Food Inc. Trailer …

Are you curious about the American diet?  Food in America … What They Don’t Want You To Know …

It’ll change the way you think about food as you know it …

10 Ways to Reuse a Plastic Bag.

We’ve all been sucked in. We’ve all given into that one little impulse buy. The reusable bag. However, forgetting to bring the bag to the grocery store is almost inevitable for most of us … go on, admit it; you feel good about buying it, use it once and always forget to bring it with you – either leaving it in the car or at home, right?

For those of you who strive to take that extra step to save the environment, but rarely remember to bring your reusable grocery bag, there are still ways you can go green. Here are 10 ways you can recycle your plastic bag and feel better about forgetting to bring your reusable bag to the store:

1. We all have them. Tiny trash cans. Instead of spending four bucks on tiny trash bags, use your plastic bags.
2. Use a plastic bag to pack your toiletries and guard your belongings from unwanted liquids.
3. Sending something? Use plastic bags as packing material – they’re light, so you won’t add weight
4. Use a plastic bag for tomorrow’s lunch bag.
5. Hey, dog-lovers! This is an obvious one. Recycle your plastic bags by bringing them along when you take your furry friend for a walk.
6. Bring along a plastic bag when you go on a road trip. No one likes a trash-filled car.
7. Ease your kid’s boredom by using a plastic bag as a kite. Tie a string around the handles, wait for a windy day and Voila!
8. Use a plastic bag to separate your dry laundry from your soggy laundry after a day at the beach.
9. Headache? Use a plastic bag as an ice pack.
10. If you’ve got a cat, use a plastic bag as a kitty litter liner.

3R’s Goes a Long Way!

3R’s …

Reduce.  Reuse.  Recycle.

You may have seen this before when it comes to things all around you in your everyday life.  Have you ever gotten tired of the bedroom, kitchen or dining set because you’ve thought … it’s looking a bit dated, old and just plain “tired?”  I know the feeling.  I recently had that same feeling about our dining set which we bought it when we first got married – that was almost 20 years ago!  Back then, white-washed (or pickled) finish was “in” at the time.  I didn’t want to just toss the old set (I actually didn’t want to spend over $3000 for a new set).  The style is fine, just the color was bothering me … so, over the next few weeks, I sanded it down, picked a dark espresso color stain and voila!  updated dining set.  As you can see, I Reduced my consumption, Reused something I already had and basically recycled a would-be destined perfectly good dining set to the landfill.

It was much easier than I thought it was going to be.

So, the next time you’re looking to buy something, give it the 3R Test and ask yourself … is there a way that I can reduce my consumption of “it,” can I reuse it in another way … if not, how can I recycle it?  At all cost (at the very least), re-purposing it is much better than simple trashing it and sending it to the landfill.

need a summer distraction?

Summer is upon us, and that means people are planning ways to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Below are some ideas that you can involve yourself and feel good about it be “green” at the same time!

Whether you’re looking to get in shape, planning a day for the family, or creating a romantic night out, Carlson has a variety of reasonably priced or free activities that are both recession-proof and green friendly.

FITNESS

Go Hiking - It’s good exercise for the body, and getting out in nature is a terrific stress reliever. As long as you follow the rule of “leave no trace.” The only footprint you’ll leave behind is a harmless one.

Take a Bike Ride – Bicycling has obvious leg and cardio benefits, but it is also a petro and emissions free way to see some new sights. Remember to wear a helmet and follow traffic rules.

Green Golf – Traditional golf courses are maintained with toxic chemicals, polluting mowers and use lots of water to keep the grass green. Some courses are switching to more environmentally preferable techniques, including narrower fairways with less turf and less toxic weed and feed. Opt for those! Check out this link for eco-friendly golf courses across the U.S.www.golfandenvironment.org/ecofriendlygolf.htm

Take the Plunge - A good old fashioned swim builds up your endurance and is less jolting to your body than running. Find a saltwater swimming pool, or go to the beach for a chlorine free afternoon—but remember the chemical-free sun block.

Grow Your Own – Organic gardening will bring you back to nature by giving you some mild exercise by bending, kneeling and digging. It is also a non-toxic way to raise your own veggies, herbs and flowers.

FAMILY & KID-FRIENDLY

Go to the Park – Take a child to the city, state or national park near you. It is not only free (or low-cost), but a great nature-teaching opportunity.

Jump Rope, Play Hopscotch or Red Rover - Oldies but goodies for entertaining the school-age troops and helping them get some outdoor exercise.

Kick Ball - It’s more than a movie and easier than baseball. Kids of all ages (yes, even middle aged kids) can play. Plus, it’s low impact.

Sponsor a Scavenger Hunt - Make it a green hunt by hiding earth-friendly prizes. It will help teach kids about the fun of being outside and give them an idea of what green means.

DATING & ROMANCE

Enjoy Music or Movies in the Park - There is nothing more romantic than being outdoors on a warm summer evening with your other. Remember the non-toxic bug spray.

Green Drinks – Visit a rooftop bar that serves organic cocktails – you may have less of a hang-over with all the toxins removed!

Go Local - Go to a restaurant that serves locally raised ingredients. Reduce your carbon footprint further by walking, biking, or taking public transit to dinner.

nba green week?!?

green nba

Through their NBA Cares program, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has recognized April 2 – 10, 2009 as NBA Green Week.  If you’ve watched any NBA basketball this week, you’ve probably noticed the players (on the bench) wearing a t-shirt with this logo …The program is designed to both create awareness about forward progress regarding ecological concerns as well as help raise money for the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) – a national and worldwide non-profit organization committed to bettering the world’s environment www.nrdc.com.

I think it’s great when organizations like this help to create awareness within the communities in which they operate in.  I also believe the NBA does a lot more for their surrounding communities than the MLB or NFL – I could be wrong, but it seems that the NBA is out there in the public eye … when you have time, click on the links above to learn about what they’re doing this week …

energy efficiency

smart ideas for home improvement

This is the first of a four part series that talks about energy efficiency and what you can do to increase your comfort in the home, cut down on energy bills, and staying green at the same time.

heating & cooling

We’ll start off by the highest energy consumer in the entire house … your heating & cooling system. As you can see, almost 50% of your total energy usage comes from this system; the first thing to note is the orientation of your home – obviously, this is something that cannot easily be changed but is worth pointing out a few things.

South facing: preferable orientation for windows w/a roof eave or awning. During winter, the sun is

nests are best

I came across this in Natural Home Magazine and thought to post this as a point of interest in the way of what homes should be.

We could all learn a thing or two from the way birds build their homes.

• These builders sing while they work
• They build sturdy nests with the nontoxic materials at hand
• They never build more than they need to keep their families sheltered
• Each nest is a perfect climatic response
• The nest owners know how to maintain and repair their structures
• When the nest’s useful life is complete, it returns to nature, to become the fertile ground for the growth of the next building cycle.

Isn’t this the way we should all be building our homes? Why have we strayed from this home building model?

Allergies?

I recently got over a sinus allergy infection that last almost 2 months. Last month we, in the SF Bay Area, experienced an interesting weather pattern where some days were in the 70s and others in the low 50s with evenings into the 40s. I noticed my sinuses acting up on the days our heat came on (central heating). I sought help from my trusty ENT (ear nose throat doctor) to address my infection and hired a local company to clean out our air ducts …

duct cleaning

… they came out the following Saturday and spent almost 3 hours basically vacuuming out the air ducts.

negatives

From my research, it is important that negative pressure is applied to the system. They do this by hooking up a large hose to your furnace and their system (in their truck) that creates a reverse suction – all of your vents are covered to aid in better suction. Then, from each vent an air pressured agitator whips inside the duct (from vent to register) to help break-up any dust that may being sticking to the ducts – all the while under this negative pressure. 

blown away

After each vent is “scrubbed,” the return is cleaned, and most importantly, the furnace blower is washed and cleaned.As a bonus, they also cleaned our clothes dryer duct that collects lint from use. Since the cleaning, the heater has triggered several times and I haven’t had any sinus reactions! And, I’ve noticed that the air seems to be blowing out with more pressure too!

do you?

• have sinus allergy flare ups, asthma, or other respiratory problems?
• suffer from headaches, nasal congestion?
• lack of airflow in your system?
• notice dust on your furniture shortly after vacuuming or cleaning?
• have pets?
• know when your last duct cleaning was?

If you have answered “yes” to any of the above question, you should seriously consider doing it for your overall health. The cost is minimal and well worth doing. Do you have all your ducts in a row?

Cheaper gasoline leads to …

… a reversion in our driving habits and car choices. Remember when petro for your car was $4.50/gallon? Not long ago was it? At that price, we’re thinking … I’ve got to decrease my driving and use public transportation (BART, bus or otherwise), or I’ve got to get rid of this car of mine that’s costing me too much money every time I fill this thing!  Admit it, you were probably looking into at least some other alternative, right? 

Then, gas prices began to decrease and slowly you thought … yeah … $3/gallon … then $2.00/gallon … I can handle that, forget about public transportation or even that hybrid – come on, admit it. My question is .. why not take control of this in even the smallest way? Yes, gas prices are much more manageable, but you’re still being controlled by OPEC! When it got down to $1.69/gallon in the Bay Area (or sub-$60/barrel), OPEC got real nervous and began to cut back production or crude oil to create a supply and demand situation to bump barrel pricing back up. Guess what?  It worked. Today, you probably happily pay $2.15/gallon and not think twice about hopping in your car to drive somewhere because it’s considered “cheap” to do so, right? 

Someone told me that other day – why should I buy a hybrid car right now when gas prices are so low? My answer to him was: because no matter what the price of gas is, you’ll be saving that much more – be it $2/gal. or $5/gal. Comparing my ol’ BMW consuming 15 gallons of premium cost me (at $2/gal) $30 and going about 330 miles total. That same 15 gallon fill-up cost me $28 (using regular grade) in my Nissan Altima Hybrid w/nearly the same horsepower, gives me about 540 miles!  I’m talking reduced consumption here.  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle … a prime example of reduction.  See you at the gas pump … on your second trip! Makes you want to think … hmmmm … doesn’t it?

Food for thought …

Why do things have to drastically affect our personal pocketbook before we take a stand on things?  Look out for my next posting on this topic … thanks for stopping by.

plastics demystified

are you confused still confused?

Ok, you just guzzled down a bottle of water or you’ve just finished off a container of food, you look underneath this container and you see a number 6 inside the little triangle … what to do next? Where does it go? In the trash? In the recycle bin? Below is a quick chart that will help you understand what to do.