green
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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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Saturday is Valentine’s day. Have you come up with a great gift idea? It is a good time to remind those you love to live greener by giving them a greener gift. Below are some are eleven gift ideas for your greener Valentine’s day. Include some information from your Cooperative Extension office about starting plants from seeds.…
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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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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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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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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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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 -
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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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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Is your house like mine and filled with stuff? Lately I have been cleaning and trying to downsize. I am finding things that I no longer use, but they are still in good condition and could be useful to someone else. Yes, I know I can donate things, but what about passing them along to…
Posted in: Green Living -
I am writing this blog posting on my birthday, so I will take this opportunity to wish myself a happy birthday. : ) Now on to the topic. I have been looking forward to sharing what I learned at an energy workshop I recently attended in Montana. It was great! Colleagues in Cooperative Extension from…
Posted in: Conservation -
We have been back from Australia for a little over a month now and time has flown by. It is well past time for a new blog posting. Our goal is to add something new about living greener at least once a month. There are several things we can all do to live a bit…
Posted in: Green Living -
As we left Australia I found myself looking down on the Sydney harbor and recalling all of the interesting things we learned and the wonderful people we met. I learned that my image of the country did not match reality. Australia was more impressive than I imagined. I especially enjoyed the temperate climate that gave…
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Lenah Links brings together community members from Lenah Valley, New Town and the surrounding communities to share their ideas on sustainability, transportation, local food production, and community dialog. The community members say the most important part of Lenah Links is that people are getting to know their neighbors. Lenah Links is a subgroup of Lenah Valley Community Association. The community…
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At the Hobart cohousing development there were designated “chicken barons.” What this means is that a single family was in charge of taking care of the chickens – everything from feeding them to gathering the eggs. Residents are encouraged to bring vegetable matter to feed to the chickens, and the chicken barons then sell the…
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Cohousing and ecovillages are one of the ways Australia is addressing the housing crisis. Issues such as affordability, ecological impact of new (and existing) housing developments and creating communities that embrace the human need for connecting with whom we live with and nearby are important elements of sustainability. Cohousing and ecovillages embrace the small home movement, and encourage homes that…
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Lest we think Australia is free from trash and debris, take a look at this photo of a screen on the river in Melbourne which is designed to catch trash. Like many large cities, they have trash on the streets too, especially cigarette butts. I am not certain that smoking is higher in Australia than…
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We visited so many spectacular spaces throughout our trip, and this Community Garden in Hobart, Tasmania was certainly one of them.
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While in Tasmania, we visited a honey-making family from Huan Valley, outside of Hobart. Their farm is near Huonville and they have a little store called The Honey Pot. The Honey Pot is owned and run by local Huon Valley beekeepers and it has a wonderful range of delicious Tasmanian Honey. The proprietor is the…
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I just couldn’t resist sharing some of the simply beautiful photos we took while in Australia. Enjoy!
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While visiting with four colleagues (Kate Archdeacon, Che Biggs, Jessica Bird, and Kes McCormick) from the University of Melbourne we were able to learn about their efforts to achieve sustainability at the University. Their goal is to develop guiding principals, which will frame the Environmental Policy and outline environmental sustainability strategies for the University – students and faculty. For a…
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What happens when you produce such little waste that the majority of what you no longer need is recyclable or compostable? This trashcan: This is the trash can employees at the University of Melbourne have for all things that are not recyclable or compostable. Now that’s something to be proud of!
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Take a look at this great campaign aimed at conserving wild habitats and saving trees. The loo! It’s one more place we can use recycled materials and help to cut down on new waste.
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You probably can! I recently discovered this great article outlining “10 Things You Never Knew Were Recyclable” on Earth911.com, and there are some great options listed: -Crayons -Keys And, yes -Hair! How else do you think they clean up dangerous oil spills? And it’s great for composting! Give it a read for a few inspired…
Posted in: Australia -
Silo by Joost , 123 Hardware Street, Melbourne 3000, is the permanent project of Joost Bakker, eco-entrepreneur, who is a champion for sustainable design and local sourcing of food and foraging movement. This restaurant does not just talk about “zero waste” they are ‘zero waste”. We were lead to Silo, by Kate Archdeacon project director for VEIL (Victorian Eco…
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Biophilic Design suggests that suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. We heard much at the Healthy Building Conference about the need to rethink our living spaces – beyond community gardens, bike paths, and public transport – though each idea is important it is about an holistic approach…
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We had an amazing time at the Farmers Market in Brisbane last week and I just have to share a pic and some videos that I took while visiting. This friendly farmer took a moment out of the day to pose for a pic with his mum. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_yhsSW1OtI?rel=0] The Brisbane Farmers Market in all it’s…
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“CityCycle is an initiative of the Brisbane City Council to introduce a new form of environmentally friendly personal transport similar in style to European bike hire systems like Vélib’ in Paris and Sevici in Seville. Within 3 km of the city centre 2000 bicycles will be available to pick up and drop off at any of the…
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St. Kilda’s “Veg Out” Community Garden is built on the site of the old St. Kilda Bowling Club in the Port Phillip Council area. The facilities are also home to artist studios, rented on a month to month basis, with garden plots are rented for a $100 annually. The site is overseen by the Local…
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Northey Street City Farm is a non-profit community organisation situated on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in Windsor. More than 1500 exotic and native fruit trees, bushtucker plants, shrubs and ground covers have been planted on the four hectare farm site since its inception in April 1994. The farm has been developed for people…
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The Wildlife Rescue in Brisbane was such a neat place and a really unique experience. There were owls too! Check out the pics:
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Pamela shares a story with us today from a young woman she met in Port Douglas, Queensland: [She] “shared tales about the Curlew, a bird with a call that sound like a woman screaming. In the [country’s] early years…explorers thought someone was in danger. [She] relayed a story about a Curlew bird at the wildlife…
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We were thrilled to present at Healthy Buildings 2012 in Brisbane! A big thanks to our fellow presenters- We hope to see you all again at next year’s conference!
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The community that resides in the Ecovillage at Currumbin has already developed some traditions of their own- One such tradition applies to new life in the community: When a baby is born the community pulls together in support and brings dinner for the new family every night. This beautiful practice exemplifies the support and connectivity that…
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Follow us around Australia by taking a peek at this map: First we flew into Brisbane, Queensland for the Healthy Buildings 2012 conference, which was fantastic. Also in Brisbane we visited a wonderful Permaculture Farm where growth is encouraged in all things. Then we traveled to Currumbin, Queensland to experience the wonder of a sustainable…
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Last Friday, we wandered around the Ecovillage at Currumbin, which is located in a rural area on the Gold Coast, Queensland, just south of Brisbane. This community is made up of around 150 homes on 110 hectares of reclaimed farmland, laid out around a village center that includes community facilities, home offices and retail space.…
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According to a new report released by the Worldwatch Institute, China is aiming to obtain 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020- And it is headed in the right direction. The financial investments are vast- “More than $50 billion was invested in renewable energy worldwide in 2006, and China is expected to invest over…
Posted in: Energy -
The City of Gosnells, located in western Australia, uses TravelSmart to become healthier in their travel choices and reduce the impact on the environment. TravelSmart is “a successful Western Australian community-based program that encourages people to use alternatives to traveling in their private car.” When we educate people about other forms of transportation, we give people options…
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On the 10th we watched a very powerful documentary titled Underkastesen (Submission). It was disturbing, to say the least. The amount of chemicals in our environment is overwhelming and, the truth is, they aren’t safe. Watch the trailer for a taste of what the documentary is all about- A short description: “Manmade chemicals are everywhere…
Posted in: Chemicals -
The hotel where we are staying is very interesting! Single beds, low to the ground and a compact shower. I do think folks in the US could look at using one idea that this hotel employs: liquid toiletry dispensers! Not constantly giving out little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and such would save a lot…
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The World Meteorological Organization recently printed a great article from Andrew C. Revkin titled The New Communications Climate. Revkin explores the ways that communication has changed, sped up and diversified and encourages everyone to utilize these outlets to get in touch, and talk about what’s going on- Specifically, the weather. “Already, a rural farmer in…
Posted in: Climate Change