The Monthly Newsletter of greenlight magazine

Earlier this fall, I was lucky enough to visit two major green events in different parts of the country. West Coast Green in San Francisco presented hundreds of speakers and booths dedicated to residential ideas – from insulation to solar energy to green furniture to organic beer. And “Green solutions for a blue planet” was the theme of the annual conference of the American Society of Landscape Architects in Minneapolis. We couldn’t ask for more vivid reminders of how significantly earth-friendly living has hit the home and the garden. I’m pleased that we can use this newsletter and our digital magazine to pass along ideas we discovered at both events. Of course, if you read on, you’ll see that we haven’t forgotten the other important family occasions coming up soon. Happy Thanksgiving! 
—Bill Marken, editor in chief, greenlight magazine

• The beauty of recycling
• Choosing a turkey
• Going turkey-less
• Greener sleeping
• Saving the neighborhood
• What about your Holidays?

At West Coast Green there may have been more exhibits devoted to recycled and reclaimed wood than anything else. Why not? Re-using old lumber saved from demolished or abandoned buildings is a smart alternative to landfill, and it cuts down on the resources involved in producing and transporting new lumber of any type. Plus, the old wood has something else that new lumber doesn't offer: Character, the history told by weathering, scarring, and nail holes.

Reality check: Reclaiming wood is not cheap, and the cost is reflected in the lumber sold. And of course, our supply of recycled lumber is not infinite. Please check for local sources and consider the transportation costs to your pocketbook and the planet.

Following are just a few suppliers of recycled wood and wood products that we recently encountered.

Environment Furniture makes environmentally-friendly, high-end furniture using mostly reclaimed and FSC-certified hardwoods. The Peloba collection features wood reclaimed from 100-year old homes in the Brazilian colonial city of Paraña.

TerraMai offers reclaimed woods from old structures around the world -- bridges, tunnels, and railroad ties -- and also wood from orchards being replaced or replanted and wood from cut logs abandoned by logging operations. 

RenuWood provides flooring, siding, timbers and other building materials made from reclaimed barns, factories, warehouses and trestles. Nail holes, saw marks and other patterns of wear are left to maintain the original character. Woods available include oak, pine, apitong, Douglas fir.

Pacific Heritage Wood specializes in reclaimed and recycled woods milled to order for "serious do-it-yourselfers" as well as architects, builders and other professionals. Woods include redwood, Douglas fir, Western pine.

Fresh or frozen? How big? Natural or fake?  

Shopping for your Thanksgiving turkey these days can be as befuddling as deciding where to send your firstborn child to pre-school.  

We're here to help – but only with your turkey not your children, and only with the earth-friendly part of your decision. We'll leave the cooking questions to the food magazines – I recommend Epicurious and Cooks Illustrated. 

How do you choose an earth-friendly turkey? First step is to get familiar with turkey terminology.

ORGANIC TURKEYS
These are raised under the strictest guidelines. Certified organic turkey farms must follow the standards of the USDA’s organic program – look for the USDA label. Among other things, certified organic means turkeys are fed only organic food, have not received antibiotics or synthetic hormones, and may even have been allowed to express natural behavior such as scratching for bugs. Compared to conventionally-raised birds, these tend to be lower in fat. Check to see what’s available from local suppliers. Among national retailers of organic turkeys are Diamond Organics; and Williams-Sonoma. 

NATURAL TURKEYS
These fall into a broader category than Organic. They’re untreated birds that don’t contain additives or preservatives but may have grown up under other conventional methods. You can find many excellent natural turkeys at national chains or online suppliers like Williams-Sonoma. 

FREE-RANGE
This means that the turkey has access to outside spaces, rather than being confined to an enclosure, and can range freely for food. Natural turkeys may or may not be free-range.  

HERITAGE TURKEYS
With evocative names like Bourbon Red and American Bronze, these rare antique breeds display qualities of the old-fashioned turkey -- before the breeders took over and built in big breasts and mild flavor. Heritage birds vary greatly depending on breed and how they were raised, but generally have a stronger, gamier flavor and more dark meat. Their scarcity almost automatically translates to priciness.

For more information and local sources, check with the Heritage Turkey Foundation. 

BEST BET: Try to buy an organic or natural, free-range turkey from a local farm.  Remember that organic and natural birds have less fat – especially when compared with conventional turkeys that are pumped up with "prebasting," along with salts and other preservatives. Basting while cooking will help. And organic and natural turkeys especially benefit from the moisture provided by brining them ahead of time. Leaner turkeys cook faster, so make sure you use a meat thermometer and that you have specific directions for the turkey you are cooking. For instructions on brining and cooking tips for natural turkeys, one good source is Whole Foods. 

It's easy to find good recipes and menu ideas for vegetarians or others who would prefer an alternative to Thanksgiving turkey – tasty dishes like stuffed tofu, stuffed squash, pumpkin ravioli, and much else. 

Yahoo has a long list of ideas under "vegetarian Thanksgiving". 

Bon Appetit magazine published an appealing turkey-less menu a few years ago, built around roasted vegetable ragu. 

Tip from GreenHomeGuide.com  

Heating the bedroom in cold weather isn't just a waste of energy; it makes sleep difficult. Air temperature of 65 degrees year-round has been found ideal for sleep.

See GreenHomeGuide.com for more tips on making your bedroom more earth-friendly and other helpful home advice.   

In your corner of the world, I'm sure there are groups and individuals doing more than their share to preserve and restore the planet. We’d love to hear about them. (Just an email note would be enough.)

For nearly 30 years, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has worked to protect the landscapes that give character to the region and the kind of open space that recharges our souls. What's the secret?

Under the leadership of President Audrey Rust since 1987, POST has preserved about 55,000 acres of land on the peninsula south of San Francisco. This has been accomplished using various conservation methods, often transferring land that POST acquired to other conservation buyers, such as public agencies and private individuals. No doubt it takes money. POST raised $200 million for its campaign to save the coast.

A fabulous new acquisition is the Driscoll Ranch, 3,681 acres of sprawling ranchland with grazing cattle, creeks, osprey, rolling grassy hills, the whole deal. POST bought the ranch four years ago, and recently transferred it to a local open space trust. Stay tuned for the day when the ranch trails open, and the public can experience a glorious piece of Old California.

Wherever you leave, please look in on POST to see what a dedicated, talented (and well financed) group can accomplish. And please let us know about similar success stories in your area.

At greenlight magazine, we're collecting good ideas for our Winter issue and wonder if readers have some interesting approaches to Holiday entertaining, decorating and gift giving — traditional, festive, all that and earth-friendly as well.

I know that in my own family we've used living trees, large and small -- but you only need so many 75-foot Monterey pines and 2-foot dwarf spruces in the back yard, and we ran out of space long ago. I don't have a problem with using a cut trees — please tell me if I should. Cut trees are all grown on farms in rows like carrots, right?

We've also used natural greens from the garden, pine boughs, holly when we have it, California toyon (wish we had more). My kids have often used recycled newspaper comics to wrap gifts — more out of last-minute, no-plan panic than for ecological concerns, though.

What about you? Please send along any of your family's earth-friendly holiday ideas to: editor@greenlightmag.com.

In the Fall 2006 issue of greenlight magazine: Real-Life Green Cars · Halloween Ideas · Greenest Airline? · Composting Made Easy · A Better Bathroom · Cozy Cashmere · Healthy School Lunches and Treats · Laurie David's Green Life · Top 10 Earth-Friendly Best Sellers · Click to Read!

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