This was first reported  by the Wall Street Journal on January 9, 2010 and it is far too important not to write about. According to Dr. Mercola “the U.S. government is encouraging farmers to spread a chalky waste from coal-fired power plants on their fields to loosen and fertilize soil” .

Each year, the waste left over from burning coal generates 125 to 130 million tons of ash and sludge — enough to fill a million railcars. Currently, about 40% of that waste finds it way into new products and 60% is stored in ponds or pits, mostly on utility property.

Because there is a crack down on emitting acid rain causing chemicals into the atmosphere, most of what was once launched into our air, is now being stored on land, which inevitably leaches into our soil and water. This was the case with a spill from a coal ash pond near Knoxville, TN, just over a year ago. Thus the discussion about what to do with all this by-product. According to Dr. Mercola, “while the EPA and USDA are recommending the use of this toxic byproduct on fields, the Obama administration is also in the process of drafting the first federal standards for storage and disposal of coal wastes. The White House and the EPA are currently at odds over how to handle the more than 125 million tons of coal ash and sludge waste generated each year, reports the Wall Street Journal.”

What can we do?

The only solution that appears to be emerging is to buy local. Dr. Mercola reports that it appears the use of FGD gypsum may have trickled into organic farming as well, since it’s not considered a petroleum-based soil additive, which is forbidden in organic farming. We must therefore, bring this matter to the attention of our local, organic farmers. We must make our voices heard.

Our home. The one place in the world where we should feel safe and secure. Only problem is there are poisons lurking in the air in our homes that often makes it more polluted than outdoor air. According to Health Canada: Canadians spend close to 90% of our time inside; at home, at work and in recreational environments. Most people, however, are unaware of the effects that poor indoor air quality can have on their health. They go on to suggest that the following can be found in the air within our homes:

• Formaldehyde
• Carbon monoxide
• Radon
• Asthma and allergies
• Other Major indoor air pollutants such as VOC’s offgasing from personal care products etc…

At another time I plan to fully explore the cause of some of these pollutants but for I now I would like to take a proactive stance and share one of the easiest ways for each of us to improve the air in our homes…with plants.

It is suggested that one plant should be allowed for approximately 10 square yards of floor space, assuming average ceiling heights of 8 to 9 feet. This means that you need two or three plants to contribute to good air quality in the average domestic living room of about 20 to 25 square yards.

Research has shown that these 10 plants are the most effective all-around in counteracting offgased chemicals and contributing to balanced internal humidity.

• Areca palm
• Reed palm
• Dwarf date palm
• Boston fern
• Janet Craig dracaena
• English ivy
• Australian sword fern
• Peace Lily
• Rubber plant
• Weeping fig

Treehugger.com suggests the peace lily, bamboo palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies, all of which are both easy to find and easy to care for, so even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still have a green home or office.

My plan for the weekend is to buy a few plants. For whatever reason, plants don’t seem to last in my care. My plan this time is to research the heck out of each particular plant that I purchase to ensure that I provide them with enough sunlight, water and food. Wish me luck!

With the warmer weather hopefully here to stay, I’m itching to just open up all the windows in the house and let the fresh air in. Spring around my house goes hand in hand with cleaning, almost like a purge of all traces of winter.

I used to blindly go about my cleaning using mainstream products like Lysol and Mr. Clean. I was horrified to find out that I was actually leaving chemical residue allover the surfaces I thought I was cleaning. After much research and talking with my Grandmother, I came up with a whole arsenal of homemade cleaning products. Now I save money and preserve our health and environment.

Here are my favorites:

Continue reading Spring Cleaning the Mommy Greenest Way!

We all like to start the new year with a list of resolutions. Things we want to improve about our health, relations etc… How about some new year’s resolutions for our planet? I took a few eco resolutions from a list of 7 over at The Daily Green and applied them to my daily life. I invite you to do the same. What’s encouraging is these are all simple enough for us all to do, and doesn’t involve going tree planting for a month in the outback….What do you think?

1. I will buy less useless crap that I don’t need.

I think we’re all guilty of impulse shopping, you know that crap we have hiding in that closet or cupboard that never gets any use. Your guilty pleasure could be clothing, notebooks, vases, shoes, whatever! I have several areas of guilt ranging from clothing to knick knacks. This year I will try to reduce my purchase of these items. As I saw on a tv program once, every time you buy something, you must visualize the exact location of where to put/display this item. I must remember that packaging, waste, and pollution are created to make these items available. It’s time to clean out, and stop the crap collecting.

Continue reading Easy, Eco Resolutions for 2009

In response to several requests regarding my secret ‘recipe’ for inexpensive, anti-bacterial hand soap, please allow me to share my home made alternative to the chemically laden variety. We are constantly washing our hands in our house (with 3 children, you can understand why), so last year I came up with my own solution to the ‘natural’ hand soaps out there. I buy large quantities of a natural dishsoap when it goes on sale (we use Ecover). I then pour it into a pump bottle, add a few drops of either tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract (for the natural anti-bacterial properties) plus a few drops of a favorite scented oil and voila! Easy, green, and cheap!!