Many years ago as a professional ballet dancer, I carried my ballet shoes in a string bag. My pointe shoes needed air after those long rehearsals. I remember shopping with a fellow dancer and watching her dump out her shoes in the car and then refill her mesh bag with apples and oranges.
My current string […]

Whole Foods Markets across the U.S. will be celebrating Earth Day by eliminating plastic bags. Once the store on Houston Northcutt Boulevard uses all of its supply, there will no longer be a choice of paper or plastic. Hooray! What a great way for this company to set an example.
Disposable plastic bags are […]

Two weeks ago, I went out with the boys to turn the compost pile we started last fall. As soon as I flipped the first forkful, a haze wafted into the air. At first I thought it was bugs, but then I realized what was going on: we had steam!
This is good news, and means […]

I just got word that the ginormous Charleston Battery solar panels are now fully operational! This means the stadium’s ecological footprint has just been greatly reduced, not to mention the positive example Tony Bakker and the organization are setting for our entire community.
If you want see how much power the panels are actually producing, check […]

I just got an email from A Single Bag, a company trying to save the planet one reusable bag at a time. The North Charleston business is making these bags from fully recyclable (not here) polypropylene, which means they are durable and waterproof. And while I can’t vouch for the bags personally (send us some!), […]

I’ve blogged about Whole Foods serving most of its goodies in containers made from plastic #5, which is not recyclable locally. Finally, our local outlet has an alternative: biodegradable food containers. (and my compost pile couldn’t be happier…hopefully!)
So, Jen has come home a few times with the brown EATware containers, and they actually seem OK […]

The history of toilet paper is long. From leaves to rolls, our fannies have never been more pampered. Flush, flush , flush, down goes that pristine paper. Pristine, you say? I say considering its origins, that Kimberly -Clark t.p. belongs in our jewelry boxes. The only way to stop flushing […]

More news on the solar front: The Sustainability Institute is hosting a free solar energy workshop. Oddly there’s no infocon their website, but Bethany says:

On March 13th, 2008, from 6-8 p.m., The Sustainability Institute will host a solar energy workshop free to the general public. A special guest from Argand Energy Solutions will spearhead […]

While SC creeps along with net-metering, I thought I’d take a look at a solar technology that has positive economics today: solar hot water. Hot water heaters consume a large share of our household juice each year, so cutting the cord can have a real impact.
I contacted Solar Hot Water Works (part of Elemental Design […]

*** EDIT *** I’m an idiot, these aren’t green at all (unless you dig toxic breast milk).  Live and learn.
During a delightful visit to DwellSmart, I purchased my first box of dryer balls. This purchase makes sense both economically and environmentally. I won’t have to purchase another box for two years. […]

Last week, I was given an opportunity to check out the Charleston Battery’s freshly installed solar panel array (thanks Andrew!) When they announced that Argand Energy Solutions would be implementing the panels, I was stoked. This is exactly the kind of responsibly behavior we need to see from local business owners.
The array is impressive, […]

In my composting update last week, I mentioned that Jen has been bringing home bags of used coffee grounds from our local Starbucks. On Friday, five more bags arrived. Heavy moist bags of expired grounds might gross some people out, but the inner-composter in me knew this would be a windfall to the pile.
Coffee grounds […]

We’re now into February, and the compost pile I started last fall is really coming into it’s own. Here’s a quick update.

The pile is about 2-feet deep now. And except for the edges, it has an even consistency throughout.
Jen has started bringing home used Starbucks coffee grounds from the Longpoint Road location. They sit […]

A great way to reduce your environmental impact is to practice a sustainable lifestyle - and that includes eating locally. Our meals travel an average of 1500 miles, and that’s a whole lot of trucks, boxes, coolers, and packaging - we can’t keep that up forever.
We’ve got it good here in Charleston - long growing […]

I have pushed my buggy past gDiapers at Whole Foods many times. I have read their starter kit package at least twice. Last Sunday, I bought the starter kit of gDiapers and began using them on my two-year-old son that afternoon.
We’ve been a Pampers family since we brought Cooper home from the hospital […]

Despite the dreary weather last night, about 25 of us made it to the Charleston Alternative Energy Meetup at Huger’s Restaurant. These monthly meetings are hosted by local greenlebrity Ian Sanchez, and bring together a wide range of people interested in biodiesel, solar, wind, wave, and nuclear energy.
The meeting kicked off with a 30-minute […]

After living in a very bucolic setting for 8 and half years, we made a change. Or I should say, I made a change and my sweet husband, kind of disgruntled 10 year old, and up for whatever kindergartner came along for the ride.
I knew all along that I was going to struggle with […]

As a byproduct of my greenification, I’ve become a bit of a recycling fanatic. I bet some of you are as well. So I thought it might be interesting to hear from a professional recycling fanatic, Elizabeth Fisher from Fisher Recycling.
Chris and Elizabeth Fisher have been at the helm of Fisher Recycling since it […]

OK, I know I’ve been writing a lot about composting lately…but this post isn’t like all that. I really just wanted to write about how all of our green actions influence those around us, and how that helps the green movement spread.
In the short time since I’ve started my compost pile: My neighbor has begun […]

Turning landfill-bound kitchen waste into rich gardening soil is a very sustainable practice, even in tiny suburban-sized doses. I love the idea of using free homemade soil to enrich the garden plot I’m using to grow some summer veggies, all while learning loads about biology, chemistry, and patience.
Composting is a green activity that’s a bit […]