Found this in the USA Today Green News Feed: Feds: Climate change to cause ‘irreversible’ health risks by Dan Vergano

In summary.. the Environmental Protection Agency released a report detailing increased and ‘irreversible’ health issues directly linked to global Warming. It was noted in the article the release of the report has been postponed since April for Political reasons.

More or less, global warming which is causing the severe shifts in the worlds weather patterns, which is causing an increase in droughts,wildfires, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters, is now being correlated to increases in health risks like Hantavirus, asthma, salmonella, Giardia, heat stroke and more.

“If you read between the lines,” says Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D-Calif.), “this EPA report on the health effects of climate change provides further evidence that our families and communities are seriously endangered by global warming, and that we must act now. Unfortunately, as the Bush Administration made clear last week, they have no plan to address this serious threat.”

Barbara Boxer is absolutely right… we need to act now. We should have been acting 3 months ago because now half the country is under water, California is nearly up-in-smoke and also in a drought.

Yep, you read that right… Chief Green Officers or CGO’s, are real job positions at companies both large and small, companies just like Frito-Lay and Google. When the internet came mainstream it created Chief Information Officers, so it’s no surprise that the Green Movement has brought with it green executives and company officers.

“Chief Green Officers are Sprouting Up“, an article from the Dallas News sums it up quite well..

Sustain ability officers – also known as chief green officers or by similar titles – at senior or middle management levels are becoming popular as more companies in Dallas and across the country paint themselves green. Google has a chief sustainability officer. So does Georgia-Pacific.

Many think the green buzz is not a fad and is here to stay. In addition to addressing environmental concerns, companies are going green to enhance their public image, gain an edge over rivals and cut costs as energy prices rise.

Yes, in that last paragraph they state companies going green as a business edge… which many companies do. We believe that the “Green Movement” is not a fad and that many companies both large and small are taking “green” very seriously.

I found a recipe for some zucchini muffins, or cupcakes if you like, over at Vanilla Garlic… although i added some chocolate chips to make them chocolate zucchini cup cakes. The recipe does have a bit more sugar in it then I would like but I went ahead and made them anyway. I haven’t figured out a way to reduce the amount of sugar since the zucchini adds so much moisture I didn’t think applesauce would be a good sweetener.

Here’s what I think about these Chocolate zucchini cup cakes: They are have super great taste. They weren’t as moist as I recall zucchini bread being but they do have a nice dense texture. As I mentioned, I added chocolate chips instead of raisins because they were a special treat. I love the cinnamon flavor and I added a little bit extra then the 2 tsp. the recipe called for.

I needed to let some of the zucchini cupcake mixture sit while the muffins cooked because I had limited cupcake pans. While it sat some of the moisture from the zucchini must have separated so I needed to mix it back into the mixture. This set of cupcakes was much wetter than the previous ones. While they were cooking they were so wet that they had to cook longer (by about 5-7 min), but the end result was a moister cupcake that was a little bit lighter. The top and edges was a little bit ‘crunchier’ but with cream cheese frosting it’s excellent!

Maybe I should have mixed everything longer before spooning it into the muffins but either way I thought a small (maybe 3 Tb. liquid could have been added. (Maybe applesauce might be a good substitute to replace some of the sugar and then less oil could be used also.)

They are a bit difficult to remove from the cupcake holder. I’m not sure why…I used paper cupcake holders rather than the aluminum ones so maybe that is why. I also recommend filling the cupcake holders up 3/4 full instead of the recommended half. Most of mine were filled only 1/2 and they had a lip of holder remaining around the edge. The holders that had more of the zucchini muffin mix looked more ‘bountiful.’

I also made only half the recipe for the cream cheese frosting so that there wasn’t as much on the cupcakes, as I was making them for small children.

Overall, the muffins are good but I would like to know a method to cook them using less sugar.

Al Gore has been caught again for being an energy guzzler. According to an article found in NewsMax “Gore’s Home Still Guzzling Energy“, Al Gore’s home uses more energy in one month than the average American home uses in one year.

… Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Remember when about a year Gore was running his mouth about how we need to act now and save the planet? Kind of ironic, huh?

The real sad part is that after he got caught the first time, he greened his house with new light bulbs, solar panels and more… only to end up using more energy resources after the “green overhaul”.

We’re so glad to see Mr. Gore pitching into the green effort… he’s definitely showing the American people and the rest of the world his true colors… and it isn’t red, white and blue… and it definitely ain’t green.

Ready to go green? We’re giving you the list of our top 10 favorite products and essentials for families that want a greener home. But first, we want to declare that when becoming a more eco-friendly family, reducing the amount of products we buy is essential. So don’t get addicted to eco-products but when you do need to buy something make sure you consider earth friendly options first.

Our Top 10

10. Reusable Cloth
The easiest step in converting to cloth would be to start using cloth dish towels and cloth napkins to reduce the use of papertowels and napkins. Next, toss the disposable cleaning wipes for reusable, cloth rags. We have an assortment of rags that come from old thermals, t-shirts and cloth diapers.

Already got that down? Now let’s get some reusable cloth grocery bags and/or produce bags. Personally, I don’t use cloth grocery bags because it’s not my time right now…but I do use cloth produce bags and I love them. Most fruit and veggies don’t even need a plastic baggie at the grocery store…even if you don’t have cloth, just put the bigger items like bananas, onions, avocados, etc. straight into the cart. They’ll get bagged at checkout.

Got a baby at home? Try using reusable cloth diapers…they are huge money savers, way better than what grandma ever used and definitely one of our essentials for going green. If you use cloth diapers then it’s easy to add cloth diaper wipes into the mix too. Get super eco-friendly and start using ‘family’ wipes (basically the same as cloth diaper wipes) for things like blowing your nose or even going, uh, you know, poop…..

9. Vinegar, Baking Soda & other green cleaners
Vinegar and baking soda are probably the two most popular eco-friendly cleaning products in a natural family home. They both have amazing properties to disinfect, gently scour, and whiten. Some vinegars are petroleum based and that’s not green so make sure your vinegar is plant derived. If it doesn’t say ‘plant derived’ then it is petroleum based. Soaps like Dr. Bronners can also be used for general cleaning.

I really like a ‘clean, green’ smell so I use baking soda for whitening porcelain sinks and vinegar for killing weeds. You’ll find green cleaning products under my sink…I like Seventh Generation, Lifetree and for some products, method cleaners are great.

8. Clothes Line
Hanging your clothes out to dry on a clothes line is not only going to save you a small bundle, it will really help preserve natural resources and you’ll still be able to get laundry dry during rolling blackouts.

7. Shop Local for Products
The easiest thing to buy locally is usually produce. Some places also have crafty people who make and sell neat, useable items but almost everywhere has a farm that provides locally grown, fresh produce.

6. Bicycle & Trailer
Burn rubber on the pavement with a stylin’ ride and bring the little ones along too in a bike trailer. Burley makes an assortment of trailers to pull infants and toddlers safely or step up to a trailercycle for older kids not ready to ride on their own.

Can’t think of any constructive riding? Why not bike to the local grocery store to pick up a few items. Plan ahead for just a little extra time and bring your trailer with you…it will fit a few grocery bags, just make sure they’re reusable. Bike to the park whenever you want to go and if work is close enough, bike there too and your comrades will applaud your green efforts.

5. Organic Personal Care Products
Make over as much of your bathroom as you can. Organic personal care products are definitely pricier than your average beauty product with the exception of some face care products. Convert the little ones bath products first since they are more sensitive to harsh ingredients.

Don’t leave out the first aid kit during your makeover. Herbal and homeopathic remedies work for cuts and bruises too. Go a step further and toss out the old bandages for some eco-friendy band-aids from Eco-guard.

4. Reusable Water Bottles
Bottled water sales were over $100 million dollars in 2004 and the amount of consumption has only grown over the years. Reusable bottles aren’t just for the granola lovers anymore. Getting your own reusable Sigg or Nalgene bottle will make a difference and make a statement about your concern for the environment.

3. Buy Chacos
Okay, if you don’t like Chacos that’s okay…we’ll still love you. But, we love the shoes and the company. Chacos not only makes some of the best sandals in the world but they also make them right here in the good ‘ol USA.

But it goes farther than that…Chaco restraps or resoles their sandals for a small fee. So for as long as your footbed stays in good condition (I can’t imagine much other happening to them unless a dog got a hold of one) you can send them in to Chaco and basically get a brand new shoe while saving a lot of resources.

Alright, so you don’t want Chacos (we are not associated with them by the way). Just choose to buy a good pair of shoes the first time around and take them to the cobbler for repair. Just about every good city still has shoe repair available.

2. Reuse Shipping Supplies & Boxes
Our town doesn’t offer a whole lot of options on the eco-products we like to buy so we do quite a bit of online shopping which leaves us with boxes and packaging. We also save smaller product boxes that aren’t necessarily for shipping. Boxes are bulky so we just break them down and keep all the packaging in a bag next to the boxes. Whenever we need to send something or give a gift, we just pick out the right size and re-tape it. Saving money and resources. It’s simple.

1. Reduce Paper Waste
Junk mail isn’t the only source of paper waste in your house but it’s a good place to start. There are places to go online to remove yourself from junk mail lists…spending time now to remove your name will save you time when you might need it most. Many companies also offer online bill pay and give the option to decline a paper bill in the mail. Sign up for these through the companies website or at your bank and your mailperson will thank you.