Posted on July 5th, 2008
Fact: Tiny flies buzzing around the kitchen are annoying. The hardware store will sell you sprays, traps and serums full of chemicals to help you rid yourself of the problem, but non-chemical traps are just as effective (and free!). If the summer heat has turned your kitchen into a fruit-fly playground, help is here! Rid yourself of pesky kitchen flies with a homemade trap using natural ingredients.
To Make: While assembling your trap, boil a pot of water to pour down your drains. Fruit flies and their kin like to breed in the pipes, so a good amount of boiling water poured down the drain will help stop future generations from hatching. ...
Posted on July 4th, 2008
It’s summer, and it’s hot hot hot! Keep cool and tap into your inner Steel Magnolia by purchasing a fancy hand fan. You’ll feel glamorous and breezy as you keep yourself comfortable. Mint julep anyone?
Posted on July 3rd, 2008
Keep blinds and drapes closed during the day to reduce solar heat in your home. If possible, install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.
Posted on July 2nd, 2008
Whether from being sick, having allergies, or generally being a snotty person, chances are you've needed a Kleenex sometime in your life. Think of the waste created by all those wads of nose TP you've used over the years. One greener option is the trusty handkerchief. Not only is it reusable, but it provides a sturdier and stylish alternative to disposable tissues. Prove your fashion-forwardness with a chicly patterned kerchief, or show your love for the Earth and make it green. Just be sure to throw it in the wash every once in a while; being green needn't be diametrically opposed to being clean. Handkerchieves: a classier, greenier way to dispose of phlegm.
Thanks to Dylan Romero for suggesting ...
Posted on July 1st, 2008
Hose responsibly.
In the summer, lawn watering and other outdoor uses can account for up to 50 percent of home water use. Studies show that as much as half of this outdoor use is wasteful. As a general rule, 2 to 3 cm of water per week is adequate.
Don't overwater your landscape. It can cause yellowing leaves or poor plant health. Give plants only the amount of water that they need.
Use low-angle or pulsating sprinklers that produce large fat droplets of water. Sprinklers that spray the water high into the air or produce a mist or fine spray lose much of the water through evaporation.
Set sprinklers to water the lawn, not ...
Posted on June 30th, 2008
Most airlines have resorted to charging for a meal or snack these days and the options are slim, but the most disheartening part is the amount of waste that that these packages contain. Each snack pack typically contains 5 or 6 individually wrapped goodies, most with more packaging than snackaging inside. Prep for an upcoming flight by throwing a couple of apples in your bag or
use our recipe for Road Grub to fight off any snack attack and keep those containers out of the garbage.
Posted on June 27th, 2008
That’s right- a bike can travel 1600 kilometres (960 miles) on the equivalent energy of a gallon of gasoline. On your next vacation, try renting a bike instead of a car or motorcycle to get around town. You’ll be able to take in more of the scenery and enjoy the local environment, all the while protecting it from greenhouse gas emissions. Opting to take a bike instead of a car for all your local travels can have the same effect as planting up to 170 trees! Plus, the workout certainly helps to burn off all those daiquiris...
Posted on June 26th, 2008
Keeping fuel consumption low is important to your wallet and to the planet. The best way to save gas is to drive less or to share your ride with someone else. If you’ve got a road-trip planned and you've just got to do it alone, consider your gas tank before you adjust the temperature. Air Conditioning sucks up a lot of fuel, so roll down the windows to stay cool at low speeds. Should you find yourself hitting the highway, roll up the window and opt for the AC. Yep. The AC may suck up fuel, but aerodynamic drag will suck up more. At high speeds your car will get better fuel ...
Posted on June 25th, 2008
...but if that doesn't work, reuse the same ones you last bought by refilling them. Going on a vacation? No need to purchase travel sized toiletries - reuse small bottles you've used before. Feeling extra sexy? Use bulk shampoo and conditioner in gallon-size jugs you can keep under the bathroom sink (which can also be refilled at certain green grocery gurus). Now you can really get to know your plastic containers.
Posted on June 24th, 2008
There are more than 50,000 commercial airplane flights per day worldwide. Considering that the average plane holds about 250 people, we can assume that more than 12 Million people soar through our skies each day. If each of those travelers drives just 20 minutes to get to the airport, they’re emitting 1,200 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. If you multiply 1200 times 12 million people, that number is too big for our calculator – and that’s just for one day! Multiply that by 7 days or 30 days or 352 days and hold onto your hat! Should travel season find you headed for the airport, consider taking public transportation, driving a short distance ...
