Are "Greener" Fireworks Better?

Image via Wikipedia

This weekend thousands of people will gaze up into the skies to watch firework spectacles, but some researchers report that "traditional" fireworks can present health and environmental risks. So what about eco-friendly alternatives? Are they better, and do they achieve the same mouth gaping, awe-inspiring, colorful explosions?

Traditional fireworks are made up of fuel and an oxidizer, (usually perchlorate salt - an oxygen-rich chemical made up of chlorine and oxygen), both of which are toxic compounds. Put it all together, add some serious heat, and the heavy metals in the fireworks produce color. Ooo, ahhh. The entire concoction is fired into the sky using a propellant, generally gunpowder, you know...the stuff in bullets. However exciting this may sound, what goes up must also come down...into the air, nearby water and ultimately into our soil.

Scientists now know perchlorate can interfere with the way the body takes iodide into the thyroid and can disrupt the gland's regulation of metabolism. In developing fetuses and newborns, iodine (the body reduces iodide to iodine) deficiency can cause mental retardation.

Also, some of the heavy metals that make fireworks colorful may also be poisonous when heated. For example, antimony, which is sometimes used to produce the color white, can harm the lungs, heart, stomach and other organs. Barium, which provides a green hue can also be toxic to the heart and "does something really nasty to your insides and gastrointestinal tract," said Michael Hiskey, an explosive chemist and co-founder of DMD Systems, a pyrotechnic research and development company.

DMD Systems currently produces a line of fireworks that are perchlorate-free and contain about one-tenth the amount of barium used by traditional fireworks. Hiskey's formulation uses nitrocellulose as fuel and nitrates as oxidizer, thus avoiding perchlorates altogether. This reaction produces only stable gases like carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen, cutting down considerably on the metal oxides and potassium chloride that are released from more traditional fireworks as smoke.

Because eco-friendly fireworks produce less smoke they are more visible and the colors more vibrant. Presently many theme parks and concert venues use the eco-friendly fireworks produced by DMD Systems. Whether you can expect to see them explode at a local 4th of July celebration comes down to cost and demand. Voice concerns to your local officials, and perhaps you can make a difference in your town.

How can Investing in Green Companies Grow the Green Economy?

Image by artbymags via Flickr

One of the most dynamic ways you can grow the green economy is by investing your savings and retirement assets in green companies, companies that are working to preserve the planet and create a world that works for everyone with no one and nothing left out.

It is obvious how buying directly from a green company makes a big difference in growing the green economy. You are directly supporting that company. Then how does investing in green companies grow the green economy? Since when we buy stock it is usually in the secondary market, which means it does not go directly to the company. However, when more people buy stock from a green company, the share price is pushed up and creates more value for the company.

Another reason to buy from green, progressive and proactive companies, is to avoid profiting from the evils of greed, violating the planet and people, etc. If enough people stop buying stock in companies with “questionable” practices, their stock value will go down. This directly hurts the corporate officers, which usually hold a large amount of the stock. When they are affected in this way, they have a strong incentive to look at their business practices and possibly improve their corporate citizenship.

New!! Finance & Investment News!!

Big welcome to investment advisor Cherie G. DiNoia President of Shelby Financial Group!! Cherie has graciously agreed to share her finance and investment expertise with Modern Hippie Mag.

Cherie specializes in Socially Responsible and Sustainable Investing. She is dedicated to educating individual investors and business owners regarding comprehensive financial management using a platform of socially responsible investments.

Shelby Financial Group is passionate about empowering their clients to use their financial resources to make a profound and lasting difference in the world. Shelby Financial Group is a proud member of Green America as well as the Social Investment Forum.

I’ve personally known Cherie for the past two years and can say that she is one of the warmest, genuine and honest women I know. I am tickled "green" to have her on board! Thanks Cherie!

Be mindful, not wasteful...

Image by kevindooley via Flickr

…occurred to me as I was rushing around this morning wishing I had a nice new laptop bag for my laptop and “stuff”. Lo and behold I opened the hall “abyss”, I mean closet, and found a suitable, functional and stylish bag that most certainly fit the bill. Ah…a nice, calm sense of relief overtook me. That seemingly insignificant find helped me to see that a lot of what I already need is most often right under my nose, albeit hiding in the abyss that I MUST now explore for other treasures! This prompted me to look at other areas of “wants” that I may have that don’t have to cost “money” necessarily. I made a list…

1. I love to eat out, but it shouldn’t be a habit. I’m very fortunate in that I live very close to where I work…ok so I work from home, but the commute from my bedroom to my office/workshop can be brutal, meandering through the obstacle of either dog or the cat maze, but I digress. I’m a good cook, so what’s wrong with leftovers anyway?

2. Needing a pick-me-up, or perhaps an afternoon distraction to keep the juices flowing. More often lately I am just saying “no!” to Starbuck’s Café Mochas and brewing my own fresh ground coffee and using a coffee press. Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that has been linked to heart disease, reproductive disorders, and other health conditions, is found in many hard plastic water bottles and drip coffee makers! Uh,…yuck!

3. Drink more water. Plastic water bottles are soooo yesterday! Not to mention all that BPA, ick! Besides, all the cool people take their own water with them. Of course you are using your Brita water filtered water right? Brita water filters can now be returned to any participating Preserve Gimme 5 location or select Whole Foods for recycling. And Kleen Kanteen can cure all your portable water ails. Check them out.

4. Being a workaholic. Perhaps I should step away from the computer more. No, I can’t. Yes, you can. It will still be there when you get back…why would I lie? Taking time to just breathe, taking a walk in a nearby park, gazing up at the clouds and filling my heart and mind with gratitude certainly doesn’t cost a thing.

I hope you can find some inspiration in my “list”. I now have to go see if my husband hasn’t fallen and bumped his head after reading all the things he tells me I should do on a daily basis. “Coming dear…”

Shout out in eco fashion world!!!

Jaszy's Jewelry got a mention in eco fashion world's eco-fashion guide!!

eco fashion world's goal is "to keep you green, gorgeous and growing with a comprehensive ecofashion finder of the greatest brands, shops and resources around the globe."

Look to eco fashion world for all the latest ecofashion news and reviews, designer q&a's, store profiles, launch updates, and interviews.

Thank you eco fashion world!

Eco-fashion vs. Economy

So I read a quote from a few years back and wondered if you think it still applies given our current economic situation.

“…of 900 consumers, 74 percent reported that they are more likely to notice a company when its products are tied to a charitable cause.”-October, 2006.

Another study also found that "nine out of 10 shoppers said they would switch brands, regardless of quality or cost, if the new brand were associated with philanthropy.

Moreover, 83 percent of survey participants said they trust a company more if it is considered socially or environmentally responsible."

I'd love to hear from you! Sound off! Let me know what you think.

Inquiring mind...

Jaszy's Jewelry on Channel 8 News with Gayle Guyardo!

It's kinda surreal to see yourself on tv and very exciting! I am thrilled that I had this opportunity and so very thankful. Yet, just as surely as the moment came my good friend SR reminded me that the work has just begun. He's right of course, but I'm gonna bask just a bit longer!

Take a gander at my interview with Gayle Guyardo!

eco-fashion news blogs

I found some of the webs most interesting and informative sites and blogs that I just must share with you...a couple to check out are

http://www.eco-chick.com
http://www.organicconsumers.org

Additionally I will be posting relevant stories and updates from these and other sites weekly so that you can stay current with what's new and exciting in the eco-fashion world!

be well, be positive, be present...
Jaszy