New Address

I finally got my very own URL. Please update your bogroll to the new address: http://this-greenlife.com. This hosted site will allow me to deliver more content. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on Worm Poop Tea or biodegradable waste bags for pets, would you?

This GREEN Life, bringing you a fun, simple view on living green and clean.  Visit http://this-greenlife.com/ regularly for green tips, from a pet lover’s perspective.

B.Y.O.C – Bring Your Own Cup

 Yesterday I wrote about New York’s campaign against disposable single-serving water bottles that encourages New Yorkers to drink more tap water.  I thought it would be fun to cover some of the alternative reusable water bottles on the market today. Many of them are quite trendy, as well as GREEN. 

No Plastic With My Water, Please

 

This week NPR (the only place for real news in my opinion) covered a new campaign in New York urging the city to drink more tap water and say no to the bottled stuff. 

 According to the City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, NY paid top dollar for the city’s water system. The municipal water supply is safe, but many New Yorkers come from places where it may be unsafe to drink the water. Many American’s generally are just not as used to getting water from the tap anymore.  

Buying in Bulk to Cut Back on Packaging

 

Most consumer goods nowadays are way over packaged, making it difficult for those of us that keep a close eye on our household garbage production.  A good way to curb some of the plastic and paper packaging is to buy in bulk when it makes sense. Select larger quantities in a single bag or box. Packaging waste makes up ½ of all U.S. municipal solid waste by volume. I have not yet found the hard data, but I have read the claim that more of our food bill pays for packaging than actually goes to the food producers (farmers). 

Disaster Preparedness

 

When Mother Earth creates havoc it’s important to be prepared. This month’s addition of Pet Product News had some really great information on pet preparedness in case of a natural disaster or other emergency situation. Hurricane Katrina left millions of pets and pet owners in serious trouble when they had to evacuate. The article made some really good points and strongly suggests having a pet survival kit. Hurricane season is coming to a head in certain parts of the country and Texas is experiencing severe flooding.  Other disasters, such as fires and chemical spills should be taken into consideration.  

NY School Children Protest Styrofoam – Be Inspired

 

NY Times ran an article this morning, Styrofoam, Food and Public Schools.  

They have a fantastic short video about the story on the NY Times site. The reporter interviewed children as well as parents. It includes a fantastic shot of grade-school age children on the steps of City Hall with posters, flyers and stacks of old Styrofoam food trays exercising their right to free speech. The protest was organized by Councilman Bill de Blasio, a Brooklyn Democrat. The real credit should go to the concerned parents that spoke up and decided to shed light on the issue. One parent was so concerned about the waste she, along with other parents, began collecting and washing trays to use for demonstrational purposes. The amount of trays she had collected in just one day was staggering, filling an entire large trash can. A whopping 4 million Styrofoam trays go from the New York City public school lunchrooms to the landfill each month.  

Get GREEN at Work and Pet Poison Hotlines

 

All pets aside, a great way to greenify your life is to take the philosophies you live by at home to work with you.  

Sunscreen – Is it safe for dogs?

 

Natural sunscreen is important for people and pooches. My friend Kelly made me think of this tip. She has a small Dachshund, Bailey, and occasionally rubs some of her sunscreen on him. While she never has him out in the sun for too long, we do live in sunny Florida and the little guy is mostly white with very short hair.  

Roundup: Three Green Tips this Tuesday

 

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products – Save money while protecting  your family and pets

Crunchy Chicken (If you haven’t yet checked out this eco-chick’s blog I really recommend it) asked her readers for natural cleaning solutions. The comments she received covered everything from windows and bathtubs to natural hair cleaning recipes.  Many of the solutions will also save you money.  

Did you know, you can make your own laundry soap  using a combination of Fels Naptha  , Borax and washing soda. Apparently it is much less expensive that regular laundry detergent.

My Convictions Were Put to the Test

Yesterday evening I had a lesson in standing up for what you believe in and knowing what to do when you’re called upon to act. Whether it is speaking up for the environment or pets, I refuse to be all-talk.