Recently in Environment Category

State Representative Cullie Tarleton and State Senator Steve Goss are encouraging people to participate in Litter Sweep, which is the state Department of Transportation's roadside cleanup event. Litter Sweep will be held the last two weeks of April. Goss said, "Helping to clean our roadsides is an easy, important way to help give back to our state. Working together for just a few hours can make an enormous difference in how we and others see our community."

If you or your civic organization would like to volunteer, you can call the DOT's Litter Sweep Hotline at 800-331-5864.

Samaritan's Purse volunteers continue to help Watauga County homeowners recover from the destructive Christmas Day ice storm. According to Samaritan's Purse's Tom Layton, the Boone-based disaster relief organization has received hundreds of requests from residents who need help cleaning up the damage to their property. Samaritan's Purse has teamed up with North Carolina Baptist Men and the Three Forks Baptist Association to help remove fallen trees, limbs, ice, and other debris from residents' property and make emergency repairs to damaged houses. Layton said many of these homeowners have been without power and have been unable to leave their house for several days. Layton explained Samaritan's Purse has been able to minister to families that had nowhere else to turn. Despite the ice, snow, and sub-zero wind chill, Layton said more than 75 volunteers have responded to the call for help.  He said volunteers came from North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Iowa. In a released statement, Director of North America Projects for Samaritan's Purse, Luther Harrison said, "We are extremely grateful to have such committed volunteers working alongside us.  They are truly showing the compassion of Jesus to this community." Layton said the recovery effort would likely continue through the third week in January. 

The Town of Boone Facilities Maintenance Division will pick up Christmas trees for Town of Boone residents beginning Monday, January 4, 2010 through Friday, January 15, 2010.  Trees need to be placed curbside on your regular garbage collection day and need to be free of decorations, wire and nails.

Downed trees and icy conditions left Watauga County in a state of emergency over the weekend.  Steve Sudderth of Watauga County Emergency Management compared the damages to the conditions left behind by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The fire departments, rescue squads, department of transportation, law enforcement and private citizens have been working very hard. Emergency shelters have been established by the Watauga County Red Cross at the Valle Crucis Conference Center and Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Department. Showers are available but residents must bring towels and toiletries. Samaritan's Purse is assisting clean up efforts for those residents who cannot help themselves remove debris, make emergency repairs to houses or clear their driveways.  Samaritan's Purse can be contacted at 278-1981. Elderly, disabled, single mothers, and anyone who cannot help themselves is encouraged to call.

Studies show holiday preparations, including gift giving, holiday decorations and food preparation, increase the nation's trash by an extra 1 million tons per week during the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The following tips will help consumers reduce waste and care for the environment while still enjoying the holiday season. Give home-baked goodies in reusable containers like baskets, tins or jars. Or give non-materialistic "green" gifts that do not require wrapping, such as gift certificates. Use decorative, reusable boxes and bags for gift giving instead of wrapping paper. Use reusable plates, cups and silverware instead of disposable ones. If a tree is part of your celebration, buy one that can be replanted in your yard. Staying green during the holiday season involves more than trees, gifts and wrapping paper. Other ways to help the environment during the holidays include: Use L-E-D holiday lights. They use about 99 percent less energy than larger, traditional holiday bulbs and last up to 100,000 hours when used indoors. Defrost frozen items in the refrigerator, not under running water. Purchase rechargeable batteries. Call toll-free numbers on unwanted holiday catalogs and have your name taken off their mailing list. For additional tips on reducing holiday waste, you can visit the Recycle Guys' Web site at: recycleguys.org.

The ASU Sustainable Energy Society (ASUSES) presents the 14th annual Solar Tree Lighting at the Jones House in Boone on Wednesday, December 16. The tree lighting ceremony is a traditional event which brings the community together to celebrate the holidays. It is also a great form of celebration for the education and support of renewable energy in Boone.  The evening's activities begin with a reception at 5:00 p.m. at Galileo's Bar & Café, where attendees are invited to enjoy dinner and drinks with family and friends along with live acoustic music from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., bagpiper Casey Smith will lead a processional to the Jones House for the tree lighting ceremony. The tree, located on the Jones House lawn, features 300 feet of LED energy-efficient lights powered by a solar panel system constructed by the club members. It is tradition for the Boone mayor to flip the switch. The lighting will take place rain or shine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized the publication of the Environmental Assessment for the town of Boone's proposed water intake in the Brownwood area of Watauga County. USDA had to first review related documents, request changes and have questions answered before the Environmental Assessment could be made available for public comment. A copy of the Assessment is available online at townofboone.net. A 30-day period following the Dec. 4 publication of allows for public comment. Comments should be made by Jan. 4, 2010.

"Boone Green Drinks," an informal social networking organization that hosts free monthly events for anyone interested in "green" activities in the High Country, will hold an organizational meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in Boone. Boone Green Drinks is among 12 other North Carolina communities and 640 cities worldwide that host monthly gatherings of sustainably minded people who meet to informally discuss green business, green services and green activities. Meetings  will be held on the third Thursday of each month starting in January  2010.

It's not St. Paddy's Day yet, but a local group is serving up "green drinks." Boone Green Drinks is an informal social networking organization that hosts monthly events for anyone interested in sustainable activities in the High Country. The effort grew out of the High Country Home Builders Association's Green Building Committee and is now setting up a regular meeting schedule and formal network.

Quint David helped launch the movement, which is based on a similar undertaking in Asheville and has become more popular worldwide as interest in renewable energy and sustainable development grows. David said each meeting they will come together and talk about green energy, building and business. The slogan of the international Green Drinks organization is "Saving the World One Sip at a Time". Boone Green Drinks gatherings are free and open to the public. Participants cover their own costs of refreshments and light snacks are provided.

The next meeting of Boone Green Drinks is Thursday, Dec. 3. It will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center.

Small businesses in Watauga, Mitchell, and Catawba County were three of 18 that received grant money from the state to continue their work in green initiatives. According to Governor Bev Perdue's office, High Country Green Box LLC in Boone was awarded a $97,989 grant.  High Country Green Box is working on a green solution for the affordable housing crisis in North Carolina Repurposing "Standard International Shipping Units" that are currently being discarded, into energy-efficient modular housing units. The Governor's office said the grant money was made available through the federal recovery and reinvestment act and came through the N.C. Energy Office's State Energy Program.