Allie’s Answers

You brush it every day, wash it with fancy shampoo and slather it with conditioner. You give it hot oil treatments and use covered rubber bands so it won’t snag. You care for it for months and then you leave it in a heap on your hairdresser’s floor so it can be swept up, thrown in a plastic bag, and dumped in the garbage.

Since you go to such lengths to care for your hair (no pun intended), donate it, so it can help someone else feel beautiful too.

Wigs for Kids provides full-cranium prosthetic hair pieces to children suffering from hair loss due to medical conditions, chemotherapy, and severe burns.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths uses donated hair to make wigs for women who have hair loss during cancer treatments.

Locks of Love provides prosthetic hairpieces to disadvantaged children suffering from long-term hair loss.

In the UK, the Little Princess Trust provides wigs to children with cancer and other illnesses that cause hair loss.

Each organization has different requirements for hair donation, so research before you cut. Most organizations require at least 8-10 inches.  Some will accept grey and/or color treated hair, so don’t let that stop you, and men can donate too.

My husband and I recently donated two ponytails totaling 29 inches of hair.  It was such a fun thing to do together and a great way to recycle for a good cause.  Making a committment to growing your hair out with a friend or spouse makes it easier to resist that “Oh, I just want to cut it all off” feeling before it’s long enough.

Make sure to use eco-friendly products to care for your hair while it grows.

I’ve been asking what green changes you all have been making. One of the more popular changes is making the switch to reusable grocery bags.

It’s simple and significantly cuts down on waste. One trip to the store when you’ve forgotten your bags will quickly remind you just how wasteful plastic grocery bags are.

Mickey brings a grocery box with him when he shops, which is a great idea to keep things from shifting in the car and get use out of something you already have around the house.

Don’t limit your reusable bag use to just grocery shopping. If you’re going to hit the mall or the bookstore, take one along.

I love my Simple Jute Shopping Bag. What bags are you using?

Thanks, Mickey, Joan & Brenda!

I’ll be back in full force on January 2nd, but until then, I’ll be posting “best of” and reader tips.  If you have a tip you’d like to share, e-mail me at alliesanswers at gmail dot com.

A few weeks ago, I asked what your favorite tips were.  RegularLady gave us an awesome and inspiring list of all the green changes she’s made.  Check out her list in comments here.   She has a lot of great ideas, and I decided that one of them should be today’s tip of the day:

“I make a point to recycle every scrap of paper I find - no matter how small - from my grocery list to my worthless Powerball ticket. “

It’s so simple, but such a great reminder.  Make sure you find out what your local recycling collector will take, and then recycle every little bit of everything that’s recyclable.

Thanks Regular Lady!

I’ll be back in full force on January 2nd, but until then, I’ll be posting “best of” and reader tips.  If you have a tip you’d like to share, e-mail me at alliesanswers at gmail dot com.

Happy Holidays!

Having a big crowd over for holiday festivities?  (more…)

Japan removes humpback whale from Antarctic hunt.   That’s why Australia said they were going to spy.

6.8 quake shakes New Zealand.

Uganda’s president revives plan to axe rainforest.

Jack Nicholson is all about big solar.

Petition seeks protection for seals.

I remember a radio commercial from way back that had someone singing, “take the train to the plane, take the train to the plane.”  But Carbonfund.org has a good reason for just taking the train on your next trip.

(more…)

Australia to spy on Japanese whaling. Does anyone else think it’s odd that they’ve taken the plan to spy public?

Liam Neeson joins Bicycle for a Day.

Bush says no to a waiver that would allow California to more strictly regulate auto emissions.

The EPA denies states right to fight global warming.

Broomhuggers tackles fleas the healthy way.

Image by Chris huh

Remember when I told you to start collecting paper bags and boxes?  Here’s why.

(more…)

Meteors may set off explosions of biodiversity.

Top ten videos from National Geographic News.

Scientific American gives Congress a failing grade in Science.

Why biofuels aren’t always a simple fix.

Pittsburgh’s New Years ball is eco-friendly.

Planning to drive over the river and through the woods to grandma’s new condo over the holidays?  Here’s a great way to manage directions without wasting paper. (more…)