Big businesses are blaming millenials for “killing” lucrative markets: breakfast cereals, chain restaurants, and home ownership are some. But big business needs to recognize that the millenial generation’s preferences have changed to healthier, less consumer-oriented, and more sustainable ways of living. Rather than blaming young adults entering their prime earning years for destroying markets, it’s far smarter to understand their needs and cater to them.

Dealing with stress – and millenials’ stress is considered to be at an all-time high – is a real need. Here come houseplants to help take the pressure off. Read my post on the calming effects of plant care.

How does it work? A study done by the Journal of Physiological Anthropology sums it up:

“Our results suggest that active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress compared with mental work. This is accomplished through suppression of sympathetic nervous system activity and diastolic blood pressure and promotion of comfortable, soothed, and natural feelings.”

In other words, pottering around with plants makes you relax and feel good.

Millenials are busier accumulating experiences than collecting things – putting their money into travel rather than property. For those who don’t expect to stay in one job or apartment for more than a few years, houseplants are easier to raise than pets (or children). Supermarkets offer easy-grow, hard-to-kill plants, but savvy millenials are buying their monsteras and snake plants from online outlets like Etsy, eBay and Amazon. They’re bookmarking sites with columns on plant care advice, and shopping in boutique plant shops that in some neighborhoods, are springing up like, well, mushrooms.

Enthusiastic owners follow each other’s Instagram feeds and cultivate, so to speak, online relationships with other indoor plant owners, harvesting advice and support. The popular #plantsofinstagram hashtag attracts some 2.7 million posts. Millenials often give their plants names and invest so much emotional energy into them that it’s generated the phrase “plant parents.”

Scenting a good business opportunity, some houseplant lovers have opened shops of their own. Millenial shoppers bent on greening their homes and offices can not only buy plants, but also consult the vendor about caring for them, for a goodly consultation fee. Plant shop owners also create online communities to serve shoppers with advice on how best to grow their green darlings.

The millenial’s desire to impact the ecology as little as possible is driving some shops to create packaging that’s more environment-friendly. And that can’t be bad.

The demand for new, exciting varieties outstrips the supply and raises prices. The traditional chain of growers-wholesalers-brokers-and-retailers moves slowly because of distance (many popular houseplants are farmed in Latin America or Africa) and outdated means of communication. While the houseplant trend grows, millenials are willing to pay well – up to $200 – for rare plants like the variegated monstera deliciosa.

An interesting twist on the plant-purchase phenomenon is potential use of technology on a supremely natural product. Bloomberg reports: “Digimarc Corp., which makes invisible identifiers for a wide range of products that are more reliable and efficient than traditional bar codes, wants to embed its digital watermarks onto plant tags, labels and other types of packaging. Customers scan them with their phones and call up care advice, videos and additional information on the plant. Such innovations could help modernize a supply chain that Digimarc CEO Bruce Davis deems ‘archaic.’”

Florida grower Matt Metzler says of the rising demand for house plants, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

It’s reminiscent of the 17th-century tulip mania in Europe, when Dutch merchants made and lost fortunes handling the fragile luxury-item flower bulbs. But unless millenial’s stress levels go markedly down in today’s competitive, economically precarious world,  houseplants will be a healthy market item for a long time to come.

Additional Resources:

• Romantic Fragrant Plants
• IndoorPlants.Info
• Healing Herbs

The post Millenials Snap Up Houseplants To Relieve Stress appeared first on Green Prophet.

Summertime, and the green outdoors beckons. It’s tempting to go for a healthy walk outdoors. But what if you live in an apartment, a bus ride away from a park? Or spend the best part of daylight hours in an office building? Most of Western humanity is already living in units stacked up one on top of another, where sidewalk trees and the occasional weedy empty lot is people’s only exposure to plants.

How about fresh air? Everyone’s walking around with their tongues hanging out from he summer heat, worse these days due to global warming. Why open windows when air conditioning offers instant relief?

Our urban work places and homes are like sealed environments. And in them, thousands of everyday objects subtly release chemical gases. Formaldehyde, for example, is present in grocery bags, waxed papers, facial tissues, and paper towels; cleaning products, cigarette smoke and cooking fuels. So is trichloroethylene, a chemical used in manufacturing ink, paints, lacquers, varnishes, and adhesives. Benzine is present in gasoline, inks, oils, paints, plastics, and rubber. Consider that every time you blow your nose, you come in contact with formaldehyde. When you print documents out, you’re unconsciously inhaling minute amounts of benzine.

Long-term exposure to these, and other common pollutants, takes a deadly toll on our health.

No one’s going back to using cloth handkerchiefs or hand-copying papers. But we should look for ways to get pollutants out of the enclosed environments we live in. A partial solution lies with Mother Nature – green your space.

Back in 1989, NASA did a joint two-year study with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America on how to clean the air in entirely sealed environments, that is, spaceships. They concluded that to maintain good air quality inside a space ship, astronauts should grow living plants to absorb and synthesize pollutants, in effect “scrubbing” the air. The researchers write,

“Since man’s existence on Earth depends upon a life support system involving an intricate relationship with plants and their associated microorganisms, it should be obvious that when he attempts to isolate himself in tightly sealed buildings away from this ecological system, problems will arise. Even without the existence of hundreds of synthetic organic chemicals off-gassing into tightly sealed environments, man’s own waste products would cause indoor air pollution problems. The answer to these problems is obvious. If man is to move into closed environments,
on Earth or in space, he must take along nature’s life support system.”

This study generated others on air quality in submarines, and “sick buildings.” The interest hasn’t stopped there. A study conducted across America by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital concludes that women who live among plants live longer, by 12%, than those who don’t. Green women stay mentally healthier, too. The study was done over 8 years between 2000-2008, and involved 108,630 women.

“We were surprised to observe such strong associations between increased exposure to greenness and lower mortality rates,” said Peter James, research associate in the Harvard Chan School Department of Epidemiology. “We were even more surprised to find evidence that a large proportion of the apparent benefit from high levels of vegetation seems to be connected with improved mental health.”

More impressive statistics that emerged from the Harvard study: Women living in the greenest areas had a 34% lower rate of deaths related to respiratory diseases. Women’s deaths from cancer were 13% lower in homes where there was plenty of contact with trees and plants.

“We know that planting vegetation can help the environment by reducing wastewater loads, sequestering carbon, and mitigating the effects of climate change. Our new findings suggest a possible co-benefit — improving health — that presents planners, landscape architects, and policy makers with an potential tool to grow healthier places,” said James.

Women were the focus of the Harvard study, but clearly the green factor benefits men as well. Researchers suggest that cleaner air, the noise-buffering effect of large plants like trees, and “opportunities for physical activity” – meaning gardening – are the life-prolonging elements here.

I add, anyone who’s had pleasure in tending plants knows how therapeutic the gentle toil is. Gardening also provides opportunities for social interaction; getting together with other gardeners, having something valuable in common with all kinds of people. And even if you’re not a people person, caring for plants gives you the satisfaction of living things that respond to your attention with flourishing green beauty.

NASA recommends using plants set over a carbon filter system fitted with a fan. This may not be convenient for most home owners, but here’s their list of plants that effectively scrub out the environment:

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Aloe Vera (Aloe vera or A. Barbadensis)
Areca palms (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata v. Bostoniesis)
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
Devil’s Ivy or pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Dracaena “Janet Craig” (Dracaena Deremensis)
Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelenii)
English ivy (Hedera helix)

Ficus/Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
Flamingo Lily/Fleur (Anthurium andraeanum)
Kimberly Queen Ferns (Nephrolepis obliterata)
Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Philodendron
Pineapple plants
Rubber plants (Ficus elastic)
Snake Plant/Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 
: NASA, Landscape Plants For Indoor Air Pollution Abatement 

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Toxic air is not just external. Everyday household items and most interior building finishes and accessories are chock full of chemicals that off-gas as products age. Consider the percentage of your day spent indoors, and the relative stagnation of indoor air, and it’s no surprise that exposure to harmful pollutants can be higher in your home than on the sidewalks that surround it.

The folks at TrueActivist cite five toxins commonly found indoors, paired with the effects caused by consistent exposure.  Note that – depending on individual reaction to these chemicals, even short term exposure can result in worst case reactions.

Ammonia is an ingredient in floor wax, fertilizers, window cleaners, and air fragrances. It irritates eyes and throats.

Benzene is almost everywhere from detergents and dyes, to plastics and synthetic fibers.  It’s in paint and glue, cigarette smoke and car exhaust, furniture wax and pesticides.  In addition to causing irritated eyes and headaches, it can make you dizzy, drowsy, pump up your heart rate and – in sufficient doses – render you unconscious.

Formaldehyde is ubiquitous. It’s in most paper products (tissues, bags, napkins, wrapping paper), and synthetic fibers (carpeting and vinyl countertops). It irritates your nose, mouth, and throat and – in extreme exposure – can lead to lung and larynx swelling.

Trichloroethylene is an element on coatings and adhesives. Find it in ink, paint, paint remover and varnish. Exposure causes headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and can sometimes lead to coma.

Xylene is in leather and printed materials, paint and cigarette smoke. Along with mouth and throat irritation, symptoms can include dizziness and headache, and worst case lead to heart complications, kidney and/or liver damage, and ultimately, unconsciousness.

So, short of a full blown environmental retrofit of your living space, what can you do to mitigate indoor pollution?
Refer back to that old NASA study. The scientists determined that the following plants – 18 easily acquired species – pack an air-filtering punch that will leave you breathing easier.

Caring for plants is easy, and a proven stress-buster. House plants also improve indoor humidity levels. The NASA study was aimed at better understanding the science behind indoor gardens, and resulted in the agency deploying plants in space stations as natural air filters and morale boosters for orbiting astronauts.  Green up your terrestrial digs to achieve the same health benefits.

Caring for plants is one thing. Caring for kids is another. If you are a health and savings-cautious mom, Mamma is s discount saving website, with mamma.com a great place to start!

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1. Declare your earthly love – The Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest group of eco-activists, asks everyone to send photos of things they love and fear losing – due to climate change. Their #ShowTheLove campaign aims to show world leaders how we all feel about global warming. Their website features a short film to watch with your sweetie, and green hearts to print out and share. Link here.

2. Skip the roses and proffer a house plant – Houseplants act as air purifiers, naturally pulling toxins from the air around us. They cut air humidity too, which could reduce your need for air conditioning during the hot summer months. Studies by NASA scientists show that 16 houseplants (sized to fit in 8-inch diameter pots) will improve air quality in an 1,800 square foot house.

3. Don’t just be someone’s honey – help others make it, sustainably – Donate some bees (or rabbits, or goats) via Heifer International and help families turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity. Heifer helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. Your donation purchases animals that contribute to sustainable agriculture in impoverished communities, generating food and reliable income with products such as milk, eggs and honey that can be traded or sold at local markets. Link here.

4. Spread the love – Women for Women began more than 20 years ago to help women facing violence and poverty as a result of war and conflict. Today they work directly with women in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan – and many other nations –  training women in year-long programs to learn critical skills and access new resources. Link here.

5. Buy a drink for Gaza – Recent UN and Amnesty International reports show that only 5% of the water in Gaza is suitable for human consumption, and 40% of Gazan disease is linked to drinking polluted  water. Tap water exposes children to many risks: parasitic infections, kidney disease, anemia and more. This project builds and maintain water purification units, constructed with local labor and materials as available, in schools throughout Gaza. Support the Maia Project, which since 2007, has constructed 42 units with 10 more underway, to safeguard a most basic human right for tens of thousands of children–access to clean, safe drinking water. Link here.

6. Save the sub-aquatic Middle East –The Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River and various wetland habitats are facing many difficult challenges. The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem is establishing a state of the art aquarium facility, that aims to inspire and educate visitors, and encourage action to save these magnificent environments. Your donation will make big splash. Link here.

7. Let your lover choose – The world is full of problems, charity fundraising website GlobalGiving is full of solutions, offering social entrepreneurs and non-profits from around the world a chance to raise the money that they need to improve their communities. Select the projects you want to support, make a tax-deductible contribution, and you’ll get email updates from the project so you can see how your gift is making a difference. Link here.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute. But listen up, slackers – these one-size-fits-all gift ideas can dig you out of most every holiday hole.  It’s the thought that counts, and these options all say you are thinking right.

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