GREENCulture blog We put the “green” in greenyness!

As global warming rises, so does our sea level. One of Antarctic’s fastest melting glaciers is continuing to melt, and has become one of the biggest concerns for scientists today, according to a MSNBC.

A robot submarine was used to deploy under the ice shelf and had discovered it is no longer being assisted by a subsea ridge. The subsea ridge had slowed the glacier’s melt since up until the 1970s. With the Antarctic glaciers melting, it is enough to raise sea levels nearly 200 feet! Now no longer resting on the subsea ridge, glacier ice will be flowing faster and thawing more. According to research, 10 percent of the latest sea level rise occurred because of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Global Warming is still talked about today, and heavily talked about more as years come. The simplest maneuver as to switching to solar lights or installing LED light bulbs over incandescent into your table lamps will be a change to our earth.

With all the electricity and energy being used in the cities, to all green house gas emissions being released into our environment, it has become no healthy way for mother nature to live by. As we trap heat into our atmosphere, we will slowly ruin our planet. When we asked for a cleaner environment, we didn’t want a gulf oil spill.

Gone are the days when living rooms were reserved for special occasions. Today, the living space can be used as a social centre for your home. You can curl up with a cup of coffee and an interesting book or magazine, watch some television, or entertain formally. Unlike the bathroom and kitchen where light fixtures are determined by the appliances and built-in furniture, the living room requires a more versatile lighting plan approach.

It is simply amazing how good and well planned lighting can transform an entire living space. What is more amazing is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. You simply apply a few tricks here and there and you won’t have to rob a bank.

When designing a lighting plan for the living room, it is important to consider the various activities that will be going on in there. General lighting will be ideal for watching TV and entertaining; task lighting for sewing; reading and such like activities; and accent lighting for plants, artwork, and interesting architectural features. Dimming controls are also good for the living room as they are easily customizable and you can design the lighting to suit each activity and mood.

General Lighting – as mentioned, ideal for social gatherings, watching TV, and listening to music needs to be around 10 foot-candles. If you have to perform visual tasks such as hobbies or reading, the lighting ambient level should be around 20 foot-candles to counter the extra task lighting.

Recessed Downlights – downlights basically accentuate floor surfaces and furniture. You can cluster down lights over conversation areas and further spread them out in between the regions; they aren’t limited to any single grid pattern.

Wall Lighting – basically, bright walls enhance the illusion of spaciousness. Maybe a medieval-looking candle wall sconce should be a consideration? You graze or wash the walls, light artwork, or in-built fluorescent lights found behind valances and fascias against the wall. To get the most even wash, consider recessed or track mounted wall washers of circa 2-3 inches from the wall and in similar distance apart.

Portables – portable lamps with dispersing shades add a warm and very friendly ambience. The light they illuminate is reflected in people’s faces thereby contributing to a comfy social environment.

Every now and then, you may wish to make an ornamental change in your home. Perhaps because you want to change the monotonous and tired look of your home, or you may wish to improve the value of your home. Many people would fear to make changes in their home due to the high costs incurred in home redecorating. However, there are many things that you can do to change the general look of your home even when on a tight budget.  Possibly enhance your dining room with a new chandelier or add a even redecorating your home with an affordable wall sconce.

Generally though, lighting is not one of the biggest budget consumers in a home redecorating project. One thing that you will be guaranteed is an enhanced look and ambience once wall sconces are brought in the picture. You may have wall sconces of different looks and styles which will not only be a decorative element on their own but will also highlight something special you may wish to draw close attention to. Essentially, all rooms need to be well lit, which will ensure that all things and parts of your home are in focus.

With the right lighting fixtures, your wall sconces can be used for this worthy purpose. If you use wall sconces in the living area and wish to highlight say your cabinetry, make sure the lighting fixtures you use feature a minimalist look so that they can be less of focus. On the other hand, if your home features a country décor look, the wall sconces used should also be rustic in nature, so that they can accentuate the country look and become an alternative element of focus.

This explains the reason why when you get into a room the first thing that grabs your attention on the wall will most probably be a rustic wall sconce.

Of course redecorating your home doesn’t only stop with just upgrading or changing the lighting fixtures. Simple and affordable changes such as repainting the entire room to match the new lighting fixtures and moving the furniture around can also bring a whole new level of the much needed change.

Pendant lights date back to 2700B.C. and started off with clay hanging lamps with the light illuminating from an animal fat burn. Time passed on and the clay hanging lamps were replaced by glass. When comparing pendant lights to other light fixtures, pedants are rather an infant in respect to all other types of lighting fixtures; falling under the same category, top among them, chandeliers.

Photo credit: www.cartoonstock.com

History has it that pendant lights came into being just as a handy substitute but a less meticulous version of chandeliers with nearly similar features and functionality. Actually, these lighting fixtures derived their name from the pendant — a jewelry accessory. In the early 80s, people started seeing European pendants flooding the market with exclusive use of new designs such as glass accompanied by very attractive light shades.

The picture that comes to mind of a typical pendant light is a lone fixture hanging from the ceiling on a string or similar supporting piece of equipment such as a metal rod. Pendant lights are diminutive in detail compared to chandeliers. Instead of exposing their lights, the lower end or tip of a pendant light will employ some kind of shade – another reason why they are called pendant lights.

These light fixtures also go by other names such as drops or suspenders. More often, if lone-hanging units without the additional branches are used unaccompanied, they can give a very striking and impressive effect when two or three of them are suspended at the same time, but at varying heights.

The pendant light can be a simple bare bulb hanging from a cord or attractively encased in a decorative shade made of resin, glass, fabric, or metal. Initially, pendant lights had a crude-type of shell made of blown glass, which ultimately advanced into a very huge style make of different designs.

Today, the wide gamut of styles and designs coupled with client demands has brought pendant light fixtures at the same level with other forms of lighting fixtures. A simple search on the internet and you will be amazed by the extent at which pendant lights have evolved.

Looking for a new home, in a crummy economy as this? Sometimes we have to make the best of what is in front of us—especially since we are limited on our natural resources. National Association of Home Builders say nearly 1.8 million houses are built every year. That is more than a handful! Building contractors should continue to be eco-conscious about the material they are using to construct our future homes and harvesting our natural resources.

Why should we be eco-conscious of the way we are living? Constructing our future homes for our future children is keen. We could preserve our natural resources and depend on a much better environment with energy-efficient practices and appliances like our light fixtures.

The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and countless other organizations have teamed up to initiate the Energy Star, which is a symbol to classify energy-efficient appliances or homes. What usually identifies an energy-efficient home are homes that are 20% more energy-efficient compared to old homes. What homeowners or future homeowner should know is Energy Star labeled homes can be very convenient for their economical and moral lifestyle.

New guidelines for energy-efficient homes include air sealing quality constructed windows, heating and cooling operations that can deliver comfort and stocked with fresh air ventilation to improve air quality, and an efficient water management system.

Slowly but, surely, our planet is doing its part to make earth a better place for people to inhale good air, to sleep in a harvested wooden bed and pay for less expensive utility bills.  Homeowners will be ’saving greens’ either with the cash in their pocket or the trees in the forest.

April 22nd marked the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day and with a new anniversary comes a new meaning for the day. Started in 1970, Earth Day was originally conceived as a day in which the people of the world could come together and educate themselves about the needs of the planet. However, with the “Green” movement in full effect, Earth Day has gone from a day of environmental education to a day of environmental action.

For this year’s festivities,  a massive rally turned out a success in WAshington. Organizers are hoping the rally will influence Congress into signing a new and much needed climate bill. Organizers have also set up The Earth Day Network to give information about the day itself and give awareness to green campaigns that need members and support.

One of these green campaigns is A Walk For Water. This campaign will help raise funds to build permanent water resources in West Africa, which in the 110+ degree heat of the area, will both help save the water supply and countless lives of the impoverished West African communities. The Earth Day Network has also crafted other grassroots campaigns to help save important environmental areas like forests and wetlands. However, not every green initiative is of the grassroots variety.

The major conglomerate Siemens is getting in on the movement by running a green campaign called A Million Acts of Green that motivates customers to come up with green solutions for the upcoming Earth Day. Many other major companies like Globetrotters Engineering Corporation (an architectural company founded by CEO, Niranjan Shah ) work every day to help the environment by designing energy efficient buildings and homes. This shows that the green movement is big enough even for companies like Siemens and Shah’s Globetrotters Corporation.

Earth Day still celebrated its 40th anniversary, but in many ways this year’s celebration is somewhat of a rebirth. The day that was originally created to spread awareness and education of the planet’s problems has now become something more meaningful. It has now become a day in which the world works together to help and protect the Earth we all call home.

After 40 years, has Earth Day lost its sentimental value since corporate companies have greedily utilized its idea as a manufacturing mechanism? Are they only seeing green in Washingtons, Jacksons, and Benjamins?

When Earth Day was essentially about planting a Cherry Blossom tree, and hanging your laundry outside versus the dryer, now many companies are using it to their benefit. Earth Day was utilized for James Cameron’s box-office blowout film, Avatar to be released, while other businesses exploited that day for an extra 30 percent off their products.

It’s a capitalistic country, and people stay hungry. But are those environmentally-minded folks and environmental organization advocates offended over companies taking advantage of their own passion and way of living?

A New York Times article mentions how 40 years ago, eco-barons were taking their purest belief in nature and enlightening other individuals at no cost. Now that money, business, and marketing have been a prime factor with going green, some may feel Earth Day or being environmentally-friendly is slowly losing its initial intentions.

Denis Hayes, the national coordinator of the first Earth Day believe it’s tragic. He said, “This ridiculous perverted marketing has cheapened the concept of what is really green,” according to the New York Times Article.

In our present society we see environmentally products everywhere, and apparently it is the trend now days. From purses to clothing, eco-products have hit the market and are in demand. Green is the new Black.

But a child proudly owning a green printed stuff animal made from soy fibers completely justifies that they are green? Are they aware of what becoming environmentally-friendly is? Or has corporate gluttony arose and found one of their prime victims to scrutinize and take in part of their business.

Apart from how pleasant it is to own an eco friendly handbag or have your bathroom constructed with recycled bottle glass flooring and sustained wooden accents, it leads consumers in the right direction of preserving planet Earth. We are a fast growing nation. As we try to keep up with technology and culture, I guess forgetting about Earth Day’s initial systematic approach had to start happening. We are talking realistically. We aren’t talking typewriters or Analog television. We are talking about PCs and LCD Hi-Def flat screens. If businesses are luring along consumers to go green as they get the pot of gold, consumers should never forget they purchased an eco-friendly dinner table, and had saved a Redwood Tree.

Dating outside your race shouldn’t be the problem, but dating someone Green should be? There are many who may feel indifferent about preserving the wildlife and conserving our natural resources. But how might a passionate Green single endure a one-on-one engagement with a simple minded, tunnel-visioned individual who believes Doug Tompkins didn’t need to reign on Chile’s parade with his egotistical mindset, (in this case ‘eco-tistical’) preserving Chile wild lands for the greater cause? It’s a likely chance three words will slither out of the Green single’s mouth–and it’s not ‘I Love You;’ more like, “Um, check please.”

Evidently, believe it or not, there are occurrences where couples may have a change of heart, when one might not be greener than the other. According to a New York Times article, Leslie Kaufman writes that arguments amongst couples and family members are at rise, as they change themselves to save planet earth. A Portland psychologist who argues with her sister over her eco-habits becomes a prime example. The Times states that “she cannot resist bugging her about not recycling her plastic and cardboard, even though she knows she will be perceived as ‘bossy,’” according to Kaufman.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day everyday to those who can wear their green heart on their sleeve.  USA Today introduces Green singles to a whole new era.  Jessica Durando, a writer,  welcomes Green singles to a few Green dating web sites like Green Singles, Earth Wise Singles, and Veggie Romance. Okay, that’s cute, but what if you might have already spotted your potential Green babe? Plan an environmental trip with them on Meet Market Adventures!  So she’s pretty and it’s enough her green eyes reflect her persona. Where do I take her out to eat?  Green singles can treat their date out with the help of Dinegreen.com.

Possibly what may sound like a genuinely absurd and comical idea to many, may actually be a convenient date-operation for the minority of mother-nurturing eco-barons. There is a considerable amount of people with different understandings. You have countless touchy subjects that create controversy, primarily with religion or philosophical outlooks, sexual orientation, ‘Nsynce versus Backstreet Boys…and then you have finding the right green partner. Sure, they might recycle yet drive a Ford 350 lifted truck, but maybe they’re a tad bit Kelly Green or pushing Teal. Maybe second-doubt buying that Toyota Hybrid, because after going Green, the world offers you more chances in finding love on the fast lane.

It has been estimated that the average American household disposes of more than two hundred pounds of kitchen scrap waste yearly. This is waste that is going into our landfills when it could be enriching our gardens. Composting is a lot easier to achieve than most people realize. If you have an organized system, it will take no more time to compost than it does to trash your scraps.

There are many variations of compost bins available for purchase on the market ranging from simple to extravagant and expensive. You may choose this route, or you may like to build your own. This is a relatively simple task; you must just ensure that your bin or box is covered to keep animals away yet still allows for drainage and aeration. Many install a screen on the bottom of the bin to help with this problem.

Almost all forms of kitchen waste can be easily composted. This will make an inexpensive and yet rich fertilizer for your lawn or garden. There are two categories of commonly used composting items: green nitrogen rich substances and brown carbon rich ones:

Green materials that you can compost are: Herbivore animal manure, coffee grounds and filters, fruit trimmings, peeling remnants and cores, vegetable peelings, leaves and remnants, grains, grass clippings, green leaves, hair and fur, shredded newspaper, tea bags, and houseplants.

Brown Materials to be used for composting are: cardboard rolls that are shredded, clean paper that is shredded, dry leaves, straw, newspaper that is shredded, nut shells, pine needles, sawdust, wood ships, wool rags, vegetable stalks, crushed eggshells, and fireplace ash that is not from coal.

Here are items that you should take care not to add to your compost pile: Anything containing chemicals or that has been chemically treated, bird droppings, bones, cat or dog feces, human waste, ashes from coal, colored paper, dairy products, diseased plants, grease in any form, and treated wood or wood products. These substances can be toxic to both plants and humans

You generally want to try to keep a ratio of brown to green material at 25:1. Carbon materials break down very slowly and will keep your compost pile from completely decomposing and being ready to use. On the other hand, if too many nitrogen substances exist, this can create a bad odor that will also attract animals to your bin.

Remember to use coupon code “grcltr5″ to receive an extra 5% off all orders on any GC Family site.

Madagascar Bedroom Set Collection

A new bedroom furniture collection coming soon to Eco-Furniture.com is one that is sure to give your bedroom a look of tropic paradise. The Madagascar Bedroom Collection is an exquisitely designed furniture set made from Mozambique and Prima Vera veneers in warm cognac and black smoke finish. The bedroom set includes a platform bed in the Minuet (featuring two puck lights on both ends of the headboard) and Ballad editions (Queen, King, and Cal King sizes), Pier Nightstands, Demi Dresser, and Mirror. The Pier Nightstands feature a touch latch center drawer that holds a charging station and a puck light with touch dimmer switch.