Blog | Page 6 | Do It Green! Minnesota

Water Conservation- Lessons from California

May 12, 2016June 15, 2015

I recently traveled to California for work, and I was struck by what people in the state are and are not doing to conserve water. California is facing one of the worst droughts in recorded history; the situation is so bad that the governor of California declared a state of …

Home Energy Audits

May 12, 2016June 1, 2015

My wife and I bought our first home 5 years ago, an old brick structure built in 1904. When we bought it, the previous owner assured us that it was well-insulated and cozy when it gets cold. Then came our first winter energy bill, and we realized that she meant …

Guide to Minnesota’s Government Bodies

May 12, 2016May 19, 2015

Most Minnesotans take pride in our natural resources and care about the environment. This is reflected in our state government, which has numerous departments and committees that play a role in protecting Minnesota’s environment. Below, you’ll find a brief overview of some of major state government groups that deal with …

Green Nonfiction Books

May 12, 2016May 4, 2015

Warm weather is finally upon us, and there’s nothing more relaxing then settling into a hammock or a lawn chair outside with a good book. Here are some of my favorite nonfiction books about the environment or the natural world. Catch them out from your local library and get reading! …

Make an Earth Day Resolution

May 12, 2016April 20, 2015

This week on Earth Day, April 22nd, the city of Minneapolis will activate its ban on using Styrofoam containers, a rule that will hopefully have a significant impact on the waste generated by restaurants and food vendors. Across the country, people celebrate Earth Day by picking up trash, planting trees …

Green Tips

Think Twice About Bottled Water

If you live in an area with clean drinking water, fill a reusable bottle with tap water and bring it with you wherever you go to avoid buying bottled water. The U.S. sends 2 million tons of plastic water bottles to landfills each year—and producing those bottles requires oil and emits carbon dioxide. Some restaurants in the Twin Cities feel so strongly against bottled water that they refuse to sell it. Learn more.

Green Your Child’s Lunch

Home-packed lunches can be fun, healthy, and green, with very little time or money required. A child’s lunch, including organic fruit, requires less than five minutes on average to prepare and could cost as little as $1.00 per day-compared to over $2.25 for school lunch.

Try these suggestions to green your packed lunches, whether for children, adults, or picnics!

Learn from Woodbury

Is it possible for one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota to be sustainable? The City of Woodbury has committed to try. Since adopting its initial Sustainability Resolution in 2006, the City has progressed toward becoming a sustainable community through several initiatives. You can read more about them in here. Can your city follow suit?

Host an Art Night

Looking for a new way to connect with your neighbors, get free life advice, and spark your creative juices? Consider hosting an art night at your house, complete with paints, modeling clay, colored pencils and art smocks. Get messy, be creative, and let the conversation flow. For inspiration and resources, check out this article.

Go Green with Cloth Diapers

An average child will go through 8-10 diapers a day until the age of 30 months. That’s about 8,000 diapers, and a cost of about $2,500! A good set of 20 cloth diapers will cost an average of $350 and can be used for future children or even resold. Cloth diapers save you money and keep a significant amount of trash out of the landfill or incinerator.

Recycle Your Paper Products

Most people don’t realize it, but one way to reduce global warming is to recycle paper products. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees. Each tree helps reduce global warming by capturing and holding carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Remember your bottles and cans, too—any recycling you do means fewer of the Earth’s raw materials are used. Learn more here.

Start an Organics Recycling Program

Establishing an organics recycling program is a great way to reduce the amount of trash an organization or household disposes. Organics include all food waste and non-recyclable or food-soiled paper products and can make up approximately 25 percent of what we throw away. This article offers tips on how to start your own program.

Plant a Seed, Grow a Community

Community Gardens are community spaces that are communally cultivated and cared for; these spaces may consist of individually-worked plots, multiple person caretaker areas, sitting areas, and small-scale children play areas. Some say community gardens are the last existing opportunity Americans have to reclaim common spaces. This article offers great information about the many benefits community gardens provide.

Check Windows and Doors for Energy Efficiency

Here are some easy tips for Home Energy Savings:

Leaky windows, doors and frames can let out the air you paid to heat or cool. Once a year, check the caulking around your windows, doors and joints to make sure everything is sealed tightly.
Install weather stripping around any leaky windows and doors.
If you use storm windows, check them each winter to be sure they provide a good seal and are not cracked.
If you have only single glaze windows, you can purchase do-it-yourself plastic storms that just tape into place.
If you use window air conditioners, take them out for the winter. If they are attached to the wall or too big to move, make sure they are well-covered with insulating material to avoid leaking a lot of your warm air.
If you have a fireplace, install a glass door that reduces hot air loss.

Make an Action Plan

Wait. Scratch that. Don’t make your own list of simple things you can do today to make a positive difference for the climate—use ours! This list offers 20 easy things you can do that will help you and your family lighten your load on the environment, keep more money in your pocket, and inspire you to find even more ways to tread lightly on this earth.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet