True Love Goes Green

iGreenValentinesTrue Love Goes Green

Let’s show some love for our planet and make this Valentine’s Day green! We’ve got some ideas that will keep the romance alive and the energy waste minimal.  From buying that box of chocolates to planning the day,  here are some tips for every couple.

To save the planet and money, plan a romantic energy saving evening at home.  Turn down the thermostat and snuggle up to your loved one under a blanket for a romantic film or a quiet evening in front of the fireplace.  Leave the car in the driveway and have dinner at home too.  When planning dinner, consider incorporating local produce and/or local products. Your bottle of red or white may taste of fruit, chocolate, oak – but can you detect the hint of a healthier planet? Try an organic or local wine.

Set the mood and lose the electronics for a night.  Take some time to connect with each other.  Unplug all unnecessary appliances.  Turn off your cell and the computers and turn down the lights.  Soy or beeswax candles can create a romantic energy-saving ambiance.  Whether it be dinner by candlelight or drinks at sunset, soft lighting affects our emotions. Studies suggest that soft lighting evokes a calm feeling throughout our body and can also send the message of beauty, tranquility, and romance.

When you are getting ready for your night in, go ahead and get all dolled up with some eco-friendly products.  Blow dryers use a lot of electricity, so consider letting your locks go au naturale.

Many gifts have unique and valuable stories that can add to your relationship and help the world around you.  Many companies are now making gifts from recycled materials.  Instead of those cliche roses, try getting your significant other a seasonal arrangement of local blooms or a beautiful native potted plant.

Whether your love stands tall or is just beginning to bud, planting a tree is a great way to honor it and a meaningful gift that will last. The tree’s life is like the life of your love, and we don’t mean that in a cheesy way.  Trees also help reduce stormwater pollution while keeping your neighborhood looking great.

If your relationship is not quite ready for a tree, go for some organic fair trade chocolates or a homemade card.

We hope you will try some of these tips this Valentine’s Day!  Remember, true love goes green!  For more ideas on greening your Valentine’s Day, check out the Sierra’s Club Valentine’s Day page.

 

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Bluegrass Tomorrow Presents Greensource with Vision Award for Green/Sustainability

Award Photo

Posted Monday, November 4, 2013 on KyForward.com

The annual Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Awards Breakfast included more than sticky buns on the menu. Awards were presented to Don Robinson, Ed Burtner, the Kentucky River Thorobred, Knox van Nagell, Bluegrass Greensource, Judy Clabes, the National Park Service’s Rivers Trails Conservation Assistance Program, Kyle Lake and Rebecca Barnes.

Robinson is owner of Winter Quarter Farm and is best known for breeding multiple Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta, the 2010 Horse of the Year. He won the 2013 Josephine Abercrombie Vision Award for his leadership as chairman of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Planning Commission which made the motion for a change of minimum lot acreage from 10 to 40 acres in agricultural areas.

Ed Burtner is the mayor of Winchester. He has been a major advocate for Bluegrass Station and the Bluegrass Army Depot and is active in many regional organizations and projects He received the Bluegrass Legacy Vision Award.

Other awards were presented for outstanding service to Bluegrass Tomorrow and the 18 surrounding counties to the Kentucky River Thorobred, a Kentucky State University floating laboratory; Knox van Nagell of the Fayette Alliance; Bluegrass Greensource; and a conservation program run by the National Park Service.

The special Robert Clay Award was also presented to Judy Clabes, publisher and editor of KYForward.com, as Bluegrass Tomorrow’s “most valuable” board member and the one who has done the most to improve the organization over the last year.

Passionate about the preservation and protection of precious Bluegrass soils and the equine/agricultural industry, Robinson is a director and past president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association, and the Fayette County Farm Bureau. He is currently chairman of the Fayette Alliance.

Burtner has been a board member of Bluegrass Tomorrow and the Bluegrass Area Development District. He has been very active in the United Way and the regional Public Policy Group facilitated by Commerce Lexington which advocates for many regional issues including education, drug abuse, the Kentucky River, the water supply and others.

KSU’s Kentucky River Thorobred floating laboratory is a unique 52-foot pontoon boat used for research on river ecology and environment, and was honored with the Education Vision Award.

Bluegrass Greensource (formerly PRIDE) won the Green/Sustainability Vision Award for its excellent and continued work in environmental education and sustainability.

Van Nagell of the Fayette Alliance was honored with the Equine/Agriculture Vision Award for her tireless work in protecting precious Bluegrass soils and advocacy on more than 65 major land use policies.

Russell Clark and Alison Bullock of National Park Service’s Rivers Trails Conservation Assistance Program won the Conservation/Preservation Vision Award for their work with the Kentucky River Water Trail Alliance and the Bluegrass Bike Hike Horseback Trails Alliance, important initiatives of Bluegrass Tomorrow.

Kyle Lake of Prosper Productions and Rebecca Barnes of Northwestern Mutual won Young Professionals Vision Awards for their tireless work with young professional organizations and projects in the region and promoting the Bluegrass Tomorrow philosophy of “developing an environment in the region where creative talent, young professionals, diversity and entrepreneurship will thrive.”

From Bluegrass Tomorrow

 

 

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Mark your calendar: Lexington Green Breakfast is November 6th

Lexington Green Breakfast

The 43rd Annual Green Breakfast, Lexington’s longest running environmental awareness event, will be held on Wednesday, November 6th from 7:30 am at the E.S. Good Barn on the UK campus.

Help celebrate Lexington’s unique heritage and bright future by honoring those who have fostered conservation, sustainability and awareness over the past year.

Enjoy a delicious, locally sourced breakfast prepared by UK Ag. Hear from community leaders how Lexington is responding to environmental challenges and opportunities.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, admission to this event is free of charge for the first 100 people who register at www.LexingtonGreenBreakfast.eventbrite.com.

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