Start A Green Living Now!
Archive for September, 2009
Bottles Are Better
Is it time to remove foods stored in cans and plastic bottles from your diet? Why not? There’s a wide variety of foods kept in glass bottles and jars, and glass is recyclable. And glass doesn’t have the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) as part of its makeup – which may keep you, and your loved ones, a whole lot healthier. Nearly all can liners contain BPA, and this chemical leaches into the foods contained within. BPA can leach out of polycarbonate plastic water bottles, as well. The can and bottle industry insist that BPA is perfectly safe – in the levels that are present in these leached out foods. Tests were conducted in the 1980s, on lab rats, to verify toxicity levels, and found them to be safe. However, some scientists disagree. According to Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., a developmental biologist at the University of Missouri, for example, BPA mimics naturally occurring estrogen, a hormone that is part of the endocrine system, the body's finely tuned messaging service. "These hormones control the development of the brain, the reproductive system and many other systems in the developing fetus.” Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can duplicate, block or exaggerate hormonal responses. "The most harm is to the unborn or ...- Bookmark :
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Save Gas to Promote Health
The car is the most useful purchase that anyone will ever make. But in this recessive economy, gas prices have dramatically increased, making many people seek cheaper transportation methods. By driving less, people improve the air quality as well as their health. In the process, they will also be saving money that would go to other important necessities. The environment will be cleaner and the planet will be saved from natural resource depletion. If the weather is nice, and the destination isn’t too far, why not walk or ride a bicycle to your destination. If it is a casual destination, they can even rollerblade or skateboard. It is better for the environment as well as better for the health. Such exercise will strengthen the heart, tone the overall body, and improve stamina and endurance, while reducing stress from driving in traffic. And, it will further save money and gas. But if you need to go to a farther destination, there are many options, which include carpooling, train, metro, bus, and subway, depending on the environment where you live. If you want to save gas and money on your drive to work, try telecommuting, online work, or carpooling. If you choose carpooling, be ...- Bookmark :
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Green Reasons - Ways to Think Before You Buy
In spite of the people in this country who are at any given time not living in the land of plenty, there are so many items that Americans waste. The amount of food, clothing, furniture, and many other items that are thrown away on a daily basis are filling up our landfills. The planet is slowly being overtaken with trash and there are alternatives to help clean our environment and make the world a better place for our children. Instead of throwing things away why not give to a thrift store, a charity, or a church group that helps the homeless and those who are less fortunate. There are many ways to help by providing for families that may not make enough to buy new clothes for themselves or their children. There are many groups that operate online that give people contact with each other through the group to exchange items or post ones they do not need any longer. Others may post that they need certain items. Matching up what is needed with those who need it is one way to keep so many items from just being thrown away. Visit flea markets, yard sales, and garage sales for used items that ...- Bookmark :
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Cooking With A Solar Oven
In the heat of summer, most people don’t want to turn on their ovens unless it’s absolutely necessary. I know I don’t! A lot of cooking is done with a microwave, but the air inside a microwave heats up pretty good too, and that heat escapes into the kitchen when the door is opened, as well. This causes only a little bit of a drain on your electricity bill as your air conditioner kicks in to deal with that extra heat. If you don’t use an air conditioner, there may be a few minutes discomfort until your fans take care of it. One way to avoid this extra heat altogether is to make use of a solar oven. While a solar oven can’t cook things to a precise temperature, there are many uses for such an oven. On those hot days when it’s roasting outside, you can use this oven to heat your soup, your coffee, or warm up cold foods. In addition, if you’re going camping, a solar oven makes a great tool. So what is a solar oven, you’re asking yourself. It’s simply a box of some kind, lined with tin foil or other material, insulated on the outside to keep the heat ...- Bookmark :
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Green Reasons - Ways to Borrow Instead of Buy
The best way to cut down on the amount of materials it takes to make new things is stop buying so many. There are literally thousands of ways to borrow instead of buy if you just take the time to sit down and think about how easy it can be. The library is a good place to start. They have books, Cds, and movies that you can borrow. You can go to the library and look at the latest magazines. Instead of having all this excess paper piling up in your home, take a trip to the library a couple of times a week and you will save your home from becoming littered with all the excess magazines and papers, not to mention the money you will save. Newspapers are another way to save. Almost any newspaper today can be viewed online. This is another excellent way to keep from having so much extra paper in your home. Rent your tools or borrow them instead of buying. Unless you do this for a living, the occasional tool for a project can be rented or borrowed and this keeps your home and garage free of many items that are only used occasionally. Instead of having ...- Bookmark :
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