Be Wise! Be Healthy!
Be in the know about Sustainable Living and Green Building, Products & Experts
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Fall 2009 Issue
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by Elaine Ireland
We were particularly careful in selecting our quote this month, which is "a negative condition cannot resist the truth, just as darkness cannot resist light." I don't know about you, but I'm finding the hypercritical, negative fear mongering spreading out in this country to be just so pathetic. I believe in free speech, but free speech is completely different than bad behavior. Tabloid politics be gone!! Turn on those lights!! (read on) |
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Life is change. Not much grows in darkness — literally or figuratively.
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"a negative condition cannot resist the truth, just as darkness cannot resist light."
(Ernest Holmes)
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General Features |
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| Van Jones, a long time leader of vision and commitment to green for all, has been the latest target of hypercritical personal attacks by extreme conservatives in Washington. He has stepped down citing that fighting the attacks would draw attention away from his mission of the most fundamental of American values: equality, justice, and opportunity for all. So what gives? (read on) |
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| Nearly 700,000 clunkers were taken off the roads under this program, replaced by far more fuel efficient vehicles — like 58% more efficient. And the program has created jobs. With such success, plans are in the works to increase North American auto production, putting more people to work building more fuel-efficient vehicles. Its been a win:win. Top seller? Toyota Corolla. Top clunker? Ford Explorer. Other results . . . (read on) |
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Building & Construction |
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| With banks and employers failing us this past year, homeowners are looking for anything that will let them take back control in their lives — and that includes going green and saving energy. We're seeing trends that range from home generators, tankless water heaters and rain barrels to modest remodels using green materials. And because this green thing is so new to so many, homeowners are doing their own research to make home and lifestyle changes. (read on) |
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by Kate Murphy
Among the traditional brick and clapboard structures that line a typical street in a sleepy East Texas town, a few houses stand out: their roofs are made of license plates, and their windows of crystal platters and wine bottles. One man's dream to build low-income housing out of trash has become Phoenix Commotion Construction Company — and trash never looked so good. (read on) |
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by the GreenSage Team
Slate tile is seeing a resurgence in popularity. It is naturally beautiful with varying earthy toned hues and many sustainable qualities. Its widely desireable as a surface for interior and exterior floors and walls. Here's our Guide all about slate, sealers and sustainability. (read on) |
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Water, Energy & Outdoor Issues |
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| Ever wonder if your conservation efforts make a difference? Heeding calls to conserve water and power this year, Los Angeles residents have significantly reduced water usage and installed enough energy-efficient appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs to save an amount of power equal to that used by 53,000 homes. That's a huge difference. Kudos!! (read on) |
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by Felicity Barringer
Fine particles, from such sources as diesel engines, automobile tires, coal-fired power plants and oil refineries, are wreaking havoc on our health according to new appraisals of existing studies documenting the links between tiny (sub-micron) soot particles and cardiovascular ailments. It seems the new interpretation shows that mortality rates among people exposed to the particles are twice as high as previously thought. (read on) |
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Food and Your Health |
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by Gardiner Harris
The Obama administration will seek to ban many routine uses of antibiotics in farm animals in hopes of reducing the spread of dangerous bacteria in humans. As much as 70 percent of antibiotics used in the United States are given to healthy animals to encourage their growth or to prevent illnesses. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, said feeding antibiotics to healthy animals to encourage rapid growth should cease. (read on) |
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| Ag Execs to Mrs. Obama, "While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made [us] shudder." They asked the First Lady to consider using chemicals, or what they call "crop protection products," in her organic garden on the White House lawn. (read on) |
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Green Product Happenings |
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| In 2007 Hurricane Felix tore through Nicaragua, destroying thousands of acres of prime forest. Greg Marsh worked with the indigenous people, set up a business and harvested red laurel and cocobolo knocked down by the hurricane. Then they began to export it and set up a nursery planting four trees for every one of the Felix-felled trees they harvested. (read on) |
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| The ubiquitous but highly inefficient 60-watt light bulb badly needs a makeover. And it could be worth millions in government prize money — and more in government contracts — to the first company that figures out how to do it. It could be Philips, who submitted the first entry for the contest prize, sponsored by the Energy Department. (read on) |
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| Environmentally sensitive fabrics and fashion got their own venue at the launch of The GreenShow: an event showcasing seven different eco fashion designers under one roof at New York's Fashion Week. Fashion design is starting to make an impact with its own green trends for mainstream culture. (read on) |
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Calendar of Events |
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Dozens of Green Events Around the World to Participate in |
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Where Every Issue is a Green Issue
