Green goods, tips, news, and more

Author: The GU team

  • Shoppers rewarded for bringing their own bags

    See? Concern for the environment isn’t just limited to the Western world. In Saipan, shoppers who are bringing their own bags get a chance to receive a nice reward. The totebag (canvans) (sic) bag promotion is one manner shoppers can protect the environment and promote sustainable living by reducing the amount of plastic bags while…

  • Summer Reading

    (Image from Amazon) The July 2007 Non-Toxic Times Newsletter recommends two books as required reading this summer. In “Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning”, GeorgeMonbiot presents the idea that we can reduce carbon emissions by a whopping 90% by the year 2030. There is supposedly a lot of how-to information on reducing or…

  • Green Grilling

    (Photo from Natural Touch) from Ideal Bite: Instead of burgers and hotdogs on your next cook-out, how about soy burgers, bison beef or organic beef? Organic farming uses up 30% less energy while producing the same amount of food. You’re also ingesting less pesticide residue.

  • Car Wash

    Dirty car? Keep it and your conscience clean with these tips from Ideal Bite: Turning the hose off between rinses. Using a non-toxic, biodegradable cleaner like Biokleen. Try a waterless wash kit. Better yet, go to a professional car wash that uses eco-friendly cleaners. When washing at home, chemicals from toxic cleaners can run off…

  • Atienza: I’m not a tree killer!

    So goes former Manila mayor and new DENR secretary Lito Atienza’s latest statement in response to attacks on his green cred. Newly appointed Environment Secretary Jose Lito Atienza is so annoyed at being portrayed as a tree killer in the media, he has made a vow to plant up to 50 million trees in a…

  • Human Polar Bear

    (photos from the Daily Mail) For twenty years, Lewis Gordon Pugh has been swimming in the world’s five oceans to draw attention to climate change. On 15 July 2007, the lawyer -turned-World Wildlife Fund ambassador became the first person to swim long distance at the geographic North Pole in minus 1.8C waters. He swam 1…

  • Reading Labels

    I was watching The Today Show this morning and there was this segment on deciphering eco-friendly labels. If you are searching for earth-friendly forest products like lumber and paper, look for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) logo. The FSC is a non profit organization that certifies timber companies that meet standards for sustainable forestry. Home…

  • Lovingly hand-washed plastic bags

    Casa Sugar has a green tip right now that made me laugh out loud when I saw it: wash and reuse your plastic bags! I’m not laughing in a disparaging, derisive way, it’s just that it’s something my mother has always done, and which I’ve done a few times myself. And why not? If your…

  • Don’t pooh-pooh it

    Make a difference while shopping. You can log on to Buy Change and purchase items like soap from Afghanistan, salad dressing created by inner city children, handbags made by women and children who have escaped or have been rescued from sexual exploitation and slavery. The most interesting is the paper made from elephant poo. Due…

  • Save energy while cooking

    Be oven-wise. Stop opening it to check food. Heat escapes, wastes energy and slows down cooking. Switch it off before your meal is ready. The temperature in the oven would still be hot enough to finish cooking the food. Put a lid on it. Saucepans, I mean. It’ll heat the food quicker and you’ll use…