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

We have a lot of plans in the works and will be adding content at a good pace. 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.

Future sections

Some of the features that we're working on include an eco-kids section, a greener home tax guide, a multimedia section, and what your neighbors are up to (in a greener home sense).

If I only do one thing this month . . .

For February we turn to the kitchen and what better place to start than the refrigerator. This tip comes from the DOE's Energy Savers web site.

Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5°F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0°F.

To check refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator. Read it after 24 hours. To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages. Read it after 24 hours.

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.