Healthy and Green Living » Community Service

Charitable Recycling: Eyeglasses, Printer Cartridges and Mobile Phones

Melissa Breyer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:01:23 +0000

Who doesn't keep old eyeglasses as a backup when they get a new pair&#151and end up with an overflowing drawer of dated glasses we wouldn't be caught dead in now. If you find yourself in a drawer-cleaning frenzy, you might turn to our favorite recycling guide for advice on what to do with that pile of old glasses. We also stumbled across what to do with printer cartridges (also in a drawer) and mobile phones (yes, they usually have a drawer too). Read here for tips on how to recycle eyeglasses, printer cartridges and mobile phones&#151those junk drawer items it just doesn't feel right to throw away&#151and learn how to contribute to charity at the same time.

Knit Unto Others: Knitting For Charity

Ronnie Citron-Fink — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:13:54 +0000

Tis� the season! Oh, it�s not that season yet. But for us knitters, it’s pre-season. The needles really start clicking when the air gets crisp. Thoughts shift to creating knitted holiday gifts for our loved ones. Knitting feeds my soul and keeps my fingers and mind alert. And who doesn�t love receiving a handknitted item? Knitting [...]

Visit the Beach this Saturday!

Megan Zehnder — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:17:26 +0000

What are you doing this Saturday? How about hitting the beach! (Or to the nearest river, lake, large body of water…) Everyday thousands of beach-lounging guests enjoy the ocean, home to 20,000 known species–and so many more unknown. This Saturday, September 19, visit the beach, and rather than lounging under the sun, help clean-up from all [...]

Curbside Composting: A Valuable Community Service

Megan, selected from Green Options — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:20:29 +0000

This past spring, my family and I were able to get all the compost we needed for our vegetable garden from a local community�s compost pile at their department of public works. The compost was created from all of the leaves and yard clippings that had been collected curbside. Many communities collect leaves, clippings and [...]

DIY Cranes for Cancer Research

Ronnie Citron-Fink — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:13:32 +0000

DIY Crane Chandelier Project While I was digging around in the wedding websites for my green wedding articles, I stumbled across the Toronto based The Wedding Co. They have organized a worldwide DIY project called, The Crane Chandelier for cancer research. The Wedding Co. is building a chandelier from origami cranes signed by brides and grooms [...]

25 Things You Might Not Know about Water

Mel, selected from Food & Water Watch — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:04:28 +0000

If you’re on Facebook, you and your friends may have posted notes with 25 facts about themselves. We wanted to share with you 25 things we think are really interesting about water. 1. The world is currently in a water crisis. One out of six people worldwide doesn’t have access to clean water. Every year, 2 [...]

How You Can Save the Planet

Robyn, selected from Intent — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:04:31 +0000

By Rex Weyler, Intent After four decades in the environmental movement, I rejoice at signs of progress, but I also believe the pace of change remains too slow. We � especially those privileged with daily meals and computers � need to do more. I often struggle to reconcile realism with optimism. Realistically, two-thirds of natural services [...]

Chicago Gets First Solar Powered EV Charging Station

Jerry James Stone — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:17:40 +0000

San Francisco and Portland might be engaged in some electric vehicle pissing contest, but I think both cities just got seriously spanked by Chicago! Yes, Chicago! The Windy City just unveiled the first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station during the IOC tour. The Solar Plug-In Stations will be used daily by the City of Chicago Department of [...]

Happy Earth Day!

Terri Hall-Jackson — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:12:09 +0000

Holidays are so interesting to me. Valentine�s Day is the day to show love. Thanksgiving is the day to give thanks. Easter is the day to � paint eggs? Obviously, most holidays are an opportunity to bring into focus values and attitudes that, hopefully, we are learning to express year-round, not just a [...]

Community Brainstorm: Can Your Idea Change the World?

Veronica Peterson — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:11:28 +0000

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” We all know the Gandhi quote and never has it rung more true than the today, as we see the butterfly effect of a single action having repercussions far and wide. What better time than the present, when the internet has given lightening speed to our [...]