"Human society sustains itself by transforming nature into garbage."  Mason Cooley

"It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish."  JRR Tolkien

"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations."  Jean Paul Richter

It seems that we humans are caught in the crushing curl of our own giant wave of trash. A long, sad and glorious tradition of using and dumping that spans the entirety of our time on earth.

We have evolved in so many ways yet our methods of dealing with our detritus have not changed that much. Dumping, burning, waste minimization and recycling follow us everywhere we go on Earth, like the swirl of brown dust that follows the beloved Pigpen in Charles Schultz's Peanuts cartoon. Lovable and messy, that's us!

Here are some ways we can all help to green our less-than-stellar human trash-timeline:

1. If we won't or can't clean it up, do not bring unnecessary stuff onto a beach, park, campsite or any other dedicated open space. Always follow the "pack it in...pack it out" principle. Leave nothing, take only pictures. Birds, fish and wildlife everywhere will want to hug us! This also sets a really great example for our small humans, who will inherit the Earth.
2. Leave each place we go cleaner than we find it. I have always admired people on the street who pick up and properly dispose of other people's trash everywhere they go. These are true everyday heroes. It is a great green exercise to bend, pick and toss, any trash we come across, into the proper receptacle.
3. Become aware; keep our friends close, keep our trash closer. By keeping a close watch on how much trash we throw away we can begin to get an idea of the magnitude of our own personal trash cloud. Remember: out of sight, out of mind.
4. Can we please quit building giant floating trash islands in the middle of the ocean. Swear a solemn oath to never, ever again avail ourselves of the dreaded plastic shopping bag. Let's start and or sign a petition to get them banned in our state, province or country. Just imagine, if we can, a landscape without dirty plastic bags blowing in the trees, what a concept.
5. Keep it in our car and not on the roadway! Roadway trash--typically cigarette butts--is a huge problem for the environment. Newsflash: cigarette butts are extremely toxic and chock full of water, soil and animal poisoning chemicals. Yikes, did we know this before we smoked 'em?
6. If our tendencies run towards laziness, consult the Lame Environmentalist for some great ways to trick ourselves into being green.
7. Let's all go to our windows, open them and shout "Let's love the earth and leave it better than we found it!"
8. No more excuses, we all know the drill by now: reduce what we consume, reuse it until it disappears into thin air, and recycle the rest.
9. The time is right for us all to get over our big-bad-old-selves and just do it!

Have a really great green day one and all!

(Photo credit:thelastminute on flickr)

In 1894 John Muir wrote: "When California was wild, it was one sweet bee-garden throughout its entire length, north and south, and all the way across from the snowy Sierra to the ocean."

He continues by describing the immense biodiversity before him: "The great yellow days circled by uncounted, while I drifted toward the north, observing the countless forms of life thronging about me, lying down almost anywhere on the approach of night. And what glorious botanical beds I had! Often-times on awaking I would find several new species leaning over me and looking me full in the face, so that my studies would begin before rising."

This sounds like a beautiful dream, a beautiful impossible dream. But biodiversity because of its very nature is still within our reach. Favoring  biodiversity over monoculture, that is the crucial task at hand.

Here are some simple ways we can all foster green biodiversity:

1. Become informed about the historical biodiversity of where we live. Find out about local organizations that aid in the preservation of local endangered species, habitats and watershed. Learn what efforts are being attempted to restore these habitats and how we can help. Get the whole family involved.
2. Support worldwide conservation efforts whenever we can.
3. Research threatened and endangered plants species and provide some space in our landscape for them whenever possible.
4. Remove invasive species that may be choking out biodiversity on our small or large acre. Buy our seeds and plants from ethical organic sources. Plant heirloom varieties. Kick the pesticide/herbicide habit!
5. Support our local birds, they are great sowers of seed and plant a  butterfly/bee garden. Compost everything that you can.
6. Dedicate a "wilderness" area on our property where beneficial insects, birds and small wildlife may shelter and thrive. Plant a hedgerow habitat.
7. Buying our meats and produce from local ethical and organic farmers and markets whenever possible is so important.
8. Dialing back our fast food consumption sends an important message to companies that thrive on the devastating practices of monoculture.
9. Buy less stuff: use it up, wear it out, donate it, gift it. Reduce, reuse, recycle, upcycle, repeat!
10. If you are going to buy things, buy handmade things that support local economies, cottage industries and craftsmanship.
11. Whether we live in an urban or rural setting learning what we love about where we live is so important. Taking a walk in nearby nature, noticing that life is happening all around us, becoming connected, breathing...

Have a beautiful green day!

(Photo credit:ms.lume on flickr)

We've talked recently about companies who dump surplus stock with no thought to the social and environmental consequences. Now, here's the flip side: teams that glean unused fruit from privately owned trees and get it into the hands of food banks and charitable organizations. Traditional gleaning groups like the Gleaning Network coordinate tens of thousands of volunteers to glean leftovers from farmers' fields. Now, urban gleaning efforts are picking off the low-hanging fruits in residential areas and passing them along to food assistance programs.

"I'm such a sucker for efficiency," gleaner Matt Jurach told Alternet.org. "It kills me to see all the effort people put into a tree and it produces all this fruit, then it falls onto the ground and rots. It's understandable, because we're busy people. But when you have a group, we complete the last step."

Groups like Harvest Sacramento in California have already harvested nearly 10,000 pounds of produce since the beginning of the year. The typical residential fruit tree bears some 200-300 pounds of fruit a year. That's a free source of healthy, seasonal produce—a virtual gold mine for food banks that rely on inexpensive, pre-packaged staples. 

Gleaning groups send out teams of trained volunteers to identify homes with fruit trees and convince homeowners to donate their harvest. Harvest teams visit a handful of homes during a typical harvest event. Volunteers keep bruised produce and fruit that appears likely to spoil quickly, then sorts and transports the rest to local charities. Gleaning groups exist in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and California.

(Photo credit:sundaykofax, flickr)

I daresay that climate change naysayers will be forced to sit up and take notice when the price of their beloved java rises through the ceiling, roof and beyond. Eventually we all may be dialing back our coffee consumption in the face of skyrocketing prices.

Global warming is having a devastating impact on coffee growers as they scramble to claim land at higher altitudes upon which to plant their crops.

According to Nestor Osorio, head of the International Coffee Organization "There is already evidence of important changes" he states that "In the last 25 years the temperature has risen half a degree in coffee producing countries, five times more than in the 25 years before."

Climate change has shifted the delicately balanced patterns of rainfall and aridity needed for coffee to flourish and prosper. From Brazil to Indonesia coffee is a mainstay export and one of the most important trade commodities in the world.

Fair trade coffee may be the coveted gift you want to give for any occasion as it becomes more and more precious.

Pero anyone?

(Photo credit:P.J. McAdie on flickr)

The frog was not talking about his garden when he sang "it's not easy being green" he was talking about his soul. Cultivating a green soul is not always easy but it is more worth the doing than just about anything I know.

When it becomes our goal to nurture nature we begin to cultivate a relationship that supports our entire ecosystem.

Remember, if it is poisoning the frogs, birds and insects, then it is probably poisoning us and our kids. So this year take a vow to ditch the pesticides and herbicides and grow a lawn and garden that the frog would be happy to sing his heart out in. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Let's begin by considering our home, garden and environs as part of our immediate family and treat them with the love and respect that they deserve.
2. Keep it simple, let some of the marginal areas of our small or large acre go native or wild. This makes less work for us and helps restore depleted habitats for pollinators and small wildlife. There is no shame in, as Jane Austen puts it, "a prettyish kind of little wilderness on one side of your lawn." You gotta love the style of those nature loving Victorians.
3. Growing grasses, flowers and vegetables that are suitable for our zone helps to maximize gratification from our landscape. Having our soil tested then amending it properly and organically is key.
4. Always choosing to go green with our dollar by sticking to organic and green gardening sites, seeds and supplies for our landscape, is easier now than ever.
5. Making Green Hour activities part of our family's daily routine helps us to build a healthy relationship with our environment. Remembering to dream green by visualizing our lives, our gardens and our planet greenly helps to reinforce their health via "ye olde power of positive thinking."

Happy green planning and I'll see you over the fence this spring with lots of green gardening tips!

(Photo credit:ms.lume on flickr)

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's new TV series, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, doesn't debut until March 26, but the healthy food advocate is already mixing it up with first graders and lunchroom staff alike. In the new show, Oliver brings his passion for healthier eating habits to Huntington, W. Va., recently dubbed "the fattest city in America." The 2010 TED Prize winner's goal: "I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity."

Simple enough, right? Not where these children are concerned. Take a look at what happened when Oliver asked these first-graders to identify various fresh fruits and vegetables.

At least the kids gave his queries an energetic attempt. The reception was considerably less enthusiastic behind the scenes in the kitchen.

Looks like Oliver has his job cut out for him (the least of which is cutting out the junk food served at school). Still, we suspect his action-oriented philosophy will pick up steam. "Every child should be taught to cook in school, not just talk about nutrition all day. Good food can be made in 15 minutes. This could be the first generation where the kids teach the parents," he says.

Food Revolution premieres Friday, March 26 on ABC TV.

(Photo credit:JamieOliver.com)

Gather round, good consumers of America ... Today, we'd like to urge you to reach into your wallet to pull out some plastic, for the good of our economy and the love of our environment. That's right: Super Eco is urging you to use your library card.

In an ironic turn of events, American libraries find themselves under the economic gun just as more Americans are turning to them for help finding jobs and filling in the gap now that retail bookstores feel like overpriced indulgences. The Philadelphia Library narrowly dodged closing in September when the Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill extending the library funding—a last-minute measure that only came about after the library was forced to announce the budget-related shuttering of every branch. Libraries across the nation are feeling a similar budgetary pinch.

At the same time, public use of libraries is climbing. Checkouts are up, use of job and employment reference materials has surged, computers boast waiting lines, and educational programs such as storytimes and lectures are more popular than ever. We need our libraries—and our libraries need us. Support yours while you still can.

More on libraries and greener ways of reading:

• Libraries test compostable corn library cards
• Be a greener bookworm with top ways to read sustainably
• Newspaper vs. internet: which is the greener choice?

(Photo credit:danjaeger, SXC)

What's the point of going to see a blockbuster movie like Avatar in 3-D if you end up despoiling the entire environmental message by tossing your fancy plastic 3-D glasses into the trash can when the movie's over? Not to worry. USA Today checked up on the mountain of glasses (42.1 million pairs of glasses worn for 3-D Avatar, some 935,834 a day) and found that all four of the companies that manufacture them have recycling programs in place.

According to the publication's research, most companies solve the trash issue by washing and reusing plastic 3-D glasses. IMAX uses a special machine to clean theirs. Other companies provide theater owners with instructions on how to clean the glasses after use. The easiest and most common method seems to be a quick cycle in a commercial dishwasher. Another company simply sells the glasses, in hopes that movie-goers will keep them and re-use them for future movies. We're dubious that most glasses won't end up trashed or lost in the bowels of a dusty junk drawer ... But we can appreciate the intent.

The least eco-friendly option appears to be that of Real-D, which provides collection containers so that theaters can ship used glasses back to an LA-area facility for cleaning and re-shipping. Adding a bigger carbon footprint doesn't sound like the best solution to the recycling/waste problem. And then there's the problem of theaters that still use old-fashioned cardboard 3-D glasses for some movies—an apparently unwashable, un-recyclable option.

(Photo credit:JuliaArts, flickr)

Has common sense gone out with the trash? Tales of merchandisers dumping entire truckloads of unsold inventory into the trash seem to be filling the news like ... well, like unsold merchandise clogging up the landfills. From clothing to books, merchandisers are choosing "brand integrity" over sensibility as they offload literally tons of unsold goods into trash bins. Adding insult to injury, the retailers direct employees to rip, slash and otherwise deface the items to render them useless. What gives?

Dumpsters behind bookstores routinely fill up with unsold books that nobody wants to pay to have shipped back to the publisher. In the wake of 200 Waldenbooks bookstore closings nationwide, corporate parent Borders told employees to dispose of excess inventory in the most cost-effective method: the trash. Clothing retailer H&M and even Wal-Mart have been fingered for dumping unsold clothing, much of it carefully damaged (gloves with the fingers cut off, holes punched into shirts and coats, shoes slashed) to prevent them from being salvaged.

Meanwhile, a legion of charitable organizations—libraries, senior citizens centers, homeless shelters and more—stand literally begging for a chance to give the goods a better home.

Corporate offices have been slow to respond to public outrage over the shocking levels of waste. H&M recently apologized for dumping unsold clothes that could have gone to homeless people or charities, although no system for doing anything else seems to be in place. (The company is also struggling with new allegations that the organic cotton from India in its T-shirts may have been contaminated with GM cotton.) Borders has vowed to donate its excess inventory to charity. Meanwhile, customers of both companies are raising havoc on Facebook and organizing web sites to help redistribute the goods. Reuse and donation efforts may not be reaching all local stores, so keep an eye on dumpsters in your area if you suspect that help may be needed to get discarded inventory into the hands of interested charities.

(Photo credit:SpecialKRB, flickr)

It's the birds versus the breeze in Wyoming. Guidelines from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are blocking some 20 percent of Wyoming land from wind energy development in order to protect the threatened greater sage grouse. According to Reuters, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal moved to protect the sage grouse in order to dodge the more restrictive rules that would come along with an Endangered Species Act listing. The sage grouse is currently under consideration for listing as an endangered species in the United States. Some 23 percent of Wyoming is considered part of the sage grouse's core habitat, according to figures from Freudenthal's office.

The BLM guidelines don't affect only wind turbine projects. Ryan Lance, deputy chief of staff to Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, told Reuters that the new rules, which were lobbied for and have been lauded by environmental groups such as the Audubon Society, also restrict oil and gas industry development to one pad per square mile.

So who will prevail, bird or breeze? The American Wind Energy Association told Reuters that it didn't see the conflict posing a serious threat to wind power in Wyoming. "I don't read the policy to completely ban wind energy in these areas, though the restrictions might make it difficult to have an economically viable wind project," said the association's Laurie Jodziewicz. We like this philosophy—birds of a feather can flock together.