(ARA) - Gardening is good on so many levels, from the benefits of exercise in the outdoors and the opportunity to share special time with loved ones to having total control over the healthfulness of the vegetables you put on your family’s plates. But gardening can also be frustrating and futile - if you fail to protect your produce from voracious wildlife.

No matter how environmentally conscious we strive to be, no one relishes the idea of their lovingly raised produce winding up in the bellies of deer, rabbits, groundhogs, moles, voles and other animals. “Whether your garden is a large backyard plot, a medium-sized raised bed or some simple containers on your balcony or deck, foraging wildlife will be happy to visit and dine there - unless you take steps to urge them to go elsewhere,” says James J. Messina of Messina Wildlife Management.

Yet environmental awareness is an essential element of good gardening - and one of the reasons why you decided to grow your own fruits and vegetables. You care about what goes into the environment, so your pest control efforts need to be effective but environmentally friendly. So messy, dangerous chemicals that may put your family, pets and the environment at risk are out for you.

“There are a number of non-chemical ways to protect your produce from pests, including traps and fencing,” Messina says. “Most are labor-intensive, often ineffective and do little to prevent new pests from moving in once the current ones move on. To effectively drive off resident pests and deter new ones, an organic pest repellent can be as effective - if not more so - than traditional chemical repellents, and will be kinder to the animals and environment, too.”

The most effective organic pest repellents are those that target the very reasons wildlife love home-grown produce and flowers - taste and smell. Most animals judge the quality of a food source based on taste and smell. Some organic pest repellents, like the 100 percent organic, OMRI-certified products from Messina Wildlife Management, make your produce and flowers taste and smell bad to potential pests, yet are inoffensive to and safe for humans.

What’s more, the products won’t harm animals, but will simply convince them to look elsewhere for food based on instinctive taste and scent aversion. They won’t wash off in the rain and only need to be reapplied every 30 days to remain effective. Visit www.messinawildlife.com to learn more.

To get the most out of your organic pest repellents, it’s important to correctly identify what type of pests might visit your garden. “Ideally, you should start using products like Deer Stopper deer repellent or Groundhog Stopper before the pests start munching on your produce and flowers,” Messina says. “But it may not always be easy to know what to spray for before it shows up, and it’s not always easy to identify who’s dining in your garden once the foraging begins.”

Messina offers some tips for recognizing what animal is causing damage to your garden and landscape:

Deer - A single deer can eat about 12 pounds of foliage in a single day. Examine half-eaten plants closely. If the bite marks have a jagged, rough edge they were likely made by deer, whose lack of incisors mean they have to tear at food sources.

Rabbits - Bunnies will eat vegetables and even damage woody landscape plants. Rabbit damage is usually no higher than 2 1/2 feet above the ground, with sharp cuts at 45-degree angles on plants.

Groundhogs - These burrowers can move a lot of dirt in your backyard. Look for burrow holes with mounds of dirt nearby, and vegetation eaten off at ground level. You may also see gnawing or claw marks on woody vegetation.

“You can protect your produce and the environment at the same time,” Messina says. “Simply choose organic products that use the animals’ own instincts against them, and you can avoid sharing the fruits of your gardening labor with critters - without compromising your environmental conscience.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) - Everyone knows “being green” helps save the environment. However, many Americans have a misconception that it’s impossible to protect the planet and save money, too. In fact, in a recent study conducted by Earth911, more than 35 percent of Americans stated “money” was the one thing holding them back from being green.

Whether it’s turning off the water while brushing your teeth, unplugging electronics when they’re not in use or turning off the lights when you leave the room, adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle on a budget is easier than you think. Below are a few simple ideas from Walmart to make green living a part of your lifestyle.

*Consider buying locally grown food to reduce the carbon emissions produced by long-distance transport.

*Install water filters on your tap-water faucets. This reduces plastic bottle waste and may save you money in the long run.

*Use rechargeable batteries and recycle your disposable ones to keep them out of landfills.

*Pack lunches to cut down on takeout containers. Bringing lunch rather than buying takeout at work or school will also save your family money.

*Recycle your old eyeglasses by donating them to charity. Your eye doctor may even accept used glasses, as many practices now have their own programs.

Like budget-conscious moms, leading retailers are finding that simple measures can mean big savings - both for the environment and consumers’ pocketbooks. Walmart reduces waste, energy and fuel consumption, and overall costs - which provides another avenue for offering the lowest prices possible to consumers on everything from organic produce to electronics.

For example, Walmart offers families its Marketside organic lettuce at the same price as regular lettuce by buying in bulk, fully loading its trucks directly at farms and cutting down on transportation costs.

“Whether it’s increasing our own energy efficiency or eliminating 100 million miles from our truck fleet, Walmart is constantly looking for innovative ideas to help protect the environment,” says Matt Kistler, senior vice president of sustainability at Walmart. “Our sustainable business practices add up to millions of dollars in cost savings, which helps us offer thousands of new product Rollbacks throughout the store. In addition to saving customers money at the register, we are also working to carry products that save our customers money through lower utility bills.”

Other examples of Walmart’s focus on the environment include:

*Leveraging sunshine to help reduce energy costs by installing clean, efficient solar panels at some of its facilities.

*Using less cardboard on its cereal box shipping cartons, saving over 3,000 tons of wood and more than $1 million annually.

*Saving more than 900,000 pounds of plastic last year through a new design on its Great Value cutlery.

For more environmentally-friendly tips or information on the many ways Walmart works to deliver everyday low prices to its customers, visit www.walmart.com/green.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) - The summer months are right around the corner, and water conservation will undoubtedly be brought to the forefront for those who are impacted by seasonal droughts and water usage restrictions in their towns.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at least 36 states anticipate local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013, even under non-drought conditions.

“The reality is that water conservation is a responsibility that we all share, regardless of location,” says Carol Anne Kemper, product manager, Delta Faucet Company. “By making small changes around the house and to our daily routines, we can make a significant impact on our water supplies without feeling as though we’re sacrificing our comforts or experience.”

She suggests starting with the home bathroom, where the water-saving potential is great. “The EPA estimates that Americans use roughly 3.3 billion gallons of water each day just for showering,” says Kemper. “We can bring that number down by taking a slightly shorter shower or using a water-saving showerhead.”

It seems to be abundant, but water is a relatively scarce resource. Less than 1 percent of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use. Here are a few tips that you can follow to reduce your water consumption in the bath:

* Install a water-efficient showerhead. By installing a water-efficient showerhead, the average four-person household can potentially save an estimated 11,000 gallons of water per year. Here’s an example:
8-minute shower x 2.5 gallons per minute (standard showerhead) = 20 gallons used per shower.
8-minute shower x 1.5 gpm (water-efficient showerhead) = 12 gallons used per shower.
8-gallon savings x 4 people per day x 365 days yields approximately 11,680 gallons of water savings per four-person household, per year.

* Fix a leaky faucet. According to the EPA, a leaky faucet dripping at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.

* Learn to reuse and recycle. Don’t pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it, such as watering plants or cleaning.

* Turn off the water. According to the EPA, a bathroom faucet usually runs at 2 gallons of water per minute. By turning off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving, you can save more than 200 gallons of water per month.

* Take showers instead of baths. The average bathtub can hold up to 70 gallons of water when full. By taking an 8-minute shower instead of a bath, each person can save approximately 50 gallons of water per day.

* Switch to a high-efficiency toilet. A high-efficiency toilet uses less than 1.3 gallons per flush, leading to an average of 20 percent less water per flush when compared to the industry standard of 1.6 gallons.

For those who want to conserve water in the bath but are concerned about sacrificing their desired shower experience, Delta Faucet offers its award-winning, exclusive H2Okinetic technology that blankets the body while using less water. The technology manages droplet size, velocity, spray coverage and thermal dynamics, which results in larger water droplets that retain heat longer. The combination of the massaging effect and a denser spray pattern creates a drenching coverage that delivers a satisfying shower at a 1.5 gpm flow rate at 60 pounds per square inch (psi), resulting in water savings of approximately 36 percent.

In conjunction with manufacturers, leading organizations are also taking on water conservation as a serious issue. In March 2010, the EPA established its WaterSense specifications for showerheads to promote water efficiency in the shower, and product performance and quality.

To earn the WaterSense designation, a showerhead or handshower must flow at a rate of no more than 2.0 gpm, tested at a flowing pressure of 80 psi, and is tested against the following attributes to ensure performance and user satisfaction:

* A consistent flow rate across a range of pressures
* Spray force
* Spray coverage

Delta Faucet Company was the first to earn the WaterSense designation for showerheads, and currently more than 50 percent of its bath suites feature showerheads and handshowers that meet the latest WaterSense specification. Those showerheads and handshowers that meet these WaterSense requirements use about 20 to 40 percent less water than the industry standard.

In addition, the company will continue to gain showerhead and handshower certifications, with the expectation that by summer 2010, 80 percent of its bath suites will feature an option to meet WaterSense requirements.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) - The trend for gardening at home continues to grow - and people are taking a particular interest in raising their flowers and vegetables organically. With such prominent figures as Michelle Obama taking public initiatives in organic gardening, more and more products that cater to the trend are appearing.

Unfortunately, the increased interest in organic gardening has led to some confusion - and some deception - about what it means for a product to be “organic.” The labeling of products has become a minefield for consumers who are interested in eco-friendly agriculture. It can be difficult to know exactly what is meant by products labeled “natural,” “plant-based” or “organic.”

Official organic labeling comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their seal comes in a few forms, denoting whether a product is “100 percent organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic” ingredients. Unfortunately, anecdotal evidence suggests this multi-tiered labeling system is also contributing to consumer confusion.

For example, for a product to be labeled 100 percent organic, everything in it must be certified organic. If it says just “organic,” that means that it must contain 95 percent certified organic ingredients. If a product contains 70 percent organic ingredients, it can be labeled as being “made with organic [ingredients].” Any product with less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot carry the USDA seal.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a product labeled “natural” is not organic. While there might be some naturally occurring ingredients in the product, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe or earth-friendly - not to mention organic.

Perhaps in an effort to simplify the consumer’s “organic” label options, the USDA also directs consumers to other organizations that can help them determine whether or not the products they’re buying are 100 percent organic. One of those, the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a non-profit, independent organization that gives reviews of products and how they stand up to the National Organic Standards from the USDA.

For concerned consumers, they provide a comprehensive list (available online) of products that pass the test. “OMRI’s list is an invaluable tool for gardeners who want to keep their plots organic,” says Claude Boisvert, president of Tree World Plant Care Products. “It makes it easier than ever to find gardening supplements that are not harmful to the environment.”

If your main concern in planting an organic garden is providing your family with safe-to-eat, healthy food right from your own back yard, you’ll want to take the trouble to make sure you’re using truly organic gardening products. At the same time, you want your garden to look great and produce well.

One of the biggest challenges to organic gardening is keeping pests away in a way that is humane and safe. For smaller pests, it is increasingly easy to find organic insecticidal soaps that are safe unlike some traditional pesticides. Larger garden plant browsers can really wreak havoc unless you use a rabbit or deer repellent. An OMRI listed solution, developed in eco-conscious Sweden and now made in the United States, is Plantskydd. Its effectiveness and environmental soundness as an organic repellent have made it popular for farming and among gardeners, professional landscapers, nurseries, foresters and state conservation agencies.

It’s important to remember that you have the power to influence the products that are available to you. If keeping your organic garden truly organic is important to you, discuss your concerns with local retailers. By asking them to stock products that have been subject to rigorous standards, like those of OMRI, you’ll make it easier for everyone in your community to have access to verified organic materials.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) - When you think of soft water, the first thing that probably comes to mind is lustrous, easy-to-manage hair. Another benefit is washing clothes in soft water leaves them softer and saves a significant amount of detergent. Best of all, when cleaning, you don’t get that ugly bathtub ring.

By eliminating hard water minerals, you can see health and cosmetic benefits, as well as reduce the maintenance costs associated with scale buildup in home plumbing.

The water softening process is actually quite simple. Hard water is passed through a bed of negatively charged ion exchange resin beads which absorb and bind positively charged hardness ions. The beads initially contain sodium ions, which swap over with the hard calcium and magnesium ions. The “harder” the water, the more sodium ions are required to soften it. As the resin beads become loaded with hardness ions, they lose their effectiveness and must be regenerated - a process that is accomplished by passing a sodium chloride solution through them so that they return to their original state.  Modern water softeners have control devices to minimize the amount of waste water during regeneration.

Regeneration waste water has come under environmental criticism even though it has not been proven to be a problem under most conditions. In response to these concerns, the Water Quality Association contracted the prestigious Battelle Institute to look at whether ion exchange water softening is an eco-friendly technology able to provide a reduced carbon footprint in homes by significantly increasing the efficiency of home heating technologies.

Scientific testing focused on the impact of soft water on the life and energy use of appliances commonly used in U.S. homes, including all types of water heaters, washing machines and dishwashers as well as plumbing fixtures such as showerheads and faucets.

The results of the studies showed that with softened water, all water heaters maintained 100 percent efficiency over a simulated 15-year lifetime, but with hard water, the gas and electric heater efficiency dropped by 25 percent - an incredible loss in energy utilization. In the case of the new instant tankless water heaters, on hard water they completely failed to function because of plugged-up scale, or mineral build-up associated with hard water, after only 1.6 years of simulated use - about a tenth the normal life of the appliance. In addition, soft water saved between 40 to 57 percent of energy costs compared to tankless heaters running on hard water.

When tested on showerheads and faucets, soft water maintained a high polish on the finish and a full water flow. With hard water, showerheads scaled up and lost 75 percent of their flow rate in less than 18 simulated months and could not maintain the required flow rate because of scaling, which completely plugged the strainers after 19 days of testing.
Soft water also has been studied for its health aspects. One report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, titled “Opportunistic pathogens enriched in showerhead biofilms,” describes the potential for scaled-up showerheads to harbor pathogenic microorganisms that cause pulmonary problems.  

Without scale buildup, these microorganisms do not have a chance to anchor in and grow - they simply get washed away. “We conclude that showerheads may present a significant potential exposure to aerosolized microbes, including documented opportunistic pathogens. The health risk associated with showerhead microbiota needs investigation in persons with compromised immune or pulmonary systems,” concluded the report.

The net results of the Battelle study show that by maintaining a high level of efficiency, home water heaters, faucets, showerheads and various appliances will use significantly less energy, resulting in a dramatically decreased carbon footprint with soft water. Appliances will last longer, contributing to less waste and improved health by eliminating scaled surfaces that could harbor pathogenic bacteria.

Courtesy of ARAcontent