Help Your Plants Beat the Sweltering Heat With These Water Sense Tips By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert This summer’s heat wave is expected to result in a serious spike in the amount of water being used outdoors this year. Late July and early August are usually when outdoor water use soars in most of the U.S., but some regions report that they see people in their communities overwatering well into the fall. City and county managers worry because, if people and businesses don\’t use water more efficiently, communities will find it very tough to manage droughts and freshwater... Read More

Here\’s How You Can Afford to Spend 30% More on Organic Food By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert Clean out your fridge. But before you toss all the expired or rotted food you find into the trash can, put it on your counter. Now do a rough calculation of how much that \’trash\’ cost you. Don\’t be surprised if it amounts to as much as 30% of your weekly household budget. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consumers on average throw away $30 of every $100 they spend – simply by forgetting to eat what they buy. In this economy, that\’s... Read More

Avoid Post-Christmas Clutter: 15 Things You Can Easily Recycle After Christmas By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert Now\’s the time to think ahead to the day after Christmas — and all the stuff you may want or need to throw away. Instead of trashing it, here\’s a list of what you should easily be able to recycle. Wrapping paper and ribbon – (keep a paper bag or box handy when you\’re unwrapping presents to make the job easy and efficient) – Shred paper to use as packing material, put aside for your kids\’ art projects, or recycle with the... Read More

Fracking: A Clear and Present Danger By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert I don\’t like to exaggerate the impacts of the many environmental issues we face. But it\’s impossible to overstate how dangerous fracking is. Fracking stands for “hydraulic fracturing,” a highly polluting process for tapping underground pools of natural gas. It involves drilling a hole a mile deep and thousands of feet long, then pumping down millions of gallons of water laced with sand, salt and chemicals to crack rock shale that contains the gas. Wherever it happens, it pollutes... Read More