Going Green Can Save You Green on…Insurance?

I’ve got to admit that insurance was not one of the first items on my mental list of ways to save green while going green. In fact, it didn’t even make my top ten.

But it turns out that insurance companies are realizing that many green choices are cost-effective over the long-term. that means many companies are offering lower insurance rates for both people and businesses making green choices including driving a hybrid vehicle or owning a green building.

Some companies have even added environmentally-friendly incentives such lower rates for reduced driving. If you have already cut back on your driving or you plan to, it is worth a call to your insurance company to see if they offer discounts for driving reductions.

For more information, see the Wall Street Journal. (BTW, I love that this article was in their Wealth Manager series the day after Earth Day!)

Family Sunday! Spring Wildflowers

Spring is in the air, which means wildflowers are starting to bloom! This month Lucas Miller shares information about the iconic bluebonnet as well as some suggestions for viewing wildflowers with your family. The photo to the left is of Lucas and his family enjoying a beautiful spring day in Texas.

I was raised in Kentucky and moved to Austin, Texas, in my early twenties. I had heard a bit about the bluebonnets, the state flower, and how devotedly Texans loved them. But I really wasn’t prepared for the spectacle when I experienced my first Texas springtime. We had flowers back in Kentucky but the gaudy mixture of colors, shapes, and sizes blanketing the hills of central Texas left me astounded. I’m not Mr. Macho or anything but I never expected to be so taken with wildflowers. Read more

A Day to Remember the Earth

This is my entry to the Affluent Persons Living Sustainably or APLS Carnival. April’s topic is whether Earth Day is still relevant. The selected entries will be hosted by Ruchi at Arduous Blog on April 22 so be sure to take a break from your Earth Day activities to read what everyone has to say. You can learn more about this and future carnivals at APLS.

I believe that while the significance of Earth Day has changed since its founding, there is still a need to designate a day to celebrate and honor the earth and to educate ourselves for the best ways to do so.

In my view, the current version of Earth Day is a cross between an anniversary and the keynote speech at a multi-day conference. I love my husband every day but our anniversary provides us a special opportunity to review our relationship, be proud of the accomplishments we have made, and re-dedicate ourselves to our future. Among the crush of everyday life, we need a reminder to think about how we care for the earth. Read more

EPA Labels Carbon Dioxide Threat to Public Health

Yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed finding which formally declared carbon dioxide and five other heat-trapping gases to be pollutants that endanger the public health and welfare under the Clear Air Act. The other five heat trapping gases included in the proposed finding are hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, perfuorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Read more

New Research on Pesticides

This summer pesticide manufacturers must begin testing 67 chemicals to see if they are endocrine disruptors, now says the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program will test these chemicals to see if they affect human’s androgen, estrogen, and/or thyroid systems. The long-term plan is for all chemicals in pesticides to be tested.

An article in The Washington Post states:

Linda Phillips, who manages the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, said that it will take about two years to obtain data from the two-tier program, and that it then could take the agency another year to make a final determination about the chemicals’ effect on hormone disruption.

I’ve written about endocrine disruptors in plastic and fire retardent chemicals and phthalates. Given our personal history of infertility and the young age of our children, this is an issue about which Rich and I have been concerned. I’m so pleased to see more study being given to the chemicals that surround us. People need to know what effect the ingredients of products they use can have in order to make informed decisions about what to allow around themselves, their families, and their environment.

If you want to learn more about endocrine disruptors, the National Resources Defense Council has an endocrine disruptor info page and the World Health Organization’s International Programme on Chemical Safety has published the comprehensive Global Assessment of the State-of-the-Science of Endocrine Disruptors.

Of Milkweeds and Monarchs

Thanks to Lucas Miller’s previous post about milkweeds, we’ve had two young children very excited about spring in our house. My kids were fascinated with the idea of providing sustenance for monarch butterflies and sanctuary for their babies so, ever since we read the article, they have been asking when it would be warm enough to add milkweeds to our yard. We decided spring break would be the perfect time to do so and the countdown began.

Then, days before spring break began, the flu hit. Both girls got sick but with different strains, which allowed us to experience the full glory not once, but twice as germs were swapped. I am now ever more thankful that we own a washing machine.

By the tail end of spring break, everyone was finally feeling better. After a day of waiting to ensure no relapses would occur, we headed to the nursery. With their bright orange and yellow flowers and pointed leaves, the milkweeds were easy to identify among all the other plants. We had looked at some pictures online first, mostly because I wanted to spare the other gardeners a long search by two tired girls and their exhausted mom. Looking at the pictures definitely helped – the girls spotted the plants first. Read more