WVO Pump

Why are disposable grocery bags such a bad thing for the environment? Over the last several years, you may have heard in the news about problems associated with the usage of paper and plastic grocery bags. So the question is why? Why should you go out of your way to avoid using disposables, and start using eco friendly reusable or recycled bags? Prior to buying into any campaign or cause, it is important to know exactly how your efforts can make a positive impact on the environment and our planet. In this artcle, we will analyze some key environmental issues and problems linked with disposable shopping bag usage.

The Environmental Literacy Council does a wonderful job of educating people about the negative effects of both plastic and paper disposable bags at EnviroLiteracy.Org. We will start with the environmental impact of manufacturing plastic and paper bags from production to delivery. Plastic bags are manufactured using oil, and so the environmental consequences of production includes all things from retrieving the oil, to the separation of products in the oil refining process, to the plastic fabrication process, and the energy used and emissions created to dispense the bags to retailers. So the truth of the matter is that the production of plastic bags (as a result of and by our demand as customers) is a contributive factor to our addiction to oil. Paper bags, are of course created from trees and add to worldwide deforestation and reduction of life habitats all over the earth. Also, the amount of energy exploited to fabricate and circulate paper bags and the carbon emissions produced is worse than that of plastic bags. The truth is that neither paper nor plastic bags are a healthy product for our environment, especially compared to eco friendly recycled grocery bags.

Obviously, as you may know, one other fundamental problem with disposable bags is the extensive pollution and litter concern, in particular, connected with plastic bags. Plastic bags have evolved to become the “modern tumbleweed”. They show up everywhere and often end up in swamps, streams, rivers, lakes and in the ocean. While researching this report I came across some surprising information at 5gyres.Org, which teaches people concerning the 5 gyres in our earth’s oceans. Here’s a tid bit: “At sea floating plastics are swept up into slow moving currents. These currents are called ‘gyres’. Our Oceans are dynamic systems…. made up of complex networks of currents… Large systems of these currents, coupled with wind and the earth’s rotation, create ‘gyres’, massive, slow rotating whirlpools in which plastic trash can accumulate.” The most famous of these is the North Pacific Gyre, which has also been called the “great pacific garbage patch”, has been studied the most and is an mass of trash and plastic approximated by many to be twice the size of Texas.

What so many folks don’t recognize is that there are really 5 gyres scattered throughout our world’s oceans and seas where floating rubbish, and especially plastic is accumulating at a fast rate. One of the scariest parts about all this is that aquatic animals often ingest this waste floating in the sea and suffocate or starve to death as a result. By remembering to use eco friendly reusable shopping bags, instead of disposable paper or plastic bags, our individual actions add to the solution instead of the problem.

The ecological dilemma our world finds itself in today demands that we take immediate action. You now can clearly understand, the widespread use of plastic and paper shopping bags adds up to major environmental problems that won’t just vanish. We have to alter our personal habits by reminding ourselves to use reusable eco shopping bags every chance we get. When we take a stand against the common litter problem brought on by disposable shopping bags, we are manifesting a cleaner world one decision at a time.

Technorati Tags: Environment, environmental news, going green, politics

Have you ever thought of what it would be if you were a little more environmentally sound with your electricity decisions? If you haven’t yet, ask yourself why that is. Did you know that the amount of greenhouse gases produced by standard power companies is sending nature into a death spiral? Energy cost are also increasing. Electricity rates are also consistently rising.

If you are looking to cut down on your electricity bill, you will have to begin taking into account alternative methods of power. It will not only be better for nature, but it can even help you save a lot of money in the long run.

If you prefer to go green, it is an excellent idea to check out green power solutions now. To help find out what you need, look at some of the alternatives available to you. A review like Free Energy Options Consumer Review is an effective starting point. may also assist you. Another good educational read is that of Home Made Energy Review.

As said, green electricity is one way that you can save cash in the future. However, this does not suggest that you won’t be disturbed with starting costs. On setting up, some systems cost thousands of dollars. You’ll find that it may perhaps be a requirement to hire an expert. The cost of raw materials can also be relatively pricey. With the use of the reviews mentioned above, you can go green by yourself. When you finally have the system up, you’ll find that you will be capable of save money on your power bill.

If you own a business, you can also benefit from being more environmentally friendly. People are becoming more knowledgeable with how important green electricity is. You’ll find that green companies and green buildings are popping up everywhere. These business have done well mainly because of mounting public interest.

Technorati Tags: going green, going green with your choices, green energy, how you can go green

Over the past decades, fast food has become a way of life with many people across the world. Countries which in fact had good ways of eating have turned to purchasing food that is easy and quick to take home, but at what price? Overall, fast food is not the healthiest food may buy. Super sized, king-size and colossal sizes have become the buzz words for these establishments, and together with it is coming super sized, king sized and colossal consumers. Personally, I have determined the only real alternative to be doing your own shopping,but quite a few have a tendency to feel that it can be more expensive this way. Well with the help of kroger grocery coupons I can say to you that is simply not the circumstance. Nevertheless, with regard to those occasions when you just simply want to eat out, below are a few suggestions to help become more environmentally sound.

Part of the being enviromentally friendly lifestyle is to consume healthier, and reduce our effect on this planet. Eco-friendly take-out may require a bit of effort from you, but it is certainly something to consider seriously if you wish to be healthier and help the earth concurrently.

Most all food that is sold for takeout is packaged in Styrofoam containers (aka polystyrene). Polystyrene is really a particularly nasty chemical that has a significant disrupting affect against your hormonal system. Reheating the meals in the Styrofoam container when you are getting home to avoid washing a dish is even worse since heat releases even a lot of nasty chemical into your food. Add to that the indisputable fact that Styrofoam takes over 500 years to decompose; you can only imagine the garbage problems future generations must face.

While many of the fast food giants have switched to more eco-friendly cardboard, they still add lots of extra’s to the bag for example eating utensils, salt, pepper, napkins and more. Oriental restaurants are even more guilty of putting in worthless condiments. Are you aware anyone who eats that hot mustard or makes use of the chopsticks they put in the bag?

If you’re really serious about being enviromentally friendly and improving your health, you need to avoid takeout food as a whole, but we all know that is nearly impossible. But an easy going green suggestion could be to bring your own carrier and request they use that instead of Styrofoam containers. Also ask them to not add all of the extras to the bag if you do not need them. Doubtless you will definitely get lots of strange looks, and refusals, but every step you practice towards becoming enviromentally friendly helps.

Another green tip is to get into the habit of bringing a container along with you whenever you go out to eat at a restaurant and expect leftovers. This is a simple task to place your excess food a highly effective container. To help the environment even more, make sure to use those leftovers and not allow them to spoil and find themselves in the landfill.

As the green movement increases, it is becoming evident that business owners will need to adjust to these improvements to survive. Increasingly more individuals are becoming aware of exactly how our present way of life is harming earth, as well as what we are doing to our health.

Finding eco-friendly takeout is often a challenge, but increasingly more internet sites like www.dinegreen.com can assist you look for a local establishment. Eco-friendly places to eat are more likely to be using cleansing products that are less toxic, practicing eco-friendly power consumption and also possibly are LEED qualified. If that’s the case, they’ll often publicize those specifics making them easier to find, and discovering them is worth your energy.

You can get additional helpful content articles and recommendations on going green and also kroger coupons and money saving tips and hints at freekrogercoupons.wordpress.com

Technorati Tags: eating healthy, Environment, going green, kroger coupons

Many cleaning tasks that we take for granted, such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry, cleaning the windows or polishing the furniture often involve harsh chemicals. These are bad for both the environment as a whole and for your personal environment - your home.

Toxic chemicals can cause health problems for humans and pets. When you wash them down the drain or throw them outside, they become part of our land and water. Here are some green cleaning tips to help make your cleaning jobs more eco-friendly.

** Baking soda makes a great natural and inexpensive cleaning product. You can

clean floors, walls, refrigerators and counter tops with a warm, damp rag and

some baking soda.

** Want to make your house smell nicer without harsh air fresheners? Try

aromatherapy. Spreading Essential oils into a room can be wonderful. The great thing about

this is that you have a vast selection of scents to choose from. Each has its own

particular effects on mood. Of course, you don’t have to follow an aromatherapy

guide, you can simply follow your nose and use what pleases you. You can try

rose, various citrus blends, peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus for starters.

** Another good household cleaning product is borax. This is very effective for

cleaning carpets. You can mix it with essential oils to create a nicely scented,

natural carpet cleaner that you can apply to the rug before vacuuming.

** For a natural window cleaner, mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon

of water and clean your windows using newspapers. This simple and cheap

solution works at least as well as your typical commercial mix that has strong

chemicals in it.

** To clean wood floors, you can use another common household item –tea! Just

boil up two teabags in hot water and mop up the floor.

Household cleaners you can use as well for many cleaning jobs are lemon juice and club soda. Both of these remove stains from most surfaces.

Of course, in addition to these suggestions you can go to your health food store and find a wide variety of organic and natural cleaning product for every purpose. These tend to be more expensive than commercial brands, but many are also highly concentrated.

You can do just as well with the DIY (do it yourself) type green cleaning tips included above. Either way, always try to make a greener choice when you have some cleaning to do!

Technorati Tags: carbon footprint, eco friendly, going green

David Artsmith  - Green cars, solar panels, bamboo plates and green furniture. The world is going green with almost everything. You can also go green with your drink coasters. Coasters made from degradable materials such as sandstone are as durable, beautiful and useful as the synthetic ones. These materials are recyclable and will not damage the environment. Additionally, they help to make the user feel gratified by the fact that he or she is contributing to the protection of the environment.

The truth is that the use of natural products in our homes can greatly reduce the amount of waste that we contribute to the world. The great thing about natural stone coasters is that the factory doesnt ahve to expend energy developing the material, the earth already did it for them. Stone can't ever be garbage, its part of the world? Stone is the backbone of the earth itself.

You can use them in your kitchen, mini bar, patio or in the garden. Wherever used, they serve the same function as their wood, paper or plastic versions.

Coasters protect your furniture from damage in an environmentally responsible way. You will be able to shield your tables, desk or coffee tables from stains, discoloration and warps. This way you can make them last longer, preserve their shine and maintain their beauty.

Sandstone coasters come in various shapes and sizes. They can have customized logos or have themed graphics. If you have a bar, you can have your slogan or logo neatly printed on the sandstone coasters. You can also have these types of coasters in your restaurant where you have pieces of advertising messages on them. You can also give these green drink coasters away as gifts or souveniers, or for patrons at your restaurant. If you had an environmentalist friend, the sandstone coasters will serve as a perfect gift for them.

Choosing eco friendly coasters demonstrates your commitment to the protection of the world’s resources. The use of these environmentally safe coasters will complement your efforts at conservation.

Technorati Tags: coasters, drink coasters, environemnet, going green, materials, stone

Maybe you are saving the world a little bit every time that you purchase one of those energy saver bulbs. They do use less energy, and they last longer, which means that there is less trash from throwing out old bulbs. But there is a hidden secret, a toxic killer which lurks within many of these bulbs. Mercury, 5 milligrams of it, about as much as the tip of a pencil, and it is killing the world.

Well, not really. But it doesn’t help. Every time you throw out one of those bulbs you are adding a toxic element to the environment, however it’s not very much. In fact many household items, such as old time thermostats and thermometers, use much higher amounts of the substance and we have been throwing them out for years. Also, by the very nature of electricity itself, power plants that burn fossil fuels release tons of mercury into the environment each year, so using less electricity can actually offset the mercury in the bulbs.

However the best thing you can do is to just recycle those bulbs and make sure that they never release their toxic innards into environment. The way to do this is to find a CFL recycling center in your neighborhood. Ace Hardware, Home Depot, and Ikea all accept these bulbs for recycling at any of their locations. Additionally, you can search for CFL recycling centers at earth911.org, which will list them by location and proximity to you.

However many people live in houses which are located too far from a recycling center to make this method of disposal efficient. They would end up using so much gas fueling the car to get to the center, that much of the energy saving, and especially the money saving value would be lost. These people have two options, find a for profit company that will accept CFL’s via mail, or save up your bulbs and take them back in bulk.

If your local community doesn’t offer CFL recycling services, then you may want to get creative. If you call your local garbage service, you can find out about CFL recycling guidelines. Call you local government, and write letters, asking that they institute some sort of program or reform. You can even contact your local news agencies to see if you can get some coverage for your cause.

Honestly, all of this is a pain in the butt. People buy these spiral bulbs because it is an easy way to feel like your saving the environment, and it is a way to save money. Most people won't take the cause to the next level. I’m not sure that I will necessarily do any of these things. However your level of involvement is directly connected to your commitment to the cause, and those who do go to the next level are to be commended.

Technorati Tags: energy savers, Environment, envoironmental, going green, recyucling, spiral bulbs

Everybody wants green energy. Being able to get the power we need without damaging the environment is an obvious goal - but what’s the best way to achieve it? Should we be opting for wind farms, hydroelectricity, or solar energy as alternative power? This guide to green living will help us decide

Renewable energy comes from resources that cannot be depleted which is why they are renewable. Producing energy with resources like these without harmful pollutants associated with fossil fuels are safe for our environment.

Wind farms often receive a bad press, especially when they’re situated near homes or in popular hiking areas. Because they have to be placed in skylines for maximum efficiency and they make a lot of noise and often spoil views. Offshore wind farms are less problematic in this way and can take advantage of fierce sea winds, increasing their output, but they rely on a nation having a lot of suitable coastline.

While the Netherlands does very well with its wind farms, the US is, considering the comparative size of its population, at a distinct disadvantage. For the home-owner, small wind-powered generators are available, but they’re not very efficient and often result in complaints from neighbors.

A much more effective way of generating power is using hydroelectricity that uses tidal forces and the natural energy of rivers. However, there are a limited number of suitable locations for hydroelectric generators, and often these are in areas which already provide fertile farmland, so a lot of people have to be displaced and lose their land in order for them to be built. They can also have a damaging impact on local wildlife.

Of these three major options, only solar energy as alternative power passes the test of being truly non-polluting, practical and easy to access. Even when it is frequently cloudy, modern solar panels can still work effectively. Once installed, they require little maintenance and don’t get in anyones way. The greenest way to generate the power we need, for these reasons, is to harness the power of the sun.

Technorati Tags: going green, green energy, green living, green power, livinng green go green, renewable energy

Recycling is  the simplest and most effective ways that we can help save the environment. There are plenty of different steps that we can take at home where you can separate trash for this purpose. It is convenient if you can buy plastic trash cans and label them for each individual product.

You can have one for glass products, one for plastic items, and one for cardboard and paper products. You can have one for aluminium cans (soda cans) too . Check out from your local representative, if there is any recycling place near your place of residence. There should be centers for them locally around town. You will often find bins  that allow you to place these items into at collection spots. They are just huge containers that will get emptied out on a regular basis. This is perfect when the community doesn’t have any other method

for taking in the items to be recycled.

If your community doesn’t offer recycling, then  you need to take charge and can contact your local representative  in person or  in writing  asking them to consider offering them. Explain your concerns that without such bins in place people won’t be encouraged to recycle in your Community.

The concept of recycling can be extended to schools and businesses in your Community  as well. Take the initiative and do what you can. In many instances people just need to be educated and then reminded about the benefits of recycling for saving our environment.

Your information and initiative can motivate others in your Community to take part and do their bit. Don’t overlook the importance of letting children in your Community take part. They are often very excited and find it to be thrilling. They can often help and be your Ambassador and encourage their parents to take part in such efforts. Buying products that have been recycled such as paper products is a great way to show your support for these efforts.  Even supplies such as napkins used in fast food restaurants can be made from recycled paper. Make it a practice to use only recycled paper and paper products.

Buy a big cloth bag for your shopping needs rather than getting a paper or plastic bag from the shops. Look for one that is durable so it you can reused  over and over again. These are just some of the things which we as responsible citizens can do to reduce our Carbon Footprint and thereby save our beloved Planet Earth.

Independent writer and Internet Marketeer. My website : http://www.make-my-home-green.com

Technorati Tags: carbon footprint, going green, plastic bag, protect earth, recycle, recycling, save earth, ways to recycle

1. Cooking requires heat and energy, so conserve it to save money. Cover the cooking pan with a lid so that the heat doesn’t escape. Water will boil around 5% faster in pans with a lid on, thereby saving time, energy and your money, as well as giving the environment a break.

2. While cooking in a Oven, keep the door closed. Most modern Ovens have a glass door so as to  let you see what’s happening

inside. Use it appropriately. Around 15% of all oven heat is lost every time the door is opened. If you’re trying to bake a Pizza, for example, and you keep opening the door to see how it’s cooking, then you are cooking at 85% of the efficiency, at the sametime wasting energy and money!

3. STOP using commercial cleaning products in your kitchen or anywhere in your house.  They are expensive to buy and expensive to produce. Their production is also harmful to the environment. The waste you release after cleaning is also harmful to the environment.

You can make your own cleaner from a mixture of vinegar, salt and baking soda. It will clean perfectly the same way as a commercial product, and it  contains no toxic chemicals, thereby helping the environment. It will cost a great deal  less too.

To put this into perspective. We dump some 35 million pounds of  toxins down our drains every year, just from household and kitchen cleaning products alone. What kind of damage do you think that is doing to the environment? Well, you don’t have to do it anymore.

Here’s another simple recipe for an all-purpose cleaner, courtesy of

Greenpeace:

½ cup pure liquid soap

1 gallon hot water

¼ cup lemon juice

It’s safe and effective, and costs very little.

4. You don’t have to pre-heat your oven for every time your cook, unless you are baking bread and cake. Just put the dish into the oven and switch on, setting it to the right temperature. That way you are not wasting energy which is lost between the time it is pre-heated and you put in the preparation.

5. Cook once in a day instead of twice. This is a great way to save all round. If your oven can hold two chicken pieces, then why not cook two instead of one. Two chickens will cook in about the same amount of time that one will. Now, do the math… You will cut your cooking time in half, thereby saving electricity  - and guess what happens to all the money saved! Yep, it stays right in your pocket. This way you have more time for other activities. The time saved on cooking the second time can be used better elsewhere. Remember, it doesn’t have to be just chickens. It can turkeys, beef, etc. And I surely don’t have to mention the environmental benefits.

Independent writer and Internet Marketeer. My website : http://www.make-my-home-green.com

Technorati Tags: go green, going green, renewable, renewable energy, save earth, save energy, save planet earth, saving earth, saving energy