Natural and Sustainable

1. Plug your computer, fax machine, copier, scanner, TV, DVD player, and even your Ipod and phone chargers onto a power strip and then simply switch it off when you are not suing them.

2. Replace 10 incandescent bulbs in your home or office with CFLs. Carpool to the office; donate used gear and sporting goods and even well worn older shoes that are good condition as well.

3. Turn down your water heater, air-dry your dishes and even use rechargeable batteries when you can.

4. Replace your clogged car filter; recycle plastics, paper, metals and glass no matter what. Look for recycled products as well and keep them in circulation.

5. Remove your car’s roof rack when you aren’t using it, drink filtered tap water instead of water that has been bottled and BYOB, bring your own bottle to places and refill it. Eat vegetarian twice a week at your home or at the office. Turn off the lights with you leave a room and turn off the ceiling fan when you aren’t in a room as well. Bike to most of your in-town errands and walk to places close like a friend’s house, or the library.

6. Cut down on your car washing, and sweep your driveway off instead of using the hose to spray it. Accelerate your speed gradually in your car to help save gas as well. Use the cruise control on the interstate and open highways. Always drive the speed limit, it’s better to be late then over-use your gas and even get a ticket.

7. Take a Navy shower by turning off the water while you soap up. Shave in the sink and not in the shower to help save water as well. Don’t overfill the bathtub.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use environmentally friendly insulation on your home. It will help cut your heating and cooling cost as well as helps with your impact on the earth as well.

• Collect rainwater from downspouts and use it to water your won garden and plants.

• Say no to carpeting. Carpet contains more contaminants and pollen and dust than anything else in your home.

• Buy green power when you can and ask your utility company to off it if they don’t already. The typical U.S. household uses about 10,000 KWH a year.

• Repair, and don’t replace appliances. Each fix means your won’t be buying a new one and it will keep your old one out of landfills. IF you feel you must replace, then donate the broken or semi-broken one to a company that refurbishes or repairs then and resells then.

• Buy energy-efficient appliance when you do replace. Energy Star appliance use 10 to up to 50% less energy and water and must meet EPA efficiency guidelines.

• Dry your dishes on the dishwasher rack and if your dishwasher offers the air dry option, use that as well.

• Buy secondhand clothing or household items as tag sales and save the carbon cost of new production.

• Hang your laundry out to dry on a clothes line and eliminate one dryer cycle per week or more.

• Clean AC filters or replace them when necessary to keep your AC unit running smoothly.

• Run ceiling fans instead of the air conditioner in hot climates; this can save you more than a ton of CO2 waste within your won home.

• Use cold water to wash and rinse your clothes, only use hot water when the laundry is very dirty and always wash your bedding in hot water to kill bed bugs and dust mites.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Go for low flow showerheads, this switch can save you 1800 in eclectic cost and 43o in natural gas depending on how your water is heated. Not to mention the savings in water cost and waste as well. Consider putting in a low-flow toilet as well.

The best way to change for a greener lifestyle is to eat more fruits and vegetables and it’s a healthy way for the body, as well. The Environmental Working Group estimates that you can significantly reduce your family’s exposure to pesticides, chemicals and other harmful toxins by as much as 90 percent by going organic. There is a category known as “the dirty dozen” that every family should eat organic anyway. Pesticides are used in great amount on these 12 fruits and vegetables and it’s a great practice to get into by taking a list of these foods when you grocery shop.

The Dirty Dozen:
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Try this recipe to help get more veggies in you and your family’s diet.
Veggie Quesadillas
Serves: 4

1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup cooked corn
1 cup refried beans
4 taco-size whole wheat tortillas
1 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup steamed vegetables such as spinach, squash, zucchini, etc.
Salt and pepper to taste

Steam the bell pepper with 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan with a lid for 2 minutes. Add the corn and other vegetables, and refried beans, cooking on low until heated.

Arrange the filling on 2 tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Cover with remaining tortillas.

Arrange quesadillas on a nonstick baking sheet and bake at 400°F or until tortillas are golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.

To find out other ways to eat more “green” visit Earthly Eating here at 451 Press.

Also check out Local Harvest to find the “greenest” farms around in your own area.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Save water in more ways than one.
1. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth to save 50 gallons a week per person.
2. Keep a water pitcher in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run.
3. Cut your showers to about five minutes or even less.

Packing a lunch doesn’t mean you have to waste paper, plastic or even food for that matter. Instead, use good environmental wisdom by choosing eco-friendly products for your daily lunch or even your next family picnicking adventure.

• Thermoses: Use a wide-mouth stainless steel thermoses, which is great for beans, soup or even last nights leftovers. Thermoses with small tops are great for milk, juice or even soups as well. Try brands like Sigg, or Guyot.

• Plastic Partitioned Lunchboxes: By choosing partitioned lunchboxes you can avoid the hazards of lead and it keeps food from falling into each other and spreading in your back pack or even in your picnic basket when hiking. Try brands like Laptop Lunches, or Reusable Bags.
• Reusable Sandwich Bags: Wrap-n-Mat makes a lined sandwich wrapper that unfolds into a placemat, which makes cleanup a snap, and they have Velcro closures that keep your food super secure.

• Reusable Lunch Totes: Always opt for cotton canvas bags over paper or nylon or plastic any day. Cotton canvas bags are machine washable, and can be reused indefinitely. Try brands such as: Acme, Organic, Fleurville, Cool Totes, or even Thermo Tek.

• Reusable Utensils: Stainless steel forks and spoons usually make it back to your home and plastic utensils usually can be washed and used again. Try brand such as: To-Go Ware, they make bamboo utensils.

• Reusable Cloth Napkins: Pack cloth napkins, ones that you don’t mind missing if they get lost, and wash them over and over again. Try products such as: I’m Organic.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Opt for a waste-free lunch to happen to your child’s school. Go to Waste Free Lunches and take the pledge. Take to your child’s school board members to help bring less waste into the school cafeterias today.

Americans throw away enough office paper to build a 12-foot-hgh wall from Los Angeles to New York. Recycling one time of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, a 380 gallons of oil. Making new paper from recycled paper used 30 to 50 percent less energy than making paper from trees, and it produces 95 percent less air pollution. Encourage everyone in your office to print and photocopy only when necessary, use both side of the paper when you do print, and try to reuse paper. Fro when you must print, here are a couple of accessories and ideas to help you work more green:

1. Recycled paper with 30 to 35 percent post consumer content, which is available at Office Depot stores.

2. Paper from nonwood fibers, such as Ecopaper made in Costa Rica from agro-waste. Paper made from agricultural residue is pricey, but this does encourage careful paper usage. The price will come down as production increases.

3. Recycled paper with 100 percent post consumer content, processed without chlorine, from The Green Office. Locating a green paper resource near your office will minimize pollution from transportation.

4. Use refillable pens made from recycled plastic.

5. Recycle your printer cartridges-for every ink or laser toner cartridge that is recycle, two quarts of oil are kept out of landfills.

6. Chlorine free and tree-free papers are the most ecofriendly choices to go.
(Source: Organic Gardening 2008)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Always turn the lights out in a room or closet when you are finished. What’s the point of leaving the light on anyway?

VERY GREEN HOUSE: Building a new home or redecorating a room? Visit the Green House at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. It’s a 7,00-suare-foot re-creation of the Glide House, a low maintenance, affordable modernist home. Guests can check out 60 eco-friendly products from countertops to carpets. If you can’t make the trip visit the website for ides to use in your own home.

Build your home the energy efficient way.

When you build or have a contractor build for you, ask about and shop for an energy-efficient home. You can end up getting $2,000 in government tax credits for enviro-smart construction. Typically, these homes have state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems, as well as features like windows with insulation coatings and energy-saving lighting and appliances. Many owners of these new modern age homes have cut up to 50 precent or more off their utility bills.

Upgrade and save: You don’t have to buy a new home to reap the rewards of energy efficiency. Just upgrade the house you already own. Invest in double-glazed windows, a high-efficiency furnace, and other energy-saving products and techniques to save big on repairs and energy bills. You will also benefit from nice tax breaks. Here’s an idea of some energy break down in billing:

• Solar Panels (San Diego; difference between efficient and standard models): Cost-$20,925; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-N/A; Savings per year-$4,350 (includes one-time tax credit)

• Double-Glazed Windows: Cost-$2,700; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-$550; Savings per year-$310 (includes one-time tax credit)

• High-Efficiency Furnace: Cost-$2,000; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-$480; Savings per year-$230 (includes one-time tax credit)

• Composite Decking: Cost-$2,000; Premuim (above-average electric rates and sunlight) -$950; Savings per year-$203

• Upgraded Insulation: Cost-$580; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-N/A; Savings per year-$155 (includes one-time tax credit)

• Duct Sealants: Cost-$1,200; Premium (above-average electric rates and sunlight)-N/A; Savings per year-$133

• A total of $5,381. That really starts to add up once you crunch the numbers out and find out where the savings can happen within your own home or a newly build home with energy-saving beenfits.

Building a green house for the ground up is easier than you think. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when planning your house plans out.

1. Solar panels mean lower energy costs all around.

2. Insulation is key to preventing heat loss, even in the hottest parts of the house.

3. Duct sealant stops ait leakage at connection points. Be sure and include duct sealant inside the home as well where the duct work meets the furnace or visa versa.

4. Windows with coated glass reflect heat back into a room. You can also have this put on or do it yourself to your existing windows.

5. High-efficiency furnaces reduce costs and greehouse gases. If you model is older than 1998, even if it is in good shape you might want to consider an upgrade to a more efficient one to help curb energy useage.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Living green is good for the environment, but did you know it’s also good for you wallet too? With energy-saving light bulbs to affordable solar paneling for you your roof. You could very well save more than a thousand dollars a month in these changes alone.

Five Steps To A Greener Yard: (Source: Conscious Choice Magazine)

• Go Native: Native vegetation requires less water (if any) and attractsbeneficial bugs, butterflies and birds, and because native plants are adapted to the area, they are more resistant to disease and pesky insects, negating the need for pesticides. The EPA’s web page Green Landscaping with Native Plants and The Washington Native Plant Society’s page are great places to start in looking for great native plants that will work in your garden.

• Eat Your Estate: You have head the stat: grocery store produce travels and average of 1,5000 miles before reaching your plate. But what could be more local than replacing your front with food for your family and your neighbors maybe. Start at these sites to give you the push in the right “gardening path”. How to Turn your Yard Into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community; The Edible Estates initiative, a national project designed to replace ther American lawn with fruit and vegetable garden.

• Keep The Rain: Growing in popularity, rain gardens are depressed areas of a yard that collect runoff instead of letting the water be carried to storm drains, collecting pollution along the way. In turn, the garden feeds native wetland plants, wildflowers and animals. Try Pond Appeal under their Eco-Friendly Rain Gardens to get started.

• Swap Your Shingles: If you live in an urban area and want a patch of green, or if you are looking to utilize the space on top of your house, consider swapping your shingles for a rooftop garden. Roof plants drink in storm water, mitigating runoff. They also absorb less heat, helping control temperaturs (particularly useful in metropolitan areas. Check out Green Roofs to get some ideas on where to begin.

• Give A Hoot: If you must have a lawn, don’t pollute. Reel mowers keep the air clean. Try organic fertilizers (the new generation of products on the market is far more effective). Gather your orange peels and grass clippings from composting. Rain barrelks can help with irrigation, or conserve water by using drip irrigation systems or watering by hand. With a few changes, you’ll be on your way to a more sustainable yard. Check out Safe Lawns and In Harmony to get a good idea of how easy it is to start a change for the positives right away.

**Find out the about the wonderful world of Apple over at Apple Reporter. Kristian Freeman, walks through the 2007-2008 year, at-a-glance with Apple Inc. Read it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: When lighting a fire use sustainable matches from a sustainable company or use a refillable variety so it won’t end up in the landfills later after the flame is out.

Did you know manufacturers are not required to list all of their ingredients unless they are active disinfectants or known to be potentially hazardous. Unlike food package labels, when a cleaning product’s ingredients are listed, the order doesn’t necessarily represent relative amounts. The following steps can help:

1. Know The Warning Labels:

• “Danger”: refers to products that are corrosive, extremely flammable, hgihly toxic or poisonous. Commercial toilet bowl, oven and drain cleaners often have these labels on their containers.

• “Caution” or “warning”: Are all catchall terns for manu other hazords, so scan for specifics, such as “vapor harmful”, “causes burns” or “may be fatel if swallowed.”

• “Irritants”: Refer to substances that can cause injury or tissye inflammation on contact.

• “Corrosives”: Refer to chemicals that destroy tissue.

• “Sensitizers”: Are ingredients that can cause allergic reactions and chronic adverse health effects that become evident only after continuous exposure.

• “Chronic Health Hazards”: May include effects ranging from sterility and birth defects to cancer.

2. Avoid Harmful Ingredients:

• Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs)
• Anitbacterials
• Ammonia
• Chlorine Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)
• Diethanolamine (DEA)
• Trithanolamine (TEA):
• Hydrochloric Acid
• Ethylene Glycol Butyl Ether (EGBE)
• Phosphates
• Sodium Hydroxide (lye)

3. Don’t just assume that manufacturers’ environmental and health claims are true: Some maufacturers’ will add labels that are neither independently verified nor regulated. Among those claims on labels are the following.

• Natural
• Nontoxic
• Environmentally Friendly
• Biodegradeable

Some safe cleaners and choices to consider:

1. AFM SafeChoice
2. BioKleen
3. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
4. Ecover
5. Holy Cow
6. Mountain Green
7. Planet, Inc.
8. Seventh Generation

Just do your homework and find out if the label claims are true before assuming that the are true.

**JM over at Fiction Scribe wishes everyone a Happy New Year, jump over there and wish her one in return. While you are there, you can read her Top Ten of 2007.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Get on the list. Find out if your city pledged to meet Kyoto Protocol emissions targets; if not, contact your mayor or city council.

61. Trade your home: If you trade your home with friends around the country you can enjoy vacations and stay for free.

62. Go camping, or rent a cabin: Don’t over look state parks and national forests, they are often less crowded and less expensive than you think.

63. Tray a local vacation: There are several things in your own town or even own state. Check out your states website and look what’s right in your own backyard.

64. Ask hotels about discounted distressed-traveler rates: If there is inclement weather you may get a discount.

65. There is no law against haggling with a hotel on the room rate: You never know if you don’t ask.

66. Make your vacation pay for you: If you volunteer or do a little helping out while you are on vacation you may get a room or even a cabin for free.

67. Buy food at local supermarkets when traveling: It’s much cheaper than eating at restaurants.

68. Choose a vehicle with fold down seats: If you are traveling and need a quick nap or to snooze for the evening and can’t find lodging, if you have a rental car with fold down seats you have an instant bed.

69. Definately choose used clothes for babies: Unless you receive them as a gift only buy new clothing for special occasions.

70. Trade babysitting time with other couples: This is a great one to use especially on short notices.

71. During the holidays, draw names for gift giving: Use this one for large families or even do a dirty santa or white elephant gift giving way.

72. Invoke a gift giving spending cap: This is a good one to use if you draw names.

73. Give homemade gift certificates: You can even make ones that they can redeem for summer tasks as well, such as mowing the lawn or helping plant a garden.

74. Donate to a good cause: The Heifer International is a great one to give as a gift instead of buying a gift. You can even get that money spent back when you get your taxes done at the end of the year.

75. Swallow you pride and except help when you need it.

**Lessa over at Big Brother Craze has the top ten Big Brother moments for your. And some are quite laughable. Read them here.**

*Natural and Sustianable Living Tip: Buy recycled toilet paper.

46. Campaign for a national health care system: If more and more people demand it, in the future the demand has to be met.

47. For the college bound, take some general classes at a state school ort community college where the tuition is lower: Even if you plan to take most of your classes a a more expensive college it’s a good idea to take the basics at a community college. Just check with the college you plan to go to after the community college to make sure the classes will transfer.

48. Attend an in-state college: Establish residency for a year or two beforehand, if you need to. You will save more money in the long run then just jumping right into a college.

49. Buy you college books online: Don’t give into the cost of the books at the college bookstore, they are there to make money for the college not help you out.

50. Watch for unique scholarship opportunities: Even the ones that help you gain help from other sources than cash. You may even get into opportunities where you get something for making the Dean’s List, or something similar.

51. Audit classes if need be: Especially in classes where you just want the knowledge not the credit.

52. For lessons, try bartering: Such as doing some work in photography in exchange for some dance lessons. Or sewing in exchange for some computer lessons.

53. Discontue your internet service and take advantage of a wireless “hotspot”: You can go in some towns to an internet cafe or even take advantage of someone else’s unsecure wireless. Even the smallest towns are now getting free wireless for residence.

54. Rediscover the radical notion of the library: You can get almost anything at a local library for free with a signed up membership and card. Even DVDs are at the local library.

55. Volunteer to usher: Get into plays, concerts and other events if you ask to volunteer and help out. All you have to do is ask.

56. Find low-cost fun in your local paper: Take full advantage of free concerts, events and even some movies.

57. When at a concert or movie, avoid buying anything to eat or drink while you are there: Some place will even let you bring in your own snacks or drinks.

58. Take turns entertaining with friends or neighbors: Potlucks and parties are a great way to entertain and get others involved.

59. Occasionally, go ahead and spend money: Spend money on things you know you will benefit from in the long run.

60. Volunteer: Organizations such as Willing Workers on Organic Farms

**JM over at Fiction Scribe has her “Thirteen Goals for Next Year”. Read her goals and while you’re there leave her a message and tell her your goals for 2008.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If your shelves are overstuffed with books you’ve already read, check out BookMooch, a free service that help you trade books with others around the globe. You rack up points for each book you give away. Make a wish list and redee3m your points when a book you want becomes available. And here’s the cool thing: BookMooch has a list of charities it works with, so you can donate your points and shre in the literacy wealth with someone in need.

1. Buy Raw Ingredients: Instead of prepackaged foods, save on food bills, and your body will thank you for it in the long run.

2. Buy In Bulk: From a local health food store, or place bulk orders directly with mail0order companies.

3. Avoid The Middleman: Buy directly from the farmer. Look for farm stand, cummunity supported agriculture programs and farmers markets.

4. Eat Fruits and Vegetables In Season: They will be less expensive. If you buy them when they cheap, buy a lot and freeze or can whatever you can’t eat before they go out of season.

5. Keep Up With What’s in Your Refrigerator: Make sure nothing spoils. Once a week, make soup or casseroles to use up vegetables and other leftovers.

6. Calculate the Price of Food Per Pound: When you visit the supermarket do your math. Doing the math will help you spot the good deals.

7. Don’t Overeat: When you do, you are flushing money down the drain. When you are full, you’re full. Trust your own body.

8. Find a Live-In Elder Care Position: It not only helps someone stay out of a nursing home. Even if it is to help out around the yard, get involved in that.

9. Help Renovate a House: In exchange for lodging. It maybe the way you aquire your next home.

10. Become a Housesitter or Pet Sitter, For Short-Time boarding: Watching someone’s pet while they are out of the country is a great way to have room and board for a short-time.

11. For Longer-Term Stays, Become A Long-Term Caretaker of Property: Try Care Taker.org

12. Look Beyond Realtors’ Listings: Thumb through penny or nickle ads. A lot of great things are listed in those tiny papers.

13. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask: If you find a piece of land you really like talk to the owner and find out is they are willing to sell. Just by asking the price may be cheaper than you think.

14. Salvage Materials for Your New Home: Look for a house that’s being renovated and might let you take materials from the site. Look in the yellow pages for used building materials, or look for online groups such as Freecycle, or one I started entitled The Repurpose Foundation. Join The Repurpose Foundation’s Group here. Where people trade all kinds of unwanted items and find new purpose for them.

15. Never Skimp on Insulation or Good Windows: Build your home tight enough, and it will cost much less to heat. Even a wood stove will help on heating, but be sure to burn clean with what wood you use. (Source: NH 2007)

**Looking for the best deals on televisions? Over at Home Theaters blog here at 451 Press, Marc Klink has some ideas for you. Read which ones are the best deals here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use organic beauty products. If you have makeup in your cabinet that is not organic, use up what you have so there will be no waste, then as you run out of a product, replace it with an organic choice. An organic choice, most not only have better ingredients but put their products in recycled containers.