Green Update of the Week:

Looks like even more big businesses are jumping on the "Going Green" bandwagon.  For example, Reynold Wrap now has a 100% post-consumer/industrial recycled aluminum foil.  Yep, that's right...  100% recycled and aside from their atrociously themed green-on-green launch website, it looks like this is legitimate.

Why is this big news?  Come on... a household name like "Reynolds Wrap" is activly promoting recycled material-based products.  And they are doing it with great gusto.  Coupons, new commercials, even enlisting Sara Snow to really get things going.  Even better, the suggested price is $0.50 less than the standard foil.  That means they aren't actually trying to gouge you into paying more for something "Green".  Instead they are actually passing some of the savings on to you!

OK. I've been on a green kick recently, so lets keep it going!  I've mainly been focusing on tech and cool gadety things, but there's another side to living Green.  Reusing items or using current items for more than one purpose.  So, lets focus on something simple to start with.  Vodka.

10.  Spit-Shine Your Knobs and Things

A very easy way to make your bathroom fixtures, mirros, porcelain, etc shine like new is to simply moisten a towel with a bit of vodka and rub it down.  That's it.

9.  Shake off the Scent

Yep, you read that right.  Are you clothes a bit....  gamey?  Try spritzing them with vodka then hang in a very well ventilated area.  The vodka will kill off the offending bacteria and is scentless when dry.

8. Stop the Itch of Poison Ivy

What's worse than being out at a picnic and accidentially brushing up against poison ivy?  Well... OK, there is THAT.  However, vodka is a very strong cleanig agent and will easily take care of the Poison Ivy oils that cause the itching rash.  So, there's ALWAYS  a reason to take vodka on a picnic right?

7. Help Relieve the Pain of Jellyfish Without Having to Relieve Yourself

Sweet!  Now you don't have to have that story about how you had to get someone to relieve themselves on various parts of your body because you wanted to go swimming with that blob of goo.  Yep, just pour on the vodka and no more "This one time, in Aculpoco..." sotries!

6. Shoo-Fly Treatment

Don't like mosquitos, biting flies, gnats, etc.?  Well, just spritz yourself with some vodka!  Besides of being known as the best vodka shooter in the area, you'll also keep yourself free of those annoying little buggers that we all hate.

5.  Flower Power

OK, so you need a little bit more than JUST vodka for this one.  Daily treatments of a few drops of vodka and a spoonful of sugar will keep your cut flowers alive longer than it takes your boyfriend to knock over the vase.

4.  Punch Up Your Do

OK, who knew that a shot of vodka in the shower(ok 12 oz of shampoo) can make your hair healthier and shinier?  I know I didn't , but apparently this works very well.

3. Banish Mold

This one should be fairly obvious after the clothes de-stink spray.  However, vodka is an excellent destroyer of mold as well as bacteria.  Double wammy!

2. Create a Tincture

All you naturalists out there who know just what herbs and flowers can do, just drop some in a jar, top off with vodka, and place in the Sun to warm and diffuse the oils for three days.  Strain through a filter(coffee, etc), and you now have your very own ticture!

1. Sooth A Toothache

Well, other than the immediate "Sweet! How many shots?" this is actually kind of interesting.  Swish warm vodka around in your mouth.  The vodka will once again kill the bacteria, and the anelgesic properties of vodka will aslo numb the area.

Swallowing optional

Hey everyone, I stumbled across a cool little device that's allowing plants to ask for more water when they need it!  Well, OK.  The plants themselves aren't asking for water, but the device detects when they are low on water and sends out a text message to ask for more.  So, here's the little bugger.

Tiny little guy right?  Well, according to Discovery Channel, this little guy can detect when a plant is low on water, and when it is?  Well, it sends a text message to the farmer to let him know what's going on.  Is that cool or what?

So, what does this get us?  Well, conservation of course!  How nice for a farmer would it be to know exactly when your crops need water?  Instead of spraying the water on a schedule or having to go out and check every day, the crops tell you immediately when they need water.  Espescially in the Western USA, this could be a huge savings for farmers.  How?  Well, the water for crops out west generally comes from aquifiers and those have to be drilled and maintained.  Don't forget about the diesel or electricity required to run the pumps.  This could save thousands of gallons of water per year, and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on energy.

That's all well and good(hell, very good).  But this technology was originally developed by NASA for future maned space missions to the Moon and Mars.  If you think water is expensive out West, how expensive do you think it is in space?  Next to oxygen, its the most valuable resource once you leave the planet.  This tech can reduce the waste of unneeded watering and time to monitor plants.  The scientists initially estimated a 10-40% reduction in water consumption!

With the ever approaching fervor of the SmartGrid, there's one thing that is yet to be truly settled, and it effects every consumer, energy producer, and power-related companies at once.  What's worse, this all encompasing vapor is due to be solidified in the next few weeks... maybe a long as two months.