Rising Gas Price Are Fine By Me...

I was talking with a nameless family member last week who voiced his dismay over rising gas prices. Although I wanted to tell him he had no one to blame but himself for voting for "W," who has sent our economy into the crapper and is spending billions of dollars on a so-called war - I took the green approach.

"I love rising gas prices," I said.
"What? Are you kidding me?" he said.
"Nope," I said. "Think about what rising gas prices mean. Less Hummers, less yachts; more high-mileage compact cars and more public transportation."

I read a statistic today today saying that Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles in May of 2008 when compared to the same month last year. 11 billion fewer miles! And all because of rising fuel costs.

You know, the little things we do each day - composting, using canvas shopping bags and reusable coffee cups - help. But really, we need big changes.

If you'd like to voice your opinion and stand up to make a difference, visit http://www.wecansolveit.org. Become a more-informed citizen and take action.

An Intro to the gDiaper

So one of my good work buddies, Jackie, is pregnant with twin girls! She's due in a couple of months and is having the moral dilemna of sending thousands of diapers to the landfill. Although I've never used the gDiaper (since I don't have kids), I've heard others rave about it.

The concept is simple - gDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer layer and a plastic-free flushable insert. The outer layer is made of washable material, and the inner layer can be flushed down the toilet.

To watch a video on the gDiaper or learn more, visit http://www.gdiapers.com/. If you use the gDiaper, let us know what you think.

Organics You Should Purchase

Now that you know how to save money on foods that you don't need to purchase organically, here's a list of organic foods you should purchase:

1. Tomatoes 6. Celery

2. Potatoes 7. Peppers

3. Grapes 8. Apples

4. Lettuce 9. Peaches

5. Strawberries 10. Pears

Most of these fruits and veggies have thin skin that is easily punctured and doesn't act as a barrier. Can't afford to purchase all these items organically? Purchase one organic item from this list and one regular item from the list below. Swap out items in recipes and be inventive!

Top 10 Safest Non-Organic Produce

Save some money - these 10 fruits and veggies have the lowest levels of pesticides and don't absorb pesticides like other produce. Save your grocery money for produce you should buy organically, such as apples, lettuce and celery.

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados (pesticide can't be absorbed through thick skin)
3. Bananas (pesticide remains on the peel)
4. Broccoli (crop faces fewer threats, farmers use less chemicals)
5. Cabbage
6. Kiwi fruit (thick peel, again)
7. Mango
8. Onions (few threats)
9. Papaya
10. Pineapple

You can see, most produce with thick skin doesn't absorb the pesticides. However, it's important to wash your produce well so you don't spread the chemicals onto your hands or onto the produce when cutting it.

(Info taken from TheDailyGreen)

In Loving Memory

You may have noticed that I've been on a posting hiatus. Unfortunately, Dan and I lost our precious Skiddles to cancer a few weeks ago. He was only 3 years old and we loved him dearly. Needless to say, I've been rather apathetic about most things that aren't obligatory.

We miss you Skid-man!

All Plastics Are Not Created Equal

Plastic is the most widely used material in the United States, and it crops up in everything from toys to clothes to food containers. But not all plastics are created equal, particularly in regards to food storage: Some plastics can transmit chemicals into your food, while others are perfectly safe.
Before you know which type of plastic container to buy the next time you hit the store, you first need to know how to tell them apart. Plastics are typically classified by a number from #1 to #7, each number representing a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.


Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:
#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)Product examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles, cough-syrup bottles
#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/Product examples: Milk jugs, toys, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)Product examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)Product examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags
#5 polypropylene (PP)Product examples: Syrup bottles, yogurt cups/tubs, diapers
#6 polystyrene (PS)Product examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers
#7 other (misc.; usually polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources)Product examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers, medical storage containers


Now that you know what each of the numbers represents, here are the kinds you should look for at the store:


Safer Plastics
#2HDPE, #4LDPE and #5PP
These three types of plastic are the healthiest. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they're generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers.


#1 PET
#1 bottles and containers are fine for single use and are widely accepted by municipal recyclers. You won't find many reusable containers made from #1, but they do exist. It's also best to avoid reusing #1 plastic bottles; water and soda bottles in particular are hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of.


PLA
PLA (polylactide) plastics are made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content. The starch is converted into polylactide acid (PLA). Although you can't recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap. Most decompose in about twelve days unlike conventional plastic, which can take up to 100 years.


Plastics to Avoid
#3 PVC
#3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is often used frequently in cling wraps for meat. However, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor. Vinyl chloride, the primary building block of PVC, is a known human carcinogen that also poses a threat to workers during manufacture.


#6 PS
Extruded polystyrene (#6 PS; commonly known as Styrofoam) is used in take-out containers and cups, and non-extruded PS is used in clear disposable takeout containers, disposable plastic cutlery and cups. Both forms of PS can leach styrene into food; styrene is considered a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It may also disrupt hormones or affect reproduction.


#7 PC
#7 Polycarbonate (PC) is found in baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. PC is composed of a hormone-disrupting chemical called bisphenol A, which has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as cancer and obesity.

(Taken from National Geographic's "The Green Guide")

Why I'm Green

Whether you're black or white, a red Republican or blue Democrat - there's no reason you can't be Green. I think it's important I take the time in this blog entry to explain why I'm green and why I think each of us ultimately should care enough to go even a little bit green.

I was listening to a radio show the other day when one of the on-air personalities whipped out a "Top 10 Ways to Have Environmentally Conscious Sex" list. Tips included purchasing organic cotton lingerie, showering together to save water, etc. Albeit funny, this list was a bit ridiculous.

I'm not expecting myself or all humans to make unreasonable sacrifices to be a bit more green. But I do have a hard time hearing that some friends/family members don't do the easy green things, such as recycling and switching over to LED light bulbs. The way I see it, whether you believe in climate change or O-Zone depletion shouldn't effect your decision to preserve the environment. As far as we know, there's only one Earth. We certainly won't be around forever, but many generations will. Why not do something now to help protect this one Earth and preserve the generations of the future?

What's your reason for being green? Please share below!