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The Commercial Appeal Sunday, January 17, 2010 | GOING GREEN 2

Turning up heatHow to select the most efcient

wood stove to warm your home

Solar flare-up

Plans or the worlds

biggest solar armspark green concerns

Weatherizing with eco-products

I you look hard enough, you can fnd

biobased products to protect your home

Frugal rulesmother taught

My backyard tour

Even in the dead o

winter a garden is ripewith possibilities

Toxic chemicalsin breast milk?

Whats in this issue ...

4

8

14

16 18

11

On the cover

Bill Beeson, owner of Olive Branch Fire Inserts, recently installed anAshley wood burning insert with thermostatic control in a home.

Photo by Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal

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.

Editor: Roland Klose, 529-2776,

[email protected]
http://www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphishttp://www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphishttp://www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphishttp://www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphishttp://www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphismailto:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=mailto:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=mailto:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=http://www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis


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Groupsn Coalition for Livable

Communities: The organization

advocates healthy, vibrant

and economically sustainable

communities. livablememphis.

org or (901) 725-8390.

n Mid-South Peace and

Justice Center: Works with

low-income communities in

Memphis to plan and plant

community gardens, providingarea residents with access to

fresh produce. midsouthpeace.

org or (901) 725-4990

n Sustainable Shelby:

Launched by Shelby

County Government,Sustainable Shelby promotes

environmentally and

economically sound regional

strategies for development.

sustainableshelby.com or(901) 576-6601.

nWolf River Conservancy:

The nonprot land trust is

dedicated to preserving

the Wolf River corridor andwatershed. wolfriver.org or

(901) 452- 6500.

To submit items for TheGreen Page, e-mail klose@commercial appeal .com

The Green Page

Learn about Reelfoot Lakes birds of prey at

Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library on Jan. 28.

Eventsn Ranger David Haggard will give a presentation

about birds of prey and outdoor opportunities at

Reelfoot Lake at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Benjamin L.Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. The presenta-

tion is hosted by the Sierra Club Chickasaw Group.

n Citizens to Preserve Overton Park hosts a nature

walk through the parks Old Forest beginning at 10

a.m., Jan. 31. Meet at the end of Old Forest Lane,next to the Rainbow Lake parking lot. For information,

call (901) 278-2396 or e-mail [email protected].

nTemple Israel hosts Eco Expo 2010 from 11 a.m.until 4 p.m. Jan. 31 at 1376 E. Massey Rd. More than50 exhibitors are expected to participate in the freeevent. For more information, call Linda Kaplan at (901)472-6473 or e-mail [email protected].

Just one thingSave glass jam and jelly jars and run them through the dishwasher. For your next picnic

or childrens party, ll them with beverages and reseal them with the original lids. Theyre theperfect reusable cups that are both free and 100 percent recyclable, too.
http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.wolfriver.org/mailto:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=mailto:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=mailto:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=mailto:naomi%40spiny.com?subject=mailto:naomi%40spiny.com?subject=mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:klose%40commercialappeal.com?subject=mailto:naomi%40spiny.com?subject=http://www.wolfriver.org/http://www.sustainableshelby.com/http://www.midsouthpeace.org/http://www.livablememphis.org/mailto:[email protected]


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Turning up heatUnraveling choices in alternative warming

By Karen Ott Mayer / Special to Going Green

WHEN THE WEATHER turns frightful, undoubtedly so do

heating bills.

This has led many homeowners to crank down their central

heat source in order to save a few dollars and to begin thinkingabout alternative heat sources.

Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal

Bill Griffin sells wood-burning stoves at Germantown Fireplace, Air Conditioning &Heating.


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With more options today, fromwood stove inserts to ventless gas logs,knowing where to start is half the battle.Preference, lifestyle, cost, practicalityand efficiency are just a few factors to

consider before making a final decision.Efficiency has to do primarily with

what you want, said Bill Griffin, owner ofGermantown Fireplace for 17 years.

Wood is the natural place to start,primarily because the Southeast has beenand is a rich timbersource.

We have a lotof white and redoak, which burnswell after beingseasoned for six toeight months, saidBill Beeson, ownerof DeSoto Chimney

Service. Beeson,who has been inthe industry for20 years, installs,builds, and cleanschimneys andfireplaces.

He believes woodis economical and efficient.

A cord (4x8x8) of wood runs about$175 delivered and stacked or $125 if youhaul it yourself, he said.

Traditional masonry fireplaces,however, rank low as far as efficiency.

For those die-hards who love afireplace, an insert may be a faircompromise. I sell a lot of wood insertsin Mississippi. They are efficient becausethey have blower fans and are thermostat

controlled, Beeson said.Wood stoves are generally made

from cast iron, although ceramic is alsoavailable for a hefty price tag. The insertis lined with firebrick and is positioned at

the opening of the fireplace with a shieldaround the opening of the fireplace.

Some manufacturers offer a 6-foottube that goes into the throat of the flue.Others recommend the entire chimneybeing relined, Beeson said.

Experiencedspecialists like

Beeson can easilyassess the conditionof a fireplace andflue to determinethe safestinstallation method.

Buck, Napoleonand Appalachian

are well knownbrand names andoffer high qualityand durability forthe money, Beesonsaid. On average, a

wood insert that canheat approximately

1,200 square feet will run from $1,800 to$3,000.

Depending on the layout of the home,these stoves can heat most of the openspaces, but may not reach down halls orinto bedrooms. Many of my customersmay turn on their primary heat sourceonly long enough to take the chill off,then use the stove the rest of the time,Beeson said.

Beeson estimates that 35 percent of

Jill Toyoshiba/Kansas City Star/MCT

Ventless fireplaces are suitable for

traditional or modern decor. The logs

are popular sellers at local fireplace

stores due to their affordability andenergy efficiency.


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his customers use wood-burning inserts ina fireplace.

Griffin sells a lot of wood-burningstoves like the Appalachian or Buck.

The government has recently helpedout with the 30 percent energy-savingstax credit, Griffin said. If people areconcerned with the price of (natural) gas,then a wood stove is the answer.

Wood inserts require maintenanceust like a fireplace. Before installation,

the chimney needs to be evaluated. Thebiggest thing is to make sure the chimneyis not leaking water, Beeson said.

He adds that the chimney needs tohave a 10-foot clearance, free from trees.

Annual maintenance involves cleaning

the fans on the back of the stove. I pullout the insert and check the fans. Somealso have self-concealed ball bearingsthat require oil, Beeson said.

Another option along similar lines is apellet stove.

Pellet stoves came onto the market asan alternative to wood and the pellets,made of compressed wood such assawdust or bark, are sold in bags. Morepopular in the Midwest because of littletimber, pellet stoves havent gainedground in the South.

In my opinion, theyre not verypopular. Ive never seen anyone usingone, Beeson said.

He attributes the low interest to the

David Pulliam/Kansas City Star/MCT

Wood-burning stoves offer cozy warmth in areas such as theSoutheast, where

wood is readily available. Most of the stoves are made of cast iron.


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cost of the pellets, which average $150per ton. The cost of a new pellet stove iscomparable to a wood insert with pricesfrom $1,700 to $3,000 as well.

Griffin said hes sold a few pellet

stoves but hasnt installed them.Natural gas logs have been a favorite

option for homeowners, generally waningin popularity when gas prices spiked.Two years ago when gasprices were high, I gotso many calls to pull outthe gas stoves as people

returned to wood, Beesonsaid.Beeson believes the

ventless gas logs remainthe most economicaland efficient option onthe market. They dontrequire an open flue and

retain 99 percent of theheat. Conversely, ventedlogs need a pipe or flue.Both types of heat requirea gas line and shut-off valveor key near the fireplace.Only licensed plumberscan install the gas line.

Griffin agrees. Overtime, vent-free gas logshave gotten better looking.If people want efficiency, thats the wayto go.

Of all his products, Griffins sellsventfree gas logs the most.

The cost of either vented or ventlessgas logs ranges from $200 to $1,200 for aset of logs.

For those looking for high-end

efficiency, Bryon Davis, owner ofSouthern Hearth in Olive Branch, offers aspecial-order soapstone stove that beginsat $3,000.

A soapstone stove has an iron

structure but natural stone fillers on thesides. The strong point is the stove holdsthe heat well after the fire burns out,Davis said. Popular in the Northeast, the

stove has been gainingpopularity in the South.Ive heard more aboutthem in the last two years,

he said.Davis says the efficiencyof all stoves, including

wood, has improved greatlyand that the EPA efficiencyratings are about the sameon all stoves. Wood stoveshave come a long way,

and while theyre smaller,they burn hotter and moreefficiently, turning all the

wood into ash. He reportstheyve sold more woodstoves in 2009 than any ofthe past few years.

Beeson recommendsthat homeowners focuson efficiency and need, asopposed simply to dollars,

when exploring a new stove.People go wrong by trying to save a

few dollars and not getting the right sizestove on the front end.

And what is his personal choice?If I had a masonry fireplace, I would

get a wood-burning insert and re-line thechimney.

Local sources:

Southern Hearth

8271 Industrial Drive

Olive Branch, MS 38654

(662) 895-2431

Germantown Fireplace

1638 Whitten Road

Memphis 38134

(901) 754-1481

(901) 757-0487

Hamiltons Fireplace Shop

4462 Summer Ave.Memphis 38122

(901) 683-6301

DeSoto Chimney Service

1319 Clyborne St.

Olive Branch, MS 38654

(662) 890-9200


8/19


By Paul rOgers

San Jose Mercury News

SAN JOSE, Calif. Panoche Valleyis known mostly for cattle and barbedwire, a treeless landscape in eastern SanBenito County that turns green everyspring but for much of the year looks likerural Nevada.

It is in this remote valley 25 milessouth of Hollister that a Silicon Valleycompany wants to build what would bethe worlds largest solar farm 1.2 mil-

lion solar panels spread across an arearoughly the size of 3,500 football fields.

This is renewable energy. It doesntcause pollution, it doesnt use coal orforeign oil, and it emits no greenhousegases, said Mike Peterson, CEO ofSolargen Energy, the Cupertino companybehind the $1.8 billion project.

But critics, including some environ-mentalists, say green energy isnt alwaysgreen. In a refrain being heard increas-ingly across California, they contendthe plan to cover this ranch land with ahuge solar project would harm a uniquelandscape and its wildlife.

From the Bay Area to the MojaveDesert, green energy backers are frus-

For Solargen

Energy CEO

Mike Peterson,Californias

Panoche Valleyis the ideal site

for his plan

to build theworlds largest

solar farm, but

environmental

groups want no

part of it.Karen T. Borchers

San Jose, Calif.,

Mercury News/ MCT

Solar, yes, but not hereCalif. environmentalistsfight largest energy farm


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trated that a state that wants to lead thegreen revolution is facing roadblocks.Peterson, a former vice president of Gold-man Sachs, recently looked across thePanoche Valley and noted its attributes. It

is 20 miles from the nearest town, and has90 percent of the solar intensity of theMojave Desert. Five willing sellers, mostlylongtime ranching families, have signedoptions to sell his company 18,000 acres.Huge transmission lines run through thesite, negating the need to build the kindof costly and controversial power lines

that have stalled similar projects.From our standpoint, this is a perfectplace, he said. If not here, where?

The project would produce 420 mega-watts of electricity, roughly the same asa medium-sized natural gas power plant,and enough to power 315,000 homes.

But in recent weeks, the Santa Clara

Valley, Monterey Peninsula and Fresnochapters of the Audubon Society haveopposed the project.

One of our biggest worries is the size.There are no other projects like it, said Shani Kleinhaus, an environmentaladvocate with the Santa Clara ValleyAudubon Society. There is really verylittle information on how these sorts ofprojects impact the environment. We re-ally dont know.

Among their primary concerns:Panoche Valley is home to several endan-gered species, including the San Joaquinkit fox, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard andthe giant kangaroo rat. Additionally, anestimated 130 species of birds have beenobserved in the valley, including the baldeagle, golden eagle and prairie falcon.

Kleinhaus said she supports renew-able energy. But not here.

Put solar panels over parking lots.Put them along the freeways, in airports,landfills, she said. T here s plenty of

space. In five years, with new technol-ogy, they may not even need this muchspace.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., hasintroduced a bill to establish two new na-tional monuments on federal land in theMojave Desert. If approved, the measure

would all but kill 19 big solar and wind

farms proposed for the area.Feinstein said she wants no large-scale solar or wind energy on formerrailroad lands that the federal govern-ment acquired a decade ago and that areprime habitat for bighorn sheep, deserttortoises and other wildlife.

But others argue that prohibiting

solar developments in vast portions ofCalifornia doesnt make sense.They say that we want renewable

energy, but we dont want you to put itanywhere , Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger said last year. I mean, if we cannotput solar power plants in the MojaveDesert, I dont know where the hell wecan put it.

Schwarzenegger signed an executiveorder requiring 33 percent of Califor-nias electricity to come from renewablesources such as solar and wind.

And President Barack Obamasstimulus plan contains billions in grantsand tax credits for green power. It wouldpay for 30 percent of Solargens Panoche

Valley project, for example, if ground canbe broken by Dec. 1, 2010.


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By Pat Brennan

The Orange County Register

Getting groups of buyers together tocut costs has been tried with everythingfrom health insurance to organic foods.

Now, a San Francisco company is

taking a similar approach to solar power.They say that by gathering homeowners tobuy solar power systems as a group, theycan bring each a savings in the neighbor-hood of 23 percent on top of the largediscounts and credits offered by state andfederal governments.

The company, called One Block Off the

Grid (1bog.org), is offering their servicearound the country. In Orange County,Calif., its part of their Los Angeles cam-paign. The first step: go to the companysonline estimate tool, plug in the kind ofsystem you want, and find out how muchit costs.

The solar industry doesnt do it rightnow, said Dave Llorens, co-founder andgeneral manager of the company. The oldthinking was, you dont want to scare offthe customers with big numbers till youget in the living room, and salespeoplecan convey the value proposition.

But customers interested in solarpower can immediately hit a wall of frus-tration, he said. The power systems andfinancing can be so complex that even theusual approach of getting three estimates

and comparing them might not work.Its not apples and apples, Llorens

said. Most homeowners just quit.

People also have trust issues withthe solar power industry, he said. But hebelieves allowing them to calculate theirfinances online will make it a transpar-ent process.

The new service is on its third grouppurchase, he said, with about 50 home-owners involved in each. The company ispartnering with SunWize Technologies Inc.(www.sunwize.com) for the installations.

In one example, calculation for a32-panel system, which is $40,000 grosscost before rebates and discounts, isreduced to $12,288.

We want to make it super easy andsimple to understand, Lloren said. We

want to make it grow from friends tofriends. Its really hard to create trust inthis industry.

Solar power co-ops take heavycost burden off of homeowners

One Block Off the Grid is offering

homeowners the chance to buy solar

power systems as a group.
http://www.1bog.org/http://www.1bog.org/http://www.1bog.org/http://www.sunwize.com/http://www.sunwize.com/http://www.sunwize.com/http://www.sunwize.com/http://www.1bog.org/


11/19


Its been too cold to go outsideand I feel like a caged, suburbansquirrel. So I put on my puffy coatand toured the yard in the deadof winter.

I started at my favorite flowerbed. Some of the foliage, which

we try to winter-over, looked likeplantsicles. Its a bed I didnt getto clean out before the cold hit.Just another thing that didnt get done.

There is a section of fence thatsfalling down. Thatll have to be fixed.One of the legs on the upper section ofour compost bin collapsed. Thatll be an

easy fix. The compost looks great. Wellget enough soil from it for the wholevegetable bed. Im ready for spring.

Theres a dead squirrel in the shallowend of the pool. Probably died of a frozennose trying to get a drink. The lush is fro-zen in ice and Im musing about whetherto chop him out and stick him in thefreezer for Teresa and Abby to find; or,arrange a proper burial in the grottoarea of the backyard. Either way Ill getin trouble, but I dont have to make thatdecision today.

What caught my eye were some small,green azaleas. They were part of a batchof 33 bushes that my friend broughtdown from the Warm Springs Green-houses in Garden Valley, Idaho, where heworks. Terraced into the south side of a

mountain the three tiers of largegreenhouses are heated by waterfrom the earth that averagesabout 185 degrees and flows atabout 240gpm. The water rightshave been in the owners familyfor years so their energy costs are

minimal. They were eco-friendlybefore it was cool.My friend tended the 33

azaleas way past their sale season so hecould bring them to Memphis and helpme plant them on our vacation. Its goodto have a project when old friends, orsons, come to visit. Besides, better to

let a plant live than compost it. So, hestuffed them all in a soft duffel and flewwith them to Memphis. For himself, hestuffed a weeks worth of clothes intoa backpack to get around the baggagecheck fees. People who depend directlyon their own labor for their wages aremore creative with their resources thanothers.

This year the nursery helped the CubScouts grow tomatoes. The Cubs took theproduce to the farmers market, sold it,and did well.

Which has me thinking why arentwe doing more in Memphis, a city withprofound hunger problems, to teachour kids how to grow their own food?Please send your ideas to me [email protected].

GOING GREEN ADVENTURES

Garden maintenance in abundance

SCOTTSINES
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


12/19


Southaven resident Sandy Noble says her love of gar-

dening really blossomed when she and her husband Garymoved out of the city and into the country, about 35 yearsago. Noble says gardening has been a family affair; herhusband was brought up on a farm in Iowa and taughther many of the gardening basics, and her sister, AnneRiordan, is involved in the master gardener program inMemphis, and has been a wealth of information.

Part of town: My husband, Gary, and I built ourhome in the Stonehedge subdivision in Southaven in1988.

How long have you been interested in gar-dening? Since I moved out of the city and into thecountry approximately 35 years ago.

Average amount of time involved with gar-dening per week or month: How much time I re-ally spend in the yard will depend upon the time of the

year. Working full time makes it very difficult to spenda lot of time in the garden during the week, so mostof my gardening is done on the weekends. Of course, I

GARDENER PROFILE

Sandy

NobleCity dweller growslove of nature afteradopting tranquilityof country lifestyle

Sandy Noble of Southaven is a member of the DeSoto Civic GardenClub, an affiliate of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi. The group

participates in garden tours, symposiums and an annual plant sale.


13/19


am very blessed to have a husband thatreally enjoys seeing the fruit of his laborand he spends many hours in the garden.The basic lawn maintenance is takencare of by Andy Steele who owns a land-

scape company called Steele Enterprises:A Bit of English.

How did you get your greenthumb? I have grown in gardening bylearning from others. Gary was broughtup on a farm in Iowa and taught me somany of the basics.

The ladies in my garden club, the

DeSoto Civic Garden Club, an affiliate ofthe Garden Clubs of Mississippi, supportall of its members through educationalmonthly meetings. My sister, Anne Rior-dan, is involved in the master gardenerprogram in Memphis, and she has been awealth of information.

So it is a process we all grow in

gardening by digging in, getting ourhands dirty and expanding our mindsthrough education.

Whats your favorite plant andwhy? My favorite tree is a dogwood be-cause it signifies the beginning of springand a new beginning. When the dogwoodand redbud trees, azaleas, peonies,forsythias and daffodils are all bloomingin the spring, who could ask for a morebeautiful landscape.

Calla lilies and Gerber daisies are afavorite, too.

Current or most recent gardeningproject: Gary and I have what we like tocall a secret garden in our backyard. Iwanted to add a garden structure with astone floor this past spring. Once I foundthe right structure for our garden we were

full-steam ahead. The finished project isexactly what I envisioned and we have en-

joyed relaxing in the garden many times.Favorite gardening project: Oh,

that would have to be the garden struc-

ture in the secret garden.What are your favorite garden-

ing experiences? The DeSoto CivicGarden Club participates in so manygarden tours, symposiums and we nowhave an annual plant sale. This cameabout due to the popularity of the inter-nal plant sale.

My neighbor and fellow garden clubmember, Emilie Michael, and I becamethe plant sale co-auctioneers. All ofthe members brought plants from their

yards to sell to the other members.Neither Emilie nor I knew what all theplants were so it became lots of fun withquestions to the members as to what the

plant was first and if anybody would wantthat plant in their yard. Whether it wasa sun plant or shade plant and if it wasaggressive or just a great plant to havein the yard. After lots of laughs and theplant sale was over we all realized wehad learned so much about plants while

just having fun. The next year we invitedour friends and neighbors and did it allover again. We decided this last year tomake it an annual plant sale open to thepublic. The day of sale it rained, but as

we all know, rain never deters a dedi-cated gardener.

Currently, I am in the midst of learn-ing how to be a flower show judge withthe DeSoto Civic Garden Club president,

Amye Kelly, and vice president, JaneBorgognoni.


14/19


By leah C. Wells

Special to Going Green

The good news: Theres more gov-ernment money available than ever toweatherize homes.

The bad news: Most weatherizationprojects still rely heavily on petroleum-based products, including caulk, waterheater blankets and some types ofinsulation.

There are, however, some biobasedproducts in the marketplace that can

help make the job of weatherizing yourhome cleaner and greener.

Biobased Technologies of Fayette-ville, Ark., is among companies offeringalternatives.

The Fayetteville, Ark.-based firmproduces a biobased spray foam insula-tion made from soybean oil grown andproduced exclusively in the U.S.

The companys BioBased Insulationhas a lower R-value than traditionalblown insulation, and can be used toqualify for LEED certification, said Jen-

US BiobasedProduct Companies

This map shows the locations

of more than 2,200 companies

n the United States that either

manufacture or distributebiobased products. These

vendors manufacture or sell

products that (1) have already

been designated for preferred

Federal procurement via USDAs

BioPreferred Program, and (2)

are expected to be BioPreferred

designated given future program

mplementation.Source: Iowa State University,

Center for Industrial Research and

Service (CIRAS), October 2009.

Weather readyWinter preparation cleaner with biobased products


15/19


nifer Wilson, company brand manager.The product is gaining acceptance,

and notable structures that use it includethe Heifer International headquarters inLittle Rock and the Evelyn Pease Tyner

Interpretive Center near Chicago, Ill.John Oglesby of Tupelo, Miss., is one

of BioBased Insulations customers. Healso is the closest soy-based spray foaminsulation dealer to Memphis.

Just over three years ago, Oglesbyand his family decided to build a newhome, and he learned about spray foam

insulation from public televisions ThisOld House.After a thorough investigation, he

decided to use biobased insulation forhis home because of the lifecycle utilityand ecological friendliness.

A soybean farmer, Oglesby learnedthat the crops he was growing and selling

were sent to a regional mill for processingand likely made their way into the sprayfoam insulation which eventually linedthe walls and attic of his new home.

In the course of building his home,he was so pleased with the biobasedinsulation that he became a dealer forthe Mississippi market.

David Ezell, assistant manager atStewart Brothers Hardware in Midtown,carries eco-friendly foam insulation wrapfor pipes in addition to biobased cleaningproducts in the dollar aisle. While not abiobased product, the insulation does helppipes retain heat and conserve energy.

However, he also finds that customersare often inclined to purchase a cheaperand less ecologically-friendly product.

People want to strike while the iron

is hot , Ezell said, and its difficult tooffer a quality product that is competi-tively priced.

The USDAs BioPreferred Programkeeps track of companies that make

plant-derived products, but they rep-resent, at best, a niche market. Inter-nationally, the cleantech industry is amulti-billion dollar phenomenon, butmany consumers have yet to develop apreference for biobased products.

For these products to gain a foot-hold and become competitively priced,consumers need to start asking stores tostock them.

To learn more about BioBasedInsulation, go to www.biobased.net.Stewart Bros. Hardware is located at1340 Madison Ave. in Midtown. Con-tact them at (901) 726-1922.

Leah C. Wells is a staff member atBioDimensions and is pursuing adoctorate in political science at theUniversity of Mississippi.

Cost-effective repairs

Making homes more energy efficient is a

good investment: For every $1 invested in repairs,

home weatherization yields a $1.39 return.

The federal stimulus package offers financial

incentives for making these repairs as well.

For the most common upgrades, consumers

are eligible for tax credits of 30 percent up to

$1,500.

For low-income individuals, the Low- Income

Home Energy Assistance Program offers up to

$6,500 in home repairs that increase energy

efficiency.

Leah C. Wells
http://www.biobased.net/http://www.biobased.net/http://www.biobased.net/http://www.biobased.net/http://www.biobased.net/http://www.biobased.net/


16/19


By Kate FOrgaCh

FreeShipping.org

Mother was raised duringthe Great Depression andWorld War II, when econo-mizing was considered bothpatriotic and smart. She livedfrugally her entire life, never

wasting so much as a pieceof wax paper that could bereused. That meant her kidswore a lot of hand-me-downclothing and carried re-usedlunch bags to school. Ourfamily of eight left very littlegarbage at the curb and

dined on vegetables fromDads post-victory garden.The Greatest Generations philosophy

to Make do or do without is one we canall live by during this economic turn-around. Here are the top seven lessonsMother left indelibly etched on my mind.

1. Garbage Stew: The sound ofscraping leftovers into the trash drovemy mother crazy. Every scrap went intothe freezer until she had enough for asavory soup or stew. Leftover bread wasfrozen, ready to be turned into holidayturkey stuffing.

2. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:Our kitchen drawers were stuffed withcrinkly tinfoil and washed plastic bags.We snipped buttons off clothes ready tobecome rags.

3. Free entertainment:

We never missed a free dayat the museum or zoo andautumn meant hikes in thecountry to admire the chang-ing leaves. Story time at thelibrary was a weekly treatand Christmas found us tour-

ing light displays through-

out town.4. Never buy books:Use your library card. Wehad plenty of books butmost were purchased atsecond-hand stores or dur-ing the librarys annual sale.

5. Hang it up: I have

many childhood memoriesof stretching high to hangendless rows of clean diapers and sheetson our clothes lines. They smelled freshand circumvented use of an energy-sucking dryer.

6. Use paper towels sparingly:We practically had to pass an interroga-tion before using a single sheet of theseexpensive products.

7. Darn it! Socks didnt hit the ragpile until repeatedly repaired heels andtoes made it difficult to walk. Its time westop tossing garments and re-learn the artof darning socks and repairing clothes.

From McClatchy-Tribune Informa-tion Services. For more savings tips,check out FreeShipping.orgs Go Fru-

gal blog at www.freeshipping.org/blog

Motherpasses onDepressions

lessons offrugality

Home ec hand-me-downs
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17/19


By MiChael FOrd

Courier News

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. Even as achild, Carman Stump felt responsible forkeeping the planet clean, but it wasnt

until the Russellville native lived in Aus-tralia for 10 years that she realized howvoid her hometown was of recycling.

Stump, 39, joined herhusband in returning to hishometown of Perth in 1997,after they both graduatedfrom Arkansas Tech Universi-

ty with accounting degrees. Ashe continued his education,she worked as an accountantwhile also taking note of howenvironmentally friendlypeople were down under.

Theyve been recycling for 20-plusyears, Stump said of Australians. It wasust a part of life for them. Never once did

we have a conversation about the incon-veniences of trash or having to recycle.They just did it.

Stumps decade in the country alsoreaffirmed for her the negative impactsustained by the planet when peopledont recycle. She observed firsthand ahole in the ozone layer that has led to life-threatening consequences.

Because of the depleted ozone layer,

their sun is really harsh. Fifteen minutesin the sun there and youre burnt.

They also have the highest skincancer rate, she added. Theyve had tomake hats mandatory at school recess.

When Stump and her husband re-

turned to Russellville, she noticed peoplestill were not recycling, so she decidedto take action. Through her church, she

spearheaded a Green Team,which was responsible forsetting up recycling bins inchurch offices, kitchens andgathering areas. She then

coordinated volunteers whowould deliver the recyclablesto the citys drop-off center.

Stumps overwhelmingsense of responsibility to theplanet has led to her becom-

ing a staunch defender of Russellvillesnew single-hauler system. Ironically, itis the same system Australia has alreadybeen using for more than two decades.

Russellville is finally moving forward,Stump said.

This is an enormous improvementover the old system and a huge undertak-ing. Not only are we recycling, but we cannow get rid of yard waste and big items atcurbside. People are excited that they cannow actively do something positive for ourplanet from their homes.

Tips on recycling, resolve follow

Arkansan home from Australia

Russellville is

finally moving

forward. ... People

are excited.

CARMAN STUMP

Recycling advocate


18/19


People who live indeveloped countries carryaround a significant toxicburden in their bodies due

to constant environmentalexposure to chemicals.The fact that these toxicchemicals end up in breastmilk and are in turnpassed along to newbornsis even more troubling.

According to writer

Florence Williams, whosegroundbreaking 2005 ar-ticle in the New York TimesMagazine opened manywomens eyes to the envi-ronmental health issueswith breastfeeding, breastmilk tends to attract heavymetals and other contami-nants due to its high-fatand protein content. Whenwe nurse our babies, wefeed them not only the fats,sugars and proteins thatfire their immune systems,metabolisms and cerebralsynapses, she reported.We also feed them, al-beit in minuscule amounts,

paint thinners, dry-cleaningfluids, wood preservatives,toilet deodorizers, cosmeticadditives, gasoline byprod-ucts, rocket fuel, termitepoisons, fungicides andflame retardants.

In the wake of suchnews reports, four nursingmothers came togetherin 2005 to form MakeOur Milk Safe (MOMS), anonprofit group engagingin education, advocacy andcorporate campaigns to tryto eliminate toxic chemi-cals from the environmentand in breast milk. The

group educates pregnantwomen and others aboutthe impacts on childrenof exposure to chemicalsbefore, during and afterpregnancy, and promotessafer alternatives toproducts such as clean-

ing supplies, food storagecontainers and personalcare products that containoffending substances.

Despite these concerns,some recent research hasshown the toxic load inbreast milk to be smaller

than that in the air mostcity dwellers breatheinside their homes.

Researchers at OhioState and Johns Hopkinsuniversities measured levelsof volatile organic com-pounds in breast milk andin the air inside the homesof three lactating Baltimoremothers. They found that anursing infants chemicalexposure from airbornepollutants to be between 25and 135 times higher thanfrom drinking mothers milk.

For more information,go to the MOMS Web siteat www.safemilk.org.

Dear Earth Talk: Does human breast milkcontain toxins from environmental pollutionand what effect does it have on babies?

EARTH TALK

Environmental toxins in breast milk
http://www.safemilk.org/http://www.safemilk.org/http://www.safemilk.org/http://www.safemilk.org/


19/19


By Karin Beuerlein

Home and Garden Television / hgtv.com

The bathroom is a great place to gogreen. Here are some ideas:

Think Organic Cotton

Bath linens made from organic cottonare not only comfy and soft, but they

require less pesticide to produce thanregular cotton towels. Manufacturersthat use the slightly more expensiveorganic cotton also tend to use naturaldyes and softeners that are less toxic tothe environment.

Consider replacing your vinyl showercurtain with a heavy cotton duck curtain,

says Annie B. Bond, author of Home En-lightenment and executive producer ofgreen-living content at Care2.com, a sitedevoted to natural health. The plasticin a shower curtain is PVC, and the plas-ticizers in PVC are hormone disrupters,she says. Those toxic ingredients canbecome airborne.

Try an All-Natural ApproachNatural bath products are friendlier

to your skin than chemical-laden offer-ings from major cosmetics companies,and they wont create toxic air pollution.Visit the Environmental Working GroupsSkin Deep Web site, ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/index.php, to researchproducts you currently use and discover

Be Water-Wise

A low-flow showerhead can reducewater consumption by 30 percent, yetstill provide a pressurized spray. Anothernifty gadget, a gray-water diverter, sendsused water from the shower or bath to acollection container for distribution to

your garden.Insulating your water heater and

lowering its thermostat to 120 degreesmakes a real difference in the amountof energy used to heat your morningshower. And consider replacing yourtoilet with a low-flow model if its morethan 12 years old.

Use Recycled Building Products

Remodeling your bathroom? Seek outtile made from recycled materials forfloors, baths, showers and countertops.Thanks to the popularity of recycling,colors and finishes are plentiful. Re-cycled glass tile is a particularly goodchoice for low emissions.

Clean GreenGet rid of the harsh chemicals you use

to clean tubs and toilets. Pay attention tothe government-mandated warning labelson cleaning products; the terms used,from least to most toxic, are caution,warning and poison/danger. Aim forproducts that say caution only or seekout environment conscious brands like

Make bathroom earth-friendly
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