Green Living

What to Consider before Buying Sunglasses

You may think the only thing you need to worry about when buying sunglasses is the style of frame or the color of tinting.  But actually, there are other important characteristics of effective sunglasses that need to be considered. Ultraviolet radiation can harm all parts of the eye, including the eyelid skin, conjunctiva, sclera, and cornea.  That means that the whites of your eyes need protection, too.  Here are some things you'll need to keep in mind when you look for sunglasses. Ultraviolet Light Ultraviolet, or UV, radiation is that portion of the light spectrum that is beyond the shortest wavelength of visible light (which is violet).  It can damage the human eye, which is why sunglasses are important.  There are three types of UV light: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA light is somewhat controversial - experts differ in their opinions regarding its role in harming the eyes, although it is universally accepted that UVA rays are what accounts for skin damage.  If you are concerned about preserving your eye health, however, you may want to err on the side of caution and consider getting sunglasses that also block UVA light. UVB light is the main culprit in eye damage done by ultraviolet light.  UVB ...

How to Use Beneficial Insects for Pest Control

Harmful insects in the garden are always a nuisance, but organic gardeners have a wide range of natural pest control methods to choose from.  It may seem strange, but one way to control damaging insects is to bring in more insects.  This is because certain beneficial species will prey on harmful species, eating them in great quantities and keeping the population of pests down to a manageable level.  Here are some tips for using beneficial insects for pest control. The best type of beneficial insects are those that are native to the area.  Your first step should be to encourage these helpful bugs to take up residence in your landscape.  You can do this by creating the environment they like, which means providing them with food, water, and shelter. Begin by planting things that appeal to beneficial insects.  They are attracted to flowers that have abundant supplies of nectar and pollen.  Dill, carrots, calendulas, zinnias, sunflowers, basil, thyme, sage, asters, yarrow, marigolds, parsley, and artemisia are a few of the cultivars that can be used.  Flowers that attract butterflies will also bring in the beneficial insects.  Many species prey on harmful insects only during the larvae or immature stage.  The adult beneficial ...

How to Use Companion Planting for Pest Control

Gardeners have long been aware that certain vegetables and herbs have protective qualities in the garden.  They seem to fend off harmful pests just by their proximity.  This interesting effect is particularly noticeable with food crops.  Vegetables can be protected from the most damaging pest threats by planting them close to specific types of vegetables or herbs.  This strategy, sometimes known as companion planting, is a very sensible way to enhance the health of individual plants and the garden as a whole.  Here are some tips for using companion planting to control pest insects. Before the gardening season begins, make a list of the items you want to grow.  Try to match them up with a protective plant or herb.  Then you can map out a garden that mingles different plants in a way that will reduce insect attacks.  Generally speaking, diversity in the garden helps reduce potential threats from all types of pests and disease.  That's why cultivating a wide variety of plants is so important to organic gardeners. Every garden should have onions growing in it, if only for the onion's general usefulness as a pest repellent.  Plant with cabbage, carrots, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes to help repel potato beetles, ...

Sunscreen Danger – What’s In Your Sunscreen

You put on sunscreen because it is important for your skin's health, right?  In this day and age of skin cancer, most of us have been taught to wear sunscreen daily, especially on our faces, in all weather and all seasons.  Lately, however, some concerns have been raised regarding the safety of the sunscreen itself.  Just what's in that sunscreen, and is it safe? Cancer For years we have been told that exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause skin cancer.  Ironically, though, moderate sun exposure may actually prevent the development of certain types of cancer, and the chemicals in sunscreens may increase your risk of skin cancer. One of the concerns is that certain chemicals in sunscreens produce free radicals, and the formation of free radicals is strongly implicated in cancer.  Free radicals cause cellular damage, and cancer is, essentially, the proliferation of damaged cells. Chemicals of Concern * Titanium oxide is a reflective substance that is not absorbed by the skin, which is why it has historically been used alongside zinc oxide as a sunscreen.  However, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, titanium oxide may be a human carcinogen. * Nanoparticles are extremely small versions of chemicals like titanium ...

Green Living: Tips to Conserve Water

Today, it is not hard to find people talking about green living, but many people focus on conserving energy and while this is vital, it is just as important and maybe more so to conserve water.  People can live without electricity, but they cannot live without water.  Therefore, conserving water is living a green lifestyle.  You can do little things that make an impact on saving the planet from drying up. First, take inventory of your faucets in your home and your toilets, if you have a leaky faucet or toilet, the water is literally being wasted and it can also cost you more in water bills when you have a leaky faucet.  Most leaky faucets just need a simple washer to stop the leak entirely. Only run the washing machine when you have a full load.  When you wash small loads, you use more water than a full load does.  It also saves on electricity, so you are helping not only to conserve water, but you save on electricity costs. Take shorter showers.  Everyone knows how great it feels in the cold winters to take those long hot showers, but taking long showers is literally water down the drain.  Even if you ...