Simple Green Cleaning Ideas

The simplest spring cleaning ideas can be found around the home. Under the sink and in the cupboard are ingredients with the power to clean easily and organically. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is very inexpensive. Available at any store in the pharmacy and health and beauty section, the bubbling action gets up stuck on grime and sanitizes as it works. Food grade hydrogen peroxide is an even safer, cleaner way to go, though a bit more in cost.

2. Baking Soda: Scrubbing made easy and cheap. Put this cleaner on tough stains and scrub. Many like to mix hydrogen peroxide with baking soda and call it the miracle cleaner. I always wear gloves when cleaning.

3. Vinegar: Most know about vinegar as a glass cleaner. Old newspapers make a great wipe as paper towels can leave a trace of paper flecks behind.

4. Lemon: Clean with the power of a natural sanitizer with lemon. I love to use the last drops on my cutting boards. After drinking down a delightful fresh lemon drink, drop the rind down the garbage disposal and in an instant get a fresher system and smell.

5. Room Freshener and deodorizer: Mix half alcohol such as vodka (as has no smell) and water. Then add your favorite essential oil like peppermint or bergamot.

#1518: To Life! Eco-Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet

What is Eco-art and how does it differ from conventional western art and mediums? For the answer, tune in to this week’s program, as Eco-artist, educator, author and curator, Linda Weintraub and I discuss how eco-artists connect to the natural earth via photography, performance and public art, and much more. These cutting edge artists help transform our way of life, through their unique approaches and unconventional methods, which set out to transform our environmental consciousness. From the use of microbes, which ebb and flow into divergent patterns of life forms, to a sunflower which is equipped to photograph the sun as it follows it in the sky, this burgeoning art field helps raise awareness of the environmental impact, both positive and negative, that we humans are having on the planet. For more information about Linda’s work and her book: To Life! Eco-Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet, go to lindaweintraub.com.

#1518: To Life! Eco-Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

A Place of Peace with Daily Food Choices

At times, I pile the bags of food in my car after spending a boatload of money and feel lost. With all my research and knowledge of the world of organics, I should radiate confidence. Instead, I doubt my choices and wonder if I even make a difference in what I feed my family.

Back in the store, I gazed upon the simple choice of cookies. With food allergies and touchy digestive issues for my kids, I can spend time laboring over even the simple choice of which animal cracker I should choose. Do I buy the kind without sugar? If so, what other kind of sweetener does it have? Is it organic? Gluten-free? Loaded with food dyes? Preservatives? GMOs? Is it local? The days of walking out to the barn to get the milk is gone for most of us. Now, we rely on a chain of people, machines, and often corporations to bring us our food. Instead of a place to nourish my family, stores feel like science labs – the joy of life squeezed right out of it.

Avoiding one toxic choice feels like bowing down to another. I’d like to always buy organic and planet-friendly for my kids and not stumble over ingredients I often cannot pronounce. The word organic gives me hope that there are fruits and vegetables still glistening with nutrition. Then, I look at the prices: a single cucumber is $2.29. $2.29? Each? The other cucumbers are $.79 each. Yet I remember (from all my research) that cucumbers are one of the most chemically sprayed crops. When I go back to the bin of organic cucumbers, I wonder about the plastic each cucumber is wrapped in: Isn’t that bad for the environment? The conventional cucumbers feel waxy. But just one cucumber for $2.29?! One won’t last the whole week! It’s my kids’ favorite vegetable. And it’s so nutritious! Which one should I buy? After only being in the store for five minutes, I was exhausted. This shouldn’t be how we have to buy food.

We’ve polluted our planet and can’t eat our foods without loads of labels warning us what the food does and does not have. We can’t drink the water unless it is filtered or eat the fish unless it is found in the right waters.

Whether organic or not; whole grain or gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, we’ve got to eat. I have to find a place where food is happy again. I’ve put down my food-battle sword and written a seal of peace on my shopping list. I eat organic whenever I can. I eat as little sugar as I can. I eat greens more than anything else. I stay within budget without beating myself up. I let it go when eating with others so as not to be a know-it-all or worrywart about the food contents.

Most of all, I relax and give thanks for every bite I take and am able to give my children. No food is any good unless it is served with joy.

#1517: 2015 NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

Be Kind to Animals, Don’t Be Cruel, Eat Your Veggies. All these phrases come together on this week’s program, as we celebrate vegetarian cuisine and cruelty free living at the New York City Vegetarian Food Festival. We spoke with Zoe Weil, Co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, Nora Kramer, Founder and Executive Director of YEA (Youth Empowerment Action) Camp, Annie Hauck Lawson, Founder of Brooklyn Mompost, Susan Hargreaves, Founder of Animal Hero Kids, and Isis Phillips, Executive Director of Indy Kids. It was a pleasure speaking with all this dynamic and amazing women, who do so much to make the world a better place. For more information on these organizations go to humaneeducation.org, solutionaryschoolnyc.org, yeacamp.org, brooklynmompost.org, animalherokids.org, indykids.org and nycvegfoodfest.com

#1517: 2015 NYC Vegetarian Food Festival by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

Whole. Green. Simple. Life.

Meditating on a mountaintop never did it for me. I’ve been there. Climbed high; stretched my arms out; and reached for the sun on the horizon. Then, I’d turn around and realized I’d have to go down. The search for the ideal, whole, simple life would have to continue after the vacation ended. Life called me back into the hectic fold.

The whole life, the green life, the simple life truly is one. Each aspect circles into the other. Without contentment from within, a green, organic lifestyle will only do so much good. Without simple choices in how to live, a whole life hangs far in the distance.

With the universe at our fingertips, we can find the answer to anything. An internet search for “organic food” offers 97,000,000 results. And tomorrow will yield more. What do we do with all this information?

The planet is being torn apart; people dismissed, marginalized, and compromised. Toxins infiltrate the air and water; global warming destroys our foundation of life; food has been reduced to profits and slick marketing campaigns, and gadgets are replacing face-to-face interactions. These examples are only a few of what we face as a global community. Climbing back up to that mountain and settling in for a lifetime of meditation at times does sound appealing at times. But, it’s with the people, in society, and at the farms and grocery stores we need to be. Together is where we will find our solutions.

As a writer in the field of organic and natural lifestyle, I’ve discovered that these are confusing and complicated subjects. Driven by my own real-life traumas, I decided to find alternative approaches to health, education, and life. The Many Shades of Green offers a platform to extend into all areas of “greening” our lives, including our own backyards. I intend to add to the commitment of this site by finding the information and tools to live at a greener, less chaotic, and simpler level.

After my own health traumas, I faced more with my children. That’s when the search engine becomes a steam machine: caring for the life of another. I research, assimilate, and try to practice a lifestyle with as much awareness and consciousness about how my choices impact my family, the planet, and myself. I am not a model organic eater. When I try to meditate, I fidget and start thinking about chocolate or if my library book is overdue. Sometimes I fail. But I go on and never give up on the green path. By making my phone last another year, by eating a few more organic salads a week, by walking instead of driving, I find ways to simplify the moments and let the natural whole life burst through.

I lived in Central America for 15 years. By understanding a different culture, I’ve been able to raise my level of understanding, compassion, and pragmatism to the day-to-day struggles we face in raising our children and maintaining our planet. We can all find our own formula to succeed. A day is a jubilant success if my family has eaten an apple over a candy bar or a glass of water over a sugary drink. Success on a national and global level will follow with the same steps.

Life is whole when it is simple and surrounded by the healing powers of green.

#1516: Earth Day Special with Dr. Joel Scheraga, EPA Senior Advisor

The First Earth Day took place on April 22,1970 and on this week’s episode, we celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day, as well as the 45th year of the EPA, with special guest, Dr. Joel Scheraga, Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The climate is changing, and we have to adapt to the results of those changes, which are coming in the form of more intense weather, super storms, droughts, pollution, and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The change in climate is causing the oceans to get warmer, and the temperatures are rising globally. This rise cannot continue, as it is causing degradation of natural resources, and is affecting human health and safety. We do have the power to help reduce our carbon foot print. Simple things like taking shorter showers, changing light bulbs to LEDs, recycling, reusing and reducing our consumption can make a big difference. We have to be more conscious of how our actions affect the planet, and take small steps to make things better. The EPA is working to help us adapt to climate change. For more information go to EPA.gov.

#1516: Earth Day Special with Dr. Joel Scheraga, EPA Senior Advisor by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

Watch the full “Cost of Inaction” video on youtube which plays on the show:

#1515: Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot

Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot – Tom Butler’s new large format coffee table book, tells the story of how population increase, and the rise of the industrial complex, has led to social, economic and environmental problems world wide. The phrase ” a picture’s worth a thousand words” is most evident in the photos taken during this three year journey to expose man’s quest to dominate the planet, and leave sprawl, over growth, disease and destruction in its path. We over indulge, over-plug, and over saturate this beautiful planet, with blatant disregard for the other species who live on earth. Tom and I discuss how we can resolve and build solutions to these problems. This unique approach, which uses powerful photographs, illustrates that humankind must do better, we must stop drilling, stop building and stop decimating the earth. Mother Nature is not happy, but we can do things to make her smile again. Go to populationspeakout.org for more information.

#1515: Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot by The Many Shades Of Green on Mixcloud

#1514: Bringing Zen Into Your Life

What steps can you take to enhance the flow of chi? How do you create functional, sustainable and balanced spaces in your home by using Feng Shui techniques? What does the color green represent on the BAGUA MAP, and how many shades of green are there? Find out by tuning in, as this week’s guest, and friend of the show Anjie Cho and I discuss how to put some Feng in your Shui. Her new book: 108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces, is a must read to bring zen and harmony into your life. Anjie is a LEED certified green architect, and is a BTB Feng Shui practitioner. For information go to holisticspaces.com. Her new book is available on amazon.com

#1513: The Clearwater Festival and Music with a Message

The Clearwater Festival was like stepping into a time warp and re-living moments of Peace, Love and Understanding through music, activism and innovation. It was wonderful to roam the festival grounds at Croton Point Park with my co-producer Abba Carmichael, my sound engineer Brian Horowitz, and summer research assistant Marco Spodek. We met and chatted with wonderful musical artists Dar Williams, Tom Chapin and more. The festival was dedicated to the late and legendary, Pete Seeger, who was the original founder of the festival. Various versions of the song Wimoweh/The Lion Sleeps Tonight, a song near and dear to me, filled the air throughout the day. I highly recommend attending the festival, so check out www.clearwaterfestival.org to jot down the date for next year. In the second half of the show we hear previously recorded studio performances from two activists who use music to share their message, Sharon Abreu and Morgan O’Kane.

Caution: Yellow is Not the New Green

By Mikey Kohlberg

Greetings! You may be surprised to find out that McDonald’s is cutting down on its use of antibiotic rich chicken meat. It would seem like things are changing for the better after reading the press release posted by the NRDC, the National Resource Defense Council. In reality though, McDonald’s is just cutting down on some chicken drugs, the medicinal antibiotics, that are used in commercial poultry operations. Their chicken dishes, if you can call them that, will still contain dangerous growth hormones and a wonderful cocktail of very questionable substances that fall under the category of “food additives”. For a list of what is in McDonald’s chicken nuggets check out this link.

Some people call these types of moves PR Campaigns, or deceptive marketing.

Unfortunately, it seems that moves like these work to hush any resistance against industrialized agriculture and the food science experiment industry known as “fast food”. Many people might be confused into missing the real fact; McDonald’s is just cutting medical antibiotics from their chicken, not all meat. Their chicken still has growth hormones and other harmful additives. I sincerely hope in writing this that many of us avoid becoming self-righteous and self-satisfied and thinking that it is morally justified to eat McDonald’s because they project the image that they are saving the earth and making healthy food because they love Americans.

I understand that for low income families fast food is cheap and easy. I understand that if people have to feed a few kids on 7 or 8 dollars per hour and are working 12+ hours a day, that they don’t have time to make or eat healthy food. So, if healthy food seems like it might break your wallet, you might be right. America kind of screws a lot of people on their good food options. That is why it is impossible for me to preach changing America’s unhealthy food choices when these realities exist. Grassroots food activists need to step up and help low income communities grow their own food, so as to have an alternative to fast food. If more community gardens and community based agriculture exists, more people of all races and classes would be able to access healthy, nutrient dense food. I may dedicate another blog in the future to community gardens and community organizing, but for now, I must stop here.

Yellow-not-new-green- — By Charles Caster-Dudzick

The American middle class, if that even exists anymore, needs to wake up and smell the coffee. No, not the McCafe or whatever McDonald’s serves. The real coffee, preferably organically and fair trade certified to ensure no chemical use and a fair price for the farmer. But for those who can afford it, please don’t be fooled by Ronald McLiar if he tells you his chicken is healthy. It is not, and the less drugged up food society buys, the more pressure there is on fast food joints like McDonald’s to clean up their act. The solution is to boycott. Again, for those who can, please boycott fast food places like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and all processed food for that matter. This is one small thing people who have some luxury can start doing. If you don’t have the luxury, hopefully you can find some way to eat healthy food. You can check out some tips for cutting organic food costs in my blog that I wrote last time.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our upcoming shows!

#1512: Man Swarm

What comes first, the Earth or Earthlings? There are a lot of us humans on the planet, and we have to start thinking about keeping our numbers down. Join me and my guest Dave Foreman, activist, author, and founder of Earth First!, the Wildlands Project, and the Rewilding Institute, as we discuss his latest work, a new revised of edition of his popular title, MAN SWARM: How Overpopulation is Killing the Wild World, which is co-authored with Laura Carroll, author of The Baby Matrix. Population is one factor in the environmental degradation of the planet. Should there be a one child policy in the US or should we stop having babies altogether? What can be done to solve this problem? Tune in to find out. For more information go to rewilding.org

#1511: The Message in the Music

“We are keepers of the planet, we are protectors of the water, the land, the air.” Join me and my guest Don Raskopf, a member of the Board of Directors for Clearwater, and co-founder of Ban Fracking Now, as we delve into topics of fracking, train transportation of bakken crude oil, green building and the musical connection to Clearwater via one its founders, Pete Seeger. Music continues to be the message, as it is the force behind social movement and activism. For more information about Clearwater and the upcoming Clearwater Festival go to clearwater.org.