Natural and Sustainable

Many health food stores carry quality eco-products that are ready made and ready to go. There are many stores nation wide that carry quality products and they specialize in eco- and environmentally friendly products as well. It’s always best to find out about the company before finding out about a specific product.

There are many companies out there that say they are “green” but just because a company packages their product in a green container doesn’t mean their product(s) is good for the environment in a green way. Be leery of the term “non toxic” as well. Any company can claim that their product is “nontoxic”, “all-natural”, and even “eco-friendly”,mainly because their are no regulations on the use of these terms on any product. There are however, certain policies that a company should follow. Below is a list of those terms and things to avoid.

1. Their product is bridgeable within days not years.
2. There are no petroleum based ingredients in the list.
3. There is a clear list of ingredients not clear use of words.
4. No artificial fragrances or should be use in a well ventilated room.
5. No warming labels on the products container or anything that is flammable.
6. Avoid “phenol”, “glycol”, or any term ending in “-ene”.

If the products you are currently using contain any of the above, then consider changing them to something more eco-friendly.

Enter theThoughts Unveiled Contest!

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Capture light in a jar during the day and use that light at night to brighten any corner or area within your home. With the Sun Jar you are able to capture the sun during the day and with the help from LEDs, you can use the captured sun that the solar panels gathered in the evening around your home or on your porch. To find out more, please visit the Charles & Marie web page.

It’s hot, so what’s the first thing most people think to do? Get cooler, obviously. Most people have central heating and air conditioning inside their homes or at least a water cooled air system or even a window unit to help cool their homes. But, did you know that placing ceiling fans in proper locations within your home will help cool the air even more.

Ceiling fans use 90 percent less energy than an air conditioning system and they make the room seem cooler by seven to even ten degrees cooler. They ultimately help push the air around making it seem cooler automatically.

By placing a fan in your attic alone will help cut your air conditioning cost by at least 10 percent, depending on the size of the fan, of course.

If you must still cool the air in order to be in your home during the summer months, depending on where you live, look for Energy-Star-rated models, which have an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) about a 10. Call you local air conditioning dealer to ask which Energy-Star approved model is best for your home. Mike’s Heating and Air Conditioning in Royal, Arkansas sells brands such as Frigidaire/Nordyne and Rheem systems that are all Energy-Star approved. What’s more with nearer Energy-Star approved models is the change from R22 to new Environmentally Friendly 410 A. This new refrigerant isn’t harmful to the ozone layer and is better for the environment overall. Ask your local A/C dealer if they carry the new refrigerant and how to change your older model A/C that uses R22 to a more environmentally friendly model. Do it for your health and your environment.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Buy local by shopping at you local neighborhood farmer’s market. This option allows you to support farmers and introduce your children to fresh, seasonal foods. If you can, join a Community Supported Agriculture group, (CSA). These groups cost about $20 a week and give you access to fresh shares of vegetables, fruits and even some meats and eggs. Check out Local Harvest to get started taking advantage of the groups in your area today.

Plants remove toxins from the are and absorb them completely. This leaves your home in a safer state for you and your family and pets.

Next time you go shopping for home cleaning supplies, consider adding a large-leaved plants to every room in your home. They reduce unhealthy pollutants as well as airborne bacteria and fungi while adding back to the air some humidity needed in order to combat some respiratory and allergic conditions that some people suffer from everyday.

For year, people have been told to stay indoors during smog alerts, but today, the list of known indoor pollutants is just as scary. To get the most out of your house pants, set them up with about two or three per room, so there is plenty of space around each one of the ideal air circulations. Keep the air moist by misting the plants. Avoid locations in the rooms where there are drafts or sudden temperature changes. Pollutants are absorbed through he leaves of all the plants. Be sure and keep the leaves clear of dust by wiping them occasionally with a damp cloth. In the future, hopefully everyone will be cleaning up environmental pollution with all kinds of plants.

Top 10 Air Cleaning Plants:

1. Areca palm
2. Reed palm
3. Dwarf date palm
4. Boston fern
5. Pathos
6. English ivy
7. Australian sword fern
8. Peace lily
9. Rubber plant
10. Weeping fig

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: When looking for pest control on your plants, stop looking and make your own, the natural way. Here’s how:
• Wash the leaves with a mild detergent solution (1/2 tsp. detergent per quart of water).
• Dip the cotton swabs in rubbing alcohol and remove pests.
• In a spray bottle, mix 2 tsp. vegetable oil, 1/8 tsp. dish detergent, and 8 oz. warm water. Shake and spray on your plant leaves and around your plants base.

Make yourself a window box to enjoy inside your home and outside your home. Here’s how.

Making the wooden Window box:

• Materials you will need:
-Screwdriver
-Eclectic Drill
-Router (for sill mounting)
-Saw (circular or hand saws)

• What to do:
The dimensions will vary for window boxes of different lengths. Adjust dimensions to fit your windowsill. Measure the sill from end to end if you plant to mount your box below the sill. For mounting on the sill, measure between the window moldings and subtract 1/8-inch for clearance.

To avoid splintering the wood , predrill all holes for the screws. Hardware stores sell an inexpensive combination bit that drills pilot and clearance holes for the screws and countersinks for the screw heads at the same time.

• Lumber cut List:
-1 pc. 3/4 x 7-1/4 x 30-1/2″ cedar (for the bottom)
-1 pc. 3/4 x 7-1/4 x 30-1/2″ cedar (for the front)
-1 pc. 3/4 x 7-1/4 x 30-1/2″ cedar (for the back)
-2 pc. 3/4 x 7-1/4 x 5-3/4″ cedar (for the ends)
-1 pc. 3/4 x 7-1/4 x 5-3/4″ cedar (for middle divider)

• Hardware needed:
-#6 x 1-1/4″ galvanized wood screws
-Long Arm hook and eye or metal brackets

• Assembly Process:
1. Screw the front and the back to the ends and the divider.

2. Drill two rows of 1/2-inch drainage holes in the bottom of the window box. Space the holes about 6-inches apart in the row. Position the center of the holes at least 1-1/4 inches from the edge of the bottom.

3. Screw the bottom to the assembled front, back, and ends.

4. Mount the box. For on-sill mounting, use long arm hooks and eyes. Attach the arm to the window frame and the eye to the window box. Hook the arm to the eye to attach the box. For below-the-sill mounting, screw brackets to the box and house.

Here are plants that thrive in pots, especially window boxes:

1. African Daisy (Dimorphotheca aurantiaca): Clusters of yellow, orange, and white blooms on 12-to18-inch stems.

2. Asparagus Fern (Asparagus densiflorus): Dense foliage with needlelike leaves. Tiny, white, fragrant flowers, followed by small, red berries.

3. Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata): Large clusters of tiny white flowers on long stalks. Hardy perennial.

4. Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Bushy, half-hardy herb. Needs full sun, frequent watering.

5. Begonia (Begonia spp.): Wide variety of color in both leaves and the blooms, some trailing.

*For a complete list, click here.*

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Plants are a great asset to anyone’s home. They help clean the air naturally and for free.

Just because a place is environmentally “fit” doesn’t mean you’d want to spend your life there. But finding the perfect balance between what’s green and what’s livable could lead you to paradise. Most countries are lacking turning around their sustainable efforts. The list of countries here could do a lot to change their green habits. If your country is listed, talk to the governor of your state or leader or your area even and see what can be done on your part to change the way your state alone looks at more green practices. Every little bit helps every country. Here’s a list:

• How countries rate:
Top 5:

1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Austria

Bottom 5:

137. Chad
138. Burkina Faso
139. Sierra Leone
140. Niger
141. Ethiopia

• Air Quality: Rates concentration of several pollutant in urban areas.

(1) Moldova
(8) Finland
(63) United States
(126) Ethiopia
(141) Guatemala

• Greenhouse Gases: Rates carbon emissions per capita by GDP.

(1) Chad
(18) Ethiopia
(75) Finland
(107) United States
(141) Turkmenistan

• Environmental Health: Rates childhood mortality disease; deaths from intestinal infections.

(1) Austria
(8) Finland
(16) United States
(1256) Ethiopia
(141) Turkmenistan

• Energy Efficiency: Rates conservation efforts and use of renewables such as hydropower.

(1) D.R. Congo
(17) Ethiopia
(66) Finland
(106) United States
(141) Trinidad & Tobago

• The World’s Greenest, Most Livable Cities:

5 Best:

(1) Stockholm
(2) Oslo
(3) Munich
(4) Paris
(5) Frankfurt

5 Worst:

(68) Bangkok
(69) Guangzhou
(70) Mumbai
(71) Shanghai
(72) Beijing

• How U.S. Cities Rate:

(15) New York
(22) Washington, D.C.
(23) Chicago
(26) San Francisco
(36) Atlanta
(43) Denver
(46) Houston
(55) San Diego
(57) Los Angeles
(60) Phoenix

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Always recycle your magazines or take them to your local library for someone else to benefit from your old reads.

The details on air filtration devices: After doing all you can to try and solve your air-quality problem at its source, an air filtration unit with a HEPA filter may still be a worthwhile investment. Before you buy, speak to a reputable vendor about the specific problem you are trying to solve and what ever else you have done to address it. If possible, always test the noise level when the system is operating to be sure it doesn’t sound like a 747 during take off.

Other things to keep in mind:

• While a variety of technologies exist, there are no standards regarding the performance, efficiency and effectiveness of air filtration devices.

• Air filters designed to filter a single room will perform well when there is central air circulation. Isolating the room may yield better results, but remember to allow for some fresh air too.

• There is no filtration or ventilation system that can effectively remove secondhand tobacco smoke.

WATCH THE WATER TOO:

There’s no better way to water efficiently than with drip irrigation. In fact, in some water-strapped states with regulations, it’s the only way you can supply H2O to thirsty plants regularly. Have a system installed or put on in yourself with components from the hardware store. To save even more water, get a programmable timer with a rain sensor. No more turning the faucet on and off or having the system come on when it rains. These handy gizmos can be added to an existing system. Even more high tech is the “smart” controller. It communicates with area weather stations or satellites to supple the right amount of water for your garden based on current weather and rainfall. Get a controller just right for your garden from a dealer such as Rainbird or a local irrigation specialist. (Source: Garden Gate 2008)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Green Fatigue: [/gren fuh teeg/] noun 1: a term (first spotted in media coming out of the über-eco UK) referring to the growing backlash of apathy among people for whom the initial buzz of going green is wearing off.
n. 2: the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that can get greenies down, resulting in occasional indulgence in plastic and conventional fruit.
n. 3: doing and trying everything you can to live a more eco-friendly and eco-conscious life and still feeling like you haven’t done enough.

Usages in a sentence: “Hey, don’t succumb to green fatigue; it too shall pass, and your convictions will be restored again soon. Let’s do something green together, shall we?”

When it comes to indoor air quality, what we can’t see can really hurt us. Here are some easy tips for clearing the air:

• Make fresh air your friend: Newer homes are designed to keep out the chill, but because many lack proper ventilation, they also work to trap in pollutants. In the case of air quality, what we can’t see can hurt us: the more microscopic the particles, the more damage they can be to our health. These particles can build up over time, so it’s important to open windows and let fresh air inside as often as possible-even in the heat of the summer and cold of the winter.

• Heat your home more healthfully: According to the American Lung Association, more than 70 percent of Americans have forced or central air heating ion their homes, yet nearly 50 percent don’t change the filter in their units regularly. And 10 percent have never replaced the filter. It’s important to have your central heating system inspected every year and to change your filters once every three months. Also, keep in mind that any fuel-burning appliances (ranges, ovens, water heaters, clothes dryers, fireplaces and grills) can be a potential source of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide if they are not well vented or maintained.

• Go green with household cleaners: Unless you are using products scented with natural oils, your favorite “clean smell” is likely the result of a chemical concoction that is man made. Try natural cleaning agents such as baking soda and white vinegar. Or look for brands with non-toxic ingredients like Shaklee’s Get Clean or Mrs. Meyers Clean Day. If you’re a fan of scented candles, consider switching to soy, which burns much cleaner than petroleum-based counterparts. To keep the bugs away, use boric acid-based bait stations as an effective alternative to chemical sprays.

• Enlist the power of plants: While formaldehyde (found in plywood, adhesives, carpets and paints), benzene (found in Styrofoam, plastics, lubricants, detergents and synthetic fibers) and carbon monoxide (off-gassed by heating or cooking equipment) are bad news for people, plants can thrive on them and help remove them from the air. Peace lily, bamboo palm. English ivy, mums, and gerbera daises top the clean-air list. Plus, they are easy to care for, so even if your don’t have a green thumb, you will still have a good chance of keeping these beauties alive in your home for a long period of time.

• Keep mold and mites at bay: To help prevent mold, make sure bathrooms and kitchen are well ventilated and use dehumidifiers in basements and garages (just remember to change water trays frequently). Wash bedding in hot water at least every 10 days to kill dust mites, and use a high-quality, HEPA (high Efficiency Particulate Air) filter vacuum (which won’t release fine dust particles back into the air).

• Declare your home a shoe-free zone: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 90 percent of most people’s exposure to pesticides occurs indoors. A lot of these and other toxic chemicals enter our homes through our shoes, so it’s best to check them at the door.

• Shield yourself from secondhand smoke: Secondhand smoke contains as many as 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons, such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, as well as 43 carcinogens. If you or your friends smoke, be sure to light up outside.

• Out radon on your radar: An estimated one our of every 15 homes in the United States has radon levels above what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers healthy. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas found at high levels in every state in America, can seep into our homes through the surrounding soil. Indoor radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in our country after cigarette smoke. Because this gas has no color or odor, it requires special detection kits. In expensive and easy to use, you can purchase one at your local hardware store. Or visit EPA/RADON for more information.

• Beware of off-gassing: Before your bring new furniture, drapes or carpeting, which usually contain formaldehyde (a colorless and pungent gas known to cause mild to severe eye, nose, skin and throat irritations), into your home, air them out in your garage or backyard for a few days. And be sure to open your windows and run exhaust fans for the first week following any remodeling projects. Or as an alternative, but products and bu8ilding materials made with green materials.(Source: Conscious Choice Magazine)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Swap paperbacks with other people from around the world at Paper Back Swap.

Creating a balanced ecosystem in your life is easier than you think.

When cooking outside or caring for your patio or deck, you want to go the organic way, here’s how:

1. Freshen cushions naturally: Combine a half cup of hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with a cup of water. Spray on mold and dirt and do not rinse. Treat the mold with a spray mixture of 2 tsp. tea tree oil and 2 cups water. The mold and strong smell will dissipate in a few days. To brighten lawn furniture, dissolve a half cup of washing soda in a gallon of hot water. Rub soda on and let set for 10 minutes. Rinse off. Test on wood to be sure the finish won’t peel off. Be sure and wear gloves as well.

2. Get a cleaner start naturally: Lighter fluid contains hydrocarbon-emitting petroleum distillates, which contribute to unhealthful smog and impart a chemical taste to the food. Use chimney starter (available at hardware stores) to start the fire. It holds the charcoal above a burning piece of newspaper and relies on airflow under the charcoal to create a glowing heat.

3. Fuel the fire naturally: Grilling with natural gas is the most environmentally freindly method of cooking outdoors. Charcoal and wood give off soot particles that polute the air. If food cooked over wood is a must, use the wood ash as an amendment to neutralize acidic soil.

Here is more information on creating a balanced eco-system within yourself and your own home:

Hemp, unlike its cotton cousin, needs little or no pesticides. Plants grow close together to shadow out weeds, require little rainfall and will grow anywhere wheat grows. Hemp fibre is four times stronger than cotton, and although it feels harsh on the skin, manufacturers are working hard to develop a softer version.

Recycled Cotton is another more earth-friendly choice in cotton clothing. Recycled cotton is cotton fabric that has been made from recovered cotton that would otherwise be cast off during the spinning, weaving or cutting process. A trade name for recycled cotton is Eco Fibre; there are no harsh chemicals used in the processing of this fabric.

Recycled plastic (PET) soda pop bottles are refined and purified, chopped down and processed into spun fibre strands. These strands are then knitted and woven into fabric.

New textiles using soy fibres, bamboo and organic wool, which comes from sheep raised solely on organic meal, are also in the works.

The Organic Trade Association
OTA (www.ota.com) is a North American association representing the organic industry in Canada and the United States. Members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmer associations, brokers, consultants, distributors and retailers. The Association has been instrumental in shaping both the regulatory and market environment for the organic products industry. As of Dec. 2003, its members included 76 Canadian companies.
(Source: Women-can-do-anything)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip®: When trying to find “just the right’ gift to give, think outside the box and gift a gift that keeps on giving such as a charity. They not only give to the less fortunate but they also help cut down on planetary waste.

As you plan to make changes in your house’s air inlets and outlets, consider these guidelines:

• Openings in opposite walls allow maximum air movement.

• Openings in adjavent walls create air turbulence, increasing the cooling effect.

• A combination of low inlets and high outlets can achieve the greatest scouring of room air. This strategy is especially useful for night cooling of thermal mass floors.

• If you install new openings, make sure the air moves around the people in the room in order to best cool them.

Here is a “Natural Cooling Checklist”:

1. Experiment with your existing windoes to improve airflow. If your house has casement windows, not only can you get the maximum ventilation area for a given glass area. but you also can use the windows to catch and direct airflow. For double-hung windows, you might want to try opening both sashes partway; this can let cooler air in at the bottom and warmer air out at the top. If you have operable transoms about doors and windows (interior or ecterior), use them to exhaust hot air that collects near the ceiling; you might want to add transoms if you don’t already have them. If your house has more than one level, try opening high and low windoes to pull the air through the house vertically.

2. Seal any cracks around the perimeter of your house.

3. Tune in to the breezes. When it’s hot, anything that amplifies your awareness of the breeze can have a psychological cooling effect. Hang a wind chime or bell, or plant bamboo or another “rustley” plant in the path of summer breezes, and enjoy the feeling of wind amplification.

More Advanced Steps, Things You Can Do Tomorrow: When you are ready to take on more substantial projects, consider the following.

• Add new openings in yoru home’s walls for natural ventilation.

• Create a thermal chimney.

• Landscape to redirect the wind.

• Create outdoor rooms; depending on where it’s located and hot it’s designed, an outdoor room can be an island of calm when it’s too breezy, or it can put you in the path of cooling breezes when it’s hot.

**Over at Genre Fiction, Janet has a posting about “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”. Read the whole story here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Choose reusable instead of disposable products (diapers, razors, cups, pens, etc.)

Think about the breeze and winds around your home:

• At what time of day and year are the winds stronger?

• From which direction does your prevailing wind come (the one that blows most of the time, when there are no storms)?

• From what direction do storms come?

• Is there a noticable breeze or wind most of the year? Does it vary much from season to season?

• Do your local breezes shift daily?

• Is your local air movement influenced by geographic features or landscape elements?

There are several ways to learn about local wind dicretion and intensity, such as observing from yourself (at different times of the day and year), accessing eather data and asking local farmers or other people who work outdoors what they observe.

Ceiling Fans change wind directions within your own home. People tolerate higher temperatures when the air is in motion, and celing fans are a relatively energy-efficient, affordable way to enhance your house’s natural airflow.

Here are some tips to maximize your comfort when using ceiling fans, while minimizing your enery usage:

1. Turn off the fan when nobody’s in the room: Air movement coole people, not rooms.

2. Adjust the controls seasonally: In the summer, use the ceiling fan in the downward (counterclockwise) airflow direction and position yoruself in the path of the moving air; the high the air speed, the greater the ceiling fan in a clockwise direction at low speed to bring warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space.

3. Whole house fans: These fans often can be the most cost effective way to cool a home in moderate climates. Whole house fans circulate air by pulling cool bressze in from lower floor windows and venting air out through the roof. The fans typically cost about $500 to install and have low operating costs.

4. Evaporative coolers: In the western United States where humidity levels are low, new designs for evaporative (swap) coolers are a high-preformance alternative to convetional air conditioning systems. They use less than one quarter as much energy as air conditioners, and don’t require toxic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or other regrigerants. They cool air by drawing warm outside air over a wet filter pad. The water then evaporates from the pad to reduce the air’s temperature. A fan circulates the moist, cool air into the room, and pushes warm air out through open windows.(Source: M.E.N. 2007)

**Need some advice when it comes to your poetry? Allena Tapia has five for you over at Writers Unbound. Read them here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Check the air pressure in your tires since underinflated tires reduce fuel efficiency greatly.

Natural ventilation makes the most of air motion already in your home and around it. This is th primary passive cooling strategy used when air condition did not exist. Harnessing this passive cooling strategy will save you money and time, as well as the waste of energy in the long run. These tips will help you slash (or eliminate) you air conditioning bills.

Understanding seasonal wind patterns will help you adjust your window openings, outdoor spaces and windbreaks to increase your comfort without relying on nonrenweable fuels and energy.

Consider the following points:

• What knid of windows does your house have: casement, double-hung or fixed?

• Does your house have other centilation openings (this means vents, exhaust fans or turbine ventilators, or a cupola?)

• Are there operable windows or other vents on opposite ends of your house? Are some high and some low?

• Can you open enough windows to provide good ventilation in hot weather?

• Does your landscape funnel breezes to your house in the sunner and protect it from cold winter winds?

• Does your house’s enclosure have cracks that admit cold air in the winter or hot air in the summer?

• How high are your ceilings? Do they allow warm air to collect high in the room, which can be a blessing in the summer but a problem in the winter.

• Do vents or fans exhaust unwanted air, such as unpleasant smells and excess moisture?

• Even with windows open, are there “dead air” spaces in your home?

Best Best for Passive Cooling:

1. The minimization of indoor heat generation. For example, using energy-efficient light bulbs, reducing hot water use, using smaller and more efficient appliances and scheduling heat-producing tasks (such as clothes drying) for cooler hours of the day.

2. Weatherizarion. Caulking, sealing and weatherstripping all building envelop seams, cracks and openings reduces heating and cooling energy requirements.

3. Insulation. Insulating your home or installing heat-reflective foil reduces heat conduction into your living space.

4. Window shading and glazing. Solar radiation passing through windos can contribute 20 precent to heat gain in hot, humid climates. Window shading devices and glazing technology minimize heat gain while transmitting daylight, which reduces electrical lighting needs.

5. Roof whitening and attic ventilation. There are two effective measures to reduce heat gain by either reflecting heat away from the roof or flushing heat out through the attic.

6. Trees and landscaping. Planting broad, leafy shade trees that block the sun will reduce the amount of solar radiation absorbed by your house.

**Are you a Star Wars fan? Over at Toy Bender, Paul has posted some of the latest and greatest Star Wars toys Lego has posted in their catalog. Check it out here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Never charge your cell phone overnight. It only takes a few hours to fully charge a totally dead battery on a cell phone, once it is charged you waste the other hours of it charging plus it can weaken your battery on your cell phone as well.

How long ago was the last time you checked your tires air pressure? Three months? Six months? Longer? With today’s high gas prices, that inefficiency can add up to significant money. At $3 a gallon for gas, a 25 mpg vehicle with neglected tire pressure will require an extra $60 of gas each year compared to a car with properly maintaned tires. The bottom lins is you have to start with a good tire gauge to maintain that pressure. Most digital gauges cost between $10 and $40, depending on the models’ specific features. Like a backlit screen, LED flashlight, and/or programmable memories that retain your car’s recommended front and rear tire pressure.

Here’s how to improve your car’s fuel economy:

Not everyone is in the market for a new vehicle. But that shouldn’t stop you from improving the fuel economy of the car or truck in your own driveway. Below are a few standard maintenance tips, and the precentage improvement they can house on your vehicle’s mpg.

• Replacing a dirty air filter-up to 10 precent.
• Getting an engine tuneup-average of 4 precent.
• Keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure-up to 3 precent.
• Using the recommended motor oil grade- up to 2 precent.
• Seek out low-resistance tires-up to 6 precent.

How to calculate your fuel economy:

1. Fill up your tank. But don’t top off-the extra gas more than likely will get sucked back into the station’s tanks anyway.Even if it doesn’t, the backfire vapors contribute to air pollution.

2. Reset your trip meter to zero. Now you’re on your own vehicles fuel economy clock.

3. Fill your tank when the time comes. In warmer months, you iwll get more gas for your money in the early morning or late evening, when the temperatures are cooler and gas is densest. Cooler conditions also mean less evaporative emissions from pumping gas, smog forms more easily when it’s hottest outside. In winter months, it’s a good idea to keep your tank at least half full for safety and to prevent freezing.

4. Write down the number of gallons it took to fill your tank and the number of miles on your trip meter. A receipt is an easy place to write these down; most already include the number of gallons you bought. Reset the trip meter before you restart the car.

5. Divide the trip miles by the gallons of gas. Bingo, that’s your fuel economy. For example: 293.1 miles divided by 8.374 gallons= 35 mpg

6. Keep a small notebook in you car or make a simple spreadsheet on your computer to track the numbers over time. There you could also records basic notes on mpg influences such as speed, tire pressure, driving conditions and use of air conditioning. If you see a dramatic drop from one tank to the next and don’t have an obvious explanation, your vehicle might need some maintenance. ( Source: Car and Driver 2007)

**Are you a Chris Daughtry fan, well he is the People’s Choice. Over at American Idol, Reed Dunn has the particulars on the rising star and his band Daughtry. Read about it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Keep your shades down in the summer and up in the winter to help conserve energy. If you have thick shades leave them down in the winter to help hold in the heat if your windows are drafty. To help conserve even more energy, you might consider replacing your windows with Energy Star approved ones.

1. Bloomington, Indiana:

• Population: 68,779
• Climate: Mild, four-season weather. January average temperature; 30 degrees. July average; 76 degrees.
• Median House Value: $150,6000 as of August 2007
• Natural Assets: Elevation is at 840 feet. Near various large wilderness areas, picnicking and fall colors. Nearby lakes are great for canoeing, kayaking and bass fishing.
• Sustainable Initiatives: The city signed the U.S. Mayers Climate Protection Agreement to meet the standards of the Kyoto Protocol, and international agreement to address alimate change by reducing greehouse gas emissions. Bloomington also has a major sustainable development program empowered by a citizen/government commission.
• Also: Bloomington residents describe their hometown with words such as “homey”, “affordable” and “politically active.”

2. Bellingham, Washington:

• Population: 72,992
• Climate: Mild weather with a long rainy season, January average temperature; 35 degrees. July average; 62 degrees.
• Median House Value: $252,000
• Natural Assests: Access to Bellingham Bay, San Juan Islands and Mount Baker as well as the 241-acre Whatcom Falls Park that features four waterfalls and well-maintained walking trails. During the summer, Whirlpool Falls is a popular swimming hole where locals jump off cliffs as high as 50 feet into the natural pool below.
• Sustianable Initiatives: Strong municipal and county commitment to resource efficiency and stewardship. Bellingham has signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and administers the Vluntary Metering Program that promotes residental and commercial water conservation.
• Also: Some locals insist that snowboarding was invented and prefected on the slops of Mount Baker, a 10,800-foot glacier-covered mountain clearly visible from the streets of Bellingham.

3. Ukiah, California:

• Population: 15,580
• Climate: Mild in general, warm summer afternoons, buffered by coastal breezes. January average teperature is 45 degrees; July average temperature is 73 degrees.
• Median House Value: $330,000
• Natural Assets: Elevation: 615 feet. Within an house of the Pacific coast, and neat the virgin redwoods of Montgomery Woods State Reserve, one of the few remaining redwood groves you con’t drive through.
• Sustainable Initatives: Local activism, renewable energy, drafting of a new comprehensive plan for Ukiah.
• Also: Edowed with ecological wealth in the form of a mild climate, fertile soil, and surrounding forests of oak and some remaining redwood, Ukiah and Medocino County are a mecca for all things sustainable.

4. Eau Claire, Wisconsin:

• Population: 62,570
• Climate: Chilly winters and warm, potentially humid summers. January average temperature, 14 degrees. July average, 72 degrees.
• Median House Value: $139,900
• Natural Assets: Chippewa River State Trail, a spectacular riverside trail from Eau Claire to the city of Durland. Access to Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes and 44,000 miles of rivers and streams.
• Sustainable Initiatives: Extensive use of bicycles and bicycling infrastructure. Methane generator at a local dairy operation and increasing use of solar energy.
• Also: This west central Wisconsin city is not a hige tourist destination, and that’s OK with most of its residents.

5. Paonia, Colorado:

• Population: 1,589
• Climate: January average temperature. 25 degrees. July average teperature, 72 degrees.
• Median House Value: $124,300
• Natural Assets: Great rafting, fishing and camping at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and West Elk Wilderness Area; bicycling on beautiful country roads.
• Sustainable Initiatives: Citizen activism (such as the Western Slope Environmental Resource Council) to protect Paonia from over development and create local self-reliance.
• Also: This little western slop gem was first established as a home base for coal miners, many of whom still occupy the bungalow houses of the downtown area.

6. Dixon, New Mexico:

• Population: 1,529
• Climate: Mild summer, erratic in winter. Average January temperature is 31 degrees, July average is 72 degrees.
• Median House Value: $220,000
• Natural Assets: Confluence of Embudo River and Rio rande; pastoral countryside of rolling hils, characterized by sagebrush, apache plume, cliffrose and pinon pines.
• Sustainable Initiatives: Passive solar architecture, local economy, preservation of land, water rights and watershed.
• Also: The housed and farms in Dixon (about half an hour from Taos and an hour from Sant Fe were built failry close together to make use of meticulously maintained acequais, which is irrigation ditches fed by snowmelt.

7. Ocean Springs, Mississippi:

• Population: 17,698
• Climate: Hot and muggy summer. Annual precipitation is 62 inches. Average January temperature is 68 degrees. July average is 82 degrees.
• Median House Value: $120,5000
• Natural Assets: Elevation, 30 feet. Accessto 170,000 acres of public lands in Jackson and George Counties and the 80-mile stretch of the Pascagoula River that is protected from development. At this year’s Wild Wing festival, more than 200 or 342 species of birds in the region were identified.
• Sustainable Initiatives: Restoration of natural wetlands; replacement of destroyed houses with smaller, more energy-efficient homes; and creation of an eco-tourism industry around the unspoiled mature of the area; birds, marine life and other wildlife on huge tracts of undeveloped land.
• Also: If you have survived a hurrican with the fury of Katrina, the word sustainability is partly synonymous with survivability. The dowtown area of Ocean Springs was one of the few commercial districts on the Mississippi coast to come through Katrina intact, or nearly so, but 177 houses in the small city did not.

8. Brattleboro, Vermont:

• Population: 11,994
• Climate: Winters that usually make the holiday season white (average annual snowfall is 68 inches). Average January temperature is 25 degrees. July average is 73 degrees.
• Median House Value: $180,000
• Natural Assets: Skiing at Mount Snow, Haystack and Stratton ski areas, kayaking on the Connecticut River, mountain biking and hiking in the Green Mountains.
• Sustainable Intiatives: Civic activism to preserve quality of life (for instance, no billboards allowed.) Recently, 200 residents took the “localvoe” challenge in which they pledged to eat locally grown foods for either a week or a month.
• Also: Faced with the challenge of preserving their agricultural heritage and their beautiful landscape, the residents of Battleboro created a local tradition that has captured New England’s heart: “The Strolling of the Heifers,” a feminine version of Span’s famours “Running of the Bulls”. (Source: Some information pulled from M.E.N. 2007)

**Need a question answered about wine, or a wine flavor? Or how about making a day of wine touring through different wine countries or just through one winery alone. Over at Wine Outlook, Farley has the latest and greatest on what’s happening now in the world of wine. Read more about it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Pop your sponges and plastic scrubbing pads in the microwave at full poer for two minutes. This will kill 99% of all the living germs and bacterial spores, including E. coli. Be sure and dampen your sponges and any others before doing this, so that it doesn’t create a fire. This is a environmentally safer alternative to bleaching them.

Mixing your own cleaners at home almost always will save you more money than buying then. You are not only paying for the cleaner, you are also paying for advertisment, packaging. Here is a list of cleaners everyone should have on hand to make yourself and save that extra money:

• Baking Soda: This mild alkaline powder can be used for a variety of household cleaning purposed, such as absorbing odors, cleaning the inside of the refrigerator, loosening baked-on food from pans, and removing stains from tile, glass, oven doors, and even fine china. It also acts as a stain remover for fruit juices and other mild acids.

• Castile Soap: A mild soap in liquid or bar from that can be used for general purpose cleaning. It was once only made from olive oil, but now might even include vegetable oils. It is a great cleaner because it is free of petroleum-based ingredients.

• Hydrogen Peroxide: A mild alternative to chlorine bleach, its oxidation abilities make it useful in stain removing and sterilizing.

• Lemon Juice: This familiar acidic ingredient can be used to lighten stains and cut grease. It also can be used to remove tarnish on brass, copper, bronze and aluminum. Never use it on silver or sterling silver though.

• Washing Soda: A stronger slternative to baking soda, washing soda can be used as a water softener in conjunction with laundry detergents (gloves are recommended as it may irritate the skin; do not use with solks, woolens or vinyl). It’s also good when trying to lift oil or grease.

• White Vinegar: Good for a variety of household cleaning tasks, vinegar may be used to help kill germs and deodorize, removes some carpet stains, and clean coffee makers, chrome, cookware and coutertops. It’s acidic enough to clear minor drain clogs. Vinegar has an odor when it’s wet, but once it’s dry the odor is gone. Don’t use vinegar on some delicate fabrics because it will eat the fabric.

**Pushing Daisies wins satellite award. And over at the Pushing Daisies blog here at 451 Press, Lira Cruz has the whole story behind the award winning show. Read it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Buy Fair Trade products whenever you can. If you can’t buy Fair Trade, at least buy organicly grown products. It’s better for your health and the environment.

Americans alone spend over $3 billion annually on water as a result of the extra household created when people get divorced.

In countries around the world divorce rates have been rising, and each time a family dissolved the result usually in two households. A married household uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household. And households with fewer people are simply not as efficient as thpouse with more people sharing.

A household will use the same amount of heat or A/C whether there are two or four people living there. One person or several use the same refrigerator, watch the same television, use the same dishwasher, cooking on the same stove, listening to the same radio, and eating under the same lights. People that live apart use two different refrigerators instead of just the one that is shared. The extra energy or water use may not seem like much, but in the long run it all adds up.

Per person, divorced households spent more per person per month for electricity, compared to a married household. If divorced household had combined to have the same average household size as married households, there could have been a million fewer househoulds using energy and water in countries across the globe altogether. (Source: Democrat Herald [Albany, Oregon Addition] November 2007)

**Whey protein is better for you than you think, especially if you are a man. Read the whole story over at Earthly Eating.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Stop idling in your car when you pull up to drop someone off or pick someone up. It emits more carbon dangerous chemicals than you think.