Eating and Experimenting
To many people in the thick of it, environmentalism rests on a foundation of food. What we eat, how it's grown or raised, how it gets to us, how it's packaged, and how it's trashed are questions at the heart of an earth-friendly lifestyle.
Camilla starts off by encouraging us to Plant a Garden for Healthier Children at Heathy Theory because, "...preschool children were over twice as likely to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily if they were homegrown."
Richard at Eco Living Advice offers 8 Ways to Reduce Your Eco Footprint When Cooking. My favourite piece of advice is to eat raw foods because, "You’ll also save yourself all the time and hassle of cooking."
Jennifer at Is It Easy Being Green? focused on food in her No Impact Experiment, Part 4. She's taking things a bit at a time, eating partly locally and with a goal, "...to go from eating vegetarian 1/4 of the time to closer to 1/2 of the time." Very do-able steps. I just recently finished the No Impact book after seeing the film months ago. I wrote about that a bit at No Impact Man - The Book. "Getting on board with environmentalism is more than switchng lightbulbs; it involves actively acknowledging the short time we each have here. 'We're all in a fragile state of denial.'"
After dinner, Renee offers up tips on Worm Composting at the Compost Tumbler Site. Something I never thought of is that it, "can be used to process dog feces." Separately and preferably not in the kitchen that is.
Relocating and Renovating
After they leave the nest, students can continue being green with Angela's 101 Ways to Go Green in Your Dorm Room at Online Degree Programs. Most of the tips can be used in any home too. I still prefer innovative student-style furnishing like this idea: "Use an old door propped across files cabinets to a create a unique desk that is practical, inexpensive, and recycled."
Arvil explains why Green Homes Don't Need to Be Small at Green Home Design. My office is a corner of the kitchen table, so I particularly like this bit, "You will need a bedroom for each family member. Don’t raise your eyebrows – everyone needs a private space to develop a harmonious personality."
And if you've got an eye towards enhancing your current home, Catherine suggests getting a water softener as Soft Water Could Be the Eco-Friendly Way To Wash: "Washing in soft water creates a lather more readily using less toiletries - and gives a more thorough clean." And some solar tools and gadgets might also come in handy.
Saving and Spending
While you're shopping for a reno, SVB tells us 8 Simple Ways to Save a Thousand Bucks at The Digerati Life. Many money saving tips are also eco-friendly tips like using the library and, "...selling off or donating your used goods."
Erin at Conscious Shopper tells us how she made Easy Homemade Handkerchiefs from her "...husband's 100% cotton t-shirts."
At A Green Lady Blog, Beverly suggests that if we must smoke at all, The E-Cigarette is the environmental way to go because the, "...smoke given off by these cigarettes is a harmless water vapor."
Active and Activism
Scott transports us In Hiking in Norway: The Adventure Road. "Norway offers a network of 20,000 kilometers of marked hiking trails, one of the largest in all of Europe." That could keep me busy for a year or so.
Finally, ~JP~ explores the Role of NGOs in the Climate Change Debate at NGO Meter. "Since you can't throw a stone in a city without hitting a pro-environment canvasser, it's clear that a host of environmental organizations are gaining popularity and clout; in a political climate that's more receptive to planet-protecting regulations, these organizations play a vital role in positively influencing public policy in favor of Mother Earth." It's frustrating to me that we're still arguing over the cause of climate change; I'm glad there's places to turn to for support in these trying times.
Tweets and Twitters
@SallyKneidel
US imports 20,000 primates/yr, 4X more than other nations. NC Network to reduce lab abuse? http://sallykneidel.com/?p=1110
That's all she wrote. Don't forget to keep sending in your posts and check out Ethical Superstore next week! If I missed anyone, or if you want to add a post, self-link in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment