 We're
using some of the great new compact flourescent light bulbs in
our house. We got Philips brand "Marathon" bulbs, and we love them. They're warm in color tone (not blue-ish like some can be), and
they don't blink or flash. They screw into regular
light fixtures. These bulbs use less than 1/4 of
the power for the same light output as our old incandescents, and have dramatically lowered our electricity bill. - This year we're adding insulation to our attic to reduce our heating oil use, as well as our air conditioning use. First we went up there with some expandable foam insulation (the kind in a can), and sprayed it into any small holes that air can come through. Blocking air flow is a key first step. We looked for dirty insulation in the existing insulation, and easily found the areas that air is flowing, and stopped it up. We wore Tyvec suits for the job, and respiratory masks, since we had to crawl among the fiberglass insulation. The insulation itself is surprisingly cheap. We're getting it from Lowes, where they rent their insulation blowing machine for free if you buy enough insulation. We've got the dirty stuff done, now we just need to blow the insulation in on the next cloudy weekend (it's no fun doing attic work when it's sunny).
- There are some areas where we cannot eliminate our CO2 output.
For these areas, we are paying money to actively offset them. Native
Energy offers
programs for offsetting your car, your home electricity, home
heating, and even air travel. So, for all the CO2's you produce,
you can pay to see them reduced elsewhere in the world, to effectively
"offset" your CO2 production. We use similar programs: Terrapass to
offset our car use, and New
England Green Start, a local organization (for instance) to offset electric use. Of course,
if you have the means, a solar or other green system for your
business or home would be even more exciting. We plan to install a solar water heating panel this year, which is said to pay for itself in 5 years of saved energy costs.
- I'm trying to be better at keeping my car's tires inflated. It saves gas big time. If you've ever ridden a bike with deflating tires, you'll know how dramatically it can impact vehicle efficiency. Firm tires means a faster ride and less gas.
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Natural
Living in the City
This
picture is from one of the most inspirational websites I've ever
encountered (no longer active unfortunately, but I've linked to an archived version of
the site).
This family lived in a small city house in Oregon and
turned their back yard into a completely productive vegetable garden.
They even went so far as to utilize their slanted roof
for container gardening. They collected water from their roof
and stored it and sanitized it for household use. They
built and utilized a sawdust toilet system which allowed for composting
of their wastes (completely sanitary when done properly,
and an excellent environmental choice).
Last I heard they'd
moved and built their own house elsewhere, but I've not been able
to locate a current website for them. If anyone does, let me know!
If you find such things inspiring, you might be interested in a book due to be released in 2008, called The Urban Homestead.
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Co-op America
is one of a kind.
I am a proud member. ~Amy
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Here's some other environmental steps I've taken in
recent years:
- Zero Waste events! By far the most environmental fun I've had in years.
- We now have a daughter! Her name is Erin. As you might guess, we're cloth diapering. Before you imagine diaper pins and vinyl pants, let me tell you that there is a whole new world of cloth diapering, and it is awesome. I've got Erin in Fuzzi Bunz. I love these diapers! They have a synthetic lining to keep her skin dry.* They contain mess very well. And they are so adorable! They also dry quickly on a drying rack. I use Country Save detergent, which I buy in bulk from Amazon. *Microfiber liners are great, but need to be laundered with appropriate detergents so they don't repel water. Here's a detergent chart which I found very helpful in comparing detergents.
- Recycle recycle recycle. Better yet: don't buy it in the first place. Yesterday we bought a new laptop computer and declined the free printer they offered us. We don't need it, and the landfill certainly doesn't.
- I eliminated
all junk mail a few years ago (what a relief that was!
Hallellujah!)
- I now buy primarily
organic foods, and buy from local sources where possible . (Farmer's Markets are magical!
So are CSA's!) My current
challenge is how to store local produce over the winter, since my
farmer's market doesn't stay open all year. Perhaps a root cellar
is in my future!
- I'm big
on composting. I can't imagine NOT composting. It's so easy,
and so great for the garden! An great-looking compost bin system
can be made by simply attaching wood pallets in a square shape,
using bungie cords for the front so it's got a removable door.
If you don't have much room, or
are worried about critters getting into it, get your hands on
one of the black plastic ones that are the size of trash cans.
They have lids and are critter proof.
- I found
out a
few years ago that
it takes an average of 17 teaspoons of pesticides, and 3 teaspoons
of chemical fertilizers to make one cotton T-shirt! So, I try
to be conscious of not buying too much new cotton. Buying used
items are fine with me, I figure if they're used,
purchasing them is no longer
supporting the industry that creates cotton this way. For many
items, I'm sucking it up and going organic! (Check out the "Green
Pages" on the left, for places that sell
organic cotton clothes.)
- For basic
health reasons, I've decided to eat a vegetarian diet. My husband
was the one who started this trend in our household. He researched
the facts, and insisted I educate myself too. We've both been happy
and well fed vegetarians since Spring 2002! Here's some more
on that topic
- I've renewed my membership to
Co-op America, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping
American consumers make educated choices. For instance, they publish
the National Green Pages, which is the "yellow pages" of
environmentally/socially responsible businesses. See the links on
the left for more of their awesome resources.
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GMO's
Once I started reading about GMO's, it didn't take me long then to realize that I don't want to eat
them! These foods have been genetically modified to either kill
certain pests that attach them (they've been made poisonous to
some creatures), or they've been altered to resist pesticides,
so that the pesticide can be liberally used when growing. GMO crops
tend to have outrageously high pesticide use. For this reason
alone, I feel strongly about avoiding
them when possible!
In Europe, the public
has pressured large supermarkets not to carry any GMO foods.
Some of those markets are American chains, like Star Market. If
we put pressure on these markets, we too could be free
of GMO's! They're scary, environmentally destructive, and they're
currently in at least 70% of the packaged foods in America! As
consumers, this is completely our choice, we don't need to settle
for this. Why risk the certain envonmental impacts, and the likely
health impacts of GMO's? To protest GMO's, and to avoid eating
them, eat organic! If the label says organic, it's GMO free. (Also
look for "GMO
Free", or "GE
Free" on
the label.)
Organic is "real" food
Is organic food "expensive," or is non-organic food just second-rate, "discount" food? I suppose it simply depends on how you look at it. Take a look at the measurably reduced vitamin content in conventional, non-organic food, before you decide for yourself. What constitutes "real food" to you?
Modern, conventional food growing practices, result in foods with measurably depleted vitamins and minerals, as well as depleted anti-carcinogen properties. Studies have shown
this;
do a web search and you'll find plenty of info, such as this
summary. That's right, Organic foods are actually more nutritious, and have measurably stronger cancer-fighting properties. Organic foods also, of course, are also far less likely to be coated with pesticide residues that contribute to cancer.
I like the idea of buying organic, not just for my body, but for the earth. I don't like to buy chemically grown foods or products at all if I can help it. I cringe at the idea of paying someone to dump chemicals on the earth. Give me organic, thank you! |
