Going Green

The fact that organic food still makes up only 2 percent of total food sales, The Organic Center based in Rhode Island is a nonprofit organization that has a goal. They have taken on Mission Organic 2010, a campaign to get the word out about the health benefits and ecological benefits of organic foods. The Organic Center wants to get every consumer to increase their organic consumption by 10 percent when the year 2010 hits. You too can help in this effort by signing a pledge and publicly announcing your commitment to make at least a tenth of your eating choices to be organic.

The center also states that if the group achieves this goal, pesticides will disappear from 98 million, 8 ounces servings of drinking water and antibiotics and growth hormones from 20 million, 8 ounce servings of dairy milk.

I have already taken my pledge…… So sign the pledge with me and lets all make a change for the better.

*Going Green Tip: For those homeowners who appreciate the beauty and character of old wood, consider using reclaimed wood flooring. Planks and boards remilled from old railroad trestles, barns, houses, as well as factories offer distinctive, environmentally friendly options. Reclaimed wood is not only appealing it is also a conversation piece throughout your home.

The United Postal Service is known best for their “brown” trucks with the “yellow” UPS lettering on the side. We have all seen them and some might have even gotten a package or two from them at one time. The benefit of getting a package sent through UPS or even the United States Postal Service, snailmail as some call it, is not only easy but now it also helps the environment in a BIG way!

UPS has gone green in more ways then one. The company is now operating 50 hybrid electric trucks that will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 452 metric tons annually. They are also testing a hydraulic hybrid estimated to have 70 percent better fuel economy. Phoenix, as well as California, have already seen the truck-change and more cities and states will follow in the future.

The U.S. Postal Service, which operates the largest alternative-fuel fleet in the nation, recently unveiled a new delivery truck that conserves fuel by 30 to 50 percent.

Anymore most people send mail and correspondence through email or text-messaging, with the new trucks and their earth-friendly changes, more and more of the public may just change to sending mail the good ole’ fashion way. Because, quite frankly, it is difficult to send a birthday card with $20 dollars in it through texting.;)

*Going Green Tip: Lotions and cremes that are out on the market today not only leave a baby’s skin feeling unsatisified, they are also chalked-full of harsh chemicals and ingredients that are horrible for your child’s body. If your child have sensitive skin like mine does, there is three products that score an A+ on my mommy scale. They are great, long-lasting products. And they don’t have harsh ingredients that dry out my son’s skin. Little Twig Bodymilk with lavender , lemon, and tea tree ($15) ; Avalon Organics Baby Gentle Tear-Free Shampoo and Body Wash ($10) ; Welda Baby Calendual Cream ($10) . It is a great practice to get into, teaching children at a young age, what products are better for the environment and their body’s and what products we could all do without.

When you think of gift-giving whether it is for a birthday gift or a wedding gift or even a gift for yourself, most people don’t think outside the box. There are foundations in the world that can give a gift of more then just a pretty wrapped gift with a bow on it.

Donate money toward buying a cow, hen, goat, or chick through Heifer International, the Arkansas based nonprofit that provides livestock and sustainable agriculture training to alleviate hunger and poverty in more than 45 countries.

ABC Home & Planet Foundation allows givers to choose which cause their “gift of compassion” will benefit, from the African rain-forest conservation to reading classes for Afghan girls.

Mother-daughter combo Frances Moore Lappé and Ann Lappé take donations at their Small Planet Fund, an organization that helps the need for education of healthy eating around the world

*Going Green Tip: When it comes to polishing the silver for an elegant dinner, most do not consider the amount of chemical being used to do the polishing. Next time you put the silver away after a fancy dinner party, pop a few sticks of chalk in with it. The chalk will help absord moisture, which in turn will slow oxidation (tarnishing), and will reduce the amount of chemical you will need the next time you polish.