A Dual-Trel Composter.

Any beautiful garden starts with lush, moist soil. Contrary to common conviction, however, fertility doesn’t come in a 30 pound bag from your local Wal-Mart.

With the help of a little compost, rich soil can come straight from the your backyard. Roughly one third of all waste dumped in landfills across the United States consists of garden clippings and kitchen waste. This “waste” is loaded with good nutrients—good nutrients that could enrich your soil while dramatically reducing your landfill load.

The concept is simple. In basic terms, compost is essentially result of the natural process of hundreds of different organisms (including bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects) breaking organic material down to smaller organic material. It’s decomposition at it’s finest.

To compost, just collect your food and yard scraps in a compost bin. Turn, water occasionally and let sit until it naturally decomposes into . . . tada—compost a rich, earthy substance to mix with your soil.

If you’re not ready to take on your own compost, consider finding your area’s local compost drop off spot. Many towns and cities across the US are offering programs to take yard clipping “donations” for municipal compost piles. These communal piles then that provide soil for local parks. Look up your region’s parks department for more details.

For many, if not most gardeners, concern for the environment comes naturally. Traditional garden supplies (harsh pesticides, chemical weed whackers and splattering sprinkler systems) however, can be harmful to the environment. In many cases they can even be harmful to gardens, gardeners and family members—especially small children and four-legged ones.

As awareness of the environmental harm of conventional agro chemicals grows, however, so too does the assortment of natural garden tools and products. Many mainstream gardening companies (Mantis, Scotts, P3 International) now offer natural and environmentally responsible alternatives to the traditional gardening staples.

Over the next week, I’ll be running a full report on the recent trend and the latest and greatest in environmentally responsible garden products. Check in for tips and great products sure to make your garden is green.

Every holiday has its own, “essentials.” You know the customary colors, songs, drinks, food or flowers? Like clockwork they’re there, year after year, reliably decorating your table with time-honored tradition. At Easter, these “essentials” often include decorated eggs, baskets, chocolate bunnies, egg hunts, parades, and, of course, the Easter Lily.

Reminiscent of a heralding trumpet, the Lily symbolizes not only purity, but also the arrival of Spring. Yet, like the majority of flowers sold today, Lilies are often made with large amounts of pesticides. These pesticides are harmful to both workers and the environment. According to the United Nations, the majority of third world flower workers suffer serious health problems from pesticide poisoning.

This Easter, Spring forward with Organic Bouquet’s Calla Lilies. Certified organic and biodynamic and cut with extra long stems, these flowers are 100% pesticide free.

Put your money where your mouth is. For those much needed essentials in life: clothing, bedding, wine and even chocolate why not buy responsibly? Today there are many companies concerned about the environment. These companies look for ways to reduce their impact on the world around them through recycling, using less energy, and supporting conservation efforts in other countries. By supporting those companies that have also taken the pledge to protect the environment, the environment will be better off.

If you’re not sure if a company is “eco” or not, there are ways to determine “eco-credentials.” Ask the following questions: does the company minimize or “offset” the pollution it produces? Does it donate money to environmental causes? Does the company offer recycled or recycleable products?

Some of my favorite companies by include: Patagonia, Under the Nile, Loomstate, Stewart and Brown,

Have to “run” to store? Ok, why not run to the store. Or walk! For longer trips, carpool or use public transportation. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation uses about half the fuel consumed by cars, trucks and light SUVs. Cars account for 21 percent of the world’s global warming emissions. Walking and biking account for none!

If 2007 is the year in which you plan to buy a new car, consider opting for the most fuel-efficient vehicle you can afford, preferably a hybrid. Hybrid models range from the Toyota Prius, which starts at around $17,000 and gets around 51 miles to the gallon on the highway and 60 miles per gallon in the city, to the $60,000 Lexus GS 450h, which gets about 25 miles per gallon in the city and 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

For great eco walking shoes click here.

Psssssst. I’m over at The Big Guy Today.

See you there . . . .
and here’s a hint for what I’m writing about . . .

As I’ve said many times before, the greenest gift is no physical gift at all. Supporting organizations and donating money is by far the best alternative to actually buying something that will most likely end up stashed in the back of your giftee’s closet . . . or worse the landfill. A donation will not only cut back on unnecessary consumption, but will also assist those truly in need.

For great donation ideas check out the Nature Conservancy’s website. Their site features a giving guide. There you can explore several options from adopting an acre of rainforest in Costa Rica, to rescuing a portion of endangered coral reef.

According to eco-authority Treehugger.com, other fantastic environmentally-focused organizations excepting Christmas donation gifts include:

* Amnesty International
* Architecture for Humanity
* Biomimicry Institute
* Carbonfund
* China Dialogue
* Dropping Knowledge
* David Suzuki Foundation
* The Go Green Initiative
* GreenDimes
* Heifer International
* The Innocent Foundation
* Kiva
* Natural Resources Defence Council
* Nature Conservancy
* o2 Global
* Partners in Health
* Practical Action
* Rocky Mountain Institute
* Seva Foundation
* Sustainable Table
* Tech Soup
* Wiser Earth
* World Bicycle Relief
* World Resources Institute
* World Wildlife Fund’s “Extraordinary Gifts” program

More people travel for Thanksgiving weekend than any other US Holiday. So much travel is terrible for the environment. Here are some tips:

1. Offset Your Flight.
If you’re planning to fly this Thanksgiving, your flight will have the greatest environmental impact–by far. 

Believe it or not, flying is twice as bad for the environment as driving a gas guzzling hummer to your destination, and three times as bad as taking the train!

“How so?”

Airplanes travel in the sensitive upper atmosphere and release a cocktail of greenhouse gasses–nitrogen oxides, soot, and CO2 (carbon dioxide)–all major contributors to global warming.

If your planning to fly this Thanksgiving consider “offsetting” your trip. Offsetting works by investing funds in sequestration or energy efficiency projects that absorb or prevent the release of a tonnage of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) equivalent to the amount of CO2 you released in your travels. For example, some offsetting programs plant trees to counterbalance the emissions of your flight. The trees produce oxygen and absorb CO2 to “offset” the amount of CO2 your flight has produced. Of course not flying at all is a much better idea, but I’m not going to insist you stop visiting Aunt Marla and Uncle Earl?

2. Drive Better
If you must drive this Thanksgiving, make sure your tires are properly inflated and your car is in good working order–you’re family will be safer, you’ll save money spent on gas, and you’ll reduce emissions.

The United States Department of Energy (USDE) reports that keeping the right oil in your car and changing it every 4 months (or 5,000 miles) plus a once-a-year air filter change can improve your fuel efficiency by 8% or more! Over the course of just one year, the USDE estimates that your average savings will be more than $150. Add in regular tune-ups to keep your car running the way it was engineered to run, and you’ll pocket at least an additional $50 a year in savings.

Before taking one of those family road trips, stop by the shop for a tune up and oil change. And don’t forget to inflate those tires. Many Americans forget to regularly check their tire pressure, and this definitely impacts your fuel efficiency – up to 3%. If you pressurize your tires and lighten up you load, you will save $50 a year.

3. Stay Home
Stave off stress and carbon emissions. 

Stay home for a cozy Thanksgiving with your immediate family.

2007 will most likely be known as, “The Year of Green.” It seems everyone has taken on some concern, even curiosity, for environmental issues.

With so much green—more than ever—you’re bound to feast with at least one eco-conscious consumer this Thanksgiving. If you’re playing host, why not cover your bases and serve a delicious, yet sustainably sourced, Thanksgiving meal? Your environmentally concerned friends and the planet will thank you.

Over the next few days I’ll offer you sound tips for throwing a great green Thanksgiving. As we get closer and closer to “turkey day,” I’ll wind down to those last minute tips, quick fixer uppers, and help-my-mother-in-law-is-arriving-in-two-minutes decorating ideas. With these tips, your green Thanksgiving is bound to go off without a hitch. Stay tuned!

There are hundreds of no-brainer ways to save money while saving the planet . . . well, maybe not saving, but certainly helping. From carpooling to turning off the lights, from using energy efficient appliances to reducing, reusing, and recycling, environmental best practices are often better for your budget too.

The key to simultaneously reducing your carbon footprint while saving money is threefold. First, buy less stuff to begin with. Second, when you do make consumer choices, seek the best quality, highest efficiency product available. Three, optimize, optimize, optimize—turn idle appliances off, put electronics on the lowest energy setting, and keep devices clean and filtered so they’ll run more efficiently and last longer, ultimately saving you money.

We all need a little motivation once in a while. If doing good by the planet isn’t enough to keep you in eco-check, then consider the financial benefits.

This week I’ll give you The Top 5 No-Brainer Ways to Save Money While Saving the Planet with tips on
Changing Your Lightbulbs
Optimizing Your Computer Settings
Using Energy Star Appliances
Greening Your Transportation
Lowering Your Heating Bill
And Obviously Saving Money
Stay tuned for a plethora of pound-stretching planet-savers.