Green Around The Edges

Giving When It Already Hurts

2009-02-14T13:03:00.001-05:00

Giving til it hurts is hard enough. Giving when you’re already trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage – as many folks are these days – is quite another.

Yes, this post is wildly off topic. I promise to mention the word “green” in here somewhere to keep it somewhat relevant (there it was!).

But these are the times when giving – of time as much as of money – is more important than ever. Giving a little of ourselves to others enriches us. And who couldn’t use a little enriching these days?

Find something you love and give something of yourself to it. For five minutes, allow yourself to think of something other than the economy, the plummeting balance in your 401k and how long you can go before getting the brakes fixed.

Think of it as a cheap thrill – what else makes you feel so good, for so long, for so little?

If you’re looking for ideas, here are a few. But these days, you don’t have to look far for chances to help someone else out. You might be surprised how much a phone call to a neighbor that was recently laid off means, or an offer to carpool to school for a family going through a tough time (which saves wear and tear on the environment, and so we’ve come full circle!).

MDA Stride & Ride – If you’re looking for stories of courage, love and hope, look no further than the families involved in this battle. We became aware of this particular event through the Pritchard family. Emily and Michael Pritchard can tell the story about their son Jake best: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jakepritchard

Helping Hand – Odds are there’s a nursing home within 10 minutes of your house. Odds are there’s an elderly person there who doesn’t get much in the way of visitors. Call the Admissions Director of the facility and ask if anyone there could use…a new pair of soft socks, a box of chocolate chip cookies. It really doesn’t take much. A simple gesture that shows someone out there is thinking of them, and will drive 10 minutes to drop off a couple of magazines for them to read, is an enormous gift to a lonely senior.

Food Drives – There’s no shortage of these right now. Buy one can of something – beans, corn, whatever – each week at the grocery store. Use coupons or find sales. It will cost less than a dollar a week. Save it up, donate it to a local church or food pantry.

VolunteerMatch.org – Connect with non-profit groups that match your interests in your area or nationwide through this free service.

Physics for Future Presidents

2009-02-12T16:39:00.003-05:00

Wait – don’t stop reading yet! The title may be heavy, and the subjects at hand are certainly serious. But Richard A. Muller, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has a gift for taking unexplainable and – well – explaining it. The sections devoted to energy, nuclear power and global warming were particularly interesting and much easier to read than you would expect. I do admit to doing some skimming in the section on nuclear power, but that had more to do with the time of night that I was reading and much less to do with the author’s ability to write about complicated subjects in an understandable way.

Check it out. It’s enlightening and important to see all of these critical issues through the dispassionate, objective eyes of a physicist.

Somewhat related is the recent article in Grist that some of Britain’s top climate research folks are warning against “apocalyptic predictions” related to global warming. They aren’t saying climate change isn’t a (big) problem – but they fear that “overplaying natural variations in weather”, while attention grabbing, will backfire in the end. Why? Not every snow storm or dry, hot spell in Yourtown, USA is due to global warming. The Met Office representatives say they are afraid all of the hyperbole will draw attention from the real and critical problems that need real and effective solutions, and “undermine the basic facts that the implications of climate change are profound and will be severe if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut drastically.”

Boreal Forests Defined

2009-02-07T19:29:00.005-05:00

I saw a headline today about disposable paper towels wiping out boreal forests. I was alarmed. I was concerned. I was confused.

You see – I had no idea what a “boreal forest” was. I thought maybe it meant “really old” forest. Or perhaps “forest with exceptionally large trees”. But an embarrassingly easy Google search led me to the right answer. The term boreal means “northern”. They are found in places that have short summers and long winters, like Siberia, Scandinavia, Alaska and Canada. Because they have a short growing season, the vegetation in these forests regenerates slowly. So when a tree is cut down to…say…make a roll of toilet paper, it’s gonna take a while for nature to grow another one.

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) gives a wealth of detail on their site about the reasons why using virgin pulp for disposable products is a bad idea. The shorthand version is that it negatively impacts many species and indigenous communities that rely on the forest. The forests are also among the largest terrestrial storehouses of carbon dioxide – which we need right now.

There are a number of companies and products listed on the NRDC site as those to avoid. You can check them out for yourself, but I will say that I doubt anyone from Kimberly – Clark is getting an invite to the next NRDC office party. There are also lists of companies and products that DO use recycled content, including Marcal, Seventh Generation and Green Forest (there are more, check out the NRDC list here).

I’m all for using paper products from recycled materials. But wow, they are typically SO much more expensive. So to be honest I try to alternate the paper products I use. I don’t use 100% recycled, 100% of the time. I do, however, use it periodically and I keep an eye out for coupons or sales. They are pretty scarce, in my experience. Anyone that has a source, please let me know!

For more facts about forests: www.forestfacts.org

NC Sate and Federal Tax Credits - The List

2009-01-30T14:53:00.006-05:00

If you're never quite sure what incentives are out there - NC state and federal - for energy efficient projects that you're thinking about, check out the February issue of Carolina Country.

On pages 10-11 you'll find an easy to read summary. Here's a quick sampling, and it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that there are additional requirements and restrictions not listed here that you'll need to check into before you hire somebody to start climbing onto your roof with solar panels.

- Solar water heaters are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to 30%, up to $2,000 and a state property exemption.

- Federal tax credits are still available for vehicles (hybrid gas-electric, battery-electric, etc). But, there is a 60,000 vehicle limit per manufacturer before a phase out period begins, and Toyota and Honda have already been phased out. If you're interested, you'll need to start shopping for a Ford, GM or Nissan, since that's where the credit is still available.

- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are in a separate classification. There's a federal tax credit of $2,500-$7,500, and the first 250,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit.

There's more on the list, including photovoltaic systems (the federal tax credit is up to 30% of cost, state tax credit up to 35% of cost, not to exceed $10,500).

If you live in the distribution area for this magazine and you've already tossed - ahem, recycled - your copy, I think the February issue will appear online soon.

Source: "Go Green Save Green". Compiled by Morgan Lashley, NC Association of Electric Cooperatives. Carolina Country is the monthly magazine of North Carolina's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Picture used with permission.

No Green Thumb Required - But You Will Need a Pencil

2009-01-29T10:41:00.005-05:00

I’m a “let’s toss that seed in the ground and see if it grows” type of gardener. While I love the abundance of a full, green summer garden, I rarely take the time to make sure I’m doing it right. So I started Don Rosenberg’s new book, No Green Thumb Required: Organic Family Gardening Made Easy, (Catawba Publishing) thinking I would flip through it in an hour, find the “good stuff” and check that off the to-do list. It didn’t quite work out that way.

First of all, I’m still a gardening neophyte. I’ve had a garden for several years, but for some reason every year still seems like my first venture into the back yard with a hoe. To make matters worse, Rosenberg has packed a lot into 150 pages.

The first part of the book covers general info, as if Rosenberg is trying to bring everyone up to speed on the basics. Terms like “intensive planting” are introduced, but much of the information is broad, with references to things like the benefits of organic food and gardening in limited space.

Chapter 7 discusses kids in the garden, with some tips for kid-friendly projects. But the real meat of the book begins right around Chapter 9, when Rosenberg starts addressing the best way to plan your garden. He lists the types of vegetables that he recommends for small spaces, and the variety included might surprise you. Kohlrabi and pak choy are listed, alongside the more pedestrian stuff that I’m used to, like carrots, spinach and squash.

After recommending varieties, the book goes into planning the garden, complete with a grid that you can use to gauge how much space you’ll need for each of your favorite veggies. That’s when I realized there was no way I’d be able to get out of this without getting out a pencil. Articles in the appendix address common questions and tips for growing tomatoes and other popular items. Like one of my favorites - squash. You might find yourself taken back by Rosenberg’s advice about stabbing a vine borer to death with a needle to save your squash plant. But if you do, I’d suggest that perhaps you’ve never lost your first ever zucchini plant to the little suckers. I’m generally very mild mannered, but that experience was enough to push me over the edge, and my son found me in the backyard hacking them to tiny bits with a shovel as soon as I discovered what they were. And so now, since I have my pencil in hand, I write a note to myself: “get needles”.

Here’s what I discovered about No Green Thumb Required. It’s a reference book. Not an article. Oh. No wonder I couldn’t get through it in one sitting. I now realize I’m supposed to keep it around, fill out the charts and actually use it. I’m not sure whether I’ll follow through on all of that – but I do have my short list of stuff I’d like in my garden already written out. Right next to the note about needles. So that’s a start, right?

If you’d like more information about the book, check out Rosenberg’s site at www.instantorganicgarden.com or visit Amazon.com.

(Lots of) Cash for Clunkers

2009-01-16T16:11:00.002-05:00

If you have dreams of a hybrid sitting in your driveway – but instead you’ve got an enormous SUV lurking out there, waiting for your next trip to the gas station – Congress has a deal for you. “Cash for Clunkers”, legislation introduced on Wednesday in both the House and Senate, proposes up to $4500 vouchers be given to SUV owners that turn in their gas guzzlers. Those vouchers can be used for reimbursement when purchasing new vehicles that exceed federal fuel economy targets by at least 25 percent.

It seems win-win. In theory, auto manufacturers would gear up to produce the in-demand, fuel efficient cars. Those cars would be replacing larger, less environmentally friendly SUVS and Congress estimates the savings would be equal to 40,000 to 80,000 barrels of motor fuel each day by the end of the four year program.
But I hope that in the rush to re-start the auto industry, reduce dependency on foreign oil and save the planet in general everyone takes the long view. Up to a million cars a year, over four years, is 4 million SUVS that could be scrapped. Are there any unintended consequences that we should be thinking of NOW instead of being surprised them by later? Surely we can re-use some of the materials in these SUVs before they head to the scrap heap? Is that cost factored into the overall cost of the program? And while we’re at it, is the program realistic? Is $4500 enough of an incentive if you owe, say, $15,000 on your SUV now? Will folks heading to the dealerships, voucher in hand, be able to get credit (assuming they’ve found work after being laid off)?

Don’t get me wrong. It’s great out-of-the-box thinking, and I’m all for it. I’m just hoping that someone with a giant whiteboard on Capitol Hill is drawing lots of circles and lines right now in a big, comprehensive plan to make sure that this big (expensive) program lives up to its promise. Costs are estimated to be between $1 to $2 billion per year, and you know how initial government estimates always seem to be...well...a bit on the low side. The numbers coming out of Washington these days are so numbingly large, it's easy to lose track of the fact that $1 billion is still a big, big number.

Check out MSN’s story on the subject and – for some glimpses into more unintended consequences that need to be considered – The Daily Green.

In Pursuit of Safer CFLs

2009-01-15T18:55:00.006-05:00

CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) are thought of as a better lighting choice across the board – from an energy saving perspective, anyway.

Of course, those nagging concerns about their mercury content won’t quite go away (nor should they). Advocates say that the mercury used in the bulbs is far outweighed - in a big picture kind of way - by the benefit of the mercury saved (since a major source of mercury in the environment comes from coal-fired electrical plants, and CFLs use less energy than their incandescent cousins). But it was a big newsflash to me that not all CFL bulbs are created equal. Some have more mercury than others. Some have so much mercury, in fact, that they wouldn’t be permitted for sale in Europe.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a great report on 7 high quality, low mercury bulbs. It's short - it will take you five minutes to read, tops. Meanwhile here’s an even quicker version: Earthmate, Litetronics, Sylvania, Feit, MaxLite, Philips all have bulbs that made it on to the list (Sylvania has two).

By the way - the Energy Star label you see on a CFL box is not an indicator that the bulb is low in mercury. And while you're at the EWG site, think about signing up for regular updates. They're always filled with relevant, interesting info.

One more thing - no amount of mercury is a good amount when it's on your floor. EWG offers practical tips for using CFLs more safely, including avoiding them in places where mercury exposure is unacceptable (children's rooms).

2008-12-30T06:27:00.004-05:00

The best case I've read to date for a gasoline tax is Thomas Friedman's article in the New York Times on December 28th.

I have a six year old mini-van. I'd love to say I have a Prius, or some other kind of hybrid, but I don't and no new car is on our short term horizon. I'd also love to say that we live in an urban area, within walking distance of most of the "stuff" we need to do. But we don't, and no new house is on our horizon either. We live in suburbs, where to do...well..pretty much ANYTHING, you have to get in the car.

So we modify our behavior as much as we can. We group errands for fewer trips and go easy on the gas pedal. And truthfully, the drop in gas prices has been good news for us. But, as Friedman reports in his article, it's also part of the reason that trucks and SUVs will outsell cars in the month of December. There are some folks that truly need larger vehicles (and by "need" I mean they haul large equipment to job sites). But for most of us, having a super-sized vehicle is nice but not all that necessary. Yet we will jump at the chance, due to lower gas prices and dealer incentives, to buy a vehicle that we need a ladder to climb into and then lead the public outcry when someone mentions a gas tax.

That's short term thinking, and that's what got us into this mess in the first place. I don't think there are any easy answers - and if there are, I'm certainly not going to be the source of them. But I do know that if we don't voluntarily change our behavior then Friedman is right - the only answer is to have a system that will "permanently change consumer demand". Like a gas tax.

So no, I'm not looking forward to it. But, in the face of our own inability to modify our behavior, what else is there to do?

Interested inDuke Energy Carolinas 2009 Distributed Generation Program?

2008-12-25T06:33:00.004-05:00

Duke Energy's plan to install solar panels at several hundred sites in North Carolina - including homes, schools, office buildings, etc. - is still scheduled to start in "early 2009".

The plan is still pending approval by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) but if/when that comes through Duke plans to spend two years installing the panels.

Duke Energy is either a white hat or black hat kind of company, depending on your perspective. But this plan is interesting either way. If you're interested in participating (having panels put on your roof or property) you can fill out a form on Duke's site to try to qualify as a host site. There are a number of requirements, including the obvious (you need to be a Duke Energy customer, located in NC) and some not so obvious (a roof less than five years old). Check out the Duke Energy site for more information and requirements.

NC GreenPower Offers Carbon Offsets

2008-12-23T19:42:00.004-05:00

NC GreenPower now offers a carbon offset option. These are, as the NC GreenPower site says, opportunities to balance your impact on the environment. Offsets don't replace conservation - they are supposed to supplement your efforts to reduce your carbon footprint.

Check out the NC GreenPower site for information on purchasing offsets.

Terrapass has a good explanation about what the heck a carbon offset is (with graphics, which is always a plus for me!). Basically, you fund Terrapass, and they in turn fund carbon reduction projects (i.e. wind farms, solar energy). Yes - that's a very simplistic explanation of what is actually a very complex process. But hey - the bottom line is the goal is to offset the carbon dioxide that you produce in spite of your best efforts to be green. The thing I like about Terrapass is their business program, which I used for Bloom Writing Works. It allows you to calculate your offsets based on the size (in square feet) of your office, whether or not you own any computer servers and how many employees commute to work.

(Image source: NC GreenPower)

2008-12-16T11:37:00.005-05:00

November 2008

Welcome Back

Here we are, just a few short months since the last issue and so much seems to have changed. In that time, the economy has become bigger-than-usual news, and everything else seems to have faded to background noise.

My efforts at hypermiling earlier in the year became lost in the daily search for gas. Compared to year to year, my monthly costs are still almost 70% higher. I can only wonder what it would have been if I hadn’t been trying so hard to ease up on the pedal.

We put the long days of summer to good use. I finally finished Animal, Miracle, Vegetable by Barbara Kingsolver, and ended up making my own mozzarella (it’s a long story)! I highly recommend it – it was fun and quite a learning experience. I also learned to like fried green tomatoes all over again (as long as my husband cooks them) and I have a lot of tomatoes chopped/pureed/peeled in my freezer for the off season.

In the excerpt from the November newsletter issue below we have an interview with Dana Sinkler, CEO of Just Fresh. The next issue will be out in January. Stay well and take care. – Kimberly

Just Fresh Is Just Right

G. Dana Sinkler, Jr. is all about the food. As the Chief Executive Officer of Just Fresh, the restaurant chain growing quickly throughout Charlotte, Sinkler can give you a run down on exactly why his fries taste so good (they’re made from Premium Yukon Gold Potatoes, for one thing). He can explain the difficulty of sourcing organic or local food for a chain while still keeping prices affordable, and why quality ingredients matter.

This is as it should be since he was, among many other things, an accomplished chef at some of New York’s finest restaurants. I, however, am about as close to being a chef as I am to being a neurosurgeon – which is to say not very close. Chatting with Sinkler was a bit like stepping into a foreign language immersion program in the middle of the semester. I got through by nodding and jotting down the occasional note at what I hoped were appropriate moments.

But no culinary degree is required to understand that the food is good at Just Fresh. It’s - well - fresh, and varied. Cedar Plank Salmon resides comfortably on the same menu as the kids’ Pizza Pie (which comes in cheese or pepperoni).

This pleases my husband, who loves going somewhere for dinner where the question of “what are we having” isn’t answered by me pointing to the cereal box. It pleases my son, because of the aforementioned pizza. But – with all due respect to those of you chomping at the bit to know more about the menu, you can look the rest up online or go grab a menu at one of the Charlotte locations.

What’s really interesting to me is that in addition to good food at decent prices, the building itself is green. The usual aesthetics are addressed: the restaurant is comfortable, clean and attractive. It manages to be kid-friendly yet casually sophisticated at the same time. It is, as Sinkler puts it, a combination of “quick service with the feel of full service.” You’d never know you’re making a greener dining choice unless you look a little closer. The ceiling tiles, for instance, contain 70% recycled content. Water based adhesives are used under the carpet tiles, which are produced from recycled fibers.

The list goes on. The most obvious eco-friendly fixture may be the Icestone counter top, which is made of 100% recycled glass. Eco friendly paint and wall coverings, water saving features and abundant natural light round out, but by no means complete, the list of “green” stuff going on underfoot and behind the scenes at the restaurant.

These building choices set Just Fresh apart from its competitors. The company has actively pursued the goal of bringing green to commercial interiors, and Sinkler has been a pioneer in many of these efforts. By combining great food with reasonable prices, Just Fresh has given us a place to go where we can grab a great meal at reasonable prices and hang on to our environmental convictions at the same time. That – and a coupon – gets me there!

August Issue

2008-10-08T10:13:00.003-04:00

In this issue:
· Saving Gas - with Hypermiling
· Growing Your Own Food – Harder than it sounds
· Giving Back – Bumper crops? Here’s one way to share the bounty
· Resources and Digging Deeper
· Revisiting Past issues

Hyper-What?

By Kimberly Paulk

The green topics crowding into my mind this summer are the ones that I’m sure everyone else can’t escape either – the price of gas and the price (and safety) of food. Suddenly some things that I used assign to the “fringe” are sounding better and better, like saving fuel and getting food locally. More about food later. First, I focused on hypermiling. If you, like my husband, are one of those unfortunate few who have never heard of hypermiling, it’s a both method and a movement. The goal: to wring every last mile out of each drop of gas in your fuel tank. You don’t have to wade in very far to the subject to see some pretty impressive results, and some pretty far out (to me) practices. Shutting your car off on the highway, for instance, while coasting behind a semi might be a great way to save gas – but it’s not something I plan to try in my minivan with my son in the booster seat behind me.

There are a few tips that seem to make sense, though, and that I can implement without risking life and limb, like coasting to a stop when possible, following the speed limit and avoiding overzealous acceleration (most of the time). I can even go without the air conditioner except on the hottest of afternoons. Growing up in Florida with sporadic air conditioning meant getting used to some pretty warm temps! I did decide that I was overdoing it a bit, though, when my son climbed out of the back of the van with his hair matted with sweat and his shirt sticking to his back.

No official word on how my own version of hypermiling is going. There are ways to track your miles to the gallon, and the links in Digging Deeper (below) will lead you to the calculations if you’re so inclined. I’m not – at least at this point. Instead, I’m comparing my month to month overall gas cost and hoping it will go down, or at least not go up. That would be the true test of success for me. And it would mean I wouldn’t have to get out a calculator. Always a plus!

Growing Your Own

I’m reading a really interesting book right now – and at the pace I’m reading it, it will be the really interesting book I’m reading next summer as well – called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. In it, she details her family’s transition to eating only truly local food for one year. This included food they could buy from their own neighborhood or, and here’s what got my attention, food they could grow themselves. I read a similar story (This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow) years ago and I’ve wondered ever since whether or not it’s a viable option for those of us that are not farmers by experience or by nature.

Perhaps. I’ll get to the end of the book and let you know (or you can let me know if you finish first). But I’ve realized this summer that growing your own food isn’t as easy as it sounded, or as romantic as it seemed. As I was stabbing a squash vine borer to death this morning in my garden, the thought occurred to me “What if this zucchini plant – this garden – was my only source of food?”. Or, as my husband put it – what if it was our primary source of income?

Obviously, there are methods that I haven’t learned yet for dealing with garden pests (although I can now tell you about the life cycle of a horned tomato worm, if you’re interested). But it isn’t as simple as plunking stuff in the ground and adding water. That’s unfortunate, because I was really hoping it was exactly that simple. That might have been an obvious truth to others, but to me it has been a revelation. But it is also a challenge. I know I rushed to garden this year, lulled by my beginner’s luck last summer. I didn’t dedicate enough time or thought to the soil, the sun and certainly not to these unwelcome pests. Next year will be different, although I’m sure I’ll learn more about new and exciting creepy crawlies. Yikes. Til then I just keep chanting to myself “earthworms are my friends, earthworms are my friends”.

· Check local availability at Joseph Beth Booksellers for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver: http://www.josephbeth.com/shop/searchresults.aspx?mode=Keyword&search=kingsolver&storeid=10
· Check out This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow at Barnes & Noble (it isn’t carried at Joseph Beth): http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=joan+dye+gussow

Giving Back
Just a reminder as your summer bounty comes in (assuming it does!) that Second Harvest is happy to take any extra you may have. Second Harvest – the largest hunger relief charity in the Metrolina area - would be glad to help you out with that happy problem. They will accept fresh foods, including garden surpluses, at their Spratt Street location. They tell me any quantity is welcome, large or small. For directions, hours or more information about Second Harvest visit their website.

Resources and Digging Deeper

Digging Deeper
· Practical tips from the NRDC on saving gas, and saving money at the pump at “Save Gas Right Now”, http://beyondoil.nrdc.org/cars/seven-ways.php.
· Everything you ever thought you wanted to know about Hypermiling, and probably a little more, at http://www.cleanmpg.com/.

Resources
· Gaffney, Dennis. “This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk.” January/February 2007 Issue. Mother Jones. 17 July 2008. http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html.
· O’Brien, Miles. “Behind The Scenes: ‘Hypermilers’ test limits of fuel conservation.” 4 June 2008. Fueling America: CNN.com. 17 July 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/06/03/btsc.hypermiling/index.html?iref=newssearch.

One More Time…
More on Past Topics
Actually, this is more about future topics. As school starts everything swings into full gear, so we won’t be publishing in September or October 2008. See you in November!

About Us:
Green Around The Edges – Charlotte is produced periodically. Co-editors: Kathleen Huddleston and Kimberly Paulk.

Getting Better With Age

2008-04-06T07:53:00.002-04:00

Buying furniture the green way

Several years ago when we were new to the area we visited an antique show. That was, and is, very out of character for us but it’s there that I fell in love with old wood. Not antiques, necessarily, but the weathered, old timber that had spent a hard working lifetime as a barn door or a plank on a floor. We went home that day empty handed. But the thought of what that wood had “seen” captured my imagination, and I couldn’t forget about the layers of colors and scars that made up the unique surface of each piece.

Reclaimed wood - which is wood that was something else before it was turned into your kitchen table – is still one of my favorite things. The imperfections and patina that age brings is something that you typically can’t find in most new furniture.

Everything old is new again
Reclaimed wood, while beautiful, can be a bit more expensive. Wood can be sourced from old barns, old boats or old flooring, but the process to reclaim it and remake it is labor intensive. Our kitchen table is reclaimed from wood flooring used in an old factory in Wisconsin. I love it, knots, water stains and all. As an added benefit, it doesn’t show the new wear and tear of my family as readily as a piece made with new wood might.

Responsibly Harvested Wood
Not all wood is created equal when it comes to the impact its harvest has on the environment. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guarantees that the wood used in a product came from a “certified well-managed forest” (source: Forest Stewardship Council).

Beyond Wood
The availability of “green” furniture doesn’t stop at wood. End tables made of recycled aluminum, indoor-outdoor rugs made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled glassware are just a sampling of the cool, functional furnishings you’ll find out there.

Where to find it
Local places
These local stores carry old or sustainably harvested wood. I’m sure there are many more – if you know of one let me know and I’ll share it with our readers.

The Inspired Home
This store has two locations, Pineville and Historic South End. Not all the items offered are from reclaimed wood – check with the store on the source of the wood for any particular piece you’re interested in. Details about the store, locations and their products are on their website.

Barn Wood Classics
I haven’t visited this gallery yet, but it’s definitely on my “to do” list. They specialize in furniture made from reclaimed antique barn boards and beams. Store location and hours can be found on their website.

Ordering it
There are plenty of places online that advertise environmentally friendly furniture. One spot you might try is the Eco-Mall. We have not ordered through any of these vendors – although any inquiries that we’ve sent with product questions, etc. have been answered promptly. We have ordered, however, from Viva-Terra, and we’ve typically been very happy with the results. Their products are sourced from a variety of places, so the quality isn’t always as certain. Customer Service has been friendly, although not always good at follow up. Overall though, we’ve been satisfied with our dealings with them and we like their selection.

Taking it Outdoors
Check National Wildlife Federation’s Garden Furniture Scorecard if you are thinking about making any outdoor furniture purchases this summer.

Resources and Digging Deeper
· “Garden Furniture Scorecard.” National Wildlife Federation. 2007. http://www.nwf.org/nwfwebadmin/binaryVault/Garden_Furniture_Scorecard_2007.pdf.
· Forest Stewardship Council. < http://www.fsc.org/en/>.
· “Forests”. World Wildlife Fund. 4 April 2008. < http://www.worldwildlife.org/forests/>.

One More Time…
Revisiting Past Topics

I noticed recently that Target stores are also selling reusable bags near the checkout area for about $1.49 each. I’ve asked them if they plan to have any “bring your own bag” type of incentive programs similar to those run by grocery stores, but according to the Customer Service Department no program is currently planned! -kip-

Trading Up

2008-01-27T06:33:00.001-05:00

The green way to get rid of your old computer

Sooner or later, you are going to need a new computer. While the prospect fills me with dread (I’m not the most technically proficient person you’ll ever meet), I’m also worried about what to do with the old one. According to Earth911.org, almost 2 million tons of e-waste went to landfills in 2005. It’s not just the landfill space that should give you pause before you head to the dumpster: that mysterious box you’re trying to clear off your desk contains small amounts of mercury, lead and cadmium. Rather than take a chance on having that end up in soil or the water supply, check out one of the other many options below.

Give it Away
For a worth cause
RECONNECT is a partnership between Goodwill Industries and Dell. Find a nearby participating Goodwill store and drop off your computer. It will be reused or recycled (or “de-manufactured”) in an environmentally friendly manner. If the computer is operable it will be cleared of stored information and sold at Goodwill’s Computer Works store located at 2913 Freedom Drive in Charlotte. Systems not sold there will be sold to vendors. Get a receipt, because it may be tax deductible!

To a friend
Our older computer works well and, once I get it in my car to deliver it, will end up as a PC for my friend’s daughter. Think about any families that you know that might benefit from a computer for homework, etc. Hand-me-downs weren’t nearly so cool when I was a kid!

Recycle It
Dell will recycle your old PC or laptop for free, even if it isn’t their product, if you’re buying a Dell system. Apple and Gateway have similar programs. Consumer Reports gives a good overview of all the major manufacturers’ recycling programs in E-market Watch at Greener Choices.

Trade It In
Costco takes everything a little further with a trade-in program that will accept any brand of electronic equipment, including PCs, digital cameras, camcorders, game systems and MP3 Players. The program is open to members only. An on-line wizard lets you calculate the trade-in value of your item, and you get a Costco Cash Card in that amount. There is, of course, a little more to it than that but not much based on their web site. I didn’t go through the calculator because I’m hoping I won’t need it for a long, long time! But it’s a great opportunity to do the right thing and get paid for it!

While You’re At It
Recycling Ink Cartridges
There are a lot of options for recycling your ink and toner. Dell will recycle Dell ink and toner. Staples, Best Buy and other stores have a variety of programs. Get a list specific to your area at Earth911.org by typing in your zip code.

Resources and Digging Deeper
· DeFore, John. “Costco Helps Recycle Electronics”. GreenRightNow.com. 18 December 2007.
· Wolf, Alan. “Office Depot, Costco, DSI Launch Recycling, Trade-In Programs”. TWICE: This Week In Consumer Electronics. 19 November 2007.
· “Reuse Electronics Through Donation”. Earth911.org. 25 January 2008.
· “IBM Me Up, Scotty.” Grist.org. 08 August 2005.
· “Apple Releases First Mercury-Free Laptop”. Earth911.org. 15 January 2008.

One More Time…
Revisiting Past Topics

In January, Whole Foods announced they will eliminate plastic grocery bags in their stores by Earth Day 2008 (April 22nd). The paper bags they will be using instead (for those customers that don’t BYOB), are 100% recycled. No word yet on whether or not any of our local chains will follow suit!

A Trip on the Light Rail

2008-01-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

We had a chance to try out the Lynx Blue Line this weekend. We parked at the South Blvd station and road all the way to 7th Street in Center City, by Imaginon. There were bumps and glitches, with long lines, ticketing machines that didn’t work and a couple of unexplained (and very sudden) stops between stations. I never did figure out why the train doors closed, and opened, and closed again at the 7th Street station. But I was glad they did, since that meant we were able to make the train versus waiting for the next one (which was coming 20 minutes later).

But overall, we really enjoyed it. It seems promising, although for us, it’s not yet a practical mode of transportation. We only travel to Center City on weekends, and in the time it takes us to drive to the nearest station, we could almost have driven the full distance to uptown in our car. If there was a station closer, we would probably use it only occasionally for weekend ventures. But for someone who happens to live relatively close to a station, and works somewhere along the designated stops, I could see a practical application. Like I said, this was all new for me.

In our case, it was a fun weekend activity – a novelty. But for serious riders that are using it as a regular mode of transportation there are still kinks to work out. The machines will accept credit cards in the future, which will hopefully help those long lines at the machines (having them all actually giving correct change would help too). From my “newbie” perspective, it’s a pretty cool weekend mini-adventure. But to really be practical and make any kind of impact on traffic throughout Charlotte, there would have to be more lines, which of course are in the planning stages now. I suppose time will tell how much the light rail impacts Charlotte. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in going, you can check out the CATS site for information about fares and schedules. Happy riding!

January 2008 Issue

2007-12-25T18:40:00.001-05:00

Beyond “Skin Deep”
A closer look at what we’re putting on our skin

Let’s start with this – the FDA does not require companies that manufacture cosmetics and skin care products to test for safety. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the federal government cannot “mandate safety studies of cosmetics products or their ingredients, and only 13 percent of the 10,500 ingredients in personal care products have been reviewed for safety by the cosmetic industry’s own review panel.” Source: Environmental Working Group

That means every time you put on makeup, sunscreen or take a bubble bath you’re applying what may be an untested cocktail of chemicals to your skin. Or to your children’s skin.

Enter Skin Deep, from EWG (for more information on EWG, see below). Their database of roughly 27,000 products gives you some measure of control over what you’re using. Here you will find products ranked on a number scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest hazard. Products are evaluated for known and suspected hazards. You can see a breakdown of ingredients for each product, possible hazards associated with them and the many “data gaps” that exist when extensive industry or government testing has not been done.

I try to visit the Skin Deep database whenever I need to replace something that I’ve been using. For instance, last week I ran out of liquid hand soap. I meant to check the database before shopping, but I didn’t, so I grabbed some produced by Method under the assumption that it would rank relatively low on the hazard scale. It actually comes in at an overall “5”, which is disappointing. In the ingredient list for this particular product I can see that the highest hazard concern is for the fragrance, which scores an “8”. I’ll use this bottle up but try again when it’s time to replace it. I’ve also used this tool to search for deodorant, as well as some cosmetics. But again, it takes some planning. Right now I’m trying Kiss My Face deodorant (which might be more information than anyone wanted to know). It earns a relatively low hazard rating, but I can’t get that at my nearby grocery so I have to stock up on this stuff during visits to our local health food store. But I have seen more commonly available brands, like a CVS branded deodorant and one type of Sure (Sure Invisible Solid) with low hazard ratings as well. So keep looking!

I like this database because it gives me a bit more knowledge about what I’m buying and using. I’ve found that my favorite products have not fared well in the rankings, and that oftentimes the products that rate as the lowest hazards are more expensive or harder to get (mail order/internet, or only available through smaller retail chains). But, it’s still a good exercise in consumer awareness.

Environmental Working Group (EWG)
It seems like I hear representatives from EWG quoted in the news with much more frequency than in the past, but it could be simply because I’m aware of them now. Founded in 1993, EWG is a public interest and advocacy organization. Their stated mission is to use public information to protect public health and the environment. Rated a four star charity by Charity Navigator, they provide resources like Skin Deep and the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce and work to “replace federal policies…with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development.” (source: EWG). From the home page, you can access their research and positions on a broad sweep of topics including health and toxins, the Farm Subsidy Database and energy policy. For a really interesting read, spend about 5-7 minutes reviewing Ken Cook’s October 2007 testimony on nuclear waste transportation before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Resources and Digging Deeper
· A few places where EWG has been in the news:
Washington Times on farm subsidies (December 2007)
The New York Times on nanoparticles in sunscreen (August 2007)

· Sign up for regular updates from EWG through their monthly newsletter or EWG feeds.
· Read why this matters at the EWG site.
· For a contrarian view, see the site ActivistCash.com for their take on EWG.

One More Time…
Revisiting Past Topics

The blog has been pretty quiet lately, with the holidays and life happening. But one topic from a prior newsletter that keeps resurfacing in local news is, of course, water.
For anyone thinking about ways to get the most out of the wet stuff that used to fall from the sky (also known as rain), the Charlotte Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District has information on rain barrel sales available on their website. Prices range from $85 to $100 and the deadline for orders (for January pickup) is January 14, 2008.
Also, since we talked about a Whole Foods Market opening up in the area in a past newsletter, I’ll pass along this update from the Charlotte Observer: “Whole Foods has abandoned plans for an Elizabeth Store; the SouthPark location is still on track, but there isn’t an opening date.” (Rainey, Amy. “Status Report: A Look at 20 Projects”. Charlotte Observer. 23 December 2007)

About Us:
Green Around The Edges – Charlotte is produced monthly. Co-editors: Kathleen Huddleston and Kimberly Paulk. Contact us at: kpaulk@carolina.rr.com.

Greening Christmas

2007-12-01T10:41:00.001-05:00

There seem to be quite a few folks coming out this year with “green gift” ideas. Some of them are pretty interesting, and some are hard to follow through on when your kid has her heart set on the latest made-in-China item. That said, I thought I would share just some of the more interesting web sites and sources that have arrived in my in-box over the past few weeks.

A quick disclaimer – I haven’t shopped at all these sites (my husband would deny this, but it’s true), so I can’t guarantee the quality of their products. Happy Shopping! - k

For Grown Ups

VivaTerra
You’ll find everything from home furnishings to organic gourmet gifts at VivaTerra. Items sold are typically environmentally sensitive in some way, although not always in the way you might expect. For instance, their cashmere sweater scarf is remade from vintage (read: old) sweaters that have been recycled into the scarf. But it’s not as easy to discern the eco-benefit of some of the products. Be forewarned, this stuff is a bit pricey!

Global Girlfriend
I don’t remember how Global Girlfriend first came on my horizon. This is a retail site that sells items made by women’s cooperatives around the world, or provided by non-profit organizations supporting women globally. Everything is fair trade, although not necessarily manufactured from organic or recycled materials. Their philosophy on why women are the focus of their efforts is compelling, and I like the idea of expanding economic opportunities for women in other countries and the potential that might hold. By making a purchase here I was also able to contribute 20% of the proceeds to Women for Women International, an organization that provides direct aid, microcredit loans, vocational skills training and fosters rights awareness in many war-torn countries around the world. Women for Women International also has their own retail “bazaar” online, but with a much more limited product line.

Seventh Generation
Cleaning supplies might be the perfect gift for someone on your list, considering everything in the news recently about toxic chemicals in many household cleaning products. Seventh Generation has a very new, very small online store where you can find three different starter kits: Free and Clear, Living Home and Natural Baby.

REI
REI recently launched a new Eco-Sensitive label for their own gear, and of course they also sell items from other manufacturers like Patagonia. Find all of their eco-friendly gifts in one place on their site and shop online (free shipping is available on some items) or visit a store if you have one nearby.

Charitable Donations
I love to open a card or gift that tells me a charitable contribution has been made in my honor. I also love to open a small blue box marked “Tiffany & Co.”, but charitable donations are also in my Top Five. It seems that there are an unlimited number of ways to give charitably. We have given the gift of planted trees through the Arbor Day Foundation with the Trees in Celebration/Trees in Memory program. Two years ago I bought my husband a gift certificate for a fly fishing lesson that benefitted a local charity. On Christmas he opened an envelope with the tickets, in May he went to the lesson. The Catawba Lands Conservancy is another local charity that accepts gift donations.

Of course, all of these options require a certain amount of energy consumption in production and shipping. Other alternatives are the old favorite standbys:

Locally made
The Matthews Farmers Market has winter hours that begin on December 8th. This is a great place to pick up locally produced gift items like honey, baked goods, beeswax candles and of course food.

This year I also tried my hand at a few sachets (no sew, of course) made from dried lavender from our garden and some nice old(er) linens I picked up at a garage sale last month.

For Kids

I think kids are more difficult, but that might be just me. I think many parents know pretty much what their kids will like – the challenge may be in figuring out what they would like the best. Our main approach at Christmas is moderation. A few gifts for kid friends will also include things made from organic cotton, and things to get them outside and enjoying nature, like birdseed eggs from Smith & Hawken. Books, although not terribly eco-friendly, are also a favorite gift of mine for kids. For older kids, tickets to a production of the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte can be fun.

There has been so much in the news this year about toy safety and recalls, that I’m guessing most of us already have an idea of the products we will and won’t be buying this year. I did, however, find this reference to ingredients in play makeup from EWG and thought it might be good to add to your growing arsenal of things to think about. Consumer Reports is generally a good resource for safety tips, and in November they published “12 Toy Shopping Tips For a Safer Holiday” that you might find helpful when heading out the door with your list for Santa.

Resources and Digging Deeper
· Petrecca, Laura. “Making a Green Sweep Cleans Up: Sales of products that don’t harm the environment rise.” 26 November 2007. USA Today.
· Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization founded in 1993, dedicated to researching and publishing information about potential threats to human health and the environment.

About Us:
Green Around The Edges – Charlotte is produced periodically. Co-editors: Kathleen Huddleston and Kimberly Paulk. To contact Kimberly: kpaulk@carolina.rr.com. To contact Kathleen: khuddleston@insightbb.com. If you would prefer to receive a text-only version of Green Around The Edges – Charlotte, let us know.

2007-11-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

Green Around The Edges - Charlotte
Issue 5

November 2007
Volume 1, Issue 5

Green Cleaning

Not too long ago, I walked into a store where one of the employees was cleaning a window. I don’t know what glass cleaner she was using – it had the usual glass cleaner type of smell. Immediately, my chest felt a little tighter. Nothing too dramatic, but a definite reaction to the cleaner.

I’ve also realized that I can no longer handle the chemicals released into the air by newly dry cleaned clothes when I first bring them home. I pull off the plastic and hang it outside for a while before bringing it in the house. Adding these together, along with a few other similar instances and I realized it was time for me to start looking at different options for cleaning.

As I started researching, I realized why I hadn’t done this before. Every book and website I visit seems to tell me that it’s so very simple. But just the sheer number of places to get this information is overwhelming. So I decided to start slow, substituting one or two cleaners that are homemade or “natural” at a time, and share my experiences here or on the blog.

Where to Start
I was most sensitive to the counter cleaner I was using, which surprised me because it was a Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day product, which is a company that advertises their environmentally friendly bent. It could just be the scent (lavender) was too much for me. I gave the cleaner to a friend, and started searching for a better alternative. I haven’t found a great one yet. Stay tuned.

Next came glass cleaner. Simple enough, right? Water and white vinegar? I thought so too before deciding to just “check” quickly on the ratio of water to vinegar and whether or not to use newspaper or cloth. Let’s just say, everyone has an opinion. I’ll list the ratio I’m currently trying at the end of this article. It worked fairly well. I’ll let you know as I keep using it. One thing I didn’t have to do, though, was hold my breath while I cleaned the bathroom mirror.

The only other place I’ve really tried to eliminate chemicals so far is in the powerful stuff I used (sparingly) to get rid of mildew in the shower. I tried everything in the past, or so I thought, to get rid of it before turning to the bright yellow bottle from the grocery store (the one with all the warnings on the label about opening windows in my bathroom when I use it – I don’t have any windows in my bathroom). I even contacted the Seventh Generation customer service team for help (they were wonderfully responsive, by the way, but unable to solve my dilemma). I now understand that my entire problem was based on the fact that I was looking for a solution that didn’t involve me getting into the shower with a toothbrush to scrub at the tile and grout. I wanted a “spray and go” option.

After emails, different products and frustration, I think I have the solution. You guessed it - I get in the shower with a toothbrush and scrub at the tile and grout. I added some baking powder to the equation, and it’s working pretty well. The down side: it takes more time. There’s just no way around that. The up side: I can clean without running out of the bathroom to breathe on a regular basis. There isn’t a powerful chemical smell lingering in the air for what seems like hours afterwards. I can clean my shower while my son is in the same room (I refused to before because of the fumes). And the baking soda box doesn’t say things like “Not recommended for use by a person with heart conditions, asthma, or other chronic respiratory problems” or “IF BREATHING IS AFFECTED: Get to fresh air immediately”.

Those are my small forays into the world of non-toxic cleaning supplies. If you’re interested in learning more, as I am, you can use some of the resources that come next. Or, you could just wait until I wade through them over time and learn from my mistakes. That’s what I’d opt for!

Breathe easy. – KP

Cleaning “Recipes”

For mirrors and glass:
In a spray bottle: 1 teaspoon of white vinegar mixed with 1 cup of water.
I’ve seen some resources call for a small amount of natural soap to be added to this mixture for “tougher” jobs, but I haven’t tried it and haven’t needed to.

For mildew in the shower:
Baking soda and a toothbrush. Add just enough water to make a very thick paste and you’re all set.
You probably won’t need much if you’re keeping up with the mildew on a regular basis, so don’t dump the whole box of baking soda into the container at the beginning. You can always add more.

For the toilet:
In the bowl – baking soda
In the bowl and on the rim – Mix 1 tablespoon of tea tree oil with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Australian tea tree and is used as a germicidal and antibacterial agent in many products that you can find in natural food stores.
This one is new for me, and I’ll have to let you know how it goes. I bought the tea tree oil at Earthfare in the vitamin/personal care section. It’s not cheap, but I’m only using a tablespoon. I’ll see how long it lasts. There is a strong scent, almost of spearmint…but not quite. But, it didn’t affect my breathing in any way.

Resources and Digging Deeper

Books/Web sites
Hollendar, Jeffrey. Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning. Canada: New Society Publishers, 2005.
“Household Sprays ‘linked to one in seven cases of asthma’.” Smith, Lewis. TimesOnLine. 13 October 2007. The Times of London. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2648666.ece .
A Better Way To Clean is a blog Dr. Larry Weiss, CTO of Cleanwell.

Product Information
Seventh Generation produces household and personal care products that are easy on the earth and available in a number of stores. Here in Charlotte you can find them at Earth Fare, Talley’s Green Grocery, Home Economist and The Natural Store. For those of you outside Charlotte, their products can be found at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Rainbow Blossom (Middletown), Amazing Grace (Louisville), Mustard Seed Market (Solon), Vitamin Cottage (Englewood and Denver), Sunflower Market (Denver), Rollin’ Oats (St. Petersburg), Village Health Market (Tampa), Mother Earth (Ocala) as well as Albertson’s, King Sooper, Kroger and Publix.
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products

Blasts from Blogs Past
September 18, 2007
As we first blogged about back in September, if you haven’t yet had a chance to play Consumer Consequences, produced by American Public Radio, it’s worth your time. The premise of the game is that the Earth couldn’t support 6.6 billion residents if they all lived like typical Americans. Take the quiz and see how many planets it would take to support us all if everyone lived like you do!

About Us:
Green Around The Edges – Charlotte is produced periodically. Co-editors: Kathleen Huddleston and Kimberly Paulk. To contact Kimberly: kpaulk@carolina.rr.com. To contact Kathleen: khuddleston@insightbb.com. If you would prefer to receive a text-only version of Green Around The Edges – Charlotte, let us know.

One More Time

2007-10-31T09:13:00.001-04:00

There have been several reasons why my number of posts this month has been low - just three. But looking at them now, they all have water as their theme. Today's post, on the last day of October, is no exception.

If you aren't following the series in the Charlotte Observer, "A Cry for the Catawba", please do. Follow this link and start reading, watch the videos, listen to the audio. Each report ends with something actionable that we can do to help the Catawba.

Check it out. This is important.

http://www.charlotte.com/catawbariver/

Water, water everywhere

2007-10-26T16:32:00.000-04:00

In spite of the wonderful sight of rain outside the window, it's still a good idea to keep water conservation in mind. The issue of water shortages isn't going to go away.

An article in last week's New York Times Magazine (October 21, 2007) discussed some of the measures that Aurora, Colorado is considering to try to meet the conflicting demands of a growing population and diminishing water supply. In it, the water manager for the city, Peter Binney says "I would expect that what we're going to do is the blueprint for a lot of cities in California, Arizona, Nevada - even the Carolinas and the Gulf states. They're all going to be doing this in the future."

Also, here's a link to a recent Charlotte Observer story about Duke Energy's use of water from the river. An interesting side thought is that the less power we use, the less water is needed to generate that power.
http://www.charlotte.com/171/story/330061.html

Water the Focus on IPO Charlotte

2007-10-04T05:09:00.000-04:00

IPO Charlotte on WFAE will focus on the future of our water here in Charlotte. It should be interesting. Check out the excerpt below from the WFAE web site. If you miss today's show, visit the show's archives for the audio.

"We enter the final month of this series by turning our attention toward the environment. Charlotte gets its water from the nearby Catawba River system. The watershed isn't that large, and the region's growth shows few signs of slowing. In the next installment of IPO Charlotte, WFAE's Scott Graf reports on the future of Charlotte's water. Hear this series Thursday's at 6:50 and 8:50 a.m. on 90.7 WFAE"

Green Around the Edges- Charlotte Issue 4

2007-09-24T11:28:00.000-04:00

October 2007
Volume 1, Number 4

Energy Answers
What NC GreenPower is Doing About Our Energy Challenges

The energy problems we face sometimes seem overwhelming. They are so monumental and complex, in fact, that it’s hard to believe our individual choices could make a difference.

I don’t know if they will. Greater minds than mine (and there are many) will have to decide. But when I hear statistics that hit home with me, like the fact that average visibility in the Smoky Mountains has been reduced from 113 miles to 25 (source: NCGreenPower), I feel compelled to do something, so I contribute $4 each month to NC Greenpower. That said, I have to follow up with the fact that when I started, I really didn’t know why. It seemed like a “green” thing to do, and for $4 I figured I’d say “yes” when asked if I would be willing to add it to my power bill and figure out the details later.

Well, later has arrived. Here are the details (some I knew, some I shamefully didn’t) about the program. Check it out and decide for yourself if it’s something you’d like to add to your power bill each month.

What is it?
NC GreenPower is a non-profit corporation with a goal of encouraging the development of renewable energy resources in North Carolina. They do this through consumers’ voluntary contributions toward green power purchases by electric utilities in North Carolina. These power sources include wind, landfill methane gas, biomass, small hydroelectric and solar photovoltaic.

I like that it allows us a way to participate in a solution, even a partial one, at a price point that we can choose ($4 or up). The producers are in North Carolina, the funds go to them (75%) and NC GreenPower for administration costs (25%) – not to the utilities. It’s an easy, inexpensive way to participate in something positive.

Does it really make a difference?
For every $4 contributed to the program, 100 kWh is added to the state’s power supply. According to NC GreenPower, that 100 kWh is equivalent to the electricity used by a full-sized refrigerator in a month.

It sounds like a bit more of an impact when you look at it in annual terms. The annual reduction of CO2emissions from one block of NC GreenPower subscribed monthly is equivalent to planting 192 trees, or not driving 3,039 miles or 73 days. You can also visit the program’s environmental benefits calculator provided at their website (link below) to see what kind of difference your contribution should make.

About Energy
For an interesting (really!) primer on energy, try Alfred W. Crosby’s Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity’s Unappeasable Appetite for Energy. The book starts at the beginning – the very beginning. Chapter 1 is titled “Fire and Cooking” and Chapter 4 is “Coal and Steam”. All important stuff, but for me the book became riveting (well, really intriguing, anyway) when Chapter 6, “Electricity”, was followed closely by fission, fusion and a discussion of the practical application of a variety of alternative energy sources. “The question is not if but when we will have an oil shortage,” writes the author. His point is not that he is predicting we will run out of oil in an absolute sense but rather he focuses on the fact that the political and financial factors related to getting to the dwindling reserves will become more of an issue. It’s available at the library if you’re interested!

Resources and Digging Deeper
· Find out more about NC GreenPower at http://www.ncgreenpower.org/. Link to the environmental benefits calculator by clicking “Benefits Calculator” on the menu displayed on the left side of the screen.
· If you’d like to see how much you’ll save by installing CFL bulbs in your home, try Union Power’s tool at http://www.union-power.com/kwh/index.html.

· Read about the Sierra Club’s position on nuclear power plants in North Carolina at their site: http://nc.sierraclub.org/issues/energy.asp
· If you’d like to read Alfred W. Crosby’s book about energy, here’s the detail:
Crosby, Alfred W. Children of The Sun: A History of Humanity’s Unappeasable Appetite for Energy. W.W. Norton and Company. New York. 2006.

New Meetup Group for Green Professionals

2007-09-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

If you are a professional in an eco-friendly business, there's a new Meetup group that's just been formed just for you!

According to organizer Don Rosenberg, the Natural Living Circle of Charlotte is "a networking group for professionals in healthy living/eco-friendly businesses. We meet to learn about each other and then exchange business cards. When we're talking with our clients we learn about their needs in other areas and are able to refer them to our group members."

The group meets once a month and membership is free. A speakers bureau is also in the works. The first meeting is Wednesday, September 19th. Visit the group's Meetup site for details: http://wellness.meetup.com/130/

Consumer Consequences

2007-09-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

What if everyone lived like you do? How many planets would we need to keep up with the pace of our consumption if everyone on Earth had your lifestyle?

American Public Media can give you the answer with Consumer Consequences. This online game is easy to play and gives you an immediate idea of how your lifestyle affects the planet by multiplying your affect times the globe's entire population. Everything gets tossed into the mix - your buying habits, transportation needs, the amount you recycle and even the size of your home.

It took about 15 minutes for me to complete. The information you gain is well worth the time invested. As for my results - let's just say it would definitely take more than one planet! The good news is, the web site gave me an idea of where I'm doing a good job (recycling) and where I need to try to find some other solutions (transportation and energy use).

Play Consumer Consequences: http://sustainability.publicradio.org/
Learn more about American Public Media: http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/

Plastic Bags Edge Out Paper (Sort of)

2007-09-12T04:59:00.000-04:00

EarthTalk on www.emagazine.com has some surprising facts about the “paper versus plastic” issue. Based on a study done in 1990 by Franklin Associates, plastic bags edge out paper bags in the “not quite as bad” category: “The Franklin report concluded that two plastic bags consume 13 percent less total energy than one paper bag. Additionally, the report found that two plastic bags produce a quarter of the solid waste, a fifteenth as much waterborne waste and half the atmospheric waste as one paper bag.” (read the article here: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3893)

Of course, the article goes on to point out that plastic is not biodegradable and that the bags are one of the 12 most commonly found items during coastal cleanups according to the California Coastal Commission. So the best answer is still “neither, thanks, I brought my own”.