Author: Lisa Frack
Website: http://www.enviroblog.org/2010/03/labels-without-ingredients…

By Lisa Frack with EWG Senior Scientist Rebecca Sutton

A few weeks ago I stood in the cleaning aisle wondering what to get. Since I’m a die-hard label reader, I grabbed some containers and turned them around so I could assess the ingredients.

On one, there was no ingredient list - at all. On another, I could see what exactly 1.2% of the ingredients were. The other 98.8% were listed as “other ingredients.” So much for informing the consumer.

Why so incomplete? Because currently the government only requires manufacturers to list a very few ingredients on product labels - mainly pesticides - which is, of course, only part of the environmental health story when it comes to the chemicals in your cleaning products.

So what’s an eco-healthy shopper supposed to do when the label tells you so little? And no, “safe for your family and your pets when used as directed” doesn’t qualify as useful information.

Ingredients just got a little easier to find
Not surprisingly, <a…

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Author: easy eco blog
Website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/easyecoblog/~3/4nkyWzKJp58/

We recently did a home energy audit, and as a result found out that there was some asbestos in our heating system.  Obviously we want to remove it from our home. Doing it ourself by wearing Personal protective gear, was out of the question.

You need equipment to cover you from head to toe and to filter the air you are breathing to avoid any contact with asbestos fibers. Non-fogging goggles for eye protection, rubber gloves and boots, and disposable coveralls including booties will protect skin and eyes. You will need a special respirator with a pair of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.

We contacted several asbestos abatement companies, got bids, and selected one that looked reasonable.

The company first covers all heating vents, sets up a negative air flow and containment area. They then removed the offending asbestos while wearing protective gear. The containment area needs to stay in place overnight so you cannot use your heating or cooling systems during this…

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Author: Davina
Website: http://flgreenliving.com/blog/2010/03/24/the-smart-grid-comi…

Old fashioned spinning meters are soon to be a relic of the past, with their inefficiencies and energy wastage.  Enter the smart grid!  Once a smart grid system is in place throughout the US, smart meters will “read themselves”, and energy usage will be optimized in real-time based on the electronic information relayed back to the home office about overall power use.

What does this mean to the average homeowner?  First of all, it means that a new system called Demand Response will be put into play.  Consumers will get information that was never before available that will help them reduce energy usage in times of peak demand.

“Demand response, the heart of the smart grid, could account for a fifth of U.S. electricity.”

FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, cited by Reuters, “Smart Grid Good for Big Solar, Wind: US Regulator,” October 2009 view source website »

It will also allow more renewable energy sources to come into play.

“Cutting demand by a few minutes or seconds also…

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Author: Joe Ascanio
Website: http://www.terracurve.com/2010/03/24/have-a-glass-of-wine-he…

I am always game for mixing business with pleasure – especially when it comes to two favorite pastimes: drinking wine and helping the environment. Thanks to an ongoing promotion, doing something good for the planet has never been easier – or tastier – or cheaper.

For just under $10 a bottle (insanely cheap for wine), each bottle of award-winning ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc Wine purchased at Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, American Forests, a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental restoration, will plant a tree in areas devastated by wildfires. What better way to help make a difference?

Fresh & Easy launched this exclusive wine last Earth Day and last year alone American Forests planted more than 3,200 new trees as a result of customer purchases.

Fresh & Easy created the exclusive ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc blend with California’s Sonoma Wine Company using sustainable winegrowing practices. The winery is a member of the Sonoma County Green Business Program and…

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Author: Joe Ascanio
Website: http://www.terracurve.com/2010/03/24/las-vegas-bets-on-susta…

International developer of resorts, Las Vegas Sands Corp., is demonstrating its capabilities as an industry leader in innovating and developing sustainable business practices with the launch of its Sands Eco 360° Global Sustainable Development program.

The Sands Eco 360° program builds and expands on the successes of an array of best-in-class and award-winning green initiatives developed by Las Vegas Sands Corp.

The program spans four integral pillars, including: construction and development strategy, operational and maintenance policies, developing vendor partners that comply with the company’s green policies, and employee team members who are equally involved in the program.

Combined, these four have saved enough electricity to power more than 6,500 average American homes annually. Other benefits include the saving of nearly 100 million gallons of potable water per year and the recycling of 55 percent of daily trash and 75 percent of food waste – enough to be …

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Author: Dean
Website: http://www.thechicecologist.com/2010/03/giving-eco-gifts/

Even in this day and age, green thinking is still a new concept for some people. Buying green gifts for your friends is a great way to encourage green behavior and educate them about green concepts and products. Here’s a list of my favorite eco-friendly gifts for friends, environmentalists and non-environmentalists alike.
Fair Trade Chocolate. Just [...]

Related posts:

1. Valentines Day Organic Equal Exchange Coffee and Chocolate Love Pairing
2. Make Black Friday a Little Greener – Green Holiday Gifts
3. Eco Labels and Logos

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Author: Green Talk
Website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/green-talk/jRYI/~3/Mc51zt1uIt…

As the editor of Green Talk, I get the privilege every day of interviewing the most amazing companies and people who are making an environmental difference in our world.  One such company, Biocor, stands out from the crowd with its concept of buying back  post-consumer Polylactic acid (PLA) and converting it back to its original lactic acid feedstock for subsequent use in a variety of existing end markets.  Think cradle to cradle.

The reason why I love this Company  is they are providing a solution to help in the disposal of  PLA products.  You are probably seeing more and more PLA plates, cups, and water bottles in the grocery and natural health stores. Ever wonder why everyone is jumping on the PLA bandwagon?

Plastic.  Over the years, the production of plastic has been touted as the evil empire.  Making plastic products depletes our natural resources, continue to make us dependent on oil, and litters our environment since it does not decompose for…

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Author: Green Talk
Website: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/green-talk/jRYI/~3/xrdIacSsj-…

The following email was forwarded to me from  Environment New Jersey:

“Earlier this week hundreds of New Jerseyans told Gov. Chris Christie to say no to historically high transit fare hikes.

Trains and buses are the greenest way to get around New Jersey — but not if we can’t afford the ticket. Gov. Christie’s proposed transit cuts will mean reduced train and bus service, and fare hikes that will sock it to commuters by an average of 25 percent starting in May.

Click here to oppose Gov. Chris Christie’s transit hikes.

What does that mean for the average commuter? If you’re one of the 10 percent of New Jersey residents who uses mass transit to get to work, you could wind up paying $1,000 more per year. And even if you just go into New York two times a year on the train with your family, you could pay up to nearly $100 more.

Suddenly, the roads are looking much more appealing. But for every transit commuter who decides to drive to work, it will add an average of…

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