Green/Environment
What happened to the honeybees?
There has been a lot of speculation about why honeybees have been disappearing, and now scientists have a new theory: it's because of us. Luckily there are many things you can do to help foster good environments for honeybees, such as planting a diverse garden with plants that are attractive to bees. And if you're looking for honey or info on how to raise your own bees, you can't get more local than Bobilin Honey from right here in Canton.- Anne Heidemann
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World Heritage Sites
The new book "World Heritage Sites", is a treasure trove of information. Readers will be impressed with this all encompassing testament to world culture. It describes 878 sites from 141 countries which the United Nations has designated as culturally or enviromentally important to the world. "World Heritage List", has proved to be a valuable tool in the battle to preserve much of the world's cultural and natural heritage. Its strict criteria results in only the world's most spectacular and extraordinary sites making it onto the list. The list has been publicly available online at http://whc.unesco.org but never in a book format like this.- chitra rout
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Simply Organic
OK, I admit it. I am obsessed with the topic of locally produced, organic foods. If you are too - and there are many reasons to be - you may want to check out "Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients" by Jesse Ziff Cool. Perhaps what I like most about this cookbook is that it is organized according to the seasons and transitions between them with chapters like "Early Winter" and "Deep Winter." Plus, the ingredients are relatively simple and includes things that I actually eat (except perhaps the Raspberry Millet Pancakes). With 150 enticing recipes, "Simply Organic" may encourage you to embrace organic foods "as a lifestyle rather than a fad."It Pays to Recycle at Local Retailers
Beginning November 1st Target will give a 5¢ discount for every reusable bag customers use to pack their purchases. Over the next three weeks CVS will also roll out a similar program in its stores. Participating CVS customers will receive $1 cash bonus on their CVS card every four times they buy something but don't request plastic bags. Smaller retailers such as Trader Joe's, Hiller's and Whole Foods have been offering financial incentives to re-use bags for some time. With large retailers like Target and CVS following suit the two programs could keep billions of plastic bags out of the environment and nudge other big retailers to take similar steps.[Photo courtesy of AP Images]
Save money this Halloween
Take a stroll around the Children's Library and you'll find plenty of inspiration for your Halloween costume. To save money, wear everything you already have in your favorite color and be Purplicious, Pinkalicious or Goldilicious. Pull out a toy instrument for your little one and they could be a Jazz Baby. Celebrate recycling by making a robot or a race car out of a box like our bunny friend in Not A Box. Or, team up with some friends, grab a bunch of old boxes and make your own Freight Train.Clean Energy Makeover for Ford Plant in Wixom
The Ford plant in Wixom, Michigan will be converted into a renewable energy manufacturing facility. According to earth2tech.com, the 320-acre plant is getting its clean energy makeover through a partnership between Ford Motors and Govenor Jennifer Granholm, and greentech companies Xtreme Power, Clairvoyant Energy and Oerlikon Solar. The solar plant should be up and running by 2011. To find out more about "greentech", check out the green technology resources available from CPL. [Photo courtesy of AP Images].E, The Environmental Magazine
From heated discussions on coal and population growth to tips on skin care, cargo-ready bikes, green jobs and ecovilages, E, The Environmental Magazine has got it all. The current issue features an article on actress Daryl Hannah and her work in West Virgina and the work of ecologists to save California's giant green turtles (550 Ibs.!). The library carries last year's issues up the current or you can access their online edition.
Blowin' in the Wind: Clean Energy, Made in Michigan
Wind, solar and geothermal are among the most promising methods to generate clean, renewable energy. You can learn more about a clean energy future by reading Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman, best-selling author and Pulitzer-prize winning columnist from The New York Times.
Green Reads Redux
Looking for more stories about kids working to protect our environment? You might find them in unexpected places. If you are a Fantasy Fiction fan try The Companions Quartet series by Julia Golding. If you like Realistic Fiction, try Night of the Spadefoot Toads by Bill Harley and Operation Redwood by Susannah T. French. If you like adventure, you might find Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis exciting and full of suspense. You see, there are lots of possibilities when it comes to "green" reads. Enjoy!TIECon Midwest 2009
TIECon Midwest 2009 will take place Friday, October 23 at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, MI. The conference is designed for entrepreneurs who "think creatively, innovatively and resourcefully to create their own future regardless of economic conditions and uncertainties."TiECon Midwest 2009 will focus on four vertical educational tracks including: Cleantech, IT, Healthcare and Emerging Concepts.Save Money and the Environment
Looking for convenient ways to save money and increase your productivity? The Simple Dollar recently listed 21 Ways to Reduce Your Spending Without Making Your Life Miserable, including tip #2: "Do some basic energy efficiency around your living quarters". They point to the Department of Energy's "Energy Savers" site, which has many recommendations for making your home more energy-efficient on the cheap. The Simple Dollar also posted 12 Clever Substitutions That Save Money (Nearly) Effortlessly, which speaks to how versatile vinegar truly is.- Brad Czerniak
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Help clean up Canton
Peace Love and Planet, Inc. - your local answer to recycling garden plastics
Peace, Love & Planet, Inc. (PLP) initiated a plastic recycling program to prevent garden plastic from entering Michigan landfills and promote sustainability in our community. You can drop off your garden plastic pots and trays at convenient locations, such as the Plymouth Nursery, for recycling. You can also volunteer an hour or two to help prepare plastic for recycling on Saturday, October 10 from 10am to noon at Christensen's Plant Center, 6282 Gotfredsen Rd., Plymouth Township, MI 48170.What's inside the food we eat?
Ever wondered what's in those delicious fast-food hamburgers? Just beef right? Not exactly. Check out the documentary film King Corn to watch two friends as they return to the land of their ancestors, small-town Iowa, to uncover the corn industry and its impact on the American diet. The film also discusses the environmental impact of industrial farming. The film may not answer all of your questions but it will surely get a conversation started.Handmade Home
Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Blake SouleThis book includes over thirty projects you can easily make from materials you may have around the house or could easily find in thrift shops or on clearance at retail stores. The projects range from hot pads to tote bags to blankets to hats, and all are easily accomplished by someone with basic sewing skills. The photographs feel like those you'd find in your old family albums and the handmade items have a homey, very doable feel.
- Anne Heidemann
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Labor Day Walk
Staying in Canton during Labor Day weekend? Enjoy a walk along the Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail. The walk is Monday, September 7th from 5-7pm and Trail Bingo will be provided by the Canton Leisure Services Staff. Having just recently taken a bike ride on the trail, I can tell you first hand that it is a beautiful piece of Canton that everyone should go out and enjoy.Green Reads
Did you notice that a lot of new books feature stories about the environment? Even some of our favorite characters are "going green". Check out these titles to see what I mean:
SpongeBob goes green!: an earth-friendly adventure by Molly Reisner; illustrated by Stephen Reed
OK go by Carin Berger
Cam Jansen and the green school mystery by David A. Adler; illustrated by Joy Allen
Just Grace goes green by written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper
Enter the earth by Lee Welles; illustrated by Ann Hameister
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
My life in pink & green by Lisa Greenwald
Bottomfeeder...you'll never look at fish the same way
If you, like many of us these days, are on a quest to learn more about the food you consume -- where it comes from, how it is produced, what is in it, and if it is sustainably obtained -- you may want to read Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood by Taras Grescoe. However, if you really love fish (and I do) be aware that it may change your fish consumption drastically. Shrimp is something I will now eat only on very special occasions.Quagga Mussels Invading Great Lakes
Young people make our history great!
Have you heard of Kory Johnson? Kory was nine years old in 1988 when she started Children for a Safe Environment, an organization that helps to make sure water is safe for us to drink. Want to learn more about kids who made their mark on American history? Check out We Were There Too by Phillip Hoose. In this great history book you'll find true stories, photos and other primary documents to help you envision what it was like to be a young person and stand up for what you believe.