Recently in Going Green Category

By Drew Monthie of Ecologic Consulting

I have never been a fan of turf grass.  For starters I hate mowing and on top of that all 3 species of grasses used in lawns (Bluegrass, Rye and Fescue) are native to Europe.  They are cool-season grasses which means that they look their best when temperatures are cool and conditions moist. This is why your lawn looks nice in spring and fall, but not so hot in summer.  In their native habitat these grasses go dormant during the hot months of summer.  Here in North America to keep turf grass looking good when it's supposed to be resting we waste phenomenal amounts of water: 30 to 60% percent of residential water used outside is used on grass which amounts to more 7 billion gallons of water used per day for lawn irrigation.  To fertilize all of this grass and kill the pests common to the unhealthy practice of growing monocultures we use 3 million tons of fertilizers annually. Over 30 thousand tons of synthetic pesticides are used on lawns annually.  $2.2 billion (2002) or more is spent annually on pesticides for home and garden use.
The average homeowner per acre uses 10 times the amount of pesticides that farmers do (Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, 2008).  Many (if not all) non-organic fertilizers and pesticides are organo-phosphates or carbamates meaning they are made from petroleum further increasing our dependence on foreign oil.

I know! I know! You're thinking that I'm crazy for saying that recycling is bad, I mean... people have been saying for years now that everyone needs to recycle, recycle, and recycle! But what if there was an alternative plan?

Doug and Aimee Azaert's Sustainable Living at The Glen:

Wild Waters Outdoor Center and The Glen Lodge & Market

by Persis Granger

Doug Azaert grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and settled in the Adirondacks in 1982, teaching kayaking with some buddies. After a year or so, they realized that guiding rafters was more lucrative than teaching people how to paddle.

Saratoga Healthy Transportation Network is sponsoring the "First Annual" Saratoga Bike To Work Day Challenge. Companies with offices/workplaces in Saratoga County are encouraged to form Bike To Work Teams for Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 15^th 2009.

by Donna Pochaski of Vintage Chic Furniture

I started painting distressed furniture "shabby chic style" first out of necessity. I pulled a piece of furniture off the curb that someone was throwing away. I just moved into a small and super cute old cottage style house and I realized I needed more furniture.  I found great candidate that somebody had left on the curb. I loaded into my vehicle, went to home depot, bought some paint, a brush, and some sandpaper and went to work. I chose white paint - I love white, and it's the cheapest paint to buy!  After priming and painting, I proceeded to sand the edges to give it that aged distressed look. I loved the way it came out.  Then it hit me - this is how I'm going to decorate my whole house!! The white finish was light and bright and I just loved it.