Are your cleaning products making you sick?

Brace yourself.

The conventional products we’ve been using to clean our homes are, themselves, rather dirty. Typical household cleaners—from laundry detergent to glass cleaner—traditionally have a number of toxic ingredients like mutagens, neurotoxins, and hormone disrupters.

Read the label and you’ll probably see red flag words like “Caution” and “Poison”; you’ll also find some products don’t disclose their ingredients, which makes you wonder what the manufacturers are hiding. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a term for the 1.6 million tons of common household product waste tossed into landfills every year: “household hazardous waste.”

We’ve always known housework wasn’t fun, but hazardous?

The EPA has a suggestion: Try alternative products when available. Green household cleaners are now easy to find. Big retailers like Target and Wal-Mart Stores sell eco supplies as do many chain grocery stores and every local health food store. In other words, there’s no excuse for adding to the household hazardous waste problem.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to clean green:

Sun & Earth Deep Cleaning Laundry Detergent
As the name implies, this product has a “deep cleaning” formula that’s tough enough to stand up to your worst stains, yet gentle enough for baby’s clothing and people with sensitive skin. It’s hypoallergenic, biodegradable, non-toxic, and free of allergens, dyes, perfumes, and petroleum-based solvents.

Seventh Generation Liquid Dish Soap
Washing dishes will never become one of life’s greatest pleasures, but it will come as close as possible with this dish soap, available in a number of delightful scents. It’s biodegradable, plant-based, packaged in recyclable bottles made partially from post-consumer plastic, and never tested on animals.

Ecover Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Cleaning the toilet isn’t enjoyable but at least you can enjoy knowing that you’re not harming Mother Earth. The process itself isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but this cleaner’s pine-fresh scent makes it somewhat like taking a hike in the woods.

Caldrea Window Spray
You can have clean, streak-free mirrors and windows without using harsh ammonia. Caldrea does a fantastic job (be sure to clean with a lint-free, reusable cloth) and comes in a number of pleasing scents that will have you almost looking forward to washing the windows.

Shaklee's H2 Organic Super Concentrated Cleaner
This nontoxic, natural, double concentrated, and biodegradable product is a super powerful and versatile cleaner. "Use a couple of drops of this, and it's amazing," Oprah Winfrey says of H2 on Oprah.com. "You can clean the windows. You can clean the counters. You can clean everything!" Need we say more?

This list is just the beginning. You can (and should) stock your cleaning supply cabinet with all green supplies. Mother Earth, and your family, will thank you.

By the way, I was inspired to write this post when I read this article in my paper about how employees of a local company got sick simply unloading a truck carrying conventional cleaning products.

Question of the blog: How are you approaching spring cleaning?

How is an embryo like a canary in the coal mine?

I just read this article in HealthDay News about oh-so-dangerous perfluorinated chemicals, which the article says “are pervasive in food packaging, pesticides, clothing, upholstery, [and] carpets and personal care products.”

The article continues, “These chemicals are being phased out in the United States because of their toxic effects, and are expected to be completely gone by 2010. However, they remain in the environment and in the body for decades, and have been linked to developmental problems.”

The gist of the piece is that “these widespread chemicals apparently lower the fertility in couples trying to get pregnant.”

I’m pregnant—and due on Earth Day!—and find myself continually outraged at information like this. If perfluorinated chemicals make it harder to get pregnant, just what are they doing to our bodies? I often think of an embryo as the canary in the coal mine . . . if the embryo can’t survive in a cocktail of chemicals and toxins, what makes us think we can?

Here’s some good news: I was 35 when I got pregnant (with what will be my first child) last July, and was in the “high-risk” category because of my age. In other words, my chances of conceiving were lower than that of a woman in her 20s, yet my husband and I created a baby the first month we set about trying to do so.

I say this is “good news” because I live a very earth-friendly lifestyle and I know that being green made it much easier for me to conceive. I eat all organic food. I don’t use beauty products with fragrance, parabens, or other dangerous chemicals. I sleep on a non-toxic mattress with organic cotton sheets and an organic wool duvet. I have hard wood floors, use an air purifier, wear eco clothing, and even drive a Prius.

I guess you could say I created an environment for a canary to thrive!

Now, in my 7th month of pregnancy, I feel absolutely terrific, as I have throughout my pregnancy. No headaches. No back pain. No swollen ankles. I can also still fit in most of my non-maternity clothes. I attribute this to my eco lifestyle as well.

Whether you’re trying to get pregnant, or already pregnant, or are just looking to live a healthier life for you, going green is the only way to go. Just keep paying attention to those canaries.

Question of the blog: Do articles like this outrage you enough to make changes in your lifestyle?

Ready To Go Green AND Give Green This Holiday Season?

I just reviewed Deloitte’s 2008 Annual Holiday Survey and it seems Mother Nature will be receiving a great gift this year: More eco-minded shoppers!

Here are some of the results of this year’s survey:

· 21% of consumers will consider not wrapping holiday gifts to conserve paper

· 20% will purchase more “eco-friendly” products this holiday season than they did in the past

· 18% will shop at more “green” retailers this holiday season

· 14% will purchase more organic products this holiday season

Additionally, 37% will use fewer plastic bags from supermarkets and other stores. Of course, as the owner of EcoVixen—a chic cloth bag company, specializing in made-in-the-USA, recycled cotton totes for men and women—I’m especially thrilled with this statistic.

Another thing that thrills me is Amazon.com’s hassle-free packaging, which doesn’t just avoid wrap rage, but it avoids all that unnecessary product packaging ending up in the landfills. Read all about it.

Question of the blog: How does being green influence your holiday shopping?

Why Can’t Obama Take Office Today?

Now that Obama has won the Presidential election, I just want him to move right into the White House and get all cozy behind the desk in the oval office. I already consider him my President. I look to him to voice the thoughtful solution. I’m ready for him to lead, especially when it comes to the environment.

For years, President Bush has refused mandatory curbs on emissions which could/would help control global warming. Can you say, “In bed with oil companies”? As I’ve expressed before, I’m pretty convinced the only way Bush is able to sleep at night is by sniffing a little of his prized oil. The damage he’s done to our earth, and the damage he’s failed to avoid, is beyond measure.

I can’t wait to see him ride off into the sunset on that Texas ranch.

More than that, I can’t wait for the sun to rise on our future under the leadership of Barack Obama. Speaking of global warming, Obama made a surprise (videotaped) speech at the climate change conference in California today and vowed to take quick action to curb global warning. (Read the entire article here.)

Now that’s my leader.

Question of the blog: Do you think Obama will get to do all he’s promised to do for the environment?

Where Are All the Eco Couches?

When Mark and I sold our house last month, the buyers purchased almost all of our furniture, including our sofa. We were thrilled with the transaction because it meant we could finally buy an eco couch.

Or so we thought.

Go to Google.com and do a search for “eco couch” or “organic cotton couch” or “non-toxic couch” or “green couch” or “environmentally friendly couch” and you won’t find very much (and certainly nothing affordable).

We all know that conventional couches aren’t terribly good for our health, what with toxic glues holding the frame together, non-organic fillers, and flame-retardant fabrics. It’s a good thing organic denim jeans and a bamboo tee comes between us and our couch!

Here's the good news: I love a challenge.

Inspired by a search result that revealed Crate&Barrel has made a green commitment, Mark and I headed over to a Crate&Barrel furniture store. I approached a sales woman and she walked us through the store, pointing out the “eco” sofas (read about their “eco-friendly construction”) but when I asked if they had an organic cotton fabric available, she said no. Disappointed, we started to leave . . . and just as we were almost out the door, the sales woman appeared, holding a book of organic cotton fabric swatches.

Yes!

So as I type this blog, I’m sitting on my eco couch. Mission: Accomplished.

Question of the blog: What eco items are you having trouble finding?

Got Hope?

Last night, just before midnight eastern time, I watched Barack Obama walk onto the stage in Chicago as the president-elect. Rather unexpectedly, I burst into (joyful) tears. In that instant, I felt not just immense hope for my country and for myself, but a relieving hope for my child and his or her future.

Until then, I hadn’t realized just how worried I was that John McCain would win and just how scared I was to bring a child into that world.

And I mean “that world” in both the figurative and literal sense. Instead of McCain’s commitment to continue to be a seemingly reason-free aggressive force on the international scene and to strip the planet of its resources with no thought to the consequences, Obama is looking to bring people together (both in this country and across the globe) and to help solve the environmental crisis.

In fact, during Obama’s speech, when he mentioned the challenges facing the United States, the first thing he mentioned was the two wars, the second thing he mentioned was the environment (!), and the third was the economy. Obama gets it and, as a result, we all get a healthy dose of optimism.

Question of the blog: Has your hope for positive environmental changes improved with the election results?

Just What Does a Pregnant Vegan Do at a Wine & Cheese Party?

Okay, so it’s Election Day (a most historic and important day) but rather than encourage you to get out there and vote, I’m going to offer you a little election distraction.

You can thank me later.

Back in September, I shared with you that Mark and I had sold our house and made an offer on another house. Well, the offer was accepted and the move is now complete. Whew.

I’ve been silent for weeks as the massive undertaking (pack, pack, pack and then unpack, unpack, unpack) completely took over my life. We’re beyond happy to be in a green space that’s just the right size for us—with just enough room to grow—across the street from a dog-friendly park and with really wonderful neighbors.

But that’s just a small part of my news: I’m also expecting a baby on April 22, 2009 . . . which just happens to be Earth Day. For a passionate environmentalist, the idea that my baby’s due date is Earth Day is a heart-warming thought. We're thrilled!

Our new life is based in the charming seaside community of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For six years, Mark and I have wanted to live downtown so we can walk to our favorite restaurants, the movie theater, the health food store, etc. (and Mark still has a quick commute while I continue to work from home as a full-time freelance writer).

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a client in a coffee shop about a 10-minute walk from my house. Walking to a meeting is a liberating and highly enjoyable activity. I smiled the entire walk. On the way home, I popped into a local gallery, seduced by the lovely painting in the window (I wanted to buy it for the baby’s room but it had already been purchased).

While there, I learned that six of Portsmouth’s galleries host a “Gallery Stroll” the first Friday evening of every month. Mark and I will absolutely go this Friday! The gallery employee was telling me all about the event. “Oh, beyond the art, you’ll really enjoy the cheese and wine,” she said. I just smiled . . . after all, what does a pregnant vegan do at a wine & cheese party?

Question of the blog: Okay back to the election: As we wait to hear if McCain or Obama will lead us, are you feeling anxious or excited?

Just How Low Can George W. Bush Go?

I just read an enlightening article about President Bush’s upcoming “midnight regulations” (swift policy changes made at the end of a term) as he rushes to extend his harmful environmental legacy with oh-so-honorable decisions like:

• Getting wolves off the Endangered Species List;
• Allowing power plants to operate near national parks;
• Loosening regulations for factory farm waste; and
• Making it easier for mountaintop coal-mining operations.

What a great human being!

I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. I’m a free-thinking, unconfined, objective Independent. And my opinion of George W. Bush is that he has been the worst president in our nation’s history. Not only has he stripped U.S. citizens of many of our basic rights, but he’s led our country into not just economic crisis, but a crisis of faith in government (he’s also done nothing to advance health care, education, or environmental efforts; if you argue he’s made the country safer, I’d have to disagree with you as many experts say we’re more vulnerable now than eight years ago).

A crisis of faith in government might pale in comparison to a burst housing market and high unemployment, but it is quite serious. Tomorrow, U.S. citizens influence the direction of our nation’s future as we vote for the next president. As an Independent, I’ve listened to both McCain and Obama and—to me—the choice is clear.

McCain’s campaign is running on a foundation of fear and lies, and his actual campaign is a mess (my question: If McCain can’t run a campaign, how can he run the country?). McCain and his running mate have also sunk to lows so deep that I wonder how they can sleep at night. What do they stand for other than knocking down their opponent? I wish they would run on their strengths.

Obama's campaign, on the other hand, is running on a foundation of hope and of actual ideas for the future. When Obama talks about the environment, he knows his stuff and—if he stays true to his message and his word—will be a great steward for Mother Nature (versus the “Drill, Baby, Drill” attitude of his opponent).

To me, November 5th will be a day of fear or hope. Let’s just hope that whichever candidate wins will be able to rectify all of Bush’s “midnight regulations” and bring honor back to the White House.

Question of the blog: How can we stop “midnight regulations”? After all, the president is supposed to enact the will of the people, not the will of big business!

Is a Green Move Possible?

When Mark and I put our home on the market a few months ago, we didn’t necessarily expect it to sell. Imagine our surprise when we accepted an offer last week. One of the few contingencies of the sale is that we move out by October 8th—yikes!

Obviously, Mark and I are very green. Mark drives a hybrid 3 miles to work and I work from home. We take short showers (and use a low-flow showerhead). We recycle. We compost. We use cloth bags and buy local. But, even for us, a green move is a challenge.

We found a new home we love (cross your fingers our offer is accepted) that’s significantly smaller than our current home. That means we’re not just faced with packing and moving, but we’re faced with getting rid of a lot of stuff. As we’re sorting our possessions, we place things in four main piles: (1) keep, (2) give to family/friends, (3) donate, and (4) recycle. Unfortunately, we needed to create a fifth pile: trash.

There are some things that simply don’t fit in any of our four main piles. Luckily, our trash pile is very, very small, but every time I add something to it, I feel a pang of green guilt. Why I bring this up is that if very green people still end up with stuff in a “trash” pile, I shutter to think about what happens when non-eco people move.

Question of the blog: What are your tips for ensuring an authentically green move?

Wanna Know the Not-So-Sweet Surprise?

Have you seen the ads promoting—of all things—high fructose corn syrup? At first, I found it intensely amusing that the makers of this prolific "poison" have the need to defend their product as a sweet surprise. And then I got upset.

In the commercials I’ve seen, the actors who question the use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are portrayed as denser than all those arteries clogged by years of eating processed “foods” high in HFCS. When asked why HFCS is bad, these paid actors couldn't come up with one single reason. Well, here are just three I can quickly come up with:

1. Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes (just a few of the reasons current generations aren’t expected to live as long as their parents)

2. Focus on Quantity Not Quality (“foods” high in HFCS—and there are many, from soda to crackers—are cheap because this main ingredient has no nutritional value)

3. Environmental Destruction (corn is not only one of the most genetically modified crops, but it uses something like 162 million pounds of chemical pesticides and produces early 49 billion pounds of greenhouse gasses per year)

Please don’t be brain- and belly-washed! Look at labels and, whenever possible, avoid high fructose corn syrup. HFCS helps processed “foods” have a longer shelf life (as opposed to eating fresh, organic, and local fruits and vegetables which are full of nutrients our bodies crave). I just read that a woman who promotes healthy eating travels the country with a fast food hamburger she bought two years ago . . . as she unwraps it, each audience gasps at the still-very-recognizable bun and burger. Appetizing?

It’s a fact that many overweight and obese people are actually malnourished. To me, the not-so-sweet surprise is that HFCS is partly to blame. When cheap, calorie-rich substitutes routinely pass as food, there’s a problem. Luckily, we have many, many alternatives.

By the way, I wrote to the folks at the Corn Refiners Association but—sweet surprise—they haven’t responded!

Question of the blog: Do you currently check labels for high fructose corn syrup?

What If You Put “Green” Lipstick on a Pig?

Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, doesn’t think the human race has anything to do with global warming (perhaps she foolishly and dangerously thinks this, like the Iraq War, is “a task that is from God”). For those of us with an open mind and an active brain, the link between humans and the changing planet is not even a question . . . it’s a fact.

It seems that Palin, like John McCain and his mentor, George W. Bush, all read and, worse, believe the same severely edited documents put out by government-paid lawyers (not impartial scientists, mind you!).

I don’t care if you’re stupid, just don’t ruin my planet.

Even if we aren’t to blame for increased CO2 emissions, an uptick in severe storms, and rising sea levels, what’s wrong with encouraging citizens to make positive changes like reducing our dependence on foreign oil?

Until a green-minded President gets into office and (finally) stands up to big business and makes the changes this world desperately needs, it’s up to each of us to make as many changes as possible. I call it leading the leader. And once that green-minded President gets into office, we need to retain our individual responsibility. Going green is for life, both literally and figuratively.

To see just how green you are (or are not), take this “calculate your impact” quiz by MSN.com.

Question of the blog: Will a candidate’s commitment to the environment—or his/her failure to step up to the green plate—influence the way you vote this November?

P.S. Did you know John McCain used the "putting lipstick on a pig" comment when referring to a belief held by Hillary Clinton? Perhaps, at his age, he simply forgot.

Is There an End to “Unlimited”?

I saw a television commercial yesterday for a chain restaurant, promoting its offer of unlimited shrimp. What it sees as a great temptation, I see as gluttony and a reflection of just how far we’ve gone down the wrong path.

I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for. The current economy is bad—I feel it as much as you do—but I’m absolutely unwilling to compromise quality for quantity.

Sure, you can pay $8 and stuff your face with non-organic shrimp bathed in a high-sodium, high-fat glaze—and perhaps a few non-organic, over-cooked veggies thrown in for “good” measure—but what you’re getting in return for your investment are unappetizing side effects like exposure to toxins and pesticides, indigestion, and fatigue.

Think about it this way: Is someone really going to offer an unlimited amount of quality?

A national morning news show recently highlighted a family that feeds itself from a most meager budget each week. The family was celebrated for cutting corners and cutting costs. In my eyes, it was also honored for cutting nutrition. I’d rather hear about a family that cleverly manages to find the most affordable sources for fresh, local, and organic fare . . . where the parents have oodles of energy and no health problems . . . and where the kids have no trouble concentrating in school.

Don’t be fooled by promotional gimmicks and advertising propaganda. You and your family deserve real nutrition—it might not be offered in “unlimited” quantities but, I assure you, the quality is priceless.

Question of the blog: Has the bad economy forced you to sacrifice your eating habits?

Are Pesticides Really Peopleicides?

I don’t remember when I first heard of organic food—certainly, it was many years ago—but the idea instantly resonated with me. Exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals designed to kill isn’t exactly appetizing.

Back then, organic fruits and vegetables weren’t just hard to find, they were expensive. Now, they are in almost every grocery store and often quite affordable (if you’re a bargain shopper like me, you know just where to go to get the best deals; I often pay less for organic food than the conventional counterparts).

So, why go organic?

A. It’s Healthy. By eating organic fruits and vegetables, you’ll limit your exposure to pesticides by as much as 90 percent; these toxins attack your immune, nervous, and reproductive systems and are especially bad for fetuses, young children, and the elderly.

B. It’s Really Healthy. Four years ago, a research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin, published analysis of data collected by the USDA in 1950 and 1999 on the levels of 13 nutrients in more than 40 food crops. The results: after the addition of pesticides and breeding techniques (for oh-so-important criteria like rapid growth and storage life) the protein in the conventional crops declined by six percent; phosphorous, iron, and calcium declined between nine percent and 16 percent; ascorbic acid declined 15 percent; and riboflavin declined 38 percent. In organic crops, those nutrients are still there!

C. It Just Tastes (& Looks) Better. This weekend, Mark and I bought local, organic apples and I wish I could share our bounty with you. The fruit is crisp, sweet, and firm . . . and it isn’t shiny from wax and other add-ons.

So which fruits and vegetables are the most contaminated? The Environmental Working Group's “Dirty Dozen” list answers that question. These are the 12 most popular fruits and vegetables that have the highest levels of toxic pesticides:

1.Peaches: Over 94 percent tested positive for traces of 45 different pesticides.
2.Celery: 94 percent tested positive for 29 different pesticides.
3.Apples: 92 percent tested positive for 36 pesticides.
4. Sweet Bell Peppers: 68 percent tested positive for 39 different pesticides.
5.Cherries: 91 percent tested positive for 25 different pesticides.
6.Imported Grapes: 86 percent tested positive for 35 different pesticides.
7.Nectarines: 97 percent tested positive for 26 different pesticides.
8.Pears: 94 percent tested positive for 35 different pesticides.
9.Potatoes: 79 percent tested positive for 29 different pesticides.
10.Raspberries: 59 percent tested positive for 39 different pesticides.
11.Spinach: 83 percent tested positive for 36 different pesticides.
12.Strawberries: 90 percent tested positive for 36 different pesticides.

92 percent of conventional apples tested positive for 36 pesticides! With that in mind, I’d like to amend the old adage: an organic apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Question of the blog: Do you think pesticides are peopleicides?

Do You Trust the FDA?

We should all live a lifestyle our grandmothers would recognize: be part of a community, be kind to neighbors, read books, play games, enjoy life’s simple (and most divine) pleasures, and prepare wholesome, nourishing food—real food—for you and your family.

Would your grandmother recognize your over-stuffed day planner, your one-hour commute, the processed chemicals disguised as food lurking in your cabinets? And what would she think of all the plastic in your kitchen?

Chances are, your grandmother’s kitchen was filled with glass: jars, bottles, cups, bowls, dishes, even plates. Turns out, glass is the safest product to keep and store food . . . unless you drop it.

I have no doubt that plastic was created with the best intentions when too many glass bowls shattered on kitchen floors. Touted, no doubt, as a life saver, it’s now apparent to everyone but the FDA that plastics with bisphenol A (BPA)—take baby bottles, as an example—are life destroyers because BPA is a hormone disruptor with great potential for future risks to human health.

I just read this AP article about how “Government toxicologists have reiterated safety concerns about a chemical used in baby bottles and food containers, just weeks after the Food and Drug Administration declared the substance safe.”

Personally, I’m surprised toxicologists who get a pay check from the current government were (1) allowed to do the study and (2) allowed to release the results. But that’s another issue.

“The FDA said it would consider the new report as it continues reviewing bisphenol.” Consider? Well, how very kind of them. Until then, would you feel good about feeding a baby from a BPA bottle? Would you feel good about microwaving your soup in a BPA bowl?

Now, get even more outraged:

“Several major retailers—including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys R Us Inc.—have said they would stop selling baby bottles made with the chemical next year. And smaller companies like Eveflo and BornFree have ramped up production of glass baby bottles as a bisphenol-free alternative. Canada has said it intends to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles, and state and federal lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban bisphenol in U.S. children's products. More than 6 billion pounds of bisphenol are produced in the U.S. each year by Dow Chemical, Bayer AG and other manufacturers.”

Call me suspicious of bureaucracy, but it seems clear to me (as clear as plastic) that Dow Chemical and Bayer AG have purchased and are pulling the FDA’s strings.

By the way, if you have a baby and are looking for glass baby bottles, read this posting by my green guru.

Question of the blog: Will you contact your representatives and let them know you want BPA banned?

Wanna Ditch That Commute?

I’ve been working from home for about a year and a half, eliminating a commute and its associated energy consumption. This wasn’t a green decision for me—as a writer, it just made sense to go independent and work for a variety of magazines and websites—but it’s eco-friendly nonetheless, which is extremely gratifying.

Yahoo recently released its list of “Ten Hot Home Office Jobs.” The angle is that, by working from home, you can reduce your dependence on gas. According to Yahoo, “with fuel prices topping four dollars per gallon in some states, many Americans want to keep their paychecks in their pockets and out of their gas tanks.”

Check out Yahoo’s list and see if one of their recommended home office jobs is the right fit for you . . . and then you can ditch that commute. For information and advice on working from home, check out WHY Magazine (www.workhomeyou.com), the first e-zine dedicated solely to work-at-homers.

Question of the blog: The Presidency is the premier home office job—the Oval Office is, after all, located inside the White House. Do you think the next highest-profile work-at-homer (go, Obama) will be green not just in his office, but in all the decisions he makes at his desk?

Ready for a Change—An Eco-Friendly Oil Change?

An Internet ad for Firestone’s “green” oil change caught my eye recently, and I wanted to share the link with you to their online coupon.

Unlike conventional oil changes, this one—using Eco Power oil—is made with 100% recycled motor oil and it exceeds industry and manufacturers’ specifications.

Here’s what Firestone's ad says about Eco Power: It’s “one of the most environmentally friendly oils that's recycled and twice refined using up to 85% less energy to produce than conventional motor oil. Eco Power exceeds the highest North American standards for motor oil performance in gasoline engines.”

Hopefully, you’ll use this coupon for your hybrid’s next oil change.

Question of the blog: Will you get an eco-friendly oil change?

How Green Are Your Planters?

My favorite local garden center was offering a 40%-off sale this past weekend. As I blogged about earlier, Mark and I are on a mission to have as many plants in our home as possible to help clean the air. We ran out of planters with our latest plant additions so, in addition to buying two new plants, we needed to buy two new planters (which were also 40% off).

I walked up and down rows and rows of gorgeous planers of every imaginable size and color. In the final aisle, I found just what I wanted, but what I didn’t know existed: greenPots™, which are eco-friendly planters made from rice.

In addition to several lovely styles and equally lovely colors, these plants are gorgeously green because they’re renewable (made from plant by-products) and they’re completely biodegradable. They’re also extremely affordable. With the 40% off sale, Mark and I bought two plants and two plants for just pennies over $10.

Question of the blog: Does it frustrate you that green is still often incorrectly portrayed as more expensive than conventional alternatives?

Do Abortion Rights Matter Without Any Life on Earth?

Just like every other election year, this one is going to come down to picking the best of the worst. My philosophy has always been that one can’t be a genuinely good, decent, and honest person and get ahead in what is by its very nature a power-hungry, money-hungry, polarizing, elitist, spotlight-driven profession.

Yeah, yeah, the president represents “we the people” . . . but not really.

John McCain can’t remember how many homes he owns (let’s not even guess if any of them are eco-friendly) and Barack Obama talks about change and then teams up with a man who has been "working" in Washington longer than I’ve been alive.

I don’t buy any of it. Luckily, we don’t really buy a president; we rent him for four or eight years. So, which rental will be less painful?

The environment is my #1 priority (without a healthy planet, nothing else matters). I just read this article about how the GOP is “taking a hard line on abortion while edging toward a more moderate position on global warming.”

Let me see if I understand? The GOP wants to make it illegal for women who were raped to end the nightmare, while backing down on serious environmental problems that could kill us all. Ignoring the environment is like allowing an abortion for the entire human race!

In this (green) light, Obama wins. Let’s hope the rest of us do, too.

Question of the blog: Does “GOP” stand for “Geezers, Obtuse, Pitiful”?

Want a Miraculous Green Summer Read?

My very first word was “book” (followed by “no,” but let’s not go there). Reading has always been an important part of my life—thank you, Mom—and that passion has neatly segued into my career as a professional freelance writer.

Recently, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, and it moved me in such a profound, earth-quaking way, that I feel compelled to share it with you.

Here’s how the author’s website describes her book: “Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, this book (released May 2007) tells the story of how our family was changed by one year of deliberately eating food produced in the place where we live.”

Just think about it—eating food produced in the place where we live. It’s a turn-of-the-last-century concept that should be easy if they were doing it 100 years ago . . . and it’s anything but!

Most food sold in U.S. grocery stores is better-traveled than the people in the store aisles. To eat local, in-season produce doesn’t just support your community and take care of Mother Earth, it also feeds your body with the most nutritional items, especially when your local farms are organic or pesticide-free—or, better yet, when your food is grown in your own back yard.

The book is encouraging, and it’s also educational and enlightening . . . and there are also delicious recipes! By page 50, I wanted to kiss the pages (not a response I typically have) and, by page 100, I said to Mark that I’d already learned more useful, important information than I did in four years of college. Before I was even done, I was looking forward to re-reading it.

I hope you’re ready for your own miracle!

Question of the blog: Are you a locavore?

Can You Go Green (and Not Spend a Lot of Green) When You Go Back to School?

I recently wrote an article for a green website about the best ways to send your kids back to school as green as possible.

What surprised me most as I did my research was the vast amount of eco-friendly products out there for school-age children. Of course, you don’t have to be a kid to appreciate a cool green notebook!

I was watching the news last night and there was a report about how the economy is making back-to-school shopping as painful for parents as it is for children. I understand that the lowest price is often the determining factor when making a purchase—instead of its degree of green—but I encourage parents to do some research before making their purchases. Green products don’t always cost a lot of green; more and more, eco-friendly products cost the same as conventional products.

And respecting the earth is a great lesson to teach your kids!

Question of the blog: If you have school-age children, is their school green enough for you?