admin – Page 2

Investing in Green & Eco-Friendly Stocks

07/17/2011 by admin

The socially conscious investor will find a wide range of Eco-friendly stocks and mutual funds to choose from, both small and large. Due to the influence of world-wide concern over global pollution and carbon dioxide, the investor will find many large corporations are snapping up green companies to add to their list of products.

A recent acquisition by Royal Philips Electronics (headquartered in the Netherlands) of Color Kinetics, trading on the NASDAQ as CLRK is a great example. Color Kinetics was a ten-year-old company that produced environmentally friendly lighting through its enhancement of the LED (light-emitting-diode) technology to create a new type of illumination.

Color Kinetics utilized digitalized technology to create a new source of controllable illumination. The merger between the giant Philips and Color Kinetics will enhance its Philips Lighting Solutions market in the LED technology. Color Kinetic has existing installations world wide and a huge customer list, with relationships in China and the UK. Philips, in turn will, provide its 60-country-presence to the Eco-friendly technology of Color Kinetics. Investors should not rule large conglomerates in their search for Eco-friendly stock.

Small Cap Companies:

For investors that enjoy investing directly in small cap companies there are numerous opportunities for investors in AMEX. These stocks are very reasonable in price and may provide future gains as going green becomes an integral part of business and not just a slogan. I have watched some Eco-friendly companies grow over the past several years and the following is a highlight of some interesting stocks.

Environmental Power Corp. trades under the ticker EPG on the AMEX exchange. This stock currently sells in the 5 range. The company and its subsidiaries engage in the ownership, development and operation of renewable energy facilities in the United States. EPG owns 83 leasehold of land. It has plants that utilize animal and food industry waste to produce bio-mass and other forms of alternative fuel that utilize their renewable energy biogas. A good reason to give this company a good look is that it filed a notice with the SEC that it has a firm commitment from an underwriter to make and offering of over four million shares of his stock. If the offering goes forward the company could realize a gain in the price as well as an infusion of over 22 million dollars.

There is another stock that has great promise in the fuel cell area. This area has room to grow. I particularly like Fuel Cell Energy. It trades under the stock ticker FCEL. The company has a market cap of approximately 650 million. The company is in the development, manufacturing and sale of fuel cells power plants for use in electrical power plants. Its pipeline products are geared for use in health care facilities, hotels, hospitals, universities, governmental offices and water treatment centers. The company is located in Connecticut with office in Korea, Japan, Canada and Europe. This 9 stock has no where to go but up in the long term. Another reason to think twice about this company is the major holders of stock in the company. Wells Fargo Bank, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and other prominent funds are invested in FCEL.

A stock that is a good value, but lacks appreciation is Calgon Carbon Corp. in Pennsylvania. The company trades under the ticker CCC. The company is in the business of providing means to clean the air and water.

The company has been around for a good period of time and it appears that 2007 may be its year to take a solid place in Eco-friendly stocks. It currently sells in the 13 range and deserves a good review.

There are numerous ways to get into the green, Eco-friendly stocks. There are mutual funds and indexes available. In addition there are segments in wind, health foods and solar energy that have opportunities for investment.

Tips to Host and Enjoy an Eco-friendly Party

07/17/2011 by admin

Who doesn’t love the good times of family reunions and gatherings with friends? Yes, almost everybody loves to have a party; unfortunately most of these parties are just toxic attacks on our planet. The solution is to have and host an eco-friendly party. By using the right supplies we can enjoy great green parties which are entertaining as well as eco-friendly. Try to use eco-friendly supplies as far as possible to throw green parties that are not harmful for the environment. Planning for green parties start right from the beginning:

To begin with, try to purchase all your green party supplies locally, this will save fuel thus reducing pollution and emissions and will also support your local economy. If your local party supply store doesn’t offer green supplies then try to use a single online retailer that does.

If your party settings involve candles for decoration, try to use soy based or pure beeswax candles with a no lead or metal cotton wicks, which do not emit toxic materials when burned.

Try to avoid paper invitations, instead you can use other services like e-mails or text messages to invite your guests or if you really need to send invites, you should consider making use of eco-friendly supplies like homemade or recycled paper for making cards for your green parties. This will not only save you money needed for postage but will also save trees and other precious natural resources. Many stores offer eco-friendly supplies of recycled cards, some of these cards are made up of materials not furnished by trees.

Your eco-friendly presents can be wrapped with recycled paper and even newspaper. Remember, our planet and the gift are more important than the wrapping paper. You can use old-fashioned colors to brighten up your wrapping papers. In addition, you can mention in your eco-friendly invites that your guests must try to bring only eco-friendly presents and wrap them up in eco-friendly supplies keeping in mind the theme of green parties.

In regards of party accessories, you should use green party supplies like table clothes made of linen rather than plastic and use dishes and plates that can be washed and re-used rather than use disposable ones. If using disposable plates is unavoidable, stay away from plastic and Styrofoam, and use paper plates that can be recycled and biodegrade quickly.

Eco-friendly goodie bags should be made up of green party supplies and you can even try to hand out healthy snacks and fruits and eco-friendly toys made up of sustainable materials in an eco-friendly way.

At www.xxxxxxxxx.com, you can find innovative ideas about eco-friendly goodie bags, eco friendly toys and eco friendly presents and get some of the best green party supplies in the market. The site will also teach you how to make eco friendly goodie bags and eco friendly presents.

Eco-friendly Ways To Reuse And Recycle Books And Magazines

07/17/2011 by admin

As more and more old-growth trees are cut down, and we face the reality of having to wait close to 100 years or more to replace them, the need to recycle paper becomes increasingly important.

Paper, of course, includes books and magazines. Although paper products are nearly 100% biodegradable, it is pointless to send these resources to the dump to rot in the landfill when we can recycle and reuse them.

More than any other material we hope to recycle, books and magazines represent knowledge. We find wisdom in the pages of old books, and learn about culture in the pages of old magazines. Because of these factors, the best thing to do with old books and magazines is pass them on.

Your local library or college library will accept donations of old books, and sometimes magazines in good shape. This allows other people to benefit from the publication as well. Once you have enjoyed your book, donate it to a library rather than letting it sit on a shelf to collect dust.

The second choice, for both books and magazines, is to sell them to a used bookstore, at a garage sale, flea market, or on eBay. Other people may be looking for the exact book or magazine you have passing it on is a win-win scenario for you and the new owner.

If you wish to reuse publications in a creative way, magazines make good colorful craft supplies for children and adults. You can cut out parts of pictures to make collages by pasting the picture pieces to a cardboard backing or make hanging mobiles by cutting out shapes, stringing pieces of thread through holes at the top, and attaching the strings to a clothes hanger.

You can also cut out whole pictures to construct a dream board or a vision board, which helps you to think about and visualize the goals and dreams you want to achieve for instance, a Hawaiian vacation, a certain type of job, or a new sports car.

As for traditional recycling, some areas will let you place books or magazines in your blue bin for pickup as well. Many publishers print magazines on glossy paper. It is more expensive to recycle glossy paper because the demand is low for this type of paper. This will change in the future as the need to recycle paper becomes more important.

The biggest challenge with recycling books and magazines is separating the paper from the adhesives or staples used to bind the pages. Forward-thinking recycling companies have a way to remove the waste from the bindings magnetically in the future we should begin to see growing opportunities to recycle all kinds of paper products.

Next time you’re thinking about throwing away some books or magazines, think first about how you can pass them along for others to enjoy. If that doesn’t work for you, try to reuse them creatively. If you still can’t find a use for them, look for places to take them where they can be recycled into new paper products, so we can save more trees.

Select An Earth Friendly Product: Good For Your Health, Good For The Environment

07/17/2011 by admin

Our earth is everyone’s responsibility. We all want to have a healthy environment to pass on to our children, but it can often seem like eco-friendly behavior is difficult to attain. Environmentally conscious consumers will be happy to hear that more and more earth friendly product lines are being developed to make healthy living simple and convenient.

Living an earth loving life is not just good for the environment in the long run, it is also good for your health immediately. The chemical products that have become so ubiquitous in our society’s day to day life are making people very sick. Research is now linking chemicals found in everyday household products to a prevalence of allergic reactions, occurrences of asthmatic attacks, and even the rise of cancer. An earth friendly product provides a healthy alternative that will work great and not make people sick.

There are many harmful aspects of our homes that we have little control over. It is unfortunate, but many of us live in homes that were built in ways that are not ecologically friendly. Although many people are not aware of it, their homes are filled with pollutants in the form of paint, fabrics, and the very building materials that hold up the roof. These products emit fumes and gases that actually cause the air inside a house to be more polluted than the air outside.

Although homeowners tend to start in an environmental deficit, this does not mean that they cannot make their houses healthy over time. Natural home products have been developed for all aspects of life, including home building materials, chemical free cleaning products, organic foods, natural beauty products, and environmentally friendly fabrics. By always selecting an earth friendly product, consumers can ensure that everything new entering the house will contribute to the overall good of the family’s health and the environment’s future.

There is now no excuse for using chemical based products. First, it is easy to find retailers that carry natural products. Shoppers no longer have to go to specialty stores because the earth friendly product they desire is likely stocked on their local store’s shelf and can even be found online. Second, as the products gain strong fan bases, clear favorites are starting to stand out. Next time you are out shopping, look to see which products most people are reaching for. Finally, unlike before, natural products are very competitively priced, making them affordable for all budgets.

Cleaning Green

07/17/2011 by admin

Toxicity. Do we really know what this means? Can you even say it ten times really fast? What ever it is we know it has become a way of life.

It is a fact that we are exposed daily to an incredible array of toxins in our normal lives. They are toxins and each one has a certain degree of toxicity to it. Toxicity can be determined in a variety of ways.

With an interest in a sparkling house you need to know a little bit about it to protect yourself, your family and anyone else whose house you clean.

The next question then becomes how can you respond and what can you do?

Well, you can do a lot as a dedicated house cleaner. First, limit your exposure. Read labels carefully. Use nontoxic cleaning products. Avoid using indoor pesticides.

Secondly, limit the exposure of the people around you. Happily for you and your house there are plenty of effective, earth-safe cleaners that you can buy or make. Borax mixed with lemon juice will take out toilet-bowl stains. White vinegar is useful for disinfecting bathrooms and kitchens. Bon Ami, a borax-based powder cleanser sold in supermarkets and hardware stores for more than 50 years, safely cleans pots, pans, sinks, oven interiors along with other corroded surfaces.

Using these alternatives will reduce the toxic load in your house and beyond. Using environmentally friendly cleaners will also safeguard your health and that of the community. It reduces air, water and ground pollution in the big picture.

So why isn’t everyone doing it? The reality is, few people actually check labels. Start now. Take time to read the lable. Distinguish yourself as a green cleaner. You can start a trend. You can actually become a product toxicity home specialist.

The first thing to know is that not all green products are created equal. Again, read. Catch the ones that have been prettied up with essential oils. Check labels for irritating chemicals such as chlorine, ammonia and artificial fragrances and dyes.

Many people who think green are just now applying their philosophy to the dirt at hand. Eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products are the next frontier of environmentalism, says Marci Zaroff, former publisher of Macrocosm and CEO of Under the Canopy, an organic-fabric clothing company. It’s an inexpensive, easy and effective way to protect our planet and commitment to life.

« Previous Page