simple ideas
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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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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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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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I recently attended a great conference at Fort Valley State University (FVSU). The theme of the Under One Roof Housing Conference was “Seniors: The New Majority.” Did you know that by 2020 almost 20% of our population will be over-65? It’s those famous “Baby Boomers” who are increasing the numbers at such a rapid rate. …
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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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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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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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Is your cat watching the warm air in your home leak out around the front door? This infrared photo shows air leakage around the front door of my home. Does this look like your house? You don’t need an infrared camera to check to see if you have air leaking around your doors and windows. …
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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…
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I am posting this for my colleague Sharon. This is the first in a series of 3 postings on gifting and children. Today as I was driving back from Thanksgiving with family I started to think about why some people seem to be very generous with their time, talent and resources while others are not. …
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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 -
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 -
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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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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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 -
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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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 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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