Archive for April, 2008
April 21st, 2008
Celebrate Earth Day, Embrace Earth Life
Stumble it!
Well it’s a magical day here on our planet– it’s Earth Day. We hope you are all planning to do some serious celebrating. Perhaps you are going for a hike– or even doing something outstanding like a beach clean up!
But we have to admit that here at Low Impact Living we’re a bit conflicted about Earth Day. It’s excellent that we all take this day to give praise to our planet, of course. But shouldn’t we all be living an “Earth Life”? We’d like to encourage all of us to move from celebrating one day on to embracing a year-around approach to living that gives Mother Nature a big high five of support.
To quote a popular election refrain these days, “Yes we can.” Here are seven things we hope you’ll agree are pretty easy to do on an on-going basis. If we can all integrate these seven simple steps into our “Earth Life” we will really be friends of our favorite planet.
1. Give up bottled water– for good. Drink from a glass at home, take your own reusable jug or bottle to the gym, and encourage your office to get a water filter or a water service. Americans throw out over 40 million plastic bottles each year and over 80% end up in landfills. If everyone on your block stopped using bottled water you could probably cut out 5000 bottles each year.
2. Buy green power from your utility. You can pay a few extra dollars each month and support power generation from renewable, clean sources like wind, water and biomass. Click here to learn more about programs in your area.
3. Eat meat (at least) one fewer day per week. Raising animals for meat (particularly beef) places an incredible strain on our natural resources. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, one pound of red meat is responsible for 20 times the land use, five times the water use, and three times the greenhouse gas pollution compared with a portion of beans or pasta.
4. Take reusable bags to the grocery store. No more paper or plastic. Just good old canvas. The average American uses over 500 plastic shopping bags a year– but you are not an Average American!
5. Fly one time less each year. Plane travel is one of the greatest sources of carbon emissions (and global warming). Maybe you could drive or take a train to your destination. Or consider planning a vacation closer to home. To learn more about the impacts of flying, click here.
6. Buy less stuff. New products require the destruction of trees, the use of petroleum for plastics, shipping, packaging…our incessant chain of production and consumption chain is one of great threats to the sustainability of our planet. Can you use that sweater another year? Maybe you could swap some furniture items with a friend. Perhaps you can you get something on Craig’s List rather than at Toys-R-Us?
7. Make sure you are recycling as much as possible. You need to know your city’s rules. We’re amazed by the number of people in our city, Los Angeles, who don’t know they can recycle ALL types of plastic and styrofoam. You may be able to recycle more than you think! Please click here to learn about how to recycle to the max where you live.
If you read this list and say, “Oh for heaven’s sake– that’s child’s play! I’ve done all that!” then we salute you. If you want to take your Earth Life game up a notch, please check out some of these other bigger steps you can take to embrace eco-friendly living.
And if you have good ideas for how to embrace Earth Life, please share them!
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April 20th, 2008
Spring Planting Guide for Your Vegetable Patch
We are joined again by Christy Wilhelmi, the talented founder of Gardenerd.com. She helps us discover the many joys of organic gardening. Here she gets us on the way for spring vegetable planting. Hurray!
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A recent survey showed that more Americans are starting to grow their own food. People all over the country are succumbing to the joys of vegetable gardening. To these folks, there’s nothing more rewarding than walking out into the garden to pick fresh leeks, lettuce, tomatoes and basil. Then into the kitchen they go to create a culinary masterpiece with their harvest. Can you blame them for being so passionate? Surely there is something to this curious hobby.
The environmental benefits of growing your own veggies are great. Planting your own vegetables means you can ensure they are organic and healthy. And getting your food out of your own garden cuts the carbon emissions that would have been required to bring you food from the farm to the store to your table.
If you want to get in on the action, here is a quick-start guide for vegetables that grow best in spring:
+ Asparagus – start once, enjoy for a decade or so
+ Brassicas - cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, turnips, kohlrabi, rapini (Note – if it gets hot early in your area, you may want to have shade cloth handy to keep them from “bolting”, or going to seed too quickly. These veggies grow best in fall in the Southwest because they like to start in warm weather and mature in cooler weather).
+ Carrots and other root crops like parsnips and radishes
+ Cucumbers – start indoors and plant out later in the spring
+ Peppers– both sweet and spicy (start indoors and plant out later in the spring)
+ Eggplant – plant at the same time as peppers
+ Garlic – one of my favorite things to grow at home (can be grown in fall as well)
+ Herbs – basil, cilantro, chives, dill, oregano, parsley, and many others
+ Lettuces and other greens for salads like arugula, spinach and mustard greens
+ Melons – watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, etc.
+ Onion Sets, leeks, shallots and green onions
+ Peas
+ Potatoes – you haven’t lived until you’ve grown your own potatoes
+ Squash – both summer and winter squash like butternut, delicata, yellow crookneck, and zucchini
+ Tomatoes – try any of the over 300 varieties available. There are sure to be some that grow well in your zone.
When choosing seeds and plants for your area, make sure you know your hardiness zone. You can find your zone in the U.S. at the National Gardening Association website: http://garden.org/zipzone/. Not only can you find your hardiness zone, but you can look up what plants (other than vegetables) will grow well in your zone. Search by color, type and other growing conditions. Just click on Plant Finder after you’ve established your zone.
Once you know what you want to plant, take some time to sketch out where you want to plant them. Be sure to include beneficial flowers like marigolds to help keep pests at bay.
In areas where the ground freezes, you will need to do the squeeze test to see if your soil is ready to be worked. Squeeze a handful of soil into a ball in your fist. Open your hand and stick your thumb into it. It is holds its shape, it’s still too wet. If it breaks apart, it’s ready to work. If you don’t like that test, you can try the old folk lore method: drop your drawers and sit on your patch of soil. If you can sit there without freezing your buns off, the soil is ready to go. I’ll stick with the squeeze test myself.
To read Christy’s previous piece on Organic Gardening 101, please click here.
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April 18th, 2008
Earth Day Events Galore!
YEE-OW-ZA, people! We are so excited about all of the news of Earth Day events going on around the country that we just had to share some more with you. We did a post a couple of weeks back on Earth Day Events across the US, but since then we have learned about many more of them– and we can’t stop ourselves from letting you know about them.
Get Your Green Dance Shoes On! Earth Night, Saturday April 19, Los Angeles
Our good buddies at LA Green Drinks have teamed up with the Whole Life Times and other good folks to put on a rockin’ Earth-a-bration this Saturday night. Get together with your eco-brethren and party it out like it’s 2008! Location: Whole Life Times Bldg., 1200 South Hope Street, Suite 300, LA, CA 90028
Earth Day at Rio De Los Angeles State Park, April 19, Los Angeles
Feel like doing something really useful and important on Earth Day? Here’s your chance. The outstanding LA non-profit Northeast Trees is hosting “Earth Day at Rio,” from 9 to noon at Rio De Los Angeles State Park. (1900 San Fernando Road, LA, 90065) You can join volunteers on a mission to restore a watershed at the park. They will distribute trees and plants and, yes, you get to plant them with your very own hands. Kids can participate in an interactive tour where they will learn about the importance of wetland habitat. For more information contact Kristi@northeasttrees.org or call (323) 441-8634, ext. 18.
Austin Earth Day Festival, Saturday April 19, Austin TX
The Austin Farmer’s Market presents an all-day Earth Day event at Republic Square Park on Saturday this weekend. There will be a “Solar Jam” (apparently that includes live bands!), recycled art installations, local yummy food, and green activities for the kids. It goes from 9AM to 6PM.
Earthwalk and Earthfest at Shawnee Mission Park, April 19, Kansas City MO
This 2.7 mile Earth Day Nature Walk at Shawnee Mission Park, Theatre in the Park (7900 Renner, Overland Park) benefits local environmental group Bridging the Gap. The after-walk Earthfest also hosts over 70 earth-day friendly exhibitors and vendors and has entertainment, games, crafts, and tons of fun Earth Day activities. Apparently there’s a lot going on in KC on Earth Day (go KC! My hometown!)– check it all out here.
Muse on Earth, April 22 (Earth Day), New York City at Creative Pier
Located in Manhattan’s bustling Union Square, Creative Pier is a space for artists and non-artists of all ages and abilities to join together in a tranquil space to relax, imagine, connect and create. Creative Pier is hosting a celebration of the Earth Day– ”Muse on Earth.” Bring your friends or make some new ones as you take part in many art activities in honor of Mother Earth:
* Build and paint your very own bird house and create a new home for a lucky bird
* Let loose in the group Action Painting of the Living Canvas,
* Take a walk in the Meditation Labyrinth,
* Discover what may grow in the Magic Garden, and *more*.
Sounds funky– we like it! Snacks, drinks and great music served up throughout the evening.
Seattle– Too many events to list!
No surprise that the Emerald City is out-doing itself for Earth Day. Check out all of the great things you can get into in Seattle!
9th Annual Charles River Earth Day Clean Up, Boston MA, April 26 (Saturday)
The Cleanup involves over 2,000 volunteers helping to beautify the Charles River, picking up trash and cleaning the riverbanks at over 40 sites from Milford to Boston. We typically work with groups of volunteers, who we assign to a site near their home or workplace. We provide you with all of the supplies and instructions that you will need to make the cleanup a success - trash bags, gloves, and a t-shirt for each participant.
AltBuild Expo, April 26 (Saturday), Santa Monica, CA
Just after Earth Day is the outstanding AltBuild Expo in Santa Monica. If you have not been to this one, it’s a great event for the serious green-bean! Green consumer products, service demonstrations, green building materials, free green seminars– it’s a feast for anyone who is interested in green business. It’s also just fun to check out all the cool stuff!
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April 17th, 2008
Expand Your Eco-Influence
Recently, our own Monica Schenk informed us of the über-cool Eco-Mom Alliance, an organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering mothers to make a difference in the battle against climate change. This group highlights the power that parents have in our families, communities, and schools. Which got us thinking…
As a member of Low Impact Living’s community, you are most likely taking steps in your personal life and around your home to reduce your impact on the earth. But what about all of the other circles that you and your family inhabit? Here, we take a look at some great ideas for the rest of your life.
Working for a Living
While companies like Toyota and GE are coming up with exciting new green products, others are focusing on greening areas of their current operations – something that any company can do, including yours. For example, Bank of America has instituted an internal recycling program that saves the equivalent of more than 200,000 trees per year. BofA also supports employees’ desires to reduce the CO2 emissions they produce through driving, by offering $3,000 cash back to those who buy hybrids – what a deal!
Another area that companies are investigating is their supply chain – all of the raw materials, products and services that a company buys in order to do their thing. Wal-Mart has requested that suppliers reduce the packaging of products sold in their stores. Starbucks has instituted a “bean-to-cup” initiative that drove the use of recycled paper sleeves, saving the equivalent of 78,000 trees in 2006.
Since companies also use enormous amounts of energy, several forward-thinking organizations are purchasing credits to offset their usage. Whole Foods Market was the first to offset 100% of its electricity use through wind-energy credits.
Of course, we don’t all have the sort of power that these corporate behemoths have. But even though you may not work for a giant company with company-wide green initiatives, often all it takes is a little ingenuity and elbow grease to make big changes.
Take a cue from a leader in the hotel industry, Fairmont Hotels. They believe that one of the best ways for any company to get started is to form a Green Team with folks from different areas of the company. All you need is a champion to pick up the cause. You can bet that there will be many money-saving ideas generated by people who have been itching to make things better, but haven’t had the forum to do so. Besides, anyone can make like the big guys and look into recycling programs. Or consider greening your office supplies through a new supplier, like The Green Office.
If you need some suggestions for how to make your office or workplace more green, please check out our earlier post on 10 Ways to Green Your Office.
You can also see if your city has a Green Business Certification program, like the ones in San Francisco and Santa Monica, CA. States are also getting into the act, with new business greening programs taking root in Arizona and Maine.
Whatever steps you take will have an impact on the environment. And since greening is first about conservation, you’ll likely have a positive impact on your company’s bottom line as well. A win-win!
The Children Are Our Future
They are also our now. There are more than 61 million children between the ages of 5 and 19 in the US – that’s a lot of school supplies and sack lunches. To help reduce that blow, the Go Green Initiative has designed a program to promote environmental responsibility on school campuses, nationwide. By bringing together parents, students, teachers and administrators, the program creates a united front against climate change. A comprehensive, customizable program, the Go Green Initiative provides all of the resources you need to get going, including a planning guide, communication templates, training, and even access to funding.
Speaking of funding, schools across the nation face budget shortfalls every year. Many schools turn to fundraising to mitigate those shortfalls. Now, you can look to other schools for ideas that help the environment at the same time. Take PS321 in Brooklyn, NY, for example. Their cell phone drive will keep at least some of the 125 million discarded phones out of landfills. That’s important, because phones (and other electronic waste) contain toxins that can leach into the earth and groundwater.
Another idea revolves around the concept of “sponsored waste” as created by TerraCycle, those folks who came up with organic fertilizer made from worm poop and sold in reclaimed containers (yes, it’s real, and it’s spectacular!) TerraCycle now pays schools, non-profits and community groups to collect packaging from partner companies like Capri Sun, Stonyfield Farm and Clif Bar. TerraCycle then upcycles the drink pouches into tote bags and pencil cases, and the yogurt containers into planters. Clif Bar wrappers are molded into a new material to be used to make backpacks and gym totes. Schools can earn from 2 to 5 cents for each container sent in. What a great way to “close the loop”, and get paid doing it!
But, some habits die hard, and sending your children out to knock on doors hawking crap seems to be one of them, for some reason. If you need help transitioning from selling the same ole candy bars and wrapping paper, check out Global Goods Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping schools raise money through the sale of handmade, fair-trade goods like stationery, scarves, and jewelry. Revenue from their artistic offerings assist communities in the areas of economic empowerment, education, health, and women’s rights. Plus, everything is available for purchase online, saving many young knuckles.
Or, look for a program that encourages people to try new green brands, like Southern California’s Fundraising Green. This organization has assembled a book of coupons, redeemable for discounts on eco-friendly alternatives to common brand-name products and services. After all, do we really need any more cookies? No! (Unless they are Thin Mints. Or Tagalongs. But you get the point.)
College Campuses: More Than Just Frats and Keggers
On university campuses across the nation, students are actively voicing their environmental concerns, and are spearheading changes on their campuses. From constructing green buildings to installing more bike racks, changes big and small are taking place on campuses across the country.
Last year, GE and mtvU sponsored a contest for students with the most innovative, groundbreaking idea for campus greening winning $25,000. After more than 100 entries were judged on ecology, imagination, and economics, an MIT team took the top prize. Their idea? The team proposed the construction and management of a solar-powered processor to convert waste vegetable oil to biodiesel, reducing the school’s energy costs and environmental footprint. Well done!
Of course, your campus doesn’t have to go this far, especially if the usual suspects like recycling and composting are not yet in place. If this sounds like your school, one place to start might be the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE provides tons of help to member campuses, such as how-to guides, workshops and an online resource center. Dorm vs. dorm sustainability challenge, anyone?
Need some more ideas? Students from Middlebury College in Vermont pushed the board of trustees to approve a plan to make the school carbon neutral by 2016. Oberlin College in Ohio created a web-based monitoring system in some of their dorms to show students how much water and energy is being used at any given time, helping change consumption habits. Amazing what a bit of inspiration, coupled with some perspiration, can achieve.
Speaking of Inspiration
With many denominations stating that responsible stewardship of the earth is a moral imperative, it only makes sense to see what impact our churches themselves have on the earth. Many congregations have success stories to share, from purchasing renewable energy as many Unitarian Universalist churches are doing, to planting community gardens on church grounds, like at Church of the Holy Spirit in Baton Rouge, LA.
If you’re interested in helping your church to become greener, there’s an Energy Stewardship Guide for Congregations available to help churches in their energy conservation initiatives. And don’t forget about the same types of initiatives that are being applied elsewhere – from recycling to carpooling, these programs can make a big difference.
Regardless of the circles that you inhabit, opportunities abound to create change from the inside. If you have any other ideas for groups that can make a difference, let us know!
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April 16th, 2008
Bush Speech on Climate Change: Progress?
President Bush delivered an address today on climate change. The good news is that he seems to be in a bigger hurry than before to address the problem. The bad news is that he was short on specifics for how his goals should be achieved.
Here’s his big statement: “Today, I am announcing a new national goal: to stop the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.”
Now the fact that we’ll be belching out more carbon than you can shake a stick at until then wasn’t apparently a concern for the President.
He also stated, “To reach our 2025 goal, we will need to more rapidly slow the growth of power sector greenhouse gas emissions so that they peak within 10 to 15 years and decline thereafter. By doing so, we will reduce emission levels in the power sector well below where they were projected to be when we first announced our climate strategy in 2002. There are a number of ways to achieve these reductions, but all responsible approaches depend on accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies.”
What are those approaches? What are the new technologies? Not much was offered on that front– but he did encourage us to not give up on nuclear power or coal: “The right way is to promote more emission-free nuclear power and encourage the investments necessary to produce electricity from coal without releasing carbon into the air.”
Read some reactions to the speech from our friends at Grist.org. “Same as it ever was,” pretty much sums it up.
What did you think?
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