Mother Nature deserves a helping hand, especially when it comes to protecting the environment. Here are five ways that you can pamper the planet and without forsaking your comfortable Island lifestyle. Go green, Hawai'i. Do it for the 'aina.
Back to Nature
Turn off your computer, leave your cell phone at home and become one with nature. This designer Tepee offers a simple solution for spending time outdoors with minimal impact on the surrounding landscape. Kids can use it for backyard sleepovers, while weekend campers can hunker down on the North Shore.
The exterior canvas is made from tightly woven, preshrunk 100-percent cotton that's fireproof, mildew resistant and water-repellent. The structure is supported by 16-foot poles crafted from renewable Montana pine.
This designer tepee stands 15 feet high and has a diameter of 12 feet with room inside to comfortably sleep up to five people. The sewn-in floor liner allows proper airflow, while ensuring bugs can't sneak inside. The floor is purposely made from non-waterproof fabric, since material that can breathe won't kill the grass underneath. Available at Design Within Reach at Ala Moana Center (941-2112). Price: $2,200.
Raising Baby Green
Give your baby a healthy, happy head start in life. Dr. Alan Greene, a Stanford pediatrician, provides parents with eco-friendly options for pregnancy, birth and child rearing in "Raising Baby Green."
Tips on choosing the best diapers, selecting nontoxic nursery paint and organic baby food are offered along with common sense advice about diaper rash and food allergies. This 320-page paperback is a valuable resource for parents concerned with doing their part to raising a healthy child.
This book is available at local bookstores, including Borders and Barnes & Noble. Price: $16.
Got Milk?
Sit back and relax in style. This classic EnviroWood Adirondack chair by Seaside Casual is made from recycled plastic milk jugs so it's good for the 'aina. It provides the look and performance of traditional painted wood furniture but without the maintenance.
Thanks to its robust construction, EnviroWood furniture comes with a 20-year limited warranty on materials and workmanship.
This outdoor seating collection features generously sized chairs, rockers, loveseats, tables and comes in 12 colors. Each Adirondack chair weighs 50 pounds and measures 32"W x 34"D x 38"H. Available at 1st Look Exteriors (676-8988). Price: $475. Cushions: $116.
Eco-friendly plates
One tasty way of cutting down on landfill waste is to use biodegradable kitchen and picnic products, rather than items made from plastic or Styrofoam.
Styrophobia of Honolulu specializes in clear cups and cutlery made from corn, along with pupu and dinner plates made entirely of sugarcane. In addition to home use, these products are biodegradable and ideal for catering, school and company cafeterias as well as restaurants.
Surprisingly affordable, biodegradable utensils cost only 2 cents to 4 cents more than plastic. And takeout containers made from bagasse — sugar cane fiber — are about 12 cents more than the usual Styrofoam containers.
For information, go online at www.styrophobia.com or visit Kale's Natural Foods in Hawaii Kai (396-6993), The Wine Experience on Kapahulu Avenue (738-0738) or Food for Thought Hawaii in Haleiwa (561-4719).
Kitchen Composter
Avid gardeners can now produce organic compost in their kitchens — and in only weeks, not the months needed for composting.
The NatureMill Pro Electric Composter fits beneath kitchen countertops and makes the composting process clean, fast and odor free. And every two weeks, you'll have a supply of nitrogen-rich soil amendment for the garden. At the same time, you're helping reduce the household waste sent to landfills.
The unit accepts most food scraps and automatically mixes, heats and aerates them. Once the process is complete, it transfers the composted mixture to a lower chamber for curing. Food can be added daily while a powerful carbon filter eliminates odors.
Made entirely of recycled and recyclable materials, the composter is available through Williams-Sonoma (800-541-2233). Price: $400.
