Non Toxic Vision

Have a green Christmas

According to an article I read in Newsweek "Americans will send out almost 2 billion holiday cards, use more than 38,000 miles of ribbon and leave millions of Christmas trees by the curb." I am in no way suggesting to stop this madness. However we should be a lot more mindful.

Also use LED lights instead of conventional bulbs, which will save you up to 80 - 90 % of your energy bill. Try to say NO to shopping bags offered in stores (I find those tiny ones for cosmetics especially annoying) - instead bring your own. Are you recycling wrapping paper? Did you ever think about using newspaper instead? Send holiday cards online. Or for the personal touch - scan in you family picture and send it via email. You save your mailman a lot of weight and remember it is not only about the paper - it also needs to be transported! So minimize you carbon footprint. If you have additional ideas on how you can save let me and I'll be glad to post your comments.

Why Certified Furniture?

How can furniture choices save the world?
SFC (Sustainable Furniture Council) is a great certification to ensure the furniture you are buying fulfills certain standards. Thus helping to eliminate unrecycable content and materials from unsustainable sources. Why is this important? It matters where you buy your furniture. By buying furniture made out of reclaimed materials, replanted forests you contribute to a healthier planet. Do the math and you will soon realize that it is even more economical to buy well crafted and designed products, than shop at discount mass-market places like IKEA or Crate&Barrel etc. Products designed by those companies are cheap made and thrown out after a few years. Laminated products (an IKEA staple) include toxic materials that are harmful for you and your children. Toxic gases in those products are being released years after being purchased. It is just not save to surround yourself with the plastic furniture even if it looks cute.
Think twice about the product choices you make and check out www.sustainablefurniturecouncil.org

Kimberton Village Green in Pennsylvania

The first development by a company called Earth Rising Homes: Kimberton Village Green, is a 31 unit condo building located in a quiet village outside of Philadelphia. It is expected to be LEED certified at the Platinum level upon it's completion next year. Reflecting the demand for green housing, even in this economy, more than half the units are already spoken for, by word of mouth.

In addition to its unique approach to energy, the development will employ environmentally-friendly approaches to handling storm water run-off, landscaping and lighting. Parking is located underground, maximizing green space, and the building is built around a green courtyard featuring native landscaping. The project will also make wide use of non-toxic building materials, reducing the fumes that typically off-gas from conventional building materials. I'm sure you know that off-gassing can be a hidden health hazard in new homes, particularly for people suffering from asthma, allergies, or chemical or environmental sensitivities.

The development will also incorporate a host of features that will allow people to further reduce their impact on the planet – and their energy bills. Smart home technology will let residents see how they're using energy in their homes, and ports for plug-in hybrid cars will be available in the garage.  The development itself is located a block from shopping, restaurants, a yoga studio, the post office and a park, so residents won't even have to get in their cars much of the time.
I'd be happy to tell you more if you're interested.
More more detailed information for this building project go to www.earthrisinginc.com

more green shopping @ reusablegoods.com

Bimi posted a comment on one of my entries and pointed out there is another great  shopping site online: www.reusablegoods.com. Thank you for suggesting the site. This site is also a great resource site and offers anything one might need. Again Bimi Thank you. I really like it when I receive comments with more suggestions. After all my site is really about spreading the word. If you have suggestions and ideas please let me know I am always willing to learn more about new developments, trends, design, travel ideas etc. I also started a group on Facebook called "NonToxicVision" - so if you are a facebook member it would be great if you could help me spread the word there as well.