It’s hard to believe another year has passed and it’s Memorial Day again.  While honoring the memory of American soldiers killed in combat, we also welcome the warm weather and sunny skies that indicate the unofficial start of summer.

Here are some easy green tips that honor the Earth and help reduce your impact this summer.

FOOD & BEVERAGES

• Treat your family to fresh delicious food while supporting your local farmer’s market.
• Transport your goodies to the park or beach in a natural willow picnic basket and be sure to bring your re-usable water bottles.
• If you have to use disposable plates, napkins, cutlery and cups, please choose those made from recycled paper or biodegradable materials such as sugar cane fibers or corn-based “plastics.”
• Barbecue solar style!  Whether you’re in the middle of nowhere or in your own backyard, solar ovens use the power of the sun to cook your meals pollution-free!
• Recycle bottles and cans
• Compost fruit and veggie scraps

THE BEACH

• Kids love recycled plastic beach pails to build castles in the sand
• Organic cotton and bamboo beach towels come in all sorts of fun colors
• Biodegradable sunscreen will help protect you from the sun’s harsh rays and won’t leave harmful chemicals on your skin or in the ocean

THE BACKYARD OASIS

• Eco-friendly furniture, decorative accents, decks, fences, lighting and plants can add style to your outdoor “rooms.”  Read my earlier post about “greening your outdoor spaces” here.

LOCAL EVENTS

• Bicycle or walk to local destinations and events such as holiday parades
• Pick up litter along the way and you’ll prevent pollution to streams, rivers and the ocean and ultimately help save sea life.

photo by General Wesc

Here’s an informative list of easy tips that can be implemented in any dorm room.  The only thing I would add to the list is something to warm up the floor, such as eco-friendly carpet tiles made from recycled content.  See my earlier post here about these ingenious, modular floor coverings.

THE LAWN

Of course, one of the greenest things you can do outdoors is to minimize lawn areas.  The lawn as we know it has many negative effects on the environment.  First, it consumes a lot of water; is typically cared for using synthetic pesticides and other chemicals that are detrimental to clean air, water, soil, and human and animal health;  and is typically composed of non-native species of grass, which affects biodiversity.  Plus, lawns are high maintenance!

Substitutions for lawns include mulch and/or flower beds of native plants, xeriscaping, and incorporating rock gardens and riverbeds of recycled glass.

Since most of us have some grassy areas in our yards, the next greenest thing we can do is use natural lawn care:

Aerating:  Fall is a great time to aerate your lawn to loosen up compacted soil where water and nutrients are unable to reach the grass’ root system.  For a small lawn, use a pitch fork to punch holes in the soil every few inches.  For larger areas, rent a walk-behind aerator at your local garden center.  Be sure to avoid any sprinkler heads.  After aerating, add a light coating of a sand-and-compost mixture to further improve drainage. The rich compost will also help feed the turf.  For a denser turf, follow by over-seeding thin areas of lawn with grass seed blends recommended for your area.

Mowing:  Mow regularly and remember that mulching mowers leave grass clippings (not clumps) on the lawn, which also helps to feed the soil.  Be sure not to mow shorter than 3″ to avoid the scorching your lawn and the invasion of crabgrass and other weeds.

Watering: Whether you have an established lawn, or newly seeded areas, watering can be done with rainwater collected in rain barrels.  Not only does this minimize the demand of our precious resource and strain on public water systems, but it also reduces your water bills.  Water deeply, but infrequently, to moisten the whole root zone.  Let the soil dry between waterings to prevent lawn disease and save water. Lawns need only about one inch of water a week in summer, including rain, to stay green.

Fertilizing / Composting:  The best method is natural and organic.  Compost goes a long way in keeping your yard nice and healthy.  It helps sandy soils hold nutrients and water, loosens clay soils, and feeds the beneficial soil life so it can feed and protect your plants.  Dig or rototill 1 – 3 inches of compost into 6 – 12 inches of top soil when planting new lawns (or making new flower beds). Top dress existing lawns with a 1/4 – 1/2 inch of compost every Spring or Fall.  Whenever possible, avoid using phosphorus fertilizers since they wreak havoc on beneficial soil life, as well as on aquatic life, when washed away by rain into waterways. If your grass is really waning, it may need a dose of nutrients.  The best way to determine exactly what your soil (and grass) needs, is to have the soil tested every few years.  You can obtain information and soil testing boxes from your local Agricultural Extension Service office.  Locate one here.

Weeding:  The best defense against weed invasions is a healthy lawn. Manually pulling, digging, or hoeing goes a long way in keeping your yard weed-free.  Also, pull weeds before they go to seed and spread.  Mowing weeds prior to flowering can reduce spreading, as long as clippings are collected.

Pesticides:  Pesticides sprayed on lawns have been banned in many countries due to the damaging effects they have on birds, beneficial insects, fish, wildlife and domesticated animals, and human beings.  By following the aforementioned tips, you’ll be doing your part to help the environment.

Sources:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cornell University, and Integrated Pest Management for Turf Managers.

photo by Ruthanne Reid

Since indigenous insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plant species, their populations dwindle.  As this integral food source for native birds and other animals disappears, the gaps in the food chain can become significant enough to lead to the extinction of various species.

So, what can the average American do?  Incorporate native plants into your backyard gardens.  These plants and flowers provide a necessary link in the web of life.  Another bonus is that they are typically easy to grow, drought-tolerant, and come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes that is sure to add beauty to any landscape.

Learn more with “Bringing Nature Home, How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants” by Douglas W. Tallamy.  Another great resource is the revised and updated “Field Guide to Wild Flowers”, a Main Street book, based on the “Field Book of American Wild Flowers” by F. Schuyler Matthews.

The above picture of Showy Beardtongue and Missouri Primrose is courtesy of easywildflowers.com, an online retailer where you can learn more about seed planting, native perennials, invasive plants, and order from an amazing array of wildflowers.

You’re sure to find one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry, toys, and home decor.  Perfect gifts for the upcoming holidays!

The 30 workshops and presentations will focus on green building and energy efficiency, renewable energy & fuels, and green living & gardening.  Participants can attend multiple workshops for only $10!

Be sure to visit the EarthWays Center, a division of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, when it’s open for public tours on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of each month.  It is a sustainably renovated Victorian-era home filled with information about solar electricity, geothermal heating and cooling, native plant landscaping, super insulation, non-toxic and sustainable home maintenance products and other features.

Visit the Green Homes Festival website for more information.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

• GreenHomeFinder.com is a national database of residential and commercial properties for rent or sale.  The site also features a green business directory to help you find a Green Realtor®, an Ecobroker® or Eco-Friendly Products & Services.
• GreenHomesForSale.com is a great source of green homes across the country.
• CharlottesvilleGreenHomes.com is the place to find homes in this beautiful region of Virginia.
• PhoenixGreenHomes.com serves the following areas in Arizona:  Phoenix, Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek and elsewhere in the Valley.
• NewHomesDirectory.com lists new homes for sale in the Seattle, Washington area.

The event is being held at the San Ramon City Center in San Ramon, California on August 29-30, 2009.  Eco-Festivals, Inc. is a non-profit organization which aims to educate people on how to incorporate environmentally-friendly practices into every day life and live a green lifestyle.

Episode 1 debuted with the making of chocolate.  Episode 2 reveals some little known facts about cotton farming.  Episode 3 uncovers the truth about gold mining in the United States.  You’ll learn why you should buy paper products made with recycled content in Episode 4.  Episode 5 highlights energy efficient lightbulbs, and episode 6 shows the devastating impact that bottled water has on sea life.

In celebration of the new series, the Sundance Channel and Subaru have teamed up and created an ultimate eco-adventure sweepstakes.  The winner will receive a trip to one of the country’s greenest destinations, Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort nestled in the mountains of Utah.

Tune into the Sundance Channel’s website to learn more about the show, including air times, and to enter the sweepstakes.

• Paper products (paper towels, napkins, paper plates, tissues, copy paper, etc.).  Look at the package to find those products made with recycled content.  Approximately 4 billion trees are cut down each year just to make paper, so you can see why it is so important for us to save trees.  Trees help stop global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the air, by storing carbon in the trees and the soil, and by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.  They provide cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, and clean our water.  Learn how you can get 10 free trees to plant here.
• Plastic products (water bottles, food storage containers, disposable flatware and cups, packaging, diapers, etc.).   Plastic is a petroleum-based product, it leaches chemicals, and is detrimental to the environment in its manufacturing, use and disposal.  An eco-friendly alternative to a disposable water bottle is to use a re-usable metal bottle that doesn’t leach toxins into your drinking water or end up sitting in a landfill for hundreds of years.  A safer way to store your leftovers is with a glass or metal container with a BPA-free plastic lid.   Look for household and food items that have the least amount of packaging, especially plastic wrapped.  Use real silverware instead of disposable, non-recyclable plastic forks, knives, spoons, and cups.  To avoid 5000+ diapers from filling up the landfill just from one baby, try flushable cloth diaper liners to minimize what gets thrown away, or “gDiapers” which are PVC-free, chlorine-free, biodegradable, compostable, flushable, and breathable.
• Lightbulbs.  When your outdated incandescent lightbulbs burn out, replace them with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) or super efficient Light-emitting diodes (LEDs).  They’ll use just a fraction of the energy that incandescents use and last for much longer.  There is a CFL made to replace any lightbulb in your house (even nightlights!).
• Batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, and digital camera batteries).  Go rechargeable!  The disposable alkaline batteries that you’re familiar with typically contain trace amounts of mercury and other elements, plus they cost more over time than rechargeable batteries.

Today’s topic:  Energy.  Much of the electricity generated in the United States comes from burning coal which emits pollutants.  So by saving energy, your actions will positively affect the health of the earth and all of its inhabitants.  If we didn’t waste so much energy, we’d be able to close numerous power plants!

1. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
2. Unplug rechargeable devices such as cell phone chargers, electric shavers, digital cameras, and power tools.  Even though these devices are in standby mode, they are still sucking power called phantom, or vampire, power.
3. Plug TVs, DVD players, electronics, and computer equipment into power strips.  This will not only protect your equipment from daily power surges and extend the lifespan of your possessions, but you’ll be able to turn everything off with just one flick of the switch before going to bed or when you’re away from home.  Click here to see how much phantom power these devices are wasting even when they are “turned off”.  Also, a common misconception is that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning off monitors is always the better energy-saving strategy.
4. Switch out incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescents (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs).  CFLs use about 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescents.  LEDs are even better and use about 90% less energy than incandescents and last much longer than even CFLs.
5. Open the windows for some fresh air when the weather is pleasant instead of running the mechanical heating or cooling system.
6. Wash your clothes in cold water because 85-90% of the energy used for the washing machine is to heat water.  Try to wash only full loads to reduce the number of times you’ll have to run the washer.  Hang clothes to dry on a drying rack, the shower rod, or outside on a clothesline, to avoid using electricity to dry them.  If you do use the dryer, empty the lint trap every time.
7. Turn off the energy-hogging heated dry cycle on your dishwasher.  By opening the dishwasher door at the end of the cycle, you’ll allow the dishes to air dry and save energy.