Three Dangers of Not Going Green

What Are The Challenges of Environmental Negligence?

Those who live a green life care about the environment and the effects of harmful chemicals and damaging practices on natural resources.

Past blog posts detail the positive outcomes of eco-friendly living.  This post will detail the opposite and highlight the areas of harm that directly stem from ignoring a green lifestyle.

1) Damage to Waterways, Lakes, and Other Bodies of Water

Harmful chemicals will eventually, due to rain, water pollution, or a direct dump of products or chemicals, enter water systems and negatively impact the water quality.  Not only does this effect the water, but the animals and plants in the water as well suffer health concerns and other dangers.

Enjoying the Great Outdoors- The Green Way

It's almost summer- a time to enjoy hosting barbecues, planning cookouts, and spending time outside.   With this warm weather, it is important to know how to continue your green living habits; whether you are going to the park, relaxing on vacation or even enjoying your apartment's community's pool!

Here are some tips for keeping the environment a priority when you spend time outside this season:

• Use Sunscreen With Few Chemicals: Sunscreen contains numerous chemicals that can contaminate the environment if spilled on the ground.  This is also the case with insect repellents.  Try to find products with as few chemicals as possible.  In fact, you can make your own sunscreen; here are some ingredients that naturally block the sun:

Earth Day Part II: Modern Movement

Earth Day Celebrates an Important Anniversary

Last week, our blog post detailed the history of the Earth Day Movement.  Tomorrow, Earth Day celebrates an important anniversary- the 45th year since the movement began in 1970.

What can you do to celebrate Earth Day in 2015?

The Earth Day Network, the organization that created and continues to promote Earth Day, spearheads the "A Billion Acts of Green," an international movement dedicated to securing a sustainable future.  In order to join the movement, you can take action (an "act of green") on the Earth Day website by signing The Climate Petition, supporting Environmental Education, reducing daily Energy Consumption, or submitting an original art piece to "Footing the Bill: Art and our Ecological Footprint."  So far, the Earth Day Network has received 1,123,953,067 acts of green.

Earth Day Part I: A Look Back

From the original Earth Week campaign in 1970.

The History of Earth Day

If you live a green life, or want to start, a great day to celebrate is Earth Day!  Held annually on April 22, Earth Day is a holiday to celebrate and promote environmental advocacy.

Do you know the history of Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970.  Roughly 20 million people attended various Earth Day celebrations around the United States.  The largest Earth Day celebrations occurred in New York City and Philadelphia.

Earth Day is often credited with starting the modern environmental movement.  Many groundbreaking environmentally-conscious laws followed the first Earth Day, including the Clean Air Act that was signed by president Richard Nixon on December 31, 1970.

What Happens to Your Recycling?

Recyclables Turn Into Other Recyclables

If you have read our past blogs and are committed to living a green life, you understand the importance of recycling.  The best way to protect the environment is to recycle and reuse products that, if thrown away, will take years to disintegrate into the ground or ocean.

When you put out your recyclables, what happens to the products once they go through a recycling center? 

Plastics

• Water Bottles: Water Bottles are examples of PET plastics.  These plastics are recycled as fiber products- like carpet materials!
• Plastic Milk Containers: These materials are turned back into plastic products, such as laundry detergent bottles.
• Styrofoam: Contrary to popular belief, Styrofoam cannot be recycled.

What Can You Do About Plastic Pollution?

Plastic pollution hurts plant and animal life.

Taking Action

Last week, we blogged several facts about plastic pollution.  Plastic pollution is just as common as any other type of pollution; causing horrible problems for the environment.

Ways to combat plastic pollution are:

• Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags. Cloth bags are available at almost every retail store at low prices.
• Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag or box.

Green Tips for a Clean Car

Spring Cleaning: Car Edition

The first day of spring is only 10 days away!  It is a great time to think about spring cleaning.

Last month, we detailed some eco-friendly spring cleaning tips in a post.  This week- we are expanding on that tip to include some green cleaning tips for your vehicle!  After such a harsh winter, you might want to really clean off your car.

Green Car Tips:

1) If you want to clean your car- go to a commercial car wash. 

Car washes actually use less water than if you were to try to wash your car yourself.  Usually, people overestimate the amount of water needed to wash their vehicle, or leave the hose running when cleaning, so conserve water and head to a car wash.

Get Ahead on Your Spring Cleaning: The Eco-Friendly Way

In a few weeks, spring will be in the air!  Spring cleaning is one of the best ways to start living a green life. 

Did you know that many cleaning supplies and household cleaning agents contain a lot of harmful chemicals?  It is east to have an immaculate house by making your own, eco-friendly cleaners.

Some common supplies you can easily make effective cleaners from include:

• Distilled white vinegar (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets)
• Baking soda
• Olive oil
• Microfiber cleaning cloths
• Newspaper

Going Green for Valentine's Day

Loving the Planet This V-Day

If you are planning a Valentine's Day celebration for your loved one- you might want to consider a few green ideas!  Share your love with the planet and environment as well.

Trying to Plan the Best Outing?

Some green date ideas are:

Registering for a cooking class

Cooking is not only fun, but a skill that can help reduce food waste! 

Hiking through a park

If you don't mind the cold, visit a state park and take a nice hike through the various trails.  Some parks even offer winter sports and seasonal activities.  Find the nearest state park by using America's Sate Parks' website.

A New Kind of Light

Lighting Up Your Green Life

Buying a light bulb is simple and often thoughtless ordeal- it's just another item on your shopping list.  But if you want to live a green life, it is important to ensure that you buy a green bulb.

The correct bulb can help the planet and also save you and your family money.

Before you buy a light bulb, consider this:

60 Watt traditional incandescent lights-

1) Saves no energy cost.
2) Costs an average of $4.80 annually.
3) lasts an average of one thousand hours.

Compare this traditional bulb with these options:

The Value of Recycling, Part II

Recycling Paper Products

Recycling is one of the easiest ways to live a green life!

Last week, the blog detailed some facts about recycling aluminum. 

This week, the blog focus is on paper recycling facts!

Did you know:

• To produce each week's Sunday edition newspapers, roughly 500 thousand trees must be chopped down.

The Value of Recycling, Part I

Recycling is one of the easiest ways to live a green life!

Do you know a lot about recycling, or do you just do it because it is the "right" thing to do?  For the next few weeks, we will introduce some facts that will help put into perspective exactly why it is so important to recycle!

Aluminum Recycling Facts

• It takes only 60 days for a used aluminum can to be recycled, re-purposed, and back on a grocery store shelf.
• Any aluminum object, not just cans, can be recycled.  This includes: car parts, gutters, lawn furniture, etc.

Green Car Care For The Wintertime

Living in an apartment, you have a lot of conveniences available to you!

During the winter, some people have to shovel out their sidewalks and driveways; but you don't!  You save a lot of time and energy by being able to get to your car with ease.

If your apartment community has an outdoor parking lot, however; you might want to remember some green tips to cleaning and scraping the ice from your car:

• Natural Ways To Prevent Frost

It is easy to prevent ice from forming on your car windows without harmful chemicals.  If you know a snow storm is coming through your area, try to prevent ice and frost on your car by rubbing it with a salt-water soaked sponge or soft cloth.  The, gently pat your car dry.  A vinegar mixture with water will also prevent frost from forming.

Putting Our Waste Into Perspective

Waste By The Numbers

We all know that recycling is good for the environment and an easy way to live a green life.

This is the time of year for holiday and New Years Eve parties. When cleaning up, it might seem easier to just discard of all the trash.  Sorting through recyclables doesn't matter all the time, right? It's fine to take just a few days off?

When committing to a green lifestyle, it is important to take every opportunity you can to promote sustainability. Taking one day off of recycling might seem like not a big deal, but in the long-run, the effects can be devastating to our natural resources.

Consider these figures:

The Life of Your Soda Can

This can will go on a journey!

You walk into the closest grocery store and buy a can of soda.  Simple, right?  You have probably done it so many times that it seems normal, even dull, to think about.

Every time you make the choice to recycle, instead of dispose, a soda can- it goes on a journey.  The life of a soda can really begins from the moment is is recycled.

Here are the steps many of your cans have gone through:

1. Customer takes can to a recycling center or puts it into a recycling bin.

Be Careful of Your Batteries

Does your house have unused batteries?

It's the time of year when your battery use will rise.

Maybe you'll use batteries when it is an overcast, November night, and you reach for a flashlight to take the garbage out to the curb.  Maybe you'll use batteries to power a decoration as you are setting up for the holidays, or to power a new gift.

Whenever new batteries are used, the old ones need to be disposed.  Before you think you can just throw the battery in the garbage, know that not all batteries are the same and some should not go in with common trash due to environmental concerns.