Lifestyle

Eco-friendly products have flooded the market - which is great to see! Unfortunately, you have to be aware of possible impostors - some supposedly green products have a more damaging carbon footprint than a simpler, non-green branded product. How can you tell if a product is really green or if it's just marketing? This Sincerely Sustainable blog post shows the ANDREA air filter as a green imposter. While the intentions of ANDREA are good - transforming plants into air cleaners - there's a huge carbon footprint from creating this gadget (between sourcing, transportation and creating the manufacture and sale). A better alternative than ANDREA? Mother nature's "houseplant" - A novel concept, and it costs about $197 less than the $200 price tag. Other 'green' marketing scams & questionable companies include:

The band Cake has been making music for over a decade. These days, they’re known as one of the greenest bands in the world. In an age where some artists are emitting carbon like it’s their job – Cake’s efforts are pretty darn refreshing. In 2008 the band converted it's Sacramento recording studio to run 100 percent from solar energy. Some of Cake’s other green initiatives include:

Good news: Green buildings help workers become more productive! Workplace and employers can enjoy reduced sick time and increased productivity when they move to LEED or Energy Star labeled buildings. Why are the 'non-green' buildings so bad? Chemical contaminants, inadequate ventilation and other problems can lead to Sick Building Syndrome and other health concerns... Could be why you're dreading Monday morning! According to the study featured in the Journal of Sustainable Real Estate,

Need to cut some excess from your life? While you may be familiar with Beth's Paper Peeve and my co-workers apologize each time they print a doc... but no longer fear! An easy gesture such as shrinking your margins (I recommend .5" on all sides ) on computer printouts will save your printer (and co-workers) pages. Word 2007 even has an easy default: Go to the "Page Layout" ribbon Click the "Margins" dropdown Select "Narrow". You'll be amazed at how much more info you can fit & trees you can save! (One study by Change the Margins says if you change your margins to .75" on all sides, you can reduce paper by 4.75% - saving 1.14 trees per ton of paper. If the whole US changed their margins, we'd save 6,156,000 trees every year just by a small change.)

Next time you're defrosting frozen food, instead of using your countertops or microwave - use your fridge. It'll take a bit longer, but by planning ahead and defrosting in the refrigerator you'll

One of the most quick-catching green habits (notice I didn’t say trends) is the reusable bag. It’s old news that carrying your own bags for groceries, clothes shopping, as lunch “boxes” etc is a great way to cut down on plastic and paper waste. But what about taking this action a step further and creating your own reusable bags from materials around the home? That’s what Valerie Frazier of Langhorne, PA does. “Going out and purchasing a manufactured bag seemed as though it was adding to the problem of too much stuff in the world,” Valerie said. So, she decided to find a way to use her big ol stash of grocery bags. The result?

Though I've given some negative press to Japan - for the slaughtering of dolphins - I do have great respect for the country. I had the amazing opportunity to spend 10 days in Japan with my Mom and one of my best friends. We explored everywhere from Nakatsu to Hirsohima, Kyoto, Tokyo, Nara, Nikko and Beppu. Of course, I made sure to observe enviro-habits abroad. One of the most interesting things I noticed is how efficient the country is. When the Japanese put out waste, they have to separate their plastics, aluminum, glass, and any other recyclables in separate bags from one ‘burnable’ waste area. If this isn't done, fines ensue. (With a country so small, it's risky not to take drastic recycling efforts). One night I stayed at the Earth Embassy at the base of Mount Fuji. American Jacob Reiner founded this organic farm, education center and restaurant to better the local area - especially with delicious produce. We met five volunteers who stay anywhere from a week to several months - investing their time for the greater good. (I also enjoyed a banana and garlic pizza from the delicious café - don’t knock it until you try it…) Eco-Lessons that I imported from Japan for you?

While recently discussing wedding ideas with my recently-named 'future sister-in-law', I revisited the "Greening your wedding" idea and contemplated the essential 'wedding favors'. How can you give your guests an eco-friendly take-a-way? Here are some ideas to find the perfect earthly gift:

Looking for an informative but interesting flick? Sundance winner The Cove offers summer entertainment plus lots of suspense - while informing the public about a "secret" that's purely disturbing. Every year in Taiji, Japan, 23,000 dolphins are slaughtered in a cove for their meat. Former dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry is at the forefront of uncovering Taiji's hunt to the public. But is this practice a cultural difference, or just plain wrong? Here's a trailer: