Did you know that you can use lemons to clean your house and keep it smelling good while saving money? If you have a Sams Club or Cosco near you you can buy a big bag and save money!

Some ways you can use lemons to clean:

• Rub a cut lemon across wood chopping blocks, butcher blocks, cutting boards to disinfect. For stains squeeze the juice straight on the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse or wipe clean with water.
• Lemon peels down your garbage disposal will not only clean your disposal but will make your kitchen smell good.
• Glass cleaner - 2 cups water & 1/2 cup lemon juice in a spray bottle
• Lemon scrub - 1/2 lemon sprinkled w/ baking soda
• Air freshener - 2 cups hot water, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1/4 cup lemon juice in a spray bottle
• Use lemon juice to clean and polish brass and copper

Copy Less - Wherever you can, reduce the number of copies of documents you make to the absolute minimum.  In your next meeting, could one copy be shared between two people? Can you present a report in a digital form, such as a power point presentation or an email, rather than as a hard copy?

Keep a recycling receptacle - Make sure your office has a paper recycling container that's emptied regularly.  If the receptacle starts overflowing, chances are your colleagues will stop using. it.

Use every inch - Use paper as many times as you can.  For example, if you're throwing away a letter than only takes up half a page, cut off the blank piece and use it for lists and scrap paper before  you recycle.

Drop a font size - Dropping a font size when printing your documents - and going for less space between the lines - means you save both ink and paper.  This is a good option for documents you are reviewing or using as back-up hard copy rather than sending out.

Originally posted on National Geographic's Green-Guide by James Robertson

Shopping Tips

There are several types of photovoltaic, or PV, cells available that power small devices such as calculators, phones, music players, computers, and lights.

The PV cell that has been used for years in calculators and watches is made from a thin layer of silicon on top of any number of surfaces that conduct electricity, and is called an amorphous silicon cell. These cells convert about 12 percent of available solar energy into electricity, providing only small amounts of power.

The most common type of PV cell is the crystalline silicon cell, which is made from thin wafers of silicon either sliced off a single crystal or made of many crystals and impregnated with other elements that help the cell generate and conduct electricity. These cells approach 20 percent efficiency.

Originally posted on National Geographic http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/06/110601-green-motor-oil-recycling/

by Brian Handwerk For National Geographic News Published on June 1, 2011

Drivers think more about the gasoline or petrol they pay for at the pump than they do about the motor oil that has to be changed every few months.

But energy companies and environmentalists are focusing on ways to reduce the waste generated by this ubiquitous petroleum product. They’re even researching how the right formulas might significantly boost fuel efficiency.

June 8th is World Oceans Day http://worldoceansday.org/

On World Oceans Day people around the planet celebrate and honor the body of water which links us all, for what it provides humans and what it represents. Be a part of this growing global celebration!

The world’s ocean:

• Generates most of the oxygen we breathe
• Helps feed us
• Regulates our climate
• Cleans the water we drink
• Offers us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines
• Provides limitless inspiration!

http://www.wftday.org/

World Fair Trade Day is the first global campaign for The Fair Trade movement connecting producers and customers around the world.