Today’s radio show we are talking about TOP 5 GREEN THINGS you can make GREENER:
1- Trees: how can we love our trees, let me count the ways. First tree-based products. Find alternatives that aren’t made of virgin forests: I’m checking out page 128 in my handy, dandy “Better World Shopping Guide” by Ellis Jones (there is also a mobile app I’ve just started using: http://www.betterworldshopper.com/ipod.html. This guide tells you all that you need to know about the best companies and the worst – green hero and villains – and offers tips. Look for PSC post-consumer recycled content and choose non-chlorine bleach options. Let go of the obsession with WHITE that is so harmful to our environment. They recommend Seventh Generation, Green Forest, New Leaf, Earth Friendly as their top brands. Georgia-Pacific, Bounty, Charmin are among the top eco-villains.
Here locally the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards are providing a $25 voucher toward the purchase of a tree at select nurseries! Thanks to CATS and Bama Works for making this possible. http://charlottesvilleareatreestewards.org/
2- Money: To make your money even greener, shop LOCAL and be an eco-conscious consumer! Each time you make a big box store or amazon purchase, which I know is convenient, you are sending those dollars outside of our community. One of the best things about Charlottesville is all of the locally-owned businesses, family-owned mom and pops.
3- Kale, Collards, Spinach, and other Green Veggies! To make these veggies even greener buy organic and farm fresh when possible. Bell Pepppers, Kale and Celery are all on the DIRTY DOZEN list – a list of the top fruits and veggies that retain pesticides and herbicides more easily than other foods – so if you can only afford some organics, choose the ones on this list. http://www.ewg.org/news/videos/ewg-and-pesticides-dirty-dozen
4- Tea: So many choices here in the aisles these days! First look for fair trade label and organic. Again, I’m checking my better world guidebook. Green heroes: numi, equal exchange, traditional medicinals, celestial seasonings, honest tea, and more. Villains include all Nestle brands who have been involved in child slavery and aggressive takeovers of family farms.
5- LAWNS: aahhh the American Obsession with a green lawn. I have seen more advertisements lately of “true green” and I have been skeptical so I called. Turns out they do have less harmful brands and methods, but I recommend calling to determine if it’s just green washing. Other ideas: Aerate your lawns, take a sample to determine what nutrients your lawn really needs. Fact is Americans put 70 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides on their lawn each year and it’s devastating ourwaterways! Good news: The Thomas Jefferson Sewer and Water Conservation District has a switch out your turf program for natural and native grasses. You can xeriscape which means getting rid of your lawn altogether. http://tjswcd.org/UrbanProgram.html
Hope this helps – enjoy your GREEN this St. Patrick’s Day!
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