Be Eco-Friendly: Conserve

Water is something that's been taken for granted ever since the time of the first man. We all assumed it would be there whenever we wanted. Not True. We should all have a rain water barrel as this is the easiest way to conserve water. In a post I did on 5/17/09. I addressed the issue of the shrinking rain forests. They used to cover 14% of the earth's surface and now only cover 6%. This is a scary fact as information like this has only been tracked for the last few decades. Many aspects of our lives are dependant of the activity of the rain forests.

I've also addressed the issue of composting in posts I did on 8/27/09 and 10/21/09. Again, this is one of the easiest ways to help the environment. It used to be a very messy and smelly process years ago. Today, there are pieces of equipment that can be purchased very inexpensively to assist in having a more sanitary composting process. In one of the composting posts, I mentioned Leonardo DiCaprio's commitment to the "go green" movement and how he included living green in as many phases of life that he can. I'm sure that he incorporates the use of a rain barrel as part of his involvement. A 8/6/09 post was on eco-friendly packaging materials. A good percentage of the materials were made from recycled materials.

I remember visiting my grandparents when I was little. They made use of rain barrels decades ago. Part of the reason they saved water was due the hard economic times they grew up in and part was due to the fact that clothes washed in rain water kept them very soft. My grandmother also used the rain water to wash her hair. It always smelled good and was very soft to the touch. Her barrel was very different from the ones that are out today. She had the old wooden barrel with the metal staves. It was very tall and always covered to keep debris out.

Live GREEN Like Leonardo DiCaprio

Two very recognizable symbols are the ones for recycling and composting. But what is the difference between the 2 processes? The composting process refers only to what can be "composted" which is the bio-degradation of organic matter, such as yard waste and food. This process, usually done by a garden composter is performed by micro-organisms, mostly bacteria, but also yeasts and fungi. There are many contributors to the different phases of decomposition including earthworms and fruit flies. Composting is usually not considered as recycling according to several sources.

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste, reduce pollution (both air and water) and to reduce the need for conventional waste disposal. Recyclable materials include glass, paper, metal, textiles and electronics. For the processing of these materials neither garden composters or recycling bins are used. The materials are either brought to a collection center or picked up curbside and sorted and reprocessed into new materials.

How does Leonardo DiCaprio figure into all of this? He has been an avid supporter of the "green movement" and the environment for many years and practices what he preaches. He recently moved into a $9M environmentally correct apartment in New York City. His apartment has rotating solar panels that provide 10% of his power. Leonardo says that he lives in the "green manner" and has released a feature length documentary "11th Hour" which focuses on the problems facing the planet's life systems. This film was done with the help of over 50 of the most prominent thinkers and activists including Mikhail Gorbachev and physicist Stephen Hawking. Global warming, deforestation, species extinction and depletion of ocean habitats are addressed. The feature offers hope and solutions. The "11th Hour" calls for a healthier future and this includes garden composters.

SelectAFlush and Fundraising Go Green

Are you just flushing money down the drain every time your toilet is used?

With a dual flush toilet, you'll save money every time. You have two options to choose from: "rinse flush" or "full flush". With the SelectAFlush dual flush kit, any current toilet can be converted to this system. This lets you save money and help the environment at the same time. A family of 7 can save approximately 18,000 gallons of water a year (equal to a swimming pool of water).

Another fabulous use of this system is as a fundraiser. YES!! Fundraising. Tired of the cookies, candy, trail mix, popcorn etc. that many groups and organizations are trying to sell? With school and group budgets being sliced into, what better way than to help fund your after school program?

Families are becoming more aware of the importance of being kind to the environment than ever and by using the SelectAFlush dual flush kit as a fund raising tool to help fund your scouts, you and the group will both "go green" by raising money and helping the environment. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the success your group or organization has with this product.

Let Nature Do The Work

It's nice to know that I was before the times with the "green" movement. For years, I've recycled yard waste but did it the old fashion way by letting a pile of grass clippings, leaves and vegetable garden by-products etc. do their own thing in a large pile in the far corner of my backyard. It attracted bugs, insects and who knows what else and had a horrible smell while the pile was breaking down.

A couple of years ago, I started looking for a cleaner, more efficient way of composting (using decayed organic material to improve soil for growing crops). I discovered the Earthmaker Aerobic Composter which makes composting easier, less messy and more convenient. It's eco-friendly and is the latest thing in composting. There are fewer flies and greenhouse gases and the swiveling top door keeps animals out.

With the Earthmaker Composter, the breakdown of materials occurs twice as fast. It has 3 stages that can produce approximately 10 gallons of compost each month. By having 3 stages, the fresh waste, digesting waste and the maturing waste are kept separate. I found that using a small rake helps to move the composted material to the front so it can be scooped out with a shovel. But what I liked best about the Earthmaker Composter is that's it's easy to assemble (I like simple directions that are user friendly).

Composting and doing as much as you can for "green" are important things to do before more damage is done to the environment. Also, green is associated with luck (the 4 leaf clover and the Irish belief in "wearing of the green"), good health and nutrition associated with eating green vegetables and green, the color of US currency. Look into a low cost Earthmaker Composter and "GO GREEN"!!!