Practical information for consumers on going green.
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Thursday, August 28, 2003
Greener Gold
If, like me, you are concerned about the negative effects that gold mining has on the environment, then you should check out the website for Green Karat (www.greenkarat.com). They make jewelry from recycled metals or metals mined in an ecologically friendly manner.
To get more information about the negative effects of mining, try the Mineral Policy Center (http://www.mineralpolicy.org/) or the Mineral Policy Institute (http://www.mpi.org.au/).
To get the gold industry's perspective, check out the site for the World Gold Council (http://www.gold.org/). There are many organizations that promote gold worldwide. Try the Australian Gold Council (http://www.australiangold.org.au/). You could also check out sites for individual companies, such as Newmont, which is based in Denver (www.newmont.com).
posted by Beth at 9:26 AM
bapartin@yahoo.com
Monday, August 25, 2003
Various Updates
Yes, it's true, I am a slacker at blogging.
Here are a few updates:
1. I finished ripping the wooden garden beds out of my yard. I took some of the wood pieces to Resource 2000 in Boulder, which said I could count them as a charitable donation on my taxes at about $3 apiece. So that will save us $200 or so on our taxes next year.
The rest of the wood (whatever was rotten or had split) I took to the BFI landfill off Highway 93. It cost me $30 to dump a truckload of wood pieces. I couldn't recycle them because they had been treated with arsenic and chipping the wood would have released more arsenic. So instead of arsenic being released into the air, it could be released into the groundwater if this landfill ever starts to leak!
I recycled all the rebar at EcoCycle in Boulder (63rd and Arapahoe).
If you would like to test the wood in your garden beds or children's playsets or decks for arsenic, go to www.healthybuilding.net to order a swipe test. Click on the "About Us" link in the upper right-hand corner and then go to bottom of the page and click on the link that says "transform the pressure treated wood industry."
2. The areas I recently seeded with buffalograss are finally starting to sprout. It takes that kind of grass two to three weeks to sprout. It will look pretty thin this year but will fill in considerably by next summer. And I don't have to mow it!
I still have to dig up two areas of my yard and turn one into a butterfly garden and the other into a new border for the backyard xeriscape. Doing those two areas is my gardening project for September. I also recently planted some lettuce and carrots.
3. I made my third batch of all-natural face cream the other day. It came out much better than the second batch, which didn't mix well at all (you know what they say about oil and water). I learned to make my own face cream from Christina Blume, who taught a class on the subject at Denver Botanic Gardens. You can check out her website at www.blumesfarm.com or take a class from the gardens (http://www.denverbotanicgardens.com/pageinpage/home.cfm).
posted by Beth at 11:20 AM
bapartin@yahoo.com
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