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By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Associate We read food labels to avoid trans fats, sugar, and salt. Why not look for eco labels on the cleansers, personal care products, furniture, cl…By Diane MacEachern …By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Associate We read food labels to avoid trans fats, sugar, and salt. Why not look for eco labels on the cleansers, personal care products, furniture, clothing, carpeting and home improvement goods we buy so we can shift our spending to those that best protect the planet? For example, the green-and-white Organic label issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates food that has been produced according to a set of standards intended to eliminate use of pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals. You can find this eco label o…
Diane MacEachern
May 18, 2015
Diane MacEachern Checks Out - and Reports On - The Green Clean Service Offered by the Maid Brigade Franchise By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert Don\'t you love it when someone else …Diane MacEachern Che…Diane MacEachern Checks Out - and Reports On - The Green Clean Service Offered by the Maid Brigade Franchise By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert Don\'t you love it when someone else cleans your house? I sure do - unless, of course, they "clean" it using products laden with nasty chemicals that leave my rooms smelling like antiseptic and that leave me with a big headache. I\'ve tried a lot of so-called green cleaning services over the years, but generally have found that, unless I provide my own healthy, non-toxic cleansers, most housekeepers use conventional stuff that\…
Diane MacEachern
August 27, 2013
America Recycles Day - What Are You Recycling? By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Today is America Recycles Day. Recycling is important, because it saves energy, reduces trash, and he…America Recycles Day…America Recycles Day - What Are You Recycling? By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Today is America Recycles Day. Recycling is important, because it saves energy, reduces trash, and helps stop climate change. Here\'s what I recycle, and how I\'ve changed what I buy so I can buy less in the first place, reuse more and throwaway less. And keep reading for information on how you can recycle and reduce the number of catalogs you receive. Food and soda cans - I recycle glass, metal and plastic containers in my community\'s curbside recycling program. But I also use a Soda Stream wa…
Diane MacEachern
November 20, 2012
Help Your Plants Beat the Sweltering Heat With These Water Sense Tips By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert This summer’s heat wave is expected to result in a serious spike in the amou…Help Your Plants Bea…Help Your Plants Beat the Sweltering Heat With These Water Sense Tips By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert This summer’s heat wave is expected to result in a serious spike in the amount of water being used outdoors this year. Late July and early August are usually when outdoor water use soars in most of the U.S., but some regions report that they see people in their communities overwatering well into the fall. City and county managers worry because, if people and businesses don\'t use water more efficiently, communities will find it very tough to manage droughts and freshwa…
Diane MacEachern
September 22, 2012
Safe, Effective, Non-toxic Sunscreens Protect Against Sunburn & Skin Cancer By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Sunburn season officially kicked off Memorial Day weekend. Are y…Safe, Effective, Non…Safe, Effective, Non-toxic Sunscreens Protect Against Sunburn & Skin Cancer By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Sunburn season officially kicked off Memorial Day weekend. Are you prepared? After all, you don\'t want to get skin cancer like me, do you? To be protected, you need to reduce your exposure to two kinds of sun rays: 1) UVA, which causes wrinkling and ageing, and 2) UVB, which can cause basal cell (what I got) and squamos cell carcinoma. Most people rely on some kind of sunscreen or sun block to keep them safe. But according to the EWG Sunscreen Guide …
Diane MacEachern
June 8, 2012
Here\'s How You Can Afford to Spend 30% More on Organic Food By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Clean out your fridge. But before you toss all the expired or rotted food you find int…Here\'s How You Can …Here\'s How You Can Afford to Spend 30% More on Organic Food By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Clean out your fridge. But before you toss all the expired or rotted food you find into the trash can, put it on your counter. Now do a rough calculation of how much that \'trash\' cost you. Don\'t be surprised if it amounts to as much as 30% of your weekly household budget. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consumers on average throw away $30 of every $100 they spend - simply by forgetting to eat what they buy. In this economy, that\'s a lot of money for anyone. B…
Diane MacEachern
April 26, 2012
Avoid Post-Christmas Clutter: 15 Things You Can Easily Recycle After Christmas By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Now\'s the time to think ahead to the day after Christmas -- and all …Avoid Post-Christmas…Avoid Post-Christmas Clutter: 15 Things You Can Easily Recycle After Christmas By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Now\'s the time to think ahead to the day after Christmas -- and all the stuff you may want or need to throw away. Instead of trashing it, here\'s a list of what you should easily be able to recycle. Wrapping paper and ribbon - (keep a paper bag or box handy when you\'re unwrapping presents to make the job easy and efficient) - Shred paper to use as packing material, put aside for your kids\' art projects, or recycle with the weekly newspapers and junk mail. Card…
Diane MacEachern
December 23, 2011
Fracking: A Clear and Present Danger By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert I don\'t like to exaggerate the impacts of the many environmental issues we face. But it\'s impossible to over…Fracking: A Clear an…Fracking: A Clear and Present Danger By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert I don\'t like to exaggerate the impacts of the many environmental issues we face. But it\'s impossible to overstate how dangerous fracking is. Fracking stands for "hydraulic fracturing," a highly polluting process for tapping underground pools of natural gas. It involves drilling a hole a mile deep and thousands of feet long, then pumping down millions of gallons of water laced with sand, salt and chemicals to crack rock shale that contains the gas. Wherever it happens, it pollutes drinking water, makes…
Diane MacEachern
July 8, 2011
Is Your Environmental "Glass" Half Empty, or Half Full? By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Are you hopeful about the state of the world, or filled with despair? Japan\'s nuclear d…Is Your Environmenta…Is Your Environmental "Glass" Half Empty, or Half Full? By Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Are you hopeful about the state of the world, or filled with despair? Japan\'s nuclear disaster is only the latest in a string of environmental catastrophes that might make anyone question whether we\'re doomed. I\'m normally a "glass half full" kind of person. But after almost four decades of working as an environmental activist, I can\'t help but wonder: "Are we making a difference?" After all these years of public education, political campaigns, and citizen protests, …
Diane MacEachern
April 5, 2011
Fill Your Heart with Organic Chocolate by Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Any day is a good day to eat chocolate as far as I\'m concerned. But on no day is it so special as on Vale…Fill Your Heart with…Fill Your Heart with Organic Chocolate by Diane MacEachern NABBW's Going Green Expert Any day is a good day to eat chocolate as far as I\'m concerned. But on no day is it so special as on Valentine\'s Day, when heart-shaped boxes full of cocoa-based delicacies can keep people (well, me) happy pretty much all day. That\'s particularly true if the cocoa is produced organically. Cocoa powder is derived from cacao seeds that grow in pods on the cacao tree. The tree\'s botanical name, Theobroma cacao, means "food of the gods," nomenclature with which I wholeheartedly agree. Coco…
Diane MacEachern
February 12, 2011
Why Climate Change Matters to Women by Diane MacEachern, NABBW's Going Green Expert Solutions to climate change are usually discussed in terms of what\'s best for business or politics. But what…Why Climate Change M…Why Climate Change Matters to Women by Diane MacEachern, NABBW's Going Green Expert Solutions to climate change are usually discussed in terms of what\'s best for business or politics. But what about what\'s best for those who have the most to lose as climate change worsens: namely, women, especially those living in the poorest regions of the world? A new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Women\'s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) says that "women are disproportionately vulnerable to environmental changes." The statistics speak for thems…
Diane MacEachern
November 29, 2010
Tax Credits Can Help You Save Money and Shift Green by Diane MacEachern, www.biggreenpurse.com, and author, Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World. Buyi…Tax Credits Can Help…Tax Credits Can Help You Save Money and Shift Green by Diane MacEachern, www.biggreenpurse.com, and author, Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World. Buying energy-efficient home energy systems, appliances, and cars can save you loads of money by reducing your energy consumption. But the upfront cost of investing in efficient technologies can make ditching your old energy guzzlers for new energy sippers seem prohibitive. Federal and state tax credits help defray your purchase costs. Here\'s how: Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credits …
Diane MacEachern
October 31, 2010
Are "organic" dry cleaners popping up in your neighborhood? Are they legit, or another greenwashing scam? Here\'s the low-down: What Makes A Dry Cleaner Green? It\'s not PERC. Just because a d…Are "organic" dry cl…Are "organic" dry cleaners popping up in your neighborhood? Are they legit, or another greenwashing scam? Here\'s the low-down: What Makes A Dry Cleaner Green? It\'s not PERC. Just because a dry cleaner claims to be "organic" doesn\'t mean it\'s free of toxic chemicals. That\'s because, scientifically speaking, any chemical is considered to be organic if it contains carbon. So even cleaners that use a solvent like perchloroethylene (PERC), which has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen, can claim to be organic. An ad for "green" dr…
Diane MacEachern
August 22, 2010
High-tech electric and hybrid vehicles are all the rage right now. But you don\'t need to shell out big bucks for a new "eco" car if you give your own driving habits an environmental tune-up: Learn ho…High-tech electric a…High-tech electric and hybrid vehicles are all the rage right now. But you don\'t need to shell out big bucks for a new "eco" car if you give your own driving habits an environmental tune-up: Learn how to drive as efficiently as possible. Take note of these gas-saving tips and driving techniques and you\'ll visit the pump less often. Plus, you\'ll save $20-$50 a month on gasoline. Recycle your car once it has reached the end of its life. Don\'t send your vehicle to the junkyard before you\'ve looked at this list. Carpool and use mass transit as much as possible. When you share the ride, …
Diane MacEachern
May 12, 2010
The way we\'re being told to clean our homes these days, you\'d think we were all living in breeding grounds for small pox, typhoid fever, leprosy, or some other awful disease that practically kills o…The way we\'re being…The way we\'re being told to clean our homes these days, you\'d think we were all living in breeding grounds for small pox, typhoid fever, leprosy, or some other awful disease that practically kills on contact. We\'re not. We ARE living in a world that we share with billions of "germs," most of which are perfectly harmless. In fact, many doctors believe that living with germs keeps us healthier by helping us build up a resistance to their ill effects. This perspective seems to be routinely ignored by the cleaning products industry. A report by Women\'s Voices for the Earth, a non-pro…
Diane MacEachern
March 17, 2010
If you’re looking for ways to live a greener life, take some pointers from Fran Martin. Fran is the newest member of the One in a Million campaign, a feat she achieved by switching more than $1,0…If you’re looking …If you’re looking for ways to live a greener life, take some pointers from Fran Martin. Fran is the newest member of the One in a Million campaign, a feat she achieved by switching more than $1,000 of her household budget to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit. The campaign doesn’t ask people to spend MORE money. Instead, it encourages consumers to throw their marketplace clout behind non-toxic, eco-friendly alternatives that often end up saving people more money in the long run. Who is Fran? Fran, who is married, 67, and the mother of grown children,…
Diane MacEachern
March 17, 2010
Are "organic" dry cleaners popping up in your neighborhood? Are they legit, or another greenwashing scam? Here\'s the low-down: What Makes A Dry Cleaner Green? It\'s not PERC. Just because…Are "organic" dry cl…Are "organic" dry cleaners popping up in your neighborhood? Are they legit, or another greenwashing scam? Here\'s the low-down: What Makes A Dry Cleaner Green? It\'s not PERC. Just because a dry cleaner claims to be "organic" doesn\'t mean it\'s free of toxic chemicals. That\'s because, scientifically speaking, any chemical is considered to be organic if it contains carbon. So even cleaners that use a solvent like perchloroethylene (PERC), which has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen, can claim to be organic. An ad for "green"…
Diane MacEachern
March 17, 2010
Buying energy-efficient home energy systems, appliances, and cars can save you loads of money by reducing your energy consumption. But the upfront cost of investing in efficient technologies can make…Buying energy-effici…Buying energy-efficient home energy systems, appliances, and cars can save you loads of money by reducing your energy consumption. But the upfront cost of investing in efficient technologies can make ditching your old energy guzzlers for new energy sippers seem prohibitive. Federal and state tax credits help defray your purchase costs. Here\'s how: Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credits Home Renovations: You can earn up to 30% in federal tax credits on the first $1,500 you spend on improving the energy efficiency of your home. These credits apply only to existing home renovations and n…
Diane MacEachern
March 17, 2010
