Green Scene

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.

Green reads for long days

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:43:27 -0400

Welcome to the end of a busy week, friends. Here's what to read.

Keeping the green in the governor's race

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:06:10 -0400

The way Deeds and McDonnell talk about environmental issues could have ramifications for future races elsewhere.

How to make driving slightly less evil

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:12:51 -0400

I have eased my darkened conscience a little bit by dropping out of AAA and getting into the Better World Club instead.

Ecophotos, i.e. frogs and ice, at McGuffey

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:43:05 -0400

I just came from McGuffey, where the Festival of the Photograph is showing two exhibits related to matters of ecology.

Composting women, passive houses, cleaner bays

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:36:16 -0400

Good day, amigos. I bring you a fine selection of green events with which to fill your calendar.

Greenest candidate for gov

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:20:50 -0400

I had hoped to deliver a ringing endorsement of one of the three Democratic candidates for Virginia governor.

We have an attitude problem about cars

Thu, 28 May 2009 17:00:52 -0400

Sooner or later we'll have to cash in those junkers we're driving. Or will we?

Betty would buy a T-shirt

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:55:18 -0400

Here's an easy good deed. $15 to a good cause.

Green reads after the barbecue

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:56:41 -0400

Happy summer greenies. Some reads to get your season going: unicycles, union-busting, and more.

Bee green with a backyard hive

Fri, 22 May 2009 09:38:54 -0400

A tour of friends' hives brings beekeeping home.

EarthCraft tour scratches green house itch

Thu, 21 May 2009 11:27:13 -0400

Afflicted with roving eyes for houses? Interested in green building? This tour's for you.

Tanks on the corner, gas in the well

Tue, 19 May 2009 10:51:20 -0400

When you learn what this Albemarle family's been through, you think "What amazingly rotten luck!" Then you learn more...

Charlottesville is all kinds of eco

Fri, 15 May 2009 10:05:05 -0400

A snapshot of the many manifestations of green in Charlottesville right now.

What we would trade for our cars

Wed, 13 May 2009 11:01:59 -0400

All the vitriol stirred up by my recent post about Harris Teeter has me thinking.

Green reads for iris season

Tue, 12 May 2009 09:39:46 -0400

Hello, friends and neighbors. We're here to talk about good green reads.

How to change the way everybody eats

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:50:35 -0400

Right about now, the new Buy Fresh Buy Local guide is probably showing up in your mailbox.

Stuff not to buy at LEED-certified Teeter

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:32:17 -0400

It seems appropriate for shoppers at the new HT to honor all those good steps by not buying the following things there.

Garden update: Pest control mostly working

Mon, 04 May 2009 15:21:43 -0400

So far, so good with no-spray methods keeping bugs at bay.

Perriello scores a few more eco-points

Fri, 01 May 2009 14:09:22 -0400

Tom Perriello's looking to get the love from the Fifth District's energy crowd.

Dumps, recycling, and reusable bags

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:35:13 -0400

This week, we have a lot of local stories that ultimately come back to waste.

Coal mining through the windshield

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:31:36 -0400

The trip wasn't meant to be a tour of coalfields, but it did wind up causing a lot of thought.

Green reads for your Earth Day hangover

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:13:18 -0400

It's time to sit like a lump in your chair, and catch up on your reading.

Earth Day events: the green tide

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:36:03 -0400

If you're looking for some ideas to pack your Wednesday with eco-friendliness, look no further.

Hating rain is not eco-friendly

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:11:12 -0400

If you are complaining about the rain, please stop and reexamine your thinking.

A brief tale of resistance to consumption

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:53:07 -0400

How a disposable culture conspires to cause an unnecessary purchase.

Cul-de-sacs: more than dead ends?

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:05:56 -0400

It seems cul-de-sacs are more complicated beasts than we thought.

New wilderness areas to make Virginians proud

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:24:19 -0400

Count me among the pleased by 53,000 acres newly protected in the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act.

Perriello grabs worms with bare hands

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:18:32 -0400

On Wednesday, Tom Perriello demonstrated his interest in the topic of local food, and his lack of squeamishness.

Green reads for late frosts

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:51:19 -0400

A wee selection of fascinating things to read, from a terrifying lack of Wal-Marts to local passenger rail.

Ten Miler not so wasteful after all

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:55:57 -0400

One of the reasons running is my workout of choice is that it can be very light on resources.

Charlottesville full of smart, green thinkers

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:49:56 -0400

We're not just fouling the natural environment, but also the places we live and work.

A light touch on eco-travel

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:35:44 -0400

Tourists can go to the Virginia Green site for, it's said, green travel ideas. But what they'll find there is vague and the puzzling.

Design Week tears down the walls

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:25:16 -0400

It's Design Week, which means you have your choice of brain food.

A series of unfortunate buildings

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:40:38 -0400

Brookwood is the city's ugliest development, bar none. It's one of the saddest exampes of siting I've ever seen.

Greenwashing example of the day

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:52:57 -0400

Beware, friends. The most banal products are engaged in a strange kind of sabotage. Here is an item I spotted today...

Grousing about gardens and slurry

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:19:07 -0400

Michelle Obama has not made a big deal about all the important and timely food issues that her garden represents. Why the hell not?

Green reads for the equinox

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:04:05 -0400

Before you head home to ready yourself for a proper pagan ceremony to mark the beginning of spring, check out the latest Green Reads.

Trading kilowatts for gasoline

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:51:36 -0400

We are trying something new right now: grow lights on the veggie seedlings. But there's a tradeoff.

One tree in the green-marketing forest

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:18:35 -0400

So last week we enjoyed a bottle of wine with dinner, and then I noticed a bit of heavy messaging on the cork.

Backyard salad, pre-chilled

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:00:01 -0400

Out at my place, we've been eating fresh salads from our garden. It's really easy to grow this winter stuff.

Yo greenies, events!

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:58:10 -0400

Well, it seems that the daffodils are blooming and, likewise, the calendar is growing thick and leafy with events.

Golden shovels and greener buses

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:06:24 -0400

Yesterday afternoon, I was out on Avon Street Extended for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Charlottesville Transit Service facility.

Our garbage is kind of wonderful

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:33:29 -0400

A blog called Landfill Diaries reveals that in some ways, the Ivy Landfill is a model of greatness.

The cutting edge of local food

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:19:52 -0400

While the bigger and more visible local-food projects continue to pick up steam, many smaller ones bubble up too.

Decadence in the bathroom, and why it hurts trees

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:47:18 -0400

We have such tender bums that we are willing to sacrifice 200-year-old trees to avoid irritation.

Laissez les Green Reads rouler

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:09:52 -0400

You don't have to show any body parts at all to read these stories.

Ride of your life

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:24:12 -0400

Critical Mass is its own breed of crazy fun. And there's one planned for Friday!

Ruffling feathers: Cluck, cluck, yes!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:04:50 -0400

People who complain about chickens in their neighborhoods are either elitists, hopelessly out of touch, behind on the trends, or all of the above.

What water use looks like

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:52:27 -0400

Last weekend, we got a bit of green education at home, one of those moments when you directly confront your own impact on the planet.

Nukes and botanicals: Green Reads

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:32:17 -0400

Earthy stories from around the Web, all in one energy-efficient location.

Consider the local farm

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:42:42 -0400

A joyous event happened at our house this week: We got a letter from our CSA announcing the start of the new season!

Better news: Fun with veggie oil

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:47:00 -0400

Ross McDermott is traveling the U.S. in a vehicle powered by veggie oil, taking photos of wacky festivals.

The hubris of it all: Bush on climate

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:29:56 -0400

Bush's people, especially Cheney, made a deliberate point of ignoring climate change during the eight years they were in power.

Heart-shaped forest, and other human inventions

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:31:42 -0400

If anyone doubts the curious inventive powers of the human animal, feast your eyes on this.

Open space in Orange protected by Texas guns

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:05:18 -0400

I wrote a while ago about the dumb plan to build a Wal-Mart practically on top of the Wilderness battlefield. Texans and Vermonters both oppose the idea.

Green reads for groundhogs

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:49:50 -0400

If Punxsutawney Phil, now that his big day is over, were settling in for some Internet reading, here's what I'd recommend he check out first.

How to save the earth this weekend

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:41:59 -0400

There are many ways, and here are two.

No Biscuit Run? Fine by me.

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:52:34 -0400

Biscuit Run is on hold. And I say, hurrah.

Dodging plastic forks and pepper packets

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:46:04 -0400

If you're taking it to go, your lunch is going to result in at least a small amount of waste. What local spots have the greenest packaging?

How the government will save the earth

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:03:59 -0400

Free showerheads and 5-cent plastic bags. It's a start.

Green Scene goes inaugural

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:47:07 -0400

It's hardly been the most talked-about aspect of this election, but the environment had a big day yesterday too.

The last Green Reads under Bush

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:44:25 -0400

Hello again, Green Readers. Looking for links? I've got 'em.

A step back for Whole Foods

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:14:03 -0400

I'm guessing many of the readers of this blog have already noticed this: Whole Foods Market is no longer labeling its conventional (i.e., non-organic) produce as such.

Of Christmas trees and urban farms

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:25:18 -0400

Christmas tree pickup is going on now, and Friendship Court gets national notice.

CFLs: A surprising debate

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:09:37 -0400

Some folks are concerned that CFLs, the light bulbs that everyone has been saying are a greener choice, may not actually be so great.

Events for the greenie in you

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:04:01 -0400

Let no one charge that the green movement is going to lose steam in 2009. If local events are any indication, it's only gonna get frothier.

For the birds

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:30:30 -0400

Wildlife watching is fun, but you don't have to head to the wilderness. Sometimes you can spot animals in the hardware department.

Something to celebrate: no-trash partying

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:28:47 -0400

The C-VILLE cover story this week highlights the mess that's left behind after certain big local parties. Appropriate, given that tonight is another occasion on which corks will pop.

Radical resolutions for 2009

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:08:02 -0400

I haven't decided on any New Year's resolutions yet, but I'm more excited to think about big sweeping ideas than about small tweaks. How about...

Are weeds natural?

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:16:27 -0400

I'm reading some early Michael Pollan right now. It's his book Second Nature, published in 1991, when I was first hearing scary reports about global warming.

Of agriculture and high office

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:06:10 -0400

The green world is much less pleased with Tom Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary than with other picks, like Stephen Chu in the Department of Energy.

Yuletide Green Reads

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:37:21 -0400

And welcome to another edition of Green Reads. We collect 'em, you inspect 'em. Then post your own links below.

Another reason not to shop Wal-Mart for Xmas

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:04:31 -0400

The Retail Overlord plans to build a new store on the Wilderness battlefield. It's a spot where 5,000 people died during the Civil War.

Turn off the hose, for hay's sake

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:22:18 -0400

Fun fact of the day: Albemarle is a "primary federal disaster area." So are Buckingham, Fluvanna and Greene Counties. The reason? Drought.

Why Appalachia needs an Edward Thomas

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:30:00 -0400

Edward Thomas paints places that may soon disappear. Meanwhile, not so far away, things even bigger than city neighborhoods are disappearing.

Green reads for dark days

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:39:29 -0400

We're coming up on the longest night of the year. As to whether these are dark days, as in bad times, read and judge for thyself.

LEEDing, following, and falling away

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:29:51 -0400

Chris Schooley, a leader in the Belvedere project, now says LEED is not a good program for developers to sign onto.

The bus is getting crowded (but free)

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:41:04 -0400

So a couple of major news outlets are reporting on this wee ray of sunshine: More people are getting out of their cars and onto transit! Here's the source: a report from the American Public Transportation Association stating that crazy gas prices have compelled Americans to ride transit 6.5 percent more frequently in the third quarter of this year than we did in the third quarter of 2007. That's the biggest quarterly increase in 25 years.

Greenings-on about town

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:41:23 -0400

If my Saturday were greenly perfect, this is what it would look like: In the morning, I'd get up and ride my bike to the Nelson Community Market. There I would buy a pair of earrings for my mom from the nice lady who makes earrings, and a jar of local honey for my dad.

Locavores shout out to Obama

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:59:15 -0400

Obama's got to assemble a Cabinet amid a deafening roar of unsolicited advice, including from people here in Charlottesville.

The new front door at the house of TJ

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:17:35 -0400

So yesterday I got to ditch work and drive up the mountain to visit my man Thomas. I don't know why I've been looking forward to the opening of the new Monticello Visitor Center, but my visit yesterday justified the anticipation.

All wet: the water bottle dilemma

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:25:12 -0400

Drinking water is good for you; no doubt. The question of what to drink it from, though, is baffling. I have long been a user and re-user of your standard Dasani or Deer Park bottles.

This week's reading list part deux

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:34:41 -0400

And now, the second installment of Green Reads for this week! From the New York Times' Dot Earth blog, a list of reader recommendations for what Obama should do on behalf of the planet when he takes office.

Your pre-Thanksgiving green reading list

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:03:33 -0400

O.K., puppies, here's the latest roundup of green items from around the web. From Inhabitat, one of those techno-stories that sounds almost too good to be true.

O Tannenbaum, we cut you down for paper

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:15:44 -0400

The flow of junk mail's really been picking up lately at our house, which is no surprise considering the crazy consumption-fest that looms on the near horizon. This arrived in the mailbox yesterday...

Charlottesville, Albemarle: we are certifiable!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:15:04 -0400

If there's one thing the green movement isn't short on, it's talk. At first glance you might think that the certification of Charlottesville and Albemarle as "Green Governments" by the Virginia Municipal League is another example of hot air tinged green, but I think it's probably a little more substantive than that.

Live Arts votes for green party; Habitat opens door

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:59:44 -0400

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Live Arts Gala on Saturday night. The space was transformed into a kind of nighttime fantasy, with performers on suspended ladders and free-flowing booze and...wait for it...a sustainability theme!

I got the post-election greens

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:39:21 -0400

The campaign in which the environmental conversation largely amounted to "Drill, baby, drill" is over. I'm definitely glad about the results, but I did wish for more concentrated talk about environmental issues.

Wal-Mart and farmers: Best green reads

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:06:23 -0400

Here's your latest roundup of environmental news from around the web: Our local green guru gets some tough love, and an architecture prof calls out sprawl.

Elitist bottleneck (or "How Lynchburg sees us")

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:37:22 -0400

Check out this editorial from the Lynchburg News Advance. If it doesn't make you feel shocked by the yawning divide between the Charlottesville bubble and most of the rest of Virginia, you either commute from outer Fluvanna or you're a tougher bird than I am.

Buses on the loose!

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:21:53 -0400

The humble bus seems to be gaining in popularity as a political instrument. Tomorrow, October 31, you've got not one but two chances to see how the big, lumbering vehicles are becoming surprisingly nimble as symbols of various issues. Depending who's driving, of course.