From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

I’m going to just go out on a limb and say it…if they can do it, why the heck can’t we?  If prison systems in this fine country, filled with some of the hardest, meanest and plain craziest people ever born can get involved with and embrace recycling programs, grow-your-own food systems and composting, then why can’t all the rest of us, who actually still Have our freedoms?!  The simple answer is, we can!

I just read a pretty inspiring and awesome article about how certain prisons, namely the one from the article in Olympia, Washington, are doing more than their part in trying to “green” up the prison systems.  Apparently, “Inmates of the minimum-security facility, 25 miles from Olympia, the state capital, raise bees, grow organic tomatoes and lettuce, compost 100 percent of food waste and even recycle shoe scraps that are made into playground turf.” How insanely awesome is that?!

Because prisons are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week buildings and must always be “on” it is no secret that they are Massive energy “hogs” as it were, and use a great deal of energy, resources, food and electricity to keep up.  Doing this helps “give back” and reduce the already massive carbon footprint that most prisons have become.  The secretary of the Washington State Department of Corrections was quoted as saying, ““It reduces cost, reduces our damaging impact on the environment, engages inmates as students…”  What’s more, a prison in California that is doing similar things, uses solar panels to actually give BACK enough energy to the grid to power over 4,000 local homes.  Wow.

The bottom line is, if prisons can take steps like this to help green up the environment, why can’t the rest of us?  It is far easier for us to start composting, recycling and even starting some amazing gardens in our back yard.  Every tiny step helps, so why don’t we All start taking a few giant leaps?

(Image via Wikipedia)

Hello, Happy Monday and here’s hoping you don’t have 200 cavities and a stomach ache from the Halloween festivities!  It’s officially November now, and with the start of this week, I’m hereby issuing you a full-on challenge.  Whether you decide to undertake it or not is up to you, but I think the more people that jump on board this challenge, the better off we’ll all be.

The Challenge, is called the No-Waste Challenge and it basically involves exactly that…going this entire week without generating or creating any waste.  By waste, I mean garbage that can’t be recycled, reused, or biodegraded.  It’s not going to be easy, but lucky for all of us, I found a pretty awesome article that offers a few very amazing, and very simple tips that can help you get through this entire week as waste-free as possible.  Remember, your goal is 100% waste-free, but as close as you can get to that as possible works for me too.  Every little bit counts, and when it comes to saving this planet, I could not mean that any more.  At any rate, here are the tips, check out the full article for more:

1.  “Cut the convenience foods. While convenience foods might be, well, convenient, they also come with a ton of packaging. Those prepackaged mash potatoes come in a plastic carton. That box of Chinese takeout comes with loads of Styrofoam trash, plastic forks, and paper napkins. Takeout boxes and convenience foods can fill up your trash can super fast. Instead, take your canvas bag to the farmers’ market or grocery store and fill it will tons of wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, fresh bread, and grains.
2.  Compost all your used food matter like veggies and fruits. This week, skip on the foods that you can’t compost, like meat and eggs. You can drastically reduce your waste by turning your waste into nourishing soil.
3.  Stop the consumption. Only buy what you need and don’t buy excess. If you do buy something, buy it locally instead of having it delivered—you’ll save the miles and and the packaging, the waste.“

Recycled bags at the grocery store, fresh foods, cooking foods you already have in the fridge and cupboards, start a compost pile, mulch, and whenever you can, Walk, don’t drive.  Waste is such an integrated and sad part of our society, the more we can do to stop the trend, the better off we’ll all be.  Waste-Free Week, Start NOW!

Image by House Of Sims via Flickr

Image by eschipul via Flickr

Just a quick note to wish all of you a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN from all of here at FromTheWorkBench and Northern Tool!

Hopefully this finds you having a great time, staying as green and safe as possible, and enjoying one of the spookiest, and silliest holidays of the entire year.

Check back in bright and early Monday Morning for all new tips, tricks, news and relevant advancements in the world of Alternative Energy!

Happy Halloween!

It’s almost here!  We mentioned yesterday some amazing ways for you to transform this Halloween into the greenest yet, and by now I”m sure your costumes are made (hopefully out of recycled materials like I mentioned yesterday!) your Trick-or-Treating route is picked out, and heck, maybe even thought about some reverse-trick-or-treating!  The last thing you have to do, is fill up those bowls will all natural candies and treats!  The doorbells are about to ring, it’s time to get ready!

Yesterday, we talked about how one of the best ways to stay green was to put a ban on classic candies, and replace them with organic, all-natural treats.  Not only will the treats be better for the kids that are eating them, they are better on the Earth and environment at the same time.  Talk about achieving two awesome goals at one time.  At any rate, thanks to this article, I found some of the best organic and natural candies you can buy:

• YummyEarth Organic Lollipops
• Endangered Species Chocolate Halloween Treats
• Betty Lou’s Organic Golden Smackers
• Jelly Belly Natural Flavors
• Glee Gum Natural Chewing Gum

There you have it.  Who says you can’t be Eco-Friendly AND the cool house on the block?!  Try it this year, I have no doubt once you try Greening up your holiday, you’ll never go back.

Image via Wikipedia

Only Two days left!  Halloween is officially on the horizon, whether you’re a fan of the holiday or not.  If you’re not, that’s cool, but keep in mind there are thousands and thousands of little kids dressed up that certainly are.  If you are, this article will help you even more!

I just found a great article on some very simple, very important, and very fun ways to make Halloween a heck of a lot more Green, without ruining all of the fun and spirit of such a cool, laid back holiday!  As always, feel free to head over and check out the full article for a lot more ways to keep your Halloween as Green (and orange) as possible, but for now, here are their top 5 ways to be Green this Hallows Eve!

“Skip the Plastic Costumes” - These are harder to recycle, and even the soft-vinyl costumes can release dangerous chemicals into the air.  NOT good.

“Get Creative At Home” - Make your own costumes and decorations out of old, recycled things you can find around your house!

“Face the Facts” - Choose organic and natural make-up when you do use costume make-up.  Traditional kinds can have dangerous chemicals and some even are tested on animals.

“Bar Classic Candies” - Try organic, all natural treats this year, not big brand, big name candies.  They are healthier and more environmentally sound.

“Choose a Kid-Friendly CarryAll” - Instead of plastic sacks or pumpkins, opt for reusable canvas bags like you get at grocery stores this year.  Buy a blank one, let your kids decorate it.

There you have it!  Check out the other tips at your leisure, but those 5 should be a great start to making this Halloween a lot more Green, instead of all orange!

Image via Wikipedia

Ladies & Gentleman, Halloween is officially only 3 days away!  The countdown has begun and if you have kids, have neices or nephews, grandchildren or any other little ghouls and goblins that might be trick-or-treating with you this year, I have a very novel, very awesome suggestion for you!

This year, instead of, or even better, in addition to actually taking your loved ones trick-or-treating, take them Reverse Trick-or-Treating!  What the heck is reverse-trick-or-treating, you might be asking?  Well I’m glad you did.

Reverse-Trick-or-Treating, is when you team up with the kind folks over at Global Exchange and their Fair Trade organization to help spread the message as to the benefits of Fair Trade, as well as the plight of many cocoa farmers around the world.  What you do is, sign up through their website, receive informational cards and even samples of their Fair Trade chocolates and sweets, and then when you ring someone’s doorbell, give THEM a sample and a little lesson, while You get their candy in return.  Perfect, and perfectly simple!

In the article I read suggesting this, it is the second year the company has done this, and last year was a wild success and helped make Halloween about a lot more than just ringing doorbells and stashing candy.  Over a quarter of a million samples will go out this year, get your hands on some!

Image via Wikipedia

Hello, Happy Monday, and now, a show of hands:  How many of you have ever tried Composting?  Come on, don’t be shy?  Wow, really, one of you?  That, my friends, has got to change.  In this world of rising fuel costs, overburdened landfills and dumps and more waste than we know what to do with, isn’t it time we do something here, at our homes, to give back to Mother Earth?

Yes, it is.  The good news is, doing so has never been easier.  Composting is a simple, effective way of getting rid of organic waste in and around your house, and creating fertilizers and materials that will help make your yard and plant life more beautiful and healthier than ever.  The first step, always the trickiest, is to actually jump in, and build yourself a compost pile! I just found an article with complete steps on how to build yourself your very own compost pile, and do it in no time at all, with materials that are extremely simple to come by.  Head over and check it out, but, for now, here you go:

1.  Find a suitable location. - “Choose a level area with good drainage. Standing water will slow down the pile. If possible avoid direct sunlight and areas exposed to strong winds, which can dry and cool the pile. A half day sun situation is ideal. A shaded area is fine but pay attention to limited rainfall through a canopy of leaves, and slow drying out of a saturated pile. Some trees may send roots up into the pile in search of water and nutrients. When the pile is turned, these roots may be damaged. If your only location is near trees, you may want to consider setting a brick or stone foundation.”

2.  Pick an appropriate size. - “The recommended size for a home compost pile is no smaller than 3 feet X 3 feet X 3 feet, and no larger than 5 feet X 5 feet X 5 feet. A smaller pile may not heat up high enough for efficient breakdown, or it may loose heat and quickly slow down the process. A larger pile may hold too much water not allowing air into the center. This would create an anaerobic environment. Air naturally penetrates 18 to 24 inches into a pile from all directions. The biggest problem with a large pile is physically turning the pile. It can be too much for some people to manage. “

3.  Layer Properly.  - Thin, uniform layers are the key to a productive compost pile.  Always start your pile on bare ground, and after that, layer like this:

“Layer 1- The organic materials layer can be vegetable wastes, sod, grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, chopped corncobs, corn stalks, untreated sawdust, twigs less than ½ inch in diameter, or garden debris. Remember the proper C:N ratio and mix accordingly. Your bulkier organic materials do best in the first ground level layer. As your pile settles, these items tend to allow for more air spaces. Shred or chop up materials for greater surface area. The organic layers should be between 6-8 inches thick. Materials that tend to mat such as grass clippings should be either mixed in or placed in 2-3 inch layers within this 6-8 inch layer.

Layer 2 - Animal manures, fertilizers or starters serve as activators that accelerate the ignition or initial heating of your pile. They all provide a nitrogen source for the microbial community. Some provide proteins and enzymes. If manure from a grain eating animal is available, add 1-2 inch layer. If this is not available, add one cup of 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 commercial fertilizer per 25 square feet. If using a commercial starter, follow label directions.

Layer 3 - Top soil or active compost introduce microorganisms. Plain garden soil is fine. Avoid soil that has been treated with insecticides recently and sterile potting soils which lack these necessary microbes. A one to two inch layer is enough.”

There you have it!  The start to a great compost pile.  As layers increase, simply repeat the 3 layer process over and over and you should be decomposing your organic waste in no time.  This will cut down on the amount of waste in your local landfill, help your yard, and give Mother Earth something to smile about all at once!

Hello, Happy Monday and here’s to you and hoping that you had an amazing weekend.  It’s officially Fall now, Summer has come and gone, and with Fall comes the promise of not only less fresh produce grown locally and organically at my Farmer’s Market, but also, higher energy bills.  Yikes.  When it comes to fresh, organic produce, I can’t tell you how much better for my body, my pocket book, and the Environment to buy Organic whenever possible.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that not everyone, everywhere has direct access to organic food.  Some people Never do and as such must eat non-organic food year round.  I just read an article about a study done in 77 different community areas of Chicago; the findings were scary and disappointing.  The findings showed that organic food is much harder to come across and locate in more urban areas, and surprisingly, those with a high concentration of African-American citizens.  Here are some of the findings:

- “Ten percent of stores in black communities carry organics, compared to 24 percent in Latino communities and 63 percent in white areas.

- The population of the white neighborhoods was less than one-third of the total population of the communities examined, but were home to nearly two-thirds of the stores that carried organics.”

Clearly this is an uneven distribution of what are rapidly becoming Vital resources.  These “food deserts” are located in nearly every major city across the United States and unless something is done to revitalize every one of these areas with the resources and at least availability, it’s never going to take off as it should.  Going Organic is a simple way in your every day life to start helping a lot more than just your diet.

Whenever I speak to people about going green, one of the first and most important things I try to bring up to bring as many people on board as possible, is just how much of your Green (dollars, my friends, dollars) it can actually save by doing some of these things.  Lucky for me, and you, and all the rest of us, I just found 10 helpful tips on exactly how to go about this.

Head over and check out the full article for more in-depth analysis and reasoning behind each one, but to save you time, here is a brief paraphrasing of the top 5 ways on just how to achieve some of these results:

1. Save energy to save money. - This can be as easy as just turning down your thermostat a bit lower, or turning off as many lights as you can or switching them for CFL’s.  Do it.
2. Skip the bottled water. - Buy a water filter, a Brita pitcher, or buy a Klean Kanteen aluminum or stainless steel water bottle.  This can cut down on waste more than you’d even believe.
3. Save water to save money. - Shorter showers, water your lawn less, get plants that don’t need as much watering.
4. Less gas = more money. - This one isn’t shocking, but walk more, bike more, Scooter more, public transport more.  Do anything BUT drive your car.  More.
5. Eat smart. - Go meatless once a week.  Eat locally grown produce.

There are 5 more awesome ways on the site, head over and check them out!

Not going to lie, I NEVER thought I’d see the day where I was doing a post that combined two things that you usually think are just about un-combinable.  I don’t think combinable is a word, but it works.   The “two things” in question here, are Fast Food, and Organics.

According to the article I just read, not only is this combination a reality NOW, it’s going to just continue blossoming into a much more dominant and ever-present union.  The article mentions:

“Organic to Go, a Seattle company founded in 2004, said yesterday that it has purchased locally based High Noon’s four cafes, as well as its catering operation, and plans to turn the lunch hot spots into places where office workers can flee their cubicles and devour a meatloaf sandwich made with organic beef.”

You know how it goes, once ONE person or company does it, another follows suit…then another, and another, and so on.  Who knows, before we know it, we might be getting Big Macs, Whoppers and a Frosty, all organic and all much more eco-friendly.