One of the first things that come to mind when we think of summer is a trip to the beach or lake for a day spent in the cool water. I grew up within an hour’s drive from the Pacific Ocean and have so many wonderful memories of paddling around in the ocean and playing on the beach. I have taken more trips to the local beach in Santa Cruz, CA than I can count and it wouldn’t seem like a summer without it.

One of the most troubling parts of many recent summers is beach closures. My own home state of California has some of the best water quality testing programs of the coastal states but also has by far the most beach closures and advisories of those same states. If a state with the best testing has this kind of difficulty, just imagine what it must be like in the other coastal states.

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For companies to attain the financial portion of the 10% Solution certification standard, clients donate 5% of their pre-tax profits or 1% of sales to charitable causes of their choice (1% For the Planet companies qualify). When observed from afar, 5% may seem like a subjective number. However, it is the gold standard in the social responsibility arena. It is also a number small enough to avoid a negative impression on a healthy company’s financial performance, yet a number large enough to make a substantial result in a non-profit’s mission accomplishment.

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It always starts in a simple way. First you have a bit of lawn and a shrub to go along with it. Then you move on to plants and flowers or even, if you’re feeling daring, a tree of medium height. Once you get to that point, it snowballs into the creation of the residential front yard jungle. Gardening can add a lot to the look of a house or business and there are many ways to get there without using a large amount of natural resources.

One of the main ways to green your garden is to avoid planting non-native plants. A non-native plant is any plant that does not indigenously live in the given area. If your front yard is full of plants that do not naturally grow in your area, it will force you to use more resources to keep the yard looking good. For example, a house in Arizona that has a huge patch of lawn will use more water to tend the lawn than a house that used things like cactus and local grasses as part of their landscaping plans.

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This month I thought I would discuss our experience with Green cleaning products – the good and the “hey that just did not work.” Thankfully, for our little green hearts, most of the household products we have tried have been viable alternatives to our current environmentally-harmful products.

We found the easiest and cheapest way to incorporate new green products was to replace them one by one as our current supply is depleted. You can replace them before you run out, but that can be very costly and you still have the old stuff to get rid of. As we incorporate more products into our lives, we will visit this issue again. For now, enjoy a few of our favorites.

Let’s start with the products that just did not work.

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There are many aspects of the world around us that humans need to exist. The earth under our feet grows the crops that we eat and the sky gives us the air that we breathe. The third side to this triangle of nature, water, is absolutely essential.

Seventy five percent of the planet is covered to some depth with water and yet there are so many ways that this substance is being wasted or mismanaged. Because of overpopulation, mass consumption, misuse, and water pollution, the availability of drinking water is inadequate and shrinking. UNESCO’s World Water Development report from its World Water Assessment Program indicates that the quantity of water available now sits at just 30%. Water has even become a strategic resource and has led many to predict that water will become the “next oil.”

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I know I was going to highlight something “new” each month that we have done to be more green. However this topic is worth discussing and even though we have been doing toting for years, we are so excited that it is catching on that I wanted say a few words.

For those of us who have been using these (often not so pretty) canvas totes, we are very excited to see cities banning plastic bags and all kinds of people adopting the tote mentality. Long gone are the days of having to carry the lame bags from that conference you went to last year. Now you actually have choices with stylish bags, fun bags, Green bags and even branded bags from your favorite grocery store (Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods). Here are a couple of sites to check out for nice Green bags and fashion bags. One site that sells all organic canvas totes and other cool bags is a new company that is doing good things and great work called Simple Peace. For those of you who must make a fashion statement while picking that perfect strawberry, try outstripia.com. These are designer bags and you are sure to find one that goes with every outfit.

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We have all been touched by an artistic moment. Everyone has a favorite song or film that is special to them and those feelings can connect them with people who feel the same way. These bonds bring us together as a people and show us how we are similar, no matter how different we may look or feel.

One of the places that many children have their first interaction with musical instruments was in school. High schools had marching bands and even many elementary and junior high schools had some form of band classes. Along with school choirs, all of these classes give children the ability to broaden their horizons and exercise the creative side of their brains.

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We try to adopt a new green practice at home, each month. The one that appears to be having a huge impact is switching from plastic water bottles to stainless or aluminum re-usable bottles. We chose the Sigg water bottles because they are cute, fun, and inexpensive.

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We all have strong memories of our past holiday seasons. Even with all of the busy times, we are all still able to make the season a healthy one for the environment, no matter which holiday you celebrate. It all comes down to a few simple steps that will lead to a very green holiday season.

One of the main images of the holiday season and one that I always remember fondly is the Christmas tree. Be it real or artificial, you’ll find a decorated tree in many homes. While it would seem that an artificial tree would be a good thing since it means not cutting down a real tree and can be reused every year, there are aspects of the artificial trees that can be a serious detriment. One of the main problems comes from the actual creation of the tree itself. A real tree helps to provide oxygen and reduce the area’s carbon footprint while it is growing and does not require all of the various chemicals that it takes to create an artificial tree. The plastic itself is a petroleum byproduct and lead is also used in the process. Unlike real trees that might have various pesticides and herbicides applied directly to the ground and not the tree itself, the forging of the components for a plastic tree release many dioxins into the air. These dioxins can lead to cancer, damaged immune systems, and impaired child development.

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Our world is full of all manner and style of electronic devices that many of us rely on to make it through our busy day. Devices like computers, televisions, and all manner of portable media. Along with these entertainment-based products, there are even more electronic devices that we don’t even notice like items for the kitchen (toasters, refrigerators), the home (exercise machines, vacuum cleaners), and maintenance (drills, electric lawnmowers).

The amount of electronic devices has also led to a very serious side effect - the proper disposal of these objects. Once they have outlived their usefulness, we move on to new devices but we shouldn’t forget the previous models. For many of us, this leads to tossing the device in the trash to be picked up and taken away. While this may be the standard way that most of us use for disposal, it can lead to serious repercussions on the environment. Electronic waste represents only 2 percent of America’s trash but it equals 70 percent of overall toxic waste. The USA alone discards a little over 2 million tons of electronic waste per year and much of it is made up of chemicals that can be hazardous if not disposed of properly.

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