Occupy Wall Street, and its similar demonstrations across the U.S., is a series of peaceful protests that have been occurring since September 17, 2011. Social and economic inequality, corporate greed, corruption and un-due influence over government are the movement’s main issues.

The protestors assert that equal opportunity to the “pursuit of life, liberty and happiness for all” assured in the U.S. Constitution is not occurring, pointing to the discrepancies in wealth distribution, corporate tyranny and the unethical behavior of elected officials as evidence.

Occupy Wall Street

The issues are symptoms of a greater illness that has been a part of our country since its inception. The United States, like its European antecessors, is built on a hierarchical system of inequality.  

In a hierarchy those at the top are judged to be more valuable or desirable based on accepted beliefs such as race, gender, wealth, class, education, physical appearance, abilities, etc. Those who are on the higher levels of the hierarchy control and receive more rewards, opportunities and incentives in that society, such as wealth, prestige, safety, opportunity, jobs, recognition, power, compensation, respect, etc.

The Language of Money

Financial literacy is the key to the power of a healthy relationship with prosperity. In its essence, money is uncomplicated because it’s simply a unit of exchange. On the other hand, it is complex because it operates at so many levels in our lives, many of which are unspoken, subconscious and emotional. We often see money as a symbol of something else in our lives; we give it our own value and meaning.

Business Man with Crystal Ball

What is Your Money Story?

Everyone has a money story. It started before we were born with our parent’s stories and will end after we are no longer alive. The key is to understand our “money story” and to make conscious decisions that will form the nature of our relationship to money. It’s important that we get it right, not only for ourselves, but for our family.

Money and Meaning

The language of money starts in the heart of each ecopreneur. We each have to decide the following:

• What do we want our relationship to money to be?
• How do we deal with the lack of money?
• How do we deal with debt?
• How do we deal with prosperity?
• How much is enough to make us happy?
• How much is enough to make us feel accomplished?
• How do you define financial success?

Once we have enough money there is only one thing left – meaning. That is why we, as ecopreneurs, factor in meaning with profit. The desire to make more money, even after we have “enough”, is not necessarily a bad thing; it can be used to evolve and grow our business, ourselves and our community beyond the dictates of your present circumstances.

Expose Yourself!

There is a high price to pay if you don’t understand the language of money. Take the time to understand debt, insurance, investing and other related money matters – because it’s up to you to determine what your financial future will be. There are many ways to learn the language of money. For starters, here is a list of the top ten websites for financial information. Take the time to understand the financial world in which your business exists, and empower yourself to use money as the tool it is to innovate and bring purpose, value and meaning to the world.

What do you want the evolution of your business to look like?  What will it take to get there?

Clarity Green Connections is pleased to announce participation in an online blogging community called Green Life Buzz. Green Life Buzz is committed to collecting interesting and fresh content across the internet related to green living.

Green Life Buzz

Ecopreneurs can access thousands of articles with rich content related to dozens of topics, categories, people, organizations, issues, resources, research and more!

Just click on the banner in the left-hand column of this blog or visit Green Life Buzz to visit this wonderful site.

Share this site with your friends and support the living green blog community!

Big shout out to FindingEco.com for sharing this information with Clarity Green Connections.

It’s wonderful to be connected to inspiring ecopreneurs!

I’ll be looking for your green buzz…

Vena

Sustainable Business Strategies

It’s mid-September and I’m planning my winter garden. Living in a mild climate gives me the ability to extend my growing season, usually at least until Christmas. Living on a houseboat means I only have flower boxes and containers, so it won’t be a lot of plants. I’ll be planting leeks, kale, chard, herbs for cooking and some greens. I’m thinking about trying for some peas (start seeds in the refrigerator) just for fun.

Winter Garden in Boxes

A gardener has to take special care of the winter garden. Oftentimes the plants need protection from the cold and overwatering, and don’t need too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer because you don’t want the plants to grow too quickly or be too soft and full of moisture.

Complimentary Products and Services

A wise ecopreneur pays attention to new opportunities that “extend the growing season” of the business. Oftentimes, these are products and services that compliment the customary or core products and services of your business - they are a natural fit. Look for products that offer customer convenience and incremental profit opportunities. Refer back to the notes you kept from the original products and services brainstorming session when you determined your core services for ideas, or survey your competitor’s service offerings.

Recurring Products and Services

Just like a wise winter gardener, looking for products or services that people repeatedly need, called “recurring products and services” are a good way to extend the profitability of your business. Memberships with recurring charges, maintenance or service contracts, or products that need to be renewed are good examples. Think of how lettuce, spinach, mustard and other greens keep coming back.

Attract Prospective Customers

Parents who garden know that kids tend to be attracted to crops that taste good to a child’s palate. Peas are a good example. Most kids love the sweet taste of fresh picked peas. When adding new products and services, think of ways for prospective customers to “try out” your services that won’t break your bank but that will “taste good” to their palate. Since you most likely won’t make any money from this strategy, it only works if you upgrade or sell them additional products in the future.

Bundle

Certain plants grow best when planted next to others that support their growth. Try combining various features into one “bundled” product that adds value and increases your profit.

Go Platinum

Upgrading your products and services that are enhanced mean you can ask a higher price. Usually, customers who purchase these products or services are committed to your offerings, and most likely will become long-term, loyal customers if your products or services are high quality. Common levels include Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Leverage With Information Products or Alliance Programs

Informational products and alliance programs (professional organization related to your industry and niche) are a way to leverage your business offerings. These tend to take some time to develop, but the initial investment is worth it over time.

Just like the winter gardener, you may have to take special care of your winter sprouts.

Imagine Peace

Here's how I'm remembering 9/11. Today my heart is with those who lost loved ones in the attacks as well as in the wars and violence in the Middle East that followed.

The attack on the trade centers was devastating and terrible, but it was used by greedy politicians to leverage a war that was about power, money and oil – not really about the attacks. Innocent people died and others were permanently injured.

My early training is in early childhood education, and I still believe that when people "use their words" and "listen to each other" and "share" that things can be worked out without violence.

Organic Marketing

In business, just about everything comes down to marketing. Marketing is how we communicate our value to the others who might be interested in what we have to offer. Marketing pushes our ideas out into the open; through it we become exposed and we experience the feelings of risk that others might criticize us. It seems to me that there is an inherent possibility within business for transformation - transformation of us as business owners first, but also transformation of the community we build around our services and products.

Marketing Is Sharing Your Value with Others

Business at its best is sharing what we know and have to offer others. The goal of business is not to be perfect all the time - it's about having shared experiences and knowledge and learning from each other. Business is about creating a "space" for a community to grow around a central idea. Some call this "organic business." As we evolve to understand the true potential of conscious business we realize we have to adopt new business skills, especially in marketing, because business is more than answering to fiscal imperatives.

Back-to-school is a perfect time to re-evaluate your school year traditions and integrate healthier, greener actions. Here are some ideas to get you started…while you’re working on these be thinking of what new “green” customs will work for your lifestyle.

Recycled BackPacks & Messenger Bags

1. 1. Don’t Buy More Than Is Needed

It is tempting to want to buy the newest and hippest “stuff” for school. You’ll be surprised at how much you save by only buying what your child truly needs.

2. Buy Recycled Materials

Consider buying supplies made out of recycled materials or without PVC. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Instinctive Trunk BackPack for Kids

Recycled Cotton Carrier Bags

To-Go Ware RePEaT Bamboo Utensil Set

Recycled Foil Wrap

Natural Value Clear Plastic Wrap with No PVC’s or Plasticizers

3. Consider Used Books

Check out eCampus or Amazon.com. According to the Environmental Paper Network, if the U.S. reduced its paper consumption by 10 percent annually, we could save enough energy to power 228,000 homes, the carbon emissions equivalent to removing 279,000 cars from the road and 11 billion gallons of water.

4. Resell or Swap Clothes

Organize a clothing swap among your friends; you can pass on those tiny shorts to another grateful parent and your child could end up with a Hannah Montana hoodie or a Transformers T-shirt.
 

5. Take the Bus

Even if your school requires uniforms, everyone will be just as happy to trade in their old for “new.” Same goes for flea markets, consignment shops and thrift stores. Someone’s old skinny jeans could become your daughter’s new favorite fashion statement.

Can’t find the perfect look in your friend’s closet? Make your own! Take one of those 30 T-shirts you got hanging up and do some DIY re-purposing. If buying new is a must, opt for some eco-friendly options and check out clothing from recycled goods.

Do you drive your children to school every day? Do you carpool? Or do they walk, ride their bikes or take the bus? To help reduce air pollution, investigate whether you live on or close to the school bus route.

Even if your child stays late for music lessons or soccer club, most schools extend the bus schedule to accommodate. If the bus isn’t an option, set up a carpool with your neighbors or arrange a “walkpool,” chaperoning a group on foot to and from school. You’ll save on gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, get some exercise and maybe make some new friends in the process.

Fuji Rechargeable Batteries - 8 Count

8.7. Use Rechargeable Batteries

The new Green Irene Hybrid Rechargeable batteries can be used 1,500 times. This means that you can forget about trips to the store for more batteries - once you have our new Hybrid rechargeable you simply recharge your batteries and they are good to go. They arrive fully charged from the manufacturer.

Rechargeable Batteries

Switching to rechargeable batteries can save you thousands of dollars over the rechargeable batteries lifetime. Think about all the batteries you need to buy. Buying our battery starter kit will save you over $13,000 over the lifetime of the batteries. While this does include the tiny electricity costs of recharging the batteries, ($5 for the entire 1500 charges an AA battery and $2 for the AAA) this number does not include the time, gas and frustration saved by reducing trips to the store. One 4-pack of rechargeable batteries saves $3,000!

If you are worried your child might lose a battery, by the 8^th time you recharge a battery you are already making money on your investment…an investment that also keeps toxic chemicals from the landfill.

Belkin Conserve Energy-Saving Power Strip with Remote

8. Monitor Electronics

Computers, graphing calculators, printers—it seems like a lot of school supplies nowadays plug in or run on batteries. Even if your child has mastered turning the lights out when they leave a room, there are two more ways to conserve energy even when their gadgets are off. Purchase rechargeable batteries instead of new, and invest in a Smart Power Strip.

Belkin Conserve Energy-Saving Power Strip with Remote

At $30 to $40, it’s a bit pricier than a typical power strip, but it’s completely worth it. This strip stops drawing electricity from appliances that are turned off, meaning you don’t have to remember to switch the strip on and off every time. Sounds like something that could be useful all over the house, doesn’t it?

Certainly there are many other ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink when it comes to back to school. Please share your ideas with the rest of us by leaving a comment below!

I'm looking forward to learning with you on the Green Path!

Your eco-friend,

Vena

Listen Naturally

Listening is one of the most important skills an entrepreneur needs to have. Listening is the first step to thinking about things differently. Profitable ideas start with listening and thinking about things in new ways. Most people aren’t open to learning better ways to listen because they think they already know everything there is to know about listening. This is rarely the case. Most of us are beginners when it comes to listening.

Footbridge - Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

Practice Listening

1.    Listen with your body.  Your body has its own wisdom and is continually sending you messages.  If you’re exhausted because you’ve been pushing yourself but you still reluctantly drag yourself to the next meeting, you are not listening to your body.  Learn how to listen to your body and take care of it so it is ready to perform when you’re truly ready to focus on the task at hand.

2.   Listen with your breath.  Most people take breaths that are too shallow so they don’t take in enough oxygen.  When this happens, we don’t process or interpret the world around us in the best way.  With more oxygen comes better concentration, meaning the brain doesn’t need to make assumptions and communication flows much more easily.

3.    Listen through your senses.  Listening involves much more than hearing words; it’s also about hearing the life that happens around the words.  Listen to the space between the beats.

4.  Listen with an open mind.  When we are open to a nudge, a hunch or an insight we open to possibilities we might never have imagined.

5.  Get centered in the present.  There is less possibility of miscommunication when we stay in the present because we tend to not hear things we thought we heard the other person say.  By staying in the present moment, we maintain control of ourselves.

6.  Get out of the way. When we become full of our self-importance we place unnecessary roadblocks in the way to growth and success.  Remember you are a part of a greater whole and this won’t be a problem.

7.  Listen with acceptance.  We don’t always know the other person’s perspective.  People come from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences.  If we can approach listening with an attitude of acceptance we are open to business becoming a true collaboration from a higher vantage point.

8.  Let go.  This may be the hardest of all.  Effective listening means letting go of our own desires, perceptions, fears and assumptions.  When that happens business opportunities with better structured deals may be missed because the mind of the listener is on what they’re going to lose, gain or how it will make them look.  Let go and listen.  Step outside of your comfort zone.  You will be glad you did.

River Otters - Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

Why It’s Important

Technology has altered our world in dramatic ways. The speed at which we live has increased to the point where our days are dictated and dominated by clocks and calendars. Like introduced species of weeds, cell phones, pagers, text messages, computers, voicemail, and email have encroached on our time and made us instantly available. And because we can be accessible, we are expected to be.

Demands of all kinds become the fabric of our lives. We have come to accept pressing schedules as normal. Stressed, anxious and depleted, we rush through errands, appointments and social engagements. We wedge in hours at the gym and rush around doing household errands, carpool runs and committee meetings. We end up spending moments and hours and days and weeks and months and years of our precious time feeling overworked, overbooked, overcommitted and cramming as much as we can into each day. And in the process our perceptions are dulled and we are deaf to much of life around us. We have become human doings, not human beings.

Even hours spent relaxing are filled with activities and noise. Research shows that Americans spend 974 hours a year listening to the radio, 1,555 watching TV, 86 hours playing video games and 2,190 using the internet. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010.)

Our culture is one of hustle and bustle, urgency and noise. So how do we sort out our priorities? What is really important?

Max Picard, one of my favorite writers, observed, “There is more help and healing in silence than in all the useful things. It strengthens the untouchable; it lessens the damage inflicted by exploitation. It makes things whole again.”

The problem is that silence and quiet contemplation are not highly valued in the world of profit. In the quiet solitude of living on a houseboat at the edge of a 5,000 acre wildlife refuge I have found that slowing down and stepping out of the habit of stress has taught me how to sort priorities and to learn what matters to me. Our society may undervalue silence because it doesn’t appear to translate into business metrics, but I have certainly profited from silence.

Silence has taught me to distance myself from fake demands and to care less about the insignificant. I am learning to reflect and to discern what holds value and what doesn’t. There’s a lot of things we take for granted that really aren’t that important, a lot that aren’t even necessary.

Eco-Entrepreneurs

There is a revolutionary shift in the business world, and ecopreneurs are on the cutting-edge of the new paradigm. Tired of the deceit, endless greed and reckless ambition of the established corporate culture, ecopreneurs are motivated less by fixation on excessive profit-margins and more by authenticity and respect for themselves, their families, community, the environment and humanity as a whole.

A New Approach to Entrepreneurship

Ecopreneurs recognize that business holds immense potential to benefit humanity in extraordinary ways. They embrace capitalism – free markets, entrepreneurship, competition and voluntary trade – as an opportunity to create healthy, functioning abundant economies. Acknowledging that business is an interdependent, interrelated system, they are aware that trust, compassion, collaboration and value-creation are essential elements of win-win approaches that create thriving, healthy, sustainable communities and ecologies.

“Ecopreneur” describes an entrepreneur that conducts business in a manner that balances the ecology of management, the market, capital, law, location, media and ownership with the needs of customers, family, community, the natural world, and the global society. There are many names for this type of entrepreneur: conscious capitalist, organic entrepreneur and social entrepreneur to name a few. Ecopreneurism has experienced enormous growth over the past fifteen years and continues to be recognized as an important part of the nation’s social, economic, ecological and political landscape.

This new breed of entrepreneur listens carefully, explores feelings, gives generously of their time and money, and seeks balance and fulfillment in their lifestyle. They embrace the principles of economy: recycling everything, fitting form to function, rewarding cooperation, embracing diversity, curbing excesses and tapping the power of limits. They know that whatever challenges may lie ahead, it is likely that there is a model within nature that can be used to find effective strategies to solve it.

Ecopreneurs recognize that the secret of abundance lies in the willingness to let the creative process transform themselves and their businesses through connection, communication and concern. Like nurturing gardeners, ecopreneurs plan, cultivate, sow, fertilize, and tend their businesses with patience, appreciation and devotion and, in so doing, find the necessary ingredients and tools to develop better products and services that not only serve humanity in the present but begin to intuitively anticipate its needs. They recognize that the products and services they cultivate are meant to provide “nourishment” to humanity.

Merging purpose with profit is the great challenge of our times. Ecopreneurs instinctively know that business connects us to each other and, if used wisely, can connect us to a deeper level of our being, to our core essence. The process of growing a business is an opportunity to realign all dimensions and find personal equilibrium between values, goals, beliefs, greater purpose and actions. The awareness of our humanity is an integral part of business and is vital for the work ahead – healing the soul of business. To do this, we need ecopreneurs who are willing to challenge and be challenged, to transform and be transformed. The shift is happening, are you a part of the future of business; are you an ecopreneur?

An Ecopreneur’s Circle group will be starting up soon. Learn more about the Inspired Ecopreneur’s Circle. If you are interested in participating in this group, please contact me at claritygreen@comcast.net. We’d love to have you join us!

Sustainable Business

There are many reasons your business should consider making a commitment to sustainable practices and principles. Having an eco-consultant conduct a Green Business Makeover, taking the steps to become Green Business Certified, and continually integrating sustainable practices into your business operations gives you an opportunity to evaluate your processes, restructure your economic systems, re-evaluate your corporate practices/policies and redesign your marketing efforts.

Going Green Increases Revenue

Here is an overview of the reasons you should consider integrating green practices into your business TODAY!

1. Reduce operating expense and waste.             

A sustainable waste management program is more than recycling – it entails assessment, goal setting, staff education, purchases as well as recycling and waste disposal. Consider setting up a Waste Management Team to focus on one area at a time and see the process all the way to the end. Contact Clarity Green or your local eco-consultant.

2. Increase efficiency and productivity.

Taking a “systems” approach to sustainable operations means creating a sustainable plan through an internal evaluation and goal-setting process. Depending upon the needs of your business, this could include such cost-savings practices as smarter commuting, paper use, event planning, business travel and simple steps toward energy and water efficiency. Using well-researched and verified information about manufacturers, retailers and service providers that have a proven track record for delivering products that meet high-standards (not just performance but also their minimal impact on both the environment and society as a whole) will help your business cut through all the eco-labels and rhetoric so that you can make informed decisions.

3. Attract new customers.

The changing economy and rise of the green movement has caused consumers to consider how businesses take responsibility for their impact on the environment.
Businesses across the country are finding that by implementing environmental practices they are gaining new customers, increasing their revenue and sales, and improving their brand image. Incorporating environmental sustainability into their business model is proving to be a financial and environmental win-win for both businesses and customers.

Sustainable Business

I love this story about a sustainable home developer named Steve Glenn, recently profiled in the HuffingtonPost, as the Greatest Person of the Day. This story illustrates my basic, bottomline business belief – that doing the right thing and making a profit are not mutually exclusive.

Green Economics

In an ideal world, going green should cost less, making it easier to choose sustainable options. The reality is that the cost of better materials, environmentally-friendly processes

Cost of Going Green

and practices, and fair labor means that sometimes green products cost more than their less-than-healthy alternatives. Green products often mean better quality products that last longer and work better because they have been carefully constructed and rely on quality ingredients.

More often than not taking the green path IS less expensive, at least in the long run. Sometimes the up-front cost of getting started has a higher price tag, but usually the long-term pay-off is well worth the initial price.

So what’s someone who cares about the environment but doesn’t want to spend more on green products to do?

Sponge Cloths Replace Paper Towels

Stop Using Disposables. Seriously. Use cloth napkins, steel water bottles, cloth shopping bags (some stores give you a small discount – hey, it adds up!). If you really can’t use a long-term sustainable item, look for compostable replacements.

Reusable Paper Towels One of my favorite disposable replacements is the Twist Sponge Cloth. The 3-cloth pack costs $4.50 and equals 17 (seventeen!) rolls of disposable paper towels. That’s a savings of $24.93 (average price of Scott brand is $9.88 per 6 pack) per purchase. And they work GREAT!

Make Your Own Beauty Products. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes. Facial Scrubs for Any Skin Type. And Aromatherapy Face Creams. Best place to buy the ingredients in these recipes? One of my all-time favorite stores – Uncommon Scents. Say hi to Eva if you stop in!   

Conservation. Conserve on your water and energy usage. Get the best gas mileage possible from your vehicle – or better yet – walk, ride your bike or use public transportation!

Home Soda Maker

Sometimes it makes sense to “spend a little to save a lot.”

Home Soda Maker. I love this! Soda makers transform ordinary tap water into fresh, great-tasting soda. A variety of flavors are available; you can also make up your own flavors with fruit juice or other flavorings. Flavored sodas cost about $.25 per can. Another advantage (besides being healthy) is that you don’t spend time and money purchasing and recycling bottles and cans.

Cloth Diapers.The average savings of using cloth diapers is $1,700 for the first child. If they last for subsequent children the savings will be even greater. My favorite? GroVia. Or make your own. GREAT GIFT FOR NEW PARENTS!

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products. Another of my favorites. I love the Green Irene line that uses enzymes to “eat up” the dirt. It costs about $40 to get started with 6 cleaners, but once you have the bottles you buy the concentrated packets, which saves money (you can get them autoshipped – so you never run out and you don’t have to remember to order.) Not to mention the incredible positive impact on the environment – and the benefit of living in a toxic-free home. I absolutely LOVE the fragrances of the products – berry is my favorite. It doesn’t harm your lungs when you clean – and it is perfectly safe for babies and children.

Lighting. We’ve all heard how much better the new CFL or LED light bulbs are for the environment. Honestly, they really do save you money because they last so much longer and use less energy, which saves you money on your bill every month. Consider it at least.

Organic Food. It’s pretty simple. Organically grown (or raised, if you eat meat) has the most essential nutrients and does not contain dangerous chemicals that can cause our bodies serious harm. Plus, it tastes better. Too expensive for your budget or not available? Check out this list of top 10 foods to eat organically for the most important organic food choices.

Soy Tealights in Various Fragrances

Non-Toxic Candles. Traditional wax candles produce soot and other contaminants when burned. Paraffin candles are a petroleum product and most fragrance oils used in making candles are petroleum-based synthetics. The soot from these products can contain carcinogens, neurotoxins and reproductive toxins. Soy candles eliminate these issues – and they burn MUCH longer, smell better and the melted soy will not burn little fingers. Check them out!!!

For Women Only: Washable menstrual pads, cups or sponges. Try Gladrags, Lunapads, Sckoon, Etsy or make your own. You’ll be glad you did (they’re way more comfortable than disposables). And you’ll save money. On average, a woman spends $110 per year on disposable pads and/or tampons; you can easily get started using cotton for around $50. There are convenient ways to wash, carry, store them – really.

High Water, Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

And sometimes, it’s just plain worth it to pay more.

Recycled Paper Products. Like toilet paper and office paper. Is it really worth our valuable forests to cut down more trees for more paper? Definitely not – trees take a long time to grow!

Low/No VOC Paints. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) have been linked to ozone, smog formation, respiratory illnesses and memory impairment. Using paint with low or no VOCs helps create a healthy environment and less down-time to paint.

Green Influence

Have you been bitten by the “green” bug and want to share your enthusiasm for greening the planet with others? It’s natural to want to tell others about your commitment to going green, but what does it take to influence others?

Do you have Eco-Influence?

Focus on What Your Audience Wants to Know.

Influencers are intensely interested in what those around them want or need. It takes time and effort to really listen and understand what your target audience is interested in. Use a variety of strategies to cultivate the most sought-out topics. Do research, send out surveys, pay attention to what your audience is talking about, ask pertinent questions and really listen.

Build Your Reputation as Someone Who Helps Others Solve Their Problems.

Building your reputation starts with networking, becoming known in your community. In order to be a master influencer, you have to take it to the next step. Be a networking matchmaker! Help people get to the information, resources and other people they need. Helping others signals that you truly are the “expert” and people will look to you in the future when the need arises.

Is Sustainable Business in Your Future?

Look for opportunities where you can implement these three strategies and you will be on your way to being a person with influence that can make a difference in the lives of others and for the future of our planet. Kudos to you!

Are you interested in becoming an expert Eco-Consultant? Green Irene, LLC is the leading eco-consulting firm in America and a partner with Green America and the Green Business Bureau. Green Irene offers certifications in helping others green their homes and/or offices. Having just completed both certifications, I can attest to the depth and range of subject matter and superb support from the company. 

I look forward to networking with you on the green path…

Vena

Mother's Day

We LOVE these Cool Gifts that

Help Mom Go Green!

Life Depends on Water

Water is magic. Some of it arrived on Earth amid flaming chariots of extraterrestrial comets and asteroids and some materialized out of the abundant hydrogen and oxygen that was present while Earth was being formed.

Activeion Ionator HOM

An innovative company, Activeion, has designed a new handheld cleaning appliance (called an ionator) that can be used to replace other cleaners. There are two types of ionators – the HOM for home use and the EXP for commercial/professional (expert) use. The commercial model is designed to hold up under heavy use and is slightly more expensive.

Either model is a bargain. Designed to last 5+ years (including the rechargeable lithium battery,) imagine the savings on cleaners over this long period of time. Home buyers will save hundreds and commercial operations tens of thousands of dollars by purchasing an ionator for every cleaning station.

Every home, office, school, restaurant, retail store, hospital, nursing home, hotel, motel, convention center, coffee shop, hair salon, child care program, airport, stadium – anywhere people live, work and play – should have an ionator. Ionators are to our generation what vacuum cleaners and telephones were to our grandparents; what microwaves and water filters were to our parents.

Ionators wouldn’t be possible without the magical properties of water that allow the molecules to separate into “nano-bubbles.” Nano-bubbles are what lift dirt and kill germs without harming the environment because, after all, the cleaning agent is our amazing, magical super-hero - WATER!

I look forward to meeting you on the magical, incredible green path!

Would you like more information about:

Ionators for home use? (HOM model)

Ionators for business use? (EXP model)

Check it out! Honest & Truly Reviews - The Activeion Ionator

Earth Day

Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd.  Here are some easy-to-do changes that can really make a difference. 

PVC-Free Dryerballs

1. Lint hint

Saving energy doesn’t get any easier than this: Lower your energy bill by cleaning your dryer’s lint trap every time you use it. Cleaning the lint trap improves air circulation, which cuts down on energy-wasting drying time.

2. Drier dryer pants perspire

Consider using dryerballs with natural fragrance sticks that add a subtle but lasting scent. Be sure to choose PVC-free balls. Dryerballs reduce drying time by as much as 25% and eliminate chemical, plastic and paper waste generated by dryer sheets and softeners.

3. Fridge shui

Relocate your fridge to a location out of the sun’s rays or subjected to heat from an adjacent oven or heating vent. Refrigerators in warm locations or in the sun have to work harder to chill their contents.

4. Compost happens

Food waste that winds up in landfills generates methane, a greenhouse gas that’s 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Take charge of your greenhouse gas emissions by composting most food scraps. Consider an indoor composter, outdoor composting bin or even a worm bin. Bonus: Your plants will love the nutrient-rich finished compost.

5. Think global, buy local

Choose food that’s harvested locally. You’ll save transportation energy costs and help sustain your community’s economy.

6. Rock-a-bye computer

Use energy saving features like sleep mode when idling your computer and monitor can save from $25 to $75 per year. Use a power strip with remote to turn electronics off at night.

7. Battery recycling

Recycle your old cell phones and used portable rechargeable batteries from cordless power tools, laptop computers, digital cameras and other devices. Find a drop-off site.

8. Nix the night lights

Install motion sensors, photocell controls or timers so outdoor lights are only on when needed. Reduce light pollution and keep the night sky darker by using light fixtures that direct light downward instead of toward the sky. Indoors try the latest technology LED Swivel Nitelite.

9. Wipe your paws

Worried about toxins in the home? The Washington Toxics Coalition reports that using entryway mats can reduce the amount of pesticide residue on carpets by 25% and the amount of dust on carpets by 33%. And homes where shoes are removed at the door, according to the WTC, have 10 times less dust than homes where shoes are worn. When you forget, try this non-toxic, biodegradable spot cleaner to clean and deodorize carpets, upholstery and fabrics.

10. Water is the new oil

Install water aerators and faucet flow control valves on existing faucets, take shorter showers, install a self-pressurizing shower head, fix leaky sinks and toilets, and install fill cycle diverters in your toilet tank. Easier yet, get a full bath water conservation kit and watch your water savings soar! Water scarcity affects one in three people on every continent and is getting worse as water needs rise.

11. Battle the bottle

Water bottle, that is. It takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water, according to the Pacific Institute. Invest in a high-quality, BPA-free reusable water bottle for everyone in your family and encourage them to carry it everywhere. It’s also a good idea to purchase a home water filtration system so that you can have clean, cold, drinking water on hand.

Green Clean

Nature is genius. Over the past 3.8 billion years it has been experimenting with life on the planet Earth. Nature’s best performers are the ones that follow the principles of economy: recycling everything, fitting form to function, rewarding

Too Many Toxic Chemicals!

cooperation, embracing diversity, curbing excesses and tapping the power of limits. Whatever challenges humanity faces, it is likely that there is a model within nature that can be used to find effective strategies to solve it.

There has been an urgent need to find cleaning products that mainstream America will accept in the place of household cleaners that are popularized by the catchy jingles and endearing images of modern advertising. The voluminous amount of hazardous chemicals that are being used to clean our homes and offices is appalling. Toxic ingredients are common in all-purpose and glass-and-surface cleaners. Petroleum-based products are known to cause asthma, disinfectants release mercury and dioxin during production that cause lung and skin irritation in humans and are poisonous to fish and aquatic life, soil releasers cause nerve damage and antibacterial cleaners are linked to breast cancer.

River Otter Mother & Babies

Ethoxylated nonlyphenols are called “endocrine disruptors” because they cause reproductive problems for some animals; most notably the Columbia river otters that live near and regularly visit my houseboat. The large doses of ethoxylated nonlyphenols that end up in the river cause them to breed males with reproductive abnormalities, though I can attest it’s not from a lack of trying. (I can’t tell you how many nights they have woke me up with their noisy growling and hissing during mating. Maybe it’s frustrated males. Poor things.)

Humans are not impervious to the side effects: one study found that, although these chemicals have little effect on the exposed organism, they produce reproductive defects and thyroid dysfunction in subsequent generations.

Enzyme Model

Americans no longer have to accept unhealthy compounds in order to effectively clean their homes. Replicating nature’s own cleaning system, there are non-toxic cleaners available that use enzymes to effectively disintegrate grease, grime and oily film. Enzymes are found in every living organism, including humans. (Think digestive enzymes.) Enzymes are completely natural and are absorbed back into nature when they are finished with their work. Since enzymes must have the correct shape to do their job, there are different enzymes for different cleaning jobs.

Enzyme-Based Cleaning Kit

Clarity Green is a distributor of a line of enzyme-based cleaners. The enzymes are plant-based, the surfactants are coconut oil derivatives, and the fragrance comes from essential oils. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed cleaning since using these products. They work great – with no streaking whatsoever – and the fragrances are natural and not overpowering – lavender for the bathroom, citrus for floors and even berry for the kitchen.

These amazing enzymatic cleaners’ biodegrade organic materials into their natural elements like carbon and hydrogen, so they are completely non-toxic. They do not harm our bodies, our children or the environment. And best of all, they work great – even better than conventional products – because they actually break down the dirt. BONUS: The cleaners come in small packets that are mixed with water in spray bottles (part of the starter kit.) This reduces packaging, shipping and production costs, creating an earth-friendly, cost effective result! Check out the autoship option for ultra-convenience.

Now is a great time to try these new products. Until Earth Day, April 22, 2011, we are offering a “mini-kit” for 48% off the regular price.

Earth - The Great Teacher

Are you ready to step into the 21^st century and experience new, eco-friendly ways to clean? Join me in ending the insanity of poisoning our bodies, our wildlife and our environment!

Next week… introducing the Activeion Ionator - sanitization using positively-charged ions.

I look forward to meeting you on the CLEAN green path…