1.7 million people. 500,000 corndogs. 22,000 rolls of toilet paper.
And nearly three and a half times more materials getting recycled than
get tossed out every year. It's Minnesota State Fair time, and
LiveGreenTwinCities is here to show you how to go green at the Fair. Plus, from local-food cooking classes to learning about going green on a budget, we have your easy-to-follow Green State Fair schedule, too.
Greening your Fair experience Take public transportationGreening your State Fair experience begins at home (remember to bring along a reusable water bottle!) The easiest way to make your trip to the State Fair more environmentally friendly starts with taking public transportation or riding your bike.
The fine folks over at
Minnesota Energy Challenge
have created a guide to public transportation to the Fair, including
how to catch the express buses; where to find free park-n-rides; and how
to find the regular bus schedule. (While you're checking out the guide,
be sure to sign up for the
Minnesota Energy Challenge, too!)
If you're new to the Twin Cities' public transportation system, never fear. We make it easy by providing a
how-to video tutorial for riding the bus.
And if you're planning on biking it to the fair,
Google Maps makes
it easy. Simply type in your origin and destination, click on the
"bike" icon, and Google maps will find the easiest, bike-friendly route
for you.
Recycle those cans and bottles It's no secret that 1.7 million people can generate lots of trash. In fact, a single Minnesotan can generate 2,000 of pounds of trash per year--about a ton of trash per Minnesotan--and that's pre-State Fair party. Lucky for us, the Fair recycles three and a half times the amount of material it throws away. Last year, the Fair generated 1,008 tons of solid waste and recycled 3,508 tons of material.
It's far from perfect--1,008 tons of waste equals more than 2 million pounds of trash! But one easy place to start decreasing waste: Recycle your cans and bottles!
If you have to go with bottled water instead of bringing in your own reusable bottle, the Fair has more than 38,000 can and plastic-bottle recycling receptacles located through out the grounds. Look for the big bottles right next to the trash cans and make sure to toss all of your cans and water bottles in there.
Unfortunately, nearly 80 percent of the
28 billion bottles of water Americans buy every year wind up in landfills. That's a lot of waste, and for something that comes free from the tap. So if you have to do buy bottled water, remember to place the trash in the recycling receptacles. After all, recycling a single petroleum-based water bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.
Manage your food wasteOk, it's not likely you'll have tons of leftover cheese curds or corndogs. Those slippery, gooey gobs of goodness usually end up in your stomach--deep, deep, deep in your stomach, where they set up camp and build fires without your permission. Yet given the large quantity of food you're likely to digest this year (our record? 12 different things in one outing), there's a chance you'll have at least a few leftovers. But here's the thing to remember before you toss out those melted Sweet Martha's: Food waste can be more toxic than CO2 emissions.
When all of those food scraps end up in a giant landfill overflowing with other types of waste, it creates toxic methane gas. And that methane gas can be
25 to 75 times more detrimental to the Earth than CO2. So instead of tossing out what you and/or the kids can't eat, manage your food waste
before you order. Your stomach, and the Earth, will thank you.
There is one thing you can compost: That giant, buttery ear of corn. Look for the corn composting bins near the Grandstand and at the corn cob booths right there on the corner. The giant bins just beg for you to toss in your leftover cobs and turn them into soil for more buttery ears of corn.
And while the State Fair doesn't compost all of the food waste from the more than 1 million visitors, it is composting waste from the vendors turning a lot of it into biofuel. Most of the grease from the Fair is recycled and turned into biodiesel. And the Fair has a program that separates the protein and fat from meat scraps and turns the protein into an ingredient in animal feed and the fat into cosmetics and soap. So all that grease that went into building a fire in your stomach? It might give you pimples now, but someone else's face might thank you.
Your Green State Fair schedule Must-see exhibit: Eco Experience (9am-9pm daily)Now in its third year, the
Eco Experience (at the Progress Center on Randall Avenue) is a must-stop for anyone looking to learn more about green living. Meet green vendors; learn about green home improvements; learn ways to save money and get tax rebates on home-energy improvements; learn about local and federal grants for green renovations; ask experts about recycling and composting; learn about organic cooking and local foods; learn about bike riding and mass transit; check out alternative-fuel vehicles; learn about solar power and how to build a rain garden and rain barrels; the list goes on and on.
This is also the building where you can find lots of local and fresh foods. A big winner last year? Caprese on a stick!
And new this year: Green Street, a green "neighborhood" right in Eco Experience that showcases conservation; renewable energy; neighborhood planning; and green interiors.
For a schedule of the ongoing daily classes and events on the Sustainability Stage, check out the
Eco Experience web site.
Friday, Aug. 28 9:30 a.m. Sing Along with Your Compost Pile
11 a.m. Ten Bright Ideas for Saving Energy
1 p.m. Solar on a Budget
2:30 p.m. Honeybees, Beekeeping and Research
4:30 p.m. Eco House Explained by Sala Architects
6 p.m. Realities of Energy Efficient Lighting
Saturday, Aug. 29 9:30, 11a.m. Clancy, the Mercury Detecting Dog
1, 2:30 p.m. The Toonies ENVIRO-Show ‘09
4:30 p.m. Eco House Explained by Sala Architects
6 p.m. Sing Along with Your Compost Pile
Sunday, Aug. 30 9:30a.m. Rain Gardens
11a.m. Installing and financing a small wind turbine
1, 2:30 p.m. The Toonies ENVIRO-Show ‘09
4:30 p.m. Learn your Foodprint
6 p.m. CenterPoint Energy Home Energy Audits: The inside story Eco Experience Sustainability Stage Schedule:
Monday, Aug. 31 9:30a.m. Rain Barrel Construction
11a.m. The Toonies ENVIRO-Show ‘09
1, 2:30 p.m. TBA
4:30 p.m. Rain Gardens
6 p.m. CenterPoint Energy Home Energy Audits: The inside story
Tuesday, Sept. 1 9:30a.m. Solar Power 101
11a.m. Selecting and Using Low Input Lawn Grasses
1 p.m. Dubious Energy Investments
2:30 p.m. Bike Commuting
4:30 p.m. Bike Vacations
6 p.m. CenterPoint Energy Home Energy Audits: The inside story
Wednesday, Sept. 2 9:30a.m. What’s New in Local Foods
11a.m. Eric Larsen, Polar Explorer
1 p.m. TBA
2:30 p.m. CenterPoint Energy Home Energy Audits: The inside story
4:30 p.m. Eric Larsen, Polar Explorer
6 p.m. Food, Shelter, Energy - Beyond Meeting our Basic Needs
Thursday, Sept. 3 9:30a.m. Choosing a Greener Car
11a.m. Selecting and Using Low Input Lawn Grasses
1 p.m. Rain Barrel Construction
2:30 p.m. Solar on a Budget
4:30 p.m. Eco House Explained by Sala Architects
6 p.m. Learn Your Carbon Foodprint
Friday, Sept. 4 9:30, 11a.m. Sustainable Hunting and Angling Choices
1 p.m. The How-to-Save-the-Planet-Without-Killing-Yourself Bike Walk Quiz Show
2:30 p.m. Phantom Loads
4:30 p.m. What’s New in Local Foods
6 p.m. Installing and Financing a small wind turbine
Saturday, Sept. 5 9:30a.m. How Do You Help That Garden Grow? Compost!
11a.m., 1 p.m. The Toonies ENVIRO-Show ‘09
2:30 p.m. Ten Bright Ideas for Saving Energy
4:30 p.m. Solar Power 101
6 p.m. Keeping Your Home Clean and Green
Sunday, Sept. 6 9:30a.m. Food, Shelter, Energy
11a.m. TBA
1, 2:30 p.m. The Toonies ENVIRO-Show ‘09
4:30 p.m. Keeping Your Home Clean and Green
6 p.m. Choosing a Greener Car
Monday, Sept. 79:30, 11a.m. Clancy, the Mercury Detecting Dog
1 p.m. Installing and financing a small wind turbine
2:30 p.m. How do you help that garden grow? Compost!
4:30 p.m. Phantom Loads