Number of comments: 0 Good news for green building coming out of the State House. According to the press release: The Green Buildings Act (2009-S 0232B), passed by the General Assembly in October and signed into law by Governor Carcieri this week, requires that all new major public facility projects and major building [...]
Number of comments: 2 "If my husband has a right to have guns in the house, I have a right to hang laundry."
So says Carin Froehlich of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, the focal point of this article about the growing tensions between folks who want to save a dime [...]
Number of comments: 0 Great news! A special Thanksgiving Holiday session of the Sakonnet Growers Market will be held this Saturday from 10:00AM - 2:00PM at Pardon Gray Preserve, Main Road, Tiverton.
I'm not sure of the farmers/producers that will be on hand, but it's safe to say there will be lots of' [...]
Number of comments: 3 So much for being timely with the polls! Nevertheless, our October poll asked about interest in connecting with like-minded folks from around town to get your green on. The majority of you (78%) said yes with the rest voting in with a maybe. So now what?
Number of comments: 0 What a great weekend! Fantastic weather, lots of catching up with old friends, and everything seemed to be connected by local food.
On Saturday we headed to Pawtucket for the first weekend of the Wintertime Farmers' Market. What an amazing space. Located in the' [...]
Number of comments: 2 You may remember that we were about 22 months without a TV . Then, back in April, right before I headed to China for a few weeks (and Sara was in her last two weeks of pregnancy), we caved, bought the TV and DVD player, hooked up the cable, [...]
Number of comments: 2 Our diet has never been heavy in the meat category. Chicken, fish, the occasional pork or ground turkey would grace our plates; beef had been cast away for the past couple of years. Overall, Sara and I estimate that we were already around 75% vegetarian.
Number of comments: 0 We're two weeks in to the new No Bin, No Barrel rule here in town and I'm disappointed to see first hand that it's not being enforced.
This morning, I watched as one of my neighbors had their lone trash barrel emptied by Patriot' [...]
Number of comments: 0 Last Saturday, a few of us headed down the road to the Green & Solar Cottage (map) open house, sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, to learn more about this exciting little property.
I've known the owners, Frank and Holly, for a few years now, but' [...]
Number of comments: 0 Just a reminder that our new monthly poll is up. (Look to the top right portion of the page.)
Have you ever wished you could meet up with other like-minded, eco-conscious neighbors and share experiences and know-how? Looking to learn more about a particular green topic and value the [...]
Number of comments: 1 Our September poll asked: How would you green our schools?
The results (based on six responders; hey, it's a start...), clearly lean towards enabling our students with education rather than trying to tackle the problem through infrastructure: 83% voted for enhancing the eco-education curricula66% felt retro-fitting with energy efficient' [...]
Number of comments: 0 With news that Buzzards Bay Brewing Company was stopping production of its signature brews, I wanted to pass along my thanks for what has been an amazing local product. These beers have graced our refrigerator shelves for a long time (the Black Lager is my [...]
Number of comments: 1 Now that Bodhi has made the move to his first solids, we're taking advantage of all the fresh fruits and veggies growing in and around our garden and the Sakonnet area.
So far, Sara has cooked up peaches, apples, carrots, and squash. This stuff' [...]
Number of comments: 3 I would be remiss if I didn't add two cents to the recent announcement* that Tiverton is taking a more aggressive step to help extend the life of the landfill and boost recycling rates. One word: Finally!
When I was on the town Recycling Committee back in 2004-2005' [...]
A sustainable community is one that goes beyond the bounds of just being sensitive to the environment. Local economic development, a high-yielding agricultural base, strong schools, long-term municipal planning, the list goes on. Throw one more in the mix: a thriving and inclusive arts scene. [...]
Over the past few weeks we've been in the mood to clear house. The semi-annual sweep through just about everything that results in a decent amount of give-aways. Even though we are not extravagant when it comes to buying superfluous "crap", you just need to' [...]
Number of comments: 0 This is a fantastic opportunity to help be part of the design process for our new library. Come get an update on the project and participate in breakout sessions with other neighbors on key elements of the new library's design and program development. [...]
Number of comments: 2 Just a quick shout-out to Kristin and the readers over at Sogkonnite Living!
Earlier this week, Kristin stumbled upon Sustainable Sakonnet and reached out to say hello. Looking at her blog is almost like finding a long-lost twin separated at birth: Similar look, feel, and vibe. It's a' [...]
Number of comments: 0 Our oldest son, Will, is a budding artist; a six-year-old that loves to draw, paint, build, cut, glue, and everything else that enables creative expression. (Full disclosure: Our daughter, Amelia, is right behind him, though she seems to be drawn more to the culinary arts.)
Number of comments: 0 Chalk this one under the "Why so much green to be green?" column.
Going with gDiapers was a tactical line item in our Green Baby strategy for Bodhi. But after almost four months we're throwing in the towel and transitioning out of the gDiaper system. Why? Dollars and' [...]
Number of comments: 1 Mid-August already. So much going on that it’s tough to find the time for writing. Just like most of you, it’s a constant juggling of responsibilities and priorities. What has taken a backseat is clear though: My chutzpah for being Mr. Green.
Number of comments: 1 As you may remember, we are taking steps to try and limit Bodhi's environmental footprint from the get-go. It's hard to believe that he's 10 weeks old already, but even in that time, our eco-motivations are paying off: Recycled Clothes -- Bodhi is growing' [...]
Number of comments: 3 Way back in December, I wrote a post on “saving suburbia” spurred on by the announcement of a proposed 650-acre Eco-Village development here in town. My intent was to follow that up periodically with other thought-provoking ideas out there on how to transform the inherent design failures of modern [...]
Number of comments: 1 T-minus one week and counting until the 2009 season of our Sakonnet Growers Market. Local food starts flowing next Saturday at Pardon Gray Preserve on Main Road. Market hours are 9:00am - 1:00pm each Saturday.
If Saturdays don't fit your schedule and you haven't signed up for a CSA [...]
Number of comments: 2 It’s happening again. That feeling. That grandiose notion that somehow I could pull off some crazy homesteading “experiment” out here in the middle of suburbia.
Every once in a while (OK, a few times a year, especially during the summer) I get caught up with [...]
Number of comments: 4 What a beautiful day today – in every sense of the word. Quiet, relaxing, engaging in the moment.
Waking up to the sun and symphony of birds, we got going early. The kids were barely out of the pajamas before they were outside playing. Taking advantage of the warm [...]
Number of comments: 1 Great news for the Cape Wind project. They’ve been given the “super-permit” to develop their 130-turbine wind farm – what would be the first offshore wind farm in the U.S.
What’s staggering is the potential energy that would come out of this farm: Average electricity production would power [...]
Number of comments: 0 I don't know about you, but I love The Daily Show. Unfortunately, my schedule rarely allows me to watch it. Thanks to Sara for spotting this one. Here's to mixing in a few laughs.
If you're a fan of T.D.S., you'll immediately get how much Samantha Bee is mocking [...]
BODHI MAXWELL GERLACH. Born May 4 and weighing a whopping 10 lbs 6 oz. This is our third and I think final foray into the baby scene. Sara is doing great; Will and Amelia have not left Bodhi's side since he's come home. We are [...]
Number of comments: 2 The past five weeks or so have been a whirlwind. I’m going to try and get out a blast of new posts over the next few days to cover it all, but in the meantime here are the sound bites:
I came across the Windspire unit a few weeks back and it has intrigued me ever since. Manufactured by Mariah Power, this nine-meter horizontal blade unit looks a bit more home-friendly than its more traditional looking vertical blade cousin. A visit to their website discovers that they [...]
Number of comments: 1 I had to pass this NPR story along. The premise: Old school, off-the-beaten-path commune living -- while still attractive in its mission -- is impractical for the masses. Why go to the commune when you can build the commune around you? The better alternative for communal, environmentally conscious living [...]
Number of comments: 2 Here is a great local event that's worth supporting. THS' Green Team (the student-run environment club) is hosting the first (of what hopes to be an annual) Greenstock Environmental Fair on Saturday, April 11, from 1:00 - 4:00. All are welcome.
Number of comments: 3 Almost there. Only five more weeks of school, then I join the ranks of so many post-graduation MBA’s before me looking to conquer some little piece of the business world. More importantly, we’re gearing up for our third child (a.k.a. Green Baby), who arrives in tee-minus six weeks. Whew!
Number of comments: 0 There are so many things going on in and around Sakonnet that I wished I had time to write about. I do hope to find some time over the weekend to lend a few lines to some really great happenings. In the meantime, I wanted to help promote a FREE [...]
Well, where has the month gone? Just when I thought I was back in a groove with posts, life's obligations had a funny way of creeping back up on me. The honest answer is that between work, school, and family (not necessarily in that order), there is' [...]
Number of comments: 2 The score is in and it doesn't look good for the home team. A recent email news update from People's Power & Light (where we participate in the New England GreenStart program) highlighted progress at the new wind turbine installation happening in Portsmouth. The first [...]
Number of comments: 4 For a while (OK, years) I’ve thought about how the collective we might go about “saving” that grand ol’ plan of post-WWII expansion known as “suburbia”. Clearly, at the time it sounded like a good idea, but with time comes wisdom and of course, hindsight. Alas we now know that [...]
Number of comments: 4 A couple weeks ago we hit the 18-month mark with no TV. (Read the background here.) Sara and I continue to relish in the dropped jaws and half-hearted accolades of “That’s great!” when the conversation arrives at our admission of a TV-free life. Most of the time, we imagine [...]
Number of comments: 0 Thanks to tillerman over at Proper Course for throwing out some really good ideas for businesses in the north end of town. I thought it might be a good springboard for a more general "Hey, what kind of local businesses would you like to see all over town?"
Number of comments: 4 As the adage says, variety is the spice of life, right? I think this is also true when it comes to economic development, especially at the local level.
So why are we having yet another donut shop in town? In Tuesday's Newport Daily News' [...]
Number of comments: 0 Just a quick note to plug the new RI Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. (See link under "Resources" to the right). This is a great sign that interest in sustainable building in on the rise in Rhody. Check out the recent ProJo article.
Number of comments: 1 We’re nearly at Day 30 P.E. (post-elections) and most people are over the hump when it comes to griping one way or the other. Now it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. Yet, overcoming divisions (insert your polar opposite of choice [...]
Number of comments: 1 I know this is off the mark in terms of what I like to talk about at Sustainable Sakonnet, but on the heels of the last post I had to do this. This is so tragic, so wrong, so... What a commentary on society.
Number of comments: 0 Yesterday, the RI Community Food Bank released its annual report on the status of hunger and food insecurity in the state. Not surprisingly, with everything going on both are up this year, continuing a terrible trend. Now, one in six children live in a home where getting adequate, nutritious food [...]
From our family to yours: Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving! Be well. [...] 
