Promote tree planting and sustainable garden maintenance
Update: 3/7/2022, 1 pm: WE ARE SOLD OUT! No longer accepting orders. 3/6/2022, 12 noon: Due to a big surge in orders, we are pausing new orders while we double-check our inventory, which is almost sold out. If you want to place an order, please email us at sustainableblacksburgva@gmail.com with your desired order and we will contact …
The mission of Sustainable Blacksburg (SB) is to preserve and enhance sustainable living in Blacksburg and environs by promoting clean energy, smart growth and mobility, ecological integrity, social equity, and reduction of waste (especially carbon emissions, and pollution). To encourage others to assist in accomplishing this mission, SB will be awarding (up to) four grants of up to $500 each during …
2022 Small Grants to Preserve and Enhance Sustainable Living Read More »
Last month we learnt about native plants, and we are following up this month with native trees in a talk by Carl Absher, retired arborist. Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a small tree native to southeast Asia that was introduced to the USA in 1964 as ‘Bradford’ pear. Since then, multiple varieties of callery pear …
Lunch & Learn: 20 Trees that are better than a Bradford Pear Read More »
Bring your lunch and learn about Native Plants in Southwest Virginia, why you should choose native and how your garden and yard can make a difference in the natural ecosystem. We are joined by Nicole Hersch, a Regional Planner and Community Designer at the New River Regional Commission. She has a background in landscape architecture …
The U.S. Environmental Agency estimates that we generate 4.9 pounds of trash per person per day and about half of that ends up in the landfill! Although many aspects of our system work against us, we have a lot of control over the amount of waste we generate in our own homes. We have covered …
Week 21 Recap: Reduce the Amount of Waste You Send to the Landfill Read More »
A little over a month ago I briefly touched on the amount of waste sent to our landfills when discussing “Choosing Reusables.” The numbers are so staggering though, I think it warrants another look. The EPA collects data on how much trash (or as they refer to it, municipal solid waste) is generated each year and where …
Sobering statistics on the contribution of U.S. home energy use to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions: “According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average home in America consumes about 11,000 kWh (kilowatthours) per year, which accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. If considered a country, these emissions would …
According the the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average home in America consumes about 11,000 kWh (kilowatthours) per year, which accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. If considered a country, these emissions would be considered the world’s sixth largest GHG emitter, comparable to Brazil and larger than Germany. The …
A lot of our actions have been related to how we accumulate and reuse “stuff,” because consumerism is at the root of many of our most severe environmental problems. We advocate refusing, reusing, borrowing, giving directly to others, and buying secondhand because recycling just isn’t enough. Another way to cut our accumulation of stuff and …
Week 19 Recap: Utilize Shared Community Resources Read More »
These past four months, we have discussed ways in which we can wisely use our resources so Blacksburg can be a sustainable, special place. Sustainability assumes that resources are finite and must be used wisely in order to meet our needs while making sure future generations can meet their own needs. This includes decreasing our …
