I love companies that are formed out of a founder’s own frustration especially when they have a green mission. In the case of Rentalic, founder, Punsir Abeywickrema, borrowed a wheelbarrow one weekend from his neighbor. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish the job and felt guilty to ask the neighbor to borrow it again. Instead he rented it from a rental company.
The green light bulb went off in his entrepreneurial mind. And ta dah! He created Rentalic so others could borrow without feeling guilty. So, how did he absolve the guilt? Money.
The recent recall of half a billion eggs from 2 large farms in Iowa is shining a spotlight on our food chain. Are factory farming practices of increasing profits by squeezing hens in close quarters causing these problems? Having just a handful of food producers due to industry consolidation add to the problem. California has new regulations taking in effect in 2015 requiring cage-free treatment of hens. It also bans all eggs coming from outside the state that fail to comply with this battery-cage rule.
Confusing Egg Terminology
Cage-free - Most cage-free hens live in very large flocks that can consist of many thousands of hens who never go outside. However, unlike battery hens, cage-free hens are able to walk, spread their wings and lay their eggs in nests.
Organic - As certified by the USDA, this label requires some outdoor exposure.
Pasture-raised - This and other classifications indicate outside forage on vegetation and insects.
Certified humane - Endorsed by the <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/cage-free_vs_battery-cage.html”…
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With everyone sporting their own BYOB (bring your own water bottle) wouldn’t it be nice to have a refill water fountain? Just stick your bottle in the slot and water to go. No more plastic water bottles or paper cups at the cooler.
Well, you are in luck since Elkay’s EZH2O fillable water station with or without a water fountain makes the ubiquitous plastic water bottle or paper cup a thing of the past. Many of you might recognize the name, Elkay, as it pertains to high quality kitchen sinks. In fact, I have their sink products as well. So, I can only imagine the quality of their new venture.
Why am I so excited about this water station? Think about how many water bottles are thrown away rather than recycled. Plus, don’t forget the health concerns surrounding plastic water…
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San Diego’s power utility San Diego Gas and Electric rebates are here. SDGE or SDG&E has a bunch of cash SDGE rebates and ways to go green for energy efficient appliances, appliance recycling, insulation, Central Natural Gas Furnace, Whole House Fan, Duct Sealing, cool roofs, water heaters, pool pumps, Home lighting, and more. You can even submit rebate requests online and then send in proof of purchase.
Check your local utility’s web site for similar deals before you buy a new item. Most rebates run through December 31.
We recently bought a new dishwasher that had a $50 rebate that was not advertised by the vendor. The rebate in only 2 weeks. Green your home and get cash back.
You can also call San Diego Gas and Electric at 800-411-7343 and ask about San Diego Gas and Electric rebates, SDG&E rebates, or SDGE Rebates.
A recent article analyzed the fuel efficiency of airlines and found they get 60 to 75 seat miles per gallon of fuel in 2009. Better than the 50 mpg of a Toyota Prius hybrid automobile. Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest, and Continental were best. The most fuel efficient planes were the Boeing 777-200ER wide body at 82 mpg and Boeing 737-900 at 99 mpg. The Airbus A320 at 77 mpg is their best.
Want to go a step further? We noticed a Climate passport kiosk in the airport. You can pay to offset your airplanes emissions. A 2,000 Miles (4 hr flight) generates 1,869 lbs of CO2, and costs $11.44 to offset. The money goes toward:
“The Carbon Offsets purchased through the Climate Passport Carbon Footprint Calculator are sourced from the Garcia River Forest, a conservation-based forest management project located in Mendocino County, California. The project achieves multiple goals including: increased sequestration and storage of carbon…
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Back to school… Having Lice in your hair is not fun. Schools encountered kids with this problem all the time because Lice can easily spread in schools. To remove the lice, most people essentially use toxic pesticides in their kid’s hair which include Permethrin, Pyrethrum, and Lindane. Hair lice has slowly become resistant to these chemicals.
We found a non toxic product called Licefreee! that uses the naturally occuring mineral Sodium Chloride USP to kill lice.
You can whip up your own Pediatrician’s home remedy using 2 ounces of vegetable oil with 20 drops of 100 percent tea tree oil and 10 drops of essential oils of rosemary, lavender and lemon. (Apply to the inner arm for about an hour to test for hypersensitivity first.) Rub oils into scalp and hair and leave for one hour covering with a towel. Comb out nits with a nit comb and use a hand-held blow-dryer for 10 to 15 minutes, before washing out oils. Repeat in seven to 10 days.
Other…
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As I dug deeper I realized that Fairtransport Shipbrokers was on to something. Why not ship your cargo in a sustainable manner for those companies wishing to green their transportation footprint? Why not use the old time way with new technology? A hybrid sailboat.
According to the website, Netherlands based Fairtransport Shipbrokers is chartering department of Fairtransport B.V., a shipping company currently has three ships in its fleet: The Tres Hombres (capacity 55 qms, pallet capacity 20-30,) the Bessie Ellen (one of the last West Country trading sailing ketches, capacity 28…
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Southern California’s power utility Southern California Edison rebates are here. SCE has a bunch of cash sce rebates and ways to go green for energy efficient appliances, appliance recycling, insulation, Central Natural Gas Furnace, Whole House Fan, Duct Sealing, cool roofs, water heaters, pool pumps, Home lighting, and more. You can even submit rebate requests online and then send in proof of purchase.
Check your local utility’s web site for similar deals before you buy a new item. Most rebates run through December 31.
We recently bought a new dishwasher that had a $50 rebate that was not advertised by the vendor. The rebate in only 2 weeks. Green your home and get cash back.
You can also call Southern California Edison and ask about an Southern California Edison rebate or SCE Rebates.
Here are some non obvious recycling tips from our local garbage carrier, Allied Waste. Check with your local company to verify how they handle recycling.
1) Rinsed coated milk and juice cartons. Plastic caps and plastic pour spouts must be removed before recycling.
7) Cardboard boxes like detergent ones cannot be recycled unless they are thoroughly cleaned.
Allied Waste recycles single use batteries if you place them in a plastic bag on top of recyclables. Best Buy has recycling bins for rechargeable batteries. Earth911 can help you find local battery recycling.
We recently traveled to Asia and needed to find a reliable, yet safe insect repellent or natural mosquito repellent. DEET is a strong effective repellent but looking at a toxicology report on DEET makes one squirm and the NRDC has some warnings on it. Recent research shows that DEET is a neurotoxin and could have long-term effects. Moreover, DEET may increase the toxicity of other chemicals to which people are exposed. EPA lists it in Toxicity Category III for eye, dermal and oral.
If you must use a DEET containg Insect repellant choose one containing 30% of DEET. The protection afforded by 30% is sufficient for almost all circumstances. In Canada, 30% is their legal limit.
Another alternative is Picaridin, also known around the world as KBR3023, or Bayrepel (trademark of Bayer AG). It was developed by Bayer. EPA ranks its toxicity as Toxicity Category III for acute oral and acute dermal. Toxicity Category IV for primary eye and skin irritation. Several insect repellents…
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Allied Waste recycles single use batteries if you place them in a plastic bag on top of recyclables. Best Buy has recycling bins for rechargeable batteries. 