Eco-environmental Friendly for Our Kids

When a baby is born we would like to offer him the best. Sometimes, especially for lack of adequate information, we buy products that are harmful to the environment and the health of our children, for example products that have a high content of chemicals, of dubious origin, with a high impact on the environment in their cycle life.

There are some tips for choosing children’s products according to criteria of environmental friendliness, quality and safety. It will achieve the dual objective of preserving the environment for the future of our children and surround him with quality materials and objects in order to protect his health and his safety. It also can help our children to learn and respect nature and earth much better for their benefit in the future..

Diapers Choices
Diapers disposable “tonnes of waste disposal is a problem”. One diaper takes 500 years to decompose naturally. Add their chemical composition triggers redness to the skin and have a high cost (in the first three years of life are an average of 6,500 diapers per child).

One alternative to the diaper “disposable” is the use of cloth diapers, which, encouraged by policies to raise awareness and encourage public is increasingly asserting itself in order to raise the child welfare, reduced environmental impact, a significant savings. There are now many types and models on the market, the important thing is to choose one that best suits our needs/expectations.

Another alternative, also be used in a “mixed” with the cloth diapers, diaper is represented by “disposable” in Mater-Bi® (bio-plastic produced from corn starch biodegradable and compostable): these, if disposed as waste, they have no problem as they decompose naturally.

Walking with Mom and Dad
A nice alternative to wheelchairs and strollers is that the carrier: the children really like to be in contact with mum and dad, and for the parents, it is an extremely practical tool. The idea of ‘bring’ the children is an ongoing rediscovery of the band-door baby: economic and ecological (if fabric from organic farms), the band can be used for a long period of time due to the different positions (a cot for babies on the back or side for older babies)

In room
Let the child to live in an healthy and non-toxic area, and we choose environmentally friendly furnishings. How can we recognize? They are made with the least possible use of paints and adhesives; hardwood from FSC or PEFC certified forests, sustainably managed according to specific criteria established by these international standards. There are also furniture made of chipboard 100% post-consumer, FSC certified and is characterized by very low formaldehyde content (Panel Ecological® LEB). The creation of this product save 10,000 trees every day after killing.

Fabrics
All clothing should be in the child’s tissues (or wool) from organic or biodynamic, possibly to mark AIAB textiles. This is because conventional fabrics (including those seemingly natural, such as 100% cotton) may, by law, contain a percentage of synthetic fibers and are also subjected to several treatments (including color) that include the use of highly toxic chemicals and leave important residues in the final package. Tissues from certified organic or biodynamic, unlike conventional ones, prohibiting the use of care (including bleaching) and all the colors that are not vegetable or mineral.

Toys
The first thing to do to be good for the environment is to avoid toys with batteries: they contain hazardous substances like heavy metals and therefore must be disposed of at end of life such as household hazardous waste.

To choose a toy, make sure of the quality of the CE and see if it is suitable for older children (especially from 0 to 3 years, to avoid toys with parts too small could be swallowed by the child).

In the market you can find a wide range of toxic materials in toys and ecological, especially in wood and natural fibers, hand washable, and possibly without the use of paints. Generally this kind of toys are simple and lend them to different uses in a rather long period of time, to stimulate the imagination of the child while growing up.

Hygiene
The choice of cleaning products is worth a careful look. Avoid the consumer products, often fragrant and very foamy, in favor of organic products (cosmetics brand AIAB) and nickel free, fragrance free and added a little foamy (the foam index is greater washing power). These are also environmentally friendly because, being very focused, it needs small quantities and are rinsed more easily, resulting in a lower cost of water.

Finally, as part of the child to live in a healthier environment, we favor the use of detergents or Ecolabel AIAB detergent cleaner to clean all surfaces of the house. Still no need to “disinfect” for hygiene and that the chemicals found in disinfectants, are often not adequately rinsed, since the surfaces are coming into direct contact with our child.

Old medication and the environment

There are many areas of our lives where we can lighten our environmental impact just a little; and one of them is how we deal with medication.
I'm certainly not about to recommend that anyone using prescription medication to cease taking them for the sake of the planet, but how we handle the waste related to our pills and potions does have an effect on the environment. I'm not referring to the packaging, but the drugs themselves.

Old, past-expiry date medication are a common occurrence in the home and these drugs pose a risk to others in your household, so it's certainly a good idea to dispose of them. Old medication should be considered as being household hazardous waste and careful consideration given to their disposal.

Unfortunately, old medication often goes straight down the toilet or the sink, but the problem is sewage wastewater treatment plants aren't equipped to filter out drugs; so they wind up in our waterways.
How to dispose of old medication

It's important not to flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless information accompanying the medication specifically states you can do so. For people in the USA, you can locate a list of medications that can be flushed on the Food And Drug Administration web site. Something to bear in mind though is that the FDA's recommendations have little to do with the environment. Its opinion is the potential risk to people and the environment from flushing the listed medicines is outweighed by the "life-threatening risks from accidental ingestion of these medicines".

Probably the best first course of action regardless of the country you are in is to contact your local pharmacy and ask them if they have a drug take-back program as these initiatives are becoming increasingly common. Pharmacies that do will ensure the medications are disposed of in the proper manner; usually via incineration.

Another point of contact is your local council's waste department as they may offer a drop-off facility for old medications or may be able to direct you to a service that does.

Failing all that, the general advice is to dispose of the medications in your household trash, but to take some special safety precautions by take the medications out of their original containers and placing them into another airtight container, mixed in with something undesirable - such as used kitty litter or other substances equally as unappealing. It's not ideal as the drugs can contaminate the soil when landfilled and possibly contaminate groundwater; but that's really the only other option and according to authorities; the "lesser of the evils".

By the way, while some disposal programs incinerate old medications, do not attempt to incinerate medications at home as this can be just as environmentally damaging as landfill disposal and hazardous to your health, due to the gases produced. Medicine disposal programs use special incinerators that burn at very high temperatures.

Brazil turning trash to cash

Brazil uses a trash dump to create energy for oil

Environmental Philosophy

All the buman beings shall respect the important balance between economic growth and environmental stewardship and work diligently to:

* conduct our activities with sound environmental management and conservation practices
* minimize the environmental impact of our operations
* prevent risk to community health and safety from our operations or our products
* transfer expertise in environmental protection to host communities

Eco-friendly furniture

In this One Simple Thing report, CNN's Randi Kaye talks to a Chicago furniture designer who is going green.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Global warming occurs because carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gasses released by the combustion of fossil fuels are building up in the atmosphere and preventing the sun's heat from escaping back into space. Many scientists, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are concerned that global warming could lead to serious changes in our climate, causing more dangerous storms and hurricanes, rising sea levels, and the spread of tropical diseases. In December, delegates from around the world will meet in Japan to determine ways their countries can reduce fossil fuel emissions. You can do your part at home:

Drive a fuel-efficient car. If your new car gets 10 mpg more than your old one, you can reduce CO2 emissions by 2,500 pounds a year.

Walk, bike, car pool or use mass transit. If you leave your car at home two days a week, you'll reduce CO2 emissions by 1,590 pounds a year.

Weatherize your home. Insulate walls and ceilings, caulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows, and wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4,000 pounds a year.

Use energy-efficient appliances. If you replaced your existing refrigerator with a high-efficiency model, you'd reduce your CO2 emissions by 220 pounds a year. Energy-efficient appliances are now available for microwave ovens, stoves, dishwashers and computers, as well.

Reduce, reuse and...Recycle? You guessed it. Buying food and other products in reusable or recyclable packaging can reduce CO2 emissions by 230 pounds a year, while recycling all of your home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass and metal can reduce emissions an additional 850 pounds a year.

At the office, consider these additional ideas:

Turn off the power. Flick off lights and turn off computers and other equipment when you leave your office for long periods of time.

Use e-mail. Use electronic mail and electronic faxes rather than paper and the postal system whenever possible.

Use a reusable mug. Choose reusable over throwaways as much as possible.

Support company programs to save energy. Participate in company carpools, waste paper recycling programs and environmentally friendly landscape strategies. Tele-commute if possible.

Maintain Your Vehicle to Save Money and Energy

Current high gas prices are giving people even more incentive to increase fuel efficiency. Plus, using less gas by following these tips will also help reduce smog and emissions that contribute to global warming:

Change your air filter. Cleaning your air filter regularly can improve your gas mileage significantly.

Don’t speed. Being a good driver can save you some dollars at the pump. Speeding uses extra gas. Rapid acceleration and hard braking are also inefficient and lower your gas mileage.

Cruise control. Using your cruise control will keep you driving at a more consistent speed and can generally improve fuel efficiency.

Turn your car off. Idling can use a lot of gas. Generally, it’s more efficient to turn the car off and restart when you are ready to go. If you are thinking of hitting the drive-through, consider parking and picking up food inside. For short waits, put your car in neutral to avoid burning gas.

Inflate tires properly. Car tires that are under-inflated will lead to poor gas mileage. You can often find the correct pressure for your car printed on the edge of the driver’s side door.

Mileage still too low? Consider getting a tune up. A tune up will generally make a modest, but sometimes significant, improvement in your miles per gallon.

The Latest on Global Warming & Climate Change

The extreme weather of Winter 2009-2010 -- with heavy snowfall in some places and unusually low temperatures -- is in fact a sign of how climate change disrupts long-standing patterns, according to a report by EarthShare member National Wildlife Federation. Climate Scientist Dr. Amanda Staudt previews her newest report on the weird winter weather we've been experiencing and explains how it's consistent with what we expect from Global Warming.

Green tips : Cutting Down on Junk Mail

Modernize your life by taking control of your stuff. Monitoring the mail you receive is a great way to cut down your clutter. You’ll have less to dispose of, you’ll feel less overwhelmed, and you’ll take a step towards helping to save our environment.。

The Patagonia retailer founder speaks to CNN's Richard Roth about his green pioneering ways.

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An independent review cleared scientists involved in the 'climategate' scandal, now what happens? CNN's Mary Snow reports.

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Saving Energy tips

In fact, we can help our world by saving energy! Greenhouse gases are released whenever we burn fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline, and oil for energy. Cutting energy use cuts carbon dioxide.
Don’t fill the tub full when you take a bath.

Take a shorter shower, because a shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

Don’t use electric light at all when natural light is sufficient. Windows higher on the wall will allow the light to penetrate further into the space.

Plant a tree or two or more.
Trees take in carbon dioxide from the air. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your electricity bill by 10 to 15%.
Now it is our chance to change. We can start doing little by little, from one to another daily, and eventually we can help our world.>.。