tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42811520669946531142024-03-05T23:44:28.245+08:00Symphony in GreenSymphony in Green is an environment where we can learn and share ways of finding beauty and making a difference by going green.Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-22791898522599564372011-10-02T14:36:00.000+08:002011-10-02T14:37:58.730+08:00Commuters can offset their carbon footprint –- Is there any possible way to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Commuters can offset their carbon footprint</b> and these statistics show that doing so can have a huge impact to putting a stop to climate change and global warming:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Transportation accounts for 22% of energy use worldwide and 27% of carbon emissions.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>96% of the energy used for transportation in major energy-consuming countries comes from petroleum fuels, which are a main cause of global climate change.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Three fourths of transportation energy use originates from road vehicles, about two thirds is consumed by passenger mobility, and one-third is utilized by moving freight.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Light vehicles accounted for 63% of transportation energy consumption in 2005.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But aren’t big businesses, industries, and rich countries reliant on fossil fuels the bigger culprits? What are governments doing so that countries and businesses reduce their carbon emissions? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Story of Cap and Trade</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cap and trade, also known as carbon trading or emissions trading, is one of the leading proposed solutions to the global climate crisis. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Under cap and trade schemes, individual governments or intergovernmental bodies, like the United Nations, set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions allowed within a given time period — that’s the cap. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If a company plans to pollute more than their allotted limit, they can buy permits from companies that haven’t used all of theirs — that’s the trade.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Check out this video by the host of the Internet film sensation “The Story of Stuff”, Annie Leonard, explaining cap and trade and revealing the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals. See how carbon offsets work in a global scale.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What we can do</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the video points out, our global economy runs on burning fossils fuels such that just about everything releases carbon. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We might think that although ordinary <b><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/commuters-can-offset-their-carbon.html">commuters can offset their carbon footprint</a></b> or even better, reduce carbon emissions, there really isn’t that much we can do if the factories that make our stuff, the ships and trucks that carry it around the world, our cars, buildings, and appliances keep coming from carbon-intensive sources.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is true. But as end-consumers, our money and the way we consume stuff fuels this kind of destructive economy. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The money we all spend on supporting polluters by buying their products or investing in these businesses can, for example, be diverted to supporting clean and renewable energy sources. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Planting trees, buying organic produce, recycling, taking public transportation, biking or walking, and even lobbying for more efficient and cleaner public transportation are just a few examples of how <b><a href="http://planetsave.com/2011/05/31/transportation-energy-use-infographic/">commuters can offset their carbon footprint</a></b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To know more about the story of how our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health, check out Annie Leonard's book.</span></div>
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Transitioning to a clean energy world will not be easy but our collective efforts will go a long way in taking us there. We can all be more involved by learning how our lifestyles affect the environment, changing our consumerist mindsets, and taking small steps to make it happen. With the impact that transportation has in global warming, it is well worth remembering that <b>commuters can offset their carbon footprint</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">References:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://planetsave.com/2011/05/31 /transportation-energy-use-infographic/ </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://www.storyofstuff.com/ capandtrade</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo thanks to http://www.flickr.com/ photos/mikaelmiettinen/</span></div>
Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-41304776320164177742011-09-18T16:17:00.001+08:002011-09-18T16:23:54.364+08:00Safe plastic drinking water bottles -- How much damage do plastic bottles do to our environment?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Safe plastic drinking water bottles: reduce, reuse and recycle</span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using <b><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/safe-plastic-drinking-water-bottles-is.html">safe plastic drinking water bottles</a> </b>is one way to help reduce the impact to the planet of consuming plastic. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” still are the best ways to help the environment especially when you read these overwhelming facts about plastic bottles:</span></div>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">80% of plastic bottles are not recycled. More than 60 million plastic water bottles end up in landfills or incinerators every day.</span></li>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Cambria; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>In 2006, Americans drank an average 167 bottles of water each for a total of 50 billion bottles (total spent $15 billion). Of that total, only 23% was recycled.</b></span></li>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles. Currently, the amount of oil we use to produce water bottles each year (17 million barrels) could fuel over 1,000,000 cars for an entire year.</span></li>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>If you drink 2 Liters of tap water a day, it only costs you 50 cents per year to drink. Drinking the same amount, but bottled will cost you nearly 1000 times more.</b></span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The story of bottled water</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I was a kid, we would normally drink straight from tap. We usually drank from glass and then suddenly, we find ourselves searching for <b><a href="http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2008/03/17/choosing-a-safe-reusable-water-bottle/">safe plastic drinking water bottles</a></b>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These days, a lot of us cannot imagine drinking tap water and I have often wondered what happened between then and now that made plastic bottled water a hit. In this video, Annie Leonard provides some very interesting answers to our obsession to bottled water.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To know more about the story of bottled water and how our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health, check out the book from the host of the Internet film sensation “The Story of Stuff”, Annie Leonard. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How much plastic trash are you contributing to the pile of plastic garbage each day? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How much do you spend buying plastic bottled water each week?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How much can you save by cutting on your bottled water purchase?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How can you help reduce the pile of plastic garbage that harm our environment and our society as well?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reduce, reuse, recycle and start using <b>safe plastic drinking water bottles</b><span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman';">.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.Greenupgrader.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www. Greenupgrader. com</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www. Treehugger.com</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www. Ecoplum.com</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www. Mindfully.org</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">www. container-recycling.org</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">storyofstuff.org</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo thanks to http:// www. flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/</span></div>
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Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-43273155464408026742011-09-07T21:12:00.000+08:002011-09-07T21:12:14.542+08:00Homemade Window Cleaner --- What are the most effective, environmentally friendly cleaning products?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade window cleaner --- What are the most effective, environmentally friendly cleaning products?</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our home is a place for rest and for sharing precious time with our loved ones. It can be quite surprising to know that this home where we are supposed to be safe can also be one of the most toxic places due to products we use everyday. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By using a lot of chemical products, our homes have literally become a toxic waste dump. The cleaning products we normally use at home contain harmful ingredients like:</span></div>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Neurotoxins that poison the brain and nervous system</b></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carcinogens that cause or aggravate cancer</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Teratogens that interfere with fetal development</b></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Endocrine disrupters that interfere with our body’s hormonal and reproductive system</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mutagens, that are also typically carcinogens, and cause permanent genetic change in a cell</b></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These chemicals also make their way to the environment when they are flushed down the toilet, poured down on sinks, sprayed into the air, or thrown into the trash. They cause harm to plant and animal life and contribute to pollution of groundwater, contamination of the soil, and depletion of the ozone layer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade or natural cleaning products can be used, instead, as an inexpensive, effective, and environmentally friendly way to keep our babies, pets, and loved ones safe, while also protecting the environment. If you are interested on how you can clean and be green, read on…</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade window cleaner and other homemade substitutes</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of the traditional home cleaning products are very effective, safe, and inexpensive. There are many resources in the Internet and in books where you will find homemade recipes to solve a lot of your household cleaning needs such as Papa’s <b><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/homemade-window-cleaner-what-is.html">homemade window cleaner</a></b> recipe of white vinegar and water, wiped to windows using old newspapers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a list of common, green cleaning products that can be used alone or in combination for a wealth of effective and environmentally friendly household applications. </span></div>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Baking Soda</b> - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lemon</b> - one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria.</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Borax</b> - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>White Vinegar </b>- cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cornstarch</b> - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Messy Bessy: I clean. I green. I educate.</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other <b><a href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/assemble-a-green-cleaning-kit.html">homemade window cleaner</a></b> solutions are available over the Internet and we can also buy available nontoxic and biodegradable cleaners sold commercially. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A growing number of commercial non-toxic home cleaning products are also becoming available here in the Philippines, and my favorite has been <i>Messy Bessy</i>’s line of cleaning products.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Messy Bessy</i> is a line of worry-free household cleaning products made with safe, non-toxic, all natural, biodegradable ingredients that are good for your health and for the planet. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For example, their <i>Squeaky Clean Window Cleaner</i> is made only of natural ingredients like </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">lemon essential oil, tea tree essential oil, distilled white vinegar (sugar cane, water), extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil, anti-oxidants, and water. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Messy Bessy</i> works closely with experts to ensure that all products remove dirt and kill bacteria without leaving toxic fumes and chemical residues. I myself use their products at home, and boy, do they clean!!! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Their environmental responsibility goes beyond their products. They make sure that every step of the business is done with a “green mind” like choosing labor over machinery, recycling their waste, pricing the product line to encourage refills, and choosing sustainable packaging.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What’s more interesting about this business is that they do not only clean and green. The business was put up by Krie Lopez in November 2007 in order to educate, train, and employ young adults and the disadvantaged youth of Manila through development programs that the business funds. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By using <i>Messy Bessy</i> products, I clean, I green, I educate! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Start having your natural household cleaning kit by using the ingredients I mentioned earlier or checking out <i>Messy Bessy</i> products. For cheaper, safer, and more nontoxic cleaning recipes, environmentalist Karen Logan's "Clean House Clean Planet" offers a lot of good recipes to help clean your home while keeping your loved ones and our environment safe.</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sympingree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0671535951&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By using natural cleaning products. we can all clean, green, and even educate! Doing good can all start through ways as simple and inexpensive as a <b>homemade window cleaner</b>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">References:</span></div>
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<a href="http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://eartheasy.com/ live_nontoxic_solutions.htm</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><u>http://www.messybessy. com/index.html</u></span></div>
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Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-7562759900409933702011-08-30T14:21:00.000+08:002011-08-30T14:21:25.506+08:00Types of Eco Tourism --- What things can you do to be a true ecotourist?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8MresjTK3CRUzL1hyKfC4yO1Oq1NuFjnDf_imxSqC-ml3K3osXB646LiAdGF-cFFbzciToKo148JAtD90yfseaBKLxoYWZJqkywPdoER89Wxeign4bEpWT41hcu4CM-1JoQakSvK/s1600/types_of_eco_tourism_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8MresjTK3CRUzL1hyKfC4yO1Oq1NuFjnDf_imxSqC-ml3K3osXB646LiAdGF-cFFbzciToKo148JAtD90yfseaBKLxoYWZJqkywPdoER89Wxeign4bEpWT41hcu4CM-1JoQakSvK/s320/types_of_eco_tourism_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: green; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Types of eco tourism gone wrong</span></b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Boracay produces 7 to 10 tons of garbage each day…</span></i><br />
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</span></i></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some 5 kilos of cigarette butts are collected from Boracay's White Beach everyday…</span></i></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the last 5 years, a dramatic rise in water levels was noted in Boracay and coasts are thinning…</span></i></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mount Data National Park used to be a 5,512 mossy forest. However, the mossy forest is now a mere 89 hectares…</span></i></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mount Pulag, the second highest peak in the Philippines (2,954 masl), one of the nation’s most critical watersheds and one of the most beautiful tourist sights, known even outside the country, is dying… </span></i></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Similar stories can be found in various natural attractions all over the world and since travel and tourism continue to rise especially in Asia, once pristine spots are now being milked for cash at the expense of the environment.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How can I be a responsible ecotourist?</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As travelers, we all can do something to help lessen the negative impact of travel to the environment. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are an ecotourist or if you plan to be one, check out 10 of my favorite tips on what we can do to plan your trip responsibly and make responsible choices while on vacation:</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unplug before you leave, unplug while you are there</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Turn off lights and unplug household appliances that can be left unplugged while you are away. Turn off all the lights and air conditioner/heater when you leave your room, and unplug unnecessary appliances.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Travel light</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Pack only what you need, and don't bring things that will become waste. </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Avoid litter</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Bring garbage bags and bring home whatever garbage you brought with you. Ask and learn about proper garbage disposal at your destination. </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fly responsibly</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Opt for more environmentally friendly transport such as trains, buses, and passenger boats. Plan your trip so that you minimize air travel, and choose, whenever possible, to stay longer in a destination instead of making many short trips.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Choose greener ways to get around</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Utilize public transportation (bus, train, city car, etc.) and alternative modes of transportation (walking, bicycle, non-motorized vehicles, horse, camel) as much as possible. It's a more sustainable way to get around, and also a healthier and more enjoyable way to get to know the place you are visiting.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Portable water</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: As much as possible, bring your own portable water and reusable water bottle to avoid buying bottled water.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Save Water</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Use the minimum amount of water needed for a shower/bath, don't let water run while shaving, brushing or washing, and check if the hotel has a linen reuse program - if so, reuse your towels and bed sheets by placing the card to indicate you don't wish to have them washed every day, if not, request hospitality staff not to change them every day.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Respect the environment</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Never touch or harass animals. Always follow designated trails. Support conservation by paying entrance fees to parks and protected sites.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Buy local</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Choose local lodges, use local buses, eat in local restaurants, shop in local markets. Never buy crafts or products made from protected or endangered animals.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Give back</b>: Contribute to and participate in the community projects, and support those companies that are making positive impacts on the lives of local hosts. Like others, you'll find you enrich your travel experience when you help contribute to the well-being of the communities that you're visiting.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where can I go?</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my last previous post on the different <a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/types-of-eco-tourism-how-to-have-green.html"><b>types of</b> <b>eco tourism</b></a>, we said that ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow these ecotourism principles:</span></div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Minimize impact.</b></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.</b></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.</span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people.</b></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate.</span></li>
</ul><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The International ecotourism Society (TIES) is the world's oldest and largest international ecotourism association that seeks to be the global source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation, and sustainable travel. Its website provides an Ecotourism Explorer tool that will help you find different <b><a href="http://www.ecotourism.org/site/c.orLQKXPCLmF/b.4835291/k.487E/Ecotourism_Explorer__360176_of_Ecotourism__The_International_Ecotourism_Society.htm">types of eco tourism</a></b> sites, organizations, tour operators, and programs around the globe.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">David Bach’s book ‘Go Green, Live Rich’ is also a rich source of references for green vacations and responsible travel. Check out his book to know more about green vacations and how going green can also make you wealthy. </span></div><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sympingree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=076792973X&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are planning your next vacation, have fun while being responsible and explore the different <b>types of eco tourism</b>.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 6px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">References:</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 6px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www. ecotourism.org/</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 6px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://contrailsshareasyougo. blogspot.com/</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 6px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 6px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 6px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/ bigberto/</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px Cambria; line-height: 20.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px; text-align: justify;"><b></b></div>Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-6648427225862234112011-08-28T08:55:00.000+08:002011-08-28T08:55:30.985+08:00Examples of how going green saves you money – How can we all cut down and save some money?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5eS3xvZqUAYr_VhZUllFJ-fv5A9jKVMLuF-jyZBzdqeHMtEvib2HvE46S2wcR1FKP30UVz2o-QoDcZi8OHoOWm-MsGePbfxH_Srr9N5OfV3wMieWriVKeEVHfyy91Obp0Qvo6Yic/s1600/examples_of_how_going_green_saves_you_money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5eS3xvZqUAYr_VhZUllFJ-fv5A9jKVMLuF-jyZBzdqeHMtEvib2HvE46S2wcR1FKP30UVz2o-QoDcZi8OHoOWm-MsGePbfxH_Srr9N5OfV3wMieWriVKeEVHfyy91Obp0Qvo6Yic/s320/examples_of_how_going_green_saves_you_money.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Examples of how going green saves you money </b>are all over the internet. It is no wonder, that these days, more and more people are finding ways to save money. When the global financial crisis hit in 2008, an astounding $50 trillion of wealth was erased globally. People lost their jobs and were driven to the streets to demand for justice and support. Even until now, the global economy has not been fixed and incomes, jobs, and credit are still in short supply.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before it happened, a lot of people knew that the level of consumerism in the world has been at an all time high but a lot of the money spent never really existed. People where spending at debt. According to a website that offers services to erase debts:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">85% of Americans have a true net worth value of less than 250$.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>62% of Americans say that money is their biggest problem.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">41% of Americans do not have an emergency fund.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>80% of marriages that end in divorce cite financial problems as the leading reason.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">60% of college students leave college with loans and credit card debt.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>96% of those 65 and over die broke.</b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The average American saves less than $0.02 of every $ earned.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Has the crisis hit you in any way?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If not, are you prepared to lose your job should another downturn happen?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are you also currently in debt?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you have enough savings to support you through retirement?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Controlling spending and consumption is one of the greenest ways of sustaining our lives and also rescuing our planet. This is also one reason why <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/examples-of-how-going-green-saves-you.html">examples of how going green saves you money</a></b> has become a topic of interest. It is a win-win for both man, as we save money, sustain our lifestyles, and reduce the stress that comes with having too much unnecessary things that clutter our lives; and nature, as we employ more efficient ways of using our natural resources, slowing down on consuming limited resources, and putting a stop to all types of pollution that slowly kill the only planet we live in.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We can start generating a lot of savings by slowly changing how we purchase and consume some of our basic necessities like food, water, and clothing. Although this may entail some sacrifices, the benefits you will reap far outweigh the little changes you will make in your lifestyle. Read on these <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/04/review-go-green-live-rich/">examples of how going green saves you money</a> </b>and calculate how much savings you can generate by trying them. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Food</span></b><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Eat less meat. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Try cutting your meat consumption little by little. Aside from it being more expensive, meat is also one of the most resource-intensive food to produce.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Eat raw.</b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of material exists about the health benefits of eating raw food. And because you consume less or no energy in preparing them, you save money as well. You (and the planet!) save a lot more when you buy fresh, locally produced food items.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Eat less junk.</b> I know a lot of people who feast on junk food everyday. Imagine the savings you can generate (and litter you reduce) by simply skipping on your favorite junk and replacing it with healthier, cheaper options.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Water</span></b><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Break-a-bottle-a-day.</b> Billions of money are spent consuming bottled water. Imagine the savings you will generate if instead of buying 1 bottle a day, you buy a reusable water container made of glass, aluminum, or PET 5 plastic and refill that with clean, free water. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Turn off the tap.</b> Dripping faucets and leaks will cost you a lot. Fix them as soon as possible to save water and money. Keeping the water flowing while brushing your teeth, for example, is a very costly (not to mention, insensitive) way of wasting a very precious resource.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Clothing</span></b><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Think before you buy.</b> Do you really need to buy another shirt or dress? Clothes have become one of the fastest moving items these days and as they become cheaper and cheaper, people are drawn to stuff their closets with clothes that are in trend but that they will usually just wear a few times. How much money will you save if you plan your shopping and become smarter with your clothing choices?</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a very interesting infographic that describes how an average American spends their money.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxzhFrajybm3yEGtqoAnRFsfSN2mrok09moXCAOWvyWE0xWGNk1PuxqeLTtHMKRMdK91a_G5z4B1oRvr2ABZnUD6FxWgBF1L7yF9xQloTt-EUlqAtSI92PpJ4wwyRO_oDyZkFoK6U/s1600/examples_of_how_going_green_saves_you_money2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxzhFrajybm3yEGtqoAnRFsfSN2mrok09moXCAOWvyWE0xWGNk1PuxqeLTtHMKRMdK91a_G5z4B1oRvr2ABZnUD6FxWgBF1L7yF9xQloTt-EUlqAtSI92PpJ4wwyRO_oDyZkFoK6U/s640/examples_of_how_going_green_saves_you_money2.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using this as an example, list where you would normally spend your monthly paycheck and put average values or percentages in each of your spending categories. Doing this simple exercise will help you identify more opportunities where you can save a lot of money and at the same time go green.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You might think you only save very little by cutting your consumption or making smarter choices, but little things do add up and produce so much value for your pocket and benefits for the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">An old cheapskate saying goes: The surest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your wallet. David Bach, a renowned motivational and financial speaker and founder of FinishRich Media, shows us how small daily savings from living green add up to a richer future in his book <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying”</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<center><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sympingree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=076792973X&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you value true well-being and a secure future for yourself, your family, and the world we live in, start saving money while saving the planet at the same time through these <b>examples of</b> <b>how going green saves you money</b>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/ meddygarnet/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://www. acedebteliminator.com/</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www. thesimpledollar.com/</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www. visualeconomics.com</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.creditloan.com/infographics/how-the-average-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, Juliet B. Schor</span></div>Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-84004077577427335482011-08-17T22:17:00.001+08:002011-10-03T22:25:09.299+08:00Commuters can offset their carbon footprint –- What actions would you support to reduce carbon emissions?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Commuters can offset their carbon footprint</b> and through little actions, help stop catastrophes that have been claiming lives for the past few years. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Do you see (or have you felt) the catastrophic effects of recent natural disasters?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then read on to see what we can do to help by controlling excessive carbon emissions. If you answered ‘no’ then read about typhoon Ketsana or hurricane Katrina or the tsunami in Japan and ask if you want that to happen to you and your family. If not, then read on. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>What's happening?</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The volume of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere has been increasing at a tremendous scale greater than our forests', oceans', or soils' ability to capture it. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Heat from the sun reflected from the earth's surface does not exactly escape into space. It bounces back into our atmosphere and the captured warmth actually makes our planet habitable.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carbon dioxide is a good thing but too much of it is bad. Because of how we live and how fast we consume our natural resources, we contribute to the production of too much carbon dioxide and the degradation of too many natural resources that are supposed to keep its volume under control. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of media has come out about the issue of climate change and global warming. Experts and scientists concur that there is almost absolute certainty that the planet has a temperature caused by human actions. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The hurricanes, droughts, floods, heat waves, etc., that have recently been claiming millions of lives are just some of its catastrophic manifestations. Something has to be done now, and very rapidly, because scientists and experts believe that we might not have enough time to put things under control.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>So what should we do?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are many things we can do to help stop global warming. Carbon offsetting is one of these ways. It is a way of doing good by reducing emissions from one activity in order to make up for emissions you can’t reduce or avoid from another. But it will only make sense if we use them for behaviors that we cannot avoid rather than as a substitute for changes we can easily make. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carbon offsetting can be a little complicated at first especially for regular folks like you and me. Doing research is very important since a lot of carbon offsets are of questionable value. We ordinary folks can, instead, simply choose to avoid or reduce our carbon emissions whenever possible. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The way we move around is one of the biggest ways that we impact our planet (most of the time, in a negative way). If you spend a large portion of your day moving from one location to another, this article may be able to give some suggestions on what we can do in order to avoid or reduce the carbon footprint we produce when commuting.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tip 1: Calculating your carbon footprint is the first step to going green. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular, on climate change. It relates to the amount of carbon dioxide produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation, etc. that heat up the planet or cause global warming.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I took my first carbon footprint test last April and for someone who refuses to own a car (yes, that’s even if my employer already offered me one) and chooses to take public transportation to get to places, I was a bit shocked when I realized my carbon footprint is still high compared to world average. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Knowing how our actions and lifestyle affects the environment enables us to take the necessary actions to reduce any negative impact we cause. There are more sophisticated tools to calculate exactly how much emission we produce and how it affects our environment but the internet is filled with a lot of free tools to get us started.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I do believe that <b><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/glossary.html">commuters can offset their carbon footprint</a></b> and we can start doing so with an awareness of how much impact we are actually producing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tip 2: Walking, running, and biking are healthy ways to reduce our carbon footprint.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you’d ask me for a tip on how to reduce weight or stay healthy, walking or running is definitely one tip I will give. You only not do your health a favor, you also make the planet happy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also know someone who owns a folding bicycle so he could bike from his house to the train station, fold the bike and get into the train, and then bike again from the station to his office. Fun! And definitely a good idea! Not only does he reduce his emissions, he also gets to save on daily travel expenses, while staying fit!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tip 3: Live or stay near your place of work / study or drive less</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I remember seeing a documentary on urban planning and one of the smart strategies they discussed to improve people’s lives in the city is to "force" people to stay near where they would normally be in a day, so that they would not need to use transportation. This not only reduces traffic, but I think, it is certainly a very smart way of reducing stress produced by daily commute!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Instead of spending 2 hours in traffic (and contributing to global warming), why not live near where you work or study? Not only will you earn more time to rest or do more productive stuff, it can also help reduce traffic in the streets.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are more ways on how <b><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/how-to-go-green-carbon-offsets.php">commuters can offset their carbon footprint</a></b> or simply reduce or avoid it. These include carpooling, proper scheduling of trips in a day, proper car maintenance, and a whole lot more. David Bach’s book offers easy, useful tips on how to find carbon offsets so go and check it out as well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Governments and businesses do have responsibilities to the environment to put a cap on carbon emissions and to either offset or totally reduce the negative impacts of how society lives. However, I believe that little, simple actions like <a href="http://www.earthlab.com/carbonprofile">knowing your carbon footprint</a>, walking or biking, and driving less also add up to more sustainable ways of going green. It is important to remember that <b>commuters can offset their carbon footprint.</b></span><br />
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Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-89631314061470998322011-08-14T15:44:00.002+08:002011-10-03T22:24:27.317+08:00Safe plastic drinking water bottles -- Is my water bottle safe?<div style="color: green; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Cambria; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Safe plastic drinking water bottles</b> seem to be what everybody is looking for. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We all know how important plastic material has become. We use it everyday in our compact discs and DVDs, mobile phones, computers, and in so many things we use everyday<span style="font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">.</span> The moment you wake up, plastic is one of the first things you see. It’s in your home, your place of work, the gym, your favorite park, your school, and practically everywhere! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Imagine your day without plastic. Kinda tough, right?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But these days more and more people are questioning if plastic, when used to store the water we drink, is safe.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To know this, we need to know what our plastic bottles are made of. Each bottle is marked with a number inside a recycling symbol. This number is key to knowing what’s inside your bottle so start flipping them over, know what harm they can cause you and which ones are <b><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/glossary.html">safe plastic drinking water bottles</a></b>.</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#1 PETE or PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used for most water and soda bottles</span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaches phthalates that are known carcinogens. They are known to cause endocrine disruption, reduced sperm counts, testicular atrophy, and structural abnormalities in the reproductive systems of male test animals. They are also linked to liver cancer.</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#2 HDPE (High density polyethylene)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used for cloudy milk and water jugs and opaque food bottles</span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaches bisphenol A (BPA) linked to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, hyperactivity. </span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Studies of water samples from #2 bottles showed elevated levels of barium and zinc. High levels of barium can affect the nervous system and cause cardiac arrythmia, while excessive zinc can prevent iron and copper absorption.</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#3 PVC or V (Polyvinyl chloride)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used in some cling wrap, soft beverage bottles, plastic containers, plumbing pipes, children’s toys, vinyl windows, shower curtains, shades and blinds, and many more items</span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Polyvinyl chloride can cause cancer, birth defects, genetic changes, chronic bronchitis, ulcers, skin diseases, deafness, vision failure, indigestion, and liver dysfunction. It is also linked to asthma symptoms in young children and environment and autism spectrum disorders. </span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It also leached phthalates (see #1)</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#4 LDPE (Low density polyethylene)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used in plastic grocery bags, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, and flexible lids</span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">LDPE is not considered a carcinogen or endocrine disruptor. However, it leaches small amounts of BPA (see #2)</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#5 PP (Polypropylene)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used in yogurt cups, some baby bottles, screw-on caps, toys, drinking straws</span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Considered one of the safest plastics for human health as it is not known to leach any chemicals</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#6 PS (Polystyrene)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used in egg cartons, foam meat trays, clear take out containers, plastic cutlery, toys, cups, CD containers</span></li>
<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaches the solvent styrene that is known to adversely affect the central nervous system. It also leaches benzene that can cause digestive problems, harm bone marrow, and the immune system, and cause a decrease in red blood cells that can lead to anemia. It has also been linked to low birth weights in animals.</span></li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#7 Other (usually Polycarbonate)</span></b></div>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Used in 5-gallon water bottles, some baby bottles, and lining of metal food cans</span></li>
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<li style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaches bisphenol A (BPA) linked to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, hyperactivity. </span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://azgreenmagazine.com/wordpress/">Safe plastic drinking water bottles</a></b> can be difficult to find but many plastic alternatives are becoming more and more available now. Bio-plastic water bottles or bottles made from plants are also trickling into the market. But some are saying that companies producing these alternatives are only “greenwash” because producing these bottles requires more material to produce and are not really recyclable. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, stainless steel metal or glass containers are safer alternatives. Better yet, a greener action is to avoid drinking bottled water altogether.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To know more about how you can reduce toxins in your home, check out this book about making your house clean and safe.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ask yourself, is your water bottle safe? Know what they are made of and see if you are using <b>safe plastic drinking water bottles</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Information on plastic bottles, thanks to AZGreen Magazine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Photo thanks to http://www. flickr.com/photos/ stevendepolo/</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span>Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-23935691036733317902011-08-10T21:54:00.001+08:002011-10-03T22:23:55.579+08:00Homemade Window Cleaner --- What is a homemade solution to clean windows?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_eX5vGpLZ0DE8HT-kg0x1J04c34qrn5S3NUvkegtszhsrdn65XynF-Jh0WDJsZjSf9btzboMAJzmK4RjktXSO9tLhFbtVtrx88G9Kg0gG7xAXahNBW6xjxQCGfQ3ysQhFW7ur6Ln/s1600/homemade_window_cleaner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_eX5vGpLZ0DE8HT-kg0x1J04c34qrn5S3NUvkegtszhsrdn65XynF-Jh0WDJsZjSf9btzboMAJzmK4RjktXSO9tLhFbtVtrx88G9Kg0gG7xAXahNBW6xjxQCGfQ3ysQhFW7ur6Ln/s320/homemade_window_cleaner.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade window cleaner: remembering the good old days</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you know that our homes are one of the most toxic places--- even sometimes more toxic than the outdoors?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As kids, my siblings and I were taught how to clean the house. I remember Papa assigning each of us a house chore in the morning and walking around the house to see how well we do our tasks. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my favorite tasks is cleaning windows. I would smile, feeling I have done a good job, whenever I see our windows shine in the sun after wiping them with nothing else but newspapers dipped in some solution my father would prepare. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I never realized that there is value not only in being taught how to do chores but also in the simplicity of the way we cleaned. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Green cleaning</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is really interesting how the products we buy to clean our homes are the same toxins that pollute it, causing various diseases such as cancer, asthma, and other lung problems. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chemicals in cleaning fluids that are available in the market contain some of the most common environmental toxins. The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals. Chemical cleaning supplies found in our homes not only threaten our health but also end up polluting our soil, rivers, oceans, and air. And because moms, infants, pets, and the elderly spend most of the time home, they are more exposed to these chemicals! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because household cleaners take up a large portion of our budgets, and they can make us sick, pollute our environment, and threaten our loved ones, green cleaning using nontoxic cleaners is something we should all learn.</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade solutions to clean windows</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Baking soda, vinegar, and salt are timeless, nontoxic, and effective household cleaning agents. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s a very simple, cheap, nontoxic and effective <b><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/glossary.html">homemade window cleaner</a></b> recipe from Papa:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 part vinegar </span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dip the newspaper ball into the solution. </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>The newspaper ball only needs to be wet (not soaked) with the vinegar solution to allow you to use the ball to wipe your windows without it being torn to pieces. (Besides, this recipe is very effective you really don’t need too much of it to be able to clean!)</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Wipe your windows using the newspaper ball dipped in the vinegar solution. </span></i></span></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Polish windows with a dry newspaper ball for a gleaming, beaming finish.</span></i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Simple enough? You can find other <b><a href="http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm">homemade window cleaner</a></b> recipes over the Internet or buy available nontoxic and biodegradable cleaners sold commercially. The key thing in buying these products is to read the labels. There’s a good chance that if you can’t read the label, less pronounce the words, it’s not good for you or for the environment. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For cheaper, safer, and more nontoxic cleaning recipes, check out this book by environmentalist Karen Logan<span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman';"><i>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We really don’t have to kill ourselves trying to keep our houses clean. Being green can be as simple and as cheap as using a <b>homemade window cleaner</b><span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman';">.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman';">Photo thanks to http://www.flickr.com/ photos/ dominicspics/</span></span></div>
Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-91224020131850993802011-08-08T04:55:00.001+08:002011-10-03T22:23:18.874+08:00Types of Eco Tourism --- How to have a green vacation<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Types of Eco Tourism: Going out on a break</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My friends from the office and I went to the Caliraya Watershed to plant trees for Haribon Foundation’s ROAD to 2020 reforestation program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven’t been on vacation this year and going out this weekend even for a day to get my hands dirty was for me a really good chance to de-stress and have a change of environment. On the way to the site, I was telling my friends how nice it is that in the province of Laguna, most of the streets are still lined with trees. It was no surprise that we saw a lot of bikers along the way given the challenging but clean and green trail going to the watershed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ROAD to 2020 is an environmental conservation movement to restore 1 million hectares of Philippines rainforests using native tree species by year 2020. ROAD stands for Rainforestation Organizations and Advocates. The end goal of the program is to recover and conserve biodiversity, optimize supply of forest benefits and ecosystem services, reduce the risk of natural hazards, and enhance options for sustainable livelihood by planting native tree species.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to the Journal of Environmental Science and Management, the Caliraya watershed, located in Cavinti, Laguna, is considered a forest reservation with special uses as reservoir for power generation in Luzon. However, due to varying conflicting uses such as: agriculture production, ecotourism, recreation, real estate, resorts and rest houses, among others, the watershed is now at the state of degradation and over-exploitation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you love the outdoors or if going green is something you wish to explore, it is worth knowing that there are different <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/glossary.html">types of eco tourism</a></b> that offers a lot of benefits not only to the environment but also to your health, to your pocket, and to our society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What is ecotourism?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ecotourism is simply travel where nature is the main attraction. But what separates it from your usual hiking or beach excursion (and this is something we need to understand) is that ecotourism is meant to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">minimize impact to the environment <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>build environmental consciousness and respect<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. contribute to the empowerment of local people and improve local economies</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>contribute to natural conservation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">raise sensitivity to host countries’ political and social climate, and <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>support international human rights and labor agreements<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I mentioned earlier, the Caliraya Watershed is one of the victims of ecotourism gone wrong due to poor practices of tourists and businesses that exploited the site. Positive results are what ecotourism aims for so when you do go and take your eco vacation, keep in mind the real purpose of your travel. You are out there not just to have fun but to do good by giving back to the environment and society at large.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What are types of eco tourism?<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, ecotourism is becoming a booming trend and there are a lot of types you can explore. Some of these are:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1.)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Agro-tourism</b>: Agro-tourism is travel that encourages people to experience agriculture first hand. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Through our immersion program back in college, I got to live with a farming family for a week and experience, first hand, how it is to plant rice! Go and look for possible agro-vacations organized by rural farming and fishing communities or NGOs that support them, and enjoy the benefits of getting in touch with the people that provide you with what you eat! Priceless!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2.)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Local tourism: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Experiencing culture and heritage increases appreciation of ones roots and provides endless opportunities to empower local communities and improve local economies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whenever we go white-water rafting or surfing with friends here in the Philippines, we do not only enjoy these fantastic activities or see extreme natural sights. We also get to talk and even make friends to our local guides and understand the local communities --- their way of life, problems, and ways of how tourists can help them. Plus, we also get to discover and buy really good products produced by the community. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After several trips to Baler (a famous local surfing site), my friends and I got to connect to Baler’s local government to organize a trip to plant mangroves, learn about vermiculture, and explore Baler through Baler people’s eyes. The experience is worth another blog spot but for now, all I can say is that you to try it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3.)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pro-poor tourism</b>: This is a type of tourism that focuses on supporting developing countries and their causes. Volunteer vacations are a subset of ecotourism and while there really are high-end eco-resorts, there a lot inexpensive means to travel especially if it involves volunteering your time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In support to Gawad Kalinga (“give care” in English, a famous movement in the Philippines that aims to building communities and ending poverty), our office’s CSR team organized a farm-build where we got to visit one of the communities supported by the program and to help them build their farm. The main aim of this program is to promote food sufficiency and eradicate hunger by empowering the people through plots of land that can provide them with food everyday. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you want to make a difference by going green, check out how you can support various pro-poor programs near you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For very minimal costs, the different <a href="http://www.chaacreek.com/belize-travel-blog/2011/01/what-is-eco-tourism/">types of eco tourism</a> provides priceless memories that will definitely change the way you see nature and society. If you are from the Philippines or if you wish to come here to go on vacation, check out how you can help through <a href="http://www.haribon.org.ph/">Haribon</a> or <a href="http://www.gk1world.com/">Gawad Kalinga</a>. If you are from the US, you can check out David Bach’s “Go Green, Live Rich” to find green vacation tips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I really look forward to going on vacation soon. If you are thinking the same thing, it is worth noting that we can have fun, save money, and do good through the different <b>types of eco tourism</b>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo thanks to http://www. flickr.com/photos/ pinksherbet/</span></div>
Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-41824578152901074642011-08-04T04:53:00.006+08:002011-10-03T22:22:01.777+08:00Examples of how going green saves you money… and makes you wealthy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnV9nlRmHmj3-qRrvnDUeyfGqJYhpRPtA_yDVpZapd7MjZWP5cfXeKTNr_6GOV3nLu4Xp7D5E5vYYnXwDPOYGn3iCIcoLx0ObyPGxgrpsFDFhvzJr05ynZSbdPd-AevWb3UZPTYej/s1600/examplesofhowgoinggreensavesyoumoney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnV9nlRmHmj3-qRrvnDUeyfGqJYhpRPtA_yDVpZapd7MjZWP5cfXeKTNr_6GOV3nLu4Xp7D5E5vYYnXwDPOYGn3iCIcoLx0ObyPGxgrpsFDFhvzJr05ynZSbdPd-AevWb3UZPTYej/s1600/examplesofhowgoinggreensavesyoumoney.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Examples of how going green saves you money</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of people say that going green is difficult and expensive. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You go to the supermarket and find that there are no green household products you can buy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You want to eat healthy but cheap, fresh, farm produce are only available at the farmer’s market that’s too far from where you live.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You go to a beauty store to buy green products and find that they are more expensive than your usual brand.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Going green does involve changing our mindsets and our lifestyles and, as in any type of change, it can be painful and difficult, at first. Some even say that going green is only for the rich because of the price you need to pay in exchange for a green product or the shift to the green lifestyle.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But what if going green can actually make you rich? How can a green lifestyle help you save money that you can invest for some returns?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consider this: If you invest $10 a day and earn 10% annual return, in 30 years you would have $678,146. You may say, that’s too small (really now?), but what if you can save more and find investments that can earn you more?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In this article, we will see how going green can also be easy and rewarding by simply trying these very simple <a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/glossary.html"><b>examples of</b> <b>how going green saves you money</b></a>. We will explore more ways of affordable green living in this blog but right now, let us look at these 3 simple ways:</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unplug! </span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you know that even when your appliances are turned off, they continue to suck energy out of the wall and, yes, money out of your pocket? The “phantom load” or “standby power” or “idle current” totals 5-15% of your monthly electricity bill and accounts for about $4 billion a year on electricity that Americans are not using! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How much money do you spend on electricity per year? Take 10% off that and see how much money you save. If you want to save that amount, then try unplugging your appliance before you leave home (Easy enough?)</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brown-bag!</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you go out with colleagues for lunch everyday? For example, if you spend $9 a day for lunch, that’s $45 a week and $2,250 a year! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brown-bagging your lunch is not only cheaper, it can also be healthier to you and friendlier to Mother Earth. Take-out food packaging, for example, creates 1.8 million tons of trash in the US per year and I’m guessing, you normally take fast food for lunch, which is not healthy at all! (Convinced?)</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Outdoors!</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Going green and saving mother earth is also about having more fun!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brisk walking, running, hiking, biking are just some examples of activities that require minimal investment in gear, keep you fit, and gets you outside to appreciate nature. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let’s say you spend $50 a month for gym membership. Why not try moving your workout outdoors and save $600 a year? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the office, we hold sports competitions every year and some of the best and most memorable events are the ones we do outdoors such as ultimate Frisbee and football. Through these activities, people are able to de-stress and gain more friends in the process!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also remember when we were kids, Papa would usually take us out to the basketball court in the morning to bike, play basketball, or just bask under the sun while having fun. Those times were not just fun and memorable, they also helped strengthen our relationship with our father. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(Do I see you nodding now?)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Learn more <a href="http://www.laurensthoughts.com/2011/03/go-green-and-save-green.html"><b>examples of</b> <b>how going green saves you money</b></a> from the author of consecutive bestsellers and financial expert David Bach. He says and I quote, <i>“It is not what you earn that makes you rich or poor, it is what you spend.” </i>If you too want to know how to make a difference through little, simple things and get rich trying, check out his book <b>“Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying”</b> and start going green and living rich. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If, like me, you want to be wealthy, start with these really simple <b>examples of</b> <b>how going green saves you money</b>!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo thanks to http://www. flickr.com/ photos/rmgimages/</span></div>
Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-86929629459283775092011-08-03T22:21:00.000+08:002011-10-03T22:26:22.401+08:00Glossary<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Examples of how going green saves you money</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot of people say that
living an environmentally conscious lifestyle is expensive. But going green can also be enriching
not just to our own health or our society’s welfare, but to our pockets as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See more ‘<a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/examples-of-how-going-green-saves-you_28.html">Examples of how going green saves you money</a>’ articles.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Types of eco tourism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nature is one great
attraction for travel. Know the different ways of enjoying nature and how we
can be responsible eco-travelers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See more ‘<a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/types-of-eco-tourism-what-things-can.html">Types of eco tourism</a>’ articles.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade window cleaner<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What are cheap, non-toxic,
and environmentally safe ways of cleaning our windows and our homes? Why do we
need to be conscious about the cleaning products we use at home?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See more ‘<a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-window-cleaner-what-are-most.html">Homemade window cleaner</a>’ articles.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Safe plastic drinking water bottles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Know the story of the
bottled water and get to know what makes up common plastic drinking water
bottles and how it can affect you and our environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See more ‘<a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/09/safe-plastic-drinking-water-bottles-how.html">Safe plastic drinking water bottles</a>’ articles.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Commuters can offset their carbon footprint<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What is the impact of our daily
activities to the environment? Is there anything we can do to reduce carbon emissions?
Why should we, commuters, care and what simple changes can we make in order to
stop the negative effects of transport and travel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See more ‘<a href="http://symphonyingreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/commuters-can-offset-their-carbon.html">Commuters can offset their carbon footprint’</a> articles.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-61480146632120205212011-05-06T21:56:00.034+08:002011-08-15T19:48:14.348+08:00Symphony in Green: What are the reasons for going green?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpawMXQQAuLS_qQQCOE-BiLHyrRDCiTRhIgMY8_-7_MGBFJTFltabloeh9lykdq4z5FGraYlSvUpQ8Or692zp6wg5Y8AZfQbaausUfpvumHkVQvP1oFc0KKOafAdFBtFF0UAk5Uxk/s1600/symphonyingreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpawMXQQAuLS_qQQCOE-BiLHyrRDCiTRhIgMY8_-7_MGBFJTFltabloeh9lykdq4z5FGraYlSvUpQ8Or692zp6wg5Y8AZfQbaausUfpvumHkVQvP1oFc0KKOafAdFBtFF0UAk5Uxk/s1600/symphonyingreen.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Symphony in green</b><br />
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I was visiting a friend who is a teacher at an international school and I noticed that her fridge, cupboards, bedroom, and bathroom are filled with organic products, instead of the usual household brands available in the market.<br />
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I asked her <i>‘So when did you start going green?’</i><br />
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<i> ‘Since I started working! You see, at school, I noticed that the number of kids suffering from ADHD has significantly increased. I got curious and did a little research on what could be causing this. ‘</i><br />
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<i> ‘You know what I found? Studies say that what women take into their bodies have been linked to poor health outcomes, placing babies at risk for birth defects or chronic illnesses later in life. And they’re not just talking about food! It could be anything that’s mixed with the air we breathe, the water we use everyday, and the stuff we apply to and gets absorbed by our skin! ‘ </i><br />
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I told her, <i>‘You know, when I think about it, the stuff that we take could also be why cancer seems to be an “in thing” these days and why people who survived cancer would normally become very conscious about going organic after treatment. ‘ </i><br />
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To this, she said <i>‘I agree! And when you’re surrounded with kids with certain conditions and you have friends who have cancer, then you start thinking about what you want your future children to be like or whether you yourself are at risk of becoming terminally ill in the future. It won’t hurt to be careful.’</i><br />
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<b>So what are my <a href="http://www.greendaze.org/what-are-the-reasons-for-going-green/">reasons for going green</a>? </b><br />
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1.) I believe it’s good for me… and that it’s the right thing to do.<br />
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<i>Do you want to be beautiful and healthy? <br />
Do you want to save money and live rich?<br />
Do you want healthy, sustainable economies?</i><br />
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I do! And I believe we can have them by finding <a href="http://iltana.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/symphony-in-green/"><b>symphony in green</b>.</a><br />
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I believe there is a lot of good in living healthy, sustainable lifestyles and that a lot of our health problems and global concerns can be answered by going green. It’s in my best interest (and yours) to learn how.<br />
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2.) Nature abounds in beauty… and I have a stake on it.<br />
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<i>Have you ever spent time by the beach, watched the sun set, and witnessed the dark skies burst with a million shining stars? <br />
Have you ever seen sunrise, felt cool breeze against your cheeks, and heard the music of life unfolding at the beginning of a day?<br />
Have you ever tried diving, hiking or spelunking and been held in awe by what you saw?</i><br />
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I have! And I want more of it. <br />
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I know that my actions and the way I live affect my environment. I believe that I need to pitch in to keep this world a beautiful place to live in, today and in the future.<br />
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3.) I want to give back… and going green opens up opportunities to do so.<br />
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<i>Do you feel grateful about the blessings you receive from the earth each day?<br />
Do you think there is value in doing one green thing for yourself, your family, or your society?<br />
Do you want to make a world a better place?</i><br />
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I do! And I want to start now.<br />
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I have come across people and organizations that have made a difference through various green initiatives. I want to be one of them. <br />
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<b>So</b> <b>is it worth it to go green? </b><br />
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I believe it is!<br />
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And if you, too, are concerned about your health, environment, and society…<br />
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If, like me, you appreciate beauty around you and within you…<br />
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Or if you want to know how to be healthy, responsible, and beautiful (both inside and out!)…<br />
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Let us connect and share ideas! <br />
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The blog, <b style="color: #38761d;">Symphony in Green,</b> will become an environment where, like the harmony of sounds in an elaborate orchestral composition, we can unify our efforts and make our voices one in learning and sharing ways of finding beauty and making a difference by going green. <br />
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Follow me by subscribing to my feed and together, let us make <b style="color: #38761d;">Symphony in Green.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"> Photo: http://www. flickr. com/photos/followtheseinstructions/</span></span></div>Symphony in Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09236259091504661088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4281152066994653114.post-80666306854086821552011-04-20T23:19:00.001+08:002011-08-15T19:48:42.802+08:00Symphony in Green<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<dt class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=symphony" style="color: #800020; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">symphony</a> </span></dt><br />
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</span><dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">from L. <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">symphonia</span> "a unison of sounds, harmony," from Gk. <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">symphonia</span>"harmony, concert," from <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">symphonos</span> "harmonious," from <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">syn-</span> "together" + <span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">phone</span> "voice, sound". Meaning "harmony of sounds" is attested from mid-15c.; sense of "music in parts" is from 1590s. Meaning "elaborate orchestral composition" first attested 1789 (<span class="foreign" style="font-style: italic;">symphonic</span> in this sense is from 1864). </span></dd><dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.etymonline.com/</span></dd><dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Green</span></span></b></dd><dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>n.</i>The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between yellow and blue, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 490 to 570 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation and whose hue is that of the emerald or somewhat less yellow than that of growing grass; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues... <i>Slang</i>. Money. A supporter of a social and political movement that espouses global environmental protection, bioregionalism, social responsibility, and nonviolence.</span></dd><dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span>http://www.answers.com/</span></dd><dd class="highlight" style="background-color: #ddd9ca; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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