The NBC daytime hit show Days of our Livesis going green. According to Arianne Zuker, who plays the character Nicole, both of the show’s restaurants will be undergoing a green transformation. If you have watched the show recently, you would have noticed a recurring green theme in the town of Salem.
How does this impact the cast? Arianne says that she has become more green in her life. She has been recycling more, doing her laundry at night, and turning off the heat and A/C when not needed.
Luker admonishes, ”… if every single person on the planet would pick up one peice of trash, how different the environment would be.”
Solar power is a goal of the soap star. Adrianne says, that where she lives gets a lot of sunlight, and that she would like to convert her home to solar power in the future. She recognizes, though, that going green and protecting the environment starts with the little things.
“If you take resposibilty for yourself, we will have a cleaner world… and if we start there, everybody could go green.”
The L.A. Times reported yesterday that California raised standards for developers in an attempt to reduce the energy use of buildings by 15% and a 50% reduction in water for landscaping. Across the nation, buildings are responsible for using 39% of energy, 12% of potable water, and 40% of raw materials (U.S. Green Building Council).
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says that the new standards “will ensure that California remains in the forefront of reducing our carbon footprint and conserving valuable natural resources…”
The proposed code changes will be voluntary but are to become mandatory in 2010.
I was talking with my brother the other day about composting, and the use of used coffee grounds in compost piles. In the conversation, he relayed to me that used coffee grounds in his area are in high demand. Why?
According to an articleI read recently, the grounds are rich in nitrogen, providing bacteria the energy needed to compost organic matter. Approximately 2% nitrogen by volume, used coffee grounds are becoming a common replacement for manure in compost piles.
Spinning Composter Item For Sale. Click pic for more details/order.
Where my brother lives there are several coffee shops that make their used grounds readily available to the public. In my community, special arrangements need to be made with coffee shops to procure their use coffee grounds. It is a simple process; go to your local coffee shop and talk with the manager. Make it easy and clean for them to give you their grounds by providing a five gallon bucket with a lid, label it with your name, and return to pick it up at the coffee shop’s convenience.
How to use the grounds:
Spread them on the surface of the soil and cover with leaves or mulch.
Add the grounds to your compost pile.
Layer the grounds with leaves and/or grass clippings and turn once a week.
You do not have to use the coffe grounds all at once. They can be stored in the five gallon bucket or plastic bag. Some have worked the grounds into planting beds, but they will take a few months to break down. Also, the filters from coffee makers can be composted with the grounds.
Besides being good for your garden, using coffee grounds in this manner reduces the amount that will end up in landfills. Keeping these, and other organic materials, out of landfills helps reduce the amount of green house gases produced. As organic materials decompose they produce methane, a gas that is 25 times worse than carbon dioxide.
This morning, enjoy your coffee… just save the grounds.
Fireworks are a national past time. Many of us have fond memories of enjoying them with friends and family. But, could these same fireworks be putting our health and environment at risk?
According to AQMD, the particulate levels in the areas around fireworks displays increase by about 100 times and do not return to normal until midday the next day. These particulates can cause a host of physical reactions including, coughing, soar throats, and burning eyes, with increased risks for people with asthma.
In addition, the particulates from fireworks wind up in the environment. The particles settle on the ground and contaminate waterways. A study, done by the Environmental Protection Agency, found that the level of some chemicals increase by 1,000 in an Oklahoma lake, proceeding a fireworks display.
Disney to the rescue! Among others, Disney has been working to develop cleaner fireworks. One option is ditching carbon-based materials for nitrogen atoms. According to scientists, this will introduce far less smoke into the environment. Another option is fireworks that use nitrocellulose. These fireworks emit water, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide instead of smoke.
With environmental concerns driving the undustry, it looks like there may be a bright future for fireworks. All puns intended.
Fireworks are a national past time. Many of us have fond memories of enjoying them with friends and family. But, could these same fireworks be putting our health and environment at risk?