Living Green, Living Well

July 9, 2010 | By In living green | Comments(0)

My children love the outdoors, because my wife and I expose them to it regularly. They also love computers, and I am sure if we exposed them to fast foods they would love that as well (ok, we do sometimes!). It’s all about making good choices and being a good example. I’m not talking about making hemp clothing or eating granola and trail mix all day long although there are those who do and there’s nothing wrong with that. You do not have to be that committed to be a part of the “Green Initiative”. For those who merely have a healthy respect for the world we live in and want to take action to help improve the environment, there are many simple changes that we can make, and teach our children to do the same.

Recycling

There is more to recycling than paper, plastic and bottles. Organic waste is one of the largest contributors to landfills which causes methane gas, the principle component of natural gas, is released into the atmosphere and is a contributing factor in the depletion of the ozone layer, which in turn plays a major part in global warming.recycling symbol1 The Essence of Living Green Organic waste such as leaves, grass clippings, and non-animal food scraps do not decompose efficiently enough in landfills yet makes the best compost for your vegetable garden, flowers, trees and shrubs.

Composting

Composting can also be fun, especially if you enjoy gardening, and are even more rewarding when you think about the thousands of acres of open space being saved through the very simple practice of recycling and composting. All good gardeners know that there is nothing better for your plants and turf than good old fashioned hand made compost. There are many different types of compost on the market today that make the task of composting very easy and will protect against attracting stray or wild animals. You can even quicken the process of making compost by using safe and organic composting accelerators giving you compost within a few weeks.

Organic Products

Using organic fertilizers and control products also cuts down on soil, air and ground water pollution. Sure it’s easy to buy a bag of name brand fertilizer or pesticide; however it is just as easy to find organic products now more than ever. In fact, it is also just as cheap. The larger name brand companies are beginning to put out their own lines of organic gardening products, so be sure to keep an eye out.

Getting Rid of Insects

Rather than spraying for insects which would be both timely and costly, install a bat box or two in your trees and let them take care of the bugs for you! Adding ladybugs or praying mantis to your garden is much more fun than spraying weekly for bugs. If you live in a rural area and zoning allows for livestock, chickens are an amazing bug control. Yes, just a couple of chickens running loose in your yard will eat up to 1 million fleas and ticks daily.

Water Conservation

Where droughts are prevalent each year conserving water is a must. Watering your yard can account for up to 40% of water consumption. Catching rainwater with rain barrels to water your yard or garden is just as easy as dragging out your hose and will save you a substantial amount of money on your water bill. One 80 gallon rain barrel can capture 3,275 gallons of water per year and you’ll be putting the water back into the underground aquifer. Not routing rainwater from your roof to your garden will only serve to tax drainage systems rather than benefit vegetation or replenish natural, underground aquifers.
Most rain barrels are made from either 100% recycled plastic or reused food industry barrels, so either way you will also be putting renewable resources to good use and your plants and flowers will thank you for it.

Planting a Tree

Every tree planted helps remove CO2 from our atmosphere, depletion of the ozone layer. There are many other benefits to growing trees in your own yard or community for that matter. tree1 300×234 The Essence of Living Green. They provide homes and a safe haven for the many wild animals that still reside among us. Mature trees help shade our home from the sun, cutting down on energy consumption when using air conditioning. One of the more proactive and well established non-profit organizations is the Arbor Day Foundation which encourages the planting and care of trees worldwide.

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3 Ways Living Green Can Save You Money

July 3, 2010 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In living green | Comments(0)

Living green is becoming a way of life more and more everyday for more and more people. People are more aware of the danger this world is in from global warming and the green house effect. I have noticed that big companies are even adopting the living green way of doing things. Car companies are making and pushing hybrid and electric cars. Energy companies are looking in to using alternate energy sources such as wind and solar energy. TV stations are promoting green activities. Politicians are even starting to put saving the environment on their agenda. If you just look around you can see that living green is really catching on.

For most people saving the environment is enough for them to start living green. But there are still others that might just need a little more of a nudge. Well, money is always a great motivator for people to do anything so here are some ways you can save and make money by living green.

Save Money On Your Energy Bill

Did you know that even though an electrical item be turned off as long as it’s plugged in it’s using energy and costing you money. Unplug all unused electrical items or use an energy efficient surge protector.Even though those energy efficient compact florescent bulbs may cost more then regular light bulbs, in the long run they can save you money. The compact florescent bulbs lasts a lot longer then regular bulbs and use less energy thus saving you money on your energy bill and keep you from paying bulbs as often.Here’s how you can save money on your energy bill with your laundry. First make sure you have a full load and wash in cold water. Cold water works just as well as hot with most laundry items. Next line dry your laundry. Line drying is more environmentally friendly and also keeps clothes from shrinking and fading and saves you money on energy.

Save Money On Gas

Get some exercise and save money gas by walking to short distance destinations or riding a bike to them and longer distance destinations.Something people have been doing for years to save money on gas is carpooling. If your neighbors, friends or relatives are headed to the same place at the same time, why take more than one car? Let the person that has an automobile that can accommodate the most people if needed do the driving and every one in the auto cheap in a dollar or so. It’ll be cheaper in the long run than paying three four or five dollars to get to your destination.

Public transportation may not be the most desired form of transportation, but with the high price of gas it is one of the best ways to save some money.Converting your car to run no biofuel or some other alternative fuel might cost a little now, but will save you a lot in the long run. Have you seen the price of gas? Smaller cars, as we all know, saves money on gas. I know it’s hard, but give up those gas guzzling SUVs and Hummers and keep more money in your pocket with a smaller car. Maybe even a hybrid.

Make Money Living Green

Recycling not only helps keep material that’s harmful to the environment from being put in landfills, but you can also make a little money from doing. There are places all over the place that will pay you for such things as aluminum cans, scrap metal, those plastic bottles you get water and soda in and other materials. Recycleinme.com is a site that allows you to sell recyclables such as rubber, plastic, glass, paper and various scrap metals to online buyers.Places like Staples will give money for empty ink cartridges you use toward a purchase.

Make money by making your own non-toxic cleaning product and sell it. It’s easy to make using everyday stuff you might already have in your home like baking soda and lemons. You can find out how to make your own non-toxic cleaning product by doing a search online.

I’m going to leave it there. This gives you a taste of how living green and saving as well as making money can go hand in hand. So if you’re one of those that needed an extra nudge to start living green I hoped this pushed you over that edge.

Want more tips and ideas for living a greener life? Go to Living Green For Life. You’ll find videos, articles and other resources of information on living green. For all your Living Green searches and other searches use the Green Box.
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