Treasures by Louise

 Being a Green Consumer is not difficult  and can be cost effective and low-tech, too: Natural, Nontoxic Cleaning Here's an article from the AARP Newsletter about Non-toxic cleaners. I try to use unscented, natural cleaners since many of the highly scented cleaners affect my allergies. As described in the article, vinegar and baking soda are nice and mild. They shouldn't produce sensitivity in most folks. Vinegar even kills germs if used as described.

A random list of stuff I care about; in no particular order. Cooking healthy food for my family - Thinking about Meatless Mondays. Patchwork Quilts - because it's a good way to use up my fabric collection! Recycling - Don't you just hate the thought of all the (probably usable) stuff going into landfills? The Ten Commandments - and other ways to create a Heaven on Earth. Sustainability - how to manufacture things without destroying the Earth. Learning about Clean Energy - Solar, Wind, Geothermal. Groundwater - Let's keep this valuable resource clean and uncontaminated. There's more, but I can't think of it right now!

I suppose with my interest in the environment, I should have read it long ago, this summer I am reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. I'm just beginning, so will have more to say about it later. I plan to research a bit about what pesticides are in current use, and how they differ from the DDT-type pesticides. I suspect there is still a big risk to our drinking water quality. Meanwhile, on an entirely different note, I am putting borders on a baby quilt. Soon to attempt machine quilting!

Check out this link about making your own laundry detergent.  Do it yourself laundry detergent The bottom line: you could skip the detergent altogether, make your own, or just use half as much as reccomended on the package. I buy the natural detergents made from plant materials. Did you know that many detergents (surfactants) are now made from petroleum products? I look for ones made with coconut oils.

Our community has offered curbside recycling for perhaps 15 years. I have tried to recycle whenever possible. I even took my recyclables to the recycling center in the days before we were provided bins! I have been known to pull plastic containers out of our wastebasket to recycle them. Our communities earn money for all the materials that are recycled. So you help reduce the amount of materials that end up in landfills and you financially benefit your community! Seems like a win-win situation. But then it appears that industrial, commercial, and retail organizations are not participating in any form of recycling. You sometimes see stores throwing away all the cardboard and packing material - all mixed together. One would think they could find a way to separate the different wastes and make sure they get recycled? Perhaps if enough people ask the question, they will take action.