Green events in March

Spring is coming:  shake off the bleak midwinter blues and check out these local events...

DC Environmental Film Festival, March 13-25 http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/

National Facilities Management and Technology conference, March 13-15 http://www.nfmt.com/baltimore/ 

Eco-ball, March 16, sponsored by Baltimore Green Works http://baltimoregreenworks.com/ecoball/

Earth Hour, March 31 www.EarthHour.org 

View more coming events like these here:  http://greeneventsbaltimore.com/ 

I want this car

Last summer it was the Honda CR-Z sport hybrid.
Now it's the baby Prius c!

Quick statistics:
Available in spring 2012
Designed to be the most affordable prius
Designed to achieve a higher mpg rating than the 3rd generation prius
Stylish design


Read about it here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57325949-48/baby-toyota-prius-c-toddles-towards-production/?part=rss&subj=cartech&tag=title&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cnet%2FmHpI+%28Car+Tech%3A+An+automotive+blog+from+CNET%29

View the rest of the growing Prius family:
http://touch.toyota.com/prius-family/

Best grill marinade ever

This is my favorite marinade.  It's great on grilled venison, grilled eggplant, or grilled - well - anything.
I know Christmas isn't exactly grilling season but... enjoy!

from Simply in Season cookbook

1c oil
3/4c soy sauce
1/2c wine vinegar
1/3c lemon juice
1/4c worcestershire sauce
2T mustard
2t parsley
2t each salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Baby it's cold outside!

This Lifehacker article has winter preparation tips on everything from insulating windows, repurposing old sweaters as mittens, and fighting Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Enjoy!
http://lifehacker.com/5864667/prepare-yourself-for-the-winter-cold-this-weekend

Crafty Christmas gifts

Looking for unique gifts made by talented artisans?  Check out the local crafts scene...

Holiday Heap was today in Charles Village, sponsored by the Charm City Craft Mafia
http://www.charmcitycraftmafia.com/holidayheap2011.html

In case you missed it, some of the same vendors will be at the Creative Alliance on Sunday Dec 4th for Merry Mart http://www.creativealliance.org/events/eventItem2784.html


And there's Etsy all year round http://www.etsy.com/

Many of these craftspeople upcycle used materials like clothing, vintage maps, and found objects to fashion their art.  Some of my favorites from the Holiday Heap...

Almanac Industries www.almanacindustries.com  Bookbinding and letterpress studio

Biggs and Featherbelle www.biggsandfeather.com Health conscious body care.  Also available at Whole Foods.

Greenstarstudio, or *might www.mightmight.etsy.com Handmade wonder for all ages

Holland Cox www.hollandcox.com Handmade classic handbags and accessories

Open Eyes Press www.openeyespress.com Eco-friendly handmade goods

Pidge Pidge www.pidgepidge.etsy.com Handwoven scarves and pet portraits

The Littlest Bean www.thelittlestbean.com Mixed media usables

Wooly baby www.wooly-baby.com Handmade and eco-friendly soft slippers

Great green gifts

Gearing up for Christmas shopping? Here's a collection of green gift ideas for everybody on your list...

(image: recycled circuit board ornaments from GeekSugar.com)

Visit sites like Ecoist, FairTradeSports, OrganicBabyGiftsBoutique, OliveGreenDog, and WearYourMusic to find unique gifts that are organic, recycled, fair trade, charitable, or all of the above. Follow this link to the Consumer Reports Greener Choices page for these sites and a few more.

Don't forget the rechargeable batteries to power your gadgets. View CR recommendations for long-lasting, greener batteries.

http://www.wired.com/ Their holiday buying guide has some groovy gifts like the MudWatt electrochemistry kit and a sculptural CFL bulb called the Plumen 001.

http://www.uncommongoods.com/ - Unique gifts and creative design found here, many handmade and/or recycled, with items like record bookends, tree ring coasters, and bamboo dry erase boards.

http://www.resourcerevival.com/ - Green gifts, awards, and promotional items made from recycled bicycle parts.

http://www.signals.com/ Gifts that inform, enlighten & entertain, including recycled wine bottle drinking glasses, bamboo keyboard and mouse, and newspaper bead bracelets. Building buffs will enjoy the origami architecture book and Frank Lloyd Wright Lego sets, while electrician types will get a charge out of the "Resistance is not futile…" T-shirt.

http://www.etsy.com/ The worldwide online marketplace for handmade gifts.

http://blog.makezine.com/ Or bypass the shopping altogether and make your own stuff, like DIY iPhone gloves.

Happy holidays!

P.S. Today's Grist newsletter had a good article about eschewing "stuff" - complete with links to Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff and George Carlin's NSFW rant about it.  Food for thought...

Paying it forward with recycling in Baltimore County

Baltimore County has authorized $25 million to upgrade the recycling facilities in Cockeysville.

Apparently, since the county switched to single-stream recycling in February 2010, recycling has been shipped elsewhere for processing because county facilities could only handle dual-stream.  This new funding will pay for transitioning the Cockeysville facility to single-stream, and build a new garbage transfer station as well.

According to sources at the solid waste management bureau, this transition will ultimately save the county money:

Trash disposal cost = $56 to $58 per ton
Recycling revenue = $100 to $105 per ton, depending on materials

Read the full article here:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/news/ph-tt-recycling-center-1109-20111107,0,6895904.story

Simple driving habits that can save you money

Save money and carbon emissions with these driving tips from Mary Hunt, author of Debt-Proof Living.


Stop idling and save $365/year

For every two minutes your car idles, you burn as much fuel as driving 1 mile, according to Rob Schlichting, spokesperson for the California Energy Commission. With gas prices at about $4/gallon nationwide, 10 minutes of idling costs you $1 a day. If you’ll be waiting longer than 30 seconds, turn off the engine.

Follow the 4/40 rule and save $96/year

What’s more cost-effective: air conditioning or open windows? Rule of thumb to conserve two gallons of gas a month: if you’re driving under 40 mph, open all four windows and turn off the a/c. Over 40 mph, close the windows and run the a/c.

Slow down and save $345/year

Every 5 mph you drive over 60 is like paying an extra $0.29 per gallon. Stick to the speed limit and you’ll shave off 12% at the pump.

Don’t drive aggressively and save $916/year

Accelerating forcefully, making abrupt lane changes, and braking sharply all reduce gas mileage, says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com, a leading auto information website. Take it easy behind the wheel and you’ll boost mpg by 30%. That’s about $1.20 less per gallon – a big savings on the $3100 the average family annually spends for gas, according to the Consumer Federation of America.

The true cost of commuting

Here's an interesting article from Lifehacker.com about how you could save money by shortening your commute.


http://lifehacker.com/5855550/the-true-cost-of-commuting-save-hundreds-every-year-for-each-mile-you-move-closer-to-work

The Halloween neighborhood livability test

Is your neighborhood walkable?  Safe?  Healthy? 
http://www.grist.org/living/2011-10-28-trick-or-treat-why-you-should-love-the-little-monsters-at-the-do