Amber's Organics Newsletter.

We welcome you to our new improved newsletter where each month we will be adding new topics from Environmentally friendly folk plus our very own English Environmental Nanny will be giving tips to educate your child. We have be added recipe of the month that will be based upon tasty and traditional recipes that use only organic ingredients. I will be giving brief gardening tips to help you as you learn to become a self sufficient grower, the topics will be wide and interesting to follow.

News this month: Spring is in the air, new seeds are in stock, so start the preparations for your new years garden. I have offered a selection of hard to find seeds to inspire your drive. Also, we have new herbal teas in stock for those wishing to partake in the wonders of herbal medicinals. Heady herbals for migraines, PMS formulas for the ladies and much more, turn to herbal teas page for more information. We have better packing that is biodegradable, with less waste labeling, we are proud of our low cost, low waste achievements. As well as all of this, over the last few weeks I have been creating some refreshingly new products that are rich and luscious for the skin and, they are 100% percent organically preserved. There are some real treats on offer. Your own suggestions are always appreciated so do not hesitate to write to me at my emails address. ambersorganics@yahoo.com

Our earth is in trouble, and we've got to save it!

If you throw away 2 aluminum cans, you waste more energy than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) of the world's poorest people use a day.
Making a new can from scratch uses the energy equal to half a can of gasoline.
About one third of what an average American throws out is packaging.
More than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) trees are used to make disposable diapers every year.
In one minute, 50 acres of rainforest are destroyed.
Some rain has a pH of 3 or 4. (which is pretty acidic, considering 7 is neutral, not acidic, and battery acid has a pH of 1). Some fish, such as lake trout and smallmouth bass, have trouble reproducing at a pH of 6, which is only slightly acidic. Some clams and snails can't survive at all. Most crayfish are dead at a pH of 5. You can see how bad this is for the environment.
On average, a person in the US uses energy two times more than a person in Japan or West Germany does, and 50 times more than a person in India.
About 90% of the energy used in lighting a standard (incandescent) light bulb is lost as heat.
Air conditioning uses 10 times more energy than a fan, therefore, it creates 10 times the pollutants.
It takes half the output of the Alaskan pipeline to heat the air that escapes from all the homes in the US during a year.
Cars and pick-up trucks are responsible for about 20% of the carbon dioxide released into the air.
There are about 500 million automobiles on the planet, burning an average of 2 gallons of fuel a day. Each gallon releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.
About 80% of our trash goes to landfills, 10% is incinerated, and 10% is recycled.
Since there is little oxygen underground, where we bury our garbage, to help bacteria eat the garbage, almost nothing happens to it. Scientists have dug into landfills and found ears of corn still intact after 20 years, and newspapers still readable after 30.
The average American makes about 3.5 pounds of trash a day.
In a year, the average American uses as much wood in the form of paper as the average resident of the developing world burns as fuel.

26 things we can do to help:

1. Turn off lights.
2. Turn off other electric things, like TVs, stereos, and radios when not in use.
3. Use rechargable batteries.
4. Do things manually instead of electrically, like open cans by hand.
5. Use fans instead of air conditioners.
6. In winter, wear a sweater instead of turning up your thermostat.
7. Insulate your home so you won't be cold in winter.
8. Use less hot water.
9. Whenever possible, use a bus or subway, or ride your bike or walk.
10. Try to buy organic fruits and vegetables if you're concerned about pesticides. (Organic food is grown without man-made fertilizers and/or pesticides).
11. Don't waste products made from forest materials.
12. Use recycled paper and/or recycle it. Reuse old papers.
13. Don't buy products that may have been made at the expense of the rainforest.
14. Support products that are harvested from the rainforest but have not cut down trees to get it.
15. Plant trees, espessially if you have cut one down.
16. Get other people to help you in your cause. Make and/or join an organization.
17. Avoid products that are used once, then thrown away.
18. Buy products with little or no packaging.
19. Encourage your grocery store sell environmentally friendly cloth bags for people to use when they shop, or bring your own.
20. REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE.
21. Compost.
22. Buy recycled products.
23. Don't buy pets taken from the wild.
24. If you have a good zoo nearby, (if the animals are healthy and the zoo takes care of them), support it! Especially if they help breed endangered animals.
25. Don't buy products if animals were killed to make it.
26. Cut up your six-pack rings before throwing them out.

The English Environmentalist Nanny say's: Get those little ones out in the fresh air, a little walk around the block or through a quiet area will do them the world of good. Teach them about nature as you go, talk often, show them all things beautiful, laugh lots and enjoy these precious years. Educate our new generation with love.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: