If your trying to lower your electric bill or just enjoy the natural lighting of candles there are a few things to consider. There are some hazards that come with using candles for light and heat. Burning candles are the leading cause of residential fires. Soot is put out by some candles and can cause physical harm when inhaled. In the past candlewicks contained a lead core, which is harmful to humans. Not to worry though! With a little common sense and modern alternatives you can light those candles with no worries.

Candles can be made from many products such as beeswax, paraffin, stearin, gel, tallow, and various plant waxes. If your environmentally conscious stay away from candles made from petroleum based products. Paraffin and stearin are both petroleum products as well as certain gels. Vegans and vegetarians have to pay close attention to some candle ingredients. Tallow is made from animal fat while beeswax comes from the cultivation of honey and honey byproducts. Plant based candles might be something for you to take into consideration. No animals are harmed and no petroleum is utilized in soy, carnauba, bayberry or many palm waxes. Soy candles are becoming very popular and are affordable. I use soy candles and love them!

Containers for candles come in many forms and lots of decorative designs. Glass containers can shattered due to stress factures caused from the prolonged heat of the candles. Any container used for the candle can be decorated in tons of wonderful ways but stay cautious of any flammable containers i.e. wood and any paper based materials. Paints used in the decorating of the containers should be considered as well. Some paints contain lead, flammable materials or simply melt with the heat of the candle.

For a few candle alternatives here are a few websites you can visit for more information.

http://www.findsoycandles.com/

http://www.candles-delight.com/why-vegetable-wax.html

http://www.caterpillarscandles.com/soy-candle-facts.htm

Do you feel enlightened? Please let me know any alternatives that you use!

Here at Eco-Monkeys it is one of our proud missions to do product reviews so that you can make knowledgeable purchases which will take you one step closer to living green.  The biggest complaint I hear about almost all green products is the price.   It seems that many products that are termed eco-friendly end up being much more expensive than their counterparts.  Other concerns include whether or not the product works as well as non-green products and if the product is actually as eco-friendly as it claims.

I was doing a little shopping at a new grocery store in my area and came across Holy Cow Glass Cleaner.  The label  boasted an amazing green product and it just so happened that I was out of window cleaner.  I was immediately curious if this product could stand against those that were more mainstream.  That’s where the Eco-Monkeys come in.  Product review time!!!

During the initial uses of the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner I was extremely impressed!  Not only did it smell good,  it did a fabulous job on all the surfaces the label claimed it would clean.  I started with the mirrors in my bathroom and moved on to the windows throughout the house.  It worked great.  However, windows are mirrors are not difficult to keep clean in my house.  The true test of this product was when I used it to clean my pick-up truck.  My truck was dirty inside and out.   Not only did it do a fabulous job on the inside of the car, it also made easy work of cleaning the winshield, removing mud and dead insects with almost no effort on my part.

The cost of this product also lends to its charm.  I paid $2.99 for a 32 fl.oz. bottle for the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner and for comparison I purchased a new bottle of Windex for $4.57 in a smaller 26 fl.oz bottle.  Not only was the amount I paid for the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner substantially less, the volume of product was significantly more.

So, what’s in it?  So far the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner is winning but is it actually a green product?  The label claims: non-toxic, biodegradable, cruelty free/not tested on animals, no ammonia, no vinegar, and no harmful chemicals.  The website claims the Holy Cow products have no VOC (volatile organic compounds), no alcohol, no harmful oxygen-based bleach cleaners, and to my surprise no citrus-based products that would possibly dissolve rubber or plastics.  Seriously, so what is in this stuff that makes it work better than Windex and holds to its claims to be green?  The ingredients are listed on the bottle… sort of.  Holy Cow Glass cleaner “contains a proprietary blend of surfactants, solubilizers, and drying agents. Organic and natural fragrance added.”  They might as well have listed the ingredients as “STUFF”.  The ingredients list was too vague and draws concerns.  I am sure that protection of the product is very important, however, I feel that it is also important to list the specific items involved in making the product to let the consumer know what they are buying.

Though more investigating into the ingredients will need to be done I will continue to use the product over any of the other brands of cleaners out there.

Check out the full line of Holy Cow Products.

I like Holy Cow Glass Cleaner so much that we even made a video about it.  CHECK IT OUT!

Many people are now familiar with the term conflict-free when purchasing gemstones.  A conflict diamond is one that is mined and sold in order to finance rebellions and wars.  Seeking out gemstones that are certified as conflict-free is a good step, but we very rarely see jewelry incorporating gemstones and metals that are eco-friendly.  Until now!

I came across this site randomly – quite randomly as I do not often wear jewelry, and the only ‘quality’ pieces I own have either been bought for me by grandparents or handed down through the generations.  However if I were in the market for the fancy stuff, I would check out a store like Brilliant Earth.

Not only do they certify that all of their gemstones are conflict free, they also employ fair trade practices to compensate the diggers of the gemstones that they purchase and they donate 5% of their profits to help communities that have suffered from unethical practices in the jewelry industry.

Brilliant Earth is also eco-friendly in the sense that they use recycled metals in their jewelry.  I had never heard of a jewelry store using recycled metals but luckily this company believes in educating the public about the hazards of ore mining and had plenty of information on their website for me to read.  According to their website, they give store credit for people’s old jewelry and they also get their metals from “industrial-use metals and electronics components”.  They claim that their re-refinement process puts these metals in the same state as those that are newly mined, and thusly there is no degredation.

So far so good.  But wait, it gets better!  They also employ practices in their production process to prevent contaminants from being released into the atmosphere and have relationships with companies that use environmentally responsible practices.

I have never personally seen their jewelry and I don’t have any sort of contact with the people who run this site.  It’s just nice to see a company that  is respectful not only of the environment but also of the people who help gather the materials for their product.  I encourage anyone to check out this website and least read about the damage that can be caused to the environment through jewelry production.  Hopefully, we can try to make eco-friendly decisions concerning ALL our purchases and companies like Brilliant Earth make it just a little bit easier.

Here are a few other sites you might want to check out:

greenKarat – Jewelry company located in Houston, Texas

Sustainable Jewelry – A sustainable jewelry blog with LOTS of information

Green Jewelry – A guide to buying environmentally friendly and eco-friendly jewelry

Here is an educational video on Africa’s Conflict Diamonds:

Billboard signs are everywhere I drive in Austin and although I have been able to block most of the obtrusive marketing going on, one sign did catch my eye as I drove past.  Organic Mattresses For Sale!  This was worth a second glance and a little research.

It turns out that an “organic” mattress is simply a common mattress that utilizes organic materials; no synthetic materials or bleached materials can be used. All the fabric is made from 100% Certified Organic Cotton  or even 100% organic wool while other parts may consist of natural rubber (Latex).  Just like run-of-the-mill mattresses, the prices of organic mattresses vary substantially.  Your average non-organic queen-sized mattress usually ends up costing somewhere between $500 and $1000.  I found organic Queen-sized models that started at $1,200 and shot up to $3,000.  My favorite was The Healthy Round Bed for $4,679!!! Yes it’s a round bed! No more waking up on the wrong side of the bed anymore.

Organic bedding goes beyond just the mattress.  You can also find organic pillows, sheets, comforters, duvets, and moisture pads.  There are even box springs and mattress foundations made from organic wood.

If you’re really eco-conscious when it comes to your sleep, there is another tier of products involving hemp, though be prepared to open your wallet wide!  For a queen-sized hemp mattress expect to pay about $2,300.

If you’re interested in reading more, here are a few places that you can visit:

Bensons For Beds - a shop in the U.K. that offers some organic options.  The members of their staff threw this fun little video together:
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The Organic Mattress Store

Earthsake

Humans spend 1/3 of their lives sleeping. Wouldn’t you want to make sleeping a more healthy and relaxing experience? Is spending a little more money worth it so that you and your family can rest on a healthier option?

So after my post about the WaterSmart carwash product and washing days located here in Austin Texas, we got an invitation to see what its all about.

So, tomorrow around the afternoon time, we will meet up with a wonderful lady named Sarah who will educate us further about the WaterSmart product then give us an example of how it works. We will finally get our grungy cars sparkling! I do look forward to understanding further how the product keeps the dirt from scratching the paint as you clean it.

But you know us, and a rushmonkey couldn’t go out there without getting our hands dirty (or clean, in this case) so we are going to get involved and wash cars ourselves. Probably each others!

The weather is great here in A-town. A little overcast, but when considering how hot it’s been all summer, cooler temperatures are welcome. And since my post about the drought, we have gotten some heavy rainfall! Oooh, I do have powers!

So after tomorrows excursion, we will put up the videos of us washing and being washed. 8-o

So stay tuned. thanks guys!

Lakes and waterways are drying up, the Texas land is parched and cooking at degrees well above 100, and forcasted rain never comes. Us Texans are suffering the worst drought season in years. In Austin, our two sources of water are drying up fast: Lake Buchanan, and Lake Travis. Lake Travis is 54% down and vegetation is growing thick on the newly exposed floor, and all but one boat ramp is closed.

This land was never visible, but now, it grows thick grass. Sad.

So naturally, the community is worried about their water and how much longer it will last.

Usually, it doesn’t occur to people how water is being wasted. Of course the most obvious things stand out, like running faucets. But think about it, where are gallons and gallons of water wasted?

Carwashing!

Since the newly implemented and enforced water restrictions on Texas water usage, I have been hesitant to wash my two cars at all. ( my poor supra needs a bath! )

But I recently discovered a new way to get the muck off my car. A company called WaterSmart has employed a carwashing team that uses less than 10 ounces of water to clean your car. You can read the article HERE.

Also, you should check at the end of the article to read about a product that dissolves the dirt, which will prevent scratching the paint.

Don’t fear! I worry about my paint job as much as anyone, but these products lift and dissolve the dirt away. Click here to visit their website to learn about the products and technique and to get an idea on what they are doing to conserve water usage.( www.watersmartautocare.com )

This is a really neat thing: where typically we use 20 gallons on a wash, we can save that water by using a few ounces to get our cars clean!

I hope that this company and the innovative eco-friendly ways to wash your car will become well known and widely used. I would love to hear that all self-serve or service carwash companies are now switching to this technique!

Spread the word and help us save our water and care for our home, planet Earth! Visit the WaterSmart carwash group on Friday at the Frost Bank tower downtown and support this movement! If you can’t make it on Monday, then you can visit them on Mondays at the St. David’s hospital’s parking garage downtown on Red River.

You can also purchase the product on their website. Click this link.

I took some pictures back in April of the Lake, then I went out today and took some pictures of it now. There is a dramatic difference in the levels. In the first picture, you can see a boat with a blue roof. In the third picture you can see where the boat has moved to.

Lake Travis in April

Lake Travis in April

Lake Travis in September

Lake Travis in September '09

In the hunt for new footwear I came across many eco-friendly options at prices that don’t trip you up. I rarely shop for clothing, and when I do it has to be as painless as possible. I like to know exactly what I am after before I even consider an outing for new duds. To keep up with the times of ever changing trends in fashion, I turned to the internet for answers. Shoes were the first step in updating my wardrobe, but what kind? I knew that I needed a new pair of hiking boots, some running shoes, and some smart casual dress shoes. Let’s face it. I hate shopping and I wait until my situation is dire before admitting it is time to make trip to the dreaded mall.

For years I have heard about alternative footwear such as vegan shoes but I have never made the effort to look at the many options. Vegan shoes are footwear for men or women that do not incorporate any animal products. Why buy shoes that use animal products when you don’t have to? I have come across plenty of styles ranging from flip-flops to men’s dress shoes. Women get more options than men in terms of style, and there are even designer shoes including a line by actress Natalie Portman.

For plenty of options while avoiding the mall, I found several companies that offer environmentally friendly products in a variety of styles. Ecowise has vegan footwear available in Austin, Texas.  Alternative Outfitters is a good place to start looking shoes and other clothing products. I really liked the selections of New York-based company Moo Shoes. Vegan Wares is based in Melbourne, Australia and boasts an impressive amount of non-leather products as well as footwear. The owner of Vegetarian Shoes started out as a shoemaker utilizing scrap tires as tread for his shoes and evolved into using a variety of products in his footwear.

I am going to get one or more of these products soon and do a product review. I will keep you posted on my findings and would appreciate any input for any vegan-related clothing.

As a middle school teacher, I have become a keen observer of middle school fashion.  One of the most frustrating things I see is kids literally throwing away perfectly good backpacks on the last day of school because they know that one of their purchases in August will be something new and beautiful.  It occurs to me that given the number of school-age children in America, the throwing away of usable backpacks in May might actually be an issue that could use consumer attention.  So I scoured the web to find sites and listings of backpacks and bookbags made from recycled materials:

Green Earth Office Supply – Recycled Rubber Backpacks

According to the website, these backpacks are made from recycled Florida tires and thus I imagine are fairly sturdy.  At $60 a bag however, these may not be an affordable choice for most families with young children.

Streepwear – Organic Shoreline Backpack

This is a one-strap bag which the website states is made from 100% organic cotton fabric.  I am not sure how wear-and-tearable that would be.  This is probably something for an older student.  However, it is only $17.99!

Lands’End – Eco-Friendly Backpack

This backpack would make any kid look ready to climb the walls – literally.  It boasts a D-ring for lunchbox attachment, and reflective trim.  It also has a laptop sleeve and a cell phone/mp3 player pocket for those tech-savvy kiddos.  The website says that the backpack is made from 100% recycled fabric, though I’m not really sure what that means.  This bag with all the bells and whistles comes in at $49.50.

Dante Beatrix – Eco-Packs

These backpacks are designed for kids and are made from recycled plastic water bottles.  Each backpack purportedly removes seven 16 oz. plastic bottles from the environment and range from $46 to $56 depending on size.

Patagonia – Patagonia Atom

This is the cheapest backpack I found on the Patagonia website.  It is a one-strap backpack shaped like a teardrop that is made from 100% all-recycled polyester double weave.  It touts itself and being durable and lightweight, and comes in at $60.

Bazura Bags – Mini Messenger Bag

This is one of my favorite products – and affordable!  These messenger bags are made from recycled juice packs by a woman’s co-op in the Philippines.  Not only is this product cute and affordable at $21.95 per bag, but the cause that they support is interesting.  Local school children collect used drink containers and sell them to the co-op.  The women then sanitize them, sew them together, and sell their products through Bazura.com  You can go to their website to read more about it and see pictures of the women involved in the co-op.  Eco-monkeys seal of approval!

Ecogear – Kids’ series – EcoZoo

Ecogear bags are coated with something called EPO, an alternative to PVC, which is commonly used to coat backpacks.  These backs are toxic-free and pvc-free and the website claims that they are ‘clean to recycle – creates H2O and CO2 when burned.’  They are relatively inexpensive, ranging from 17.99 for a basic bag to $29.99 for the EcoZoo animal bags that come in different animal shapes.

If none of these options are affordable, and you still have a backpack or two lying around the house, one option could be to purchase some eco-friendy paints and give last year’s bag a facelift!  I encourage all you monkeys to do your own research and help find the product best suited to you.

If you have seen a bag or backpack that would make a good addition to this list, please let us know!

Today we see the domination of the mp3 player as the next evolutionary step in our enjoyment of music. That same stride has now been taken in literature and written media with the mass marketing of the e-book reader. Instead of carrying around cumbersome books and stacks of magazines, imagine having all of your printed materials on one device to enjoy. Most e-book readers weigh about 10 ounces. So drop that hardcover copy of The Count Of Monte Cristo that weighs almost 4 pounds and load it onto your e-book reader and while you’re at it how about an entire set of the Encyclopedia Britannica too? Not only has the weight and shear bulk of a stack of books been eliminated, so has the cost. Once you have the e-book reader of your choice, you start to save right away. A set of  the six-volume hardcover of Jane Austen costs $110.25 on Amazon.com while the digital download version of all six books comes to under a dollar! Any literature over one hundred years old is public domain, meaning FREE! Even books in the public domain need to be printed, shipped, and distributed through a store, potentially causing large cost to the consumer. With production complications out of the way, this frees the publishers to also release newer books for free to promote the authors without a loss of revenue.

The biggest concern I hear people mentioning is losing the feel of the book. Yes, it is a romantic notion of holding a nicely bound book close to your heart and sinking deep into the story. This not the case for many people, including myself. Most people are able to get inside the story just as much on an e-book reader.

E-book readers utilize electronic ink. This technology allows a reader to view the text for hours without any eye strain. The lack of a backlit screen, like the type computers use, prevents a constant electrical charge from operating while the reader is viewing the text. Only when you go to a new page does the e-book reader send an electrical charge to refresh the screen. This allows a far longer battery life. The Amazon Kindle DX boasts a battery life of up to 2 weeks under certain settings. Currently most e-book readers display their text in 16 shades of grey although some companies are investing in color e-ink technology.

There are about a dozen e-book devices available today. Sony and Amazon are at the forefront of the market and there are many e-book stores online to fill your devices with hundreds of thousands of books and magazines. You can even access blogs, pdf documents, and have your newspaper delivered to your device daily . It is believed by media critics that this method of distributing information is going to save the suffering newspaper industry.

E-book readers are the mp3’s of literature and I look forward to a future of easily portable and accessible books.

Do you think this technology will ever replace books in the traditional sense?

SKOY cloths are probably one of my all-time favorite eco-friendly alternatives.  I use these cloths in place of both paper towels and sponges.  They are 100% biodegradable and can absorb 15x their own weight!

One of the best things about this cloth is how, unlike the typical kitchen sponge, it is very easy to keep clean and free from bacteria.  The cloth itself dries quickly after use, which discourages bacteria growth and  I tend to throw it in the dishwasher with a load of dishes when it needs cleaning.  If that’s not enough, it can also be microwaved to zap any lingering germs.

My Skoy on my kitchen counter (directly after use)

I bought my set of SKOY cloths at the local EcoShoppe for $6.99 for a 4-pack.  The SKOY Home Page states that one skoy cloth is equal to 15 rolls of papertowels and I have to agree with this.  So, even though 7 dollars seems a bit expensive, it really works out in the long run.  Even you bought papertowels for $1 a roll, that would be $60 worth of paper towels to equal the $7 worth of SKOY cloth.

Aside from its uses and benefits to the environment (and my wallet), I am really impressed with the process through which SKOY cloth came to be.  This is not a product put out but some big ‘green-washing’ corporation.  SKOY cloth was developed by two stay at home moms out in California who researched and developed a product on their own, and made sure it was produced at an environmentally-conscious facility.  Their website is simple and easy to navigate, and provides space for consumer feedback.

SKOY cloth is just one of many alternatives to the Papertowel Problem.  If you can’t find a retailer that carries it near you, you can order them online, or find a similar product in your area.    Simply switching to a product such as SKOY can drastically reduce the 2.5 million tons of papertowels that get sent to landfills annually and you can save some money in the process!  What’s not to love?