A Green Eyed View - green ideas and advice

Spring of Sustainability

I'm writing to let you know about a FREE online series of events that can inspire you to live a greener, healthier, more spacious life and transform any frustration you may feel about the state of our planet.

It’s called the Spring of Sustainability, and it features more than 100 pioneers of sustainability - Jane Goodall, Ed Begley Jr., Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Vandana Shiva, John Robbins, Hazel Henderson, to name a few - who will share the most cutting-edge insights and tools for creating a sustainable and thriving world.

Learn more at this link: http://springofsustainability.com

This 3-month series of virtual and live events starts on March 26th. Each weekday, you'll have the chance to listen in and learn from an inspiring sustainability leader via your phone line or computer, or access the replays at a time more convenient for you. There's still time to become a part of the Spring of Sustainability.

 

Feed Your Lawn and Garden with Nitrogen FREE and Phosphorous FREE Peggy Green’s Garden and Lawn Minerals

From June 1 through September 30th, Nitrogen FREE and Phosphorus FREE safe fertilizer ordinances go into effect throughout the state Florida as well as many other areas throughout the country.

Peggy Green’s Garden Minerals, Flower Minerals and their Nitrogen FREE and Phosphorus FREE Grass Minerals for ALL lawn types, palms and shrubs, meets or exceeds all summer safe fertilizer ordinances. Peggy Green was one of the first, and remains one of the few earth friendly manufacturers that is approved for ALL YEAR ‘ROUND USE. All of their products are not only good for the earth, but are completely safe for children and pets.

Every year, more people are discovering the harmful effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus fertilizers. Research continues to show that Nitrogen fertilizers leach off cancer causing Nitrates, and Phosphorus fertilizers leach off lead, arsenic, radioactive particles, radon and fluoride. All of these harmful materials are not only hazardous to our ecosystem, but are causing serious health implications, and YOUR HEALTH IS AT RISK. It is not just the summer months you should worry about. Use a safe, sustainable fertilization program ALL YEAR LONG.

YES Program for Sustainability Leadership Comes to the US for the first time

Applications are now being accepted for the Youth Encounter on Sustainability’s first ever program in the United States. Apply today to take the lead in creating a sustainable future!

This August, a group of university students and young professionals from across the globe will address issues of sustainable development as part of the Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) program. The YES program offers each of its participants a once-in-a-lifetime experience to connect with like-minded individuals, delve into the complex challenges facing our planet today, and build up the skills and knowledge necessary to develop solutions.

Located at Sterling College in beautiful Craftsbury, Vermont, the YES program will engage participants in issues of sustainability through course lectures, field trips, workshops, discussions, and group work. Headed by an international YES faculty and national, regional, and local sustainability leaders, the course will cover topics such as Earth systems, energy, economics, and environmental policy. It will draw on Vermont’s long history of small farms with a special focus on sustainable food production and community resources. In addition, the course will allow participants to engage with Vermont’s people and landscape through a range of social, cultural, creative, and outdoor activities.

The YES Vermont course builds on eleven years of successful YES programs in ten different countries. In that time, over 1,300 students from 98 countries have been trained for sustainability leadership through YES. They now make up a strong and active network of YES alumni—a network which new participants will be able to access and engage with.

This summer’s YES program runs from August 15-September 1. It is jointly sponsored by ACTIS, the Donella Meadows Institute, and the Alliance for Global Sustainability.

For application materials or more information about this inspiring opportunity, please visit www.actis-education.ch or http://www.donellameadows.org/about/our-work/yes-youth-encounter-for-sustainability/.

Applications are due May 14, 2012.

Is Your Shirt Making You Sick?

An important message from Public Citizen:

Is your shirt making you sick?

What about your sofa or your spatula? Are the toys your children or grandchildren play with safe?

Since our founding over four decades ago, Public Citizen has served as a leading watchdog for consumer safety.

With our latest campaign, we’re partnering with the League of Conservation Voters to strengthen laws that keep toxic chemicals out of our bodies, out of everyday products we all use, and out of our homes, communities, classrooms and workplaces.

Join Public Citizen and the League of Conservation Voters in calling on the U.S. Senate to pass the Safe Chemicals Act.

There are 85,000 different chemicals on the market. The Environmental Protection Agency tests only a few hundred of them.

Asthma, diabetes, childhood cancers, infertility and learning disorders are more and more prevalent. The federal system meant to protect us from harmful chemicals hasn’t changed in 35 years.

Why?

The chemical industry cares more about its profits than your family’s wellbeing.

For decades, the industry has fought improved chemical safety laws. In 2011 alone, it spent $52 million lobbying Congress to block meaningful reform.

Help Public Citizen and the League of Conservation Voters petition the Senate to put health and safety before corporate profits.

Here are some of the Safe Chemicals Act’s key provisions: requiring regulators to identify and restrict the most dangerous chemicals; upgrading scientific methods for evaluating chemicals; and mandating basic health and safety information for all chemicals that enter or remain on the market.

Protect yourself and your loved ones from toxic chemicals.

Sign the Safe Chemicals Act petition today.

AFM Safecoat - Reclaiming Our Leadership Role

~Today's guest post comes from Jay Watts of AFM Safecoat, VP Technical Service and New Projects~

Mr. Watts has 17 years of specification experience counseling customers on using safer coating alternatives for home or office buildouts/remodels. Having worked with hundreds of chemically sensitive clients and being sensitive to construction chemicals himself, Jay is well versed on product applications as they relate to improved indoor air quality and human health. He also heads up the company's New Projects Development team which focuses on new product design and marketing.

San Diego, CA. April 3rd, 2012 -  Back in the 70's no one was really interested in indoor air pollution or chemical sensitivities. But the original founder of AFM was. He asked his chemists to explore alternatives to the toxic ingredients being used industry wide. Out of that  research came Safecoat Safe Seal. Safe Seal got its  first major trial at an armed forces hospital in Nevada which had closed  because it actually made allergy patients sicker. 

Doctors suspected indoor air pollution from the paints, carpeting and everything else. After coating the facility with Safe Seal, it reopened successfully. This was the epiphanous moment for AFM. Now we could chart a safer chemical formulation course for a host of better coating products.

As people with the misdiagnosed condition called chemical sensitivity found out about these new products they sought us out, as we were the only hope they had that there might be a safer way to remodel or build.

That was 30 years ago. In the last ten years, with greater awareness of the health challenges posed by the use of toxic products, more manufacturers have attempted to tap into this health oriented market. The paint category, as an example, is cluttered with many brands claiming safe chemical superiority. The truth is, this misleading messaging has confused consumers and eroded the perception that we are the first and safest coatings manufacturer in the country.

It is easy to make marketing claims, create questionable certifications and spend great sums of money to entice customers to try the supposedly non toxic brand du jour. It is high time we re-claimed our position as the leader in our industry.

~ No other brand can point to a 30 year history of safe use by thousands of customers.
~ No other brand can boast a complete line of safe products for almost every construction project.
~ No other brand can say doctor recommended.
~ No other brand has safer formulations.

Now is when we should together bang the drum of health and safety and recommit our businesses to the higher standard we set 30 years ago. There are many imposters but only one true leader - AFM  Safecoat. 

Laughter Is Good Therapy So LOL

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. ~Yiddish Proverb

We’ve all heard that laughter is good medicine and those of us that laugh loudly and deeply know that’s true. If you’re skeptical, an international research team, led by The University of Oxford, has just released the results of a 10 year study which concludes that laughing properly out loud can help increase your pain threshold by as much as 10%. A polite giggle or titter doesn’t get it.

A good old belly laugh causes exhaustion and triggers protective endorphins to counter act that feeling. According to an article published about the study on The University of Oxford’s website “These endorphins, one of the complex neuropeptide chemicals produced in the brain, manage pain and promote feelings of well being.”

The study consisted of different types of experiments involving groups of participants. For instance, after watching a comedy sketch, participants’ pain tolerance was higher when compared to levels after watching an informational program about golf.

Another factor that increased the sense of well-being was the group effect. Laughing with others is more beneficial than laughing alone. But laughing alone is more beneficial than watching a program about golf. In my humble opinion which is not based on any scientific evidence, watching just about anything other than golf will give you a better sense of well-being. To me golf is a big snooze. I know you golfers will disagree and that’s fine. But I digress.

I’ve seen every episode of The Golden Girls multiple times but I still laugh out loud especially with Sophia who gets some of the best lines. It’s on when I go to bed. I set the sleep timer and I usually drift off before the show ends but sometimes I get to laughing and have to wait until it ends before I can sleep. I always wonder what the neighbors think about all that laughter coming from my bedroom. But I don’t care because I know it’s all good.

So if you want to read the study, here’s a link.

Now go get a friend and laugh your butt off. You’ll feel better, I promise.

There’s Always Room for “Jelly” Batteries

I have one laptop computer. I use it at work and at home. My back is killing me from carrying it back and forth. Why does it weigh so much? It’s mostly the battery that weighs me down.

That’s why I’m delighted to learn about a new discovery for what is being nicknamed “jelly” batteries. I  know, they don’t sound very reliable or beneficial. Well as it turns out they should make the heavy lithium batteries in our computers a thing of the past. Hopefully soon because not only is my computer too heavy but I fear it may burst into flames any minute because of the heat the lithium battery produces.

The quick science lesson about “jelly batteries”: The jelly is a novel material derived from a new polymer gel that is thinner and lighter and more stable than the liquid electrolyte technology used in a majority of lithium batteries in laptop computers and smart phones.  That reminds me I need a new battery for my cell phone. When the new polymer gel batteries become available, our cell phone batteries will last longer also.

Here’s a link to a Q&A with the Leeds research team about this new discovery. Oh, by the way, they are less expensive to produce than the current lithium batteries.

 I hope they hurry before my back gives out or my computer ignites!

Species Finder Android App from the Center for Biological Diversity

My new favorite website (and you know that changes fast) is http://www.biologicaldiversity.org. At the Center for Biological Diversity you’ll find everything you need to know about their work to save threatened species of animals, plants and their habitats.

What started as a discovery of a rare Mexican spotted owl nest in an old-growth tree slated to be harvested by the lumber industry and the subsequent action to save them has grown into an international organization that regularly protects our biological diversity all over the planet.

Go check them out. You’ll be amazed at their accomplishments. Help out where you can also.

Now as a bonus for being such a conscientious citizen they have developed an Android App called “Species Finder”. With this app you can find endangered species wherever you are in a couple of clicks. Did I mention it’s FREE? Download it here and stay up to date no matter where you go. Here’s the link to the FREE Species Finder App - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cbd. It’s also available through the Center’s website, www.biologicaldiversity.org.

Surfrider Foundation’s press conference and paddle out on Sunday, April 17th, 2011

Surfrider Foundation Commemorates One-Year Anniversary of Gulf Oil Spill with Press Conference & Paddle Out

WHO: Thomas Paterek, Surfrider Foundation, Suncoast Chapter, David Rauschkolb, Founder of Hands Across the Sand, Representative Rick Kriseman (D-53), Rip Kirby, USF Coastal Scientist will speak following the paddle out.

WHAT: Join the Surfrider Foundation activists and volunteers, state and federal representatives, and coastal enthusiasts for a press conference and paddle out commemorating the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic Gulf oil spill. Following the press conference and paddle out, Join Surfrider Foundation at the Annual Chapter Conference for special scientific update on water and sand testing along Gulf Beaches.

WHEN: SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2011

Media Check in: 7:45am

Press conference: 8am

Paddle out: 8:20am

Conference Presentation: 9am

WHERE: Sirata Hotel Beachfront, 5300 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach, FL - 727-363-5170

Post-paddle out presentation will take place in the Mediterranean Conference Room

MORE: The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation has grown to over 60,000 members and 100 chapters worldwide. For more information visit www.surfrider.org.

AirFree Air Filters – A New Way to Clean Your Indoor Air

The natural Airfree® TSS™ technology uses heated air to destroy airborne mold, bacteria, viruses, dust mites, and pollen allergens. It is a great product for people living with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions.

The Most Tested Air Purifier

Not only the most tested air purifier, but the most successfully tested. Here is why; Airfree's exclusive and patented Thermodynamic Sterilizing System (TSS™) technology has been independently tested in “real life” working conditions by world renowned institutions and ISO 17025 laboratories in six different countries including the USA, Sweden and Germany. These tests prove that Airfree® totally destroys up to 99.99% microorganisms that pass through its patented TSS™, no matter how small or hazardous they might be.

Airfree® offers a detailed copy of the independent tests on its website www.airfree.com assuring consumers of Airfree's outstanding efficiency in drastically reducing airborne microorganisms such as

• Mold spores
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Pollens
• Dust mite remains, excrement, and allergens
• Organic odors
• Ozone
• Pet Dander

 

The Safest Air Purifier

No Ozone nor hazardous emissions

1. Airfree® emits no ozone. The Airfree® TSS™ technology generates no dangerous emissions, NO ions, NO UV light and NO ozone. In fact, independent tests in laboratories in Sweden demonstrate that Airfree® actually reduces ozone by 26%. Ozone is a toxic gas that according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) can trigger asthma and destroy lung tissue.

2. No need to change dirty contaminated filters nor to clean dirty blades. For allergic people, contact with infected materials can be very harmful, possibly resulting in a severe allergic reaction. Airfree´s exclusive TSS™ technology completely destroys and eliminates all organic contaminants. Airfree® destroys all microorganisms as well as its harmful elements including their bio-toxins.

Most microorganisms, such as mold spores, remain a great threat even after they have been killed, as their bio-toxins remain active. It is important to choose an air purifier that destroys ALL of these harmful elements. Airfree® is proven 99.99% effective in destroying all microorganisms.

Why Airfree®?

1. Silent! No sound emission

2. No filters or UV lamps to replace! Replacement parts for other air purifiers may cost over $200 a year.

3. Economic! The natural Airfree® TSS™ technology uses less electricity than a 50W light bulb and requires no replacement parts that cost hundreds of dollars a year.

4. Ozone and Ion free! The natural Airfree® TSS™ technology is ozone and ion free and has no hazardous  emission. Airfree® reduces toxic and corrosive Ozone, which according to the EPA may trigger asthma and destroy lung tissue.

5. Exclusive Natural and Clean Technology! The Airfree® TSS™ technology uses heat alone to incinerate airborne microorganisms. No fiber-glass filters, triclosan-coated paper nor any type of material harmful to you or the environment when disposed of. Airfree® is the only technology that reduces ozone while simultaneously destroying microorganisms

6. Efficient! Airfree® has been tested in real working environments with credible ISO microorganisms such as mold spores, bacteria, viruses, and dust mite allergens that pass through its patented TSS™, regardless of how hazardous or miniscule they might be.

7. Easy to install and use! Just place Airfree® on the floor and plug it into the nearest electric outlet. No need for constant maintenance or cleaning.

8. Safe! No need to touch or change dirty and contaminated filters. Electrical safety is assured by the CE and TUV Seals of Approval.

9. Faster Performance! Microorganism reduction begins just 15 minutes after Airfree® is plugged in.

10. Durable! Airfree® has a rugged and durable design with no moving parts, resulting in virtually no wear and tear.

11.Allergy and Asthma Relief! Airfree destroys dust mites, moulds, fungus, and other microorganisms that are the main offenders in triggering allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions.

12. Anti-Stress Light! Anti-Stress Light! The exclusive Airfree® dimmer controlled anti-stress light. Ideal for children’s rooms can also be used as a night light or turned off completely.

13. New user-friendly warning sensor! Airfree's state of the art sensor warns users if their unit is improperly installed.

14. Awarded Design

 

Small and Portable

P1000

• Capacity: 450 sq. ft
• Electric consumption: 45W
• Voltage: 110 - 127V
• Dimensions: height 10.4 in (26.5 cm) and diameter 8.4 in (21.5) cm
• Noise level: Completely silent.
• Weight: 2.4 lbs (1.09KG)

P2000

• Capacity: 550 sq. ft
• Electric consumption: 48W
• Voltage: 110 - 127V
• Dimensions: height 10.4 in (26.5 cm) and diameter 8.4 in (21.5) cm
• Noise level: Completely silent.
• Weight: 2.8 lbs (1.09KG)

Onix 3000

• Capacity: 650 sq. ft
• Electric consumption: 52W
• Voltage: 110 - 127V
• Dimensions: height 10.4 in (26.5 cm) and diameter 8.4 in (21.5) cm
• Noise level: Completely silent.
• Weight: 3.3 lbs (1.48KG)

Applications Home, Office Archives, Libraries, Museums, Schools, Universities, Kindergartens and Daycares, Retirement Homes, Housing for the Elderly, Hotels, Vacation Resorts, Stores, Super Markets, Hospitals, Clinics, Laboratories, Ocean Cruisers, Yachts, Food and Pharmaceutical Industries.

FAQ

Will one Airfree® unit be powerful enough for my room?

One Airfree® is powerful enough to purify the air in rooms up to 450 sq ft for the P1000 model, 550 sq ft for the P2000 model and 650 sq ft for the Onix 3000 model. If the room is larger than as indicated above, more Airfree® units should be added proportionally to the room size.

How does Airfree® work?

Airfree® is the ONLY proven technology on the market that fully destroys and neutralizes mold spores, dust mite allergens, viruses, bacteria, pet dander, organic allergens, and ozone. Airfree® works by drawing air through tiny ducts into its patented TSS™ incineration chamber where up to 99.99% of microorganisms are incinerated. Poisonous gases like ozone are there destroyed as well. The heat used in Airfree® has no noticeable effect on the temperature of the room.

How much does Airfree® cost to run?

Very little! Remember, Airfree® has no expensive Hepa filters or UV bulbs to replace. Replacement filters for other air purifiers can cost in excess of $150 a year. Airfree® has none of these ongoing costs, and is designed to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, consuming less than a 50W light bulb which is quite insignificant compared to the 200W Hepa filters used in other air purifiers.

How can I be sure that Airfree® really works?

Please remember that Airfree® is probably the only air purifier manufacturer offering detailed copies of independent tests in real life conditions, in large rooms occupied by people, assuring Airfree’s outstanding efficiency in drastically reducing airborne microorganisms. These independent tests can be seen at www.airfree.com .

Ozone Free Certified

The Swedish National Testing and Research Institute has tested Airfree® and verified that it emits absolutely NO amount of Ozone. As a matter of fact, Airfree® even reduces the amount of this toxic gas by 26%. Ozone, which is emitted by many air cleaners currently on the market, is a noxious lung irritant that can, even in small amounts trigger allergic reactions.

Bacteria and Mold Reduction Certified

Destroys 99.99% of all microorganisms including any type of fungi and spores, virus and bacteria. According to independent laboratory tests the average airborne mold and bacteria reduction from Airfree® is 85% to 95% in areas up to 450 sq ft. All the tests were realized in “real life” conditions, not in small and closed chambers.

SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY WHEN PURCHASING AN AIR PURIFIER!

• Before deciding answer the following questions:
• Does the chosen manufacturer provide a copy (not quotes) of independent tests proving their claims?
• Precisely how does the device purify the air?
• Does the chosen air purifier generate ozone? Is it safe?
• How much will it cost to replace filters and parts?
• Is it noisy?
• Is the technology natural, clean and environmentally friendly?
• How cumbersome and heavy is it?
• Will it interfere with the decoration of your house?