Save Your World

Warehouse BlowOUT Sale!

2010-05-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and we are doing some spring cleaning!

We've overstocked our warehouse
NOW you SAVE BIG!
Up to 70% OFF
On select items.
While supplies last.

Great Graduation Gifts!

2010-05-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all of the graduates!

Let Save Your World help you get the grad in your life a memorable and eco-friendly gift they will really appreciate! There’s no doubt that graduation, whether it be from high school, college, trade or grad school, is a wonderful milestone in life.

For the rest of us we are left to ponder the issue of what to get those grads for that special day. They're taking a new step in their lives, and growing up – so get them something extraordinary for all they have accomplished during their educational career! But what do you give to commemorate such a milestone? Giving green lets grads know that you care about them and the future they’ve worked so hard to prepare for.

Celebrate your graduate with one of these Save Your World great gift ideas!

Great Conservation Books On Sale!
Save Your Mind® is a Save Your World brand that offers great books that help broaden one's education on conservation subjects, bringing conservation, sustainability efforts and beautiful photos to one's reading and viewing enjoyment.
On Sale for Just $49.99
until June 30, 2010!

Hotspots Revisited: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions
The Human Footprint: Challenges For Wilderness and Biodiversity

Save Your World showcases other very powerful conservation books such as Birds and People, A Climate for Life: Meeting the Global Challenge or Wilderness: Earth's Last Wild Places. All perfect gifts for the graduate(s) on your list.

Additional green gifts to consider:

100% Organic Cotton Save Your World T-shirtGreat looking and made in the U.S.A.! Your loved one will be proud to wear this adult Save Your World long-sleeved tee or short-sleeved tee, as it depicts their LOVE for the environment. Let them show their green heart and tell the world they are saving acres of rainforest! It is preshrunk and true to size. Available in S, M, L, XL or 2X.

Save Your World Canvas HatOne size fits all, adjustable and completely washable. Our Save Your World Canvas hat is made with 100% U.S.A cotton canvas and neutral tan in color making it easy to wear with any wardrobe.

Save Your Rainforest® Wristband - set of 2 ON SALE now just $5.00 for 2!

Made from 100% high quality, earth-friendly silicone. The wristbands are designed at 8" to fit all shapes and sizes. Stylish and charitable - 100% of the profits goes toward saving your rainforest. Each wristband sold saves 1 acre of rainforest for 1 year!

Become a Friend of the Rainforest

Friends of the Rainforest is an online rewards program for people who want to take a stand by making their donations known to the public with their names displayed along with their acre contributions. Friends of the Rainforest is a virtual listing that offers its members special discounts, exclusive mailings and product coupons, and the opportunity to share with others how they feel about helping to save the rainforest. There is NO COST to join. Click here to join TODAY!

Join Our Website Newsletter List
Stay up to date with our environmental challenges and the progress we are making every day. Do not miss out on great offers for all natural and organic ingredient products that save an acre of rainforest with every purchase.

Click here to sign up now!

The Golden Age of Green - CNBC.com

2010-05-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

An interesting video on green energy. Finding solutions to green our world is the goal of Save Your World.

The Golden Age of Green - CNBC.com

Celebrate Mother's Day with FREE SHIPPING from Save Your World!

2010-04-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Don't forget....Mother's Day is just around the corner!

This year instead of dashing out at the last minute to buy a plastic wrapped box of fattening chocolates or toxic perfume for your mom, why not plan ahead for the ecologically conscious mother. Get her a gift that will create beautiful memories and, at the same time, show respect for the most generous and fragile mother of all, the Earth.

Mother's Day Special Offer
FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50 through May 15th, 2010!
Just use Coupon Code: FREESHIP50 at checkout

*$50 minimum order required. Offer valid 4/1/2010 through 5/15/2010. Promotion available on all body care, hair care and gift ideas sections. Offer excludes any already discounted items and cannot be used with any other coupon offer. Offer excludes most rainforest mall items.

Pampering mom is always a good choice for Mother's Day. Help mom relax and look wonderful without causing harm to the planet. Get her an Earth Mother gift bag filled with wonderful body care treats!

Earth Mother Gift Bag
A special gift bag has been created just in time for your Earth Mother at a special price as well. For just $24.99 pamper your special Earth Mother with the lavender scented Regal Blossom gift bag sure to bring a smile to any woman who loves the environment.

Shower her with an abundance of floral delight with 12 oz sizes of our Save Your Skin™ silky-smooth body lotion, Save Your Skin™ moisturizing pH balanced shower and shaving gel, and chemical-free Save Your Hair® conditioner along with an 8 oz shampoo.

This set also includes a handcrafted bar of our 3.75 oz Regal Blossom moisturizing soap. To keep her lips kissable soft we have added a Green Tea flavored Save Your Lips® lip balm to remind her of her love for the environment she will receive a Save Your Rainforest® wristband. This special Earth Mother gift bag saves 7 acres of rainforest for 1 year.

All of these products are made with Mother Earth in mind so we use natural and organic ingredients like nutrient-rich organic Yerba Maté, one of the richest herb sources, having over 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids and organic aloe with retains moisture and provides soothing benefits to the hair and skin. Products are chemical-free, cruelty-free, and biodegradable and packaged in recycled or recyclable materials so Mother Earth remains GREEN.

And even better Save Your World gifts keep on giving all year long because when you buy any product from Save Your World, you save 1 acre of rainforest for 1 year!

Click here to check out even more of our Mother's Day gift giving ideas!

The Official Earth Day is almost here - April 22nd!

2010-04-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

More than 1 billion people in 190 countries will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd. The annual observance has become so popular that events go on all month long. Earth Day is intended to inspire awareness of, and appreciation for, the Earth's environment. "Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet," according to earthday.gov.

Environmental challenges and pollution are all around us. Many daily actions pollute and fracture the fragile environment that humans, animals, birds and other creatures depend on for survival. This is why Save Your World is passionate about our conservation mission. For every product purchased, one acre of rainforest is saved for one year. As a company, we believe that people can live in harmony with nature and so we are committed to work towards preserving our natural resources for future generations.

EARTH MONTH PROMOTION
April 1st - April 30th!
FREE SHIPPING* ON ORDERS OVER $50!
Just use COUPON CODE: FREESHIP50 at checkout

*$50 minimum order required. Offer valid April 1st through April 30th. Offer valid on all body care, hair care and gift ideas sections. Offer excludes any already discounted items and cannot be used with any other coupon offer. Offer excludes most rainforest mall items.

Earth Mother Gift Bag

A special gift bag just in time for your Earth Mother at a special price as well. For just $24.99 pamper your special Earth Mother with the lavender scented Regal Blossom gift bag sure to bring a smile to any woman who loves the environment.

Shower her with an abundance of floral delight with 12 oz sizes of Save Your Skin silky-smooth body lotion, Save Your Skin moisturizing pH balanced shower and shaving gel, and chemical-free Save Your Hair conditioner along with an 8 oz. shampoo.

This set also includes a handcrafted bar of our 3.75 oz. Regal Blossom moisturizing soap. To keep her lips kissable soft we have added a Green Tea flavored Save Your Lips lip balm and to remind her of her love for the environment she will receive a Save Your Rainforest Wristband. This special Earth Mother gift bag saves 7 acres of rainforest for 1 year.

All these products are made with Mother Earth in mind so we use natural and organic ingredients like nutrient-rich organic Yerba Mate, one of the richest herb sources, having over 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids and organic aloe which retains moisture and provides soothing benefits to the hair and skin. Products are chemical-free, cruelty-free, and biodegradable and packaged in recycled or recyclable materials so that Mother Earth remains GREEN.

All products featured in the set are:

Rich in Antioxidants, Vitamins and Minerals
Scented with Pure Natural Essential Oils of Lavender, Rose and Geranium in a wonderful herbal scent.
Paraben-Free and pH Balanced
No Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and no 1,4 Dioxane
Free of Animal By-Products and have never been tested on animals

Become a Friend of the Rainforest and become a Fan of Save Your World on Facebook!

April is Earth Month!

2010-04-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

Save Your World is a leader in rainforest conservation but we also believe that Earth Month is not just about recycling or climate change - it is also about better health. Taking steps to become a little more "green" in your daily body care can make a positive impact on global health.

Recent research shows us the links between common ingredients in commercial products and harmful side effects. Watchdog group such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and researchers at Vassar College are finding that common culprits causing illness are found in the following chemical groups: phthlates, triclosan, paraben and musks. Byproducts of these substances such as sodium laurel sulfate and 1,4-dioxide are suspected carcinogens. To read more about how safe your cosmetics are click here.

Unfriendly chemicals can also find their way down the drain and into our environment which has a negative impact on global health that many choose to ignore. Over time, the culmination of environmental influences combined with genetic predisposition to disease takes a toll on health and on global scale.

Save Your World body and hair care products are all-natural. We use essential oil blends derived from the earth to create our signature aromas - as fresh as the rainforest we protect. Each pure aroma has a unique blend that creates Rainforest - a complicated wood-berry scent, Regal Blossom - a rose, lavender, geranium blend of floral and Oasis Fruit - a fresh grapefruit citrus blend. We invite you to review all our ingredients for your own peace of mind!
Because of our concern for the safety and welfare of your skin, hair, and body as well as the environment, Save Your World signed The Compact for Safe Cosmetics in February 2008. We want you to feel safe in using our products and we provide transparency of our ingredients to you the customer.

Are you ready for a greener body care regimen and while helping the environment too? What better time to change than during Earth Month? To celebrate this momentous occasion, Save Your World is offering FREE SHIPPING on body and hair care orders over $50 all month long!

FREE SHIPPING
Use FREESHIP50 code at check-out
*$50 minimum order required. Offer valid 4/1/2010 through 4/30/2010. Shipping promotion available on all body care, hair care and gift ideas sections. Offer excludes any already discounted items and cannot be used with any other coupon offer. Offer excludes most rainforest mall items.

Try a few of our customer's favorite Save Your World products:

Save Your Skin™ exfoliating, handcrafted, all-natural moisturizing bar soap with retained glycerin is so natural it could grow on a tree. This product will provide nutrient-rich antioxidants to your skin and also nourish your green heart by saving 1 acre of rainforest for 1 year with every bar purchased.

Save Your Lips™ moisturizing nutrient-rich antioxidant lip balm is a special treat for your lips. This moisturizing but non greasy lip balm protects your lips while also nourishing them with organic Aloe Vera and organic yerba maté. Available in Pure (unflavored), Grapefruit Mango and Green Tea.

Save Your World Gift Baskets - A special gift that will warm the green hearts of the women in your circle of family and friends. Just choose one of these chemical-free, cruelty-free personal care products that will evoke the very sense of the rainforest you are helping to protect. Makes a perfect gift for Mothers Day!

Aside from great products, Save Your World has a unique conservation mission. For every product you buy, you save one acre of rainforest for one year. As a company, we believe that people can live in harmony with nature and so we are committed to work toward preserving our natural resources for future generations.

1 PRODUCT = 1 ACRE OF RAINFOREST SAVED FOR 1 YEAR

With every product you buy on our website or at one of our many retail partners across the U.S., you save one acre of rainforest for one year. The more products you buy the more acres you save.

Want to help us save the rainforest? Here's how you can:

Become a Friend of the Rainforest
Friends of the Rainforest is an online rewards program for people who want to take a stand by making their donations known to the public with their names displayed along with their acre contributions. Friends of the Rainforest is a virtual listing that offers its members special discounts, exclusive mailings and product coupons, and the opportunity to share with others how they feel about helping to save the rainforest. There is NO COST to join. Click here to join TODAY!

Become a fan of Save Your World on Facebook
Find us on facebook! Stay up to date with our environmental challenges and the progress we are making every day. Fans of Save Your World are among the first to know about our newest product announcements and sales promotions! Just go to www.facebook.com/SaveYourWorld and click "become a fan". Then suggest our page to your friends. The more we can spread the word about the importance of rainforest conservation the better! And Save Your World makes it easy to save the rainforest - just buy one of our high quality personal care products made with natural ingredients and you've automatically saved an acre of rainforest for one year!

Save Your World Announces New "Earth Friendly" Amenity Line of Products to Support Eco-freindly Hotels, Spas, Lodges and Inns

2010-03-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release

Save Your World Announces New “Earth Friendly” Amenity Line of Products to Support Eco-friendly Hotels, Spas, Lodges, and Inns

Save Your World’s Comprehensive Program Allows the Hospitality Industry to Offer “Green” Amenity Solution and Direct Support of Conservation Projects

Clearwater, FL, March 24, 2010 – Save Your World L.L.C., the first company in the United States to launch a personal care product line infused with organic yerba maté and organic aloe vera, has announced two new amenity lines of products—“Oasis Fruit,” a citrus delight, and “Rainforest,” a warm berry and spice—both of which are scented with pure essential oils and packaged in recyclable PET bottles with aluminum caps. These are being added to the company’s hotel partnership program, which launched in late 2008 with a line of paper-bottled products designed to reduce after-use waste by over 92%, in response to demand for further packaging options. The all-natural-with-organic-ingredients line of products in recyclable packaging makes it easy for hotels and their guests to do something for the environment every day. They will be helping to preserve some of the most precious resources on the planet: rainforests and oceans.

“We provide a comprehensive program for hotels seeking the ultimate ‘green’ message. Consumers are increasingly making their lodging decisions based on a property’s brand reputation as it pertains to environmental sustainability. The Save Your World program enables partner properties to enhance brand goodwill by implementing a ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ plan that includes natural, biodegradable, and chemical-free products that are packaged in environmentally friendly packaging, the proceeds of each product purchased contributing directly to saving pristine South American rainforest acres or a pristine South Pacific marine sanctuary area. Every guest who stays in a hotel room for just one night and uses these products will be sharing in this eco-friendly experience, doing something good for their skin while also doing something good for the overall environment,” explains Scott Cecil, President of Save Your World.

Save Your World’s flagship conservation project involves a unique and innovative leasing program protecting some of the most pristine rainforest on the planet. Saving biodiversity is a complex business, but sometimes conservation solutions are beautifully simple. So it is with the “conservation concession,” a project pioneered by Conservation International (CI) with support from Save Your World in the South American nation of Guyana. Instead of leasing the land to a logging company, Guyana is leasing it to CI for conservation.

Recently, Save Your World began its second conservation initiative, partnering with CI and the New England Aquarium to negotiate support of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world’s largest marine protected area, encompassing untouched ocean and coral atolls in the South Pacific nation of Kiribati.

Benefits of the program for national, regional, and local hospitality properties:

High quality, all-natural products with organic ingredients that pamper guests. Guests immediately recognize the difference.
Environmentally friendly packaging, such as PET bottles with aluminum caps that are recyclable and paper bottles that reduce after-use waste by 93%. Soap that is wrapped in 100% post-consumer waste paper. Printing that uses vegetable-based and water-soluble inks.
An Ultimate “Green” Corporate Socially Responsible program that improves loyalty. Improved loyalty/goodwill results in incremental growth in room bookings and provides a differentiator in the marketplace, reducing competitive pricing pressures.

Interested properties may contact Kim Eidson, Save Your World Vice President of Marketing, at keidson@saveyourworld.com. Additional information can be found at www.SaveYourHotel.com. Save Your World hospitality products are offered by Pineapple Hospitality where you may contact Ray Burger at ray@pineapplehospitality.net or 636-922-2285 and by American Hotel Register Company.

About Save Your World
Save Your World is a company made up of people who share a passion for preserving the world’s last pristine environments for future generations. Save Your World supports conservation efforts through sales of natural and organic personal care products under the brands Save Your Hair®, Save Your Body®, Save Your Skin™, and Save Your Lips®. The complete line of products is the first in the United States to contain organic yerba maté and organic aloe vera.

Retail products may be purchased on the web at www.saveyourworld.com or at select Whole Foods Markets, The Vitamin Shoppe stores nationwide, in select Safeway locations, Vitamin Cottage, local beauty supply stores, health food stores, and natural food markets. Save Your World also offers several lines of amenity products to the hospitality industry.

Save Your World goes to great lengths to ensure its natural products are made in an environmentally sensitive manner, and pledges:

Fair Trade practices will always be our policy
Raw materials and ingredients are all natural and biodegradable
Packaging is made of recycled or recyclable materials
No animal testing is done or animal byproducts ever used
No Parabens, no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and no 1, 4 Dioxane

Save Your World is helping save the rainforest through a unique and innovative leasing program, the first of its kind in the world. Through contributions and product sales, Save Your World helps pay the annual royalties and fees required to maintain an agreement with the Guyana Forestry Commission to protect 200,000 acres of rainforest in its pristine state. This South American rainforest project rests on one of the world’s oldest geological rock formations and is one of the richest areas for plant and animal biodiversity. Rainforests contain about half the planet’s 5 to 10 million plant and animal species and harbor 70 percent, or more than 2,000, of the plants identified by the U.S. National Cancer Institute as having anti-cancer characteristics.

Save Your World also helps fund the protection and management of the world’s largest marine protected area, known as the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Nestled in the remote South Pacific, halfway between Hawaii and Fiji, this is one of the world’s last intact coral archipelago ecosystems.

###

Media Contact:
Sue Koren, Director of Corporate Communications
Save Your World, LLC
skoren@saveyourworld.com
862.485.8577

High Resolution Images may be obtained at www.SaveYourWorld.net

Richard Rice in the Solomon Islands - Part 2

2010-03-18T19:25:00.001-07:00

All is well here in paradise in the Solomon Islands.

As noted earlier, the storm sailed a fair bit south of the main island so we just got plenty wet. Unfortunately, it ended plans for diving as the seas are still too rough and turbid. A couple of days ago we took a break from meetings; ended up driving through water (below) and playing in the ocean which was fun but kind of crazy; big, brown, angry waves full of coconuts and debris. Not the many shades of blue I’m used to.

Tetepare Island in the Solomon Islands has the unique distinction of being one of the world’s largest (144 square kilometers in size), uninhabited islands in the South Pacific. In a country dominated by logging its 12,000 hectares of virgin forests is a rarity. Untouched by humans since the mid 1800’s, Tetepare harbors thriving rainforests, coral reefs and mangrove swamps, complete with nesting beaches for critically endangered leatherback turtles, dugongs, saltwater crocodiles, sharks, wild pigs and countless species of birds and fish. The island has been managed as a conservation area by a local organization the Tetepare Descendants Association (TDA) since 2003.

Well, one more day in paradise and then I’m off for home late Saturday.

Where in the World is Richard Rice?

2010-03-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday March 8th, I traveled to the Solomon Islands one of the most pristine places on Earth, for an annual meeting of the Advisory Team. Traveling with me is Aaron Bruner from Conservation International (CI) and Chris Filardi from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Both of these gentlemen are helping me to develop our new Save Your World Foundation and the hope is that the Solomon Islands Project specifically Tetepare Island, will be one of our four exciting conservation projects to include in the Save Your World Foundation.

We are meeting with Keyvan Izadi and Emily Fitzsimmons who are the current staff of our local counterpart NGO, the Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership (SICCP). SICPP covers notably, the Tetepare project and a similar project on Kolombangara, an adjacent island, which is actually an enormous dormant volcano. The protected land there (also in community ownership) covers an altitudinal gradient from sea level to I think 1500m, which is the highest point between New Guinea and Chile, and largely because of that, extraordinarily important biologically. At ~30k ha, the reserve there is also by far the largest in the country.

Our group narrowly escaped getting slammed by a category 5 cyclone (i.e., hurricane). Cyclone Ului; definitely a bruiser. Fortunately, it passed somewhat to the south (on the 14th) so we got wet and it got windy, but we weren’t blown away.

Here is a link to a cool satellite image from NASA.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43154&src=eorss-iotd

In the meantime, attached are a few pictures from the trip so far. Since it’s mostly meeting and planning with project staff, it’s been a pretty tame adventure. But there’s a great roadside fish market across the street from the office with lots of interesting fish. Below is a little fish photo essay. Included are tuna (the gray and silver guys, including yellow fin – all lined up; bonito – wavy stripes). The big one is a giant trevally, and the nice yellow-tail ones are grunts (prettier than their name). the red ones are snappers and emperors.

Save Your World Media Mentions week of March 7th

2010-03-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Save Your World products have been mentioned in several blogs and magazines this week highlighting a variety of body and hair care products.

Body Lotion review at "Whom You Know"
"Save Your World have products so natural. One product from this company saves 1 acre of rainforest for one whole year. Who doesn't like to feel that they are doing something great for our environment? Save Your Skin Body Lotion comes in an 8oz recyclable bottle. They use natural ingredients, I tried the Regal Blossom. It left my skin feeling silky and smooth, the smell was very fresh. The slight scent lasted on my body all day. There was no residue after application, my skin literally soaked up all this goodness." (more)

Body Wash review at "Whom You Know"
"Save Your World, saves all of us. One acre of rainforest is saved for one year, for every one of these natural products that is purchased. Their nutrient-rich body washes are just fantastic. They are all organic oils contained in these, which gives you such a wonderful all over moisturizing feeling after use. Because this is so natural, you are free to use this all over your body and face. Each of the three fragrances will make you feel positively fresh and invigorated. the Oasis Fruit with its fresh grapefruit citrus aroma is one of my favorites." (more)

Shampoo and Conditioner review at "The Adventures of Paul & Natalie"
"I was very amazed with all of their (Save Your World) products! I really loved the Regal Blossom and Oasis Fruit Shampoo and Conditioner! I loved them equally! They made my shower smell oh so good!! I was very impressed because they made my hair more shiny than usual! It's hard to get my hair to shine so you know this product was really good." (more)

Other mentions this week highlighted the newly anticipated release of our Rainforest Trial Set. Mentions of this product can be found in the March editions of Organic Products Retailer Magazine and Redding.com.

Save Your World Introduces New Rainforest Trial Size Set

2010-03-08T04:08:00.001-08:00

For Immediate Release

Save Your World Introduces New Rainforest Trial Set

Clearwater FL - March 3, 2010 - Save Your World, the first company in the United States to launch a personal care product line infused with organic yerba mate and organic aloe vera, has announced plans to expand its product offerings to include a new Rainforest Trial Set. The set includes an assortment of 4 (1oz/30 ml) trial sizes of Save Your Hair Shampoo and Conditioner, Save Your Body Body Wash and Save Your Skin Body Lotion. In addition, each set of these skin and hair pampering sets saves 1 acre of rainforest for 1 year.

The Save Your World Trial Set will be available to retailers in April, with a suggested retail price of $9.99 per set. All products are paraben-free, biodegradable, cruelty-free, and contain no harsh chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or 1,4-dioxane. Pure, natural essential oils are used to create the signature Rainforest scent, a blend of warm, berry and spice.

The Trial Set is produced using Earth-Friendly packaging - bottles are made using PET 1 with aluminum caps for recycling, while the outer carton is made with 100% recycled materials, 30% post-consumer waste made with wind energy and printed with environmentally friendly inks.

The launch of the Save Your World Trial Set demonstrates the company's commitment to saving our world's greatest resource - our rainforests. Additionally, this offering is in direct response to customer and retailer demand for organic, sustainable products. "With 'green' and organic becoming one of the strongest motivating factors for our customers today, we have extended our product lines to fulfill this demand for our customers," commented Scott Cecil, president of Save Your World. "The customer response to all of our product lines has been overwhelming and is a true indicator of the evolving, environmentally-friendly decision make in today's household," added Cecil. "Our new trial set is a great way for those unfamiliar with our product line to try four of our best products, and is also a convenient option for traveling, as the bottles meet federal size requirements for airline carry-on items," Cecil observed.

About Save Your World
Save Your World is a company made up of people who share a passion for preserving some of the world's last pristine environments for future generations. Save Your World is able to support conservation efforts through sales of natural and organic personal care products under the brands Save Your Hair, Save Your Body, Save Your Skin and Save Your Lips and Save Your World. The complete line of products is the first in the United States to contain organic Yerba Mate and organic Aloe Vera.

Products may be purchased on the web at www.saveyourworld.com or at select Whole Foods markets, The Vitamin Shoppe stores nationwide, in select Safeway locations, Vitamin Cottage, local beauty supply stores, health food stores or natural food markets.

Save Your World goes to great lengths to ensure that its natural products are made in an environmentally sensitive manner, and pledges:

Fair Trade practices will always be our policy
Raw materials and ingredients are all natural and biodegradable
Packaging will be made of recycled or recyclable materials
No animal testing or animal by-products will ever be used
No Parabens, no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and no 1,4 Dioxane

Save Your World is helping to save the rainforest through a unique and innovative leasing program, the first of its kind in the world. Through contributions and product sales, Save Your World helps pay the annual royalties and fees required to maintain an agreement with the Guyana Forestry Commission to protect the rainforest in its pristine state. Save Your World has helped to protect 200,000 acres of Guyana rainforest for another year. This South American rainforest project is on one of the world's oldest geological rock formations and is one of the richest areas for plant and animal biodiversity. Rainforests contain about half the planet's 5 to 10 million plant and animal species and harbor 70 percent, or more than 2,000, of the plants identified as having anti-cancer characteristics by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Recently, Save Your World began its second conservation initiative partnering with Conservation International and the New England Aquarium to support the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world's largest marine protected area, encompassing untouched ocean and coral atolls in the South Pacific nation of Kiribati (pronounced KIRR-i-bas). Through an agreement being negotiated with the government of Kiribati, Save Your World will help to fund the protection and management of this amazing site.

###

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sue Koren, Director of Corporate Communication
862.485.8577
skoren@saveyourworld.com

For high resolution images: www.saveyourworld.net

INNER BEAUTY - What you don't allow in your products is as important as what you do allow.

2010-02-27T10:56:00.001-08:00

By Kim Eidson, Save Your World

Creating products that are natural, ethically sourced, safe, and efficacious is challenging - but rewarding. At Save Your World, we rely on experts and watchdogs like Environmental Working Group (EWG) for guidance. We also challenge our manufacturers to explain every ingredient and source. Through research, we know to avoid the following common culprits.

Chemical Concerns
Phthalates, as agents that help deliver moisture and allow chemicals to absorb into the skin, also help bind fragrance in body care products. However, their side effects have been shown to include kidney, lung and liver damage; early onset of puberty in girls; polycystic ovarian disorder; and infertility. Continued exposure can trigger miscarriages and birth defects. Studies also show that prolonged use can increase risk of asthma, allergies, and type 2 diabetes. ¹

Triclosan, an antimicrobial agent used to kill bacteria on the skin and other surfaces, is found in a variety of personal care products used daily: bar and liquid hand soaps and toothpaste, for example. However, it is actually no better at killing germs than regular soap and water, and long-term use has been linked to thyroid disorders. Moreover, triclosan can form toxic byproducts in tap water. Runoff into local lakes and streams is lethal to aquatic life. Despite these risks, exposure to triclosan is widespread; its presence has been detected in blood, breast milk, and urine of more than 75% of Americans. ²

Parabens typically make up a very small percentage of an overall product formula, generally ranging from 0.01% to 0.3%. FDA's official take has been to allow their use, as studies have been inconclusive about their risks. However, parabens have long been thought to have an effect on estrogenic activity and to be environmental contaminants. When combined with chlorinated tap water, paraben byproducts form unsafe water known to kill aquatic life.

Synthetic Fragrance: The term fragrance might conjure images of fields of wildflowers. But did you know that the average perfume or cologne contains between 400 and 600 synthetic chemicals? Often these are musks that are used air fresheners, fabric softeners, soaps, and lotions. Long-term use of musks can lead to hormone and reproductive disruption in women and interfere with immune function. ³

Surfactant byproducts: Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in formulating natural personal care products is finding a surfactant base that contains no harsh chemicals but that is effective from a consumer perspective - which usually means that it needs to provide a nice lather. When using cheaper surfactants, the byproduct 1,4-dioxane can creep in, typically when processed with petrochemicals.

*Note: As a surfactant, the use of palm oil is expanding in the green, organic, and natural markets due to its lathering properties. However, growing demand has caused some unease. In the underdeveloped, poverty-stricken countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, which provide 86% of the world's palm oil supply⁴, the cultivation of this "green gold" has been an economic boon. However, the cutting down of rainforests has become commonplace as a means by which to expand plantations.

Natural Solutions
Finding a natural preservative system is complicated but worth pursuing. One alternative is the use of proper packaging (PET 1, 2, and 5) to eliminate the absorption of phthalates.⁵ Another is using antioxidants and pure essential oils. These ingredients do not eliminate spoilage, but they greatly slow the process. Plus, antioxidants have a positive effect on the skin, and essential oils can scent products and have aromatherapy benefits.

Common alternatives are:
Rosemary extract: Also known as rosemary oleoresin, it is perhaps the most effective antioxidant of its class.

Vitamin E (tocopherols): Perhaps the oldest and well known of all antioxidants, vitamin E is also a moisturizer. Oil soluble, it adds to the creaminess of blends while providing skin protection. There are two types: natural (d-tocopherol) and synthetic (dl-tocopherol). Only the natural version has antioxidant value, and it is what our company uses.

Grapefruit seed extract (citrus grandis and glycerin): A newcomer to the natural preservative category, this ingredient has natural antifungal properties and some antimicrobial activity - thus, it's possible that it is even more powerful than rosemary extract or vitamin E. One concern with grapefruit seed extract is that is extracted via synthetic compounds, including methylparaben, creating a dilemma over natural sourcing.

Pure essential oils: They come in many forms, but the most effective and commonly used are lavender and sandalwood.

*Also: Requesting that a surfactant manufacturer share product test results can help ensure that your formula has no 1,4-dioxane, even in trace amounts. Avoid any surfactants processed with petroleum-based products and these ingredients: PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, and polyoxynolethylene.

Finding sustainable palm oil is also of utmost importance. The Philippines and Brazil typically provide sustainable, fair-trade alternatives. If you are uncomfortable with these origins, it might be best to avoid this ingredient altogether. Public opinion on sourcing of this ingredient is mixed, and manufacturers may want to avoid having to explain their supply situation.

Bad Chemicals, Daily Use
While the European Union has banned the use of phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and musks in commercial products, U.S. regulations lag behind, with usage of these chemicals largely unchecked and unregulated. In fact, according to EWG, FDA has assessed the safety of only 11% of the 10,500 ingredients found in hair and body care products.

If consumers used just one product containing questionable chemicals a day, we might not worry. But Americans use between 10 and 15 such products each day. Based on EWG's recent statistics, those products represent 126 to 178 unregulated ingredients that are applied to the skin daily, with a hazardous cumulative impact. ⁶

We also avoid the "Dirty Dozen," which includes coal tar, diethanolamine (DEA), formaldehyde, lead, mercury, nanoparticles, petroleum distillates, p-phenylenediamine, and hydroquinone. See National Geographic's The Green Guide at www.thegreenguide.com for more information.

Taking the high road in the formulation process is often not easy - or inexpensive. However, to Save Your World, we think it's worth it.

View article references at www.NutritionalOutlook.com/1001/saveyourworld

You can also find this article in the January/February Edition of Nutritional Outlook and Spring 2010 Edition of Cosmetic and Personal Care Ingredients.

Where in the World is Richard Rice?

2010-02-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

Conservation Officer for Save Your World

Richard Rice travels the world to promote conservation agreements

Dick left for Vientiane, Laos on Saturday and arrived Monday, traveling half-way around the world to attend a workshop sponsored by the Blue Moon Fund and the Global Environment Institute (a Beijing based conservation group). He will be presenting at this work shop "Opportunities for Promoting Conservation Agreements in Lao PDR." Participants of this group are primarily from the SE Asia Region.

Day 1 of his trip is depicted below:

From Dick:

"Vientiane is a charming little city on the Mekong River with lots of durian (the world's smelliest fruit, but people seem to like it). The locals make jewelry in the market as you can see someone here making jewelry right where they sell it. The local mode of transportation are these little motorcycle taxis called tuk-tuks which are a lot of fun to ride around in. Silk scarves can be found everywhere you look and are available in almost every brilliant color and design imaginable."

Save Your World Highlighted in Living Green Magazine

2010-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

Check out the January 2010 edition of Living Green Magazine for the latest article about Save Your World's conservation mission.

How Soap Can Help Save the Rainforest

Save Your World, a company dedicated to preserving the earth's natural resources, offers environmentally friendly personal care products that give back, products whose proceeds save areas such as rainforest and marine sanctuaries worldwide.

Our premium quality formulas are made with only natural and organic ingredients - including Aloe Vera, a moisturizing and healing succulent, and Yerba Mate, a unique plant grown in South America that is rich in antioxidants and contains 24 different vitamins and minerals. These products are chemical-free, cruelty-free and biodegradable, which makes them earth and skin friendly. Lightly scented with pure natural essential oils, they awaken a sense of natural relaxation.

The most important component of Save Your World product line is that the proceeds from these products go to support the Save Your World Conservation Mission. Save Your World is helping to preserve 200,000 acres of rainforest in South America by leasing them back in order to preserve them in their pristine state. This innovated lease is the first of its kind worldwide.

Save Your World is also helping to protect the world's largest marine reserve, an area roughly the size of California, encompassing the Phoenix Islands in the South Pacific. This area, known as the PIPA (Phoenix Islands Protected Area), is being secured from the danger of overfishing, which threatens the delicate balance of marine life. These environmentally unique areas are two of the most pristine areas on earth of their type.

Simply by purchasing our products, consumers can do something good for the world every day. "1 Product = 1 Acre of Rainforest Saved for 1 Year" is on every label, on every product; this message shows the consumer the direct benefit of products from Save Your World.

You can also find more information on our website, www.saveyourworld.com.

Climate science is older and better established than you think

2010-01-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

“Climategate” or “Swifthack” or whatever you call the hubbub about the stolen climate science emails seems to have faded from public discussion, as I expected it would. Every time a new one of these frenzies gets started, climate activists panic, climate skeptics crow that they’ve finally won, and then the whole thing fizzles. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Anyway, though, if you’re still interested, NRDC has put together a brief video responding to the fuss:

As the video says, the basics of climate science have been well-understood and accepted for almost a century now. Along those lines, check out this amazing video Andy Revkin unearthed. He intros it like so:

The basic idea, of course, goes back more than a century, but the real number crunching started in the 1950s, and even drew the attention of the filmmaker Frank Capra, who produced a series of television programs on science (in the post-Sputnik days when science was a high priority), that included “The Unchained Goddess,” a remarkable 1958 film on weather and climate. It contained a section on greenhouse-driven warming:

Save Your World is a company dedicated to saving Earth's natural resources world wide through the support of Conservation Projects such as the 200,000 Acre Rainforest Conservation Concession in Guyuana. Save Your World's product pledge of "1 PRODUCT = 1 ACRE OF RAINFOREST SAVED FOR 1 YEAR" helps preserve areas from deforestation and maintain them in their pristine state. Saving Rainforest Acres helps regulate climate change and keep stores of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

If you want to help save rain forest acres, please consider supporting our efforts at Save Your World. All profit from the Save Your Rainforest Wristband goes to save acres of rainforest in Guyana through the support of leasing a 200,000 acre rainforest located along the Essequibo River. Just $10 buys you 2 wristbands and 2 acres of rainforest for 1 year.

Excerpts printed from an article posted in Climate Energy:
4 Jan 2010 12:48 PM
by David Roberts
David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.

Guyana Offers a Model to Save Rain Forest

2009-12-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

In Guyana, where pristine rain forest still covers 75 percent of the land, and barely 750,000 people live in a country roughly the size of Britain, a young economist-turned-president is pushing a development model based on conservation that has earned his government international recognition in the United Nations talks on a climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

Faced with the possibility of climate change, the international community is starting to talk about paying for the carbon storage that living forests provide. Growing trees store carbon dioxide, but 13 million hectares, or 32 million acres, of forest are razed each year, accounting for a significant portion of annual greenhouse gas emissions, according to scientists and other experts who met for climate talks last month in Barcelona.

Guyana’s minister of foreign affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, said that the world’s growing motivation to tackle climate change could mean sustainable economic opportunity for her country as well as a cost-effective investment for the world.

“The fastest way of reducing carbon emissions is keeping the forest standing,” she said in an interview here in September, ahead of this month’s Copenhagen conference on climate change. “All of the other measures we could take would take technology, time. But this we can do immediately. We just stop. We just stop cutting.”

That recognition, and advances in satellite imaging and carbon measurements over the past decade, have made a proposal for forest preservation, known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, or REDD, an important part of the climate treaty talks.

Guyana argues that forest conservation is critically important. If incentives are aimed only at encouraging countries with high deforestation, like its neighbor Brazil, to curtail logging, timber clearance will simply migrate from protected to unprotected countries, it says.

Pursuing that concept, President Bharrat Jagdeo last year commissioned the international management consulting firm McKinsey to help calculate deforestation’s economic value to his nation — that is, the amount Guyana could earn by selling its forests for timber and using the land for agriculture. After all, said Mr. Jagdeo, a former finance minister who studied economics in Moscow, deforestation is not a result of irrationality or ignorance; people get economic benefits when they log and farm. For preservation to work, “the incentives must be at a level that will outcompete alternative activities,” he said in an interview.

Critics protest that the value calculated by McKinsey — $580 million annually over 25 years — amounts to blackmail. But Ian Craddock, a British expatriate who runs an adventure tourism company in Guyana, disagrees.

“Guyana is a small, impoverished country that’s trying to develop itself,” he said. “And if the Western world isn’t going to protect the rain forest and start coughing up money to countries like Guyana, then they’re going to have to start using their resources. Just like England did for thousands of years, just like the States is doing and Canada is doing. You can’t be hypocrites about it.”

If you want to help save rain forest acres, please consider supporting our efforts at Save Your World. All profit from the Save Your Rainforest Wristband goes to save acres of rainforest in Guyana through the support of leasing a 200,000 acre rainforest located along the Essequibo River. Just $10 buys you 2 wristbands and 2 acres of rainforest for 1 year.

To read the complete article Click Here

Excerpts of an Article from the New York Times Global Business Section
By ERICA GIES
Published: December 8, 2009

Where in the World is Richard Rice?

2009-12-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

Dick is in Flores, Guatemala attending a Conservation International meeting. This city is the nearest town to Tikal. Tikal is one of the world´s coolest Mayan ruins and certainly the best known in Guatemala. Here you can see Dick in the forefront of Temple I, the Temple of the Jaguar is in the background; located in Tikal’s Great Plaza.

Saturday he spent the morning at Tikal and the afternoon at a community called Uaxactun deep in the rainforest of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR). Together with the forest in adjacent Mexico and Belize, this is the largest contiguous tract of rainforest outside of the Amazon and the heart of the last stronghold of the jaguar among other creatures.

These corn doll’s were made by women from Uaxactun (wa-shock-toon) using dried corn husks, fungi, and flowers from the rainforest. CSP has entered into a conservation agreement with the village of Uaxactun which is directly north of Tikal National Park and south of Mirador National Park. The community has lived in the region since the turn of the century and currently have a 25-year lease to harvest timber and non-timber forest products. They have agreed to forego almost all logging and other destructive activities in exchange for funding provided under the agreement. That funding will support education and other benefits including a price premium for Xate (palm fronds harvested on a sustainable basis which are exported to the U.S. and Europe for use in floral arrangements.

In the area, you can actually see jaguars from time to time but they pretty much keep to themselves and aren´t really a danger. There are a few animals though that are less retiring that you really need to watch out for including a 12 foot crocodile that hangs out near the shore in the lake next to the hotel.

Signing off for now, Dick will be returning home, but as his quest for conservation continues, we will let you know -- Where in the World is Richard Rice, Chief Conservation Officer for Save Your World.

2009-12-11T15:57:00.001-08:00

Seasons Greetings!

Best wishes for a GREEN holiday season!

Thank you for all of your support in 2009!

Have a Prosperous, Peaceful and Joyous New Year!

1 PRODUCT = 1 ACRE OF RAINFOREST SAVED FOR 1 YEAR

Where in the World is Richard Rice?

2009-12-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

Richard Rice, PhD, Chief Conservation Officer for Save Your World is attending Conservation International's (CI’s) Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) Learning Network meeting; an annual event in which CSP partners from around the world get together to compare experiences and discuss issues related to implementing conservation agreements.

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a five year initiative testing the use of conservation agreements as a tool to conserve biodiversity and improve the quality of life for local communities. CI is currently implementing conservation agreements in seventeen countries around the world.

CSP proposes a systematic way of implementing conservation agreements. Thus a “model” has been designed to structure this systematic approach. CSP’s model uses a step-by-step approach that provides guidance to practitioners who use conservation agreements. It is the soul of the program and the organizing principle of our Learning Network.

There are approximately 60 people from maybe a dozen countries including China, Cambodia, India, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Ecuador, South Africa, Madagascar, and the U.S. We hope to partner with CSP in Guyana and perhaps other sites. There is lots of support and enthusiasm for the idea of a future Save Your World Foundation.

Look for more information in the future postings regarding the Save Your World Foundation.

Australia shipping alert over massive iceberg

2009-12-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian authorities Friday issued a shipping alert over a gigantic iceberg that is gradually approaching the country's southwest coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the once-in-a-century cliff of ice, which dislodged from Antarctica about a decade ago before drifting north, was being monitored using satellites.

"Mariners are advised that at 1200 GMT on December 9, an iceberg approximately 1,700 kilometres (1,054 miles) south-southwest of the West Australian coast was observed," it said, giving the iceberg's coordinates.

"The iceberg is 140 square kilometres in area -- 19 kilometres long by eight kilometres wide."

Experts believe the iceberg -- known as B17B -- is likely to break up as it enters warmer waters nearer Australia, creating hundreds of smaller icebergs in a hazard to passing ships.

"It's still 1,700 kilometres away, so it's quite a long way away, it's not really on our doorstep yet but it's been heading steadily towards us," glaciologist Neal Young said Thursday.

Young earlier told AFP that an iceberg of that size had probably not been seen in the area since the days when 19th century clipper sailing ships plied the trade route between Britain and Australia.

The iceberg has been floating around Antarctica since shearing off the icey continent but had lately begun heading north because of ocean currents and weather conditions.

Its discovery comes after two other large icebergs were spotted further east, off Australia's Macquarie Island, followed by more than 100 smaller chunks heading towards New Zealand.

Young described the icebergs as uncommon, but said they could become more frequent if sea temperatures rise through global warming.

Study: Chemicals, Pollutants Found in Newborns

2009-12-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Fimrite Published December 3, 2009

Chemicals from cosmetics, perfumes and other fragrances were detected along with dozens of other industrial compounds in the umbilical cords of African American, Asian and Latino infants in the United States, according to a national study released Wednesday. Laboratory tests paid for by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group and Rachel's Network found 232 chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cords of the 10 babies tested in five states between December 2007 and June 2008.

'Not a surprise'

"It is not a surprise because studies for many years have shown synthetic and industrial chemicals in humans, but it is particularly concerning that the developing fetus is being exposed," said Megan Schwarzman, a family physician at San Francisco General Hospital and a research scientist in environmental public health at UC Berkeley.

"This is a particularly vulnerable time, and there is no reason for the chemicals to be there." It was the 11th time the working group has conducted laboratory tests of human blood for chemicals in household and industrial products. Overall, the working group, which focuses on environmental health issues, found 414 chemicals and pollutants in 186 people of all ages and races, including Caucasians. The latest study was the first time newborns of minority mothers were exclusively tested.

Green Stocking Stuffer Ideas

2009-12-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Still looking for great gift ideas? For a sustainable holiday filled with cheer, fill your stockings with green gifts this year! Going green this holiday season means giving environmentally thoughtful stocking stuffers that will help your friends and loved ones live more eco-friendly lifestyles.

Here are some of our favorite Save Your World small gifts that are big on giving and small in size - all of which help save the rainforest AND fit perfectly in a stocking!

2009 Beauty Award winning Save Your Lips Lip Balm - just $3.98!

Made with natural ingredients that are rich in moisturizing properties like coconut, safflower oil and mango butter, this formula includes antioxidants such as Vitamin A, C and E for added protection for your lips. Cruelty-free and no parabens.
Available in Green Tea, Grapefruit Mango and Pure (unflavored).

Save Your Rainforest Wristband - set of 2 just $10.00!
Made from 100% high quality, earth-friendly silicone. The wristbands are designed at 8" to fit all shapes and sizes. Stylish and charitable - 100% of the profits goes toward saving your rainforest. Each wristband sold saves 1 acre of rainforest for 1 year!
_______________________________________________________

Browse our website to check out our Falling Prices section for
Special Sale Prices on great stocking sized items!

Save 66% off, while supplies last!
Use discount code: BOOGREEN at checkout and SAVE!
Minimum order of $10.00 required. Shipping charges apply.

4 oz. Save Your Hair Shampoo, Conditioner or Save Your Skin Shower Gel
4.25 oz. Save Your Skin Bar Soap

Still looking for more? Check out all of our Holiday gift giving ideas!

From our families to yours - have a happy, healthy and GREEN holiday!

Save Your World Eco-Holiday Ideas

2009-11-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that the holidays are fast approaching again! When planning the "holiday budget" it is never too early to start thinking about eco-friendly gifts for the conservationist in your life. But it can be exhausting to careen madly around a shopping mall desperately purchasing scads of possibly useless stuff. Save Your World can help you with your quest for a greener holiday! Gift giving should never be stressful to think about, in fact getting and giving gifts can be a lot of fun, especially when any product you purchase from Save Your World saves 1 acre of rainforest for 1 year!

Save Your World Gift Baskets make the perfect gift!

The Happy Holidays Ultimate Gift Bag
(Available in Rainforest, Regal Blossom and Oasis Fruit)

Includes:
12 oz. bottles of body lotion, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner with pumps!
Four, 4.25 oz. soap bars and samplers to give you a taste of our heavenly aromas.
Four, Save Your Rainforest wristbands

Happy Holidays Variety Pak Gift Bag
Includes:
8 oz. bottles of shower gel and body lotion
Three, 2 oz. soap bars and samplers
Three, Save Your Rainforest wristbands

Visit our website for more gift bag options and take a look at all our Holiday eco-friendly gift giving ideas!

Of course the holidays are much more than giving gifts. Spending time with friends and family is the best gift of all. When entertaining your loved ones try to make your celebrations as environmentally friendly as possible. There are so many simple things that you can do to help the environment but here are just a few quick tips that can make your holidays a little greener!

Bright idea: Holiday Lights
Deck the halls and boughs with the latest in energy-saving light: LED string lights. They use much less electricity and last longer than conventional ones.

Imaginative wrapping: Think outside the box
When you think recycled, let your imagination roam beyond plain newsprint! Reuse old wrapping paper or put your gifts in reusable bags or boxes. Be creative about giving old materials new life. Use scraps of fabric, magazines, or calendars make great patchwork bags or collage wrapping paper.

Holiday table: Setting it earth-friendly
When selecting your flatware and cutlery, stick with the old fashioned kind. Use real plates, utensils and glasses. Paper disposable products may be more convenient, but they are not environmentally friendly at all. Additionally, try using cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. They not only look nicer and make a better presentation, but they can be easily washed and reused on your next occasion. Again, if you must use disposable products, look for goods made from recycled items that can be recycled or composted when used.

Save Your World Media Mentions week of November 15th, 2009

2009-11-22T10:11:00.001-08:00

One of the great things about Save Your World is that our products and conservation mission speak to a wide variety of individuals. We touch a lot of people no matter the person's age, race or gender. Our company goal is one that many people are passionate about and as a bonus our products are organic and as natural as the rainforest we are trying to protect.

This week Save Your World was highlighted in Energy Times, Planet Green, Today's Black Woman and True Romance. If you routinely read or subscribe to one of the publications make sure to catch what they are saying about Save Your World. True Romance wrote a great article on eco-friendly gift giving ideas that highlight Save Your World. Check it out!

"Save Your World...a luxurious vegan line of certified organic hair and skincare is great. But Save Your World Skincare goes above and beyond the environmental-friendly norm. Their guarantee: For each product purchased, one entire acre of rainforest will be saved for one year. How it works: Product proceeds go into the Save Your World project, a partnership with Conservation International and the government of Guyana Forestry Commission. Annual royalties and fees are paid to the Guyana Forestry Commission in exchange for acreage. Rainforest habitat that would have been leased by mining or logging companies isn't. Trees that would have been cut down, animals that would have gone homeless aren't because of YOU! Besides all that wonderfulness, organic Yerba Mate and the highest quality of organic Aloe makes each shampoo, body wash, lotion, lip balm, and exfoliating soap luxurious. Shea butter, jojoba seed oil, avocado, carrot, cucumber, and ginseng extract conditions skin and hair. Fragrances like rainforest, pure mist and oasis fruit stay with you all day. Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals replace parabens, dioxanes and sodium lauryl sulfates. The line is not tested on animals and comes in recyclable packaging. Shampoos and lotions are $9 for 8 oz. Purchase at Whole Foods Market or their website www.saveyourworld.com."

For other articles highlighting Save Your World this week, check out the PR section on our website to read about fun gift giving ideas:

Energy Times recommends our award winning Save Your Lips, Lip Balm.

Planet Green discusses our fantastic Bar Soaps that lather without the need for harsh chemicals and preservatives.

Today's Black Woman touches on how you can save 7 acres of rainforest and get the perfect gift of indulgence - the Ultimate Holiday Gift Bag.

Land Use Change an Overlooked Cause of Global Warming

2009-11-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 11, 2009) Georgia Tech City and Regional Planning Professor Brian Stone is publishing a paper in the December edition of Environmental Science and Technology that suggests policymakers need to address the influence of global deforestation and urbanization on climate change, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Stone's paper, as the international community meets in Copenhagen in December to develop a new framework for responding to climate change, policymakers need to give serious consideration to broadening the range of management strategies beyond greenhouse gas reductions alone.

"Across the U.S. as a whole, approximately 50 percent of the warming that has occurred since 1950 is due to land use changes (usually in the form of clearing forest for crops or cities) rather than to the emission of greenhouse gases," said Stone. "Most large U.S. cities, including Atlanta, are warming at more than twice the rate of the planet as a whole -- a rate that is mostly attributable to land use change. As a result, emissions reduction programs -- like the cap and trade program under consideration by the U.S. Congress -- may not sufficiently slow climate change in large cities where most people live and where land use change is the dominant driver of warming."

According to Stone's paper, as the international community meets in Copenhagen in December to develop a new framework for responding to climate change, policymakers need to give serious consideration to broadening the range of management strategies beyond greenhouse gas reductions alone.

"Treaty negotiators should formally recognize land use change as a key driver of warming," said Stone. "The role of land use in global warming is the most important climate-related story that has not been widely covered in the media."

Stone recommends slowing what he terms the "green loss effect" through the planting of millions of trees in urbanized areas and through the protection and regeneration of global forests outside of urbanized regions. Forested areas provide the combined benefits of directly cooling the atmosphere and of absorbing greenhouse gases, leading to additional cooling. Green architecture in cities, including green roofs and more highly reflective construction materials, would further contribute to a slowing of warming rates. Stone envisions local and state governments taking the lead in addressing the land use drivers of climate change, while the federal government takes the lead in implementing carbon reduction initiatives, like cap and trade programs.

"As we look to address the climate change issue from a land use perspective, there is a huge opportunity for local and state governments," said Stone. "Presently, local government capacity is largely unharnessed in climate management structures under consideration by the U.S. Congress. Yet local governments possess extensive powers to manage the land use activities in both the urban and rural areas."

Save Your World is a company dedicated to saving Earth's natural resources world wide through the support of Conservation Projects such as the 200,000 Acre Rainforest Conservation Concession in Guyuana. Save Your World's product pledge of "1 PRODUCT = 1 ACRE OF RAINFOREST SAVED FOR 1 YEAR" helps preserve areas from deforestation and maintain them in their pristine state.

Save Your World Media Mentions week of November 8th, 2009

2009-11-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

Save Your World is highlighted weekly in many organic and environmental consumer magazines and blogs around the world.

This week, Amazing Wellness Magazine and Better Nutrition Magazine placed Save Your World product information articles in their November editions. You can find these free magazines at your local organic or health store!

Amazing Wellness and Better Nutrition features our Save Your Hair Color-Safe Shampoo and Conditioner products available in Rainforest, Oasis Fruit and Regal Blossom aromas.

This unique shampoo and conditioner formula is scented with pure natural essential oils. No harsh chemicals - just natural and organic ingredients such as nutrient-rich, organic yerba mate to strengthen and revitalize stressed-out tresses. This product also contains natural UV protection in the form of Titanium Dioxide to help reduce the fading impact of the sun on color-treated and natural hair.

Save Your World goes to extra lengths to ensure our products are made in an environmentally-sensitive manner and pledge that:

Fair trade practices will always be our policy
No animal by-products will ever be used
No testing on animals will ever be done
Raw materials will be biodegradable
Packaging will be of recycled or recyclable materials
Products are paraben-free, contain NO 1,4-Dioxane, or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

For more media mentions or additional information about Save Your World products or our mission, visit our website at www.saveyourworld.com and find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/SaveYourWorld.

Brazil: Deforestation sees biggest drop in 20 yrs

2009-11-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

BRASILIA, Brazil – Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped nearly 46 percent from August 2008 to July 2009 — the biggest annual decline in two decades, the government said Thursday.

Analysis of satellite imagery by the National Institute for Space Research shows an estimated 7,008 square kilometers (2,705 square miles) of forest were cleared during the 12-month period, the lowest rate since the government started monitoring deforestation in 1988.

"The new deforestation data represents an extraordinary and significant reduction for Brazil," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a statement.

The numbers have been falling since 2004, when they reached a peak of 27,000 square kilometers (10,425 square miles) cleared in one year, according to the space research institute.

The government credited its aggressive monitoring and enforcement measures for the drop, as well as its promotion of sustainable activities in the Amazon region, an area in northern Brazil the size of the U.S. west of the Mississippi River.

But Paulo Gustavo, environmental policy director of Conservation International, said a major factor is the drop in world prices for beef, soy and other products that drive people to clear land for agriculture in the rainforest.

"The police control has improved a little, there has been success in controlling deforestation," Gustavo said. "But the main factor is the drop in commodity prices, which are the main factor in speeding up or slowing deforestation."

Satellite images from the space research institute have allowed government inspectors to increase enforcement, the government said.

The Brazilian Environment Institute reported confiscating about 230,000 cubic meters (8.1 million cubic feet) of wood, 414 trucks and tractors and 502,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of land linked to illegal deforestation activities from August 2008 to July 2009. The government has also issued $1.6 billion in fines, the statement said.

Amazon deforestation causes 75 percent of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases.

By MARCO SIBAJA, Associated Press Writer

Save Your World is a company dedicated to saving Earth's natural resources world wide through the support of Conservation Projects such as the 200,000 Acre Rainforest Conservation Concession in Guyuana. Save Your World's product pledge of "1 PRODUCT = 1 ACRE OF RAINFOREST SAVED FOR 1 YEAR" helps preserve areas from deforestation and maintain them in their pristine state.

Dr. Dick Rice, PhD - Chief Conservation Officer for Save Your World Speaks in Monterey, CA

2009-11-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

Dr. Dick Rice, PhD, Chief Conservation Officer for Save Your World was a recent guest speaker for two classes in Monterey, California on Monday November 2, 2010 at the Monterey Institute for International Studies (MIIS is a graduate school affiliated with Middlebury College), one at a class on conservation agreements, a subject that Dick is an expert in having created the World’s first conservation concession agreement, and one as a special speaker at the Environmental Speaker Series http://www.miis.edu/academics/programs/environmentalpolicy/speakers.

As Chief Conservation Officer for Save Your World, Dick advises Save Your World and encourages other companies regarding conservation opportunities around the world to further support conservation concessions and other initiatives to protect the environment worldwide.
Dicks Comments:

“In early December environment ministers and government officials from around the world will meet for two weeks in Copenhagen to try to iron out a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the current global climate treaty. It is widely expected that the final treaty will include forest protection in the tropics as accepted tool for fighting climate change. That’s important since deforestation and other land uses account for about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire world transportation sector combined. Deforestation is also one of the primary causes of the global biodiversity crisis, with roughly 13 million ha, an area the size of Alabama cleared each year.

This issue is important to all of us since projects like the Guyana Conservation Concession could become candidates for funding as carbon offsets. Forest carbon projects are also expected to be allowed under climate legislation passed in the US (they are front and center in both the bill passed by the House of Representatives last summer and the current bill being considered by the Senate).

Conservation agreements are a great context for forest carbon projects because you have to have incentives in place to conserve the forest in order for an area to qualify for funding as a carbon offset and that is exactly what conservation agreements do. It can take an enormous amount of time and energy to put those agreements in place, so where they already exist, they are a precious commodity in terms of possible future carbon investments.”

Save Your World has a unique direct proposition to the consumer to provide them with the ability to fund Conservation projects directly through the purchase of Save Your World all natural and organic personal care products. There is no other company and very few other opportunities that allow consumer the means to directly impact their world in such a positive environmental way. Most initiatives support doing less harm rather than good. The Conservation projects that Save Your World is associated with are to provide direct contributions to saving pristine environments worldwide. The consumer benefits through the purchase of great environmentally safe products used every day and the environment is saved through the donations given for each product purchase and by no further damage to your world with harsh chemicals.

1 PRODUCT = 1 ACRE OF RAINFOREST SAVED FOR 1 YEAR

To learn more about the Conservation Concession and Save Your World products visit: http://store.saveyourworld.com/Learn-about-Save-Your-World-s-Conservation-Mission-s/19.htm

Save Your Lips® Lip Balm Take 1st Place

2009-11-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

H20 Magazine Announced their 2009 Beauty Awards in their recent Fall 2009 Issue. For the 2nd year in a row Save Your World has finished in top spots for our products. This Year one of our newest product brands Save Your Lips® has won 1st place in the Beauty Awards Lip category.

"Save Your Lips® moisturizing, nutrient-rich antioxidant lip balm is a special treat for your lips. This moisturizing but non-greasy lip balm protects your lips while also nourishing them with organic Aloe Vera and organic Yerba Mate. Cruelty-free, no parabens, just natural and organic ingredients"

Just one tube of this lip balm does so much for your lips but also for the environment because 1 acre of pristine rainforest is saved for 1 year with the purchase of this award winning lip balm.

Visit your local Vitamin Shoppe stores and find us near the register during the months of November, December and through January 2010. Or order online at www.saveyourworld.com.

Get a handful for stocking stuffers or to have in your car, at the office, in your purse and just about anywhere around the house. They come in three great flavors: Grapefruit-Mango, Green Tea or Pure (unflavored). These lip balm formulas also make a quick and convenient cuticle moisturizing stick.

To see the article in H20 magazine Click Here

Your Health and Safety: How Safe Are Your Cosmetics?

2009-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Whether it’s shampoo, body wash or moisturizer, cosmetic and personal care products are supposed to make us beautiful – to help us strike a balance between inner and outer beauty. But have you read the ingredients list on the label of your favorite shampoo or lotion? You might encounter chemical names like phthalates, triclosan, paraben or the ever-elusive term, “fragrance.” What are these substances and what are they doing on your skin?

Recent research shows us the links between common ingredients in commercial products and harmful side effects.

Watchdog groups such as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and researchers at Vassar College are finding that common culprits causing illness are found in the following chemical groups: phthalates, triclosan, paraben and musks. Byproducts of these substances such as sodium laureth sulfate and 1,4-dioxide are suspected carcinogens.

In particular, teens have high incidences of chemical exposure since they tend to experiment with different kinds of cosmetics and personal care products. According to a recent report published by the EWG, 16 different chemicals were found in the blood and urine samples of 20 adolescent girls aged 14 to 19. Research links these chemicals to health effects such as cancer and hormone disruption.1

Many personal care products contain phthalates. What are they? Phthalates are agents that help deliver moisture and allow chemicals to absorb into the skin. They help bind fragrance in body care products. Phthalates are also used to soften plastics used for toys, disposable plastic bottles and containers and medical equipment. Side effects include kidney, lung and liver damage, and female reproductive illnesses such as the early onset of puberty in girls, polycystic ovarian disorder and infertility. Continued phthalate exposure can trigger miscarriage and could be a cause of birth defects. Studies show prolonged use of products containing phthalates can increase the risk of asthma, allergies and type-2 diabetes.2

There are phthalate-free body care alternatives available, so exposure to this chemical group can be avoided. Purchase products in safer recyclable plastic containers marked with the numbers 1, 2 and 5 and avoid those labeled 3, 6 and 7.3

In addition to phthalates, some personal care products may contain mercury, toluene, petroleum distillates, parabens and any number of other chemicals that can cause cancer, harm the reproductive system and retard human development.4

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent used to kill bacteria on the skin and other surfaces. It is found in a variety of personal care products frequently used on a daily basis such as bar and liquid hand soaps and toothpaste. Despite its widespread use in these products, triclosan is no better at killing germs than regular soap and water. Long-term use of triclosan has been linked to thyroid disorders. Moreover, triclosan can form toxic byproducts in tap water, endangering not only the local water quality but also the environment at large. The run-off of triclosan into local lakes and streams poses a toxic threat to fish and other aquatic life. Exposure to this chemical is widespread, as it has been detected in the blood, breast-milk and urine of over 75% of the American population.5

Aside from triclosan, parabens are a group of artificial preservatives found in various cosmetic and body care products. Parabens are chemicals used to extend the shelf life of products such as moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, sunscreens, deodorants, antiperspirants and mascaras because they inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold.

So, you might ask, what are the potential risks associated with long-term exposure to parabens? Parabens have been known to cause allergic reactions and are known hormonal disruptors. In various studies performed in the EU and the US, parabens have been linked to incidences of breast cancer and estrogen disruption in women.

Parabens are also known contaminants. When parabens are combined with chlorinated tap water, paraben byproducts can form that create unsafe water known to kill aquatic life, in particular, coral.

The term “fragrance” conjures the fresh scent of fields of wildflowers, the crisp smell of clean linen, the deep, rich notes of cedar and sandalwood. But do you know the average perfume or cologne contains somewhere between 400 and 600 synthetic chemicals? Musks are the artificial chemicals used in products such as air fresheners, fabric softeners and personal care soaps and lotions. Long-term use of products containing musks can lead to hormone and reproductive disruption in women and can interfere with proper immune function.6

As with products containing no phthalates and triclosan, paraben-free and fragrance-free alternatives are available and switching to them can reduce long-term exposure. If fragrances appeal to you, look for products containing natural, essential oils instead of synthetic perfumes.

While the EU has banned the use of phthalates, paraben, triclosan and musk in commercial products, the use of these chemicals in cosmetics and body care products in the US lags behind and remains largely unchecked and unregulated. According to the EWG, the FDA has assessed for safety only 11% of the 10,500 ingredients found in hair and body care products.

If we used just one personal care product a day, we might not have to worry too much. But on a daily basis, Americans use an average of anywhere between 10 and 15 personal care products. Based on the EWG’s recent statistics, people apply an average of 126 to 178 different ingredients to their skin daily, making the cumulative impact of these chemicals particularly hazardous.7 Parents and teens should be especially careful in their selection and use of body care products to protect themselves against avoidable contaminants.

You can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from exposure to these chemicals. Here are some suggestions and resources to help you stay healthy and safe.

* Stay away from the “Dirty Dozen” in cosmetics and personal care products. In addition to the health concerns posed by the products discussed in this article, other additives pose similar health risks and should be avoided: coal tar, diethanolamine (DEA), formaldehyde, lead and mercury, nanoparticles, petroleum distillates, p-phenylenediamine and hydroquinone. See National Geographic’s “The Green Guide” for further information.

* Vote with your dollar. Carefully read the ingredient lists on product packaging to stay away from these chemicals. Suggest to your local pharmacy and supermarket that they carry more natural and organic personal care products or visit your local health food or natural product store to seek healthier alternatives.

* To learn more about cosmetic safety and the health concerns associated with certain ingredients in beauty care products, please consult the following resources:

o The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com")
o Environmental Working Group’s Shoppers’ Guide to Safe Cosmetics (http://www.ewg.org)
Environmental Risks and Breast Cancer Project from Vassar College (http://erbc.vassar.edu)
o National Geographic’s “The Green Guide” (http://www.thegreenguide.com)

References:
1 Rebecca Sutton, “Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern,” September 2008, Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens
2 Rebecca Sutton, “Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern,” September 2008, Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens
3 In addition to phthalates, containers using plastics labeled 3, 6 and 7 contain bisphenol-A (known as BPA). Long-term exposure to BPA has been linked to endocrine and hormonal disruption in laboratory animals. The use of BPA has rightly raised a good deal of controversy. It has been recently removed from many products such as baby and water bottles as a result of consumer action and activism. For further information, see http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july-dec08/bpa_09-19.html
4 Personal Care - The World Women Want: http://www.theworldwomenwant.com/yourworld/care/
5 Rebecca Sutton, “Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern,” September 2008, Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens
6 Rebecca Sutton, “Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern,” September 2008, Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens
7 Rebecca Sutton, “Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern,” September 2008, Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens

Green and Climate-Friendly Televisions

2009-01-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

Keep old TVs functional, find the greenest and least-toxic new ones, and learn about responsible electronics recycling.

Through the years, it’s become apparent that many Real Green readers aren’t big TV watchers. So our editorial staff thought we should warn you all that early next year, television broadcasters will transition completely from analog to digital broadcasting, meaning that any TV not equipped to receive digital broadcasts won’t get a signal after February 18, 2009.

The upside of this change is that compared to analog broadcasting, digital signals allow more information to be sent on a smaller group of frequencies, freeing up valuable airwaves for other uses, including public safety.

The significant downside, however, is that the switch is expected to send millions of analog television sets containing toxic components like lead-filled cathode-ray tubes to landfills—as people mistakenly assume they’ll have to toss their old TVs and buy new flat-screen models to navigate the switch.

Fortunately, with a little information, you can keep your old TV working for many more years. Below, we tell you how and also include tips on what to look for when you do need a new TV.

Keep Your Old TV
If you have an older TV at home, chances are it's a cube-shaped cathode-ray (CRT) set. No matter how ancient it is, your old television will likely do just fine after the switch. If you currently subscribe to a satellite or cable service, you’ll continue to get a signal after February 18, whether you have an analog or digital TV.

But if you use an antenna to watch TV, those over-the-air signals may cease after the switch. Fortunately, it’s easy and cheap to fix this problem and keep using your set. First, if your TV was made after 2003, it may have a built-in digital tuner. Look for labels on your set that say something like “integrated digital tuner” or “digital receiver built-in.” If that’s the case, you’ll still be able to get an over-the-air signal.

If your TV isn’t equipped with a digital tuner, you can use a set-top converter box to convert the digital signal to analog, so you can receive an over-the-air signal. Every US household is eligible to receive two $40 coupons from the government to purchase a converter, which range in price from $50–$75. Visit www.dtv.gov to find out how to get your coupons. And be sure to look for an Energy Star converter box to ensure that you’re using the most efficient model possible.

In terms of energy efficiency, CRT TVs do as well or better than comparable flat-screen models, so you won’t be saving much energy by making the switch. Therefore, your greenest option is to keep your CRT TV as long as possible, preventing more resources and energy from being used to make a new TV.

When Your Old TV Dies...
But maybe you really do need a new TV. In that case, you have a few new types to consider.

Some manufacturers are starting to phase out production of CRT televisions, in favor of new flat screen models, which generally have better picture quality and are much thinner and lighter. The more sophisticated flat-screen technology has also made extra-sharp high-definition (HDTV) images possible, as long as stations broadcast in high-definition.

When shopping for a new or used flat-screen television, you can choose an LCD (liquid crystal display), plasma, or rear projection TV. The technical differences between these three types are fairly complex (look them up at ConsumerReports.org if you’re curious). All three can be HDTV-compatible, so you’ll probably find picture-quality and price to be comparable among all three types. It’s the environmental impacts that can differ greatly.

Energy Efficiency Considerations

Let’s just state right off the bat that you want to avoid energy-hog plasma televisions. The average plasma TV uses more energy per year than a refrigerator, which is the biggest energy user in most US households, says the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Another problem with plasma TVs is that the higher the resolution, or how sharp the image is, the worse they get in terms of energy use. Flat-screen TVs are available in 720p or 1080p resolution (the “p” stands for “pixels,” which are the little dots of light that make up your image). Resolution only matters with a plasma TV, because each pixel is illuminated separately—therefore, a 1080p plasma TV will use more electricity than a 720p plasma TV. Higher resolution in an LCD or rear-projection TV won’t affect their energy use because all of the pixels on the screen are illuminated by one light source.

No matter which TV you choose, it’s important to remember that size matters. If you swap your old 26-inch CRT television for a monstrous 52-inch LCD TV, you’re not going to save energy.

Though energy use among different models can vary widely, for a rough idea, Efficient Products.org, a Web site that researches the energy efficiency of consumer products, says that for smaller TVs less than 42 inches, LCD models are more efficient than CRTs. Rear-projection models are mainly available in larger sizes (50 inches and higher). If you want an enormous television, the rear-projection models tend to be more efficient than comparable LCDs or CRTs.

In the future, manufacturers are looking to mass-produce LED (light-emitting diode) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs, which may be even more efficient than current models.

Best models: Your most efficient option is an LCD TV less than 42 inches. CNET.com rated 128 flat-screen TVs by their energy use in October. (Find those ratings here.) Also, look for the Energy Star. While the program used to rate televisions based only on stand-by mode—meaning how much power they leak when turned off—starting in November, the ratings will change to also reflect power usage when the sets are turned on.

If you choose an LCD, you’ll want to have the set calibrated to a medium level of backlighting—instead of the torch-bright backlighting the manufacturer sets it to so the screen will look nice when displayed in stores. Check your manual to see if the set has a “home” setting you can select, or call an electronics professional to calibrate your TV. It will save energy and keep your TV from burning out quickly.

Also, remember that TVs leak power even when turned off. Plug your TV into a power strip, and switch off the strip to stop those leaks.

Climate Impacts
Earlier this year, Professor Michael J. Prather of the University of California–Irvine sounded the alarm about a hidden greenhouse gas that is often used in the production of flat-screen televisions. According to Prather’s research, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which is often used to clean flat-screen manufacturing equipment, is 17,000 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

While industry representatives have said they take precautions to contain NF3, Prather argues that companies may very well be lax about letting it escape, since it’s not regulated by the US government or under the Kyoto Protocol.

Fortunately, some companies are finding alternatives to NF3. Linde Electronics, a gas and chemical company, has created a process that allows pure fluorine to be used in place of NF3, says Steve Pilgrim, Linde’s global marketing manager.

“Fluorine has a global warming potential of zero,” says Pilgrim. “It’s also more efficient to use, so it’s cheaper. We’re doing our best to convert manufacturers to fluorine, either on the economic or the environmental argument. Performance is unaffected by which gas you use.”

Best models: So far, Toshiba–Matsushita Display and LG have converted much of their manufacturing operations to fluorine instead of NF3.

Toxic Innards
As more people are becoming aware, televisions and other electronics often contain hazardous innards. In addition to the lead problem with CRT TVs, chemicals like hormone disrupters polyvinyl chloride and brominated flame retardants, neurotoxic mercury, and more can be found in flat-screen and CRT TVs alike.

Best models: Samsung and Sony scored best on the “2008 Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics,” which ranks companies based on the toxicity of their products and whether they have robust take-back and recycling programs. Though Philips received a poor ranking from Greenpeace, its Eco-TV is less toxic than many models (see below).

Responsible Recycling
To ensure that old TVs don’t end up clogging landfills and leaking hazardous substances, it’s important for manufacturers to take their products back for recycling. However, irresponsible recyclers often send old electronics to developing countries like China, where organizations like the Basel Action Network (BAN) have reported seeing workers sort and dismantle toxic electronics by hand, unprotected. Recyclers listed on BAN’s Web site have pledged not to export e-waste and to recycle it responsibly. Find the list here.

Green America’s ResponsibleShopper.org also notes that many electronics companies, like Sanyo, Toshiba, and Sony, are tied to worker exploitation along their supply chains.

Best models: Samsung, LG, and Sony have the most robust recycling programs. Consumers can drop their Samsung electronics at 174 locations across the US. The company has pledged not to incinerate, landfill, or export its e-waste (it’s not a BAN signer).

LG (Goldstar, Zenith) has 160 drop-off sites across the US for its old electronics, which are recycled through Waste Management Recycle America, a company that is in the process of qualifying as a BAN-pledge signer. Sony has a similar program, also run through Waste Management.

In Short...
As their monetary prices come down, flat-screen TVs don’t have to come at a steep cost to human health and the Earth. Keep your old TV for as long as you can, and when you need a new one, encourage new green technology by buying green.

Posted from Green America
—Tracy Fernandez Rysavy

Solutions from the Green Economy

2009-01-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

Everyone now understands that the economy is broken.

While many name the mortgage and credit-default-swap crises as culprits, they are only the most recent indicators of an economy with fatal design flaws. Our economy has long been based on what economist Herman Daly calls “uneconomic growth” where increases in the GDP come at an expense in resources and well-being that is worth more than the goods and services provided. When GNP growth exacerbates social and environmental problems—from sweatshop labor to manufacturing toxic chemicals—every dollar of GNP growth reduces well-being for people and the planet, and we’re all worse off.

Our fatally flawed economy creates economic injustice, poverty, and environmental crises. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can create a green economy: one that serves people and the planet and offers antidotes to the current breakdown.
Here are six green-economy solutions to today’s economic mess.

1. Green Energy—Green Jobs
A crucial starting place to rejuvenate our economy is to focus on energy. It’s time to call in the superheroes of the green energy revolution—energy efficiency, solar and wind power, and plug-in hybrids—and put their synergies to work with rapid, large-scale deployment. This is a powerful way to jumpstart the economy, spur job creation (with jobs that can’t be outsourced), declare energy independence, and claim victory over the climate crisis.

2. Clean Energy Victory Bonds
How are we going to pay for this green energy revolution? We at Green America propose Clean Energy Victory Bonds. Modeled after victory bonds in World War II, Americans would buy these bonds from the federal government to invest in large-scale deployment of green energy projects, with particular emphasis in low-income communities hardest hit by the broken economy. These would be long-term bonds, paying an annual interest rate, based in part on the energy and energy savings that the bonds generate. During WWII, 85 million Americans bought over $185 billion in bonds—that would be almost $2 trillion in today’s dollars.

3. Reduce, Reuse, Rethink

Living lightly on the Earth, saving resources and money, and sharing (jobs, property, ideas, and opportunities) are crucial principles for restructuring our economy. This economic breakdown is, in part, due to living beyond our means—as a nation and as individuals. With the enormous national and consumer debt weighing us down, we won’t be able to spend our way out of this economic problem. Ultimately, we need an economy that’s not dependent on unsustainable growth and consumerism. So it’s time to rethink our over-consumptive lifestyles, and turn to the principles of elegant simplicity, such as planting gardens, conserving energy, and working cooperatively with our neighbors to share resources and build resilient communities.

4. Go Green and Local
When we do buy, it is essential that those purchases benefit the green and local economy—so that every dollar helps solve social and environmental problems, not create them. Our spending choices matter. We can support our local communities by moving dollars away from conventional agribusiness and big-box stores and toward supporting local workers, businesses, and organic farmers, and companies that are doing good for the environment.

5. Community Investing
All over the country, community investing banks, credit unions, and loan funds that serve hard-hit communities are strong, while the biggest banks required bailouts. The basic principles of community investing keep such institutions strong: Lenders and borrowers know each other. Lenders invest in the success of their borrowers—with training and technical assistance along with loans. And the people who provide the capital to the lenders expect reasonable, not speculative, returns. If all banks followed these principles, the economy wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in today.

6. Shareowner Activism
When you own stock, you have the right and responsibility to advise management to clean up its act. Had GM listened to shareholders warning that relying on SUVs would be its downfall, it would have invested in greener technologies, and would not have needed a bailout. Had CitiGroup listened to its shareowners, it would have avoided the faulty mortgage practices that brought it to its knees. Engaged shareholders are key to reforming conventional companies for the transition to this new economy – the green economy that we are building together.

It’s time to move from greed to green.

Posted from Green America
--Alisa Gravitz

The Power of “1 Acre”

2009-01-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
– Native American Proverb

As the central message and principal cause of Save Your World’s conservation goals are based upon “1 Product = 1 Acre of Rainforest Saved for 1 Year”, we believe our customers should have a more thorough, vividly realized portrait of what “1 Acre” means in this ever-changing world.

What Is the Measure of “1 Acre”?

When considering an accurate determination for what 1 Acre could be, remember 1 Acre is a unit of measure used to express or define an area of land, and therefore has no particular width, length, or definable shape – it can be round, square, polygon, etc.

According to the ever-expanding online resource, Wikipedia, “one international acre is equal to 4,047 square meters”, or approximately 4,840 square yards. To give U.S. customers an idea, that’s 93 yards of a 100-yard long football field, given the NFL’s standard 50-yard width dimensions.

Other measures of the area of 1 Acre could be:

One/Half (1/2) New York City block = 1 Acre
Three (3) high-school gymnasiums = 1 Acre
Four (4) Olympic swimming pools = 1 Acre
One-Thousand (1000) king-size beds = 1 Acre

What Is the Value of “1 Acre”?

Beyond the simplified comparison between an NFL field and the size of 1 Acre, here are a few clarifying descriptions and comparisons.

The word “acre” is derived from Old English æcer, originally meaning "open field", which is similar to the German Acker, Latin ager, and Greek αγρος, or “agros,” as in “agriculture.” The “acre,” as originally determined, was approximately the amount of land tillable by one man behind one ox in one day. One man, one ox, one day equals 1 Acre.

1 man + 1 ox + 1 day = 1 Acre

In the valuation of property, how the U.S. dollar trades for 1 Acre of land can vary widely, depending on the location of the land. For instance, 1 Acre of oceanfront property in sunny Malibu Beach, California goes for around $3 million per acre, whereas 1 Acre of riverfront property along the Rio Grande in west Texas goes for around $60 per acre.

$3,000,000 USD + Malibu, Ca. = 1 Acre or $60 USD + Lajitas, Tx. = 1 Acre

What Is the “Value” of Save Your World’s Land Acreage?

With Save Your World, we want to have a different valuation of land acreage. Rather than assessing its importance for development, business, or tourism, Save Your World measures the value of our land acreage for its sustainable, ecologically sound environment supporting indigenous people and native flora, fauna, and wildlife.

Guyana Wildlife

For instance, in Guyana’s Upper Essequibo region, we found an opportunity we feel fortunate with because of the genuine eco-value of Guyana’s land and resources. Over three-quarters of Guyana’s landmass are made up of forest, and about 60% of that is classified as primary or “old growth” forest. This is significant for its biodiversity and eco-value.

1 “Save Your World” Acre = Primary Forest!

Primary forest is a forest that is of superior age and growth maturity, possessing diversified and unique biological features. Because of the older age and height of many trees within old growth, primary forests, they are often more shaded than other types of forests.

Primary forests are unique, and usually have intricate, highly evolved layers of vegetation, with myriad species and aging of trees. To consider an accurate “value” of these lands would be difficult. In terms of their ecological importance, primary forests are truly “priceless” – valued beyond standard real-estate assessments. What is of upmost value and importance to Save Your World is the conservation of our planet’s primary forest stands.

Deforestation and Destruction

Primary forests are threatened by habitat destruction due to massively destructive logging and clear-cut logging activity, which reduces biodiversity both in terms of decreasing the amount of primary forest and habitat that remain on the planet as well as the destruction and, therefore, reduction in the level of remaining native or indigenous species living within primary forest habitat.

Guyana's primary forests are highly diverse: the country has some 1,263 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles, and 6,409 species of plants. According to an assessment by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the forests in Guyana can be classified as follows: wet evergreen (36%), montane (35%), swamp and marsh (15%), dry evergreen (7%), seasonal (6%), and mangrove (1%).

1 Acre = 1 World

As you might imagine, we believe you can help us to Save Your World -- 1 Acre at a time. Failing to preserve rainforests like the Guyana Reserve and their plants and animals can lead to their extinction. These plants and animals may have unknown medicinal qualities that would be lost forever if they died out.

Although a quarter (25%) of Western pharmaceuticals contain ingredients from plant sources, only 1% of rainforest plants have even been tested for medicinal value. Protecting the rainforest keeps these valuable resources intact and prevents further loss of species.

The destruction of rainforests over the next 25 years is predicted to wipe out or endanger almost half the world’s animals, plants, and microorganisms. 1 Acre of primary forest in Save Your World’s Guyana Reserve can support up to 500 trees! That’s why it’s so important we do what we can to reverse these actions and take necessary measures, such as those implemented in our Upper Essequibo Conservation Concession through partnerships with Conservation International.

Our Conservation Mission

In 2006, a group of family and friends joined together to create Guyana Reserve with the Save Your World project. The mission of this organization is to provide financial support for and create public awareness around conserving our world’s natural resources.

By purchasing our products, you are contributing to the Save Your World project, a partnership with Conservation International and the Government of Guyana Forestry Commission. The project secures rainforest habitat that would have been leased by mining or logging companies. Every purchase you make helps protect one whole acre of dwindling habitat, thus keeping it in its pristine condition:

1 Product = 1 Acre of Rainforest Saved for 1 Year.

Do your part today and reverse humankind’s acts of destruction by making a purchase of Save Your World products where “1 Product = 1 Acre of Rainforest Saved for 1 Year”. It’s just like a carbon calculator only better, as you get great all-natural products while reversing negative effects on the environment by saving rainforest acres.

1, 4-dioxane – Not a Part of Our Products

2009-01-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

The recent discovery of the toxicant carcinogen 1,4-dioxane in several well-known body care and household cleaning products has become a topic of true concern for companies like Save Your World, operating in the organic and naturally produced product industry.

Save Your World supports and encourages a comprehensive review of the industry’s standards of practice and production and has gone so far as to initiate its own independently financed inventory of the formulaic content of its products. The comprehensive examination measured down to the one-part-per-million (1PPM) level, far exceeding any watchdog or federal standard for testing, and showed conclusively that Save Your World’s products are free from the toxicant.

Thus, Save Your World states clearly:

1,4-dioxane is not a part of our products.

Quality products that support a healthy, naturally fortified, wholly sustainable life – incorporating modern methods of diet, hygiene and wellness – are what Save Your World hopes to offer its customers. In this age of modern enlightenment and the ubiquitous Internet, people are truly empowered to understand what constitutes a smart, healthy, informed purchase. This heightened awareness has allowed regular consumers to discover and eventually purchase quality services and healthy products. Save Your World encourages informed skepticism and consumer awareness and welcomes consumer advocacy as a benefit to its burgeoning industry.

More than ever, consumers are concerned with exactly what is in their favorite healthy products, posing such questions as, “What’s really in those ‘organic’ chicken tenders?” and, “Is this fruity, ‘natural’ shampoo actually good for my hair and health?” Much to the credit of consumer advocacy groups such as the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), consumers are entering a new era of corporate accountability and product integrity. Consumers are calling for a fuller declaration of ingredients and manufacturing processes by companies producing “organic” and “natural” products.
To make matters more disconcerting for these companies, in March of 2008 the Attorney General of California, acting on both independent (OCA) and state-funded research, filed a lawsuit against companies whose products tested highest for the 1,4-dioxane toxicant. According to a subsequent article by the Los Angeles Times, “…tests of 100 ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ soaps, shampoos and other consumer products show that nearly half of them contained [1,4-dioxane] … a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing.”

The toxicant, which is not an ingredient but a contaminant from the manufacturing process, has been identified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen for having caused cancer in lab animals. Under California’s Proposition 65, and in line with the EPA’s findings, “consumer products that contain toxic levels of 1,4-dioxane must have warning labels stating that they may cause cancer.”

The dilemma with these companies is they may actually be diluting the purity of their “organic” and “natural” products in their processes and efforts to bring a high-quality, yet affordable product to market. In their efforts to save a dollar, the healthful, natural quality of their products has been sullied, and the entire industry is taking a closer look at what may be a larger problem.
To understand this dilemma, a brief history of the organic and natural products industry is necessary. Fifty years or so ago, a few imaginative, health-conscious manufacturers brought their organic and natural products to market, essentially blazing a path as industry pioneers. As was their intent, these products were able to live up to their healthy billing, and seized a previously untapped market share. Though there were no definitive regulatory practices in place, the “natural” essence of their products and their healthful intent were genuine.

Fast forward to the ’eighties and ’nineties, when a slew of “natural” and “organic” manufacturers began to enter the market. The human processes necessary to bring “natural” and “organic” products to market are just that – made by humans. With “bottom line” and “shareholder equity” replacing favored policies of “sustainability,” “eco-conscious,” and “enviro-friendly,” corners were cut, and healthful quality appears to have suffered. These companies may have attempted to bring high-quality, healthy, wholesome products to market, but are failing in the end. Save Your World hopes to bring quality and accountability back to the forefront of this industry.

The general consensus on the subject – among government, watchdog, scientific and wholesale officials – is 1,4-dioxane is not intentionally added to these products. Tests indicate the toxic compound is a byproduct of the human process used to soften harsh detergents. It is formed when “surfactants,” or foaming agents, are processed with certain petrochemicals. The process is intended to make products gentle, smooth, clean, fresh and dynamic, but some of these formulas generate less than favorable results.

The federal government’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry releases what it calls ToxFAQs™, with the stated intention being “a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects.” The September 2007 ToxFAQs™ for 1,4-dioxane describes the toxicant as a “trace contaminant of some chemicals used in cosmetics, detergents, and shampoos,” with manufacturers being required to reduce these “chemicals to low levels before these chemicals are made into products used in the home.”

Save Your World advises families wanting to avoid products containing 1,4-dioxane to do so by reviewing and recognizing the following ingredients required to appear on the outer container labels offered for retail sale: “PEG,” “polyethylene,” “polyethylene glycol,” “polyoxyethylene,” or “polyoxynolethylene.” Many products on the market today contain 1,4-dioxane in minute, immeasurable amounts.

It’s not as alarming as some may imagine, with many solidly imagined and well-designed products exceeding national health standards. Only companies selling products that tested close to or in excess of 20 parts per million (20PPM) for 1,4-dioxane in the OCA study were named in the lawsuit, with Save Your World testing negative for 1,4-dioxane all the way below the 1PPM level, effectively demonstrating our product purity. That said, the California lawsuit has become an important measure of the true condition of this burgeoning industry.

Indeed, with major players being forced to inventory certain product-line formulas, some companies announced shortly after the March 2008 lawsuit that they would be reformulating their products to ensure removal of the problematic ingredient or any faulty formula. This may be the kind of opportunity necessary for the “organic” and “natural” products industry to embolden its efforts at improving and reimagining healthy products, while bettering our environment.

Some forward-thinking companies like Save Your World, even though it is neither mentioned nor named in any of these salacious charges, are taking a voluntary stance to prove the purity and wholesome quality of their products. This kind of action is in lieu of more definitive regulatory guidance, as much of this industry operates outside any regulation or concrete standard. Save Your World, though, is asking for just that – more specific regulations and standards.

Save Your World has partnered with many organizations –the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), the “Leaping Bunny” certification program, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), the Organic Trade Association (OTA), and the Natural Products Association, for instance – to embrace oversight and regulation. These watchdog groups are free to support or refute any company’s claims of being “organic” and “natural,” as well as “sustainable,” “eco-conscious” and “carbon footprint free.” Some of these companies are joining with Save Your World’s campaign to improve overall product quality for the consumer while sustaining a viable and beneficial plan to nurture and conserve natural resources. An issue like 1,4-dioxane is simply a great way for them to shed more light on their cleanliness and natural goodness, to employ an apt turn of phrase.

One initiative for change is the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics,” which has been signed by Save Your World and several other personal care and beauty product companies. The stated goal of the signed compact is “to reduce hazardous chemicals that are prevalent in our bodies, our environment and in the personal care products we use daily.” The OCA offers anyone the opportunity to join the more than 500 companies and thousands of consumers who support its “Coming Clean Campaign” – one to rid the marketplace of synthetic personal care products misleadingly labeled as “organic.”

One major distributor of Save Your World’s products, Whole Foods Market, has a high-quality measure for its personal care products. Its criteria, called “Whole Body Quality Standards,” calls to mind these types of issues. Among those criteria are “plant-based and naturally derived ingredients, pure essential oil fragrances, gentle preservatives, and non-petroleum ingredients.” In addition, vendors like Save Your World are required to offer products free of animal testing. Save Your World is proud of its policies for following premium, industry-leading standards for minimally processed, preservative-free products.

A healthy, naturally fortified, whole life is what many consumers seek, with a large percentage demanding full disclosure of ingredients and manufacturing processes by companies producing “organic” and “natural” products. Save Your World supports this kind of awareness. This is a new era of manufacturing accountability and corporate responsibility. 1,4-dioxane need not be a bane to companies in the organic and naturally produced product industries, but rather a nod to human error and an indication of a better world in the works.

Save Your World wants to help better your world, one product at a time.
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http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts187.html

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/whole-body-standards.php

The Two-Headed Palm Oil Monster

2009-01-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Save Your World has entered the fight against a two-headed monster threatening to destroy our world. In this case, the monster is the sweet, sticky sap and pulp from tropical palm trees in the world’s lush rainforests. Indeed, it’s the two-headed nature of the burgeoning global Palm Oil trade that speaks to a classic work of literature with a similar theme, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. At once good and evil, the main character struggles to find his inner peace and find a balanced understanding of the seemingly dual nature of his existence.

No doubt, humans are capable of vividly imaginative methods of creation as well as maddening propositions for destruction. The comparison between Palm Oil and a fictitious mad scientist seems accurate because the Palm Oil business has found difficulty achieving a working relationship between ecology (good) and economy (evil). In the unfolding drama of this seesaw battle, the future of Palm Oil and the Earth’s climate have become central characters, each weighing heavily on the conscious of green-minded consumers and industries worldwide.
Originally excavated from the jungles of Western Africa for use in the industrialized Europe of the mid-18th century, Palm Oil has surpassed soybean oil as the most widely produced vegetable oil in the world. Palm Oil and its derivatives have become important in the manufacture of soaps, washing powders, personal care products, and – to the dismay of many environmental watchdogs – an unfavorable source for biofuel.

The demand for Palm Oil and its byproducts is indicative of the rise of consumers “green” purchasing trends and an overall expansion of the “green,” “organic,” and “natural” markets. Companies like Save Your World are looking to find the best possible ingredients for their products, and Palm Oil is a healthful, readily available, affordable component in their current formulas and ongoing research and development. The difference for Save Your World is our desire to trace the source of our Palm Oil directly to its origin, with the Philippines providing the entirety of our sustainable, fair-trade Palm Oil.

In the underdeveloped countries of Indonesia and Malaysia – who provide 86% of the world’s Palm Oil supply – the cultivation of this “green gold” has been a tremendous boon to these poverty stricken countries still reeling from the catastrophic tsunami of 2004. Global demand for Palm Oil has boosted the overall economy of these countries and provided a working capital to build roads, schools, and bridges, as well as new villages and communities.

What appears rather benign on the surface has another side, the other face, that speaks volumes to the growing frenzy of these countries’ desire to gain their share of the 21st century’s global economy. Clear-cutting of entire rainforests – some of the most pristine, bio-diverse, ecologically important in the world – has become commonplace as a means to create growth territory for expanding Palm Oil plantations. More land, more plantations, more Palm Oil.
As a consequence, the broad, heavy-handed destruction of these forests has become a critical issue for global concern. For Save Your World, the solution to this dilemma appears rooted in a cooperative, regulated, and transparent “good governance” plan of action, which can both support the industry as well as prevent continued rainforest and environmental destruction.
With an emergence of the alternative-fuel market in the recent decade, some companies have found Palm Oil to be – as with its veggie-oil business model – a cheap alternative to more expensive, lesser quality sources. But the means by which Palm Oil becomes available to consumers is of paramount concern, and the facts and figures appear to paint a picture of the most severe ecological threat of this new century. Some estimates claim a total loss of these rainforest regions in the next ten years.

To make matters worse, this forest clearing isn't the worst aspect of this dilemma. In the region of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Borneo, dense tropical rainforests areas grow on peat-moss swamps – mostly decaying bio-matter from generations of tropical foliage and fauna. These peat-moss forests, or peatland, are cleared and burned to create viable growth areas for Palm Oil plantations. Not unlike the rampant deforestation of other timber areas, the technique is common and marginally accepted under regulated conditions.

However, the carbon-based materials that make up these soggy-bottom peatland areas are a major pollutant when they are scorched for clearing. According to a recent article in National Geographic, “Carbon released by decaying peat soil, fires, and deforestation has pushed Indonesia into the third place among nations as a source of greenhouse gases, behind only heavily industrialized China and the United States.” The information for this assertion is readily available in a jointly sponsored 2007 report by the British government and the World Bank. As startling as this may sound, it is old news, and the problem is growing larger by the day with the Palm Oil industry continuing to explode as the central revenue product for these countries. Again, Save Your World has found other viable opportunities exist for Palm Oil production in sustainable, fair-trade countries, like the Philippines and Brazil.

The real irony of this ecological dilemma is recently released data by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace showing “that forests and peatlands that are replaced as Palm Oil plantations release more carbon dioxide than is saved by burning biofuels instead of diesel.” With its detrimental effects, what should be a benefit to the world in the form of healthier oil has become a bane. Under intense pressure from the United Nations, Greenpeace, and the World Bank, the Indonesian government under President Yudhoyono has enacted small measures to curtail deforestation and peatland burning. Most critics say this is diplomatic posturing and will not result in favorable changes.
The Kyoto Protocol was revised in the United Nations Climate Change Conference December 2007 meeting in Bali, more directly addressing the issue of deforestation for industries like Palm Oil production. The overwhelming majority found that necessary components must be implemented to prevent further destruction and harmful emissions. There are numerous conservation initiatives to assist this plan of action – like the conservation incentive agreements Save Your World utilizes for its Guyanese conservation leases.

In the Bali meetings, a new acronym, REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) became the talking point of activists seeking to make an impact instead of continuing the perpetual negotiating dance of diplomats. Many supporters see it as the last best opportunity and hope to save some of the world’s most pristine, invaluable rainforests. REDD offers a chance for developed, wealthy nations to put their money where there mouth is, to use a commercial jingle. It’s a chance to secure our climate’s future.

Concerned agencies, nations, and companies like Save Your World can combat climate change by paying for the conservation of large, priceless areas of tropical rainforests. If the Palm Oil industry is built upon the value of its future, strategic financial action can supplement that future money while preventing continued catastrophic results. There’s certainly a price to pay, but it appears the value far outweighs the cost.
There are other imaginative ideas for conservation, many leading down the same path: cooperation with governments, regions, countries, and communities in the form of financial support. Some have sought stop-point action. The San Francisco, Ca., based Rainforest Action Network issued a pledge in October 2008 to “support a moratorium on the expansion of palm oil plantations into tropical forests.” The pledge has been signed by more than thirty leading consumer and cosmetic-goods companies, with dozens more being gently pressured to join.
A few companies have led the trend for forward-thinking Palm Oil production. AgroPalma Group is an example of how the ecology-economy system can reap valuable benefits in the area of rainforest conservation. AgroPalma’s efforts in the Amazonian regions have produced favorable results and can demonstrate a viable, sustainable solution for the continued production of Palm Oil. Policies such as reforestation, recycling, and habitat management have allowed the forests to survive and even thrive with a renewed vigor.

Greenpeace has produced its own version of the REDD, called a Tropical Deforestation Emission Reduction Mechanism (TDERM). The stated intent of the activist group’s deforestation initiative is to provide “financing needed to help protect the world’s remaining tropical rainforests by reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.” Again, Greenpeace recognizes the built-in ecology-economy relationship and aims to thwart destruction by supplementing its fuel source: money.

Save Your World’s conservation partner, Conservation International, has a slogan they use to gain consumer attention to their cause: “Lost There, Felt Here.” The words are matched with an image of depleted rainforest in the shape of human lungs – the image speaks to the corrosive, catastrophic impact of industry on our climate. This Palm Oil issue is a focal point for Save Your World’s initiatives because it can make headway into a more difficult issue – how to effectively involve underdeveloped nations and regions in saving our world instead of building their economies.

The two-headed monster is not going away, and Save Your World recognizes it’s truly a time to gain some insight and make some decisions. In Stevenson’s classic story, the evil Mr. Hyde ended his life and the story with a nod for human compassion. Unfortunately, the Palm Oil industry is here to stay, but it’s also necessary to take action to ensure rainforests and our climate remain as well. With good governance, conscious conservation, and measured maintenance, a well-designed plan can help meld the good, ecology, with the bad, economy, allowing the two-headed monster to become a single, viable, sustainable, healthful industry for years and generations to come.
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Malaysian Palm Oil Board (2008): http://econ.mpob.gov.my/economy/EID_web.htm
“Borneo’s Moment of Truth”; Mel White, National Geographic Magazine: Nov. ‘08
Borneo’s Moment of Truth”; Mel White, National Geographic Magazine: Nov. ‘08
Greenpeace (2007): http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/palm-oil_cooking-the-climate
Rainforest Action Network (2008): www.cms.ran.org/media_center/news_article/?uid=4776
“Forest for Climate”; Thies and Czebiniak, Greenpeace: November 2008

All New Skin Moisturizing Drink of the Gods - Save Your Body Castile Body Wash

2008-07-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for something that will moisturize your skin, with all-natural and organic ingredients, yet cleanse your skin with the drink of the Gods? Then look no further. Save Your World, a new green organic company, has recently launched a great all organic oils castile body wash that will provide you a moisturizing and cleansing experience from your face down to your toes.

All certified organic oils, were used to combine to make this all over body wash. Drench your body in moisture with Save Your Body Castile Organic Oils Body Wash, infused with certified organic palm, organic coconut, organic castor, and organic olive oils. This product is chalked full of nutrient-rich moisturizing certified organic oils, certified Aloe Vera and yes even certified organic Yerba Maté, the new antioxidant rich tea that is not only great to drink but it also provides your skin with a healthy dose of antioxidant properties

This castile soap is gentle enough for all skin types and can even be used as a face or hand wash. And no need to worry about where the oils came from or what they might be harming in the process. Like all Save Your World ingredients, we were so concerned about the environment, that we went out and personally sourced these certified organic ingredients from reputable organizations that have sustainable, environmental practices and will never harm the environment. We like Orangutans and want them to stay around just like you do.

Like all Save Your World products, this castile wash also contains the all-natural, unique ingredient of organic Yerba Maté, which gently exfoliates your skin leaving it with nutrient-rich antioxidants, while the organic Aloe Vera helps your skin retain moisture.

So why use Yerba Maté in a body wash and what is Yerba Maté anyway? Well, Yerba Maté, once considered the drink of the Gods in South American Paraquay, is chalked full of more antioxidants, vitamins and minerals than its cousin green tea. This tea has only recently become popular in the United States with a cult like following. Save Your World is the first company in the U.S. to bring this awesome ingredient to you in the form of skin quenching, moisturizing line of body care products under the brands Save Your Skin, Save Your Hair and now Save Your Body.

A full line of complimenting products can be found available on our website at (www.SaveYourWorld.com) that not only nourish your skin, hair and body, but also nourish your GREEN soul by giving a portion of every product's proceeds to Save the Rainforest. The pledge is visible right there on every label - 'One Product = One Acre of Rainforest Saved for One Year'.

Available in Rainforest, Oasis Fruit or Regal Blossom - aromas that conjur up images of the very rainforest that Save Your World protects. However, don't worry about these scents as they are aromatherapy in the form of various blends of pure natural essential oils.

The Save Your Body All Over Castile Body Wash is definitely an experience worth the indulgence!

Unique Animals of the Rainforest!

2007-08-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Unique Species of the Essequibo River, Guyana

Guyana’s Essequibo River and the nearby Iwokrama Forest and Rupununi Wetlands provide a home for a wide variety of plants and animals, including the crocodilian black caiman and endangered giant otter. Additionally, four hundred species of fish, like the carnivorous piranha, live in Guyana’s rivers, and eight hundred species of birds, such as the endangered harpy eagle, build their nests in the canopy of the rainforest.

Without their habitat in the rainforest, these diverse species might not exist. Preserving their home helps these different creatures to survive and maintain the careful balance and food chain of the forest. If one species begins to die out, it can affect all the animals in that area. For example, the excrement of the black caiman used to feed plankton, the base of the food chain. The plankton clean the river by eating waste created by other animals, but the decrease in caiman population led to a decrease in plankton and small fish that feed upon it, therefore altering the food chain.

Failing to preserve rainforests and their plants and animals can lead to extinction. These plants and animals may have unknown medicinal qualities that would be lost forever if they died out. The destruction of rainforests over the next 25 years is predicted to wipe out or endanger almost half of the world’s animals, plants, and microorganisms. Although a quarter of Western pharmaceuticals contain ingredients from plant sources, only 1% of rainforest plants have even been tested for medicinal value. Protecting the rainforest keeps these valuable resources intact and prevents further loss of species.

*Black caiman: The biggest predator in the Amazon basin, this endangered carnivorous reptile grows to at least 13 feet in length. Maintaining a diet of birds, turtles, fish, and deer, larger caimans may also eat anacondas, jaguars, cougars, and tapirs, while young caimans feed on insects and crustaceans. Humans, the only predators of healthy adult black caimans, often kill the animals for leather or meat, which led to near-extinction of the species at one point.

*Giant otter: The world’s longest otter, also known as the river wolf, can reach six feet in length and weigh over 70 pounds. With thick chocolate-colored fur, they are often hunted by fur traders, and this has led to its endangerment. Eating fish, snakes, small caimans, and crabs, the giant otter is one of the largest predators in its habitat. These social creatures live in groups with their families and can be negatively influenced by human activity: a nursing mother may get so stressed by tourists coming close to their homes that she may no longer produce milk and cause her pups to starve.

*Harpy eagle: The most powerful eagle in the world, the harpy eagle weighs ten to eighteen pounds with a wingspan of about seven feet. Feeding on birds, iguanas, monkeys, opossums, big rodents, etc., the harpy eagle is a carnivore that hunts during the day. A pair of harpy eagles raises only one chick every two to three years, and this low rate of reproduction leads in part to a shrinking population. Destruction of their home, the rainforest, also contributes to their decline, and most forests only have one nest every ten or fifteen miles.

The fragile ecosystem of the Essequibo River area, a 200,000-acre rainforest, could have been destroyed. However, Save Your World™, in conjunction with Conservation International, buys rainforest acres for the same prices as loggers and instead conserves this pristine area. By keeping these forests intact, we help enable the various species to continue to remain for future generations. After all, with your help, the purchase of One Product Equals One Acre of Rainforest Saved for One Year™.

Unique Animals of the Amazon River

The Amazon River contains all sorts of freshwater fish, like the tambaqui, which are frugivorous, or fruit-eating. and feed on the fruit that falls from the trees when the river floods into the forest. Two freshwater dolphin species, the boto and tucuxi, as well as other mammals, like rare uakari monkeys, also live in this area. In addition to hosting all kinds of animals, the rainforest is full of unique plants, such as giant water lilies that can grow to six feet in diameter and support a lightweight human.

*Boto: Also known as the Pink River Dolphin because of its unique color, the boto lives in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. Adult boto are usually around eight feet long and weigh 330 pounds. They feed on crabs, fish, and sometimes turtles and often travel in small groups.

*Tucuxi: Although these dolphins are found in similar locations to the boto, the species are not closely related. The tucuxi are found in the Amazon Basin and coastal waters north and east of South America, like near Guyana. Although comparable in appearance, they are smaller than the bottlenose dolphin and often feed with other river dolphins. Energetic and social, they may leap out of the water, called breaching, somersault, tail-splash, and more.

*Uakari: Bald red heads and long-haired bodies distinguish these agile creatures from other monkeys. When moving in the forest, they travel along the trees’ lower branches but search for food in the canopy, feasting on nuts, fruits, leaves, and buds.

For more about our conservation mission visit http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/19.htm

References:
http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0502-wc13.html
http://www.projetoboto.com/
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=263
http://www.livingrainforest.org/about/plants/giantwaterlily
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/308.shtml
http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&issn=0097-3157&volume=154&issue=01&page=0039
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/brittoncrocs/csp_mnig.htm
http://www.nature.org/animals/mammals/animals/giantotter.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpy_eagle

Natural "Green" Personal Care Products for Everyone

2007-08-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

Natural “Green” Personal Care Products for Everyone

Whether you are male or female, no matter what skin type you enjoy (or suffer), no matter what scents you like, there is a premium product just for you in the all natural line of personal care products from Save Your World™. Please visit us at: http://www.saveyourworld.com/ for more information.

Pure organic ingredients such as organic aloe vera and shade-grown organic yerba maté make these products the best for all skin types…even very sensitive skin. Aloe soothes and replenishes your skin….the largest organ in your body. Yerba mate provides your skin with nourishment from nutrients and anti-oxidants. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/28.htm for more information regarding all our natural and organic ingredients.

Save Your Skin™ handmade soap containing moisturizing glycerin comes in three scintillating aromas derived from 100% pure essential oils. Our soap also contains hand picked organic loose leaf yerba maté sifted to an ultra fine size that will exfoliate your skin and leave it fresh and clean. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/1.htm for more information on our cold process bar soaps.

For added pleasure you can combine this treatment with our complementing natural shower gel. This amazing product can be used in place of soap, in conjunction with soap for the best results, and can even be used as shaving gel for any part of the body. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/2.htm for more information on our shower gel.

Save Your Hair™ products such as our shampoo and conditioner also contain all natural ingredients and our organic aloe vera and organic yerba maté. The pure natural ingredients that benefit your skin will also help protect your hair and leave a beautiful feel for all those who touch your hair. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/3.htm for more information regarding shampoo and http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/7.htm for conditioner.

Once you leave the shower, for the ultimate treatment, follow up with our natural body lotion. Also infused with pure organic yerba maté and pure organic aloe vera, this Save Your Skin™ indulgence will leave your skin feeling replenished and will help protect it from daily environmental stresses. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/4.htm for more information about our body lotion.

Save Your Rainforest™: One Product = One Acre of Rainforest Saved for One Year™

Saving the rainforest is exactly what you will be doing when you purchase any Save Your World™ product. Save Your Rainforest™ is the slogan upon which the company was founded. We wanted to make sure that you, the consumer, would realize a tangible benefit for every single purchase. That’s where we developed the slogan, “One Product = One Acre of Rainforest Saved for One Year™.”

Initially, we wanted to buy land. However, we found we could make a much more immediate and greater impact by leasing rainforest land and protecting it in its pristine state. We also found that by supporting the local communities of indigenous people we could reduce pressure on the land and its biodiversity of species. Protecting the habitat of threatened species makes it possible for them to rebuild their populations. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/50.htm to learn more about endangered species like the jaguar and the giant river otter.

Another benefit was discovered when we found that our efforts were only one small voice in a crowd of others with different agendas. Just by doing this, just by leasing the land and supporting the people, we created a dialogue in the local communities that would ultimately be beneficial to humans and animals alike. It showed humans that protecting the land and all of the endangered species is also a worthwhile way to live and support their families. Simply awakening this thought-provoking concept creates environmental stewards in the community for generations to come.

The founder of our company felt strongly that it would be truly satisfying only if we built a company that was completely transparent and very open with its customers about its philanthropic pursuits and environmental initiatives. He wanted to ensure that when someone purchased one of our products that person could see a full 100% of what was promised was passed on to the initiatives and not to finance administrative activities.

Furthermore, we also wanted to differentiate ourselves from all the companies out there that pledge a certain percentage of profit to certain causes. Since private companies do not disclose profits, this is an approach that cannot be quantified and hence is not acceptable in our opinion.

Thus, we designed the company based on contributions from revenues. Now every time a customer buys a product from Save Your World™, that customer knows exactly what the result of the purchase will be. Everyone has full visibility as to what impact his/her purchase will make on the environment. That it is good for his/her body is the delightful, but also essential, bonus.

Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/19.htm for more information about our conservation program.

Friends of the Rainforest

The founder also felt it was valuable for people to see recognition for their efforts. It is important for others to see that there are people out there making a difference. When someone believes it is important to make a difference, that person does not want to be alone. Therefore, we created the Friends of the Rainforest list. Please see: http://store.saveyourworld.com/category-s/36.htm for more information.

This record of like minded participants is a growing reflection on the movement behind Save Your World™ and what people can do by just making a conscious choice as to where and from whom they will make their everyday purchases.

Save Your World™ sells only premium products and only at great value. So even if you don’t feel the Green movement is up your alley, you still can and should buy our products because of their quality and value proposition. Please visit us at http://www.saveyourworld.com/ for more information.