Earth Friendly

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is a beautiful location in the West Indies. SGS Asset Management is a company that is located here. This area is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas, and in July 2005, it had a population of 42,696 people.

Christopher Columbus came across Nevis in 1498 and named it San Martin. This location is full of freshwater and hot volcanic springs, which make these islands incredibly pleasing to the eye. Other than SGS Asset Management, this area is booming with business, especially in agriculture (bananas, yams, sweet potatoes, sugar products), textiles and drinks.

In order to help the environment, sometimes you have to help yourself out first. So when is the last time you got back to your spiritual roots? RENEW International is a Roman Catholic ministry dedicated to spiritual renewal.

Over the past three years, RENEW International has helped 25 million people in over 23 countries. If you’re more of a humanitarian, consider volunteering for an organization like this.

There are over 150 diocese of RENEW International in the United States, and they all have the same goal, which is met through programs that they plan every year. How do you see yourself making a positive impact on the world? Maybe it’s through helping one person at a time, or you might need to take step back and look at yourself first.

Could you use an extra $200? Bright Hub is giving ten lucky winners a $200 Visa card. Just imagine if you won…you could buy eco-friendly light bulbs for your home, purchase a fancy composting bin or you could always pay the bills. An added plus is that you can also sign up to receive Bright Hub’s newsletters…make sure you select the green living topic.

Three early bird winners will be announced on May 15th, and the remaining seven will be selected on June 15th. So don’t forget to enter the sweepstakes, and if you send the entry to your friends, you receive an extra entry for each friend who signs up.

Fresh cut flowers make a wonderful centerpiece and gift, but usually they can only be enjoyed for a couple of days before their stems start to droop. This is one of the many reasons why potted plants and trees are a better option. However, if you prefer a fresh Mother’s day flower arrangement from 1800flowers or a colorful centerpiece for your dinner party, there are ways to make the flowers last longer.

First, place the flowers in a clean vase after you have removed the leaves from the stem and fill the vase with lukewarm water (removing the stems will prevent the flowers from rotting). Over the next three days, remember to add the florist’s flower food (this usually comes with your flowers in a small packet). Also, changing the water every few days helps too. Lastly, place the flowers in a cool room away from the sun or heat.

Keeping these simple steps in mind can keep your beautiful Mother’s day flower display or party arrangement fresher so you can enjoy them longer.

This is probably the cutest picture I have ever taken of an animal. This bear was fast asleep in its habitat at the Pittsburgh zoo. If you look closely, you will see that the bear was so much in dreamland that he didn’t even care about drooling in front of the public. Bears are powerful creatures, and if you ever go camping in bear country, you better make sure you don’t leave any food out. Bears are curious creatures who love food, but they are wild and can become aggressive if you get near their cubs or pose a threat.

Please send any of your eco pics to CatsEyeEditing@yahoo.com so I can continue this weekly posting. Thanks!

If you always find yourself looking for content, products and services that have an environmental focus and are dedicated to sustainability, check out a new site called PosiPeople . This site is committed to “highlighting good apples.” You can register for free and vote on or submit websites that provide the best information when it comes to the environment, energy, healthy living, etc. You can also find out what sites, services and products are most popular among the PosiPeople members. So broaden your horizons and check out all of the wonderful websites, products and services that PosiPeople highlights on their easy to navigate, community-driven forum.

Since I’m a writer, I enjoy reading and have to do a lot of it in order to keep up on what’s going on in the world. I’ve been hearing a lot about a new piece of technology called the Amazon Kindle. It’s a wireless reading device, and you can download books wherever you are and read them without having to hassle with a paperback or hard cover book. This is a environmentalist’s dream, because you can significantly reduce your paper consumption if you are an avid readers. Plus, the Kindle books, even new ones, are about half the original price since printing costs are not included. Check it out, and if you want to buy one, get $50 off by using the following promotion code: OPRAHWINFREY. Do keep in mind that this offer ends Nov. 1.

I think this is a crocodile, which I took a picture of when I was at the Pittsburgh zoo this summer. Alligators have U-shaped jaws while crocodile’s jaws are V-shaped, and crocodiles have an olive tone to their skin. Both reptiles have sensory glands along their jaws, which enables them to determine the water pressure and find prey. Another interesting fact is that saltwater crocodiles are more aggressive than alligators.

Please send in your eco pics to CatsEyeEditing@yahoo.com. They can be pictures showing your unique takes on recycling, composting, etc., or they can show the beauty of nature and animals.

The world is changing drastically, and it will take time before the economy is stable again. So what are you doing to do to help you save enough money for retirement and to send your children to college? Below are some ways that can help you reduce your spending and help you save.

1. Stay at home when it comes to eating and entertaining. Drinking and eating out is costly, but you can make your home into your new party central.
2. Split your driving time in half by speaking with your supervisor about working from home.
3. Limit how much you shop for yourself. Do you really need new clothes? Do you need a new video game or DVD?

When you change your lifestyle and live within your means, you will find the money you need for retirement, college, business materials, etc.

 Kangaroos are the largest living marsupials. They live in Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea. I took a photograph of this kangaroo when I visited the Pittsburgh zoo. Their facility is setup so that people can walk through the kangaroo’s habitat. You walk side by side with these tall creatures. It was a hot day when I visited, so many of the kangaroos were just lying down and relaxing.

Send in your eco-pics to CatsEyeEditing@yahoo.com. This will enable you to share your experiences with other like-minded people. Pics should relate to the environment in some way, but they can be funny, sad, informative, etc.