GET RIGHT . . . BE GREEN – Sundae Marie Ford

Whatever your preconceived notions may be of going ‘green’..please listen up, put your busy schedule aside, & actually DO something. Whether you participate because you are genuinely concerned or whether you are just trying to impress someone I don’t really care, just do it. You may even end up liking the way you feel knowing you are making a difference.

This is a call to action, people. I know it can be pretty depressing to ponder all the environmental problems we are currently trying to tackle, I know this, and I usually hear people mention how overwhelming it feels to try & make such big changes, but I choose to turn it around and find the good. You just HAVE to. What did your mom always tell you?….”every cloud has a silver lining…you just have to find it”. Wake up!! and make the decision to make changes in your life, because without clean water, food, & air, we would all be dead.

The green movement has made great strides in leaps and bounds during the past couple of years. People are becoming more aware of how their lifestyles & many unsound business practices do affect the resources we depend on to survive. Our water, air, soil, and food are constantly under fire from pesticides, hormones, chemical run-off, car exhaust fumes, factory sludge, air pollution, & improperly disposed chemical garbage, among many other toxic offenders. These are the facts and they aren’t pretty. If you are feeling a bit lost, have no fear. I have made your struggle a bit easier by handing you common-sense suggestions on a silver platter…

FOOD – Only 2% of leftover food is recycled, as compared to 50% of used paper, and 33% of used metal. “The largest segment of the waste stream still going into the garbage is food waste,” said Mindy S. Lubber, Regional Administrator for EPA New England. “Because food decomposes so fast, it can leach into groundwater and cause contamination. ”

Stop by your local soup kitchen and donate leftovers. Whatever leftovers you have will be appreciated. One year I collected hundreds of take-out sauces, ketchup, dips, that I found in my kitchen & took 2 huge bags of it down to the local food line. It was all I had, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of dumping it in the garbage when someone down on his/her luck may gain a little pleasure from a little tidbit that we all usually take for granted. One mans garbage is another mans treasure….

Compost your leftovers and food scraps. I recently set up my compost bin. Set up took about 10 minutes and was the best thing I ever did. No longer do I shake my head with regret while condemning certain food items to the trash. Egg shells, squeezed lemons, tea bags, carrot tops, anything once living can go, EXCEPT animal products such as cheese, bones, oils, and meats. These accepted items are considered ‘greens’ and are 1/2 of the composting equation. Not only are you reducing waste, but you are also making nutrient -rich soil to use in your yard or garden. Find out more about it at www.composting101.com.

Check out a new non-profit called replate.org. Their campaign focuses on leaving leftovers on top of public trash cans (in doggie bags) where they can be easily spotted by those living on the street in search of food. If this seems a bit unsavory just bag it up, it’s no biggie… it’s better than throwing it away to rot. Seek them out, you may be able to start a campaign where YOU live.

Rockandwrapitup.org is another like-minded non-profit putting leftover food to good use. This non-profit organization collects leftovers on a bigger scale from sporting events, concerts, & political rallies. They have worked with over 500 bands to re-distribute nourishment and reduce needless food waste. If you are organizing an event, please give rockandwrapitup.org a shout.

Save a tree, I dare you.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, in 2008 each office worker living in our industrialized world will burn through more than 10k sheets of paper. This equates to 1.2 trees *per person* every year. Half of the Earth’s forests have been logged, & only 1/5 of old-growth forests remain intact. Here’s what YOU can do to help shrink your paper footprint at home and work:
-If each household replaced ONE roll of conventional toilet paper with a 100% recycled roll…this would save 423,900 trees.
-Purchase recycled paper.
-Print ONLY when absolutely necessary, and keep records in your computer.
-Narrow your margins. This is a tiny act that can actually save hundreds of pieces of paper every year. You can also sign the petition to encourage Microsoft to decrease standard margins in Word from 1.25 inches to .75 inches. changethemargins.com.
-collect your extra scrap paper in a box under your desk, and shred important documents. Take these to your recycle center once or twice a month.
-END JUNK MAIL by registering on greendimes.com OR catalogchoice.org
-go to forestethics.org to sign a petition to Congress to enact a Do Not Mail registry
-patronize only paper-product companies that use sustainable practices at nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
-learn more at: environmentalpaper.org, www2.edf.org/papercalculator, & panda.org [type *paper toolbox* into the search box]

Green Habit

Old habits die hard, especially when it comes to cleaning your abode. We learn how to clean from our mothers who only had chemically-laden toxic
cleaners at their disposal. In this day and age we have countless natural cleaners available, but the most effective AND affordable choices are probably already in your kitchen cabinet. Why switch? Old containers of toxic cleaners can emit toxins into the air. Also, don’t forget that these chemicals get deposited into the environment when you flush them down your sink or toilet… Read on:

Alka-Seltzer Tablets – talk about versatile. To clean your commode: Drop in 2 tabs, let sit/fizz and use toilet brush…works great. To clean glass baking dishes drop 3 tabs in hot water and let sit, rinse. To whiten whites: soak your white cotton items in a gallon of warm water and two tabs to brighten. To freshen your fridge: dissolve a tab in a cup of water and let fizz inside fridge. Repeat for tougher odors.

Lemon Juice – dissolves soap scum and hard water deposits. Grind up a peel in your garbage disposal to cleanse the drain. Add baking soda to half a lemon (sans juice) and use it to scrub out your sink and tub…then take a bath to relax in your clean tub (100% pure & natural bath salts found locally through www.naturalsundae.com)

Baking Soda – add to laundry to absorb nasty odors, create a paste water/lemon juice to clean sinks, counters, & bathtubs.

Borax – Mix 2 cups with 25 drops lavender essential oil and sprinkle on carpet (using an empty spice bottle) to absorb odors. Let sit 10 minutes and vacuum.

*Distilled White Vinegar-*get your streak-free shine *naturally* using 1 part vinegar and 1 part warm water. Can use on floors, mirrors, glass (not marble). Can also be added to laundry to soften fabrics, but don’t fret, the odor fades as the liquid dries.

Essential Oils – pressed from flowers, herbs, grasses, & citrus fruits, these aromatic oils have antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti fungal properties. The germ killing possibilities are endless: to freshen laundry, add 30 drops to wash cycle. To freshen your air add 1 tsp to 1 cup purified water (or go to www.naturalsundae.com), add to baking soda for naturally effective carpet cleaner, add 2 drops to toilet water to freshen bathroom,
Powdered Oxygen Bleach – this eco-friendly version of bleach releases oxygen to clean, & is made by treating soda ash or borax with hydrogen peroxide so it is non-toxic and effective.

Ok, so that didn’t hurt did it? If you take the time to try and care more about the resources which we all often take for granted, and upon which we depend for life you may find that you feel like a million bucks, even if you didn’t start out caring at all. You may just surprise yourself and find new inspiration to help carry you through this little journey called ‘life’. Now get going . . .

For more eco-friendly cleaning tips please check out:

www.planetgreen.discovery.com

www.thedailygreen.com

www.greenlivingideas.com

www.naturalsundae.com