​Living Green means that we are living more environmentally conscious. Living green means we are thinking about our natural environment and making choices in our daily life that reduce pollution, conserve resources, conserve energy, reduce consumption and waste, and protect the earth’s ecological balance.

Living Green

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• Taking steps, whether big or small, to minimize the harm you do to the environment. 
• Practicing the R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as much as possible.  
• Here are some tips for you and your family to get started LIVING GREEN

1. Clean Green

Chemical Cleaners, such as Chlorine Bleach or Ammonia, pollute the air inside your house. Don't pollute - make your own house cleaning products from healthier ingredients.

Easy  to  make  all  purpose  cleaner

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1. 9 Parts Water
​(using ¼ c.)

2. 1 Part White Vinegar       
(using ¼ c.)

3. Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and clean away!

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If you like the smell of lemons, this next cleaner is the perfect cleaner for you!
​It is from Tsh Oxenreider's book:
Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living

Lemon  All  Purpose  Cleaner

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• ¼ c. White Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
• 1 Liter (4 c.) Hot Water
• ½ A Lemon

1. In a small container, combine vinegar, baking soda and hot water
2. Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon then drop the rind in as well to infuse the cleaner.
3. Stir well to dissolve the baking soda and allow to cool. Remove the lemon rind.
4. Transfer into a spray bottle or squeeze bottle and label clearly. Your homemade cleaner is ready to use.

​“Natural Green Cleaning”
Don’t pollute the indoor air with  lung irritants. Make your own cleaners with healthier ingredients.

8 Essentials for Less Toxic Cleaning:

• Baking Soda
  (provides grit for scrubbing
  and reacts to vinegar or lemon
  by fizzing and reducing
  ​cleaning time.)
  
  
• Borax
  (disinfects, deodorizes, bleaches.  Very handy in laundry mixes.)
  
  
• Distilled White Vinegar (disinfects and breaks up dirt, use white only as others may stain.)
  
  
• Hydrogen Peroxide
  (disinfects and bleaches)
  
  
• Lemons 
  (cut grease)
  
  
• Olive Oil 
  (picks up dirt and polishes wood)
  
  
• Vegetable Based Soap 
  (Liquid Castile contains
  no petroleum)
  
  
• Washing Soda 
  ​(Stain remover, general cleaner, helps unclog pipes; use gloves because it is caustic)

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2. Live greenerand cleaner with indoor plants

Houseplants help rid the indoor air of pollutants and toxins. You and your family breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. Plants absorb gases through the pores on their leaves. This is a special skill that plants have – it is called photosynthesis. Plants turn light energy and carbon dioxide into chemical energy that makes them grow. The plants absorb the carbon dioxide gas and return clean oxygen gas to your house. It is recommended that you have 1 plant for every 100 square feet of living space to help reduce toxins in your home.

These 10 Plants Are The Most Effective In Cleaning The Air
​You Breathe!

1. Areca Palm
2. Dwarf Date Palm
3. Janet Craig Dracaena
4. Australian Sword Fern
5. Rubber Plant

6. Reed Palm
7. Boston Fern
8. English Ivy
9. Peace Lily
​10. Weeping Fig

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3. Eat Organic

"Organic" foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge. Organic foods are also processed without ionizing radiation or food additives.  

Look for and buy "Certified Organic" foods whenever possible! 

And You Can. . .
​Grow Your Own Garden!
Don't use chemicals on your fruits & vegetables!

Organic Food
​
“The Dirty Dozen”
There are some fruits and vegetables that, when grown conventionally, contain up to 47 different chemicals. The following list of fruits and vegetables are called “The Dirty Dozen” because of the chemicals they contain.  

1.  Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Domestic Blue Berries
6. Nectarines
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Spinach, Kale & Collard Greens
9. Cherries
10. Tomatoes
11. Imported Grapes
12. Lettuce
    ​

Home Gardens
It is great if you have space for a garden but if you don’t, consider container gardening. You can plant tomatoes, beans, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, etc. in a big pot. Here are some gardening  websites that will help you get started.

www.almanac.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners  and www.almanac.com/content/container-gardening-vegetables#

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4. recycle as much of your trash as possible!

Recycling Saves. . .

• Energy
• Resources
• Landfill Space

Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make new cans from scratch.

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5. Conserve  energy

Replace traditional incandescent lightbulbs with Halogen, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CLFs) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and save money and energy.

Energy Star rated lightbulbs use 25% to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent lightbulbs and last 3 to 25 times longer.

Get Paid To RECYCLE Metal
 All Metals Market, located at 1225 County Road Y, accepts metal discards for recycling and pays you market price for the metal. 

• Aluminum Cans
• Tin Food Cans
• Pipes and Metal Tubing
• Old Grills
• Broken Bicycles

• Wire Hangers

 
Call 402-721-2985 for more information.
 
You can save energy and money by:

1. Turning off the lights when you leave the room.  
2. Unplug the phone and computer chargers when not in use.  
3. Replace worn out appliances with more energy efficient ones. 
   ​(A refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom or top uses less energy than one on the side.)
4. Buy Recycled  – it takes less energy to make products from used materials rather than raw resources.   
5. Save Tree Resources. Buy paper made from paper!

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LEsson  #1  Questionnaire

Now that you've finished reading through Lesson #1, try to answer these questions.
​(You may look back at this page for help)

L1 -Questionnaire