Green Tip {Tuesday}

Today's tip is short but sweet, sometimes I assume that my basic knowledge is everyone's basic knowledge, I forget there are people out there who are new to the game. So, here's a simple one: Remove the skin from poultry to avoid any fat soluble toxins such as dioxins or PCBs.



{♥}
photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

If your child rides the school bus tell them to open the windows when the weather permits and make sure they sit as close to the front as possible. The NRDC found that the levels of diesel inside the bus were highest when the windows were closed and that the polluted air accumulates in the rear of the bus.

:: Check here to find out how your state fared in 2006 at controlling the pollution from school buses.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Make it count. When you shop, and let's face it we all have to shop, lessen the guilt by supporting your favorite charity. Shop through Maatiam at retailers such as Target, Gap, Gaiam, Ebay, and even Amazon, and at no additional cost, they donate to a charity of your choosing. How does it work? The retailer pays a commission to Free Pledge, who in turn gives a percentage of your purchase to the charity of your choice. Donation rates are 5% for Amazon.com, and 7% for Drugstore.com. For some retailers, the rates are as high as 25%. Better yet, sign up at Maatiam is free and they offer several environmental organizations such as Sierra Club and Greenpeace. Shop on shoppers.



{♥}
photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Find out if there is arsenic in your deck, children's play equipment, or any other pressure treated wood. You can obtain inexpensive kits from the Healthy Building Network and EWG. The samples are then analyzed by an independent lab that has been certified by the EPA. If your wood does contain arsenic, then seal it at least once a year with a waterproof sealant such as polyurethane or an oil based penetrating sealer to reduce the amount of arsenic that can leach out. The Environmental Working Group recommends sealing at least every six months.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Whiten up. {Get it, like "Lighten Up." I'm so witty.} Combined with baking soda, strawberries can become a natural tooth whitener. While it's not a replacement for a treatment at the dentist's office, it is a fast and cheap brightener for a special occasion. Combine 1 ripe strawberry with a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (crush the strawberry, of course} and then apply with your toothbrush or finger. Leave on for five minutes and then brush as usual.


*The {Goody} Disclaimer: I am NOT suggesting you use this regularly, I do know that the acid could damage the enamel on your teeth if it is overused. Thank you in advance for not leaving comments saying so.


{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Buy or borrow preowned moving or shipping boxes. Boxes are available online from Used Cardboard Boxes. This innovative company rescues and sells quality boxes from businesses that might otherwise throw them out. They also sell misprints and overrun boxes from box companies that can no longer use them.


{♥}
photo via::flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

If you are concerned about your mercury exposure (especially if you are trying to conceive) you can measure how much mercury you have been exposed to with a hair sampling kit. Please note that they are not as reliable as a blood test administered by a doctor. Avoiding fish with high levels of mercury can make a difference in a relatively short period of time because the half life of methyl mercury is just about 60 to 90 days.


Note: Sorry I'm a day late, I scheduled the wrong date. duh.

Note: Molly, after the great thermometer debacle of '09, you may want to consider picking one of these bad boys up. just sayin'.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Try companion planting. Plan your spring garden so that you have pest repellent plants next to susceptible plants. Planting herbs such as mint, garlic, chives or coriander near your more vulnerable plants will help keep aphids away, for example. Find more information here.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Drink Responsibly. The production of our alcohol indulgences can be hard on our environment. The ingredients that are used to make wine and beer are typically grown using a cocktail of synthetic chemicals, not to mention the large amounts of fossil fuels used to ship these products worldwide. Thank goodness there are alternatives (because my sanity is at stake)!

When it comes to wine there are several sustainably grown options that aren't necessarily certified organic. The USDA does not allow certified organic wine to have any sulfites, which are used as a preservative. Good news for the sulfite sensitive but not so good for wine that has to travel long distances.



{♥}

You might also consider a Biodynamic wine, this certifies that the wine is free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. It also goes a step further and assures that the farmers adhere to Biodynamic principles such as applying a holistic approach to farm management.

Organic beer can be a bit harder to come by but it's one of the fastest growing categories of organic beverages. My husband didn't seem to mind this Peak Organic brand I picked up at Whole Foods.

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Treat your biodegradable products right. More and more biodegradable products, such as plates and cutlery, are available in stores. This is helpful because most plastics are made from petroleum, a non renewable resource. What most people don't understand is that in order for your biodegradable products to actually biodegrade {that is break down into smaller pieces} you must provide the right environment, which is unlikely in a landfill or even your household compost. These products are fairly stable {which makes the products useful} so they should be sent to a commercial composting facility. Call your local waste management company to learn if this is a option in your community. Do not mix them with your regular plastics to be recycled. If your community doesn't offer a commercial compost facility you should just dispose of them with your usual garbage.

You may wonder why you should still consider buying biodegradables if you can't properly dispose of them. By buying products that aren't made with petroleum you are voting with your dollars for more of these kinds of products. A tip--look for products that are entirely bio based, or are labeled biodegradable AND compostable.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Cut it out. Fresh cut flowers are beautiful, but beware they can be a bit of an Eco disaster. Most of the flowers sold here in the U.S. are actually grown overseas in large poorly ventilated greenhouses. To reach your home they travel thousands of miles, spewing fossil fuels along the way. And greenhouse workers are exposed to tremendous amounts of pesticides and herbicides. Sorry if I killed the romance but luckily sustainable and organic flowers are more readily available. Also, look for local flower sources- like your farmers market. If you do decide to go the traditional route make sure that you wear gloves to protect yourself from the pesticides, and place your flowers in a well ventilated area.


{♥}
floral design by:: ink & peat

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Be sweet to mother earth. Behind dark and delicious bits of chocolate lay some unfortunate environmental truths.

About 70% of the cacao beans used to make our sweet indulgence are grown in Africa, specifically Cote d' Ivoire and Ghana. With a small percentage being grown in South America, the Caribbean and Indonesia. In all of these regions, child labor is an issue. A group of studies in 2002 by the International Labour Organization found that 284,000 children were working in unsafe conditions on cacao farms throughout Cote d' Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. These children, from age 6 to 17, were found handling toxic pesticides (the most common being Lindane, a toxic organochlorine cousin of DDT), machetes, and working long hours.

Traditional farming practices are also damaging precious rainforests. The World Watch Institute claims that cocoa farming alone has destroyed 13% of the original forest in Cote d' Ivoire.

Thankfully the chocolate industry is taking the necessary steps to reduce child labor and the environmentally harmful farming practices. But you can do your part- look for chocolate with a fair trade certification. Fair trade means that a neutral, international system has certified that the farmers received a reasonable minimum price for their goods. It also prohibits child labor and promotes sustainable practices that often resemble organic farming. The price of fair trade chocolate can be higher, the increase is the direct result of the higher wage the farmer receives as well as the farmers costs for the inspection and certification.

These are the favorites in my home and are readily available in retailers. I usually buy all my chocolate at either Whole Foods or Target:
Dagoba Organic Chocolate {all of their dark chocolates are vegan}
Endangered Species
Newman's Own Organics
Green and Black's Organic {this UK brand is my personal favorite}


{♥}
photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Air it out. Open your windows for airing rather than using a commercial air freshener. Air fresheners contain synthetic fragrances that can aggravate asthma and allergies. In 2007, the NRDC tested 14 brands of common household air fresheners and found phthalates in 12 of them. Phthalates are hormone disrupting chemicals that have been linked with reproductive problems, these chemicals were even found in the products labeled as "all natural" and "unscented." Phthlates were not listed on the products labels or packaging. Read more.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Let it stick. Cooking with nonstick pans may release toxic gases if the pans reach a high temperature. Dupont, Teflon's manufacturer claims that the pans are safe with normal use. Just to be safe, dispose of any Teflon coated pans that are peeling, cracked, or show any signs of age. Don't preheat empty Teflon pans. It may also be a good idea to use ventilation when using your Teflon pans. Better still, use alternatives whenever possible. Cast iron,enameled cast iron, and stainless steel are all great options.



{♥}

P.S. Chemicals in the Teflon family can be present in food packaging such as microwavable popcorn bags, according to the EWG.



photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Bug Off- but don't use insecticides. Imidacloprid is the most commonly used and is among the possible causes of honey bee decline. Scientist believe that when bees come in contact with flowers that have been sprayed with the chemical, they experience memory and motor skill impairment and can't find their way back to the colony. So rid your yard or garden of pests with organic and natural remedies.



{♥}


photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Green Stains? Eco Friendly dry cleaning services are popping up everywhere. Beware of their claims, some green cleaners are still using percholoroethylene (perc), a solvent that can cause dizziness and fatigue as well as pollute our water and air. You service claims to be perc free huh? Well, perc free cleaners may use unhealthy substitutes, like petroleum based hydrocarbon solvents (DF- 2000 and EcoSolve), which are flammable and potentially toxic. Even the harmless sounding solvent Green Earth, aka siloxane, has been linked to uterine cancers. A safer choice may be liquid carbon dioxide, which has no known risks and produces no additional greenhouse gases. (Find a location). My solution- Forgo dry cleaning all together, it's been almost two years since my husband's work shirts have seen a dry cleaner.



{♥}

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Know thy freezer. Check your freezer's efficiency by closing the door on a dollar bill. If the dollar slips out, the door's seal may be faulty and leaking air. Don't worry you don't have to replace the whole ice box. Just swap out the faulty strip with a new one. You can pick one up from a local appliance dealer.


{♥}
Photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Say NO to mindless shopping. Please remember that every purchase can be a VOTE for sustainability. Always consider the impact of what you buy and who you are really buying it from.


{♥}
Photo via:: flickr

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Eco-Craft Idea: Pillowcase Bag

Directions

1. With pillowcase inside out, stitch the open end closed.

2. Cut off bottom third of case (which will be your strap).

3. From the strap, cut off 1/2 inch of one side and the bottom and discard.

4. Holding the open side of the bag, fold over the fabric 4 inches, making sure to turn under the raw (or cut) edge. Press and hem (be careful not to stitch through or you will seal the bag closed).

5. With two hands, hold the bag on both sides, pull out, and lay flat. (You will have a triangle on each side.)

6. Sew along the base of each triangle (about 3 inches below the corner).

7. Grab the strap piece. Unfold it with the seam facing out, so you have one long strip. Fold over the top and bottom edges about an inch and press. Fold the top and bottom edges again so they meet in the center and press. Stitch each side down the center.

8. To connect the strap to the bag, fold under the raw edges of the strap 1/4 inch. Match one edge of the strap to the seam of the bag and stitch in a square. Sew other end of strap to the bag the same way. Turn the bag inside out and enjoy!

View project directions here.


{♥}
via:: Body + Soul

Green Tip {Tuesday}

Not so fast. Going the speed limit can help you save gas and cash. The Department of Energy states that each 5mpg you drive over 60 is the fuel efficiency equivalent of adding 20 cents per gallon at the pump.



{♥}