What’s it going to take…fools of fuel! July 16, 2008

I know that this issue of higher gas prices did not happen over night and the solutions will not happen over night either, but do we really believe that the presidential candidates on either side are ready or willing to do what it takes to move our country forward with alternative energy options?

All I keep hearing about is how we need to start drilling for Oil on the Continental Shelf, or dive into our reserves, so we can lower the price of gas at the pump. My question is, if our economy was healthy and strong and gas was $4.20 a gallon, would anyone give a hoot???

The answer is NO.

After watching the Senate Financial Committee try to rip the Feds a new one on why the Freddie and Fannie group are in the toilet and who is going to save them and taking time for their own sound bites, I came to the sad realization that our government simply reacts and does not proactively pursue anything, except send more people to Iraq and Afghanistan.

I rarely discuss politics or bitch about what they are not doing on Capital Hill, having lived there for fourteen years. However, we are at the tipping point on many, many, many subjects and all I can say right now is, if you did not have an interest in politics before,

GET INTERESTED NOW!!, because if we have another four years of incompetence in the White House going forward, we are screwed. If you feel passionate about your quality of life, what’s happening in your community, your country and on our planet, PLEASE be the change you wish to see and get involved…use your voice, speak up and now would be a great time to start!

See, this is what happens when I do not go on vacation…I start to loose it! I feel much better now after letting off some steam and will return to my favorite discussions and topics, like alternative energy, eco-friendly products and all things sustainable!

Thanks for listening and if you have a positive idea or comment to share, I would love to hear from you!

“yes, you can have your veggies and eat them too!” June 19, 2008

 by EcoLita…who is the ecodiva.

 

It appears that we do not have to travel anymore to a foreign country to contract a food borne illness, like salmonella, e.coli, etc. We have it right here in our local grocery stores.

I know this is not as funny as it may sound and quite frankly I am not laughing and no one I know is especially when these events affect our food supply.

 

With the introduction of anti-bacterial this and anti-bacterial that, we as a culture have created such resistance against common, everyday germs and now we have created “super bugs or super germs”. They are resistant against our antibiotics, good old fashion soap and water and the more we fight them with anti-bacterial products, the stronger the bacterial strains become by transforming themselves into another strain of bacteria.

 

Now remember, this is my definition of what is going on.The bottom line is, we cannot continue this pace anymore.

Mother Nature however always seems to have a solution to what humans screw up on planet earth and she does a very good job of providing us with the answers and solutions if we just pay attention.

 

When we were told about the killer tomatoes carrying salmonella, I went online to see what brands were hopefully safe to eat. I found one company in Southern Arizona, called “EuroFresh.” They are greenhouse growers and have controls in place to monitor what comes in contact with their tomatoes. They are vine attached and use no pesticides. Check them out at www.eurofresh.com .

 

Like I said, Mother Nature provides us with everything we need, if we just pay attention.

Grapefruit seed extract is a by- product of grapefruit seeds and the pulp from grapefruits. and has amazing properties, such as antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial elements that kill, Salmonella, e.coli, staph, strep and other bacteria and viruses, without known side affects.

 

Information from this little gem of Mother Nature is vast and the best website I have found is www.gseinformation.com .

 

You can purchase grapefruit seed extract from a variety of companies. The best thing to do is go online, do your homework and buy from those companies you feel most comfortable with and having a track record and stand behind their products.

 

My good friend, Elaine, uses the extract with a dilution of water to wash her veggies and fruit. Based on research and current use in a variety of fields, washing vegetables and fruit in a bath of grapefruit seed extract may be the solution for cleaning and getting rid of any nasty elements that are hanging onto the surface of fruit and veggies.

The dilution of concentrated grapefruit seed extract and water will vary depending on the product purchased and best thing to do is consult with the manufacturer for their recommendations.

 

Regardless of whether there is an alert on tomatoes, fruit, etc., washing all of our veggies and fruit should be a habit that we all incorporate into our routine of food preparation. Having choices like grapefruit seed extract to use in that process is a great way to utilize more of Mother Nature’s gifts.

Bon appetite!

“we’ve come along way baby”…going green April 7, 2008

I can remember more than ten years ago, when looking for eco-friendly, green, sustainable products for a client, who had multiple chemical sensitivities was next to impossible. I would call companies and ask how their products were made, what were the glues, adhesives, finishes and dyes used and they would ask me “why do you want to know” ?

It was their legal department that was asking me the question, thinking I was an industry spy, looking to steal their magic potions. When I told them the reason for the inquiry, they would pause and say,

“Well, we aren’t sure what the answer is to your question, so we will have to research it and get back to you”, and of course, that would be the last conversation I would have with that company. Bottom line is, they had no unearthly idea what the hell was in their products. So if they didn’t know, do you think the rest of the population that was buying this stuff knew?

Nope.

That’s what makes this such an exciting time to be on the planet, at least for me as a designer. Now, we are starting to see accountability and people demanding to know, what exactly are they getting when they go to purchase furnishings, decorative accessories, paints, fabrics, etc.

Of course, we still have millions of items out there that are only green perhaps because that’s the color of the paint on them, but at least, we have choices in almost every category of product, as to what we choose to put in our environment, our mouths, on our bodies and in our bodies. So when you shop and are looking for a new item to bring home and decorate your home with, ask yourself, ” how will this work in my environment and support an eco-friendly interior. See you don’t have to have multiple chemical sensitivities to want or have a healthy environment, you should just naturally want it because you are worth it!