Passionate Green Mom

With Earth Day approaching, I have been feeling a little blue.  Okay. Let’s be honest. Green and lonely. For over a decade I have been wearing the “green” and encouraging others to do the same. Pushing the envelope is what I do best to inspire others to follow suit.  Remember, I was the one who started building an eco-friendly house in 2003.  And trust me.   Lots of the subcontractors and vendors thought I had a screw loose.

But despite my “can do” attitude, I often times feel that my green message either falls on deaf ears, annoys people or converts some.   Yes, even now after the dawning of Al Gore.

Now, I will admit, I can get carried away and can spout off  a gazillion ways to go green green without breathing, but blame it on passion.  I love this little Planet. But yet, I still feel green and lonely.  Maybe misunderstood too.  Okay, perhaps a little judged?  Some even think I am a kook.  Do you feel the same?

Does this sound greenly familiar?

Why do I feel so green and lonely? Over the years, I have been in many situations where it is hard to watch how my community, school, or businesses I frequent have been less than kind to the Earth.  Worse yet, your friends or families could be the worst offenders.  I know I have  tried to temper my passion with gentle persuasion  like being green will save you money or “we only have one Earth” plea.  Some people listen and others pretend that I am invisible.  Sometimes, I don’t preach at all and just ask people to just respect my green wishes.  Even then, I get mixed reactions.

So tell me.  Can you relate to any of the following situations?

• You are the only one or two at a  school PTA meeting/ or work meeting questioning why they are using bottle water or serving sugar laden sweets  for a function?
• You question your school why they send home so much paper to get the proverbial answer, “school policy.”
• You wonder why the school supplies list looks like a trip to the plastic factory where every teacher requires a separate binder, folder, etc.
• You see cardboard on the side of the road or plastic bottles, and pick them up for recycling.
• Your company dumps enough paper in the trash to bin 1000 books.
• Your employer/school/relatives do not understand what it means to turn off a light, computer, or TV to save energy.  ”Why should they care,” they often reply.
• Your friend or family member does not recycle. When you try to explain why it is important, they give you a blank stare.  And behind your back they murmur “treehugger.”
• Forget trying to green an event at school or work.  People just think you are loony.
• Or you have asked specifically that certain non-green items not be given to your children, such as plastic toys or certain foods, but such requests are ignored. (Um,  or bring  disposable plastic into your home.)

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I understand when people preach “I am better than you because I am so green,” it can be a real turn off.   Yeah, we all know them.  They are the ones that push their Prius cars  instead of drive them.

But as I looked over my list above, it made me feel even more lonely and sometimes a little helpless.  I questioned were all my efforts in vain?  So, I decided to post two polls on Skinny Scoop, a great women site for sharing and comparing questions about parenting, products, and personal issues.  First, I wanted to see if your families and friends were supportive or annoyed at your green efforts.  Secondly, I was curious if other moms were annoyed or supportive of your green efforts.  Please take the above polls.  I can’t wait to see the outcomes.

The bottom line?  I know there are other women (and men) who must feel the same way I do.  And Mother Earth thanks them for sticking to their guns to make this a better world for our children. Just keep hanging in there.  In fact, hang out with me on Green Talk so we can help change the world together.

Join the Conversation:

• Do you feel green and lonely?  How come?
• Misunderstood and/or Judged?  How so?
• How have you been successful in getting people to be more eco-conscious
• Have you given up and just resorted to living your own life as green as you want?
• Have had you been able to get family/friends to respect your green wishes when it comes to your children and home?

Photo by Kevin Krejci

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A person who truly loves his office mess. Seriously.

Do you have clutter faeries messing with your home?  You think you cleaned it all up to turn around to find a mess in the same place.  As if it magically reappeared.  Those clutter fairies definitely mess with our minds.  So, how do you become Tony Danza and show those messes  Who’s the Boss? (Before you say, “huh?” Remember when Tony Danza was Judith Light’s housekeeper?  Next you will tell me you don’t remember Soap. Sheesh.)

It’s how you define It.

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalistic does a great job of defining clutter.  I have outlined his key points:

• ” clutter is anything that is disorganized…
• clutter is anything you don’t need or love…
• clutter is too much stuff in too small a space…”

I can’t stand papers that are piles up, a pantry where you can’t find anything, and closets knee deep in boxes and clothes.  If you feel like screaming when you open a drawer or peek into your closet, you have a clutter issue.  I am no stranger to talking about cleaning up the old house.  I wrote about Spring cleaning, cleaning out my pantry, and the amount of food spoiled in my pantry.  But the clutter just keeps coming back.

What does clutter look like to you?

How to Organize Clutter?

I have paper  (mail and kids’ school work), pantry, and grew-out-of clutter.  As I mentioned above, I have tried to get rid of the mess, but it silly to think that clutter won’t come back.  So, here are my suggestions to organize  clutter so you have a road map to keep it in check.

Daily Paper clutter:

I force myself each day to go through my mail and recycle most of it.  You can reduce that choir by reducing the number of catalogs that you get.   Simply sign up for Catalog Choice, New American Dream, or follow these instruction to reduce your catalogs and direct mail.

You can also receive your bills via email.  Generally most banks, credit cards, or other bills centers will have a paperless option.

Afraid you might miss an email since your email box is so full?  Create a new email name via Yahoo or Gmail solely for your bills.  In addition, you can create alerts in Google Calendar, Quicken,  or Mint (a free online personal finance software) to remind you that you should have gotten the bill.  I have been using Quicken reminders for years.

Still scared?  As a last resort, most bill payers will automatically deduct money from your bank account to pay your bills.  You just have to make sure you have an adequate balance at all times, and it is easy to stop these automatic deductions by simply going online and canceling.  Otherwise, this option could be a nightmare.

Kid Clutter

As for kid school paper clutter, I bought large scrapbooks for all of my children and would pick and choose which art work I would keep and what would be thrown out. When I say big, I mean the size that is large enough to handle a newspaper page. (See here for where to buy this type of scrapbook.)

It’s fun to go back and see the transition of their work as they grow older.  Word of caution.  Don’t keep every picture.  You will have volumes of scrapbooks.

Need wall art?  Interchange your kids’ art every couple of weeks.  For more ideas on how to use their pictures, see “Ten Great Ways to Show off Your Kid’s Art.”

Why do I have so many of the same thing clutter?

How many of you have members of your household (including yourself) that stock up on items in the pantry when they are on sale?   Or you think you need 10 of the same items just in case?  My husband is notorious for buying different energy bars every time my kids told him that they liked something.

I lamented in my article, “The Kitchen Pantry: Clutter Free, But Still Losing the Battle ” that my kids’ taste were similar to adolescent girls. One day they were in love with a certain food, and two weeks later, they dropped it as fast as you can spit.  PS. They broke those energy bars’ hearts and they sulked for two years in my pantry.

Worse yet, as I went through my pantry, there were dozens of empty boxes.  Yes, dozens.  My kids are allergic to throwing out an empty box.  I found an empty one in the freezer the other day.  So, we continue to buy more and more of the same food because we can’t find what we bought!

So, take my pantry challenge and clean it up. Trust me.  You will save yourself some money by simply using what is in your pantry.

Get Real With Yourself

Think of yourself like Dr. Phil and get to the heart of the mess matter. Ask yourself the hard, deep feeling questions when you want to buy something.

• Do I need to buy that certain product?
• Can I rent it or borrow it?  Check out sources like Neighborrow.  For additional tips on where to rent or borrow ( and giveaway) in your neighborhood, see here.
• For dresses, don’t forget one of my favorites places to rent designer dresses, Rent the Runway.
• Do I already own it.  Don’t laugh.  How many of you buy something because you aren’t sure what you own.  There is even free software for you to take inventory of what you own!

Ways to Organize Clutter

Over the years, I have compiled an extensive lists of  where you can giveaway your once loved (or maybe never loved) possessions.  Use the rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn it or used it for a year, give it to someone else.

• Have a digital garage sale.
• Need to giveaway books, DVDs, and CDs? Check out my resources here.
• Want to get rid of toys? Team up with a family with younger children, and give away your toys and old clothes to them.  Let them go shopping in your toy collection.  Talk about Christmas after the holiday!  Don’t know anyone?  Check out SwapMama.
• Barter, Swap, and Giveaway.  See resources here.  (I listed some more UK swapping sites here.)
• FreeCycle it.  It’s free.  Your trash is someone else’s treasure.
• List it on Craig’s List or eBay.
• Consign your pregnancy clothes to InStyle Belly.
• Consign your beautiful bride’s gown to Recycled Brides.
• Giveaway your sports equipment and uniforms, old tennis balls, swim caps, and yoga mats here. (Whew.  Now, that is a lot cleaning up to do.)

Questions

• What is your messiest area in the house?
• How do you combat the mess?
• What are your favorite life hacks to organize clutter in your house?
• Have you given up and learned to life with the mess.
• Does your clutter make you uptight?
• How often do you attempt to clean up your home.  (Which reminds me, I have a stack of papers to go through….)
• Should Tony Danza’s character (Tony) marry Judith Light’s character (Angela?)  Just wanted to see if you were reading.

This post is part of the Green Moms’ Carnival at Amber’s site, Strocel.com about cleaning up clutter for the New Year. I am excited to be participating since I am eager to learn more tricks.  Oh, by the way, clutter, don’t let the door hit you in the butt as you leave my home.

Photo by Karl Sinfield

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Check out the Tips Below to Turn Rags into Green Gold

Welcome, guest poster,  Jean Nick of Nickel Pincher. She has given me a laundry list of her favorite green living hacks sure to save money and the environment.  You go, Jean! I adore her advice! So will you.

Solutions that are both eco-logical and eco-nomical are my specialty. Buying “Green” is my last choice, not the “Green” part — the buying part. Buying stuff – even the greenest stuff – carries an ecological price as well as a pocketbook price, both of which I’d rather avoid when at all possible.

So rather than rush out to buy the latest, greenest option use what you already have – unless it presents a health risk (plastic bottles, cleaning or personal care items loaded with compounds you now know are bad for your health) or uses vastly more energy to operate than a replacement will (like an ancient refrigerator)—is always a greener solution. Use it up or wear it out before looking for a replacement.

Buy Used, Borrow, or Rent

If you don’t have something you really do need to acquire or replace consider renting, borrowing, buying used, or looking for it on FreeCycle. I haven’t purchased sheets in ages, I get a couple of sets on FreeCycle every few years and turn my worn out ones into rags. Sure they aren’t organic, but they have been washed a good many times before I get them and I’m not buying something new with its inevitable eco-footprint.

Even better: think about what you have you may be able to re-purpose or ”up-cycle” to meet your current need. Here are a few of my other favorites top 10 Green Living Hacks:

Table Napkins.

Instead of paper napkins re-purpose squares of soft flannel cut out of old flannel shirts or PJs and hem the edges to make soft and serviceable everyday cloth napkins (wash once a week and hang dry).

DIY “Swiffer” Sheets.

I love my Swiffer mop but not the funky little replacement “cloths” that go with it. Luckily the mop head will grip terry cloth toweling just perfectly and it works better anyway. Cut squares from an old terrycloth towel the width of the mop head. I don’t hem mine and they last fine. Cut a bunch so you can use them for cleaning too. Once you have a wash load worth of dirty ones wash them and hang them to dry.

Baby Bottom Wipes.

I bought one box of baby wipes for baby number one. After that I refilled the box – for the next 3 years — with clean, folded squares of old terry towel and added enough water to make them just moist (add a couple of drops of pure castile soap if you like). Scrub and sun the empty box before refilling every so often.

Clip Clothes Pins.

Not only are these great for keeping clothing on the line I keep a handful in the pantry to clip food bags closed instead of buying (gasp) bag clips or fussing with twist ties. Fold over or twist the top, clip, and voila!

Rolling Pin.

I have a couple of nice vintage rolling pins, but when away from my kitchen I’ve often made due with a clean, empty wine bottle (one with higher shoulders is better as there is more rolling surface). A dark glass wine bottle and cork are also perfect for storing a kitchen stock of olive oil if you buy it in bulk.

(Anna, here.  Jean, I just bought a new one since I couldn’t figure out how to fix my broken one?  I wish I had this post earlier… Any ideas what to do with the broken one.  Son tried to roll out a homemade wheat pizza dough and broke the handle.)

Instant Catnip Mouse.

Round up a lonely, orphaned but intact sock. Toss in a handful of dried catnip. Knot the ankle.

(Anna, here.  Wow. Jean, now I know what to do with those orphaned socks. I bet lavender would be great too!  By the way, have an idea on how to make sure the socks stay as pairs and are not eaten by the washing machine gods?)

Seed Starters:

During the winter I sometimes buy commercial organic greens at the supermarket and select the ones in the clear plastic boxes rather than the smaller bags, partly ‘cause they are economical and partly because I like them for starting seeds in. Plant seeds in shallow trays or individual pots, put those inside the clear plastic box, water, and close the lid. The soil inside the mini greenhouse stays moist a lot longer.

(Anna, here.  Two great mines thinks alike.  Check out my plastic container seedling starter.  It works like a charm.)

Cut down beverage cartons with a few drain holes poked in the bottom make nice little flats. For individual pots tear newspaper strips bout 6” wide, wrap them (one at a time) around a drinking glass or glass jar about 2” in diameter. Let the paper strip stick out from the bottom of the glass about 1 ½ inches and fold/squish that in to make the bottom of the pot. Slip it off and fill it with planting mix (you can actually buy wooden molds to do the same thing with, not sure why anyone would waste good money on them).

Plant Tags.

As a gardener I go through a lot of little tags for marking the names of things I’ve planted. Wooden ones are nice, and if you buy frozen treats by all means save any wooden sticks – but I don’t so I upcycle quart yogurt containers but cutting the sides into ½” wide strips and recycling the bottoms. At the end of the season the tags go into the recycling as well.

For longer-lasting plant tags (fruit trees, etc) I cut 1” wide strips out of the sides of an aluminum beverage can (if you don’t buy any yourself you can probably pick one up easily enough. Use an object with a rounded point (an old dead ballpoint pen works nicely) to press the name and other info into the soft metal. Poke a hole near one end and use a scrap of wire to hang it.

(Anna, here.  I love Jean’s ideas.  I re-use my old credit cards as seedling markers but cut out the number. )

Three household Cleaning Helpers.

Vinegar.

Dilute with water to wash floors or remove salt residues from just about anything. Use instead of Jetdry in the dishwasher, fabric softener in the washing machine, and hair conditioner in the shower.

Baking soda.

Use dry or moistened with water to scrub stains away and you can brush your teeth with it.

Borax.

Great laundry stain fighter; mixed with water, a splash of vinegar, and a few drops of essential oil it makes a good all purpose cleaning spray; and I wash my hair with it (put a few tablespoons in a jar, add water, shake, let settle for a minute, and pour the liquid over wet hair – not much sudsing, rinses out easily, leaving clean shiny hair for pennies).

(Anna, here.  See Jean’s almost Anything Cleaner recipe made with borax, vinegar, washing soda and some essential oils. Sure to save you money as well as the environment.  I can just smell the cleaner as I type.)

Of course if I can’t make do, borrow, or find something used I DO buy stuff I really need, and I DO make buying the longest lasting, lowest maintenance, and –- yes—“Greenest” option I can find and afford a priority.

(Anna, here.  Don’t forget to read my very own green living hacks: Going Green on a Budget or 18 Steps Green Steps without Spending a Dime. Jean and I could be green cousins. I only have one sister and she would be insulted if I called anyone else my “sister” even for the environment.)

Questions:

• What are your favorite eco-nomical and eco-wise hacks? Spill, please.
• Do you have a top 10 list of green living hacks.  (If you have a post, link it below in the comments.)
• Have you tried any of the above hacks?  If so, tell us your experience.
• Which one or few of the above hacks are your favorites?

Jean Nick

Thanks Jean for sharing some green living, save money love on Green Talk.  The Nickel Pincher is the alter-ego of Jean Nick, farmer, writer, and all-around homesteading and DIY addict. Raised by thrifty New Englanders, she has been collecting and inventing ways to live well and save money at the same time for half a century. She lives at Happy Farm, a grass-based poultry and small fruit farm in Eastern PA with her partner Tom, 6 dogs, 2 cats, a small flock of goats and sheep, and geese, guineas, ducks, and chickens to numerous to count.  In addition, be sure to check out Jean’s great articles as Rodale’s Nickel Pincher!

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Is this a familiar scene?  You are at BJs, Sam’s Club, or Costco and someone is handing out free samples. Or maybe you want to try a soft yogurt that you never tried before.  Think of how many times you have tasted something to just throw away the spoon after one bite?  Probably enough to make your own personal tasting bridge.  Let’s face it.    Being a plastic spoon sucks.  You love them and leave them.  Plus, they ain’t good for the environment.

Move over plastic spoon, since Ecotensil is here.   Enjoy your taste test and help the environment too.  Let me tell you this Company gots you covered in the tasting and eating department with their paperstock Ecotensil and the EcoTaster Mini.  How so?  Read on.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Peggy Cross, the founder of Ecotensil as she gave me an up front and close look at how great her products are.  Be sure to watch the video or listen to the podcast because Peggy really spoon-fed me on the benefits on her renewable and recyclable Ecotensil products with a lot of humor sprinkled into the mix.

So, what’s so bad about plastic, you say?

Before I dazzle you with this wonderful invention, let’s go over why plastic tasting spoon are the ultimate drag on the environment.  Okay.  Plastic in general.
According to a Scientific American article,

“Chemicals added to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Some of these compounds have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects.

• Plastic debris, laced with chemicals and often ingested by marine animals, can injure or poison wildlife.

• Floating plastic waste, which can survive for thousands of years in water, serves as mini transportation devices for invasive species, disrupting habitats.

• Plastic buried deep in landfills can leach harmful chemicals that spread into groundwater.

• Around 4 percent of world oil production is used as a feedstock to make plastics, and a similar amount is consumed as energy in the process.”

Plastic might be versatile, but it is definitely not your best friend. Nor is thousands and thousands of tasting spoon at events, ice cream shop, and buying clubs.

So, the alternative is…does anyone have the e-envelope?

The EcoTaster

The EcoTaster Mini (pictured above) is made out of silky smooth, renewable paper stock which is compostable recyclable, or biodegradable. Its silky smooth texture is due to a mineral and water based coating.  Future spoons will be made out of FSC paper stock.  Peggy explains that the spoons can only be made out of FDA approved paper, which does not included reycled paper at the moment.

The EcoTaster Mini can be used for bite size food such as yogurt, cereal, and rice.  I thought as Peggy was explaining the EcoTaster that you could use it for hard ice cream.   Peggy explained that the EcoTaster is only for softer foods, but they are working on a spoon that can be used for hard ice cream.  She must know my kids who want to try every flavor in an ice cream store.

What about it being compostable? Everyone tauts their product as being compostable, Anna.  Yeah, I know. I know.  The Company states the product will bio-degrade in one to three weeks.  In fact, they further state that the product bio-degrades faster than those other bio-products including corn and sugar based utensils.  Check out this video comparing the EcoTaster and plastic spoon decomposition in one month.  The video bring home how disastrous plastic is for our environment.

The Ecotensil

The Ecotensil is the larger spoon which you can easily use to accommodate larger chunkier items. It is long lasting and durable and also made out of renewable paper stock. It contains milk carton like skin so it may not be recyclable in everyone’s recycling cans.  According to the Company, it does contain about 4% poly materials, which is the lowest amount available as required by the FDA for use in paperboard materials.  They further stated via an email correspondence that at this point in time, “the technology does not yet exist to create paperboard materials or this size without poly, however EcoTensil is always searching for the most eco-friendly options available.”

The product is biodegradable, so it can be sent to a commercial composting facility.

I even got to see the spoon in action. Peggy scooped out pudding on the above video and proceeded to eat it like she was using a regular spoon.  I can tell you not one drop fell on her desk!  Got me thinking.  Why don’t all ice cream stores offer this spoon in lieu of the plastic ones when they hand you a cup of soft ice cream or yogurt?

Space the final frontier.

During the video, Peggy dragged out a typical bag of your garden variety tasting spoons.  Clunky and definitely takes up lots of space.  Then she showed me a box of 5000 EcoTasters, which took  up virtually no room at all.  She explained that her 5000 EcoTasters fit in the same box as 1000 comparable spoons.  So, add another green attribute to these green scoopers.  Reduced carbon footprint.    When you can ship more in a smaller box!    And heavens to Betsey if the spoon ends up in a landfill, they would take up such little space.  But, I believe in the goodness of mankind, and that no one would dare throw their EcoTaster in the garbage.  Right?  (Let me be naive.  I live in my own green fantasy world.)

So what can you do?

So, people, here is the call to action.  Let the Costco’s of the world know that there is a better alternative available. Or the companies who run your fairs and events. Or how about your favorite ice cream place? But don’t forget to tell them to do their part by providing recycling or biodegradable receptacles for easy disposal of the spoons.

Where can you buy them?   For $129 you can buy a case of 5000 spoons. (includes  shipping.)  Or $236 for a case of Ecotensils. (Note, the price per case falls as you order more.)

Be the first on the block to offer an alternative.  Just think you can use the Ecotaster to promote your newest flavor and the Ecotensil for  eating.  Branding of the EcoTaster and Ecotensil is available.

Down with the pink spoon!   Ecotensil me instead.

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Welcome guest poster, Susan, of Practically Green. I absolutely adore her and her new quiz on her site. Read on.

Almost four years ago, I tossed my first bottle of conventional baby lotion and banned plastic from our microwave.

My toddler son had just been diagnosed with a whole range of food and environmental allergies. This got us reading labels — and we quickly learned a lot about the impact that chemicals, hormones, antibiotics in foods, and other nasty stuff have on us and our kids.

The process was confusing, time-consuming, and complex–and it was filled with a lot of contradictory information. And that was just the cleaning, food, and personal-care stuff! When we decided to embark on a major home renovation focused on other ‘green’ things — like saving energy, saving water, reducing waste, and selecting products and services that were better for us and the planet — it got REALLY hard. So hard, I decided to do a graduate program in sustainable design to understand it better!

I learned a lot about LEED® in my courses. LEED is a system for developers, builders, and architects to earn points for incorporating green features into buildings. If they do a really good job, their projects become LEED Silver, Gold, or even Platinum. LEED® has sparked a boom in green building.

What I especially loved about LEED® was its framework, which made it easier to understand what to DO to live healthier and greener. There was only one problem with LEED®. It wasn’t helpful for the majority of decisions I was making on a daily basis as a mom. How many points for bringing bags to the grocery store? How many for ditching my petroleum-based lipstick or switching to cloth napkins? When I do these things, am I still just barely green or have I improved a lot?

I wanted LEED® for moms like me, my neighbors and friends. And that’s the vision for Practically Green: a new online service that figures out where you are today and provides a personalized list of what you could be doing to “move up”.

We try to make it comprehensive, we try to collect the best expertise and real life experience, and we try to make it fun. Here’s how it works:

Step One: Are you Level 1: Barely green? Or are you Level 10: Superbly Green? The diagnostic quiz provides a “best estimate,” but you can easily add things it missed from over 350 actions in our database.

Step Two: Make a plan to reach your personal goal based on personalized, recommended actions. Each action has points based on impact, along with why it’s green, how to do it, and recommended products and services. (My goal is to get to a 10. But I’m one of those who always wants to get a top score. Very Type-A!)

Step Three: Celebrate your accomplishments! Whether it’s getting your gold badge in health or making it to the next level–it’s a big deal and we make it a big deal! You can share your achievement with your friends too!

How am I doing?

Our four years of big efforts (a micro co-generation system) and little efforts (all-natural dish soap), adds up to 127 actions worth 4,380 points, which is “Wicked Green” or a Level 9. If I want to get to a 10, I need slightly more than 100 more points, mostly in energy.

This is where “superbly” and “practically” collide.

Two big things I could do to get there would include:

1. Reduce Air Travel Significantly: 150 energy points

This isn’t happening. My parents live in Washington State. My husband’s parents live in Florida. We are in Massachusetts. We are going to see them–and we aren’t spending 4 days with 2 kids on a train to do it.

1. Reduce red meat to 1x/month: 100 energy points

I’ve taken the “Meat-Free Monday” pledge and have very consciously shifted all our ground beef to ground dark turkey. But I really enjoy a good steak and pork chops. We’ve accepted the fact we’re carnivores, but we choose to Buy sustainably raised meat and settled on our 50 points for that.

(Anna, here,  honestly, Susan, my boys are cavemen.  They would hunt meat if they could.)

Fortunately, Practically Green encourages me to try and achieve my goals using a number of smaller, less dramatic changes too. If I go this route to the Level 10, my journey probably looks like:

Install smart power strips: 10 energy points (Anna here.  See GT’s Smart Strip article.)

Line-dry laundry in summer: 25 energy points

Plant a vegetable garden: 20 energy points (caveat: I’ve done this, but before I claim the points, I want to see if I actually can grow anything!)

(Anna here.  See Susan’s video on how to select the proper location for a garden.  As for me, gosh, where do I begin on my drama, drama, and more drama gardening adventures? Slugs, Rabbits, crows, oh my.  As well as my overambitious garden self?  Won’t trade the drama for the world.)

Insulate your pipes: 20 energy points

(Anna, here again.  See GT’s article about insulating your ducts and pipes.  Two great minds think alike. I told you I adore Susan.)

Install insulated window treatments: 20 points

What about the 5 points left to go? I turned my attention to the health, water and stuff categories and found lots and lots to do. Here’s a fun and easy one:

Get something, instead of buying it, from Freecycle: 5 points

(Anna, here again.  You KNOW I love a Freecycle, Garage Sale, or Craig’s list bargain.  Used is the way to go! Where else can you buy quality for a third of the price?)

I have no illusions these actions will happen overnight, but the whole point is to just put one foot in front of the other and to keep going. When I look back at how our life has changed over time, I’m truly amazed at what we’ve accomplished. We’d dropped our electricity usage almost 70% in the winter. We have significantly reduced our toxin exposure from food and products. My son no longer snores so loud you can hear him two floors down from dust mites. We truly live more consciously and I do feel like I’m contributing to a healthier life for my kids and perhaps doing my part for the greater good.

What about you? Where are you in your green journey and what actions get you to your own goal? We’d love to hear from you and hope to see you as part of Practically Green.

Editor’s note: I took the quiz and only got an 8.  Gosh, I was surprised. I thought I would do better.  Just goes to show you that like everything in life, you can always up the bar.

Susan told me to sign up and find out how I could become amazingly green!  I know I need to switch to cloth napkins instead of recycled content one, but I would have to buy black ones.  Sometimes, I think I should give my boys a trough instead of a plate.  My kitchen would be alot cleaner!

Take the quiz and let us know your score and how you can approve.Similar Posts:

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Hey Folks. It is Anna here.  Remember me? The one that is always nudging  you to practice the 3 Rs:  reuse, recycle, and reduce, and pesters you about the toxic hazards in your home and  personal care products.  Oh yeah, how can I forget?  The one who constantly harps on how to green your house and  reduce your energy needs.

And what is my mantra? Save green by being green!  How about if I told you there was a Company that actually pays you to reduce your carbon footprint?

Folks:  Aw come on, Anna. Who pays you for going green? You are just trying to guilt me into changing my lifestyle, right?

Anna:  Really, Folks.  Check out  MyEmissionExchange. Want a short overview? Check out the above video.

So what the deal? Why are they paying you? The Company states:

“We truly believe that the only way to avoid being a flash in the pan is to align your individual economic self-interest with the interests of our planet. In order to actually effect change, we at myEex feel it is necessary to make individuals responsible for the external cost of pollution. How do we do this? With money. We incentivize people with the prospect of earning money for reducing their footprint. Our objective is to create a global exchange where individuals around the world can economically benefit from reducing their carbon footprints. Yep – what’s good for your wallet can be good for our planet.”

So how does it work? You create your own account. Then you enter in your past year’s electric and heat bills.  The website offers suggestions on how to reduce your home energy use.  As you being to reduce your usage and enter those figures in your account, MyEex does the calculations and tells you how much credits you are earning.  Thereafter, the Company awards members carbon credits similar  to those currently granted to companies, states and counties and pays you the earnings via Paypal.

Now, I have to admit this is where I thought the plan was a little sketchy.  How do they pay you?  Is there a carbon credit stock market? Actually, there is a voluntary cap and trade program and according to the Environmental Leader,

“With an estimated 123 million tons of carbon credits traded in 2008, the voluntary carbon market across the world nearly doubled from the 65 million tons of credits traded in 2007.”

The article further states:

“The primary motivators for companies to purchase carbon credits were for purposes of corporate social responsibility and public relations. However, purchases of carbon credits as an investment vehicle or for resale has grown, as well.”

So who’s buying those credits? Companies who produce too much carbon and want to buy credits to reduce their emissions. This is where your personal carbon credits can come into play. (Still need more information on carbon credits?  See here for a good explanation.)

Folks:  So get back to how I am going to get paid.

Anna:  According to the Company’s website,

“MyEmissionsExchange is partnered with OceanConnect ltd, an international company that specializes in the brokerage of energy resources. OceanConnect provides the technical support and infrastructure for trading and bundling the individual carbon credits accumulated by MyEmissionsExchange.”

The Company further states that it makes a commission on the brokerage of your carbon credits. So, the more you do your part, the more green they get paid.

So how much money can you realistically earn?  The NY1  Money Matters reporter, Tara Lynn Wagner,  indicated in her segment about the Company,

“You’re not going to get rich off selling your carbon credits. If you earn two or three credits a year, you might make around $60, depending on the market. However, the real money comes not in what you earn, but what you save on monthly energy bills by using less energy.”

According to Paul Herrgesll of the Company, he predicts in the segment that the average size family could see a savings of $400 to $600 energy savings by reducing their energy usage.  See, the long term savings is in your reduction of your energy bill.   In addition, Marrissa Miraval of the Company states that you could easily save $50 by “just unplugging things.”

Folks:  Okay, you got my attention. Sign me up. Heck, I will be greener if I can earn some green.  So where is my Kermit t-shirt?

Anna:  I knew I would get your attention.

How about you out there? What’s your thoughts?

Tip via twitter from A Sea of Change, Imagine a World without Fish. Check out when this film may be airing in a town near you.

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Yesterday, I listed a ton of suggested ways of how you can green your home on a budget.  I had to break the article up into two posts because the ideas just kept flowing out of my head, making the article way too long.  Today, I am focusing on water conservation in the home and gardening low cost tips.

The Garden:

• Don’t throw your coffee grounds away.  Use them around your plant.  They (and worms) love them.  (Incidently my coffee grounds story is the #1 story on my site. It keeps getting stumbled since everyone loves the concept.)
• Use your left-over water from your potatoes, vegetables, or spagetti to water your plants.
• Use egg shells when you plant your tomatoes and supposedl, they repel slugs.
• Use banana peels for your roses.
• Consider using containers to grow your tomatoes and other veggies if you don’t have space for a garden.  My friend grows tomatoes and many herbs in containers since  growing a garden was out of the question due to the deer.  Not only will your food taste better, you will be lower your foods’ footprint.  Food sometimes travels countless miles to get to your plate.
• Consider growing plants from seed as well as saving the seeds from your plants for next year.  I grow all of my plants from seed and it is  much more affordable than buying the plants.  Plus, I don’t have to dispose of any plastic pots.
• Use newspaper rolls as seedling holders.
• Use your old warped screens to cover plants for some shade in the summer.
• If you don’t grow your own, buy organic.  If organic is too expensive, consider buying only organic for those fruits and vegetables which contain high pesticide residue.See here for more information.
• Use your leaves as mulch. They are free.
• Compost your veggies and fruits.  Less waste, happier plants.  I have a little container by my sink and a black composter in my yard.  Everything goes in the composter except dairy and meat.

Water:

• Consider licking your baking dishes clean rather than washing them.  (For dishes using eggs this may not be the wisest idea.  You can use the following egg replacement recipe from here or buy an egg replacement package from the health food store.)
• Buy a low flow shower head to reduce your water consumption.  See Eartheasy for a discussion between the difference between a nonaerating or aerating ones.
• Buy a faucet aerator to reduce your water consumption.
• Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth.
• Reuse your cooking water, left over water in your glasses, and left-over water in your botttles for your plants.
• Reuse your shower water for your plants. Put some bucket in your shower to catch the extra water.  Be careful as to the type of shampoos and soaps you use if you are going to reuse your water. Only use environmentally friendly soaps and shampoos. Check the Skin Deep Database before you buy any personal care product to access its safety for you.  Also, see here for more information on the reuse of grey water.  (Personally, I would not use this water on my veggies or fruits unless you collect it before you shower.)
• If you can’t afford to replace your toilets in favor of  dual flushing or low water consumption ones, put a liter bottle full of water in the tank.  See more information about ths practice on  Tiny Choices (the site of my friend, Jenn.)

Don’t forget to Read Part I and then add your tips.  Who says you can’t be green without breaking the bank?

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Today, a college intern at a local magazine emailed me that she wanted to ask me a few green questions.  No problem, I thought.  I love to talk about going green, especially on a budget. Ask my friends?  Sometimes, I think they would like me to shut up about it.

So, when the college intern asked me “what were my top 5 ideas of going green on a budget,” I was speechless, a first for me.  (No comments from the peanut gallery.)  I could not utter my top 5  and yet on a budget.  I am not a stranger to budget/frugal greensumerism since I am constantly talking about  how to repurpose items that would go into the trash, how to weatherize your house on a dime, and how to swap, barter, and Freecycle it.

Who else loves you enough to tell you how being green is a snap since you have so many options right in your own neighborhood? (Plus, how could you forget my article on the green benefits of eating at Wendy’s? Far fetched but I was determined.)

Hmmm. What was my top five green budget ideas?

Top five I thought?  I said something (probably not too intelligent) because I was stunned that I could not launch into my usual green mantra mode.  All I could come up with is “take your shoes off  when you get home so that you don’t drag in all those toxins and pesticides from outside into your home.”  You can’t get any more frugal then that.

Was this the best Anna could do?

There seemed to be silence on the other end of the phone as if I had just been found out to be a fake. Branded with a capital “L” on my forehead.  I felt like I was the wizard in Wizard of Oz, when Toto pulls the curtain back to reveal who the great and mighty Wizard of Oz was.  A mere mortal.  Did she wonder if I was the same person who dispels those green words of wisdom every week or did I have ghost writers?

On my second try out of the box, I started to dazzle her with my re-purpose ideas of how to reuse thing like my straws from marking my bulbs, and a net baggie turned deer deterrence full of my hair (pantyhose work too.)  She kindly asked me for more ideas since re-purposing may not be for everyone.  Strike two.

Then finally I came up with something palatable:  Use your leftover spaghetti and potato water to water your plants.  (Hit to first base. Crowds cheer.)  After a few other ideas such as keeping your refrigerator full to lower energy costs, or don’t buy plastic bottles or single serving packaging, I felt my own dissappointment that I could not provide any exciting tips.  All o f my suggestions were blah.

Okay, Anna, spill that apparently clogged brain of yours.

So I decide to write this article to list some of my own going green on a budget ideas for your home for everyone to add their favorites.  When I first drafted the article, so many ideas spilled out of my head I decided to break up the article into two.  Here is my first installment of budget green ideas.  Read tomorrow’s green budget friendly garden and water ideas:

Green Ideas for the Home:

• Consider using only green cleaners like Seventh Generation or better yet, make your own cleaners.   See here for recipes.  I basically use only Bonami, baking soda and vingear to clean with.
• Ditch the paper habit, and use either rags or a SKOY cloth.  See My Plastic Free Life’s  (Beth’s) review on the cloth. Many people like microfiber rags but they are made out of petroleum based products.
• Get rid of junk mail by eliminating those unwanted catalogs on Catalog Choice or Green Dimes.  See more information here on how to reduce your junk mail dilemena.
• Consider swapping, bartering or selling your clutter.  See more information here to declutter your home.  Someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure.
• Take your shoes off when you come into the door.  It reduces toxic chemicals in your home.
• Use low or no voc paint to give your rooms  a make-over. Paint can turn a room from drab to fab.  Seriously.  (I learned this from watching countless hours of HGTV.)
• Look for air leaks in your home with an incense stick and then caulk, weatherstrip, and insulate as necessary to close up the leaks. See how here. For more weatherizing tips, see here, here, and here.  Many of them are quite inexpensive.
• Install this dryer vent to stop leaks from your dryer. It is very inexpensive and any DIYer can do it. I have one in my own home and found the laundry room to be warmer.
• Install CFLs in your lights.  Realize that the dimmable CFLs  do not completely dim.  Don’t forget to recycle them at your county facility, Ikea, or Home Depot.
• Recycle, reuse, and reduce. Many items you can recycle within 10 minutes from your home. See here for a list.  Remember reduce is the most important of the three Rs.
• I add the fourth one to the 3 Rs.  Repurpose.  I am constantly thinking of way to reuse items from toothbrushes as cleaning tools, straws to mark my bulbs, potato sacks to place over my broccoli seedlings so the moths don’t lay their blasted eggs on them, expired credit cards as seedling identifiers, and other ideas.
• Reduce waste in your home by reducing the amount of single servings items you buy.  Just think of the dollars you spend every day to have that convience of single servings.  Instead of the single servings, considering buying one large bag and putting the amount you want in a container for lunch.  See here for a short video of Renee and  Heather of EnviroMoms on Nightline showing a family how they can reduce their waste.
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.  Want to know the lifecycle of the napkin? Watch the  Sundance Channel’s EcoTrip’s upcoming episode.  (Airs this Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 9pm.)  You will think twice about using napkins again.
• Use re-usable containers for lunches rather than use plastic baggies.  If you have to use plastic baggies, wash them and reuse them.  Some lunch box ideas for less wasteful lunches:  Laptop Lunches , Project Kool, and Kids Konserve.
• Look at what you buy when you go to the grocery store.  Assess whether it can be recycled or not.  OR go with the brand with the less packaging.   I tend to only buy the eggs in paper cartons rather than the plastic because I can only recycle the paper container. For more tips on how to reduce your plastic consumption, visit My Plastic Free Life.  Beth had wonderful nonpreachy posts that everyone would enjoy.  She changed my world.
• Instead of using paper plates and utensils, use your own plates instead for parties.  If you need extras go to a thrift shop and buy different matching sets to re-use them rather than throw them away.  As for plastic utensils, you can either have additional utensils or hand wash the plastic ones over and over again.
• Consider air drying your dishes rather than using the heat cycle of your dishwasher.
• Use only eco-friendly dishwasher soaps for your dishes and laundry detergent for your clothes.  Want to go one step futher, consider buying soap nuts!  Less plastic.  And they are great for vacations since you can just slip them in your suitcase.  When you are done with them, simply throw them outside to bio-degrade. I use Studio OM’s soap nuts and love them!  Update:  She closed her business but you can buy them at Laundry Tree. Note, you can’t wash your clothes in cold water with soap nuts.  If you want to use cold water, you have to make a liquid soap nut version or buy it as a liquid.
• Wash your clothes in cold to reduce your energy bills.
• Take out all polyester clothing out of the dryer to line dry.  This cuts down on static cling and dryer time.
• Unplug your computer, television, and other electronic equipment when they are not in use.  They draw phantom energy which increases your electric bill.  You can buy a surge protector strip, plug multiple items into it, and then turn off surge protector when you are not using the equipment.  If you are not into bending, then just purchase a Smart Strip.
• Use recycled toliet paper rather than regular paper.  Buy in bulk to reduce the cost.   See my article about the different types of recycled toliet papers.
• Buy used furniture at garage sales, on Ebay, Craiglist, and antique stores.  Not only can you get a better bargain for good quality furniture, you will reducing your footprint by buying something that is already here.  My own house is full of used furniture!
• Shop at building salvage stores to pick up flooring, cabinets, tile, and more at reduced prices.  Many times the products are overages from builders or salvaged from building being torn down.  See here for more information.  I visit my local Habitat Restore constantly to see what I can pick up for my house. (I am eyeing left-over bricks to expand my garden.  Don’t tell my husband.  That means more work for him…)
• Shop at second hand or consignment stores.  I bought both of my designer dresses for my sons’ bar mitzvahs at a fraction of the cost.   You will look great and reduce your carbon footprint!  See here for a list of consignment shops in your area.
• Better yet, rent your dresses. Rent the Runway has killer dresses!
• I have read you can turn your oven off  for five minutes before the food is supposed to be done to save energy.   The food finishes with the residual heat.  I have never tried this and was wondering if anyone had. For more energy saving cooking ideas, see here.

Whew! I am exhausted.  I guess my fingers are way smarter than my brain.

Tommorrow I will tackle some water conservation and gardening ideas. What are some of your budget conscious home tips?  Let’s help create an amazing article full of great tips that will inspire other to green their lives.  I am all ears!

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