creative blossoms

Welcome!

In this forum we will create our own Eco-movement sharing ideas and experiences that will cover locally grown foods (farmers market), recycling (composting), farming practices (vegetable gardening), nutrition (weight loss), healthy environment (indoor & outdoor), we at Creative Blossoms believe that education is the key to change only when it's applied, and that the environment is not something that is separate from us. We are all participants in it. Our actions, lifestyles, consumption are all part of the mix. We won't make much progress if we just talk about “the environment”. No matter how much we pay any environmental thing, its just another form of talk, and talk is cheap, you still must do something!

Mostly I write about green gardening matters, but there are many other lifestyle changes that we all may make that will further reduce the hardship on our environment, and even save us money. In this forum:

· Recycle more. Fill up the recycling bins; reduce what you throw away. Recycle your old computers. Donate old cars, used clothing, and other usable items to charities.
· Clear debris from the storm drains, so less organic material enters our waterways.
· Drive less and drive fuel-efficient cars. Walk or ride your bikes more, and use bike paths and farmers markets so you can find more of what you need that was grown close to home.
· Eat lower in the food chain. Eat more vegetables and fruits and less meat—it's better for your health and the health of our environment and reduces the amount of energy required to put food on your table. Of course, if you raise some of your own vegetables and fruit, you're using even less manufactured energy to sustain you and your family, all while saving money. 
· Drink filtered (not bottled) water, if tap water offends your taste buds. This will reduce the amount of plastic waste that goes into our landfills and especially into our waterways. 
· Install fluorescent bulbs or LED (light-emitting diode) lights all around. Cut back on extra outdoor lighting–it's actually better for plants to experience darkness at night.
· Insulate your house, use double-glazed windows, install ceiling fans, even solar panels, and then set the thermostat higher in the summer and lower in the winter. You may find that 82 or 83 degrees is quite tolerable in the summer if you use fans to move the air. In the winter, set the thermostat lower and dress warmly. Encourage your place of work to turn up their air conditioning–it's ridiculous that we have to carry sweaters in the summer.
· Consume less and buy items with the least amount of packaging.
· Get involved in neighborhood and local politics to change unsustainable policies, and other environmental issues.
· Support and vote for public officials who will make greener choices for our community, city, and state.