Posted on August 8th, 2008
Detergents are soaps made from synthetic materials, and have a long history of being loaded with Phosphates. Phosphates help boost the cleaning efficiency of detergent, but have harmful effects on rivers, lakes, streams, and other fresh waters. Phosphorous is an important plant nutrient, but when so much of it pours into natural bodies of water (ultimately from our dishwashers and washing machines) levels of phosphates in these fresh water bodies can be much higher than usual. The result? Algae in the water grow faster than they should, turning clear lakes and rivers green and cloudy. This extra algal growth is not only unappealing to look at, but can also make the water smell bad and make ...
Posted on August 7th, 2008
If you're um, passionate about pregnancy and disease prevention, we'd like to remind you sexy green readers that condoms should never be flushed down the toilet where they'll end up in the water system. According to the Ocean Conservancy, condoms, along with certain other types of trash, cover the coral reefs and smother sea grass and other bottom dwellers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also has expressed concerns that many animals might mistake them for food! The best way to put last night behind you is to wrap any used condoms in other trash in your bin and discard normally. It's simple! While the 3 R's definitely don't apply to condoms, be sure to ...
Posted on August 6th, 2008
By now we've all heard about the health benefits of a diet rich in certain types of fish. You may have also heard about some of the negative health risks associated with certain other types of fish. To add to the confusion, there are a lot of fish in the sea that aren't doing so well, environmentally speaking. Overfishing, pollution, changing sea temperatures and habitat depletion are making it tough for some species of fish to survive and to reproduce. According to the Marine Stewardship Council, 52% of fish stocks are fully exploited, which means that they are being fished at their maximum biological capacity. 24% are over exploited, depleted or recovering ...
Posted on August 5th, 2008
Remember the days when we made fun of bottled water? People used to joke that Evian was “naïve” spelled backwards. Today, bottled water is both the norm and a major ecological problem. It’s estimated that more than 8 billion gallons of bottled water are consumed annually in the US alone. It takes more than 1.5 million barrels of oil (enough to power 100,000 cars for a year) to produce the bottles of which 90% are not recycled. Our landfills are choking on plastic bottles, yet water sales continue to grow. Do your part by drinking tap water, either fresh from the faucet or by purchasing a water filtration system for your sink or ...
Posted on August 4th, 2008
Sometimes the smallest culprit can cause the biggest damage: a tiny termite can ravage your home, a small mole could indicate skin cancer and a leaky faucet could be wasting up to 2,700 gallons of water each year. A fast drip from a faucet wastes about 265 gallons a day (that’s about 37 toilet flushes or 5 loads of laundry), and could cost you an extra $50 a month! Not sure if you have a leak? The EPA suggests reading your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak. Call a plumber to ...
Posted on August 3rd, 2008
Not only is dumping food oils down the drain hard on your plumbing and water treatment plants, it also has a harmful impact on the environment. Oils form a film on water that interferes with the functioning of water treatment plants by suffocating the bacteria that remove pollution.
Simple DOs and DON'Ts:
DO NOT dump cooking oil, poultry fat and grease into the kitchen sink or the toilet bowl.
DO NOT use hot water and soap to wash grease down the drain, because it will cool and harden in your pipes or in the sewer down the line.
Posted on August 2nd, 2008
According to research, a load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. However, if you fill the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher.
If you opt to use the dishwasher, wash full loads only. Scrape don't rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing can use up to 20 gallons of water. If you must rinse your dishes before loading them, use only cold water so you're not running up your energy bill by heating water unnecessarily.
Use the energy-saving cycles whenever possible. Dishwashers that feature air power or overnight dry settings can save up to 10 percent ...
Posted on August 1st, 2008
Summer is a wonderful time to buy locally and eat seasonally. While we’ve never met any produce we didn’t like, all that washing and rinsing is an annoying, yet necessary, evil. Did you know that 7-12 litres of water is used for every minute you run your tap? The next time you schlep home some of nature’s finest, try minimizing your water consumption during the rinse cycle. Fill a large bowl with cold water and use that, not a running faucet, to scrub your spuds.
Posted on July 31st, 2008
Walking is said to be the absolute best exercise of all time. You can stop to smell the roses, feel more connected to your neighborhood or just spy on your neighbors. It costs less than a bike or a bus pass. and is harmless to the Planet. Show up to work with that rosy cheeked look! Get the wind in your hair and a bounce in your step -- get your walk on!
Posted on July 29th, 2008
What’s that? Carbon offsets can be tax-deductible? Really??? Yes, really! Check out
Carbonfund, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization. For every contribution you make to offset your carbon footprint, you’ll receive a tax receipt, so what’s good for the environment is also very good for your pocketbook at the end of the year.
For individuals, Carbonfund offers offsets for flights, your car, your home, and even your wedding! Carbonfund also offers offsets for businesses and organizations, allowing your work’s shipping, events, and operations to all be offset as well.
And they also let you select how you’d like your offset to help the planet: you can choose from ...
