Dear Eartha, I didn’t expect my mountain home to be so hot in the summer. How can I stay cool inside this season while being eco-friendly too? Even in our mountain region of Summit County we’re feeling the impact of global temperature rise, with warmer winters and summer temperatures regularly topping the records in recent years. […]
Dear Eartha, my neighbor recently tore out part of their lawn and replaced it with a garden. I’d do the same thing, but wouldn’t a garden require more time and water than my grass? Sounds like your neighbor is on board with the latest trend – turf replacement, or simply removing part of your grass […]
Dear Eartha, I heard that cows are a major contributor to climate change. Is that true?Are cow burps really a source of greenhouse gas emissions? Mooooost certainly. In fact, emissions from the digestive systems of livestock – particularly beef cattle and dairy cows – are responsible for 27 percent of global methane emissions. In the […]
Ask Eartha, I’m a small business owner. This winter my energy bills were through the roof. What can I do to keep costs down? If you’re a small business owner battling high energy bills, you’re definitely not alone, winter can be a challenging time. But don’t worry- there are some simple strategies to help you […]
Dear Eartha, I recently discovered that what I thought were beautiful flowers in my yard are actually noxious weeds. Can you explain how to identify noxious weeds and why they are harmful? Spring has sprung, and with it, a burst of green across our beautiful Summit County. The snow has melted, the wildflowers are beginning to […]
Dear Eartha, I read about new watering schedules in the community, and I’m confused. Is this meant for lawns only? What about vegetable gardens? As you suggest, not all plants are created equally. And while the new watering schedules reflect the maximum number of days to run sprinklers on your grass lawn (three days per […]
Dear Eartha, I just heard of the new watering schedule recommendation here in Summit County. I have a small lawn and automatic sprinklers. What does this new schedule mean and how does it affect me?Watering your lawn just got a whole lot simpler. Why? Because local leaders all agreed to the same watering schedule: easy-to-understand […]
Dear Eartha, I have some old paint and electronics in my house that I need to get rid of, but I feel bad throwing them away. Are there options to recycle household items? It’s that time of the year. Time to get out of the winter funk and refresh our spaces with some spring cleaning. But […]
Dear Eartha, I try hard to recycle, but I still feel like I throw a lot of things away. Do you have any advice that can help me throw away less stuff? Most of us are well-acquainted with the three Rs of Recycling: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In March, I shared that recycling should be […]
Dear Eartha, I have deicing cable on my roof. I need it to prevent roof leaks, but is there any way to dial back the energy use?Roof deicing cable, also known as heat trace or heat tape, is a common solution to the fearsome ice dams we see on our roofs each winter in Summit […]
Dear Eartha, I’ve caught wind that April is Earth Month. I’m familiar with Earth Day, but what exactly goes down during Earth Month?Earth Month is a celebration and dedication to our planet that extends beyond just Earth Day. We all know that Mother Earth deserves more than one day of celebration! Throughout the month, various […]
