"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a commmunity to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
- Aldo Leopold

According to Greener Design, a website dedicated to green business news, the Candadian governement as part of the evaluation through their Chemicals Management Plan has found some common shampoo ingredients toxic and plans to minimize their production and release into the environment. According to the website www.greenerdesign.com two of the substances are Siloxanes D4 and D5.

"Siloxanes D4 and D5 are two of the substances toxic to the environment, and are found in a wide swatch of products: shampoo, antiperspirants, lipstick, textiles, paints and coatings, sealants, plastics, non-medical ingredients in pharmaceuticals, food additives, surface treatments for wounds and more.

These two silicon-based chemicals were not found to be a concern to human health based on how much of the substances humans are exposed to, though they were found to be a danger to the environment since products that contain them are widely used, leading to high levels of D4 and D5 entering the environment. The substances persist in the environment and can harm fish and aquatic organisms. Read more here

The government aims to minimize the amount of D4 and D5 used in products and regulate the amount that is released through wastewater from manufacturing plants. Read more here.

The New York Times reports that granite tops are imported from 63 countries, and various studies have suggested some prices might be mildly radioactive and could emit low levels of radon.
The bigger issue with granite? As treehugger.com says, "it's the cherry on top of the McMansion sundae; it's heavy, expensive and costs a lot to ship." The green credentials for granite? It should last hundreds of years so that has "green" points to it however, only if it remains in use.
New research sponsored by the Natural Stone Council, and the Center for Clean Products at the University of Tennessee may help us understand how the stone is mined, how far it typically travels, and how long it is kept in service.
As for it's alternative at INDIGO, we have locally produced cement/concrete/recycled glass countertops that have a smaller footprint because they contain up to 85% locally sourced material-much of that recycled-and travel a smaller distance to it's installation. Check out INDIGO's other sustainable countertop options here.
source: GreenBuilder magazine

These pictures were really disturbingly beautiful so I thought I would share them with you. What was particularly illuminating was that a single flight across the Atlantic generates 140 tons of CO2 which would take the average motorist 50 years to equal. What does the oil used in the US in two minutes actually look like? Or a million disposable plastic cups? Photographer Chris Jordan illustrates the staggering scale of human consumption.
check it out here

Come join your community Thursday February 12, from 7-9pm at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for this historical community stakeholder meeting for Sustainable Alachua County.
click here for details.

Click here to view our February 2009 DIG newsletter

Before most of us learned to talk, we learned to share. It's a lesson we learned from parents at home, teachers in the lunchroom, and friends on the playground. Now that we're all grown up , and we earn our own lunch money, sharing is both easier and more difficult than it was when we were kids. We are in charge of our own assets, and we probably have more of them, yet so many organizations want our money, and it's time-consuming and confusing to figure out who will do the most with what we give.
To a responsible citizen with a desire to change the world, knowing how to give effectively matters. those of us who are fortunate enough to have spare pennies can spur progress by donating them. We don't need massive wealth to be charitable. A number of great systems exist for stretching modest contributions, building philanthropic networks, and fund-raising successfully from numerous small donations. Remember, it's not the size of the coffer that count's, it's how you use it. FROM:SR WorldChanging: A User's GUide For The 21st Century