Kiss me, I'm environmentally friendly!

This weeks installment is more a message than a tip. Tomorrow, Friday April 22^nd, is Earth Day, an annual holiday intended to increase awareness about the importance of keeping our environment healthy. The first Earth Day was held in 1970 and is now observed by hundreds of million people across the globe and is recognized by 175 countries. After over 40 years it seems the message isn’t being conveyed loud enough or is falling on deaf ears. Our Planet’s environment has never been more threatened than it is now. Humans have repeatedly ignored calls to action, mostly in the name of profit. It is human nature to be short-sighted and to procrastinate until it is too late or when we’re forced to change our ways. No doubt you’re aware of some of the world’s worst environmental disasters- two of which have happened just in the last year- the BP oil spill and the nuclear crisis in Japan. It is unacceptable to continue to operate status quo, yet it seems to happen all too often.

This weekend strive to be a green advocate. Attend a local Earth Day event in your community. If you have children explain to them the importance of this day. Organize a litter patrol with your neighbors. Speak up against folks you witness being wasteful. If your community doesn’t offer recycling or only accepts limited materials get in touch with your township to voice your interest in expanding their services. Make a donation to an environmental advocacy group or organization. Plant a tree.

You’ll feel good knowing you took some time out of your day to think of Mother Earth. You’ll also be proud of yourself that you’re part of the solution, not the problem.

Make space, save on household waste

This weeks green tip focuses on simple ways to reduce household paper waste.

Mail- No doubt most of you pay some or all of your bills electronically, saving paper, energy, time and money. If you notice you get junk mail repeatedly from the same source, contact them and ask them to take you off their mailing list. The amount of junk mail we receive is staggering, any amount you can reduce this is important. Always recycle junk mail (and newspapers) whenever possible.

Paper Towels- This is a common area of excessive, unnecessary waste. This strategy begins during your grocery shopping. Instead of purchasing paper towels that come in large squares consider switching to a brand that offers smaller, rectangular sheets of towel. Many cleanups and chores around the house can be accomplished using one of these half-sized disposable towels. If the mess in question is only water use a dishtowel to absorb it instead of paper towels. However paper towels that have been used to soak up a body of water can be dried out and re-used. Some brands dry more rigid than others but if your dried towel doesn’t seem useful anymore consider using it to place under one of your indoor plants that may leak or under one of your pets water dishes or food bowl.

Napkins- Heres an area that is almost never considered as a way to reduce waste. It’s a common practice to place disposable napkins around the dinner table for use during chow time. The best way to reduce this waste is to invest in some cotton or linen napkins that you can throw in the washing machine. If you’re set on using disposable napkins consider changing some of your habits. If you’re like me, you may experience times where you don’t touch your napkin or may only use a small area of it. On countless occasions I’ve noticed folks throwing away an un-touched, clean napkin. Unused napkins should always be reused. If you fancy yourself as living a hard core green lifestyle then do as I do and reuse napkins that have been only lightly soiled. This extreme obviously isn’t for everyone but it does make a difference. Lastly, always, always, always save and reuse unused napkins you get with your drive thru meals. For some reason the friendly young kid at the checkout window thinks you need 7 napkins for your order of fries.

Tissues- This paper product actually does not get wasted nearly as often as the two previous items (and I do not endorse reusing mildly-dirty tissues. Even I find that overkill). It seems the vast majority of people only use tissues when they have to, so carry on…

Toilet Paper- The best way to reduce waste here is actually to purchase high-quality, two-ply bathroom tissue. Studies have shown that people use less overall material with heavier, thicker toilet paper as opposed to the see-through thin stuff. You’ll pay more at the register but it will last much longer.

Repeat after me: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Waste can mean beauty

This week’s tip is intended to aid you during your gardening and landscaping activities this Spring and Summer.

There are many philosophies and strategies for designing and maintaining healthy gardens, shrubs and other plants. Most gardeners and landscapers agree some amount of composting goes a long way towards keeping your property healthy and free of intruding or non-native plant species. Compost is plant matter that has decomposed and broken down. The most common use for compost is as a fertilizer or as a soil amendment. Organic compost is loaded with healthy nutrients and minerals plants need in order to flourish. Compost can be bought at your local home improvement, hardware or gardening store. There’s a much more effective and green way to go about composting your plants: make your own. Almost every household has the ability to produce compost. The formula is easy and you already have the ingredients. All you need to do is set aside unused, leftover, damaged or rotten vegetation, including fruits and vegetables, withering or dead household plants, old flowers and yard waste- it can all be mixed together. Some people have a container designated to compost that they keep in their kitchen next to the regular trash can. Next you will need to clear an exterior area of your property to make room for a compost pile and/or compost bins. Since the interior compost container can get filled up and smelly rather quickly you may want to make it a habit to empty it onto the pile outdoors more regularly than you would the regular waste in your trash cans. Be prepared to take at least two trips per week out to your pile. You’ll be surprised how mast that pile can grow. You will want to maintain the pile by mixing it up every few weeks. This expedites the decay process. A pitch fork makes the best tool, I’ve found. The older stuff at the bottom is the end product so when it comes time to do some composting take your yield from there. It will take months for Mother Nature to do her work but at the end you’ll have a whole mess of free, organic compost at your disposal. And you’ll feel good knowing you’ve saved time and money and reduced your carbon footprint by recycling unwanted waste. You’ll also be surprised at the volume of waste you will divert from the trash can to the compost container. You may even find you can downsize your kitchen's trash can (imagine the impact this would create if everyone composted- smaller, fewer landfills, one trash night a week compared to two; its endless).

Composting is not a warm-weather exclusive activity. You can add to your compost pile year-round. It will never stop breaking down into its finest particles, however extreme cold can temporarily suspend the process.

Making and maintaining your own organic compost is an easy green practice to implement in to your daily lives. And the quality of the compost you make yourself doesn’t even compare to the store bought stuff!

Happy fertilizing!

Taxes can be green, and we're not just talking about money

Tax day is fast approaching and if you’re like me you still need to file yours. There are a few green practices you can implement while going through the process of getting your green back from the government. If you have a simple, straightforward return you should consider filing your own taxes on line. Even if your return is complicated there are programs that will guide you through the filing stages step by step. Most on line services are free, so you’re already saving some green. Of course the other benefit is you do not need to drive to an accountants office, saving gas and preventing emissions. The other main green practice to utilize while filing your taxes is to have the treasury department deposit your return directly into your bank accountant, saving time and paper (the obvious green benefit). Saving time is also an important green philosophy, and one that is frequently overlooked or not even considered. Another term for saving time is efficiency. Anytime you can be more efficient, your actions usually result in increased productivity. Increased productivity means more money- either made or saved. The more money saved or earned the sooner those monies go back into the economy, keeping that cycle humming along. A healthy, thriving economy is absolutely a goal of green advocates. Spending money wisely results in more disposable “play money”. Play money goes towards products and activities that keep our spirits high and our communities vibrant. Without getting too philosophical, the happier a society, the more productive it is. A productive community is a healthy, green community.

Go get your $reen- but do it wiselyJ!

Think green this spring

Spring has sprung! If you have a yard you no doubt are eager to hop on your lawnmower or get behind your push mower (or schedule your first haircut with your landscaper) to trim the grass for the first time in 2011. Maintaining grass is an extremely wasteful, unhealthy and is oftentimes an unnecessary practice. Over the centuries western society has put an emphasis on the aesthetic benefits of a grassy wide open space as part of the ideal homestead. Don’t get me wrong, yards do offer many benefits when utilized properly. The issue is maintaining fields just for the purpose of keeping the grass short and free of weeds.

When left alone open spaces in this region and climate revert to their natural setting. In the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys this means taller, lighter colored species of grass, short shrubs and wildflowers. Eventually, without any attention for an extended period of time saplings will take root and the space will become a young forest. This may not be desirous for many reasons. You may value the view the open space allows or you may lead an active lifestyle that includes using the yard to exercise and/or play. If you have large dogs or other pets they need an open space to keep them in shape and healthy. All too often though folks maintain their open space without thinking about the consequences or alternatives. The consequences are many. Unless you use a manual, fuel less mower (the greenest alternative if you must trim your grass) you can spend hundreds of dollars a year on fuel alone. You also need to maintain the equipment, keeping it in decent shape. Eventually comes the time when you need to replace it, which can run into the thousands depending on your needs. The other main consequence of trimming your lawn are the fumes and harmful particulates the engines release into the atmosphere. Even if you have an electric mower that power most likely originates from a coal-fired power plant. If you do cut your grass regularly consider leaving the clippings where they fall. This is a great, cheap natural fertilizer. Empty the trimmings if your mower collects them onto a compost pile (assuming you have one). Never dispose of grass clippings in the trash. Another benefit of leaving your yard alone is the increase in wildlife you will notice. Birds and other critters are attracted to areas with minimal disturbance. Other animals you don’t normally see may move into their new surroundings because they’re attracted to plants (or other animals) that weren’t previously there such as wildflowers and other non-obtrusive weeds. Install a few bird feeders and soon you’ll have a flourishing ecosystem right in your back yard!

There is one drawback to letting your yard revert to its natural state. As stated earlier, left unchecked for a few years you may find yourself with an adolescent forest on your hands, which will take more time, effort and resources to keep at an acceptable level. To avoid letting this happen it is recommended to cut the vegetation once (twice at the most- in the spring and fall) a year. Adjust the height of the blade so it leaves the plants a few inches high. If you implement this change in some or all of the landscaping in your yard it does not hurt to keep the mower you already have so when it does come time for the annual trimming you have the equipment on hand. If you let some of your open space run wild you may want to get rid of your equipment. If you do this hand it down to a young couple who just moved into a home or donate it to your local thrift store. Then when the time comes to cut the space each year you can simply borrow your neighbors mower or rent one for the day. The best method of keeping a space from turning into a forest is to control-burn the area. Doing this recycles nutrients and minerals back into the earth. This must be done with a lot of planning and the weather conditions must be right (any amount of wind can whip the controlled burn into a frenzy). You may also want to notify your local authorities that you’re doing this. Some jurisdictions may prohibit this practice.

In summary, it is best to let your lawn or yard revert to it’s natural state, while cutting the grass every six to 12 months. If you maintain your area more regularly consider switching your equipment to a manual push mower or investing in an electric powered one. Do not collect and dispose of the grass clippings in the trash if you do indeed mow your lawn.

Happy trimming!

Daylight savings isn't just about time

Daylight Savings Time has blessed us with longer evenings. This is a great opportunity to take control over some of your homes energy consumption. If you have timers on some of your interior light fixtures adjust them to turn on an hour later. If you have a programmable thermostat adjust the schedule to take advantage of the longer days. With the Sun positioned higher (and getting higher every day now) in the sky at later times in the evening buildings hold their residual heat longer. This means they cool down later, so you don’t need your heater to kick in until later in the day. Another benefit of this time of year is the fact the atmosphere is more saturated with water than the winter months. Humid air feels warmer then dry air. Because of this phenomenon an indoor air temperature of 68 degrees in the spring and summer months feels like 70 degrees in the cooler seasons. Two degrees is significant and can save you hundreds in energy costs by reducing the indoor climate of your home.

Longer days also means you can be more active outdoors. Instead of driving to the gym at 6pm have a catch with your kids or take a walk with your partner. Play “fetch” with your dog or walk to your communities basketball court and imagine you’re in the Final Four with your favorite colleges hoops team. You’ll be surprised how just being outside can lift your spirits and make you feel healthier.

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