Artificial
Pros: Durable, affordable, easy to set up and maintain and continues to look good.
Cons: PVC, phthalates, huge carbon footprint and no natural tree scent

Real
Pros: environmentally friendly, local, renewable and recyclable and they smell good
Cons: grown with pesticides, difficult to set up and maintain, pricey

Solution? I already have an artificial so I am going with “reuse” despite the PVC and phthalates concerns. Plus I like a white tree and that is tough to find at the tree farm. Still can’t decide? You could always go with a Festivus pole.

Holiday Gifts With a Donation Twist
If you would like to make a donation to a worthy cause and go holiday shopping in the process, then check out greenlagirls Give to get: Picking an eco-gift bag.

Her useful review actually compares the contents of two different eco gift bags to determine if the bag is truly eco-useful or just fluff. One bag is from Environmental Working Group for a $135 donation and the other is from Jump Start to Green for an $89.99 donation. Either bag is a great way to get an “eco-interested” friend or relative started on the right foot.

Green Holiday Gift Guide (for Him)
Are you looking for greener gifts for the man in your life? Look no further than Inhabitat’s Green Gifts For Men. Most items are pricey but you will come out with unique, sustainable and eco conscious gifts crafted from recycled materials and that make a green statement to the world.

It is no wonder when you consider that most homes contain toxin soaked carpeting, formaldehyde soaked particleboard, toxic household cleaning supplies, PVC, offgassing, dry cleaning, plastics and much more. If it was manufactured in a lab, odds are it is not good for you or your family. The short and long term dangers are compounded if you have children or pets.

The good news is that it is not terribly difficult or expensive to start greening your home. Gaiam has a nice article called 5 Easy and Cheap Ways to Green Your Home and the list includes:

1. Take your shoes off at the door to avoid tracking in lead, pesticides and other contaminants. The good news is, your home will stay much cleaner too.

2. Get rid of vinyl (PVC) which is commonly found in shower curtains, kids toys and backpacks. Look for the #3 or letters PVC. Why get rid of it?

“PVC frequently contains notorious phthalates to make it soft. According to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, these phthalates are known to cause liver and kidney damage, endocrine disruption, reproductive system damage and, possibly, cancer, and they can easily leach out of PVC. And finally, harder PVC often contains lead and cadmium, two heavy metals that have also been linked to a host of health issues, including cancers.” Gaiam.com

3. Switch to green cleaners because traditional household cleaners turn your indoor air and surfaces into toxic hazards. There are many green cleaners on the market today and they are a step in the right direction but making your own cleaners with vinegar, baking soda and salt is the most healthy, inexpensive, non-toxic and earth friendly way to clean your home.

4. Use indoor plants. They look great, are positive feng shui and yes they absorb toxins from the air. The best plants for toxic absorption are ficus, spider plants and English ivy.

5. Open your windows even if it is for a few minutes a day and yes, even in the winter. Even adding a little fresh air to the mix will help dilute the toxins in your household air.

For those who are not familiar with the meaning of “feng shui“, it literally translates to mean “wind and water.”

Feng Shui is about how the “chi”, or the energy of the life force, flows around us and influences our lives. The main aspect of this energy is that it should be in balance.

There are five Feng Shui elements. There are no good or bad elements but each one has its own influence on the other. The five basic elements are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Chinese believe that these are the basic elements of the universe and everything in our world is an amalgam of the five elements.

There are colors associated with each element. They are:

Element and Associated Color

Metal - White, Aqua blue
Wood - Green, hunter green
Water - Black, navy blue
Fire - Red, light purple
Earth - Yellow, light brown

Here are Ten Top Tips to Feng Shui your kitchen for better health and prosperity.

1. The kitchen should not be the first room you want to see when you enter your house.

2. The kitchen should not be located below a toilet or adjacent to it.

3. The kitchen should have several levels of lighting, creating an airy and spacious, clean, bright and welcoming environment

4. Keep the kitchen simple and do not overload it with gadgets.

5. De-clutter worktops and cabinets alike.

6. Fresh flowers bring uplifting energy to the kitchen. Place a bowl of fruit, a vase of flowers, or a living plant in your kitchen.

7. Always use bright Yang colors like oranges, greens, browns and bright yellows as this is the Yang sector of your home. Yellow (any shade) is very good for digestion.

8. The oven should not face the front door under any circumstances.

9. Fire and water should not be aligned side by side or directly opposite the each other. Separate the two with a partition made of wood if you don’t have a choice.

10. The kitchen is a perfect place to grow herbs and vegetables. Any green growing plant will vitalize your space; growing food increases your ability to generate wealth exponentially. Whenever you water your plant, visualize that you are investing in your future and caring for your financial needs.

We hope you enjoy your newly energized space.

by Ian and Jo Ludlow
About the Authors: Ian and Jo Ludlow have worked in the home improvement industry for many years. They can be contacted through any of the following websites. http://www.design-ideas-for-kitchens.com
http://www.home-and-garden-ideas.com
http://www.sales-and-management-training.com
Ian Ludlow’s background is in sales training and coaching with a specialization in supporting companies that sell direct to the public.

Buy the Book: The Feng Shui Kitchen
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/loremipsum/82848198/

The short list that you can use to green your pumpkin:
1.Purchase an organic pumpkin to take strain off the environment
2.Purchase a smaller baking pumpkin and do something edible with the insides and carve the outside
3.Eat the seeds
4.Donate your used jack-o-lantern to a zoo. Call ahead to make sure your local zoo wants them.
5.Compost the pumpkin. Find a municipal compost pile if you don’t have your own.

Great list! Read the full list including recipes and links at Gaiam-life.com

While you are at it, check out more green Halloween tips from Grist.
Image Source: http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/5-Easy-Ways-to-Green-Your-JackOLantern.html?p=1

Click here to read the full article at KennebecJournal.com

Sheryl’s comment:
The article contains stories of individuals who were tested who were surprised to find out how truly toxic they were despite eating organic, detoxing their homes and otherwise leading a healthy lifestyle.

It is depressing and frustrating that these chemicals are so pervasive in our atmosphere and homes that we cannot escape them entirely. While many choose to ignore the problem, I will not give up. I believe it is critical to not only “plug the boat” so to speak by detoxing your food, skin care and environment, but it is equally as important to bail out your boat as much as you can or you will still sink. By that I mean it is important to detox your body with all the available options we know of such as chelating therapy, sauna, colon cleansing, raw food diets and more.

Investigate and organize your vacation using the internet:
Travel companies produce millions of thick glossy brochures each year for us to look through for inspiration. Rather than taking a pile of these from your travel agent, do your browsing online and only print out the pages you need.

Offset your carbon footprint when flying:
We’re not saying don’t travel but we are saying that you do it responsibly and this includes paying to offset the amount of carbon produced when you fly. Go to climatecare.org or carbonneutral.com for details.

Prepare your house:
Before you go away, make sure to turn off all your appliances. Don’t leave them on standby. Also remember to cancel your delivered newspapers to ensure your home is left empty and efficient.

Packing:
The heavier the plane the more fuel it will use so take care when packing - do you really need to take an iron or a hairdryer if they are able to be borrowed locally?

Babies and toddlers:
Leave the stroller at home and save the hassle and extra weight of transporting it by using a sling or backpack-style child carrier. Also take your own disposable diapers as it can be difficult to find environmentally-friendly ones overseas.

Accommodations:
Just as you would at home make sure that the lights, TVs, air conditioning etc. are turned off when not needed. And try to forego freshly laundered towels and sheets every day.

Sun care:
Use natural products or locally produced ones, natural and organic options are kinder to your skin and the environment.

Leisure time:
Where it is possible, try hiring a bicycle, or use public transport rather than hiring a car. If you must hire a car, join one of the carbon neutral schemes such as Avis and Alamo. Digital cameras are more eco-friendly than film-based ones and if you go diving remember it’s a case of look but don’t touch where the coral is concerned

Recycle, reuse, reduce:
Litter on beaches is one of the tourism industry’s biggest issues so make sure that you take all garbage away with you and recycle it whenever possible.

Do as the locals do:
Enrich your travel experience by supporting the local economy. Drink regional wine, beer and liquors and avoid imported international brands and their associated air miles.

Author: Evan Moss
About the author: Find cheaper travel insurance at AA Travel Insurance. Find a variety of different types of holiday insurance to suit whatever holiday arrangements you have met. Visit: http://www.aa-travelinsurance.com

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/visita-kerala/2291401961/

“Travelers seeking a hotel that leaves a minimal carbon imprint often end up in a place that falls short of their expectations. The problem is that in the United States, “we don’t have one single source that clearly defines what is or is not a green hotel,” Nor are there many guidebooks or comprehensive directories devoted to the subject.”

This article lists a few of the things to look for when shopping for a green hotel such as the hotel’s recycling program and their use of “green cleaners. An easier solution to doing this kind of research yourself is to find an eco-friendly hotel from some other guide or rating source.

Here are a few of the resources that we found in the article:

• Sustainable Travel International, based in Colorado, is one of the most reliable sources to search. Includes several hundred accommodations worldwide.
• Rainforest Alliance lists a few exemplary properties in Central America and the Caribbean.
• Green Hotels Association lists 350 properties, including hotels, lodges and B&Bs throughout the United States and in a dozen foreign countries. Some of the hotels listed have only modest environmental programs
• Environmentally Friendly Hotels contains links to more than 2,300 hotels worldwide, mostly in the United States and the tropics. The mix of environmental practices among properties ranges widely.

Click here to read the full article at washingtonpost.com

Overview of the tips:
1. Get a home energy audit
2. Seal up air leaks
3. Tune up your air conditioner
4. Use and attic fan
5. Unplug appliances before your vacation
6. Save with smart landscaping
7. Use water wisely

Learn more at: Eco-Friendly Ways to Cut Energy Costs

Now we can go back outside (if we believe the sun is dangerous to begin with) or at least avoid a sunburn, with the help of Skin Deep’s new sunscreen report. Skin Deep cuts through the mystery ingredients and thousands of brands to bring us a simple and easy to understand rating system for beauty and personal care products.

Zero is the safest product rating they offer, 1 the second safest and so on, with 10 being the most hazardous. Stick with zeros and ones and you will have no problem. The ten safest sunscreens they report are:

1. (0)Keys Soap Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock, SPF 30
2. (0)Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, SPF 30+
3. (0)California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
4. (0) Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30
5. (1) Marie Veronique Skin Therapy Sun Serum
6. (1) Lavera Sunscreen Neutral, SPF 40
7. (1) Vanicream Sunscreen, SPF 35
8. (1) UV Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
9. (1) Sun Science Sport Formula, SPF 30
10. (1) Soleo Organics Sunscreen all natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Check out the Sunscreen Report for 2008 at Skin Deep to learn more about specific products and the top 10 recommended brands.

There is another, perhaps unexpected benefit to the high gasoline prices however. Just as smoking related deaths drop in almost predictable numbers when cigarette prices increase, auto related deaths are on a swift and remarkable decline due to the rising price of gasoline. Some researchers believe that automobile related fatalities will drop by as much as one third because of gas prices.

Some of the reasons suggested for the remarkable decrease in fatalities is that the riskiest drivers (teenagers) cannot afford gasoline, the most dangerous vehicles (SUVs) are too expensive to drive and that people are simply driving more slowly to save money. Most importantly however, is that people are simply driving less. 1.4 billion fewer miles less in April alone to be precise. That may not be good news for your summer vacation but it is excellent news for the environment and approximately 12,000 lives saved every year.

Learn more at abcnews.com