Archive for April, 2009
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 30, 2009
Freecycle is no secret – people across the country participate in groups to give away used, broken, and generally unwanted household items for free. Why free? A concerted effort to keep junk out of landfills. For Georgians who send 4.3 pounds of garbage to landfills every single day, this is great news (which makes me wonder for everyone recycling, freecycling, etc. and reducing waste… how many pounds of junk are others throwing away??). You can read more about freecyling and how it got started on the freecycle website here!
Here’s a link to Atlanta’s freecycle yahoo group inside the perimeter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Freecycle-ATL-ITP/
And for a freecycle group in the greater Atlanta area, please visit their site here located on the main website:
http://www.freecycle.org/group/United%20States/Georgia/Atlanta
As an example, last week my next door neighbors posted their broken gas grill up on the Atlanta yahoo freecycle site and within an hour, they had seven responses from interested people. Within a few hours, they had hauled the grill up to the curb where a woman and her husband came by to get it. As a result, the grill, propane tank, cover, etc. were all saved from going in a landfill. And someone received the gift of a free, new-to-them-grill they get to tinker around with and fix.
So check it out for items you may be interested in or to post items you no longer want! Just remember to be quick – items go fast!
Posted in Homes, Recycling | Tagged: Georgia recycling, Fulton County recycling, DeKalb County recycling, Atlanta recycling programs, intown Atlanta, freecycle | 3 Comments »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 30, 2009
Trees Atlanta needs your help making rain barrels for their NeighborWoods project! The rain barrels will capture water year-round and provide a sustainable water source for tree planting projects around Atlanta. And, as a bonus, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase one of the rain barrels for a discounted price of $30. Making the rain barrels is super easy, too, and with 15 people helping, it will go quickly.
- What: Rain barrel workshop with Trees Atlanta (15 volunteers needed to make rain barrels!)
- When: Saturday, May 9th, 2009 from 9 AM to Noon
- Where: Trees Atlanta’s Kendeda Center on Chester Avenue (map it!)
- Bonus! Buy a rain barrel yourself for $30! (one per partcipant)
Please email Susan Pierce at susan@treesatlanta.org if you want to help.
Posted in Environment, Trees, Volunteer | Tagged: volunteer atlanta, Trees Atlanta events, Atlanta tree plantings, rain barrels, NeighborWoods | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 28, 2009
You can use the drained liquid from your compost container (shown in the top image in my glass jar) as compost juice to pour directly on plants in your garden (I'm sure my lenten rose here has doubled in size since I poured compost juice on it... 
)
A fellow gardener gave me a great tip the other day – utilizing the compost “juice” that collects at the bottom of your compost containers to pour directly on plants in your garden. This way, the powerful by-products are put to good use while the rest of the solid matter goes into your compost bin for soil later. What a great way to take an already green investment in your garden and double the effectiveness! I decided to do a little research on compost juice to see what I could find out and came across this article by Vern Grubinger, a vegetable and berry specialist with the University of Vermont extension. Here is an excerpt:
Why use compost tea? It’s long been recognized by organic growers and researchers that the use of compost can help prevent some plant diseases. So, it makes sense that liquids derived from compost could also have disease-suppressive characteristics. Besides stimulating growth, compost and compost ‘juice’ can also help fight off diseases by inoculating plants with beneficial organisms. Some of these good guys are bacteria and some are yeasts or fungi. These organisms are beneficial if they form a physical barrier against pathogens, or if they effectively compete with or attack the plant pathogens.
What is compost tea? Before going further, it’s important to explain what compost tea is, and what it isn’t. Compost tea is not the dark-colored solution that leaks out of the bottom of the compost pile. That’s called leachate, and although it may contain soluble nutrients it may also contain organisms that can cause illness so it isn’t suitable for spraying on food crops. Some people make compost tea to be the ‘extract’ of compost made by suspending compost in a barrel of water for a short period of time, usually in a burlap sack. The resulting liquid can then be applied as a soil or foliar fertilizer. To others, it’s not compost tea until the extract is fermented or ‘brewed’ usually with some type of microbial nutrient source such as molasses, kelp, fish byproducts, and/or humic acids.
Grubinger then goes into the process for making compost tea (safely and effectively) and you can read the full article by clicking here. For now, I’m going to try pouring my compost juice directly onto my plants and skipping the compost tea process, but it is worth looking into adding it to our vegetable garden (making sure it is safe for human comsumption, of course). Happy gardening with compost juice!
Posted in Education, Gardening | Tagged: compost container, compost juice, compost tea, composting | 1 Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 28, 2009
A BeltLine weekend! Up top is the BeltLine booth with myself, Fred Yolaris, Martha, and Alisa. Next is Rebecca of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition organizing dozens of bike riders into group. Third photo, Rob Brawner of the BeltLine Partnership gives an overview of the future development at University and McDaniel Street in Pittsburgh. And last we have Stanton Park which is already embraced by the community as a local park and will expand more in the future (the BeltLine runs along the ridge in the right side of this photo).
After a cold snap this past week, spring decided to give it another try and this weekend showcased a perfect Southern spring! On Saturday morning, we loaded up the Atlanta BeltLine booth and headed to the Inman Park Festival where we found out booth spot right next to the Star 94 tent and right in front of one of the live music stages (a megaphone probably would have helped in telling people about the BeltLine, although we did enjoy the bluesy live stage). After setting up the booth with Kevin Cregan (of Kudzu Studios, whose company created the booth), we took the first shift along with E. Fred Yolaris (the Director of Design for the Atlanta BeltLine) and Martha and Alisa of the Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy.
Volunteering in the BeltLine booth is always fun, especially as the crowd picks up at the festival. Inevitably, the booth is always full and the Inman Park Festival was no exception. We had the opportunity to tell a lot more people about the BeltLine while also encouraging everyone to go on a BeltLine bus tour, attend a BeltLine 101 session to learn the basics, and get involved in the study groups and volunteer efforts. You can now order BeltLine flyers online, too, to hand out to people in your neighborhood. This can be beneficial for homeowners associations in condos and lofts that live along the BeltLine in raising awareness and getting people involved with the project.
The Inman Park festival was great, but we wanted more. So, on Sunday, we met up with dozens of other bike riders at Gordon White Park in the West End for the second annual BeltLine Bike Ride. The ride was very well organized this year, thanks to major time and energy by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the BeltLine Partnership. We chose to do the 16 mile route for time’s sake, but there were a variety of options, including a one mile route for the kiddos, a four mile route for families, the 16 mile route, and then the 30 mile “Urban Explorer” route for those who wanted to go the whole distance around the BeltLine. I was surprised to find that the 30 mile group was the largest!
We had a few stops along the way to explain where the BeltLine comes through, how it connects Atlanta’s communities and schools, and how anticipated parks and greenspace would develop around the tracks and trails. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely try and do it next year! So go green and support the BeltLine!
And, on a side note, when we weren’t doing BeltLine stuff, we planted two vegetable gardens this weekend – more to come on that soon…
Posted in Atlanta BeltLine, Volunteer | Tagged: Atlanta volunteering, Atlanta BeltLine, Inman Park Atlanta events, BeltLine Bike Ride, BeltLine volunteering, Historic Fourth Ward Park, Earth Day, Atlanta Beltline tours, Inman Park Festival, Historic Fourth Ward, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 26, 2009
As a world that relies heavily on plastic, it’s always wonderful to hear of businesses and individuals doing their part to lessen the effects on our environment (in the U.S. alone, 60 million water bottles are thrown away DAILY, winding up everywhere from landfills to abandoned on the streets). The following press release came to me courtesy of Beth McKenna (also a local Decatur resident) announcing the new Earth Plastic material from American Trade Products. This new plastic made from recycled plastics and is 100% biodegradable – so it turns back into a soil-like material (which is great for those products that can’t be recycled after use or for people not inclined to recycle in the first place). Read on!
American Trade Products Launches 100 Percent Biodegradable Earth Plastic™ Material
Earth Plastic™ Paint Trays and Sundries Available at The Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Sherwin-Williams
ATLANTA – April 23, 2009 – American Trade Products (ATP), an industry leader in thermoformed plastic products, introduced Earth Plastic™, a revolutionary plastic material that is 100 percent biodegradable, made from recycled plastic and a proprietary blend of additives that enables it to break down in landfill and compost environments. It is also 100 percent recyclable. Unlike traditional plastics which do not biodegrade, Earth Plastic™ additives enable microorganisms to break down the molecular structure of the plastic into soil-like material that is not harmful to the environment.
First Earth Plastic™ Products: Paint Trays and Sundries
The first consumer products made with Earth Plastic™ are a line of 100 percent biodegradable paint trays and sundries currently available at The Home Depot, select Wal-Mart stores, and Sherwin-Williams across the country.
Earth Plastic™ can be used to manufacture thousands of eco-conscious plastic products which have the identical look, durability, function and shelf-life of non-biodegradable plastic products and are competitively priced.
Dan Limerick, president of American Trade Products, said, “After years of focusing on innovative, eco-friendly products, we are excited to introduce Earth Plastic™, which we believe can transform the plastics industry. We are improving the environment with products that are not only totally biodegradable but are also made with millions of pounds of recycled plastic that could otherwise sit in landfills indefinitely.”
Earth Plastic™ is a natural extension of ATP’s 20-year commitment to providing consumers with earth-friendly yet competitively priced products. Whether disposed of in landfills, compost heaps or other locations, Earth Plastic™ products biodegrade within approximately two to five years depending on conditions.
Earth Plastic™ additives have been tested and certified as biodegradable by independent laboratories using American Society of Testing Materials’ (ASTM) standard methodologies. ASTM International is one of the world’s largest and most reputable organizations for developing technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services.
About American Trade Products
Based in Ball Ground, Ga., American Trade Products (ATP) is an industry leader in 100% recyclable thermoformed plastic products including painting, storage and plumbing lines. Products are currently available in America’s largest retailers such as The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart and Sherwin-Williams as well as numerous independent retailers nationwide. Founded in 1990, ATP has long been a pioneer in environmentally-friendly products. ATP products, made from 100 percent recycled plastic, prevent more than 60 million plastic bottles from entering landfills annually. ATP has recently introduced Earth Plastic™, a revolutionary plastic material that can be used in the manufacture of 100 percent biodegradable products. All products are proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.americantradeproducts.com and www.earthplastic.com
Posted in Environment, Homes | Tagged: environmental research, eco-friendly, Georgia recycling, compostable containers, recycling statistics, Earth Plastic, environmental products | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 23, 2009
Come learn a little and play a little in the Decatur Square during a fantastic environmental event on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009! The Decatur Green Fest is brought to us by Bonterra Vineyards with live bands, over 40 green vendors and businesses, and a “Teaching Tour of Green Buildings.”
- What: Decatur Green Fest
- When: Saturday, May 2nd from 3 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
- Where: the Old Courthouse Square in downtown Decatur
Here are more details from the City of Decatur website:
Decatur Green Fest presents a day of free live music leading into the first Concert on the Square, sponsored by Wachovia Bank. The Concert begins at 7 p.m. and features Y-O-U and Trey Ronsenkampff. The daytime lineup includes Deep Blue Sun, Jeff Hix and the Heretics, BolderMonkey, and The Virginia Dare Devils. Solar powered sound will be provided by Tree Leaf Music.
Enjoy a green tasting of local and organic produce and food from Ted’s Montana Grill, K-Chocolat, Java Monkey Organic Coffee and Wine Bar, Equal Exchange fair-trade coffee and teas, and Bionade organic beverages. Wine and beer will be available from Terrapin Beer Co. and Bonterra Vineyards.
There will be over 40 green vendors and green organizations presenting information and products. Children’s activities include a rain barrel workshop with Russell Jackson and more. Artists who work in recycled materials will be an additional feature for 2009.
The Decatur Cool City Coalition will lead a Teaching Tour of Green Buildings from 1-6 p.m. The featured tour locations are:
Kamooneh Home by Kaveh and Kamal Kamooneh
Address: 317 Ponce de Leon Place, Decatur, GA 30030
Bosserman Home, LEED for Homes Platinum nominee by Robert Cain and Pinnacle Custom Builders
Address: 235 Wilton Drive, Decatur, GA 30030
Decatur Fire Station No. 2, LEED NC 2.2 Silver nominee by LP3architecture with Amy Landesberg
Address: 356 West Hill Street, Decatur, GA 30030
The event is a benefit for the Dogwood Alliance and the Decatur Preservation Alliance.
For more information contact John at johnthebaker@yahoo.com.
Posted in Education, Environment, Events | Tagged: Decatur Green Fest, Decatur Square, environmental events | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 23, 2009
Cozy up with a beer and a meal of local Georgia food every Monday at the Book House Pub on Ponce de Leon Avenue! The chef cooks up a four-course meal showcases the produce and artisanal products of local Georgia farmers. With standard menu items like fried green tomatoes, sweet potato & spinach wraps, and collard green egg rolls (all made of produce readily found in the south), I imagine the deliciousness of Locavore Mondays bears similar Southern delicacies – and takes full advantage of what’s available in Georgia’s harvest seasons!
- What: Locavore Mondays (experience local Georgia food in our big city!)
- When: Every Monday from 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. (through July 20th)
- Where: The Book House Pub near Virginia Highland (map it!)
- How much? $35 for a four-course meal
Check out the regular menu and the beer selection on the Book House Pub’s website!
Posted in Events, Food | Tagged: Book House Pub, Georgia harvest season, local food in Atlanta, local Georgia farms, Locavore Mondays | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 22, 2009
The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran a bit today on Georgia recycling statistics in recognition of Earth Day:
A statewide look at how much recyclable material ends up in landfills:
- 4.3 pounds: the amount of garbage that Georgians send to landfills every day
- 12.9 million: tons of garbage sent to landfills last year
- 1.7 million: tons of out-of-state garbage sent to landfills last year
- 40 percent: amount of garbage that is commonly recyclable materials (ie. plastic, glass, aluminum, etc.)
- 12 percent: amount of garbage that consists of compostable food waste
To say this disheartens me would be an understatement… HOWEVER, being one to look on the bright side, that means if we can all get people to work on recycling the 40% of potential materials instead of sending them to the landfill, that means only 7.5 million tons instead of 12.9 million ends up underground indefinitely. That would also lessen our per-person-garbage impact to 2.58 pounds instead of 4.3.
So please encourage those around you to recycle! If it means you start a recycling program at work that involves just the co-workers that sit closest to you, that’s a fantastic effort. You can either take the recycling home with you or make a pit-stop by a recycling center on your way home and drop it off. And then work on expanding it. Offer to recycle people’s plastic water bottles for them. Take home some extra bottles and cans after a friend’s party. I’ve found at my work place (and other places), many people are willing to recycle, even if it’s not a habit at home. Or maybe I’ve just gently reminded them to bring me their Coke cans after I’ve found them in the trash one too many times… Either way, we’re definitely cutting down on our per-person-garbage output!
Posted in Environment, Recycling | Tagged: Georgia recycling, recycling at work, recycling statistics, landfill | 2 Comments »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 21, 2009
Thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday for the Atlanta BeltLine’s Earth Day clean-up put on by Keep Atlanta Beautiful!! Group 4 did an incredible job of clearing out underbrush and trash along the BeltLine tracks from Lake Avenue (near Studioplex Lofts) south to Edgewood! Check out the map here of the area our group cleared! I pinpointed Studioplex, so just go east a bit to where the railroad tracks cross Lake Avenue. Kevin Cregan (of Kudzu Studios, who does all the printing and merchandise for the BeltLine) and I were team leaders together for group 4, which cleaned and cleared from Lake Avenue on to to where group 5 started at the Edgewood bridge. Group 5 cleared kudzu off of a very long length of fence that runs from the Edgewood bridge to the DeKalb Avenue bridge. To the north of us, volunteers stretched all the way to Freedom Parkway! Another team leader, Brad, brought his group down and merged with ours to form a very long stretch of people clearing brush and trash.
Overall, the BeltLine clean-up had over 200 people registered at 8 a.m. and had dozens more show up to help out. When we first gave our group the overview of the ambitious projects for the morning, I don’t think anyone had any idea how much we would accomplish. Our volunteers were amazing! We even had a girl walk up the tracks halfway through the morning and said she’d read about it and asked how she could help. And my Dad was out in full force (as he usually is to help out with volunteer events) and I eventually had to coax him to put down the pruning shears and come eat.
The goal of this clean-up was to make the BeltLine tracks more walkable for people to check out and envision the greener future of Atlanta transportation. This clean-up came on the heels of a major effort last fall to clean up from Freedom Park to Piedmont Park, so now the tracks and trail are visible from DeKalb Avenue and Inman Park all the way up to Piedmont Park in Midtown. You should definitely check it out! And come out to volunteer with the Atlanta BeltLine anytime by clicking here! We’re still in need of volunteers to help with the BeltLine booth for the Sweet Auburn Festival, Go Green Get Rewards Festival, and Virginia Highland Summerfest in the next six weeks!
BeltLine progress! The photos on the left are looking south down the BeltLine from Lake to Edgewood, showing the growth over the second track, our group cutting and sawing, and me sitting on the tracks at the end. The right side shows another team cleaning kudzu off of the fence between Edgewood and DeKalb Avenue; cleaning up the bridge under Edgewood; and Gerard, Zack, Angel, and me hanging out at the after party (and Dad stopped for a minute to take this photo of us).
Posted in Atlanta BeltLine, Piedmont Park, Transportation, Volunteer | Tagged: Atlanta volunteering, Atlanta BeltLine, Atlanta transportation initiatives, Inman Park Atlanta events, public transit, BeltLine volunteering, Piedmont Park, Keep Atlanta Beautiful, BeltLine clean-up | 1 Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on April 21, 2009
Kroger is holding a contest through May 15th, 2009 and calling on all artists and eco-minded people to submit their illustrations and designs for potential use in Kroger stores nationwide. You can check out the current designs and vote by clicking here!
Want to participate? Check out the official rules here!
Posted in Donate, Environment | Tagged: eco-friendly, Kroger reusable bag, reusable shopping bag | Leave a Comment »
