As 2011 comes to an end, many of us probably have eco-friendly ideas that we'd like to implement during the coming year. By looking back at some of the most intriguing Green Living issues of 2011, we can determine what we're already doing in our everyday lives that helps to make the world a healthier place. Whether that's installing solar panels, joining a farm share program or simply cutting down on unncessary purchases, we can all make small changes that, collectively, can create important change. Wherever you are on the green living spectrum, hopefully the following top 10 issues of 2011 …

When we think of buying local during the holiday season, many of us imagine visiting quaint little shops on our town's main strip. But officials from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) are encouraging residents to buy local in a less likely way: by purchasing a real Christmas tree.“The holidays are time for family and tradition. Families gathering for the holidays should enjoy the presence of a fresh, natural New York Christmas tree in their home,” said NYSDAM Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine at an event in Albany last week. Three New York Christmas tree farms …

I find that very often when I'm dining with friends or family who didn't previously know I'm a vegetarian, the topic of conversation becomes focused on my dietary choices. At first, I felt good about discussing my reasons for not eating meat anymore, but after a while I started to become a bit self-conscious about being the center of attention during meals, especially when other people were eating meat.I became a vegetarian last February, and this will be my first Thanksgiving that I'll pass up the turkey. But I've made a conscious decision not to discuss being a vegetarian at the …

While the Occupy Wall Street protests have inspired a national dialogue on the massive wealth disparity that exists in the U.S. and around the world, some argue that protesting isn't a practical way to affect change. Personally, I believe that everyone who is interested can do something to create positive and meaningful change in our society. Whether that's camping out in Zuccotti Park with picket signs and bullhorns, or writing letters to one's representatives on the local, state or federal level, the point is that it's important to do something. The most significant way that people can …

EPL/Environmental Advocates as released its 2011 Voters Guide and Environmental Scorecard, which ranks state representatives according to how they voted on environmentally-relevant bills last session.The rankings, issued annually for more than 40 years, are compiled using a system developed by Environmental Advocates of New York. Legislators are given one to three "trees" for voting in favor of bills that would help protect the state's environment. Additional points are earned for co-sponsoring such bills. For co-sponsoring or voting in favor of bills that would harm the environment, …

The Occupy Wall Street movement is now nearing the one-month mark and it's showing no signs of retreat. At first it wasn't exactly clear what the protesters wanted--Guardian columnist Jason Farago calls the movement its own "raison d'etre"--but one message has been pretty consistent: "End corporate greed."Using a slogan of "We are the 99 percent," an Occupy Wall Street member, Lloyd Hart, posted a list of 13 long-awaited demands on the group's website. White the loosely organized group's General Assembly has noted that the demands were never officially approved, they've nonetheless received …

Residents of the Hudson Valley are quite lucky to have so many local farms from which to buy their food. While this time of year is traditionally harvest season, some of our farmers won't be able to bring their usual fruit and vegetable bounty to the region's farmers markets. Gov. Cuomo's office estimates that 140,000 acres of farmland were flooded after Tropical Storm Irene, with the majority of that land in the Hudson Valley. While the state's Agricultural and Community Fund allotted $2.5 million in aid to 125 farms last week, more help is needed. We are so fortunate here to have access to …

Over the weekend, I bought two quarts of locally-grown peaches. One quart my family ate in a day, and the other I saved to try my hand at making homemade jam. For guidance, I used the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, edited by Ruth Berolzheimer. My mom scored an old version of this book at a yard sale—it smells like an old bookstore—but newer editions are still in print and can be found at Amazon.com. First published in 1950, this cookbook has everything you need to know about making real food. It was obviously geared toward all-American homemakers, and one has to laugh at …

Plastic shopping bags have been getting a bad rap lately. The August issue of Rolling Stone ran an article about how plastic bags are littering the world's beaches and oceans, with Americans alone using 102 billion bags annually. And here in Rye, the Rye Sustainability Committee (RSC) has also been digging up the dirt on plastic bags. The group plans to present to the City Council in September the argument for a city-wide ban on plastic bags. If the city ends up adopting the ban, it would be far from alone. In May, Long Beach, CA passed a ban, and in July, Portland, OR did so. RSC also notes …

The summertime brings a bounty of locally sourced produce, but for many of us, figuring out what to do with all of those unfamiliar vegetables can be a challenge.This is my first year participating in a Community Supported Agriculture program, which has exposed me to all sorts of vegetables that I used to be entirely unfamiliar with. I hadn't even heard of scapes or burdock before joining the CSA, and while I'll admit that the burdock shriveled up in my fridge after a few weeks, I did learn how to cook some very yummy sauteed scapes.I've also learned to like vegetables that I didn't …

The New York State League of Conservation Voters Education Fund lauded the 2011 state legislative session "one of the most productive sessions in years" earlier this month.In the group's 2011 Legislative Progress Report, progress various environmental issues--from solar panel tax exemptions to green jobs--are outlined. Overall, NYLCVEF gave the New York Assembly and Senate a "B" grade for passing most legislation that furthers the group's environmental agenda, which it outlined in a statement at the beginning of the session.Here's how the legislature fared in four main categories, according …

The "Great Recession." We've all heard enough about the economic downturn over the past few years that we may wonder if things will ever turn around. And many of us have experienced the effects of the stalling economy first-hand: for some, jobs with retirement packages and health benefits are hard to come by. Many homeowners struggle with mortgage payments and the threat of foreclosure while others' investments have dissipated. Still others simply don't have enough food to feed their families.While these struggles continue to burden Americans on a daily basis, there could be a positive side: …

A scorecard released on June 8 by EPL/Environmental Advocates indicates that the vast majority of New York's senators aren't doing enough to support legislation that would protect the environment. The preliminary scorecard tracked state senator's voting records on bills this session that would have an effect on air, land and water quality, as well as wildlife and public health. A complete Voters' Guide scorecard, including Assembly member rankings, is set to be released this fall.The rankings were divided on partisan lines, with Democrats scoring an average of 41 and Republicans at an average…

Investing in solar energy continues to receive support from federal, state and county governments in the form of tax incentives. Earlier this month, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino signed legislation into law that extends a sales tax exemption on solar panels that was set to expire this fall. "This bill should stimulate the purchase of this equipment and help reduce reliance on non-renewable sources of energy," said Astorino. "This is a small but meaningful action, which is part of our effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels." The county's current sales tax rate is 7.375 …

As a moratorium on hydrofracking nears its end, the debate over the controversial method of natural gas drilling continues to heat up across the state. Last week, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that he has given the federal government one month to commit to "conducting a full environmental review of proposed regulations that would allow natural gas drilling–including the potentially harmful 'fracking' technique–in the Delaware River Basin."Hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, is a process in which millions of gallons of water, chemicals and sand are blasted into shale …

Westchester County has launched a "BYOB" campaign that's encouraging residents not to bring your own beer, but to bring your own bags. For environmentally-conscious people, this may be something you already do, but the county's campaign seems to be geared toward people who aren't disposing of plastic bags as they should."This campaign is a countywide public educational effort that will focus on changing the behavior of individuals, as well as businesses, towards protecting our environment, particularly our waterways and marine life that we have invested so much to restore," according to a …

After last year's power outage, Rye residents, already suffering through an involuntary lights out, may have thought twice about attending Earth Hour.Earth Hour is a worldwide event that asks people to turn off their lights for one hour. Last year's event was also the most widespread Earth Hour to date, with 128 countries participating. Organizers also say that 1,000 international landmarks--from the Egyptian pyramids to the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House--shut off their lights during Earth Hour in 2010. So this year, with no power outages in recent memory, the Rye community…

For Sound Shore residents interested in joining an affordable Community Supported Agriculture program, the Rye-Sound Shore CSA might be a perfect fit for your family.The Community Synagogue of Rye's Green Team is working with Greene County-based Stoneledge Farm to establish the program, which will offer certified organic vegetable and conventionally grown fruit shares from the farm's neighboring orchards. The Green Team's Co-Director Francis Ginsberg said that the group is hoping to draw at least 50 families to the CSA. "We're interested in the CSA for supporting local farms, not having …

Did you know that Rye residents can only recycle plastics labeled 1 and 2? This means no shampoo bottles, no styrofoam, and no plastic bags. The same is true for residents across Westchester, but the county last week announced that soon municipalities can pick up numbers 3 through 7 as well.In a release, the county explained that it amended its recycling laws in October, but the changes will take effect June 1, 2011. They're planning to have a grace period while the transition takes place, with workers placing "oops" stickers on mistakenly placed containers and returning them to recycling …

By 11 p.m., many people are already in bed. But at this week's city council meeting, a group of local environmental activists waited patiently into the night in order to advocate changes to Rye's dated tree ordinance. Melissa Grieco, co-founder of the Environmental Advocacy Group of Rye (EAGR), presented council members with a petition signed by 127 residents. It outlines a plan for stricter guidelines when it comes to cutting down trees in the city.The petition says that trees in Rye are "constantly threatened by new development and clear-cutting." It urges officials to re-write the current …