Home composting is much easier than what you might have heard. You cannot fail, because compost knows what to do. There is a wealth of information about composting and not one, absolute “right way” to do it. Balancing ingredients greens vs. browns, hot vs. cold, small vs. large, and aeration are all factors that may … Continue reading Composting
Bottled water is bad for the environment, expensive, and despite what many people believe, it’s not superior to tap water. The bottled water industry uses vast amounts of carbon dioxide–generating fossil fuels to bottle and transport its bottled cargo. Further, it takes 1.5 million barrels of crude oil to provide the plastic for just one … Continue reading Bottled Water
We’ve all heard the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but too often recycling has overshadowed the first critical step of waste prevention. Here are a few things you can do to promote a greater awareness of the importance of the “reduce” step. Buy in Bulk: Avoid purchases that are packaged for single use (i.e. drinks, school … Continue reading Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Lawn care in the U.S. has come at a high cost to the environment. According to the U.S. National Wildlife Federation: 30% of water used on the East Coast goes to watering lawns; 60% on the West Coast. 18% of municipal solid waste is composed of yard waste. The average suburban lawn receives … Continue reading Green Lawn Care
Annual plants are pretty but use loads of petroleum and petrol products in the heating of greenhouses and production of plastic pots. I often wonder how much plastic is generated by us as well-meaning Mother’s Day celebrants, so on the 2nd Sunday of this month, when thinking of honoring your mother, please consider this list … Continue reading Save Petroleum: Plant Perennials!
Eco tourism often brings to mind images of exotic tropical locations, but the reality is that destinations, accommodations and tour packages exist on every continent, for a variety of budgets and levels of comfort. Sustainable travel does not have to mean backpacking through the jungle in South America. Every traveler can take steps to make … Continue reading Sustainable Tourism
Here are some things we can do to make a difference. UNESCO has predicted that by 2020 water shortages will be a serious worldwide problem. One third of the world’s population is already facing problems due to both water shortages and poor drinking water quality. Effects include massive outbreaks of disease, malnourishment and crop failure. … Continue reading Water Conservation
Did you know that more than 100 million trees worth of bulk mail is delivered to US mailboxes every year? In energy terms, the production and subsequent disposal of junk mail consumes more energy than 2.8 million vehicles annually. Many of us do not want the majority of the solicitations and catalogs that come to our homes each … Continue reading Junk Mail
