Summer, summer, summertime...time to sit back and unwind. (With apologies to Kool & the Gang.)
It's also time to evaluate your warm weather habits and see if they can't be greened up a bit.
Here are a few habits that you might be able to work on this summer.
Think about starting a compost pile. It is a major waste-reducer first of all, and secondly, it is an amazing food to replenish the dirt your garden. It seems like a tough thing to get started, but a passive pile only requires your (non-meat) food waste and yard waste in a pile and wait. That's it, seriously.
An earlier edition of Green Space went into the topic in much greater detail. Check it
here.
Shop locally. That phrase has almost become a mantra at this point, but it is one of the best ways an individual can impact their carbon footprint. Food transported over long distances = bad. A simple equation.
Luckily, summertime means farmers markets. And there are loads of them abounding, with
Eastern Market being the grand-daddy of them all.
This metromode feature explores all of them, from big to small -- so read up and shop up!
Now that you have your food, you're probably ready to fire up the grill. Propane and natural gas grills, while not as awesome as those that are solar-powered, actually use less resources than a stove.
You can find out more about all types of grills
here.
Lastly, lawns. Those that look like green carpets are just. not. worth it. Period. They drain water and require nasty pesticides and fertilizer. So mow less, mow high and embrace the brown.
Read more about alternatives to pesticides and other tips
here.
Two last quick things. This week's
Crain's reported on some pretty amazing things happening in the area.
First off, Deloitte is
centering its company-wide sustainability drive right here in Detroit. And a Lansing building designed by Detroit-based SmithGroup became
the first in the world to receive LEED certification for both its interior and exterior.
Great news on both counts for the Southeastern Michigan region.
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.