The aroma and flickering flame of a burning candle can certainly make any home feel more pleasant and inviting. However, in recent years candles have been criticized for containing lead and petroleum additives and numerous other toxins, causing concern for those worried about toxins in the air or for individuals with allergies or asthma. The good news is that cleaner burning and greener candles are becoming more readily available. I found these 100% natural soy tumbler candles and non-toxic tea lights at Green Nest. Perfect for enjoying a candle and maintaining fresh air, they’re petroleum-free, pesticide-free and contain no paraffin. According to Green Nest, the soy wax used in their all natural, hand poured candles is tested in a laboratory to guarantee purity. As an added plus, Green Nest soy candles are not tested on animals and contain all lead-free wicks. And, the cute little glass tumblers can be reused when empty.

Ask a handful of parents of small children how many times they’ve found a bathroom faucet running full stream with no one in sight, and their answers will probably surprise you. With a 5 year old and a 12 year old, I’m always reminding my kids to conserve water by shutting the faucet off. Here are a few family-friendly ideas for teaching your kids about water conservation. Have a family discussion about the importance of clean water for all of us. Depending on the age of your children, this conversation will range in depth. Be sure to mention the importance of conserving water for both humans and wildlife. Let your kids brainstorm to come up with creative ways to conserve water. Suggest that they turn the water off while brushing their teeth and not fill the bathtub to the very top. Encouraging your kids to come up with their own ideas for saving water will make the process of water conservation much more meaningful to them. Allowing your kids to help in the garden or with your houseplants will also help them to understand the value of conserving water. Seeing firsthand that plants require water to live and that they will wilt without it by helping with the gardening is a good hands-on experience.

Did you know that you can convert your car to run on pure vegetable oil? It’s true, with all the buzz about bio-fuel development, there are vegetable oil converter kits readily available for diesel engines right now. Vegetable oil converter kits typically include a heated secondary fuel tank, in addition to your tank for diesel, and all the wires, hoses and controls needed for a successful conversion to vegetable oil as fuel. One of the biggest benefits associated with vegetable oil as fuel is that burning vegetable oil produces ZERO carbon emissions. For those trying to reduce or even negate their personal carbon emissions, this is a big plus. Another benefit of running your car on vegetable oil is that waste oil will work. Properly filtered waste oil from restaurants is just as effective in a vegetable oil powered engine as new vegetable oil. And, what’s even better is that most restaurants will gladly give away their waste oil and the five gallon containers it comes in, as it saves them from incurring disposal costs. Remember, vegetable oil fuel conversion kits only work with diesel engines, and your engine must be relatively new (made without rubber seals), because vegetable oil is a solvent which will eventually dissolve rubber. Vegetable oil fuel converter kits range in price from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. For more information about converting your car to run on vegetable oil, visit Grease Car.

You may have seen recent news articles about jatropha curcas, a tree which grows in several countries, including The Gambia, India and Indonesia. The seeds produced by the jatropha curcas tree contain up to 40% oil which some scientists think shows great potential as bio-fuel. It’s not just cars that could be potentially fueled with jatropha oil, which is actually poisonous to humans. According to a June 8 report by the Los Angeles Times, jatropha fuel will be tested in New Zealand this summer as jet fuel in an Air New Zealand 747 jumbo jet. Some believe jatropha fuel is a better bio-fuel alternative than bio-diesel, as it can be produced without the negative impact on the environment that bio-diesel is often criticized for. The seeds of the jatropha tree are pressed to obtain the oil, which can be done by machine or even by hand, similar to the pressing of olive oil. For more information about jatropha fuel, visit Jatropha World , an India-based organization dedicated to the promotion of jatropha as bio-fuel.

Usually, when at a BBQ, we expect our potato to be on our plate rather than in it. But, that’s not the case with the disposable plates and bowls made by Potatopak, a New Zealand based company which specializes in environmentally friendly disposable plates, trays and bowls made entirely of potato starch. Not only do potato plates bio-degrade quickly, they’re made without producing the toxic waste associated with foam disposable plates. According to Potatopak’s website,  all waste produced from manufacturing their products is completely organic and is fed to livestock, fish, and even worms. In fact, animals such as pigs and other livestock will eat the plates whole! So, for your next summertime picnic or BBQ, consider using disposable plates made of potato starch rather than foam. They’re even available in assorted colors. You’ll be doing the environment a favor and they’ll be a great conversation starter. If you want to send a letter to your local supermarket requesting that they carry potato starch disposable plates and bowls, Potatopak provides templates for doing so.

The other day my daughter received a much-anticipated package in the mail, a butterfly house and live caterpillars we ordered from a TV commercial. Along with the product, we found a note instructing us to “check out” the organic shipping peanuts in the box. The note even suggested putting the packing peanuts in the sink to watch them disappear. So, we couldn’t resist. We tossed a few in the sink, turned on the water, and they were gone almost instantly.

After doing a little research on these organic packing peanuts, I learned that they are made of cornstarch and are quickly becoming a popular choice in packing materials. According to Uline.Com, cornstarch packing peanuts dispense just as any other packing peanut, are water soluble, and are approved by the FDA.

Although my daughter has had a great time learning all about metamorphosis with her new butterfly house, I have to admit that we all enjoyed squishing and dissolving the organic cornstarch packing peanuts that came in the box! The next time you receive a package, check the box for a note about organic packing peanuts or toss a few peanuts in the sink to see if they dissolve.

A friend told me last week that she has been using banana peels left from her breakfast to fertilize her flower garden. I know that almost everyone has heard about the benefits of organic composting, but she’s doing something a little different. After eating a banana, chop the peel into 2 inch strips and save it in a container in your freezer. When it’s time to feed your plants, simply remove your frozen banana strips from the freezer and push them into the soil around the plants just as you would any store-bought plant food spikes. Your eco-friendly banana peel fertilizer spikes will quickly thaw in the warm summer temperatures and feed your flower garden with rich nutrients like potassium and phosphorous, both of which are great for your plants. Just a note on freezing banana peels: It may be helpful to freeze your banana peel strips in a single layer on a baking sheet before placing them in your freezer container to prevent them from freezing together.

Those of us who are into green living are always looking for household items made from bamboo, a plentiful natural resource. I found this one at Williams-Sonoma. Bamboo absorbs excess moisture, so your asparagus spears or cabbage rolls won’t be soggy. And, this steamer has a great energy efficient bonus: two layers for steaming two foods at once. Simply line the bamboo steamer with parchment or reusable cheesecloth, fill with veggies, chicken or both and place in your wok. Having guests for a summertime barbecue? Here’s an idea for a yummy organic appetizer in a bamboo steamer. These organic frozen pot stickers are available at Central Market. Put out a spread of dipping sauces and your guests will love you!

With gas prices at historic highs, it seems like everyone’s looking for ways to save money by conserving fuel. Well, there’s a new breed drivers out there taking fuel conservation to uncharted territories. Known as hypermilers, these folks adjust their driving behavior and even their car maintenance routines in order to get better gas mileage. Here are just a few of the techniques they use to save gas:

Coasting - In the world of hypermiling, coasting is key, because it uses much less fuel than a typical acceleration and braking pattern. Rather than using their brakes, hypermilers save gas by coasting around corners and as they are coming in for stops.

Eliminating Idling - Hypermilers avoid idling whenever possible, as it uses fuel without covering any ground. Remember, this tip: when idling you are getting 0 miles per gallon.

Stoplight Strategy - When approaching a red light, hypermilers save fuel by reducing their speed or coasting in hopes of avoiding a complete stop.

Avoiding rapid acceleration - Another hypermiling fuel saving technique is to avoid rapid acceleration, which uses much more fuel than gingerly pressing the gas pedal to get up to speed.

Wow, who would’ve known? A pure coincidence! Although “Green Vaccine” is completely unrelated to “Green Our Vaccines” march, I do whole-heartedly support the cause, and all of the people who were out in Washington D.C. last week rallying for it. Among them were Jenny McCarthy, her son Evan and Jim Carrey. Jenny and Jim have been active spokesmen for the cause since Evan was diagnosed with autism. According to the Jim Carrey Online Forum, Jenny calls Jim “the Autism Whisperer” because he is so great with Evan and has been able to cure him of his fear of dogs, water and thunderstorms. Evan’s condition inspired Jenny to write a book, Louder Than Words, about her experience with fighting for her son’s treatment. The vaccine controversy is disturbing to say the least, and I am glad that people are raising awareness about harmful toxins in vaccines and vaccine scheduling for kids. “Too Many Too Soon” statement on the back of the “Green Our Vaccines” t-shirts says it all.

CNN article - by Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey for ‘World Autism Awareness Month’

TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) - official site

Autism rally 4/6/08 - More news about the event

Generation Rescue - Organization dedicated to cleaning up vaccines