Things I Hadn't Thought Of...

Here are some random tips for helping the planet that I read today that I hadn't really thought about before:

FLY WITH AN E-TICKET
The cost of processing a paper ticket is approximately $10, while processing an e-ticket costs only $1. In the near future, e-tickets will be the only option, saving the airline industry $3 billion a year. In addition to financial savings, the sheer amount of paper eliminated by this process is commendable.

STOP YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE
Answering machines use energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And when they break, they're just one more thing that goes into the landfill. If all answering machines in U.S. homes were eventually replaced by voice mail services, the annual energy savings would total nearly two billion kilowatt-hours.

USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE
Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.

LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING—ONLINE
Consider if you really need a paper phone book. If not, call to stop phone book delivery and use an online directory instead. Some estimate that telephone books make up almost ten percent of waste at dump sites. And if you still receive the book, don't forget to recycle your old volumes.

CHOOSE GLASS BOTTLES OVER ALUMINUM CANS
The energy required to produce a single 12 oz. aluminum can from virgin ore is enough to produce nearly two new 12 oz. glass bottles. So the next time you buy a six-pack of beer, opt for glass bottles over aluminum cans. The manufacturing energy conserved could power your television through two Sunday NFL games.

USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL
You paid for those extra buttons in your car, so put them to work! When using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage. Considering today's gasoline prices, this is a boon not only for the environment but your budget as well.

CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS
Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

USE A COTTON SHOWER CURTAIN RATHER THAN A PLASTIC (PVC) ONE
Avoiding plastic is always better for the planet. And PVC is used in the manufacturing process of plastic shower curtains, which is a known carcinogen that’s been linked to increased risks of brain tumors, cancer in the spinal cord and, most traumatic of all, erectile dysfunction. :) The Cotton Curtain may drip a little, but it won't be prone to mildew like the plastic one. A waffle fabric will be more absorbent.

God's Ideal...

They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4

Pinch Pennies and Spare the Planet

Sometimes, thinking about all the things I need to change makes me nervous about it costing money.  Most of the time, though, you can save money and spare the environment at the same time.  Recent marketing of "green products" may make that not seem true, but it is.  In light of that, I would like to list some ways that you can make changes that will save you money.

• Halve it.  You'd be surprised how many things we can "halve" in our daily lives.  Just about everything from the dishsoap you use to the salad dressing on your lunch can be cut in half (either by diluting or just using less.)  examples: laundry detergent, shampoo, the amount of coffee you drink, the amount of time you spend in the shower, the amount of trips you take in the car.  A great post about doing so can be found here.
  
• Think Natural=Think Cheap.  Vinegar and baking soda, baby.  there is no toilet cleaner cheaper than baking soda.  No Window cleaner cheaper than half vinegar/half water.  (don't forget about baking soda as deodorant.  If you think I'm crazy, just try it.  I swear it works.)
  
• Share, Contemplate Purchases and Practice Delayed Gratification.  If you don't need something immediately, try waiting before you buy it.  You may find in the process that you didn't really need/want it as much as you thought.  Maybe you'll find that you have something else that works or be able to borrow from someone.  Also, garage sale season is about to start, so grab a friend and see if you find what you need there or at a thrift store.
  
• Choose Cloth and Think Reusable. Cloth rags, cloth diapers, cloth napkins - can be washed and reused and save you from spending money on disposables.  Most stores will give you at least a 5 cent discount for bringing your own bags (i know, but i said pinch pennies).  Most coffee shops will give you 10-15 cents off of your drink for bringing your own mug.  Use a french press or metal coffee filter and save from buying paper coffee filters.  Use a microfiber mop or broom instead of a swiffer.
  
• Drink Water. That is, tap water in a reusable bottle and save on packaged sodas, juices and the like.
  
• Alter your eating and shopping a bit- think bulk bins, cooking with whole foods, eating what's in season in your area, eating your leftovers and paying attention so that things don't go bad in the fridge and go to waste.
  
• Conserve.  Unplug things, turn them off, turn the thermostat down (or up, depending on the season) use your legs or public transportation.  
  
• Make your own.
  

See, sparing the environment should SAVE you money, not cost you money. Beware of all the hype.

eating healthy isn't just about you.

     Eating Healthy is better for the environment, which means it's better for other people. Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of eating healthy. I'm not talking about switching to a diet of frozen "healthy dinners" and overly packaged, chemical laden food bars and other not-so-good-for-you diet foods. I'm talking about the classic healthy whole foods diet. A diet composed primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. We all know that a vegetarian diet is better for the environment and a vegan diet perhaps even better still. Eating all things as locally produced as possible is very important for a healthy planet as well as purchasing organically grown foods. 

     Why does all of this matter? Well, there's about a million reasons, really, but just think about it for a minute... fresh fruits and vegetables are not processed, therefore you skip all that extra waste that would be produced during the processing and extra transport (and hopefully you skip plastic packaging this way, unless you're addicted to Trader Joe's, like me... sigh). Eating foods as close to their natural state as possible is better for you and means using less heat. we all know that cooking uses energy, right? when you eat a whole foods diet, that means that when you do cook, you cook from scratch.  Cooking this way ensures that you skip all of those chemical additives and preservatives and extra packaging, which is so much better for you and the environment. These are just a few of the obvious reasons why our food choices matter.  

     Some of these issues are debatable, I suppose.  Some would say that the only important thing is to eat locally, sustainably produced organic food, while some would say eating raw food is most important to maintain personal health. I won't get into those debates.  Overall, I'm just trying to say that any change we make that is a step toward a diet of whole foods that are minimally processed and cooked is a step toward healthier people and a healthier planet.  So, if you're currently eating meat at every meal, consider trying to cut it back to just dinner, or just try a vegetarian meal once this week, or just cut back on red meat.  If you've never gone to the farmer's market, go as soon as it opens this year (which was this last weekend if you live in Bellingham!) and check it out and/or consider joining a local CSA.  I'm not suggesting we all change everything about our diets and shopping habits overnight.  I'm just suggesting that we remain mindful in our eating and remember that what we choose to purchase and put in our bodies doesn't just affect our own health, but also the health of the planet and all of us who live here.  So, take a baby step or two along with me because I'm on this journey to better, more mindful eating and shopping habits as well.  I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be.  Currently, I'm hoping that buying in bulk will help me shrink the grocery tabs and the contents of my garbage can!  Now I just need to re-train myself to buy dried beans instead of canned (apparently most cans contain BPA, ick. Why is plastic everywhere?) 

Here's some further reading:

• A great, thought-provoking post on reconsidering your diet here.
• 100-Mile Diet
• Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century
• Working conditions in American Slaughter Houses
  
• An article on the effects of cooking meat here: cooking meat dirties the air more than most people realize 
  
• Evidence Shows that Our Meat-Based Diet is Bad for the Environment, Aggravates Global Hunger, Brutalizes Animals and Compromises our Health

photo courtesy of ismon on flickr