Green Scene

Black market pickles, and other recent reads

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:39:31 -0400

Cul-de-sacs are actually more dangerous for kids, and the number of the cars on the road is decreasing. Who knew?

Making contact with my wasteful side

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:34:26 -0400

As a (nearly) lifetime myopic, I am chained to distressingly wasteful products.

Schlepping organic matter, and other undignified actions

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:12:48 -0400

Banana peels, tea bags, etc: I can't stand throwing this stuff away.

February ABODE rocks the 100 yard diet

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:51:56 -0400

As usual, our shelter monthly includes a lovely range of green content.

Our sad little winter garden

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:59:50 -0400

Despite glorious winter gardens in the past, this year we met our Waterloo.

Joel Salatin takes down conservation easements

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:16:42 -0400

The guy is a true iconoclast. And makes a compelling case.

A firsthand look at surface mining

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:37:30 -0400

I'm just back from a trip to Wise County in Southwest Virginia.

Want to hear something cute (and true)?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:48:49 -0400

"And plants gives us oxygen. And without all of this the human race will end."

The dirty Chesapeake and other Green Reads

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:49:40 -0400

What is a "native species," anyway? And why are you mad about your husband's car?

I would prefer to open that door myself, thanks

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:33:19 -0400

Somewhere, coal is being burned so that I, an able-bodied person, can walk through a door without opening it myself.

Frozen out of the compost pile

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:30:40 -0400

When there's a frozen snowpack all over your compost pile, it can be tough to empty the bins.

Read ABODE, get smart on kitchens and SIPs

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:37:57 -0400

ABODE has lots of treats for greenies, including news about ecoMOD4 on Elliott Avenue.

Foodies, take a class from our kitchen columnist!

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:21:36 -0400

Couldn't cook a bunch of kale to save your life? Sign up for the eight-week "Local Food for Thought" course.

Obama makes the wrong move on mountaintop removal

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:02:36 -0400

Hope has dwindled as the EPA backed off scrutinizing a number of mine permits. Now, it's signed off on one seen as a bellwether.

What really happens under a plastic bag ban

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:38:52 -0400

In celebration of the new decade, I bring you a small selection of Green Reads.

D.C. train does twice as well as expected

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:36:06 -0400

And only three months after its inaugural trip!

Mulch that Christmas tree!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:54:47 -0400

O, Tannenbaum. How lovely are thy mulched branches?

What to make of Copenhagen, and other Green Reads

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:20:43 -0400

We also bring you a 1988 article on global warming from Discover magazine, which engenders a weird sort of nostalgia.

UVA students suss out green food on grounds

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:36:12 -0400

Under Professor Ben Cohen, they explored over the course of this fall whether "sustainable eating" has any viability for the average student.

All about the day I longed for an SUV

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:29:57 -0400

The big snow has made me feel a renewed connection to my fellow human beings. Yes, it's true!

Energy guides will blitz your house!

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:40:10 -0400

All Charlottesville and Albemarle households, and some beyond our borders, will receive the guides in early January.

Why the Pope is going eco, and other Green Reads

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:02:54 -0400

Solar stickers! Virginia's embarrassments! Inaccurate menus!

Yep, you can recycle corks and CFLs

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:37:54 -0400

From the every-little-bit helps department, a couple of new, small recycling programs.

To rejoice or not about Biscuit Run?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:18:31 -0400

When I first heard that 3,100 houses may not be built after all at Biscuit Run, I said, "This is like a Christmas present."

Eat, drink, and watch a film on mountaintop removal

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:54:27 -0400

This Wednesday and Thursday, Vinegar Hill is showing the new documentary Coal Country.

Wendell Berry behind the bully pulpit

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:24:31 -0400

The man is a poet, but he is not given to subtlety when he talks about certain issues.

Very fancy prizes for UVA profs

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:30:54 -0400

John Quale and Deborah Lawrence have just won Fulbrights.

December ABODE gets you into the factory

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:41:28 -0400

It's the last issue of a year in which we've expanded and deepened our coverage of green building and green living, so I think you'll be interested.

Green Reads with your turkeycran sandwich

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:14:00 -0400

Measuring wind with your phone, Sesame Street on climate change, and some serious green news, too.

Did I mention Wendell Berry is coming?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:07:22 -0400

I did. And next week is the big event.

Design Marathon goodies: musical roof and more

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:15:50 -0400

The CCDC exhibit shows off marathon projects and gives behind-the-scenes glimpses.

A personal turkey plea from Green Scene

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:38:37 -0400

Skip the disposables! Seriously!

Wind turbines may green Albemarle energy, and alter its views

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:22:51 -0400

Planning Commissioners approved a proposal to allow small wind turbines in the county.

Can Albemarle and other governments make development better?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:54:46 -0400

Today in C-VILLE, the feature story looks at Albemarle County's Neighborhood Model. Other localities, too, have struggled with smart growth.

Does local food mean online groceries?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:45:46 -0400

Retail Relay is growing like crazy and has ambitions on the nation.

Green religion, powerline portraits and other Green Reads

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:51:43 -0400

Plus, mixed signals from the Obamas about what you should eat.

Living off the grid, Virginia vs. New Mexico style

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:48:48 -0400

Over the weekend I watched the documentary Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa, which tracks a group of (accidental?) eco-pioneers.

December ABODE visits Fifeville, greens your baby and more

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:18:52 -0400

If you aren't already acquainted, please meet ABODE, our monthly shelter section.

In Slutzky, Albemarle loses a wonktastic green

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:12:13 -0400

To actually make preservation happen, Slutzky was willing to wade into deep policy waters.

Lawyers, schools, chickens are local green heroes

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:52:16 -0400

The SELC and others populate Green Scene's informal gallery of eco-winners. Plus, we throw one rotten tomato.

Everybody wins the Eat Local Challenge

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:42 -0400

Everybody who entered ate at least 21 local foods in 21 days, so you know they were lovin' them some meals.

News flash: Mountaintop removal happens in Virginia

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:43:20 -0400

Although folks around here might associate this mining method only with West Virginia and Kentucky, it does in fact happen right here in our home state.

Tech beats UVA, and other green campus news

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:17 -0400

Compared with its most immediate peers, UVA is not exactly a shining star of greenness.

On the Day of Climate Action, should you stay home?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:04:41 -0400

This Saturday is supposed to be a big day on this blue globe. Should you go to a local event, or think small instead?

In which I get all opinionated about the Eastern Bypass

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:15:25 -0400

At least six reasons why it's good that VDOT axed the proposed road to Keswick.

The Bridge is showing my favorite artwork right now

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:55:05 -0400

In celebration of C-VILLE's big Food & Drink issue, which comes out today, I hereby issue a Green Scene PSA about Art You Should Not Miss.

Why a 1980 Rabbit is an eco car, and other Green Reads

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:47:34 -0400

Read about E. coli, a windmill made from trash and the latest boneheaded move by Orange County Supervisors.

Nourish(meant): An update from the garden bus

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:30:34 -0400

The veggie-powered, food-growing bus is back in town, and Green Scene visits again.

Green Metropolis and the forgotten trees

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:15:36 -0400

The book's main premise: Manhattan is a model of sustainable planning and development.

Another poke at a local eco hero

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:12:08 -0400

Last time it was Thomas Jefferson; this time it's Joel Salatin.

Owl portraits and the truth about biomass

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:06:42 -0400

Green events to rock yer October. And we don't mean metal.

Eco-fatigue in the paint store

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:12:49 -0400

That paint is glopping all over the planet! Someone stop it!

Thomas Jefferson, the suburbanite

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:45:06 -0400

A few pages into David Owen's Green Metropolis, I found a surprising take on our own dear Thomas Jefferson.

If you run, run for the mountains

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:01:40 -0400

Will Harlan asks people to donate their miles - run, walked, or hiked - toward a goal of one million to end mountaintop removal.

Paying lip service to pedestrian safety

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:29:35 -0400

Albemarle residents think the county is basically a fine place to walk or ride a bike. Huh?

LIVE from Veggie Fest!

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:38:01 -0400

Good morning, veggie lovers! We've taken Green Scene to the streets today.

Green Scene is going live at the Veg Fest!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:53:07 -0400

This Saturday, all you loyal readers will have the chance to say hello in person AND get your own words on the blog!

Attacking locavores and more Green Reads

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:19:30 -0400

An extra-long edition of Green Reads, complete with a major newspaper fake.

Why I stick to my guns on Creigh Deeds

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:52:53 -0400

After my posts about Creigh Deeds, more than one commenter said I was "trying to push voters toward McDonnell."

Whole Foods takes the heat

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:32:13 -0400

The Organic Consumers Association has been attacking the chain on workers' rights, greenwashing and more.

Another reason to be proud of Joel Salatin

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:41:45 -0400

Now he's won a Heinz Award. A hundred thousand smackers for our local guru of better farming!

I challenge you to a broccoli! And other local foods.

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:17:13 -0400

Here's one to make your mouth happy. The PEC, your ever-reliable champions for local food and farmers, is running an Eat Local Challenge starting September 21.

A chair made of bone and other Green Reads

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:37:57 -0400

Let's get things off to a preposterous start with this story about how the uranium industry will study its own safety.

Montessori's green island on Pantops

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:05:02 -0400

Just back from a tour of the Montessori Community School, where I spent a solid hour wishing that I could go back to middle school.

Follow-up on Deeds: Still not that green

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:13:56 -0400

A mere hour or two after I posted last Wednesday, I got a phone call from Creigh Deeds' people.

Bust two moves at the CCDC

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:41:56 -0400

Shake your groove thing with the designingest crowd in town, not once but twice. But first, some edification.

Why is Creigh Deeds ignoring the environment?

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:44:44 -0400

I have gotten little or no indication over the past weeks that environmental issues are a key part of Deeds' platform.

Giving garbage its due

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:32:16 -0400

What if you photographed everything you throw in the garbage for an entire year?

Green fights and Wilderness rights

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:57:12 -0400

Because this is back-to-school week, this edition of Green Reads is extra packed. Buckle down, class!

Children are the secret weapons of green

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:43:23 -0400

It's great to see that friends have already made an environmentalist out of their son.

Rain barrels, our Congressman, and other green events

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:33:38 -0400

Once again, good people, the calendar is turning green.

At UVA, a greener way to eat lunch

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:40:24 -0400

Kendall Singleton called me this morning to talk about her new gig: Sustainability Coordinator at UVA Dining.

Do you know where you live as well as Mary Austin?

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:03:12 -0400

If you want to seriously goof off at work (but with something more contemplative than Facebook), we've got your site.

Paint cans and other thorny problems of waste

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:37:28 -0400

Where's the point of diminishing returns when you go to great lengths to recycle?

The real problem with meat, and other dying animals

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:28:19 -0400

The current edition of Green Reads links you to stories on wind power, fall crops and other essential reading.

Big juicy kiss from Green Scene to you

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:08:36 -0400

We find evidence on every block that locals care about the planet.

Cash for flunkers, and letters smudged with coal

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:29:38 -0400

Green Scene takes on fossil fuels in this week's news.

Board of Supes votes against nudity

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:48:47 -0400

Developers have let graded sites remain bare for months while soil washes away. That just got tougher to do.

Green reads for the eighth month

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:47 -0400

Bisphenol A on home canning lids, plus some happier news from the world of green.

More nailbiting about home heating oil tanks

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:17:12 -0400

Is there an underground tank leaking near your house? How would you know?

How not to advertise to Green Scene

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:53:34 -0400

Yesterday marked at least the third time I have found a flyer for Kleen'n'Team on my vehicle after parking it downtown.

Let summer be summer, sans A/C

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:30:50 -0400

Air-conditioning has become - even for some folks in Florida - a luxury to be shunned.

When the veggie tide cometh, get thee to a cannery

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:44:33 -0400

It's a lovely time of year, when you open the fridge and see two and a half cabbages, eight summer squash, two giant bags of basil, four (four!) cucumbers...

Learning green at the Albemarle County Fair and beyond

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:23:07 -0400

It'll be a busy couple of weeks for those of us trying to green up our brains.

Half a mil for more efficient houses

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:12:27 -0400

We beat Asheville! We beat Jacksonville! We beat friggin' Bowling Green!

I found a free Whole Earth catalog

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:25:03 -0400

A great find on the free table outside Daedalus Bookshop.

Green reads for green beans

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:05:39 -0400

Your latest round of reading suggestions, in honor of last night's salad.

More noise about the Wilderness Wal-Mart

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:14:34 -0400

At the Wilderness, Wal-Mart holds the reins. They should take the opportunity to pull out.

Loving thy neighbor, even when it stings

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:04:07 -0400

I love all the wildlife we have out in the country. But can I love these creatures too?

Empty slogan spotting at Old Navy

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:29 -0400

And now, it is time for a brief rant.

Green reads for high summer

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:40:35 -0400

For your third-quarter reading pleasure, a few little ditties on green.

UVA project pictures the meaning of water

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:01:46 -0400

As the photos in an exhibit at UVA demonstrate, one South African village is a place where water is a daily struggle.

Water still scarce; barrels still cool

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:17:59 -0400

It seems the Central Virginia drought season may have returned. Good timing, then, for a reminder from Paige Mattson at the Blue Ridge Eco Shop.

Exploring the question of fuel use by greenhouses

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:18:13 -0400

A special treat, greenies: Guest writer Melissa Batchelor Warnke on the question of whether local food grown in greenhouses is as sustainable as what comes from the open fields.

Dominion herbicides: Don't buy it

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:31:00 -0400

Just recently I noticed evidence of spraying - brown, shriveled foliage - along the road where I live. What disturbed me was that this was mere feet from a small creek.

Green reads for the Independence countdown

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:41:17 -0400

It's time once again for your roundup of reading that sports that peculiar verdant hue.

More about when to junk your car

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:14:17 -0400

This legislation is a serious bit of greenwashing: subsidizing the purchase of cars that get 14 miles to the gallon, in the name of efficiency?

Notes on greenness underway

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:01:36 -0400

Free bear access, no-spray West Nile, the SmartGrid, and Green Scene's Twitter name!

Composting at warp speed

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:54:20 -0400

At the risk of sounding like a weirdo, I will relay my excitement. Here goes. Dude!! Our very own worms!!

On the bus with peppers and worms

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:21:39 -0400

Emily Nelson and Graham Evans, two local artists, will be driving around in an old school bus, powered by waste vegetable oil, with a garden on top.