Going Green Memphis 11-14-10

2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 14, 2010 commercialappeal.
com
What’s in this issue ...

10 Fall gardening
The growing season is
coming to a close so
use the extra time to
prepare the soil for a
thriving organic garden
GOP to challenge
14 EPA, scientists
4 Solving the
mystery Unbuilding from
A study into a deadly threat to
21 the top down
the honeybee has identified
common infections working Solar trees sprout
together as possible cause. 24 in parking lots
Trezevant invests
8 in green view
28 Finding dinner in
the dumpster
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 Shane McDermott/The Commercial Appeal

The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 14, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3
The Green Page

Events
America Recycle Day: Get rid of
unused electronics responsibly at the
Center City Commission’s E-Recycle Day.
Bring items to the Central Station Pavilion
from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Monday. There’s a $5
processing fee for CRT items up to 32
inches; $15 for CRT items larger than 32
inches. For a complete list of acceptable
items, go to 5processors.com/
Accepted_Items.aspx.
Programs
Clean-air discussion: There will be a
discussion about a new public health
initiative from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Tuesday at the Gale Community Center in
Hernando. The focus of the program will
be on eliminating exposure to secondhand
smoke in all public places, including
workplaces. For details, or to RSVP, send Gallery and Gardens, and is included with
an e-mail to signe.shackelford@ regular admission. It is free to Dixon
msdh.state.ms.us. members. For more information, call 761-
Botany of Design: The Dixon Gallery 5250 or visit dixon.org.
and Gardens, 4339 Park, will host William
Cullina on Thursday at 11 a.m., for his Volunteers
presentation of “The Botany of Design.” Trail blazing: Volunteers are needed on
Cullina, director of horticulture and plant Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon, to help the
curator at the Coastal Maine Botanical Lichterman Nature Center maintain 3
Gardens in Boothbay, Maine, will discuss miles of trail by fixing edge boards,
beneficial organic practices involving spreading gravel and clearing overgrowth
plants. The program is co-sponsored by on the trails. Call 523-2425 to volunteer, or
the Memphis Garden Club and the Dixon sign up at volunteermidsouth.org.
Just do one thing

When cooking a casserole or a yummy chocolate souffle, use ceramic or glass
baking dishes; these materials outperform metal and will allow you to lower the
temperature of the oven by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower heat means less
energy. Bonus tip: Countertop convection ovens save even more energy — the
smaller the oven, the faster it’ll heat up.
— Danny Seo
4 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 14, 2010 commercialappeal.com
Ecosystem
losing its
Sting
By Suzanne Thompson / Special to Going Green
Researchers examine decline
in honeybee colonies
IT IS UPSETTING TO ECOLOGISTS when there is a major

decline in any species in an ecosystem.
In 2006, honeybee colonies began disappearing at an
alarming rate.
The bees are a vital part of the Memphis Area Beekeeping

ecosystem — they pollinate flowers Association and member of the
and crops — and without them Tennessee Beekeepers Association,
agriculture production around the is participating in a national USDA
world would decrease by a third. study to investigate the decline of
The phenomenon of the the bee population. One aspect of the
disappearing colonies has been study looks at year-round hive
dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder management of migratory and non-
(CCD). migratory beekeeping operations
“It has put many people out of across the nation.
business,” said Richard Underhill, It is being conducted by
owner of Peace Bee Farm in scientists from 17 universities who
Proctor, Arkansas. will use the findings from three
Underhill, past president of the groups of beekeepers in an effort to
Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Beekeeper Richard Underhill examines a frame from one of the
honeybee colonies he keeps at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
help determine the cause of the The second group of beekeepers

decline in the colonies. working across seven states have
“What we have is a very large, agreed to tend to their bees in the
multistate project going on with exact same manner, thereby acting
funding from the USDA,” said Dr. as the control group. This part of the
Nancy Ostiguy, associate professor study has been named the “Seven
of entomology at Penn State, one State Stationary Apiary Study.”
of the participants in the study. A third group consists of large
The four-year study examines beekeeping operations that
two life cycles of colonies — the transport the hives across the
average natural life cycle of a country to pollinate crops.
colony without treatment for Bees in those colonies are
mites is two years — and the naturally stressed because they are
research is entering its third year. confined in trucks, sometimes for
Underhill is involved with the as long as four days.
first group of beekeepers who care Underhill said because those
for the hives using their own colonies are typically
standard practices. He represents overcrowded, and cannot fly to
Tennessee in the study. forage for food, they are
Virus, also carried by

mites was reported in
early October and it is
one suspected cause for
the declining numbers.
Ostiguy said they have
also seen similarities in
deaths caused by a virus
passed on to the bees by
mites called Deformed
Wing Virus, one of about
15 or 20 viruses already
known to be present in
bee colonies.
malnourished. Therefore, mites in the colonies.
these transported The mites carry the
Varroa mites, which virus much like a
colonies undergo more were introduced mosquito is a carrier for
stress than other inadvertently into bee West Nile Virus.
managed colonies. colonies about 30 years Another alarming
When Ostiguy’s study ago, have been a continual factor is the Deformed
began, there were 210 source of sickness and Wing Virus seems to be
colonies and of those 30 death in honeybees. replicating within the
survived. Underhill said a new mite, continually
“In the spring, we will strain of virus, increasing the amount of
start another 30 colonies Invertebrate Iridescent pathogens the mite
per location,” Ostiguy
said. “There will be a few
that might have survived
from the first round and
we’ll continue tracking
those until they die, and
then the same thing with
the second round. We will
track all kinds of health
parameters to figure out
of the ones that have died,
are there similarities? Can
we predict the reason for
them to die?”
Though the research is
nowhere near complete, Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal
Ostiguy said one of the
similarities they have Honeybees crowd the entrance to a healthy colony
found is the number of at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
transmits to the bee, Ostiguy said. their way back.

The fact that the virus is growing “Bees are amazing in their ability to
inside the mites was only discovered be able to identify landmarks and to be
about three years ago. able to find things,” she said.
Bee colonies also are affected by a Worker bees fall into two categories,
fungus, Nosema, which previously had nurse bees and forager bees. Nurse bees
only one strain, but a second strain has spend the first three of their six-week life
been discovered with speculation that span inside the colony tending the brood
the combination of the new IIV virus and building comb.
and the new strain of fungus could be Forager bees may fly as far as 21/2
responsible for CCD. miles from the colony in search of food.
Researchers are Some speculate that
continuing to examine CCD may result
samples from all three because bees in the
groups to try to isolate affected colonies have
what is happening at lost their ability to find
the beginning of CCD their way back to the
in the hopes of being colony, Underhill said.
able to prevent it. Ostiguy said this
“When we are able research is the first
to tell a colony is dying “If honeybees become major study done
of CCD, it is already extinct, human society about CCD.
dead,” Ostiguy said. Similar to the
“By the time we can will follow in four years.” discovery of the HIV
reliably say that it has virus, which had been
ALBERT EINSTEIN
CCD, the queen may in existence long
be left — there may be speaking about the symbiotic relationship
of all life on the planet before it was
half brood (eggs that identified, deaths
have not hatched), and from HIV usually are
maybe a couple of dozen workers. A caused by other diseases, such as
colony should, during the summertime pneumonia that often kills people whose
have between 30,000 and 60,000 immunity systems already are
individuals in it,” she said. compromised.
Another characteristic of CCD is that Likewise, Ostiguy said at this point it
the bees left in the colony are all very is unclear whether CCD is causing the
young worker bees indicating that decrease in colonies or whether it is a
forager bees have left the colony and not result of viruses passed on to colonies
returned. already stressed when winter begins.
Bees are incredibly social insects and “There’s so much we don’t know about
when they first hatch, young bees take diseases in bees that it’s hard to figure
an orientation flight from the hive to out whether or not we have one problem
learn the lay of the land and how to find or multiple problems,” Ostiguy said.
Photos by Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal

Michael Isom Sr. looks out over the green roof at Trezevant Manor. “We’re
trying to be on the cutting edge of the greening of Memphis,” he said.
Up on the roof
Trezevant Manor’s green roofing is first for Memphis
By Suzanne Thompson Manor, now has three areas of green
Special to Going Green roofing, the first of its kind in the city.
“We are certified installers,” said
It’s not unusual to use hearty plants as Brandon Speakman, project manager at
ground cover in a yard, but on a roof? Linkous Construction, the company that
Green roofs are increasing in installed the roof as part of a massive
popularity around the country. renovation.
One building in Memphis, Trezevant In order to install the green roof,
COVERING A ROOF
WITH PLANTS HAS
MANY BENEFITS:
In the summer,
green roofs can lower
indoor temperatures
by 6 to 8 degrees.
They can reduce
indoor sound levels by
as much as 40
decibels, a great
benefit to occupants
of buildings near
airports, trains and
high-traffic areas.
Linkous Construction installed the green roof as They absorb
part of a massive renovation project at Trezevant excess rainwater and
Manor. reduce the runoff
going into stormwater
growers required operations at Trezevant drainage systems.
members of the Manor, worked for They also filter out
construction team to Linkous as a pollutants in water
participate in a superintendent for about that returns to the
certification class. 11 years before he took aquifer.
The live roof concept is his current position. They provide
fairly new and plants, Trezevant Manor wants habitat for butterflies,
called Sedum, come in to be known for its insects and songbirds.
modules that are 2 feet commitment to becoming They expand the
long and 1 foot wide, more and more usefulness of buildings
about the size of a flat of environmentally friendly by providing outdoor
plants. in its operations, he said. living spaces for
They are in about 51/2 Isom said Trezevant occupants.
inches of soil and each Manor plans to add more People who have
plant is wrapped in a green roofs in the coming views of nature have
poster board, which when years. been found to be more
removed, creates a “We’re trying to be on productive, healthy,
seamlessly covered roof. the cutting edge of the happy and creative.
“It becomes monolithic, greening of Memphis, Green roofs
because you can’t see any making sure the facility reduce the intensity of
of the border,” Speakman we have here is well noted UV sun rays that get
said. here in the community to the membrane, thus
Michael Isom Sr., and on a national basis,” extending the life of
director of plant Isom said. the roof.
Trezevant Manor eventually

plans to gain LEED certification.
“Adding the green roofs are
just another feather in Trezevant
Manor’s cap in obtaining LEED
certification. It’s an ongoing
Feed
process,” Isom said.
The green roofs reduce the
urban heat island effect:
temperatures are higher inside
the city because of massive
the soil
amounts of asphalt producing Want to grow an organic
radiational heat from the sun. garden? Now’s the time to
That is only one of a number of
attributes installing the roof has start prep work.
offered.
“We certainly think it adds a lot This article is the second in a continuing series on
of benefits,” Speakman said. preparing your home — inside and out — for the
Residents’ response to the change in season. Fall is an important time to lay
concept has been extremely the groundwork for a ‘greener’ home and garden.
positive, according to Isom.
The view for the people who By Christine Arpe Gang
Special to Going Green
live on the upper floors has
greatly improved.
“People on the fourth and fifth If you want to join legions of organically
floor were looking down at a bare aware gardeners by reducing or eliminating
roof,” he said. the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers
In addition to being next season, experienced gardeners say you
aesthetically pleasing, the live should begin preparing your soil now.
roof covering also provides sound Soil is extremely important in all kinds
insulation, storm water runoff of gardening but especially organic gar-
and has the potential to greatly dening where plants depend on naturally
reduce utility costs for the occurring nutrients in the soil to provide
residents who live in apartments almost everything they need to thrive.
under the roof. “Feed the soil and the soil will feed the
Trezevant Manor has a tightly plants” is a basic rule of organic gardening.
knit community and residents Begin with a soil analysis, said Jim Volgas,
often visit one another in the a master gardener who gardens organically.
evenings and spend time out on “If you find you need to add lime to make it
their patios enjoying their new less acidic, now is a good time to do it.”
scenery, Isom said. Now is also the time to add as much or-
“We feel like the owners will ganic material to planting beds as possible.
receive years and years of Materials include the plethora of fallen
benefits,” Speakman said. leaves, grass clippings, commercial or home-
File photos by Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal

Dan Patrick works with his mother, Julie, in their organic winter
garden in Mississippi.
made compost, alfalfa pellets, Colvard drives through neigh-
completely decomposed manure borhoods looking for leaves to
and finely ground pine bark pack- supplement the ones that fall nat-
aged as soil conditioner. urally into his yard. He appre-
“I like to chop up the leaves be- ciates people who put their yard
fore adding them be- waste in clear plas-
cause they break tic bags because
down faster, “ said then he can see
Bill Colvard, another what he’s getting.
organic gardener. Slender leaves like
“You can run over willow oaks need no
them with a chopping.
mulching mower Avoid thickly tex-
with a bag attach- Worms break down tured leaves such as
ment or use a yard compost for the magnolias because
vacuum with a shred- Patricks’ garden. they take a long
der attachment.” time to decompose.
Some gardeners place big Leaves and other organic mat-
leaves in a garbage can and then ter can be piled into beds and
use a string trimmer to chop allowed to rot as is, but if they
them in the can. are worked in with a tiller, they
break down more quickly. blowing away in your dening is an environmen-

When organic materials planting beds, you can tally sound choice.
are incorporated into our weight them down with a You may not be able to
finely textured clay soils, thin layer of r mulch. It completely eliminate syn-
they create places for air will eventually decompose thetic fertilizers and pes-
and water. and enrich the soil, too. ticides the first year. Con-
“Organic matter opens Another method in- sider “going organic” a
pore space in the soil that volves stretching water- process rather than an all-
can store water so it permeable landscape cloth or-nothing technique.
doesn’t run off as quickly, over the beds and weigh- “After a few seasons,
“ Volgas said. “Root sys- ing it down with bricks. beneficial insects will pret-
tems grow better when ty much control harmful
they have room in ones, “ Colvard
the soil. And if said. “You have to
roots are happy, always be on the
the rest of the plant lookout for tomato
will be happy, too.” hornworms and
It’s also an invit- squash borers.”
ing environment Organic prod-
for earthworms, ucts such as Bt
workhorses of the (bacillius thurin-
garden. When they genisis) can be
can easily tunnel used to kill caterpil-
through soil, they lars and homemade
are more efficient mixtures of garlic
at taking organic April and Doug Blankenship put a lot of and red pepper are
matter from the top effort into preparing soil for their also deterrents for
of the soil and de- vegetable garden. Doug built raised beds insects.
positing it further and April filled them with composted Kay McAdams, a
down through their cow manure, other amendments and soil. master gardener
castings. and organic gar-
Healthy soil, organic dener, uses Bt to control
gardeners believe, can be Remove the cloth and dis- cabbage worms on her cab-
judged by the number card at planting time. bage and broccoli crops.
and size of earthworms in After the beds are filled “But I don’t have a solu-
a shovel full of dirt. with organic materials, tion for squash bugs, “ she
After 12 years of organ- there’s not much more said. They look like stink
ic gardening at his previ- physical work to do until bugs and will suck the life
ous home, Colvard saw planting time. But you out of squash plants.
the earthworms grow can spend time reading When it’s time to plant,
from thin and sparse to about the plants you want McAdams adds a small
numerous and big — 6 to to install in the spring, amount of worm castings
8 inches long and very fat. organic gardening meth- and mycorrhizal fungi in
To keep leaves from ods and why organic gar- the hole. Mycorrhizae are
Fans of the Greenline
Emily Adams Keplinger/The Commercial Appeal
Kristi, Reeves and Ken Bauer rode their bikes along the
new GreenLine, from Tillman Street in Binghamton to
Shelby Farms, and back to Tillman. The entire loop is a
little more than 14 miles long. The family said they were
surprised at how easy the dedicated trail made the trek.
naturally occurring fungi just the only way to gar- to garden at her grand-
that send thread-like den. father’s elbow and does it
growth into the soil. “My grandfather grew today for a compelling
While organic garden- some of the best food I reason:
ing is trendy today, both ever put in my mouth us- “I just think organically
Colvard and McAdams ing no synthetic chemi- grown vegetables taste
learned it from grandpar- cals,” Colvard said. “So I better.”
ents. They never heard always knew if he could Chris Gang writes the
their methods called or- do it, I could too.” “Green Thumb” column for
ganic. To them, it was And McAdams learned The Commercial Appeal.
John McConnico/Associated Press

Global warming: a political issue?
GOP plans attacks on EPA

and some climate scientists
By Neela Banerjee
McClatchy-Tribune Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Now that the GOP has won Associated Press

control of the U.S. House, senior congressional file photo
Republicans plan to launch a blistering attack on the The Obama
Obama administration’s environmental policies, as well administration
as on scientists who link air pollution to climate change. has embraced
The GOP’s fire will be concentrated especially on the the position that
administration’s efforts to use the Environmental human activity is
Protection Agency’s authority over air pollution to responsible for
tighten emissions controls on coal, oil and other carbon an increase in
fuels that scientists say contribute to global warming. global warming.
The attack, according

to senior Republicans, will
seek to portray the EPA as
abusing its authority and
damaging the economy
with needless government
regulations.
In addition, GOP
leaders say, they will focus
on what they see as
distortions of scientific
evidence regarding climate
change and on Obama
administration efforts to Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal file photo
achieve by executive rule-
making what it failed to Over the last two years, the Obama administration
win from Congress. and the EPA have stepped up pressure on industry,
Even if Republicans had utilities and states to curtail pollution.
won majorities in both the
House and Senate, they could end up effectively
would face difficulties White House
hamstringing her
putting their views into officials have said agency’s work.
legislative form. The new rules EPA has
But the GOP’s plans for they are
issued over the last year
wide-ranging and considering hiring on vehicle emissions and
sustained investigations those expected soon for
by congressional more lawyers to
industry, Jackson said,
committees could put the the Office of Legal “would be endangered by
EPA and administration many, if not all, of the
environmental Counsel to gird for efforts we’ve seen to take
policymakers on the the possible away the agency’s
defensive and create greenhouse gas authority.”
political pressures that battles ahead. Over the last two years,
could cause President the Obama administration
Barack Obama to pull back and the EPA have stepped
on environmental issues up pressure on industry,
as the 2012 presidential Yet even with the White
utilities and states to
election draws closer. House running
curtail pollution. A 2007
White House officials interference for the EPA
Supreme Court ruling
have said they are and other agencies, EPA
opened the door for the
considering hiring more Administrator Lisa P.
EPA to use its authority to
lawyers to the Office of Jackson conceded that a
regulate greenhouse gas
Legal Counsel to gird for Republican anti-
emissions, resulting in new
the possible battles ahead. regulatory campaign
People gather
outside the
Fraterville coal
mine near Lake
City, Tenn., to
learn if there
are any
survivors from
a May 19, 1902,
explosion.
There were
none. More
than 200 men
and boys
perished.
AP Photo/Courtesy
of Museum of
Appalachia
rules for vehicle emissions rejecting the work of “declare war on the
and, starting early next climate scientists has regulatory state.”
year, regulations for become increasingly A steady flow of letters,
emissions from utilities. common among subpoenas and
In contrast to the conservatives. congressional hearings
previous administration, Several key Republican would prove “incredibly
the Obama White House congressmen have said disruptive” to an agency’s
has also embraced the they plan to investigate ability to work and
broad consensus within climate scientists they promulgate rules, said
the scientific community contend manipulated data Kate Gordon, of the
that human activity, to prove the case that energy policy project at
mainly through the human activity is the Center for American
emitting of carbon dioxide, contributing to global Progress, a liberal
has led to global warming. warming. research and advocacy
All that will be up for In a recent op-ed group in Washington.
scrutiny with the article, Rep. Fred Upton Congressional inquiries
Republican takeover of the of Michigan, the ranking also offer a platform for
House. The Republican Republican on the energizing the GOP’s
Party hammered at the powerful House Energy conservative base in the
administration’s and Commerce run-up to the 2012
environmental agenda Committee, declared that elections.
during the campaign. And the GOP is preparing to The investigations are
expected to target
questions about EPA’s
preparedness for the Gulf
of Mexico oil spill. Already,
House Republicans have
written letters to the
Interior Department
questioning the
moratorium on deepwater
oil and gas drilling that the
administration invoked
after the explosion on BP’s
Deepwater Horizon rig.
But the primary focus
will be on the EPA’s Associated Press file photo
determination last year The EPA has moved to reduce greenhouse gases by
that carbon dioxide and mandating emissions reductions in vehicles and will
other emissions endanger soon move to regulate stationary sources like
public welfare by power plants and factories.
contributing to climate
change. U.S. Rep. James F.
Armed with this finding, Sensenbrenner Jr. of
the EPA has moved to Wisconsin is among the
reduce greenhouse gases House Republicans on
by mandating emissions the Select Committee
reductions in vehicles and on Energy Independence
will soon move to regulate and Global Warming
stationary sources like who assert that the
power plants and factories. science on climate
House Republicans change is not yet
have criticized the EPA settled.
for basing its
endangerment finding on Associated Press file photo
what they consider flawed
research. Republicans
assert that the science on broke late last year, when contend that the sniping
climate change is not yet hackers illegally obtained and harshness in some e-
“settled,” despite the vast and released thousands of mails prove that climate
global scientific consensus e-mails of climate scientists suppressed
about its human causes. scientists working with a dissenting studies and
Specifically, Rep. Darrell leading British laboratory. that science showing the
Issa, R-Calif., has said he Climate skeptics, link between greenhouse
wants to investigate the among them House gases and climate change
“Climategate” scandal that Republicans like Issa, is biased and tainted.
Don’t break the bank

Yes, you can build a low-cost ‘green’ house
By Andy Mead “We don’t have a lot of resources

McClatchy Newspapers in Lewis County as far as people
and businesses, so our goal is to
The greenest house in Lewis train local folks and provide jobs,”
County, Ky., is a pleasant shade of said Dave Kreher, People’s
blue — and a model for future low- executive director.
income housing. A couple of years ago, on People’s
It is LEED-certified by the U.S. 25th anniversary, the board of
Green Building Council, which directors decided that new houses
means it is an energy-efficient, had to be more energy-efficient to
durable and healthy place to live. offset rapidly increasing utility rates.
“I really like it,” said Melissa “People can afford the financing to
Evans, a county schools employee buy the homes but they can’t afford
who bought the 1,120-square foot to pay the utilities,” Kreher said.
house and plans to live there with Recent People’s houses have
her 10-year-old daughter, Jaycee. been Energy Star-rated and use
The sale price, offset somewhat about one-third less energy than
by a grant, was $90,000, with low standard houses of their size.
interest rates and the promise of There also have been a couple of
lower utility and maintenance costs homes that heat water and produce
in the future. some electricity from solar rays.
The house was built by a There are only two LEED houses
nonprofit organization called officially listed in Kentucky, a
People’s Self-Help Housing Inc., silver-rated house in Lexington that
which has been building low-income was built in 2006, and a gold-rated
houses in the county since 1982. house in Covington that was
People’s has built and sold 275 completed earlier this year.
houses, and it built and manages The house in downtown
120 rental units. Vanceburg will be No. 3, and it has
Unlike Habitat for Humanity, enough points to qualify for a gold
People’s hires people to build rating (the scale is certified silver,
houses. gold and platinum).
What makes a Tom Fern, state director of rural development

house green? for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the
house is an important step in helping people with
Most of the things
low incomes “achieve their dream of home
that earned points for
ownership” and helps keep them in those homes.
the LEED rating can
He noted that Lewis County — which is in
become standard in
northeastern Kentucky and has a population of
other homes.
about 14,000 — is one of 43 counties in the state
Durability: The
where poverty is considered persistent.
siding is fiber cement,
Kreher said that he is not sure that certification
which lasts longer
will be sought for future
than regular siding
houses because of the extra
and holds paint
cost, but that most of the “We’re not using
longer.
things that earned points for the cheapest
Insulation: The
the LEED rating can become
walls are built with material, but the
standard in other homes.
two-by-six studs
Greg Miller, People’s most durable
instead of
director of design and
two-by-four. That material. So over
construction technologies,
saves money because
said that even the house’s the lifetime of the
fewer studs are
location will save the
needed, and more
homeowner money and go house, it will be
insulation can fit in
easy on the environment. cheaper for the
the walls. The roof
“It’s within walking
trusses are raised
distance or a short drive homeowner.”
where the roof meets
from a lot of things,” he said.
the wall, also to
“Being here in downtown GREG MILLER
accommodate more
Vanceburg, there’s a People’s Self-Help Housing Inc.
insulation. director of design and
grocery, there’s the library,
Water: The house construction technologies
the police department, the
has plumbing
fire department, most of
fixtures, such as
your day-to-day needs.”
dual-flush toilets, that
The cost to build the house was about
will require less
$115,000, Miller said.
water. The yard is
But some of the costs were higher because
small and has
carpenters and other workers weren’t familiar
drought-tolerant
with techniques like using two-by-six studs. He
plants.
thinks the house could be built again and come in
Equipment: Lights,
much closer to $90,000.
washer, dryer, fans
And, he said, it is a house that will last.
and refrigerator all
“We’re not using the cheapest material, but the
are Energy Star
most durable material,” he said. “So over the
certified and will use
lifetime of the house, it will be cheaper for the
less electricity.
homeowner.”
Under ‘deconstruction’
Dubuque neighborhood uses green demolition methods
By Andy Piper dedicated to diverting cabinet, a mirror and a
Telegraph Herald reusable construction storm door are all
material from the landfill. marketable, Fitzgerald
DUBUQUE, Iowa — “The impact is pretty said. Antique sinks and
The Dittmer Recycling significant.” bathtubs also are highly
truck totes a Dumpster Now that the plaster, prized in the Chicago
loaded with drywall, drywall and painted wood market.
insulation, wood scraps are gone, Fitzgerald “This light fixture is
and other debris. strolls through 502 amazing,” he said,
“That’s all that’s going Rhomberg and points out pointing to a bedroom
to the landfill from this the “gold” that remains, ceiling. “It’s probably all
house,” said Kyle such as the 2-by-4s and 2- brass. It will go for big
Fitzgerald, site manager by-12s used for the walls bucks.”
for Gronen Restoration. and support beams. The Deconstruction is
Fitzgerald is overseeing lumber originated in old- somewhat new to the
deconstruction of a row growth forests, and area, and Deron
of houses. Deconstruction although “used,” it is in Muehring, of the city’s
is more labor-intensive great demand. Engineering Department,
than traditional “Everybody wants that hopes a project of this
demolition. The process old-growth wood for magnitude persuades
separates reusable wood, furniture making, flooring contractors to adopt the
flooring and fixtures from and molding,” Ortiz said. process.
the garbage. “There just isn’t enough “Our goal is to divert
According to Gronen’s of it available. We can’t material from the landfill
guidelines, a successful keep it in our either as reuse or
deconstruction project warehouses.” recycling,” Muehring
diverts 80 percent to 90 Nails will be removed said.
percent of a structure’s and the wood will be “The way we bid this
total weight from the stacked according to size, project, the more the
landfill into reuse or banded and trucked to contractors divert from
recycling. Chicago to meet demand the landfill, the more they
“The average house in a fast-growing market get paid. The city is
weighs 80 tons,” said Ken for previously used going to learn a lot of
Ortiz, Chicago regional building materials. lessons from this project
manager for The ReUse An old stove, kitchen and so will the
People, an organization cabinets, a bathroom contractors.”
Iraqis gather plant samples

to replace destroyed collection
Jane Arraf
Kurdish boys in the foothills of Mount Permagrone manage their flocks.
Environmentalists are trying to protect this biologically diverse region.
By Jane Arraf to the marshes of southern Iraq.

The Christian Science Monitor Mount Permagrone is home to one-
sixth of the roughly 3,300 plant va-
MOUNT PERMAGRONE, Iraq — On rieties intended to be collected and pre-
this mountainside in Iraqi Kurdistan, served in a new national herbarium — a
botanists are gathering hundreds of catalog of the country’s plant specimens
plant samples in an effort to protect that was looted and destroyed in Bagh-
their country’s diverse environment, dad after Saddam Hussein was toppled
ranging from northern mountain ranges in 2003.
It’s also near one of the major trib- velopment in the rapidly expanding city
utaries of the Tigris River that, together of Suleymaniyah nearby. But with pro-
with the waters of the Euphrates, forms tecting the environment a tough sell in
Iraq’s southern marshes. Major swaths of war-torn Iraq, Alwash hopes to appeal
the marshes, the biggest wetlands in the to the economic interests of Kurdish
Middle East, were drained by Saddam residents in the north, promoting eco-
and are just now coming back to life. tourism activities such as kayaking and
“Those who want the marshes re- rock climbing.
stored understand that there is an in- Training young botanists left behind
trinsic connection between the moun- as Iraq’s scientific research stagnated is
tains of Kurdistan and the marshes of also part of the broader effort to pre-
Iraq,” said environmentalist Azzam Al- serve Iraq’s biodiversity, an effort that
wash, whose Nature Iraq organization has involved elder scientists who have
has shifted from monitoring bird life in long lived in exile.
the south to a wider mission: protecting “Our goal is to create a new gen-
key biodiversity areas. eration of Iraqi botanists,” said Ihsan al-
Iraq recently became party to the in- Shehbaz, who left Iraq in 1981. “The
ternational Convention on Biological Di- country has been deprived of proper
versity, aimed at protecting biodiversity science for the last 35 years.”
and encouraging sustainable develop- Shehbaz, who worked on his 37-vol-
ment. Signatories to the convention met ume Flora of China for years, is now
in Japan for a late October summit. helping to establish a digital herbarium
But Alwash has plenty of his own of Iraqi plants that can be used by schol-
ideas already, including creating a na- ars around the world, as well as a seed
tional park in the bank and botanical
marshes. Such a gardens. The on-
park would commit “Those who want the marshes line herbarium
the government to would update a 12-
regulating the wa- restored understand that volume Flora of
ter flow to prevent Iraq he began in
the wetlands from there is an intrinsic conjunction with
stagnating and connection between the Britain’s Royal
plant and bird life Botanical Gardens
from disappearing. mountains of Kurdistan and but abandoned dur-
That’s a challenge the marshes of Iraq, ing the Iran-Iraq
amid competing war in the 1980s.
demands for Iraq’s AZZAM ALWASH “We need to
increasingly limit- Environmentalist with Nature Iraq whose know what there is
ed water — includ- mission is protecting key biodiversity areas there before we do
ing those by the oil anything else,” he
industry. said by telephone from the United States,
His group is also trying to have the where he now lives. “A great deal of the
mountain declared a special biodiversity wealth of knowledge is basically being
site, which would protect it from de- lost because no one is recording it.”
Environmentalists
want 60 mpg fuel
standard by 2025 GM partners with
The strategy for
reducing the smog, soot
and global warming
Envision Solar for
Chevy Volt recharging
pollutants belched from car
and truck exhaust pipes
has focused largely on
increasing the miles these
vehicles get per gallon. By Susan Carpenter
Federal Environmental Los Angeles Times
Protection Agency and
Transportation Department
officials are expected to “Every electric vehicle is the equivalent of one or
release their proposals to two single-family residences in terms of impact on
reduce vehicle pollutants the electric grid,” said Desmond Wheatley, pres-
and increase fuel efficiency ident of Envision Solar in San Diego.
by the end of the month. To help offset that impact, Envision has partnered
Groups including the with General Motors to provide solar-powered
National Resources charging “trees” to GM dealers selling its soon-to-be
Defense Council, Sierra released Chevy Volt. The Volt is a plug-in electric
Club and the Union of
Concerned Scientists vehicle that runs on a 16-kilowatt lithium ion bat-
already have a goal — they tery and a range-extending gas engine.
want cars and trucks to “We’re leading in introducing to the marketplace
achieve an average 60 a vehicle that is powered by electricity. We see
miles per gallon by 2025. electrification of automobiles as being the long-term
The groups are set to play,” said Sharon Basel, manager of GM’s en-
announce a national vironment, energy and advanced technology com-
campaign to promote this munications. “For that to really happen, infrastruc-
standard and to push ture needs to be developed. We’re looking all the
federal officials to adopt it. time to expand our involvement with powering
Current standards call for
an average 35 mpg for cars facilities by renewable sources like solar, so this was
and trucks by 2020. To see just a natural step for us as we talk about leading
what the standards are and building a business infrastructure.”
now, and to learn more Envision solar trees track with the sun to max-
about the complicated imize energy production. Set up in one- and six-park-
system of tradeoffs that ing-space configurations, each space can generate
allows manufacturers to enough electricity to fully charge one Volt in a day.
produce SUVs with lower In addition to generating electricity, the solar
mpg ratings, visit
icsw.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/ trees provide shade, because, Wheatley says, 80
CAFE/overview.htm. percent of the electricity an electric vehicle takes on
board after first plugging in goes to cooling the
— Spencer Hunt, The battery to a temperature that will accept a charge.
Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
Proper maintenance
helps lower emissions
According to the Car Care
Council, by properly maintaining
your vehicle’s fuel system, you
will not only improve the
performance of your vehicle, but
lower its emissions and save
money at the pump, too.
“A well-maintained fuel system
is essential for good gas mileage,”
said Rich White, the council’s
executive director. “By simply
replacing your car’s fuel filter
every two years or 24,000 miles
and having your fuel injectors
flushed out every 30,000 miles,
you will not only have a cleaner,
‘greener’ car, but you will also
spend less at the pump.”
In addition to routine
maintenance, your fuel system
should be checked immediately if
you smell gas, or suddenly have
poor fuel economy, because
there might be leak in the fuel
system. If the “Check Engine”
Todd Plitt/McClatchy light is illuminated, it may mean
Envision solar trees track with the sun to a problem with the fuel injectors
maximize energy production. Set up in one- or oxygen sensors. While oxygen
and six-parking-space configurations, each sensors are part of the emission
system, they have a large impact
space can generate enough electricity to fully on your vehicle’s fuel economy.
charge one Volt in a day. The fuel system in your car
includes a pressure regulator,
Although some of the trees are transportable, fuel injectors, lines/hoses, fuel
most will be tied in to the grid. The charging filter, fuel tank and one or more
fuel pumps. These components
stations within the trees are provided through work together to supply fuel to
existing providers, such as Ecotality and the vehicle as needed. The fuel
Coulomb Technologies, and will consist of Level system transfers fuel from the
1 (120-volt) and Level 2 (240-volt) chargers. fuel tank, passing it through a
Each charge will cost about one-third as much fuel filter for cleaning before it
as refueling a gas vehicle, Wheatley said. arrives at the injectors.
“The whole goal is to reduce dependence on “While the fuel system may
petroleum and reduce overall emissions,” GM’s seem complex, preventative
maintenance will keep it running
Basel said. “To get electricity from renewable at peak performance and keep
sources like the sun is an ideal condition.” you in the ‘green,’” said White.
ASK MNN
The scoop on green Web hosting
By Matt Hickman that rents out Web space on a “big com-

Mother Nature Network puter” that operates 24/7 — but I’m not
quite sure how one can be eco-friendly.
Q: I recently opened a small, brick- I’d like to go with a green Web host once I
and-mortar retail business in Colorado understand exactly what one is. Care to
and we’re looking to expand our Web fill me in?
presence beyond a simple Facebook page.
My nephew is a Web designer so we’ve You’re essentially correct about what
enlisted him to help out, and during a a Web host is: a company that operates
couple of initial meetings he’s mentioned those “big computers” — they’re called
the possibility of using a “green” host for servers — where your website “lives.”
our website. I have a basic understand- Think of a Web host as a landlord for a
ing of what a Web host is — a company website.
For a monthly or yearly fee, the Web

host provides a home, the server space,
for your site and all of its data so that
when someone types in the address for
your business the site magically appears
on their computer.
Keep in mind that your website
doesn’t just magically exist, floating to
and fro about some kind of virtual ether.
It lives in an actual computer main-
tained by the host in an energy-guzzling
data center.
The servers and other pieces of equip-
ment in a data center, particularly cool-
ing systems, require a whole lot of juice
to keep all those websites up and run-
ning 24/7. Green Web hosts frequently practice
So, yes, your website does have the various day-to-day green business
potential to have a carbon footprint. In practices such as recycling,
fact, according to SuperGreen Hosting, telecommuting and tree-planting.
an average server produces 12.5 metric
tons of CO2 annually, whereas an av- lists of the top green hosting services.
erage home produces 6.5 metric tons. From my own research, green Web
Furthermore, it’s believed that Web hosts that seem to have good eco reps
hosting could have a larger footprint include iPage, a company that’s an EPA
than the airline industry by the year Green Power Partner and operates its
2020 unless drastic changes are made. servers, offices and data centers with
To minimize their environmental im- 100 percent wind energy; DreamHost,
pact, many Web hosting companies are another EPA Green Power Partner that
purchasing carbon offsets and/or RECs decided to go carbon-neutral after learn-
(renewable energy credits), or even di- ing that its business generated as much
rectly powering their operations with CO2 as 545 average-sized homes; and
clean-energy sources such as wind or GreenGeeks, a 300 percent wind-pow-
solar. And aside from the energy needed ered company that even encourages em-
to power the servers and other equip- ployees to bring in home-cooked meals
ment, green Web hosts frequently prac- for lunch and dinner to reduce take-out
tice various day-to-day green business food waste at company HQ.
practices such as recycling, telecommut- So there you have it. Websites do,
ing and tree-planting. believe it or not, have carbon footprints.
I would not consider myself part of To minimize yours, I’d highly suggest
the “IT crowd” by any means and can’t going with a green Web host.
personally recommend a green Web
Got a question? Submit it to Mother Nature
host, but sites like Web Hosting Geeks (mnn.com/
and Hosting Review maintain helpful askmothernature?destinationadvice).
Gary O'Brien/Charlotte Observer

Kaitlyn Tokay, front, and her friends say Dumpster diving is catching on. She
and her friend Stephanie Braun, 23, center, along with Jacob Hanks, left,
explored a supermarket site.
Diving for dinner

Dumpster diners make point A self-described community activist,
she began digging through grocery
with ‘perfectly good’ food store trash bins in May and blogging on
Facebook about the “perfectly good”
By Mark Price food she found, cooked and ate.
McClatchy Newspapers It was meant to be a monthlong ex-
periment, to expose society’s continued
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dumpster wastefulness, even in a recession.
diving is far from a fad with University But months later, Tokay is still at it,
of North Carolina Charlotte students, only now she’s part of a team.
but 20-year-old Kaitlyn Tokay and her And as for her blog, readership is at
friends say it’s catching on. 1,600 and growing.
“It has been an eye-opening experi- What types of food are dated?
ence to see not only what we throw away Open dating is found on perishable
as a society, but how it can be used, with foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and
some imagination,” says Tokay, a junior dairy products. ‘Closed’ or ‘coded’ dating
majoring in communication studies. might appear on shelf-stable products
Tokay and many other Dumpster such as cans and boxes.
divers consider themselves freegans,
practicing a form of environmentalism Types of Dates
based on minimal use of resources. Res-
cued food, hand-me-down clothes and ‘Sell-By’ date: Tells the store how
found furniture are all part of the lifestyle. long to display the product for sale. You
Volunteerism is big, too, and Tokay should buy the product before the date
does that by sharing her found food expires.
with the homeless, sometimes working ‘Best if Used By (or Before)’ date:
with a program that serves meals on the Recommended for best flavor or quality.
streets of Charlotte. It is not a purchase or safety date.
Freegan or not, grocery stores main- ‘Use-By’ date: The last date
tain that Dumpster diving is a form of recommended for the use of the product
trespassing. while at peak quality. The date has been
Grocery stores note that there are determined by the manufacturer of the
compelling reasons food is deemed un- product.
fit, including damage, exposure and be- ‘Closed or coded’ dates: Packing
ing past its “sell by” date. Some store numbers for use by the manufacturer.
chains solve this dilemma by donating Source: fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/
whatever they can save. food_product_dating/index.asp
Tokay and her peers realize they’re
considered a nuisance, which is why they
only come out at night, between mid- Or whom you’ll meet.
night and 4 a.m. Most work in teams, She and Braun were diving and heard
with one in the trash bin, handing out the that dreaded “beep, beep, beep” sound
loot to someone waiting on the outside. that garbage trucks make when they’re
Tokay typically works with several backing up to something.
people, including Stephanie Braun, 23, a “I was terrified that I was about to be
social work major who is also president dumped into a garbage truck,” Tokay
of the UNCC Earth Club. Braun con- says. “Then, we realized that it was
siders Dumpster diving a form of re- someone who was going to dump trash
cycling, and has been on outings with as into the Dumpster.”
many as four people. Awkward, indeed.
“We’re college students, so we’re al- “I didn’t know what to do, so I got
ready up at midnight, at coffee shops or out of the Dumpster holding a bunch of
doing our homework,” says Braun. “It’s bananas and offered the driver one.
really like going on a scavenger hunt, They didn’t know what to think.”
and it’s exciting, because you never Jacob Hanks, 22, is a recent UNCC
know what you’ll find.” grad who is among Tokay’s partners.
A recent haul
from Dumpster
diving included
both packaged
and fresh foods.
Gary O'Brien
Charlotte Observer
He’s been at it longer, though, having Tokay says she’s living proof, having
started last year after hearing about it never gotten sick from eating items found
from a friend who had been Dumpster in the trash. “Just because a product says
diving in Portland, Ore.. it’s out of date on June 2, or whatever,
He says he gets most of his meals doesn’t mean it’s gone bad exactly on
these days from trash bins. “There is an June 2. A lot of times, they’re still good.”
abundance of stuff. We’ve had times Tokay goes four times a week, and
where we found enough food to fill up has gotten used to the feeling of wa-
the entire kitchen floor, including pas- termelon and cottage cheese sliding
tries, packaged cakes, shrink-wrapped down her pants legs, and rotten veg-
barbecue ribs and a lot of bread.” etables in her shoes.
Among Hanks’ observations is that She also has gotten used to a new
Dumpster divers tend to be more active way of cooking that depends on what-
in the fall and winter, because the cold- ever was found that week in a trash bin.
er weather is “natural refrigeration.” Lately, she’s been cooking a lot with
He says they eat better, because they flax oil, after finding an entire case.
find fruits, vegetables and meats that “One bottle was broken, so the store
struggling college students can seldom af- just threw out the whole case.”
ford. He and other Dumpster divers con- Her refrigerator is brimming, including
tend that much of this food was tossed out 2 pounds of kosher beef, 8 ounces of or-
unnecessarily due to health regulations. ganic pea shoots, and 5 pounds of straw-
The USDA concurs, noting the country berries that she’s turning into smoothies
has no universally accepted system for using a blender found in a trash bin.
food dating. In fact, it says on its website “I have no idea what this is,” she says,
that many products should still be safe holding a can with the label torn off. “It
after the sell-by date, if handled properly. will be a total surprise when we open it.”
Roll with it
Scott introduces tube-free paper products
By Matt Hickman be able to purchase just that ... toilet

Mother Nature Network paper rolls sans cardboard tubes.
USA Today is reporting that at Wal-
There are plenty of ways to extend mart and Sam’s Club stores across the
the life of the cardboard toilet paper Northeast Kimberly-Clark will introduce
tube through creative reuse. The hum- tube-free loo rolls through the Scott
ble tube is a crafting must-have, and Naturals brand. I first blogged about
also serves as compost material, cord Scott Naturals back in August 2009
organizer, pantyhose container, napkin when Kimberly-Clark launched the re-
ring, seed germinator, pet rodent toy, cycled content brand, giving the com-
and, potentially, a memo pad. But what pany’s sullied environmental reputation
about tube-less toilet paper rolls? Im- a boost. Well, it seems that K-C is on
possible, you say? Watch out, George an, ahem, eco-roll with news of Scott
Costanza, because soon shoppers will Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper.
The “tube-less technology” behind the EARTHTALK

toilet paper is hush-hush. While the
holes in the rolls may not be as round as
we’re accustomed to, they will fit over
standard spindles and every last square
of toilet paper will be usable. And to be
No fertilizers,
clear, the toilet paper will not boast
recycled content. But hey, it’s a start.
If the product performs well during
no pesticides
the test run at Walmart and Sam’s Club,
Kimberly-Clark may unleash tube-less
toilet paper on a national — or even
— and no soil
global scale — and extend the technol-
ogy to paper towels. Dear EarthTalk: What are the en-
Scott Naturals vironmental benefits of the hydro-
Tube-free toilet ponic growing of lettuce and other
paper is part of crops?
Kimberly-
Clark’s push While organic agriculture is all the
(some would rage, growing by leaps and bounds to
say a much de- meet increased consumer demand
layed one) to- for healthier food, another option
wards eco-inno- that’s less well known but just as
vation. Last healthy is hydroponics, whereby
month, the com- plants are grown in nutrient-fortified
pany focused on water-based solutions without a soil
home water con- substrate whatsoever. Besides not
servation with the introduction of the needing chemical fertilizers or pes-
Smart Flush Bag, a water-conserving de- ticides (most of which are toxic as
vice given away for free for a limited well as derived from petroleum), hy-
time with the purchase of Scott Naturals droponics also take up much less
toilet paper. Kimberly-Clark claims that space than traditional agriculture,
when placed in a toilet tank, the Smart meaning that even an apartment win-
Flush Bag can help a family of four save dow can yield impressive amounts of
up to 2,000 gallons of water a year. food throughout the calendar year.
Eliminating waste is the drive behind In traditional forms of agriculture,
Scott Natural Tube-Free toilet paper. By soil facilitates the process of pro-
Kimberly-Clark estimates, 17 billion toi- viding the mineral nutrients that
let paper tubes are produced each year in plants need to grow. Organisms in
the U.S. When placed end-to-end, those the soil break down the nutrients
tubes could stretch to the moon and into inorganic basic forms that the
back — twice. All and all, these card- plants can then take up accordingly
board toilet paper tubes account for 160 and put to use photosynthesizing. Of
million pounds of landfill-bound trash. course, some of the organisms the
soil attracts are unwelcome, and not

every speck of soil is ideal as a growth
medium, so we have come up with ways
to kill off unwanted pests (pesticides)
and pump up the ground’s productivity
(fertilizers).
But growing fruits and vegetables hy-
droponically obviates the need for fer-
tilizers and pesticides — let alone soil
— altogether. “Without soil, there is
little to no microbial activity, so the
plants depend on direct nutrients from
nutrient solutions,” reports Alexandra
Gross in E – The Environmental Mag-
azine. “And because hydroponics occur
in a highly controlled space and mi-
crobial activity is at minimum, pesti-
cides, insecticides and herbicides are
not needed.”
In most hydroponic systems, the nu-
trient solutions include inorganic salt
fertilizers and semi-soluble organic ma-
terials such as bat guano (manure),
bone meal and fish emulsion. Since
growing hydroponically does not re-
quire chemical fertilizers and pesticides,
the method is inherently “organic,” al-
though the federal government doesn’t
recognize it as such officially. Hydro-
ponic farmers are trying to get the U.S.
Food & Drug Administration to take like-minded folks all over the world via
soil out of the equation when it comes the Internet — the Windowfarms Pro-
to defining organic so that their prod- ject was born. In less than two years,
ucts can bear an organic certification some 13,000 people have joined the on-
label on store shelves and appeal to a line community at the windowfarms.org
quickly growing segment of green-mind- website, where members can download
ed consumers. free how-to instructions for homemade
Hydroponic methods are becoming hydroponic systems.
especially popular with a new wave of Along with the Windowfarms Project
green-minded urban gardeners. When website, a couple of good sources of
artist Britta Riley began growing her hydroponic growing information, inspi-
own food hydroponically in the window ration and supplies include Hydroponics
of her fifth-floor Brooklyn apartment in Online and Simply Hydroponics and Or-
2009 — and sharing her findings with ganics.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
Filmmaker goes meatless

By Ellen Kanner
McClatchy-Tribune Newspapers
October was Vegetarian Awareness

Month, and when I mentioned this to
my omnivore friends, they’d smile and
say, “That’s nice, dear.” Then they’d eat
a burger.
So it made a welcome change to
share a meatless meal with Shane Close,
former burger-loving surfer dude, now
documentary filmmaker of “Meatless:
The Movie.”
Prior to “Meatless,” Close would grill
steaks or burgers three days a week.
“We’d have meat every day, sometimes
several times a day.”
He went meatless last summer, and
began documenting a 90-day vegetarian
experiment that ended Oct. 9, blogging
about it at meatlessthemovie.com. We
crossed paths on Day 78.
Close and his wife, Amber, had made
a point of eating well since their daugh-
ter, Sophia, was born two years ago, but
that meant grass-fed beef, organic chick- He leaped into the project committed,
en — and a food bill that almost but deliberately under-researched —
equaled their mortgage. your basic sink or swim. “I didn’t know
The idea to go meatless came on a anything about vegetarians, other than
dare from his wife. The idea to doc- they eat fruits and vegetables.”
ument it came from Close, a film school One thing he did discover, thanks to a
graduate who heads Big Angry Pixel, a blood test — he has high cholesterol.
Coral Gables, Fla., media design firm. “My parents were farmers,” said
He’s putting his money where his meat- Close, a Kentucky native who lives in
less is, funding the project himself, on Coconut Grove, Fla. “We’ve got a long
“a shoestring and a prayer.” history of very large family members
and lots of heart disease.”

Halfway through filming, a cousin
died of a heart attack at 33.
“My father’s already had a heart at-
tack. This is something I definitely want
to ward off.”
Close, 39, flashed a picture of his wife
and daughter. “I have lots to live for.”
He gave up meat cold turkey, so to
speak, but eased into the change. He
was vegetarian, embracing dairy and
eggs, the first three weeks, went vegan
(plant-based, no dairy, no eggs) the next
two, then moved to raw-food vegan.
The lacto-ovo phase was easy —
RAW GREEN CHUTNEY
Close loves his cheese and ice cream. This cilantro-mint chutney is adapted
The raw vegan phase, he admits, was “a from Niloufer Ichaporia King’s terrific
challenge.” Soy ice cream, though, got a “My Bombay Kitchen.” This bright,
big thumbs up. no-cook wonder is ready in five minutes.
Going meatless “was an adjustment.
1 big bunch cilantro
Now it’s a little easier. When I go to the 3 tbsp. fresh mint leaves
store, I know what to look for. The 1
/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut (fresh, dried
more you do it, the easier it gets. I or frozen)
totally expected to miss meat. I 1 jalapeno pepper
haven’t.” 2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lime
Close the filmmaker is a little dis- 1
/2 tsp. cumin
appointed it wasn’t more of a struggle, 2 tsp. raw sugar
but as the member of the household 1 pinch sea salt
who does most of the cooking and food
shopping, he was relieved — and, when Place all the ingredients in a food processor and
pulse until they are coarsely chopped and just
we met, 11 pounds lighter. blended. Makes 6 servings.
Will meat wind up back on the grill?
Close said he didn’t think so, not for
him, not for Sophia. “She’s a natural
vegetarian. She loves eggs and ketchup or a moral issue, but Close isn’t in-
and cheese. When you try to feed her terested in preaching to the meatless
meat, she turns up her nose and says, choir. The documentary includes vegans
‘No, Daddy, I don’t want that.’ She and plant-based activists but also ranch-
prefers pastas, grains, fruits and veg- ers and farmers, like his own Kentucky
etables. She loves broccoli.” family. And that’s the kind of audience
“ Meatless,” slated for release early he wants to reach. “I’m hoping for the
next year, covers reasons people choose average Joe from middle America, like
to give up meat, whether it’s health, my cousin who just died.”
environmental concerns, animal rights Close wants them to know going

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2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 14, 2010 commercialappeal.

What’s in this issue ...

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

On the cover: Cover illustration by Shane McDermott/The Commercial Appeal

The Green Page

Just do one thing

IT IS UPSETTING TO ECOLOGISTS when there is a major

The bees are a vital part of the Memphis Area Beekeeping

Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

help determine the cause of the The second group of beekeepers

Virus, also carried by

transmits to the bee, Ostiguy said. their way back.

Photos by Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal

Trezevant Manor eventually

File photos by Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal

break down more quickly. blowing away in your dening is an environmen-

Fans of the Greenline

Emily Adams Keplinger/The Commercial Appeal

John McConnico/Associated Press

GOP plans attacks on EPA

WASHINGTON — Now that the GOP has won Associated Press

The attack, according

Don’t break the bank

By Andy Mead “We don’t have a lot of resources

What makes a Tom Fern, state director of rural development

Iraqis gather plant samples

By Jane Arraf to the marshes of southern Iraq.

The scoop on green Web hosting

By Matt Hickman that rents out Web space on a “big com-

For a monthly or yearly fee, the Web

Gary O'Brien/Charlotte Observer

Diving for dinner

By Matt Hickman be able to purchase just that ... toilet

The “tube-less technology” behind the EARTHTALK

soil attracts are unwelcome, and not

THE EDGY VEGGIE

Filmmaker goes meatless

October was Vegetarian Awareness

and lots of heart disease.”

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