Archive for Did you know?
December 26, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged Akeena Solar, do-it-yourself solar panels, energy saving options, solar energy, solar panels
Did you know that 2010 is going to be a great year for energy savings? Companies are realizing the need for consumers to save money and go green, so you will be seeing in increase in energy saving products.
Lowes is one company that is starting to sell do-it-yourself solar panels. Their stores in California are already stocking the shelves for the New Year. Manufactured by Akeena Solar, Inc., one solar panel will generate about 175 watts. That is enough energy to power a flat-screen television. This is great news because people will be able to see the effects of solar energy without having to spend money to hire a professional installer. The homeowner will need to get clearance from their electric company and a permit and do their own rebate application, but the benefits will be worth it. The panels will sell for about $900.00 each.
This is a turning point for Americans who consume about a quarter of all the worlds energy. Having more options on how they consume this energy is important. “Pocono Green”
November 11, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged bleaching, boreal forest, carbon dioxide, carcinogens, dangers of chlorine, destruction of forests, dioxin, disposible diapers, gDiapers, Global warming
Did you know that giant paper companies are forcing the destruction of our continents most vibrant forests and destroying the habitat of countless species of wildlife. 500,000 acres of boreal forest in Ontario and Alberto are felled each year to provide pulp for disposable paper products. Besides this destruction, the forests are storehouses of carbon dioxide that is critical to keep intact to slow down global warming. There is one thing that you may not know about paper and that is it’s use of chorine for whitening. Chlorine is used in many of the bleaching processes and this contributes to the formation of dioxins and furans, chemicals that can end up in our air and water and can cause cancer. There are many companies that process chlorine-free. Read the labels on the products. Don’t be misled by the word eco-friendly or green.
Disposable diapers are also a concern. The convenience factor is high and most people use them over cloth diapers. According to The Green Guide, 95% of U.S. families use disposable diapers, as many as 8,000 per child. The bleaching process for disposable diapers to make them as white as possible leads to the generation of the chemical dioxin. This chemical is harmful to the factory worker and the environment surrounding the manufacturing factories. It also can show up in trace amounts in the diapers themselves, potentially exposing babies skin to a dangerous carcinogen. Try to reduce your use of these products or find alternatives. There are chlorine free diapers by Seventh Generation and Tender Care. Also check out reusable gDiapers. There are still diaper laudering services available if you prefer. When you go shopping for paper products, try to think of what you can use instead. You will be doing your part to help the planet and keep yourself and your family healthy.
November 10, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged biofuel, carbon sinks, destruction of tropical rainforests, endangered species, Global warming, greenpeace, Indonesia, Malaysia, orangatans, palm oil, palm oil plantations, palm oil production, peatland, peatlands, rainforests, RSPO, transfat
Did you know that palm oil is dangerous to rainforests. Food industries are using palm oil as a healthy alternative to unhealthy shortening because it is trans-fat free. Palm oil is found in 1 of 10 food products. Some products are chocolate, chips, margarine and bread. It is also found in detergents and lipsticks. There is a trans-fat labeling regulation and manufacturers are seeking alternatives to partially hydronated vegetable oil. If companies replace 2.5 billion pounds of partially hydronated vegetable oil the US palm oil imports would triple. The demand for palm oil is forecast to double by 2020. To achieve that increase, thousands of square miles of new planting on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo would kill off the remaining orangatans, rhinos and tigers. 75% of the world supply of palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. The rainforests are known for their impact of the Earth’s environment. They are carbon sinks and can help slow global warming. Tropical rainforests have been described as the lungs of the planet. Year round tropical plants take carbon dioxide out of the air and replace it with oxygen. These forests house at least half of all Earth’s species. Changes will have a large impact on global bio diversity. “Forest” , a book by Tom Warhol published in 2007 , states “the tropical rainforest is the most diverse and productive biome on the planet. Two and a half acres contain 750 species of vascular plants and 42,000 species of insects.” Deforestation has multiple implications. Deforestation caused by palm oil plantations can add to global warming as well as bio diversity loss. Trees store carbon dioxide and when they are cut, tons of CO2 heads skyward. The expansion of the palm oil plantations is the greatest threat to the orangatan habitat. The use of palm oil is big business and we may not be able to stop it. It is up to the countries involved in palm oil production to regulate the industry. Greenpeace is trying to get food companies and supermarkets to stop trading with palm oil suppliers involved in this environmental destruction. RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable palm Oil) was set up to establish ethical and ecological standards for producing palm oil, but still the existing standards are not protecting our rainforests. Peatland is one of the most concentrated stores of carbon. Clearing the forest on top of it releases greenhouse gases. Consumers need to become aware of this very grave situation. We should try to find alternative products or use palm oil sparingly if we decide to use it. We can try to do our part by signing a petition at gopetition.com. There are 2600 orangatans that die each year so we can eat palm oil. Seventh Generation is the 1st consumer packaged goods company in North America to try and tackle the issue of palm oil production and it’s effects on the rainforest. We should support these companies.
November 9, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged alzheimers disease, benzyl acetate, benzyl alchohol, Cancer, carcinogens, Central Nervous System Disorder, chemicals in dryer sheets, chemicals in fabric softeners, chloroform, Consumer product SAfety Commission, crib death, dryer balls, fragrances made from petroleum, government regualtions, limonene, multiple sclerosis, pancreatic cancer, paradichlorobenzene, parkinson's disease, pesticides, safety of fragrances and air freshners, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, toxic chemicals
Did you know that dryer sheets may be harardous to your health? According to the U.S. Environmental Agency there are chemicals in dryer sheets that are harmful. The chemicals become more toxic as they are heated in the dryer. These chemicals are know to cause many central nervous disorders, damage to the lungs, liver, and kidneys and also can cause cancer. Experts have even suggested that there may be a possible connection between Sudden Infant Death (crib death) and the use of these products if used with baby clothes and crib sheets and blankets. Using scented fabric softeners can also have a harmful affect. 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances are made from petroleum products. Fragrances are not regulated by any government or health agency. For example, paradichlorobenzene is a cancer-causing chemical used in some air fresheners, as well as in pesticides. U.S. law requires that it be listed as an active ingredient in pesticides, but it does not have to be listed at all on the air freshener labels. That is a little scary. We really do not know what might be in the products that we use. It might be nice to have nice smelling clothes or soft clothes free from static cling, but at what expense. Dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener alike include benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alchohol (an upper respitory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous disorders), limonene (a known carcinogen) and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen). There are many more to add to this list. Central Nervous System disorders include: Alzheimers Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Dementia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Seizures, Strokes, Sudden Infant Death. Symptons include: blurred vision, disorientation, dizziness, headaches, memory loss, numbness and others too numerous to mention. Symptoms are taken from industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets. I think it is the consumers responsiblity to complain about this situation. You can boycott buying these products and find natural alternatives and you can file a complaint with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can try using an old-fashioned softner that also reduces static cling. Add a cup or more of plain baking soda (do not use bleach with it) to each load of wash. You can buy dryer balls (in most stores like Sears). They last for two years and have no chemicals. You can also check out Seventh Generation’s Natural Lavender softener. Hang clothes outside on a nice day to get a clean, fresh smell. Do some research and see what alternatives you can come up with. Your health and the health of those around you is worth it.
November 8, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged high energy consumption, landfills, paper, raw materials, recycle, recycling saves energy
Did you know that recycling saves energy? It saves 900 trillion BTU’s which is equal to the energy of 9 million households. Recycling saves energy by not having to produce materials like plastic, aluminum or paper from raw materials. Raw materials have to harvested, extracted and processed which is an extensive process using high energy consumption. We need to recycle to cut down on energy costs. Paper is the most common form of waste found in landfills accounting for 35% of all waste. If this paper were recycled instead of being throw out, we could save a lot of money in energy.
November 8, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged carbon, clean energy, energy efficient homes, green renovations, solar energy, solar panels, wind power, wind turbines
Did you know that you do not need to have a professional to install a wind turbine or solar collector? Solar panels and wind turbines are a great way to have an energy efficient home and they are becoming easy to install and obtain at a low cost. You can buy ‘build your own wind turbine kits’. There are also many easy to understand books with directions for a homeowner to use wind turbines and solar panels. You do not have to hire an expensive professional. 
Wind and solar power is a great way to energize your home and the good thing is that they do not produce carbon. They offer clean energy. Now is a great time to incorporate these products into you home, as the government is offering incentives to homeowners who want to use energy saving products like solar panels. For more information about do it yourself kits, check out netsaveonline.com.
November 7, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged China's ban on plastic bags, cloth bags, landfills, plastic bags, polyethylene, recycling bags, wildlife. dependence on oil
Did you know that between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year. (National Geographic News Sept 2, 2003). The “Christian Science Monitor News” reports that less than 1% are recycled. This is a definite problem because the bags that don’t get recycled end up in oceans, rivers, lakes and other waterways. They have found their way as far as the Falkland Islands. Two hundred different species of sea life die due to ingesting plastic bags that they think are food. Birds also die because they get tangled in the plastic. The effects of discarded plastic bags is catastrophic to wildlife. Statistics point out that we should not use plastic bags because besides killing animals, they keep us dependant on foreign oil. They are made from polyethylene, a thermoplastic that is a by-product of oil. China will save 37 million barrels of oil each year due to their ban of plastic bags. A solution to this might be to use cloth bags. I read these statistics the other day on “Earth Talk”. A cloth bag can save six bags a week. That’s 24 bags a month. That’s 288 bags a year. That’s 22,176 bags in an average lifetime. If one out of five people did this, we would save 1,330,560,000,000 bags over a lifetime. I was confused by this. How could one cloth bag save six plastic bags usless you went to the store six times that week. At any rate, it gave me the idea of how much one small change could help the planet. Paper bags may also be a solution. They are better than plastic because they will not harm animals, but trees will have to be cut down to make the bags. That would be better than using oil because at least it is a renewable resource; we can plant more trees. There are no perfect solutions. The cloth bag will not be as cost effective, but it probably is the winner of the three choices.
October 22, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged birds and marine life, bottle caps, landfills, polypropylene, recycled bottle caps, recycling safety
Did you know that the tops of bottles are a different plastic than the bottle itself? Most tops are made from polypropylene. You can take the tops off and save them. You can try and find places near you that collect them, but if you do decide to recycle them, please leave the tops on. If the polypropylene caps travel to the recycling plant and are not attached, they can jam the machines or slip through the cracks and get lost. The caps may not compact properly and present a safety risk for the workers. Be sure never to toss the caps in the water, as they will harm the birds and marine life.. When possible, use a water thermos from home instead of buying water bottles. Did you know that a water bottle can take up to 1000 years before it begins to decompose and the ones that are not recycled end up in landfills.
October 22, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged "no dirty gold" campaign, coral jewelry, coral reefs, cyanide and mining, dangers of mining, diamond mining, gold mining, imitation coral, mining and the eco-system, ocean eco-systems, Seaglass jewelry, The Mining and jewelry Industry Trade Association
Did you know that you should avoid buying real coral jewelry? Coral is essential to healthy ocean eco-systems. It is slow growing and if it is heavily harvested, it may never recover. Over 5,000 types of coral exist and create coral forests providing homes and food for thousands of marine species. Americans import more precious red coral than any other nation. 80% is taken from reefs each year. There are many beautiful jewelry pieces made from imitation coral. When deciding what to buy, please think about our oceans. As consumers of jewelry, you have the power to make wise choices and effect change. Through your purchases, you will be expressing your preferences. The more “green” choices you make, the more companies will understand what you are interested in. You DO have the power to change what companies sell. When buying jewelry, most people do not think about how it affects the Earth. They are just interested in a beautiful style that is impressive in its color and shine. This is unfortunate. We should be more informed about how the piece of jewelry we select affects the world. Coral is just one type of jewelry that is harmful to the environment. Diamonds and gold can also be harmful. Diamond and gold mining is not something that is good for the environment. When mining for gold and diamonds, there are large holes that are dug and not always filled in. This is harmful to the eco-system and the run off pollutes rivers and other waterways. The Mining and Jewelry Industry Trade Association (RJC) and the Responsible Mining Assurance Initiative are both helping to keep mining safe. We need more people involved in overseeing mining so tragedies don’t happen. It has been reported that cyanide was negligently spilled into the Ahafo gold mine near Denver, CO resulting in water being contaminated and fish killed. Unfortumately, this is not an uncommon practice. Piles of crushed gold ore are sprayed with cyanide to leach out the gold. The Yanacocha gold mine in Peru is the 2nd largest mine in the world and it practices this leaching method. Waste from mines in another problem. One gold ring generates twenty tons of mine waste.
Diamond mining is a multi-billion dollar industry that creates a lot of jobs, but we have to consider at what cost we are making this money. Unfortunately, there are greedy people who only consider the money. In my opinion, synthetic diamonds are just as beautiful. I have never owned a real diamond. There are many choices we have when looking for that piece of jewelry for ourselves or for a gift. Buying synthetic jewelry are ways to help the Earth. Your gold can also be melted down and used again. Be sure to check that out, but be sure that the gold dealer you choose participates in the “no dirty gold” campaign. You want to be sure to use a reputable dealer. On my web site, I sell Seaglass jewelry that is another option for eco-friendly jewelry. It is absolutely beautiful and a definte conversation piece. People will admire its beauty. It is from a “green” company that strives to be ecologically responsible. We should support these companies. Before you go shopping for the next piece of jewelry, do a little research so that you will make a wise decision and have something to be proud of.
October 22, 2009 · Filed under Did you know? · Tagged contaminated cardboard, damage to recycling process, pizza boxes
Did you know that pizza boxes may not be recyclable? They are corrugated cardboard which is recyclable, but if tarnished with grease, it is not. Food is one of the worst contaminants in the paper recycling process. Plastic, metal and glass use a heat process for their recycling, but paper does not. Paper mixes with water to make a “slurry”. As you know, water and oil do not mix. Contaminated cardboard could ruin a whole recycling batch. Stickers found on pizza boxes also cause a problem. The cost for irresponsible contamination is $700 million per year industry wide and damage to machinery and disposal costs for removing non-recyclable materials is also costly. Cut off the soiled part of the pizza box and you can recycle the rest with a guilt-free concious. Please do not sneak unacceptable materials into the recycling containers. The cost for such actions is too great.
