Hundreds Gather to Protest Global Warming

This picture was sent to me in an email from a friend today and it cracks me up, but also reminds me of something that is quite common sensical--people will protect the things that they love. Snowpeople love themselves and each other as well as their snowy habitat that they live in and the snow that they probably eat and drink. How can we (human-beings) figure out that we love the earth and each other, too? It is becoming more apparent in places like California and Japan for example, where there are strong initiatives in place to clean up their act and save the planet, but would those places have these projects if they were located somewhere else? Probably not because they wouldn't feel the effects as strongly. If you don't think you are affected by global warming you are not looking at the whole picture. Let us rally to do little things we can to stop global warming, if not for the snowpeople, for ourselves.

Here are 50 things listed on a Global Warming Website that can help reduce your impact on the earth. Check out the link to the original source here. If anyone has any other good lists, please feel free to share. I know there are more than 50 ways to help here, but so as not to overwhelm I am putting this list up.

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. We recommend you purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com, they have great deals on both screw-in and plug-in light bulbs.

2. Install a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.

3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.

6. Do not leave appliances on standby
Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

8. Move your fridge and freezer
Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

12. Get a home energy audit
Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

13. Cover your pots while cooking
Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

15. Take a shower instead of a bath
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

16. Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

18. Insulate and weatherize your home
Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.

19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

20. Recycle your organic waste
Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

21. Buy intelligently
One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.

23. Reuse your shopping bag
When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

24. Reduce waste
Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

25. Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

26. Switch to green power
In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don't use for yourself.

27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.

30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

31. Eat less meat
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north american commuters and travelers.

34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

35. Keep your car tuned up
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

39. Try car sharing
Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

40. Try telecommuting from home
Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.

41. Fly less
Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investingin renewable energy projects.

42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

43. Join the virtual march
The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.

46. Consider the impact of your investments
If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

47. Make your city cool
Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you're in the U.S., join the cool cities list.

48. Tell Congress to act
The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

49. Make sure your voice is heard!
Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!

50. Share this list!
Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

Babies on the Crawl...

From Seventh Generation's Youtube video: "Babies are getting on soapboxes to demand toxic chemical policy reform from Congress, and to rally support for The Million Baby Crawl"

Check out Seventh Generation's website to find out more info about non-toxic products for your family/household. There is plenty of information, lists of events, and safe products you can purchase. There are also lists of places you can go to find such products.

As taken from their website: "Seventh Generation is committed to becoming the world's most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home. For 20 years, the closely held Burlington, Vermont-based company has been at the forefront of a cultural change in consumer behavior and business ethics.

One of the country's first self-declared "socially responsible" companies, Seventh Generation is a business that operates according to a new and different set of principles and values that in many ways are a marked departure from those long considered "traditional." Its business practice is focused on offering people avenues to express their idealism, passion, and commitment to causes larger than themselves at every point along its supply chain—from suppliers and partners to shareholders, customers and its own staff.

The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." Every time you use a Seventh Generation product you are making a difference by saving natural resources, reducing pollution, keeping toxic chemicals out of the environment and making the world a safer place for this and the next seven generations."

The video is one of many videos circulating that are spreading the word for a campaign called "The Million Baby Crawl," find out more about why they are crawling here.

Tom's of Maine unscented deodorant stick..."Hops: it's not just for beer"

(picture taken from their website)

So for those who know me a little too well and have spent time with me in the late evening when I am feeling rather stressed out, or for whatever reason you may have seen me look uncomfortable and scratch my arm pits. Yeah, I know, typing that out it looks disgusting, but let's face it everyone has an itch there from time to time, and for awhile (actually before I met Jay), I happened to experience discomfort a lot of the time in this area.

Well, after learning a little bit about the many chemicals and toxins that are allowed into American beauty products (that are banned in other countries...c'mon America!) I decided to try to find a deodorant that is "natural." Now what that word "natural" means to me is still a little unclear, but I am trying to learn more about these things with time and with the help of other people who have already made the switch from the ever so popular choice to natural care.

Anyway, I am starting the project out simple. I found the ONLY natural product available at Target, which to me was a good sign that there was an option, but it made me question how good it really was.

To make it short and simple I purchased the unscented Alumminum-Free deodorant stick by Tom's of Maine and have been happy with it so far. As explained on its website, "Hops: it’s not just for beer Says Fiona Russell, Category Leader for Deodorant: 'That’s right—the secret ingredient in our natural aluminum-free deodorants is hops, the same kind used in beer. Hops inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria, so you smell better!'" ...After I told Jay about this, needless to say he was excited.

While I have been warned by fellow classmates that the natural option for deodorant is a tough buy because most of them do not carry the anti-perspirant effect so it doesn't do the job for some people, but so far for me, so good! Jay has even borrowed it before bedtime and he has not been smelly and his armpits (which also itch from time to time) have not been bothered. My experience has been the same.

Now granted I have not worked out in the past 3 weeks which is another story...so once I get a workout in and actually sweat, I will report my findings!

For more information on Tom's of Maine products here is their website.

Alice's Wonder Spray

Last Tuesday we opened our ecology and health class with an activity that involved mixing our own eco-friendly all purpose cleaner (minus window cleaning). My prof came in with ingredients for Alice's Wonder Spray, and I have been happily cleaning with it since.

Here are the ingredients:

2TBSP Borax
1/4 cup white vinegar
Hot water (add to 32 oz. sray bottle)
1/4 cup liquid dish soap--add last because it gets bubbly
20 drops of essential oil--optional (I put in my lavendar essential oil)

Apparently Borax is really cheap, and so it is very easy to buy a box and be able to keep refilling the same bottle every time you need new stuff. You can get cheap spray bottles at Menards for like $.99 so go ahead and begin your journey with your first home-made, earth-happy cleaner.

Also, its important to note, that while this is much better for you and your environment, Borax is not something you add to your tea or rub on your body, etc. You must make sure to keep out of reach of children/animals because it can be toxic in generous amounts. So make sure you find a safe place for your box. See here for more info on toxicity and its compound properties: Wikipedia.

Top 10 plants to reduce pollution in your household air

The New Ecologist made a list of the top 10 anti-pollutant houseplants and their descriptions. They rate the best as:

The Feston Rose plant

This houseplant brilliantly tolerates highly saline conditions, lack of water, scorching heat and billowing winds. The leaves of this houseplant bear a very strong and pleasant aroma. This houseplant not only purifies the air in your house but also leaves a beautiful aroma.

Devil’s Ivy

This plant acts as an excellent natural anti-pollutant against common pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. If kept on a top shelf, this plant climbs down as it matures. However, you should take care that this plant is not ingested in any way even by your own pet dog.

Phalaenopsis


With its beautiful flowers, this plant will surely enhance the beauty of your home and also purify the air inside your house. The houseplant itself is very small but the flowers are relatively big and marvelous.

English Ivy

An ideal houseplant for people who have pets. Scientifically termed as Hedera Helix, this plant is known to filter indoor pollutants like fecal particles, formaldehyde aerosols and much more and keep your house toxin free. Care should be taken while placing English ivy indoors because it is poisonous.


Parlor Ivy


Scientifically termed as Philodendron Scandens, this beautiful climbing plant is easier to grow and much easier to maintain. It successfully filters out unwanted and harmful chemicals in your household making the air fresh and healthy to breathe in.

African Violets


One of the most beautiful houseplants, African Violets make your house appear prettier and also fresher. Scientifically termed as the Saintpaulia species, this houseplant has really pretty violet flowers that simply awe you. However, you should take care that these beautiful plants are not infested with those pathetic mealybugs.

Christmas Cactus


Unlike its name, this plant is neither a Christmas tree nor a cactus. Moreover, this plant blooms beautiful during Christmas time and hence can prove to be a great Christmas gift.

Yellow Goddess


Be careful not to ingest all parts of plant are poisonous. Also keeps the air fresh and fragrant, so its attractive to bees.


Garlic Vine

Everyone very well knows the use of garlic as a placebo for innumerable health conditions. Even this plant can be used for the same. You can use the leaves, roots, flowers, etc., to treat cold, fever, sore throat and other breathing problems.

Many people suggest that this houseplant pushes out all the bad luck from your house. It bears beautiful lavender hued bell shaped flowers. Garlic vine serves a two in one purpose of air purification and treatments.

Peace Lily


The nail polishes, paints, other solvents and adhesives contain harmful pollutants like benzene, toluene and xylene. These pollutants are successfully filtered out in the ambience of your house by the beautiful Peace lily houseplant. To prevent sun burn, you must place the peace lilies away from the direct sunlight.

This article interests me as my itchy throat has persisted and it has been beyond the time frame that a viral bug would survive. I have been thinking allergies might be the culprit or the air quality of my apartment. I was lucky enough to find an article at Dr. Mercola's website that spoke to plants that help reduce pollution in your house. I was surprised to find that 3 out of 4 of my houseplants were on the list (Devil's Ivy, Orchid, and Peace Lily). I plan to purchase another plant this weekend as I have felt the need to have some in my bedroom as well.

As Mercola's website pronounces living closer to nature can help you live longer, and so the presence of some household plants can do more than you think for your psyche.

For a more detailed, thorough explanation of how these household plants help your air quality please check The New Ecologist from which all textual information was found.

Clothing Swaps

Green Tip for today:
Recycling goes beyond cans. Take recycling to a-whole-nother level, be creative. Host a clothing swap for your friends (and yourself)!

Tonight I attended an amazing event. I went to my first clothing swap! It is as simple as its name... basically you bring items you don't wear anymore and then you trade them for new stuff! The quote one person's trash is another person's treasure couldn't apply more here. In fact it could even be extended to sharing your treasure you can't use anymore with somebody you also adore. My friend Kate hosted the clothing swap at her place. There were great snacks and drink and there were 6 people total to attend the event. At first we were nervous on the low attendance, but it turned out for the better. Everybody brought clothes they loved but could not wear anymore...too short, too long, too tight, etc. All clothes, accessories, etc. were laid out and hung up on hangers. Mirrors were put up around the room, and we all went shopping!! We tried on the clothes, modeled them for each another and then gathered our newfound loves into piles. It was like Christmas. Once everyone was satisfied with their piles, we each had to go through each item we choose and we had to show it to the entire room of shoppers. If anybody had any objections they were able to do so then, and the two parties would have to model the item to see which person deserved it more. Luckily with the number of girls and the kinds of girls there (different body types and styles) we were all able to find items that we all really loved and nobody was tug-o-war-ing with one another. There was plenty to go around and the rest of the items leftover are being donated.

I had an absolute blast, because not only was it completely free and wonderful to get "new" things for the fall season, but it was also good for the environment because there was no buying/consuming of new things, just the sharing of resources. I had so much fun I am already going through my closets and searching for items to donate to the next clothing swap.

Here are some pictures of the great grabs I got most of which came straight from the hostess's closet.







Also, I can't not mention the fact that today I helped with my family garage sale and also had the chance to check out our neighbor's sale and scored a bundt/angel food cake carrier as well as a pie/smaller cake carrier, along with a set of 6 wine glasses for a total of $5. Garage sales are another great way to conserve and share what is already out there!



Now I think it's time to bake!

Green thought for the day. Step One: Realization

Good morning!

I never imagined I would have a blog. But you know what? I do. In fact I have two blogs now. This particular blog has been born because I realized my other blog has a tendency to turn a bit towards political, environmental and social issues, and I tend to go into "rants." With that said, I thought I would organize myself a bit here and dedicate a page to my green efforts. I want to make it a point to share my thoughts in a more constructive way. Rants are necessary to revolution, but there is a point where you must move from the anger and mobilize yourself and be positive. Nobody wants to hear another angry person and that's just the truth. So after attending another class that reminded me of how our world is hurting, I felt a need to more actively participate in resuscitating our lovely planet. This blog is my dedication and attempt to share what I learn and do in my daily life to keep a healthy conscience and an awareness of my connectedness to everything on Mother Earth.

The only constant in the universe is change, and I hope every day that human beings can make the changes necessary to save our planet. The whole "going green" campaign is nothing new, but I am all about resharing and relearning information, especially because it is very important.

Today's green thought lies in a quote that was introduced to me last night in my Ecology and Health course.

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895)

"The chess board is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always fair, just and patient. But also we know, to our cost, that he never overlooks a mistake or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."

Every species has played this game of survival. We play this game everyday, and every move we make in the wrong direction will not be overlooked. However it can be corrected. The part about this quote that is not stated clearly but that is so important is that the goal of this chess game (the game of life), is not about winning. We, humankind are not here on Earth to BEAT the rules of nature, but to make the game last as long as we can.

So the first step in making this game last to its full potential is the recognition that we are not here to dominate the world or nature, we are here to coexist. Only once we the people are willing to acknowledge our role in the world, and admit that we are not here to "beat" each other, our children, our land, our animals, we can make leaps and bounds for our civilization, individually, locally, nationally, and globally.