My mom used to say this to me when I first got my driving permit in New Jersey. Even when it was 35 mph, she would still throw this line at me, and I still tease her about it (especially now that my little brother just got his permit).
The funny thing is, I really do think the speed limit is just a suggestion. It used to annoy me when I was 16, but now I get it - and not just on the roads. My neighborhood has a speed limit of who knows what (it's an old country back road, so you can pretty much go upwards of 55 if you want), and I watch people fly down it every day. Of course, I have to drive this road to get to my house, but I also run down it. The speed limit is a joke to me, and not because it holds me back, but because it's way too fast.
I'd rather slowly jog by the winding creek that flows next to and under the road as you meander down it and see the butterflies (whose populations are HUGE this year thanks to the winter snow) resting on the grass that hangs over the water.
I'd rather run next to the yearlings (deer) while they casually leap in the corn fields by the road.
I'd even rather run - actually sprint - by the skunk hole because sometimes, the momma comes out with her stinky babies. And despite the fact that their smell is rancid on my dogs (fun times), it is quite incredible and thrilling to run by such an allusive animal.
I see beauty when I treat the speed limit as a suggestion; I see things you only see in pictures. I find new patches of wild raspberries and blackberries every year so Zach can pick them for us (I like to search and find, he's more brave and willing to climb a cliff to get to them).
And so, when I was running yesterday, and several cars whizzed by me, I decided that I was the lucky one. I could see the art that nature produced while those drivers only focused on the twists and turns of the road (and hopefully on avoiding runners like me).
Then, I decided that my life needs to start being about ignoring the speed limit, and slowing down. After a year of teaching that felt like a constant battle of "when is Friday?", I decided to make my life interesting....and slow.
My suggestion? It's not that I think I'm right, but there is a peacefulness to a slow life. You see details you would've otherwise missed. So, walk with me.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Sociology of It All
In my first go around in school, I majored in (and fell in love with) Sociology. I once described it to someone as the scientific use of opinion. (To which he quickly began to argue with, but I still stand by my description). The cool thing about Sociology, compared with other sciences, is not that it's ALL opinion, but rather that you can formulate your own theory about how and why our society works the way it does using scientific reasoning and hard data.
For instance, in college, I was quite obsessed with gender issues, especially in the corporate workplace. To make a long story short, I pulled together various studies, spanning many decades, coupled with my own data taken from an unnamed corporation, and found that, yes, corporations USED to be about the lack of emotion, but now emotion is necessary. Not only that, there was some evidence suggesting that women are better at the use of emotion, which could (with further research) imply that women are going to take over the world (okay, I took that last conclusion too far, but wouldn't it be nice?)
Having said all of this, it makes me wonder what our values are when it comes to the environment. While watching 11th Hour (great movie, check it out), the point came up that we are a society of consumption. This struck a chord with me because of my previous interest in corporations - I focused more on the logical, unemotional obsession of the corporate world, this movie brought up the "buy buy buy!" obsession of the corporate world.
What's the overlap? Where do these two ideas come together? We aren't separate from the "corporate world" - we ARE the corporate world. We live our lives seeing emotion as irrational, and useless, valuing, rather, money, profits, and growth.
With my blinders on, the only casualty I took note of was the female population - although my research suggested more of an acceptance of women in the workplace as compared to, say, 20-30 years ago, women were still outsiders because of their emotions. But I failed to see that our environment was also taking a hit.
Look, I'm no dummy; I've said it before: There has to be some kind of economic sustainability in any healthy nation. But not at the cost of the world around it. I'm not trying to say that we should halt our lives and revert back to the days of the Native Americans (although the world would be much happier with us if we did), because that's impossible.
I'm just saying that we need to begin to shift our values. Richard Dawkins came up with this notion that just like biology, we pass on cultural traits that gradually change over time because of our slight differences when interpreting the world around us. There seems to be a element of choice here. Just like I like my men tall and athletic - so that I can produce a team of basketball players when I have children (seriously), I am choosing to value the environment so that hopefully people around me will see the example I set and pass it along.
YOU interpret your world, but you are also affected by those around you; BUT you also affect those around you. Take the power you have, and lead by example. One small change can quickly impact the world around you.
For instance, in college, I was quite obsessed with gender issues, especially in the corporate workplace. To make a long story short, I pulled together various studies, spanning many decades, coupled with my own data taken from an unnamed corporation, and found that, yes, corporations USED to be about the lack of emotion, but now emotion is necessary. Not only that, there was some evidence suggesting that women are better at the use of emotion, which could (with further research) imply that women are going to take over the world (okay, I took that last conclusion too far, but wouldn't it be nice?)
Having said all of this, it makes me wonder what our values are when it comes to the environment. While watching 11th Hour (great movie, check it out), the point came up that we are a society of consumption. This struck a chord with me because of my previous interest in corporations - I focused more on the logical, unemotional obsession of the corporate world, this movie brought up the "buy buy buy!" obsession of the corporate world.
What's the overlap? Where do these two ideas come together? We aren't separate from the "corporate world" - we ARE the corporate world. We live our lives seeing emotion as irrational, and useless, valuing, rather, money, profits, and growth.
With my blinders on, the only casualty I took note of was the female population - although my research suggested more of an acceptance of women in the workplace as compared to, say, 20-30 years ago, women were still outsiders because of their emotions. But I failed to see that our environment was also taking a hit.
Look, I'm no dummy; I've said it before: There has to be some kind of economic sustainability in any healthy nation. But not at the cost of the world around it. I'm not trying to say that we should halt our lives and revert back to the days of the Native Americans (although the world would be much happier with us if we did), because that's impossible.
I'm just saying that we need to begin to shift our values. Richard Dawkins came up with this notion that just like biology, we pass on cultural traits that gradually change over time because of our slight differences when interpreting the world around us. There seems to be a element of choice here. Just like I like my men tall and athletic - so that I can produce a team of basketball players when I have children (seriously), I am choosing to value the environment so that hopefully people around me will see the example I set and pass it along.
YOU interpret your world, but you are also affected by those around you; BUT you also affect those around you. Take the power you have, and lead by example. One small change can quickly impact the world around you.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Green Beer
No, I haven't forgotten the date for St. Patrick's Day (my last name's McNally, I'm well aware of the timing of that special holiday). I'm talking about some fun I had with three friends this past Friday.
I had appealed to one of my friends who brews fantastic beer at home to allow me to purchase some from her in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of my "occasional" drinking nights (hey, it's summer, and I'm off...there's nothing wrong with having some fun).
She decided to take it even farther and start a "Ladies' Brewing Co-op", inviting many females to brew at her house and chip in on not only the money and work, but also the rewards.
I'm so impressed with how it turned out - there weren't too many people there, just me and three great friends, but our gracious hostess taught us some cool stuff about brewing. I learned that timing is everything :)
The coolest part about all of this is just how green our beer is (even though it may turn out red). All supplies were bought at a local store, and even the honey we added was locally produced (I'm talking, produced in the SAME town I live in).
I think it's really cool we could do this, and this post is more to thank my friend for not only saying yes to helping me buy locally brewed beer, but also for making an event out of it.
Latest update from the fermenting beer? "We have extremely happy yeast."
(I'll let you know how it tastes very soon).
I had appealed to one of my friends who brews fantastic beer at home to allow me to purchase some from her in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of my "occasional" drinking nights (hey, it's summer, and I'm off...there's nothing wrong with having some fun).
She decided to take it even farther and start a "Ladies' Brewing Co-op", inviting many females to brew at her house and chip in on not only the money and work, but also the rewards.
I'm so impressed with how it turned out - there weren't too many people there, just me and three great friends, but our gracious hostess taught us some cool stuff about brewing. I learned that timing is everything :)
The coolest part about all of this is just how green our beer is (even though it may turn out red). All supplies were bought at a local store, and even the honey we added was locally produced (I'm talking, produced in the SAME town I live in).
I think it's really cool we could do this, and this post is more to thank my friend for not only saying yes to helping me buy locally brewed beer, but also for making an event out of it.
Latest update from the fermenting beer? "We have extremely happy yeast."
(I'll let you know how it tastes very soon).
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
You're from Jersey? What Exit?
Anyone from New Jersey that has ventured out of our great state has heard this "joke" more times than they'd like. And really, I find no merit in it. True, I have to get off at exit 29 off 78W to 287, then exit 19 to 206, but I then drive quite a bit to get to my hometown. My hometown is awesome; we have open land preserved all over the place, and we have mandates requiring a certain amount of space between each house (which Roanoke definitely doesn't have considering I've seen some houses in the county that are LITERALLY a stone's throw away).
But let's be honest, Jersey is heavily populated, and has tons of people. I'll spare everyone the numbers, because they don't matter. The "Dirty Jersey" has some of it's roots in the facts that North Jersey stinks (literally), and we like to dump into the ocean relatively close to shore (is that still true?).
But don't knock it. At least they recycle. Occasionally, you run into a city or county that has recycling pick up in the Roanoke area, but it's not widespread. In my area, the Cave Spring area of Roanoke County, you have to drive to recycle.
What's up?
I once heard that city areas (like Jersey, New York City, LA, etc) emit less pollution (relatively) compared to rural areas - and I believe it.
In addition to no recycling pick up, farmers allow their cattle to graze through creeks (BAD for the watershed, REALLY BAD), big trucks are the norm (and many are diesel), and people in general have to drive a longer distance to get to even the essential location, like the grocery store or the pharmacy.
One family in my parents' neighborhood has covered their entire roof in solar panels, and I personally saw two more just driving to the store to get my Dad a Fathers' Day present. I don't see any solar panels around Roanoke - and I feel like I've been around the area quite a bit.
How does that work? Why does it take urbanization for us to realize the importance of being Green? Why are we a society that has to see, push, and exceed the brink in order to backtrack and start doing things "right"???
Why can't we preserve before we sabotage?
Why did we have to watch the polar bears swim for food (which is not something they did before the polar ice cap started to melt) before we started recognizing the damage being done to our precarious green house?
We are a society of many things - good and bad. But, in my opinion, our biggest plague is our inability to see into the future. We live by the motto, "Live like there's no tomorrow." Guess what? We got our wish.
But let's be honest, Jersey is heavily populated, and has tons of people. I'll spare everyone the numbers, because they don't matter. The "Dirty Jersey" has some of it's roots in the facts that North Jersey stinks (literally), and we like to dump into the ocean relatively close to shore (is that still true?).
But don't knock it. At least they recycle. Occasionally, you run into a city or county that has recycling pick up in the Roanoke area, but it's not widespread. In my area, the Cave Spring area of Roanoke County, you have to drive to recycle.
What's up?
I once heard that city areas (like Jersey, New York City, LA, etc) emit less pollution (relatively) compared to rural areas - and I believe it.
In addition to no recycling pick up, farmers allow their cattle to graze through creeks (BAD for the watershed, REALLY BAD), big trucks are the norm (and many are diesel), and people in general have to drive a longer distance to get to even the essential location, like the grocery store or the pharmacy.
One family in my parents' neighborhood has covered their entire roof in solar panels, and I personally saw two more just driving to the store to get my Dad a Fathers' Day present. I don't see any solar panels around Roanoke - and I feel like I've been around the area quite a bit.
How does that work? Why does it take urbanization for us to realize the importance of being Green? Why are we a society that has to see, push, and exceed the brink in order to backtrack and start doing things "right"???
Why can't we preserve before we sabotage?
Why did we have to watch the polar bears swim for food (which is not something they did before the polar ice cap started to melt) before we started recognizing the damage being done to our precarious green house?
We are a society of many things - good and bad. But, in my opinion, our biggest plague is our inability to see into the future. We live by the motto, "Live like there's no tomorrow." Guess what? We got our wish.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Money Talks
The fact of the matter is, we can keep asking the question, "Why did it take a natural disaster such as this before we started taking on big oil?" until the cows come home, but the answer will never be readily available.
My own speculations include answers such as, "We are a society of consumption" (see earlier post), "We only think in the moment", "We are creatures of habit", and I'm sure I could come up with a few more vague, unspecified answers that don't do much to alleviate my, or others', concerns about our reliance on oil to function (and I'm not just talking about driving; see that plastic bottle you're drinking water out of? Oil made it. Check out those new kicks! Oil made them. Feel the cool air in your house after a long day in the humid summer weather...ahhhhh...Oil gave that to you.)
What it boils down to is not a matter of answering the tough questions, but rather finding ways to make those questions go away. Follow my logic here: If we had started to invest, seriously invest as a country, in alternative forms of energy a decade ago, would we be asking the question of "Why?" now? Watching Planet Green makes me wish Green homes and forms of travel weren't the exception but the rule.
But we are stuck, watching an oil spill that will, no doubt, cast a dark, ruddy shadow over environmental disasters of the past. We are stuck watching a loser like Tony Hayward act like he can't find his ass to wipe it when confronted with questions such as "Why", "How", and "When".
And I, amongst others, are stuck wondering why it's just BP that is taking the blame. Sure, they made the decision to build a crappy well to save money and they are the ones who have had far more violations than other companies, thus paying more fines (credit for these facts goes to the link at the end of this post). But I thought the "free hand of the market" was just something we learned about in Econ 101 - I never realized we actually let these guys do what they want, when they want, and how they want. And then I saw this simple video from MoveOn.org.
We like to pretend that we are watching the big oil companies; we also like to pretend that when we aren't there to enforce standards and regulations that they are working ethically. I'm going to get a little passionate here: Anyone that thinks any big company (whether it's oil, tobacco, medical supplies, whatever) that has an established environmental, ethical, or anything of the like policy does this for the good of the people is fooling themselves. Big companies like that hire outside vendors to "create" these policies so they can then publish them, making them sound so awesome, awesome enough to buy their crap. Hello?! BP used to stand for British Petroleum, and up until recently they were marketing themselves as "Beyond Petroleum". If they were so concerned about finding alternative methods of energy so as to "rename" themselves, why are they drilling "hundreds of wells a year around the world" - these words coming DIRECTLY from Hayward's mouth (again, citation for all facts and statements at the end of this post).
So for our government to loosen their regulations, by doing the despicable thing of appointing a BP chum to oversee said regulations, it is implied, at least by my logic, that we assume these companies will act ethically. It's the age-old question: If you found 20 dollars on the street, and no one was around, would you turn it in? Same idea applies to big oil: If the cat's away, the mice will play.
How can we be so ignorant so as not to point some of the blame at our government? Our senators and congressmen and even our own president accept so much money from these guys each year, it's sickening. So to be naive enough to NOT find some fault in our governing forces is like accepting the big oil money ourselves.
No one started this mess, except for BP. I'll concede on that. But this mess would've never started if our government (and not just the reigning forces) hadn't allowed money to talk.
(Citation: BP chief says he wasn't in the loop, enraging Congress)
My own speculations include answers such as, "We are a society of consumption" (see earlier post), "We only think in the moment", "We are creatures of habit", and I'm sure I could come up with a few more vague, unspecified answers that don't do much to alleviate my, or others', concerns about our reliance on oil to function (and I'm not just talking about driving; see that plastic bottle you're drinking water out of? Oil made it. Check out those new kicks! Oil made them. Feel the cool air in your house after a long day in the humid summer weather...ahhhhh...Oil gave that to you.)
What it boils down to is not a matter of answering the tough questions, but rather finding ways to make those questions go away. Follow my logic here: If we had started to invest, seriously invest as a country, in alternative forms of energy a decade ago, would we be asking the question of "Why?" now? Watching Planet Green makes me wish Green homes and forms of travel weren't the exception but the rule.
But we are stuck, watching an oil spill that will, no doubt, cast a dark, ruddy shadow over environmental disasters of the past. We are stuck watching a loser like Tony Hayward act like he can't find his ass to wipe it when confronted with questions such as "Why", "How", and "When".
And I, amongst others, are stuck wondering why it's just BP that is taking the blame. Sure, they made the decision to build a crappy well to save money and they are the ones who have had far more violations than other companies, thus paying more fines (credit for these facts goes to the link at the end of this post). But I thought the "free hand of the market" was just something we learned about in Econ 101 - I never realized we actually let these guys do what they want, when they want, and how they want. And then I saw this simple video from MoveOn.org.
We like to pretend that we are watching the big oil companies; we also like to pretend that when we aren't there to enforce standards and regulations that they are working ethically. I'm going to get a little passionate here: Anyone that thinks any big company (whether it's oil, tobacco, medical supplies, whatever) that has an established environmental, ethical, or anything of the like policy does this for the good of the people is fooling themselves. Big companies like that hire outside vendors to "create" these policies so they can then publish them, making them sound so awesome, awesome enough to buy their crap. Hello?! BP used to stand for British Petroleum, and up until recently they were marketing themselves as "Beyond Petroleum". If they were so concerned about finding alternative methods of energy so as to "rename" themselves, why are they drilling "hundreds of wells a year around the world" - these words coming DIRECTLY from Hayward's mouth (again, citation for all facts and statements at the end of this post).
So for our government to loosen their regulations, by doing the despicable thing of appointing a BP chum to oversee said regulations, it is implied, at least by my logic, that we assume these companies will act ethically. It's the age-old question: If you found 20 dollars on the street, and no one was around, would you turn it in? Same idea applies to big oil: If the cat's away, the mice will play.
How can we be so ignorant so as not to point some of the blame at our government? Our senators and congressmen and even our own president accept so much money from these guys each year, it's sickening. So to be naive enough to NOT find some fault in our governing forces is like accepting the big oil money ourselves.
No one started this mess, except for BP. I'll concede on that. But this mess would've never started if our government (and not just the reigning forces) hadn't allowed money to talk.
(Citation: BP chief says he wasn't in the loop, enraging Congress)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Excuses are like A$$holes
I had a basketball coach in high school that had many lines that have stuck with me to this day. But none have resonated more than his line of "NO EXCUSES." Whether we lost because of a crappy ref, or poor free throw percentages, there were no excuses made; we lost.
He once went as far as to tell me, "McNally, excuses are like assholes. Everyone's got one, and they stink." (This after I tried to explain some poor performance.)
The past two years, I worked for a school district with the same motto - when our students had less-than-desirable pass rates, it didn't matter our reasoning. There were no excuses.
And that's my approach to Green living. Why do we keep making excuses? Why do we keep saying things like, "oh, but we HAVE to put the heat on 70 or our house will be FREEZING!"?
We are a society of excuses. "If we don't drill the oil, someone else will" (credit for that one goes to a friend's comment on an earlier post). "I save more money if I buy cheap produce at Walmart rather than the farmers' market." "I can't grow a garden, I don't have the time."
EXCUSES
Get rid of the excuses in your life. I'm slowly, but surely, getting rid of mine.
And from this day forward, my posts will not only include the little things we are doing to save our Earth, but also the big things. I've made a promise to myself to TRULY educate my own self, as well as my family, on the un-green ways of life we all engage in.
Recycling doesn't cut it, folks. Sorry. Composting is awesome, but are you still driving a car to work? Turning the lights off in rooms you aren't in is not good enough.
I pledge to stop living by "Green tips" and start living purely Green.
I've said in an earlier blog that we don't have to radically change our lives to help the Earth. Yes, we do. I recant my earlier statement. YOUR life needs to change drastically, as does mine. We can't keep using up so much energy and resources, and cover our asses by saying things like, "oh, but I donate to the World Wildlife Federation."
You're busted, as am I - Time to get real. Just like Obama said tonight in his address to the nation, for decades we've known what we're heading towards, and for decades all we've done is talk about it.
So when are you going to act, friends? Why not NOW?
He once went as far as to tell me, "McNally, excuses are like assholes. Everyone's got one, and they stink." (This after I tried to explain some poor performance.)
The past two years, I worked for a school district with the same motto - when our students had less-than-desirable pass rates, it didn't matter our reasoning. There were no excuses.
And that's my approach to Green living. Why do we keep making excuses? Why do we keep saying things like, "oh, but we HAVE to put the heat on 70 or our house will be FREEZING!"?
We are a society of excuses. "If we don't drill the oil, someone else will" (credit for that one goes to a friend's comment on an earlier post). "I save more money if I buy cheap produce at Walmart rather than the farmers' market." "I can't grow a garden, I don't have the time."
EXCUSES
Get rid of the excuses in your life. I'm slowly, but surely, getting rid of mine.
And from this day forward, my posts will not only include the little things we are doing to save our Earth, but also the big things. I've made a promise to myself to TRULY educate my own self, as well as my family, on the un-green ways of life we all engage in.
Recycling doesn't cut it, folks. Sorry. Composting is awesome, but are you still driving a car to work? Turning the lights off in rooms you aren't in is not good enough.
I pledge to stop living by "Green tips" and start living purely Green.
I've said in an earlier blog that we don't have to radically change our lives to help the Earth. Yes, we do. I recant my earlier statement. YOUR life needs to change drastically, as does mine. We can't keep using up so much energy and resources, and cover our asses by saying things like, "oh, but I donate to the World Wildlife Federation."
You're busted, as am I - Time to get real. Just like Obama said tonight in his address to the nation, for decades we've known what we're heading towards, and for decades all we've done is talk about it.
So when are you going to act, friends? Why not NOW?
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Wane of the Green Wave
I've got to be honest. I was a crazy soldier when I started this blog - I thought, "This will change the world!" And you might be able to see that in my tone in my earlier posts.
But then the tide gets low. And words get weak; and intentions lose strength.
Let's ALL be honest. No matter what we are trying to save; no matter what we are trying to advocate for, there are times when we lose our gusto.
I just finished my second year of teaching - and my last year of teaching until I finish my math degree at Virginia Tech (GO HOKIES!). I finished for good on Friday, and let me tell you, I had a GREAT time this weekend. We kept it relatively Green for a party weekend - we went to a wonderfully hospitable friends' house, and hung out there all weekend, with some fantastically wonderful friends. But I definitely lost my ambition to blog - I lost my ambition to keep spreading the word to whomever decides to read my entries. It was almost like I was 12 again starting yet another diary in which the first entry starts: "Dear Diary, I promise, THIS time I will keep writing to you!"
So I felt a little bad. The reason I started this blog was to keep my own hope going that we could start a Green Wave in Roanoke. And then I got caught up in my own entertainment.
While there's nothing wrong with enjoying your own life, please learn from my life lesson. Keep your fervor, or gain it - keep wanting to save things, save your local environment, save your greater environment.
Don't get me wrong: our compost pile is still off the chain, and I went by Cycle Systems to check out what they had to offer for when I drop off our (and others') recycling and we still let it mellow when it's yellow. We aren't cutting corners, by any means. But I felt like I lost my way, I felt like I wasn't preaching the most important word of all, the word to save our Earth - needless to say I still want to spread the word. And I want you to spread the word.
I guess my message today has no other value than to express that even the most adamant follower can lose her strength. But she can also regain it.
Don't lost your zeal, maintain your strength. The Earth is counting on us.
But then the tide gets low. And words get weak; and intentions lose strength.
Let's ALL be honest. No matter what we are trying to save; no matter what we are trying to advocate for, there are times when we lose our gusto.
I just finished my second year of teaching - and my last year of teaching until I finish my math degree at Virginia Tech (GO HOKIES!). I finished for good on Friday, and let me tell you, I had a GREAT time this weekend. We kept it relatively Green for a party weekend - we went to a wonderfully hospitable friends' house, and hung out there all weekend, with some fantastically wonderful friends. But I definitely lost my ambition to blog - I lost my ambition to keep spreading the word to whomever decides to read my entries. It was almost like I was 12 again starting yet another diary in which the first entry starts: "Dear Diary, I promise, THIS time I will keep writing to you!"
So I felt a little bad. The reason I started this blog was to keep my own hope going that we could start a Green Wave in Roanoke. And then I got caught up in my own entertainment.
While there's nothing wrong with enjoying your own life, please learn from my life lesson. Keep your fervor, or gain it - keep wanting to save things, save your local environment, save your greater environment.
Don't get me wrong: our compost pile is still off the chain, and I went by Cycle Systems to check out what they had to offer for when I drop off our (and others') recycling and we still let it mellow when it's yellow. We aren't cutting corners, by any means. But I felt like I lost my way, I felt like I wasn't preaching the most important word of all, the word to save our Earth - needless to say I still want to spread the word. And I want you to spread the word.
I guess my message today has no other value than to express that even the most adamant follower can lose her strength. But she can also regain it.
Don't lost your zeal, maintain your strength. The Earth is counting on us.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Noble Juices
Your whole world doesn't have to change when you decide to live green. And let's be honest, just like the larger society, none of us can truly drop everything and go completely green. Well, maybe some people (like No Impact Man) can drop everything, but most of us need our cars and can't install a gray water system immediately.
But it's not hard to make small life changes that can completely affect the entire world. For instance, I love a good juice - fresh, 100% juice. Awesome. Why not try Noble Juices? The packaging is fantastically wonderful for the environment (well, compared to other plastics), and the juice is fantastically wonderful for my palate. Downside? It is a little expensive for less juice, but drinking a lot of fruit juice isn't good for you. Stay with me for a second: Juice is VERY good for you, but because all pulp and other fibers are usually strained out, juice is also straight sugar. You should really only be drinking 6-8 oz of juice a day (now, when it comes to actual FRUIT, eat the hell out of it!). So, because you probably shouldn't be drinking a BUNCH of juice, buying Noble Juice turns out to be very cost effective. If drank correctly, one bottle will last most of the week.
Other easy choices to make in the grocery store, I've talked about before. Get the reusable grocery bags - I just found out last weekend that they even have reusable bags for the cold items - with a nice liner on the inside. And stop buying produce from the grocery store, please. I cannot even begin to express how much of a impact you make not only on the environment but also on your local economy when you buy from local farmers. (And buy in season - watermelons don't grow in December, enjoy them when they are in their peak, not when they are coming from Georgia). And a good rule of thumb, stick to the perimeter of the grocery store - not only are the healthiest things there, but also the items with the least amount of packaging. And usually they put the natural foods section near the perimeter - you can allow yourself to enter the middle for that stuff :)
START RECYCLING, START A GARDEN, START WALKING PLACES.
I've said so many of these things, I considered deleting everything I've just written. But I'm realizing as I am typing this that the point of my message today is not what exactly you should be doing, it's that you should just BE doing. You are smart enough to know to fix certain habits you may have, and you are certainly smart enough to find Google on your web browser when you aren't exactly sure.
What's your excuse now? The way I see it, if you aren't living green in some way, shape, or form, you are admitting that you cannot think for yourself. You are letting corporate America, and the corporate WORLD, for that matter, make your choices for you. They WANT you to buy the clothes made in China, even though you know you can buy perfectly awesome hemp clothes at a local boutique (yes, even in Roanoke). They WANT you to buy the chips whose bag is only filled 1/3 of the way when you could've either made your own (hello sweet potato chips!) or gotten Sunchips (by the way, they really do compost within weeks).
We act like we don't know - we act like it just HAS to be this way. It doesn't. No buildings came crashing down when I started using reusable bags. Planes didn't fall out of the sky when I started running in my neighborhood as opposed to driving 10 miles to the gym. No kittens died when I set up a recycling center in my backyard.
And look, there's nothing wrong with consumption. If we want any kind of economic sustainability, we do have to buy things. But we have become a society of overconsumption. Check out your closet sometime, do an inventory. Do you really wear all of that stuff? No? Go to Goodwill or the local rescue mission with your overstock. They'll give/sell your clothes to people whose closet looks nothing like yours. In fact, I challenge you to take a small bag (i.e., the size of a grocery bag) of clothes every month to the local rescue mission for a year. I take a laundry basket full of clean clothes to the local Goodwill every 3 months. You'd think you would run out. You don't. And if you get close to the point where you need to stop, then stop. But then also stop buying more. Stick with what you have. Reduce and reuse.
And why drive that huge flipping SUV?! I'll keep my rant to a minimum on this one, but please get a smaller car, your pocketbook is screaming at you each time you go to the gas station (and fill up a vehicle that gives you 18 mpg if you're lucky), and the ozone is shaking it's finger at you.
In England, even their box trucks are small. You rarely see massive cars - a Honda Civic looks like an Escalade. And in London, the apartments are tiny. Their society may have it's environmental flaws, but they have stayed away from overconsumption in the sense that Hummers and gigantic houses are not a status symbol.
So think for yourself the next time you head out of the house - in fact, think for yourself when you're in your house. Tiny decisions make large footprints on our Earth. Let those decisions be your own.
But it's not hard to make small life changes that can completely affect the entire world. For instance, I love a good juice - fresh, 100% juice. Awesome. Why not try Noble Juices? The packaging is fantastically wonderful for the environment (well, compared to other plastics), and the juice is fantastically wonderful for my palate. Downside? It is a little expensive for less juice, but drinking a lot of fruit juice isn't good for you. Stay with me for a second: Juice is VERY good for you, but because all pulp and other fibers are usually strained out, juice is also straight sugar. You should really only be drinking 6-8 oz of juice a day (now, when it comes to actual FRUIT, eat the hell out of it!). So, because you probably shouldn't be drinking a BUNCH of juice, buying Noble Juice turns out to be very cost effective. If drank correctly, one bottle will last most of the week.
Other easy choices to make in the grocery store, I've talked about before. Get the reusable grocery bags - I just found out last weekend that they even have reusable bags for the cold items - with a nice liner on the inside. And stop buying produce from the grocery store, please. I cannot even begin to express how much of a impact you make not only on the environment but also on your local economy when you buy from local farmers. (And buy in season - watermelons don't grow in December, enjoy them when they are in their peak, not when they are coming from Georgia). And a good rule of thumb, stick to the perimeter of the grocery store - not only are the healthiest things there, but also the items with the least amount of packaging. And usually they put the natural foods section near the perimeter - you can allow yourself to enter the middle for that stuff :)
START RECYCLING, START A GARDEN, START WALKING PLACES.
I've said so many of these things, I considered deleting everything I've just written. But I'm realizing as I am typing this that the point of my message today is not what exactly you should be doing, it's that you should just BE doing. You are smart enough to know to fix certain habits you may have, and you are certainly smart enough to find Google on your web browser when you aren't exactly sure.
What's your excuse now? The way I see it, if you aren't living green in some way, shape, or form, you are admitting that you cannot think for yourself. You are letting corporate America, and the corporate WORLD, for that matter, make your choices for you. They WANT you to buy the clothes made in China, even though you know you can buy perfectly awesome hemp clothes at a local boutique (yes, even in Roanoke). They WANT you to buy the chips whose bag is only filled 1/3 of the way when you could've either made your own (hello sweet potato chips!) or gotten Sunchips (by the way, they really do compost within weeks).
We act like we don't know - we act like it just HAS to be this way. It doesn't. No buildings came crashing down when I started using reusable bags. Planes didn't fall out of the sky when I started running in my neighborhood as opposed to driving 10 miles to the gym. No kittens died when I set up a recycling center in my backyard.
And look, there's nothing wrong with consumption. If we want any kind of economic sustainability, we do have to buy things. But we have become a society of overconsumption. Check out your closet sometime, do an inventory. Do you really wear all of that stuff? No? Go to Goodwill or the local rescue mission with your overstock. They'll give/sell your clothes to people whose closet looks nothing like yours. In fact, I challenge you to take a small bag (i.e., the size of a grocery bag) of clothes every month to the local rescue mission for a year. I take a laundry basket full of clean clothes to the local Goodwill every 3 months. You'd think you would run out. You don't. And if you get close to the point where you need to stop, then stop. But then also stop buying more. Stick with what you have. Reduce and reuse.
And why drive that huge flipping SUV?! I'll keep my rant to a minimum on this one, but please get a smaller car, your pocketbook is screaming at you each time you go to the gas station (and fill up a vehicle that gives you 18 mpg if you're lucky), and the ozone is shaking it's finger at you.
In England, even their box trucks are small. You rarely see massive cars - a Honda Civic looks like an Escalade. And in London, the apartments are tiny. Their society may have it's environmental flaws, but they have stayed away from overconsumption in the sense that Hummers and gigantic houses are not a status symbol.
So think for yourself the next time you head out of the house - in fact, think for yourself when you're in your house. Tiny decisions make large footprints on our Earth. Let those decisions be your own.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Virginia Farmers, Growers, and Garden-Lovers
Yet another link from a friend; if you're interested in what time of year a fruit or produce will flourish in VA, check THIS out. I'm no garden expert, but I thought I knew a great deal about the Virginia growing season. Not so! Check it out and educate yourself.
Even if you aren't growing anything on this list, you can use it to help you buy IN SEASON (i.e., no matter how cheap they are, blackberries in March are coming from far, far away. So you may be getting a cheap berry early in the year, but the carbon emissions associated with that berry are immense!)
Thanks, Ashley!
Even if you aren't growing anything on this list, you can use it to help you buy IN SEASON (i.e., no matter how cheap they are, blackberries in March are coming from far, far away. So you may be getting a cheap berry early in the year, but the carbon emissions associated with that berry are immense!)
Thanks, Ashley!
Message from a Friend
So I'm playing messenger today: I got a great set of links from my friend, Kaytlyn (a fellow-Roanoker):
HEY! I meant to give you these links a few days ago but just forgot.
This first one is how to make a messenger bag out of recycled plastic bags! Not just a messenger bag but anything really... it's almost the EXACT same thing that Targets sells!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1mE8e35UY
Another great thing about this video is the people who make it have tons of other awesome green(like) things to do!
The second video is of a community and almost movement of people building their homes out of nothing but recycled materials and mud! It's pretty awesome how someone can make a home from old tires, friends' help, mud, and almost NO money. They're super well-insulated and all- and since you don't really have to give up any of your current electric lavishes, they're just over all awesome! It's really cool, too; just Google "image earth ship". Some of the structures are so pretty.
http://earthship.com/
(I edited grammer for you, Kaytlyn! Thanks for the awesome tips!!!)
This first one is how to make a messenger bag out of recycled plastic bags! Not just a messenger bag but anything really... it's almost the EXACT same thing that Targets sells!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1mE8e35UY
Another great thing about this video is the people who make it have tons of other awesome green(like) things to do!
The second video is of a community and almost movement of people building their homes out of nothing but recycled materials and mud! It's pretty awesome how someone can make a home from old tires, friends' help, mud, and almost NO money. They're super well-insulated and all- and since you don't really have to give up any of your current electric lavishes, they're just over all awesome! It's really cool, too; just Google "image earth ship". Some of the structures are so pretty.
http://earthship.com/
(I edited grammer for you, Kaytlyn! Thanks for the awesome tips!!!)
Coming Soon
I've gotten a few great links from Facebook friends - unfortunately, I can't access Facebook at work! One is a great graphic for the growing season of various crops (for VA only, sorry out-of-state friends), and the others include some "how-to's" when recycling.
I will put them up as soon as I get to a network that doesn't restrict my access!
I will put them up as soon as I get to a network that doesn't restrict my access!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Contact Your Senator
Short post today, because not much explanation is needed....
Big oil lobbyists need to be stopped. They are currently trying to halt clean energy progress being made in Congress. Message your senator to stop this:
Click:
STAND UP FOR CLEAN ENERGY
Big oil lobbyists need to be stopped. They are currently trying to halt clean energy progress being made in Congress. Message your senator to stop this:
Click:
STAND UP FOR CLEAN ENERGY
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I'm going THERE
I've refrained from commenting specifically about the oil spill in the Gulf up to this point, because I wanted to keep this blog more general - addressing overall issues rather than the hot topics of the moment.
But I'm tired of holding my tongue.
I am brought to tears every time I read about this oil spill. I am devastated by the devastation.
A wonderful friend posted THIS article for all to see on Facebook - I truly hope those who know her on Facebook read it, and those who don't, read it now.
Who do we think we are? We aren't better than anything else on this planet - we are only a part of it. Yet we've taken it over. Our greed for oil has led to the current destruction of so many other living things - dolphins, fish, sperm whales, turtles, pelicans, and other sea birds. And forget plankton - the basis of the sea life food chain. When oil is spilled, bacteria is attracted to it, that then depletes the surrounding ocean of oxygen. So phyto-plankton is screwed. And when the ocean's foundation is screwed, so is the rest of the ocean. When the ocean is screwed? Us land-dwellers are just sitting ducks..... OH! And how about all of the other damage that has been done up to this point - anyone remember the ozone? Yea, the carbon emissions that we have doled out have FAR exceeded any oil spill in world history - I honestly forget where I read it, but Al Gore wrote an article about how if we could physically SEE the amount of carbon in our atmosphere, not only would it gray-out the sky, but also it would overshadow the current oil spill.
I'm not sure I have many words to describe the emotions I feel when I read articles such as the one above. Or when I watch CNN's live feed of the spill - the continual leaking of oil into our ocean gives me nightmares. Does it for you? Because it should. And if it doesn't, just watch the feed, and remind yourself that this is happening NOW. It's not the local news showing "earlier footage" - it's now. NOW. NOW!
What is wrong with us? How can we be so insensitive, so inhumane? Our species is the derivative of the word humane, yet we harbor none of it's qualities. We absorb, consume, and deplete everything around us so that we can drive where we want, eat what we want, feel the temperature in our own homes that we want.....We are the parasites.
I am so sad for our Earth. Our great creator. And we crossed Her. We should be crying for our wrongdoings - yet we keep justifying our consumption, our overconsumption, our greed, our lust, our gluttony. Who are we?
We created religion to keep us from sinning - where's the religion that maintains that our sins also includes crimes against this Earth?
Just now, I said to Zach, "We are horrible people...." He replied, "We are the horrible species." I agree with him and make no apologies for it. You and I may consider ourselves good people. I may think this blog is doing some good. But I still fill my gas tank up to go to work. I still put make up on in the morning. I still eat canned goods. I still use plastic, no matter how hard I try not to. And so do you.
But I'm tired of holding my tongue.
I am brought to tears every time I read about this oil spill. I am devastated by the devastation.
A wonderful friend posted THIS article for all to see on Facebook - I truly hope those who know her on Facebook read it, and those who don't, read it now.
Who do we think we are? We aren't better than anything else on this planet - we are only a part of it. Yet we've taken it over. Our greed for oil has led to the current destruction of so many other living things - dolphins, fish, sperm whales, turtles, pelicans, and other sea birds. And forget plankton - the basis of the sea life food chain. When oil is spilled, bacteria is attracted to it, that then depletes the surrounding ocean of oxygen. So phyto-plankton is screwed. And when the ocean's foundation is screwed, so is the rest of the ocean. When the ocean is screwed? Us land-dwellers are just sitting ducks..... OH! And how about all of the other damage that has been done up to this point - anyone remember the ozone? Yea, the carbon emissions that we have doled out have FAR exceeded any oil spill in world history - I honestly forget where I read it, but Al Gore wrote an article about how if we could physically SEE the amount of carbon in our atmosphere, not only would it gray-out the sky, but also it would overshadow the current oil spill.
I'm not sure I have many words to describe the emotions I feel when I read articles such as the one above. Or when I watch CNN's live feed of the spill - the continual leaking of oil into our ocean gives me nightmares. Does it for you? Because it should. And if it doesn't, just watch the feed, and remind yourself that this is happening NOW. It's not the local news showing "earlier footage" - it's now. NOW. NOW!
What is wrong with us? How can we be so insensitive, so inhumane? Our species is the derivative of the word humane, yet we harbor none of it's qualities. We absorb, consume, and deplete everything around us so that we can drive where we want, eat what we want, feel the temperature in our own homes that we want.....We are the parasites.
I am so sad for our Earth. Our great creator. And we crossed Her. We should be crying for our wrongdoings - yet we keep justifying our consumption, our overconsumption, our greed, our lust, our gluttony. Who are we?
We created religion to keep us from sinning - where's the religion that maintains that our sins also includes crimes against this Earth?
Just now, I said to Zach, "We are horrible people...." He replied, "We are the horrible species." I agree with him and make no apologies for it. You and I may consider ourselves good people. I may think this blog is doing some good. But I still fill my gas tank up to go to work. I still put make up on in the morning. I still eat canned goods. I still use plastic, no matter how hard I try not to. And so do you.
Paranoid? More Like Practical
A friend sent me a link to a New York Times article the other day (thanks, Francis!) - which sparked real interest in me. Check it out (you may have to copy and paste): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/us/06peak.html
Anyone that is two years younger than me up to ten years older remember in school that we learned about how oil was not an endless well; kids in school today take this as common knowledge. So, why didn't we ever get serious about finding some other energy resource to tap? Why did we keep drilling for oil? Same reason we ignored isolationism and embraced globalization: money money money money.
Your cries for jobs are going unanswered because companies have found workers ALL over the world that are willing to do it for less. My cries for renewable energy exploration (along with the cries of millions of others) are also unanswered because oil is just so damn cheap.
Have we really become that trashy (pardon the pun)? Have we become cool with handing ourselves over to the cheapest bidder? The sad thing is, oil is the cheapest form of energy, yet the big oil lobbyists have our government by the horns with their big money (and BP is certainly included in that list).
But no amount of money, millions, billions, whatever, is going to do squat when it all runs out - and I seem to remember some number like 50 years when I was 12. Being a math WHIZ, I fear that gives us less than 40 years; 37 to be exact. I also fear for our future.
I have a link up on my sidebar detailing other ways we use oil - forget about driving a car or heating your home. Those things are pretty easy to accommodate, if lost. You can ride a bike and burn some wood. Sure, our national and international economies will shut down because you can't really bike a cross country business trip, but let's forget about our economy for once. What about our day-to-day survival? The article above points out that if we reach our peak with oil, forget grocery stores - how's the food going to get there? Canned goods? No way. And for the vain: no more make up!
How many of us really know how to survive? Not me; if it weren't for my fiance, I wouldn't know squat about being a survivalist. We joked when we first got together that you could drop him in the middle of the woods, with a knife and warm clothes, and he'd be fine. Then came Survivorman, and the joke got even funnier. But it's not funny anymore. We've already switched to venison and rarely ever eat beef anymore. We've taken all of the advice of his father and my grandmother (the former is an unofficial master gardener, the latter IS a master gardener) to grow a successful garden. And we are soaking in all suggestions we can to reduce our consumption and reuse what we can.
But is that even enough? I'm not a pessimist; I consider myself a realist. We all know oil is nonrenewable in our lifetimes. And we have yet to fully immerse ourselves in alternative energy. The sun will shine long past the human race's run. Deep ocean currents will flow, waiting for us to harness their unrelenting energy. The wind continues to flow over plains and mountains with forces that are so beautiful and clean. Yet we ignore all of this. We continue to shop at the Dollar Store, because we are cheap.
But cheap is going to get us killed - and unfortunately, we are taking millions of species, and an entire Earth with us.
Anyone that is two years younger than me up to ten years older remember in school that we learned about how oil was not an endless well; kids in school today take this as common knowledge. So, why didn't we ever get serious about finding some other energy resource to tap? Why did we keep drilling for oil? Same reason we ignored isolationism and embraced globalization: money money money money.
Your cries for jobs are going unanswered because companies have found workers ALL over the world that are willing to do it for less. My cries for renewable energy exploration (along with the cries of millions of others) are also unanswered because oil is just so damn cheap.
Have we really become that trashy (pardon the pun)? Have we become cool with handing ourselves over to the cheapest bidder? The sad thing is, oil is the cheapest form of energy, yet the big oil lobbyists have our government by the horns with their big money (and BP is certainly included in that list).
But no amount of money, millions, billions, whatever, is going to do squat when it all runs out - and I seem to remember some number like 50 years when I was 12. Being a math WHIZ, I fear that gives us less than 40 years; 37 to be exact. I also fear for our future.
I have a link up on my sidebar detailing other ways we use oil - forget about driving a car or heating your home. Those things are pretty easy to accommodate, if lost. You can ride a bike and burn some wood. Sure, our national and international economies will shut down because you can't really bike a cross country business trip, but let's forget about our economy for once. What about our day-to-day survival? The article above points out that if we reach our peak with oil, forget grocery stores - how's the food going to get there? Canned goods? No way. And for the vain: no more make up!
How many of us really know how to survive? Not me; if it weren't for my fiance, I wouldn't know squat about being a survivalist. We joked when we first got together that you could drop him in the middle of the woods, with a knife and warm clothes, and he'd be fine. Then came Survivorman, and the joke got even funnier. But it's not funny anymore. We've already switched to venison and rarely ever eat beef anymore. We've taken all of the advice of his father and my grandmother (the former is an unofficial master gardener, the latter IS a master gardener) to grow a successful garden. And we are soaking in all suggestions we can to reduce our consumption and reuse what we can.
But is that even enough? I'm not a pessimist; I consider myself a realist. We all know oil is nonrenewable in our lifetimes. And we have yet to fully immerse ourselves in alternative energy. The sun will shine long past the human race's run. Deep ocean currents will flow, waiting for us to harness their unrelenting energy. The wind continues to flow over plains and mountains with forces that are so beautiful and clean. Yet we ignore all of this. We continue to shop at the Dollar Store, because we are cheap.
But cheap is going to get us killed - and unfortunately, we are taking millions of species, and an entire Earth with us.
Monday, June 7, 2010
When You're Smiling, the Whole World Smiles with You
I truly believe that before you can take care of something as big as the Earth, you need to take care of yourself; and I'm talking about all of the normal stuff: eating right and exercising, finding enjoyable things to keep your mind positive, etc.
But, even the individualistic way of thinking can be green.
Exercise: Stop going to the gym! Start going outside! If you have a dog, take him or her for a walk (and if you live on a busy road, drive to a nearby dog-friendly park). If you are animal-free, JUST WALK. I am a fan of running, but that's not everyone's cup of tea. Walking accomplishes essentially the same physiological effects as a jog, with little impact on joints. Plus, if you are walking, you can bring along a piece of bamboo (or another kind of stick) and a PAPER bag (no plastic, too much oil involved there). Pick up any garbage you see along the way with your stick. By going out your front door and using what's right in front of your face, you are helping your body as well as the environment - no fossil fuel used, only bio-energy!
Food: Keep it simple. Keep it local. Almost everywhere has a co-op or farmers' market within just a few miles. The way I see it, even if you have to drive 10 or even 20 miles to get there, that's better than going to the grocery store 3 miles away that has shipped food from 500 miles away. Plus, farmers' markets don't have brownies, potato chips fried in lard, and an overabundance of sugary snacks. Farmers can't really grow Trix cereal, but they sure can grow corn, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, watermelons, peaches, plums, beans, onions, peppers, and I so could keep going. Name one of those things on that list that ISN'T good for you!
If you really can't get to a local market, stay in season. When you buy veggies and fruit that are not in season (or are not from around here, ummm star fruit?!?!), you can guarantee they came from some far away land. If there's snow on the ground, stick with cooler weather foods: lettuce, potatoes, onions. It can get boring, but try canning the good stuff when it is in season (see below). Of course, when it's warmer, the menu is much more extensive.
Even better: Grow your own garden. We grow our own day-to-day food in our garden. Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, squash, zucchini, eggplant, corn, onions, beans, and peas. My father-in-law also grows a large garden with much of the same - he'll can his extra for both of us over the winter. We're still working on last years canned tomatoes. We're planning to pickle peppers, can beans, can cabbage, and can tomatoes this year. (And if you're lucky enough to have an avid hunter in the house, canning and freezing venison is also a money saver, jiggly butt reducer, and Earth-friendly option). And just like a farmers' market or co-op, you can't grow doughnuts in your garden, so your heart (and butt) will thank you.
My only request: Should you decide to grow a garden, please consider all options BEFORE using any pesticides. Not only could you hurt yourself, but you are RUINING your local watershed. Soybean oil, I recently found out, is quite helpful in ridding your porch of pests, but I have yet to find a garden-option that doesn't make me wary. I'll update as I find new info.
As for keeping yourself happy: Making these positive choices to change your individual life, in my opinion, has GOT to do something for your overall outlook. Nutrients and vitamins that YOU worked to grow (or that you bought from a neighbor) gives you such a sense of accomplishment. And then, when you do find that garden that grows ice cream, and you indulge, going outside and walking in your neighborhood to work off those calories gives you a new perspective on your own little world. I find new valleys every time I run; I see a little animal here and there; and if I run towards dusk during the early Summer, I get to see the fawns with their mommas. If that doesn't make you happy, I'm not sure what will.
Using your world to benefit yourself, but doing so in a way that doesn't detract from the internal workings and external beauty of that world, leads to a happy life. It also leads to a happy world.
But, even the individualistic way of thinking can be green.
Exercise: Stop going to the gym! Start going outside! If you have a dog, take him or her for a walk (and if you live on a busy road, drive to a nearby dog-friendly park). If you are animal-free, JUST WALK. I am a fan of running, but that's not everyone's cup of tea. Walking accomplishes essentially the same physiological effects as a jog, with little impact on joints. Plus, if you are walking, you can bring along a piece of bamboo (or another kind of stick) and a PAPER bag (no plastic, too much oil involved there). Pick up any garbage you see along the way with your stick. By going out your front door and using what's right in front of your face, you are helping your body as well as the environment - no fossil fuel used, only bio-energy!
Food: Keep it simple. Keep it local. Almost everywhere has a co-op or farmers' market within just a few miles. The way I see it, even if you have to drive 10 or even 20 miles to get there, that's better than going to the grocery store 3 miles away that has shipped food from 500 miles away. Plus, farmers' markets don't have brownies, potato chips fried in lard, and an overabundance of sugary snacks. Farmers can't really grow Trix cereal, but they sure can grow corn, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, watermelons, peaches, plums, beans, onions, peppers, and I so could keep going. Name one of those things on that list that ISN'T good for you!
If you really can't get to a local market, stay in season. When you buy veggies and fruit that are not in season (or are not from around here, ummm star fruit?!?!), you can guarantee they came from some far away land. If there's snow on the ground, stick with cooler weather foods: lettuce, potatoes, onions. It can get boring, but try canning the good stuff when it is in season (see below). Of course, when it's warmer, the menu is much more extensive.
Even better: Grow your own garden. We grow our own day-to-day food in our garden. Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, squash, zucchini, eggplant, corn, onions, beans, and peas. My father-in-law also grows a large garden with much of the same - he'll can his extra for both of us over the winter. We're still working on last years canned tomatoes. We're planning to pickle peppers, can beans, can cabbage, and can tomatoes this year. (And if you're lucky enough to have an avid hunter in the house, canning and freezing venison is also a money saver, jiggly butt reducer, and Earth-friendly option). And just like a farmers' market or co-op, you can't grow doughnuts in your garden, so your heart (and butt) will thank you.
My only request: Should you decide to grow a garden, please consider all options BEFORE using any pesticides. Not only could you hurt yourself, but you are RUINING your local watershed. Soybean oil, I recently found out, is quite helpful in ridding your porch of pests, but I have yet to find a garden-option that doesn't make me wary. I'll update as I find new info.
As for keeping yourself happy: Making these positive choices to change your individual life, in my opinion, has GOT to do something for your overall outlook. Nutrients and vitamins that YOU worked to grow (or that you bought from a neighbor) gives you such a sense of accomplishment. And then, when you do find that garden that grows ice cream, and you indulge, going outside and walking in your neighborhood to work off those calories gives you a new perspective on your own little world. I find new valleys every time I run; I see a little animal here and there; and if I run towards dusk during the early Summer, I get to see the fawns with their mommas. If that doesn't make you happy, I'm not sure what will.
Using your world to benefit yourself, but doing so in a way that doesn't detract from the internal workings and external beauty of that world, leads to a happy life. It also leads to a happy world.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
My Dogs, the Heroes
That's right; we've recruited two more furry followers to our own personal green movement here in our house. Sam and Thorn, the dogs.
When I was younger, my grandmother would always tell me stories about a dog they had, Mutley. He got much bigger than they expected, so the family wound up adopting him to a farmer so Mutley could have room to be his big ol' self. When the farmer came to pick him up, he was amazed at how healthy and shiny Mutley's coat was (for those of you that don't know, a healthy coat is also a pretty sure sign of a healthy dog). He asked Gram what she was doing to keep Mutley in such good shape - not much, Gram told him, just table scraps, eggs, left over spaghetti, whatever.
What are the two things you can't put in your compost pile, but are readily and frequently used in the kitchen (for nonvegetarians and nonvegans, that is)? Meat and dairy. So these things get thrown out, using a plastic garbage bag, and sit in the dump, never really breaking down. In an anthropology class in college, we read about scientists who basically dig up trash to see how our society has changed over the decades. Ever heard of the tale that twinkies last forever? Well, these guys pulled out a pack of hot dogs from 20 (if not more) years ago - they looked like they had just been at the bottom of a grocery bag from a recent shopping trip. No deterioration, at all. Maybe a little squished, but otherwise in pristine condition.
So, in come Sam and Thorn. No meat, cheese, eggs, etc goes to waste in our house. Whatever is left over from our dinner - which is usually not much, since I grew up with the "there are starving kids in China" line being fed to me constantly - we give to Sam and Thorn. I know, it might sound like our dogs are beyond obese. But they aren't - we don't give them 56 eggs at breakfast time - we just let them lick our plates. We don't give them steak scraps, we eat venison (which is fantastic for sensitive dogs' stomachs), so our pups get NIBBLES of that. The other week we bought bacon that wasn't exactly to our liking - the solution? We cooked it until it was super crispy, broke it into small pieces, and use it for training treats (and they sit, lay down, jump, and stay MUCH more willingly when real bacon is involved). Oh, and training treats are about the size of your fingernail, so not only is this bacon yummy, but it is going to go a long way.
Don't get me wrong, I know there are many dogs that need to be on special diets, so PLEASE don't just take my advice without talking to your vet first. Sammy is a hound and can eat plastic (seriously) without it hurting him. But Thorn is much different, we are careful with what we throw in front of him - more venison, less bacon, for example. I'm just saying, don't knock table scraps 'til you try 'em.
So, my dogs are doing their part. We recycle, reuse, and compost what we can, but we are not vegans, so meat and dairy are here to stay. And Sam and Thorn are right there under the table, waiting to save the Earth in a very delicious and tasty way.
When I was younger, my grandmother would always tell me stories about a dog they had, Mutley. He got much bigger than they expected, so the family wound up adopting him to a farmer so Mutley could have room to be his big ol' self. When the farmer came to pick him up, he was amazed at how healthy and shiny Mutley's coat was (for those of you that don't know, a healthy coat is also a pretty sure sign of a healthy dog). He asked Gram what she was doing to keep Mutley in such good shape - not much, Gram told him, just table scraps, eggs, left over spaghetti, whatever.
What are the two things you can't put in your compost pile, but are readily and frequently used in the kitchen (for nonvegetarians and nonvegans, that is)? Meat and dairy. So these things get thrown out, using a plastic garbage bag, and sit in the dump, never really breaking down. In an anthropology class in college, we read about scientists who basically dig up trash to see how our society has changed over the decades. Ever heard of the tale that twinkies last forever? Well, these guys pulled out a pack of hot dogs from 20 (if not more) years ago - they looked like they had just been at the bottom of a grocery bag from a recent shopping trip. No deterioration, at all. Maybe a little squished, but otherwise in pristine condition.
So, in come Sam and Thorn. No meat, cheese, eggs, etc goes to waste in our house. Whatever is left over from our dinner - which is usually not much, since I grew up with the "there are starving kids in China" line being fed to me constantly - we give to Sam and Thorn. I know, it might sound like our dogs are beyond obese. But they aren't - we don't give them 56 eggs at breakfast time - we just let them lick our plates. We don't give them steak scraps, we eat venison (which is fantastic for sensitive dogs' stomachs), so our pups get NIBBLES of that. The other week we bought bacon that wasn't exactly to our liking - the solution? We cooked it until it was super crispy, broke it into small pieces, and use it for training treats (and they sit, lay down, jump, and stay MUCH more willingly when real bacon is involved). Oh, and training treats are about the size of your fingernail, so not only is this bacon yummy, but it is going to go a long way.
Don't get me wrong, I know there are many dogs that need to be on special diets, so PLEASE don't just take my advice without talking to your vet first. Sammy is a hound and can eat plastic (seriously) without it hurting him. But Thorn is much different, we are careful with what we throw in front of him - more venison, less bacon, for example. I'm just saying, don't knock table scraps 'til you try 'em.
So, my dogs are doing their part. We recycle, reuse, and compost what we can, but we are not vegans, so meat and dairy are here to stay. And Sam and Thorn are right there under the table, waiting to save the Earth in a very delicious and tasty way.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Green Pricing Options
Those of you that live in Roanoke - or near it, or EVEN in West Virginia - Appalachian Power has a green pricing option where, basically, you buy blocks of green energy (wind, solar, etc). The cool thing is YOU get to decide how many blocks you want to purchase. They are $1.50 each, and since, in my house, we are a little broke right now, we're sticking with 4 blocks a month. As we become more familiar with our new budget - now that we are full time students again - we will add more blocks. There is even the option to match your green energy purchase with the amount of energy you use in a month - so if you have the means, by all means!
Essentially, these "blocks" of energy encourage the use of green energy - unfortunately, it does not guarantee that YOU will be receiving the green energy. However, think of it as a donation - you'd give money to the homeless, the hungry, and the ailing, right? Think of our Earth as ALL of these things, and your purchase of even ONE green energy block helps to alleviate these problems.
Check out their website or call Customer Service and they are willing to explain the program to you.
One pitfall: I thought you could easily purchase these blocks online - it is certainly advertised that way on our account page. However, all times I've attempted to purchase, I was given an error screen and the phone number for Customer Service. So, you may have to make a phone call - but it's worth it. I waited 5 minutes, tops, and was a proud owner of green energy blocks by the end of that time.
(Other companies provide these same services, if you happen to read this post and are NOT in my area, inquire with your power company about their green pricing options).
Essentially, these "blocks" of energy encourage the use of green energy - unfortunately, it does not guarantee that YOU will be receiving the green energy. However, think of it as a donation - you'd give money to the homeless, the hungry, and the ailing, right? Think of our Earth as ALL of these things, and your purchase of even ONE green energy block helps to alleviate these problems.
Check out their website or call Customer Service and they are willing to explain the program to you.
One pitfall: I thought you could easily purchase these blocks online - it is certainly advertised that way on our account page. However, all times I've attempted to purchase, I was given an error screen and the phone number for Customer Service. So, you may have to make a phone call - but it's worth it. I waited 5 minutes, tops, and was a proud owner of green energy blocks by the end of that time.
(Other companies provide these same services, if you happen to read this post and are NOT in my area, inquire with your power company about their green pricing options).
Friday, June 4, 2010
to hybrid or not to hybrid, that is the question
i'm super interested in getting a hybrid, or even a completely electric car, when i next purchase. but i have one burning question: what happens with those batteries once they are used? is there a competent recycling system in place for hybrid/electric car batteries?
i toyed with the idea of getting a hybrid back when i first started teaching, and a friend gave me some advice that has stuck with me. she told me that i needed to consider that my honda civic gets 30+ highway miles and a hybrid gets around the same (maybe a few more). she continued by telling me that the places they make the batteries for the hybrid cars produce waste that is harmful. plus, how are the batteries recycled?
so i'm struck - not only do us greenies ask ourselves do we get a hybrid/electric car (so as to boycott those bastard oil companies), but also how do we function in a fast-paced, long distance society if said cars are harmful themselves?
i can't just "horse-and-buggy" myself to new jersey, pennsylvania, and new york when i want to see my family. and with all of my friends and family spread out over the united states, moving "closer to your loved ones" doesn't solve the problem either.
reverting back to a society in which mechanical travel was limited to two horses pulling a cart is impossible. just to get to work, i HAVE to drive. bike riding 15 miles is not reasonable - i mean, i guess i COULD do it, but i'd have to maneuver through busy rush hour traffic on a bike...
so joining the green movement has left me with more questions that answers. i am fully committed, but, really, how do we make an impact when society has pushed far beyond the limits of greenery?
my only answer? i can only change so much at the individual level; then i hit brick walls such as these - anyone who wants to follow me, and join me, would you like to start an action group here in roanoke? we can start simple - meetings, flyers (recycled paper ONLY), door knocking, even carpooling. whatever you want - but me, by myself, does little. i need you.
:)
i toyed with the idea of getting a hybrid back when i first started teaching, and a friend gave me some advice that has stuck with me. she told me that i needed to consider that my honda civic gets 30+ highway miles and a hybrid gets around the same (maybe a few more). she continued by telling me that the places they make the batteries for the hybrid cars produce waste that is harmful. plus, how are the batteries recycled?
so i'm struck - not only do us greenies ask ourselves do we get a hybrid/electric car (so as to boycott those bastard oil companies), but also how do we function in a fast-paced, long distance society if said cars are harmful themselves?
i can't just "horse-and-buggy" myself to new jersey, pennsylvania, and new york when i want to see my family. and with all of my friends and family spread out over the united states, moving "closer to your loved ones" doesn't solve the problem either.
reverting back to a society in which mechanical travel was limited to two horses pulling a cart is impossible. just to get to work, i HAVE to drive. bike riding 15 miles is not reasonable - i mean, i guess i COULD do it, but i'd have to maneuver through busy rush hour traffic on a bike...
so joining the green movement has left me with more questions that answers. i am fully committed, but, really, how do we make an impact when society has pushed far beyond the limits of greenery?
my only answer? i can only change so much at the individual level; then i hit brick walls such as these - anyone who wants to follow me, and join me, would you like to start an action group here in roanoke? we can start simple - meetings, flyers (recycled paper ONLY), door knocking, even carpooling. whatever you want - but me, by myself, does little. i need you.
:)
turning the MENTAL light on - and a plea for help!
Originally posted on June 3rd on 11thhouraction.org:
it kills me that i live in such a beautiful, wooded, animal-populated area and we have NO recycling pick up. luckily, i found a drop off center that is sent from the heavens - they take EVERYTHING!
so we've been pulling everything out we possibly can at our own house that can be recycled - and it turns out, it's A LOT. our tiny kitchen garbage can is barely filled, yet we have an immense amount of recycling. we made a pact to only put our garbage can out once a month, if not once every two months. i think we can do it. honestly, considering the amount of garbage we accumulated in one week, after pledging to recycle, i wouldn't be surprised if we only fill our big garabage can every three months. we've found so many ways to recycle - the list of what NOT to compost/recycle is WAY shorter than what you can.
but even better: i put a call out to my facebook friends that live in our area to piggy back with us. if they did the separating, we would take their compost (free soil for our garden next year!) and recycling. within an hour, i recruited two friends! one lives on the way to the recycling center, so no extra fossil fuels burned, and the other we visit quite often - so we'll pick up when we party (fun times coupled with saving the earth = fantabulous!).
it's like a light went on in our heads - my fiance has dedicated his environmental/wildlife studies to salvaging our Earth, and i have dedicated my day-to-day life (as well as his!) to doing the same. once i get my math degree, i would love to see us join forces professionally and act as a research team. captain planet at it's finest!
our little world got so much better when we started truly caring and acting for the bigger (and more important) world.
but i do have a question for those of you that read this and would like to help us: how can we better recycle in the bathroom - i.e., tissues, shampoo bottles, soap, etc - i have ideas, but i am much more aware of kitchen and everyday recycling. we've cut back on toilet paper use (sorry for the TMI), but i need more! shorter showers, yes! but what else?? ideas, friends?
:)
it kills me that i live in such a beautiful, wooded, animal-populated area and we have NO recycling pick up. luckily, i found a drop off center that is sent from the heavens - they take EVERYTHING!
so we've been pulling everything out we possibly can at our own house that can be recycled - and it turns out, it's A LOT. our tiny kitchen garbage can is barely filled, yet we have an immense amount of recycling. we made a pact to only put our garbage can out once a month, if not once every two months. i think we can do it. honestly, considering the amount of garbage we accumulated in one week, after pledging to recycle, i wouldn't be surprised if we only fill our big garabage can every three months. we've found so many ways to recycle - the list of what NOT to compost/recycle is WAY shorter than what you can.
but even better: i put a call out to my facebook friends that live in our area to piggy back with us. if they did the separating, we would take their compost (free soil for our garden next year!) and recycling. within an hour, i recruited two friends! one lives on the way to the recycling center, so no extra fossil fuels burned, and the other we visit quite often - so we'll pick up when we party (fun times coupled with saving the earth = fantabulous!).
it's like a light went on in our heads - my fiance has dedicated his environmental/wildlife studies to salvaging our Earth, and i have dedicated my day-to-day life (as well as his!) to doing the same. once i get my math degree, i would love to see us join forces professionally and act as a research team. captain planet at it's finest!
our little world got so much better when we started truly caring and acting for the bigger (and more important) world.
but i do have a question for those of you that read this and would like to help us: how can we better recycle in the bathroom - i.e., tissues, shampoo bottles, soap, etc - i have ideas, but i am much more aware of kitchen and everyday recycling. we've cut back on toilet paper use (sorry for the TMI), but i need more! shorter showers, yes! but what else?? ideas, friends?
:)
True Education
Originally posted on June 3rd on 11thhouraction.org:
day three of recycling our lunches:
rather than a half filled 50 gallon trash bag being used for my students at lunch time, we have reduced our waste to the size of a VERY small grocery bag. we recycle our paper trays and our milk cartons. we pull out anything i can throw in my compost pile, and any unused condiments and utensils. i even have three kids that have now spearheaded the project themselves and do the sorting for the class. even those that are unsure about what to recycle have the sense to ask someone who does know (me or my three liasons).
so proud of these kids, and sort of proud of myself for finally taking a chance and making recycling a part of our daily lesson.
:)
day three of recycling our lunches:
rather than a half filled 50 gallon trash bag being used for my students at lunch time, we have reduced our waste to the size of a VERY small grocery bag. we recycle our paper trays and our milk cartons. we pull out anything i can throw in my compost pile, and any unused condiments and utensils. i even have three kids that have now spearheaded the project themselves and do the sorting for the class. even those that are unsure about what to recycle have the sense to ask someone who does know (me or my three liasons).
so proud of these kids, and sort of proud of myself for finally taking a chance and making recycling a part of our daily lesson.
:)
Students' Soaking It In
Originally posted on June 2nd on 11thhouraction.org:
Yesterday, after watching the custodians empty my recycling into the trash all year, I finally stood up and asked my students to help me separate all we could, and I would take the recycling to a local recycling drop off. I purposely didn't drill the kids on the importance of recycling, just led them by example. I heard from another teacher, that after having lunch in my room, and separating out all of our paper, plastic, and compost, the students switched to her room, and reprimanded her for not recycling a piece of paper she threw away.
Kids truly are like sponges - you want to make a difference? Start with children.
Yesterday, after watching the custodians empty my recycling into the trash all year, I finally stood up and asked my students to help me separate all we could, and I would take the recycling to a local recycling drop off. I purposely didn't drill the kids on the importance of recycling, just led them by example. I heard from another teacher, that after having lunch in my room, and separating out all of our paper, plastic, and compost, the students switched to her room, and reprimanded her for not recycling a piece of paper she threw away.
Kids truly are like sponges - you want to make a difference? Start with children.
Making Lemonade
I was truly inspired by the movie "11th Hour" to join their action website and start blogging about how I was changing my life to be green. I was so excited! I blogged about how the students I teach were sorting their lunches into compost, recycling, and (minimal) trash; I blogged about how we were making slight, but impactful changes, in our daily personal life; and by the time I hit my third or fourth blog, I realized the action site blog was littered with advertisements for chiropractors and internet software. At first, I thought these advertisements were "green ads" - but it didn't take much searching to realize opportunists were using this admirable site to get people to buy stuff.
So, while I still am a member, and still support that site (and movie, and message) wholeheartedly, I've decided my own personal blog may be a better option. If anyone decides to read this; if anyone decides to comment; and if anyone decides to join me; I don't want my post to be preceded by "CLICK HERE FOR CHIROPRACTORS OF HOUSTON".
I plan to repost what I had originally put on my previous blog, because I think it's really cool how my students have jumped on board without a complaint.
So, while I still am a member, and still support that site (and movie, and message) wholeheartedly, I've decided my own personal blog may be a better option. If anyone decides to read this; if anyone decides to comment; and if anyone decides to join me; I don't want my post to be preceded by "CLICK HERE FOR CHIROPRACTORS OF HOUSTON".
I plan to repost what I had originally put on my previous blog, because I think it's really cool how my students have jumped on board without a complaint.
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