My wife and I recently moved from our mountain home in British Columbia, to a ranch. It was a long move of about 1,000 km, and that trip had to be made three times. It was not an easy move, but it was an environmentally-friendly move. Moving does not have to be something that hurts the environment, it can in fact be good for the environment and for yourself. All it takes is knowing how to move in a green way, as my wife and I did for Our Green Year. Here are a few helpful suggestions for saving money and saving the environment during one of the most stressful parts of your life; the move.

1. Don't buy cardboard boxes! Re-use them: Why would you go out to a retailer and spend money on a few boxes when you can get them for free elsewhere, and re-use them before they get recycled. All it takes is going out to a place like McDonald's, Safeway and getting boxes they are about to recycle. Usually you can just go straight to the recycle bin and grab them, and that is exactly what we did. Now you are not contributing to cardboard production because you are re-using what has already been used.
2. Make your own packaging: When you are packing dishes and other fragile items, you do not need to start buying bubble wrap. In fact, if you keep packaging from parcels you have received in the past, you can re-use those items. That is what we did. We also shredded old documents and used the shredded paper as packaging. Instead of wasting boxes on clothes, we wrapped dishes in clothes, packing two things in one box and saving money on packaging and the environment.
3. Offsetting the move: Since we moved 1,000 km one-way, and had to make three trips, that amounted to a lot of traveling. That traveling also amounted to a lot of CO2 in the atmosphere. To offset this, my wife and I are buying a few carbon offset certificates from CarbonFund.org, so that the CO2 we created is removed through the funding of environmental programs and renewable energy technology.
4. Recycling the boxes: Unless you plan to move again soon, why not recycle those cardboard boxes so that they can be made into something else? That is the last step in your move 'green-style'.

It should also be mentioned that moving can give you the opportunity to get rid of some things you do not need through garage sales, recycling or FreeCycle.org. My wife and I have committed to reducing our possessions, and the move allowed us to get rid of 50 percent of what we own, including our kitchen table, chairs, bookshelves, five boxes of books, an antique chair, most of our dishes, pots and pans, two desks, a shelving unit, several appliances and our patio furniture.

Many people are facing a dental dilemma involving fillings. While it is unpleasant enough to have cavities, there is the difficult decision of what to do next. And it is not just about new fillings. If you have older amalgam fillings, then the debate includes your mouth too.

The central issue is mercury. Those silver-coloured fillings are made of a combination of silver (about 35%) and mercury (50%) plus copper, tin, and sometimes zinc, palladium, or indium. Sitting in your mouth, fillings are the main source of mercury exposure for humans - releasing mercury vapour.

To put dental mercury into context, often mercury content in food - especially fish - is mentioned. However, while a single filling might be a minor consideration compared to a passion for tuna or occasional swordfish steak, some people can claim many more amalgam surfaces. Depending on the size and number of fillings, mercury exposure ranges from 3 to 17 micrograms per day. You may wonder how that mercury is appearing, since fillings are solid and do not erode visibly. When you chew and place pressure on the amalgam, mercury vapour is released. One might wonder if more chewing - like gum - is also associated with more exposure.

CDs and DVDs have become a part of our daily lives. You probably listen to music in your car or on your computer, and you most likely watch movies on your HD widescreen television. Much of our entertainment is packaged on CDs or DVDs, and we also use CDs to transfer and backup data. However, many of them are tossed away and end up in landfills, but Home Run Software Services, Inc. has created an eco-friendly way to deal with this type of media.

Home Run Software Services, Inc. has launched a Go-Green CD/DVD Program, which is a two-fold program. They have an eco-friendly product line, and they have a CD/DVD recycle center. The product line is packaged with 100% biodegradable packaging, which includes potato starch trays, recycled board stock and soy inks. The company says that they have reduced their carbon footprint by more than 85-90%.

CDs are made from polycarbonate material, but Home Run Software Services has reduced this material by half. Many people have adopted the use of USB devices, and this company sells them in bamboo cases as opposed to plastic, which makes it more sustainable.

Recycling old CDs and DVDs prevents them from filling up landfills, and the polycarbonate material can be repurposed into other plastic products instead of contaminating soil and groundwater. Companies who are interested in recycling CDs and DVDs can utilize their recycle center for a fee, but Huntington Beach residents can use it for free.

Technology is a major part of many of our lives, and today it would be difficult to find a person or even a business that doesn’t use CDs, DVDs or USB devices on a daily basis. If more companies imposed a recycling method for these types of software, virgin resources would not need to be used to produce more products containing polycarbonate. While you might not have a Home Run Software Services in your area, there may be other similar companies or services available. The important part to remember is that recycling these items is possible, so look into these options before throwing them in the trash.

My young vegetarian friend is feeling pretty smug lately. Not only did she avoid getting caught up in the listeriosis panic that recently swept Canada, but now research suggests that she is less likely to get affected by certain food poisoning bugs.

A study in PLoS Genetics examined the bacteria responsible for causing sickness in both people and animals. Samples were taken from more than 1,200 patients. The bacterial DNA was sequenced and then compared with samples from a variety of animals, as well as from the environment.

Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease with  fever and gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting. It is most common in babies and young adults. Symptoms can last up to a week and may, in rare cases, lead to long-term effects like arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The bacterium responsible - Campylobacter jejuni - is the source of most gastroenteritis cases in the developed world, causing 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 infections annually in the US. However, despite widespread effects, it is not as well known as other bacteria like E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and Clostridium.

It’s getting ridiculous at this point. First, in 2007, it was contaminated pet food. Later the same year, melamine was also detected in fish food used for aquaculture. Now, in 2008, contaminated dairy products have been discovered, with more than 50,000 sick babies as a result.

Currently, each day brings to light a new product affected by melamine, including powdered coffee and tea, desserts, White Rabbit candy, pretzels, and cookies. Chinese-made products are the latest subject of recalls. The two major topics at the heart of the issue are the many steps involved in food processing, and the global reliance on Chinese-made products. While not the first time it has been newsworthy, maybe it’s time to pause and reflect a little.

At the centre of the present storm is melamine. But what exactly is melamine and how does it get into foods? Most homes contain some melamine products - typically plastic dishes, utensils, and laminate flooring, as well as clear resins used to coat wood and textiles. Whiteboards may contain melamine, and it is also used to surface ready-to-assemble furniture and kitchen cabinetry. These hard plastics are a combination of melamine and formaldehyde. In addition, some dyes, foams, cleaning products, pesticides, fertilizers, and flame-retardants contain . Melamine itself is a white crystalline powder made up of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Chemically, it is known as . It has been used for years since its discovery in the 1830s - with a huge surge in popularity during the 1950s.

There has been an ongoing discussion concerning the safety of plastic bottles that contain water and even ones that are used to feed babies. The issue is with the toxic chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA). This chemical prevents plastic bottles from breaking so that they stay sturdy. However, a study by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine showed that BPA breaks down at a rate 55 times faster when filled with boiling water as opposed to room temperature water. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not expressed concern in the past, the National Toxicology Program has expressed some concern with regard to children and babies.

BPA can be released if your plastic bottle becomes heated in some way. For example, if you leave your water in the car and it’s exposed to the sun, the temperature in the car can rise very quickly and increase the water’s temperature as well. It can also be released if the bottle is washed and scrubbed repeatedly in a dishwasher or sink.

The toxic chemical is known to disrupt the hormones in animals and affect the hormone system. Newborn babies are potentially more at risk for experiencing issues from BPA since their bodies are in the process of development. Reproductive problems and cancer in adults has been noted as possible long-term effects from BPA.

Until more research is done on the effects of BPA, avoid these types of plastics for now. An alternative is Ecogen, which is available at Big Green Smile. This plastic is less toxic than the BPA-containing plastics, and it is also biodegradable and produced from renewable resources. There are a variety of containers available for your home as well as other eco-friendly products.

With regard to plastic bottles, start drinking tap water so you can reduce your need for plastic water bottles all together. If you have a newborn, try to breast feed them as much as you can or use Wee-Go’s glass baby bottles so you don’t have to resort to the toxic bottles. For now, it’s uncertain as to what level BPA becomes unsafe, but it’s better to avoid it than to take the risk.

Do you stop at a coffee shop on your way to work? Maybe you get a to-go cup at a drive thru. Regardless of your method for getting coffee, you are probably consuming and disposing of a large amount of paper cups. According to a study by Good Earth Coffee, 67% of people at a coffee shop admitted to throwing their paper cups in the garbage. While you might be getting your energy for the day in a handy portable cup, you are only adding to the trash in landfills.

Purchasing a cup of coffee on your way to work is convenient, but if you add up all of the times you buy coffee, you might realize that you can potentially save $500 to $1,000 a year depending on what kind and how much coffee you buy. A simple solution to prevent this unnecessary waste and out of pocket expense is to brew your coffee at home. Many coffee makers come with timers, which can be set so your coffee starts brewing before you wake up. Then all that is left to do is pour the coffee in a tall thermos, and you can probably drink a few cups of coffee instead of just one. You can also go a step further by purchasing organic coffee beans that are packaged in eco-friendly containers.

If you choose to continue purchasing coffee on your way to work, make an attempt to recycle your paper cup so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill. However, some paper cups are coated in a plastic that is not recyclable so check with the coffee shop and make sure the cups can be recycled.

The next time you decide to buy and not brew your coffee, also keep in mind that it takes approximately 20 years for a paper cup to decompose in a landfill. Make an effort to reduce your coffee purchases and see the difference that it makes in your wallet when you decide to brew coffee at home. Brewing at home can preserve the environment and save you money every year.

The last thing anyone wants to see is slime pouring out of the tap. But increasingly this happens when the water is turned on. Algae is clogging freshwater intakes and presenting serious problems. On the west coast of Canada - known for its abundant water resources - there have been a number of cases reported over the past few years.

Algae are tiny aquatic plants, ranging from microscopic to massive colonies. Since they are photosynthetic, algae need sunlight, keeping them to surface waters. There are thousands of species, including green and blue-green algae as well as diatoms and flagellates.

The most recent examples are communities in northern around Cluculz and Tachik Lakes. Unfortunately, the culprits are cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green , that may contain neurotoxins or hepatotoxins - making it particularly important to avoid drinking affected water. Luckily, decomposing algae also stink, making it a little harder to mistakenly swallow. Boiling the water doesn’t . Animal poisonings have been attributed to lethal doses of these organisms.

The Internet is easily the greatest information resource humanity has ever had at its disposal. Social networking sites like Facebook have brought together old friends like nothing else before it, Google allows us to find anything we need in seconds and Wikipedia has single handily made the encyclopedia obsolete. The Internet is also helping the environment through the many websites that offer to help the environment in exchange for a click, like FreeRice.com, or a credit card payment, like Trees for the Future.

is a great website that is helping to clean up the air we breathe through their commitment to plant 400 trees for every $40 that is sent to them. My wife and I have already done this as part of , and it is something everyone should do if they have the money.

There are many issues to consider when planning your retirement. It’s supposed to be a relaxing time in your life when you don’t have to worry about money or working. While you do need a break from the 9 to 5 schedule, you might find that a few weeks of doing nothing is more boring than refreshing. Consider a green retirement so you can find a place that meets your needs and doesn’t cause you to increase your consumption.

Some people have a completely new destination in mind when they plan for their retirement. Florida, California and other beach destinations are common. However, if you relocate to a place that is far from your original home, you will have to drive or fly to see family and friends. While you might be happy in your beach house, you will increase your energy consumption.

For years you have been driving yourself to and from working and running errands. Retirement is the perfect time to surrender the steering wheel to someone else so you can be carted around. Look at cities that have public transportation or think about moving to a city where you can walk to stores and restaurants.

Now is also the time to eat healthier foods and shop in a more frugal and informed manner. Since you have the time, take the time to buy locally grown crops and organic food. Not only will it help to preserve your health, it will also help support local farms.

After you lie on the couch for a week, have lunch with friends and do whatever else you please, you might find yourself bored and wondering what to do with yourself. Keep in mind that even though you are retired, it doesn’t mean you can’t still try to make a difference in the world. Contact animal shelters or environmental organizations to see if you can volunteer your time. Getting out of the house will do you good. Plus, volunteering is less demanding than the full-time job you used to have.

Living an environmentally friendly lifestyle is possible into your retirement years, and it actually becomes easier since you have more time and energy to put into caring for the planet.