environmentally friendly |

There has been a lot of discussion since the ban on plastic shopping bags here in the Outer Banks. Many local businesses are claiming it is necessary to have plastic bags and they encourage the use of recycling those bags to their customers. Others believe this is a necessary step in protecting the natural environment here in the OBX, extending to our ocean, wildlife and reduced pollution.

But what do you think? Students from the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort are conducting an online survey on how citizens feel about the plastic bag ban in coastal counties. The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce reports that the survey is part of a larger project researching environmental management.

Results of the survey will be published in a report, available on the Duke University website, but individual responses will not be published, the chamber said.

The bag ban went into effect in coastal areas of Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties in 2009 for larger retailers. It was expanded last year to include all retailers. This year a group of Republican lawmakers filed a bill to repeal the ban, claiming it has increased the use of paper bags which have their own effect on the environment, rather than encouraging the use of recyclable bags.

If you would like to give your opinion on the plastic bag ban, the survey can be found here.

The pristine natural environment is one of the Outer Banks’ hallmarks that attracts visitors year after year. A wide array of wildlife, long stretches of gorgeous beaches, protected conservation lands all offer a connection to nature that is rare in today’s world. It is crucial to keep these attributes protected, and the OBX continues to pursue ideas that offer an increased awareness and protection (ban on plastic bags and possible wind farms to name a couple).

As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you will not have to listen to his incessant whining about how hungry he is.”…or something like that.

The town of Kill Devil Hills is now offering a program to residents that not only offers some great environmentally friendly products at great prices, but also helps residents understand how to build and use them on their own.

The Outer Banks Voice points out that, Kill Devil Hills’ “[c]ommissioners gave the go-ahead for the town’s ‘green challenge’ in 2008 with its mantra, ‘to live green you’ve got to save the blue in Kill Devil Hills,’ placing an emphasis on conserving water, which is not always abundant on the Outer Banks.” And, “[l]ast year, the town demonstrated how to plant ‘upside down tomatoes’ near the entrance to Town Hall. Holes were cut in the bottoms of hanging buckets and the tomato plants grew downward. Visitors could help themselves.”

This year, the town is taking this program a step further and offering a workshop, including needed materials, that instructs participants on how to build and use rain barrels and composting barrels, extremely effective ways to conserve water and improve home gardens.

Outer Banks Compost Bin

Kill Devil Hills’ Water Conservation Education Program
How to Construct and Use Rain Barrels and Composting Barrels

Workshop on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at the Buildings and Grounds Shop, inside the Public Works Complex, off Colington Road & Bermuda Bay Boulevard.
Space and materials are limited, please pre-register by calling 252.449.5300.
All materials will be provided at a total cost of $30 per barrel.
Limit is one rain barrel and one composting barrel per person.
Payment required at time of workshop.