Urbanosaurus

Maintaining a house is a great responsibility, and that list of chores only builds up when you have a garden to take care of as well. However, like with anything else, you only need some practice until you create a routine that can fit into your regular daily schedule. In order to help you get this done faster and more efficiently, I created the next five steps which I’m sure you’ll find helpful. Regular Mowing Is a Must If you want to get anything done, you need to have a clean slate. This is why you need to start with cleaning your lawn thoroughly, especially if it has been covered with snow until recently. After you get rid of all that clutter, it’s mowing time! If you want your grass consistency to be tick and healthy, you should set your blade on 2 cm, and maintain that height for a while. Afterwards, you may lower it down a bit if you want to deal with mowing less often, but you should leave it at 2 cm at least for a month. When you’re done with mowing, you’ll want to apply a layer of moss and some weed killer. Don’t Forget about Constant Watering If you don’t pay attention to watering, all previous efforts will be in vain. There’s another shortcut here – if you want your chores regarding gardening to be minimized, and you still want to create a peaceful environment that you can relax in, you should water your lawn once per week, but water it deep. By investing some additional time into making small holes that are only a couple of inches deep, you’ll enable your grass to breathe properly, and your watering treatment will definitely be more efficient. Deal with Pests on Time The minute you start noticing holes in your yard or if your plants get damaged with no reason whatsoever, you obviously have a pest problem. Now, it’s quite important to deal with them as soon as possible – right after you determine which unwanted species is invading your home. If you don’t, you’ll just give them more time to multiply and develop, which will directly affect your overall billing to increase. So, don’t waste any time and call an experienced professional to deal with your problem. Flowerbeds or Garden Pots? This is the next dilemma that needs to be solved. Flowerbeds are recommended for larger gardens, because then you can fit your outdoors furniture and other garden items as well. However, if you only frame your garden with flowerbeds or make neat lines on the surface, it’ll work for a smaller garden. On the other hand, remodeling your garden afterwards may take too much time, which is exactly why I prefer pots. It may take some time to transfer from flowerbeds to pots, but I’m sure you’ll find it more practical, no matter if you plan on using your garden for vegetables or flowers only. There’s an appropriate size of outdoor planters for any type of plant you might have in mind, so you don’t have to worry about that. Enjoy Your Summer Hideout! The only thing left is to pick out your outdoors furniture set. The size of your garden is the most important factor here, obviously. If you’re dealing with a smaller one, you should definitely go with a set that’s lighter, and that’s simple to storage. Besides, it doesn’t have to be a set at all – make things interesting and pick out different pieces in order to create a set of your own! When it comes to large gardens, the only thing to worry about is your budget, perhaps. You should also consider building a summer house, or some kind of storing facility, where you can place all your gardening tools. Although it might seem like it, this won’t take too much of your time after you’re done with heavy work. One last piece of advice – make some plans and sketches before you start rearranging your garden, so you know exactly what you’re doing. I’m sure it will look amazing!

While most people believe that thinking green has to do something with things that are far away geographically, a constantly growing part of the general populace is starting to realize that this just isn’t true. I mean, we have all noticed how the weather is changing year in, year out, and more and more information about lost species, eco catastrophes, our general disregard for the environment, and how this impacts our daily lives keep emerging. This naturally leads people to reevaluate the state in which their homes are, and this is the most logical place to start. Still, a lot of people do not do the necessary research when they attempt to make their home greener. We are here to help you get your facts straight. Choosing the Right Materials The importance of this is two-fold! First of all, some materials that are generally used by construction teams are not good for human health as well as the environment. The prime example of this are paints, adhesives and other things that contain a high level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Materials containing VOCs cause air pollution, smog and can be quite destructive for human health. This isn’t the only example of poor material choice when it comes green construction and you should research them before you start the project. It is also a very good to use recycled material wherever possible. A lot of people perceive getting recycled construction materials as going to the junkyard to scavenge through the waste. This is very far from the truth. Recycled materials come with proper specification and you can always contact manufacturers if you need to make any further inquiries. Getting Professional Help While you might have the best intentions at heart, you might not be qualified enough to come up with and lead a green renovation project all by yourself. This is why you should rely on professional help in order to get things done properly. You need to ensure that you builders are properly licensed to handle this kind of work, and that they adhere to proper procedures that minimize the damage done to the immediate and global environment. Being that Green building has grown to be somewhat a trend (and about time it did), there will be a lot of contractors out there who will claim that they can pull off the whole thing, but I wouldn’t go that far without a licensing confirmation. Managing Waste and Pollution What’s tricky about green construction is that you need to make sure that the end result, as well as the process, is green and safe. It just doesn’t make sense to have one without the other. Before you start, you should consult your builders about the right amount of material you should order, and when to order. Excess material is usually the material wasted, and this is something you are attempting to avoid by going Green, right? Throughout the entire thing, you need to ensure that you reuse all the materials that can be reused. You should also separate the waste properly, and take it to the right recycling and/or disposal locations. This is a complex matter, and if you really want to build green, you need to get into the thick of things, and act from a position of knowledge. Energy Efficiency This is where planning really gets into the forefront and shines. Logistics, electricity management, the choice of appliances and so on, are all very important aspects of being energy efficient during construction. This requires a team of builders that are aware of these issues, and capable of following the rules of the best practices proposed by the authorities in your area. Don’t let all of these things discourage you. Sure, they require more effort, but ultimately, building Green is something that saves you money. The Green philosophy is about being economical with resources, and this is something that you need to keep in mind. There are tons of factors to consider, but the benefits are more than apparent. Cheaper construction, faster construction, a clean site and building as an end result, along with a cleaner and healthier environment - what more could you ask for?

There is nothing like The Great Outdoors. Whether you are an experienced camper or just an average Joe looking to reconnect with nature, a camping trip will make a unique experience each and every time. The rough terrain of the wilderness will push you to your limits, and the fresh air of the night beneath a starry sky will give you a profound understanding of how fragile and tiny we are. Regardless of whether you are going camping with your friends in a park nearby, or going on a hiking expedition to a remote location, preparation is the key to a safe and successful trip. Basic Items It needs to fit in your backpack! Military style backpacks are ideal for hiking and camping trips - they are spacious, waterproof, and the design of the straps makes it easier to carry more load more efficiently. Regardless of whether you are going camping for one day or for an extended period of time, there are some essentials one should definitely pack in his or her campers backpack. A portable tent – When you are out in the wild, you don’t want to spend your nights out in the cold, and an imperative is to set up your camp before dark, and in order to do that, you will need a tent that is lightweight, compact, so that it doesn’t take a lot of space, and easy to assemble. You wouldn’t want to set up a camp during the night since that can get quite unpleasant. A Sleeping bag – The tent will provide you with a shelter, but it’s the sleeping bag that will provide you with isolation and warmth. Water – Water is essential, that is a wide known fact. Going on a long hike will take a toll on you. Even if you are in a great condition, as you exert yourself, you will sweat, and because of that, hydration is essential to camping, and it can often mean the difference between a successful trip and a failed one, and even between life and death sometimes. High calorie food – Unless you are driving to your camping site, long hikes uphill on a rough terrain consume a lot of energy. It’s necessary to have snacks along the way to replenish that energy. High calorie protein bars would be the best choice. They don’t take a lot of space and will provide you with enough fuel to help you reach your destination. Also, remember to pack some food to cook when you reach your destination and set up a camp. Fire – Your priority once you set up camp. It will provide you with warmth and a place to cook food. It takes time to gather up firewood, and it’s a priority to get it going as soon as possible. Even if you carry a lighter, make sure you also carry a Fire Strike (Flint and Steel) with you. Fire will also keep potential predators away from your camp. A Knife – General tool for survival, comes in handy when you need to split wood. A multi-tool – A swiss army knife is always a good choice. Provides a variety of tools. Flashlight – You may come in a situation where you will need a strong source of light. Prepare a good flashlight, and make sure you pack some spare batteries. First-aid kit – Better safe than sorry, after all, you are going to be far away from home, and the nearest hospital can be miles away, and if things go south, you need to have some means for treating the wounds. ​ ​ Physical Condition Hiking to extreme and nearly inaccessible locations requires a lot of preparation, both mental and physical strength. Start jogging moderate distances until you get a feel for your own tempo and breathing rhythm. Slowly increase the distance and the speed at which you run. Doing this will help build up your physical condition and confidence, but it will also help you learn how to manage your oxygen input, something that is necessary when hiking at higher altitudes where the air is thin and oxygen scarce.

The trend of owning Green homes is nothing new, but there is this general misconception on how to achieve this. While it is true that most approach it as a decorative technique, it is also true that, when something is marked by the word Green, we are referring to its environmental friendliness. People have tendency of forgetting this, and it is a big decorative and environmental transgression to arrange your home with environmental issues in mind but then fail to recycle. If you truly want to go Green then you have to go for the whole package. Still, there are plenty of things you can do to make your home more environmentally friendly thus making it a safer living environment. This can be a process and you need to be aware of this. You can’t expect to resolve every issue quickly, but in time, everything can be achieved. Energy Efficiency: The Lights Ok, let’s start small. How many lights in your home are incandescent lights? If the number is anything more than zero then that’s too many. A single CFL light bulb prevents the emission of 400 pounds of greenhouse gases. How many lights do you have in your home? Also, CFL spend less electricity, which makes your bill a lot easier to handle. Insulation When it comes to keeping the temperature in our home pleasant, some of us overdo it. Even if you are trying to keep your heating and cooling bills to a minimum, you still might be losing energy efficiency on account of poor insulation. For these situations, it might be smart to ask for professional advice on how to remain energy efficient while keeping your home at a desired temperature. No, keeping your AC on all day is not an option! Greenery: The Yard I’m always stumped for words when people decide to go for a lawn only yard. While this is nice, it wouldn’t hurt you to plant a tree or two. There is a certain connection that develops between a family and the tree they planted and watched it grow from a gentle sprout to a big strong tree. You can also grow your own vegetables and fruit in your yard. The House A home looks empty and stale without any plants in it. They have a tendency to liven up the place and make it seem like it is a part of the outdoors instead of being a confined space. They are great decorative elements as well, and you can have a lot of fun arranging them. Chemicals and Household products: The majority of cleaning products that we buy from the shelves of local stores contain dangerous chemicals that can harm our health. The harmful effects of these chemical doesn’t just reflect on our homes but also on the soil, the water and so on. There are tons of homemade solutions that can be used for cleaning, which cost less to make and are far healthier. You can find instructions on how to make cleaning solutions all over the Web. The Materials: When doing construction, it may be hard to keep everything environmentally friendly. You can go for reused construction materials and make sure that you make as few environmental messes as possible during construction. Also, take care of the debris after the construction has been finished so as to avoid further pollution. As far as indoors go, don’t go for furniture, floors and decorations that were made with no regards to environmental factors. If you are going to go for rugs, you should probably go for wool rugs since wool is a sustainable fibre, which is just one of the benefits wool rugs have. Just be careful when ordering them online. While keeping our planet safe is a very important thing, a lot of people don’t see it as an immediate threat. They feel a bit displaced from the vows of nature and they do not stress the importance of having a green home. If you feel like this, then consider this, Green living has a very positive impact on your and your family’s health. This should be enough motivation to get you going. The more you learn the more you will realize the importance of it, and in the long run, your conscience will be clear.

In recent years, going green has not only become a proper movement, but a whole way of life, and you only need to look around yourself to see why it is so important. We have become hungry for power, and we are recklessly treating nature, spending all the resources it has to offer, without even caring about whether that is sustainable or not. We read all the time that members of endangered species are dying out, we feel sad and maybe click a like, then we continue doing what we do best – ruining this planet. But what can you do, practically do, so that you decrease your influence on this planet and maybe even help out? Going green is used everywhere, yet only a few people know what that really means, and it is truly a whole way of life, which everyone will have to get accustomed to, or we will all face dire consequences. Buy Smart and Buy Green Many people do not even know what green means, but it is a whole concept which is created to define something that is renewable, sustainable and overall - eco-friendly. This is especially important when you visit the store where you are surrounded by products that you need, but not everything is that simple. It is your responsibility to buy those products that are produced by clean technologies and services, which do not harm the environment and which dedicate a percentage of their earnings to develop new ways of protecting nature or repairing the damage that has been done. All the chemicals that you buy for cleaning or for any other purpose need to be in accordance with some environmental standards, and to be safe for you to use at the same time. When it comes to food, it is important to avoid buying food on which a lot of pesticides were used since they can contaminate not only food and water, but also all the animal life around the area where they were used. They can also have negative effects on humans, too, so, always read the label, and try to buy local groceries, produced on nearby farms. Greenify Your Home Making your home greener is important because of two reasons. The first one is obvious, you will be doing a favor to your children, and their children, while the second one is from a financial point of view. If you try and use green technologies, you will be able to save a lot of money, especially when it comes to heating and cooling your home. If you use certified green appliances for doing that, your electricity bill will go down significantly, and after that, it is important to switch from incandescent light bulbs to their more energy-efficient cousins – compact fluorescent lamps. Even having LED lamps installed is a good idea, as they spend around 80% less energy, and offer the same amount of lights. When it comes to the rest of your home, it would be important to have all the doors and windows properly sealed so that your home stays at a desired temperature. Insulation should also be added to walls, ceilings and attics as a great addition. It would be wise to first remove all mold from your home - as it can not only present a health hazard to you and all the other occupants - before installing any kind of insulation. Other good ideas that you can use for your own home is to have a water barrel installed so that you can reuse rainwater as a free source, and during summer, you can even heat it up and have hot water anytime. Reuse, Reduce and Recycle These three Rs are extremely important for you to both save money and protect nature. There are many things that we buy only to use once and never again, so why not borrow it? This is a simple example of how reusing something can be a much better solution. Do not waste anything, and think carefully before printing out anything – just imagine how many trees we could have saved if we printed only what was truly necessary. These small changes can mean a lot for the environment, and you only need a little dedication to change your life for the better.

When owning a business, no matter its size and complexity, it is very important to develop your own marketing ideas and implement them as soon as possible. Any type of business will work much better once a proper marketing campaign has been developed. Promoting your services or products will certainly lead to a wider range of potential customers and thus, it will get you, pure and simple, more money. And that’s the goal here, isn’t it? Several requirements exist beforehand When talking about money, you should know that a good promotional campaign can cost you very little. The point here is actually to get some smaller and cheaper products to use in promotional purposes. But of course, if you are aiming high, or better said, if you want to increase your sales by 40% or even more, you should get some better promotional products. This is not something that you should seriously consider if you want to spend less money; because if you want to spend less money, you need to think about some simpler products like pens, mugs, stress shapes, and stuff like that. This will be more than enough when you want a simpler and cheaper promotional campaign. Choosing the right product for promotion by looking only at your budget is certainly not enough. Other variables still exist and need to be considered seriously as well. For example, your audience is something that you definitely need to consider. Your audience is the key and you need to see their overall needs and tendencies and choose your promotional products according to that. While you are doing that, you still need to consider the costs of those products as well. Creating a positive reputation, by using eco friendly packing. People are more likely to respect you if you create an alluring container which is eco friendly. Customers are very likely to opt and buy something for the first time based on its package, additionally if the package is of higher quality they will keep it. If you manage to create a container which will be kept by consumers, it will serve as a good reminder of your services. Last, but not least, think about your logo. You want your brand name to be as recognizable as possible. Even if the promotional product is small, like a pen for example, you should make your logo big enough because you want many people to see it. And they certainly won’t see it if it’s too small. Once you’ve carefully examined these parameters, you can go on and see which promotional products you can get. Campaigns are various and up to you to choose from… Besides your classical promotional campaign, there are several others as well. You can, from time to time, implement these different ideas, but bear in mind that your promotional campaign has to exist all the time. This means that you should always have products which people can take and use and thus see what you have to offer. That’s not all; the beauty of these products is that many people around those who have the product can also see your slogan/logo on them. But you have to make it visible enough, like we mentioned previously in this text… Besides the promotional products, you could use your actual service/product as a promotion. This means that you could offer a one-time testing of what you have to offer. This should, of course, be free because that is the best way to get many people to participate. Another good idea would be to have some custom T-shirts or some other cheap type of clothes with your logo printed. This won’t cost you much and you only need to hand them out later. Being free, many will take them, and if you make them good enough, many people will wear them as well. Besides, since they are going to wear them, you will thus get a long-term promotional campaign which also doesn’t cost much. A contest. Think about this one, because if you manage to make an interesting contest with only a few winners, many will notice you. Besides that, with only a few winners, the contest would certainly pay out as a good means of promotion. With these few ideas in mind, you could have an enriched and probably more successful marketing campaign for your business. If everything is done properly, you can relax and wait for the money to come!

Most of us live fast paced, urban lives, and this kind of a lifestyle takes a toll on our health. It instills some habits that deteriorate our health and destroy our fitness. Our physical fitness is one of those things that are easily lost and require a lot of work to get back. The biggest issues has to do more with our habits that anything else really. We pick up a bunch of bad habits as we grow up, start working and socializing more. Some of them as a consequence of peer pressure, some related to convenience and so on. It is a wondrous thing that paying attention to certain small things and removing a few bad habits can make such a big difference when it comes to being healthy and having physical fitness. Let’s see what moves you can make in order to get on the road to a healthier body. Back pain issues Most work in urban areas involves office work. While this kind of employment isn’t necessarily qualified as dangerous, in the long run, it may cause significant impacts on your health. Long hours spent in the sitting position can hurt your posture, and this, combined with little to no exercise as well as office chairs and tables that are not designed to keep back pain away, can destroy you very quickly. This can be avoided by exercising regularly and investing in your office chair. Even if your employer refuses to make his office healthy for work, you should invest into your own health. You aren’t getting anything if you simply remain stubborn and continue to use the same sitting equipment as before. Hydration Yes, we all drink a lot of coffee, energy drinks, sodas and what not during the day, but is this enough? Doctors say it’s not, nutritionists concur but we still don’t take heed! Plain water, H2O in its plainest, most pure form is the best antitoxin for our body, and there really isn’t any substitution for it. Make sure that you get enough of it during the day since proper hydration is a big factor! Avoiding Stress This might be easier said than done but if you take stress as something normal then you will probably never be able to avoid it. Stress is a regular part of most people’s daily lives but you need to find a way to prevent it from influencing your mental state and, through that, your health. Continuous stress can have a bad influence on many different health issues by worsening existing health conditions and cause new ones. Dealing with stress is essential for good health, so don’t eat yourself on the inside and stop bottling it. There are lots of useful things you can do to lower stress, and a good very good option is Bikram yoga, which allows you to exercise the body and the mind. You’ll be able to sweat off some pounds and get a relaxing meditation during each session. Let it out and deal with it, make your life better! Healthier eating Do you eat well? Most people will chuckle to this question and say: “Of course not!”, and this isn’t very surprising. Who amongst us has the time to focus on preparing healthy and diverse meals every day? We keep running around town, running to work, to meet with friends, and most of our schedule is filled up weeks in advance. The thing that most people are unaware of is that it really doesn’t take too much time to prepare a healthy meal. There are really a lot of options when it comes to this, and all it takes is some proper research and a bit of planning to get your diet in order. It also includes avoiding junk food and having sweets every 10 minutes. Substitute chocolate with some fruit every once in a while and stop munching those burgers! Stick to your guns It is important to make a commitment! You need to realize that these need to be permanent changes in your life because they will improve your health and help you lead a better life. Start out gradually and turn these changes into permanent benefits to you lifestyle. You will soon start noticing positive impacts on your concentration; you will feel more energetic and you will be sleeping better. It is important not to slip through and go back to your old ways. It might be a good idea to partner up with somebody so that you can keep each other in check! Good luck!

We all know how we tend be care free during our youth, since our body is young, strong, resilient, we don't feel severe consequences of the smoking and hangovers last about six hours. Although, it is true that we can recover swiftly, and go on like everything is normal, a world of pain awaits us once we get older. To make things worse, a lot of people eat only fast food, and the intake of vitamins is ridiculously low. It is this kind of lifestyle that will leave us standing in awe before our own stupidity. Of course, we shouldn't turn our backs completely to all the things that are bad for our health, but make us happy at the same time, but perhaps, if you become more aware of the consequences that will occur in your future, maybe you will at least try to be more cautious. Here are a couple of things that await you, as long as you continue to live recklessly. Your metabolism is in danger Like it was mentioned before, junk food does not have supplements, which your body requires to function normally. You do not have to be an old person to experience the damage that junk food inflicts on your metabolism... after all, obesity is quite common even in younger ages. Prolonged intake of fast food is the key ingredient to becoming famous and joining reality shows that gather obese people in order to gain viewers. Do not shape your own weakness that people will try to expose for their own benefit. It seems as if we never evolved past the point where we love to see other people struggle in order to be entertained. Your life is in danger Obesity is not the only thing you should worry about, there are also heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Because of all the spices and the abundance of salt that resides in junk food, our blood pressure rises, thus putting extra strain on our kidneys, which results in heart problems. This is the problem that occurs because of salts, but sugar on the other hand causes type 2 diabetes. Whenever sugar strains your metabolism, your body produces insulin, so that it can prevent a drastic rise of sugar levels in your blood system. Due to the lack of protein in junk food, your body can't properly maintain normal sugar levels, which causes a chain reaction that creates cravings for more sugar, so we end up eating even more fast food afterwards. It is a kind of perpetual cycle that makes it difficult to give up this nasty habit, and just like any other addiction, junk food has the ability to control our life that way. What you eat leads to depression Another side effect of junk food is depression and low self-esteem, which really represents a problem for children who are still developing. Gaining weight causes our self-esteem to drop, which can lead to depression, and depression can affect children's growth in a negative way. Depression also affects social life; kids will end up being castaways, which later on leads to further insecurity. I do not mean to exaggerate, but it is true that a depressed life and a poor childhood can result in suicide. Teeth damage Tooth decay, although not as serious as the previously mentioned problems, should not be neglected. It is very painful, it develops and spreads quickly, and to top it all, it is not something that is invisible. If there is a decay on your teeth, you are going to be ashamed of your own smile. You should have your teeth checked, regardless of whether you are a fast food junkie or not, and you need to brush and floss regularly. Our teeth are our natural treasure that should be preserved for as long as possible. The list of junk food side effects goes on, but as human beings, we all have it in our nature to be easily addicted to bad things, and when we want to change our lifestyle, it is usually too late. It is like we are impervious to listening to reason and learning from other people's mistakes. The only silver lining is that at least we are not alone in our stupidity.

These days we can see a more intense focus on owning and buying products marked as green or environmentally friendly. The popularity of PCs, cars, phones and so on – have been made in such a way that they are energy efficient. It is a good thing that companies are trying to get on to the band wagon but they aren't really getting the whole thing right. Not yet at least. Regardless of this sloppy effort made by large companies and corporations, we can still see a lot of good things that come from environmentally friendly moves made by the general public. If you are thinking about renovating your home and you are just starting to put together your redesign plan, then you might want to consider “greening up” the place a bit. There are tons of reasons to do this and very few valid ones that you can use as an excuse not to do it. An environmentally friendly home is practically a necessity, if you have a newborn in your family or if you are expecting one. Having a green home eliminates a lot of hazards that can harm a baby’s health or the health of a toddler. Going green will also save you money and you will compensate for your investment by reducing your bills significantly. Green homes basically pay for themselves after a while. Energy Conserving energy sources and making sure we spend it rationally helps everybody. Basically, the whole point is to use less energy to resolve all the necessary issues related to energy expenditure around your home. There are more than a few points on which you need to focus in order to make your home energy efficient. Heating – Every family knows that when winter strikes the family budget gets smaller and it is harder to keep everything in line. No matter what type of heating you use, you can’t really say it is cheap. This is why it is important that you prevent energy loss by installing high quality isolation. Electricity – Old appliances like washing machines, water heaters, and old PCs and so on spend more and more energy as time goes one. Also, one of the common energy thieves are old school light bulbs you may be using. Electric devices that have the energy efficient stamp on the package can resolve a lot of issues you may be having and lower your bills. If you have a bit more money to invest, you can even start producing energy in your home. Solar panels are the first thing that comes to mind. Health Depending on the type of material you use, you can run into a lot of problems when it comes to your family’s health. Some materials are hazardous by themselves while others are good breeding places for bacteria and other organic health hazards. If you have children around the house, you need to make sure that any surface they can reach is safe and clean. This also means that it would be smart to avoid chemical house products and switch to green alternatives. It would also be smart to install kitchen and bathroom tiles that do not nurture organic hazards. Mold can be another great problem. If you don’t have good air flow through your home you can run into some major health issues when mold takes its hold over your residence. Mold can also cause structural issues as well as health issues. People with problems with their respiratory system can suffer from humid air a lot more than most people think. They can experience seizures and constant breathing problems. Recycling When redoing their home, most people function under the presumption that they need to buy a lot of new things. This is not the case. You can breathe in new life into your old furniture and use the pieces that are beyond saving for DIY projects. If you have an attic that is full of things you do not use, it would be wise to clean up and donate that which can still have a valid use to charity. Of course, recycling your own thrash goes without saying. I hope I managed to give you a better insight into how you can transform your home into a greener environment. Good luck with your renovating.

The fact that people are taking active roles in preserving the environment without anybody forcing them to do it tells us that there has been some noteworthy success when it comes to spreading awareness about this very important issue. This awareness and effort made by people has significantly influenced almost every aspect of our lives, for the better of course. Along with trying to preserve the environment and the Earth’s fragile eco-system, the green initiative has managed to do a lot of work connected to improving work safety, home safety, raising the quality of life in our homes and generally clearing our immediate surroundings of any threatening materials. This does not mean that we should feel like we have achieved our goal. On the contrary, this means that we need to spread the word even more aggressively since so many positive things have sprouted from this. What you can do to make your home green A lot of times some designer trends tend to overshadow the main purpose of the original idea. Now while it may be that there is such a thing as a green home design style this isn't the reason to see it just as a style. The green design is first and foremost an idea. In some cases, people do their entire home in green design but do not even follow some basic guidelines about what they can do around the house to preserve the environment. The first thing you need to know is how to redo your home in such a way that you do not produce too much refuses material, which you recycle where you can and so on. If you have decided to make your home green, here are some pointers on what you can do. Some of these things range from simple tips to construction advice but they are all part of the process and are necessary if you really want to have a green home. Energy consumption Households tend to be very serious energy users and have a high percentage of energy loss. It is amazing how much you can save by just taking all necessary measures in order to preserve it. Your home will benefit twofold from this effort since not only will you be preserving energy, but you will also save money on electricity and other bills. Here is a small list of things you can do to save energy: Heat control and good isolation This is crucial in order to prevent extensive cooling and heating from your AC or any other source. Good isolation will also help you control the temperature more easily without making you relay on energy or fuel consumption as much. Energy effective appliances A lot of older models of household appliance are not energy efficient and may cost you in the long run even more than investing in a new one. Also, it is up to you to try and turn them off when they are unnecessary. Energy efficient light CFL light bulbs consume 66% less energy than the standard light bulbs while also lasting 10 times longer. So not only are you saving energy, you are also saving money on replacing light bulbs. Green materials and substances In and around the house, we use all kinds of substances which can damage our health. Those substances also damage the environment. Thanks to the initiative taken by the green community a lot of them were identified and there are valid alternatives for them. Paint Lead paint is the primary threat to your family’s health in this case, but you should realize that not all paint is the same. When repainting, try to avoid conventional paint since it can cause health problems during the process, while it is drying and when it is completely dry. Gardening All kinds of chemicals are used in order to help plants grow but pesticides and these artificial growth improvers can contaminate the soil and as well as the plants that grown from that soil. Material Use Avoiding the overuse of materials that are hard to produce is a good move. For example, the best option for hardwood floors is to use bamboo, since this tree lasts 5-6 years while regular hardwood lasts somewhere between 10 and 20 times more. Safety first Safety is an essential part of the green philosophy and that is why we need to stress this point. When you rearrange your home, please follow proper safety procedures when handling power tools, chemicals and so on. Also make sure you have a firm ladder when doing work on higher places, especially while using tools.

We have slowly become aware of the fact that we must cut down on emissions and focus on preserving our environment. Yet, there is still a long way to go, as less efficient and environment-damaging fuels still remain the primary source of income for a lot of people, people who would like to see alternative fuel technologies stagnate as long as possible. We are just starting to see greener car options that come close to gas guzzlers in terms of performance, but there is still a noticeably higher cost for going green. An electric car, e.g. a Ford Focus Electric, will cost on average about $16.000 - $18.000 more than a regular hatchback with the same characteristics and the gas models will be more powerful as well. With an electric car you will save about $100 per month on gas, but that means it will be years before the savings amount to a substantial amount and the overall expense matches that of a regular car. Hybrids are a bit closer to the mark in terms of both driving characteristics cost-effectiveness and companies are even making eco-conscious decisions when it comes to the production process and the materials being used. So what can we expect to see in terms of green car technologies in the future? BMW sets a good example The new BMW i3 is an electric car that was conceived to be as eco-friendly as possible. The factory it is produced in utilizes wind turbines to produce a good part of its power; the carbon fiber used for the body and for around 25% of the interior is made from recycled material and being lighter and easier to work with also cuts down production time to about half, which means far less energy consumption during the build process. BMW also utilizes natural materials for the dashboard – fibers from a sturdy plant traditionally used in the manufacture of ropes. The car itself will be battery-powered and will be able to be broken down and recycled easily. This is a good example of a company not being shortsighted and actually working on more eco-friendly ways of putting together an electric car. The overall environmental impact of current electric cars Although some factories are moving towards alternative power sources, most are still powered in the conventional way and a lot of the hybrid and with the exception of the new BMW i3, electric cars use conventional methods of production which can mean equal or even slightly longer production times on electric models compared to regular cars. The electricity we use to power these electric cars comes mostly from power plants that use coal. The batteries themselves, lithium-ion batteries, are made of materials mined mostly in unstable areas – Argentina, Bolivia and Chile – and although they can be recycled, it is not very economic or energy efficient to do so. It is much easier to manufacture a new battery from the ground up than to recycle. This means that the carbon footprint left in the wake of a birth of every new supposedly green electric car is still quite substantial. This issue must be properly addressed before we can claim that we are indeed driving eco-friendly cars. Feeling good about ourselves vs. actually making a change Although it feels good to strike up an elegant pose, lift our noses to the sky and feel self-righteous about our efforts to save the environment, the fact is that we don’t really have cars that are 100% green and even the ones that do make a difference are seldom seen on most popular and bestselling car lists. In order to really make a change we need to focus our attention on improving the driving characteristics of electric cars as well as improving the production process itself and moving on to green materials, which can only happen if more companies get on board and start giving us some new options. The best way to increase interest in green cars is to provide more variety, but we get caught in a catch 22 scenario where technological innovation requires funding that only comes with increased interest and interest is only sparked once there are a number of functional options available to us. And when all is said and done we come back to the issue of cost, and we have yet to develop decent electric cars that can perform as good as regular cars and still be within the same price range. Then again, 20 years ago someone would laugh in your face if you told them we’d have an electric sports car like the Tesla Model S, so we are clearly moving in the right direction.

These days, there is this great hype concerning the question of preserving the environment and this isn’t just some passing trend. The awareness of the general public is on a steady rise in the last decade and is still going up. People are getting informed and are actively trying to prevent pollution and the further deterioration of the environment. This can be viewed through the active participation of various communities in projects (organized by them or the government) which take actions that help keep our planet healthy. This has caused major changes in almost all industries and laws are adapted to deal with some of the major problems with pollution and, environmentally speaking, most destructive elements. All this is accomplished by the active pressure of the general public. Marketing and the environment Now, I am not saying that products created as promotional material are one of the major elements that influence the deterioration of our environment, but they certainly do their part. The fact is that promotional products are mass produced in order to be offered as a positive incentive for potential customers. They are also used to promote the company’s name on a larger scale and raise its popularity in general. In most cases, these products are of very low quality and that’s why they get discarded very quickly, since they are perceived as useless or they break down quickly. Here I’m talking about the promotional material that actually has a purpose aside from promotion – like bags, pens, lighters and so on. The amount of paper that is spent annually on flyers, posters, newsletters and billboards is astonishing. This paper is always tossed aside and this is a normal everyday thing. Nobody ever said:”I’m going to save these. They might come in handy.“ and no one ever will. If you are lucky enough and the people of your town are really environmentally aware, there is a chance that this paper will be recycled and reused but in most cases it ends up becoming litter and nothing more. Now this paper has to come from somewhere and the number of trees that are cut down in order to produce paper is greatly increased by this form of advertising. This is done on a daily basis across the planet in every city without exception. Now, since we have already mentioned that it is rarely recycled, can you imagine how much paper is wasted around the world every day? People have realized this and are starting to boycott this kind of marketing and that’s why there has to be a change when it comes to promotional material. Green promotional material and what it can get you Well, more and more companies are joining and supporting green initiatives and are promoting themselves by taking positive action and financing more ambitious moves. This usually includes large crowds and great media coverage by all relevant media. Big marketing moves like these always get relevant echoes in the media and they reach a great part of the audience of all ages. While older people here about this in the news, the young usually learn about it over social networks on the Web. I think it is clear that by pulling these kinds of moves, you can create great positive exposure for your company. Marketing products There has been a slight change in the field of marketing products. Namely, a new attribute that is highly desirable for a marketing product has appeared and that is the attribute of it being green. This is how it works. You create a marketing product that has decent quality, handles a certain need that people have and you put, for example, your logo on it. On top of that, you make sure that it is in some way environmentally friendly, be it that it is recyclable, that it doesn't harm the environment when discarded or lowers a certain type of pollution. I’ll give you an example. Promotional water bottles that are made from stainless steel or aluminum, which at the same time protect your health, are eco-friendly and reduce the amount of plastic use and pile ups. This is a quality product which promotes your company and is something that the target audience actually wants to have. Things like these pay for themselves and show far more positive results when it comes to the promotion of your brand. When it comes to quality marketing, you have to pay attention to the way people react to things and try to insert the promotional part of your effort into something that people stand for in general and this is the new big thing.

The construction industry is one of the largest and most active branches of industry in the world. Even in times of recession this branch of industry is very active and it employs a great part of the population, directly or indirectly. There are 130 million people employed in the construction industry in the US alone. This number doesn’t include people who work as construction inspectors and similar jobs that are in some way tied to this industry. This tremendous activity has a lot of downsides when we look at the whole thing from an environmental point of view. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, it is one of the more serious sources of pollution. While it may not be as aggressive as the car industry, it definitely has a notable role in the pollution of our planet. The variety of pollution construction projects drag with them is something that is unparalleled by any other source. These environmentally unfriendly effects can sometimes be so bad that they can severely deteriorate the health of the workers and these cases have been known to cause fatalities. Waste management and disposal Depending on the type of construction, the waste that is created can be of different sorts and can have a harmful effect on different parts of the environment. The soil is almost always contaminated to some degree. In cases where the construction is done on water, partially or completely, there is almost always a severe level of water contamination. Some of these waste materials can be very hazardous for wild life in waters and in cases of soil contamination in urban areas there have been cases of severe deterioration of health with the locals. There are too few safety mechanisms that deal with environmental safety but are at the same time mandatory. Energy When it comes to reckless energy consumption we can’t really say that the construction industry pays much attention to the conservation of energy. Since it deals with the construction of objects that produce energy it should also have a working and practically applied knowledge of energy preservation. Every part of construction requires energy, be it material transport or processing, the use of power tools, the use of heavy machinery and all of them use diverse energy sources. Also some fuels are being used as construction elements. This means that even a small percentage of energy loss with such diversity and in such a large industry leads to great overall energy loss. Noise This is a thing that affects both the health of the workers and the health of the inhabitants in the urban areas around the construction site. Noise is a very serious thing for any man since it produces stress and by itself stress can cause a lot of neurological diseases and drops of the immune system. Noise has an even wider influence than that and some analysis show that this it has a very active role in damaging the health of people. Noise is a real environmental issue. It influences our health on a very real level and that’s why we need to find ways to protect ourselves from it. Construction workers are the ones who are worst off, being that they are exposed to it on a daily basis. In better companies, the workers are equipped with safety equipment to deal with any situation but this is not always the case. Staff Every construction company should have personnel that deals with environmental issues. On top of that, the education of all employees should be proposed by law, mandatory for all, no matter if they work on site or off it. This will enable all the staff to work in unison and achieve the best results. Cemp The construction environmental management plan is something that is mandatory in Australia and the UK, but it is slowly going global. This document provides you with all the necessary information and can be used as educational material for the staff. It provides companies with ways of identification, management and reduction of environmental issues. It is basically a guide book to which rules you have to abide by and the things you need to guarantee, environmentally speaking. Overall, steps need to be taken to reduce the active environmental factors the construction industry has on our planet and on our health in general.