Eco-Friendly Apps for the iPhone

Eco-friendly apps are a must have for the environmentally conscious individual who uses an iPhone. Here is a list of free iPhone apps for you to consider.

1) Dirty Dozen- this app, from Environmental Working Group, is a top pick of mine. It gives the user a heads up on the 12 dirtiest produce items to avoid and a list of the Clean 15. Users can also access EWG's website from this app.

2) Ocean Wise- Vancouver based conservation program aimed at informing Canadian consumers on Seafood and helping them make better, sustainable choices when purchasing it or dining out. Great app!

3) EWG Sunscreen Guide- EWG's top-rated sunscreens to use when you need the protection. Users can also look up their sunscreens and see what rating it receives.

4)  TreeHugger- Lots of goodies in this app! Comes with great articles, podcasts and more. Get it!

5)  iGreenpeace- Breaking Greenpeace news from around the world and interaction with a fun little penguin named Alex.

6) TheGoodGuide- Apps bar-code scanning feature lets users scan an item in store and it will reveal whether the product is safe, healthy, green and socially responsible. 

7) Carticipate- a ride sharing app that provides users with info on other people near their area that want to carpool.

More Green Apps to come as I find them!

Greenwashing Won't Go Away

Greenwashing is a nemesis to consumers and as long as there is green to be made it will continue.  Recently CBC conducted a review of "green cleaners".  Guess what they found?  There are two ways to avoid this.  One, read the labels and do some research.  Just because it's on the shelf in a nice package doesn't mean it is green.  Second, use homemade green cleaning techniques to save money and you don't have to worry about being duped.

Book Review: Ecoholic

The book, Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada, is a must have for all my Canadian readers who are interested in environmentally friendly products and ways one can lessen their impact on our precious environment. I purchased this book a few years ago and use it everyday for amazing tips, information and useful references that have added to my family's greener, healthier lifestyle.

Green Cleaning

Homemade cleaners are by far the best way to protect yourself and your family from the dangerous chemicals that traditional cleaning products contain. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Furniture Polish- 1/4 C. of olive oil mixed with 1/4 C. of fresh squeezed lemon juice in a spray bottle work wonders on all wood surfaces in the home. A little of this homemade cleaner with some elbow grease on each surface goes a long way! I have used this recipe for years and would never go back to the store bought stuff. Remember to skip the paper towels and use a cloth rag instead.

Kitchen and Bath Cleaner-  A few drops of Tea Tree oil in a spray bottle is an effective way to clean and disinfect all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

For those of you that use a microwave- using the remaining lemon from the furniture polish recipe in a small bowl of water for 2 minutes on high will steam clean the inside of your microwave and leave it smelling great! All you have to do is wipe the splatter off with a rag.

More green cleaning tips to come.

Eating Healthy vs. The Environment

Most people want to eat healthy.  Some people include organic fruits and vegetables as part of their diet to achieve that.  What about the carbon footprint of that food?  If you live in a norther climate it is pretty tough to find produce in January.  Does getting your fresh, organic spinach shipped in from California or Mexico negate the positive aspect of it being organic?  Do you trade your health for the environment?  In my opinion, this is one of the toughest aspects of environmentalism for consumers.  What do you think and what choices do you make?

No Impact Man

No Impact Man is a film, book and blog about living with no impact on the environment. A very interesting and informative experiment on a dramatic lifestyle change. Get more details here and watch the film trailer here.

I think Colin Beavan has done what many of us would like to do; "unplug" and still live a productive life. I hope his experience along with the book and film prove to people on the fence that it can be done. I am one of those people and want to do it so badly but I'm terrified of how it will impact my life. I already live pretty modestly but I still rely on a lot of things that seem too hard to give up. I look forward to seeing how Colin's experience went and see what I can do.

Make It

Lots of people are making their own things or repurposing what they have. Mister Jalopy is probably on of the more famous people in this arena. Here is a piece about him on CNN and his Owner's Manifesto that he wrote for Make.

While this type of work is not for everyone due to technical limitations I think everyone can learn a little bit and there are plenty of DIY and MIY resources on the internet. It's like we all became lazy about everything because we could always buy another one or there was always a new gadget that would solve that problem. Thinking about products differently and incorporating a cradle-to-cradle design mentality will go a long way in addressing our garbage problems.

Fix It If You Can

One of the problems with so many of the things we buy is that they are difficult to fix. Usually they are cheaper to replace, too. What if you could find an easy way to repair rather than toss and replace?

iFixit is a site that has parts and repair help for Apple products and has teardowns of other gadgets so you can see what's inside and maybe get an idea on how to fix it. A step in the right direction to reduce our consumption and keep electronic waste out of landfills.

Find a Green Place Near You

Green Map is an online social mapping tool that will plot "green" sites. They have links to maps and information about the area mapped. If you're planning a trip or want to see what might be in your area check it out.

Food is an Environmental Issue

Food production, consumption and transportation is becoming a bigger environmental issue. Every element of food has an environmental impact and the growing disconnect between people and their food supply is exacerbating the problem.  I found an excellent article at Grist that summarizes the issue.  Everybody can do a little bit to reduce their "foodprint".  By acquiring a little knowledge about what it takes to get your food home you can be more aware of the impacts.

GM is Bankrupt. Now What?

Everybody knows that GM is bankrupt.  Many people probably thought it has been for a while. The broader impact is still unknown.  Thousands of people will be out of work and see reduced benefits.  Where is their bailout?  The upsetting part is that individuals have to suck it up and deal with the hardship while companies are too big to fail and have to be rescued.  

However painful this is going to be maybe something good will come out of it.  I hope at some point that we realize a few important things.  GM was an integral part of suburbanization and expansion of our economy.  By extension, this created the environmental difficulties and mass consumerism we are currently living with.  While many may look at the bankruptcy of GM as a business failure it is actually a social failure.  The bankruptcy of GM represents the bankrupt economic model we are currently trying to revive.  It is a reflection of our lifestyle.  When we awaken to this point then we can move forward to create a sustainable economic model that respects the ideals of democracy and free enterprise.

The Healthiest Foods

Normally, I have made posts about unhealthy foods and the downsides associated with them. I found a list of 33 healthiest foods on Earth. They are fruits and vegetables and there is table that lists them and their benefits.

As I gather more and more information about food and health it looks like fruits and vegetables are the only way to go. I guess the transition to being a vegetarian is the hardest and it probably won't be any easier during BBQ season. In our home we have tried to minimize meat consumption and make a conscious effort to eat vegetarian dinners several times a week and at least one meal a day. Changing habits around eating will be the hardest part as your body will adapt, and over time, I'm sure you'll find the thought of steak unappealing. Also, if you can grow a lot of your own you can have fun gardening and minimize your pesticide intake too.

Keep Produce Fresh

If you're spending a small fortune on good produce or growing more than you can handle check out these tips on storage from Farm Fresh to You.

Homemade Body Scrubs

Everybody likes to pamper themselves at home. Body scrubs are those nice to have once in a while products but they are not cheap. I've been making a homemade one for a few years from honey and raw sugar and find that it works great. Many "beauty" products contain various chemical ingredients that could be harmful and you can research them on EWG cosmetics database. I realize it is probably a lot harder to sell a body scrub made from food products and they need to preserve and stabilize it for resale but I would rather not use it. Alternatively you can use olive oil with salt or sugar as noted on the kitchn. I don't have a recipe for mine and just mix it up as I need it.

Economic Slowdown Impacts Recycling

We have seen the economic slowdown impact many sectors. Recycling is no different. As the demand for goods has decreased dramatically so has the need to include recycled content in those goods. Some people are arguing that recycling has become too expensive compared to using raw materials in certain cases. However, everybody does it because we are told it is the right thing to do. This article covers the economics of recycling and the problems with our recycling programs.

I like the idea of recycling. In the comments to the article a reader raised a good point: people forgot the first two of the "3 Rs". I personally believe recycling is like donating to charity: people like it, it feels good and it absolves them of responsibility for the problems they are trying to solve because they feel they did their part. Rather than trying to buy less crap or reuse things just throw it in the blue bin and problem solved.

Self-Sufficiency and Being Eco-Friendly

In writing the blog over the last few years I have raised my own awareness and of those around me. Sometimes I doubt if I'm doing enough to make a difference and whether it is even eco-friendly in any definition. I'm probably like most people: living between worlds of eco-friendly and regular life. One thing I have noticed noticed is that self-sufficiency is one of my main goals. You can define that any way you like. I found a blog called Walnut Spinney that is about a family striving for self-sufficiency. They seem to be further down the road than most and offer an inspiring story. I think self-sufficiency is an integral part of environmental stewardship because we can better appreciate finite resources. The grocery store never runs out of everything and it is always a short drive away. If you're being self-sufficient you have to manage better and by doing so waste less.

Nano Unveiled

The Tata Nano was released yesterday in India. I understand the reasoning for a small, inexpensive car for the masses. I also realize that other countries want to develop a standard of living and a lifestyle like that of North America. However, none of us can afford it any longer. The financial, environmental and social implications of consumerism are becoming pretty obvious. To replicate that in India and China will have disastrous consequences for all of us. Until we can develop a sustainable system to support our desires we're all going to run out of resources. The hard part is determining whether we lack the capacity or the desire to accomplish it.

High Tech Gardening

Gardening is a great hobby that has many benefits. If you're into technology there are more ways to combine these to pursuits. As things like computers, sensors, lighting etc. have become cheaper and the ability to connect them all easier having a high tech garden is not that difficult.

Here are a couple of interesting links about technology to the garden courtesy of Lifehacker and Make. At Make they posted a video about a robot that can maintain the garden. Never worry about forgetting to water again! I posted the video at my other site which is mostly news links and videos.

Water Footprint

I was reading Lifehacker today and they linked to a chart on water use from Good Magazine. It basically shows how much water any given activity/good uses or has embedded in it's production. Fascinating stuff. I think we'll be hearing more about water footprints in the way we have about carbon footprints. If we were all looking at how much water was used in everything we would be shocked at the amount. We'd probably be mortified at how much we waste. A thorough evaluation of everything we do from a resource use perspective really needs to be done. Personally, I try to do what I can but with a chart like this I fell like a drop in the ocean. I realize a lot of people have to make the changes together to make an impact but making a differnece looks impossible.

Is a Green Economy Possible?

There has been a lot of talk about transitioning to a green economy lately. Especially since job losses are mounting in every sector the transition to a new economic model seems particularly important these days. Is it even possible?

I recently watched the documentary A Crude Awakening and it does an excellent job of summarizing the relationship between peak oil and economic and social collapse. Many of us are aware of the oil dependency we have but the pervasiveness of oil in our economic system is not something we consider often. In thinking about developing a green economy the oil dependency must be considered. Fundamentally, oil cannot be a part of a green economy. Not because it is "ungreen" but because we cannot hope to adapt unless we can do it without it. I think that to firmly establish a new economic model it will have to exclude oil, despite the positive aspects about it, because when it runs out we have no chance to change. If you haven't seen the film you should watch it even if you already know.