Large SUV Hybrids Are Coming

This has been something that the big automakers of USA have expected to happen sooner or later. Fuel efficiency and large SUVs are two subjects that dont go hand in hand. That will soon change in the near future. With mid-size hybrid cars such as the Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX400H, Ford Escape and Saturn Vue, you can now add large SUV's such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrid models. General Motors and Daimler Chrysler are two automakers that are leading the pack in innovative hybrid engine solutions using Two-Mode hybrid systems designed especially for larger sport utility vehicles. The Two-Mode hybrid technology for larger cars will be 25% more fuel efficient and will provide fuel economy of 20 or more miles per gallon. In the near future expect hybrid models such as the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Durange and Chrysler Aspen.

Apple IPhone Itemized Bills by AT&T - Exploiting the Environment

As hundreds of thousands of people buy the latest mobile gadget from Apple, thousands of trees will be cut down. Hmm..you may wonder, what does the new Apple iPhone have to do with the environment or cutting down trees? Well, it turns out that AT&T, which is the only mobile carrier that offers the IPhone, offers a very ellaborate billing statement which can be in access of 150 pages per subsciber. Add these pages up for hundred of thousands (possibly) millions of subscibers and you can imagine how many trees will be needed just to print these detailed billing statements. Despite the fact that AT&T offers all its mobile subscibers an option to view statements online, an annual estimate of 70,000 trees will be cut down for the IPhone Billing Statements by the "environmentally conscious" corporation.

Whole Grains Lower Risk of High Blood Pressure

A recent study has concluded that consuming whole grains lowers rish of high blood pressure especially amongst middle aged and older women. Women who consume whole grains have a 11% lower risk of high blook pressure. This study proves that whole grains are a healthier alternative to processed foods and lower risks of heart disease and stroke. In comparison, refined grains are stripped of the natural fiber and nutrient rich bran content of the grain.

For this particular health study, researchers at Harvard University used compiled data from women that completed detailed questionnaires which includes questions about their daily intake of whole-grain foods like oatmeal and whole grain breakfast cereals.

Therefore, do your heart a huge favor and replace processed and refined grains with natural whole grains and foods today!

Do Hurricanes Affect Water Quality?

The 2004 year has quickly become known as the "Year of the Hurricane." You'd have to be living in a cave not to have heard about all the turmoil that Katrina, Charley, Francis and Ivan have caused so far in the United States. As most of us have seen on the news and some of us have experienced first hand, hurricanes can devastate property and the surrounding environment. But what you don't see on CNN or the Weather Channel is the impact a powerful storm can have on water supplies in hard-hit areas.

When accompanied by flooding or tidal surges, hurricanes can contaminate a town's or city water supply. As we know consuming contaminated water can cause serious illness, so you should never assume that the water in the hurricane-impacted area is safe to drink. Another thing to consider is that in areas affected by a hurricane, even the water treatment facilities may not be operating properly. Moreover, the chemicals used to treat everyday water quality may be completely inadequate to handle a drastic increase in contamination. And, even if the water companies are prepared, flooding, tidal surges, storm damage and the resulting debris can contaminate water mains and service lines.

Overflowing sewage systems is another obvious hazard, which can result in dangerous levels of bacteriological pollution. When in doubt, keep an ear out for public announcements about the safety of the municipal water supply.For people connected to private wells in areas affected by hurricanes, the scenario is even more urgent. No matter how deep your well is assume the water is no longer safe to drink. Even if your well has not been flooded, another nearby well that taps into the very same aquifer may have been impacted.

Yoga & Meditation - The Path To Enlightenment & Better Health

Yoga and Meditation is the practice of looking inwards and discovering ourselves as it is believed that we are all a part of a higher being who we all know as God. Yoga & Meditation has deep roots in the Eastern Philopohies, History and Culture of India. Known for thousands of years, Yoga & Meditation was done by devine Hindu Sages, Gurus and Prophets who seeked to become one with God (a higher being) and to become free from the undying cycle of rebirth.

According to the Indian culture, all living being go through countless stages of births and deaths. It is only when a living being or soul attained the human form that he or she could acheive enlightenment under the careful eye of a learned Guru. In most cases this Guru was enlightened and could show the right path to the apprentice to for-go materialistic possessions, envy and greed and to reach a state of Nirvana and Enlightenment of the Soul.

Western cultures have shown great interest in Yoga and Meditaion mainly from a health point of view. Yoga and Meditaion have great health benefits and also helps one to think and put things into perspective more clearly. There are various seminars and yoga franchises that offer to teach various streching exercises known as Pranayam and deep chants.

We would love to hear stories from anyone who practice Yoga & Meditate and get to know more about the facinating subject. Please let us know what you enjoy the most about Yoga & Meditation? How did you get started? In what ways does it help you in your daily activities?

Tesla Roadster- High Performance 200mph Electric Car

Do you love exotic flashy fast cars? Now can you think of a 100% electric car which is just as exotic, flashy & fast too? Introducing the 100% electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster. Now you can go really fast and not have to worry about fuel effieciency. The Tesla Roadster has a top speed of 200 mph and can do 0 to 60mph in a mere 4 seconds! Once the motor is fully charged the Tesla has a range of 200 miles before a recharge is needed.

The Tesla electric sports car is designed to reduce our dependance on fossil fuels and enhance performance and design features that you would not expect from the electric vehicle. As impressive as it is, the Tesla Roadster is not exactly cheap. Expect to pay a retail price of about $ 100,000.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Taking Air Travel To The Next Level

The latest airliner from Boeing is the fuel efficient 787 Dreamliner. Boeing has successfully developed an upscale aircraft with the best fuel economy. The Dreamliner will feature the next level of amenities and creature comforts in all classes of economy, business and first class. This aircraft will have short range and long range flight capabilities and will offer all the latest technological features such as Wi-Fi, blue LED interior lighting, extra-large windows, higher humidity levels to passengers. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner uses 50% light-weight composites and will consume 20% less fuel compared to any other aircraft in its size and payload capacity. This efficiency will mean improved environmental performance.

Boeing is currently accepting orders of the aircraft valued at $ 250,000,000 each and has over 650 confirmed orders from over 14 different airlines around the world. Entry into service is expected in 2008.

Making Your Lawn Green(er)

Every natural eco-system present on Earth is extremely fragile and has taken millions or even billions of years to establish. The Earth is truelly a marvel of nature which has the capacity to regenerate and cleanse itself but it all takes a very long time to return to its prestine state. We are just getting to learn that our actions today will have a drastic effects on the environment.

Water pollution is a huge problem and we all seem to be contributing to it unknowingly. Home owners love to take pride in having beautiful green lawns that envy the neighbors when they pass by. Little do they know that all the chemicals and fertilizers that they may use to have the beautiful lawns seep through the soil slowly with the aid of rainfall & sprinklers eventually end up in the water table and aquifers which are the main sources of tap water.

Are you as a home owner concerned about this? Have you taken any proactive steps to use alternative lawn products to reduce water pollution? Do you have any product suggestions that can help us to conserve and protect our environment?

Corporate America Turning Green

The United States of America is the largest economy in the world with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies (General Electric, General Motors, Ford, Microsoft, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Walmart, Boeing, AT&T and more) that employ thousands of people and have sales turnovers that are greater than most 3rd world countries around the world. In an effort to conserve energy and resources, these companies are always looking for cutting edge solutions to improve quality and become more efficient to reduce waste.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions to transform these corporate giants to become efficient? What should these companies do to set responsible examples for smaller companies to follow?
What steps should these companies take to make a difference in the matters of corporate & ethical citizenship?

Tell Us About Your Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is a great fuel efficient vehicle which reduces our dependance on fossil fuels. Do you own a Toyota Prius? Are you a prospective buyer of the Toyota Prius? What concerns and questions would you like to have addressed before purchasing such a unique car? For current owners, tell us what you love about the Toyota Prius and what changes you would like for the future.

What's Your Favorite Natural Organic Product?

Do you have a particular natural organic foods brand or product that you simply love and cannot do without? hmm maybe a whole grain energy bar? A refreshing strawberry smoothie? or Soy candles that light up your romantic evenings? Well, dont let me influence you, go ahead let us know what you love the most about the product and what makes it so special to you.

Green Jobs on the Rise

This is a great article printed by Seattle Times and South Forida Sun-Sentinal about Green Jobs on the rise. Click here to read the article. It is inspiring to know that our collective efforts to become more and more eco-conscious will result in great acheivements and open new doors & opportunities. Do you know any green companies that are currently hiring? Please let us know.

Importance of Clean Drinking Water

We all know we’re supposed to drink plenty of pure, clean water, but do we know why?

Drinking adequate amounts of water helps to maintain body temperature, metabolize body fat, aids in digestion, lubricates and cushions organs, transports nutrients, and flushes toxins from the body. Water is your body's most important nutrient. It makes up approximately 70-75% of your total body weight and is involved in every bodily function.

If you are not getting enough water, your body will react by pulling it from other places, including your blood. This causes the closing of some smaller vessels (capillaries), making your blood thicker, more susceptible to clotting, and harder to pump through your system. This can have serious implications in hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Recent studies have also linked the lack of water to headaches, arthritis, and heartburn.

Water contributes to energy storage along with glycogen. Without water, extra amounts of glucose remain in the bloodstream until reaching the liver, the extra glucose is stored as fat. Your body takes water from inside cells in an effort to compensate for a dehydrated state, including fat cells. Less water in your fat cells means less mobilization of fat for energy.

Stefani Eco-Friendly Water Filter Crocks - A Great Alternative to Buying Bottled Water

Why would you want to waste so much money on bottled water when there are great eco-friendly water filtration and water purification alternatives available such as the Stefani Water Purifier Crocks and Natural Water Coolers with Filters. With a Stefani countertop water filter system, you can have access to clean, refreshing, great tasting water whenever you need it.

I am impressed that the Stefani counter top water filtration system is a great alternative to using plastic bottled water which create so much waste in landfills all around the world. According to a recent survey, more than 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills every day – a total of about 22 billion in one year!

Ceramic water filtration and purification has been used for over 150 years around the world. Stefani water purifiers feature Activated Carbon Filters and Ccolloidal Silver which eliminate impurities, odors and foul taste which greatly improves the taste of the water. By removing impurities such as chlorine, bacteria and viruses, the purifier filters contaminanted tap water into purified water that tastes great and is healthy for drinking and cooking. To view a video clip of Stefani Terracotta click here.

I would like to thank Diane for replying to my previous post and providing imformation about these amazing natural products. I must admit that I did not know that a natural ceramic dispenser water crock with filters even existed, which makes your post even more intriguing. I would recommend everyone to have a look at the Stefani Terracotta website (http://www.stefaniterracotta.com/) which features alot of good information about the ceramic water crock purifers & filters.

I love the fact that Stefani natural ceramic water crocks with filters are eco-friendly, easy to use and do not consume any electric power to operate. The Terra Cotta ceramica shell naturally cools the water 10 to 15 degrees below ambient/room tempretures. How amazing is that!

Stefani natural ceramic water filter crocks are the Most Economical, Functional and Efficient countertop Water filtration systems that provide clean, refreshing, great tasting water. Stefani water filters and natural terracotta and ceramic gravity fed water purifiers offer the most economical and natural way to filter drinking water in your home, office or outdoors.

Are We Doing Justice to the Environment?

I guess who better to start posting on this blog then myself:). I am sure alot of us havent thought of how much we harm and pollute the environment going on living our lives day in-day out as we know best. We are all slowly realizing the side effects of our reckless ways of living. To name some- global warming, de-forrestation, extinction of thousands of plants & animals, air, soil & water pollution and the list continues on and on.

There is a dire need for us to change our ways and to give back a little to the environment. I think there are so many great natural products and green ideas floating around which can really improve our lives and also help the environment in the process. I feel confident that we can all make a huge difference by sharing ideas and by becoming eco-conscious consumers.

In a mere 150 years (which is less than a mili-second if you consider the age of the Earth) we have exploited every natural resource available on Earth, be it air, water or soil. In the process of rapidly setting up industries and manufacturing plants churning out thousands of different products, the environment has had to pay very dearly. The scary truth is we are living way beyond our means and depleting natural resources before they can regenerate and cleanse naturally. This is a serious situation and as time passes, it is only getting worse.

In the future we will face extreme shortages even for the most basic necessities such as water, which in turn will endanger our very existence on Earth. Food for thought - Only 3% of all water on Earth is fresh water. Out of this 3% , 2% is frozen on mountaintop ice caps and glaciers around the world. So if math serves me right, the total human population on Earth has only 1% of fresh water that can be consumed and utilized in our daily activities such as cooking and cleaning.

If there is any right moment to make a change about how we live, eat, drink, drive, and work it is right now. I eagerly look forward to reading and sharing all natural products and green ideas that I come across. I would also like to encourage everyone to actively participate in this blog to provide insight about how we can make our homes, our neighborhoods, cities, countries and whole world a better place to live.