A Minute to Save the Planet

2009-06-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Will this be here when I'm old?

Prop's to Ukrops!

2009-05-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here's another post moved over from Conscious Lifestyle. Ukrop's is actually a local organization here, and I actually used to work for it.

Ukrop's, a community-serving and environmentally friendly grocery chain in Virginia, has begun another sustainable program. The supermarkets, which fry their own chicken, will use the soy oil from the fryers to convert into bio fuel.

Southside Fuel, a local company, will process the used oil from the frying vats into a standard 15 percent biodiesel, the most that the current trucks can handle.

Ukrop's expects to produce around 60,000 gallons of bio fuel each year, about one fourth of its needs. This is really an incredible amount and will really cut down on their carbon emissions.

These types of changes are the ones that our country really needs. Not only seeking out alternative energy sources, but the ones that are already lying in front of us. The chicken oil was already in the store, without any further purpose. What a great way to recycle and reuse a substance that would have gone to waste!

Many other stores and restaurants could switch to this method, saving them money and decreasing their carbon footprints. We don't necessarily have to grow corn and soy for the sole purpose of creating fuel - this method causes many criticisms and concerns. We can just creatively utilize the resources we already have.

Check Out Eco Chic

2009-04-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here's another post I wrote while at Conscious Lifestyle - I think it's worth a look back, especially for the great product.

A new clothing line called Nature89 is now offering eco-friendly wear, both trendy and comfortable. The company sells a variety of products including tanks, hoodies, printed tees, polos, skirts and shorts. The style is classic casual with functional elements. Prices range mostly from $15 to $35. Both men's and women's wear are offered.

All clothing is made from organic and pesticide-free cotton, eco-friendly dyes, and water-based inks. The entire collection is certified 100% organic.

Nature89 was founded by apparel entrepreneur Tariq Huq and a team of designers. They are committed to fair trade and to the environment. Besides being eco-friendly, the clothing line does not use any child labor, and all adult workers are provided a fair wage. 1% of its sales is donated towards the preservation of nature.

I really like the look of the the short-sleeve Elsa Hoodie, pictured above. This adorable hoodie, with cute rhinestones on the chest and front kangaroo pockets, is available in three colors and four sizes (S-XL). I think it looks trendy and very wearable.

The Essential Krista Camisole is another piece I like a lot. It's made of organic light-weight cotton and available in two colors (rose and violet). It looks like something I could layer with another top and wear to the mall, and something comfortable enough to put on for a pajama party.

There are many other cute pieces of clothing on the website, www.nature89.com. Click the link to make a purchase or to learn more about Nature89.

And no, I am not affiliated with the company in anyway, just in case you are wondering :).

Drilling in the Arctic

2009-04-19T07:49:00.001-07:00

Another one of my posts from Conscious Lifestyle.

Scientists have discovered that there is a large fossil fuel reserve underneath the ice of the Arctic. This massive reserve may contain up a fifth of the world's oil- 90 billion barrels, and a third of the known reserves of gas.

Yes! We are SAVED from the energy crisis!

I don't think so.

Let's skip the part about oil drilling ruining the Arctic environment. It is important, it is relevant, but it is always the same argument back and forth. Wildlife...or human desire? Environmentalists pitted against the oil executives. Sadly, usually greed for fuel wins out, and another piece of nature is marred by development.

The main issue is, as long as we depend on oil, we will always be threatened by an impending energy crisis. Discovering new reserves only changes whether or not the "doomsday" will arrive in ten years or in twenty years. All the same, our focus should be on lessening our usage of fossil fuels and concentrating on renewable energy.

Two scenarios can occur. Countries can rush to the Arctic, dig up the treasure, and a glut of oil will appear on the market. Prices will drop, consumers will go mad, oil will be used like crazy. All of our old problems will come back. Pollution, global warming, endangered species, etc., possibly worse than before. Soon, the excess oil will run out, and we will be back to square one.

Another situation: we remain calm and allow the reserves to sit there. We keep on raising fuel efficiency and conserving current reserves. We develop alternative energy. We learn how to cut back on usage (hey, a century and a half ago our ancestors did fine, right?). Our world may not ever be as healthy as it was before humans arrived, but in time it should heal.

It is easier said than done. But it is something that must be done.

Stretching the Water Supply

2009-04-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here is another post that I wrote for Conscious Lifestyle, now Sparkseed.

Water is everywhere right? Yes and no. Sure, the wondrous liquid surrounds us everywhere we turn, but the vast majority of it is not fresh, drinkable water. Only about 3 percent of the total water on the planet is freshwater, and only a tiny fraction of that 3 percent is actually available to humans. Most freshwater is locked up in ice caps and glaciers. However, the price of water is extraordinarily cheap, and most people use it without a second thought. Environmentalists direly predict that the next world wars will be fought over precious water.

What are some solutions?

Desalination can be used to transform salt water to freshwater. However, this process can only be viably done in coastal areas and is quite expensive, because it takes an enormous amount of energy. Some places, such as the Middle East, are experimenting with desalination. Read more about it at National Geographic.

Cloud seeding is another option. In this procedure, silver nitrate is planted into clouds to promote rain. Today, Texas uses cloud seeding over a third of its area. However, conditions have to be very specific for the process to be effective. Additionally, there are concerns about the chemicals used raining down onto earth, and the fact that artificially producing rain in one area is robbing another area of rainfall. Here's an article about cloud seeding at ABC News.

Withdrawing greater amounts of groundwater may be feasible, but this too has some disadvantages. If the water table becomes too depleted, the ground above it may actually sink down into a depression. By the coast, low levels of groundwater may lead to salt water intrusion, where water from the ocean actually pushes into the groundwater system.

The best strategy? It may be boring and trite, but conserve water! This does not have to be a painful process. Turn off faucets tightly to prevent leaks, install water-saving showerheads and toliets, and don't use sprinklers mindlessly. If you're really feeling adventurous, save leftover water from rinsing dishes to water plants. Small changes can have big impacts in the future.

This image is from the New York State Assembly.

Debt-for-Nature Swaps

2009-04-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I would like to post another one of my posts from Conscious Lifestyle, this time about the wonderful debt-for-nature swaps.

Ever heard of a debt-for-nature swap? As strange as it sounds, it is a wonderful way to aid poor countries and preserve biodiversity at the same time.

Third World countries face a dilemma: how do they save their precious habitats and at the same time provide for the growing population? Not surprisingly, the people take priority. Therefore, pristine environmental locations are destroyed in the race for new resources and new farmland. These habitats contain varieties of specialized species and exotic plants that may only be found in that one place. Though these developing countries may be internationally pressured to conserve their environment, they simply cannot afford to set aside tracts of land and maintain them.

Even worse, many of these countries are heavily indebted to wealthier nations such as the U.S. That means part of their GNP each year must go to paying back the debt.

Fortunately, debt-for-nature swaps help solve the problem. Basically, the program allows for the wealthier nations to forgive some debt in return for the poor country to preserve a certain piece of land. For example, the U.S. agreed to forgive Costa Rica of $26 million in return for the preservation of Costa Rica's unique tropical rainforests. In the short term, the animals and plants can thrive and the people of Costa Rica have a little more money to use. In the long run, the whole world will benefit from preserving the environment's biodiversity.

Other countries that have experienced this exchange include Belize, Panama, and Jamaica. For more information, visit The Nature Conservancy. This image is from the Redwood Forest Foundation.

Microsoft vs. Apple

2009-04-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

This post was written by me about a year ago for Conscious Lifestyle, now Sparkspeed. The websites listed are the sources of the information.

Microsoft and Apple, two enormous multinational corporations, have always been competing to churn out the latest popular products. These rival companies wield tremendous power, with Microsoft at 80,000 employees and an annual revenue of 50 billion dollars, and Apple slowly catching up at 20,000 employees and 25 billion.

Consumers compare the products' designs, aesthetics, models, convenience, adaptability, storage space, and of course, prices. However, what about the eco-friendliness of each corporation?

According to GreenPeace, on a scale from 1 to 10, Apple hovers at a 6.7 and Microsoft is down at the bottom of the scale at a 4.7. The companies are ranked based upon chemicals policy, takeback practices, and recycling.Greenpeace.org

Microsoft scores high on phasing out the harmful substances PVC and BFR by 2010, but earns a 0 for takebacks or providing information to individual customers. In addition, it currently does not have any PVC-free or BFR-free models.

Apple earns full marks for the phasing out of the hazardous chemicals by 2008, and recycling, while receiving mediocre scores for the rest of the categories. The company has set a goal of recycling 30% of its weight of products sold by 2010.

So far, it seems Apple takes the lead. According to its website (Apple), products are refined to maximize efficiency and reduce waste. Of course, consumers appreciate the sleekness of the design as well. Additionally, many all Apple desktop and portable computers have earned the Energy Star rating for energy efficiency. The company has extensive takeback programs that dispose of used software in a safe and environmentally friendly way. In 2006, it recycled 13 million pounds of waste, including paper, foam, and batteries.

Because of its efforts, Apple was named a "Forward Green Leader" by the Sierra Club, meaning it is one of the top ten environmentally progressive companies.

Microsoft has also taken many steps to become a "greener" corporation. In 2005, it began a packing purge of PVC, eliminating 1.5 million pounds of the material. It promoted efforts to slow global warming by joining with the Clinton Foundation and Climate Savers. LOHAS Online

The company is currently developing an interesting program called the Environmentally Sustainable Dashboard. In a nutshell, this dashboard allows smaller companies affiliated with Microsoft to track their direct and indirect energy consumption, and direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Microsoft

Apparently, Microsoft even has its own blog for environmental sustainability, called Shades of Blue and Green

Even though Apple is ahead of Microsoft in its takeback policies and energy efficiency, Microsoft has addressed the problem of global warming more than its competitor. Climate Counts Both corporations still have a ways to go. We, the consumers, are really the ones that can have leverage to create more change.

For example, a campaign for "a greener Apple" is being launched at
Greenmyapple

Yes, we are all individuals, but we are the customers that Apple and Microsoft depend on. Through our voices, we can influence these massive companies to continue to develop sustainable policies.

The image above is from E-Wallpapers.

Hey Everyone!

2009-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while! I've been so busy with everything! I don't know if any of you know this, but I was a blogger for the website Conscious Lifestyle, which actually is currently undergoing a complete revamp. Therefore, I think I am going to import some of my old posts there so they won't be lost in case the website decides to take a new spin. See you soon!

Revamp Your Grocery List

2009-03-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Whether you go to the supermarket once a week or everyday, there are ways to make sure that your buying benefits the environment, your health, and your wallet. Here are some basic tips that I have picked up from various sources.

1. Avoid individually packaged snack packs. They damage the environment because of the unnecessary packaging, they are more expensive when you compare their unit price to that of a larger bag, and very often they are bad for your health (have you seen one of those ingredient lists?) Here are the ingredients for the 100-calorie Oreo Snack Cakes.

BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, CANOLA AND/OR PALM AND/OR PALM KERNEL OILS, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, FRUCTOSE, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), WATER, SKIM MILK, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE AND/OR CALCIUM SULFATE), CHOCOLATE, MILK, EGG WHITES, SALT, CORN SYRUP, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, EGGS, CORNSTARCH, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), COLOR ADDED, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, SODIUM ALGINATE (THICKENER). CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, EGG, SOY. MANUFACTURED ON EQUIPMENT THAT PROCESSES PEANUT, TREE NUTS.

More about individually-packed products in this post.

2. Use the basics. A lot of everyday foods, such as beans, rice, oatmeal, and potatoes are extremely cheap yet can be made into great dishes. Think about stews, casseroles, side dishes, etc. These foods are better for the environment because they don't require as much manufacturing and processing, and they are very good for your health too.

3. Be picky about organic. Check out this Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to see which foods should be bought organic and which conventional. For example, apples and peaches usually have high levels of pesticides, but onions do not. Do what's best for you wallet and your health.

4. Buy seasonal and local produce. These taste the best and also are usually less expensive. Local produce additionally does not require as much fossil fuel for transportation. Each geographic region has differences in what is "in season," but I know right now where I live peaches and apples are really cheap and taste great.

5. Skimp on the meat. Conventional methods of raising livestock are harmful to the environment. Most people in general get more than enough protein, so cutting back on meat a few times a week should not be harmful, and even could be beneficial for your health, since your cholesterol and saturated fat intake would decrease. Check out my previous posts of Reasons for Eating Less Meat and Buy Organic Meat.

I hope some of this information was helpful to you and will guide you during your next grocery shop. Do you have any tips of your own about how to save money, eat healthy, and help the environment? Share them below in the comments section!

This image is from Spunky Mommy.

Use Public Transportation

2009-03-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is an extremely useful tip: it's beneficial for the environment, your wallet, your schedule, your mind, and your waist-size.

Environment: taking the bus/train/shuttle will definitely reduce the amount of carbon emissions from all those vehicles.

Wallet: it costs money for gas to fill up your tank, plus, if you live in a city, you may have to pay money for parking. If you use public transportation, you might save money since it usually doesn't cost too much and sometimes you can buy a monthly/yearly pass.

Waist: you'll probably need to walk a bit to get to the bus stop, so that's a bit of exercise. Hopefully you won't need to do the other type of exercise - running after a leaving bus!

Schedule: I definitely believe this will help with time. You'll get to work or school at a set time each day, so you won't be tempted to arrive later. Also, you will have some extra time to relax, read, get organized, or do some light work in transit, instead of driving.

Mind: if you easily get stressed out by lots of traffic, road rage, or unsafe driving conditions, I bet taking public transport will help you relax a little more. Additionally, you can chat with the people around you if they look friendly, and maybe even make some new friends!

So, I strongly encourage you to look into public transportation options in your area. What are your experiences with public transport? Did you find it beneficial to your life?

This image is from Tree Hugger.

Use Online College Applications

2009-03-10T18:25:00.001-07:00

So, college applications season is over for seniors (hopefully), but I've got some good advice for you high schoolers that still face the dreaded, time-consuming process.

I strongly suggest that you use the online application as opposed to the traditional paper application. Many colleges and universities now use the Common Application, which is completely online. It even allows you to send teacher and counselor recommendations online, though I've heard that part is a little confusing. There is also the Universal Application is sort of the same idea, but with different member colleges, I guess.

Most colleges even have their own special online applications, and recommend that you take the online route, as it is easier to process the information. I know Columbia even requires that you fill out the online app, unless you do not have Internet at home.

Well, all of this is great news! Not only is the process much more streamlined and fast, it also cuts down on the tons and tons of paper wasted. I know friends that have applied to 10+ schools, and if they used paper for everything (recommendations, application, financial aid, etc.), they could well exceed 1,000 pieces of paper. However, since they went on the computer, a lot of paper was conserved.

Another good point - if you make an error on paper or want to change something, you will either have to throw out the page or use messy white-out. However, on a computer, just press the back button and in a flash your application is as good as new.

*Oh - I just remembered! You have to use snail-mail if you use paper, which is slow, error-prone, and expensive due to stamps! (Believe me, you'll need lots of stamps)*

So please, if you want to have a slightly less stressful, more environmentally friendly senior year, I urge you to check to see if your favorite college has an online option. Chances are in your favor!

So, if you have already gone through this process, did you use paper or not?

Switch to Fluorescent

2009-03-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs light bulbs in just about every single room in the house. However, we often don't think about this energy guzzler when trying to reduce energy.

If you have incandescent light bulbs currently, consider switching them for fluorescent ones. According to the U.S. Department of Energy:

"If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars."

That's pretty amazing, isn't it? And just think of how much we could save if we replaced more than one light bulb. I'm in my dining room right now, and I see that the chandelier has 9 light bulbs. It really wouldn't be much harder for me to switch all of those light bulbs rather than just 1, would it?

Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy than standard bulbs, and they last up to 10 times longer. That means you can save 30 dollars or more over each bulb's lifetime. Seriously, these bulbs pay for themselves. I do not know of an easier way to save money than this.

I read somewhere that incandescent light bulbs are so inefficient, 90% of its energy is wasted as heat, while only 10% of the energy used is actually used for the lighting. So, what are you waiting for?

Here's the government's website about CFLs. It's extremely helpful in providing guides and tips for what kind of bulb to buy depending on what you are using now.

This image is from Daily Danny.

Environmental Ways To Save $$$

2009-02-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

Yep, I've seen and experienced firsthand how devastating this economy can be to our bank accounts and wallets. Good for you though, that I have kept a long running archive of old posts of fast, easy ways to both help the environment and save money! I selected the few that I felt were extremely simple and doable. Why don't you try one tip each day of the week, and keep the ones you like?

1. Choose local foods. This was one of the first posts I wrote on this blog! It's a tried and true method.

2. Choose the real white meat. Again, a very easy and simple change to make. I actually did quite a number of calculations for this post - a dedicated blogger, no?

3. Avoid individually-packaged products. Buying bulk is the way to go!

4. Unplug electronics. Don't let that sneaking vampire energy catch up with you and drain your money.

5. Organize your fridge. Most people would never think to look in here for money savings, but it works.

6. Take cold(er) showers. Now that's it is starting to get warmer in many places...

7. Use passive solar power.

8. Remove unnecessary items. From your car, that is.

Keep in mind that these are only some of the ways to save money. If you are feeling adventurous and want a full list, go to the sidebar with all my tags and click the one that says "save money." I hope this little compilation helps you! If I have forgotten anything that you can think of, please comment below.

Pros and Cons: Wind Power

2009-02-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

Remember when I wrote the pros and cons of nuclear weapon?

Well, today I would like to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of wind power, an up-and-coming alternative energy source. It's one of the lesser known sources of energy, but yet I think there will be many opportunities in the future to utilize it.

Basically, the energy comes from spinning wind turbines. As the wind blows through and turns the turbines, electricity is generated. I'm not too familiar with the details, but that's the gist of the operation.

Pros

1. It's definitely renewable - infinite, you could say. I don't believe that we'll ever run out of wind (and if we do, we have bigger problems to worry about).

2. Little if any pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Besides the emissions caused by the construction of equipment, this energy is green and clean.

3. Wind power is pretty safe - there aren't really any risks involved.

4. Can produce power anywhere where there is wind, so the U.S. wouldn't have to be dependent on a foreign source.

Cons

1. It can't produce enough power on its own, because the wind isn't always blowing! I guess you could say it is reliant upon the weather.

2. Dangerous to birds. Birds can get caught in the turbines. However, I think this harm to animals is a lot less than the harm ultimately caused by fossil fuel usage.

3. Something called "visual" and "noise pollution." Basically, these "wind farms" look ugly and produce noise. It's not that much of a disadvantage in my opinion, but I guess my mind could change if I lived next to a wind farm.

So, to sum it up, wind power isn't really that bad at all, but it can't stand alone as an energy source. I think a combination of wind, solar, and hydroelectric power would probably be sufficient, though we'd probably need some type of heavy duty power source such as nuclear power to rely on until the other sources become widespread.

So, what are your opinions on wind power? Do you believe it should be a part of our energy future?

This image is from Green Energy Online.

Dispose of Batteries Properly

2009-02-17T14:03:00.001-08:00

Did you know that you can't just throw away old batteries into the trash? Batteries contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and nickel, which can be harmful to the environment.

According to Environment, Health, and Safety Online, batteries can cause many environmental hazards such as:

pollute bodies of water when metals vaporize into the air when burned
contribute to the metals that leach from landfills
expose the environment and water to lead and acid
cause burns and danger to the eye and skin

Actually, metals leaching from landfills is a serious matter, and batteries are a major contributor. 88% of the total mercury in landfills is from batteries. If you've ever been told to beware of broken mercury thermometers, you know how dangerous this metal can be.

So, what can you do with your old batteries? On the same site I listed above, there is a big table with all types of batteries and what you should do to dispose them. Some of the options include recycling, hazardous waste collection sites, etc.

Also, I thought I should mention rechargeable batteries. Though these are still made of the same metals and materials, they obviously can be used many times and therefore if you make use of them you will not have so many batteries to try to get rid of! We have some at home and it's quite easy to charge them up, actually - just stick them in the charger for a while until the light turns green. But make sure not to mix them with regular batteries!

This image is from Bristol Batteries.

Technology and the Environment

2009-02-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

I've had lots of thoughts on this topic recently. Does the high-tech equipment that we use in our lives now benefit or harm the environment? For example, has the rise of the Internet age reduced paper usage? Has it increased energy demands?

At my school, every single student is provided with a laptop computer, supposedly with the purpose of cutting paper usage by allowing students to take notes and complete homework on the computer. However, I have found that our school still uses a ton of paper. Many teachers demand that all work be handed in as a "hard copy" instead of virtually. Likewise, many students dislike reading off of a computer screen and ask for a printout instead.

The printers in our school library are always jammed full - people rush to print out large documents such as powerpoints. When the printer does not immediately respond, they become impatient and print multiple times to each printer, not only slowing down the printing process but wasting loads of paper in the process.

Our ecology club manages all the recycling in the school and we have noticed that the recycling bin by the printers is ALWAYS incredibly full. Well, at least the paper is recycled, right?
Plus, factor in the amount of electricity needed to power all of the laptops, and the impact of manufacturing the machines and their chargers and cases.

So, do you have any experiences with technology and its impacts on the environment? Any thoughts?

This image is from www.computerclearancecentre.co.uk.

Recycle

2009-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone is aware of recycling - computer paper, bottles, and cans are the main items that my school Ecology club concentrates on, but there are many other materials and ways that you can recycle.

Have you thought of:

Peanut butter jars?
Plastic yogurt containers?
Junk mail?
Rubber tires?
Plastic bags?

Of course, you have to be aware of the items that your local recycling plant will take. For example, the one in my area will not recycle milk jugs or cardboard juice/soy milk cartons. Just check the little number inside the recycling symbol to see what kind of product it is. Some stores, including Kroger, have bins located outside the stores that allow you to recycle plastic and paper bags, so I guess now you don't have to feel guilty about using plastic.

Some facts on recycling:

According to the EPA, each of us uses a 100-feet-tall pine tree per year for paper and wood products
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7000 gallons of water, and over 4000 kilowatts of electricity (enough to power an average American home for 5 months!)
Recycling paper instead of making new paper creates 74% less air pollution and uses 40% less energy

Recycling is the least all of us can do to help the environment. No additional effort is required on your part - just place the items in a bin. Most municipalities have recycling programs and work just like garbage pick-up.

Have you ever been surprised to discover something was or was not recyclable?

Buy Organic Meat

2009-02-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

There's this magazine called Natural Awakenings that I pick up for free from my local library. It has all sorts of good environmental articles. The edition I just got has a really great article about how we should buy organic meat and dairy. I would like to share with you some very persuasive reasons why.

Animals raised under the category of organic cannot be fed antibiotics, genetically modified foods, growth hormones, or other such drugs. These animals eat organic feed. They are shown to be significantly healthier than non-organic animals.

There is usually more humane treatment for animals on an organic farm. They sometimes are free-range, unlike factory animals which are treated like objects and trapped in small pens or cages.

Sustainable farms recycle nutrients by using manure as fertilizer. However, industrial farms produce so much of this manure and usually don't utilize it so it becomes a health risk, able to contaminate wells and waterways.

A lot of organic agriculture uses methods such as crop rotation to improve the fertility of the soil instead of synthetic fertilizers. Read my post here to learn about the dangers of too much fertilizer.

Organic farms use 70% less energy than factory farms. Buying from local farms also reduces the energy used by transportation. Check out my post here to learn more about buying local.

Organic meat does cost more, I will admit. However, that is just another incentive to eat less of it. If you want to know the reasons that we should decrease meat intake, click here. So, what do you think about organic meat? Does the cost outweigh the benefits?

This image is from Electron Blue.

Lower Your Heating Bill, Part II

2009-01-30T04:47:00.000-08:00

This is the second installation of how to lower your heating bills. For Part I, click here. So, is it still frigid where you live? I know that where I live, the coldest months are January and February. December actually isn't bad at all, even though I would like a white Christmas once in a while! Okay, here are some more tips and tricks to keep warm and save fuel.

3. Take advantage of passive solar heating, written about in my previous post. You must get some sun during the day, right? I guess you would unless you live in a really northern place that gets darkness for six months or something.

4. According the article "Keeping Warm for Less" in This Old House, make sure to keep furniture and other items from blocking heating vents. For example, a couch, drawer, or bed could be disrupting the flow of warm air in your home.

5. The same article tells you to change your furnace filter. Apparently, this move can not only lower the levels of dust in your home, but also save energy costs up to 5%. The filters don't cost very much and only have to be changed once a month.

6. Get one of these. Haha, just kidding, but anything you can do to keep yourself warm is great! Sweaters, blankets, hot tea...I find that a cup of hot tea in the morning really does the trick. It really doesn't make sense to wear a t-shirt while cranking up the heat to 75 degrees, but I know people that do it!

7. Close the fireplace damper. You don't want all the cold air coming down the chimney and into your home, do you? Likewise, you don't want all your costly warm air to escape through the fireplace.

This image is from Falcon Ridge Farms.

Lower Your Heating Bill, Part I

2009-01-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a cold winter so far. I've heard of places in the Midwest that have gone under -30 degrees. Gosh, that makes me shiver just to think of it! Frigid temperatures usually mean higher heating bills and more fuel used. However, there are some tips for how you can cut down your energy bills.

1. Insulate! Many homes, especially old ones, have lots of little cracks all over the place. I know in my house, the freezing wind can seep through spaces between the door and the wall and the windows. You can purchase a "door snake" to stuff in front of the crack, or put in a "door sweep" underneath the door to minimize the extra space. Other ways to easily insulate include drawing curtains over windows and not leaving doors open for too long.

2. Install a programmable thermostat. The article "Keeping Warm for Less" from This Old House recommends using this thermostat to set temperatures for different times of the day. This saves money because you can lower temps when you are not home or when you are sleeping. This can save 10-20% of your heating bill. According to the article, these are the settings you can use:

6 a.m. to 9 a.m. = 68 degrees
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. = 60 degrees
5:30 to 11 p.m. = 68 degrees
11 p.m. to 6 a.m. = 60 degrees

Obviously, adjust to your own preferences. If you have a nice, cozy bed with a big warm comforter, maybe you can deal with a temperature lower than 60 degrees at night. You can then preset the thermostat to start warming up an hour or so before you wake so you can get up to a toasty house.

So, that's it for Part Uno! Second installation to come shortly. Image is from caaneo.ca.

Eco-Logical Gift

2009-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

I was just looking over a present by friend gave me for my birthday. It is the coolest environmentally-themed calendar, with gorgeous nature-scene photos, and facts and tips on every page on how to benefit our planet.

For example, for January:

Tip: get a home energy audit: many utility companies offer free-energy audits which may reveal simple ways to cut emissions such as sealing and insulating heating and cooling ducts.

and flipping ahead to April:

Fact: by the end of the century, two-fifths of the Earth's land surface will have a hotter climate due to global warming. These huge shifts in climatic conditions will devastate the biodiversity hot spots such as the Amazon rainforest.

Tip: plant a tree: a single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.

For July:

Fact: less than 4% of the originial redwood forests remain. Only 2.5% of these forests are protected.

I'm loving this! I foresee a lot of great blog posts coming from the facts and tips of this calendar! It's such a great gift to give- too bad the pages aren't made of recycled paper though. Have you ever received a present that was in some way environmentally-minded? You know what...I am just procrastinating on studying for midterm exams. I really should be going now...see you later?

Remove Unnecessary Items

2009-01-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

I bag groceries as a part time job. Many times, as I carry the customer's items to his or her car, I notice that the trunk/back seat/top is completely loaded. I've seen old clothes, boxes full of old magazines, big toys, an empty cage, golf clubs, fold-up chairs...you name it, and I've probably had to squeeze bags of groceries around it once. This one time I even saw a huge machete. It was a little creepy.

The point is, nine times out of ten, a person's vehicle is full of unnecessary items. The customer always apologizes profusely for the mess, but what concerns me is not the trouble it causes for me to find a sturdy place for groceries, but the extra fuel the customer must consume because of the added weight. According to FuelEconomy.gov, an extra 100 pounds on your vehicle could reduce its miles per gallon by 2%. Some of the customers' cars I've seen easily had several hundred extra pounds of stuff.

Remember that gas=money (even though it's cheaper by the gallon now, it still costs money!), and gas=carbon emissions. I just saw yesterday on Yahoo about some huge iceberg breaking off of Antarctica, so global warming is still very real and very relevant.

So, try and clean out your trunk and car! Not only will you save gas, but you will also have a cleaner, more spacious vehicle. All baggers will truly appreciate your efforts :)

This image is from Rovingpress.co.uk.

Visit Freecycle

2009-01-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hey, remember when I wrote about that wonderful website called Throwplace? Well, I am happy to report that I have found a very similar site called Freecycle.

Here is the mission statement:

Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.

From what I understand, to engage in the process you join a local group. Freecycle seems to be active all over the United States, and also in many countries across the world. Each group is moderated by a local volunteer. When you join a group, you can get and donate items freely, saving our landfills from overflowing, saving your money, and maybe even helping someone else's life by donating some of your old "junk."

As they say, "One person's trash is another person's treasure."
Because everything is online, all the steps are so much more efficient and faster than the traditional yard sales and Goodwill drop-offs. I took a peek at the group in my city and saw that there were over 12,000 members! Woohoo! They had their own Yahoo page and in the past 7 days, there were over 380 messages.

If you have a lot of unwanted items (and I'm pretty sure we're all guilty of it), please consider visiting this wonderful site!

My Last Night in Childhood

2009-01-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Kind of an off topic post, but IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!

Yes, I'm turning the infamous eighteen years old. It's really strange- I've been so incredibly busy lately with everything in my life that I haven't really had time to anxiously anticipate my birthday...it's really crept up on me this year, and now it's really only a few hours away.

I'm kind of apprehensive and nostalgic at the same time. Eighteen symbolizes a lot in our culture, particularly adulthood and responsibility and freedom. I know so many teenagers dream of the day they turn eighteen, but I now wish I had more days left of my symbolic "childhood." I don't feel prepared to face on tomorrow, even though I know nothing really will change. Or will it?

Let's see what will happen tomorrow. I will still, as always, go to school. I will return home in the afternoon. I will sleep on my own bed at night. I will be as short as I always have been (4'11"), I will still be mistaken for a fifth grader, in short (no pun intended), everything will pretty much remain the same.

But I'll lose that sense of childhood and security, my "minor rights" if you study law. I will be completely responsible for my own being, and my own role in society. I will be fully accountable for my own actions. Obviously it makes sense, and yet it seems like I am crossing a bridge right now, to the other side, to Adult Land. Well... I guess I will see what awaits me!

Time's going by so fast...soon I fear I will be arriving at an old folks' home...haha.

So, anyone care to share experiences of turning eighteen to comfort me? Or is twenty-one really the big age?

Eliminate Junk Mail

2009-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

I always receive so much unnecessary mail everyday, ranging anywhere from magazine and credit card offers to random college applications! They go straight into my recycling bin, and trust me, the bin is pretty full at the end of the week. Even though I recycle, it would be better for the environment if I didn't receive the materials in the first place.

Global Stewards has a great article about getting rid of these junk mail offers. Here's the gist of it:

To remove your address from the list of many companies for up to five years, contact the Direct Marketing Assocation. You can go to this website to find out how.
Call up companies directly to ask to be removed from their mailing lists: Val-Pak Coupons (1-800-676-6878), America Online Discs (1-800-827-6364), and Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes (1-800-645-9242).
Call and ask your credit card company to stop selling out your name!
Try not to fill out contest cards.

Here are some surprising impacts of junk mail:

50% of all junk mail is thrown away without being open (you hear that, mailing companies?)
100 million trees were consumed to produce U.S. junk mail for one year. Now that is just ridiculous.
The average adult spends 70 hours each year dealing with junk mail. That's for all of you that can't seem to find enough time on your hands to do everything!
Junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 2.8 million cars. Again, unbelievable.

When I'm out in the world on my own, I will be sure to cancel all junk mail and save myself the time (and temptations). Seriously, this could be a great thing to do to begin the new year off right. This image is courtesy of denvergov.org.

Checking in...

2009-01-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, it feels like I haven't posted in a long time! I'm just checking in so those of you reading know that I'm not dead...physically, but with those midterm exams coming up, I feel dead mentally and emotionally! Right now we're going through a round of "pre-exams," as I like to call them. Basically, they are the last tests of the semester before teachers move on to exam review.

Don't worry, I'll be back to posting soon as soon as this hectic mess is over. I am thinking of branching out this blog a little bit...but I'm not sure how exactly yet. Any suggestions? I'm thinking polls, environmental news, maybe even some guest bloggers? Haha, I don't think I'm famous enough in the blog world to attract enough attention, but who knows? I just really want to revamp this blog. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Have a great week!

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

Happy almost 2009 everyone! Is everyone making their resolutions for the new year? Many people make resolutions about finances, organization, family, friends, and exercise, but what about the environment?

Here I've compiled some of my old posts that are easy changes you can use as a simple resolution to better the environment. Some of them are so easy, you could probably pick two or three! Maybe choose one from each category, or challenge a friend to accomplish one of these tasks for a year!

Home

Garden

Grocery

Online

What other resolutions have you made for next year? Have a safe and happy New Year, everyone! I will see you next year!

This image is from GPS magazine.

Choose Bamboo

2008-12-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

Bamboo is fast becoming the hip and environmentally-friendly type of wood. Here are some of the benefits of this plant, according to Natural Environment:

Bamboo plants can grow successfully without any fertilisers or pesticides. Here's my post about the harms of these substances.
Bamboo grows extremely fast - it’s the fastest growing plant on the planet. Bamboo has been known to grow 3 - 4 feet per day! So, there's an abundance.
Bamboo doesn’t require a lot of water to grow. We all know the importance of water conservation!
Bamboo is a very hardy plant - it can survive drought conditions and flood conditions.
Bamboo plants release lots of oxygen into the air. A grove of bamboo release 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.
Bamboo is a very earth friendly plant. It can reduce soil erosion and desertification. It can actually improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas. Great for sustainable farming!

So, what are some products that utilize this bamboo? There's bamboo cutting boards (image from Nature Moms)...Bamboo blinds (from Window Visions)...

Bamboo rugs (from Bamboo Rugs Store)...(30% off as of right now!)

...even Bamboo clothes (from Lotus Life)! I hear it's actually quite comfortable.

Oh, and don't worry about the panda bears - like I did when I first heard of bamboo products. They actually consume a different type of bamboo, so they'll be all right!

I couldn't help putting in this adorable picture! (from China Odyssey Tours). It's your reward for reading through this post. Oh, and the picture at the top is from Bamboo Revolution.

Wow, I used a lot of pictures and links in this post! Do you like to use a lot of images in your blog? If you don't have one, do you like to read blogs with lots of pictures?

Environmental Tips for the Workplace

2008-12-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

I think I want to start highlighting some online videos each week dealing with some basic environmental tips. This one is pretty informative and helpful, since I don't know too much about workplaces, obviously. It's only two minutes long, and while some of the situations it displays are pretty simple, it could help job your memory on such occasions.

Oh, I just realized I still don't know how to load an online video from Youtube onto a post. Is there a possible way, any of your tech-savvy people? Or I am resigned to just post links?

Well, here it is ...Green Office Project: Environmental Tips from the Workplace.

Reasons for Eating Less Meat

2008-12-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

I was just perusing through my newest copy of Reader's Digest this morning, and I came this little excerpt titled "Animal Planet." It gave out some astounding facts, which, though probably weren't news, still amazed me.

1. 60 billion animals a year are raised for food, meaning 10 animals per person. If you think about it, Americans probably have more than 10 animals, because billions of people live in poverty and do not always have access to fresh meat.

2. Growing corn and eating is expends 2.2 calories for every 1 calorie of protein yielded. But take that corn through the manufacturing process to produce feed for livestock, and take into account everything else that the livestock consume throughout their life (electricity, water, transportation), and it takes 40 calories to get the same 1 calorie of protein.

3. Steak dinner for 4 people = driving in a SUV for four hours and at the same time leaving all the lights on at your house.

4. Average American meat eater produces per year 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas than a non-meat eater. Yikes!

So does everyone have to become a vegetarian? I don't believe so - it's all based on your beliefs and values. However, there are some changes we all can make to ease the above statistics. Maybe try eating one non-meat meal a day, or one non-meat day a week. Cut back on portions a little bit - 3 oz. is a serving according to the FDA, not that 20 0z. steak the restaurant served. Try out some substitutes such as tofu and bean burgers. When you eat meat, try to find local sources or companies that don't use added hormones and use humane practices.

The above image, from MSN, is of a steak that is 72 oz.! Craziness.

So, is anyone a vegetarian? What is your reason?

Wrapping Paper

2008-12-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yep, another seasonal post...dealing with wrapping paper! How much wrapping paper do we really use in the holiday season? No doubt the number is up there. Here are a few suggestions to make the tradition a little more environmentally friendly.

1. This is the easiest! Recycle! All that lovely wrapping paper doesn't need to be bunched up and thrown into the trash, where it eventually will end up clogging a landfill. With the same amount of effort, the paper can be placed into a recycling bin.

2. Reuse! This might be a little tricky, depending on whether you are a patient or inpatient gift-opener. If you grab your gifts eagerly and tear right through the paper, it might be a little tough to put back together. However, I know a lot of people who like to unwrap their gifts slowly, without tearing the paper. Therefore, if you are one of the latter, you can reuse the gift wrap later. Usually the patterns, prints, and colors are so nice anyways, so I always feel bad just tossing it away.

Some of my friends have this wacky tradition of giving each other back the same square of wrapping paper. It's crazy - it's already changed hands several times.

3. Get some recycled gift wrap. Here's a website with some pretty cute designs. Another website has some plainer colors, if you like those. No doubt there are some stores around you with plenty of selection.

4. Be creative! Transform the comic page of the newspaper into gift wrap...maybe personalize smaller items such as gift cards with old letters. The possibilities are really endless.

This image is from Asia Ru.

Switch Your Holiday Lights

2008-12-02T17:09:00.001-08:00

In keeping with the holiday theme, I wanted to share with you what I learned in an article in the magazine Better Homes and Gardens. Basically, conventional string lights use a lot of electricity, especially when you keep them on all night and use a lot of them, like this crazy decked-out house from Decorated Houses.

So, this fun holiday tradition consumes both a lot of your electricity bill, and fossil fuels to produce the brightly-shining lights. Well, the magazine introduced me to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which use 80% to 90% less electricity than traditional models, and also can last up to 20,000 hours. They are also very safe, because they are cool to the touch. This year's lights have a lot of improvements over past models. There are many difference choices of color, size, and shape.

The article tells you not to wait for a sale because, "Stores report that they're one of the first holiday items to fly off the shelves, even when they're stocked way before Thanksgiving."

It's really strange that in my neighborhood, people are already starting to put up their lights! Well, I guess it is December now, and the holiday spirit is starting to come out. However, it was not even cold this past weekend - up to 60 degrees on Saturday, so it does feel a bit out of place.

I have a bunch of neighborhoods around me that have competitions to see whose home will be the most outrageously decorated. The homeowners do such a good job that people are lining up in the cars and causing traffic jams just to tour their streets. There are even bus tours arranged to view all these houses. Any wacky holiday traditions in your locale?

Christmas Trees: Fake or Real?

2008-11-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, the holiday season is arriving, and pretty soon people that celebrate Christmas are going to go out and get their trees, whether they be chopped from the ground or in a store. Time Magazine's latest issue has an article about which type of tree is better for the environment, and here is a summary.

Artificial Trees:

1. Cause lower carbon emissions compared to buying a real tree 10 years in a row (because of gasoline used to get a cut tree home).
2. However, these emissions basically cancel out because most artificial trees are shipped in from China.
3. Not biodegradable.
4. Older models may have high levels of lead.

Cut Trees:

1. When a tree is cut down, farms will plant another one in its place, making the process carbon neutral.
2. If the tree is thrown away, there isn't really much of a benefit.
3. Can be recycled in many areas that have programs.
4. Can be replanted if the root-ball is left intact.

I guess it all depends on how long you plan on keeping your tree and what you plan to do with it when you get rid of it. So, what kind of tree do you use? Any special family traditions or favorite ornaments? It was pretty funny because when I volunteered at this local senior assisted living center this past Friday they were putting up decorations, and they had this huge artificial tree. The activities director kept telling me to "fluff" up the tree branches. I've actually never heard of this expression before.

This image is from eHow.

Minimize Cooking Time

2008-11-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

This tip is so simple, it almost seems silly, but if you get into the habit, it could really work.

Remember when you learned about surface area vs. area in elementary school? My class did an "experiment" with sugar cubes, seeing which size dissolved first in the glass of water. To minimize cooking time, use the same principle - maximize the surface area.

For example, if you make mashed potatoes and you first boil the potatoes, it really doesn't matter how big you chop the potatoes, right? However, I see some recipes that call for boiling whole potatoes. That takes a lot of time! If you just take a few minutes to cut the potato into cubes, you can drastically cut down on the boiling, saving you on time and energy bill.

The same idea works with cake mixes. If you look on the back cover, you see that if you use a cupcake tin instead of a 9x12 pan, you can shave off a few minutes of your baking time. Ovens do require a lot of energy, whether you are on gas or electricity, so make cupcakes instead of cake next time!

So if you want to save a bit of energy, make flatter cookies instead of dense, thin crust pizzas as opposed to thick crust, use thin spaghetti pasta instead of penne, etc. Barbeque thinner cuts of meat instead of a huge steak. Squish down beef patties when making hamburgers. It may seem silly but in the long run it will save energy, and I think the Earth right now will appreciate any little bit of help it can get.

This image is from dkimages.

Happy Early Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends! I really can't believe it's this time of year again...the months just seem to fly by, even though some days really drag on forever. How is that possible?

Well, I'm thankful this year for having access to clean water and fresh air on the environmental note. I did take them for granted for too long, but after traveling to China I now know how wonderful they are! I mean, clean, already purified water flows from a turn of the faucet, and when I step outside I can smell the crisp fall air. I don't have to boil my water down or wear a mask when I go outdoors.

Have an earth-friendly holiday! If you can, cook several things in the oven at once, watch your water usage, and chose local produce But most of all, enjoy your time off from school/work and have fun!

This image is from Hillel at Brandeis.

So busy!

2008-11-22T10:53:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

I've been so busy with school, extracurriculars, and college applications that I haven't had too much time to post lately! Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it :). Meanwhile, I just wanted to keep the blog interaction going. If everyone who reads this could reply, it would be great! How about everyone just answer the following questions:

1. What is the easiest change you have made in your lifestyle that has helped the environment?

2. What is the hardest?

3. Where are you from? (Random, but it's always fun to see where readers actually are!)

4. Is there anything you would like to be different on this blog? (Just some feedback for me)

Use Free "Passive" Solar Power

2008-11-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

With the winter months coming, heating bills are probably going to rise. Solar power may help mitigate your increasing costs - even if you don't have solar panels! "Active" solar power utilizes sunlight to generate electricity, but "passive" solar power just creates heat directly from sunlight.

Short term solutions include just drawing back your curtains when the sun is facing the window. The sunlight entering will slowly warm up your room. Likewise, lower the blinds and shut the curtains when it's dark, to insulate your home.

Long term, you may be able to do some planning to further utilize passive solar power. Plant deciduous trees in front of windows. With these trees in place, in the summer, the leaves will block out sunlight, keeping your home cooler, and in the winter, sunlight can stream through the branches into your home.

There are all kinds of complex designs and engineering, involving water walls, insulation, and air circulation, that I don't quite understand and wouldn't feel comfortable explaining by myself, so I found a bunch of really good resources in case you are more interesting in passive solar heating.

At the Sound Home Research Center, there is some pretty good basic information, such as the costs and benefits, what works and what doesn't work.

The Arizona Solar Center has a very informative and detailed page on passive solar energy. This definitely is not for the amateur.

Here's a pretty basic YouTube video about passive heating. It's called Passive Solar Heating - Glass is All You Need. It's not the most dramatic or interesting video I've ever watched, but it does a good job of explaining.

This website shows some really cool solar home plans. Just in case you ever feel like building an home in the future.

So, there is something you can do to help lower your energy bills. Passive solar energy can be utilized by just drawing back your curtains, to building additions to your home, but you certainly don't need a fancy house and design like the one above, courtesy of www.skci.net.

How cold does it get where you live? I used to live in Wisconsin, and it would always get to below zero every winter, with tons of snow! Now that I live in the South, I haven't really seen temperatures drop below ten degrees, and we haven't had much snow except for a few flurries each year.

Some Shocking Environmental Facts

2008-11-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

I was looking up some statistics to share with the Ecology Club at my school, and I found some really saddening and shocking realities of our society today.

1. One year's worth of the New York Times paper weighs 520 pounds. That really struck me, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it really shouldn't be that surprising. There are so many pages of ads and the classified section. Most people only get the newspaper to read the headlines or their favorite page anyways. I think we should all take advantage of the online New York Times.

2. 40% of the solid mass in landfills is made of paper and cardboard. Recycle, recycle!

3. The office paper we waste each year could build a wall from New York to California.

These above facts were found at Top Ten Shocking Facts You Didn't Know About Office Paper Waste.

4. Four to five trillion plastic bags are made each year. Some reusable bags could cut this down...and some ideas here for reusing plastic bags...

5. Americans through away 100 billion of these bags each year, and only 1% are recycled. I know my local supermarket chains all have bins outside for plastic bag recycling, so check to see if your's does.

6. One billion seabirds and mammals die each year from ingesting plastic bags.

The above facts are credited to Say No the Plastic Bags.

These statistics seem so immense, and sometimes I feel a little helpless, like what can one person like me really do? But then I think, every time I recycle, every time I reduce or reuse, I am keeping that one piece of paper or waste away from a landfill - and that's my part. That's all I'm capable of controlling, but I can always hope to influence others to do their part too.

This image is from Knight Science Journalism Tracker.

Subscribe to a Local CSA

2008-11-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. According to the United States Department of Agriculture,

It is a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

From Local Harvest:

Many farms offer produce subscriptions, where buyers receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, meats, or any sort of different farm products.
A CSA, (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.
A CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall. The number of CSAs in the United States was estimated at 50 in 1990, and has since grown to over 2000

This is great for the environment because it supports local farmers and allows you to eat local, seasonal foods. By purchasing your groceries from a CSA instead of a huge corporation, you are decreasing the amount of pesticides, fertilizer, packaging, transportation, fossil fuels, and all that jazz that is required for conventional produce. Supporting local farmers also helps sustain and conserve the local biodiversity of the area.

Additionally, the overall cost usually is easier on your wallet too, and you are able to experience a wide variety of nutritious produce that you otherwise might not take the time to pick up.

Have you had any experiences with CSA? Do you find it a convenient and healthy way to get produce?

These images are from Eggs on a Sunday.

Pros and Cons: Nuclear Power

2008-11-03T04:28:00.000-08:00

Some people hail nuclear power as the answer to all of our energy problems - others think it will cause the destruction of the earth. McCain fully endorses this source of energy, while Obama has now seemed to reluctantly accept it. What are the real facts and real dangers?

Pros

1. Compared to coal and oil, nuclear energy produces a negligible amount of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases.

2. Nuclear power plants can be built almost anywhere in our country, unlike oil which is mostly imported.

3. It's cheaper to obtain. More people can afford to have and use energy, hopefully giving a boost to our economy.

4. The waste produced is small and compact.

5. There has not been an accident since Chernobyl in the 1980s.

Cons

1. There is no safe way to dispose of radioactive waste. The material takes thousands of years to break down and outlasts the steel containers it is put into, meaning it could contaminate its surroundings.

2. Yucca Mountain, the proposed nuclear waste dumpster, is not only a sacred Native American land, but is also on top of a earthquake fault line.

3. Nuclear power plants produce thermal pollution - they require an incredible amount of water to cool down the interior. The water is then let out back into a body of water. The warmed water is harmful to marine wildlife. I have read that one power plant requires the same amount of water as the city of Chicago in one day.

4. Disasters and near melt-downs have occurred in the past.

5. Using more radioactive material could make it easier for terrorists to get a hold of dangerous substances.

6. No one wants to live near a power plant. When they are built, the people who cannot afford to move away are the ones disproportionately harmed.

7. The unknown. Do we really know all the effects and consequences?

So, do the pros outweigh the cons? Are the benefits worth the risks? I'm more well-versed on the cons of nuclear power, so if anyone has any opinions, please comment. What are your thoughts?

This image is from Current Word.

Plant Some Beans

2008-10-31T04:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, finally a follow-up to my last post! What can you do to lessen your fertilizer use? Well, fertilizers mostly provide nitrogen in a form plants can use, and the element nitrogen is an essential compound in living things. Even though the atmosphere is 78% nitrogen gas, plants cannot utilize in that form.

Enter into the picture nitrogen-fixing bacteria! These bacteria are able to transform nitrogen gas into various compounds such as ammonium ions and nitrate, which plants are then able to intake. Well, where can you find these special little critters? It turns out, they like living in the roots of the legume family. Therefore, if you plant lots of beans in your garden along with your veggies, or alternate beans with the other plants, your soil will probably have more nitrogen and you won't need as much fertilizer.

However, beans are great in their own right. So many varieties exist- black, navy, soy, chickpeas, kidney, etc. They are so nutritious - with high protein and fiber, vitamins and minerals. You can definitely find lots of recipes - not just good old baked beans.

Here's a great website, The Gardener's Network, that has a special page about beans.

I was also perusing the Internet for some bean recipes and ideas to show you guys, and here's what I found- The Bean Bible! I never knew there was such a thing. Well, I guess you can find anything online these days.

Here's a great looking black bean burger recipe. Healthy and easy!

The image at the top is from the Latino Nutrition Coalition. What's your favorite bean or bean recipe? Have you ever grown beans?

Use Less Fertilizer

2008-10-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

This post is for all of you that have a nice little vegetable garden but find you need to use lots of fertilizer to keep that little garden going.

What's wrong with fertilizer? Well, a little bit won't hurt anyone, but usually if you use fertilizer, some of it will wash off with the rains. Eventually, all these nutrients from everyone's lawns, gardens, and fields, flow into a large body water. Then a phenomenon called eutrophication occurs. All this excess organic chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorous causes huge algal blooms to occur.

Definitely not the prettiest sight. Well, this ugly mess does more than just disgust everyone! When the algae die, a lot of dissolved oxygen in the water is used up by bacteria that are decomposing the bloom. And when the level of oxygen is too low, all kinds of marine life can be harmed, including fish. The Chesapeake Bay is the major body of water near where I live, and I know it is going through a major crisis of algal blooms.

So you ask, Molly, what I am supposed to do if I don't want to use that much fertilizer? I can't just let my vegetables and plants die? Don't worry... a post is coming up soon that might be able to help you.

This image is from Plant Management in Florida Waters.

Eat the Right Fish

2008-10-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

We've all heard the news over and over again- fish contains omega-3's that help brain function, fish is low in saturated fat, fish are high in protein, people who eat a diet with fish live longer, fish is low in cholesterol...but what kind of fish? There's salmon, tuna, mackerel, tilapia, mahi mahi, cod, flounder, sardines, anchovies, swordfish, and a whole ocean of other kinds! Which do you eat and which picks are best for the environment?

One major concern is overfishing. The stocks in the oceans are being depleted at a far faster rate than they can recover. If you buy and consume the species that are in abundance, you won't only being helping biodiversity - you might be saving a few bucks too.

Here are the best fish to eat:

1. Atlantic Herring
2. Pollock
3. Crawfish (farmed)
4. Tilapia (farmed)
5. Alaska Salmon
6. Atlantic Mackerel
7. Mahi Mahi (poll and troll caught)
8. Dover Sole
9. Catfish (farmed)
10. Black Sea Bass

This Seared Pollock Fillet with Carmelized Onions recipe from the Washington Post looks delicious and is healthy!

Here are the worst:

1. Caviar

2. Shark

3. Atlantic Salmon

4. Snapper

5. Halibut

6. Orange Roughy

7. Chilean Sea Bass

8. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

9. Grouper

10. Atlantic Cod

The above info was taken from The Blue Ocean Institute.

Also, you should watch out for mercury and PCB levels. These dangerous chemicals bioaccumulate and biomagnificate up the food chain, meaning usually that bigger fish have higher levels.

Highest levels of mercury

1. Shark

2. Swordfish

3. King Mackerel

4. Tuna steaks

5. Canned tuna

Lowest levels of mercury

1. Flounder

2. Haddock

3. Trout (farmed)

4. Salmon (wild Pacific)

This data is from Environmental Working Group.

So it seems like shark is a bad option, not that I know of anyone who eats shark on a daily basis. People who eat a lot of tuna should be cautious though. The main idea is that fish is a great nutrional choice but some kinds are better than others. The top image is courtesy of Simple Healthy Recipes.

Visit a Farmers Market!

2008-10-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

This time of year is great for visiting Farmers Markets! Do you have one near you? Here are some fabulous reasons for dropping in and getting great food!

1. Support for local farmers: small farmers really are suffering these days. I read somewhere that a huge percentage (like 80%) of our food is grown by big corporations, and the little guys are getting pushed out. Some of these people have been on their farms for generations. Supporting the local economy really helps cut down on the massive transportation and packaging energy costs of big corporations.

2. Cost: usually the produce and homemade goodies found at farmers markets cost way less than at a conventional grocery store. The reason most likely is because large companies have to pay a lot for shipping and transportation, plus there are middlemen involved (ex. Kroger has to buy the oranges from a company in Florida and still has to make a profit).

3. Health: a lot of the produce sold by local farmers are grown organically, without any pesticides. According to WebMD, these foods should be bought organic as often as possible, since they usually have the highest level of pesticides:

Organic items worth buying as often as possible: Apples, baby food, bell peppers, celery, cherries, dairy, eggs, imported grapes, meat, nectarines, peaches, pears, poultry, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.

4. Taste: I find that locally grown produce tastes so much better and fresher. I mean, it probably was just in the ground a day or two ago, right? Conventionally grown produce has to be packed, transported, stored, etc., before it makes it to your kitchen. Plus, sometimes chemicals are added to delay the ripening, or the fruit is covered in waxy layer. At a farmers market, the produce may not be standard size and shape, but the taste is much sharper and fresher.

This image is from Active Rain.
What are your favorite finds at your nearby farmers market?

Reuse Plastic Bags

2008-10-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

My parents always get plastic when they grocery shop, so my pantry is full of wads of these plastic bags. I've found lots of good ways to reuse them, so I thought I'd share some with you.

1. Pack your lunch in them. Instead of buying and using those little brown paper bags, it's better to use something you already have. I find that plastic grocery bags work fine when packing a sandwich and a few sides. It doesn't keep the food from being squashed and its not a great insulator, but it works. Of course, an even better container to pack a lunch in is a reusable bag that I blogged about it this post.

2. Use them to line trash cans. Of course, they won't really work in your kitchen (I know my trash can needs those 30 gallon sturdy black bags to work), but they are really handy for those little trash bins in my bedroom and bathroom.

3. Bring them back to the store. Plastic bags take up no space at all and are pretty convenient to stuff in your purse and use again. Of course, too many uses may result in tearing, so you might be better of with one of these reusable bags.

4. Recycle them! Supermarkets in my town now have containers that let you recycle plastic bags, so there might be some where you live as well (Richmond isn't exactly known for being environmentally progressive).

5. Use them as "packing peanuts." I've actually never tried this, but I'm sure it could work! Stuff them in a package to cushion the item.

Anyone else have some great ideas for using plastic blags?
This image is from Captain Pao. Sorry if the "idiots" part offends anyone - I would substitute "silly" in if I could photoshop well.

Clean Organically

2008-10-16T14:16:00.001-07:00

Conventional cleaning products are stringent and harsh on the environment. I found this great video about how to make your own organic cleaning supplies - check it out! It seems pretty simple and doable. Most of the ingredients can be found in any home, such as distilled vinegar.

How to Make Organic Cleaning Supplies.

Does any computer savvy person know how to upload online videos directly onto a blog? I would really appreciate any help!

Don't Waste

2008-10-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Remember how your mother always told you clean your plate, because children elsewhere are starving of hunger? The better strategy, I have learned, is to take less in the first place. This starts way before you serving yourself a meal - back to the grocery store.

Always check for expiration dates and serving sizes. Once I bought a huge bag of flaxseed because it was on sale and I needed a tablespoon of it for a recipe. Well, I forgot one detail- nobody in my family uses flax and nothing else I make requires flax! That sad bag sat on my fridge shelf for three months until it was past the "best used by" date and was tossed into the trash. Really, what a waste of food and money.

Remember how you learned in elementary school that the Native Americans were in tune with nature and respectful of everything, meaning they used the whole animal/plant whenever they killed anything? Well, I'm not suggesting that you demand the bones with your deli meat and carve jewelry, but there are so many things that we throw away without realizing its uses! For example, peels on veggies and fruits can be made into compost, as explained in this previous post.

Another thing many people throw away is the stem of broccoli! That is my favorite part of the vegetable - it's crispy and crunchy when made in a stir-fry. Just peel away the hard outer layer, chop up, and throw into a stir-fry. Most parts of vegetables can be eaten in some form- just today, I learned that the leaves of a pumpkin plant are delicious and nutritious after a quick turn in the pan with some olive oil and salt. Eggshells are good for plants if you crush them around the surface of the dirt.

Some people even eat the shells of shrimp and crabs! I'm definitely not to that step yet- eugh! The point being, a lot of the things people think of as trash and throw away can be used in some way or another. This image is from Innovate Infinitely.

Take Cold(er) Showers

2008-10-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

I love steaming hot showers, especially on a cold winter night. I don't even realize how hot they are until I step out of the tub and see the bathroom mirror completely fogged up. However, this is definitely a habit I need to cut back on, for the good of the environment, our family's budget, and even my hair and skin.

According to the Consumer Energy Center, 25% of our energy costs goes to the water heater! You can bet a large chunk of that is for baths and showers. I had no idea the percentage was that high, but it makes sense when you think of the high specific heat of water. I'm learning this in AP Bio right now. Basically, water just needs a lot of energy to heat up! When you think of a swimming pool, it's a lot colder in June than in August! It takes a long time for the sun's rays to be able to warm up the water.

With using colder water, I would probably save a bunch on my energy bill, as well as the fossil fuel usage that is contributing to global warming and pollution.

Hot water can also remove necessary oils from your skin, leaving it dry and less than optimal (MSN). It can damage your hair and irritate your scalp. Hmmmm...maybe if I don't use so much hot water, I can skip buying all those expensive moisturizers and conditioners!

Well, I don't think I will ever be one of those people that can just hop out of bed and into a freezing cold shower, but who knows? I'll just adjust my water a little colder and colder each day, and maybe I'll get used to it! This image is from www.neatitems.com.

Play FreeRice

2008-10-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

This online game/quiz is quite addicting. When I first began, FreeRice quizzed you on English vocabulary. For each word you answered correctly, a certain amount of rice grains would be donated to help end world hunger. The difficulty level moved up according to your level of accuracy.

Well, I just got back on today, and boy has the site changed! There are more categories to be quizzed on, including geography, Spanish, chemistry, and math! This really is an ingenious way to learn and help out at the same time. It's quite a good study aid too. I definitely would have used it last year to memorize the chemistry symbols I needed to know. Now I can use it to increase my Spanish vocabulary (currently in my fourth year of Spanish). The ads are really unobtrusive, too. I barely notice them.

There are some arguments that giving aid to Third World Countries is actually making them dependent and less self-sufficient. I agree to an extent - we shouldn't just be sending in food and undermining their local economy. However, donating the basics while bolstering the agricultural production and distribution is necessary. People who literally are starving can't possible be as productive. I really don't think donating some rice will hurt.

An alternate version of this game is available on Facebook, if any of you use it.

Find a Better Search Engine

2008-10-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are search engines that you can use that donate to your favorite charities? Every time you use that site, you are increasing the money going to the organization, mainly generated from the ads on the page. These search engines are mostly convenient to use and donate to pretty good causes. Here are some that I have found.

1. SearchKindly- this search engine has raised over $13,000. Different charities are featured each week, and you get to vote on who gets the money. This week features an environmental group called Climate Cycle, that works to raise awareness in communities.

2. Everyclick- the UK based site has a pretty snazzy and clean page. They provide over 200,000 charities with fundraising options. You can register as a supporter of a particular organization, or the revenue will just go into a general pot.

3. GoodSearch- you chose a charity, and every search you make on this search engine increases contributions to the charity. A LOT of non profits participate in this, so you will be sure to find one to support.

4. MagicTaxi- cute name. Gives 50% of revenue to a selected charity of the week. Pretty cool in that in has a tab to search Wikipedia.

5. GoodTree- kind of looks like the Google homepage, only personalized. It has different features such as bookmarks and news.

And this last one, not as much charity related, but one of my favorites

6. Blackle- basically a Google with a black page. This saves energy - "864,680.675 Watt hours saved."

It is a hard habit to break, just opening up Internet Explorer or Firefox and mindlessly typing in Google. You might want to set one of the above as a homepage so you don't forget. A few clicks can make a difference. The image is from Core77.

Milk Ice Cream

2008-10-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

I saw this in Time magazine and just had to say something about it.

So PETA says to Ben and Jerry's (the ice cream maker) that they should use human breast milk to make ice cream instead of cow milk. Their argument is that it is even more absurd to drink the milk of another animal than our own species, and milking cows is cruel, etc. Yeah...I don't think this is going to happen any time soon.

However, the response of Ben and Jerry's was even more ridiculous. They replied, word for word, "We believe a mother's milk is best used for her child." Hello? They're not giving their ice cream to baby cows, are they? The company is directly contradicting itself. If a mother's milk is best used for her child, why is the ice cream company stealing it to manufacture a product for another species?

I don't have a problem with them using cow milk, but I do have a problem with their view of animals. Yes, cows are mothers too. They are not machines. I don't care about the argument whether people are animals etc, but the biological fact is that cows are mothers and they have babies. The end.

This image is from Will Work For Food.

Vice Presidential Debate

2008-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Did any one watch the "Global warming" section of the debates on Thursday night?

I thought it was pretty ridiculous how Palin's response to global warming was domestic oil. No matter where we get our oil from, it still comes out the same way from the exhaust pipe our our cars! Oil doesn't magically become less polluting because it is American oil. So what if America has more regulations than other countries? As long as we are using the same amount of oil, we will create the same amount of greenhouse gases. She focused too much on the effects of global warming and not the causes. I know she's from Alaska and all - didn't she see the Exxon Valdez disaster and the tremendous damage of the oil spill? She seems pretty eager to drill her land up.

Biden's focus on alternative energy was much more realistic. He did talk about the causes of global warming, and how our reliance on oil was detrimental. Alternative energy would create more jobs in the job market, maybe even better than producing domestic oil would. After all, the oil supply isn't infinite. Eventually people would have to be laid off as our oil dwindled away. Why not just start with alternative energy? There is always more to research, more to develop, to further enhance solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy.

So what did you think about the debates?

This image is from CNews.

Organize Your Fridge

2008-09-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know refrigerators are the largest consumers of energy in your home? At first when I heard this fact, I was surprised, but then I thought about it. They have to keep their temperature freezing cold all day and all night long, no matter what the surrounding temperature is. Not only that, but many times a day people open the doors and stare at the innards, wondering what to eat (I know I'm guilty of this.) Lastly, hot food is sometimes placed into the fridge, which consumes even more energy in order to cool down the food.

Here are some tips I have found all over the web, including from Helium, Associated Content, and Consumer Energy.

1. Don't put hot food directly into the fridge. This not only uses up more energy, but also is an unsafe practice for foods such as chicken and fish.

2. Keep your fridge full! This helps it keep a cool temperature. You can place ice packs or water-filled containers inside too. But don't completely stuff it, because this may interfere with air flow.

3. Switch off features such as ice makers when not in use. These add-ons can increase your energy usage by 20%.

4. Check door seals to make sure they shut tightly. You can easily test this by sliding in a dollar bill between the door and shutting it. If the dollar slides out smoothly, the seal is not closing tight enough.

5. Think about what you want to grab out and on what shelf it is located before opening the fridge door, instead of standing mindlessly at the open fridge. Hopefully this will make the process faster.

6. Label leftovers if you keep them in Tupperware so you can easily grab and shut.

7. Keep the coils clean. This practice can improve efficiency by up to 30%.

8. The fridge should be between 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Any colder and you are probably just wasting energy. The freezer should be around 3 degrees.

9. Brush off dust around the condenser under the fridge to encourage air flow.

10. Consider removing the refrigerator lights if there is already plenty of light in the room.

I know this is an area that I can definitely improve on, and I hope you all will find some of these tips helpful as well! This image is from Corbis.

Find a Carpool Buddy!

2008-09-26T19:34:00.001-07:00

Seriously, carpooling is one of the easiest ways to save money and reduce air pollution from car exhaust. I carpool with friend(s) to school every day. Once you get a schedule set, it's really quite easy and becomes routine. The difficult part is actually finding someone who lives near you, travels where you are going, and has the same schedule. Well, some websites are here to help!

This website, eRideShare.com, claims to be the "top" site of its kind in the world. It has worldwide coverage and a large user base. So if you don't live in the U.S., maybe this should be the link you check out.

Carpool Connect seems a very simple. All you do is enter in your address and destination. The site brings up a list of people that have descriptions matching some of the keywords of your search. It's not the most effective - I typed in Richmond to DC and got someone pretty close (Richmond to Arlington) but they were last updated two years ago. Well, its pretty simple, so there's no harm in giving it a try.

Carpool World has a large database with over 70,000 registered trips.

RideSearch is another similar website that also has a gas calculator to see how much you save.

Of course, always take precautions when contacting someone over the internet. Check up on the person, arrange a meeting beforehand with a third party, let someone know where you are going and when you will be there, etc. Better safe than sorry.

And another advantage? You can take those special carpool only lanes on highways and avoid some traffic! This image is from Commuter Connections. So, have any of you ever tried carpooling?

Beware of Exotic Species

2008-09-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Do you have a parrot in your home? How about some sort of tropical plant, or a flower not native to the area? If you do, please keep track of them!

Introduced species are one of the main reasons for decreasing biodiversity. When organisms that are not native to an area are let out into the environment, they have no natural predators and may quickly spread. Of course, not all species can be established in an area. On average, out of every 10 introduced species, 1 will become established. Out of 10 established species, 1 will become a "pest." This is known as the Tens Rule.

These "pests" can out-compete native animals and plants, and completely change the structure of an ecosystem. Examples of introduced species include the African Honey Bee, which preys on North American bees and has really destroyed a great part of the honey-making industry, and Kudzu, which has really taken over a lot of plant communities. Zebra Mussels too, have threatened the biodiversity in the Great Lakes.

So, don't just let your pets or plants out into the wild if you don't feel like keeping them any more! You never know what may happen.

This image is from The Hedonistic Imperative.

Visit Throwplace.com

2008-09-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Do you have lots of old items that could be useful to someone else? I know I do- pieces of furniture that don't match, electronic equipment I don't want, outgrown clothing- but sometimes it's too much work to have a yard sale that probably won't make too much money anyways. Besides, my goal isn't to make money, just to get rid of some stuff.

I could donate to the Salvation Army, but I never know when their pick-up times are, and the Goodwill is too far for me to lug my stuff to. I could recycle, but as I went over in this post, it isn't always the best thing to do.

Well, put Throwplace.com into the picture! Your junk could really become someone's treasure (and vice versa). Here's a website that let's you post up items you don't want, so other individuals/businesses/charities can pick them up.

There's a section to "throw into" - where you list items you have and don't want, and a section to "take from" - where you can look for something you might need. You never know what you may find, and it's good to know that your unneeded possessions are put to good use by someone who does need them.

This unique website allows items to be continually reused, which reduces cost and consumption, qualities we all need right now.

Sad but True

2008-09-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

As I was working today, I saw this bumper sticker on a car.

"At least we are winning the war on the environment."

It made me sad :(

Dispose of Medicine Properly

2008-09-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Apparently, some people flush their leftover prescriptions down the toilet. I was totally not aware of this until I saw the recent news article stating that low levels of prescription medicines were tested in our water supply!

There were all sorts of chemicals found in the water, including low doses of hormones and mood-stabilizers. The doses were said to be too low to cause any effects, but who knows what can happen if we keep tossing our drugs down into the water?

The U.S. water treatment system is very extensive. From our drains and the storm water drains the dirty water flows into primary treatment. Primary treatment is mostly designed to remove the "nasty" stuff from our water- for example, big pieces of debris and waste, dead animals, etc. Then water is put into a tank where all the dirt and particulate matter settles down to the bottom and becomes sludge, which either goes to a landfill or is used in agriculture. The water goes through other steps, including aeration by bacteria and chlorination.

Some places have secondary treatment, where the water goes through more specialized treatment. Then the water is let out into a body of water or reservoir.

Well, there is no step that removes all of these drugs from the water! I know it is in low doses, especially dissolved in all of that water, but the one thing we should have learned is that it is best not to test the environment. Bad effects may not happen until further down the road. Who knows what these man-made chemicals can do to ecosystems?

This is an easy problem to ease. Just properly dispose of all your medicines (but I heard that you absolutely should use the entire prescription on certain substances like antibiotics, depending on your doctor's orders.)

So, now I will open the floor to my readers (if I have any). What are your thoughts on this strange and unsettling phenomenon?

Create a Compost Pile

2008-09-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm just a little strange, but sometimes I feel bad just throwing out fresh vegetable and fruit scraps into the garbage. I mean, that stuff is natural and decomposable! However, there is no way those bits will break down in a landfill, where it will be pressed down without oxygen and bacteria.

I could get a pig and feed it all my peelings and scraps...but I think I could run into some problems. An easier way to "recycle" your veggie bits and ends is to create a compost pile! If you have a garden, then the compost later can be used as organic fertilizer for your plants. I'm no authority on the ins and outs of composting, so I have compiled a list of sites I have found really helpful below.

How to Compost- this is a extremely comprehensive website for beginners and experts alike. There are lots of general tips, and also some specialized information. For those that love science, the site includes a section about the the scientific details, such as carbon-to-nitrogen ratios.

Tree Hugger has a fairly basic but straightforward guide to composting.

An interesting site, Journey to Forever, that has articles on composting, as well as "humanure?" I'd say no to the latter part.

If you live an apartment, or have no backyard, visit Mahalo, for a guide on how to compost indoors (without the smell)!

More indoor composting at Tiny Choices.

As you can see, there are various ways to compost, suitable for every lifestyle. Don't limit yourself! This image is from Denver Recycles. It looks so earthy, doesn't it? I wish my soil looked like that.

Save the Birds

2008-09-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have birds crashing into your sliding glass doors or windows? If not, this post may be irrelevant to you, but if you do, keep reading for a fun way to help the birds and recycle at the same time!

According to the Audubon Society, millions of birds each year die from flying into glass surfaces. Some may only see the reflection of trees and grass, while others may not see the glass at all.

From the Journal of Field Ornithology in 1990, Daniel Klem estimated that glass kills 5% of the total number of birds living in the United States, more than pollution, poisons, and cars.

So, what can you do? Of course, you could rebuild your windows and make them smaller, but nobody would be willing to undertake that project, both for aesthetic reasons and cost. Fortunately, there are easier methods. Simply taking a piece of black construction paper, cutting it into the shape of a falcon, and hanging it somewhere on your glass/door should do the trick. Birds recognize the ominous shadow of the predator.

Another creative strategy comes from TimesRecordNews.com, the Scare Owl. This fun design of an owl's face recycles two old compact disks, used as the owl's eyes. The sunlight that reflects off the disks will warn birds of the glass surface. Click on the above link for more detailed instructions.

And if you've watched any funny home videos, you will know that this tip may save more than just birds from bumping to sliding glass doors...

This image is from Birding in British Columbia.

Use a Real Lunch Bag/Box

2008-09-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

Remember that unpopular kid in middle school who always lugged around a big, bulky lunchbox? Well, reusable lunchboxes and bags have since made a comeback!

Bringing lunches in small brown paper sacks and plastic bags may seem convenient and appealing, but those flimsy things can really do some damage to the environment! Think of all the trees and oil needed to create the materials in the first place, and then the fossil fuels used to manufacture the raw goods into the picture perfect squares. Then there's the fact that rarely do school cafeterias or workplace lunchrooms have recycling bins. Sadness.

Say you bring in a bag each day for lunch. That's obviously 365 bags a year, and 3650 bags for each decade. Over the course of your lifetime, you may discard over 300,000! Quite literally, a ton. Even paper, usually biodegradable, will probably not be able to decompose in a landfill environment, where it is compressed tightly and buried under all sorts of garbage.

Luckily, there are many new and fashionable alternatives to the boring and destructive brown paper bag. Seriously, look at this adorable one from Green Home.
It's made out of certified organic cotton. Here's the Savvy Snack Bag from Etsy.

This Next also has a bunch of stylish designs, for adults and children alike.

Unbearably cute! I want one of those!

There are so many options to chose from. If you don't really fancy any of these examples, I am sure there will be one to your liking somewhere on the internet.

Cloth or Disposable Diapers?

2008-09-02T18:07:00.001-07:00

Diapers are the things that people need (at certain points of their lives) but hate to think about. Well, I believe that it is time to give one of mankind's most practical inventions a little thought. Cloth or disposable, which is better for the environment?

At first glance, it seems obvious that disposable diapers cause more harm. After all, don't we toss millions and billions of those bad boys into the landfill each year, knowing that the plastic is not biodegradable? And non-biodegradable items will overflow the landfills, desecrating nature, and eventually conquer us all? (Background sound effect: Mwahahahaha!)

Yep, disposable diapers are not the Earth's soft pillowly bandages. But don't despair, you millions of new moms and dads- cloth diapers may not be any better, and here's why.

Diapers made of cloth need to be washed (duh), meaning lots of water and electricity to heat the water are needed. Plus, unless you hang the diapers out on a clothesline to dry, the dryer will take additional energy to run. The cotton used to make the diapers also needed fertilizers, pesticides, water, and fossil fuels to create.

In the end, there really is no conclusive evidence to make. Various studies have been made supporting each type of diaper, and (surprise) many of them were funded by the companies that manufacture the product. I think there might be a slight edge to the cloth diapers, depending on how many times you reuse each diaper and the type of washer and dryer you own, but in the end, both types make a similar environmental impact.

So what should you do? Just be a little more aware of what your impact on the environment is, and be grateful that we have not reached the day when disposable diapers have buried our civilization.

This image is from Being Green and Seeing Red.

Unplug Electronics

2008-08-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

It turns out, simply turning off your TV just isn't enough any more.

Many appliances and electronics such as TVs, computers, stereos, washers/dryers, and power tools use energy even when they are turned off. This energy drain is commonly referred to as "vampire energy."

According to the Energy Information Administration, these suckers add up to around 20% of your monthly energy bill- and you are not even aware of it! On the website, it states, "that a TV with a remote could use more energy during the 20 hours it is turned off waiting for you to turn it on than it does while you are watching it for 4 hours in the evening." Crazy!

Consumers are paying more than 3 billion dollars a year for power that they are not using.

So, what can you do? Unplug electronics after you are finished using them. If you want an even simpler solution, just plug everything into power strips- it will be an easy one time switch off.

Remember, less energy use --> less fossil fuel use --> less pollution into our earth. Obviously, less money out of your pockets is a big bonus! So, unplug to stop the vampire drain!

This image is from TVA Kids.

Ditch the Bottle

2008-08-26T06:17:00.001-07:00

We live in a nation with one of the safest and most thorough water treatment systems. City tap water is checked regularly for to make sure it meets the safety standards. Fluoride is added to tap water (it's good for your teeth!).

Concerning the amount of water you normally drink and cook with, tap water is basically free. Now, how expensive is bottled water? One bottle from a vending machine can easily cost over a dollar. Bulk packages are a little easier on the wallet but by no means cheap. I recently bought a 24 pack of water for a road trip and even on sale, it was over 5 dollars with tax.

Sure, the bottled water companies try to dazzle you with their products. They design the bottle to be all slim and appealing and use catch phrases such as "spring water" and "pure and fresh." Did you know that a lot of bottled water really just comes from tap? It's really important to read the source on the side. A Dasani bottle says it is produced by the Coca-Cola company in Atlanta, Georgia. Hmmmm....don't remember any mountain springs located down there.

There's a new bottle design out, one that curves inward in the middle. It's supposed to use 1/3 less plastic and calls itself eco-friendly. This is one of them. Though it may be better than the old kind, its far removed from just plain old tap. Remember, not only does plastic require oil, but also the entire process of manufacturing the bottles requires energy. These bottles could end up in landfills, or use more energy in the recycling process. Energy= fossil fuels and fossil fuels= bad for the environment.

So, suck it up (literally) and try your tap water. I promise it isn't as bad as you might think.

This image is from Living Small.

Reduce > Reuse > Recycle

2008-08-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

Recycling is all the rage these days! Companies proudly label their containers with statements such as "Made of 100% recycled paper," while some people obsessively put away every scrap of plastic and paper into the green bins. However, there are strategies even better than recycling for the environment.

Many people do not think of it, but recycling does require additional energy to process. Fossil fuels are needed to break down the old material, remix, and reshape the final product. The reason why recycling is better than throwing away is because first of all, there is no need to extract more of the material (paper from trees, etc.), and second, landfills don't get further clogged.

Reusing is a strategy that eliminates one step from the process. Of course, you have the initial manufacturing of the product, but you don't have the whole extra processes related to recycling. Items easy to reuse:

Small plastic snack baggies

Paper bags

Glass jars

Cans (Be creative! Pencil holders, anyone?

Paper (Use the back of that scrap piece as your shopping list)

Reducing and reusing go hand in hand. If you reuse certain items, you obviously will reduce the amount you buy. Reducing is the best strategy environmentally, because since you cut down on the amount you consume, you skip both the recycling process and the intial manufacturing process. So, do you really need two paper towels for that little spill? Can you use two sides of the paper when writing? Little changes like those really can reduce the amount you buy.

You can't reduce everything, but what you can't reduce, you most of the time can reuse, and what you can't reuse, hopefully you can recycle. A combination of these strategies will lead to a more sustainable lifestyle.

This image is from the Penwith District Council.

Turn Down That Air Conditioning

2008-08-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

I know it is summer and it is hot, but remember- people a hundred years ago didn't even have air conditioning units! They didn't even have electrical fans! And guess what? They led happy, productive lives. Of course, I'm not asking anyone to not turn on their AC for the summer. All I think is necessary is to use common sense. For most people, 80 degrees indoors when it is over 100 outside isn't too bad. No need to crank down the thermostat to below 70.

There are various ways to cool down. Obviously, wearing lighter, thinner clothes helps, such as shorts and tanktops. Taking colder showers will help cool you off. Drinking ice cold water definitely will chill your system.

Other strategies: remember to turn off the AC whenever you leave home, or at night when it is cooler and less humid. If you have different units for different rooms or floors, it is most effective to only turn on the unit of the area in which you will be staying. If you can control the air flow into rooms, turn off the AC in rooms you rarely use, such as a spare bedroom or a formal dining room.

You can save a lot on your utility bills with these simple changes. I know people who spend several hundred dollars a month just because of the AC! Now, doesn't it seem better to endure a few degrees higher temperature in return for that money? Not to mention the benefits of using less fossil fuel!

This image is from General Heating.

Avoid Individually-packaged Products

2008-08-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Individual packages are all the craze these days. Hello, 100-calorie packs, fruit snacks, oatmeal packets, mini-bags of pretzels, ice cream cups, ketchup, sugar, etc.? I've even seen cute little packets of peanut butter and saran-wrapped microwavable potatoes.

Of course, these little packages of joy are very convenient and portion-controlled. However, they do take a toll on the environment and on your wallet.

More plastic and other materials are needed to create the excess packaging. Because of this, more oil is used to create the plastic, and more fossil fuels/energy is used for the production. Also, ultimately more trash ends up in our landfills and sidewalks. These items also cost a lot more per unit. For example, a large bag of Cheetos is cheaper than a pack of several smaller bags.

In the end, I believe that portion-controlled packaging actually encourages an unhealthy lifestyle. Why, you ask? Well, most of these goods are processed and relatively nutrient-poor. However, because of the portion control, people believe that they are eating healthy.

Steer clear of these convenience foods! If you need portion control, buy a larger bag and divide it up yourself. You can reuse your own little plastic baggies and save some money. It's the lesser of two evils. However, the best thing for the environment would be to avoid most processed and packaged foods and eat naturally and locally.

This image is from ABC News.

Choose the Real White Meat

2008-08-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

Though a vegetarian or vegan diet is best in terms of the impact it has on the environment, many people do not have the time, money, or desire for the huge lifestyle change. Therefore, the next best thing to do is to compare the different types of meat we commonly eat. Remember, unlike men, all meat are not created equal.

Let's think in terms of the amount of grain an animal must consume vs. the amount of meat the animal produces. According to BBC News, one cow requires at least 13 pounds of grain in order to make one pound of beef. Pigs need 6 pounds of grain to make one pound of pork. Chickens consume about 2 pounds of feed for each pound of meat. Fish, I believe, need a little less.

Let's say the standard serving of meat is 4 oz. per person (of course, nowadays the perception of portion sizes in blown out of proportion, with half-pound burgers and 12 oz. steaks). A family of four eats meat at two meals out of the day, meaning 28 meals a week. That's over 1400 pounds a year. Now, if the family chose chicken over beef each time, they would be saving over 16,000 pounds of grain annually!

Now multiply this number by the number of meat-consuming families in the world. It's an astronomical figure! We could do so much with this amount of food, including easing third world hunger.

Of course, this is the basic outline, but there are many other benefits.

Environmental

Less water used (beef requires the most, then pork, etc.)

Less fossil fuels used (again, cattle require the most equipment/trucks/shelter)

Less land degradation

Cost

Generally speaking, beef is the most expensive, then pork, then chicken (fish is the exception)

Health

Again, on average beef has the most saturated fat and cholesterol. Chicken and fish have many more health benefits.

If you just can't give up your meat, remember, fish> chicken > pork > beef. Obviously, there are many problems with the chicken and fish market (overfishing, anyone?), but this is a general guide you should use.

This image comes from http://www.aspencountry.com/

Use Sprinklers Wisely

2008-07-31T18:36:00.001-07:00

I don't know where you live, but here in Virginia it gets hot in the summer. The sweltering weather means...well, plants are thirsty! Sometimes the seasonal thunderstorms and cloud bursts just aren't enough to maintain a green yard.

People in my neighborhood always turn on their sprinklers during the hottest part of day, the early afternoon. Their reasoning? "Well, plants need to cool down too, don't they?"

This strategy not only may harm the plants, but is also extremely wasteful. With such high temperatures, a lot of the water from the sprinkler evaporates away before it can even reach the plant roots. Having a pivot system makes this even worse, because the water droplets have further to go before falling to the ground.

The best time to irrigate is during early morning or early evening, when the sun's rays aren't so strong and overhead. More water actually is able to reach the plants, so therefore you can conserve more water.

An even better idea would be to buy a different type of sprinkler that drips water directly into the ground, eliminating a lot of evaporation. If you don't want to go out and buy it, and you have an old hose, you can also poke little holes on the side of the tubing and lay it out where your plants/grass are. Simple solution for a big change!

This image is courtesy of CmsGardens.

Universities and Being Green

2008-07-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, this isn't a post with a tip, but I just wanted to mention the trend of colleges and universities going green. I'm visiting campuses right now, and just about every place I've been to has some sort of environmental initiative going on.

The University of Richmond has the one building called Weinstein, and in all of the bathrooms the lights are sensor-activated. When you walk into them they light up. It's really nice and saves them a lot on their electricity bill, but it can be a bit scary if you aren't used to it.

At Duke, they built this Smart Home Dorm that has various features such as solar power systems and rainwater collection systems. I personally did not tour the dorm but it seems very interesting so I encourage you to go visit in case you are ever in Durham.

William and Mary also recently had a dorm building built that was certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

It's a great trend, especially with engineering/science students helping with the construction in some of the buildings and other students experiencing living and learning in them. I hope other campuses follow soon and spread awareness!

Grow native plants in your yard

2008-06-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

The next time you are at a plant nursery eying that exotic Brazilian plant, remember something- it is to your advantage and to nature's benefit to bring home something that indigenous to the region. There are a number of reasons why this is so.

Flowers, shrubs, and trees that are native to an area are already acclimated to the local temperature, rainfall, soil nutrients, etc. Therefore, it will be less work for you if you chose these species, since they will most likely not need special care or extra attention.

Many exotic plants require extra water, meaning you will have to turn on your sprinklers more often. Remember from the last post, water = valuable resource + money! You want to conserve it, not find ways to use it up.

Additionally, these plants may require special fertilizers or pesticides since they may not have developed protection against local insects or need nutrients not found in the area's soil. Let me explain to you why the less fertilizer/pesticide you use, the better.

After you apply these chemicals to your land, they stick around in the soil and on the plants. When rain comes, they are washed away with the runoff. Eventually, most of the runoff flows in bodies of water such as lakes. Now, pesticides and fertilizers from farmlands and yards accumulate into the lake. The pesticides can kill off beneficial organisms that are essential to the ecosystem of the lake.

The fertilizers also cause a grave problem, known as eutrophication. In this phenomenon, the nutrients in fertilizers such as nitrogen and phosphorous feed the algae in the lake. Because of the excess food, the algae can grow to enormous proportions, in groups known as "algal blooms." Now, when the algae die, bacteria swarm in large numbers to decompose the massive blooms. These bacteria use up a lot of the oxygen in the lake and cause oxygen-free areas known as "dead zones." With little to no oxygen, fish and other creatures die. Eutrophication is a major issue today, especially in the Chesapeake Bay.

Lastly, native plants simply cost less! They don't have to be ugly either- there are many attractive species located in all areas of the world!

The other dangers of exotic species will be addressed in an upcoming post, hopefully. Meanwhile, pay attention to what you are planting in your yard!

The above image is from www.jstryker.com

Check for leaks

2008-06-10T13:48:00.001-07:00

Here's an easy way to cut down on water usage. Every time you use the faucet, shower, hose, etc., make sure to turn it off very tightly. Sometimes, even if the water seems to be cut off, there is still a tiny imperceptible drip. These precious drops of water add up to a lot. A slow rate of one drip per three seconds (yes, it is a long time- one...two...three) can lead to over 1000 gallons a year! That's crazy!

American Water Works Association has a fun calculator that will tell you exactly how much water you waste, right here.

Here's another calculator, which takes into account the number of faucets you have in your home. So, the average household has around 2 bathrooms, right? Each one has a sink and a shower/bath. Plus the kitchen sink, and some people also have faucets in a utility room. Oh, and some homes also have a half bath. Let's plug this into the calculator, still using the 1 drop per 3 seconds. Yikes! More than 3,500 gallons!

3,500 gallons, to give you some perspective, is the same size as this guy's pond that he built by hand, according to this Myspace video. Yeah.

So, by turning off all faucets tightly, you can save a pond-full of fishies! Um...no. But, seriously, check your faucets. It shouldn't take more than 5 seconds a day to squeeze them a little tighter.

This lovely image is from the Daily Green.

Turn your motor off

2008-05-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows what it's like to wait by the curb for a friend... oh, just a few minutes right? There's no need to turn off my engine. What about leaving the car in front of the store to grab a gallon of milk? Stuck in a mile-long traffic jam?

There are many times when we leave our cars idling. This practice damages the environment, our vehicles, and our wallets. According to the Consumer Energy Center, every time we idle for two minutes, we use the amount of gas it takes to go one mile. With gas prices so high and the average person idling for 5 to 10 minutes a day, we could be using a gallon of gas a week- to go nowhere!

What's more, idling can cause fuel residues to build up and damage the engine components of your car.

According to the EPA, idling releases more than 6 grams of nitrous oxides and carbon dioxide per minute. If you think about the amount of time individual drivers idle per day, multiply that throughout their lifetime, and multiply that figure by the number of drivers in the world, you will realize that there is a staggering amount of air pollution that could easily be reduced.

Next time you're waiting in a car, just take less than 5 seconds to turn off your engine. Your car, your bank account, and the air quality will thank you.

The above image is from Carbon Offset Solutions.

Grab a reusable bag

2008-04-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many times I've heard customers at the grocery store I work at chose to use paper bags because they are "better" for the environment. In reality, this is far from the truth.

Sure, paper is biodegradable right? Yes, and it is recyclable too. However, that's as far as the advantages go. Where do you think paper comes from? Trees! Aren't trees renewable? Of course, but they require years and years to mature. Cutting down all those forests to create bags has devastating effects on the creatures that live in that ecosystem. Plus, most companies who pledge to plant new trees typically grow pines, which aren't nearly as effective at removing CO2 from the air as other hardwood species.

The logging, transporting, and processing of paper bags requires fossil fuels to power the machines and produces pollution waste. In addition, paper bags weigh more than plastic, meaning it takes a large amount of energy to transport them anywhere. Even recycling the bags requires fossil fuel-powered machinery.

Plastic bags are not much better. They are made from petroleum (oil), and are not biodegradable.

So what's a shopper to do? It's easy- reusable bags! Many grocery stores such as Kroger and Ukrops' Grocers have begun to sell their own brand of bags at only about $0.99. Plus, some stores give you $0.05 back for every bag you use every time you shop. These durable, eco-friendly bags will pay themselves back in no time!

Reusable bags are actually becoming quite fashionable. Check out Ecobags and EnviroSax for some cute and chic options.

Next time you go to the supermarket, grab a reusable bag! It'll only take 10 seconds to pick one out, and it'll relieve your conscience to know that you will never need a paper or plastic bag again!

For more information about plastic vs. paper bags, go to GreenFeet.Net.

The image above is from PrettyPatrol.

When it's yellow, leave it mellow...

2008-04-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've all heard this saying before, right? Sure, it might seem a little gross, but trust me, it is totally worth it.

According to EarthEasy.com, every time you flush a toilet you use 5-7 gallons of water. Now, let's say the average person uses the bathroom 8 times a day. That means around 50 gallons of water are used for toilet flushing alone! Now, what if that person only flushed twice a day? That would save around 40 gallons of water.

You're not only conserving water, you're saving money! Now, water is pretty cheap in the United States. 1000 gallons costs about $2. However, if you used this water-saving technique for a whole year, you would eliminate (hmm...let me get a calculator) around 14,600 gallons of water. That means you save approximately $30 a year. Over 50 years, you would save $1500.

No, it is not a huge sum of money. This change may not impact your wallet a whole lot, but it sure impacts the amount of fresh drinking water a whole lot. You know, it is precisely because of the low price of water that encourages people to keep sprinklers on the whole day and leave the tap running, but that's a whole other story for another day...

The bottom line is that this change that doesn't take all that much time or effort (it actually saves you time and effort, if you think about) can really make a difference.

Think twice before you flush! But please, keep this habit within your private residence, and if it's brown, flush it down!

This image is from http://www.aaark.biz/plumbing.htm

Chose local foods

2008-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever paid attention to where that jar of peanuts came from? The bag of juicy navel oranges? How about that canister of oats in the cabinet?

Some of the foods we eat everyday come from all over the country and even the world. There's fresh fruit from California, salmon from the Atlantic, crackers from Kansas, and bell peppers from Chile. Of course, it is a tribute to our modern technology and transportation that we can have such easy access to such a variety of products year round.

However, the further a food is from you, the more energy is required to transport it to your local supermarket. Think of the thousands of miles that specialty bottle of olive oil had to travel from Europe! These trips consume gallons and gallons of gasoline, and release harmful air pollutants into our atmosphere.

Next time, when you are looking at cookies, chose the company located closer to your home. Canned beans from Ohio or Siberia? Ohio would be the better bet, unless, of course, you happen to live near Siberia. Many times local products will also be cheaper, reflecting the lesser amount of fossil fuel needed. Produce often will be fresher if bought locally and seasonally as well.

Some people are even taking this philosophy to an extreme, refusing to eat food from outside a certain radius of their home. Check out this website http://100milediet.org/.

I'm not advocating such a drastic approach (Of course, you can always give it a try), but truly, such a simple change as scanning the labels of two nearly identical products can make a huge difference. Some specialty products you may find are truly better from a certain location, but for most generic items, you will not notice the different between two brands. But the environment will.

Welcome

2008-04-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I'm Molly, a junior in high school, and I'm really excited to start my first blog! The point of A Minute to Save the Planet is for everyone to learn simple changes in their everyday lifestyle that they can make that will in the long run greatly benefit our environment. I promise, these changes will be easy to incorporate into your everyday lifestyle, and they will save you money and maybe even whittle your waistline!

Really, there is no downside to becoming more environmentally-friendly. Why aren't more people changing then, you ask? I believe it is because the public is not aware of many of the little effortless things they can do. That, of course, brings me back to the point of this blog!

Please, check back often, comment on your thoughts, and take these ideas to heart, and I will update as often as possible. See you at my next post!