Water Is Life-Let's Share It

Originally posted by Sandra Postel on March 15, 2010 on National Geographic's Green Guide
National Geographic Freshwater Fellow

Welcome to the world of water. As National Geographic's freshwater fellow, I'll be sharing with you ideas and stories about water in all its facets--from the big global challenges of water scarcity and intensifying droughts and floods to how we as individuals and communities can take part in solving water problems in our own backyards and across the globe.

For more than 25 years now, I've never strayed too far from one simple question: Can we human beings use and manage water in ways that not only meet our needs but that allow the rest of life on this planet to thrive too?

P&G makes "future friendly" environmental push

Originally posted by DAN SEWELL, AP Business Writer on Monday, March 15, 2010 on San Francisco Chronicle

The world's largest consumer products company is stepping up marketing of its environmental efforts and conservation education.

Procter & Gamble Co. said Monday it will launch a major multimedia "Future Friendly" campaign late this month. Beside TV and online ads, there will be new labeling for products in stores meant to save water, energy and waste.

The maker of Tide detergent, Pampers diapers and Gillette shavers has been introducing environment-minded products such as Tide Cold Water, which P&G says also helps consumers reduce the cost of running their washers by not having to heat up the water.

P&G, which will be offering coupons for highlighted products, says research shows that there is strong interest among consumers in things that have both environmental and economic benefits.

1. Keep your mower blades sharpened; blunt blades will tear grass rather than cut it, making cutting the grass more time- and energy-consuming.  Damages grass also needs more water than healthy grass.

2. For a lawn that needs less watering, choose well-adapted, hardy, and disease-resistant varieties of grass such as ryegrass or bluegrass, or zoysia or bermuda grass.  This will help you save water without a noticeable difference in the appearance of your lawn.  Watering in the morning when there is less chance of evaporation will help you conserve water.

3. Put a barrel under your gutter drain to catch rainwater.  Using this to water your garden not only saves on your water bill, but your plants and lawn will get the benefit of the natural minerals contained in rain. 

4. Leave your clippings after mowing the lawn rather than collecting them with a mower bag or raking it away, as this will help feed and replenish soil.  But don't do this if it's very cold or damp or if the clippings are very long, as they might suffocate the grass.

10 Unexpected Natural Cleaners

originally posted on Real Simple by Nicole Sforza

White Bread: Use it to dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime.

Ketchup: Use it to remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

Oatmeal: Use it to scrub very dirty hands. Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water; rinse well.

Rice: Use it to clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigor-ously, and rinse.

Tea: Use it to scour rusty garden tools. Brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth. (Wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained.)

Please join us for our 5th Annual Tree Planting

Saturday, February 20, 2010

1) Choose pet food for your animals containing as much organic or fresh produce as possible, rather than multiprocessed alternatives that often contain little or no natural products.  There is a good range of organic pet food, doggie biscuits, treats, and even homeopathic remedies available from natural pet stores.

2) Pet food packaging is often very wasteful, so choose products with as little packaging as possible and look for those packaged in cardboard or other recyclable materials rather than plastic.  Choose as large packs as you can as they are more economical and use less packaging.

3) Don't buy scented cat litter, which contains chemicals designed to be absorbed into the air.  Buy unscented versions and look out for those made from recycled paper, cardboard, or whole-kernel corn.

4) Don't let your cat or dog eat and drink from a plastic bowl, but choose a ceramic or stainless steel bowl instead.  These are much less damaging to the environment in their manufacture and will last a lot longer, too.

The Top 25 Green Cities in the U.S.

originally posted by Paul McRandle and Sara Smiley Smith on National Geographic's The Green Guide

In recognition of the efforts of cities across the country to provide energy-efficient, least polluting and healthy living spaces, the Green Guide presents the environmental leaders, those cities whose green achievements set the standard for others. As The New York Times has reported, in the absence of federal direction, cities across the country are taking environmental stewardship into their own hands and reducing their burden on the planet.

We asked cities with populations over 100,000 to complete our survey and, in combination with environmental data we gathered from government sources, scored cities on an eleven-point scale. Our results are below and for more information about our criteria, see "What Makes A City Green?"

Highlights of the Top 25 Green Cities

1. Eugene, OR (score 9.0375, pop. 137,893)

- Sustainable business incubator

- Renewable energy supplying 85% of city's power

Posted on National Geographic http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/sustainable-agriculture/

Sustainable agriculture takes many forms, but at its core is a rejection of the industrial approach to food production developed during the 20th century.

This system, with its reliance on monoculture, mechanization, chemical pesticides and fertilizers, biotechnology, and government subsidies, has made food abundant and affordable. However, the ecological and social price has been steep: erosion; depleted and contaminated soil and water resources; loss of biodiversity; deforestation; labor abuses; and the decline of the family farm.

The concept of sustainable agriculture embraces a wide range of techniques, including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic, and biodynamic.

- If latex gloves are being used in your place of work, make it plain, non-PVC versions.  Avoid powdered gloves or those containing vinyl - they can release poisons when incinerated.

- To cut down on pollution caused by your daily commute to work, investigate in the possibility of telecommuting one or two days a week by working from home or a local office.  Email and video-conferencing from a home webcam makes this easier than ever before.

- Many offices outsource their cleaning and maintenance.  Make sure the contractor your company chooses is taking steps to protect the environment by minimizing their use of chemicals in the products they use.  If not, ask to consider swapping to a contractor who does.

- Petition your boss to put up a well-lit bike rack close to your office building, if not inside.  Having a safe place to store bicycles might encourage more people to bike to and from work.

- Walk or ride your bicycle to work instead of taking your car.  If you have a long way to travel, trains and buses are better than cars because they cut down your pollution impact.

- Instead of using furniture polis in an aerosol can, make your own totally natural polish using beeswax, turpentine, and your favorite essential oil to make your house smell as well as look good.

- Silver cleaners can be abrasive and harsh.  Make your own cleaner for sterling (not plate) silver by mixing 1 pint water with a teaspoon each of salt and baking powder and adding a strip of aluminum foil.  Drop the silver into this mixture, boil for a few minutes, remove with tongs and polish with a soft cloth.  Add lemon juice for really grimy silver.

- Instead of disposable dishcloths that have to be thrown away and replaced every few weeks, choose cotton cloths.  They'll stand the test of time and can be washed and reused for many months.

- Degreasers designed to clean your kitchen pans are often full of harsh and toxic ingredients.  You can clean the bottom of your pan without resorting to chemicals by boiling some rhubarb in the pan, which will pull the dirt off the sides (except on aluminum, where you should use vinegar).