Go Green13

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Shop Green,Live Clean

How Do You Measure Up?Monitoring energy use can show how green

habits are making an impact

Sustainable SalonsA salon lover's guide to Earth-conscious,beautiful hair and nails

Earth-friendly Family TripsDestinations, transportation and diversions

for the eco-conscious traveler

Reduce waste with these

eco-shopping guidelines

+

Guide

GreenLiving2013

Photo: Lifesize

iStockphoto

A SPECIALPUBLICATION OF

THE CARBON

COUNTY NEWS

&

STILLWATER

COUNTY NEWS

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When it comes to employing eco-friendly

service providers, trust but verify. Findout exactly how green a company really

is and how to determine which service is

green enough

by Dawn KlingensmithCTW FEATURES

iStockphoto

2 Green LivinG ApriL 18, 2013

Shiny and

Just Like

Eco-New

After assembling a work crew to build an eco-

friendly home from the ground up, Amy Holm-

wood observed that not all of the contractors

were green to the core. A company hired to install

insulation made of recycled newspaper used a diesel genera-

tor to power the equipment instead of a cleaner, greenerpower source like solar. Theyd gone into business to pro-

vide this green service but they hadnt thought things

through, says Holmwood, of Bethesda, Md.

By contrast, her lawn care service uses electrical equip-

ment charged by a solar panel on the company truck.

But what powers the truck? Is it a hybrid? If not, is it fair

to call the companys green cred into question? Or is it good

enough to be greener than most?

Green is the new gray we cant talk in absolutes about

what is a perfectly green solution and what is not, says Dave

Feldman, executive director of Bethesda Green, which pro-motes green business models and sustainable living.

However, short of doing complex carbon footprint cal-

culations, consumers can identify greener-than-most service

providers by asking the right questions.

HOUSECLEANERSToxic or chemical cleaners are the principal concern, so ask

for a comprehensive list of the products they use and a list

of ingredients for each, says Laura Klein, editor-in-chief of

EcoSalon.com and OrganicAuthority.com.

A speciALpubLicAtionof the cArbon county news & stiLLwAter county news

BILLINGS RECYCLING CENTER

458 Charles St. 252-5721

M-F 8-5 p.m. Sat- 8-Noon

RECYCLE

It Pays!

COUPON

BRING IN YOUR ALUMINUM CANS

& WELL PAY YOU AN

EXTRA

10 ABOVEMARKETPRICECoupon expires April 30, 2013

Red Lodge customers leave clear trash bags

by your trash receptacle and we will transport

it to Beartooth Industries for Recycling.

Magazines

Newspaper

Cardboard

Motor Oil (in a jug)

Aluminum Cans

Tin Cans

Plastic Bottles

CONTENTS OF BAGS:

PER LB.

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A speciAlpublicAtionof the cArbon county news & stillwAter county news

April 18, 2013 Green livinG - 3

Especially when hiring a small, indepen-dently owned service, clients can usuallyspecify which cleaning products to use,including natural agents like vinegar andbaking soda, but that doesnt ensure thecompany uses them across the board.

Maid to Clean in Bethesda, Md., onlyuses neutral products like vinegar and

water, baking soda, and the brand-namecleaners Bon Ami and Simple Green. Thecompany does not use alcohol-basedcleaners, ammonia, bleach or scented prod-ucts.

HEPA vacuums catch dust particlesand allergens instead of releasing themback into the air.

Some brand-name products are green

in name only. In its Guide to HealthyCleaning, the Environmental WorkingGroup looks beyond marketing claims andrates more than 2,000 products in a search-able database at www.ewg.org. (Of the 29Simple Green products analyzed, 19received Ds and Fs, while six earned Asand Bs.) The online guide includes a labeldecoder to translate technical terms and adhype.

CARWASHES

With carwashes, use of chemicals is a sec-ondary concern, behind water consump-tion. A company truly committed togreen washing in the positive sense

will reclaim and reuse water; collect roof

rainwater and invest in an ample waterreclaim system for recycling carwash waste-

water, says John OConnell, manager, GoGreen Car Wash, Olympia, Wash.

According to OConnell, the majorityof carwashes are equipped with a3,000-gallon reclaim system or smaller,

which cant keep up with water demandson busy days. For high-traffic carwashes, areclaim system of at least 12,000 gallons isneeded to give solids time to settle before

the water recirculates, he says.Generally speaking, older carwashes

have inferior equipment, OConnell says,so to satisfy cleanliness expectations theyhave to use stronger chemicals.

Moreover, If you visit a wash that hasolder equipment and isnt computer-con-trolled, each vehicle gets chemicals for a30-foot vehicle whereas at a modern washeach vehicle is scanned at entry and chem-

ical and water use adjusts accordingly, headds.

Touchless carwashes are not eco-friendly due to the fact that you have nobrush or agitation, so these washes usechemicals that are four times stronger than

a tunnel type of wash and cannot reclaimused water, OConnell says.

Beware of carwashes that try to sellsquirt-on extras like rain shields and waxconditioners. If you really want to begreen, just purchase Rain X at an auto storeand apply it to your windows no need toapply it to the whole vehicle, OConnellsays. And all newer vehicles have a factoryclear coat and do not benefit from water-based wax or conditioner add-ons.

LANDSCAPING SERVICESEco-friendly lawn services can be tough toidentify because so many conventionalcompanies incorporate the word greenin their name and marketing as a referenceto grass, not environmental practices. And

when choosing a service, a host of envi-ronmental concerns are at stake, fromchemical applications (fertilizers, herbi-cides, pesticides) to small-engine emissions.

In just one hour of use, a gas lawnmow-er emits the same volume of pollutants as40 cars, says A.I.R. Lawn Care owner ZackKline, citing EPA data.

His Bethesda-based company usesSTIHL and Mean Green electric lawn care

equipment and a solar-powered chargingunit to reduce noise and air pollution.

Along with emissions, conventionallawn care creates waste including 300pounds of clippings annually for a1,000-square-foot lawn.

Concerned homeowners should lookfor a landscaping service that uses nativeplantings and integrated pest management;recycles clippings into compost or mulch;and takes measures to reduce water use and

prevent runoff.Many services apply chemicals only as a

last resort, and some use organic fertilizersand pest- and weed-control methods exclu-sively.

Analyzing and optimizing soil composi-tion in yards, beds and garden plots fromthe get-go helps reduce maintenancerequirements altogether, Kline says.

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(406) 932-4195 Open Apr.-Oct.Located 5.5 miles N.E. of Big Timber on Otter Creek Rd.

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When it comes to home ener-gy use, the popular busi-ness axiom, You cantmanage what you dont

measure, applies.Even after people learn that they can

save energy and money by turning offthe lights and unplugging their phonechargers, there are no measurements orconcrete dollar figures. And often, itsnot enough to get someone to make alifestyle change.

Thats why energy monitoring is agrowing trend for those who are eco-conscious and pinching pennies. A wide-ly cited 2006 University of Oxford studyshowed that direct feedback about

energy use, via a meter and display moni-tor, resulted in 5 to 15 percent energysavings.

There are many [energy monitoring]solutions out there today, some that havebeen out for years, says Courtney Baker

of the U.S. Green Building Council, anindustry organization promoting sus-tainable buildings. The cost has comedown quite a bit now, so people are moreaware of them.

Baker, USGBCs residential opera-tions manager, says that when energy useis quantified, people are more likely totake action to improve energy efficiency.Sometimes people need to know howmuch theyre wasting

Monitoring energy use can show how green habits aremaking an impact or if there is more work to be done

by Bettina ChangCTW FEATURES

How Do YouMeasure Up?

Fertilizing &Weed Control

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This earth day, Pro Cut Lawn Care is

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before they change behavior, he says.Its much more motivating than some-one saying, You need to turn that off.

Whether youre a data junkie or yousimply hate paying the utility bills, theresan energy monitoring solution that couldwork for you.

PLUG-LEVEL DEVICES (

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A

salon visit to get a haircut, col-oring and styling, or treatingyourself to manicures and pedi-cures, are all about looking and

feeling your best. But your beauty maycome at the expense of someone else Mother Nature.

A trip to an eco-friendly salon or nailparlor, however, can benefit everyone.Heres the rundown on what exactlymakes salons green and how you canmake your hair and nails routine greener.

GREEN SCENE

For salons, being Earth-friendly can

mean many different things dependingon the owners definition. Tamara Jercha,president and founder of the NationalAssociation of Eco-Friendly Salons &Spas, says that there are green businesspractices, but also environmentalapproaches to the products and servicessalons offer.

Salons also can be a resource for recy-cling beauty products and bottles byworking with programs like TerraCycle,

or be green in their relations with staff,guests and the community

Sustainable Salons

A salon lovers guide to

Earth-conscious,beautiful hair and nails

by Megan PatsavasCTW FEATURES

iStockphoto

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iStockphoto

by giving back, Jercha adds.Wendy Rae Johnson and Pamela Frei-

tas, co-owners of Oasis Hair and SkinCare, a green salon in Santa Cruz, Calif.,

say that from the minute people walkinto their eco-friendly environment, theynotice that theres no obnoxious smell, asign of toxicity, present in other places.

We wanted the business that weopened to reflect our own personal val-ues, Freitas says.

With that in mind, the pair integratedgreen into their salons construction withlow-VOC paint, bamboo flooring andenergy-efficient lighting, and into their

operations by recycling and even usingused equipment. Their services andproducts are planet-friendly, too.

LOVE YOUR LOCKS

Eco-friendly hair care is all about prod-ucts and treatments that perform well,and wont harm the Earth or the users

wellbeing.The same chemicals that may harm

our health also have been shown toadversely impact the environment, says

Jamie McConnell, member of the Cam-paign for Safe Cosmetics. One of thesepopular-but-deleterious treatments is theBrazilian blowout, a hair straighteningprocedure that McConnell says has beenknown to release high levels of formal-dehyde.

Johnson prefers hair products that arenot only free of certain ingredients (likesulfates or parabens), but also manufac-tured in a green way with packaging

made from recycled materials and bycompanies that have their own planet-friendly practices.

If youre unsure about the shampooor hair color your stylist uses, McConnellsays to ask for SDSs (Safety Data Sheets),

which list the chemical ingredients and

possible effects of everything the saloncarries. She adds that you can also lookup information online at the Environ-ment Working Groups Skin Deep data-

base.

NATURAL NAILS

Traditionally, nail polishes and other nailservices contain chemicals that are farfrom Earth- and health-conscious, butthat too is starting to change.

There are increasingly more salonsthat are offering green services or tryingto stock nail polishes that are three free,and thats nail polishes that dont contain

dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehydeand toluene, McConnell says.

At Oasis, Freitas says she and John-son have done a lot of product researchon our nail products we do no acryl-ics, we do no filler gels, the only thingthat we do is natural nails.

For them, spa pedicures start with asoak in a blend of natural detoxifiers,such as flowers, seasonal citrus, Epsomsalt, essential oils, rosemary and lavender,all in a bacteria-resistant, acrylic bowl.Our ingredients are actually makingyour health better, not worse, Johnsonadds.

EARTH-FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE

If you dont have a green salon near you,or dont want to leave your current hair-dresser, you can still take steps to giveyourself an eco-friendly, wholesome hairand nail experience.

Johnson says clients can be a catalyst

for change with their stylist by asking fornon-toxic, natural products: I wouldhave the client say to their hairdresser,I want green, would you look for non-toxic, organic stuff thats going to be bet-ter for you, me and the environment?

CTW Features

Nail It: Look for

polishes that are 'three

free' - ones that don't

contain dibutyl phthal-

ate (DBP), formalde-

hyde and toluene.

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8 Green LivinG ApriL 18 2013

Before you pack up the kids, petsand an almost-excessiveamount of clothes, food andtoys for your annual road trip

this summer, you may want to rethinkyour plans. All those hours in the car canlead to more than just sleep-deprivationand annoyance with backseat bickeringand whines of Are we there yet?

The average passenger vehicle pro-duces an estimated 423 grams of carbon

For many, going on

vacation means hoppingin the car and setting out

on a local adventure.

Heres how to plan a

small-carbon-footprint trip

thats light on expense and

heavy on fun

by Megan Patsavas

CTW FEATURES

Over the River andThrough the Woods,

On a GreenCar Trip We Go

THIS PRODUCT IS GOOD FOR EVERYTHING,

AND WE MEAN EVERYTHING!

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dioxide per mile, according to the

United States Environmental Pro-tection Agency and thats not theonly greenhouse gas tailpipes emit.Multiply that by the number ofmiles to your destination (and back),and the pollution can really add up.

However, there are many thingstravelers can do to reduce their tripsnegative impact on the planet. Hereare some easy, environmentallyfriendly ideas for your next familyvacation.

HAVE WHEELS, WILLTRAVELAirplanes are the most convenient,but least eco-friendly way to travel,says Sara Snow, author of SaraSnows Fresh Living (BantamDell, 2009). Instead, the green-liv-ing expert suggests that familiestake a train or bus, which releasesless carbon dioxide per passenger,

to their vacation destination.Though if thats not possible,there are ways to make driving agreener option.

Make sure your car is fullytuned up so that its operating asfuel-efficiently as possible, saysSnow, who recommends that driv-ers properly inflate their tires andinstall a clean air filter before theyhead out on the road.

Another option is renting amore fuel-efficient car. Gettingmore miles per gallon saves gasmoney and reduces your carbonfootprint. But with electric vehi-cles, hybrids and generally morefuel-efficient rides to take intoconsideration, choosing the rightone can be challenging.

Lemore Hecht, communica-tions and social media manager for

Hertz, and Lisa Martini, a spokes-person for Enterprise Rent-A-Car,both say families should factor thesize of the car they need (for peo-ple and luggage) and the type oftrip theyre taking into their rentalcar decision.

A hybrid is a great fuel-effi-cient car, however, if youre goingto be doing a lot of highway driv-

ing, that might not be your best

option because a hybrid gets itsbest fuel-efficiency in stoppingand starting, Martini says. Sheadds that if you opt for an electricvehicle, make sure there are charg-ing stations along your path.

To be more Earth-friendlywhile on the road, try not to havethe heat or air conditioning blast-ing, or unnecessary weight in yourcar, both of which can reducefuel-efficiency, Snow says. Sheadds that to get the most miles pergallon, drive 60 mph, if possible.

You dont need to speed,Snow says, Itll keep you safer onthe roads and itll increase yourfuel efficiency.

Amy Todisco, green-livingexpert and consultant, says pack-ing makes a different for gas usage,too. Luggage on top of your car,or even open windows, creates

wind drag.

LOCATION, LOCATION,LOCATIONSo youre taking a more Earth-friendly vacation, but heres thecatch-22: should you travel ashorter distance and stay local, orgo farther to get to a green hotel?

Its better to go a shorter dis-tance, Todisco says. However, if

theyre going someplace fartherand theyre staying in a place thatsmore environmentally-friendly,then maybe that balances out thegas use.

Patricia Griffin, president andfounder of Green Hotels Asso-ciation, says that the meaning ofgreen varies by hotel. They couldhave green-certified buildings, orgreen operations programs to

conserve water and electricity, pro-mote clean air and reduce waste.Griffin suggests that guests

check out a hotels website beforemaking reservations to see whatgreen programs they have insidethe hotel, and what surrounds thebuilding. Calling and asking ques-tions, especially if you dont seeany eco-friendly information

Play the Local: Act like a local when on vacation. Park your car and see the sights

via buses, trains, foot or bike rentals.

online, can encourage a hotel to startmakingchanges, she adds.

There are even greener ways to stay.Todisco, who self-published her e-book,Fun, Affordable Green Travel (2008),suggests camping, doing a house swap-ping arrangement, being a property care-taker or staying in a youth hostel.

Snow says staying in someone elsesapartment, house or even just a room in

their home is a g reat green option. Bystaying in a home-type environment,youre eliminating a lot of the waste thathappens in hotels, she adds.

WHILE YOURE AWAYOnce you get to wherever youre going,park your car and try to take public trans-portation, Snow says. Its a way to inte-grate yourself into the local culture andits also a way to green your travel pretty

significantly.Walking or biking around during yourvacation is even more eco-friendly andhealthful. Griffin says to plan outdooractivities or museum trips beforehand,and make sure theyre within close prox-imity to your hotel.

Booking a room with a kitchenettecan help with food, Todisco notes, espe-cially for people who prefer an organic,

natural diet. Cooking during your vaca-tion also eliminates all the waste thathappens with carry-out and restau-rants, Snow says.

Other wasteful aspects of travel arethose little bottles of shampoo andconditioner hotels set out. Pack yourown toiletries instead, Snow says, soyou can leave the complimentary mini-versions for the next guest.

Snow also adds that familiesshouldnt have hotels wash their sheetsand towels everyday, but they shouldturn off all the lights, unplug cords andturn down the heat or air conditioningbefore they leave for an outing with arefillable water bottle in hand, ofcourse. Think like you think whenyoure trying to be green at home, shesays.

Griffin adds that vacationers

shouldnt leave things behind, and ifyoure in an environment where certainitems arent easily recyclable takethem with you. Being green, she says, isa state of mind: Its mostly aboutremembering that you and your chil-dren, grandchildren may want to comeback here and youre going to want it tobe just as pristine as it is today.

CTW Features

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LED Lighting A Smart Technology for Today

We are living in a time o heightened awareness o our

eect on the environment- what we consume, how webuild and heat our houses and buildings, how wetransport ourselves across the land. We consider the impact othe consumptive choices we make and we think about how wewill recycle and reuse those consumable items ater they havereached the end o their useul lie. We know that the earths re-sources are nite. We look or ways to save energy and money.One way to save energy and money is LED lighting.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology has rapidly emerged as

the most cost-eective, ecient, environmentally-riendly solutionto reducing one o our largest uses o energy lighting. Light-ing accounts or 38 42% o the electrical use o a typical o-ce building. Switching rom incandescent bulbs to LEDs canreduce lighting energy usage by more than two thirds. Addition-ally, LEDs are recyclable, they produce no UV light and they donot contain toxic mercury, unlike compact fuorescent light bulbs,which contain 5 mg each and are not recyclable.

LEDs can last over 50,000 hours o use and require no mainte-

nance. They are shock and vibration- resistant, and they come ina variety o colors. They work well in cold climates and, becauseo their high eciency, they generate very little heat. The ap-plications or LED lights are almost limitless. The return on initialinvestment can be dramatic*. Isnt it time that you consideredLED lighting?

*Current tax incentives avorably impact business conversion tomore efcient lighting consult your tax proessional or details.

For all your commercial, industrial and institutional

LED lighting needs, contact Dave Beach, SavesmartLED Lighting - [email protected] 406.425.0188

TheGold Standard

of LED Lighting

www.SaveSmartLED.com

ATTACH FAUCET

AERATORS

The inexpensive attachment con-

serves water, and its easy to attach.

While a standard faucet flows at 2.2 gal-

lons per minutes, a faucet aerator cuts

the flow down, which saves you money.

Eco Upgrades to Do

in One Weekend

INSTALL AN ENERGY MONITOR

Some models allow you to monitor circuit by

circuit, architect Stephanie Horowitz says. Thats

a great way to get a more granular look at where

energy use is going in your home. With the moni-

tor, you check the power usage of individual appli-

ances and see just how much electricity that old

refrigerator really uses.

PERFORM AN

ENERGY AUDIT

Getting an energy audit, which in

some places is something you can get for

little or no cost, is a great way to asses

your cost, Horowitz says. Many utility

companies offer free or discounted audits

to their customers.

TheEnergyDetective

5

SWAP OUT INCANDESCENT LIGHT

BULBS FOR CFLS AND LEDS

An energy-saving LED light can last from 30,000 to

60,000 hours. A typical incandescent can burn out

before 2,000 hours.

BUILD A RAIN BARREL

Collect the rain that falls off

the roof and use it to water your

garden, says Sarah Costello of

the International Future Living

Institute. A lot of home and gar-

den stores have a kit to build it

now.

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Recycle or reuse whenever

possible, and dispose of prop-

erly as a last resort. While law-

ful disposal varies by

jurisdiction, its important to under-

stand and follow some universal guide-

lines. Heres how to deal with (or find

the right place in your area) ten unwant-

ed items:

1 MEDICATIONSDo not flush unlesspackaging says to. Mix

with an unpalatable

substance such as used

coffee grounds or cat lit-

ter in a plastic bag, seal,

and put in trash.

2

CELL PHONES

Major carriers like

AT&T and electronics retailers like Best

Buy accept phones for trade-in or take-

back. Remove personal data including

SIM card, address book, photos and

messages.

3 BATTERIES Find local drop-offstation at www.call2recycle.com.

4

APPLIANCESwith

refrigerants (freezers,

fridges, AC units). Call your

municipal public works

department for col-

lection and dispos-

al procedures.

5 PAINTCallyour localhousehold hazard-

ous waste collec-

tion facility for

instructions on handling and safely dis-

posing of leftover paint including aero-

sol paint cans.

6 INK AND TONER CARTRIDG-ES Major business supply storeslike Best Buy and Staples accept car-

tridges for recycling.

7COMPUTER

COMPONENTS

Most Best Buy stores

accept them for recy-

cling.

8 MATTRESSESSchedule a pickupat 1-800-GOT-JUNK for

charitable donation or

proper disposal.

9 PACKING PEANUTSThe ones made of vegetablestarch are nontoxic, biodegradable and

disintegrate in water. Call the Peanut

Hotline at 1-800-828-2214 for business-

es that accept the plastic nonrecyclable

kind.

10EYEGLASSESFind a local

drop-off center at www.one-

sight.org.

For more information or to find local

recycling centers, visit www.earth911.

com.

CTW Features

Unwanted

HouseholdItems

Zoonar

Allotherphotosfromi

Stockphoto

How toDispose

of

by Dawn KlingensmithCTW FEATURES


10

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At NorthWestern Energy, were proud to be part of the communities we serve. Thats

why we give back with donations last year of more than one million dollars. We support

schools, sports, culture, service organizations and energy assistance foundations. And we

allow our employees who live in each community to direct these funds.

Giving back to the community.

www.northwesternenergy.com

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