New Details on How to Comment on Kaine's Energy Plan

The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy has released details on how to give your feedback on Gov. Tim Kaine's Virginia Energy Plan. You can submit short comments online or submit long comments via e-mail (not sure how/why they're separating the two).

For more details, you can visit energy plan website or download the complete PDF document (5.5MB). You can also read The Green Miles' review of the the Virginia Energy Plan or the Sierra Club's alternative Citizens Energy Plan (777K PDF).

Saturday in Alexandria: Stop Global Warming & Protect Our Threatened Coastline

I'll be speaking at this event on Saturday in Alexandria organized by the National Environmental Trust:

Stop Global Warming & Protect Our Threatened Coastline
Location: Waterfront Park, 1A Prince Street, Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday November 17, 2007
Time: 11AM

In response to the newest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, join area youth, and environmentalists on Alexandria's threatened coastline to voice concern that sea level rise, due to global warming, will greatly effect the Chesapeake Bay region's surrounding communities. Attendees will be addressed by community leaders including Alexandria's Vice Mayor Redella S. "Del" Pepper and Adam Ebbin, Virginia State Delegate 49th District.

The Chesapeake Bay region (including the Potomac) has one of the most vulnerable coastlines to sea level rise. According to the National Wildlife Federation, due to land subsidence relative sea-level rise in the Chesapeake Bay region could reach 17 to 28 inches above 1990 levels by 2095. An increase significantly greater than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change average projected sea-level rise.

On Saturday we will gather at this beautiful, threatened coastal park to thank our elected officials who have taken action and to ask all our elected officials to ensure their actions are as strong as the science says is necessary to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Speakers:
Redella S. "Del" Pepper, Vice Mayor of Alexandria
Adam Ebbin, Virginia State Delegate 49th District
Miles Grant, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment
Evan Glazer, Principal of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Paul Burman, Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Hope to see you there!

Willing to Pay More for Metro?

From the Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock:

Metro Fare Increase Hearings
They're Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with open houses at 6:30 followed the hearings at 7 p.m. Full details about the locations in the various jurisdictions are on this page at Metro's Web site. You can also submit a written statement to Metro by as late as Monday, Nov. 26. Mail it to the Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Or you can send it as an e-mail to public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com. Tell them you're commenting on Docket B07-3.

Personally, I'm willing to pay more for Metro if it helps the trains run on time. I'm also a big fan of gearing those increases towards charging people more at rush hour to encourage off-peak commuting.

The Washington Post has decided to take some sort of a populist stand against any Metro fare increase, headlining its story, "Rider Outrage May Lead Metro to Tweak Fares" even before the hearings take place. Of course riders are going to be unhappy with fare increases - who's going to be excited to pay more for something as thrilling as the daily commute?

The question is, will the fare increases prompt riders to stop taking Metro as a protest or for financial reasons? At just 30 to 80 cents for rail riders and zero to 10 cents for bus riders, I can't imagine anyone changing their commuting patterns. The parking changes are definitely more drastic, but it seems like competition for spots is so stiff, the market can bear them.

What do you think? Let us know what you'll be telling Metro about the proposed increases!

I Once Caught a Fish This Big

On my recent trip to Florida, I got to go deep sea fishing. I caught my first-ever fish, a barracuda:


No, I didn't eat it. Apparently barracuda aren't good eatin' (which I suppose is why you don't ever see Filet of Barracuda with Lemon Butter on the menu at your local restaurant). But they do recycle them, using them as bait for future fishing trips.

Saturday: ACE Pickup & Drinkup

Saturday's Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Four Mile Run event just got a little more fun. Unless you're a Florida State fan.

First, there's The Pickup. At 2pm. we'll meet at the pedestrian bridge at S. Arlington Mill Dr. and S. Randolph St. in Shirlington, then head down to Four Mile Run to pick up trash along the stream banks. The forecast is for the low 50s, so to paraphrase Mary Schmich, if I could offer you only one tip for Saturday, layers would be it.

And now we've added The Drinkup. At 4pm, we'll head over to Bungalow Billiards (2766 South Arlington Mill Drive) for some drinks and appetizers. They'll have The Love Shack reserved for us, a corner with chairs and a railing made up to look like a front porch, though with those chilly temperatures outside, I don't think we'll be ordering mint juleps. While we're chatting up Fresh AIRE, the Green Living Challenge, and the impact of Tuesday's elections on Virginia environmental policy, Virginia Tech fans can also watch the Hokies beat up on Florida State. Arlington Community Role Models has a volunteer event in Shirlington on Saturday as well, so we've invited them to join us at Bungalow. Should be a fun crowd!

You're welcome join us for both ends of the event, but if you can only make just the Pickup or just the Drinkup, that's fine too. Hope to see you on Saturday!

Stonyfield Goes from Natural to Organic. So What's the Difference?

My new favorite breakfast is Stonyfield Chocolate Underground fat-free yogurt with BearNaked peanut butter granola. It's like a Reese's peanut butter cup, if Reese's was run by damn dirty hippies.

Recently I noticed Stonyfield's label had switched from "natural" to "organic." What's the difference? More than you might think.

Basically, natural just means the product was made with no artificial ingredients. Organic means the product was made without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers or antibiotics and no genetically modified organisms. It's especially complicated when dealing with dairy products, because grazing land and feed cannot be treated with chemical fertilizers or persistent toxic pesticides for a period of three years.

For Stonyfield, it was no accident that their suppliers were able to meet the stringent organic requirements:

Stonyfield Farm and Organic Valley/CROPP have worked together in recent years to further encourage organic conversion. In addition to establishing a transition fund to provide monetary support for farmers during the conversion process and providing more staff to work directly with farmers, the companies scheduled hundreds of procurement and membership retention events, and sponsored organic workshops and conferences for farmers. Stonyfield CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg and his wife, Meg, also contributed $100,000 to a loan fund to supply needed support to organic farm families, and Stonyfield Farm was the lead sponsor, with a gift of $450,000, of the nation's first land grant-based organic dairy farm, at the University of New Hampshire.

You can read the short version of Stonyfield's organic process on the Stonyfield website or the long version in the Stonyfield Organic Guide booklet.

Packaging with confusing claims can make it difficult to tell what's really organic. You can easily tell what's organic and what's not by looking for the USDA's organic seal. The USDA's website has an extensive rundown of the procedures for a product's organic certification. Wikipedia also has a thorough explanation of organic practices and benefits.

The Green Miles Reaches 20,000 Hits

Just realized The Green Miles crossed the 20,000 hit threshold this week:

Considering Daily Kos gets that many hits per hour, 20,000 may not sound like much. But my target audience is a bit smaller - Arlington environmentalists with unhealthy obsessions with daylight savings time.

In any case, thanks for reading!

Think Green, Vote Blue

Don't forget to get out and vote today! More than any single thing you could do individually, voting for environmentally-conscious candidates is the best thing you can do to fight global warming. Elected officials have the power to implement policies and use the state's purchasing power to drive rapid change.

Here in Arlington, we're lucky enough to have plenty of candidates who understand the threat posed by global warming. But generally speaking in statewide elections, unless you're lucky enough to have a strong Green Party candidate running in your district, if you're going to be green, you have to vote Democratic. While some individual Republican candidates may be friendly to the environment, their party leadership long ago chose to back big business and fossil fuels over our environment and public health.

It's something the Sierra Club didn't get when it endorsed Lincoln Chafee last year, prompting Kos to say, "This may very well be the most moronic move by any organization this election cycle." And it's apparently something the Virginia League of Conservation Voters doesn't get either as it endorses a long line of Republicans.

For example, I understand Republican Del. Bob Marshall takes good stands on environmental issues. But Marshall is in a close race against Democratic challenger Bruce Roemmelt. Let's say Democrats pick up eight other seats in the House and this race decides control. Marshall's individual positive environmental vote could not outweigh his party's ability to kill environmental legislation in committee before it ever reaches the House floor. Even though he's not as strong on environmental issues in general, you'd clearly want Roemmelt in that case to give you a much more environmentally friendly House leadership.

So if you'd want the Democrat in that case, why wouldn't you want the Democrat in every case?

Dominion's Latest Global Warming Smokescreen

Dominion Virginia Power has a simple profit strategy -- sell Virginians as much cheap power as they'll consume, providing that power through risky nuclear power or environmentally disastrous mountaintop-removed coal-fired power.

I don't blame Dominion for that as much as I blame our elected officials, who've sold out our health and environment for a few thousand short-term coal mining jobs. If our legislators and governor were serious about protecting our environment and securing our energy future, they'd decouple Dominion's profits from the amount of power it sells and promote net metering to turn every roof into a power generator.

So why am I rehashing all of the above today? Because Dominion is hoping to make you forget all that:

RICHMOND, Va., -- Dominion (NYSE: D), one of the nation’s largest energy producers, will provide $500,000 to the Virginia Center for Coal & Energy Research at Virginia Tech to help the center find a way to keep carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

$500,000 sounds like a lot, until you remember Dominion brought in $1.4 billion in profit last year on $16.5 billion in revenue.

What will Dominion get for its investment in carbon capture and storage technology? According to Virginia's Commitment, not much:

Those who have looked seriously into carbon sequestration say it will be decades to never before we find a way for the concept to work. In his book, “The Weathermakers”, Tim Flannery says that the special power plants required, if ever brought on line, would use about 25 percent of the energy they made just to keep them running. Another 20 percent would be wasted turning the gas into liquid. Untold amounts of energy would be used to transport the liquid gas to locations remote from the power plant locations where no underground chambers exist.

Flannery says: "All indications suggest that building them on a commercial scale will be expensive and that it will take decades to make a significant contribution to power production.”

Still, research into carbon sequestration makes for a significant contribution to power production … of a different sort. For $500,000, less than Dominion Power contributed to Virginia political candidates of each political party this year alone, it makes for a feel-good press release.

Even the most optimistic guesses say carbon capture and storage technology won't be ready for rollout until 2020 at the earliest. So what are we better off doing? Investing in cabron sequestration or in already-existing solar technology that could provide limitless, carbon-neutral power at a competitive price?

If we leave it up to Dominion, we'll be helping ourselves to a nice, big slice of globally-warmed pie in the sky.

What Do Arlington County Board Candidates Think About Global Warming?

I emailed Mary Hynes, Mike McMenamin, Josh Ruebner, and Walter Tejada on Sunday asking for details about their positions on global warming. Ruebner, Hynes, and McMenamin responded; Tejada did not. I even followed up at a different email for Tejada on Wednesday afternoon; still nothing.

Since he replied first, we'll start with the Green Party's Josh Ruebner:

As the Green Party candidate, I care a lot about this issue. Below are my top three ideas for building on the efforts of Fresh AIRE and further reducing Arlington's carbon footprint.

1) Institute pay-as-you-throw trash disposal pricing. This proposal is a win-win, both economically and environmentally. According to a study commissioned by the EPA, over 7,000 U.S. jurisdictions have implemented PAYT, thereby reducing both the volume of trash hauled to landfills and the costs associated with its disposal. The idea is simple. Like water and sewage rates, pay only for what you use. This encourages recycling, composting, and a reduction in consumption by providing a financial incentive to throw out less trash. This can be implemented in a variety of ways-special stickers affixed on garbage bags, county-issued bags, different size trash cans, etc. Why should people who generate less trash subsidize those who generate more through a flat disposal fee?

2) Establish a comprehensive recycling program for Arlington's parks. Arlington's recycling contract is due to expire next year, offering Arlington an opportunity to renegotiate and expand its recycling efforts. Currently, there is no comprehensive recycling program in Arlington's nearly 150 parks. Last month, the Green Party collected recyclables that were thrown into the trash in a few of Arlington's park. Based on the amount of recyclables we collected, we estimate that the equivalent of 5 million one-liter plastic bottles is being thrown out every year in Arlington's parks. If we had comprehensive recycling in our parks, we could prevent 235 metric tons of CO2 emissions being released into the air every year.

3) Expand curbside recycling. As Arlington renegotiates its recycling contract, the County should expand curbside recycling opportunities. Currently, only some #1 and #2 plastics can be recycled curbside. If elected to the County Board, I would conduct a feasibility study to see if it is possible to expand curbside recycling options to include plastics #3-6. Expanding curbside recycling would further reduce trash disposal costs for the County and save energy.

Now for Democratic candidate Mary Hynes:

NASA Scientist James Hansen says that we must take action now to stop global warming. Reducing our carbon footprint by 80 percent by 2050 is what we need to aim for as a nation. But global warming isn't just a challenge for the world's scientists – it's a moral crisis for everyone.

As you know, Arlington County and its Fresh AIRE initiative has made us a national leader on this issue. Outgoing County Board Member Paul Ferguson deserves our gratitude for his leadership on this effort. Arlington does a lot of things right – hybrid fleet vehicles and a strong transit infrastructure. An increasingly pedestrian and bike-friendly environment. But even great plans can be improved.

The impact on the environment needs to be a constant factor in Arlington’s decision making.

· Energy consumption and LEED scores must continue to part of all new development proposals.
· I’d like to make sure that ALL buildings used for county activities have had recent energy audits and that a plan to upgrade and retrofit them as needed is implemented in the next 12
months.
· I want to work with small businesses and non-profits to help them reduce their energy consumption and expand their recycling efforts.
· We need to proactively plan the redevelopment of smaller commercial areas throughout the county so that more Arlingtonians can come home at night and do their errands on foot or by bike.
· Expanding the ART bus routes so that reliable, regular service helps more people can get around inside Arlington without a car is also a priority for me.
· Using the proposed Columbia Pike Streetcar to connect Skyline in Fairfax, Arlington and Potomac Yards in Alexandria is also something that I support.

By working together and keeping Arlington's green tradition alive, we can continue to lead Virginia to a clean energy future.

And here's Republican candidate Mike McMenamin:

I am currently a member of the Arlington County Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission ("FAAC"). The FAAC makes recommendations to the County Board on programs that should or should not be implemented. It also looks at the county budget and makes recommendations.

Last year, I voted to implement the Fresh Aire Initiative as a member of FAAC. Currently, there is roughly 1.5 million dollars allocated to the program. We can do more and also help with county costs. For instance, we could allow knowledge based county employees to work from home. This would save the county the costs associated with office space, help relieve congestion on our over crowded roads and save energy. Moreover, I also supported tax relief for owners of hybrid vehicles.

Finally, if elected, I would work to ensure that our two water parks recycle the 30,000 gallons of water used per day for 100 days every year. Today that water goes right into the storm water drainage system. It could be used to water flowers and grass in those parks. We can do better as a county. I believe that fresh Aire is only the beginning. That is why I ask for your vote on November 6, 2007.

I didn't expect every candidate to sit down and craft extensive replies, though I'm thankful Josh, Mary and Mike did. But if Walter and his campaign staff don't have the time to reply to emails at all, why post an email address on your website?

I won't be endorsing candidates; I'll leave that to the Washington Post, Sun Gazette, and Buckingham Herald Tribblog.

Green Living Challenge #8: Organic Lunch Leads to the Finish Line!

Today is your final day to complete the 2007 Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Green Living Challenge! There's now an online entry form available.

I just realized I can grab my last 10 points for something I hadn't even been consciously doing:

Eat a locally grown, organic, and/or meatless ingredient meal twice a week.

I love cooking for family and friends, but I hate cooking for myself. Any lunch or dinner I make for just me usually involves no more than five minutes of prep time before going in the oven or going on my plate. Usually, that meant salads were out. Washing the lettuce, chopping the tomatoes ... way too much work.

Then this summer, I made a startling discovery: It takes just as much time to make one salad as it does three salads. OK, so it seems obvious, but I hadn't exactly spent sleepless nights crunching the numbers on salad prep. I've been making three salads on Sunday and bringing one to work each day for lunch.

And thanks to my local Harris Teeter, the salads are organic. They have a great selection of organic produce at prices that are comparable to their pesticidal (is that a word?) counterparts. I'd been thinking to fill this requirement I had to get free-range tofu from my local farmers market, but it was a lot easier than I'd thought.

There's more and more evidence that organic foods aren't just better for the environment. They may be healthier for humans as well, and not just because they don't contain pesticides. A new study (so new it hasn't been peer reviewed) says organic foods may contain more nutrients than conventionally-grown food.

If you're just starting the switch to organics, where can you get the most bang for your buck? The New York Times blog recently listed five of the foods that can make the biggest impact.

Points for this action: 10
Total points to date: 100
Points needed to complete Green Living Challenge: 100

Green Living Challenge #7: Making the Move to CFLs

The Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Green Living Challenge deadline is coming up tomorrow, but I can grab another 5 points for something that's already been saving me money:

Change the most frequently used light bulbs in your residence to compact fluorescent (up to 5 bulbs with one point per bulb).

Switching to CFLs is one of several things I did this spring that helped cut my power bill by 10%. While CFLs won't stop global warming by themselves, they can help reduce our national power usage, hence our greenhouse gas emissions.

CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, so they need to be recycled. But CFLs actually involve less total mercury use than incandescent bulbs. Why? Because the majority of our national power comes from coal. The coal burned to provide the extra juice incandescents require will actually put more mercury into the atmosphere than is contained in a CFL. This graph explains it best.

Even though they'll save you up to $30 on your power bill over a 10-year lifespan, CFLs can still be shockingly hard to find. The Harris Teeter near me on Glebe Road doesn't stock even one CFL. Even when the return on investment is so immediate and enormous, old habits can be hard to break.

Should American ban incandescents like Australia recently did? I think so. Consumers save money, we slightly ease demand on our national power grid, and we slightly cut our national greenhouse gas emissions. What would be the downside?

Points for this action: 5
Total points to date: 90
Points needed to complete Green Living Challenge: 100

Trees of Charlottesville, Prepare to be Hugged

The Green Miles got up at 5:15 in the stupid morning today to drive all the way to stupid Charlottesville for the stupid 2007 Virginia Climate Action Conference.

OK, so that's the tired talking. Actually, it's really cool to see so many dedicated environmentalists in one place. Who knew that in a state addicted to coal there are 150 people willing to get to the University of Virginia campus at 8:30am on a Saturday to talk about climate action?

I'm live blogging the event over at RaisingKaine.com. Check it out!

Why is the White House So Afraid of the Truth on Global Warming?

Already accused of rewriting the science of climate change to fit its politics, the White House is at it again. This time the White House severely edited the Senate testimony of Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control:

[H]er prepared testimony was devoted almost entirely to the CDC's preparation, with few details on what effects climate change could have on the spread of disease. Only during questioning did she describe some specific diseases that likely would be affected, again without elaboration.

Her testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had much less information on health risks than a much longer draft version Gerberding submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review in advance of her appearance.

"It was eviscerated," said a CDC official, familiar with both versions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the review process.

The conservative contradiction on climate change is just breathtaking. On the one hand, you have deniers saying it doesn't exist, and if it does exist it's not our fault, and if it is our fault it would be too expensive to do anything about it. On the other hand, the White House is absolutely terrified of the general public learning the scientific truth.

Cross-posted from RaisingKaine.com

Green Living Challenge #6: Greening My Power, Cutting My Carbon Footprint

With the Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Green Living Challenge deadline coming up on October 31st, it's time to finish my push to 100 points. Fortunately, I can pick up another 10 points for something I did over the summer:

Buy renewable energy credits (e.g. wind power) equivalent to at least 50% of your electricity usage.

I've switched my power source from Dominion's standard mix of mostly coal-fired and nuclear power to green power, though it was more expensive and a long process. I'd much rather switch my power source directly to green power than to still use coal/nuclear with credits. With the latter, you're not directly reducing your carbon footprint, you're just trying to offset it, a questionable practice.

Wikipedia can give you a quick overview of green power. You can also track my progress in completing the Green Living Challenge.

Points for this action: 10
Total points to date: 85
Points needed to complete Green Living Challenge: 100

Wednesday: ACE Green Living Challenge Finish Line Party!

Here's a little last-minute help to complete the Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Green Living Challenge:

Green Living Challenge Finish Line Party
Wednesday, October 24, 7-9pm
Busboys and Poets
4251 S. Campbell Ave, Shirlington

Bring your completed Green Living Challenge entry form (deadline October 31), or drop in for some inspiration to finish. We’ll have light refreshments and green living giveaways for everyone who comes by. For more information, call 703-228-6406 or email volunteer@arlingtonenvironment.org.

The Green Miles still has 25 points to go before completing the Challenge. I'll get working now to get the form completed in time to turn in tomorrow night. Hope to see you there!

Planet in Peril & Heroes of Our Planet

A quick heads up on two upcoming events:

From the Bottom Up
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic Society
1600 M Street, NW
Member: $15/Non-Member: $18

In the summer of 1997, a college student from East Moline, Illinois, CHAD PREGRACKE, set himself a quixotic goal: to clean up the garbage-infested banks of the Mississippi near his hometown. He started simply, by pushing a wheelbarrow along the riverbank and picking up garbage as he went. Before the summer was over, Chad's quest had caught the attention first of
local media, and later the Associated Press and CNN, and the self-described "river rat" became an unlikely hero, leveraging his newfound celebrity into corporate support for his cause and branching out across America. Now the author of a new National Geographic book, From the Bottom Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers, Pregracke will share his inspiring mission to clean up our waterways.

For more details on this and future events, check out National Geographic's Heroes of Our Planet page!

Also, CNN's Planet in Peril special debuts tonight (Tuesday October 23rd) at 9pm eastern. If you can't catch it tonight, it will rerun tomorrow night at the same time.

Let me know if you catch either of these events! I'm always happy to post your reviews here.

Why Should I Have to Choose Between Green and 'Bleu in Miami?

Sorry for the post drought but The Green Miles was in Miami for the Patriots-Dolphins game, the gridiron version of Ali-Patterson (Tom Brady coming back in for his 6th TD was the Pats' version of "What's my name, fool?").

While I was there, I caught a cool story on the local NPR station about how Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is using state's purchasing power to push hotels to go green:

Now the Four Seasons -- and Florida's 45 other certified green lodges -- stand to benefit from an increase in business thanks to Gov. Charlie Crist's recent mandate that state-sponsored meetings and conferences be held at FDEP-certified green hotels whenever possible, beginning Jan. 1.

Crist's order has sparked a race among hoteliers to complete their paperwork and earn certification from FDEP's green lodging program, which was created in 2004 as a pollution-prevention measure. The program is charged with helping the state's lodging facilities implement ways to conserve water, reduce waste, improve air quality and save energy.

I stayed at the Fontainebleu, which not only isn't FDEP-certified but doesn't have even a single green feature. Not that I didn't enjoy the gorgeous view and all the great amenities, but there's absolutely no reason you can't have gorgeous AND green (in fact, there's a whole website devoted to it). Steps like energy-efficient appliances and lighting, a re-use program for linens and towels, adjusted thermostats and eliminating the use of disposable products like water bottles should be imperceptible to guests. So why should I have to choose between green and (Fontaine)bleu? Why can't I have both?

Green Halloween: A Fine Line Between Eco-Friendly and Ultra Lame-O

I've been looking over the tips for having a green Halloween from various websites and I have to tell you ... they're a little damn dirty hippie-ish, even for The Green Miles. When I was growing up, if you were giving out organic fruit on Halloween, you were getting a trick.

But there are definitely some tips to help you have a greener holiday, most prominently this year: Make sure your decorations and giveaways don't contain lead. OK, so that's not really exclusively a "green" tip, but with Halloween items joining the parade of Chinese-made toys containing lead, it's probably this year's most urgent advice. Some others ...

* Give out organic or fair trade chocolate
* Instead of using paper or plastic disposable bags to collect treats, use or buy a recyclable bag
* If you're hosting a party, use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths and make sure your guests know where your recycling bin is
* When the holiday is over, save your decorations for future years like you would Christmas lights or ornaments

To cut down on your food miles, you can also get your pumpkin at a farmers market or even at a local farm. I'm a big fan of Marker Miller Orchards in Winchester, VA.

And of course, you can cut down on waste by re-using costumes. After getting invited at the last minute to a Halloween party during a visit to New York City, I bought this giant orange pumpkin hat for $35. I thought it was a ripoff at the time, but I was desperate.

That was five years ago, and it's served me well many times since. Mostly it gets basic "look at that there big ol' hat" type laugh, but last year I managed to kick it up a notch, combining it with a shirt with "3.1428" written on it. Pumpkin pi ... get it?

To get more tips, check out StopGlobalWarming.org or the Sierra Club's blog.

Recycling in NH: Not So Much

The Green Miles traveled to New Hampshire for work last week as the National Wildlife Federation released a new poll asking NH hunters and anglers how they feel about global warming (short version - they think we have a moral duty to future generations to take strong action now).

While New Hampshirites have gotten the message on global warming, they seem to be a little behind on recycling. The Manchester Airport had only one type of waste bin, the kind that goes straight to a landfill. As I've blogged before, airports vary greatly when it comes to recycling programs, and the Manchester Airport definitely has some work to do.

It was even worse when I got to the hotel. I don't expect hotels to have recycling bins in their rooms (it would be nice, but we're just not there yet). However, usually the hotel front desk is happy to accept my old newspaper and soda bottle to be recycled. Not at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Concord. The front desk clerk told me they don't recycle at all. Fortunately BWI Airport has a wicked awesome recycling program, so I didn't have to drag the recyclables all the way home.

Since I've never had trouble before, I've never asked the hotel if they accept recycling before booking. Do I need to start? What are your experiences with recycling at hotels?