What is Green Beauty?

Birchbox.com (a netflix-style beauty company with a number of green partners like Tarte Cosmetics) has teamed up with Exhale MindBodySpa to offer a few words of wisdom:

We gave up plastic water bottles long ago, but we are still trying to get used to non-foaming natural shampoos and powdery toothpastes. Going green isn’t easy, and it’s hard to even know where to start. We called on expert Caitlin Conn, the skincare director at the eco-chic Exhale MindBodySpa, for advice. Conn is constantly auditioning new lines and she’s incredibly picky – “I can usually just tell from the ingredients whether I’ll use a product or not.”

Visit Birchbox.com for their "no-stress primer to natural beauty," for tips on how to:

1. Define Green
2. Spot Red Flag Ingredients
3. Say Bye-bye to SLS and Other Villains
4. Be Green and Efficacious

Farmers Markets are Blooming Nationwide

Food for thought (sorry!) while I get The Green Apt growing again:

Grist Graph

According to a Grist article, the number of farmers markets nationwide has jumped 16% in the last year. Depending on where you are, this may mean more opportunities for you to stock your kitchen in a more earth-friendly manner:

"You can find a market near you via the Eat Well Guide, LocalHarvest, or USDA. And if there isn't one? The USDA has guides for how to start a farmers market, for the truly ambitious."

Research

I've been neglecting The Green Apartment yet again, and for that I heartily apologize. Now that I'm finally revisiting this withered blog, I think it's time that I sit down and do a little homework.

So here goes... I'm out on my patio, taking advantage of the beautiful summer sunshine and breeze (instead of lighting and air conditioning), listening to a little Johnny Cash and about to delve into The Home Energy Diet by Paul Scheckel, searching for ways that we - as home/apartment renters - can have a positive (or less negative) impact on the climate, and save money while we're at it.

I'll let you know what I learn, and what I think of the book as I go.

Thanks for your patience, and stop by again soon!!

Heavy Duty Scouring Scrub

I recently spent a week cleaning out my father's house with a couple of friends. Each of us identifies as a "Green" person, but felt, due to the state of the home, that we may have to sacrifice our normal green standards for performance.

In the end, I admit, we did break down and use mainstream products for some of our most difficult tasks. It made me feel extremely guilty. I wish I had had time to do research on a better alternative!

Today, I stumbled upon a blog posting for Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste.

According to Karen Hanrahan of Best of Mother Earth:

Got something really tough to scour off ?? Try a cleaning paste that smells a little like something between bubble gum and cherry Kool-Aid. Gentle in that it won't scratch, but mighty in that it works really well!

Every single person I know who I have shared this product with is equally astounded by it. You need a very small amount to get the job done. Pick your very toughest stain and let this green alternative scouring paste take it on!!

It does appear as if Karen gets a piece of the action over at Shaklee [the header includes the text: Karen Hanrahan Mentoring YOU to Health Success! ~ 708.482.0678], so I'll order some of the cleansing paste for my upcoming move, and let you know what I think!

Update: In my research today, I've come upon a few more posts containing products being recommended and sold by Ms. Hanrahan. If you're interested in more of the products she's selling, see her blog about tub cleaning, No More Ring Around the Bathtub.

Gutter Gardens!!

We all deserve fresh, healthy food, and those of us in apartments shouldn't have to do without! That's why I love the gutter garden!

It is a fabulous (non-structural) small-garden option for an apartment's roof deck or small yard, using recycled/scrap gutters, of course.

Once I've moved into in my next Green Apartment (with a roof deck!), I will post some photos of my own. In the meantime, here is a photo from Apartment Therapy:



Thank you t0 Greenmoms for Tweeting this link to the enviromom blog!

GARAGE: Fuel Cell Vehicles

Each of these automobiles is run by an electric motor powered by the internal chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, rather than the combustion of gasoline in traditional engines. This means that instead of emitting harmful fumes into the atmosphere, Fuel Cell Vehicles combine hydrogen with oxygen to emit water!

Opponents of Fuel Cell technology claim that because hydrogen is harvested from hydrocarbon fuels or through electrolysis powered by the use of other fuels, it is as destructive as traditional carbon engines it replaces. According to Mother Jones, however, electrolysis can be performed using electricity from any type of source, including clean alternatives, such as wind, solar, and biomass power. Joseph J. Romm, in The Hype About Hydrogen, describes the positive and negative aspects of Hydrogen - from its abundance and its clean potential to the difficulties and hazards of storing and transporting the lightest gas.

Another potential hazard is the assorment of metals used in the Lithium-ion batteries used to store power generated by Fuel Cells, in addition to many cell phones and other rechargeable gadgets.Reports are mixed (positive/negative) as to the potential toxicity of these metals when disposed of improperly. Either way, without extensive consumer education and improved availability of recycling drop-offs, the amount of rechargeable batteries entering landfills will grow sharply as rechargeable technology enters more product lines.

Honda FCX Clarity. Honda has just announced that they are commencing with a limited initial release of their all-new Fuel Cell Vehicle beginning Summer 2008. Due to the limited availability of Hydrogen fueling stations, the three-year $600 monthly leases - including both collision service and insurance - will only available to customers in Torrance, Santa Monica, and Irvine.

According to Honda, the FCX Clarity is a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV), can drive a range of 270 miles without refueling, and has a top speed of 100 miles per hour.

LIVING ROOM: Books Borrowed and Bought

A discussion with my good friend Gioia in Washington Heights (NYC) sparked this entry to The Green Apartment. Gioia is very proud about her consumption of used books, and for good cause! As with most shopping habits, trying to be a responsible consumer of the printed word is tied to using as little resources as possible. Below are resources you can use to feed your need -happy hunting!

Libraries. The U.S. public library system is an easy, free, and generally familiar way to take advantage of used books. Before going back to school, I must admit that it had been quite a while since I had stepped into a library branch. Gioia, too, claimed that she was not within a reasonable distance from a branch. She was wrong - sorry G! There is one just six "short-blocks" away from her apartment!

The nicest thing about libraries these days? Most library systems, including the New York Public Library and my Boston Public Library, allow you to reserve and renew books online, and you can even request for them to be delivered from other branches. That way you know before you head out that you're not wasting a trip to pick up your literature of choice! Not sure where your nearest public library branch is? Check out this handy library search!

Book Exchanges. My problem (or one of them, anyways) is that I am overly attached to my books. Even as a child, I always treated them with great care, and I loathed to give them up, even temporarily, for fear that they will come back with pages folded back and stained or spines cracked from improper storage. While I've gotten more trusting in my book-lending habits, I still love my growing collection. If you, like me, are looking for free books to keep for your very own, or if you are looking to unload some that are taking too much space in your Green Apartment, here are some websites that might put you on the right track:

• Freecycle.org - A network of gift-givers. People post items they want to find or to get rid of, and their fellow freecyclers respond in kind. Everything is exchanged for free. Very cool.
  
• Craigslist - While most of you Apartmenters have probably checked out CL to find roommates, buy a guitar, or search for jobs, perhaps you haven't checked out two of their handy sections: Free, and Books. Often you can find books for almost nothing!

Bricks and Clicks. There are many fine purveyors of used books scattered across every city I've lived in. These range from those selling rare antique volumes to those in a dollar-bin jumble. My current favorites in the Boston area include Brookline Booksmith and Boston Book Annex, and in Minnesota, Half Price Books, mostly because I'd much rather support an independent book-seller than the alternative. Plus, you have to love the Boston Book Annex's feline shop-keepers. You can find your nearest used book seller (and lots of other independent businesses) on Yelp.com.

There are many online used book sellers, including Abe Books, and Half.com (a branch of eBay). Though somewhat obvious, Amazon.com hosts an impressively robust selection of used books from sellers worldwide. I've always had good luck through them for both text and personal books, though I generally check out the seller's rating before making my purchases.

Where do you get your used books? Leave a comment telling where it is and why you're a fan!