Dear Eartha, I adopted some of your tips for making sustainable swaps, and now I’m feeling pretty eco-minded in the kitchen and bathroom. I’m ready to tackle another space. What suggestions do you have for the laundry room? I like your step-by-step method. Taking it room by room and trying out the swaps that work […]
Dear Eartha, I love holiday lights, but I’m trying to be more mindful about my household’s energy use. Is there a way to celebrate with plenty of sparkle while still keeping my electricity consumption in check? ’Tis the season for twinkling lights, festive wreaths, and cozy nights by the fire. But if you leave holiday […]
Dear Eartha, Can someone please explain to me the difference between the landfill and “the SCRAP”? I’ve heard both terms used to describe the same place, but aren’t they different? I can understand your confusion as these words are often used interchangeably. The fact is, the landfill and “the SCRAP” are the same place. SCRAP stands for Summit County Resource Allocation Park. As the name implies, much more goes on there than […]
Dear Eartha, I really wanted to attend the water conservation talks this summer, but I was too busy soaking up the long days! How can I get caught up on what I missed? Don’t fret! I attended each Water in the West (WITW) event and prepared a summary for summer senders like yourself. As a refresher, WITW is a monthly speaker series covering water topics relevant to the American West. High Country Conservation Center, in partnership with Blue River Watershed Group and Friends of […]
Dear Eartha, It seems like a lot of progress on climate change has been undone this year. Are we going backwards on environmental action?It’s a fair question. This year saw an abrupt end to tax credits for electric cars, renewable energy projects, and home energy efficiency improvements. The U.S. Department of Energy canceled nearly $6 billion […]
Dear Eartha, Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I can’t help wondering how all those costumes, decorations, and (let’s be honest) mushy pumpkins add up in the waste department. What’s the best way to celebrate spooky season without scaring the planet? I’m right there with you — nothing says October like crisp air, haunted houses, and glowing jack-o’-lanterns. But between single-use costumes, plastic decor, […]
Dear Eartha, what determines how much we pay for electricity and natural gas in our homes?Locally and nationally, there’s been a lot of talk about energy affordability lately. But what actually goes into our energy bills, and how much control do we have over what we’re paying? Take a few minutes to study your bill, […]
Dear Eartha, I recently got an electric vehicle! I love my new car, but charging has been a challenge because I live in a condo. I want to talk to my HOA about getting shared chargers, but I don’t know where to start. Can you help?Congrats on your new electric car – I just got […]
Dear Eartha, I know composting is good for our environment. But outside of making soil healthier for plants, what’s the real deal with composting? How does it actually benefit the community? Great question! Composting has been around for ages—literally. Early humans figured out that decomposed organic matter could give their soil a boost, and farming […]
Dear Eartha, I read in the Summit Daily that Colorado’s snowpack is at its lowest point in 10 years. How does yet another bad snow year impact our water supply? And how can I help? Most of Summit County’s water supply comes from snowpack and snowmelt. Climate change is the biggest threat to our snowpack […]
Dear Eartha, I’m planning to start some spring cleaning next week, but I hate when I end up just throwing things away. Any suggestions for how to purge more sustainably this year?Spring cleaning certainly comes at the right time. After all, just about any mythology, world religion, or daffodil will tell you that springtime is […]
