Environment
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By now energy-efficient lighting is hardly a new concept. You’ve likely heard of energy-saving bulbs, seen them in someone’s home, and maybe even tried buying some. However, energy-efficient lighting has come a very long way in recent years. Gone are the days of odd-looking bulbs, turning on the lights and having to wait a couple…
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Early this morning I was watering my flowers when I saw two fawns resting under the azaleas in the front yard. When they walked they were still wobbly, so they were probably born today. It was a wonderful reminder of the softer side of life. There is something magical about babies. Of course these adorable…
Posted in: Environment -
It is raining acorns! Every day and night I hear acorns bouncing off my roof. Instinctively both the cat and I duck for fear of being hit on the head by a flying acorn. A single oak tree can produce thousands of acorns in one season. The acorns end up landing on the outside walkways…
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Forty-eight years ago the first Earth Day was observed. We have made some positive changes including phasing lead out of gasoline, removing asbestos from many products, and improving regulations on health and environment impacts of pesticides. This year the focus is on reducing single-use plastics. Each year around 300 million tons of plastic go into the items we…
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This morning I stopped by the The Trial Gardens at UGA for the open house. As always the plants are beautiful and unique. Even though it is a research garden, it is an inviting and peaceful place to relax in the midst of the busy campus. If you haven’t been there you really should stop…
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Before you can do anything, it’s important to understand what sustainability means and why it is important. There are many thoughts and discussions on this topic. One of the more widely used definitions is from the 1987 United Nations (UN) Brundtland Commission, which defined sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising…
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The tiny house movement continues to expand in Australia as more people are exploring smaller house options. The interest comes from a variety of factors, including a lack of decent affordable housing for those entering the housing market for the first time as well as an interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Australian houses are…
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When you walk through Yellowstone National Park you can hear the energy from the earth bubbling up all around you. There are over 10,000 thermal features in Yellowstone. It’s amazing! This is geothermal energy, a great source of renewable energy. Geothermal isn’t widely used. In the United States, geothermal energy accounts for less than one…
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I can’t tell you how many times I have been walking on a sidewalk and had to move over so someone wouldn’t walk into me. I find myself wondering what are they doing that is so important and interesting on that phone. A sidewalk crash usually results in minimal injuries; however, crossing the street with your…
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It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the eco-friendly messages that seem to be everywhere. My philosophy is to start where you are right now and take a few steps forward at a time. Below are five tips to help you become a greener consumer. Reduce your consumption. This is one of the easiest ways to become…
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For the next few weeks people and leaders around the world will be talking about climate change, emissions levels, and renewable energy sources (i.e., hydroelectric power, wind, solar, geothermal, wood biomass, ethanol, biodiesel and waste biomass.) Two of the top energy users – the United States (U.S.) and China have made several positive steps towards…
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I recently returned from visiting Glacier National Park. It was beautiful, despite the smoke from the wildfires in the air. Even though I grew up in Montana, this was only my third visit to the park. What can I say, Montana is a big state and I live in Georgia now. Glacier Park was designated a…
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I recently visited Montana where over 86,000 acres have burned or are on fire. This year in the United States, about 7.2 million acres have been impacted by wildfires. That’s an area about five times the size of Delaware. It’s easy to see that the smoke from the fires in Montana, Canada, and surrounding states…
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When I hear people talk about low impact living I always think of the 1970’s British Comedy The Good Life, or Good Neighbors as it was known here in the United States. A couple decides to escape the commercialism of life and become totally self-sufficient in their home near London. It’s entertaining to see their successes…
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Managing waste is a major issue for countries around the world. When I am visiting somewhere one of the first things I look for are recycling containers. If they are easy to find, then that place is usually doing a better job encouraging people (tourists and residents) to recycle. In Malta I didn’t encounter many…
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My New Year’s Resolutions are a few days late, but I’m not stressing over it. My resolution is to relax and not stress about minor things (like a late blog post). This year I encourage you to focus your goals on relationships, your health, and the health of the world. Below are resolutions I suggest…
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Not even 10 years ago, a home with solar panels was a relatively rare sight. But recently an uptick in local and federal incentives as well as some advances in the technology has made them more popular than ever. This is why homeowners of all types are now looking to these panels as the next…
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In 2013 there were 16,655 reports of children under 6 exposed to poisons that are easily found in our homes. In most homes you can find batteries, laundry detergent, medications, household cleaners, pesticides, gasoline, and paint, along with other household products. Many of these products, especially those that look like candy, can poison children. In…
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You could be adding to the pollutants in your home with the cleaning products you use. Studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show levels of several common organic pollutants are two to five times higher inside homes than outside. These indoor pollutants come from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from a variety of…
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Mold is all around us. It grows on any organic substance, as long as there is moisture and oxygen. You can’t eliminate all of the mold and mold spores in your home, but you can reduce mold by controlling moisture. Mold can trigger allergies or asthma attacks in children and adults, so it is important…
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We spend close to 90% of our time indoors, much of which is spent in our homes where we are exposed to a variety of contaminants and allergens that can trigger asthma attacks. In the U.S. almost 25 million people are affected by asthma. This includes about 7 million children. The asthma triggers in your…
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Where did you walk today? Think about all the places your feet have been in the last 24 hours and then imagine the contaminants found in those places. Every time you walk into your home with your shoes on you are tracking in the contaminants you encountered throughout the day. About 30 to 40 percent…
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Compared to adults, babies and children have a higher breathing rate and less developed lungs. This means babies and children can be more susceptible to environmental damage to the lungs than adults, like in the case of radon. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. It’s a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that…
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Injuries in the home are the number one killer of children in the U.S. Most of these home injuries could have been prevented. An example is single-use laundry detergent, also known as Laundry pods. They are convenient to use, but can be very dangerous to children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbPnYXeBGk What can you do to make your home…
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Children are more likely than adults to fall victim to hazards in your home. Relative to their body size, children breathe in more air and consume more food than adults. They also spend more time close to the ground where contaminants lurk and there are lots of things to chew on. This means they are…
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Oh, to have granite countertops adorn your kitchen! They are the dream countertops for many people who are building a new home or remodeling their current home. The quality, appearance, and even status, attracts many people; however, another element of granite countertops has come to the forefront in recent years – radon. When concerns about…
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It is always important to provide opportunities for children to spend unstructured time with nature. Here is a book I suggest for parents, grandparents and those who are concerned about our children Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods. The book looks at the concept of nature deficit disorder. The theory is that our…
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Today I was walking across campus and someone almost walked into me because she was so busy texting she was barely staying on the sidewalk. We live in an exciting and changing world. Ninety percent of adults have a cell phone and81% of cell phone users are texting or receiving texts. Texting isn’t evil or…
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Springtime in Georgia is magical. The wisteria winds through the trees along the roads and in wooded areas. It looks like a ribbon of purple intertwined among the trees. The sweet heady scent floats through the air. A thing of beauty to all but those with allergies and those who know how that wisteria is…
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Everywhere I look it is says Spring! The trees are blooming, there are daffodils everywhere and almost everyone is sneezing. This time of year always reminds me how important it is to treat nature well. Earth Day is almost here. Over the next several weeks we will be posting reminders about the importance of enjoying…
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When buying gifts this holiday season, think “smart strip,” “twist,” and LED. All of these gifts will conserve energy and save you money. 1) Consider giving a smart strip. Smart strips help reduce standby power consumption – often called vampire or phantom power. Vampire power accounts for 5-10% of your total household electric consumption, but using…
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Have the grasshoppers, beetles, ticks and other insects taken over your yard and garden? Get rid of them using a natural way – get Guineas! Back home on the ranch there are several Guineas that wander freely around the house and farm buildings and there are few, if any, grasshoppers. To keep the Guineas from…
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This past week I saw a cool green roof on the Pittsburgh Convention Center. I was in Pittsburgh for the Galaxy IV conference, which is a joint meeting of Extension Professionals. I was impressed with Pittsburgh. It is a nice city to visit and the green roof on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC)…
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Today, September 1st is my parents’ wedding anniversary. This year they would have celebrated 60 years of marriage. Sadly, my Dad passed away earlier this year during the cold winter months. He is missed, but we do have lots of wonderful memories. One of my fondest memories is of Dad planting trees, just like his…
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In the U.S. we are increasing our recycling rate. What do we do with all those plastic bottles? We have been exporting a lot of them to China. Now China is saying “no more.” What will happen to all those “recycled bottles?” Article: US states banned from exporting their trash to China are drowning in plastic
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Get ready to feel really good about young people. This video is a snapshot of Teens As Planners (TAP) a service-learning and dropout prevention programing developed and implemented by UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Through TAP youth have the opportunity to grow and become caring contributing members of society. The teens in this…
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When my husband and I married we were both college students and money was always earmarked for the books, lab fees, and tuition – furniture and household items were either hand-me-downs or finds. We furnished our first home at Oklahoma State University from grandma’s toss-aways and things found on the curb. When I think back…
Posted in: Challenge, community, Conservation, Environment, Family, Green Living, Neighborhoods, Sustainability, Working Together -
I was surprised that I saw few alternative sources of energy during my visit to Barcelona and Tarragona. I began to see wind turbines and solar panels when I crossed the border into France and even more as I traveled into Germany and Austria. I did some research to see how much of Spain’s energy…
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Recycling seems to be a part of everyday life for most Europeans. I saw large recycling bins along the roads in Spain, France, Germany and Austria. All of the containers I saw required people to separate their trash (i.e. glass, paper, cans, etc.). Interestingly the university in Spain where the conference I attended was held did…
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What moves you to take action? The Turkish Government’s plan to replace the last significant green space in central Istanbul with a shopping mall is what activated a group of young people in Istanbul. I do not advocate violence, but I do understand the frustration of young people who know their voices are not being…
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I just finished watching Bill Moyers’s interview of Biologist, mother and activist Sandra Steingraber. This made me stop and think about how I approach my life as an activist, my life as an educator, my life as a Change Agent. in the video Ms. Steingraber discussed how we all have a different set of skills…
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When I was a child my family would spend Memorial Day at one of our family graveyards. I know this may sound morbid but I remember it as a happy place. Park-like the place was filled with trees, flowers and areas of sun and shade. We would arrive with buckets, brushes, shears, pruners, brooms, hoes,…
Posted in: Charitable Giving, Climate Change, Conservation, Energy, Environment, Family, Giving, Green burials, Green Living, Holidays, Sustainability, Uncategorized -
Is it supposed to snow on May Day? I just returned from a conference on energy in Fort Collins, Colorado. The hosts did a wonderful job showcasing all four seasons. The first few days were close to 80 (great for solar power). Then there was rain, which provided some relief from the drought. Finally, over…
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Have you ever considered how resilient your house is to damage from natural disasters? I am talking about things like flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, straight-line winds, and even droughts. I am attending a workshop put together by LSU Extension that focuses on how we can create homes that are more resilient to the disasters that…
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It is springtime in Athens, Georgia. When days are soft and sunny folks start to move out-of-doors. So what are some green outdoor activities that are low cost and low impact, but high on the fun index? We all want play and live greener without spending our shrinking “greenbacks.” Walk. One of the healthiest and…
Posted in: community, Energy, Environment, Giving, History, Holidays, Safety, Uncategorized, Working Together -
Today I heard a wonderful presentation by Henry Cisneros, who was Secretary of HUD under Clinton. He spoke at the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) 20th anniversary celebration. He talked about housing, linkages between our homes and our health, and changing housing needs. It was a good reminder of what really makes a house…