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By Susan Seliger

Does this happen to you? Once you start dreaming about exotic places you’d love to escape to – natural wonders of the world where there are no malls or tinsel or shopping lists – you just can’t stop. There are so many things you haven’t done yet in life — like a safari on the Serengeti in Tanzania or swimming with the sea lions in the Galapagos or a trek to the Amazon and Machu Picchu – just puckering up to say Machu Picchu puts me in an adventurous state of mind.

Well, stop dreaming – Natural Habitat Adventures has come to the rescue. This eco-conscious company is offering, not one but FIVE,  big vacations for two – one every year for five years – to the most exciting natural destinations in the world. Beyond those mentioned in my dreams, they’ve also got trips to walk with the penguins in Antarctica and the Falklands as well as a trip to Manitoba to schmooze with the polar bears.

I’ve entered – and so can you – every day up until the deadline, Feb. 28, 2009. Hope to see you there – if not, give the sea lions a smooch for me. Start clicking.

Photo credit: Llama in Macchu Picchuu: from Nurse healthwriter blog

By Susan Seliger

1. Buy a live tree – the smell beats plastic — and plant it in your backyard come the New Year. If you’ve given up your car in pursuit of the greener life, you clever soul, here’s a good list of sources for live trees online, delivered to your door.

2. Decorate with solar powered LED Christmas lights – They save power and money and are a step beyond plain old LED lights, which are a step beyond the traditional strings. They can range from $20-60, but here’s a source for $19.99 from Solar Illuminations.

3. Use one present to wrap another present — like a napkin or tea towel or scarf around a ceramic mug or box of organic dark chocolate.

4. Choose 100% recycled wrapping paper – or a decorative bag that you close only with a ribbon so the recipient can then easily recycle the bag for their gift to someone else.

5. Unwrap presents SLOWLY – it helps to savor the delicious moment of anticipation AND you can carefully fold the pretty paper and use it again next year.

6. Buy gifts that use no batteries or rechargeable batteries.

7. If you must go the mall, carpool with friends and family – make it into a little party as you travel there and back.

8. Stock the house and the refrigerator with food that is local and organic – it’s fresher and healthier.

9. Tired of STUFF? Give food and local/organic wine as presents. Who doesn’t like home-baked cookies?! No time for that? A bottle of wine from a local vineyard is always welcome. A good olive oil comes in handy, too – and the mono-unsaturated fatty acids are great for health-conscious friends. Whatever the yummy food, if the label says organic and local, it’ll show you really care.

10. Save money decorating the house with holiday cards – hang a string from one corner to another and hang all the beautiful cards you’ve received from the line – like a laundry line. It’s colorful and festive and a reminder of what the season is really about – nurturing ties to friends and family.

(Photo credit:

By Susan Seliger

What better holiday present for yourself – or a friend you like to drive around with – than a cute, fuel-efficient, smart fortwo car? (This gift will be appreciated by four-legged friends as well. ) Even better — you may be able to get it free. You could be one of the 12 lucky winners in the QVC 12 Days of Christmas Sweepstakes who will drive one away.

And if you don’t win the green car, you still have over 1000 chances to win another form of green — free shopper dollars worth anywhere from $50 to $250. The deadline is 12-12-08.

(Photo credit: Smart Car Blog)

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By Susan Seliger

With the housing market in the toilet, and the EPA saying that water-saving appliances may help sell your house faster (see last post) , we thought you should know about this unusual hybrid.

Take two essential household appliances and stick them together, and what do you get? This entry to the Greener Gadgets Design competition: the Washup washing machine-toilet by Sevin Coskun.

OK, it’s a little scary – especially if you find yourself waking in the middle of the night to pee. But it’s intriguing, right? I mean, would you have thought of saving water by plopping your washing machine on top of your toilet so that the gray water from the washing machine can be used to flush the toilet? No, you wouldn’t. But Sevin Coskum did and entered the concept into the Greener Gadget Design competition. Check out the other clever gadgets. And thanks to the blog, Home Appliances Rule! for pointing out this unusual plumbing marriage.

One good feature: it will certainly teach the gentlemen in the house to close that toilet seat lid — at least before they take the clean clothes out of the washer. Or oooops, you may have to do that load of wash over again.

(Photo credit: Home Appliances Rule!)

By Susan Seliger

This eco-friendly cruise couldn’t come at a better time. The recent cold snap along with the chilly, lonely feeling I get when I look at my retirement savings (what retirement savings?!) has put me in the mood for a trip to a sunny place. Though in this economy, I probably wouldn’t turn down a free, seven-day cruise even in the summer.

In addition to an eco-friendly cruise ship, and vegetarian feasts on board, you’ll also be treated to daily spa treatments along with yoga and meditation classes. The perfect antidote to financial angst. Dust off your mantra — I’m thinking of trading in my current one: It’s only money for an updated version: Yes, you Om.

But hurry up—not much time. The deadline is nigh. The sponsors of this cruise contest – Yoga Journal and Earth® Footwear – are giving you until 11-30-08 to try your luck. Go on — click – you don’t even have to buy a lottery ticket.

Can’t get much greener than running – though driving a hybrid to your destination is a close second (or third or fourth) – but definitely faster. Now you don’t even have to run to win – just pick the top three pros you think will win the NYC Marathon this Sunday – November 2, 2008 – and you can drive one of the greenest cars on the road. But hurry – you have to make your picks by Nov. 1, 2008. Run to the computer and get those fingers moving — that’s a first step. Hey, we all have to start somewhere.

By Susan Seliger

OK, turning your computer on may take a minute longer than just tapping the mouse each time you sit down at your desk. (And the cat may have to find another warm place to loll about. ) But ask yourself this: if somebody offered you $75 just to add two mouse clicks to your daily routine (click Start; click Turn Off Computer, done) wouldn’t you take it?

Throw in the fact that you’ll also be reducing carbon emissions and letting your computer catch up on its beauty sleep, and it becomes a no-brainer green move. Save even more if you turn the entire power strip off that feeds the printer, your phone and ipod charger, desk lamp all the other appliances that suck energy just be being plugged in.

Need more incentive? Use that minute of warm-up time to stand up at your desk, and do a few body stretches (reach your hands up to the ceiling) and neck turns (shake your head gently Yes and then No) to keep from getting so stiff once you do sit down. That’ll save you another $75-$125 in chiropractic fees.

And that’s just for one household with one computer — imagine if you’re a small business with 100 computers — that’s $7,500 in savings. I bet you can think of a few things you’d like to do with that chunk of change.

Photo credit: www.lacyloos.com/about/cats.php

By Susan Seliger

There is probably no single piece of clothing that has ever been as popular –around the world — as blue jeans. What’s not to love – you can dress ‘em up, dress ‘em down. And best of all, they solve that most annoying of all first-thing-in-the-morning questions: “What’s clean enough to wear?”

In the U.S. we more than 500 million pairs of jeans– that means annual sales figures are over $13 billion ($13.4 billion in 2001, the last concrete figures I could find reported).

So just imagine how much we could reduce our collective carbon footprint if each of us handled our favorite fanny-covering in a greener fashion. It’s easy – try these tips:

1. Buy organic jeans from the start.

Ordinary cotton uses a lot of water and chemicals in the treatment process. Check out Levi’s eco-friendly line.

2. Look for hemp jeans:

This versatile plant – and don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about – is ideal for jeans. Fewer pesticides, fewer chemicals, all good.

Check out these sources for hemp jeans: Hempest and Rawganique.

3. Repair your old jeans:

You know those rips look cool anyway. And for those in the wrong places, take out a needle and start stitching. Add your own design while you’re at it.

4. Wash sparingly.

Ok, if the jeans can stand up by themselves, it’s time to scrub. But really, until then, save some water.

5. Recycle the old when you buy the new:

Gained weight? Lost weight? Whatever – there is someone out there who will want the old ones. If they’re in good shape, try a vintage clothing shop. Otherwise, find a Salvation Army near you, or a Goodwill — they’re always ready to do their part in keeping us a little greener.

Photo credit: total health break throughs:

By Susan Seliger

Here’s a BPA update. Just when you though it was safe to drink bottled juice and water and eat canned foods and go to the dentist, a new study from the Sept. 17, 2008 JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) finds that death from heart disease may be another risk to add to the list. That risk list (from BPA found in hard plastic bottles and the lining of most food and beverage cans) already included diabetes, obesity, and hormonal changes that can produce breast and prostate cancer and neurobehavioral changes in infants exposed in the womb.

I know you’re worried about your money and might be thinking that buying organic and focusing on eating local, natural foods is a needless splurge in tough times. But this new study is a serious reminder that going green, especially when it comes to the the foods you eat, is not an indulgence. It will keep you healthy — and alive a little longer.

Here are some answers to your basic BPA questions. See for yourself if the fuss is justified. ANd there’s a useful list of other BPA articles at the end.

WHERE IS BPA FOUND?

BPA (bisphenol-A, an endocrine-disrupting chemical) is used in polycarbonate plastic (such as hard, colored water bottles and 5-gallon bottles used in water coolers) and the lining of most food and beverage cans. BPA can leach from the plastic into foods and liquids – and even more leaches when the container is heated or used and re-used.

BUT DOES IT REALLY GET INTO OUR BODIES?

Short answer: Yes. Nearly everybody in the U.S. seems to have BPA show up in their urine – which means it was in the body. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control found BPA in the bodies of 93 percent of the people they tested.

From the JAMA study:

“Widespread and continuous exposure to BPA, primarily through food but also through drinking water, dental sealants, dermal exposure, and inhalation of household dusts, is evident from the presence of detectable levels of BPA in more than 90% of the US population.”

BUT IS THIS LOW-LEVEL EXPOSURE REALLY DANGEROUS?

Short answer: yes.

Long answer from the JAMA study:

“Evidence of effects in animals has generated concern over low-level chronic exposures in humans…..“Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the world’s highest production–volume chemicals, with more than 2 million metric tons produced worldwide in 2003 and annual increase in demand of 6% to 10% annually.1 Bisphenol A is used extensively in epoxy resins lining food and beverage containers and as a monomer in polycarbonate plastics in many consumer products. Widespread and continuous exposure to BPA, primarily through food but also through drinking water, dental sealants, dermal exposure, and inhalation of household dusts, is evident from the presence of detectable levels of BPA in more than 90% of the US population.”

“The potential for low-dose effects has added to the controversy about possible hazards and whether currently recommended exposure thresholds require revision.”

CONCLUSION:IS BPA REALLY A HEALTH RISK?

Short answer: Yes — exposure to BPA may lead to death from a variety of diseases – that could have been prevented by reducing exposure.

Long answer from JAMA:

““We found that higher BPA concentrations were associated with diagnoses of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

“Higher BPA exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentrations of BPA, may be associated with avoidable morbidity in the community-dwelling adult population.”

“Using data representative of the adult US population, we found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA were associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities. These findings add to the evidence suggesting adverse effects of low-dose BPA in animals.”

FOR MORE information on BPA, check out these stories:

JAMA STUDY: Association of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration With Medical Disorders and Laboratory Abnormalities in Adults

BPA in Dental Plastic: Are the Fillings in your Teeth Dangerous?

BPA: The Dangers of Canned Food May Be Greater Than Plastics

BPA: 5 Tips to Avoid the Dangers in Plastics

Where to Find Baby Bottles Without BPA — and Formula and Pacifiers, Too

Where to Find BPA-Free Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups

BPA: Plastic Products That Are BPA-Free

Where to Find Safe Plastics without BPA Chemicals

Your BPA Questions Answered

Photo credit: Susan Seliger