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February 19 Tooting the hornI can't help but "toot the horn" of a new line of products from my distribution source. I loved the old products because they were just what I was looking for in environmentally safe, non-toxic cleaners. They worked great, were economical, came from a company with a great environmental record, and were delivered right to my door. Now, the company has introduced a whole new line of cleaners called "Get Clean" that are even more concentrated and are still safe for the environment. Here's what you get if you order the whole line of cleaners. First there is a cleaner called Basic H2. Just mix 1 - 2 grops of Basic H2 with 16 oz of water in the provided spray bottle and you have window and glass cleaner that works as well as the amonia glass cleaners (see test results on the Get Clean site). Mix up a second bottle of all purpose cleaner by using 1/4 teas. with 16 oz of water in the provided spray bottle. This works on everything else. I've cleaned painted walls, carpet spots, counters, and spots on my clothes with this mixture. There is also laundry detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softener,Basic H2 cleaning wipes, dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, and liquid hand wash. All the products have a light, pleasant scent and they don't hurt your hands or skin. The kit also comes with dispensers for the products, micro-fiber cleaning cloths, and a "super sponge". "Get Clean" has been reviewed by green editor for House and Garden magazine, Zem Joaquin in her blog Ecofabulous (You need to scroll down about 4 entries to see Get Clean). Watch for reviews of Get Clean in other popular magazines. I don't like cleaning, but I feel a lot better about doing it knowing I'm not hurting my family or the environment. BTW, a study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference reports that women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside the home. They concluded this was a direct result of being exposed to toxic chemicals many which were found in common household products. For the sake of your family and yourself, think of switching your cleaning products to non-toxic versions. Get Clean is one choice. February 16 Just like GrammieChunter's comments reminded me of how I came to be who I am today. Yes, I am pretty green in many ways. I'll admit I have a lot to learn about the environment and balance. Things are so interelated. My life is interelated with my dear Grammie (Grandma). She was of French heritage, born and raised in PA with French speaking parents in a French community. But, she really lived with the earth, probably because she had no choice. In her time, you raised your own food and made your own clothes or you died. I can remember her making her bread every day. When I was little I thought it was strange, why not just go to the store and buy bread (I'll admit her bread was better than any we could buy at that time)? When I was a teenager, I thought she was cool because she could make her own bread. And when I became an adult I admired her because she continued making her bread and living her life the way she did even though it would have been easier to just buy the things she needed. By that time, I realized the real value of what she was doing. She was living with the land, interelated with it, like it was a part of her. She could predict the weather by just observing what was happening around her. She knew when there would be a late frost or an Indiana summer. I guess when I grow up, I just want to be like her.
Interelationship reminds me of something I just read about PA flying squirrels. It seems there are two kinds of squirrels, the Northern flying squirrel and the Southern flying squirrels. Both live in PA, but unfortunately, the Northern flying squirrel is not too common outside of PA. This particular squirrel likes the old growth or mature conifer forests that PA was once noted for. Unfortunately, between logging, road building, and the hemlock wooley adelgid, we are losing our big stands of conifers. This little squirrel lives an interelated life with conifers, especially the hemlock (the PA state tree). It nests among these trees and likes to eat a fungus that grows on the roots of the tree. The fungi are important to the hemlock because it helps the tree absorb nutrients. The little squirrel apparently helps spread the fungi spores around to other trees, so there is a continual "reseeding" of the fungi. So as the trees dies out, the Northern flying squirrel dies out, the fungi die, etc. In addition, the Southern flying squirrel, who lives in the deciduous trees, is now crowding out the Northern flying squirrel. The Southern squirrel also carries a parasite that kills the Northern flying squirrel. Things aren't looking good for the little guy. Again, I probably can't keep the little squirrel from becoming extinct, but I aim to try to encourage people to leave the old growth stands alone and to support our conservation efforts here in PA. How will saving a squirrel relate to me directly? Only time will tell. February 14 Remember Mr. Green Jeans?Some of us might be old enough to remember Captain Kangaroo and his friend Mr. Green Jeans. Mr. Green Jeans brought animals onto the Captain Kangaroo show and taught about their habits. He also taught children to be kind to animals. He had a great pair of denim overalls. Now there is new meaning to the name "Green Jeans". There are manufacturers offering jeans made of organic cotton or hemp with recycled buttons, zippers, and rivets. One "mainstream" jean producer, Levis, has introduced a small line of organic cotton jeans. Unfortunately, they are pricey and probably not within budget for most people. Two other producers, Rawganique and Certified Jean, have made jeans that are a bit more affordable, but perhaps a bit limited in style choices. Right now if you want some "Green Jeans" you'll either have to spend a lot or be satisfied with the styles that are out there for now. I guess if Levis is taking a stab at the "green" market, it is possible that "green" is becoming a bit more mainstream. February 12 Go on an Artic ExpeditionOn February 16, 2007, Will Steger and his team will begin their Artic expedition by dogsled. They will cover 1,200 miles to research and document the effects of climate change and the impact it is having on the 5,000 year old Inuit Civilization. This is a world wide educational initiative. You can join the team as it travels by signing up on their website, Global Warming 101. Daily disatches from the artic will include audio feeds, video clips, pod casts, and discussions. If you are an educator, their are lesson plans available from National Geographic and an expedition map provided by the Shaklee Corporation (all this info is on the Will Steger website). Don't miss this historic journey! Lean and GreenWell, here it is. New evidence shows that if you lose weight you can help cut back on gas consumption. How does that work? Well, it seems that if you are on the heavier side, it takes more gas to haul you around. Put a whole family of people in the car, and you use even more gas. The amount of gas saved is quite small. But my experience is that small amounts add up to quite large amounts over time. This may not motivate the world to trim down, but it does add another bit of incentive to my workout when I want to quit and just lay down on the floor gasping for air like a fish out of water. Another thing that goes hand in hand with this is that when you are leaner, you just plain consume less. And if you are eating less, you are saving resources and money.
So the next time a Big Mac is calling your name, go for the carrots. You'll be helping yourself in a big way and doing a bit extra in the long run to help the planet.
By the way, here's the link to the article about weight and gas use. "Can a treadmill help you save at the pump?" The article includes other ways to help gas consumption by using smart driving practices and good vehicle maintenance. February 07 The "new" deal - green businessHave you noticed that there are many more businesses cropping up that are interested in the environment? My parent company has been around for 50 years and has been active in promoting environmental responsiblity since it started. However, there are some new ventures that are worth mentioning because they are green businesses promoting green businesses. First there is Green Business, an online green business community that helps members support each other as they grow their business. Then there is Dianovo, a community "for green and conscious living, business, and a healthy planet". What do I think of all this? Go Green! February 05 "Ouch" Do I need to change?There are always a few things we can do, a few changes we can make to help the health of our environment. The first thing that comes to mind is to scale back. We have a country of abundance but unfortunately, we are controlled by that very thing. People buy more than they need and end up throwing much of it away. We are owned by our things, spending hours just managing (cleaning, organizing, storing, etc.) our stuff. Get used to this fact, you can survive without all your stuff. This is what reduce, reuse, and recycle is about. Does this mean you never buy anything new? No, it just means you are more selective about what you buy.
That said, here are some places you can go to help you reuse and recycle. Freecycle is an online grassroots group with local coordinators, that gives people a place to give or receive used items. Gogiot is another online place to give or receive items that are used. You can also try having a yardsale, going to a flea market, or using an online auction. Free yourself from managing stuff; reduce, reuse, and recycle. |
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