A big part of charting our family’s progress is keeping track of the “since we’ve used” items (3 years since we’ve used paper napkins, 2.5 years since we’ve used plastic bags, 2 years since we’ve used bottled water, etc). There seem to be many things that end of up in the landfill after once use, [...]

Jen and I like to use bikes as auto alternatives when we can, which is difficult out in the ‘burbs. With connector roads and 5-lane speedways, a simple trek to the grocery can be scary. Things aren’t getting easier. When Whipple Road was given a make-over, we thought this important vein in Mount Pleasant would [...]

If you’ve ever wanted to directly support the green initiatives of a local business, now’s your chance! This Saturday, April 11th, Carrotmob Charleston will be in action at Queen Street Grocery (map | street view). We often talk about “voting with our dollars” when it comes to green purchasing, but it’s often difficult to see [...]

Yikes! After we got our last SCE&G bill, our biggest ever, we realized action was needed. If they were going to keep raising the rates, we needed to crank-up the conservation. In the past we’ve measured our usage with a Kill-a-Watt meter, looked into solar hot water, bought LED lights, installed CFLs, but now it was [...]

At this month’s Green Drinks Charleston gathering, the topic at hand will be energy efficient mortgages. Daniel Island Realty has become Charleston’s first myEnergyLoan provider, and Jeff Cole and Gary Harwyn will be on hand to speak to their benefits.  Energy efficient mortgages sound interesting, as they help bundle in sustainable add-ons to the home during [...]

Santee Cooper wants to build a new coal plant on the Great Pee Dee River, and because they are a state-run utility, you and I have some influence. Coal plants are one of the dirtiest ways to generate electricity, and now is the time to tell our government that we want clean alternatives. The SC [...]

After years of guilt and frustration from using old school incandescent Christmas lights, I finally broke down and bought a set of LED lights for our tree. LED lights use 90% less energy than traditional bulbs, burn safer by producing less heat, and last for years instead of months. Having voluntarily made the switch, I [...]

Have you been keeping up with the Charleston Alternative Energy movement? What started as a monthly meetup has since turned into a full blown community. Ian Sanchez and partners have setup an online community for local alternative energy enthusiasts, and it’s open to all comers.  There’s a lot to do there, including blogs, forums, custom [...]

Thanks to everyone who took our Summer energy savings poll. The results showed that most of us are doing little things like adjusting thermostats and opening windows to reduce the burden on our A/C units. A few folks were using solar and attic fans, two things we want implement here at our home. Since Fall [...]

Every day, I look for new ways to reduce my impact on this planet.  I loved Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff the first time I watched it, and I believe this is going to be one of our culture’s toughest challenges as we move towards a sustainable future. One of the biggest uses of [...]

My goal to go emissions-free in my yard was put on hold this summer when I decided not to purchase that reel mower I had my eye on. I did, however, go through with my plans to seek an alternative to my loud, gas-fueled weed eater. It’s now August, so I’m calling it – my [...]

OK, It seams like these high gas prices are here to stay. Earlier this month, they finally crossed the $4 mark here in Charleston. While this is bad news for our wallets, it’s good news for the environment. People are driving less, using public transportation more, and buying cars with more efficient engines. Overall, our [...]

Seeking out alternative transportation is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment and save a few bucks. Jen has been blogging about riding the bus and driving abstinence, and I’ve been rocking the hybrid – but are always looking for ways to go farther. We would like to integrate cycling into our [...]

Hopefully we are all showing some thought to the environment when driving these days. Purchases of hybrid vehicles, public transportation, car-pooling, even hypermiling can all contribute to the causes of these days. Whether your reasons are economic or environmental, we all need to make more changes. I have found that the best way I can [...]

This Thursday, June 19th, is National Dump the Pump Day, and CARTA is celebrating by offering free rides on all routes. Cheers to CARTA for giving us this opportunity to participate and save a little money, all while helping the environment and promoting public transportation. “We hope that new riders will consider trying CARTA on [...]

Go Green Charleston friend and contributor Melanie Milonas sent me a quick email this morning about a local company planning to use priuses (prii?) as taxi cabs. What a cool idea! I have not been able to find out any more info. There is a parked domain at charlestongreentaxi.com, as well as some official state [...]

I just got an email from Mary at Lowcountry Laundry Service. They now offer eco-friendly options to their customers, including chlorine-free bleach, plant-based detergents like Seventh Generation, and line drying. Yeah, line drying! Clotheslines are a holy grail for most green suburbanites, as they are often unobtainable due to covenants and restrictions. I remember reading [...]

OK, so it got pummeled by golfball-sized hail, but my Prius is truly a cool piece of technology. The greenie in me loves the high-mileage low-impact stats, but the geek in me loves the intricate hybrid power system. Learning to trick out my foot to maximize mpg is just the start of it. I’m already [...]

When it comes to going green, our family’s mantra has always been “Do What We Can, When We Can.” To that end, a couple weeks ago the stars aligned and guided a 2008 Toyata Prius into our lives. We couldn’t be happier. Over the last few years, I’ve spoken with many Prius owners about the [...]

One of our many goals around the house this year is to reduce the amount of electricity we use. We actually notice a difference in our bill when we’re vigilant about turning off the entertainment center’s power strip, but we’re sure there’s hidden power hogs elsewhere in the house. That’s where our newly acquired Kill [...]