We talk pretty big around here, even if we do tend to focus on the smaller things that each of us can do to minimize our impact on the planet, and I’ve always been bothered by an inability to actually do a lot of the things we encourage on these here electronic pages. You see, for basically all of our adult lives, the lady and I have been what you’d call renters, a species saddled with severe limitations on the influence they have over their immediate surroundings.
That changed just this month, however, when we moved the detritus of our lives into a modest home in the suburbs. When the plumbing goes wrong, we get to fix it (a fact we’ve already confirmed.) But this also means we get to take a stab at turning our little slice of Georgia into an abode worthy of The Greenists. Read more…
We all know that having a long, MSDS sheet-sounding name doesn’t necessarily mean something is bad. Take dihydrogen monoxide, for example (it’s water).
But what about when the opposite happens, with seemingly harmless ingredients that can actually be irritating, contain higher emissions than you’d think or are otherwise not so enviro-friendly? How do you know the difference? It’s a great question, really (and as an enviro-nut, a fascinating one to me): is your “green” cleaner really green – and is all-natural always better?
Here’s a quick sample of some common “green” cleaning ingredients to watch for and why they might not be as healthy as you think. (Please note that this is NOT a comprehensive list of cleaning ingredients; always check ingredients for safety issues.)
D-limonene – Typically, this is shortened to lemon oil for marketing purposes, though it can be another citrus oil. Lemons seem harmless enough, but limonene, which is a terpene, is volatile and can be a skin irritant. In addition, if used as a spray, it may mix with particles in the air to form formaldehyde, a carcinogen.
Ethanol – You drink it, right? So how bad can it be in a cleaner? Well, it may be flammable, for starters. Use great care in using this product around sources of high heat. Ethanol is also a real problem if swallowed, obviously, so if you choose ethanol-containing cleaning products, keep them well out of the reach of children and pets.
Perfume – Don’t even ask. Actually, let me amend that: do ask. Call or e-mail the manufacturer to find out exactly what the perfume is and how it was derived. If the company won’t give you that information, keep looking down the cleaner aisle.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – Don’t “a-ha!” so fast: here’s a common sudsing agent that may give us less to worry about than we thought. Yes, SLS is harsh as a cleaning agent and can definitely be an irritant. But OSHA has cleared its former negative indictment of being a “potential carcinogen.” Snopes has some good information on this; check it out.
Cinnamon Oil – Another ingredient that may hurt more than it helps. Cinnamon sounds just so innocent, doesn’t it? (Not to mention yummy.) But cinnamon added either as an oil or as a dry ingredient added to a wet cleaner can actually cause skin burns. Ask me how I know this (ouch). Watch out and use gloves. And don’t eat a cinnamon stick whole. That’s another story I’m not going to tell!
Borax – Borax, or sodium borate, is commonly used as an ingredient in laundry detergent, and is also used in pottery, toothpaste and soap. It’s also an effective anti-fungal, and a large amount turns it into a herbicide. Many people confuse borax with boric acid, which is a mild insecticide. All these “-cide” properties makes it a less-than-kind cleaner for the environment, but it is safe if used properly. In years past it was used in food preparation, but ingesting a teaspoon is enough to seriously harm a young child, so definitely don’t store it in your pantry! I would stay on the safe side and not use it in a homemade dishwasher recipe, either.
If you love concocting your own cleaning products, here are two I rely on, and they’re so easy:
Simple Household Disinfectant
Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the soap; shake very well, about 2-3 minutes. Add the tea tree oil and very gently shake. Use a small amount on surfaces at first so you know whether the product will be gentle enough not to harm the finish.
Baking Soda Paste Stain Remover
This works particularly well on porcelain counters. For a more stubborn stain, use a little less water for a thicker product. Mix baking soda and water together and rub gently on stain; allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Wipe away carefully so as not to harm finish.
Oven Cleaner
In the evening, liberally apply baking soda in the oven, then spray with water. In the morning (or after 8 hours), wipe clean. For really tough stains, mix baking soda and vinegar, and wipe after a few minutes. I actually line the bottom of the oven with tin foil (reflective side up), and replace when necessary.
As always, enjoy and be well!
Chris Molnar is a writer and volunteers for a variety of environmental organizations, and is a work at home Dad of two children. On the lighter side, he edits Themeaparty.com, a birthday party website for kids. All his cleaners are homemade concoctions – one tip is to NOT use too much dish soap on a tile floor recipe. It took three rinses before most of the suds were finally wiped clean!
Image credit: milajake
I know we usually save the videos for A/V Fridays, but I recently watched a brilliantly simple TED talk that I think is worth sharing on a Thursday. If you’ve got four minutes and 28 seconds to spare, go watch it now. The gist is that if you use paper towels to dry your hands, you’re probably doing it wrong, and if you switch to Joe Smith’s “Shake! Fold!” method (which guarantees you dry hands using only ONE sheet of any thickness and size), we could save 571,230,000 pounds of paper a year. That’s no small figure. It is, however, a small change, and the small, easy changes that make a big difference have always been some of my favorite posts on The Greenists. So bookmark that for later if you must, but seriously, watch that video. You’ll hear Joe saying “Shake! Fold!” every time you wash your hands in a public restroom from here on out, and you will use way less paper as a result; I swear.
For the record, I do avoid using paper towels at all as often as I can, and I’m sure you probably do too. I keep a tea towel on a magnetic clip under my desk at work; I would never think to waste a paper towel to dry my hands at home; and it annoys me no end when people reach for paper towels in the gym locker room when they’ve got a washable cloth gym towel hanging out on a bench ten feet away. But it drives me crazy to leave a public restroom with wet hands (or damp jeans from trying to dry them on my legs), so I’ll admit that I cave to using paper towels outside the work/home/gym/friends’ homes venues. Now, however, at least I use only one when I do so.
Of course, people use paper towels for more than just drying their hands. Read more…
Asking a writer/law student how to use less paper is like asking a great white shark how to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, but I’ll do my best. There are a few basic uses of paper and a few different techniques to reduce those uses (don’t worry I won’t be asking you to switch to single-ply toilet paper or anything).
Writing Paper
I love writing paper. There’s nothing like the convenience of grabbing a notebook or a piece of loose leaf paper and scribbling down my latest brilliant (or not-so-brilliant) thought.
Unfortunately, I’m thinking my way to a pulverized tree. According to the website Conservatree, each tree can yield just over 8,000 sheets of paper. That’s 16 reams of paper or 80-100 sheet notebooks. Maybe that sounds like a lot of paper to you, but to me, that sounds like a productive week. Luckily for me, and the trees, many of the places I write for, both academically and professionally, will allow me to fileshare and submit my work digitally.
Even if you’re not much of a typist or if you need to use sketches and figures in your writing, a good tablet computer with a stylus will let you write freehand on the touch screen itself, saving paper and giving you the benefit of spell check (woohoo!) while you are working. For those occasions where you absolutely must use paper, paying a few extra cents and getting the stuff that’s recycled can help with your eco-guilt.
Billing Statements
Okay, chances are you don’t get 8,000 billing statements in a given year, but if you put together yours with your neighbors, coworkers and friends, we’re probably getting into tree-saving territory. Now that just about every company offers paperless billing, you have the option to save those trees, as long as you’re responsible enough to keep an eye on your bank account without those bills to remind you when money is being deducted.
There are other benefits to paperless billing, too. Sometimes companies will offer you an incentive like a gift card or sweepstakes entry for going paperless. You also get to save postage and checks, and save yourself the problems you would incur if a statement were to be lost in the mail. Also, as the Little Green Blog points out, you’ll have a much slimmer file cabinet.
Other Paper Products
Okay, as I said, I don’t expect you to go without toilet paper; heck I’m not even going to ask you to go to cloth diapers (although you would save a lot of landfill space).
Let’s take a look at paper towels, though. Do you really need to use a paper towel for every spill? Wouldn’t a nice reusable washcloth be just as good, or better? Again, you’ll save a few bucks, too, as all those rolls of paper towels start to add up in cost. If you must use paper towels, there are recycled options available.
Saving trees doesn’t have to be painful, and it can really make you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing for the environment. Using options besides paper, or using recycled paper, can make a big impact on your environmental footprint.
Best of all, cutting down on paper use can sometimes help you to save the most important paper of all–the green kind with pictures of presidents on it.
Summer is the season for cookouts, trips to the beach and naps in the sun. Unfortunately, it also tends to be a prime season for polluting the very resources that allow people to enjoy their favorite warm weather activities This summer, keep participating in the activities you enjoy, but do it in a way that won’t hurt Mother Nature. The following tips should help get you started on a fantastic green summer.
Summer Gardening
Here’s a tip that will help you save money, eat healthy and be a friend to the environment: Grow fruits and veggies in your garden. Eating produce grown in a backyard garden is far better for the environment that consuming fruits and vegetables that have been treated with pesticides, excessively watered and transported across the country in a gas-guzzling truck. Gardening doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. Stick with plants that grow well in your region’s climate and you’ll have no trouble growing a bumper crop of delicious fruits and vegetables.
Stick with Reusable Utensils
Once you’ve harvested the produce from your garden, it’s time to celebrate with a delicious and healthy meal. Keep the celebration green by using plates, cups and utensils that can be washed up and reused at a later time. While paper plates save a bit of immediate washing, the long-term impact on the environment can be harsh. Making a point of eating with reusable utensils and dishware doesn’t mean that you always have to take out the fancy china-a more casual set of plastic dishware should work just fine.
Drink From a Water Bottle
This eco friendly hint goes right along with the one listed above. Buying bottled water in the store is not only overpriced, it is terrible for the environment. Do your part by investing in a good water bottle. If you’re worried about the taste of well or city water, simply add a filter to your sink. The end result will be fresh water that keeps both you and the environment healthy.
Use a Canopy Tent
Next time you have your friends and family members over for grilling, keep your guests shaded the eco-friendly way: with a canopy tent. Unlike other shading options, a good canopy tent will shield you and your guests from the sun without using up precious energy. These tents are easy to put up and take down, adding an extra level of convenience to any get-together.
Ride Your Bike
The weather is nice enough now that you really don’t need to take the car everywhere. Not only is riding your bike far better for the environment, it’s also good for your health. Even a short bike ride is capable of burning hundreds of calories. Biking can also be an excellent social activity. Instead of driving all over with your friends, pull out your bikes and ride to the nearest park.
Staying green this summer doesn’t have to be difficult, inconvenient or expensive. With a few basic changes to your routine, you can enjoy your favorite summer activities while doing your part for the environment.
The summer is about to heat up, but with a little bit of effort and good decision-making it can be safe and fun for you and the Earth!
I made it to the top of the rope in gym class. I’ve struck out the side. I drive a pickup. I drink beer.
I’m a man.
And yet, I can’t help but take offense whenever someone tries to paint environmentalists as somehow weak and “unmanly.” I don’t think it helped our case when the hippies all grew their hair long and danced around to pan flutes and bongos. Then again, the hippies also dug Jimi Hendrix and slept in the mud. That’s pretty manly.
At the risk of alienating the ladies, who get a free pass from the establishment when it comes to hair length and interpretive dancing, here are some things that might be even manlier than climbing the rope in gym class, and also happen to be green: Read more…
As a law student, I’m constantly on the go. Running back and forth between classes, the library and trying to squeeze in some time at the gym burns energy faster than you might think. Most days I pick up food on the go at local restaurants and fortunately, here in Chicago, we have some great ones that offer healthy, energizing options.
Visiting all these different spots has shown me that there’s a lot of competition in the city and running a restaurant can prove challenging. But if you were to advertise your restaurant as “green and healthy” this might attract those who support local eateries and green businesses.
Getting Started
Restaurant experience is helpful. But if you don’t have experience working in or running a restaurant, buying into a franchise is an excellent idea. Once you’re a franchise owner, you will receive training and plenty of resources to help you get started. The corporate office will develop marketing campaigns for you, as well as assign a management team to help you in the beginning.
You can also buy an existing restaurant and benefit from this establishment’s good reputation and client-base. Be sure to ask questions before making an offer. Why is the owner selling? What’s included in the sale price? Others factors to consider include the restaurant’s location, as well as the restaurant’s past and current financial records.
Starting an independent restaurant from the ground gives you creative freedom, in which you’re able to develop a completely original idea and concept. Understand, however, new start-ups require restaurant experience, a lot of time, and generally a type A personality.
Organic Food
Advocating green eating can be somewhat challenging if you buy into a franchise or purchase an existing restaurant. These restaurants have an established menu and switching up the food selection might turn off loyal clients. Independent restaurants give you the freedom to create your own menu. But even if you can’t completely change the menu on a franchise or newly acquired restaurant, you can make little changes and incorporate additional items to show your support for healthy eating.
Start by researching and comparing organic suppliers. Perhaps you can begin buying your meats, dairy products, vegetables and fruits from these companies. Cost is an issue and you’ll need to find a supplier with reasonable prices. This keeps your food costs low, so you don’t have to raise your prices.
Restaurant Supplies
Green restaurant ventures don’t stop with food preparation. Reducing the amount of energy that your restaurant consumes also contributes to your green efforts. Restaurants require ice machines, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, fryers, ovens and other supplies. Replacing at least one restaurant supply or piece of equipment with an energy-efficient alternative can save your establishment hundreds each year. The yearly savings can double or triple by incorporating all energy-efficient supplies in your commercial kitchen.
Smaller Steps
Other green tips to help save energy include regularly changing your air filters, opting for energy-efficient lighting, switching to programmable thermostats, regularly checking pipes and seals for leaks and conserving hot water. Going green is a group effort and it’s imperative that you educate your staff on various energy conserving methods.
Way back in 2002 I bought myself some Luna Pads. Prior to the day I bought the reusable menstrual pads, I used facecloths. Before the facecloth period (pun unavoidable), I used tampons exclusively.
Why did I change from one system to the next? Well, there were a lot of reasons. Being green wasn’t a part of that decision on any conscious level until I bought the Luna Pads, and still the decision to use cloth pads was based on economics more than it was about being green.
The reasons were relatively simple, actually.
If I told you that you could take a vacation, stay at top of the line hotels and eat at five-star restaurants all the while protecting the environment would you be interested? I thought you would be. Well, all of that is possible because more hotels, restaurants and stores are getting on board with the eco-friendly movement every day.
I’m a law student who lives in Chicago so I don’t have the money or time to travel often but I make up for it by exploring the various Chicago attractions. Here are some tips to help you plan a green vacation wherever it is that you might be headed.
Recycle while you sleep
First of all, search for eco-friendly accommodations available at your destination.
The Westin Hotel and Resort in Chicago earned recognition for their green practices and they are proud to be Green Seal Silver Certified. That title is not just for show, either. They are dedicated to recycling and reusing products as much as possible but they are not alone. Green hotels are sprouting up like flowers in the spring around the world. While you’re looking to book a room, take a minute to check the website and see if they have a section discussing their green initiative.
Eat green without going vegetarian
Trying out popular restaurants in the area you are visiting is a must while you’re on vacation, but if you can you should find some that use organic foods. Restaurants that go organic normally are involved in other green practices like using efficiency lighting to conserve energy and recycling plastics and bottles instead of throwing them away.
Green activities
If you’re looking for eco-friendly activities to enjoy on your trip those are not hard to find, either. In warmer weather getting out and taking in the sights of your new surroundings is more enjoyable than walking around in cold temperatures but there are green activities that are available year round.
It’s not difficult to plan a green vacation and you can have a positive impact on the environment while having a great time and eating good food. It’s definitely worth doing whether you trip is to Chicago or China.
A few days ago, I noticed a discussion on another website about a real estate survey published by Yahoo! back in December. That survey asked 1,500 current and aspiring homeowners to choose the features that their dream home would include. Lo and behold, “green or energy efficient” was the top vote-getting quality after being chosen by 58 percent of the poll’s respondents. My knee-jerk reaction was, “Great! Our fellow Americans are finally getting it! Taking a green-minded approach with our homes IS important.”
But then I read a bit farther into the poll’s results and noticed the disconnect.
Tied for second was “building a custom home,” chosen by 38 percent of poll respondents. Clocking in at last place with a measly 5 percent was “tiny house,” a feature chosen by fewer people than “stately, traditional mansion” or even “castle or castle-style.”
I promise to do a real garden update next week. Well, I don’t promise, but I’ll try to. In the meantime, I will give you a quick idea of what’s going on. Bunnies. Eating. Everything.
“But, Allie,” you say, “don’t you have a big, hulking, wolf-like dog? Doesn’t he scare off the bunnies?”
<
