An audio recollection of my early days of living a green lifestyle (be patient, it may take a moment to load):

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Right click to download the audio MP3 file: Early Green Living

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So what do dairy farms, old cardboard boxes plus Simpson Spring soda and Hood milk bottles have to do with living a green lifestyle?

Take a few moments and listen to the audio file to find out (you may even hear my old New England accent pop out).

Next, take a moment or two and reflect back to your early years and let me know your earliest memories of green living activities.

It’s amazing what we find when we take the time to stop and think back to years gone by and how much early routines might reflect some of the newer trends around today!

As we slide along getting ready to make the transition from Spring to Summer, another warmer weather issue soon re-appears and springs to life trying to steal some of the fun from the season …. Pesky Insects!

Most of us will experience many encounters with those little pesky insects popping out of borrows in the yard or the dark and protected cracks and crevices around our homes.

Everything from ants parading across the counters or picnic tables to different types of beetles invading our gardens, flying insects (flies, stinging varieties, moths, mosquitoes) buzzing about and roaches just being completely gross!  They are definitely more than a little irritating …

They’ll soon be attempting to join in and ruin many a summer party or picnic unless you bring out the heavy artillery ….

So rather than reaching for the Raid or other popular, chemically-laden, off-the-shelf variety pesticide, here are a few home-brewed natural remedies that are definitely more in tune as you are living your green lifestyle …

General Purpose Insect Spray Mixture:

Here is a great all purpose spice natural remedy mixture that is a very effective insect spray you can by combining and mixing:

• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Plant-based soap;
• 1 Tablespoon (or a clove or two) Garlic;
• 1 small onion
• 1 Tablespoon of cayenne or hot chili pepper (chopped or powder); &
• 1 quart very warm water.

Mix ingredients together and allow brew for several days.

Filter fluid through cloth or coffee filter into spray bottle and you are ready to go (or should I say the pests will be ready to go!).  And don’t just throw the spice mash away; mix it into the topsoil around some of your various planting!

Here is a video from “The Produce Garden” You Tube video site (full of helpful tips for anyone trying to live a simpler life close to nature) with a slight variation of the above natural remedy receipt:

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A couple of suggestions for those pesky little, hard exoskeleton black or red ants:

Natural Remedy Ant Repellant – place a line of dried peppermint leaves (or dilute peppermint spirits*), 50/50 mix of vinegar/water; chili powder, black pepper or cream of tartar in front of their entry point(s) to keep ants from re-entering area.

*Note – peppermint spirits (an essential oil) can be harmful to cats!

Natural Remedy Ant Exterminator – Mix equal parts of fine-grained sugar (or sometimes grease) with Borax** then place in area when ants enter or congregate.  The ants are attracted by the sugar and carry the mix back to the next where the poisonous Borax** does its deadly deed.

**Note – Borax is poisonous and potentially lethal to people and pets (as little as a few tablespoons can be very dangerous to deadly) so only use in isolated areas where people (especially children) and pets can not access!

I have also tried pouring a pot of boiling water down the opening to ant hills with some success (mixing it with a plant-based cleaning product like Shaklee H2 helps!)

Using Cedar as a Natural Remedy for Moth Control

Moths are another pest that are both irritating when  buzzing around lights in the evening but are more of an issue when they get into closets and make their homes in various articles of clothing.  The simplest way address moths in the clothes are to add cedar blocks or chips (in cloth bags) in amongst the various garments as a natural remedy.

Rhubarb Leaves and Beetles

Another useful tip when dealing with beetles is to make a pesticide brew by steeping several chopped rhubarb leaves in a few quarts of boiling water followed by straining into spray bottle.  Another note of caution is warranted here since rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which is poisonous to humans and animals.

Diatomaceous Earth and Hard Exoskeleton Critters

One last tip to consider when dealing with hard-bodied pests (ants, roaches, beetles), get some food-grade diatomaceous earth (a soft, chalk-like) sedimentary rock material) and sprinkle the powder around the pest’s pathways. The silica in the powder abrades through the hard exoskeleton penetrating the body cavity and desiccating (drying-out) the pest!

I admit, not the some of these prettiest of natural remedies but often effective ones …

Yes folks, it’s that time of year again and time for “Fun in the Sun”.

So as you continue living your green lifestyle and frolic in the Sun here are five skin protection tips to help keep those Summer outings as happy and care-free as possible.

During the next few months, much of our non-working lives centers around activities lead us outsides where the Sun’s warming and sometimes harmful rays shine upon us. Activities range from extended fishing expeditions (my favorite), boating, holding picnics, days at the beach and even tasks around the house like painting, yard work, gardening and so on …

Though the natural warmth often feels especially grand at the end of a long cold winter, they also place us at risk to a variety of skin problems including formation of leathery and wrinkly skin, unsightly skin spots, and in the worst case …. skin cancer.  Another related issue I sometimes encounter is vision issues due to excessive glare, particularly when on the water.

As you are planning your outdoor activities, consider the following tips to help keep your time frolicking in the Sun both fun (even if mowing) and safe:

1. Wear the appropriate clothing.  Although it may sound counter-intuitive, sometimes proper clothing includes long-sleeved shorts and pants;
2. Try and plan you day to avoid being out in the direct sun between the hours of 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.  This is the time of day when the sun is highest in the sky and it’s rays are most intense.  If out for a day of fishing or boating, use your boat’s Bimini top or invest in one (especially if this is a frequent Summer pastime for you);
3. Use sunblocks that are truly effective and have a low health risk associated with them such as Badger Sunblocks or the Alba Sun Care line available online at Drugstore.com;
4. Apply the sunblock to all exposed skin at an absolute minimum and don’t forget your ears, neck and even parts of your face.  If you don’t have much hair on the top of your head, apply the block and wear a hat for added protection;
5. Re-apply sunblock frequently and though you can use the instructions on the label as a guide, remember that your activities might have lead to contact with clothing thereby removing the block.

Always remember to check your skin after each outing making note of areas looking different than normal.  If you do find areas of abnormal appearance be sure and check with your doctor for safety sake.

So remember these five skin protection tips to help keep those Summer outings as happy and care-free as possible as you keep living your green lifestyle.

During the process of researching green or eco friendly cleaning products I commonly ran into discussions about cleaners made from household items (vinegar, baking soda, etc.) and how they were safer than most commercial green cleaning products from companies like Seventh Generation, Shaklee (Get Clean line) or Better Life.

As I followed the discussion across several different blog comment threads, people would commonly refer to health hazard data compiled on material safety data sheets (MSDS) to identify health and toxicological information when presenting their arguments.

It seemed when proponents of the homemade cleaners made an argument against common commercial green cleaners, they would identify the major compound in the commercial cleaner and refer to data from the MSDS sheet for that pure compound.

I instantly saw a problem with their analysis since they were often comparing vinegar (a 5% (dilute) solution of acetic acid) against the data for the concentrated (100%) form of the compound of concern in the commercial green cleaning product.

As a result, I prepared the following video noting my concern for this type of analysis by showing some examples of MSDS health hazard data for three compounds used in green or eco friendly cleaning products.

Please watch the video making note of the compounds compared and data on each of the MSDS sheets then comment below!

I look forward to your thoughts and comments!

Today many American households have home offices and a growing number of them are being used for various types of home business.  Whenever you make the move to operate a business from the home, you inherit all of the responsibilities and authorities accompanying that decision.

The bottom line: You are now the primary decision-maker (or at least play a significant part in that role) and therefore can create your own green home office workspace!

Since you have an active interest in enhancing you overall green lifestyle and operating a green home-based business, a few ideas when either first setting up your office or replacing supplies might help!

Working from home likely means you will be using more office supplies and need additional office equipment than you did before.  So think about the following tips when purchasing materials and make your home office workspace as green as possible:

Green Home Office Equipment:

• Be sure to buy energy-efficient equipment when purchasing major items such as printers, computers, copiers, etc. displaying the “Energy Star^® logo since these machines require less energy and will save you money (green in two ways!);
• Think about purchasing an all-in-one printer/fax/copier/scanner device since one machine requires less energy than four;
• Select a printer unit that accepts recharged toner cartridges plus make sure they are available for that unit;
• Use the double-sided printing feature available on most new printers and copiers;
• Use draft mode when printing in-house documents thereby using less energy and ink;
• Replace old film cameras with new digital cameras requiring less paper and chemical processing when archiving or sharing photographic images;
• Replace conventional batteries with rechargeable ones and always be sure to dispose of batteries in an appropriate manner.

Green Home Office Supplies:

• Use recycled paper made using a high quantity of consumer waste resulting in less trees being harvested, lower energy demands and reducing waste going into landfills;
• Reduce the quantity of paper used by:
  • Share electronic files rather than paper files;
  • Re-use back side of side-sided documents for scratch pads or drafts;
  • Use double-sided printing whenever possible (see above);
• Use email for both in-house and external communication whenever possible;
• Use digital media such as CDs, DVDs, external hard drives for archival of document files, imagery, video files, audio files, etc.;
• Use web sites and web pages to meet publishing needs (advertising brochures, newsletters, sales copy, etc.) rather than conventional printing, mailing thereby saving supplies, energy and shipping costs;
• Reuse file folders, file hangers and even envelopes when possible;
• Minimize both incoming and outgoing “snail mail” by:
  • Using voicemail, email and fax transmissions when possible;
  • Use e-billing add e-payment systems where available;
  • Cancel subscriptions to information sources available digitally or un-read newspapers, magazine, journals, etc.
• Recycle or reuse paper goods via municipal or other local programs (a local school pelletizes paper and mixes with wood waste for heating purposes); and
• Purchase refillable pens and pencils, chose recycled and non-toxic options when available and buy supplies in bulk whenever possible.

Another consideration to green your home office is to purchase recycled office furniture (there is a lot of it available in today’s marketplace) or refurbish your old furniture.  Any office furniture you no longer need can be donated to a local charity, shelters or churches as well.

So remember, now that you are the boss and main decision-maker, it’s up to you to make the right purchases and cultivate your own green home office workspace …

It’s that time of year again; trees are leafing, flowers are blooming, and yes even the dandelions are popping around the yard.

Many of us are also re-cultivating, fertilizing (organically-based of course) and preparing to plant another season’s crop of home-grown wholesome vegetable bounty from our backyard gardens.

So why even consider the idea that lead poisoning could weigh-down summer urban gardening plans?

If you have a large lot, live in a relatively new development or in a structure that has never used exterior paint you may not even have to think about the significance of this article’s title.

One the other hand, if you live in an older structure, particularly in an urban or suburban setting, you really should be doing more than thinking about the title.

The reason: until the 1978 Lead Paint Ban many homes were painted using lead-based paints. As structures aged and maintenance painting occurs, some or all of the original paint was removed via scraping and the paint chips fell to the ground below and became part of the soil.

Another lead source present until the mid-1970s was the presence of tetra-ethyl lead in gasoline when it was phased out of product and replaced with other additives such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (a.k.a. – MTBE: a subject for a future post).  As particulate matter was deposited from automobile exhaust, it also contained a certain amount of lead from gasoline adding to the lead burden of shallow soils (also the places where gardens are grown).

Lead in the Urban Garden Soil Environment …

First of all, if you feel your property may have significant issues with lead in soil, you should consider contacting your local/state health or environmental department for more information and testing advice.  This article is posted for those interested in gardening and is searching for steps to take to minimize interaction between garden plants and lead contaminated soils.

Lead is present in all soils in relatively low concentrations (often < 20 mg/kg or ppm), which represents a minimal risk to plants or animals (including us) that come into contact with it.

The problem arise when lead soil levels become substantially increased, a common occurrence in urban and some suburban setting due to the reasons stated above.  In numerous urban/suburban cases, lead concentrations in residential soils greatly exceed the common “lead safe” soil standard (established by U.S. regulatory agencies) of 400 mg/kg (ppm) with some studies reporting soil lead levels 10X greater than the safe level.

Note: Even though the “safe-lead” standard is set at 400 mg/kg (ppm), cultivation of soils with soil lead levels > 100 mg/kg (ppm) should be avoided when children at present to lower the risk of direct ingestion of contaminated soils.

Do vegetation types uptake and accumulate lead in the same way?

According to studies on the uptake of lead by different types of garden plants, leafy (lettuce, herbs, rhubarb, etc.) and rooting (carrots, radishes, onions, etc.) edible plants are more likely to accumulate lead in the edible parts than fruiting edibles (tomatoes, peppers, squashes, etc.).

A few recommendations for urban gardeners:

1. Survey the property and plan to construct the garden away from high contamination areas and buildings;
2. Conduct analysis of soil samples from planned garden area;
3. If planned garden area contains > 400 mg/kg (ppm), either move location, switch to container or raised bed gardening;
4. If lead contamination is present, only grow leafy and rooting plants in container or raised bed systems;
5. Wash all harvested plants thoroughly to remove contaminated dust/soil;
6. Each season, re-check topsoil system to check for re-contamination during pre-season preparation activities;
7. Do not use plants grown on contaminated soils in composting efforts.

A little pre-planning and preparation before undertaking this season’s gardening endeavor will help lower the risk of lead exposure to your family and still provide fresh, great-tasting and wholesome fruits and vegetables we all relish!

The added bonus – you will minimize the potential for lead poisoning to weigh down your urban garden plans!

Do you have any idea what chemicals are lurking in the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks?

Ever wonder what the source of the pungent odor emanating from your workshop bench or shelves was and whether they were safe household products?

Are all these materials made from perfectly safe chemicals or are there reasons to be concerned?

Is it possible the sweet odor coming from chemicals in household products is actually a possible health threat to you or your family?

Many of us often have questions about the various cleaning, landscape, maintenance and even craft products we routinely use around our home or workplace.  Finding a source of pertinent chemical safety information about specific products is usually time consuming, difficult and the results are often suspect.

Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have compiled health and safety information on over 4,000 products used in the household and workplace.  The Household Products Database is provided in digital form and is available on the Internet via the HHS website.

Direct access to the Household Products Database can be obtained by clicking on the image of the web site’s home page below:

Clickable Image of Household Products Database Website

Information provided in the database is relatively straightforward and easy to understand plus there are links to more detailed data via HSS/NIH technical compilations about toxicology, chemical hazards and a variety of other themes.

Though the original databases were originally designed for scientists, medical professionals and other interested technical parties, the Household Products Database was designed to also provide useful information to the general public. As indicated on the database’s home page image above, the database structure is sub-divided first by product category.

Once a specific category is selected, the database is further sub-divided into different use classifications and then specific products are identified by brand and product name where fairly detailed information about chemical safety information for each product is listed.

The HHS/NIH Household Product Database website provides a web portal where questions such as the following can be answered:

• Who are the manufacturers for the different brands and how might they be contacted?
• Do the products you normally use contain chemicals you should worry about?
• What chemicals are present in the brand you use and how much of each are present?
• What are the potential health effects of the chemicals in household products?
• How safe are the chemicals present in household products?
• What actions are recommended if someone is inappropriately exposed to the chemicals in a product?

And so forth …

Much of the initial information provided in the Household Products Database was compiled from information and data provide by the manufacturer or their representative in the form of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).  If more detailed information is desired about the chemicals listed in the search results, additional links to more technically detailed databases (often compiled from sources other than the manufacturer) are also provided.

If you would like more information about the Household Products Database or the other information sources accessible from the HHS/NIH site, contact: tehip@teh.nlm.nih.gov.

It is amazing how easy it can be to make a transition from a “typical” American lifestyle and adapt to a new green lifestyle by making a few simple changes in our normal routine to start living green.

Green living changes can come by simply changing a light bulb; using green cleaners; or unplugging an electrical device when not is use.  Even with simple little tasks like those, the change to a green lifestyle is sometimes slow in coming and an ever-evolving process.

As I mention during the site introductory post found on the “About” page, we have tried to maintain some level of a green lifestyle though for most of our married life.

Much of the time however, it was definitely one I would refer to as “convenient green”.  In other words, if a change in routine or a new purchase was convenient and green, it often got implemented.

Convenient green changes made earlier in our daily lives included:

• Beginning stages of implementing the three “Rs” – recycling, reusing, and reducing materials involved partaking in municipal refuse/recycling curbside programs; re-use of materials such as using the back side of printed drafts as note pads; or reducing material packaging by buying bulk and concentrated items.
• Use of brick in older toilet tanks to reduce the amount of water used with each flush. The brick was ultimately replaced with water in container since bricks degraded and created other issues with the tank flush mechanism. Note: Many newer toilets (purchased after 1994) were designed to be low-flush systems that used ~ 25% to 50% less water than older models.
• Replaced paper towels, placemats and napkins with cloth versions (fortunately my wife loves sewing and makes all our placemat and napkin sets).

Over the last several years, however, there has been a conscious effort to change our daily routines and use patterns to further green our lifestyle.  Many of the changes require breaking old habits and although they took effort (along with some trial and error) it all appears to be worth it in the long run.

Some of the more recent changes and alterations include:

• Replacing most of the incandescent bulbs in the house with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL);
• Use of reusable water bottles and an in-house filtration system in place of bottled water;
• Use of concentrated green cleaners (lower cost/less packaging/less energy);
• Un-plugging charging devices (cell phone, MP3 players, etc.) when not in use;
• Making use of natural light and heat whenever possible (which is most days when the sun is shining since the main living area of the house is south facing;
• Limiting running water use when washing, brushing teeth, doing dishes by hand, using dishwasher when completely loaded; and
• Recycling shopping bags, egg cartons, clothes, usable household goods and boxes by donating to local businesses and charities.

As time moves on, so does our continuing efforts to upgrade our green lifestyle altering more and more aspects of our regular routine so our activities are both Earth-friendly and sustainable.

The best thing about making the change to a green lifestyle is that most of the changes not only help the environment by lessening our personal demand on resources (Earth-friendly) but also tend to save money in the process.

So who says maintaining a green lifestyle has to be expensive?   Not us!

Start living green and prosper as well …