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Green Cleaning for Health
How Do You Know Your Cleaning Products Are Green?
"Green" cleaning products are awash with misleading labels and false claims. Always look for a third-party certification to assure you're buying the healthiest, most environmentally friendly cleaners.
Eco-Laboratory Wins at GreenBuild
Net zero high rise is a self-contained sustainable community.
Natural Spring Cleaning: Simple, Cheap and Healthy
With just three ingredients and two simple steps, you can clear away germs and freshen your home's air to welcome spring.
Seeming Green
I first ran into the Green Building Initiative last March at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's Building Energy conference in Boston.
ACHS Recertified as Gold Certified Business
The American College of Healthcare Sciences and Apothecary Shoppe have been re-certified as Green America Gold-Certified businesses.
Clean With Vodka: Trade the Martini Glass for a Spray Bottle
Clean with vodka for a spic-and-span house and less of a headache in the morning! You can use the alcohol to freshen your laundry, remove mold and mildew, and even repel bugs. Vodka kills bacteria and dries clear and odor-free, making it an ideal addition to your cleaning cupboard.
Groupon for Greenies: A Site to Save You Money
Green America offers savvy shoppers daily discounts--and reassurance that they're buying green--through GreenDeals.
Clean Your Entire Home with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Highlights from the "Make Your Own Green Cleaners--for Pennies" workshop at the Mother Earth News Fair: How to use vinegar and baking soda to clean just about everything.
How to Eliminate Mold in Your Home
Learn how to eliminate mold growth in your home and improve indoor air quality by using Concrobium.
$25 DIY Greenhouse
You can build a small greenhouse in an afternoon!
Paint the Town Green
This Friday, Beijing will show off its green improvements when the Olympics begin.
The Joy of Green Cleaning: Teaching People What a Cut Lemon and a Little Salt Can Do
The Joy of Green Cleaning is a fantastic resource with recipes to clean everything from grout to sheepskins.
Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz: Clean with Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer can give your cleaning routine a little extra fizz. Try it for unclogging drains and cleaning toilets.
Greendex Study Finds Eco-Friendly Consumer Behavior Increasing Worldwide
Despite the worldwide increase in environmentally friendly lifestyles, the United States still ranks as one of the least eco-friendly consumer societies. Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence shares ways to green your habits.
False Green Claims On the Rise, Study Finds
TerraChoice's annual Sins of Greenwashing study finds that 95 percent of the products claiming to be green have used vague language, unproven claims and false certification labels.
Find Natural Cleaning and Beauty Products
From shampoo and lotion to wood polish and drain cleaner, you'll be surprised at how many common household products contain potentially hazardous ingredients. Here's how to identify problem products and find the best alternatives to buy — or save a little money by making your own.
6 Simple Steps to Your Cleanest Windows Ever
Does the huge task of cleaning windows leave you feeling overwhelmed? Follow these six simple steps--using inexpensive materials you already have around the house--to get your windows sparkling and streak-free.
Make Cleaning Delicious; Just Add Essential Oils
Noxious fumes aren't conducive to happy cleaning. Give all your homemade cleaning solutions an invigorating and healthy boost by adding a few drops of pure plant essential oils such as lavender or lemon. Heavenly!
To Compost or not to Compost, That is the Question!
It has become a Christmas ritual for me to clean out my mother's fridge. I find whiskery gnarled morsels, shoved to the back of the fridge many months previously, unseen, and untouched by my mother's arthritic hands. Do I compost all this detritus?
Holiday Hoop House Salad Bar
Potted greens are a good complement to greens in the hoop house soil.
New Season of Greensburg Series About to Begin
See green building in action! The third and final season of the Greensburg TV series is scheduled to begin on May 2, 2010.
Moving On Up
Environmental journalist Simran Sethi investigates the greenest way to move to a new house.
Get a Head Start With Chitting Potatoes
To make the best use of potato-growing season, use the technique of greensprouting.
GreenOx Presents Green Shed Technology for Consumers
Vantem Outdoor Living partners with Lowe's Home Improvement to deliver next generation shed and workspace structures.
Clean Your Home with Food (and Spirits) That You Already Have on Hand
I had such a great time talking with attendees at the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup, Washington, this past weekend about how to make green cleaners. As always, I learned a new trick or two, and I promised everyone I'd recap our conversation here for easy access. Today let's talk about some of the unexpected food items—most of which you already have in your kitchen cupboards—that can be used to clean your home. Use tea to remove old furniture polish and prepare wooden furniture for polishing. Simply soak a rag in room-temperature tea, then run it over the wood. The tea's tannic acid makes your wood shine while removing all the dirt. Once that's done, you can use mayonnaise to make the piece shine. Just rub the mayo into the wood, then follow with a damp rag and a few drops of vinegar to remove any residue. Olive oil is also a great natural furniture
Make Your Own Green Cleaners
Make your own all-purpose cleaners, dishwasher detergent and mildew remover with safe, simple ingredients. Ever think you'd be doing dishes with Kool-Aid?
Green and Healthy: Shouldn't Our Homes Be Both?
Building homes using dangerous and impactful industrial chemicals--in the name of energy efficiency--is not sustainable or ecological, a green building veteran says. His Health-Based Building model is an important step forward for green design.
How to Choose Less-Toxic, Low-VOC Paints and Coatings
Most conventional paints and coatings emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can contribute to poor indoor air quality as well as to smog. This overview includes a link to a product listing of healthier low-VOC, zero-VOC, and natural paints.
Tuesday Video: How to Make Natural Cleaners
Making your own cleaning products using vinegar, baking soda and water is healthy, easy--and cheap. Learn how to whip up your own cleaners using foods you already have in your kitchen cupboard.
Trying to tend to kids AND a garden.
The Two Kinds of People
Non-gardeners and gardeners are very, very different creatures.
Report Addresses Increased Antibiotic Resistance
According to a report issued by the World Health Organization, diseases such as E. coli and staph are developing stronger resistance to antibiotics.
Get Paper Towels Out of Your Life for Good
Replacing paper towels with rags is a super simple step toward sustainable living. Follow these simple tips to get disposable paper towels out of your house. You'll never miss them.
So You Want to Be a Farmer?
In the Spring of 2010, I quit my job as a high school theology teacher, because I wanted to be a farmer. I am now entering my fourth year of full-time farming, even though I had almost no experience farming. Here's how I did it, and some tips to help you on your way.
Are You Growing Anything Outdoors This Time of Year?
Readers share their winter gardening stories.
Backyard Vegetable Gardeners: Go Get a Hoop House for Winter!
It is not difficult to set up a backyard hoop house to extend your growing season. The result is abundant, delicious greens and extra months with your hands in the soil. Share information here on backyard hoop house gardening and cuisine.
Whole Foods Market to Carry Multi-Functional, Eco-Friendly 'GreenBox' from ECOvention
ECOvention, LLC announced today that as of August 2010, more than 30 Whole Foods Market locations in the Rocky Mountain region will use the multi-functional, eco-friendly GreenBox to serve take-away customers at their brick-oven pizza counters.
Homemade Cleaners
Save money and have a healthier home with these ideas for assembling your own green cleaning tool kit. Plus, get our recipe for Lemon-Mint Window Wash.
'No Child Left Behind' Meets 'No Patient Left Behind'
My mother is brilliant. We were comparing recent frustrating experiences with doctors one evening when Mom, a 4th grade teacher, had an idea: The United States should do away with our current healthcare system and replace it with one similar to No Child Left Behind (called No Patient Left Behind), in which physicians are held personally accountable for the continued well-being of their patients.
Essential Oils on the Homestead
Therapeutic grade essential oils have a tonne of uses on the homestead - here's how we've used them effectively, and how they bring us peace of mind.
Green Roofs Growing Quickly in U.S.
The square footage of green roofs--which absorb rainwater, regulate temperatures, save energy and resources and provide valuable habitat--grew by 28.5 percent last year.
After Seeds Have Sprouted in Indoor Greenhouse Trays, Should I Remove the Clear Plastic Lid? And Do I Need to Move Them to Bigger Containers?
A gardening expert discusses what you should do with your seedlings after they sprout in their indoor greenhouse containers.
How Can I Know Which Health Stories in the News Have the Best Information?
Find out how to decipher health articles and news segments in order to determine which news is worth heeding. Tips include five important questions to ask, as well as a link to the Harvard School of Public Health's guide to understanding media stories on health.
The Case for Using Sustainable Building Materials
Recently, I had an epiphany in a building supply center. Even though I've been in the building trades for over 35 years and made countless trips to purchase building supplies, this trip was different.
A Visit to Greensburg
Earlier this month I visited Greensburg, Kan., and toured a few of its many green buildings. Here's what I found.
Recycled Paper Guide From Greenpeace
Find out what's in your paper products with Greenpeace's Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide.
How to Avoid Unsafe Chemicals in Plastic
Learn about Bisphenol A (BPA) and its prevalence in plastic manufacturing, and get tips on how to limit your exposure to BPA, phthalates, and other unsafe chemicals in plastic.
Homemade Dishwashing Solutions
MOTHER EARTH NEWS readers recently named dishwashing formula as their most desired DIY cleaner, so we've rounded up some easy and inexpensive dish de-griming recipes for your automatic dishwasher or for washing by hand.
Green Gifts (2.0): New tips and ideas
More tips, ideas, and considerations for choosing green gifts. A sequel/supplement to last year's article!
Bedbugs and Small Homes: Top Trends of 2010
This year readers were concerned about bedbugs and greenwashing, and everyone wants to know more about smaller homes.
Dear 2011, This Year I Resolve To. . .
Simran Sethi explores resolutions for healthy eating and offers a resource, The Cleaner Plate Club.
Driving Toward Sustainability in a Green Airstream
A California couple is hitting the road in a greened-up Airstream to share and gather lessons on living sustainbly.
Whoops! Heavy Snow vs. The Greenhouse
Cam learns the hard way why it's never a good idea to procrastinate about important jobs!
A Greenhouse: Part Two
The greenhouse takes shape with the help of family.
Let It Shine: Solar Heat for Gardening
The invention of clear window glass allowed the ancient Romans to trap solar energy to enhance their gardening techniques to grow vegetables out of season and exotic non-native plants in Rome. A thousand years later, empire builders in Europe rediscovered the trapping of solar heat with clear window glass so they as well could enjoy the foreign plants in their own back yard and grow native vegetables throughout the year.
Winter Challenges in the Country, Part 2
Suggestions for what to have on hand - and handy - when you hear a storm is heading your way.
End-of-Season in the Greenhouse
As winter descends a three-season hoop house is weeded, compost spread, and a straw mulch applied. Next spring will be here soon.
After Tornado, Greensburg Reimagined by GreenTown
After Greensburg was destroyed in 2007, the citizens of Greensburg, with the help of GreenTown, have invested in green building for a better tomorrow.
Mulch Madness: Environmentally Friendly Mulch Options
A good layer of environmentally friendly mulch such as eucalyptus, pine bark or cocoa hulls will discourage weeds, keep soil up to 10 degrees cooler and help prevent plant disease. What's your favorite green mulch?
New American Solar Energy Society Director Promises to Get Aggressive
Former Boulder, Colorado, mayor Shaun McGrath, the new head of the American Solar Energy Society, has his work cut out for him.
Is Chocolate Really Good for You? Research Points to Yes!
Recent reviews of several scientific studies support the idea that chocolate is good for your heart. A University of California/Berkeley Wellness Letter breaks down the good news on healthy chocolate.
Freezer Pleaser: Launching an Eco-Friendly Way to Keep Ice Cream Cold
Ben & Jerry's teams up with Greenpeace to bring the U.S. a cleaner way of freezing food, especially ice cream.
Freezer Pleaser: Launching an Eco-Friendly Way to Keep Ice Cream Cold
Ben & Jerry's teams up with Greenpeace to bring the U.S. a cleaner way of freezing food, especially ice cream.
Greening the Green Girl
Environmental journalist Simran Sethi talks about buying her first home and discusses what eco-friendly goals she has for her new abode.
LEED Platinum Homes and Buildings: Top-Ranking States and Countries
Find out which states and countries have the greatest number of LEED Platinum certified projects, and where the Platinum projects are located. Plus, a list of some LEED Platinum rated homes and residential buildings, with links to case studies.
Summer Loving
Simran Sethi looks back at her New Year's resolution: to nourish herself.
Saving Yourself: That Little Two-Letter Word That Begins With N
Many readers can't say no to spouses, children, bosses, and so on. To please and care for others, we often sacrifice ourselves, working long hours, exhausting our energy. There is a cure. It's a two-letter word that starts with n. Try it.
What Can I Do With Big Bags of Greens?
An abundance of greens but a shortage of inspiration? Here are some ideas beyond just adding them to salads.
What Are Your Favorite (Unusual) Spring Greens — And What Do You Do With Them?
Readers share information and recipes about their favorite eating and cooking greens.
Grow Sorrel, a Versatile, Lemony Green
Try to grow some sorrel in your garden this season. It has a unique, zesty flavor that adds a zip to many dishes — and it has a long growing season.
Salad Greens to Grow this Summer
If you live in an area with high summer temperatures try growing one of these greens to replace your spinach.
Amazing Cold Weather Greens to Grow
Why and how to grow a variety of cold weather greens in most climates.
Make a Sassier Salad
This spring, try more interesting salads with spicy, crunchy, and colorful greens.
Be Here Now
Environmental journalist Simran Sethi spends her first night in her new home and reflects on the struggles and triumphs of the journey thus far.
Flatulence to Fuel in Brooklyn
A new wastewater treatment plant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, will use methane gas to produce energy.
The Dangers of Industrial Farming
As modern farms increase production using monoculture crops, the nutritional value of the harvests diminishes, along with the economic stability and self-reliance of the farmers and their local communities.
Left-Over Lasagna Trumps Sugared Cereal for Breakfast
Food labels are confusing, but you can be sure that processed foods with many ingredients are not as healthful as whole foods. Here is a explanation of processed-food ingredients and some suggestions for healthful breakfast foods.
Hog Butchering Day
Hog butchering was a common farm chore done in the early winter. It provided much of the family's meat in the wintertime. It provides healthful food, exercise and a wonderful experience of community.
How To Build an Earth-Sheltered Greenhouse
Step-by-step building instructions for a passive solar greenhouse.
Simple, Low-Tech Trick That Keeps Your Greenhouse Warm (and Cool)
Keep your greenhouse above freezing during short cold periods without paying for a heater.
And Then There Were Two (Greenhouses)
Cam is trying to extend his growing season with DIY greenhouse structures.
Mini-Hoop Keeps Seedlings Warm
Baby greenhouse plants are spring babies too, just like the birth of baby animals. Here's a way to keep them warm in the hoophouse.
Is Walmart the Solution to Creating a Healthy Diet for Americans?
With a new program promising to reduce the price of fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce the levels of not-so-good-for-you ingredients in their house brand products, Wal-Mart aims to make a positive change in the diet of the average American.
Is Chewing Gum Bad For You?
Here are four things you need to know about gum chewing to decide whether chewing gum is bad for you.
How Do You Remove Rust From a Cast Iron Pot?
Here are some suggestions for removing rust from cast iron.
Spring Cleaning: A Fresh, Sparkling Kitchen--Naturally
Some of the nastiest chemicals we bring into our homes are used to clean ovens and drains--and they're not necessary. Learn how to clean your entire kitchen using vinegar, baking soda and a little salt and lemon juice. You'll love the results!
3 Simple Tips to Make Spring Cleaning a Breeze
My grandmother taught me everything I need to know about keeping my house clean--without chemicals.
Compost: The Trash That Is Really Treasure
Simran Sethi learns how to compost the right way and explores her composting options.
'Grass, Soil, Hope' by Courtney White
"Grass, Soil, Hope" by Courtney White is a new book from Chelsea Green Publishing that discusses combating climate change through land-based carbon sequestration efforts such as composting and increasing biodiversity.
Cooking Greens for Greens Haters
The right recipe can convert people who think they don't like cooked greens, or energize cooks in need of fresh ideas. Here we offer a roundup of recipe ideas for garden-fresh greens from arugula to turnips.
USA Today's Top Green Homes: Efficient, Affordable and Beautiful
As Passive House Institute standards up the ante, USA Today's "Best Green Homes of 2010" list reflects Americans' desire for affordability, efficiency and style.
Green Homes: Online Case Studies and Project Profiles
One of the best ways to learn about green homes is to explore real-world examples--by touring homes or reading about them online. This article links to free online collections of case studies and in-depth profiles of green homes.
Wifi Light Bulbs: Smart Step or High-Tech Clutter?
NXP's wifi light bulb would allow homeowners to turn LED and compact fluorescent lights on and off from anywhere, using any Internet-enabled device. Some say it's the first step toward building "smart" computer-controlled homes. Do we need this?
Going Green with Nuts.com
Nuts.com, a family-owned business, offers certified organic snacks and superfoods.
Super Spring Greens Smoothie Recipe
Get the most out of spring's cheap-but-healthy greens with this easy, nutrient-dense smoothie.
Holistic Health Education Offered Online at American College of Healthcare Sciences
American College of Healthcare Sciences provides four holistic health education graduate programs including Health and Wellness and Aromatherapy.
Pro Sports Leagues Embrace Solar Power
The embrace of environmentalism by professional sports provides us all with a new and large opportunity to educate people worldwide about the need to do something, however small it might seem, to protect our biosphere.
Energy Hogs
I am especially concerned with the electricity hogs that keep us burning coal.
Monsanto's False Advertising
Monsanto, the world's largest producer of genetically modified seeds and the toxic herbicides used to drench them, is calling itself a supporter of sustainability. You're kidding, right?
Greenhouse Made of Recycled Patio Doors Saves Money and Heat
How to build a greenhouse of used sliding-glass patio doors that is warmer and less expensive than plastic, and keeps out burrowing animals.
The $30 Greenhouse
The joy and sustainability of a greenhouse made of salvaged everything (well, almost).
Building a Cheap Greenhouse
HOMEGROWN Life blogger and Bay Area homesteader Rachel shares how she built a cheap greenhouse out of mostly scavenged materials - and how you can, too.
Protest for Clean Energy
Last weekend more than 12,000 people flocked to Washington, D.C., for a three day demonstration to demand the creation of green jobs, cuts in the country's greenhouse gas emissions and less dependence on fossil fuels.
Solar Activity, Greenhouse Gas Levels and Climate Change on Our Earth
An introduction to Richard Hilderbrand's new blog discussing climate change, plus the first installment. Learn how Earth utilizes greenhouse gases to ensure stable temperatures, or thermal equilibrium, as well as how fluctuations in solar activity relate to changes in global temperatures.
Year-Round Food Production: So Much More Than a Greenhouse
Grow food year round with no operating costs and no waste by using integrated closed loop production in a heat retaining enclosure.
Clean Up Your Overwintered Hives
Clean out the hive at the end of winter
The Greenest Ceiling Fan Ever--and How to Install and Maintain It
In my quest for the most energy efficient ceiling fan, one model blows the rest away. Now is the time to install ceiling fans for lower electricity bills this summer--here's how.
Creating Your Own Micro-Climate
Creating a micro-climate is an essential tool for your survival and homesteading skills. Making the right micro-climate for your plants specific needs will not only help them survive, but thrive as well.
Spring Planning
Starting flats of seedlings begins this year's growing season.
Intentional Legacy: Writing Your Own Parenting Book
In this blog post, parenting mentor Shawn Hosford introduces herself, along with some of her background and beliefs. Her hope is that this post provides the necessary foundation for continued conversations about intentional parenting.
Good News: U.S. Greenhouse Gases See Record-Setting Decline
For the first time since the U.S. Energy Information Administration began collecting data on greenhouse gas emissions in 1990, the United States saw a record-setting 5.8 percent decline.
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: A Good Start
In wake of slow federal action, Boulder, Colorado, parents make a grassroots push for healthy, nutritious school lunches.
Worms Attack!
Who would have ever thought that worms could invade a forest and wreak havoc?
Grow Extra-Early Spinach with This Easy Tip
Get an early spinach crop with this easy gardening tip.
Growing Fabulous Lettuce and Greens
If you love salads, lettuce and greens are a great vegetable to grow. They do great in pots or in garden beds. With a few pointers, you can grow salad ingredients for the entire season.
Gingery Pickled Greens that Stay Tasty All Winter Long
Discovering an outsized pickling tub in our shed inspired me to try this tasty local recipe for greens preserved in soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
Late October, and the Garden Is Still Going Strong
The Ogden Community Garden winds down, and one gardener marvels at the late October harvest, and on how much the garden has meant to everyone who has helped tend it.
Historic Home Produces More Energy Than It Consumes
For less than the cost of an SUV, a Michigan couple rehabbed their historic home to include solar panels and a geothermal system. The 110-year-old house now produces more energy than it needs.
Needing Space from my Place
Simran Sethi reflects on her first summer of yard-care and gardening.
Women Pay More for Health Insurance
Women are often paying far more for health insurance than men, in some cases by as much as 49 percent more!
Spinach Alternatives: Warm Weather Salad Greens
Is it too hot to grow spinach where you live? Try these fabulous alternatives.
Cool Your House Without AC
Matt and Kelly Grocoff keep cool in Michigan by taking advantage of their 110-year-old home's natural ventilation strategies. It's as easy as opening a couple of strategically placed windows.
Absorb and Clean Wins Retailers' Choice Award
Absorb and Clean delivers unmatched performance for cleaning up liquid spills on land, water, and hard surfaces instantly.
As States Ban Dishwasher Detergents with Phosphates, American Cleaning Institute Calls for Voluntary Removal
Sixteen states have banned the sale of dishwasher detergents with high phosphate levels, and the American Cleaning Institute has urged its members to remove them.
I Am An (Environmental) Hoarder
Cam rationalizes his hoarding behaviour....
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — Squeaky Clean
Tips on how to protect water quality with phosphate-free cleaning projects during spring cleaning.
Cleaning Our Chimney
How we clean out chimney on our A - Frame house with a steep roof.
Quick Tip: Preparing Your Potted Garden for a Hard Freeze
Give your pots the protection they need when freezing temperatures arrive with a portable greenhouse. You can also bring in pepper plants for the winter and have fresh peppers indoors.
An Upcycled Greenhouse
Building a greenhouse out of an old carport destined for the dump.
Resolve to Build a Hoophouse This Year
We've been growing in unheated hoophouses for a decade now, and we can't recommend them highly enough for commercial growers. If you have any dreams of market farming, the first thing you should buy is a hoophouse.
A Hoophouse on the Horizon, Part 4: Learning Curve
Gardening for the first time ever in a hoophouse is a lot like gardening elsewhere. But, it is gardening in a whole different climate!
3 Methods for Heating Greenhouses for Free
Smooth out the temperature range in your greenhouse by adopting one of these strategies for heating greenhouses.
The Greenhouse Dream Fulfilled
Cam has been collecting old windows for years and has finally put them together to make a greenhouse!
Sharing: Your Garden's Other Health Benefit
The instinct to share home grown herbs, flowers and vegetables runs strong in gardeners, so sharing home grown goodies brings heartfelt rewards.
FDA Declares BPA a Health Risk
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concerns about how BPA affects infants' and children's health. Studies have shown that BPA can affect reproduction, development, metabolism and behavior in children.
The Many Uses of Ginger
Feeling under the weather? Ginger may help you feel better. Whether you have a stomachache, a headache or the common cold, some folks swear up and down by the restorative properties of the root.
Healthy Children's Toys
Before buying a toy, the first consideration should be its health. We've seen a lot of recent news about unhealthy plastics and paints in inexpensive children's toys. Making sure any toy you select is healthy should be your number one priority.
Nanotechnology Harmful to the Environment and Our Bodies
Nanotechnology has profound effects for the commercial industry, but nanoparticles can be harmful to the environment and human health.
Easy Tips to Protect Yourself from Osteoporosis
Whether you like milk or not, incorporating calcium into your diet is an important factor in bone health. Learn about the other ways, besides dairy, that you can strenthen your bones to avoid osteoporosis.
Cheribundi Added to All Rite Aid Stores
Cheribundi adds new Refresh Juice Blends to Rite Aid Stores.
Cozy Abode
On the brink of settling into her new home, environmental journalist Simran Sethi shares some tidbits of eco-information, such as how to box and save for the move, and how a few simple changes can make your home cozier and more energy-efficient.
How to Green a McMansion? Tear It Down and Build Two Homes In Its Place
The Reincarnated McMansion Project aims to tear down one inefficient, climate-insensitive suburban house and replace it with two small, green, handcrafted homes.
Attitude of Gratitude
Environmental journalist Simran Sethi stays thankful for what's important in the midst of a big move.
Small Steps Toward Energy Efficiency (and Away From Moving Anxiety)
From switching out light bulbs to bundling up your water heater, environmental journalist, Simran Sethi, shares some simple and stress-free tips on how to save energy in your home.
Six Steps to Creating a Healthy Bedroom Sanctuary
Our bedroom should be a sanctuary where our body repairs as we sleep soundly but is your bedroom as healthy as it could be?
What is a Healthy Home Consultant? Do You Need One?
This blog covers the four major reasons for hiring a healthy home consultant and five keys to creating a successful healthy home project.
Keep Homes Healthy With TEETER PONG! Mouse Traps
TEETER PONG! live mouse traps provide a humane solution for removing mice from your home.
Turning an Afternoon of Cooking into Weeks of Healthy Eating
Follow these five easy steps to create several weeks worth of meals in one afternoon.
The Hidden Risks of Nightlights for Children
While many kids (and adults, too) might prefer to sleep with a light on, research shows that exposure to artificial light after the sun goes down can disrupt healthy body function and is associated with an increased risk for cancer. So turn off your computers, TVs, and nightlights for kids, and learn to embrace the nighttime darkness.
16 Ways to Health Hack This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner
It can be hard to eat healthily during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Here are a few ways you can make your Thanksgiving meal healthier this year.
For This I Am Truly Grateful
Sharing my practices of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Let's Make Granola
Healthy homemade granola; easy on your budget, good for your family.
Allergies - Prevention As Opposed To Treatment
Preventing allergy causes as opposed to treating the symptoms.
The Final Touches: Bathroom Software
Simran Sethi discusses how to green your bathroom in easy ways: through your choice of toilet paper, shower curtain, and towels.
Grow a Quick Crop of Lettuce Indoors
Before space beneath your grow light is needed for onions and other early seedlings, fill it with baby lettuce grown in translucent clamshell salad containers.
Try This Technique: Grow Lettuce Under Shade
Many gardeners take lettuce off of their summer planting lists, but shade covers can put garden-grown lettuce on your table more than a month sooner this fall.
Meatless Monday Recipe: Polenta with Leeks, Wilted Greens and Mushrooms
Sauteed spring greens and mushrooms dress up polenta in this nutritious, satisfying main dish.
What to Plant Now: Leafy Greens
Sow leafy greens in late summer to reap abundant crops in the fall.
Help Solve the Real Food Deficit
Kashi, the natural food and lifestyle leader, will support organizations that provide education and greater access to healthy foods in cities across the U.S.
Candida Yeast Overgrowth More Real than Ever and Part of a Larger Gut Issue
You may not hear about Candida overgrowth as much anymore, but there's more evidence than ever that this syndrome is real and is often associated with other gut problems that cause a wide variety of symptoms throughout the body.
HOMEGROWN Life: Improve Your Soil Health
HOMEGROWN Life blogger and West Missouri farmer Bryce Oates shares his approach to improving soil health and preparing a soil microbe brew.
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — Radon Action Month
Tips on how to test your house for radon during January's National Radon Action Month!
10 Common Medical Pitfalls
Not feeling so hot? Time magazine offers 10 things to consider before your next visit to the doctor.
Aging and Brain Health: What Have You Been Learning Lately?
Current research indicates that taking on challenging new activities might be one of the best things you can do to stay sharp — and we want to know what fun, challenging new activities you've tried recently. Whether it's woodworking, jazz clarinet or raising rabbits, tell us what you've been learning lately.
Bastyr University to Expand Into California with New Campus
During tough economic times, local university not only survives, but thrives. Bastyr University announced today it will open a new campus in San Diego, CA, with plans for the first class to begin in Fall 2012.
American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) Launches New Website
American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has officially launched its brand-new, redesigned website.
Excalibur Dehydrators Announce New Clear Door Dehydrators
New Clear Door Dehydrators coming from Excalibur Dehydrators.
The Healing Kitchen DVD: Remedies from Nature's Pharmacy
Bring Andrea Candee's "The Healing Kitchen" workshop to you and take charge of your wellness naturally.
Hygiene Hypothesis: Why It May Be OK to Get a Little Dirty
The "hygiene hypothesis" could explain the rise in asthma and allergy rates, according to some scientists. Learn more about why exposure to germs isn't always a bad thing.
Turkey Traps and Top Bar Hive Modifications
Top bar hive modifications, turkey traps, and gourmet potatoes are just a few of the topics covered in the past week of blogging we've been up to. Homesteading healthcare and a new virtual book club round off the week with several reader comments.
Moving in an Environmentally Friendly Way
Moving is stressful, but it's not an excuse to forget your carbon footprint. Here are some ways to make your move as eco-friendly as possible.
2010 Washdrops, a Gentle, Hose-Less "Wash and Shine Solution"
With WASHDROPS™, consumers can wash everything from vehicles and patio furniture to aluminum siding, conserve water, a precious resource, and be environmentally responsible.
Easy Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
To make liquid hand soap all you need is a bar of soap and a cheese grater. What could be easier?
A Year in the Round: A Domestic Sunday!
Holy cow, I just wrote a blog about cleaning. I really am turning into my mother.
DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
Check out this natural All-Purpose Cleaner recipe.
11 Tips for a Healthier, Safer Kichen
Check out Annie B. Bond's list of 11 easy tips for making your kitchen more healthy and safe, from Care2.
Cleaning with Essential Oils
Discover some of the properties of essential oils, along with some tips for cleaning with them.
Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy: BPA
Trace amounts of chemicals are particularly harmful to developing babies, which means expectant mothers should be careful. In the first post of a series, Jessica Kellner writes about the dangers of BPA and how to avoid the chemical.
Pop Culture: How to Make Soda Syrups, 3 Ways
Resist popping tabs this season and get familiar with the ultimate cola cure: soda syrups made from fresh fruits and herbs.
What's That Smell in My House?
You smell an odor in your home and suspect that it isn't healthy. This article explains how to do some safe investigation in preparation for calling in an expert.
A Healthy Bed: Your Most Important Furniture Choice
When it comes to your health and well-being your bed is the most important furniture choice you will make. This article describes why and how to choose the healthiest bed options for you and your family.
How to Be Happy, According to Ben Does Life
Ben Davis, of Ben Does Life, has a truly inspirng weight loss story, but it's how message about how to be happy that is most motivational.
Time to Celebrate Earth — Dirt!
Today we officially celebrate Earth Day, but we can celebrate healthy soil and all that it contributes to our lives every day.
Designated Hand Towels Keep Kitchens Safer
Kitchen dish towels designated only for hand drying help keep germs out of the kitchen, without going on a fanatical sanitizing binge.
Healthy Salad App for iPhone
Create more than 12,000 different healthy salad dressings using this App.
Discovering Dancing for Birth
A few words describing how I came to Dancing for Birth and why I believe every woman should dance through her birth.
Creating a Slow Time Movement
Can we start a Slow Time Movement? One that would be like the Slow Food Movement.
Man's Best Friend
The benefits of adopting a pet. And the sadness that occurs when they die.
Who Am I?
Exploring our misconceptions of who we are when we are defined by our online presence.
Well Read
What does well read mean to you? Does the material you read and your personality traits determine how you view the world? This blog explores what well read means to me.
A Vision for a Better World, Part 2
For humanity to create a better world, we must address issues of economic equality and limited resources. The natural environment can recover from much damage if we gradually limit the human population and judge business success by quality rather than quantity.
Sun-Lite for Solar Greenhouse Application
Sun-Lite HP for greenhouse glazing provides excellent diffused light.
The Carbon Cycle
This blog explains how the carbon cycle regulates atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide. The blog also discusses how the burning of fossil fuels has disrupted the carbon cycle which increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
A Hoophouse on the Horizon
Putting up a hoophouse expands the growing opportunity into the barren winter months. A USDA program is helping market growers purchase a hoophouse to find out if local farmers and consumers reap benefits from extending local growing seasons.
Fossil Fuel and Atmospheric Levels of Carbon Dioxide
We discuss the concept that carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels is partly responsible for the current atmospheric carbon overload. We also briefly discuss other human activities that contribute to the atmospheric carbon overload.
Senate Starts Hearings For Energy Bill
Since the U.S. House of Represenatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the U.S. Senate started work on its own energy and clilmate change bill.
Thawing Permafrost Could Accelerate Global Warming
A new study finds that warming temperatures will cause up to two-thirds of the earth's permafrost to disappear by 2200, unleashing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Arctic Feedback Factor and Climate Change
In this posting we discuss the role of the positive Arctic Feedback Factor in amplfying climate change. We also discuss how this feedback factor triggers the release of methane from the floor of the Arctic Ocean and from the permafrost.
An Aquaponics Greenhouse Makes a Splash for Homesteading Education Month
Andre Armantrout sent us this wonderful update from a Homesteading Education Month event featuring aquaculture at Snowy Pine Ridge, outside Spokane, Wash.
The Start of Eco-Friendly Nursery Renovations
As a nursery renovation begins, Jessica, editor of Natural Home and Garden, is just beginning an investigation into remodeling options for an eco-friendly nursery.
Searching for a Safe, Natural Crib
Healthy baby shopping begins with an investigation into nontoxic cribs. Check out these three solid wood options.
Nourishing Myself (A First Time Homeowner's Guide to Kitchen Renovations)
Simran Sethi describes the choices she made for her eco-friendly kitchen remodel.
Food is Love
Simran Sethi enjoys the fruits of late summer at a local farm dinner.
Physical Causes of Mental Illness
Millions of people suffer from mental illness and depend on psychiatric drugs to get them through the day. Conventional treatment may block the symptoms but do nothing to address the underlying cause. There are 5 common physical causes of mental illness.
Walking for Health
American leaders are planning to launch a national summit recognizing the benefits of walking for health.
Coal Pollution in China Found to Lower Life Expectancy
Studies show air pollution in China can reduce a life span by up to 5.5 years.
Sunshine Tea
Making great sunshine tea is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines for contents, quantities, and water.
Hot Tips to Stay Cool
Memorial Day signifies the unofficial start of summer and onset of hot weather. Use these tips to stay cool.
Preparing Soil in Our Community Garden
Garden like the Native Americans by digging up 18-inch-diameter hills on four foot centers. Get your crops started, then worry about working the areas in between the hills.
Probiotics For the Soil: Brew Your Own Local, Indigenous Microbes
Soil microbes provide numerous benefits to plants. This is a recipe for creating a brew of your own local, indigenous microbes.
Electric School Buses Help Reduce Fossil Fuel Emissions
California's Kings Canyon school district recently debuted a new electric bus that will cut diesel emissions and help student health.
Intro to Happiness Exercises
Feeling blue? Try these simple happiness exercises including bouncing on an exercise ball and smiling while holding a pen or pencil in your mouth.
A Collection of Responses to Stanford's Organic Food Study: Organic Food Is Worth It
Are organic foods healthier? In the wake of a media frenzy revolving a "study" by Stanford University claiming to answer this question, many people were left wondering. Benefits of organic food go beyond the vitamin content: The overwhelming amounts and types of pesticides in our food play a major role in many shoppers' decision to go organic.
What Do You Do to Stay Healthy During Winter Months?
It can be challenging to stay physically healthy and keep your spirits up during the winter months. You tell us, what do you do to say healthy this time of year?
School Lunches Fall Prey to Lobbyists
Shouldn't our kids' lunches be determined by nutritional value, not special interests?
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week: Handling Heat Islands
This describes how older individuals can take steps to keep themselves cool on very hot days.
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — Celebrate National Wildflower Week!
Tips on how to celebrate National Wildflower Week, May 6-13!
As Congress Takes Steps Toward Regulating Chemicals, Protect Yourself Against the Most Dangerous
If passed, the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act would regulate dangerous chemicals and offer Americans better health protection from toxins in everyday products.
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — Cleaning Up (Tornadoes)
Tips on how to stay safe during clean-up activities after a tornado.
Climate Change Puts Global Health at Risk
A new report issued by The Lancet, an international medical journal, says global warming and climate change will create health risks for billions of people worldwide.
How To Transition Healthfully Through Life Changes and Challenges
Practical tips for transitioning through life's changes mindfully and healthfully. This will cover simple ways to get back on track and stay focused forward. Alex and Ashley share their own personal experience with picking back up and moving forward.
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — October is Children's Health Month
Tips on how to protect children during Children's Health Month in October!
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — It Feels a Lot Colder Than the Actual Temperature
Tips on how to stay safe and warm during extremely cold wind chill temperatures.
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — Stay Safe In the Sun
July is UV Safety Month. Stay safe in the sun with these tips.
Republication of Seralini Study Exposes Roundup
A study links Roundup herbicide and genetically modified maize to a wide range of health maladies, including liver and kidney damage.
Hoop House Transformation
The hoophouse on our farm is filled with greens all winter long. It's almost hard to switch gears for summer tomatoes.
Shrimp and (Really Good) Grits with Greens Recipe
Recipe for Southern-style shrimp and grits, made with superb Floriani Red Flint grain corn.
When Spring Gives You Dandelions, Make Dinner!
Far from being weeds, spring's earliest greens are packed with nutrition and help detox the body.
Looking Ahead
Using cold frames for fall salad greens can extend your season of fresh eating.
Meatless Monday Recipe: Nest of Wilted Greens with Sunnyside Up Eggs
Ann Harvey Yonkers, founder of Washington, D.C.'s FreshFarm Markets co-op, nests eggs in a bed of wilted fresh greens for a delicious meatless summertime brunch or dinner.
Spring Greens and Other Things from the Early Vegetable Garden
The mild winter has led to an earlier than usual spring growing season and plenty of surprises in the way of plants making it through the winter that normally would never survive the cold season. Here's a peek at what's growing in my spring garden.
Good Friday Wild Stir Fry
Gathering weeds from your garden or yard can make a quick, healthy spring meal.
Seed Swaps, Seed Saving and Abundant Winter Veggies
Host a community seed swap in honor of "National Seed Swap Day," plan to save your own seeds from the garden this year, and get inspired to cook creatively with winter vegetables.
Look to the East
We Westerners tend to think we've got it all going on when it comes to green living in general, and green building in particular.
Green Clean: Method Cleaning Products Receive Cradle to Cradle Certification
If you still want to do everything you can to make your home healthy—for your family and the planet—take a look at how you clean. Like it or not, we have to clean our homes on a regular basis. Natural Home offers lots of great ideas for making your own healthy, natural cleaning solutions—or look to some of the great green solutions now available at your grocery store.
How to Build a Hoop-style Greenhouse
A "how to" for building a hoop-style greenhouse using PVC pipe and plastic sheeting.
Dangerous Aspartame Side Effects in Children
Infants and children are susceptible to the dangers of aspartame side effects.
What Do You Think About the Proposed Soda Tax?
A new federal tax on soda and other sugary beverages has been suggested as a way to pay for part of the major overhaul of the U.S. health-care system proposed by the Obama administration. What do you think of the proposed soda tax?
Pesticides Disrupt Male Hormones, New Research Shows
British scientists have found that many pesticides--including those commonly found in food and 16 that were previously considered safe--disrupt male hormones.
Comment Before the EPA Rules on Carbon Dioxide
The Environmental Protection Agency is taking comments until Nov. 28 on how it should rule on global warming pollutants.
Putting the Community in a Community Garden
Describes the process of forming a community garden from the physical and energetic standpoints. The power of teamwork, the joy of accomplishment and the building of a feeling of group unity are described.
How to Clean Your Home's 10 Germiest Places
Keep your family healthy by paying close attention to your home's 10 germiest places.
Healthy, All-Natural Air Fresheners
Clear your home's air naturally for better health and well being.
Weekend Project: Clear Clutter!
Clearing out life's detritus is an important first step when spring cleaning. Follow these tips to make clutter-free, organized living possible.
Wabi-Sabi Wednesday: Simple, Natural Cleaning
Your simply imperfect arsenal for getting the whole house clean--naturally.
Goats: Just Kidding! Part 4
The babies have arrived, now is the time to take care of all of the other parts of caring for the newborns!
Goats: New Kids, Finally!
The kids have finally arrived, and we have plenty of photos of them!
FTC Regulates Green Marketing
Green marketing faces new regulations from the FTC for the first time since 1998. Natural Home's Editor-in-Chief, Robyn Griggs Lawrence, tells more in "FTC's New Green Marketing Guidelines Go After Greenwashers."
Tell Everyone About a Great Green Nonprofit
Do you support or work for a nonprofit that helps protect the environment or promotes sustainability? Whether it's a small local group or a national one, this month you have the opportunity to help it get recognized in GreatNonprofits' 2012 Green Awards. Here's how.
How Can I Get an Eco-friendly House on a Low Budget?
MOTHER EARTH NEWS' green homes editor offers remodeling advice for home owners interested in reducing their environmental footprint.
Refugees Find Home on Iowa Farm
Global Greens Farm in West Des Moines, Iowa, helps refugees transition from growing food for their families to operating small businesses that sell produce at farmers markets, local grocery stores and to area restaurants.
Tomato Tastings, Fall Garden Starts, and Getting Ready for Garlic
Come rejoice in the bounty of heirloom tomatoes - experience the flavors and choose your favorites at tomato tastings throughout the Southeast. Plus, it's time to plant fall alliums - garlic and perennial onions - and fall crops for winter storage!
Summer Planting for Fall and Winter Harvest
It may be sweltering hot outside, but we're still busily sowing seeds at the Southern Exposure farms! Learn how to plant your bountiful fall and winter garden, with abundant harvests through Thanksgiving and beyond.
A Greener Economy: Green Jobs, Green for All
The economic stimulus package that President Obama signed last month provides $20 billion for investment in a greener economy.
Already There
I've heard that the moment you plunk down a deposit for a vacation or buy yourself a plane ticket, a good chunk of you is already at the beach (or the mountains or the city . . . or wherever).
Cheeseburgers in Paradise
Editor-in-Chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence gets a great dose of green--and cheeseburgers--in Austin, Texas.
Sweet Carolinas
Robyn finds enthusiasm for and interest in green building during a recent trip to the Carolinas.
Greener, Homemade Cleaners
Conventional household cleaners contain toxic chemicals that could have adverse effects on your health. Learn how to mix up your own homemade cleaners with these suggestions from Natural Home magazine editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence.
Rest in Peace . . . or Get Your Piece?
I'm sitting on the deck of my room at the Northern Queen Inn in Nevada City, California, on a gorgeous spring day.
Good Green Gifts
Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence shares what she's learned about the challenges of mass producing eco-friendly products that meet our own tough criteria.
Does Buying Green Make Us Better People?
A new study shows that people who buy green products are more likely to cheat and steal than people who buy conventional products.
Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices
Mindy Pennybacker's new book, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices, and her website, GreenerPenny.com, offer easy tips for daily green living.
Mayors Back Mandatory Green Building Codes
The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses mandatory green building codes for all new commercial buildings nationwide.
The Year in Natural Homes
Our favorite natural homes of 2010 range in size and grandiosity, from a 280-square-foot mountain cottage to an urban warehouse-cum-artists'-loft. Every one of them can teach us a lot about living green.
2010 Predictions: Simpler, Greener Lifestyles
As a new year unfolds, Natural Home forecasts 2010 predictions—and it's good news—Americans will become smarter, greener consumers.
Blooming Green
This morning in my inbox: Orlando Bloom announced at Wednesday night's Global Green pre-Oscars party that he's building a green, solar-powered home in London. And an RISMedia report stating that despite the downturn in the general housing market, demand for green homes continues to be a hot trend.
2010 Predictions: Smaller, Smarter, Greener Homes
For part three of our 2010 Predictions series, the experts predict that consumers will demand—and create—healthier, more efficient homes. Cool by us.
Phoenix Rising
A Christmas present leads editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence to ponder the benefits of green-building initiatives in Arizona.
The Greenest Band in the Land
The Giving Tree Band has done it again with their latest folk album, "Great Possessions." Read how they created what has been dubbed "the greenest of albums."
Churches Take on the Environment
The green movement is showing up in some unexpected places.
2010 Predictions: Green Building Trends
Expect to see more modular homes, a boom in the green remodeling business and a ton more "green" products when it comes to green building trends in 2010—and be prepared to ask a lot more questions.
Seeing Red
For the past year, I've been chronicling the progress of a green-built home here in Boulder, Colorado, where I live, via this blog and accompanying videos. Watching the project unfold has been enlightening for many reasons, not least of which is the opportunity to see firsthand many of the cool technologies we read about and hear about. Sometimes that entails a little sacrifice.
Vespa USA Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Vespa 50cc Motor Scooter
Vespa USA highlights five decades of smart metro mobility, freedom and fun.
Deltec Homes Offers Hurricane Resistant Structures
In 45 years, Deltec Homes have never lost a house to high winds.
Building Biology Embracing Natures Wisdom for Health and Ecology
Get an introduction to Building Biology, the science and philosophy of healthy and ecological building that originated in Germany 60 years ago.
How to Create A Healthy Yoga Studio
Learn how to create a yoga studio that enhances your practice and your health.
Healthy Farms: The Answer to a National Superweed Crisis
Monsanto's Roundup Ready system transformed typical weed problems into a national superweed crisis, only healthy farms can correct the damage done.
Architecture 2030 Challenge for Products Issued Today
The Architecture 2030 Challenge for Products asks designers and builders to spec materials with lower carbon footprints.
Eating Healthily: Where to Begin
We may find it overwhelming to know where to begin in teaching others to eat healthily. People attempting to eat healthier find it difficult to know where to begin. "The Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables gives us all a place to start.
A Few Reasons to Love Plum Organics
One of our "14 Sustainable Food Companies You Can Trust," Plum Organics is good for your baby's health and the health of the planet.
Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy: Retinol
In the third in a series on potential toxins and chemicals to avoid during pregnancy, Natural Home & Garden Editor Jessica Kellner discusses the dangers associated with use of retinol in skin care products.
New Granolas from Bob's Red Mill Provide Delicious and Nutritious Ready-to-Eat Treats
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods announces the retail availability of four new delicious and all-natural granolas that provide perfect ready-to-eat options for the breakfast table or on the go.
For Your Health: January is Radon Awareness Month
Learn how to identify and expel radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., from your home.
National Day of Unplugging Begins Today at Sundown
Celebrate a technology-free Sabbath with a jug of organic wine, a loaf of homemade bread and handmade candles. Could you go 24 hours without your smartphone?
Meatless Monday Recipes: Post-Thanksgiving Salads
If Thanksgiving weekend left you craving light, nutritious meals, try these recipes for winter-friendly salads.
Alternative to USDA Dietary Guidelines Proposed
Washington, DC nutrition foundation, Weston A. Price Foundation, proposes a Healthy 4 Life dietary plan in the form of a colorful booklet and poster featuring four food groups: animal foods; grains, legumes and nuts; vegetables and fruits; and healthy fats.
Bastyr University and Premera Blue Cross Launch Innovative Childhood Obesity Prevention Pilot Program
Bastyr University and Premera Blue Cross today announced the launch of an innovative pilot program aimed at preventing or reversing childhood obesity.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Say No to Junk Food
Kitchen Gardeners International's 20ate campaign urges Americans to say no to junk food.
A Vision for a Better World, Part 1
Humanity has the power to change and to take the actions needed to foster a healthy planet and a better standard of living for all. Choosing beauty and abundance will ensure a better future not only for humanity, but for the natural environment as well.
Dinner Table + Fruits & Veggies = Happy Families
Drag them... pull them... tie them to a chair! Whatever you have to do to get your family to sit around a table and eat healthfully--do it! We are losing the simple act as gathering as a family a sharing a meal. Do you hear the dinner bell? Let's go!
Ft. Garland, Colorado - Part 6
The final in a 6 part series on Ft. Garland, Colorado
Fort Garland, Colorado - Introduction
Living in possibly the best place in the USA.
A New Way of Looking At the Bailout
Everyone's talking about the economic bailout, but few seem to focus on the bigger issue: we need more jobs, and we need a viable economic stimulus. One study shows those needs could come from green investment.
Poor Dietary Habits Kill More People Than Smoking
Studies show unhealthy dieting kills more people than alcohol, cigarettes and drug use combined.
Homemade Sunscreen for Babies
Moms, protect your baby's health with this safe, homemade sunscreen.
Gather Free Biomass from the Woods
Gathering leaves from the woods to mulch the garden and stump dirt to turn into potting soil not only provides free biomass for the garden, it also introduces beneficial microorganisms.
4 Reasons to Avoid Food Preservatives
Processed foods contain a variety of chemical preservatives that have been linked to serious medical conditions. Here's what to look for and how to avoid food preservatives.
Spring Pond Algae Invasion
Don't let the spring invasion by algae aggravate the enjoyment of your pond.
Mystery of Broken Pottery in a Vegetable Garden
Solving the mystery of finding broken shards of china and pottery in an old garden. Discovering the history of the land and its first settlers.
Improving Garden Soil: Milk and Molasses Magic
Do you know about the magic of milk and molasses in improving your garden? Yes, plain old milk of any kind – whole, 2%, raw, dried, skim or nonfat – is a miracle in the garden for plants, soil and compost. Molasses only boosts the benefits! Let's see how and why they work.
How To Make A Soil Block
Learning how to make a soil block is a simple skill capable of permitting one to become involved within their local CSA or farm. It can also be a great way to meet local farmers, reduce CSA membership fees, and learn about organic gardening. Before each seed is sowed it must have a soil block to grow in. Being part of that initial step brings great joy.
Keeping Baby Chicks Healthy
This blog covers baby chick nutrition and avoiding delayed starve out.
Almighty Olives: These Small Fruits Pack Big Health Benefits
Tiny as they may be, olives are proving to pack a big health punch, particularly in keeping the mind in shape by preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Find out more nutrition facts about olives, and discover some olive-tastic recipes.
Dead Trees Full of Life
To turn a woodlot into a park with no "litter" on the ground might look tidy, but is not very healthy or functional. Next time you look at a dead tree or a log rotting on the ground; look at it as something full of life.
Why buy organic? My answer to a critic.(2)
Cole responds to a critic.
New Organization Seeks to Eradicate Factory Farms
The Center to Expose and Close Animal Factories employs a strong legal background to take on industrial agriculture. Learn about their plan to clean up the business for good.
Why buy organic? My answer to a critic.
Cole responds to a critic.
Herbal Remedies for Colds and Flu
These natural cold and flu remedies will help you build up your immune system and reduce the duration and discomfort of colds and flu.
Hand Sanitizer Dangers
Keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer at the ready can come in handy in situations where you can't access soap and water, but using it too often can come with some risks.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Faith Starr, Wild Plant Advocate
Faith Starr of Living Green With Faith will present workshops on weeds and wild plants at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlight: Erin Harwood and Eloyce O'Connor, Herb Enthusiasts
Erin Harwood and Eloyce O'Connor of the Garden Delights CSA and Herb Farm will present a workshop on natural remedies at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Jaclyn Chasse, Naturopathic Physician
Dr. Jaclyn Chasse, naturopathic physician, will present workshops on natural menopause options, building a natural first aid kit and detoxing at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25 in Seven Springs, PA.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Jeremy Galvan, Midwife Advocate
Jeremy Galvan of Maryland Families for Safe Birth will present a workshop on midwives and home births at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlight: Erin McIntosh, Herbalist and Victoria Miller, Turkey Specialist
Erin McIntosh of Mountain Rose Herbs and Victoria Miller of Canyon Creek Farms will present workshops on calming herbs and how to keep turkeys at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Study Links Genetically Modified Food With Tumors, Premature Death in Rats
A new Canadian study shows a link between consuming Roundup-contaminated water and/or GM corn and increased likelihood for illness and premature death in rats.
Beef Scares in 2010
At least four major beef recalls due to E. coli tainted meat occurred in 2010. A substantial percentage of the meat was certified organic. With these beef scares in mind, the fact that Grist readers voted hamburgers as the second scariest food of 2010 comes as no surprise.
Foamy Shampoo Bar Recipe
Skip the packaging and synthetic chemicals and learn how to make your own, cold-processed shampoo bars.
Harrisons' Pet Products Introduce Recover Nutritional Formula
Harrisons' Pet Products Recover: A Complete Nutritional Formula is for sick or injured animals.
HealthyCoat Multiple Benefits Voted Best Choice By Vets And Trainers
HealthyCoat offers high quality and a highly digestible source of Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids, Vitamin E and Lecithin, fortified with Niacin, Biotin and Vitamin B12.
7 Steps to a Clutter-Free Dining Table
When the dining table is laden down with mail, laptops and other clutter, the entire house feels messy. Follow these seven steps to keep your dining table free of detritus. (Set it for dinner right after breakfast, if you have to.)
Wabi-Sabi Wednesday: Clean Enough
Wabi-sabi is never slobby, but we can allow ourselves to stop trying so hard and just appreciate our warm bed at the end of the day—whether it's made or not.
Goats: Just Kidding! Part 5
After the kidding is over, we take good care of our girls! And, the babies need to be bottle fed, so here are the instructions on how we feed our kids.
3 Homes That Heal
Forced to extremes by illness, these homeowners built sacred, beautiful homes completely free of toxic chemicals, petrochemical fumes and other poisons. For all three, better housing has meant better health.
European Union to Ban Chemicals Used in Building Materials
EU's ban of five chemicals commonly used in building materials will "shake up the industry," Healthy Building Network official predicts.
Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce Opens Local Chapter
The Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce is the only statewide green chamber of commerce in the country, and they're opening their first local chapter in Phoenix next week.
The EPA Recognized 20 Green Power Partnerships
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a list of the top 20 on-site renewable electtricity generators.
Renewable Energy Education
Join the green collar economy by going through a green job training program. Learn the ins and outs of solar photovoltaics, wind power or biomass and save the planet while furthering your career.
Announcing the Launch of Green Jobs Now
Discover Green Jobs Now: National Day of Action to Build the New Economy and learn how you can get in on the action by finding or even organizing events in your area.
This Meatless Monday, More Reasons to Eat Less Beef
Taking into account production, processing, consumption and disposal, the Environmental Working Group found that if everyone in the U.S. gave up meat or cheese one day a week for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 7.6 million cars off the road.
We Have an Old Garage and Need to Rebuild. Any Ideas for Making the Project More Green?
Here are some tips for making a new garage more environmentally friendly.
Uses for Green Tomatoes
Use these green tomato recipes when garden season leaves you with an abundance of green tomatoes on your vines.
Looking for Work? Find a Good Food Job!
A new job-finding website, Good Food Jobs, can help you find meaningful work in the food industry.
Car-Free Week, Dare to Ride!
Bike-Free Day happens all over the world on Sept. 22. Grist is challenging the US to rise to the occasion and celebrate with the global community this Saturday.
Dan Chiras on Net-Zero Home Energy Homes
This two-day, alternative building workshop featuring energy expert Dan Chiras will be held March 13-14, 2010 in St. Louis.
Mayors Form Green School Alliance
Mayors from across the country have created an alliance to facilitate green buildings for K-12 schools.
Chevrolet Announces Carbon Reduction Initiative with Video
In 2010, Chevrolet announced that they were embarking on their Carbon Reduction Initiative, an effort to invest $40 million in carbon offset projects across the country with the goal of reducing up to 8 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions. The program includes wind, landfill-gas-to-energy, solar, efficiency, and conservation projects.
Chinese Drywall Leaks Sulfur Into Homes
Homeowners beware. Your drywall could be poisoning your home. Officials believe that since 2001, drywall imported from China has contained high levels of sulfur that could be leaking into homes and other buildings.
Natural Home Living: Everything You Need To Know About Going Green
Natural Home magazine editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence introduces her new blog, Natural Home Living, and shares everything you need to know about going green. Natural Home Living focuses on answering your green home questions, following green building news and showing you how to save money by going green.
U.S. Green Building Council Rejects Sustainable Forestry Initiative Wood
The U.S. Green Building Council singles out the Forest Stewardship Council as the only trusted wood certifier.
Do You Work in Food?
Readers share resources and information about their food-related jobs.
Where Can I Buy the Greenest Shower Curtain Liners?
Don't choose vinyl: There is a greener option.
Who Wood Have Thought?
In response to last week's post, we received a letter asking why the forest products industry would be considered a "foe" to green buildings. "I can understand why plastics and vinyl doesn't make sense, but aren't wood products exactly the kind of material that qualifies as green?" this reader asked.
Hot for This Pod: The Sustainsia Work Pod
Sustainsia's compact, green-built work pod could solve my office needs.
Explore the Waters During Blue August
Don't miss Blue August, a month-long event with special programming from Planet Green that will motivate you to become more aware of the world's oceans.
An Affordable Green Roof
Using low-cost — but durable — earthbag construction, you can create a beautiful green roof.
Museum's Smart Home Gets a Green Makeover
Midwest Living designers give the Smart Home at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry a green makeover that features zero-VOC paint, furniture made from recycled steel and reclaimed wood, and other planet-friendly home decor.
Great Green Living Events
Enjoy visiting green living fairs, shows and workshops from Maine to Texas in every season of the year.
Greener Gadgets Conference: Gadgets to Get Excited About
Energy-monitoring devices won big at the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City.
BuildSmart Standards Too High?
The Boulder, Colorado, green-building program will get a makeover for its second year.
Seed Savers Exchange Searches for New Executive Director
The Seed Savers Exchange is looking for a new executive director. Just six months after he succeeded George DeVault, Aaron Whaley has resigned.
Are Metal Roofs Better Than Shingles?
Find out more about your best options for a greener roof.
The National Heirloom Exposition: A Gardening Event for the Ages
Come one, come all to The National Heirloom Exposition, the gardening event people are hailing as "The World's Pure Food Fair!" This exhibition will be held in Santa Rosa, California and will host a variety of natural food events, including the largest showcase of heirloom fruits and heirloom vegetables in history.
The Other Gingerbread – a Strawbale House
Enjoy this alternative "green" building strawbale gingerbread-style house made with graham crackers, mini-wheats and pretzels.
What Natural Household Cleaning Products Do You Use?
Share your thoughts. What homemade and natural cleaning products do you find work best in your home?
Veteran Green Building Editor Wins Hanley Award
BuildingGreen.com founder and Environmental Building News editor Alex Wilson wins Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing.
'Tis the Season: Shop Responsibly—Part 2
Remember to look for these key words when buying good, green gifts.
2011 Predictions: Remodeling Trends: Frugality, Comfort and Warmth
Natural Home is ahead of the most recent trends, highlighted in the National Association of Remodeling Industry's builder poll.
LEED for Homes: Guaranteed Green?
Learn what it means to have LEED-certified home and about the LEED for Homes program that started in 2008.
Consumer or Conservationist?
Natural Home editor in chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence discusses the pros and cons of green consumerism.
Carol Venolia Teaches Austinites to Live Lusciously
This week green building author, architect and Natural Home columnist Carol Venolia dispenses advice on green remodeling during workshops sponsored by Design~Build~Live in Austin, Texas.
Greedy for Green
The past couple of weeks have been heartening for me. First of all, I'm always ridiculously happy to see the month of March end. No matter what's going on in my life, the onset of April's longer days and the sudden burst of plum blossoms in my back yard causes a tectonic shift in my mood. I can't help it. I'm just completely in love with spring.
Home Economics 101: Go Green, Save Green
A recent American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey found that demand for luxury products is waning. In contrast, manufacturers are seeing an increased emphasis on both accessibility/universal design and renewable materials. Essentially, homeowners are shying away from expensive (and usually unnecessary) products that add little actual value to their home, concentrating instead on features that promote energy efficiency and sustainability.
Second round of stimulus includes green jobs
President Barack Obama's second wave of stimulus money creates new green jobs.
Why Are People Starving?
The reasons for the inequitable distribution of human nourishment, worldwide, are complex and hotly debated.
A Clean and Green Home
Simran Sethi discusses what it takes for a home to be truly clean by avoiding harsh chemicals and using natural cleaning products.
Pedal Powered Soil Testing
An update on generating electricity with pedal power and which exercise bike we decided on and testing soil for nutrient ratios along with fixing a pair of leaky boots with adhesive and inner tube scrap patch.
Use a Detox Cleanse to Regain Sagging Energy
What do farm-raised salmon, your typical DEET bug spray, and non-filtered drinking water all have in common? These are frequently encountered sources of toxins which in excess could be threatening your health, but following a detox cleanse will keep you protected and restore energy!
Local Seafood, and What That Really Means
How does one eat more of the right types of seafood to reap all the health benefits without going bald? Choose local!
What to Know About Imported Seafood
With the U.S. importing 91 percent of its food, many crucial details of what we're consuming can be hard to trace: how our seafood is caught or produced, health codes across borders, and how the ecosystems are being affected. But does that matter?
Why Am I Tired All the Time?
The answer to your burning question, "Why am I tired all the time?" may simply be this: your body's ability to manage stress effectively by means of the adrenal glands has been compromised. Chronic or excessive stress disrupts the normal functioning of the body's stress response system. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of this disruption.
Liver Detox: Why You Need It … How to Do It
Detoxification is a powerful tool for treating fatigue and helping your body handle toxins—everything from car exhaust to junk food. Give your body a natural energy and health boost using this simple liver detox program.
Ricotta and Kefir
In this blog we explore making your own ricotta and kefir, with recipes!
The Health Benefits of Natural Honey
Honey from our backyard bees provide us with a sweetener, but just as important, honey has many health benefits.
Eight Natural Bee Sting Treatment Options
Bee stings are so painful you feel like a burning torch has touched your skin! To get fast relief, here are 8 natural bee sting treatment options you can use at home.
Grass-Fed Beef Health Benefits: A Meat-Buyer's Guide
Grass fed beef benefits for health are remarkable indeed; but are they fabulous enough to justify the extra cost? And how do you know you are buying the real thing?
Remarkable Ginseng Research Backs Herb's Reputation
Ginseng benefits reach far and wide—both Asian and American ginseng help boost energy and vitality, improve concentration, prevent the flu, plus so much more.
Healthy Lunch Recipes
This time of year, many are intent on healthier eating, but find it hard to find healthy foods that actually taste good. Use these 3 delicious healthy lunch recipes for a mealtime you can truly enjoy!
Iodine Rich BõKU Products May Help Guard Consumers From Radiation
With all the recent panic about radiation contamination, our loyal BõKU customers felt safer, and more protected, with BõKU's nutrient dense support.
U.S. Finally Declares Formaldehyde--Ubiquitous in Household Products--a Carcinogen
After years of caving to the chemical industry, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delcared formaldehyde—common in particleboard, plastics and textiles—a known human carcinogen.
Minnesota Company Celebrates 30 Years of Natural Healing
Steuart Laboratories manufactures and markets several dozen herb-based healing and pain products for both the human and livestock markets.
Happiness Exercise No. 1: The Joy of Bitter, or, How Sniffing Horseradish May Improve Mood
Researchers have found that inhaling a bitter substance calms and dilates the airways. Can sniffing horseradish also calm and soothe the mind? Sniffing horseradish works for Ellen Sandbeck; can it work for you?
Herbs from Antiquity, Uses for Today
Many of the herbs used for beauty and health today have been tested and tried over centuries. A new article by James A. Duke, Ph.D., discusses the history and uses of flax, myrrh and others.
Feel-Good Friday: More Herbal Cures in Your Cupboard
Jessica expounds on the concept of cures in your cupboard with a few natural remedies for anxiety, general wellness, headache and menstruation/menopause.
Blueberries: Fountain of Youth
Blueberries are a true fountain of youth. This article will introduce you to the health benefits, how to grow, how to harvest, and how to eat this wonderful fruit.
Walking School Buses Make a Big Difference
Walking School Buses make a big impact by improving health, building community and filling in where school budgets fall short.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Ann Adams and Liz Brensinger, Healthy Gardening Experts
Ann Adams and Liz Brensinger of Green Heron Tools will present a workshop on the principles of good body mechanics at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Sue J. Morris, Gardener and Healer
Sue J. Morris of Sue's Salves will present two workshops on gardening and creating salves at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlights: Anne-Marie Faiola, Soapmaker and Dr. Andrew Iverson
Soapmaker Anne-Marie Faiola will present a workshop on soapmaking and Dr. Andrew Iverson will presenet a workshop on natural health at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
CSA Health Insurance Rebates
FairShare CSA Coalition partners with health insurance groups to offer a rebate for selecting fresh, organic, local produce.
A Father's Legacy of Natural Living
One of my earliest vivid childhood memories is sitting on my father's lap as a young girl reading the magazine together in the 1980s and all throughout my childhood. He would read aloud while I studied the pictures of passive solar building, vegetable gardening, sheep shearing, building your own sugar shack and the beautiful array of topics which he read to me frequently. Those images, along with the camping trips in the mountains, the whitewater and canoeing excursions, and our family trip to Alaska, have been etched in the catacombs of my childhood memories and have sculpted the person I have grown to become.
Vote With Your Dollars to Enrich Your Community
Although the concepts of fair trade, buying local and buying organic food are used to aid the economies of developing countries, these same three concepts can help our local communities become the healthy communities we can thrive in.
Conference Speakers Say Housing is Key to Individual and Public Health
At the Healthy Homes Conference in Denver today, I heard Home Depot Foundation CEO Fred Wacker say that the nonprofit sector is so far ahead of the profit sector in addressing healthy homes that it's embarrassing for the profit sector. I heard Ellen Tohn of Tohn Environmental Strategies say that the government will fund energy-efficiency updates in 1 million homes in the next year, making it paramount that energy workers understand healthy home principles. Poorly done house tightening could trap residents inside with contaminants and create hazards. And I was pleased to hear health care pioneer Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, put quality housing in the same arena as diet, exercise and public policy as a key to achieving individual health. "If you don't have healthy housing, I don't care how many times you push away from the table or how far you walk, you're not going to be healthy," he said.
Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy: Pesticides and Herbicides
In the second in a series on chemicals to avoid during pregnancy, Jessica discusses why and how to prevent dangerous pesticides and herbicides from entering our bodies and homes.
Converting Regular Recipes Into Vegan Recipes
You don't need vegan recipes to cook vegan. Make delicious vegan dishes out of regular recipes by substituting tofu for meat in chicken-cauliflower salad. In dairy-based recipes, such as wheat berry pudding, use vanilla coconut milk in place of dairy milk. Pair with crusty white bread and avocado-corn salsa for a delicious vegan meal!
Lessons from the Mother Earth News Fair
At the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup, Wash, I listened to lecturers cover topics from re-newable energy, small-scale farming, green building, organic gardening, simple living, and citizen solidarity building. While I listened, I pondered ways to weave these powerful themes into our children's lives.
Cheaper Homes Cost More to Build
Dan Chiras discusses the long-term benefits of building a green home.
New Cycling App for Bicyclists
The free CycleMap cycling app pinpoints the locations of nearly one million miles of bike paths around the world.
10 Essentials for a Green Kitchen: What Would You Include?
From a little-known sugar substitute to a conversation-starting book, this list of items for the green kitchen contains a few surprises.
Chilipad Mattress Cooler
Wireless temperature control mattresses and pads offer a dream come true for restless sleepers.
Have You Used Low VOC Paint?
Believe it: With patience and pecking around, you can find low-voc paint for little more (maybe even less!) than you'd pay for conventional paint. What's your experience?
BuildingGreen Offers Free Insulation Guide
For one week, BuildingGreen is offering a free download of an insulation guide, available with a 30-day trial of BuildingGreen Suite.
Warren Buffet Backs Affordable Green Prefab Homes
Clayton Homes' first green prefab home project, i-house, will feature a plethora of green technologies and innovative designs.
Guaranteed Green: Top 10 Green Building Products for 2010
BuildingGreen's 2010 Top 10 Green Building Products list includes a low-flow toilet, composite decking, a high-performing wall system and other products that conserve energy and resources.
Study Helps Buildings Slash Energy Use
The DOE and NREL released a study outlining ways to build grocery stories and medium-sized businesses that need 50 percent less energy.
More New Energy From Renewable Power Sources
American and European renewable power sources made up more than half of the countries' new electrical capacity in 2009.
X Prize Finds "Craziest Green Idea" Winner
The X Prize Foundation recently announced the winner of their "What's Your Crazy Green Idea" competition.
Save Money and Go Green With an MPG App
Using an MPG app may help reduce your consumption of gas, and make your commute and road trips more economical and green.
Training Workshops for Solar Installers and other Energy Professionals
Are you looking for professional training as a solar installer or retailer? Check out this list of workshops available at the American Solar Energy Society's 2009 Conference.
Rescued from Landfill, Coffee Bags Become Unique Accessories
JavaCycle has saved more than 40 tons of burlap coffee bag from landfills.
Eco-friendly Weddings Series No. 1: Green Engagement Rings and Green Wedding Rings
In this blog series, I'll guide you through eight sustainable wedding issues — starting with rings, and making stops for invitations and food — that are both easy and fun to remedy. After all, it may be your big day, but that doesn't mean you should forget the big picture. This blog is all about green wedding rings and green engagement rings.
Buying, Selling and Marketing Green Homes: The New MLS for a New Generation of Sustainable Building
Marketing green homes has been limited to few websites with outdated listings that cost the seller or agent an arm and a leg to list. As a homeowner who had invested a lot of money in a green remodel of my own, I was perplexed as to how I was going to show off all the features of my home in a normal MLS listing. With years of research and development, I created a very innovative way to buy, sell, and market sustainable homes.
Innovative Environmental Policy to Green America
Branded as smarter capitalism, the Petition for a Green Recovery seeks a new kind of environmental policy to green America. Using financial incentives, this idea plans to create a marketplace that takes into account environmental and social costs while increasing the green jobs sector.
What's the Best Type of 'Green' Insulation?
Mother Earth News' green homes editor discusses eco-friendly insulation options, and explains why some are greener than others.
The Beauty of Cordwood Building
A cordwood building consists of short, round pieces of wood (think firewood) held together with mortar, and there are many advantages to choosing this type of construction.
How to Create a Sustainable Workplace
Even progressive cities have work to do, and sometimes the biggest changes come from good people asking the right questions.
Be Smart About "Green" Businesses
Here are a few ways to know if a business is supporting green practices or not. Green practices are increasingly more and more important as companies increase and continue to have a large impact on the environment.
Does a Green Home Make a Difference?
Many people perceive going green as an inconvenience and an unnecessary burden on their daily lives. What they don't realize is that they can take simple steps to help protect the environment without the disruption to their lifestyle, but save money as well.
Looking for Reader Reports on Debt-Free Homes
Did you buy or build a home without going into debt? We're looking for stories on homes built with a small mortgage, or no mortgage at all. Here's what we want to know.
Guilt-Free Holiday Shopping
'Tis the season to shop for green gifts—here's how.
EPA's New Green Homes Website Helps Slash Your Energy Bills
A new Environmental Protection Agency website helps homeowners and renters decrease their energy consumption and cut carbon emissions.
Building Smart with SIPS
Learn more about this building project, which utilizes SIP technology combined with an unusual geometry.
Energy-Efficient Products for Your Home
Information about energy-efficient washing machines and cellular window shades. These energy-efficient appliances and window shades will please environmentally conscious consumers.
Toyota Taps Sun Power Too
Toyota installs a large solar panel system on a California facility, proving its green thumb extends farther than the road.
Paint With a Cause
Offering paint that saves the rain forest and a full list of ingredients, this natural finishes start-up aims to change the industry. Unearthed is making a bold move by providing full ingredient disclosure for all of its products.
Rock the Green: An Innovative Green Music Festival
If you crave great music with an eco-conscious cause, attend Rock the Green, Milwaukee's first green music festival.
'Tis the Season: Shop Responsibly—Part 3
Third-party certifications are extremely helpful. While you're out shopping, look for the following logos.
Buy a Lulan Artisans Bag, Fight Human Trafficking
Target Red Shop offers Lulan Artisans' fair trade clutch bags to help build better lives for weavers in southeast Asia and end human trafficking.
U.S. Green Building Council Promotes Green Schools
The USGBC's "50 for 50" green schools initiative aims to create a green schools caucus in every state legislature.
Beers Not Bombs: Company Makes Cool Stuff Out of Disarmed Nuclear Missile Systems
A company called From War to Peace makes "peace bronze" out of disarmed nuclear missile systems. The bronze is then transformed into cool items such as jewelry and bottle openers.
New Legislation Creates Green Building Opportunities
Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence explains how the new energy and climate legislation that creates opportunities in green building.
Accelerating Nature Through Green-Business Entrepreneurs
Accelerating Appalachia is the world's first nature-based green-business accelerator that connects innovators, investors and mentors that are aligned with people, place and prosperity.
Earthships: The Power of Unconventional Ideas
More than 30 years ago, Michael Reynolds followed his vision of sustainable, energy-efficient homes that would work with nature. Today, his Earthships inspire green designers and architects.
Green New Year's Eve: What Are Your Tips for Hosting an Eco-friendly Party?
Check out these tips and share your ideas for welcoming 2010 with a green New Year's Eve party.
Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings
Washington, D.C., Nevada and New Mexico see the most LEED-certified green building per capita in 2010.
Lehigh Valley Green Builders Expo
The Lehigh Valley Green Builders is presenting its third annual Green Home and Building Expo.
Green Homes and Green Building Information: An Index
This index links to some recent and popular posts related to green building, design, remodeling, and home improvement. The posts cover a broad range of topics, from green products to projects to practices, as well as sustainable communities.
Old School Beauty Basics: How to Make Glycerin
What's with glycerin? It's a soap-making byproduct with antibacterial properties, but it's often made with animal fat derivatives, which isn't really our thing. So, we figured out how to make our own veggie version with coconut oil, opening up a whole world of kitchen pantry beauty concoctions.
My Sabbath Garden
A great way to get more enjoyment in the garden and less work, is to try the ancient concept of a garden Sabbath. That's one day a week where gardening isn't allowed, but communing with nature is.
A Painful Lesson
Environmental journalist Simran Sethi discusses the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill with Oceana's Senior Campaign Director Jackie Savitz.
Eating Fresh Food Drastically Reduces BPA Levels, Study Finds
BPA levels in families who ate fresh rather than canned and packaged food dropped by 60 percent, a study found. Cooking at home with fresh food is the best way to avoid this potentially dangerous chemical
Recent Films: On food, farming, fuel, energy, climate, health, etc.
This is a rundown of films that came out in the last few years. These films cover a wide range of environmental topics, from energy, climate, and fuel, to food, farming, and health. Many of the films have won awards or been critically acclaimed.
Cover Crops: Add Some Oomph to Your Soil
Cover crops are grown between planting seasons as a way to give back to the soil what cultivation takes from it. And cover crops aren't just for large-scale growers—they can help you get the most out of your backyard vegetable garden too!
MOTHER EARTH NEWS Wins 2012 Eddie Award for Guide to Green Cars
MOTHER EARTH NEWS is proud to announce we have won a prestigious publishing award for our Guide to Green Cars.
Toxic Flame Retardants Are Rampant in Baby Products, New Study Finds
In the first study of its kind, Duke University researchers found multiple toxic chemical flame retardants in car seats, breast-feeding pillows, changing pads, crib wedges and bassinet mattresses. Ask about flammability standards before you buy.
An Unintended Death
The unintended death of a charming little creature raises the realities of life on a farm homestead.
Simple and Green Building
To me, the most important features of a sustainable building are not its technological wonders but its simple design features: common-sense strategies that should be incorporated whether the building becomes LEED certified, Energy Star certified, or is just trying to be environmentally friendly.
Building My Net Zero Energy Home: The Back Story
In this blog, my architect James Plagmann and I begin to tell the story of the construction of Dan's new net zero energy homes. Dan begins by laying the ground, defining a few terms and describing his experience in this field.
Healthy, Natural Green Beer for St. Paddy's Day
Use spirulina or wheat grass instead of iffy chemical dyes to turn your beer green this St. Patrick's Day.
30 Steps to Energy Efficiency - Step 6: Do Full Loads of Laundry and Dishes
Heating water is the highest drain that laundry machines and dishwashers have on your bill. Onaverage, water heating accounts for 18 percent of your energy bill.
Bike Score Rates Bikeability of Cities
How does your city rate for bikeability? Check the Bike Score website.
EPA Offers List of Green Apps
The Environmental Protection Agency has compiled a list of more than 100 green apps.
The Responsibility of the Corporate World to the Environment
For decades, corporations have been able to skirt past being held accountable for any environmental irresponsibility, and that has helped propel us into a time where pollution is out of control, and our natural resources are at a constant decline. Raising the standards for these faceless corporations is becoming evermore necessary.
Evergreen Institute Releases 2010 Class Schedule
Check out these renewable-energy courses to see if there's an Evergreen class for you.
Is There an Electric Car in Your Future?
Do you see yourself in an electric car? Dan Chiras lists the benefits of driving an electric vehicle, and predicts the benefits will increase as the technology becomes more sophisticated.
Green Gingerbread Houses: Building with SIPs
Check out this green gingerbread house built by MOTHER EARTH NEWS staff: It includes cookie and candy versions of SIPs construction, a living roof, and a solar electric system.
Natural Toys and Games for a Green Holiday
There's no reason not to "go green" when picking up a game for a young loved one. Despite the abundance of "Made in China" plastic toys and games that line the aisles, some companies have made it their business to create amazingly fun toys and games for children in ways that protect, preserve or restore the planet.
Compare Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Step on the gas with a clear conscience: Use Clean Cities' vehicle comparison site to find the right light-duty model among alternative fuel vehicles, and green up your life in the fast lane.
House Mouse Control
Safely eliminate mice in your home with these house mouse control tips.
Building SIPsmart: Concrete Forms
Michael Morley's SIPs home project is underway. On Tuesday, March 2, the excavator dug trench footings in at the site.
7 Ways Your iPhone Can Help Save the Planet
It's about seven unique way's you can use your iPhone to be more energy efficient.
Seven Lesser Known Devices That Can Help You Conserve Resources in the Home
In our modern society, we are starting to realize how important the environment is and how fragile it really is. Our resources are limited, and if we aren't kept in check, we will ruin any hope we have of preserving it. Using the technology we have available to help us is something everybody can do.
Get Smart About 'Green' Businesses
Here are a few ways to know if a business is supporting green practices or not. Green practices are increasingly more and more important as companies increase and continue to have a large impact on the environment.
Green Technology
New, efficient technology is replacing the old, and it is transforming the way in which we live, and more importantly, our impact on the environment.
Winner of Our Green Tomato Recipe Contest
Readers responded eagerly to our call for recipes to use up green tomatoes. An Ohio woman wowed the judges with her entry.
A College Degree No Longer a Guarantee
We are currently facing a job crisis. Most jobs available today require specific skills and not college diplomas. Congress recently passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act which should help train workers but fails to take note of the booming green job market.
'Integrated Forest Gardening' by Wayne Weiseman, Daniel Halsey and Bryce Ruddock
"Integrated Forest Gardening" is the first, and most comprehensive, guide about plant guilds ever written, and it covers in detail both what guilds are and how to design and construct them, complete with extensive color photography and design illustrations.
3 Reasons Why We Haven't Switched to Alternative Energy
Alternative energy has become a hot topic in recent years as we try and work towards more sustainable resources. Whether we'll get there or not remains to be seen.
Moving Toward an Ecology-Based Economy
As the planetary ecology falters, and finite resources are depleted, communities everywhere will be challenged to create vibrant local economies that function within and help to renew local ecosystems.
Passive Solar Homes vs. Passive House Standards: What's the Difference?
Passive House standards incorporate passive solar design principles, but the two labels don't mean the same thing. Learn about the difference between passive solar design and Passive House certification.
Bike and Walk to Work for Better Health
Biking and walking to work have significant health benefits, according to a new study. Pedestrians and cyclists have lower risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, and tend not to be overweight.
Test Driving Ford CMAX Energi Packs a Green Punch
For two weeks, I tested a hybrid vehicle. My family liked the car, I liked the car and without a doubt, the Ford C-MAX Energi is an amazing ride.
Green Building Council Honors Small, Affordable Home
The U.S. Green Building Council's Project of the Year is a small, urban home built for $100 per square foot.
New Electric Bicycle: 40-mile Range, Reasonable Price Tag
The stylish new Sanyo eneloop bike features a partially-self-charging electric motor and can travel up to 40 miles on a single charge.
Fried Green Tomatoes with a Cheesy Crust
Learn how to make fried green tomatoes with a cheesy crust with this twist on a classic Southern recipe.
Morton Buildings Project Applies for LEED Platinum Certification
Morton Buildings is a proud ENERGY STAR® partner and also employs LEED Accredited Professionals to assist customers looking to achieve certification.
Hemp-Lime Building Tested for Energy-Efficiency
Researchers at the University of Bath are all set to test the efficiency of the HemPod, a building made from a hemp-lime composite.
Would You Pay $40,000 for the Chevrolet Volt?
General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz recently discussed the price of the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt. What do you think?
Building SIPsmart: The Shell Is Complete!
Michael Morley is making progress on the SIPs home he's building in Lawrence, Kan. The roof is in place and the shell is essentially done.
Bank The Farm: Let it Snow!
How packing snow against your house can add R-value to your insulation - and subtract energy costs.
Tiny House Subdivision Planned in Oregon
Small house builder Rich Daniels seeks to cluster 100 homes under 400 square feet in a former sawmill.
Giving Green Gifts: Tips and Ideas
When shopping for the holidays, consider these seven strategies for giving greener gifts.
Thai Green Tomatoes with a Coconut Crust
How to make Thai-inspired fried green tomatoes.
Green Tomato Relish Recipe
How to make canned green tomato relish.
Aveda Receives Cradle to Cradle Certification
Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence finds another great reason to indulge herself in Aveda products: Aveda is the world's first beauty company to receive Gold Cradle to Cradle accolades.
Greenest Pizza In Town
Pizza Fusion is one of the 10 finalists in Co-op America's People's Choice Award for green business of the year. The company uses only organic ingredients and delivers its pizza with hybrids.
Earth-Kind Named Green America Top 10 People's Choice Finalist
The 10 People's Choice finalists are great examples of the socially and environmentally responsible business leaders that meet the standards of Green America's Seal of Approval.
Building SIPsmart: Concrete Finish and Risers
Michael Morley's SIPs home project is underway, and despite an unexpected snowstorm, progress has been made on the concrete slab and the risers.
Lots of Green in the Stimulus Package
Yep, some of the money in that stimulus bill is committed to green initiatives, including creating green jobs.
Carrotmob: Get Involved!
Carrotmob, a project of Virgance, a company that organizes activism campaigns, works to create social change by rewarding green businesses through consumer buying. Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence explains more about this innovative activism group.
What's Green?
Canada is helping define "green" products for its advertising industry.
Quick Cook Method Turns Algae Into Biocrude
Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed a way to "pressure cook" algae to produce biocrude. The process shows promise in the development of green fuels.