If you really want to live green, it’s important that you take the time to look at what’s in those skin care products you’re using, because they can be full of chemicals that you’d probably like to avoid. They can also have been made in ways you’re not comfortable with, such as being tested on animals.

• If you buy beauty products, look for some that are ‘cruelty free.’ While it ensures that they haven’t been tested on animals, it doesn’t ensure that the ingredients used to make them weren’t.
• If you buy products with the ‘organic’ label it means that there are some organic ingredients in it, but it doesn’t imply that they are all organic or that the product is chemical free.
• If you want chemical free skin care, buy products with the ‘natural’ label. These have all natural ingredients – but they may have been synthetically derived. Until the FDA regulates skin care products, reading all labels carefully will be necessary.

One way that you can also minimize the chemicals that you put on your face – and therefore into your body – is through minimizing your use of fragrances. Scents are chemicals, after all, and you can’t really tell which chemicals they are. Use things that are ‘fragrance free’ as much as possible. Also avoid hair dye as much as you can. Most women want to dye their hair, especially if they start to go gray early – but going a little longer between dye jobs is a great way to help protect yourself from dangerous chemicals. Cut back on the nail polish, since it often contains chemicals that are toxic to animals and have been linked to birth defects in humans. These chemicals hide under ‘fragrance’ and other similar labels. Shampoos – especially those for dandruff – and skin lighteners can have the same kinds of problems with nasty chemicals that are essentially hidden. Some will be in plain sight, but if you don’t realize they’re bad for you, you won’t notice them anyway, so know what’s unhealthy and check out an ingredient by researching it if you’re not sure what it is.

The bottom line is that it’s necessary to be very careful when you use skin care products. If you don’t, you’re essentially conducting a big experiment on yourself. Not everyone (including the companies that make these products) knows exactly what these products do or whether they are going to be a problem for people later on in life. Some of them are very bad for animals, so it would seem logical that they are bad for us, too. We are similar, after all. Spend some time reading labels and really take care with what you’re putting on your skin. It’s important to protect it as much as you can.

A seed bomb sounds really scary, right? Most likely, you have never heard of it before. However, a group called the Green Guerrillas first introduced the seed bomb in the early 1970s. Instead of loading their bombs with nerve gas, they loaded their bombs with seeds, fertilizer, and water and then proceeded to throw them over fences into New York City. Their goal was to make the city more beautiful. What became of this was a guerrilla gardening movement. So today when you think you are so “in” being green, remember that back in the 1970s people were already making this movement.

Today’s seed bombs are very sophisticated. They actually look like regular bombs without anything explosive. Their contents instead are clumps of soil with vegetation planted in them. Everything is planted in a biodegradable container. When the bombs impact with the ground, the containers break apart and the seeds roots are able to penetrate into the ground.

While this sounds great and different and like a great idea for a TV show, some wonder how practical it is. The upside to using seed bombs is you would be able to replant a large area very easily. For example, there are areas in which the vegetation has been destroyed because of fire or other natural disaster. Using a seed bomb, you could easily replant the area. The downside of the project is that although everything sounds eco-friendly – the plants, the biodegradable containers, etc, the fuel to make it all happen is unfortunately not very friendly to the environment. There is a chance for it to be potentially dangerous. And some argue that part of the environment is that it is supposed to reproduce on its own. So, why interfere?

For now the seed bombs are useful in efforts for reforestation efforts, especially in areas that are uncivilized. However, don’t mistake the seed bombs for something that is exciting like you would see on TV. For now they are simply being used as a helpful tool for the environment.

So if we use seed bombs, does that make us terra-ists?  (Sorry I couldn’t resist.)

GOING GREEN.

We have all heard of the term in today’s changing world.  It entails so much more than showing your Irish pride on every March 17th by wearing Green.  And while St. Patty’s Day is a great holiday, “going green” refers to a movement to be kinder to the environment.

People are going green in so many ways.  And the media has a big impact on it.  There is an effort to clean up the Earth, to save our resources, and to do all we can for a better tomorrow.  Cars are being developed that are more environmentally friendly.  People are car pooling and/or walking more.  They are picking up their trash and throwing it away.  Plastic and Styrofoam is being replaced with resources that are reusable.  There are even light bulbs that are more eco-friendly.  At the end of the day, everyone can find a way to do his or her part.

Even the government is going green these days.  Recently, the Energy secretary in Washington stated that he wanted to provide $2.4 billion from the economic recovery package towards the development of the technology used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and factories that burn coal.  In today’s failing economy most would consider this a lot of money.  However, the energy secretary says it is essential that we determine ways to capture the carbon dioxide for coal-burning power plants that are often blamed for global warming.  Coal is an essential energy source for the United States however, it has side effects that need to be dealt with.  We need to find a solution for clean coal.

Given the recent discussions about the energy stimulus package, don’t be surprised if you continue to hear more about clean coal in the recent future.  Environmentalists consider it to be a real solution to the causes of global warming.  Although some are skeptical, can coal every really be clean?

For now, here is how clean coal is created:

• Washing. The washing removes the impurities from the fossil fuel allowing it to burn more efficiently.
• Gasification. The coal is not burned, instead it reacts with oxygen and steam creating a “syngas”.  This syngas is primarily composed of hydrogen, which is then burned in a gas turbine.
• Flue scrubbing. The flue is sprayed with a solution composed of limestone and water.  This reacts with sulphur dioxide and creates and gypsum.  Then construction can begin.
• Low NOx burners. These are used to decrease the nitrogen oxide gas created.  They restrict the amount of oxygen aloud in the chamber that the coal is burning in.
• Flue filters and precipitators. Here particles are charged by an electrical field and then deposited on to collection plates or fabric filters.  These can be used to remove particles.

Besides the actual creation of clean coal, the only other concern is dealing with the emission of carbon dioxide.  Most use carbon sequestration, while others use ocean sequestration or geological sequestration.  The key is to get rid of the carbon dioxide, which is the major cause of global warming.

In today’s economy there are a lot of people out there who are struggling. They have to find ways to cut back. It’s the only way they can survive. So they do whatever it takes. Unfortunately for some that means there food supply may be limited. They will make it through the hard time, hopefully – as long as they have food and shelter. At the end of the day those two things are really all that you need to sustain yourself. Looking around Australia’s beautiful gardens I got to thinking about this concept. How does a garden sustain itself in a difficult time?

Food & Shelter

No matter what the weather is, a garden should be able to survive with food and a place to abide (aka shelter). Just like humans, plants and flowers really only need 2 things to sustain their beauty. However, what happens when a drought occurs or food to sustain the plant is not ready available? You obviously do not want the plant to whither away and die, so what other options do you have? Consider trying xeriscaping.

Xeriscaping

According to everyone who is in the know when it comes to gardening the way to keep a garden up in today’s era is through xeriscaping. It’s a new style of gardening. Basically, it is lower maintenance and there are fewer plants that hog water. Instead, plants are more tolerant of droughts and at the same time, they are less demanding on your time. This way you can keep your garden looking as beautiful as all the plants in Australia without worrying about a lack of time and/or resources.

Designing Your Eco-Friendly Garden

Here are a few tips on getting started. First you are going to want to identify the way your water flows when it rains. This way it will flow directly towards your garden giving your plants the fuel they need to survive and you won’t have to waste time watering them. Also, there are certain areas where will be high water zones. These are great spots for planting because they already have water for your plants. After you discover which way the water flows, then you can determine a location that is best to plant you garden in. Next you will pick your plants. You will most likely pick plants that are considered draught-hardy plants so that you do not have to worry about watering them often.

Perfect Plants for your Perfect Garden

The number one thing to remember when picking out plants is to be water conscious. You obviously do not want a plant that is going to be extremely thirsty. Plants that are tolerant to droughts not only rely on less water, but they also are more resistance to pests and disease.

Lastly, when you do water, try to do so deeply. You don’t want to get the water on the surface; you want it at the roots soaking up the moisture. Hopefully you can enjoy your garden and its beauty and spend as little time working in it as possible!

There are so many problems in the world; often we do whatever we can just to get by. If we want to combat these issues, it is often done in a big way. We hold huge fundraisers to raise money for the starving children in Africa or the victims of such tragedies like hurricane Katrina or the fires in California.

The media is a promoter of giving back in this type of way, with shows like extreme home makeover. There is such power in the efforts of American people. And while it is quite remarkable what a difference they can make, sometimes we seem to neglect the small things that can make a huge change. Consider what we could do better to help with the resources of our society, water in particular. We in no way have an excess amount of it. In fact, we are most likely in a drought at all times. And, although we can’t hold a fundraiser to raise money for more water, there are other things we can do to help.

Have you ever heard of a cistern? It’s a large container made of concrete that stores large amounts of water. It is basically a higher quality rain barrel that will hold more water. A cistern will allow you to catch rain that falls from your roof during the rainy season. Then, you can use this to water your plants and you could even use it for drinking if you need to.

That would come in handy if an emergency were to happen. Although this practice of using cisterns to catch rainwater may sound somewhat primitive to you, it is actually still in practice in many areas of the world today. Imagine the benefits that would come from being able to use the water from rainy season during the dry summer season. You would need to rely less on the water company and you would be more efficient with arguably the Earth’s greatest resource.

Furthermore, you will be surprised with how much water you will collect. The average person collects 600 galls for every 1-inch of rain (estimate based on a 1,000 square feet of roof area). If it overflows, that is ok. You can always hook it up to another barrel if need be.

Lastly, a few things to keep in mind in when it comes to a cistern:

Good luck with the cistern! Enjoy contributing to the environment.

Okay so I broke down and started a twitter account.  I’m meeting all sorts of green minded “tweeps” and getting asked great questions like this one from my new twitter buddy @Philliproy

Question:

My parsley is invading my azalea space. Is parsley predatory?

Answer:
Yes, some species of parsley are invasive, including hedge parsley. My suggestion, if you want to grow parsley and Azalea’s together, is to grow Italian parsley or flat leaf parsley. It has a great flavor and won’t take over the garden.

Thanks for the question.  And please if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon already, be my friend on twitter!

Happy Memorial Day!

Most people who are planning to purchase a water filter system for their home are doing it for health and environmental concerns. But buyer beware, some of these high priced systems can be more harmful to your health than plain tap water.

Some common drinking water problems that filtration systems are suppose to remove include heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, rust, sediments, fluoride, nitrates and radon. That’s just a small list and already quite mortifying when you read it. There are also hundreds of harmful chemicals that are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. So how can buying a water filtration system, or even bottled water, be more harmful to your health than drinking regular tap water?

Let’s start with the popular choice of the reverse osmosis home water filter. It removes all the beneficial trace minerals that are naturally found in water. Drinking demineralized water for long periods of time has been shown to create multiple adverse health effects. For example, since demineralized water is more acidic than alkaline, minerals have to be pulled from your teeth and bones to produce bicarbonate to neutralize it.  This can lead to major mineral deficiencies in your body. Cancer is also a concern when the body has a higher state of acidity. There have been many studies showing that cancer grows in acidic environments.

Now let’s talk about the money aspects of a water filtration system. The prices can range from $700 dollars up to $6000. In addition, most systems have to be changed out every 5 years, some as frequently as a year. If you’re just drinking the water and not using it for all purposes like showering, consider buying a disposable filtration system like a pitcher filter you can fill and put in the fridge. They’re price efficient and convenient.

Let’s consider bottled water. Is it any safer for your body than tap? Tests have shown that close to 70% of bottled water is completely exempt from the FDA bottled water standards. This includes no prohibition against E-coli or fecal Coliform bacteria which city tap waters are regulated against. In addition, bottled water companies are not required to filter and disinfect their water like the city does.

So you decide before you buy your next filtration system. Is it worth the buck or can you save that money and take any extra vacation to a natural mineral spa and just relax about it all.