After Earth Day last week I have decided to revamp the site.  Look for new stuff soon!

California is leading the way once again, setting tough new emission standards for small engines, including lawn mowers, which should cut smog emissions by 40%. The EPA plans on extending these regulations nationwide.

 A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as driving a car for 100 miles, mainly because the two-stroke engines found in lawn mowers and other lawn and garden equipment are not required to have a catalytic converter like cars do, which reduce emissions by 90%.

The reasons to switch to an electric lawn mower are many…

• Economical—about $3 per year in electricity.
• Clean—no spilled fuel, reduced air pollution.
• Quiet.
• Easy to start - no yanking endlessly on a cord.
• Lightweight - no heavy gasoline motor.
• Low Maintenance – no tune-ups or trips to the gas station.

If you have a lawn to cut, the best option for the environment is to use an electric mower or skip the gym one day a week and switch to a reel-type push mower. There are even solar powered mowers available.

Buy a Cordless Mulching Mower

PVC or vinyl is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. The EPA tested vinyl shower curtains and found that one new shower curtain can elevate indoor air toxins for over one month.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday his plan to replace every cab in the city with a hybrid by 2012. The city now has 375 hybrids among its fleet of 13,000 taxis.

The standard taxi in NYC is the Ford Crown Victoria getting only about 14 mpg. The hybrid is the perfect option for use as a taxi, running completely on battery power while idling or at slow speeds. This plan is part of the city’s goal of a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.

Slowly but surely it looks like governments are taking action. Let’s watch for other cities to follow suit. Learn more at msnbc.com.

Before you make your next purchase of flooring, furniture or other product made from traditional wood think about bamboo instead. Bamboo is a high-yield renewable resource which is superior to conventional timber in many ways.

Fast Growing
It is an extremely fast growing (up to 2 inches an hour) grass and can be harvested in 3 – 5 years, at heights of up to 50 feet, compared to the usual hardwoods that take between 10 and 50 years before they can be used.

Renewable
After harvesting, bamboo will grow back from the same plant.

Protects the Environment
2 ½ acres of bamboo removes 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air and produces 35% more oxygen than the same amount of trees.

Strong
Bamboo is one of the strongest building materials, with strength equal to steel.

Creates Jobs
Small villages can easily grow bamboo, creating jobs and income for rural Asian communities.

Versatile
Bamboo is used to produce everything from flooring to kitchenware to clothing.

Keep in mind that there are some drawbacks. Although there are species of bamboo that will grow in the U.S., few North American companies are currently growing bamboo. Shipping from overseas requires fossil fuels and creates CO2 emissions.

Check out bamboocentral.org to find out more about bamboo and how you can balance your lifetime carbon footprint (carbon dioxide output) by sponsoring bamboo reforestation.

Buy Bamboo Flooring From Environmentally Sound Sources.

In 1999, the American Forest and Paper Association reported that Americans used 10 billion paper shopping bags, the equivalent of 14 million trees. How many trees can you and your family save by using reusable bags?

After more than 30 years of the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) Americans still create 4.5 pounds of trash per day per person, of which only 1.5 pounds are actually recycled.

The concept of zero waste could change this. Seventh Generation’s Non-Toxic Times Newsletter describes zero waste as

a system in which we never throw anything away. In a zero waste world, whenever any product is used or consumed, whatever is left over afterwards becomes the raw material for something new. Zero waste is a regenerative system, one that mimics the closed-loop systems used by nature in which all waste becomes food for other things.

Zero waste would mean the manufacturer would have to take back anything that the consumer could not recycle on their own at the end of the product’s life. Companies like Nike, Unilever and Stonyfield Farms are already giving their product waste a new life as running tracks, toothbrushes and park benches.

For this system to work, we all need to make it a point to buy products made from recycled material. “Close the recycling loop” is one of the many great tips you can read in the Non-Toxic Times to help you in your transition to zero waste.

Go Zero Plant-a-Tree Charitable Contribution & Certificate  

Every gallon of gas your car burns sends 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. What better reason to give some thought to how we can make our cars more fuel-efficient?

• Watch your speed. Gas mileage decreases greatly after 60 mph.
• Use cruise control when you can and avoid sudden starts and stops. An even speed is the most efficient.
• Avoid idling. Excessive idling wastes a lot of fuel and generates needless greenhouse emissions.
• Don’t drive in rush hour if possible. Telecommute one day a week if your employer allows it.
• Combine trips and carpool when you can.
• Get regular maintenance and replace air filters regularly.
• Inflate your tires properly.
• Take excess weight out of your trunk.

Ideally we would all be driving an alternative fuel car. (Learn more about alternative fuels at fueleconomy.gov.) But if you’re not, you can reduce the carbon footprint of your vehicle. For about $40 a year you can offset your greenhouse gas emissions by funding renewable energy projects. Check out terrapass.com to find out how.

Conventional cotton farming contributes 1/4 of the world’s pesticide use. Organically grown cotton may cost a little more but it protects our soil and water.

Over 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Join the 500 million people worldwide who will be celebrating Earth Day 2007 and incorporate some of these changes into your life.

• Get a home audit from your utility company. Find out how you can lower your energy consumption.
• Try reusable canvas bags. Give up on the debate over paper or plastic and start using reusable bags for your shopping.
• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Replace 4 incandescents and reduce your CO2 emissions by 5,000 pounds.
• Start using 100% recycled paper products in your home. Save some trees, they absorb carbon dioxide.
• Replace your vinyl shower curtain with a natural cloth shower curtain or a glass shower door. PVC or vinyl is petroleum based and emits toxins into your home.
• Install a water-saving shower head. This could save more than 3 gallons of water per minute.
• Give up traditional cleaning products for non-toxic biodegradable alternatives. Conventional products are harmful to both the environment and your health.
• Purchase some glass storage containers and reusable water bottles and get rid of your plastic. Plastic is made from petroleum, need I say more.
• Walk, bike, take the bus, carpool. We all love the convenience of our own cars, but think about other options. Try taking the bus to work (maybe you can save money on parking) or take a walk to the corner store for that gallon of milk.
• Start composting. About one third of the space in landfills is taken up with organic waste from yards and kitchens. You can easily use this material to improve your lawn and garden.
• As always reduce, reuse, recycle. Think about the excess packaging on the products you buy. Try to reuse an item before you throw it out or recycle it. Give it to a friend or donate your unused items to a charity like Goodwill. Recycle everything you possible can, even when you are away from home.

Try one or two of these ideas to honor Earth Day this April 22^nd. But don’t stop there, let’s treat every day like Earth Day and make an earth-friendly lifestyle a habit.