Happy Earth Day!

From today's Commercial Appeal:

Tennesseans are worst energy gluttons, so adjusting to a green lifestyle is challenging
By Andria Lisle

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

When it comes to living green, doing the right thing isn't just good for the environment.

Reducing, reusing and recycling saves money as well.

And, thanks to the growing interest in the eco-trends, more Americans than ever are waking up to the fact that, as Al Gore decried in "An Inconvenient Truth," the Earth could use our help.

Even on Earth Day (officially today, although many people celebrated the holiday over the weekend) it's difficult to navigate the tenets of green living.

For instance, the paper vs. plastic bags debate is enough to send any would-be environmentalist scuttling for cover. (For the record, neither is good, when it comes to bringing home your groceries. Bring your own reusable shopping bags, or ask for a sturdy cardboard box that you can use for another purpose later.)

Factor in the carbon footprint left by your morning commute, the water you waste while brushing your teeth and the energy sapped by your television sets -- even when they're turned off -- and saving the Earth will feel like a Sisyphean task. (A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases produced in units of carbon dioxide by a particular action, a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment. Go to CarbonFootprint.com)

"It's easy to get stressed out over the small things, so you just have to stay focused on the big picture," said environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo, a champion of the environment since he founded the Earth 2000 organization at age 12.

"I had to figure out how to create a green lifestyle on my own, but today, it's certainly possible to have a great home that's stylish, fun and eco-friendly," says Seo, 31, who is an author, a contributor to CBS' "The Early Show" and partner in JC Penney's Simply Green, an eco-friendly line of clothing and home furnishings.

"Going green isn't a trend -- it's a cultural shift," Seo says. "The nice thing about it being so big right now, is that the more people talk about it and the more they do, the easier it's going to get."

For Memphians, the easiest step to take might be recycling their plastic water bottles via the city's curbside recycling program established in 1991.

Granted, switching to a refillable metal or polycarbonate water bottle is best for the environment -- and for your grocery budget.

But if you've got to buy bottled water, please recycle, says Andy Ashford, administrator of recycling, composting, household hazardous waste and illegal signs for the city of Memphis.

"Every time a citizen puts their recyclables in a garbage cart, it's costing the city. Every time they put a recyclable into their bin, it's saving the city," says Ashford, who explains that garbage disposal costs $22 per ton, while plastics, glass and paper recyclables are sold for $25 per ton.

"That's not just responsible solid waste management -- it's over $40 in savings," Ashford says adding the $22 saved from not disposing of recyclables and the $25 earned from selling them.

"You might not have money to give to charity or time to volunteer, but if you separate your waste, you can really help the city and feel good about yourself in the process." Memphis residents can request additional recycling bins by calling 576-6900.

"We have great water here in Shelby County and we need to keep it that way by protecting our aquifer," says Lisa Williams, the environmental programs coordinator for Shelby County. She oversees the Memphis and Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 6305 Haley Road near Shelby Farms.

Williams urges local residents to divert potentially dangerous garbage -- aerosol cans, used motor oil, pool chemicals, pesticides, oil-based paint and unwanted computers and cell phones -- from curbside pickup. (Take them to the household hazardous waste facility, which is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, including a complete list of acceptable items, go to CityofMemphis.org.)

While collecting your own hazardous waste and hand delivering it sounds like a chore nobody wants, Williams says more than 2,000 households have participated, diverting some 20 tons of electronics and 6,000 pounds of used oil since the facility opened in November.

"From a citizen's standpoint, this is the most aggressive thing we can do," she says.

Andrew Couch, executive director of the West Tennessee Clean Cities Coalition, warns against disposing of anything that's still useful -- even working incandescent light bulbs, which are gradually being phased out for compact fluorescent lights. As they burn out, replace them with compact fluorescent lights.

"My grandmother was cut from the waste-not, want-not Depression-era cloth," says the 28-year-old, who worked in the organic food industry, founded Deep Fried Rides, a company that converted cars from running on diesel fuel to cooking oil, and went on to establish the Clean Cities group in August 2005.

"Recycling is fantastic, but not buying something in the first place is even better," Couch said. "The green movement isn't exclusive, or even something that requires you to do a whole lot -- it actually requires you to do less. Start re-thinking the stuff you have to buy, whether it's a car, an appliance or a light bulb, and (prioritize) energy efficiency and quality first."

Unfortunately, Tennesseans are the worst offenders in a nation of energy gluttons.

The numbers are grim, according to the 2006 energy usage statistics provided by E Source Companies LLC:

The United States' average annual use, per household, was 11,035 kilowatt hours.

The state of Tennessee's household average during 2006 was 15,614 kilowatt hours.

"Tennessee uses more energy (per household) than any other state," said Stacey Greenberg, who has worked as a community relations coordinator for MLGW since 1999.

Her educational efforts emphasize simple energy-saving techniques, such as installing programmable thermostats that can be turned down while you're at work, and checking ductwork for leaks or holes.

MLGW is also offering free energy efficiency kits and a voluntary carbon offset program called Green Power Switch, which offers consumers and companies the opportunity to purchase monthly "power blocks" that facilitate the construction and usage of green power facilities (solar, wind or methane gas) by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Currently, TVA operates a solar generation facility in North Memphis, and at a second facility uses methane gas that is burned with coal, to augment the energy supply for customers in West Tennessee.

"Buying two power blocks for $8 per month," says MLGW spokesman Chris Stanley, "is the equivalent of recycling 15,322 aluminum cans, planting an acre of trees or not driving your car for four months."

Paying more than your monthly utility bill requires might be more than most Mid-Southerners are willing to commit to, but says New York-based Ruth Altchek, a features editor at lifestyle magazine Domino, going green is "a radical reconsideration of how we live, a total shift in mindset that people are slowly adapting."

"Even before it became such a hot topic, everyone here wanted to make an effort to integrate environmental awareness into the magazine," she says of the Conde Nast publication, which has a circulation rate of 700,000.

Since her work jump-started her own interest in the green movement, Altchek has repainted her Brooklyn apartment using no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, switched to an organic and almost all-local diet, replaced standard light bulbs with compact fluorescents and tossed out toxic cleaning products in favor of more natural alternatives.

"In terms of food and cleaning products, it's a health issue, too," Altchek says.

"When it comes to the environment, everyone can do something to lighten their impact in some way. It's part of my mission to show people what decisions they can make in a day -- not 'do this' or 'don't do that,' but decisions they can make much more holistically."

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Tips for living an eco-friendly life.

Going Green

Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, founders of Method home care products and co-authors of "Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home," recommend reading the ingredients list on your automatic dish washing detergent. If you're using a detergent with phosphates, it's time to switch: The mineral works like fertilizer on algae, which can suck all the oxygen out of ponds and lakes once your dishwater is released into the environment.

In "How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: 365 Simple Ways to Save Energy, Resources, and Money," published by Chronicle Books on April 2, author Joanna Yarrow notes that "the average Western shopaholic adds more than 3 tons of CO2 to their carbon footprint each year simply by buying stuff." Yarrow suggests curbing consumption by avoiding disposables, such as paper towels and plastic cups, and getting rid of unwanted items via eBay, Freecycle or Craigslist.

Definitely replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights -- but only as the old bulbs burn out. Don't forget that CFLs contain mercury, and need to be handled with care. "We recommend they take used or broken ones to a household hazardous waste facility," says Philip Davis, an environment program manager with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. For more tips, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Web site, EPA.gov.

"Finding a really nice container makes such a difference" when it comes to recycling, says Domino features editor Ruth Altchek. Plus, if you store your recycling container in view just inside the your door, you can deal with unwanted mail, water bottles and Coke cans before they invade your house.

Cut down on your sort time by getting off junk mail lists. Altchek uses a free service called Green Dimes (GreenDimes.com).

If you're already on the recycling bandwagon, don't forget to complete the circle. Andrew Couch of the West Tennessee Clean Cities Coalition suggests buying printer paper and notebooks that are created out of recycled products, while green-living consultant Danny Seo points to the men's fleece tops, 100-percent crafted from recycled water bottles, and juniors T-shirts, which are 50 percent organic cotton and 50 percent recycled nylon. Both items, along with recycled jeans, renewable bamboo towels and organic cotton sheet sets, are available at JC Penney now.

Going green "is all about following your intuition and doing your homework," says Seo. "At the end of the day, you have to make the right decisions that work with your lifestyle."

For more help going green, register for the Evergreen Historic District Association's free Spring Greening workshop, hosted by sustainable living advocate Margot McNeeley. The workshop is slated for May 3, from 10:30 a.m.-noon at Evergreen Yoga Center, 1541 Overton Park. For more information, call 292-1700 or e-mail margot@evergreenyoga memphis.com.