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The Coming Green Wave
Seaweed farms have the capacity to grow huge amounts of nutrient-rich food, and oysters can act as an efficient carbon and nitrogen sink.
Is Going Green Too Expensive?
Quite a few cities have upscale markets brimming with organic produce and green goods such as cleaning supplies and detergents. While it's easy to find out which foods should be organic, and which do not need to be, do you really need an all-purpose cleaning spray made from lemon juice?
And aren't those chemical sprays better at attacking nasty bathroom mold than some all natural, green and sustainable product?
First, it should be noted that few of the chemicals we actually use are actually tested by the government for their safety; they are grandfathered in, because we'd been using them for a while. We also should know that everyone on earth is estimated to carry 700 contaminants in his or her body. It seems logical to reduce further exposure.
The most dangerous cleaning products are drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners. Some have been called neurotoxic (that is, damaging to the brain). Others cause breathing difficult and skin irritation.
You can make many of the cleaning products that you'll need from such items as household vinegar, lemon juice, or baking soda. Prepackaged alternatives also exist, and in most cities, are easy to find. These prepackaged green products don't need to come with fussy labels or come imported from faraway places--just simply made, with ingredients you can understand. Look for products that have been certified by EcoLogo or Green Seal.
These green products are easier on the environment, too--they end up in the trash or in our waste water when we're done with them. It should be remembered that sustainability is about responsibility--for others, as well as ourselves.