Look at what we are doing to ourselves: Tire Waste

We have to do better than this!!!  Do you have any ideas on what can be done about tire waste?  We must always think: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce and Educate.

Resource:
http://www.rodale.com/earthship-homes?page=0%2C2

Sports, Sports, Sports and "Green"

                                             
Since we did not get any men to sign up to become a tester for our FREE, full size natural, eco-friendly, biodegradable, and/or organic products in the last campaign, I decided to post something that most of them really care about...SPORTS.  Well, sports is going "Green" if you did not know.  Super Bowl XLV is today, so I decided to focus on the stadium were the two deserving football franchises are playing.
                                            
Dallas Cowboys Stadium teamed up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make this stadium the first to gain recognition in the EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track Program.  This means that the Dallas stadium has to meet every goal of saving energy, water, reducing waste, and reducing their carbon footprint. 

Arlington mayor Dr. Robert Cluck was quoted in the website, www.Arlington.org, as saying “A massive building like this ‘going green’ is huge news across the city, the nation and the world.  If we can be successful here on this high-profile project, others should be successful, too.  I’m more interested in cleaning the air.  I want everybody to get the message that we’re environmentally sensitive and we can clean the air and prevent diseases that are occurring because of dirty air.  This is a great step in the right direction.”

In the design of the stadium only, they installed a retractable roof that allows nature light to lighten the stadium during the day, so power for lights are not needed. They also installed a permeable pavement that absorbs rainwater and the grass filters the rainwater so there was no need for underground drainage underneath the parking lot.

"Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knew that “going green” to help the environment would cost him some  “green” – as in money – in the construction costs.  But it was a financial burden he was willing to bear.  Now he’s realizing that spending money to “go green” will save him money in the future on energy and water costs.
“We’ve certainly in our design anticipated savings on water,” notes Jones.  “We think we’ll save a million gallons there.  We’re spending $1.2 billion total here, so a figure of 1% (extra cost) is meaningless, really.  If you start early enough in the design with your architect and have that mentality thru construction, you can design towards these kinds of savings.  I would think we really minimized our cost because we got on it so early.”"

To learn more about other franchises/stadiums and their "Green" initiatives go here.

Resources:
(Image) http://www.holamun2.com/news/versus/versus-pittsburgh-steelers-vs-green-bay-packers
http://www.arlington.org/sports_recreation/cowboys_football/onsite/goinggreen2
http://www.motherearthnews.com/healthy-people-healthy-planet/green-stadiums.aspx
 

Did you get your free stack of pancakes? These 10 Americans did. I know I received my share.

Check out this video!!! 

Updated: Kid-Safe Chemicals Act: 10 Americans @ Yahoo! Video

Leave your comments. :)
We will be looking more into this Act.


Resource:
http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/kid-safe-chemicals-act-10-americans-video/

Strange Fruit: A Reason to Stop using Plastic Bags #2

I saw this plastic bag on I-75/85 headed toward downtown Atlanta.  Is this your plastic bag?

Eating Healthy is "Green" Too: Butter Beans, Kale, and Cilantro Soup

Butter Beans, Kale, and Cilantro Soup

I created this recipe after my family got tired of eating a meal of speckled butter beans, kale, corn, and whatever meat I cooked last week.  I did not want my wonderful organic vegetables that were delivered from Nature Delivered (http://ga.naturesgardendelivered.com/) to go to waste. Plus I cooked and seasoned them to perfection (my daugther's words not mine).  I decided to put my VitaMix Blender to use and made a wonderfully unexpected, healthly, tasteful soup.  I hope you enjoy as much as my family did!!!

1 1/2 cup of cooked Organic Speckled Butter Beans (seasoned to your liking)
1 cups of cooked Organic Kale (seasoned to your liking)
1/4 cup of Organic Cilantro
1 cup of Organic Carrots
1 tbs of Agave Nectar
1 cup of Vegetable Broth or Liquid from Kale
1 tbs of Earth Balance butter
1 cup of cooked Rice (I used the Lemon Grass and Coconut 90 minute Rice from Trader Joe's, but any rice would work.)
4 Organic Tomato Slices
Few Cilantro leaves for garnish

Using a VitaMix Blender, I did the following:

1. Put the butter beans, kale, cilantro, carrots, agave nectar, and broth (or kale liquid) in the blender.

Note: Add more liquid for your desired consistency.

2. Blend on High setting for 5 minutes until soup is warm.

3. Add butter

4. Blend for 2 more minutes.

5. Pour soup in the bowl, place 1-2 tbs of rice in the center of the bowl, place a tomato slice on the side, and place a cilantro leaf for a garnish.

Makes 4 cups of soup.