dreams in green

Enviromental defense fund- 10 facts about oil

2008-08-03T23:46:00.002-04:00

There are some great, if not shocking facts on this list, worth reading.

Organic fabrics found!

2008-07-30T23:27:00.002-04:00

I have been looking for a source for some fabric for sewing projects and stumbled upon this site, Near Sea Naturals. Although I haven't ordered yet, I am going to soon! They have everything I have been looking for in organic form; fabric, thread, batting, even a sheepskin replacement made with sheared wool and a cotton backing. The prices are a bit steep, as is to be expected, but from the pictures, the quality is quite high, and they even have some prints and fashion fabric in shades other than beige. They sell (for a very reasonable .50) a swatch of nearly all of the fabrics. Also unlike most of the sites that I have run across, the will sell by the yard to the general public. I have a million and one projects running through my mind after checking this site out....especially after seeing the hemp fiber fill....I want to make a stuffed animal for my friend with this!
(Click on the title to go directly to the store's home page)

Blue Moon Light Flannel

I love this pattern!

Tomato twins

2008-07-23T21:45:00.004-04:00

bitty little babies
I must be doing something kind of okay, the tomato plant has twins and is flowering mightily. I think of this as a test year, next year I will be doing a raised bed instead of containers and I will start MUCH earlier!

Awesome Oceana ad spoof targets PUBLIX markets

2008-07-23T10:07:00.002-04:00

This is an awesome campaign to raise awareness about the average supermarket's lack of disclosure about the amount of mercury in their seafood.

Much ado about the blue....

2008-07-20T22:32:00.003-04:00

Much to my amusement at my self, I found out from a rep. at the state's water quality or some such board that the water in the pond down the street from me was blue because it is being treated for algae....don't I feel silly!

Let the wild horses live!!!

2008-07-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

Check out this link...shocking and sad plan!

Great tips from Co-op America!

2008-07-08T11:00:00.000-04:00

Simple Things You Can Do Today

Take these actions and save
up to 33 percent of your energy use!

Turn Off Lights You're Not Using
Take the step: Make a pact with your family to be extra mindful about shutting off lights when they leave a room. A good rule of thumb is that there should be a maximum of one light on in your household per person at any given time. You can even put little reminders around your switchplates—download our template here. Or, install motion sensors (about $20 each) that turn the lights off after a room has remained empty for a certain amount of time.

Why: lluminating rooms that aren’t in use is a huge waste.

Schedule an Energy Audit
Take the step: Get an energy audit performed on your home.

Why: Get expert advice to help you identify ways you can use less electricity and plug energy leaks in your home. You’ll get the most cost-effective and useful steps that will help you reduce your energy use, lower your home’s global warming footprint, and lower your energy bills, too. Your local utility will probably provide an energy audit for free, but you may get a more comprehensive audit—allowing you to save even more money in the long run—by paying for a whole-house energy audit.

The big picture: Taking all of the most cost-effective strategies for energy efficiency can cut your energy use in half, save you 50 percent or more off your energy bills, and halve your household global warming emissions, too.

Let Your Dishwasher Breathe
Take the step: Skip the energy-intensive drying cycle on your dishwasher and choose the “air-dry” option, or open the door overnight for some zero-energy dish-drying action.

Why: The drying cycle uses up a lot of energy and money, while just letting dishes air-dry will accomplish the task for free.

Shift Your Load to Off-Peak Times
Electricity demand goes down at night and begins rising in the morning, peaking at mid-day before falling back down at nightfall again. Because power sources have to produce the electricity around the time of its use, without any capacity for long-term storage, it is our peak demand that determines the expansion of dirty coal-fired power plants and other polluting forms of energy generation. Someday, utilities may use smart meters to help us even things out, but until then, you can do your own private “load shifting” by trying, whenever possible, to wash laundry or run the dishwasher at nighttime and as far possible from mid-day. “Delay” settings on appliances sometimes make this easy to do—many dishwashers, for example, can be set after dinner to go on in four hours and wash the dishes while you sleep.

Bonus: Your utility company may shift to time-of-day metering in the future, so you’ll actually pay less when you use electricity at night.

Don't Heat or Cool Empty Rooms
Take the step: If there is a room in your home that is largely unused, close the vents to save on heating and cooling costs. Always turn off room air conditioners as you leave a room. When you go on vacation, set the thermostat at least ten full degrees below (in winter) and above (in summer) where it’d be if you were home; no need to heat or cool a house when no one is home.

Why: Heating and cooling rooms no one is in wastes energy (and money!) and generates needless emissions.

Turn Off Your Electronics
Take the step: If you’re going to be away from your computer or other appliance for more than an hour, turn it off as you leave the room.

Why: Some people mistakenly think it takes a giant burst of energy to power up a television, computer, or game console, and so they leave these electronics on continuously. However, even on an “energy-saver” setting, a computer, game console, or television wastes much more energy when it’s on all day than if you really turn it off.

Eliminate "Phantom Load"
Take the step: Many electronics use electricity even when they’re turned off—so your best bet is to unplug electronic devices and appliances when they’re not in use. Or, plug your TV and accessories into one power strip and switch off the whole strip to eliminate this “phantom load.”

Why: At least five percent of the average household’s monthly utility bill goes towards powering devices that are turned off. TVs, DVD players, computers, printers, and cell phone chargers are just some of the devices that leak power even when they aren’t on—in fact, a quarter of the energy used by your TV each year is consumed when the TV is off.

Eliminate Your Second Fridge, and Show the First One a Little Love
Take the step: If you’re paying to power a second refrigerator or freezer in your basement, try to make do with one fridge in the kitchen and unplug the extra one.
You can help your first fridge function more efficiently by placing jugs of water in any empty space inside (water retains cold better than air does), and by taking some time once every six months to pull the fridge away from the wall and scrub down the grime that accumulates on the coils. (One of our editors found that her fridge was so much more efficient post-scrub that she could set the thermostat higher for the same chill!)

Why: The refrigerator is often the biggest energy-using appliance in a home. A typical refrigerator uses more than 1,300 kWh a year and costs the average American household $120 a year in electricity.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water
Take the step: Turn the knob on your washing machine to “cold/cold” today, and leave it there. If you use a laundromat, post this flyer from the Center for a New
American Dream to spread the word about washing in cold.

Why: With modern washing machines and detergents, washing your clothes in cold water gets them just as clean as washing in hot water, but it uses half the energy. In situations where you
do need hot water—for example, to kill dust mites in bedding— choose cold water for the rinse cycle.

Give the Dryer a Rest
Take the step: Consider skipping the dryer and hanging your clothes to dry on a rack or a clothesline. (For support in line-drying your clothes and to help fight anti-clothesline ordinances in your neighborhood, join Project Laundry List.) You can avoid wrinkles by using your dryer for five minutes, then hanging clothes on the line. Please note that if you have pollen allergies, you’ll want to skip the outdoor clothesline and use an indoor drying rack instead.

Why: It takes a huge commitment of energy to run a dryer— all to do something that the air, given a little more time, will do for free. Many households spend more than $100 a year on the energy used by their dryer.

Blue Lagoon

2008-07-01T11:04:00.007-04:00

I haven't been In Jacksonville that long , but I was shocked to find this retention pond filled with creepy blue windex-like water in my neighborhood right behind a stand of trees I walk past nearly every day. Except for some tiny fish it is devoid of the usual bird and plant life, I am going to get a sample analyzed and see just what is in this!!

Tomato!!!

2008-07-01T10:46:00.002-04:00

Pics of my first fruit! exciting!

Container Veggies are go!

2008-06-25T00:47:00.009-04:00

Due to my frustration with the quality and availability of fresh, local organic produce in my area, I have decided to try to grow a few things in some largish pots with very little idea of what I am doing! Here are some pics of my efforts thus far...

Tomatoes

Cantaloupe

I have to say I am amazed by how well the pumpkin and cantaloupe plants are doing as they are both in fairly small containers..So far I have only given them a dose of Plantone organic fertilizer. I haven't used anything for bugs...I haven't really had any to worry about, perhaps when they begin to fruit.... I am determined to used organic solutions! I have noticed some wiggly lines on the leaves indicating some kind of critter, but I just pull the affected leaves off and dispose of them well away from where all the other plants are. I am not having as much luck with my basil, I just can't seem to get it to thrive! Also not working out; corn (don't laugh!), peppers, sunflowers
(again, don't laugh!!).

My mint is doing pretty well. It really doesn't like the heat and the abuse it takes from my 3 year old son!Mint is his favorite flavor and he can't seem to pass it with out pulling leaves off and attempting to eat them!

PumpkinSad corn and peppers(don't laugh!)

Why is it so hard to find organic food near to my house?

2008-06-16T22:44:00.004-04:00

I have been so frustrated in my quest to find somewhere closer than Native Sun in Mandarin to buy produce. It is so extremely hard to find everything you are looking for...Native Sun is somewhat far from me and their selection is not bad for a corner market, but if you want a good deal of variety, you might be out of luck! Why can't there be a farmer's market closer to Orange Park?
Another thing that is frustrating...I have never lived anywhere (Utah,California,Arizona,New Mexico)where produce is shrink wrapped!Not only shrink wrapped but onto styrofoam trays. At first it was only conventional produce that I noticed this practice with, but now I am unable to buy organic cukes and squash without the obligatory plastic sleeve...doesn't this just create an incubator for bacteria? I have noticed that supermarkets here in Jax are very nonchalant about keeping the produce cool enough. I have resorted to buying some conventionally raised produce when I cannot find anything that I need that is organic. I have been relying on the Environmental Working Group's list of the worst and the not so bad foods to buy conventionally grown http://www.foodnews.org/fulldataset.php. I can't wait for Whole Foods to open here, as I have always lived close to one until I moved here! They are generally pricey, but no more so than what you find at most places here. They, in my former experiences had most products in a range of prices, so you could splurge and scrimp as needed. Their store brand is of very decent quality overall. I am ramblin' all over here! I am attempting to grow my own organic container tomatoes,mint, cantaloupe,basil and peppers. I started with corn also but it faded on me. This is my first attempt to grow food and I will try to post some pictures of the progress so far!

Great American Backyard Campout!

2008-06-14T02:49:00.002-04:00

This is such a cool idea! I haven't thought of doing anything like this since I was a little kid!!!

Dear zedkitty,

As the father of two beautiful young girls, I'm constantly thinking back to my childhood, when life was just a little bit simpler. My generation wasn't tied to TV or video games for entertainment. We spent our days outdoors--catching fireflies, riding our bikes and camping in our backyards.

Last year my kids, wife and I were able to rediscover the wonders of nature, by participating in National Wildlife Federation's Great American Backyard Campout™.

Together we pitched our tent and took a hike, where we spotted ducks, bugs and spiders (my youngest is not so keen on spiders!). My kids played with some of our fellow campers, and at night we gathered around our campfire. We roasted marshmallows to a golden brown, indulged ourselves in gooey s'mores and gazed at the stars above us.

As soon as we packed up the next day, my kids were clamoring for more! That's why I encourage you to register today for NWF's fourth annual Great American Backyard Campout. You too can enjoy a night of s'more-making, stargazing, and nature-watching right in your own backyard or favorite camping spot. What a great way to connect with nature!

Register your campsite, your backyard or favorite campground . Whether you're an old pro, new to the outdoors or camping with kids for the very first time, I assure you you'll be making some very happy memories with your loved ones that you won't soon forget.

Sincerely,

David Strauss,
Vice President, Membership Programs
and father of two happy campers

Thanks to Our Proud Sponsor...

Let your friends and family know about Great American Backyard Campout by forwarding this email!

Contact us: campout@nwf.org | 1-800-822-9919 | National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston VA, 20190

© 2008 National Wildlife Federation. All rights reserved. NWF Privacy Policy

The beginning of the dream...

2008-06-14T01:33:00.002-04:00

I am new to Jacksonville, FL and I am looking to make a resource for myself and others that wish to lead a more conscientious lifestyle.