University of Georgia
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This year I decided to put up a small artificial tree in the hope that my six-month old kittens would not find it too interesting. At first, they posed under the tree looking sweet and innocent. A few minutes later, Clancy decided to take a closer look at the lightbulbs and started to chew on…
Posted in: Holidays -
Visiting Sweden I discovered many interesting things, including the fact that there are many Swedish innovations. I did not know that the metal bottle cap was invented here, or that the author of Pippi Longstockings was from Sweden. Of course we all know about IKEA. But did you know that the person who created it…
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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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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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Every January we recognize the winners of the Radon Poster Contest. This year there were four winners in Georgia. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who entered. The posters were great! A special thanks to Southern Radon Reduction who provided prizes for the winners. The posters do a great job of increasing…
Posted in: Healthy Housing -
Do you feel ill whenever you are in your house, but feel fine when you stay in a hotel or at a friend’s house? There could be something in your house that your body is reacting to. Mold is often the named culprit; however, it isn’t always mold. To determine what is causing your health concerns you…
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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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Memorial Day is a time to remember all of the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. I grew up in rural America, where each year members of the American Legion firing squad visit all of the small country cemeteries. Prior to Memorial Day the American Legion Auxiliary members place small…
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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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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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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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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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Rain rain go away, come again another day. Better yet, go west to where the wildfires are burning. We have enough rain here in the southeast! As of August 18, Atlanta had received 46 inches of rain. Compare that to 25 inches at the same time last year. With all that rain comes mold. The most…
Posted in: Healthy Housing -
Driving through small villages in Austria and Germany I noticed that the farm houses are often attached to the barn where the cows, pigs, sheep and assorted other animals live. I grew up on a ranch, but our barn and the fragrances associated with it were a good distance from the house. I am not…
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Here comes company… It is a given fact that every one of us has visitors in our home throughout the year. Sure, some of us entertain more than others, but whether we like it or not we all have the occasional house guest. If it’s not family visiting during the holidays, then it’s the delivery…
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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 -
Back home now after a fantastic trip to Europe! I learned so many things about housing, energy and sustainability at the conference and during my travels through France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Over the next several months I will continue to share with you the innovative and interesting things I saw and learned during my…
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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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Why is it that when we travel foods we normally do not eat taste so much better? While in Tarragona I tried several local and traditional foods. One day for lunch I enjoyed Andalusian Gazpacho and Paella. Back home I would never eat gazpacho, because it always seems to have green bell peppers in it…
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Catalonia is an autonomous region within Spain that is home to the beautiful cities of Barcelona and Tarragona. As I walked around these cities, I was fascinated by the windows and the coverings over them that help keep the sun out. It is an old idea, but one that is obviously still used. I saw…
Posted in: Energy -
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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Guest Blogger……Morgan Barnett, Master of Public Health Degree Candidate at The University of Georgia Many of us burn candles to make a room smell good, or just for decorative use. While candles create a calming effect, the allure of candlelight can quickly turn into a disaster if proper safety measures are not followed. Keep yourself,…
Posted in: Safety -
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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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…
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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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Guest Blogger……Morgan Barnett, Master of Public Health Degree Candidate at The University of Georgia None of us want to think that something terrible like what happened just this month, in Georgia, could happen to us or our loved ones. A fire engulfed the duplex of a family sleeping inside and four children lost their lives,…
Posted in: Fire -
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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How many of you remember getting “BIG MONEY” during the holidays from a favorite aunt or uncle or maybe your Godparent. I remember one particular Christmas, I had been sick with a very sore throat. My uncle was visiting and the family was sitting in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen all wrapped up…
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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 -
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.
Posted in: Uncategorized -
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 -
I guess the Aussies like Krispy Kreme too! But we could’ve guessed that… It’s a good thing doughnuts are the same upside down or rightside up!
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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…
Posted in: Uncategorized