It's that time of the year where everyone you know is getting sick. The cold and flu viruses are running rampant, and no one seems to be spared from their wrath. Whether your symptoms are mild to severe, there's no hiding the fact that you want to start feeling better and quickly.

It may seem the obvious idea to take a lot of cold medicine, but not only are those OTC medications not the greatest for your body in the long run (acetaminophen is common in many of these medications), they also come with a heft carbon footprint from production and packaging, on top of the fact that they can be pretty costly. Here are some at-home remedies for your symptoms that are friendly for your body, the planet, and your wallet.

Steam is a great way to un-congest your sinuses and lungs. When you take a shower, light a few candles in the room. This creates more steam than the water itself generates, and can help loosen up your sinuses. Also, inhaling the steam from a mug of tea serves two purposes; the steam will help your sinuses, and then drinking the tea will help keep you hydrated. One of the biggest reasons colds stick around is because the person isn't adequately hydrated.

If your symptoms include stomach aches, drink warm tea with ginger. Either cook ginger chunks down and put them in your tea, or purchase organic teas with ginger already included. Ginger is all natural, and has proven to be a natural way to prevent and stop nausea. You can also get organic ginger supplements from a local grocer or Co-Op and take a pill with some water, and it will help to settle your stomach.

Be aware of what you're putting in your body. When people are sick, they tend to stick with comfort foods. This may help you feel better mentally, but if you're eating a lot of salt, fat, or caffeine, that can be making your illness worse. Stick with all-natural fruits and vegetables, broths, and teas.

Also, be sure to get a lot of sleep. Your body fights illness and heals itself the most effectively when it is asleep. Taking melatonin, a supplemental pill that is derived from the chemical our bodies produce naturally, can help you fall asleep and stay asleep, and is not habit forming.

With these tips, and a little rest and TLC, you can be on your way to conquering your cold or flu. It is still easy and practical to live green and sustainably while fighting off bacteria and viruses. Once you're healthy again, you can keep working on getting our planet feeling healthy, too.

For human beings and planet Earth, the most important number is 350.  Why is that?  Recent scientific studies and updates have told us that there will be dire consequences if we cannot reduce the carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere to 350 parts per million.  How can we do that?  Well, the first step is to visit 350.org and become a part of the movement and spread the word, and then take part in A Global Day of Action which is October 24th, 2009.

350.org is a website that is getting the word out about the "red line for human beings" and how we all need to work together to make sure we can achieve a common goal of reducing carbon emissions.  They have gotten 48 countries to support the cause, and you can help, too.  From their website you can send an e-postcard to everyone you know and tell them how important this movement is.

Their event, A Global Day of Action, is gaining steam.  The website features an open invitation from Bill McKibben, stating the importance of getting the world leaders and organizations to work together to help reduce our carbon emissions.  You can register an event for your community that will take place on October 24th.

If you want to start an event in your area, but need more information or just want to do a little background research, their website features a lot of answers to frequently asked questions under the Understanding 350 section.  They answer questions like why October 24th, and what the number 350 really means and what the consequences are of passing that number.

October 24th isn't that far away, and if you want to start an event in your community, you need to get started planning now.  If you're not capable of starting an event, start spreading the word.  E-mail your friends, family and co-workers about 350 and A Global Day of Action.  Something as simple as sending an e-card is enough to get people thinking, which can motivate them to do something.  If we work together, we can win the fight towards lowering carbon emissions and healing our planet.

Click 'continue...' below to watch their inspiring short animation.

We just found a great website called Evidence Of Humanity.  They publish stories on their website that are positive, inspiring, and motivating to show the things that people are doing to make this world a better place not just for themselves, but for everyone.  The site is sectioned into Great Stories, Take Action, and Resources.

Great Stories tells all about groups, individuals and organizations, and what they are doing to make the world better.  There are many sub-groups within Great Stories, so if you want to know more about human rights, arts, service, or sustainability, you can find those particular stories easily.  The stories are also great reading, giving you more than just a short synopsis on each group that's being profiled.

The Take Action section gives you the choice of linking to Special Programs, or Volunteering.  The Programs are developed and managed by Evidence of Humanity, and there are currently three programs under development.  The volunteer section helps you figure out the best way to support and promote Evidence of Humanity, by either sending out e-mails to your friends and family to downloading a .pdf to place around your town or university.

Under Resources you can find a large list of websites, groups, and support networks to almost anything you'd need to improve the world.  This section is broken up similar to the Great Stories one, with many sub-groups so you can easily find just what you're looking for.  Want to find out about sustainability resources?  Just click on Sustainability on the left hand side and you're rewarded with a long link of organizations devoted to just that.

There are a lot of things that can be done to improve our world, and it's always refreshing and motivating to hear positive stories of others doing the same thing.  Sometimes it can be a tough journey, and you may question how many others are working as hard or as long.  Evidence of Humanity reminds us that everyone can work towards a better Earth, and that the road may be tough but is ultimately the most rewarding.

There is a debate currently raging in the hunting world: should there be a switch to "green" bullets?  Green bullets are ones that do not use lead, which is proven to be hazardous to humans and the environment.  There are people in the hunting community that say there is no reason not to switch to green bullets, and that the benefits of doing so are great.  There are others that say that it is not worth it, since the lead-free bullets can be more expensive or harder to find. 

There are some bullet manufacturers that are using copper instead of lead, and are seeing an increase in their non-lead ammunition sales.  Big name manufacturers, like Winchester and Remington, are also jumping on the green band wagon and are now producing greener alternatives to lead bullets.

Not only are shooting ranges banning lead bullets from being used, but some states are making it policy to discontinue them.  California is one such state, where they have banned lead bullet use in areas of the state where there is wildlife reserves.  The Condor, an endangered animal, lives in these areas and is known to eat the scrap bullets left behind.  Lead is extremely dangerous and poisonous, and could be contributing to the rising number in death of these animals.

Lead bullets can also poison the meat of the animal shot.  If you hunt with lead bullets and shoot an elk to feed your family, the lead in the bullet can leach, which can make your family sick after eating the meat.

Regardless of how you feel about hunting, everyone can agree that there needs to be less lead being used in products that we come in contact with.  If it is something that is dangerous to the environment, wildlife and ourselves, it needs to be removed.  Lead has been proven over and over to be hazardous, and there needs to be a demand to stop its use.

(Original CNN article)

As the weather gets warmer, plans for traveling start to unfold.  Spring and summer months mean trips for yourself, whether with friends or family.  You may be wondering how you can plan your trips and vacations while still keeping it eco-friendly and sustainable.  Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind.

Stay close to home
The farther away you travel, the more gas will be used, either by plane or in the car.    Find a town or city nearby where you haven't been before, and check the area out.  If you can get there and back in a tank of gas, that's better.  This will also save you a lot of money.

Find a green hotel and stay sustainably
There are a lot of eco-friendly hotels out there, and you can find out by doing a little research online before getting there.  Find out if the hotel uses compact fluorescent bulbs, and what their laundry policy is.  If you're there for a 3-day stay, you don't need your sheets changed every night nor do you need new towels each day.  Use bar soap instead of body wash in bottles, and don't leave the air conditioner running when you're not in the room.

Eat locally
Instead of hitting up fast-food joints on your vacation, pick up local fruits and vegetables from grocery stores and have a picnic instead.  That way you'll have a taste of an area, while you're out enjoying it, instead of a taste of a corporate chain.  You'll also generate less waste and save money.

Walk when possible
If you're visiting somewhere that doesn't require a car to get around, walk to get to where you want to go.  You'll see more of an area that way, and you'll use less gas doing it.  If you do need to hitch a ride, try out the local public transport instead.  Many cities will offer you daily or weekly passes for their bus and subway systems.  Living like the locals will give you the best taste of the place you're visiting.

Buy carbon offsets
Figure out the carbon footprint of your vacation, and buy carbon offsets to balance it out.  From the gas used to get there, to the electricity used in the hotel room, to the waste you'll accumulate.

There's no reason not to make sustainable choices while you're on vacation.  A lot of these choices are the same you'd make at home, so carry the habits with you elsewhere.  They'll also help you save some dough, which will be nice when you want to splurge on something in a storefront window that caught your eye.

If you're an avid reader, and trying to live green, you may be stuck with a small dilemma.  That dilemma is how to keep your reading habits eco-friendly.  So does that mean you stop buying books printed on paper and only read online?  Or does it mean that you just stop reading?  Depending on how much you read and what, the answer could be either one.  Well, here is a look into three popular methods of reading and how eco-friendly they are, to help you figure it out.

Books printed on paper
There are so many books out there that are printed every day, and many just sit on bookstore or library shelves.  How eco-friendly is that?  The process of printing, binding and shipping books brings with it a medium-sized carbon footprint, and if the paper has been bleached and the ink is chemically-based, then the footprint is higher.  On top of that footprint, figure out your use of the object.  If you buy the book, and only read it once, then it is just wasting potential on your shelf.  While the act of reading these kinds of books takes no energy (other than from your body), they can be more eco-friendly than some of the other options mentioned below.

Electronic reading devices
There is an emerging market out there for electronic reading devices, like Amazon's Kindle 2.  It is a hand-held device that features a large screen and keyboard, and you download what you want to read onto the device.  Now, how eco-friendly is this?  It does cut down the paper and ink used in traditional book printing, but it requires a battery to run.  The Kindle 2 allows you to read for "days without charging" but it still emits a carbon footprint.  While you're charging it, there is the extra energy being used from your home.  When you are using the device, it still emits a carbon footprint.

Audio-books
Audio-books are evolved from the bulky cassette packs they used to be to CDs or small downloadable .MP3s.  You can put audio-books on your iPod and carry them with you, or listen to them in the car.  While audio-books, like electronic reading devices, use less paper and ink, they still take energy.  If you listen to CDs or tapes at home or the car, that's extra energy input and a larger carbon footprint.  If you listen to them on an iPod or MP3 player, then you still have a carbon footprint based on the battery life and charging required to run that device.  Also, if you only listen to them once, you have the media sitting around on your shelf, not reaching it's full life potential.

While there is no obvious answer as to which is greener, there are still things you can do to make sure you are making the greenest choices.  If you are unsure about a story or a new author, check out the book from the library first.  If you really like it, then buy the book.  If you think it is something you'll read more than once, it's worth having in your library.  If you have books already that you will never read again and don't feel like keeping in your collection, give them new life by donating them to a charity store, or sell them back to a local bookstore.  Part of living sustainably is to get the most of of what you own, and having a book sit on a shelf is not letting that book get its full potential.  Also, be sure to check if the books you're buying are printed with natural inks and recycled paper.   If you prefer an electronic device like the Kindle 2 or an MP3 player over traditional books, use them sparingly.  Be aware of the charges that are held, and do not charge them during peak energy times.

Reading is a rich and fulfilling hobby, and when you make green choices to compliment your reading habits, it can be rewarding to Mother Earth as well as your mind.

There are many different butter brands available in stores, either salted or unsalted, creamy or spreadable, that it can be hard to find something that is just good, simple, and friendly for the environment.  Butter in the grocery generally comes with four individually wrapped portions, inside a cardboard box.  Those wrappers are normally wax paper, and are unable to be recycled.  If you go through a lot of butter in your household, that also means a lot of waste.  Here is a simple recipe to make your own butter at home, which will not only save you from that waste, but also save you some money.

This recipe allows for a lot of creativity and experimentation.  Make a starter batch to see how it turns out, and then add different herbs to make your butter unique and delicious.

To start, put in 1-2 cups of heavy whipping cream into a stainless steel bowl or stand-mixer bowl.  Add 1-2 pinches of salt (optional).  Beat the cream on medium high speed with a whipping attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically.  Whip the cream until you get "soft peaks" and keep going until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes and is slightly yellow. 

After one more minute of whipping, the cream will get grainy and more yellow, and liquid will separate into the bottom of the bowl.  Turn your mixing speed down to medium or low.  As it lumps together, buttermilk will start to pool.  Remove the buttermilk and use it for baking, or making homemade ranch.  Place your lump of butter into a clean bowl, run a little water over it and knead it with your hands for a few minutes.  Change out the water every few minutes until it runs clear.

Put your butter in wax paper and put it in the refrigerator.  You can also put it in ice cube molds so it's already in pads, or in silicone baking molds.  This is also where you could stir in dried herbs.

Making your own butter at home can be a fun family project.  On top of the benefits of being eco-friendly, it is also friendly on the wallet.  You'll cut down the carbon footprint on your butter by making it at home, since you won't have all the wrapping and cardboard, as well as the cooling and shipping costs.  You will also have butter that isn't filled with preservatives and chemicals to make it last longer.

Earth Day is quickly approaching, and people around the globe are getting ready to celebrate in different ways. There are people organizing recycling and clean up efforts for their city, and others will use the day to get the word out about living sustainably. There are so many events out there to celebrate Earth Day, and its hard to know what to do. Here is one event happening before Earth Day to get your gears turning that will be simple, easy, and can be done all over the world: Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is an event taking place before, which is Saturday March 28th. The event is incredibly easy. All you do for Earth Hour is turn off your lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 PM. The event is global, so Earth Hour will be different in each time zone.  Whenever 8:30 PM starts where you live, that's when you turn your lights out. You can go so far as to turn off all electricity during the hour, but the main goal of the campaign is just the lights.

This event is being promoted by a number of venues, from Esurance (the car insurance company that promotes a number of green programs) to the World Wildlife Fund. There is a website for people in the United States that allows you to pledge to turn off your lights during that hour. The website also has a section for kids, so you can explain what Earth Hour is and get the whole family involved and excited. Earth Hour US even has a that you can follow with informative links.

In years prior, there were global events where people were encouraged to turn off their lights at the same time for one minute. This was great in theory, but a minute is not enough. Earth Hour is different, since the time the lights are off is much longer, which means a more noticeable difference in energy uses.

So what can you do during that hour with no lights? Light candles and share stories with your family and friends, or have a romantic dinner. If you really want to dedicate yourself, turn off your lights for the hour before or after Earth Hour, or even leave them off for the whole day.

Get your friends involved, and spread the word about Earth Hour.  Together we can make a statement about the reckless energy consumption going on around the planet, and that we demand a change.