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According to an article published in The Earth Times , washable diapers may actually be better for the environment than regular, disposable diapers.  In Amsterdam, a dutch foundation for the protection of the environment has been conducting research on washable diapers and have found out that they are better for the environment when compared to single-use diapers.  

Some critics might argue that washable diapers are not necessarily better because they require you to "wash" them, which would use up water.  However, according to spokesman Hans van Dijk of the organization Milieu Centraa in Utrecht;

Contrary to all previous studies that looked primarily at the damage to the environment-starting from the moment a customer buys one type of diaper or another--our study also looked at the production process, including transportation.

So What's the Big Deal?

Disposable diapers poses a very real concern for the environment.  According to conservative estimates, the modern infant can expect to go through nearly 5,000 diaper changes.  Other estimates bump that number up to almost 11,000! Additonally, the sheer volume of disposable diapers in landfills alone is presents a host of environmental challenges.   In the United States, disposable diaper experts (yes, they actually do exist!) estimate that the number of diapers that are thrown away in landfills is more than 21 BILLION a year.  If this wasn't bad enough, this number is actually expected to increase due to current trends in potty training where parents are actually waiting longer to wean toddlers out of diapers.  

What About Being Biodegradable?

Sure, disposable diapers contain plastic, which can be recycled and is biodegradable.  However, the plastics used in many disposable diapers can take over 50 years to break down.  Additionally, some of the other ingredients used to make disposable diapers can cause problems with the soil quality and lead to various other hazards with water supplies.   

So, what IS the answer then?  Perhaps parents should aim to potty train their infants as quickly as possible and whenever they can manage it, use a mix of disposable diapers with washable diapers?   The problems are quite clear, but the solutions are not.

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Thank goodness for healthcare providers like BCBSNC whenever we need to run to the doctor's office. But have you noticed how many doctor's offices aren't very environmentally friendly? Sure, they might be sterile, but there are some things that doctors can and should keep in mind when they are thinking of opening up or re-doing an office.

The first thing that the person (or people) in charge of re-designing a doctor's office needs to remember is that the people who are going there already don't feel well. So, why bring them into an envirnoment that has more toxins in it? Some things to consider begin with something as simple as what you're going to do with the walls. There are a few eco-friendly paints available such as Envirocoat, which provides longer lasting, lower costing paint. It's environmentally friendly and doesn't have the harsh smell that a lot of paints have. Additionally, it's easy to apply and will save you a ton of money in the long run.

How about those floors? Hard wood floors are preferable because they are easier to clean and don't trap smells as much. If you are going to decide to go with hardwood floors, there are plenty of non-toxic finishes that you can put on it. If hardwood floors seem like too much of an investment, there is also eco-friendly linoleum available.

Worried about lighting? If you are having your office designed from scratch, set your windows up so that they get the most daylight possible, this way you can use as much natural light versus having to buy high powered light. There are also plenty of eco-friendly light sources out there such as Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs and LEDs. Also, consider getting a dimmer so that you don't burn as much energy.

These are just some friendly tips to keep in mind when thinking about design implications in a doctor's office. For more information about health insurance in North Carolina, contact BCBSNC

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With the recent oil crisis, a population that keeps growing as well as the rising cost of our appetites (i.e. cost of food and instances of obesity), people everywhere are scrambling to find and figure out alternatives.  Part of this "enthusiasm" is coming from the need to save money.  I mean, it just cost me almost 70 bucks to fill up my car last week alone!  The other reason comes from a genuine concern over preserving and protecting the environment in which we live.  

What's the world to do?  The answer may lie in the very ground we tread upon.  According to a  recent article published in the Boston Globe , some soil scientists are  beginning to look at ways in which we can improve the overall quality of our soil.  The emphasis is being placed on the fact that soil is even more important than petroleum, water or air because it is an extremely limited and fragile resource.  There is no doubt that soil is something we often do not think about, if at all, and therefore, we take it for granted.  It is what our plants grow out of (which is what nourishes animals).  It is essential.  

The article goes on to state:

Nevertheless, progress in the science of soil has the potential to be truly transformative, and to help solve some of the biggest problems the planet faces. By 2050, according to Rattan Lal, a professor of soil science at Ohio State University, "All the necessities of food, feed, fiber, and fuel are going to be met by less than one-tenth of an acre per person, on average. And we already have seriously degraded a lot of the available land. So unless you can restore some of it you will just run out."

 It's truly something to think about.

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Here's a bit of sad news amid all the celebration: Google has ironically picked Earth Day to pull out of Ecocho, a new green search engine that was successfully launched just seven days ago in the UK and across 14 countries.

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Computer giant Dell unveiled a tiny, bamboo-encased eco computer at green business conference Fortune Brainstorm yesterday. Said to be Dell's smallest-ever computer (it's about the size of an average external hard drive), the machine is 81 percent smaller than a standard desktop and uses an impressive 70 percent less power. CEO Michael Dell said at the conference that the computer should be on the market later this year.

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It seems that Earth Day hysteria isn't just affecting us humans; our four-legged friends are getting greener too.

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If the idea of putting your bundle of joy in a cradle made out of cardboard fills you with horror, then you might want to skip this post. But for enlightened green parents who want to bring up baby to be earth-friendly as possible, the eco cradle makes a great first bed for newborns, that won't take up valuable space once the child has grown.

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Just two years after the original groundbreaking documentary was screened, Al Gore has revealed that he will be releasing a sequel to An Inconvenient Truth.

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To celebrate Earth Day,  Trashionista is giving away a copy of Green Chic: Saving the Earth In Style by Christie Matheson. It's a great guide to greener living that extends beyond fashion alone, with heaps of useful advice you can incorporate into your busy life. It would also make a great gift for those just starting out on making the green switch.

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Bras are tricky old objects to recycle, one might think. All those weird fibres and wiring have got to be a pain to dispose of cleanly. But help is at hand, thanks to an Oxfam project that every green goddess should know about.

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