The Green Life

Water pollution is a major concern both globally and locally, but there is something you can do to avoid falling victim to the effects of pollution in your water sources.

Since pollution is defined as anything that makes our water dirty or unclean, the possible sources of pollution are limitless. Major pollution comes from such things as oil spills and chemicals that make their way into the ocean via rivers and streams. Natural solids pollute the water as well. When soil erodes away from a waterway and into the water, it effects the bio-chemical structure of the water and thus pollutes it. Other things like grass clippings that make their way into the water remove some of the oxygen which kills some of the bottom feeders. This in turn disrupts the food chain.

Storm drains, septic tanks and sewers add an even more harmful pollution to water via viruses, bacteria and protozoan. These can cause widespread illness as well if they make their way back into water consumption. Typhoid and other illnesses are caused this way.

Oil spills, petroleum and radioactive waste do the absolute most damage to the earths water. There is simply no easy way to clean these pollutants from the water. The entire eco-system is affected and the problem has already lead to an abundance of diseased fish that are unfit for consumption. We may even be eating contaminated fish now as there would be no way to tell in the early stages of the diseases.

Who Is Responsible For Water Pollution?

Ultimately, every individual is responsible not only for polluting the water but also for helping to clean it up. The chemicals we use to clean our homes and the chemicals we use on our bodies and hair all end up in the water. Almost everyone has seen the more obvious occurrences like careless people at the beaches who just throw their trash into the ocean, but obvious or not, we are all contributors to the problem. We all need to become more aware of what causes pollution and what we can do about it, and we all need to take measures to ensure the safety of our own personal water supplies (such as through home water filtration, etc.).

What Can Be Done About Water Pollution?

For starters, we can keep harmful materials such as batteries and toxins out of the trash can. Contact your local sanitation department to find out what to do with these things. Also, do NOT pour them down the drains where they will end up directly in the water system.If possible, use more environmentally friendly materials to clean the home. There are many green products out there that are very effective and yet do not cause water pollution.

These are only a few tips and strategies for improving water pollution, but there are many more, and many that should be utilized as part of an at-home ‘going green’ campaign for personal wellness. Learn more about what you can do to preserve good water for your home, and for your world.

Because toxicity has become a way of life, and we must breath and eat, we are continuously exposed to pesticides and polluntants, some stored right under our kitchen sinks, says a report from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass., and the Harvard University School of Public health.

The study was published last October in Environmental Science & Technology, Sedona, Ariz., naturopath doctor Teresa Dale, Ph.D. says “demonstrates that we are exposed daily to a wide array of chemicals that affect our hormone systems.” Chemicals like phthalates and alkyphenois may heighten the risk of hormone-linked diseases like breast cancer and testicular cancer.

To limit your exposure, “read labels carefully, use nontoxic cleaning products and avoid using indoor pesticides,” says Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Dave Dergan. There are nontoxic cleaning products and pesticides right in your kitchen. If you have baking soda, white vinegar, borax, and rubbing alcohol in your pantry and bathroom, you have the basic ingredients to make your own cleaning products and pesticides that don’t cost you an arm and a leg. I have included formulations for making your own products from these items and many more at the end of this article.

There are plenty of effective, earth-safe cleaners that you can buy or make. Using these alternatives will reduce the toxic burden in your house and environment. By switching to environmentally friendly cleaners protects your health and that of the community you live in while reducing air, water, and ground pollution.

I bet you are asking yourself, “So why isn’t everybody doing it?” There are very few people who actually read the labels of the products they purchase and even fewer who know the impact these chemicals can have on our bodies. Most people do not take the time or have the time to research the chemicals that go into these products.

Not all “green” products are created equal, some have simply added essential oils to make it smell like the formula has changed. “You need to read the labels carefully to check for irritating chemicals, such as chlorine, ammonia and artificial fragrances and dyes,” says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., a preventive-medicine specialist in Tucson, Arizona. “Buy cleaners from health-food stores or retailers specializing in environmentally friendly products.”

“Eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products are the next frontier of environmentalism,” says Marci Zaroff, former publisher of Macrocosm and CEO of Under the Canopy, an organic fabric clothing company. “It’s an inexpensive, easy and effective way to protect our planet and commitment to life.”

Here are some options to get you started onto the path of “thinking green”:

* CITRUS OILl; sold in health-food stores and home improvement stores, fills rooms with the smell of oranges and is far more pleasing to your nose (unless you like the smell of hospitals).

To clean or polish wood floors, dilute 1 c. of citrus oil in one gallon of hot water, and mop with a sponge. For floors that are greasy, simply use a stronger solultion. You can also clean kitchen counters and tabletops with this solution. Citrus doesn’t strip the protective sealants. On porous surfaces like marble or granite, only use diluted oil and it should never be allowed to sit on a surface, always wipe it dry when finished.

* TEA TREE, THYME AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OILS: these have been proven to have more antiseptic in some studies than phenol, the most common chemical disinfectant. Many disinfectants contain chlorine, which reacts with organix matter in drinking water to produce potentially carcinogenic trihalomethane.

To make a natural disinfectant mix 20 drops of one of the above mentioned essential oils and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Apply and let sit for 15 min. or until dry.

* BAKING SODA: Baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda), an alkaline substance is used in fire extinguishers, antacids, and sparkling water.

You can use it to clean your tubs, sinks, countertops in the kitchen and bath. Combine 3/4 c. baking soda, 1/4 c. of borax and enough diswashing liquid to make a smooth paste or if you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 t. lemon juice to the paste; pour down your sink drain to deorderize and to unclog your drains you put 1/2 cup of baking soda in drain and add a cup of vinegar, wait 30min. and pour hot water down drain. I use this method once a month on all the drains in the house to keep them clear.

*BORAX: Borax, like is’s close relative, boric acid, has relatively low toxicity levels, and is considered safe for general household use, but the powder can be harmful if ingested in sufficinet quantities by young children or pets. Keep it out of their reach.

Borax is toxic to plants, so in the yard be very careful when applying borax onto or near soil. It doesn’t take much to leach into the ground to kill off nearby plants and prevent furture growth.

But it is great for rubbing out heavy sink stains, even rust in your stainless steel or porcelain sinks. Make a paste of 1 cup of borax and 1/4 cup of lemon juice, put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it into the stain, then rinse with running warm water, the stain should wash away with the paste.

You can also remove mildew from uphostery and other fabric by soaking a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup of borax dissolved in 2 cups of water, and rubbing it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups of borax in 2 quarts of water.

Want a way to clean your toliet bowl and leave it spakeling whiite without those dangerous fumes? Use a stiff brush to scrub it using a solution of 1/2 cup of borax mixed with a gallon of water.

VINEGAR: Vinegar is known as nature’s most practical liquid and is so versatile that you can use it in the kitchen and bath, laundry and garden, housecleaning and car cleaning, even pet care and personal care.

Damp mopping with a mild vinegar solution is widely recommended as a way to clean wood and no-wax vinyl or laminate flooring. Be sure to check with the manufacturer of the flooring because even when diluted vinegar’s acidity can ruin some floor finishes, and too much water will damage most wooden floors. But if you want to try vinegar on your floors, use 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed in 1 gallon warm water. You may want to start with a trial application in an incomspicuous area. Before applying the solution, squeeze out the mop sthoroughly (or just use a spray bottle to moisten the mop head).

To liven up dull wood paneling, mix 2 cups warm water, 4 tablespoons white or cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a container, give it a couple of shakes and apply with a clean cloth. Let it soak in for several minutes, then polish with a dry cloth.

To keep your computer, printer, and other home office gear clean and dust free, dampen a clean cloth in equal parts white viegar and water, sqeeze it out well and start wiping. Before you start, make sure that your equipment is shut off, and never use a spray bottle; you don’t want to get liquid on the circuis inside. Have a few cotton swabs on hand for getting into tight spaces (like between the keys of your keyboard).

To make a scratch on a wooden tabletop much less noticeable, mix some distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar and paint over the scratch with a small artist’s brush. Use more iodine for darker woods; more vinegar for lighter shades.

To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts of vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar.

For the great outdoors, vinegar can get rid of bugs and ants or you can use it as an insect repellent and clean you outdoor funiture and decks.

Pour equal parts white vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray it on anthills and around areas where you see ants. Ants hate vinegar, and it won’t take long for them to move on. Also, you can spray picnic and children’s play areas to keep ants away. If you have lots of anthills, pour full strength vinegar over them.

Going camping or fishing? Here’s an old army trick to keep away ticks and mosquitoes: About three days before you leave, start taking 1 tablespoon cider vinegar three times a day. Continue throughout your outing and you just might return home without a bite.

Before resorting to bleach to remove mildew on your deck or your patio furniture, try these milder vinegar-based solutions.

*Keep full-strength white vinegar in a spray bottle and use it wherever you see mildew. The stain will wipe right off must surfaces, and the vinegar will keep it from coming back for a while.

*Remove mildew from wood decks and wood patio furniture by sponging them off with a solution of 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 gallon water. Use an old tootbrush to work the solution into tight spaces.

*To deodorize and inhibit mildew growth on outdoor plastic mesh furniture and patio umbrellas, mix 2 cups white vinegar and 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid in a bucket of hot water. Use a soft brush to work it into the grooves of the plastic and for scrubbing seat pands and umbrella fabric. Rinse with cold water; then dry in the sun.

RUBBING ALCOHOL: Be sure to not confuse denatured alcohol with rubbing alcohol. Denatured alcohol to ethanol (drinking alcohol) to which poisonous and foul-tasting chemicals have been added to render it unfit for drinking. Often, the chemicals used in denatured alcohol are not ones you should put on your skin. Rubbing alcohol is made of chemicals that are safe for skin contact, most often it’s 70 percent isopropl alcohol and 30 percent water.

Ticks hate the taste of rubbing alcohol as much as they love the taste of your dog. Before you pull a tick off Fido, dab the critter with rubbing alcohol to make it loosen its grip. Then grab the tick as close to the dog’s skin as ou can and pull it straight out. Dab again with alcohol to disinfect the wound. This works on people too.

The problem with ice packs is they won’t conform to the shape of the injured body part. Make a slushy conformable pack by nixing 1 part rubbing alcohol with 3 parts water in a sel-closing plastic bag. The next time that sore knee acts up, wrap the bag of slush in a cloth and apply it to the area.

This is just the tip of iceberg of ways to use eco-friendly products that you can make yourself. I have used most of these recipes for the past 10 years. They cost next to nothing to make and the results are fabulous. I use olive oil and vinegar to clean my furniture and I don’t have to dust again for a month. The solution seems to repel dust, just mix the olive oil and vinegar like you would for a salad dressing.

If you often experience digestive problems including constipation, irritable bowel, acidity, heavy stomach, acid refluxes, gas, or stomach pain, yoga may just be the perfect fix for you!

Yoga is one of the most popular alternative medical treatments which are growing rapidly around the world. For people who are looking to get away from over the counter drugs, yoga offers an alternative with its holistic approach to health.

Yoga has proven itself in providing a wide variety of health benefits both physical as well as mental, including alleviation and even prevention of digestive distress. Therefore the goal of yoga is joining together body and mind into a state of balance and harmony.

There are many poses that you’ll find in yoga that stimulate and motivate organs such as the pancreas, intestines, and stomach. Due to this, these organs become incredibly strong and healthy. Here are some of the great benefits of doing yoga; It can add to the circulation of the gastrointestinal function, help you to increase the absorption of sustenance, reduce the level of acid in your stomach, helps to make a larger amount of mucous, help to decrease the pressures of gas, and can completely remove any constipation problems.

Part of doing yoga is learning the myriad of different positions that affect the body. The idea is to put your body into the position and hold it for a set amount of time. The theory is that each position can have a different impact on the body. For example, some postures restrict the flow of blood into certain areas of the body. Thus when the position is released, a rush of blood and oxygen enter that part of the body. This can be very effective in the digestive process.

If you want to improve your digestion, you can try some yoga pose such as Bhadrasana (the Gracious pose), Danda Mayurasana (the Peacock pose), Shashankasana (the Moon pose), Moola Bandhasana (the root lock), Uttana Mandukasana (the Frog pose), Virasana (the hero pose), Bhujangasana (or Cobra), Ustrasana (the Camel pose), and Supta Vajrasana (the Supine Diamond pose).

Another important part of yoga is yoga breathing exercises. Yoga breathing increase the blood flow to the digestive tract stimulating the intestinal action peristalsis making digestion more efficient. Yoga even calms and relaxes digestive system leading to effective elimination of toxins. Various forward bends increase the spaces in the abdomen facilitating the release of entrapped gases.

A basic breathing exercise begins by simply watching your breath. Sit down, close your eyes, and pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. Place one hand on your stomach and feel it move as you inhale into your belly. Breathe gently and begin to inhale and exhale on a count of four. You can then increase this to inhaling for four and exhaling completely on a count of eight. Continue breathing in and out of your nose for at least five minutes, or longer if you wish.

Yoga has a lot of benefits including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being.

You do not have to be a weirdo to believe in natural cures. Contrary to what the big pharmaceutical companies say are think; natural cures work. It is important to educate yourself and understand that resources are available to help you make informed decisions.

Maybe the question you are asking yourself is , what are natural cures? Do they bring about results? The reply lies in history and folklore. Prior to the breakthrough of penicillin, all we had to rely on were natural cures. What is astonishing is that, in every civilization and surroundings, plant medicines were made use of with great success as treatments for the day-to-day ills that plagued mankind. In third-world countries nowadays, plant medicines are the lone choice. Formulations of plants are still successful curatives, although the large pharmaceutical manufacturers would like you to think differently.

In today’s populace, we find ourselves beleaguered with ailments, diseases and conditions that were obscure fifty years ago. Your grandmother likely never heard of restless leg syndrome or ADHD. It’s plenty to make you question if your doctor’s prescription for that twinge in your legs is the most beneficial course of action. Is the modern diagnosis of attention deficit disorder logical, or do you merely have a unruly kid? Is it essential to take that prescription medication to shed light on the problem? Do you marvel why in times past, people treated these problems with natural cures?

For instance, Peruvian bark, a.k.a. Cinchona, renders quinine, a natural cure for malaria. Modern medicine has not trumped quinine as a natural cure.

A youngster diagnosed with attention deficit disorder may easily be treated with a numerate of natural remedies to ease bursts of unquiet energy. The inability to center attention may well lie in the channels of conventional maturation and resolve naturally over time. Chamomile, passion flower, lemon balm and skullcap teas are potent natural cures for unrest. Children in general outgrow a lack of attention span.

If you know a minor diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, it’s improbable that natural cures have been applied. ADD is looked upon an unsuitable circumstance of excitement, with the child not able to concentrate on the content close at hand. As a matter of fact, alot of, if not most, children present this inability at respective points of normal evolution. A physician may dictate shots of Ritalin to repress these insufferable symptoms.

Natural cures are established over time, and have history behind them. Before you run to the doctor with a complaint, do a bit of inquiry on your symptoms. Yet well-entrenched ills like arthritis have several natural cures that work.

The final result is that many a modern ailment, with a scary name or description , can be addressed naturally, without a lifelong allegiance to medications. Natural cures are oftentimes your best alternative, getting to the root causal agent of your hurt and adjudicating the symptoms.

Natural herbal cures, as a principle, tend to bring equilibrium and harmony, accosting the cause rather than the symptoms. Addressing the cause, rather than the symptoms, is superior, bringing about a permanent change that profits the patient and frees them from a lifelong loyalty to medications.

and in the process, become wealthy yourself…

I know that most visitors to this site are genuinely wishing to change this world into a better place.

A cleaner, greener and more sustainable world.

A healthier, wealthier place to be.

The wealth that is, seems to be concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, while more and more hands are empty and idle.

Now is the chance for the average man/woman to help others to become wealthy, and the way you do that cannot help but put money into your account… and more and more money as you help others become wealthy… and your riches will grow into infinity.

You can download a free report about it HERE.  Just Right-Click your mouse and choose “Save target as…” and download the pdf-file to your favourite location.

But be sure to read it too

Contextual Links

to all that posted comments on these posts before.

because of a massive attack from (mainly Chinese and Polish spammers), I had to delete all comments, and install a spamfilter

But you are welcome to resubmit your comments – and I will gladly publish them here again.

Astrology symbols are not the discovery of the century. People knew about the astrology symbols for many years. For many years astrology symbols have been used to stand for the different signs of the zodiac. Once you have learned the meaning behind astrology symbols you realize that they are easy to remember and to recognize. The astrology symbols represent certain zodiac signs so that zodiac signs can be distinguished from one another.

Aquarius is believed to be the most discernable astrology symbol. This astrology symbol is always presented with figures, which resemble water. Someone can relate the waves on the astrology signs image with an aquarium but not with water. However, the Aquarius astrology sign is probably the easiest to remember.

Other easy to remember astrology signs are Taurus and Aries. The Taurus astrology sign image represents a bull. Its name can be easily remembered because the Spanish word for bull is the same. A sphere with two bull-like horns is usually the picture of the Taurus astrology sign. On the other hand, the Aries astrology sign is associated with a goat and its image shows horns on a goats head.

In the zodiac, there are two twin astrology symbols. That is why Pisces and Gemini are often mixed up. Sometimes their images are quite alike. The figure of the astrology sign Pisces is usually presented with two fish. The image of the Pisces astrology sign is always a pair of fish. The Gemini astrology sign, for its part, is presented with an image that resembles the Roman numeral II.

One of the most clearly recognized visual images of the astrology symbols is the one that represents the Leo astrology sign. A lions mane or simply a lion is the astrology symbol of the Leo.

Virgo and Scorpio are also quite similar astrology symbols. These two astrology symbols both resemble the letter M. These remarkably different astrology symbols are represented by icons, which look quite alike. The difference between the images is that the Scorpio astrology symbol has a tail that sticks out to the point of an arrow outwards. Virgos tail stands inward and has no arrow at its tip.

Cancer and Sagittarius are two astrology symbols, which are easy to be distinguished. While the Cancer sign is quite feminine, the Sagittarian sign is masculine. The Cancers astrology symbol consists of two circles that intersect each other. The Sagittarius astrology symbol is represented only by an arrow that points up and right.

Capricorn is probably the most strange astrology symbol. I am not sure why but its astrology symbol represents a goatfish. A goatfish is not the most pleasant picture that is possible but I think the image it not so bad. It looks like the letters VS.

The last astrology symbol, which is left, is Libra. This astrology symbol looks alike the scales of justice that we see in the courthouses. They are usually associated with balance.

These astrology symbols live for many generations and they will probably wait for many others to come.

“When you are green inside, you are clean inside”, holds a lot of truth. This missing element in many people’s lives would cause all vegetation to die, and subsequently, all animals and man. Without chlorophyll, plants would not be able to take nutrition from the sun, because the process of photosynthesis would not go on. In this article I will explain the benefits of chlorophyll, and why raw foods are the best source for this nutrient. But first, let me review, for those having trouble remembering what chlorophyll is.

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants, that enables them to take nutrition from the air, sun, and water, and make them “living”, raw foods. This green pigment covers up any carotene pigment in the plant. Chlorophyll is more than just a pigment, obviously, but the pigments tell-tale green color is a great indication if what we are going to eat, or juice, has this most essential element. Read the rest of this entry »

The art of organic gardening is simply growing food in an environmentally and health friendly manner. Because an organic garden is produce without the use of pesticides and commercial fertilizers you are not only providing yourself and your family with healthy foods, you are also helping the air, water, and soil within our environment.

Organic gardening carries many benefits that you may not be aware of. This article will help you identify the benefits of an organic garden and determine whether organic is the way for you to go.

When you produce organic foods, you are producing all natural, safe, and much healthier foods. These foods will have a greater amount of nutrients and minerals within them than those grown with the help of commercial products. You are reducing your family’s risk of ingesting harmful additives and pesticides, and increasing their nutrition at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »

Human life on this green planet is increasingly complicated and faces serious challenges.

Do I need mentioning pollution, peak-oil, greedy multinational corporations, the dumbing media, etc., etc.?

The single human feels powerless and it is easy to just give in and accept the wrong way, we are heading.

This is NOT an option!

* This is my first posting on my new blog, and it gives you a hint of where this blog is heading…

By the way, there have been people asking me, if I have a picture of myself. And yes, I have one quite recent: