The Source Toothbrush

Normally we would find brushing our teeth as the last thing that can contribute to the green problems of the world. But as in everything else, we can always improve on them. For sure there will be one source material that can be replaced to a more socially responsible one and the Source Toothbrush is a best example to break it down further.

With its two piece design, you don’t need to throw away your toothbrush as a whole. Rather, with the Source toothbrush, you can retain the handle and just replace the brushing head which is important for cleaning your teeth. You save a lot on buying new toothbrushes and also limiting the waste of used toothbrushes that have resources such as plastic which can help improve the growing problem of waste and plastic.

You can buy this toothbrush and a packet of replacement heads at radiustoothbrush.com. The suggested retail price for the toothbrush is $6.95; a packet of three replacement heads also is $6.95.

(Source) Courier Journal

It may seem to be something of an understatement, but yes the folks over at Las Vegas have decided that they will finally be going green by building some seriously eco friendly buildings along the Las Vegas Strip.

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With over fifty million square feet of building work going on but all being built to LEED standards, naturally this is not really going to make things better, but these new buildings are not going to make things worse either, which has to be good thing doesn’t it?

Source [World Hum]

This is really end of the world stuff, now a hundred months is around eight years. This is the time that the experts say we have left, before it is too late to anything about climate change.

The entire population of the world should be thinking about this one serious thing. It makes no difference where you live or how you live, climate change if left unchecked is going to affect you.

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However, surprisingly enough there are things that can still be done, and these will make a difference:

Ideas for Stalling the Climate Change Tipping Point

Avoid infrastructure that is fossil-fuel-dependent (such as the construction of new airports, coal-fired power plants) that lock us in patterns of future greenhouse gas emissions, radically reducing our ability to make the short- to medium-term cuts.

Appeal to governments to stop defecting blame and responsibility: “It is wildly unrealistic to think that individuals alone can effect a comprehensive re-engineering of the [West’s] fossil-fuel-dependent energy, food and transport systems. The government must lead.”

Governments should launch a Green New Deal, similar to the one launched in the UK last week, taking inspiration from President Roosevelt’s famous 100-day program implemented in the face of the dust bowls and depression.

Rein in reckless financial institutions and use a range of fiscal tools, new measures and reforms to the tax system, such as a windfall tax on oil companies.

Resources should be invested in a massive environmental transformation program that could insulate the economy from recession, and create countless new jobs.

Overhaul a nation’s building stock, and tackle the city. First up, he says, remove the money of oil companies pouring into cities. Re-list these companys’ resources as “unburnable.”

Instead of using vast sums of public money to bail out banks (because they are considered “too big to fail”), banks should be reduced in size until they are small enough to fail without hurting anyone.

With oil prices wobbling around $130, there is a huge amount of unearned profit waiting for a windfall tax (companies made profits when it was $10 a barrel). Money raised would go towards a long-overdue massive decarbonisation of our energy system.

A rolling program to overhaul heat-leaking buildings and homes will massively cut emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

Weaning agriculture off fossil-fuel dependency.

The “one person, one car” on the roads, should be transformed to a variety of clean reliable forms of public transport. This should be visible by the middle of our 100 months.

Source [Treehugger]

Well of course the dress is not green, it is in fact pure white but the concept behind the dress is definitely green as the this dress which has been made for Celine Germain by celebrated artist Sandy Drobny who designed a gown out of recycled newspaper bags.

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This wedding dress has been made in the same manner, but this time by using recycled plastic shopping bags. However, you would not have known it because even from the images the weave and the shape of the dress look like regular material. Maybe one day all wedding dresses will be made like this.

Source [Honolulu Advertiser]

Everyone is telling home owners to go green. But the thing is, outside that of using alternative energy, conservation and segregation of waste, what else is there to do?

Well you just have to look around, read magazines such as Good Housekeeping Magazine to know how to go green. It is not mainly focused on the things you can do but on the things you can use and buy. Green living is not only about performing duties that pertain towards saving the environment. Products and materials alike of a greener nature have been introduced in the market and the consumer just needs guidance on where to find them.

Just take a look at this house and how it was christened to be eco-friendly and green. You are bound to discover a lot of new things from it.

The house’s designer, Robin Wilson, says going green couldn’t be easier: “It’s really exciting, because the price points have come down … from the organic towels, sheets, plates that are vintage, and also, you’ll find vintage pieces (furniture) that have been … reclaimed by re-staining them.”

“It doesn’t matter where you are,” Ellis observes. “You can make your house greener, you can make your life greener; just look at the green choices and try to make a more energy-efficient, smarter, greener choice.”

(Source) CBS News

The authorities in Anchorage, Alaska have made the decision to replace all of the street lights with LED’s, that’s going to be around 16,000 bulb changes all together, which is going to take the poor chap that does that job for living some time to complete, no doubt!

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Although the cost of this is going to be around $2.2 million, but the benefits of installing lights that use half the power is an annual saving of around $360,000.

Source [Tree Hugger]

The one thing about flat packed furniture, no matter whether it is eco friendly or not is the construction. It seems for many people whenever they get to the end, there is sometimes something left over, which can be fairly annoying.

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However, Way Basics have come up with some great designs that are really simple and easy to build, in fact, no tools, glue or special knowledge is needed, the furniture is simple put together and that is that!

Way Basics Advantage;

Easy to assemble; no tools required. Just peel, stick and you’re done.

Less than half the weight of particle board, pressed wood, or plywood furniture

Sustainably made from recycled paper and completely recyclable

Water resistant

Price $196

Source [Apartment Therapy]

[galley]

This type of housing was first at the end of the Second World War; it was a temporary solution to the housing shortage. However, in parts of London these houses still exist and are loved by the people who in them.

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Now prefabs are making a comeback, they are very different to the houses of the 1940’s as they should be, but could these homes be the new eco friendly way of living? Some people think yes and it is easy to see why as they use sustainable materials and do have such an impact when they are built.

Therefore, it would seem that the circle of sixty years is now complete but with one exception, this time it is hip to live in a prefab these days.

Source [Eco Friend]

We all know that the healthy way to quench our thirst is to drink bottled water. While that would cover one aspect of health concerns, disposal of the plastic bottles has become more of a nuisance. In fact, the piling mess of plastic bottles seems to be more of a problem and costly at that since you can imagine the money you pay for one bottled of water each day.

The great alternative is to look at reusable containers. Remember that when you buy bottled water, a large chunk of the price is because of the bottle itself. If you turn to reusable containers such as this one offered by Project Earth H2O, imagine the savings you can have as well as addressing the growing problem created by plastic bottles today.

Everyone drinks water, but some researchers say you may also be drinking plastic if you re-use certain bottles.

Brian Denton enjoys a nice bottle of water, but he also enjoys the environment.

“Last year I was spending about $20 a week on bottled water, and what had happened was that I knew these bottles weren’t safe to be reused, and they were piling up in my car,” he said.

(Source) Your4State

Water utilization has been a growing thorn on the side of water conservation and much of this happens at home. Particularly in taking showers, the amount of water we use will go to waste if we do not have the proper means of controlling the flow of water from our pipes to cleanse or bathe ourselves.

Mira has launched some great solutions to control this issue as it has offered in the market various new shower solutions such as the Mira Minilite Eco and Mira Miniduo and Eco to help control the flow of water each time we take a shower. With their help, we can avoid wasting too much water and using the right amount to have a fresh feeling of cleanliness with water to spare.

The new Mira Minilite Eco combines the Minilite with the eco benefits of a 6lpm flow regulator, while the new Mira Miniduo and Eco showerhead combines the Miniduo with the eco friendly Mira Eco showerhead.

The Mira Minilite Eco uses a factory fitted flow regulator to restrict the flow to 6 lpm, with an 8 lpm alternative included in the pack. It comes in both exposed and built-in versions and is half the size of standard valves with single sequential control. It’s thermostatic and comes with a three year guarantee.

(Source) Builders Merchants Journal