Health4earth

An Environmental Initiative Group and the EPA say the air quality in the metro area of Minneapolis and St. Paul is worse than it should be.  What should be done to reduce the soot particles that hang in our air?

Give up your lawn mower??  Years ago when my husband asked for a push mower for his birthday, I was not amused.  How would our already chemical free creeping Charlie lawn ever meet our neighbor’s standards?   I purchased an American made push lawn mower from our local hardware. It was hard for me to use, but my husband was thrilled. Over the years we have evolved.  We are still a chemical free yard, but also a grass-free yard.  We enjoy the birds and butterflies attracted to our native plants, and our “no mow” yard has given us a new summer independence.

Unfortunately, leaf blowers, and wood pit fires thrive in our an urban area?  Freedom is one thing, but when we create unhealthy air for everyone living around us we can do better!  And why do our children have respiratory problems?  Why are many of our friends struggling with cancer?  It is time to connect some dots.

For many of us in the USA lawn mowers are necessary, but what are some things you can do?

1. Reduce the size of your mowable lawn by planting grasses, sedges and plants that are hardy and attract butterflies and bees.  http://www.restoringthelandscape.com/
2. Buy a new lawn mower with less emission, and use fewer lawn chemicals.
3. Leave your car at home one day a week.
4. Minimize your use of leaf blowers.
5. Stop having open-pit fires.

http://www.startribune.com/local/204395161.html

http://environmental-initiative.org/

Earth Day 2013, Today and EVERYDAY

3 easy ways to help our earth everyday: 

Reduce the use plastic bags and single use plastic containers. It is so sad how plastic litter is everywhere.  Our wildlife and birds are harmed by the plastic bags stuck and waving in the trees.  Recycle all plastic, including plastic bags!!

Reduce the amount of chemicals you use.  Start with yard chemicals and cleaning materials, try to purchase organic products and organize your trips to drive less.

Reward yourself by Increasing the amount of quiet time you spend outside either sitting or walking. Find harmony with our beautiful earth.

The three arrows in the symbol represent the three main stages in recycling.

The first arrow represents the first stage of recycling – collection and sorting the various recyclable materials, to prepare them for processing.

The second arrow represents the second stage of recycling – processing the recyclable materials into raw materials and using these raw materials for manufacturing new products.

The third arrow in the symbol represents the third and final stage of the recycling process – the sale and purchase of products created using recycled materials.

The three arrows form a closed loop, illustrating how the three main stages contribute and reinforce one another in the recycling process. The closed loop also means that should any of the stages in the recycling process be ineffective, the sustainability of the entire recycling effort would be affected.

http://decoracaodegarrafas.blogspot.fr/2012/06/novidades.html

http://www.dustysandlulu.com/products-page/latest/super-doope-up-cycled-vintage-crate-duplicate/

1) Collect ~ recycle our waste
2) Manufacture ~ make something new out of it
3) Purchase ~ buy recycled.

 

 

http://www.newportri.com/online_features/green_living/shopping-seek-out-recycled-plastics-to-close-the-recycling-loop/article_23b0c419-00a3-5e3a-898b-f8c34002766a.html?photo=0

http://earth911.com/news/2012/10/31/help-close-the-loop/

http://myzerowaste.com/2009/12/close-the-loop-by-purchasing-recycled-products/

Dare the World to Save the Planet

Disconnect for one hour!!

Saturday March 23 at 8:30 p.m. your local location

Earth Hour is a simple idea that quickly turned into a global phenomenon. Hundreds of millions of people around the world turn off their lights for one hour on the same night, to focus on the one thing that unites us all—our planet.

It is easy to forget how much we depend on the planet for so many things like food, fuel, water and fresh air and that the actions we take—from the energy we use to the food we buy—have an effect on the world. Earth Hour is our chance to make and show our commitment to protect our planet not just for one hour a year, but every day.

http://www.youtube.com/earthhour?x=/challenges/5467

http://www.earthhour.org/page/about/about-earth-hour

Upsetting News about Breast Cancer:

http://www.healthcentral.com/dailydose/cf/2013/02/27/breast_cancer_cases_increase_in_young_women

USE FEWER CHEMICALS

Refuse Plastic Bags       

Each year, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags. Only 0.6 percent of bags are recycled.  From Worldwatch                            

While standing in line to check out with my groceries an outspoken woman caught my attention.  She was complaining, “All the chemicals in our environment are going to kill us!”  I was pleased with her passion until she loaded her groceries into 10 bags of plastic.  What is wrong with this picture? Plastic bags are one of the most harmful things to our environment.  They litter our landscapes, clog waterways, and kill birds and mammals. Thousands of marine mammals die each year after swallowing or choking on discarded plastic bags.  Plastic takes many years to break down, and only a small percentage of them are recycled.  As they spend thousands of years in the landfill they continue to leach out harmful chemicals into the environment.  Because of all these negative consequences, how could anyone forget their reusable bags when they go shopping?

How can we cut down on plastic bags?

*Always bring your washable reusable bag shopping, and refuse plastic bags.

*Bring refillable containers and cloth mesh bags for your purchases.

*My coops have brown paper type lunch sack bags which I always choose, and then compost. Regular grocery stores let me bring paper sacks for bulk and produce.  I know this might seem extreme, but not using plastic bags makes me feel great!

Reuse plastic bags if possible and always recycle them .  Many grocery stores have recycling collection containers for plastic bags. Plastic bags should be dry and clean to recycle, and cut off the zip-lock edge.  I turn them inside out and dry in my laundry tub before recycling.

Below is a very sad video on how fatal plastic is to birds:

Dangers of Plastic (Environmental Hazards)

This is my Non-Toxic, All-Purpose Cleaning Recipe. I use this to clean sinks, wash floors, and for most of my cleaning needs.

Place the following in a heavy duty spray bottle:

3 1/2 Cups warm water,

¼ Cup vinegar,

2 tsp Borax,

2 drops lemon essential oil. This is optional-Adds scent. Purchase at Whole Foods or some grocery coops.

Gently mix together

Finally, add ¼ Cup of  7^thGeneration dish soap or other dish soap

Synthetic chemicals in everyday products are likely to be at least the partial cause of a global surge in birth deformities, hormonal cancers and psychiatric diseases, a United Nations-sponsored research team reported on Tuesday.

These endocrine-disrupting chemicals or EDCs may also be linked to a decline in the human sperm count and female fertility, to an increase in once-rare childhood cancers and to the disappearance of some animal species, they said.

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/19/17017313-synthetic-chemicals-could-affect-fertility-health-who-says?lite?ocid=twitter

Happy Valentines

My healthy  “no waste” and “chemical free” Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Pie for Valentine’s Day

Use organic ingredients to be chemical free, and bring reusable containers to your local coop to purchase ingredients in bulk.

Crust:

2 cups shelled walnuts

9 seeded dates

Process in a food processor and press into a reusable glass pie plate

Filling:

2 ½ to 3 avocados

4 T Cacao

3 T Agave

2 T Coconut oil

Blend the filling ingredients in a food processor or blender, and smooth on top of the crust.  Cool before serving.  Store in the refrigerator, and serve with strawberries or blueberries.