Building Bamboo Bicycles

How can you improve on one of the oldest means of transportation, bicycling?  Its green, emissions-free and health too!  Yet, building bamboo bicycles can help both the environment and people in developing countries who need improved options for getting around.
Bamboo can grow up to 3 feet in a single day.  The weed-like grass plant can [...]

Using Fat for Fuel

I will (shamefully) admit I took my kids through the drive-up window at McDonald’s recently.  OK – we were on a road trip and everyone was thirsty… But the point of my story is that we all noticed a “green sign” proclaiming that the fast food giant was using fat for fuel.  More precisely, it [...]

Sustainable Communities: City Planning for the Future

Do you live in a sustainable community?  Would you know what one looks like, if you did?  Green neighborhoods include a number of elements to help conserve energy, encourage pedestrian and bicycle use, promote safety and minimize travel time.
City planning for the future will be explored in more depth at the International Eco District Summit [...]

Pack Smart to Travel Greener

I’ve been living out of a suitcase for most of this summer between family vacations, baseball tournaments and a cousin’s wedding.  As I unloaded our suitcases for the last time, it struck me how easy it has been to pack smart to travel greener.
That’s right – you can cut down on weight and waste simply [...]

Organic, Local and Sustainable from Farm to Table in New Jersey

Local and sustainable are my watchwords all year long when it comes to the food I eat, but summertime is when I totally pig out on local, fresh-picked produce of all kinds.  Not for nothing is New Jersey, where I live, called the Garden State.
My part of  Hunterdon County is full of wonderful little organic [...]

5 Steps for a Green Wedding

Tomorrow, we’re going to a wedding!  My cousin is marrying his fiancé, and we couldn’t be more excited about the festivities.  I couldn’t help but notice that there were some details I would have changed if it was my ceremony.
While many people plan an eco-friendly celebration from start to finish, there are 5 steps for [...]

8 Easy Ways to Save Energy and Money

No matter what shade of “green” you may consider yourself to be (perhaps not even a hint of the hue), we all want to have more spending cash.  Its simple when you consider these 8 easy ways to save energy and money!
I have a friend who thinks that its silly to try to reduce our [...]

Paying for Utilities to Generate Green Power

Are you connected to the grid?  Pay reasonable electricity bills each month?  That could soon change.
As more and more states adopt renewable portfolio standards, utilities are being forced to invest in renewable energy in order to comply (i.e. 20% renewable energy by 2020).  European countries are doing the same thing.  Burning coal is on its [...]

Cool Your Home and Outdoor Spaces with Awnings

When I was growing up, we had a very large backyard – it was probably bigger than the interior of our single-level 1950s era rambler.  Not only was there a lot of grass, but a very huge patio.  And then there was the large canvas awning.  At the time I cursed its existence because it [...]

Getting a Charge Out of Electric Vehicles

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski is getting a charge out of electric vehicles!  Last week, Kulongoski helped promote a new charging station that is designed to look like a gasoline pump in Portland, Oregon.
Is that what its going to take to convert drivers to electric cars?
Designed by Japanese electronics maker NEC, the new EV charging station [...]

Summertime Quotes to Help You Savor the Season

Summer is in full swing, but the count-down to fall is on.  Before we think about school starting and turning that calendar to September, let’s enjoy some quotes about summer while we savor the season.  I’ve paired them up with some of my photographs that I think help illustrate the beauty of summertime.
Sit back and [...]

Out-Foxing the Trampoline?

We just love this video of a couple of playful foxes jumping on a trampoline in an England backyard.  They look like they’re having so much fun, its impossible to watch without smiling:

Credit goes to the owner of the trampoline, Samron, for the video. Credit also goes to the pair of wild foxes for out-foxing [...]

Check out the Public Library for Good, Green Entertainment

Welcome to August – the lazy, hazy days of summer!  If your kids are getting bored (like mine), its time to consider something other than movies and video games.
Why not check out the public library for good, green entertainment?
My four kids have been reading books for the past month or so while school has been [...]

Peachy Goodness at Farmers Markets

With the calendar turning to August this week, I know that there are only about 6 weeks left in our farmers’ market season.   So its time to get out there and enjoy the best pickings of the year.  Fresh produce never tasted so good!
Here in Bend, Oregon, there are 4 local markets each week (Wednesday, [...]

Canoeing to Save the Oceans

She’s at it again!  43-year old New Jersey mom, Margo Pellegrino, is canoeing the entire length of an American coastline to help save the oceans.
Specifically, Pellegrino is hoping to raise awareness of plastic that is building in our earth’s waters, particularly in the ocean’s gyres.  Massive amounts of discarded plastic are carried along ocean currents [...]