Tag Archives: environment

Great Green Reads

Earth Day’s mission to increase environmental awareness means very little to young children, unless you make it relevant. Fortunately, there are a slew of kid-friendly books available to drive home the importance of preserving our planet.  The following affordable titles prove that you don’t have to spend a ton of green to go green: The Berenstain Bears Go Green “Going green isn’t hard to do. It’s good for the earth and me and you, too!” Who better to show kids how to take care of the earth’s precious natural resources than the Bear family? After all, the cuddly clan not … Continue reading →

The Rain Barrel

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This week there was a lot of rain at our house. There was also a lot of fist-shaking and banging. This is because I was installing our rain barrel. The rain barrel itself was easy to install. It is simply a half barrel that is designed to fit against a wall. Since we have a townhouse and therefore have very little space in our yard, the barrel needs to lie flat and do its bit to save space, just like everything else in our yard. However, along with your rain barrel it is also eminently sensible to get a downspout … Continue reading →

Earth Day Quotes

Tomorrow is Earth Day. There will be events all over the U.S. and the world to honor this day when we stop and learn more about our planet, our habits, and what we can do to leave less of a footprint on the world we leave to our children. Here are a few quotes about Earth Day that may make you stop for a minute and think about things in a different way: “Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, but loaned to you by your children.” Native American proverb “When one tugs at … Continue reading →

Why We Chose Cloth

With the “Going Green” trend bigger than ever, most new parents have probably considered, or at least heard about, the idea of using cloth diapers. Although I have always known I’d like to use cloth diapers on my babies, I knew I’d need to convince my husband if it was going to work. I began reading articles on why cloth was better, so I could be armed with plenty of information should he fight to use disposable. Fortunately, he didn’t protest, and in the process I gained a wealth of information on the topic. After hours of reading, I discovered … Continue reading →

Learn About Solar Cooking

Solar Cooking is a great way to do something positive for the environment. By using the natural power of the sun and not the generated, manufactured or stripped power of electricity, oil, coal or gas, you can create wonderful meals at home and lessen your impact on the Earth. Plus cooking with fire, even using wood, can be dangerous and also add carbon to the atmosphere. One other added benefit of solar cooking is that the slow cooking process tends to keep more nutrients in your food, which is always a great thing when you are feeding yourself or your … Continue reading →

Reducing Catalogue Waste

It seems as through the holidays get pushed earlier and earlier each year. Last week, I was in a store looking for a basic tablecloth. As soon as I got into the store, I was hit with displays for fall, Halloween and yes, even Christmas. It is till August, right? Not far behind the store displays will be the tons and tons of catalogues delivered to our homes in the hope that we will browse through and select our holiday gifts, clothing and decor. But catalogues can be a huge waste, especially when you consider how many pounds of catalogues … Continue reading →

Bad, Bad Particleboard

According to National Geographic’s Gree Guide, “Pressed woods—particleboard, medium-density fiberboard and some plywood—contain, and release, vapors of formaldehyde, a volatile organic compound (VOC) classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen.” Ouch. Considering that many furniture items in our home have at least some particle board, medium density fiberboard (MDF) or plywood, I am concerned, both for the environment and for the health of my family. But what can you do if you are concerned about particleboard. After all, particleboard is inexpensive and easy to use. Few of us can afford higher end furniture, such as all solid wood … Continue reading →

What You Need to Know About Toilet Paper

When it comes to sacrificing a little bit of pampering for the environment, few of us, even the die hard dedicated environmentally concerned are willing to live without toilet paper. But there is a lot to know about the stuff that may surprise you. It is new Toilet paper is relatively new in our history. Although it seems as though it is something that we have long needed, in actuality, it wasn’t in widespread usage until the 1930s. That is right, all of those flappers of the roaring twenties had to find other means of wiping their bottoms. It requires … Continue reading →

Easy Household Ways to Go Green

While new windows and electric cars are great ways to go green and take care of the environment, there are also a number of smaller but equally effective steps that you can take in your home to cut down on your impact to the environment. Eliminate the paperwork Paying your bills online and asking for electronic delivery of your bills and statements can reduce not only the paper itself, but the fuel consumption to deliver all of those bills, statements and checks. Eliminate the vampire electronics Many electronics consume power even when they are turned off or not being actively … Continue reading →

Earth Hour 2009

When the lights go down in the city tomorrow night, it will be to mark the second worldwide Earth Hour. From Paris to New York, the world is banning together as a mark of solidarity to solve the problem of global climate change. Earth Hour 2009 will see lights out or dimmed in a record eight-four countries as plans to dim or completely turn off all non-essential lights between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. The event will take place on a time zone to time zones basis, meaning that participants affect their lights whenever 8:30 p.m. hits in their … Continue reading →