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Groceries and Boating

Food and Boating go together, plain and simple. Enjoying a nice meal in the cockpit, or a quick snack while afloat is an important part of the time we spend on the water. Unfortunately, so much of the stuff we walk out of the grocery store with these days causes unnecessary harm. Here are a few thoughts.
-At the Grocery Store
Packaging
Plastic, plastic, everywhere. We have become a society that values convenience above almost anything else. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the amount of plastic packaging we encounter every day. Plastic is cheap, plastic is lightweight, and plastic is forever. 
            After World War II the plastic industry began to develop polypropylene and polyethylene for all sorts of industrial and domestic applications. Like so many post war products, i.e. chemicals and fertilizers, the scientists of the day were more concerned with the short-term benefits of plastic than they were with the long-term impact their wonder product would make on the environment. 
            The extent that plastic has infiltrated the marine ecosystem is overwhelming. Not only do we see bags and bottles and all things plastic at so many beaches, but this stuff may also be finding its way into the cellular tissue of our bodies.
            Close to 90% of the junk floating in our oceans is plastic. According to a 2006 article by Kenneth R. Weiss, “a piece of plastic found in an albatross stomach last year bore a serial number that was traced to a World War II seaplane shot down in 1944.” Unless it has been picked up, washed ashore, or been consumed, almost every piece of plastic that has found its’ way to the ocean is still there.
            Nowhere is this more apparent than in an area called the North Pacific subtropical gyre. This particular patch of Ocean is located northeast of Hawaii and stretches nearly to California. This million square mile wasteland is full of floating plastic.  A rotating air mass and slow moving surface currents combine to produce a massive clockwise flow of debris. Some of the garbage occasionally breaks off and reaches Hawaiian and other pristine beaches, but most of it just spirals around. A 2001 survey of the area sponsored by the philanthropist, Captain Charles Moore, estimated that there are six pounds of plastic floating in the gyre for every one pound of naturally occurring zooplankton. Put another way, 3 million tons; 6 billion pounds, of plastic is spinning around this one part of the Ocean.
            Since most people will never sail through this stretch of sea some might say, so what? Out of sight is out of mind. Other than being foolish and irresponsible, this attitude neglects to consider the molecular behavior of plastic and how it may infiltrate the food chain.
            Because plastic is a man made, synthetic material it does not break down, or biodegrade, like organic substances such as paper or fabric might. But plastic does photodegrade. Exposed long enough to sunlight, plastic will break into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually disintegrating into individual molecules of plastic. As if this wasn’t bad enough, these little plastic blobs act as sponges, absorbing all types of toxins. Japanese scientists discovered that these poisons can become nearly a million times more concentrated in plastic than they can floating around on their own.
            Now imagine a school of tuna or salmon or any other ocean going main course happens to swim through some of this man made soup. It doesn’t take an advanced degree to believe mister fish just might ingest some of this stuff. How much is absorbed and how much passes on is for the guys with advanced degrees to debate. But go swallow a handful of plastic pellets that has been soaking in oily pesticides and tell me how you feel.
            The point of course is to avoid plastic on your boat at all costs. This is much easier said than done, but we must start somewhere.
            While you fill your shopping cart with groceries try to minimize or even eliminate plastic. Instead of buying the 24 pack of handy water bottles-that are usually wrapped in a big sheet of plastic- grab a gallon or two of drinking water and use refillable personal water bottles on board. Not only will you save money, precious garbage space, and the environment, you will probably stay healthier too. Instead of swapping germs by grabbing your kids’ identical jug of backwashed H2O, each crewmember can mark their own earth friendly stainless steel water bottle. (More on this idea later.)    
            Personal sized plastic fruit cups, yogurt containers, juice boxes, and on and on can all be replaced with more Ocean friendly packaging. Whatever the item, if it is plastic look for alternatives, they are out there.
            Once you reach the checkout counter the inevitable question is coming. Paper, or plastic?  If you must, choose paper. Better yet, bring a canvas shopping bag or two with you and load them up. If you are new to this green stuff, plan on feeling a little self-conscious here. It will take a few trips to get over it, just remember the North Pacific gyre.
Food
            Boat food is usually summer time food. Burgers, hot dogs, steak, fish and chicken- easy BBQ chow. Fruits and veggies, pasta, chips, the list goes on. The first thing to consider when you are stocking up is to buy, whenever possible, certified organic food.
         If you want to learn about the health benefits of eating organic food there is no shortage of information out there. As a green boater, however, the reason for eating organic has more to do with the water you are on than the body in which you reside. 
          Non-organic food is routinely treated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. Organic food is not. Through various means these chemicals inevitably find their way into the waters we enjoy. When fertilizers are introduced into either fresh or salt water they simply do their job, feeding the plants and especially algae that live there. Algae does not know when it is full. As it eats it grows, and as it grows existing plants begin to die. Microscopic bacteria eat the decaying material, and like the algae, the bacteria multiply. Bacteria require oxygen to survive.  When the bacteria increase in number they remove more and more dissolved oxygen from the water, eventually suffocating the fish and larger aquatic creatures unable to flee.       
        Algal blooms can also produce powerful neurotoxins that are harmful to anything they touch, including people. The infamous red tide and the lesser know blue tide are algal blooms. While there does not yet appear to be definitive scientific proof linking red tides to fertilizer discharge, the red tides miraculously occur quite often in coastal areas that are linked to intense agricultural activity. Hmmmm?
       Pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics produce all sorts of nasty problems in the waters they sneak into.  Would you buy fish at the market if you knew it had this stuff in it? If it is not organically raised fish you probably already are.
        Organic or not, the fish you buy for the weekend barbecue on board can have an impact on our marine environment. Through tricky marketing campaigns and outright deception the worlds’ seafood salesmen have done their best to convince us that eating their product is both good for us and good for the planet. Like many things we are told, the devil is in the details. Most fish, if properly raised, caught, and prepared is good for us. The problem, however, is that many fish we think are beneficial are often raised and caught in ways that do more damage than we may know.
How to cook your feast in an environmentally friendly way will be covered in chapter five.
The Audubon Society publishes a handy, wallet-sized chart that advises consumers which seafoods to enjoy, be cautious with, and avoid completely. You can download and print this guide from their website at
http://seafood.audubon.org/
            The farming of salmon, for example, is believed to produce a multitude of environmental problems. Being businessmen who want to sell a lot of fish, most salmon farmers raise as many fish as possible in as small an area as they can. This often leads to diseases that are controlled by adding antibiotics to the food the salmon eat. This salmon food is usually made up of ground fish that are often caught in huge nets that may cause extensive damage to the seafloor. In addition, dolphins, seals and other large animals are swept up in these nets and killed.
According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program it takes approximately three pounds of feed fish to produce one pound of farmed salmon, hardly a sustainable practice. In addition, a recent study suggested that farmed salmon might contain up to 16 times the PCBs, (polychlorinated biphenyl’s-. i.e. nasty man made chemicals) found in wild salmon. While there is dispute over this number, if farm raised salmon have only twice the toxins of their wild cousins that is too much for me to feed my kids. Finally, most farm raised salmon meat is actually white-the farmers die it red for marketing reasons. Yuck!
                   Everyone’s favorite, shrimp, also has some pretty dirty laundry. Depending on where it comes from and how it is caught, a shrimp ‘s journey to your grocery store can leave a destructive, deadly trail. Many shrimp are caught using huge nets dragged behind big powerful boats called trawlers. In addition to often tearing up the seafloor, these nets are not particular about what they scoop up. For a shrimp fisherman anything he brings aboard other than shrimp is called “bycatch.”
These unwanted victims are almost always thrown overboard, usually dead or dying. Estimates vary but some watchdog groups believe up to 90% of the total catch on a shrimp boat may be bycatch.  What this means to us shrimp lovers is that for every 10 pounds we enjoy on the barbecue, 90 pounds of swimming, thriving sea life is gone.
                    Scallops, tuna, cod, the list of troubling seafood is growing. With a little effort there is much you can learn about what is really being sold to you at the fish counter. In this books Appendix there are numerous sources listed where you can explore this subject further. Suffice it to say you should.
            The other traditional main course boat foods-beef, chicken and even pork chops all have similar tales to tell about how they affect our waters. The same is true for the fruits and vegetables, milk or juice, and all the other foods you enjoy on your boat. You might ask how can a steak from a cow raised in Kansas, or an apple from Washington state, affect a South Pacific coral reef?
Without getting too involved here the answer lies in the fact that planet Earth is a closed system. Other than the sunlight that powers all things and some gas and heat that sneaks into space, what happens on this planet stays on this planet. Any process-be it in Kansas, Washington, or anywhere else that introduces potentially toxic material into that system affects the entire system. To what degree is debatable and I do not have the letters after my name to argue the particulars. But common sense is common sense. Organic food is better for the Ocean, plain and simple.

Outfitting Your Boat The Green Way

 The First Steps – You Have a Boat, Now What?

 

Where do I begin?

If you thought the expensive part of boating was going to be buying your boat you are almost right. Keep your checkbook handy for all the cool stuff that you need to enjoy your time on the water. Don’t panic here, but most serious sailors will tell you that equipping a boat to go cruising usually costs about a third of what you spent on the vessel itself. For those of us who are not heading off to Tahiti anytime soon the cost will be lower of course, but there is still plenty to do.  

Before we get too specific let me reiterate a concept from the early days of this blog. Being green is not cheap in the traditional sense of the word. As you are confronted by the dollar cost of the gear you need to go boating please remember the true cost of what you end up buying.

In our store we sell a lot of traditional nautical equipment- brass lanterns, barometers, and clocks, stainless steel, bronze, and aluminum hardware and all sorts of similar stuff. We are often asked how such products can be considered “green.” After all, there is no such thing as organic metal. 

There is however, a significant difference between the environmental impact made by the production, distribution, use, and ultimate disposal of one high quality item compared to the impact of buying a new, cheap version of the same item every few seasons.

To illustrate, let’s consider the environmental impact from the buying decisions of two boaters. Both need a new hand held compass, nothing fancy, just a reliable navigation tool every boater should have. Boater 1 buys a cheap $5.00 plastic compass. Boater 2 buys a nice brass and glass compass for $25.00.

From a dollars and cents standpoint Buyer 1 is probably thinking he can afford to replace his $5.00 compass 5 times before he spends what Boater 2 did in the first place. Looked at as a simple math problem Boater 1 is right. When you examine the true cost to the planet of his decision, however, Boater 1 will have a dramatically higher negative environmental impact than Boater 2.

First off, let’s look at the production of both compasses. While it does require more energy to melt and fabricate brass and glass vs. plastic the by-products that result from the production of plastic are much more harmful and persistent than those from brass and glass. Basic minerals, heat, and knowledge are what you need to make brass and glass. Complex petroleum-based chemical compounds, energy, and knowledge go into making plastic. Science is just now starting to unravel the long term damage caused by the numerous toxins that are released in the manufacturing of plastic. The creation of the popular plastic PVC ( poly vinyl chloride)  releases and creates this neat little poison called dioxin. Dioxin exposure has been linked to birth defects, inability to maintain pregnancy, decreased fertility, reduced sperm counts, endometriosis, diabetes, learning disabilities, immune system suppression, lung problems, skin disorders, lowered testosterone levels and much more. Perhaps the scariest aspect of plastic’s persistence in the environment is that everyone on the planet, no matter how remote they may be, now has measurable levels of chlorinated toxins in their bloodstream.

To get back to true costs for a moment, do you really think the health care problems, clean up costs, and numerous other negatives caused in the production of that $5.00 compass are not being paid for by someone? I don’t intend to turn this into an economics thesis, but I think it is safe to say we can add $10.00 to the true cost of the plastic compass from these factors alone.

Now let’s assume Boater 1 accidentally sits on his plastic compass and breaks it, or it just goes over the side. How do you measure the true cost of a piece of plastic  that has become a permanent part of the ecosystem? For those folks who don’t know, plastic is not biodegradable. Every piece of plastic ever made exists today in one form or another. In fact, one of the very first pieces of plastic ever made was installed on a WWII Japanese fighter plane. A sizeable chunk was recently found floating at sea, with serial numbers clearly visible. Perhaps some day bacteria will evolve that will find a way to eat this stuff, but conservative scientific estimates peg the time frame for such a possibility at 100,000 years or more in the future. To keep things simple let’s add another $5.00 to the true cost of making Mother Nature deal with an eternal plastic compass. 

If Boater 2 loses his compass over the side it won’t rot in a month, but it will eventually without releasing any neurotoxins or other equally awful stuff.

Now Boater 1 needs to replace his lost plastic compass. A drive to the store to buy a second compass doesn’t sound like much, but how much damage was caused producing that second compass and shipping it from China? Another $5.00? Lose a few more and it is easy to see that the cheap compass cost the planet much more than the brass version ever will.

Now I know there are holes to be poked in this little exercise, but at the very least I hope it makes people see past the myth that the cheap plastic compass only cost $5.00.

If my analogy doesn’t sell you on why you should outfit your boat with quality gear, all you have to do to convince yourself is spend some time on the water. Almost all the junk floating around where it has no business being is cheap, disposable crap.  Chunks of Styrofoam and an endless assortment of plastic everything can be seen bobbing in the waves of every Ocean and on the shores of almost every body of water boaters frequent.

When the time comes to shell out your hard earned dollars for gear it will be only natural that your conscience wrestles with your practical side. Just try to imagine the life cycle of what you are buying and remember, your initial expense is not the only measure of what something costs.

This does not mean you have to spend top dollar on everything your boat requires. For some things you do not want to be cheap – safety gear for instance, but my point is that you should not buy junk. Look for gear that will last, look for gear that does minimal harm when it is made, and look for gear that will cause minimal harm if it goes over the side. Besides doing the right thing for the planet, how cool will it be to hand your grandson the brass compass you used on one of your adventures, even if you never really had any?

Clean Your Boat The Green Way

Having found this blog, it should come as no surprise that a good part of our discussion will center on the many evils of modern day cleaning products. If there is one element of the green movement that is gaining more momentum than any other it is probably this area alone. That industrial strength clean smell we all grew up with is quite literally poisoning our bodies and destroying our environment.

Listed below are a wide variety of common cleaning products. Along with their name is a brief description of how they harm the environment. If you are really committed to being green you will not be able to scrub your boat again with any of this stuff without a very guilty conscience. Here we go.

All Purpose Cleaners   

How They Harm - Many contain toxins that enter the body when we breathe or through skin contact. May contain synthetic surfactants, which may mimic hormones, possibly leading to gender abnormalities in humans and animals. May contain neurotoxins such as benzene, a known carcinogen.

Ammonia

How It Harms - Found in many cleaning products, this chemical compound easily converts from a liquid to a gas, producing toxic fumes. Highly poisonous to marine life. Can cause eye, skin, and respiratory problems in humans.

Anti-Bacterial Soaps and Lotions

How They Harm - Many are made with pesticides and ammonia. May contribute to the evolution of “super-bugs”, germs that are resistant to modern antibiotics.

Chlorine Bleach

How It Harms - Originally developed for chemical warfare use in World War I, chlorine is one of the most toxic creations of modern science. Deadly to all aquatic life. Even small doses may cause immune, endocrine, and reproductive system damage in all life forms.     

Commercial Carpet Cleaners

How They Harm - Many contain naphthalene, a chemical cousin of the neurotoxin benzene. May be linked to eye, skin, and kidney problems.

Room and Carpet Deodorizers

How They Harm – Many contain formaldehyde and/or napthalene, both known carcionogens. 

Disinfectants

How They Harm – Many contain ammonia, chlorine, cresol, formaldehyde, and phenol, all really nasty stuff. Can damage internal organs and the central nervous system.

Dish-washing Detergents

How They Harm – Many are non-biodegradable and made from petroleum products. Often contain chlorine, surfactants, and phosphates, all substances that cause varying amounts of damage.

Drain Cleaners

How They Harm – One of the most toxic products around. Usually made with lye and hydrochloric and sulphuric acid.

Floor and Furniture Polish

How They Harm - Many contain amyl acetate, benzene, cresol, organic solvents, and petroleum distillates, all highly toxic. Fumes can linger for days, especially in the confines of a boat cabin, causing eye, skin, and nervous system disorders.

Glass Cleaners

How They Harm – Many contain ammonia, methanol, and dioxane, products all believed to cause cancer, skin, lung, immune system and vision disorders, including blindness.

Laundry Detergents

How They Harm -  Many contain synthetic surfactants, which may be linked to genetic disorders and cancer. Many contain non-biodegradable petroleum compounds, along with aggravating artificial colors and fragrances.

Metal Polish

How It Harms – May contain ammonia, diethanolamines, phosphoric acid, and sulphuric acid, all of which are toxic.

Mold and Mildew Removers

How They Harm – Many contain pesticides and chlorine. May cause eye, skin, and respiratory system damage.

Mothballs

How They Harm – Usually contain napthalene and paradichlorobenzene, both highly toxic compounds.

Optical Brighteners

How They Harm - Found in many laundry detergents, these chemicals make fabric look white but do not actually clean anything. Can cause skin rashes. Toxic to fish.

Oven Cleaners

How They Harm – Right up there with drain cleaners for toxicity. Most contain lye, sodium hydroxide and benzene. Can irreparable damage eyes, skin, and internal organs. Deadly to all marine life.

Phosphates

How They Harm - Found in many detergents, these naturally occurring minerals are not terribly toxic on their own. However, as they accumulate in waterways they often lead to the harmful over-growth of algae. These “algae blooms” lead to oxygen depletion in the water and are responsible for massive amounts of fish kill. This growing problem is creating dead zones of increasing size around the world.

Scouring Powders

How They Harm – Many contain crystalline silica and butyl cellosolve – substances linked to kidney, liver, eye, skin, and respiratory damage in animals and humans.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners

How They Harm – Many contain chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Fumes are toxic and can easily leak from even closed containers.

Tub, Tile, Sink and Shower Cleaners

How They Harm – Many contain chlorine and phosphoric acid. Can cause endocrine, immune, reproductive, and respiratory system disorders in animals and humans.

             
Had enough?

More, importantly, how did we ever let things get to this point and what do we do about it now?
Without digressing too far, the answer to the first part of this question is as American as apple pie and ice cream. We were sold this stuff.
Before World War II most cleaning products in the United States were homemade recipes of natural ingredients. Baking soda, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice were combined in various forms to make what was needed to keep things spic and span. The industrial buildup during the War led to the development of many of the modern day wonder products we know today.
The post War prosperity presented a perfect marketplace for the chemical companies to continue building their empires. Marketing and advertising did the rest. As housewives were convinced that they needed to make their homes cleaner than ever before they abandoned Grandmother’s mix of common sense and elbow grease for the popular poisons of the day.
The rest is history and here we are.
Now what?
Certainly our elected officials will help us, won’t they?
Unfortunately the same government that seems to regulate every other part of our lives gives the chemical companies a pass when it comes to overseeing most cleaning compounds. Current laws allow manufacturers to claim that the exact ingredients in their products are trade secrets, known only to those at the top. In fact, most cleaning products are not subject to government review before they hit the stores; it is only after consumer complaints are lodged that industry must respond.  Some system, huh?
About all we have to protect us are vague requirements on the packaging of these products that use words like “danger, “ “warning,” and “caution.” In a world where there are more warnings on a hot cup of coffee than on a bottle of cancer causing cleaning fluid we are obviously on our own.
While we may not be able to undo the damage that the chemical industry and the complicit consumer has caused, we can certainly take concrete steps to halt any future harm we might inflict.

Instead of perpetuating the cycle of destruction we are on lets remember Grandma. Mother Nature’s cleaning products’ are still in cheap, plentiful supply, why not use them?
Before you roll your eyes at the idea of whipping up your own baking soda paste, rest easy, you don’t have to anymore. You certainly can make your own cleaning products, but the recent explosion of green products on the market offers many choices Grandma would be proud to use. The budget minded boater can save a ton of money by making their own cleaning products, but those of us who may not be so inclined have options too.
Before we discuss what to look for in a store bought, green cleaning product here is a list of simple concoctions that you might want to try on your boat’s exterior. Like most home remedies, some people swear by these recipes, others not so much. Given how cheap and easy it is to try any of these ideas though, why not?

Abbreviations

BS=Baking Soda
BSP=Baking Soda Paste
ACV=Apple Cider Vinegar
WV= White Vinegar
Gal=Gallon              
Qt=Quart
TBS=Tablespoon
Tsp=Teaspoon

Unless otherwise noted, always rinse with clean water.

Use                                   Recipe                                              Application             

Baking Soda Paste       3 Parts BS/ 1 Part Water             Mix to paste like consistency.

Black Scuff                    Undiluted                                Rub on with a 
Remover -                    lemon                                     clean, dry cloth.
Light Duty                     extract.                                   Rinse.

Black Scuff                   Baking                                      Scrub w/ damp
Remover -                   Soda                                         sponge. Rinse.
Heavy Duty                  Paste
                                                                       

Brass                            1 part water                              Mix to paste, Apply with
Cleaner                         1 part salt                                clean dry rag. Rinse.  
                                   1 part WV                             

Chrome                      Undiluted                                     Rub on with a 
Cleaner                      ACV                                             clean, dry rag.
                                                                                   Rinse w/ water.
Fiberglass                  3TBS WV                                       Rub on with a
Oxidation                  1 Gal water                                    damp sponge.
Stain                                                                             Rinse.
Remover
Frost                           ½ cup WV                                    Rub on with a
Remover                    1 Gal warm water                           damp sponge. 
                                                                                   Buff with a dry cloth. 

Fuel/Oil                       Baking                                        Pour straight BS
Stain                           Soda                                          on stain, wait 15
Cleaner                                                                         minutes, wipe clean. Rinse.
 

Hard                           1Tsp BS                                       Mix to paste.
Water Stain                1Tsp toothpaste                            Scrub with a damp cloth.
Remover                                                                     

Hull                            1 part WV                                     Mix in bucket,
Cleaner                      1 part water                                   apply with scrub
Light                                                                              brush. Rinse.
Duty                                                                            
 

Hull                            1 1/2 cup BS                                  Mix in bucket,
Cleaner                      1 Gal water                                    apply with scrub
Heavy                                                                            brush. Rinse.
Duty  

Hull-Ring                     Baking                                          Apply with damp
Stain                           Soda                                            cloth, scrub,
Remover                     Paste                                            Rinse.
 

Hull                            1/4 cup BS                                     After cleaning,
Brightener                  1 gal water                                      apply to rinse water.
                                                                                   

Inflatable                       WV                                             Apply WV with
Boat                            Baking Soda                                   damp sponge.
Cleaner                                                                           Dust with BS.
                                                                                        Rinse.
 

Metal                          Undiluted                                      Dip sponge in
Polish                         lemon oil                                      oil, apply, rinse.
 

Rust                            BSP                                             Apply with a damp cloth. 
Remover                      Elbow Grease                                Scrub lightly with
                                                                                    aluminum foil. Rinse. Buff dry.

Saltwater                      Baking                                         Scrub with damp
Stain                           Soda                                            cloth. Rinse.
Remover                      Paste              
 

Scouring                      Baking                                          Scrub with damp
Powder                        Soda                                             sponge. Rinse.
 

Stainless                     Baking                                           Rub on with
Steel                           Soda                                            damp cloth.
Polish                         Paste                                             Rinse.
 

Suntan Oil                   Baking                                           Dust with BS,
Stain                           Soda                                             wait 15 minutes.
Remover                                                                         Rinse.
 

Tar                              1 part water                                   Scrub with damp
Remover                      1 part ACV                                    cloth. Rinse.
                                                                                   
Teak                           Baking                                           Rub in BS with
Deodorizer                   Soda                                             damp sponge.
                                                                                      Let sit 15 minutes. 
                                                                                      Rinse.

Vinyl                          Baking                                          Wipe down  
Cleaner                      Soda                                            with damp cloth.
                                 Paste                                           Rinse, buff with
                                                                                    dry cloth.
Window                      1 cup WV                                       Apply with damp cloth.
Cleaner                      1 QT warm water                             Buff dry.
 

One of the most important ingredients in all these recipes is good old-fashioned elbow grease. As consumers we have become conditioned to expect that the better cleaning products can simply be applied and rubbed off ten seconds later. As I hope I have made clear, this is sure possible if you don’t mind exposing yourself to cancer causing acids and all sorts of other terrible stuff. Expect to have to scrub a little more than you may be used to with any homemade cleaners, but also expect to save plenty of money and the Earth at the same time.
For those of you who are more comfortable using store bought cleaning products you have plenty to choose from these days. But be very careful before you buy. The growing popularity of green products has led to the inevitable deceptions and exaggerated claims that unethical manufacturers are more than willing to employ.
The same marketing geniuses that convinced consumers to willingly fill their home with deadly poisons in fancy bottles are at it again. Remember, the chemical giants can play fast and loose with labeling the ingredients they put in their products. Bear this in mind the next time you see a bottle of anything labeled with the common green buzzwords “earth-friendly,” “natural,” or “biodegradable.”
To be fair, many reputable companies use these terms accurately. Unfortunately many more do not. Once again, we consumers are left to navigate the marketplace pretty much on our own. If you look closely at the packaging of many so-called organic products the actual word “organic” is ten times bigger than the qualifiers that say things like “made with” or “contains some, ‘ when referring to the organic ingredients they contain. In many cases a product carrying the word organic on the label has one or two such ingredients combined with other typical chemical compounds.
Study after study has shown that consumer packaging success is all about grabbing the buyers attention just long enough for them to toss the product in a shopping cart. The chemical companies do not want you to take thirty seconds to read a label, they want you to take half a second to spot the word or phrase you need to see to feel good about their product and move on. 
If you are forced to choose among all the buzzwords in use, however, “organic” probably carries more weight than any of the other terms. This is because there are some standards that are necessary for producers to meet in order to receive some of the precious seals of approval that are conveyable by certain watchdog groups. Unfortunately, however, even these standards are put to the test all the time.  If there is a good place to start your search for green commercial cleaning products, however, those labeled “organic” typically have a higher chance of being truly good for the environment than those carrying other descriptions.
Products labeled “natural” or “biodegradable” are much more likely to be chemicals in disguise. Currently there is no legal definition of either term. According to the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, “there are no specific standards for the biodegradable claim, and no official organization exists to verify the use of the claim.”
Oh the technical definition is clear enough; a substance is biodegradable according to the dictionary if it can be broken down or decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. At first glance this sure sounds pretty green. After all, isn’t Nature all about the circle of life? Soil to grass to cows to people to soil and all that. Well of course it is, but just because a substance can be broken down in Nature does not mean that substance should be broken down by Nature. 

Some things just do not belong in the water. For example, the toxic pesticide DDT biodegrades to the chemical compounds DDE and DDD, both of which are far more dangerous on their own than the original DDT itself.
On the most basic level, every substance we know of, whether found in the ground or made in a lab comes from the Earth. Advertisers love to remind us that this or that product is “ natural.” Well of course it is, but all things natural are not good for you. Arsenic is natural, chlorine is natural, uranium is natural, but sprinkle any of them on your granola and it’s all over.
Once you get past the labeling gauntlet there are some basic ingredient choices you need to make. The first thing to look for is any type of ingredient list at all. Remember, these are trade secrets according to the chemical industry and they do not have to disclose what is in their product. As a simple litmus test, however, it should be obvious that those companies that choose not to disclose what their products contain probably do not want you to know what their products contain. Look at the label on any reputable brand of green cleaner and you will find a clear disclosure of what it contains.
One of my all time favorite soaps, Dr Bronner’s Peppermint Soap tells you on the bottle that their product contains Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Olive oils (w/ retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Organic Mentha Arvensis, Citric Acid and Vitamin E. Go ahead and grab a bottle of any traditional, name-brand all-purpose cleaner at the store and see if they tell you as much about what is in their product. Ask your common sense which company is more interested in you and the environment, those who practice full disclosure or those who do not?
Another choice to make is between soaps and detergents? What is the difference you may ask? Soaps are generally made from materials found in nature that have not been modified, detergents are typically made from synthetic (man made) components, many of which are toxic. The history of these two rivals once again began during World War II when the materials need to make soap were also need for the military. Detergents were developed to fill the need to keep things clean and they evolved from there. Most detergents are made from petroleum products, so if you have any trouble pouring a cup of gasoline in your favorite fishing hole think twice before doing the same when you wash your boat.
There are new plant based detergents on the market that are more Earth friendly than their petroleum cousins, but be careful. As a general rule, however, soaps do much less harm than detergents. The main drawback to soap is that if they are used in hard water it can be difficult to completely rinse their residue away. The resulting soap scum that can build up on hard surfaces and in fabrics is a negative for some people. This problem often comes about simply through over-use of the soap product. Somewhere along the way the marketing gurus trained us to think using more of something was better. Instead of pouring a little soap on a rag and really working it in we pour a bottle of it in a bucket and lather it on. Not only does this cost more money, but in most cases it is completely ineffective in getting a surface any cleaner than a smaller dose of the same substance would. Used sparingly and rinsed well, most of the complaints about soap build up can be easily addressed.
For those boaters who swear by a certain brand they have always used or a method of application they are accustomed to, once again that difficult word, choice, raises its’ ugly head. Would you rather have a bright and shiny toxic toy or a less than dazzling water borne sanctuary you can be proud of? The next time you are lucky enough to cruise through a school of dolphins or simply watch your kids dive off the side in a secluded cove, ask yourself this question.

How Big a Boat Do I Need?

Like most boat questions, it depends. Small boats are fun, easy to handle, and relatively inexpensive if you do your homework before buying. Bigger costs more, especially with boats. As you move up in size you require a bigger power plant to move you through the water, whether it is made of steel or canvas. I will leave it to you to experience the sticker shock on a 40-foot boat vs. a 30-footer, but be prepared. The single best answer for what size is right for you depends on how you will use the boat. If you have kids or lots of friends, too small will get old in a hurry. If you are looking for something to enjoy alone or with just that special someone you will probably regret the handling issues and maintenance involved when going too big.

Once again, the art of boat buying is all about compromise. Remember the opportunity cost of what you think you need and choose accordingly.

Beware of the very real syndrome of two foot-itis. Ask any boater who has owned more than one boat and chances are each new vessel was a little bigger than the last. “If she was just a little bigger I could _______” is heard a lot in marinas. Avoid this problem from the beginning by choosing the boat that fits you and yours from the start.

The green implications of size should be clear as day. The bigger she is the more fuel she will use and the more soap you need to clean her. Bigger boats need bigger everything; from dock lines to fenders, boat slips to trailers, the list goes on. Unfortunately so many of these peripheral products are made from plastic, petroleum and a wide assortment of unfriendly materials. Like most green decisions, once you make one it leads to more, each of which has a noticeable impact on the world around you.