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Visit this page daily for new Green Living tips – ideas to restore and preserve the life of your home, garden, and workplace – and for inspiring innovations you might bring to your own community. As always, the best part of the EC family is you, so find your own environmentally savvy contributions here as well.

INDIAN MOVE TO SWITCH FROM PLASTIC HEADED SOUTH

11/20/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "India first banned plastic bags in its northern territories in 2003. Laws are spreading throughout India and now include Mumbai, Sikkim, Goa and Karnatak."

SHOULD YOU GET A BARREL COMPOSTER - Response

11/19/2009: Dj from Pdx, Or writes: "Hi all,

I saw a program with a person from Portland Metro and they were talking about composting. They sell a well known brand of compost bins for $39.

It looks like you would have to pick it up. There are directions to get to their location.

They have some good information on their website too on sustainable living. http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24199

Hopefully people in other areas have a "Metro" also and can get really good information on composting and inexpensive products."

11/12/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you start to look into composting, the first thing you're going to find is a great number of advertisements for barrel composters. Are they worth the expense? Well, let's look at the advantages:

Speedy decomposition

Reduced need for watering

Lids discourage wild visitors

Reduced odor

Rolling barrels quickly mix materials, new and old

More attractive and contained

And the disadvantages:

Cost

Increased possibility of too much moisture

Relatively small capacity

Compost must be moved from barrel to area of use

The primary advantage of barrel composters is the aeration. Either through rolling the barrel or through a screw system, air can easily be introduced throughout the barrel, reducing odor (aerobic decomposition doesn't stink) and speeding the decomposition process.

If cost is the major deterrent for you, a trashcan with holes punched in the bottom of the can will do just as well. Simply secure the lid tightly, tip the barrel over, and roll it across the lawn to mix your composting materials."

ATTRACTING EARTHWORMS

11/19/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you'd like a more proactive approach to building an earthworm collective to tear through your food scraps in the compost bin, try several tricks to draw them to one spot where they can be easily collected.

You can lay down a bed of hay or straw and thoroughly wet it.
Or use several slices of soggy bread set alongside a garden spot.

In both cases, you should find several fat nightcrawlers or other assorted worms cozily abiding beneath the comfortable, moist food source and protective cover, ready for you to move them wherever they are needed."

INNOVATORS EPIDRA AND DANNY DAY PROMOTE BIOCHAR

11/18/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "More often than not, we look to the promise of future innovations and technologies to save us from consequences of the mistakes we've made in the past (or continue to make). It's a mistake we make in our hopes for saving the environment as well. Science has spoiled us. And what if we could indeed solve two of the most pressing environmental problems with a single technology, but one that is tens of thousands of years old in human experience?

The organization Eprida, founded by Danny Day, is heavily promoting the idea of using biochar to at once sequester enormous amounts of carbon and restore lost and decaying arable land as well. The concept belongs originally to Amazonian tribes that combined charcoal and animal manures, baked them in low-oxygen settings, and then buried the resulting high-carbon material in their fields to leave behind an exceptionally rich soil substrate for farming. These "terra preta" soils remain remarkably rich even millennia after biochar treatments ended.

Such biochar is centuries slow to release its stored carbon, the process of its creation releases burnable gases (producing more energy than it consumes), and Eprida believes that the process could be enhanced by using the biochar to soak up further carbon emitted from electrical generation facilities before the biochar is used to fertilize nutrient poor soils."

IRELAND LEADS THE PLASTIC BAG PURGE

11/17/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "In 2002, Ireland became the first European nation to levy taxes on supermarket checkout bags. The tax was recently increased to 22 cents to spur further reduction in plastic bag usage."

COMPOSTING WITH EARTHWORMS (VERMICULTURE)

11/16/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "In the land of compost, the worm is king (and queen). Nothing tills the soil, provides aeration, and transmutes the lead of food and garden waste into the gold of compost half so well as the 2500 global species of earthworm. Earthworm composting, called vermiculture, has reached industrial proportions. You can even purchase a batch of thousands of red wrigglers online to bring home and jumpstart your compost bin in the basement or backyard. However, the easiest way to bring vermiculture to your composting system (if you're not squeamish) is simply to pluck up any earthworm you happen to see in your lawn and gardening chores, and place them reverently in any ongoing compost pile. Worms eat anything in sight, leaving behind their castings, a nearly perfect fertilizer for any plant and far superior to commercial fertilizers."

SOUTH AUSTRALIA LIMITING DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BAGS

11/15/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "South Australia hopes to decrease plastic bag usage by 400 million bags by 2010, as its ban on all but compostable plastic shopping bags goes into effect."

WALKING HEAP COMPOSTING SYSTEMS

11/14/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "A walking heap is among the easiest of composting systems. The process is simply to start a pile of compost in one area of your garden, and each week turn it over to an adjacent spot in the garden. Turning it over creates the necessary aeration, and you can add materials at the same time if you like. All along the walking heap path, you continually add raw materials and leave behind completed compost as well as leached minerals and fertilizer, benefiting your garden as the pile walks along. Of course, this requires a bit of planning, in order to have empty spaces in which to move the pile, but the results and ease of the process are strong motivation for giving it a try."

MEXICO CITY JOINS IN TO BAN THE BAG

11/13/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Mexico City recently passed a law banning regular plastic shopping bags and requiring all stores to use biodegradable bags. There is a one-year grace period to allow merchants to institute the new policy."

SHOULD YOU GET A BARREL COMPOSTER?

11/12/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you start to look into composting, the first thing you're going to find is a great number of advertisements for barrel composters. Are they worth the expense? Well, let's look at the advantages:

Speedy decomposition
Reduced need for watering
Lids discourage wild visitors
Reduced odor
Rolling barrels quickly mix materials, new and old
More attractive and contained

And the disadvantages:

Cost
Increased possibility of too much moisture
Relatively small capacity
Compost must be moved from barrel to area of use

The primary advantage of barrel composters is the aeration. Either through rolling the barrel or through a screw system, air can easily be introduced throughout the barrel, reducing odor (aerobic decomposition doesn't stink) and speeding the decomposition process.

If cost is the major deterrent for you, a trashcan with holes punched in the bottom of the can will do just as well. Simply secure the lid tightly, tip the barrel over, and roll it across the lawn to mix your composting materials."

BLUE JEAN INSULATION

11/11/2009: Dj from Pdx, Or writes: "Going green with jeans.

We all have our favorite pair of blue jeans. You know the ones, they are stained with paint or oil. The pocket is ripped or the bottom of the legs are frayed and everyone knows if you are a boxer or brief kind of guy because the behind blew out the last time you wore them.

Did you also know that those very same cotton blue jeans could be recycled and made into a green insulation? That 500 pairs of cotton blue jeans can insulate one average-size US home? Or that Habitat for Humanity has used this very same product in the homes they sponsor?

How do they make it? Once all the zippers, buttons, and embellishments are removed the material is returned to its natural, fiber state of cotton.

The reprocessed fiber is treated with a borate solution for fire retardency and mold/mildew resistance. Borate has a lower toxicity than table salt, making it safe for people and their environment.

Sheets of insulation are then cut to size and prepared for packaging to be shipped and installed for use in residential homes and commercial buildings across the country and around the world.

Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. They are also leading the charge for the recycling of cottons for use in safer and greener insulation. Cotton Inc., sponsors and helps to organize "From Blue To Green" denim drives across the country, collecting those blown out jeans and raising awareness of yet another opportunity to better your environment and your lives.

For information on denim drives in your area go to http://www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org/

http://www.cottoninc.com/PressReleases/?articleID=519
http://www.cottoninc.com/lsmarticles/?articleID=628"

WASTE CONCERN TURNS TRASH TO GOLD IN BANGLADESH

11/11/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The world's slums are among humanity's worst social and ecological sins, and one of the primary concerns of the movement called environmental justice. Thankfully, much can be done to improve living and environmental conditions quickly and at little cost, and due to the work of Maqsood Sinha and Iftekhar Enayetullah of Bangladesh, slum residents in Dhaka are not only living in a cleaner environment but also deriving an income from what they had previously considered mere garbage. In 1995 the pair founded Waste Concern, an NGO that provides families with tall metal barrels, placed on concrete slabs, that can hold up to 400 pounds of organic waste constantly on its way to useful, carbon-capturing compost.

Their plan is a step beyond typical community based composting systems, since each barrel becomes a micro-business. Waste Concern trains barrel recipients on how to balance and process their composting bins, and properly functioning compost systems then can bring an income of about 5 cents per pound of compost produced, a substantial amount in an area where the 150 million Bangladeshis earn an average of $600 per year.

The income comes in trading the compost for carbon credits on the open market, but the benefits do not end there. Composting greatly reduces the amount of trash lingering in the streets, thereby improving overall sanitary conditions, and water quality in particular. Likewise, participants can use the compost produced for their own food production, significantly increasing their caloric intake and diversity.

The Dhaka system has been expanded to 26 other cities in Bangladesh, and the UN has stepped in to promote the idea in several other developing nations. "

USE A BIOWALL TO FILTER CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER

11/10/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "One of the more successful, intensive international concepts in reclaiming poisoned areas of the planet is the brownfield or Superfund site. With much less investment, you can create your own toxic cleanup system with a simple biowall. A biowall is nothing more complicated than a ditch placed between the area of contaminated soil and your garden or other area of concern. That ditch should be filled with compost, which acts much like the sorts of filters you may use to clean your home drinking water, filtering out and even processing poisons and heavy concentrations of minerals or fertilizers so that they are harmless. You might want to set up a biowall between your oil tank and garden, or alongside the area where a number of pets spend their days. Your compost pit composition should ideally be layered and heavy on the slow-to-decompose materials, such as wood chips and leaves, that will create a thick filter for water passing between the contaminate area and your garden and welcome the sort of fungi and bacteria that break down harmful pollutants."

BANGLADESH BANS DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BAGS

11/09/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Bangladesh was one of the first countries to ban polyethylene bags, beginning in Dhaka, largely as a consequence of the country's major flooding in 1998, which was exacerbated by having innumerable sewer drains clogged by piles of paper bags swept into the gratings by rainfall."

BIODEGRADABLE BAGS SUPERIOR TO PLASTIC BAGS

11/08/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Originally introduced a decade ago, biodegradable bags decompose after exposure to water, sunlight or air. Approximately 5 years ago, a compostable variation was introduced, which can break down into organic matter used for plant bedding. Most biodegradable bags still make use of petroleum in their manufacture, combined with starches, but newer processes rely solely or more heavily upon corn, rice, and other renewable resources. While each biodegradable plastic bag solution has its drawbacks, each is superior to the continued use of 1 million non-biodegradable polyethylene bags per minute globally."

INNOVATOR AND CHICOBAG FOUNDER ANDY KELLER

11/07/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "ChicoBag founder and CEO, Andy Keller, has made it his goal to help Americans kick the single use plastic bag habit. Keller's idea to create people-friendly reusable bags arose from a trip to his local landfill. Keller was shocked at the number of plastic bags at the garbage site. Americans use an estimated 100 billion shopping bags - one use a piece, and then throwing them away - contributing substantially to ocean and land pollution. ChicoBag is one of several companies attempting to reduce environmental damage from disposable plastic and paper bag use. The Chicobag line comes in a variety of modern styles and colors, all of which are made up largely of recycled content, including shredded plastic bottles. Other companies complain that environmental regulations are hurtful to industry; Mr. Keller proves that doing the right thing can be good business too. "

GRANDMA'S COMPOSTING

11/06/2009: DJ from PDX, Or writes: "Hi EP,

I was just thinking about composting and was reading the posts in that section, admiring the inventiveness of people trying to live a little better.

Their stories reminded me of my Grandma. She has composted for - well forever I think. She never had a fancy bin, just a hole in the ground and when that one was "used up" she would dig another hole.

She has always kept the hole covered with an assortment of items. For a while I believe she even used the hood of an old car. Now I believe it is a piece of corrugated metal with a log on top, which is much lighter for her 89 yr old body to lift.

I have the hole in the ground too but no room for a car hood. My version of composting appartment style is experimenting with a high quality ground cloth. That way the water can still get in but the critters stay out. I have already seen an increase in the worm population.

Maybe I should call grandma and get some pointers.

Happy composting!"

COOKING GRITS GETS FIRE ANTS

[YEA] 11/06/2009: Phil from Dearing, GA, USA writes: "Hi Robert and Joyce. I have had some sucess by pouring 20 mule team borax mixed in hot water directly on the fire ant mounds. It doesn't always work, but has worked on many occassions. I use about 2 cups of borax to 5 gallons of hot water stir and dissolve and pour out of gallon jug or water flower container and completely drench the mound... Also you can take cat food ( WET or dry and mix a little grape jelly with a little borax and put on the mounds and I have had success with this also ) Place a spoonful on top of mound.

And I will agree with Keeper about the corn meal... I used self- rising in the high and dry summer and got rid of about a half acre of fireant mounts,just as an exsperment.But it has to be completly dry, if there is DEW on the ground the nest morning it will not work."

03/14/2008: Joyce from Joelton, Tn writes: "I have read that if you sprinkle quick cooking grits on regular or fire ant hills, the workers will carry it home to feed their queen and eat one themselves, causing them to swell up and burst. Ants who died from this should not be harmful to any birds who eat them."

HAWAII PROMOTES SOLAR WATER HEATERS

11/06/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "As a paradigm for the tropical paradise, Hawaii is particularly known for its sunny days, and solar power naturally figures into the island's renewable energy plan. The state intends to push in particular for the use of solar water heating, a simple and effective use of the free and abundant solar resources at home and in corporate settings. The 2008 Hawaii Solar Roofs Act requires the majority of newly constructed homes on the islands to incorporate a solar water heating system, with 80,000 private homes and companies already having installed these solar systems."

HAWAII PLANS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE

11/04/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "America's island state unveiled the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative in January 2008, outlining plans to cut energy usage by a third and derive 40% of its energy requirements from renewable energy resources by 2030. Hoping to have added the last of the fossil fuel generators to the islands, the initiative will target solar, biomass, geothermal, wind, and ocean resources for less expensive, less harmful sources of electricity and transportation fuels. Because of the state's remoteness, fossil fuels are already more expensive after shipping than in other regions; hence, the renewable energy sources are already on a better economic footing. However, the most immediate benefits may come from reducing air conditioning inefficiencies and improving transmission over the electrical grid."

RE: ONIONS FOR YOUR NATURAL, CARBON-LIGHT REMEDY GARDEN

11/03/2009: Deirdre from Atlanta, GA writes: "On the subject of onions, the Wall Street Journal today published an article on Home Flu Cures and reported that some people report being cured from the flu by chopping up onions and leaving them in each room! Scientists are skeptical, but a bunch of folks swear by it!

Here's the WJS article."

10/31/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Onions, plentiful in sulfur content, offer themselves as a strong disinfectant and aid to the immune system, as well as being a reputed cleanser of the blood. You can check out more medicine cabinet ideas at Earth Clinic, but in the garden you can grow your own onions in any variety of loose, rich soil. Onions are perennials that spread in clumps and can be transplanted as such, but heat-treated onion bulbs available at your local nursery have made onion planting more or less foolproof. Different varieties should be planted at different times of the year, but onions always store well and tolerate a diverse variety of planting conditions. Raised beds are often very effective."

HAWAII PUSHES GREEN ENERGY INITIATIVES

11/02/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Among the world's most treasured island paradises, Hawaii has begun to suffer from its success. Only the island of Kaua'I truly reflects the archipelago's rich botanic legacy. Progress, population and prodigious tourism have marred the other islands, particularly in their massive demand for electricity and fuels otherwise unavailable in the state. Situated as the islands are in the middle of the ocean, Hawaiian air is naturally clear and clean, but the land and seas have not so easily escaped the pollution and degradation of so many paradise-loving hands. Fortunately, Hawaii is starting to combat pollution and its unhealthy addiction to fossil fuels through progressive renewable energy programs, promoted by the state's Republican governor, Linda Lingle."

ONIONS FOR YOUR NATURAL, CARBON-LIGHT REMEDY GARDEN

10/31/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Onions, plentiful in sulfur content, offer themselves as a strong disinfectant and aid to the immune system, as well as being a reputed cleanser of the blood. You can check out more medicine cabinet ideas at Earth Clinic, but in the garden you can grow your own onions in any variety of loose, rich soil. Onions are perennials that spread in clumps and can be transplanted as such, but heat-treated onion bulbs available at your local nursery have made onion planting more or less foolproof. Different varieties should be planted at different times of the year, but onions always store well and tolerate a diverse variety of planting conditions. Raised beds are often very effective."

FIRST MOVER WHITE ROOF POLICY IN GEORGIA

10/30/2009: Staff from Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Georgia's "Georgia White Roof Amendment" was a trendsetter among states, establishing an energy building code for commercial properties in 1997, that was the first to promote white roofing for energy savings while also reducing GHG emissions and thereby regional air quality. Bad air days have been increasingly problematic in the Atlanta area, coupled with the urban heat island effect, and white roof policy can go a long way toward combating both problems. The provision looks at both albedo and emmissivity, that is the reflectance and the ability to shed absorbed heat, and requires additional insulation on any roof that does not provide a reflective and emissive surface with 75% efficiency. "

SWEDEN'S GHG FOOD LABELING INITIATIVE

10/29/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Increasingly, we are coming to realize that a large share of our individual carbon footprints is formed by our carbon-consuming stomachs, up to a quarter of the emissions in modernized countries. Our food choices can have a significant effect on the emission or absorption of global greenhouse warming gases. If we're thinking not just about the urges of our bellies but the needs of the planet as well, we substantially cut down on the amount of beef we eat, and opt for plant sources of protein, ideally grown as locally as possible.

Sweden has made one of the first major steps forward in this direction by requiring food producers to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions of each of their food products and include that data on their labeling. The new regulations are comprehensive, even differentiating in their food choice recommendations between greenhouse-dependent tomatoes and more hardy carrots that will be grown without the need for electric lights and heating. The calculations take into consideration transport, soil quality, and the raw materials that go into food's production"

SOLAR POWER INCENTIVES IN US STATES

10/28/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Regrettably, solar power is still rather expensive and slow to recoup its cost for most homeowners. Yet with exactly that barrier to adoption in mind, a number of countries as well as US states have offered incentives to reduce the initial cost of solar panels and other solar energy systems, in order to encourage businesses and homeowners to install solar energy systems. Installers will sometimes credit homeowners the value of such credits, in order to immediately reduce installation costs. Check out the following site http://www.dsireusa.org/ for a listing of solar energy system and other renewable energy system rebates in your area."

SOLARIZING PRE-PLANTING TECHNIQUE

10/27/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Instead of using solarizing as an alternative to pesticides, some gardeners (particularly in cooler climates) use the solarizing technique to jump-start or extend their growing seasons. A number of plants, and in particular your popular tomatoes, peppers, and squash, require a soil temperature of 70F before they will grow happily and well. Many of us know just how late in the spring those sorts of welcome temperatures can arrive. Solarizing helps to warm the soil for planting a bit ahead of schedule.

About four weeks ahead of your intended planting date, clear the area of weeds and roots, turning the soil over just a bit in the process. Water dry soil, then place your clear plastic tarp down over the area to be solarized, sealing the edges with soil to keep colder air out. When you are ready to plant, you can remove the plastic sheet or simply cut holes in the plastic and insert your seedlings."

NO-SWEAT COMPOSTERS

[YEA] 10/26/2009: karmala from Templeton, CA writes: "it's about time! we've had green composting bins supplied by our trash/recycle company for over 5 years and it works grea! they found that it also encourages people to maintain their yards better. there is no extra charge for the green waste pickup"

10/14/2009: Deirdre from Atlanta, Georgia writes: "Great article in today's Wall Street Journal entitled: Quick and Not So Dirty: No-Sweat Composters

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704107204574471330808326984.html

According to the article, which reviews several composters, yard trimmings and food residuals constitute approximately 24% of the USA's solid waste! One California city is leading the way with a new rule commencing next week that requires people to separate their compostable items into green "composting" carts or face fines. Go San Francisco!"

COCONUT OIL, LAUNDRY, AND PETS TOO

10/26/2009: karmala from Templeton, CA writes: "Since lighter fluid is such a toxic chemical you might want to try using coconut oil instead. I use extra virgin coconut oil for many things around the house... cooking, eating on toast, bath and beauty.... but, it is also great at getting rid of hard to remove sticky stuff. My 2 Labs love to lay under the pine trees and frequently come in covered in pine pitch as a result. I rub a little bit of EVCO on it and the sticky residue is magically gone. Of course it also makes their coats shine and smell wonderful. If I am not going to bathe them at that point, I just finish wiping them down with a towel. I have also used it on gum on clothing and in hair with the same fantastic results."

[YEA] 05/22/2009: Whisper (rtz4973@hotmail.com) from Timmins, Ontario Canada writes: "I've successfully used (Ronsonol) lighter fuel to remove gum and tar on clothing. It works great removing the glue from sticky stickers. On the bottle it says that it can also remove oil stains that I've not tried. Use it directly on the fabric and use your nail to gently scrape it off the gum, didn't want to damage the fabric otherwise you could use almost anything."

PLANT ECHINACEA IN YOUR NATURAL REMEDY GARDEN

10/25/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Often known as purple cornflower, Echinacea has become well known as an immune system booster, as well as being a lovely addition to your garden patch. While analysis of its effectiveness against colds and flu has yielded only uncertain results, whatever its degree of potency, its nature is far superior to the overuse of antibiotics that is causing the emergence of drug-resistant strains of viruses such as MRSA, not to mention the frightening flow of unused drugs into our water supplies.

Echinacea requires fertile ground, but it is an excellent xeriscape plant, well tolerant of low water conditions. Can be grown fairly easily from seed, but due to the popularity of the coneflower plant, you're likely to find batches in your local nursery as well. However, if you are planning to use your Echinacea plant as a health aid, be cautious about using the many colorful variations on Purple Coneflower you are liable to find in a greenhouse."

SOLARIZING TO ERADICATE WEEDS AND POISON IVY

10/24/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you would like to use solarizing as a method to get rid of weeds, use a black plastic tarp or even one sheet of a black plastic garbage bag. The plastic will heat the soil to weed-defying levels, and the lack of light will seal the deal. Many folks use this tactic against poison ivy, although you should be careful about the oils left over on the plastic sheet after the treatment is completed. While we don't love plastic, this method is far superior to herbicide treatments."

GINGER IN THE GARDEN FOR NON-TOXIC RELIEF

10/23/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Scientific studies have found that ginger is even better than Dramamine to cure motion sickness, yet more proof that the pharmaceutical industry, for all its benefits, sometimes leads us astray from the best, simplest, least toxic and most natural remedies for our health. Typically, ginger only grows in the tropics, however, it can be cultivated indoors. The root is the plant's useful part, which can be uprooted, a large section cut off from the root for use and the leaves discarded, and then the remaining rootstock replanted again just as before. Ginger needs water, humidity, and warmth as in the topics."

ALOE VERA AS A GARDEN-FOUND REMEDY

10/21/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "While aloe vera is ordinarily grown as a houseplant, it can also thrive outside in a warmer, frost-free environment. Soil should drain well, even to the dry side. Aloe grows best from offshoots that can be found at the base of an existing plant. These offshoots should be separated, set aside to dry for a couple of days, then planted in a 2:1 soil and sand mixture. Aloe vera plants reach medicinal maturity after two years, at which point sections of leaves can be broken off to get at the aloe vera gel, which can be applied directly to soothe, heal, and protect wounds and burns."

NEEM OIL FOR PLANTS AND PETS AND PEOPLE TOO

[YEA] 10/20/2009: Marcie (yourmuze@hotmail.com) from Baton Rouge, LA USA writes: "Neem is fantastic for plant health as a pesticide and fungicide, and is indeed safe for pets, especially for skin conditions, rashes, fleas, and such. Wonderful for people skin as well, particularly rashes and eczema and dermatitis!"

[YEA] 06/10/2009: Linda from Orange City, Florida writes: "This spring of 2009 I became aware of Neem Tree Oil, this tree is mostly grown in India. In the last few years India has been growing more trees and exporting the products of the tree. The leaves and bark for medicinal care and the seed oil for organic Pesticides. I bought some and it is really great. It has a very strong order. Please read about it many web sites. I purchase my products from neemresource.com. There price is more practical than at a local store. This site is bring in the product direct from India and sell to people to use it and make lotion, soap, massage oils, garden pesticides, herb teas, fertilizers. There has been many scientific research done on Neem in the last four years, Please do your own research and you will be amazed. I have been using the product for only three months, and I am very happy with it."

COMFREY OR KNITBONE FOR YOUR NATURAL REMEDY GARDEN

10/20/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you know it as knitbone, then you know why you might want it in your herbal remedy garden. Among other uses, comfrey is used in a compress to rapidly speed the healing of bone breaks and bruises, with reports of remarkable results. The plant's roots and leaves are mashed into a compress, or the roots taken as a tea; however, there is some debate over possible carcinogenic effects when taken internally. You can easily propagate comfrey through root division. It grows more or less like a weed, excepting the need for sufficient watering."

POTASH AND URINE FOR BETTER TOMATOES

[YEA] 10/19/2009: Dave from Victoria, BC Canada writes: "For better, bigger tomatoes, plant your tomatoes in potash and use human urine on them and they will grow bigger and better. We drink it and use it on our toes, why not on plants?"

EC: Although this isn't common garden advice, for certain urine is high in the nitrogens your garden needs. The urea in urine is reasonably non-toxic, and is in fact sold to farmers as fertilizer.

BOULDER INVENTORIES GHG EMISSIONS

10/18/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Before we can address a problem, we have to truly get to know it. Boulder recognized this fact and stepped forward - as part of its signing of the Kyoto Treaty in 2002 - to complete a citywide greenhouse gas emissions survey. In order to reduce the city's emissions, ideally to 1990 levels by 2012, Boulder had to clearly know how much carbon dioxide, monoxide, methane and other global warming gases it was producing on a per capita and per annum basis. The inventory is updated annually, and it concentrates on municipal and overall vehicle emissions, electricity usage, and landfill tonnage."

SOLARIZING THE SOIL TO CLEAR OUT GARDEN PESTS

10/17/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Rather than relying on pesticides, fungicides and the like garden-upsetting chemicals to rid your plants of their pest woes, use the simple, free power of the sun to sanitize your soil. Simple plastic tarps can be used to raise the temperature of infected soil to mold, fungus, mildew, nematode, larva, and insect-killing levels, much as boiling water can sanitize medical instruments. A thin, clear plastic tarp is all that is needed, placed over the cleared, leveled patch of garden soil and anchored down with rocks or buried at its edges. You should water the affected area before laying the tarp down, and then eliminate air pockets as much as possible between the soil and the plastic sheet. Tomato plants can tolerate solarizing even while they are growing, but most plants will not enjoy the experience, so you might want to solarize your garden in shifts while other sections are producing your flowers, vegetables, and herbs.

Ideally, the soil should reach 130 F over a couple of weeks. A thermometer can verify the temperature elevation you're getting at different depths. You will also be better off using a thinner plastic sheet, and starting at the beginning of your summer, although this combination may mean that your plastic sheet is largely decomposed by the end of the 4-6 weeks.

Just remember, solarizing will kill more or less everything in the treated soil. Earthworms and the like may have migrated downwards to safety, but in order to kick start your garden's rebirth, using earthworm inhabited compost to repopulate the treated soil is an excellent first step - so long as you know that the compost isn't infected with the same pestilent agent you were trying to eradicate. On the other hand, don't turn the soil over, as this might bring up untreated soil from deeper down."

ROSES FOR YOUR NATURAL REMEDY GARDEN

10/16/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The hips and petals of the lovely rose can be just as pleasing to the rest of the body as they are to the eye. A cup of rose tea provides a substantial serving of antioxidants and vitamins in general. Red roses are said to be the most healthful, but this may be largely tradition rather than discernment. Of course, challenges in growing every variety of rose abound, but if you are successful, then you should gather the flower petals before the bud unfurls. Rose hips can be collected after the first frost."

PLANT GARLIC FOR PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

10/15/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Who doesn't know about the health benefits of garlic? If you'd like to reduce your medical costs, and reduce the carbon emissions from garlic shipped to you from who knows where in the world, why not grow your own bulbs of garlic? They are a remarkably easy plant to care for. Plant single cloves two inches deep and six inches apart, either in the fall for a summer harvest or early spring (six weeks before the last frost) to harvest in the fall. Garlic scapes, the long, twisting central stalks of the garlic plant, can be cut down early on and sliced up for a delicious treat as well. At that point, you can also cut back your watering of your garlic plants, as they like drier conditions for their last several weeks of development."

NO-SWEAT COMPOSTERS

10/14/2009: Deirdre from Atlanta, Georgia writes: "Great article in today's Wall Street Journal entitled: Quick and Not So Dirty: No-Sweat Composters

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704107204574471330808326984.html

According to the article, which reviews several composters, yard trimmings and food residuals constitute approximately 24% of the USA's solid waste! One California city is leading the way with a new rule commencing next week that requires people to separate their compostable items into green "composting" carts or face fines. Go San Francisco!"

XERISCAPING BASICS

10/14/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "We're all tempted by the image of our lawns draped entirely in a perfect robe of Kentucky Bluegrass, but few of us really have the environmental conditions appropriate to the suburban ideal. This is especially true in local climates that dryly saunter toward the desert end of the scale. It was for that reason, and with increasing water demands in mind, that Denver civic planners coined the phrase and formulated the concept of xeriscape landscaping. Very simply, Xeriscaping is planting your home and work greenspaces with water demands foremost in mind.

Consequently, the single guiding principle of xeriscaping is to do all your xeriscape gardening so as to minimize the need to irrigation. Choose xeriscape plants that tolerate drought well. Use plenty of organic compost to improve water absorption and retention. Group plants according to their water-need intensities, and use drip irrigation when watering is a necessity.

Xeriscaping doesn't mean a yard full of cacti, though of course they are a popular part of the mix. No, lavender and thyme might surprise you as common xeriscape plants, sedum, coneflower, butterfly bush, zinnias, and bee balm as well. "

HALIFAX, CANADA'S GREEN CART COMMUNITY COMPOSTING INITIATIVE

[YEA] 10/13/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The city of Halifax, Canada has a decade-old program in community composting, emblemized by the Green Cart. Community residents have become accustomed to the three-bin system of recycling their containers, papers, and kitchen scraps. The latter set of materials (amounting to 41 thousand tons annually) are collectively composted and then returned to the community, largely to meet demand from area farms. The program has a 90% satisfaction rate, using aerated bin systems that prevent the waste materials from entering into odorous anaerobic decomposition."

PLOTTING OUT YOUR NATURAL REMEDY GARDEN

10/12/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "While there's nothing wrong with a haphazard garden, planted as the seeds and seedlings arrive in the mail or to your local greenhouse (much the better choice, as it reduces the possibility of shuffling pathogens and invasive insects all around the country), you can also make the choice to plan a garden according to a specific theme, idea, or need.

Consider your climate. If you live in an arid landscape, for certain the aloe plant should be a part of your garden arsenal. On the other hand, if you are in a particularly wet climate you can combine the concepts of remedy garden and rain garden by planting standing water tolerant herbs such as Oswego Tea/Bee Balm and Purple Coneflower/Echinacea.

Consider your needs. If your local climate allows you to be flexible, plant your garden according to your own and your family's typical needs and desires. Are you herbal tea drinkers? Start planting your own brews. Are you aging? Arthritis soothing and memory stimulating plants abound. Is your family abundant in X-chromosomes? A Women's Care Garden could offer relief to one and all. Heart, liver, respiratory, and pain concerns likewise can find gardens of their own.

Consider yourself. After all, this garden is for your health, so consider what sort of garden would create an environment to best please you. Do you like order? Consider a traditional geometric garden. Want to enhance the health of your entire garden? Pair insect repellant remedy herbs with your sensitive tomatoes and other vegetables. Do you just want a backyard grocery and pharmacy without much hassle? Dig a hole, plant a seed, and happily take from your natural remedy garden whatever it is willing to provide!"

FLOWERS AND PLANTS FOR A RAIN GARDEN

10/11/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you live in a particularly wet region, or have a home or building where storm runoff falls or collects heavily in a particular area (for instance, you have a flat roof with a single downspout), a rain garden can be an excellent way to grow standing water tolerant plants, to increase the beauty of your home or business area, while also reducing the pressure on our public water treatment systems. You may even get a tax break!

Any water-tolerant plant can find its place in a rain garden, but varieties that often find there way into such gardens include the following: Switchgrass, Anise Hyssop, Bee Balm, Purple Coneflower, Yarrow, Milkweed, and Butterfly Flower. Of course, any plant you find locally in a wetland or marsh is liable to do well in your rain garden, and planting local flowers discourages invasive species while encouraging local insects and fauna to inhabit your garden for the good of all.

This page at the Northern Gardening website offers a list of effective rain garden plants appropriate to the American Northeast. "

RAIN GARDEN DESIGN BASICS

10/10/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you're really serious about putting together a thoroughgoing rain garden, the state of Wisconsin has put together a 32-page pdf instruction manual you can access here. In truth, there is no need to go to such extremes, though if you go it on your own you may have to do some adjusting from year to year to find the proper balance for your area.

At its basic level, a rain garden is simply a low spot in your yard or field, graded flat with 8-12 inches of depth for the water to slowly trickle through. A berm should surround the spot, in order to retain water, and some sort of system should be present to conduct water to the garden, whether that is a PVC pipe running underground from your downspout or simply a natural or crafted grade of land that directs the water properly to the rain garden in the event of a storm. A mix of flowering plants of varying heights, along with sedges and grasses to fill in the spaces between, plus the possible addition of stones or other decorative items, can make your rain garden not only an environmental blessing, but an aesthetic treasure for your home and neighborhood as well.

Remember to place your rain garden at least 10 feet away from your building's foundation and/or septic system, in order to prevent problems. "

DESIGNING A BUTTERFLY HABITAT

10/09/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "In designing your butterfly garden, supplying plentiful and various patches of flowers is going to be your foremost goal. However, there are other additions to your butterfly garden habitat that can make the spot more appealing to your diaphanous friends. Shallow puddles of water are essential, and in addition to tips you can already find here on the site, you could also consider adding a decorative rock, ceramic item, or even bit of decorative glass that can be sprinkled with water to form small puddles of drinking water. Butterflies also need shelter from the summer breezes and a wintering over space. Shrubs, small trees, or a log with rough bark peelings can provide shelter for eggs, larvae, and cocoons, as well as a windbreak for butterflies."

BUILD A RAIN GARDEN FOR WATER CONSERVATION

10/08/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Time and again, we're hearing that water may become the critical linchpin of conflict in the coming decades, as reservoirs and underground aquifers start to critically dry up. Experts further warn us that old sewer and water pipes beneath city streets across the world are reaching a critical age, and that massive investments are going to come due for systems that already are doing a poor job of conserving and protecting our freshwater systems.

Consequently, there has been an increase in efforts to control and divert stormwater runoff, in order to control the spread of pollution, to reduce the stress on water conduits and treatment centers, to reduce municipal water usage, and to conserve readily available rainwater, keeping it in the local water system for as long as possible. That is why there has been a push toward green roof systems in many areas, as it can reduce storm runoff by up to 90%. An even easier and less expensive way to bring rain water conservation to your home, business, or a public facility such as your town hall would be to design a rain garden. A Rain Garden is any collection of flowers, herbs, grasses, and other water-tolerant plants in a growing bed designed to slow the flow of storm water from building drainage on its path to public sewage systems or waterways. Such a rain garden will collect and hold 30% more rain water than a typical patch of vegetation, helping to recharge local aquifers."

BOULDER, COLORADO'S COMMUNITY COMPOSTING INITIATIVE

10/07/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The City of Boulder and Boulder County have, very ambitiously, proposed to become Zero Waste zones by 2025, producing no landfilled waste and significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions. One of the critical steps along that path was first taken in 2008, when the city began to require a three-bin system for curbside recycling in becoming the first city to require composting in addition to recycling and refuse disposal. Kitchen scraps, low-grade papers, yard waste, food-contaminated papers, and even biodegradable plastics are now required to be included in the compost bin.

A Pay As You Throw (PAYT) system is in place for garbage, encouraging participation, since all recycling and composting is included in the general waste removal fees. The large-scale composting systems can process more material more quickly, and because it does so at a higher temperate than a backyard composting system, it completes the decomposition task more thoroughly and can compost wastes like animal fats and bones that would be difficult in a smaller pile. Residents can then collect fully processed compost for use in their gardens at no cost, with the bulk of the composted material going to regional farms. Clients can also purchase nutrient-rich "compost tea" for a small fee at the processing center."

ATTRACT MONARCH BUTTERFLIES TO YOUR GARDEN (AND SAVE A SPECIES)

10/06/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you live in North or Central America and would particularly like to attract and support Monarch butterflies in your butterfly garden, a few simple steps greatly improve your chances of seeing the flutter of black and orange wings in your yard. First of all, and as with all butterflies, Monarch butterflies are particularly sensitive to changes in the environment. They are declining in numbers because of the loss of native plant species on which they prefer to feed, and because of the pesticides and herbicides we use, by which they are acutely endangered. If you would like to see more butterflies in your garden, then you need to see yourself less often with chemical sprayer in hand, and more often with a trowel planting native flowering plants (please, do not dig them up out of their natural environments, you should be able to find them at a local greenhouse!).

And then, of course, the essential component of a Monarch butterfly garden is the Milkweed plant. Monarch butterflies will feed on many nectar-offering plants, but the caterpillars eat only of the milkweed family, and so those royal mothers will place their seeds only on the stems and leaves of the milkweed plant as well. Some consider the plant a weed, and for certain it won't take much effort to grow milkweed, but the plant's ability to attract Monarchs more than makes up for any lack of aesthetic perfection. We also hear that the sap of the milkweed plant can be used to get rid of warts, so it might go just as well in your Natural Remedy Garden. "

COMMUNITY COMPOSTING

10/05/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "At present, about 40% of the material in the waste stream is food scraps. Boulder, Colorado and Louisville, Kentucky are among the first two US cities pursuing city and region-wide efforts to divert all that material, by making composting a universal practice, removing food and other biological wastes from our landfills. The idea is to expand the backyard composting movement a million-fold, introducing industrial efficiencies to the environmental "personal virtues" of the composting process. Community-scale composting systems can produce more waste, including a broader variety of materials, in less time, more thoroughly, and into a product that can then be returned to the community and local farms - which in turn helps to promote good soil quality and reduce polluting runoff from farms that would otherwise have to use commercial fertilizers that foul our water systems.

Attempting to spearhead the move is the organization Cool 2012, which encourages community composting and the complete removal of compostable materials from the waste stream by 2012. Primarily, the group argues that the move is necessitated to reduce methane production in landfill spaces. Methane is a substantially more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but little has been done to address methane emissions. By redirecting compostable materials to composting systems, that methane issue can be addressed while also providing an excellent alternative to fossil-fuel derived (and water-poisoning) fertilizers."

FLOWERS FOR YOUR BUTTERFLY GARDEN

10/04/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you're thinking about creating a butterfly garden, or simply enhancing the general appeal of your garden with butterflies in mind, a few tips on how to plant and select flowers could be of help. Very simply, butterflies are going to prefer flowers that offer copious nectar. Likewise, and as it is with all of us, it would be best if the your butterflies could have a varied diet, so plant a number of different flowering plants to bloom in different colors and at different times of the season or year. If you clump a larger bunch of one type of flower together, that will make it easier for butterflies to locate them across the distance of several yards, blocks, or acres.

Native plants and those that flower in mid to late summer when butterflies are most prevalent will best suit the butterflies and your satisfaction in a butterfly garden."

ANISE FOR YOUR ORGANIC REMEDY GARDEN

10/03/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Also known simply as Anise or aniseed, both the leaves and seeds of this Mediterranean plant are used to treat nausea, asthma, other respiratory complaints, and flatulence. More controversially, it is said to improve the quality and quantity of breast milk for nursing mothers, which is one of the remedies you can discuss and research over at the Earth Clinic Remedies page. This reasonably hardy annual should be planted from seed where it will be grown (it does not transplant well), requires moderate compost for fertilizing, and prefers strong sun."

BOULDER, COLORADO TARGETS ZERO WASTE

10/02/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "In May of 2006, the City of Boulder adopted a resolution to pursue all incentives and regulations to create a community that produced no landfill-bound waste by 2012. This Zero Waste concept is being promoted by the Grassroots Recycling Network, http://www.grrn.org/. Aside from obvious environmental concerns, including water and land pollution, the community was concerned with the loss of usable materials that were being entombed in landfill space, and people were motivated in finding that recycling and processing centers employed 10-60% more people than traditional garbage systems, on a per-ton basis. Pay As You Throw systems for home and commercial garbage collection systems have since been enhanced to reduce the amount of materials flowing into the waste stream. The city's Master Plan for Waste Reduction also contained plans to encourage producers in the region to reduce packaging and disposable components of the materials they were producing for sale in the area."

[YEA] 10/01/2009: Deirdre from Atlanta, GA writes: "Okay, ant remedy update:

Neither chili powder nor borax powder stopped the trail of ants from coming inside. I thought sprinkling chili powder along their path was a winning remedy, but the ants simply went around the powder and marched on inside. I even saw a few ants walk right through the chili powder too. Wow!

What worked phenomenally well and almost immediately, was clove oil! I located the area just outside on the doorstep where ants were trailing in and added 5 drops of pure clove oil to the area. Then I added a drop of clove oil here and there along the kitchen countertop where a few remaining ants were lingering. Potent stuff. No sign of ants.

Am very glad not to have to use ant bait as I hate the thought of destroying an entire colony."

CHAMOMILE FOR YOUR GARDEN - MAKE YOUR OWN TEA!

10/01/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Of course, chamomile is practically synonymous with relaxation, particularly as a tea. However, chamomile - typically German Chamomile - is treasured for reasons beyond mere sedation. Chamomile is a self-replanting annual that grows with little trouble once introduced, and crushed or cut it releases a very appealing apple scent. Sow seeds in spring or fall, or else take root divisions and plant them for faster development. Later on, the plant will take care of its own propagation. Only the flowers are typically used in teas and compresses, but beyond its use as a balm for the nerves and as a liquid lullaby, chamomile is also taken as a digestive aid and in various cases as an antibiotic, among other roles."

CAYENNE PEPPER AS PART OF A HOME REMEDY GARDEN

09/30/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "As an ingredient in meals, brewed into tea, or simply crushed and placed on open wounds the spicy fruit of the cayenne pepper plant can easily replace a number of industrially produced chemicals and products to treat your injuries and improve health - straight from the garden or greenhouse. Cayenne is one of the most popular remedies over at Earth Clinic, and it adds an attractive burst of red and yellow color to any garden. Only the peppers themselves tend to be used medicinally, and of course your own tolerance for capsaicin will determine how much and how often you make use of the cayenne in your garden. Cayenne is ideally a tropical plant, but it can be grown as an annual in temperate regions if provided plenty of water and nutrients. Start indoors from seed if you have a short growing season. Promotes digestive and circulatory health."

WHITE ROOF MATERIAL INCENTIVES

09/29/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "While energy efficient windows have received the most attention in regards to energy efficiency tax credits provided by 2009 Congressional stimulus bill initiatives, certain white roofing materials or reflective roofing materials can also qualify for an energy efficiency tax credit. For new or remodeled roofs installed in the US in 2009 or 2010, homeowners can receive up to $1500 in rebate incentives, up to 30% of the materials costs, when installing qualified white roof systems of various kinds."

SOLAR HEAT BLOCKING CAR WINDOW INITIATIVE

09/28/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The California Air Resources Board will begin in 2012 to require that new cars sold in the state have solar reflective or absorbing windows installed, sufficient to block at least half the solar energy from entering the vehicle, in order to reduce air conditioning demands and therefore fuel use in these new cars. A very simple solution, but one that is liable to have a significant impact in a car- and sun-friendly state like California, enough to reduce annual carbon emissions in the state by hundreds of thousands of metric tons annually."

NEW YORK CITY REQUIRES SHOPS TO SHUT THE DOOR ON AC

09/26/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The suddenly rather forward looking New York City Council recently passed an initiative to require shop owners to close their exterior doors when the AC is running, rather than letting ice cold air pour out onto the streets. Simple, obvious, enormously effective, and yet how many others have made the same requirement?"

PRESSURE COOKER FOR CANNING: RESPONSE

09/25/2009: Kathy from Dubois, PA writes: "Here in Pennsylvania, we have the Co-operative Extension Service, sometimes called the County Extension Service, where we can go to get pressure canners checked. Do you by any chance have such a County government agency in Oregon? If you do, try giving them a call. If they don't do testing themselves, perhaps they can direct you to where you can get your pressure canner tested.

p.s. You do know that a pressure COOKER is NOT the same thing as a pressure CANNER, right? It is NOT SAFE to use a pressure COOKER as a pressure CANNER, even if that is what they did in the old days. "

07/14/2009: DJ from PDX, Or writes: "Does anyone know where a person would take a pressure cooker to be tested? (Portland Or). I haven't been able to find the right string of words to google.

My aunt gave me her old one but it is 20 years old. She only used it once. The rubber gasket is not broke nor does it crack when bent. However I grew up on a farm and heard the horor stories about cookers blowing up in the old days (probably why she only used it once)"

CALIFORNIA'S WHITE ROOF INITIATIVES

09/25/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "California's white roof initiatives are probably among the best known of those initiated in the United States, and Energy Secretary Chu's affiliation with the state has helped to make them more visible. While a move to require reflective rooftops on cars has met with some resistance, other measures have quickly become adopted as wise and easily implemented. Back in 2005, Art Rosenfeld of the California Energy Commission helped establish white roof legislation through California Title 24, so that the state now requires all flat roofs on commercial buildings to be coated or painted white to increase solar reflectance. That regulation has been extended as of July 2009 to require white roofing materials on all new or remodeled commercial and residential roofs, whether flat or sloped, all to lower cooling costs and localized solar heating associated with the urban heat island effect."

CITRIC ACID/LEMON JUICE FOR HARD WATER DEPOSITS

[YEA] 09/23/2009: Kathy from Dubois, PA writes: "For a cheaper alternative to lemon juice, try citric acid powder. Citric acid is the active ingredient in lemon juice.

p.s. To clean hard water deposits off of toilet bowls, turn the water to the toilet off and then flush it to empty the bowl. Then sprinkle a couple of tablespoonfuls of citric acid right on the hard water deposits. Wait for maybe half an hour and then brush. The citric acid dissolves the hard water deposits... they should come off with a light brushing. This also works on other hard water deposits around the house... just be sure the acid won't harm the surface you are using it on. Don't use it on marble or granite back-splashes, for instance.

p.p.s. Citric Acid powder can be found at Punjabi markets under the name "tatri". It is also called "sour salt" in some locales. "

HOW TO MAKE ESSENTIAL OILS

09/23/2009: Kathy from Dubois, PA writes: "I'm going to go into "governess mode" and point out that the process you are refering to actually creates what is properly termed and INFUSED oil, rather than and ESSENTIAL oil. Essential Oils are the product of steam distillation, expression or solvent extraction, and should evaporate away completely, leaving no oily stain, on cloth or paper. The reason that Essential Oils are so expensive is that it takes a great deal of plant material to yield a small amount of oil... for instance, it takes hundreds of pounds of rose petals to yield just one ounce of Essential Oil of Rose. "

09/11/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "To be honest, Earth Clinic Planet had no idea how to produce essential oils, so we went out in search of the essential secret, as it were. Turns out, the process is a relatively simple one, and what with the high cost and appeal of essential oils for all sorts of purposes around the home, we thought we would pass what we found along to the Earth Clinic community. You can read about the process of making essential oils here, whether for protecting your plants from mildew and pests or for an organic skin care solution."

GENTLE BUTTERFLY CONTROL TIPS

[YEA] 09/23/2009: Kathy from Dubois, PA writes: "Use Diatomaceous Earth instead... it deters them instead of killing them... when they touch it, it hurts their feet and they go in a different direction. Just sprinkle a line of Diatomaceous Earth where ever you don't want the caterpillers to go, and they will not cross that line. It works unless it is wet, or you may have to re-apply it if it rains, but it will keep them out without harming them.

p.s. Diatomaceous Earth also works on all other crawling insects and kills fleas and ticks, too."

EC: Great tip, Kathy, thanks!

09/14/2009: Tricia from Ireland, Ireland writes: "I have a question for other butterfly lovers. I grow natsurtum which attracts caterpillars. For some reason this year abundance has turned to infestation. I don't mind this but the caterpillars that are now starting to cocoon are heading directly for the house. There are so many of them that I cannot open the windows at the back of the house and I,m hoping not to have to make a choice between fresh air and the bugs. It has been suggested that I pour bleach in their path to turn them back, but I am worried that this will kill them as opposed to re-directing them. Any suggestions would be appreciated."

GREEN INITIATIVES IN BOULDER, COLORADO

09/21/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Love it or hate it, this hippy haven has long been at the vanguard of environmental initiatives. Back when it was a sleepy suburb Denver hardly heeded, the town elders wise as they were established a green ring around the town, in which development was severely limited, to forever preserve a touch of the wild (and let's admit, preserve property values as well!). And while time and Denver have advanced, so too have Boulder's aggressive, creative environmental initiatives, which we would like to share here. Stop back for updates!"

ENERGY CONSERVING TECHNOLOGY

09/20/2009: Deirdre from Atlanta, GA writes: "I am very curious to know if anyone has purchased one of the meters you install in your home that reads electrical output? If so, which one did you purchase and has it changed your electrical usage? I see Google has one in the works: http://www.google.org/powermeter/howitworks.html.

Here's an interesting article about a few options: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/measure.html "

TOYOTA PRODUCES GRASS MATS FOR GREEN ROOFING

09/19/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "We talk about a veritable carpet of grass, but a division of Toyota manufacturing is doing it's best to innovate a solution that would create just that. The subsidiary, Toyota Turf Mat, is already marketing the TM9 turf mat, a fully equipped green roof solution that comes in 20-inch plastic squares, two inches thick, covered by a low-maintenance Korean velvet grass, the necessary soil substrate, and a built-in drip irrigation system. The grass seems to require some watering, but only need be cut down once a year, and the system can be quickly installed on any flat rooftop space with little to no concern about supporting the additional weight of a green roofing system, since the Turf Mats are so slim and lightweight. Initial prices are $43 dollars for each easily installed tile, a price that is sure to drop when home and business owners begin to see how easy it is to increase insulation, reduce cooling costs, and bring a park-quality lawn to their rooftops."

BORAX FOR ANTS (Click to follow thread)

09/17/2009: Philip from Dearing, GA/USA writes: "I would like to update my post. It seems that WET cat food or canned cat food works better than dry cat food. The ants are better able to carry this to the queen, rather than the dry."

[YEA] 05/11/2009: Bea from Arizona writes: "For me, borax is the solution to my ant problems. It's mostly the black ants it works on but a little borax and sugar (equal parts) in enough water to dissolve it all attracts and kills them pretty well. You make a trap like a roach motel. I use a cat food can, but anything that you can fill and cover will do, and poke some reasonable-sized holes in the side so the ants can crawl in and out. They'll eat the poison but should leave the can before they die. Good luck, but remember that ants do good things for the soil and even your lawn. It's only when they make big ant hills or crawl into your house that you need a solution."

DESIGN YOUR OWN NATURAL REMEDY GARDEN!

09/17/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Are there any of us who don't from time to time shop at Wal-Mart? The global market has its conveniences, even if it's at the environmental cost of enormous emissions in the transport of goods, and unacceptable damages in terms of harvesting raw materials and throwing away these made-to-be-disposable goods. On the other hand, one of the nicest trends to come around lately has been the movement to Buy Local, getting your groceries from a local farm stand or an area CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), or shopping at the old Mom and Pop on Main Street.

Well, nothing could be more local than the backyard, the little garden you've got going on the fire escape, or a few flowerpots in the window. Healthier are your tomatoes and basil by far than produce from pesticide and fertilizer-addicted farms, and we can go healthier yet by growing the sorts of herbs and other plants that are and always have been Nature's own medicine. This is the sort of thing that really makes us excited about the overlapping concerns between Earth Clinic and Earth Clinic Planet -- healing our planet to heal ourselves. Stay Tuned for More!"

WHITE ROOF INITIATIVES

09/16/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Nobel Prize winner and US Energy Secretary Steven Chu is not the only one touting the easy rewards that can come to the entire planet through painting, covering, and otherwise coating a substantial portion of the world's roofing surfaces white. With a white roof reducing cooling costs by 20% for individual homes and businesses, a combined global effort to slap on a layer of reflective coating paint or go all the way with a white elastomeric roof coating would every two decades bring as much good to the global warming fight as eliminating all global automotive emissions over the next 11 years. Cities like Osaka, states like Georgia, and companies like Wal-Mart have seen the virtue of a white roof and have created initiatives to encourage the practice. Stay Tuned for More!"

GENTLE BUTTERFLY CONTROL TIPS

09/14/2009: Tricia from Ireland, Ireland writes: "I have a question for other butterfly lovers. I grow natsurtum which attracts caterpillars. For some reason this year abundance has turned to infestation. I don't mind this but the caterpillars that are now starting to cocoon are heading directly for the house. There are so many of them that I cannot open the windows at the back of the house and I,m hoping not to have to make a choice between fresh air and the bugs. It has been suggested that I pour bleach in their path to turn them back, but I am worried that this will kill them as opposed to re-directing them. Any suggestions would be appreciated."

WHITE POWDER MILDEW - RESPONSE

09/14/2009: Tricia from Ireland, Ireland writes: "You say not to water the plants in the evening. I always thought this was a good time to water plants as they got to keep their moisture for a longer period of time due to the coolness. Does this go for all plants or just the ones with the mildew."

EC: You're right, evening can be a great time to water plants for just that reason, unless you're worried about mildew, which thrives on a humid evening or morning when the sun can't beat back its progress. It would be best to switch your watering schedule until the white powder mildew goes away, to keep the evening humidity down for your entire garden.

09/13/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Roses are not the only popular flower and garden plant to often be affected by a powdery white-to-gray layer of fungal spores from the White Powder Fungus, also called powdery mildew. The happy news is that, while unsightly, white powder fungi are not particularly damaging, and each fungus is particular to a type of plant, so other species in your garden ordinarily won't be contaminated. White powder mildew spreads in cool, moist environments and will take advantage of weak plants.

There are organic treatments for white powder fungus, including cinnamon either sprinkled on dry or sprayed on; and baking soda seems to work as a preventative while Neem Oil might help to get rid of the powdery mildew. Copper sprays are the most common commercial treatment, but although copper is a natural and essential mineral, its concentration in the spray - along with the other chemicals that might be riding alongside - could not quite be called organic.

Fortunately, the most effective step in combating white powder fungus is to carefully clip off affected leaves and dispose of them in such a way as not to spread the fungal spores or allow them to infiltrate your garden any further. A truly hot compost pile will take care of the spores, but throwing them in the trash might be your best bet. Then keep your plants watered from the base in dry times (don't water in the evenings), spaced out to improve airflow, and well fed with natural fertilizers."

WHITE POWDER FUNGUS - POWDERY MILDEW

09/13/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Roses are not the only popular flower and garden plant to often be affected by a powdery white-to-gray layer of fungal spores from the White Powder Fungus, also called powdery mildew. The happy news is that, while unsightly, white powder fungi are not particularly damaging, and each fungus is particular to a type of plant, so other species in your garden ordinarily won't be contaminated. White powder mildew spreads in cool, moist environments and will take advantage of weak plants.

There are organic treatments for white powder fungus, including cinnamon either sprinkled on dry or sprayed on; and baking soda seems to work as a preventative while Neem Oil might help to get rid of the powdery mildew. Copper sprays are the most common commercial treatment, but although copper is a natural and essential mineral, its concentration in the spray - along with the other chemicals that might be riding alongside - could not quite be called organic.

Fortunately, the most effective step in combating white powder fungus is to carefully clip off affected leaves and dispose of them in such a way as not to spread the fungal spores or allow them to infiltrate your garden any further. A truly hot compost pile will take care of the spores, but throwing them in the trash might be your best bet. Then keep your plants watered from the base in dry times (don't water in the evenings), spaced out to improve airflow, and well fed with natural fertilizers."

HOW TO MAKE ESSENTIAL OILS

09/11/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "To be honest, Earth Clinic Planet had no idea how to produce essential oils, so we went out in search of the essential secret, as it were. Turns out, the process is a relatively simple one, and what with the high cost and appeal of essential oils for all sorts of purposes around the home, we thought we would pass what we found along to the Earth Clinic community. You can read about the process of making essential oils here, whether for protecting your plants from mildew and pests or for an organic skin care solution."

CILANTRO AND ROSEMARY AS ESSENTIAL OIL PESTICIDES

09/03/2009: DPK from Hoosick Falls, NY writes: "For my part, I have noticed that nothing at all (including some of my guests) will eat my cilantro, and it certainly has a strong odor and flavor. The same is true of the rosemary I've been growing inside and out of the house, so I might try to throw the two of them together as an essential oil insect repellant, and I'll let you know how it works out!"

09/02/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Well, this is either the newest or the latest in pest control developments. Canadian scientists are working out combinations of essential oils from common garden herbs as plant sprays to kill and repel bugs, snails, and pests in general. Calling them "killer spices", the research is primarily taking a look at rosemary, cloves, mint, and thyme as natural, organic deterrents and nerve agents. While you will not find much of this on the market at the moment, there could be no harm in trying to create a few of these essential oil concoctions on your own at home, and studies so far are showing that two or three oils in combination usually work best. Indications are that such mixtures could work against ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and even your pet's fleas and ticks. Essential oil pesticides might be effective against molds and fungus as well. Worth a try!"

ESSENTIAL OILS TO REPEL AND KILL INSECTS

09/02/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Well, this is either the newest or the latest in pest control developments. Canadian scientists are working out combinations of essential oils from common garden herbs as plant sprays to kill and repel bugs, snails, and pests in general. Calling them "killer spices", the research is primarily taking a look at rosemary, cloves, mint, and thyme as natural, organic deterrents and nerve agents. While you will not find much of this on the market at the moment, there could be no harm in trying to create a few of these essential oil concoctions on your own at home, and studies so far are showing that two or three oils in combination usually work best. Indications are that such mixtures could work against ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and even your pet's fleas and ticks. Essential oil pesticides might be effective against molds and fungus as well. Worth a try!"

ELASTOMERIC ROOF COATINGS FOR A WHITE ROOF

09/01/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "This is where the most excitement can be found in white roofing, but also the most confusion. The options here are in many cases only now really evolving, but elastomeric roof coatings and ceramic coatings are the most talked about and sometimes the easiest white roof solutions. You can also have a single-layer PVC roof installed, which will be highly reflective, waterproof, and long-enduring, but the expense can be as much as $3 per square foot. Elastomers (elastic polymers that is, which includes rubber but in common parlance acrylics and acrylic paints as well), are cheaper, more flexible for installation, and are making quick progress in overtaking bitumen roofing materials, largely because they are relatively easy to apply, are inherently water resistant, and are generally long-lasting. These will be more expensive than an asphalt-derived roofing material, but with solar reflectance of around 80%, savings on cooling and long-term roof replacement costs will bring multiple returns on that additional investment. And ceramic-reinforced elastomeric paints can be sprayed over a wide array of existing roofing materials to increase their albedo and lifespan. Elastomeric roof coating is often sprayed on and done by professional installers, so while it is an appealing white roof option, an elastomeric roof is not as much of a DIYer project."

BORAX FOR FIRE ANTS

[YEA] 08/26/2009: Philip from Dearing, GA/USA writes: "I have used Borax from the detergent aisle in the grocery store for ridding fireants. A couple ways I have had success is to use hot tap water and about 2 cups of Borax in a 5 gallon bucket. Mix well to disolve the borax. Then put water into flower watering container and pour directly onto the mound. (Be sure to cover all of mound with the water) You will have 5 gallons of the water.

To use ALOT less Borax you can make a BAIT fot the ants. This is done buy taking dry cat food, Borax and grape jelly and creating a mixture. You will need one cup of dry cat food, 2 Tablespoons of borax and 2 tablespoons of grape jelly. Mix well in bowl. Put one tablespoon of the mixture directly on top of the mound. ( Works better when no rain is expected) The worker ants carry this to the Queen and this wipes out the entire colony. I have seen mounds big as small car tires completely disappear.

Don't get discourage with this method if it fails from time to time. 95 percent of the time it will rid your fire ant promblems. Re-apply if nessasary and to any new mounds. Takes about a week to see results."

[YEA] 05/11/2009: Bea from Arizona writes: "For me, borax is the solution to my ant problems. It's mostly the black ants it works on but a little borax and sugar (equal parts) in enough water to dissolve it all attracts and kills them pretty well. You make a trap like a roach motel. I use a cat food can, but anything that you can fill and cover will do, and poke some reasonable-sized holes in the side so the ants can crawl in and out. They'll eat the poison but should leave the can before they die. Good luck, but remember that ants do good things for the soil and even your lawn. It's only when they make big ant hills or crawl into your house that you need a solution."

NEEM OIL PESTICIDE SAFE FOR PETS?

08/25/2009: Rebekah from NE FL, Florida writes: "Do you know if it is pet safe?"

[YEA] 06/10/2009: Linda from Orange City, Florida writes: "This spring of 2009 I became aware of Neem Tree Oil, this tree is mostly grown in India. In the last few years India has been growing more trees and exporting the products of the tree. The leaves and bark for medicinal care and the seed oil for organic Pesticides. I bought some and it is really great. It has a very strong order. Please read about it many web sites. I purchase my products from neemresource.com. There price is more practical than at a local store. This site is bring in the product direct from India and sell to people to use it and make lotion, soap, massage oils, garden pesticides, herb teas, fertilizers. There has been many scientific research done on Neem in the last four years, Please do your own research and you will be amazed. I have been using the product for only three months, and I am very happy with it."

METAL SHEETING FOR A WHITE ROOF

08/21/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Aluminum, tin, and other sheet metals can be a quick and low-maintenance option in roofing, and a clean metal roof has a reflectance between 60 and 80%. This can be a reasonable option for both flat and pitched roofs, unlike some of your other white roof design choices. Renovating with aluminum roof coating painted on an existing smooth roof would fall naturally into this category, with less investment, but offers solar reflectance of only about 55%."

WHITE SHINGLES FOR WHITE ROOFS

08/20/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Instead of black or dark asphalt shingles, opt for the whitest color you can find. No matter what you choose, this is still asphalt and unavoidably black at its dark heart and core. White shingles are also rough, where a smooth roofing surface would be more reflective. Still, it's an easy alternative when you're going to re-shingle a roof. White shingles or high reflectance shingles simply add reflective white paint or other material to increase the surface albedo. At best you're going to get a solar reflectance rate of 35% with premium white shingles. Light colored clay, concrete, and cement fiber shingles and tiles are also good alternatives (if more expensive) in some locales."

WHITE ROOF HOME INSTALLATION OPTIONS

08/19/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "You have to grant that the appeal of a green roof (skyward garden parties, rooftop greenhouse tomatoes!) is a fair bit greater than the simplicity of white roofing. But it's white roofing that you can most likely and easily take advantage of in your own home design and renovations. It's all about albedo, a material's level of solar reflectance, the amount of sunlight that it bounces straight back into space - sending it back where it came from. These materials can drop rooftop temperatures, which can get as high as 150 degrees, by as much as 80 degrees. Let's run through the most likely options for white roof home renovations and design:

White Shingles - regular asphalt shingles coated or painted white to increase albedo.

Aluminum Roof Coating - readily available blends of asphalt resin and aluminum, painted over existing roof surfaces. Aluminum retains more heat through the course of the night than other products, but it also reflects more heat back into the house when the weather cools.

White Metal Roof - aluminum, tin, and other sheet metal as a roofing material or over top of an existing roof.

Reflective Roof Coating - elastomeric coating, ceramic coating, provide the greatest increase in solar reflectance, with an albedo of up to 80%."

GREEN ROOF HOME INSTALLATION

08/17/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Yeah, it's a cool idea for sure, and I'll mention those green roof system initiatives to my boss for the corporate rooftop, but would it ever be possible for me to install green roofing on my own home? Well, yes and no. Green roof design is foremost limited by the structural requirements necessitated by all that growing medium for the plant life. For certain, starting out with a flat roof gives you a certain advantage over a pitched roof, though pitched sod and thatch green roof designs have been perfectly common in Scandinavian countries for centuries and in continuing practice. Still, if you have an accessible flat roof, you can at least make a go at some sort of an extensive green roof garden. Think of the parties you could have there!

Practically speaking, you should first check local zoning laws. Few are written to directly address a green roof or living walls, but for certain this would be a major construction or renovation project, so existing statutes are likely to apply some limitations or at least require permits. Secondly, get a structural engineer to verify that your house can accept the additional weight a living roof entails. You should also look into local, regional, and national grants that may offset the cost of your green roofing installation.

More green roof contractors are popping up around the world all the time, and your best bet is to do a search engine query to find roofing companies in your area that are expert in this sort of work. If you can't find an outfit you trust, or the expense seems too great, but your house is solid enough to support additional weight, consider scattering a few pots and trays full of low-maintenance plants like sedum and chives across the roof, on top of benches or above an impermeable root barrier to protect your existing roof from penetration.

Lastly, send us a report on how it turns out!"

PAY AS YOU THROW IN A SMALL TOWN

[YEA] 08/16/2009: DPK from Hoosick Falls, NY writes: "I've been less than a year as a homeowner in this little town on the Vermont edge of New York, and in getting myself situated I saw a couple of references to this being a Pay As You Throw town, but frankly I didn't actually believe it. Then lo and behold my annual municipal bill comes along and the garbage fees are substantially lower than the year before! Turns out, good habits in composting and buying products with little or no packaging have their reward (although, the fact that the house was empty and produced no garbage for half of last year probably didn't hurt).

Now this is a small town, around 3000 people, but the system works great for everyone involved. A single driver operates a garbage truck that has a claw arm, which picks up the regulation garbage barrels from the curbside and dumps them into the top of the truck, then replaces the barrel curbside (usually crooked, but no complaints). It's efficiency and entertainment all in one, and with only the one operator expenses are considerably reduced for the village. Thanks to the Pay As You Throw fees, recycling rates have increased substantially, and we've had no illegal dumping problems. If our little, conservative farming town can do, for sure it can work anywhere."

PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE REDEMPTION IN NY

08/15/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "The New York State Supreme Court at last cleared the way for the state legislature's new law on plastic water bottle recycling to go into effect on October 22, 2009. Bottled water companies, including Nestle, were stalling the legislation, which requires the same 5-cent redemption system for plastic water bottles across New York as has long been in place for aluminum cans as well as glass soda and beer bottles. The law, alliteratively entitled the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, should bring in $100 million annually for the state's environmental efforts, with $12 million more each year immediately going to the state in a separate provision that directed 80% of unclaimed deposits to the state coffers rather than to the bottlers. Bottling companies and environmentalists were united in their calls to have the bill extend to flavored waters and non-carbonated drinks, but that battle will have to be fought another day."

CONTROL AIR POLLUTION WITH GREEN ROOFING

08/13/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "While most green roofing is offered as a solution targeting energy efficiency and stormwater runoff with its associated spread of pollution, the trees, grasses, and other plants of a green roof or living wall also serve to filter the air of dust and airborne pollution--by as much as 75% according to urban studies. Stuttgart aims to take advantage of this function of a living roof by directly funding the replacement of civic roofing with green roof alternatives. Since 1986, private homeowners have been tapping into public funding that covers half the cost of a new green roof installation, while commercial construction must incorporate green roof design whenever a flat roof (slope less than 12 degrees) is intended."

ALUMINUM ROOF COATING TO MAKE A WHITE ROOF

[YEA] 08/11/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "One of the simplest and longest-practiced "green" roofing techniques is simply to paint your existing roof with a layer of aluminum roof coating. Easily found in any hardware or home store, aluminum paint's original purpose was simply to preserve a tar, half-lap, or metal roof by covering cracks and holes, but its added advantage is that it is around 8 times more reflective than an asphalt roof, which cools the house and reduces heat-damage to the roof itself. Even in the winter, that aluminum surface will help retain the heat inside a home, just as aluminum foil would do for warm food.

Aluminum roof coating comes in two forms, with or without fiber added to the mix, and is primarily a mixture of aluminum flakes emulsified in asphalt. You'll find a number of options (generally in the roofing section, rather than with the paints), but generally it will cost you about $25 a gallon, with three gallons needed to cover about 100 square feet of flat, even roof. A bit expensive, but it can easily add 10 years to a reasonably intact roof, and significantly reduce your air conditioning expenses."

PRESSURE COOKER REPLACEMENT PARTS

[YEA] 08/10/2009: Sheila from Independence, MN/USA writes: "I have always wanted to use a pressure cooker for making my own essential oils from native plants for personal use, but the ones I wanted to buy were always too expensive. I found a 16 quart, Presto Pressure cooker in my 97 year old Grandmothers attic this summer. I showed my husband, who is an engineer and he said I should NOT use it until I replaced parts on it because it could cause great harm and damage if it was not in good working order. He went on-line and found many sites that sell parts for old models! We ordered parts for this pressure cooker and it is ancient..at least 40+ years old! We plan to put these new parts on and cook away! Here are a few sites you could go to or just research yourself using Bing or Google search for "Pressure cooker parts". Here are a few to get you started! Be sure you have restored all old parts before you try to use one!!! http://www.cookingandcanning.net/ http://www.manttra.com/cgi-bin/buyspares.cgi
http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/prestopart.htm?source=overtureOPR006A02L01 This method of cooking is a wonderful way to cook and preserve just about anything! My Granny used it for canning, too! I would like to hear back from anyone who is actively using one for making essential oils, like I plan to! Always.....be careful using this device and read up on it before you do! ;>)"

GREEN ROOF INITIATIVES IN PORTLAND, OREGON

08/09/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "In order to protect the Willamette River from stormwater runoff that would carry lawn treatment chemicals and petroleum residues into the river, Portland encourages green roof systems and requires that 70% of the roof space on any new municipal building be vegetative. Replacement roofing should incorporate intensive or extensive green roof designs whenever possible, all of which is funded by a stormwater drainage tax that is assessed based on the amount of impervious area (concrete, asphalt, conventional roofing) on a given property. Private developers are offered relaxed building restrictions based on the incorporation of green roofing systems in their designs. More than 2 acres of green roof oases now dot the city skyline."

BAKING SODA FOR CARPET CLEANING

[YEA] 08/08/2009: debra from LA, CA writes: "I had spots on my light beige carpet that after cleaning would reappear- thanks earthclinic for the tip, first I vacuumed WELL! then I sprinkled the salt, everywhere! then I spot cleaned using borax paste, sprayed vinegar, scrubed the spot with brush, blotted dry, let dry, Let sit over night, then vacuum well, TEST AREA 1st!!! did not work on dark blue carpet"

ILLINOIS INITIATIVE TO PROTECT SOIL AND WATER

08/07/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Illinois offers a tax incentive to promote the incorporation of vegetative filter strips, also called buffer or riparian zones, into statewide farmland. The measure, successful since its creation in 1997, is proven to reduce soil erosion and stormwater runoff that may carry pesticides and fertilizer into water sources downstream. Farmers with land that runs along any surface or groundwater body (such as ponds and streams) can have their property assessment reduced to one-sixth the registered value if they maintain an appropriate type and width of grasses and other vegetation between their crops and the waterway."

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR FOR WEED CONTROL

[YEA] 08/06/2009: Cathy from Wheaton, IL writes: "I use apple cider vinegar plain to kill the dandelions, moss, grass, and other weeds that grow between the patio blocks and in cracks on the driveway. It's amazing - works in a couple of hours and seems to work better when I do it in the bright sun."

[YEA] 07/22/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Eager to pull the trigger on weed spray, but unwilling to use herbicides or polluting chemicals? Try out this tip, an all-natural weed killing recipe:

4 Cups Vinegar
1/4 Cup Salt
2 tsp. Dish Soap

Target the leaves and the plant's base with your sprayer, using a tight stream. It'll kill most weeds, but it's no good for your other plants or grass either, so only use as much as you need, and avoid your garden plants and lawn as much as possible."

BORAX FOR MILLIPEDE CONTROL

[YEA] 08/04/2009: Janine from Asheville, NC writes: "Borax update: took a few days to kick in, but the millipede issue has abated thankfully. I still pick them up and put them outside if I catch them alive, but their numbers are fewer and farer between."

07/28/2009: Janine from Asheville, NC writes: "I'm trying borax for millipedes coming inside our house - particularly bad invasion this summer, I don't know why. Every time it rains dozens appear inside and I am tired as heck of vacuuming up dead ones and putting the live ones back outside. They really do let off a bad stink!

I am hoping the scent of the borax (sprinkled along doorways and floor boards) will do the trick. Will let you all know."

WHITE ROOF REGULATIONS (Click for thread)

08/04/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "We've been keeping our eyes open, Janine, and so far as we can tell there are no particular regulations against painting your own roof white or covering it in white any way you see fit. Fortunately, there are a growing number of white roof incentives and supports, and we're going to be looking into a few of those and some tips on how to bring a white roof design to your own home in the coming weeks. Thanks for the questions!"

05/27/2009: Elayne from La Jolla, California writes: "I've seen your page on green roofs, but I saw the news about white roofs and people here are talking a lot more about them, where you just paint your roof white or use some sort of white roofing material. A lot easier and its supposed to make a huge difference in your bills. Our roof was black and dark green before, which when you think about it was just stupid. Even up in the north, like in Michigan where I grew up you would think that a black roof would at least soak in the sunshine in the winter and heat the house, but when you really need it, there's snow on top of the roof anyways blocking all that black. Better to go with white all year long and keep your summers cooler."

VITAMIN B FOR MOSQUITOES?

08/02/2009: sarah from los angeles, ca writes: "Has anyone else noticed the huge increase in mosquitoes lately in California? I've lived here 10 years and would usually see about 1 single mosquito per summer, now I have one in my apartment at least once a week! Also- they are HUGE...a lot bigger than I remember, even growing up on the east coast. And they seem to be way more aggressive. I've been wondering lately if there's a trend and if could have anything to do with bio-engineered food we are eating or all of the medications in the bloodstream of the gen pop that they are feeding on? Anyways... it's creepy. It's like they keep feeding on you until you wake up ( I will wake up having 5-6 bites from the same mosquitoe who will literally be attacking me in my sleep and they usually can't be shoo'd away that easy. Does vitamin b help? Used to be one of my favorite things about living in LA was the lack of insects as I am really susceptible to them."

A BASIC INTRODUCTION TO GREEN ROOF SYSTEMS

07/31/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Basically, you have two different design concepts in green roof installation. The difference here is in how much effort is required to groom and maintain:

Intensive Green Roof � The intensive green roof offers the most variety, pleasure, and even productivity in green roof designs. These are your skyward gardens, sometimes potted container gardens or occasionally integrated into a complete park space, but always requiring upkeep, fertilizing, and even irrigation. Intensive green roofing runs from a few potted plants thrown up on a roof to parks and farms with enough soil to grow any number and variety of plants all the way up to shrubs and trees. Besides the pleasures of a park setting, there are restaurants and grocery stores that use intensive roof designs to grow produce, as well as private and public nature sanctuaries within the urban tumult; and in the furthest extreme intensive green roofs incorporate aquaponics, where rainwater circulates between the rooftop vegetative layer and a fish pond, circulating fertilizer, minerals, and sustenance between the two systems and leaving the green roof owner to benefit as both a skyward farmer and fisherman.

Extensive Green Roof � In contrast, the extensive green roof concept is purely utilitarian. Sedum, a family of succulent creeping herbs, is the preferred plant life, as it requires little to no maintenance and can survive in widely varied settings with no need for irrigation or hardly even much in the way of a support structure. Some sedum installations are grown on a minimal stratum of rock wool alone. Yet you have your extensive, non-labor intensive rooftop "lawn" with all of the runoff eliminating and energy saving benefits of a green roof [...]"

BORAX SOLUTION FOR CREEPING CHARLIE, OTHER WEEDS

[YEA] 07/30/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Creeping Charlie, known as ground ivy and by a dozen other names, can be a real nuisance. While it can be a real pleasure to pull up long runner-lengths of the weed from your lawn, sometimes that's just impossible in thick lawns or when you simply don�t have the time. This natural solution using Borax will give you an alternative.

Mix up to 10 ounces (a quarter cup) of Borax in a gallon of water, and then disperse it with a sprayer. A gallon's worth will cover 1000 square feet. Make sure you use a sprayer, and be careful how much you spray in one area. The borax treatment is like chemotherapy for cancer, it's not good for any of the plants in these doses, but since grass tolerates the borax better, it can recover faster and displace weeds like ground ivy/creeping charlie that otherwise have the upper hand. This Borax solution will work as a weed killer for other unwanted plants as well, but it�s creeping charlie that�s truly hypersensitive to boron.

Please Note: Don't repeat the application. This is a once a year dosage, which you can repeat the next year, and then leave it be. Otherwise, the boron concentrations in your yard will get too high. If you see extensive yellowing of the grass in areas you've treated, then water the area heavily to dilute the solution."

BORAX FOR INSECT CONTROL

07/28/2009: Janine from Asheville, NC writes: "I'm trying borax for millipedes coming inside our house - particularly bad invasion this summer, I don't know why. Every time it rains dozens appear inside and I am tired as heck of vacuuming up dead ones and putting the live ones back outside. They really do let off a bad stink!

I am hoping the scent of the borax (sprinkled along doorways and floor boards) will do the trick. Will let you all know."

ANY TIPS FOR BORAX?

07/28/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Good old laundry room borax is an Earth Clinic favorite, a non-toxic cleaner, a health aid for some of what ails you, and wouldn't you know it good in the garden too. All plants use small amounts of elemental boron, the primary component of borax, but none of them want too much of it. We can use it as a weed killer by effectively giving an overdose, but borax lingers in the soil for a long time, so be careful in its application. It will kill your desirable plants as well. On the other hand, sunflowers love the stuff!

And what else are you using borax for these days? Any tips?"

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