The GreenPan – a healthier way to cook!

Besides scratching, there's a dark side to using regular non-stick cookware

Non-stick cookware has been around since 1938. Since the 1960′s, the technology behind it has pretty much remained the same.

But there’s a dark side to non-stick cookware. Unbeknownst to consumers, it contains two seriously toxic chemicals: PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid). Classified by the EPA as a “likely human carcinogen,” manufacturers must eliminate their use by 2015.

GreenPan is a non-toxic, healthy, non-stick cookware line that offers a simple, safe alternative.

SolarReserve brings sun and salt together to light up Las Vegas

Much has been written about the anticipated large solar array in the Mojave Desert, and the unexpected problems posed by the native population of endangered desert tortoise, the official reptile of the state of California.

While that is still being sorted out, SolarReserve, a Santa Monica-based company, is working on a different type of solar project.

Will the UN define “zero waste”?

As consumers demand more of companies in their green practices, more companies are scrambling to embrace sustainability. One of the biggest ways to do this is by being able to boast that they’ve produced zero waste, or at least are making great strides towards achieving that goal.

The environmental group Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) have created a zero-waste resolution proposal which they hope will lead to a universally recognized definition of zero waste.

Spring into the Growing Season

With Earth Day and Spring finally here, many of us are scurrying to get our gardens ready for planting.

If you’re looking for chemical-free organic products, Growers Secret has what you need.

Restoring the Gulf beyond Deepwater Horizon

Volunteers help plant and restore a salt marsh in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana

Since 1900, Louisiana has lost more than 1 million acres of wetlands and barrier shoreline. In just the past 50 years, more than 1,500 square miles of coastal Louisiana disappeared. The state could lose an additional 1,000 square miles of land by 2050– an area roughly the size of Rhode Island.

Since the oil spill of 2010, there has been some marshland die-off in critical marine life habitat areas like Barataria Basin. Birds and animals flock to the smaller islands of Barataria to mate and give birth. These islands were heavily oiled, resulting also in partial washing away in those areas.

To find out about the restoration efforts and challenges facing Louisiana and its wildlife, see http://bit.ly/I7xs0M.

The Gulf Oil Spill – Two Years Later

Large numbers of dolphin strandings are part of the aftermath of the 2010 Gulf oil spill

Two years have passed since Deepwater Horizon, the environmental disaster that coated the Gulf of Mexico in oil. The huge oil slicks are gone, as are the heart-wrenching pictures of dying seabirds and littered wetlands. Commercial and recreational fishing has resumed and beaches look pristine once more.

For a deeper look at how much land is still oiled, the surprising impact on marine and wildlife and a view of coastal recovery, go to http://bit.ly/JjfIfw.

Packaging goes green – with mushrooms

p

Mushroom packaging is a green alternative to traditional bubble wrap

Think packaging and chances are bubble wrap comes to mind.

There are other, greener alternatives on the market, including Geami, a honeycomb-looking, paper-based wrapping that’s an effective choice. But a new, more natural option has hit the market that might just capture your imagination.

Salonpas – a safe effective alternative to pain medication

According to the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., almost one-third of Americans experience long-lasting pain, which costs the U.S. at least $558 billion per year in medical bills, sick days and lost productivity.

Imagining a life without pain may be difficult for some. But for Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Company, Inc., good health, freedom from pain and a lifestyle rich in vitality is the foundation of what they strive to deliver.

Walmart and organics – progress or hype?

In 2006, in an effort to modernize and broaden its appeal to a wider urban customer base, Walmart announced it was launching a push to sell more organic food. And although numerous consumer groups met the announcement with some skepticism, a number of manufacturers rushed to create organic versions of their products to meet the megaretailer’s demands.

Six years later, it’s interesting to look at how successful Walmart has been.

Green City Awards recognize innovative municipalities

Waste & Recycling News announced the winners of the 2012 Green City Awards in late March

As consumer demand for green products continues to rise, so too does their awareness of the various aspects of living a green lifestyle. Being green has taken on a broader meaning then simply recycling or for a city to designate “green space”.