Clearing snow and ice? Watch out for the environment
I was thinking about the poor plants, soil, water and pet paws that suffer during snow storms because people dump tons of salt, kitty litter, fertilizer and other unfriendly products on the ground to keep from slipping and sliding.
So, I went looking for some alternatives. And if you have other ideas, please share.
I found a blog on the Mother Nature Network that identified a bunch of greener commercial ice melt-type stuff: Safe Paw Ice Melter, Keep It Green, Earth Friendly Products Ice Melt and Ice Clear De-Icer.
Some use forms of salt and fertilizer but in smaller amounts mixed in with other stuff. The blog also said some advised using beet juice or molasses, but they seem to need to be mixed with salt.
Fellow B'More Green blogger Tim Wheeler says wood chips and sand in moderation are better than the kitty litter and salt.
On the snow shovel side, those blowers belch all kind of yucky stuff. Here's an alternative that supposedly works like it's got some power: The Sno Wovel. It looks like it's part bicycle and part shovel.
Or, we can all just stay inside and drink hot cocoa!
Picture of Sno Wovel and ice melt products courtesy of the companies
Comments
I always use bird seed, especially black sunflower seeds, sometimes mixed with salt. The seeds give some traction and the dark color absorbs some heat from the sun. They will also help the birds who in turn will help melt the snow/ice.
Posted by: likesbikes | December 18, 2009 6:20 PM
What's bad about kitty litter? I wasn't aware of this. Isn't it just clay?
Posted by: Hal Laurent | December 18, 2009 7:37 PM
There is also pine pellet cat litter - it's compressed sawdust in pellet form. When it gets wet it expands to just regular sawdust. I've found it works great and once the snow / ice is gone I just sweep the sawdust into my garden and add it to the mulch that's there
Posted by: deb | December 19, 2009 10:01 AM
The greenest option is to wake up early and shovel; then the sun takes care of the rest.
Posted by: Mitch | December 20, 2009 5:45 PM
I use SafePaw on my walkway and it's great! No worries about my dog eating it or having her paws torn up because of the chemicals in the typical salt formulas.
Posted by: nic | December 21, 2009 9:26 AM
Our local hardware store owner introduced me to chicken grit (sometimes called traction grit). It comes in bags and is nothing but tiny rough pebbles. It's great on ice, especially if the ice is more than a half-inch thick: it sits on top and creates traction, whereas salt just bores holes, leaving the top slippery. In the spring I sweep it up and save it to use again the next winter.
Posted by: Michelle Wood | December 21, 2009 12:07 PM
I don't think I'm above the law and I'm an advocate of 'When in Rome'. Also, I think it's a good idea that everyone is responsible for ensuring their own area is safe for pedestrians. My question is, how is this enforcable as a law? The snow MUST be cleared before a certain time everyday but how can someone claim damages against you if they slip and injure themselves or worse?
Posted by: Custom essay writing review | November 22, 2010 3:01 AM
What's bad about kitty litter? I wasn't aware of this. Isn't it just clay?
Posted by: dekor | December 13, 2010 4:50 PM
It's great on ice, mostly if the ice is more than a half-inch thick: it sits on top and creates traction, whereas salt just bores holes, leaving the top slippery.
Posted by: drupal web development | February 23, 2011 8:44 AM
In all seriousness, wouldn't the best option to be to just do it the old school way of shovelling and letting the sun take care of the rest???
Posted by: Drink Water Lose Weight | April 21, 2011 5:25 PM
i think green products will save the planet. Not sure if standing to gain from climate change is profiting or profiteering or savaging.
Posted by: 4life | October 28, 2011 1:11 PM