Going "Green" for Gaia

Getting started is not as hard or expensive as you think

2010-05-20T12:25:00.001-07:00

Easy tips just pick one a week to change & in a month you will be amazed at how easy it is!

Things you can do today-

*removing shoes at door to reduce pesticides coming into your home/floors where kids are

*stop using raid -bug killers and weed killers around and inside your house. if its poisonous to insects doesn't that indicate what it could do to a child?

*reduce indoor allergens from spray & plug in air fresheners, fabric softeners, candles( petroleum/parafin wax type-most are made with the same "oil" used for our cars hence the black smokey rim residue). soy and beeswax are natural safer alternatives

*Avoid plastics when possible by choosing paper plates instead of vinyl/plastic or Styrofoam,clothe tablecloths & napkins, fabric or paper bags for store purchases and lunch bags

*When microwaving-use a glass plate and a napkin to reheat food instead of a plastic dish with saran wrap over it.When some plastics are heated or frozen they excrete toxins into your food.

*Open the windows more to air out the toxins on the inside,especially on cleaning day if your using not using natural cleaning products

*clean floors with vinegar (the smell goes away after it dries) instead of smelly cleaners that create waxy buildups, which causes the stains on your grout

When shopping-

*instead of antibacterial hand soap just choose regular "moisturizing type" soaps not containing bleach, chlorine or "triclosan" which is a pesticide! and later if you want to step that up, buy soaps that are made with natural plant bases, if organic even better. I like JR Watkins natural hand soaps and Dr. Bonner's castile soap bars from Target and EO products from Whole Foods and Amazon.

*Go for the recycled paper products instead of big name brands that use bleach to make "white" paper towels. I like Publix brand recycled toilet paper and napkins.

FREE: try to use more old shirts as rags or newspaper when cleaning instead of creating more waste with paper towels.

DIY laundry soap

2010-05-13T09:25:00.001-07:00

Very easy and frugal! Most of all healthy! I know my family is not wearing or absorbing any toxins from their clothing. No VOCs, petroleum, phthalates or formaldehyde here.

For a large amount I have made this formula that fills 1 large size coffee can (11.8 oz) dry mix:

*2 bars of castile type soap shredded with cheese grater (I prefer Dr. Bonner's Castile soap lavender scented) found @ Target or Mother Earth
*fill can 1/3 full with BORAX
*fill can 1/3 full with Washing Soda (*not baking soda)
Mix well with your hand or spoon.

I use a small laundry soap lid from an old bottle so about 1/3 cup added on on top of laundry.
works great in my front loading HE machine. Also, for added smell I add a few drops of Lavender essential oil to a small towel during the drying cycle.

As for stains,I follow some of the tips I have found in these articles- like spraying vinegar
on sweat stains.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clean-clothes-happier-planet.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/remove-new-smell-from-clothes-2.html

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/156/1/Earth-friendly-clothes-washing.html

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/your-green-laundry-room-198781/

Note there are many other versions out there, even liquid varieties. Google is your friend!

toxins in your makeup!

2010-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Most of us don't realize what we are applying to our faces and skin everyday that could be contributing to health problems! It's even in the sunscreens we use!

read these and decide for yourself.....
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/the-cost-of-beauty/

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/do-toxins-cause-autism.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/shocking-news-chemicals-cause-cancer.html

http://www.ewg.org/whichsunscreensarebest/2009report

check out yours for safety here: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Cleaning products shouldn't be toxic

2010-05-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Some ideas for "greening" your household with natural cleaners:

Baking soda
Washing soda
Vinegar (white and apple cider)
Hydrogen peroxide

sold almost anywhere for less than those brand name overly smelly products.

Some links I have found that helped me:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/23-ingenious-uses-for-white-vinegar.html

http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/learn-to-make-your-own-household-cleaners/D4FVI2T87AYBC8QUPYXTRUWYV9JZ

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/20-great-uses-for-tea-tree-oil.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/annies-top-10-baking-soda-uses.html

Planet in Peril

2008-12-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

CNN will be showing a documentary Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 at 8pm. It shows about how the increase in human population will have an effect on the natural resources. They discuss what has happened to the Great White Shark, the African elephant, and Mountain Gorillas and the poaching that has affected them. Just a warning: some of the pictures are graphic.

Just a little more information about what is effecting our wonderful planet...

Coastal Cleanup Day 9/20

2008-09-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here is one way to get involved:

Upcoming environmental project- Coastal Cleanup.
There are 6 locations to help clean up Lee County waterways.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 20th from 9:00 am until 12 noon. Each site will provide volunteers with garbage bags, data cards, pencils, water, latex gloves and a Coastal Cleanup T-shirt (while supplies last). A volunteer appreciation pizza party will be held at the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School location starting at 11:30.

The Check In Sites are:
Bonita Beach Main Park (Doc's Beach House is providing breakfast and Buffalo Chips and Royal Scoop Ice Cream are providing lunch)
I am going here-*Bowditch Point Park - pizza party
Bunche Beach - pizza party
Fort Myers Beach Elementary School Parking Lot - pizza party
Lover's Key/Carl Johnson Park
Matlacha Community Park
Remember to pack sunscreen, a hat, water shoes, drinking water and snacks.
If you have any other questions or need further information, please call the
Keeping Lee County Beautiful office at 239-334-3488.

Recycle Electronics Equipment - Recycling Electronics - thedailygreen.com

2008-09-09T19:44:00.001-07:00

Recycle Electronics Equipment - Recycling Electronics - thedailygreen.com

Posted using ShareThis

Short clip on Wolves in Alaska

2008-09-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

another look at the VP pick's ideals on animals.
very disturbing.....see for yourself.

https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=c406_090308palinwolf

statement by the president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

2008-08-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

A recent statement I received that I must share. If there was ever any doubt about which candidate will help our environment most, today's choices are crystal clear.

A few hours ago, the news broke that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been selected by Sen. John McCain as the vice presidential candidate for the Republican ticket.As a Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund supporter, you are no doubt aware of Governor Palin’s dismal record, from her staunch support for special interests and Big Oil to her terrible assault on wolves and other wildlife.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 29, 2008
Shocking Choice by John McCain

WASHINGTON-- Senator John McCain just announced his choice for running mate: Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. To follow is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.“Senator McCain’s choice for a running mate is beyond belief. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has clearly made a decision to continue the Bush legacy of destructive environmental policies.“Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her scant two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do even as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science. As unbelievable as this may sound, this actually puts her to the right of the Bush administration. “This is Senator McCain’s first significant choice in building his executive team and it’s a bad one. It has to raise serious doubts in the minds of voters about John McCain’s commitment to conservation, to addressing the impacts of global warming and to ensuring our country ends its dependency on oil.”

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.

Introduction

2008-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to going green for Gaia.

Here you will find links to various environmental sites, my rantings on recycling and ideas on getting in on this movement known as "Going Green".
After watching a movie called "11th Hour", I was catapulted into action. In the past few years I have felt called to help Mother Earth. I was doing small things here and there, like recycling and picking up trash at the local beach. Since watching this movie, it has raised my awareness to what is really happening in our world.

I know each one of us can make a difference, and if we share those methods with others, then perhaps we can make even more of a difference. In the next generation, our grandchildren will need a place to live and thrive, I don't want to leave them a landfill covered Earth, do you?

~Laurie