pollution

Although you may recycle everything you can, your trash may be far from empty. Recycling is a powerful way to protect our environment and conserve resources, but it does not prevent waste entirely. By composting, you can eliminate another 25% of what's currently in your trash. When you recycle and compost, you begin to see what's left in your trash can, and it becomes easier to make different choices to eliminate waste altogether.

Most driveways are made from asphalt, concrete, paving stones, or gravel. All of these are considered "impermeable" surfaces because they do not allow water to pass through them. That's right-standard pavers and standard

Healthcare workers are a hidden, next generation treasure of environmentalists. This group includes, but is not limited to, doctors, such as those specializing in infectious disease, nurses of all disciplines in heath care, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, pharmacists, and emergency rescue response workers.

What ever happened to stepping outside for a “breath of fresh air?” It is often said that the air inside a home could be more toxic than outside. However, it seems our environment is becoming contaminated, and scientists continually are finding links to the impact on human health. Air quality is not the only concern; the water we drink, food we eat, grass or gardens we cultivate, even the furniture on which we rest can affect our health.

More and more, people forget the impact they have every day on their rivers. Most clean water regulations focus on reducing pollution from big sources such as factories and sewage treatment plants. Although industry needs to be cleaned up further, it’s time we turned our attention to forestry, agriculture and the behavior of each resident of the watershed.

Rain, Rain, Where Do You Go?

Many people in rural areas in Minnesota still use on-site disposal methods like backyard burning to dispose of their household wastes. From burning waste in fire pits and woodstoves to the traditional burn barrel, 45% of rural Minnesota’s municipal solid waste (MSW) is still managed in this way. Did you know that burning garbage contributes to nearly half of all wildfires in Minnesota each year, contributes to food contamination on farms, and creates a potent carcinogen?

Three Minnesota schools reduce pollution and save energy and money. Houston Public Schools in southeastern Minnesota, Pine Point Elementary on the White Earth Reservation, and Hutchinson High School took part in a recently finished pilot project to develop a healthier, more sustainable work and study environment in schools. These schools were part of a grant to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called the Healthy Schools project.

Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, birthplace of the Mississippi and many other rivers - all of which are fed by the dozens of overlapping watersheds in our communities.