Karmaclicks: Sharing Good Karma & Healthy Vibes!

Eat Organically at wholesale prices! Click Here to see how!

1. Rethinking the GDP -- The measurementof our gross domestic product (GDP) counts destructive economicactivity (say, commerce that produces pollution) equally alongsidepositive solutions (the economic activity required to clean up thatpollution). Maybe it's time to rethink what kind of economic growth wemeasure as "good." Read more »

2. Clean Energy Victory Bonds: A Win for America -- In World War II, President Rooseveltpromoted "Victory Bonds," raising $185 billion ($2 trillion in today'sdollars) from the more than 85 million Americans who stepped up to getinvolved. We can use the same tool today in the struggle against climate change, as we shift toward a green energy future. Read more »

3. Shift to Thrift -- We need to return to our nation's roots and make thrift a fundamental value. We need to make conspicuous consumption a thing of the past, return to the days when people made and bought things that were useful, and make reuse and repair the new status symbols. Read more »

Tell Exxon to use its profits to

develop renewable energy »

Hubby has gotten his Father's Day present early this year - a bigger grill. 

I've been wanting one of those fancy fire pits/bowls for the back yard.

This morning I got one by recycling the old kettle Weber Grill! 

Much better than the $60 to unspeakably high dollar amounts these whims of fancy are going for! (Although I do feel fire containment is worth the want.  Especially with little ones and in drought prone areas.)

I removed the handle on the bottom that scrapes out the ashes. Used hacksaw.

Cut the legs down with the hacksaw so that the fire pit is closer to the ground and stable. 

I've kept the charcoal grate and plan on lining the bottom with aluminum foil (to cover the ash holes).  This way I can put paper under the grate and the wood on top of it to get the fire going easier and out hot ashes won't be falling out of the bottom.

I left the handles on the sides for portability.  And the lid keeps the wood dry for the next burn.

So if you've got an old grill sitting around and have been wanting a fire pit but not the expense....go green & recycle   Would make a good flower pot too

1. Grow Your Own

"The biggest thing I'm doing this year is growing my own vegetable garden.It will be organic, and it doesn't get any more local than my own backyard. Plus, it's one heck of a money saver. It will even help me buildcommunity, because I will surely have extra fruits and vegetables toshare with my neighbors."

? Jessica S., Littleton, CO

Real Green: Food That Nourishes

People and the Planet »

2. One Less Car

"I don't own a car. Even in the cold Minnesota winters you'll find mebiking. Riding a bicycle obviously saves money and resources, but Ibelieve it also builds community. When I am on a bicycle, I feel moreconnected to my surroundings, and I'm more approachable. I'm alwayssaying hello to people as I ride past, whereas in a car, thatinteraction would be lost."

? Sarah P., Minneapolis, MN

Real Green: The Case for Electric Bikes »

3. One Less Car, Part Two

"Although I get 48 miles per gallon with my hybrid car, I still make every effortto plan my trips to avoid needless driving, to carpool, and to takepublic transportation and telecommute, as often as possible. I writeand call my political leaders in support of laws and funding for masstransit, and for greener cars."

? Jeanne T., Springfield, VA

Real Green: Carpool for the Climate and Community

(online tools make carpooling easier than ever) »

Green American: Fuels for the Future »

4. Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

"One way I have discovered to keep items out of landfills and save a bunchof money in the process is FreeCycle ? an online group where memberspost things they are looking for, and what they have to get rid of. Ihave received a dining room set (complete with six chairs, buffet, andhutch), bunk beds for my kids, a set of night stands, and a really goodjuicer for no cost. And I've used FreeCycle to give away all theclothes that my kids have outgrown."

? Lea P-W., Painesville, OH

Real Green: Finding Used Items Online »

Green American: 25 Ways to Green the World

(get what you need without money) »

5. Stop the Leaks

"I'm unplugging the toaster, lamps, cell phone chargers, laptops, and otherelectronic devices when I'm not using them. These things leak energyneedlessly when they are plugged in all the time. It's the quickest wayto save energy and it saves me money on the electric bill too."

? Rachelle N., Nashville, TN

Green American: Efficiency First! »

23 Steps Toward Energy Efficiency »

6. Harness the Sun

"We installed solar panels on our townhome in March along with anotherfamily in our homeowners' association. Several others had expressedinterest before the economic meltdown and then backed off, but we hopethat with our example others will see that in the long-run it's amoney-saver, and they will understand the benefit for both the planetand their bottom lines."

? Ellen S., Boulder, CO

New Tax Credits for Going Solar in 2009 »

Real Green: Making Solar Affordable Now »

Faces of the Green Pages: Evergreen Energy »

7. Waste Not, Want Not

"I compost. I keep my garbage creation to a minimum. I refuse packagingand bags whenever possible (bringing my own cloth bag). I explain tothe checkout person why I am refusing the bag or giving back thepackaging. Also, steel is 100-percent recyclable. The recycled steelisn't downgraded or 'downcycled.' I recycle every unusable nail, everyscrew, every wire, etc., at my local transfer station. Even my steelroof will be recycled when it is done being my roof."

? Ruth O., White Salmon, WA

Real Green: Pick a Composter, Any Composter »

Green American: Getting to Zero Waste »

21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle »

8. Dispense With Disposables

"This may seem like a minor thing, but it really helps on my limited budget.I have ceased purchasing paper towels and instead use old rags forcleaning and wiping up spills. I wash the dirty rags and reuse themuntil they wear out. I didn't realize how many paper towels I used togo through before I started this new system."

? Sarah F., Tullahoma, TN

10 Things Never to Buy Again »

9. Reallocate Your Resources

"Our path toward sustainability began when we realized the value ofdoing things for ourselves. I began by making our own laundrydetergent. It is all-natural and costs less than a penny per ounce tomake! We used the money we were saving to take bigger steps: buying ourmeat in bulk from local farmers who raise their animals on pasture andsustainably, and buying Energy-Star appliances for our house."

? Carrie C., Salem, VA

Real Green: Ten Simple Ways to Clean Green »

Green American: Heal Your Home Guide »

Real Green: Buying the Best Appliances »

10. Examine Your Diet

"By becoming vegan I cut my carbon footprint to at least 60 percent andthe amount of money that each meal costs me by an average of 78percent. Beans and legumes are so inexpensive compared to meat! I cutcosts even more by growing herbs and vegetables for myself, and I earnfruits by offering to do the picking for friends with fruit trees, inexchange for keeping the surplus. I preserve them in glass jars andmake pickled fruits and vegetables to extend them even further ."

? Sarah F., Tullahoma, TN

Real Green: Eat Less Meat, Cool the Planet »

Real Green: Think Globally, Can Locally »

11. Green celebrations!

"On June 20, I am getting married green style. Oh, green wedding, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1) Used wedding dress from eBay, $10!,

2) Organic, Fair Trade apparel for the wedding party that they can use afterwards,

3) Asking guests to carpool to save gas, money, and the environment,

4)Sending plantable wedding invitations [That's right, you bury theinvitations and wildflowers spring forth, just like love blooms?],

5) Using leftover supplies from my cousin's wedding,

6) Buying organic flowers from the farmer's market ? and more.

My fiancé Mark and I will be celebrating our day free fromwedding-induced debt and the weight of a heavy carbon footprint!"

? Michelle B., Oshkosh, WI

Faces of the Green Pages: The Green Bride Guide »

Real Green: Green Weddings and More »

12. Invest Wisely

(and Needs vs. Wants)

"We're always asking ourselves whether this next purchase is a 'need'or a 'want.' When we actually stop to think about it, there areprecious few needs. People say things like 'I need cable TV,' butthat's probably not true. Calling such things 'needs' cheapens themeaning of the word. We've also begun investing some savings with acommunity bank. Interestingly, in our experience, the smaller communitybank with the social mission has been reliably beating the pants off ofthe mega-banks in terms of rate of return. We know that we're savingmore by getting the higher rate of return, but we are also proud thatour money is doing good in the community as well!"

? Steve O., Mamaroneck, NY

Break Up With Your Bank »

Green American: From Greed to Green

(shift society's underlying values) »

13. What Really Matters?

"I'm trying to stay focused on people and relationships rather thanstuff. This helps me consider who is affected by what I do buy and fromwhom I buy it. I save by buying only thrift store clothes, but splurgeon Fair Trade chocolate. I support locally owned businesses. Ivolunteer my time. And with some of the money I save, I use it tosupport organizations that help people help themselves. I do withoutstuff; that isn't what matters anyway!"

? Kelly G., Charlotte, NC

Green America's Fair Trade Guide »

Real Green: 7 Fixes from the Green Economy »

BONUS #14: Get everyone you know involved in going green and saving green.

Send this list of ways to go green and save money to all your friends and family, orpost it to your blog or Web site. Engage others to help them save greenin these tough economic times, and get more involved in going green forthe sake of their health, people, and the planet. Together we can shift our economy from greed to green.

The federal nutrition programsare a major provider of milk to our nation’s school-age children.According to the National Milk Producers Federation, nearly 430 milliongallons of milk were distributed through the National School Breakfast,Lunch, and Special Milk programs during the 2005-2006 school year.Unfortunately, a significant amount of this milk may have been producedwith the artificial, genetically engineered growth hormone rBGH.  Can you sign our petition to ask Congress to state that schools can purchase artificial hormone-free milk and organic milk?

Click here to take action as another user.

Tell me more

Equal Exchange wins two awards for its social and environmental practices...to read more follow this link: 

http://www.justmeans.com/

The following are excerpts from the Green America newsletter that I received this morning:

ResponsibleShopper.org.  There, you can find the real scoop on what's going on with the world's major corporations, how you can put pressure on them to clean up their act, and green choices you can make to switch away from corporations that you decide don't deserve your business.

We've developed a short quiz, pulling together questions about all kinds of corporate malfeasance:  use of sweatshop labor, human rights abuses, monopoly conspiracies, selling toxic products to an unsuspecting public, and more.

Responsible Shopper can keep you informed of the worst corporate abuse, while Green America's other resources, like their publications (free when you join), and www.greenpages.org can help you go green.

Here's a sample question:  which major oil company faces trial in the US in April for human rights abuses in Nigeria?  Find out by taking the quiz.

You'll also find at Green America -  regular green-discount guides, chances to win trips to  Green Festivals, regular green-living tips, and more.  The more people saying, "I am a Green American," the more power we have collectively to change the way America – and the world – does business.

-Cherie

Maytag Recalls Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Maytag toll-free at (866) 533-9817 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.repair.maytag.com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recall product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09145.html

1.  Children's Flip Flops Recalled by Alpargatas Due to Violation of Lead in Paint Standard (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09137.html)

2.  Nautilus Recalls Bowflex(r) Home Gyms Due to Risk of Injury (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09138.html)

Follow any link above to learn about these recalls and sign up for your email subscription to receive future notifications of recalled items.

The Registry website is a place where people can go to identify and support those companies that choose to publicly renounce the use of GM beet sugar.

Over seventy grocery chains and food producers including Organic Valley are committed not to use or sell GM beet sugar.  This call to halt the introduction of GM sugar beets into the food supply comes on the heels of public outcry over mercury contamination of our nation’s dominant sweetener – high fructose corn syrup – and on the eve of the year’s sweetest holiday – Valentine’s Day. 

By signing on to the Registry, companies: 
* Pledge to not support the introduction of sugar from GM sugar beets;
* Pledge to avoid, wherever possible, using GM beet sugar in their products;
* Pledge to ask the sugar beet industry to not introduce GM beet sugar into our nation’s food supply

Companies have rejected GM sugar beets not only because they have not been proven safe but also because the EPA had increased allowable levels of herbicide residues on GM sugar beet roots by up to 5,000 percent when USDA approved the crop for planting.  This action was taken at the request of Monsanto, the sole manufacturer of GM Roundup Ready sugar beets.  Extracted from the roots of the GM sugar beet plant, this type of sugar will be used in processed food and sold, unlabeled, to consumers beginning this year.

Tell Hershey’s and Mars to Kiss GM Sugar Goodbye!  Send your Valentine to Hershey’s and Mars urging the companies to publicly reject the use of GM sugar in their chocolates and other sweets....

by signing the petition (available until April 15, 2009) at:  http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

Find this after the cut off date?  The link still works   Visit today to sign up for action alerts and more!