Welcome to SC Green Scene Magazine, your online source for energy tips, great recipes, up to date “green” resources, eco-friendly articles and much more.

SC Green Scene Magazine is the newest online magazine dedicated to living the “green” lifestyle. As inhabitants of the earth, we have a duty to be good stewards of what we’ve been giving. Not to mention in this economy, recycling our possessions and trash, just makes good financial sense. Send us your ideas and comments to scgreenscene@sccoast.net.

FEATURE ARTICLES

Tips for Having a Green, Creative and Cost Effective Event

As people become increasingly aware of the environment and how the choices they make impact it, there is also a trend toward becoming more "green" or environmentally friendly. This is especially true when holding an event or party, because there are usually so many people involved, and if not done in a green way, an event has the potential to produce a large amount of trash and to use up a lot of resources. Yet one of the challenges that people planning events often face is how to hold a green party that is also creative and cost effective.

"While many people want to have a green event, there is also concern about the cost," says Alice Conway, director of event management at Stratford University. "People do not want to have to put out more money simply to improve an event's impact on the environment. Luckily, there are ways to keep it green, creative and cost-effective, all at the same time."

Rather than having to choose between throwing a green party or a cost-effective one, people can make it their goal to have both. With the right efforts in the planning stages, their event can be a hit with the crowd, rather than the pocketbook. Keep these tips in mind when planning your next event:

Keeping it Green. To have a green event, you don't have to shell out more money. Always comparison shop and do not be afraid to negotiate if you have vendors involved. Things to consider in order to keep things more environmentally friendly include having eco-friendly utensils, and setting up recycling bins on site. Avoid having any bottled water, opting for filtered tap water where available. Also, consider what type of food you will be serving. Choosing more local and vegetarian options will help keep your menu more Earth-friendly.

Getting Creative. When it comes to creativity for a green event, you are only limited by your imagination. Why not have invitations that also double as a seeds that the people can plant? Another option may be to forego expensive entertainment and turn the event into a talent show, giving attendees a chance to show the crowd their skills. When being creative, don't be afraid to mix and match your event décor, as well.

Keeping it Cost Effective. Once you have established a realistic budget, you then need to work at staying within in it. Consider the many different ways to save money on your event, such as purchasing décor and serving items from thrift stores, keeping it casual, trading services, and choosing a location that does not break the bank. To keep things affordable, you may need to be creative, but it can still be done.

"Take on the challenge of having a green, creative and cost-effective event, the next time you plan one," adds Conway. "With a little pre-planning and thinking outside the box, it is possible. Plus, the more you do it, the easier it becomes."

Stratford University offers a certificate program in Event Management which provides the basic body of knowledge leading to professional certification. The program consists of seven classes, along with a required extensive practicum experience, that can increase knowledge of special events, meetings, entertainment, protocol, decor, and catering management. Courses focus on administration, design, planning, coordination and evaluation of events.

About Stratford University

 Stratford University operates campuses in Tysons Corner and Woodbridge. It offers 28 undergraduate and graduate degrees in the areas of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Health Sciences, Business Administration, and Information Technology. The degree programs are offered both on campus, as well as online. For more information on Stratford University, please visit www.stratford.edu.

Did You Bring Your Bag Today?

By Peggy New

  Did you know that according to the US EPA, the average American household uses over 850 supermarket bags per year? And only a minimal number of them are ever recycled; many find their way into the environment causing eye sore litter and harm to animals. About 1/3 the weight of our city garbage is packaging; the epitome of which is a plastic or paper bag. The statistics regarding land fills, recycling, garbage poundage and “carbon footprints” are vast and often confusing. For many of us recycling means dropping an empty milk jug in the green container … occasionally … because it is so much easier to just put in trash can lined with a large plastic bag that gets all our “garbage.”  We sometimes pat ourselves on the back when we chose plastic over paper, or paper over plastic or even just put the pack of gum directly in our pocket with any bag.

  In 1979 Gordon Dancy invented the high density plastic grocery sack as a replacement for traditional paper bags. Today his daughter, Kristen Brown has invented an even better replacement for BOTH paper and plastic bags. They are called the “Eco Bag System.”

  Global climate changes and economic downturns are concepts most Americans are familiar with one way or another. However, until one or both directly affects our lifestyle and pocketbook, we tend to think it is someone else’s problem. The same is true with recycling. There are, however, basically two ways to make us change our habits: if something is easier to use and if it saves us money. To be truly effective, both have to be in play at the same time or we begin to think, “this is too hard” or “this isn’t costing me real money.” Reducing the number of plastic bags used thro Eco-Bags is both easy and less expensive in the long run.

  Kristen Brown began her career in environmentalism at the age of 16 when her father put her in charge of training grocery store clerks in the use of the plastic bag. Her memory of that day was being told “you can’t leave this store until you have successfully convinced every cashier that plastic is better than paper.” To say that the cashiers, baggers and customers were less than thrilled or cooperative would be an understatement. In fact, Kristen says, “people were just plain mean about it.” Throughout high school and college Kristen spent summers persuading supermarket personnel and consumers that plastic bags were more environmentally friendly than paper.

  Today Kristen realizes that the question is not really “plastic or paper.” Rather it is Re Use! Her Eco Bag System was designed to be the ultimate in re-useable grocery shopping bags. It is a “four-shopping bag in one storage tote system.” They fit perfectly into a shopping card for loading groceries at checkout (or some use them as they shop to pre-sort). Once filled, they are easy to lift from the cart to car, easy to carry from car to house and then fit together in the storage tote for easy return to the car for next time. It gives the consumer a perfect balance between convenience and protecting the environment. It’s organized and simple and can replace between 15 and 30 disposable bags each shopping trip. That translates to eliminating approximately 700 sacks form the waste stream; and saving money for everyone involved.

  What would it take for you to re-use? Perhaps instead of the question from the grocery store cashier being “plastic or paper?” it needs to be “did you bring your bag today?” From the consumer side, we need to realize that if we continue our wasteful behavior then our pocketbooks are going to have to pay out more and more. Instead we need to learn to reduce and reuse; recycle only when the other 2 have been done. 

  Kristen Brown is passionate about the environment and works closely as a consultant with many large and small communities looking for ways to show leaders and residents the value and necessity of reducing, reusing and recycling. In some parts of the United States new land fills have been banned or additional taxes have been placed on disposable bags. While behavior can and is changed when money is involved, even more importantly behavior is changed through easy functionality. Her Eco Bags are designed for easy use. She spent hours, days and weeks designing them with paper, tape and clips until she reached the current system. Locally, Piggly Wiggly in Pawleys Island has them available for sale and the entire Pig chain will soon have them in their stores.  You may also order them through Kristen’s website at www.thegrocerybagsolution.com. Our grandparents were pros at reducing, reusing and yes, even recycling. We have gotten away from it because of our abundant blessings in America; but to take them for granted is to risk losing them.  So let’s all start looking for ways to Reduce! Re-Use! Recycle! A good place to start is with Kristen Brown’s Eco-Bag System!

Cage free, Organic, Free range, Natural…. Consumers are often mislead about food claims

Clarifying the terms and helping parents make informed decisions about what they feed their kids
    Levels of animal welfare can be identified by a variety of labels on food packaging which are often misleading to consumers, particularly when glossy pictures of idyllic farms are on dairy, egg and meat products. There are dozens of labels and claims on packages and consumers are often confused about what are the best choices for their family, the environment, and the welfare of animals.
    The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the world’s largest alliance of animal welfare organizations, wants to help make things clear for consumers. WSPA rates food labels such as “free range,” “USDA organic” and “cage free” in terms of the way the animals raised for food are treated and aims to educate consumers about the meaning of food labels, which ones to choose, and which ones to avoid.
    A 2009 WSPA survey of the top 25 U.S. supermarket chains by annual sales, showed a 23 percent increase in humane food offerings in stores from 2008. That is promising news, says Dena Jones, U.S. programs director for WSPA. “The results indicate that people are becoming more sensitive to the methods used to raise farm animals and are seeking humane alternatives when they shop, regardless of cost." explains Jones.
WSPA clarifies the terms for consumers:
   “Cage free” (eggs); “Free range” (eggs, chicken, duck, goose, turkey); “Grass fed” (dairy, beef, lamb): These claims cover one aspect of animal care and a third party does not verify compliance with the standards. (WSPA rating: Good)
   “Free range” (beef, bison, lamb, pork); “Pasture raised” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork); “USDA organic” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, pork): These feature a higher level of animal welfare, but standards are either not verified by a third party or cover only a limited aspect of animal care (WSPA rating: Better)
   “American Humane Certified” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork); “Animal Welfare Approved” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork); “Certified Humane” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork): These cover multiple aspects of animal care and an independent third party verifies compliance with the standards. (WSPA rating: Best)
Beware of these misleading claims:
   “No antibiotics used” or “No hormones administered”: The government does not conduct testing to verify these claims. Hormones are prohibited in the raising of pigs and poultry, so this claim is meaningless for pork, chicken and turkey. “No antibiotics used” suggests animals were not raised on a factory farm, but by itself does not indicate high animal welfare.
   “Natural”: This has no relevance to animal welfare. It merely indicates that the product was minimally processed and contains no dyes or preservatives.
   “Naturally-raised”: The USDA has established a voluntary definition for this. It indicates that the animal was raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones and had been given only vegetarian feed. It does not require freedom of movement and access to fresh air and sunlight for the animal.
   To learn more about humane food labels and use a searchable database of grocery stores and humane food offerings, visit www.EatHumane.org or www.wspa.typepad.com/compassionateplanet/food.
 

Healthy Home Tips

Choose better body care products.

Just because a label says “gentle” or “natural” doesn’t mean it’s kidsafe.

  Look up your products on CosmeticsDatabase.com. Read the ingredients and avoid triclosan, BHA,

fragrance, and oxybenzone.

Go organic & eat fresh foods. Opt for organic fruits and veggies, or use FoodNews.org to find conventionally grown produce with the least pesticides. Choose milk and meat without added growth hormones.Limit canned food and infant formula, as can linings contain bisphenol A (BPA).

Avoid fire retardants. Choose snug-fitting cotton pajamas for kids, and repair or replace worn out foam items.

Pick plastics carefully. Some plastics contain BPA, which is linked to cancer. Avoid clear, hard plastic bottles marked with a “7” or “PC” and choose baby bottles made from glass or BPA-free plastic. Don’t microwave plastic containers. Stay away from toys marked with a “3” or “PVC.” Give your baby a frozen washcloth instead of vinyl teethers.

Use greener cleaners & avoid pesticides.

Household cleaners, bug killers, pet treatments, and air fresheners can irritate kids’ lungs, especially if your kids have asthma. Investigate less toxic alternatives. Use vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains.

Eat good fats. Omega-3 fatty acids can offset toxic effects of lead and mercury. They’re in fish, eggs, nuts, oils, and produce. Choose low-mercury fish like salmon, tilapia and pollock, rather than high-mercury tuna and swordfish, especially if you’re pregnant. Breast milk is the best source of good fats (and other benefits).

Filter your tap water. Use a reverse osmosis system or carbon filter pitcher to reduce your family’s exposure to impurities in water, like chlorine and lead. Don’t drink bottled water, which isn’t necessarily better. Mix infant formula with fluoride-free water.

Wash those hands. In addition to reducing illness, frequent hand washing will reduce kids’ exposure to chemicals. Skip anti-bacterial soaps, since they can be bad for the environment, aren’t any better than soap and water, and can contain pesticides that are absorbed through the skin.

Skip non-stick. When overheated non-stick cookware can emit toxic fumes. Cook with cast iron or stainless steel instead.

Use a HEPA-filter vacuum. Kids spend lots of time on the floor, and household dust can contain contaminants like lead and fire retardants. HEPA-filter vacuums capture the widest range of particles and get rid of allergens. Leave your shoes at the door so you don’t bring more pollutants inside.

Get your iodine. Use iodized salt, especially while pregnant and nursing, and take iodine-containing prenatal vitamins. Iodine buffers against chemicals like perchlorate, which can disrupt your thyroid system and affect brain development during pregnancy and infancy.

www.ewg.org

Buy recycled. Items made from paper and plastic are often made from recycled materials. You can also buy automotive parts, motor oil, and tires made from recycled products. Also look out for household furnishings and gardening tools made from recycled materials.
 

Buy in bulk or multi-packs. Buying more items at once reduces packaging waste. You can also buy items with packaging that can be reused or recycled.

Buy used. You can find authentic retro clothes, accessories, and other items at your local thrift store.

Trade with friends. Instead of buying brand new products, swap with friends or family.
 

Combine bags. When you're at the mall, don't get a new shopping bag for every item—combine bags or put them in your backpack. (And be sure to hold onto the receipt!)

Buy energy-efficient items. Look for the ENERGY STAR® logo when buying electronics such as TVs, CD players, DVD players, and computers. ENERGY STAR® is a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, don't forget to check for gas-efficiency when purchasing a new vehicle.

www.epa.gov

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Tips to Keep Air Clean (and Maybe Save Money)

  • Recycle and compost all you can. Avoid burning leaves and yard trimmings.

  • Choose a cleaner commute. Use public transportation, car pool, bike or walk when possible.

  • Combine errands to reduce “cold starts” of your car. Avoid extended idling.

  • Be sure your car’s tires are properly inflated.

  • Keep car, boat and other engines properly tuned and avoid engines that smoke.

  • Be careful not to spill fuel and always tighten your gasoline cap securely when refueling your vehicle.

  • Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible.

  • Follow manufacturers’ recommendations for use and properly seal cleaners, paints and other chemicals to prevent evaporation.

  • Conserve electricity.  Set your thermostat a little higher in the summer and a little lower in the winter. Participate in local energy conservation programs.

  • Reduce or eliminate the use of fireplaces and wood stoves if possible.

  • Use electric-powered lawn mowers and garden equipment instead of gasoline-powered ones.

  For more information, call DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality at (803) 898-4123 or visit www.epa.gov/ air/urbanair.

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