Local Folks Make Earth Day Impact Each Day
By The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C.
Apr. 21–A look at some local Earth Day heroes:
• Springfield Middle School Teacher Gail Vawter won the Recycling Teacher of the Year award from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Vawter started recycling programs at Gold Hill and Springfield middle schools and also has won the Clean and Green Walt Schrader Environmental Educator Award.
• Donna Wilson, Koen and Monica Vancampenhoudt, Nelly Nevils and Joel Baucom recently formed Green Waterstone, a group asking Fort Mill area’s Waterstone neighborhood to recycle and replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescents.
Wilson replaced her minivan with a biodiesel-powered Volkswagen Beetle that gets 45 to 49 miles to the gallon and doesn’t sputter noxious emissions.
• Lake Wylie’s Mike and Paula Moore run Ampmobiles, a business that converts vehicles from internal combustion engines to electric power. The result? Fewer emissions and cleaner air.
• Many local residents and developers have donated land to conservation easements, protecting them from development and preserving green space forever. This year’s list includes Bob and Deborah Stuck, who gave 285 acres off U.S. 321 in York and the Tuttle Co., which gave 25 acres behind Whitley Mills Road in Fort Mill.
• Several local gas stations installed pumps that dispense E-85, a blend of gas and ethanol. Ethanol is made mostly from fermented corn. Brownie’s Sales in Sharon and a BP just off Interstate 77 and S.C. 160 offer the fuel.
• York Tech’s 52,000-square-foot technical training center being built in Chester will be one of the Southeast’s most energy-efficient buildings. It will use solar energy and recycle and reuse rainwater from the roof, sidewalks and parking lot. The architectural and natural lighting designs will reduce energy costs by 60 percent.
• Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Jordan Gross and the students at Clover Middle School teamed up to create an environmental awareness program, encouraging students and teachers to recycle. Two of the classes won tickets to a December Panthers game for their efforts.
• Leadership York County has been collecting athletic shoes for its “Lose Your Shoes” recycling campaign, reducing the amount of shoes that end up in landfills.
• York County’s Culture & Heritage Museums plans a museum and surrounding community to be built with sustainable designs and eco-friendly principles on 400 acres of land bordering the Catawba River in Fort Mill. Renowned environmentalist William McDonough designed the museum and is helping plan the community.
— Staff reports
LAUNDRY ROOM
OLD WAY: Regular laundry detergent
NEW WAY: Green laundry detergent
WHY? Most regular detergents are petroleum-based and contain chemicals that are discharged into our water system, which can harm aquatic life. Green detergents such as Seventh Generation and Ecover are nontoxic and made with plant-based, biodegradable ingredients, saving oil for other uses.
COST: Green detergents also use fewer fillers, so you don’t need to use as much per load of laundry. Select mass-merchandisers carry a selection of green cleaning products.
LIVING ROOM
OLD WAY: Incandescent light bulbs
NEW WAY: Compact fluorescent light bulbs
WHY? According to Energy Star, a government-backed program that helps people protect the environment through energy efficiency, compact fluorescent light bulbs use 66 percent less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. They also are cooler to the touch.
COST: Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 23-watt compact fluorescent bulb can save you about $20 in energy costs over about three years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
KITCHEN
OLD WAY: Using your stove or oven to cook small amounts of food
NEW WAY: Opting for your microwave or toaster oven
WHY? Microwaves and toasters generate less heat than stoves or ovens, so you can save energy and air conditioning costs in the summer.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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