Book 8. Green Guide 1: Green Home
(Natural Products, Cleaners, Cosmetics & Clothes, Renewable Energy, Car Energy)
I read David Suzuki's Green Guide and several other books you might find at #363.7 or #640 at the library. There is a great divide between people who care about green living and all the other people who seem indoctrinated by all the glitter on TV which tells you to keep buying junk you don’t need and keep doing meaningless stuff even if we’re polluting the planet and destroying the atmosphere.
I have two power cords, one for my computer and one for the devices near my bed. When I finish using each, I shut the power cord off to totally shut all that electricity off. Meanwhile I have relatives who leave their wireless modems on all the time 24/7.
When Ronald Reagan took the American Presidency in 1980, he arrogantly tore the solar panels off the roof of the White House which former President Jimmy Carter put up. If people had real sense, they would have listened to Jimmy Carter.
Today, every house in America could have been producing its own electricity with a few solar panels and a domestic wind generator but most of us are massively brainwashed to go the way of big oil which is excessive consumption.
Capitalism makes a lot of money for a lot of people but destroys a lot of lives not just from the deleterious effects of burning oil but also from the psycho-spiritual damaged lives of the many people who fall for material excess as the key to happiness which ends up destroying their lives.
I don't believe in a bunch of radical activists going off to create their own utopia like Galt's Gulch in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged because that doesn't solve the problem of planetary excessive consumption of finite resources and I don’t think it’s possible anyway because everybody is really a loner who wants their own pad and their own set-up the way they like it. Communal living always breaks down unless everybody has their own house.
There are big ecological disasters that could destroy our atmosphere. Nobody really knows.
For me, it’s healthier and spiritually peaceful to pursue a minimalist materialistic life where I don’t use much stuff and when I do, I try to go green as much as I can.
Writing this book gives me meaning and maybe I help a few people along the way see that excessive consumption beyond the level of basic comfort could be the most evil and destructive force on the planet.
Chapter 1. The Green Lifestyle
The Real Motive is a Wholesome, Meaningful Life
I grew up watching The Waltons, Andy Griffith, Green Acres and other shows that had a sense of community.
An eco-village is partially about building green houses and stuff and partially about a sense of community like Galt's Gulch in Ann Rand's Atlas Shrugged. When you think about it, it's what most wise people want, a mythical community where they can trust people to have basic standards of decency and civility.
In the city, I don't know if the guy walking down the street wants to rob me or kill me. In a small town, I get to know the neighbor because I eat a meal at the church supper with him and we help each other with small tasks.
I want a live a simple, rural, healthy, wholesome life.
Eco-Villages/ Healthy Communities
It's the idea of living in harmony with nature and each other.
A lot of people say they feel lonely and alienated from the rest of society.
It's like old-time tribal living.
The kids are around all day. They don't go to daycare or organized sports.
The parents can work outside the home but spend more time together than the average city couple.
There is a community helping thing.
In western Canada, I know of at least one subdivision where anyone is allowed to buy land or get it free provided they build a "green/ eco" house on it. They have a communal garden, a Co-op store where they sell to everyone including the public and an informal friendship arrangement where they barter goods and services like I babysit for you, you give me two apple pies. I imagine they have social events too and meetings where they make decisions on what to do within the community.
Communes don't work because people are naturally materialistic, want to own their own things, play favorities among each other and get jealous of each other so the true community is everyone with their own private house agreeing to live as a sociable community like the utopian community Galt's Gulch described by Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged.
The idea is that a bunch of like-minded people leave society to start their own community, each in their own separate houses doing their own particular jobs in the community, sharing a mutual bond of friendship and love of life but giving each other the space to live their own lives.
Before you start an ecovillage, visit one or more existing ones.
Make detailed, specific contracts with members, especially for land ownership. Keep it all legal in case problems come up.
Don't buy land unless you know it's zoned for what you want to do. Don't try to break county laws because thay're against eco types to start with and may want to run you out of town just to spite you.
Make a plan for basic utilities like water, sewage, electricity, roads, etc.
How sustainable do you want to be? To what extent do you want to garden, raise livestock, make things to sell, offer blacksmithing and other services to the public, etc.?
You have to either screen prospective members or be able to kick people out easily if they turn out to be bad apples.
Some intentional communities are:
abundantdawn.org
dancingrabbit.org
earthaven.org
lostvalley.org
mariposagrove.org
meadowdance.org
oaec.org
thefarm.org, an intentional community located on 3 square miles, home to approximately 200 persons, tennessee.
New Society Publishers at newsociety.com, 800 567-6772 has a book called:
Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities.
Try #307.77 at your local library.
gaiaeducation.org
permaculture.co.uk, the art of living in peace with all our fellow creatures, especially human beings.
newsociety.com
ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us
starhawk.org, earth activist
earthactivisttraining.org
iifac.org, International Institute for Facilitation and Consensus
huehuecoyotl.org, Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl, a centre for the exploration of the arts and ecology in central Mexico.
ena.ecovillage.org, the Ecovillage Network of the Americas
ecovillage.org
gen.ecovillage.org, the Board of the Global Ecovillage Network
iifac.org, International Institute for Facilitation and Consensus
azrielcohen.com, a creative consultant to develop cultural and environmental projects.
caduceus.info, the British journal Caduceus, a few articles.
caionline.org, community associations institute.
cohousing.ca
cohousing.com
cohousing.org
cohousingresources.com
communityatwork.com - Workshops on facilitation skills, organizational development, and more Institute for Cultural Affairs
consensus.net
context.org, context institute.
coophousing.org
creatingalifetogether.org
damanhur.it, community.
DianaLeafeChristian.org, e-newsletter about ecovillages and sustainable communities, workshops, north carolina.
dieter-duhm.de
earthaven.org
ecovillage.org
fic.org, fellowship for intentional community.
findhornpress.com
gaia.org
gaia.org/secretariats/genoceania/index, global ecovillage.
gemeinschaftsberatung.de
gemeinschaftsberatung.de
gen-europe.org, global ecovillage network.
ic.org, store.ic.org, intentional community.
iceclt.org, institute for community economics.
kirskontakte.de, German journal about communities and sustainable living
langleycommunityforum.org
livingroutes.org
malidoma.com, african wise man.
motherearthnews.com
navdanya.org
newsociety.com
nolo.com, law books.
oaec.org, workshop, occidental arts and ecology center.
permacultureactivist.net
prvme.org, Peace Research Village
satyana.org, Satyana Institute, Principles of Socially Engaged Spirituality
schumachersociety.org
self-counsel.com, law books.
siebenlinden.de, eco village in germany.
siriuscommunity.org
thefec.org, federation of egalitarian communities
tingan.info
together.net
ultimoround.com
valdichy.org
Green Activism Websites
starhawk.org, earth activist
earthactivisttraining.org
activistmagazine.com/
activistpost.com
blessedunrest.com/
directactions.net/
discoverthenetworks.org
disinfo.com
earthactivism.com/
earthactivisttraining.org.uk
earthcharterinaction.org
earthday.net
earthday.tumblr.com
earthfirst.org
earthfirst.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/earth_day
ens-newswire.com
environment.about.com/od/earthday/f/who-invented-earth-day.htm
green-agenda.com/globalrevolution.html
hulu.com, earth day.
jayepurplewolf.com
liveearth.org
oneworld.net/guides/environmentalactivism
pbcfilms.com/
pbs.org
petesplace-peter.blogspot.com
protest.net/links.html
reclaiming.org
renewablebazaar.com/group/greenactivistsworldwide
rnw.nl
speakoutnow.org
thedailyactivist.com
womenshistory.about.com/od/aframerwriters/p/angela_davis.htm
youtube.com, earth activist
abolition2000.org, abolition 2000 - global network to eliminate nuclear weapons.
access.gpo.gov
acronym.org.uk, the acronym institute; provides information on negotiations relating to all major weapons systems with particular focus on nuclear doctrines and policies.
afsc.org, american friends service committee
afstrinity.com
aero-net.org, liquid hydrgen airplane.
altairnano.com, battery technology.
alternativeradio.org, alternative radio.
amazonwatch.org, amazon watch.
amicc.org, american non-governmental organizations coalition for the international criminal court (amicc).
ananuclear.org, alliance for nuclear accountability (ana); national network of organizations working to address issues of nuclear weapons production and waste cleanup.
antiwar.com, antiwar.com; antiwar news, views and activities.
armscontrol.org, arms control association
associatedcontent.com
atimes.com
atomicmirror, atomic mirror uses the creative arts (film, music, images, performance, ceremony) to reveal the secrets of the nuclear age, and to advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons and power.
awea.org/pubs, American Wind Energy Association.
baltic-region.net, ballerina (baltic sea region on-line environmental information resources for internet access)
batteryuniversity.com
foe.co.uk/resource/reports/oil_for_ape_full.pdf
bellona.no, bellona
beyondnuclear.org
biofuelwatch.org.uk, biofuel watch.
blisstree.com
bloodandoilmovie.com
brotherhoodofthebomb.com
buildingsdatabook.eere.energy.gov
caes.net/mcintosh.html, project.
calcars.org/carmakers.
campaignforliberty.com
carbonfund.org/documents/
carolegallagher.info
cars-suck.org
ccnr.org
ccnr.org, canadian coalition for nuclear responsibility
cdi.org, center for defense information think tank founded by retired senior u.s. military officers offering alternative views on security.
cdi.org, center for defense information, center for defense information.
cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/trends.htm.
ceche.org, center for communications, health and the environment.
census.gov
census.gov/
chez-nous.net/peace.html, chez-nous.net peace & justice site
chloramine.org, citizens concerned about chloramine.
citizen.org, public citizen
citizenalert.org, citizen alert grassroots environmental group that works to assure public participation and government accountability on issues that affect nevada.
climate.org, climate institute.
climatedenial.org
climatemaster.com
cos-trust.com, canadian oil sands.
cpuc.ca.gov, public utilities, california.
climatesciencewatch.org, climate science watch.
cnic.or.jp/english, citizens' nuclear information center.
cnp.ca, campaign for nuclear phaseout
cns.miis.edu, monterey institute.
committeetobridgethegap.org, a non-profit nuclear policy organization
commondreams.org
commondreams.org
commondreams.org
commondreams.org, common dreams
corporate-ir.net
corpwatch.org
counterpunch.org
cqs.com
cseindia.org, centre for science and environment (cse); one of india's leading environmental ngos with a deep interest in sustainable natural resource management.
democracynow.org, democracy now, democracy now.
dissidentvoice.org
doi.gov
dsireusa.org, North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
dupont.com/Sustainability
dupont.com/Sustainability/en_US/Performance_
eany.org, environmental advocates; watchdog and advocate on environmental issues in the state of new york
earth2tech.com
westgov.org/wga, western governor's assn.
earthbeatradio.org
earthbeatradio.org, earthbeat radio, earthbeat radio.
earthisland.org
earthisland.org
earthisland.org, earth island journal, earth island journal.
earthislandprojects.org
earthlife.org.za, earthlife africa.
earth-policy.org
earthways.org
eastbayexpress.com
ecodefense.ru, ecodefense; anti-nuclear campaign of the socio-ecological union, russia.
ecologia.org, ecologists linked for organizing grassroots initiatives and action.
ecoshock.org, ecoshock, ecoshock.
eere.energy.gov
eere.energy.gov/
eere.energy.gov/buildings/database/energy.cfm
eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells
efaw.org, educational foundation of america
eia.doe.gov
eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/
eia.doe.gov/oiaf/economy/energy_price.pdf.
eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/
eia-international.org, environmental investigation agency.
ejnet.org, web resources for environmental justice activists.
ejrc.cau.edu, environmental justice resource center at clark atlanta university.
emagazine.com
emagazine.com
en.wikipedia.orgwiki/renewable_energy_in_spain
encognitive.com
energy.ca.gov
energy.ca.gov/
energy.ca.gov/efficiency/appliances/index.html.
energy.gov
energybulletin.net
environmentaldefense.org
enviroreporter.com
eoslifework.co.uk
epa.gov
epa.gov
epa.gov/climatechange/
epri.com
eskom.co.za
esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends
esrmetro.org, educators for social responsibility metropolitan area helps people develop skills and convictions to shape a just, peaceful, and democratic society.
ethanolmarket.com
eugeneweekly.com
evergreensolar.com
factsofwny.com, f.a.c.t.s. (for a clean tonawanda site); non-governmental, non-profit, public interest organization located in the western new york area.
fbo.gov
flashpoints.net, flashpoints, flashpoints.
fluoridealert.org, fluoride action network.
foe.org, friends of the earth, friends of the earth.
foe.org, friends of the earth.
foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/oz/alliance, australian nuclear-free alliance
folkkampanjen.se/engfront.html, swedish anti-nuclear movement (fmkk)
foodandwaterwatch.org, food and water watch.
fordfound.org, ford foundation
fordfound.org/elibrary/documents/0159/toc.cfm
fourthfreedom.org, fourth freedom forum; encourages discussion, development, and dissemination of ideas that will free humanity from the fear of war
fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications
fueleconomy.gov
global2000.at, global 2000 (austria)
globalpolicy.org
globalresearch.ca
globalzero.org
globalzero.org, global zero: a world without nuclear weapons.
gnep.energy.gov.
google.org/recharge
gracelinks.org, grace (global resource action center for the environment)
greenbuildingsolutions.org
greenpeace.org
greenpeace.org, greenpeace international.
greenpeace.org, greenpeace, greenpeace.
greenpeace.org.uk, greenpeace uk
grida.no/climate/ipcc/aviation/index.htm
guardian.co.uk, guardian, guardian/uk environment.
guardian.co.uk/environment
guardian.co.uk/environment
haguepeace.org, hague appeal for peace.
hanfordwatch.org, hanford watch; portland, oregon based group that educates the public on issues related to the hanford nuclear site in washington state.
harvesth2o.com, harvesth2o.com: the online rainwater harvesting community.
helencaldicott.com, anti-nuclear
heyokamagazine.com
hm-treasury.gov.uk
huemmerich.com
huffingtonpost.com
huffingtonpost.com
huffingtonpost.com/green, huffington post green, huffington post green.
hybridcars.com
hydrogencarsnow.com
iatp.org, institute for agriculture and trade policy; promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.
icbl.org, international campaign to ban landmines.
iccnow.org, coalition for the international criminal court.
ieep.eu
ieer.org
ieer.org
ieer.org, institute for energy and environmental research
ieer.org/reports/energy/
ieer.org/reports/wind/cashcrop/index.html.
ifyoulovethisplanet.org
ifyoulovethisplanet.org
ifyoulovethisplanet.org
igc.org, institute for global communications; peacenet, econet, womensnet
independent.co.uk/environment
independent.co.uk/environment
indigenousnative.org, (citizens against ruining our environment); all-navajo environmental organization that empowers local and traditional people in arizona, utah & new mexico to organize, speak out and determine their own destinies.
industrie.gouv.fr
inesap.org, inesap (international network of engineers and scientists against proliferation)
intoeternitythemovie.com
ipcc.ch
ippnw.org, international physicians for the prevention of nuclear war
ippnw.org, ippnw (international physicians for the prevention of nuclear war)
ippnw-ulm.de
ips-dc.org, institute for policy studies; multi-issue progressive think tank.
iufro.org
jjay.cuny.edu/terrorism, center on terrorism, john jay college of criminal justice, city university of new york; study terrorism conceptually and identify practical applications of that knowledge in the search for alternative forms of human security.
jtalliance.org, just transition alliance; fence-line communities and front-line workers united for justice.
jwj.org, jobs with justice; mission: to improve working people's standard of living, fight for job security, and protect workers' right to organize.
lanl.gov
lasg.org, los alamos study group; new mexico-based nuclear disarmament research organization.
latimesblogs.latimes.com
lcnp.org, lawyers' committee on nuclear policy; a nonprofit educational association using national and international law to promote peace and disarmament.
lees-web.mit.edu/lees/reports/
library.corporate-ir.net/
lintilhacfoundation.org, lintilhac foundation
lipower.org/cei/geothermal.fox.html.
loe.org,living on earth radio show, living on earth radio show.
lsbu.ac.uk/solarcar/solion.pdf.
metoffice.gov.
microwavenews.com, microwave news [covers all emf hazards].
mitpress.mit.edu
moveon.org, democracy in action
naav.com, national association of atomic veterans (naav); nonprofit veterans service corporation dedicated to assisting veteran participants of atomic weapons testing.
nahbrc.org
nanosolar.com
nationalgeographic.com
naturalnews.com
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc1994872, use of depleted uranium is a form of radiologic warfare
newnuclearnothanks.freeola.com
nfpa.org/assets/files/pdf/codesstandards/
nirs.org
nirs.org, nuclear information and resource service (nirs) .
nirs.org, nuclear information and resource service.
njc.org/disease-info/
nmenvirolaw.org, new mexico environmental law center.
no-nukes.org
nonviolence.org, nonviolence web.
npts.ornl.gov
nrdc.org, natural resources defense council (nrdc) nuclear program.
nrdc.org, natural resources defense council.
nrdc.org/air/energy/biofuels/
nrel.gov, renewable energy.
nrel.gov/analysis/power
nrel.gov/docs/
ntrs.nasa.gov
nuclearactive.org, concerned citizens for nuclear safety organization based in santa fe, new mexico focused on increasing public awareness concerning issues posed by radioactivity and the nuclear industry.
nuclear-free.com, nuclear-free future award.
nuclearno.com, citizen's center for nuclear nonproliferation; ngo in krasnoyarsk, russia focusing on nuclear safety, radiation contamination of krasnoyarsk, and the effects of processing spent nuclear fuel and plutonium extraction.
nuclearpolicy.org, nuclear policy research institute (npri) .
nuclearweaponsfree.org, campaign for a nuclear weapons free world
nuclearweaponsfree.org, campaign for a nuclear weapons free world, campaign for a nuclear weapons free world.
nyc.gov
ombwatch.org, omb watch promoting governmental accountability in budget, regulatory, nonprofit advocacy, information policy and right to know issues.
opanal.org, the agency for the prohibition of nuclear weapons in latin america and the caribbean (includes information on nuclear weapon free zones)
oraibi.alphacdc.com, necona, national environmental coalition of native americans; native american environmentalists working to keep nuclear waste off indian lands.
ornl.gov/sci/solar
peterlight.com
phoenixmotorcars.com
physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/6i.html. pnas.org
pircenter.org (policy studies in russia); non-profit moscow-based organization focused on research and public education on international security, arms control and civil-military issues in russia.
planetark.com
whitehouse.gov/news
ploughshares.org
ploughshares.org, ploughshares fund
pnfa.org.au, people for a nuclear-free australia.
poclad.org, program on corporations, law & democracy (poclad); instigating democratic conversations and actions that contest the authority of corporations to govern.
pogo.org
powerlight.com
powermanagementdesignline.com
powernaturally.org
powi.ca
prairieisland, prairie island coalition; watchdog group for the prairie island nuclear power reactors in minnesota.
princesrainforestsproject.org, prince's rainforests project, prince's rainforests project.
proteusfund.org/grantmaking/colombe, colombe foundation
prsea.org
psc.state.ga.us
psr.org, physicians for social responsibility
psr.org, physicians for social responsibility
psr.org, physicians for social responsibility; national organization working for nuclear disarmament, environmental protection and violence prevention.
publicwelfare.org, public welfare foundation
pubs.usgs.gov
rainforestsos.org
ran.org, rainforest action network, rainforest action network.
ratical.org
reachingcriticalwill.org, reaching critical will; information on nuclear disarmament issues and events.
realclimate.org, realclimate - climate science from climate scientists.
redwoodalliance.org, redwood alliance; california-based environmental organization promoting safe and efficient energy.
repartners.org/wind/wpcost.htm
reuters.com
rosaliebertell.net
rte.ie/news
ruse-europe.org
s-asians-against-nukes.org, south asians against nukes
saudi-us-relations.org
sciencemag.org
sciencenews.org
scientificamerican.com
seac.org, student environmental action coalition.
sheehanmiles.com
shundahai.org, shundahai network; network that combines education, community building, spiritual ceremony and nonviolent direct action to protect and defend water, air and mother earth.
sierraclub.org
sierraclub.org, sierra club.
slocountyoes.com
snakeriveralliance.org, snake river alliance; idaho's nuclear watchdog.
space4peace.org, global network against weapons and nuclear power in space
space4peace.org, global network against weapons and nuclear power in space.
spusa.org, student pugwash sponsor conferences concerned with reducing the danger of armed conflict and seeking cooperative solutions for global problems.
sric.org, southwest research and information center; albuquerque-based group working on nuclear waste, uranium mining, and us-mexico border environmental improvement.
srmtrust.org, stewart r. mott charitable trust
stimson.org, stimson center; washington-based policy institute focused on solutions to security challenges including chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
stopthebombs.org, oak ridge environmental peace alliance works to halt nuclear weapons work at the y-12 plant in oak ridge, tennessee.
sunlight-direct.com
sunshine-project.org, sunshine project; research and facts about biological weapons and biotechnology.
technologyreview.com
teslamotors.com
tewawomenunited.org, tewa women united; promotes and supports activities which nurture and care for the well being of mother earth, including being free of all nuclear contamination
texacotoxico.atlantesoftware.com
thebulletin.org, bulletin of the atomic scientists.
thebulletin.org, bulletin of the atomic scientists.
theness.com
thenewpress.com
theprovince.com
thp.org, the hunger project.
timesonline.co.uk
tmsfeatures.com
towncreekfdn.org, town creek foundation
treehugger.com, treehugger.
treepower.org
trivalleycares.org, tri-valley cares (communities against a radioactive environment); california-based community group concerned about environmental impacts of nuclear weapons work at nearby livermore laboratories.
trivalleycares.org, tri-valley cares: communities against a radioactive environment.
tropicalconservationscience.mongabay.com
truthout.org
truthout.org, truthout - environmental
tucradio.org"tuc radio, tuc radio.
tupolev.ru/english/show.asp
turningtide.com
ucsusa.org, union of concerned scientists.
unausa.org, united nations association of the usa
unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/conveng.pdf
vcstar.com
vitalitymagazine.com
wand.org, women's action for new directions (wand)
wand.org, women's action for new directions.
wapa.gov
washingtonpeacecenter.org, washington peace center.
web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-full.pdf.
wetlands.org
whistleblower.org, government accountability project; the country's leading whistleblower organization.
wilpf.org, women's international league for peace and freedom.
wilsoncenter.org
wise-uranium.org
wnpj.org, wisconsin network for peace and justice.
worldsecurityinstitute.org, world security institute.
worldwatch.org, worldwatch institute, worldwatch institute.
wslfweb.org, western states legal foundation [monitors nuclear weapons labs and advocates for nuclear abolition].
wwf.org
yellowstonenuclearfree.com, keep yellowstone nuclear free; seeks to stop nuclear and hazardous waste incineration at the idaho national environmental and engineering laboratory.
ywca.org, multicultural women's organization in the world. mission: to eliminate racism and empower women.
Chapter 2. Green Lifestyle/ Green Living
Green Home 1
I'm against dependence on foreign oil for two reasons. Firstly, if you're enlightened and sane, you never let anyone else control your destiny if you can at all help it.
Secondly, the most natural thing in the world to do to my way of thinking in order to eliminate our dependence on foreigners for oil, bring jobs to our own people and help save the environment all at the same time is to start on an aggressive, massive switch to alternative energy everywhere; at the utility companies, in our cars and even in our homes but most people are as casual as ever about it.
The stupidity of politicians who have the power to change things and the human race in general for allowing this state of affairs to go on without protesting vehemently never ceases to amaze me.
I think alternative energy is one of the greatest ideas in the world that we can currently realistically do for our own good that nobody seems to be excited or urgent about on a massive scale. Maybe it's got something to do with the big oil companies in bed with the politicians.
It's not just about alternative energy though. It's about:
1.) Being frugal and practical, not wasting things nor looking for happiness through a lifestyle of material excess.
2.) Our houses are chemical cesspools. The food we eat are chemical cesspools. Anybody that thinks that being surrounded by a bunch of chemicals and eating them doesn't damage our health is a fool.
It's everything about the modern world. Do you believe the waves from cellphones don't damage your brain? What about those big-screen plasma TVs? What about water with chlorine in it? What do we know about how dangerous chlorine is or how about all those gas fumes spewing out of cars?
It's easy to work some average job, make decent money, buy some good food at a drive-through, sit at home watching silly programs on your big TV brainwashing you to buy more stuff you don't need.
I can't say that I'm a saint or a truly kind person. I'm an ideas person for my own sake, to stimulate my mind to keep it young. I write a book like this so I can make some money by helping people but at the same time I really believe in some of this stuff. I will never own a cellphone or a big screen TV. I don't trust what any company says about its products. That's what green living is all about.
Us regular folk can do something about improving our lives in our own little way. I'd like to improve upon this book as we go along living. If you have any informative articles that you've written or a website about the subject, send it to me and I'll add it to the next edition of this book.
Other people offer advice on green living in some of the books coming out on the subject.
I found green living books at #332.024, , #333.72, #640 and HG179 or TD171.7 at my local library.
The regular home handyman books go from #670 to #699.
Try #333.7, #361, #363.70-74, #613.5, #613.6, #615.9 #690.837 and RA577-RA770 at the library for books about indoor pollution and home safety.
Books about home health/ environmental medicine are at #613.5 at the library.
Green Home 2
The eco-home, green home, healthy home concept has several guiding rules which are as follows:
1.) Attempt to build a home out of as many natural products as possible to minimize the use of chemicals in the products.
2.) Use alternative energy for electrical power and heat.
3.) Use water from a well, collected from rain, from a lake, etc., not water chemically treated from the municipal supply.
4.) Try not to intrude on the surrounding environment. Blend in with it.
5.) Do not use more than you need. Don't make it extravagantly excessive.
6.) Make it feel as close to living outside in nature as possible by having plants inside, opening the windows, having windows to let the sunshine in, etc.
7.) Don't waste much. Try to use everything. Recycle some of your garbage, burn it for fuel or use it as compost.
Green buildings or green houses are designed to use less energy and use it efficiently. They cost about the same or a little more than a normal house.
Avoid building a home bigger than you need.
Try to live somewhere near to where you work and go to school.
Reuse old building materials if possible.
Use local materials if possible.
Create a super energy efficient home.
Use renewable energy.
There are many possible hazards in a home. The following is a list of some of them:
Air Quality, Indoor
Asbestos
Biological Contaminants
Carbon Monoxide
Cell Phones
Combustible Products
DDT
Electromagnetic Fields/ Emfs
Erosion And Sedimentation
Floods, Natural Disasters
Formaldehyde Insulation
Hazardous Waste Facilities Nearby
Heating Oil Storage Tanks
Household Chemicals
Landfills Nearby
Lead
Lead-Based Paint
Microwaves
Noise Pollution
Organic Chemicals
Pcbs
Pests, Termites
Pesticides, Dangerous
Poisonous Products
Pressure Treated Wood
Radiation
Radon
Tobacco Smoke
Toxic Household Chemicals
Water Quality
Many people are unknowingly allergic to many of the toxic products in their homes.
When buying or selling a house, check with the local regulations regarding the above factors.
Try #333, #613.5, #690.837, #728, RA577 and RA770.5 at the library for books about indoor pollution and home safety. Many people are unknowingly allergic to many of the toxic products in their homes.
Green Living One-Liners 1
Think more. Use less.
Sustainable living is to live in such a way that you use mostly renewable resources and try to harm the environment as little as possible. It's smart because it's cheaper than the way most people live as capitalist consumers and you're helping to save the Earth at the same time.
Sustainable agriculture is growing enough vegetables, fruits, grains, etc. and raising enough livestock to feed yourself without using pesticides.
You are what you eat.
An invidual doing small things does their part.
Work with nature rather than against it.
You can grow herbs and sprouts in window boxes and indoor flower pots.
Bake your own bread.
Unplug things that use energy on standby.
Wash dishes by hand over using the dishwasher.
Use your dryer only in emergencies.
Take a trip to your local library and you'll find the latest books and movies available free of charge.
Eating out is more expensive than eating at home.
Avoid late fees by paying your bills online. You can set up automatic bill pay with your
bank.
New urbanism is about balancing development with natural resources while building single-family homes. It's accomplished through government policies governing zoning, development and minimum density requirements.
In places with warm climates, the widest side of the house should face north or south to avoid a direct hit from the sun therefore minimizing its heat.
Try to build the house in the shade of trees to help keep it cool during the hot days.
Tint on large windows that face the sun at some part of the day stops a lot of heat from getting in.
In cold climates, take advantage of the sun's heating power.
Concrete or stone walls absorb the sun's heat and hold it for awhile after sunset.
Consider retractable awnings that you pull down when the sun is hot to cool your house, pull up when it's cold to get hat from the sun.
Solar screens reduce heat and glare from the sun but allow the light to enter
the house.
Look for green contractors and designers with experience in sustainability.
By building a home at least partially below the ground, you can maintain a moderate temperature year-round. The soil keeps that underground area cool in the summer and insulated in the winter.
Rather than starting from scratch, you could green an existing home.
Green Living One-Liners 2
To reduce hot-water consumption, buy a low-flo showerhead.
Refrigerators use more electricity than any other
appliance. New refrigerator are much more energy-efficient.
Energy Star-qualified windows are the best, energystar.gov.
Lower your water heater's thermostat to 120 degrees.
Get a programmable thermostat. Lower the temperature for the time you're in bed and when you're not home. Raise the temperature 20 minutes before you get up.
Wash clothes in cold water.
Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
Many household appliances use electricity even when switched off. I unplug appliances I rarely use like my computer printer. I plug it in for the few minutes I use it then unplug it.
Reduce your gas bill by grouping your errands.
Consider biking or walking when you don't have far to go.
Homemade cleaners work just as well as store-bought cleaners and at a fraction of the price.
Use vinegar and baking soda.
Wash your laundry in cold water.
Turn the heat off in rooms you don't use.
Buy organic products.
Buy local and seasonal if possible.
A solar backpack is a portable electric generator.
Bamboo is a good choice for organic clothing.
Be less materialistic.
Breastfeed or use organic baby formula.
Burn less gas any way you can.
Buy baby clothes at a thrift shop.
Buy products from sustainable companies.
Use a rain barrel to collect water to use in your garden.
Buy clothes from a thrift shop or buy organic clothing.
Buy food as fresh and unprocessed as possible.
Buy as little frivolous things as possible.
Use moderation in most things.
Throw or give away stuff you don't need then live a simpler lifestyle. Even buy a smaller house.
If you got any stuff in storage, the storage fees probably cost more than the stuff is worth. Get rid of it.
You are what you do. Watch less TV.
Learn about recycling some of your stuff.
Eat more natural, organic foods, less processed foods. Cook most of your foods yourself. Find organic cookbooks at #641 at the library.
Throw away some chemical cleaners. Start using natural ones, epa.gov.
I talk about the dangers of microwave ovens and microwaves for electrical towers elsewhere.
Toasters are fire hazards.
Toast is carcinogenic.
Bacteria gets on food not stored properly.
Cookware with a nonstick coating is toxic.
The less chemicals in everything including paint and tap water, the better off you are.
Open windows everyday to ventilate the house, epa.gov.
If you got paints and other things with chemicals in them that you're storing, put them either in your detached garage or outside under the patio. If you put them in the basement, those chemicals can seep upstairs, epa.gov.
Use natural gardening and pest control products, epa.gov.
Buy an automatic setback thermostat that you can program to shut the heat off for the day then turn it on 15 minutes before you get home.
Buy a fiberglass insulation pad to go around your hot water heater. Insulate your hot water pipes.
Buy a water filter if you're paranoid about tap water.
Buy toys made of wood over plastic. Buy simple toys.
Buy liquids in recyclable bottles. There is a recycling number on the label. Types 1, 2 and 3 are recyclable.
Buy in bulk to avoid packaging costs.
Buy natural wood-made furniture rather than furniture made out of artifical fibers.
Buy stuff at thrift shops.
Ceiling fans help keep you cool in the summer and blow thew warnm air down in the winter.
Check out natural cosmetics over chemical ones.
Check for a draft around windows and doors by lighting a match. If a wind affects the flame, that's a gap that has to be sealed up.
Choose glass bottles over plastic because they're recyclable.
Choose glass or plastic over aluminum cans when buying drinks.
Clean shoes with olive or vegetable oil.
Close windows when it gets cold.
Close curtains at nightfall in the winter to help insulate the house.
Commercial deodarants contain aluminum which is toxic. Use baking soda or a salt rinse.
Compost your organic waste for fertilizer.
Cool your house by growing quick-growing vines on trellises on the outside walls.
Green Living One-Liners 3
Cut your grass every two weeks instead of every week.
Do some things by hand like washing the dishes and mowing the lawn.
Don't use a hair dryer. Let your hair dry on its own.
Don't smoke.
Don't use plastic shopping bags. Take your own cloth bag or a sports bag to the store when you shop.
Don't use nontick frying pans. When overheated, they release a toxin.
Don't heat rooms that aren't used. Block them off.
Don't waste water.
Don't buy bottled water. It probably came from a tap connected to a city water supply anyway.
Don't use disposable cups or plates.
Donate old books to the library.
Donate old clothes and stuff to a charity that runs a thright shop.
Dry your clothes on a clothesline.
Eat organic foods.
Eating vegetables as opposed to meat takes much less energy to create the same food energy.
Everything you use that's locally made means it didn't have to be transported.
Exercise. Eat healthy foods.
Fans and open windows are cheaper to use than air conditioners. There are low-energy-rated air conditioners on the market.
Fix things that break.
Get a rain barrel that collects rain water then use it to water your plants.
Get your name off junk-mail lists.
Give away or sell what you no longer need on ebay.com.
Give most of your stuff away.
Go easy on home décor and stuff you don't really need.
Grow some vegetables.
I know it's illegal in some places but organic milk is healthier than regular pasteurized milk.
If you don't like to mow lawns, there are alternatives like a vegetable garden, rock garden, wildflowers, alyssum, periwinkle, thyme or woodruff. If you're mowing a lawn, let the clippings stay there to release nutrients into the soil.
If you see illegal dumping or other pollution, report it.
If you're extreme, try reusable diapers over throwaway ones. You can buy disposable diapers made from recyclable materials.
If your freezer is not near full, put containers of water in it so they freeze and help keep the freezer cold using less energy than a half-empty freezer.
If you own a home, learn about the best way to insulate it.
If you use hot-water radiators, put metal sheets behind them so they reflect the heat back and it doesn't go into the walls.
If you have paint and other chemical solvents laying around, either throw them away or put them in the garage away from the house.
If your old appliances wear out, buy eco-efficient new ones. Check energystar.gov for the best appliances.
If your fridge is too big for what you need, consider a smaller fridge.
Instead of buying coffee or eating out, pack your own lunches.
Insulate your house well.
Join a local eco group.
Keep plants in your house to clean the air. Open the windows for at least an hour a day. Clean windows let more sun in.
Learn about using natural cleaning products like vinegar and baking soda.
Live as naturally as possible. Grow some vegetables.
Look for a new fridge that has greenfreeze technology.
Lower your hot-water heater thermostat.
Make your own baby food using a blender to blend fruits and vegetables.
Make herbal shampoo. Boil some flowers and herbs then use the water to wash your hair.
Minimize the use of electricity.
Monitor your electricity bill. See if you can reduce amount of electricity used.
Mothballs are chemical. Use herbal bags or potpourri instead.
Open your curtains during the day in the winter to let heat in from the sun. Close them in the summer to keep heat out.
Outdoor swimming pools waste tons of water and use polluting chemicals. Turn it into a garden or cover the top with a plastic roof and make it a greenhouse.
Pay your bills by getting the money automatically debited out of your account. It saves hassles and paper. You still get a statement in the mail but you don't have to send a check.
Plastic is made from oil and chemicals. Use less.
Rain barrels collect rain but there are even better things called rainwater harvesting system.
Recycle plastics. There are codes on plastic bottles saying how easy they are to recycle.
Recycle glass bottles.
Recycle bottles, paper and cardboard.
Recycle old paper. There should be a recycling bin for paper with your local garbage pick-up.
Regulate your fridge to be at 38 degrees fahrenheit. The freezer should be at -5.
Replace a motorboat with a rowboat.
Ride a bike to do some errands.
Save on heating costs by wearing an extra sweater.
Slow down. Be more relaxed.
Some digital equipment even when shut off still uses electricity. Unplug it.
Steam washing machines are the latest in eco-technology for washing machines.
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