General | Page 89 | Do It Green! Minnesota

THE ENERGY FAIR – St. Paul, MN

January 25, 2017

Celebrate clean energy and sustainable living in St. Paul on September 9-10, 2017! The Energy Fair features interactive workshops, exhibitors, live music, inspiring keynotes, family fun, great local food, and more. Come together to learn new skills, build community, and take action towards a more sustainable future. Organized by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, The…

B-Lectric: A Celebration of Art and Light

January 19, 2017

Northern Lights.mn, the producers of the Northern Spark festival, sees winter as a defining key to our cultural imagination, one that must be cherished even as its existence is threatened by global climate change. For B-Lectric, Northern Lights will construct custom ice walls that at sunset will become projection screens for a variety of light-based…

Community brush haul + bonfire at newly protected Houlton Farm

January 18, 2017

Join Friends of the Mississippi River for our first volunteer event taking place at the newly protected William H. Houlton Conservation Area – Houlton Farm – for a community gathering hauling brush, Saturday, February 25. Volunteers will haul pre-cut buckthorn brush to help clear the site to make way for further restoration efforts. Following the…

Straw Bale Doc Showing

January 17, 2017

Straw Bale Doc showing: Northrop on the U campus (84 Church st. SE Mpls MN 55455) in Crosby Seminar room East Side 2nd floor. Thur Jan 26 7PM doors open @ 6:30 Following the movie there will be a Q &A with Mark Morgan(Bear Paw construction) and Ramy Selim(Producer Director)and a former Straw bale home…

THE ENERGY FAIR – Custer, WI

January 16, 2017

Celebrate the summer solstice at The 28th Annual Energy Fair, June 16-18, 2017! The Energy Fair brings over 13,000 attendees together to learn about clean energy and sustainability, connect with others, and take action towards a more sustainable future. Enjoy over 200 workshops, over 200 exhibitors, live music, inspiring keynotes, camping, family fun, great food,…

Green Tips

Unplug to Avoid Phantom Load

Did you know that you have electronics in your home leaking electricity—electricity that you pay for—24 hours a day, 7 days a week? The power drain is called “phantom load,” and it is a big problem with a simple solution.

The easiest strategy is to use power strips to cut the power to your electronics. When you turn off a power strip, it stops phantom load leaks. Start with your entertainment center and home office where you can find the biggest leaks: televisions, game consoles and computers. Make sure your power strip is located in an easy-to-reach place so you can easily turn it on or off. Set up a power strip as a charger station where your family can plug in all their cell phones, PDAs and music players. Most importantly…turn it off when you’re not using it!

Lead Your Community to Sustainability

People in small towns, suburban communities, and urban neighborhoods all over Minnesota and western Wisconsin are banding together to make their communities more livable and sustainable. Are you ready to make sustainable changes in your community? This article offers many tips for getting started, including learning more about sustainability plus how to create an action plan for your city.

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.

Start Backyard Composting

Did you know that the average Minnesota household throws 15 pounds of compostable materials into the trash every single week? Composting is an easy and simple way to have an immediate personal impact by diverting trash from the landfill or incinerator. Backyard composting takes leaves, grass clippings, veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and tissue and turns them into valuable compost that reduces the amount of water and fertilizer required for your yard and garden, improves soil quality and supplies essential nutrients for plant growth.

Learn more!

Learn from Shoreview

Shoreview Green Community is a group of citizens from the north metro community of Shoreview who are working with the Sierra Club North Star Chapter to make Shoreview a model community for its environmental practices. The group focuses on clean water, efficient resource use, and transportation issues. Learn more about how your community can model Shoreview’s environmental efforts here.

Practice Greener Pest Control

Preventive and non-toxic pest control strategies are not only better for the environment and your wallet, but also human health. Before the advent of toxic aerosol sprays and poisons post World War II, many people used passive and more natural means to control pests by deterring and preventing their entry.

Find a list of green pest control ideas in our article on Pest Control, the Old Fashioned Way!

Keep Learning

Minnesota is a national leader in environmental education and offers a number of resources to help you stay on top of the latest information. This article offers brief descriptions of some of Minnesota’s key environmental education programs, publications and organizations.

Support Strong Towns

The automobile era spurred the expansion of highways and the fragmentation of natural habitats and communities. Now, the suburban American lifestyle had led to an obesity epidemic, high levels of resource consumption, and oil dependency. Strong Towns is a nonprofit that helps cities focus on resiliency instead of growth. Find out more.

Learn from St. Paul

Wondering what our state’s capitol city is doing about climate change? The city is committed to making St. Paul “The Most Livable City in America” and a leader in sustainable urban living. To accomplish this, the city concentrates on energy efficiency and conservation, clean energy supply, alternative fuels, transportation options, recycling and waste reduction, and other areas. Find out more here.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet