Creating sustainable spaces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYDQcBQUDpw Recently I heard about a woman named Lauren Singer (watch the video), who recycles everything and produces only about one Mason jar worth of trash every year. I found it a little hard to believe and then I thought that it was probably possible for a single person to achieve, but never for a family. Then,… Continue reading Baby Steps
Right-sizing is a philosophy that I have been advocating for almost 20 years. I was introduced to the idea of not so big by Sarah Susanka's Not So Big House. I devoured that book. The concepts Sarah introduced spoke to me on so many levels (you can imagine how happy I was not just for… Continue reading Right-Sizing
By far, one of the best libraries I have been able to patronize was the Palatine Public Library, in Palatine, IL. The extensive selection and regular display updates made it possible for me to happen upon Wanda Urbanska's Simple Living DVD series in 2012. I had recently begun running again (indoors, on a treadmill, during… Continue reading Reuse Your Cup
Some of us have had the experience of living in a town where we are able to commingle all of our recyclables into one big toter. It's fantastic -- cardboard, paper, plastics, metal, and glass all can be placed in the same bin to be picked up at the curb, destined for sorting at the… Continue reading 5 Simple Ways to Start Recycling
A new pilot program in New York City proposes to cut down on pollution from Food Trucks (also sometimes affectionately known as grease trucks). According to Margaret Rhodes, most food carts run off diesel generators, sometimes for almost 14 hours, which can pollute the air with carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter. The Queens, NY-based… Continue reading Grease Trucks Go Solar
A few years ago, I moved back to NJ after living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago for five years. While I was living in Chicagoland, I happened upon a garden show on the radio one Sunday morning on the way to work at my part-time job. A garden show! I felt like a nerd,… Continue reading The Mike Nowak Show
A co-worker and I were discussing the intensification of solicitation for giving to charity during the holiday season (which, honestly, is also sometimes fueled by the benefit of an income tax break for the current year). At any rate, it reminds us of something we tend to just passively consider during the rest of the year: giving… Continue reading Season for Giving
This video is too good not to share. It is truly funny and makes a good point. I can't wait to see the next in the series! "Nowadays everything has a brand and marketing campaign. What about nature?" — Justin Bogardus, writer/director of Nature Rx Update: Here is the Nature Rx Part 2 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ8H4EK2vt4… Continue reading Nature Rx
Gardening needs to be easy for me. I have various priorities that are equally important, so my weekends and (short) evenings cannot be dedicated solely to gardening. As a result, I'm somewhat of a lazy gardener. So, the easier and care-free something makes my garden, the better. After losing some of my vegetables to various garden… Continue reading Easy Gardening: Crop Cage
The New York City Department of Sanitation announced a ban of some polystyrene containers beginning July 1st, 2015, joining other metro areas such as Los Angeles, CA, Portland, Washington DC, and Seattle. According to the Department's website, nyc.gov, polystyrene (better known by the Dow Chemical brand name, Styrofoam) items are banned for sale, distribution, and use.… Continue reading NYC Styrofoam Ban
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