The Duluth Patch is running a weekly feature called Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off, and more.

Going green has become a very popular idea these days. Governments from the U.S. to Europe to China are spending billions of dollars to develop more environmentally sustainable technologies and products. Industry leaders salivate over the profit these technologies could generate globally.

It is also well-intentioned; we'd all like to leave our children a world where they can take a breath without choking on smog or take a sip of water without worrying that it will disrupt their biology. It is an initiative that is bottom-up as well as top-down; it's not enough for our leaders to invest in it. We have to support environmental sustainability on a local level.

This week's Patch Picks highlights five initiatives, resources, businesses, and events doing just that.

● Change lawn care companies to one that employs only natural fertilizers and pesticides, such as Boost of Nature.

● Bring your paper, tires, and dangerous e-waste to be recycled on the 9/11 Days of Service and Recycling Event in Lawrenceville.

● Outfit your home with energy-efficient technologies like a Radiant Barrier by My Green Home, which can greatly enhance your home's insulation and therefore significantly reduce your energy consumption.

● Take your business away from environmentally damaging factory farms and get your fresh meat and produce from a local Farmer's Market. The more people buy from local and sustainable food sources, the more they will be available and the lower the cost.  

● Follow the conservation suggestions at Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and recycle.

Want to suggest a list? Submit your idea in the comment box.