Peregrine falcon on her nest on a ledge of the DEP's Rachel Carson building in Harrisburg. See Falcon Cam below. (Photo courtesy of DEP)
My plan is that you'll be able to do that by reading and commenting on this blog.
But there's also another way. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has started a conservation initiative with a dedicated website: www.iConservePA.org
The site started out with mini-profiles 12 "iCons" -- people who recycle, use compact fluorescent light bulbs or create habitats for wildlife. Montrell conserves water with his rain barrel. Dave rides his bike to work. Norm plants trees, and in doing so, "I clean the air."
“You can’t pick up a newspaper today or have a conversation with your neighbor that doesn’t touch on issues like the Earth’s climate warming, how energy bills are taking a toll on household budgets, or that kids don’t play outside anymore,” Governor Rendell said. “Even small actions, when taken collectively, can make a difference."
I found it interesting that he would include the thought about children not playing outside. A Bryn Mawr researcher, Patricia Zaradic, has studied this phenomenon, and I wrote about it recently. You can read it here. She and a colleague have coined the term "videophilia" as part of the reason kids aren't getting outside, and here's their web site. Conservationists are worried the younger generation won't be interested in preserving the natural world if they don't appreciate it.
The iConserve site, which went live earlier this month, also offers fascinating tidbits under a "did you know?" section. Such as: Pennsylvania has more than 3,00 species of native trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants.
And a lot of tips. Among them, it urges people to make their own household cleaning products from things like baking soda and lemon juice. I knew green cleaners were a movement, but I didn't realize mainstream entities like the state government were advocates. When you get that kind of muscle behind something, it's bound to have an effect. Companies that produce today's typical cleaning products will surely take note.
Some of them already are paying attention. Clorox has introduced a new "Green Works" line of products, and the Sierra Club has endorsed it -- the first time the environmental organization has endorsed a product in its 116-year history. (It will also get a share of the proceeds from sales.) Felicity Barringer wrote about it yesterday in the New York Times. See it here.
Speaking of the outdoors, the importance of appreciating it and government websites, you can't beat the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's falcon site. A cam and a video are aimed at a nest on the ledge of the DEP's Rachel Carson office building in Harrisburg, and in past years people from around the world have watched as the female lays her eggs, sites on the nest and cares for the young after they hatch. It's all beginning now -- the first egg was laid just last Saturday -- and you can see it here.
About Sandy Bauers
Sandy Bauers is the environment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she has worked for more than 20 years as a reporter and editor. She lives in northern Chester County with her husband, two cats, a large vegetable garden and a flock of pet chickens.
GreenSpace - her column about how to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life - appears every other Monday in Health & Science.
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