Green Living Q & A

The Expert answers:

What are you talking about, MANERS?! Recycled things are usually priced the same or higher. I would definitely pay more.
: )

The Expert answers:

I was looking for eco friendly school supplies in May for my sons Earth Club. I went to the 3 major office supply stores in my area, Office Max, Office Depot, and Staples. I also checked Target and Walmart.

The best selection was at Office Max, they had several store brands made of recycled content and they have partnered with Terracycle. Terracycle has pens, pencils, markers and mechanical pencils made of recycled material, they have recycled binders and pencil holders made from juice bags, like Capri sun.

The other 2 office supply stores had very limited supplies.

Target seemed to have a couple full lines of ecofriendly school supplies, look for the Greenroom brand. They had everything from spiral notebooks, binders, file folders, and dividers. These were a little more youth oriented, very colorful.

Walmart had a few items, I hope they have more now.

You can also get recycled post it’s, index cards, and plastic rulers.

Many suppliers are trying to look ecofriendly when they aren’t, so look for the chasing arrows.

The Expert answers:

Nope wouldn’t waste my time. It is just hype. Take for example these energy saver spiral light bulbs. Yea they last longer and use a little less electricity. But they also cost quite a bit more and they also forgot to mention that they are full of mercury. So when they get tossed in the trash where does all the mercury go?

The Expert answers:

What a great idea. You should do well with your idea.
There are quite a few different kinds of eco friendly products, from Mrs. Meyers, Green Works and Method. I would suggest mixing up some of your own. Make your business personal. You can take baking soda and lemon juice with hydrogen peroxide then add an essential oil for scent. This way you can have specialized cleaners. Use them in your own home to test them out.

The Expert answers:

Try this one
http://www.thewholesaler.co.uk/trade/distributor/eco,045friendly_products/
Hope its what your looking for.

The Expert answers:

Look on the website Treehugger.com. I’m sure they have info. For you. Good luck. Sounds like fun.

The Expert answers:

Good for you! I disagree with Caroline. Eco-friendly cleaning products are here to stay. I can think of a few brands I like because of the smell and its effectiveness, one of my favorites is Ecover. I think they sell air purifiers here: www.allergybuyersclub.com and check out www.ecover.com too.

The Expert answers:

It means more and more to me everyday. I am more of aware of manufactures who green wash. I can verify such things through education, looking at what is used to build a product, is it sustainable, verifiable, does it carry any 3rd party verification.

The Expert answers:

Yep and because I use the “eco-friendly” light bulbs, i now take super long showers!

The Expert answers:

There shouldn’t be a problem but check

The Expert answers:

I’d start by contacting the local electric provider or by going to your state’s government website for power. They have an immense amount of information covering most of the topics you’ve requested information on.

The Expert answers:

ASK THEM INSTEAD TO HELP REDUCE POPULATION GROWTH.

The Expert answers:

THEY ARE DIFFERENT BECAUse potential is what it CAN do
kinetic is what it Does
a nonrenewable resource is water air( i think )

a renewable resource is…….im sorry i cant think of anything look it up on google

The Expert answers:

Big Oil (like the Big Three) are sitting on a vast warehouse of alternative fuels and alternative engines, but what they’ve been lacking is the impetus to dust these things off and put them to use. But that impetus has finally arrived in three distinct forms; three extremely (for them) terrifying forms: high oil prices per barrel; Peak Oil from the Arabian oil fields; Green consciousness.

High oil price per barrel is not something that is going to go away any time soon. The causes are myriad, but one of the factors is the sense of crisis in the Middle East. The Iraqi-American war is tertiary to that; what is really causing panic in the Arabian oil fields is the knowledge that the fields have reached Peak Performance.

Peak Oil refers to the theory that all oil fields will move in a course which roughly describes a hill–it goes up, reaches the plateau (or peak) and then descends. This concept was originally postulated by a Geologist named M. King Hubbert. He said that Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. He predicted that the USA would reach peak production and begin decline in 1970. He was right. Peak Oil production in the Arabian oil fields has apparently been reached, and now begins their decline as well.

But it is Green consciousness which really worries the oil and car people. Once upon a time, the concerns about the environment were tossed aside as the bleatings of “Ecology Nuts”, but in the light of Global Warming and rising greenhouse gases (and skyrocketing oil prices) the idea of a car that gets 50-60 miles a gallon are very tempting. Already, old SUV’s are being called ‘dinosaurs’, and new ones are gathering dust in showrooms all over the world.

You ask, “Do you think that the people who rule the world and line their pockets with our hard earned cash will allow their cash cows (oil, gas, coal) to be replaced with something that they can’t levy a simple tax on until they have no option ?”

Actually that’s the least of their worries. Sheer survival is taking precedence over simple greed.

For the Saudis, for example, they must now put away their toys and deal with the fact that for seventy years they have built their entire culture based on oil, a finite resource. They have bought jets, built palaces, taken long and expensive vacations, but they have virtually no infrastructure! They cannot feed their own people with their land, which is still desert. Virtually all necessities are imported. They have made investments, yes, but nothing which will prop up their country once the oil is depleted! This is one of the factors which is driving oil prices up: they have to make up for lost time and build these things now.

For the Big Three, time is also a precious commodity. As little as three years ago, there was a board meeting at GM in which one member put forth the idea of bringing back the Volt, GM’s electric car. His suggestion was shouted down, and the decision was made to concentrate on SUV’s instead. Now, GM is working overtime to bring back the Volt, and literally spending one billion dollars a month (!) to incorporate hybrid technology into their current manufacturing centers in order to stay alive. If GM (and other US manufacturers) wish to survive, they need to adapt.

Sixty-five million years ago, a comet slammed into the Yucatan peninsula and brought about a worldwide climate change. Within a few short years the entire world was changed, and the lumbering dinosaurs which had ruled for so long died out. In a like fashion, the current climate change and the disappearance of the dinosaur remains (fossil fuels) are necessitating another change in the evolution of transport and the way humans behave. Those who adapt will go on; those who refuse to change will perish. Such is the way of the world.

Perhaps evolution is the biggest conspiracy of all.

The Expert answers:

Your husband is neglecting a few critical points.

1) It takes a long time for trees to grow. The more paper we recycle, the fewer trees need to be cut down to make new paper, and this gives newly planted trees more time to grow and replace the cut down trees.

2) Making new paper from recycled paper uses 30-50% less energy than making paper from trees and it reduces contributions to air pollution by 95%.

Http://www.buyrecycled.com/questions.htm

So no, recycling paper is certainly not a waste of time and energy. In fact, it saves energy.

The Expert answers:

Ten Thousand Villages Canada is a great organization that sells sweatshop free, eco friendly products which are all Fair Trade products. They have some really neat toys/games, journals, jewellery. They also sell chocolate and dried fruit and home decor. You can read more about them, find a store near you (there are 50 throughout Canada) or shop online, on their website: www.TenThousandVillages.ca
I hope this helps!
Peace,
K~

The Expert answers:

I’ve got some ideas, but keep in mind that these are only suggestions…
-Ecostyle
-Irishcanda (pronounced Irish Can D A) ((long a sound))
-Ecostar
-Extreme Irish
-Extreamly Me
-Allecno (pronounced all ecno)
-D.E.C.O.F. (like DEF in the alphabet, but with ECO instead of just E)

Like I said these are just suggestions, and keep in mind I’m only a kid, so I’m sure there are better names out there. Good luck with your bussiness, and email me at nbcbandgeek@yahoo.com when the jeans go on sale. Also, you should make REAL sized, not like Hollister, that only go form 00-11. You will get more sales if you have a wider variety of sizes

The Expert answers:

That’s really good so far. Now, go into electricity. Turn off lights you’re not using, and computers, etc. Get Compact Fluorescent lights. They do have mercury, but you’re supposed to dispose of them in a special way. I have no idea what this way is (none of our CF’s have stopped working yet), but I think it recycles the mercury. After all, we have very limited mercury on this planet.

You can get LED’s for non-dimmable lights, and for dimmable lights, you can try getting dimmable LED’s. However, I’d leave LED’s for later, because they’re super expensive (like, for example, an equivalent to a 100W light bulb costs $120). However, that 100W equivalent uses more like 1-5W, although it lasts only about 1,000,000,000 hours.

LED’s nowdays are energy efficient. They’re not money efficient for the first 5-10 years.

The Expert answers:

PVC, vinyl, poly-suede….It’s all synthetic, not the product of any animal, but still not necessarily environmentally friendly as far as how it’s produced and the chemicals in it. Some “pleather” can be made from recycled rubber (usually tires) though, and I would consider that much more eco-friendly than other materials that could be used for it.

The Expert answers:

It depends on what the stains are. Some will lift when soaked in a bucket of cold water with a handful of salt in it. Others can be treated with a bicarbonate of soda paste which is again left on then rinsed off. Half a cup (up to two cups) of vinegar in the laundry will give you bright colors, prevent color bleeds and act as a fabric softener.

Using eco balls in your washing machine they seem to get most marks out and leaves washing softer than using washing powders and conditioners. Line dry.

The Expert answers:

You might try earth911 which has a pretty good data base of recycling opportunities. Also, you might try freecycle.org which is ultimately housed by Yahoo Groups.

In the process, you might decide how and/or who would use your tatters. If they still have usable material, fasteners, or embellishments your tatters may have more/different value than tatters more ameniable to use purely as rags. But, in terms of “rags”, think of who and what types of people may want or need free rags. … Often, these are the types of folks that work with oils, greases, solvents, and paints. You might find an individual and/or a business type right along your beaten path who would be willing to take all the tattered clothing you are willing to drop off.

The Expert answers:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes – and i do not eat anything meat fish or eggs as these indusrties are the most viscious at killing the planet

The Expert answers:

Just ‘cos it’s 100% cotton is not necessarily a good thing. Cotton production is 1 of the highest users of pesticides, so I believe. There are now lots of organic companies, that sell clothes on the net. These companies have often already done the hard work, sourcing fabrics that have been ethically produced with a minimum ‘footprint’. I believe that bamboo is the latest fabric to use, ‘cos it is so easy to grow that it doesn’t need chemicals. The thing I’m not sure of is where it is grown. I’m not sure if there may be an issue of destroying forests to grow it!?
To be environmentally friendly, I believe the latest advise is to buy a few fair-trade, organic clothes, that are well made and versatile, and so will last. Rather than the trend of buying lots of cheap ‘throw away’ fashion items.
A rating system would be great. I know that Greenpeace is campaigning for ethical clothing but don’t know if they have info on what they consider is best. Friends of the Earth may well do so too. I couldnt find out, when I tried to check.

The Expert answers:

What’s the most “eco-friendly” way to raise babies?

You are on a good starting point –

A life style of less disposables and more keepables:
1. Breast feeding / freshly made foods vs. In jars/frozen/packed
2. Cloth diapers (use of a diaper service for a fresh load each wk)
a diaper rash is an unnatural phenomenon found only on babies with plastic diapers
3. Use of least plastic in toys and accessories, this will take ongoing thinking but can be done or at least attempted
e.g. Alternates are use of wood, metal, clay/ceramic/glass, fabric

In addition to the above alternatives being better for the baby, good for mother and Mother Nature, they are much less expensive on dad’s wallet. And lets not forget – no hassle of running for diapers and formula with the car every other week.

Also, this will lead to a ‘fresher’ lifestyle as apposed to a ‘canned/frozen and packed in plastic’ one which in the long run is a very healthy start for your baby.
*** The next generation will learn from you right from the start.

The Expert answers:

Im not sure, but this may help. Go to this site, they are giving away gift cards for Old Navy, Best Buy, Abercrombie, and Kmart. All you need is your email address. Just pick one you like.
Old Navy: http://doiop.com/oldnavygiftcard
Best Buy: http://doiop.com/bestbuy
Abercrombie: http://doiop.com/abercrombie
Kmart: http://doiop.com/kmartgiftcard
I put in my email addresses for these websites and got 500 dollar gift cards for Abercrombie in 3 days. I was pretty surprised.

The Expert answers:

Use organic/natrual fibers for sheets (bamboo, organic cotton), use reclaimed lumber or untreated wood for your bedframe and then stain with plant-based sealer. Choose low-VOC paints for your walls. If you use energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs, use a lampshade made of oilcloth or parchment. For windows: use curtains or roman shades made from hemp, silk, or organic cotton, blinds made from untreated natural products such as bamboo, sustainably harvested wood, or natural grasses. You can mount a branch (twigs included!) or a bamboo pole over the window and hang tab-top curtains or a swag of raw silk over it.

The Expert answers:

Increase your insulation by adding the eco-friendly insulation which I think is made of sheep wool. Also a water but would be a good buy if you don’t already have one. Well done for trying to improve the environment.

The Expert answers:

Engineering is the art to do the most for the least. So, engineers are always trying to do something that will use the least amount of material, fuel, energy, you name it; balanced with other considerations (security, longevity, ect.)
So, the energy efficiency bit IS part of the equation. But the customer say he does not want to pay 10% more for a better insulation, and claims he does not mind to pay more each year for lost energy, we engineers are stuck.

The Expert answers:

Aveda defiantely. Company has 100% wind power manufacturing. All hair products are plant and flower!

The Expert answers:

Def. Im a vegan teen and would love it If i could finda vegan lip balm for $1.5-$2.00. All the ones at wholefoods and central markets start at $3.50.
Teens are into anything “cool” or whatever the latest fad seems to be.
Just the concept is cool, eco friendly vegan beauty line.

The Expert answers:

Search Khadi Bazaar. They sell all hand spun, hand woven and dyed with natural organic colour clothing. It can be quite colourful and exciting.

The Expert answers:

Walmart clothings. (:

The Expert answers:

Use shout…

The Expert answers:

I’ve recently done a bunch of looking into natural/homemade products for various household things. The newest thing I’m planning on trying is soap nuts. They’re all natural and have nothing done to them. Supposedly they help your clothes last longer and remove the grime build up that conventional laundry detergents leave behind. Plus, you’re not supposed to have to use any fabric softener either (another bad thing for you and your clothes). Here’s one of the websites that has information on them. They’re also the cheapest I could find and say they hand sort them instead of just selling them in the bags they come in.

Http://www.naturoli.com/soapnuts/

The Expert answers:

Sounds like you’ve done about all you can to be ecologically minimal impact. Now the funner part, changing the world. So start a game with some of your friends to see what you can do collectively, or work with your favorite store owner to see what changes can be done at the store to minimize eco-impact. You know what to do, now be our teacher/local guide!

The Expert answers:

Http://www.greennetlinks.co.uk/

The Expert answers:

If it’s a reputable company then yes. For example, (and i just saw a commercial for this today) Sun Chips is going to create the first biodegradable chip bag. Here’s a paragraph from their website:

“In 2010, we plan to introduce the first fully compostable chip bag of its kind. These innovative bags are designed to fully decompose in about 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost bin or pile.”

Details about it are here:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/sun-chips-compostable-bags.php

Oh, and here’s the commercial from Sun Chips that i saw on the Olympics tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOraijjCHLA

…But that’s taking your question literally. We know that not every product we make can decompose. However, companies like Apple will advertise themselves as being “environmentally friendly” which means they are simply using less harmful materials in their products and using less packaging material to ship their products. Less packaging material means less trash, therefore being environmentally friendly.

Here’s Apple’s thing on being environmentally friendly:
http://www.apple.com/macbook/environment.html

Hope all this answers your question!

The Expert answers:

There are a HUGE sources on line
Go to the following linke to select your favorite

http://www.google.co.il/#hl=en&q=environmental+products+stores&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=114809bd17222809

If you look for Franchise,, check the following link:
http://www.franchiseopportunities.com/industries/41/Environmental.htm

The Expert answers:

I found this place by googling “eco-friendly promotional products.” I went through their listings and they did have mugs and coasters available from recycled materials. They actually have a whole bunch of other stuff too, but it looks like their specialty is eco-friendly products.

The Expert answers:

Good for you!!! It sounds like you are on the right track! What are reusable diapers? When my kids were babies I used cloth diapers and hung them outside on the line to dry – and bleach. Are they now called reusable? I still hang my clothes on the clothesline to dry. I seldom use my dryer and the clothes smell fresh and the sun brightens the whites without having to use much bleach. One more idea that I’ve just started doing.. I turn my computer off after using, but I also remember to turn off my monitor.

Congratulations to you and your eco-friendly family!

The Expert answers:

Lol! I would spend it on doing the things we already have under way in our home. We are removing the old carpets and replacing with Marmoleum, an eco-friendly, entirely recycled flooring material. We are adding two layers of insulation to the home to reduce heating and cooling requirements. We are adding a solar PV system to the home that will allow us to generate enough electricity to power our home AND return a surplus to the grid and thereby reduce not only our own carbon footprint, but help shrink that of the local utility company. Replacing all appliances with the most energy efficient ones available. So, we’re already doing it . . . Please send me the check!!!!

The Expert answers:

These products are safe/ not harmful to us/ animals, nature/ environment…. (good for the environment/ love for nature). It reduces /lessen the effect of global warming/ pollution,.. They are also recyclable/ reusable materials…..non- toxic,..
….we can also be a environmental friendly by our activities such as by using non-toxic products, purchasing reusable bags at stores, recycling those materials, composting, gardening, segregating, conserving energy, minimizing used of pesticides, and etc… 🙂

The Expert answers:

Paper bags,recycled paper,eco furniture,eco wheels,
refer:http://www.ecoindia.com/products/

The Expert answers:

1) solar energy
2) recycled paper
3) recycled glass
4) recycled tin
5) rain water which is stored and purified
6) recycled plastic
7) biofertilizers
8) wind energy
9) geothermal energy
10) recycled steel
11) biodesel
12) biogas
13) water heated by using solar water heater
14) emergency light which runs on solar energy
15) recycled mobile
16) biogas plant
17) gasohol
18) natural gas
19) equipments consuming less energy
20) biomass
21) engiens emmiting less amount of gas

The Expert answers:

I’m not going to list them here, but I’ll give you a couple of links to check out that should get you started.

You didn’t specify what types of Eco friendly products you are looking for. That would make compiling a list much easier.

Eco Friendly Cleaning Products in General: http://www.greenhomehints.com/cleaning-household-household-cleaning-products-household-cleaning-supply/

Eco Friendly Products in General: http://www.greenhomehints.com/2010/12/14/neerg-com-eco-friendly-products-online-straight-to-your-door/

Homemade Eco friendly Cleaning Recipes: http://www.greenhomehints.com/topics/green-cleaning/

The Expert answers:

Sorry, but most “eco-friendly” products are scams.

Get yourself some “Tide”.

The Expert answers:

1)If you were to stop buying new clothes you could afford to heat your house.

2)Paperless by far

3)depends on how long you are waiting. For safety reasons it is unwise to turn the car off at lights. Furthermore it is hard on the engine and will cause failures sooner than if you used it as intended which cause parts to be produced………..

4) A solar thermal system that replaces a average homes electric hot water or gas fired is equivalent to taking an SUV off the road for 40,000 miles each year. With a life span of 20 to 30 years its positive impact far outweighs the footprint to produce. Most water heaters last only 10 years

5) IDK

6) Train drive fly in that order

7) you have the order correct

8) local band but I would prefer to see U2 than Johnny and the Scrubs

9) school play but the circus is much funner

10) see # 4 and it is not even close a solar thermal system is one of the best available technology for renewable energy

11) If you use it to offset your heating your house yes. If not no.

Note electric heat is 100 percent efficient. It is not environmentally or economically efficient compared to other options in many cases but not all

The Expert answers:

Not very useful. And yes, you can wash your clothes with plain water, but you’ll soon find they’re getting dirtier and the clothes will start to smell bad because there is no surfactant working on the soiling.

The Expert answers:

You could call it Fresh! It has a ring to it, it’s simple and clean.. I think it would be a cool name for a clothing label.

If I think of anything else I will edit. 🙂

The Expert answers:

I would love to be interviewed!