Green Daily

1. Keep up with preventative care. Get flu shots, vaccines and cancer screenings. An ounce of prevention really will save money in the future.
   
2. Find a doctor who lets you email her. Take a photo of your rash and email it; send a note to ask about a drug reaction. You'll save money and have better communication with your professional.
3. Order your drugs online. Whether you opt for a warehouse in Arizona or one in Toronto, this doc says your drugs will be safe and you will save money.
4. When you do go to the doctor, get all that you can out of your visit. Don't stick with the raspy cough you came to discuss. Refill a prescription, ask about a mole you think is worrisome.
5. Go to Walmart. Generic drugs are incredibly cheap there and the health clinics are, too.
6. Keep exercising and eating well.

[via Salon.com]

Was I putting my nephew at risk for a future lung or heart disease when I left a smoky restaurant--hair and jacket wreaking of tobacco smoke--and picked him up in my car? It seems so.

A study published in the journal Pediatrics focused on the carcinogens, heavy metals and even (gulp) radioactive material that is deposited in hair, fabric and even on glass as a result of smoking. Children crawling around on the rug or tugging at the window a parents smokes out of will be exposed and consume these toxins.

The study asked participants if they were aware of third-hand smoking risks, and found that providing them information on the risk prompted those participants to say they were much more likely to enforce a strict smoking ban around their children.

[via NY Times]

My Christmas credit card bill arrived, bearing tidings of a frugal January. No more grass-fed beef for me, no more shitake mushrooms and Israeli couscous. But I can still eat healthy foods, and so can you.

Spinach and greens in general are cheap, exceptional and versatile foods. Last night I ate mustard greens and kale with onion, turkey bacon and walnuts, a great dish for very little. Chipotle pepper and cheddar cheese is another option. Spinach is great in a salad or as a side. Greens are loaded with vitamin C, iron and other minerals.
Oats, no matter the kind, are an inexpensive and fabulous way to stay health and feel full. They are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Buy the large tub of quick oats and load them up with turmeric and cinnamon, or raisins and brown sugar. There's no need for packets.

Eggs have gone up in price, and if you buy free range organic eggs you'll pay a premium. Even with the added cost eggs are an economical and versatile protein source. Perfect your omelet; make a quiche, fry with rice; mix with spinach or build a sandwich.

Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) sounds like a food from Mars, but is actually the building block for soy burgers and more. This protein source can be bought in bulk, is extremely cheap and takes on the flavor of anything. Try using it as ground beef in chili, on nachos or in tacos.

Apples are a great source of pectin and vitamin C, and you can usually find the common varieties, like granny smith, for very little. Try them with peanut butter for breakfast; add them to your oats; replace your cookie with an apple.

And don't forget about beans, beets and brown and wild rice.

[via Divine Caroline]

If you're like me you've seen Green Mountain Coffee before but didn't really know the story behind it. Supporting coffee growing communities and encouraging environmental and social responsibility this is one cuppa joe that is making a difference. Jane Goodall has even added her seal of approval "Good for All' to the Tanzanian Gombe Reserve brew which she helped introduce to the coffee world. This particular coffee is grown near the edge of the Tanzania's Gombe National Park and is helping to involve local citizens in restoring the forests and practicing sustainable agriculture. I'd say that makes for one great cup of coffee. Below are other items that get the "Good for All" seal as well.

As a new year means many of us will clean out closets and drawers why not share your giveaways with a local pet shelter. Old blankets, coats and pillows that aren't worthy of Goodwill don't have to end up in the landfill. Shelters need cozy pieces for their inhabitants to rest on and you'll be doing something good for the planet at the same time. Be sure to call before you drop off your belongings to make sure they need your things but I'd bet some lonely pooch will love your re-purposed goods.

California could be heading into a third consecutive year of drought, according to a recent NY Times article. Early measurements show that the amount of water stored in the Sierra snow pack is higher than last year at this time, but still below average, according to the state's meteorologist, Elissa Lynn.

In 2008, runoff from the Sierra snow pack, the state's natural reservoir, was only 57 percent of what is considered normal. In 2007, it was only 53% of normal.

The deficit can be made up if early 2009 brings big storms. However, with La Nina returning, according to meteorologists, water from storms could be lessened, as La Nina generally brings drier conditions.

The fishing and agriculture industries could be particularly affected in the state.

The MOMA always has something interesting and new but tonight you should check out the New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters exhibit showcasing Stephan Talasnik's architecture and ninety sculptures by twenty-three artists at the Japan Society. It is *free* tonight (woo hoo!) and may get you and your friends in a green mood for the new year. Here's a tidbit you can share with them -- bamboo is the world's fastest growing renewable resource, can grow up to a foot per day, and it releases 35% more oxygen than other trees. Now get out and enjoy your Friday night!

We're extending the Green Daily Giveaway of Orangutan Island, Season One. That means you have another whole week to win!

You'll fall in love with the "classmates" in Forest School 103 at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. These 35 orphans are learning how to survive in the wild, looking forward to the day when they can someday be released.

We're giving away two copies, so your chances of winning are twice as good as usual. To enter, go to the original post and leave a comment telling us about your favorite animal sanctuary. We'll pick the winner next Friday, January 9, at 5pm EST.

I happen to have a good friend who lives within a few miles of her three sister's families. With all of the kids activities and everyone working a job they devised a brilliant way to share good homemade dinners and the cost of groceries with a cooking co-op! Although probably not a new idea I don't know many who take advantage of it. Gather a small group of friends or family that live relatively close together, each pick a night you will create a delicious meal for all of the members, and you can expect to receive meals at your door on all the other weeknights. And as Culinate puts it, you can get gourmet meals all week long without having to scurry to the store or spend a bundle. Did I mention I am total foodie?

I have seen the "Homemade: how to make hundreds of everyday products fast, fresh, and more naturally" book several times at the store and wondered if it would be a good reference book. Normally, I spend a lot of time looking through a book before I purchase it, but this was bought without much looking in a rush of Christmas shopping.

As with many impulse purchases, I am not exactly sure I am happy with this one. It promises recipes for health and beauty supplies, economical green cleaning products and easy to make sweet treats.

Sweet treats I can come up with on my own from the variety of cookbooks and cooking blogs that I read. I was impressed by the mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe, mainly because for some reason, even though we have a mint patch and an ice cream maker and it's my husband's favorite flavor I hadn't made the connection before. Overall, that chapter was less than exciting for me though.

There are so many more things about this book that just don't sit well with me.

I'm sure many people have resolved to quit smoking in 2009 and may turn to patches and gum, but are there any natural solutions that aren't full of chemicals?

I haven't tried these remedies, because i don't smoke, but I found it interesting to learn that there are alternatives if you don't want to use patches or gum and don't want to quit cold turkey either.

• St. John's Wort may lessen cravings but make sure to check with your doctor if you take any prescription drugs. You wouldn't want any adverse interactions going on there.
  
• Replace your habit with something else. When you want to smoke, chew a piece of gum, take a walk or find something to keep your hands busy and your mind elsewhere like origami or paperclip folding. Just make sure you don't pick something that can turn into it's own bad habit like eating candy or other junk foods.
  
• Set up a reward system. Use your cigarette money for something else if you don't smoke for a week or get a massage after several weeks of not smoking. Make the rewards something you really want.
  

If you really want to quit, you can do it.

I am very interested in reducing the packaging and the weird ingredients that come with the food that I eat. Single serving packages are definitely out at my house. We still like things that are quick and convenient like instant oatmeal though.

How do you take something like instant oatmeal in single serving packages and reduce the packaging? It's actually pretty simple. You start with the basic ingredients like oatmeal, sugar and salt and make your own. You can buy the jumbo container of oats and any flavorings you want - like raisins or cinnamon and have better quality, cheaper oatmeal while keeping the ease of packets.

There are two ways to do this. One involves plastic sandwich baggies. You can reuse them, so it's not so bad, but it's not my favorite idea. I think taking the same recipe idea but making up weekly batches in reusable containers is the way I would go. Of course, if you have a family of four eating oatmeal 4 or 5 days a week, that's a lot of reusable containers to store.

My husband is not an oatmeal guy though, so I only have one person eating oatmeal three or four days per week. I can put ingredients into reusable containers, cover them up and then add hot water directly to the mix without the need for an additional bowl or anything else.

Either way, if you use some type of reusable containers or reuse the plastic baggies, you're going to be using less than if you keep purchasing the oatmeal in those little paper packets. And, you're going to save money too.

A Stanford professor has released a paper saying that even a tiny nuclear war would pour a lot more CO2 into the air and contribute to global warming.

In case you're keeping track, you can add greater CO2 emissions to the negative column of your nuke war pro's and con's list. That, along with killing hundreds of millions of people, destroying most of the northern hemisphere, and making life very uncomfortable for anyone that survives.

It sounds like CO2 emissions would be the last thing you would care about after a nuclear war. Plus, most of us would have assumed that mushrooms clouds are pretty bad for the environment. So, why bother with the study?

The author, Prof. Mark Z Jacobson, wrote the paper in part to see how difference energy sources impact humanity and the environment. According to the Professor, a side-effect of nuclear power is a greater risk of nuclear war. Therefore, it was important to see what the impact of a nuclear war, even a small war, would have on global warming.

Interestingly, tonnes of soot would create a nuclear winter for the first few years. After the global cooling, the planet would start warming in the long term with the increased CO2.

President-elect Obama hasn't yet picked out a pooch for his girls but that hasn't stopped him from posing for some camera time with Baby, a three legged rescue pup. This photo and more can be found in a new book by Jane Kohl called A Rare Breed of Love.

Kohl gave a home to Baby after the dog was rescued from a puppy mill only hours before she was to be put down. Baby's vocal cords had been removed and she had been deemed too old to carry any more litters. Her leg had to be amputated due to her ill treatment at the mill.

In addition to photos of Baby posing with celebrities, A Rare Breed of Love also features essays by Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem in addition to Baby's story.

Word has it that Obama promised baby that he would adopt a shelter dog.