2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.

com

What’s in this issue ...

12 The next level
Ken and Frieda Lansing
of Windermere Farms
make committment to
rigorous process of
organic certification

Swipe and wipe:

17
4 A low impact
Halloween
Easy cleaning tips

International
What's really in that plastic
Halloween costume? What's
18 flavor of coffee
reverse trick-or-treating?
Bike guru peddles
We've got these answers and
more in our Hallo(green) quiz. 22 shift in culture
Holiday isn’t just about the sugary
sweet stuff ❘ PAGE 7
Greenpeace: Oil
Halloween decorations out of green,
budget-friendly materials ❘ PAGE 9
32 still on sea floor

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Going Green is a special online publication of
The Commercial Appeal. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Follow
Going Green on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis.
Editor: Kim Coleman, 529-5243, goinggreen@commercialappeal.com
Community Editor: Emily Adams Keplinger, keplinger@commercialappeal.com

On the cover: Cover illustration by Kim Coleman/The Commercial Appeal/istockphoto

The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3

The Green Page

Safe routes Groups
to schools is Check these websites for
just one of more information about
the topics on green events in the
Memphis area.
tap for
Citizens to Preserve
neighborhood Overton Park (CPOP):
summit. overtonparkforever.org
Clean Memphis:
A.J. Wolfe cleanmemphis.org
The Commercial
Appeal files Coalition of Livable
Communities:
livablememphis.org/
Events Friends for Our Riverfront:
friendsforourriverfront.org/
4th Annual Summit for Neighborhood Leaders — Greater Memphis
Livability is a Family Thing: Saturday, Nov. 6, 8:30 am.m Greenline: greatermemphis
to 1 p.m. at Bridges, 477 North Fifth Street, Memphis greenline.org/
The event’s focus will be on building cities for children, Lichterman Nature
the elderly and everyone in between. Breakout sessions Center: memphis
include green parenting, walkability & increased museums.org/lichterman-
overview/
property values, safe routes to school, preservation
beyond old buildings, engaging youth, navigating bikes Memphis Botanic Garden:
on the road and more. For more information, contact memphisbotanicgarden.com/
Sarah Newstok at 901.725.8370 or Shelby Farms Park
sarah@livablememphis.org. Conservancy:
shelbyfarmspark.org
Sierra Club Environmental Justice Conference: Strawberry Plains
“An Interconnected Environmental Web”: November Audubon Center: strawberry
13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church plains.audubon.org/
of the River, 292 Virginia Ave. W., Memphis Tennessee Clean Water
Network: tcwn.org
This conference is geared to the interests of the
“average person next door” with a wide selection of Tennessee Parks and
Greenways Foundation:
workshop topics and speakers. Sierra Club extends a
special invitation to high-school and college students, tenngreen.org/
neighborhood watch leaders, community activists, Tennessee Trails
Association, Memphis
community groups and church leaders. It’s free to the Chapter: tennesseetrails.org
public with lunch included but registration is required to /memphis.php
reserve the meal. A conference schedule and list of
V&E Greenline:
speakers can be found at: sierraclub.org/ej/
vegreenline.org/index.html
downloads/2010-conf-brochure.pdf
For more information and to register, contact Rita Harris Wolf River Conservancy:
at rita.harris@sierraclub.org or (901) 324-7757. wolfriver.org
4 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Move over, From Planetgreen.com

nce a Celtic celebration of the

black and O
harvest, Halloween is now a little
less spiritual and a lot more
commercial; total up candy sales,
costume shopping and decorations, and
it’s an industry worth almost $6 billion
orange. a year. With that kind of consumption
comes a hefty environmental impact
that lasts long after you’ve seen the last
of those fun-size Snickers bars.
There’s a Luckily, the basics of Halloween —
spooky tales, playing dress-up, things
that go bump in the night — don’t require

new color for mass quantities of cash or a wasteful

amount of resources as long as you’re
willing to let your imagination run wild.
Making your own costume will put a
Halloween: dent in the consumerism — and chances
are you’ll find the materials right in
front of you, if you just look around.
Simple makeup and hairstyles created
with natural products can give your look
impact, and your home gets a makeover
of its own with biodegradable decorations
from the local farmers market.
As for the sweeter side of Halloween,
indulge your sugar habit with fair-trade
and organic chocolate, lollipops,
jellybeans and candy bars.
An at-home Halloween gathering will
save energy where trick-or-treating
might require a car: Dim the lights, set
out some soy candles and get the
younger set bobbing for apples, making
crafts from recycled paper and telling
their favorite ghost stories. Whichever
green options you and your family take
advantage of, you’ll feel better on Nov. 1

GREEN.
knowing you helped combat the
holiday’s terrifying eco-damage — just
in time for Christmas.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 5

Quiz: How green is your Halloween?

1. What toxic material is found in
plastic Halloween costumes?
A. Formaldehyde.
B. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).
C. Polyurethane.
D. None of the above.

2. When decorating your home for

Halloween, why should you avoid
traditional wax candles?
A. Paraffin releases toluene.
B. Paraffin releases benzene.
C. Soy candles last longer.
D. All of the above.
3. How many pounds of candy corn
were shipped to stores last year?
A. 2 billion.
B. 5 billion.
C. 7 billion.
D. 9 billion.
Inspiration for decorating comes from
the harvest bounty — think pumpkins,
gourds, straw bales, and corn husks
(all from your local farms, of course).
4. What’s reverse trick-or-treating?
A. Kids hand out samples of fair-trade
chocolates to adults when they go door
to door.
B. Kids don’t accept non-fair-trade
chocolates when they go
trick-or-treating.
C. Kids donate their candy to a local
food bank so that needy children can
have candy.
D. All of the above.

5. Why is Halloween makeup so scary?

Half the fun of Halloween is the
sugar high. By stocking your bowl
with organic, natural treats, you can
escape many of the chemicals and
preservatives .
A. It’s not regulated by the FDA.
B. It can contain phthalates.
C. It can contain parabens.
D. All of the above.
6 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

ANSWERS
1. B: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is often
found in the soft vinyl material that a
good majority of plastic Halloween
costumes are made from. PVC can
release toxic chemicals and is a known
carcinogen. It's not something that you
want to be putting on your body or
your face. Additionally, it cannot be
recycled.
2. D: These are all true. If you want to
decorate your house with the spooky
lights of Halloween try to avoid wax
candles. The paraffin in wax candles
releases toxic chemicals like toluene
and benzene in the form of soot and
smoke. Not to mention the fact that
wax candles burn down way faster than
soy candles. Also, make sure you carve Bobbing for apples and telling ghost
your jack-o-lantern from a local stories are fun and eco-friendly
pumpkin. activities for the kids.
3. D: That's right, 9 billion pounds of
candy corn were sent out to stores last they go.
year. Traditional candies like these are
5. D: As you draw on those cat
loaded with high-fructose corn syrup,
whiskers and clown circles, take a
chemicals and preservatives — way
moment to check the ingredients on
scarier than even the most ghoulish
the makeup that you're using. Makeup
costume. Instead, choose organic candy
(including Halloween makeup) is not
companies.
regulated by the FDA and additionally
4. A: Reverse trick-or-treating is a traditional makeup can include some
means to get the word out about pretty frightful ingredients like
fair-trade chocolate. Though major parabens, which are known to cause
chocolate manufacturers have breast cancer, and phthalates, which
promised for six years now to begin are known to cause sperm damage and
buying from fair-trade cocoa farmers, reproductive issues. You don't need to
little has actually been done. Through waste money on fake blood because
the program, fair-trade chocolate you can make it yourself. Pomegranate
companies donate samples along with juice mixed with a broken-off stick of
cards outlining the fair-trade program. your concealer makes a great, fake
When kids walk around to go blood.
trick-or-treating they hand the cards
and samples out to the houses where
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 7

Halloween: By the
Tips for tricks, treats: Numbers
36 million: Number of
Holiday isn’t just about children in the U.S., ages
5-13, who were expected to

the sugary sweet stuff go trick-or-treating last

year.
$117 million: Value of 1.1
billion pounds of pumpkins
By John Evans
Special to My Life
grown by California, New
York, Illinois and Ohio in
It’s finally starting to feel like fall and so begins 2007.
the two-month-long marathon of holiday festivities. 24.5 pounds: Weight of
First up is Halloween — a holiday seemingly candy eaten, per person,
defined by costumes and candy. While sugary treats by Americans in 2007.
are fine in moderation, don’t forget to take 2,077: Number of shops, in
advantage of the other seasonal items available. 2006, where
To celebrate the season to the fullest, here are some trick-or-treaters could rent
tips for enjoying the holidays (without a sugar crash): or buy costumes.
93: Percentage of children
Visit the local pumpkin patch with your family to who are expected to go
pick out a few pumpkins. Walking around is great trick-or-treating.
exercise, and carrying a pumpkin will help burn extra
calories. Enjoy carving and decorating the pumpkins 9 billion: Number of pieces
together, and don’t forget to save the seeds for a healthy of candy corn shipped to
snack – rinse them, add seasoning and bake at 325 stores in October; total
degrees Fahrenheit until they’re toasted (about 20 weight of the sugary
minutes). kernels is 35 million
Take a tour of a nearby orchard. Fall is the perfect pounds.
time to visit an orchard, especially if you’re interested in
enjoying the fresh fruits of the season. Plan ahead and 163: Percentage that
schedule time for the family to pick apples or pears organic candy offerings
together. increased from 2005 to
Do yard work, assigning age-appropriate tasks. 2006; the industry went up
Everyone can help clean up leaves, pick up sticks and another 4 percent in 2007.
decorate for the season. Don’t forget to jump in the leaf
pile when you’re done. $5.77 billion: Money
Host a healthier tailgate. Attending football games is Americans are expected to
a definitive part of the season, so ensure you have healthy shell out for Oct. 31 this
food available. Black bean chili, grilled kabobs and fresh year; the total breaks down
vegetables with Greek yogurt for dipping are all great to $66.54 per person.
options. Enjoy your beverage of choice, but have water
Sources: U.S. Census, Candy
between every full-calorie drink to stay properly hydrated. USA, Austin Business
Don’t forget to bring a flying disc or football along to toss Journal.
around with friends and family.
8 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
East Memphians Todd and Jenny McCormick enjoy the harvest season with
their sons Tray, 2, and Drew, 1. The McCormicks are members at the DAC
Fitness location in Laurelwood.
Take your workouts outdoors. Cooler
temperatures will allow you to push through
and complete a more intense exercise routine
outside. Fall is also a great time to join a
running group or sign up for a 5K race.
Obviously, you can’t overlook the fact that
candy will be available, whether it is around
the office or at home. Here are a few tips to
help you (and your kids) enjoy without
overindulging:
Save money (and your waistline) and buy
treats a day or two before you need it. Steer
clear of purchasing your favorite candy, which
will help you avoid eating it altogether.
Eat before the event. Make sure everyone
eats a healthy meal before collecting candy.
This will reduce the urge to eat the treats as
you roam the neighborhood and may reduce
the crankiness that accompanies a sugar rush
commercialappeal.com
and subsequent crash.
Limit candy collection time. Instead of
making candy the focus of the holiday, involve
your children in other activities. Participate in a
neighborhood costume contest or attend a
harvest festival with friends. The children will
still get to dress up and enjoy the costumes,
without focusing on getting the most candy.
Enjoy a treat or two. Denying yourself a
special treat now and then will only set you up
to binge later. During Halloween, candy is
perfectly sized for an individual treat, so pick
your favorite and have a piece. Stash your
children’s candy and allow them to enjoy a
piece or two every few days. Donate or take the
rest to your office to share with coworkers.
For more information about DAC, visit
daclife.com or call 767-8437
John Evans is a fitness director at DAC.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 9

DIY decor saves all around

Zach Long/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Jeanette Contee has made several Halloween decorations out of green
materials, including this cat based off a soda bottle.

By Kellie Bramlet friends were their ideas. And all these

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Jeanette Contee’s yard is a little
spooky this season. It’s full of ghosts,
black cats, monsters, aliens and even
some of the cast members of Sponge-
Bob SquarePants.
All these spooky creations were made
by Contee herself, with a little help from
granddaughters — SpongeBob and
creations are green.
No, not the color. Some are orange.
Some are white. SpongeBob, of course,
is yellow. But all were made from re-
cycled materials: cardboard boxes, milk
jugs, jars and paper mache.
Contee wasn’t necessarily trying to
use green materials. She just used what
was available so she could save money.
She borrowed boxes from neighbors.
10 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

“Anything they had, I used

JEANETTE CONTEE, on decorating for Halloween

Zach Long/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Jeanette Contee has made several Halloween decorations out of green
materials such as boxes and soda bottles.

She used old containers. She made her
own paste out of flour and water.
“Anything they had, I used,” she said.
The result is a whimsical take on the
typical Halloween decorations lining the
garden beside the front porch of Con-
tee’s Central Lubbock home.
Contee has always done art projects
with her seven granddaughters, who
range in age from 8 to 1. But this is the
first time she’s done a project on this
scale. She hopes to make a cardboard
train for the yard to celebrate the
Christmas season.
She said the total project took about
15 days. A single sculpture of a black
cat, for example, took one day, she said.
And when it came to inspiration, she
didn’t need to look any further than her
granddaughters. Each one had a dif-
ferent opinion, she said.
“My granddaughters love it,” Contee
said. “And that’s what I love.”
The Commercial Appeal
Bats: Halloween
icon beneficial
for insect control
By Matt Hickman
Mother Nature Network
Q: Last week, I was visiting the home
of a new friend that I met in Bikram
yoga class. We were out on her back
porch having tea when I noticed a pole
with a peculiar-looking birdhouse
mounted on top. I asked her about it
and she explained it wasn’t a birdhouse
but a bat house. Not wanting to seem
unworldly to my new friend, I choked
back a gasp, shook my head in agree-
ment and proclaimed, “Oh, of course!”
The truth is, I have no idea why she’d
want to attract bats to her backyard.
Care to school me in backyard bat board-
ing so that if she ever brings up the topic I
can at least seem somewhat non-horri-
fied? Should I be investing in a bat house?
Rest assured, your non-knowledge of
bat houses and chiroptophobic reaction
isn’t unusual. I’m all for bats since they
are extremely beneficial, gentle and mis-
understood animals ... as long as they stay
a good distance away from me. Seriously,
the things give me the heebie-jeebies.
Chances are your Bikram buddy is
fostering bats as a means of natural
insect control. A single little brown bat,
which is probably the species that’s tak-
en up residence in your friend’s back-
yard, can eat up to 1,000 of the real
blood-suckers, mosquitoes (they also
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 11
dine on gnats, moths, beetles and
wasps), in an hour. Not too shabby?
It’s a much better — not to mention,
cheaper — alternative to toxic sprays,
energy-sucking zappers and other envi-
ronmentally unfriendly pest-control
methods as long as you don’t mind the
fact that you’ve got a few bats loose in the
backyard. Plus, fruit-eating bats are ex-
cellent pollinators and are crucial in help-
ing ravaged rainforests sprout back to life
via seed dispersion. A world without bats
would be a rather difficult one: Agricul-
ture would suffer, rainforests would fail
to regrow and mosquitoes would rule.
Setting up a bat house isn’t as easy as
plopping a funky designer birdhouse
down in your backyard. There’s a sci-
ence to it that involves specific locations,
heights, temperatures, etc. I recommend
checking out the New Hampshire Fish
and Game Department’s Homeowners
and Bats page or Bat Conservation In-
ternational’s extensive bat house instal-
lation section for advice. If you’re DIY-
oriented you can build your own bat
house; otherwise, the Backyard Bird Co.
and the Bird Shed offer a decent se-
lection of BCI-approved bat houses. If it
makes you feel more at ease, invest in a
Belfry Bat Detector so you’ll know when
bats are in the house, so to speak.
Submit a question to Mother Nature at
mnn.com/askmothernature?destination.
12 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal

Windemere Farms is the only certified organic farm in the Memphis city limits.
Owners Ken and Freida Lansing inspect Shiitake mushrooms growing on the logs.

By Suzanne Thompson / Special to Going Green

HIDDEN TUCKED AWAY like a priceless

pearl inside its shell, Windermere
Farms, the only certified organic farm

GEM
within at least 100 miles of Memphis,
is hidden in the Raleigh area near
Lake Windermere.
Just up an asphalt drive between
3040 and 3060 Woodhills Drive lies a
small valley where organic fruits and
Certified organic farm
vegetables are cultivated on five of
tucked away in our the 17 acres of land owned by Freida
own ‘backyard’ and Ken Lansing.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 13

The land, originally a 65-acre tract, Windermere Farms & Apiaries

has been in Ken Lansing’s family since
the 1940s. Address: 3060 Woodhills Dr.
Since the early years of their marriage Memphis 38128
the Lansings have usually had some type Phone: 386-2035
of garden, and have eaten natural foods. Online: winfarms.com
Lansing, dressed in a button-down
Oxford shirt and khakis, looks more like
a professional than a farmer. Perhaps
that’s because he worked as a public
accountant for years, and later became a
Certified Public Accountant.
“I decided if I was going to be in this
business I might as well get certified,”
he said.
He adopted the same philosophy with
farming, and in 2007, the Lansings
decided they wanted to take their
lifelong commitment to healthy eating to
another level, and have their farm
certified as organic.
“People who are non-organic have no
idea what it means,” said Freida Lansing.
Organic certification began 20 years
ago, with the passage of the Organic Food
Production Act of 1990, which required
the USDA to develop national standards
for the organic production of food.
The Agricultural Marketing Service, a Ken Lansing looks over a honeycomb
division of the USDA, operates the from their honey barn. Honey and
National Organic Program (NOP), honeycomb are available throughout
which issues and revokes certifications. the summer.
The NOP accredits state agencies,
private businesses and organizations to
certify farms and food producers. Freida Lansing said there’s a
Farmers who sell less than $5,000 in misconception that organic
products per year may sell products
using the organic name without products should be less costly
certification, but must still be truthful because farmers don’t have to
about that in labeling and marketing.
Farmers with larger operations who purchase chemicals, but
claim to be certified as organic without maintaining the soil and crops
certification are subject to fines of
$10,000 or more. is much more labor intensive.
14 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
Ken Lansing sets up his table for Farmers' Market at the Garden at Memphis
Botanic Garden with some of his fresh picked organic strawberries.
Organic certification is a painstaking
process requiring farmers to produce vast
amounts of paperwork describing in
detail soil conditions, the products used
for fertilization and pest control, and the
way the food is processed before it is sold.
For instance, the Lansings cannot use
a pea shelling machine that has been
used by someone who raises non-organic
peas, even though the peas pass through
the machine in a matter of seconds.
“That’s how exact you have to be,”
said Freida Lansing.
The NOP website, ams.usda.gov/nop,
provides information on accreditation,
certification, compliance and
enforcement, and lists operations with
revoked certification as well as those
commercialappeal.com
Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal files
whose certifications have been reinstated.
The NOP organic certification also
includes standards for water, and even
the proper use of manure.
Manure must be turned in the soil for
90 days before harvest of a fruit or
vegetable that does not touch the
ground, like corn.
The time frame for fruits and
vegetables grown on the soil, such as
strawberries, is even longer, 120 days.
The Lansings are preparing to plant
8,000 strawberry plants, which won’t be
harvested until spring, so there’s ample
time to enrich the soil with manure.
Even though the rules are strict, they all
have a purpose.
“The soil bacteria has to have time to
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 15

eat up things in manure that may be Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides

harmful to human beings,” Ken
Lansing said. The lists below, taken from foodnews.org,
He purchases manure because show fruits and vegetables with the
composting it himself would simply be highest and lowest amount of chemicals.
too time consuming. Manure The “Dirty Dozen” contain the highest
composting piles, he said, pointing to amounts of pesticides and should be
one about the height of an upended bought as organic products; the “Clean 15”
king-size mattress and the same width, contain the lowest amount of pesticides.
must be turned three times within 15 THE DIRTY DOZEN
days. It must also be kept at a constant Peaches
temperature of between 130 and 160
degrees to be in compliance with rules Apples
for organic certification. Bell peppers
To avoid using city water, Lansing Celery
dug a pond that is filtered through a Nectarines
sand filter, like those used for Strawberries
swimming pools, on one of the hills
Cherries
surrounding the farmed area.
This is done to keep algae from Kale
clogging the drip lines delivering the Lettuce
water. The pond captures rainwater, Grapes (imported)
creating a natural source for irrigation. Carrots
“The most green thing we do is Pears
capture our water,” Lansing said.
Freida Lansing said there’s a THE CLEAN 15
misconception that organic products Onions
should be less costly because farmers Avocados
don’t have to purchase chemicals, but
maintaining the soil and crops is Sweet corn
much more labor intensive. Pineapples
“Organic costs more because every Mangoes
weed is pulled by hand,” she said, Asparagus
because the use of pesticides is so Sweet peas
strictly limited. Some pesticides may
be used, but only those from natural Kiwi
products, like soybeans, and have not Cabbages
been processed using chemicals. Eggplant
Organic farmers also cannot use Papayas
genetically engineered seeds, many of Watermelon
which contain a built-in pesticide, so
if an insect bites the plant grown Broccoli
from it once or twice, the bug dies. Tomatoes
“My strawberries are certified Sweet potatoes
16 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
organic plants; I didn’t just go down to
the co-op and buy seeds,” he said.
In order to be certified organic, the
soil at the farm must be free of
chemicals for a minimum of three years.
Lansing said an inspector visits the
farm from time to time to inspect the
operation of his farm.
“They come out and check everything
we use. They look at labels, equipment,”
he said.
Organic farmers must notify the
certifying agency if they begin using a
different product.
In 2010, for the first time, the
Lansings started a Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
The Windermere Farm CSA requires
the members, the number of which is
limited, to pay $200 or $300 before the
planting season begins, which goes into
an account for each member.
The fruits and vegetables are not
prepackaged, so members may chose
what they would like to have when they
are at the farmers market. A sum
equaling the value of the items they have
selected is deducted from their
accounts, less the 10 percent discount
given to members only.
There’s no carryover for unused
money in the accounts at the end of the
harvest season, so the Lansings send
newsletters, and encourage members not
to wait until the end of the season and
try to use up a big balance.
Another new program the organic
farm has started is “Farmer for a Day,”
which gives urbanites the opportunity to
come out and get their hands dirty
planting, weeding and doing other things
the Lansings deal with on a daily basis.
“Farmer for a Day” requires a
commitment of a four-hour stint.
commercialappeal.com
Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal
In 2007, Ken and Freida Lansing
decided to take their love of healthy
food to the next level and take on the
rigorous process of having their farm
certified as organic.
The Lansings also offer tours of the
farm for a fee. They also allow people to
come to the farm to pick certain crops,
such as strawberries and purple hull
peas.
In the fall, the Lansings offer some
vegetables, like beans, okra, chard and
kale, but the biggest seller is
bittersweet, which bears stems covered
with colorful berries about the size of an
English pea.
Bittersweet is used for decoration and
if cared for properly, can last from two to
four years, Freida Lansing said.
At farmers markets, bunches of
bittersweet sell for $15 to $25,
depending on size.
The couple has never regretted the
decision to go organic, despite the
rigorous work it requires.
Devout Christians, the Lansings
believe organic farming is the way the
creator meant for things to grow.
“It’s part of God’s design to get the
maximum nutrition out of what you
eat,” Ken Lansing said.
The Commercial Appeal
Five ways to green your clean
CLEANING GREEN can seem really
complicated and expensive, but it’s not.
Going green, when done correctly,
should simplify our lives and reduce our
expenditures.
And going green
“correctly” can seem like
a laundry list of specific
behaviors, but it’s not.
Going green is a value,
not a list. Each person
may have a different
expression of that value.
DEANNA It’s similar to valuing
CASWELL “education.” Though
Practically parents want to make
Green sure their children are
educated, they go about
expressing that value differently. Some
choose public school, some choose
private school, some choose home
school or private tutors — the choices
are as nuanced as the families choosing
them. Same for going green.
So in light of that flexibility, let me tell
you five ways to go green in your house
cleaning.
1. Daily swipe and wipe. You can
almost eliminate your need for high-
powered bathroom cleaners with a daily
swipe. When you’re getting ready in the
morning, swish the toilet with the brush.
While you’re in the shower, wipe down
the stall; while you’re brushing your
teeth, wipe out the sink. After dinner,
wipe the counters and table, and scoot a
damp towel around the kitchen floor. If
this becomes a daily habit, spray
cleaning will become a ceremonial
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 17
A daily wipe down of major surfaces
eliminates buildup and the need for
those high-powered cleaners.
experience and not a necessity. Most
high-powered cleaners are for build-up.
If it never builds up, you’ll never pass
the point where a shot of vinegar can’t
freshen up the whole room.
2. Keep harsh cleaners to a
minimum. If you can’t maintain the
daily swipe and wipe, do your weekly
cleaning with a spray bottle of half
vinegar and half water. Scour with
baking soda. Reserve that high-powered
stuff for rare occasions, like when the
kids have drawn on the counters with
markers. It may cost a little more elbow
grease, but it will save you money and
spare everyone’s lungs.
3. Go phosphate free. Making your
own detergents is fun and economical;
however, if you’re a “forget the laundry
in the washer overnight” person like me,
those preservatives in conventional
laundry products come in really handy. I
18 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
waste three times the water and
homemade detergent just trying to
get rid of that musty smell on wet,
neglected towels! But these days,
plenty of detergents are
phosphate-free. Their production
isn’t as green as the make-your-
own variety, but they are an
improvement over conventional
detergents and cleaners.
4. Paperless kitchen. Rags
work better, last longer, and don’t
have to be bought every week. In
my home, one parent (me) is
paperless, while the other (hubby)
isn’t. When he cooks, he pulls out
the secret stash of paper towels
and at our dinner table he
distributes paper napkins. I don’t
nag him about it. It’s his choice.
But when it’s just me, there’s no
paper.
5. Composting your paper
products. If you choose to use
paper products in your kitchen,
one way to go green is to compost
them when you’re finished. Paper
with food grease on it is
nonrecyclable, but it’s 100 percent
compostable. There’s no reason to
pack the landfill with trash that
can reduce your fertilizer costs in
the spring.
Truly green living should be
simple, economical and flexible.
Use rags, wipe down the kitchen
and bathroom frequently, spray
diluted vinegar — it’s all much
cheaper than high-powered
cleaners and an endless supply of
paper towels, mop covers and
dusters. But, most important, pick
and choose what fits your family
and don’t stress about the rest.
commercialappeal.com
The world
in a mug
Coffee has its own language
at McCarter Coffee Co.
By Felicia Benamon
Special to Going Green
Have you had coffee from Burundi, India
or Yemen? How about Sumatra? McCarter
Coffee Company in Millington will tempt
and lead you to the world of exotic coffees.
At 5995 U.S. 51 N. (near Fite Road),
McCarter Coffee Company offers specialty
coffee blends from exotic lands.
“We get most of our coffee beans from
Africa … then it’s the Middle East, the
Indian Ocean region and finally, Central
America,” said owner Jim McCarter.
There are at least four countries from
which he buys organic coffee: Mexico,
Nicaragua, Ethiopia and Sumatra.
“No pesticides were used on the coffee
beans and there has to be a band of so
many acres of organic land around the
farm of the beans to prevent runoff of
pesticides,” said McCarter.
He mentioned that these farms tend to
be “mom and pop” owned and they pick
the beans by hand.
McCarter adds that for a foreign country
to be certified to produce organic coffee,
they should be relatively stabilized and
certified organic by the United States
Department of Agriculture.
McCarter Coffee Company has three
The Commercial Appeal
McCarter Coffee Company specializes in freshly roasted coffee beans. "All the
beans were roasted within the last week" says owner Debra McCarter.
roasters at its location in Millington
that can produce 40 pounds of whole-
bean coffee within an hour.
McCarter supplies more than a dozen
restaurants in the Memphis area
including Otherlands, Brother Juniper's
and Restaurant Iris.
McCarter said he does mostly
wholesale, but he also sets up at a
variety of farmers markets in the area
and sells from his store.
“We will bring ground coffee to the
farmers markets because some people
don’t want to do it themselves,” he said.
A couple of restaurants and cafes in
Memphis serve McCarter’s Louisiana
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 19
Justin Shaw/The Commercial Appeal files
McCarter Coffee Co.
Where: 5995 U.S. 51 N. , Millington.
On-premises McCarter Coffee store
hours: Friday 2-6 p.m., Saturday 2-5
p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m.
Contact info: 626-4924,
mccartercoffeeco.com, e-mail:
mccartercoffeeco @hotmail.com
Products also available: Memphis
Farmers Market downtown
(Saturday), Agricenter Farmers
Market (Saturday), Millington Farmers
Market (Saturday), Botanic Garden
Farmers Market (Wednesday).
20 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Chris Desmond/The Commercial Appeal files

Fresh from the roaster, beans empty into a tray where the beans cool and are slowly
stirred. Jim McCarter operates a coffee micro-roasting business in Millington.

Style French Roast with Chicory blend.

Justin Shaw/The Commercial Appeal files
McCarter Coffee Company specializes
in freshly roasted coffee beans.
“We sell about 20 different coffees from
20 different countries. The lightest roast
we sell is Mexican Chiapas … from that
region. The darkest roast we offer is from
the Republic of Congo,” said McCarter.
He continued to say that each bean is
unusual in character, taste and flavor.
“Coffee is one of the highest rated
commodities in the world,” McCarter
said.
Unique blends of coffee are truly an
international language at McCarter’s
Coffee Company.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 21

Coffee-Rubbed Pork Chops with Pan Sauce

For the rub:
2 tbsp. medium-dark roast
coffee beans, finely ground
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
½ tsp. smoked paprika*
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. unsweetened cocoa
powder
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
Chops:
4 thick-cut pork chops
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the
rub ingredients, blending with a fork to
distribute the spices evenly.
Smear each pork chop with the rub on
all sides. Place the chops in a large
container, seal and refrigerate for 2 to 4
hours.
Allow the pork chops to rest at room
temperature for 30 minutes before
continuing.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof
skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
pork chops to the skillet and cook for 2
minutes on each side.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and
cook the pork chops for an additional 6
to 10 minutes, depending on the
thickness of the pork chops. If you have
a meat thermometer, the pork chops
should cook to 155 degrees.
Transfer the pork chops to a covered
plate, and allow them to rest for 5
minutes before serving. Return the skillet
to the burner over medium-high heat.
To prepare the pan sauce, add 2 cups
of water to the skillet, stirring to release
any stuck bits. Add 2 tablespoons of
dark brown sugar and stir to dissolve.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and sweetness.
Drizzle over the pork chops before
serving.
*Smoked paprika adds a great depth
of flavor to the rub, but regular paprika,
preferably hot, will work as well.

Coffee sounds like

a strange
ingredient for a
dry rub, but it
actually gives
foods a rich,
earthy flavor and
it doesn't taste
anything like
coffee grounds.
22 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Photos by Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Kyle Wagenschutz, Memphis’ first bikeway/pedestrian coordinator, leads a 40-
mile bike ride earlier this month during the Bluff City Blues 100 race. Wagenschutz
was hired as part of Mayor A C Wharton’s emphasis on sustainable living.

Dream peddler
City’s new By Jonathan Devin / Special to Going Green
bike guru
KYLE WAGENSCHUTZ found out long ago that
pushes for
bicycling in Memphis is the road less traveled, but that
‘rich could be about to change.
bicycle and Now, as the city’s first bikeway/pedestrian
pedestrian coordinator, he is charged with putting the training
culture’ wheels on Memphis’ cycling dreams.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 23

“I think the dream is that when people redesign of Cooper Street in Midtown.
think about Memphis, they think, One plan favored by businesses on the
‘That’s a great place to go on vacation street has bike lanes running alongside
because I can take my bicycle and ride traffic, and another favored by area
wherever I want to,’ ” said cyclists has lanes shielded from traffic by
Wagenschutz, 27. “We want Memphis to on-street parking spaces.
be a premier Southern city that has a “There’s a big movement toward more
really rich bicycle and pedestrian culture bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in
inside it. the city, and in the last several years
“That’s a reflection of renewed and there’s been an upswell in community
reinvigorated economic and social and support from different groups with a real
cultural activities that are all going to be intensification of that support in the last
intertwined in the growing of 12 to 15 months,” he said.
Memphis.” Wagenschutz’s personal interest in
Mayor A C Wharton announced bikes developed slowly over time.
Wagenschutz’s hiring in mid-September. He was born in Peoria, Ill., but his
The new position, which reports to the family moved often because of his
city engineer’s office, is part of a father’s career in the Navy. They
campaign promise Wharton made to eventually settled in Millington, where
create bike lanes in Memphis during his Wagenschutz went to high school.
tenure and to emphasize sustainable “Growing up on Navy bases, there are
living in general. often schools on the base, but no buses,
In the few weeks since he was hired, so you had to ride a bike to school,” said
Wagenschutz has been meeting with Wagenschutz.
organizations involved in projects As an undergrad at the University of
associated with an Memphis, he lived
explosion of close enough to
cycling interest “We want Memphis to be a campus that he
generated by the could ride to
opening of the premier Southern city that has classes while
Shelby Farms a really rich bicycle and working on his
Greenline. bachelor’s of
“Groups like the pedestrian culture inside it.” business
Greater Memphis administration in
Greenline and KYLE WAGENSCHUTZ management
Livable Memphis, Bikeway/pedestrian coordinator information
they’re all working systems.
together on a “When I really
connection with the end of the Shelby got into biking, though, I was looking
Farms Greenline, which ends at Tillman for a new bicycle, and I went to
Street, going down Broad Avenue and Revolutions,” said Wagenschutz,
into Overton Park,” said Wagenschutz. referring to Revolutions Community
He’s also reviewing plans for the Bicycle Shop, a ministry of First
24 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
Congregational Church, which
teaches people to build their
own bicycles from recycled
parts.
“I worked through the
program there and really got
involved — they asked me to
stay and volunteer, and I did,”
said Wagenschutz. “The last
year and a half I’ve been
running the place.”
He plans to remain director
of Revolutions unless work
conflicts develop.
Fielding questions about
cycling issues led Wagenschutz
back to the University of
Memphis to complete his
master’s degree in city and
regional planning.
“People were often asking us
commercialappeal.com
to help them with projects,” Wagenschutz
said Wagenschutz. “They says private
wanted to talk to a City businesses
Council person or the city need to do
engineers. Well, none of us their part in
were experts on anything like promoting
that. It dawned on me that I cycling in
needed to get some additional Memphis,
education.” such as by
He was asked to apply for providing
the city position when it showers and
opened earlier this year. locker
That sparked controversy rooms for
immediately, since Wharton employees
had just asked city who
departments to cut their commute on
budgets by 25 percent. But the bicycle.
mayor’s office insisted that
Wagenschutz’s salary would be
a combination of an unfilled
clerk’s salary and federal grant
The Commercial Appeal
money from the Metropolitan Planning
Organization.
“It’s a complete turnaround from the
previous administration,” said
Wagenschutz. “They were largely silent
on (cycling) issues, which we took to
mean that they didn’t have a position.
Mayor Wharton has a campaign of
building 500 miles of bicycle facilities
during his tenure.”
Down the road, Wagenschutz hopes to
work on larger projects like shower and
locker facilities for commuters. The lack
of facilities is something he deals with
every day.
“At City Hall, we’re fortunate: We
have a locker room and showers,” said
Wagenschutz. “When I worked for a
commodities brokerage, there were no
facilities in White Station Tower.”
These days, Wagenschutz arrives at
meetings 20 minutes early with a change
of clothes in hand.
“A good point is that private
businesses need to get on board and
provide shower facilities and lockers for
their employees before we can ask
people to make a commitment to
commuting on a bike.”
Outside of his new job, Wagenschutz
is married to his wife, Carrie, an ER
nurse at Baptist Memorial Hospital-
Memphis, and enjoys hiking, camping
and playing bass guitar.
Just before taking office, he and
several friends cycled north to Fort
Pillow for a weekend of about 210 miles
of cycling.
“The ride up was just beautiful,” said
Wagenschutz. “It was 85 degrees, and
blue skies as far as the eye could see.
Our transportation modes are all
connected to how we live and our
quality of life.”
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 25
Film director
Chris Paine:
The electric car
gets its revenge
By Jim Motavalli
Mother Nature Network
Filmmaker Chris Paine, whose
“Who Killed the Electric Car?” was
a huge success in 2006 and
arguably created a market for
theatrically released documentaries,
will be back with “Revenge of the
Electric Car,” which celebrates the
electric vehicle’s triumphant rise.
Who would have thought that the
industry would soon arise from the
nadir that saw the last General
Motors EV1s ignominiously
crushed?
Paine sat down with us for a few
questions and answers about the
outlook for electric vehicles — so
much brighter today than four
years ago — and Iceland’s role as a
vanguard country in the plug-in
revolution. As we spoke, Paine had
just come from filming at the
Detroit-Hamtramck plant in
Michigan, where he watched some
of the first Chevrolet Volts roll
down the assembly line.
Q: Are we on the verge of a
revolution in transportation?
A: Yes, this is it for the
26 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

We filmed outside the Hamtramck plant, unable to even

get in and do an interview. And now here we are, six or
seven years later, inside the plant and on the line as
electric cars are being made. A lot has changed.

Photo courtesy of Chris Paine

VOLT AGE: Chris Paine with GM's reborn EV hope, the Chevrolet Volt.

automobile. This is the culmination of a Detroit-Hamtramck Chevrolet Volt

lot of work; the torch is being passed
back to the consumer. Finally, these cars
will be available everywhere. It’s too
bad there’s a recession going on,
because people don’t have a lot of
money to buy a new car, but they
certainly will have the option this
coming year. And not all of them will be
very expensive — there will be some
really terrific cars anyone can afford.
Q: You were in Detroit filming at the
plant.
A: Yes, we saw some of the first
Chevrolet Volts come down the
assembly line.
Q: In a way, it’s like coming full
circle, because “Who Killed the
Electric Car?” is about GM short-
circuiting its last EV program.
A: It’s really funny, but when we
made that film, we were locked out of
GM. We filmed outside the Hamtramck
The Commercial Appeal
plant, unable to even get in and do an
interview. And now here we are, six or
seven years later, inside the plant and
on the line as electric cars are being
made. A lot has changed.
Q: You have people in your first film
like Chelsea Sexton, who started out
as a GM employee outraged at the
crushing of the EV1. And she’s now
one of the key players in the unfolding
EV revolution, as a consultant to many
of the prominent companies. The auto
companies have embraced the
environmental movement they weren’t
previously willing to do.
A: And they all went bankrupt, or at
least the American companies did (with
the exception of Ford), and they began
to see when gas prices reached $4 a
gallon the public was going to demand
some options with gasoline. There was
a perfect storm with gas prices. And
there was growing environmental
consciousness, as well as technological
advances with batteries and other
components.
Q: Do you have a sense of the size
of the early adopter market? Some
say 200,000 early adopters and only
40,000 to 50,000 cars available.
A: I think that’s an excellent,
reasonable estimate. Nissan’s Carlos
Ghosn, one of the characters we’re
following in the film, says publicly that
EVs could become 10 percent of the
auto market by 2020, and that the
adoption rate could be very steep.
Q: Do you think that there could be
a big market in converting cars to
EVs, as companies like Amp Electric
Vehicles (which converts the
Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Solstice
and Saturn Sky) are doing?
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 27
A: I do. Converting cars is terrific
from an environmental perspective
because you’re not creating a whole new
car every time.
Q: Do you concur that Iceland could
be the first country to go electric? In
a lot of ways, it’s easier there than
almost anywhere else because of very
cheap zero-emission geothermal and
hydroelectric electricity, plus a very
concentrated population of just
300,000. I’m optimistic that, despite
its financial problems and delays in
getting cars delivered, Iceland can be
in the vanguard. There is a
memorandum of understanding with
Mitsubishi to sell the electric i-MiEV
car in Iceland, but so far only a few
have been delivered.
A: We really agree on that, Jim. We
were actually going to open our entire
film in Iceland. I was at the Driving
Sustainability conference two years ago,
and I stayed there an extra week and
filmed around Iceland. We talked to the
president and the geothermal people,
and as you say the main problem is
getting the cars. It’s proving really
challenging for them.
We shot a story about one of the
designers of the i-MiEV, who was the
son of the man who designed some of
the motors for the big geothermal
plants in Iceland. Geothermal is such an
environmental success story there.
Iceland, of course, also had a very big
experiment with fuel cells, of course,
and there’s still a Shell hydrogen station
there.
Visit the Mother Nature Network at
mnn.com.
28 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
Air shutter helps morph
Chevrolet Cruze Eco
into 40-mpg leader
DETROIT — Squeezing out
every last drop of fuel efficiency is
one of the key tasks for Greg
Fadler, aerodynamics engineering
group manager at Chevrolet.
Fadler and his team worked on
making the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
Eco one of the most fuel-efficient
small cars on the market,
achieving up to an estimated 40
miles per gallon on the highway —
hybrid-like efficiency without the
hybrid cost.
Engineers used some of the
proven approaches to making the
Cruze Eco a gas sipper, trimming
its overall weight and lowering the
ride height. But the real
innovation is behind the front grill
where an automatic air shutter
system allows the car to change
shape and cut through the air
more smoothly.
The air shutter system uses
sensors to detect wind and
temperature conditions. The
sensors are married to electric
motors that open and close the
shutters automatically. With the
shutters closed at high speeds,
wind drag is reduced. At lower
speeds, the shutters open to
maximize engine-cooling air flow.
The air shutter system
contributes nearly half a mile per
gallon in combined city and
highway driving.
“The real fun of the job is when
we discover something new or
innovative that allows us to do
something better than we or our
competition has done before,”
Fadler said.
— General Motors
commercialappeal.com
REVIEW
Fiesta a fuel-efficient,
stellar subcompact
By Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press
DETROIT — This has been a good year for
mythical creatures.
After years of unconfirmed sightings that
were widely dismissed as fictitious, the
Department of Natural Resources just took a
photo of an honest-to-goodness cougar
prowling northern Michigan’s woods.
If cougars walk among us, who knows what
else is possible?
An American automaker might even build a
subcompact car that looks great and whips the
competition’s fuel economy.
Check that last one off the list. With the
2011 Fiesta subcompact sedan and hatchback,
Ford offers the most fuel-efficient and
sophisticated subcompact car on the market.
Prices for the 2011 Fiesta start at $13,320
for a base S sedan with a 120-horsepower 1.6-
liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed
transmission. The 1.6-liter engine is standard
in all models. The best-equipped sedan, an
SEL, starts at $16,320. The stylish and
practical Fiesta hatchback — my favorite
Fiesta by far — stickers at $15,120 for an SE
and $17,120 for an SES.
Swapping the manual transmission for a
very good six-speed dual clutch adds $1,070 to
any Fiesta model.
The Fiesta competes with subcompacts like
the Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa
and Toyota Yaris.
The Fiesta’s base price is in the upper middle
The Commercial Appeal
of that group. When fully equipped, the
Fiesta comes in on the high end,
although it offers features to justify that.
Foremost among those is its fuel
economy. A $695 SFE option package
that includes the dual-clutch gearbox,
low rolling resistance tires and some
aerodynamic tweaks gives the Fiesta a
stellar 29 mpg city/40 mpg highway
rating in EPA tests. That’s several miles
per gallon better than the next best five-
passenger subcompact.
Fiestas without the SFE option got
EPA ratings of 29 mpg city/38 mpg
highway with the dual-clutch gearbox
and 28/37 with the manual.
The Fiesta could use more interior
storage cubbies for gear like iPods and
phones, and weak low-rpm torque means
you have to rev the engine freely for good
acceleration, but the car’s looks, value and
other features offset those weaknesses.
The Fiesta offers a roomy
and appealing interior.
Headroom is particularly
impressive.
Cargo
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 29
space is about average for the sedan and
hatchback.
The interior offers a wide range of
features, including turn-by-turn
directions, a new feature Ford has
incorporated into the Sync voice
command system for phones and iPods.
The Fiesta’s handling is very good.
The steering is responsive and provides
good feedback. The brakes are
confident. The suspension muffles
bumps and keeps the Fiesta secure and
stable in quick drives on twisting roads.
The engine’s lack of low-end torque
makes Fiestas with the dual-clutch
transmission more enjoyable to drive.
A dual-clutch transmission essentially
combines the mechanical pieces of a
manual with computer controls, so the
driver does not have to work a clutch
pedal or shift gears. A good dual-clutch
combines the responsiveness and
efficiency of a manual with the comfort
of an automatic transmission.
The dual-clutch transmission is the
way to go. It more than pays for
itself in fuel economy and
performance.
30 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

A WHIFF Sifting through trash to

study recycling efforts

OF CHANGE

David Joles/Star Tribune

Green Corps member Emily Bowers, left, braced herself for a new load of
garbage to sort through as part of the Minneapolis Enhanced Recycling Project.

By Amelia Rayno wants to dissect a different statistic:

Minneapolis Star Tribune
Many locals view Minnesota as an
exceptionally green community — and
why not? The recycling rate there con-
sistently ranks among the nation’s top
five.
But Minnesota Green Corps — a new
statewide program that’s training a
fresh crop of environmentalists —
why the rate has not improved in nearly
a decade. To learn more about its res-
idents’ recycling habits, and work to
reignite the green campaign, the corps
launched a 12-month project aimed at
providing answers.
The work began in mid-October, with
workers sorting and analyzing trash
from 100 houses in Minneapolis’ Se-
ward neighborhood. It’s a dirty job —
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 31

part of that day’s “fun” included maggot While working to help communities in
races — but it’s a project that Min- need, the program also places high pri-
nesota Green Corps, a division of ority on training and educating its
AmeriCorps, believes will make a dif- members, many of whom are transi-
ference. tioning into new, environmentally ori-
“How can you really tell people what ented careers. They work for next to
to do if you don’t know what’s in nothing: $11,400 for 1,700 service
there?” said Pam McCurdy, a strategic hours. But they are driven by the con-
marketing specialist for the Minnesota viction that their efforts will someday
Pollution Control Agency, which runs represent meaningful change.
the Green Corps program. “You have to “I like the idea that everyone really
get in there,” she said, looking over an can do something,” said Nancy Lo, a
assembly line of navy blue trash carts. full-time Green Corps member who will
And get in there they did. Working be seeing the project through from be-
out of an unused Public Works Depart- ginning to completion. “It’s easy to say,
ment garage, the four Green Corps ‘Gee, I throw away a lot of stuff,’ but
members and a few volunteers sifted when you actually put numbers on it, it
through coffee grounds and crunched makes you stand back and go, ‘Wow.’ ”
TV dinner sleeves. They picked out With this project, the Green Corps
sheets of newspaper and crumpled pa- will be able to deduce which kinds of
per towels. They pulled away banana materials are being consistently recy-
peels and broccoli stems. Each smelly cled. “We’ve hardly found any aluminum
article was meticulously separated into or glass (in the regular trash),” said
blue bins by cat- Paul Kroenig, a su-
egory, and then pervising environ-
the bins were mentalist for the
weighed and “It’s easy to say, ‘Gee, I throw county’s Depart-
recorded. away a lot of stuff,’ but when ment of Environ-
The Hennepin mental Services.
County recycling you actually put numbers on And they’ll learn
project is one of it, it makes you stand back what’s not making
26 programs for it into the recycling
the fledgling Min- and go, ‘Wow.’ bin and base their
nesota Green new messaging ef-
Corps, which sent NANCY LO, forts on those tar-
members to 25 lo- Ffull-time Green Corps member gets. For example,
cal governments, McCurdy said,
nonprofit agencies about 12 percent of
and educational institutions statewide generated trash is recyclable paper.
this year, its second year of operation. “You kind of have to make it easy for
The effort has four prongs: energy people,” said Green Corps member Rose
conservation and air quality, waste pre- Buss, who called the project “both in-
vention and recycling, green infrastruc- teresting and gross,” noting that recy-
ture and a “living green” outreach. cling is not always easy or convenient.
32 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Greenpeace: Oil is still in the Gulf

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Sandra Brooke, director of coral conservation for the Marine Conservation
Biology Institute, and Research Professor Steve Ross of the University of North
Carolina-Wilmington, look over terrain maps of the sea floor of the Gulf of
Mexico , on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise.

By Cain Burdeau “We’re still seeing a lot of oil out

Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Greenpeace said
last week it disagreed with official state-
ments that most of the oil from the BP
spill is gone from the Gulf of Mexico
and added that it has a laboratory test
to confirm crude from the disaster sits
on the sea floor.
there,” John Hocevar, a marine biologist
with Greenpeace, said during a news
conference on Oct. 25 to mark the end
of a three-month expedition by the
group’s Arctic Sunrise vessel. “It’s on
the surface, it’s in the sediment, it’s in
the water column and it’s hundreds of
miles away from the spill site.”
Federal agencies have said that most
The Commercial Appeal
of the oil spilled into the gulf has evap-
orated, dissipated, been dispersed or
been burned and skimmed. As early as
Aug. 4, U.S. officials said only 52.7
million gallons of oil were left in the
gulf, about 31 percent of the 172 million
gallons that spewed into the water from
the broken BP well. Government sci-
entists also say they have not found any
visible oil on the sea floor so far.
“They have often made it appear that
everything is fine when it wasn’t,” Ho-
cevar said.
He said the White House should have
waited before lifting the moratorium on
drilling in the gulf because “there’s an
awful lot that we need to understand
(about the spill) still.”
“NOAA remains concerned about the
impact of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil
spill,” said Debbie Payton, a NOAA
oceanographer. “Together with our aca-
demic partners we are monitoring the
fate of the oil, from the beaches to the
open ocean, from the surface to the
sediments.”
Hocevar said Greenpeace recently re-
ceived test results from a single oiled
sediment sample taken in late Septem-
ber from 1 mile deep and about 41/2
miles from the spill site. He said the
tests confirmed that the oil in the sed-
iment was from the BP spill.
Hocevar said Greenpeace wanted to
take one sample and prove that the oil
was from the BP spill. University sci-
entists have said they have found oil on
the sea floor, but it has taken far longer
for them to get results for their large
batches of samples, he said.
Samantha Joye, a marine scientist
with the University of Georgia, said by
e-mail that she has been waiting for five
weeks to get lab results “fingerprinting”
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 33
oil she found on the sea floor in early
September. Only a few labs are able to
do the detailed analysis to determine if
oil found in the gulf is the same oil that
came out of BP’s busted well.
NOAA said it had “not visually iden-
tified any areas with vast quantities of
oil at depth.” The agency said some
sediment samples “have revealed sheen
concentrations ... These findings are not
surprising, and are to be expected for a
release at this magnitude at 5,000 feet.”
Over 850 days at sea, NOAA said it
had collected more than 30,000 samples
from nearly 100 sampling research mis-
sions. The agency said it was awaiting
test results to fingerprint the oil. In the
gulf, there are many natural oil seeps, so
fingerprinting is particularly important.
The Arctic Sunrise spent three
months looking for oil and marine life
in trouble after it arrived in the gulf
following the April 20 explosion of the
Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Over
that period, the Greenpeace vessel also
helped about 20 scientists conduct a
variety of oil spill research, Hocevar
said.
One of those scientists, Caz Taylor, a
population biologist and blue crab re-
searcher at Tulane University, said that
she was concerned about blue crab pop-
ulations. On journeys aboard the Arctic
Sunrise, she pulled in blue crab larvae
across the gulf — from Galveston,
Texas, to the Florida Panhandle — and
found “mysterious orange droplets” on
them, she said at the news conference.
Extensive lab testing would help de-
termine if the orange blobs on the lar-
vae were caused by the oil spill, she
said.
34 GOING GREEN | Sunday, October 31, 2010
P.O. gets stamps of
approval
Postage stamps from the
U.S. Postal Service have
passed an eco-benchmark.
According to the service,
they are now certified as
“Cradle to Cradle” products.
Ditto for stamped products.
To get the certification, the
ingredients had to be tested
and shown as either
biodegradable or recyclable
and their toxicity as 100 parts
per million or less. The Postal
Service also had to show that
its operations were powered
by renewable energy and
considered people and
ecosystems.
OK, so that last one is a
little vague, but you get the
gist.
“Our Cradle to Cradle
products are designed to be
safe and environmentally
responsible,” said Sam
Pulcrano, vice president or
sustainability in a prepared
statement. “In 2009, the
Postal Service provided one
billion eco-friendly mailing and
shipping supplies to our
customers.” Now, 27 billion
stamps and stamped products
join them.
The service lays claim to
being the only mailing and
shipping company worldwide
to provide packaging supplies
that are certified as Cradle to
Cradle, a designation of the
global marketing and
certification firm, MBDC, which
stands for McDonough
Braungart Design Chemistry.
— Sandy Bauers, The
Philadelphia Inquirer
commercialappeal.com
Put your garden to
bed for the winter
By Robin Shreeves
Mother Nature Network
I spent some time recently pulling the tomato
plants that weren’t producing any more. There
are still four plants giving it their all, so I left
them in the ground and pruned them so that all
their energy will go to the branches that are still
producing. One of my Roma plants still has
potential. It’s sad-looking, but it’s not giving up
— so neither will I.
Eventually, though, I’ll have to put the entire
garden to bed for the winter.
There are lots of things you can do to put your
garden to bed for the winter, and avid gardeners
will take lots of time and many steps to ac-
complish that. However, if you have a small
kitchen garden and not a lot of time, you might
want an easier solution. Still, you don’t want to
just leave everything dying in the garden all
winter long — it will make next year’s gardening
that much more difficult.
Here are five basic steps you can take to put
your vegetable garden to bed for the winter.
1. Clean out all the annuals. Any plant that
isn’t going to come back next year needs to be
pulled out by the roots and disposed of. Once
they’ve stopped producing altogether, get them
out of there.
2. Cut back perennials. Many herbs (and
some vegetables) will come back year after year.
Cut them to about 2 inches above soil level once
they’ve completely gone to seed and are no
longer producing usable leaves.
3. Compost all disease-free materials. Use all
of the plant materials from this year’s garden to
The Commercial Appeal
If you take the time to do a few simple steps, you'll be on your way to a fertile
garden next spring.
help nourish next year’s garden. Add
raked leaves to the compost pile, too.
4. Turn your soil. Turning the soil
will help eliminate some pest problems
next spring. Any grubs or eggs from
undesirable insects will be broken up,
brought to the surface and feed the
birds this fall.
5. Plant a cover crop. Oats and buck-
wheat or winter rye get scattered over
the garden, covered with a light layer of
soil and watered if needed. The cover
crop will die during the first hard frost
and stay on your garden to protect it
Sunday, October 31, 2010 | GOING GREEN 35
iStockphoto
from weeds until you turn it under in
the spring. Check out this video about
how to plant a cover crop for more
specific information: mnn.com/food/or-
ganic-farming/blogs/preparing-your-gar-
den-bed-for-winter.
Taking a few hours to do this now in
the fall will give you better soil next
spring and help keep undesirable bugs
and weeds from popping up in next
year’s garden.
Robin Shreeves blogs about finding eco-
friendly food options at mnn.com/featured-
blogs/sustainablefood.