My Green Switch Was Flicked On
I was watching Live Earth, I said, Self, what can you do for the environment? So I created this blog. I do a fair bit but I'm running out of ideas. I'm hoping people post comments or suggestions. Let's all do a couple of things to make the EARTH better.
Things I've done to help the environment:1 Replaced 21 light bulbs with CFL's.
2 Put a few lights on motion detectors.
3 Use a real coffee mug and silverware at my desk.
4 Only buy fair trade and/or organic coffee.
5 Only buy organic produce and meat.
6 On the 100 mile diet. (90% Compliant)
7. Use my own grocery bag.
8. Try to buy products with less packaging.
9. Switched to paperless banking/bill payment.
10 Don't use air conditioning.
11. Take public transit.
12. Unplug instant on stuff, except for VCR and alarm clock.
13. Buy only sustainable power from Bullfrog.
14. Switched to Ice Melter instead of salt.
15. Offset the rest of my emmisions with a carbon credit.
Green things I still need to do:1 Get rid of my extra beer fridge. (I don't know about this because I brew my own and it need's to be refrigerated.)
2. Quit smoking. (OK, so I'm working on this now)
3. Buy a hybrid. (So, I couldn't buy a hybrid this time cause I had to get a work truck but, I'll limit my driving and will buy a hybrid for personal use at a later date)
Please Note: I am not a writer. Most of these articles are shared from other sources. Please use the links provided to get the whole article from the source site. Please support these sites too! We all have a role to play.
Where I'm At Now
I've decided that organic may not be the way to go. What's the sense of shipping an organic product 3,000 miles if I can find a locally produced item? OK, so it may not be organic but I guess it's a balance between chemicals to grow or chemicals to ship. I've actually found local chicken, beef, pork, lamb and goat, all naturally raised, antibiotic free and free range where applicable. I've managed to find local potatoes, yams, carrots, onions and garlic all winter. I also have a local hydroponic lettuce grower and besides lettuce he grows cucumber, bell peppers and tomatoes.
I've switched to Bullfrog Power. Bullfrog uses only environmentally sustaining power sources like wind as well as low-impact hydro-electric.
I've also discovered Guerrilla Gardening. Take over an abandoned patch and make it grow. Stay tuned.
Well this year, I've decided to post more about what I'm doing. I'll still have cool products once in a while, especially if I've tried or switched to them.
Vampire appliances are pretty much anything you can plug in that still sucks energy when it’s supposedly turned off. Some are pretty obvious - the clocks on your microwave or VCR/DVD player burn all day, everyday. We know they’re not "off" because we cans see their LEDs glow. But other electronics, from your television to your cell phone charger also draw power when they’re plugged in but not in use. Read more here,
http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/03/smart-power-strips-the-garlic-of-vampire-electronics/
As homeowners, many of us will use our home remodel as an opportunity to "upgrade" our existing home audio and visual equipment such as televisions, amplifiers, satellite/cable box, DVD players, whole house audio, video games, etc.
With these upgrades, you have an opportunity to reduce power consumption in your home – making your home a greener home. Further, if your new equipment is an addition to your power consumption, then there are products that are better choices than others relative to energy consumption. Read here,
http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/04/audio-visual-which-whole-house-audio-amplifiers-are-most-efficient/
Ten years ago researcher Klara Morasszeky emerged from the Regional Forestry Agreement process angrier than she’d ever been in her life.
"We give timber companies an excuse to destroy forests for building materials when there is a viable alternative out there," Ms Morasszeky, a former consultant to Greening Australia, said.
And so she set about researching green, alternative building materials, travelling around the world and experimenting until she found what she believes to be the best source: hemp. Read here,
http://www.echonews.com/index.php?page=View%20Article&article=20251&keywords=hemp
About three to five years. Thats the average lifespan of most electronics devices these days. So it’s not surprising that to hear that we junk about 2 million tons of e-waste every year.
I personally like to change my cell phone about every two years for the newer more beautiful one.
Read the rest here,
http://www.talkgreen.ca/big-retailers-recycling-e-waste/
Sunrgi HQ (TGW) – Sunrgi has unveiled its new solar power technology which it says will only cost 5 centers per kilowatt – as cheap as fossil fuels. The system, Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics (XCPV), concentrates the equivalent of more than 1600 times the sun’s energy onto extremely efficient solar cells. The XCPV system uses the same principle as a magnifying glass, concentrating the sun’s energy onto solar cells that convert more than 37% of the sun’s energy. More,
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1596/
I've Started The 100 Mile Diet
Here is a sample market run. Not all of this is available during the winter
All Produce was Local & Organic, Lettuce - Romaine, Red Leaf & Green Leaf
Celery, Peppers - Green, Orange, Red & PURPLE, Radish, Green Onion, Cucumber
(That's my weekly salad stuff)
Spinach, Swiss Chard, Peas, Corn, White and Sweet Potatoes
Onions, Apples, Pears
Lots more available but I didn't buy.
Dairy, All Local & Organic (Naturally Raised or Free Range)Milk (In Glass Bottles), Cheese, Butter, Eggs, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese,
Sour Cream & others available but I didn't buy.
Bread and Rolls, Organic but not all grains local. I've been baking my own too, using local if possible.
And for the Meat Eaters, All Local & Naturally Raised
Chicken - Whole, Boneless & Skinless Cuts (Other Cuts Available)
Lamb Chops (Other Cuts Available)Pork Chops (Other Cuts Available)
Beef - Steak, Ground (Other Cuts Available)
There were other products such as Goat, Emu and others that I didn't buy.
Now, I know not everything is available to all but if you can replace half of your grocery list with local products you would be doing what you can as well as telling retailers you want local products.
I know I'll have a challenge in February. There won't be as much local produce available.
I've committed to starting a greenhouse garden in my basement and growing my salad.I'll let you know how that works out.
Barry
Update: June 2,2008
February produce was a challenge but I found lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber and tomatoes, all grown locally the hydroponic way. At least I had a small salad every day.
I don't have a basement greenhouse yet but I do have a backyard garden.
More later.
Update, August 18th 2008
Well the vegetable garden was a bust. I put in a 10' X 12' garden but I don't get enough sun in my yard. We have tomatoes and peppers in containers and they are doing much better. Looks like I need a new plan.
Update, September 12,2009
So gardening at my house is out. Too shady.
I switched to Bullfrog Power a year ago. My hydro comes from wind and non destructive hydro-electric.
I gave up driving to work a year ago as well.
With a friend of mine, we started Earth Hour By The Dozen.
It's Earth Hour but we have it on the 4th Saturday of every month.
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