We are very excited to announce our newest designs. Find your special friends and wear them proudly on an organic tee shirt, apron, or bag. We can also personalize the colors within the design.

Here are all of our available dog breeds that can be embroidered on any of our blank items. To view pre-embroidered aprons with dog and saying, please visit us at facebook and click on: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17548&id=110881325591538&ref=mf

Breed in order, from top left to right:

Pit Bull, Lab, Shih tzu, Rottweiler, Basset Hound, Boston terrier, German Shepherd, Golden retriever, Greyhound, Husky, Jack Russel Terrier, West Highland Terrier, Dalmatian, Beagle, Boxer, Bull Dog, Chihuahua, Dachshund, Long-Haired Dachshund, Doberman, Pug.

To view stitch count and design size, click on http://www.greenteesembroidery.com/?page_id=3&category=18

Fill ‘er Up with Duckweed, please.

Duckweed? A possible solution to the global energy crisis? A better ethanol alternative than corn? Pretty big claims for such an unassuming plant.

I have to admit, I’d never heard of it before. But after reading this article, I wanted to know more about this small aquatic plant.

Check it out. Let me know what you’ve heard about this.

Tiny super-plant can clean up animal waste and be used for ethanol production

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that a tiny aquatic plant can be used to clean up animal waste at industrial hog farms and potentially be part of the answer for the global energy crisis. Their research shows that growing duckweed on hog wastewater can produce five to six times more starch per acre than corn, according to researcher Dr. Jay Cheng. This means that ethanol production using duckweed could be “faster and cheaper than from corn,” says fellow researcher Dr. Anne-Marie Stomp.

“We can kill two birds – biofuel production and wastewater treatment – with one stone – duckweed,” Cheng says. Starch from duckweed can be readily converted into ethanol using the same facilities currently used for corn, Cheng adds.

Corn is currently the primary crop used for ethanol production in the United States. However, its use has come under fire in recent years because of concerns about the amount of energy used to grow corn and commodity price disruptions resulting from competition for corn between ethanol manufacturers and the food and feed industries. Duckweed presents an attractive, non-food alternative that has the potential to produce significantly more ethanol feedstock per acre than corn; exploit existing corn-based ethanol production processes for faster scale-up; and turn pollutants into a fuel production system. The duckweed system consists of shallow ponds that can be built on land unsuitable for conventional crops, and is so efficient it generates water clean enough for re-use. The technology can utilize any nutrient-rich wastewater, from livestock production to municipal wastewater.

Large-scale hog farms manage their animal waste by storing it in large “lagoons” for biological treatment. Duckweed utilizes the nutrients in the wastewater for growth, thus capturing these nutrients and preventing their release into the environment. In other words, Cheng says, “Duckweed could be an environmentally friendly, economically viable feedstock for ethanol.”

“There’s a bias in agriculture that all the crops that could be discovered have been discovered,” Stomp says, “but duckweed could be the first of the new, 21st century crops. In the spirit of George Washington Carver, who turned peanuts into a major crop, Jay and I are on a mission to turn duckweed into a new industrial crop, providing an innovative approach to alternative fuel production.”

Cheng, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering, co-authored the research with Stomp, associate professor of forestry, and post-doctoral research associate, Mike Yablonski. The research, which is funded by the North Carolina Biofuels Center, was presented March 21 at the annual conference of the Institute of Biological Engineering in Santa Carla, Calif.

Cheng and Stomp are currently establishing a pilot-scale project to further investigate the best way to establish a large-scale system for growing duckweed on animal wastewater, and then harvesting and drying the duckweed.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ncsu-tsc040709.php

I came across this article and wanted to share it with you.  I knew that there were health risks associated with toxins in fabrics, but this is the kind of information that all parents should know.

PFCs in “no-iron” and “wrinkle-free” clothing?

A formaldehyde product to prevent shrinkage?

Formaldehyde gas being emitted from my child’s flame-retardant pajamas?

Now I’m not saying throw everything away; there are tips toward the bottom of the article that will help you make your clothing safter to wear. What I do think needs to happen is that we should all become informed about not only what we wear, but what we eat. Most consumers have no idea how their clothes are manufactured and what goes into the fabrics they wear. Somehow we always think that “they” will not create products that are harmful or dangerous to our health.  

Do I think there are devious people out there who are deliberately consipring against us to make us sick with their “evil, toxic” clothing? No, I don’t. But I do think that in an attempt to increase profits and provide clothing that is inexpensive, available, and seemingly “safe,” companies have created an unhealthy and often times dangerous product.

Maybe the new motto of the clothing industry should be “First, do no harm.”

Enjoy the read, and let me know what you think.

The 6+ Synthetic Fabrics You Most Want to Avoid, and Why
by http://www.sixwise.com/

Fabric may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about living a healthier lifestyle, but it definitely should be considered. Even many “health nuts” don’t realize that synthetic fabrics are teeming with chemicals and dyes that cannot be washed out, making them a potential health hazard.

Toxins in Your Textiles

Most synthetic fabrics, from towels to dress shirts to bed linens, are treated with chemicals during and after processing. These chemicals not only leach into the environment, leaving an impact on groundwater, wildlife, air and soil, but they also may be absorbed or inhaled directly.

“The use of man-made chemicals is increasing, and at the same time we have warning signals that a variety of wildlife and human health problems are becoming more prevalent,” says Dr. Richard Dixon, Head of the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) Scotland. “It is reckless to suggest there is no link between the two and give chemicals the benefit of the doubt. Urgent action is needed to replace hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives especially in clothing and other consumer products.”

WWF is so concerned about one fairly new clothing additive that, in 2004, they advised parents to check their children’s clothing labels. If the chemical is on it, they advise switching to clothing made from natural fibers whenever possible.

Teflon in Your Trousers

The chemicals that the WWF was warning about are perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which include the non-stick additive Teflon. These chemicals are increasingly being added to clothing because it makes them last longer and also can make them wrinkle-free. Most clothing labeled “no-iron” contains PFCs.

The problem with PFcs?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that PFCs are cancer-causing compounds. However, “no-iron” and “wrinkle-free” pants have become a popular part of many schools’ compulsory uniforms. Hardly the thing you’d like to send your child off to school in, but other options usually aren’t provided.

“Without knowing it, parents are exposing their children to toxic chemicals in clothing that could have serious future consequences for their health and the environment. Children are usually more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals than adults, so the presence of these substances in school clothing is particularly alarming,’ says Dr. Dixon.

Your Clothing’s Chemical Cocktail

You may be wondering when, and why, chemicals are applied to your clothing. The fact is, man-made fabrics are complex, and getting a soft pullover out of raw materials takes some measure of chemical manipulation. For instance:

• Chemicals are used to make fibers suitable for spinning and weaving.
• A formaldehyde product is often applied to prevent shrinkage. This product is applied with heat so it is trapped in the fiber permanently.
• Petrochemical dyes, which pollute waterways, are used for color.
• Chemicals are added to make clothing softer, wrinkle-free, fire-retardant, moth-repellant and stain-resistant.
• Commonly used chemicals include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and dioxin-producing bleach.
• Nylon and polyester are made from petrochemicals, whose production creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that’s 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
• Rayon is made from wood pulp that has been treated with chemicals, including caustic soda and sulphuric acid.
• Dye fixatives used in fabrics often come from heavy metals and pollute water systems.
• Acrylic fabrics are polycrylonitriles, which may be carcinogenic.
• Clothing and fabric that is treated with flame-retardant chemicals, such as children’s pajamas, emit formaldehyde gas.

The chemicals used in synthetic clothing have been linked to health problems including cancer, immune system damage, behavioral problems and hormone disruption.

Synthetic Fibers to Avoid

If at all possible, it’s best to stay away from the following fabrics in lieu of more natural options:

• Acrylic
• Polyester
• Rayon
• Acetate
• Triacetate
• Nylon
• Anything labeled static-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, permanent-press, no-iron, stain-proof or moth-repellant

Natural fabrics tend to breathe better than synthetic fibers and naturally wick moisture away from the body. These include:

• Cotton
• Linen
• Wool
• Cashmere
• Silk
• Hemp

If you are very sensitive to chemicals, you may want to seek out organic fabrics. Even natural fabrics, such as cotton, are treated with pesticides while they are grown, and some of those pesticides will remain in the fibers. Organic fabrics are becoming more widely available and can be found in health food markets, specialty shops and online.

More Safe Clothing Tips

• Wash and dry synthetic fabrics three times before wearing them.
• Do not use conventional dryer sheets, as they are loaded with toxic chemicals. An excellent alternative is Static Eliminator, a reusable dryer sheet system with woven sheets that take static cling out, and soften fabric without any toxic chemicals whatsoever.
• Avoid dry cleaning your clothing, as perchloroethylene, the chemical most widely used in dry cleaning, is a VOC known to cause cancer in animals. There are environmentally friendly dry cleaners that do not use this chemical.
• Wash your clothing in non-toxic detergent, such as the EnviroRite Laundry Detergent, which is non-caustic and free of petroleum solvents, fragrances and dyes.

Recommended Reading (On sixwise site)

Volatile Organic Compounds: The Health Dangers of VOCs, Where They are Hiding & How to Avoid Them

BEWARE: Your Fireplace or Wood Burning Stove May Be Harming Your Health in an Unexpected Way

Check School Clothes for Toxic Chemicals

Union of Concerned Scientists: Dressing Green

Green Choices: Clothes

The Environmentalist’s New Clothes

The Chiropractic Journal: Toxic Sleep

We here at Green Tees Embroidery are refocused and restructured and can’t wait to not only provide you with excellent services, but we can’t wait to connect with others who are interested in creative and thoughtful ways to protect the environment.

This blog will be one of the ways to share our thoughts, our concerns and our questions. We also look forward to bringing you the latest environmental news through links with other websites and blogs.

We do not claim to be experts on the environment, and we don’t have all the answers. We’re just regular people who believe that we need to live responsible and thoughtful lives, and one aspect of that includes taking care of and respecting the earth. Every day we learn something new, and we are full of questions about those things. So as we continue on this journey, we’d like to invite you along.

As we post articles, please send us your thoughts and comments. The goal of our company is to not only create a business that responds ethically to the needs of the market, but creates an opportunity for community and understanding to grow.