The Weekend Reader
By Chris Baskind in News
The Weekend Reader is a selection of some of the great articles we found this week and shared through Lighter Footstep’s Twitter account. Want to see these links as we post them? Follow us on Twitter!
Send an origami whale to Japan, and take a stand to end whaling forever: We love this clever petition idea from Greenpeace. Create and decorate a virtual origami whale (ours is named Simpl). It’s easy enough for kids, and an important cause.
Veggie Bin Mac and Cheese: The crew at BrokeAss Gourmet is great at coming up with recipes that look and taste great on a budget. You’ll like this one. It’s colorful, luxurious, and can be on your table in 40 minutes flat.
Retail titan Wal-Mart launches sustainability index: Despite this article’s title, a green initiative launched by Wal-Mart Thursday won’t yield any formal sustainability ratings for quite some time. But the big box discounter has begun polling its vendors regarding production-to-register sustainability efforts. It will take money and support from both retailers and consumer groups to make it happen, but you might one day be able to compare the earth-friendliness of products by looking at objective labels. Wal-Mart deserves credit for getting the ball rolling.
Baking soda: For cooking, cleaning and kidney health? If you read Lighter Footstep, you already know that baking soda is one of the handiest cleaners in your cabinet. But a new study conducted at the Royal London Hospital suggests it may also help restore kidney function for patients suffering from advanced chronic kidney disease.
Hybrid Drivers Offset Some of their Fuel Savings by Driving More: Oops! Here’s a problem with efficiency solutions — they don’t correct human behavior. Edmunds details findings by a California consulting group that shows hybrid owners tend to drive their fuel efficiency advantage away by putting more miles on their vehicles.
Hyperlocavore Creates Yard-Sharing Connections: Think of it as Craigslist for urban farmers (that’s what PSFK calls Hyperlocavore). A hyperlocavore grows their own food — in somebody else’s yard, if necessary. This week, we tipped the group’s founder, Liz McLellan, as one of our favorite people on Twitter. You’ll find her here.
Obama Administration Approves First Roadless Logging Contract In Alaska’s Tongass National Forest: Environmentalists were disappointed this week when the Obama administration gave the green light to logging in some of Alaska’s most unspoiled forests. This project has been grinding through the courts since 1999. About 9 miles of road will be constructed through the pristine Tongass National Forest.
See the trailer from the upcoming No Impact Man film: We’ve known Colin Beavan for a while. He and his family spent a year trying to lower their environmental impact while living in the middle of New York City. A movie about the family’s adventure is on the way, and here’s a peek. It looks funny, lighthearted — and an honest look at the difficulty of taking green seriously.
Crafty Reuse: Shower Curtain Liners. A dead shower curtain is usually bound for the landfill. Before you toss yours, check these ideas.
How to grow seeds in your garden: Unless you live in an area prone to early frosts, there’s still time to get some things going in your garden. Herbs are a likely project. Start from seed with this handy guide from the Cheap Vegetable Gardener.
We share dozens of found articles each week, keep you up to date on the latest from Lighter Footstep, and answer questions about greener living on Twitter. Still not hip to what Twitter is all about? Read this introduction. Grab a free account and follow us by clicking here, then select the Follow button below our avatar.
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Chris Baskind