Advantages Of Green Products

By Alfred Blaine

Alternative energy or green energy has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. As the world struggles to find cleaner ways to power our lives, green fuels and alternative energy products take center stage. There are some tremendous benefits to using green energy in your home or business. With a little bit of research, you can find ways to include green energy and products in your life.

The first advantage that you will notice is the cost savings. The initial cost to go green in your energy consumption may cost you quite a bit, but once this expense is paid, you will not have to purchase energy again. Solar panels are one of the many ways that you can create energy, but the start up cost to outfit your home with the alternative energy source might put you off the installation. However, when you factor in the amount of money that you will be saving, the benefit clearly outweighs the cost. The energy savings will continue long past the time when the cost of the solar panels is recouped.

Of course, one of the main benefits of green fuels for your home is their impact on the environment. Or rather, their lack of an impact on the environment. Green fuels and products can help to stop the pollution and damage to the environment caused by the use of fossil fuels. No one wants to see the planet damaged and with green fuels and green products, you can do your part to keep the earth clean for the next generation.

The advancements in alternative energies has made significant progress in home use, but the use of alternative fuels in cars is currently a hot area of research. All over the world, scientists are dreaming up new ways to power our vehicles at a substantial savings for the consumer and the benefit of the planet.

Research in green products will soon give us an alternative to fossil fuels that will allow us to reduce their use or stop using them completely. Homeowners and car owners can support the progress that is made by seeking alternative green products and create a demand for them. When the public demands that these products be available or even created, the business and scientific community will move quickly to provide the products we need.

Take a little time to explore how you can use green energy solutions in your home. Not only will you be doing the financially smart thing, but you will also be supporting an industry that is gearing up to help us control our pollution of the planet. The benefits that this gives us are endless. Get started today with green energy products in your home and enjoy the savings that they already provide.

Get your FREE Report and information on how not to pay a single dime to the power company at http://www.greenfuelproducts.com.

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Puma unboxes new eco packaging

The cat's reducing its carbon paw print with a shoebox that's more bag than cardboard. Showcased recently at the Design Museum in London, the new packaging will supposedly help the lifestyle apparel company reduce paper use by 65 percent and carbon emissions by 10,000 tons every year.

The Clever Little Bag, designed by Yves Behar offuseproject, reduces cardboard use and does away with the need for a plastic carrier bag. Instead, the package features a reusable shoebag with an attached loop that goes through a cutout to double as a carrying handle.

According to Puma, the redesign will see the company saving 8,500 tons of paper, 20 million megajoules of electricity, 1 million liters of fuel oil, and 1 million liters of water every year.

The Clever Little Bag is only one part of Puma's ambitious long-term sustainability program as the company aims to replace current plastic/paper bags for its apparel with biodegradable ones. The new packaging and distribution system is expected to launch in the second half of 2011.

by Damian Koh

Go eco Packaging : www.greenlifestore.co.za or www.green-living-store.com

How Green is your love life?

How to have a green sex life

Los Angeles - You drive a hybrid, eat organic, and are passionate about recycling. But how green is your love life?

Think about those lovely Valentine's Day roses and the environmental costs of growing them and the carbon miles involved in flying them in from faraway lands.

And what about used condoms, tossed into the toilet and making their way into sewers that perhaps pollute the ocean?

If an ecologically sustainable life between the sheets hasn't crossed your mind, you're still a "total environmental neophyte", according to author Stefanie Iris Weiss.

But help is on the way with Weiss's new handbook Eco-Sex, which leaves no stone unturned in its mission to bring the bedroom front and centre into the battle to save the planet.

"I have always wanted to write a sex book. I am a very committed greenie, and I have been a vegetarian for 20 years. I saw a gap in the market and I couldn't believe no-one had written about this topic," Weiss, 38, told Reuters.

"I think green sex is having its moment right now. I think it is the next big thing in green. People are realising that their every day, most intimate habits, are deeply connected to this horrible crisis we are in," she said.

No more toys?!

From hand-cranked sex toys (and websites where old battery-driven devices can be recycled) to healthy, eco-friendly underwear (bamboo) and dating sites for ecological warriors, Eco-Sex aims to show readers how to reduce the carbon footprint of their love life - and have fun doing it.

Weiss, who says she either tried out or reviewed every item in the book, interviewed raw food chefs to get recipes for aphrodisiac meals for two, suggests the ideal first eco-date (biking), and recommends natural latex mattresses (but warns they are less bouncy than those made of springs, coils and synthetic foam).

She finds a vast range of natural or organic cosmetics, condoms made of latex that are also biodegradable, and resources for eco-sexy bling - because neither diamonds nor gold are a self-respecting green girl's best friend.

"It was the most fun I have ever had researching a book in my life," she said.

As for flowers for your sweetheart - the true eco-sexual would grow them in the backyard, or at least buy them locally from a farmers' market.

Weiss admits that "some people are going to make fun of the notion of eco-sex. I expect that".

Green baby-making

She says eco-sex doesn't have to be tame, adding you can be passionate in bed and about Mother Earth "without coming off like you're (a 1960s hippie) trapped on the set of Hair the Musical."

Despite all the fun replacements for essential accessories in the dating game - like plain old baking soda instead of chemical-heavy commercial teeth whiteners - there is a serious side to Eco-Sex.

With the planet headed towards a population of around nine billion oxygen-swilling, carbon-emitting people by 2040, according to the UN, the ultimate carbon offset is to choose sex that does not result in having babies.

"The No 1 thing people can do to be an eco-sexual is to have fewer kids, or have none at all," said Weiss, who is childless.

If that sounds outrageous, just give a thought to the 90% of the estimated diapers sold each year that end up in landfills. Or how the carbon footprint of one extra person far outweighs all the energy-saving light bulbs you've installed.

"I think over-population is an important conversation for people to have. It is something people think about in terms of third world countries. But it is also a conversation that would benefit us in America to have," she said.

- Reuters

Save energy, Zuma urges Sunday, 02 May 2010 06:43

President Jacob Zuma has called on South Africans to save energy in an effort to avoid the load-shedding that plunged the country into darkness in 2007 and 2008.

In its efforts to save the limited resource, Government is embarking on an initiative to implement the use of alternative forms of energy - cheaper and cleaner forms which saves money and the environment.

Solar water heating is one such option that has many benefits as compared with other forms of water heating. Once installed, you have free hot water.

On Wednesday, Zuma launched Government's Solar Water Heating Programme in Winterveldt, which saw families in the area receive solar panels, Zuma reiterated that energy was not an unlimited resource and people needed to work harder at conserving it.

"We took energy for granted. Things have changed drastically. You will recall that the period 2007 and 2008 saw a number of noticeable disruptions in the electricity supply.

"Large sections of the country were plunged into darkness as a result of Eskom not being able to meet the electricity demand nationwide," he said.

Wednesday's launch is in line with government's target of installing at least one million solar water heaters by 2014 to reduce the water heating load on the national grid. Winterveld was chosen as the sight of the launch for the fact that the people living in this area derived wealth from available natural resources such as land and are very innovative.

Zuma said plans were afoot in government to convert water heating for hospitals, clinics, prisons, barracks and other government buildings to solar water heating.

"You will see a lot of that happening in the next few years," he said.

Currently 270 heaters have been installed in some homes in the area and phase two of the installation will supply at least 10 400 additional heaters in Tshwane this year.

Phase three of the project, starting during 2010-2011, will target the whole country over a longer period.

"As we continue to look for other alternatives to save energy, let me remind all that we must continue to save electricity. We must switch off our appliances when they are not in use. Let us share this responsibility as citizens of this country and electricity users," said Zuma.

Commenting on the programme Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said that residents were keen on having solar power heaters in their homes.

"We know that after this launch - a lot of people who have started to see their neighbours having hot water in the morning while they are busy pumping their prima stoves, will want the same," she said.

She added that the advantage of installing solar heaters was that people would save money towards their electricity bill and that they will get rebates for installing it.

"We will be calling a press conference on how the standard offer relates to how you as an individual can save electricity and how you will be able to monitor it and make sure that you can be able to benefit from a particular rebate, "she said..

During the president's visit to the area, three houses that had been fitted with solar water heaters were visited including that of a disabled man.

Austin Maluleka a 36-year-old unemployed man was one of the recipients of a solar water heating system. The married father of two said that the heater, installed in November 2009, has made his life easier.

"We no longer have to boil water to bath; we use our electricity to cook. I no longer spend a lot of money buying electricity, our tap has hot water," he said. - BuaNews

Go visit www.greenlifestore.co.za

Washed Up Whale Found with Gallons of Our Garbage In Its Gut

A young 37-foot whale stranded on the shore in West Seattle, and it had a summary of what we're doing to our oceans held within its stomach. As photographer Chris Jordan documented in birds' guts, our marine animals are filling up not on nutritious sea life, but the junk we toss out that makes its way into the oceans. Fifty gallons of contents were examined from this near-adult male gray whale, and you won't believe some of the garbage this poor beast had swallowed.

According to Cascadia Research Collective, 50 gallons of stomach contents were sorted through. Most of it was real food - algae and other bits common to a gray whale diet - but also included were more than 20 plastic bags, small towels, surgical gloves, sweat pants, plastic pieces, duct tape, and a golf ball.

If there were any doubt before, there is none now - the ocean has become a landfill. However, if there's a bit of a silver lining, the trash made up just about 2% of the total contents, and it doesn't seem to have been the cause of death. But what Cascadia Research points out, "It did clearly indicate that the whale had been attempting to feed in industrial waters and therefore exposed to debris and contaminants present on the bottom in these areas."

Gray whales are bottom feeders and get their nutrition from the sediments in shallow waters. They filter small organisms as their food, but apparently they aren't always able to filter out human pollution. Researchers are currently studying the whale to find out the cause of death, which could be anything from not getting enough food (three other whales that died in April during migration appeared emaciated and perhaps didn't get enough to eat in Alaska last year) to pollution and chemicals in the water. The results won't be known for several weeks.

Green your Picnic

Enjoy the summer sunshine by planning an outdoor picnic for the family, your friends, or get romantic with a spread just for two. Here’s how to green your picnic basket, reduce your carbon footprint and still dine in style. When picking a venue for your picnic choose a central location for all those attending, saving on petrol is always welcome. Organize transport or car pool to reduce the amount of cars driving to the venue, this not only saves on your carbon emissions but also saves people getting lost or being unable to find parking. If you live in the Cape Town area, then catch the Sunday train to Simon’s town for your picnic. This will save petrol and you may even spot whales as your train rolls past Kalk bay. When picking a venue also consider going to botanical gardens or heritage areas. These will benefit from your patronage and can be a fun way to educate yourself and the kids about the environment and South Africa’s rich biodiversity. For the romantics, plan an evening picnic in your own garden. You can decorate with soy or beeswax candles and use low voltage LED light strings in your trees to set the mood. When it comes to the all important picnic basket, try to use non-disposable cutlery and packaging, as this will save on waste. If you are not looking to use the porcelain plates outside consider investing in a picnic cutlery set. Many stores are now stocking cutlery made from bamboo, chic and eco-friendly these are definite winners. However if you must go disposable, consider keeping all packaging bio-degradable, green home supplies biodegradable cups and all kinds of packaging that can be used for your picnic. Look for paper napkins that are recycled or unbleached, buy drinks in aluminum cans rather than plastic bottles as these are easier and more efficient to recycle. Also don’t forget about recycling just because you are not at home. Take small bags to keep your cans, bottles and recyclables separate ready to be taken home and recycled. Find a picnic blanket that is produced locally and via fair-trade methods, if it’s made from organic materials such as hemp or bamboo even better. For your menu choose as much local and organic food as possible and serving seasonal foods will also save you money, provide a delicious fresh menu and help the environment. Think sautéed veggie’s and char-grilled organic chicken wraps, which is easy to eat outdoors and don’t require plates. Others items can include fresh fruit salads, artisanal breads with homemade preserves, purchased from your local farmers market, organic chocolates and all topped off with an organic cheese and fruit platter served with one of the many delicious local organic wines South Africa has to offer. If you are heading for a picnic spot with braai facilities, green your braai by using natural and organic meats. Look for natural charcoal or propane and don’t use lighting fluid. (Read More: Greening Your Braai ) Outdoor pets and insects intent on taking over, can ruin a picnic but don’t resort to spraying chemical repellants at these unwanted guests. There are some great organic pests control sprays available thatwill leave no smell and stop the trail of ants from heading for your food. Most of all relax and unwind, there’s nothing better than a delicious fresh meal, eaten outdoors in the sunshine. Enjoy your green picnic.

www.mygreenchoices.co.za

LED Lighting

ABOUT LED LIGHTBULBS

LED LIGHT BULBS

There is a new kind of light bulb out now, the LED light bulb. This Bulb fits in a standard light bulb socket and is filled with bright Light Emitting Diodes. Compared to the standard incandescent bulb, or even to the highly efficient CFC(Compact fluorescent bulb) the LED uses miniscule amounts of electricity.

They also tend to last forever – manufacturers claim lifetimes of 40,000 to 60,000 hours. (Normal light bulbs can have a lifetime of up to 1000 hours).

Benefits of LED Lights Bulbs vs. Incandescent Light Bulbs

2Watt LED Light Bulb Regular 60 Watt Light Bulb

Life Span of the bulb 50,000 hrs 1,000hrs

Number of bulbs used

over 50,000 hours

1 50

Total Cost: R76.32 R299.50

(50 bulbs @R5.99each)

Electricity Usage –

kWh of Electricity used

over 60,000 hours 120kWh 3000kwh

Cost of Electricity –

60,000 hours at

50c per kWh R 60.00 R 1 500.00

TOTAL SAVINGS:

Money saved by using

one LED Light Bulb

R1663.18 /BULB!

The Real cost of lighting:

The greatest expense over the lifespan of a typical light fixture is your electricity, the cost of the

light fitting and even installation is negligible in the long run. By changing to energy efficient

lighting the extra costs of the new technology can be recouped in a short period.

LED bulbs and tubes last longer than cfc, rsquo;s and incandescent. With replacement,

maintenance and labor costs being higher than the original fitting, total saving with long life LED

lights can be very significant.

www.GreenLifeStore.co.za