chris elliot and gerry mulligan's tips for green living

Chris and Gerry teach us how to compost [via The Late Show with David Letterman]



But seriously, why should anyone compost? For starters, more than 60% of household waste is recyclable or compostable. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 25% of the food we make each year is trashed. The EPA also reported that in 2005, food scraps accounted for 12% of all landfill waste in the US. This waste contributes to the release of methane -- a greenhouse gas that's 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide -- into the atmosphere. And we all know by now that releasing all that greenhouse gas into the environment contributes to climate change.

So here are some resources for the novice or more experienced composter or gardener:

Books on Composting

• Basic Composting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started by Erich Ebeling
• Let it Rot! A Gardener's Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell
• Garden My Heart: Organic Strategies for Backyard Sustainability (Kindle Edition) by Cecil Bothwell
• Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis
• Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System by Mary Appelhof
  
  

Composting Contraptions

• Naturemill (especially for pets version)
  This is supposed to be the best indoor composter on the market -- great for apartment dwellers. A quick tutorial here
• Green Gusanito Factory of Worms
  If you're into vermicomposting, this worm farm is for you!
• Norpro 94 Stainless Steel Composter Keeper
  Useful for storing food scraps before bringing them to the compost heap; air fresh
  

Composting Tips

• 30 Unexpected and Unusual Things You Can Put in the Compost [EcoSalon]
• Composting 101 [Marquis Project]
• How to Make Compost Tea [Pennsylvania DEP]

Sources:
NRDC. The Past, Present and Future of Recycling. (3/28/08)
EPA. Why Is Food Waste an Issue?

less toxic nail polish

I used to be a regular at the local nail salon, until I started thinking about the chemicals I was exposing myself to. Many popular nail polish brands include formaldehyde, petrochemicals, and other nasty ingredients. So for the last couple of years, my digits have usually been unadorned, except for a few special occasions. Fortunately, a few months ago during a spa day (a Christmas gift from my sweetheart) I came across a less toxic nail polish brand: SpaRitual.

It's free of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, and toluene and after wearing it for a month on my toes, there was no yellowing -- something that commonly occurs with more chemically laden brands like OPI and Essie.

Acquarella is another brand of nail polish that is said to be the least toxic of them all. It's water based, and contains no phthalates, toluene, formaldehyde, or petrochemical solvents. It's also cruelty free and vegan. There is a bit of a learning curve though, as the application method varies slightly from traditional nail polish. Plus it's a little pricier than mainstream polish at $18 a bottle.

If you want to skip the 3 toxic ingredients (and support cruelty-free products), go with these brands:

• Acquarella
• No Miss
• Orly
• Peacekeeper
• Sante
• SpaRitual

And for polish removal:

• Acquarella (though it gets mixed reviews)
• HoneyBee Gardens
• No Miss
• Suncoat (this one gets mixed reviews as well)

Don't forget the organic cotton balls!