Green Sexy

Seventh Generation Green Cleaning Products

When camping at Wellesley Island State Park earlier this month, I wanted to make sure that I used an environmentally-friendly dish washing liquid because I knew from previous camping trips that there are always tons of dishes to wash!  It always bothered me that we used to throw the soapy water into the woods, and I wasn't sure what kind of environmental impact I was making. 

That's why I picked up Seventh Generation's Natural Dish Liquid!   This dish liquid worked just as well as traditional dish liquid and it's also non-toxic & biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, free of phosphates, safe for septic & greywater systems, not tested on animals, and it's even kosher-certified!  Also, unlike traditional dish liquids, Seventh Generation discloses all of the ingredients that make up their products.  Another wonderful thing about their cleaning products in general is that none of them are petroleum-based, whereas many common household cleaning products such as dish liquid, cleaners, plastics, and even products that we put on and in our bodies such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals are derived from petroleum!  According to the EPA, there are a host of health-issues related to petroleum, some of which include the weakening of lung function, possibly leading to pneumonia or asthma.     Also, according to a 1999 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, "exposure to petroleum based solvents increased the risk of connective tissue diseases, a class of conditions that includes arthritis."

Seventh Generation gets their name from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states: "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."  I couldn't agree more!   Seventh Generation is one Green-Sexy product!

 

 

When Camping, Don't Bring Firewood From Home!

Here's an alert that I received from Reserve America:

Firewood Alert: Don't Move Firewood! (New Regulation as of June 2008)

Dear New York Park & Campground Visitor, A new regulation is now in effect that prohibits the import of firewood into New York unless it has been kiln-dried. The new regulation also limits the transportation of untreated firewood to less than 50 miles from its source. Bringing your firewood with you? Most people don't realize they move bugs along with their firewood. You could be spreading diseases from insect invaders that can quickly kill large numbers of trees. Our forests are at risk from the transport of firewood infested with tree killers. Help protect our campgrounds and STOP THE SPREAD of these pests. Leave firewood at home - do not transport it to campgrounds or parks. Use only firewood from local sources. If you bring firewood, burn ALL of it before leaving your campsite. For more information on the regulation go to: www.dec.ny.gov (search word: firewood). The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation manage state parks with island camping, tent and trailer camping, boat launches, hiking trails, beaches and day use areas with picnic tables and grills. So, when camping, buy your firewood from local merchants and private residents.  You can buy a decent bundle of campwood for about $5, which should get you through a good night's campfire.  Anyways, the wood you don't bring in your car is all the more room you'll have to pack your camping gear and accessories!