It’s easy to be green

My green story progresses. In the meantime, I'm sourcing the "expert" to lend some authority. A co-worker says, "Hey, what about Ed Begley?" Why not? So I e-mail his Web site. Dude, he e-mailed me back! Nice!

In the meantime, here's the lovely little sidebar that will eventually appear, not yet property of the part-time gig, but will be soon. Please note that I said taking care of the environment is a GLOBAL responsiblity... stole that from Barack Obama. With love, of course.

Going green is doable. There are small steps that every individual can take. Caring for the planet is a global responsibility, but here are few things you can do in your own space.

Reduce, reuse, recycle: Most garbage collection companies offer an additional recycling option. For as little as a few dollars a month, they provide recycling containers and take most paper, cardboard and plastic products. According to National Geographic, simple recycling cuts up to 1,000 pounds of annual carbon dioxide emissions.

Be green, buy green: In addition to recycling, buy products with that are easily recycled, such as paper or glass. For example, when you buy juice, choose the paper carton instead of the plastic jug.

See the light: Replacing just one 75-watt incandescent bulb with a 19-watt CFL cuts 75 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year and up to 750 for the life of the bulb.

Take it to the tap: According to National Geographic, “only 10 percent of plastic water bottles that make it into the recycling bin. If you must have them, recycle the empties. If you can live without, that’s even better. Tap water meets stricter federal and local standards for chemical contaminants, and drinking tap water helps eliminate the waste associated with single-use plastic bottles.”

Drink on the go: Still want to take your drink in the car? A reusable #2, #4 or #5 plastic or stainless steel water bottle is a worthy, earth-easy replacement for that single-serve plastic bottle of water or juice.

Wishy-washy: Appliances are energy suckers, but in some cases, they are the better alternative. A great example is dishwasher versus hand washing. Hand washing dishes can actually use up to 50 percent more water than a water-saving, energy-efficient dishwasher. Make sure you’re using an Energy Star-rated model, which is 41 percent more efficient than the federal standard. And only run full loads, and don’t waste time and water pre-rinsing dishes.

Green and clean: Green cleaners have slowly infiltrated the market in recent years. Despite the worry that the cleaning power is subpar, most cleaners are very efficient and deliver the same kind of clean but with less toxicity and harmful residue. And, according to National Geographic, “Green cleaners are also healthier; they have fewer volatile organic compounds that can trigger asthma and other respiratory problems, and rarely do they contain chemicals that can poison you or your children or cause serious skin reactions if spilled.”

Aerate to be great: Does your sink use an aerator? It’s surprisingly cheap but effective way to save water. They cost as little as $.75 and cut water consumption by up to 6 percent.

It’s in the bag: Paper or plastic? How about neither? Another growing trend, carting groceries in canvas bags is a popular option. In the U.S. alone, 12 million barrels of oil are used a year to make plastic sacks. Paper bags, while more easily recycled, generate 70 percent more air pollution during manufacturing.

Want more green ideas? Log onto http://www.earthlab.com/ to measure your carbon footprint and find out how you – and your state—rank.

Heaping handfuls

Thick curly strands twine through my fingers, dangling down my wrists. I stare at it, still unsure if all that hair actually fell from my head. The knot of hair in my hairbrush and the single pieces lying in the sink confirm my suspicion -- my hair is falling out, in great heaping clumps and I don't know why.

A few days ago, I visited my hairstylist, the beautiful and talented Marty, and casually mentioned that my hair was falling out at an alarming rate and had reached a level of dryness that was uncomprable to anything I'd experienced before. I'd taken to brushing it out every night -- the mythical 100 strokes -- in the hopes to encourage my natural oil production and potentially save a strand or two.

Thankfully, Marty is damn good at what she does. Apparently surgery will often cause the body to drop hair and thin your nails. Anesthesia will cause dryness and brittle ends. I had surgery twice in a month. It's amazing I'm not bald! After a quick trim and a deep condition, she recomended I pick up a few nutritional supplements, such as B-12 and Biotin, to help put my internal combustion engine on track. So it was off to the health-food store we go...

Why is it that every health food store I've ever entered smells like patchouli? There are very few scents in the world that cause me to physically draw up like that nasty shit. I girded my loins, and breathing through my mouth, I skirted the natural body soaps and headed for the supplements.

I am an organic kinda girl. We don't eat much packaged food, a few whole grain cereals at best, we buy organic meat and veggies. I cook a lot of our food from scratch and use natural ingredients. But there is something weird about health food stores. I believe they presume that because I use hair spray and wear non-patchouli perfume then I must be a stranger in a strange land.

The clerk made a beeline for me the minute I stepped in the door, I assume for fear that I would taint the organic dog food with my animal-tested eye liner. I told her what I was looking for, she waved me in the right direction and I quickly found what I needed.

At the checkout, the clerk asked why I picked that particular product. I gave her a brief rundown of my hair loss and why. She looked at me for a minute and then suggested I try an all-natural (most likely patchouli-based) shampoo.

I said, thanks, but no. I'm happy with my hair products. She frowned but didn't say anything.

As she was ringing me up, I looked around to make sure the ball of fire was still in my line of sight. He was quietly sitting at a kids table, coloring and holding his nose.

"Son, I'm almost done, lets go. Why are you holding your nose?"

"Mom, it stinks so bad in here. I can't stand to smell any more!"

I looked up at the clerk, who was staring at me gape-mouthed like I should be appalled.

"Yes, it sure does! Let's leave quick and hope we don't smell bad too!"

I shot one last glance at the clerk, who now had a sullen-patchouli lovin' face, standing at the counter with her arms crossed. I flashed her some dimples and gratefully stepped into the fresh air.

Now I just pray that this helps my hair because if I ever have to go back, they might sacrafice me to the Wiccan god of organic composte before I can say "patchouli smells like shit!"