8/17/2012:
Here she is . . . the sheriff:
Like McKayla Maroney, she's not impressed.
__________________________________________________________________________________
6/29/2012:
I just found my March 2012 Whole Living, where I had marked the Power Plants article. In that article, it talks about the glorious effects of houseplants! As someone who grew up with tons of houseplants in the house and on the patio (when my mom died, I inherited a cactus that was over thirty years old!!!) and someone who continues to have a plethora of plants, I embraced this article. Check out the benefits of some of these plants:
Soothing scents: Jasmine (I'm definitely contemplating buying some jasmine --- mmmmm), Hoya, and Miltonia Orchid
Air Purifiers: Bamboo (watch out! my cat ate ALL of my bamboo), ficus alii, and boston fern (I love these in bathrooms)
Energy boosters: Jade (I love this plant, and I have a ton of it around the house --- be careful not to over-water it), Asparagus fern (I think it is a little creepy looking), and ficus lyrata.
As a sidenote, I'm currently dealing with mealybugs on a whole grouping of my plants. In order to deal with those, I had to forcefully wash the plants, dump the soil, submerge the plants in water long enough to drown any submerged bugs, and replant them. We'll see how this goes. If your plant suddenly has a sticky surface and has white, feathery-looking bugs on it, you've got mealybugs. Ughh.
_________________________________________________________________________________
6/12/2012:
Everyone knows that cat litter is generally horrible. It stinks to high heaven, and it is bad for the environment. While there have been products out there like the newspaper pellet litters and the cedar chips and the corn shavings, we've not found one that works as well as a clumping litter but also is tolerable in the smell department AND environmentally friendly. Finally! Purina has a new litter out that is built like clumpable clay litter, but it is made out of cedar chips. It is 99.9% natural, according to its packaging. We found it at the OKC Target, but I've not been able to locate it online (even on Purina's own website!). When we find it, we'll give the link. It is fantastic!
p.s. this is me with the joker who needs the litter:
Milo, our esteemed editor.
_________________________________________________________________________________
6/11/2012:
Everyone knows dogs love Subarus. I have a Subaru Forester, and I absolutely love it. However, here are things even more fantastic about the Subaru company:
- In 2004, Subaru of Indiana became the first US manufacturing facility to reach zero landfill status AND be designated a wildlife habitat. The plant is on over 800 acres, and its land serves as a home for many animals.
- Every Subaru plant continues to use green suppliers, reduce manufacturing wastes, and reduce CO2 emissions.
- Since 2003, Subaru has offered Partial Zero Emission Vehicles, which meet California's Super-Ultra-Low-emission vehicle exhaust emission standard. Gasoline-powered vehicles meeting this requirement have even lower emissions than hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles.
- Subaru supports environmental organizations like Leave No Trace.
- Subaru has a Share the Love Event, and its owners have helped the company donate more than $15M over the past three years to organizations like ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, Ocean Conservancy, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Meals on Wheels.
- Subaru employees are encouraged to volunteer their time, and they have given more than 5,000 hours to organizations over the past two years.
- Subaru matches its employees' financial contributions 1:1 up to $2000 annually for each employee to eligible, non-profits.
- Since 1984, Suabru has awarded nearly $6.7 million to programs that support youth-based initiatives in the areas of education, safe driving, environment, and local community programs.
We support Subaru and all it is doing to help make this world a better place. Dogs love Subarus!
________________________________________________________________________________
6/10/2012:
I just read this story about how IKEA is NOT using sustainable wood, rather it is using old wood from Russian forests. Not cool. I generally find IKEA's products to be poorly made and undesirable, but this further cements my dismay with the company.
________________________________________________________________________________
6/10/2012:
I receive the magazine Whole Living, and I absolutely love it for all of its eco-friendly ideas. If you have any inclination towards eating healthy foods, shopping organically, or being responsible for the planet, I highly recommend this magazine. In its June 2012 edition, it gave an environmentally-responsible progress report for cities around the US. Here are some of my favorite highlights:
- Tokyo-based company that makes methyl iodide, a toxic fumigant used on strawberries and other crops, has succumbed to environmental pressure and stopped distributing its product in the US. Safer strawberries for all!!!
- Beacon Hill outside of Seattle, Washington, has established the nation's largest edible forest -- 7 acres of fruits, nuts, berries, perennials, and annuals for all to eat.
- 1000 windmills are being fast-tracked to be built in Carbon County, Wyoming --- let's reduce our dependence on fossil fuels!
- Denver Zoo has built a motorized rickshaw that runs on dung & trash --- so clever!
- Americans are eating less meat today than just 8 years ago --- less meat eaten means less energy needed to produce the food.
- Prius sales are up and large car sales are down!!! This is huge news!
- University of Vermont is banning the sale of bottled water on campus. Other 90 campuses have done this. See beyondthebottle.org. This is a fantastic charge for us all to adopt. I may try to push for this to be developed at the campus where I'll work.
- MIT researchers have developed an accordion-style solar tower that could produce up to 20 TIMES the power of an average panel --- again, let's reduce our use of fossil fuels!!!
Here's what we do to help the planet:
- recycle all of our cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard (I even collect the cardboard and drive it to the recycling center in the next town).
- reducing the number of trips we take in cars and combining other trips (go to the YMCA and the grocery)
- carpooling
- not using plastic bottles ---- we bring water in our own reusable bottles
- having open windows as often as possible
- adjusting our thermostat for the day versus the night
- reducing our consumption as consumers
- buying used clothing and products
- having houseplants and garden plants, and using cuttings from those plants to grow more
- using cloth towels instead of paper towels for the majority of our messes
- using dye-free, fragrance-free detergents and soaps
- reusing bags, newspapers, and tissue paper as gift wrap
- carrying our own canvas bags to stores (not just grocery stores, but stores like Target and Petsmart too!)
- closing our drapes during the day to hold in the air conditioning
- only washing full loads in the washer and in the dishwasher
- using the sun to dry our clothes instead of a dryer
- rewearing clothes before washing them
- using biodegradable dog poo bags available here
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
Here she is . . . the sheriff:
Like McKayla Maroney, she's not impressed.
__________________________________________________________________________________
6/29/2012:
I just found my March 2012 Whole Living, where I had marked the Power Plants article. In that article, it talks about the glorious effects of houseplants! As someone who grew up with tons of houseplants in the house and on the patio (when my mom died, I inherited a cactus that was over thirty years old!!!) and someone who continues to have a plethora of plants, I embraced this article. Check out the benefits of some of these plants:
Soothing scents: Jasmine (I'm definitely contemplating buying some jasmine --- mmmmm), Hoya, and Miltonia Orchid
Air Purifiers: Bamboo (watch out! my cat ate ALL of my bamboo), ficus alii, and boston fern (I love these in bathrooms)
Energy boosters: Jade (I love this plant, and I have a ton of it around the house --- be careful not to over-water it), Asparagus fern (I think it is a little creepy looking), and ficus lyrata.
As a sidenote, I'm currently dealing with mealybugs on a whole grouping of my plants. In order to deal with those, I had to forcefully wash the plants, dump the soil, submerge the plants in water long enough to drown any submerged bugs, and replant them. We'll see how this goes. If your plant suddenly has a sticky surface and has white, feathery-looking bugs on it, you've got mealybugs. Ughh.
_________________________________________________________________________________
6/12/2012:
Everyone knows that cat litter is generally horrible. It stinks to high heaven, and it is bad for the environment. While there have been products out there like the newspaper pellet litters and the cedar chips and the corn shavings, we've not found one that works as well as a clumping litter but also is tolerable in the smell department AND environmentally friendly. Finally! Purina has a new litter out that is built like clumpable clay litter, but it is made out of cedar chips. It is 99.9% natural, according to its packaging. We found it at the OKC Target, but I've not been able to locate it online (even on Purina's own website!). When we find it, we'll give the link. It is fantastic!
p.s. this is me with the joker who needs the litter:
_________________________________________________________________________________
6/11/2012:
Everyone knows dogs love Subarus. I have a Subaru Forester, and I absolutely love it. However, here are things even more fantastic about the Subaru company:
- In 2004, Subaru of Indiana became the first US manufacturing facility to reach zero landfill status AND be designated a wildlife habitat. The plant is on over 800 acres, and its land serves as a home for many animals.
- Every Subaru plant continues to use green suppliers, reduce manufacturing wastes, and reduce CO2 emissions.
- Since 2003, Subaru has offered Partial Zero Emission Vehicles, which meet California's Super-Ultra-Low-emission vehicle exhaust emission standard. Gasoline-powered vehicles meeting this requirement have even lower emissions than hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles.
- Subaru supports environmental organizations like Leave No Trace.
- Subaru has a Share the Love Event, and its owners have helped the company donate more than $15M over the past three years to organizations like ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, Ocean Conservancy, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Meals on Wheels.
- Subaru employees are encouraged to volunteer their time, and they have given more than 5,000 hours to organizations over the past two years.
- Subaru matches its employees' financial contributions 1:1 up to $2000 annually for each employee to eligible, non-profits.
- Since 1984, Suabru has awarded nearly $6.7 million to programs that support youth-based initiatives in the areas of education, safe driving, environment, and local community programs.
We support Subaru and all it is doing to help make this world a better place. Dogs love Subarus!
________________________________________________________________________________
6/10/2012:
I just read this story about how IKEA is NOT using sustainable wood, rather it is using old wood from Russian forests. Not cool. I generally find IKEA's products to be poorly made and undesirable, but this further cements my dismay with the company.
________________________________________________________________________________
6/10/2012:
I receive the magazine Whole Living, and I absolutely love it for all of its eco-friendly ideas. If you have any inclination towards eating healthy foods, shopping organically, or being responsible for the planet, I highly recommend this magazine. In its June 2012 edition, it gave an environmentally-responsible progress report for cities around the US. Here are some of my favorite highlights:
- Tokyo-based company that makes methyl iodide, a toxic fumigant used on strawberries and other crops, has succumbed to environmental pressure and stopped distributing its product in the US. Safer strawberries for all!!!
- Beacon Hill outside of Seattle, Washington, has established the nation's largest edible forest -- 7 acres of fruits, nuts, berries, perennials, and annuals for all to eat.
- 1000 windmills are being fast-tracked to be built in Carbon County, Wyoming --- let's reduce our dependence on fossil fuels!
- Denver Zoo has built a motorized rickshaw that runs on dung & trash --- so clever!
- Americans are eating less meat today than just 8 years ago --- less meat eaten means less energy needed to produce the food.
- Prius sales are up and large car sales are down!!! This is huge news!
- University of Vermont is banning the sale of bottled water on campus. Other 90 campuses have done this. See beyondthebottle.org. This is a fantastic charge for us all to adopt. I may try to push for this to be developed at the campus where I'll work.
- MIT researchers have developed an accordion-style solar tower that could produce up to 20 TIMES the power of an average panel --- again, let's reduce our use of fossil fuels!!!
Here's what we do to help the planet:
- recycle all of our cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard (I even collect the cardboard and drive it to the recycling center in the next town).
- reducing the number of trips we take in cars and combining other trips (go to the YMCA and the grocery)
- carpooling
- not using plastic bottles ---- we bring water in our own reusable bottles
- having open windows as often as possible
- adjusting our thermostat for the day versus the night
- reducing our consumption as consumers
- buying used clothing and products
- having houseplants and garden plants, and using cuttings from those plants to grow more
- using cloth towels instead of paper towels for the majority of our messes
- using dye-free, fragrance-free detergents and soaps
- reusing bags, newspapers, and tissue paper as gift wrap
- carrying our own canvas bags to stores (not just grocery stores, but stores like Target and Petsmart too!)
- closing our drapes during the day to hold in the air conditioning
- only washing full loads in the washer and in the dishwasher
- using the sun to dry our clothes instead of a dryer
- rewearing clothes before washing them
- using biodegradable dog poo bags available here
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
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