Dealing With Ecological Crisis Sensibly

There is much talk of ecological crisis. It is said that most of these are man made. The ecological crisis that is being talked about consists of a vast array of problems. There are the oil spills that devastate vast areas in the sea and the coast line. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 off the coast of Alaska is one such. Global warming, a result of the emission of green house gases because of human activities could flood many islands that dot the Pacific Ocean. The depletion of ozone layer will increase the radiation from the sun reaching the earth. Many species will disappear as a result of deforestation as well as desertification. Large plain areas will be threatened with devastating floods due to the vanishing forests up in the hills. It is estimated that some 17,000 to as many as 100,000 species vanish every year. Over the last five decades, seven million square kilometers of forests have vanished. Only one-fifth of the original forests survive intact.

We do know from science that there is a strong inter-relationship between species, and between species and the non-living things in the environment. The survival of the species depends on the extent to which this inter dependence between species, whether micro-organisms, animals or plants, is possible. Ecosystems, scientists say, cannot be engineered and created by humans. It is only by letting the ecosystem survive that species will survive. That is why the importance of conservation and preservation is considered vital. But human progress through development and growth is threatening the survival of species.

It is hoped that the large scale appreciation of natural reserves will lead to conservation of these reserves. Camping in such reserves for the purpose of recreation and learning is considered to be one way of strengthening conservation. Responsible camping in such reserves also requires a living experience with camping tents. You need to select a tent that is suited to your needs. Kelty Green River 4 person tent accommodates four persons. It is a two season tent which could also be used as a base camp tent. Tents accommodating one to even ten persons with different features are available in the market.

It is important that visitors to the camping site do not interfere with nature. They should also respect local cultures as well. Appreciating nature for its complexity is vital. Understanding the different roles that nature plays reveals its mystery. What is more important is to recognize the fact that we belong to nature, and nature does not belong to us. We are related to nature as between children to their mother.

Solar and Wind Power makes sense

In world today the sun has become a popular energy source and is becoming a more popular power source for homes around the world. The cost of rising energy bills and the decline in the environment have made people sit up and start thinking of alternative ways of saving money and the environment.

Solar powered homes have become more popular around the world. The sun can be used to run home appliances, for example: washing machines, driers, cookers, televisions, radios and much more. Why don't you use solar energy to power your water heaters in your home.

By installing solar panel heaters you can save money after time and this could also mean the electric companies may end up paying you? By switching to solar or wind power will not only save money but will aslo make you money.
 
Solar and wind powered electricity homes are being built all around the world to reiterate to governments that solar homes are extremely efficient and make complete sense. There are also grants which are offered to individuals and companies by the government to assist with the cost of building a solar environment.

If you are confident enough you can build your own solar panels otherwise there are a number of solar companies which will install solar panels into your home for you.

Solar water heating, solar electricity are efficient and a financial plus for everyone. Solar houses, solar flats, solar homes are now the next generation and the future.

There are a number of guides on setting up a solar environment within your home. The literature and video will help you be environmentally friendly, quickly and easily. 

There are many uses for solar power for example:  Solar electricity, solar water heaters and solar gadgets (Solar batteries, torches, clocks) Using solar PV is becoming so much more popular and governments are now starting to recognise this. Use solar energy today and your local or national governments will help you financially.

Information about solar power is available to everyone and we should embrace it now before it is too late.

Greener Alternatives To The Plastic Shower Curtain

With the wake of the “green” movement many home owners have embraced this concept and even gone as far as making their homes greener. It goes without saying then that shower curtains even your beautiful mickey mouse shower curtains, especially the plastic types, can also be changed. This article will provide a quick but useful insight into some alternatives you can choose from.

The terrible thing about plastic shower curtains is that they tend to emit some not so ozone friendly gassing. They are particularly at their worst when they are fresh from the store. Let us delve right into our topic for the day.

Buying yourself a hemp shower curtain, especially if you live in a dry area, is a good idea. My reason for saying only those living in drier areas should consider this is because it takes a longer time to dry.

Its flip side is that due to the amount of time it takes to dry you find that it starts to develop some mold spots, which then requires regular washing. The more it is washed the quicker it wears out so you need to realize the opportunity cost here . Check your local store or buy online for about $90.

Another alternative is to find those made from cloth. Make sure the one you buy dries up quickly and can be washed using a washing machine. My best pick is nylon but you can try out other options. Find something that comes with a very tight weave and can repel water adequately. This could cost you something like $20. This is a good alternative to Hemp because it dries better and does not build up mold or soap scum. When buying you have an options like black and white traditional paisley fabric shower curtains  or simply find a purple shower curtain of your choice. Think about the look and feel of your bathroom before choosing and color and try to choose the right color combinations.

I said I hate plastic, yes, but I will not withhold the truth and not tell you that there are a few green curtains that you can buy – if you must stick with plastic.

Tips on Finding the Real Green Products

Someone whispers “organic” or “natural” in mainstream media as the healthy and smart choice and suddenly it is everywhere and the solar power generation is here  Organic that, natural this, but is it all just a big scheme to get people to continue to buy their products?

Green Washing. The problem is most products you buy are not all natural or organic and so these companies have a huge problem. Consumer demand started to shift towards healthier “natural and organic” alternatives to the typical non-natural or organic products on the market today. Instead of coming up with a new formula or a new product that actually IS all natural or organic they have simply ADDED a harmless organic ingredient to their products. Why would they do this? That is easy, with this miniscule amount of natural product they can now slap “Made With Organic blah” or “Includes Natural blah” and people will jump all over it, even though nothing has really changed.

So, as a consumer, what can you do to avoid the “fake” go green stuff and get real natural or organic products? It will take a little more than a stop at the super market for starters. Before you go out do some research online and try to find products that actually are all natural and where they are sold so you know where to go. But what if you are at the store already or are not sure what kind of product you want in the first place? Well it gets a little harder but there are some things you can do. Look at the label and see if all the ingredients are organic or natural. If only one is, and it is very small compared to the others on the list then you found a faker, move on.

If it is some kind of skin care product reading the label is the best way to go. The ingredients amount and weight are listed top to bottom. So if an all natural ingredient is the first on you see your probably safe. If it is the last, think again. This does apply to household products that so try to do some research before hand. There are lots of companies now that provide natural alternatives and with a little looking you can probably find some really good deals.

The biggest tattletale is that natural products have nothing to hide. So if it is all natural it will say so on the ingredients and will contain little to nothing of any other ingredient. If you see a huge list of words you can’t pronounce chances are it is not as natural or organic as the huge sticker on the front of it wants you to believe.
Living a Greener Live: What Can You Do?

Going Green Means Saving Water With A Low Flow Shower Head

If you’re looking to go green, one of the best places to start is by taking a look at one of our daily rituals: taking a shower. Have you ever stopped to think where that water comes from and how much of it is being used?

The EPA estimates that showering accounts for 17 percent of indoor residential water use in the United States. That amounts to an astounding 3.3 billion gallons of water per day, and 1.2 trillion gallons per year. This virtual ocean of water is being removed from delicate aquatic ecosystems and inflicting a great deal of damage on the environment. Some of this water may eventually return to the environment through water treatment plants, but much of it won’t or will do so only with pollution. It may be no surprise, then, that increasing water efficiency should be a high priority for governments and individuals seeking to make a difference for the environment.

One of the best ways to save water is to install a water-saving, low flow shower head. These shower heads are engineered to provide a powerful flow of water without sacrificing the luxury or comfort you’re used to in your showering routine. Technology can vary from creatively designed orifices that focus the stream and control the size of water droplets, to showerheads that inject air into the water stream to increase the blast.

Low flow shower heads typically use 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm). By contrast, older or non-efficient fixtures use more than 2.5 gpm, with those older than 15 years sometimes using more than 7 gallons per minute!

Not sure if you need one of these water saving shower heads? Do this test: put a bucket that’s marked in gallons under your shower head, then turn on the shower at the normal rate you would use. Use a watch to record how many seconds it takes to fill the bucket to the one-gallon point. If it takes less than 20 seconds then you’re using more water than you really need and should consider buying a low flow shower head instead.

In addition to saving water and the environment, there’s also the matter of saving money. Whereas a low flow fixture could run you as little as $15 (a bit more for higher quality ones), the 20% or more in water savings you’d realize would translate to $50-$75 a year on water bills and another $20-$50 a year on energy bills for heating the water. In other words, the showerhead almost immediately pays for itself.

Installing a new shower head is easy. You usually just unscrew the old one, screw in the new one, and you’re done!

If going green matters to you, there is every reason to change to a water saving shower head. There’s not much else you can do that is so easy and makes such a big difference for both the environment and your wallet without sacrificing one bit of luxury.

The War Between Food and Energy

Today climate change is acknowledged by all except the most doubtful skeptics.  Warmer temperatures in areas where its supposed to be cool, scorching summers, and bone chilling winters have become a pattern that we no longer can simply ignore.

What The War About?

The demand for cheap energy is causing people to become desperate and many are turning to bio-fuel like it’s the cure for all energy shortages. So what is bio-fuel? It is any gaseous, solid, or liquid material derived from biological materials.  Bio-fuel’s raw materials are usually agricultural crops that  undergo fermentation and certain other processes in order to produce bio-fuel. Crops made into bio-fuel can not be eaten, thus begins the conflict.

The Problem

Those countries with the highest number of vehicles running their roads like the United States, England and most of the European nations want more and more fuel. Because bio-fuel is made from corn, sugarcane, palm oil, vegetable oil, etc, most often from crops grown in Third World Countries, competition has grown between food and bio-fuels.

In Mexico, there is now a “tortilla crisis”. Corn, which is the basic ingredient of tortilla, is now being sold at five times the price it once sold for. The reason for the increased prices? The demand of corn for making bio-fuel.  Why sell corn for a dollar when you can now get five dollars because the demand is much higher.

Who Suffers?

Highly developed countries will have to import produce from the third world countries to fuel their increasing demand for bio-energy.  Third world countries are usually tropical ones located near the equator.  Longer growing season produce higher yields of corn and  other crops needed to manufacture bio-fuel. However, for these countries corn is also used for food. So is sugar cane. For the first world too produce enough bio-fuel,  people in poorer countries must work longer and harder to be able to afford the higher prices or go without the most basic of all necessities: food.

A Compromise

So what should we do? We must solve the problems of the environment and pollution caused by using fossil fuels, but in doing so we are creating another equally important problem.  If the farm laborers can’t afford food, who will till the land to supply the crops for bio-fuel?

Sustainable energy is supposed to improve life, not make it harder. The solution may be that develped countries will need to find a way to help underdeveloped counties plant new crops. These crops must not be those intended for use by local consumers. Stringent rules governing pricing and distribution will be necessary to keep those crops used for food sources separate from those planted for energy.

Sustainable power means the world working hand in hand to create a better way of life for all. A successful solution to the competing demands for food and bio-fuel crops will require hard work, dedication and compromise.

Go Green Easily: Second-hand Is NOT a Dirty Word

Go Green Easily:  Second-hand Is NOT a Dirty Word

 Go green easily by using second-hand and consignment stores.  The current economic downturns most of us are feeling has taken some of the stigma off buying preowned items.  Yard sales are hot shopping spots, on line classified ad sites are cropping up in droves and community swaps are growing in popularity.  Second-hand is NOT a dirty word.  People of all classes are realizing that there are great finds on the racks and shelves of consignment stores and thrift stores.  The old adage of “One man’s  trash is another man’s treasure.” has taken on new meaning and new value. 

 Utilizing stores that clean, refurbish, rewire or simply sell items as-is eliminates the need to ship merchandise from around the country.  There’s no added cost to the price tag for fuel fees, warehouse handling fees, trucking companies fees nor the big charge for buying a name brand article at full price.  Donations are tax deductible with receipts from the organization stating the estimated value of the items; you save when you give as well as receive.  Many charity organizations use their resale stores for training.  The developmentally disabled, recovering addicts, the homeless and others in need of marketable skills learn how to rewire appliances or do reupholstery work or succeed in retail so they can support themselves.

 Go green and get greenbacks by putting consignment stores to good use.  Last year’s fashion staples, brand new stock from retired businesses or an extra toaster oven from a newlywed’s gift collection are found treasures.  As a rule, only clean, like-new products are acceptable for consideration at these stores.  Finding original price tags on packaging is very common.  Consignment stores will either pay you a flat rate for your items or take a small fee on what they sold for.  Many will even give an in-store credit or let you trade some of your things for same-priced merchandise.  Building a good relationship with the owner or manager can garner you some nice perks, like getting a first look at new arrivals before they go out onto the sales floor.

 Going green and second-hand buying go hand-in-hand so remember, second-hand is NOT a dirty word.  These stores serve their communities by employing from within the area, giving new life to gently-used or even never-used things and keeping their corner of the local economy going.  Thrift stores are usually a training and financial source for charities while consignment stores put cash in your pocket but both do the same service; keeping usable items out of the dumps. 

For more interesting articles and free advice on living green tips and eco green living  visit us at
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Go Green Easily: Organic or Not?

  Go Green Easily: Organic or Not?

 Go green easily with knowing which foods to buy certified organic food and which ones you can pass on.  The big push is to eat everything organic in order to save the planet and the human species.  That isn’t exactly a clear picture of the situation.  Organic foods are certified in different ways to stand for different qualities.  Many foods deemed organic are grown in conditions that still harm the land they’re grown on and many are packaged inappropriately.  Just because a product flashes the word “Organic” on it doesn’t make it worth automatically buying.  Certain plants are naturally bug-proof and get non-toxic treatments that make them invalid for the “organic” label. difficult to go green easily within the big Organic Debate.  There are websites, local gardening classes and University extension programs that will answer your questions.  How is a product deemed Organic?  What do the different types or certifications actually mean?  Are there some countries, states or counties whose foods you should avoid or buy with caution?  What foods really should be organic and which ones just need a good washing?  As to this last question, the rule of thumb is that root and tuber vegetables, thin skinned fruits and leafy vegetables should be bought at the store as organics.  Again, a little research from a trusted source will yield a bounty of important information.

 Go green easily within the controversy of what should be organic or not by growing some super simple produce of your own.  Grow your own spinach, lettuce, carrots or whatever strikes your fancy.  Greens and carrots are very easy to grow and care for plus the savings are astounding.  A package of “designer” salad greens costs around $2.75, is ready for picking in 25-35 days from sprouting and keeps producing as long as you have seeds.  Three 10-inch pots on the patio will provide a constant supply of salad goodies that can be brought in during winter and kept going year-round.  You can do the same with herbs and a windowsill.

 Go green easily choosing organically grown foods vs traditionally grown by getting more informed, being more aware and even dabbling in small batches of your own creations.  When choosing your food think of it this way: If it’s good for the plant it’s probably good for you and the world you inhabit.

For more interesting articles and free advice on living green tips and eco green living  visit us at
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Go Green Easily: City Slicker Composting

Go Green Easily: City Slicker Composting

 Go green easily. be a City Slicker composter.  Sound unbelievable?  It’s not.  The old stigmas no longer apply.  Composting won’t smell to the high heavens if it’s done right.  You don’t have to fork over hundreds of dollars, either, for a fancy contraption.  A little imagination and elbow grease will get you a composter for almost free or with a little extra browsing on the internet you can get one for a serious discount, your choice.  There are all shapes, sizes, capacities and material constructions available now.  Yes, there are a lot of them out there and with the increasing demand in gardening equipment for the home grower, you should do some homework to get the biggest bang for your buck.  You can use all the finished product yourself, share with neighbors or even pitch in and buy 2 tumblers to rotate fresh batches with “cooked” ones for your group of fellow gardeners.

 Going green by composting is beneficial in so many ways and where you live makes no difference.  The usual thought is that composting is for those folks with a nice chunk of land for the gardens of their choice.  It’s true that the more ambitious your garden the larger tumbler or more of them you’ll need but more and more apartment dwellers are getting on the composting band wagon.  Houseplants and potted potatoes alike need the nutrients found in household compost.  It enriches the soil, feeds the plant the building blocks it’s made of and reduces the amount of trash put into your garbage can.

 Go green easily by composting because they can be made from just about anything and they fit just about anywhere.  From garbage cans, PVC panels that spin with handles to wood-and-wire crates that you stir up with a pitch fork, your gizmo can  be filled with all the plant matter that comes from your kitchen plus eggshells.  The only things that don’t belong in compost are any toxic products, animal parts or products and seeds you don’t want to grow up.  Ground eggshells are the only recommended animal products because they don’t attract vermin while adding calcium to your finished “gold”.  Composting is common sensical.  If you don’t want something in your body, don’t put it in the compost.  If something goes into the soil your food is grown in, it goes into you.

 Whether you have an acre, a balcony or a pot in the window, go a little greener and compost.  A coffee can, a do-it-yourself web find or a prebuilt tumbler will keep your plants happy, your garbage can less full and you’ll be participating in your own little circle of life.  Composting is the original and best step in recycling.

For more interesting articles and free advice on living green tips and eco green living  visit us at
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Alternative Energy Consultants

The alternative energy consultants tell us that the transition from the petroleum-driven economy and society will not be a smooth one, on the whole. The amount of new technologies and infrastructures that need to be developed and built is staggering—even as Germany achieves powering 10% of the entire nation through the use of wind turbines and home made electic generators, even as corporation after corporation is springing up, helped by various governments’ tax breaks and rebate incentives, to drive forward the alternative energy mission. We have lain dormant on alternative energy on the grand scale for so long that we now have to scramble to play catch-up as access to cheap oil lurks ever closer to being a thing of the past.

Consultants on alternative energy also tell us that we need multilateral, international efforts in concert with one another in the direction of getting away from the heavy—almost total—dependence on fossil fuels. They are poised to become too expensive, burning them is polluting the atmosphere, and digging for them is disrupting the natural environment. We have about 30 years left of reasonably cheap oil and gas—and consultants say that within 20 years beyond that point, we had better be at least 90% independent of them. Unfortunately, at the present time the world is mostly not acting as if this is the case. The thirst for oil is growing, not slaking, and it is growing faster now than it did even in the 1970s.

One of the major problems of transition, the consultants point out, is that higher oil and gas prices stimulate the economy (This flies in the face of what many energy so-called “experts” and many members of the public believe, but the fact is that oil and gas are found and manufactured and transported by huge corporations who employ multitudes of staff workers and contractors; and from their huge profits their stocks remain lucrative on Wall Street.). Alternative, or “green” energy has to become more marketplace friendly, more profitable to investors and would-be employers. Wall Street does not like change; so there is resistance to this much-needed economic transition. It is because of this that many consultants are saying that we need an international, governments-backed initiative put into place; we are told that we cannot expect the new economy to spring forth overnight, all clean and polished and perfected, from the black ashes of the fossil fuel economy phoenix.  

It is most imperative that the wealthy, big-production nations such as the US, Japan, Western Europe, and others be the ones to spearhead the effort to get off of the fossil fuel dependence. Smaller, poorer nations are very simply never going to achieve the level of energy production through coal and oil that these nations have—for by the time they would be ready to, the cheap access to the fossil fuels will be gone, and they will never be able to sustain their newly-risen civilizations at that time as we have been able to do.  The time for transition from black to green is now.

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