• Troops to Energy Jobs
Like the name says, this program, created by five of the nations largest energy company, helps train and facilitate veterans in energy careers. They work with the federal government along with local community colleges and unions to get veterans into accelerated training programs and placed in jobs. To see what opportunities are available in your area, you can check out the Troops to Energy Jobs section of CEWD.org.

• Solar by Soldiers
This is a small program created by Tipping Point Renewable Energy that specifically hires and trains veterans to work in their solar and efficiency programs. They install solar panels for customers that reduces our dependence on energy from oil. You can find out everything you want to know about this Ohio based company at Tipenenergy.com/Solar-By-Soldiers.

• Green Jobs 4 Vets
This is a small Massachusetts based program not only trains and places veterans in energy and weatherization jobs, but also has opportunities for positions in hazardous materials removal, green construction and energy audits. Their website, with links to all their programs and job leads can be found at GreenJobs4Vets.us

If a new green career isn’t one you’ve considered before, please do. It is one of the most rewarding ways to work and continue to do good in the world for today and future generations. This nation is grateful for the services our veterans have provided and there are resources available to serve them in return.

Photo credits: Fort Dix solar panels by U.S. Army Environmental Command/flickr; Windmill Farm by Kumaravel/flickr

Kenny Alvarez is an education counselor to veterans and also writes for a military education site which explores all the college education benefits to veterans and their dependents; for example, check out this information on Marines tuition assistance.

1. Turn off the Water
In certain places, people keep sprinkler systems on year-round. In other areas, sprinkler systems need to be shut off when temperatures begin dropping. Once winter arrives, plants, grass, and other shrubbery do not require as much water. However, many people may continue watering when it is not needed.

• Reduce the amount of water you use in your backyard.
• Even if you do not use a sprinkler system, reduce the amount of water you use in your backyard.
• Instead of watering your lawn and other greenery every day, only water it when it is needed.

Turning off your sprinkler system as temperatures become cooler can also help prevent wasted water. Cold temperatures can cause pipes to burst in sprinkler systems, which causes water waste.

2. Create Animal-Friendly Areas

An Eco-friendly backyard should have plenty of animal-friendly areas. When you want to create an animal-friendly backyard, you can set up a few areas where animals will feel safe and happy.

• Hang a few bird-feeders from the trees in your backyard or off your back porch.
• Scatter bird food around the bottom of the tree trunks, as well as underneath other bird-feeders. The food on the ground will attract non-flying birds, as well as scavenger birds.
• Use recycled materials to create bird-feeders.

3. Winterize Your Lawn in an Eco-Friendly Way

All lawns need to be winterized before the temperatures drop. However, if you want to keep your backyard eco-friendly, you should consider using organic or eco-friendly fertilizer on your grass and plants.

• Prepare your lawn before winter with eco-friendly fertilizers.
• Plant grass and plants that are intended for the area you live.
• When you use the right type of grass and plants in your yard, there is not as much need for fertilizer or water.

4. Pesticides are a Bad Idea

Pesticides can harm your pets, as well as any outdoor animals that visit your yard. When you want to deter certain animals, or lawn killers, consider using natural methods.

5. Trade Your Current Furniture for Eco-Friendly Items

Use eco-friendly outdoor lighting and furniture. You can still enjoy your backyard in the winter by using eco-friendly lighting and furniture.

• Enjoy the cooler weather by placing an environmentally friendly outside wood burning stove in your yard.
• Use eco-friendly yard lighting and holiday lights.
• Use outdoor furniture made from recycled materials outside on your porch or in your yard.

Just because the weather is cooler does not mean you cannot enjoy your yard. With bird feeders, outdoor wood stoves, and recyclable furniture, you can have fun outdoors, even in winter. When you make an effort to have a greener yard, it can be more enjoyable for you, and the environment.

Photo credits: Bird Feeder – Cardinal by Marni-/flickr; Solar Lights in backyard
by shidairyproduct/flickr

Author Casey Stevens owns his own landscape business and writes for truckertotrucker.com, a site where you can find a dump trailer for your renovation project or a flatbed trailer to haul all your heavy equipment.

1. Skip the Appliances.
The energy and resources required to make and power mini-fridges and microwaves is huge. Campuses also have hundreds of places to hang out that provide free air conditioning. If your dorm or apartment doesn’t have all those energy draining gadgets, just spend as much time as possible not there. Getting out and meeting new people is what college is all about anyway.

2. Trash into Treasure
Get that quirky eco friendly look by creating your own style at thrift stores. Take an art or sewing class and learn how to alter or embellish your clothing, book bags, and linens. Buying second hand will not only save you money, but keep hundreds of pounds of trash out of the landfill.

3. Change Light Bulbs
Compact florescent bulbs save energy and money. Try to make sure all the fixtures and lamps within your reach are energy efficient.

4. Kill Switch on the Phantom Menace
Computers, phone chargers, modems, TV’s and other electronics all drain power if left plugged in, even when they’re turned off. Cut them off at the source by plugging everything into a power strip and turning it off when you’re not using them.

5. Recycle Electronics
Old cell phones, dying mini-fridges, or obsolete monitors all need to be disposed of. If you recycle electronics and appliances appropriately, you can prevent not only tons of non-biodegradable ending up in landfills, but you can also reduce the amount of toxic mercury leaked into the soil and ground water. Also, read this about the effect of cell phones on gorilla habitats.

6. Recycle and Encourage Others to Recycle
Start using refillable water bottles and travel mugs rather than bottle water and disposable cups, and wash your dishes rather than using paper plates. Set up bins for your dorm, collect printer paper, pick up litter, and encourage your friends to do the same. Every little bit helps!

Colorful Recycling Containers for Trash

9. Get Involved
Campuses run on student groups. Find a green group that’s doing something about what you’re passionate about. GreenStudentU.com has a huge list of student environmental groups.

10. Pee Outside
It sounds like a crazy way to go green, but the average toilet uses THREE gallons of water per flush. Help save that water for where we really need it. Visit PeeOutside.org for more on this unusual way to save the planet.

A little creativity will help you get started on your own green initiatives today—don’t wait to start making your contribution to the earth’s good health!

Photo credits: Colorful Recycling Containers for Trash by epSos.de/flickr; Walking by English106/flickr

Peter Harrington is a career counselor and content contributor for Top Online Colleges, a great source for tons of information on expanding your education, from top online colleges for nursing to School Counseling degrees.

1. Yale University in New Haven, CT: This Ivy League university spends nearly half of its food budget on organically and locally grown produce. Any new construction has to meet LEED Gold Standards. They utilize energy-efficient lighting and have a trading initiative for clothes and household items in the living quarters.

2. Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH: New construction and reconstruction requires LEED Silver Standards in Oberlin. Their campus has three buildings which are heated with geothermal pumps. Over one quarter of the campus’ electricity comes from renewable sources. Various sustainable-source themes are offered in three of the student residences. One fourth of their food products for the cafeterias are bought locally. Oberlin also operates a thrift store that offers clothing and other items for swap.

3. Brown University in Providence, RI: Brown purchases twenty percent of its food produce for students from local sources. At least thirty percent of the campus’ energy comes from renewable resources. Brown also uses energy-efficient technology and requires new construction to meet LEED Silver Standards.

4. Luther College in Decorah, Iowa: Luther takes organic food one step further by growing a lot of produce in their own garden and food is composted on site. New construction requires LEED Silver Standards and most of the rubble left from demolition is not put into landfills. By 2012, they are committed to having their greenhouse gas emission cut in half. They manage their own rainwater with storm drains, retention ponds and absorbent pavement. Luther uses energy efficient management on their campus.

5. Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA: Dickinson has its own biodiesel plant and uses waste vegetable oil from the cafeterias to operate their central energy boilers. Half of the food budget is organically and locally grown. Like Luther College, Dickinson maintains a garden on campus that grows fresh herbs and vegetables. Food scraps are also composted in on-site bins. New construction requires LEED Silver Standards and three of their buildings have a LEED Gold Standard rating. Dickinson College also uses energy management systems in most of its buildings.

When you consider where to attend college or university it’s a good idea to consider these factors, along with their academic merits. It is one thing just to teach environmental responsibility; it is another to practice it on campus. These and other top universities are providing the examples for the others.

Photo credit: Arrival on the Quad by gc/flickr

Thomas Masterson is a career advisor and content contributor for thebestcolleges.org, a website providing a list of cheap online schools as well as college rankings for a multitude of specialty programs.

The River Thames in London

During the ‘Great Stink’ of 1858 so much raw sewerage and waste from tanners, slaughterhouses, and other polluting industries flowing into the Thames that the smell became literally unbearable.

The Great Stink of 1858

It worked, to a degree. The Great Stink was not repeated but the Thames remained heavily polluted. It was still a river of dead dogs, sewerage, and chemical soup. The salmon that were common in lower Thames up until the 1800s were gone by 1833 and they didn’t return after the sewers were built- they just moved the problem downstream. By the time of the Great Stink there were few or no fish left in the tidal Thames at all.

The fish markets of London either closed or were supplied with fish from the coast. Cholera epidemics were common and polluted water was to blame. Attempts were periodically made to clean up the river but they were never anything like enough to halt the decline of the lower Thames. By the second world war it was complete. There was not enough oxygen in the water to support life even if fish could survive the contamination. For a 30 mile stretch between Fulham and Tilbury it was a dead river.

The tide began to turn in 1961. In the 60s environmental consciousness was rising. Sewerage treatment facilities were expanded and improved and serious efforts were made to restrict the industrial effluent running into the Thames. In 1974, just 13 years after the program of water quality improvements began, a salmon was found in the lower Thames. After an absence of more than a century and a half, they came back.

Efforts to clean up the river have continued and these days more than 100 fish species call the Thames home, many of them in the lower reaches. Smelt, sole, and bass have all returned to the river and so have countless invertebrates, plants species, and water birds. Sometimes seals are even sighted in the London Thames.

While there are still problems with sewerage outflow and pollutants, the Thames clean-up has enjoyed outstanding success. In just a few decades it has taken a moving toxic sludge and turned it into a living, breathing watercourse with a working ecosystem. There is still a lot to be done, but the Thames example shows that no river is beyond saving if we’re willing to try hard enough.

Jess Spate lives in Wales not far from the River Taff, a watercourse with pollution problems of its own. One day she hopes it’ll be clean enough to go for a swim. She works as a sustainable business consultant for Fountain Spirit and Appalachian Outdoors, one of America’s best sources of outdoor and travel clothing .

We are pleased to announce that the lucky winner was picked at random using Random.org as Eveline Sipe.

Eveline said;

Man, these socks look extra fluffy on the picture would love to try them

Congratulations to Eveline and thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

Don’t forget to check out both Maggie’s Organics and Blissmo for more eco friendly deals!

Critical to the success of this annual event is the participation of local area non-profits and community volunteers. This year 42 non-profit organizations and corporate groups were showcased at the Festival.

The event takes place at Oak Point Park and you can get all the details here;

http://www.planoballoonfest.org/fest-facts.html

To celebrate this wonderful outdoor event we wanted to share the photographs that we took. We really enjoyed the Plano Balloon Festival and we hope you enjoy our photographs of this great experience;

Photograph from the Plano Balloon Festival

A Hot Air Balloon Starts to Rise - Plano Balloon Festival

Two Hot Air Balloons Take Shape - Plano Balloon Festival

One of the First Balloons Takes Flight - Plano Balloon Festival

The Balloons Passed Right Overhead - Plano Balloon Festival

Very Patriotic Balloons on Display - Plano Balloon Festival

Crowds of Families Gather - Plano Balloon Festival

Balloons Drift into the Sunset - Plano Balloon Festival

Personal Favorite Balloon - Plano Balloon Festival

The Glow Was Superb - Plano Balloon Festival

Off Into the Sunset at the Plano Balloon Festival

This event is a free, family oriented event that will take place at the Levitt Pavilion/Founder’s Plaza in Downtown Arlington.

The primary goals of the event are to help build a sense of community, stimulate environmental awareness, and promote stewardship across North Texas.  There will be lots of  local businesses showcasing their green products and practical do-it-yourself solutions for home improvement and maintenance. They will be lined up on the festival streets surrounding Founder’s Plaza.

Ecofest planners are aiming for a zero-waste event. Recycling stations will be set up throughout the area and vendors are required to use materials that meet recycling and composting guidelines.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. and the fun will continue until 10 pm. The day will be filled with entertainment from local musical talents performing at the Levitt Pavilion.

There will be classes on do-it-yourself projects to reduce consumption of natural resources as well as discussions to enlighten North Texans on different environmental issues and what we can do to help reduce, repair and prevent these problems in the future.

Demonstrations will be given throughout the day by vendors and others like The Critterman and the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.

There will be fun, games and educational classes for the children to enjoy during this time and food and drinks will be available as well.

When and Where:

Eco Fest Arlington
Date: September 18, 2010, 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Location: Levitt Pavilion
100 W. Abram Street, Arlington

The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts is located in Founders Plaza, 100 W. Abram St., at the corner of Abram and Center streets, directly across the street from City Hall.

Ecofest Arlington 2010 - Event Map

Interactive Google Map:

View Larger Map

You can read more about Ecofest Arlington 2010 on the City of Arlington website here;
City of Arlington – Ecofest Arlington 2010

We didn’t have to look for long before we found an awesome restored antique buffet in one store ($795) but it was too expensive and too big for the space available, we then found an amazing kitchen island in the exact style that we like but it was about $8,000!!!

We Like the Styling But Not the Price!

Our first day of searching left us empty handed but we had some good ideas about how we wanted the piece of furniture to look, that night we spent several hours searching for tips on how to create distressed furniture from reclaimed pieces, we found some good hints and tips and watched a couple of videos on YouTube but realized that we would have to just “Give it a Try!”

The next journey out kept us closer to home, there is a fantastic antique mall just down the street from our home and we figured it was a good place to try and find a bargain. With the help of our mom, Sharen, we scoured the aisles of antique, and not so antique, things until we stumbled across this wonderful dry sink;

Our Bargain Reclaimed Dry Sink

We instantly fell in love with the quirky styling, two layers with lots of character! It was looking a little rough around the edges but we felt it was a good foundation for our reclaimed painted furniture project. The sale price was $316 and we snapped it up!

Katie rushed out to the hardware store and bought some interior satin paint in a color that matched our living area color palette along with a selection of foam brushes, a special door and cabinet paint roller and some eco friendly paint trays;

Painting Supplies!

The first stage was to get the dry sink into our garage and do some serious cleaning and prepping.

BEFORE - The Original Piece of Reclaimed Furniture

We cleaned the dry sink thoroughly inside and out with a liquid TSP substitute which is basically a heavy duty cleaner which requires no rinsing prior to painting. As you can see, we removed plenty of dirt from the reclaimed dry sink!

Some Heavy Duty Cleaning to Start Things Off

The dry sink started to look, and smell, a little better after the thorough cleaning and we started to see some potential;

Cleaned and Ready for Paint

For the base coat we used a wonderful high coverage product called Zinsser cover-stain oil-based primer, it is powerful enough to cover over glossy finishes without the need for sanding. We applied one coat of the Zinsser primer and left it to dry for a couple of hours.

A Single Coat of Zinsser Primer

We couldn’t wait to get started on the next phase so once the primer was completely dry we moved the dry sink indoors, the color coat we chose was Olympic zero VOC interior satin so we were confident that with some open windows and a box fan we could keep the area adequately ventilated.

The First Coat of Color Was Completed Quickly

We both worked hard to get the first coat of color applied but then we read the paint instructions which stated to leave 4 hours to dry before the second coat! Well, lets just say that the second coat didn’t happen until about 8PM at night so we left our creation to dry over night…

The Second Coat Was Left to Dry Overnight

The photos we took that night made the color look a little more blue than it actually is, the color is actually more of a turquoise called “Schooner”

My wonderful wife also found some really cool knobs for the drawers and doors at our local World Market, they are about $5 each and totally worth it!

Green Door Knobs from World Market

The final day of work involved adding the door knobs and drawer pulls and then adding a little of that “distressed” look. We used a Norton foam sanding block to sand through the color coat back down to the primer and in some places even back to the bare wood.

The distressing ended up looking really cool and we got more and more confident with it as we worked. The layers of paint, primer and wood added a neat look to the distressing. The guidelines we found in our internet research said to sand down the edges in random spots and places where high wear might occur.

Distressed, But Not Too Distressed!

We were extremely pleased with the final look and can’t wait to start our next reclaimed furniture project!

AFTER - Our Hand Distressed Budget Friendly Buffet

Below is a run down of the basic project costs, it took us roughly two days from buying the dry sink to enjoying it as a finished product in our home;

• Reclaimed, 1920′s – 1930′s Rustic American Dry Sink – $316
• 5 x Green Glass Knobs from World Market – $30
• Olympic Zero VOC Interior Satin Paint, 1 Quart – $11
• Zinsser Cover-Stain Oil-Based Primer, 1 Quart – $8

The Finished Buffet - With Price Tags