living green

In recent years, condo developers have heeded the advice of environmentalists to transform their condominium developments into a housing alternative that offers sound "green" living. Granted, the change may not have arisen from a genuine effort to make their projects more environmentally-friendly. Statistics show that homes featuring environmentally-sound features have actually become more attractive to buyers, who don't mind paying a little bit more for them to ease their conscious.

While several condos still leave much to be desired in terms of being environmentally-friendliness, new developments, particularly in Toronto's downtown core, are offering sustainable features. Sustainable buildings are those that have modified their design to include such features as greenery planted on rooftops to provide additional insulation for the building, geothermal heating systems, and deep lake water cooling systems. They also boast specially designed windows that reduce heating and cooling costs, maximize on natural lighting, and a provide an extensive waste management program to cut down on garbage.

Contemporary interior design also utilizes the best of natural materials for features and finishes of each suite. Chic recycled aluminum sinks, warm natural cork flooring and recycled custom glass walls and sinks are all the rage.

While still rare, there are developments that go a step further by providing power generated by solar panels or windmills.

But if you already live in a condo that is, unfortunately, not "green", you can still change things in your own home. Install lighting that is high efficiency, control water consumption by installing low-flow taps and energy efficient appliances, and remember to shop locally when you can.

Green living is no longer a vague term known only by environmentalists. One of the ways we know that an important social trend has hit the big time is when major consumer providers adopt the term. Just about every major influencer in our society from Walmart to national broadcasting networks, are using the term to promote products and attract audiences. Green living is a welcome lifestyle that individuals, families and companies are choosing to ensure that the things they do and the products they use have as little an impact on the environment as possible. One of the best ways that you can build this thinking into your lifestyle is to live in a community that subscribes to green living.

If you are among the population of people who live a green lifestyle as a member of a rural community, you are in a good position. I would suggest, however, that you think about ways you can support a lifestyle movement that seeks to protect rural areas of our country (like your community), by making the more urban areas more livable, sustainable and green. This movement is here and it is strong and it is called new urbanism. New urbanism is a movement affecting areas where most of us live, including those in the suburbs and city centers.

One of the key threats to our beautiful rural areas and farming communities is the spread of urban development. New urbanism seeks to contain that spread by encouraging the development of communities that can accommodate more people. I’m not talking about increased high rises and ugly housing complexes. I’m referring to the development of lovely and affordable urban houses, town homes and condos/apartments that reflect the beautiful architecture and unique detail of those neighborhoods that were created in America before World War II.

New urbanism neighborhoods are found in newly built developments and renovated communities both in the suburbs and older city centers. This new mindset has taken almost 20 years to take root in our national psyche. It is at its essence a straightforward, fundamental focus on changing where we live to improve our quality of life. We are tired of choosing or rating successful neighborhoods based on the largeness of the yard or house. Life is much more than that.

In the new urbanism mind set, quality of life is defined by how our environments affect our emotions and our ability to live a life according to sustainable, healthy values and core life priorities. New urbanists believe that if we can develop more communities that make it is easy to enjoy green living, working and socializing right in our own neighborhood we can make a positive impact on our environments.

Benefits of New urbanism communities:

• New urbanism will contribute to less vehicular pollution by making it easier for people to find employment close to where they live or to establish their own businesses at or close to home. New urbanism communities, because of their location near or close to population centers, have the technological and business resources to support entrepreneurs and a wide range of businesses.

• Communities that subscribe to new urbanism principles attract residents who want to live a green lifestyle so it will make it easier for you or your family to adopt green lifestyle practices.

• The greenbelts surrounding your city or suburban area will be better protected if new urbanism communities in your region thrive since new urbanism encourages home buyers and renters to choose existing urban centers over new developments on large lots in shrinking rural regions.

New urbanism provides the structure needed to influence the largest percentage of our populations in North America and around the world.

Apparently, a lot of us have turned towards green living mainly because we may soon find ourselves without a planet if we continue to do our usual stuff. A lot of these practices have been harming the environment and while we may not be aware of it, climate change and global warming are the main reasons why we have to start thinking wise as far as going green is concerned.

While there is a growing consensus that human activity plays a role in global warming, many of the findings are far from certain, there are still a great many variables of which we know little, and we are in the dark as to which factors may be the key ones to address. Perhaps more troubling, we have no clear idea of what the solution(s) might be nor a coherent plan for addressing the problem. Regardless of this, many would have us plunge head-first into a whole series of actions, changes, laws, regulations and restrictions, the effects of which are very far from certain environmentally, and potentially catastrophic economically and socially.

Over the years, the scientific community has amassed an enormous amount of knowledge about heart attacks; what conditions tend to cause them, what environmental and hereditary factors affect them, how to treat them, and perhaps more importantly, they have made a large percentage of our population aware of these factors and conscious of them, causing may to change their lifestyles, eating habits, etc.

While this is indeed a wonderful thing, in the process, this vast amount of knowledge has had unforeseen an unintended consequences which the medical community and society at large have had to live with, perhaps unnecessarily.

As a society, we assumed that the more information we collected and disseminated to our citizens about heart attacks, the better the care we would be able provide. But we did almost exactly the opposite; we made them panic and run to the ER nine times for every one time it was warranted. We overburdened our hospitals and we created a huge and very costly way to save lives that were not in danger. And we then had to correct that mistake after years and perhaps after many lives which could have been saved were lost, had the hospital staff not been so busy treating non-existing heart attacks.

Global warming is like heart attacks. There are thousands of elements which potentially could contribute to global warming, there are thousands of environmental and climactic events which could be affected or worsened by global warming, but we re not at all sure which ones and what their relative importance is; we re not even sure we ve looked at all the potential factors and variables.

The world is being warned of hunger and thirst for millions due to global warming. The continuous emission of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane has become worse, the situation especially in the recent years. Global warming has triggered climate change in all parts of the world, most apparent of which is the warming of the polar zones which has flushed water from the melted ice to the oceans, disrupting the ecology and the affecting the lifestyle of millions of people.

Relocating is one of the most stressful events in our lives. What we tend to forget is the stress that relocation has on the environment.

There are many things that you can do - before, during, and after your move - to minimize the impact your relocation will have on the environment. Here’s a list of easy things you can do to make your move environmentally friendly.

Before You Move

• Shed Some Pounds – Whether you’re moving across town, or across the country, now is the time to get rid of the things you don’t need or use. Consider this: every extra pound you put on your moving truck requires that much more energy to move. That means more gas, more emissions, and more money! You can save money – and save our environment - by following these simple tips.

o Sell or donate things you haven’t used in two years. Let’s face it, if you haven’t used it in two years, you probably aren’t going to use it. Now’s the perfect time for a materialistic reality check. Sell or donate your used items. One person’s trash is another peron’s treasure. Remember to keep an accurate account of your donations for tax purposes.

o Books are heavy and bulky. Is that Grisham novel that you’ve read 3 times gathering dust? Donate it and your other old books to your local library, where they can be read and enjoyed over and over by other people.

o Older appliances are huge energy wasters. Newer, Energy StarTM rated appliances are typically much more efficient. Front loading washing machines use a fraction of the water of their older top loading counterparts, and are gentler on your clothes as well – extending the life of your favorite shirts and jeans. Refrigerators, especially older models, can be the biggest energy consumers in your household. Before you move, consider donating old major appliances to your local church or charity, and purchasing more energy efficient models for your new home. Not only will this reduce the amount of energy required to move, but your new energy efficient appliances will give you savings for years to come.

• Location location location: When you’re selecting your new home, take into consideration the daily activities that require you to drive. Choose a home close to daily conveniences, making it easier to bike / walk to the store, dry cleaners, etc. If you walk to the store, you’ll save money, gas, and get great exercise too.

• Downsize : Most of us have twice as much room as we need. And that means that we have twice as much space to heat and cool. Not to mention all of the “junk” we collect to fill that extra space. Consider simplifying your life, and downsizing your living space. You’ll find that it is not that difficult to start using your space more efficiently. Publications like simpleliving.com make it easy to stay organized, and live a happier, simpler life.

• Use old newspaper for packing, then recycle it when you get to your new home. Most every town recycles newspaper, while not all recycle packing materials such as Styrofoam “peanuts”. Newspaper is also great for cleaning the windows in your new home!

• Don’t purchase moving boxes. Use recycled card board boxes. They are far less expensive (FREE), just as good as new boxes, and help reduce the impact your move will have on the environment. Your local grocery and liquor stores are great places to get moving boxes. Try to get boxes of uniform shape and size, to make it easier to efficiently load your moving vehicle. And when you are finished moving, recycle your card board boxes. Most every town recycles card board boxes. For items you are planning on storing, consider moving them in plastic tubs. You can reuse these tubs for years to come, or donate them to needy charities. There are groups who will rent you plastic moving tubs.

• Use old blankets to protect furniture. Then donate them to a homeless shelter in your new home town.

• Recycle hazardous materials locally. Don’t throw corrosive or flammable materials away, and certainly don’t dispose of them in your sewage. Contact your local municipality for proper disposal procedures.

• Get rid of that old car. Older cars are less fuel efficient. Most families have more cars than they really need. Why not donate that old car to a local charity BEFORE you move. You’ll be helping a family in need, helping to save the environment, and in some cases you can receive a healthy tax deduction for your donation.

• Sign up with a green utility company. In some communities, you can choose your utility company. Why not select a “green” utility company that uses solar or wind power to generate power?

• Don’t move your food. Plan ahead and eat the food in your house. Donate excess to a local charity. Don’t pay to ship that can of soup across the country.

During Your Move

• Just Do It Once. Moving can be an arduous task that spans the course of several days. But just because it takes several days doesn’t mean that you need to make more than one trip. It may cost a little more for a bigger moving truck to carry your stuff in a single trip, but you’ll save you time, money, and gas by taking one big trip versus several trips. And, believe it or not, it is faster! Your local self moving company can help you select the right truck for your needs.

• Drive 55. Driving the speed limit or a little slower can dramatically increase your fuel efficiency. Keep your engine RPM (revolutions per minute) as low as possible to save the most fuel. Another great tip – turn off the air conditioning in your car. Air conditioning zaps your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.

• Use alternative fuels. As you are traveling across the country, consider using alternative fuels such as E85 or biodiesel. Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable sources. Biodiesel can be used in most diesel engines with little to no modifications.

More likely than not you’ll have a hard time finding pure biodiesel (which has no petroleum) commercially, but you can readily find biodiesel blends. These have anywhere from 5% to 20% biodiesel mixed with traditional diesel fuel.

• Stay in a Green Hotel. If your move requires you to stay overnight in a hotel, look for a green hotel. Green hotels are environmentally-friendly properties whose managers have instituted programs to save water, energy, and reduce solid wastes. Staying in a green hotel is a great way to learn easy ways in which you can reduce your everyday impact on the environment, too. You can find a list of green hotels here: http://www.greenhotels.com/members.htm

• Drive a Hybrid. If you are taking a long trip, consider renting a hybrid. Hybrids drive just like any other car, yet they use a fraction of the fuel.

• Fuel your car at night. Ozone requires sunlight to be created. You can reduce ozone by refueling your vehicle at night.

• Carry bottled water with you, and refill as needed. Every bottle of water you purchase has an environmental cost associated with it, such as the cost to ship it, package it, and recycle the packaging. Every time you reuse a water bottle, you are saving the environment. Even better, use biodegradable water bottles (they are made out of corn, not petroleum). After you’re through using them (you can reuse them too!), just recycle them. They will biodegrade in 80 days after you recycle them.

• Take home your hotel soap. Most of us “steal” the hotel shampoo and conditioner. Don’t stop there. Take the soap too. The fact of the matter is that, thankfully, hotels don’t recycle the soap. So if you don’t take it, it gets thrown away. So before you check out, put your soap back in its packaging and take it with you to use at home, or the next hotel.

After You Move

• Shed Some New Light. When you move is the perfect time to upgrade all of your lighting to Compact Florenscent Lightbulbs (CFLs). CFLs use up to 75% less energy of traditional lightbulbs, and last from 7 to 10 years, saving your money every month and reducing our need to build more power plants. The CFL lightbulb equivalent of a traditional 75 watt lightbulb only uses 18 watts, saving almost ¼ ton of coal over the course of 6 years.

If you are moving into a new home, request CFLs before traditional light bulbs are installed. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, if every household in just the state of Nevada replaced just one bulb with a CFL, we’d reduce energy consumption in the state of Nevada by 45 million kWh a year. We’d also save $4.9 million in energy costs, while diminishing carbon dioxide emissions by over 69 million pounds. That’s enough energy to light over 24,000 homes for a year. Now imagine how much would be saved if every light bulb in America were changed!

If you cannot afford to change all of the bulbs in your house, change those lights that you use the most.

And don’t throw away your old bulbs. Use them in the places where you use your lighting the least!

• Time to Weatherize. Before you move into your new home is the best time to weatherize. Air leakage and improperly installed insulation can waste 20 percent or more of the energy you pay to heat and cool your home. Typical homes have so many leaks, it's like having a window open all the time, winter and summer. Worse, these leaks can create mold, when warm air comes in contact with cooler surfaces and condenses. Weatherizing your home will help lower your energy bill, saving you money every year and saving our environment! Consider these easy tips :

o Insulate your windows. Take the time to insulate your windows before you move it. Insulating window film is easy to install, and can cost energy loss through the window by 60% or more. A better option is to install Energy Star rated windows. Either solution will help you save money, and also save your furniture and carpeting from sun damage.

o Make sure that your exterior facing walls are insulated.

o Check for exterior air leaks. Before you fill you new home, take the time to inspect it carefully for costly leaks. Inspect under doors, around windows, and pay particular attention to power outlets on exterior walls. These are the places where the most conditioned air (both warm in the winter, and cool in the summer) escapes. Remember, just a little bit of caulking can fix most all of your air leaks.

o Check for leaks in your duct work. In a typical home 20% of the air that moves through the duct system is lost, due to leaks, holes, and improper connections. You can correct leaks in your air duct system by caulking cracks, applying mastic to all seams of your duct work, and insuring proper use of duct tape at joints. Another good tip is to insulate exposed duct work, helping to maintain the temperature of the air as it passes through the duct system.

o Your Attic Needs Attention. Before you fill your home with furniture, add an extra layer of insulation in your attic if needed.

o Install ceiling fans. Ceiling fans help keep the air in your home circulating, and can make the temperature feel several degrees cooler. Best of all, they use a fraction of the energy of air conditioning.

• Donate to offset carbon emissions of your move. Donating to offset carbon emissions isn’t just for the rich and famous. There are several websites which help you calculate your carbon emissions by channeling your donations to worthy green projects. But just because you are donating to offset your carbon emissions, doesn’t give you a license to be environmentally unfriendly. Remember the basics of environmental friendly living – reduce, reuse, recycle.

• Convert to paperless billing. Utilities, investments, car loans, ... almost every company offers online billing and e-statements. This will save paper, and the energy cost to deliver your bills.

• Sign up for an anti-junk mail service. This will help minimize the amount of junk mail you receive, and help save countless trees used to make that junk mail.

• Plant low-water using indigenous plants. Throughout the world we are facing severe water shortages. Much of our water waste occurs in maintaining our landscaping, particularly when we try to introduce foreign plants to a new environment. Using low-water indigenous plants in your landscaping is an easy way to save water. Ideally you want plants that can grow in your environment, with little to no irrigation. The local home improvement center and in some cases local water municipalities can help you determine the best plants for your area. Believe it or not, the choices are not limiting. You will be surprised at how many beautiful plants are indigenous to your area.

• Install low flow shower heads, water faucet irrigators, and toilets. As you know, water is a limited resource. Installing low flow shower heads, water faucet irrigators, and toilets are easy ways to save water every day – without dramatically inconveniencing you. These low flow water devices are inexpensive, easy to install, and can be found at most any home improvement store.

• Insulate your water heater. A lot of heat is lost just from the walls of your water heater. The solution to this problem is simple – a specially designed sheet of insulation known as a water heater blanket. A water heater blanket is an inexpensive way to cut down on your energy bill. You can purchase them at any home improvement store – they cost as little as $30 – and they will easily pay for themselves in the first year. Installation is simple and should only take you a few minutes – just follow the instructions.

• Buy only Energy Star TM appliances. Appliances with the Energy Star rating have been proven to have met the strict energy efficiency guidelines of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Energy Star is a join program of the EPA and DOE. The program is designed to help us all save money and protect the environment through the use of energy efficient products and practices. A complete list of Energy Star appliances can be found here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.

• Buy an Energy Star TM rated home. Energy Star rated homes have met the strict energy conservation guidelines and building standards of the EPA and DOE. This means that particular attention to detail has been met, helping to insure minimal energy waste such as air leaks and poor insulation. Purchasing an Energy Star rated home may seem like an additional expense, but it can save you quite a bit of money over the years.

• Consider hi-rise living. Hi-rise living has many benefits. Hi-rise condos are energy efficient, offer shared resources that typically are aren’t environmentally friendly (such as pools, and extensive landscaping) , and are usually located more centrally – allowing you to walk or take convenient public transportation to more places.

• Analyze your homes Energy Star TM rating before you move. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showStep2

• Have your heating and cooling system serviced. Regularly servicing your heating and cooling system helps save money, energy, and protects your investment. Make sure to specifically ask your repair specialist about other ways in which you can save money on your heating and cooling costs. They are a wealth of knowledge. Remember, if you must replace your heating / cooling system, choose Energy Star TM rated equipment.

• Cover your pool. Water evaporation is just one of the ways that pools can be very environmentally expensive. An easy way to resolve this is to install a safe pool cover. This will help reduce evaporation, and keep your pool warmer – saving you money on your heating bill. It will also make your pool easier to clean!

• Install solar heating for your pool / spa. Another great way to lower your energy bill is to install solar water heating for your pool and / or spa. Solar water heating has become very inexpensive, and can pay for itself in just a couple of years. Also, it makes it easier to keep your pool and spa heated - allowing you to enjoy your pool and spa more often.

These are just a few things that you can to minimize the impact your relocation and move has on the environment. There are countless other things that you can do! Remember to always use your own best judgment when following any recommendation.

Years ago, houses were built from natural materials like limestone and wood. The homes of today are a far cry in many ways. Take the construction materials we use. Many, in fact most, of them simply ooze chemicals that can cause serious health problems.
You find them in the resins that hold the sheathing in your walls together, the floors, and the roof.
They are there in the bath room and kitchen cabinets, the paneling and built in bookcases which have all been created with he help of resins, glues, and formaldehyde.
Every room in the house bears traces of glues, stains, paints, and sealants.
So, when you are looking out for a new home and you naturally want to avoid this as far as possible your best bet would be to approach a green builder. But even if you don’t, you can still find out what steps your builder has taken to reduce the negative effects of the construction materials used.
If you find that high chemical materials were use in the construction, the only thing you can do is increase the ventilation and allow the material to ‘off-gas’. This will normally take from about a few months to a year to happen.
Besides the materials used for new construction, carpeting, flooring and flooring finishes may also contain a whole lot of chemicals.
Carpets, with their paddings and adhesives, emit volatile organic compounds which may seem negligible at first consideration but can add up in the final count.
Even though certain carpet manufacturers assert that their products are environmentally safe , it is in the installation process that the chemicals may still be introduced. .
And no matter how environmentally friendly a carpet may be initially, it ultimately becomes a warm and cozy home for molds, pollens, dust mites, and animal dander, so if you can avoid wall to wall carpeting it is best to do without it.
Chemical based cleaners also contribute to the problem so always look out for the environmentally friendly ones.
Wood or laminate floorings provide preferable alternatives to carpets.
Vinyl flooring sheets contain polyvinyl chloride and other chemicals that are quite detrimental to the quality of your indoor air.
Ceramic tiles are perhaps the best choice for flooring. They are easy to clean and do not ‘off gas’.
And, finally, a word about furnishing. Furniture, drapes and other furnishings do ‘off gas’ to a certain extent, particularly those with veneer/cloth on the outside and particleboard on the outside. The formaldehyde in the cloth and the particle board, the wood finishing agents and the glues can trigger a host of health problems.
You can offset these threats with green alternatives such as those with the GreenGuard label.
Second hand furniture is cheap, has already been ‘off gassed’ and is waiting to be recycled. So consider it.

Years ago, houses were built from natural materials like limestone and wood. The homes of today are a far cry in many ways. Take the construction materials we use. Many, in fact most, of them simply ooze chemicals that can cause serious health problems.
You find them in the resins that hold the sheathing in your walls together, the floors, and the roof.
They are there in the bath room and kitchen cabinets, the paneling and built in bookcases which have all been created with he help of resins, glues, and formaldehyde.
Every room in the house bears traces of glues, stains, paints, and sealants.
So, when you are looking out for a new home and you naturally want to avoid this as far as possible your best bet would be to approach a green builder. But even if you don’t, you can still find out what steps your builder has taken to reduce the negative effects of the construction materials used.
If you find that high chemical materials were use in the construction, the only thing you can do is increase the ventilation and allow the material to ‘off-gas’. This will normally take from about a few months to a year to happen.
Besides the materials used for new construction, carpeting, flooring and flooring finishes may also contain a whole lot of chemicals.
Carpets, with their paddings and adhesives, emit volatile organic compounds which may seem negligible at first consideration but can add up in the final count.
Even though certain carpet manufacturers assert that their products are environmentally safe , it is in the installation process that the chemicals may still be introduced. .
And no matter how environmentally friendly a carpet may be initially, it ultimately becomes a warm and cozy home for molds, pollens, dust mites, and animal dander, so if you can avoid wall to wall carpeting it is best to do without it.
Chemical based cleaners also contribute to the problem so always look out for the environmentally friendly ones.
Wood or laminate floorings provide preferable alternatives to carpets.
Vinyl flooring sheets contain polyvinyl chloride and other chemicals that are quite detrimental to the quality of your indoor air.
Ceramic tiles are perhaps the best choice for flooring. They are easy to clean and do not ‘off gas’.
And, finally, a word about furnishing. Furniture, drapes and other furnishings do ‘off gas’ to a certain extent, particularly those with veneer/cloth on the outside and particleboard on the outside. The formaldehyde in the cloth and the particle board, the wood finishing agents and the glues can trigger a host of health problems.
You can offset these threats with green alternatives such as those with the GreenGuard label.
Second hand furniture is cheap, has already been ‘off gassed’ and is waiting to be recycled. So consider it.

I do not consider myself to be a huge environmentalist but, I am proud to say that I saved my allowance to join Greenpeace in the 80s. As an adult, I now realize the importance of having an awareness about our impact on the earth and sharing this with our children.

We may not be able to save our planet from every black cloud, but it is important to be responsible and respectful to the earth on a daily basis.

There are simple steps that we can all take to help live in a more green, earth friendly way. We do not have to change our lives drastically and with a few adjustments, nothing will seem to be different (for the exception of the land fills not being as full, our energy and water bills not being quite as high, and our knowing that we are doing our part in living a conscious and environmentally friendly way).

The following is a list of simple steps that families can take to living green. It is not a complete list, but a starting point. The important thing here is that parents and caregivers discuss these steps and ENFORCE them. If parents teach children to live green at an early age, children will naturally respect the earth.

I know there are many more things we can do, so I encourage you to please send us your great tips too! The earth thanks you and so do we!

Steps to Living Green:

1. Turn off the lights and the TV when you are not in the room. Better yet, turn the TV off all together and grab a book!

2. Get energy efficient appliances. This will help save on your electric bills as well as helping the environment!

3. Change out all of your old incandescent light bulbs with the new energy efficient florescent bulbs. They not only save you money, but time- you do not need to replace them as often and there is less waste from needing fewer bulbs!

4. There is one thing that is better than these new energy saving light bulbs and that is natural light. If it is light out, open the shades and catch some rays! Natural sun light helps with seasonal depression and vitamin D!

5. Recycle all of your plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans. We have been hearing this for years, so do it! Every little bit counts.

6. Get a water purifying filtration system, or just a container with a filter like a Britta and STOP using those plastic water bottles!

7. Buy a kitchen timer and put it next to each shower in your home. Take the 4 minute shower. One minute for shampoo, one for soap, one for conditioner and one to rinse. Shave with the water off in between soaping and rinsing. This is HUGE in helping with water consumption, especially if you have more than one child taking showers. Better yet, take showers with more than one person at a time and still keep it to minutes! Make it a game!

8. Turn the water off while brushing teeth and while washing hands. After a quick initial rinse, turn the water off during lather and turn on again for a thorough rinse to finish up. For extra dirty hands, use a washcloth to remove dirt, not running water!

9. Recycle toilet paper and towel rolls. Better yet, if your kids are in preschool or grade school, save up the rolls and give them to the school. Kids can always make great art or science projects using paper towel and toilet paper rolls!

10. Fix leaky faucets as soon as the start to leak. Do not procrastinate on this kind of stuff. It not only costs you money, but wastes way more water than you realize.

11. Switch your household cleaners, dish soaps and hand soaps to environmentally friendly ones. The chemicals in bleaches and harsh chemicals are not only bad for earth, they are bad for you! Think cancer and fertility issues, not that much fun.

12. Every time that you go to the store to stock up on supplies for the house or office, look for recycled or green products. This way, you will know you are at least trying to be green!

13. Organic is the way to go. Buy from local farmers if you can and buy most, if not all of your produce from the organic section. Again, this not only benefits the earth, but your body does not need all of those pesticides and chemicals- more cancer and infertility, yuck!

14. Even shampoos and cosmetics companies are starting to go green. And these products are actually good! Give them a try!

15. Be open to trying new things that are green. The more open you are, the sooner you will find out that this whole green movement is kind of fun and definitely makes you feel like you are being responsible! What could feel better than that?

Green tea offers so many benefits to the skin and to the body. It contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and anti-bacterial properties. It is not a mystery green tea is so popular in the cosmetic industry. Loaded with Vitamin E and C, the antioxidant agents slow the signs of aging externally and provide beneficial vitamins for overall health when taken internally.

Furthermore, recent research has concluded that green tea can prevent cancer. The death rate in Japan from cancer is significantly lower than that in the States. In Japan, green tea is part of their daily staple and consumed as much as 5 to 6 cups a day. This suggests that the main ingredients in green tea (*tannin, **catechin-see definition below) in sufficient amounts can lower the mortality rates of cancer patients.

Additionally, green tea can lower high blood pressure and lower blood sugar levels for those suffering with diabetes or the onset thereof. Caffeinated tea refreshes the body when taken internally; it stimulates the body’s organs and clears the mind. Green tea can lower cholesterol by restricting the excessive buildup of (LDL) cholesterol. Research has also suggested that green tea can inhibit skin cancer due to its protective properties.

Overall, green tea drinkers seem to enjoy better health. The vital ingredient Catechin is 100 times more potent than Vitamin C and 25 times more potent than Vitamin E.

Green Tea Facial Toner

5 green tea bags or several heaping teaspoons of green tea leaves
1/3 to 1⁄2 cup fresh herb, chopped (see list below for your specific skin type)
2 cups mineral water or vitamin water

Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Strain if necessary. Apply with cotton ball. The toner will keep for at least one week in the refrigerator.

Dry skin: Elderflower, linden flowers, and marigold.
Normal skin: chamomile - especially good for antiseptic values, fennel, lemon balm, parsley, and rosemary.
Oily Skin: Chamomile-especially good for antiseptic values, fennel, lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, and peppermint and sage-especially good for antiseptic values.

*Definition of catechin: The antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. One cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and can have an antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries. A catechin is effective because it sticks to proteins easily and blocks bacteria from adhering to cell walls. This disrupts their ability to destroy them. The catechin in green tea also prevents viruses from adhering to cell walls and causing harm.

**Definition of Tannin: All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucus.

Going green may not be as simple as we’d like it to be but now thanks to companies such as British Gas, the race to go green by suppliers has suddenly picked up pace and make it a whole lot easier.

Unfortunately whilst more options are becoming available, cheap gas and cheap electricity still remain to be seen.

Back in the 2007 Budget, we heard how Gordon Brown is making changes that will help us meet the government’s target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050.

This announcement included the introduction of green mortgages, helping families make energy efficiency improvements to their homes via their banks and building societies, for which Mr Brown is still in discussions.

The timing of these proposals falls well, with news of a mandatory energy efficiency assessment and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) needing to be issued before you are able to sell your home after May 2007.

Many local authorities are starting to team up the likes of the new British Gas Green Energy company, providing easy access to companies specialising in supply and installation of energy efficiency and then reducing the price of your council tax by upto £500, depending on your area and what you’ve had installed.

So how does this work in your favour, come 1st June 2007?

If you take advantage of the new energy efficiency loans being offered and make your home more energy efficiency with solar panels, new efficient boilers, etc. you’re bound to receive an excellent rating on your EPC.

Not only would you receive an excellent rating but also your house suddenly becomes a lot more desirable to any potential buyer due to the lower stamp duty it will attract, providing your house does not exceed £500,000.

If working out and the environment are both important to you, there is no reason why the two cannot be put together. There are plenty of ways of staying fit and healthy while being friendly to the environment.

Alternate Ways of Transportation

If your gym, work, school or friend's house is nearby, walk or ride your bike there instead of driving your car. You'll burn more calories and help keep the air cleaner. Keep a bag of your toiletries with you to help make your commute easier.

Eco-Friendly Gyms

Gyms and other workout facilities are becoming more environmentally conscious. If your gym is not green and friendly to the environment you can make suggestions and encourage the staff to become green. Here are a few suggestions that workout facilities can easily implement:

- Recycling system
- Encourage patrons to bring their own, reusable water bottles
- Cut down on electricity use
- Switch to energy-saving light bulbs
- Install water-saving shower heads
- Have natural cleaning products and soaps
- Encourage the use of organic workout clothes with natural cotton and fibers
- Create programs that help give back to the environment, such as community service activities

The Great Outdoors

Instead of constantly working out at your local gym or home, exercise outside. You can take a jog throughout your neighborhood or park. If there are hiking trails near your home, take a friend and get your workout in by hiking for an afternoon. For one, it saves on electricity and also gives you a chance to connect better with your community and environment.

Get Family and Friends Involved

A wonderful way to get people involved is organizing activities that can help others stay in shape and give back to their community and environment. Many people like to have workout buddies, so why not have a group workout together and give back? Here are a few suggestions on how to help the environment while staying fit
- Organize a hike at a local park instead of a day at the gym
- Join or organize a community garden
- Plant trees along a highway
- Pick up trash alongside the road
- Join an environmental group and participate in its activities
- Promote alternate ways of traveling by organizing a group to walk or bike

Be Green and Eat Healthy

Before and after a hard workout, your body needs fuel to reenergize and stay healthy. Fresh juices and fruits are excellent ways of getting those needed nutrients before or even during your workouts. The fruit and juice won't be too heavy or unsettling to your stomach. Organic energy bars can help both your body and the environment. You can make your own energy bars and not buy the already-packaged products as well. Those wrappers and boxes can pile up quickly. The ingredients in an energy bar can easily be found at your local grocery store.

There are numerous ways to help the environment, your health and the health of your friends and family. Businesses and other organizations are finding ways to become green, and there is no reason why people can't be healthy and fit while helping the environment.

You don't have to be an environmental guru to save the earth. Here are some very easy things you can do right now to help save the earth:

Save Water. Water is a precious resource that we all waste every day. Conserve water easily by:

-Put a brick in a plastic bag and place it in the back of you toilet. You'll save up to one gallon of water with every flush.

-Fix leaky faucets and pipes right away. In the meantime, save the drips in a pan and use it to water your plants, wash the dog or even cook supper. After all, it's clean water.

-Only wash full loads of laundry.

-Install low-flow faucet aerators on all your faucets. They'll save you 50% (or 3-5 gallons of water a minute), and the flow will seem stronger.

-Collect rainwater in barrels or tubs and use it to water your household plants or dry lawn areas. It'll use a lot less water than the sprinkler.

Conserve Electricity. Cut down on wasteful electrical use by:

-Turn off lights and appliances when leaving a room.

-Turn off your computer monitor before bed. A monitor left on all night uses enough electricity to print 5,300 copies.

-Look for the Energy Star rating when buying new appliances.

-Wrap your water heater set your water heater at 130 degrees.

-Wash clothes in cold water as whenever possible.

-If possible hang clothes outside to dry once in awhile.

-Turn down your heat by 1 degree for every hour you'll be away from home.

-Replace traditional light bulbs with newer longer lasting/low energy ones.

-Don't stand with the refrigerator or freezer open while you decide what you want.

-Unplug unused appliances.

Go Green. Going green doesn't have to change you're life. There are things you can do right now to live in a more earth-friendly fashion:

-Plant a tree. It's a great way to save the earth's oxygen.

-Use homemade or all-natural cleaning products.

-Buy recycled products.

-Use both sides of a sheet of paper before discarding.

-Reuse envelopes and junk mail for writing notes and keeping lists.

Ditch the Disposables. It takes more than 100 years for a plastic sandwich bag to biodegrade in a landfill. Pack sandwiches and snacks in reusable containers, or rinse and reuse the disposable ones. Using permanent containers will not only save the environment, it'll save you time and money.

Here are a few other things to try:

-Replace plastic utensils, paper plates and Styrofoam cups with permanent ones.
Recycle mayonnaise jars, margarine tubs and other food containers to store leftovers and other supplies.

-Use washable cloth kitchen towels instead paper towels.

Use Rechargeable Batteries.
They may cost a little more, but replacing your disposable batteries with rechargeable ones will save you 10 to 20 times their original cost in the long run. Want to prolong the life of your batteries? Use a plug or adapter for radios and other small appliances.

Planet Earth's current warming trend is based largely on natural warming and cooling cycles that have been happening for eons; as well as human-caused additions to greenhouse gases, which are boosting the atmosphere's ability to trap heat in the biosphere. Minor factors like an overall increase in the sun's solar intensity play a smaller role.

While greenhouse gases are an essential component of a livable planet—they're what keep Earth from being a lifeless ball of ice—humans are causing greenhouse gas levels to increase so quickly that it's causing the average global temperature to rise much faster than it would naturally.

It's worth remembering that global warming is based on an increasing average global temperature. Some parts of the planet (such as the Arctic) are getting warmer much faster than other areas. It's even possible that some regions could actually experience regional cooling at the same time the planet as a whole is experiencing global warming. Here's how.

The "thermohaline circulation" in the world's oceans is part of the planet's temperature regulation system. It can warm or cool regional climates to make their average temperatures different that they would be normally based on their latitude.

The most notable example of this is how the Gulf Stream brings warm water up from the tropics to make Europe much warmer than it would be naturally. This part of the thermohaline circulation is dependent on regular additions of fresh water from melting Arctic ice (which is replaced every year through additional snowfall). If the flow of fresh Arctic water decreases enough, it could slow or even stop the thermohaline circulation, leading to cooler temperatures in Europe—even at the same time other areas are experiencing severe temperature increases.

There's more than one offender in the crime of laying waste to the planet's old growth forests for inappropriate purposes, but one the biggest is Kimberly-Clark, the largest tissue-products company in the world, with sales in 150 countries. Some of the Kimberly-Clark brands of disposable paper products you're likely to see on supermarket shelves are Kleenex Facial Tissues, Scott Toilet Paper and Paper Towels, Cottonelle Toilet Paper, and Viva Paper Towels. The company also sells toilet paper and tissues to large institutions like universities, high schools, governments, and businesses. In North America, only about 1/5 of the pulp that Kimberly-Clark uses for its disposable tissue products comes from recycled sources, and most of that goes into the products that go to large institutions, not consumers.

In 2004, Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council set their sights on Kimberly-Clark's practice of sacrificing virgin forests at the Altar of Blowing and Wiping, particularly as the practice applies to Canada's ancient Boreal forests. The goal of their "Kleercut" campaign is to get consumers involved in pressuring Kimberly-Clark to stop this unnecessary, wasteful practice.

Now, just in case your germ-a-phobic subconscious is wondering whether recycled paper is really clean enough to be used in paper products destined for such personal purposes, yes it is. The process that takes recycled-paper pulp and turns it into soft, perfect little pieces of napkin, paper towel, toilet paper, or facial tissue also ensures that the products are sanitary.

So, what brands can you buy with a clear conscience? The table below lists the top "green" brands and provides statistics on their use of recycled paper and what portion of the recycled paper is post-consumer content (PCC)—i.e. what portion of the recycled paper comes from people's recycle bins. It's also worth noting that the top four brands we list are all free of chlorine bleach, which is another environmental problem.