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A Passion for Organics

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Green Little Cats


It is trendy to be green, and so how about greening your little cute cat?

Here are eight good reasons to green your cat's lifestyle by adopting organic cat foods, organic cat litter, and making your own cat toys from recyclable materials. I admit, it might be very expensive to green your cats all at once and all. So try some tips one at a time and make yourself and your little cat friends comfortable at the same time.

By Holly Tse, Green Cat Expert

#1. Your cat will eat a healthier diet.

Making the switch to organic cat food is healthier for both your cat and the planet. Organic foods are produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones or genetically modified organisms. Your cat will enjoy the benefits of eating natural foods without chemicals or artificial additives.

#2. You can strengthen the bond between you and your kitty, have fun, save money and save the planet.

Instead of buying handfuls of cat toys made overseas, upcycle materials you already have around the home. Leftover yarn can be knitted into simple wooly squares. A toilet paper roll can be cut into a bunch of rings. A paper bag can be crunched up into a fun ball.

Use your imagination, experiment and have fun. Your cat will appreciate the new toys as well as the increased attention. You'll also be diverting materials from the landfill and saving money by making your own toys. Just be sure that the materials you use are safe for your cat to play with, recycle the toys when they show sign of wear and always supervise your cat during playtime.

#3. You'll reduce your cat's and your family's exposure to chemicals in the home.

Many household cleaning products contain strong chemicals that can leave trace residues in your home if they are not thoroughly rinsed away. Given your cat's propensity to spend large amounts of time on surfaces that you regularly clean (e.g. counters, sinks, floors), it makes sense to switch to earth-friendly household cleaners.

Do a simple web search for how to clean with vinegar and baking soda and you'll discover that these two simple and natural ingredients can take care of the majority of your household cleaning requirements.

#4. You can cut down on unnecessary shopping trips.

Shopping can be fun, but shopping for cat food and litter is usually a chore. Plan your shopping trips so that you can stock up a few months in advance.

Buy food and litter in the larger-sized containers. These usually use less packaging materials than buying the same amount in smaller containers and as an added bonus, you'll often save money on a per volume basis.



#5. Litter tracked all over your home can become a thing of the past.

Rather than cover your entire home with litter catching mats, cut down on tracking by switching to a pellet shaped eco-friendly cat litter. Pellet shaped litters are made from recycled paper, pine, and other fibrous-based renewable materials. The pellets tend to stick less to paws, resulting in much less litter leaving the box.

#6. Small changes add up to huge benefits for the environment.

If you reduce the amount of cat litter you use by just one scoop a week, it would add up to approximately 10 lbs a year. That's a small change with the potential to compound dramatically.

According to a 2007 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, over 35 million American households own at least one cat. If each household reduced their annual litter usage by just 10 lbs, approximately 175,000 tons of cat litter would be diverted from waste streams each year.

#7. Your cat can be the inspiration for others to follow.

Once you experience the benefits of greening your cat, it seems selfish not to share them with your cat loving friends. Many people don't green their cats simply because they lack information. If your friends see how easy it is for you to green your cat, your experience may inspire them to follow suit.

Plus, you'll have another excuse to talk about your cat in public. And, since cats love being the center of attention, your kitty will enjoy being the poster kitten for your local eco-cat movement.

#8. It's now easier than ever to green your cat.

You no longer need to live in Berkeley, California or Portland, Oregon to find a huge selection of earth-friendly cat products. Some major brands now offer an eco-friendly line of cat food or litter. The green movement has also spawned a huge industry of smaller companies offering unique and sustainable cat products. You'll find green products both online and at many pet stores.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mother's Day on Ohio Free Fishing Day 2011

The second Ohio Free Fishing Day is also Mother's Day. I have a bunch of yellow roses with orange tint,my favorite! The kids also wrote me wonderful poem, drew nice pictures. Thanks!

This afternoon we went fishing again, at the above dam area next to the reservoir bridge. Nosaj continued his luck with blue gills using earthworm as bait. Einnob incidentally caught a white bass without realizing it, as it happened shortly after she cast the fishing line with minnow as bait.

At the end of two days of Ohio Free Fishing 2011, we caught one catfish, two white bass, and eight blue gills.They gave so much fun to our kitty cat Thunder. However, he was not interested in the steam-cooked fish gills and internal organs this time. Shall I try to give him raw fish to eat?

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Ohio's Free Fishing Days 2011

Today, May 7th, is one of Ohio's free fishing days in 2011.We went fishing near Columbus Zoo in the afternoon. The Below Dam area was loud and overflown with rapid water. Our hearts sank in disappointment.

After an hour it started to rain so we decided to move up to the above dam area. Nosaj got lucky and he caught all three blue gills! He shared with me his experience: when he reeled in a bit and made the bait move that was when he felt the fish biting! Good for him!

Nosaj was still very excited during our late dinner time even though it was too late to clean and steam the fish for him to enjoy. His look was like dreaming with total satisfaction. Very funny! I guess he was really disappointed but pretended he didn't care when Einnob caught one fish and ate it all on Easter.

Don't forget tomorrow May 8, 2011 is another Free Fishing Day in Ohio.

Our house got the new painting, moroccan brown for the trim, and sierra redwood for the front door.It turned out very nice warm looking!

Friday, May 6, 2011

America By the Numbers

Our local newspaper is delivered every Thursday. Besides the newspaper, store ads, there is so called PARADE I come to like and read every time for some interesting information. Here is some numbers of America I would like to share with you related to Green.
  • Washington, D.C. is the most vegetarian friendly city. (Source: PETA)
  • Vermont leads the nation in daily consumption of fruits and veggies - 29.3% of adults eat the right amount. Next are Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, then California. (Source: America's Health Rankings).
  • Portland, Oregon has the best bike culture. (Source: U.S. Dept. of Transportation Report)
  • Austin, Texas is the city with the biggest spenders, though not so green. (Source: Bundle Report)

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Top Six Green Cars in America

Our 1997 Toyota Camry has been aging quickly, and cost us several garage trips to fix this or that recently. Thus, we are thinking to trade-in Camry for our next family vehicle. I would like it to be a fuel-efficient GREEN CAR, so I did some home work and came across the following list of top six greenest cars in America.


#1: Honda Civic GX

Mileage: 24 city, 36 hwy, per gallon-equivalent

Emissions are a major factor in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's "Green Car" rankings, which the group has published annually since 1998. That's why the Civic GX tops the list despite fuel economy figures that are lower than the others. It runs on compressed natural, which is much cleaner burning than gasoline.

Emissions are why you won't find any diesel-powered cars on this list. Despite being very efficient, and much cleaner than they were in the past, diesel engines still emit more pollution than the most fuel-efficient gasoline cars.

#2: Nissan Leaf

Mileage: 106 city, 92 hwy, per gallon equivalent

EV rage: 100 miles

The Leaf burns no fuel at all, running purely on electricity. Electric power plants do burn fuel, and that's a factor taken into account in the ACEEE rankings. That's why the Leaf ranks second to the clean-burning Honda Civic GX.

#3: Smart ForTwo

Mileage: 33 city, 41 hwy

The ForTwo, a two-seat car, relies on small size, light weight and a tiny three cylinder engine to get a great "Green Score." Besides contributing the car's fuel efficiency, weight itself was a big factor in the ACEEE's scoring. The assumption is that heavier cars create more waste and emissions in their manufacturing and disposal than lighter cars.

#4: Toyota Prius

Mileage: 51 city, 48 hwy

Hybrid cars rank highly based on fuel economy, but they pay a penalty because of their heavy battery packs. Cars that use nickel-metal batteries, as the Prius does, pay a higher penalty in the rankings because their batteries contain more toxic substances than do the lithium-ion batteries used in most plug-in cars.

#5: Honda Civic Hybrid

Mileage: 40 city, 43 hwy

Because its hybrid system operates differently from that in a Prius, the Civic Hybrid is more efficient in highway driving than in the city. It's also less efficient overall.

#6: Honda Insight

Mileage: 40 city, 43 hwy

Honda launched the Insight as a less costly competitor to the Prius. Despite being a smaller car, its fuel economy is the same as the Civic Hybrid.