Can You Spare Two Minutes to Help Save the Polar Bears?

Can you imagine a world without Polar Bears? They would disappear not only from the wild, but also from toy stores, storybooks, Sea World gift shops, zoos, and much more, while causing disruption to the Arctic food chain, among other disasters. Their majestic beauty would sorely be missed.

Biogems and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) are trying to make a difference. Global warming is shrinking our polar ice cap, limiting the environment for polar bears, who need much territory to survive. You can help. Do your part by signing this Petition for Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar. If enough of us sign it, we will send a powerful message to President Obama that the Polar Bears matter. Once again, imagine a world without a Polar Bear. Let your conscience do the rest.

Want to learn more? Check out this video:

Save Money with Recycled Aluminum Foil

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Recycled Aluminum Foil Rocks!

Way to go Reynolds! They finally got it right. They've introduced a recycled version of aluminum foil. When I first heard about this, my initial thought was that it would likely be more expensive. I was concerned that this would diminish sales.

But, surprise! This new product is actually considerably less expensive than the original version. I paid $1.40 less per box for the Recycled Aluminum foil pictured above, than the price of the original foil at the same store on the same day. That's great news for those of us who would like to do our part to use more recycled products.

I was also delighted to find it at my local traditional supermarket, making it more likely that the cost would be less than if I purchase it at an organic market, where prices tend to run a bit higher. I suppose this is mostly due to the larger volumes that supermarket chains are able to purchase. Their bigger purchasing power gives them more leverage for discounts and cheaper shipping costs per item.

Whatever the reason, it's all good news for consumers. Let me know what you think of this new product if you try it. As always, I encourage comments at the end of each post, where you can have your say on most anything I talk about. Feel free to chime in. Just click the COMMENTS link next to the little envelope icon below this post.

Lookie here! See what I found at Amazon? I guess we do have options. Multipacks are available also, at a savings per box, so if you're not into supporting the big companies, this could be your ticket.

Teflon Alternatives

It seems that with each passing year we learn more about the health dangers of our cookware. Aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's and now Teflon has a host of concerns. You can read about this at my recent post, Teflon Terror!





In order to provide you with some alternatives, I'm bringing you a few tidbits of possibilities. I wish there were more. As much as I have read and heard nothing problematic about stainless steel, we all hate cooking with it. Nonstick is so much easier to cleanup that we have now been spoiled, destined to wander the Earth in search of an alternative to Teflon. Pristine Planet has some nice Eco-friendly options. Check it out. Also, I have heard and am checking on a new line from Cuisinart. I'll get back to you on that.

I've been cooking with a cast iron skillet for many years. Once seasoned, or broken in properly (just some oil rubdowns and a few uses) the cleanup of a cast iron skillet is not nearly as disgusting as it appears. Actually, a quick soak in hot, soapy water will do the trick for everything I cook.

The other benefit is that most cast iron cookware can also go in your oven. This gives you much more flexibility, and requires less storage space.

Granted, cast iron is heavy and not as glamorous looking as the beautiful Calphalon cookware we find in kitchen superstores. However, in my humble opinion, Calphalon could stand to go on a diet, if it doesn't want to be compared to cast iron. Have you ever lifted their large saucepan? Bring a hand truck if you decide to buy a set of this stuff.

Consider this. Cast iron cookware has been found to leave small residues of iron in our foods, small enough to be considered a mineral enrichment. Reports I've read over the years gave glowing kudos to these old fashioned pans that we love to hate and hate to love. Yet, we often fail to consider the nutritional and health consequences as quickly as we dismiss these darlings for their less desirable appearance. Why has some company not yet made cast iron with a beautiful red exterior of ceramic? Maybe I have a business idea here. Would you buy them if they were pretty?

Bad news. Or good news, depending on your vantage point. I'm too late. There are already red ceramic-coated, cast iron skillets on the market. A note to my family: these babies are on my wish list...hint, hint, wink wink! Check it out:

Leading Your Pack of Mixed Size Dogs

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Oliver Collects His Toys

Yesterday was one of those days that can only be described as a breath of fresh air. As I worked, Oliver and Tanner were playfully enjoying their day. First Oliver collected a few toys on the dog bed. You'd think he might want to protect them, but instead he was sharing like a nice little boy.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Oliver Offers a Play Bow--

Inviting Playtime

Holding his brown bear, he offered a play boy to Tanner--a sort of doggie invitation to play. Tanner reciprocated with his own play bow, after accepting Oliver's offer of the bear:

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner's Accepts the Bear

with His Own Play Bow

This kind of innocent play is always my cue to push back from the computer and take a breather. I break out the camera to try to capture the images. My boys are playing like two little children, despite their 50 pound difference in weight. I must say; I've taught them well.


When Toni adopted Oliver, we followed Cesar Millan's instructions nearly to the letter. I have to give him all the credit for Tanner and Oliver being such good buddies. They were introduced with all the right dog communication, sending the messages we wanted them to understand.

• The humans are the pack leaders.


• The dogs are the followers.


• Tanner must play gently with Oliver, using his snout, not his paws:

© photo copyright 2008 Carrie Boyko

Tanner Learns How to Play Gently

Using His Snout

• The food, toys, and everything else all belong to the pack leaders.

Hopefully I got them all. The bottom line is that it is up to you to set the rules for both small and big dogs, to help them learn what play behaviors are safe and accepted. You're in charge.

Obedience training ensued quickly with Oliver, as Tanner was enrolled in advanced training at the time. That actually turned out to be a good thing. Tanner served as a role model for Oliver, showing him what he had to do to get my approval. By the time Oliver finished advanced obedience, we had begun with Agility training, adding an additional mental and physical challenge to their training. This has been a good thing to help them calm down and be easier companions, both for us and each other. Although it wasn't always easy keeping up with so many classes, I don't regret a single one. The payoff is coming now, as my boys are calming down and becoming good pack members.

Cesar Millan, also known as the Dog Whisperer, has a National Geographic TV show and has written a couple of books. His teachings do not involve dog training. Interestingly, his approach is more about helping owners become good leaders, which results in well-behaved dogs. His is definitely an intersting concept which will mesmerize anyone watching his show. I'm a big fan, even though I can see that his teachings might not work for everyone. They need to have some ability to bring out their "inner leader."

Cesar's methods are all based on dog psychology, which is a matter of understanding the history and evolution of canines. I find this stuff fascinating! Does that make me a Geek? Oh well.

Here I am Walking My Pack

I'm Finding My Inner Pack Leader!

Want to learn more? Visit Cesar's websites above or check out his books:

Help Organic Journey Online Hit 5000 Visitors by July 4, 2009

Hello Organic Journey Online readers:

In reflecting on the past year, since I began OJO July 4, 2008, I see that I am nearing 4500 visitors. I'm flabbergasted by this overwhelming interest in my fledgling blog. Aside from an email to friends, my only advertising has been word of mouth, and clearly there has been a good amount of that to have had more than 4300 visitors to date. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

If you have not taken a good look lately, I hope you'll take a few minutes to peruse. Things have changed since last July immensely. I've done a lot of Internet sleuthing and added all kinds of bells and whistles in the sidebar--fun stuff for you to do and look at.

To celebrate my upcoming anniversary, I have added three slide shows to give you a little extra something to enjoy. Kick back your chair, prop your feet up and stay a while. Check out the resources in my sidebar. Did you know there are links to everything in my blog at the Archives section? Were you aware of the links to other blogs and the lists of my favorite green books to read? There's even a widget that will find your closest Farmer's Market or organic restaurant. Cool, huh?!

One of the slide shows I added includes pictures of fresh organic vegetables and another portrays images of juicy organic fruits. Your mouth will be watering by the time you finish watching. At the bottom of the posts section, there is a unique slide show of wind farm images. I particularly enjoyed watching this, finding it serene and peaceful.

I hope you enjoy these and I encourage you to throw caution to the wind and send me a comment. Just hit that purple COMMENTS link under this post on the right. It is just to the left of the little white envelope icon. You'll get a cute little box to write your note in and you can even click Anonymous if you'd rather not have anyone know you commented. Your choice, of course.

How am I doing? What would you like to see here in the coming year? What kinds of topics would you find so interesting that you would tell others about OJO, or perhaps send them my link? I'd love to hear from you at my OJO email: CarrieLeaJohnson@gmail.com . Fire off that note right now while you're thinking about it. Without you, I wouldn't have made it this far. Thanks for your support.

Following my note, I will include a complete list, in order, of the "bells and whistles" in my sidebar. We'll call it a Sidebar Tour, and I'll be sure to let you know which items are links; these can simply be clicked to take you where you want to go. Links really do make navigating so much easier. I hope you enjoy my tour.

Many thanks,

Carrie Boyko

*****************************

OJO's Sidebar Tour

as of June 16, 2009

First, let me point out that this tour is only good for a few days. I am constantly looking for new additions to my sidebar, to give you more things to explore in the green and organic world. So if you come to this post next week or next month, please accept my sincere apologies if the sidebar doesn't match the following tour. That said, here goes:

1. Free Email Subscription Box--fill in your email address, answer a question or two and you'll receive my posts in your email. It's free! But best of all you won't have to remember the exact website address. Your email will give you the title of the post. If it is not of interest to you, simply click delete. If you want to read it, click to open and it will magically appear.
2. Amazon gift card widget--click and it will take you right to Amazon to purchase a gift card for Father's Day, or any other special day you need a gift for. You can even celebrate Monday and buy one for yourself!
3. Honors and Nominations--a link to the organization who voted me the 15th best Organic Blogger in the US.
4. Visit My Other Sites--these are links to my sites. Just click and go.
5. Fruit slide show--corny, I know. But if you watch it for a few seconds you'll start to wish you had purchased more fruit when you went to the market.
6. Amazon Stuff I Recommend: Books, composting solutions, green magazine subscriptions, natural weed killer, etc. All the photos are links to the Amazon site, where you can purchase these items without searching for them. I did the work for you. You're welcome.
7. My Profile: My story in one paragraph. That's all it takes.
8. Badge: My Blog Fights Climate Change. I had to earn this badge, so I am proud of it. By displaying this badge, Brighter Planet purchased 350 pounds of carbon offsets to fight climate change. Go Carrie!
9. Green Day News: This is green, organic, Eco and Sustainable News from around the Google world. Click to open any articles that sound interesting. They change daily.
10. LinkedIn: My business profile is at this link.
11. RSS Subscription. For those of you who save lots of stuff from around the web, using RSS to collect posts from blogs you like, is a great way to store them for reading whenever you're ready. They collect in their own little email account called a Google Reader and you can read them on vacation, at Starbucks, or anyplace you have Internet access. It's handy for all you techies. Need help? Check out my post on how to set it up. It takes 10 mintues...no big deal: Free and easy subscribing to Organic Journey Online.
12. Amazon search box: If there is something you'd like to look up at Amazon, you can do it right here, without leaving OJO.
13. My Topic Schedule: This is here for your convenience. What do you think? Should I stick to a schedule or just write what's new and interesting on a daily basis? Give me your thoughts at the comment link below--next to the little envelope icon at the bottom of the post.
14. The Yellow search widget is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Just type in your ZIP code and it will bring you a list of nearby farmers markets, organic markets, organic restaurants, sustainable farms, organic caterers, cooking schools and more.
15. Google search box: Duh! You know what to do with this.
16. For Bloggers Only: Fave this Blog to Technorati. Thanks in advance if you give me a thumbs up.
17. Green Blogger Badge: This is sort of like membership, a badge that shows my affiliation with a group.
18. Blog Catalog: more of the same from #17.
19. Favorite Blogs: These links are super neat. They list the blog name (which is a link) and their latest post, with a day of posting. This is also a link, so you can easily navigate to their site, if you see something of interest. Have fun with this. It changes every day, so you could find all sorts of interesting topics here if you simply remember to check it which you visit.
20. The last blog on the Favorite Blogs list is Central Florida Green Guide. I'm on staff at this blog which reviews products and services and gives news about events in the Central Florida area. If you're a local, this blog is a must-read.
21. Kindle ad is provided by Amazon. This is a really cool Eco gadget for saving paper and money. You download cheap books, articles and magazines to this high-tech gadget(really, just a few bucks each) and it holds a bunch of them. It's light and portable, so you can carry all your reading with you. It's definitely worth a second look.
22. Recommended Books: Some of my favorite reads.
23. More Favorite Sites: Yeah....more! Again, they are all links, so just click and off you go.
24. "I Recommend" is an Amazon widget with photos of the books I recommended in item #22 above. These photos are links to Amazon, so you won't have to search and rescue your book of choice. Just a few clicks to purchase it and you're done. Thanks, by the way, for any Amazon purchases you make via links on my site. Every little bit helps support my work.
25. Archives: This is my library of posts, sorted by date. If you knew the date of a post, you could find it here. If not, move on to number 26:
26. Labels: This is where you can find what you're looking for if you have a topic in mind. Every topic is alphabetical, and is also a link. Click the topic you're interested in and you'll get the posts that include that topic.
27. Last but not least, at the very top of the blog, above my title, in the left corner, you'll find a "Search Blog" box. This is run by Google to help you sort through my massive amounts of posts (266 to date, in 11 1/2 months of posting) and find what you're truly interested in reading about. By all means, use it.

If you stuck it out all the way to this point, I commend you. This was pretty dry stuff, I know. I felt the need to give an overview of what all that gobbly-gook is in the sidebar. My hope is that this provided you with a little more reason to visit and stick around for a while. Comments? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Take our Smart Travel Quiz

Summer is here and vacations have begun. Just this morning I had a conversation with a family member about their plans. Air fares are at an all time low, as airlines struggle to fill their planes. This is encouraging some families to plan trips involving airline travel, when they might have driven two months ago when gas finally dipped back to around $2 a gallon. So, what can you do to travel as green as possible? Take the Green Guide's Green Travel Quiz and see how your plans stack up.

This 10 question quiz gives good insight into how you can travel in a more Eco friendly manner. Considering the environment, your travel does not have to contribute thousands of tons of carbon to the atmosphere. I took the quiz and learned a few things that will even help me in my day to day living. It's quick and informative--go for it!

If you're really, really good, you could also look into buying carbon offsets for your travel. How? Go to TerraPass to learn more. You'll be surprised at how little it costs to compensate for the kerosene you'll burn in that jetliner. For example, according to their site, you can purchase carbon offsets for a year's airline travel for about $50.

What do they do with your $50? To put it simply, TerraPass will invest your money in emissions reduction projects, chosen to effectively reverse the damage done to the environment by your travel. They purchase new, clean power and invest in ways to make it. Check out the link to find out how they're spending their customers' money in 2009. And while you're on their website, you can take a carbon footprint test and find out where you stand. It's kind of fun to know how much or how little you are contributing to global warming. Can you beat my score? Send me a comment if you take the test. I'd love to hear from you.

What is Happening to the Bees?

First, a little preview:





Some of you may have already been aware of the concerns about disappearing bees. The television news magazine, 60 Minutes, did a story on this problem some months ago, without significant mention of the possible connection to pesticides. Yet, on my quest to turn up all that might fall under this umbrella, I once again, found a link.


First, allow me to backpeddle. Recently Frontline Flea Spot Treatment, among others made for dogs and cats, came under fire as a possible carcinogen. I had reported this previously in posts at my "baby" blog, All Things Dog Blog. Its primary ingredient, Fipronil, is used by pest control companies in sprays made for use around our homes, both inside and out. After a discussion with my pest control representative, I did some web research and decided it was time to bail on Fipronil. That was a year ago, and my foray into natural pest control methods continues.


While, most of the year I use cedar oil and food-grade Diatomaceous Earth on my dogs for flea prevention and treatment, occasionally I have to resort to a "bad boy," when there is a particularly bad breakout of the feisty boarders. I had used Advantage for this occasion, in the past. No more.


I've treated the whole yard with DE, washed the dogs' bedding in hot water, and treated nearby carpet areas with DE, as well. It seems to have done the trick. All my friends are complaining about their flea troubles, and my pups are snoozing peacefully at my feet, while I write.


Today, when I looked up the active ingredient in Advantage, I found unfortunate information that it is a suspect in the collapse of bee colonies.


It is tough in a short post, to help you understand how important the bees are to us. They do the toughest part of our farming. They pollinate our food. It's sort of like plant sex, being managed by the bees. Without pollination, there would be no fruits, vegetables, or even flowers. France and Germany have taken the lead, by banning products using Imidacloprid.


In addition to flea and pest control uses, Imidacloprid has many other pest-related jobs. It is used to treat seeds, which then produce a more pest-resistant plant, which are then pollinated by bees, who come in contact with the substance in the plant's nectar. Thus, the cycle continues as the poison is carried back to the nest by the bees.


Want to learn more? Read my previous posts on natural pest control at Taking Your Dog Green, and Flea Season is Here: What's a Pup to Do? You might also like to read some at Wikipedia, which is a layman's version of some of these complicated issues. Check out Colony Collapse Disorder and Imidacloprid.


Got questions? I'll field them if I can. Use the comment link just below this post:

Recycling Your Odds and Ends

My Odds and Ends of Recycling Stuff

Left to right: used batteries, silica desiccant gel packets, used Brita filters (Whole Foods recycles them), bottle caps, Bread bag closers, plastic bottle caps, expired medication, light bulbs, wire hangers (my dry cleaner takes these), wine corks, and Styrofoam cups and containers (a local grocer takes these). It sounds like a lot of stuff, but as you can see, it doesn't take much space. I could even move it to the garage if it gets out of hand. Hey! Not a bad idea.

Maybe I have gotten a bit out of control, but ever since I found out that there are places like Terracycle taking wine corks and granola bar wrappers, I have started to collect all sorts of things.

An Example of what Terracyle Does with Corks

Even so, much of this stuff definitely does not belong in the landfill. Do I want expired medications leaching into our groundwater? No! Light bulbs have dangerous elements inside, as well as desiccants and batteries. So why not collect anything that I get large amounts of, until I take a trip to the recycling drop off.


You may be wondering why I'm not collecting plastic bags. Well, first of all I have a major collection of reusable bags, so I rarely get any plastic bags at the grocery or other stores. I keep a Chico Bag or two in my purse all the time, so whenever I'm shopping, I'm prepared.









Beyond that, all plastic bags, such as the newspaper bag, get used for doggie....well, you know. At least they are used for something purposeful. It saves me buying so many special poop bags. I always buy the corn starch ones that are biodegradable. I'm hoping to try the new Flushpuppies soon. They are flushable; cool, huh? They just dissolve in the water.


I'm collecting something else. Electronics. The rainy season has begun here in Florida, which means thunder storms every afternoon. Last year and the year before, we blew out 2 DVD players, a stereo boom box, 2 sets of wireless phones, an answering machine and more. You get the picture. There is definitely a cost to living in Sunny Florida!



I've also saved a couple of keyboards and monitors from previous computers, just in case, but I guess it is time to give them up, as well. They're not the flat screens, so probably no one would want them. However, it did occur to me to call the local elementary school to offer them there first. If they don't want them, they'll go with me to the special place at the landfill where potentially toxic items go. I like to think of it as electronic heaven.



I've read that they take the dangerous components out of the electronic stuff and that goes into special containment for toxic materials. Hopefully the medications will go there too.



I have written previous posts with more details about a few of these items. Here are the links to those posts, if you'd like the full scoop:

• Silica Desiccant Gel: Safe or Toxic?


• Plastics Recycling Efforts Continue with Brita Filters


• A Greener Shade of Dry Cleaning
  
  
  
  If I really want to get organized in snazzy way, I could pull a Martha Stewart and gear up with something like this:

Puppy Playtime

There is nothing like the unadulterated joy of puppy play. Just above, Oliver is performing the traditional Play Bow, a request that says "Let's Play" with much enthusiasm. At the top, Oliver bolts with a toy he just scooped up in a grab-n-go.

It is times like this that I just slide my chair back away from the computer and call a timeout on work. Puppy playtime is good for both of us.

According to the The Complete Holistic Dog Book, "playtime is not just for puppies. Play provides physical activity and mental stimulation, and helps fill the need for social interaction. Oliver has this in spades.

Finally, this book offers 3 strategies for getting the most out of puppy playtime:

• rotate toys


• offer a variety of playmates, to encourage socialization with all types of dogs and people


• offer sufficient play opportunities, frequently through the day.

I hope you enjoyed today's Woofing Wednesday offering. If you would like to indulge yourself more in my dog world, I invite you to visit my other blog: All Things Dog Blog, where I talk dogs 24/7.

Oh, and if you're interested in the book I just mentioned, here it is. Just click and you can buy it from Amazon right here...just a few easy clicks. FYI, I did the price check. Ours is within 2 cents of the other two big retailers.

My Blog Fights Climate Change!

Perhaps you will notice the appearance of this badge in my sidebar. It's just underneath my profile, and is my latest addition. By joining the ranks of 1600 other bloggers, I have helped to purchase 350 pounds of carbon offsets. Yes, 350 pounds just for my little blog! I'm pretty proud of that. One small step...you know.

These offsets help support renewable energy in communities across the U.S., to decrease our national dependence on carbon-emitting "dirty" energy sources like coal burning power plants. Some of these projects are wind power projects, among the cleanest power available.

If you are a blogger, or know a blogger, please pass this link along to them. They can help too. It's our small way of participating in creating a cleaner tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, and for supporting my blog. If you like, you can visit Brighter Planet and measure your own personal carbon footprint. I did it. So can you. Without you, I could not have done this. You just supported climate change too. Atta Boy!

Welcome to the Official Debut of World Ocean Day

Welcome to Organic Journey Online and our celebration of the first official World Ocean Day. While World Ocean Day was originally declared at the Earth Summit in 1992, this year it has been declared officially by the United Nations, to be celebrated on June 8 each year.

The purpose of World Ocean Day is not only to honor the world's oceans, but to build awareness of the care it requires in order to remain healthy. Besides being the home of our seafood, marine life and aquarium animals, the oceans make international trade possible.

Learning what you can do to help is important to our ocean's future, and this goal is taken up by the Ocean Project, working in partnership with the World Ocean Network. I hope you will take a few minutes to visit these sites for more information.

According to Wikipedia, World Ocean Day provides an opportunity to get directly involved in protecting our future, through a new mindset and personal and community action and involvement – beach cleanups, educational programs, art contests, film festivals, sustainable seafood events, and other planned activities, which can help to raise consciousness of how our lives depend on the ocean.

On short notice, I have just learned of this awareness day. My offering here is simply to provide these beautiful images of the ocean views, as a reminder of the aesthetic beauty that the oceans offer, as well. I hope you enjoy these gorgeous photos, and will keep the health of our oceans in mind as you go about your day. Remember that much of our gray water, that which has been used in our daily lives for laundry, dishes, showers, etc., eventually finds it way to our oceans. I would encourage you to be mindful of the products you use, seeking to go more natural with each successive purchase of detergents, cleaning and personal care products. If we all come together in this effort, the oceans will thank us by thriving.

Sources: Wikipedia, The Ocean Project, World Ocean Network

Summer is here. Keep in mind that wearing sunscreen helps to prevent skin cancer as well as sunburn. This all-natural version is also biodegradable, leaving no trace of its existence in the oceans:

Wanted: Single, Green-Minded Individual for Eco-Friendly Dates

Reported May 24, 2009, at ONLINE PR NEWS, a green dating website has been launched. Dubbed EcoDater.com, their niche is clear from their name. According to the article:

EcoDater.com offers its members a comprehensive array of tools to
participate in the EcoDater community and find other green, eco-friendly singles easily and efficiently by Online PR NewsEcoDater is an eco-friendly online dating site for green single men and women who care about living a natural, holistic lifestyle. Members include environmentalists, vegans and vegetarians, organic farmers, outdoor enthusiasts, yoga practitioners, adventure singles, activists and much more.


"EcoDater.com is a very open-minded place," says Ryel Kestano, EcoDater founder. "We believe in building a community one person at a time, giving each person the resources to share passions, interests, or musings. We created EcoDater because it represents the best of what we see and experience in this world - community, connectivity, friendship, and a respect for the natural life."

EcoDater.com provides members with two simple membership package
options. Free EcoDater members can join at no cost and create a profile with a photo, search for other EcoDaters, contact other free EcoDater members, and post EcoPolls to their profile.

Premium EcoDater members can post an unlimited number of photos, access advanced and keyword search functions, contact all other EcoDaters, and enjoy top priority in the search results. Premium EcoDaters also have access to the proprietary EcoMatch feature, an algorithm that matches members based on profile data.

The EcoDater blog is updated frequently and is a great resource for
fresh news in the eco-friendly world, with all content handpicked by in-house staff. EcoDater also maintains a comprehensive links section with links to eco-friendly products, topics, and issues on the web.

EcoDater donates a portion of all membership revenue to charitable
organizations that represent the interests of the eco-friendly community. These include the National Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, and American Forests.

I have to admit that this concept peaked my interest. Not for a date--I'm already happily hitched--but just to see how they bring it together in a green way. Of course, after a quick look at the homepage, I went straight to their blog to check it out. Was it compelling, innovative or empowering for potential members looking to live more green? Not so much.

It's cool that they give a donation for memberships. But it appears that there's not really any way to confirm a new member's "green-ness". I mean really; can you quantify a person's eco-friendliness, short of giving them a carbon footprint analysis and then confirming that their answers are factual? No! It's just a way to help green-minded singles find each other. And I suppose that is fine--good, actually. I'll give it my seal of approval for creativeness. But I can't tell you their blog will keep you coming back. Maybe their dates will. Let me know if you decide to give it a test drive. Be sure to take the Prius.

Saving Water, Detergent and Money with Your Dishwasher

First, let me point out that we don't recommend you wash your lab puppy in the dishwasher. Although Organic Journey Online is a dog-loving site, there are better ways to bathe your dog. That said, this photo that has been passed around the Internet for years, was perfect for this post. Done.


While most of us believe that rinsing our dishes before placing them in the dishwasher will bring better results, the New York Times article which is sited here insists otherwise. Read on...

“Pre-rinsing dishes is a big mistake,” said John Dries, a mechanical engineer and the owner of Dries Engineering, an appliance design consulting company in Louisville, Ky. “People assume that the dishwasher will perform better if you put in cleaner dishes, and that’s not true. Just scrape. Pre-rinsing with hot water is double bad, because you’re pumping water and electricity down the drain.”

Saving money, water and electricity to heat the water is a no brainer reason for trying this technique, so I'll be testing it out to see where my dishwasher comes in on this topic.

It’s actually triple bad, according to Mike Edwards, a senior dishwasher
design engineer at BSH Home Appliances in New Bern, N.C. “Dishwasher
detergent aggressively goes after food,” Mr. Edwards said, “and if you don’t have food soil in the unit, it attacks the glasses, and they get cloudy,” a process known as etching that can cause permanent damage. It’s also important not to use too much detergent, he said. How much do you need? That depends on how much food soil there is, he said, not how many dishes. “If you have a light load,” he said, “don’t fill the detergent cup all the way.”

Powder detergent is preferable to that in liquid or tablet form, he said,
because it leaves dishes cleaner. But store it somewhere dry, not under the sink, where it can absorb moisture and form clumps.

The article goes on to talk about proper loading, which is best learned from your manufacturer's manual.

Mr. Dries offered a final tip: stick with the normal cycle. It’s the one
consumer organizations conduct all their performance and energy tests on. “Manufacturers know this, so it’s the cycle that the most work went into,” he said. The pots-and-pans cycle is rarely necessary, except when you have baked-on foods, he said, nor is the heat-dry function.
“A trick you can use is called flash dry,” he added. As soon as the dishwasher shuts off, open the door. “Dishes are at their hottest point and give up water moisture the fastest. Within 5 to 10 minutes, your dishes are going to be completely dry.”

So here's your challenge: Let's all test this theory and see what we find out. Your comments will be helpful in reporting a larger sampling of tests. So get those dishwashers running!

Source: The NY Times, The Fix on Dishwashers, by Arianne Cohen

Tanner's Eco-Friendly Fence is Invisible

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner Respects

his Invisible Fence Line

Having 3 dogs means extra planning for just about everything. Taking them out to play and take care of nature's call are at the top of that list. And to make things more complicated, I live at the entrance to my neighborhood, where an escapee pooch could easily find himself on a main road to disaster.

Since I cannot tell my dogs to stay out of the street (yeah, I know Cesar Millan could!), we found another solution to this issue. It's called Invisible Fencing, and it came highly recommended by my veterinarian.

You may be familiar with this fence, and yet I find that even those who are, have misconceptions about how it works. Here's my chance to explain how our Eco-friendly fence does its job without harming humans, dogs or the environment. Tanner, shown here, wears a collar that has a small receiver attached. While the collar is made of webbing, just like most dog collars, the receiver is water proof.

Buried nearly a foot beneath the grass along our sidewalk is a wire attached to a unit that sends a radio signal to Tanner's collar. Always on, this signal sounds a tone whenever Tanner comes too close to the fence line. The tone reminds Tanner of the fence and he is trained to turn back toward the house, whenever he hears that tone. Xena, my 12 1/2 year old Retriever mix, has been using this Invisible Fence since she was adopted as a puppy. She still, to this day, remembers to run back to the house, whenever she hears that tone.

It is this tone that keeps the dog inside his Invisible Fence. Many people believe that dogs are shocked by their collars, whenever they approach the fence line. While they do receive an intense vibration, if they run across the line, they almost never do that. Training was intense and thorough, thanks to much help from the people at our local Invisible Fence distributor. In addition, the tone and the vibration can be adjusted to accommodate different dogs' ability to hear or feel this signal.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner Enjoys the Freedom

to Play in his Yard

Using flags as a visual indicator of the fence line, we had daily, 10-minute practice sessions to teach the dogs where their boundaries are. Even if their collars are left off by accident, it has been quite some time since either dog has left the property unattended.

Taking walks is a simple matter, yet requires training, as well. Our dogs were taught that leaving the property must ONLY occur when they are on a leash, walking down the driveway, or in the car. This gives me the control to get them to come with me when we leave for a walk. I simply have to remember to remove their Invisible Fence collars as we leave the house.

Our Invisible Fence has given me the freedom to enjoy playing with the dogs off-leash, in our yard. This is a gift that I could not have given them any other way. Due to neighborhood and property constraints, my yard did not qualify for a regular fence.

Finally, digging under the fence is not an option with an Invisible Fence. They would have to come within striking distance of the wire, which they simply will not do. Like the sign says, "Safe at Home".

If you're interested in learning more about the Invisible Fence containment system for your dog, visit their website at this link. Our Invisible Fence has given us and our dogs freedom to play and enjoy the yard. What could be better than that for a dog?

Apply These Product Ratings Generously

Apply These Product Ratings Generously

Peter DaSilva for The New York Times





GoodGuide.com is one of the first Web sites that rates products on potential environmental, health and social effects.

By Julie Scelfo
Published: May 20, 2009


Many Web sites provide information on choosing products that are “green” or “nontoxic” or “cruelty free,” but GoodGuide.com is one of the first that rates products on potential environmental, health and social effects. The site, which is still in beta test mode but has already had more than a million visitors, is the brainchild of Dara O’Rourke, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies global supply chains and who started the project with grants from nonprofit foundations.


Why did you start GoodGuide.com?


I have a daughter who is 6, and a few years ago I was putting sunscreen on her face and stopped myself. I just didn’t know what was in there. So I brought it to campus for testing and turns out there was a suspected endocrine disrupter and a photocarcinogen — a chemical that, when exposed to sunlight, has a carcinogenic potential to it. That set me on the path of researching basically every single product in our household. From her products to our products to food products to electronics, I found chemicals that had been banned in Europe, or are being phased out in Japan, Australia, Canada.



Meanwhile, every time I gave a lecture about global supply chains, people would come up and say, “Look, can you just tell me what to buy?” It made me realize I need to translate all this academic and scientific research to make it useful to the public.


So how does the site work?


This is going to sound geeky, but we developed something called “product ontology,” which is basically a process to determine what matters scientifically in evaluating a product. You see products that say they are ozone-friendly or don’t contain CFCs, but the real impact is somewhere else in the life chain, like in the manufacturing step or end-of-life disposal. So we have a team of scientists who figure out what matters most in a product category. Then, we flow data about the product into a system that uses an algorithm to weight all the variables and turn the data into a rating.




Is the site useful to someone who cares about global warming but not about, say, animal welfare?
We’re not trying to tell you how to live your life or what social issue we think you should live by. We want you to make choices that better match your values or your concerns, so you can personalize the information using several filters.


What types of products do you rate?


So far we have personal care products, household chemicals, food products and toys. We asked our users what do you want next. They said pet food. We’re adding products gradually and also plan to do electronics, household furnishings, paper products and apparel.

Gluten Free Goodies: Flavorful and Easy

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Blueberry Muffins

Made with Pamela's Baking Mix

When a recent visitor was announced, my ears perked up. No gluten? Cool! I've been meaning to try some gluten free foods, ever since I started doing most of my grocery shopping at smaller, organic markets. They always have such cute, little packages with adorable names like Kinninnick, Chebe and Pamela's. I bided my time, waiting for an excuse to feed my family these foods that they might think unpalatable, knowing that their collective noses might turn up in refusal, for lack of a good reason.

When I told my husband about my new adventure, his response was "What is gluten?" That didn't surprise me much. I once had to look up the meaning of it myself, as well, when I wondered what all that gluten-free stuff was, clogging up half of the aisles at the neighborhood market.

Gluten is a naturally occurring part of many grains, wheat, rye and barley being the most mainstream. Some people's systems simply do not handle gluten well, causing a variety of different problems which can only be solved by avoidance of gluten. This ailment, dubbed Celiac Disease, is basically an inappropriate immune system response to gluten. Approximately 1/2 to 1 percent of the U.S. population has celiac disease.

Complicating this issue is a correlation which often occurs--intolerance of dairy. While not all celiac sufferers are unable to eat dairy, this problem can range from mild to severe, with many being able to tolerate moderate amounts of dairy products.

Curiously, my research found a correlation between the Jewish heritage and celiac, which may be explained by human history, but my lessons here draw the line at history. Why this correlation exists, I could not say, yet I found it documented in many sources.

A girlfriend of mine who has been diving headstrong into a gluten-free diet for some time now, happily guided me through my quest to select the products with the most traditional or mainstream flavors. Thank goodness for that. There are virtually thousands of products on the market for celiac sufferers, a food offering that would have left me aghast without her help. She told me that most of what is available tastes like chalk or cardboard, particularly those products made solely with rice flour. Bummer! I thought rice flour would be my answer to bread-making.

While I cannot and will not try to run the complete list here, I would like to share a few of the successes for those of you who are on this quest. Most notably, Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix, which I found works well as flour in most recipes, provided a Pancake House delight that surprised us all. Using a mixture of various gluten-free grains, including rice and potatoes, I didn't expect a typical pancake flavor. Wrong! These pancakes were mouth-wateringly delicious.

A later experiment with blueberry muffins, made with the same mix provided the fresh, fruity muffins shown above. I admit to bagging the leftovers specifically for Lauren, labeling them, and then eating them myself. (Is there a symbol for the tail between the legs?)

Lauren's Muffins Were Packaged

with Good Intentions

But Eaten without Self Control

Prior to Lauren's arrival, we taste tested some Quinoa (a gluten-free grain) pasta, finding it quite tasty, despite the fact that I overcooked it slightly. It still made for a nice past with pomodoro sauce. Want to try our favorite recipe for sauce? It's amazingly simple. Check out this link. FYI, this was my very first post on Organic Journey Online, made July 4, 2008. So, you could say that this is a walk down memory lane for me. I'll never forget that day and its many confusing challenges in getting this Internet miracle off and running. I haven't regretted a minute of it. Keep the comments coming; I love hearing from you guys.

Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix was also a delightful surprise, even when it rose so high that my loaf looked like a mushroom. Of course, that could be due to my overindulgence in the yeast department. Oops!

Nevertheless, with a fairly good texture it made a great souffle (Sorry, Lauren, you missed this) and was a tasty dinner bread with a great crust. Isn't the crust half the battle of good bread?

While the bread was yummy and easy to make with the bread machine, when we tried making french toast with it, well, not so much. That's okay, though. It was still a good find.

A Few of Our Successful

Gluten Free Test Kitchen Ingredients

Finally, the Glutino Pretzels, not pictured here, were so good they escaped the photo--hidden, I believe, for a flight to New Jersey. It's okay, Lauren, that's why I bought them! Besides, I ate the muffins. We're even, right?

Gator Garden Helper

While researching my gardening ventures that are yet to come, I found the University of Florida's site for growing vegetables in Florida, and the primary source of this post. Since it speaks specifically to my zone in Florida, I can get great information here. If you live in Florida, this is definitely a key site for your garden help. Go Gators!

No-Pesticide Approaches:

1. Follow the recommended planting date(s) listed for each vegetable. Vegetables planted "out of season" are very susceptible to many pests. Plant as early in the spring (or as late in the fall, depending on the crop) as is safely possible. Use protective covers for cold-sensitive plants.
   
   
2. Rotate vegetables so that the same vegetable (or members of the same vegetable family) are not planted repeatedly in the same areas.
   
3. Till or hand-turn the soil well in advance of planting. Insects, such as mole crickets and wireworms, for which there is no good control, are commonly more abundant in gardens that have recently been in grass. The garden should be well tilled and free of weeds, grass, and woody material at least 30 days before planting.
   
4. Control weeds in and around the garden because they can be a source of insects and diseases. Weed control is best accomplished by mulching and hand-pulling or hoeing small weeds. Recommended mulches are straw, fallen leaves, and unfinished compost. Wood mulches and un-decomposed sawdust should not be used. Weeds around the outside of the garden and between rows can be reduced by putting down several layers of newspaper and then covering them with leaves.
   
5. Choose adapted varieties with resistance or tolerance to nematodes and the diseases common in your area.
   
6. Purchased transplants should be free of insects and disease symptoms (such as leaf spots or blights). Avoid transplants that are already flowering. Consider growing your own from seed.
   
7. Plants can be protected from cutworms by placing a “collar” around the plant. The collar can be made from a bottomless plastic cup or a waxed cardboard carton. The collar should extend a few inches above and at least an inch below the surface of the ground.
   
8. Lightweight row covers (also called floating row covers) can be used as a barrier to insects. Put in place at planting, with lots of excess material to leave room for the growing plant. Remove the cover when plants that need bees for pollination begin to flower.
   
9. Keep plants vigorously growing and in a state of good health by supplying appropriate amounts of water and fertilizer. A healthy plant is often able to survive insect attack. Too much nitrogen, however, can make plants more inviting to aphids and whiteflies.
   Monitor or scout the garden twice weekly for pest problems. This includes inspecting the plants from the bud to the soil, including both upper and lower leaf surfaces.
   
10. Record notes on pest problems and the performance of different varieties. Include photographs of insects, diseases and beneficial insects that you find. Learn to identify beneficial insects (praying mantis, spiders, big-eyed bugs/assassin bugs, lady beetles, and all wasps). Some of these insects can be purchased, but keep in mind that many beneficial insects exist naturally in Florida, and purchased beneficials will leave if there are no insects for them to eat.
    
11. Plant flowers in the vegetable garden. They provide nectar and pollen that attract beneficial insects.
    
12. Large insects can be removed by hand and destroyed. Place them in a container of soapy water, where they will sink and drown.
    
13. Watch for early disease symptoms. Remove any diseased leaves or plants to slow spread.
    Most plants that produce fruits, pods, or ears can stand a 10 – 20 percent loss of leaves without loss of potential yields. Do not panic and start spraying at the first sign of leaf feeding.
    
14. Harvest crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, and beans as soon as they are ripe. Allowing over-ripe fruits to remain on the plants often invites additional insect problems.
    As soon as a plant or crop is no longer productive, remove it from the garden and compost or dispose of it.
    
15. Reduce nematode populations temporarily by "soil solarization" – a technique which uses the sun's energy to heat the soil and kill soil-borne pests. To "solarize" soil, first remove vegetation, then break up and wet the soil to activate the nematodes. Cover the soil with sturdy, clear-plastic film. Weight down the edges with additional soil to keep the plastic in place. Soil solarization should be done during the warmest six weeks of summer. High temperatures (above 130°F) must be maintained for best results.
    Add organic matter to the soil to help reduce nematode populations - microscopic worms that attack vegetable roots and reduce growth and yield. Organic matter improves the capacity of the soil to hold water and nutrients and, in turn, improves plant vigor and resistance to pests.


Nematodes are Roundworms



16. See also EDIS Publication CIR375, Organic Vegetable Gardening, (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH019).

Dogs and Plants: What's Safe for Them?

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Garden Fencing

has Separated My Dogs from

Some of their Favorite Places to Explore

Why did I put garden fencing in some areas of my yard? No, it wasn't to make it difficult to trim the bushes or weed the gardens. Clearly, that has been one of the results, though. My main concern and reason for this action is the safety of my stick chewers and flower eaters, namely Oliver and Tanner. I guess Xena is just standing up for them as she howls at me in the above photo.

Tanner and Oliver are like vacuum cleaners. They will eat almost anything they can get in their mouths. That's, of course, much easier for Tanner, being a large Golden Retriever. Oliver's mouth is so small, he is left with flowers and small pieces of mulch. Nevertheless, there are dangers for both.

With Spring here, my Caladiums have appeared, and it seems they're on the list of less-than-healthy snacks for my pups. So once again, I've had to bring out the heavy artillery--lightweight garden fencing that can easily be pressed into the ground to keep the pups at bay. It seems to do the trick. Not that they can't get to the plants if they really want to, but I guess it comes down to being more trouble than it's worth. They've been leaving the Caladiums alone, as well as the Azaleas in the photo of Xena.

I love Spring's bulb flowers, even though here in central Florida we don't have much luck with Daffodils or Tulips. Caladiums are beautiful and easy to manage in shady areas, requiring little maintenance.




If you have dogs, and with them concerns about plants that are safe for them to nibble on, check out the Humane Society of the United States for more information.

Speaking of favorite places to play, my latest post on the Central Florida Green Guide just came out. If you're interested in learning more about making use of our dog parks for some green family fun, stop in at the link for the third of my 3 part series. The links to all 3 are at the bottom of the blog. Just scroll down. See you at the park!

Organic Journey Online Presents GREEN DAY NEWS:

That's right! No more will I avoid current events. I won't spend much time hashing them over unless there are new hazards to warn you about, but I've employed a news service to provide a streaming newspaper. This brief news headlining will keep you apprised of the latest in green, Eco, environmental and organic news of the day. The newspaper will appear, at least for now, just under my profile in the sidebar. Go check it out.







For now, I've named my little newspaper the Green Day News. What do you think about that name? Got a better idea? I'm open. I have total creative control here at Organic Journey Online, where my only boss is, well, my wallet.



If you have an idea for my newspaper's name, send me an email or hit the comment button just below this post and send it to me. I'll be sure to give you a proper thank you on the blog, if you offer up the winning name. Entries begin now and I'll pick a winner by June 15, 2009. If there is no offering that I like better than Green Day News, I'll stick with that, and you'll be stuck with it too. I look forward to hearing your ideas.