Labor Day Weekend is just around the corner — and with it, the football and tailgating season in the United States.

It’s an annual ritual: head out to the game, break out the barbecue, and enjoy an afternoon with friends and family. There’s no need to skip the fun, even if you’re trying to live more lightly and be kinder to the Earth. With all the green options available to consumers these days, you can tailgate with the best of them and still leave behind a modest environmental footprint.

Just to make the point, we’ve rounded up a few ideas for an eco-friendly tailgating party. Because green’s got game.

The green barbecue

Your lowest-impact option for the tradition barbecue is propane. Sure, propane is a petroleum product — but it burns a lot cleaner than charcoal or wood fires. Propane also leaves behind less waste, and is particularly convenient when you’re cooking away from home.

If you’re going the charcoal route, consider Greenlink’s All Natural Briquettes. They’re made from environmentally friendly wood sources and renewable plant wastes such as coconut husks. Unlike conventional briquettes, Greenlink doesn’t use clay or anthracite fillers.

But skip the charcoal starter: it’s rich in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which you don’t want in your food or in the air. Use an electric starter. If that’s not practical, a good-quality charcoal chimney will get those coals glowing in minutes using nothing more than a sheet or two of newspaper.

Earth-friendly eats

Maybe you’re easing back on your meat consumption for the sake of the environment. That doesn’t mean you’ll have to miss out on grilling at your tailgate party. Check out the Vegetarian Kitchen’s tasty suggestions for veggie barbecue.

Not ready to give up on burgers and hot dogs? If you’ve not tried Boca’s burger patties or one of the great vegetarian franks you’ll find in most grocery’s freezer sections, you’re in for a surprise. A tip: veggie hot dogs are better boiled than grilled. You can always steam them in foil when you’re ready to serve.

As for the rest of the meal: go with local, seasonal produce and plug in your favorite recipes. The great thing about tailgating season is that it coincides with the biggest selection of the year down at the farmer’s market. Bon Appetit!

Organic brew

Green beer isn’t just for St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, we’re talking organic — not color.

Organic beer has really taken off in the past few years. Even big players like Anheuser-Busch have gotten into the act, which means organic brew may very well be sold wherever you normally buy groceries. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or most local natural food stores also carry organic beer lines.

Wolaver’s is currently the largest national distributor of all-organic beers. Their Pale Ale is a good choice for warm-weather tailgating. It’s traditional to drink heavier brews once there’s a snap to the autumn air. In any case, it’s an excuse to sample Wolaver’s award-winning Brown Ale or Oatmeal Stout. You’ll find similar organic selections from Peak Brewing and Goose Island Beer Company.

Ditching the Disposables

It’s tempting to break out the paper plates and plastic cutlery when you’re eating away from home. They’re certainly convenient, but most dining disposables end up in the environment or clogging local landfills, rather than finding their way into the recycling stream.

It’s really not much of a hassle to bring some dishes from home. They needn’t be your everyday ware: picking up a set of lightweight plastic place settings is a great outdoor investment, and you can probably find them secondhand for next to nothing at a garage sale or thrift store. Carry them home for washing in a lock-top box.

If you really need disposables that won’t make a mess of Mother Nature, check out Cereplast’s line of compostable cutlery. They’re made from a bio-resin derived from corn and potato starch. For other ideas on cutting picnic waste, see our article on Dining Without Disposables.

A little entertainment

If you’re fit enough to roll with the Tour de France (and perhaps a bit crazy), you can always follow the big game on a bicycle-powered television set like these inventive fellows.

For the less obsessive, there’s the Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio. You’ll probably have a great-sounding car radio to turn up at the tailgate site, but the FR300 is ideal for catching the play-by-play in the stands. It can be crank-operated, which means no need for AC power and zero battery waste. The FR300 has a TV audio section and will even recharge a dead cellphone battery in a pinch.

It’s a great radio to have on hand for emergencies, and a subtle way to demonstrate alternative-powered consumer devices for friends.

©2007 Lighter Footstep Media

Editor’s note: This week, Lighter Footstep’s Chris Baskind takes a look at an unusual development in alternative energy: burning expired drugs. This post was originally published on August 6, 2007.

Imagine this sticker above your light switch: Powered by Prozac.

No, it’s not likely that your local power plant will be swapping coal for old Celebrex tablets anytime soon. But a little free energy is the happy byproduct of drug disposal by Milwaukee-based Capital Returns, a company that specializes in the management of old pharmaceutical stocks.

Drugs have shelf life, beyond which they cannot be sold. But old medications are more difficult to get rid of than you might think. Drugs which get sent to landfills will eventually leech their way into the groundwater. Flushing old stock — the method generally recommended to consumers — puts chemicals into our watershed even faster.

Drug-Filled Rivers

And that’s a problem. Ignored for years, pharmaceutical water pollution is finally getting the attention of U.S. and European scientists as unexpectedly high levels of antibiotics, heart medication, anticonvulsive drugs, and a host of other powerful medications are turning up in rivers and groundwater. Perhaps the most disturbing pollutants are endocrine disruptors: human estrogen from birth-control pills and the vast effluence of animal hormones produced by commercial livestock production.

The effects of these substances on wildlife — and the human food chain — are just now being studied. But they’re likely to reveal bewildering mutations similar to the dual-sexed smallmouth bass turning up in the Potomac River north of Washington, DC.

Most pharmaceutical pollution makes its way to our watershed through the release of treated sewage. But controlled industrial incineration prevents old drug stocks from adding to the problem, and is being harnessed by Capital Returns to produce surplus power.

A Prescription for Free Power

Every day, the company receives millions of expired pharmaceuticals from drug manufacturers, cataloging their receipt and routing them for hazardous disposal or to Covanta Energy, a company which specializes in converting waste into energy. Covanta currently operates thirty facilities in the United States, offering communities an alternative to landfill dumping in the disposal of such things as municipal solid waste and household trash. Their incinerators exceed EPA regulations for air purity.

And now, expired drugs. Capital Returns disposed of over 6.5 million pounds of pills in 2006 — producing enough energy to power about 220 homes for a year. That’s tons of coal or natural gas saved and fewer pollutants making their way into the water table.

Next Stop: Your Corner Drug Store

Capital Returns says it handles about a quarter of the industry’s disposal needs. But they don’t address expired drugs already in the hands of consumers. Washington State is among the first to set up pilot programs to test the viability of public drop-off centers. Emma Johnson, who works for the state’s Department of Ecology, says a five county area has been experimenting with pharmacy-based drug collection centers since last October. If successful, the effort will be expanded statewide.

Converting drugs to power is, admittedly, a footnote to emerging story of 21st century alternative power solutions. But it illustrates the larger strategy of closing the loop on consumer goods, keeping dangerous wastes out of the environment while converting them into something useful.

Well-meaning pet owners are using dryer sheets to control pet hair. Is this such a good idea?

We love our pets — and they love us. Which is the main reason dog and cat dander seems to get everywhere: on the sofa, your clothes, and your carpet. Your furry companion loves to sit wherever you do.

There's a tip making the rounds these days: use a dryer sheet to repel pet fur. And it seems to work. Dryer sheets cut down on static, which is what makes fur cling to fabric surfaces. Some owners even use dryer sheets directly on their animals to reduce the static buildup which accompanies thunderstorms and alarms jittery pets.

But is this safe?

First, hats off to Bounce for their truly generous support of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. As part of their Bounce Everywhere campaign, they've donated $10,000 to the ASPCA. It's part of a bid to promote dryer sheet usage by pet owners that goes by the slogan, "Share the love, not the hair!"

Dryer sheets repel static and smell so darn good because they're full of chemicals. Formulas vary from product to product, but your favorite fabric softener or dryer sheet (not necessarily Bounce) might contain such unpleasant substances as benzyl acetate, camphor, or even chloroform.

Possible health risks

None of this stuff is good for humans, and the same is true for pets. The Merck Veterinary Manual warns that cationic detergents, which are present in fabric softeners and dryer sheets, can cause a variety of problems for animals ranging from minor irritation to widespread systemic distress and pulmonary edema. Bounce's own product literature cautions pet owners to keep dryer sheets away from animals to avoid accidental ingestion.

Animals lick their fur and the areas on which they rest, so using dryer sheets to repel dander may needlessly expose Fluffy or Fido to health risks. The danger is increased when pets are allowed to use sheets as toys — and cats, in particular, just love them. Some owners have reported kidney failure in animals which have ingested dryer sheets.

A better way

Want to keep pet fur at bay — the safe and natural way? Brush your animal companion daily. A stiff brush or rubber squeegee will make quick work of any hair which gets on furniture. Use a lint brush or length of masking tape to remove danger from clothing.

A few minutes of extra work means fewer chemicals in the lives of you and your pet. Take a little extra time with your cat or dog — and show you care.

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Copyright © 2007 Lighter Footstep Media

Want to help the environment? Consider cutting back on the amount of meat you consume — or go vegetarian altogether.

It's not just a question of animal ethics. Meat production is humankind's least-efficient means of feeding itself. For every pound of meat that goes to the plate, it took sixteen pounds of grain and soybean feed to put it there. On top of this, each calorie of meat protein requires approximately 78 calories of fossil fuels to produce. And at a time where 4,000 children die each day from the lack of safe water, livestock production — including feeds — accounts for about half the fresh water used in industrialized nations.

In short: an affluent, meat-rich diet consumes up to three times more resources than one based on vegetables.

Pretty gloomy statistics. There's really no argument with the idea that a well-constructed vegetarian diet is better for our bodies and the environment. Of course, it's easier said than done. Meat-eating is synonymous with health and prosperity in much of the West. Attend a business dinner, and you can be assured the main course is meat. It's tough to find vegetarian food when you're eating out. Going veggie is a significant commitment.

The good news is this: every vegetarian meal makes a difference. Maybe you're ready to swear-off barbeque forever. Choosing a day or two a week to eat vegetarian is a great start, and allows you to sample the variety and satisfaction of veggie cooking on your own timetable.

It's National Vegetarian Week. Through this weekend, all over the world, vegetarian groups and restaurants are staging events showing off healthy, green cooking. Even if you can't find something close to you, it's a great time to explore the possibilities of veggie cuisine.

Want to give it a shot? Here are some ideas to get you going:

Start small

Pick one day out of the week to be your "veggie day" and stick with it. If you're planning to do an all-vegetarian day, rather than a single meal, the weekend is a good place to start: you'll have more control over your schedule. Some families start by dedicating a single sit-down meal — Friday dinner, for instance — to veggie fare. Whatever works best with your busy schedule.

By essentially making an appointment with vegetarianism, you're confronting the big stumbling block for new Veggies — planning. Like any new habit, practice makes perfect. Knowing you need a meal plan (or three) a week in advance allows you to browse for recipes well in advance. More importantly, it allows you to shop. Having your veggie foods at hand following a long day at work will make it less likely that you'll be ordering out for pepperoni pizza at the last minute.

Once you have your day, resolve to maintain it at least three months. In 90 days, you'll see just how easy things were once you got organized.

Convenience is your friend

Let's face it: frozen foods are generally not as environmentally friendly as eating fresh and local. It takes a lot of energy to keep frozen foods cold from factory to freezer, but there's no denying their convenience.

Almost all grocery stores have a frozen vegetarian food section these days. Annie's Naturals, Boca Burger, Eden Foods, Fantastic Foods, Gardenburger, Morningstar, and dozens of others sell an incredible range of veggie, organic, and vegan entrŽes — all ready for quick preparation on your range or in the microwave.

Load up, particularly as you're just getting started on a three-meal veggie routine. There's no quicker way to kill a new vegetarian habit than dreading getting into the kitchen. Make a few meals easy, and spend your time elsewhere.

Get the tools of the trade

Vegetarian cooking can be more labor-intensive than just tossing a steak on the grill. Like Asian cuisine, there's a fair amount of cutting, slicing, and dicing involved.

Which isn't a bad thing. There's nothing more natural than preparing food, and once you have the right tools, you'll probably find it a great way to relax and unwind. So make sure your kitchen is equipped for veggie cooking.

A high-carbon or stainless steel Chinese cleaver is probably the most versatile food preparation implement on the planet. You can do practically anything with it, from delicate cutting to smashing garlic cloves with its flat side. You'll want a few decent fruit and vegetable knives in several sizes and plenty of bowls to hold chopped-up veggies while you're cooking.

A blender and a food processor are veggie essentials, particularly as you move into more complicated recipes. A lot of vegetarians have a heavy wooden cutting board or block fora working surface. You'll eventually want a rice cooker: they're convenient and energy-efficient. A spay bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar is helpful for cleaning veggies, too.

Study up

Going veggie isn't just leaving out the meat. You'll need some balance in your diet — and variety. Like any new practice, you'll do better with vegetarian cooking if you seek out some instruction.

Here's an excuse to prowl your local new or used bookstore. Vegetarian cookbooks are hot. You'll find everything from books which help you replicate traditional recipes –veggie style — to ethnic cooking, to the uncharted waters of the truly avant-garde.

And then there's Google. Pop in the search query "vegetarian cooking" and you'll see there are thousands of free resources at your disposal. A few which really stick out: Vegweb's impressive archive of veggie and vegan recipes; VegCooking, with it's magazine-style survey of all things veggie, and the offbeat PostPunkKitchen, a fully vegan site with a lot of attitude and style.

Try some vegetarian restaurants

It's homework! The quickest way to get a feel for the broad variety of vegetarian possibilities out there — and get a sense of what you might like to try cooking at home — is to hit a few restaurants which specialize in veggie cuisine.

Vegetarianism isn't just hot — it's haute. So you'll find everything from funky little bistros with a hippie vibe to high-concept, high-end restaurants with prices to match. Your local whole foods or health store probably has a deli, also.

Make the rounds and try different things on the menus. It won't be long before you develop favorites. Take the ideas you pick up and try them in your own kitchen.

That grilled veggie wrap with hummus? You're going to like it. Really.

Chris Baskind: Lighter Footstep