Green Living | Going Green Facts

Green Apartment Living

January 14, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

You don’t have to own your own home to get in on the green living movement. Green apartment living can range from actually renting an apartment in a green building to just making sure you are practicing eco friendly things like recycling, using eco friendly furniture and so on. Remember, every little thing helps when it comes to going green so you can lower your carbon footprint no matter where you live!

5 Tips to Green Apartment Living - Even in an apartment there are always more things you can do to be a little bit more green. Here are 5 tips that apartment dwellers can implement that are simple and inexpensive.

Living Beyond Green Eco Friendly Apartments

Take a look at some Eco Friendly Apartments - these LEED certified properties truly go beyond green with various environmental, economical, & health benefits unique to each of the “green” communities.

Green Enthusiasts + Urban Living = Rooftop Gardens - Who would expect a lush green garden to be on the roof of a building? Not many, but one of the disadvantages to living downtown in a high-rise building is not having a yard. Here’s how some building solve that for a new twist on green apartment living.

Thin Flats – Eco Friendly Northern Liberties Philadelphia

Here are some more green apartments at Thin Flats 147-51 W. Laurel Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 3 bedroom, 3 bathrooms loading images 18 Thin Flats is the Nations first LEED-Homes Platinum Certified residential duplex project. Located in the hea…

How to Be Green and Save Green in Your McDonough Apartment - There’s lots of ways you can go green without having to sacrifice. Here’s some ideas that you can try even if you live in an apartment..

1 bed apartment to rent at The Greenhouse (eco friendly living)

Welcome to the future. Greenhouse is one of the UK’s most exciting and pioneering new developments! Apartments are furnished to a fantastic standard and parking is available as a paid extra on site.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: eco friendly, eco friendly apartments, eco friendly furniture, eco friendly living, eco friendly things, friendly apartments, friendly northern liberties, green apartment, green apartment living, renting an apartment

Quotes About Going Green

October 26, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Here’s some quotes about going green that I found in my travels – definitely food for thought!

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”

-Benjamin Franklin

I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun’s energy…. If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago. ~Sir George Porter, quoted in The Observer, 26 August 1973

The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun. ~Ralph Nader, quoted in Linda Botts, ed., Loose Talk, 1980

The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future. ~Marya Mannes, More in Anger, 1958

Here’s some cool going green quotes found in magazines:

It wasn’t the Exxon Valdez captain’s driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours. ~Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990

Don’t blow it – good planets are hard to find. ~Quoted in Time

Little did Thoreau know about how we would clutter up the skies with satellites and space junk when he wrote this:

“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.”
-Henry David Thoreau

I find the Native American quotes for going green to be probably the most interesting:

“Only after the last tree has been cut down…the last river has been
poisoned…the last fish caught, only then will you find that money cannot be
eaten.”
- Cree Indian Prophesy

“The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.”
- Native American Proverb

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

-Native American Proverb

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: alaskan oil spill, american proverb, benjamin franklin i, going green, native american proverb, quotes about going green, solar energy, solar energy centuries, use of solar energy

Eco Friendly Fashion

October 5, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Eco friendly fashion – also known as sustainable fashion – is the art of designing and creating apparel without harming the environment. This harmless procedure involves not only discarding the use of materials that provide harm to the environment or its inhabitants but also using more responsible methods during the course of its production. Moreover, the fabric or material used is more renewable and can be replaced in a short period of time than others while the working conditions of those involved in the production process are much more friendly than in opposite situations.

While designers are slowly trying to incorporate the use of eco-friendly fabrics into their work, they do face a fair amount of glitches on the way. That is mostly because using only sustainable fabrics greatly reduces the variety of textures they can work with and this sometimes proves to be more expensive. However, with awareness about the positive points of renewable fabrics on the rise, fashion magazines and other forms of media are trying to propagate the concept of being environmentally friendly in all walks of life!

Some of the fabrics that can be classified as eco-friendly are:

Wool

If produced responsibly, wool is one of the top resources for eco-friendly fashion. However, due to irresponsible treatment of sheep in the process of raising and shearing ill effects of this are more wide spread than the good points.

Recycled fibres

Recycled fibres are a product of fabrics collected from various factories which are processed back into short fibres or spun into new yarns. However, this brilliant technique is not as widespread as environmentalists wish it would be – but is slowly gaining pace.

Natural fibers

These include cellulose/plant fibre and protein/animal fibre. They are found in nature and are not chemical or petroleum based.

Organic Cotton

This variation of cotton is way more environmentally friendly than traditional cotton as it uses no pesticides, chemicals, insecticides or herbicides during its growing process. Even though it was previously not grown in large quantities, it is slowly gaining popularity as the growers increase.

Soy Silk

It is said that in the 1940s Henry ford made a suit made of Soy silk but the US government of the time decided to go with rayon instead. Recent trends, however, point sharply towards soy silk as having greater potential. Soy silk is created from the by-products of the tofu-making process. The liquefied proteins are extruded into fibres which are spun and can be used like any other fibre! Moreover, soy silk is receptive to dyes and is available in a variety of colors!

Conclusively, with the range of eco friendly products on a steady rise, it gives environment-loving geeks like us a good variety to choose from. No longer do people working towards the health of the environment need to dress like hippies because style reformed in more acceptable forms is chasing after them.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: eco friendly, eco friendly fashion, eco friendly products, eco-friendly fabrics, environmentally friendly, soy silk, sustainable fabrics, sustainable fashion, walks of life

Why it is Important to Go Green!

August 11, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

In recent times, more and more people are beginning to realize the importance of going green to improve our health and save the planet. If the world keeps on going in the direction it has been then it is only a matter of time before our planet will be in very big trouble from all the waste that we produce. Then there are also the resources that we constantly use and you have to wonder if at some point these resources will become exhausted.

It is only a matter of making a few changes within your home and life that are easy to implement. If more people would make a few changes to start living in a more eco-friendly way, it can make a significant difference in the future of our planet. To improve our health and save our planet it is certainly worth making these changes and at least giving the green life a try.

Going green involves making changes to the household cleaning products that you use, eating healthy and organic food and saving energy at home and at work. As more and more people are beginning to live greener lives there are more environmentally friendly products becoming available for us to choose from. There are now alternative fuels and power sources, eco-friendly cleaning products, organic household items and organic foods, all playing a big role in changing the way we live to a more planet friendly way.

Lets take a look at some of the reasons why it is important to go green:

1. The atmosphere is being damaged every day with all the toxic products that are being sent into the air. We are filling the atmosphere with dangerous chemicals from the chemically based products we use and the emissions from the vehicles that we drive. Is it just a matter of time before our planet dies? Going green will help to save our planet when we reduce the amount of pollution and chemicals that we send into the air. There are so many natural based products available these days that there is really no excuse for continuing to pollute the air.

2. The air that we breathe is being contaminated and we are breathing in that air every single day. If more people choose to go green then we can start to enjoy cleaner and healthier air instead of breathing in chemicals that currently infect the air we breathe. The chemically filled air that we breathe is damaging to our health and it would be so much more beneficial to our health and the health of our children if we can have cleaner air to breathe.

3. We need to reduce landfill and this is why it is so important to use biodegradable products wherever possible. There is only so much waste that this planet can hold and when we use products that take thousands of years to break down then that waste needs to be stored somewhere.

4. Our precious wildlife needs protecting. It is so sad when you see sea creatures dying because they are caught up in waste products that should never have made it to the ocean. If we use more biodegradable products then we wont have so many plastic bags and other items killing our sea creatures.

Living green can give you a whole new attitude to life. When you adopt a green lifestyle you soon develop habits of turning your lights or appliances off when not using them. It soon becomes habit to eat organically and buy natural based products. Although when you first make the change, just as with any change you make in life, it can take a little bit of getting use to but once you do it is certainly worth it.

Start making changes today to live a greener life and a healthier life for both you, your children and your planet!

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: Green, Important

What is Green Living and How Can You Do Your Part?

August 9, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Have you seen all the hype about living green and thought that you would like to do it so you can play a role in saving the planet? Have you often considered going green but just not sure where to start? There are a number of things that you can do to live green so lets take a look at some of them, but first lets take a look at what it actually means to go green.

What is Green Living?

Green living is when you live a lifestyle that is aimed at reducing the use of natural resources, reducing the pollution that is going into the atmosphere and to live in an eco-friendly manner. Green living is to be responsible for the environment and for your own health.

Green living is all about helping the environment and helping to save our planet!

How Can You Do Your Part?

1. Grown your own vegetables. If you have enough space you can create a vegetable patch and start growing your own vegetables. Growing your own vegetables will save you money and improve your health as you know the vegetables area organic and have not been sprayed with pesticides.

2. Turn of the lights when you leave a room. It is amazing how many people waste so much power by leaving lights on, leaving televisions on and other appliances. If you turn off your lights and appliances when not using them you will reduce the emissions and save yourself money.

3. Use solar energy. If you can afford to install solar energy systems then you can actually save money long term and you will also be helping the environment. The downside is that solar energy systems are expensive to install but they are definitely beneficial.

4. Use public transport to get to and from work. So many people drive to work now and you will often find just one person in a car travelling to work. Imagine how much pollution can be reduced if people car pooled or took public transport to reduce the number of cars on the road. This will also save you money on gas if you can car pool and save the costs or take the bus.

5. Use natural based cleaning products. Cleaning products are filled with harmful chemicals that you and your family are breathing in constantly. The air inside your home can often be more polluted than the air outside the home. Using natural based cleaning products will help reduce indoor pollution and improve your health.

Conclusion

There is always something that you can do to conserve energy, reduce pollution and help to save the planet. Green living is all about saving the earth and living healthy. Living green is for your own benefit, the benefit of those around you and also the benefit of generations to come. So lets start taking action today to start living a greener life.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: Green, Living

Are the Paints You Use In Your Home Harming You and Your Family?

August 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

In some homes, many homes in fact, the pollution in the air is worse than the air pollution outdoors. This is caused in part by the building materials used in both the house and furniture and fittings. Some of these can release invisible toxins for years after they are installed in your home. One of the big culprits is paint which can release gas for years after it is applied. Then you feel your house needs freshening up and you paint again, giving off new gases. Paint covers almost every wall and ceiling in a home so you cannot escape the toxins it releases.

But your home needs to be painted so what you can do to reduce or eliminate toxins that are given off by paint?

VOC volatile organic compounds are the toxic chemicals that give off gas in paint. There are paints that use low VOC and these low VOC paints are made with synthetic compounds and so they arent as toxic as high VOC paints.

You can go one step further than that as more and more people are looking at looking to live in an eco-friendly way they are now producing natural paints. There are natural paints that use plant-based dyes and oils. These paints are made with casein and come in powdered form. You can get natural paints in a wide variety of colors and you need to mix the powder with water to make the paint.

The drawbacks of natural paints:

Natural paints need to be applied within a few hours of mixing the powder and water as it cant be stored too long in its liquid state.

Natural paints only come in matte finish and are not available in gloss or semi-gloss.

Another natural paint choice is clay paint and this can be used on almost any surface in your home. The main drawback with clay paint is that it only comes in a limited range of earth tone colors. It is also not as durable as other paints and you will find it harder to wash off dirty fingerprints or other marks. Clay paint can be quite expensive too compared to regular paint but it is a very nice choice if you like earth tone colors.

Another type of eco-friendly paint is a limestone wash paint which has an antique white finish. This type of paint comes from a natural process where calcium in the limestone rises to the surface after drying. This paint sinks into the surface though so it can only be used on porous surfaces like plaster and wood. You must wear protective clothing and eye protection when using limestone wash paint. This paint is a good alternative paint for outdoor surfaces like brick and concrete as it is very durable and will last longer than most natural paints.

So if you are concerned about toxins in paints then take a look at some of these natural paints or low VOC paints available and Im sure you will find one to suit your home.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: Family, Harming, Paints

Green Living Choices for the Home

August 7, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Green living is becoming more popular as more and more people are recognizing the importance of saving our planet. In this article I am going to take a look at some of the choices that you can make to have a greener home.

When building a home, renovating or redecoration, there are green choices available that will make your home more eco-friendly.

Green Living Appliances

Many modern appliances now come with an energy star rating. They are designed to reduce the amount of energy used to power the appliance. As a result, modern appliances use a lot less energy than older appliances. If you are renovating your home or it is time to purchase a new appliance, then when choosing your new appliance, consider its energy star rating.

Another household item to save resources is a faucet aerator. If you add a faucet aerator to your bathroom and kitchen faucets you will significantly reduce the amount of water that you use. With faucet aerator you still have a high pressure stream of water even though you are using less.

Green Living Furniture and Fixtures

When decorating your home there are a number of options for green design. Green design is a matter of purchasing products that will not have a negative impact on the environment.

Some green design choices for the home might include:

Natural based paint and wallpaper.

Natural stone bench tops

Wooden products such as cupboards and cabinets, made from recycled wood, bamboo or eucalyptus.

Carpet that is made from natural fibres and not from synthetic materials.

Antiques these are a great green design choice.

There are so many options available now for green design choice and your home can look great while being environmentally friendly.

Conclusion

Due to the growing number of people wanting to make a difference and start living green, manufacturers are responding by offer more environmentally friendly choices. There are even stores now that are dedicated solely to environmentally friendly products and living green.

Finding eco-friendly appliances and products might take a little bit of time but it is well worth it when your home is eco-friendly and you are doing your part to save the planet and your health.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: Choices, Green, Living

Live Green and Save Money

August 4, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Some people would like to change their lifestyle to a more green one but worry that it will cost more money to do so. In actual fact, living green doesnt necessarily have to cost you more money and in many ways can save you money.

Going green means that you do whatever you can to help save the environment and there are things that you can do to help the environment that will actually save you money.

How to go green and save money!

Making small adjustments to your life can help the environment but doesnt have to cost the earth. Something as simple as using less water will help the environment and will actually save you money.

Here are some green living tips that can save you money

1. Install a water saving shower head so you can save water and help preserve this precious resource. Im sure youll be happy when your water bill comes in and you see how much money youve saved.

2. Recycle. Recycling is easy and doesnt cost anything. It is just a matter of putting your recyclable rubbish into a separate recycling bin so it can be sent to the recycling depot. Recycling is a very important step toward reducing land fill and helping the environment.

3. Use energy efficient light bulbs. It is true that energy efficient light bulbs are a little more expensive, but they do save money on your energy bills and also long term because they last longer than normal light bulbs. Using energy saving light bulbs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using less electricity and they still produce a good amount of light.

4. Use natural or homemade cleaning products. Most household cleaning products are filled with harmful chemicals that are released into the air and we then breathe in those chemicals. There are now many eco-friendly household cleaners available that are reasonably priced. There are also homemade options using baking soda and vinegar which clean just as well as chemical based products and are much healthier for you and your family.

5. Buy organic food from markets. Shopping at local markets can save you a lot of money than if you buy organic food from supermarkets. Organic fruit and vegetables that you can purchase at local farmers markets are much fresher and not covered in pesticides. These are much healthier for you and also reduce air pollution caused by spraying of pesticides.

It really is quite simple to adopt a green living lifestyle and it doesnt have to break the bank. It really can save you a lot of money by going green and you will also be helping to save the planet and keep your family healthy at the same time.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: Green, Money

Save the Earth, Save your Health With These Green Living Ideas

August 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Green living gives us the benefit of increased health, a healthier environment and it can save you money. If we want to protect the earth and save it from global warming then more of us need to start living green. As it is our way of living that is having such a negative effect on the planet, it is our responsibility to change things around and save the planet.

There are a number of different steps that we can take to change the way we live and start living in a more eco-friendly way. Lets take a look at some green living ideas.

1. Recycle. We can reduce the waste being left around the planet by recycling whatever we can. There are many products now that are recyclable and we just need to do our bit by being responsible and putting them in recycling bins so that they can be recycled. It isnt that hard to recycle, so lets all do our bit and do it right.

2. Use natural based cleaning products. The cleaning products that we use in our homes are filled with chemicals and are not only polluting the atmosphere but also causing indoor pollution. When you use chemically based cleaning products your family is breathing in these chemicals which are not at all healthy. It can improve both your health plus the environment by changing to natural cleaning methods.

3. Reduce the emissions from electrical appliances by buying appliances that are made to save energy. You can also make a difference by remembering to turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them. It is only a small step, but using less electricity in your home can make a big difference.

4. Water is an important resource and one that we cant live without and it is a resource that we waste. There is just so much water that runs down the drains every day that can be reduced. Using less water will help to save this precious resource and will also save you money. You can use less water by making sure you dont have any leaky taps, use a water saving shower head and try to use less water when washing dishes and clothes. These are just a few small water saving tips that can go a long way.

5. Eat organic food. Even the fruit and vegetables that you buy from the supermarket have been sprayed with chemical sprays. Produce is sprayed with pesticides to protect it from insects but what do those chemicals do to us when we eat that produce. Organic food is free from chemicals and is also cultivated by hand and therefore not using fuel. You can also try growing your own fruit and vegetables which can be a bit of fun for the family and you know that your food is free of chemicals.

We can all do our bit to save the earth and improve our health. Try living green for a while and see if you feel better, both physically and mentally knowing that you are doing your part to save the planet.

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: Earth, Green, Health, Ideas, Living, These

Sustainable Living Doesnt Have To Be Hard

August 1, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Employing sustainable living practices into your life will help you reduce your carbon footprint. The thing to remember is that it doesnt have to be done all at once, you can start off just changing 1 thing that that helps you use less of the earths resources like biking to work, using cloth towels instead of papertowels or simply making sure you buy eco-friendly products that next time you go shopping.

Living with an eye towards sustainability can be a learned behavior that you can use more and more over time. The key is to not stress over it and just try to make small changes that you can manage easily.

Here are some sustainable living ideas from the blogoshpere:

6 Tips for Sustainable Living from ApartmentTherapy.com …

REDUCE WASTE – SEEK OUT SUSTAINABLE LIVING TECHINQUES! 6 Tips For Sustainable Living. Create an urban eco-pack for yourself when you're out and about. It should include a food container to pick-up meals of to-go food at …

Publish Date: 07/28/2011 11:33

http://sustainableventura.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/6-tips-for-sustainable-living-from-apartmenttherapy-com/

Changing Your Footprint: A Guide to Sustainable Living, Pt. 5 …

In the next section of the guide, we'll look at advocacy as a means to sustainable living.

Publish Date: 07/24/2011 3:01

http://www.organicsoul.com/changing-your-footprint-a-guide-to-sustainable-living-pt-5/

sustainable living: getting started – The Alternative Consumer

Sustainable living is becoming a top priority for more and more people these days. Advancements in solar technology have allowed for economically efficient ways to save energy. Harnessing the sun's energy is clean, …

Publish Date: 07/27/2011 16:09

http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2011/07/27/sustainable-living-getting-started/

Sustainable Living Today – A How To Guide

Urban Sustainable Living, Volume 1

Organic Vegetable Gardening Video Compilation A 116min compilation featuring extended versions of the following web videos from GardenGirlTV.com. Videos included are: • Organic pest control • Planting your own City orchard • Installing your own pond …

Urban Sustainable Living, Volume 2

How to Build an Urban Sustainable Living Garden 111 minutes of video following Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl, as she builds a complete kitchen garden in 500 square feet of space. The projects in the garden include building over 200 sqft of raised bed…

RT @LivingMandala: Sustainable Living Roadshow 2011 National Tour Launch Event Tonight in San Francisco. http://on.fb.me/qNkUYu

By SECollaborate at 07/31/2011 20:15

Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: sustainable living