By Trystan L. Bass Posted Mon Jun 6, 2011 2:07pm PDT More from Green Picks blog

Most every public restroom in the U.S. offers a dispenser of paper covers to "protect" you while sitting on the toilet. But from what? And why? Isn't this just a waste of paper?

If the toilet seat is wet, that disposable paper cover will immediately get wet as well. Your backside won't be kept dry or clean. So this can't be the reason people use them. It's more effective to use a tissue to wipe off any moisture, if necessary.

Disease not spread via toilet seats

(Photo: Getty Images)What protection can a layer of thin paper provide? According to multiple medical experts, it's virtually impossible to catch a disease by sitting on a toilet seat. The Center for Disease Control reminds Americans that you can't catch sexually transmitted diseases, whether pubic lice or HIV/AIDS, from toilet seats, because the organisms that spread such diseases simply cannot live on the surface of the seat.

On WebMD, Dr. Abigail

By Chanie Kirschner, Mother Nature Network
(Photo: Getty Images)

Q: What exactly causes brain freeze? And here's a better question - how do I prevent it from happening in the first place?

A: Ahhh, the dreaded brain freeze. I've experienced too many of those myself, unfortunately. The bad thing about ice cream headaches is that they hurt - a lot. The good thing about ice cream headaches is that they are usually over in a matter of seconds, or at most a couple minutes.

For me, they always seem to come on slowly, with the pain starting at a 3 and working its way up to an 8 or 9 almost instantaneously. (You can tell I've been questioned about my level of pain in the ER a time of two.) But they usually subside as quickly as they come, and thank God for that.

And ice cream headaches don't come only from ice cream - they can come from eating any really cold food or drink. Like Slurpees. In fact, in 1994, 7-Eleven even trademarked the term Brainfreeze to use in conjunction with its delicious frosty

By Samantha, selected from Planet Green
More from Care2 Green Living blog

We haven't used our dryer in years. Literally, years. During the winter, we hang our clothes to dry on lines that run the length of our basement. During the spring, summer, and fall, our clothes are dried and freshened by Ma Nature.

We've loved the energy savings, the fact that we are lessening our impact on the environment, and the clean way our clothing smells - no overpowering fabric softener smell here! But I have to admit that I, especially, love hanging clothes outdoors on the lines, feeling the warm sun and gentle breeze as I smooth and clip towels, T-shirts, and jeans onto the lines.

Your clothes will dry on the line. That's nature. But there are a few little tricks to line drying that will make the process run even more smoothly.

Tips for Line Drying Your Clothes

1. Use vinegar in your rinse cycle to avoid stiff clothing.
I often hear people complain that when they line dry their

The Problem with Abundance

Visit the original source at One Green Planet

Abundance is grand and is celebrated as a symbol of all that is good about industrialized western society: free will, individual expression and of course, the freedom to choose! The more money we accumulate, the wider our spectrum of consumption choices and the greater the possibilities to live life to the fullest…or so it may seem.

In modern society, a trivial task like walking into a grocery store to buy a box of cereal turns into a mind-numbing mental exercise involving navigating through a maze of sugar free, sugary, whole grain, whole wheat, low fat, high-fat, low cholesterol options. Where we come out at the end of the ordeal depends partly on what we actually wanted to begin with and how well we manage to tune out the distracting options that are presented. Our experience shopping for clothes, shoes, personal care products, gadgets and other everyday items are not so different. With the exception of choices that address

(Photo: Getty Images)By Sarah B. Weir
More from Green Picks blog

Food Network recently came out with its list of 100 greatest cooking tips of all time from America's best chefs. We narrowed this down to the 15 easiest and most useful tips for the home cook because we know how busy you are.

These brilliant culinary tricks target common cooking problems and will help you make restaurant-quality food in your own kitchen while saving time, money, and frustration. Preparing food at home is also great for your health and the planet's.

1. Problem: Less than zesty dried herbs and spices.

Tip: Store spices in a cool, dark place, not above your stove. Humidity, light, and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.

--From Rick Tramonto, Tramonto's Steak and Seafood, Osteria di Tramonto, and RT Lounge, Wheeling, IL

2. Problem: How to get rich flavor without fat.

Tip: For rich, creamy dressings made healthy, substitute half the mayo with Greek-style yogurt.

--From Ellie

(Photo: Getty Images)By Jen Ator, Women's Health
More from Guest Bloggers blog

Even though you can flip on the tube and watch Emeril, Guy, Jamie, or Tyler whip up a mean meal, off the Food Network it's still women who do the lion's share of the food shopping, cooking, and cleanup. But you don't have to resign yourself to feeling frazzled.

"What distinguishes one person's meltdown from another's indifference is their perception of control over the situation," says Paul J. Rosch, M.D., president of the American Institute of Stress. Try these strategies, and you'll be prepared to shrug off any tough situation thrown at you.

1. Take time for YouTube laughs

Just the anticipation of laughing significantly decreases levels of the stress hormones dopac, cortisol, and epinephrine, according to researchers at Loma Linda University in California.

2. Chew some healthy fat

According to a study from the University of Pittsburgh, people with the highest blood levels of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty

By Jenn Savedge, Mother Nature Network
More from Guest Bloggers blog

(Photo: oddharmonic/Flickr)
Your mother always told you that watching too much television was bad for your eyes. And she was right. New Australian research has found that that spending too much time in front of the television could cause lasting damage to a child's eyes and may even lead to health risks later in life.

The study, published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology was conducted by researchers at Australia's Sydney University. The researchers evaluated 1,492 six year olds randomly selected from 34 schools throughout Sydney. The children's parents completed surveys about the amount of time their children spent exercising and the amount of time they spent in front of a TV or computer.

Then they examined the children's eyes. They found that the children who watched the most TV had smaller blood vessels in their eyes than children who watched the least amount. In addition to the potential damage to eye

By Kimberley Mok, TreeHugger
More from Guest Bloggers blog

Environmental art doesn't necessarily have to be restricted to a pile of rocks stacked together by Andy Goldsworthy -- it can also take the form of wearable, fashionable, and socially engaged garments too.

Made with fruits, weeds, flowers, and leaves, 'Weedrobes' is the delightful series of meticulously detailed, perishable gowns, coats, and suits by Canadian environmental artist Nicole Dextras. Striking a careful balance between style and commentary, the message behind Weedrobes is aimed squarely at the not-always-so-sustainable practices of the fashion industry, while also redefining the perceived immortality of haute couture.

Dextras' garments begin life as plants harvested from a variety of places, ranging from areas affected by invasive species to specimens from Dextras' own garden.

After constructing her pieces, Dextras photographs each Weedrobe with a model, and they are sent out to "engage the