Isn’t it about time that caring about what sustains us is part of our daily awareness and lifestyle, and becomes a constant practice like brushing our teeth?

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Profit before survival seems to be more important. Short-term perspective comes before long-term, and our interaction with the planet that takes care of us every day isn’t something that comes naturally to us.

I’m talking about Mother Earth. Earth Day has come and gone; are we still keeping Her in mind?

How can we take something this essential to our existence for granted? Luckily, going green is the buzz phrase these days. Finally, it’s fashionable to be earth friendly. When our appearance is more important than our values, we lose the aspect of being human and the ability to interact instead of using. The ability to see ourselves as a part of a relationship that is an expression of who we are, rather than what we would like to be perceived as, is lost.

Nine Easy Actions to Keep Mother Earth Healthy

The obvious one is recycling, which seems so basic that it should be second nature, but it isn’t. Please go out of your way to recycle and if possible, compost.

Choose products from recycled materials over those that aren’t. For example, spend a little more money on quality clothes that last longer, then save those items until they come back into fashion. Or give it to those who need it when you don’t. Some companies are also introducing eco-fashion, even big-name brands like Levi.

Carry your own bag instead of getting one from the grocery store. There are a lot of little foldable ones on the market these days that fit nicely into your handbag.

Choose non-toxic products. This is better for your health and the environment.

Eat in a way the helps sustain the earth rather than exploiting it. Consider buying locally or purchasing food from your neighborhood’s farmers market.

Buy produce and food in its whole form so little or no packaging is needed.

Get a water filter and refill a water bottle instead of buying more plastic ones.

Get your newspaper online. And don’t print documents unless you need to.

Save energy. Turn off lights, don’t wash dishes under running water, only use the air conditioner if really needed, and use rechargeable batteries.

Product Tips and Food Choices

Choose Organic Foods

Eating organic food is healthier for you and for the environment as it omits the pesticides and toxic fertilizers. It also helps sustain smaller farmers, instead of factory farms, which leads to less pollution.

Factory farms pollute more and contribute to global warming. Apart from the fact that they treat animals inhumanely, the meat from these animals is harmful to your health. Choose sustainable farmed food, adapt a food-style high in vegetables, and when eating meat and eggs, choose from free-range, non-antibiotic, and non growth-hormone animals.

Choose fish from non-toxic farming resources or from the wild.

Shop and eat in appropriate proportions, cook with care, and don’t waste it. This does not mean eat everything on your plate, that doesn’t help the environment either. Overconsumption causes disease and therefore more waste with the need of medicine and hospitals, not to mention, you suffer. Instead, ask in advance to omit foods from the dish that you already know you are not going to eat anyway. Bring leftovers home with you for lunch, or give it to someone hungry in the street.

Go Wasteless and Choose Natural, Non-Toxic Products

Try to buy non-toxic household cleaners, unbleached toilet-paper, and paper-towels. You don’t have to breathe in the fumes or have toxic products touch your skin. It also causes less pollution to manufacture these products. Products from Seventh Generation, EarthWise, BioKleen, and Ecover are all good options.

Use recycled paper at the office and omit the throw-away pen.

Store your food in glass containers that last longer, especially if you use a microwave (not recommended) to heat your food. Plastic breaks down over time and is also unhealthy for you as it leaks into the food when heated.

Buy microfiber cleaning cloths that are washable, reusable, and trap the dirt and spills better than using tons of paper towels.

Buy larger containers of dish soap and pour into smaller containers as you need it, instead of many small bottles.

Wash and dry out your Ziploc bags. Hang it on a chopstick in a glass to dry.

Buy products that come in glass containers with lids that ***** on so you can use them for storage later.

Take off your shoes indoors means less cleaning, less use of energy, and less toxins in your home.

Choose airlines with the newest fleet when traveling. They use less fuel.

There are many things you can do to green your life, every day of the year, not just on Earth Day. All it takes is a conscious mind and a willingness to take care of our planet with everyday choices.

“Achieving genuine happiness may require bringing about a transformation in your outlook, your way of thinking, and this is not a simple matter.” The 14th Dalai Lama

By: Jeanette Bronee

About the Author:

What comes to mind when you hear the term “eco-friendly homes”? Energy efficiency is something that people most often equate with this term and that is certainly an important part of eco-friendly homes, but there is more to being eco-friendly than just saving energy, a whole lot more. True eco-friendly homes should be created from materials that are either recycled or at least are not made from fossil fuels. Eco-friendly homes are about reducing waste, making better use of space and keeping things clean. Reduce, re-use, recycle is the mantra of the eco-friendly home builder.

Green Building Techniques

In fact, even the building techniques used to make a home can be easier on the environment. Builders are starting to think about building homes on fewer square feet of land (more earth left for plants to grow) and even including roof top gardens that help to insulate the home, while making more room for carbon monoxide-loving oxygen-producing plants, to grow. That is an example of what it truly means to “go green” with eco-friendly homes. Even small things like building the home in a south facing position can help to make better use of natural sunlight which can help the home to be more energy efficient.

Eco-friendly Building Materials

Building materials that do not result in deforestation of the earth, especially the delicate rain forests also help make eco-friendly homes. This can be anything from reclaimed wood that comes from river beds, standing dead wood or even from buildings or homes that are being torn down. So long as no living tree was cut down to build a home, that home is more eco-friendly. Mud, stones and even straw are natural building materials that are commonly being used in eco-friendly homes along with renewable resources like bamboo. Nowadays many types of products are being made from bamboo, a member of the grass family, from flooring to cabinets, to wall coverings.

Energy Efficiency

Of course, energy efficiency is an important part of eco-friendly homes. A well-insulated home with low E glass, double glazed windows, will help save energy and adding solar panels can help you create energy. Some eco-friendly homes even add power into the power grid and make money back from the electric companies by using solar or wind power. And adding solar panels to a home isn’t nearly as expensive as it used to be, you can even make your own solar panels with simple instructions and a kit that you can purchase. Some choose to heat their water with solar panel, thereby reducing their need for gas or electricity.

Making the Earth a Better Place

More and more people are realizing the importance and benefits of creating eco-friendly homes to better manage the earth’s natural resources so it can be a better place for future generations. More homes are being built with green building materials and techniques and people are even taking steps to make their current homes more environmentally sound. As building eco-friendly homes becomes more popular, these techniques will likely become more commonplace and actually become the standard for the home building industry. Meanwhile, a people who are looking to purchase or build a new homes should seriously consider “going green” with eco-friendly homes.

If you want to search for Santa Cruz eco-friendly homes or find out where the most energy efficient homes in Santa Cruz are, go to PropertyInSantaCruz.com and find yourself a great home by the beach.

By: Gregg Camp

About the Author:

When everyone on the earth is screaming green, how can an artistic mind remain untouched by the movement. So, if you are that creative person who loves to wrap gifts in unique ways, just be a little more aware and think of some eco-friendly ways to wrap your gifts. Save the earth and be proud of it! Here are some ways to go eco-friendly with gift wrapping, rest you can think yourself, the creative man as you are!

1. Find Corporate Gift Companies with Eco-friendly Wrapping Process

If you are thinking of wrapping up the most awaited corporate gifts, find a brand or company that will use recycled paper gift bags or even jute gift pouches to wrap up these gifts. Take help of Internet, search and search more - demands will sure make these companies adhere to your requirements.

2. Make Daily-Use Items Your Gift Wraps

Utilize your money as also your efforts buying daily use items such as pillow covers, beach towels, decorative bed sheets or organic cloth bags that can be creatively used to wrap up the gifts. This way, gifts as well as the wrappers can be use- double bonanza- did you say!

3. Reuse the Brown Bags, Holiday Gift Bags and Gift Wrappers

Next time, you get a gift, ensure you don’t throw away the gift wrapping bags or papers. Store them. Reuse them to wrap the gifts you’ll give away to your loved ones. If you don’t like the idea of using brown paper bags, just try your hands on finger painting or stamp painting (make stamps with as common a thing as erasers and potatoes). Dip your fingers or stamps in paints and make beautiful designs on the brown paper bags. Now use them for gift wrapping.

4. Unique Gift Tags made from Old Business Cards

Need gift tags to scribe on? Just get hold of some old business cards. Take two of them at a time and glue them on the printed sides with craft glue. Tie a string using the unused wool yarn or ribbon lying around, by punching a hole on the tag. Paint or paste some interesting graphics on the tag and now write whatever your heart wishes to communicate to the gift receiver.

5. Don’t just Wrap up the Attractive Containers

The manufacturers so interestedly choose and make the designs of their containers. Why waste all the efforts. Let them be attractive as they are. If giving something like cookies or chocolates, fill them in attractive bowls with lid – great gift container. Buy a watering can and fill it with gardening supply for your nature loving friend- he’ll sure like the gift as well as the gift holder. If they don’t give the looks of a gift like this, just tie a ribbon or a scarf in an innovative style around the container, hang a gift tag made of old business card and just give it away.

Don’t forget to attach a note with each gift to explain what you have done. Personalize them with tiny paintings, messages and crochet touches, etc. Also request the recipient to recycle or reuse your wrap. It’s their turn to save earth now!

By: Jeff A Hardy

About the Author:

It is a luxury to decorate your living space with contemporary home decor, but what better way to add to your life style than with items and decorations that not only look good but become a hobby to collect, and a life style choice that makes you feel good. Some of the top trends in contemporary home decor include green decorating, or eco friendly designs and decorations, decorating your home with colorful objects, which researchers show triggers endorphins in people and makes them feel good, and then mixing colors with textures such as woods, metals or fabrics even.

No Matter what combination you choose, if the style you choose to decorate your home makes you feel as though you are living a luxury life style then you are making improvements to your life which is always a good thing.

Green decorations or eco friendly designs utilize natural, sustainable, organic, recycled and or repurposed products. Although these words are not typically associated with luxury life style and fine living, artists and designers are taking one mans trash and making original forms of art that are other peoples treasures. Eco friendly details and designs are being interpreted in stylish ways that excite decorators, artists and earth preserving enthusiasts. The term going green refers to shifting ones mindset and typical routines to include earth friendly life style choices that will help make the world a better place for future generations. And if one can stylize their space while doing good for the earth, why not.

Adding bright colors is a trend associated with contemporary home decor and might include rich hues of eggplant, or robins nest blue. For a sharp color contrast, or a color contrast that has particular sharp appeal. If a decorator chooses to go the extreme bold route, one large piece such as a bright couch might work especially in a room that is of neutral paint color. The other option might be to scatter colors throughout the home, such as with accent pillows, colorful curtains and other details to rugs and throw blankets.

Adding textures alongside bright colors and eco friendly contemporary home decor will give your living space an even keeled style. Textures like shiny metal or mattes next to woods and bright colors really brightens your living space and brings life to dull, flat areas. Grey metals like pewter, steel aluminum and silver look great alongside animal prints and even landscape or outdoors related themes. For fine living life style and luxury contemporary home decor any of these design combinations will have your living space looking fantastic.

By: Phoenix Delray

About the Author:

God is our friend

Dalip Singh Wasan, Advocate.

In all the books of religion it has been accepted that we all are children of God. Once this concept is accepted by us, we should not have any fear of God and we should take God as our friend. We should not conceal anything from our friend-God and we should do only those things which are liked by God and we shall not be compelled to conceal those things from God rather we shall be happy to meet God and place before Him our wishes and desires and we shall request Him to fulfill those wishes and desires because this concept of prayer had been introduced only to place our wishes and desires before God. If we trance the history of this man on this earth, we come to the conclusion that all the religious books are actually books of prayers and nothing more. We can say that all religion have been established here just on the basis of prayers.

We should keep God in our mind and if we attain this position we shall always be on the right path because God would not allow us to go on a wrong path. The people who are doing something wrong are those who are not keeping God with them and when God is not present in us, then this vacant place is occupied by the Devil and then we come under the occupation of the Devil and then this Devil is so strong that it would not allow re-entry to God for a considerable time. Therefore, we should keep God in our mind and in our heart and we should not create such situations that God may leave us and let us become prey of Devil. We all know that this devil is very strong and we can say that this is stronger than God because if we count our deeds update, we shall come to the conclusion that our bad deeds are on the higher side and our good deeds are on the lower side and that is the reason all the people who are delivering religious discourses are telling us that this man shall go to Hell and very few of us shall be getting a place in Heaven and that too for a short period. Our mythology is full of such instances where God decided to give to the dead man some period to spend in Heaven and some of them did not come back from Heaven and concealed themselves there.

If we are very close to God then we shall be consulting Him before we are doing or undertaking to do something and God being real friend of us shall be stopping us if the proposed deed is not on the right side. If we are actually treating God our friend, we shall be accepting his directions and suggestions and we shall be avoiding to do something wrong. This is the best course, if we actually adopt this course, we shall be the happiest person on this earth because when we do something wrong, we come under a fear zone and then this fear does not allow us to live a happy and satisfied life. We shall come under the zone of fear and this fear shall turn our life a Hell while on this earth and this Hell is very dangerous for us and it shall be causing more danger and more losses to us than the real Hell which we shall face after our death.

Our tragedy is that the Devil is also roaming in this world and He is locating persons who are not keeping friendship with God and when the Devil finds a prey, then He eats the whole man and turns him a beast of prey. The man from whom other people get fear does not remain a man. He becomes a beast and leads a life of the beast. Only those people remain men on this earth who are near to God and are having friendship with God. When we have accepted that God is Omnipresent and omnipotent, then it is in our own interest that we should keep God near to us because we are not to locate God and find Him out for our help. He is present at every stage with us and is ready to help us. No worldly friend could be so near to us and there is no worldly friend who could solve all our problems within no time and without demanding anything in return from us. Friendship with God is the best way of life in this world and the people who could get this friendship are the most happy persons on this earth. They are never sad. They are always happy. They are always satisfied. They are always without any fear. They do not have fear even from death because after death, they shall be playing in the lap of God who had been nursing them in this life time.

By: Dalip Singh Wasan

About the Author:

Earth the great giver. What can we learn from the Earth? The world celebrates earth day in different ways. In the United States of America, it is observed on the 22nd April, while the international earth day is celebrated on the day of Vernal Equinox .

The day is observed to make all of us aware of our responsibilities towards our mother earth. The way we have been taking all that we can from the earth will one day finish all the coal and hydrocarbon from the earth. Same with all the minerals. We are extracting what all we can. The earth is our greatest friend but we earthlings behave as if we are the masters. The earth supports us in all the ways. It gives us the atmosphere to breathe, the water to drink, and food to eat. It gives us thousands of varieties of plants and it gives us the place to make our home. The earth gives its all to us without any protest.

We are the selfish ones. We want still more from what all we get. We are not happy merely watching at the great natural marvels. The ice, the great plains, the tall mountains, thousands of different animals, insects, birds, the oceans and the marine life. The earth gives us all and it should be very satisfying to us. But unfortunately most of us have forgotten the spirit of thanking. We thank our friends for the smallest favor but forget to thank the earth. We take care of ourselves, our family and our friends, but fail to care for the earth. That is very surprising but very true.

One lesson we can immediately learn from this is - if you do not protest, you will keep on getting exploited. The second lesson - unless you act miserly, no body will respect your big heartedness. Had the earth been miserly, we would been very careful. But since it gives in abundance, we are never bothered. The third lesson we all must learn is - the spirit of giving to make others  happy. That is what the earth does. If we become as giving in our life, a lot of misery can be wiped out. But first all of us must learn to give and not to ask. That is the great message of the Mother Earth.

By: CD Mohatta

About the Author:

In the constantly warming planet that we live in today, each and every single one of us needs to do our fair share to assure that our earth stays healthy for the future generations. This means making changes to the way that we operate and go about our daily lives. One way that you can certainly do your part when it comes to be mindful of our fragile environment is to assure that the home furnishings you purchase are as eco-friendly as possible. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can go about being friendly to our environment without compromising the quality of the home furnishings that you buy.

Plant Fiber Area Rugs

Some of the most eco and earth-friendly area rugs that you can spend your money on are those that are constructed out of durable and renewable resources like plant fibers. Plant fiber rugs are created from easily harvested and fast growing plants, found around the world, and are both biodegradable and delectable when woven into a quality area rug. Common plant fiber area rugs included sisal, jute, bamboo, seagrass, mountaingrass and hemp. They are extracted from the plants themselves and spun into yarns, which are then woven into quality and eco-friendly area rugs.

According to the statistics, more than seven hundred million square feet of carpeting and rugs are tossed into landfills each and every year. Many of these are made from industrial grade chemicals and plastics, which can take centuries to degrade and can taint nearby water supplies, harming the environment. By assuring that you only buy natural, plant fiber rugs, you can still find the rugged durability that you seek, in a wide variety of styles and feels, while doing your part to help preserve our planet. Earth-friendly is not just something we think about-rather it is something that we all must actively pursue in our day to day.

Chemical-Free and Hypoallergenic

There are many people who suffer from allergies to certain chemicals commonly found in many area rugs. For those who truly wish to enjoy a quality and long lasting area rug that will not cause them an allergic reaction, the eco-friendly area rugs are the way for them to truly be free of their allergies while complimenting the interior of their homes at the same time. Earth-friendly area rugs do not use any harsh industrial chemicals and are only made from 100% all-natural materials that grow in the earth.

Animal Fiber Rugs

Another way that you can be environmentally conscience when you are purchasing area rugs for your home interior is to buy animal fiber rugs. Area rugs that are made from naturally groomed animal fibers, like wool, do not harm the environment or the animals from which the fibers are harvested. Sheep wool, for example, is sheered twice per year and the undercoat tends to grow back thick and healthy. When woven into a carpet, wool tends to be soft to the touch, yet durable enough to withstand high traffic and the elements without deteriorating. Another plus side to animal fiber rugs is that they are easily cleaned and are naturally stain resistant.

By: Michael Lazar

About the Author:

Be kind to the environment and stop littering your desk and the planet with used drinking cups which are harmful to environment. Drinking bottles earth friendly are the solution to this statement.

By fitting a drinking fountain into your home or office environment, you can do your bit to help reduce the mountains of landfill building up around us, without going to the trouble of recycling all those used drinking cups! But recycling of drinking bottle always reduces environment pollution. Due to the same reason manufacturing of an eco product like drinking bottle is predominantly important.

The raw materials used for the production of earth friendly drinking bottles are purely taken from the natural resources available in the eco system from our planet. This take place prominent role in keeping the price level earth friendly drinking bottles to the least available in the market. According to the reports from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) the manufacturing and shipping of billions of bottles cause unnecessary energy and petroleum consumption, leads to land-filling or incineration of bottles and can release environmental toxins. Manufacturing & usage of earth friendly drinking bottle production reduces the amount of unnecessary generation of carbon contained toxins. The widely used eco product - drinking bottles are sports bottles, polycarbonate water bottles, bike bottles, promotional water bottles, Delux water sports bottle and more produced from natural resources.

Print4Half.Com works with the intention to bring high - quality, low- cost design printed earth friendly drinking bottles to global market and to other customers. As a small business we know firsthand the importance of receiving quality printed eco products for business & home needs. The goal is to provide an online supply of drinking bottles - earth friendly to customers that are easy to use, high quality, at least price. You are able to upload preferred drinking bottle - eco product design from our image bank.

By: George

About the Author:

Katiewong made from the highest quality fragrance, organic soy and lead-free wicks, Kobo full-bodied candles are also environmentally friendly. The candles are decorative and reusable storage. Each candle burns approximately 70 hours and includes coordinating matches. Our soy candles are hand-poured. Our soy candles burn longer and cooler than paraffin candles. Our soy candles have 100% cotton/hemp wicks.

Santal pure soy candle offer a totally new experience in quality, beauty, and romantic light. Our unique pillar candle design in different sizes, with scrumptious fragrance and gorgeous color will enhance any room in your home. For those who are passionate about remarkable scents, the Santal candle is a magical experience. Made from the highest quality fragrance, this full-bodied candle exudes passion and charm.

KOBO line of soy candles are hand-poured with 100% domestically pure soy wax. They feature lead free, environmentally safe cotton wicks. Which are all candles are nice. We love earth-friendly products, we really do, but with scents as rich and complex and packaging this great, it’s easy to forget that one is saving the world. The candles are Cotton wicks to create the cleanest burning, most planet friendly candle on the market. The high quality candle is packaged in a beautiful printed decorative box. The Kobo candles are perfect for a gift.

Our Katiewongnyc.com soy candles are handcrafted for quality and elegant beauty in a wide variety of candle scents. Our jar candles and pillar candles come scented or unscented and are hand-poured with the finest pure soy candle wax. Soy candle characteristics include biodegradable, long burning, clean burning, complete burning, and virtually soot free. Candles are made of high quality, organic soy wax and 100% cotton wicks.

Kobo Santal Pure Soy Candle are created by and for those passionate about remarkable scents. Natural, clean and made from a renewable resource. It’s a perfect candle for a healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle. Sometimes, good things come in beautiful packages. Each and every Kobo candle is hand poured using domestically grown pure soy wax and lead free, environment-safe cotton wicks to create the cleanest burning, most planet friendly candle on the market. Please purchase online www.katiewongnyc.com in Newyork.

By: m.jeya

About the Author:

What are “Earth Homes?” Earth homes are houses that are basically constructed from the earth. Some earth homes are built from adobe, mud, straw or even underground as an earth-sheltered home. Environmentally friendly, earth homes are easy to warm and cool and extremely energy efficient.

Adobe Earth homes are houses constructed from bricks comprised of tightly compacted earth, clay and straw. Adobe earth homes can be naturally waterproofed by using fermented cactus juice!

Earth sheltered earth homes are houses the are constructed underground - or at least mostly beneath the ground surface. Surrounding soil is a superp and nautral insulation which makes these homes cheap to heat and cool. Usually installed in a well-drained hillside, earth sheltered homes have a skylight window that can fill the home with natural sunlight. Although costs may run a bit higher than conventional home construction, earth sheltered homes are a good, long-term investment as lowered maintenance and energy savings make up the difference.

Straw Bale earth homes are making a comeback as well. Straw bale earth homes are obviously constructed of straw and grass, are energy efficient, and can cut material building costs by as much as fifty percent.

Earth homes, such as Cob Houses are built from clay-type lumps of soil, sand and straw. Similar to the adobe homes, except cob earth homes do not use bricks or blocks. Cob homes have walls that are sculpted into smooth forms. Again, very energy efficient, cob homes are well-suited for the very cold climates and deserts.

Rammed earth homes may have over 18-inch, thick walls that are made from a comcination of dirt, sand, cement and water. Energy conservative, rammed earth homes have the appearance of bungalow-style charm and help keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. Additionally, rammed earth homes may last hundreds of years.

Why build an earth home? Earth homes conserve energy, and in most cases are easier to maintain and can endure for years to come. An excellent site to visit on earth homes: www.hobbithomes.ca This particular site even has a recipe for building your own “cob” earth home, as well as other projects.

As we embark on a strange, new age and global warming continuously on the rise, doesn’t it make sense to construct your new custom home as an earth home?

©2004 - All Rights Reserved Environmentally-Friendly Earth Homes C. Bailey-Lloyd / Lady Camelot

About the Author: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the Public Relations Director & Writer for Holistic Junction — Your source of information for Holistic Practitioners; Naturopathic Schools, Massage Therapy Schools, and Reflexology Schools; Alternative Healthcare; Insightful Literature and so much more!

NOTICE: Article may be republished free of charge as long as Author Resource Box (above) is included, and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN in tact and active.

By: C. Bailey-lloyd/ladycamelot

About the Author: