It is your natural and unalienable right to char something this 4th of July, by gum! But before you make a sacrifice to the grilling gods, check out these quick tips from the Sierra Club to help reduce your grilling carbon impact and eat a healthier meal.

* Opt for a cleaner-burning propane or electric grill over one powered by charcoal, which contributes more to poor air quality. If you've got time to spare, a solar oven or stove avoids emissions altogether.

* If you do use charcoal, look for lump brands (briquettes may contain coal dust or other additives as binders) made from invasive tree species or harvested from sustainably managed forests, and switch from lighter fluid, which releases smog-forming VOCs, to a chimney starter.

A company called Orange recently unveiled their design for a tent that will utilize solar power for heating, lighting, communications, and recharging. With the large solar panels you see here not only will this tent warm and illuminate for you, but features a drop in pouch to recharge all your little electric gizmos (no plug in!), create a Wi-Fi network and if you ever get lost in the woods or at a crowded outdoor show, you can send the tent an SMS message from your phone and it will glow for you, lighting the way.

Five words: Can. We. Have. One. Now?

It’s not just people who like to come out of hiding when the weather turns nice. This is the time of year insects appear everywhere. Applying indiscriminate amounts of pesticides used to be the norm, but more environmentally sensitive ways to combat pests have cropped up in recent years.

Here's a primer for how to take on the toughest bugs:

Cockroaches

First of all, make sure your kitchen and the areas underneath your sinks are completely clean, with no food bits that would lure roaches.

One of the most effective natural control methods for roaches is boric acid--a white, organic powder that is deadly to these insects, but is no more toxic than table salt to humans.

Most people apply the treatment wrong. For the powder to work, it has to be laid in a very thin layer on the area where the roaches walk.

Ants

There are many species of ants, each with different control techniques.

The North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF) returns the last weekend in June, on the 26th, 27th, and 28th, to Overlook Park in Portland, Oregon. The event is Free and open to the public. Participation in beer tasting is $6 for a reusable, yet compostable, cornstarch tasting glass and samples are $1 a ticket. A full glass is 4 tickets. Strong beers (over 8% alcohol by volume) and certain imported beers will cost more. Children are welcome with guardians. Sorry, no pets allowed. Beer sales are restricted to people 21 years and older with valid ID. Discount of $1 off of tasting glass with validated MAX ticket or three cans of food (preferably organic) for the Oregon Food Bank. No Parking is provided for this event, making Tri-Met's MAX Yellow line the easiest way to attend.

No we don’t mean that neon emerald stuff you get on St. Patty’s day. We’re talking great local beer that’s produced sustainably. Full Sail fits the bill. Here’s a few ways Full Sail is bringing down the eco-impact of their brews:

Full Sail brewery compresses the work week into four 10-hour shifts, reducing power consumption and water use by 20%.

Full Sail installed energy-efficient lighting and air compressors in their brewery to reduce energy use by 400,000 kWh each year.

Full Sail implements practices that reduce water consumption by 3.1 million gallons each year.

Oh, and did we mention Full Sail tastes super fantastic?