How To: Why You Should Be Using Less-Refined Sweeteners Instead of Brown or White Sugar
As a species, our cells are designed to use sugar for energy. Is it any wonder that as humans evolved, we grew to love the taste of sugar?
Toxic Contamination Search Results
Opinion: Facebook's Big Smartglasses Mistake—Not Pairing Ray-Ban with Instagram Instead
One of the best recent outings in the Marvel universe is the animated series What If...?, which explores alternate universe takes on various superhero storylines that deliver fascinating scenarios if one single factor had been different in the story.
News: Bernie Sanders Presidential Inauguration Freezing Moment Spawns Meme-Worthy Snapchat Lens
The world of politics can sometimes get a little toxic, but with the new administration, there's already a bit of whimsy creeping back into the online meme space.
How To: Make a Simple Herbal Extract
Hello there, people. Today, I am going to show you how to extract the essence from a useful plant, using either alcohol or olive oil. This is how you take a plant and turn it into a useful (and preservable) medicine. For those of you who know nothing about herbal medicine, let me explain it for you in a nutshell...
News: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi ... All the Words You Need to Know to Understand Microbes
All fields of study have their own language. For people interested in learning about microbes, the language can sometimes be downright difficult — but it doesn't need to be. From antibiotics to xerophiles, we have you covered in an easy-to-understand glossary.
News: 48 HRs to Stop Monsanto! It takes 1 minute. Start Here!
Hi OLers. Take one minute out of your day and tell your congressman to get to work for you and Food Democracy NOW! Your congrassman has until the end of this week (48 hours) to sign the letter to ask Secretary Tom Vilsack to MAINTAIN the ban on Monsanto's genetically-modified (GMO) Roundup Ready™ alfalfa. You have the power to make the change, make your voice and theirs heard now. Send them this letter today asking them to do what they can to protect organics, farmers and the environment from...
How To: Deal with Toxic and Belligerent People
Unfortunately, toxic and belligerent people are not as avoidable as we would like for them to be. They show up in our work place, schools, neighborhoods—sometimes even within our own circle of friends and family members. The best we can do is minimize our interactions with them and plan for exit strategies to cut the conversation short. If an interaction is avoidable because the person is your boss or family member, then arm yourself with a few verbal defense moves to keep yourself from getti...
How To: Make Your Own Non-Toxic Dryer Sheets
While they may make your clothes smell fresh after a cycle in the dryer, commercial dryer sheets contain many harmful and toxic chemicals that have been linked to causing cancer.
News: Ukulele Cover of Britney Spears "Toxic" Takes YouTube by Storm
Ok, so you clicked through and there's no Britney Spears. I would have used an image of the mysterious Molly Lewis, aka, sweetafton23, but you can barely see her face in her ukulele cover of Britneys Spears' pop classic, "Toxic".
How To: Treat an open wound
To stop the bleeding and treat an open wound you need to do the following.First control the bleeding, prevent further contamination,immobilize injured part, and stabilize impaled object. Treat an open wound.
How To: Blow flames with corn starch
Safe, non-toxic method for fire breathing. We use no dangerous chemical. In fact, the fuel is food. Anybody - even you - can learn to blow fire balls. This is a great little party trick (well if it's an outdoor party). Everyone loves fire. Blow flames with corn starch.
News: Phthalate free plasticizers - New material development.
One of the things that has always bugged me while working with PVC is that it is, as it is presently produced, a poison. Well, OK, it's not, but it contains a lot of poisons. Phthalates are plasticizing agents that are super toxic, and these people are working to phase them out. PVC also, in its present form, contains lead. Certain chemists are learning how to use stabilized zinc and calcium instead. Also, chemists are learning how to synthesize the vinyl chloride monomer from HEMP! That mean...
How To: Your DIY Bug Repellent Guide to Common Household Pests
Contrary to popular belief, eliminating household pests from your home can be accomplished without completely bombing your living space with a mess of toxic fumes. Whether you have annoying fruit flies in the kitchen, fleas on your beloved pet or silverfish lurking around your bathroom, it is very likely that a DIY, non-toxic and super inexpensive solution exists for your household bug problem.
More Than Just Candles: 12 Practical, Surprising Uses for Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honeybees and can also be used for your home. Commonly associated with making your own DIY candles, beeswax is the perfect DIY product for making your own lip balm, non-toxic crayons, mustache wax, and more.
How To: 9 Surprisingly Toxic Foods
Tin cans have resin linings that contain bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been linked in animal lab testings to a number of ailments that include reproductive problems, heart disease, and obesity. Tomatoes are high in acidity, which means that the content of canned tomatoes eats away at the resin lining, which causes BPA to leach into what you eat. Long story short: avoid canned tomatoes at all costs.
How To: 9 Non-Toxic DIY Techniques for Killing Weeds in Your Garden
Got pesky weeds in your garden? Rather than stocking up on toxic weed killers from your local gardening store, you probably already have everything you need to kill weeds in your kitchen or living room.
How To: Make a Non-Toxic, Reusable Air Freshener to Keep Your Car Smelling Awesome
If you want to keep the inside of your car smelling awesome, don't buy commercial air fresheners. They contain toxic synthetic chemicals which can be harmful to your health.
How To: 5 DIY Mosquito Repellent Secrets
Want to avoid getting your blood sucked by annoying little insects without breathing in toxic bug spray? Below are 5 DIY ways to create mosquito repellents with 100 percent all natural ingredients to avoid that annoying summertime itch.
HowTo: Sneeze Properly
Sneezing is more than just a nuisance, it's a danger to the health of innocent bystanders. The amazing Richard Massingham, hypochondriac and master of PSA filmmaking, demonstrates how to sneeze properly, therefore preventing the spread of toxic germs.
How To: Handle a king cobra
Have an urge to handle a highly toxic snake? In this clip from the Discovery Channel series, "Hazard Pay," host Curt Doussett tries to handle a thirteen foot King Cobra snake named Elvis, and what happens next? He drops him. Maybe we should leave the snake handling to the professionals? Handle a king cobra.
How To: Play Blackbird by the Beatles (A Memorial Song for the Dead Birds in Arkansas)
Blackbirds are NOT singing in the dead of night. At least, not in Arkansas.
How To: Turn your brown grass green again without chemicals
Is your lawn looking a little grim lately? Well, no need to reach for toxic chemicals, check out this clip instead! In this tutorial, gardening specialist, Carl Grimm, shows you how to fix your lawn naturally and avoid all that yucky stuff that harms kids and pets. Follow along and go green (literally!) with your front yard for summer! Turn your brown grass green again without chemicals.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: URUSHIOL
URUSHIOL 61 points (11 points without the bingo) Definition: a toxic liquid [n]
How To: Normally Trashed Items That Are Actually Garden Gold
If you've got a knack for gardening and an inclination for recycling, then you need to know about these six garden hacks. Some of the trash inside your bathroom and kitchen is actually garden gold, so get your recycling hats on.
News: Heal the Bay's Interactive Beach Report Card
Heal the Bay does an excellent job at reporting and monitoring water quality in California. This interactive map will show you live information from their test sites down to the exact beach.
How To: Prepare yourself for a detox program
Detoxification is the removal of toxic substances from the body carried out naturally by organs like the liver and kidneys. However, you can aid these systems by cutting down on the toxins you ingest, and eating healthier foods for a short period of time. Before you get started on a detox diet you need to prepare yourself in a number of ways so let this video show you how! Prepare yourself for a detox program.
DIY Cat Repellent Spray: 3 All-Natural Recipes That Are Safe for Indoor & Outdoor Cats
Whether you want to prevent your cat from scratching up the couch or deter stray cats from using your front yard as their personal litter box, a DIY cat repellent spray can go a long way in keeping unwanted furry guests away.
How To: 8 Cleaning Products You Can Make on Your Own
For pretty much any commercial cleaning product you can think of, you can probably make your own DIY, non-toxic version for a small fraction of the retail price. As an example, you can whip up your own all-purpose surface cleaning solution by simply mixing together one part water and one part white vinegar in a spray bottle.
How To: Create Giant, Reusable Bubbles Out of Elmer's Glue & Liquid Starch
Creating giant, reusable bubbles at home is easy, and it's a fun project for children. Just dump a whole bottle of non-toxic Elmer's Clear School Glue into a bowl, add fine glitter and watercolors (or food coloring), and slowly mix together Sta-Flo Liquid Starch to form a pliable concoction.
How To: Get Rid of Emotional Vampires & Toxic Friends from Your Life
An emotional vampire is somebody who sucks the positive energy out of your life, in turn leaving you feeling drained afterwards. They can come in the form of a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor. Unlike real vampires who are out of sight during the daytime, emotional vampires can come into your life at any hour of the day to ruin your mood and undermine the parts of your life that make you you.
How To: 11 Green & Inexpensive DIY Solutions for Cleaning Your Toilet
In addition to unclogging your toilet using common household items, you can also clean and disinfect your toilet for cheap without ever having to use expensive and chemically-toxic toilet cleaners ever again.
How To: 29 Unexpected, Non-Food Items You Can Add to Your Compost Heap
Most people know that you can add vegetable peelings and egg shells to your compost heap, but did you know that you can also add nail clippings, human hair and pet hair?
How To: Make Your Own DIY Disinfecting Wipes
Do you use disposable wipes for cleaning dusty tables, dirty windows or removing make-up? Ditch the chemically-loaded store brands and make your own cheaper, non-toxic and super-easy DIY wipes at home.
How To: Make a Homemade, Non-Toxic Watercolor Painting Set Using the Stuff in Your Kitchen
Feeling creative but don't want to venture beyond your kitchen to buy art supplies? Using baking soda, white vinegar, food coloring, and other common kitchen staples, you can very easily mix together your own watercolor painting set and create different colors in the individual slots of a mini muffin tray or an ice cube tray.
How To: 12 NASA-Approved Houseplants for Improving Indoor Air Quality
Back in the '80s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America did a study where they discovered which houseplants were the most effective in purifying the air in space facilities. Though you may not be living in a rocket ship, you can definitely benefit from having one or more of these plants in your home.
How To: 12 Laundry Hacks for Washing & Drying Your Dirty Clothes
Is your favorite black T-shirt starting to look a little old? To restore a faded black fabric color to its former glory, add two cups of brewed coffee or black tea to your washer's rinse cycle.
How To: 13 Unexpected Uses for Vinegar You've Probably Never Heard Of
We all know that distilled white vinegar is great as a general non-toxic cleaning solution and for deodorizing funky smelling rooms, but did you know that vinegar is also great for curing hiccups, deterring ants from invading your home, relieving jellyfish stings, and testing the alkalinity of your garden soil?
How To: 12 Creative Ways to Reuse Old T-Shirts
Got a bunch of T-shirts you need to get rid of? Depending on how nostalgic you are for your high school choir club shirt or rock concert tee from your college days, you can cut up your former threads into a dishrag or gym headband.
News: Make Edible Lasers (Jell-O or Gin & Tonic Flavored)
Remember the glowing pickle? Well, here's another sci-fi food-oddity. Sounds entirely fictitious, but apparently you can make edible lasers.