Filed under: Consumer Products | Tags: condoms, Consumer Products, the environment
Firstly, don’t flush your condoms, ever! Flushing condoms is not the way to deal with them. Condoms can clog the plumbing in your house (or the plumbing wherever you happen to be). This can be an expensive and embarrassing situation. If the condom manages to make it through your septic system, it will only end up with the solid waste. This means that somebody has to pull it out of the sewage treatment, which isn’t pleasant for anybody. The condom might even make it past the treatment plant. This is not good because it means that it could end up in the water supply, and the last thing we need is more pollution in our rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Not all condoms are made equally. Most condoms are made of latex, which means that they will biodegrade. Latex, however, does not biodegrade when it is under water, which is why it is not good to flush your used condoms. Condoms are not entirely made of latex, however, and the other things on condoms (spermicide, lubricant) might affect the biodegradability. The best option seems to be to send them to a landfill and see how they pass the test of time.
Some condoms, including all female condoms, are made of polyurethane, a type of plastic. These will not biodegrade. There is no option, however, except to put them in the garbage, because your local recycling depot won’t recycle used condoms. They won’t even recycle new condoms.
Other condoms are made of lambskin. These are completely biodegradable condoms. Don’t run out and get lambskin condoms just yet though! Lambskin condoms do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. The pores in the lambskin are small enough to stop sperm, and so prevent pregnancy, but the pores are large enough to let sexually transmitted diseases and infections through. This option is only viable for people in monogamous relationships who have been tested for sexually transmitted diseases. If this is the case, you could consider an even more environmentally friendly barrier form of birth control such as a diaphragm, cervical cap, or shield. Ask your doctor what is best for you.
Regardless of what material of condom you use (latex, polyurethane, or lambskin), you are going to have a wrapper to dispose of. These foil wrappers will not biodegrade, nor can they be recycled. This simply has to be put in the garbage.
Even if your latex or lambskin condoms are biodegradable, it is best not to try to compost or bury your condoms. Animals will smell the human scent and try to dig up what you have buried. This means that there will be unsightly used condoms around. Burying your condom is tantamount to littering: and there are better ways to deal with your condoms available.
So, in the end, what is the best way to dispose of your condoms? The best thing is to wrap it in a bit of toilet paper or paper towel (or any other biodegradable material: think paper bases such as paper bags) and then to put it in the garbage. Don’t wrap your condom up in plastic, as then it certainly won’t biodegrade. The good news is that the semen and vaginal fluid on the condom certainly will biodegrade, and might facilitate the condom biodegrading.
And lastly, remember…never reuse a condom. Although reduce, reuse, and recycle is the motto for environmentalism, you need to put your health first on this one. Don’t minimize your condom use, don’t reuse your condoms, and it’s too bad that you can’t yet recycle them. To think on an environmentally broader scale, using condoms is environmentally friendly because it is preventing the spread of communicable diseases. It is also preventing conception, and children have been documented to be hugs consumers of global resources.
Hopefully soon we will be able to figure out an environmentally friendly way to practice safe sex. Until then, we’ll make do with what we can, and we will continue using condoms.
For more information on condoms and condom use, visit http://www.theguideto-birthcontrol.com/barrierbased_birth_control_methods/male_condoms/ The Guide to Birth Control.
Filed under: Earth | Tags: earth's rotation, planet earth, the environment, weather
Meteorologists and observers have established some classifications for certain aspects of the changing weather we experience. At present the list includes three significant types of air circulation that are based on the heat of the sun. One of these categories is the Hadley cell, so named because scientist George Hadley was instrumental in isolating and classifying them. This term is applied to air circulation in or very near the tropical regions of the Earth.
Simply stated, a Hadley cell occurs when tropical air (23.5 degrees north and south of the equator) is heated by the sun and begins to rise. This warm air mass spreads, encounters a barrier often called the tropopause, and sinks back to the ground. Generally, the falling air mass touches the Earth at about 30 degrees of latitude, north and south of the equator. As it sinks to the ground, the moving air mass displaces air at the surface. The air mass that moves out flows toward the equator, completing a cycle that can cause weather changes over a large region of the globe. When the same type of circulation occurs at latitudes farther north (30 to 60 degrees) they are known as Ferrel cells. Similar movement of air masses at the poles are called polar Hadley cells.
One of the interesting features of cells such as these is that they do not move in straight lines, north and south. Because the Earth is a planet rotating around the sun and rotating on its axis at the same time, moving air masses experience the Coriolis effect. This is not limited to air movement, however. All free-moving objects and fluids have a “right turn” motion north of the equator and a “left turn” motion south of the equator. Gustave-Gaspard de Coriolis is credited with first identifying this trait nearly 200 years ago.
What does this mean for air movement? The Coriolis effect deflects an air mass, creating what some have called a cyclonic flow. This circular movement applies to air around areas of low pressure, causing large air masses to turn clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. But that’s not all. When the air is flowing around a high pressure system, the circular movement is just the opposite! Without the rotation of the earth, air masses would move quickly in a straight line, rapidly equalizing pressure.
There is one place on Earth where the Coriolis effect does not impact air movement – the equator. Because of this cyclones are not part of the regular experience in life at the equator. Conversely, the Coriolis effect is strongest at the Earth’s poles.
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Filed under: Consumer Products, Uncategorized | Tags: bugs, eco-friendly, pest control, the environment
The following list contains environmentally friendly ideas for pest control in your garden. They are worth trying before using chemical pesticides.
1. A saucer of beer will lure and drown slugs and snails.
2. To combat mildew quarter fill a rubbish bin with seaweed, cover with water and leave for several weeks. Dilute the mix to the ratio of one part seaweed stew to six parts water before application.
3. Make a chive spray to reduce mildew on zucchini and squash plants by steeping 1 cup of chopped chive leaves and three cups of water for several hours. Strain and add an equal part of water before spraying.
4. Aphids can be squashed by hand, or blasted with a garden hose (water restrictions permitting). Aphids can also be deterred by making a nasturtium spray. The spray is made by taking one cup of nasturtium leaves and one cup of water and gently bringing to the boil over 15 minutes. When the mix is cool, strain and spray.
5. To protect young seedlings create a protective collar from an old yogurt container.
6. To deter aphids and caterpillars make a spray by boiling rhubarb leaves in water. Strain the mix and dilute to the ratio of one part rhubarb to four parts water.
7. Gritty sawdust spread around seedlings will deter snails and slugs who dislike the texture.
8. To keep birds from eating your home grown fruit drape bird netting over trees or alternatively hang aluminum pie dishes or old CDs from the branches to create a reflection to scare the birds away.
9. Used coffee grounds spread around seedlings will kill slugs and snails.
10. Control pear and cherry slug by throwing wood ashes into the affected trees. The ashes dehydrate the slugs.
Eco Friendly House (http://www.ecohousefootprint.com) – Making you home Environmentally Friendly How to make your home more environmentally friendly and reduce your Ecological footprint. Information on Solar Power, Lights, Waste Water, Recycling, Garden, Green Buildings, Renewable Energy, Green Energy, Saving Water, Environmental Issues and more. Help save the planet. http://www.ecohousefootprint.com
Filed under: Business Practices | Tags: eco-friendly, hotels, planet earth, the environment
Being a green eco-friendly hotel can help you save the environment, your guests and can even save money.
Kingman, AZ (PRWEB) October 11, 2005 — You may conserve at home but how do you follow that philosophy on the road when it is out of your control? Or is it? Staying at a eco-friendly hotel, also known as green lodging, is one way enforce your own viewpoint.
Hotels around the world are massive consumers of water and producers of waste. It is up to the hotel to set their own policies and practices about how they deal with the environment. Of course you change the sheets after having houseguests, but do you change your sheets every day on your own bed? Many hotels, even ones that aren’t a eco-friendly hotel otherwise, give you the option of re-using your bedding while at your hotel for a few nights. It is usually done by positioning a card left in the room or leaving towels and linens in a particular manner. Or you may just throw the towels on the floor if you want them washed every time they are used. We’ve all felt those abrasive sandpaper-like towels in some chains so perhaps this would actually help them stay a towel longer as well.
A hotel may use fluorescent light bulbs, which do not waste most of their energy producing heat like incandescent bulbs do. This change is the most significant big money saver on the utility bill. Fluorescent bulbs also rarely need to be replaced, saving the eco-friendly hotel on maintenance in addition to electricity. A eco-friendly hotel policy may conserve water and reduce carbon dioxide gas emissions.
Many common cleaning products can hazardous to both consumers and the environment, so a eco-friendly hotel may use eco-friendly products similar to consumer lines by Seventh Generation (http://www.seventhgeneration.com) or Ecover (http://www.ecover.com).
“Most guests do not know or pay close attention to what is happening behind closed doors of the back rooms, but they may feel better about staying at a place that is concerned for their welfare and the environment,” says Adam Longfellow of AllStays.com, a worldwide hotel lodging directory with a focus on green lodging (http://www.allstays.com/green-hotels/green-hotels.htm). “It may be just the owners or staff that feel strongly about these issues, but more and more guests are paying attention to this whenever possible. The hard part is finding the properties that have implemented good practices. We’ve made it a priority to help with that information.”
Going to green lodging doesn’t have to be more costly. It will most likely save the eco-friendly hotel big money every year. They could save up to 40 percent on energy bills with another 20 percent savings on waste and water bills. And from a consumer standpoint, there are eco-friendly hotels in all price ranges. From a small bed and breakfast to a large luxury hotel, you can find something to make you sleep easier at night.
Almost every aspect of lodging can be improved upon for both guests and the environment. Most of which can save money as well and that is a ingredient in the foundation of any world change. Hotels can go green from the ground up if they are built more efficiently from the start. From orientation of the building to the sun to the use of environmentally friendly and locally sourced building materials. Instead of watering a plain lawn, water fruits and vegetables that can be given to guests. Or use natural landscaping that doesn’t require extra watering at all. A better use of technology and insulation can mean for lower bills and a more quiet guest environment. Hotels can use low or no-VOC (Volatile Organic Chemicals) paints for a more healthy interior. Providing recycle bins for guests to use makes for a more visible statement. Buying “energy star” (http://www.energystar.gov) appliances whenever possible is good for all and saves on utility bills. Use solar water heaters and pumps for pools. Providing maps, information on public transportation and things within walking distance encourages less consumption of fuel. Skylights can save on energy and provide for more pleasant public areas. Use Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights whenever possible, such as exit signage and night lights. They use almost no electricity and last thousands of hours.
If this can become more of a trend, everyone will benefit. Look for a green hotel next time you travel. You may or may not find one where you need to sleep but it’s worth a moment to check first. Ask about environmental policies and show appreciation to the staff when you see green policies in implementation.
What’s the next step? Perhaps a major car rental company can start renting hybrid cars on a large scale basis.
AllStays.com, online since 2000 and based in Arizona (US), lists all kinds of lodging, from bed & breakfasts to yoga retreats and luxury hotels, from primitive campgrounds to motels, haunted hotels and spa resorts. AllStays also links directly to official websites to make sure you have the real scoop on the latest and most accurate information from around the world.
Research, Browse, and book online to stay anywhere on Earth. http://www.allstays.com
AllStays.com
8824 Ironwood Drive
Kingman, AZ 86401
Phone (928) 727-1312
Filed under: Consumer Products | Tags: eco-friendly laundry, environmentally friendly, planet earth, the environment
Not only are laundry detergents harmful to you and your family, but they can hurt the environment as well. Each time your washing machine spins, water and laundry detergent residue are emptied into our sewer systems. This means that the harsh chemicals and pollutants are being spilled into our oceans each year, causing even more harm to the planet we call home. Luckily, there is a solution to the problems caused by store-bought laundry detergents. Buying organic and eco-friendly detergents can keep your family safe and the environment as well.
Unlike food products and medications, laundry detergent companies are not required by law to list their ingredients or prove that they are in fact environmentally friendly. There are many brands on the market that do in fact list their ingredients, since they are not scared to show consumers what they include in their eco-friendly formula for laundry detergent. They are happy to show their integrity on their packing, so show your eco-friendly support by purchasing products that are proud to list their ingredients. This is important to look for when purchasing laundry detergent, since there’s no way of knowing what those other companies are trying to hide from you.
Labels that show what is not included in the detergents are also equally as important, such as phosphate-free or chlorine-free. Products that state they do not include harsh ingredients in their formulas are usually safe, and you should look for products that are proud to show what they leave out of their products.
Products that should be avoided are any that state they are harmful or toxic, since you really shouldn’t keep anything like that in your home. The laundry room should be a place where everyone in your family can do laundry, without having to worry about someone being burned by bleach or spilling a toxic product that the baby can get in to. Plant based and eco-friendly products will be healthy for your entire family, healthy for our environment, and completely safe in your home.
Next time you wash a load of laundry, consider the damage you could be causing to your home, your family, and our environment. You won’t have to worry about this when using safe products and you can save money when purchasing eco-friendly products as well.
Washing machine wizard provides Laundry detergent information, an online buying guide and the best washing machine reviews.
