Food waste on residential and commercial levels spell energy and resource losses.  For one thing, energy is wasted from the field to the fork that, by some estimates, reaches as much as 50 percent.  For another thing, food is food and it is a resource more than half the world will appreciate going to their stomachs instead of the disposal system.  Plus, agriculture means water and we all know how much of a valuable resource water is.  Thus, it is very important to conserve energy and resources, not to mention your money, by reducing food waste.  Let these practical tips be your start to going green. Organize, Check and Clean Your Fridge and Pantry You will be surprised to know that your fridge and pantry host many food items that could have been used, instead of wasted, had you taken the time to check and clean them regularly.  For example, food leftovers and opened food boxes are often pushed to the back, which are then forgotten and, hence, wasted. To reduce waste, you must organize your fridge and pantry, to wit: essentials at the front, indulgences at the middle and extras at the back.  Or you can also organize it according to expiry ...

Worms are man’s best friends especially if you are a home gardener and avid environmentalist.  With just a few home-scale worm farms and knowledge about vermicomposting, you can make a difference in your garden and for the environment. Setting Up Your Worm Farms Worm farms can be bought in many shops, both online and offline, even in hardware stores.  You will spend $50-65 for a ready-made worm farm with its initial batch of worms.  Take note that the earthworm species used are not your garden variety types.  Instead, red wigglers and European nightcrawlers are preferred. If you want to make a worm farm, you can use a variety of materials like old plastic containers and old wood.  Just drill holes into the container’s bottom for aeration and drainage.  Or better yet, build your worm farms into the ground.  Place a pan to catch leachate runoff and spacers to separate the catchment pan and the tub. Start by layering small pebbles at the bottom, adding an inch of damp newspapers (use the black and white portions only) and placing handfuls of garden soil (don’t use potting soil) and some eggshells.  Don’t pack it down.  You can then add your worms into the bedding.  Just make ...

Indoor vegetable gardening can be very rewarding, but there are several things to think about before you start.  First, do you have enough light?  Plants do require a good amount of light to grow strongly and produce a crop.  This does not matter so much for general house plants where you just want the plant to survive, but if you intend to grow a plant for its vegetable crop then it will need more light. A large sunny window ledge is fine for smaller plants.  If you have a conservatory or a room where the windows reach the floor that is even better because you can use the floor space. Clearly, choosing what to grow will be important.  In fact, the most important thing you will do for your indoor vegetable gardening project is choosing the plants. Tomatoes can work well indoors because they grow upward and do not need much space.  They do like a lot of sun so you will need to put them right in the window.  You can buy a trellis to stand in your container to support them. Herbs also make good indoor plants.  They usually like well drained soil.  Too much water can cause fungal growth.  They also ...

Admittedly, our society is highly dependently on fossil fuels like oil and coal to keep its vehicles, equipments and institutions running like well-oiled machines.  We all know, however, the toll to the environment that our dependence on fossil fuel has engendered and continues to engender. We have all been glued to the news of the Gulf Coast oil spill, which seems to be catching up to the notoriety of the Exxon Mobil.  But oils spills are not just the ill effects of our dependence on fossil fuel.  We also have toxic runoffs, plastic products and other environmental disasters directly and indirectly attributable to fossil fuel and its many derivatives. Beyond the negative environmental effects of fossil fuels, we also have to realize that it will run out sooner than later.  After all, it takes millions of years for oil and coal to form, which means that it is not exactly a renewable resource. Fortunately, we have three renewable energy sources that are most likely to save humanity when the supply of fossil fuels does run out.  In fact, we are using these energy sources although only in very small quantities in comparison with fossil fuels. Wind Power Wind turbines have the windmills of the Dutch ...

Today there are many people that are realizing that they need to make green living a real way of life.  It is a lot more than just a slogan.  Of course, it can be pretty daunting to consider putting green living into practice.  To help you out, here are a few easy ways that you can begin living better to save the environment.  Yes, you really can go green and make it a lifestyle. One great way that you can easily make green living a way of life is to choose foods that are organic.  Look for stores that are organic food stores and help to support their business.  If you can't find a store like this, most grocery stores out there will have a selection of organic foods that you can choose from.  You may be surprised to find out how much better organic foods actually taste too. You will find that you pay a bit more for organic foods.  However, the great taste and the health benefits are definitely worth it.  You can keep health problems at bay and the foods taste incredible.  Even though you pay a bit more, your health is definitely more important and worth the extra ...