Living It Green

Why Eat Organic?

1. It's Healthy

On average, organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as cancer fighting antioxidants.

2. No nasty additives

Organic food doesn't contain food additives which can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity. Amongst the additives banned by accreditation body, the Soil Association, are hydrogenated fat, aspartame (artifical sweetener) and monosodium glutamate.

3. Avoids Pesticides

Over 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in non-organic food.

4. No GM

Genetically Modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards.

5. Reliance on drugs removed

There is growing concern about the high use of antibiotics on farm animals and the possible effects on human health. Soil Association standards prohibit the routine use of antibiotics.

6. High Standards

Organic food comes from trusted sources. All organic farms and food companies are inspected at least once a year.

7. Care for animals

Animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards. Animal welfare organizations such as Compassion for World Farming acknowledge the benefits of the organic approach.

8. Good for wildlife and the environment

Organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from sprays, and produces less carbon dioxide - the main global warming gas - and less dangerous wastes.

9. And really importantly... it's top for taste!

Many people prefer organic food because they say it tastes better. A number of top chefs choose organic, and every year many are involved in the Soil Associations food awards.

The Star Thrower

The Star Thrower

A young man was walking along a beach. The tide was on its way out, and the beach, for as far as he could see, was covered in starfish. Ahead he saw a woman, picking up starfish and throwing them into the ocean one by one.
“Good morning!” he said as he neared her. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re doing that?”
"The tide’s going out and the sun is burning hot. If I don't throw them in they'll die," the old lady answered.
"But there are miles of beach covered with starfish. It’s hopeless. What difference can you make?"
The old lady bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea.
"Well, it sure made a difference for that one."

Adapted from Loren Eisley

Escape from Affluenza

HOME and HEARTH

When home-hunting, pick the smallest amount of space in which you are comfortable. This will limit the amount of stuff you can accumulate, and take far less of your time and resources to furnish, clean, maintain, insure and pay for.

A 30-year mortgage of $100,000 at 8% will end up costing you $164,000 in interest alone. Paying just $25 a month extra will save you $23,337 in interest, and you’ll pay off your house 42 months early. Higher pre-payments bring even more astonishing savings--$100 extra a month will save $62,456 and shorten your loan by more than 14 years.

Be a do-it-yourselfer around the house. Go to your local library for how-to videos, books and magazines, and discover the pride of competence and the pleasure of slowing down and learning new skills instead of throwing money at problems.

Eighty percent of the dirt in your home is brought in on shoes. Save time and cleaning expenses by starting a no-shoes policy. Keep slippers at the door for everyone to use. Then, when choosing floor coverings, find nice shades that match your local dirt and the family pet’s hair, and you’ll find yourself cleaning far less often.

Pay dirt: Xeriscaping is low-water-use landscaping, and practicing it will save you barrels of water, money and maintenance time. In dry regions, xeriscaping can significantly increase the value and saleability of your home. Get a library book to learn how to do it yourself.

Empty-nesters, consider renting out unused living space in your home. Extra money, reduced housework and built-in house-sitting are some of the rewards.

Move to higher-density housing (duplex, condominium, or co-op). You will be living more lightly on the Earth in any of these choices and freeing yourself from the extra expense and time of paying for and maintaining a single-family residence.

Start a neighborhood swap of seldom-used tools. Why should a street of 10 houses have 10 lawnmowers, 10 paint-sprayers, and 10 band saws (or 55 Disney videos, for that matter)? If you’re lucky, there may already be a tool library in your area, like the one at the Phinney Neighborhood Center in Seattle.

Gotta Love Rustle the Leaf

Freecycle.org

The Freecycle Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is run by a local volunteer moderator (them's good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by clicking on the region on the right. It will generate an automatic e-mail which, when sent, will sign you up for your local group and send you a response with instructions on how it works. Or, go directly to the Web site for your local group by clicking on your community's link on the left. Can't find a group near you? You might want to consider starting one (click on "Start a Group" for instructions). Have fun!

The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!

http://www.freecycle.org

10 Things You Should Never Buy Again

Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again

1. Styrofoam cups
Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable.

Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups.

Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you.

2. Paper towels
Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money.

Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green Pages™ for recycled paper products.

Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.

3. Bleached coffee filters
Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals.

Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters.

Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.

4. Overpackaged foods and other products
Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging.
Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging.

Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.

5. Teak and mahogany
Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen.

Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.

Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.

6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides
American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children.

Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth.

Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.

7. Conventional household cleaners
Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home.

Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners.

Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap.

8. Higher octane gas than you need
Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car.
Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manual

Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.

9. Toys made with PVC plastic
70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children’s toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children’s toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic.

Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as “PVC” or “#3.” Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don’t produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials.

Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children’s toys.

10. Plastic forks and spoons
Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas.

Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose.

Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS?

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has purchased a Caribbean island, intending to turn it into an eco-friendly resort. He reportedly plans to spend millions transforming the 104-acre Blackadore Caye island, off the coast of Belize, into an eco-friendly retreat. Perhaps the most eco-friendly thing to do would not build the resort at all. Anyways, the plans call for the resort to include exclusive villas, all with private pools and terraces as well as direct access to the beach. The resort is designed to respect the island's wildlife and tropical surroundings.

Here is a link to some other reader thoughts: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/dicaprio_plans.php

NRDC News

SENATE BLOCKS ATTEMPT TO ALLOW DRILLING IN ALASKA WILDLIFE REFUGE!

12/21/2005 1:26:00 PM
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday narrowly blocked a Republican plan to tap into the nation's largest untapped reservoir of oil beneath the frozen tundra of an Alaska wildlife refuge

Drilling supporters fell four votes short of getting the required 60 votes to avoid a Democrat-led filibuster, a procedural move to delay or derail legislation. The vote was 56-44.

Republicans had hoped to win passage by making the oil drilling issue part of a popular defense spending bill that has money for troops in Iraq and relief for Hurricane Katrina victims. Because of Wednesday's vote, Senate leaders are expected to rework the bill to eliminate the oil-drilling proposal.

The vote was a stinging defeat for Sen. Ted Stevens, a Republican who represents Alaska and has waged an intense fight for years to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He had thought this time he would finally get his wish by tying the proposal to a must-pass defense bill.

Stevens called the refuge's oil important to national security and bemoaned repeated attempts over the years that were killed in filibusters mounted by those opposed to drilling.

Democrats accused Stevens of holding the defense bill hostage to Alaska drilling. The overall bill includes money for troops in Iraq and $29 billion (euro24.4 billion) for victims of Hurricane Katrina in the southern United States.

"Our military is being held hostage by this issue, Arctic drilling," fumed Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader. He said the Senate could move quickly to pass the defense bill once the refuge issue had been resolved.

"We all agree we want money for our troops. ... This is not about the troops," said Sen. John Kerry, a strong critic of disturbing the refuge in northeastern Alaska by oil field development.

During the vote, Stevens, 82, who had fought to open the refuge to drilling since 1980 and is the most senior Republican in the Senate, sat unsmiling in a chair midway back in the chamber, watching his colleagues vote. When it became apparent that he had lost, he briefly talked with Majority Leader Bill Frist. Then the veteran senator briefly shook his head, a signal of his disappointment.

"We need ... to open up the small area of the coastal plain (of the refuge) for oil exploration and development," said Alaska's other senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski. She called making the oil available a matter of national security by reducing U.S. reliance on oil imports.

Senators determined to protect the refuge from development found it difficult to oppose the politically popular defense bill, which not only has money for troops in Iraq and hurricane relief but help for low-income families to pay energy bills.

"Destroying this wilderness will do very little to reduce energy costs, nor does it do very much for oil independence," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

How To Guides and Other Resources

50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle by Earthworks Group

Art from Packaging by G. Chapman and P. Robson

Building Your Own Toys by S. Lohf

Cardboard Carpentry by J.D'Amato and A. D'Amato

Earth Friendly Holidays by G. Pfiffner

EcoArt by L. Carlson

Egg Carton Critters by D. Miller

Egg Carton Zoo by R. Hass, H. Blohm, and D. Suzuki

Every Day is Earth Day by Kathy Ross

Good Earth Art by M. F. Kohl and C. Gainer

Handmade Cards by T. Carter

I Made It Myself by S. Lohf

Nature Smart by G. Diehn, T. Krautwurst

Things I Can Make with Boxes by S. Lohf

Taking Care of Natures Resources by R. Wilson

Environmental Benefits of Solar Energy

Reduces local air pollution
Use of solar electric systems decreases the amount of local air pollution. With a decrease in the amount of kerosene used for lighting, there is a corresponding reduction in the amount of local pollution produced. Solar rural electrification also decreases the amount of electricity needed from small diesel generators.

Offsets greenhouse gases
Photovoltaic systems produce electric power with no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Carbon emission offset is calculated at approximately 6 tons of CO2 over the twenty-year life of one PV system.

Conserves energy
Solar electricity for the Third World is an effective energy conservation program because it conserves costly conventional power for urban areas, town market centers, and industrial and commercial uses, leaving decentralized PV-generated power to provide the lighting and basic electrical needs of the majority of the developing world's rural populations.

Reduces need for dry-cell battery disposal
Small dry-cell batteries for flashlights and radios are used throughout the unelectrified world. Most of these batteries are disposable lead-acid cells which are not recycled. Lead from disposed dry-cells leaches into the ground, contaminating the soil and water. Solar rural electrification dramatically decreases the need for disposable dry-cell batteries. Over 12 billion dry-cell batteries were sold in 1993.