Category Archives: Green Living

I love thrift stores, antique stores and estate sales, and not just because I get an actual giddy, physical rush of pleasure when I find a good bargain. It just makes good environmental sense to keep as much out of the landfills as we can and to NOT throw away things that still have functional value. I’m so adamant about it, that I sometimes pick up items that I see people put out at the curb for trash collection and drive them down to a thrift store myself.   In The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple … Continue reading →

Green initiatives are becoming all the rage lately, and rightfully so. Going green is really just about making a conscientious effort to improve the environment by increasing efficiency and reducing excess waste. There are many examples of effective green initiatives that have been successful or that are currently underway across the country. Below are examples of a few that I have found that reflect how cities and municipalities are doing their part to Take Care of Their Share of the Planet. Destiny USA in Syracuse, New York: Destiny USA was formally classified as a Brownfield asset. The location earned the … Continue reading →

I have long been a fan of Ogden Publications magazines. I’ve been reading Mother Earth News since the ’70′s, when their articles about sustainable, eco-friendly, self-sufficient living were well ahead of their time. I also love Grit and Utne Reader. So when I saw that they had a new magazine called Mother Earth Living, I had to check it out. I can often tell a lot about a magazine by reading the editor’s column in the front of the issue. And as soon as I read Jessica Kellner’s piece in this month’s issue, I knew that it was going to be … Continue reading →

Kars 4 Kids, a wonderful  non-profit organization that works to give back to the community through a variety of education, youth development, family outreach, and faith-based programs, wanted me to help pass along these great suggestions for Earthday.   Attend local Earth Day events. Sign up for EDN updates to find out about events taking place near you. Collect ladybugs and place them gently on your prized rose bush. Ladybugs love to eat aphids and can help keep your roses disease-free without harmful chemicals or harm to the ecosystem. Bone up on the facts of recycling. A great place to … Continue reading →

It’s inspiring to me to read about the history of Earth Day, primarily because the seed for Earth Day was planted by one man. Back in 1970, this one man, Gaylord Nelson, who was a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was so concerned about the environmental problems of the times, that he announced the idea of a “national teach-in on the planet” to educate the masses about many of the environmental problems the world was facing. Nelson gathered a small group to help get his idea started: Congressman Pete McCloskey as his co-chair; Denis Hayes as his national coordinator and a … Continue reading →

A recent survey on realtor.com indicates that most people would be willing to trade in luxury items for a more eco-friendly home. The survey results included these great green trends: More than 30% of the respondents currently live in an eco-friendly residence and nearly 85% of those surveyed said they would like to own an eco-friendly home. Those who don’t live in an eco-friendly residence are still doing their part to go green: 80% have energy-efficient appliances while almost 75% have energy-efficient lighting. Nearly 40% of survey respondents said they would be willing to sacrifice square footage for a more eco-friendly … Continue reading →

“Green Building” is an indistinct term to many people, defining any means of adding environmentally sensitive aspects to a new or existing home. But in the construction industry, Green Building programs encompass detailed, explicit guidelines for constructing and rating the efficiency of buildings. There are many Green Building programs in the country, most of which work on point systems, asigning value to various aspects of construction. The USGBC LEED certification has long been the preeminent program that most people thought of when they discussed Green certification, but that may all be about to change. Yesterday,  the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)announced that it … Continue reading →

The chill in the air outside makes this the perfect time to want to cozy up to a fire in your fireplace, firepit or wood-burning stove. But don’t let the warmth and ambiance of a crackling fire be ruined by harmful, smelly smoke! Here are some Best Burn Practices from the EPA website to help insure that your fire helps to ignite all the right romantic sparks while NOT igniting any dangerous ones: Season wood outdoors through the summer for at least 6 months before burning it. Properly seasoned wood is darker, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when … Continue reading →

According to an article in Nation’s Restaurant News, both McDonald’s and Red Lobster Restaurants are “making waves” by opting for sustainable seafood for their menus. According to the article: “McDonald’s Corp. said that 100 percent of all fish sold in its U.S. restaurants as the Filet-O-Fish sandwich and the upcoming Fish McBites limited-time offer has earned certification as sustainable from the Marine Stewardship Council, or MSC. The move will allow McDonald’s to become the first restaurant chain in the United States to use the MSC’s blue “eco-label” on all its packaging, in-store promotional material and external advertising.” Darden owned Red … Continue reading →

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates March as National Nutrition Month, with 2013 marking the 40thanniversary of this educational campaign. As a long standing promoter of healthy living and wellness, spas are focusing on the healthful benefits of utilizing local and sustainable foods within their facilities. “The number one reason globally that men and women go to a spa is to learn how to manage their stress. We know that in order to lead a life of wellness, one must incorporate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, so it only makes sense that spas are encouraging a more … Continue reading →

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) have recognized the Florida Green Building Coalition’s Green Home Certification Standard as a “Promising Program” honorable mention in the Exemplary Water-Energy Program award competition, which recognizes exemplary efficiency programs that save both water and energy. The FGBC Green Home Standard is the most successful residential certification program in Florida. The program has certified over 5,400 homes to date. Because the program is affordable and has an easy to implement process for the construction industry, it has broad acceptance and large scale impacts. The FGBC standard … Continue reading →

Federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements are back. Reinstatement of the popular credits was a little-noticed part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, the last-minute legislation that kept America from tumbling over the fiscal cliff at the start of the year. The law allows homeowners to claim tax credits of varying amounts on improvements such as insulation, energy-smart windows and highly efficient HVAC systems. The law also contains incentives for appliance manufacturers to produce efficient clothes washers, dishwashers and refrigerators, and for home builders to construct energy-efficient homes. And there’s more good news: Congress made those credits retroactive, meaning … Continue reading →

You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home.  Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 20,000 Americans each year.  In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools, and other buildings for radon. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk, and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure.  If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can … Continue reading →