Why Green Living is a Must Nowadays

Going green has become a relentless drift nowadays. With a lot of people promoting its essence and benefits, you just can't say no but try your luck in giving it a shot no matter the cost. With celebrities and other influential people taking on the spot of going green campaign, more and more people tend to engage their selves into embracing the green way of living


Going green has a lot of benefits when it comes to improving the way of lives. But more importantly, this campaign is more focused on the attempt to restore the beauty and balance of Mother Earth. Whatever we do that can affect nature's stability can also create an impact on us. So enhancing the wellbeing of the atmosphere can bring about a good planet to live in. Otherwise, it would also mean the lost of our home.

From simple acts of going natural with your home cleaning, saving space and energy at home or in the office, planting organic stuffs or choosing merchandises produced from organic ingredients or materials such as organic foods, organic fixtures, organic rust removal products for safer and more natural rust removal, resorting to alternative fuels and energy sources and so many green ideas, you can actually live a greener lifestyle that is healthier and safer.

Why the need to go green these days?

1. Going green means safe and healthy living.

It is the removal or reduction of the use of harmful products such as those manufactured with chemicals or toxins. Such harsh ingredients mainly contribute to the damage in the atmosphere; thus, the less use of those dangerous materials, the better.

Anyway, with loads of organic or natural products available nowadays, you can no longer find the need to use strong and harmful chemicals. With natural rust removers, you can be assured of an eco-friendly rust removal.

2. Going green can give cleaner and safer air, water and surroundings.

With the absence of harmful products or materials that we usually use at home, the cleaner air we can get. There will no longer be chemical exposure that could inflict risk to your health and the atmosphere. You will also no longer have a hard time disposing chemicals or toxins and other harsh products that can affect our water system.

3. A green way of living can encourage efficiency and frugality.

Going green can help you save money from cutting down your energy consumption bills. Since you're going green, you will be encouraged to habitually turn off unused lights or appliances and other energy-saving deeds.

Recycling or reusing is one of the best attribute of going green. Through this effort, you can carefully assess your stuffs which you no longer use but can still be functional. Either you donate such things or make use of them creatively. You can even save or earn from it. Not only that you get to have a space-efficient house as you can also add up something to your income.

4. A green lifestyle is trendy with a cause.

Embracing a green lifestyle by choosing eco-friendly stuffs for home and office use can not only help you achieve a better life as it will certainly facilitate the effort to help save the planet. By making it up to Mother Earth from all the abuse that she got from us, we are actually doing a favour for the future generations.

8 Great Green Cleaners

Green cleaners are not only less toxic, they're also less expensive. Why wait until spring cleaning when you probably have many of these green or homemade cleaners in your house right now? Try cleaning your home with the eight environmentally friendly cleaning products listed here. From the kitchen sink to the bathroom shower, these green cleaners will get the job done -- just be aware that some might take a little more time and a little more effort. And if you have a favorite natural or non-toxic cleane

1. Baking Soda

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is an abrasive cleaner and deodorizer with dozens of uses. It scours sinks, pots, pans, tile surfaces, stainless steel, fiberglass and more. It may take more "elbow grease" to scrub with baking soda than with bleach-based commerical scrubs, but it's a safe green cleaner. Because it's an alkaline, baking soda reacts with acids like lemon juice or vinegar; use this to your advantage if your drain needs unclogging -- pour some baking soda down the drain, add a few splashes of vinegar, then cover the drain to let the foaming action push out the clog. If your carpet needs deodorizing, sprinkle baking soda on it before vaccuming.

2. Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is an acidic liquid that's a natural disinfectant. A 50/50 mix of vinegar and water in a repurposed spray bottle is a great way to clean glass, cutting boards and other surfaces -- but don't use it on marble or other polished stone, as it can leave an indelible mark. It's also useful as a deodorizing green cleaner for mildewed bathroom surfaces; the smell of vinegar dissipates quickly, leaving a clean, fresh bathroom behind. And vinegar diluted with hot water can clean most hardwood floors quickly and easily

3. Washing Soda

Washing soda, or sodium carbonate, is a somewhat caustic green cleaner -- wear gloves if you're using this to scour out the stains and mildew in your shower, sink or other wet tiled places. This powerhouse green cleaner can beat up just about any household crud you can throw at it -- it cuts through grease and oils, it pulverizes waxes like lipstick, and can even strip the wax off wood surfaces. It also removes stains, disinfects, and boosts the cleaning power of laundry and dishwashing soaps. Look for it in the detergent aisle of most grocery stores

4. Lemon

Lemon juice and fresh cut lemons are a good way to clean with a strong acid that leaves a fresh scent behind. Cut a lemon in half and rub it on a barbecue grill, or dip in in salt to remove stains from metal surfaces like copper and brass. It also breaks up soap residue and mineral deposits from hard water. A natural deodorizer and green cleaner, use it anywhere you need an acid that smells better than vinegar.

5. Castile Soap

There are times when you just need a foaming cleanser, and all-natural castile soap, made from vegetables like olives, coconuts, palm, hemp or other plant-based ingredients, does the trick. Diluted, it's an ideal green cleaner for wood surfaces, and can double as a body cleanser and shampoo for you and your whole family -- even your pet!

6. Borax

Borax is an all-purpose green cleaner and disinfectant that cuts through grease, removes rust stains, whitens and deodorizes. It makes detergents more effective and is a favorite additive to laundry soaps and dishwashing liquid.

7. Olive Oil

Plain olive oil is great for cleaning and polishing wood surfaces, though you can use a cheaper grade than what's used for cooking. Most green cleaning recipes call for some combination of olive oil and lemon or vinegar (yes, you're cleaning with salad dressing -- for a floor you could eat off). The ratio of vinegar, oil and water will vary depending on the the type of wood and the finish you have on top of it. For wood floors, try 1/4 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of hot water. For wood furniture, start with 1 cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon oil. For both recipes, "adjust to taste."

8. Table Salt

Ordinary table salt can help to scour out oven residue, and remove iron-based stains like red wine, blood and chocolate. Reuse old cotton clothing as cleaning rags, since few fabrics are more absorbtive. You can store these homemade cleaners in old spray bottles, but make sure they're labeled and carefully stored away from kids and pets, since even green cleaners aren't safe to ingest.

Green Mama by Tracey Bianchi - Earthly Book Review

Going green encompasses many different aspects. Included are companies that want to cash in on the eco-friendly movement. They advertise that their products are environmentally sound, when in fact they're not (Greenwashing). Going green involves its own language as well as different perceptions of those who practice its teachings. With all of the worthwhile causes available to support, it's easy to experience "compassion fatigue."

Tracey Bianchi is a married mother of three young children, living in Chicago. Her environmental concerns for both her family and future generations inspired her to write Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Children Save the Planet.

Bianchi earned a master of divinity degree and is a frequent speaker and writer on topics of Christianity. Regardless of your religious beliefs or denomination, and whether or not you have children, Green Mama is an enlightening read. The state of the Earth's natural resources and how you can make a difference are the book's central themes. Here, compassion fatigue, eco language,and eco snobs are highlighted.

Compassion Fatigue. The world is full of needy causes, and it's easy to become exhausted by all the options to help. When this occurs we can develop "compassion fatigue," and stop caring about any of them. To offset this occurrence, discover your "one big thing." It's the ecological issue that moves you to action, including praying about it and learning about it.

Bianchi discovered an eye-opening flyer that read: "Your kids need to love the environment before they will want to save it." Like yourself, don't exhaust your children in your effort to make them more eco-savvy. Start small to help them discover their own "one big thing." Suggestions include joining a conservation organization and "adopting" an endangered species and promoting its survival. Converse with your children to unveil their environmental passions.

Eco Language. Green living, like anything in American culture, has its own vocabulary. Learning to navigate it is essential to joining a conversation about any of its pursuits. It's one part of the green journey that takes some time and is worth the investment.

Greenwashing. Greenwashing refers to a company's marketing that entices you to believe that the planet benefits from your patronage when in fact, there's little or no benefit. To avoid deceptive advertising, ask a few questions before purchasing, including:

• Does the product you're about to buy explain how exactly it's green or simply look green?
• Do front packaging claims match the ingredients listed on the back?
• Is the product certified by a reputable organization such as an organic or fair trade company?
• How much of the product is made from fillers (food industry additives to reduce costs and bulk up products)? Fillers can alter
• Does the company use the future health of children to sell products (i.e. commercials featuring children running through green fields, with hands up and smiling faces)?

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). Manufacturers aren't required to list all their ingredients on a label. Legally they must identify all of them on their MSDS. Originally designed to aid medical professionals in determining possible allergens, you too can request access to these documents.

Organic. An organic item is grown and manufactured in a way that respects the land, people and animals that produced it. It's minimally processed and any wastes generated from manufacturing or farming methods are either reused or disposed of in an earth-friendly way.

Natural Organic Program (NOP). Currently, NOP is the only nationwide organic labeling system backed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The highly recognizable green and white label is based on the percentage of the product that is organic:

• 100 percent organic=100 percent organic in its agricultural origins.
• Organic=at least 95 percent organic material.
• Made with organic materials=at least 70 percent of the material is organic.
• No USDA label=anything less than 70 percent organic material.

Eco Snobs. Bianchi acknowledges that, " without a doubt there is a sort of eco-superiority that outdoorsy, eco-savvy people can emit." She describes her observations at a Denver airport en route to Chicago, including "fleece wearing locals, sporting high-end technical backpacks. They sipped from bulky Lexan water bottles that were often hooked on their packs by a carabiner."

Living a sustainable life is more about an open mind and heart; and making life work in a simple, responsible, cost-effective way. The green life is open to all regardless of current eco awareness, eco status or location.

Bianchi considers three quick categories when making green choices for her family: Once they're ranked, she determines their financial, ecological and social benefit before pursuing them. Those classifications are:

1. Conservation resources. Water and electric are examples, as monitoring their use typically begins to trim bills and save energy.
2. Earth-friendly substitutions. Food choices, cleaning and personal care routines full of chemicals or ones originating from a company with shabby environmental policies, can be replaced with more eco-friendly options.
3. Indirect financial benefit options. Making a contribution to an environmental organization may help both your family and society at large.

If you're interested in environmental issues, you're bound to learn something new by reading
 Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet

Voltaic Systems 1004 Messenger Solar Bag with 4Watts Solar Power Charger and 3,000 mAh Battery, for Carrying a 15" Laptop - Silver


The Voltaic Messenger Solar Bag is reinforced and padded to carry and protect a laptop. This solar charger has large zipped pockets for documents and multiple small pockets for electronic devices. Ideal for use in town or as a travel bag. Three 1.5 Watt Solar Panels generate power in sunlight. They are waterproof, lightweight and built to withstand abuse.Universal USB Battery stores power for use anytime and is specially designed to charge efficiently from solar. When not in the sun, the battery can be charged using the USB Power Cable or optional AC travel charger or DC car charger making it just as useful on the grid as off.
This bag is high quality. On top of quality of the bag, the solar panels and battery keep my iPhone running all day. I always seem to forget to charge my phone when I run out the house, so this is great for fully charge my phone with extra charge remaining in the battery. Also, this really shows that renewable energy can be integrated into everyday life. I hope to see more products integrate some type of sustainable technology reduce its footprint. Overall, I really enjoy this bag and have nothing bad to say about it. You're carrying a bag or backpack anyway, so why not choose one with solar panels that charge your gear while you trek? When the next big blackout hits, you'll be prepared.