Organic vs. Local

It seems as though the current banter in the "green" world is the benefits of local foods versus organic foods. We have come to know, or at least think we know, what organic foods are. The short definition of organic foods is that they are foods grown without using chemical pesticides, antibiotics and with using sustainable farming methods. The USDA has set standards for what can be labeled organic.

Now we are hearing that we should buy locally. The "local" foods definition is generally agreed upon as foods that travel less than 250 miles from "farm to fork". Some of the arguments for local are:

• Local food travels a smaller distance from "farm to fork". Shorter distances equal fewer food miles, which in turn produce less carbon dioxide and therefore, less global warming.


• By eating foods that are grown locally, we preserve our regional farmland. This protects open space and encourages environmentally responsible farming practices.


• Buying and eating locally grown foods fosters a sense of community and develops a relationship with your area farmers.


• Buying and eating locally grown foods enables smaller farms to compete.

So which is best - organic or local? Personally, I vote for both! Visit your local farmers' market. Many times you will find local farmers that also farm organically.

We are looking for stores that carry locally grown, organic foods. If you have a store in your town, drop us a line and let us know!

Happy eating!

Green Architecture

Green architecture is an interesting topic. What makes architecture “green”? We have explored this a little and have found that there really hasn’t been any concrete definition put in place.

“Green Architecture is a term used to describe economical, energy-saving, environmentally-friendly, sustainable development.”
(about.com)

“It means looking at a material in terms of the energy required to extract, treat, manufacture, and even to transport it to a job site. And then looking at the maintenance of it, and what happens to it once its useful life is finished.”

(Architecture Week)

The closest thing we have found to standardization is LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Their Green Building Rating System is currently the nationally accepted benchmark. We are curious to hear your comments about LEED, especially if you are familiar with a building that is LEED certified.

Car Rental Agencies - Eco Savvy?

Car travel is currently at its highest peak for the year. And renting a car is sometimes the best way to go if you are traveling distances. But do any of the popular car rental agencies try to include environmentally friendly cars in their fleet? We checked out a few and this is what we found –

Hertz – The Green Collection - Now you can reserve fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly cars that are both easy on the wallet and suitable for families and small groups traveling together. Reservable by specific make and model, with an EPA highway fuel efficiency rating of 28 miles or more per gallon, the Hertz Green Collection features the following four cars – Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Buick LaCrosse and Hyundai Sonata. Hertz plans on adding the hybrid car Toyota Prius to its fleet by 2008. Also $1 from every "green collection" rental goes to the National Parks Foundation.

Enterprise – Included in its fleet are hybrid vehicles and flex-fuel vehicles. Enterprise claims to have the most environmentally friendly vehicles of any of the fleets. Also, Enterprise launched the “50 Million Tree Pledge” last year to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They have partnered with the National Arbor Day Foundation to plant 1 million trees per year for the next 50 years.

Avis – The Toyota Prius has been added to Avis’ fleet of rental cars and are available in California, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA and Washington DC. They have also announced that they will be adding the Nissan Altima hybrid soon.

National Car Rental currently offers the Toyota Prius and the Camry in its collection.

Happy Traveling!

Keeping Cool with Bamboo

A couple of weeks ago, Karen shared the benefits of buying bamboo and introduced us to a beautiful bamboo bowl. Since bamboo is such a great renewable resource, we thought we would also share this Bamboo Breeze Aged Pecan 52-Inch Ceiling Fan. Beating the heat and maximizing your energy efficiency can be a real struggle during the broiling summer months. Adding a ceiling fan helps circulate the air, allowing you to feel a few degrees cooler.

Enjoy the breeze!

Wind Power is on the Rise

I was driving through central Illinois the other day and was amazed at the growth of one of the wind farms I passed. It seemed like turbines went on and on and on. I'm still looking for the benefits of wind versus solar. Meanwhile, check out this interesting data regarding Wind power at Worldwatch.

Corn Footprint!

There is a lot of hubbub about corn use and energy intensive corn production. Is corn the best product for bio-diesel? Do we use too much corn syrup in our food? What's your input on the corn dilemma? Read this article and give us your input!

Great Green Lawns

Trying to keep that lawn green and thick? This summer be sure to use your compost. This will add the great nutrients to your lawn to keep it growing and green. Not composting yet? Here is a neat little composter you may want to try.

The Envirocycle Composter
Make your own compost!

Envirocycle has created this composter which produces quality compost and compost tea quickly and easily. It’s user-friendly, eliminates mess and odor, and is compact making it perfect for those with limited space.

Envirocycle Simplifies Composting

The Envirocycle composter is specifically designed to simplify the recycling of kitchen and garden refuse. It produces quality compost more quickly and easily than conventional composters by its rolling and mixing action which keeps the ingredients well mixed and aerated.

Makes Rich Compost Tea

This enviro cycle unit also makes compost tea, a rich organic liquid plant food appreciated by gardeners everywhere. Use it on your house plants, outdoor plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, garden and lawn.
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Water weekly so your lawn drinks deeply and develops deep roots.

Mow your lawn so it is about 2.0 to 2.5 inches tall. Not too short - not too tall. Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf. This will keep the roots from being burned and dried out. Also when mowing, let the clippings stay on the lawn. No need to bag. Keep those blades sharp so not to stress the lawn as you mow. Also it is recommended that you mow in the evening - when the grass is dry but the sun won't be beating down on the freshly cut blades. Ah, the smell of a freshly mowed lawn!

Keeping Cool in the Summer

The summer heat is on! Some areas of the country such as the northeast and upper midwest have had incredibly toasty days already this summer. So how can you keep cool without maxing out the air conditioner and using up a bunch of extra energy?

We will start with the common suggestions:

• Weatherstripping - Make sure the weatherstripping on your doors and windows is in good condition.
• Windows - Close shades, blinds, curtains and drapes during the heat of the day.
• Air Conditioner - Replace dirty air filters.
  
• Laundry - Run your washer and dryer early or late in the day. If possible, hang your clothes to dry!
• Cooking - Avoid using stove top and oven to prepare your meals.
• Stay hydrated - Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you’re ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you’ll have a supply of cold water with you.

Now here are a few other off the beaten path suggestions to help cool you down:

• Cooling your bed - In the pioneer days, people would heat up rocks and put them at the end of their beds to keep their feet warm. You can do something similar by filling a non-leak container with ice (hot water bottle works well) and putting it at the foot of your bed. Put your pillows or pillow cases in the freezer for a while to cool down before going to bed.
• Lights - Reduce the heat coming from lamps and light fixtures by using compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Clothes - Loose fitting, light colored, cotton clothes are cooler than synthetics.
• Keep your face cool - Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units, but not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity. Deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides will keep your house cool in the summer and allow the sunlight to warm the house during the winter.
• Stressed out body - Keep your body from creating extra heat by eating smaller meals. Rest a few minutes and allow your body to slow its pace. Put a cool cloth or face mask on your face while resting to drop another degree or two!
  

Making Green Choices When Buying Dinnerware and Dishes

What is one way to Be Green in the kitchen? When you are looking to buy new dinnerware or serving pieces, look to bamboo. It is a readily renewable resource and is available in a lot of retail locations. Just check out some of these beautiful bamboo pieces we have found.


A new, interesting and environment-friendly way to serve salad, noodles, rice or other types of dishes! This 9-in. salad/serving bowl provides a simple yet beautiful backdrop to display your food. This is hand crafted using hundreds of tiny laminated bamboo strips. Unlike most other hardwoods, bamboo absorbs very little moisture and consequently does not shrink or swell as much, making it a superior choice of material for the tabletop. Hand wash with a mild dish soap in warm water and periodically wipe with mineral oil to bring out the beautiful grain of the bamboo.

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Hand molded coiled strips of bamboo create a unique, circular pattern that showcase the natural variances in color. Polished smooth and finished with top-grade lacquer for food-safety. Eco-friendly, highly durable. A modern twist on an ancient material.

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These items are beautiful, functional, and environmentally friendly. You can’t do much better than that!

Reuse Plastic Bags

I know we are each moving towards using reusable bags for our groceries, but we still have some of those paper and plastic bags coming in. I asked around to find out how some folks are reusing plastic bags. Here are some of the ideas I heard:

• Line small garbage cans. This is probably the number 1 reuse!


• Keep some in your car. They come in handy for a quick garbage bag or for use if some gets car sick.


• Great for packing. Making a move or putting some items in storage? Use your plastic bags (or paper for that matter) as packing material.


• Handbag storage. Stuff bags in your handbag to help keep their shape.


• Overshoes. This nifty idea keeps your shoes clean when you have to make a quick trip out to the yard. Simply pull a bag over your shoe and tie around your ankle. Pull off and toss when done or reuse again.


• Removing poison ivy. Using two bags over one hand, pull poison ivy out. Using your other hand, pull the bags down around the ivy and tie up the bag and toss.


• Pooper Scooper. When walking your favorite pet, take along a bag to pick up the little guy's waste.


• Covering plants to protect them from frost.


• Donate to a thrift store. Goodwill, Salvation Army and other thrift stores are always in need of bags. Collect a bunch and drop off when passing by.


• Crochet and crafting. Learn how to make plarn (yarn made from plastic bags) and to get a cute pattern for a totebag or lunch sack!

What is your favorite use for reuse plastic bags?

After Live Earth

Live Earth concerts have come and gone. It will be interesting to hear the statistics - number of concert goers, net profits, number of goers that signed the "7 Point Pledge", the energy tab and how much was offset with carbon credits, how much of the profits and to which environmental groups will those profits go. Live Earth had good intentions, it will be interesting to see how those intentions work out.

Meanwhile, Chris Baskind at Lighter Footsteps questions whether climate change is our most immediate environmental issue and if other, more pressing issues such as oil, ecosystems and deforestation will be ignored because of the emphasis on climate change. Be sure to check out his article and weigh in!



On a side note - how many of you have tried the reusable nylon bags from Chico? We would love to hear your comments!



ChicoBag Reusable Nylon Shopping Bag holds 20lbs
Measurements: Pouch measures a mere 4” x 2 ½” x 1” Expanded bag is 18" x 13"

Great Resource

We have been exploring and learning how to live off-grid and discovering if we can save green – dollars and environment. We've come across a great resource to share with you.

Do we want to go solar, wind, or hydro? What is green building? Hybrid Vehicles? These questions and many more will be found in this 600 page book. Though I haven’t been through the whole book yet, this will be a resource that I will use for years to come.

Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook - 12th Edition

Cooking? - Beat the Heat and Keep Energy Use Down!

Don’t you love heating up the kitchen in July? Probably not! We have a couple of suggestions for keeping the cooking heat down so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work overtime.

Microwave – Microwaves use less energy than your oven, less time to prepare the meals and release less heat into the kitchen.

Grill – Summer means outdoors and what a better way to fix a meal than on a grill! Just about anything can be cooked on a grill.

Crock Pot – Though most of us think winter meals such as stew or soups for a crock pot, lots more can be cooked in this handy appliance.

No-cook Meals – With summertime comes fresh vegetables. Instead of preparing cooked meals, prepare a salad with your favorite vegetables, add a piece of bread, crackers or roll along with your favorite beverage and voila! - a perfect meal.

Farmers markets have a great assortment of vegetables this time of year. So visit your favorite market and check out all of the fruits and vegetables. If you are unfamiliar with a fruit or vegetable, just ask. Most of the vendors will be able to give you all kinds of hints on how to prepare & enjoy the foods they are selling.

Be sure to take along your reusable shopping bag!

Here is a great salad recipe we enjoy –

Tomato cups

5 or 6 medium tomatoes
1 sweet onion
½ cucumber
2 celery stalks
½ cup fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
½ cup pecans or sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt to taste


Cut tops off of tomatoes.
Chop up cucumber, celery, onions, parsley and garlic. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except tomatoes.
Scoop out tomatoes and add pulp to the rest of the ingredients.
Mix well. Fill tomatoes with mixture.

This also makes a great appetizer. Just use cherry tomatoes instead!

Nuclear Power Back in the News

As we look at alternative fuels, we are finding that Nuclear energy is back in consideration. Check out this article: Nuclear Energy Hot Topic Once Again

Gas Mileage Standards Rejected!

Okay, I am a little confused. I just read an article that announced that the House committee rejected a plan to raise gas mileage standards for new vehicles. (House Committee Defeats Increase to Gas Mileage Standards) Supposedly this plan is even backed by the auto industry. Now I am not a big proponent of creating legislation to fix our environmental issues. I believe environmental issues need to be solved through grassroots education and social awareness.

However, I am surprised that the proposal was defeated, especially since gas mileage standards have not been upgraded since the mid-70s. With hybrid electric vehicles becoming more popular along with other alternative fuel vehicles, one would think this would be no problem. If anyone has any insight into why this was defeated, I sure would like to hear from you!

Meanwhile, I thought I would review a few of the suggestions on how you can improve your gas mileage and save some green!

Observe the speed limit. Note that fuel economy decreases rapidly at speeds over 60 mph. For every 5 mph over 60 the cost per gallon of fuel increases between $0.15 and $0.20! Ouch!

Keep your vehicle at constant speed. When possible, keep your vehicle going at an even pace. Variable speed increases gas consumption. Use cruise control on the highway to maintain a steady speed. Drive smoothly – avoid sudden stops and quick take offs.

Use mass transit. We recently came back from vacation and spent three days in a large city. We used their bus system and saved! No rental car charges, no gasoline purchases. Bus fare was pretty minimal and we were able to see more of the city! Mass transit isn’t always practical or available, but include it in your considerations. Also consider carpooling or ride-share programs, walking or biking to work or store. You may want to check with your employer and see if telecommuting is available to you on occasion.

Keep your vehicle maintained. Tires should be properly inflated, motor oil should be changed regularly, air filters should be checked and engines should be tuned at recommended intervals.

Let us know if you have any other tips.

Recycling Household Items for Charity

Here are a couple more thoughts on what to do with your trash or household items you wish to dispose of.

Consider donation, it's the ultimate recycling and reusing:

Old books can go to libraries, nursing homes, preschools, or various charity book collections.

Clothing can go to charity organizations such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, women's shelters, and charity resale shops. You can do the same with some children's toys and baby equipment such as strollers, cribs, toys, etc.

Furniture you no longer want can go to charity organizations as well. Consider those that resell those items or those that provide the items directly to people who are financially in need or are disaster victims.

If you just get a bit creative you will probably find many ways to recycle or reuse many of your household items. Our next post will consider ways you can make money off of items you no longer need. In the meantime, feel free to drop us a note if you have more ideas to add to this list.

How to Dispose of Trash Without Using Plastic Bags

We had a great question from one of our readers, Midlife Traveller, who is using reusable shopping bags but wonders now how to handle the trash without using plastic bags. This is not as easy an answer as the shopping bags, but here are some possible suggestions:

Separate your trash and recycle as much as possible. Check with your trash disposal service and find out exactly what items they will recycle. There may be more recycling options than you realize. Also check with the municipality where you live to see if they have any separate recycling programs available for additional items.

Consider composting food wastes, paper, and other organically based products. Composting is a much easier proposition today than it used to be and there are several great composters on the market that can make the job easier and relatively clean. See the example we have outlined below. You can use biodegradable trash bags in the trash containers you are using for any items you are going to compost.

What remains of your trash should actually be fairly minimal. Items such as meat products you may want to use a food waste disposer or you may need to use a plastic trash bag for these items, as they are not compostable. Other non-recyclables I would just put directly into a trash can for pick-up, no bag needed.

This type of trash system will obviously take a bit of effort on your part, but will greatly reduce the amount of trash going to the landfills, will increase the amount of items going to the recycling plants, and will provide you with some rich, organic compost to fertilize your gardens. There are obviously many benefits to making the extra effort.

Here is a great little compost bin you may want to consider:

The Envirocycle Composter
Make your own compost!

Envirocycle has created this composter which produces quality compost and compost tea quickly and easily. It’s user-friendly, eliminates mess and odor, and is compact making it perfect for those with limited space.
Envirocycle Simplifies Composting

The Envirocycle composter is specifically designed to simplify the recycling of kitchen and garden refuse. It produces quality compost more quickly and easily than conventional composters by its rolling and mixing action which keeps the ingredients well mixed and aerated.

Makes Rich Compost Tea

This enviro cycle unit also makes compost tea, a rich organic liquid plant food appreciated by gardeners everywhere. Use it on your house plants, outdoor plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, garden and lawn.

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You may also want to consider biodegradable trash bags. These should only be used when the trash will be composted, as, like any other plastic bag, they will not break down in a sealed environment such as a landfill.

The bags shown below are for pet waste, but they are also available in other sizes for use in the home.

Biodegradable and Compostable
These BioBag Pet Waste Bags are 100% Biodegradable and 100% Compostable. BioBags help to make cleaning up after Fido a little more earth friendly. Made from cornstarch, these bags help to eliminate regular plastic bags from our environment. When disposed, BioBags will biodegrade as naturally as food scraps, leaving no harmful residue.

No Polyethylene
No Polyethylene is used in the production of this product. BioBags are GMO free, certified for use in organic agriculture, yet are shelf stable – just like paper towels.

Contains 50 full-sized bags
Measure 11.5” high x 7.8” wide (Large enough for even big Fido’s!)

Click Here

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Let us know if you have any additional ideas for environmentally friendly waste disposal. The best way to make things better is the free exchange of ideas!

Try Reusable Shopping Bags to Decrease Your Impact on the Environment

ChicoBag Reusable Nylon Shopping Bag holds 20lbs
Measurements: Pouch measures a mere 4” x 2 ½” x 1” Expanded bag is 18" x 13"

Chico Bag Reusable Shopping Bags rock!

Use the ChicoBag Reusable Nylon Shopping Bag for everything – trips to the grocery store, farmers market or out shopping. The Chico Bag reusable shopping bag's made from strong, durable nylon. It's ultra-lightweight and tuck itself into a little bag making it perfect to fit into your purse, pocket or glove box. The Chico Bag fabric is soft making holding the handles a little easier on the hands. They’re easy to pack, durable and hold a lot. Machine washable. 1 year manufacturers warranty against defects in material and workmanship.

Reduce your Footprint with Reusable Bags. Did you know that using reusable shopping bags can save the average American 300 to 700 plastic shopping bags per year, which will save 3 to 7 gallons of crude oil? That’s per person for plastic bags alone! What a great, simple way to conserve our natural resources.

Ways to Improve the Environmental Friendliness of Your Business

Face it; it is easy to waste items at work and to not think about reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing or regenerating resources. However, maintaining an environmentally friendly business helps your bottom line as well as the environment. So what can you do to improve the green at your place of business?

First, see that policies are put in place which encourages reducing, reusing and recycling.

Maximize energy efficiency. Turn down the heat or up the air conditioning by a couple of degrees. Be sure all windows and doors are insulated. Use energy efficient light bulbs. Turn equipment and machinery off when appropriate.

Reduce your water usage. Install displacement toilet dams in toilet reservoirs. Stop leaky faucets as soon as they are spotted.

Recycle, recycle. Have specially marked bins for recycling to collect paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastics and ink cartridges.

Keep the “e” in e-mail. Don’t print off an e-mail unless it is absolutely necessary.

Check with your suppliers and see if they take back packaging and reuse it.

Look for a supply of paper with maximum recycled content.

Ask all of your suppliers to let you know what “green” policies and practices they have in place. If they don’t have any, look for another supplier.

Reduce paper usage by producing double sided documents. Reuse padded envelops.

Buy more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Putting just a few of these in practice will help you to “Be Green and Save”!

Stop Receiving Junk Mail

I walked out to the mail box and what did I find – 10 pieces of mail. Exciting? Remember how you used to love getting mail? Well going through that mail was 1 bill and nine pieces of junk mail! Not so much fun anymore. That is a lot of paper just going to the trash bin, recycle bin or shredder! How can we stop getting so much junk mail? I haven’t found a way to get rid of all of the junk mail, but here are some ways to greatly reduce your junk mail.

Direct Marketing Association has a Mail Preference Service (https://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html) (MPS). Registering will cost you $1.00 but will greatly reduce the amount of national advertising mail sent to you. Members of the Direct Marketing Association are required to use the MPS list. Keep in mind this will also reduce the number of catalogs and coupons you receive, which may be items you want.

Whenever you order a product, donate money or fill out a warranty card, include a note to not sell your name or address. Most companies will honor this request and mark your information accordingly.

The Credit Reporting Industry has a website that you can visit and register to opt out or opt in to receive firm offers from credit or insurance companies. At OptOutPreScreen.com (https://www.optoutprescreen.com/) you can electronically opt-out for five years, download a form to complete the permanently opt-out or you are able to opt-in.

Contact your credit card companies and ask them to remove your name from their lists that they sell or rent.

Contact your congressman. Currently 14 states have “Do Not Junk Registry” legislation under consideration patterned after the Do Not Call registry. Encourage your congressman to consider and pass this bill. The Center for a New American Dream (www.newdream.org/junkmail/state.php)
maintains a list of states with bills under consideration.

Meanwhile, keep shredding that junk mail!