It’s precisely one month post-holiday. Do you still have unspent gift cards? Research shows that $41 billion worth of gift cards has gone unclaimed since 2005.

If you’re having trouble reducing the value of your gift cards, you might want to try reusing or recycling them. If you don’t have any good regifting prospects coming up, here are a couple of options for reselling: PlasticJungle and Cardpool both will buy back gift cards in any amount and sell discount gift cards (not that you need more, right?).

Another interesting option is GoalMine, a web site that will allow you to cash in your gift card value to open a mutual fund or savings account.

Of course, you can always give your gift card to charity or send it to GiftCardGiver so they can pass it along to someone in need.

If you do use every last cent on your gift cards, don’t let the store toss them! Either recycle them with your other plastics or contact Earthworks to find out how to send them in to be recycled into new cards.

Piece out,
Renee

Yo, IND, let’s kick it.

All right stop
Precipitate and listen
Ice is back with with these weather conditions
Somethin’ keep my steps from bein’ icey
Without makin’ my plants and my paws all salty

Ok, so I don’t love recommending products that I don’t completely understand nearly as much as I love changing song lyrics. But a few phone calls to local hardware stores (Fusek’s True Value, Anderson Hardware of Indianapolis and Sullivan Hardware) led me to Safe Step Enviro Blend, which claims to be safe for people, pets and lawns, for deicing. I tested the product and it worked well and was reasonably priced ($5.99 for a 10# bag at Anderson, 38th and Illinois Sts).

In my quest for greener ice melt, here are a few things I’ve learned: sodium chloride is the biggest offender (you wouldn’t dump salt in your house plants, would you?), magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are gentler (but not perfect) alternatives. Rather than simply believing eco claims on packaging, watch for these ingredients when purchasing ice melt products.

You can also find alternative options for sale online by searching “eco friendly ice melt”. If you’re less focused on melting and more concerned with slipping, try these Slip Not tips from last year’s GPI.

Will it ever stop? Yo, I hope so!

Piece out,
Renee

Vegan Pesto

1 ½ cups of fresh Basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup raw, unsalted nuts (I like almonds, pistachios, walnuts or even sunflower seeds)
2 cloves of garlic (or more!)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
A pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until nuts are ground or smooth, whichever you prefer. Eat with pasta or as a spread. I’ve even layered it with goat cheese or cream cheese (ok, so it’s not vegan anymore) to make a simple yet fancy hors d’oeuvre.

Renee’s Morning Juice

1 apple
1 orange
3 leaves of red leaf lettuce
2 carrots
1 nub of ginger
1 handful of watercress

Juice and drink. Ah!

Lamb Stew

1-2lb lamb shoulder
1 jar of stewed tomatoes
2 cups brussels sprouts
1 potato, cubed
1 onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, quartered
1 handful parsley
3 cups chicken stock
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot set on high and cook until lamb falls off the bone, about 4-6 hours. Add water if stew is too thick; add flour if stew is too thin.

Sesame Slaw (I’m not so good with measurements on this one so bear with me!)

Chopped cabbage
Toasted sesame oil
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves of garlic
Sliced raw almonds
Sesame seeds

Place cabbage in a bowl and douse with toasted sesame oil, Bragg’s and lemon juice, to taste (I usually use ½ a lemon for two sizeable servings, if that helps you gage how much to use). Mince garlic onto the cabbage and turn with a fork or tongs until garlic is well distributed and cabbage is coated with all liquids. Sprinkle almonds and sesame seeds on top.

Learning about the state of our environment can be an eye-opening – and overwhelming – thing. And just because someone is elected into office, doesn’t necessarily mean that they understand the environmental issues facing our state.

Conservation Day on January 24 is your opportunity to show our elected officials that you care about preserving our environment. Come for the day or stop in during lunch – the more people, the bigger impact on our legislators.

Thanks to CIRTA, HEC and IKE, here are a few other ways you can get engaged in legislative decisions that affect Indiana’s environment:

Mass Transit Funding in Indiana – The House Ways and Means Committee is considering HB 1073. Contact your Indiana House of Representatives legislator via email or phone and ask them to vote for HB1073. A simple message stating “Hello, this is (state your name). I am contacting to ask Representative (state his/her name) to vote FOR HB1073 in the Ways and Means Committee. Thank You.” is sufficient.

Phosphorus-Free Lawn Fertilizers – Contact Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis), h88@in.gov or 317-232-9657, and urge him to hear HB1032.

Factory Farms and Legal Rights – HB 1091, which will potentially punish those who are trying to protect their rights to clean air and water from polluting factory farms, passed out of the House Agriculture Committee on January 10th. Contact your Indiana State Representative immediately and ask them to oppose HB1091.

Piece out,
Renee

Which of the following motherly car advice is most accurate?

1. Wear clean underwear in case you are in an accident.
2. You should change your oil every 3,000 miles.
3. All of the above.

If you answered b or c, sadly you get an f.

Did you know that the 3,000 mile rule no longer applies to most vehicles? Excessive changing of your car’s oil can have a negative impact on the environment, but no impact on your car’s efficiency. Check out www.checkyournumber.org or read your owner’s manual to see how often your oil needs changed.

According to checkyournumber.org, nearly 40% of the pollution in America’s waterways is from used motor oil. If you are a do-it-yourself oil changer, be sure to properly dispose of old oil at a ToxDrop location.

Here’s another interesting tidbit: used motor oil never wears out. It just gets dirty and can be cleaned and used again. Sounds like it has more in common with underwear than I thought!

Piece out,
Renee

Winter break is over, so it’s time to get down and dirty in the spring semester.

Fall Creek Gardens is teaming up with some of Indy’s greenest thumbs to show you how it’s done. They’ll school you in topics like garden planning, seed starting, chicken raising, and more. Classes are scheduled January through March.

Attending the Indiana Organic Gardener’s Association meeting (Jan. 21) is way cooler than Saturday School. As if a pitch-in lunch among organic gardeners isn’t enough to lure you in, their guest speaker will share her wisdom on heirloom chickens and organic herbicides and Pesticides.

If the IOGA meeting leaves you hungry for more, make your way to the Slow Food Indy Annual meeting (Jan. 22) for a panel discussion on local food in Indiana and a pitch-in meal with some of Indy’s most sustainable-minded foodies.

Looks like the Indianapolis local food movement is winning 3 to nothing. Booya.

Piece out,
Renee

If you haven’t already left your new year’s resolution to exercise more in the dust, consider greening your routine.

Do your workout MTV-style, unplugged. Go for an outdoor run. Hit the stairs at the Indiana War Memorial. Take a frosty hike at one of Indy’s great parks.

Rethink your commute. I get a great deal of satisfaction of knowing that each time I choose to ride my bike to work, I burn ~250 calories, which means I get to skip a turn on the energy-using treadmill.

Ditch the bottled water. This seems like a no brainer, but for those of you who’re wet behind the ears to GPI: there’s no excuse for not using a reusable water bottle!

Curb the consumerism. Ab roller? It’s called crunches. Stair stepper? Uh…stairs.

Get used. If there’s a gizmo or gadget you can’t live without, checkout Play It Again Sports, craigslist or freecycle. Find inexpensive, recycled workout clothes at thrift stores.

Piece out,
Renee

With the new year, Green Piece Indy turns 4! In preparation for this email, I did a little research on developmental milestones for this age, also known as the “magic years.” It seems like we’re right on target:

Stands on one foot up to five seconds – naturally tree pose is our favorite.

Correctly names some colors – GREEN!

Follows three-part commands – reduce, reuse, recycle.

Cooperates with others – I love partnering with other organizations who care about our environment.

Imagines that many unfamiliar images may be “monsters” – greenhouse gases, climate change, extinction, pollution, litter…EEK!

Interested in new experiences – in 2012 I plan to push myself to find new ways to live green. I look forward to sharing them with you!

Piece out,
Renee

Use the last square of TP – replace the roll. Drink the last drop of water – refill the pitcher. Enjoy a tree for the holidays – replant an Indiana hardwood with The Indiana Tree Project.

The Indiana Tree Project is an effort between the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and us – the citizens of Indiana – to replenish and expand Indiana’s native forests.

According to their web site, Indiana was once 85% covered in forest, but now the state is only 19% forested. The Indiana Tree Project’s goal is to plant one million trees in existing woodland areas and add 1,000 acres of new woodlands by Indiana’s Bicentennial in 2016.

A $10 donation helps acquire land, purchase and plant tree saplings, and maintain the planting site. Supporters will even receive a tree id# which allows you to view a satellite image of the acre where your tree is planted.

The environmental benefits of trees are many – improved air quality, reduced soil erosion, protecting our water supply and wildlife.

After you’ve replanted, don’t forget to recycle your Christmas tree! Let Indy Ash do the dirty work with their Tree Haul pick-up/recycle service (save 63% with GreenClipping – and we’ll donate a portion from each purchase to The Indiana Tree Project) or drop it off at a SustainIndy Christmas Tree Recycling location.

Piece out,
Renee