Green Living by iGreenify

My local animal shelter, Southern Pines Animal Shelter, released the total number of animals, received, adopted, rescued, returned to owners, and euthanized for 2007.

The numbers are extremely lopsided, sad, and shocking to say the least. 7,182 animals were euthanized in 2007 - that’s a whopping 78%!

I’m really disappointed in the local community for not doing the responsible thing by having their pets spayed or neutered. Sure they’re all cute and cuddly and fun to play with - until there sent to the gas chamber to die.

One thing that really gets under my skin is someone being so selfish and irresponsible to the point that it harms or neglects others. Having your pet spayed or neutered is part of being a responsible pet owner. If you can’t afford to have it done, then you don’t deserve a pet - period!

If you’re looking for a new pet or you have room for new addition to your family, check out PetFinder.com rather than buying from a breeder or a pet mill. PetFinder.com lets you search for pets in your local area and save a life.

You’ll be proud just the same and your new cat or dog will love you for providing a good, safe home.

If you can (I’m sure 99% of my readers can), contact your local animal shelter to volunteer your time, buy food, or just see what you can do to help. I can donate my carpentry skills and my wife loves animals.

What can you do to help this weekend?

No Comments »

While pushing your buggy through the produce section, do you ever consider just how much pesticide is in those fruits and vegetables? Or, is it the furthest thing from your mind. After all, you rinse your produce before you eat them anyway, right?

Maybe you should give it some consideration according to this report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG lists the 45 most popular fruits and vegetables and ranked them according to the pesticides found in them.

Keep in mind as you look over the EWG’s report that samples were taken with consideration given to how the food is usually prepared. For example, bananas were peeled and apples were rinsed before testing. Rinsing and peeling does eliminate some of the pesticide, but it doesn’t eliminate them completely.

Ultimately, the EWG (and every other green living expert) advise that you choose organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible to reduce your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides. It may cost a tad bit more on your grocery bill, but to me, it’s totally worth it.

No Comments »

First, let me say thanks to a post on CalFinder’s blog for listing the top 5 fun solar tools and applications. The number 4 pick is the one I want to share with you today.

It’s called FirstLook and it basically lets you choose your location on Google Maps to and assess your solar and wind potential. It’s a cool little tool that will quickly tell you if you should be thinking solar energy, wind energy, both, or neither.

You can use the map for free and if you want a more detailed assessment of your locations wind/solar potential, you can purchase it.

This is a really cool tool for solar/wind research, personal use, or commercial development. Try it out and see what works best for your energy needs.

No Comments »