What is Sustainability

The term sustainability has roots in early movements for environmental resource preservation. It has broadened with increasing awareness that conventional means of interacting with the environment and use of natural resources have consequences that threaten our quality of life and the well-being of future generations and the ecosystem services- those natural systems which clean the air and the water, provide food sources and pollination. Sustainability describes a new way of living, learning, working, playing and doing business that embodies a spirit of environmental stewardship. Can we become a sustainable community in Livingston County? I believe we can.

Diet Sodas

I know, you're thinking what in the world does diet soda have to do with Living Green in our dear county and it actually doesn't have a whole lot to do with it at all. I have just had such a concern about sodas and especially the diet kind because seems so many people drink them and still can't lose the weight. I found an article in the magazine called First and after reading it wanted to share this with everyone.
Weight management experts are still shocked over findings presented by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. They discovered that for each can of diet soda consumed daily, a person's risk of obesity increased 41 percent! The culprits behind this disturbing news: artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose. These artificial sweeteners seem to disrupt the body's natural ability to count calories and sense fullness.
How can I connect this to being greener in your life? Maybe if we give up diet soda we can lose some weight, feel better about our health and in turn want to get out there and do more to make our county a healthier place to live. Am I stretching it a bit? OK I guess I am. :o)

Reducing Paper Waste in Your Kitchen

Three Steps to Reducing Kitchen Paper Waste

By Emily Main

November 19, 2007
Photo: Coffee filters with coffee

Photo courtesy Shutterstock Images

Step 1: Reuse your coffee filters.

Ditch paper filters in favor of a filter-less French press, like the classic Chambord made by Bodum ($19.95; www.bodumusa.com, 800-232-6386). However, unfiltered coffee brewed in French presses and percolators has been linked to increased levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, due to oil on ground coffee beans that's usually removed by paper filters. In drip coffee makers, reusable cone or basket filters can get rid of the oils, but metal filters may not remove them as thoroughly as hemp cloth ($4.95; www.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873). Since coffee grounds can be difficult to remove, try scrubbing the hemp filter with a brush after you've emptied it.

Step 2: Try the 80/20 rule.

Choose reusable cloths at least 80 percent of the time. Organic cotton kitchen towels ($4), colorful hemp napkins ($8) and hemp dish ($16) and kitchen towels ($16; www.rawganique.com, 877-729-4367) are good for everyday use. Handi Wipes reusable polyester wiping cloths work just like paper towels on messy or sticky spills (about $2.50; at most major drugstores). Or save yourself some money and eco guilt: Keep a few old T-shirts torn into rags for the dirtiest of the dirty messes.

For the other 20 percent of the time: Look for processed-chlorine-free (PCF) recycled-paper goods with the highest post-consumer-waste (PCW) content possible. Seventh Generation 80 percent PCW, PCF paper towels ($1.99; www.drugstore.com); Green Forest 40 percent PCW, PCF paper towels ($1.29; www.drugstore.com); Whole Foods' 365 brand 80 percent PCW, PCF napkins ($2.49; www.wholefoodsmarket.com).

Step 3: Eat less processed food.

Open your pantry door, and you'll likely be staring at rows of paper or cardboard packaging, which doesn't accompany fresh food. You may not be able to avoid processed food entirely, but you can...

Know what's recyclable. Cardboard boxes may go in your curbside recycling bin, but aseptic and paperboard cartons may not be accepted.

Buy less packaging. Cereal packaged in plastic alone requires less packaging overall (and less fuel to ship), and saltine crackers don't need to be packaged individually. Pack lunches in reusable containers: Lillian Vernon's "I Love You" #5 polypropylene sandwich container ($4.98; www.lillianvernon.com, 800-901-9402).

Helping to Keep our Drinking Water Clean

Here are a few Healthy Household Habits for Clean Water and ways to help keep our lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands and coastal waters clean.
Use a commercial car wash or wash your car in the grass rather than the driveway to minimize runoff of dirty soapy water.

Check your vehicles for leaks and spills and clean up anything that has already spilled onto the ground.

Use persticides and fertilizers sparingly

Drain your swimming pool only when a test kit does not detect chlorine levels.

Remember, nothing down the storm drains but rain.

For more helpful tips go to www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater

Anyone Own a Kindle

They're called E-readers and they're a cool gadget that's good for the environment to boot. You could concievably save one tree per year by simply downloading your newspaper wirelessly every day. That's according to an article published in Environmental Science and Technology. A years worth of newspapers can amount to about 700 pounds of paper. You have to consider the greenhouse gases that are emmited while printing the newspapers too. I'm going to do some more research and just see how cool this new gadget is.