The book is filled to the brim with valuable information on how to improve soils for farming, gardening and forestry; create simple, low-cost biofilters for waste water (mycofiltration); and clean up toxic waste (mycoremediation).

A detailed description of Mycofiltration, the use of mushrooms to filter waste water, is given in one section of the book. It lists recommended mushroom species and materials to use in creating the mycofiltration bed, as well as dimensions, depth, layers, etc. Mycofiltration beds like this can be effectively used for both industrial waste water and farm runoff.

Not only does it solve the problem of farm runoff and E. coli contamination of nearby streams, it can also yield highly palatable food mushrooms, and the bed itself can be dug out every 2-3 years and then used as an excellent fertilizer for the farm.

Another piece of useful information for farmers and gardeners found in Mycelium Running concerns the no-till farming method as opposed to the conventional method of plowing the fields after harvest. No-till farming helps promote saprophytic fungi (decomposing fungi), which break down organic material at a pace better suited to plant-life than the rapid and heat producing breakdown by anaerobic bacteria, which are the primary decomposers when stubble is plowed under. The mycelium of saprophytic fungi also binds the soil to prevent erosion and loss of valuable nutrients.

Saprophytic fungi benefit forests too, by breaking down organic matter but also help by competing with parasitic fungi (blights), which may kill thousands of trees if not stopped. Foresters can easily seed saprophytic mushrooms in blight infested areas as a natural fungicide against parasitic fungi, fighting fire with fire.

Mycorrhizal fungi likewise can be seeded to support tree growth, or these beneficial fungi may simply be encouraged to grow naturally through smarter and more enlightened forest management.

Most plants benefit from partnerships with mycorrhizal fungi, especially trees, which become much more drought resistant as well as disease resistant when they partner with a mycorrhizal mushroom species.

Another cutting edge technology in Mycelium Running is Mycoremediation, the neutralization of toxins through the use of mushroom mycelium. The term Mycoremediation was coined by Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running, but was already in common use among mycologists before publication.

Contaminants that may be effectively mycoremediated include, but are not limited to, heavy metals, pathological bacteria (such as E. coli), petrochemicals, neurotoxins, dioxin, toxic dyes and other toxic industrial waste.

At $50 per ton, mycoremediation is a very cost effective method to clean up toxic waste. Conventional incineration may cost upwards of $1,500 per ton.

All that is just in the first half of this 300-page book; the second half is an instruction manual on growing your own mushrooms and mycelia, which is something that may be of interest to forest managers for mycoforestry, environmentalists for mycoremediation, farmers for increasing soil productivity, and the rest of us for growing our own gourmet mushrooms for food and medicine. In other words, this is a book for anyone and everyone.

Dr. Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in the mid-90′s. He currently focuses on medicinal fungi, frequently consulting two reference books: Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets for medicinal, biological and chemical properties of mushrooms, and Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora, the most complete identification guide for North American mushrooms.

One of the biggest questions that is asked by people that apply makeup on a regular basis is how often they should be cleaning their makeup brushes. The answer may be surprising to most while not surprising at all to others – You should clean your makeup brushes as often as possible.

There is no real right or wrong answer to this question, because your makeup brushes are not going to go stale or anything if they pass a certain date, but when you have dirty makeup brushes, dirty powder puffs and dirty sponges, you should realize that a lot of bacteria has been accumulated. Even if you apply makeup after you cleanse, your skin will still have some sort of oil, adding even more bacteria to the tools. If you don’t clean your tools on a regular basis, they are not all together very good for your skin.

In many cases, some makeup application tools like powder puffs and sponges are simply disposable, and so you can simply replace them as needed. Puffs and sponges typically do not dry out very well after they are cleaned and so it would be simpler and more cost effective for you to simply replace them as needed. The same is not true for your cosmetic brushes however, especially if you are working with a quality caliber set.

A dirty makeup brush is going to be not only unhygienic and bad for your skin in general, but also much more likely to worsen breakouts and rashes and other skin issues or to cause more in general. What this means is that you are going to want to clean your makeup brushes fairly regularly in order to remove the build up of makeup, oil, skin cells and bacteria. For most people who apply makeup casually from day to day, cleaning all of your makeup brushes once every two to four weeks is generally going to suffice. If you apply makeup much more often or if you are reapplying several times on a daily basis, then it would be wise for you to step this schedule up a bit, cleaning your brushes weekly or at least biweekly.

There are a number of different brush cleaning options that are available on the market. There are two excellent brands of makeup cleaners that are well worth bringing up, which are Pink Soap and Master Brush Cleaner. Both of them are capable of cleaning your brushes really well and rinsing out easily. You are going to find them in any high quality art supply store or cosmetic store.

It is also possible for you to simply use a high quality organic shampoo product. Make sure that you allow the brushes ample time to air dry. It is not recommended that you use artificial means to speed up the drying process because heat can damage your brushes in the same way that it can damage your own hair. Heat may also cause the glue binding the brushes to their handles to melt, which can cause the brushes to fall apart or otherwise become destroyed.

As more and more individuals jump on the organic and naturally created band wagon, there are many pretenders to the throne. Unfortunately, even those products that claim to be natural and organic are usually not even remotely as well manufactured nor do they feature the quality ingredients that Jurlique Skin Care Products offers. Despite all the competition, no one product has yet come close to dethroning the original skin care line that has grown to such epic proportion.

With a tremendous amount of farmland, 95% of the herbs utilized in the skin care products are grown on the Jurlique Skin Care Products farm. All of these herbs and ingredients are grown organic and biodynamic, creating a highly suitable environment for the infusion of natural energy into the skin care products. As more and more consumers begin to learn about the extremely popular skin care products from Australia, there are more department stores that carry these products where they can be readily found by an adoring public. While it has been very difficult to find over the years, in the modern-day, is not nearly as difficult providing that you’re willing to make an effort to purchase these products. Of course, all of the Jurlique Skin Care Products are available on the Internet at reasonable prices, taking the difficulty out of scouring your local department store for these types of products.

As organic and biodynamic products get more and more attention in the modern-day, it is very likely that you will see more of these types of skin care products that eliminate chemicals and non-organically sourced products. Oddly enough, there are far more chemically enhanced products on the market than there are green, biodynamic and organic products. Despite this, there is a steady increase in the production of natural products and an effort by consumers to seek out these types of skin care products infused with nature’s energy. By utilizing completely organic and biodynamic Jurlique Skin Care Products, you can eliminate much of the irritation and skin reactions that can come from other types of chemical-based products.

In the future, these types of Jurlique Skin Care Products will very likely continue to sell like hotcakes and increase in popularity. As more and more individuals find out about the excellent results of the use of naturally infused products, there is no reason to think that their popularity will go anywhere but up.

Jurlique skin care contains hypoallergenic ingredients that are ideal for people with sensitive skin. By gently cleansing, it serves to shield the skin. Dr Hauschka skin care is also a great complement for mineral makeup. As makeup is applied on flawless skin, it allows an individual to have a radiant glow.

Keep in mind that your hands are one of the most exposed parts of your body, and they see a tremendous amount of sunlight and activity. In addition to all this exposure to the weather, you also use your hands to touch everything you come into contact with. This means all manner of materials that can cause dryness, cracking and flaking.

Fortunately, it is not too difficult to protect your hands from the summer weather and activities. By utilizing good hand creams that provide ultraviolet radiation protection and strong moisturizing properties, you can protect your hands from both the summer weather and from any activities that you might get into. Considering all the sand and salt water that you might come across, it only makes sense that you would need some significant amount of moisturizer to combat the cracking and flaking that these types of activities and weather can cause.

Naturally, you will want to pick up a high quality hand cream with UV protection for your hands. Generally, the directions will say to reapply every so often. As a rule of thumb, you should reapply significantly more frequently than the label recommends. The reason for this is that if you’re active, you can rub much of the hand cream off of your hands in the course of day-to-day activities. Just like sunbathing, you should reapply as often as you possibly can in order to ensure that you do not damage your skin.

While protecting your hands during Summer might seem like it requires gloves, just utilizing a good hand cream with some decent UV protection can make all the difference in the world. Constant reapplication of your hand cream is all that is required to protect you. Unfortunately, very few people make the effort to make significant use of a good hand cream with UV protection, causing all manner of skin damage to hands in summer weather. It is important to keep in mind that any damage that occurs in your younger years will become significantly and noticeably worse in your order years. As you age, the skin damage will become more and more noticeable until it is visibly unsightly. Unless you would like to show off some brown and weathered hands in your elder years, it is a good idea to take a timeout to protect your skin from the sun and from the damage from the environment with a good moisturizing hand cream with UV protection.

While everyone has their favorite hand creams, it is important to make sure that the hand cream you use in order to protect your hands during Summer has a UV blocker and plenty of moisturizer. The higher the SPF rating, the better off you will be. With this effort to use a moisturizing cream with a UV protection level, you can work wonders for the health of your skin in the years to come.

During the summer days, it is absolutely vital to use zinc oxide sunscreens and hand creams to prevent the skin from damages. While hand creams nourish dry hands during the summer, one should also utilize natural cosmetics; it protects it from the sun and delivers a healthy appeal.

The best lip balms for healing chapped lips are generally those that are made organically. The added extras tend to be unnecessary and cause all manner of havoc with the moisturizing and healing process. By doing away with the unnatural additives and the products that you simply don’t need, you can increase the chance of your lips healing on their own, growing back the skin and eliminating the painful effects of having chapped lips. Only with the organic lip balms and products can you hope to get the full benefit of protecting your lips with a superior product.

Although many commercial and retail lip balms claim to be superior and extremely useful, the truth is that very few of them are as effective as what they claim. By seeking out products that are made with organic components, you can ensure that you have no problems beating the problem at its root, meaning that treating the problem and not the symptoms is what is going to cure your chapped lips. By moisturizing deeply within the tissues of your lips, organic lip balms do the job that commercially available lip balms can’t do. If you have ever seen a tube of lip balm product at the checkout at your grocery store, you very likely have seen a good example of a lip balm that is filled with all manner of chemicals and unnecessary byproducts. By using only the organic lip balms that are available, you can ensure that you are not putting anything on your lips that isn’t absolutely necessary.

This focus on avoiding unnecessary additives and looking for organic products is a good way to promote the healing of your lips and keep them from cracking and flaking during bad weather or during certain seasons. Some people are afflicted far worse than others, making it more necessary for certain individuals to utilize organic lip balms on a regular basis. Even for those who rarely use these types of products, the use of a natural, organic lip balm is far more effective and less harmful to your body than the commercially available retail products.

Whether you have a problem with how to heal chapped lips on a regular basis, or only in certain types of weather, it only makes sense to look into organic lip balm in order to eliminate the difficulties that you may have had with the store-bought products available in the past. With the wide availability of organic lip balms, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to find the product that you require to relieve your pain and suffering.

The nutrient-rich lip balms are great complements for natural makeup, allowing an individual to attain a radiant glow. Besides healing chapped lips, obtaining immediate relief for aching muscles is also unquestionable. Massage oils detoxify the skin, softening the body and provides a long-lasting protection.

To set the stage, it is helpful to understand that paper and paper products make up 36% of municipal solid waste. When looking at the life cycle analysis of paper, it is necessary to consider that the largest percentage of what we are shoving into the landfills is paper. This brings us to two solutions on the downstream side of the issue. One is reducing our demand for paper and better ways to recycle rather than throwing paper in the trash.

There are the simple ideas of printing on both sides of the page or buying recycled paper. Some would suggest using the phone instead of mailing a letter. Others want us to increase the margins on our word process. These small changes do add up, but it seems that we are still ignoring the larger, more practical solutions for reducing paper use.

The upstream concerns of paper manufacture often starts with the harvesting of trees that are eventually turning into wood pulp. The process is something that is easily investigated, but the chemicals used are not mild. One of the most problematic is the chlorine that is used to bleach the paper to a bright white color.

Waste water from pulp and paper factories is again another unreported issue. The waste water is a mixture of various toxic chemicals such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are also commonly found in the making of shoes and the installation of carpets. When considering this, a paper making could not be considered a Green business. The downstream impact of the waste created by paper brings the concerned individual to the unmistakable conclusion is that paper use is a serious environmental issue and one that could be tremendously improved.

The paper industry creates air pollutants that contain carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxide, ammonia, VOCs, and minute particles like dust and ash. With every thing considered, paper making could not be considered, paper making could not be a Green business. The downstream impact of wasted created by the paper inustry brings everyone to the unmistakable conculsion that paper use is a serious environmental problem and one that could be tremendously improved.

Most of paper reduction strategies involve printing both side of paper, copying less, stopping magazines and junk mail. Some companies are asking their employees to increase the use of email. No one should ignore the importance of using recycled paper in the daily office operation. There are dozens of easy-to-apply ideas. Nevertheless, a very efficient solution seems to have eluded the environmentally-astute organizations like the NRDC. The new solution is the paperless office that works to eliminate paper use in the office.

The paperless system often includes: 1)Virtual meeting services that will solve travel and wasted time, 2) Software programs, such as accounting, billing and payroll, 3) Replacing fax machines with online services that can turn faxes into emails with a push of a button, 4) Document storage and retrieval programs.

The main problem with all of these Green solutions is that they require a ramp up time during installation. These new innovations also can require training of the employees to a new system. The beginning transition is a reality, but the results are enormous. Installing these paperless systems in your business will ultimately reduce paper use, decrease paper waste, and it will speed up the average office. The savings realized are not just in paper costs, but worker costs. Ultimately, fewer workers will actually do more work. Streamlining a business has a number of benefits. One positive response will come from customers who receive fast and correct responses to their exploration.

To earn a Green Business there need be a proven, trust worthy, and authentic certification. There is an vast amount of greenwashing, green hype, and green lies that Green businesses need be avoid. Green businesses can do this by being certified through Green Business League, which is a nationally recognized authority. Keep in mind, Green businesses are earned not buy.

The use of sustainable materials is one important characteristic of a green building design. Materials that qualify as sustainable include those that are available locally or those that are recyclable. Non-toxic materials as well as those that are reusable or renewable are often chosen as well. Orientation of the building on a site is another common characteristic of a green design. Building orientation can minimize unfavorable local weather conditions or take advantage of the sun to save a considerable amount of energy over the lifetime of the building.

Construction methods and techniques are chosen to minimize environmental disruption of the building site and reduce construction waste. Renewable energy sources such as active or passive solar or wind power may be included in the building design. High efficiency water, energy and waste systems are often included to reduce the long-term operating costs.

The global economic crisis has not reduced the trend towards sustainable building. Public demand and government initiatives have lead to a projected increase in green building. More than ever before, the public expects that products, services and even companies will be sustainable.

Many other countries have also implemented green building design initiatives, among them Canada, Israel, India, South Africa, the U.K., Mexico and Malaysia. Green building design standards or initiatives have been considered, recommended or begun.

The unprecedented public demand for all things “green” has spurred a bevy of competing green building standards. The best known is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System created by the US Green Building Council. Dozens of others exist, yet there is no national green building standard.

The lack of a national standard combined with increasing public demand has led some companies to falsely claim their buildings are green. In some cases the building designer has not considered sustainability at all. These companies may believe they cannot adequately compete in the marketplace without some claim to one green building standard or another.

The future of green building design and practices looks bright. Many believe this trend will only grow. Some say these green design and building practices will become much less discretionary and much more the industry standard. We’re not yet there, but every indication is that we’re moving quickly in that direction.

High construction costs and tight deadlines are common on commercial building design projects. Florida Engineering Solutions delivers quality service, quick turnaround and innovative thinking. Contact us for your next commercial project.

Well, we asked our server what was going on. She told us that “corporate” had put a new rule in place at all the restaurants instead of investing in green products. The rule was that no spoons were to be placed on any place setting. I grew up in an environment where a full place setting was always set before a hungry customer, consisting of a fork, knife and spoon. Now, “corporate” in its wisdom has said that only if a customer ordered coffee was a spoon to be given to the customer. I have a six year-old that uses a spoon for her fruit bowl; we had to ask for a spoon.

After inquiring why this had occurred, I was informed that “corporate” believed that there would be an energy savings and yet not a single CFL bulb was in use. I asked how that was possible; I was told that if an unused spoon was rewashed it was costing the company money and energy. So to prevent this energy loss it was better to not put the spoon on the table. The customer would just have to wait as their coffee or hot cereal got cold or until the overworked and over utilized server was done handling the other customers who needed spoons (more likely food).

I find it hard to believe that the amount of money saved would be significant as opposed to using CFL bulbs to save money. I seem to remember, just after high school, I worked in fast-paced restaurant chain. Everyday practice was to wash the plates, pot, pans and miscellaneous items in one or two baskets, followed by the glassware, and then wash the silverware in the last basket. So, where would the energy savings be if dishes are washed this way?

While pondering this, I happened to look up. Having written a few articles on energy savings, I noticed that they were still using incandescent bulbs. From where I sat I could count more than fifty bulbs burning energy as I waited for my order, and no green products like CFL bulbs in sight. Everywhere I looked and in every room that a customer had access, there were no green products in use. If they were trying to save money, you would think some green products like energy saving CFL bulbs would be used.

It looked like each incandescent light bulb was running around 75 watts. I inquired as to the hours of this store and was told they were open 138 hours a week.

So I did a little comparison; incandescent vs. green products like CFL bulbs. Using a little math: 50 incandescent bulbs * 75 watts = 3750 watts per hour. To figure the total watts per week for the store, take the watts per hour 3750 watts * 138 hours the store is open per week = 517,500 watt hours per week. The grand total for one year would be 517,500 * 52 weeks = 26,910,000 or 26 megawatts for this store alone so I wondered what the saving would be using green products like CFL bulbs.

Being of a curious nature, I looked up the restaurant on the Internet and found 88 stores in the chain. So if I multiply the 27 megawatts by the 88 stores, I get around 2,368 megawatt hours per year.

Now, what if we replaced all the incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs? Well, a replacement for a 75 watts bulb runs 18 watts. So 50 bulbs times 18 watts would equal 900 per hour. Then we multiple 900 watts times 138 store hours and we get 124,200 watt hours per week. Then multiply 124,200 * 52 week we would get or 6.46 megawatt hours per year. Now, take the megawatt hours per year (6.46) times the number of stores (88) and we get around 568 megawatt hours per year for the whole chain using green products. If we do a little subtraction, we would get around 2,368 minus 568 = 1800 megawatt hours savings. I would say that they would be saving more than pennies if they were using green products like CFL bulbs.

Michael Edwards has more interesting article on going green, checkout his green energy

Taking the steps toward living a greener lifestyle is both a very rewarding experience and a difficult one. It’s not easy to make drastic changes to your lifestyle, from the type of food that you buy to the clothes that you put on your back. It can be especially difficult when so many examples of eco-friendly clothing do not look attractive. That’s why finding eco clothing for the fashion conscious can be an important step toward living a better lifestyle.

Most clothing is typically made from a number of different types of material. Therefore, you should be able to start making decisions which influence the type of material which is being used in your clothing. Choosing materials which are more sustainable and use less resources can be one way to start being more environmentally friendly without sacrificing your personal style.

When you stop to consider that environmentally friendly resources will be ones that use organic or recycled products, you can start to see what type of choices you will need to make. This can turn into you having the best designs and textures in your clothing without using too many non-renewable resources to make them. It’s just one simple way that you can start making a difference.

The more clothing that you start to buy which is green, the more the fashion industry will start to notice. While many designers are already taking steps to make their products more ecologically conscious, they will still need a large push to ensure that a real difference will be made. The more green clothes that you buy, the louder your voice will be.

Eco clothing does not mean that one is going to be wearing boring, ugly clothing. Outfits made of natural and recycled materials can still come in many different forms and feature bright, vibrant colors. Making sacrifices for a green lifestyle does not have to affect your personality and sense of taste in clothing. It only means that you will need to be a little bit more careful when you start to make choices based on where and what you are buying.

One easy way to make wearing green clothing even more exciting is by personalizing it. You can make alterations to the design and the fabric by adding your own buttons or sewing on small patches. Anything that you enjoy can be used. This will give you the chance to recycle elements from other pieces of clothing and still have things to wear that you love.

It is very important for green clothing to be animal cruelty free as well. Leather should not go into green clothing or any pieces which are made at the expense of animals. Sustaining the environment does no good if we are killing all of the wildlife which live within it.

The choice to start living in a more sustainable way is a noble one. You should find eco clothing for the fashion conscious, however, to ensure that you are not sacrificing your personal taste when making this lifestyle change. Looking good and treating the Earth well are not two things which are mutually exclusive.

A Body Wrap is a personal skin care product in which the body is wrapped in material similar to cellophane or heat retaining blankets. Before wrapping the body, the skin is covered with natural substances and ointments that contain such ingredients as mud, botanical oils, or seaweed. The purpose is to hydrate and nourish the skin, draw out toxins and other impurities, and promote weight loss.

After lathering the body with lotions or creams and tightly wrapped, one lays for about 20 minutes allowing absorption of nutrients and toxin elimination. One is then unwrapped and rinsed off. The cost of the body wrap at a spa can vary from $120 – $150.

There are a number of health and cosmetic benefits to getting a body wrap. Benefits of a Body Wrap

- A body wrap eliminates toxins, dirt, debris, and other skin damaging substances from the skin There are treatments that rehydrate the skin as well as flushing out toxins and debris.

- It can help stimulate collagen production which promotes new skin cell growth.

- There are body lotions that use such ingredients as Shea butter which moisturizes, softens, and rejuvenates the skin.

- The process of a body wrap involves exfoliation using a special scrub. The exfoliation helps loosen and remove skin irritants, dirt, debris, and aids in the removal of such skin conditions as blackheads.

- It is 100% organic so it there are no chemical additives. The ingredients nourish the skin with vitamins and minerals thereby improving the overall health of the skin leaving it with a natural glow.

- The wrap helps to promote natural slimming and reduces belly fat thereby promoting weight loss. Each person is different and loses weight at a different rate, but most people lose between 6 to 20 inches after their first body wrap.

- It makes drastic improvements to the skin that includes firming the skin, reducing a double chin, and reducing cellulite. The wrap also reduces dry skin and other conditions such as Psoriasis and Eczema. The result is a clear and smoother skin complexion. It will also firm skin in such areas as the breast and neck. As well, it helps prevent acne.

There are many different types of body lotions and body wash products available. Each is designed to help a certain area of the body. For instance, Chardan Body Wraps is a body wrap lotion seller that offers such products as the Super Skin Firming Wrap which is designed to repair, hydrate, build collagen, firm and tighten skin after pregnancy, and tighten loose skin.

Damaging environmental conditions such as extreme heat and cold, wind, and sun, as well as the chemicals found in our personal products, can all cause severe skin damage such as dry skin, acne, pre-mature aging, and much more. It is now essential to implement and maintain a good skin health program. Using body wraps is one way to nourish and replenish your skin with essential vitamins, mineral, and moisturizers which will help maintain young, healthy, and beautiful looking skin.