In 1989, after the infamous Exxon Valdez oil tanker blanketed Prince William Sound with more than 10 million gallons of crude, I vowed never to buy gas at Exxon. It was an unprecedented environmental disaster and it’s still the largest oil spill in US history. But it wasn’t just the spill that drove me to […]

South Carolina has the second highest percentage of hungry people in the nation, yet 27 percent of all food produced is thrown away. It is the mission of the recently formed nonprofit organization Fields To Families to reduce that waste by coordinating distribution of surplus produce from local gardens and farms to local soup kitchens, […]

Keeping things out of the landfill is a huge part of being green. When you re-purpose an old item, you are flexing your free market muscles by saying “Hey, I don’t always need to buy new stuff.” New stuff is made in carbon-spewing factories and delivered to the energy-hogging Wal-mart on a greenhouse gas-emitting truck. […]

Oh boy, here comes the cardboard carnage again. This is my 4th edition of Weekly Trashed, and I can see that cardboard recycling apathy is going to be a major theme. I’m not even seeking these waste management mishaps out – they are all on my drive out of the neighborhood each Thursday morning. If […]

I have to admit, I’ve been reading about freecycling for years, but never really got involved. I avoid the landfill by using garage sales, Goodwill, and the ad boards at work, but I suppose that’s not much of a “cycle” if I only give stuff away… I need to try to get some stuff too. […]

Just a quick reminder of some of the local events happening soon (starting today!) Alternative Energy Conference @ Earthfare Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. Discuss alternative energy until your heart’s content. The Farmer’s Market – Marion Square, Downtown Charleston Saturday, May 18, 2007 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Get local food the […]

Recycling programs typically aren’t the most financially-stable enterprises – just ask New York City residents. Recycling centers around the country staff their programs with real people, who get paid real money, and they must be operated as efficiently as possible or face closure. Can you and I affect that efficiency? You bet! I just got […]

One of the primary goals of this site is to educate readers on the little things they can do to lead a greener life. But despite our efforts, we still need elected officials to tackle larger issues like mass transit, renewable energy, and vehicle emissions. So let’s say you have the ear of your local […]

In case you missed them, here are some of the stories from last week… Recycle Your Busted Sneakers Cool Down on Your Energy Usage Summerville Town Council Election Results Will Charleston Become Venice? Local Strawberries at Boone Hall

I generally wear my shoes until the rubber soles are smooth and the uppers are falling apart at the seams. At that point there’s no use donating them to Goodwill as they’re no longer functional for anyone else to wear. Now instead of trashing them, I have another option… and so do you. St. Andrew’s […]