Living Green is Healthy!

August 5, 2010 | By In living green | Comments(0)

I think it’s time that we draw a parallel between living a “healthy” life and living a “green life.” The fact of the matter is that the two kind of go hand-in-hand. Making greener choices in your everyday life has some positive health benefits, which I’d like to discuss here.

First, let’s look at one of the more common eco-friendly products: the reusable shopping bag. How could using reusable bags possible benefit our personal health? Believe it or not, it can. The more reusable bags that we use, the fewer plastic bags that we will need to manufacture. The manufacture of plastic and paper bags produces a number of toxins that work their ways in to our bodies as “free radicals.” Free radicals can build up in our bodies and can contribute to the onset of some serious health issues like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and a weakened immune system. So, the more reusable bags we use, the fewer free radicals that are produced and, as a result, work their way in to our bodies.

Plastic bags also have a negative impact on marine ecosystems, which can then impact other ecosystems, such as ours. Further, trees that could be used to produce oxygen and absorb greenhouse gasses are cut down to make paper bags instead.

Moving on, consider another popular green item: organic foods and products. Simply put, organic foods are much, much healthier for us to eat. Organically grown foods have been proven to contain more minerals and nutrients that our bodies need than conventionally grown foods. Non-organic foods are grown with pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, and other chemicals that we then ingest when we eat the foods. These chemicals are not good for us. Further, the constant use of these chemicals on the soil breaks the soil down over time, rendering it useless after several years of farming.

A growing number of people are beginning to use eco-friendly household cleaners because of their environmental appeal. However, consider that these cleaners are also much better for your health – harsh chemicals commonly used contain free radicals that harm our bodies. These free radicals can be so harmful to our bodies that studies have proven that women who stay at home instead of work have a lower life expectancy.

One of the more obvious healthy-living and eco-friendly things that we can all begin doing is to rike our bike or walk instead of driving all the time. Although this is much more difficult for those of us that drive 40 miles a day, if you’re one of the many that works a mile or two from your house, you should consider walking a few days a week, at least.

The sedentary lives that most of us live contributes to the growing obesity problem in America. Walking or biking to school and/or work will go a long way in improving your personal health and breaking the sedentary lifestyle cycle. Additionally, it will reduce the amount of pollution that you generate, helping our planet at the same time.

So, you can see that green living and healthy living are not necessarily two different things. These facts and ideas only add to the allure of adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle (or a healthier lifestyle, or both) as we can now see that you can kill many birds with one stone by making some simple changes in your life.

David Kraft is a freelance author that writes about a variety of subjects. He supports eco-friendly living and green products such as reusable shopping bags. For more information about eco-friendly living, visit his reusable bags site.
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Dry Cleanings Detrimental Effects On The Environment

April 21, 2010 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In environment | Comments(0)

The first thing you notice when you walk into the dry cleaners is the smell of toxic chemicals. Why is it that so few people even question what it is they are spending their money to have their clothes saturated with. Why is it that so few of those who use reusable shopping bags bother to question the effects these chemicals have on the environment?

The Environmental Protection Agency has shown that the chemical used by most dry cleaners (perchlorethylene) has negative effects on people employed by dry cleaners and people who live near them, ranging from chronic headaches to kidney damage. It is time to start doing something about the careless use of this toxic chemical.

Dry cleaners’ facilities are traditionally set up in such a way that the exhaust coming from the drier pollutes the air, water, and soil with toxic vapors. Considering the chemicals they use, there is no way to avoid this pollution.

Things You Can Do to Help Fix the Problem

Ultimately your best option is to seek out dry cleaners that use the new, ironic-sounding wet-cleaning system, which is much better for the environment. If there are no dry cleaners in your area that use this system, it is best to ask dry cleaners about their cleaning techniques and what chemicals they use. Environmentally conscious cleaners should catch on to what you are asking and explain what they are doing to protect the environment.

Another trademark of environmentally conscious dry cleaners is the use of reusable bags. Generally speaking though, if you smell anything unnatural when you enter the facility, you can almost always be sure that the chemical you are smelling is polluting the environment.

What To Expect from a Responsible Dry Cleaner

There are many dry cleaners in the United States that are concerned by the environmental hazards presented by traditional dry cleaning solvents and methods. The most common action being taken is the replacement of old equipment with newer, more efficient equipment that requires less solvent to do the same job. It is a good idea to ask how old your cleaner’s equipment is.

Also, you might want to ask how often your dry cleaners clean and maintain their equipment, as this can greatly affect its effectiveness and the toxicity of the vapors being released into the air, soil, and water. Inquiring about whether they have a vapor barrier is also a good idea, as these can prevent vapors from escaping.

Your Responsibility

If an environmentally safe dry cleaning facility is not available in your area it is best to avoid using one. Many articles of clothing are marked for dry cleaning only, but hand-washing them will not hurt them and will reduce the pollution in your area.

Another way of getting around using the dry cleaners if you have to is to avoid buying clothing that requires dry cleaning. If this is absolutely impossible for you, then remember that many fabrics do not need to be cleaned every time they are used; a simple airing out will do. This is especially true for non-synthetic fabrics like wool. And always remember, unless you are using reusable dry cleaning bags, you are not doing your part, no matter how eco-friendly your dry cleaners are.

About the Author:
Eliza Reeder writes articles that deal with environmental concerns and eco-friendly living. She encourages everyone to help protect our planet’s future by doing things like using reusable grocery bags. You can find more eco-friendly living tips on her reusable bags site.