You sit down to lunch at a local restaurant, scan the menu, and notice a hamburger made with Indiana beef. Seems like the greenest choice, right? Maybe not. Before you say bring it on to that burger, keep in mind that “Made in Indiana” doesn’t necessarily mean sustainable. Sure, it may have traveled a short distance from farm to fork, but did the farming process take a greater toll on our local environment?

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Whether you’re a Lance Armstrong wannabe or simply wheel around the neighborhood on your vintage Schwinn, chances are good that you’ve had to replace a few bike tubes (the inner part of the tire that keeps it inflated) along the way. Rather than tossing out the busted tubes, take them to the recycling bin at Bicycle Garage Indy. (Both the northside and southside locations participate in the program.) The stores also have recycling bins for Clif Bar wrappers, thanks to the company’s partnership with Terracycle.

And while we’re on the subject of bikes…

If you’re in the market for a new two-wheeler and would prefer a greener option, consider going with a pre-owned bike (we like the ones at Indy-based Freewheelin’ Community Bikes). Or, if you prefer buying new, opt for a bike built in the USA. Why? Bicycles built in the states have fewer miles to travel from the manufacturer to you, resulting in far fewer CO2 emissions. Locally, Speedway Handmade Bicycle Works offers two high-end custom brands - Don Walker Cycles and Speedway Brand - that are handcrafted onsite. For a more budget-friendly option, Meghan suggests checking out Republic Bike, a colorful, fashion-conscious line of Dutch and fixed-gear custom bicycles that are built in Miami.

Don’t reinvent the wheel trying to green your bike experience! With these few simple steps, it’s as easy as a cruise down the Monon Trail.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Feelin’ hot, hot, hot? Who isn’t? As this summer’s unrelenting heat and humidity rage on, we’d like to share a recent bright idea. An a-ha moment, if you will. A silver lining to this summer’s cloud-free skies. And it is this, friends: reuse the water from your dehumidifier.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Not everyone is blessed with having a name that goes hand-in-hand with their line of work. (Much to the chagrin of Beermans everywhere.) For Dr. Steve Green, it was only natural to make his dental practice as environmentally friendly as possible. Team Green Dentistry, based in Fishers, goes beyond the ubiquitous office recycling bin to include such pleasantries as a waiting room stocked with organic and locally grown fruit, fair trade coffee, and 100% recycled coffee cups, stirrers, lids, and EcoGrip coffee sleeves.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

You may have balked at the idea of biking to work and said no-can-do to composting, but here’s something we can all get on board with: eco-friendly treats. We’re not talking about mud pies or bug juice here. These local purveyors get two thumbs up for using locally-sourced ingredients and/or green business practices - and for dishing up some of the tastiest stuff this side of Candyland.

Ice Cream

• Visitors to BRICS in Broad Ripple sample from reusable metal tasting spoons, eat from ceramic dishes (or compostable to-go cups), and recycle at a designated green container. In lieu of selling bottled water, the store offers a bottle-filling station.
• Stop in to Zionsville’s Traders Point Creamery for an organic milkshake or pint of ice cream to go. Either way, you’ll get a treat made with local organic milk that’s traveled mere feet from farm to cone. (Save $1 with Green Savings Indy)

Pie

• In addition to the savory varieties that put Daina’s Petite Pies on the map, Johnson County-based Daina Chamness uses local fruit in her individual-sized Caramel Apple Crisp and Bumbleberry dessert pies. (Save $2 with Green Savings Indy)
• You’ll go in to Locally Grown Gardens at 54th & the Monon Trail for Ron Harris’s gorgeous selection of local produce, but you’ll likely emerge with a homemade honeycrisp apple pie or blueberry crisp, too.

Small Bites

• Fancy up your next campfire by roasting 240 SWEET Artisan Marshmallows, made with ingredients like Indiana corn starch and Michigan beet sugar.
• True to its name, Suzanne Litteral’s Litterally Divine all-natural and organic toffee and truffles taste, well, heavenly. (Save $3 with Green Savings Indy)
• Where can you find delicious homemade popcorn, two of the nicest business owners on the planet, and a planet-saving business agenda to boot? Just Pop In and find out. (Save $5+ with Green Savings Indy)

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

As much as the green movement is about caring for our air, water, and soil, it’s also about taking care of each other. If you’ve shopped at the Broad Ripple, Bloomington, Traders Point Creamery, or Indy Winter farmers markets in recent years, you’ve likely encountered produce from John Ferree and Kelly Funk’s Seldom Seen Farm. The 50-acre Danville operation specializes in gorgeous salad greens, vegetables, and herbs.

While working at the farm on July 8, Kelly was struck by lightning. After spending several days in critical condition at Methodist Hospital, Kelly is starting to show small signs of improvement. Whether or not you know Kelly from the farmers markets, it’s difficult to not feel for this family. So we’re gonna ask you, our faithful readers, for a little favor. Would you consider one of the following actions?

Be a friend
Leave a note on Seldom Seen Farm’s Facebook page. You can also find updates on the Valentine Hill Farm Facebook page.

Say a little prayer
If you say ‘em, they could use ‘em.

Give a little bit
Kelly’s extended “farm family” has launched a number of efforts to ease the family’s financial burden during this difficult time. Many vendors are accepting donations at local markets. Valentine Hill Farm has set up a fund at Huntington Bank: the Kelly Funk Recovery Fund. You may make a direct donation at a Huntington Bank branch. You may also donate through Green Savings Indy’s secure PayPal account and we’ll make sure the family receives your well-wishes. Follow Valentine Hill Farm and Green Piece Indy on Facebook for info about future fundraising events.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

We know better than to take sides in the traditional books vs. downloadable e-books debate. But we’ll gladly offer up a few of our favorite eco-themed reading recommendations. Whether you’re toting your paperbacks to the pool this summer or curling up with your Kindle, add these titles to the top of your list.

Meghan’s Pick
No Impact Man by Colin Beavan
Follow the adventures of a New York family as they forego takeout containers, electricity, and even toilet paper, all in the name of saving the planet. After you’re done reading it, be sure to check out the documentary film version of Beavan’s story, also titled No Impact Man.

Renee’s Pick
Humoring the Horror of the Converging Emergencies by the ApocaDocs (a.k.a.  Indiana natives Michael Jensen and Jim Poyser)
As if the ApocaDocs’s take on news articles with titles like “Sea otters worth $700 million in carbon credits” wasn’t enough to cackle yourself into taking action, their hilariously frightening book is now available for download or purchase. Their solution to the state of the planet: “we have to shift to a more humble, efficient, slowed-down and locally-oriented society/community.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Whitney Brake’s Pick (Whitney is an IPS reading teacher)
The Talking Earth by Jean Craighead George
Middle school-aged readers will enjoy this tale of Billie Wind, a young Seminole girl who struggles with balancing her tribe’s beliefs about the planet with more current environmental concerns, like pollution and nuclear war. Billie goes to the Everglades in search for answers, with an otter, a panther cub, and a turtle serving as her guides.

Lynn Jenkins’s Pick (Lynn is the publisher of Indiana Living Green)
A Conservationist Manifesto by Scott Russell Sanders
“It’s pertinent and local,” Lynn says. “He’s a dedicated Hoosier from Bloomington and makes many references to Indiana. Without rants and shouts, he’s able to gently write us to anger at the atrocities that man heaps on nature.”

Share your fave environmental reads in the comments section of this piece. We’ll select a few “best sellers” for some fun gifts from our bag of eco-tricks.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Draw the blinds and grab a box of your favorite popsicles. In the words of the great Bananarama, it’s a cruel, cruel summer. If your anxiety over electric bills tends to rise concurrent with the scorching temperatures, it’s time to chill. Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) customers can trim their home energy costs in one of the following ways, no purchase required.

Make Cents
IPL’s Cool Cents program can help you save up to $20 annually on your electric bill. Enroll, and IPL will attach a device to your air conditioner that cycles it on and off during times of peak electricity usage (usually during the weekdays). While you’re unlikely to notice a change in temperature at home, you will notice a $5 credit to your IPL bill, June through September.

Ditch Your Fridge
That old energy-hogging fridge in your basement or garage may be good for keeping your excess beverage supply cold, but it’s also costing you a pretty penny. Consider having IPL haul it away (at no charge) and they’ll give you a $30 check.

Inspect Your Gadgets
You don’t need to be a super-sleuth with an extendable arm to solve the mystery of your high electric bills. Simply check out IPL’s online Home Energy Calculator or Home Energy Inspector programs to figure out your home’s energy usage and how to reduce it.

For our non-IPL subscribers, check with your local energy provider for similar offers. For instance, Duke Energy has several programs to help save energy and money too!

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

You donate blood, clothing, and canned goods; volunteer in the community; and fork over a little money each year to your favorite charitable organizations. But it’s likely that no one’s ever asked you for your hair clippings - until now. All across Indiana, salons and pet grooming businesses are collecting hair and fur clippings to donate to Matter of Trust. The  San Francisco-based non-profit organization uses the materials to create oil-absorbing booms (think human hair, fur, fleece, and feathers stuffed in pantyhose) that protect shorelines and wildlife from oil spills, such as the one currently wrecking the Gulf of Mexico.

Whether your locks are short or long, straight or curly, thick or fine, Matter of Trust takes it all. Unless, of course, you’re bald. In that case, we suggest taking your dog to a participating groomer or encouraging your non-bald friends to log on to Matter of Trust’s directory of participating salons.

Stressed out or tressed out? You decide. Book an appointment for you or your pet at a participating salon today.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Except when it’s 90 degrees and humid as heck and if one more mosquito bites you, you’ll freak! No, when the mercury rises to unacceptable levels, a simple stroll around Monument Circle feels more like slogging through an urban swamp. Solution? Pedicabs, people! They’re Indy’s latest, greatest, and greenest form of getting around downtown.

Instead of: Increased perspiration.
Try: Alternative transportation. Pedicabs (a.k.a. “bike cabs”) are the perfect solution when you don’t want to bike or walk (hey, we ladies don’t always wear the most sensible shoes). Two new companies to try: Indy Pedicabs and Circle City Pedicabs.

Instead of: Shelling out your last dollar on a (gas-guzzling, carbon dioxide-spewing) taxi ride across downtown.
Try: Spending a few singles on a (zero-emission) pedicab ride. Indy Pedicabs works for tips (suggested: $1 per city block per person), while Circle City Pedicabs charges a flat $5 fee for ride in the Mile Square.

Instead of: Telling Grandma she can hoof it 9 blocks to the Circle to watch the fireworks.
Try: Telling Grandma you’ve reserved a zippy little pedicab to escort you to the Regions Bank Freedom Blast. Contact the companies directly to find out how to ride - or just hail one when you see it downtown. And don’t worry…both companies’ carriages have overhead canopies so Grandma’s ‘do stays dry.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan