4/19/2012

OUR TOP 7 ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS WEBSITES

1. Pristine Planet - A website which allows you to compare merchants offering ecofriendly products.
Products: chocolate, baby cribs, t-shirts, sweaters, shoes, backpacks, sleepwear, lunch kits, furniture, jewelry, literature, pet supplies, gifts, home & garden etc.


2. Nigel's Eco Store  - This website is the winner of several awards including the Real Homes Eco Awards. It provides eco-friendly, natural and organic products and gives consumers eco-friendly advice, ideas and information. A great way to shop and buy environmentally friendly!
Products: solar tools and devices, eco gifts, clothing, office & school supplies, travel equipment, toxin free eco paint etc.

3. Eco Wise  - Anything you need for your eco-friendly house and garden, eco-friendly hygiene, books, clothing and baby products!
Products: household supplies, hygienic products, gardening supplies, refurbishing supplies, clothing, etc.

4. BAM Bamboo Clothing - Bamboo clothing absorbs moisture, has an insolating effect, is antibacterial, anti-static, provides UV protection and is anti-fungal. It provides a pleasant feeling on the skin. Check out this amazing bamboo clothing website! Sizes S-XXL (UK 8-18)
Products: fitness & gymwear, t-shirts, socks, tank tops, underwear, gift packs, leggings, etc. 

5. Eco Baby Gear - Bamboo clothing absorbs moisture, has an insolating effect, is antibacterial, anti-static, provides UV protection and is anti-fungal. It provides a pleasant feeling on the skin. Check out this amazing bamboo clothing website! Sizes S-XXL (UK 8-18)
Products: cribs, rattlers and teethers, diapers, hygienic products, books & music, clothing, decor, toys, strollers, etc.

6. The Environmental Toothbrush - The Environmental Toothbrush was invented by a dentist from Brisbane. It is made from bamboo, which is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. The Environmental Toothbrush is biodegradable, environmentally friendly and can be purchased in a pack of 12 for only $36. Freight free in Australia and $12 Freight for International sales).

7. Wear Chemistry - Eco-friendly T-Shirts! This company has established a framework in which its products are not manufactured by child or forced labor, working conditions are safe and healthy, employees do not have to work excessive hours, the clothes dyeing process is realized by a closed-loop purification system by which wastewater is turned into clean water, the garments meet the requirements of the Oeko-Tex Standard and the packaging is 100% recycable.




4/18/2012



Studies have shown that grass-fed cows generate less greenhouse gas emissions

Jennifer Tehraud

People might think that if you are a vegan, your nutritional philosophy is based on religious, ethical or health-related motives. But actually, people are also turning to veganism because they are aware of the fact that livestock production generates approximately one fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases, with which it outruns transportation. This was discovered by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. In other words, the production of 1kg of beef results in more CO² emissions than driving the car for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home, according to scientists. What kind of influence does livestock production have on the environment?

  • Methane is released through the belching of cattle: Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and its capacity to trap heat in the atmosphere is 21 times great than that of CO². 
  • Fertilizing compounds such as sulphur dioxide and phosphate destroy ecosystems in rivers and lakes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture in the U.S. contributes to approximately ¾ of all water-quality problems in rivers and streams. Farm facilities often resemble prisons and are located hundreds of miles away from major cities. Their manure pollutes rivers and our valuable groundwater. In the state of Iowa, hog factories and farms produce more than 50 million tons of excrement annually. 
  • The livestock and the food needs to be transported which causes further emissions.
  • The livestock is fed with soy which requires cutting down the rainforest to make room for cultivating it in order to be able to export the demanded quantities to feed the thousands of cows and pigs slaughtered daily.
  


Tiago Zegur
 
Sometimes people want to do something to save the planet but don`t really know how to start. We are providing you with seven infallible tips of how to find easy ways to lead an eco-friendly and eco-conscious life. We suggest you try one each day of the week and by the end of the week you will have done 7 good things without even making much of an effort. Go for it!

MONDAY: Practice Eco-Mobility: This would be the best way of moving from place to place and especially those among you who drive frequently should start thinking about some alternatives whenever this is possible. However, sometimes we are dependent on our car and we cannot afford a hybrid or an electric car or use any other type of eco-mobile. In those cases, we can still be “green”. You should make sure your car is always in a good condition as this can directly affect the amount of CO² emitted. Don't leave the car running when picking someone up or are waiting for something or someone. The 30 seconds rule applies here. If your car runs more than half a minute without being used, it is already worth stopping the engine. Another option would be making your car fuel-efficient by getting an engine tune-up which can improve your mileage by up to 4%. You might also consider replacing the air filter, aligning your tires, pumping up your tires, checking the condition of your gas cap and if necessary replacing it to avoid the release of smog-causing compounds, driving smoothly and taking any unnecessary load from the car. By doing this, you can additionally reduce fuel costs. Fuel-efficient cars will release less harmful substances and you can travel a greater distance on a tank of gas. When looking to buy a new car, opt for a more fuel-efficient car than your old one. Joining a carpool to go to work, school or somewhere else is also a wise and eco-friendly choice. This will lead to one less polluting car on the roads. 

4/14/2012


A Guarantee for Getting Low Auto Insurance Price Quotes

Tiago Zegur

The basic rules for getting cheap car insurance are the same for every type of car from every company:
  •          Keep yourself free of driving fines;
  •          Don`t drive to much;
  •          Don`t borrow your car to your teenage son or daughter; 
  •          Park it in your garage every night (if possible);
  •          Have safe accessories such as airbags and an automatic seat belt.

However, opting for a hybrid car may lower your insurance costs even more. Hybrid cars are vehicles that function by means of a gas-powered motor. This mechanism starts the car. Once in motion, the vehicle is run by electric power. This operation makes hybrid cars lower emitters of the environment’s damaging substances and classifies them as “eco-mobile” vehicles. 

4/08/2012



Tiago Zegur

What have you done to save the world today?

When we talk about being green, sustainable and ecofriendly, we are talking about working together hand in hand. Otherwise it would never work. We can all do our own little part from home by saving electricity and water, separating garbage, wearing eco-friendly clothing and practicing Eco-Mobility. If we make the slightest contribution every day, we can already make a big change.  We need to work as a huge team. Saving the world means helping others save the world.

How is the climate change affecting us?

Capitalism has created a world in which people have to step on one another in order to keep growing. So we have stepped on people and nature. That is why now nations are suffering from hunger and incurable diseases and ecosystems are falling apart. Massive animal slaughtering, the destruction of the rainforest and the use of unsustainable energies all lead to excessive emissions of CO². This changes the world climate and leads to climatic catastrophes in many parts of the world. The ocean level is rising and islands in the Pacific are slowly disappearing. Coral reefs and other plant and animal species are dying in the ocean due to waste and sewage water being dumped into the ocean by cruise ships. We are interfering in food cycles as we might be killing the animals that others are feeding on. This leads to plagues as well as extinctions.

4/07/2012



Jennifer Tehraud

Ever worn something made out of bamboo? The material is relatively new on the market and only recently, the clothing industry has discovered its magical benefits.

Bamboo is an extremely fast-growing resource. Clothing made out of bamboo features major benefits compared to synthetic fiber or cotton. The material is very soft as bamboo naturally contains honey pectin. It makes the clothing very comfortable to wear and the material is outstandingly suitable for baby clothing and children’s wear. Another advantage is that bamboo is able to absorb three times as much moisture as other materials such as cotton. This is due to the structure of bamboo as the cross section of the root shows that the bamboo fiber is hollow. This makes the material ideal for people who tend to sweat easily. Thanks to its moisture properties, it is also pleasant to wear bamboo clothing during warm temperatures. The special structure of bamboo even has an insulating effect as it helps you keep cool in the summer and feel warm in the winter. Bamboo is crease-resistant and you don’t have to waste your time ironing. Another great characteristic of bamboo is its antibacterial effect. This reduces and even prevents unpleasant

Jennifer Tehraud

Dear Eco-Friends. We have launched our very first eco-magazine. It is the Spring Edition 2012 and you will find many interesting articles such as A Truly Organic Makeup, Let’s Talk about Eco-Mobility, Peak Organic Pale Ale or Looking for a New Place to Live? How About an Eco-Village? Don’t miss this chance, as the first edition is free! Our graphic designer Tiago has enhanced the magazine with some excellent graphics. You will really enjoy reading it from beginning to end! We would appreciate your feedback as you are going to be our first readers, so don’t forget to comment all you want! Enjoy reading and live green!

Earthly Hugs,

Earth Blog 2020

  
Stop Deforesting Amazonia

Tiago Zegur



Brazil has the biggest tropical forest in the world.  Amazonia is bigger than Monaco, France and Germany together and features over 30% of the whole biodiversity of the planet. The Amazonia has ten different ecosystems and over twenty eco-regions. Deforestation has been taking place in this precious region of the world for many years. Soy fields are planted to provide feed for livestock production which the meat industry is involved in. This forest needs to be saved.

In Amazonia, the biodiversity is amazing and many species such 
as fish, amphibians and arthropods have not even been discovered yet. This means the Amazonian flora and fauna is even richer than we think and exceeds the numbers that have been documented today. Experts estimate that there are more fish species there than in any other basin of the world.


Brazil does fight against deforestation but it should be in the interest of all of us to preserve natural paradises; we can fight this fight together! That`s why the environmental non-profit organization Greenpeace is getting involved in this cause too. Together with Brazil, they are trying to adopt a law called “END OF DEFORESTATION IN BRAZIL” in order to stop this abuse of nature. A petition initiative was commenced in the country with the aim of collecting over one million signatures. This initiative will also be a valuable contribution in the fight against global warming, since deforestation is part of what is causing it. It is important to help; everybody can and should participate.
If you want to find out how to get involved, you should visit the Greenpeace website.



  • How about volunteering at the Greenpeace International Headquarters in Amsterdam?
  • Sailing aboard a Greenpeace ship?
  • Working for Greenpeace?
  • Running your own campaign?