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You are here: home → archives → columns → Green Scene
Clare is deeply entrenched in the world of green (gardening and growing) and the world of Green (environmental consciousness). Her columns vary in content, but focus on our relationship with our environment and this wonderful green place that we call Carbon County.
by Clare Witcomb
About the 10th of every month I start sweating what the subject will be for the Green Scene article in the Local Rag. Writing about environmental issues can be both uplifting and downright scary. The last 2 months' articles have been in the "scary" category. Coal ash containment ponds and natural gas "fracking" are just some examples of the problems facing the globe when it comes to natural resource development.
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by Clare Witcomb
In last month's Local Rag I wrote about the problems of coal ash storage being faced by the citizens of the Colstrip area. This month I am going to write about a process used by the natural gas industry called fracking, or hydraulic fracturing.
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by Clare Witcomb
As a longtime environmentalist, I have lived through many ups and downs when it comes to damage being done to the air, land, and water. Each time a victory is hailed, another type of damage is found. The next three Green Scene articles will cover three of these after-effects from mining.
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by Clare Witcomb
When Gary told me that the theme of this issue of the Local Rag was to be music, I thought, Now, how am I going to do that? Then I thought of the word "medley." It means "a mixture of things not usually placed together." Medley is also a musical term, so I hope this column passes muster.
The "mixture of things" includes recycling, sudden aspen decline, climate change, conservation, and the upcoming Solar Flare.
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by Clare Witcomb
Nearly a year after the United State House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman finally released their clean energy and climate bill, the American Power Act, last week.
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by Jay Menenga
Jay tells us about his visit to Iceland, and their state-of-the-art green technology for power.
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by Deb Muth
Question: What is the fastest and least expensive way to slow climate change? Answer: Use less energy.
Most of us could reduce our energy consumption by 25% or more and do the Earth a big favor by trimming at home. So what is holding us back?
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by Clare Witcomb
Bruce and Roxanne Haughey recently gave me a tour of Aspen Ridge Ranch, located just outside of Red Lodge off of Fox Road. Nestled beneath the Beartooth Mountains, Aspen Ridge Ranch is 250 acres of aspen-filled land with breathtaking views in all directions.
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by Deb Muth
Thank you to all who attended the Red Lodge City Council meeting on June 9, 2009; your presence shows that we care about our future in beautiful Red Lodge, Montana. It also demonstrates that there is a need to disseminate information about the funding of reductions in our carbon footprint. This Climate Protection Group (CPG) of citizens who research the ways and means and funding of this commitment is ready to answer your questions.
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by Clare Witcomb
The idea of writing a history of the All Nations Garden Club in Red Lodge has been percolating in the back of my mind for several months, and just when I'm the busiest at the Beartooth Nature Center, I decided to take the bull by the horns and just do it. I've asked several long-time members to give me as much information as they are able to remember, to give me a thumbnail sketch of how the All Nations Garden Club came into being.
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by Clare Witcomb
I recently paid a visit to one of my favorite stores in our fair city: Red Lodge Books. Anyone who knows me is very aware of how much I love to read. In fact, I was in the bookstore to pick up a book I had ordered. As I was perusing the aisles, I noticed a sign on 2009 calendars at 75% off. I love to save money as much as the next person, so I bought a day-to-day desk calendar sold by Workman Publishing called Living Green--365 Ways to Make a Difference. As I was tearing off pages to catch up to May 12th, I noticed a very profound quote by Ansel Adams: "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment". Here is a list of green ideas that each of us might want to take under consideration. And most of them are so, so simple. See how many you might want to try.
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by Clare Witcomb
After missing the last 2 issues, I'm back on board writing about the environment. These views are mine and those of Natural Resources Defense Council and not of any other groups I'm associated with. As a member of the NRDC, I would like to tell you about the goals of their Partnership for the Earth Campaign:
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by Clare Witcomb
While schools are struggling to make ends meet, soaring energy bills are making things worse. In December 2007, the Legislative Fiscal Division reported that 40 percent of Montana schools will not have enough money to continue their 2007-2008 programs in 2008-2009. Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission is warning of record natural gas prices this winter, with heating bills of average households possibly climbing to $300 per month. Electricity rates for most of Montana are the highest in the region. Fortunately, energy costs are one of the few expenses schools can reduce without sacrificing the quality of education.
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by Clare Witcomb
Energy is tightly woven into the food economy. Cheap fossil fuels have helped shape our current food system. The rapid increase in the price of a barrel of oil has profound implications for the industrial food system. Those of you who would argue that the decrease in oil prices would make this argument moot don't fully understand the folly of reliance on fossil fuels, but that is for a future column.
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by Clare Witcomb
Home on the Range" has become a way to describe a very special building in downtown Billings. At first glance, Billings' baby blue "Your Food Bank" grocery might seem an unlikely candidate to become Montana's first nationally-accredited and platinum-rated sustainable building. Take another look. The long-empty store has become a local landmark. Cutting-edge, energy efficient technologies, coupled with innovative conservation and recycling measures, have made this Montana's first commercial building to achieve Platinum Standard under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
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by Clare Witcomb
Who would have thought that my column last month on noxious weeds--certainly not the most exciting of topics--would have stirred up so much discussion? And believe me, I'm thrilled that so many of you are becoming more concerned about noxious weeds and are beginning to realize that Red Lodge and the surrounding area have a big problem with said weeds.
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by Clare Witcomb
When I started doing research on this month?s article on noxious weeds, I used two sources of information. One is What is So Dangerous About The Impacts of Noxious Weeds from the Department of Agriculture and Montana State University Extension Service. The other is Noxious Weeds?A Growing Concern from the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management.
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by Clare Witcomb
Recently the Red Lodge City Council endorsed the U. S. Conference Of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Scientific evidence and consensus continue to strengthen the idea that climate disruption is an urgent threat to the environmental and economic health of our communities. Many cities--in this country and abroad--already have strong local policies and programs in place to reduce global warming pollution, but more action is needed at local, state and federal levels to meet the challenge.
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by Clare Witcomb
Carbon County Resource Council is a group of concerned citizens advocating responsible use of resources and finding solutions to problems that affect our unique quality of life. To do that, we gather and disseminate accurate information to educate the public through our newsletter, phone trees, letters and public forums; and mobilize citizens to take action on issues of concern and actively participate in the public process.
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