Environmental Wellness

I feel this aspect of wellness is largely under stated. In this day and age we have a responsibility as a society to maintain our god-given home. I wonder how persons seeking whole wellness can neglect this aspect. Wellness is a whole picture dynamic and when one cannot look at oneself in the mirror at the end of the day I wonder how that affects their other dimensions of wellness.
If you were having lunch outside and there was no waste reciprocal nearby and were running late. So you decided on whim to just toss your garbage quickly and run back to work . I wonder how you can come home at the end of the day and say you made a difference in this world. This is what I mean by looking at yourself in the mirror , it affects your spiritual wellness your emotional wellness and even physical wellness so that is why I am putting environmental wellness in . Awareness is key .

Environmental Wellness is one of 7 Aspects of Wellness. We may not think much about Environmental Wellness as part of an overall wellness plan, but our environment and how we feel about it can have a huge impact on the way we feel. Environmental Wellness encompasses not just our relationship with the planet and nature but our relationship with our personal surroundings as well. It involves taking care of our possessions, homes, cars, and places of business. When our personal surroundings are well cared for, clean and organized, we experience a greater sense of comfort and less anxiety. Environmental Wellness also involves caring for and appreciating nature.

Environmental Wellness affects the other 7 Aspects. It’s hard to feel good when your space is messy or disorganized. Caring for our homes and other personal environments also helps us maintain a sense of personal care. It reminds us that we love ourselves. All of this is great for Emotional Wellness as well as Environmental Wellness. Connecting with nature can help you feel more connected spiritually as well, leading to a greater understanding of what Spiritual Wellness means to you. When you look at the world on such a broad scale, it’s hard not to get a sense of the “bigger picture.”

Five Minutes to Environmental Wellness

Environmental Wellness is a broad category that includes both your connection to nature and your own personal environment. Here are some easy ways to keep your Environmental Wellness in tip-top shape in just five minutes a day.

Pick a place. Even if you only have five minutes to straighten, you can have an impact on the state of your personal space. Is your desk cluttered? Clear it off. Do the dishes need to be put in the dishwasher? Do it. You don’t have to clean the entire house from top to bottom in one sitting. Simply de-cluttering or organizing one small square foot will improve how you feel about your space.
Sit outside for a few minutes. When you take one of your breaks from work, step outside and enjoy the sunshine. Everyone needs a few minutes of sunshine a day for their Physical Wellness. It helps support the body’s vitamin D production. Sitting outside for a few minutes can improve your Environmental Wellness, too. Appreciating the beauty of nature helps foster that connection with the earth and inspires a great mood!
Move the furniture. Shaking things up in your home environment can lead to a feeling of renewal. No need to completely redecorate. Just rearrange the furniture in one room for a new perspective.

A Chronic But Mostly Hidden Problem

Chronic oil pollution coming from ships traveling off Canada’s coasts causes the death of hundreds of thousands of seabirds every year. An estimated 300,000 birds are killed every year off of Newfoundland’s coast, and at least equivalent numbers may be dying annually on the Pacific coast, because of this illegal pollution.

Marine waters off of Canada’s coasts are some of the most important places for seabirds in the world. There are tens of millions of seabirds in Canada’s marine waters at all times of the year. They are attracted there by the abundant food sources and ideal breeding conditions. About 15 species of seabirds are common on the east coast and about 11 species are common on the west coast.

All of the species present on both coasts are migratory species some of which travel great distances each year from the southern oceans or across the northern oceans. As well there are occasional visitors which are rare species from other oceans of the world.

Most of the seabirds off the east coast live in waters that are criss-crossed by the busiest shipping lanes in North America largely due to the ship traffic with Europe, as well as fishing vessels at work in Canada’s abundant fishing grounds. Unfortunately the owners, captains and crews of some of these ships knowingly allow the dumping of oily ship wastes into the ocean where they harm the seabirds and other marine animals.

Oil does not mix with water, but it is readily absorbed into birds’ feathers. When that happens it decreases the birds’ insulation from the cold, as well as their waterproofing and buoyancy. This inevitably leads to their death by hypothermia or starvation. Just one spot of oil can do this, and therefore an oiled bird becomes a dead bird.

On the east coast, and particularly in Newfoundland, a small percentage of the dying or dead oiled birds wash ashore. Therefore people have been aware of the problem there for many years. On the west coast this is still a hidden and practically unknown problem. Because of the wind, tide and ocean currents, most birds that become oiled from the vessels’ wastes sink at sea long before they can wash ashore.

What the Government of Canada is Doing About the Problem

For years two Government of Canada departments have been enforcing federal legislation to charge and fine offenders for polluting our coastal marine environment.

Environment Canada uses provisions of the Migratory Birds Convention Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and the Fisheries Act. Transport Canada uses provisions of the Canada Shipping Act. In addition the Canadian Coast Guard supports the government departments in responding to marine pollution incidents.

Working closely with Justice Canada, these departments have successfully prosecuted ships, ships’ owners, captains and crews that have illegally dumped oil in Canada’s waters.

Environmental Damages Fund

The ‘Polluter Pays’ Principle

The Environmental Damages Fund (EDF) helps ensure polluters take responsibility for their actions. It gives courts a way to guarantee that the money from pollution penalties and settlements is directly invested to repair the actual harm done by the pollution.

Environment Canada collaborates with other federal departments including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Transport Canada to use the EDF in support of several pieces of environmental legislation such as the Federal Fisheries Act, the Canada Shipping Act, the Canadian Wildlife Act among others.

Environment Canada administers the fund, and accounts for each award separately, so that the money can then be used to fund projects in the same community in which the pollution has occurred.

The money in the fund is allocated to local organizations, who often use it as seed money to find partners who contribute additional money and resources. Groups who receive funding must carry out their projects in a technically feasible, scientifically sound and cost-effective way.

Eligible Organizations

Non-governmental organizations (such as community based environmental groups)
Universities
Aboriginal groups
Provincial, territorial and municipal governments

Project Funding Priorities

Projects that are considered a top priority for funding are those which restore natural resources, preferably in the same area where the pollution occurred. Other types of projects that may be considered for funding include:

Research and development on environmental damage assessment and restoration
Education on pollution prevention and the restoration of natural resources
Applications for Environmental Damages Fund projects are reviewed by a team of experts from Environment Canada and other federal departments, such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Transport Canada.

With so much information out there about global warming and the effects that are causing natural disasters, is there anything we as individuals can do to make a difference? Yep! You don’t need to move mountains, but a small pebble can really make ripples that can create positive changes world wide. Here’s a few “pebbles” you can use today!

We all feel we have a purpose in life. As more of us become aware of the damaging effects of global warming, we are also concerned about practical solutions to the problem. Most importantly, how can we fit in as part of the solution, instead of the problem?

Unfortunately, many of us become overwhelmed when we watch the ever-increasing natural disasters and it starts to feel like the world is crashing around us. I remember watching the plane hit the World Trade Center over and over and over again. I remember being completely paralyzed to the television. Sleep was optional, but only in between important news breaks. I felt helpless. I wanted to understand the reasoning behind the attacks to ease my fears of possible future attacks, but I mainly wanted a sense of control back into my life.

I do not like to focus on the doom of global warming because that’s not the best mindset for me to find solutions and implement actions. I truly believe we all can make a difference in our lives, in the lives of our families, friends and community. I also am a firm believer that every single action taken produces a ripple effect throughout the world. When we take a simple action such as changing a light bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb, a positive motion is set in place.

Just for fun, let’s see what can happen: (this will show how the action affects others)

- That old bulb in the living finally goes out. You go to your local hardware store and see miles of shelves of light bulbs! OY! (production of CFL bulbs)

- Someone comes over to help and maybe suggest a CFL. “A what?” you ask. The assistant tells you that even though the bulb is more expensive than a basic tungsten bulb, it will last years longer, it will not burn hot, uses way less energy, thus saving you money every month AND prevents the release of more than 450 pounds of emission from a power plant normally used to light the old style bulbs into the air! (increased sales and more potential advertisement of a green product, decreased amount of carbons released into the atmosphere)

- You read the advertisement and glimpse the familiar EnergyStar sign. So, you think, “Why not!” (increased awareness of a great program)

- You go home and your kids ask you about the funny looking bulb. (educates the kids and tell their friends how smart their parents are!)

- Your friends come over for dinner and recognize the bulb, but never really considered buying one until now. (increased awareness through word-of mouth [extremely powerful!!!] and more potential sales, advertisement, decreased emissions)

- You get the electric bill the next month and notice you really did use less electricity AND saved a little money. ($$$)

- You go to buy more CFL bulbs and realize the prices dropped a bit due to increased sales! (supply and demand of a product that improves our world)

That’s just for changing one bulb! Just one action really can make an impact. Just because we do not always see the immediate results don’t mean they aren’t there!

So what are the best solutions of global warming? Can we help save the world? Yep. I would first suggest do whatever feels right for you. The level of comfort will be different for everyone. To me, it can be summed up as: AWARENESS and ACTION

AWARENESS

My first exposure to environmental issues came about while working at Home Depot. I watch as a person chained himself to our lumber shelves and awaited the local police. His actions, maybe a bit extreme to some, created awareness to the customers, Home Depot and the media. Many of those same actions ultimately changed the way Home Depot purchased and sold lumber.

For me, my level of comfort was turning off the lights. The more I learned, the more I did to help the environment. Learning about basic, easy-to-do home repairs really made a difference and increased my confidence as well as the confidence of my customers.

Now, years later, I must say living in Thailand has taught me a lot about saving energy as well as joining together for what you believe in. I’ve seen Thais go to the employment office and march because wages were too low. I have witnessed the ousting of a political figure because the Thais felt betrayed.

I have greater respect for Thais and for others I’ve met from different countries. Their views and actions have taught me so much about global warming. I also have greater appreciation for our abilities as Americans to make changes worldwide.

So to further answer people’s question – “What are the best solutions to global warming?” My suggestions are all easy to do, but the main factor lies with what is comfortable for you. If I am given a great idea, but is too time-intensive, I probably won’t do it. But if it’s as easy as hitting the enter key, now you got my attention!

Ok. We are much more aware of what’s going on. We understand we have a problem. Now what?

ACTION

I started with small steps. As I learned more, I found the bigger steps easier than I realized. I discussed my views with others and listened to their ideas.

My friends in Alabama recently installed solar heaters and a tankless water heater. Businesses are seeing the advantages of doing the right thing and stepping up their environmental cleaning efforts People from all walks of life have created petitions requesting a more proactive government. Even the 2008 Presidential Candidates are listening. Many are now including global warming as their primary issue.

Need some ideas to get your creative green juices flowing? OK! Here you go! Enjoy!

1.Get the family involved make it fun and educational.

2. Make it a project during your child’s science fair.

3. Chat with your friends – they may have some unique ideas.

4. Add a signature tag to your emails. I have a personal account with Yahoo. Whenever I send someone an email, my signature message or quote is at the end of the page. I create the signature once and forget about it. If you see a quote you like or have a message to share with others – signature it!

5. Find out what tax incentives or refunds are available to you, i.e. hybrid car tax incentives, toilet replacement rebates, deduct the costs of energy-saving appliances and energy renovations in your home.

6. Support greener businesses. Our money dictates what businesses sell. Our support encourages businesses to continue doing the right thing.

7. Want to invest in the stock market? What companies are moving forward in clean-up? Researching new technologies? Contributing portions of their profits to support environmental organizations?

8. Vote. What candidates are fighting for positive changes in the environment? Who seems to be making global warming a primary focus in their campaign? How does the candidate balance global warming and the economy? Does the candidate understand the threat and what solutions does he or she offer?

9. Join others online and become a part of something bigger. In the past, petitions involved going door-to-door or standing near the mall entrance. Thanks to the internet, a letter to Congress has never been easier – or more effective! Read the letter already prepared. If you agree with it, type your name and hit ENTER !

10. Submit your ideas to websites. I would love input from you! Your ideas can be just what someone else needed! Many websites would also benefit from your thoughts and appreciate the communication!

11. Start a discussion group in your community. Barnes and Noble or Borders are excellent meetings spots. It’s a great way to meet others and bounce around ideas.

12. Help improve your neighborhood. In Tampa, there’s a wonderful community group that has a Project Lottery. Each participant chooses a project they need completed on their house. A name is pulled every month. The neighbors spend one weekend on the project. The lucky owner provides drinks and snacks to the neighbors volunteering.

13. Create a website of your own! Everyone has a voice. Today, websites are effective communicators and very inexpensive. Get the kids or the community involved. Let your voice be heard too!

Toxicity And Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Because toxicity has become a way of life, and we must breath and eat, we are continuously exposed to pesticides and polluntants, some stored right under our kitchen sinks, says a report from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass., and the Harvard University School of Public Health.

The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology, Sedona, Ariz., naturopath doctor Teresa Dale, Ph.D. says “demonstrates that we are exposed daily to a wide array of chemicals that affect our hormone systems.” Chemicals like phthalates and alkyphenois may heighten the risk of hormone-linked diseases like breast cancer and testicular cancer.

To limit your exposure, “read labels carefully, use nontoxic cleaning products and avoid using indoor pesticides,” says Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Dave Dergan. There are nontoxic cleaning products and pesticides right in your kitchen. If you have baking soda, white vinegar, borax, and rubbing alcohol in your pantry and bathroom, you have the basic ingredients to make your own cleaning products and pesticides that don’t cost you an arm and a leg. I have included formulations for making your own products from these items and many more at the end of this article.

There are plenty of effective, earth-safe cleaners that you can buy or make. Using these alternatives will reduce the toxic burden in your house and environment. By switching to environmentally friendly cleaners protects your health and that of the community you live in while reducing air, water, and ground pollution.

I bet you are asking yourself, “So why isn’t everybody doing it?” There are very few people who actually read the labels of the products they purchase and even fewer who know the impact these chemicals can have on our bodies. Most people do not take the time or have the time to research the chemicals that go into these products.

Not all “green” products are created equal, some have simply added essential oils to make it smell like the formula has changed. “You need to read the labels carefully to check for irritating chemicals, such as chlorine, ammonia and artificial fragrances and dyes,” says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., a preventive-medicine specialist in Tucson, Arizona. “Buy cleaners from health-food stores or retailers specializing in environmentally friendly products.”

“Eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products are the next frontier of environmentalism,” says Marci Zaroff, former publisher of Macrocosm and CEO of Under the Canopy, an organic fabric clothing company. “It’s an inexpensive, easy and effective way to protect our planet and commitment to life.”

Here are some options to get you started onto the path of “thinking green”:

1. CITRUS OIL ; sold in health-food stores and home improvement stores, fills rooms with the smell of oranges and is far more pleasing to your nose (unless you like the smell of hospitals).

To clean or polish wood floors, dilute 1 c. of citrus oil in one gallon of hot water, and mop with a sponge. For floors that are greasy, simply use a stronger solultion. You can also clean kitchen counters and tabletops with this solution. Citrus doesn’t strip the protective sealants. On porous surfaces like marble or granite, only use diluted oil and it should never be allowed to sit on a surface, always wipe it dry when finished.

2. TEA TREE, THYME AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OILS: these have been proven to have more antiseptic in some studies than phenol, the most common chemical disinfectant. Many disinfectants contain chlorine, which reacts with organix matter in drinking water to produce potentially carcinogenic trihalomethane.

To make a natural disinfectant mix 20 drops of one of the above mentioned essential oils and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Apply and let sit for 15 min. or until dry.

3. BAKING SODA: Baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda), an alkaline substance is used in fire extinguishers, antacids, and sparkling water.

You can use it to clean your tubs, sinks, countertops in the kitchen and bath. Combine 3/4 c. baking soda, 1/4 c. of borax and enough diswashing liquid to make a smooth paste or if you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 t. lemon juice to the paste; pour down your sink drain to deorderize and to unclog your drains you put 1/2 cup of baking soda in drain and add a cup of vinegar, wait 30min. and pour hot water down drain. I use this method once a month on all the drains in the house to keep them clear.

5.BORAX: Borax, like is’s close relative, boric acid, has relatively low toxicity levels, and is considered safe for general household use, but the powder can be harmful if ingested in sufficinet quantities by young children or pets. Keep it out of their reach.

Borax is toxic to plants, so in the yard be very careful when applying borax onto or near soil. It doesn’t take much to leach into the ground to kill off nearby plants and prevent furture growth.

But it is great for rubbing out heavy sink stains, even rust in your stainless steel or porcelain sinks. Make a paste of 1 cup of borax and 1/4 cup of lemon juice, put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it into the stain, then rinse with running warm water, the stain should wash away with the paste.

You can also remove mildew from uphostery and other fabric by soaking a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup of borax dissolved in 2 cups of water, and rubbing it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups of borax in 2 quarts of water.

Want a way to clean your toliet bowl and leave it spakeling whiite without those dangerous fumes? Use a stiff brush to scrub it using a solution of 1/2 cup of borax mixed with a gallon of water.

6.VINEGAR: Vinegar is known as nature’s most practical liquid and is so versatile that you can use it in the kitchen and bath, laundry and garden, housecleaning and car cleaning, even pet care and personal care.

Damp mopping with a mild vinegar solution is widely recommended as a way to clean wood and no-wax vinyl or laminate flooring. Be sure to check with the manufacturer of the flooring because even when diluted vinegar’s acidity can ruin some floor finishes, and too much water will damage most wooden floors. But if you want to try vinegar on your floors, use 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed in 1 gallon warm water. You may want to start with a trial application in an incomspicuous area. Before applying the solution, squeeze out the mop sthoroughly (or just use a spray bottle to moisten the mop head).

To liven up dull wood paneling, mix 2 cups warm water, 4 tablespoons white or cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a container, give it a couple of shakes and apply with a clean cloth. Let it soak in for several minutes, then polish with a dry cloth.

To keep your computer, printer, and other home office gear clean and dust free, dampen a clean cloth in equal parts white viegar and water, sqeeze it out well and start wiping. Before you start, make sure that your equipment is shut off, and never use a spray bottle; you don’t want to get liquid on the circuis inside. Have a few cotton swabs on hand for getting into tight spaces (like between the keys of your keyboard).

To make a scratch on a wooden tabletop much less noticeable, mix some distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar and paint over the scratch with a small artist’s brush. Use more iodine for darker woods; more vinegar for lighter shades.

To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts of vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar.

For the great outdoors, vinegar can get rid of bugs and ants or you can use it as an insect repellent and clean you outdoor funiture and decks.

Pour equal parts white vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray it on anthills and around areas where you see ants. Ants hate vinegar, and it won’t take long for them to move on. Also, you can spray picnic and children’s play areas to keep ants away. If you have lots of anthills, pour full strength vinegar over them.

Going camping or fishing? Here’s an old army trick to keep away ticks and mosquitoes: About three days before you leave, start taking 1 tablespoon cider vinegar three times a day. Continue throughout your outing and you just might return home without a bite.

Before resorting to bleach to remove mildew on your deck or your patio furniture, try these milder vinegar-based solutions.

*Keep full-strength white vinegar in a spray bottle and use it wherever you see mildew. The stain will wipe right off must surfaces, and the vinegar will keep it from coming back for a while.

*Remove mildew from wood decks and wood patio furniture by sponging them off with a solution of 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 gallon water. Use an old tootbrush to work the solution into tight spaces.

*To deodorize and inhibit mildew growth on outdoor plastic mesh furniture and patio umbrellas, mix 2 cups white vinegar and 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid in a bucket of hot water. Use a soft brush to work it into the grooves of the plastic and for scrubbing seat pands and umbrella fabric. Rinse with cold water; then dry in the sun.

7.RUBBING ALCOHOL: Be sure to not confuse denatured alcohol with rubbing alcohol. Denatured alcohol to ethanol (drinking alcohol) to which poisonous and foul-tasting chemicals have been added to render it unfit for drinking. Often, the chemicals used in denatured alcohol are not ones you should put on your skin. Rubbing alcohol is made of chemicals that are safe for skin contact, most often it’s 70 percent isopropl alcohol and 30 percent water.

Ticks hate the taste of rubbing alcohol as much as they love the taste of your dog. Before you pull a tick off Fido, dab the critter with rubbing alcohol to make it loosen its grip. Then grab the tick as close to the dog’s skin as ou can and pull it straight out. Dab again with alcohol to disinfect the wound. This works on people too.

The problem with ice packs is they won’t conform to the shape of the injured body part. Make a slushy conformable pack by nixing 1 part rubbing alcohol with 3 parts water in a sel-closing plastic bag. The next time that sore knee acts up, wrap the bag of slush in a cloth and apply it to the area.

This is just the tip of iceberg of ways to use eco-friendly products that you can make yourself. I have used most of these recipes for the past 10 years. They cost next to nothing to make and the results are fabulous. I use olive oil and vinegar to clean my furniture and I don’t have to dust again for a month. The solution seems to repel dust, just mix the olive oil and vinegar like you would for a salad dressing.

by: Angela Carter