2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.

com

What’s in this issue ...

Celebrating the environment
4 Several events are scheduled around
the Mid-South to mark the 40th
anniversary of Earth Day

Feeding the need Trust works

6 Food fair puts food
8 How Mississippians are
access and quality protecting key natural
front and center areas from development

Before you remodel

12 Here are the 10 most important things to
tackle, especially if money’s tight

Keep critters out

14 Say “I do” to
Mother Nature
17 of the compost

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Going Green is a special online publication of
The Commercial Appeal.
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Follow Going Green on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis.
Discuss environmental issues at
greenforum.commercialappeal.com.
Editor: Roland Klose, 529-5893,
goinggreen@commercialappeal.com
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3

The Green Page

Events More events
Just in time for Earth Day, spring planting and all Kyle Wagenschutz
things green, Going Green and Memphis Botanic Garden from Revolutions talks
are partnering to bring Felder Rushing to Memphis on about bicycle safety at
April 21. 6:30 p.m. April 22 at
Rushing will talk about using green practices in the the Benjamin L. Hooks
garden at 7 p.m. at the botanic garden. The informal Central Library, 3030
session, aimed at novice and veteran gardeners, is titled: Poplar. For more info,
“It ain’t easy going contact Susan Routon
green, ’cept in the at susan.routon@
garden.” gmail.com or (901)
Admission is $3 413-3888.
for MBG members, The Sierra Club
$5 for hosts a sunset hike
nonmembers. along the Mississippi
Proceeds will go to River bluffs from 5:30-
the care and 8:15 p.m. April 24.
preservation of the Meet at Union Avenue
more than 150 and Riverside Drive.
species of trees Explore the riverfront
that make up parks and get
Memphis Botanic information on air and
Garden’s Certified water quality issues
Level IV and riverfront
Arboretum. development. For more
For information, information, contact
call 529-2372. For Sue Williams at (901)
reservations, call 274-0524.
636-4111. Chris Gang/The Commercial Appeal files The Down to
Learn more Earth Celebration runs
about living green Attending one of Felder from 10 a.m. until 5
with a new Rushing's programs is a p.m. April 25 at Shelby
morning series of great way to get inspiration Farms. The Mid-
informational for going green in the South’s largest Earth
gatherings at garden. Day celebration
Memphis Botanic features environmental
Garden. The free education and
Thursday sessions are presented by Memphis Botanic activities. Admission is
Garden and CA Media, publishers of The Commercial free.
Appeal, commercialappeal.com and To submit items for
goinggreen.commercialappeal.com. The Green Page, e-
The Going Green Coffee Scene informal get-togethers mail goinggreen@
will be held from 8:45-9:45 a.m. on April 22, April 29, commercial
May 6 and May 13. appeal.com.
4 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Photos by Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal files

Nadia Rachel spins flaming poi balls for a crowd at Shelby Farms’ annual Earth
Day celebration last year. The annual event features live music, a kids zone and
informational booths with tips on conservation.

Celebrating Earth Day

Several events scheduled around the Mid-South
By Karen Ott Mayer channel, people keep finding
Special to Going Green
inventive ways to focus attention on
EACH YEAR, people around the environmental issues.
world mark Earth Day in countless This April 22 marks the 40th
ways. From a national song contest anniversary of Earth Day, and many
to climate change breakfasts to a activities are planned in the
dedicated Earth Day television Memphis area.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 5

Events
Tips for going green
Temple Israel will host an Eco Expo from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. April 18. Billed as an “environmental extravaganza,” for Earth Day
the event brings together dozens of exhibitors who will With less than two weeks
give practical advice on how to be good stewards of until the 40th anniversary of
Mother Earth. For more information, go to timemphis.org Earth Day, here are some tips
or contact Linda Kaplan at (901) 482-6473. on how to go green.
Earth Week is celebrated at Shelby Farms Park from Evergreens not only
April 16-26. Events at this community-wide event, beautify your landscape and
sponsored by area businesses and corporations, include the create oxygen; they also help
GreenShoe Gala, an annual fundraiser and evening soiree, reduce home energy costs.
on April 16; the GreenTEEN Gala, an event for young people, Plant them in a staggered or
on April 17; One Million Trees, a new program, on April 18; double line to the northwest of
SkyFest on April 24; and the Down to Earth Festival on April the home. The U.S. Bureau of
25. For more information on the fourth annual festival, go to Statistics reports a line of
shelbyfarmspark.org or call (901) 767-PARK. evergreens can reduce heat
The Memphis Zoo’s Earth Day Celebration will be held loss and winter fuel bills by 20
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 17. Learn about conservation percent.
through information stations, a scavenger hunt and eco- A refrigerator, freezer,
friendly crafts and games. For more information, go to dishwasher and clothes washer
memphiszoo.org. can account for up to 20
The Memphis Farmers’ Market celebrates Earth Day percent of a household’s
on April 17 and April 24. On both Saturdays, the market monthly utility bill. Energy Star-
will focus on eco-friendly activities. For more information, qualified appliances incorporate
go to memphisfarmersmarket.com. advanced technologies that use
Both the Wolf River Conservancy and Clean Memphis 10 percent to 50 percent less
are sponsoring Earth Day-related cleanups. For energy than standard models.
information, go to wolfriver.org and cleanmemphis.org. Spruce up your kitchen and
The Mississippi Urban Forest Council’s “Forests For laundry room and use less
All” green conference runs April 21-23 in Horn Lake. water and electricity by
National experts will discuss urban forests, sustainability purchasing an Energy Star-
and wildlife. For more information, call Anita Rainey at qualified appliance.
(662) 342-3487 or e-mail arainey@hornlake.org. Use Energy Star-qualified
A tree planting is scheduled at the Wolf River Nature lighting in your home. If every
Area in Germantown from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on April 22. household in the United States
Volunteers will plant redbuds along the greenway trail. If changed the lighting in one
interested, contact Denise at the Germantown Parks and room to Energy Star-qualified
Recreation office at 757-7375 by April 19. lighting, our annual energy
Dixon Gallery & Gardens is sponsoring several Earth savings alone would be
Day-related events, including the “Rock-n-Romp” concert, equivalent to the amount of
featuring the Motions, Glorie and Hope Clayburn and Soul more than 21 power plants.
Scrimmage, from 3-6 p.m. on April 24 on Dixon’s South Make sure your home is
Lawn. For more information, go to dixon.org. properly insulated. This will
On April 21, Going Green and Memphis Botanic help you conserve electricity
Garden are partnering to bring Felder Rushing to and reduce your home’s power
Memphis. Rushing will discuss green practices in the demands for air conditioning
garden at 7 p.m. in Hardin Hall. Admission is $3 for and heating.
members, $5 for nonmembers. Call 636-4111 to reserve a Linda J. Johnson,
spot, but admission will also be taken at the door. McClatchy Newspapers
6 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010
Fair puts food access and
quality front and center
By Leah C. Wells
Special to Going Green
The South Memphis
Healthy Food Fair seeks
to address the dual is-
sues of food accessibility
and food quality in
Memphis and Shelby
County.
This event is part of a
nationwide effort called
the “Ingredients for
Change Campaign,” fund-
ed by the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, Par-
ticipant Media and Ac-
tive Voice.
The goal is to engage
community residents in
areas experiencing food
insecurity in a proactive
dialogue with the hope
of changing eating be-
haviors by creating op-
portunities for healthier
choices. This message
will likely reach a re-
ceptive audience at the
South Memphis Healthy
Food Fair.
While the Mississippi
Delta has some of the
country’s most auspi-
cious agricultural condi-
tions, with long growing
seasons and rich, fertile
soil, ironically this re-
gional advantage does
not translate into healthy
food options for local
residents.
The Memphis
metropolitan area was re-
cently ranked No. 1 na-
tionwide in food insecu-
rity, meaning that
residents often have to
make tough choices be-
tween buying food and
paying for other neces-
sities.
A recent study done
by the Mid-South Food
Bank reports that more
than four in five of their
clients had to choose be-
tween paying for food
and paying their utilities.
One-third choose be-
tween food and rent.
If access to food is a
big problem, obtaining
nutritious food is an
even bigger obstacle.
Unfortunately in Mem-
commercialappeal.com
phis, healthy food op-
tions are more likely to
be located in areas of the
community accessible to
people with means, like
money and transporta-
tion. Residents of some
ZIP codes in Memphis
have virtually no access
to fresh foods found in
grocery stores.
Shelby County health
rankings released earlier
this year report that only
40 percent of residents
have access to healthy
foods. This fact stands
alongside the county’s
obesity rate of 33 per-
cent, which the Ten-
nessee Department of
Health says is “an end
result of an overall en-
ergy imbalance due to
poor diet and limited
physical activity” that
puts residents at risk for
health conditions such as
heart disease, Type 2 di-
abetes and cancer.
For residents facing
poverty, drive-through
menus filled with quick,
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 7

South Memphis Healthy Food Fair

When: Saturday, April 17, 1 p.m.– 4 p.m.
Where: LeMoyne-Owen College Student Center
Activities: Free screening of “Food Inc.,” cooking
demonstrations, goodie bags, kids’ activities, door prizes
Sponsors: GrowMemphis, edibleMemphis, Slow Food
Memphis, Strong Me!, Memphis Botanic Garden,
LeMoyne-Owen College, South Memphis Alliance, UT
Extension Services
Transportation available: Call 435-1440 for locations.
Free child care for children ages 5-12: Call 435-1440
to make a reservation.

inexpensive and high- local residents, noting residents as well as con-

calorie meals are often that better options lead necting residents to pro-
the default option. How- to better choices and grams like Healthy Me!
ever, the health costs as- better outcomes. Struc- UT Extension Services
sociated with cheap fast tural changes are in the will provide cooking
food make short-term works, too. demonstrations for
budgeting a long-term fi- Josephine Williams, co- healthy and easy meal
nancial disaster. ordinator of Grow Mem- options, and residents
In other words, res- phis, reports that some will have the opportunity
idents make a trade-off: of the area farmers mar- to participate in an in-
Buy lower-priced food kets are applying to ac- teractive screening of
now, but pay for it later cept SNAP, the Supple- “Food Inc.,” a film re-
in medical bills and poor mental Nutritional leased nationwide that
health outcomes. Assistance Program, so covers the gamut of
Eating well is a com- that low-income resi- food-related issues from
plex undertaking, requir- dents can utilize their farm to market to table.
ing not only access to benefits toward the pur-
healthy foods in grocery chase of fresh food. Leah C. Wells is a staff
stores and farmers mar- Williams has high member at BioDimensions
and is pursuing a doctorate
kets, but also time to hopes about the impact in political science at the
prepare nutritious meals. of the South Memphis University of Mississippi.
Reginald Milton, exec- Healthy Food Fair, in- She is the most recent
utive director of the cluding the potential for recipient of the Dr. Martin
South Memphis Alliance, an increasing number of Luther King Jr. Human
Rights Award from the
underscores the impor- community gardens to University of Memphis.
tance of this event for supply fresh food to local
8 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Land trust works to conserve

parts of northern Mississippi

The Callicut 50-acre parcel of land in Marshall County is the second donation
received by the North Mississippi Land Trust.

By Karen Ott Mayer
Special to Going Green
The North Mississippi
Land Trust resulted from
a green initiative that be-
gan in the northern part
of the state in 2002 as
volunteers, professionals
and environmentalists
gathered to talk about en-
vironmental issues
throughout the state. opment about the envi-
Understanding the land ronment. From that effort,
trust involves under- the DeSoto Greenways
standing environmental program evolved and the
efforts in Mississippi and original idea of a land
how they overlap. trust grew. The North
First, the Natural Re- Mississippi Land Trust is
sources Initiative is a a project of the DeSoto
statewide group of volun- Greenways. “The land
teers organized in 2001 trust is a separate legal
primarily to grow aware- entity,” said Larry Jarrett,
ness, training and devel- co-chairman of the Natu-
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 9

ral Resources Initiative. property deeds. Past land the Audubon Society left
“The trust began with conservation efforts in homeowners with few
$150,000 in seed money Mississippi have been his- other options.
given by the DeSoto torically initiated by con- “People wanted to pro-
County Board of Super- servation-minded private tect land, but maybe they
visors. They then handed landowners. had small acreage or the
over the plan to the De- “There was no real location wasn’t right for
Soto County Economic compelling reason as to these other organiza-
Development Council the timing; it just seemed tions,” Jarrett said.
who contracted me to like a good idea,” John- The land trust looked
help set up the land stone said. to the Land Trust for
trust,” Jarrett said. The Coldwater Canoe Coastal Plains in South
Jarrett, with a back- and Kayak Trail is another Mississippi and the Wolf
ground in industrial real offshoot of the DeSoto River Conservancy for
estate and a master’s de- early guidance.
gree in environmental ed- “We hope to give “We model ourselves
ucation, sits on numerous after the coastal plains
boards, including the relief for the eye group who tend to be
Audubon Society and the with wide-open project oriented, building
Nature Conservancy. trails and installing plant-
Shelly Johnstone, pres- spaces.” ings,” Johnstone said.
ident of the North Mis- To date, two parcels of
sissippi Land Trust board SHELLY JOHNSTONE, land have been donated,
and director of commu- President of the North 50 acres in Marshall
Mississippi Land Trust board
nity development for the and director of community County and 5 acres in
city of Hernando, works development for city of Hernando DeSoto. The land trust
closely with Jarrett. encompasses more than
“The area of concern is 20 counties in the region
any land north of (U.S.) Greenways program, draw- and currently has a high
Highway 82,” Johnstone ing attention to the need level of volunteer help.
said. for cleanup and preserva- “We visually inspect the
The basic mission of tion in the Coldwater Bot- property, looking for in-
the land trust is to con- tom area between Hernan- vasive species like kudzu
serve land in contrast to do and Coldwater. or privet and assess the
the rapid development. Since its founding in land’s value in terms of
“We hope to give relief 2008, the North Mississip- carbon dioxide absorp-
for the eye with wide-open pi Land Trust has been tion and watershed,”
spaces,” Johnstone said. gaining ground, reportedly Johnstone said.
Whereas NRI and the at a faster rate than other Johnstone acknowl-
Greenways program can trusts around the country. edged the intense compe-
promote and engage, the Jarrett explained that tition for the land, even
land trust is the legal land not accepted by the within the land trust
body that actually holds Nature Conservancy or world.
10 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010
Those donating, however, all have one
thing in common. “It’s their inspiration
and they have a fear of losing the land to
future generations.”
The lowest value for land use is doing
nothing with the land, as in a trust. The
highest value comes with development.
That emotional drive combined with
the dedication of the trust members has
resulted in early progress. “We’re orga-
nized and are seeking accreditation. We
used a formal process to pick our board
which is diversified across industry, ex-
pertise and race,” Johnstone said.
The North Mississippi Land Trust has
15 board members.
Johnstone said that one message needs
to be understood clearly by the public.
“These are voluntary land donations.
There is no eminent domain. We’re not out
there taking land from private landowners.
Land trusts are about arrangements.”
She noted that in some easement cases,
it is actually valuable for the landowner
who doesn’t mind trails coming through
the property. “Access to trails can greatly
improve property value.”
While the North Mississippi Land
Trust considers all donations, the land
does need to meet the goals of the or-
ganization and the board makes decisions
based on certain criteria.
Land trusts can dissolve, as in the case of
the Delta Land Trust. Johnstone said that
land is often transferred to another trust
when that happens.
Looking toward the future, Johnstone
and others envision a new trail called the
Johnson Creek Trail that would extend
from the Mississippi River to Horn Lake.
While that project remains a distant reality,
the recently donated five acres in DeSoto
County designates the first leg of the trail.
commercialappeal.com
Scientists look
to tobacco as a
potential biofuel
By Michael Felberbuam
The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. — Some re-
searchers say an age-old cash crop
long the focus of public health de-
bate could be used to help solve the
nation’s energy crisis, by geneti-
cally modifying the tobacco leaf for
use as a biofuel.
The golden leaf is the latest in a
series of possible biofuels like
switchgrass and algae that are be-
ing floated as Congress and Pres-
ident Barack Obama stress the im-
portance of securing alternative
energy sources.
Scientists believe using tobacco
would be beneficial because it would
not affect a major U.S. food source,
unlike other biofuels made from
corn, soybeans and other crops.
Tobacco is an attractive “energy
plant” because it can generate a
large amount of oil and sugar more
efficiently than other crops, said
Vyacheslav Andrianov, a researcher
at the Biotechnology Foundation
Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson
University in Philadelphia.
Andrianov recently co-wrote a
paper on how researchers have
found a way to genetically engineer
tobacco to boost the oil in the
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 11

Clinton Yates
uses a tobacco
knife to top
plants in a field
near Sparta, Ky.
With the help of
science, an age-
old cash crop
long the focus
of public health
debates could
be used to help
solve the
nation’s energy
crisis.
Associated Press files

plant’s leaves. Researchers found that
modifying the plant produced as much
as 20 times more oil, according to the
report published online in December
and featured in a special biofuels edition
of the Plant Biotechnology Journal.
“Certainly tobacco could work; any
plant is a potential source of biofuel,”
said Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the
Renewable Fuels Association. “I know to-
bacco farms have been hit hard in recent
years and this may be an opportunity for
some of those tobacco farmers.”
Commercial use for tobacco as a bio-
fuel may be more than five years away,
but tobacco farmers look forward to the
possibilities, said Andrianov, an assis-
tant professor of cancer biology at the
university’s Jefferson Medical College.
According to the Food and Agricul-
ture Organization of the United Nations,
tobacco production has dropped about
1.5 percent worldwide over the past 10
years. Production has decreased by
nearly 39 percent in the U.S. during that
same period in part due to the federal
buyout program that provided an in-
centive for tobacco farmers to switch to
other crops.
The decrease is largely due to the
slump in cigarette demand, but some
farmers say they’d have to look at the
economics and processes used to grow
tobacco for biofuel to see whether it is
viable.
While farming tobacco is an expen-
sive task when high-quality leaf is need-
ed for cigarettes, Andrianov said there
is real potential in the golden leaf’s
future. “You can grow tobacco like a
weed” when it’s being grown for bio-
fuels, he said.
12 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Ten things to know before you remodel

By Katy Rank Lev get an energy audit to see where the house is
Mother Nature Network leaking air. Small changes such as adding
insulation, caulking windows and sealing
You’ve had just about enough of ductwork can dramatically reduce your carbon
footprint without breaking the bank. Add
taping plastic wrap over your windows updated, efficient appliances and you’ve made
each winter. Your gutter overflow a big difference already.
creates rivers in your front yard. So,
inspired by great tax incentives, you’ve 3. Windows to your soul
decided to renovate your home with If you have an old home, you might have
Mother Nature in mind. Where to start? noticed a chilly draft coming in from old
If funds are limited, windows — possibly
what are the most the biggest source of
important remodels heat loss in your
to tackle? home. It might not,
Here are 10 things however, be necessary
to replace your entire
to consider before window to make an
you pick up the Earth-conscious
sledgehammer: renovation decision.
According to Carl
1. Ask an expert Seville of Seville
Even if you are Consulting, an Atlanta-
planning a DIY remodel, based green building
you should consult with consulting firm,
the folks at your local “replacement windows
green homebuilders are generally not
association. These worth the investment”
organizations, such as in all but the most
Atlanta’s EarthCraft extreme climate
House zones. Take care to
(earthcrafthouse.com), seal the windows and
are educational make a world of
nonprofit organizations difference.
that set criteria for the
most up-to-date environmental building 4. What lurks beneath
processes and practices. If you’re already insulating the house, you
should definitely include the basement and
2. Focus on energy efficiency foundation in your renovation plans.
Georgia Pacific’s Barry Reid can’t If insulation wasn’t on your checklist, you
emphasize energy efficiency enough in a should consider having your basement treated
green renovation. “You can cut your energy and/or waterproofed to make your home more
bill 30 percent by making smart, small Earth-friendly. While you’re down there, make
changes,” he says. He advises renovators to sure your pipes are insulated, your doors are
The Commercial Appeal
sealed and, if necessary, the basement airflow
is sealed off from the rest of your house.
5. Nice ducts
Speaking of airflow, Seville says HVAC
upgrades are some of the most efficient,
sustainable changes you can make to your
home. “Spend more money on sealing your
home and install a smaller, more efficient
heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit ,”
he says.
Seville bristles at the notion that bigger is
better and also emphasizes that location is just
as important. “Where your HVAC system goes
matters,” he says, “Putting ducts in the attic
means using more energy to cool your house ...
which is why you can put a smaller unit in the
basement to achieve the same effect with less!”
6. When it rains, it pours
Better water management can be an
inexpensive and effective upgrade to any
home. Internal improvements such as
blanketing your hot water heater and installing
low-flush toilets will help you consume less
water and energy, but outdoor fixes can be
extremely important, too. You might consider
reshaping your landscaping to draw water
away from your foundation.
7. Repurpose your old materials
Seville insists that, “Remodeling is
inherently a sustainable business,” and a huge
part of this equation is the way in which your
contractor repurposes your old materials.
Seville advises clients that lumber is easily
ground into landscaping wood chips or
donated to furniture makers, bricks and stone
can be used on other construction sites.
The best part about finding new homes for
appliances or construction supplies? Many of
the organizations accepting the donations are
nonprofits, which means you get a tax benefit.
8. Interior details
One of the easiest ways to improve air
quality in your house is to rip out the carpet
Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 13
and stop wearing shoes indoors. According to
Seville, “You should use hard surface flooring
wherever possible and put down some rugs
that you can easily move and clean.” If you feel
compelled to put down carpet, make sure you
are choosing a sustainably produced carpet.
Other interior details, such as energy-
efficient appliances, motion-sensor lighting
and low-VOC paint on the walls, make it easy
to finish off a green renovation.
9. Materials matter
If you’re spending the money for a green
renovation, you’re definitely concerned with the
materials. While your first instinct might be to
use materials that are entirely organic or made
from recycled materials, Reid says this isn’t
always the best choice. “A rapidly renewable
product might put you at risk for water damage
because it’s slower to dry and more absorbent.
Sometimes the most forgiving materials
with the best longevity are not the most
obviously green,” he says. Reid encourages
homeowners to consider durability and, based
on your specific climate, “choose materials
that support the long-term viability of the
home.” What does this mean? Reid says you
need to consider what parts of your home are
most vulnerable to moisture — generally the
basement, kitchen and bathroom. “Non-paper
faced wallboards in these critical areas can
lower your risk for moisture and potential
mold,” he says.
10. Maximize your space
Many people feel they need to expand their
home and approach renovation to get more
space. Seville urges homeowners to really
maximize their current living space — you
might be surprised how cozy and comfortable
your house could become.
“People have rooms they just don’t use,” he
says, citing easy changes like opening up
doorways or switching the use of a room as
ways to “add” living space to a home.
Visit the Mother Nature Network at
mnn.com.
14 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.com

By Lori Johnston

Weddings that Mother Nature Network

Some couples are adding a

new ending to the traditional

say ‘I do’ to the wedding jingle.

Something old. Something
new. Something borrowed.

environment
Something reused?
Sarah Shewey, founder of
Los Angeles-based Pink Cloud
Events (pinkcloudevents.com),
a green event production com-
pany, says brides and grooms
are getting over misconcep-
tions that a green wedding
can’t be big and fabulous.
“We find that now more than
last year, and definitely more
than two years ago, people get
really excited,” she says.
“There are more options now
than there were before. There
are more businesses that are
popping up and offering eco-
friendly services or highlight-
ing the eco-friendly aspects
they were doing before.”
Wedding planner Lynda Bar-
ness says the events rack up a
big expense and involve many
items that typically are discard-
ed, so some couples are paying
greater attention to using re-
sources well and considering
the Earth.
“It’s a sense of caring about
the environment and doing the
right thing,” says Barness,
owner of Philadelphia-based I
Do Wedding Consulting (ido-
plan.com).
One couple incorporated
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 15

green details into a portion sizes — both in growing all the food to
Pennsylvania wedding response to seeing so 5,000 acres of conserva-
with an “enchanted for- much food waste. tion,” says Jeff Smith,
est” theme. The invita- Some couples find oth- president of GRI Stu-
tions were printed on re- er ways to lessen their dios, a fine art reproduc-
cycled paper. The wedding day impact, tion company.
centerpieces included whether by planting “We loved the fact that
plants instead of cut trees to make up for out- it was an eco-friendly
flowers, plus candles of-town guests’ carbon destination,” adds Bon-
made by the bride and emissions or buying wed- nie, a speech therapist in
groom. The guests re- ding day dishes and the public school system.
ceived organic tea and glasses at thrift stores or They had stayed at the
chocolates. registering for organic, lodge the year before
It’s possible to have a eco-friendly and their wedding, and decid-
green wedding on any plantable gifts. ed that the flowers and
food, such as mangoes,
“There are more businesses that are dragon fruit, shrimp and
popping up and offering eco-friendly lobster, grown and
caught on site, and other
services or highlighting the eco-friendly environmentally friendly
aspects they were doing before.” touches would be per-
fect for their big day.
SARAH SHEWEY,
Their 20-plus guests
Founder of Los Angeles-based Pink Cloud Events
gained an ecological ed-
ucation while touring
the property. The bun-
type of budget, Shewey Shewey and other galows where they
says, but the couple wedding planners say stayed and the furniture
needs to prioritize how they would like to see inside were made from
they want to spend their more eco-friendly choic- indigenous hardwoods.
money. Barness says cou- es in terms of transporta- Some couples are re-
ples need to be aware tion, invitations and thinking the honeymoon
that if locally grown food venues. by visiting locales fo-
and flowers are desired, Denver couple Jeff and cused on ecotourism or
there may be fewer ven- Bonnie Smith’s 2007 out- even redirecting some of
dors to choose from. door wedding at Mor- their honeymoon dollars
With organic fare, the gan’s Rock Hacienda and elsewhere, Shewey says.
food budget might need Ecolodge in Nicaragua, One couple she worked
to be increased. near the Costa Rican with planned a honey-
Another food trend border, was that venue’s moon on a smaller scale
Shewey has noticed is first wedding. and used the remaining
caterers’ use of local pro- “It is a ground-up eco- money to install bamboo
duce and a decrease in friendly experience, from floors in their home.
16 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.com

New radical teaches the why

and how of simplifying your life
By Molly Klinefelter
McClatchy-Tribune
In today’s economy, it seems irrespon-
sible and even outlandish to consider a
career outside of the corporate realm.
After all, the corporate
world is where the money
is, and money is hard to
come by these days.
Shannon Hayes offers
an alternative to this
lifestyle, though, in her
new book, “Radical
Homemakers: Reclaiming
Domesticity from a Con-
sumer Culture” (Left to
Right Press, $23.95). A
Cornell grad with a Ph.D.
and a grass-fed meat
farmer, Hayes argues that
a family can live as well
on less than $45,000 a
year as one making twice
or even three times that.
Her secret? Consuming less and spend-
ing less. By eating locally, conserving fos-
sil fuels, cutting down on pollution and
reviving the economy, you can live a hap-
pier life, as Hayes outlines in her book.
After Hayes lost interest in pursuing
the corporate path laid out for her, she in-
vestigated other ways to thrive in the
world. By conducting interviews with
“radical homemakers”
across the country, she
learned from as well as
taught others attempting to
live similar lifestyles.
Through assembling all this
knowledge — as well as an-
swering questions from oth-
er “radical homemakers” —
Hayes had herself a book.
The 300-plus page book
details how you can live well
even by going against the
grain. This how-to guide is
broken into two sections:
the why and the how. Hayes
outlines the benefits of be-
coming less consumer-driv-
en, then shares tips with her readers on
how to actually accomplish that.
For more information, go to
radicalhomemakers.com.

Just one thing

Doing some home improvement work this weekend? When painting walls, make sure you
buy just enough paint. Go to popular home improvement Web sites like Lowes.com and search
for “paint calculator.” Type in the dimensions of your room, and it’ll compute exactly how
much paint you need to buy. No more overbuying and a lot less waste.
The Commercial Appeal
EARTH TALK
Keep animals from foraging through compost
Dear Earth Talk: What
is a green-friendly, non-
lethal way to keep un-
wanted animals from for-
aging for food in
compost?
It’s true that outdoor
compost piles and bins
can draw wildlife, but
there are ways to min-
imize the attraction.
For one, make sure ev-
eryone in your household
knows to keep meat,
bones, fish, fat and dairy
out of the compost. Not
only will these items
“overheat” the compost
pile, they’ll also stink it
up and attract animals.
Otherwise, home com-
posters should keep in
mind that critters aren’t ac-
tually eating the compost
but are sifting through it to
find fresh edible kitchen or
garden scraps.
To discourage animals,
the Web site OrganicGar-
dening.com recommends
mixing kitchen garbage
with soil or wood ashes
before burying it in the
hot center of your com-
post pile.
Putting your compost
pile in a pest-proof con-
Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN
tainer is another way to
prevent tampering with
your precious organic
soil-to-be. Compost tum-
blers are popular because
they mix and aerate by
just being turned occa-
sionally, and they keep in-
terlopers at bay. Other-
wise, compost bins with
wire tops or sealed lids
work well too, but require
a little more manual labor
in terms of stirring.
Of course, another op-
tion would be to make
the compost indoors us-
ing a worm bin. You can
still put kitchen scraps in
just like in a bigger out-
door compost pile, but
without the worry of at-
tracting wildlife.
The long and short of
17
Experts
recommend not
putting any food
scraps in open
compost piles,
but if you must,
bury them under
at least eight
inches of soil.
LexnGer/Flickr
it is that if you know
what you’re doing, com-
posting can be a reward-
ing, environmentally
friendly and pest-free ex-
perience. For some great
tips on how to get start-
ed, visit the Web site
Composting101.com, a
comprehensive and free
guide for the home gar-
dener on what to do and
how to do it.
One more thing to
keep in mind is that the
garden itself may attract
as much if not more
wildlife than some food
scraps in a compost pile.
Strategically placed
fencing and wire mesh
can frustrate some ani-
mals enough to keep
them moving along.
18 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 11, 2010 commercialappeal.com

New York Times file photo

Jay Leno behind the steering tiller of a 1909 Baker electric car. Below is a 1915
Detroit electric; Henry Ford’s wife drove a 1914 Detroit Electric rather than a
Model T. This wasn’t unusual; electric cars were seen as women’s cars.

By Larry Printz / Virginian-Pilot

Electric cars With the federal government

— not exactly mandate that automakers’ fleets

average 35 miles per gallon by

cutting edge 2020, many manufacturers are

turning to electric cars as a
solution. It’s easy to see why.
Many carmakers are becoming
reacquainted with electric motors;
they’re used in gas-electric hybrid
cars, which employ electric motors
to augment the performance and
fuel economy of gas engines.
The Commercial Appeal
This all seems new and cutting edge,
but, in reality, both ideas are as old as
the automobile itself.
In the early years of the 20th century,
when cars were powered by numerous
types of fuel, electric cars outsold
gasoline cars. They were quieter,
smoother and easier to operate.
Refueling was as simple as plugging it
in.
Popular brands included the Baker
Electric (1899-1916), Rauch & Lang
(1905-1928) and the Detroit Electric
(1907-1939).
Henry Ford’s wife, Clara, drove a
1914 Detroit Electric rather than a
Model T. This wasn’t unusual; electric
cars were seen as women’s cars. The
White House had them in their fleet for
first ladies through the early 1920s.
And Mrs. Ford’s car had an 80-mile
range. If that doesn’t sound like much,
consider that the forthcoming 2011
Nissan Leaf will go only 20 miles
Sunday, April 11, 2010 | GOING GREEN 19
farther before needing to be recharged.
Not much of an advance in a century.
Similarly, the gas-electric hybrid is
hardly a new idea. It was attempted
many times, from the 1905 Gas-Au-Lec,
to the 1928 Gas-Electric, an
experimental taxicab built for the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co.
Hybrids didn’t merit much
consideration, for a simple reason: If
you add batteries and an electric motor,
you add weight. The more weight, the
more power needed to move the
vehicle. The more power needed, the
more fuel used.
Now that cars are heavily
computerized, they can expertly
determine when the gas motor should
run and when it shouldn’t for greatest
efficiency. This is something mechanical
controls can’t determine.
Before falling for marketing hype,
remember, there is nothing new under
the sun. It merely gets repackaged.
A 1916 Rauch
& Lang Electric
Brougham (at
right) was a
popular brand
in the early
20th century,
when electric
cars outsold
gasoline cars.
They were
quieter,
smoother and
easier to
operate.