Pollinators like bees are critical to our world’s food supply, and their numbers are dwindling. What can we do to help save the bees?

We rely on bees to pollinate over 30 percent of our food crops, but Colony Collapse Disorder threatens the world bee population and the future of our food supply. Plants like apples, avocados, squash, cucumbers, and many other food plants that we commonly eat need pollinators in order to grow.

Luckily, it’s not all gloom and doom! Here are some ways that you can take action right now to help the dwindling bee population.

1. Don’t spray pesticides. Pesticides are a major culprit in Colony Collapse Disorder, and the best way to help bees is to stop spraying the stuff!
2. Buy organic. Support organic farmers who use natural farming methods that are bee-friendly.
3. Don’t support industrial honey. Large-scale honey operations are more focused on output and profit than with the health of the bees. If you’re going to eat honey, make sure it comes from a small operation. You can often find small beekeepers at your local farmers market, and they’ll tell you all about their beekeeping adventures!
4. Plant a bee-friendly habitat. Pollinators need a place to pollinate, and by providing bee-friendly plants in your yard, porch, or window box, you give them a place to just be. Plants like fruit, herbs, melons, and even some trees can attract bees to your yard or garden.
5. Get heard! If we’re going to help save the bees on a large scale, we need to let decision-makers know how we feel. Check out this petition aimed at the EPA calling for a ban on pesticides that harm bee populations.

Related:

• Bee-Friendly Landscaping
• Four Tips for Bee Keeping
• Tale of an Urban Beekeeper

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by jurveston

Go Green

You may have heard that green tea is good for you but did you know that it has one of the most promising anticancer ingredients ever discovered?  No matter how much green tea information you have read, this has got to be the most amazing.

It seems to be down to the fact that it contains such powerful antioxidants, which fights the free radicals responsible for aging, among others.  According to the green tea information from the University of Kansas, green teas main antioxidant is 100 times more powerful than vitamin C and 25 times more potent than vitamin E.

The anticancer qualities come from the fact that it main antioxidant, EGCG, seems to stop cancer cells from duplicating. It is also known to help prevent heart disease, another huge benefit.

The reason it has such great antioxidant powers is the process used to obtain the tea. Green tea is steamed and then rolled, keeping all of its qualities as opposed to our more regular black teas which are fermented, therefore losing a lot of their goodness.

Other green tea information facts are that it lowers your bad or LDL cholesterol, which will help prevent your arteries hardening, and so help to prevent strokes.

Giving a boost to your immune system will help fight off those annoying colds and flu which seem to plague us more and more these days.

The list just goes on and on, including aiding weight loss by boosting your metabolism, but one of the most important factors is how you take it.

If you drink green tea, then it is recommended that you have 4-5 cups a day, preferably from leaves and not the inferior quality bags.

 Decaffeinated green tea is not recommended as recent green tea information shows us that the chemicals used to strip the tea of the caffeine can actually cancel any benefits of drinking the tea in the first place.

The most popular and beneficial way is to take green tea in extract form as part of a combined health supplement. The reason for this is synergy, one of the most important aspects of the green tea information provided here.

This means that when taken with other natural nutrients that it combines well with, like turmeric and olive leaf, the health benefits are greatly enhanced, compared with if you had only taken a tea supplement. Also green tea in supplement form is decaffeinated.

So there you have it, I hope this green tea information has opened your eyes even more to the power of this awesome little herb, and also how you can receive greatly enhanced benefits by taking it as part of a combined natural health supplement.

If you would like to learn more about the natural products which I personally take, including green tea extract, why not visit my website.

Green roofing have many environmental benefits such as, it reduces water runoff that occur with typical homes. It is also good for the community as too much runoff can result in flooding and water contamination. Green roofing are made of soil and plant life and are able to absorb as much as 75% of falling rain water. Through condensation this moisture is release back into the air.  Green roofing is also able to reduce the presence of toxins in the environment. The plants of the roof absorb the pollutants present in air and water and also the carbon-di-oxide to make the environment safe and clean. The plant produces oxygen that also makes the air free from contamination and impurities.

Green roofing is also an excellent investment as a properly installed green roof last at least twice as long as typical roofing material, thereby saving one’s repair and replacement costs. It also significantly reduces heating and cooling bills. Temperatures in cities are much higher than in surrounding areas because of prevalence of buildings in a small area. Built with traditional material these building absorb and redirect the sun’s heat making the cities much warmer than rural areas where there are less building and more green space. Many cities are offering incentives to builders for having green roofing to their buildings.

Basically there are two types of green roofs such as intensive green roofs and extensive green roofs. Intensive roof garden feature large plants or lawns and require a great deal of maintenance such as feeding, watering and soil care. Extensive roof garden has only a thin layer of soil and requires very little work to maintain. These kinds of green roofing are good for the environment and also pleasing to the eye. It not only providing positive impact on the environment but it is also increasing the value of one’s home.