Vote for a Home Renovation!
Now you may heard of Habitat for Humanity, where volunteers and staff alike go in and help construct a home for someone in need. But have you heard of Rebuilding Together? This organization focuses on a similar segment of the population, but specifically does home renovations. An important part of green renovations is working within the current constraints of the home, so they are truly making a large impact.
EconoLodge and Rodeway have teamed up to help sponsor a home renovation and you get to vote to see who the most deserving participant is! The big renovation will kick off October 28th, so read the four finalists’ stories and vote to support one of their dream renovations.
You can read the official Press Release here.
Or check out the competition and learn about the rules here!
Feed the Trees August Contribution
I just wanted to share that the August Feed the Trees contribution has just been made. The amount is $15 and was caused by a raise in the monthly readership from 488 to 503. This is a great showing for only being for part of the month of August. Below is the image of the contribution I made.
Thanks to everybody who signed up this past month. Please keep spreading the word and hopefully we can make that contribution far higher in the coming months.
Antibiotics with your Tap Water, Madam?
In a recent study by the University of California, antibiotics given to cows were traced throughout their waste stream. Although not the first study to be done on the extensive use of antibiotics, especially on dairy cows, this study found that most antibiotics broke down before reaching ground water. This is good news for individuals who use well-water and live near dairy operations. The study did not look into the effects on surface water, marine life, or other species and areas of the environment impacted by the antibiotics.
Filtering your water and occasionally having it tested can also help keep your tap water safe and clean. The EPA recently released a study that reviewed the safety of municipal tap water. Depending on where you live, contamination risks may differ. The EPA found that water quality (for the US) was disappointingly low and came up with a list of suggestions. So it may be worthwhile to see just what lurks in your tap water!
You can read the summary of the dairy study here.
Organic Wines Vs. Organic Grapes
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahfelicity/83112974/}sarahfelicity{/link}.
Organic wines have been produced for centuries, but only recently have they become certified as organic. It’s often a confusing topic as many people do not know what goes into making an organic wine. There is also a huge debate as to the difference between a wine that is certified organic as opposed to one that just contains organic grapes.
Organic Grapes
Any wine that claims to be organic must at minimum use grapes that have been grown organically. That means we are not drinking harmful chemicals along with our wine. Pretty straightforward, so whenever you see a wine that has organic grapes, you know that it was grown with you and the environment in mind.
Organic Wines
Here is where the debate gets interesting. A wine can say that it uses organic grapes but not be certified as an organic wine. Organic wines use organic grapes, but also do not contain any added sulfites in the wine. I emphasis the word added as the production of wine causes a natural formation of sulfites.
What are Sulfites?
Sulfites do occur naturally in winemaking, but many winemakers add it during the process to get a product that will last longer. They act as a preservative in order to prevent oxidation and produce a better end product. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, or is it?
Many people have various problems when consuming products in which sulfites were added. The most common are difficulty of breathing and headaches. If you get bad headaches after drinking wines, this could be the reason.
How to buy?
The next time you go to buy wine, be sure to check the labels appropriately. Some wines may display large text of organic, but may just use organic grapes. If you want to buy a truly organic wine, some cautious must be taken with foreign wines as some claim to be organic, but only use organic grapes.
Also be sure to check into the vineyard and winemaker. There are still some vineyards that grown grapes organically or don’t add additional sulfites to their product and just don’t want to go through the process of getting certified organic.
