Every day we continue the fight against germs and dirt in our houses with an army of cleaning products in hand. We have sprays for the counters, the oven, blue goo for the toilet, happy scrub brushes for the tub, a different spray for the tiles, the windows, the floor and furniture. Then to top it all off, we spray more chemicals on our clothes and in the air to make them smell better. All that’s left are glistening surfaces, unbreathable fumes that last for hours, irritated skin and eyes, damaged kidneys, liver and nervous systems. And don’t forget a depleted ozone and a slightly warmer Earth.

For those of you who cling desperately to your bottle of “kills 99.9% of bacteria” spray, let it go. You are doing more harm than good.  Most bacteria are benign and the natural bacterial flora in our bodies is instrumental in protecting us from the disease causing kind. Killing 99.9% of any bacteria means that the .01% that are resistant to the chemicals are going to go forth and multiply, thus rendering your cleaning products useless. Remember, you’re living in your house, not trying to perform surgery in it. Keep it livable by switching to safer, natural and often, much cheaper cleaning products that you can make yourself. Most ingredients are already in your kitchen. Here are some basic recipes to get you started. For more natural cleaning alternatives, visit The New Homemaker.

All Purpose Cleaner

1tsp borax or washing soda
2 cups warm water
2 Tbs distilled white vinegar
½ tsp natural liquid dishwashing soap
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops rosemary essential oil

Combine the borax or soda and water in a spray bottle and shake well. Add the rest and shake again. Lavender and rosemary oils have natural antiseptic properties and are pleasing to the nose. Spray on just about everything!

Window Cleaner

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar

Combine and shake in a spray bottle and use newspaper instead of paper towels to stay streak free. If there is a waxy build up from previous cleaners, add ¼ tsp natural liquid dishwashing soap.

Sink and Tub Cleaner

1/3 cup baking soda
1/3 cup borax
1 tsp natural liquid dishwashing soap
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Mix in a small plastic container. This gently polishes without damaging porcelain or fiberglass. The oils help disinfect and of course, smell good.

Air Fresheners

Air fresheners can be as easy as putting a few drops of essential oil in some water on the stove for humidity as well as fragrance, or mixing 25 drops of essential oil with a teaspoon of vodka and water in a spray bottle.

To keep flies away and add a lovely scent to your home, use either lavender, eucalyptus or cedar oil in a diffuser or on cotton balls placed around the room. Alternatively, set out bowls of fresh lemon and orange peels mixed with dried cloves.

Large, unwieldy solar panels abound atop many a business and home these days in an effort to save the world. Although worth it in the long run, the panels are costly and only capture about 20% of the usable energy that strikes them. Plus, they only work during the day. Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory are out to change that.

Enter the “nanoantennas.” 1/25 the diameter of a human hair, each individual nanoantenna can absorb about 80% of the available energy of the sun. The antennas can be made out of any number of conductive metals and are stamped onto a cheap and flexible plastic, while commercial solar panels are made of costly silicon. They work like any other antenna by picking up the infrared energy of the sun. During the day, the Earth absorbs energy from the sun and for hours after sunset, it is released as radiation and can be picked up by the antennas. This means that they even work at night!

There are still some kinks to work out though; like finding a way to store and transmit the energy. Also, the antennas produce an electromagnetic field when the right kind of energy hits it, which isn’t very good for the materials it’s made out of. But soon, rolls of flexible solar panels that are as easy to get as cheap carpet will be available. Cover your house, cover your car, and let the solar energy revolution begin!

It seems like there’s a new phonebook on my door step every other day. Sure this is an exaggeration, but do we really need another copy of the Yellow Pages, or some company’s latest take on the white pages when the Internet tends to be more up to date? My immediate response to a new phone book is to dump it in my curbside recycle bin, but I’d rather avoid getting a phonebook altogether. Eliminating pointless phonebook deliveries would be great for the environment, reducing a ton of wasted paper, eliminating the gas used by phonebook delivery contractors who cruise neighborhoods unloading the books from a car that typically idles (or crawls down the road) all day long. Olivia Zaleski provides 6 ways to eliminate the phonebook from your life (or at least reduce the delivery frequency).

Remember, with free information services like 800-GOOG-411, even if you don’t have an Internet connection handy, you can get connected to the phone numbers you need without needing a phonebook.

I’m not sure I’ve used a Bic pen in the 2000’s so the likelihood of using one in 2015 (at least in my world) is slim. That doesn’t change the fact that the Din-ink design, one of the top picks in designboom’s dining in 2015 contest, is seriously cool. Designed by the zo-loft team of andrea cingoli, paolo emilio bellisario, cristian cellini, and francesca fontana, all from Italy, Din-ink is designed to be completely compostable dinnerware that replaces your pen cap. Made from GM free corn and potato products, the caps break down in 180 days, resisting heat up to 105 degrees Celsius. For a more immediately functional solution, you may want to order some Spudware potato and soy-based .

Zero carbon zero waste city seems to be a concept straight out of science fiction. But its all set to be a reality soon. Thanks to the grand plan of Lord Foster, we are soon likely to witness the birth of the first city that’s completely green.

The earth today is reeling under a severe crisis called global warming. Common weather patterns are being drastically altered. In fact the global warming is threatening to destroy the balance of the ecosystem. If not tackled properly, it will wipe out many species of plants and animals from this planet. No wonder this has triggered a sense of panic among the environmentalists and scientists! We are all keen to protect our mother earth and the green city or the Zero carbon zero waste city is a step in that direction.

In the last few years, we have seen several green products and have witnessed the birth of many environment friendly (or green!) initiatives. Now British architect, Lord Foster has conceived of an entire city that will be free of the toxic material. This impossible (!) dream is now all set to be true.

Masder, a town in Abu Dhabi, is all set to become the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city. It is being touted as the best possible future habitat of human being on this planet. The model for this ambitious project was publicly disclosed on 21st January at the World Future Energy Summit. Bigwigs like the prince of Abu Dhabi and even US president Mr. Bush have voiced their unanimous support for the future town.

The development work is slated to commence the next month and the city will be ready by 2009 as per the plans. The city is likely to cover an area of 6 square kilometers. It will be adjacent to Abu Dhabi and will be linked to it directly. The population capacity will not exceed 50,000. The power required for the city will be drawn from natural sources like air and solar energy.

The most striking thing about the city is that there will be no cars in the city. This will ensure that the city is zero carbon. Train will be the main mode of transport. Apart from light railway transit there will also be rapid transport pods. The transit system will be positioned in such a manner that no resident will have any difficulty in accessing it from his/her residence. The waste generated will be recycled and reused hence ensuring almost zero pollution.

We look forward to this green city that is poised to become an example to the world as the future energy solution.

QuickTime | Flash

Share

by: vPIP	Embed (copy & paste):	close

Raising chickens in your yard can be a great source of renewable protein, a good way to aerate and fertilize the soil, and a source of entertainment and responsibility for the kids. But what if your neighbors don’t like it? That’s exactly the debate going on in Missoula, Montana, as the local populace debates whether cityfolk should have the right to raise chickens. The smell and noise seem to be the two strongest arguments against chickens, but with no rooster and small numbers, those two factors seem to be a minimum. How many chickens is too many? How would you feel if your neighbor had chickens in their yard?

Hybrid vehicles get all the hype as being the dream car for reducing waste, but if a hybrid isn’t in the cards, here are several things you can do today that will improve your gas mileage and reduce your pollution contribution.

Check Tire Pressure Regularly – Low tires increase drag and reduce your fuel efficiency. Check tires and make sure they stay inflated.

Avoid Fast Acceleration – Don’t be first off the line when the light turns green; instead gradually speed up to reduce the fuel required to get up to speed. In town this often has the added effect of spending less time at traffic lights because you’re not racing to the next stop.

Use Friction Reducing Oil – Engine oils with friction reducing additives can improve fuel economy by as much as 12%.

Keep Windows Closed – Windows create drag when rolled down and can actually reduce fuel efficiency more than using A/C.

Replace Air Filters Regularly – Clogged air filters can decrease fuel efficiency by as much as 10%.

Plan Errands for Efficiency – Making one trip with several stops is more efficient on fuel than making several trips starting from home. It also leaves you more time for doing something besides driving.

Don’t Keep it Running – If you need to wait for a few minutes while your spouse runs into a store, turn the engine off. You’re wasting gas while you’re idling and polluting the air at the same time.

Use Cruise Control – On long trips, cruise control can make an extra couple of miles per gallon difference, not to mention saving your leg from cramping while your foot is stuck to the gas pedal.

Haul stuff Inside the Car – While it’s tempting to strap things to the roof, hauling materials inside whenever possible makes a big difference on gas mileage. Your car was designed to allow air to flow around the body. Strapping your mother-in-law to the roof may be tempting, but she creates drag.

Reduce Weight in Your Car – Cutting 100lbs in weight from the load your car carries can reduce your gas bill for the year by as much as $200. Cutting more makes that number go up. Here are some simple ways to cut weight:

• Don’t carry around extra stuff in your trunk. All that stuff adds up.
• Get a smaller battery – if you live in a warm climate, you don’t need all those cold cranking amps. Swap that heavy battery for a performance battery (consult with a mechanic no this one before trying it at home).
• Go on a diet – that sounds silly, but your health isn’t the only thing that’s suffering from that extra weight
• If you have removable seats you don’t need, store them in the garage -seats are heavy.

This video shows another interesting way you might be able to increase your gas mileage:

While I’m fascinated by the idea of farming fish in the basements of condos, I’m not entirely convinced this is better for the environment. An Israeli scientist has come up with a way for people to farm fish in confined spaces, eliminating some of the dangers of heavy metals in fish and avoiding over-fishing. I’m not entirely convinced this is a better approach, especially considering the engineered relationship between microbes eating the fish waste. An additional “advantage” is methane gas production used for biofuel – somehow creating more methane isn’t exactly what most environmentalists tend to be after. There’s currently a live demo in Baltimore, with hope of funding in the near future. Watch the video and read more about farming fish in your basement.