Earth Hour is a Sham...pass it on

I unwillingly provide you a link to Earth Hour, only to prove my point! Earth Hour is a simple marketing ploy with no real teeth, but it is well-orchestrated.

I dare you to find any good information on what else you can do besides turn off your lights for one hour, on one given day this year - March 28. Is that really going to fix the earth's problems? Us living in the dark?

The site's download section is full of screen savers and t-shirts, while all other information explains how to host/plan an event. Like how hard is it to ask folks to turn off their lights?

The other thing that bothers me about this is the fact that going "green" will continue to be a hippie-only thing if it means we have to change our lifestyle. It's not for me, and I suspect it's not for you. Give me a product that I can leave on, but uses less electricity. Give me a product that keeps my house warm in the winter, but won't cause cancer in 15 years. Give me a product that won't break after one use, but is made from recycled or renewable resources. That's the world I want to live in.

I ask you to KEEP YOUR LIGHTS ON in hope that people will think of better ideas to help our ailing planet.

And the Winner is...

Congrats to Jill from Heiste Communications. She posted some easy, non life-threatening ways to save some water at home. Jill is now the proud owner of an eco showerhead that won't sacrifice performance, while she saves thousands of gallons of water.

Thanks to everyone for the ideas surrounding World Water Day. I hope these efforts extend beyond this blog...

Celebrate World Water Day

Sunday marks the 17th annual World Water Day celebration. This year's theme is transboundary waters: share the water. So, I ask how you are saving water this weekend - and hopefully changing your habits for the future.

A few easy things to do around the house include:

1. Check for leaks in any/all plumbing connections, such as the toilet, faucets, showers, laundry tub, outside hose, etc. These small drips add up to thousands of gallons annually.

2. Utilize native plants this season. These types of plants thrive in the local conditions, which means they rarely need to be watered and grow well with the soil's natural mineral content.

3. This Sunday - try and calculate all the water you use that day. How much do you think it is? The average American uses about 170 gallons of water every day! Think about the average Australian who uses about 60 gallons every day.

Now for the giveaway! For the most clever comment on how you are saving water, I will send a water-saving KOHLER showerhead - one that delivers a great experience without any sacrifice. And, it'll save you about 7,000 gallons of water this year.

Good luck!

Green Cleaning in the Bathroom

I received my Shaklee cleaning products in the mail recently, and put the Basic H2 cleaner to the test in the bathroom. H2 is a cleaning concentrate, which you mix with varying amounts of water to get the desired cleaning affect. It's not a large bottle, but according to the instructions, I needed less than a tsp. At this rate, this stuff will last for years in my house!

So I mixed the concoction in an existing spray bottle I had laying around, and went to work. This stuff was up to the challenge. It took off lime, nasty residue and all sorts of that bathroom yucky stuff. What I really liked about it - you can't smell a thing - no nasty odors. I sprayed it all over my hands, and there was no irritation.

I strongly recommend this Shaklee product. I suggest you find a local distributor, if possible - because there's a lot of packaging used to ship the product.

Next I'll write about the wipes...watch out basement...you're next!

Work From Home? How to be Eco...

Kudos to you for not having to drive your car every day like the rest of us. You are already being eco!

However, here are five things you can do at home to help maintain a better and more efficient work space, and be a little more eco:

1. Replace the lights in your home office (and all throughout the house) with energy efficient CFL bulbs. The newer models give off better lighting, and last what seems like forever. Cut costs and you don't have to worry about replacing it for a long time.

2. These days it's not uncommon for laptops to serve desktop duty. But here's the rub: If you leave the battery inside the system 24/7, it'll keep drawing power, even when fully charged. That's not only a waste of energy and money, but also bad news for the battery. Constant charging will reduce its capacity to hold a charge and its overall longevity. Fortunately, there's a fast and simple solution: Pull the battery out.

3. Bills that arrive snail mail are a massive drain on the environment: paper, handling, shipping, etc. Sign up to pay all your bills online - some may charge you but it's so worth it. And, offer incentives to your clients - and start an online bill program. Some are free for small biz owners via the Web.

4. Here's one just for you: get out and take a walk. Staring at a computer or sitting in one position is really bad for you. Go outside and take a walk, or stretch out, even a 15 minute yoga session on the floor can help improve productivity ten-fold. Remember that a healthy you means a healthier environment too.

5. For those looking to renovate a home office or add one on: please be mindful of the materials you use during construction. Low VOC paint, recycled carpeting, sustainable furniture, efficient appliances - all these significantly reduce your impact on the environment and help improve your working space.

What else have you done to be eco in the home office?

I Yearn for Yogurt. You Should Too.

A yogurt a day may not mean fewer doctor visits, but there are plenty of health reasons to make this dairy food a regular in your diet. Besides the calcium, potassium and other vitamins – yogurt has live bacteria that helps keep your system working smooth. Because you’re dealing with bacteria – you should seriously consider a natural or organic kind.

I put several to the test – and found two brands really know their yogurt.

Wallaby Organic yogurt boasts a mere 140 calories per cup and an impressive 7 grams of protein. There are several flavors to choose from, and the ingredient list is all natural. No artificial anything or words I couldn’t pronounce. So, this one is a pretty good choice.

If you’re not a dairy fan – try WholeSoy & Co. brand yogurt. This choice has 0 grams of trans fat, but delivers 6 grams of protein. You can definitely tell it’s a soy product, but it had good flavor and texture. A company spokesperson confirmed the eco factor of this product – from where the company gets its ingredients to how the product is packaged and shipped. I consider this a very eco choice.

When you’re choosing food that is meant to be good for you, please consider all factors – not just flavor and cost. A few extra pennies now could save you from health problems later – not to mention how good you’ll fee if you’re eating right.

Guys: Get Your Mops Out

So, I get asked about eco cleaning products all the time. Honestly, I haven't found a really good overall cleaning system...yet. I recently ordered some product from Shaklee - a company a friend of mine spoke very highly of. Well, check back in a week or so for a full report on how well this stuff really works.

Also, a pretty cool company I saw at TED this year - Seventh Generation cleaning products. The company philosophy is to plan ahead seven generations - and make sure their products won't be harming the planet for generations to come. Pretty cool.

10 Green Uses for Salt

Seriously, who knew? I'll keep this short, check out the quick tips from our friends at Planet Green.

Does anybody else know about some cool eco tips with regular household items? I know you have salt lying around the house - who doesn't? Put it to use.

Detox Diets are for Dummies

I can't believe this fad/trend hasn't gone away. Are people still under the impression that starving yourself, or just drinking liquids is a good way to cleanse the body? Let me be real with all of you for a moment: Detox diets don't work, and are potentially hazardous to your health.

I could point out the many articles from well-respected doctors, dieticians, etc., but just read this from WebMD.

The answer to healthy eating is simple: control your portions, and eat your fruits, veggies, grains and protiens. Seriously, that's it. It's been proven over and over that a healthy lifestyle, notice I didn't say diet, consists of following the major food group guidelines. Splurge once in a while - eat that brownie! It'll make you feel good about yourself, and depraving yourself of treats is sure to fail, or make you miserable. Simply watch your caloric intake, and adjust according to your size, goals and workout routine. Yes, you need to workout.

Imagine your two legs represent your health - one for healthy eating, and one for exercise. Pretty hard to stand on one leg, right? Same thing with your lifestyle - if you eat right, but don't exercise it won't be easy to maintain balance in your life.

Until next time...

A Good Cup of Joe

What makes a cup of coffee great? Flavor, lots of caffeine, a bottomless cup? Maybe all of these things...it's really a subjective question.

But what makes a cup of java eco, or sustainable. First and foremost - I encourage you to buy local. If at all possible, buy local. You should also look for fair trade coffee, as this ensures the farmers were paid fair rates for their labors. Organic labels are important too. Organic, in this case, means the beans were grown with no harsh chemicals or fertilizers. Most likely, organic does not mean the coffee was grown here in the U.S.

My favorite place to grab a hot cup of joe, and just sit for a while is Alterra in Milwaukee. They have a friendly staff, yummy food and of course - great coffee.

What's your favorite place?