“Your Green Promise” Monthly Eco-Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Your Green Promise. Below you’ll find links to new articles this month. In addition, you’ll find some timely tips, green events and new eco-friendly products. Don’t be shy...spread the word. When you do, be sure to ask: “What’s your green promise?”


		Beginner’s Guide to Going Green, Part 2: Reduce Conservation is key to saving the Earth’s precious resources. In part two of a five-part series on how to get started living a green lifestyle, we examine waste, food, water and energy along with some simple changes that can reduce our global impact. read more...

		Go Green on Halloween Orange and black aren’t the only colors that deserve a little recognition this time of year. Throwing a little green into your Halloween has never been easier. What a great opportunity to teach your children and the neighborhood kids about the ecological importance of our choices. read more...

		An Apple a Day, Minus the Spray It’s apple season so reach for this nutritious snack, but not before reading why it is so important to choose organic. Conventional apples are typically coated in harmful pesticides ranking them second worst in conventional produce. read more...

		The Price Chicagoans Pay to Pollute the Earth with Water Bottles: 10 Cents Chicago is pushing to put a tax on water bottles to help curb usage while earning some green for Mayor Daley’s green city. Considering both the toxic load and the environmental hit, we couldn’t agree more. read more...

		The Sweet Scent of Phthalates An estimated 75% of households use air fresheners, and the U.S. lags behind other countries in consumer safety issues. Learn about the risks they pose and what you can do instead to keep a healthy home. read more...

Enough to Make Charlie Brown Say “AUGH!!!!”
It’s autumn and that means piles of leaves. Did you know that using an out-dated leaf blower for just 30 minutes pumps out as much harmful emissions as a car traveling 2,000 miles? Leaf blowers account for 10 tons of carbon emissions each year. Get a traditional workout and rake your leaves instead. If you do, be sure to compost: bagging will load the landfills and burning will just spew harmful pollution. Better yet: mulch them into your lawn for a natural nitrogen boost.

Fall Harvest
If you live in a cool climate, now is the perfect time to sow some seeds for a fall harvest of cold-hardy crops. Veggies that like the cooler weather include spinach, kale, chard, collards, lettuce and peas, just to name a few. Check out Gardens Alive! for organic seeds and a bounty of environmentally-friendly products.

Step It Up November 3
On November 3rd, Americans will demand real leadership on global warming. From coast to coast, we’ll rally in our communities and invite our politicians to join us. We’ll see who rises to the occasion and who has a real plan to tackle the defining challenge of our time. One year before the election, let’s make sure the world witnesses our national call to action.

San Francisco Green Festival November 9-11
Parties with a purpose: more than 200 visionary speakers and 400 green businesses, great how-to workshops, green films, yoga and movement classes, green career sessions, organic beer and wine, delicious organic cuisine and live music. Green Promise attended the Chicago Green Festival...if you can make San Fran, you won't be sorry!

product spotlight

Garden's Alive WOW! Supreme is a natural safe pre-emergent weed controller. Say good bye to crabgrass, dandelions, and other broadleaf weeds while feeding your lawn a balanced, all-natural fertilizer. It reduces germination of dandelions and other broadleaf weeds by as much as 90% with twice yearly applications. WOW! Supreme stops grassy weeds such as crabgrass from emerging and provides nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and other nutrients that grass needs for strong root growth, stress resistance and a beautiful green appearance. Fall and spring applications are recommended.

Sigg Water Bottles: Eco-friendly Swiss designed re-usable aluminum water bottle. Here's your chance to re-use and lighten the burden on our land fills. This bottles pays for itself after 10-15 uses and the designs are so cool that you'll have a hard time choosing just one.

Rechargeable batteries will save you tons of money in addition to creating a more sustainable future by not polluting our environment with toxic heavy metals from disposable batteries. Green Batteries has a wide selection of rechargeable batteries to choose from.

Endangered Species Bug Bites are made with organic-certified, shade-grown, Fair Trade smooth milk chocolate with 52% cocoa content. The dark chocolate squares are certified vegan, kosher and ethically traded.

Beehive Glass Beeswax Candle: The all natural, paraffin and toxin free Vitality candle has a lemongrass-grapefruit scent that is refreshing and stimulating, blended from pure essential oils. This combination has been known to alleviate stress and depression. Made in the USA.