What's your footprint?

So, I know you see these things all the time, but it's always good to get a little reminder. Here's a really fun carbon footprint calculator from earthday.org:

http://http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html

I used all the advanced options and, even though I think I'm doing a really great job, I'm consuming 3.5 planets. Although, they don't give you extra brownie points for composting, rainwater harvesting, or having your own garden.

Green How-to

This is a really great website with every kind of project imaginable. You kind find every kind of green home project imaginable - and those you never even considered.

I really love this modular water jug shelving. (Not that I recommend buying all that plastic for water.)



Happy browsing!

www.instructables.com

Better shower curtains

Dilemna:  My shower curtain liner needs to be replaced, but I'm so tired of buying new vinyl liners.  I have tried washing the liner but it still has little spots  and its now ripped. Plus, these vinyl liners, however monetarily inexpensive they seem at the time, we do end up paying for them in the long run.  And not just by buying many throughout our lifetime, but paying for the time it takes them to decompose in the landfill...and since they are typically PVC, well, they don't really decompose, at least not in our lifetime.

Solution:  a hemp shower curtain

These don't even need a liner!  From what I have read (I am saving up to buy one now) they will get wet like any fabric but Hemp is naturally antimicrobial, durable and machine washable.  It also is PVC and VOC free (vinyl liners off gas so much!  Not good for you, and the manufacturing process is not good for the ozone.)  

When you are in the market for replacing your vinyl liner, think hemp!

There are many products out there...try to get something organic and made in the USA.

 

Sustainable Chocolate

Chocolate makes you feel good, yes?

The chocolate industry's back of house operation may not make you feel so cozy. Chocolate, like coffee, is grown in more exotic climates. With population, thus demand (of everything) constantly increasing, so does the amount of space it takes to grow things and effort it takes to produce them.

Growing cocoa, if done irresponsibly, can encourage rainforest deforestation, child labor, unfair wages, and heavy use of pesticides. This is a sad that chocolate can't help go away!

We can help choose better chocolate practices by choosing organic and fairtrade chocolate. So look for these symbols:

USDA Organic: help ensure your cocoa isn't grown with herbicides, pesticides, and other nasty things that can pollute water ways, the air and your body. It promotes more sustainable farming practices.

Fair Trade Certified: Ensures that fair labor practices are used, and that the farmer gets compensated an honest and livable wage. Also supports good labor practices (no child labor)

The Rainforest Alliance: helps promote saving the rainforest, and not cutting it down irresponsibly to grow crops. Its very hard to get what we cut down back!

These organizations can't change things on their own though! It will take consumer awareness to ensure that these organizations are making the difference. They have helped us with the first step, which is identifying good practices! Now we have to take their cue, and support these practices. Consumers unite! YOUR DOLLAR CAN EQUAL THE DIFFERENCE!