Sustainability has become so ingrained into my life that sometimes I inadvertently assume everyone knows what I’m talking about.

My days are filled with issues such as Climate Change, renewable energy, recycling, LEED buildings, CO2 sensors, de-lamping and composting. The reason for this is because when I’m not writing for EcoSalon, I’m the communications specialist for sustainability at Boston University.

On my way to work last week I was listening to the radio, surfing between Lady Gaga and NPR when I heard the uber-clever green moniker AstroTurfing. Astroturfing, taken from the root AstroTurf (the artificial grass laid down on sports playing fields) refers to events or missions planned by an organization, but masked to appear as grass-roots efforts, which are built on passionate people dedicated to helping a cause.

Here are eight other terms everyone should know that are sure to turn you into an eco-expert:

1. Greenhouse Gas

Chemical compounds that contribute to the greenhouse effect. When in the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas allows sunlight (solar radiation) to enter the atmosphere where it warms the Earth’s surface and is reradiated back into the atmosphere as longer-wave energy (heat). Greenhouse gases absorb this heat and “trap” it in the lower atmosphere.

2. Global Warming

The current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is said to be approximately 385 ppm (parts per million). Before industrialization it was about 280 ppm. As stated in the U.S. Climate Change Conference data, analyses of air contained in ice from the Antarctic ice cap shows that there is far more CO2 in the air today than at any time in the last 650,000 years. The consequence is that the greenhouse effect is becoming stronger, and the earth is becoming warmer.

3. Greenwashing

Using environmental claims, which fall short, to sell a product. Check out the Greenwashing Index for the worst offenders.

4. Sustainability

In 1987, the Brundtland Report, also known as Our Common Future, defined sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

5. Phantom Energy

Also called Vampire power, this energy is taken from the grid when an appliance is plugged in but not being used. Think printers, cell phone chargers, TVs and computers. One easy way to stop this is by using a Smart Power Strip, which cuts off energy with the flip of one switch.

6. Carbon Footprint

The amount of carbon produced by an individual, organization, or location at a given time. Carbon footprint describes the environmental impact of carbon emissions, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

7. COP15

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, which takes place from December 7-18^th in Copenhagen, Denmark, will bring together world leaders to discuss the Climate Change Crisis and the Kyoto Protocol, which sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

8. LEED

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is an internationally-recognized building system aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Image: Vincent Boiteau

Being elected into The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is considered one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine. It recognizes those who’ve demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Earlier this month the IOM announced the names of 65 new members and five foreign associates who’ve made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. What’s especially interesting is that in order to assure diversity, they required that at least one-quarter of those selected be from outside of the health professions. They were chosen from such fields as the natural, social and behavioral sciences; law, engineering and the humanities.

We think that’s very “eco”.

This year, five of those selected are from the University of Southern California:

• Deborah Grady, MD, MPH is an international expert on menopause and the risks and benefits of postmenopausal hormone therapy. Grady has trained and mentored over 40 young researchers interested in women’s health. With colleagues at UCSF, she designed and conducted the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), a clinical trial of 2800 women with known coronary disease.

• Lawrence W. Green, DrPH specializes in population science research in cancer and other chronic diseases. In a current project, he’s looking at screening for colorectal cancer in the context of flu vaccine clinics. Once director of the Office of Health Promotion in the Carter Administration, he participated in the early development of the Healthy People Initiative, which since 1979 has continued to contribute to programs in health promotion and disease prevention. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he led international programs in tobacco control and national programs in community-based participatory research.

• Michael R. Harrison, MD is professor emeritus of clinical surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, and director emeritus, Fetal Treatment Center, UCSF Children’s Hospital. Harrison is internationally renowned for his expertise and innovation in pediatric and fetal surgery, and is author of more than 400 hundred peer-reviewed articles and several textbooks. He performed the first successful human fetal surgery for congenital diaphragmatic hernia and later for a number of other fetal anomalies. And he initiated the first National Institute of Health-sponsored clinical trials for fetal surgery. Harrison’s current research focuses on pediatric orphan device development.

• Sam Hawgood, MBBS is the dean and vice chancellor for medical affairs, UCSF School of Medicine. Hawgood has led the school in expanding research, fostering patient-centered care and furthering global health. He also directs a major NIH grant supporting a range of projects that seek a new understanding of lung biology and pulmonary diseases.

• Roger Nicoll, MD is a professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology and physiology. He’s renowned for his pioneering discoveries about the way the brain learns and remembers. Over several decades he’s shown that learning and memory occur when neural connections between nerve cells in the brain are strengthened. Nicoll’s research focuses on the brain’s hippocampus, which is severely damaged in Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding the chemistry of thought could enhance drug design for Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases of the brain.

Image: apdk

This September, The Nature Conservancy will launch the first controlled study of its kind to assess the impact of trawl fishing off California’s Central Coast-and you can be part of naming the new Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that will be gathering the data.

The nominations are:

• Beagle –Darwin’s famous ship. Did you know that it’s his 200^th birthday this year?
• Petrale Patrol – Our ROV has sole.
• Rachel Carson – An environmental legend and an inspiration.
• Rock Lobster – What is a sea robin, exactly?
• Nemo – In honor of our latest underwater adventure.

The ROV, which is referred to as an underwater robot that hovers above the seafloor, gathers high-resolution video and still photographs of marine life and habitats – vital data that will be used in the fight to save California’s threatened oceans. The research will focus on soft-bottom seafloor habitats. The species and habitats that are being studied are often found in areas far beyond the grasp of divers, making the ROV crucial in this study.

ROVs are also used by treasure hunters across the world, including the team that unearthed the Titanic. The Conservancy’s ROV is equipped with downward and rear-facing cameras, sonar and a maneuverable arm that can be piloted from the ship or follow charted paths to depths of 3,000 feet.

Data collected by the ROV can also be used to enhance other Conservancy efforts, such as partnerships with local fishermen to pioneer environmentally and economically sustainable fishing techniques.

The Conservancy’s ROV will also be employed to assist the California Department of Fish and Game; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Marine Applied Research and Exploration, and other partners who will  research and monitor deep-sea habitats in the Channel Islands Marine Protected Areas.

Spread the word by becoming a fan of the Nature Conservatory on Facebook.

Slowly but surely, Eastern medicine is gaining acceptance in the world of Western academia. Most recently, a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center has shown the powerful anti-nausea effects of ginger, the ubiquitous root that has played a significant role in Asian and Indian medicine since the 16^th century, on cancer patients. (The results were published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology.)

“Nausea is a major problem for people who undergo chemotherapy and it’s been a challenge for scientists and doctors to understand how to control it,” said Julie L. Ryan, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of Dermatology and Radiation Oncology at Rochester’s James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, and a member of Rochester’s Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base.

The study, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute, showed that patients can reduce post-chemotherapy nausea by 40 percent using ginger supplements along with standard anti-vomiting drugs before undergoing treatment. The Phase II/III placebo-controlled, double-blind study included 644 cancer patients who would receive at least three chemotherapy treatments.

More common uses for the wonder root include nausea and vomiting following surgery, during pregnancy, and motion sickness. For recommended doses, visit the University of Maryland Medical Center website.

Image: Crystl

I’ve learned the best way to find earth-friendly products at a discount is to surf the web. My most recent find: Ecobunga! A well-stocked portal of green deals, sweepstakes, coupons and downright free green goodies.

We link shoppers to great bargains and prizes while helping companies get the word out about their eco-friendly products and services, says their website.

After only a few moments I found deals on:

Seventh Generation products – buy one, get 50% off the second

Simple Shoes for as low as $10

40% off of a home wind generator system, and free shipping

10% off of the purchase of an electric bicycle from Currie Technologies

Bulk savings on Eden Organic Foods

Save a buck coupon for Knudsen Organic Juices

There are also contests to win items such as:

Sigg reusable bottle

A Ford Fusion car

Bamboo Sheets

Eco Mist cleaning products

The Modern Vegetarian Cookbook

Good luck, and let us know if you come up lucky!

Image: AMagill

Michael Jantzen takes my breath away. The 61-year-old sustainable designer visualizes structures like an uninhibited preschooler, then harnesses his nearly four decades of experience, allowing him to turn fantasy into function. His structures are the perfect place to do some work, read a book, practice yoga, have a dance party or meditate.

Jantzen’s latest creation is called The Revolutionarium, a space that he deems a new kind of solarium. The prefabricated modular, interactive, functional art structure, is designed to stimulate the creativity of its occupants, Jantzen says. It can also be used as a greenhouse.

At 26 feet in diameter, and 14 feet high, it will be constructed from sustainably-grown wood products, steel, and glass. Four wooden screens can be pulled around the cylinder in a myriad of combinations, allowing the user to control the amount of light and heat from the sun; screens can also be used to control privacy. Eleven windows around the top of the steel and glass cylinder can be opened for ventilation.

If you want to power up your computer, electrical power can be supplied by a small, vertical-axis wind turbine. Photovoltaic solar cells can also be added to supplement the turbine. Energy captured will be stored in a series of batteries housed beneath the floor.

The Revolutionarium shown here is fitted with a movable center desk and chair structure that supports several computers. There’s also a specially designed light and ceiling fan combination mounted above the desk.

Remember the tree house growing up? Well life’s just gotten a whole lot better.

Sure, the iPhone can store information like credit card data and bank account information (Spb Software, Inc.), and give users the ability to watch TV (SlingPlayer Mobile), play air hockey (Touch Hockey FS5) and jam on a set of drums (Drum FX Pro). But the iPhone can also help you live more sustainably. We’ve trolled the web to unearth the best iPhone apps to make your time on this planet more fulfilling, and a slightly darker shade of green.

Piqqo Projects
Free
I found Piqqo Projects, a new online service for presenting carbon reduction projects around the world, to be one of the most inspiring – and free – apps. The online showcase ranges from a biogas renewable energy project in Hungary that turns waste into green energy while saving jobs, to indigenous Mexican groups that are protecting their land, and a solar powered Kindergarten, also in Hungary. Piqqo shows YouTube videos of the projects and explain carbon savings.

3rd Whale Mobile
$1.99
If you’re committed to living a sustainable life, then 3rdWhale Mobile could be the best $1.99 you’ve spent in a while. This location-based iPhone app connects you to green businesses in your area, offering 6 categories to choose from, such as food, retail and services. Enter whether you’re traveling by car, foot, or bicycle, and get directions, then rate the review. One of the most simple ways to learn what’s around you, and great for anyone that’s on the move. Now, with the addition of  “Creative Citizen Solutions,” users of this app can also make better purchasing and lifestyle decisions, such a using power strips to reduce energy waste from Vampire Appliances.

Go Green
Free
I look at Go Green as a terrific intro to the environment, or an app for the apathetic. For example, if you’re trying to get a friend or relative to be more eco-friendly and you know the only possible chance of success is through baby steps. Each time the application is opened, another bit-sized Green Tip is displayed, then saved to a list, such as:
•    Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket, and you’ll eliminate 1,000 lbs. of CO2 a year. Eliminate another 550 lbs. by lowering the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees F. (These metrics have not been verified by EcoSalon).
•    Buy shade-grown coffee. It’s grown naturally, under the rainforest canopy, preserving forests from clear-cutting and leaving more trees to absorb CO2.

Get Green
.99
Get Green sends a helpful season-based daily tip to your iPhone, ranging from green workplaces, to throwing a green Halloween party and even greening your wedding. One recent tip: Instead of tossing used coffee grounds, add them to your garden soil. The grounds will provide nutrients that will help your plants flourish. Who knew?

iLocavore
Free
A locavore is someone who strives to eat food grown and produced locally. In fact, the movement is gaining such momentum that iLocavore touts the new Oxford American Dictionary chose locavore as its 2007 word of the year.

There are many reasons why people choose to live a locavore or Locallectual lifestyle: concerns about food miles traveled and the associated increase in carbon footprint, freshness of locally sourced food and the choice to support family farms, craftsmen, independent retailers and eateries to stimulate the local and regional economy.

The iLocavore application supplies this information from the Locallectual.com database to find area producers, independent retailers featuring local and domestic goods, and restaurants featuring local foods based on your current location.

GoodGuide
Free
This iPhone app helps you find safe green products while shopping in the store by providing – what they claim to be – the world’s largest and most reliable sources of information on the health, environmental and social impacts of products and companies. Find over 70,000 product ratings in food, personal care, household cleaners, and toys. View product ratings on the health, environmental, and social performance of your favorite brands, and create personalized shopping lists to search for, and avoid.
“We make it fast and easy to get the information you need to help make better decisions on everyday purchases based on what’s important to you,” say the folks at GoodGuide.

greenMeter
$5.99
Here’s an app to track your car’s fuel and power usage characteristics and offer tips on how to save your wallet and the environment. Based on the gMeter vehicle performance app, greenMeter uses the device’s internal accelerometer to measure forward acceleration, compute engine power, fuel economy, fuel cost, carbon footprint and oil (barrels) consumption.

For those of you who love a good interactive metric, you can learn from greenMeter by tipping the device forward and backward to simulate acceleration, and see the effects of both acceleration, aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance, across the speed range. Once inside your vehicle, choose an efficient cruising speed and use the built-in g meter to limit acceleration while you drive.

iNewz Green
$2.99
iNewz Green acts as a portal for eco-friendly, environment-aware news. Select the category of green news you’re interested in, and a list of the latest articles will be displayed. Tap the headline and an integrated browser page will take you straight to the selected article on the source’s website. If you like the story, email it to your friends, save it to your Del.icio.us bookmark,  or publish it to your Twitter stream. News is culled from such sources as Planet Green, The Daily Green, TreeHugger, Popular Science, Good Guide and the iNewz Vertography Blog.

A Real Tree
.99
A Real Tree plants trees in 12 countries to fight deforestation. They work with organizations that provide education to local communities to plant trees in an ecologically-beneficial manner, such as avoiding toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. The trees then produce nutritious fruits and crops that are eaten and also sold. By partnering with award-winning tree-planting organizations such as Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), and having endorsements from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), A Real Tree is gaining momentum.  The app also has a few Easter eggs: It includes mini-games to teach a bird to fly and get flowers to drift in a breeze.

Carbon Tracker
Free
This GPS-enabled carbon footprint application allows users to calculate their carbon footprint from daily commuting, business trips or vacations. Users can also create goals for maximum emissions in a month, then monitors progress. Great for individuals, universities and large companies looking to lighten their carbon footprint.

Do you have a favorite green iPhone app? We’d love to learn about it.

Image: Kennymatic

Whether you’re looking to improve your home’s curb appeal, or to master a tomato and basil salad, testing your garden soil before planting is a wise, and low-cost investment.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides useful, practical and research-based information to interested parties from agricultural producers to home gardeners on subjects such as lawn care, home canning, financial management, frost dates, soil testing and weeds.

Contact your local office and test your soil’s pH, nutrient level, and soil type. Some adjustments now could make the difference in your growing season.

Image: Sir Mervs

I’m not ashamed to say that I recently searched out a dishwashing liquid as if it were to become my personal signature scent.

It began in September, when I attended the Natural Products Expo East in Boston and was handed a fistful of Biokleen Lemon Tyme dishwashing samples. The smell, in my opinion, is intoxicating, and the product worked well. So when my samples ran out, I jumped online to find out where I could buy more.

Now I’m not going to tell you that using Biokleen turns everyday life into a Calgon moment, those iconic TV commercials that transform one’s life from havoc to heaven, but I am definitely hooked.

This newfound fabulous scent aside, the fact that natural cleaning products are best for us, and the environment, has led me to change my purchases. Though there are presently no bans on chemical-laden cleaning products, the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive is now educating consumers that many cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that can have serious adverse effects not only on those using them, but on building occupants whose air quality suffers when products circulate through ventilation systems, and the environment, when chemicals drain into our ecosystem. Environmental damage can also occur during the development, manufacturing and transportation of these products.

One thing you can look for when making purchasing decisions is companies that have been endorsed by Co-Op America and  Green Seal, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the manufacturing, purchasing, and use, of environmentally responsible products and services.

In addition to Biokleen products, here are eight more green cleaning options to brighten your home, many made with ingredients such as coconut, palm and vegetable oil, orange oils, and sodium carbonate.

Arm & Hammer Essentials Liquid Laundry Detergent (pick up some coupons here)

Sun & Earth Concentrated Laundry Detergent

Sun & Earth Dryer Sheets, which are hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and completely biodegrade in 21 days.

Purex Natural Elements

Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner

Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid

Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher Detergent Powder

LifeTree Automatic Dishwashing Liquid

Now’s a great time to get started on that spring cleaning. After all, summer 2009 doesn’t officially start until June 21st.

Image: emdot

If you’ve noticed it’s easier to breathe on some days than others, you’re not alone. In fact, this year marks the 10th annual American Lung Association State of the Air report, which has been tracking air quality across the United States for a decade. Just enter your zip code to learn how your area fares and what you can do to help make the air a little cleaner.

After sifting through the Executive Summary, we’ve chosen a few key points to share:

- Six out of ten people (61.7%) in the United States population live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.

- Approximately 4 million children and 10.9 million adults with asthma live in parts of the United States with very high levels of ozone, and over 5.7 million adults and 2.1 million children with asthma live in areas with high levels of short-term particle pollution.

The nations needs to:

Clean up dirty power plants

Coal-fired power plants are among the largest contributors to particulate pollution, ozone, mercury and global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should immediately take action to reduce emissions and expand clean-up requirements for power plants nationwide. The American Lung Association has taken legal action repeatedly to fight to require power plants to clean up.

Clean up the existing fleet of dirty diesel

The good news is that affordable technology exists to virtually eliminate this problem and the economic recovery legislation is investing $300 million at the EPA for the voluntary diesel retrofit program.

Clean up ocean-going vessels

Ocean-going vessels, like cruise ships, container ships and tankers, deliver staggering amounts of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen, particle pollution, sulfur dioxide and heat-trapping carbon dioxide. By 2030, these vessels will produce approximately 45 per cent of the national inventory of mobile source particle pollution emissions, harming health, worsening global warming and creating acid rain. New evidence shows that pollution from these vessels reaches parts of the country far inland from the 40 port cities that have recognized air pollution problems.

What can you do?

Drive less

Combine trips, walk, bike, carpool or vanpool, and use buses, subways or other alternatives to driving. Vehicle emissions are a major source of air pollution. Support community plans that provide ways to get around that don’t require a car, such as more sidewalks, bike trails and transit systems.

Don’t burn wood or trash

Check school busses

Make sure your local school system requires clean school buses, which includes replacing or retrofitting old school buses with filters and other equipment to reduce emissions.

Use less electricity

Turn out the lights and use energy-efficient appliances. Generating electricity is one of the biggest sources of pollution, particularly in the eastern United States.

Send a message to decision makers

Send an email or fax to urge Congress to oppose measures that weaken the Clean Air Act.

Take pride if you’ve been listed as one of the cleanest cities:

Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN emerged as the cleanest city in the U.S., the only city to appear on all three lists of cleanest cities. 17 cities appeared on two of the three lists of cleanest cities: Billings, MT; Bismarck, ND; Cheyenne, WY; Colorado Springs, CO; Farmington, NM; Ft. Collins, CO; Honolulu, HI; Lincoln, NE; Midland-Odessa, TX; Port St. Lucie, FL; Pueblo, CO; Redding, CA; Salinas, CA; San Luis Obispo, CA; Santa Fe-Espanola, NM; Sioux Falls, ND; and Tucson, AZ.

Image: Angelrays