Chattanooga Lives Green

The honeybees of the world are in trouble, threatened by pesticides that weaken their immune systems and lead to what’s known as “colony collapse disorder”. Bad for them, and for us, because they are vital to our food chain, and the honey they produce is the least of it–crops can’t grow without bees to fertilize them. Do your part to help bees and other pollinators like butterflies and moths by avoiding pesticides in your own lawn and garden and planting species they like.

get going: www.fws.gov/pollinators/PollinatorPages/YourHelp.html

Hey, pasty office done: Set up your workspace to maximize natural light. Make sure there aren’t any filing cabinets or bookcases blocking windows, and keep the blinds wide open all day long, except perhaps in the hot part of summer, when natural light may contribute to too-warm rooms.

Have you inquired about telecommuting one or more days a week? It’s worth a shot, and if your wish is granted, you’ll save on transportation and carbon costs, not to mention experience the luxury of working in your pj’s. Telecommuting is an especially good chip to pull out around annual review time, when rraises, bonuses, and other perks can likely be negotiated.

Organic: Food or other products produced without synthetic fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms.  Organic meat and poultry must be fed organically-grown feed.  All products sold as “organic”  must be certified by organizations accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture.  However, some farmers follow accepted organic practices but are not certified, perhaps because of the cost, time or paperwork involved and/or a resistance to outside intervention.  That’s where buying local comes in–get to know your providers, and ask them about their methods.

get going: www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure.html

I’m so excited about Chattanooga’s first ever Eco Expo, and I’m so glad you’re all here to join me!  Let us know what your favorite experiences are so we can make it even better next year!

Hope you all enjoy your time at the Expo.

How’s this for something foolish:  Greenpeace has built a refrigerator that is completely environmentally safe.  It’s now the most popular fridge in Europe, also available in China, Japan, and India…but you can’t buy it in North America.  Contact your representatives in Congress today, asking for an immediate phase-in of Greenfreeze technology.

get going:

www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/solutions/solar_chill

www.congress.org

get there greener

Does your company offer any public transportation reimbursement programs, or opportunities to purchase public transit pre-tax?  If so, make sure you’re taking advantage.  If they don’t offer such benefits, ask about them at your next open forum.

dead letters

Companies can continue receiving mail for employees five or more years after they’ve moved along, which adds up to a ton of waste, and a huge headache for the mailroom staff.  Entering old employees’ names in the database of the Ecological Mail Coalition is free and solves this problem.  If this isn’t your area of responsibility at work, pass this tip along!

I hope you all plan to join me to observe Earth Hour tomorrow from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., when we all come together to show our dedication to sustainability of our planet.  Turn off the lights, the electronics (yes, the TV too!), and take a break from any household chores like laundry or dishes, and enjoy an hour of peaceful quiet.  If you’ve got kids, make it a fun event by setting up a makeshift tent in the living room (a quilt draped over a couple of chairs will suffice) and lighting some candles.  Take some pictures or video of your Earth Hour experience and upload them, along with your stories, so we can all learn and share!  And if you have any suggestions on how to spend this hour of observance, please post them!

You can find out more about the global movement at:  www.earthhour.org.

Before and after this hour of mimimalism, here a few tips to get you through the weekend…enjoy!

Time for Mother Earth
Embrace the power of kinetic energy! Buy a windup watch and/or clock the next time you’re in the market for a new timepiece. Windup travel alarm clocks are handy too. And unless they get over-wound, they’ll last a long time, so you may be able to find hand-me-down or used varieties.

This Little Light of Mine
A rechargeable solar flashlight is a brilliant alternative to one that eats up conventional batteries. Another good alternative is the hand-crank variety…you needn’t worry about batteries, or remembering to charge it in the sun; simply wind the crank a few times and you’ve got light! Did you know that nearly two billion people worldwide have only one option for lighting at night: a dangerous, expensive kerosene lantern!

Cold Storage
Taking good care of your winter clothes as you put them away for the season–and doing the same for your summer clothes in the fall–saves waste and money by ensuring you can wear them season after season. Hand-wash all woolens with gentle, eco-friendly soap, then pack them away in breathable containers with mothball alternatives such as lavendar sachets or cedar blocks. Treat winter boots with a natural conditioner such as beeswax, mink oil, or neat’s-foot oil before you store them.

Fair-trade:  A product harvested or manufactured and sold in compliance with the provisions of a fair-trade agreement.  Fair-trade is an organized social movement and market-based model of international trade that promotes the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas where goods are produced.  The movement focuses in particular on exports from developing countries, such as handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, honey, cotton, wine, and fresh fruit.

For a milestone event, from a birth to a bar mitzvah to a wedding, a registry is a wonderful thing, allowing friends and family to show their love and support by giving gifts (and guaranteeing that you get exactly what you want!).  If you’d rather not be limited to a particular store, and you’d like to be a ble to request green goods, secondhand goods, and/or experiences instead of things, try www.alternativegiftregistry.org.