Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is rapidly becoming an important goal for a lot of people lately. However, sometimes making those green lifestyle changes are not the easiest on the pocketbook. There are some ways that you can do things differently that will actually save you money and make a huge impact on our world. One of those is to stop buying bottled water.

It seems that having bottled water has almost become a necessity in this country; we buy it like we buy milk and bread. Everywhere you look there are people with bottle in hand. Actually, the United States is the largest consumer of bottled water in the world. Unfortunately, we are also are not doing a very good job of recycling all of those bottles. According to The Container Recycling Institute we are only recycling about 20% of plastic water bottles. Yes, you read that right, only 20% are being recycled! To make matters worse, a lot of the bottles that are deposited for recycling are actually exported, sometimes to as far away as China, which just adds to the resources used by this product.

The manufacturing and transporting of bottled water uses massive amounts of fossil fuels. Most of the bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, which is derived from crude oil. Just making the bottles for the demand in America requires 17 million barrels of oil annually. That is enough to fuel more than 1 million U.S. cars for a year. The energy used to transport the product to consumers just adds to this number. Nearly a ¼ of all bottled water crosses national borders, transported by boat, train, and truck. The US does produce about 94% of its bottled water domestically, but we do also import some water shipped from faraway places like Fiji simply to satisfy the demand for chic and exotic bottled water. Compared to tap water, which is delivered through an energy-efficient infrastructure, bottled water is an extremely wasteful product.

Let’s just stop and think for a moment, is it really necessary to have water pre-packaged in a bottle? Before the bottled water craze we seemed to get along just fine. A lot of people are under the false belief that it is healthier for you than tap water, when in fact using a water filter removes more contaminants than any other purification system. Many may be quite surprised to learn that about 40% of bottled water actually begins as tap water and usually the only difference is added minerals that have no health benefit anyways. Furthermore, in the U.S., there are more regulations governing the tap water quality than bottled water. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency mandates that local water treatment facilities provide a detailed report to the citizens outlining the water source and any test results, including contaminant level violations. There are no requirements like this in place for bottled water companies. Also, public water systems must test for harmful microbiological content in water multiple times a day while bottled water companies are only required to test for these once a week.

Aside from being better for the planet and for your health, drinking filtered tap water is also much more economical. It is not uncommon for somebody to purchase 1 case of water per week for about $7. That is an annual cost of $364, just to drink water and I’m willing to bet that is a lower figure than most spend. Do any of us spend anywhere near that much per year for our entire household water usage? Many justify the purchase touting the convenience factor, but the same convenience can be achieved by simply purchasing a few reusable water bottles. There are a variety of them on the market and they are specifically designed for this purpose. You will make back the money spent on a reusable bottle in no time once you stop spending money on cases of bottled water.

Do something great for your pocketbook, your health and your world. Get yourself a water filter if you don’t already have one as well as a few reusable water bottles and stop buying bottled water. This is definitely one way everyone can contribute to the future well-being of our planet!

Michele Dupper is Mom to her almost 2 year old son and the owner of Truly Organic Beauty. She lives in sunny FL and has been transitioning to a green lifestyle since starting a family. Michele enjoys educating others about living a more natural lifestyle that is beneficial for the health of our bodies as well as our planet.

Environment

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“Treat the Earth well:  it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.”  This is an ancient Kenyan proverb that really hits home these days as we are becoming more aware of how our past and current actions are affecting our world.  As parents, we all want the very best for our children now and in the future.  And we certainly want to ensure that our beautiful planet is still flourishing well beyond our children’s lifetime.

Most of us now realize that the future of our planet as well as the health of our children depends greatly on changes we need to make in our everyday lives.  However, it can be quite overwhelming and even scary when you begin learning about all of the environmental toxins in the world today.  From food, to bath products, to toys, etc.  Where do you begin?

There is an exceptional non-profit organization called Healthy Child Healthy World that is one of the best resources out there for parents.  It was founded by James & Nancy Chuda in 1991 when they decided to turn their sad story into something positive.  The effects of harmful environmental exposures, unfortunately, became very real to them when their 5 year old daughter, Collette, died of a rare form of cancer.  Years later they learned that her tumor may have been caused by maternal exposure to pesticides before pregnancy.  In honor of their daughter’s bravery, they began the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund, now Healthy Child Healthy World (HCHW), to educate families about the relationship between children’s health and the environment.

HCHW purpose and goals as outlined on their website are to:

•Expand awareness and understanding of environmental hazards to children’s health
•Help the public learn about healthier practices, solutions, and products in the marketplace
•Encourage daily action and informed lifestyle choices
•Create standards and policies for safer products, foods, materials, and chemicals used in the home – promoting safer options and new alternatives
•Advocate for and support corporate policies and governmental legislation that protect children from environmental risks
•Engage communities to make wise choices and responsible decisions so families can flourish

The HCHW website contains a wealth of information to help you in creating an environmentally friendly home for your family.  There are numerous programs outlined for you to follow such as 5 Easy Steps and Healthy Home Parties.  They actually provide you with all the tools necessary to host a Healthy Home Party for your family and friends to educate them about protecting children’s health and development from common contaminants we are exposed to every day.  You can also sign up for a monthly email newsletter that provides age-specific environmental health lessons throughout pregnancy and the first 2 years of your child’s life.

In addition to the programs the site also includes a vast array of environmental resources for you to use.  For example, there are numerous 1-page checklists for almost anything you can imagine, such as, cloth diapering, keeping your child lead-free and feeding children safe food.  There is also a very informative ingredients profile that describes chemicals encountered in our daily lives.  Instead of simply describing the health effects of these chemicals, they also empower you with solutions to exposure.

Another really great area of the site is the marketplace.  It is filled with information on companies that offer products and services for your home and children that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly.  There is a wide variety of green products included such as baby bottles, crib mattresses, organic foods, children’s furniture and paints and stains. No need for you to spend time researching all the eco-friendly product options out there because HCHW only recommends products from companies that have passed their screening.  You can check out the details of their quality standards on the site.

HCHW is definitely an organization that is leading the environmental movement and has children as their top priority.  The amount of information that they have compiled in an easy to navigate website is really impressive.  Visit them today and instead of feeling overwhelmed by the green trend, you may just feel inspired to get involved and begin making changes in your life for the future of your children.

Michele Dupper is Mom to her almost 2 year old son and the owner of Truly Organic Beauty She lives in sunny FL and has been transitioning to a green lifestyle since starting a family. Michele enjoys educating others about living a more natural lifestyle that is beneficial for the health of our bodies as well as our planet.

More information on Sustainable Living

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Lighting equipment such as the venerable light bulb has radically evolved since the early days when Thomas Edison first invented it in the 18th century.  Today, consumers are able to choose from a wide array of home or office lighting options, and halogen light bulbs are one of the most efficient lighting alternatives.  However despite the many innovations, the standard ‘Edison caps’ are still utilized in some light bulbs, and almost all variants still use the same simple materials, albeit with a new high-tech twist.  The lighting devices available today may be utilized for domestic or commercial purposes, and they can also be handy, carry-anywhere devices.

Standard light bulbs are famous for being less-efficient devices and only have a lifespan of around 750 to 1,000 hours of normal usage.  Why is this so?  Because in the process of providing light, standard light bulbs radiate large amounts of infrared heat which are far more hotter than light.  In the long run, the filament’s thin spot would break down and cause the light bulb to burn out.  Basically, a standard light bulb is made from a fairly large, thin, frosted glass envelope wherein gases such as nitrogen and argon are filled inside the glass.  Alternative lighting experts promote halogen bulbs as being amongst the ‘brightest’ of lighting innovations and claim they are environmentally-friendly products as well.

Halogen lights differ from other energy-efficient light bulb variant because of their very precise lighting focus which makes them ideal devices for use in display cabinets and other special effects requirements.  Halogen lighting equipment also offers a wide array of benefits, and these include an extended lifespan that should be twice as long as that of standard incandescent bulbs, and also produce as much as 25% more light whilst utilizing the same wattage levels.

The lighting innovations introduced by halogen are now widely utilized in many industries and are also a viable alternative for your home lighting needs.  Consumers are now seeing the benefits of using these devices since halogen lighting is known for creating amazing lighting outcomes in bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms, and other halogen variants are utilized as well in creating a cozier, more relaxing feel in many other rooms.  These lighting equipments are also fully dimmable, unlike other energy-efficient lighting equipments.  In addition, the filaments inside the halogen lighting devices are encased in quartz, enabling these to withstand higher temperatures as compared to traditional glass light bulbs.  With quartz-encased filaments, halogen light bulbs are able to produce brighter lighting for homes and offices.  Nowadays, many are replacing conventional incandescent lighting devices with halogen light bulbs.  These devices help to cast brighter, whiter lights than the usual yellow hue released by incandescent lighting.  These devices last much longer because they utilize a rather different type of gas and housing, making it emit a whiter light as well as attain a longer shelf life.

According to environment advocates, the rate of high carbon dioxide emissions today is linked to increasing levels of electricity consumption,which leads to higher levels of greenhouse gases as well. This phenomenon is a major contributor to global warming and climate change and needs a quick response from governments and industries as well.  The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997, affirms the need to set doable targets towards considerably reducing levels of global carbon dioxide emissions.  In light of the need to protect our environment, manufacturers and consumers are now moving towards the production and use of greener lighting alternatives like halogen bulbs.  The aim is to change consumer habits and make lighting more eco-friendly, as well as to become truly energy-efficient.

Roger is an author and publisher for ‘Litelec’ (http://www.litelec.co.uk), a UK firm that specializes in the distribution of electric light bulbs, light fittings, electrical accessories and related products for domestic and company purposes which they trade at extremely competitive prices.  If you wish to reduce your electricity charges and also play a vital role to the safety of the environment then begin by using Halogen Bulbs at home and if you have further electrical products and accessories requirement then have a look at Litelec.

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These 16 Police Comments were taken from actual police car videos around the country. So when they declare Martial Law, you’ll know who you’re dealing with…

#16 “You know, stop lights don’t come any redder that the one
you just went through.”

#15 “Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they’re new.
They’ll stretch after you wear them a while.”

#14 “If you take your hands off the car, I’ll make your birth
certificate a worthless document.”

#13 “If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired.”

#12 “Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because
that’s the speed of the bullet that’ll be chasing you.”

#11 “You don’t know how fast you were going??? I guess that means
I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?”

#10 ” Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don’t
think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I’m the shift
supervisor?”

#9 “Warning!?? You want a warning??? O.K., I’m warning you
not to do that again or I’ll give you another ticket.”

#8 “The answer to this last question will determine whether you
are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”

#7 “Fair??? You want me to be fair??? Listen, fair is a place where
you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and
step in monkey poop.”

#6 “Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my spouse gets a toaster oven.”

#5 “In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC.”

#4 “How big were those ‘Just two beers’ you say you had?”

#3 “No sir, we don’t have quotas anymore. We used to, but now
we’re allowed to write as many tickets as we can.”

#2 “I’m glad to hear that Chief (of Police) Hawker is a personal
friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail.”

*****AND THE WINNER IS:
#1 “You didn’t think we give pretty women tickets??
You’re right, we don’t!! Sign here.” ?

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