~Wanna fight off waste and weight gain at the same time?
The Bite
There's a better solution than kicking the treadmill every day. Hang up your gym membership and try getting your exercise outside to give energy and cash waste a what-for, and tackle calories at the same time.
The Benefits
*Beating power waste into submission. Gyms across the country overload on A/C, and - newsflash - most training machines use electricity too.
*Less of a thrashing for your wallet. The average gym membership costs $35 per month, while some people even manage to get paid for walking the streets. Ahem.
*Scoping your territory. Parks and trails offer better scenery than the weight room. There's a reason why nobody ever talks about the Great Indoors.
Personally Speaking
Toshio joined his roommate for a park-based boot camp on "legs" day - and for the next week walked around like the oldest man alive.
Take It Outside!
Long Time No See!
~Wanna C someone you probably haven't seen in a while?
The Bite
See a renewed you - just dab on some eco vitamin-C personal care products for fresher skin in no time. You'll see what I mean.
The Benefits
*Preventing skin damage. Antioxidants in vitamin C block damage from free radicals (byproducts of our bodies' natural processes that are responsible for aging).
*Seeing beautiful skin. Vitamin C-infused skin-care products help brighten, clarify, and reduce redness.
*Avoiding unhealthy chems. Our picks steer clear of formaldehyde, parabens, and petrolatum, which are linked to allergies and cancer.
Personally Speaking
Take it easy: A couple of us did vitamin C product testing over the course of a few months - daily, and sometimes more often - and ended up with little red bumps. Yes, even your skin can OD on vitamins, so go easy 'til you know what works for you.
Here's Two Moms!
~Are two "World's Best Mom" mugs better than one?
The Bite
Sure, if you've got lesbian parents. But no matter which way Mom swings, you can do better than a rainbow-emblazoned coffee cup. This Mother's Day, choose an eco gift that all your moms will love.
The Benefits
*Gifts for nonhippie Earth Mamas. Mom didn't have to raise you on a commune to get into these gifts. (And even if she did, she'll like our picks.)
*The experience of it all. Instead of buying another product, you can save Mom's closet space and eco-resources by getting her tix to a show or going out for brunch.
*Gifts that keep on giving. A facial at an eco-spa beats another blender fer sure, plus it helps support green businesses.
Personally Speaking
Just spend quality time with your mom, especially this coming mothers day! No other woman in this world like your mom... c",)
Firefighter to put out your blaze?
The Bite
Nope - you can handle it just fine. Switching off the pilot light on your fireplace or furnace during warm summer months will save loads of natural gas, and it's so easy, a Dalmatian could do it.
The Benefits
*Torching natural gas waste. Example: The pilot light on a gas fireplace can use 1/2 the total gas a gas fireplace burns in a year, and the process for extracting natural gas is resource-intensive (just like extracting oil).
*Saving up for that firefighter calendar. Depending on gas prices in your area, you can save about $50 on bills each year if you turn off a pilot light during warm months.
*It's almost as easy as dialing 911. Once you know where the valve is and how to turn it off, it'll take you just a couple min each year.
Personally Speaking
We should be more vigilant every now and then, especially summer is here already. Just don't panic if accident will happen, think first before doing it.
How long can you go with your PC?
The Bite
Pretty low if you're talking PC energy, it turns out. The newest computers on the market are also the greenest computers on the market as more manufacturers decided to get down with planet-friendliness.
The Benefits
*Low waste. Manufacturers are using recycled plastic in computers and packaging, and making sure components are easily recyclable when they become obsolete.
*Lower caustic chem levels. Companies are phasing out chems like the human toxins arsenic and mercury, found in typical PC screens.
*Even lower energy use. If we replaced all the old computers in the United States with new Energy Star-qualified ones, it'd be like taking more than 2.7 mil cars off the road over the computers' lifetimes.
Personally Speaking
Everyone of us must uses laptops instead of more energy-intensive desktops, which saves big on bills and allows for more "offsite meetings" at our favorite watering holes.
Water waste making you insane?
The Bite
The fact is that, if you're reusing bath, kitchen, or laundry water, so consider hooking up a system that directs gently used water (called gray water) to your garden. Huge cerebrum not required.
The Benefits
*Saving H2O. Gray water systems can save up to 40% of drinkable water, and if enough people install systems, we could have smaller water-purification and sewage-treatment plants.
*Money in your bank. Hooking up a gray-water system can snag a tax rebate in some states (check with your city gov's water management department), and up your home's LEED credits to increase its value.
Personally Speaking:
One of our dads hooked up a gray water system for his garden, but we can't say whose since it isn't exactly legal without a permit in his state. How about you guys?
Wish the rain, rain would go away?
The Bite
Too bad it doesn't work that way. Prep for April showers by stocking up on eco-raingear, since in our experience, the weather gods are pretty stingy with granting rain checks.
The Benefits
* Wetting yourself over the eco-friendliness. Manufacturers are coming up with more and more creative ways to repurpose materials (like plastic bottles) to useful effect, instead of making more PVC plastic.
* Getting home and dry. Green raingear defends you from the wet just as well as conventional options.
* Wet dream-worthy looks. Just 'cuz it's ugly outside doesn't mean your outfit has to be.
The Bite in getting help with lime wedge out of your beer bottle!
The Bite
Don't bother - you can recycle it with the lime still inside. In fact, none of your recyclables need to be spotless, since most "contaminants" get cleaned out or burned away during remanufacturing. We'll drink to that.
The Benefits
*Recycling's even easier. What will the waste management people think up next?
*Cheers for less water waste. It takes about two glasses of water to clean out a glass jar; you'll save a lot of water by not rinsing your recyclables until they're spick-and-span.
~So, how's that guys? Isn't that cool enough! Well, just remember the golden rule in drinking or let me say government warning "DRINK MODERATELY" lolz well, guys enjoy the party!!!
Pulling Out Your Hair!
The Bite
Hmmm... Could be the huge hairball caught in your pipes. Rather than reach for the Drano, clear it out with a plumber's snake (aka drain auger) - they're more effective than liquid decloggers and free of hairy chems.
The Benefits
* Getting the hair out, even when you're superstressed and molting.
* Less bodily harm. Liquid drain decloggers use the active ingredient sodium hydroxide, which irritates your skin, nose, and throat.
* Longer-lasting pipes. Since Liquid-Plumr and the like are pretty caustic, they can degrade pipes if you use too much.
* Re-usability. You only need to buy a snake once; with liquid decloggers, you gotta buy new bottles practically every time your sink stops up.
