One of the best advantages of hydroponics gardening is the lack of need for fertilizers. Soil naturally contains nutrients, yes. However, the nutrients found in them are usually imbalanced and not enough to sustain healthy crops. Because of this, farmers are forced to buy fertilizers to ensure that their crops are healthy and more resistant to diseases. A major drawback of this is that fertilizers are expensive and they can also drain off into the local areas drinking water, if overused, leaving agricultural and commercial industries with less revenue. With hydroponics, fertilizer costs are history. A complete set of nutrients are directly infused in water and crops directly absorb them from then on.

There is no need for cultivation with hydroponics gardening, yet another convenience that this plant-growing strategy entails. After all, it is a soil-free. Crops no longer need to be rotated too. The same crops can be grown at the same place since the availability of nutrients in water are consistent unlike in geoponics. In addition, growing a new set of crops is easier with hydroponics, mainly because of the absence of cultivation. Plus, there’s no need to worry about weeds as well.

Hydroponics gardening can benefit agricultural companies in a number of ways. It promises better yield than geoponics, not to mention uniform results as well. Otherwise, if you grow crops in soil you can expect factors like climate change and pests to affect the amount of successful yields with each season. Not only can they earn more but companies can also cut back on costs. Less labor is required with hydroponics.

On the other end of the market, consumers can benefit from cleaner produce. Geoponic produce have greater risks of being infected with waste material since they are grown in soil. Consumers can also benefit from the organic nature of crops grown with hydroponics gardening. Organic crops are healthier and pose no risks on human health.

Without a doubt, hydroponics gardening fares better than growing plants in soil. Even though geoponic agriculture is more widely accepted, that doesn’t make it a better method. Hydroponics is not only convenient but it is economical too. More agricultural industries should embrace it and utilize it in the mass production of crops.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• What Is Wind Energy? And What You Need to Know About It
• Easy ways to Conserve Water in your kitchen
• Green Gift Giving – The new way to shop!
• Easy Tips to Save Some Green While Going Green
• Interested in Living off the Grid?

Electronic Waste, or e-Waste, is a common term used to describe any electronic product that is not used anymore and is destined to be thrown away somewhere. This can vary from monitors, scanners, printers, mouses, televisions, LCD’s to cables, wires and pretty much anything else that is used within the industries’ doors.

E-Waste is the second largest contributor component for global warming and other major ecological crises. Many heavy metals are being spilled over to our landfills and the water gets more and more polluted as the days go by. We should immediately treat this issue if we care for the future generations to come, since their health is about to be effected directly from that. I believe we can make a change. It just requires awareness.

What Can We Do To Minimize The Amount of Electronic Waste ?

If you have been convinced so far, that’s good. There are certain things you can do in order to minimize your E-Waste footprint on our planet:

• Recycle. Don’t just throw away every piece of electronics you stop using. Take responsibility and drive to the closest green recycling center near your house and hand it to them. There are even some companies which will come all the way to your house if you have a fair amount of electronics to get rid off. They get money out of it, so it’s worth it for them either, and you get the piece of mind you deserve having.
• Buy less. If something works – there’s no need to buy a new one. Think about it, practically.
• Raise the awareness. Talk about the issue with your peers and let them be aware of the ecological problems involved with electronic waste.

I would like to personally thank you for your interest if you’ve read so far. Ecological issues are close to my heart and I really hope we can solve that issue soon enough, or at least minimize its damage. We have only one planet to live in, let’s take care of it. Living green should be a privilege to have for our future generations as well.

Author: Regev Elya, project manager at E-Green Israel, and author of RegevElya.Net. E-Green is a project we are working on in Israel for the sake of fulfilling planet Earth’s main will, which is – minimize the pollution we keep injecting to its grounds and waters every day. I personally believe that our planet existence is greatly overlooked today, and is a vital ingredient for the future of our next generations.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• Global Warming and What We Can Do To Fight It
• Solar Roof Shingles – Your Roof CAN Make Energy!
• Should you Invest In a Residential Wind Turbine?
• How Much Is A Solar Panel For Your Home Going To Cost?
• How To Recycle Old Cornhole Bags

How Is The Gas Mileage

The first way you can determine how environmentally friendly your car is would be to see how many miles per gallon your car gets. Going to the pump more often generally means that your car burns gas quickly and can be putting out a lot more carbon and other pollutants into the air. Increasing your gas mileage could entail some easy corrections such as properly inflating tires and changing your braking habits. If that doesn’t work, it might be time to get a new car.

What Does Your Car Run On

A car that runs on clean diesel is generally going to be better on the environment than a car that runs on just gas. A hybrid car is also going to be better because some of its power supply comes with electricity. Cars that run on just gasoline are going to have the most noticeable consequences on the environment as fossil fuels tend to do more damage to the air.

How Well Is The Car Maintained

Proper maintenance of your car can make it easier for the environment to take. Just by maintaining your car properly, you can effect the environment. Make sure that everything is working properly in your car as that can effect emissions significantly. Check your exhaust system and keep your car clean of debris and other objects that can get caught in your air systems. Any broken or clogged parts can reduce gas mileage and increase emissions unnecessarily. A quick tune-up can reduce your carbon footprint and make your car more environmentally friendly.

How Old Is Your Car

Older cars are going to have less efficient emissions systems and may get lower gas mileage. A car that was built in the 90′s might be lucky to get between 20-30 miles per gallon. Certain bigger cars especially struggle with getting decent gas mileage. An older car will also have more wear and tear on it that can cause it to emit more than it should.

There are many ways to tell if your car is environmentally friendly. Consider the gas mileage it gets and also consider how well maintained the car is. A clean diesel or hybrid car is going to be better for the environment than pure gas simply because it is cleaner when emitted.

Miles Walker is a freelance writer who normally writes feature articles on car insurance quotes for CarInsuranceComparison.org. He recently wrote about New Hampshire car insurance.

Green Living

• Green Car Maintenance? Have A Green Car By Maintaining It The Green Way!

The positives of organic foods far outweigh the negatives.

One of the most common arguments against organic foods is the cost. Generally organic produce are more expensive than non-organic. But what price would you put on your health? You might be saving money short term by buying non-organic, but one way or another you will be spending it down the track. Would you rather give your money to the organic farmer today or to the hospital tomorrow? Prevention is ALWAYS better than the cure.

The side effects of non-organic foods seem almost endless and they can be physical and/or mental. Mental side effects can include depression and anxiety. The medical profession doesn’t recognize non-organic foods as possible causes of these mental illnesses. The medical treatment for these illnesses is the administering of medication. Even more unnatural chemicals that have side effects of their own, for which doctors prescribe even more medication. Its a vicious circle. Healthy body healthy mind.

Some of the chemicals being put into our foods have also been linked to the current obesity epidemic. Tributyltin, the main active ingredient in many pesticides, damages the nervous, immune and reproductive systems in animals and humans. Tributyltin has been shown to cause the growth of excess fat tissue in mice, and this is also becoming apparent in people. One study showed that overweight people had a significantly higher amount of this chemical in their urine than people in the healthy weight range. There is another chemical that is being used more and more commonly: Bud Nip. This is a chemical that is sprayed onto foods to stop it becoming reproductive once it has left the farm. This makes sure that we cant grow it once we have bought it. This chemical cannot be washed off and gets absorbed directly into the food. Some of the dangers of Bud Nip include toxicity to amphibians and honeybees. Do you want to eat food that has these chemicals in it? How would you feel knowing that your children have been absorbing these chemicals?

If passed, a proposed law in America, S510: the Food Safety Modernisation Act (http://www.infowars.com/senate-bill-s510-makes-it-illegal-to-grow-share-trade-or-sell-homegrown-food/ ), would make it illegal for people to grow, own, trade and eat their own foods on the assumption that it would be unsafe (What on earth is unsafe about growing your own carrots? Stubbing your toe on them?). The people supporting this proposed law are the people who pump our foods full of dangerous chemicals. The more of us that grow our own food, the less we are spending on their food. It’s not that we don’t want to give them our money – the point is we don’t want to eat their chemical laden and non- nutritious food – do we? More than that, should we be deprived of the right to choose what we put into our own bodies? And all this in a country that defends ad infinitum the right of it’s citizens to carry arms! You can buy and carry a gun but it’s ‘unsafe’ to grow your own potato! (believe it or not, some American States have even made it illegal to collect your own rainwater!)

Non-organic foods are not only bad for us but its bad for the whole Eco-system. Its not only the plant that gets sprayed with chemicals, but the surrounding topsoil too. Then as it rains, or the crops get watered, it gets washed away into our waterways. And form there it spreads entirely through the eco-system doing untold damage to plants and animals alike.

GM-foods: The Genetic Modification of our foods is the process of genetically altering the biological structure of our foods, so that food takes on different properties that it wouldn’t do naturally. You would think that they would try to modify them to be better for us to consume but that is not the case. There is a company (Monsanto) that spent millions of dollars to genetically engineer their foods to become more resilient to pesticides. Doubly dangerous! Unnatural GM-foods covered in dangerous chemicals that KILL pests. And who is the company that makes the pesticides and therefore would profit by the use of them? You got it. Monsanto! So, eating GM-foods insures a huge dose of herbicides, given that GM crops are sprayed even more heavily than conventional non-organic crops.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments. The FDA is responsible for PROTECTING and PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH through the regulation and supervision of food safety.. Yeah, right…

Still no long term health studies of GM-foods have been conducted on humans.

Learn how to grow your own high quality organic food with minimum effort at http://www.madproducts.org/Green_Products.html

Author: Justin M, creator of http://www.madproducts.org.

At www.madproducts.org, we donate 20% of our profits to various charity organisations.

Environmentally, clearly the Earth is suffering. And a large number of beings that inhabit the Earth are suffering too. We believe in focusing on issues like reducing greenhouse gasses by promoting alternative energy sources, land/forest/ocean conservation and restoration, organic and GM-free foods, poverty, disease, starvation, the decline and extinction of our wildlife, ect. Raising awareness about these issues is a huge factor. With knowledge comes power.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• Saving money while helping the environment
• Be Green at Work! Green Office Tips You Can Start Using Today
• Living off the Grid – A viable option?
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• 5 Easy Tips for a Greener Lifestyle

Wind, like all renewable energy sources, is ultimately powered from the sun. As the sun heats the earth, the warm air rises and the cool air descents to fill in the gap. This unequal redistribution of heat creates the wind. So as long there is sun there will be wind. Moreover, during the power generation there is no pollution to the environment (so called green energy). As a result there are practically unlimited potentials in power generation from wind renewable sources. This is Wind Energy’s major advantage.

Wind power is mainly harnessed throughout the world via the use of wind farms. In most places of the world there is plenty of wind allowing for the efficient generation of electricity from wind farms. However, due to the variation of the speed of the wind the location of the wind farm must be carefully selected. Even though it’s difficult to generate constant level of electricity from a single wind farm throughout the year, with proper planning at a national level, the wind farms can be placed in such locations so that the overall power generation if the country is less variable. The constant power generation levels can be much more accurate if employ a diversified energy mix strategy that combines power generation from other renewable energy sources as well (solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass energy etc). The last few years there is also a lot of development in energy storage capabilities that will allow the extra power generation from renewable energy sources (usually in off peak hours) to be stored for later use.

Another advantage of using wind energy, is the fact that the last 2-3 years investment opportunities in wind energy are a lot more viable first because of the lowered cost of wind turbines (5 times less) and second due to the increase of the efficiency of wind turbines (100 times more efficient). Moreover, investment opportunities are increased due to the aggressive roadmaps of various countries (particularly US, EU and China) in renewable energy investments. US for example, has a roadmap to cover 20% of its power needs by 2030 from wind energy. As a result many countries provide subsidize programs which on some occasions reach 50%.

Most countries now realize the impact power generation from wind energy is the most common source of renewable energy (together with solar energy). It is very important to understand its advantages in order to be able to fully exploit its potentials. Wind, like all renewable energy sources, is ultimately powered from the sun. As the sun heats the earth, the warm air rises and the cool air descents to fill in the gap. This unequal redistribution of heat creates the wind. So as long there is sun there will be wind. Moreover, during the power generation there is no pollution to the environment (so called green energy). As a result there are practically unlimited potentials in power generation from wind renewable sources. This is Wind Energy’s major advantage. Wind power is mainly harnessed throughout the world via the use of wind farms. In most places of the world there is plenty of wind allowing for the efficient generation of electricity from wind farms. However, due to the variation of the speed of the wind the location of the wind farm must be carefully selected. Even though it’s difficult to generate constant level of electricity from a single wind farm throughout the year, with proper planning at a national level, the wind farms can be placed in such locations so that the overall power generation if the country is less variable. The constant power generation levels can be much more accurate if employ a diversified energy mix strategy that combines power generation from other renewable energy sources as well (solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass energy etc). The last few years there is also a lot of development in energy storage capabilities that will allow the extra power generation from renewable energy sources (usually in off peak hours) to be stored for later use. Another advantage of using wind energy, is the fact that the last 2-3 years investment opportunities in wind energy are a lot more viable first because of the lowered cost of wind turbines (5 times less) and second due to the increase of the efficiency of wind turbines (100 times more efficient). Moreover, investment opportunities are increased due to the aggressive roadmaps of various countries (particularly US, EU and China) in renewable energy investments. US for example, has a roadmap to cover 20% of its power needs by 2030 from wind energy. As a result many countries provide subsidize programs which on some occasions reach 50%. Most countries now realize the impact power generation from wind energy will have on their economies. First of all, it provides many new job opportunities, but most importantly it allows countries to maintain price stability and become self sufficient as it eliminates the dependency on primary fuels (oil, gas). Wind power generation does not “suffer” from price fluctuations and with proper planning, is practically risk free. You can find more information on Wind Energy and other renewable energy sources at www.renewablegreenenergypower.com”>wind energy will have on their economies. First of all, it provides many new job opportunities, but most importantly it allows countries to maintain price stability and become self sufficient as it eliminates the dependency on primary fuels (oil, gas). Wind power generation does not “suffer” from price fluctuations and with proper planning, is practically risk free.

You can find more information on Wind Energy and other renewable energy sources at www.renewablegreenenergypower.com

Green Living

• Renewable and Green Energy Sources is the Future
• What Is Wind Energy? And What You Need to Know About It

Here are a few ways that you can start cutting your energy bill by up to 20-30% just by making a few simple changes.

1. Appliances.  When looking for a newer, updated appliance, check for the Energy Star logo.  This means that this particular appliance meets energy regulations and shows how much energy it will use per year.  Older appliances are more apt to use more energy, so these newer appliances will definitely help put some more money back in your wallet.

2. Turn off appliances.  We’re all guilty of it.  Leaving the computer on, forgetting about the DVD player, etc.  Try to make it a habit to turn off gadgets that you aren’t using and you should see a difference in your next bill.

3. Lights.  Turn them off.  Replacing your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs will also last a lot longer than regular light bulbs. CF bulbs actually will last at least 3 or 4 times longer than your standard light bulb.

4. Laundry.  Try drying your clothes outside on the line.  You will drastically decrease the amount of energy you use by taking the extra time to air dry your clothes.  Use full loads when cleaning laundry and try using shorter cycles and save the longer cycles for really dirty clothes.

5. Hot water.  Try taking shorter showers instead of baths.  Install aerators on low-flow shower heads.

6. Ovens.  Using a microwave requires less energy than a standard oven.  If you have to use the oven, don’t preheat it longer than absolutely necessary.  Also, with the oven, try to resist opening the door.  Heat escapes rapidly when the door is opened to check if dinner is done.

By following some of these easy steps, you will be well on your way to saving some extra bucks and helping out the environment in more ways than you know.

Green Living

• Cutting your Energy Bill is as easy as 1, 2, 3…4.

While your water faucet is gushing like a fire hydrant, you don’t realize what perfectly fine drinking water you are wasting.

By doing this, you are effectively wasting up to a gallon of drinkable water just for one glass of cool water.

We don’t realize how much water we are wasting on a daily basis.  It’s not until you figure the numbers and factor in how many people live in your house that let the water run for a cold glass of water. Even the smallest amounts of water waste adds up over time.

We don’t fathom how much water we waste because it simply just “disappears” down the drain.  If we were to plug the drain and run the water like we usually do, we would have a totally different outlook.

So, what can you do to help reduce this water waste?  How about this:

Adding a small sink that capture excess water.

This smaller sink is placed underneath your kitchen sink to gather the water that otherwise would go directly to the sewer. This collected water is then known as “gray water”.  This water can be reused to water plants or your lawn as it is still relatively clean and contains minimum soapy residue and is ready for immediate use.

Gray water also has it’s other side.  Water collected from washing machines and bath water needs to be treated before it is reused because of the chemicals and detergents mixed in.  This doesn’t mean you can’t reuse it, it just means it will take a little more effort to be able to reuse it.

The planet is covered in water, we all know this.  But, less than 1% of the earth’s water supply is actually drinkable.  Think about this next time you are at the sink waiting for colder water.  A little change can make the biggest change overtime.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• How to Make Compost -Making a Difference in Your Own Backyard
• The Importance of Trees and Tips on how to Conserve Them
• Green painting – Earth friendly choices for redecorating your home
• Bamboo Charcoal Fertilizer – The Japanese Organic Fertilizer
• Testing Your Home for Energy Efficiency

It Looks Horrible – a lot of people forget about the emotional factors related to renovations and home improvement. It’s essential to remember these types of jobs can take a LONG time. It’s unlikely you’ll be done in just a few weeks and you’ll need to stay motivated for the entire job. By stripping every element from your backyard you’ll be left with a pit of dirt that looks horrible. Are you prepared to spend the next few months staring at this type of mess? It can seem like there’s no progress being made and after a while, that big pile of dirt in your backyard can lead to a lot of stress.

Hidden Treasures – it doesn’t matter what type of backyard you have now, there are undoubtedly hidden treasures contained all over the place. If you want about everything and throw away your entire backyard, you’ll be depriving yourself a chance to utilize of these elements. For example, old patio furniture can be turned new again with the simple addition of new fabric. Or you might have a garden area that can be effectively turned into a rabbit hutch. Don’t count your eggs before they’re hatched and don’t give up on old backyard features before you have a chance to take another look.

No Road Ahead – it might seem like clearing your backyard will set everything to a baseline of zero so that you can get a fresh start. But in most cases, you’re actually starting from less than zero. It’s also harder to get a general idea of your future plans if you have nothing to work with. Unless you have some kind of architectural degree or background in home renovation, you’ll likely make things a lot harder for the future.

Spending Too Much – let’s face it, gutting your entire backyard and starting from scratch costs a lot of money. Do you really have the amount of cash it takes to pull off a job like this? Some people even take out big loans in order to finance huge products, but they end up paying way too much in the long run. Quite simply, you should never take on any renovation job if you can’t afford it without taking out a loan. When you add in factors like outdoor lighting, patio furniture, gas grills, irrigation, and alarm systems (to name just a few), you can bet your job can get out of control pretty quickly. It’s far better assist are all small and carefully plan your next step afterwards.

Hire A Good Crew – depending on how big your backyard renovation is, you might want to hire some professionals. This is definitely applicable if the job involves things like electronics and irrigation. It’s important to recognize when you don’t have enough knowledge about a particular area, and that’s where a good crew comes in handy. It’s important to be involved in the hiring process and make sure that you only pick people you’re comfortable with. Don’t get talked into further repairs of renovations, and stay on course to get the backyard you really want.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• Living off the Grid – A viable option?
• How Environmentally Friendly Is Your Car?
• Easy ways to Conserve Water in your kitchen
• Solar Panels — The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
• E-Green – Electronic Waste (e-Waste) Green Living Solutions – What Is So Dangerous ?

Solar lights are lighting devices engineered to work as a light fixture capable of being mobile because they don’t have to be plugged into a power source to make them operate. Since the sun is their power source , they ultimately offer endless possibilities in what they can be used for. These lights are extremely useful in that they are designed to be a portable single item able to light an area all from the most abundant source of free energy we have: the sun.

Solar lights are each made through the utilization of one of the most efficient lights available on the market, the LED. In addition to this they are also built with a panel that has a photovoltaic component made to capture the available solar energy, and a rechargeable battery to store the power once it is caught.

Of all the uses these effective lights have one of the most popular is for lighting walkways to things like your vehicle, pool, or garden. They often come in packs of 4, 6, or more, but you can also buy them individually, averaging about $2 for a single light. There are more robust options that give off more effective lighting, however they are also more expensive.

In addition to lighting a pathway, they are also seen as lawn decoration and there are many different options that you can choose from including holiday themes and those in the shape of animals. You can also find models made for indoor use, usually being used in areas such as the garage. These will sometimes have external pads that are used to capture the sunlight when the device is placed in an area that does not naturally get exposed to the sun.

The one downside to solar lights is their limited light that they produce. This does not stop them from being effective lights and one of the most attractive aspects to them is their ease to install. They are cheap to maintain, and because they are powered from the sun they are a potential alternative to standard wired lighting that could save you energy expense.
Although they are only a couple inches in overall size they can be placed just about anywhere and there are a variety of mounting options. Solar lights have been one of the best things to happen in self efficiency, and as technology continues to evolve so to will the power of these amazing lights.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• Cell Phone Pollution….What’s the Solution?
• Efficient Measures for Conserving Energy and Saving Money
• Getting a Solar Energy System For Your Home Without Going Broke
• Solar Panels — The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
• Solar Power = One of the most effective and popular forms of alternative energy

Going green can save you a lot of money in time.  The thing that scares people away from starting to go green are start-up costs.

You don’t have to worry too much about this factor.  The best way to tackle this fear is to sit back and think about what is realistic for you.  What are you able to change and put into your lifestyle on a day-to-day basis? Can you sustain these changes for the long run?

There are a few steps you can take to help preserve our environment and save a little money, too:

1. Change out standard light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs.  CF bulbs will cost more than regular light bulbs, but have a greater lifespan.  They last for around four years and in time end up paying for themselves instead of you paying for more regular light bulbs.

2. Use a clothes line instead of a dryer.  Give it a shot.  If it’s a nice day outside, hang up your clothes on a line.  It may give your clothes a refreshing air smell, too.

3. Wash your clothes in cold water.  Hot water needs electricity to warm up.  Save some electricity and use colder washes.

4. Always wash a full load of laundry.  Using water for a few pieces of clothing wastes not only water, but electricity. Check out this article for how to do your laundry while conserving energy.

5. Clean a full dishwasher.  It’s alright to wait to wash your dishes until your dishwasher is full.  Also, try using an energy-saver mode instead of a standard mode.

6. Car pool or take public transportation. By driving with some friends or taking the bus, you could save on gas emissions.

7. Walk or ride a bicycle.  This will save some money on gas and will also keep up your health.

8. Add insulation to your home. By adding insulation in your attic, your home will be warmer in the winter and help reduce air leaks through the roof. By conserving energy you won’t need to use as much in the first place.

9. Get a programmable thermostat.  These thermostats automatically adjust to your home set time temperatures. For example, you can program the thermostat to turn off when you go to work, but you can also program it to turn on before you get home so the house is comfortable when you walk through the door.  Pretty amazing, no?

Simple changes can be made in daily lifestyles that will help you save money and save the environment. They may seem insignificant, but over time, the changes are incredibly significant.

Green Living

• What exactly does it mean to be a “Green Company”? And should I care?
• Green Gift Giving – The new way to shop!
• The 5 Biggest Disadvantages of wind power vs solar power