Please stop back occasionally for newly added recommendations!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
MNN: Eco Home Guide
Thank you Mother Nature Network for this eco home guide!
"With the average family spending about $1,900 a year on home utility bills, it's unfortunate for both the environment and your wallet that a large portion of that energy is wasted. Taking a whole-house approach to saving energy will not only make your home more comfortable and eco-friendly, but also yield long-term financial rewards, such as reduced energy bills and an increased home value."
Monday, August 30, 2010
Pittsburgh: Hard to Recycle Events - September/October
Hard to recycle events for September/October: http://bit.ly/an6m8N
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services
3001 Railroad Street. Pittsburgh, PA 15201
City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services
3001 Railroad Street. Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Saturday, October 16th, 2010
The Mall at Robinson(Mall Parking Lot)
100 Robinson Centre Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205
The Mall at Robinson(Mall Parking Lot)
100 Robinson Centre Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Little steps do make a difference. My GREEN PHILOSOPHY.
I've found that the general consensus of green discussions with those that new to this, find that they think that they have to jump in with both feet or don't know enough to even start.
This is not true unless you just won the lottery and can afford to switch everything all at once and starting small grows to knowledge.
My GREEN PHILOSOPHY:
- Take little steps – as you run out of a product, replace it with a green(er) product.
- You do not need to break the bank switching things over. As you try new things you'll just might find that you like the 'greener' one much better. Remember that headache you used to get?
- Recycle, recycle, recycle – I can not stress this enough.
- Again you do not need to break the bank - use the blue plastic bags from the grocery store (yes these are recyclable too) and hang it somewhere convenient to put your recycle items in. You might just surprise yourself once you start doing this how much you really can recycle.
- Support biodegradable (but be watchful of 'green washing') - we will cover this later in this blog.
- Go organic as much as possible.
- Support your local organic farmers.
- Reuse/renew.
- Check out this blog for a way to reuse newspaper and make a gift bag out of it.
- Donate.
- Try www.freecycle.org.
Karen :)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Putting Down Roots: Maren's List: Aug 27/28: GASLAND showing in Frick Park
"Josh Fox is coming back to Pittsburgh!An outdoor screening of his recent film 'GasLand' will be presented in Pittsburgh by Josh Fox and Rooftop Films in Frick Park, in the swale below
Blue Slide playground (near the intersection of Nicholson Street and
Beechwood Blvd. in Squirrel Hill.
The event is scheduled to begin at 8:00pm, and will include live music,
the film screening, and a panel discussion. Planned date is Aug 27; in case of rain it'll shift to Aug. 28.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Eco Button!!
- Illuminates and sits on your table/desk top next to your keyboard.
- Connects to your computer via a USB cable.
- Works on Windows 2000 / XP / Vista 32 and 64bit.
- One button system to put your computer in power saving mode.
- Each time your computer is put into 'ecomode' the clever ecobutton software records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved.
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| and to purchase. |
Your help is needed!
| Volunteers Needed |
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Thursday, August 12, 2010
China's New Bus "Straddles" Cars
From Care2:
posted by: Evie Pless 14 hours ago
For me, the most exciting aspect of the "straddling bus" being developed in China isn't the multi-leveled cinematic chase scenes it could be featured in. Nor is it the relative-motion physics problem it could potentially lead to. (If James Bond jumps off the front of a straddling bus at 30mph, will he manage to land on a car at 60mph, that is 10 meters behind and four meters below him?) It isn't even the inflatable plastic slide that each of the buses will be equipped with -- for those of us who don't feel comfortable leaping off large vehicles in the case of an emergency –- that has me most excited.
TAKE ACTION: Don't let public transportation in the United States fall behind in environmental awesomeness.
What's most exciting to me about the straddling bus is that it's such a clean, satisfying solution to an interesting puzzle.
Here are some of the main puzzle pieces Chinese inventors had to overcome:
Not surprisingly, it took a little insight to see how these pieces best fit together. And it took a lot of guts to say, "let's make this weird idea real."
The finished project is known officially as the "3D fast bus," but the nickname "straddling bus" is no misnomer. The bus will literally straddle the road and carry a shocking number of people -- around 1300 passengers -- over cars and under overpasses.
Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co., Ltd, proposed the bus idea. They say the bus will travel at up to 60 km/h (about 37mph). Construction of the 186 km of rails that will carry the bus will begin at the end of the year.
And the end of the year is by no means too soon for greenhouse gas-reducing technology. In terms of CO2, we're at 380 parts per million -- that's 100 ppm higher than it was at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. According to the chairman of the Shenzhen Hashi, their bus can save up to 860 tons of fuel per year, which would prevent the emission of 2,640 tons of carbon.
The United States is second only to China in greenhouse gas emissions. And transportation is a hot-button issue. The transportation sector makes up a third of the country's carbon dioxide emissions. From coast to coast, regions are struggling to deal with the multifaceted problem. In New York City, the economic crisis is causing controversial train closures and price jumps, while in Los Angeles, the mayor is attempting to borrow billions of dollars from the federal government for the largest transportation expansion project in the country.
If the straddling bus has inspired you to make United States transportation greener -- and weirder -- please sign our petition.
TAKE ACTION: Don't let public transportation in the United States fall behind in environmental awesomeness.
What's most exciting to me about the straddling bus is that it's such a clean, satisfying solution to an interesting puzzle.
Here are some of the main puzzle pieces Chinese inventors had to overcome:
- Reduce China's record-setting greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduce traffic
- Save money
- Save building time
- Transport people in the world's most populous country
- Impress and inspire the rest of the world
Not surprisingly, it took a little insight to see how these pieces best fit together. And it took a lot of guts to say, "let's make this weird idea real."
The finished project is known officially as the "3D fast bus," but the nickname "straddling bus" is no misnomer. The bus will literally straddle the road and carry a shocking number of people -- around 1300 passengers -- over cars and under overpasses.
Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co., Ltd, proposed the bus idea. They say the bus will travel at up to 60 km/h (about 37mph). Construction of the 186 km of rails that will carry the bus will begin at the end of the year.
And the end of the year is by no means too soon for greenhouse gas-reducing technology. In terms of CO2, we're at 380 parts per million -- that's 100 ppm higher than it was at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. According to the chairman of the Shenzhen Hashi, their bus can save up to 860 tons of fuel per year, which would prevent the emission of 2,640 tons of carbon.
The United States is second only to China in greenhouse gas emissions. And transportation is a hot-button issue. The transportation sector makes up a third of the country's carbon dioxide emissions. From coast to coast, regions are struggling to deal with the multifaceted problem. In New York City, the economic crisis is causing controversial train closures and price jumps, while in Los Angeles, the mayor is attempting to borrow billions of dollars from the federal government for the largest transportation expansion project in the country.
If the straddling bus has inspired you to make United States transportation greener -- and weirder -- please sign our petition.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Fluoride scares me... this is what I did about it....
Fluoride scares me - this is why I started my hunt for a natural non-fluoride toothpaste.
The first product I tried was:
Desert Essence, Tea Tree Oil & Neem Toothpaste, Wintergreen
Product Description
Tea Tree Oil & Neem Toothpaste, with Baking Soda & Essential Oil of Wintergreen is a fluoride-free toothpaste combining tea tree oil, neem, and baking soda to clean teeth, tone gums, provide anti-bacterial protection, freshen breath, and improve dental health.
This product was impressive. Good refreshing clean flavor, did not burn the inside of my mouth like some felt like they were doing and had a nice hint of sweet but not too much. Best of all, I felt really good knowing that it was natural. But even with all that I wasn't feeling as clean as what I had with the 'full of chemical' toothpastes left me.
This lead me to try another brand.
Seriously folks, I went into the store looked at the ingrediances, flavor, packaging and picked one.
JASON Vanilla Mint Powersmile Organic Toothpaste was my next try.
Product Description
Fluoride Free toothpaste helps prevent the formation of cavity causing plaque buildup with Grapefruit Seed Extract, while freshening breath naturally with smooth Vanilla flavor followed by a kick of Peppermint.
I LOVE IT! Never have I EVER brushed my teeth for more than a couple minutes (shamefull I know - but the truth) as toothpaste always felt like it was burning the inside of my mouth.
Word of warning, if you are expecting white, or blue/white gel - forget it. This toothpaste has a peach/tan tone to it. A bit to visually get used to at first, but easy conquered. You also don't have to use as much - only a pea size is suggested. It does the job plus. You know that after the dentist feel of smooth clean teeth... this is the feeling I get each time I brush now. I love it!
I am quite happy with the performance of JASON Vanilla Mint Powersmile toothpaste. The knowledge that it does not contain harmful ingredients makes me feel even better that my family is using it. Many people will consider the lack of fluoride in a toothpaste as a negative, but considering how toxic fluoride is - I am very content and happy with it being a missing ingredient.
The first product I tried was:
Desert Essence, Tea Tree Oil & Neem Toothpaste, Wintergreen
Product Description
Tea Tree Oil & Neem Toothpaste, with Baking Soda & Essential Oil of Wintergreen is a fluoride-free toothpaste combining tea tree oil, neem, and baking soda to clean teeth, tone gums, provide anti-bacterial protection, freshen breath, and improve dental health.
This product was impressive. Good refreshing clean flavor, did not burn the inside of my mouth like some felt like they were doing and had a nice hint of sweet but not too much. Best of all, I felt really good knowing that it was natural. But even with all that I wasn't feeling as clean as what I had with the 'full of chemical' toothpastes left me.
This lead me to try another brand.
Seriously folks, I went into the store looked at the ingrediances, flavor, packaging and picked one.
JASON Vanilla Mint Powersmile Organic Toothpaste was my next try.
Product Description
Fluoride Free toothpaste helps prevent the formation of cavity causing plaque buildup with Grapefruit Seed Extract, while freshening breath naturally with smooth Vanilla flavor followed by a kick of Peppermint.
I LOVE IT! Never have I EVER brushed my teeth for more than a couple minutes (shamefull I know - but the truth) as toothpaste always felt like it was burning the inside of my mouth.
Word of warning, if you are expecting white, or blue/white gel - forget it. This toothpaste has a peach/tan tone to it. A bit to visually get used to at first, but easy conquered. You also don't have to use as much - only a pea size is suggested. It does the job plus. You know that after the dentist feel of smooth clean teeth... this is the feeling I get each time I brush now. I love it!
I am quite happy with the performance of JASON Vanilla Mint Powersmile toothpaste. The knowledge that it does not contain harmful ingredients makes me feel even better that my family is using it. Many people will consider the lack of fluoride in a toothpaste as a negative, but considering how toxic fluoride is - I am very content and happy with it being a missing ingredient.
Making your own laundry soap. It's easy...
Homemade Laundry Soap comes in many varieties - hope you can find one that fits your fancy:
There is some work (not much) to making homemade laundry soap, but the money saved by using homemade laundry soap can really add up over the course of a year.
That said, money is not (and should not be) the only reason to make homemade laundry soap. Using the links above to make homemade laundry soap reduces phosphates and other waste products that are dumped into the water supply. It also reduces the number of plastic bottles in use, and is biodegradable.
Make your own gift bags!
This is awesome if I may say so myself. I can't wait to give it a try! How creative can you be? Please share if you make some! We would all love to see them.
Thank you "How About Orange" for sharing this great idea!
You Can Make Your Own Natural Body Lotion
If you haven't yet... check out the The Story of Cosmetics.
Store bought creams and lotions contain chemicals and synthetic fragrances (we don't like these), check out the link above for a simple recipe to making your own natural lotion.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
How to Start Vertical Gardening - Urban Farm Online
How to Start Vertical Gardening - Urban Farm Online
It’s no tall tale: Vertical gardening maximizes the growing potential of your container garden or small-space garden plot.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
What is your footprint?! Great function to this one...
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
Footprint Calculator
How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle? Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth.
Mother Earth News Fair - September 25-26
Hope to see you there!
A fun-filled, family-oriented sustainable lifestyle event, featuring dozens of practical, hands-on demonstrations and workshops from the leading authorities on:
Stay in the loop! Sign up now for the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR e-newsletter and get weekly updates.
MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine has been helping folks live self-reliant, sustainable, meaningful lives for 40 years. With an audience of more than 3 million readers worldwide, it is the largest and longest-running environmental lifestyle magazine on the planet.
- Renewable Energy
- Small-scale Agriculture
- Gardening
- Green Building
- Green Transportation
- Natural Health
Stay in the loop! Sign up now for the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR e-newsletter and get weekly updates.
MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine has been helping folks live self-reliant, sustainable, meaningful lives for 40 years. With an audience of more than 3 million readers worldwide, it is the largest and longest-running environmental lifestyle magazine on the planet.
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