All across West Virginia, government agencies, schools, businesses, and individuals are developing green, environmentally-sensitive practices in all areas of life. We at Toward a Greener West Virginia are dedicated to providing an online meeting place, classroom, and resource center to aid this movement. This pilot project is initially geared toward educating and assisting homeowners in the Monongalia County area but the goal is to create statewide networks to help all West Virginians at home, work, and play create a healthier, more sustainable environment while boosting our local economies.

News

Things are happening here at Toward a Greener West Virginia. We are now working with our good friends at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the West Virginia Sustainable Communities Project, and the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers to bring a state wide focus to our environmental efforts. We also have a new user-oriented site design in the works that we hope to launch this month. In addition we are working with several municipal green teams across the state so watch for that.

Want to know when we update the site? Maybe you'd like to ask a question or have us research a greener home issue. Or have you tried a product or service that you'd like to recommend (or warn about) to your neighbors. We'd love to hear from you and keep you updated. Drop us an and we'll keep you informed.

If I only do one thing this month . . .

April's one-thing is simple, quick, and good on so many different levels. Its so simple that you may not consider it a green project, but it is. Open your windows. That's it. Spring is here and your home has been shut up all winter long. According to the American Lung Association, "American adults spend about 90% of their time indoors, and thanks to our more tightly insulated/sealed homes and workplaces, the concentration of pollutants indoors may be even higher than outdoors." There are a number of ways to treat indoor air but the best way is to open the windows and let the breeze clean your air naturally and energy free. Its good for the health of your family, the environment, and your pocket book plus it reduces wear and tear on your HVAC systems. To go one step farther, as the days warm up, install and use ceiling fans.

If you'd like a monthly "If I only do one thing this month . . ." e-mail reminder let us know. To learn more simple but important things to do for your home, visit the get started section.

Toward Our Greener West Virginia

A selection of greener home projects we at are doing with our home.

Current projects: tightening up our home envelope from the inside: a unique "our greener home" project. Check on our progress.