Growing up, our family started recycling because my frugal father received a small pittance for our aluminum cans and newspapers, so we had special bins in the garage for each. We’d crush the cans to optimize the space requirements, and haul them off to a specialized facility that would weigh them and pay us by…
From the ground up, the Holiday Inn Express near the Lambert – St. Louis International Airport was designed to be a “green” hotel. Owner Vinod Patel of OHM Hotel Group envisioned an energy-efficient and eco-friendly hotel that would appeal to business travelers who want to reduce their carbon footprint while on the road. “We are…
We all have our “story” – that which defines us either individually or as a group. As Americans, we have long held the belief in our democratic values. And yet, as the world has progressed, we are coming to find that we must adjust our policies and goals to reflect new realities. We need a…
They say having children will change your life – for the better, of course. When my wife and I had our first child, we called it “redefining normal.” When lifelong friends Tim Barklage and Kevin Tibbs began their families at roughly the same time, they watched as their toddlers crawled around the floor and put…
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that inspired millions, and contributed to an unprecedented era of social change. His nonviolent stand against racial inequality moved people to take a stand for justice and truth. He has been exalted and heralded as a martyr for his work. In tribute to Dr. King, hundreds of cities…
There is nothing like the natural beauty of nature. Some of the most stunning photos or paintings are of natural objects; there is an instinctive bond between humans and nature. Biophilia is the love of life. In his 1984 book with that title, Edward O. Wilson originally defined biophilia as “the urge to affiliate with…
We’ve lived in our home for over 20 years, and have a relatively mature landscape that we’ve cultivated over that time. Our now 50+ year-old home is blessed with two handsome pin oaks and a number of other mature trees, including a pair of pink and white dogwoods that offer spectacular spring blossoms. We inherited…
If you love incandescent lights, you may feel the demise of Edison’s claim to fame is a shame. The 100 watt bulb was the first to go in 2012, followed by the 75 watt bulb in 2013, and finally the most popular 40 and 60 watt bulbs are no longer being manufactured in 2014. While…
The writing was on the wall; we knew it was coming. In Missouri, the $2 per watt rebate being paid by investor-owned utilities (IOUs) was scheduled to be reduced to $1.50 per watt starting in 2014. This reduction was designed to make the rebate last longer, since it represented as much as 2/3 of the…
The 22nd annual St. Louis International Film Festival, which ran from November 14-24, offered the typical variety of independent films. I appreciated the chance to review a few of the movies featuring environmental issues. Chasing Ice was a riveting documentary about the melting glaciers in the great Arctic Circle. James Balog, a photographer for National…
