Arbor Day the Fight for Clean Air.

We all know that plants are important in cleaning our air. I am not going to harp on that. This is just a friendly reminder that Arbor day is just around the corner(April 30th). How long has it been since you have been involved in planting a tree for Arbor day? I personally sat down and thought about that and realized it had been since I lived in Minnesota. And considering I had moved from there when I was 7 years old that is not something to be proud of. Sure there have been times through out the year where I have helped plant a tree because someone needed help with their landscaping. But this year I decided it was time for me to start being a little more proactive in improving the air around me. So this is the year I get involved and I wanted to invite you to join in the fun. I have my sights set on the Loquat(as seen in the picture) to plant this year.  What tree do you have your sights on?

If you need some ideas or if you are in need of an inexpensive tree check out the Arbor Day Foundation or if you want to take part in the holiday but do not have time or a place to plant a tree check out The Institute for Environmental Innovation they are a non profit organization that plants trees in India, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to help farmers and the environment.  A dollar plants a tree!

Have a great Arbor Day (April 30th)

A Fashion Accessory That Could Save Your Life

SpaFinder is an advocate of skin cancer awareness. They have an industry-wide campaign that focuses on understanding sun damage, self-examination, sunscreen use, and yearly full-body check-ups at the dermatologist. Over 65,000 people every year are diagnosed with melanoma, and 11,000 of those die. It is important to know when your skin is being damaged by the sun. SpaFinder is selling “I Will Reflect” bracelets to help raise awareness of skin cancer. The bracelet is white, but turns lavender when you have had enough harmful ultraviolet rays. It’s an easy and fashionable way to be reminded to go into the shade or reapply sunscreen. You can find the melanoma bracelet for $4.95 at
www.spafinder.com

Is Your Tap Water Pure?

Do you know what is in the tap water you drink? There’s an easy way to find out. The Environmental Working Group analyzed water throughout the United States and identified 316 different contaminants. Many of these contaminants are not regulated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The contaminants included heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial pollutants. Increased risk of cancer and other diseases is associated with exposure to these pollutants, so it’s important to know if you are being subjected to them. However, bottled water isn’t necessarily safer. EWG also analyzed 10 different bottled waters and found that many of them contained the same pollutants as tap water. The bottled water not only contained the pollutants, it also contained chemicals that had leached into the water from the plastic bottle. EWG suggests using water pitchers that contain carbon filters or getting a filter that attaches directly to your faucet. To find out how your city rates, visit
ewg.org/tap-water
Search by zip code for results of water quality tests in your area.
photo credit: Flowery *L*u*z*a*

Give Your Home a Healthy Makeover

Cockroaches—Be sure to keep your kitchen clean with no crumbs for cockroaches to feast on. Keep food sealed and put away. Seal all the entry points around pipes and doors with caulk. If need be, call an exterminator.
Mold in your vacuum cleaner—Spray your vacuum’s bristles every 3 months with white distilled vinegar. This keeps mold out of the fibers. Buy a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Pollen on your pet—Shampoo you pet weekly. If your pet goes outside wipe them down with a wet cloth before they come back inside.
Dust mites—Wash your cushion covers and slip covers weekly on the hottest cycle you can use with them. Wash or dry clean your curtains every few months. This should help with cutting down on the amount of dust mites in your home.

Cleaning—Use some of the many newly available “green” non-toxic cleaners available at any store. Whenever you use chemicals in your home be sure to open the windows so the area is properly ventilated.

Detectors—Make sure that you not only have smoke detectors in your home, but also carbon monoxide detectors as well. Carbon monoxide is odorless, so you won’t be able to tell if it is present. Remember to check the batteries every 3 months!
photo credit: Jeremy Levine Design

Veggie Day

A recent United Nations report by their top climate scientist, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, concluded that people should eat less meat to combat global warming. It is estimated that meat production accounts for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. To put this in perspective, transportation accounts for about 13% of emissions. Changing what you eat could have an impact on climate change. Dr. Pachauri said, "But if we're honest, less meat is also good for the health, and would also at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases." In response to this report, the Belgian city of Ghent has instituted a weekly meatless day, making it the first city in the world to go vegetarian for environmental reasons. Civil servants and elected officials are going meatless every Thursday in the hope that Ghent can reduce its environmental footprint. Schools are also going to have their own veggie day in September. As a bonus, veggie day tackles obesity as well. The city of Ghent is printing 90,000 “veggie street maps” for locating vegetarian eateries around the city.

photocredit:srqpix

How Often Should You Change Your Sheets?

The best rule of thumb is to change your sheets weekly. Every time you sleep you shed dead skin cells, hair and bodily fluids. This can cause bad odors, stickiness and a fertile breeding ground for bed bugs, fleas, dust mites and other parasites. Dust mites can cause allergies, so it’s best to keep your sheets clean. If you have severe allergies, it may be advisable to change your sheets even more than once a week. Wash your sheets in hot water to make sure that all the dead skin cells and dust mites are gone. Some people use their bed to eat in. Crumbs left in the bed may attract ants and cockroaches. If you spill food in your bed, change your sheets. People who have night sweats or wet the bed, should have their sheets changed daily. Children who are teething should also have their sheets changed daily to prevent the dried saliva from causing skin irritation. If you are sick, the sheets should be changed twice a week and the pillowcase daily. Blankets and comforters should be washed every few weeks, as well.
photo credit: chadawg24

Bumming a Cigarette Bums out Your Heart

If you think you’re beating the bad effects of cigarettes because you don’t smoke regularly, but still bum one now and then on a night out—you’re kidding yourself! Every puff you take increases your potential for arterial damage. A University of Georgia study found that sporadic smokers who smoked two cigarettes after two days of not smoking were 36 percent less responsive to blood flow changes than nonsmokers. After four cigarettes the arterial response was even worse. Impaired arterial response is the first step to heart disease. Cigarette smokers also have more build up of fatty deposits in their arteries. In fact, the Surgeon General has declared smoking “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.” Secondhand smoke will cause these same effects, so try to avoid it if possible. Smoking also decreases you HDL (good) cholesterol. And don’t forget—it’s bad for your lungs, too!

photo credit: vramak

Your Laser Printer May Pollute Your Air

One-third of printers studied emitted toner particles, a report in Environmental Science and Technology found. These particles could be potentially harmful to your health. Some printers give off as much pollution as a burning cigarette. These particles are a problem because they are so small they are inhaled deep into the lungs. Depending on how well ventilated the area is, these particles can stay in the air from a few minutes to a few hours. The best way to deal with this issue is to make sure the printer is in a well ventilated area. Try to keep the printer in a separate location than your workspace. The closer you are to the printer, the higher the concentration of the particles. If you don’t need to print something—don’t. Not only will you save some trees, you may save your lungs!

photo credit: Sir Adavis