Before You Toss That Magazine...

If you're one of those folks that has a stack of "already read" magazines somewhere in the house, or if you toss them in the trash when you're done (although hopefully you're recycling them), consider donating them to the Adult Basic Literacy (ABL) program at CPCC.

The program teaches adults basic literacy skills, and will provide the magazines for their students to take home and read so they can practice outside the classroom.

Please make sure the magazines are in good condition, and they should be relatively recent issues. It's a great cause!

More info on the program:

ABLE Center Purpose of Agency: Students are assisted with high school level studies.
Web Address: www.cpcc.edu/adult_high_school
Contact: Ellen Fuller, ABLE Tutor coordinator
Phone: (704) 330-6746 Fax: (704) 330-6780
E-Mail: ellen.fuller@cpcc.edu Location: CPCC Central Campus - CH 319, West Campus, Dowd YMCA, and Johnston YMCA

Recycling Calculator

For a very easy, very quick way to see what impact your recycling may have, check out the "Recycling Calculator" from the National Recycling Coalition at http://www.nrc-recycle.org/#.

It should take roughly five minutes to finish. Just plug in how many Sunday papers you recycle in a month, for instance, and you'll find out how many trees you save in a year.

Water and Energy

"Charlotte Talks" on NPR had an interesting conversation about "Drought and Water Supply" on August 14th. Something I learned from the conversation between Mike Collins and his guests included the fact that it takes water to make energy. Energy consumption spikes during periods of high temperatures, like the one we're in right now. Duke Energy then must use more water to generate the electricity we're demanding to run our air conditioning, etc. The link between power consumption and water levels in the lakes was something that I simply hadn't thought about before. The message is that there are two ways you can help conserve water - use less water AND use less energy.

Here's the link to the archived show at the WFAE web site:
http://www.wfae.org/wfae/nav1024.cfm?cat=18&subcat=93

You can check out the current levels of local lakes at the Duke Energy site:
http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/levels.asp

Give it Away

The average American tosses about 68 lbs of clothing and textiles each year. That statistic just amazes me, but I’ve heard it more than once. I can’t imagine throwing a usable item of clothing in the trash, but in my case I have a nephew that receives most of my son’s hand-me-downs. It occurred to me that maybe folks just don’t know what to do with clothes when they’re done with them because they don’t fit anymore, are stained/ripped, don’t fit anymore, are out of fashion or don’t fit anymore (noticing a theme?).

Here are a few suggestions of local charities that accept donations of clothing, but I’m positive there are many more out there. The benefits of donating are many. In addition to helping someone out, you are keeping your used duds out of a landfill that much longer, and possibly reducing the environmental impact it takes to make new ones. After all, it takes it takes roughly 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just ONE T-shirt. (source: Treehugger)

Try these on for size:

Thompson Child and Family Focus
http://www.thompsoncff.org/getinvolved_childrensneeds.htm

Goodwill Donation Centers
Plug in your zip code and search for locations near you.
http://www.goodwillsp.org/

Salvation Army
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn.nsf/vw-sublinks/85256DDC007274DF80256B80003C8893?openDocument

Dress For Success
http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?sisid=120&pageid=22


There are many more organizations that accept clothing donations. See this article for a list of some more:
http://charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/used-clothing.htm

Other Sources:
Treehugger.com http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/11/how_to_green_yo_12.php

Charity Navigator (the first place I usually check before getting involved with a new charity) http://www.charitynavigator.org/

Green and Going Nowhere

If you have tomatoes in your garden, like I do, you might be panicking right now. To a casual passer-by, they look great. Green and fairly plentiful. But the problem is that they've looked exactly like that for a long, long time now.

"Frozen in time" is how I described it to Don Rosenberg of Instant Organic Gardens. His response to me was to tell me - again - that this is the work of the heat wave we've been having. In other words, be patient! Also, Don advised "if the green tomatoes have white stars on the bottom you can pick a few and let them ripen indoors. They will start to move again once the heatwave breaks."

No white stars on mine. But, I'll take Don's advice and stay patient. He also suggested a rain barrel for the garden, which I'll check out and include in a future post.

Green Confessions - Paper or Plastic

Since the September issue of Green Around The Edges – Charlotte focuses on paper and plastic bags, it’s only fair that I start my "confessions" on that topic!

I typically shop at Lowes Foods. I use their "pick up" service most of the time ($17.95 per month for 30 days of pickups), and I told them I preferred paper because I figured at the time that it was better than using plastic. Of course, in some ways it is and in some ways it isn’t. And really, the best thing to use is neither!

My compromise is that I picked up some reusable bags during a visit to Harris Teeter (3 of them) and I keep those, along with a big canvas bag, in the back of the car. I can’t figure out how to get Lowe’s to use my reusable bags for the groceries I pick up (although I have made that suggestion to them!). So, I try to use my reusable totes everywhere else. Driven by the guilt of those paper bags stacking up in my recycle bin, I have found myself using my little orange colored Harris Teeter totes at fruit stands, book stores and anywhere I might get a bag. And yes, I’m faithful about recycling both the paper and plastic bags I do get.

Water Woes

We will very likely be hearing more about the possible increase in watering restrictions in Union County over the next few days. As the drought situation continues and worsens locally, these links might provide a little background.

Local
Mecklenburg and surrounding counties are now in a "severe drought" according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's because since May 1st the area has received only 5.12 inches of rain instead of the 12.67 that is considered normal for the same period. This article in the Charlotte Observer highlights the current restrictions in all local counties. Interestingly, some counties have no restrictions, some have voluntary restrictions, and others (like Union) have Stage II in place with talk of going to the next level. At this point, it surprises me that all counties don't have at least voluntary restrictions in place. Source: http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/239847.html

Regional
No matter how toasty my lawn is, I won't be complaining to anyone that lives in Alabama, where over half the state is in an "exceptional drought". In fact, "over 78% of the Southeast is in at least a moderate drought condition, compared to 47% of the Southeast that was experiencing drought at the time last year" according to the WCNC Waterwise site. The current awards for "most extreme drought" go to Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Source: WCNC.com Waterwise http://wcnc.iewatershed.com/index.php?pagename=EnvironmentalNews


This map of streamflow from the USGS also gives a glimpse of where we are this year versus the same time last year.
Source: http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/?m=real&w=map&r=nc


On a side note - I'm originally from Florida, where water restrictions are common. They were just a seasonal reality where I come from, for almost as long as I can remember. Still, Stage III would represent a new level of restrictions for me, and they are something I am definitely hoping to avoid. We'll have to see what the next few days bring!

Plastic vs. Paper, Continued...

The topic of the September issue of Green Around The Edges-Charlotte is the "paper or plastic" debate, so I thought these links might be interesting as well.

Jon Coifman, national media director for the NRDC, was a guest on The Diane Rehm Show (the NPR program produced in Washington DC by WAMU) today, along with representatives from the plastic bag and grocery industries. His blog (see link below) gives his take on the show. His position is that regardless of whether or not the bags can be recycled, they are not. Americans go through 30 billion of the bags each year, it takes about 12 million barrels of oil per year to make them - and roughly 96 to 99 percent of them end up as waste.

More on the discussion can be found at the NRDC Switchboard blog site:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jcoifman/its_in_the_bag.html

The archives on the Diane Rehm show:
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/07/08/13.php#13297

The September issue, which will give some alternatives available at our local grocery stores, is due out next week!

In The Garden

Just Getting Started

A backyard garden sounds romantic, doesn’t it? In an earthy, lush, back-to-the-land kind of way. It was under this spell, and the prodding of my good friend, that I took the plunge and decided to try cultivating a few things in the back yard this summer in hopes that some of it might end up on our dinner table. Although I was skeptical at first, our garden (primarily an herb garden – hey, I’m a beginner!) thrived and we have enjoyed the experience of running out to the back yard for a tomato or some rosemary in the middle of preparing dinner.
But, as a newbie, I know I have so much more to learn. That’s where Don Rosenberg of Instant Organic Gardens came in. My friend and I asked him to come over and give our gardens a “check up”. He spent his time with us generously, sharing with us the benefit of his 20 years of gardening and answering all of our questions patiently, from whether or not our gardens were placed well in our yards to trying to help us figure out what in the heck we were growing (I lost the little labels that came with some of the tomatoes).

I'm now considering a fall garden, and I know a little bit better how to approach my summer garden next year. If you’re thinking about dipping your toe (or thumb) into the water, check out Don's article below. This is a preview of an article that will be coming out in a local publication soon.



Heatwave Hits Gardens
by Don Rosenberg, Instant Organic Garden

OK, so it's almost 100 degrees out, so how do you keep your vegetablegarden from dropping dead completely?

1. Don't Over Water.Resist the temptation to drown your plants to keep them from dryingout. It's normal for leaves to droop in the heat of the day. Insteaduse a soaker hose to water deeply every few days. Be concerned if your plants are drooping in the morning.

2. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!Mulching keeps the moisture in and the heat down. A light coloredmulch is better than a dark one.

3. Don't Fertilize!Fertilizing, especially using non-organic mixes, will cause yourplants to add new growth, even if they don't want to.

4. Be Patient.Your tomatoes and beans may stop producing. This is temporary andthey'll resume their work once temperatures drop back down.

5. Personal Safety.Use common sense and stay out of the garden during the heat of theday. If you do have to go out wear a big floppy hat and light coloredclothes and drink lots of water.

6. Water Restrictions?Go ahead and set up a water barrel to collect rain water. Use thatwater for your thirstiest plants first.

7. Get Ready for Your Fall Garden.Believe it or not, it's time to start your fall planting. Your plantsneed to start now so they'll be ready for fall harvest.

8. Plan for Next Year.Consider relocating your garden to a spot that gets at least six hoursof sun, but perhaps where it also gets afternoon shade. Mix lots of compost intoyour soil - that will allow for better water retention and deeper root growth. Avoid non-organic fertilizers - in the hot weather they'llrelease too quickly and burn your plants. Use slow release organicfertilizers instead. Choose heat resistant plants and plant themcloser together so they'll shade each other. Water deeply and less often to encourage deep root growth.

For more information contact Don Rosenberg, owner of Instant OrganicGarden, a company that installs raised bed vegetable gardens in backyards all over the Charlotte area. He can be reached at 704-364-1784and donrosenberg@gmail.com or through his website atwww.instantorganicgarden.com.


Note: Don is also involved in a new MeetUp group for people interested in healthy living. You can find out more at http://wellness.meetup/130/.

"Store" Wars

Talley's Green Grocery (located in the Dilworth area), has a link to a short video on their website called "Grocery Store Wars". Produced by Free Range Studios for the Organic Trade Federation, this takeoff of the Star Wars films features organic produce (Cuke Skywalker and Obi Wan Cannoli among others) battling the forces of evil (non-organic farming practices, led by Lord Tader).

It's a fun and creative way to introduce kids to the concepts of organic versus conventional farming. It prompted an otherwise very unlikely conversation between my son and I about what "organic" means and what we have in our house right now that is organic (yogurt -yes, chocolate chip cookies - no).

It's also prompting a visit to Talley's this week, which is probably one of the main reasons for the existence of the video in the first place!

Check it out at the link below. If your kids are Star Wars fans, like mine, it's a great lead in to a conversation that would otherwise be as dull as ... well...telling them to eat their vegetables!

http://www.talleys.com/ (Go to Newsflash Details to view the video)

Meet The Greens

Although this isn't specific to the Charlotte area, I thought this web site was too interesting not to pass along. The Greens is an interactive web site for kids, created by WGBH in Boston (the makers of NOVA, Curious George, ZOOM, etc.). The whole point is to present environmental issues to kids in an upbeat, optimistic way - and of course staying very hip in the process.

It is definitely geared toward tweens and older. My 5 year old son was unimpressed ("Mommy, where are the games?"). But anyone with older kids might want to give it a look!

http://www.meetthegreens.org/