Pondering the Potential of Pellet Stoves

It is cold outside today. The drop in degrees has made me think about energy consumption around my home and what further steps I can take to make this place more energy efficient and save money. I thought of the growing reputation among greenies for the pellet stove.

Even if you aren’t quite ready to take the plunge and go completely “off the grid” a pellet stove is a great source of heat at a reasonable price and reduce the size of a home’s carbon footprint.

Pellet stoves run at a minimal cost (after the initial investment of the stove itself) and make a heck of a lot less mess than traditional stoves and wood burners. Many feel the classic log burning stove can actually pollute the interior air of a home making them a potentially dangerous heating choice. Pellets are virtually smoke free and offer the chance for burning a green fuel.

The actual pellets are made from a number of materials including sawdust and waste left over from other wood related and agricultural processes. Some pellets are uber sustainable being made from corn kernels or soy beans. Seems to me, it would be better to breath in soy beans than new tree wood.

Some greenies consider the pellet stove a carbon neutral product and liken it to buying carbon credits. Whatever you call it, the pellet stove is a money saving, smoke eliminating, carbon and toxic reducing home heating machine.

But of course, nothing in this growing green world of ours is ever perfect.

Besides the initial expense, wood pellet stoves are complex machines which usually require the assistance of a professional installer. Maintenance can cost you some cash too, especially if you aren’t willing to work on upkeep and read the owner’s manual a few times until you “get it.”

As I open another alarming electric bill for my own --- low electric use, always switching off lights and unplugging cords--- home, I think a pellet stove is the way forward. It’s another old school idea that was pushed aside by modern pollution-laden industry.

But pellet stove, you rise again. This time you’ll probably be staying for a while.

Burn eco baby burn.

Freegans: Insane or Smart? (or a little bit of both?)

As I search online for the latest green budget information and details on how to lower your carbon footprint, I keep coming across information, and often jokes, about “freegans.” So I decided to write a blog on these folks finally. I am neither advocating nor condoning their lifestyle but I must admit, I am a tad envious of their low to no personal carbon impact.

So what is a freegan? According to the freegan.info website, a freegan is (and I quote):

“Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed.”

These “alternative strategies” are vast and varied but do include the infamous dumpster diving. It’s not just food they look for but furniture, clothes, books, tools, and any other item that can be recovered rather than purchased. Now, I should clarify, not all freegans jump into dumpsters when no one is looking, many smart people ask for free stuff inside the stores before they get dumped in the trash cans.

Freegans are not fans of the “system” but they do seem to be benefiting from it. The items that gather save precious planetary resources, help useful and toxic items avoid the immortal grave of the landfill and role model a minimal waste lifestyle but they do not, in my humble opinion, live out of the system.

They are just clever about the way they utilize it.

It’s not just dumpsters, its swapping items, avoiding petrochemical use and actively attempting to help the planet rather than hinder it. All good things in my book. They may get a tad passionate at times but rather passion than apathy right?

Freegans try to live up to a high moral standard and may perhaps look down on the rest of us consumers. Personally, I’m a middle way kind of gal. If I can get it for free, second hand or use local sustainable products, I will.

But go dumpster diving in little ol’ Wyoming? Probably not going to happen.

Although I’m not completely averse to a quick trip to the city dump to see what’s there. I’ve heard there is a lot of furniture. And I could go late in the day when no one else is there. Just to peruse, to see just what harm people are causing to the planet with their uninformed dumping.

And maybe pick up a chair or two.

But not a sandwich. No, I draw the line there.

Coffee and the State of the Planet

Who doesn’t love a hot rich cup of Joe? Well, nearly most of us do but the impact our brown bean obsession has on the planet is pretty bad. No, it’s absolutely terrible. Every morning, millions and millions of people line up at coffee bars, shops, convenience stores, gas stations and hot drink dispensers to fill up on the nation’s most popular hot beverage.

The disposable Styrofoam coffee cup is a detriment to the planet and increases the size of any carbon footprint. Oh but what about the paper ones you say? Turns out most paper coffee cups are made from bleached virgin tree, meaning very difficult to recycle and not exactly sustainable. Bad bad coffee cups.

But when these unrecyclable coffee cups end up in landfills, things go from bad to worse. The plastic coating on the inside of the cups that prevents the liquid from leaking out? Well when the paper corrodes, the chemicals in the plastic coating off gas releasing methane into the atmosphere. Methane is an uber greenhouse gas that is directly related to the heating of the planet and climate change. Bad bad methane.

So what to do? How can we enjoy our favorite wake up liquid without harming the planet? It’s really quite easy: make your coffee at home. These days, you can find everything for a coffee shop style Joe in the supermarket. Get a coffee maker, a grinder if you must, a few flavored syrups and voila! Home made coffee.

Home made coffee has a much lower impact on the planet (remember to unplug when you are done), saves a lot of money and taste just as good as the planet killing stuff. But there are still areas where things can go wrong.

For instance, making your coffee at home is great until you buy beans from Arabia and carry the coffee around in an off gassing plastic container. We make coffee in the states. If you have to go further a field choose Mexico or Canada over exotic locales. This reduces the transportation footprint and reduces the chance of purchasing unfairly traded beans.

So choose a steel thermos or travel mug for your locally produced made at home coffee. This will lower your costs and your planetary impact. It may also help reduce the amount of trees destroyed each year for cups and force coffee shop owners to make wiser choices in their beverage containers. Remember consumer consume and smart consumers consume at home to instigate change.

Be a carbon reducing coffee warrior and do your part.

Anyone else thirsty?

Making Green Children

Kids, I assure you, are expensive. Every time you turn around they need something else. There are a number of ways to offset your carbon footprint while keep your child as carbon neutral as possible.

Buy children’s clothes at the thrift store. If you start this when they are really young they will never think it odd to receive clothes without tags. In many cases, the clothes at thrift store are from this year’s fashions, have been worn once or twice and sometimes not at all. If you have a child that just must wear designer labels to fit in, then take a longer time at the second hand store. You will be able to find every name brand at super low prices if you take the time to look.

If you must buy new, make sure to get multiple uses out of things. Pass stuff down to younger siblings (yes we all hated it but did it do us any harm?) or give to family and friends with children of the same age. At the very least, put clothes out for freecycling to take worn out clothes down to the fabric recycling bins.

Feed your child locally grown organic produce whenever possible. Getting children used to a diet heavy on the grains and beans earlier will not only improve their overall health, it will save you a lot of money. Remember prepackaged over processed food increase greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere and costs a lot of money.

Pack your child’s lunches for school. This is a big money saver. The school lunch system can be very pricey, depending on your district, and it is always cheaper to pack your own. Just make sure to role model and pack your work lunch as well. Be sure to use reusable containers or reuse plastic containers from around the home.

Teach your child to think green. Place an emphasis on home education and teach your child how to plant seeds, tend to compost heaps and make their own food from scratch. All these green skills we are learning as adults must be passed down to our kids in order for the changes to continue.

Most of all, make your child into an advocate for green living. Don’t brainwash them of course but help them see the logic of protecting their planet. Let them watch the news and visit forests, learn about the ozone layer and carbon footprints. Children are the future and green children will make sure that there is one.

The Ice Caps Are Melting Faster Than Expected

We know the ice caps are melting as the world gets warmer because of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Now a new report out of Cambridge University explains that the ice caps are melting a lot faster than earlier than predicted. If you weren’t doing it before, it really is time to reduce and offset your carbon footprint.

The team from Cambridge has spent several months measuring the thickness and spread of the Arctic ice region and state that much of the ice will completely disappear in the summer months. Within 30 years, the region could be little more than open sea.

Without the Arctic, the whole world will change.

The temperature will continue to rise, changing weather patterns, affecting animal and insect ecosystems, changing crop growing patterns and availability of food sources. Flooding will become a major constant for a number of countries, costing lives, homes, and millions in damage. The amount of carbon in the atmosphere will increase rather than decrease.

A melting icecap situation will change everything.

And all the little things we do, like offsetting our carbon footprints, reduce our waste, recycling materials and trying to leave a better lifestyle is great. It will make a difference. But without the assistance of federal and international laws that force countries to act like smart green citizens, it may not be enough.

Legislation on climate change has to go beyond admitting it exists and something should be done about it to actually doing something about it. Good intentions will not save the planet. Living green on a budget is a fantastic concept: we just need the nations of the world to join in.

Its time to offset your carbon footprint and buy some carbon credits. Tell a friend to try it too. Maybe this whole climate change fixing, ice cap melting reversal thing is a matter of role modeling.

We can only hope.

Choosing Green: The Water Bottle Debate

We all know that the traditional convenience store plastic disposable water bottle is a big no no and does nothing to improve the size of your carbon footprint. But what is the best way to deal with that pesky hydration issues? Everywhere I look I’m being told that every “green” choice isn’t as green as I thought and plastic bottles cause cancer and offsetting and toxins and this and that and ….what to do?

I know the convenience store PET plastic bottle made from fossil fuel by products that off gas carcinogenic chemicals and spends centuries in a landfill are not for me. These disposable single use containers are so bad for the planet and our precious natural resources. No matter what the global corporate big wigs say, oil is finite and therefore running out and who wants to make the problem worse because they were too lazy to remember to bring a refillable bottle?

But which refillable bottle? There are a number of plastic reusable bottles on the market but how do they really help? Sure they reduce the amount of plastic but not the use of plastic. Not really a long term solution.

So the choices are metal or glass. Glass works great for the home but not really convenient or safe for travel. It certainly wouldn’t work in a gym bag or for little kids. Glasses and tap water stay at home.

With metal there are two basic choices: aluminum and steel. Aluminum is one of the most recycled metals on the planet, just look at the success of the can recycling program. But aluminum water bottles are kind of expensive and have suffered some bad pres. Namely, that the liners inside the aluminum outer cases can leach and off gas seeping chemicals into the water.

The smart green planet saving choice is the stainless steel reusable water bottle. Cheap and widely available at home stores and camping stores, the stainless steel container lasts. Its durable, contains no liner and doesn’t need any liner.

What about corn plastic I hear you say? Corn plastic is great but maybe not the best choice for a durable long lasting water bottle, at least not yet. Corn plastic usually cannot stand temps above 110 degrees. So you leave it in a hot car on a sunny day and well….

So a steel bottle will reduce carbon emissions, saves money and keep you hydrated. End of confusion and worry. It’s kinda funny though. Stainless steel canteens are nothing new. Neither are aluminum bottles. Sometimes we forget that green isn’t new, its always been the practical choice.

Green: An Old Fashioned View of Living?

Over the weekend I made about 30 jars of apple jelly. I used glass jars I had collected from past purchases and about 250 fresh apples I got through the freecycle network. People think I’m dated because I like canning. It made me think about some of the old fashioned ways of living that work well with a green lifestyle.

Taking fresh locally grown organic produced and pickling it, making jelly or preserving it for future use is a great way to save money and lower your carbon footprint. Canning reduces the amount of prepackaged foods that you consume, reduces waste and provides a healthier non toxic diet.

Mending clothes seems like a phrase out of the dark ages but it’s a great way to reduce consumer spending and in turn your effect on the planet’s oxygen supply. The less new clothes that are produced the lower the carbon emission from factories. Sewing a tear, hemming pants and patching up jeans are great ways to save cash. Wear your clothes with a sense of green honor and keep the needle and thread handy.

Fixing things is another simple way to save money and reduce your footprint. When the bed rail breaks, don’t throw out the bed, repair the rail. Maintain your home with regular maintenance and clean appliances thoroughly to extend their life. Repair and reuse has always been the name of the game for the thrifty and the green.

Barter with friends and family rather than throwing things away or paying for things up front. Swap skills with neighbors and trade a mowed lawn for a new deck chair or a serviced boiler for a few jars of canned vegetables. This helps lower the community carbon footprint, extend the sense of societal unity in your home town and saves money for everyone.

Think before you buy or use something. Our grandparents generation lived through worst economic times than we are facing now and learned quickly what was necessary and what was frivolous. Before buying or doing anything, consider the real cost both in carbon and cash. Living frugally in a poor economy helps everyone.

It may be a little old fashioned, but it turns out, so is being green.

The Green Pumpkin

Everywhere I look, pumpkins are already for sale. This staple of Halloween can be an opportunity for waste or an opportunity for saving money. The green pumpkin is a great lesson for little ones.

Think about how many pumpkins, which are a sustainable product, Americans buy every year. Millions of pounds of pumpkin are thrown into the garbage annually. Rather than just carving the pumpkin and sticking a candle in the center, there are a number of ways to green up pumpkin use this year and offset your carbon footprint.

Firstly, purchase only locally grown organic pumpkins. They may not be the largest ones available but they will be natural, sustainable and safe to eat. Buying pumpkins that are flown or driven into your area is bad for the carbon footprint and increases the amount of greenhouse gases in the air.

Hollow out your pumpkin in a responsible manner. You can use all of the pumpkin so there is no reason for any of it to end up in the garbage. Any pieces you do want to throw away should land on the compost heap.

Toast and salt seeds, use innards for pumpkin pie and pumpkin soup and place remaining pulp in freezer to be pureed at a later date for Halloween style beverages. And for those who want a zero waste lifestyle? Search online for a pumpkin rind pickling recipe. Yes, they do exist.

If you hate the taste of pumpkin, then don’t purchase one. Buying things for one night just to throw away is a very irresponsible way to live and it is a complete waste of money. If you can’t live without a craved pumpkin this season, give the remains to a family member or neighbor to cook with. And if that doesn’t work for you, consider a carbon credit for each pumpkin you purchase.

If we begin to approach holidays and get togethers as opportunities to help the planet and use our creativity rather than what they are now carbon footprint enhancers, we can make permanent lifestyle changes. Natural decorations, organic cotton costumes and of course, pumpkin rind snacks, is one way to help the planet this coming holiday.

A little More About the Freecycle Thing

Freecycle is a growing trend in both urban and rural communities. This great new bargain basement craze is one heck of a way to offset and reduce your carbon footprint. Today a friend of mine sent me invites to join two local freecycle networks and I was stunned at how fast the offers started rolling in.

As explained on their website, the freecycle folks are all about waste reduction and reusing items that have both value and worth. The rules are simple: no fee, no politics, no meanness just online postings of free useable stuff in your local area. The group is a non profit network operating nationwide with thousands of locally moderated branches for your convenience.

It’s all about lowering your personal carbon footprint. The more items that we keep out of landfills, the better off the planet. And throwing away stuff someone else may want and can use? That’s just stupid. And if like me you live in a town where the local thrift store doesn’t take furniture (they have no space) giving it away to strangers is much better than taking it to the local dump.

Freecycle seems like an honest bunch of folks, despite my husband’s reservations regarding the whole scheme. I mean really, in this day and age, people giving stuff away for free? Craziness! But the grassroots efforts across the globe to try harder to instill community, share with friends and neighbors and promote responsible discarding of unwanted items are all results of the growing green movement.

So here’s what you do. Write a small description of the item you want to give away on the forum post page. Include your street address and the location of the goods. I’ve learned that just for safety’s sake, most people leave stuff on their porch or sidewalk near their home rather than invite people inside. Better safe than sorry. Once the item has been picked up, you post to the forum again, letting everyone else know not to bother coming out.

A surprisingly simple and effective system. But here comes the uber green part. You can also ask for specific items that you need, cannot afford or don’t want to pay for. The one I came across today was a couple looking for lidded glass jars to make jelly with. They didn’t want fancy jelly jars just glass jars they could reuse. They soon posted a thank you after receiving more jars than they could ever use. And just think, rather than ending up in the trash, the jars were repurposed. How cool is that?

This footprint lowering, waster reducing, recycling phenomenon is bound to have its critics. Green socialism perhaps? The slippery slope to organic communism? Whatever, call it what you will. Personally, it seems to be a great way to reduce waste, help people out and reduce costs during these difficult economic times.

I can’t wait to see if I can go and freecycle the apples off a neighbors tree. Free apple pie is the best kind of apple pie. Talk about shopping locally.

The Library Lowers Your Carbon Footprint

Saving money and the planet at the same time means keeping your carbon footprint low and your savings account high. By utilizing your local library a lot more than you do now, you can do both.

In this age of the personal phone, the personal computer and the personal space, we forget that community centers are sustainable aspects of our lives. By better utilizing public space, we cut down on our personal resources, which in turn mean lower carbon emissions. And despite our cyber obsession, the great depository of books still holds much sway.

To begin with, at the library you can read a book. Books are made from a sustainable material: paper. And by reading the library books rather than buying the same book new, you not only cut down on the number of trees that die to make the books, you save money. Libraries are free.

Libraries also offer internet and computer access for little or no cost. The only restriction is usually time, but who needs to be spend the day online? If you just occasionally check email and read a few green focused blogs (ahem), you only need about half an hour a day. Save yourself some money and sign up for 30 minutes of time at the library.

Besides books and blog reading, the library offers community discussion groups, movie rentals and film nights, craft and story time for your kids and a place to do research, hang out and meet people. All for free and all without increasing your carbon footprint.

Transportation to the library is often your only opportunity to add to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carpool with friends, take public transportation (there is usually a shuttle stop at the library in most cities), ride your bike or, here’s a thought, walk. Most people live pretty close to a library; it’s set up that way. A daily walk to the library gets your exercise in, saves on the use of fossil fuels and offsets your carbon footprint.

It’s a win win really. So think about being green this week by renewing your library card. You may be surprised at just how much there is to do at the local book depository.

Mother Earth to Earth Ship: Sustainable Living Concepts

Everywhere I look someone is doing something creative and inventive to conserve energy, help the planet and offset their carbon footprint. I watched a great documentary on earth ships the other day and decided to do a little research. These green homes not only save energy and work with the natural environment, they save money too.

As explained by earthship.net, you can use the term “earth ship” to describe your green home if it adheres to a set of six basic principles. These are: utilizing solar and wind energy alone to heat and cool the building, creating a contained sewage system, harvesting rain water consistently, building the frame and walls out of recycled and sustainable materials and having designated areas for self production of food.

The ships are built low or into the ground, offering subterranean living. They have solar panels on the roof and walls, have an assortment of rain barrels around the perimeter to catch run off room the roof and often have full fledged gardens growing on the inside of the structure. I’ve seen some with walls made from glass bottles and others made from reclaim rocks. They are experiments in green design which offer both a place to life as well as a sustainable lifestyle.

Earth ships are beginning to pop up across the States and Europe with some people building a single structure on private land and others creating earth ship communities. The carbon footprint of such communities and the amount of emissions their lifestyles incur compared to classic living quarters is minimal. Creating your own heat and food also cuts down on living expenses.

In practical terms, earth ships take a lot of time and care to manage so it’s not a feasible thing to do if you live alone and commute several hours to the office everyday; unless of course you hire a little green help. All told an earth ship, including labor and materials, costs about $200 per square foot to build. The labor is same as traditional construction, the difference in cost is earth ships have top construct their own utility supplies where in traditional homes to rent these from utility companies. Its one of those, cost effective over time things.

I love the idea of underground heating, growing my own food and having no utility bills. But in practical terms, it’s a lot of work. Good thing is for the lazy greenies like myself, there are rental properties available. Some earth ships act as educational centers so you can see the potential we have to make real change, reduce greenhouse gases and lower our carbon footprints.

Earth ships may be the home of the future but until then, a few carbon credits to offset my unsustainable lifestyle methinks.

Greening the Holidays: Considering a Reduce Carbon Footprint Halloween

It may seem a little early to start talking Halloween but for many of us, this coming weekend is when we start getting serious about making plans and buying costumes. And if you are trying to have a green Halloween on a budget, preparation is a must.

A quick scan through the cyber world shows a number of new options for those considering Halloween as another opportunity to reduce and offset their carbon footprint. And some aspects of this sugar fueled spooky holiday have always been green, so why change what works?

Trick or treating is a walking tradition; the door to door ritual is integral to the holiday. Choose local areas for candy canvassing and leave the car at home. Close parental supervision is enough to keep your kid safe and driving the car every block to park it at the end of the street is not just lazy, is a greenhouse gas nightmare. Keep fuel emissions low this year and wear good walking shoes and a warm coat.

Create your own Halloween costume out of used materials.A second hand white sheet is a majorly low impact approach. Browse local thrift stores and dress up boxes for the basics for a home made costume. In these harsh economic times, the budget approach is considered smart so don’t worry. You could even consider a “green” green costume and dress up like a recycling bin or LED light bulb, whatever tickles your fancy. Just avoid buying as little over processed packaged products as possible.

Speaking of which, how about natural decorations this year? The stores abound with an assortment of soy candles both scented and decorative and a bale of straw is a lot cheaper than the plastic emission emitting decorations from the made anywhere but here store. A number of online retailers are offering corn based treat bags or you could buy a canvas bag and use it for many years to come.

If you are giving out the treats this year use it as an opportunity to make a statement. Offer soy treats made from organic low footprint ingredients, collect candy wrappers for future craft projects and hand out candy in recycled packaging when you can find it.

Every holiday or occasion offers the chance to think outside the box. Halloween especially is a good opportunity to teach kids about being resourceful, making do and having lots of low impact fun.

Don't Tease The Planet

So there’s a bit of a buzz about the web regarding this “No Impact Week.” I feel irresponsible not mentioning it but rather than advertising it, I’d like to discuss how one can actually survive a no impact week. I mean talk about trying to reduce and offset your carbon footprint. A week without a carbon footprint seems nearly impossible but is it?

And if it is possible, is it sustainable?

Well, a little background. The concept of “No Impact Week” is based on the year Colin Beavan and his family went “off the grid” and lived without creating little to no impact on the planet. The week is a personal experiment is trying to live a better life, make permanent behavioral changes and engage (if you haven’t already) the whole idea of reducing your carbon impact.

So what do you do? Well, you register, get the how to be greener manual and try and make it a whole seven days without cracking under the pressure of being a better planetary steward. Its sad that we need to have such a week. And I know a week of less impact will help the planet, but how do you stop everyone from over compensating the week after?

Seems to me that a sustainable sustainability project to reduce your carbon footprint should be about making small changes as often as possible and slowly building up to a permanent lifestyle change. One week of “trying” to save the planet is like one week of trying to go on a diet: you lose a little weight but the donuts you eat the week after will quickly put that water weight right back on.

The idea behind the week is great: getting people involved in the lower carbon lifestyle. Keeping them in it will be the problem. It doesn’t seem long enough for people to really understand the positive benefits of reducing their carbon footprint. Personally, it would be better to buy a week’s worth of carbon credits and make one permanent change. Not for a day or a week so you can write a blog about it but a permanent change that will help you your planet and your pocket book.

If you reduce your car use, walk when possible, recycle or buy sustainable products, reduce your waste, reuse everything in your home and cut down on wasted energy use, you can really have an impact on the planet. But please, don’t just do it for a week.

Reminds me of that commercial about seasonal pets. I guess it would be: a planet’s for life not just for a week in October.

Offset Your Carbon by Winterizing Your Home

Summer has left us and winter is just around the corner. One of the simplest ways to save money and reduce your carbon footprint is by preparing your home for the coming cold weather.

Its one of those things many of us do anyway but will really reduce your energy use and thus your impact on carbon emissions. Remember the less we use traditionally produced electricity the better off the planet.

Sealing doors and windows eliminates drafts which in turn lowers the amount of heat used to keep a room warm. Less heat, less money, lower carbon footprint. Use draft excluder made from used clothes filled with fabric scraps and reuse plastic bags and sheeting by making it into window covering.

Turn down the heat on your hot water tank. 120 degrees is more than adequate. Most tanks are set at 140 or higher which is both dangerous and unnecessary. Lowering the temperature on the heater will make your house safer for small children and make a large dent in your electric bill.

Wear a sweater rather than turning up the thermostat. It can get really cold in winter but make sure not to overcompensate. A well sealed room with adequate insulation is just fine with a thermostat set at 68 degrees. Not only does this save money but it offsets carbon emissions and stuffy rooms. Its winter, you should be wearing layers anyway.

Improve your insulation by adding a layer in the attic. Traditional insulation has quite the carbon footprint. These days there are several green alternatives including fillers made from newspapers and old clothes. Get the best that you can afford as the savings in energy loss and use are well worth it.

Consider alternative fuel sources. A wood burning stove is better than a coal burning electricity plant. You can plant new trees but not new fossil fuels. It’s also a good way to reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill.

Taking a few minutes to look around your home and think of ways to reduce heat loss and energy use is smart, practical and green. The planet will thank you for it even if the electric company won’t.

Over Processed Vanity: Makeup's Impact on the Planet

In my humble opinion, makeup is one of the manufactured items that we can certainly live without. It’s not sustainable, contains numerous unnatural components and in some terrible cases, is tested on the furry folk we are trying to save by reducing and offsetting out carbon footprints. When you take a minute to delve into the ingredients in cosmetics, it doesn’t take long before you realize the true cost of vanity.

Lipsticks, tubes of mascaras, nail polish, foundation creams, eye shadows and all their accompanying holders, containers, applicators and sponges are a big waste of money and a resource drain on the planet. Not to mention the fact that some brands may actually cause you physical harm.

To begin with, the manufacture of cosmetics uses massive amounts of water, electricity and industrial waste create a huge carbon footprint. Some companies such as L’Oreal who own over 40 factories worldwide, have promised to work on their emissions but the only sure way to decrease that footprint is consumer choice.

Then there’s the whole cancer causing chemicals that are created to enhance color and preserve components of makeup. Recent studies found that some red lipsticks actually contain trace amounts of led. Not good for the skin or the fish who deal with the manufacturing waste water. Other chemicals in cosmetics include Propylene / Butylene Glycol (PG), mineral oil, coal tar and Phthalates all thought to cause serious health issues.

Few if any cosmetics come in recycled packaging and to be honest I have never come across anyone who has tried to put their empty plastic compact in the recycling bin. The whole cosmetic industry is pretty much self regulated meaning they can cut as many corners as they want and don’t have to worry about their effect on the planet.

Don’t get me wrong some companies are looking for sustainable alternatives, clean energy resources and making a sincere effort to find sources of post consumer packaging materials. The best we as consumers can do is purchase only organically based products in recycled or sustainable packaging. When the demand for footprint dense products is reduced, manufacturers won’t produce them.

And think of all the money you’ll save. Oh and if you just can’t give up that shiny red lip liner? Buy some carbon credits to make up for it.

It’s Not Cheap, It’s Planet Savvy

My husband would be the first to tell you I am cheap. I love a bargain, love thrift stores and love to save money. But with the green evolution upon us and the desperate need to reduce and offset our carbon footprints, I’m not cheap anymore, I’m planet savvy.

I’ve said before about shopping at thrift stores and buying Energy Star appliances. But we can reduce our carbon impact even more by putting the two together. Buying second hand appliances is no longer taboo, its smart. It saves money and reduces the needs for additional manufacturing and so slows the rate of carbon emissions from the manufacturing process.

Plus it saves money. Money that can be used to buy carbon credits, solar panels, rain barrels and clothes lines; whatever tickles your green fancy.

Another idea that still shocks many in our consumer culture: keep it till you break it. Before the economy went to pot, we all just bought bought bought not if we needed something but mostly if we wanted something. It didn’t matter if the television set was perfectly adequate, it didn’t hang on the wall. So we were out with the old and in with the new increasing household waste, clogging landfills and aiding in the creation of greenhouse gases.

And some people still live this way. You can’t save them all as they say. But you can certainly save your money and your planet by making smart green decisions.

My microwave lasted for 13 years. My coffee pot was with me for 12 years. My first toaster was inherited (I know crazy right?) and lasted for a total of 25 years. Yes my friends used to laugh at the age of my appliances and joked I should just get new. But why? These ones work just fine. They may not have been the latest model in the most fashionable colors but they did the job they were intended to do.

And now when I walk into a home and see a pristine kitchen full of the latest shiny objects from the appliances catalogs and websites, I frown at the homeowner and wonder at their choices. Because finally, used appliances, stretching every dollar and reducing carbon impact is more important that buying what the television tell you to buy.

A round of applause for the second hand buyer, the bargain seeker, the dollar stretcher the “it still works what’s the problem?” individual out there. These are green choices and a chance to lead by example. So when the coffee pot brews its last or the toaster just won’t toast, consider replacing it with a second hand (or previously loved) appliances and do yourself and the planet a favor.

Ride Share for Planet Care

We all know that transportation is one of the major contributors to carbon emissions and global warming. Thing is, this country is kinda big and public transportation still isn’t ubiquitous. Sometimes it’s too far too walk or cycle and there is no other option but the car. Ride sharing or car pooling remains the best way to get on with your life while reducing your carbon footprint.

Car pooling usually takes places between co workers who take turns driving to work or paying for gas. A car pool is two or more people choosing to travel in one car instead of traveling separately using double or triple the amount of gas and emitting double or triple the amount of emissions. Car pooling has been around for a while and in major cities, car poolers have their own special driving lane on the highway to reward them for this fuel conserving behavior.

All hail the car poolers.

Ride sharing is a more recent concept in the world of eco travel. Ride sharers do not necessarily work together or even known each other and may only ride together one time. Large urban areas offer ride sharing services which mainly consists of websites where you can post a destination request and see if anyone is heading your way. The cost of the journey is usually split between the travelers. This too reduces fuel and may prevent those who travel long distances infrequently from purchasing a car in the first place.

Let’s stand up for the ride share.

Things is, ride sharing makes me nervous. And that may be an uncool anti green thing to say but I’m trying to be honest here. Just because someone cares about the planet and is heading in your direction is that enough to trusts them? Have we gotten o a point where the label eco-warrior is enough to ensure safety and security no matter what the situation?

Hmmm….

I’m all for saving money and saving the planet but I think sensible shouldn’t be thrown out of the window in the process. The state of Michigan offers some great advice on ride sharing on their website. Take the time to follow up on contact information and given phone numbers to make sure they are real. Swap emergency contact info and make a copy of the driver’s license before departure. And always, always follow your instincts: if a situation doesn’t feel safe it probably isn’t.

A full tank of gas can release up to 350 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere. Carbon emissions contribute to the rate of global warming. So every time a tank of gas can be saved, the better for the planet as well as the wallet. It pays to be careful though and sensible greenies are healthy greenies.

Food Footprints

You learn something everyday so the saying goes. And in my journey to discover the many ways to reduce and offset my carbon footprint while not spending very much money has led to a new insight. That is, the carbon footprint of foods. Turns out, eating a hamburger a couple of times a week is reason enough to buy carbon credits. Whether locally made or not, food manufacturing has a major impact on the planet.

According to treehugger.com, food is the cause of almost one third of the greenhouse gases we have all grown so concerned about. As the atmosphere heats up, the planet undergoes detrimental change. We must stop or reverse this process to avoid the onset of catastrophic environmental change. Yes, hamburgers can kill polar bears.

See? You learn something new everyday.

It seems cheap fatty heart attack inducing yummy foods have high carbon footprints. If you think about it, fast food is definitely a planet killer. From the excess methane gas released into the atmosphere from the millions of cows needed to produce the burgers to the forests of trees destroyed to make the millions of wrappers and the gallons upon gallons of petrochemicals utilized to drive to the drive thru…well, talk about increasing your carbon footprint on a budget.

It seems the thing to do is buy locally, buy seasonally and avoid red meat as often as possible. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are not naturally meat eaters and a vegetarian diet is better for the planet, our carbon footprint and believe it or not, our physical health.

Treehugger.com suggests eating seasonal fruits, dry beans and potatoes rather than fast food lowers both your food bill and your cholesterol. Baking your own bread, making your own healthy cookies and choosing soy and tofu over cow and pig is an economical step in the right direction.

I can vouch for the yumminess and low emission factor of lentil cookies. And don’t get me started on the obvious delights of bread fresh from the oven. Being green isn’t always the sacrifice some would make it out to be.

Once you realize that everything has a carbon footprint, smarter choices start happening naturally. And food really is an easy one. Stick to natural local foods and avoid over packaged items from far away. Buy in bulk to save on gas and get creative with the contents of the pantry.

Reducing your carbon footprint is a learning process. Take small steps in the right direction and veer past the drive thru and into your own garage. Home made has always been better. Now its environmentally and economically smart.

The Whole Bamboo Thing

My friend is getting married in the spring and since the engagement all we have done is discuss the minute details of the wedding ceremony and reception. And of course, I had to ask how my friend planned on reducing the carbon footprint of the joyous occasion. Her reply? “Bamboo, of course.”

Of course. All we hear lately is bamboo flooring is the best way to finish a green home, bamboo is a sustainable green product, bamboo can reduce your carbon impact and bamboo is prefect for the plates and cups at an outdoor spring wedding. So here’s the skinny on the whole bamboo thing.

According to bamboo advocates, planting and utilizing bamboo is the best and easiest way to help our planet recover. Bamboo grows really, really fast with new shoots every year and takes in a lot of carbon dioxide. In just two months, bamboo shoots can reach over 100 feet in height making them a great replacement for the trees in traditional western forests that take decades, even centuries to grow.

Just growing in a bamboo grove, this versatile tree is a natural sound barrier and can assist in soil erosion caused by wind or the death of other organic matter. Using bamboo for an assortment of practical uses is only new in the west. In Asia, bamboo has been a staple crop for centuries.

You can eat bamboo, make clothes out of it, use it to build the walls of your house, line your floors with it, feed it to your animals, make bags, boxes, paper, plates and cups out of its fibers. Bamboo is the new soy: a versatile natural product that helps the planet heal itself.

There are over 1,400 different species of bamboo in the world meaning that sustainable products can be grown to suit. And every site I look on, I find even more uses for this panda bear supplement. Fishing rods, bird cages, book cases, lampshades, tables, fuel, toothpicks, chopsticks, window shades, boats, fences and my current favorite: bamboo wedding invitations. It seems if you can make, eat it or wear it, it can contain bamboo.

This planet needs a little help to breathe and if buying bamboo at a reasonable price will do it, well, pass the shoot fiber plate please.

Walking For The Planet

I came across an article today that talked about the walkability of my geographical location and the need for people to live in places where they are in walking distance of all of life’s necessities. Walking is a must when it comes to offsetting your carbon footprint.

Walking seems a sort of obvious way to save money and get a little fresh air, but sometimes we need reminders regarding what is good for us and for the planet. Every time we aren’t walking or cycling, we are taking transportation that relies on fossil fuels and emits toxins into the air, causing pollution and contributing to global warming. We have to think about the good that walking does.

Walking reduces carbon emissions.

Walking promotes human interaction and communication.

Walking helps support downtown businesses.

Walking is good for the heart and health.

Walking is one of the lowest impact forms of exercise.

Walking promotes community involvement.

Walking lowers your carbon footprint.

Walking saves money.

Walking allows you to breathe in fresh air, enjoy your neighborhood and interact with nature.

Walking is good. Hurray for walking.

The same walking article suggested that for every ten minutes you spend sitting alone inside your car, your likelihood of being involved in community activities, decreases by ten percent.

If we aren’t trying to fix the planet to promote a healthier world and tighter community, then where is the point? Going green is about getting along with each other and our natural environment better. Community is key.

So get out of the car, buy a pedometer and a pair of good shoes and get to stepping.

Hedge Apples: A Natural Alternative to Pesticides

I was at the grocery store the other day on the hunt for some fresh mushrooms when I passed a box of odd looking fruit. The sign said “Hedge fruit: 2 for $1.00 not edible.” Huh? What on earth was it and what was it for? I picked up a piece of the strange bumpy looking fruit and as I was inspecting its strange surface, an old lady walked passed me and said “they are just great for keeping out the spiders.”

So of course, I had to do some research and discovered yet another to reduce carbon emissions and avoid the use of harsh chemical pesticides. And all I wanted was a few mushrooms.

Osage Orange, hedge apple, horse apple, bodark or more correctly Maclura pomifera is a small tree that was once used to indicate property boundaries in the days before barbed wire. They are a favorite of squirrels but not a good eating choice for humans.

Depending on who you to talk to, hedge apples deter spiders, crickets, bugs and cockroaches. It seems one university study showed that a natural chemical with the hedge apple to deter cock roaches. People put the hedge apples in dark corners, by doorways and porch steps to prevent insects entering the house. Everyone that uses them swears that they work.

Perhaps they are not the best natural insecticide out there (and I will continue to look for others) but they are a step in the right direction. And the cool thing is they aren’t anything new. People have utilized hedge apples for over a century in this capacity.

Sometimes being green isn’t a matter of coming up with new ways to do things, its about remembering how we used to do them.

Pesticides carry dangerous and deadly chemicals that give off carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. They can destroy farm side ecosystems and add unnecessary toxins to our food supply. So if an crinkly green apple thing in the corner of the room will reduce my dependence on such things? Well? I’m all for it.

Refresher Course

Being green on a budget is always my focus; how to make changes in your lifestyle that help reduce or offset your carbon footprint. We can’t all afford solar panels on the roof or have the space for a windmill in the backyard but we can make smart choices that help the planet as well as helping the wallet. There are few simple things that greenies talk about all the time that some of us layman may not be a reminder. Consider this blog a refresher of the basics.

Turning down the air conditioner and turning down the heat just a few degrees can help offset your carbon emissions and save up to three percent on your bill for every degree above 72. Lowering the temp on the water heater to 120 degrees will help also. I mean do you really need to heat your water to 140 degrees?

Buy wisely and buy local. Always read the labels on packaging and understand what you are buying, what it contains, where it comes from and whether or not it is worth the price tag.

Turn off lights when you leave a room. It’s an easy habit to start that can greatly reduce your energy bill. We worked really hard on switching off lights and unplugging appliances this summer and were lucky enough to notice absolutely no hike in our summer electric bill. It works.

Reduce, reuse and recycle whenever possible. Avoid plastic grocery bags, buy food in reusable containers (I recommended the lunch meats that come in reusable tubs), find two or three uses for every item you bring into your home and separate trash for recycling. These actions can save money and after a few weeks or months can become lifelong habits that you can teach to your children.

Car pool, ride a bike or walk to work. This not only reduces your personal reliance on fossil fuels, it saves money and promotes a healthier lifestyle.

Call the telemarketers, the vendors and the mailing lists and get off the selling grid. This saves energy, time, paper and headaches.

Basically what it comes down to is thinking things through, planning ahead and making smart choices. Simple really, but worth the reminder.

Air Conditioning With Roots

They trap heat, cool the air, block the sun, eat carbon and well, they are just so beautiful.

Here I am again harping on about trees. But the thing is, they are one of the best ways to offset your carbon footprint as well as help the planet heal itself.

Trees store carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They take in the bad air and release good air. The amount of carbon a tree can store over a lifetime depends on the size and type of tree. So the more new trees that are planted the greater their collective healing power. Trees can help cool the earth down a bit, especially when planted in the right places. They are a natural defense against the harmful effects of global warming and a counterbalance to the cityscape of factories, power plants and traffic jams.

And the fact that planting trees doesn’t cost a lot of money, puts them on the top of my green bargains list. A couple of bucks will plant a tree. And these days, you don’t even have to plant them yourself. Offsetcarbonfootprint.org will plant them for you. At this website, $25.00 will plant 25 trees! I have a Christmas gift idea stirring in my brain.

After figuring out the actual amount of carbon you as an individual put into the atmosphere, the urge to do something about it can be overwhelming. Often we don’t know where to start and think anything we do now will take years, decades to have any effect. But with trees, the minute their leaves show up, they will help the planet.

Trees aren’t a hard sell, they are a wise investment. Simply put without the trees, we die. The planet dies, everything goes to pot. With the trees, there is a chance for cleaner air, less soil erosion, richer soil and more aesthetic beauty in the world.

Embalmed Alive

I’ve got to stop watching the television. Bill Nye the Science Guy told me today that I’m being embalmed alive. Yes ladies and gentleman, turns out that morticians use half the amount of embalming fluid to preserve corpses than they used 20 years ago.

It’s time to add “stop using formaldehyde” to our list of ways to reduce and offset our carbon footprint.

Because this toxic embalming fluid is everywhere.

It’s in the fiberglass home insulation, the press board used to construct the walls of trailers, campers and mobile homes. It is in paper, wood and fertilizers. It is used to preserve food. It is in makeup and beauty products. It is some vaccines and medicines. When formaldehyde breaks down it becomes two different chemicals: formic acid and carbon monoxide.

Formaldehyde is bad for your health, can irritate and damage the lungs, affect the nervous system and in large quantities kill you. Some studies show a connection between formaldehyde exposure and cancer. Others say it “just” irritates the eyes and can cause asthma. Its bad for our health, our homes and the environment.

Formaldehyde is just one more chemical that is synthetically produced in factories that wastes energy and release carbon. If we stop supporting the manufacturer of such products by not buying them, it will eventually stop. It is a VOC (volatile organic compound) and if it was in your house paint, you wouldn’t buy it. But because it’s openly “hidden” (if you know what I mean) in everyday items, we bring it home without realizing.

How to avoid the formaldehyde? Shop organically, read labels and if you can’t give up that favorite cosmetic just yet? Buy some carbon credits to offset your use of poisons and help plant a tree or two.

We’ll need the extra wood for the coffins.

But at least we can save 50 percent on the price of embalming.

(shudder)

Carbon Neutral Kids

It’s not just us dissatisfied Gen-Xers and frustrated Boomers that have become a part of the green revolution. Many of today’s younger generations are living in a world where being green isn’t a phase or trend but a way of life, an integral part of normal society. What was a novel idea in the past has become an essential part of daily living and so learning about reducing carbon footprints and helping the planet should also involve the kids.

We should probably acknowledge that they know more than we do at this point.

I like to refer to my 6 month old as the “carbon neutral kid” as I strive to put what I learn into action to improve his quality of life. The little guy uses only organic products from sustainable containers, eats only organic locally grown foods and wears previously owned items and plays with well loved toys, all in my effort to keep his carbon footprint as low as possible.

And of course to encourage a lifetime of green practices.

Where before I would be accused of being cheap, I’m now applauded for being green.

Because when it comes down to it, we must not only reduce and offset our own carbon footprints, we must make green living a sustainable movement by encouraging the next generation to live better than ourselves.

But what am I saying? The kids are going green already.

Internet sites abound with advice for new moms on responsible and sustainable lifestyles and children taking ideas out of the classroom and putting them into practice in their communities. I recently saw a young man on one of the children’s channels being mentioned for starting a recycling program in his classroom that spread to the whole school and later the entire school district.

Kids put cans in the recycling bin without thinking and use the back side of paper without a glance. They ride their bikes in the park and walk to school when they can. They wear the hand me downs of their siblings and guilt their parents into choosing paper over plastic. Children plants vegetable gardens learn about the ozone layer and a truly worried and actively working towards solving the problems associated with climate change.

As we struggle to reduce our waste and offset our carbon, the future is working slowly and smartly towards a carbon neutral future.

Maybe they’ve been listening to us after all.

If we keep encouraging them, just imagine how far they can go.

A carbon neutral world? We can only hope.

Waste Not Need Not

I was at the grocery store today trying my best to stretch a budget. I wrote a list and tried to stick to it, I made a note of how much I was spending to help me stay on track, bought in bulk where feasible and compared prices between stores to ensure I was spending the absolute minimum on every single necessary item. And that’s just it: necessary. As I walked down aisle after aisle of brightly colored packages I said to myself over and over….

“Do I want it? Yes. Do I need it? No.”

And it worked. I saved a lot of money, bought only what I actually needed and opted for healthy food to get the most nutritious bang for my hard earned buck. And on the way home I started thinking about how my little mantra could be applied to other things besides my grocery list.

For one thing, I could use it to offset my carbon footprint.

We have gotten into the habit of buying for the sake of buying, wanting for the sake of knowing about and getting simply because we can. And if it hadn’t been for the near catastrophic economic down turn, I doubt that would have changed.

But it did change. We have to start realizing that money doesn’t grow on trees and we can actually get by on a lot less than the advertisers, manufacturers and producers would have us believe. We can reduce our carbon footprint by reducing our consumption which ultimately reduces our waste.

I mean a zero waste world is the ultimate goal but realistically speaking that’s a few years off. What most of us can achieve is a step in the right direction. Any anyway, I for one am sick of wasting money on over priced items I don’t really need. Aren’t you?

So now when I look at products I not only have to think about whether or not I need them or can afford to spend my money on them but also how much effect my purchase will have on my current environment and on the future of this planet. Awareness is responsibility and responsibility is conscientious shopping and product use. Everything I bring into my home will become a waste product that affects the planet. And I, like everyone has to decide…

“Do I want it? Yes. Do I need it? Maybe. Is it worth the waste? Probably not.”

It’s my step in the right direction.

Glassing Over Green Guilt

Sometimes I look around the apartment and think: “am I really trying hard enough here?” Are there other ways I can green up my living space? I think maybe I am looking at things the wrong way. I mean trying to be green is a great way to increase your individual inventiveness and creativity. And of course lower and offset your carbon footprint. But sometimes, rather than thinking green, I try to think economically and practically and somehow that translates to green.

A twofer if you will.

So today it was the kitchen. Specifically the plastic storage containers. We buy them for the same reason everyone else buys them. It appears a simple, economically way of saving, storing and transporting foods. But when it comes down to it, isn’t it just another way to increase our carbon impact on the planet?

Plastic containers are like any other plastic product: landfill layabouts that have no intention of moving on. Sure, we use them for a while but then the lid disappears, the tub gets stained with spaghetti sauce and the corner gets melted in the dishwasher and then they find a new home in the back of the cupboard. Because we hate to put plastic in the garbage, we create our own miniature landfills in the back of the kitchen cupboard.

What to do what to do.

Well, until Wyoming becomes a Mecca of whole foods, local produce and community gardens, I still have to shop at the grocery store. Its hard to find carbon neutral products.So smart choices can save me money. If I buy glass containers over plastic containers and wax paper bags instead of plastic sandwich bags. I can on one hand make my own durable containers than can be recycled in the future and bags that can biodegrade in just over a week on the other. This way I avoid both the green guilt and the landfill.

There doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between buying food in plastic containers and buying it in glass containers. So I just collect discarded glass and their metal lids in a small cardboard box under the sink and then about once a month, give them a good scrub in hot water, take of the label and put on my own. They are great for dry food storage and, if you can get over the concept of swapping a box shape for a jar, perfect for holding lunch foods.

And in my case, the growing stack of empty baby food jars are great for storing dressings, pickles and salsa, even salt and pepper.You can do a lot with an empty glass jar.

And getting more than one use out of any time of packaging means one less product that has to be produced, saving energy and reducing carbon. Well, there’s one problem solved. When the storage jar has outlived its usefulness, I can pop in the recycling so it can begin its new life as a beer bottle.

Of course, plastic storage containers are just one of the many bad habits the modern kitchen contains. And as I make my way through the pile of ungreen aspects of my domestic arrangements, I’ll be sure to share them with you.

There are Vampires in my House

It’s officially called Wasted Standby Power. But most people refer to it as the electricity vampire that sucks energy out of appliances, even when they aren’t in use. Vampires in the home are one of the many things that add to a household’s carbon footprint.

Home phones, microwaves, alarm clocks, computers, remote control units, rechargers and any other appliance that is left plugged into the mains can steal energy from the grid and money from your pocket. In fact, over 4 billion dollars a year goes to feed these electrical vampires. It’s bad for the planet, really bad for the planet. Carbon emissions are released in the process of making electricity. So every kilowatt of energy wasted leads to the pointless release of carbon into our atmosphere, adding to the problem of global warming.

Those poor, poor polar bears, floating on ice cubes because we were too lazy to unplug the cell phone charger from the wall.

It can be up to 10 percent of the utility bill, accounts for billions in wasted money, tons of life destroying carbon emissions and aids in the pollution of the planet and the heat in the sky. We offset our carbon footprint by practicing balance. If we reduce our use of power by plugging things into power strips that have an off switch, unplugging all appliances at the end of the day, turning out lights and removing anything from the electrical socket that serves no purpose, we can begin to win the war against these power sucking fiends.

And for everyone that’s begins complaining about the effort it takes to switch off and unplug? Fine, don’t do it. You are free not to. But consider doing something to offset your growing carbon footprint. Calculate your carbon tones using the carbon footprint calculator and if, after you realize just how much money and energy you are wasting, you still don’t want to join the crusade against the vampires? It’s your choice but offsetting your energy usage by helping a few trees has got to make you feel better.

For me, I’ll keep waging the battle using my vampire deterrent: unplugging appliances.

Cheaper than a bulb of garlic.

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