tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31568837467962344532011-07-07T22:41:07.838-06:00An Intermountain West (Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming) grassroots organization, based in Idaho Falls, ID, promoting sustainable practices in daily living and the community as a whole.morgannanoreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-73174608185008732172009-11-18T22:07:00.002-07:002009-11-18T22:09:33.086-07:00

We are going to post on WordPress from now on, at http://citizensforsustainability.wordpress.com. Please come read us there.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-75537153549384021482009-11-04T21:19:00.003-07:002009-11-04T21:30:02.408-07:00

Is sustainability a synonym for stagnation? Ed Quillen, in the GOAT blog of High Country News, thinks so. He thinks, quoting Dr Devon Pena from the University of Washington, thatcommunities seek "resilience," rather than "sustainability." Quillen continues, explaining that a sustainable model may not be successful if the external world changes. The entire article is definitely worth a read.I

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-38640044370747027342009-10-29T19:54:00.003-06:002009-10-29T20:01:14.272-06:00

Repower America has a new interactive site, the Wall, up to add your voice and thoughts to the call for clean energy. This is what I wrote. Add your voice here.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-49819956900838960222009-10-27T21:38:00.001-06:002009-10-27T21:39:57.919-06:00

Ever wonder how much of an environmental impact your pet has? Well, two researchers in New Zealand have the answer for you. They have calculated the carbon footprints of pets. Read all about it in Eco-pawprints (High Country News). cross-posted at Lizbeth's Garden

morgannanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-55694956373450965312009-10-27T07:28:00.004-06:002009-10-27T08:35:48.090-06:00

The Indonesian and Malaysian rainforests are in serious danger. They are being cut down at an appalling rate which contributes to global warming. Every year 1.8 billion tonnes of GHG emissions are released by the degradation and burning of Indonesia’s peatlands. (The Economist, Sept 10, 2009)Much of the forest is being cut down for acacia and palm oil plantations. When the jungle grows in peat,

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-54302065679037803002009-10-21T12:08:00.002-06:002009-10-21T12:12:11.160-06:00

The University of Idaho's annual President's Sustainability Symposium will be held at the Shilo Inn, Idaho Falls, tomorrow, October 22 and Friday, October 23. Here is the official site.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-9489772649505340802009-10-18T21:04:00.002-06:002009-10-18T21:44:01.706-06:00

I promised some time ago a post on the new issue of Audubon magazine. So here we go:This is the debut issue printed on recycled paper.(L)ess than one percent of the approximately 17,000 magazines published in the United States contain any recycled paper, according to the Better Paper Project, a nonprofit that works with the magazine industry to promote recycled paper. For magazines alone, 39

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-46050579010552506732009-10-15T14:10:00.003-06:002009-10-15T14:16:38.708-06:00

I found a new site to "inspire natural resource collaboration". It's called Red Lodge Clearinghouse.The Red Lodge Clearinghouse is a project of the Natural Resources Law Center at the University of Colorado Law School.It has information on upcoming comment periods for federal agencies, other environmental news, grantwriting handbooks, funding opportunities, and more.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-42546033448244329032009-10-08T20:42:00.001-06:002009-10-08T20:43:59.244-06:00

Quit the Chamber. Join the planet!.Ask the members of the board of the National Chamber of Commerce to quit the Chamber in support of climate change.cross-posted at Lizbeth's Garden

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-19426903808928482682009-10-07T21:20:00.002-06:002009-10-07T21:24:30.867-06:00

Check out Michael Forsberg's amazing photography of the Plains! He is a professional, freelance photographer who photographs the Plains of North America, both the sights that won't be there much longer and those that are returning, thanks to restoration efforts.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-10589658635809364102009-10-02T12:28:00.003-06:002009-10-02T12:33:41.249-06:00

There's a lot of good stuff in the latest Audubon magazine, and I'll be doing a big post later, but I wanted to get this out there first.I love cats. I had them the whole time I was growing up, and I wish I had one now, but it just wouldn't work. And my cats have always been at least partially outdoor cats. I never thought about it too much, and my mother firmly believes that it is wrong to keep

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-21429363605704055482009-10-01T20:37:00.002-06:002009-10-01T20:44:33.171-06:00

From Green for All:On September 30th, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA) introduced The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The draft legislation includes access and opportunity in the clean energy-economy, and strong climate standards.Join us to talk about the bill, and our next steps to get it passed through the Environment and Public Works Committee and the full Senate.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-32621340218632460532009-09-27T19:55:00.003-06:002009-09-27T20:14:44.882-06:00

After decades, nearly a century, of clear-cutting and eroding the redwood forests of California, there is a movement towards sustainable forestry. National Geographic has an article, The Tallest Trees, about Michael Fay's recent transect of the forests. In a companion article, The Redwoods Point the Way, Michael Fay writes about how this is a model of sustainable forestry for all the forests of

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-52526822215748560412009-09-24T17:03:00.001-06:002009-09-24T17:03:50.984-06:00

Check out the sidebar for an RSS feed link.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-69311837114900670912009-09-08T21:24:00.003-06:002009-09-08T21:35:33.597-06:00

Well, it probably won't actually save us all, but charcoal (biochar as it is now called in trendy circles) is, according to the Economist, a new way to reduce global warming gases. From the article:the latest fashion for dealing with global warming is to bring back charcoal. It has to be rebranded for modern consumers, of course, so it is now referred to as “biochar”. But there are those who

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-53701434485321938822009-09-03T20:43:00.003-06:002009-09-03T20:53:34.238-06:00

ForestEthics has published Green Grades 2009: A Report Card on the Paper Practices of the Office Supply Sector. Download the full report, or just the pocket guide, and be prepared to purchase paper in line with your values of sustainability.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-12442188481606306582009-09-01T21:11:00.003-06:002009-09-01T21:21:09.316-06:00

Reduce your impact on the Earth, and raise money for a good cause, all at the same time! What could be better than that?For two weeks, October 1-15, 2009, the Northwest Earth Institute will be conducting the EcoChallenge. Pledge to take one of five challenges (or create your own):Save Water,Reduce Electricity Use,Make Sustainable Food Choices,Use Alternative Transportation, orReduce and Divert

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-28012080949517192532009-08-31T21:08:00.003-06:002009-08-31T21:11:09.245-06:00

Sears/Lands End sends millions of catalogues a year, using almost no post-consumer recycled paper. ForestEthics has launched a campaign to change that. Read more here, and send an email to the CEO of Sears.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-30042270142736642532009-07-16T09:05:00.002-06:002009-07-16T09:07:54.532-06:00

For all you home gardeners out there, check out Folia. It's a website to help you keep track of all the plants in your garden, as well as seeds and harvests. In addition, you can swap seeds, bulbs, and plants with other gardeners, and post photos of your favorite spots.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-42381030092200578082009-07-01T21:17:00.002-06:002009-07-01T21:23:26.867-06:00

The last set of carbon dioxide emissions for appliances -- taken from the March 2009 National Geographic:Freezer: 1,397Electric heat pump: 5,249Monitor: 116Cell phone: 5Pool pump: 1,496Cordless power tool: 22Indoor lighting: 2,270Vacuum: 57Camcorder: 3Aquarium: 286Spa & heater: 2,774Security system: 83PDA: 8Furnace fan: 606Rechargeable toy: 17Ink-jet printer: 35Oil water heater: 4,331MP3 Player:

morgannanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-73253696462629780182009-06-30T08:01:00.003-06:002009-06-30T08:43:49.258-06:00

I apologize for not posting for a while -- life got really busy. :)I spent some time lately reading a presentation on climate change by Saul Griffith. It's a PDF of the slides and notes he uses to give a presentation explaining global warming and climate change in an easy to read format for people who don't know much about carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses and how they are affecting our

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-23659484034523956282009-06-11T20:28:00.002-06:002009-06-11T20:33:47.855-06:00

Even more carbon dioxide emissions (in pounds per year) from appliances (3rd in a series) from the March 2009 National Geographic:Gas water heater: 2,171DVD player: 51Room air conditioner: 872Clock radio: 21Coffeemaker: 83Gas dryer: 435Laptop PC: 98Exterior light: 150Electric water heater: 3,586Iron: 72

morgannanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-24730687954250423742009-06-10T20:40:00.004-06:002009-06-10T20:57:35.074-06:00

From the June/July issue of Organic Gardening, comes an article on how to have a lush, lovely, and drought-tolerant landscape. Just follow the principles of xeriscaping and you'll be fine, the article promises. Sounds simple, and it is, providing you pay attention to the landscape of your yard and place plants accordingly.I think this is an especially important issue given the place where we live

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-41320679220130620502009-06-08T10:47:00.004-06:002009-06-08T10:54:09.205-06:00

I just finished reading Toxic Truth: A Scientist, A Doctor, and the Battle Over Lead, by Lydia Denworth. I highly recommend this book. It is fascinating, well-researched, and frightening. Prior to the 1970s, lead was big business in this country.It has been well-known since ancient times, and scientifically understood since the 1830s, that lead is dangerous, even fatal, at high concentrations.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-90535284432457156302009-06-04T22:05:00.003-06:002009-06-04T22:10:31.629-06:00

A cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide is being mooted in Congress and the White House. We all know that the environment will benefit from such a system, supposing it is implemented in such a way that carbon dioxide emissions actually decrease. But what about the human costs? Will poor people in this country benefit? What about the poor in developing countries? Read more here: http://

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-40526755186938854522009-06-03T11:33:00.004-06:002009-06-04T22:12:46.436-06:00

Proper lawn care can save thousands of gallons of water each yearUse a sprinkler that throws big water drops, because small drops often evaporate before they reach the ground.Shut off the watering system if it is malfunctioning or a storm is approaching and teach family members how to do this.Use a sprinkler system for large areas of grass and drip lines for beds or small areas.Install a rain

Quillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14120337101623432978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-16594304074779580102009-05-29T22:18:00.003-06:002009-05-29T22:24:37.920-06:00

More appliances and the amount of CO2 (in pounds) they emit per year (from the March 2009 National Geographic):Gas furnace: 6,967Car: 11,903Ceiling fan: 115Shaver: 1Rechargeable toothbrush: 16Cordless phone: 36Oil furnace: 14,380VCR: 64Cable box: 182Electric range: 628

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-11877714555924954342009-05-27T21:37:00.003-06:002009-05-27T21:44:39.338-06:00

From the March 2009 National Geographic article entitled Saving Energy: It Starts at Home, pounds of carbon dioxide emitted by common household appliances in the United States:Refrigerator: 1,191Electric clothes dryer: 1,521Television: 548Dishwasher: 599Clothes washer: 153Hair dryer: 57Stereo: 167Desktop PC: 321Microwave: 179Central AC: 4,067Toaster: 53

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-26881762116248686212009-05-25T22:01:00.003-06:002009-05-25T22:09:57.138-06:00

In a changing world, it is extremely important for scientists to know when plants are flowering, leafing out, setting seed, etc. There's a new project enlisting the help of interested individuals across the nation in recording the dates of important events in plants as they occur with the seasons. It's Project BudBurst, and all you have to do is pick a species, figure out your location by

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-66840655764386730272009-05-21T20:56:00.003-06:002009-05-21T21:45:37.579-06:00

With Spring here and Summer around the corner, we all think about preparing and rejuvenating our lawns after the long winter. Here are some ideas on how to do this without using herbicides and pesticides, which have been linked to neurotoxicity, birth defects, cancer, organ damage and more.1) Fertilize using cottonseed meal, dried poultry waste or commercial organic lawn food such as Concern or

Quillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14120337101623432978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-44778094869399280762009-05-18T21:37:00.003-06:002009-05-18T21:48:47.628-06:00

There are some new farmers markets opening up in the area, so I thought I'd share a list of locations and times. This list is adapted from the Saturday, May 16, 2009, Post Register.Idaho Falls Farmers Market: KeyBank parking lot, downtown, Saturdays through Oct. 31, 9 am to 1 pm.Farmers Market at Ammon Park Center, Ammon: west of Ace Hardware and Walgreens on 17th Street, Saturdays through

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-61970723344605758262009-05-11T21:52:00.003-06:002009-05-18T21:50:00.778-06:00

The League of American Bicyclists celebrates May as National Bike Month, May 11-15 as Bike to Work Week, and May 15 as Bike to Work Day. Thanks to Idaho Falls Community Pathways for bringing this to my attention.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-74927399441201128842009-05-10T20:49:00.003-06:002009-05-10T21:00:49.937-06:00

The Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project, in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, has an ambitious goal. It wants the Willamette Valley, including Portland, to become completely self-sufficient in food. The project is helping local grass-seed farmers convert their land to organic bean and grain production. There are many obstacles, from farmers relearning their craft to the need for

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-68710138386698517632009-05-06T21:02:00.003-06:002009-05-06T21:12:55.503-06:00

On MotherTalkers today, a diary about eating local food. If you eat local food, you minimize the fuel, greenhouse gas emissions, and cost of transporting the food from field to you. Here in Idaho Falls, you can shop the Saturday Farmer's Market (now open! -- through October) in the KeyBank parking lot, shop Eagle Rock Food Co-op, or find a CSA (community supported agriculture -- a farm that

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-22938862998352436922009-05-01T21:38:00.002-06:002009-05-01T21:47:07.220-06:00

We each have a carbon dioxide footprint -- the amount of carbon dioxide we and our households emit in the course of each day. This carbon dioxide is contributing to global warming. The levels of carbon dioxide emitted by humans must be drastically reduced, and soon, or global temperatures will soar to dangerous levels.I'm sure you know all that, and are thinking, well, what can I do about it? But

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-75878323464820113162009-04-29T20:53:00.002-06:002009-04-29T21:01:16.693-06:00

News flash: less trash is going to landfills.Thrift-driven Americans are fixing up, making do and reusing so much to cope with the recession that the drop in throwaways means less fill for landfills.This is good, right? Not if you run a landfill.To deal with the drop-off in dropoffs, landfills are laying off workers, reducing hours of operation and hiking disposal fees, with the increases passed

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-87095329035011466592009-04-28T20:45:00.002-06:002009-04-28T20:48:54.220-06:00

And when you are planting your vegetable garden (yesterday's post), don't forget to plant an extra row. At harvest, donate the crop from the extra row to a charity that serves the needy, such as the local food bank. Fresh vegetables are rare at food banks.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-22313996043664205812009-04-27T21:28:00.003-06:002009-04-27T21:46:06.206-06:00

Now is a great time to plant a vegetable garden. Plant your favorite veggies, then save on trips to the grocery store and long-distance traveling food later on. I won't promise you'll save money, but you will save on greenhouse gas emissions as you cut the travel time for your food.If you've never had a vegetable garden before, Gardener's Supply has a planning tool for a raised bed kitchen

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-3390175968973973182009-04-26T21:53:00.004-06:002009-04-26T22:23:09.567-06:00

In answer to a request:How to clean with white vinegar & baking soda (all measurements are approximate, I just eyeball it)For stained plastic: On the scrubbing side of a sponge, pour 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 2 teaspoons liquid dishwashing soap, and 1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol. Scrub the stains, adding ingredients as necessary. For stained porcelain sinks, substitute cream of tartar for the

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-42239923359482720342009-04-25T20:34:00.002-06:002009-04-25T20:39:02.471-06:00

The Earth Day celebration booth was a big success!Thank you to the volunteers who came for a while, it was great to be able to leave the booth for a while.Thank you to everyone who stopped and looked at the posters, took a handout, and most especially, thanks to those who signed up for our mailing list and our carbon footprint reduction club! We got enough sign-ups to go ahead with the carbon

morgannanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-7635870826090380522009-04-21T21:23:00.004-06:002009-04-21T21:28:24.928-06:00

I'm sorry the posting has fallen off a little, we've been very busy getting ready for the Earth Day celebration on Saturday. We'll have a booth there, so if you're in the area, stop by: Idaho Falls, Tautphaus Park, Saturday April 25, 10 am to 4 pm.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-27381784146871151072009-04-16T20:44:00.002-06:002009-04-16T20:53:43.157-06:00

Out of Missoula, Montana, comes The Sustainable Business Council Blog, the blog of The Sustainable Business Council Montana, devoted to promoting sustainable businesses practices in Montana and beyond. From the Mission: We envision a network of vibrant local economies and caring communities that are based on renewable resources and clean, efficient practices and that lead to a healthy environment

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-44753632083789944042009-04-15T07:25:00.000-06:002009-04-15T07:23:39.498-06:00

We are excited to announce the name change of the organization behind this blog. Intermountain West Citizens for a Sustainable Future will now be Intermountain West Citizens for Sustainability.We've been thinking about our organization and this blog and how best to convey our intentions and desires in starting this venture. One part of that thinking is the name change. Another part is wondering

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-27609249172488196542009-04-14T15:44:00.002-06:002009-04-14T15:49:12.906-06:00

Repower America's goal is "100% clean electricity in 10 years," through energy efficiency, renewable generation, the creation of a unified national smart grid, clean transportation, and plug-in automobiles. Visit their website, http://www.repoweramerica.org/, to learn more and participate in their campaigns.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-11607837769708078852009-04-07T16:25:00.003-06:002009-04-07T17:31:41.238-06:00

Water covers 71 % of the Earth's surface, but only 1 % of that is available as freshwater. Salt water accounts for 97.2 % and the remaining is bound up in ice caps and glaciers.The whole state of Idaho has been experiencing drought conditions and given that we live in a semi-arid desert, we have cause for concern.Here are some ways to conserve water.1) Do Not let water run while washing dishes

Quillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14120337101623432978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-83404842042602505262009-04-03T20:49:00.003-06:002009-04-03T20:56:32.631-06:00

Scientific American's special edition of March 2009, Earth 3.0, has the tagline, "Solutions for Sustainable Progress." Among many interesting articles, this one, Top 10 Myths about Sustainablity really caught my eye. From the article:When a word becomes so popular you begin hearing it everywhere, in all sorts of marginally related or even unrelated contexts, it means one of two things. Either the

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-36860576572208490262009-04-02T20:23:00.003-06:002009-04-02T20:30:25.865-06:00

Scientific American has a great slideshow up, 9 Ecofriendly Household Tips (although I think it's actually 8 tips). From the slideshow:Painting your home or office building roof a light color or installing white shingles helps to reflect heat—and reduces cooling costs. [snip] If white shingles aren’t your style, manufacturers also offer heat-reflective coatings in darker colors for shingles,

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-5657799941771797422009-04-01T17:18:00.002-06:002009-04-01T17:41:06.739-06:00

Composting is like cooking and to get the mix to cook aerobically (requiring air), a Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C:N) of 30:1 is needed.See the following table to get an idea of C:N different materials contain. Material C:N Vegetable wastes 16:1 (avg)Coffee grounds 20:1Grass clippings 19:1 (avg)

Quillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14120337101623432978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-2161769454325097782009-03-31T20:56:00.002-06:002009-03-31T21:21:39.602-06:00

If you compost, you can cut your household waste by 30%. If you also recycle, you can cut it by 50% or more. In Idaho Falls, there are city recycling bins throughout the city.The (City Sanitation) department also maintains recycle bins around the City for the deposit of sorted newspaper, plastic food and drink containers marked with number 1 thru 7, aluminum cans and tin cans. A map is here (PDF)

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-17146776120405774802009-03-29T21:03:00.002-06:002009-03-29T21:07:03.781-06:00

The Idaho Falls Community Gardens will have their registration for the upcoming growing season on Saturday, April 4. Details here.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-69463199487208990922009-03-29T20:50:00.003-06:002009-03-29T20:56:04.723-06:00

If traditional composting doesn't work for you, try fermenting it, also known as Bokashi composting, instead. From the article:“Bokashi” is a Japanese term meaning “fermented organic matter”. In Bokashi composting, an “EM Inoculant” is sprinkled over food waste in an airtight container. EM Inoculant is an inert carrier, such as rice hulls, wheat bran or saw dust, infused with effective

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-74086570371244209942009-03-28T08:55:00.004-06:002009-03-28T09:14:23.084-06:00

A good way to reduce your household waste is to start composting. You can stop throwing away all your yard waste (except for plastic, large pieces of wood, any weeds that have gone to seed, and some noxious weeds) and kitchen scraps (teabags, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, vegetable and fruit leftovers).For the simplest method, all you need is some space and a pitchfork. Pile up the waste, in

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-90487644722380109792009-03-26T20:44:00.002-06:002009-03-26T20:56:22.354-06:00

There is still old growth forest on the North American continent. I didn't know that until I read this article, entitled Paper Chase, in Audubon magazine in January. I thought it had all been logged long ago. But some is still there. It's called the boreal forest, in Canada. The southern boreal forest is currently being logged, and is in great danger. The northern boreal forest is in the process

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-53284678555090819942009-03-24T15:04:00.002-06:002009-03-24T15:08:27.828-06:00

On Friday, March 29, 2009, (that's this Friday) at 8:30 pm local time, turn off your lights for one hour. It's Earth Hour 2009, and people all across the world will be doing the same. Show solidarity for Planet Earth, turn off your lights!

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-22567975003138910862009-03-23T20:44:00.002-06:002009-03-23T20:52:11.859-06:00

Yardsharing is a new idea to allow people without enough room for a full garden to share space in someone else's garden. Based on the idea of Community Supported Agriculture, it's a more informal way for people to network with each other and share garden space to create a communal garden. Also on the same site, Seed Angels, where experienced gardeners share seeds with new gardeners. Thanks to

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-75079972252236839892009-03-22T21:38:00.004-06:002009-03-22T21:41:19.462-06:00

Okay, this is national news, not local news, but I still thought it was very exciting. According to the Washington Post, Michelle Obama started a garden today at the White House.The 1,100-square-foot garden will include 55 kinds of vegetables, including peppers, spinach and, yes, arugula. (The selection is a wish list put together by White House chefs.) There will also be berries, herbs and two

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-22626867037802941212009-03-22T20:28:00.002-06:002009-03-22T20:35:26.262-06:00

Today is World Water Day. Celebrate the clean water from your tap, the rain and snow we have had today, and all the other water in our lives. Too often, I think we take clean water for granted, especially clean water that pours out of faucets in our homes at a touch. What a miracle that would be to so many people in the world today, and throughout history. And when we assume that the water is

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-43182148740586784012009-03-20T20:46:00.004-06:002009-03-20T21:06:05.802-06:00

Mother Earth News offers free E-Newsletters on green energy & green homes, food & gardening, simple living & country skills, do it yourself skills & projects, and health and the environment.This magazine has been publishing information on sustainable living since 1970.Follow this link to access the list of E-Newsletters they offerhttp://ipost.com/motherearth/prefs

Quillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14120337101623432978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-5740721110108709572009-03-19T22:18:00.002-06:002009-03-19T22:21:59.201-06:00

Leave No Trace is a website dedicated to enjoying outdoor experiences while damaging them as little as possible. Their mission statement from the website:The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-27589011172563726372009-03-19T20:31:00.003-06:002009-03-19T20:46:43.369-06:00

Because rechargeable batteries and fluorescent bulbs contain toxic metals, you don't want to just throw them in the trash.In Idaho Falls, Home Depot accepts compact fluorescent bulbs and rechargeable batteries.Idaho Falls Power (612-8526) accepts the regular fluorescent bulbs, Mon - Fri, from 8 to 5.

Quillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14120337101623432978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156883746796234453.post-35298570691402094112009-03-18T15:48:00.003-06:002009-03-18T16:00:51.435-06:00

We are a new organization out of Idaho Falls, ID, just getting started. We want to use this blog to educate the public about sustainable practices and build a network of individuals interested in sustainable living practices. Check back regularly for sustainable living tips, events, and links.Our mission is: Our demand for resources to create our lifestyle has led to overshooting the Earth's

morgannanoreply@blogger.com0