[ Campout in Your Backyard This Saturday ]

This Saturday, June 22, 2013, thousands of people across the nation will gather in their backyards, neighborhoods, communities and parks to take part in the Great American Backyard Campout, a one-night FREE event that will provide an experience for all generations to connect with nature.

Be a part of the movement! The positive effects of daily, unstructured time outdoors on kids’ health are well-documented and wide-ranging. National Wildlife Federation encourages families and friends to Be Out There™ in order to give back to American children what they don’t even know they’ve lost—their connection to the natural world.…

[ Our Fertilized World ]

Did you know that U.S. farmers apply over 11 million tons of nitrogen fertilizers to farm fields every year, mostly in the form of ammonium nitrate. The widespread use of the substance is considered part of the so-called Green Revolution, which radically increased the amount food we could grow.

[ Plowing Forward on WILK-Northeast Pa’s News Radio-June 8th Edition ]

HILLSIDE FARMS has launched “PLOWING FORWARD,” a farm-inspired radio talk show focusing on the survival of humanity, species, and the planet.  The show airs Saturday afternoons at 3:00 on our News/Talk station 103.1 WILK NewsRadio.

You can listen to a podcast of the June 8th show here.   

The show focused on the true costs of cheap food and a whole lot more.…

[ Whistle-Blowers Targeted Down on the Farm ]

Animal cruelty whistle-blowers have shot undercover video exposing illegal or unethical abuse inside factory farms and slaughterhouses across the country. In addition to animal abuse, food safety problems have been exposed.

The meat industry is fighting back with bills introduced in many states, including Pennsylvania, that would criminalize the actions of the whistle-blowers.

In response, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) spokesman Paul Shapiro observed, “You know that your industry has a lot to hide when it wants to make it a crime just for somebody to document what it is that you’re doing.”

Industry groups said the bills are intended to protect farmers from activists who produce misleading videos, and they said legislation of this sort promotes animal care.…

[ Heritage Explorer Bike Tour and Festival – Saturday, June 15, 2013 ]

The day is going to be wonderful! The forecast is a high of 75° with peeks of sun and no rain. A perfect day to ride your bike and enjoy a festival. Pick your route to ride!

Still need to sign up?
Stop by the On-Site Registration Table to fill out your forms and waiver. Please arrive one hour before the start time of your ride to register (see below). Entry fees are $25 for seniors (55+), students, and military; $35 for adults (18 years & up); $50 for a family (2 adults, 4 children); and $120 for a team of up to 6 adults, age 18 & up.…

[ Plowing Forward on WILK-Northeast Pa’s News Radio-June 1st Edition ]

HILLSIDE FARMS has launched “PLOWING FORWARD,” a farm-inspired radio talk show focusing on the survival of humanity, species, and the planet.  The show airs Saturday afternoons at 3:00 on our News/Talk station 103.1 WILK NewsRadio.

You can listen to a podcast of the June 1st show here.   

The show focused on the true costs of cheap imports with Dr. Doug Ayers and Suzanne Kelly discussing WHY and HOW BUY LOCAL / BUY AMERICAN will turn this country around.…

[ Wilkes-Barre Farmer’s Market 2013 Opening Day is June 20th ]

The new season of the Wilkes-Barre Farmers’ Market will begin next week. Each week during the summer, something special is planned for the whole family. Full of family fun, music, food, crafts and, of course, the highest quality fresh produce from local growers, the Wilkes-Barre Farmers’ Market is the place to be this summer!

Visit http://www.wilkes-barre.pa.us/farmersm.php for the full list of entertainment and events.

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[ Pollinator Week is June 17-23, 2013! ]

Background of Pollinator Week

Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by the Pollinator Partnership.

Six years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.  Pollinator Week has now grown to be an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles. The growing concern for pollinators is a sign of progress, but it is vital that we continue to maximize our collective effort. …

[ The Most Littered Object in the World? ]

The Sierra Club’s Green Life blog recently had a great story about America’s problem with cigarette butts. When I mentioned the story to a co-worker, he told me that there’s a website you can go to to report people who throw their butts out their windows. Check it out at www.litterbutt.com.  Here in Pa., the person reported will receive a letter from the State notifying them they were caught littering and fines for littering, though no fine levied.

America’s got a butt problem.…

[ World Oceans Day is June 8th ]

On June 8^th 2013, communities around the globe will celebrate World Oceans Day as an opportunity to learn more about our ocean and take action to help conserve it. This year the celebration is bigger than ever with hundreds of family-friendly events at aquariums, zoos, museums, exciting online events, and more.

In addition to the events planned in dozens of countries worldwide, everyone is invited to take ocean conservation personally by sharing an Ocean Promise online. Under this year’s World Oceans Day theme of “Together we have the power to protect the ocean”, you can learn how small actions can add up to make a big difference.…

[ Eco Friendly Auto Detailing ]

Greg Barkowski contacted us to let us know about the car detailing business he recently opened.  Mobile Green Auto Detailing Inc. offers eco-friendly car detailing with complete detailing packages using only “Green” products that are not only safe for the environment but also safe for you and your vehicles.  Products are Non Toxic and Biodegradable and each car wash uses only 4-8 oz of water.  In addition, the business is mobile. Greg will come to your home or office, a huge convenience to all.…

[ Go Native During Perennial Gardening Month ]

June is Perennial Gardening Month and the perfect time to celebrate perennials.  Perennials can be colorful, hassle-free and with a little care, they come back year after year and save the time and expense of replanting.

Celebrate Perennial Gardening Month by going native…with your plants.  A native plant is one which occurred within this region before settlement by Europeans. Native plants include ferns and clubmosses; grasses, sedges and  rushes; perennial and annual wildflowers; and the woody trees, shrubs, and vines which covered “Penn’s Woods” when the first settlers arrived.…

[ What Mosquitoes Have in Store for PA This Season ]

They represent one of the signs of spring and summer you may prefer to do without. Mosquitoes are out in Pennsylvania, and you can keep from becoming a victim by learning a little more about the buggers.

Naturalist David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation, said the best protection is prevention. That can come, in part, by eliminating standing pools of water around the outside of your home, he said.

“Some species of mosquito, they only need like an inch of water, so water standing in the bottom of a flower pot or in clogged gutters or in children’s toys that are left out in the yard, these are all potential breeding places for mosquitoes,” Mizejewski explained.…

[ Organic Pest Control ]

The cold weather is gone & planting season is finally here.  With plants come pests and pest control. The Sierra Club has some great tips to get rid of garden pests without using pesticides or killing creatures.

For professional gardener George Gibbs, organic gardening is a practical application of his general philosophy of treading softly. Gibbs eschews pesticides, herbicides, and killing creatures, in general. For him, human prosperity isn’t separate from protecting the planet and its other inhabitants.

This week on the Green Life, we’re asking Gibbs to share a few practical tips for organic gardeners. …

[ Today is World Environment Day ]

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.  …

[ Safe Ways to Dispose of E-Waste ]

When you’re recycling a newspaper or a water bottle, the process is straightforward — place the item in the appropriate bin. But when it comes to recycling electronic waste or “e-waste,” it can feel like your brain is short circuiting.

The Sierra Club has researched safe ways to dispose of those unwanted gadgets and this is what they came up with:

1.) Donate or sell your used electronics.

If your devices still have some juice, consider donating or selling them.…

[ DEP Reminds Pool Owners to Handle Waste Water Safely ]

Private and public pool owners, as well as pool management companies, should remember that chlorinated wastewater must be handled responsibly, Acting DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo said today.

“Pools will open in just a few weeks,” Abruzzo said. “Sometimes as swimming pools are cleaned and prepared for summer use, we see fish kills in local streams that could easily have been prevented.”

“Pool owners and professional pool cleaners need to dispose of old water correctly, and to neutralize wastewater containing chemicals such as chlorine and muriatic acid.…

[ Plowing Forward on WILK-Northeast Pa’s News Radio-May 25th Edition ]

HILLSIDE FARMS has launched “PLOWING FORWARD,” a farm-inspired radio talk show focusing on the survival of humanity, species, and the planet.  The show airs Saturday afternoons at 3:00 on our News/Talk station 103.1 WILK NewsRadio.

You can listen to a podcast of the May 25th show here.   

Topics included Hillside Farms Policies & Practices, GMOs in feed, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, rotational grazing, grass to grain ratios, water sources, organic/non-organic, growth hormones, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (HEALTHY FAT), humanly raised and MUCH MORE.…

[ Plowing Forward on WILK-Northeast Pa’s News Radio-May 18th Edition ]

HILLSIDE FARMS has launched “PLOWING FORWARD,” a farm-inspired radio talk show focusing on the survival of humanity, species, and the planet.  The show airs Saturday afternoons at 3:00 on our News/Talk station 103.1 WILK NewsRadio.

You can listen to a podcast of the May 18th show here.   

The show focused on FOOD INSECURITY – Closing the Gap on Hunger. In Pennsylvania nearly 1.6 million people struggle to put food on the table. This threatens families, children, our economy, and health care system.…

[ Penn State Named EcoCAR 2 Competition Year Two Winner ]

EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future named Pennsylvania State University its Year Two winner at the EcoCAR 2013 Competition in San Diego, California on May 24. The 15 universities competing in EcoCAR 2 recently gathered in Yuma, Arizona, for six days of vehicle testing and evaluation on drive quality and environmental impact at General Motors Desert Proving Ground. The competition then moved to San Diego for a second round of judging by automotive industry experts.

EcoCAR 2 is a three-year competition managed by the Energy Department’s Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the Energy Department, General Motors, and 30 other government and industry leaders.…

[ 5 Eco-Friendly Smartphone Accessories ]

Smartphones have become our mailboxes, maps, cameras, clocks, calendars, books, and music players. In that spirit of multipurpose minimalism, the Sierra Club went on the hunt for some ecofriendly cell accessories, including a camp stove that doubles as a phone charger.

With the CampStove from BIOLITE, you can warm your hands on the same fire that charges your phone. The 33-ounce thermoelectric gadget needs no gas. Just stuff in some twigs, set ‘em on fire, and plug in. $130 

[ Special screening: “Gasland Part II” ]

In his 2011 Academy Award-nominated documentary Gasland, Josh Fox introduced the world to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a dangerous process that involves injecting millions of gallons of water, sand and toxic chemicals into the ground to fracture rock and release oil and gas.

He’s returned with a sequel, revisiting the families and towns he witnessed being devastated by fracking and documenting the oil and gas industry’s poisonous political tactics.  In GASLAND Part II, he has undertaken an unflinching, fearless investigation of the toxic influences polluting our democracy.…

[ A Poison Gas Disaster ]

The recent explosion at a West, Texas fertilizer plant that killed many people was quite alarming. Places like this exist near many communities around the country and if you’re wondering if your own community might be at risk of a similar disaster, EarthTalk, part of E – The Environmental Magazine, has the answer:

Many people may not realize that what happened on April 17, 2013 in the town of West, Texas—a fertilizer plant with an unreported large stockpile of explosive ammonium nitrate blew up, killing 14 and rendering hundreds of others injured and homeless—could happen almost anywhere.…

[ EPA participates in Blue Mountain tree planting project ]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and three partner organizations are planting 5,500 new trees on 70 acres of mountainside at the Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site along the Appalachian Trail in Palmerton, Pa. that will be in place by Memorial Day.

“EPA is proud to be part of this tree planting venture that helps transform a previously barren and contaminated site into a beautiful ecological vista along the Appalachian Trail,” said EPA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.

This is the second year of tree planting, which is the final step in re-vegetating Blue Mountain – – a joint effort involving EPA, the National Park Service, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the American Chestnut Foundation.…

[ Study: Nearly 22 Million Electric Vehicles Will Be Sold from 2012 to 2020 ]

A total of 21.9 million EVs will be sold worldwide during the period from 2012 to 2020, according to a recent report from Navigant Research. “Electric Vehicle Market Forecasts” reports that electric vehicles (EV) sales will grow at a much more rapid pace than the overall automotive market during that timeframe. Both plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have become widely available in Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Europe, and are being introduced in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.…

[ 10 Green-Tech City Solutions for Beating the Heat ]

With temperatures getting close to 90 degrees today here in Northeastern Pa., we’ll probably all be looking for ways to beat the heat. Cities across the world are aiming to do just that, while bringing botanical bliss to urbanites by using plants and trees in a unique way. 

Visit National Geographic here to see more pictures and find out how city plantings can help improve air and water quality.…

[ 4 Reasons Organic Foods are Healthier ]

If you’ve ever been against buying organic produce due to the cost, the Sierra Club has come up with 4 reasons why organic foods are healthier for you.  Check out the list below:

You’re at the supermarket, and it’s time to choose: organic tomatoes or conventional ones? The organics are double the price, but they’re supposed to be more nutritious, right? Well, a study published by Stanford University found that organic produce, across many different studies, is as equally nutritious as produce grown with synthetic chemicals.…

[ New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Power the Grid ]

Researchers from the Energy Department’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life “flow” battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid. The research is a product of the new Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), an Energy Department Energy Innovation Hub. Established last November and led by Argonne National Laboratory with SLAC as a major partner, JCESR is one of five such Hubs created by the Energy Department to accelerate energy research.…

[ Up on the Roof ]

A lofty idea is blossoming in cities around the world, where acres of potential green space lie overhead.

Check out more incredible pictures on National Geograpihc.…

[ EPA Announces Selected Recipients to Receive $62.5 Million to Clean Up Contaminated Sites, Protect Health and the Environment, and Revitalize Communities Nationwide ]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the selection of 240 recipients recommended to receive $62.5 million in grants to protect people’s health and the environment in local communities. These new investments, funded by EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants, provide communities with funding necessary to assess, cleanup and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. 

“Brownfields sites are community assets and a key component of the Obama Administration’s efforts to provide tools to sustainably revitalize communities and foster economic development,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.…

[ America’s Home Energy Education Challenge 2013-14 Program Launched ]

Registration opened on May 7 for America’s Home Energy Education Challenge (AHEEC), a national student competition created to help families save money by saving energy. Administered for the Energy Department by the National Science Teachers Association, the Challenge is designed to inspire student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math, while encouraging elementary and middle school students to make smarter energy choices and save energy at home.

The AHEEC has two parts: the Home Energy Challenge and the Energy Fitness Award.…

[ Charge Your Phone While Cycling ]

There are many reasons why biking to work rules. You save money, eliminate the stress of parking, get in a quick workout, and now, thanks to Aaron Latzke and David Delcourt, you can even charge your cell phone using kinetic energy generated from your ride! Yeah, we know, pretty awesome.

The Kickstarter campaign for the Siva Cycle Atom was launched a few weeks ago, and with only a few days left to pre-order, the project has already seen more than $110,00 pledged by 1,200 backers.…

[ Clean Water = Great Tasting Beer ]

Clean water is essential to great-tasting beer. Even more, it’s critical for public health and the health of a wide range of industries. That’s why the Natural Resources Defense Council has teamed up with craft brewing companies to stand up for clean water and to enforce the Clean Water Act.

In April 2013 the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) brought together two dozen nationally respected craft beer brewers to launch the Brewers for Clean Water Campaign, which aims to leverage the economic growth of the craft brewing sector into a powerful voice for bolstering clean water protection in the United States.…

[ Make A Shopping Bag Out Of An Umbrella ]

The Sierra Club featured this project in their latest newsletter and if you have a broken umbrella that you just can’t seem to bring yourself to throw away, this is the project for you.  With some basic sewing skills, you can repurpose that broken umbrella into a reusable shopping bag.

Difficulty Level: 4 | Construction time: 1 to 2 hours

What You’ll Need:

•Umbrella
•Sewing scissors
•Pins
•Yardstick or tape measure
•Chalk
•Cutting mat
•Sewing machine
•Thread
•Cutting wheel (optional)

Snip the fabric loose from the umbrella spine, fold it, cut out two squares, and then sew them together along the sides and bottom.…

[ Live Webcast of Peregrine Falcon Banding Set for May 21 ]

The annual Peregrine falcon banding event will be shown in a live webcast on Tuesday, May 21. The 1 to 2 p.m. banding will be in the Rachel Carson State Office Building auditorium in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Biologists will retrieve the young falcons, called eyases, from their nest, weigh them and place a metal band with a falcon-specific code around each bird’s left leg. Wildlife officials and bird enthusiasts will use the band code to monitor the birds after they leave the nest.…

[ Alaska Town May Vanish By 2017 ]

The coastal village of Newtok, Alaska, located about 480 miles west of Anchorage, is in the process of being washed into the Bering Sea.

The Ninglick River flows past three of Newtok’s sides on its path to the sea, and it’s been chipping away at the village at a rate that’s only grown more aggressive due to climate change (more than 100 feet of shoreline gone some years), which has been linked to melting permafrost and dwindling protective sea ice.

The U.S.…

[ Making Sense of Misleading Food Labels ]

Have you ever picked something up off the shelf at the grocery store and read the label, only to be confused by what the label actually means?  With so many misleading food labels on shelves today, it can be frustrating to try to make sense of them, know which to trust, and what to choose.

Sustainable Baby Steps has collected each one they could find to try to make sense of them for a sustainable and holistic viewpoint – everything from “added vitamins” to even the misleading information on “organic” foods- and to help you know the best choices to make.…

[ Electrofuels: Charged Microbes May “Poop Out” a Gasoline Alternative ]

Run current through genetically engineered microorganisms, and they produce gasoline substitute. Can U.S.-funded electrofuels research finish the drive from lab to market?

…

[ Whisky a Go Go: Can Scotland’s Distillery Waste Boost Biofuels? ]

Scotland’s whisky industry churns out a sobering amount of waste, but it may eventually feed a heady biofuels market if Celtic Renewables’ plans succeed.

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