Should I Use Pesticides on my Lawn? NO!

Jogging around the neighborhood is one of my favorite things to do. I get to listen to my music, in peace, just me and the road. I particularly enjoy the slide show of homes and manicured lawns as I trot by. On my route, I noticed a disturbing number of those mini flags that alert you to the presence of a recent pesticide spraying. Not just a few, a lot. I am completely amazed by this. How is it, that in this day and age, that people are more concerned about the look of their lawns than the impact of synthetic pesticide use on humans (especially children), plants and animals, and the environment? It's either ignorance- or ignorance in my book. Since the EPA and government continue to allow corporations to create and sell products that harm us in the name of $$, we have to take matters into our own hands. Here are a few key facts that should make you give up the flag, at last!

Fact: There is no registered pesticide that is safe. In the US, it is a violation of Federal law to state that a pesticide is safe. (Which means it's harmful, people!)

Fact: According to the Journal of National Cancer Institute-1987, children whose homes and garden have been treated with pesticides have 6.5 times greater risk for leukemia than children living in untreated environments.

Fact: Besides sensitivity and toxicity, other dangers to humans include decreased fertility, cancers, leukemia, asthma/allergies, low sperm count, genetic disorders and more.

Fact: Only 5% of sprayed pesticides reach their intended target - the rest drifts to unintended areas such as water or the air. ( Like on that swing set, or on your shoes, then in your house, where that baby is crawling on the floor!)

Fact: Pesticide use is one of the top pollutants of our water, it degrades our soil and it harms wildlife.

"Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we're beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of this century and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin." -- Dick Irwin, toxicologist at Texas A&M Universities

The proliferation of pesticide use has only occurred over the past 50 years, yet for centuries farmers used natural methods to protect their crops. Alternatives are available! Reach out to your local village, Chamber of Commerce or environmental non-profit to learn about organic methods to treat your lawn at home.

Some of the information in this post was found at the link below. For more information, go to http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/environment/RATE/pestfact.html

NOTE: When I say 'pesticides', I mean any poison meant to kill a certain target. These include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Read more!

Eco Furnishings Found Locally at Crate & Barrel

After renovating a house recently with all environmentally friendly features, it was now time to look at furnishings. Of course, I wanted to go eco friendly. Home furnishings can be toxic and negatively impact your indoor air quality. I learned this first hand last year.

I made the incredibly stupid decision to purchase some bedroom furniture from a major national furniture chain. A few hours after it arrived, I noticed a heavy "new car/furniture" type of scent in the room. I figured it was just new and needed some time to air out. After a day, the odor was still there. After 4 days, the odor was still there. After 10 days straight with the windows opened, the odor DID NOT dissipate AT ALL! I was having visions of those poor people in New Orleans in their FEMA trailers! With the windows shut, I could only tolerate 5 minutes in the room before a headache would set in. I knew I had to take action and removed the furniture immediately.

My guess is that the wood frame and drawers were constructed with plywood that contained formaldehyde and heaven knows what else. In other types of furnishings, upholstery can be treated with flame retardant chemicals (and stain resistant chems too) that off gas into your home, and your family get the breathe it in! So going eco friendly makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons.

The next challenge is to find these types of furnishings, which are few and far between. Luckily, I stumbled onto a national chain that offers eco friendly furnishings and housewares, as a part of their Eco Initiaves Program - Crate & Barrel. They carry everything from Bamboo Dining Tables, to chairs with Soy foam cushioning, to recycled glass dinnerware. Some of the pics on this post are from their line. I was lucky enough to get some of these lovely pieces for our Green House and everyone loved them, especially me.

For more eco furnishings, take a look at:
Fernwalla
Cisco Brothers
Read more!

Mercedes Halts Production of Petro-powered Cars by 2015

I found an article on EcoGeek.org that talks about how Mercedes Benz plans to remove petro-powered cars from their line up by 2015. According to the source, they plan to focus their research on electric, fuel cells and biofuels. About $4 million dollars have been spent on the project to date, with a plan to spend an additional $1.4 billion by 2014. I don't know about the rest of you but this sounds like a crock to me!

Trust me, I am completely for the reduction in the use of fossil fuels, but how could this be? The year 2015 is only 6 1/2 years away - that would be a monumental achievement. Is there a plan to modify gas stations to biofuel hubs within this time frame that I haven't heard of? Why hasn't this announcement been on the front cover of every major newspaper and newscast in the country? A brief visit to the MB website indicates nothing about any of this or their "sustainable mobility" plan as quoted in EcoGeek. I am highly skeptical.

Some truths are mentioned however. Many automakers are looking to unveil their environmentally friendly vehicles in the year 2010, leaving us with little to choose from today. Just attempt to locate a new hybrid vehicle to purchase. Its akin to discovering the lost city of Atlantis. There are a few "clean diesels" hitting the market, i.e. the VWs and Mercedes Bluetec Vehicles. However, I am leery about purchasing the first model in a new series because it usually takes automakers a year or two to work out "the bugs", based on personal experience.

The bottom line: Don't believe everything in print. And hang onto your old car until 2010 if you can. Read more!

Eco-Fabulous Bath Furniture by Waterfall

Are you looking for eco-friendly bathroom furniture that is not only green but beautiful and functional? On my endless quest for all things green, I have noticed that finding something chic and green was not easy. Luckily, I found the needle in the haystack: Waterfall Bathroom Furniture.

As you can see by the photos, Waterfall offers a variety of styles that are sure to please even the most discriminating tastes. The materials used to make them are all environmentally responsible: from FSC certified MDF (medium density fiberboard) to the lowest VOC (volatile organic compounds), water based paints available. Even the countertops are made of CaesarStone, a certified green product.
Add a low flow faucet and your vanity will be full-on green! To see their complete line of products, go to Waterfall Bath. Read more!

Get Your Free Organic T-Shirt

...with your $30 contribution to the Obama campaign!

The last few Presidential elections, for me, were about picking the dog with the least fleas.

Not much has changed this time around, but the state of our planet and country are in complete disarray. This election requires our careful reflection and analysis. Because none of us have much time for that, here's a link to Grist, which offers a fact sheet on their home page for each candidate in regards to the environment.

The Obama camp has received the full support of the Sierra Club, as you may or may not be aware. I feel rather confident in my statement that I expect most, if not all of the remaining environmental groups to do the same.

Since the Democratic party has pledged that they are running the entire campaign on the pocket change of average Americans vs. special interest money (a rather noble gesture), I feel that it is my duty to help.

The Obama Camp is offering a "free" organic T-shirt to all contributors of $30 or more. There are several pages on his site to make a donation, but only this page offers the organic shirt. Click here for the Obama T-Shirt contribution page.

So if you are a supporter of the Earth or Obama, or you think you may be a supporter, or if you just like organic T-shirts, take one down for the cause. Read more!

A Simple Way to Stretch your Gas Dollar

I have mentioned this tip before, but in light of today's outrageous gas prices, I wanted to share it with you again. Plus I just did it today with incredible results. Like I said, having the appropriate amount of air in your tires can help increase your MPG. Here's how you do it: Buy a tire pressure gauge or just go to the gas station. Your tires say the amount of max psi or pressure they will take, so fill all 4 slighly lower than that level. That's it. My car (that is up next month, hooray!) gets an abysmal 15mpg in town but cranked it out to 18.8mpg! Ok, it's only 3 miles extra, but for my 25 gallon tank, that's an extra 75 miles per fill up. Cha- ching! Read more!

Feelin' the Love for Organic Love Lipsticks

It is said that the average woman ingests up to four pounds of lipstick or gloss in a lifetime. According to the Environmental Working Group, a partner of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, one-third of personal care products contain at least one chemical linked to cancer. With that in mind, I decided to begin looking for some safe alternatives, and I found a GREAT one with Afterglow Mineral Cosmetics' Organic Love Lipsticks.

Depending on the shade, these lipsticks are made with approximately 70% to 82% certified organic ingredients. Some of the key ingredients include organic jojoba seed oil, Vitamin E, organic pomegranate seed extract, organic grape seed extract, and organic apricot kernel. The rest of the ingredients are iron oxides and micas, (for pigment) and titanium oxide (for opacity), which are all pharmaceutical grade inert minerals. Organic Love is free from petroleum, gluten, paraben, nuts and the entire line of cosmetics is cruelty and gluten free. These gals over there are on the ball!

Aside from all those benefits, the lipstick itself goes on light and smooth, not heavy and waxy. Your lips will feel fabulous, as though the nutrients were going to work to moisturize and condition instantaneously. For real!

I highly recommend this product, so go to their site, drop $22 bucks and eat all the lipstick you want.

Note: Visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics site, which has a ton of information about all beauty products and their ingredients. You will find it invaluable. Read more!

Green House Makeover 3 : The Exterior

One of the most important features of any home is it's curb appeal, and as you can see, this house has none. My goal is to turn this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan! Let's take a peek at what needs to be improved and greenified.

First, the house looks like it's missing something. With a lack of architectural and landscaping detail, this Dutch Colonial look like a real dud. A front porch will add loads of curb appeal, an additional outdoor "room" and an element of character that is sorely lacking. Another benefit: a porch will help to keep the front aka the south side of the house cooler in summer.

**Green Solution** Using responsibly harvested lumber, FSC certified for example, is a great way to get green. FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, and the lumber they certify comes from responsibly managed and harvested forests. Lumber such as this is now available at the Green Depot, an up and coming green building supply chain.

Second, siding and paint. The colors presently used on this home are downright UGLY. And gasp - the siding is old asbestos shingles. This is a major environmental hazard if we remove them, plus it will cost us major bucks. What is our best green option here?

**Green Solution** Keeping the asbestos shingles intact doesn't present any danger to the occupants or neighbors of the home. Luckily, I found a exterior paint specialist called Rhino Shield, a national company with franchises across the USA. The Rhino Shield product is a ceramic paint that is sprayed on and lasts for up to 25 years with one application! It is 8 times the thickness of regular paint, and completely encapsulates the shingle and trim. (This is especially important for us with the asbestos). The ceramic paint is breathable, yet it helps to insulate your home from the heat and the cold. Have you ever noticed school buses with white paint on the roof? It's Rhino Shield paint and its applied for its insulation benefits, which effectively reduces fuel consumption. Rhino Shield paint comes in every color imaginable, has a 25 year warranty and is resistant to mold, water, heat, bugs, you name it. This is my answer!

Lastly, landscaping. Like I said in an earlier post - what landscaping? Most of the front and backyard has been or will be dug up as a result of construction, so we have to get ready to plant a new lawn and plantings, and cut back some of the aged growth.

**Green Solution** There are a host of new organic lawn care products that are now on the market that produce great results. Jonathan Green makes a great line, for example. Organic fertilizer, grass seed, and the use of native, drought resistant plants complete the picture. Something that needs constant watering isn't ideal anymore due to the overall reduction in rain accumulations. Furthermore, I found that local nurseries are willing to test your soil and offer you ideas about which plants to add to your yard, all for free. Utilize them!


The exterior is not yet complete, but I am hoping that the end result will look something like this in the end, which looks pretty homey to me.

Read more!

Green House Makeover - Oil vs. Gas or Solar??

Energy usage and efficiency is a critical element to any green home makeover. Currently, our lovely makeover house is heated by old fashioned steam radiators powered by an oil fired boiler. Ick. Not only is oil the dirtiest fuel source, it's the most expensive and least green. The electric is powered from, what else, electricity, which isn't cheap either in this part of the country.

We have a certain budget toward the upgrade of mechanicals of this house and unfortunately we can't replace both the boiler and add a solar system for the electric. ( Although I really, really, really, really want to.) Is our money spent more wisely on a new gas fired boiler which replaces the crusty oil furnace or do we keep it and add solar panels to pay for a portion of the electric bill?

Let's weigh it.

Solar: Clean, renewable energy. Totally green and conceptually, I love it. Solid up front investment for small system (2k). Must deal with local building departments and boards to get approval, and potentially, neighbors may complain that its ugly, since its on the front of the house. Depending on the new occupants of the house, it may pay for a good portion or a small to medium portion of their montly electric bill. Keep in mind that we are in the Northeast and we don't have full sun all year round like CA or FL, plus we still have oil to heat the house.

Gas: Much cleaner (aka less odors, no soot, major carbon reductions) than oil but not renewable. Still a fossil fuel yet a lot cheaper (for now.) Installation costs about 1/2 of the solar system. Electric remains untouched.

Do we get rid of the oil or go with solar? Feedback anyone? I am completely interested in hearing from you!!!

My thought is to go with gas. The sooner we all get off oil, like the junkies we are, the better off the country and our planet will be. The current oil boiler is older and probably not working at full efficiency anyway. It will be cleaner and cheaper and the new occupants will benefit more this way vs. electric via solar. I really love solar but unless the system covers most of the electric usage and preferably pays me back, I'm not sure its worth the money vs. the alternative. If we went for a larger system that could take care of 100% of the usage, it would become cost prohibitive on this project.

What I could do if money was no object....and if it's not an object to you, call me and we'll do lunch. On you. Read more!

Green House Makeover I - Evaluation

As you may or may not have read in a previous post, I have purchased a property in New York with the intention of renovating it as green as possible and then selling it to some lucky greenie. The house itself is a solid early 20th century Dutch Colonial and I plan on adding as many energy efficient and sustainable items as possible to enhance its green value.

Now I need to perform an overall evaluation to determine opportunities for change.

OK, let's talk about the exterior. Quite simply, it's ugly. The house looks like it's missing something big, like a front porch. I think we'll add one. The exterior paint colors are hideous, especially the reddish brown trim. The landscaping is...what landscaping? The driveway is also a disaster and the garage is being held up by a giant overgrown bush. Change all that.

Let's go inside. The house is not big with 7 rooms in all, but it has great bones, a nice flow and original pine floors throughout. The baths and kitchen are gross. The whole place is dirty and pretty much everything you see needs to be refinished.

The mechanicals in the basement consist of a 100amp electric panel, already updated. A working oil burning furnace. Not very green. Hmm.

One green trait already exists. The windows have been updated with Energy Star replacement windows with a low E (emittance) coating! This is the window you want to install in your house for its beneficial energy rating and ability to keep radiant heat out in summer and warm air in during the winter.

On this project, I want to focus on energy and water efficiency, superior interior air quality, and beautiful sustainable features and products throughout that will knock the socks off of everyone who comes in. I am thinking possibly solar, modification of furnace, insulations checks abound, and a few surprises too.

Time to call the suppliers... Read more!