GE3UE6RAYE4D

The U.S. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 2000; however, the demand for water during that period more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water every day, enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses.¹

With increased demand comes increased prices, not to mention the threat to our water reserves and environment. The Chesapeake Bay Program estimates that only 4 of those 100 gallons are actually necessary.  Here are a few easy and effective ways to cut back on your water bills and protect this precious resource. …read more of Water Wise Around the House here

Every year at this time I rack my brain trying to think of the perfect gift for friends and family members. The cliché question of the season seems to permeate my thoughts: What do you buy for the person who has everything?

A couple years ago, after returning from a year in India where I worked with child laborers, I reflected on the concept of “gift giving” and the true spirit of Christmas. I realized the unnecessary practice of buying gifts for loved ones, who may or may not even appreciate it. After an extensive discussion with my siblings we opted for a new gift giving philosophy.

Rather than exchange gifts with each other, we all donated money to a charity of our choice. This upcoming Christmas will be our third year donating money to the organization I worked with in India, Workingchild.org. Rather than purchasing another photo frame or vase for one another, we have enabled 100 children to eat healthy food for a month. …read more of Giving the Gift of Ethics here

It was Mahatma Gandhi who said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The issues we face may seem daunting and individual efforts may not appear to have much impact, however collectively each of us can play a significant role in the effort to conserve our resources.

Here are five actions you can take that will help to preserve and protect the planet and your budget.

Drive Less

• Transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and the largest end-use source of CO2.¹ (EPA) Walk, bike, carpool and use public transportation more often for heart-healthy, stress-reducing alternatives that preserve precious energy reserves and save money.

• A study by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) found that families who use public transportation reduce their household expenses by as much as $6,200 annually. That’s more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year!²

…read more of 5 Things That Save Money While Saving the Planet here

Our oceans are taking hits left and right, between the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, overfishing, ocean pollution, and red algae tides. Now there are huge, smelly, mucus-like blobs floating around the Mediterranean Sea.

Besides their eeew factor, the blobs, which are called mucilages, can contain viruses and bacteria, including the potentially dangerous E coli. They also can harm fish and suffocate sea life when they settle to the ocean floor.

These blobs are nothing new. They were first observed more than 200 years ago. Mucilages are made up of large amounts of marine snow, tiny bits of living and dead organic matter. …read more of Watch out for the blob! here

Summer’s afterglow is barely gone, but retailers are poised to unleash their steady onslaught of holiday catalogs. If you don’t want your mailbox to bulge with glossy catalogs and other annoying junk mail, read on.

1. Cut the catalogs you receive with Catalog Choice if catalogs are your bugaboo. More than a million people use this free online service which is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. I’m a member and I find it quite easy to use. Also, their site now has a bunch of icatalogs you can peruse.

2. DIY if you have the time and like the feeling of accomplishment you’ll experience after making a round of calls to companies whose mailing lists you don’t want to be on anymore. …read more of Five Ways to Stop Junk Mail here