What Does a Pool Have to Do with the Environment?

Need fill dirt for your yard or some big project? Why not check with your local pool installer. These guys are always digging up huge piles of dirt and are in need of people to take it off their hands. Oftentimes they will give it to you for free just to get it off their hands. Recycling made easy.

EcoSearch This!

Ecosearch.org uses the power of the internet to raise money as well as help you find what you're looking for. Its a search engine, just like Google, but all profits generated by ad revenue are donated to charity.

Another similar search is Treehoo, which plants trees for every advertising dollar generated.


Have you "eco-searched" yourself today?

Really, Really Green (June 2008)

Reprinted from the June 2008 issue of Neighbors Newspaper.

Green is the new black. Or is it the new blue? It seems like green is everywhere these days. Sustainable. Natural. Environmental. Eco-chic. Whew, it can be exhausting just keeping up with it all. Fear not, this eco-series will help guide you through the ins and outs of how to go green. Each week we’ll tackle a different topic, and as the series progresses we’ll tackle the bigger things you can do to save the planet.

Let’s be honest, its great if you change a few compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), but it will take more than that to really help the planet. Here’s where I come in; changing your lifestyle does not mean going back to the dark ages. So let’s get started:

Week I. Baby Steps

Ditch the Plastic Bottles. Most bottled water does not go through the same stringent tests as tap water, due to FDA exemptions. Eight out of ten water bottles end up in landfills and are never recycled. Use a Nalgene, a Klean Kanteen, a Sigg or other portable water container instead and fill it with your favorite beverage.

Use Canvas Bags. Plastic takes 1,000 years to photodegrade – that means every piece of plastic ever made is still in the environment. Think about that for a second. Why are we producing more plastic, just to throw it away? Instead, choose a canvas bag that can be used over and over and over. Most grocery stores carry them today for cheap and many come in stylish designs.

Unplug Appliances. You may have heard of the term “phantom power,” where appliances still use electricity even though the appliance might be off. This means you are paying for electricity that you are not even using. Who can afford to do that? Instead, put all of your appliances on power strips or unplug them when not in use so you know you get what you pay for.

Take shorter showers. Most Americans use more than 1,000 gallons of water a day. Living in southern California, it’s an understatement to say that water is scarce, so in this case, every little bit counts. Try turning off the water when you’re sudsing up and make sure you keep your showers to 10 minutes or less. Try switching to low-flow showerheads; This will not only save water and money.

Support Local Farmer Markets. Local food is fresher and healthier as produce from the farmers markets is often organic. You also keep money in the local community. Farmers markets also have a smaller carbon footprint as food isn’t shipped from around the world before it ends up on your dinner table.

Recycle your toxic chemicals. Many of the cleaning products today have not been thoroughly tested to determine the long-term health effects on humans. Who wants to eat food off of a counter covered in poly-highly-toxic chemicals? No thank you. Instead, switch over to less toxic and biodegradable cleaning products. Many natural materials, such as vinegar and lemon juice, can be used to do the same job. Look for waste-recycling days where municipalities collect and recycle any toxic chemicals, paints and electronics that you have around your house.

Choose Drought-Tolerant Landscaping. Not to beat a dead horse, but clearly water is valuable in southern California. This is a pretty easy one as you can slowly change plants out over time and there is no shortage of hearty plants to choose from. Make sure that your sprinklers run at night when you will lose less water due to evaporation.

Resources:
Treehugger.com - particularly the How To Go Green series
Grist
Earth911.org - an extensive resource on recycling.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone! Hope you have time to get out, enjoy the sunshine and clean up your community.

In celebration of Earth Day, everything in Manic Organic is on sale! Yay! Save 10-25% off of every item in the store, today only.

Communities all across the country are getting involved and you can too, here's how:

The Great Copy Epidemic allows you to vote for the most creative anti-copymachine program that students came up with. The winning school gets a $125,000 tree planting grant.

Earth Day.org lists all of the earth day activities going on around the world. Or just create your own.

Cheers,
Manic Organic

Change for Climate 2008

For those of you in the New York Area, Columbia University students are holding a fundraising event for climate change. What, you may ask, is that? Well, the students are involved in a 12-month intensive masters program focusing specfically on climate change and how to prepare the developing and the developed world for possible impacts.

The fundraising event will be held April 12 on campus and will feature a carnival like atmosphere where contestants can play games, learn about climate change, and all proceeds go to the Millennium Villages project.

For more information, check them out online at: Change for Climate 2008

Care for your Clothing

Since we are a clothing company, here are a few tips to keep those clothing items looking tip top while not harming the environment.

- Avoid dry cleaners, and avoid purchasing items that need to be dry cleaned.

- Wash your clothing on cold. It takes extra energy to heat that water up.

- Hang your clothes to dry. Hanging your clothes out to dry will save their color. Okay we realize this a tougher item and probably only for the more die-hard of you out there, but dryers are very energy intensive. If you need a dryer, there are dryers that only use $7 worth of electricity annually to dry your clothes b/c they are super efficient.

How to spot Greenwashing

You've heard of whitewashing, right? The idea that you try to cover over some bad news and make it bland and less obvious. Used mainly in business when a company is trying to cover up a bad image.

Well the same goes for green and environmental companies and products. With the uber-popularity (that shoutout was for your Ms. Vonhof!) of green products today. Companies everywhere from Walmart to Banks are jumping on the bandwagon to improve their corporate "green" image. But how can you tell if someone is actually protecting the planet, and more importantly, your health, or if they are just...well..."greenwashing"???

A fun little website was created to allow you to watch ad campaigns and spot the greenwashing yourself. You can find them online at Green Washing Index.

An Alternative to AAA

You probably have a AAA (American Automobile Association membership, right? Who wouldn't when its pretty cheap and you get 24 hour car for anything that happens to your car. Especially for those of you here in southern California, where public transportation doesn't exist in our vocabulary, chances are you're going to run into car trouble at some point.

But did you know that AAA lobbies against fuel emission and gas mileage standards? Bummer. But did you also know that there is an alternative to AAA? Yay!

The Better World Auto Club offers all or more of hte same benefits of AAA and also gives money to protect the environment. The prices are pretty cheap and they'll even insure your bike if you just get around with pedal-power and need help in the event of a flat or accident. Check them out online at: Better World Club.