Green Lawn Care That is Chemical Free

 

Trying to stay true to the principles of organic and natural living is not as easy as you think it should be. In our culture we have become acclimated to certain conditions that have only been achieved through the use of chemicals. From doing the laundry, to washing cars and tending our yards, we have invented a chemical for nearly every task. If you want to live more green and be in harmony with the environment with your lawn care, you will need to give it some planning and forethought. 

One bit of thinking we may need to change is our perception of what makes a weed. Many of the “pests” that we are being sold chemicals for are actually our native plants and rather beautiful in their own right. An example of this is the dandelion that has a pretty yellow flower during one stage of its growth and wispy and delicate heads during its seed stage. We have all enjoyed blowing the seeds to the wind and watching the “parachutes” gracefully float away. 

Notwithstanding your newfound definition of a weed, you may still want to discourage some types of plant life in your lawn. Here are some ways to do that in as natural a way as possible. First, give the desirable grasses as much support and nutrition as possible. You can find organic fertilizer recipes and get on a schedule of feeding your lawn the nutrients it needs to make it as strong as possible. 

Grass is naturally an aggressive, thriving plant. Do your part to keep it healthy and it will make no room for the weeds. Keep your yard on a regular mowing plan so that the plants are at a good height for the grass only. This way your grass will receive more of the soil, water and sunlight than the weeds. Grass loves to be mowed, whereas weeds are damaged by it. The act of mowing keeps the yard looking good in more ways than one. 

Here is one other method for weed control that has been all but forgotten. We are so inclined these days to gravitate to the solutions that take no time and no effort. This forgotten method I am talking about can become an activity for quality family time together. It can get you out into the fresh air and give you great exercise. This method is simply going out into your yard and pulling the weeds by hand or with digging tools. 

The hand pulling of weeds is very efficacious in weed removal because nothing kills a weed like removing its roots from the soil. The weed can then be removed from your yard and you expend some calories and use your muscles like they should be, too. There is nothing that can be said to be more natural and environmentally “green” than this good old-fashioned method, and it is truly effective, also.

 

Government Support for Green Energy Sector

Britain’s green energy sector could soon be booming after it received a boost from a government minister.

New Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne visited the All Energy renewables exhibition in Aberdeen last week and took the opportunity to praise the potential of the UK’s green energy industry.

The minister said that there are plenty of prospects in the renewable power sector for job seekers to gain employment and for new businesses to invest and generate profits.

Engineers who have completed gas training courses and commercial gas courses may want to take green energy courses as job opportunities are likely to be created in the renewable power sector in the future, according to the minister.

“There are a lot of opportunities in the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector which need to be taken advantage of. The expertise and skills that have been vital to the oil and gas sector are transferable and will be key to the renewable energy sector as it develops,” said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne went on to say that the new coalition government shared the same belief that the renewable power sector was crucial to the future of Britain’s economy and environment.

He said: “The renewables industry will come of age under this government. It’s early days but our coalition agreement is explicit in its support for the sector.”

The minister did criticise the current state of the renewable sector for failing to compete with other countries which had less resources.

An increasing number of people may be required to take green energy courses if Britain is to catch up with its rivals in the renewable power industry.

Mr Huhne said: “One of the biggest scandals is that we’ve got one of the best renewable energy resources anywhere in the world – and the know how to exploit it – and yet we’re one of the worst performing countries when it comes to harnessing it.”

Britain’s renewable energy industry must mirror the success of the nation’s oil and gas sector so that it can stake a claim to be a global leader in new low carbon energy technologies, claimed the minister.

“The prize is too great to let this opportunity pass us by. The UK must reap the rewards from its renewable energy potential just as we do with our oil and gas supplies,” the minister said.

Mr Huhne also visited the oil firm Apache, which has taken over the Forties field from BP, and met industry leaders at Oil and Gas UK.

Blue or red/grunge green politics

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Scene setting: What’s going on around you today
The 9th Annual Tulsa State Fair ‘Corn Dog Kick-Off’ happens Friday from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. at the Pavilion.

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New-look Eagles set for opener
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles could go into their opener at home against Green Bay with 12 rookies and five more new players from the team that earned a wild-card playoff spot last year.

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Golf Roundup: Aussie Day atop Deutsche Bank by one
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Blue or red/grunge green politics
If you look through Katter’s wishlist (the earlier thread is here) there are quite a few items that could potentially bring him into conflict with the Greens. See 5, 6, 8 and 13, for example. Take a look at this map of the wild rivers from The Wilderness Society site: Then overlay it in your [...]

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Go Green for Your Family?s Health

With all the talk about what we should do for the planet, we sometimes forget that everything we do to help protect and heal our environment is also helping to protect and heal us. Going green is not just about re-balancing our environment so that we and our grandchildren can continue to enjoy its bounties. It’s also about improving our health, and the health of our families, now and for generations to come.

The Major Cause of Illness and Disease

Toxic overload is the Single Greatest Factor in most health problems including allergies, autoimmune and systemic diseases, and symptoms that doctors just can’t explain…even psychological problems! The United Nations‘ World Health Organisation reports that around one quarter of disease world wide is directly linked to environmental pollution – even more in some undeveloped countries where many of the resources that western countries use so freely are actually mined or extracted.

But you don’t have to live near a toxic waste site or near factories to be seriously affected by toxins. They are everywhere: in our cities and towns, on our farms, and pollutants have even been found in the waters of Antarctica. Modern life exposes us to an unprecedented number of industrial chemicals and toxic substances.

It has been estimated that around 36 billion kilograms of toxins are released across the world each year, 18 million of them being released in just the last decade. These include styrofoam, plastics, mercury, aluminum, pesticides, smog, petrochemicals, solvents, chlorine, fluoride, smog, car exhaust, thousands of industrial toxins found in our waterways and air, agricultural toxins that leach into the soil and end up in our food, and food additives.

The modern household can also be full of toxins and toxic fumes from varnishes, carpeting, compressed board cupboards, vinyl flooring, plastics and much more. In fact, the quality of air in your home can be even more toxic than the air outside your home, as toxic fumes accumulate and become even more toxic in enclosed spaces.

Unknown to you, toxins can build up in your body until one day your body has just had enough, and can no longer cope. Then you get allergies or worse allergies; you become chronically ill; your thinking becomes fuzzy, you become more irritable, constantly fatigued; your joints and muscles ache as they accumulate more and more toxins, and communication between your trillions of cells is corrupted. Toxins can cause autoimmune diseases, cancer, psychologic disorders and a whole gamut of serious health conditions.

The truth is that we are slowly being poisoned to death by our own household waste and the waste of thousands of industries. And most alarming is recent research from Washington State University (reported in Science magazine) revealed that toxins can pass across generations. You can pass toxins in your body (and their adverse health effects) to your grandchildren!

Yes. You Can Make a Difference!!!

Getting depressed won’t change things, nor will pointing the finger at other people, industries or countries. Each of us chooses – either through action or by doing nothing – whether or not we will cherish and protect Nature’s priceless gifts and the health of future generations.

There is no doubt that serious issues urgently need to be managed on a global scale, and fortunately, we are seeing some very positive moves in that direction. But do not underestimate the importance of YOUR participation. You can, and do, make a difference. Your choices and decisions can reduce the burden on nature, and help heal nature.

Here are a few steps you can take to bring your family’s life into greater harmony with nature, and walk lightly on this marvellous earth. You’ll also help create a more healthful environment for your body. Do what you can. Every small step does count.

·         Live in a home that is no larger than you really need.

·         Plant mostly local native plants to support what wildlife exists.

·         Repair dripping taps. In only a few hours, you lose enough water from a dripping tap to fill a bath!

·         Use a plug when washing dishes, and use the same water. If you rinse your dishes after washing (some people don’t), rinse in a half-filled sink, not under running water.

·         Mulch your garden to cut evaporation loss by up to 70%, and to help prevent weeds

·         Reduce the amount of packaging you buy; reuse what you can; and recycle the rest.

·         Choose rechargeable batteries and long-life bulbs.

·         Use an all-purpose cleaner: hot water + white vinegar cleans floors and most surfaces. For more cleaning power on tiles, toilets etc., sprinkle the surface with baking soda and splash on some white vinegar. Clean while the solution is fizzing. Rinse off with water. Or use baking soda alone for a scrub.

·         Wash full loads whenever possible. When smaller loads are necessary, remember to adjust the water level accordingly.

·         Sun dry washing. It not only saves energy but sunshine also helps kill mold and bacteria, and brightens whites

·        Grow your own vegetables, or even just lettuces and greens. Also, buy locally grown food from nearby farmers markets. They are less likely to be treated for long-distance transportation and long shelf-life, save petrol, and usually taste better too.

·         Eat less red meat. The energy required to produce a kilo of red meat could sustain a family for a year.

Solar Energy is One of the Best Green Energy Options

One of the most effective and environmentally friendly types of alternative power is solar power. This is accomplished by transforming the sun’s rays into electrical energy with the help of solar cells.

There are 3 basic procedures for utilizing this type of green energy source. They include passive and active solar power, and also by utilizing photovoltaic cells or panels.

Whenever we use passive solar energy, no energy is converted at all. Passive solar energy works with the architectural structure of a building to gain the highest gain from sunshine.

This type of technique can also be used in homes. Research has shown that for minimal expense, this can easily lower the home heating requirements up to 80%. This means you don’t have to turn on the heating system nearly as often. As a people, we would not consume anywhere near the amount of energy that we do now, if we all used a passive solar approach. Our electricity is mostly produced by using, and depleting, non-renewable energy resources.

The next approach, which is called active solar power, is the most basic manner of changing sunlight into heat. It is possesses its own restrictions, as it basically works as generating hot water. It can be a huge benefit, particularly if you use a hot water heating system in your house.

The final practice is employing solar cells to make electrical energy. This will make it possible for us to possess the energy we need by producing our own electricity. This electricity can be used to power an entire house or even an office building. The size of the solar system will determine the volume of power changed into electricity. Solar cells change sunlight into electrical energy as direct current, or by utilizing a power inverter, it can be modified into alternating current. This is the normal kind of electricity used within our homes. The smallest solar cells can be observed in popular items like calculators, while large numbers of cells are assembled together to make large solar panels. Houses and office buildings can often be observed with solar panels built on top of the roof.

The only downfall of this green energy source is the fact that it can only generate electricity when the weather is good and the sun is shining. On cloudy days, no electrical power is produced whatsoever. With no large battery bank, conventional electricity will need to be turned on until the weather eventually improves.

Among the more interesting uses of solar power has been when solar driven autos have been constructed during tests. The same as buildings, they are limited by the size of the battery bank built into the vehicle. The satellites in space are typically run by solar energy. A fully functioning organization can even operate by itself, thanks to photovoltaic energy. It does not matter where solar panels are situated, as long as they get a lot of sunlight. Solar panels work in the winter months, as well as during the warmer summer months.

The larger the quantity of solar cells used in your panels will definitely result in a greater amount of electricity that you can produce. If big enough, this could possibly get your home through several days of overcast weather. If you have a large enough battery reserve, you may never have to switch to using conventional electric power.

Solar electricity is not the only source of natural power which could be considered. Throughout the decades, we’ve learned to use other green energy sources. Some other commonly used environmentally friendly energy sources are hydroelectricity, geothermal energy, bio-fuels and wind power. These are all safe for the environment. We could lower our need for non-renewable energy sources, like oil and coal, if more of us used renewable energy for our power.

To help make this exciting occasion take place, we have to get our legislation to increase the use of alternative energy sources. Currently, our politicians appear to be all talk and no action when it comes to liberating our country from the use of fossil fuels, and saving the environment. To save planet Earth, this has to be changed.

Regrettably, as far as countries that are broadening their use of alternative energy sources go, the United States is not even in the top ten, and falling quickly behind. Germany and Japan are two countries that have already considerably enlarged their applications of solar power. Germany is currently the world leader in the production of solar cells and panels. Following Germany and Japan in renewable energy utilization are Italy, Spain, South Korea, and France.

Without a doubt, the USA can do better, and not end up being left behind. We ought to use their example, and do our best to change from traditional fuels to the many forms of replenishable energy sources.

Wild Green Registan

This week Amanda Holden becomes a Californian blonde and enjoys cocktails with Katherine Jenkins
Today we go for a drive along the coast in our lovely rented convertible to Montecito, Santa Barbara. It’s home to gorgeous Brat Pack actor Rob Lowe and his wife Cheryl. My friend knows them, and always stays with them when she visits LA, but I’m too shy to ask for his address!

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Travel Picks: 10 top romantic hotels
LONDON—In need of a romantic break, but don’t know where to go? Boutique hotel connoisseurs Mr & Mrs Smith (www.mrandmrssmith.com) play Cupid with a hand-picked selection of 10 of the most seductive stays worldwide.

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Burgess among those to go as Patriots make cuts to NFL roster limit
Twenty players are moved out as the team moves closer to its Sept 12 regular-season opener with Cincinnati.

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Peter Bills: A heart-thumping match
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Wild Green Registan
The pace of life here is astonishing. Of the wildlife, that is. Wednesday evening, we had a four-foot cobra, Thursday night a spider as big as my hand, and Friday night a five-inch scorpion. I’d have left the cobra alone, but the dogs first ‘treed’ it, then scared it down and mauled it.

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Heather Tom – Staying Fit and Going Green!

Heather Tom was recently featured on CBS 2 Los Angeles about her healthy lifestyle and her “green way” of getting to work!

Audi A3 TDI – The 2010 Green Car of the Year

Plastics have long played an important role in helping to make cars lighter and more fuel efficient, but many consumers may not realize the extent to which plastics have revolutionized the vehicles they drive every day. To communicate how plastics help make possible the modern design, safety, and fuel efficiency of cars, Plastics Make it PossibleSM, an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council, has partnered with the Green Car Journal to announce the 2010 Green Car of the Year® and conduct the Green Car Ride & Drive at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The show takes place December 4-13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To view Multimedia News Release go to,

Demand for Green Eco-Cars Adding Auto Industry Jobs

As consumer demands for electric cars increase, so will jobs in green technology. The last five years have seen the auto industry handing out more pink slips than applications and even though it is agreed that the auto industry will most likely never return to its pre-recession employee numbers, the increasing popularity of environmentally friendly vehicles will see some jobs return.

According to information from Des Rosiers Automotive Consultants, in 2001, it there were 199,218 Canadians working in the auto industry. In 2009, a 7 per cent drop to 133,375 was noted and in April of 2010, there were an estimated 123,829 Canadians employed by the industry.

The Electrovaya Mississauga, Ontario plant is currently hiring engineers to help produce the lithium-ion batteries that run these green, eco-machines. Gitanjali DasGupta, manager of Electrovaya’s electric vehicle division says, “Every auto company is looking to green their fleets, to electrify their fleets. (The industry) is truly making a very structural shift. Electrovaya is an enabler of that and one of the key beneficiaries of that.”

Due to high expectations in the demand for green cars, Linamar Corp, which is Canada’s second largest manufacturer of auto parts in Guelph, intends to hire as many as 1,300 people by the end of 2011. Linda Hasenfratz noted in a recent interview that these numbers are the result of the consumer’s demand for the manufacturing of solar energy parts as well as to build more fuel-efficient cars.

Carlos Gomes, automotive economist at Scotiabank feels, “The next generation of jobs in the Canadian auto industry won’t come from the big automakers’ assembly plants, but from suppliers that develop innovative new technologies. I think that is one of the key trends going forward, especially because we now have legislation in place that requires the automakers to improve their overall fuel efficiency,” Gomes said.

The employment boost from the demand in green technologies won’t be felt until around 2015. “Certainly there will be an advantage from green (technology), but that’s not going to be instantaneous. We don’t expect to see massive impacts from green for some time,” says Bill Pochiluk, president of industry research firm AutomotiveCompass.

In April 2010, the Canadian and U.S. governments made a joint announcement regarding the new auto standards which include an increase of 40 per cent on fuel-efficiency and a 25 per cent reduction of greenhouse emissions within the next six years. These new compliances will put a strain on older cars that are still on the road, but putting in some environmentally friendly repairs in an attempt to upkeep is cheaper than altogether replacing your car.

Designing Green: GM’s Future Bare Necessities Car

Inside GM Advanced Design, the team is working on the environmentally-friendly vehicles of the future. Take an inside look at their eco project and learn more about GM’s future vehicles at thelab.gmblogs.com

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