Back to school supplies are expensive. If you have a child going back to school, you’ve probably received the dreaded laundry list of pens, markers, notebooks and tissues that your student must bring with them. These plastic and paper products waste money, and create an abundance of unnecessary waste. Save money and the environment with these practical earth-friendly back to school supplies.

Papermate makes recycled pencils that are inexpensive ($4.39 for 48 pencils) and made of 100% recycled materials. Even the lead is recycled! Skip the daily brown bag lunch, and send your child to school with a stylish, reusable lunchbox. These lunchboxes are typically pricier, but the rewards to the environment are priceless. Ecojot makes a variety of stylish notebooks made from 100% post-consumer materials, so your little student will be happy to tote around an eco-conscious notebook. There are also a variety of tissue companies that use at least a percentage of post consumer materials when manufacturing their tissues and cardboard boxes. Using supplies that are good for the Earth doesn’t have to be boring. These products create adorable back to school supplies your student will love to carry around this fall.

For the past 7 years or so, on August 27th, a huge hoax has been plaguing email victims by the thousands. This widely spread hoax is one where unsuspecting people on the internet are made to believe that every single August 27th, the red planet known as Mars will pass so close, that from earth, it will appear as if there is a second moon in the dark sky.

This widely spread hoax, which is typically spread via email, typically says that at 12:30 am anyone peering into the night sky should be able to see the red planet and the moon side by side. It is supposed that together they will be roughly the same size and right next to each other. It also says that Mars is only going to be thirty-four million miles away from our planet. This email is written in such good format that its almost impossible not to believe!

Nearly all of the astronomists say that if Mars actually did make an appearance, and was that close the human race would probably seize to exist. If any planet got that close to Earth it would greatly affect our orbit as well as our distance from the sun.

It’s hot out. However, if you’re environmentally conscious and want to avoid cranking up the air conditioner, there are ways to stay cool AND save energy. Take advantage of cooler temperatures during the morning and evening hours, and use a fan during these times. Invest in heavy, dark shaded drapes or blinds in your home and keep them closed to block the sunrays from beating heat into your home.

Cook smarter during the hot summer months, and grill meals outdoors, to avoid turning up the oven and heating up your home. This will save energy and keep your home cooler. When spring approaches, be sure your windows are updated, and free of any leaks so heat won’t enter your home. Lastly, don’t use your dryer during the summer and hang clothes out to dry. Not only will they smell great, you won’t create unnecessary, “artificial” heat in your home. It’s easy to turn on the air conditioner and enjoy a cool home, but it is terrible for the environment. Beat the heat this summer, save energy, and help the environment with these tips for staying cool.

Global warming and other environmental hazards have everyone looking for ways to minimize their carbon footprint and take better care of the Earth. The inherent creative nature of the human race allows many inventors to discover exciting ways to save the environment. While solar powered cars and wind turbines have made giant leaps in the way of green inventions, here are a few simple and creative green inventions.

For example, many people are taking advantage of naturally renewable bamboo for flooring and other home needs. Inventors are now using bamboo to build many environmentally friendly laptops! Another popular green invention is the bamboo toothbrush that minimizes the use of non-renewable and harmful plastic. There is also a water-powered alarm clock that can run for six to eight weeks on nothing but water and a splash of lemon juice – no joke!  Scientists are even working on a solar powered cell phone! It’s easy to get excited about the environment with these ingenious inventions. If you’re working on improving your personal environmental policies, take example from these inventions, and get creative.

Horizontal Spinning Compost Mixer

Composting reuses food garbage and waste and turns it into rich, natural soil that can be used throughout your garden, in flowerbeds, and in landscaping projects. Composting is a great way to serve the environment as it provides a way to reuse food garbage, and diminishes excess waste. If you’re interested in starting composting efforts, the process is as easy as investing in a garbage pail. Drill holes in the bottom of the garbage pail so that the compost will drain, and be sure to set the compost bin on something (bricks, wood panels, etc). Start your composting bin with some soil on the bottom. Begin sorting your food garbage and placing it into the compost bin, and be sure to rotate the soil with a shovel every week.

Another method of composting involves denying the waste oxygen, by filling a plastic bag with food waste, lawn clippings, etc. Add a little amount of water to help break down the waste. Tie the bag off when full, and let sit while you start another bag. With these two options for easy composting you’ll be creating nutrient rich soil in no time.

Going green – everyone is doing it. But how does one take the first steps to being environmentally responsible and living “green”? There are a few easy changes you can make to ensure your carbon footprint is minimized. First, limit the amount of times you use your car, and carpool whenever necessary. A good rule of thumb is that if it takes you less than 10 minutes to drive somewhere, give yourself extra time and walk instead. Similarly, eating fewer meals outside of the home, and cooking more meals inside reduces waste.

Other ways to partake in a more green lifestyle are to recycle and compost. Inquire about your town or city’s recycling facilities. Oftentimes, it’s as easy as requesting a separate garbage container and separating your plastic and paper to be picked up on a different day. Invest in a compost bin and fill it partially with soil. Dump all food garbage into the compost bin, remembering to rotate the pile at least every two weeks. Eventually, you will have rich soil to use in your home garden. Going green doesn’t have to mean an entire lifestyle overhaul. The move to a more conscious style of living helps make giant strides in improving our environment, and our world.

Visiting a friend down the street the other day opened my eyes to something I had never thought about before; flies. More specifically was why did they have such a terrible problem with flies and I had seen so few at my house? When I told my hosts that I didn’t have the same issue they were floored! It seems that they have been battling these little pests since late spring and it was only getting worse. It was a mystery and I wanted to see if I could discover what was going on.

My first guess was it was a chemical that our bug company uses so I gave them a call. They were pretty sure that the organic chemical they used would not keep flies away like that so I was searching again. Then I found it; basil! Believe it or not, houseflies hate the smell of basil and avoid it like the plague. We grow tomatoes and I plant basil as a companion plant to keep as many bugs off of the tomatoes as possible because there are a lot of bugs that don’t like the smell either. So now you know, plant basil around your house or keep a potted plant or two in your home to keep the flies away. I just took one over to my neighbor!

One of the best ways to grow your own food on a year round basis is to build your own greenhouse. This way you get to choose the size based on the available space you have at your home. It does take planning and work and you need to make sure you read a lot about the subject because there is a lot more to it than sticking some plastic up over a frame and putting plants inside, You will need to have ventilation and circulation and there are calculators to help you figure that out OR you can call a retailer who is selling the materials and they can help you as well. Have your dimensions ready and a sketch ready to fax if need be.

One of the best covering materials is Solexx panels and rolls. It is very easy to install and has a great rating for all types of climates including very cold temperatures. You will need to get the thicker 5mm for these extreme climates and the 3.5mm for your normal climates. Since each panel has been treated twice for the effects of ultraviolet, it helps to filter out harmful rays and extends the life of the panels and rolls and is one more reason to consider them for your greenhouse.

With the state of the economy over the past couple of years, we in the construction world have wondered how environmental trends in our industry would fare. If the 2010 National American Institute of Architects Convention is any indication, the LEED trend is increasing exponentially. This year’s convention, held on June 10^th – 12^th in Miami, was a demonstration of the force that continues to propel “green” building and products with LEED requirements in the architectural markets. Most of this movement can be attributed to the inventive nature and cutting edge outlook of the architectural community as many of the exhibited products this year, as in recent years, have more integrated LEED characteristics with little to no increase in costs. I have to admit in the beginning of the LEED movement I never thought it would come to possess so much authority because of our budget oriented industry – I’m glad my initial observations were inaccurate.

It’s also inspiring to see domestic competition in deep-rooted markets. One such product exhibited this year is Formica’s Vivix, a direct competitor to Trespa. Formica will be rolling out Vivix with concealed and exposed fastener systems, both with patents pending. Final testing was to be finished by the end of June so a full roll out of the product by late summer or early fall of 2010 is likely. Vivix has a deep and attractive color pallet and I believe it will prove to be a considerable competitor to other products in the high pressure laminate market.

It’s so easy to look at what has happened in the Gulf of Mexico and blame BP for the oil spill. That’s not saying that BP was not at fault because truly they are. It’s simply saying that we have drilled in very deep water for a long time without a large incident like this and have been really lucky considering the amount of drilling that has taken place as well as the risks and shortcuts that have come to fruition.

Those who have lived on the Gulf Coast for a long time have seen evidence of oils spillage over the years. There has been oil that has been recovered on the beaches and out in the ocean just never in the amount that we see right now and of course never devastated the wildlife and fisheries like this spill has and will. But we should have known something like this would eventually happen. Even though the oil companies have a lax plan for these occasions they knew it was possible because they had a plan. But it was always worth it so they could deliver oil to the American public as cheaply as possible. It just turns out that we will be paying for this cheap oil for a long time and the bill will be higher than we ever thought.