Green Living Class Series

• Greenlife Community Center - 70 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC
• 6:00 - 8:00 pm
• $30/class or $100/all four classes
• Register online at http://www.thegreenrobin.com/

Class One - Green Your Home (June 3^rd)

This class covers topics such as identifying the best indoor air cleaning plants, choosing the most non-toxic furniture and home fixtures, and a review of green bedding and clothing. Additional topics include green building basics, all natural yard maintenance, greening your laundry process, and keeping an environmentally friendly home office.

Class Two - Green Your Body (June 24^th)

This class covers topics such as finding out which organic produce you should choose and which items you may not have to spend the extra money on. Learn why you should select toxin-free personal care products, how to make your own cleaning products, and what food additives to avoid. Learn why the things we put on our body can be just as harmful as the things we put in our body.

Class Three - Conscious Consumerism (July 1^st)

Do you know where the things you buy come from, who created them, and what resources were used to make them? Through a simple series of questions, find out where most of our shopping dollars are going and how we can make more informed choices to create real change. Topics discussed will include fair trade, buying local, and the simple living philosophy.

Class Four - Green Your Life (July 22^nd)

This class covers topics such as how to reduce your energy and water consumption (what are your carbon and water footprints), what is and is not recyclable, how to compost, how to “green” your whole life, and how to identify greenwashing. Many additional green topics are covered - green burials, green entertainment, green pet care, and more!

As the winter marches on, it is often hard to think about those first few weeks of spring. Delicious leafy greens and warm sun we have waited so long for will be welcome guests!

Now is a great time to plan on joining a CSA for the spring/summer/fall. What is a CSA you ask?

Community Supported Agriculture - basically you are purchasing a “share” of a local farmers produce for the year. You are creating a relationship with your local food grower where everyone wins!

Benefits to participating in a CSA

1. Helps the farmer by securing payment for food they will produce throughout the year
2. Supports locally grown produce which hasn’t traveled long distances to reach you
3. The produce is probably organic (or at least very close to it) and uses local labor for harvesting
4. You receive a delicious box of seasonal produce each week, often with helpful recipes

Check out the Local Harvest website to see what CSA opportunities are available in your area.

In case you don’t live near a CSA, be sure to see what farmers markets and tailgate markets are available. These weekly (and in some cases daily) shopping experiences are priceless - supporting local farmers and small businesses, getting fabulous fresh produce as well as artisan breads/cheeses/herbs, and celebrating where our food really comes from!

Here’s to Spring - let it get here soon!

We all know that recycling allows materials to live a second life (paper, glass, aluminum) but did you know that it also saves the energy that would have been used to mine and manufacture the original materials? Check out the breakdown, part of a recent article published through Co-Op America’s Quarterly news magazine:

Recycled Material                     Energy Saved

Aluminum                                            95%

Steel                                                     80%

Plastic                                                  80%

Paper                                                   64%

Glass                                                    50%

So, if you don’t already have a recycle bin in your home you may want to create one and not only save natural resources but energy to!

According to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) 2007 Manufacturers Survey, sales of organic products grew overall by 21.8% in 2006. Organic food and beverage sales were up 20.9% while nonfood organic sales (personal care, home cleaning, fiber items, pet food, etc.) were up 26%.

The survey is anticipating growth to continue for organic food and beverages to be approximately 18% and nonfood organic sales to be anywhere between 16% and 40% each year for 2007 through 2010. 

Looks like this crazy organic thing is catching on!

Effective January 1, 2008 all businesses in North Carolina licensed to sell alcohol will be required to recycle the bottle, cans or other containers used to serve it. While some businesses are not to happy about this program citing the limited amount of storage space available for recycling, others are ecstatic and are eager to be part of the solution. If a municipality has the capacity to not only pick up but store and transport these recycled items then it is a great first step for businesses to take - and I am sure their customers will be singing (and drinking) their praises. Bartender, can I get another?