Green Daily

Are you unclear on how exactly your meat and dairy were produced? 'Natural' or 'free range' or 'no animal by-products?' Whether it's at the farmer's market or the grocery store the terms can be pretty loose and non-specific.

Sustainable Table has made a brochure to help you nail down the terminology. The group advocates for sustainable and local food production, they also create educational tools like this one for the public.

The Glossary of Meat Production Methods can be downloaded, printed and taken with you. Diane Hatz is the founder of Sustainable Table. She says the group created the brochure because so many people said food labels got in the way of their attempts to be more sustainable and humane with their food.

Hatz says the term "cage free" is an example of that. She says the terms really just means the chickens weren't in cages. It doesn't mean they went outside or had plenty of room.

"Most often, cage free means the animals were raised indoors in crowded conditions," she explains. "This label is very similar to free range or free roaming – it does not guarantee the animals ever went outside. Because none of these labels, except organic and biodynamic, are independently certified, the only way you're really going to know how your food is produced is to ask the farmer that grew/raised it."

You can download the glossary here.

If you are in Austin or on your way there, keep in mind that you can relatively sustainable at SXSW. SXSW is a 22 year old music festival in Austin that is the place to be for musicheads and techie types, and it is in full swing right now.

Here are few things to consider while you do your daily listening:

• SXSW has partnered with Bicycle Sport Shop to provide a variety of rental bikes. Bike, don't drive, or walk. Downtown Austin is not that big.
• Pedicabs are also available. And who doesn't want a ride in one of those?
• Everyone has a battery need at a time like this. Use rechargeable batteries, and buy solar powered battery chargers for your cell phone, iPod, etc.
• SXSW suggests you head to their sustainability panels, and that you read "The Weather Makers" by Tim Flannery.
• SXSW also suggests you avoid the brand new "I was at SXSW" t-shirt in exchange for vintage clothes on South Congress
• They also encourage getting your water bottle out and refilling it with tap water or water from the fountain at the Austin Convention Centre.
• As many will be craving an alcoholic beverage, SXSW also suggests you look for local beers and wines. Local means less carbon created in getting your beer to your lips.
  

And check out the SXSW YouTube site if you can't go.

CFLs or LEDs?

Poop! We all do it! Next to dying and that horrible surgery you had to remove that weird tumor poop is one of those things no one wants to talk about it. So, let me say it one more time just for effect: Poop!

Gosh that felt weirdly good. Now on to the subject of this blog post. Your cat or dog produces a lot of waste, but most Americans treat it like it was a broken lamp or a soggy pizza box and throw it in the garbage.

That is not smart! The bacteria is harmful to the land, and often ends up in waterways. That leads to algae blooms, which prevent sunlight from reaching below the surface of water and stops the production of oxygen for plant and animal life below.

Just think, your dog poop could be killing a fish! You might need to go to confession for that.

For dog owners, you have a few good options to dispose of the waste. You can flush it down the toilet, because most sewage systems can treat the bacteria in the poop. You can also bury it at least 12 inches underground. Your third and final option is to create a dog poop composter. City Farmer and the U.S. Department of Agriculture both have instructions on building an effective one.

I posted on the bed bug problem spreading across the U.S. last month, but I never got around to thanking the people who wrote in with their own approaches to dealing with a bed bug infestation.

Here are a few of the things I heard.

Aaron Edwards was featured in the photo I posted of a man attacked by bed bugs. He says a friend in Brooklyn had an infestation and used an electronic device from Good Life to get rid of the creatures. The Pest Repeller Ultimate uses "Super Sonic and Electro-Vibrawave Technology" to drive indoor pests mad. The consumer guide doesn't mention bed bugs, but Edwards says his friend washed all of his clothing and linens well, then turned on the device, and hasn't had a problem since.

Thomas wrote that Kleen-Free Naturally worked for him. The product is non-toxic, but it does eat away at the exoskeleton of bed bugs. The trick with this product is that you must locate the bed bugs and spray the formula on them. The Bedbug Terminator is a new item of theirs, EPA exempt. They say all of their products are environmentally safe, and have conducted studies. No information, however, is available on what exactly their products are made of.

Finally, Chris from Xero Bugs wrote in to mention his cedar oil based cleaning products. The smell Cedar-cide is toxic to pests, much like ammonia to humans. These products are not safe for plants, but they are safe for people and animals. Best Yet Insect Spray can be applied to the skin to form a barrier against bed bugs, as well as applied to areas that are infested with bed bugs and other insects. The product description boasts instant death for bed bugs, and is considered a minimum risk pesticide.

February 12th will mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birthday. The man who introduced the concept of evolution and documented much of the biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands is being celebrated around the world.

One of the many events worth noting is the BBC's "World Class" chat with kids living on the Galapagos Islands. The idea is to discover what life is like on one of the world's most biodiverse lands. Kids around the world can send in questions, via their teachers, to worldclass@bbc.co.uk by February 10th. Students living on the islands and at the Charles Darwin Research Foundation will answer those questions via Web on February 12th.

The Evolution Megalab is a Europe-wide experiment that anyone in Europe can participate in--and probably anyone else, just ask. The project is snail observation, and while that may sound sluggish the point is to find snails and make observations about their looks. They want to determine how climate change is affecting snails survival. According to the organizers at the Royal Society and Open University " Shell colour also affects how sensitive a snail is to temperature.Have shell colours changed with our warming climate?" You can register online at their Website.

Events and exhibitions celebrating or honoring the man can be found at Darwin Day Celebration. Just put in your location, and up will pop museum exhibits, dinners, lectures, species hunts and parties.

For those inclined to read, Nature.com has a series of articles, opinions and resources on Darwin.

Number five plastic is ubiquitous. Your prescription bottles have it, your yogurt containers, the lids to your soda bottles, and more. Well, I found a little something out that I thought might interest all of you out there in Greenville.

Stonyfield Farms will take their yogurt containers back if your community doesn't recycle #5 plastic and you can't stand the idea of throwing them away. I tend to use my quart containers of #5 plastic for other things (paint brushes, leftovers, bulk catnip), but usually I end up needing to throw some away.

Stonyfield explains on its Website that the company chose to go with #5 because it can use less plastic in making the containers than if #2 were used. Moreover, many communities don't actually recycle wide mouthed #2 containers. The company believes its reduction in packaging outweighs the benefits of using #2. But if you aren't happy throwing away your #5, you can send your clean yogurt containers to the company. Their people will recycle them for you.

One more thing about #5 - more communities are recycling them. St. Louis, for example, happily accepts #5 plastic. Houston and Chicago do, too. Check out your community's recycling page to figure out what's available in your area.

Wikia Green looks much like Wikipedia on the outside, but then when you dig into it, there are many differences. Wikipedia gives you information but Wikia Green gives you the steps to go out and do something. It's more about the how to than just the who, what, where and when.

For example:

• Wikipedia article on composting vs. Wikia Green article on How to start a compost pile
• Wikipedia information on carbon emissions vs. Wikia Green information on How to reduce your carbon footprint
• Wikipedia info on Leonardo DiCaprio vs. Wikia info on Leo

The site has over 600 articles and is looking for those in the know to contribute more information. So, if you have something green you want to share, Wikia wants to hear from you!

[Via Eco Localizer]

A while back we posted about sex toys that could be cancerous. And then, because we saw that you seemed to be interested in this subject, we posted about toys that were safe and where you could get them.

Like most things there is always more to learn about the safety of your sex toys, both in terms of chemicals and handling. Violet Blue is a sex columnist, blogger, author and podcaster of all things sex. (A note to parents, her site does contain some nudity, you must be 18 to enter.) She's posted extensively on the subject.

Here are a few products she lists as unsafe "at any speed":

Toys and cleaners that contain Nonoxynol-9. This detergent was once advertised as an HIV preventative. Don't believe the hype. It will only abrade your cervix or rectum. More information on N-9 and it's history can be found here.

Breathe in bleach for a few minutes, or even a few seconds, and something in your brain should communicate to your body (and vice versa) that this is dangerous for you. But why? That's my four-year old niece's favorite question and if you're anything like her it may be your question as well.

There's a little thing called the Material Safety Data Sheet that outlines the reactions a particular chemical will have with another material and under what conditions the chemical becomes dangerous. If you're worried about a chemical you may come in contact with this database could be helpful.

Canada, the EU and other nations have their own system that outlines concerns and safety precautions one should take using a given chemical.

These databases are not frequently online, though if you work with chemicals in your workplace your employer is required to have documentation available on each material that could be hazardous.

Because these databases are built for people in constant contact with a chemical they may not apply to the few minutes you may spend in your bathroom with said abrasive. But, if you're anything like my niece, you may want to know what that paint stripper, mildew remover or degreaser is doing to your house or your cats paws.

Check out the links for some available online content.

Yesterday, Waste Management, a large waste management company, launched an online service to help households recycle hazardous household waste including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), batteries and some electronics.

The program, Think Green From Home, starts with an online order of the special kit, which is delivered to your home. According to Waste Management, you simply set up the box and line it with the Mercury VaporLok bag. Fill it with your bulbs that you need to discard, then seal, and ship when full using a pre-paid shipping label. The Mercury VaporLok bag reduces the risk of environmental contamination should the bulbs break during shipping, according to the company.

The kit cost $14.95 and holds 15 bulbs. While there are other ways to recycle your CFLs, this one sounds very easy and relatively inexpensive.

Would you pay to recycle your CFLs?

[Via WSJ]

Obviously drugs -- even the legal ones -- aren't very good for you, and most will get you arrested (or worse), but rumor has it that some people still take them anyway. So, with that in mind, the least you can do is work towards a more sustainable habit. To see all the substances we've covered in this series, see our Guide to Green Green Drug Use.

Last week Patrick did a great post on the questionable green-ness (greenosity? greenitudinousness?) of cigarettes. As he noted, tobacco growing is a carbon-intensive monoculture and cigarette production is an intensive industrial process. Moreover, cigarette butts are non-biodegradable and accumulate at a truly insane rate. So, no, cigarettes really aren't green.

However, as a former smoker, a former resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and a born contrarian, I feel like it's my responsibility to see if there are ways in which tobacco consumption can be made green. As I understand it, the problems with tobacco are that it is a monoculture, uses a lot of carbon in its cultivation, is generally smoke-cured (which results in the atmospheric release of carbon), is produced in a technology-intensive process, and leaves behind a lot of non-degradable mess.

We throw around a lot of vocab on this blog. From shortened words to made-up words to acronyms, green lingo isn't easy to pick up overnight.

Luckily, Live Science put together a glossary of green terms that will help you slog through our increasingly eco-conscious community. (Oh, and don't be embarrassed if you still don't know what "carbon neutral" means. Really: we're here to help).

Some of the standouts (we're going to quiz you later, so study up):

• Cradle to cradle: Describes an essentially waste-free manufacturing process.

• Off-gassing: The evaporation of (usually toxic) chemicals from the surface of a material into the environment.

• Off the grid: Living in a self-sufficient manner, without relying on public utilities such as the municipal water supply, natural gas, or an electrical power grid. (Read about a guy who did just that, and see the photo above as an example).
  

• Phantom power: Also known as "vampire power" or "phantom load"; this term refers to the power used by appliances and electronics even when they're switched off or not in use.

• Upcycled: Refers to waste materials that are recycled into something of greater value.

via [LiveScience]

Obviously drugs -- even the legal ones -- aren't very good for you, and most will get you arrested (or worse), but rumor has it that some people still take them anyway. So, with that in mind, the least you can do is work towards a more sustainable habit. To see all the substances we've covered in this series, see our Guide to Green Green Drug Use.

Nitrous oxide, AKA "hippie crack," has the distinction of being one of the few legally-available drugs that almost everyone has consumed. If your dentist has ever strapped a mask on your face, chances are that you've sucked down a little bit of laughing gas. For most people, nitrous causes giggling, a strong anaesthetic effect and, if consumed in sufficient quantities, a repetitive "wah-wah" sound in the ears that is strangely reminiscent of a 1950's flying saucer movie.

At least, that's what I've been told.

Although it is generated by many natural processes, man-made nitrous, unfortunately, leaves a pretty huge carbon footprint. First off, it's the product of a fairly complex chemical process involving the heating of ammonium nitrate. Second, much of the recreationally abused nitrous is packaged in little metal canisters, few of which are recycled. Finally, it's a greenhouse gas. Although human processes are only responsible for between 10 and 15% of the nitrous released into the atmosphere, that is still a pretty impressive amount of gas. Therefore, as much as it pains me to say it, nitrous is definitely not sustainable! Green Grade: F; D if you purchase carbon offsets.

Obviously drugs -- even the legal ones -- aren't very good for you, and most will get you arrested (or worse), but rumor has it that some people still take them anyway. So, with that in mind, the least you can do is work towards a more sustainable habit. To see all the substances we've covered in this series, see our Guide to Green Green Drug Use.

In Getting Stoned with Savages, J. Maarten Troost writes about his discovery of Kava-kava, a mildly psychotropic beverage that South Pacific islanders regularly drink. Basically, it's prepared by chewing up pieces of Kava-kava root, spitting them into a bucket, and mixing them with water and coconut oil. One then drinks the resulting solution, after which, supposedly, he or she feels a sense of clarity and peacefulness for a couple of hours. Depending on the amount drunk, Kava can sometimes inspire hallucinations, amazing dreams, and up to a couple of days of lassitude.

In the industrialized world, Kava is available from many gourmet grocery stores and health food shops, either in pill, powder, or alcohol-tincture form. Depending on the form, its effectiveness (and impact upon the environment) varies greatly. Kava pills, for example, are often produced with acetone and ethanol. While ethanol, or grain alcohol, is a renewable resource, acetone is not. For that matter, both substances produce VOCs, which have a somewhat negative effect on the environment. Similarly, the tincture form of Kava also contains ethyl alcohol, although the fact that the ethanol isn't allowed to evaporate mitigates the VOC downside.

Beyond that, the only real environmental impact of Kava is in the machinery used to powder it and the gas used to transport it. Since most Kava is grown in the South Pacific, the distance it must travel is pretty impressive, but it is very low weight in powder form. In other words, if you aren't using Kava pills, I'd say that you shouldn't feel too guilty about the pleasure that you reap from this amazing "supplement." Green Grade: A-; B if used in pill form.