The bathroom is the room where you usually begin and end each new day, with your own unique cleaning regimens to keep you fresh and healthy. It’s the room in which you clean your skin, your teeth, your hair and get ready to for another refreshing day. The bathroom plays an important role in your day, so doesn’t it deserve to be kept clean, hygienic and most importantly, eco-friendly?

If you are choosing to try and live a more sustainable lifestyle, “greening” the bathroom can be like one hand trying to wash the other. The bathroom is probably the one place in the house where the maximum quantity of water is being used. Water is indispensable to human beings. We use a lot of energy and harmful chemicals to treat water and make it safe to drink, and a lot of that expense and effort is just being washed down the sink when we use it to clean ourselves and our homes.

The more water we waste every day, the quicker will come the day when water will be scarce and people will not have such easy access to it for any purpose, not even enough to quench their thirst. Eschewing the excessive use of water is a priority, and you can even install low-flow showerheads and toilets to conserve water in your bathroom.

But, even with your existing bathroom fixtures, you can do small things that cost nothing and will help you to save water. Showering has been proven to use much less water than bathing, and if you are conscious of the time you spend running the tap, you can probably cut the shower time down by a few extra minutes. And when you wash your hands or brush your teeth, don’t just let the water tap run. Put the stopper and a small amount of water in the wash basin for hand washing. Brush your teeth with the tap off and turn it on only when you need to rinse your mouth. You will be surprised how much water you can save with these few simple steps.

Your bathroom is also a place where there may be lots of chemical and fossil fuel based substances. It is flooded with soaps, shampoos, toilet cleaners, conditioners, shaving gels and many other things which are chemical based. The best way that you can make your bathroom more ecologically friendly is to look for natural or herbal substitutes.

There are many companies offering organic and natural skin care and beauty products, and a quick search on the Internet will help you find some close to where you live or you can order online. Be cautious, though, as some products claiming to be “all natural” may still contain harmful chemicals – check labels for ingredients.

Look for bathroom accessories like towels and shower curtains that are made from natural fibres like organic cotton, bamboo or hemp. And choose paper products like toilet paper and facial tissues that are made from post consumer recycled material and are produced without the addition of chlorine bleach.

Adding natural and recycled products to your daily cleansing routine will not only protect the environment from harmful substances but will protect you as well. These are simple things that you can do to make your bathroom safer, fresher and more natural.

So, you can follow these few tips that will help the environment and make the bathroom a gentler place to be. Just by being conscious of what you do and slightly changing your habits, you can have a cleaner bathroom and a greener environment.

Check out this excellent video from National Geographic’s Green Guide for some more tips to help you make a difference in the bathroom.

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How do you imagine planet Earth will look in 10 years time ? What kind of a world will we live in if the G20 heads of state do not take steps right now ?

As usual, Greenpeace came up with a striking campaign, in which they did not portray a fire-and-brimstone world, shattered to pieces. Instead, Greenpeace chose to undermine the leaders’ egos, showing them in decay:

• in physical decay; 10 years older,
• in political and moral decay, because of the message: "I'm sorry. We could have stopped catastrophic climate change. We didn't"

These campaign billboards, placed all over Copenhagen International Airport by the Global Coalition, Tcktcktck and Greenpeace called on world leaders to secure a fair, ambitious and binding deal at the December, 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit…

Barack Obama :

Angela Merkel :

José Luis Zapatero :

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brasil) :

Stephen Harper (Canada) :

Gordon Brown (United Kingdom) :

Donald Tusk (Poland):

Dmitry Medvedev (Russia) :

Kevin Rudd (Australia) :

…I think it was a strong and clever campaign.

Now we are left with one unique hope: that such a gloomy future will never come true…

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Music against Poverty Contest is an initiative launched in July by the EC Directorate-General EuropeAid to raise awareness among young Europeans about the issue of development cooperation and the important role played by the EU in this field. Global leaders, together with the EU, already committed themselves to fight poverty through eight specific targets by 2015. Fighting poverty in the world is a major global challenge – we can only succeed by acting together.

We, citizens, should mobilize ourselves to encourage and support these actions: over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty today: they cannot wait! Join the fight!

The highlight of the campaign is the Music against poverty competition that aims at involving young people in the fight against worldwide poverty through concrete actions. Europeans between15-25 years old, willing to make a difference, are asked to submit their own songs on general issue related to development and notably on the eight Millennium Development Goals until September 30.

Contributions will be presented on the website and the winners – selected through online voting and a jury of music professionals – will be awarded a professional studio recording of their song and will have the opportunity to perform during the European Development Days in December 2010 in Brussels. Do not miss this opportunity!

We now need your help to promote the contest and mobilise young people on the fight against poverty. Anyone can get involved and make a difference by entering the IFightPoverty music contest and submitting a song or by voting for their favourite song on the website and sharing their views on our social network pages:

Facebook

MySpace

YouTube

Twitter

Via Tipik: www.tipik.eu

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Nowadays, more and more individuals are becoming aware  of the importance of living life in an environment-friendly manner. People are encouraged to recycle things wherever possible, say ‘no’ to plastic bags, and reduce fuel consumption and energy usage. A question that arises here is, how can you find environmentally-friendly ways to embellish the place where you live?

Are you aware that several materials in your home, particularly a newly decorated home, can be harmful to your health? Carpets, furnishings and paints can give off damaging fumes, so selecting eco-friendly materials for decorating your home can be better for the environment and for you.

For furnishings, select materials which can be reused, last  longer, are recyclable and require less maintenance. Go for natural materials and go green. Nowadays, eco-friendly paints are also available. These paints are water-soluble, and are made using linseed oil or plant resins and, more importantly, they do not contain any metals.

When it comes to rugs or carpets you can always find recycled, fiber floor-coverings or ones made from ‘natural’ fibers including silk, bamboo, hemp, jute, cotton and wool.

Upholstery and blinds or curtains can be selected that are made from recycled and natural fabrics wherever possible.  ;Recycled’ does not mean that you have to use old fashioned or tatty curtains, thanks to clever designs and recycling techniques.

It is fairly easy these days to find small, inexpensive decorating items like tea towels, throws, lamps, vases or other accessories to match both your eco-friendly theme as well as your décor.

So, no matter whether you are planning to build  a new home or just incorporate a few decorating touches to  an old one, it is worth being eco-friendly.

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Are you hunting for efficient ways to clean up air the in your home? Despite how you try to prevent it your home is full of smells and using aerosol sprays not only masks smells, but can give off something worse. If you are concerned about your environment and the effects  that sprays may have, using eco-friendly air fresheners may be the answer. This actually gives an opportunity to show that you can play a significant role in saving planet earth, even in small ways.

Instead of chemical sprays, freshen up your home with lavender green and enjoy its delicate scent in several different forms that  incorporate organic essential oils, citrus potpourri and lavender. Put the lamp-ring diffuser on the bulb and spray a few drops of lavender’s essential oils to fill the room with a slight lavender fragrance.

Unlike conventional air freshener products lavender does not send harmful chemicals into the air that can lead to indoor air pollution To get rid of smells  just open the windows and switch on fans to draw in air, as long as the quality of outdoor air and weather circumstances allow. The old standard, baking soda, soaks up odour, so why not sprinkle some in the vacuum and on stale carpets, put a box in the refrigerator to neutralize the smell of food, or simply place bowls (full of baking soda) in certain spaces like closets or bathrooms. Make certain these bowls are kept out of the reach of children. Fresh flowers kept in pots also introduce fragrance, which is chemical free.

Beesewax candles make the best natural air-freshener. They give a honey-flavored perfume that burns absolutely clean without mess. You can purchase these candles in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. As a last tip  you can also choose to combine many different fragrances to create dried-bowel arrangements. You can put these arrangements in wooden or transparent glass shallow bowls that will also make an attractive display.

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With all the hype about reduced emissions, bio-diesel and hybrids, some people have attempted to do the right thing and buy a vehicle that will not increase their dependence on oil and emit ozone depleting co2 into air.

The trend towards hybrid vehicles demonstrates that people as consumers are also concerned about ecology. Having a vehicle that gets fifty miles per gallon is also good for the wallet. Hybrids run by acquiring energy which is generated when the car brakes. This energy is stored in a battery and utilized, whenever required, in place of fuel. One of the biggest benefits of eco-friendly vehicles is that they offer great mileage and can also work on gasoline. They are noise-free, giving you a smooth ride.

The safety features of a car should provide security and protection during a crash. In order to do that it is recommended to buy a car that has stability control, child safety-seats, ABS brakes and front side impact airbags. When buying an eco-friendly vehicle it may sometimes be hard to determine its reliability as you are often dealing with a new vehicle, which has not run enough on the streets to fully prove its strengths and weaknesses.

You can learn a lot by using the internet to find customers reports on the car you are planning to purchase. Your vehicle’s emissions are a result of both your driving habits and the vehicle’s base output. Whilst driving habits may make a significant difference in both fuel economy and emissions, the overall capacity of the car to generate cleaner emissions is the most important consideration.

Electric cars are the cleanest type of zero-emission transport that you can buy today. ‘Hybrids’ are the next best vehicle, offering a smart mixture of electrical and gasoline power. The trickiest cars to select between will be gasoline cars which vary from best to bad, based on engine, power train design and weight.

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You want to enhance your current home design but haven't got much money ? You can start by buying some well-favoured accesories.

And one of the best (and most practical) accessories you can invest in to re-energize a room is a decorative throw pillow.

Throw pillows add a hint of color, are comfortable to sit or lie on and can give you inspiration for a new design down the road.

These EcoArt pillows are :

• made up of organic cotton
• stuffed with :
  • either fluffy eco-fiber made from recycled plastic bottles rescued from landfills
  • or silky organic kapok fiber sustainably harvested from the rain forest
• all handprinted using water-based inks and made in the U.S.

That is to say fully sustainable ! 

Both refreshing and elegant, these organic pillows come in 3 different collections and 32 individual designs : I bet you will find the perfect pillow to match your home’s interior or inspire a new theme.

1. Leaf Collection : Let the outdoors in with this collection which draws inspiration from actual flowers and plants. 

Above, from left to right : Rosette Lime, Dahlia, Papyrus Lime/Slate.

2. Shore Collection : This nautical-themed collection features stylistic interpretations of plants or animals from the coast. Bring the style of a beach house to your home !

Above, from left to rightTortuga Ocean, Sea Fan Sapphire, Sea Fan Sapphire.

3. Zen Collection : Create an atmosphere of balance and serenity with this Asian-inspired collection of pillows. This collection's simple but effective designs convey a peaceful environment.

Above, from left to right : Cherry Blossom, Buddha, Bamboo Forest.

Click here to browse through these beautiful pillows !

PS : as for me, I have bought two of each of these (from the 1st collection)  :

And you, which ones do you prefer ? Let us know about your tastes !

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Considering the increasing threat of global warming, you have to comprehend the significance of taking good care of planet earth, along with its precious resources. An easy way to become environmentally-friendly is to buy from firms that try to reduce their carbon footprint when offering their food products. Being eco-friendly at the office and going green at home will certainly reduce the effects of your everyday activities on the earth. Today, everyone is living a busy life, and many people would like to spend their time cooking tasty meals with local and organic ingredients.
 
Usually associated with college all-nighters, ‘pizza’ does not have to be unhealthy any more. With whole-wheat pizza dough all you need to do is incorporate your favourite organic topping and a good tasting dinner is on the way. For more variety you can switch to mozzarella for a homemade gastronomic treat. You can also throw in some pecans or walnuts if you are in need of protein. Other alternatives might  be yam quinoa burger and black bean with Guacamole. These are not your normal burgers, but they are more like overvalued falafel. Quinoa and black beans pack the burger with protein and for a richer flavor you can add spices. In addition these burgers are gluten-free. You can keep this mixture for 2 days in the fridge, and fry it up when you want to eat, thus saving more time. Serve it with guacamole and organic tortilla-chips for a tasty dinner.
 

You can also prepare organic couscous. Couscous is already quite popular because it is easy and quick and goes well either with roasted meat or its own. This means you have the freedom to keep it non-vegetarian or vegetarian based on to whom you serve it.
 

Some other eco-friendly recipes you can easily prepare are ‘tassajara warm ‘red cabbage salad’, and Thai peanut-sauce.

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Ingredients :

Serves 4 persons.

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion , thinly sliced, lengthwise
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quartered lengthwise
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes , halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more serving
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes.

3. Stir in artichokes and cook until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add olives and half of the tomatoes; cook until tomatoes start to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet. Stir in remaining tomatoes, oil, cheese, and basil. Thin with reserved pasta water if necessary to coat the spaghetti. Serve with additional cheese.

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