What are your so called eco friendly clothes made of? Are they really as environmentally friendly as they claim to be? There are many different clothing stores out there that claim to have the most eco friendly clothing available but there are many different factors to consider when determining if clothing is eco friendly. Here we look at just one factor that you should consider for all eco friendly clothes first. How eco friendly is the material the clothing is made from?

Wool
While wool itself can be a fantastic resource, little to no eco friendly clothes will be made of wool today. Factory farmed sheep live in appalling conditions and cuts are common in efficiency driven farms. Wool has a much larger carbon footprint.

Cotton & Organic Cotton
Contrary to popular belief cotton is not typically an eco friendly product. People usually think that because the cotton is natural it is also naturally eco friendly. Cotton is responsible for around a third of the world’s use of pesticides. It is difficult to obtain real organic cotton. Most organic cotton has no bleaching agents used on it but still has a large proportion of pesticides used. Be on the look out for the Soil Association logo to prevent purchasing a wrongly labelled product.

Hemp
Hemp plants grow quickly, densely and have a natural resistance to pests so the use of pesticides on them is generally not required. They are the fastest growing eco friendly clothes material on the market today because of their benefits. It requires no irrigation and the minimum of processing which means its carbon footprint is significantly less than other materials. It was traditionally used as naval rope due to its fantastic ability to resist water and therefore rot. Clothes made from Hemp are made to last.

The burning of fossil fuels and vehicle emissions is a serious concern where global warming and climate change are concerned.

The commentaries about the Beijing Olympics highlights a very disturbing problem that is clearly visible to all of us with the naked eye - smog, air contaminants, and pollution.

Manufacturers of light and heavy industries are not only the culprit and have their unique fossil fuel emissions to deal with.

We, the majority of the population - classed as consumers, also contribute to this global problem - we drive cars driven by fossil fuels - petrol, diesel and a variety of oils from transmission fluid to engine oil.

Car pooling with fellow work associates is one way we can lessen the pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere.

A lot of people are now converting their cars to being driven by LPG gas and the cost of an LPG conversion is paid for within months, should that car still be running on petroleum based gas, at the price it is today.

LPG is a cleaner fuel specifically:-

• LPG produces 33% less CO2 emissions than petrol and 45% less CO2 than diesel
• LPG vehicles produce up to 82% less Nitrogen Oxide pollutants than petrol and 99% better than diesel
• 63% less Carbon Monoxide
• 40% less Hydrocarbons than petrol and 70% less than diesel
• 50% less particulates than petrol and 98% less than diesel
• LPG reduces the cost of vehicle maintenance

At present, the energy that goes into production of other bio fuels such as bio diesel and soy based fuels is substantial and the full environmental impact has not been calculated by the experts.

Although there has been a lot of media attention on electric cars the carbon footprint is enormous. The raw materials are mined in remote parts of the world and then flown to specialist refining plants before being flown to the car plant.

Recharging of cars may also require the use of mains power. Electric power generation has its own ecological problems that are well known. Unfortunately, this will move the problem elsewhere rather than tackling the root cause.

Using public transport is even a better way to do your bit for the environment. Commuting to work on electric trains and natural or LPG fueled buses has to be a better alternative both for the environment and our hip pockets, with the price of fuel skyrocketing.

Although standing in crowded buses and trains at peak hour may not appeal to the masses, it is an effective way to reduce fossil fuel pollutants entering the atmosphere. Peak hour traffic is anywhere from 7am to 9am in the mornings and in the afternoon and evening from 4pm to 6pm.

Motor coaches produce carbon emissions of only 56 grams per customer mile compared to 371 grams for a single passenger vehicle.

If you want to avoid peak hour traffic buses and trains are not the only modems of transport affected. Privately owned cars and trucks can be seen at bottlenecks where our very inadequate infrastructure is busting at the seams with over congested roads and highways. And the road works in progress to help alleviate traffic congestion, causes us even more congestion and hassles.

With this scenario and the cost of fuel, it makes you wonder why anybody would use private transport, transporting just one person, the individual from home to work and back again. Car pooling is not going to address the problem, but it will reduce fossil fuel car emissions marginally from being pumped into the atmosphere at the rate it is now.

If everybody looked outside the square they live in they would realize that they, as an individual, has to be responsible for the pollutants that contaminate every city, world wide.

We humans have to be sustained, clothed and transported. We as humans have caused this pollution problem and, only we can address it and only we can initiate change - a change that is going to effect and benefit every person on the planet. All it takes is for “you” to take the first step.

For those of us with ecological concerns at home, we want to able to take those ideals with us on holiday. Many hotels in our standard holiday packages do not adhere to any environmental standards and are extremely wasteful so how can we carry on our lifestyle and enjoy our holiday? There are many societies online that specialise in eco tourism as a package deal including travel and accommodation.

A valid eco tourism package adheres to the principles of ecotourism. These include minimizing impact, providing a mutually beneficial experience between tourist and host, ensuring direct benefits for conservation and sustaining the host’s political, environmental and social climate.

It is important not only to choose a good eco tourism package, but also to actively behave in an environmentally responsible way during your travels. Why not try cycle and walking holidays rather than driving or motor home vacations. Choosing train journeys instead of planes where ever possible and cycle over cars can help us to cut down holiday pollution. In the case of train travel, you can slow down and enjoy the journey itself. Take the time to enjoy the scenery as you travel to your destination. If you are after a family holiday, you can visit one of the many Green Festivals where events are sponsored by ecological companies and environmental concerns that actively reduce the festivals carbon footprints and promote eco tourism.

It’s always worth researching a particular destination you are interested in vacationing to. What is the real impact of tourism on this area? Has it helped the area economically or has it just destroyed its natural resources and environment? You could also choose to go on a Volunteer Holiday which is becoming increasingly popular for eco-conscious travellers who can enjoy an idealistic setting while helping the local community.

Most of us have probably been told to turn off the faucet while brushing our teeth or to take shorter showers to conserve water. But new technologies take water efficiency to unprecedented levels, allowing households to save both water and money.

John Koeller, technical adviser at the California Urban Water Conservation Council and the Alliance for Water Efficiency, gave Matthew Shulman of U.S. News some tips on how to conserve.
What new technologies are available to conserve water in the bathroom?

Toilet Fixtures
Toilets can yield significant water reduction through new high-efficiency toilets that flush with 1.3 gallons or less. The current standard in the U.S. is 1.6 gallons maximum. If you cannot afford to replace the toilet, at least try placing a household brick in the cistern to displace the water thus limiting the amount of water used to flush the toilet.

Bathroom Faucets
Bathroom faucets need aerators that [limit the flow to] a gallon per minute or less. It’s still sufficient to shave and wash your hands, but you really don’t need the kind of flows that existed maybe 15 or 20 years ago in older homes.

Shower Head
Install a low-flow shower head. Whereas the trend these days in the luxury homes seems to be high-flow shower systems with multiple heads, generally speaking, the trend on the efficient side is to come down to 2 to 2.5 gallons a minute on the shower head.

Let’s move to the kitchen
People are using their dishwashers less and less and less. Why is that? Because people are eating out more and more and more. Dishwashers that used to be used almost once a day are now cycling only 215 times a year. There are many machines out there that now function with less than 6 gallons. In the old days, it was perhaps as much as three times that much water.

How about the laundry room?

Now we have clothes washers that are so efficient that when it comes time to replace your old one, you ought to purchase an Energy Star washer. Energy use generally correlates with water use. So if you look for an Energy Star machine, you’re going to see both energy and water use reduction.
Faucets

There is nothing worse than a dripping tap both for us audibly and water conservation. At the first sign of a leaky faucet replace worn washers. This is especially important if your hot water tap is leaking. Hot water costs money that can be better spent elsewhere.

Having more eco friendly homes is not just about the way in which people live inside them. It is also about what technology is used within the home itself, and encouraging the use of this technology wherever possible when building new homes, expanding old ones or simply adapting your home to a new eco friendly standard.

There are some great technological advances that really make a difference for eco friendly homes. Installing solar panels for instance can be a great way of reducing your electricity bill. More often than not the solar panels you encounter will be hot water panels. These heat the water directly around the system and then pump it into your hot water tank for use. These can however be costly and cost can go into the thousands.

For a more available alternative why not check your house insulation? There is a large range of housing insulation available that can dramatically reduce not only your heating bill but also your carbon footprint as well making an excellent first step towards eco friendly homes.

Switch your normal bulbs for energy saving ones! This technology got off to a rough start as the bulbs had problems with both price and the time it takes them to reach full brightness. This is no longer the case, they are still more expensive then regular bulbs but they last much longer and will save you money in the space of just one year. The bulbs available today react speedily and reach full capacity quicker then the original energy saving bulbs.

Make your self a compost heap at the back of the garden. Getting into a regular routine disposing of your kitchen waste to the compost heap will provide you with nutrient rich soil for growing your own home grown fruit and vegetables.

What do you do with your vegetable scraps? Don’t wrap them up and throw them away. A better option would be to make some space in your garden for a compost bin or heap.

Turn your vegetable scraps and grass clippings into compost that can be added to your garden once it has decomposed affording your garden soil an organic boost.

Old tired fruit and vegetables that are past their prime and are starting to deteriorate can be composted. Grass clippings, stale eggs, Used egg shells, stale bread, old flour and flour products, shredded newspaper (don’t go too overboard with paper) uneaten food scraps excluding meat and even dog droppings. You can also add horse or cow manure to your compost heap thus introducing further nutrients.

You will need to have a hose long enough to reach your compost bin or heap because the composting materials need to be kept moist. The addition of garden lime, used occasionally, will help in the decomposition process. The decomposition of the contents of your compost bin or heap will attract garden worms that add aeration plus the nutrients contained within their castings to further benefit your compost.

I have read that a large wheelbarrow is ideal for composting. Being made of steel it is a lot sturdier than the plastic compost bins and it allows you free access to get a garden fork into the compost for turning it over and further aerating and redistributing of the contents. A wheelbarrow also affords you being able to wheel your compost to where you want it to be dug into gardens.

If you add pumpkin, watermelon and tomato seeds to your open compost heap you may be fortunate enough to have a pumpkin or water melon vine and tomato plants take root enabling you to pick fresh produce from your own garden.

Should you be lucky enough to have a larger property on which you keep laying hens and manure can be placed in a large bucket of water and can be used for watering your garden and pot plants at the same time as supplying them with totally organic fertilizer. Or, if you wish, just add it to your compost heap and when you turn the contents over with your garden fork the chook manure will be evenly distributed to allow its nutrients to permeate throughout your compost.

How much time do you spend relaxing in the garden as opposed to working in it? Or maybe you find gardening a relaxing and rewarding hobby.

Do you have a garden full of exotic plants, shrubs or trees? Did you know that the planting of native shrubs and trees require less water? There is also another benefit although you may not have thought of it.

Our native birds and wildlife are attracted by the flowering of native shrubs and trees and you can contribute to the welfare of your local wildlife by planting native food trees as a food source for them.

Visit your local Garden Centre and make sure it is local because they will know what flowering shrubs and trees do well in your locale.

You can also put out bird feeders containing Wild Bird Mix or just plain budgerigar mix. Please ensure in the drier months that you put out birdbaths or ceramic pot plant trays containing water for the birds to drink.

Do you use fertilizer on your garden or lawn? Be careful to ensure that anything in your garden that requires fertilizing or requires that you use pesticides or weed control is environmentally friendly. Not just for the birds and animals that may visit your yard but for the safety of you, your family as well as your pets.

Maybe you would like to build a frog pond which would be great to include the children initially and to later educate them about how frogs are initially tadpoles.

There are various fertilizers available that are environmentally safe eg: seaweed emulsion, fish emulsion, blood and bone, horse manure, cow manure (for digging in to garden beds) Garden-Ville Soil Food, CG40 Bradfield ìLuscious Lawn.î And of course, last but not least, chook manure which is best soaked in water to dilute it before applying it to anything. There are also ìorganicî garden pesticides available on the market.

Let me share this homemade totally organic fertilizer recipe with you,:- 3 parts seed meal and 1 part blood meal. This fertilizer mix is particularly beneficial at the start of Spring. Otherwise you can try:- 4 parts seed meal, 1 part Dolomite Lime, ? part bone meal and ? kelp meal.

Do you enjoy garden barbeques? If you do then having a garden that attracts birds and other wildlife is going to be a bonus for you.

Do you have garden lighting to highlight particular area of your garden as night? If not, you should look into it. There are now solar powered garden lights available, that can be used to great effect ñwithout being detrimental to the environment. You can have the garden you have always wanted if you have the space for trees and shrubs to provide you with shade and privacy.

Make your garden a place where you retreat to sit, watch and ponder.