Environment News in Raleigh

As Raleigh recovers from the closing of The Downtown Event Center, where will experimental bands play?  It looks like Slim’s and Double Down have had shows recently that are on par to what the DEC has attempted to bring in.  There were a few shows that the DEC had booked before it closed.  One was A Rooster for the Masses, which has been canceled.  The other was the massively influential drone rock band Earth.  Canceling this show was not an option with integrity.

Burt’s Bees, along with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, is sponsoring a Planet Earth Celebration this Saturday in Downtown Raleigh, as part of Earth Day Raleigh 2008.      Find out more…

The annual Neuse River clean-up is this Saturday, April 5, 2008 from 8 am to 2 pm. Raleigh volunteers will be meeting at Lockwood Playground at 1200 Crabtree Blvd.

On Saturday, April 5 JC Raulston Arboretum is holding its annual Arborfest—a day of education and entertainment at the gardens. Activities include four keynotes speakers, tours in the gardens, informational booths, a master gardener plant clinic, youth activities, and plant and craft sales by local nurseries. This year, in response to the water shortages, the event is focusing on water management and conservation and sustainable design. It looks like it may rain on saturday, and if it does it will be the perfect way to highlight the lunchtime rain barrel demonstration. More info…

On Monday the Raleigh city council put an abrupt end to commercial and residential disposals. Because of the amount of sewage overflows and maintenance required to clean grease from sewage lines the council has mandated that no new food disposals can be installed. Existing disposals can still be used but they cannot be replaced or fixed if they break down.

So what can the disposal-impaired do with those potato shavings and egg shells? Instead of throwing out food scraps like common trash, why not put them to use? Composting is an easy way to turn your cooking remains into a nutrient-rich soil additive for your garden, flower bed, or potted houseplants.

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