Georgia's eco-island where bats control mosquitoes

Mother Nature Network's Destination of the Week is Little St. Simmons Island, Georgia.

This private island off-grid resort only allows 32 overnight guests.

As one of only two Green Globe 21 Benchmarked properties in the U.S., LSSI’s commitment to low-impact lodging exceeds standard leave-your-bath-towel-on-the-floor-if-you-want-it-laundered practices:

- Three of the guest houses, Tom House, Cedar House and River Lodge, feature geothermal HVAC systems.

- Rain barrels are a common site throughout the island.

- The recycling/composting program is comprehensive.

- You won’t find a single plastic water bottle on the entire island since guests are provided with their own Camelback reusable bottles.

- To keep a somewhat notorious bug population at bay, the island has instituted an eco-friendly, larvicide-based mosquito control program. However, if you’re skittish around bats take heed: There are bat houses in place to help keep the mosquito population in check.

Read the full story: Little St. Simmons Island, Georgia

Photo by Matt Hickman

BYOB to DC

Mother Nature Network reports that Washington D.C. is now taxing consumers for once free grocery bags.

Implemented on January 1 the tax now requires businesses that sell food or liquor to charge customers 5 cents for each paper or plastic bag used. All proceeds go into the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection fund. Lawmakers estimate that $3.6 million will be raised this year.

Read the full story: New year brings bag fee to D.C.

Photo by teddave / Flickr

Plastic waste becomes fashion

Reuters video reports on plastic bag restructuring into fashion handbags in Manila, Philippines.

Watch below:

D.C. could tax bags, plastic and paper

US News & World Report's Fresh Greens blog reports that the D.C. city council voted to approve a 5 cent tax on plastic and paper bags.

If [this tax is] approved in a second vote later this month, [that] would make the District the first city in the U.S. to institute a bag fee.

San Francisco banned plastic bags outright in 2007, and Los Angeles' ban will go into effect in 2010. Several other cities have tried to assess bag taxes, but have not yet been successful: Seattle residents will vote on a 20-cent tax in August, and a measure in New York was blocked. Last month, the Philadelphia City Council a 20-cent tax on bags, citing the recession.

So what does this mean for consumers in D.C., and other cities that may follow suit? Those who choose not to buy reusable bags can look at an additional $7-$15 dollars spent per year, depending on how frequently they shop.

Proceeds will benefit the notoriously polluted Anacostia River in D.C.

Read the full story: D.C. council approves plastic bag fee

Take out in CA, but not in styrofoam

Environmental News Network reports that Palo Alto, California will ban polystyrene take out food containers next year.

Palo Alto will join 22 other coastal California cities to enact the styrofoam ban. San Francisco started the plastic container ban trend in 2007.

The ban extends to containers, clam shells, bowls, plates, cartons and cups. However, it does not affect straws, utensils or hot up lids. In January, Palo Alto stopped accepting polystyrene packing peanuts and polystyrene blocks used in consumer goods packaging. But while the ban will reduce Palo Alto’s waste, that’s not the initial intention of the prohibition. The current economic recession carried a lot of weight for lawmakers proposing the ban.

Read the full story: Styrofoam ban grows in California

Seattle has already banned these containers (picture above) as written about in The Seattle Times "All you can eat" blog by Nancy Leson.