ideal for camping or emergency power outages, the
Sun Power Port is a portable generator that when used
to its full potential will pay for itself in less than two

years.
In one day of full sunshine, the solar panel easily charges
the 12 volt (standard automobile) battery.  An inverter
changes the DC current to AC.  From there the electrical energy
is easily accessible to most standard 110 volt small
appliances used in North America.   What are the advantages of

a solar generator?  If you don't know, check out

sunpowerport.com.  The featured generator will run most small

electrical appliances.  It is great for camping or emergency

backup.  No noise.  No fumes.  For more details see

http://www.sunpowerport.com

The main problem, I have found, is that it takes a lot of collection. Yeah, sunlight may be free, but gathering it and converting it into power is expensive, and I mean very expensive. According to findsolar.com, installing solar panels on my friend Julie's home with 400 sq ft roof size would cost around $32,000 and she can get about $18,000 back from various government incentives, in the form of a federal tax credit and exemption from property taxes.

She will make her money back in savings on her electric bill, that's right! Acccording to findsolar.com, her avg monthly savings will be about $75. Over the 25 years of useful panel life, then, she'll save $22,000. So, her monthly bill alone is enough to let the sunshine begin.   

In 21st century America, the health care industry is dominated by pharmaceuticals. According to a 2003 report called "Death by Medicine," by Drs. Gary Null, Carolyn Dean, Martin Feldman, Debora Rasio, and Dorothy Smith, 783,936 people in the United States die every year from conventional medicine mistakes. Of those deaths, roughly 106,000 were from prescription drugs although—due to underreported cases of adverse drug reactions—that number may actually be as high as 200,000. It should come as no surprise that (so-called) alternative medicine has hit the mainstream and is now a $50-billion health care industry in the US. A recent survey found that 14 of the 18 major HMOs and insurance providers cover at least 11 of 34 alternative therapies and 74% of Americans have chosen this approach at least once.

Which brings us back to naturopathy. This practice dates back to at least 19th century Germany, if not earlier, and today's naturopathic physicians (NDs) are trained at accredited medical colleges to follow a system of medicine that assists in the restoration of health by following a set of specific rules. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians explains the basic assumption "that nature is orderly, and this orderliness is designed to result in ongoing life and well being." They further detail that this orderliness is "guided by a kind of inner wisdom that everyone has. This inner wisdom can be assisted to return a person to their best balance by naturopathic treatments."

The above report, "Death By Medicine," is available for free while supplies last at Creative Blossoms.

Wasn't Marvin Gaye similar in raising a world consciousness concerning the war and other in his record “Whats Going On?”

As for me – here's something from one of Michael's songs that will say it all for me.

I'm gonna make a change…
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and
Then make that Change!

Our global water supply is becoming more of an issue every day. Even in developed nations, where a plentiful supply of water is sometimes taken for granted, the value of water is in­creasing among the people and their governments, as such, my 5 year-old daughter, over heard me talking about this and  wanted to know what exactly will happen if we run out of water?­ 

So you know how that goes – ” out the mouth of babes “ - so instead of giving my judgement I (we) researched together ( I did most of the work–LOL–and here's some of my (our) findings ).

A country's water use, as opposed to simple water use, is the total amount of H2O needed for the production of goods and services. Figuring out a country's water use means adding all the water used plus the water inherent in products imported, then minus the water in exports. Using this top-down method, the average water footprint in the world is 1,243 cubic meters a year. As you already might have guessed, in the U.S. we are water hogs – we use more than twice the world average, or 2,500 cubic meters. That's like an Olympic-sized swimming pool for each and every one of us, or 2.5 million liters each. The Chinese, to compare, use 700 cubic meters annually and has much more people.

Thanks to Ahmya, my 5 year-old daughter (love you)

3. Is the item non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, non-reusable? Stay away.

This is the very essence of green thinking. When you're done with that product it's just going to sit in the ground, or river, or lake, or ocean forever? If this is the only option you've got in front of you, do without.

4. Can you pronounce the ingredients?

Perhaps the simplest test in determining the quality of something you're going to put in or on your body, is simply asking yourself if you can pronounce the ingredients. And I'm not talking about not knowing the correct way to say some new-to-you. I'm talking about multi-syllable words that bear no resemblance to anything you yourself could actually grow in your backyard. If whatever you're looking at be it food, a health and beauty product has anything like that, put it right down and move on.

If you can't visualize all the ingredients, still less pronounce them then you can be assured that the product, 99 times out of 100, is not green. The distance all those ingredients traveled adds up too. The simpler you keep things the better.

5. How did the product get here?

Even if you're getting the majority of your food locally, and try to buy locally made consumer goods, there's still probably a good deal that's imported.

Here is the best of energy efficiency: Ship, train, truck, plane. You very well may have known that order, but not the impact.

Local is really important as a deep investment into your local economy and developing a relationship with the person who produces your food or gives you a service ( like Creative Blossoms does ). Not only do local businesses generate more local income, jobs, and tax receipts, but they also tend to utilize advertising, banks, and services in the local community. In fact, a dollar spent at  Creative Blossoms and other local stores turns over seven times in that community; while the same dollar spent at a 800 florist or chain store like Path-Mark only turns over 2 times. Buying locally builds a healthy community on many levels. (For case studies on the economic, social, and environmental impacts of buying local visit the Business Alliance for Local Living Economics web-site as I have and do often, to be conscious of changes, no matter how small). Not only can you support the economic health of your community and offer security to your hardworking neighbors, but you can eliminate the uncertainties of farming business by talking to your farmer at the farmers market and seeing first-hand how your food is produced. It is also helpful in being able to purchase food that is often fresher.Buying local creates food security, which will become more and more important in the near future. We at Creative Blossoms couldn’t be more enthusiastic about buying local, and hope that these comments will shed some light on why you should do the same.

The Carbon-Free Home, by Rebekah and Stephen Hren, gives you the hands-on knowledge necessary to kick the fossil-fuel habit, with projects small and large listed by skill, time, cost, and energy saved. For every aspect of your life currently powered by fossil fuels,  ' The Carbon-Free Home ' offers alternatives you can accomplish yourself to get started using renewable and sustainable sources of power. Good book to have on your coffee table for sure and refer to often.

People always ask me what is the most natural, quickest and least expensive pesticide. Well, I tell them to just throw a handful of hot peppers into a spare blender container with a quart of water. Blend on high 2-3 minutes strain and then pour into a spray bottle. Spray on affected plants every three to five days for two weeks. Ants and soft-bodied insects will be the first you notice that has vacated, and some plant diseases actually will heal in the first week. Always wear gloves and eye protection when applying, and it is not a bad idea to test an area first.   

 A couple of Greenroof facts and benefits:

12% of the roofs in Germany are Green Roofs. (Amazing – huh?)

Green Roofs can be designed with low maintenance  or with nice, higher maintenance plants. Green Roofs can be on slopes, which is pure genius.

Green Roofs cost between $10-15 per sq foot. (Cheaper than most think)

New York City has a Green Roofing and rooftop garden tax incentive program

Green Roofs protect the sun from beating down on the roof in the summer and provide insulation in the winter.

Green Roofs help to control storm run-off and protect city storm sewers from becoming overwhelmed.

Green Roofs help roofs last 2-3 times longer.

Green Roofs provide a space for birds.

Green Roofs look better than black tar roofs. (Unless you’re a black tar roofer, of course!)

Green Roofs help reduce carbon dioxide.

Green Roofs acts as a fire retardant

Now if you’re interested in knowing more come back to this forum often.

There are lots of manufacturers in the green roof industry. Some provide the basic deep trays of vegetation just an inch above your existing roof. All existing applications has benefits/drawbacks and should be considered per situation. The #1 factor to think about is the strength of the existing roof.

Don’t think this is the end of my green roof information. I’ll do a project at some point in Brooklyn. In the meantime, think GREEN.

Now that I’ve uncovered this new world,  to you, I’ll share more later.

Pizza Hut has one “green” restaurant they call  “Serving the World” that also includes genuinely positive campaigns to donate to causes working to end world hunger and “minimizing” their environmental impact.

But they’re operating on what I believe are faulty assumptions that fast food can be made “green” in its current conception. Or they’re greenwashing, knowing that their company really isn’t making any significant effort to protect the environment.

A $2.99 pizza will never be socially responsible: Not for the person eating it, not for the people making it, and not for the producers of the ingredients. Even cutting costs sharply means externalities are inevitable. While Pizza Hut may green its buildings (or, one building), I’m not holding my breath for them to ever green their practices.

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.