2010 Living Green Expo
May 1 & 2: Minnesota State Fair Grand Stand
www.livinggreenexpo.mn
The Living Green Expo is a free, family-friendly event that inspires people to lead healthier and more sustainable lives. The 2010 Expo is being organized by the Minnesota Environmental Partnership.
 About MEP: A local nonprofit and long-time supporting partner of the Living Green Expo, the Minnesota Environmental Partnership is a coalition of more than 80 Minnesota environmental and conservation organizations. The partnership provides a way for environmental organizations to collaborate in their efforts to make sure that Minnesota's natural resources are well cared for.
The Eco Experience
Minnesota State Fair
(Saint Paul, Minn.)
www.ecoexperience.org
The Eco Experience is a 25,000 sq. ft. exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. More than 350,000 people visit the Eco Experience to learn about the environment and what they can do to help make it better.
 Explore new technologies
Talk with experts
Eat Minnesota-grown food
Play with hands-on exhibits
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 Living Green 365
Making choices and taking action to lead healthier and more sustainable lives, 365 days a year.
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The Green Scene
A timely tidbit from a past 365 newsletter (Jan. 2009).
In search of a nicer de-icer
De-icing salts can damage the plants along your sidewalk and street. These salts also wash away with melted snow and flow into our lakes and rivers.
De-icers aren't for melting away every bit of snow and ice. Use only enough to break the ice away from the pavement, then shovel away the remaining slush. De-icing products you'll see at the local hardware store include:
- Salts—sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride—are toxic to plants, trees, and waterways. One teaspoon of salt can contaminate 5 gallons of water forever, so use as little as you need to get the job done.
- Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) and other acetate de-icers are salt-free, have a low toxicity, and are biodegradable. They do, however, contribute excess nutrients to our waterways and must be applied appropriately.
Of course, preventing ice is the best way to reduce the impact of salts:
- Shovel sidewalks as soon as possible after a snowfall.
- Deposit snow in a location where it won't cause future problems during melting/refreezing.
- Remove slush and soft snow on warm days.
- Fix rain gutter leaks and direct downspouts away from sidewalks and driveways.
Hire someone else to do your plowing?
Private companies who apply road salt can voluntarily get trained and certified by the MPCA in road salt best practices. See if your contractor is certified; if not, share this free training with them.
 
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