Green Television Sneak Previews:

TLC has two new upcoming television shows for it's July schedule. They both deal with being eco-friendly. They aired the sneak previews on May 04. They are called Wa$ted and Greenovate.

Wa$ted deals with showing how you can be more eco-friendly by living more of a green lifestyle. The preview showed a couple (the green team masters I like to call them) going to New York to visit a couple (two men with a dog) who lived in an apartment. They brought along with them the men's garbage (complete with dog poop) for the entire year. This was to show them how much waste they were actually throwing out that could be recycled. They then told them the amount of their carbon footprint which was well over what they should be for the little apartment in which they were living in. The apartments had recycling bins already in place on the rooftop however the guys just weren't taking advantage of them. Plus they were wasting a lot of excess food which could be composted with a worm farm for their plants in the apartment. They also kept the television and lights on during the daytime for the dog while they were at work all day. The television and lights (during daytime hours), for the dog, was costing them around $500 per year extra. That's wasted money and resources. They also used a lot of cabs, no public transportation at all. They drycleaned many of their clothes also. The "green team" showed them how to become more efficient by composting the excess food in place of trashing it, using the recycle bins, turning off the television and lights when not at home, recycling the hangers from the drycleaners (by returning them for reuse instead of trashing them). They also helped them get an energy efficient heater, and folding bicycles. They asked them not to use the cabs and to switch to a drycleaner that was eco-friendly. They challenged them to better their carbon footprint by telling them they would give them the amount of a year's savings, of what they had accomplished, when they returned. The green team comes back in three weeks and find that they now have a second dog. They have reduced their garbage immensely, have gotten their neighbors into recycling along with them, they are turning off the television and lights when at work, they are even composting with the excess food and worms too. However, one of the guys has still used the cab a few times (but cut back immensely) and they still use a dry cleaner that isn't eco-friendly. However, they are recycling the hangers and actually drycleaning less clothes than before since they are washing more laundry now. They reduced their carbon footprint by thirty-nine percent and got $3,000. I found the show had great ideas and am looking forward to more episodes in July. I definately give this show my rating of a 10.

The next previewed show is called Greenovate. I think the title says it all. It's a renovation show with green appeal. The renovator turns an older 1930's home into an updated Green home. He uses low energy with low flow plumbing throughout the home. I was really impressed with the waterless heater. I think I'll check into that to replace our hot water heater with in the future. The renovator also added an addition unto the house making it larger. He used a metal roof for the entire house stating it allowed air flow to pass through thus keeping the home from getting too hot in the summer months. I learned something there since I always thought metal roofs would make a home feel warmer. See what you can learn when you watch television. The house was a great renovation except I wasn't too thrilled with the exterior paint color. Hey, if the man wants an eggplant colored house than that's his choice. I really enjoyed the show and am looking forward to more episodes in July as well with this show. Afterall, I am a home owner and always looking for new ideas and ways to improve my home's efficiency and be more green in the process when I can. Therefore, I give this show my rating of a 8.

Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags:

Plastic has a big affect on our planet as most of us have probably heard over the past week; known as "Green Week." You can make a big impact by choosing not to use plastic bags from your shopping trips. That means trips to the malls, and grocery store too. You can choose paper but then that will be choosing to cut down more of our trees to accommodate the bigger demand on paper bags being chosen.

Please watch the following video to see the impact that the plastic is having on our planet and the lives of our wildlife: garbagepatch.

Then what do I use? you are asking. Reusable bags is the viable option. There is many different options for reusable bags ranging in types, styles and costs. I found that one market, Fred Meyers sells some for as low as .89 cents, Walmart has some for $9.99. Retail stores and online markets vary from $1.99 up to $250.00 depending on what you are looking for in a reusable bag. Most people want something not so bulky to haul around. Some women will just choose a tote type reusable bag to go to the mall, therefore something possibly stylish for this outing is more preferable.

I find that I really like the totes that you can actually fold and zip/velcro up and put in your pocket/purse to carry are easy and accessible. In this way you may carry more than one thus have more on hand when grocery shopping. If you are interested in this type of tote/bag you can find them at: ecobags or shagbags. Also a similar option is the foldable bags: go-again bags.

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Beauty Companies Becoming Eco-Friendly:

Some of the make-up/beauty companies have actually begun to become eco-friendly. They are using packaging that is recyclable/biodegradable. Also, their manufacturing companies are offsetting their carbon emissions by using recyclable materials when they manufacture their products.

These companies are: Burt's Bees, Aveda, Nude Skin Care, Paul Michael's Tea Tree, Louise Galvin's Sacred Locks (haircare), The Body Shop and Stem Organics (skincare).

Each of these companies are currently using more natural products in their line. Along with making them without preservatives or chemicals. This protects our environment and our health.

The two safest companies' products, listed above, at this time are Paul Michael's Tea Tree and Stem Organics. Below I have placed a link to a site called skin deep where you can check on your cosmetics to see how dangerous the chemicals are to you for that particular cosmetic.

Also, there are still many beauty/cosmetic companies out there that are exposing us to who-knows-what since they don't have to list everything on cosmetic labels. So please read the following statement (from the petition). If you agree please sign the petition to make our products safer.

Due to gaping loopholes in federal law, companies can put virtually any ingredient into personal care products. Even worse, the government does not require pre-market safety tests for any of them.

This is unacceptable. Sign the Environmental Working Group's petition to Congress to turn this around and make personal care products safe.


Sign the petition now:
Petition
cosmeticdatabase

Cleaning Museum To Be Eco-Friendly:

Don Aslett, who made his fortune selling cleaning products, is currently constructing a museum of clean in Pocatello, Idaho. The construction of the museum consists of using Green technology. The museum will have a solar energy for lighting, cooling and heating. Bricks from the original structure, an old dairy building, are being recycled and used in the building of the museum to defray from them ending up in the landfill. An alley is being converted into a greenbelt, along with a rooftop garden is going to sport native Idahoan plants. The rooftop garden will also offer insulation and filter rainwater into large underground tanks to be recycled for usage.

The museum will cost over six million dollars to construct. It will house all aspects of Cleaning. From soap to various implements, such as vacuums, in which we use to clean with in our daily lives. Some items dating back over 200 years There will also be an interactive globe, which will be a three story cleaning world. This is for children to go in and learn how to be clean and make their beds etc.


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