GREENCulture blog We put the “green” in greenyness!

Think you’re a true eco-traveler because you stay at hotels with the greenest amenities and services? Think again: every time you travel via plane, liters upon liters of non-renewable resources, which took millions of years to create, are exhausted. Additionally, planes use tons of aviation fuel, contributing to the production of CO2 we already produce in abundance. Air travel also generates more than just carbon dioxide, as it emits high levels of Nitrogen Oxide as well, (which is the primary culprit for ozone smog, acid rain, and oxygen depletion).

To combat this environmental hazard, treeflights.com plants a tree with each flight you take. Trees use the sun’s energy to absorb CO2 (globally, forests absorb between 1/5 and 1/4 of all human emissions of CO2*), eventually transforming into renewable material such as wood. A wide variety of tree types is planted with treeflights.com, including willows, wild cherries, and alders, with all of the plantings on rough mountain land. If curiosity strikes, you can even make a visit to Wales or Peru and become acquainted with your adoptee.

Order a treeflight, which costs only 10 pounds, and make your contribution to our communal home. Though the process of planting trees doesn’t balance out the amount of CO2 we produce, nor will it conquer global warming, treeflights.com offers an opportunity to at least give back to Mother Nature.

*treeflights.com

There are many things I adore about the outdoors: crisp mountain air, the mixture of sunshine and ocean salt tickling my skin. I do not, however, like the world of insects in the outdoors. I absolutely and resolutely am scared and grossed out by them. And of all the creepy crawlies in the wilderness, I am most likely to run screaming into a picturesque sunset because I encountered the simple honeybee. Don’t ask why—all I know is the only contact I want with bees is from bottled honey. So it comes as a mild surprise that I would enjoy a beauty product involving bees wax. Burt’s Bees has been a longtime eco-friendly company, using as few chemicals as possible and sticking to the natural stuff, using bees wax in most of their products. I myself am partial to the lip balms. Similarly addictive, the Radiance Body Lotion is over 99% natural and is made from completely recyclable packing and leaves a faint shimmer on your skin, courtesy of mica minerals. It’s also paraben and phtlalate-free, using a specially formulated Royal Jelly replacement and sunflower oil for moisturizing goodness. Maybe those busy buzzing creatures have something more to offer than honey after all.

Growing a garden is a tricky task. It requires patience, nurturing, and carefully keeping track of how your plant is fairing. Every time I’ve tried to keep a plant alive, it ends up in the trash, withered and brown and certainly not producing oxygen. So I greatly admire the people at Dr. Hauschka, who grow their own plant materials to create their wholly organic holistic skin care line. With the help of biodynamics (sustainable agriculture), Dr. Hauschka is able to take into account all of the environmental processes it takes to make its gardens flourish. And that is why the Macadamia and Orange Shampoo, which is 100% certified natural by the BDIH and comes complete with a certified cosmetic seal, is such a great product. It combines self-sustaining, all-natural ingredients with natural essential oils of orange and macadamia nut oil, with the result being an excellent regular shampoo that leaves hair softer and silkier. Which leaves me thinking: maybe it’s time to try watering another peony again.

…greenhouse gas emissions get worse! According to this Yahoo! article, scientists believe that if they can successfully develop a balanced diet of protein, sugars and fiber for cows, cow belching and methane emissions will be reduced. And contrary to popular belief, methane gets into the atmosphere through belching not the other end. Turns out, legumes are the culprit; hard to digest legumes like alfalfa and clover are generally used as animal fodder, which in turn causes the belching. I guess beans are the magical fruit after all.

Summer heat, like so many things, is an equal blessing and curse. It’s great when you’re chilling poolside, sipping an iced tea (or a margarita, if you prefer) and basking in the warm rays. It is not, however, good for keeping lips moisturized. Just like how the sun can wreck havoc on your skin without proper sunscreen coverage, it can also damage your lips, leaving them as dehydrated as Italian soccer players during the fourth quarter. To avoid chapping, try the certified organic Origins Smileage Plus Liptint. Made from an organic beeswax base, this lip balm is packed with a variety of organic ingredients, including coconut, sunflower oil, aloe extract, jojoba oil and cocoa butter that soothe even the driest of lips. Plus, the faint citrusy scent is the perfect summer complement, and the sheer tint is just so pretty.

Ladies (and gentleman in certain cases)! No need to pop-a-squat anymore over seemingly harmless patches of grass while camping. The fear of being bitten by uninhibited reptilians and insects on certain unmentionables will no longer flood your mind as you water the shrubs, for the eco-friendly Portable Toilets are here to relieve any lingering concerns.

Although the light-weight Nature Plus Portable Toilet (His and Hers), available by yours truly, is ideally suited for outdoor activities and emergency situations, this strangely sturdy contraption (supporting up to 250 lbs) can also be utilized for more serene expeditions such as bird watching or a demanding morning of tai-chi. This device, used by NATO forces around the world, includes 8 waste bags that are 100% biodegradable and compostable, as it is made of Mater-Bi corn starch. These bags, which fit comfortably around the toilet seat, promote hygiene and functionality. After use, simply bury or dispose of them in the appropriate waste receptacle, fold down the collapsible frame of the toilet, and move on, feeling as fresh and smooth as a sashimi slice. No longer will you allow the fear of squatting leave you with chunky trunks!

Today’s quiz is a bit more in depth compared to the last one I posted called What’s Your Environmental Footprint? This quiz called the Ecological Footprint Quiz is a bit more personal, first asking you questions like your age and what city/township you live in, in addition to 15 questions about how you live and whether you carpool. Once again, I was put in my place, with an ecological footprint score of 17, compared to the average of 24, which tells you that if everyone lived like me, we’d need 3.8 planets. Ouch. Take the quiz and share your score!

I hate cleaning my house. For starters, scrubbing on hands and knees never put anyone in a good mood. Moreover, the scent of chemicals permeates through my clothes, leaving me smelling like a walking Pine Sol bottle. Tired of pungent ammonias, I switched my cleaning supplies to products made by the environmentally conscious Method. They use only biodegradable, non-toxic ingredients and all of their products clean amazingly well while leaving rooms with the most flowery, fresh aromas. Now they’ve expanded their line to include body products specifically designed to make you and your shower eco-friendly and squeaky clean. I’m partial to the body wash, which promises to be 100% naturally derived with no parabens, SLS or animal testing. Best of all, it contains natural exfoliants and moisturizers that let me wash away other new-found stenches in my life (gym sweat, curry, and so forth). Check out the lotions, soaps and shaving cream, as well as the four fun, fresh scents they come in.

It’s possible, at least, with the new S116 cell phone. As the world’s first green cell phone (available only in China), it boasts of having a 1.3 megapixel camera, an MP3 player, and solar panels that can charge in any light - from sunlight to candlelight, all for a mere $510. And while an hour of charging your phone in direct sunlight will give you an extra 40 minutes of talk time, you may want to keep an extra fully charged phone around in the event that there’s a thunderstorm and all the electricity in your house is out.

Need a break from the office? Why not take a vacation at an eco-friendly lodge in Belize for a couple weeks? The Cotton Tree Lodge consists of ten cabanas, each with running hot water, eco-friendly flush toilets, and private decks. This home away from home, however, embodies more than just a tropical facade, for its eco-friendly nature also places it at the top of the market.

The Cotton Tree Lodge is “off the grid” (no power lines run through or around the hotel), and uses solar power for basic electrical needs. They maintain an organic garden and have begun reforestation programs by planting teak and mahogany trees. Another notable feature is the lodge’s composting system. Though they use traditional flush toilets, they employ bio-remediation and phyto-remediation processes that return nutrients to the soil. In collaboration with Sustainable Harvest International, the lodge is working to establish a demonstration farm that promotes improved nutrition, organic agricultural techniques, and health enhancement projects as well.

More than just daily expeditions such as horseback riding and scuba diving, The Cotton Tree Lodge is an emblem of eco-friendliness, educating the public not only on environmental sensitivity, but also on the importance of engaging yourself in a different culture. Anyhow, don’t you think it’s about time for a great escape?