DandeLions, and Weeds, and Bugs…Oh No!

Pretty yellow flowers, weeds or bugs? They are ferocious! Here are some EARTH FRIENDLY  recipes:

To rid your lawn of the fluffy wonders (dandelions) ,use a  typical pesticide/fertilizer spray hose attachment or hose with valve system.  Take  2 quarts Basic H2  and 1 bottle of Liqui-Lea and 1/2 pint Basic G.  Use measure spray per 100 sq. ft.

For weeds specific to sidewalks and crevices – Mix 1 gallon of water, 1 tablespoon of Basic H2, 1/2 cup Vinegar and spray on weeds!

For bugs use 1 gallon water to 1tablespoon Basic H2, and you can even spray your herbs that you use for cooking!

I have been using Basic H2 for many years as a fruit and veggie spray: i.e. strawberries into bowl, spray with diluted Basic H2. Spray with water until bowl full, rinse twice. I do this will all my lettuce and fruits and veggies!

To get Basic H2 Biodegradable, Non-toxic product go to http://www.shaklee.net/greendaytoday/gc_yourhome1

Paper towels vs. Kitchen towels (Earth Week -Lab Experiment)

Paper Towels

Using kitchen towels instead of paper towels!

(Especially fun for grade school age kids 9-14)

Take half the class and have their family continue using paper towels, but keep track of how many used per day/week plus cost. 

Have the other half of the class only use kitchen towels to dry hands, dishes, tables, etc. and do not use any paper towel at all.  Keep track of how often new towels were used, and laundry was done. (Note dish towels should be washed with regular loads of full laundry of towels or clothing, etc.)

Of course you can create your own variations of this Lab, however its a good base to show kids, and adults, just how much impact our everyday actions have on the environment. Plus the monetary cost in the long run by calculating the cost of paper towels in a 12 month timetable.

Have fun….

 

Water, Water Everywhere…

Tips for saving water for the planet and putting money in your pocket!

1.) Filter your tap water

Install a water filter, like the PUR Faucet Mount Water Filtration System on your kitchen tap. In just one year, it can provide the equivalent of up to 3,200 bottles of water. Think landfills!

2.)SAVE WATER –

Save water by taking shorter showers, or turning off the sink when you shave or brush your teeth. FIX ALL LEAKY FAUCETS AND TOILETS.

3.)COLD WATER WASH-

Try doing your laundry in cold water, with a detergent like Shaklee Fresh Laundry Concentrate (Biodegradable, hypoallergenic, no phosphates). You’ll save up to 80% in total energy savings. Do only FULL loads of laundry to save on water and energy!

4.)START USING YOUR DISHWASHER and MAKE SURE ITS FULL!

Using the dishwasher is actually better for the planet than washing dishes by hand.  The average energy-efficient dishwasher uses just 4 gallons of water per cycle, saving nearly 5,000 gallons per year compared with hand washing – as well as $40 in energy costs and 230 hours of washing time, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Try Shaklee Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate  with no phosphates or chlorine and biodegradable. 

Jordan Lake, North Carolina – December 2007

BUT NOT A DROP TO DRINK!

Healthy CHILD Healthy WORLD-New Book(not for profit organization)!

a great site: Healthychild.org  1.you can buy the book at Amazon.com This is an essential book for parents and anyone looking  for simple steps to take toward a healthier lifestyle.  It also makes a wonderful gift,  especially for a baby shower, Earth Day, and Mother’s  and Father’s Day  – so pick up a few copies if you can. 2. Spread this message:

Tip from the book:

Healthy Byte – How Do I Clean Scummy Bath Toys?

 Bath toys are a breeding ground for bacteria and mold, especially those with holes in the bottom. You can squeeze water out of tub toys and hang them to dry in a netting bag; once a week, throw them in the dishwasher or submerge them for a few minutes in a solution of one part vinegar to three parts hot water. However, many squeeze toys are made with PVC, which you’re best off avoiding. Kids can have fun in the tub with safer, less microbially prone objects – bowls, spoons, and airtight hard-plastic figures. *

* p.125, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home.

You can find more Healthy Bytes in the new book.

Got a TiP For You

TiP of the Week

Save a Tree, or Two or Three

If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one chained to it, should you still use it to blow your nose? The average American uses 50 pounds of tissue paper per year, and that equals a lot of felled trees if every pound comes from virgin pulp. 

We should all be paying a little more attention to what’s flushing through our pipes. While paper recycling facilities really don’t want your used tissues or toilet paper, you can still seek out recycled-content paper products. Look for the highest content of “post-consumer waste,” or PCW, since “pre-consumer waste” doesn’t do much to stem the flow of paper entering landfills.

Marcal products are entirely recycled, and although they have a relatively low PCW content, that brand is the one most commonly found in conventional grocery and drug stores. Natural food stores will provide you with a greater selection of products with a higher PCW content, offering brands like Seventh Generation, EarthFirst, and–at Whole Foods only–365. If you’re really dedicated to the cause, online retailer Green Earth Office Supply (www.greenearthofficesupply.com) sells a Finnish brand of toilet paper called Heron’s, which is 100 percent PCW and even comes without the pesky, albeit recyclable, cardboard roll.

from The Green Guide, November 2006THE THINKER of TP –If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees!

Inspector Gadget Had His Day…(what to do with my old computer)

RECYCLING OLD GADGETS:

1.)Make smart purchases to begin with and support manufacturers who have take back programs to repurpose old products. 

 2.)Get paid to recycle.  If your “gadget” is in working order go to MyBoneYard.com, GreenPhone.com, and eBays trade-in site, eBay.EZtradein.com (which gives you reward points toward purchases or pays you).

 3.)Donate it. Schools and non-profits often use “retired” gadgets. Police dept’s and shelters have cellphone donation bins.  ReCellular.com helps consumers donate old cellphones (added benefit Tax write-off!)

4.)“Freecycle” it. The online community at Freecycle.org connects donors with recipients to reduce land fill waste and strengthen communities! Local pickup only, no shipping.

  5.)Recycle it. If you can’t reuse, donate, or freecycle it, head to Earth911.com, they can give you drop-off locations to recycle your e-waste.

MAKE SURE TO WIPE ALL INFO OFF YOUR HARD DRIVE AND CELL PHONE!Go to Techsoup.org for more information.

Information from USA Weekend, Kelly DiNardo, and Josh Dorfman, author of The Lazy Environmentalist. 

Bag the Lunch? Paper or Plastic…

PAPER OR PLASTIC SANDWICH BAGS?

Waxed Paper Bag: Raw Material source:(new) Trees,Petroleum-based paraffin or vegetable wax;

Energy Used: paper requires more energy than plastic to manufacture + the wax;

Disposal-Unrecyclable, however waxed paper will degrade in backyard compost at about same rate as leaves;

General Environmental Impact-Deforestation results in habitat loss.

Plastic Sandwich Bags: Glad, Ziploc & Best Yet use LDPE#4 plastic (none are labeled and some use PVC#3 which contain plasticizers you don’t want near your food);

Raw Material: oil;

Energy used in Production-Thousands of gallons of oil + energy for production; Disposal-Gags are not easily recycled by can be cleaned and reused again…;General

Environmental Impact-Plastic does not break down in nature.

BOTTOM LINE: Both are very poor alternative to reusable containers, but if you’re in a bind, the energy savings give plastic sandwich bags a slight edge over waxed paper, as long as you reuse them frequently and recycle them if you can.

  NEW FIND!!! Wrap-N-Mat! www.wrap-n-mat.com – reusable sandwich wrap and placemat in one! Hand washable, wrap it up and go!  KleenKanteen -eco-friendly safe stainless steel canteens www.kleankanteen.com

 

 

 

 

Green Your Present Car, Save Money!

 Driving green isn’t just for hybrid owners!  No matter what make your car is, the way you operate it can save fuel, money and the environment.

1)Keep Your Car In Shape-a car that isn’t in top running condition will burn more fuel and emit more pollution than it needs to. Cover the basics to maximize mileage:

 a)Think Maintenance-follow the manufacturers maintenance schedule.

 b)Fill ‘Em Up– the best way to maximize fuel economy is to make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure recommended on the vehicle’s tire placcard, which is usually found in the driver’s doorjamb. (losing just a little psi will lower your mileage.  When replacing go for low rolling resistance models (check Consumer Reports). And finally,

c)Lose Weight-to increase both fuel economy and performance, remove extra weight from the car (ie. luggage racks, not the spouse or kids).

2)Take It Easy-

a)Keep It Smooth-try not revving your engine above 3,000 rpm as you speed up and cruise along, you’ll save gas and extend the life of your car. Late braking also wastes gas. Drive with an awareness of what’s coming, allowing the vehicle to coast when possible.

b)Don’t Race-the faster you travel the more fuel you need to overcome aerodynamic drag.  According to the EPA, every 5 mph over 60 mph reduces your gas mileage by  5-10 %, it’s like paying 20 cents more per gallong of gas – $4.20 x 16 = OUCH!  

 c)Don’t Idle-If you drive a hybrid, you know the engine shuts off when not needed, and starts up when it’s time to go – Its how they save gas. There are times when turning off the engine is prudent: while waiting for a passenger, stopped at a train crossing, and avoid long warmups on cold mornings.

3)Minimize Your Driving Time-

a)Run Errands Clockwise-UPS discovered that waiting for left-hand turns cost its delivery truck drivers huge amounts of fuel and time. They saved 51,000 gallons of fuel and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 558 tons over 18 months by creating routes that led to an average of 4 right-hand turns for every left. By simply grouping your errands into a single trips will help all by itself. Cars pollute the most when started cold because catalytic converters, which reduce tailpipe emissions, must reach a specific temperature before they work.  Restarting warm engines pollutes less. 

 b)Plan Your Route-take the time to figure out the shortest and quickest route possible.  Listen to traffic reports, or check online before you leave the house.  A GPS device can help, or just you a good old fashion map!

Excerpts from Green Your Car-Three Simple Steps, By Todd Kaho,Green Guide

YOU CAN BE GREEN, AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS!

 

The Big Squeeze!

If you make it from frozen concentrate then you are doing your part to help the environment every morning!! 

 Eco Impact:

 1) Lowest transportation cost

 2) Lowest cost of container manufacturing and disposal,

 3)Lowest price per gallon.

 ADDED BENEFIT..you use your own CLEAN water!

Easy Plastic Recycle Codes

 

 CODES…

  Yes to numbers #1,2, 4, and 5

   No to numbers #3, 6, and 7  Easy…