CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "Living Lightly"

Living Lightly

by -
0 966
METRO photo
A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

Make your next pet kitten an indoor one…

According to the American Bird Conservancy and other researchers, the number one cause for wild bird mortality  is by free ranging outdoor cats each year. Experts estimate that upwards of 2.5 billion (yes billion with a “b”!) wild birds are killed annually by cats including many species that frequent bird feeders such as cardinals, chickadees, and woodpeckers. Additionally, several billion small mammals— such as voles and mice— which form the base of natural food chains and webs, are also killed, reducing the availability of these animals for predators such as hawks and owls which depend upon them.  

While it can be very difficult to turn a current outdoor pet cat into an indoor pet cat, this is not the case with a new pet that has no expectation or habit to go outside. Being an indoor cat has other obvious benefits to both the cat and cat owner — no worry about being hit by a car, getting into a fight with another cat or animal, or picking up a disease. 

A significant majority of dog owners don’t let their dogs run free because of the havoc they can cause. If cat owners embrace the same belief and responsibility not only will their pet benefit but many types of wildlife will be much better protected, allowed to live out their wild lives free from the risk of pet cat predation.  

A resident of Setauket, author John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

See more information on this issue here:

 

by -
0 581
A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

If you’re one of the many thousands of Long Islanders who bring clothes to your local dry cleaning establishment, you know you get back those freshly-pressed and cleaned clothes on a wire hanger. 

That’s good news in that there’s no need to throw away or attempt to recycle by tossing the hangers in your curbside recycling bin. Just bring them back to your dry cleaners to be used again…..and again…and again!    

But many people don’t as approximately (and mind bogglingly) 3.5 billion wire hangers  are thrown away every year in the United States! That amounts to 312,000 pounds of wire hangers or 156 tons.  

Wire hangers can be used many times before they become sufficiently twisted or bent and can no longer be used and the dry cleaning establishment appreciates you returning them for reuse since you’ll be helping out their financial bottom line as they have to purchase fewer new hangers.

A resident of Setauket, author John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

 

by -
0 1137
When you read the label look for words such as bird friendly, fair trade, certified organic, etc.
A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

If you watch birds you’ve undoubtedly enjoyed watching them in the early morning while having a cup of coffee. Want to enjoy the latter while better helping the species you enjoy viewing? Drink shade-grown coffee. 

As the name suggests, shade-grown coffee is composed of coffee shrubs and trees grown in the understory of a shady tropical rainforest in which the ecosystem remains largely intact. Unfortunately most coffee consumed by Americans are sun-grown varieties where the rainforest is destroyed and manicured rows of coffee plants grow. Sun grown coffee farms have many fewer wildlife species, such as the birds we love — Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks to name but a few; in some cases sun-grown coffee farms have 5% of the species found in shade grown farms. 

Shade grown coffee brands are available in some stores and certainly on-line. They are a  bit more expensive but if more consumers buy coffee sustainably grown, prices should come down. And you will gain something more than you ever could by consuming a cheaper cup of sun-grown coffee — knowing you’re helping migratory birds that visit us during the Spring and Summer survive.

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

 

by -
0 727
A Froglog can save countless animals from drowning.
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

Countless numbers of wild animals, from chipmunks and mice to raccoons and skunks drown in in-ground pools every year unable to climb out of the water along the pool edge. (Two chipmunks unfortunately drowned in my pool last year the first day I uncovered the pool and before I had placed several water exiting devices I had in the shed). Smaller reptiles and amphibians drown too.   

There are products you can buy to minimize the chance of wildlife drowning in your pool. They are installed or placed on the edge of the pool and serve as a ramp to allow for animals to climb out. Two products come to mind: 1) Skamper-ramp, for larger animals such as mammals (and your pets!) and 2) Froglogs, effective for smaller animals. Even knotted nylon rope hanging into the water can help smaller mammals escape. Four to six Froglogs or rope are recommended for the average size pool (I placed eight of these to be extra safe).

With these devices in place you can have greater piece of mind knowing your pool is only a place for fun and relaxation!

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

 

by -
0 967
METRO photo
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

There’s an expression in lawn care “Cut it high and let it lie.” Leaving grass on the longer side is healthier for the grass as it dries out more slowly and there’s more grass blade to produce food as it photosynthesizes. And letting it lie is good for both your lawn and the planet. The clippings quickly break down, returning nutrients back to the grass and soil and the clippings do not, contrary to popular belief, add thatch to your lawn. 

The second best option is to compost grass clippings with other yard waste and to apply the compost to your lawn and flower beds once it’s ready. 

The worst option, which so many homeowners choose, is to bag the clippings and leave curbside for the town to pick up (or worse yet, dump it in a neighboring preserve or parkland). This waste is harder to recycle, inefficient to burn, and costs the town more to manage. So, for the sake of a healthier lawn and planet, let those grass clippings lie.      

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

by -
0 1522
Stock photo
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

You’ve just boiled some potatoes, eggs, or maybe rice. Or perhaps it was pasta. If you are like most people the leftover water quickly finds its way down the kitchen sink drain. 

Want a better use for that water? After cooling it (a nice bonus in the winter to let the heat from the water move into the kitchen), use it for making soup, thinning sauces or watering indoor or outdoor plants. Regarding this last use, boiling these and other foods (couscous anyone?) results in water containing minerals and carbohydrates; this enhanced water thus has become a form of liquid fertilizer that can benefit your plants. 

There is one caveat to keep in mind when using the previously used water for your plants — if you salt the water while cooking pasta or other foods do not use it on your plants as it can either damage or kill them; it is fine, though, to use it for making other foods.  

Reusing your cooking water not only captures these minerals and nutrients for the benefit of your plants, it means water used in a more efficient manner — a key element of sustainability.   

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

by -
0 415
METRO photo
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

METRO photo

You have undoubtedly learned about the value of recycling as it has become commonplace on Long Island, with every town and village here operating recycling programs. Recycling helps to reduce impacts to landfills, reduces air and water pollution, and results in less energy use.

Especially important is recycling aluminum. Why? Because unlike other materials such as paper, aluminum is infinitely recyclable and requires much less energy to make a new aluminum product from recycled aluminum than from virgin ore (bauxite). For example, it takes 20 times the amount of energy to make a can from virgin ore as it does from recycled aluminum. Said another way, creating new aluminum cans from recycled cans uses 95 percent less energy than making new cans from ore. Or how about: Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline!!

To put this in a broader perspective, using an example from around your home: recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or run your television for three hours. This adds up as last year 54 billion cans were recycled saving energy equivalent to 15 million barrels of crude oil — America’s entire gas consumption for one day. These examples make it clear that recycling aluminum is a sure-fire way for you to combat climate change. So, please recycle those aluminum pie tins, take-out containers, and cans!

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

by -
0 982
For electric dryers only.
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

Photo from John Turner

Most of us own an electric dryer to dry our clothes. In the summer you want the warm and damp air generated from dryers to be vented to the outside. But wouldn’t you want that warm, moisture- laden air to vent inside in the winter to help keep your home warm, perhaps resulting in less furnace activity?

Well, there’s a product available on-line or at local home  improvement stores that does just that. Called a Dryer Heat Saver or Dryer Heat Diverter, it’s a rectangular box fitted into your dryer vent hose and held in places by O-rings. It has a baffle or shunt to direct the hot air where you want it — in  the summer to the outside but in the winter into your house. A screen prevents lint (which needs to be occasionally  removed) from entering your house.

So why not take advantage of the energy your clothes dryer has produced to warm your home and in so doing, giving your furnace a little bit of a break?

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

by -
0 373
An outlet gasket
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

If your house is like most, the walls are insulated to keep the heat in. But I bet you’d be surprised to learn there are as many as a dozen or more places in your exterior walls where there is little to no insulation — the electric wall outlets! If you put your hand near one on a winter day you may feel the cold air seeping in (or hot air in the summer).

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to eliminate this drafty situation and to make  your house a little more energy efficient (and saving you a little bit of money  over time) — insulate the outlet by installing a foam rubber gasket under the plate cover. Installation is a snap — just remove the cover with a screwdriver,  place the gasket on the outlet, reinstall the cover and you’re done. It takes about 30 seconds!

The insulating gaskets are available online and at home improvement stores. They cost about 10 cents each.

You can help protect the planet one outlet at a time!

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

Prev123Page 3 of 3
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©