When a person or group of individuals is considering green living, it is something that should not only be taken into account on a global level, but a personal level as well. As the below article suggests, individuals who dwell in the city and are close to environments where green space is devoted are experiencing better health and fewer attacks of depression.

(Article Source the Calgary Herald by AFP)

City dwellers residing near parks and greenery enjoy better health and fewer bouts of depression than those living in enclaves of concrete and asphalt, according to a study released on Thursday.

A dense concentration of trees, shrubs and flowers close to home had the greatest impact, according to the study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the official journal of Britain’s Society for Social Medicine.

In urban zones where 90 percent of the area was devoted to green space, incidence of anxiety disorders or depression was 18 people per thousand, the study found.

In contrast, in zones where there was only 10 percent of greenery, incidence was 26 per thousand, a difference of 44 percent.

In addition, the annual rates of more than a dozen disease clusters — including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, digestive and mental disorders — were also lower.

The findings are based on health records in the Netherlands for nearly 350,000 people registered with 195 family doctors in 95 practices across the country.

Social class was factored into the calculations to ensure fairness.

The health-boosting impact of plant life was most apparent in people who spent a lot of time in their flora-rich neighbourhoods, especially children and persons with low levels of education and income. People aged 45 to 65 were also big beneficiaries.

“This study shows that the role of green space in the living environment should not be underestimated,” the study concludes.

Possible explanations include improved air quality, opportunities for relaxation and socialising, and an incitement to exercise.

Below is a quick look at what SIPs are and what builders should know when working with them.

(Article Source greenbuilding.com)

What can you do in a small business to make your office more environmentally friendly? You can start by using recycled paper and having online meetings. These two actions will dramatically reduce your company’s impact on the environment. Because you are more control in a small business you may also want to look into providing incentives for your employees or customers to encourage green behaviour actions.

The article below points about 17 more tips to make your small business green.

(Article Source: 20 Green Tips for Small Businesses.By Randall Davidson)

While Planet Panels makes it as easy as possible for you, there are some things that you need to keep in mind when you start your initial planning. Firstly, you should take great care in choosing the lot you are building on. Choose a lot that will allow you to benefit from the wind, sun and soil. These are things that you cannot change but can help you in reducing your environmental footprint. Obviously, another big consideration is your homebuilder. Planet Panels uses a fully panelized system that not only ensures perfect fitting and sizing to eliminate wasted materials but our homes are also developed with a “no draft” system that is extremely energy efficient.

What else should you keep in mind? Be sure to install hard surface flooring to control the indoor air quality of your home, use energy star rated appliances, and use LED lighting throughout the house. Also when landscaping your yard, plant trees and shrubs so they can be used for wind protection, shade, cooling and privacy. More ideas to consider are listed in the article below.

(Article Source: Green Affordable Housing Coalition)

While people with environmental sensitivities differ greatly, and their needs vary widely, recent studies find that those living near more “green spaces” tend to have lower rates of up to 15 health conditions. Researchers, as the following article suggests, are observing that green space has a positive effect on health and is “more than just a luxury good”, as the relationship between green space and health was particularly strong among children and lower-income groups.

(Article Source the Calgary Herald by Amy Norton)

People who live in green environs may be less likely than those surrounded by concrete to suffer a range of health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, according to a new study.

Researchers found that among more than 300,000 Dutch adults and children, those living near more “green spaces” tended to have lower rates of 15 different health conditions.

The link was especially strong when it came to depression and anxiety, suggesting, the researchers say, that respite from stress and the hustle and bustle of urban life may be an important for reason for the benefits of green.

The findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Past studies have found that people who live in greener environments tend to report better subjective health. But this study is the first to use objective data on specific mental and physical health diagnoses, lead researcher Dr. Jolanda Maas, of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, told Reuters Health in an email.

The findings build on evidence that green space has a positive effect on health and is “more than just a luxury good,” Maas said.

She and her colleagues gathered their information from the electronic medical records of 345,143 patients of about 200 general practitioners. They used an environmental database on land use to gauge the percentage of green space in the patients’ neighbourhoods.

Overall, the study found, greater amounts of green space within one kilometer — or 0.6 miles — of people’s homes was related to small reductions in the risks of health problems like heart disease, diabetes, chronic neck and back pain, asthma and migraine.

The strongest connection was seen with depression and anxiety. Among people who lived in areas with 90 percent green space, for example, just over 2 percent had been diagnosed with depression, compared with just over 3 percent of those living in areas with 10 percent green space.

Maas and her colleagues point out that greener environs could potentially have positive affects on health through a number of pathways, including better air quality and more opportunities for exercise.

But, the researchers add, the link with depression and anxiety suggests that stress reduction and a lesser likelihood of “attention fatigue” could be especially important.

The study also found that the relationship between green space and health was particularly strong among children and lower-income groups, which, the researchers speculate, could be because they tend to spend much of their time close to home.

Whatever the reasons for the findings, Maas said the results suggest that policymakers “should take green space into consideration” in efforts to improve the public health, especially that of children and lower-income people.

She added, though, that those green areas need to be well-maintained, as that has been found to be important in other health studies. In addition, the current study found that nearby green space did not seem to benefit the health of people in highly urban areas.

That, the researchers note, may be because people in large cities often view local parks as less than safe.

SOURCE: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, online October 15, 2009.

While every small change helps, big changes by large corporations will help even more. Greenpeace has been working on a green campaign to help encourage Facebook to reduce its environmental footprint. Greenpeace has set Earth Day as the deadline for Facebook to stop their coal usage and switch to renewable energy sources.

Facebook plans to use more sustainable and renewable sources in the future and is excited to partner with Greenpeace for this initiative. Currently there is a Facebook group lead by Greenpeace to encourage this green transition. Facebook has already showcased some green initiatives and appears to be accepting the challenge of Greenpeace to go green.

(Article Source: Greenpeace Campaign to “green” Facebook by 22 April. By: Carmel Doyle)

To clean out your own life and to contribute to a cleaner earth, try getting rid of some of the harsher products you have stored. For example, did you know that vinegar works as a cleaning aid that can replace the use of ammonia? Or that bleach can be replaced with hydrogen peroxide? There are many chemicals that are unnecessary and only cause harm on you, your family and the earth. But be sure to get rid of these chemicals in an environmentally friendly way. Do not simply pour them down the drain!

To read the nine other tips on how to clean and green your home, click here.

Are you or someone you know a potential nominee for Zerofootrpint’s 2011 Re-Skinning Awards?

(Article Source World Interior Design Network)

Zerofootprint has launched the 2011 version of this competition in association with its partner the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto.

The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards invites the best minds in architecture, design, building, and engineering to submit green building projects that display the innovative use of energy retrofitting technologies. Retrofitting and re-skinning involve the use of design solutions to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of older, energy-inefficient buildings.

According to Zerofootprint, most buildings are inefficient by today’s green standards due to outdated insulation, heating, and cooling systems. In Toronto, office buildings, shopping centres, and urban dwellings account for 63% of the city’s emissions, and in other major cities worldwide buildings account for 60% to 80% of emissions with 60% in London, 72% in Hong Kong, and a massive 79% in New York.

Zerofootprint said that a panel of global experts in architecture, engineering, sustainability, and design will judge the submissions. A number of world-renowned green leaders and innovators will also serve as advisors. Winning entries will be selected based on eight criteria, including resource and operational efficiency, aesthetics, reproducibility, the use of information technology to make the buildings ‘smart’, and the social benefits accrued from the retrofit. The deadline for submissions is 31 August 2011.

Zerofootprint is a socially responsible enterprise with a mission to apply technology, design thinking, and risk management to the massive reduction of environmental footprint. The organization actively participates in the global fight against climate change.

Items with minimal packaging can easily replace similar items with an abundance of packaging. Not only are you making a positive environmental choice but choosing the environmentally friendly packaging may also encourage the competition to change their packaging. Other steps that are just as easy are; use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins, use cloth grocery bags instead of plastic bags, utilize your community compost program, compost food and have a garage sale.

(Article Source: 6 Easy Ways to Lighten Your Trash Can. By Alison Finey)

Canada, our dollar isn’t the only thing that’s close to par with the US, so are our indoor water use numbers…

As the following article suggests, the use of indoor water adds up, and the numerous aquifers and tonnes of waste-water that go into sewer and septic systems very damaging to the environment and overall quality of health worldwide. Below is a list of water saving tips to help home builders, homeowners, tenants and renters design or retrofit a bathroom that is eco-conscious and reduces the amount of water used, and money owed.

(Article Source the Calgary Herald by Carie Madren)

Not sure if you’ve got a low-flow showerhead? Place a bucket under your shower and turn it on. If it takes less than 20 seconds to collect one gallon (4.55 litres), you could use a low-flow showerhead. And, says Fradenburg, “The way these showerheads are designed you still feel like you’re getting the [same] pressure.”

Much water is wasted when we wait for our shower to warm up. Consider installing a showerhead with ‘showerstart’ technology from Evolve ($69.95 for a rain shower with pulsating spray). After you turn on the shower, the cold water flows out normally until the water reaches bathing temperatures — 40 degrees Celsius — and then it slows to a trickle. You flip a switch or pull a cord to get the full flow going when you step into the shower.

Saving at the sink

Reuse grey water from handwashing by replacing the lid of your toilet tank with a sink-lid. Sink Positive (about $100, by Environmental Designworks) sits on top of the toilet tank and draws the cold, pristine water through the faucet for handwashing. Then, used grey water is drained into the tank for flushing. In this way, hand-washing doesn’t require extra water. Water flows automatically with the fresh water refill cycle after each flush, so you need not touch handles or knobs with dirty hands.

You can also consider a smaller-sized sink. Caroma sells sinks that have smaller capacities. “The bowl size is 2.5 litres and that limits someone filling up a sink with water that they don’t need,” Fradenburg says.