FOR RESIDENTS
Natural Environment
Conservation
You have many choices to actively protect natural resources. Natural resources are materials and power supplied by nature, such as mineral deposits, trees and waterpower. Through conservation, we minimize our impact on the earth.
You can minimize your impact by making conscientious choices regarding transportation (hybrids, low emission standards), energy and green building as well as every day purchases and activities.
- Aluminum Can Recycling
- Bottled Water vs. Tap Water Article
- Carbon Credits & Offsets
- Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
- Conservation Related Links
- Eco building supplies
- Energy
- Fireplace Energy Savers
- Fresh Energy
- Get a Compost Bin Dirt Cheap for Earth Day 2008
- Green Building
- Greenopia
- Home Lighting - Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
- Tour Eco-Yard Midtown
- Transportation
- Water Report
Aluminum Cans
Download curriculums for various age groups around recycling the aluminum can that include fun classroom games, facts and more. For more information go to Can Central.
Bottled Water vs. Tap Water
Is bottled water really cleaner? The Minnesota Department of Health has a fact sheet that discusses the relative safety of bottled versus tap water. To read the entire article, click here.
Carbon Credits & Offsets: What are they? How can a business apply for carbon credits?
Carbon offsets are a means of offsetting what you have already used or plan to use. Your carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon you use in your lifestyle and the imprint that leaves on the Earth.
Carbon credits can be exchanged between businesses or bought and sold in international markets at the prevailing market price. The European Union Allowance (EUA) requires a cap-and-trade program or offset of emissions. This is a result of the Kyoto Protocol, a1997 international treaty that took effect in 2005 and set quotas on the amount of greenhouse gases countries can produce. The United States is not a member of this treaty. However for good business practice and environmental stewardship, U.S. businesses, individuals and even states, counties and cities trade carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange and the European Climate Exchange. Flying, driving, electricity and natural gas usage are the biggest areas of carbon emissions.
Types of Carbon Offsets [The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook by David De Rothschild]
- Future Clean Energy Projects – new projects create clean energy such as wind farms, biomass facilities and solar plants.
- Sustainable Development Projects – energy-efficient and eco-friendly construction projects
- Emissions-Reducing Initiatives – launch clean energy education programs
- Credits in Existing Clean Energy – renewable energy credits (power) are purchased (for example, the local WindSource Program).
- Reforestation Projects – replanting forests or creating new ones to sequester carbon.
Related Links:
CarbonFootprint
Chicago Climate Exchange
European Climate Exchange
MyFootprint
Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs
Use about 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to 10 times longer. Please recycle them as hazardous waste. Call Hennepin County at: (612) 348-3777 for proper disposal or go to http://www.hennepin.us. Go to Energy Star for more information on compact flourescent light bulbs.
Conservation Related Links
- American Council for Energy Efficient Economy
- Biodiesel Resource
- The Conservation Fund
- Conservation International
- Coral Reef Alliance
- Go Zero Calculator
- Green Fleet
- Living Green 365 Newsletter
- MN Environmental Magazine
- The Reuse Center
- Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series
- Vanity Fair Green Issue
Eco building supplies
Eco-friendly building supplies are products selected to be safe for you and your family and sustainable for the environment. Located in Minneapolis and serve homeowners, designers and building professionals in Minnesota and across the country. Click here for information about Natural Built Home.
Energy
Explore ways to save on your energy bill and find alternative energy sources
Fireplace Energy Savers
Save energy in 4 easy ways with your chimney and fireplace. Click here.
Fresh Energy
A St. Paul based non profit organization leading the transition to a clean energy system by harnessing research, advocacy and community engagement. Click here for more information.
Get a Compost Bin Dirt Cheap for Earth Day 2008
Hennepin County has partnered with Bachman's, Lakewinds Natural Foods and The Reuse Center to sell compost bins. Backyard composting is an easy way for residents to turn much of the waste from their yards and kitchens into a rich material that can be used to improve the soil. Using finished compost on lawns and gardens will provide an organic fertilizer, suppress weeds, and hold moisture in the soil.
The bins are being sold at a reduced cost of only $35. The compost bin features a 13-cubic-foot capacity, a sturdy, easy-to-open lid, two harvesting doors, and is made of black recycled plastic. There is a limit of one bin per household.
A limited quantity of bins will be available at Hennepin County’s Drop-off Facility in Brooklyn Park beginning April 23rd. Bins will be available for purchase on a first come, first serve basis on Wednesday evenings from 6 pm to 8 pm. No pre-order is necessary. Go to www.hennepin.us/compostbinsale for more information.
For general questions about the compost bin sale, see www.hennepin.us keyword search "compost bin" or call Hennepin County Environmental Services at (612)348-9266.
Green Building
Green building encompasses many different aspects from design to reusing materials to alternative landscaping.
- Financing & Incentive Programs
- Design Guidelines
- Finding a Professional
- Green Buildings
- Residential Building
- Live Earth
- The Reuse Center
Greenopia
Greenopia - the urban dweller's guide to greener living.
Did You Know?
If every household in the United States replaced its next bulb or fixture with an ENERGY STAR labeled model, we would save more than 8 billion kWh of energy and the equivalent in air pollution of removing 1.2 million cars from the road. Order bulbs or learn more at Xcel Energy.
Take a Guided Tour of the Eco-Yard Midtown
Hennepin County is hosting free tours of the Eco-Yard Midtown demonstration site where residents can learn about environmentally friendly, sustainable landscaping from a landscape restoration specialist.
The Eco-Yard Midtown demonstrates how to incorporate lower maintenance lawn, trees and shrubs, prairie, bird and butterfly gardens, a grass swale and rainwater garden into an urban landscape. These sustainable plantings require little water, and no fertilizers or pesticides that can be released into our environment as a pollutant.
You can view the Eco-Yard anytime the facility is open.
The Eco-Yard Midtown is located at 2801 21st Ave. S. at the intersection of the Midtown Greenway and the Hiawatha Light Rail Line in Minneapolis. The tours are free, however residents are asked to register online at Hennepin County or by calling Hennepin County Environmental Services at (612) 348-9266.
Transportation
There are ways to change your transportation methods to reduce your environmental footprint.
- http://www.livinggreen.org/topic-transport.cfm
- US Dept of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center
- E-85 vehicles
- To reduce transportation, buy locally. For locally grown products
- Metro Transit
- Light rail map
- southwesttransitway.org
- Community Trails
Drinking Water Report
The City of St. Louis Park Water Utility's mission is to provide an uninterrupted supply of safe, high quality water to our customers. We also strive to be an integral part of the community, ready to educate children and adults about drinking water and the system delivering it. If you are interested in reading more facts. Click here
to read the 2006 Drinking Water Report. For more information, call the Utilities Division at 952-924-2558 or email pworks@stlouispark.org.
Documents identified with the
icon require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Guidance using PDF Documents is provided.