Healthy Home Tips

If you've kept up with this blog, you already know that we're big fans of the Environmental Working Group and the wealth of information they offer consumers. Last month they began their Healthy Home Tips Series for Parents. You can sign up via e-mail to be alerted of the next installment of the Healthy Home Series, and you don't have to be a parent to benefit from the content. The series is check full of ways that you can ensure your home is as healthy as possible. The latest installment is all about personal care products and how you can be a better label decipherer. Click your way on over to a healthier home for you and your family!

Personalize Your Drink

Sure, your water bottle is BPA-free, but does it represent you as an individual? SIGG bottles now can be designed specifically for you! There are thousands of designs to choose from, but with seven special-edition designs you can actually add your own wording. Just go to Cafe Press to design your SIGG bottle. You can even preview just how it will look clipped to a backpack or sitting on your desk. Now you can cut down on disposable bottles AND be your own unique self while doing it!

Go Green Tube

Haven't you ever wished for an all green YouTube? Well, now you have it! Go Green Tube was launched just a year ago. It hosts videos with information on the environment, green technology, products and services. Find out how you can repurpose your old t-shirt into a sexy little number. Join a New Yorker on his fire escape to see how he's gardening organically in buckets. It's all at Go Green Tube!

Company Practices

You already spend time looking at the products you purchase and how your purchasing behavior can impact the environment, but what about looking at the companies behind the products? Is a green product still green if it's made by an un-green company? Should a company be considered green if it treats the environment well but not its employees? We're getting so philosophical here! Before I start asking about trees falling in the woods, let me urge you to take a look at the Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire. It's a great resource to learn about socially responsible steps that companies are taking. The great thing about it is the wide range of topics that are covered. Not only can you sign up for news on the environment, green building and renewable energy, but also on such topics as diversity, fair trade and socially responsible investing. CSRwire can provide you with a wealth of information on which companies are taking socially responsible actions in today's marketplace.

You've Got the Green Power!

EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that supports organizations purchasing green power options. You can look at their Top Partner Rankings which highlights the annual green power purchases of leading organizations across the U.S. It is updated quarterly, so you can always see which companies are making large-scale efforts to power themselves with alternative energy options. It's interesting to see which companies are listed as well as which companies don't show up on the list. It's a quick way to see who os taking the lead in supporting alternative energy, because hwith so many companies out there making green claims, it's gettin' kinda hectic!

You Mean I'm Supposed to Observe the Speed Limit?

Go to FuelEconomy.gov for their helpful Gas Mileage Tips. Learn how you can drive more efficiently, keep your car in shape, plan and combine trips and choose the most efficient vehicle possible in order to save fule and funds! FuelEconomy.gov is maintained by the US Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The information on the site helps consumers make informed fuel economy choices when purchasing a new vehicle and helps them achieve the best fuel economy possible from the cars they already own. If you're looking for fuel economy estimates, energy and environmental impact ratings or fuel-saving tips, go to FuelEconomy.gov!

Your Water Footprint

You may have used carbon footprint calculators or ecological footprint calculators, but H2O Conserve has a handy-dandy water footprint calculator that you should try! It not only tells you how much water you are using, but where you are using it and how you can work on using less of it. What's great about this footprint calculator is that it doesn't just look at the water you are using in your house. It asks you questions about fuel use and eating habits - things that impact the amount of water you use beyond the faucet. Check it out!

Saving the World...One Cow Burp at a Time

This story was just too crazy not to share! The folks at Stonyfield Farm have been looking at their carbon footprint for some time. Stonyfield, the world's leading organic yogurt company, knew that the biggest carbon contributor in their overall footprint was the milk production itself. While they had worked to decrease carbon emissions from transportation, farm energy, etc., they figured they couldn't do much about their largest source of farm emissions - methane from cows. I mean, you can't green a cow...can you? Well, it turns out you can! Stonyfield learned about research from it's global partner, Groupe Danone, that indicated a diet higher in natural omega-3 sources would reduce the number of burps coming out of their cows. That is how the Stonyfield Greener Cow project was born. The result? Fewer methane emissions from the cows and milk with more omega-3s and lower saturated fat content. A win-win-win, for poeple, cows, and the planet!

Looking to Drive Greener? Don't Drive Like my Brother!

Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, host NPR's Car Talk radio show each week (please tell me you already knew that... SO funny!). Did you know that they also host Car Talk's Eco Area on their cartalk.com Web site? It's full of ways that you can reduce the impact of your automobile. With driving and maintenance tips, new car options, and even "ideas from the fringe," the site is loaded with information and resources to help you drive a little greener. Plus, it's Tom and Ray Magliozzi, so it's hysterical - snort-out-loud funny, in fact! My favorite part are the tips, which are each rated with a "Tree-Hugging Factor" of up to five trees. For example, "stop your idling" gets one tree, while "carpool with the yutz next door" earns four. So, check out Car Talk's Eco Area and, in the words of Click and Clack, "before you know it, you'll be wearing Birkenstocks and eating free-range tofu!"

Green by Design

Green by Design is a great site filled with information and products for living a greener lifestyle. Learn more about green living with their blog, online shop with hand-picked goods, product guides, and green designer profiles. The products in their online shop come from a variety of sources and include furniture, household items, and fabric (my husband is now panicking and placing a freeze on our checking account). Each item listing includes a Green Scorecard with information on packaging, recycled content, company practices and more. There are also a number of buying guides to help you choose more environmentally friendly options for insulation, linens, water heaters, paint and on and on... it all can be found at Green by Design!

Is Your Facial Tissue Green? Ewww...Is it Environmentally Friendly?

Everyone has a line that they won't cross when it comes to looking for environmentally preferable products. If yours doesn't come before the bathroom, then you should take a look at the Greenpeace Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide. They looked at more than 100 brands and divided them into three categories (recommended, could do better, and avoid). Product placement in these categories were based on whether they were made from 100% overall recycled content, at least 50% post-consumer recycled content, and whether they were bleached without chlorine. You can download and print (on recycled paper, of course) a handy pocket card, or download the iPhone app.

So You Think You're Smart?

But are you water smart? Test out your water IQ with Planet Green's Water Conservation Quiz! Which household item uses the most water? How much do most homes lose through leaks? No cheating! Don't go looking up the answers before you take the quiz! Still feeling brainy? Check out the other Planet Green quizzes online - from cycling to happy hour to topics that cannot even be mentioned on a state employee blog. See, now you really want to go check it out, don't you?