Natural and Sustainable

• 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 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?”

Clothing has come along way in ways of protecting us. They can block UV rays, insects and even help if you have alergic reactions. Here is a guide to help you understand the latest on high-tech threads.

• Insect Repellent Apparel: Buzz Off clothing keeps mosquitoes and other bugs away with permethrin. A safe synthetic version of a natural bug repellent, permethrin is applieth to the clothing and lasts for 25 washes. Like Coolibar clothing.

Who needs it: Any tots spending a lot of time in buggy areas (you won’t have to slather them head-to-toe with chemicsl anymore. They carry pants, shirts and outerwear.

• UV-Protection Factor (UPF) Clothing: Sunscreen applied to the fabric guards against ultrviolet radiation. The clothing is rated like sunscreen, look for items with a UPF of at least 40 and the Skin Cancer Foundation seal. Like Jonano clothing.

Who needs it: Kids who should-circuit when you attempt to apply lotion; fair-skinned kids who need extra protection.

• Hypoallergenic Attire: Clothing made from natural bamboo or a silky sunthetic fabric called Dermasoft soothes delicate skin. Both fabris wick away moisture and anre antimicrobial.

Who needs it: Little ones with irritated skin caused by allergies or conditions like eczema (particularly common in babies).

**Want to know how to make Salmon Croquettes? Over at Coaching Cooking, Farley Walker has an easy and delicious recipe for you to try. Read how to make it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Fix all the leaky faucets in your home, whether they are outside or inside. Water that is just dripping from a leaky faucet waste more water than it would 5 baths a day in a week period. Leaky faucet (fast drip): 20–30 gallons per day. Leaky faucet (slow drip): 5–10 gallons per day. You can determine how much water your faucets waste during a 24 hour period by clicking here.