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The talk of the town: A statement-making backyard chicken coop

June 26th, 2009

By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now
You’ve planted the organic garden, the compost is cooking and the native plants that cover your lawn look cool and save water. What’s next?
Chickens, of course.
The “urban chicken” trend has been endlessly chronicled in recent months, touting tales of city folks building backyard coops, buying hens and getting fresh eggs daily. [...]

[Read more →]

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Wash your car without ‘washing’ your car with Bayes Waterless Wash

June 23rd, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

It sounds like an oxymoron - a car “wash” that uses no water.

But some of the best green ideas turn traditional practices upside down. Bayes High Performance Waterless Wash/Detailer reinvents the car wash by subtracting the water. It’s not a “wash” in the conventional sense and the only water used is that contained with the biodegradable cleaner itself.

[Read more →]

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Give a monarch a helping hand with your own butterfly garden

June 19th, 2009

By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Monarch butterflies can be found in every continental state in America. Seven states have even named the monarch their “state insect,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

That’s good news for those who would like to create a backyard space to attract monarchs as they make their way north or south for their long annual migrations.

The first step is a to do a little research to learn what monarchs and other butterflies are fluttering around your community. Books can provide information, but lepidopterists (people who collect and study butterflies and moths) or butterfly organizations in your area also will have details.

[Read more →]

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Quick guide: Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

June 18th, 2009

Federal income tax credits for specific home improvements are available now through 2010 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which extended energy efficiency tax credits available in 2006 and 2007 but not 2008.

U.S. homeowners can enjoy the “triple crown” of energy efficiency — lower home energy bills, lower federal income taxes, and increased home comfort — by making energy efficiency home improvements that qualify for up to $1,500 in federal income tax credits.

“The ARRA tax credits are very similar to those that were in effect a few years ago and renewed for 2009 only in the Troubled Asset Relief Program last fall,” Steve Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), said in a stateme

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Cree LEDs: enlightening universities

June 17th, 2009

By Diane Porter
Green Right Now

Deb Lovig’s official title at Cree, the lighting and semiconductor company, is “LED Programs Evangelist.” The description fits. Ask her to pick a favorite project and she’ll name five before you get her stopped. She’ll skip from North Carolina State’s dorm lighting project (see picture, right) to the University of California-Davis’ smart parking garage to Notre Dame’s beautiful acorn-shaped fixtures without taking a breath.

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Chestnuts for a roasting planet

June 16th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
As summer sets in, many of us are looking to shade those windows any way we can, and one of the greenest solutions is to add greenery. Outside the window, that is.
A shade tree can mitigate the heat gain on a west or south-facing window and truly cut down on [...]

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Whirling vertical wind blows into the home market

June 15th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

There’s a new wind whirly-gig on the block. You may not recognize him. Unlike those tall towers with outstretched airplane-style propellers, this new guy has a compact stance, a whole new look. Arms tucked in, he whirs more slowly and congregates with just a few others to power a building at time.

This wind power generator, called a vertical axis wind turbine, can be puzzling. Looking at one, it’s difficult to fathom how it works, though it simply uses a different aerodynamic concept than its propeller cousins, catching up winds that come from different directions bouncing along closer to the ground. The idea has actually been around for at least 2,000 years “but it’s just never been made to work very well,” says Michael Hess, CEO of Mariah Power.

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If you build it, they will come (and croak): Backyard frog ponds

June 11th, 2009

By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Frogs and toads across the country could use a helping hand.

Amphibians — from the endangered Houston Toad to the threatened Golden Coqui — are disappearing at an alarming rate, faster than any other vertebrate. Many species around the globe have disappeared entirely, according to the Animal Welfare Institute’s Endangered Species Handbook (as well as numerous other sources.)

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Dell, Goodwill expand free computer recycling program to more states

June 8th, 2009

From Green Right Now Reports

Dell and Goodwill Industries International announced they are expanding Reconnect, a free drop-off program for consumers who want to responsibly recycle any brand of unwanted computer equipment.
The program is adding 451 new donation sites in seven states — Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and West Virginia. The program also will expand in Wisconsin to the Southeastern and South Central parts of the state.

Reconnect is now available in 18 states, plus the District of Columbia.

[Read more →]

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Twenty great, green decorative items with stories to tell

May 29th, 2009

By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Those pretty knick-knacks and decorative items around your home likely have a history. There’s the crystal bowl that was an anniversary gift from a dear friend, or the candleholder your mom gave you before she died — they all hold great significance.

We’ve found 20 lovely decorative items with their own stories. Our picks come from far-flung nations or close to home, made by fair-trade artisans or creative artists using recycled, natural materials. Take a moment to shop our selections. (Most of the websites selling these goodies have lots of other green items to check out.)

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Find native plants at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

May 28th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

If you are looking for native plants for your garden - truly native plants that belong by heritage in your region and state - we have found a bouquet of information.

Novices and master gardeners alike will find a bounty of advice at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website, where they’ve the Native Plant Information Network that spans the United States now lists some 7,200-plus native plants.

[Read more →]

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Washing your car — without water

May 21st, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

You know your car is a gas hound. But what about the water it requires?

Keeping a car clean, whether you rinse it off in your driveway or get it scrubbed at a professional wash, uses buckets of agua, more than you might realize.

If you’re careful, washing your car at home might use 10 gallons of water, but probably more like 25 or 50. A car wash can use much more, in the range of 75 to 100 gallons.

[Read more →]

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