Nathan Bell is a doctoral student at the University of North Texas philosophy department with a concentration on environmental ethics and philosophy. He has presented at various conferences including the International Association for Environmental Philosophy, the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment, and the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences.
Want to know what effect scents have in your home? Essential oils have been used medicinally since 4500 BC. Modern uses are to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi; stimulate the regeneration of tissue; and to oxygenate the cells. Aromatherapy experts Minka Robinson and Ashley Beckman share their valuable insight on the truth behind synthetic scents, where to use specific essentials oils, and safety tips.
Where do you start when you want to fill the apartment with stuff but be green about it? Garage sales are a good option to start out with, then move up to buying new, green products to fill in gaps.
Nothing transforms a mood more swiftly than properly engaging your most influential sense: the sense of smell. Natural scents are an eco-friendly way to enjoy your favorite smells without the harmful toxins that accompany synthetic fragrances.
Whether you are building a new home or updating your old one, windows can be used to help with the heating and cooling of your home. Follow these easy tips on where to place your windows and how to cover them to start using less energy and save money.
Want a sustainable haven where your family can rest and regroup for the night? Want that place to be attractive? Comfy? Get some practical tips from one of our gurus, Jennae Petersen. As the creator of "Green Your Decor", a website dedicated to all things green in interior decorating, Jennae has combined a passion for design and "going green" to help the artistically challenged and HGTV lovers everywhere.
Bacteria ridden residue on paws from the outdoors or litter boxes, toxins in pet creams, and bloodthirsty critters nestled in fur can harm humans just as easily as pets. Rethinking food, waste, grooming, vaccines/protection are four major points to consider when maintaining the health of the entire family.
With earth friendly products hailing from all directions, our green decor choices have shifted from a trendy fad to a way of life. Consumers are becoming more selective and most companies are taking the hints rather well. New products are lining the shelves of almost every major retailer and specialty stores are developing more substantial green product lists. Knowing what to look for and where to find it can save you both time and money.
Normally, New Year's Resolutions are about bettering yourself, your body, or relationships. This year make sure to include the environment in your vows of improvement, and you're sure to transform yourself.
Science is about advancement and innovation. Its about finding solutions and creating improvements. Living an eco-friendly lifestyle actually fuels a demand for intelligent, cutting edge products that sustain our planet. Going green with your electronics is a combination of innovative product and smart consumerism.
It's that time of year again! Consumerism and holiday cheer are at the height of prevalance, and people around the globe are flocking to spruce up their surroundings for one of the year's biggest interior-decorating holidays. Kari Whitman, eco-interior designer to the stars, has some terrific holiday tips that will enliven your surroundings, as well as be kind to the environment and your wallet!
With the winter months setting in, keeping the family warm is a top priority among homeowners. Whether you have poorly insulated walls, an unexplainable cold spot in the house, or just want to keep the bills relatively low, an electric space heater can solve all of these problems
Colors have transformative power. Though the effects of a color differ from person to person, there are some generally accepted rules: Warm colors are generally energizing colors that promote passion, while a cool color exudes relaxation and calm. W
According to NASA research, placing simple house-hold plants such as the Ficus, Golden Pothos, or Bamboo Palm in your home with a fan could have extraordinary (and affordable) air-purifying results!
Water is a universal solvent because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. That's what makes it a great cleaner. To increase its cleaning power, heat it up a little or augment it with baking soda or liquid detergent.
Check the label and the product description of your bamboo towel, upholstery, wall covering, even your baby's crib linen, it may use terms like "organic", "environmentally-safe", "biodegradable", "natural", or "antimicrobial". Items made out of bamboo fiber and fabric may not live up to those claims.
Even though they are considered dinosaurs in the modern lighting world, incandescent bulbs and the warm light they create still have a wide appeal. So how can we reconcile energy-gulping incandescents with a greener home?
You've spent your day pursuing a greener, more eco-friendly home. When you finally call it a night, have you considered where you'll lay your head? Pillows and cushions are vital to a healthy, sustainable home.
Creating a healthy home atmosphere means more than using appealing colors, creative lighting and comfortable furniture. These do impact the perceived atmosphere, but what about the actual atmosphere? 'Atmosphaera' is Latin, created from the Greek words athos (vapor) and sphaera (sphere). It literally means the air around you. Indoor air pollutant concentrations can be 15 to 50 times higher than outside.
Inexpensive storage units, shelves, desks and other home furnishings are often made from particleboard or compressed wood. While economical and versatile, particleboard isn't very green. Enter Way Basics - A modular system that uses individual boards called zBoards to custom-build everything from a storage cubby to a bed frame.
...research has shown that about 44% of junk mail is thrown in the garbage without being opened. You'd think that the companies paying to advertise on bulk mailers, catalogs and fliers would be upset by the fact that people ignore their mail. The truth though, is that they don't mind - they only anticipate about a 2% response from all that glossy paper. That means the companies paying to advertise on bulk mailers, catalogs and fliers fully expect that 98% of the recipients of their mail will throw it away.
Curious about the differences between oil based and water based hardwood floor stains? I consulted with an expert on the subject, Elektra Grant, an associate with Livingreen. The following, based on Elektra's expertise, is a tell-all product comparison reviewing the many differences, similarities, benefits and drawbacks the consumer should be aware of before making a final product purchasing decision.
Gathering around the hearth to be near a good fire rather than a television can really warm the home, body and spirit. Building a safe fire can be simple and only requires a basic understanding of fire fundamentals. Here are a few tips on how to build a proper fire in a fire-safe environment.
Considered as an alternative to petroleum-based candles, soy wax candles are a more sustainable and cost-effective product, providing the environmentally-conscious consumer with a safer and healthier product for the home, as well as for the planet.
When looking to refinish your hardwood floor, the main thing to consider is an environmentally friendly hardwood finish. Most commercial finishes are solvent- and lacquer-based, which are terrible pollutants of air quality.
Shop at unfinished wood furniture stores and finish the items with plant-based, natural finishes--you'll avoid chemicals from new materials and also save money....
On hotter days dialing up the thermostat by only two degrees and using your ceiling fan can lower air conditioning costs by up to 14 percent....
Energy Star consumer electronics products use less energy without sacrificing quality or performance....
The products used to cover the walls of your home with colorful textures and patterns can be made from non-sustainable materials. These ingredients can include many chemicals that will be harmful to you and your family. Here are some interesting eco-friendly wallcovering options that you might consider in your home. These products will not only make your residence look great, but your purchase will contribute to a green way of life and a healthier home.
Non-organic furniture can be harmful to your health. When certain glues decompose over time, it releases off-gases such as formaldehyde. The EPA has reported that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. On an average, we spend about 90% of our time in homes and offices.³ If our homes - which should be the safest place in our lives - produce more harmful pollutions than the outside, then it's time to reevaluate our surroundings. So, when shopping for new furniture, make sure they were built with water-based glues and stained and finished with green wood and sealants.
If you are buying raw lumber, wood flooring or simply a piece of furniture, you might stumble across these three important letters: FSC. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit international organization working towards the improvement of forestry practices worldwide. The FSC certification process rewards businesses for practicing environmentally friendly methods. Next time you buy wood or a product made of wood, make sure that the wood is FSC approved.
Light is important. Whether from sunlight or the light produced inside your home, humans need it to survive. A room can be transformed just by a flick of the switch. It seems logical, then, that one would turn to the most energy efficient and long-lasting light sources.
Are you in the process of building or remodeling, or do you just want to get rid of those old warped linoleum tiles in your kitchen? Thanks to the boom in eco-friendly products, there is now a myriad of flooring options that are beautiful, functional and good for the environment. You might be wondering how to start selecting the right flooring solution for your particular project.
It's somewhat hard to imagine that cork can be used for anything besides a stopper for your wine bottle. However, cork has been used for over a century for flooring. This material is one of many fantastic alternatives to hardwood floors that is both aesthetically pleasing and good for the environment - in more ways than one.
Do you need to change a few light bulbs in your house? Perhaps you are exploring lighting options for a remodeling project? A great option to investigate when you next go shopping are LED (Light Emitting Diodes) light bulbs. LED boasts an extremely low power consumption, which can save you on your next energy bill. These lights are very durable and they have an impressive life span (50,000-100,000 hours, compared to incandescent light bulbs that last around 1000 hours). The best part is that LEDs are recyclable and contain no mercury or other toxins, which helps the earth out.1