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Obama Signs Bill Protecting 2 Million Acres in 9 States

by Angela March 31st, 2009 - No Comments »

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On Monday, March 29, President Obama signed a bill that protects over two million acres of wilderness in the US, including:

  • 43,000 acres of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia
  • over 250,000 acres of Zion National Park in Utah
  • over 250,000 acres of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

The bill gives each swath of land named the highest protection available under US law by giving them protection as public land.  It contains over 140 separate measures to protect wilderness and wildlife.  For more see the story at MSNBC.

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Organic Fertilizer

by Angela March 30th, 2009 - No Comments »

We always hear that organic food is grown with organic fertilizers.  Landscaping companies are also increasingly using organic products to meet the green demands of their customers.

Organic fertilizer is generally made from fish, animal, or plant matter rather than the traditional chemicals that have gone into fertilizer in the past.  Don’t forget that most organic of fertilizer, compost.  It isn’t quite warm enough yet to make it, but when it is it will keep your garden healthy and the planet just a little bit greener.

As we get into the growing season, where can we find organic fertilizer?

Neptune’s Harvest

This company claims to have fertilized the world’s two largest pumpkins in 2007.  Their fertilizer is based on fishmeal.

Agrogreen
This company makes more than just fertilizer, but the liquid fertilizer has received several organic certifications.

How to Fertilize Organically
In case you were wondering, here is a how-to on fertilizing successfully with organic products.

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Hemp is Not Pot – Why Aren’t We Growing it to Make Money?

by Angela March 29th, 2009 - No Comments »

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Industrial hemp is the answer to the prayers of a number of failing farmers.  Canadian farmers have had limited success with the non-THC bearing version of the crop that was decriminalized in Canada at the beginning of the millenium.  For more on industrial hemp and how it can help American farmers in a time of economic crisis, head on over to Alternet for a meaty, long, and completely worth the time article on the subject.

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Green Home Furniture

by Angela March 28th, 2009 - No Comments »

Essentia may sell eco-friendly mattresses, but have you ever wondered how to get furniture for the rest of your home that is made from sustainable sources?  You can, from various online sources.  From bamboo furniture to furniture made from sustainably harvested wood, there is eco-friendly furniture for every taste out there.

Green Furniture.com
This is probably the largest online shopping site for sustainably created furniture.  Prices aren’t quite as low as IKEA but comparable to a “regular” furniture store.  Some items, particularly in bamboo, are very expensive.

Maku Furnishings
This company’s furnishings lend themselves to industrial and home use.

White Design

This company makes furniture out of recycled and sustainable materials.

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Earth Hour is Tomorrow Night

by Angela March 27th, 2009 - No Comments »

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Don’t forget that Saturday March 28th at 8:30pm is Earth Hour.  All you have to do is switch off your lights to participate.  The organizers of Earth Hour encourage you to take a photograph, liveblog, make a video, or twitter your experience during Earth Hour.  For more visit their website.

Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million homes switched off their lights for an hour.  The event went viral in 2008 with many people around the world taking part.  The goal for 2009 is to get 1 billion people participating – let’s help to get it there!

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Green Office Supplies

by Angela March 26th, 2009 - No Comments »

Green OfficeDo you have a hard time trusting the “Green” labels at your local office supply box store?  Would you rather shop at a place who has already done all the research for you, especially since you are rushed and don’t really have time to look into how green your office supplies really are?  Look no further – here are a couple of online one-stop shops that you can get your eco-friendly office supplies at.

The Green Office
Free shipping!

Green Office Supplies
A large list of online stores.

BuyGreen.com – The Office
Green office supplies from the breakroom to the boardroom.

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Mountaintop Mining to Come Under Closer Scrutiny

by Angela March 25th, 2009 - No Comments »

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Mountaintop mining is a controversial method used to blow the tops off of mountains in order to mine them for coal or other natural resources.  In a complete turnaround from the Bush administration, the EPA is now planning a closer review of all mountaintop mining permits.  In two recent letters to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the director of the EPA recommended that one such application be denied and another be retooled to take streams into consideration.  For more, see the story at the New York Times.

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Local Food – Are You On a 100 Mile Diet?

by Angela March 24th, 2009 - No Comments »

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The local food movement has long since gone from gaining traction to becoming an integrated part of the grocery buys done by most greenies.  There are some great online resources out there dedicated to your education on how to find and buy local food.  Here they are for your reference:

US

Natural Resources Defense Council – Eat Local
Great directory giving you an idea of what is in season and how to eat local

Local Harvest

Probably the most thorough resource on the subject.

Canada

Local Food Plus
Great directory which gives you “where to buy” along with information on their new certification process.

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Obama Makes More Green Announcements Today

by Angela March 23rd, 2009 - No Comments »

Obama has taken further steps to making his green economic plan a reality today by announcing several initiatives, including significant investments in clean energy.  The main initiative the White House has undertaken today is $75 Billion to make the Research and Development tax credit permanent to keep the US at the forefront of new technologies.  Some of the green technologies featured in the program include:

Orion Energy’s Apollo Light Pipe
This pipe literally pipes in sunlight from the outdoors, imbuing interior spaces with natural light and saving electricity.

Solyndra Solar Panel
This company is developing one of the world’s first cylindrical solar panels, which maximizes the efficiency of the panel.

More on Obama’s investment in clean energy through R&D dollars can be found here.

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Organic Food Baskets

by Angela March 22nd, 2009 - No Comments »

organic fruit basketWant to send a fruit basket to that special Greenie in your life that doesn’t come with a crisp undertone of pesticides? Get your next basket from one of the following sites that take care to make them with organic fruit.  Some are even vegan-friendly.

Shops

Fresh Fruit Baskets
Offers a vegan gift basket selection, primarily a fruit basket Specialist

Organic Dried Fruit and Nut baskets

A site that specializes in all things organic, many different organic food baskets

Cherry Moon Farms
A wide selection of organic fruit, including tropical fruit.

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