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Green Tips of The Week 2010

July 14th: Sustainable Summer Water Use
Although Cincinnati receives above the national average of rainfall every year, smart water-use is still important for all of us to consider.  In addition to saving money on your utility bill by using your water efficiently, water conservation helps prevent water pollution in nearby lakes, rivers and local watersheds.

Here are some options for sustainable outdoor water use this summer:

1.      Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants.  They’ll survive even in the harshest of summer droughts.  These plants have waxy leafs that don’t evaporate water quickly and don’t wilt easily.  These will include leather leafed plants with the thick epidermal layer to help maintain moisture.

2.     Plant a layer of mulch around trees and plants.  This helps to contain the moisture and maintain soil integrity.  Mulch can be applied any time of the year. However, the best time to mulch is late spring after the soil has warmed. Early spring application will delay soil warming and possibly plant growth.

3.     Don’t water the gutter or paved areas.  Cincinnati, like many urban areas has an issue with storm water management due to its high rainfall and volume of paved areas.  Similarly, when watering outside for your garden or lawn, remember to place the sprinkler in a location that will only water permeable/ unpaved areas.

4.     Deep soak your lawn and water only when it needs it.  Deep soaking means to water for a significant amount of time so that the watering actually reaches the roots of the plant.  A good way to tell if you’ve watered enough is to leave an empty tuna can out in the desired watering area.  Once that can is filled with water, you’re done.

5.     Use smart watering devices.  There are many different types and brands of efficient watering devices.  One is the soaker hose.  This tool lies on the ground and is made of a porous material that allows the water to “sweat” out and travel directly into the ground.  Because it’s releasing the water so close to the desired area, there is very little waste due to evaporation.  Another method is the drip irrigation system.  This hose has small holes inserted at various points that allow small quantities of water to trickle slowly into the soil over long periods.  And finally, using rain barrels helps by diverting water that would be running off of your roof and into the storm water drains into a capture device so you can use the water at another time.

All of these items can be purchased at your local hardware or garden store.

For more information on storm water management please visit http://www.msdgc.org/stormwater/



June 4th: Get a Green Roof!

Cincinnati Green Roofs Program.
When planning for new green space in a city, it’s common to start at the ground level because that’s where plants tend to naturally grow.  But in urban centers, almost every inch of the ground is devoted to parking, sidewalks, streets and buildings.  So why not start 10 stories in the air?  The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) and the Office of Environmental Quality has created the first “Green Roof Loan Program” of its kind in Ohio. The project utilizes money from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund which provides below market rate loans to install green vegetative roofs within the service area of MSDGC. Installation can be on residential, commercial and/or industrial buildings.

What are the benefits of a green roof?

Green roofs are not only beautiful but they have many other benefits and have been utilized in Europe for years to address various climate and aesthetic issues. They absorb rain water, help purify the air and provide additional green space in highly developed areas, especially within urban cores.

In Cincinnati, and many other cities, there is a major problem with storm water run-off. During periods of heavy rain the existing sewer systems are pushed well beyond capacity and sewage and storm water overflow. During wet weather the overflow finds its way into local homes, streets, creeks and rivers, and negatively impacts structures, aquatic communities, recreational use and water quality. Depending on the weather conditions, this can happen as many as 105 times a year, resulting in 14.4 billion gallons of overflow per year.

How do the roofs help?

Green Roofs help mitigate the overflows by providing an absorbent vegetative surface area that retains the rain-water and therefore reduces the amount of storm water runoff.  Benefits in terms of air quality are important as well.  Green roofs provide moisture and coolness, capture carbon dioxide and other pollutants, produce oxygen, and overall, help purify the air.  These benefits support the City of Cincinnati’s “Green Cincinnati Plan”, adopted in 2008, which commits to reducing Green House Gas emissions 2% per year.

Another way green roofs have a positive impact is by reducing energy costs. Due to their increased insulation and cooling properties, green roofs decrease the amount of cooling required within the building itself. This is of particular importance in Cincinnati, where summers are hot, humid and air quality can be poor due to pollution. The advantages are part of a cycle: by using less air conditioning, one consumes less energy, and therefore reduces the amount of green house gasses generated, which in turn, improves the air quality for the City as a whole and saves money on energy bills!  Even City Hall has raised beds on its roof!

If you would like more information on the program, please contact Robin Henderson in OEQ at 513-352-5340.



May 27th: Hang your clothes and save some money!
Use a clothesline for a few loads of laundry this month. Let evaporation dry your clothes instead of electricity!

Once upon a time, laundry smelled “spring fresh” or smelled “like a summer day” not because these smells were added to laundry detergent but because the laundry had actually been hung outside to dry in the fresh, spring or summer air and sunshine. Think about it. Would you rather have popcorn enhanced with butter-smelling “flavor” or would you rather have popcorn with real melted butter? Exactly. Give us the real deal every time. Line-drying your clothes happens to be the real deal.

The Money Savings
Your clothes dryer is one of the biggest contributors to global warming in your house, just after your refrigerator. The average family of four does 4 to 6 loads of laundry each week. For an electric dryer, that accounts for about 100 kWh of electricity used each month at a cost of $100 to $180 each year. All told, 88 million clothes dryers in the United States account for up to 6% of domestic electricity usage.

The Green Effect
Every time you run a load of laundry through the dryer, you are using energy. Electric dryers use electricity to heat the air that dries your laundry; gas dryers get their heat by burning natural gas. Both types of dryers use electricity to tumble the laundry. Electricity comes from a power plant which is probably powered by burning coal, oil, or natural gas. The bottom line is that we want to reduce the burning of those fossil fuels, either at the power plant or in your dryer. The less fuel you burn, the fewer pounds of carbon dioxide you release into Earth’s atmosphere.

Here are a few simple suggestions:

    * Start small. There’s no need to go out and buy a $250 Swiss-made, aluminum outdoor drying rack to test whether line-drying works for you. String a clothesline between two available trees or poles. Be sure to make the line tight enough to support the weight of wet clothes. If it isn’t, you’ll find out soon enough.
    * Maybe you’re too young to have helped your grandmother hang laundry. Or perhaps you haven’t seen enough late 1950s television. But there’s actually a “right way” to line dry your laundry. Check out this article at the Housekeeping Channel for tips on doing the job right. For instance, you should hang shirts and socks upside down so that any stretching from being line dried isn’t on the part of the shirt or sock that shows.
    * Check the rules where you live. Many homeowners are not allowed to have outside clotheslines because they live in housing developments with neighborhood associations that have rules against line-drying.  And if you find that it’s time to fight those silly rules, you won’t be alone. Efforts are underway in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut to pass “right to dry” legislation. For more on the controversy, read these articles: Boston Globe: Clothesline Rule Creates Flap and Time: Fighting for the Right to Dry.
    * Remember that sunlight can lighten colors. On the one hand, isn’t that a great and natural way to bleach those sheets and white shirts? On the other hand, perhaps you have clothes you don’t want to have fade in the sun. Hang those in the shade or indoors. And be sure not to hang clothes under tree branches or power/telephone lines or other places where birds hang out. Birds do what birds do. And you don’t want them doing it on your clean clothes.




May 21st: Green Your Cubicle to Increase Productivity and Happiness:

Studies are finding that having houseplants around the office may provide more than just simple aesthetic value.  NASA studies from the 1990s found that many houseplant species are adept at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene (TCE), and other pollutants from indoor air.  This not only makes it healthier for employees but cuts down on costly air filters that do the same job.

Can plants have benefits in other types of indoor areas as well?

Additionally, hospital studies have found that patients heal faster and report less pain when plants are around, and a Harvard medical School study found that people with plants in their homes reported less worry and greater compassion, happiness, enthusiasm for work and energy than a non-plant comparison group.

But it's not just health that plants can benefit, a recent University of Washington study found that houseplant-adorned surroundings increased productivity in a computer task by 12 percent and resulted in smaller increases in blood pressure during the task.

Are office environments really the best place for plants?

Now, most office environments hardly compare to the sunny, mildly humid environment where many houseplants would prefer to grow.  It takes a relatively tough plant to hold up in the workplace abuse.  Sporadic watering, low natural light and crammed spaces make some plants wither away and die within a few short weeks.

So what types of plants should we choose?

When choosing your plants for the office, consider plants that can tolerate low light, minimal watering, and small amounts of soil.  A couple names for you to remember are the ZZ plant, the Snake Plant, and Lucky bamboo that requires absolutely no soil at all.  Simply put it in sand or pebble trays.





May 12th: Refurb Your Way to Stylish Decor
By Brian Clark Howard for The Daily Green

Instead of tossing out old and worn furniture, reupholster it to bring new life, and cut down on waste and further resource use.

Many antiques dealers would kill to get their hands on the bones of much of the furniture that is unceremoniously thrown away, left out in the weeds or even burned as firewood. Between 1960 and 2001, discarded furniture and furnishings swelled from 2.2 million tons a year to 8.1 million tons, reports the EPA. Furniture is bulky stuff that takes up a lot of landfill space.

Extend the life of furniture, and save money, by getting it reupholstered. Get crafty and do the job yourself, or support local artisans who specialize in the time-honored trade. The range of possible colors, textures and styles is nearly limitless, from ancient aesthetic to uber-modern. Get the freshest look to match your changing decor tastes without contributing to the removal of more trees or the mining of more metals.

* If you may need some help with your upholstery needs Red Polly in Northside can help you.




May 3rd: Take Your Kids Outside and Save Them from Nature Deprivation

Summer is right around the corner!  For just a moment, reminisce about your summers as a child.  Undoubtedly you spent hours on end outdoors, tromping in fields, splashing in creeks, catching lightening bugs or exploring neighborhood parks.  The bottom line is that you were thrilled to be out of the classroom and free to run around and play in the sunshine. 

Stream this Green Tip from WNKU by clicking here.

What is Nature deprivation?
The unfortunate reality of today is that as kids are offered more electronic games and videos, they become deprived of nature and miss out on all of the benefits that come with playing outside.  The truth is that unstructured outdoor play provides excellent opportunities for cognitive, social and emotional development in children (Burdette & Whitaker, 2005).  Young children who spend an hour or two outside climbing in parks or forested areas improve their motor skills more significantly than students who played at a traditional outdoor playground (Fjortoft, 2002).  Ninety percent of adults who describe themselves as active started their favorite outdoor activity before the age of 18 (Harris, 2003).

What are the benefits of spending time outside for children?
Participation in a summer camp session increases the self-esteem scores of children from low-income areas of New York City (Readdick & Schaller, 2005).  Participation in wilderness therapy programs is associated with improved functioning in teenagers’ school performance, interpersonal relationships, and household behavior (Harper, Russel, Cooley & Cupples, 2007).

So what can you do to save your children from Nature Deprivation this summer?  
Simply take them outside and let their imaginations do the rest!  It’s amazing how creative kids can be with simple tools and their own unhindered spirit leading the way.  If you’re looking for a little help to get started outside, Cincinnati Parks offers free programming all summer long.  Their Nature Next Door program visits different neighborhood parks making it incredibly easy to walk your child over for some fun in the sun!  In addition, the Greater Cincinnati Environmental Educators is available to connect you to any sort of outdoor education you can dream up!  Visit their website at http://www.gcenvironmentaleducators.org for more information.

So put on some sunscreen, fill up your water bottle and take your kids into the wild!




April 26th: Eat More… Buffalo!

The meat industry today is pretty frightening.  If you’ve seen the recent documentary, Food Inc., you’re well aware that much of the meat consumed in the USA comes from giant factory farms that pump hormones and antibiotics into their animals like there’s no tomorrow.
But don’t give up on meat yet!  If you’re looking for a way to keep meat as part of your diet but you want to ensure that the meat you’re consuming is safe, fresh and environmentally sound, then consider buffalo meat for your next home-cooked meal!

Stream this Green Tip from WNKU by clicking here.

Essentially all you need to raise a healthy buffalo is good fencing, pasture land to graze, and a water supply. Some nutritional facts about buffalo include that they have 1/3 the fat of beef, 30% less calories, higher protein than beef and are all together more nutrient dense.  These qualities of buffalo meat make it a perfect source of good nutrition for patients with heart disease, diabetes, and weight issues (both overweight individuals and athletes).  

A local buffalo farm, Vista Grand Ranch in New Richmond, Ohio is an excellent example of a sustainable buffalo farm. The animals are free range on the ranch, are grass fed and aren’t injected with any antibiotics or hormones.  Vista Grand buffalo meat can be purchased from Eckerlin meats in Findlay Market and in burger form at Lavomatic on Vine St.  You can also purchase from them directly on their website at www.vistagrandranch.com

If you’re interested in visiting the Grand Vista Ranch, there are a couple of “Ranch days” a year where you can go and see them for yourself!  It’s your chance to experience their massive size and learn more about why raising and eating buffalo is so beneficial for the environment and your health.  If you are looking for a group to travel out with you might consider going with Slow Food Cincinnati.  They’ll be learning how animals are raised humanely and without the use of antibiotics or hormones. To kick off the event they’ll meet at a state park for a delicious cookout featuring Vista Grande buffalo. The cookout starts at 11AM and the tour of the ranch will last from 1PM – 3PM. There will be a nominal fee to cover the cost of the food and space is limited so email Laura at events@slowfoodcincinnati.org to RSVP by May 10th.




April 19th: Join The Great American Cleanup!

The largest annual community effort dedicated to making the Tri-state a cleaner, greener and more livable place is almost here…and your help is required.  The Great American Cleanup will take place this coming Saturday 24th in over 100 metro communities, representing hundreds of worthwhile and much-needed cleanup projects. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, the coordinator of the event, estimates that 10,000 volunteers will be required in order to successfully meet the needs of the community activities that are already planned for that day. Approximately 7,500 volunteers have already committed to participate, leaving organizers currently 2,500 volunteers short of their goal. Volunteers are encouraged to visit KeepCincinnatiBeautiful.org, where they will be able to register for their choice of any of the cleanup efforts planned within their own community.

Stream this Green Tip from WNKU by clicking here.

The Great American Cleanup is a national day of service, with nearly three million volunteers throughout the country cleaning up their communities.  Plans for hundreds of various projects across the Tri-state are now underway, including litter and debris cleanups on public land and along area waterways, spruce-ups of community parks and playgrounds, planting of trees and community gardens, and many other activities designed to improve the living environments throughout the area.  Volunteers will be given gold event t-shirts to wear at their events, so as to draw attention to each worksite.




April 9th: Yard Waste Collection Reinstated in Cincinnati!

As many of you probably know, municipal yard waste collection was suspended last August in the City of Cincinnati due to budgetary constraints. Since then, Cincinnatians have struggled to compost such massive amounts of branches and clippings at their homes. 

Unfortunately, much of the organic waste has been placed the landfills, filling up valuable space that should be used for non-biodegradable materials.  When yard waste and other organic materials are put into the landfills they break down much more slowly than in a compost pile and fail to add any nutrients back into the earth.

But good news is on the horizon!  Beginning in April of this year, Cincinnati’s yard waste collection started up again!   You can place your yard waste in the recycled yard waste bags on the same day as your trash pickup and they will be removed just like they used to be!

Guidelines

    * Place yard waste at your curb by 6AM on your regular trash collection day beside your household trash and green recycling bin.
    * Branches and brush should be tied into bundles no larger than 2 ft. x 4 ft. and individual tree limbs should be no larger than 6 inches in diameter.
    * Raking leaves into the street or right-of-way is prohibited and is PUNISHABLE BY LAW.

Composting

    *  Please compost yard waste at home whenever possible. Grass clippings can be left on the lawn instead of bagged. Plastic bags are not accepted at composting facilities.

Click here for a list of Free Yardwaste Drop-off sites




March 24th: Water Conservation Using Rain Barrels: Save Water and Dollars at the same time!

During the summer, it’s normal to double our average winter water use.  This can be attributed to washing cars, filling pools but most of all, to watering our lawns.
This Green tip of The Week is all about water use in our gardens.  How can it be done sustainably and what are the benefits?

One answer is by capturing rainwater.  This technique will not only save you money but can also save massive amounts of water from running into storm drains in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Click here to listen to our Green Tip of the week online.
You can listen to Sadie Ferguson every week on WNKU's "Morning Drive" with Craig Kopp on FM 89.7

So how long does it take to fill a barrel and how much can I actually water with it?

It only takes about a ½ inch of rain to fill a 55-gallon barrel.  While this won’t be enough to water your entire lawn, it will definitely be sufficient to satisfy your flowerbed or vegetable garden on a hot, dry day.  It’s important to keep the barrel covered once full to protect the water from evaporation and mosquitoes.

Where can they be purchased?

There are multiple locations throughout Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky that sell rain barrels.  A couple places include Home Depot and Sam’s Club.  However, if you were looking to support a local business a good choice would be Park and Vine in OTR.  They host classes with the Civic Garden Center and Cincy Rainbarrels to discuss easy ways to reduce storm water runoff, improve water quality and promote water conservation with rain gardens and rain barrels. 

What’s the best way to use the water once it’s collected?

The best way to use the collected water is with a soaker hose.  A soaker hose is made of an extremely porous material that releases the water slowly.  This allows for maximum absorption and minimum evaporation.  About as efficient as possible!

What’s so great about native plants and why do they help to conserve water?

This spring while you’re getting your garden ready for the new growing season, consider planting as many native varieties as possible.  Not only are many native plants beautiful and low maintenance, but they’re guaranteed to adapt sustainably with Cincinnati’s environment. 

Native plants are best for your garden for multiple reasons.  One is that native plants grow well together and won’t inhibit each other’s growth.  In addition, they don’t need watering (except during establishment), and they don’t require chemical fertilizers or insecticides - they are adapted to local conditions. They also don’t require raking because leafs in natural settings help to create soil, act as weed suppressors and as natural fertilizers.  Can you imagine an easier garden?

Some native plants to consider include:
-    Bloodroot
-    Mayapple
-    Wild Geranium
-    Trillium, which is also Ohio’s state wildflower

What is an example of an invasive species?

Many of you are probably familiar with Honeysuckle.  This invasive species was introduced to the area during the 1800s to help with erosion.  While it does prevent hill degradation, it unexpectedly took over many native areas.  Many of Ohio’s existing Old Growth Forests have unfortunately been invaded by honeysuckle.  For the Great American Cleanup on April 24th, we will be removing large amounts of Honeysuckle from Stanberry Park in Mt. Washington.
- Contribution from Sadie Ferguson, KCB Program Manager




March 15th:  Biking for Practical Transportation
As Cincinnati warms up this spring, the idea of biking for practical transportation becomes a little more realistic to consider.  For those adventurous souls out there, biking to work or to the grocery combines pleasure and necessity while saving money and helping out the environment.  Biking for transportation is also great for neighborhoods.  The person who bikes to work experiences the city with a whole new perspective.   They are more likely to take advantage of locally supplied products, meet and greet with shop owners and get to know new streets.   In fact, it would be hard for someone to bike around town and not discover numerous new restaurants, stores or galleries.  The simple fact is that they’re experiencing life a little more slowly and taking it in as they go. 

Our Green Tips are now on The Radio! Click here to listen to our Green Tip of the week online. You can listen to Sadie Ferguson every week on WNKU's "Morning Drive" with Craig Kopp on FM 89.7

Many locals lament the fact that Cincinnati, unlike Portland or Chicago, isn’t designed for practical bike travel.  However, due to high demand and increased economic interest in biking, those days are hopefully beginning to fade away into the past.  Cincinnati is in the final stages of their “Bicycle Master plan”.  The plan was designed so that citizens and politicians could work together to turn Cincinnati into a more bike-able city.  The process began last September and will be completed during May of this year.  Although the implementation is still in the works, it’s exciting to know that we can count on safer city biking in the near future!  Visit http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bikeplan/ for more information.

As for more recreation biking, the Ohio River Trail is moving along more quickly.  This 16 mile trail (when completed) will run West from the Village of New Richmond ending eventually in Eastern Cincinnati. The trail will run through Pierce Township, Clermont County and Anderson Township.  A survey of the 4 mile segment along the Ohio River was completed in 2009 and so far a total of $1.2 million of the $4 million goal is committed to date.  Visit http://www.ohioriverway.org/ohiorivertrail/ for more information.
- Contribution from Sadie Ferguson, KCB Program Manager



March 10th: Reusable Clothing
More and more frequently people are becoming interested in the types of food that they eat and how that food is affecting the environment.  It’s wonderful that they’re taking the time to check out the ingredients of the food they’re choosing to consume and caring about the packaging that the food comes in, but what about the clothes that people are putting on their backs?  How often do people stop to think about what they’re putting ON their bodies and what effect this has on our planet? 

For this week’s “Green Tip of the Week” we’d like to challenge you to go through your clothes and check out the “ingredients” that went into them.  How much do you know about the practices used to make those clothes and where did they come from?


Our Green Tips are now on The Radio! Click here to listen this Green Tip of the week online. You can listen to Sadie Ferguson every week on WNKU's "Morning Drive" with Craig Kopp on FM 89.7


Click here to learn about a Cincinnati company making a difference with their "Repair The World" brand!

As you’re perusing your jackets and jeans, you might notice that most of them have traveled far and wide to get to you and include factory materials like polyester and nylon.  The question is:  How do we reduce the carbon footprint of our wardrobe?  Here’s one simple idea:  Visit your local thrift store, Goodwill or resale shop and buy clothes completely carbon free!  If it weren’t for you buying them, those threads would eventually end up in the landfill.  While buying organic cotton and sustainable textiles is still a good option and will reduce your footprint, re-using clothing is by far the best carbon-free choice!  So give yourself a pat on the back and make that chartreuse suit work for you! 
- Contribution from Sadie Ferguson, KCB Program Manager





March 3rd: Recycle your Electronics!
The fun part about technology: Everyone loves something shiny and new, but what do you do with that mind-blowing gadget once it has lost its luster? You can throw it into the drawer or the trash, or you could do the smart thing – recycle it instead. Here’s how.

The Prep Work

As much as you’d like to go all “Office Space” on some of those electronics from years’ past, that can get messy. It’s also not too environmentally friendly, considering that there are glass, plastic, metals, and plenty of other non-biodegradable goodies inside and out that need to be dealt with. What’s more, you also need to be certain that they are being recycled properly.

That’s right; as good as your intentions are, some people’s recycling services are about as effective as throwing your devices right in the trash. That’s bad. “The average CRT tube on any monitor or television holds between six to eight pounds of lead. It needs to be properly processed,” says Rachel Robin of Guaranteed Recycling Xperts (GRX), a Colorado-based recycling business that handles about one million pounds of electronics each month. “Once that glass is crushed and open, the lead is exposed to the environment.” Robin says that instead of recycling, some shadier firms even sell the items to overseas brokers instead.

Where can I take my electronics in Cincinnati (to be recycled  responsibly)?

We would like to invite you to Greenstock's Home Electronics Recycle Drive (March 13th 11am - 2pm) provided by Global Environmental Services. Click here for more details. If you can't make it that day, click here for other options year round.





February 24th: Join the Composting Movement!
Composting is a great way to recycle all types of yard waste and provide a free source of compost - a nutrient-rich material that has many uses. A compost pile naturally breaks down yard waste into compost right in your backyard, saving you the time and energy of bagging yard waste, storing it, and then hauling it to the curb or drop-off center.

* Get your own compost Earth Machine for only $35 (retail price is $100). Click here to find out more details from HCDOES. Hamilton County residents only. 

Compost piles require only a minimal amount of maintenance to produce a usable product that is a valuable soil amendment. Organic compost loosens soil for better root penetration, improves soil capacity to hold water, and adds essential nutrients to soil.

There are a variety of uses for finished compost. Compost can be used as a mulch and a soil amendment.

Benefits of mulching with compost:

    * Reduces moisture loss
    * Controls weeds
    * Maintains soil temperatures
    * Reduces soil erosion on slopes
    * Beautifies planting area
    * Adds micro-nutrients
    * Reduces plants need for water

Benefits of incorporating compost into the soil:

    * Loosens heavy clay soils
    * Aerates the rooting area
    * Improves soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients
    * Attracts earthworms and other microbes that benefit gardens
    * Provides valuable nutrients for plant growth

Click here to learn more about composting on the "Confessions of a Composter" blog.

Source: Our good friends at the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services

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