Thanks Diane!!

She asked — What is the number one thing we can do to protect life on planet earth?

An interesting conversation thread followed.

If I had to decide just one thing to protect our planet earth — I’d say feed it.

By that I mean clean up the whole food thing.

To me that means no one is hungry ever and we get back to the basics – slow food, scratch cooking, dinner together every day, a deeper understanding of local and seasonal – food that is clean, nutritious and plentiful

Such a simplistic thought

Not a simple task by any means.

I certainly wouldn’t know where to start either

For me when I think about what I advocate most passionately I always come back to food and nutrition.

I could do better

I could learn more

I could teach more

This is where my number one thing we can do to protect life on the planet has a bit of a Part B

We all might want to step in and get involved.

Get grassroots again!

Learn, share, talk, meet others who might be on the same page

Tonight I attended a meeting where local farmers, foodies, restraunt owners, educators, government and economic development councils came together for a like minded cause.

To bring a Food Innovation Center to Central Illinois.

I had heard the frustrated farmer farm to school carrot story mentioned in the newspaper today once before.

When someone shared with me the details of tonight’s meeting I felt I had to attend.

I am completely fascinated by the project!!

Among these are Pseudomonas aeruginosa (associated w/ pneumonia), Staphylococcus aureus ( nursery infections), Salmonella Choleraesius ( gastro entritis) , and Trichophyton interdigitale ( foot fungus ).

This product is virucidal against Herpes Simplex (a member of the virus family that causes infectious mononucleosis), Vaccinia ( representative of the pox virus ) and influenza A2 as represented by the strains commonly called Hong Kong Flu and London Flu virus

The broad spectrum of disinfectant effectiveness is shown by its germicidal action against the following organisms:

Escherichia coli

Salmonella schottmuellen

Klesbiella pneumoniae

Brevibacterium ammoniagenes

Aerobactoe aerogenes ( enterobacter )

Streptococcus faecalis

Shigella dysentariae

By following the simple use instructions found on this non-toxic germicidal label; homemakers, childcare facilities, animal care facilities, schools, hotels, those who work in food preparation, medical practitioners and more, can provide real disinfection at just pennies per gallon of solution.

General Uses and How to Mix: Mix ½ ounce (tablespoon) per gallon of water when using mop, cloth or sponge or Dilute ½ teas per 16 oz spray bottle in water – spray surfaces and wipe dry (change this solution every 30 days )

Bathroom – Floor, tub, shower, exterior of toilet bowl, toilet seat, faucet and wastebasket

Kitchen - Sink, floors and walls, electrical appliances, cupboards, drawers, garbage pails, refrigerators and freezer to eliminate food odors, rinse any surface that comes in contact w/ food.

Family Room – Door handles, computer keys, telephone mouthpiece and working areas

Playroom – counters, toys (rinse), table tops, floors and walls

Pets – feeding, sleeping quarters, litter boxes

Nursery – beds, changing table, diaper pails, toys (rinse)

Humidifier – just a few drops added to the water to keep it clean
Our Germicide vs. Bleach*

This Germicide is EPA registered, it’s residual effectiveness is up to 3 days after application ( tested in undisturbed laboratory conditions using E.Coli, one of the more resistant organisms in fecal material on linoleum tile ) This product is also Kosher certified.

It’s shelf life is up to 3 years. It’s scent is fresh and clean. One quart makes 64 gallons of cleaning solution, it is safe to use with other cleaning products and it’s non corrosive when diluted.

Note the astounding cost savings and the remarkable concentration:

Toilet Bowl Cleaners:

Lysol .41
Clorox .49
Seventh Generation .69
Our Germicide .26

per use price
varied 4 – 6 oz per toilet, ours used 1 TBLS
4, 6, 8 per container – ours 64 uses

Disinfectants:
Lysol 44.69
Clorox 13.96
Seventh Generation 21.96
Our Germicide .27

cost per gallon comparison
usage is straight – ours is concentrate uses 3/8 of a tsp per 6 oz of water
theirs makes 1/4 -1/10 of a gallon – ours makes 64 gallons

More Green Clean Cost Comparisons

Bleach is often not EPA registered. It’s residual effect is no more than an hour. It’s shelf life varies up to one year, and has pungent, noxious fumes.  One quart makes 7.5 gallons of cleaning solution.  Mixing with other cleaning compounds creates harmful gases

*Prior to the introduction of our germicide, chlorine bleach has been used by pet care professionals to disinfect hard surfaces against canine parvovirus and feline leukemia – now there is an alternative for animal care too

*A word about Lysol, besides not being a very good germicide it’s extremely flammable – a fireman can actually tell where a homeowner has sprayed Lysol by the trail it left after a fire. When demonstrating our germicide we would actually ignite lysol – again very flammable, and put out the fire out with our germicide. Not flammable.

Hmmmmm which product would you prefer to use around your children?

This product also comes in a handy dandy wipes also.

pipecleaner man flickr image credit

(NaturalNews) One of the major issues being tackled by consumer watchdog groups this year is the presence of 1,4-dioxane, a synthetic petrochemical carcinogen, in consumer products. Since hair care products, cleaning formulas and laundry detergents are all susceptible to containing this toxic chemical byproduct, which is not listed on product labels, David Steinman from the Green Patriot Working Group (GPWG) began a study in 2007 to see which consumer products are the worst offenders.  This year, his organization along with the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), released the results of a portion of the study conducted last year on laundry detergents.

When cleaning products and detergents are processed using ethoxylation, a cheap technique that lessens the severity of the harsher ingredients, 1,4-dioxane is created. Since it is considered a byproduct of ethylene oxide reacting with other ingredients, 1,4-dioxane is technically considered a contaminant and thus does not have to be included on product labeling. As a result, consumers are largely unaware of its presence in major household products.

For the study, Steinman evaluated 20 different laundry detergents from both conventional and “natural” brands. Evoxa, an independent, third-party laboratory that is highly respected for its rigorous methods and high standards, conducted all product testing. The results are as follows:

Conventional brands:
1. Tide (P&G) – 55 parts per million (ppm)
2. Ivory Snow Gentle (P&G) – 31 ppm
3. Tide Free (P&G) – 29 ppm
4. Purex (Dial Corp.) – 25 ppm
5. Gain 2X Ultra (P&G) – 21 ppm
6. Cheer BrightClean Detergent (P&G) – 20 ppm
7. Era 2X Ultra (P&G) – 14 ppm
8. Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight Co.) – 5.0 ppm
9. Wisk 2X Ultra (Sun Products Corp.) – 3.9 ppm
10. Woolite Complete Detergent (Reckitt Benckiser) – 1.3 ppm
11. All laundry detergent (Unilever) – 0.6 ppm
12. Dreft powdered detergent (P&G) – non-detectable (ND)
13. Sun Burst (Sun Products Corp.) – ND

“Natural” brands:
1. Planet Ultra Liquid laundry detergent – 6.1 ppm
2. Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent – 1.5 ppm
3. Clorox Green Works Natural laundry detergent – ND
4. Ecos laundry detergent (Earth Friendly Products) – ND
5. Life Tree Laundry Liquid – ND
6. Method Squeaky Green laundry detergent – ND
7. Seventh Generation Free & Clear laundry detergent – ND

Of the products detected, P&G products came up the highest in 1,4-dioxane levels, as did most of the conventional brands.  Of the natural brands tested, only two were found to contain 1,4-dioxane, and in levels far below the average conventional brand. While not all available brands were tested, it is clear from the results that consumers need to be wary of most conventional brands. They also must perform due diligence in verifying that their “natural” brand of choice is truly free of 1,4-dioxane as well.

The 1,4-dioxane found in laundry detergent is particularly harmful in the fact that the chemical binds easily to water and remains there.  Even after water containing the chemical has been purified and filtered, low levels have been detected, indicating that it is not easily removed from water.  Numerous water supplies across the country have been found to be tainted with 1,4-dioxane.

Of the 80,000 known chemicals, only 200 are tested by the EPA; 1,4-dioxane is not one of the ones tested.  Average aggregate exposure to 1,4-dioxane is unknown since it is found in numerous consumer care products.  Because it is a known carcinogen that is implicated in causing cancer, liver disease and other serious problems, it is important to avoid it whenever possible.

OCA has prepared a Personal Care and Cleaning Products Safety Guide outlining which consumer products are safe and free of 1,4-dioxane and which ones are not.  Categories include dishwashing soap, hand soap, all-purpose soap, laundry detergents, household cleaners, body washes and shampoos, conditioners, facial cleansers, lotions, sunscreens and deodorants.

I personally use this green laundry product line

Did you know that in the emergency room there is an actual term for the rash caused by typical dryer sheets known as “Bounce Blush”?

( this just horrifies me )

Natural Health Magazine featured a small blurb on dryer sheets it said:

“Conventional dryer sheets coat clothes with wax and perfumes and are very slow to break down once they’re discarded.”

Consider a 100% veggie-derived dryer sheet that is completely  fragrance free, biodegradable, and recyclable.    They are very effective in the dryer for static cling and softening.  ( actually this product actually rivals main stream brands in it’s performance )

Another hazard that many folks are not aware of is that the waxy build up from conventional dryer sheets leaves a residue on the lint screen that can actually cause fires!

When was the last time you cleaned your dryer’s lint screen? Like scrubbed it to remove waxy build up??

In writing the piece below we wanted clients not to feel overwhelmed.

There is certainly enough of that in the world already

Greening your garage requires organizing too
By Karen Hanrahan

If you are beginning to ponder greener pastures with regards to your garage, consider taking an inventory of what’s actually in your garage and see where shifts can be made.  Be mindful that going green is a gradual process. Incremental steps are better than doing nothing at all.

Should you consider a clean sweep, Pure Organization is here to help

Not sure what your attitudes are ?

Values regarding how green you want to be are very individual.  Certainly today you have more eco-conscious products available to you than ever before.  Determining your personal philosophy is about identifying products and techniques that accomplish your goals while not harming the environment.

Toxic products

▪ If you have toxic products are they stored safely?

▪ Are you prepared to replace them with green alternatives?

▪ Do you know where or how to dispose of toxic products?

Recycling

▪ What could you do differently to make your recycling efforts more productive?

▪ Are you aware of how to properly dispose of various electronics ?

▪ Did you know that CFL lbulbs have mercury in them and are not curbside recyclable?

Gardening

▪ Would you consider mulching, composting and collecting rainwater?

▪ Have you considered natural pest control?

▪ What power tools could be replaced by hand tools?

Seasonal needs

▪ Are there lawnmowers that are more eco friendly?

▪ What snow salts are less harmful to the environment?

▪ Could you start riding a bicycle again?

Useful websites:

Earth 911

American Horticultural Society

Where to recycle those curly bulbs?

Green Cleaning Products

Blog: Best of Mother Earth

Pure Organization

Karen Hanrahan is a wellness educator/consultant, author of the Blog: Best of Mother Earth, and is an advocate of the green movement.

When our host Beth Terry of  Fake Plastic Fish, someone devoted to living a life with less plastic suggested the topic, I found myself thinking — shoot — what am I possibly going to say?

When I think of my day to day.  I don ‘t think of myself as hugely green.  I think of myself as me and sortof  green.  I say advocacy because I am not a green expert by any means.  Sure – I am earthy, grounded,  someone who marches a different beat to an unusual drum, yes – someone who used cloth diapers when noone else did.  I’d like to think I am exampling greenness at some level.

I also have a strong component of  green self criticism.   I find the task of green insanely overwhelming.  For myself, I do the best I can.  I feel guilty about my lack of almost all the time.  It’s just not enough.  I feel like a whiner about it

I think of those who example exemplary greenness and I then  find I am green with envy.

They do green things I haven’t even begun to consider or simply are not willing to do

Allow me to explain myself a bit …

My uncle authored a book in the late 90′s .  It was about homesteading in the 40′s in Ontario.  He was from a homesteading family of twelve, apparently there were more but some just didn’t survive.  Their family life was hard. Day in and day out hard. When I think of my uncle I think of of someone who was  mindful, brilliant, and very very funny. He always took an institutional daily walk.  He brushed his teeth with baking soda.  Slept in a sleeping bag on the pool table.

( maybe because his nieces took his bed while they were visiting – ha! )

He was a character! These were impressions from knowing him as a child – we  ever so occasionally saw he and my aunt in the summers.  I just adored him.  His writing was very cerebral, warm and heart wrenching.  Big big words and mega long sentences!! Reading his book as an adult made me wonder more about him. Who was this man?

In the book both of the main characters die.  They  completely don’t survive their flight from life in the city.  The ending of the book totally pissed me off.  This reaction really made me think.   I thought to myself  – who am I fooling – I live a la-la fairy land existence.  I could NEVER homestead.  I’m a bed and breakfast girl.  I am embarrassed to say this, but it’s true.  I love bed and breakfasts.  What does that say about me?

Well — I could spin it to sound like the choice to frequent bed and breakfasts is “better” than staying at a Holiday Inn for about a zillion reasons.   It’s not the point.

I was raised suburban.  We were not dripping in suburbia and certainly not as affluent as some – but we were the cream on the block in comparison.

The years I lived in the big city — how urban was I?  Not very.   I stuck to things very safe and very familiar.

Fact is –I am a suburban white chick.  AND I still like things to be convenient.  I am noticing this more and more about myself and I don’t like it.

What does this have to do with my day to day?  It has to do with being comfortable verses being uncomfortable and trying a bit harder.  There I said it.

I feel I fit into the “like most”  or I do what is “comfortable” category.

Nothing exceptional about my greenness.

So what is the day in the life of Mother Earth really like ?

I live by natural light and follow the sun

I wake up in the east and cook dinner by the west

Twenty two windows in my little home means absolutely everything to me

I work from home.  Often I don’t leave my home for days.

I do this because when I do leave my home it ends up costing me money.  If you don’t run errands, do coffee or have a social life you save money.

Sounds sortof sad, but there are times especially in this recent year where I had to think that way.  I had to say no to what many folks take for granted. The price of a cup of coffee for example. Or the budget for one tank of gasoline a month.

When I do go out I  stack my errands and try and make the most of my being out and about

I do everything to choreograph my about town farthest place first

errands on the way back.

You will not find me running out for a single something.

I drive a compact car.

It’s eleven yrs old – has very little mileage on it comparatively.  I fantasize about a cool looking car. Had one once and felt like a million bucks in it.  How is it a car can make someone feel so groovy?  That car didn’t survive a car accident.  I did and I am still groovy!! I still adore the color of my current vehicle.  That makes me happy. A simple thing, but it does.

I shower when I have to be social.   Or when I have to wash my hair.  I currently live alone so perhaps if I had a life partner I might bathe more.  Sad again – I know.

I’d like to use less plastic in the personal care department but have so far failed at this miserably.  I still need to write about the demise of the baking soda experiment.   I do use products that are immensely concentrated and plant sourced.  However at some point the bottles do end up in recycling.  I wonder constantly why manufacturers can’t reuse bottles.  I’d even pay to ship my bottles to right back to them.   Especially if it meant they could find a way to use them again.

I think to myself — how did we do things before plastics??  Couldn’t we go back? How can cigarettes be produced when clearly they cause ill health/ death.

How are so many awful chemicals allowed?  Can’t we just say no?  Can’t we just stop?

Makes my head hurt

I eat at home.  Cook scratch.  I prefer this and I believe at many levels this is my strongest green practice.As a young mom I had way more zeal about this, now that my nest is empty I admit to have gotten lazy.   I store in glass. This year I stopped buying anything in a can. I miss tuna, artichoke hearts and mandarin oranges.  Just don’t eat those things anymore.    I support local farmers when I can.  Sometimes I have a timing issue – like,  I run out of eggs when the market is six days away.  Sometimes I fall into the buy all in one place I despise grocery shopping with all my might rut.  This would be the suburban white chick in me.  I have noticed that a full fridge is a comfort thing for me.  I rarely throw any food away.  I  eat quite a bit of raw foods.  I buy organic when at all possible and  I’ve been using a market bag or paper/ re-use for 25 years. I have not mastered the buy things not stored in plastic thing, nor have I gotten rid of all produce bags.  I do re-use them over and over and over.  I want to get better at this.  To buy cheese w/o packaging is a longer haul mileage wise and very pricey. This doesn’t make sense to me and  I can’t give up cheese.

( MORE suburban white chick )

I garden moderately.  Have to say this years is looking successful! Budding and positively edible! Very new to me. Happiness is peppers, flat leaf parsley, basil, summer squash and several kinds of tomatoes. Lettuce ? Not so good. Radishes?  We’ll see!!

I stack a mean dishwasher. Running it full to the max, gosh maybe twice a week.  I use all non-toxic bio-degradable cleaning products.  I ran out recently of a scouring paste I absolutely love and looked up when I had bought them. ( I purchased two in 2004!!!  ) Those little container lasted six years! Either I don’t clean enough or that stuff is mighty concentrated. I wash clothes – full loads – or when I run out of  wares.

I downsized my living space last year. I work out of one room of the house.  I only have those lights on.   I unplug stuff daily. Turn off things.  Use the power strips with switches to monitor things that leach electricity.  I have mixed feelings about those curly light bulbs.

I run air conditioning high to keep the humidity out of my work space not to wear a sweater inside.

I run the heat low and wear layers.

Because I work at home – my attire is often pretty darn casual.  I have a few outfits for being “out” or looking professional.  I am not a clothes hound or a shoe hound.  This saves me money.  I have a few basic black shoes that I usually wear until they shred.  Same thing with my underware. ( is that too much information?)

I occasionally feel compelled for a new something, a feel better blouse.  A new lacey bra.  I often often often talk myself out of this.  I find if I don’t go into a store I am not compelled to buy.  This to date has been my most useful non-buying strategy.  I gifted holiday this last year completely from thrift and second hand shopping at the cost of $75.  This made me feel absolutely terrific.  I love to gift and buying second hand is one way to make purchases mindfully.  When I use to practice a less caring consumption model I cringe at what I use to spend.  I also admit I bought some pretty useless throw away crap.  My furniture /home decor is all second hand. I go to the library.

I spend much of my day to day on the phone ( 2800 cell phone minutes monthly – yikes! )

Just so you know – I so don’t hold that phone to my head.

Or I am writing, writing writing!

Between my job/job, my freelancing or my hobbies ( photography) I am often at my computer.

For my well being and the super duper budget plan I stretch on my living room floor and walk in the park daily – pretty organic

I am a tenacious recycler.  I return my egg cartons to the farmer. I put my garbage to curb if anything once a month and not because the can is full.  More so because it’s stinky.  Inside my home my garbage can is lined with a paper bag/ or items are wrapped in newspaper and tossed

I don’t invoice.  I don’t do snail mail customer communications.  I go through little paper – what I did use this last year  was in relationship to the purchase of my home, or school loans for my kids verses my day to day operations.  In years past I took on online bill paying, and generally a paperless office.  I fail in that some of my ability to process numbers requires me to have papers in hand – tangibly verses being online.  I recently got bifocals perhaps this will help some of my online reading.

I just realized my new glasses are totally plastic.  Gosh – I could have considered metal frames and didn’t even think of that. Beth — why were you not sitting on my you can do better in the plastics reduction category shoulder and reminding me ever so gently?

I clean with rags and have from forever, and since 1996 I have only used 58 rolls of paper towels.  (I actually counted – isn’t that queer?) In comparison to most that’s amazing.  My need for paper towel use that was strictly pet excretion/barf  related.  Now that the pets are gone – I have no idea when I will use a paper towel.  My only roll left will probably last me the next 10 years!!  Once that’s gone I’ll use newspaper.

I have a green wish list.

Do you?

My worm bin was on that list – how exciting that someone gave me one in recent months!  It’s finally producing amazing organic matter.  Ways to reduce plastic is tops.  I wish to learn how to make my home more energy efficient. To afford a bicycle is another, and to find one used that is ergonomic to my injury is also on the list.  To garden more.  Eat more from my garden!! A “look good” rain barrel.  ( I know) A clothes line. I’d like to meet more of the local farmers and understand more about eating seasonally/ our local food movement.  To teach others how to cook from scratch. Or to educate the slow food movement to more people.

In my day to day life I am blessed that I don’t battle a commute, the expense or the polluting of that.  My days are very flexible.   While I am regimented in my writing, posting and client communications.  I am not tied to the clock as most are in their work.  I know my disposition needs this lack of structure and freedom!

All said and done I am not sure how green this message really is or how it shares my day to day.  It is mostly just what I wanted to say.  I don’t want my readership to think I am making fun of those that are white or from suburbia.   I really wanted to emphasize that I am often just like everyone else.

I think the point over and over is taking steps one at a time.  AND to be OK with what one  is one willing to do.  I read this post and it feels like one big wah!  I will example this by saying at this moment I can’t give up my cheese.  However if I find a way to do that and it’s convenient.  I’ll be the first to stand in line.  How totally stupid that sounds.  I could just get off it and give up cheese and see if I survive.

( a lovely illustrating  image would go here but right now I can’t upload images.  Something goofy going on here at the blog )

The sun causes damage to your skin – would you agree?

The only thing that ages or damages the skin more than the sun is exposure to the sun PLUS exposure to environmental pollutants.

Do we all get exposed to environmental pollutants ?
Do you ever go outside?

These pollutants turn into free radicals on our skin.

When free radicals attack your skin, a complex chain reaction occurs.

Products containing small amounts of a few anti-oxidants only partially address this equation and are simply not enough to stop the damage that contributes to what we know as accelerated aging.

Want protection?

Look for a sunscreen that combines patented broad – spectrum UVA and UVB protection. One that has true anti-oxidant protection.

The sunscreen that I personally use has a proprietary combination of  anti-oxidant ingredients that offers a breakthrough approach with a synergistic, comprehensive, highly derma-available complex that is designed to actually break each link in the chain of free radical damage.

(wow,  that’s a verbal mouthful plus a whole lot of sun protection)

It filter’s out the sun’s harsh rays to help prevent skin damage.

It provides a very high protection against sunburn for blondes, redheads and fair-skinned persons.

It’s non-irritating, especially designed for sensitive skin.

Perhaps you’d enjoy this profound plant-based highly protective sunscreen as part of your skin care program.

Don’t forget that your  lips need sun protection too
when I was young, oh ever so long ago, I soaked up the sun big time.

As a teenager I felt invincable ( remember that ? ) Oh, I don’t need sun protection.  I did get wise when I was pregnant for the first time actually, so I thought, and started to use a sunscreen when I was beaching it.

I used a sun protection product that had been sitting for a year ( leftover from the summer before)  and got a terrible reaction.  I was told I had formaldhyde poisoning – the preservatives used to pickle the sunscreen had pickled me ! I still have the bleaching and scarring on my arms. To this day I am now ultra careful in the sun, but since that occurance I have had sun poisoning symptoms several times. All of this is because of the type of chemical I had applied to my skin that I thought was protecting me – didn’t. This topic is really important to me. There are so many chemicals in typical skin care products – it’s frightening.

If and when you do get “bit ” by the rays I use this as my “after” sun relief product,  (please note the clinicals for this product) This serum is great on bug bites, rashes and wind burns too.

For every day care and protection of your face I use this 5 in one product.  It falls into the anti-aging category with loads of nutrients that are actually available to the skin.
I love this quote , “I don’t know what’s in this stuff,  but it’s feeding my face!”

sunshine flickr image credit

photo by karen hanrahan

this stunning smaller variety of iris popped open yesterday in the back yard

note that it doesn’t have a beard.

who knew!!