of new, and then use both sides before shredding it and adding it to your compost pile. Instead of buying note pads and drawing paper for children, save junk mail for jotting down notes and paper craft projects.

Food Products

Much of the food Americans eat each day is grown, processed and packaged long distances from their homes. For example, produce may travel as much as 1,500 miles from grower to table. (See Reference 5.) Long “food miles” contribute to fossil-fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. Green options for many of your everyday grocery store purchases include buying local food whenever possible, shopping farmers’ markets and eating vegetables and fruit when in season. You may be able to shop for beef, free-range chicken and dairy products from growers in your area as well. Organizations such as Local Harvest provide searchable databases for each state and city in the U.S. to help your find nearby food resources in your community and to help you reduce your own "food miles." (See Reference 6).

References

• The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: Protect Your Health
• Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Environmental Protection: Green Ways to Do Dirty Jobs
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Safer Cleaning
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Municipal Solid Waste in the United States
• Land Stewardship Project: Racking up the Food Miles
• Local Harvest: Real Food, Real Farmers, Real Community
• World Watch Institute: China Watch: Plastic Bag Ban Trumps Market and Consumer Efforts

Resources

• The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: DIY Recipes
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Safer Cleaning
• Sustainable Table

Source: homeguides.sfgate.com   Bt Burn McKay

10 Ways to Green Your Day Off

 

1. Visit a farmer's market

Since you have some free time on your hands, make a trip to that unexplored farmer's market you've been eying. Buying local and sustainably-farmed produce dramatically decreases the footprint of your nightly meals, and these picks tend to be healthier and tastier, too. From heirloom veggies to homemade hot sauce, you never know what you might find from farmers and vendors in your area.
Not sure where to find a farmer's market near you? Just punch your zip code into the USDA or Local Harvest databases, and you'll get a list of choices in your neighborhood.

2. Explore your neighborhood

If you're ever stumped for a green activity, the best thing you can do is get outside. Spending time outdoors helps you remember why protecting the planet is so important, and you'll also save some cash on your electric bill, as you won't have to use energy for heating and lighting your home.
So, pile on the winter gear, and head to a local pocket park, botanical garden or uncharted walking path to experience something new in your town. Don't know where to go? Head to your town or municipality's Website to find listings of nearby parks, outdoor events and more. Once you get home, get cozy and enjoy one of our yummy coffee shop-free winter beverages to warm up.

3. Volunteer

Take a page from Dr. King's book and do a little volunteering in your spare time. Lend a hand at a local community garden or animal shelter, or take part in park or beach cleanup.
Most municipalities have a calendar of upcoming volunteer days on their Website. But if you don't see an event that strikes your fancy, a simple Google search with your town's name and the words "Martin Luther King Day (or Presidents' Day) volunteering" should point you in the right direction.

4. Relax the natural way

Planning a day full of much-needed TLC? Skip the pricey eco spa, and do a little relaxing right in your own home. Dim the lights, spark up some all-natural candles and test out one of these five luxe spa treatments that you can do yourself on the cheap. Most treatments cost less than $10!
And if the winter weather has been taking a toll on your bod, this is a great time to get your fix on. Check out our DIY guide to curing common winter woes like dry skin, chapped lips and frizzy hair using common pantry ingredients.

5. Do some winter weatherizing

If you've noticed a few drafts in your home, apartment or dorm room, your day off is the perfect time to make things a little more comfortable (and energy-efficient!). Start by taking a walk through all of your rooms, and make note of any drafty areas. Then, use our weatherization guides for homeowners, apartment-dwellers and dorm residents to fix the problem.
Also, take a moment to check out your heating system. Make sure the exterior of your system is clean and free of obstructions, and change the air filter if it looks dirty. If you live in an apartment or dorm room, speak to your landlord or RA about heating system maintenance, as an inefficient system can suck up loads of energy and cost you or your school big bucks on utilities.

6. Start a reuse project

Recycling your household waste is a great step towards sustainability, but why not reuse some of your throw-aways instead? Check out these five super-elegant decor items made from waste, or craft with the kids using recyclables for an afternoon of eco fun.
Want to take your day-off project beyond crafting? Check out our 12 crazy ways to go DIY in every room of the house, from homemade cheese to super-functional storage.
SEE: 15 Reuse Projects to Try in 2012

7. Do a packaging purge

Whether the food packaging in your home is recyclable or not, it's always best to find ways to reuse it before tossing it in the bin. Go through your pantry and transfer dry items from their original packaging into reusable storage containers, like these 100 percent recycled containers from Preserve.
Once you have all your packaging in the same place, consult our food packaging reuse guide to find ways to repurpose it. And take note of the products that the majority of your packaging waste came from. Can you buy any of these materials in bulk to cut back on waste? How about switching to homemade? A little planning could mean emptier trash cans all year long.
READ: 5 Absurdly Over-Packaged Foods

8. Stock up on bulk

Buying your favorite dry foods in bulk results in a huge reduction in packaging waste. But it can be hard to fit a trip to the bulk-foods store into your schedule. On your day off, make a list of the most common dry items you use in the kitchen: cereal for the kids, rice, beans and pasta for nightly dinners and nuts and dried fruits for healthy snacks.
Head to the bulk-foods store with plenty of reusable bags, and stock up on your favorites sans-packaging. Transfer your items into large reusable containers when you get home to keep them from getting stale.
READ: 5 Reasons to Bulk Up on Food Purchases

9. Choose a veg-based meal

Vegetarian Weeks have been steadily gaining popularity in recent years. But you don't need to cut out meat for a whole week to make a difference. Eating just one vegan or vegetarian meal each week will save about 35 pounds of meat a year, amounting to 84,000 gallons of water, 245 pounds of grain and 15.5 gallons of gasoline.
Wary about bland and boring vegetarian food? Our library of recipes, including exotic international cuisine, tasty low-cal delights and compostable classics, is sure to change your mind.

10. Plan a green getaway

Having something to look forward to can get you through all those tough weeks at work or school. So, spend some time planning an eco-friendly vacation for yourself this winter. Our go-to guides will help you plan a romantic, kid-free vacation with your sweetie, pick the right location for a family getaway or find a nearby weekend retreat.

Source: www.earth911.com

Possible Cause of Dwindling Bee Population? Cell Phones

We all know that our reliance on technology significantly affects the natural environment. But when I saw this article on Inhabitat about how our cell phone use might be harming the bee population, I was shocked and upset.


Inhabitat cites a piece in the U.K.’s Daily Mail, which describes a study in which scientists, led by Dr. Daniel Favre, positioned a cell phone directly beneath a bee hive and kept track of how the bees responded to cell phone activity, such as the receiving of calls.

The researchers found that the bees did react to the cell phone, and with distress. They could tell when the phone was receiving a call and would buzz in a way that is associated with swarming. Although the bees never swarmed, Dr. Favre believes that the “onset of unexpected swarming triggered by mobile phone signals could have ‘dramatic consequences in terms of colony losses.’”

The bee population has been in tremendous decline over the past several decades, so while cell phones may not be the cause or even the only factor, they certainly are not helping.

Source: www.enn.com/

The Former East/West Germany Barrier Now a Nature Reserve

After the second world war, Germany was divided into east and west. Between the two, the communist masters of East Germany erected an imposing barrier along the 870 border to keep people both in and out. But rather being a single fence or wall, the barrier was also a wide strip outfitted with minefields, bunkers, watch towers, and sand pits. Now that Germany has been reunited, this strip of land running 870 miles along the old border is a long, continuous, undeveloped property. In the end, the Soviets had not built a barrier, but a nature preserve.
Over twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the former "Death Strip" where so many people died trying to flee to the freer West Germany, has taken on a new meaning. It is uniquely valuable because it runs the entire length of Germany, and acts as a wildlife corridor. While most of German ecosystems are squeezed by agriculture, roadways, and cities, the strip has remained undeveloped for over 60 years. It is teeming with European otter, storks, frogs, eagles, and many other endangered and non-endangered wildlife.


"There is no other area in Germany that has been largely undisturbed for such a long time," says Dieter Leupold, a biologist with the German branch of Friends of the Earth. After the Berlin Wall came down, Friends of the Earth in Bavaria petitioned for a "Green Belt" project. They declared it the "ecological backbone of Central Europe." They also fought for other stretches of wildlife through Germany.

Now, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation has established over 20 large protected areas along the old East/West German border. Some groups have even suggests stretching the green belt the entire length of the old Iron Curtain, from Finland to the Black Sea.

However, when the Berlin Wall fell, many just wanted to develop this new land to erase the stigma of the "Death Strip." Farmers wanted to expand their agriculture, and people wanted to develop cities and roads to connect the united Germany. Keeping the strip of land wild required a serious effort on the part of conservationists. So they sent teams of scientists, such as ornithologists, botanists, and entomologists to inventory the ecosystem and document its value. They found over 1,000 species identified as endangered on Germany's Red List. These findings enabled the establishment of green zones along the border.

Friends of the Earth is still working to expand on the Green strip. More nature preserves have been established in connection to it in an attempt to create a wildlife network throughout Germany. In the event that a farm has encroached onto the strip, the group has worked around it, simply diverting the corridor from the former East/West line. The wildlife does not care about old political borders anyway.

For more information: http://www.europeangreenbelt.org/indoor.html

FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR

Worried about your impact on the environment? The way we use the planet's resources makes up our ecological footprint. Measuring yours takes less than 5 minutes and could set you on a life-changing journey...

Follow the link to find out:

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

Act today to reduce your footprint.

Scientists Show Waves of Deforestation Across East Africa

Charcoal making from natural forests is causing environmental problems, near Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

© Edward Parker / WWF-Canon

A new study co-authored by a World Wildlife Fund scientist documents waves of forest degradation advancing like ripples in a pond 75 miles across East Africa in just 14 years.


Scientists from 12 organizations in Europe, Africa and the US demonstrated that forest exploitation begins with the removal of the most valuable products first, such as timber for export, followed by the extraction of less valuable products such as low value timber and charcoal in strict sequence. This ‘logging down the profit margin’ in tropical forests follows the same pattern of removal seen for fish in unmanaged oceans.

Charcoal making from natural forests is causing environmental problems, near Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

© Edward Parker / WWF-Canon

The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tested an economic model that predicts the sequential removal of products from high to low value. Researchers visited forests at varying distances up to 137 miles from Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, in 1991 and again in 2005, tracking the trees that remained. They found that waves of degradation moved, on average, six miles a year out from the city. For example, charcoal extraction extended 31 miles from Dar es Salaam in 1991, but in 2005 it was found up to 106 miles from the city.

“The degradation waves have spread rapidly. Urban migration and rising demand for timber, particularly in China, are amongst the major reasons for this,” said lead author Dr Antje Ahrends of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. “By the end of the study, high value timber logging production took place over 125 miles from the city. This is very likely to be unsustainable.”

The ability to predict forest degradation is essential if new market-based incentive programs to protect forests are to be successful. Such plans, like the proposed ‘Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation’ (REDD) being negotiated under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, may channel billions of dollars into conservation and poverty alleviation if these instruments can be shown to verifiably reduce carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and degradation.

“REDD would create incentives for developing countries to conserve tropical forests and to adopt low-emission strategies for sustainable development,” said study co-author Professor Neil Burgess of World Wildlife Fund and the University of Copenhagen. “REDD could rapidly cut carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and degradation, which are currently responsible for 15% of total emissions from human activity”.

Most logging in Tanzania is illegal and causes major financial losses. A trade survey by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimated that in 2005 some 96 percent of harvested timber was exported illegally, losing the Tanzanian government an estimated $58 million of revenue. Charcoal burning is also mostly illegal, but carried out by local people who have no alternative means of income. Charcoal is used in towns by poor people to cook their food.

The authors recommend that policy interventions should be carefully tailored to the type of degradation activity, and care should be taken to provide alternative income sources and prevent increasing levels of poverty in an already poor country.

“This study highlights the value of strong interdisciplinary research coupled with large-scale and long-term datasets,” said co-author Dr Simon Lewis of the University of Leeds. “Both are needed if scientists are to provide the knowledge to assist managing the natural world sustainably whilst benefiting local people.”

Source: 

www.wwf.org