photo credit: Mr. Theklan

Hypothesis: A person is able to make and maintain green, sustainable changes to their lifestyle despite harsh restrictions on time and income.

Objective: To return to the green, healthy and sustainable lifestyle I previously had when income and time were less of a concern.

Step 1: Food.

Objective: Begin eating healthier, homemade foods.

Obstacles:

• Time: I am going to college full time, as well as working full time. I must fit in making homemade meals that are healthy while still maintaining enough time for school/work/study/sleep.
• Money: Despite working full time, it is only a minimum wage job. Living in a city where costs are high, this leaves me with barely enough money to cover bills. After budgeting I have roughly $100 per month to spend on food.

photo credit: Caitlinator

According to a survey from Marcal® Small Steps® and Kiwi Magazine, most moms want to be green but don’t have all the information. Many are misinformed about what really is green, probably a lot in part due to the rampant green washing that many companies do.

The numbers, according to the survey, show that 59 percent of moms consider themselves “very green” or “somewhat green.” Which is great! Unfortunately, the survey also found that 62 percent of moms surveyed mistakenly believe anywhere from 25 to 50 percent or more of all U.S. paper products are made from 100 percent recycled papers. As much as that would be great, the real number is far lower.

“Encouragingly, this survey shows us that respondents’ hearts are in the right place. Eighty seven percent of the surveyed moms said they’d likely purchase environmentally friendly household paper products made from ’100% recycled paper’ on future shopping trips,” said Sarah Smith, Editorial Director of Kiwi Magazine, the parenting magazine focused on growing families the natural and organic way. “However, their intentions and actions don’t always align. As this survey reveals, there’s a misunderstanding among consumers regarding how their paper products are actually made.”

Now, the survey is certainly biased. Marcel, one of the survey sponsors, is also a company that makes paper products from recycled paper. But, they do offer great advice. Read the labels. This goes for more than just food. Look at a company’s green claims, what the fine print really says, and if need be do a little research.

“Brands need to step up to educate consumers about this issue and what their options are for products that deliver on price, performance and the planet,” said MJ Jolda, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Marcal Small Steps. “Our Environmental Label is about helping consumers to easily make environmentally sound purchasing decisions.”

The FTC is planning to come out with an updated set of Green Guides, which are used to combat green washing. The guides will help the agency to enforce environmental marketing laws against unfair and deceptive advertising. Hopefully, stop some of the fake-green marketing ploys that have been used.

For us consumers, I recommend getting a copy of the The Better World Shopping Guide* and keep it on hand. When you are shopping, it is easy to flip through and see which companies really are worth your money. Or be even greener, and get it on the Kindle*.

I believe that the money we spend is like a little vote each day. You are voting for that company to keep doing what they are doing when you purchase. We want to be greener, to be more caring of the environment, and part of that means taking time to research just what yo are voting for. Women make the bulk of the household purchases, that means we hold the bulk of the power.

Of course we’re not all perfect, and never could be. But little improvements add up.

*Amazon links, if you buy one I get a few pennies.

(Photo credit: RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFP/Getty Images)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know about the flooding going on in Pakistan. The flood waters continue to destroy lives and are spreading into neighboring areas. Not just the loss of homes, the water-borne diseases that always come with floods of this size threaten to kill millions of the survivors. Many of these are just children.

“Up to 3.5 million children are at high risk of deadly water-borne diseases, such as watery diarrhoea and dysentery,” Maurizio Giuliano, spokesman for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

“What concerns us the most is water and health. Clean water is essential to prevent deadly water-borne diseases. Water during the flood has been contaminated badly,” he added. (BBC News)

(Photo credit: PETER BIRO/The International Rescue Committee)

Though the US has pledged to increase our aid efforts, what many people need is the same thing that destroyed their livelihoods: water. The death toll, already more than 1,500, will only go up as people are cut off from access to fresh water. Though the number is lower than the 2004 tsunami, the earthquake in South Asia in 2005 and the earthquake in Haiti in January so far, it has left many more people homeless and without food or water.

“It’s been abysmal, it’s been terrible. There is no relationship between the number of people in acute need of help and what has actually been provided in this first month,” said Jan Egeland, a former U.N. relief coordinator who managed the international response to the tsunami in South Asia in 2004. “We got more in a single day just after the tsunami than Pakistan got in a month.” (Washington Post)

I already touched on this once, but if you haven’t yet read how PUR is helping children around the world who are in need of clean, safe drinking water. So far, over 50 million liters (13.2 million gallons) of clean drinking water are being donated to the flood victims of Pakistan. But much more is needed. Much, much more. And you can help by donating only a few cents.

You can visit the Children’s Safe Drinking Water website to watch a demo of how the packets work, plus learn more about how they are helping those in need of water. If you want to help they have a donation button set up (very bottom, right side) that tells you just how far your dimes can go. $1 can give one child clean, safe drinking water for 50 days. $30 can care for an entire family a year.