Tips to Eco-Living

In the United States, paper products make up the largest percentage of municipal solid waste, and hard copy bills alone generate almost 700,000 tons of waste and almost two million tons of carbon dioxide.

To cut back on paper waste, switch to e-billing. More and more companies are offering paperless billing options. Contact the companies that send you a bill each month and ask them what options are in place to keep the paper out of your mailbox.

Courtesy of www.thegreenguide.com

They’re Going Green

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is sponsoring a series of Brownfields grant funding workshops in mid-September.

The free workshops are co-sponsored by Region 9 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In Tucson, a workshop is set for 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, at the city of Tucson Community Services Center, 310 N. Commerce Park Loop. Other meetings will be held in Mesa on Sept. 15, Surprise on Sept. 14, and Safford on Sept. 16.

A Brownfield is an abandoned or under-used property with redevelopment potential that is blighted by environmental contamination, either real or perceived, typically from hazardous substances, petroleum products, pesticides, metals or asbestos. In addition to cleaning up the environment, the Brownfield program reduces urban sprawl, increases the tax base, encourages revitalization and creates jobs.

The workshops will help governmental entities apply for state and federal grants that will assist with site assessment and cleanup. EPA officials also will discuss new grant guidelines. Grant submittal deadline to the EPA is Oct. 16.

“Our Brownfields Program helps Arizona communities identify and reduce environmental hazards and put properties back to productive use again,” said ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles. “These workshops will help put economic redevelopment and environmental restoration on the front burner.”

Online Links

www.pimagreens.org is the Web site for the Green Party of Pima County, which meets the first Tuesday of the month (except for November) from 7:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at First Christian Church, 740 E. Speedway (at Euclid Avenue) in Tucson. The gatherings are free and open to the public. The Green Party is active across the United States and in 76 nations around the world. While each national group is structurally separate, they all share four philosophical pillars: nonviolence, ecology, social responsibility and grassroots democracy. For more information, phone (520) 798-6169.

My Green Idea!

The Green Valley News and Sun welcomes your eco-ideas. E-mail us at eco-living@gvnews.com or kwalenga@gvnews.com to let us know how you’re going green,