Live Green. Love Green.

There's a small handful of things you absolutely don't want to flush down the drain, such as money or time – and also old cooking grease, unused medicines, and household chemicals.   That's right - modern American homes are full of things that CAN go down the drain but SHOULDN'T.  Here few tips on what those are – and how to deal with them responsibly. Your doctor will tell you that grease clogs your arteries - it also clogs the arteries of your city or town, which are the sewage pipes that connect your home to the water treatment plant.  When grease clogs these pipes, the results aren't pretty: sewage can back up into the street, yards, and even into neighboring homes.    Oil & Grease The best thing to do with cooking oil and grease is to reuse it.  If the oil is used for frying mainly one thing, such as french fries, it can be used several times.  Just strain the oil through cheesecloth or coffee filters into a covered can or container.  Bacon grease

When many people think about Christmas, they think of a stack of gifts piled under the holiday tree. It’s easy to forget about the waste generated, mostly in the form of gift wrap and product packaging. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, we generate 25 percent more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. That translates into roughly one million extra tons! The amount of energy used also tends to increase, mainly due to electric lights and decorations. Some of this increased energy usage is also related to the fuel used for travel purposes. There's no need to panic, though. Here are a few things you can do to fight back against the problem of Christmas waste. It really isn't that difficult. 1. Get Creative with Gifts Gift wrap and product packaging really adds up over the holiday season. Not every family recycles all of this used paper and plastic once Christmas morning is just a memory. Worse yet, some wrapping paper isn’t recyclable at all.

You shouldn't be stuck thinking up ideas for green Christmas gifts. There are so many different ways to make excellent and interesting gifts and ornaments using existing materials, or things that are easy and inexpensive to obtain. Ideas for green christmas gifts are usually only limited by your imagination, so start imagining! Gift baskets are popular and are easily made too, and one of the best ideas for green Christmas gifts. The basket can be recycled from a cardboard box, cut to size and shape as desired, and wrapped in something original. The artwork that your children produce in school or at home is ideal for wrapping gift baskets. If you can't find enough old ones, have them make a few new ones. Any left over artwork can be shredded and laid in the bottom of the basket to provide a suitable crinkly base for the gifts. The gifts that fill the gift baskets can be anything. However, some of the better ideas for green Christmas gifts are things like homemade jams, homem

The world is going green. This is because if we do not think about the future generations, they will never forgive us. Environment friendly products are gaining in popularity because they do not contribute to climate change or global warming; they are capable of re-growth unlike finite resources available on the earth; they help in waste reduction as they can be decomposed easily. In fact, manandrsquo;s aim has been replacing all inorganic products like plastic with organic products like paper. Home decor is another area where man is going green. Right from making use of tree stumps as a stool to use of plants in building walls to use of scrap wood in making tables and even using plant material in making rugs! Rugs were initially made from only natural sources like wool, animal hides, bamboo, cotton etc. With the help of technology, man started making rugs from synthetic material like rayon, nylon, acrylic etc.  But synthetic materials are non-biodegradable. Nylon rug manufacture

“If it can be done naturally, why go for artificial means” - this is the basic premise on which ‘organic skin care’ works. Organic skin care is the most natural way of ‘skin care’. In fact, ‘organic skin care’ was probably the first one to be used by man when it first woke-up to the needs of his skin. ‘Organic skin care’ is not only friendlier to skin, but also inexpensive. If exercised in the right way, organic skin care can prevent the occurrence of a lot of skin disorders and can help keep your skin healthy and young-looking for a much longer time. Organic fruits and vegetables are the most popular things on organic skin care routines e.g. cucumber is very common in organic skin care routines. Turmeric, apple, papaya, ginger are others that find a wide use in organic skin care routines. These organic materials have a very refreshing and vitalizing effect on your skin. Almost every skin care book/guide has section on organic skin care (including the actions of various fruits and v

The key to all of this is to have a long hard think about what it is you want from your home and your life and how you can best design your décor and your set-up to make that possible. Too often, our homes get in the way of what we want to do and make it harder for us to be effective and productive. In fact, our homes should be enablers and facilitators that make what we want to achieve that much easier. So where does this discrepancy come from? Why do so many of us fail to have congruence between what we want to achieve and the layout of our homes?The answer is simple: too many of us just don’t know what we want; not just from our décor but also from life in general. And again, marketing and media in general are largely responsible for this, as we are constantly being shown different ideals and different ways of living – and told that they are the very best way for us to enjoy our own lives.We end up being pulled in absolutely every direction by a hundred different marketing messa

Is there a patch of land in your backyard that’s been left useless all this time? If you’re still undecided to what to make out of it, maybe it’s high time you consider planting vegetables in it. Read on to learn some of the advantages of planting vegetable gardens. Yummier veggie treats Many people attest that vegetables grown in their own backyard tastes much better than those bought at grocery stores. They remark how much flavorful their harvests are, whether used as ingredients in a fresh veggie salad or cooked dishes. Be it because of the extra amount of love and care these home-grown vegetables got or the person taking pride in growing crops in his or her backyard, it doesn’t rally matter. What matters is what you serve on the table is fresh right off your vegetable garden and more scrumptious for every member of the family to enjoy. You are also assured that what you put on the table is fresh and free from harmful chemicals like preservatives. Guaranteed no harmful chemica

Are you looking to improve your health?  If you are, you may want to start with organic foods.  Organic foods are known for being all natural.  Organic foods are not like many of the other foods available for sale in grocery stores, as there are no artificial additives added to natural, organic foods.  That is why many believe that eating organic foods can help to improve their health. If this is your first time looking to eat organic foods or if you are looking to make a full switch to eating organically, you may be unsure as to where you can purchase your foods from.  After a close examination, you will see that you have a number of different options.  In fact, many individuals are surprised when they see just how easy it is to find and buy all natural organic foods. Before covering a few of the many places where organic foods can be found available for sale, it is first important that you know what to look for.  For one hundred percent natural, organic foods, it is important to

Global warming is one of the serious environmental problems we have right now. The little acts we do can either help or make the problem more serious than it already is.  Awareness is very important in caring for our environment. We have to be aware of how serious the problem is and know how our actions affect the environment. When we know the environmental condition that our earth is in today, it will be easier for us to act appropriately There are many ways that we can do to reduce our environmental footprints and help in the rehabilitation of the earth. Here are some tips you can easily do everyday to care for our environment.  Reduce Conserving our natural resources can be done everyday. The earth is abundant with natural things. People think that these resources cannot be depleted. They're wrong. We have abused Earth's goodness and richness for so long now that our natural resources are now almost gone. If we don't start conserving these resources soon, we'

Have you noticed a recent increase of solar panels around your neighborhood?  Ever been curious as to how they actually work?  They're actually quite fascinating! Solar panels make use of the power of the sun to create a similar process as that in chemical batteries. This action is the free flow of electrons. The plates of solar panels are designed of this natural form of silicon. Natural silicon atoms carry four electrons, but have room for an extra four. The plates possess a neutral charge while they are by themselves since each silicon atom requires eight electrons altogether to have a charge. Which means that they must be coupled with other elements that do possess a positive or negative charge. For electricity to actually flow, you require both a positive and negative charge. Phosphorus is usually combined with the silicon to produce the negative plate and boron to create the positive plate. The plates are then coupled together with wires that happen to be great at conduct

Solar energy has been around for a while, yet it is still not as widely used in homes as it could be. The large start-up cost can be a setback to many people who would otherwise consider it. Despite this,  solar energy can be a wise investment, and worth the initial costs and labor.  Here are some of the reasons you should consider solar energy. 1.  It Can Generate Electricity and Heat Water Solar panels are an amazing way to harness the power of the sun and turn it into usable energy. Solar power can be used for electricity, which can power and heat homes and others buildings. It can also heat water to an extent, making it a multipurpose energy source. 2.  No Mechanical Parts That Will Fail One of the huge benefits of solar energy is the fact that unlike other methods of energy use, it does not use machines in its creation or delivery. Because of this, there is no risk of mechanical failure. This fact alone can mean that an individual who has chosen this form of energy will no

Are you concerned about your electricity bill?  Have no fear!  There are many things you can do to lower your electricity bill on a monthly basis. Here are six ideas: 1. Unplug Appliances That Are Not in Use Many people do not realize this, but appliances of all sizes continue using energy as long as they are plugged in, even when they are turned off. To stop this from happening, simply be vigilant about unplugging all the appliances you possibly can when they are not in use. This includes everything from lamps and stereos, to blenders and toasters. 2. Use a Power Bar and Switch It Off at Night If you are not yet ready to unplug each and every appliance you use when you are not using it, hook as many as possible up to one power bar at each plug or in each room. This way, you can easily switch it off at night-time. Do this regularly in order to notice changes in your electricity bill. 3. Turn Off Lights When You Leave the Room My father was always vigilant about this and nag

Are you trying to save money on living costs? One of the first things you should take a look at is your energy.  There are so many ways that you home could be losing energy that you wouldn't even know about.  Here are 5 places you could be losing energy and ways to start cutting your costs. 1. Air Leaks through Walls Air leaks account for the majority of unintended energy loss in homes. The main culprit is generally loss through walls and gaps around doors and windows. If you are losing heat through your walls, consider insulating them. Cavity walls, which most homes after the 1930s are, can have insulating material put in between them fairly easily. If your home has solid walls, it will be a little more difficult, but it can still be done. In this case, you can choose whether to insulate the walls internally or externally. Most windows do not lose heat to the extent that you would think, but it is still important in the overall picture. 2. Non insulated Roofs Did you k

Global warming is the increase in temperature of the earth's surface. Because of the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, the earth is unable to release the heat on the earth's atmosphere. The heat would accumulate on the earth's atmosphere and eventually have an effect on men and life on earth. The earth is already calling for our attention. If you haven't noticed the different environmental disasters and problems that we are having, then you are either blind or trying to be blind of the things happening around you. These disasters and problems that we are experiencing are all because of our own doing. We've been exploiting the earth for the longest time without thinking about the consequences of our actions. We are now seeing the ugly effects of our actions.  There is still time to help change the condition of the earth. With enough awareness and actions, we'll be able to help preserve earth's beauty.  Here are some tips y

1. Drive smart. Avoid abrupt acceleration and unnecessary braking. Drive at constant speed. These          do not only save gas, but also save your life. 2. Keep your car maintained. On-schedule tune-up, air filter cleaning, change oil, and keeping tire          inflated improve you fuel mileage and reduce carbon emission. 3. Avoid excessive idling. Zero miles per hour give you zero miles per gallon.  4. Walk, bike, or carpool whenever possible. These do not only save you gas but keep you in good          shape. 5. Combine errands into one car trip. This saves time and gas. 6. Invest on a hybrid car. It consumes less fuel and release zero or less carbon 7. Invest on power saving devices for your home. 8. Switch to renewable energy. Encourage others to do the same. 9. Insulate your home properly. Leaks around the house increase your energy consumption, thus              consuming more fossil fuel. 10. Wash clothes only on full load. 11. Use less hot water.

There is a good chance that you have seen an organic food aisle at one of your local grocery stores.  In fact, you may have even driven past a farmers market where organic food was sold.  Unfortunately, if you are like many other Americans, there is a good chance that you kept right on walking or driving by.  This is because many individuals do not eat organic foods. Despite the fact that organic foods are not consumed by nearly all Americans, they still come highly rated and recommended.  In fact, many health conscious individuals swear by them.  Many claim that eating organic foods helps to promote lifelong health and happiness.  Organic food consumption has increased in popularity over the years and that increase continues to rise at a relatively steady pace.  If you are interested in eating organic foods, but if you have never done so before, you may be wondering what the benefits are.  If so, please continue reading on. When it comes to organic foods and their benefits, you wi

As a single individual, you can make an impact on curbing the environmental pollution with the purchases that you make. The items that you do or don't purchase can create change in your local area and on a much larger scope, also. Searching online, using google or yahoo will give you results about manufacturers who have the environment in mind when creating their products. Include the current name brands that you currently use to discover if that business is contributing solutions or harming the environment. Some companies are employing techniques to handle the environment but are creating toxic products. There is one company that I know of that is utilizing the stuff in a garbage dump to create the energy to run the factories. This is certainly a step in the right direction but the products the company creates are toxic household cleaners that are packaged in plastic bottles. This is a company that is still not on the right track because the point is that you want to eliminate

The threat of global warming and the depletion of our natural resources have resulted in a world where conservation has become a necessary and important responsibility for everyone. Today, more consumers are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One method of implementing environmentally friendly practices is to take advantage of the eco-friendly benefits of online shopping. Other than its convenience, shopping online can help reduce the negative impact that we have on the environment. The environmental benefits of online shopping include:  1. If you live a fair distance from a shopping mall or retail district, then you know how much fuel you burn when travelling back and forth. As well, your car will produce a lot of emissions which has a serious impact on global warming. Shopping online reduces the amount of driving you will do and as a result, there will be a lower amount of emissions being emitted into the air. 2. Many online stores now use eco-friendly packaging

When it comes to saving money, food consumption is one of the first areas you should consider. There are many ways you can cut down on food waste that happens in your home. Here are a few things to think about. Think Twice about What You Buy When you are at the grocery store, don’t just pick up whatever looks good. If something is jumping out at you, put it on your grocery list and decide whether you will actually buy it the next time you are in the store. This will save money immediately, and will be a good reminder that a person often doesn’t even really want or use many of the items they buy. Make Meal Plans At the beginning of each week, create meal plans for you and your family. Make a grocery list based off these meals plans. This will keep you focused on purchasing necessities rather than frivolous items. Use a Shopping List Make a shopping list and take it to the store with you. Stick to this list at all times. Do not deviate or be tempted by purchases that are la

The trend of going green is gaining momentum in countries all over the world. However, most of the publicity about the going green initiative is primarily based on building and energy. With rise in concern for environmental degradation as well as the imbalances in the Eco-system, Eco-friendly products have become a useful alternative for majority of people. No doubt, Eco-friendly living has also taken a new turn. We already have Eco-friendly clothing, organic food and Eco office supplies. Moreover, there are some products for which you would find it hard to believe that they are biodegradable. The growing environment consciousness has made green living a part of life for many people. Environmentally friendly describes the services and goods, laws, policies and guidelines that cause minimum or no harm to the environment. In order to increase the awareness of consumers, Eco-friendly services and goods often carry the Eco-labels. However, the most important reason to pursue the ma