Have you ever wondered what you should do with the old pills in your medicine cabinet? Or do you remember being told that you should just flush old prescription drugs down the drain, or flush them away when they had expired? If so, you’re not alone. Until recently, the disposal of prescription drugs has been little considered by federal or state governments, and as a result, tons of antibiotics, mood stabilizers, heart medications, hormones, and other drugs have landed in our water and our soil.

If you’re looking for the nation’s official policy on how to dispose of all those old pills littering your medicine cabinet, you might turn to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Established in 1998, this office’s principle purpose is to determine the policies, priorities, and objectives of the nation’s drug control program; the handing and disposal of prescription drugs falls under that broad umbrella.

The official recommendations published by the federal government include 3 options. You can flush your pills down the toilets ( if directed to do so by the drug’s label), you can call your county or city household trash and recycling services, and ask if they have a community drug reclamation program, or you can follow their instructions to throw away pills in the garbage.

To throw away your drugs, the fact sheet states that you should place your old pills in a sealable container (like a Tupperware container with a lid), add an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds or kitty litter, and place the container in the bottom of your trash barrel – making sure that it’s out of sight and doesn’t contain any information about you or the medications contained therein. The video above was produced by the office to assist people in understanding the drug disposal process.

I was a little disappointed with the information provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy – they didn’t provide any background information on why drugs need to be disposed of in these manners, nor did they address the environmental implications of disposing of drugs improperly.? I was also dismayed that they didn’t provide a list of state, country or local offices that run drug take-back programs, websites directing people to learn more, or links back to the EPA’s research on the matter.

To learn more, I visited the EPA’s website and found a section focused on educating people about the harm caused by Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCP) to the environment and people. The EPA is quick to point out that PPCPs are turning out in increasing amounts in our water supply, but they’re not so forthcoming when it comes to linking PPCPs and harm to human health. The EPA does stress however, that placing PPCPs into the sewage system (via flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the sink) does have uncertain risks.

The nation’s water treatment system is not equip to handle the removal of PPCPs, and any contamanents placed into the system have the potential to disrupt the overall health of our water treatment and processing facilitites. At the same time, there has been scant evidence suggesting the increased concentration of antibiodics in our water system has caused some antibiodic-resisdent disease strains in aquatic organisms.

Since the concentrations of drugs in our drinking water remains low however, the public and environmental health impact of dumped drugs is not yet fully known. So while it’s troubling to think about throwing medicine in the garbage, there’s little research out there suggesting that doing so could cause environmental harm. My concern on this matter is that landfills leak and pollute ground water; since there’s little in the way of established research on this matter however, the best course of action today is to follow the government’s advice.

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Solar seems to be making waves in big business these days. As more and more companies strive to cut costs and reduce operating expenses, it seems that some have finally realized the economic viability of harassing free energy from the sun.

While it is true that installing solar arrays can be prohibitively expensive for small and medium sized businesses, bigger companies (who use more energy) have access to the resources necessary to make these concepts a reality. What’s great about large companies going green and building renewable energy projects is that, in addition to reducing their use of fossil fuels, the companies are paving the way and (hopefully) lowering the cost of installing these kinds of power projects.

In Contra Costa County, California, one of Budweiser’s cold storage facilities was recently fitted with a 16kW DC solar installation. Designed and installed by Perpetual Power, the installation includes 2,240 185Wp Mitsubishi Electric polycrystalline photovoltaic modules. Once the system is fully up and running, it is expected to produce approximately 60% of the building’s power needs. By adding a solar array to this facility, Budweiser is expected to save $100,000 annually in energy costs.

It seems as if Budweiser isn’t the only one who has noticed the relationship between more sustainable energy sources and tangible financial savings. FedEx Freight has a 282 kilowatt solar power system at its Whittier, California location, and produces 414,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Alcoa – the mammoth Pittsburgh aluminum manufacturer installed a 588 kW, roof-mounted photovoltaic solar power system at one of its California locations in 2007. Stonyfield Farm has its own solar array too. Installed in 2005 at the company’s Londonderry, NH location, the company has a 50 kW solar photovoltaic array – the largest in New Hampshire.

Big businesses all over the country seem to be waking up to the realities of global warming, and rethinking how they do business. While a solar array here or a wind farm there might seem small in relation to how much we need to do to fight global warming, it’s important to remember that the tide is turning. Corporations tend to go where the money goes, so the fact that profitable businesses like Budweiser, Alcoa, FedEx and Stonyfield Farms are all using renewable energy to run their businesses, may mean that other big businesses aren’t too far behind.

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I’ve noticed an abundance of reusable shopping bags being offered everywhere I go lately. The Massachusetts General Hospital Blood Donor Center handed over an attractive tote after I handed over a pint, the Craft Brewer’s Convention passed out their conference goodies in sturdy beige bags, and every grocery store I visit has cheap bags offered right at the register. Hooray! Perhaps the tide is finally turning.

I’ve found a whole new batch of cute totes and reusable bags that can be used to haul groceries, books, laundry, gifts, lunches and any other smallish-items you might be inclined to carry around. And remember, the easier you make it on yourself to incorporate reusable bags into your life, the easier it will be to make meaningful changes to your actions. So keep grocery bags in your car – you don’t need them in the kitchen! Carry small totes in your purse or bag, and buy the cheap ones when you leave home without your favorites. Remember, you can always give away bags you buy but don’t necessarily love.

If you’re one of those special people who likes to gift their friends with beer, or if you include six-packs as part of your picnic supplies, you might like these Bottle Bags from Reisenthel. These sturdy canvas bags fit up to 9 bottles, and are designed so the bottles don’t tip over or bang against wach other while being carried. These Fair Trade/Fair Labor bags are affordable and can be purchased at Reusable Bags for between $13.50 and $15.00 a piece.

When it comes to Reisenthel products, I also really like the Market Basket. Designed to resemble a basic grocery store basket, these aluminum-frame baskets are designed to carry up to 55 pounds of goods. I have seen people using these baskets at my local farmer’s market, and love the fact that they are structured and supportive enough to carry everything from containers of liquids to bunches of flowers or plants. The colorful patterns help too! You can find these baskets for about $35 on the Reusable Bag site.

Lunch bags don’t need to boring – at least that’s what I discovered when I stumbled on the Built NY website. Crafted from Neoprene (the material used to make most wetsuits), Gourmet Getaway Lunch Totes are insulated lunch bags that will keep your food and drinks cold for about 4 hours after being packed. The bags all have zip closures (so nothing gets in or out!), and are machine washable. Built NY sells the bags in a range of colors and patterns for between $22.00 and $25.00 on their website.

If you’re looking to do away with those plastic sandwich bags in your life,? you might like these funny ReUsies Snack Bags. Developed by a group of moms in Seattle, ReUsies are meant to replace plastic sandwich and snack bags. Both the small snack bags and the larger sandwich bags come in a range of kid-friendly and just plain patterns and colors. These bags are made from 100% cotton, and lined with PVC-free nylon. You can machine wash all ReUsies products, and feel good that by using these bags you’re keeping plastic from ever entering your landfill. The bags are a deal too, especially when compared to conventional plastic baggies that carry so many lunches to offices and schools everyday.

Remember, if you make the process of changing your eco-habits fun and enjoyable, you’ll be more likely to stick to the plan. Carry bags that suit your personal style. Buy enough bags to stash at home, in the car, at the gym, in your office – wherever you think you might need them! I buy groceries while working sometimes, so I try and keep at least 2 bags in my desk drawer there. Reusable bags don’t have to be a burden – with the right colors, the perfect patterns, and a collection of bags suited to your needs, you’ll always be both stylish and eco-chic!

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We’ve entered that special time of the year when the smell of lilacs fills the air, when trees and bushes explode in pink, yellow and white blossoms, and when gardens need your love and attention after another long winter. For those of us who love gardening, now is the time that we pull out our wheelbarrows and rakes, map out where we want to plant new flowers, and get our hands dirty working in beds.

In caring for our gardens however, it’s important to consider how your actions are impacting the environment. While it seems contradictory that your gardening activities could have a negative impact on the earth (you are gardening after all), you might be surprised to find out how many seemingly innocent products and practices are actually eco-adverse.

By incorporating a few “green” practices into your gardening habits, you can create a more healthy outdoor ecosystem and have a truly “green” garden this season. And while you may have to compromise a little bit (after all, it’s hard to have perfect green grass if you don’t use chemicals on your lawn), but at the end of the summer you’ll feel better about your yard and have reduced your negative enviromental impact on your own land.

Change your Mowing Habits

For a nation trying to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and petroleum, Americans use an awful lot of it when mowing their lawns. There’s no need to power mowers with petrol however, and one way to reduce your footprint is to go petroleum-free when it comes to your lawn. If you have a small patch of grass, consider investing in a push-mower. Clean Air Gardening offers several types that range in price from $109 for a Scotts Classic Reel Push Mower to $1300 for a?Putting Green Reel Mower that provides that manicured and finished look found on golf course.

If you have a larger yard, try buying an electric lawn mower instead of one that runs on gas. Electric mowers still require the use of electricity and power cords, however, they only consume about $5 in electricity annually. Additionally, electric mowers are quiet and don’t contribute to the buzz-saw sound of gas mowers that’s often prevalent on warm weekend afternoons. Sears has electric mowers that range from $160 for the Black and Decker 18 inch Electric Mower, to $239 for the Craftsman 19 inch Premium Electric Mower.

Mulch, than Mulch Some More!

Mulch is a great water saver in the garden as it prevents water from evaporating, keeps your plants’ roots cool, and holds water for longer, therefore requiring that your water your plants less often. Mulch also gives your beds a well-kept and finished look, and improve your soil by adding organic matter to your mix. Learn more about the benefits of mulching by visiting The National Resources Conservation Service.

Buy Heirloom Plants and Seeds

Not all seeds are created equal – especially when some of those seeds have been genetically modified in a lab! When planting a garden, consider only using heirloom seeds and plants – those that were introduced before 1951, when plant breeders introduced hybrid plants developed from inbred lines. Heirlooms are old, open-pollinated plants, and have not been altered by science.

Many people also feel that heirloom fruits and vegetables taste better and are easier to grow than fruit and vegetables from hybrid plants. Regardless, when you grow heirlooms you are growing the same plants that your grandparents grew, and contributing to an environment filled with naturally-propagated plants instead of those created in a lab.

Go Organic!

When growing vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees, there is no need to add chemical fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides. You can still produce a bumper crop of tomatoes or prize-winning flowers without dumping chemicals into the ground. Check out these tips for organic pest control from Organic Garden Pests, or Extremely Green’s Organic Pest Control Guide. Remember too, whatever you dump on your herbs, fruits and vegetables will eventually make its way back to you – so think twice before pouring Miracle Gro or other chemical foods and fertilizers all over your gardens.

I hope these simple tips will help point you in the right direction this spring. There are tons of other green gardening tips out there that I can’t address in one post – keep tuned though and I will try to bring you more tips for the garden as we get deeper and deeper into this beautiful non-winter weather. Happy Gardening!

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For years now I have struggled to find shampoos and conditioners that work for my ultra-sensitive hair and skin, but also leave my hair soft and shiny. When I was a teenager I realized that my scalp wasn’t able to handle my applying the same shampoos and conditioners for extended periods of time – if I did, I always ended up with weird red bumps and and itchy scalp – no fun! Because of this condition (which I never bothered to really research), I started using organic and all natural hair care products in college and have never looked back.

Over the years the selection of organic shampoos and conditioners has grown significantly – which is great since after using all of the shampoo from a bottle, I HAVE to switch brands! I can remember when there were only 3 or 4 options on the market, and I would rotate between them, hoping that my scalp wouldn’t break out while doing so.

With so many new choices cropping up all the time, I thought I would point out a few of my favorite brands and help others of you who are looking for organic hair care products that are affordable, don’t contain petrochemicals and toxic fragrances, and aren’t tested on animals.

My favorite brand currently has to be Alba Botanicals. Made with papaya, jojoba, sunflower seed, macadamia and kukui nut oils, the Alba Hair Care line leaves your hair silky smooth and also smelling like a tropical rain forest. I especially like the Mango Moisturizing Hair Wash and Conditioner (both of which are infused with vitamin-rich pineapple and papaya extracts), and love the way my hair feels when it’s clean and dry. Alba Botanicals is one of the primary product lines of Avalon Natural Products – a company with a long-standing commitment to creating environmentally sustainable products.

I am also partial to Avalon Organics hair care products, which happen to also be a part of the Avalon Natural Products product line. Oddly, I had no idea that the shampoos were made by the same company until I started researching the brands just now. I’ve been using Avalon Organics for a few years now, and have tried their Lavender Nourishing, Lemon Clarifying, Rosemary Volumizing and Peppermint Revitalizing products – and I love them all. The Peppermint shampoo and conditioner are especially pungent and help wake me up when I step into the shower still half in dreamland.

If you’re looking for a great company that makes eco-sensitive products for your hair (and skin), Avalon Natural Products might be the company you’ve been waiting to find. Not only are their products affordable (about $8 per bottle for both shampoo and conditioner), but they also have a commitment to the environment which they take the time to spell out on their corporate website. The company is reducing their carbon footprint at every level of their business, and is also dedicated to investing in their local community.

Another love of mine are the shampoos and conditioners made by the good people at Burt’s Bees. While I have been a fan of Burt’s Bees skincare products (specifically their Coconut Foot Cream, Beeswax Moisturizing Day Cream and Radiance Eye Cream) for years, I only recently discovered their shampoos and conditioners. I must admit that I’m partial to the Color Keeper Green Tea & Fennel Seed Shampoo and Conditioner – the products have an aroma that arouses nostalgic feelings in me, and I always smile when I smell it on my hair! The company also carries several other shampoos and conditioners with flavors such as Grapefruit & Sugar beet, and Raspberry & Brazil Nut. Almost good enough to eat!

I am relatively certain that Burt’s Bees does a lot of good work when it comes to the environment, but was unable to confirm so when researching this post. For whatever reason the website would not allow me to access the company’s “About Us” page or their Media/News pages…

Other brands you might consider checking out include: Nature’s Gate, Kiss My Face, Jason Natural Products, Aveda, Lush, and The Body Shop. I’ve used shampoo and conditioner from each company – except for Lush – and highly recommend them all. Lush is next on my list, so stayed tuned for an update about the handmade organic skin and hair care products from them. Here’s to the never-ending search for the perfect eco-friendly hair care products!

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of research on organic farming, organic businesses, and what it means to call something “Organic.” There are all kinds of products and businesses popping up these days that are labeled ‘Green,’ ‘All Natural,’ ‘Organic,’ and ‘Eco-Friendly,’ but what exactly do those labels mean? How do you know that the food you’re eating, the clothes you’re wearing or the beer you’re enjoying are as devoid of chemicals and pesticides as they claim…

Defining Organic

First of all, it’s important to understand how the US government, specifically the USDA, define something as “Organic.” With so much emphasis on organic food these days, it’s logical to think that this information would be readily accessible when visiting the USDA website, and well-organized once found. Sadly, this is not the case.

Located deep within the USDA, the National Organic Program (NOP) (a program under the umbrella of the Agricultural Marketing Service agency) is listed as a program (not an agency or an office) that:

…develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products.

Unfortunately for consumers, the NOP site isn’t really designed to answer basic questions about organic products. The site does include a Reading Room with fact sheets that outline the history of the National Organic Standards Board and labeling requirements for organic products, but overall doesn’t really present broad-base consumer information about organic goods.

Within the Reading Room I did find one helpful document – the Organic Labeling and Marketing Information fact sheet. Using this fact sheet, I was able to put find official definitions for 3 types of organic standards:

“100% Organic” – Products labeled as 100 percent organic must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients and processing aids.

“Organic” – Products labeled organic must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt).

“Made with Organic Ingredients” – Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase made with organic ingredients and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel.

While doing this research however, I kept thinking about the fact that the label on my Honest Tea bottle says “USDA Organic,” not 100% Organic. This led me to wonder, does a label that says “USDA Organic” mean that the product it’s certifying is 100% Organic? And if so, why doesn’t it say so on the label?

After digging a little deeper on the NOP site, I found a Labeling Preamble document – the regulatory text defining USDA Organic Labeling – and this informative fact: “…the labeling requirements for “100 percent organic” products are the same as requirements for 95 percent organic products.” Ah ha – mystery solved!

Apparently, the logo (above) can be used on goods that meet both “100% Organic,” and “Organic” certifications – and does not necessarily indicate that the product within is made from fully organic ingredients.? So what’s a consumer to do when they want the assurance that the goods they’re buying are all organic – and not just 95% organic? The difference may seem small, but to some of us, it still matters!

Stay tuned for more on this subject as I explore the meaning of Organic Goods in future posts.

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This weekend – in a burst of spring fever and massive procrastination – I decided to completely rearrange my living room. For the past few months I’ve been working on a large project (with an impending deadline), and constantly staring at my computer screen was starting to take a toll. I figured it wouldn’t take too long move my office to the dining area, and the dining area to the office area – no big deal…

Clearly, it was a big deal…

In the 24-hours since I decided to pick up everything I own, clean it all, and put it all in new places, I’ve come to realize the following:

1. If your floors are uneven and make your furniture wobble, you can use the cardboard from old shoe boxes as coasters. I like to cut the tops off of boxes (since the tops are thicker than the boxes), and add layers to steady my furniture exactly as needed.

2. Fondue forks can be used to support floppy plants. You can also use chopsticks, old silverware, and sticks (you know – the kind you find on trees).

3. Old bookshelves (not the cases, but the actual shelves) are great for creating flat surfaces. Even if I toss an old bookcase, I always keep the shelves. I have one old bookshelf underneath the legs on one side of my desk (the floors in this place are really uneven), and have used another as a makeshift table top.

4. Old folders can last forever. To spruce them up (and hide random doddles, musings and notes), I taped photographs and cool cards on their covers, than filled them up with my project notes.

5. Pint glasses make excellent pen holders. So do coffee mugs, mason jars and vases. Really, is there ever any reason to buy a pen holder…

6. Reusable shopping bags (the kind we should all be using for groceries and other goods) are great for storing recyclables. They have the added benefit that, when full, you just pick them up and dump their contents into your outdoor bins. And if the bags get sticky or smelly, you can always throw them into the wash.

7. Instead of buying new pots for your plants, turn vases, bowls and ceramic dishes into cool planters. If you need to put your plants on trays, use old plates and platters to catch the runoff.

8. With a little imagination, you can transform almost anything. Instead of tossing a shoddy filing cabinet (purchased at Staples and made of corrugated cardboard), I covered it with a table cloth and turned it into an end table.

9. If you have walls to cover and are lacking in the art department, hang up maps of your favorite places. If maps don’t suit your tastes, you might consider using album covers (vinyl album covers that is), pictures from old calendars, and postcards instead.

10. When lovingly cared for and well maintained, antique, hand-me-down and used furniture will last indefinitely. My desk chair, filing cabinet (turned end table) and mattress are the only “new” pieces of furniture I own – everything else has been passed down or somehow scavenged. I have 2 comfortable hand-me-down couches, bookcases from yard sales and a dresser bequeathed to my parents 40 years ago – and all of it works. And while nothing really “matches,” when put together, everything basically works…

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I would love to go out and buy pre-made coasters to fit beneath my desk, pot all of my plants in new planters, and find a desk, bookcases and end tables that all match… I think we all feel this way sometimes, but the point is that we all need to start letting those feelings pass without rushing out and snatching up more stuff.

Look around your house – chances are good that you already own most of what you need – it may just be that you have to think about using what you own in different ways. I’d love to hear your tips on reusing household items, and welcome tips on how you ruse goods to reduce consumption.

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Last June I wrote a blog post about my personal Green Guilt. The post detailed my eco-sins, and at the end of it I promised that I’d try and make some meaningful changes and work towards reducing the negative ecological impact I was causing with these actions. In the 9-months since publishing that post, I am happy to report that, all-in-all, I’ve done a pretty good job at changing my behaviors and lessening my impact on the Earth. So without further ado…

1. The first item on last year’s list was the fact that I was driving 500+ miles per week. Between my 70-mile daily commute and trips back and forth to visit friends, I drove 26,000 miles? in just one year’s time! And while I do drive a relatively fuel-efficient VW Jetta, keep its tires properly inflated and get the oil changed regularly, I drove more than double the national average. According to the EPA’s Household Emissions Calculator, my driving habits in 2008 produced a whooping 8.3 tons of CO₂ last year – 3.7 tons more than the average driver!

Since the beginning of 2009, I have made an effort to reduce how much I drive, and so far I’ve stuck to the plan. While I still have the same commute, I work at home 2-3 times each month, and I visit my far-flung friends less often during the week. I’ve also been taking fewer trips to visit my family (who live about 50 miles from my house), and am staying longer (often overnight) when I do visit. In making these minor changes, I’ve shaved off 500 miles a month from my total – and am producing 1.92 fewer tons of CO₂ annually.

2. Next on my list was my lack of recycling at work. Because my workplace does not participate in mandatory recycling (on any level), I would often toss my plastic bottles and paper into the garbage bin beneath my desk. Since June, we’ve not yet implemented an across-the-board recycling program in our offices, but I have started recycling more and more on my own. And having cut down on purchasing beverages packaged in plastic bottles, I’ve reduced the overall volume of what I consume. In terms of work, I also essentially stopped printing anything, started turning off my computer more often, and do more lunch-time carpooling with co-workers.

3. My next sin was the fact that I threw away all kinds of food. This one killed me. I would buy beautiful fruits and vegetables with the highest intentions, only to let them rot in the fridge while I ate with friends, in restaurants or not at all. Since June I’ve gotten a lot more careful about not wasting food. I’ve started buying smaller amounts of food, cooking at home, and making sure that my veggies are chopped up and ready to eat when I load them into the fridge.

4. When I would go out on the weekends, I used to leave NHPR playing on the radio (for the plants perhaps?). Now I simply don’t!

5. Another of my previous guilt-inducing actions was that I didn’t always being a reusable mug when filling up at the local coffee shop. I am proud to say that, since June, I’ve probably filled up with reusable mugs 95% of the times I’ve enjoyed java from my local coffee shops! If I leave the house without a mug I go back and get it! And in an effort to further reduce my waste, I try to reuse the paper bags that come with the scones that I so love (thanks Popovers!).

6. OK, so I do sometimes (though not as often) buy coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. When I do however (and it’s really only 2-3 times a month that I do), I have started going into the stores (instead of using the drive-through), and filling up with my reusable mugs.

7. Number 7 on my list was the fact that I liked to drive around with the windows open and the air conditioning on when it was hot outside. Honestly, it’s been cold for so long now that this seems like a moot point! And while I honestly can’t remember if I was still doing this at the end of the summer – I’m pretty sure I wasn’t. Most of my driving is on the highway, and it’s nearly impossible to be comfortable while doing 70 with the windows open.

8. The next item on my list dealt with my purchasing less-than-green clothes. In addition to the fact that I bought clothes made from synthetic fabrics, I would also buy goods manufactured by companies with sub-par eco-policies and processes. I’ve made some improvements in this area of my life, but my actions still aren’t as green as they could be.

My winter coat, ski hat and ski-pants are made by ecologically-conscious companies (The North Face, and Obermeyer), and about 50% of the clothes I’ve purchased since June have been second-hand. I will admit that I’ve bought a few Van Heusen shirts however, and their messaging on Corporate Responsibility includes one sentence on the preservation and improvement of the environment. I doubt the adorable Marc Fisher heels I bought last week are eco-friendly either!

9. Purchasing pre-packaged organic meals was another eco-sin on my list. And while I have reduced the amount of pre-packaged meals I’m buying (in large part because I’m cooking more), I still love Amy’s Kitchen organic meals – especially the Mattar Paneer! All I can say is, at least it’s organic!

10. Last but not least on my list was my love of Polar Seltzer and the countless plastic bottles produced through my freakish seltzer consumption. And while I am enjoying a bottle of the Black Cherry Seltzer as I type this, I have gone from drinking 2 bottles a day to about 2 bottles a month. The build-up of plastic bottle induced guilt was just too much, so I did what was right and put the bottles down.

While I can’t say I’ve changed all my bad habits and rid fully rid myself of green guilt, I think I’ve done a pretty good job of making changes that make a difference. I’m driving less, recycling more, reusing whenever possible, and remaining consciously aware of what I buy and how those products are sourced. My recycling bins have fewer plastic bottles kicking around, my closet is filling up with more second-hand treasures, and my plants seem perfectly content even though they no longer listen to NHPR when I leave the house.

Hope you’re having luck changing your habits too, and I would love to hear about the changes you’ve made for the planet!

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I am a recovering Massachusetts dweller who used to work for a mostly environmental communications firm outside of Boston, so it was under some surprise that I randomly found a documentary playing on the Sundance channel that was entitled “The Greening of Southie“, which basically followed the development of the Maccallen Building in South Boston as it attempted to get an LEED certification of being a green building.

The interesting part of this movie was that it showed the very real issues that are going into green building development – the retraining of the construction workers for materials installation, the cost of travel for green materials and the prohibitive cost of living in green spaces. The most important of all the issues in the film highlighted the cultural differences between the ideology of green development and the army of workers that it effects. From the blue collar bricklayer to the upper middle class management who are trying to collate all of the existing materials together to get LEED certification – which ironically,? it appears to take an entire tree’s worth of paper to be certified as LEED.

My one problem with the project was that instead of installing solar panels on the roof of the building which would make the building much more energy efficient and reduce the tenant’s electrical bills, they installed some sort of roof shrubbery that grows in harsh climate and with minimal effort–but in a stroke of green karma retribution by the end of the film all of the plants had died, and would need to be replanted.

One of the thoughts that I had walking away from this was, yes, I think it is important to use more renewable goods instead of plastic laminate that will spend forever in a landfill after the construction & use process. But the most important thing we can do is to repurpose our existing living spaces using greener solutions – renewable flooring, carpeting, low VOC paints. The film is definatly worth a watch, however, after you do watch it, take a stroll over to the photojournalist essay on urban decay that is happening to the city of Detroit.

Earlier in the winter I posted an article about organic beers called Where to Find Great Organic Brews. Being that my parents are involved in the brewing industry, they were both excited that I’d written about organic beer and passed the link along to some of their friends and acquaintances who brew beer for a living.

One of the brewers my dad chatted with about my organic beer blog post was Hugh Sisson, Founder and General Partner of Baltimore’s Clipper City Brewing Company. Clipper City brews Oxford Organic Ales, and currently offers 2 award-winning organic brews – Oxford Class Organic Amber Ale and Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat Beer.

After my parents returned home from a trip to Maryland, my dad mentioned that I’d overlooked Clipper City in my organic beer post, then pulled out three of their Raspberry Wheat Beer (I think the other three were absorbed by my dad as a “transportation tax”) – specially sent for my enjoyment by Hugh Sisson. I was dumbfounded – until that moment, no one had ever sent me anything (other than mail and comments, which I love) as a result of my blogging!

The beers, by the way, were delicious. The Raspberry Wheat Beer is light and fruity, with the berry taste lingering a moment after you swallow the brew. And while I savored the brews in the dead of New Hampshire’s winter, I tasted a hint of sunshine and endless summer days until I reached the bottom of the bottles. Clearly, receiving free bear hasn’t biased me at all!

All kidding aside though, Clipper City makes eco-friendly beers that taste great and are certified organic by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. In addition to brewing organic beers, the brewery is committed to being a part of their local community, and has a stated mission of “bringing back the local brewery.” Stop by Clipper City if you’re in the Baltimore area, and be sure you treat yourself to one of the Oxford Organic Ales. If you can’t make it to the brewery, Clipper City Beers are sold all over the east coast, and as far west as Illinois. Sadly however, they’re not available in New Hampshire or Vermont…

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