Archive for February, 2010

Easy Steps to Make your Own Handmade Paper at Home

Recycle Crafts - Homemade Paper It is also extra special to send out a letter that is handwritten and beautiful stationary makes it even more special.  It can definitely be a lot of fun visiting a store that offers a variety of different stationary options with various designs, textures, and colors.  There are so many different beautiful options that you can choose from. Of course, instead of purchasing your stationary paper, a greener option is to make your own paper.  You can actually make your own paper - it's an art.  This allows you to use up all kinds of papers, so you are recycling that paper instead of just throwing it away.  It also allows you to create some art that you can use up or you can even put together some of it and give it away to a friend or family member as an extra special gift. When you are just starting out, the paper may come up a bit on the thick side.  Of course, with some practice, you'll get better and better at making this paper.  It is a great thing that you can do with your kids as well.  It's a wonderful way to spend a rainy ...

Hot Green Technology - Solar Hot Water

Going with a hot water heating system that runs on solar energy is a great option.  It is definitely efficient.  It can help you save energy, it is easy to maintain, it's reliable, and there are few parts to it.  Here is a closer look at why solar hot water is such an efficient option.  After taking a look at the benefits, you may want to make the switch yourself. Energy Savings You'll find that a solar hot water heater, whether it is passive or active, can help you to save a lot of energy.  In fact, it can save better than 50% of energy costs for the hot water on a yearly basis.  You also help to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses, which helps the environment.  This helps others make the best use of energy that comes from each source. Easy to Maintain Another reason that a solar hot water heater is so efficient is because they are so easy to maintain.  All you need to do is put up a solar panel on the roof and then you put a collector in your home, which is connected to the pipes so the hot water can be distributed.  All you will need ...

Make Your Own Earth-Friendly Mouthwash

For many individuals, oral health is a very important part of personal hygiene and general health.  Our mouths are, after all, one of the primary entry points for bacteria to enter the body, not to mention that it is the second most used orifice, after the nose.  Did you know, however, that in your pursuit of good oral health through the use of commercial mouthwashes that you are exposing your general health to danger and your environment to slow ruin?  Yes, you are. Health Effects Commercial mouthwashes contain ingredients that have no business coming into contact with your mouth.  You have formaldehyde, polysorbate, sodium lauryl sulfate and cetylpyridinium chloride to contend with in mouthwashes, all of which produce harmful reactions in the human body. Sodium lauryl sulfate and its derivatives, which are used to provide foam to mouthwashes, soaps and shampoos, are even worse.  You can experience eye and scalp irritation as well as swelling of the hands, face and arms especially for highly sensitive people. Environmental Effects The same ingredients are also harmful to the environment especially when concentrated in large pools.  Yes, not only do you harm your body but you also harm the planet on which your body takes its sustenance from. Once ...

Natural Alternatives to Refined Sugar

Refined sugar is not only poor for our health, but it also put a strain on our environment as well.  There are natural alternatives to refined sugar that will fit into your balanced diets as well as the balance of our environment! Refined sugar is made by extracting the sucrose from the sugar cane plant.  Once that is done, they use a purification system so to speak, to get out all of the stuff that comes in the plant, such as insect parts, and fibers from the plant.  This is how white sugar is made, the same type of sugar that we put on our cereal, or in our coffee.  White sugar is the most common type of sugar that is used today.  Sugar causes weight gain in us, and it takes up a lot of energy to actually make, which is why it is not too healthy for the environment. When white sugar is made, it goes through a specific process to actually turn the sugar white, it does not just come like that all by itself.  In fact, sugar right off of the cane, is called raw sugar, and instead of having fine little crystals of sugar, like white sugar, ...

Wal-Mart testing Hybrid Diesel Trucks

When it comes to class-8 trucks, Wal-Mart announced that it plans on doing some tests on two different types of hybrid options.  They also plan on testing some alternative fuel options as well.  Why? They want to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleet.  In the past few years, they have been able to increase their efficiency by 25 percent and they are working to double this amount within the next few years. The problem is that the class-8 trucks they use are huge.  In fact, they have 10 tires, three axles, and weight more than 30,000 pounds a piece.  Currently these trucks are being used by Wal-Mart to help distribute their products.  However, they are not testing a couple different hybrid options.  One is available from Eaton and Peterbilt and the other comes from ArvinMeritor. A look at the two systems gives you a pretty good idea at which one is going to work the best.  The Peterbilt Eaton option should increase efficiency by about 7%; however, the ArvinMeritor option is expected to add an increase of about 25%, so it definitely sounds like one option is looking better than the other. The Hybrid System by ArvinMeritor This particular diesel-electric hybrid is going ...