1.    Latex gloves

Rubber comes from a sap tapped from the rubber tree which grows in tropical forests in Africa and Asia. Rubber is made from the sap of this tree known as latex. Rubber makes hundreds of products including erasers, gloves, and tubes and so on.

2.    Natural painkillers

Some trees have powerful medicinal properties. For example, the willow tree’s bark has powerful painkilling abilities it is sometimes called Nature’s Aspirin

3.    Acne cleanser

The willow tree is also used to clear acne. It contains salicylic acid that acts as a natural exfoliant clearing the skin pores.

4.    Wine corks

The corks on fine wines and champagne are made from tree bark of the cork oak tree.

5.    Sponges

Wood pulp is used to make natural sponges that are bio-degradable.

6.    Hair products

Hair products like jojoba oil and coconut oil come from trees that produce nuts from which these oils are extracted.

7.    Makeup remover

You can brew homemade makeup remover by mixing extract from the tea tree with canola oil.

8.    Fresh breath products

Mint is a natural product from the mint shrub tree. It is a base for many fresh breath products.

9.    Hair dye

Some trees produce natural dyes used in personal decoration and fabric dyeing.  Henna dye is a popular skin and hair dye.  There are many other trees that produce natural dye including the walnut tree.

10.    Chewing gum

Gum Arabic, comes from the sap of the gum Arabic tree, has long been a popular base for making chewing gum.

11.    Wax

The Carnauba tree‘s leaves is used to make natural wax. This natural wax is non-toxic and non-allergenic so used in candy, cosmetics deodorants, and dental floss and so on.

12.    Fireworks

Cellulose is an essential product in the manufacture of explosives for making fireworks.

13.    Game boards

Fine game boards for playing games like chess and monopoly are made of high-quality timber.

14.    Egg cartons

Heavy gauge paper made from wood pulp is used to make egg cartons.

15.    Imitation bacon

Cellulose is used in making of imitation bacon. This is made using tree fiber.

16.    Coffee filters

The coffee filter is made from wood pulp just as paper.

17.    Piano keys

Some pianos have carved wooden keys.

18.    Guitars

Pricey guitars are carved from wood.

19.    Muscle balm and some

20.    Disinfectants


It's amazing how we never think twice about a tree, but trees hold tremendous value to the health of humanity with the provision of so many resources and the livelihood of the entire ecosystem. Trees are also considered the lungs of the earth. They are the number one sequestrian of carbon out of the air. They are so resourceful and yet man doesn't even think twice them.  Next time you pass a tree, say think twice about it and say thanks!

In order for us to have a greener world, we must embrace and instill the principles of recycling right now in the youth of this generation. Parents can play a huge part in making the world a better place by simply teaching your children about recycling.  When you teach children the purpose behind reducing, reusing and recycling, you are instilling life-long values, and you are developing a responsible citizen for tommorrow. So, in what ways can children be taught how to recycle?

Demonstrate recycling

The first step should be explaining to the children the concept of recycling. It is easier to teach by demonstration.  When talking about recycling, have some recycled products nearby. There are plenty of products that are made of recycled material apart from the usual motley of glass and plastics. Interest the kids on the power of recycling by showing them more complex items made by recycling including electronics, fabrics, and toys.

Put up home recycling bins

Show the children what can and cannot be recycled.  Put up recycle bins at home with different labels. You can have a can for plastics, glass, aluminum, and paper.  Show the children the basics of waste sorting and what recycling can each kind goes into.

Have a cleanup

Ensure the lessons sink in by having cleanup activities. You can organize a cleanup around the block so that the children can cover a wider range of litter than what is usually found at home. You can also opt to clean up the Local Park or town square. Have the children sort out the waste correctly so that they can maybe differentiate heavy duty polythene and plastics. A cleanup will also show the children the importance of volunteering and being a part of making the world a better place.

Make a recycled product

Put recycling into practice by making a recycled or repurposed product. A good example is a paper Mache creation. Use a few old newspapers for the paper material. Explain the paper trail of how trees are turned into paper which in turn can be turned into paper again.

Visit a recycling plant

Take the children on a tour to a recycling center. The children will be pleased to see the magic in waste glass becoming useful glass once again as they are reproduced and made into different shapes and sizes. This is a lesson that will not be easily forgotten and will demystify the concept of industrial recycling.

Have a collective effort

Encourage the children to form a green club where they can discuss and do recycling and also other interesting environmental conservation concepts.

The excess moisture and humidity in a bathroom can make it deteriorate much faster than the other areas of the house. The moisture can fade the fittings and walls quicker than they probably should. Bathroom decorations and makeovers can be expensive leaving many wondering how to keep this visible area of the home looking appealing without breaking the budget. Here are several ideas you can use to make it happen.

Fresh coat of paint

It is common for the bathroom walls and ceiling paint to peel and crack from exposure to moisture. Poor quality paint can peel off and blister. A fresh coat of paint can give a drab bathroom an immediate face lift. If the previous coating is pretty much gone, have it scraped off before applying a fresh coat of paint. Make sure to get water resistant paint. Yes, it may be a bit pricier than the other paints, but it will definitely last longer.

Brighter lighting

Replacing the old light fixtures can give your bathroom a brighter and warmer look. Go for sodium and yellow lighting, and avoid white fluorescent harsh lighting which can feel cold. There are many lighting designs that you can get online or at your local home stores.

New look cabinets

Unclutter the bathroom cabinets. It is common to have items that are not in use on the cabinet shelves like old toothbrushes, empty shampoo cans, and other expired bathroom products. Throw away any and all things not needed away. You can use drawer liners to give your shelves a fresh look.

A new shower curtain

The shower curtain gets old fast especially in a house that sees many showers per day. Fortunately, a shower curtain is one of the more affordable items in the bathroom. You can change it regularly if it starts to look worn and faded. Look for the heavy duty ones which are more durable and fade resistant.

New tiles

Scuffed and cracked tiles are not only ugly, but pose a risk as a person can trip over them and fall. Re-tiling is not exactly cheap, but if you get it done professionally, it lasts.  You can cut costs on re-tiling by hunting for vintage and second-hand tiles. If you are not handy, do not do a DIY job unless you are experience because you may end up having to hire a professional workman to rectify your mistakes.

Replace bathroom fixtures

Replacing a few fixtures can change the look of the bathroom. This may be the taps or shower heads. The good thing about this is that you can do it incrementally as your budget allows.

Bathrooms add value to the home. You want to always have them kept because it is your place of retreat. Who wants to retreat in a messy bathroom? OK. Time to get started. 

Do you know that you can contribute to a more responsible way of living by recycling and reusing your meals. Yes you can with your leftovers.  Working mothers would love to cook a hot fresh meal every day and watch the family the family devour every bite. However, if you have small kids or even teenagers this does not always happen. So in order that you do not become wasteful with food, you have to learn to use leftover recipes. Reusing meals can save you the hassle of preparing a new meal from scratch, and can be cost effective and extremely useful when you are too tired to prepare a fresh meal. Eating your leftover meals means better use of water in food production and actually contributes to a more sustainable world. Here are two leftover recipes that you can try with your beef and rice leftovers.  

Beef leftovers

Add some flavor to your leftover beef with a dash of red wine and have it with dumpling. This is an easy meal ready in 1 hour.

Method

Rice leftovers

Rice is a meal for anytime. Have it with some chicken for a delicacy.

Method

When you are a busy mom, your time is precious and there are only a few chances or short amount of time in the day that you can find to go to the spa or do a weekly facial or any type pampering for yourself. Face time is important time and beautiful skin is what we all want. But how can you obtain that beautiful complexion in an organic way.  Fortunately, most of the ingredients you need for a glowing skin are right in your kitchen. Fruits pack a lot of vitamins and antioxidants that are essential for keeping your skin healthy. Eating a regular serving of organic fruits will reap huge benefits in health and beauty without spending a fortune. Here is a list of some those fruits that will have you glowing:

Avocados

This is also called the King of fruits. The avocado is a superfood full of vitamins and healthy fats that is good for the skin. It has Vitamin B7 also called biotin that helps in cell regeneration and faster growth of nails and hair. It has Vitamin E that protects the skin against harm by the sun and other elements. The fatty acids provide crucial lubrication to keep the skin supple. The avocado is very tasty when used for vegan mayonnaise. The good thing is that it can also be directly applied on the skin.

Apples

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  It also adds to a glowing complexion. Apples contain high levels of malic acid also known as alpha hydroxy acid. This acid is essential in skin cell regeneration keeping your skin looking healthier and younger.

Bananas

The banana has high levels of Vitamin A, B and E which are all good for the skin. They help keep the skin moisturized, keep away the wrinkles, and fade away the spots. Bananas are also rich in potassium which keeps the skin hydrated making it look supple and soft.

Papaya

The papaya is widely used in making facial lotions, soaps, peels and cleansers. You can get the fullness of the papaya fruit by simply eating it whole. The papaya is rich in Vitamin A also called Beta Carotene. Papaya also contains the enzyme papain which is a powerful antioxidant. It breaks down free radicals which prevent cancerous growths. It is also very good in helping skin cells regeneration.

Pomegranates

This fruit is also considered a superfood because of the high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it contains. The whole of the fruit is nutritious including the seeds. Pomegranates have the highest content of antioxidants among the fruits. These antioxidants break down free radicals in the skin and prevent damage to skin cells including cancerous cells.

You can eat the pomegranate or use on the skin by topical application. You can make juice and apply it or rub the peels on the skin. The peels can also be dried and used to make tea.

 Our choices in life affect our environment and other living creatures in the ecosystem. Fortunately, we have the option to make the right decisions that will protect our planet and everything that is connected within. Here are some easy tips for living a sustainable lifestyle at home.

 

 Find some interesting new ways of reusing items

 More than likely, you have tossed a couple of items out after you were done with it. It perhaps could have been a torn curtain, a metal can, a plastic bag, old electronics and many others. Believe it or not, most of these items can be repurposed and reused. You can reuse the old clothing to make decorative crafts, you can also donate old magazines and books as well as take old furniture to repurpose and make outdoor furniture or they may have the potential to become antiques. 

 Plant a garden in the backyard

 Start making fresh herbs and vegetables by planting a garden in your backyard or on the balcony. It does not have to be a large garden. You can also use containers to plant vegetables and herbs when you do not have a garden. This is ideal because planting a garden and eating fresh will lower your carbon footprint. 

 Look for plastic alternatives

 Yes, the plastic grocery bag has just about had its day. Instead of using plastic shopping bags, consider buying woven or canvas shopping bags. These types of bags help to eliminate the increasing the amount of plastic waste in the landfills. Canvas and woven bags can be repeatedly used and washed unlike plastic bags.  These bags save you money and because they are often spacious will save you time because you can put twice as much in them as you can plastic bags. Using plastic will also decrease the death rates of many sea animals that are lost due to the ingestion of these plastic bags.

Choose renewable energy

 Instead of companies using fossil fuels they must transition to renewable energy.  As a consumer, you have the buying power to support companies that incorporate sustainability practices. Look for companies that producing renewable energy from such sources as solar and wind.  In the home you too can personally install solar water heaters, and other energy efficient appliances to help cut back on products that create energies made from fossil fuels. In the same line, conserve energy by turning off equipment and lighting when you do not need it and change your bulbs to energy saving alternatives.

  

Boycott products that endanger the environment

Yes, there are companies that completely disregard the environment and only put profits first. They will use materials such as skin and horns sourced from wildlife or will destroy massive forests for the wood or palm oil of trees without planting replacements. Look for products made from sustainable sources such a bamboo and fish species that are plentiful and stand up to companies that violate the earth and its ecosystem.

Finally, take a look at product labels before purchasing your goods. Buy organic products whenever possible. Moreover, support your local community and look for locally manufactured and home grown products. Sourcing locally has little impact on your carbon footprint because the transporting of the goods is confined to very small distances.

You have a voice in who you want to purchase from.  Stand up to those who destroy forests and leave a heavy carbon footprint or disregard wildlife. Sometimes the only way to get the manufacturers attention is by tapping into their bottom line.

Businesses play a great role in ensuring that the population has its needs catered and that there is the utilization of the available resources to create wealth. However, in the course of production, there is usually exploitation of the resources and pollution that contribute to climate change, the death of flora and fauna as well as depletion of vital resources for human survival. Below are easy ways that business owners around the world can run sustainable businesses.

Energy efficiency

A great deal of energy is consumed in business premises. Unfortunately, a huge chunk of power goes to waste. Lights should be shut off when no one is the room. Moreover, business should invest in energy-efficient technology. A good start is Energy Star certified office equipment, instead of the conventional bulbs.  LED and energy saver bulbs can suffice as well.

Increased resource productivity

 This is the act of getting more goods and services from less energy and material. This protects the raw materials from overexploitation and wastage. This can be achieved using the following practices.

•    Getting better technology for use in production

•    Redesigning goods and services to cut on waste

•    Using alternative materials that are more efficient

•    Reducing inefficiencies in the production of goods and services

Going green

Businesses can consider green energy to address the problem of fossil energy and energy inefficiency. This is the power that comes from such sources as solar wind, hydro, biomass or geothermal. These sources are renewable because it can be replenished continually. Many cities have incentive plans to encourage residents and business to consider purchasing renewable energy.

 Cut back on waste

In addition to raw material wastage, companies can cut back on operational waste at the premises using the following tips 

•    Reduce printing just the essential paperwork. The rest of the information can be sent digitally in emails. Where possible, one can print on both sides of the paper to cut on the number of sheets used.

•    Redesigning the packaging to cut wastage

•    Switching to reusable transport containers among others

•   Only buy paper sourced from sustainable forests

Conserve the water resource

Water consumption should be optimized to conserve the water and cut the business’s monthly water bill. This can be done efficiently in the following ways:

•    All leaking pipes, seals, and fixtures should be sealed

•    Business should consider installing water efficient appliances

•    Reuse gray water in such activities as maintaining the yard

•    Automate water shut-off controls to ensure that there is no wastage

•    Where possible correct rainwater in catchment areas or storage tanks

Corporate sustainability practices have now become commonplace. These practices were once an option, but due to the ongoing climate crisis have now become a necessity. Sustainable businesses practices have a positive impact on the environment, this is something the consumer looks favorably on and it adds to the bottom line of a business. When you go green in your business you will have a positive impact on the environment, your business will be perceived positively, and it will benefit the next generation.

 Plan what you need over a few days to avoid dashing to the grocery every time you need something. This often leads to picking up things you never had planned to buy. Also, plan your meals for a week to ensure that you know exactly what you are cooking each day. If you have to consistently run to the grocery each day to get fresh vegetables, chances are you are spending more on fuel, polluting the environment and becoming a victim of impulse buying. However, do not make it a practice over buy. It will save you money, gas, there will be less pollution and trash.

 If you are making monthly purchases consider buying in bulk.  When you purchase in bulk you often get financial discounts as well as you will decrease your carbon footprint because you will not have to go to the grocery which cut backs on carbon pollution.  When you buy in bulk, it costs much less per pound than buying in small units. In fact when you purchase small packages, it often leads to more litter in landfills and the environment.

 It is very important to invest in your own reusable bags and completely ditch the plastic. This eliminates or reduces the need for stores to provide the plastic bags that so often end up in oceans and landfills and it takes years to break down one plastic bag. Canvas and cloth bags are inexpensive, very roomy and are easy to carry. Theses bags are also easily washable and can be reused for later. Many stores are encouraging people to come with their bags and providing discounts and incentives for those who do.

 In most homes, lots of leftover food finds its way to the garbage bin. Often times the food is can be reheated and used in the next meal. Broths can also be utilized in the next meal if they are well preserved. When possible, cook just enough so that it can be consumed completely at dinner time with little or no leftovers. Leftovers can often be used with added new ingredients to make a brand new meal for the next day.

 If you have space in the backyard, grow some herbs and vegetables rather than buy them at the grocery. This may be more time consuming but the advantage of growing your own vegetables and herbs is that you get to consume organic produce, you will save money on your grocery bill, it is a form of exercise and you will contribute to a greener environment.

Saving money on grocery and helping to preserve the environment actually go hand in hand, but it takes a made up mind and commitment to reap the benefits.

The earth is a beautiful place and there is so much beauty to see as well as the partaking of  its resources.  If people continued to live carefree and completely disregard this beauty, the environment will continue to fill with trash and the earth's entire ecosystem will be threatened.  We will continue to damage the ozone layer and worsen the global warming phenomenon that we are currently facing.  The key to maintaining your planet green is reducing, reusing and recycling. It's simple.

Reduce

The first step to ensuring minimal waste is the reduction of the products that contribute to the waste. Unfortunately, most of the recycling lobby groups overlook this important step. If we use less of the plastics, there will be less waste to deal with. Here are important ‘reduce’ strategies that you can adopt

•   Go zero waste: Make it your ultimate goal to cut down on waste completely. Do not waste water, energy or accumulate the waste of non-biodegradable items.

•   Only keep whatever you use

•   Determine the impact of your purchase decisions to the environment

•   Buy used produced at local thrift stores, eBay, Craigslist and elsewhere

•   Buy lunch that you can finish. Avoid large helpings only to throw them into the bin

•   Go paperless in getting your statements, newsletters and newspapers

Reuse

The marketers are keen to have us buy the new items due to the added benefits. However, did you know that you could survive on many fronts with the existing items if you reused them a few times?

•    Hold and shop garage sales to get good old stuff

•    Replace disposables (such as batteries, cartridges, and coffee filters) with reusable items

•    Donate your used products such as household items, electronics, food, art materials and more

•    Share facilities with your neighbors (carpooling also saves on gas emissions)

•    Fix items that can be repaired instead of throwing them away

•    Most plastic items can be reused as storage and package materials

•    Repurpose several items after the end of their useful life (furniture, metallic items and so forth)

Recycle

Give your used items a new life by having them recycled and used again. Here is how to go about it

• Buy recycled: Support the recycling movement by buying into it. An example would be a new environmentally friendly bathroom tissue or toilet paper. WHOLEROLL will be brought to market in 2017.

• Use the grass clippings in your lawn as compost manure rather than applying fertilizers

• Avoid throwing away the cans and plastic bags out there when on a trip. Pack them and bring them back home if you do not come across a recycle bin

• When sending off your loved ones, consider eco-friendly burials that use recycled material for coffins

•   Use recycled or recyclable materials when packing your lunch. Lunch packaging materials are big contributors to waste.

The Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in COP21 and reflects a collective vision by 95 countries on ways to curb global warming and other undesirable climate changes. The agreement lays a framework of essential goals and important milestones to achieving a green environment. However, the success of the agreement depends on the rules, guidelines, and processes that are adapted to making the agreement work. An ad hoc Working Group on Paris Agreement (APA) that is made up of the parties that ratified and adopted the agreement is putting these rules and processes in place. The group is supported by such organizations as UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)

Much of the work should have been completed before the full implementation of the agreement and well before 2020 when parties to the agreement meet and go through the progress.

 Here are key areas that parties have to focus on to ensure that the agreement works and within the set timelines

There must be guidance for states to increase their ambition

There are critical processes that have been put into the agreement to help companies increase their ambition in enhancing their climate plans. Countries are expected to come up with Nationally Determined Contributions every five years to achieve long-term goals of the agreement. 

Ensure accountability and transparency

 The backbone of the Paris Agreement is a transparency framework to help track how governments are progressing with the commitment to enhance a green environment. However, there must be rules to hold the parties accountable while enhancing the understanding among these countries. A key item towards the achievement of this goal is the enhancement of UNFCCC current Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) system by 2018.

Climate finance must be tracked

The core challenge for the international climate control regime is to ensure that climate finance is flowing towards the intended recipients and meeting the intended objectives The SBSTA is tasked with the role of developing the accounting rules for the parties, which should be done by 2018. The goal of the agreement is to encourage reporting every two years for easy reviewing.

Create New Technology Framework

The long-term vision of the agreement is the development of new technologies and the transfer of these technologies from the developed parties to the developing countries to aid them in mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting to it. The challenge in this is that the timelines have not been set and some parties do not want to share their technologies.

A committed focus in these four areas will keep each country and entity that is collaborating accountable to each other for the long term common good. 

When using appliances, 30 percent of energy on average can be lost. Conserving this energy could save you hundreds of dollars each year and contribute to lower pollution through energy production and over exploitation of natural energy resources. It may be a little expensive to have a fully green powered home, but saving on energy will help save in your wallet and the planet.

Here are a few practical ways to save energy at home

Wear clothing that is appropriate to the weather. Warm clothing during winter means that can turn down the heater while during the summer wearing light clothing enables you to adjust the thermostat a little higher. This keeps the units from working hard and from constantly coming on and going off.

Central air conditioning units tend to cool or warm the whole house regardless of whether there is anyone in the rooms or not. However, you can create zones by adding a few devices to your system so that you are able to turn off the AC when a particular room is unoccupied.

Chargers and other electrical devices still use energy when they are switched off even when still plugged to a socket that is still on. Such devices can use up to 10% of the electricity bill. You can switch off devices at the socket when you are not using them or purchase a standby power controller. This ensures that no device uses power when it is not powered on. 

You can prevent heat or cold from escaping the room when it is properly conditioned and insulated. Make sure that there are no cracks in the ceiling, door joints and windowpanes where the air could leak out. Good insulation should be rated R3.5 or higher especially for the ceilings.  

 In the same line, shut doors and windowpanes when you are conditioning the indoor air. Your A/C works harder when some of the indoor air leaks out and is replaced by the outside air.

 Check on the energy star rating on electronics

The energy star rating is a graph that shows the energy rating of a particular appliance. The more the stars in the rating, the higher the efficiency of the appliance in question. As for the washing machines, the front loaders are more efficient than the top loaders.   

You will use about 15-20% of the energy in heating water. However, you will rarely need to use very hot water. Turn down the water heater temperature setting to warm (about 120°F) to save on energy. This also protects you from the risk of faucet scalding.

These tips should help you conserve energy as well as save a few bucks here and there.