Comments of Note

This month's comments were wonderful ... readers offered pertinent thoughts and ideas. In fact, the comments were so good that it was a challenge to keep the list down to ten for publication here. I'd like to say "thank you" to everyone who took the time to write!

Okay ... here we go:


From Let's get started ...

MRoth said...

Hooray! It's such a great idea to shut everything down off a power strip when it's not needed - especially kitchen appliances. Phantom loads can really take a toll on energy consumption...

I try to keep everything in the apartment hooked to a power strip. This makes it especially easy to flip it off during hours of non-use.

Alternatively, in a place like the bathroom where there is only one tiny plug, sometimes it's better NOT to have a power strip...this keeps me from plugging in anything that isn't immediately needed.

Thanks for the amazing blog! You're making green living so accessible!

-Megan

From I can see the light (a recycled article) ...

Dafthermit said...

Hi Sf

just a wee visit to say good morning

as for lights as you know i live on a bus and we use the solar lights most people use to light the garden up with and apart from the odd candle our lighting is free music to an old dafthermit

all the best from the highlands and thanks for popping over to my blogs


Andy & Mel x

From Splish Splash I was taking a bath (a recycled article) ...

Hans said...

Saving water is one of the things I really learned when living in Australia. Taking short showers and having water in the fridge are my favourites. And then of course never pour water down the zink. It can always be used for something - watering a plant for example.

Great blog!

From Mmm ... Mmm ... Good (a recycled article) ...

Yanic said...

Wonderful post! I try to make as much as possible from scratch all the time. It's my slight OCD : The lack of control in what goes into my food gets the better of me.

The great thing about freezing in small quantities is that there is no waste.

One of my favorite ways to use home made stock is when cooking rice. Instead of buying all those artificially flavored rices, you can create your own!

Another great way to make tons of it without breaking the bank is to go to your local farmer's market and buy (for a fraction of the price) veggies that have gotten bruised or wilted. They will gladly sell them for pennies and you have all the stock making materials you need!

Chourou said...

Hi,SF. Your posting this time reminds me of the way of taking broth(bouillon in French) which has been traditional and popular in Japan. It is very simple. All you have to do is that you pick up Konbu, or kelp, a sort of seaweeds, and put it into a pan filled with water and leave it. After a day, you put aside the water of the pan and keep in a bottle or whatever. When you cook miso soup, you can use this liquid as a very good basis. We call this liquid “dashi”.

Anyway, your suggestion this time is wonderful. Thank you for sharing your eco-friendly tips again!

GreenWorks said...

Great post and homemade stock is much better than the bought stuff.

On a similar note vegetables left over from a meal added to stock and blitzed to puree makes a tasty and easy meal for the next evening.

From It's a Balancing Act (a recycled article with new comments) ...

Yanic said...

I completely agree. One of the main reasons why I started my own blog was to inspire to take steps towards a greener life and that every little one of those steps count for something. If everyone would take a few steps, then the world would be a much better place. I think the problem is right now that we are at a cross-roads and the ones that are putting forth the effort feel like they have to make up for the ones that don't. Hopefully, that will soon not be such a reality.

Ways I reduce, reuse and recycle...

Recycle : Everything I possibly can! So that point is mute. Although we did build our first compost bin this year so all our compostables will soon be recycled into yummy fertilizer!

Reduce : Between the recycling and the compost bin, we have recently realized that a box of 36 biodegrable trash bags (21 in. X 26 in.) lasts us over 9 months! That is about 1 bag a week and we could not be more pleased!

Reuse : LOL! They call me the garbage lady at work! I bring all my lunch in reused yogourt containers and Mason jars.

Great tip : Reuse all your glas jars for storage! I keep all my discarded pasta sauce, condiment jars, glass bottles to store my grains, pastas, dried goods, spices, maple si=yrup, honey... They are wonderful because they fit very thightly on a shelf, are transparent and stackable!

Nana Net said...

Guilt comes in some many ways, shape, and so on. Still though I agree we all must do our part to help save this world of ours!
As for me I try to do as much as I can. Mostly by trying to becoming more aware of what I am doing wrong! Some examples that I have tried to help in saving our planet is by recycling.
That I reuse the butter containers that the butter comes in. As well as all other plastic containers that I am able to. Especially after a good washing of them first!
Another way is that I try to do large loads of laundry instead of small loads. That way I only have to do less instead of more. If that makes sense to you all. To me it saves on the amount of laundry detergent I have to use! Plus I hang my clothes out on the clothes line instead of using the clothes dryer. Nothing like fresh air to dry your clothes!
I also wash my dishes by hand and let them air dry too. I really do not like having a dishwasher.
Oh well, another thing that comes to mind is that I love watching HGTV. Now that is where I do get alot of neat ides from on "Going Green" too. Still though your blog helps me by far the most!!!!
Have a blessed day.

From A Quick Tip (a recycled article) ...

Mysticle said...

What a great idea, that I had never thought of before. Stumbled!

In our home, we reuse water bottles and plastic bags. Take our green bags shopping. Always Always Recycle.

I like to reuse the cardboard sleeves from my local coffee shop ... just carry in my purse, no need for a new one every day.

TY, Mysticle

From Vacations ... The Eco Friendly Way ...

Mukund said...

Hey one more thing, carry a disposable bag of some sort in the back of your car to throw what you eat or drink (cans, chips wrappers etc.), just in case there are no dustbins around...
I don't about the world outside but lack of dustbins is a major problem in India...
Great to have you back small... :)

May I offer a suggestion? If you have a bit of time and would like to investigate some new sites, click on one of the people listed above ... not only have they left meaningful comments here, they write brilliant blogs.

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

Starry, Starry Nights ...

Awhile back, my friend Argentum Vulgaris, of Tomus Arcanum, published a post on Light Pollution (you can see it HERE). I first heard of light pollution some years ago while camping in the Florida Keys. We were lucky enough to join a group of astronomers who shared their telescopes ... and a great view of the skies ... with us. After a wonderful evening of sharing the sky's treasures, the leader of the group talked about light pollution. He pointed out the glow in the sky and told us how it was created by the lights of Miami ... some 132 miles away. He also pointed out that without that glow, we'd be able to see so much more.

Light pollution is a big deal to amateur astronomers, who wish to explore the constellations, as well as to large observatories where our universe is studied. It also represents, as Argentum pointed out, huge amounts of energy usage and waste. But did you know that light pollution also affects nature and our health?

In the human body, excessive light exposure can result in adverse health effects such as headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety. It has been shown to elevate blood pressure and is considered a factor in some forms of cancer due to the suppression of the normal nocturnal production of melatonin. Simply put ... we need darkness. It helps set our circadian rhythms which determine our sleeping patterns. Our core body temperature, brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration, as well as many other biological activities are all linked to sleep ... and darkness.

Light pollution is also affecting nature. All life exists with natural patterns of light and dark. Interfere with those patterns and many aspects of animal behavior change. For example, light pollution confuses animal navigation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services estimate that 4-5 million migrating birds per year are killed when they become disoriented by the lights on tall structures. Moths and other nocturnal insects, being drawn to artificial lights, affect night blooming flowers that depend on these nighttime creatures for pollination. Lights around lakes prevent zooplankton from eating surface algae, causing algal blooms which kill off aquatic plants and destroy water quality.

One of the most well-known casualties of light pollution are the sea turtles. Hatchlings emerge from their nests and find the ocean by moving away from the darkness of the dunes. When the dunes are artificially lit by street lights or residential outdoor lighting, the hatchlings become disoriented and fatally head inland instead of toward the ocean.

Light pollution ... as with all forms of pollution ... has a negative impact on the environment and our lives. How can be help? Here are a few ideas:

• Whenever a light is not in use, turn it off. This applies inside and out. For outdoor lighting, use a timer or motion sensor. No need to light up a yard if no one is out there, right?

• For lighting, especially outdoor lighting, make sure that the lamp only illuminates the area necessary (use full cutoff light fixtures or lamp shades). For example, if you need to light a deck or patio, make sure that the sky, or a neighbor's yard, isn't also lit.

• Choose low wattage illumination. For example, deck lighting doesn't necessarily have to be as bright as a kitchen. Low wattage can actually create a very pleasant atmosphere for outside, evening activities. And don't forget to use efficient bulbs (CFLs or LEDs).
  

• Try not to use a light at all. Whenever possible, allow your eyes to adjust to the dark ... and leave the lights off.

• At work, suggest that lights be turned off ... point out the energy & monetary savings that will be realized. If you own a company ... implement policies to turn out lights when not in use.

• Get educated on the subject. For two good resources, check out the International Dark-Sky Association and Starry Night Lights.

Light Pollution ... just one more area where we can make a difference.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Vacations ... The Eco Friendly Way

We recently returned from a wonderful vacation in the Pacific Northwest ... camping and visiting with family. Typically when I leave my home in the North Carolina mountains, I am struck by how wasteful and non-environmentally friendly our society is. But this trip was different.

On this trip, I noticed positive changes ... people carrying reusable water bottles in the airport rather than plastic ones, recycle containers set up in restaurants, signs in public restrooms asking patrons to turn out the lights when leaving and more people refusing plastic bags in stores. I saw less Styrofoam and more recyclable containers at take-out stands. In one public restroom there was a toilet that flushed one way for liquids and another way for solids ... reducing the amount of water used. In more than just a few shops I was asked if I wanted my receipt printed (which, of course, I said "no" to and saved some paper). In my relative's homes, I noticed cloth napkins being used instead of paper and everyone seemed to have a garden and a compost bin. A cousin told me about an Eco-Camp for children. Her daughter attended this camp where the focus was on teaching kids about waste ... specifically the waste on their plate when they take too much food and end up tossing what they can't eat.

Yes, there are still improvements to be made but it is encouraging to see so many people making an effort. It gives me hope!

With the trip and everything I saw still fresh in my mind, I decided to write a few tips on having a "green" vacation. Here are some ideas:

• Plan ahead. For a very good list of green travel resources (tour companies, rental car agencies, transportation, activities, etc.), check out IndependentTraveler.com's Green Travel Resources.
  

• Never take a vacation from your "green" ideals. The same rules that apply at home, apply everywhere. For example, don't use more water or electricity just because someone else is paying the bill ... continue to conserve.

• Have a "Staycation" and play tourist in your own city. Yes ... I know ... I just returned from a vacation on the other side of the country. But I've also spent years taking vacations in my own back yard ... and they have been some of the best times we've had. Not only does it save money, gas and other resources ... there are usually activities to enjoy which typically, in our busy lives, we don't take the time to experience. So play tourist at home ... go to a special restaurant, enjoy a museum, take in a play or concert. For more ideas, contact the Chamber of Commerce in your city.

• Make a few adjustment at home before leaving. Turn off the water heater (or turn down the temperature). Turn off A/C or heating units (or, again, adjust them to the least amount of use). Turn off the ice maker. Unplug as many electrical devices as possible.

• Carefully consider the mode of transportation used to reach your destination. Trains, cars, planes, buses ... they all have their environmental pros and cons. Add in time and money and the choice becomes more difficult. For a short trip, consider public transportation. When driving, make sure that the car is properly serviced (tires filled to proper levels, oil leaks fixed, etc.) and follow speed limits to minimize gas use and emissions. Don't charge cell phones, iPods, etc. off the car battery ... it'll lower your gas mileage. If your car is a gas guzzling vehicle, consider renting an economy or hybrid car. If flying is the option, choose electronic tickets, pack lightly and consider carbon offsetting (for an excellent article on the subject, click HERE). Also consider bringing your own snacks and drinks (fill a reusable water bottle after going through security) ... you'll save money and waste.

• Location, location, location! When choosing accommodations, think about location. Ask yourself these questions: Is it near public transportation (bus lines, subways, etc.)? Are tourist activities within walking distance or a short bus ride away? Are there dining and shopping opportunities close by?

• Choose a "green" hotel (find one HERE).

• Care for a hotel room in the same way as you care for your home. Turn out lights and TVs when not in use. When leaving, turn off the cooling/heating units. Leave a "Do Not Disturb" or "No Service" sign on the door and reuse towels and bedding. If a sign is not provided, leave a note for housekeeping requesting that they not service your room. When possible, use your own toiletries rather than those provided by the establishment. If you find it necessary to use their toiletries, take them with you, use until gone and recycle the container. Bring your own cup and let the hotel's plastic ones remain in their bags. Take short showers.

• At your destination, consider environmentally friendly activities. Take a walking or cycling tour. Take digital photos instead of using disposable cameras. Only take maps and brochures that are necessary and, if possible, return them to the rack after use. Choose restaurants that use local, organic produce. Make sure that purchases (snacks, souvenirs, etc.) are Eco-friendly.

• Let them know. When returning home, be sure to write emails to hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies ... even airlines and pilots ... to compliment them on their "green" efforts or encourage them to adopt them if they aren't currently doing so. I've said this before (perhaps a gazillion times) but I believe that if we ask, providers will accommodate us. So tell them that you want "green" travel options.

Vacations are wonderful ... they recharge our emotional batteries and add excitement to life. And, with a little care and concern, they can be kind to the earth as well.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!