tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77253307449649486442024-11-06T03:48:08.084+01:00Tips for simple and green living. Idea exchange for environmental issues.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-24925723365878851522008-08-14T10:09:00.003+02:002008-08-14T11:46:24.055+02:00

In the last hundred years, human beings have invented tons of synthetic chemicals which we, as a species have never before been exposed to in the history of the planet. The problems arising from this synthetic exposure are far more terrifying than global warming ever could be. It reminds me of fish swimming in a bowl which has never been cleaned. Eventually the fish inside will choke and die

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-56207926426718284392008-08-04T14:25:00.003+02:002008-08-04T15:09:53.565+02:00

We all know that littering is bad for the environment. But consider this excerpt from the book "The Hundred Year Lie" by Randall Fitzgerald: "An area of the central Pacific Ocean about the size of Africa-around ten million square miles-has become a virtual museum for the debris of our civilization's synthetics paradigm. In this region circular winds produce circular ocean currents, and as

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-4743643870143826572008-07-18T12:19:00.008+02:002008-07-18T16:11:03.805+02:00

Don't be in a hurry to jump on the green bandwagon. We have all turned more attention to environmental issues, the news is obsessing over CO2 emissions and global warming, and corporations are rushing to become more "environmentally responsible". Meanwhile, environmentalists can't decide if they are ecstatic that society is beginning to wake up and make some changes, or if they are to slap the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-31342158284476679182008-07-11T10:28:00.002+02:002008-07-11T11:56:47.948+02:00

Conserving household electricity is equally as important as reducing CO2 emissions from cars. An interesting article at Greenpeace International explains that the average U. S. household burns 11,209 kWh of electricity per year. Compare this to the average European household which uses 4,667 kWh, and 5,945kWh in Japan. So what's the difference?One's first thought may be in the way our homes

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-398833826113050162008-07-02T12:04:00.005+02:002008-07-02T14:10:45.026+02:00

The use of mercury fillings is controversial. There are many sources of information on the net which either support their use, or insist that they are destroying our health and the environment. With what seems to be legitimate information on both sides of the argument, what are we to believe?The American Dental Association website states that amalgam (which contains mercury) is an important

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-49656302354768321502008-06-26T15:48:00.003+02:002008-06-26T16:02:12.288+02:00

One of the most extensive collections of information for anything organic which I have found yet is at the Organic Consumers Association. They explain in their website that they are "an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-5560689318344745042008-06-23T22:43:00.003+02:002008-06-23T23:16:04.968+02:00

The Nicodemus Wilderness Project is a nonprofit organization based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The goal is to inspire volunteers world wide to get involved in conservation activities such as litter removal, trail and wildlife habitat restoration, invasive plant removal and native tree planing in their area. The project's main focus is on encouraging, inspiring and involving kids in these

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-30808761728399061942008-06-22T15:15:00.005+02:002008-06-22T15:32:12.842+02:00

Some of you may have noticed the 350 challenge badge in the right hand column of this blog. This is from the Brighter Planet blog challenge. The challenge, was to get 350 bloggers to add their badge to their blogs, which would help to spread the word about what the Brighter Planet does. In return, they "offset" 350 lbs of carbon for every badge installed. They have surpassed their 350 blogger

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-66287679635409429632008-06-18T11:26:00.003+02:002008-06-18T11:31:44.886+02:00

A quick note to my feed subscribers: While in the process of switching to the "Somethin' Green" title, which has been a larger project than I expected, I have noted a glitch in my Feedburner account. I don't think it is affecting the actual feed. If you have noted any problems, please report it by commenting to this post. Secondly, you should start to see the feed title appearing with the new

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-91067240683878360362008-06-17T09:04:00.003+02:002008-06-17T09:43:06.253+02:00

The movement is beginning, and I didn't even realize to what extent. This is one of the disadvantages of living outside of my country, I suppose. I do not witness these major changes first hand, alongside my fellow Americans. I'm viewing from afar, wondering what the future will hold for myself and my family upon our return.A recent article on CNN entitled "Is America's Suburban Dream

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-63035289386332607192008-06-16T15:40:00.004+02:002008-06-16T15:51:09.300+02:00

Here's a great idea for anyone with potted plants. This website teaches you how to build a slow drip irrigation system for your plants using a recycled plastic bottle.Gayla Sanders, (AKA Gayla Trail) maintains a website called You Grow Girl which is packed with information on urban gardening. This site is worthwhile to anyone interested in gardening and creativity.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-31331322661228225882008-06-12T21:18:00.004+02:002008-06-22T15:33:21.153+02:00

Are you, or do you know a college student? Check out Chegg textbook rentals. I have yet to try this company, but when my classes start up in the fall, I will give them a go and give you a full critique of their services. So far, I think this is a great idea. At Chegg, you can rent a textbook as opposed to buying new ones or buying used from your campus book store. Buying from the campus

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-71211827189625460212008-06-11T11:27:00.005+02:002008-06-11T11:43:49.819+02:00

A New Kind of Community- The Green CommunityThe Shift Toward Simple Green LivingWritten By D. H. LewandowskiPublished By Associated Content...However, we are beginning to see that we can't have it all. We are coming to terms with the fact that our habits are destroying the environment and making us ill. We are seeing that there is true beauty in simplicity, and that a major shift in the way we

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-67724806324324813832008-06-10T14:10:00.003+02:002008-06-10T14:30:45.073+02:00

The Breathing Earth Website is an interesting place to gain a perspective on the impact we human beings have on the world. Breathing Earth was created by David Bleja, and uses world wide birth and death statistics alongside CO2 emissions data from every country in the world. The map's interactive features allow the user to see statistics from individual countries. This is a worthwhile visit.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-416016339537503192008-06-09T20:45:00.002+02:002008-06-09T20:48:56.445+02:00

More changes, the Good Monster Store is now called "Somethin' Green", please bear with me while I undergo these changes. Changing the name requires that I change locations, which is not usually recommended, but I feel it is still early enough to do so. The cost of changing locations will be rewarded by more traffic because the name fits the place much better. Any suggestions are welcome.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-64284307654268103832008-05-26T21:37:00.004+02:002008-06-10T14:36:43.198+02:00

Blade is an inexpensive emission control product for your car. It is a sort of filter which attaches to the end of your tailpipe. It sounds great, and if you or someone you know has actually used the product, I'd like to hear about it.I think this is a great idea, but to tell the truth, I have my doubts. Can the filter withstand the high temperatures? Does it increase pressure in the tailpipe

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-61777550878164657822008-05-20T09:44:00.003+02:002008-05-20T09:57:02.991+02:00

I'm no expert gardener, but here are a few things I have learned to help reduce the amount of chemicals used in our yards and gardens.For aphids and other small pests, get a spray bottle of soapy water (use mild soap like dish soap) and spray affected areas daily. The soap creates a film over the bugs and they suffocate. They don’t die instantly, but repeated applications will help. Avoiding

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-25180450661402936302008-05-19T16:31:00.001+02:002008-05-19T16:36:12.791+02:00

Recycling is not just keeping bins for plastic, aluminum and paper. Shopping at your local thrift store, buying used items from the paper or over the internet, scouring the freecycle pages, even buying antiques are all great ways to recycle. The focus should be not only on reducing the waste a household generates, but reducing the number of items manufactured. Sure, we all love to get brand

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-72961196414265962592008-05-15T08:12:00.011+02:002008-05-15T08:42:04.604+02:00

RBGH or rBST is a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone which is marketed under the brand name Posilac. Posilac is an injection given to dairy cows to increase milk production. By now, most consumers are aware of growth hormones given to livestock, but may not be aware of the dangers associated with this practice. The cattle suffer higher incidents of cystic ovaries, infertility,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-29104833465351307822008-05-12T13:43:00.002+02:002008-06-10T14:34:36.228+02:00

Here’s an odd little topic for the day: brush your dog for the environment! I’d always lived in a place with wall to wall carpet…until I moved overseas. I was appalled by how quickly the floors get dirty, especially how quickly the dog hair piles up and settles into every little corner of the house. Carpet helps prevent the hair from blowing around so much, and disguises the dirt that gets

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-31965896147341334422008-05-09T13:56:00.003+02:002008-06-10T14:36:00.153+02:00

Yesterday, I commented about how in some ways, the States is behind on the “green” curve. It would probably be nearly impossible, but one of the best things our country could have done to save on gas and emissions is to construct roundabouts instead of intersections. Traffic never stops in a roundabout, and therefore vehicles aren’t sitting at idle, waiting for a green light. It would also

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-39829475314992352312008-05-08T21:44:00.002+02:002008-05-14T09:45:33.835+02:00

Environmentally friendly cleaning products have only recently become available in our local Commissary (grocery store located on a military installation). We have one brand, Seventh Generation, which I am so far pleased with. It is a little more expensive than run of the mill cleaning products, but its performance is just as good. The laundry detergent has an odd (but not unpleasant) smell,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-75174868123642395412008-05-01T10:51:00.007+02:002008-05-15T08:39:50.637+02:00

Today I’d like to talk about genetically modified of food. More accurately, Monsanto. If you are not familiar with this mega-corporation, you can learn more here. If you like to eat, have ever eaten, or plan to eat in the near future, then I strongly recommend each and every person out there learn about this company. Not only are their business practices highly unethical, devious and down

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-5521267931975137322008-04-30T10:16:00.003+02:002008-05-14T09:40:51.616+02:00

Environmental issues are on most everyone’s mind now. There are hundreds of things we can all do to contribute to the massive effort of reducing our carbon foot print. But if you are like me, it all seems a bit overwhelming. It seems that everything we do contributes to damage to the earth in one way or another. I believe that most of us really do want to make changes. I think many of us

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725330744964948644.post-80315383648982631682008-04-28T13:03:00.005+02:002008-05-14T09:38:17.430+02:00

A couple of weeks ago, I held a garage sale. One item I decided to part with was an acoustic guitar which I haven't played since high school. A friend of mine came by and offered to trade this cedar trunk for my old guitar.What a good deal! I traded a closet space hog in exchange for more storage space! I've decided to use it to house our Legos.What I am wondering now, is what is the best way

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0