Fruits are healthy to eat, experts agree, but new research by a consumer group shows some fruit juices - a staple in children's diets - contain toxic arsenic or lead.

There are no federal limits now on either contaminant in fruit juices.  But according to Consumer Reports, about 10 percent of the juices it sampled from five different brands had total arsenic levels exceeding federal drinking-water standards.

One in four samples checked also had lead levels higher than the Food and Drug Administration's limit for bottled water of 5 parts per billion.

While the FDA has dismissed previous reports of arsenic in apple juice by saying the contaminant was a harmless organic form of the chemical, Consumer Reports says most of the arsenic it found was inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen.

Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, is calling on the FDA to set arsenic and lead limits for apple and grape juices, which are frequently consumed by children.

It's not clear how the contaminants got into the fruit juices, but environmental activists point out that one source may be coal-burning power plants which emit arsenic and other toxic pollutants into the air.  They contend this is another reason for the Obama administration to move forward with new power-plant pollution regulations drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Some power companies and their supporters in Congress oppose the rules, contending the costs of compliance will be too high, forcing the shutdown of some power plants and jeopardizing electrical reliability.  Others point to the health benefits and say the fears of brownouts are overstated, noting that some power companies such as Baltimore-based Constellation Energy support the rule because they have already upgraded their plants' pollution controls to reduce toxic emissions.

For a list of brands tested and results, go here.

(Above: Student sipping apple juice at Mt. Washington Elementary School. 2005 Baltimore Sun photo by Kenrick Brinson)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

How convenient is it to go green? Ask Royal Farms, the Baltimore-based convenience store chain.

The comany's 5,000-square-foot store in Dover, PA is the first Royal Farms to earn LEED certification, the vanguard of a corporate pledge to certify all of their eligible stores under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council. Company officials celebrated the certification earlier this week.

From the outside, the Dover store, pictured above, doesn't appear any different than a traditional building.  Yet for what Royal Farms' consultant described as a "nominal" cost, the Dover store's designed and built to achieve 21 percent energy savings and use 42 percent less water, among other advantages. Any extra costs to go green were primarily for obtaining the LEED rating and should be easily made up by the operational savings, says Neal Fiorelli, managing partner of Lorax Partnerships of Columbia, the chain's consultant. 

Royal Farms says it has 20 stores that have applied for LEED certification, including a store on Charles Street in Baltimore expected to open later this year. Meanwhile, visitors to the Dover, PA store can pick up a brochure and maybe even get a quick tour to learn about its green features.

(Photo provided by Lorax Partnerships)  

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Homeowners, if you've ever thought about ditching your messy, polluting gasoline-powered lawnmower, here's your chance: Swap it for a cleaner, deeply discounted new battery-powered job.

On Saturday (6/11), consumers can turn in their old gas-powered mowers for a marked-down rechargeable Black & Decker mower.  Buyers get 31 percent off the $379 sticker price for an 18-inch, 36-volt model and 33 percent off the $429 ticket for one with a 19-inch blade and a removable battery.

The swap will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at Cardinal Shehan School, 5407 Loch Raven Boulevard. But don't procrastinate - only 200 mowers will be on hand to sell.

Why go to the trouble? Because more than 17 million gallons of gas get spilled each year nationwide refueling lawn and garden equipment. Some of that winds up in the nearest water way, and some gets into the air, adding to our region's choking summer smog.  Even the gas that gets in the tank pollutes: a single 3.5-horsepower gas mower emits as much smog-forming exhaust as a new car driven 340 miles.

And if you let the mulching mower mulch and leave off bagging the grass clippings, you can have a healthy lawn without needing to fertilize as much - another help for stressed local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. That's why the city of Baltimore and the local watershed group Blue Water Baltimore have teamed up to co-sponsor B&D's mower swap. For more, go here.

(Old mowers being turned in for new electric ones. 2010 Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Students at the University of Maryland have jumped on a nationwide bandwagon to ban bottled water sales on campus, it seems.

The Washington Post reports that student government groups on the College Park campus have yielded to the pressure and now serve tapwater in pitchers at their meetings and events.    Other schools around the country also are cutting out on the bottled beverage. According to the Post, Goucher College in Baltimore apparently has gone halfway, removing bottles from dining halls and other campus eateries while still offering them at the bookstore and in vending machines.

The rap against bottled water is waste - that Americans are burning up resources and generating mountains of plastic debris for a drink they could easily get from a faucet or fountain somewhere. Of course, the bottles can be recycled, but many aren't, and there's still the energy consumed producing and transporting them.

But some are suggesting it's not an open-and-shut case.  Bottled water helps fight obesity, some say, by offering youthful consumers a more healthful choice than sugar-laden soft drinks in vending machines and at snack bars. That's certainly how the International Bottled Water Association sees it, with a spokesman calling its members' beverage "a healthy, legal product."

There's also the convenience factor - could it be there aren't as many water fountains as there used to be?  And some activists worry that making a fuss about bottled water could alienate the public and lose goodwill for action on other environmental issues arguably of greater importance.

What's your take? Time to dump the throwaway drinks, or is this a diversion from bigger problems? Do you drink bottled water, or carry your own?

(Bottled water on sale in Florida supermarket.  Photo by Tina Russell, Orlando Sentinel)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Baltimore County's Department of Public Works, Bureau of Solid Waste Management, and the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability will sell compost bins and rain barrels at the auxiliary parking lot of The Avenue at White Marsh Saturday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Bins will go for $34 and rain barrels for $50. So if you ever wanted to attempt composting or conserving water, now is a good time to start.

For more information, visit Baltimore County's website.

Posted by Kim Walker at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Shopping
        

Montgomery County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett announced today he'll seek legislation to levy a nickel fee on every paper or plastic carryout bag dispensed by county retailers in a bid to reduce litter in the Washington suburb and encourage consumers to shop with their own reusable bags.

If approved by the County Council, Montgomery would follow the lead of the District of Columbia and not Baltimore in tacking a small fee on throwaway bags to discourage their use. Here in Charm City, after protests from grocers and bag manufacturers the City Council backed away from bills to ban or tax plastic bags and opted instead to encourage recycling them.  

Baltimore may still see the nickel bag fee, though, and Montgomery wouldn't need to act if lawmakers in Annapolis adopt legislation that would apply a nickel-a-bag fee statewide. Tomorrow, (March 8), the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to review SB602, the "Clean the Streams and Beautify the Bay Act of 2011." 

Like the District law, the Senate bill and its House compansion, HB1034, would require stores to charge a nickel for every disposable carryout bag provided to customers.  Stores could keep a penny of every nickel to cover their costs, and could keep a second cent if they also offer their customers credit for bringing their own reusable bags for carrying away merchandise.

Environmentalists argue a throwaway bag fee is needed to reduce the litter that's choking urban waters like Baltimore's harbor and the Anacostia River in the Washington area.  The Environmental Protection Agency has declared both watersheds impaired by trash, and city and county governments are on the hook to figure out how to stop the torrents of trash washed into and down streams after every rain. 

The Anacostia Watershed Society says its trash surveys have found plastic bags the third most frequent litter item fished from the river and the most common type of detritus in the streams that feed into the river.

DC started charging 5 cents on every disposable shopping bag given customers there in January 2010. The fee raised about $2 million in revenue in its first year, earmarked for helping clean up the Anacoastia River. That's less than had been projected, but sponsors say what they really wanted was behavior change, and in that regard, estimates are that the number of bags consumed has dropped by 50 to 80 percent.

The state legislation could raise a lot more money.  Legislative analysts cite Census estimates that there were 19,100 retail establishments in Maryland three years ago, and suggests that if each dispensed 10,000 bags annually, they'd raise $7.6 million in total revenue - with $1.9 million of it kept by the stores.  The bulk of the fees collected by the state would go to the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a nonprofit organization that doles out grants to promote public awareness and participation in the bay cleanup effort.

Retailers and bag manufacaturers successfully fought off a similar measure last year, and can be expected to oppose it again this year. Retailers argue that the fee hurts their business by raising prices at a time when many Marylanders are still struggling economically. Plastic bag manufacturers have argued that voluntary recycling programs are the way to go.

But environmentalists point out that the disposable carryout bags handed out by stores aren't free.  Retailers usually pay 2 to 5 cents per bag, they note, and based on bag use estimates developed elsewhere, the Anacostia Watershed Society figures the average Marylander gets 750 carryout bags a year, for which they're likely paying $15 to $37.50 a year.  Reusable bags, by comparison, usually cost $1 to $3 each, and last up to two years.

If the statewide legislation fails again, that leaves the "plastic or paper" - or neither - issue to be hashed out locality by locality.  Besides the bill introduced in Montgomery, there's legislation pending in Annapolis (HB661/SB721) that would enable Prince George's County - which like Montgomery shares responsibility for the Anacostia watershed - to impose a fee on disposable plastic bags in its borders.

(Baltimore Sun photos. Top: Reusable bag display in DC Safeway, 2010, by Barbara Haddock Taylor; Above: yellow plastic bag and fast-food cup litter Baltimore's Gwynns Falls, 2008, by Jed Kirschbaum)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Ever thought you'd like to have solar panels on your house but been put off by sticker shock?  Well, that may be about to change.  A California company that specializes in leasing pricey solar energy systems to homeowners and businesses is expanding to Maryland.

SolarCity, which claims to be the largest solar service provider in the country, announced Monday it has acquired the solar installation unit of Clean Currents, the Rockville-based independent energy company that has been marketing wind and solar power across the mid-Atlantic region.  It has a Baltimore-area office in Catonsville.

SolarCity sells and installs photovoltaic systems on homes and businesses, just as about 100 other contractors do in Maryland. But the San Mateo-based company also peddles a zero-down 20-year lease, where the homeowner pays nothing up front, and instead pays rent for the use of the system.  SolarCity says the savings customers realize from the electricity generated by its panels more than offsets the lease payments.  Homeowners typically realize a 10 percent savings per kilowatt-hour consumed, company officials say.

"Given a choice, homeowners will buy clean power as long as it doesn't cost them an arm and a leg," says SolarCity's CEO, Lyndon Rive.

The company plans to start offering its zero-down, 20-year leases sometime in February.  It now operates in more than 1,500 communities in five states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Texas.  Maryland and the District of Columbia would be its first East Coast venture.  The firm has about 1,000 employees and expects to add 30 in Maryland in the first year, according to Rive.

SolarCity also is investing in Clean Currents, which says it has more than 6,000 residential and 500 commercial customers in Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

If the lease idea catches on, it could significantly boost the spread of solar energy among homes.  The high upfront cost of purchasing and installing photovoltaic panels - $30,000 or more for a typical home system - is a major hurdle to broader adoption of the technology.  

Homeowners can get grants from the state to help with the cost - $500 per kilowatt, up to $10,000 - and Maryland Energy Administration officials say the agency has given out more than 1,200 such grants in the past year and a half.  Homeowners leasing solar panels can still take advantage of the state grants, at least indirectly, according to MEA's Kevin Lucas.  The company installing them has to apply and would get the grant, but can factor that into the rental payment.

(Solar panels covering roof of Fells Point house, 2003 Baltimore Sun photo by Doug Kapustin)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Baltimore's new "plastic bag reduction" ordinance finally kicked in this week, almost without a peep. But clearly not everyone's on board yet.

Since Tuesday, all merchants in the city have been barred from putting customers' purchases in plastic bags unless they first ask if the flimsy sacks are wanted.

Supermarkets, restaurants and other places that sell food also are required to provide recycling bins on premises for any plastic bags they do give out.  And as an alternative, they must offer to sell customers re-usable shopping bags.

As of Wednesday, 1,058 food dealers had registered online to keep using plastic bags under the conditions set by the new ordinance.  That's less than a third of the 3,500 establishments licensed by the city health department to sell food.

Still it's an improvement over the snafus that botched the law's original start three months ago. City officials didn't get the online registration system set up until shortly before the ordinance was to take effect on Sept. 1, and many merchants complained they hadn't been able to log in so they could legally keep giving out plastic bags.  Others said they simply didn't know anything about what they were supposed to do.   An embarrassed City Council was forced to delay the law's startup.

Since then, City Hall has set up registration and even posted online the signs merchants are supposed to download and post in their stores and eateries advising customers that plastic bags are available only on request.  And the response has been smoother, if still not entirely happy.

"We're up and running," says City Councilman James B. Kraft, one of the chief architects of the plastic bag law.  Kraft, who represents Southeast Baltimore, says it's taken effect mostly "under the radar" - without much fanfare or fuss.

Continue reading "Plastic or paper? Soft start for B'more's new bag law" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

The end is near for getting federal rebates from $25 to $500 if you buy an energy-efficient appliance.

The federal "Cash for Appliances" program wraps up here Nov. 12, Maryland officials have announced.

Nearly 90 percent of the $5.4 million in stimulus funds allocated to the state has been doled out, The Baltimore Sun's Liz Kay reports. Marylanders have put in for rebates on more than 14,000 clothes washers, 3,500 refrigerators and nearly 3,000 central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps, according to the Maryland Energy Administration.

There's still a week to get in on the rebates. Select Energy Star room air condioners yield $25 each, refrigerators $50, clothes washers $100, hot-water heaters $300 and heat pumps or central air, $500. For details and to apply, go to the MEA's website.   Customers of Allegheny Power, BGE, Delmarva, Pepco or SMECO also can get rebate forms from their utility's website.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Who says being runnner-up is anything to be ashamed of? A Glen Burnie Sears store has come in second nationally in the Environmental Protection Agency's first energy efficiency contest for commercial buildings, reducing its energy use by nearly 32 percent over a year. Not too shabby.

Out of more than 200 retail stores, offices and institutional structures that entered EPA's National Building Competition, the Sears at Marley Station Mall on Ritchie Highway came in just behind a 10-story dormitory at the University of North Carolina in the race to be declared the "biggest energy loser."

"We're damn pleased with our store really taking a lead and coming out and doing something special," said Michael E. Brown, director of environmental sustainability for Sears Holdings Corp., based in Hoffman Estates, Ill.  And while the company really really wanted to win the contest, Brown takes solace in noting that "we did beat J.C. Penney," which placed third with a store in Orange, CA reducing its energy use by more than 28 percent.

The 14-year-old Glen Burnie store slashed energy use through a combination of lighting retrofits and good old-fashioned diligence on the part of its staff.  Putting in new, more efficient lighting accounted for perhaps half of the savings, Brown said, but the other half came from things like turning off lights when leaving storerooms, adjusting building temperatures and applying weather stripping  to cut down on heat losses.

"A large part of it really has been these things every person can do," he said, praising the leadership of the store's energy team, pictured here.  "Sound discipline - the same things I do in my house." 

The store's managers and 170 "associates" didn't just go around unscrewing light bulbs or turning the thermostat down willy-nilly.  They did the commercial equivalent of a home energy audit, scanning the 198,000 square foot structure with a thermal imaging camera to spot drafts where warmed or chilled air was leaking.   And the lighting retrofits improved illumination in the store while cutting down on the number of lamps needed.

Cutting energy costs by nearly a third is a big deal in these tough times, especially for retailers.  Brown said EPA estimates that every 10 percent reduction in energy use is equivalent to a one percent boost in sales.

The Glen Burnie store's achievements will provide tips and inspiration for the other 928 Sears stores and more than 1,300 Kmarts now run by Sears, according to Brown.  "Really, more than anything, what we found is this is an awesome way to engage our associates (aka employees)," he said.

For more on the EPA contest's 14 finalists, go here. 

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It's been illegal since the beginning of this month for Baltimore supermarkets, corner grocers and convenience stores to simply give out disposable plastic bags for carrying away merchandise. But don't bother calling 911 on any violators you see out there.

The ordinance, which took effect Sept. 1, isn't being enforced because City Hall botched the startup.   City officials were supposed to create a bag "reduction" program that would've allowed merchants to keep handing out the flimsy sacks, as long as customers asked for them.  Stores also had to offer to recycle plastic bags and encourage customers to buy or bring in their own reusable sacks.

Councilman Jim Kraft, who'd long sought a bag ban as a way to fight the litter in Baltimore's streets, streams and harbor, said city officials were late setting up the bag reduction program, so there was no way for businesses to register to avoid the ban. An online link for businesses to register was posted on the website of the city's Office of Sustainability on Aug. 27, just four days before the ban was to take effect.

"It was really a sort of snafu, where there were some misunderstandings," Kraft said, and city officials "didn't understand what they had to do....I was getting calls from these guys (retailers) saying I want to register and I can't."

As a result, he noted, "Technically, everyone is in violation. As of Sept. 1, if they're not in the program, they can't use (plastic) bags."

Merchants are still allowed to sign up for the bag reduction program and keep using plastic bags, but under the ordinance they have to pay a $500 fee now to do so. Up until Sept. 1, it was free to register, an arrangement Kraft and others had hope would provide businesses an incentive to get on board quickly.

Now, to give food dealers more time to register without paying the fee, Kraft is rushing a "corrective bill" through City Council that delays the effective date of the program to Dec. 1 and extends the free signup to Nov. 30.  Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has agreed to sign the fixup legislation, Kraft said.

"I think it's going to be fine," he concluded.

(Tip of the proverbial hat to Investigative Voice for first reporting this!)

(Washington Giant supermarket before nickel fee imposed there on nonrecyclable bags. 2009 AP Photo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Shade-grown coffee may cost more than brew from beans grown on a clear-cut, sun-drenched plantation.  But apparently it's not just the forest you're saving by paying a little extra for your caffeine fix.

A review by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center of more than 50 studies from Central and South America to Indonesia finds more and more different species of birds on farms raising coffee in the shade than on cleared plantations. 

There's also more bird habitat (aka trees and shrubs), better pest control (birds eat bugs and caterpillars) and better pollination (bees), not to mention improved erosion control and carbon sequestration with all the trees and roots there.

Farms growing coffee the old-school way, in the shade of trees, isn't as good for birds as an untouched forest, Smithsonian folks acknowledge.  But they say it's a lot better than clearing the forest out altogether to maximize coffee production in full sun.  

You may be wondering: Why should a Baltimorean care about having more birds in Central and South America?  Well, some of our favorite "local" songbirds birds spend their winters south of the border, including the Baltimore oriole.  And the fall migration season is in full swing now.  Think about that the next time you ask for a cup of Joe.

Smithsonian has devised its own "Bird Friendly" standards for coffee, which go a bit beyond just "fair trade" and organic.  The Baltimore Coffee & Tea Co. in Lutherville and Caffe Pronto Coffee Roastery in Annapolis are among only about 40 roasters nationwide that carry beans grown to the center's "Bird Friendly" standards, according to its website. 

For more about migratory birds and "bird friendly" coffee, go here. 

(Male Baltimore oriole at Robert E. Lee Park, 1997 Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Good news (for a change). It seems phosphate-free dishwasher detergents are getting better at removing food stuck on plates, dishes and glasses.

Just in time, too, since the old standby dish soaps containing phosphorus have been banned in Maryland and 15 other states, as of July 1.  Phosphorus is out because it stimulates algae growth in water, a major problem in the Chesapeake Bay.

Problem is, though, phosphorus also is a proven dish grime fighter.  When Consumer Reports checked last year, before the bans took effect, phosphate-free detergents tended to do worse than brands containing phosphorus.

In the September issue, the consumer mag still didn't find any phosphate-free brands that did an excellent job overall of cleaning dishes.  But after testing them against food smeared and then microwaved on dishes, the staff did rate seven "very good," which is an improvement over its last evaluation.

Finish had the two highest-rated products this time, with two from Cascade right behind.  But when looking for the best phos-free dish soaps, CR cautions not to shop solely by brand name, as products vary in performance.

You'll have to get the mag to see the full analysis, but here are a few tips:  Bleaches don't seem to matter, though enzymes and the product's physical form do.  The best cleaners were tablets or pacs, while gels trailed in the ratings. 

(Images courtesy Consumer Reports)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Tired of your gas-hog lawn mower? If you move fast, you can trade it in next weekend at Camden Yards for a battery-powered electric grass cutter.

In a "special arrangement" with the Maryland Department of the Environment and Clean Air Partners, Marylanders can buy a deeply discounted Neuton lawn mower.  You could save up to $324 on a 19-inch bagger-mulcher job that lists for $499.

If you bite, you'll do your small bit to reduce summer smog, as the old mowers get scrapped and recycled.  Gas mowers account for 5 percent of all air pollution in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates.  And an hour of mowing with one produces as much smog-forming pollution as driving 350 miles. 

This green mower may not appeal to all lawn lickers, though.  The Neuton CE 6.4 got a so-so review from Consumer Reports.  Ease of use and handling were pluses, but bagging and mulching "only fair."  CR also found the battery on its tested model only lasted 45 minutes - not suitable for a big yard.  There are other cordless electric mowers CR rated more highly, made by the usual major mower manufacturers.  But then again, you probably won't be able to find one new at the prices offered under this deal.

To get in on the "great mower exchange," participants need to register online, then bring their old gas mower (and the $$) to Camden Yards Lot C on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The company's only selling 1,000 of its mowers, so it's first come first served. 

(Neuton photo) 

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

As of July 1, Maryland stores are no longer supposed be selling dishwasher detergent containing phosphorus.   The ban was enacted three years ago to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay, with the effective date delayed until this month to give detergent manufacturers time to reformulate their products.

But an enterprising Annapolis reporter found more than a week after the ban took effect that half the 10 stores she checked in the capital area still had some of the banned soap on their shelves.  Finish (formerly Electra-Sol) Powerballs containing phosphorus were found at Giant, Safeway and Shoppers stores there, and one Safeway had old Cascade products containing phosphorus.

Hats off to Pamela Wood of the Annapolis Capital for watchdogging this.   

Store managers contacted were quoted saying they'd promptly remove the banned items.  Businesses could be fined up to $1,000 for selling, distributing or making a detergent containing phosphorus.  There's also apparently a fine of up to $100 for using the wrong detergent, though the Maryland Department of the Environment isn't about to demand to check what's under your sink. 

Continue reading "MD stores still carrying banned dish soap?" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The years-long debate in Baltimore over whether to tax or ban disposable plastic bags to reduce waste and litter appears headed for resolution - with half a ban, if that.

A council committee revamped the bag ban it had been considering for two years to give supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants a choice: use only paper bags at checkout or encourage customers to reduce or recycle the plastic ones.  The measure now goes to the full 14-member council on Monday, March 22.

The original ban proposal got watered down to win over merchants and plastic bag manufacturers, who have been sparring with city and state lawmakers around the country to keep their products from being outlawed or taxed.  The new council measure lets Baltimore food sellers keep using flimsy plastic bags at checkout counters if they enroll in a city "plastic bag reduction program."  The program requires them to tout recycling and offer to sell customers sturdy reusable shopping bags.

That's exactly what a lot of large supermarket and chain retailers already are doing.  And recycling of plastic bags and film (such as dry cleaner bags) has increased by 28 percent nationwide since 2005, according to a new report released by the American Chemistry Council, which represents plastic bag makers.  A council exec calls plastic "a valuable resource - too valuable to waste."  The industry has launched a campaign to boost the recycling rate to 40 percent in the next five years.

Though the industry proclaims bag recycling is at an all-time high and rising, its own release indicates how far it has to go.  The same report cites the Environmental Protection Agency's estimate that just 13 percent of the bags and film dispensed nationally gets recycled.  

Council members who originally backed a bag ban or fee (aka tax) say they're willing to try this softer approach if it means they can get something on the books, finally after years of study and debate.  And they're hopeful it will lead to at least some decline in plastic bag use, which they believe should reduce opportunities for the flimsy sacks to wind up festooning trees or floating in the Inner Harbor.  

Continue reading "Paper or plastic? Baltimore eyes half-ban" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Baltimore City Council members who had been pressing to ban or levy a fee on disposable merchandise bags appear ready to embrace a more limited voluntary campaign instead to reduce the plastic sacks that frequently wind up as litter in trees, streams and the harbor.

A bill that would have banned plastic bags from being given out at groceries and other stores in the city has been recast as a "plastic bag reduction" ordinance. The council's Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee is scheduled to take up the new measure this morning, and chairman James B. Kraft said in an email he hopes to have it approved by the panel and sent to the full council for its consideration. (Update, the committee approved the bill. Read more here.)

The new bill would forbid food retailers only from giving out plastic bags at checkout unless they join a citywide public education campaign to get shoppers to switch to reusable bags or recycle the disposable ones. Participating merchants would have to post signs prominently saying they give out plastic bags on request only.  They would also have to collect them for recycling and offer reusable bags for sale as an option.

Kraft originally had proposed a broader ban on all merchants giving out disposable bags at checkout.  But he decided at a committee work session a couple weeks ago to abandon it in favor of a voluntary effort to reduce bag litter.  Proposals to ban or impose fees on disposable bags faced determined opposition from retailers and bag manufacturers, as well as from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. 

Councilman Bill Henry, who had pushed an alternate bill to levy a 25-cent fee on disposable checkout bags, said he's dropping it now in favor of the voluntary measure, which he helped craft, though he's still skeptical about its success at curbing litter.

"I think this is probably the best compromise we're going to work out for the short term," Henry said. The information retailers would be required to report to the city under Kraft's bill should show whether voluntary measures are reducing disposable bag use.  The new measure would require retailers to report semi-annually on how many plastic bags they've given out, how many taken back in for recycling, and how many shoppers go for reusable bags instead.

"Either we will be happily surprised that there's less trash than we thought we had," he said, "or we will be able to show to the more skeptical among us that voluntary measures don't work."  In that case, Henry said, he would hope to win more support for his belief that the only way effective way to get people to change their shopping-bag habits is to make them "plunk down some actual, cold hard cash" for a disposable sack at checkout.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Chesapeake Bay, News, Recycling, Shopping, Urban Issues
        

The chief sponsor of the bill to ban plastic retail bags in Baltimore has backed off in favor of trying a "mandatory-voluntary" recycling campaign to reduce the litter blanketing the city's trees, streams and harbor.

Councilman James B. Kraft, a Democrat representing Canton, outlined his new approach at a City Council committee work session on Thursday, where he explained that he wanted to revise the ban he'd proposed and work with retailers to discourage the free distribution of disposable plastic and paper bags at the checkout counter.

He suggested a public education campaign, in which retailers tell their customers they'll only get a bag at checkout if they ask for one. Meanwhile, the city, retailers and community groups would promote shoppers' use of reusable bags or recycling of any bags given out at stores - much like the sign photographed above as it appeared in a Whole Foods market in Annapolis in 2007.

"I don't think we're ready to move forward with a ban," Kraft said after the session.  He added that a "lot of legitimate concerns have been raised" by retailers about the ban he had proposed last year. The idea, Kraft explained, is "so we could show with cooperation and participation by everyone that we're reducing the number of bags out there on the streets and in the harbor." Kraft asked council members Bill Henry and Mary Pat Clarke to work with representatives of the city's retailers, bag manufacturers and advocates for sustainability on crafting a new bill. The revamped measure is scheduled now to be presented on March 16.

 Left on the council committee table, for now at least, is the alternative bill sponsored by Henry, a North Baltimore Democrat. It would levy a 25 cent fee on all carryout plastic and paper bags. Henry said he was still mulling whether to push it with a reduction or change in the proposed fee.  One option under consideration is dropping the fee to as little as 5 cents a bag, not unlike the litter reduction ordinance that I wrote about in the District of Columbia.

Clarke, a Democrat representing north central Baltimore, indicated she'd prefer to hold retailers' feet to the fire by setting goals for the voluntary bag reduction campaign and then having a fee or ban automatically kick in if those goals are not met after a suitable time, such as a year or two. Kraft, though, who is chairman of the council committee considering the bills, said he could not support any measure that would automatically trigger a fee or ban.

Continue reading "Bag the bag ban in B'more" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: News, Recycling, Shopping, Urban Issues
        

This is the time of year when consumers of local and organic foods start thinking about spring produce -- CSAs are signing up people for the spring. But how do you decide on a CSA, which stands for community supported agriculture, or the farmers' market?

There are so many more farmers' markets now in the region and around the country. You can go and pick what you want from seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as other goodies. Many people like to make a morning of browsing. Many vendors will let you sample.

Some markets, like the main Baltimore City market under the JFX -- which opens May 3 -- have even gotten a little crowded with people who bring the whole family and make an event out of shopping.

But a CSA, where you arrange in advance for a box of fresh seasonal items to arrive at your home or designated location, is also appealing. You know you're getting a lot of good stuff without a trip to the market, including some things you may not have ever thought to buy.

The state has a list of markets and CSAs, if you're interested in exploring one or another -- or both. There are no rules.  

So, which do you prefer? Has anyone participated in a CSA and loved it? Did you still find yourself going to the farmers' market, too?

Baltimore Sun file photo of the farmers' market under the JFX/Amy Davis

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Food, Shopping
        

Baltimore City Council is scheduled to take another run Tuesday at reducing the proliferation of plastic bag litter around the city.

The council will have a hearing and work session on bills aimed at banning plastic carryout bags altogether or imposing a 25-cent fee on each.  The hearing begins at 10 a.m. before the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee, 4th floor of City H all.

One bill, introduced by Council members James B. Kraft, Mary Pat Clarke and Bill Henry, would bar grocery stores and "formula retail establishments" (aka convenience stores and fast-food chains) from giving customers their merchandise in plastic bags.

Merchants would only be able to put merchandise in recyclable paper bags or reusable bags. Violators would be fined $250 for a first offense up to $1,000 for three or more offenses in a six-month period.

The other bill, inroduced by Council members Henry, William H. Cole IV, Kraft and Clarke, would require merchants to levy a 25-cent fee on every plastic bag dispensed at carryout. Exceptions would be granted for bagging up fresh fish and meat, candy, cooked foods, dairy products, fruits and nuts and ice.

This isn't the council's first attempt to cut down on plastic bag litter, but supporters note the city is facing a state and federal mandate to do something about the trash littering the harbor, and plastic grocery and takenout bags are a big part of the mess.

How big, no one knows for sure. A separate resolution getting a hearing would commission the city's Department of Public Works to study how much of the city's litter is made up of plastic bags.

In comments submitted prior to the hearing, the city's Commission on Sustainability says disposable plastic and paper bags add to Baltimore's litter and water quality woes. But it says that both banning and slapping a fee on disposable bags would be inconsistent. It supports a fee only if it applies to both disposable plastic and paper bags. A separate bill being reviewed Tuesday would impose the same 25-cent fee on paper bags used for carryout merchandise.

Some other big cities have similarly attacked plastic bag litter, notably San Francisco (ban) and the District of Columbia (fee). DC's was similarly aimed at cleaning up debris fouling the Anacostia River. Legislation has been introduced in Annapolis to regulate and levy a fee on plastic carryout bags statewide. See it here.

What do you think? Should the city or state ban or charge a fee for using disposable plastic or paper bags? Would it hurt businesses that much, or would consumers get used to either bringing their own bags or paying a small fee? Would it help cut down on the litter and floating debris in the harbor?

(2009 AP photo of Giant grocery bagger in Washington D.C.) 

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Products, Recycling, Shopping, Urban Issues
        

If you're truly green, it isn't something you trot out just for Earth Day. So with the card-makers' and florists' favorite holiday bearing down on us, here are a few tips we've seen recently for showing your love for Mother Nature as well as your sweetheart on Valentine's Day.

Make a fancy dinner at home. Instead of dining out, cook your own Valentine's feast, suggests Jessica Harlan at RecycleBank. Or break with tradition, she says, and give your true love a potted plant instead of a dozen red roses, with all the environmental baggage they may carry.

Rather than rush to the store for a big heart-shaped box of sweets for your sweet, Harlan advises, why not make your own truffles? She links to a few recipes here. If you're cooking-challenged (guys), she strongly suggests you shop for organic, fair-trade chocolates. Here's a rundown of brands, courtesy of Mother Earth News.

In the DIY tradition, Harlan also urges the truly green make their own jewelry and cards, rather than buy them. And if you simply must say it with diamonds, she instructs you to insist on conflict-free stones. For those more inclined to fashion gifts, she also advises where to find eco-friendly lingerie, made of bamboo (!), organic cotton, hemp and silk.

Finally, the truly committed earth lover could always skip the conventional gift- and card-giving altogether and make a green statement in his or her true love's honor. One heart-fluttering option - adopt a fin or humpback whale.

For as little as $40 per whale ($50 for a mother and calf pair), your adoption would support the College of the Atlantic's research on cetaceans. Your intended wouldn't be empty-handed, either. He or she would get a photograph of "an individually identfied whale", a personalized adoption certificate and a handy waterproof field guide to whales.

Sadly, the opportunity for this unusually green expression of love has already past - orders had to be placed by Feb. 10. But if you think it's neat anyway, here's the link.

Of course, many of these green alternatives for Valentine's Day take a little extra time and effort.  If you don't have any of those to spare, you can always take comfort as you crowd the card and candy counters in thinking about how you're stimulating our lagging economy.   And remember, it's the thought that counts.

For more to do (and buy) on Valentine's Day, check out this site at baltimoresun.com

(Valentine: AP Photo/The Rawlins Daily Times, Kathy Johnson; Whale: 2006 AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

There's a noticeable if not exactly wow-inducing green streak at this year's Motor Trend International Auto Show at the Baltimore Convention Center downtown.

You won't see the electric Chevy Volt displayed at the Detroit auto show earlier this year, the Nissan Leaf or any of the new plug-in hybrids promised by the car makers. But there are plenty of familiar hybrids and more fuel-efficient autos and SUVs to look at - all handily labeled with green arrows, to help you spot them in the crowd of vehicles on the convention center floor.

The show's "green trail" runs past Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Mercury and Toyota.

One of the new models at this year's show isn't a hybrid at all, but it gets hybrid-like mileage. Ford is unveiling the Fiesta, an extreme makeover for a small economy car that's been on the roads in Europe for years. This version boasts a 119-horsepower, 1.6 liter engine, and it gets 30 miles per gallon in the city and up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The one on display is a bright green hatchback, like the one pictured above from the Detroit auto show last month. 

Green it may be, but it also comes with leather upholstery, keyless entry and oodles of electronics. Plus, it's "zippy" to drive, says Paul Anderson, Ford's small vehicle marketing manager.

Continue reading "On the "green trail" at Baltimore auto show" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Attention, shoppers! Target has announced it's stopped selling farmed salmon in its stores nationwide, and will carry only wild-caught Alaskan salmon from now on.

In making the move, the Minneapolis-based retailer said it's doing so for environmental reasons.  Many salmon farms produce pollution, the store's statement pointed out. They often release chemicals, parasites and non-native farmed fish into the open water, where they can affect natural habitat and the native salmon in surrounding areas.

The chain's move was hailed by the Monterey Aquarium, which has long campaigned to promote consumption of only seafood that is sustainably managed.  The aquarium predicted that Target, with more than 1,700 stores in 49 states, would have a "real impact in the marketplace."

Greenpeace likewise applauded Target, noting that even before this announcement the chain had moved up into 4th place nationally in the environmental group's ranking of the sustainability of major food retailers' seafood products and practices.

Target already uses wild salmon in several of its store-brand products. The only exception to the immediate ban on farmed salmon is in its sushi offerings, which Target said it would take until year's end to phase out. For more, go here and here.

(2004 Baltimore Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Remember Edmonston? That's the little blue-collar town in the inner suburbs of Washington doing an extreme "green" makeover of its main drag to cut down on polluted rain water washing off the pavement into the Anacostia River.

Well, Edmonston's home to some green businesses, too, it seems.  And they're having a green gift fair this month, with a special show of reclaimed and recycled craftwork on Saturday. (Dec. 19)

Community Forklift, which bills itself as a 40,000-square foot "thrift store for home improvement," takes renovation lefotvers and gently used building materials, while providing donors with a tax deduction.  Then it sells the the materials at prices up to 90 percent below what they go for at retail outlets.  (Not unlike The Loading Dock, Baltimore's longtime center for recycling building materials.)  It's been joined in a large warehouse there by businesses selling reconditioned appliances, sustainable lumber, green home and garden products, and solar technology, among others.

This Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weather permitting), there'll be a clutch of artisans there, including a woodworker and toymaker, jewelry makers, a stained-glass artisan and a photographer who uses scrap wood to frame her work.  There'll also be Christmas ornaments made by volunteers from salvaged hardware on display and for sale (maybe even like the granite tree ornaments pictured above, as seen on the company's Web site?)

For directions and more info, go here.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Buy local, Events, Going Green, Shopping
        

 Back in August, we told you that the state was receiving stimulus money to develop their own "Cash for Appliances" program. Details hadn't been worked out until now.

According to the folks at Consuming Interests, the program will begin in March. What appliances qualify for rebates?

• $300 for Energy Star electric heat pump water heaters

• $25 for qualifying washers and refrigerators and $50 for clothes washers (which could be combined with $50 rebates from BGE)

So, will these rebates entice you to buy a new water heater, washer or refrigerator?

Can't decide? Energy Star's web site offers a "Refrigerator Retirement" calculator to determine how much you would save if you switch.

Speaking of shopping, the Associated Press is reporting that solar panels are coming to retail stores such as Lowe's soon. The story warns that even if you are handy, the process isn't easy. A lot of paperwork comes along with installing panels. They are being sold now in California. There is no time frame yet when it will expand to other markets.

Baltimore Sun file photo

Posted by Kim Walker at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Going Green, Shopping
        

Conservation and art take wing together this weekend at the 39th annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, for a three-day extravaganza celebrating the Chesapeake Bay's wildlife and outdoors heritage.

Starting Friday, Nov. 13, there'll be antique and contemporary decoys to view (and buy), plus paintings, photos and other arts and crafts, fly-fishing and retriever dog demonstrations as well as goose- and duck-calling contests. Besides the arts and crafts, there'll be food and music, plus outdoor gear for shoppers.

The event has raised more than $5 million in donations for wildlife conservation projects. Besides the good cause, it's quite a scene. Festivities begin at 10 a.m., and admission is $10 for all three days, with kids under $12 free.

For tickets or information, go here or call 410-822-4567.

(2004 Associated Press photo)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Buy local, Chesapeake Bay, Events, Shopping, Tips
        

Local artist Emily Li Mandri describes her designs as in your face. “There’s nothing subtle about them. They’re meant to make a statement. An art statement,” she says. Known around town as Natty Paint, Emily’s line of hand painted, silkscreened shirts and hoodies has been going strong for almost two years now. She sells at craft shows, local boutiques, and has done a healthy handful of commissions for places like Shine Collective and Bikram Yoga.

When Emily launched Natty Paint, she did it with an eye towards being eco-conscious; using water-based inks and products from American Apparel. Now she’s taken it a step further by producing a vintage line of silkscreened vests, sweaters, dresses, and sweatshirts. And while we may all agree that shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops, and vintage boutiques is inherently more sustainable than buying new, rebuilding a forgotten item into a fresh and wearable piece is indeed an impressive statement in and of itself.

Want your own one-of-a-kind Natty Paint work of art? Visit Emily's web site or, buy online at her Etsy shop.

Images courtesy of the artist

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Events, Fashion, Shopping
        

You may or may not be familiar with local crafter Jennifer Strunge’s Cotton Monsters. Each of her soft, sculptural creatures is a work of art in and of itself, made from recycled clothing and linens.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Jennifer attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her Cotton Monster line evolved from a series she did of handmade quilts with eyes and soft creatures from recycled blankets and bedding.

Nowadays, Jennifer is a one-woman operation who makes monsters daily – without a pattern! When she’s not sewing, she works as an associate artist for the Black Cherry Puppet Theater.

To read more about Jennifer and her undeniably adorable monsters, visit her web site.

Images courtesy of Jennifer Strunge.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: DIY, Products, Shopping
        

Kelsey Donegan (known formally as Ms. Donegan by her Furman L. Templeton Elementary School students) is the heart and hands behind Spouting Oxygen, a collection of “forgotten items” that have been “brought back to life in small packages of handmade goodness.” Kelsey’s journals, sketchbooks, clutches, and bags are one-of-a-kind and made with recycled and/or salvaged materials. Kelsey also authors the blog Charm City Art Room, where she writes about her experiences as an elementary school art teacher, and maintains her web site www.sproutingoxygen.com where she highlights current promotions (like her scrap paper matchbooks that are free with any purchase) and offers customers the option for custom order books. Seems to me that altogether, Sprouting Oxygen is one great big package of handmade goodness. Wouldn’t you agree?

Images courtesy of the artist.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Shopping
        

Custom Pet Portrait by Fuzzy Mug, Supernatural Wrap Skirt by The Garbologist's Wife, Cascading Hydrangea Petals Necklace by Tigerlilly Shop.

While you’re in the mindset of buying local, don’t forget to check out one of the best links to local crafters – the Shop Local feature on Etsy. Shop Local contains 10 pages of the most recently updated Etsy shops from crafters in and around Baltimore.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Shopping
        

Phosphate-free dishwasher detergents may help restore the Chesapeake Bay, but there could be a price to pay -- dirtier dishes.

Maryland is one of 14 states that are banning sales of dishwasher detergents containing phosphates next July, and Congress is considering extending the ban nationwide.  State lawmakers are yanking phosphate dishwasher detergents from store shelves to protect the environment -- the phosphorus in standard detergents spurs growths of algae, which can suck the oxygen out of water that fish need to survive.  And the bay is choking on an overdose of nutrients, including phosphorus.

But some consumers have complained that the new phosphate-free detergents don't get their dishes as clean as the old standbys.  In Spokane, Washington, where phosphate products were banned last year, some housewives becames so upset with their dirty dishes that they began driving across the state line to Idaho to buy the outlawed dirt-fighting blends.

Now comes Consumer Reports to say the greener dishwasher detergents generally don't work as well as the phosphate soaps.  "In our tough tests, five of seven phosphate-free dishwasher detergents left lots of baked-on food," the magazine reports in its August issue.  The rankings are available only to subscribers, but you can read the magazine's general comments on dishwasher detergents, with mentions of some individual products, here.

Continue reading "Green, but not so clean" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I visited Damariscotta, Maine, this weekend. It's a small coastal town where the green living culture is alive and well. Around here, folks seem to believe firmly in supporting local agriculture and local artists. It seems that everyone has a wonderful awareness of what the earth has to offer them. The shops are difficult to resist as they are full of organic treats, local art, recycled and handmade goods. After the local 4th of July parade on Saturday, I went browsing down the main street and happened upon Milo in Maine, a company based in Portland that produces handmade shirts for men, women, kids and babies. I couldn't resist purchasing one of their silver jellyfish tees, which is printed on the softest organic cotton I've ever worn.
And, to accompany my new T-shirt, I splurged on a Sea Bag tote made from recyled sails. Each one is designed and inspired from a sail and has hand-spliced rope handles. They are also machine washable and incredibly durable. I guess I just wanted to brag a little about my weekend and also share my excitement over discovering such a lively and prolific craft culture here in Maine. If you have a chance this summer or maybe even in the fall, take a breather from Baltimore and make your way up to Damariscotta. I promise that you'll love it.

Photo courtesy of Milo in Maine

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Shopping
        

“I’m here to help you save money (and the planet) for all steps of the shopping process,” proclaims local crafter Glow Girl. Her collection of functional and eco-friendly carry-alls includes tote bags, coupon organizers and sandwich snack baggies - all made from eco-friendly, vintage and/or upcycled fabrics. I’ve never been one to organize my coupons (or my snacks) but if I had a beautifully crafted baggie with an easy-to-use Velcro closure, I would most certainly try. Glow Girls’ carry-alls are affordable, adorable, water resistant and machine washable. Brilliant!

(Image courtesy of Glow Girl)

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I recently purchased a new laptop and have since been looking for the ideal carrying case. I’ve gone to all the usual places but have yet to find something extraordinary - until today. While browsing the “Shop Local” section of Etsy, I happened upon Baltimore crafter La Budde, who specializes in making very hip and eco-friendly laptop cases out of upcycled coffee bags. Each one is detailed with colorful fabric piping and comes lined two protective layers of poly batting. Also, they’re affordable at $35 a pop, and for a few extra bucks, she’ll throw in a shoulder strap and/or battery case. Perfect!

(Images courtesy of La Budde)

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Products, Shopping
        

Priscilla Woolworth is reviving the five and dime retail concept created by her family who founded the F.W. Woolworth stores. This month, she launched PriscillaWoolworth, an online general store for green conscious consumers.

Woolworth says she selects all products, ensuring quality and that they're verifiably eco-responsible. Visit the online store at www.priscillawoolworth.com.

(Source: Signature Green Public Relations)

(Image courtesy of priscillawoolworth.com)

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Shopping
        

Baltimoreans aren't as green as San Franciscans or Washingtonians when it comes to buying cars, but we seem to be at least as environmentally (or cost-) conscious as Los Angelenos.

That's the upshot of a new report by a marketing arm of the Nielsen public-opinion outfit.

San Francisco leads the nation in buying green, Nielsen reports, with households there 60 percent more likely than Americans as a whole to purchase hybrids or high-mileage cars, such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Fit or Mini Cooper. Second and third places go to the Washington and New York City areas, which are 44 percent and 31 percent more likely to buy fuel-sippers.

Baltimore comes in tied for 9th with Los Angeles, 22 percent more inclined toward greener new vehicles than the national average. All but one of the top 10 green-car cities are on the coasts, Chicago being the exception.

The biggest gas guzzlers tend to be found in the South and Midwest, according to Nielsen, with households in Greenwood-Greenville, Miss. only about half as likely as the national average to buy one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles.

Detroit, interestingly enough, didn't make either the bottom or top 10.

To see the entire list, go here.

With gas prices going up again - and pols in Washington debating climate change - are you more or less likely to buy a hybrid or high-mileage car the next time you go windshield shopping?

(2008 Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I spent some time with a friend’s baby earlier this week. I’m not around babies very often and quickly realized that I had little on hand to keep her occupied. I finally settled on Tupperware containers and a shoe box, which pleased her to no end. Still, it would have been nice to have some genuine baby toys around. Of course, maybe it doesn’t matter to them as much as it does to us adults. Nonetheless, I did a little research and found some adorable “green” baby toys that are far superior to plastic containers (at least in my opinion). These darling animals are made from recycled wool sweaters and stuffed with shredded recycled polyester. Each critter is one-of-a-kind and go for between $21-$26 at eco-artware.com.

And, if you’re feeling ambitious or have some old sweaters you’d like to get rid of, check out this great tutorial by Kayte Terry on how to make your own bunny softie.

(Images courtesy of Craftzine and Eco-Artware)

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: DIY, Products, Shopping
        

(Image courtesy of Nest)

While running some errands out in Columbia yesterday, I drove into Clarksville to swing by Nest, which is one of my favorite environmentally friendly boutiques in Maryland. If you’ve never been, Nest (Natural Elements Selected Thoughtfully) is located in the Clarksville Shopping Center just off of Route 108. They are part of the “Conscious Corner” of the center, which also includes Roots Market, Great Sage, and Bark.

Nest stocks a gorgeous selection of well-made products, many of which are one-of-a-kind. Their mission is to encourage positive change on an individual, local and global level by offering products that support independent artists, fair-trade importing, organic farming and recycling, and by promoting a healthy and conscious lifestyle. Read more about Nest on their web site, or take a drive out to Clarksville and see it for yourself.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Shopping