| Little things mean a lot more when switching to a greener lifestyle
Post a comment. View latest comments. The bag was a must-have item: sleek, stylish, in tune with the latest fashion, just the thing for spring. It also turned out to be sturdy and big enough to hold about $20 worth of groceries. At 99 cents, the bag was a bargain.
No, this carryall isn't the latest accessory from Fashion Week, but a reusable grocery bag. It's only the first to come home with us, but I suspect it won't be the last. We were making our once-monthly trip to Whole Foods Market; the light-Kermit-green bag was on a spindle at the checkout. Buy a bag; save the Earth (and save 10 cents). Plus, get a carabiner on a key fob. Makes sense to me. Whole Foods seems like the progressive kind of place that could get its customers to switch to reusable bags.
Fixit: When the icemaker needs freshening up
Q I have an automatic icemaker in my fridge and the ice cubes have started to have a "freezer burn" taste. I've dumped out the tray and had new ones made, and they still taste bad. I've also tried cleaning out the freezer and putting in a box of baking soda, and nothing seems to help. A You've made some good moves, but because the taste lingers, you haven't reached the root of the problem. Here's what you should do: • Check the condition of all foods and remove any old or spoiled foods. • Clean surfaces in the refrigerator and freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions. • Check that remaining foods in the freezer and refrigerator are well-covered and sealed. • Turn off the icemaker (if it has a switch) and remove the ice bin and wash it with a baking soda solution (4 tbsp.
Erosion-control holdouts being sought for project
In the Lake Tahoe Basin, the letters "BMP" can bring about various reactions.
Short for "best management practices," BMPs are methods prescribed by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to help developed properties function more like natural, undisturbed forest and meadowland. The TRPA believes that water conveyed to a lake by an undisturbed watershed usually is quite pure, because the watershed's soils and plants act as a natural water-purification system.
BMPs prescribed for residential properties usually fall into the following categories: vegetating and mulching bare, disturbed soils; infiltrating stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces; paving dirt driveways and roads; and stabilizing or retaining steep slopes and loose soils.
But for some of the 38,000 property owners in the basin who have not retrofitted their land for BMPs, the requirements can be harsh and expensive.
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