TIP for Thursday July 31st, 2008

Yesterday walking up my driveway my mother suggested I poured some boiling water on some weeds coming up through the cracks. This weed killing method intrigued me so I did some research and I found that it really works! Go green to keep your lawn green. Most lawn herbicides contain carcinogens and have been linked to birth defects, plus as many as 70 million birds die in North America from chemicals used in lawn care. Pesticides also run off into our groundwater and kill fish and other aquatic life. Natural options really work and don’t kill off earthworms that help keep the soil healthy. Look for products that contain corn gluten and corn syrup byproducts. Try the boiling water trick and another old school method, lay down old pieces of fabric and place mulch on top. Here’s to a weed free GREEN lawn!

TIP for Tuesday July 29th, 2008

Thinking about going to the park for a picnic? Just make sure more than the grass is green! Use reusable utensils and cut trash while saving cash! If 10,000 people used reusable utensils, in one year almost 1.5 million disposable knives, forks, spoons and plates would be kept out of landfills! You’ll have more trees to sit under as well. If each household in North America replaced one 40 count package of paper plates with reusable ones, we would save 487,000 trees!
Look for 100% recycled and dishwasher-safe plastic plates, tumblers, and utensils.

TIP for Monday July 28th, 2008

Here’s a water-saving trick…collect water in a bucket while you wait for your shower to warm up. The average person spends about $45 per year on bath and shower water. So the less water you waste the more money you’ll save. Use the water you collect to water your houseplants, wash the floors, wash your car or put it in your pet’s water bowl. Try doing the same with leftover water from glasses or your kettle. Another way is to use Mother Nature and put a bucket outside in the rain to catch water that you can use later to water your plants and garden.

TIP for Friday July 25th, 2008

Going to do some gardening this weekend? Go Organic with new organic fertilizers and potting soils that are better for the earth as well as your plants. Organic fertilizers and soils get your plants growing without synthetic chemicals, that can run off into our waterways contaminating them and becoming harmful to animals and fish. Want a free fertilizer? Try composting your own fertilizer. The average household produces about 200 lbs of kitchen waste per year, so using it you will create less waste for landfills

TIP for Thursday July 24th, 2008

I told you about Ludacris and Tommy Lee’s new show Battleground Earth. Well Green powered concerts starting popping up a few years ago. Organizers have come up with ways to reduce the environmental damage caused by their events. They use recycled-paper products, banish throwaway plates and utensils, use eco-friendly irrigation systems, and biodiesel to fuel the tour buses and to power the generators. By using 25,000 gallons of cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel for all the non-music stage generators and running one stage entirely on solar power they reduce their environmental impact by close to 30%. For more info on biodiesel fuels check out http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/biodiesel_alternative.html

To see what concert was green powered go to http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1533297/20060531/id_0.jhtml

TIP for Wednesday July 23rd, 2008

Unless you sweat a lot of get really dirty everyday, try washing your clothes less often. Of course we don’t mean your underwear. Tossing your clothes in the machine every time you change just beats them and the environment up. Washing and drying less often keeps your clothes looking newer, longer. It’s better for the environment because petrochemicals in conventional laundry detergents can harm fish and human health after they go down the drain. You’ll save money too! A load of laundry costs about $1.50 to do, even at home, and all those loads can add up.

TIP for Tuesday July 22nd, 2008

Do you consider the environment before you print those emails? Have you seen that quote at the bottom of bills, customer or client emails? Well COPY and PASTE. Think of all the trees you’ll help save. If all North Americans viewed and paid bills online, we could keep 18.5 million trees growing each year. Online banking saves banks money too…up to $148 per year on stamps, and it’s easy to access past bills and statements. Another great reason is safety because there is no paper trail. A recent study found that people who bank online reduce their chances of identity theft by up to 10%.

Thank you to Patricia Teibo who sent me this tip and encourages her email recipients to “consider the environment”!

TIP for Monday July 21st, 2008

Besides getting sexy legs and buns of steel, I’ve got a green reason to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Depending on type, capacity and usage, an elevator's yearly energy use can equal that of seven homes. Of course sometimes it’s not practical to take the stairs, especially if you have to go to 58th floor BUT good news is that many new buildings are becoming GREEN. Nowadays companies are manufacturing energy efficient elevators that use almost half the energy than the older models. Here’s an interesting fact…the average person spends 62 minutes a day waiting for elevators, in traffic and lines.

TIP for Friday July 18th, 2008

Every weekend partiers hit the clubs and get down. Here’s a way that clubs can use the energy of the patrons and turn it into REAL POWER! Believe it or not, in the UK they have power-generating dance floors. The dance floor makes use of a piezoelectric system that produces electricity as the dancers jump up and down. The electricity charges some batteries that are then used to power parts of the club. Considering all the energy that is typically consumed by a club in one night to operate the sound system, the strobe lights etc., this is a GREEN solution. The system is called Dance Floor Power and is only a matter of time before it hits the North American market!



For more info check out http://www.engadget.com/tag/piezoelectric

TIP for Thursday July 17th, 2008

Ok, so you’re getting into the routine of composting! Good for you! But even biodegradable items like food can hang around in garbage dumps for years. Trash is packed so tightly that it doesn't always get the necessary light, oxygen, and microorganisms it needs to decompose. Researchers have found perfectly compostable 25-year-old corncobs and grapes, and easily recyclable 50-year-old newspapers that are still readable in landfills. After you do all that sorting and tossing…you might be surprised what actually get recycled and composted by the city! The solution is simple…the less you toss the less there is to hang around in landfills. Reduce reuse and recycle when you can!

TIP for Wednesday July 16th, 2008

Got Teflon? The EPA's Science Advisory Board considers PFOA (aka Teflon) a likely carcinogen, and it can come off on your food at high temps and with the use of sharp cooking utensils. Some more research is needed to prove that it can affect our lungs, but toxins that enter the air from hot nonstick Teflon pans can kill pet birds. This is because they have very sensitive respiratory systems. Look for the new lines of non-stick pans that are Teflon free like Thermolon or go get grandma’s old cast iron pan!


To find out more about carcinogens http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinogenic

For more on thermolon check out http://www.thermolon.com/announcements.htm

TIP for Tuesday July 15th, 2008

Ladies this tips for you. To prevent those raccoon eyes use a chemical free makeup remover and be GREEN. Some cosmetics removers contain ingredients such as triethanolamine also know as TEA, a softener linked to cancer. (To see the report go to http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=070B6081-91FD-C657-D4DB0A226B92C06B ) Remember that any chemical in products that we use on our bodies, will eventually end up in our waterways. Also make sure you use a makeup remover from brands that don't test on animals. Check this out if you want all natural make up remover that works really well and you can find right in your kitchen, nature’s best…olive oil! Just wipe it off with a damp cloth and a bonus is that it moisturizes as well!

TIP for Monday July 14th, 2008

Summertime means more 6paks of your favourite refreshment and more chances of taking out wildlife! The six pack ring killer…those plastic rings, that when not disposed of properly, can kill animals and aquatic life when they get wrapped around their limbs and fins. You can help by cutting the 6-pack rings and disposing of them properly. Also look for products with minimal or less wasteful packaging, like soda that doesn’t have the rings at all. In some regions, plastic materials constitute as much as 90-95% of the total amount of marine debris. If we all did our part in keeping plastic out of the sea, we could save many of the 1 million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals and countless fish killed by plastic waste annually. For more ocean friendly tips and how to reduce litter go to http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ta_choices

TIP for Friday July 11th, 2008

Summer time means vacations which means the stress of traveling! Pack light and lessen the weight of your mood and the impact on the environment! Traveling light creates long-term benefits for the planet; Less stuff to manufacture, less use of vehicles and other machinery to move things and less fuel needed for the vehicles that transport you. That means less greenhouse gas production and less damage to our planet. Traveling light has other benefits as well. You have more time and you waste less energy hauling stuff around . You know what you have, and where everything is, and you eliminate extra baggage charges (especially now that most airlines charge for all checked baggage). And last, you are more able to walk or take public transportation, rather than taxis and limos, because you have one small bag! For tips on how to pack light go to http://www.onebag.com/

TIP for Thursday July 10th, 2008

Ontario’s Ministry of Environment is encouraging people to Grasscycle. What’s that? It’s an excuse to leave the grass clippings on the lawn!! And they did a study on it…and found that the average homeowner saved 35 minutes cutting the grass when they left the grass clippings on the lawn. I know a study can you believe it? BUT more importantly, when the clippings decompose they release nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other essential plant nutrients back into the lawn. There’s no polluting run-off, no use of non-renewable resources and chemicals, and no damage to soil. Grasscycling also means there’s no need to spend tax dollars on trucking grass clippings to landfill sites. For more info on Grasscycling check out

www.ene.gov.on.ca/cons/3684e.pdf

TIP for Wednesday July 9th, 2008

If you’re throwing a party in the backyard this weekend, make it a GREEN party by passing on the cases of beer and wine and opting for kegs and magnums. You’ll be saving resources because kegs are reusable and magnums mean less glass bottles. Aluminum and glass production require mining resources from the earth. Producing 1 ton of aluminum creates 20-30 tons of mine waste. Another option is to go old school and take a stroll down the wine box isle! Good news there are more varieties available in boxes nowadays that aren’t that bad. New boxed-wine technology keeps the wine good for a month after you take your first sip. Plus it’s harder to break and is lighter than glass, so it takes much less energy and packaging to ship.
Also you can support local breweries and wineries that support green initiatives.

TIP for Tuesday July 8th, 2008

Had a little too much fun in the sun? Did you miss the health tip on sunscreen? Well I’ve got a solution for you that’s soothing and GREEN! Use an all natural sunburn recovery potion that won’t harm the environment. Stay away from synthetic chemicals like preservatives and parabens. They are toxic when they enter our water ways and they have been linked to cancer. Look for products made from natural substances like vitamins A and E, coconut oil, lime tree extract they all help soothe the sting and promote healthy skin. They best sunburn cure is aloe vera gel. You can purchase it prepackaged or get your self a plant and slice the leave side ways and just rub it on your skin ahhh relief!!

TIP for Monday July 7th, 2008

Smog is made up of a mixture of pollutants in the atmosphere. Air pollution affects our environment and our health. Toronto Public Health estimates that 1,700 Toronto residents die prematurely each year due to air pollution (ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and sulphates). Another 6,000 Toronto residents are admitted to hospitals due to air pollution. Those are some scary numbers. How do we reduce smog? It’s simple reduce your energy consumption. Every time we drive our vehicles and use energy in our homes, we are burning fossil fuels like gas, oil and coal, and sending pollution and greenhouse gases into the air. Simple things like taking public trans instead of driving and turning you’re A/C down by 2 degrees and not idling your car… will all lessen the smog effect. Check out The City of Toronto’s 20/20 planner. It’s an energy reducing guide that offers you easy-to-use checklists outlining a range of home energy and transportation actions you can take to reduce air pollution. http://www.toronto.ca/health/airquality/2020/index.htm

TIP for Friday July 4th, 2008

Going shopping this weekend? If you’re going charge it make it a GREEN charge. Sing up for a credit card that supports a green cause like the environment and animal protection. You can shop and make contributions to the charity of your choice effortlessly. In most cases, there’s no additional cost for participating. Enjoy your everyday purchases even more knowing that helping the needy and our planet. Some credit cards make donations to The Canadian Wildlife fund, Ducks Unlimited, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Human Society every time you make a charge. For more info on these cards check out



http://www.mbna.ca/special_cardList.html

TIP for Thursday July 3rd, 2008

Summer time parties, we go to them and we host them. This year if you don’t have a computer or you’re a little sentimental, you can write your invitations or thank you notes on cool looking recycled cards. Here’s a scary fact…nearly half the forests harvested in North America fall for the sake of paper. Do you want another one? More than 90% of the paper we use comes from virgin tree fiber. Save our trees and choose only recycled or tree-free options like hemp. An acre of hemp can produce as much paper as 4 acres of trees. Plus recycled paper is available everywhere and is very affordable. If you want to be really unique and cool, look for specialty papers made from lokta tree bark or banana leaves, they are beautiful.

To find out the environmental impacts of different papers, check out the paper calculator http://www.edf.org/papercalculator/index.cfm

TIP for Wednesday July 2nd, 2008

I just walked past the boss’s office and his lights were off!!!! Do you think my green tips are starting to rub off?? Yes! Pass them on! Let’s be green together at home and at work. Encourage your co-workers to turn off their office lights when they are going out for lunch or stepping out of the office for more than 15min! Put up signs around the office to remind them. Lighting accounts for nearly 50% of the electric bill in most offices. Ask your boss to change the lighting from incandescent the new compact fluorescent lights, which provide the same light but use only a fraction of the energy. And GOOD NEWS…they have come down in price with a large variety available. Another way to save energy is to install light timers or motion sensors that turn off the lights when no one is in the room. Think of all the money the office will save on lighting bills. Can someone say “More money for holiday staff parties”?