Wednesday, January 18, 2012
#6. Going green is no longer a stereo type for alternative hippies.
There are many great resourses for you to be able to find great resources how you can go green. Check out http://www.treehugger.com. It’s a smart, handsomely-designed info trading post for the green set. You’ll find articles and forums on all aspects of the modern green lifestyle, and best yet there is something there for everyone. So what are you waiting for?! Go there now!!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Bentley in his "growing" greener costume
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Sustainable Food Market
Sustainable San Diego
Your food matters, it’s not a new concept to hear that you are what you eat. Have you noticed why certain foods have correlations to the exact part of the body that it is good for? For example, a sliced carrot looks like the human eye, the pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye; and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. The beta-carotene that gives carrots their vibrant color also acts as a potent antioxidant, preventing cell damage, boosting blood flow, and fostering healthy eyesight.
Another example is an avocado. It simulates the mother’s womb. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, melts away unwanted pregnancy weight and prevents cervical cancers. Another profound correlation is it takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.
We know fruits and vegetables are nutritious but do we actually know where our food is coming from? From the grocery store, right? But do you really know where it comes from? Where it’s grown, shipped, processed, packaged, and shipped again, before it finally hits the grocery store?
You might be surprised to learn that our food travels an extremely long way to get to our tables, whether it is a piece of fruit or a box of cookies. The average processed food travels over 1,300 miles to get to a consumer in the states! What’s worse, the average fresh produce item travels over 1,500 miles to get to that same consumer! What really blows me away there is that for most people, their fresh fruits and veggies must travel even farther a distance to get to them than a processed, packaged goodie.
Food loses 5-15% of its nutritional values just because it gets frozen to be shipped to the grocery store. Another option would be to buy from a local farmers market. There are so many benefits and reasons why you should buy at the farmers market; you would be supporting your local farmers. Buying from the local farmer not only financially benefits the farmer but the community as well. Today’s farmer receives less than 10 cents of the retail food dollar. When farmers sell directly to the consumer, the middleman is cut out thus producing a higher profit for the farmer. The farmer then circulates his profits throughout the community with local merchants creating a cycle that helps to build a strong local economy. It also ensures you are buying healthier better tasting foods that are brought to you from the farm to the table.
The bottom line is to be aware of what you are eating. Read the labels and find out where your food came from? Just because it says organic doesn’t mean it has a smaller carbon footprint by not using pesticides, for example chemical ridden strawberries from New Jersey might just be a better alternative than those USDA certified organic strawberries from California. Imagine the emissions it took to transport them? Think twice, before you buy.
Your food matters, it’s not a new concept to hear that you are what you eat. Have you noticed why certain foods have correlations to the exact part of the body that it is good for? For example, a sliced carrot looks like the human eye, the pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye; and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. The beta-carotene that gives carrots their vibrant color also acts as a potent antioxidant, preventing cell damage, boosting blood flow, and fostering healthy eyesight.
Another example is an avocado. It simulates the mother’s womb. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, melts away unwanted pregnancy weight and prevents cervical cancers. Another profound correlation is it takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.
We know fruits and vegetables are nutritious but do we actually know where our food is coming from? From the grocery store, right? But do you really know where it comes from? Where it’s grown, shipped, processed, packaged, and shipped again, before it finally hits the grocery store?
You might be surprised to learn that our food travels an extremely long way to get to our tables, whether it is a piece of fruit or a box of cookies. The average processed food travels over 1,300 miles to get to a consumer in the states! What’s worse, the average fresh produce item travels over 1,500 miles to get to that same consumer! What really blows me away there is that for most people, their fresh fruits and veggies must travel even farther a distance to get to them than a processed, packaged goodie.
Food loses 5-15% of its nutritional values just because it gets frozen to be shipped to the grocery store. Another option would be to buy from a local farmers market. There are so many benefits and reasons why you should buy at the farmers market; you would be supporting your local farmers. Buying from the local farmer not only financially benefits the farmer but the community as well. Today’s farmer receives less than 10 cents of the retail food dollar. When farmers sell directly to the consumer, the middleman is cut out thus producing a higher profit for the farmer. The farmer then circulates his profits throughout the community with local merchants creating a cycle that helps to build a strong local economy. It also ensures you are buying healthier better tasting foods that are brought to you from the farm to the table.
The bottom line is to be aware of what you are eating. Read the labels and find out where your food came from? Just because it says organic doesn’t mean it has a smaller carbon footprint by not using pesticides, for example chemical ridden strawberries from New Jersey might just be a better alternative than those USDA certified organic strawberries from California. Imagine the emissions it took to transport them? Think twice, before you buy.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Does Alumium Foil Take More Energy to Create Then it's Worth?
Facts About Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is a very widely used household item. You can use it to wrap food, grill or even more creative purposes, like crafts. But what happens when you are done using your aluminum foil? Do you dispose of it in the trash? Here are a few facts about aluminum:
Americans recycle roughly 65 to 70 percent of the aluminum they use in their household. However, this mostly includes cans and not commonly used aluminum foil. Instead, thousand of tons of this make it into landfills every year. We throw away enough aluminum to create an entire fleet of commercial airliners.
What many people don’t realize is that aluminum is practically 100 percent recyclable. It is extremely durable and can be reused over and over again. Aluminum foil is technically just as recyclable as aluminum cans. The problem is that aluminum foil is often dirtier, thus making it harder to recycle.
It takes 95 percent less energy to make aluminum from recycled aluminum, versus using bauxite ore (virgin materials). For example, recycling one aluminum can will save enough energy to run a television for three hours. It was estimated in 1996 that aluminum manufacturers saved enough energy by recycling aluminum that they could power a city the size of Pittsburgh for roughly six years!
Americans throw away about three pounds of aluminum foil annually. It will take roughly 400 years for aluminum to break down naturally in the landfill. Some landfills incinerate aluminum, which releases toxic metals and gas into the atmosphere.
Aluminum foil is a very widely used household item. You can use it to wrap food, grill or even more creative purposes, like crafts. But what happens when you are done using your aluminum foil? Do you dispose of it in the trash? Here are a few facts about aluminum:
Americans recycle roughly 65 to 70 percent of the aluminum they use in their household. However, this mostly includes cans and not commonly used aluminum foil. Instead, thousand of tons of this make it into landfills every year. We throw away enough aluminum to create an entire fleet of commercial airliners.
What many people don’t realize is that aluminum is practically 100 percent recyclable. It is extremely durable and can be reused over and over again. Aluminum foil is technically just as recyclable as aluminum cans. The problem is that aluminum foil is often dirtier, thus making it harder to recycle.
It takes 95 percent less energy to make aluminum from recycled aluminum, versus using bauxite ore (virgin materials). For example, recycling one aluminum can will save enough energy to run a television for three hours. It was estimated in 1996 that aluminum manufacturers saved enough energy by recycling aluminum that they could power a city the size of Pittsburgh for roughly six years!
Americans throw away about three pounds of aluminum foil annually. It will take roughly 400 years for aluminum to break down naturally in the landfill. Some landfills incinerate aluminum, which releases toxic metals and gas into the atmosphere.
Friday, April 22, 2011
#5. It's Earth day today. Go out and do something good.
The idea I have today is to go "do something" good, maybe give way to a car that wants to come into your lane, or pick some trash off the ground, or give a stranger a smile on the street today. If we pay it forward today we will reap the benefits in the future. What are some ways your "do somethings?" Let me know on twitter @greenideagirl.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
#4. Drive the speed limit
Many people don’t realize that going 75 mph vs. 60 mph uses 20% more fuel, especially if the vehicle is less aerodynamic like an SUV. Going slower means it will take longer to get to your final destination. Unless there is a substantial reason to speed such as rushing to the birth of your baby, you most likely could take the extra time on the road and save 20% of the emissions going into the air, plus gas consumption.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
3. Cut your shower time
This is something everyone can do. I am a great example of someone who takes multiple showers a day just to warm up, or I will stay in and take a 40 minute shower until my skin wrinkles up, but I got to thinking the other day where does that water go? I'm sure most of it gets recycled in a water treatment plant, but how about the people with a septic tank?
Before I get way off the point my "green idea" of the day is to install a clock within site of your shower and make sure you time it between 5-10 minutes. A five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water. In sub-Saharan Africa, women my age spend 15 to 17 hours a week collecting water that may or may not kill their children. According to CNN, only 1% of the world's water is drinkable.
This makes me think how many times can we actually treat water before it can't be processed anymore? Will it be in my generation? My childrens? We should be looking at the bigger picture. Think ahead, and make a goal of going "greenish".
Before I get way off the point my "green idea" of the day is to install a clock within site of your shower and make sure you time it between 5-10 minutes. A five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water. In sub-Saharan Africa, women my age spend 15 to 17 hours a week collecting water that may or may not kill their children. According to CNN, only 1% of the world's water is drinkable.
This makes me think how many times can we actually treat water before it can't be processed anymore? Will it be in my generation? My childrens? We should be looking at the bigger picture. Think ahead, and make a goal of going "greenish".
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