Natural Mindset Eco-Friendly Living

Unplugged

Most of us are spending more on utilities this time
of year. The days are shorter which requires more
indoor lighting, the temperature is cooler requiring
more heat, and when we’re not outside enjoying
beautiful weather, we’re often inside running our
vast array of indoor electronics. You can offset some
of this additional cost with a bit of additional effort.
Go to the effort of unplugging a few things around
the home when you’re not using them.
Many idle electronics like stereos, cell phone
chargers, and computer printers are using energy.
This isn’t good for our planet or budgets. Take a
quick tour around your home and unplug things
that you use occasionally. If you aren’t shredding
paper three times a day, unplug the shredder. And
if you don’t make toast for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, unplug the toaster. Do you have a spare
bedroom with electronics that are only used when
you have overnight guests?
If you begin by unplugging these types of things,
you’ll be saving money with very little effort. If you
decide to increase the effort, and begin unplugging
your televisions, microwaves, DVD players, etc. you
will save even more.
Remember that going green saves you green, and it
all starts with a more natural mindset.

Bottled Water - Thirst
for an Eco-Friendly
Alternative

We all understand that water is a
basic necessity. But is bottled
water a necessity? Bottled water is
a huge marketing success, but
what is it costing us and the
planet?
The Cost?
As far as our pocketbook goes, it’s
obvious that we pay dollars for
what we can run out of the tap for
pennies. Various estimates say
bottled water costs us anywhere
from 240 to over 10,000 times
more per gallon than tap water.
What we are paying for in the
price of bottled water is packaging,
marketing, and transport. So why
do we spend such an outrageous
mark up on this item?
The Rationale?
The primary rationale is because
marketing has sent the message
that bottled water is the safe and
pure choice for our families. The
facts, however, do not indicate
this to be true. According to a
four-year scientific study
by the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC),
http://www.nrdc.org/water/drink
ing/nbw.asp bottled water sold in
the United States is not
necessarily cleaner or safer than
most tap water.