Tag Archives: inspire

3 Green Goals Worth Setting in 2018

by violahoff1699 Posted on January 5, 2018

The start of a new year is traditionally the time to reflect on the past and set goals to improve in the future. As you do so, consider setting some personal environmental goals to help you on your path to living a greener, healthier, more sustainable life. The three goals below are a great place to start.

Reduce Your Food Waste

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the average American household throws away $2,200 worth of food each year. Clearly, cutting back on food waste is something most of us could work on. Shopping smarter is the first step in reducing your food waste. Walking into the grocery store with no plan can be a big mistake. Without a plan, it’s easy to buy far more food than you’ll actually eat, or foods that you won’t eat all of, during a given week.

By planning effectively, you can buy exactly what you need without getting too much excess. Finding good recipes is a key component. Often, recipes will call for a small portion of something, such as half a bell pepper. As you plan your meals for a week, find recipes that use many of the same ingredients, so you won’t be left with extras. Don’t forget to visit the bulk bins, where you can get exactly the quantity you need of certain ingredients. And make sure you actually eat the leftovers, rather than watching them grow mold in the back of your refrigerator.

When you do have leftovers that don’t get eaten, a backyard composting heap can be an excellent way to reuse them. Composting can be done regardless of your yard size, and can even been done when you live in an apartment.

Decrease Time in the Car

Cutting back on time in a car can be a daunting task, especially if you’re one of the many people that has to commute to work each day. But there are a number of things you can do to reduce the mileage.

One, you could switch to public transit a few days each week if this is available in your area. Riding the train, subway, or bus may not always be convenient, but by doing it just a couple of days per week, you’ll make a significant impact over the course of a year.

Two, carpool with a coworker. I get it, carpooling can be a bit of a pain. You’re forced to work on someone else’s schedule and there’s no “swinging by the store” on your way home. But instead of carpooling every day, why not do it a few days each week? If you carpooled every Tuesday and Thursday, you’d reduce your driving and get to know your coworkers better.

Carpooling is cool! Photo: Adobe Stock

Three, work from home more. While not every employer is open to the idea of remote workers just yet, why not try easing your boss into it. See if you can work from home just once a week or even one day every other week. As they see your productivity unchanged, they may open up to letting you do so more often.

Cut Back on Consumption

The last goal I’ll list here for you to consider setting this year is to consume less. Every new item you buy requires resources to manufacture and transport. In many cases, these items will be used a limited number of times before ending up shoved into a closet or, even worse, in the trash.

When considering a purchase, first think about how much you’ll actually use it. If the answer is rarely, consider borrowing it from a neighbor or friend. You may not need a power sander regularly, but your neighbor may be willing to let you use his. Participating in the sharing economy can be an effective way to reduce your consumption. There are also many services that rent out equipment and items for short periods of time.

If it’s something you will use often, first consider buying it used. There are so many great ways to shop for used items these days, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for in good condition somewhere. If you do need/want to buy new, always strive to buy quality items. This is especially important when it comes to clothes and shoes. You may have to pay a bit more, but in the long run, it’s absolutely worth it.

While these three green goals are a great place to start, there are many more out there. What are some of your green goals for this new year?

3 Green Goals Worth Setting in 2018

The start of a new year is traditionally the time …Brian BrassawJanuary 5, 2018

Vegetarian Dogs: 5 Surprising Facts

What’s the big deal about feeding your dog commercial pet …Lisa BeresJanuary 4, 2018

8 Books Every Environmentalist Should Read in 2018

Whether you’ve resolved to be a better environmentalist or to unleash your inner …Lauren MurphyJanuary 3, 2018

earth911

Visit source:

3 Green Goals Worth Setting in 2018

Posted in eco-friendly, FF, G & F, GE, ONA, PUR, solar, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged american, council, green, inspire, king, ms-, pur, there, three, year | Comments Off

University Recycling 101: How College Students Go Green

by LouanneHein51 Posted on August 16, 2017

earth911

Excerpt from –

University Recycling 101: How College Students Go Green

Posted in eco-friendly, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, organic, PUR, solar, Uncategorized | Tagged academics, eco-friendly, inspire, lai, money, Ona, organic, pur, solar | Comments Off

How To Take Eco-Friendly Living To The Next Level

by Melodee5461 Posted on October 25, 2016

You know when you buy a product that you really love and you end up raving about it to anyone who will listen? That’s kind of how going green feels. Once you do all the work it takes to minimize your carbon footprint, you find yourself eager to help others do the same. Unfortunately, it can be hard to push people toward eco-friendly living without coming across as preachy.

If you’re looking for a few simple, nonconfrontational ways to encourage friends, family and neighbors to join the earth-friendly movement, consider the following avenues.

Your Local School

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

If you have children, set aside some time to work with their schools. (Even if you don’t have kids, you can still volunteer in a nearby school to start an eco-friendly program.) You might begin by offering to help out with events and joining the PTA. Then, get a group of like-minded parents and teachers together and start putting forward some green activities and initiatives. You can engage the whole school community by:

Coordinating an International Walk to School Day. Walking to school not only promotes a healthy lifestyle, it helps reduce air pollution!
Encouraging the school to go digital where possible. Newsletters, field trip information, PTA meeting updates, volunteer requests, etc., can be sent home via email rather than being printed out and copied for each student.
Establishing a recycling club. Place recycling bins in classrooms, offices, the gym, music room, art room, cafeteria and copy room. Have student members of the recycling club collect and empty the bins during lunch and recess or after school.
Starting a compost pile. Kids will learn how food waste can be recycled into nutrient-rich fertilizer for their gardens.

Kids love to learn, and you’ll find so much joy in helping them look at the world in a new way. After all, the earlier we start educating children about how our lifestyles affect the environment, the easier it is for them to adapt to healthier ways of living on our planet.

Your Workplace

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com

Does life in the office make you feel like you’re taking two steps back? There’s paper everywhere, recyclable items going in the trash, and enough waste to drive a person crazy. It’s time to step up and institute a change!

Join 24,000+ Recyclers

Here at Earth911 HQ we’re all about living green and clean. If that’s what you’re searching for then you’ll love our weekly email!

Effecting change from the bottom up is often easier than heading directly to the CEO. Mobilize fellow eco-warrior team members and managers to help set in motion the following changes:

Standby power is a huge energy expense. Set computers to energy-saving settings and shut them down at the end of the day
Use natural light wherever possible.
Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) in fixtures. They cost 75 percent less to operate and last 10 times longer.
Turn off lights in spaces that are unoccupied.
Arrange an office carpool or encourage use of a car-sharing service like Flexcar or Zipcar.
Extol the virtues of working from home — and see if you can’t convince your higher-ups to let you do it more often. Not only are employees just as productive when working from home, the environmental effects of commuting are reduced.
Start an office recycling program. Cut back on the number of trash cans around the office while simultaneously adding more recycling bins.
Since paper use can’t be entirely avoided, ask your company to invest in recycled paper and envelopes that have been processed and colored using eco-friendly methods.

While these measures may not seem like much, each small step adds up to big energy and resource savings. Your co-workers are bound to feel good about doing their part to help the environment, and management is likely to see overhead costs go down dramatically. That’s a win-win!

Your Community

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com

Inspiring a change in your community takes a bit of legwork, but it’s well worth it. Start by establishing yourself as an engaged member of the community. Chat with your neighbors and get an idea of what’s going on around you, as well as what’s missing. Then, take your place as an eco-leader by organizing community lectures, roundtable discussions and book clubs related to green initiatives.

Coordinate environmental cleanups at neighborhood parks, rivers and beaches. Take part in the community garden — and if you don’t have one, get one going! Start a “buy local” initiative. Shopping locally conserves energy, reduces greenhouse gases emitted during transportation and keeps resources circulating in the community. And last but not least, organize an Earth Day celebration and plant some trees!

It’s also important to talk to your local government officials. Ask whether they have environmental efforts in place, and offer to volunteer your time to ensure change is actually taking place.

The time and effort you put into effecting green change is not only vital for the health of your community, it’s also incredibly valuable. If environmental conservation is your passion, consider making it a career path. The nonprofit sector is awash with employment opportunities, having grown 25 percent in just 10 years and currently employing 10 percent of the U.S. workforce. By working for a nonprofit, you can impact policy and procedures more significantly than you may have ever imagined.

Eco-friendly living at home is just the first step to a more eco-conscious world. To really move forward, we need to take it upon ourselves to get involved in our communities and be a force for change. So get out there and get moving — the environment needs your voice!

Ready to take your eco-friendly living up a notch? Get inspiration from the amazing women we featured in “Sustainable Living: 6 People Proving Plastic-Free Possible.”

About
Latest Posts

Liz Greene

Liz Greene is an animal-loving, history-studying, pop culture geek from the beautiful City of Trees, aka Boise, Idaho. You can catch her latest misadventures on her blog,

Instant Lo

Latest posts by Liz Greene (see all)

How To Take Eco-Friendly Living To The Next Level – October 25, 2016
What I Learned My First Year Of Container Gardening – October 13, 2016
What Green Makeup Means To Me – July 20, 2016

Join 24,000+ Earthlings

We’ll give you the latest green living news, share our DIY tips, and help you recycle just about anything.

How To Take Eco-Friendly Living To The Next Level
5 Freaky Ways To Have A Green Halloween
The Best Ways To Heat Your Home: Separating Myth From Fact
How To Find A Truly All-Natural Shampoo

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
Google Plus

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Create a Greener Home with the Earth911 Resource Library!

Member Only Cheatsheets & Offers
Exclusive DIY Guides and Resources
Free Printable Resources
x

earth911

View the original here:

How To Take Eco-Friendly Living To The Next Level

Posted in eco-friendly, FF, GE, LG, Natural Light, ONA, OXO, PUR, Radius, Uncategorized | Tagged first, get inspired, greene, Guides), inspire, king, living, oxo, shopping, shutterstock | Comments Off

Urban Gardening: Micro Food Producers

by MargheritaSallee Posted on July 26, 2016

In certain cities across the globe, urban gardening is beginning to take favor over Immaculately manicured green spaces. Image Credit: FreshStudio / Shutterstock

Cities face immense challenges when creating attractive green spaces for their inhabitants, striving to create beautiful, engaging public space while also walking the narrow tightrope of budget and resource allocation. Formerly, city landscaping meant well-tended flowerbeds and the immaculately manicured sprawling green lawn which has become a symbol of wealth and luxury. This type of public green space is attractive, but the truth is that it’s also incredibly wasteful. And yet, a relatively new trend is taking root again — urban gardening in the form of cities being turned into micro food producers. But before we take a look at this movement, lets take a look at how wasteful the current landscaping status-quo is.

Statistics for municipal water use are tough to track down, but the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans use 9 billion gallons of water each and every day, simply to keep their personal outdoor landscapes looking green.
Add municipal water use to this already absurd number and we’re looking at a lot of water going to grow something just so we can cut in a week.

It’s not just the waste of these aesthetic landscapes, it’s also the financial cost borne by taxpayers. It can seem downright frivolous sometimes, prioritizing the installation and maintenance of giant expanses of grass or ornamental flower baskets instead of directing those funds toward improving the health and welfare of its citizens, instead. For ages it’s seemed like an either/or proposition, but a new trend in city planning may have found a way to elegantly balance both.

Urban gardening takes root

Urban gardening seeks to reclaim unused or ill-used public spaces and transform them into productive edible gardens which are open to the public or designed to benefit specific social service or non profit groups. Image Credit: Arina P Habich / Shutterstock

Urban agriculture is a unique way for cities to prioritize food over flowers, and a growing number of cities are embracing this concept wholeheartedly. Urban gardening seeks to reclaim unused or ill-used public spaces and transform them into productive edible gardens which are open to the public or designed to benefit specific social service or non profit groups. Some forms of urban gardening look to replace cement or vacant lots with vibrant growth while others try to reframe gardens from just looking good, to tasting good, too.

Wondering what these rich urban gardening projects look like? They truly are as diverse and unique as the vegetable varieties they grow — here are three great examples of urban gardening projects taking root in Europe and North America.

The Edible City

Andernach, Germany, is known as The Edible City, due to their commitment to planting fruits and vegetables on city land, rather than flowers. This initiative officially began in 2010, and has worked to transform over 86,000 square feet of city property into lush vegetable gardens filled with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetable. This urban gardening initiative has met with resounding success, due in large part to incredible community support and involvement. The creative minds behind the project keep community members engaged and interested by continually reinventing the program to feature different plants — planting hundreds of heirloom varieties of tomatoes one year for example, so the public could see and taste the differences between plant types — and constantly innovating and explaining the program.

This creative rethinking of public space wasn’t without its challenges, but an unexpected stumbling block described in an article about The Edible City was that the public was initially quite reluctant to pick the fruits and vegetables as they began to ripen.

The notion of private space and ownership is so deeply ingrained in our modern society that signs had to be put up encouraging people to help themselves to the bounty. In doing so, The Edible City is changing the urban landscape of Andernach but also reframing how its inhabitants think about and use public space.

The Edible Bus Stop

London, too, is seeking to transform public spaces through urban gardening with a collective called The Edible Bus Stop. Image Credit: The Edible Bus Stop (Instagram)

London, too, is seeking to transform public spaces through urban gardening with a collective called The Edible Bus Stop. Made up of landscape architects, garden designers, horticulturists, artists and activists, this group believes that “a brutal landscape makes for a brutal outlook, and that by taking responsibility for our urban environment, we can improve upon the experience of inner city living”. As anyone who’s spent any significant amount of time within a major city can attest, this idea of a physical environment both reflecting and affecting one’s emotional state is absolutely spot on.

This group works to change drab, dull, and depressing urban spaces with bursts of color and fresh fruit and veggies. As the name would suggest, one of their first projects was to transform three bus stops along the number 322 bus route in London into edible gardens.

It began with one small patch and one bus stop, but the effort quickly bloomed to other spaces as well. The Edible Bus stop group has now expanded their efforts into art installations (check out this fantastic “Roll Out the Barrows” installation, featuring colorful wheelbarrows filled with plants) and pocket gardens which add glimpses of rich green life in the most unexpected spaces.

O Canada

In another urban gardening success story, Victoria, British Columbia has taken advantage of its location in one of Canada’s most encouraging growing climates to transform part of a public square into a food-producing space. A post on the city’s website explains the initiative, stating,

For the third consecutive year, the City of Victoria is partnering with Our Place Society, whose staff, family members and volunteers will plant, maintain and harvest vegetables and herbs to make meals for its lunch program. Seedlings will be provided by the City and will include oregano, kale, rainbow chard, broccoli, basil, dill, red cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes. Sunflowers will be planted to provide color and food in the garden. Existing plants in the edible garden include large artichoke, fig trees, goumi berries, chives, and thyme.

This is urban gardening with a cause — all the produce will be harvested and donated to the Our Place Society, an organization which serves the poor, disadvantaged and homeless population of the city. Veggies will be featured in their lunch program and meals will be seasoned with herbs from the garden as well. Participants in the program can assist with gardening and harvesting the herbs and vegetables, as well as enjoy the delicious (and nutritious) fruits and vegetables of their labors. The program is designed to connect community members through natural spaces while also raising awareness of food issues.

These initiatives featured in Andenach, London, and Victoria are only three of thousands of urban gardening projects growing around the globe. As issues of food scarcity, resource allocation, responsible water use and how to build vibrant and inclusive communities increases, I think -and hope – we’ll see an increase in these useful green spaces, too.

Feature image credit: LUMOimages / Shutterstock

About
Latest Posts

Madeleine Somerville

Madeleine Somerville is the author of

All You Need Is Less: An Eco-Friendly Guide to Guilt-Free Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity

. She is a writer, wanna-be hippie, and lover of soft cheeses. She lives in Edmonton, Canada with her daughter. You can also find Madeleine at her blog,

Sweet Madeleine

Latest posts by Madeleine Somerville (see all)

Urban Gardening: Micro Food Producers – July 26, 2016
Can This Recycling Bin Really Increase Recycling? – July 15, 2016
Is Online Shopping Really Environmentally-Friendly? – July 5, 2016

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Earth911

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
Google Plus

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

earth911

Original article:

Urban Gardening: Micro Food Producers

Posted in alo, ATTRA, Citizen, eco-friendly, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, PUR, Uncategorized | Tagged canada, Edible, edible-city, image, inspire, newsletter, public, somerville, victoria | Comments Off

7 Kid-Friendly Outdoor Green Summer Activities

by VirginiAaron Posted on July 6, 2016

One in three children spends less than half an hour outdoors. Image Credit: luckat / Shutterstock

Summertime means play time for many, especially kids. We’ve complied 7 kid-friendly outdoor green summer activities that are sure to excite. But first, let’s take a look at some worrisome trends.

A recent study of 12,000 children in 10 countries found that a majority of children ages 5 to 12 play outside for an hour or less per day.
One in three children spends less than half an hour outdoors. This literally means that many children spend less time outside than maximum security prison inmates.
Of the countries surveyed, children in the U.S. and the U.K. spent the least time outdoors.
Eight in ten parents reported that their kids often will not play outdoors without some form of technology being involved.

Many child development experts agree about the importance of outdoor play and activities. It is a great way for children to learn about the world, develop gross and fine motor skills, and get exercise.

Green summer activities

If you want to get kids off the couch and unplugged from their gadgets this summer, it might take a bit of creativity or a fun activity. Here are 7 outdoor green summer activities for your little ones. Try just one or all seven!

1. Read books together on nature-inspired topics

Image Credit: BestPhotoStudio / Shutterstock

This is a great way to inspire children and get them excited about the world around them. I read books about frogs that live in my area with my kids last spring, and then they were delighted to go for night walks where we would listen for them. This spring we dissected owl pellets, read about owls, and then went for an owl walk. The possibilities are endless, even if you live in an urban area. You can learn about how to make a compost pile and then build a compost bin together or learn about bugs and then go on a bug hunt. You can learn about astronomy and then study the night sky or take up bird watching.

2. Garden with children

Growing flowers or vegetables is a great way for children to learn first-hand about the cycles of nature while hopefully boosting their interest in eating vegetables. If you have enough space, give your children a small plot to tend and let them choose what to plant. Some crops that are especially suitable for young gardeners are sunflowers, carrots, pumpkins, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, nasturtiums, green beans and potatoes, because they are easy to grow and fun to harvest.

When my daughter was just two years old, she planted and maintained six pots with sunflowers that were on a patio right next to a rain barrel. She really enjoyed filling the watering can herself and sprinkling the flowers every day or two.

It is helpful to make gardening a positive experience. If your children looses interest in the middle of the growing season, help them out or find a fun new way to engage them. I give my young children relatively small plots because I don’t expect them to have the stamina required to maintain a large plot without help. My kids really enjoy contributing vegetables to dinner and seem very proud when a meal features one of their crops.

If you do not have yard space for a garden, there may be community garden space available in your area. Otherwise a container garden using pots on an outside patio or stairwell may be an option.

3. Organize a treasure hunt

Image Credit: Maria Evseyeva / Shutterstock

Most kids from young children to teenagers are delighted to participate in a treasure hunt. It is generally the most fun if there is a small group of children, so invite friends or neighbors to join in. Keep the children and ages in mind when writing the clues to encourage active participation from all the children. If the group has a large span of ages, ask kids to wait until all the children are present before reading clues to foster inclusivity.

When planning a treasure hunt for younger children, keep the clues relatively close together, and draw pictures on clues for young children that have not learned to read yet. For older children, spread out the clues and the kids will get more exercise. If there is a treasure at the end of the hunt, it can be a necessary material for another project, such as seeds for the garden or books about outdoor projects.

4. Participate in citizen science projects

A wide variety of organizations sponsor citizen science projects, allowing non-scientists to contribute to the advancement of the sciences. Although these projects can vary quite widely, many of them do involve spending time in the great outdoors. Monitoring wildlife, water quality, air quality, and other outdoor activities are all common for such endeavors. This is a great way to help encourage children to learn about science while befitting a given project.

5. Discover outdoor volunteer activities

Image Credit: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock

Once a week, my children help maintain the gardens at the local middle school. This helps encourage children to contribute to the community, while also learning about plants and spending time outside. Wildlife restoration projects, maintaining a food pantry garden, walking dogs for the local animal shelter, and maintaining hiking trails or local parks are all possibilities. Find out about local volunteer opportunities by speaking with organizations or conduct an online search. Some organizations might have rules prohibiting the participation of volunteers under the age of 18.

6. Create nature-friendly projects

Making bird feeders, bat boxes, bird houses, a compost pile, or a rainwater harvesting system are great ways to involve children in green projects. My children also really enjoy making sculptures with found objects in nature. It can be helpful to find a canvas (a clear space) to begin building or add decorations to trees or boulders. If you know of any local sources of clay, perhaps by a riverbed or lake, children may enjoy making pots, masks, or figures and leaving them to dry in the sun.

7. Make an obstacle course

This is a fun activity that doesn’t require buying supplies. To make this activity as simple and green as possible, try using items that you already own. Use a garden hose or spare board to create a balance beam or tight rope, or lay a stick across two chairs and have children crawl underneath. Ask children to crawl through a large cardboard box, jump over chalk lines on the sidewalk, or throw items into a bucket. If you have older children, encourage them to make the obstacle course and then invite younger children to participate.

Have other suggestions? Share them with the group in the comments section below!

Feature image credit: gpointstudio / Shutterstock

About
Latest Posts

Sarah Lozanova

Sarah Lozanova is a renewable energy and sustainability journalist and communications professional, with an MBA in sustainable management. She is a regular contributor to environmental and energy publications and websites, including Mother Earth Living, Earth911, Home Power, Triple Pundit, CleanTechnica, Mother Earth Living, the Ecologist, GreenBiz, Renewable Energy World, and Windpower Engineering.Lozanova also works with several corporate clients as a public relations writer to gain visibility for renewable energy and sustainability achievements.