Eco Green Tips

photo credit: felixp7

Now, that is a question that begs to be answered. One of my readers has left me a comment to my article about the pros and cons of biofuel and it goes like this:

“You forgot to add wood thats a biofuel and a fairly important one”

Frankly, I have never thought of wood in terms of any kind of biofuel and it surprises me that anyone would. There are so many issues concerning the use of wood as it is, and deforestation is just one (if the biggest and most serious) of them. Not only do people cut the ancient forests for wood to satisfy their enormous appetites for paper and furniture, the new trend in biofuel production causes more forests to be logged to make room for the corn fields and such. And to think that someone actually considers using wood as biofuel is horrifying.

Our planet is slowly dying out and we are running out of resources. And as much as one would like to think of wood as a natural and renewable resource, it is quickly becoming a sort of endangered species in itself.

Despite the fact that wood chips can be used in the production of cellulosic ethanol, it still does not answer the increasing demand for energy and fuel. And unfortunately, the idea of wood as a source of fuel poses more problems ecologically than solves any. In the long run, the cons far outweigh any possible pros. And any tree that would be cut down so one can drive a sports car is simply appalling…

If you’re concerned about the wasteful usage of water but still want some way to keep your lawn green and lush, you should consider letting your grass grow just a bit longer before cutting it. And forget about cutting it short.

Experts agree that its best to mow the lawns regularly and remove only 1/3 of the grass blade at a time, which minimizes the stress level on the plant. Moreover, longer grass helps keep insects, pests and weeds at bay allowing you to limit or discontinue the use of toxic pesticides altogether.

What’s more, longer grass provides shade for the roots and protects the soil against drying out, which, in turn, leads to stronger and healthier roots making your lawn more resilient thus ultimately requiring less water.

Various types of grass have different heights so it’s best to consult your local gardening store or nursery before deciding what kind of grass seeds are best for your yard. Keep in mind that cutting the grass to at least 3 to 4 inches high helps reduce the water evaporation by 70% to 80%. That’s a huge number considering that instead of all this moisture going into the air it remains on the plants hence allowing you to water less frequently. And if you do the watering early in the morning when the dew is still on the grass, not only will you use a lot less water to achieve the same effect, you’ll need far less time as well.

Try these few tips and watch how your lawn transforms form ordinary to extraordinary with so little effort on your part…

photo credit: VenturaB.

The Amazon is not only the largest forest on the planet but is the planet’s own set of lungs helping it breathe and reduce some of the pollution humans create. However, according to a Brazilian environmentalist, Philip Martin Fernside, the Amazon could well vanish by 2080, if its logging is not curbed.

The forest encompasses 1.2 billion acres and is situated in five different countries—Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana—with 60% of the it in Brazil. Moreover, the Amazon forest constitutes nearly half of the world’s remaining intact forests. Unfortunately, deforestation is a serious threat to the Amazon, which increased rapidly in the recent decades due to a number of various factors, such as the governments building roads into and through the forest, agricultural and private companies logging it for farm lands and many instances of logging for a short-term profit etc.

Additionally, the Amazon, like any other virgin forest, has large quantities of accumulated carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere  by any type of logging or tree burning adding to the global warming.

Luckily, the many conservation and environmental groups active in the region have succeeded leading to slowing down the rate of deforestation in the Amazon. Furthermore, an increasing number of the western countries are interested in developing methods, which will protect and preserve the forest as a way to combat their carbon emissions. Thus, perhaps, there’s a way to at least slow down the destruction of the largest forest on Earth…

photo credit: autumn_bliss

Majority of conventional cosmetics available on the market contain synthetic chemicals that are hazardous to one’s health, even though many manufacturers continue using natural ingredients for their products.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Americans had higher levels of phthalates (plasticizing chemicals) in their bodies than expected. Moreover, a metabolized from of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), present in nail polish and many synthetic fragrances, was found to be a reproductive toxin in animal studies.

What is most disturbing, is the fact that neither cosmetic products nor ingredients used are evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—the federal institution supposedly responsible for regulating such products. The requirement is that the manufacturers submit their products for a review on voluntary basis, however only about 35% do, thus leaving the customers with a whopping 65% of cosmetics on the shelves unevaluated for their safety.

In November 2002, the European Union banned the use of phthalates in cosmetics, however they are still deemed “safe and currently used” by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), a group funded by the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) despite the numerous health concerns expressed by both the public and various organizations.

To make sure you use safe cosmetics and personal healthcare products, check the list of ingredients to avoid in “How to Choose Safe Cosmetics” or simply go for organic products, e.g. Avalon Cosmetics, Jason etc. The only problem with organic cosmetic industry is that despite the growing interest, the choices are quite limited.

Easter is nearly here and many of you have probably done all your Easter shopping and egg coloring. But just in case there are some last minute preparations left, here are some tips for making the whole Easter experience a bit more Earth-friendly:

Skip the paper greeting cards—there  are plenty of websites available that offer free greeting cards for every occasion imaginable and sending e-cards will not only save tons of paper but also minimize the greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the shipping.

Use natural egg dyes—instead of using the egg dying kits, which mostly contain chemicals that may seep to the egg itself contaminating it, use natural products you already have around your house, e.g. ground cumin, onion peels or lemon peels (yellow); canned or fresh beets and red onion (reds and pinks); red cabbage, blueberries (blue), chili/paprika powder and carrot peels (orange), blackberries (purple); spinach or grass clippings (green) etc. Brown eggs will get you a deeper shade while the white ones will result in pastel colors. The preferred method of dying eggs is simply to boil them with the chosen product and some vinegar for 15 minutes.

Keep the decorated eggs in the refrigerator—this way you’ll be able to consume them a few days later (e.g. making an egg salad or devilled eggs).

Skip the plastic eggs for the Easter Egg hunt—or simply reused the ones from the previous year. Another great solution is to use the individual egg holders cut out form the egg cartons, which then can be filled with all kinds of goodies (your creativity is the limit here) for both the kids and the adults. They can be decorated with a ribbon or a yarn, which will also hold them in place.

Decorate the eggs with non-toxic materials—if you use crayons, it’s best to decorate the eggs before boiling. This way the dye won’t catch on the waxy surfaces, giving the egg an unusual design. You can also use candles instead of crayons, which will give you the same effect. After the egg has been boiled, decorate it with markers, stickers, yarn etc.

So, happy Easter everyone!