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 on fresh... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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 freshwater... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More