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).

Memphis airport unveils ‘green’ plans for Ground Transportation Center

Originally Posted on Memphis Business Journal - by Andy AshbyWednesday, January 6, 2010, 10:31am CST

Recycle E-waste - Free event sponsored by City of Southaven 1/9/10

 

From Bradley K. Wallace, AIA Director of Operations City of Southaven, Mississippi bwallace@southaven.org

Green Christmas: Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday

Originally Posted by Cameron Walker on December 20, 2004 on National Geographic.
  Yes, the holidays draw out the best in most of us each year. But they also bring what seems like an environmentalist's worst nightmare: tons of extra garbage, millions of chopped-down trees, and megawatts of flashing lights. With a little tweaking, however, everything from holiday gift-giving to light-stringing can celebrate the environment, too. Here's how:

Giving Green

Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans throw away a million extra tons [900,000 metric tons] of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging, according to Robert Lilienfeld. Lilienfield is co-author of the book Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.

20 Last-Minute FUNctional Gifts at $20

Originally Posted By Christine Dell'Amore and Tasha Eichenseher on December 16, 2009 on National Geographic's The Green Guide

 

 

Still looking for that perfect gift? One that emphasizes giving and helps to tone down holiday hype? Check out these green ideas:

Green iPhone Apps

Help your iPhone-obsessed friends by showering them with green apps. Apps such as GreenYou helps calculate carbon footprints and develop plans for reducing them. Kill-O-Watts will tally how much energy appliances consume, and iLocavore helps foodies find locally grown produce, meat, and cheese. Free—$3

#1 - Choose to reuse - When you can, avoid single-use products that you will have to dispose of after use.  Instead, choose items that will last longer and can be reused or refilled.  As a general rule, the more plastic they contain, the more you should try and reuse.

#2 - Dust up a storm - Instead of throwing away old T-shirts and letting the material go to waste, tear them up and use instead of store-bought dusters.  You'll have a never-ending supply of rags for cleaning and wiping up, and they can simply be washed and reused time and time again!

#3 - Brush it up - Don't throw away your old toothbrush; use it to clean tricky-to-reach areas like the caulking between floor and wall tiles and the area around bathroom faucets.  Often a little more elbow grease will do the trick without resorting to harsh cleaners.

#4 - Lights out- Instead of leaving your house lights on when you go on vacation, install a timer or remote-controlled lighting system so you can use them as little as possible.

10 Steps To Reduce Risks If You're Pregnant

By Diane di Costanzo originally posted on National Geographic's The Green Guide on December 21, 2004

 

The womb acts as a wonderfully protective cushion between the fetus and the jolts and bumps of the outside world. On the inside, though, the placenta simply cannot shield the womb from all of the man-made chemicals that have, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, collected in our bodies. You can, however, take simple steps to reduce the risk to your offspring by paying special attention to what you eat, drink and breathe.

Bathroom Basics

The Taming of the Loo: Five easy tips for practicing conservation in your bathroom, from National Geographic's True Green Home book. Originally posted on National Geographic's The Green Guide.