McCain…Obama…Olympic gymnastics drama.You may have been too busy over the last couple of weeks to notice that there’s another candidate vying for your vote - your local green business.

Thanks to the Ideal Bite Best in Green (B.I.G.) awards, you can make your voice heard. Cast your vote for your favorite green companies, products, and services (preferably the Hoosier-owned variety) in categories such health & beauty, home, food, and style. Or nominate someone for their “Next in Green” category, “designed to recognize an individual doing extraordinary things in the community on behalf of a healthier planet.” (Ahem, know a couple of Indy girls whose twice-weekly emails service fits that description?)

Co-Op America is also taking nominations for their People’s Choice Awards, now through September 10. For more nominee ideas, visit Green Piece Indy’s tip archive, where you’ll find info on dozens of environmentally responsible local businesses, from Endangered Species Chocolate and Cafe Patachou to Greenway Supply and Traders Point Creamery.

We’re Renee and Meghan, and we approve this message.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Hey, what you do in the bathroom is your business. (Duh. That’s why they call it “doing your business.”) But unless you use an outhouse, Laura Ingalls, you’re likely wasting a lot of water flushing the toilet - up to 20 gallons a day by some estimates.Fortunately, there are lots of ways to conserve H2O in the WC. Not sure where to begin? Urine luck! (We couldn’t resist.)  

• Toilets installed before 1992 can use in excess of 3.5 gallons per flush, about 7,000 gallons a year. New models use 1.6 gpf, and many
  flush with only a single gallon. If you’re installing a new toilet, look for the EPA’s WaterSense label. 
• If that’s not in your budget, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor recommends a toilet dam, a small plastic piece that fits across the tank and can save up to one gallon per flush. Many local hardware stores carry them. 
• The easiest and cheapest method? Dig into you recycling bin and find
  a large plastic bottle, such as a 1-quart milk jug or square-shaped
  juice bottle. Fill them with water, sand, or pebbles, and place them
  in your tank. (Guest tip-writer Kevin is currently saving 96 ounces
  every flush from two bottles.) Beware using bricks: They release
  chemicals that can ruin your toilet’s flushing parts. 
• For the especially industrious, retrofit your toilet with its own sink. 
• Finally, for “If it’s yellow, let it mellow” types, Planet Natural’s tank
  tablet will help you through your next 50,000 flushes.

Piece out,
Renee, Meghan, and guest tip-writer Kevin

Imagine a day without water.While some of us wouldn’t mind a break from laundry duty, it’s tough to envision no access to bathing, brushing your teeth, or simply enjoying a cold drink.  Sadly, communities exist where safe drinking water isn’t always available - places where young girls are forced to quit school early to do housework, including the main chore of hauling safe drinking water. In some areas, people die simply from a lack of this most basic substance.

Before you cry us a river, know that there’s something you can do to help. The second annual Running for World Water 5K Fun Run and Walk takes place September 6, 2008, beginning at the NCAA Hall of Champions on the canal in downtown Indianapolis and features a route that is stroller, pet, and wheelchair accessible.   

All proceeds from the event benefit Water for People, an international nonprofit organization that works with third-world countries (and non-governmental organizations already in those countries) to develop community-specific, sustainable solutions to drinking and wastewater challenges.

And no, smarty pants, you don’t have to BYO water to the event. They’ll have plenty of that on hand.     
 
Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Like a little squirrel stockpiling his acorns for winter, you’ve already learned how to keep ample supplies of food on hand. But if you’re going to stock your pantry, try buying in bulk. The eco advantage? Little to no packaging to discard, and you’ll likely get more for your money. Bonus points for bringing your own reusable containers - just have them weighed before filling up! A few of our favorite local stores that offer food and other sundries in bulk:  

• Georgetown Market - dish soap, honey, maple syrup, nut butters, spices, snacks
• Whole Foods Market - granola, grains, snacks, flours, pasta, peanut butter
• Good Earth - grains, beans, nuts, flours, pasta, dried fruit, candy, herbs, spices and teas
• The Fresh Market - nuts, dried fruit, granola, snack mixes, candy

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

It’s not exactly news that incorporating green elements into your home can reduce energy consumption and make your living space healthier for you and your family.

But what you might not know is that Indy is home to several green home builders, remodelers, and even a fabulous green home supply store. The following local businesses offer the whole gamut of eco-friendly home materials, such as flooring made of renewable resources, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, tankless water heaters, green roofing and siding, even countertops made of recycled glass and concrete.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or simply updating your water-hogging bathroom fixtures, these folks can steer you in the right direction. 

Casa Verde - commercial and residential real estate development
Greenway Supply - retail and wholesale building materials

Lone Star Custom Homes - green home builder

My Home in Indy - interior design and remodeling

The Re-Development Group - green home builder
 
Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Salsa verde, guac and fresh cilantro aren’t the only green things at Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Our craving for the across-the-border fare at Chipotle is borderline obsessive - delicious yet affordable tacos, salads and densely packed burritos, each one carefully wrapped in recyclable aluminum foil or piled in a bowl made with recycled content.

We cheered when the company announced that it would only feature naturally-raised pork in their carnitas burritos. We applauded when they stated they would no longer serve cheese or sour cream made with milk from cows treated with the synthetic hormone rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). We could barely contain our excitement as their percentage of organic beans grew from 10 to 30%. And, earlier this summer, we filled with Hoosier pride as the chain restaurant took yet another planet-friendly step: Indianapolis Chipotle restaurants now serve naturally-raised chicken from Miller Amish Country Poultry, a collection of family farms in northern Indiana. We’re talkin’ about humanely-raised birds, sans antibiotics and added hormones, which ultimately means a healthier burrito for you, a profit for a small, local family farm, and less carbon emissions for the planet. 

Chipotle is definitely a sustainability leader in chain restaurants and we think that’s pretty clucking great.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Have rising gas prices left you with a case of the summertime blues? Buck up, weary traveler! There are still plenty of places to go that don’t require a full tank to get you there. By keeping your weekend travel plans local, you save money, help reduce air pollution, and get to enjoy Indiana roadways, many of which have been beautified in recent years with native plants and wildflowers as part of the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Hoosier Roadside Heritage Program.When planning your next trip, remember the following:

Out: Pink Cadillacs and Little Red Corvettes
In: Green hybrids

Out: Getting your kicks on Route 66.
In: Getting your kicks on I-65, I-69, and I-70.

Out: Baby, you can drive my car.
In: Baby, you can take the Monon Trail.

Out: Leavin’ on a jet plane. 
In: Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house you go.    
  
Like the plant life you see along Indiana roadsides? Voice your opinion to INDOT by taking their Roadside Heritage Program public survey. Because you belong among the wildflowers. 
 

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

You’re a smart bunch, Green Piece Indy readers.

Each week we send you tips for leading a greener life and, like little sponges, you soak them up and e-mail us back with your questions and ideas. A few months ago, you didn’t know the difference between CFLs and CSAs. But look at you now! We’d even venture to say that when it comes to knowing how to save the planet, you’re moving to the head of the class.

Just don’t keep all that knowledge to yourself. Recycle it! Show younger generations it’s important to care for the planet by supporting local eco-friendly businesses that cater to kids. Here are a few of our faves: 

• You’ve gotta admire Neal Brown’s energy. In addition to running  L’Explorateur, his renowned Broad Ripple restaurant, the chef recently started his own gourmet baby food company, Izzy and Grey’s, named after his two darling children. Brown sources local produce (from farmers who use sustainable, organic growing practices) to create good-enough-for-adults flavors like carrots with ginger and olive oil, slow-roasted sweet potato with cinnamon, and spring peas with mint.
• Look closely: The eye-catching children’s clothing at Wild Child Indy (operated by mother-and-daughter team Carol Ackerman and Shel Polzin) is more than just cute, comfy, and colorful. The bulk of the inventory is natural fiber clothing, made from materials like cotton (some certified organic) and bamboo, some of which is colored with low-impact dyes or simply no dyes at all. Bonus: All of the items are made either in the USA or by fair-trade manufacturers from around the world. 
• The bottom line on cloth diapers is that they are good for the environment, your wallet and your baby’s health. Not only does a disposable diaper require a lot of resources to make, more than 25 billion end up in a landfill each year and may take more than 250 years to decompose. Toasty Baby is a local company selling cloth diapers, diaper covers, swim wear and toys. They’ll deliver and demonstrate their products to Central Indiana customers at no charge.

Piece out, baby,
Renee & Meghan