Sustainability
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June 5 is World Environment Day. This year the focus is on what each one of us can do to reduce plastic waste. Half of all the plastic we produce is single-use or disposable. Bottles are the most common type of plastic waste. Worldwide we buy 1 million plastic bottles every minute and less than…
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Would you like to live a little greener and healthier? With a few minor changes you can make your home a healthier place to live. Place a doormat in front of every exterior door and leave your shoes at the door. These two actions reduce the contaminants you are tracking into your home on the…
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When it comes to Valentine’s Day, you may think staying green would be hard. Well, don’t worry your little eco-friendly heart. I have searched the web far and wide to bring you some amazing green Valentine’s Day tips that will leave not only your loved one feeling loved but Mother Nature feeling special as well.…
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Celebrate holidays, birthdays and other special events with greener parties. Start by sending invitations via email. If you mail invitations, create them from old cards and postcards you bought and never got around to sending out. Below are some other things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment. Decorations – Use items…
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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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Around with world people are finding ways to turn the destruction caused by major storms into something beautiful. Hurricane Ike struck Galveston, Texas, in 2008, bringing with it a 6 to 15 foot surge of salt water the led to the death of around 35,000 trees, including some 50-100 year old live oaks. Most of the…
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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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Healthy housing is an issue of concern around the globe. The Healthy Housing 2016 conference in Brisbane provides an opportunity to share research on the indoor environment and sustainable design. This is the 7th International Conference on Energy and Environment of Residential Buildings (ICEERB 2016) and my colleague and I were pleased to share our work…
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In a few days I am flying back to where this blog had it’s beginning in 2012 – Australia! Over the past years we have grown and changed. My fellow blogger is retired and now it is just me, but I still maintain the same goal – to provide trustworthy resources to help people live healthier…
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Have you ever thought about what you bring into your home on the bottoms of your shoes? You may be tracking in insect fragments, lead dust, pesticides, pollen, pet hair, fungal spores, cigarette ash, or even human skin flakes. Now think of your children playing on the carpeting you just walked across. Since they are…
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Every day in the United States, about 130,000 computers are thrown away. The recyclable material that makes up a computer includes plastic, metal, and glass. Even the attachments you use with your computer can be recycled, like the keyboard, the mouse, the computer speakers, external hard drives, printers and scanners. While most electronics can be…
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Composting is a fun and easy way to live a little greener and boost the nutrient value of your soil. Start with a compost bin. This can be stationary or rotating. The key is to periodically turn the materials inside to aid the decay process by providing oxygen. The more the bin retains heat and moisture, the…
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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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If you want to give gifts that promote healthier and greener living, the first thing to do is consider the recipient. Are you giving something that person really wants or can use? Don’t stress about gift giving. Have fun finding that special gift for everyone on your list. Below are some ideas. Gifts that promote recycling…
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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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Today I am celebrating World Home Economics Day in Malta at the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) conference. This is a day to focus on Home Economics Literacy. This year the theme is “Sharing Food: Healthy and Sustainable Choices.” Home Economics, or Family and Consumer Sciences as we refer to this profession in the…
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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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During the holidays Americans produce excess amounts of trash, much of which comes from holiday entertaining. In 2012, Americans generated around 251 million tons of trash. That’s 4.38 pounds per person per day! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) we are recycling 34.5 percent of what we throw away, which is much higher…
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I have always enjoyed gifts – both the giving and receiving of them. According to researchers, I am not alone. Gift giving is an important part of human interaction and psychologists say that the givers often reap the biggest psychological gains. When someone takes time to thoughtfully select a gift for me, it means so…
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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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Having fun in Jacksonville, Florida while learning more about radon. You may not think that’s something you need to know about. Not true! You need to pay attention and take action. Radon is a radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is found in EVERY home regardless of type…
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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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Guest blogger: Gabrielle Walters, CHES, MPH and Radon Educator with The University of Georgia Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics. ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ St. Patrick’s Day is a day that began as a way to celebrate the work of St. Patrick in Ireland and has now turned into a…
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What can you do this year to show your love for both your “Valentine” and the earth? The first thing I think of is to REDUCE consumption. Just don’t give anyone anything this Valentine’s Day. Of course, if you choose this way to green your Valentine’s Day you may end up celebrating by yourself in…
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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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Because life is too short to ‘give’ the status quo! Imagine walking through a walled city that’s more than a 1,000 years old. You watch every step as you try not to sprain an ankle on the unevenly cobbled and beautiful streets. Fresh fruits, veggies, spices, meats and cheeses are all on display. You relish…
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Your children are at a greater risk of exposure to environmental hazards than you. These hazards exist where they live, learn and play. Children engage in “riskier behaviors” than most adults. Two big “environmental risky behaviors” children engage in are: Crawling across floors that can have a number of different contaminants on them Putting toys…
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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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Several cultures continue to build houses as they did in the past. These traditional building techniques take advantage of local materials and work with the wind and sun to create houses that to build workable houses. An exhibit in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, at the Vitra Design Museum shows traditional houses and new construction that was inspired…
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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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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 -
Back home in Athens I ventured out to the UGA Trial Gardens Open House. As always, the gardens were amazing and retiring professor Dr. Allan Armitage leading the garden tours was entertaining. The UGA Trial Gardens are essentially a giant research lab located on the Athens campus and open to the public. They were started…
Posted in: Sustainability -
Planning your summer getaway? Five things to consider: 1) Leave the place you visit better than you found it – whatever you take to the picnic bring home – trash receptacles often become filled to overflowing. Debris will take wing – so remember to take a trash bag and bring home your recyclable, compostable, and…
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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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This week I participated in an informative blogging workshop taught by Tara Dunn for the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension. She did a fantastic job of helping all of the participants develop blogs and better understand and use online communication. Blogs are a great way to share research and…
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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 -
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What plans have you made? How about going GREEN this Mother’s Day. Here are a few of my favorite ideas. Spring is here and all thoughts go to gardening, how about making a special garden just for mom. Here are some suggestions: Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Cutting…
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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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When we think of a “green roof” most of us conjure up images of trees and vegetables on top of a tall building in a city or maybe a sod roof with a goat grazing on it. Green roofs are much more than that. I learned a lot about green roofs on a webinar taught…
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There are some simple things you can do to become a more environmentally conscious consumer. Watch the video for some things you can do to reduce waste and save you money. Take the Shades of Green quiz on the UGA GreenWay website.
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I just returned from a themed cruise to the Caribbean that featured classic movies and movie stars from the past. It was just what I needed – rest and relaxation sprinkled with movies, good food, good times, and a therapeutic saltwater Jacuzzi and pool. On the cruise I got to wondering about the environmental impacts…
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There are seventeen houses on the end of my street. We get together for block parties to celebrate new babies, graduations, start of summer, and when one of use moves. We have a shared yard sale and we even pet sit for each other. I would say I live in a caring neighborhood with for…
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Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and number one cause among non-smokers. You may think this is just a problem in the north or for homes with basements. Not true! Radon kills about 21,000 people each year, more than drunk driving. One in fifteen homes in the U.S.…
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Over the holidays I was admiring the photos in the Montana Outdoors magazine. All of the photos are amazingly beautiful. There are photos of elk and foxes at play, birds in flight, fish swimming, wildflowers in bloom and reflections of nature throughout Montana. The one photo that really stuck out to me was the centerfold…
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Drought is a word being tossed about in the media far too often these days. This year we saw corn withering in the fields, giant cracks in the soil and lakes 12 to 15 feet below pool. We are definitely experiencing a rainfall deficit. Here in Athens we just got nearly 2 inches of rain.…
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A news story earlier this week served as a reminder about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO). An Atlanta school was evacuated when several students and adults became ill from exposure to high levels of CO. Thankfully, everyone seems to be okay, but the school remains closed while officials work to resolve the problem. I…