Increasing the
“Greenness” of
Your Lifestyle
Organized by
Joe Naumann
Discovering Organic Fertilizers –
Gardening The Natural Way
• Discovering organic fertilizers means that
you have found the means of encouraging
a lush growth of beautiful flowers and
plants without contaminating the soil or the
water systems.
• When herbs, vegetables, and fruit grown
for consumption are fertilized organically,
you avoid introducing chemicals into the
food, which is important to healthconscious consumers.
Solar hot water
• One of the most energy intensive and
therefore costly processes in the average
house is heating water. Learn more about
how solar hot water systems can save you
money and lessen your environmental
impact.
Green your computer use
• When not in use for extended periods,
switch your computer off at the wall to
avoid phantom power load consumption.
• - Have your power saving/management
options enabled and properly configured
for periods when your computer is
temporarily not in use. In Windows, this
can be found in Settings/Control
Panel/Power Options
Green your computer use - 2
• - During usage, only have your screen as
bright as you need it - unneccesarily bright
screens really chew the juice
• If you're going to use a screen saver, use a
blank (black) screen - animated screen
savers just consume electricity unnecessarily.
• - When buying components and peripheral
items, try to choose those that come in the
least amount of plastic packaging as
possible.
Removing Mold
• A teaspoon of environmentally gentle
dishwashing liquid and a teaspoon of borax
mixed with one quart warm water; pour into a
spray bottle, soak the affected area for as
long as possible; rinse and air dry.
• Pour 1 part vinegar and 1 part warm water
into a bowl, then add 2 parts baking soda to
make a thick paste. Apply and leave to dry,
then scrub off. Repeat if the mold is
particularly stubborn.
Green Alternative to Moth
Balls
• - Try one of the following in a cheesecloth
bag; but ensure the bag doesn't touch the
clothes: Bay leaves, cedar shavings,
cinnamon sticks, cloves, eucalyptus
leaves, lavender, peppercorns, rosemary,
wormwood.
Dryer “sheets” contain toxic
chemicals
• ... but really, a couple of drops of essential
oil on a cloth sounds like a very easy,
cheap and very green way to go for a
“fresh” smell! If you're also wanting the
fabric softening qualities that normal dryer
sheets provide, try throwing 1/2 a cup of
vinegar in with your washing - that's the
washing load, not the dryer load :).
Front-Load Clothes Washer
•
•
•
•
•
•
Uses less electricity
Uses less water
Less wear and tear on clothes
Faster drying times
Larger loads
Less detergent
Replace Electric with
Crocheted Blankets
• Costing a few hundred bucks for a queen
size, these blankets and good quality
down quilts are a little expensive, but view
it as an item that will be long lasting and
over time you'll probably save money
through not having the ongoing electricity
and replacement costs of an electric
blanket. A well made blanket can be a
family heirloom!
Sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
www.greenlivingtips.com/
www.Nature.org
www.Conservation.org/LiveGreen
www.CampaignEarth.org
www.thegreenguide.com/
www.worldwildlife.org/climate
www.WeCanSolveIt.org