21 November, 2007
This Friday - Buy Nothing Day

Give the poor retail workers who are forced to get up at 3am to report to work, the environment and your sanity a break and celebrate Buy Nothing Day with me this Friday. In fact since I took the Handmade Pledge, I don’t plan to set foot inside a mall or big box store at all this year (except while accompanying others, window shopping is allowed haha). On Friday I plan to be at home with my NEWLY FIXED sewing machine (yay!) making handmade gifts for family and friends.

What are you doing this weekend?

24 October, 2007
Buy Handmade

Everyone should go check out Buy Handmade and take the handmade pledge this holiday season. Why buy handmade? For me it all comes down to one-of-a-kind gifts and avoiding the malls and parking lots which I LOATHE. But there are some other really good reasons as well. Here’s some great info from their site:

Buying handmade is better for people, better for the environment, and better for giving truly special and well-crafted gifts. The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us all dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. The connection between producer and consumer has been lost. Buying handmade helps them reconnect.

We encourage all consumers to be aware of the social and environmental implications of their purchases.

Below is a list of resources that can get you started in the right direction:

http://www.coopamerica.org/: Co-op America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982. Their mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.

http://www.sweatfree.org/: A Network For Local action against Sweatshops

http://ilsr.org/: The Institute For Local Self-Reliance. The Institute’s mission is to provide the conceptual framework, strategies and information to aid the creation of ecologically sound and economically equitable communities.

http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Business/Allegedly_Unethical_Firms/Wal-Mart/ : See what Walmart is up to in your community

They also have some great badges for your website. Take the pledge and represent! Oh, and if you’re looking for some great handmade artists, here’s a good place to start!

15 October, 2007
What will you do?

Did you guys know it’s Blog Action Day? Literally zillions (well, maybe not zillions but you get the idea) of bloggers are publishing posts about the environment today. Helpful tips, or calls to action, or whatever. Me? I’m just going to tell you what I personally have chosen to do, and hopefully inspire some action on y’all’s part.

So here it is. I have decided to stop driving to work and commute by cycling instead. To the tune of around 16 miles per day round trip. Yes I said it.

Yes, this will be a sacrifice in some ways. I will have to get over my fear of getting hit by a car or slamming into a stationery object. I’ll have to plan a little more carefully, get up earlier, spend more time commuting, be cold or wet or sweaty sometimes, probably go to bed a little earlier, probably miss some classes at the gym. But I feel really good about this decision and can see so many benefits.

Why I’ve decided to be a bike commuter:

• I think it will build character and self-esteem.
• I know it will make a positive impact on the environment and lessen my footprint on this planet. There will be less emissions because of me. We’ll lessen our dependence on oil because of me. Bikes don’t drip oil or fluids so there will be less water pollution because of me. A four mile bicycle trip keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.
• I will most certainly enjoy a higher level of fitness and probably boost my weight loss in spades.
• I can fill the gap that has opened now that an injury prevents me from running anymore. When I ride, I feel that same reduction in stress, and I feel connected with my surroundings, something I never feel when I’m driving. I miss that about running. Now I don’t have to anymore.
• I can put off buying a newer car because there will be so little wear and tear on mine now.
• I’ll get to park closer to the elevators than even the CEO and I don’t have to spend ten minutes a day driving up and down seven floors of a parking garage.
• I’ll save $35 per month in parking fees and probably $60 or so in gas.

There are probably more, I’m sure they’ll come to me as I gain experience. I’ve been mapping out a route in my head and thankfully I have a great supportive network of people like my mom and David, who are both huge cycling fanatics (they ride tandem, they do a 50 mile loop a few times per week) and another guy I work with who also commutes and has been really helpful. My mom gave me a gorgeous and super nice Trek bike which she has ridden in road races before and doesn’t use now that they ride tandem. It’s pretty and purple and feels so nice, it’s hooked up with great tires, lights and a speedometer. I was able to give my old bike (which mom also gave me) to Jimmy and now we can ride together. David (who works at BikeBeat as a mechanic) helped me pick out a helmet and some gear, and installed a rack with bags so I can carry what I need to work. I’m so grateful to both of them. I feel like I have the right equipment now and that makes me feel safe and prepared. I want to take a test run this Saturday morning to see how the ride goes, and I will start riding to work next week.

So, today is sort of an environmental action day for you, Internet. I’m wondering, what will you do? Taking action doesn’t mean you have to do something huge. It could be as small as deciding to eat vegetarian for a week or buy organic produce or starting a recycling bin in your kitchen or stop drinking bottled water. So what steps will you take?

As for me, there will be one less car in that traffic jam because of me. Just breathe a little easier and thank me later.

---

Some other Blog Action Day posts I like (I’ll add to this throughout the day):

• 5 Ways to Save the World, While Getting Fitter, Saving Money, Simplifying, and Becoming Happier
• for designers or those who freelance: 29 Simple Ways to Become a More Environmentally Friendly Freelancer
• from Lifehack: You The Consumer
• Items You Never Thought to Recycle
• Exercise with Nature
• The Coolest Green Habits to Adopt Today!
• Crafting for your Community
• Better Living Through Design: Greening The Home
• The Green Challenge

11 July, 2007
Green Living Tips

Ravelry’s new groups feature is up and running and I’m loving it! I started a Veg*n Craft*n group, and also joined a really cool one called GreenCraft which is all about sustainable crafting, earth-friendly yarns and green living.

I started a post so people could list their “green living tips” and thought I’d share them with you guys. Feel free to post your own eco-tips in the comments of this post! Here are a few that I think are particularly easy to incorporate into your everyday routine.

1. When you walk in the house, go through your mail right away and recycle the junk mail, including responder cards tucked inside magazines. This helps cut down on clutter AND gets paper into the recycling bin.
2. Bring your own bags! Every time you go to the grocery store, you bring home more plastic bags. You probably even save them, but after one use, they most likely end up in a landfill anyway. I bought these Envirosax bags and I LOVE THEM. They are durable, waterproof, hold about 3x as much as a grocery bag, and I get compliments on them every time I bust em out at the farmers market or health food store. You could also make your own, but I know myself and I am a procrastinator. I highly recommend these.
3. Go vegetarian (or even better, vegan)! This is the single most impactful thing you can do as just one person to make a difference for the environment. Here are some links with more information:
   Meat and the Environment — Would you ever level 55 square feet of rain forest for a single meal or dump 2,500 gallons of water down the drain? Maybe you would.
   Vegetarian is the new Prius — The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.
   Tip the Planet — Environmental reasons for becoming a vegetarian
   Going Vegetarian and Vegan, a Sustainable Choice — has some good tips about how to gradually adopt a veg diet
4. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
5. Try out reusable menstrual supplies: Diva Cup (I use this one!), the Keeper, cloth pads, etc. These fall under my “great for the cheap and lazy” category. I love not having to run to the store for tampons! Not to mention, I was really grossed out when I discovered that tampons and pads are not sterile. More on menstrual cups here.
6. Shop local and eat seasonally! Buy from local farmers markets when you can. So much oil/pollution/etc is caused by the crazy transporting of food all over the US. Why eat tomatoes in February shipped from Brazil when I can just wait til they’re in season in Virginia. You’ll get an infinitely better tasting product and you’ll be reducing your footprint on the earth.
7. Really think before you buy something new. Scouring Craigslist, Freecycle, yard sales or thrift stores is way more fun anyway! Also, if you have things you don’t need anymore, freecycle them instead of throwing them into a landfill.
8. Use cloth! Stop buying paper towels, disposable cleaning cloths, swiffers, paper napkins, etc. Cut up old t-shirts for rags, use a regular old broom and mop or microfiber cloths for cleaning. Make napkins out of that awesome vintage sheet you saw at the thrift store.
9. Compost. Vermicompost if you are in an apartment or a small space. It both returns good nutrients to the soil, keeps stuff out of landfills, and reduces the energy costs of moving around trash.
10. Don’t buy commercial cleaning supplies like Mr. Clean or Comet or Windex. Most of them are WAY too strong for what you’re using them for, and if you have pets or kids, not so safe since pets and kids lick every available surface. Here are a few things I use for cleaning (SO much cheaper, too!)
    • 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water: put that in a spray bottle and use it to clean windows, glass, countertops, etc. A great all purpose cleaner. You can also make a bigger batch and mop floors with it.
    • 2 tbsp dishwashing liquid to 2 cups water: a great quick cleanup for spills that water alone won’t treat
    • baking soda and vinegar plus warm water: use instead of Drano
    • lemon juice or vinegar: get rid of soap scum. way gentler on your hands than Tilex or whatever. also good for polishing stainless steel sinks.
    • baking soda mixed with some dishwashing liquid: make a paste and use this to clean your porcelain bathroom fixtures

I hope these tips are helpful to someone. Please feel free to add your own!

24 April, 2007
Quinoa, Leek & Potato Casserole

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I feel largely disconnected from the whole political system and perceive that I don’t have much of a say about what goes on in this country in that regard. One thing I do believe I have power over is how I spend my dollars. Call it lame, but I take my consumerism seriously and a very large aspect of that is consuming food. In the past year, I’ve made many changes to the way I eat and especially the way I shop for food. Reading books like Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma as well as some research I’ve been doing independently have opened my eyes to the skewed system of food production in the US and have changed the way I think about things I put into my body.

I think the American food industry is extremely flawed and backward. I believe the way food (namely meat) is raised, slaughtered and processed is dangerous, problematic and wrong. I haven’t eaten beef in many months, and what meat I have eaten, I’ve researched its’ sources and made sure it was acquired ethically and processed as safely as possible. I have cut down the amount of products I buy at the supermarket to about 10% of my total consumption, and am shopping at organic markets and patronizing local farmers instead. But for the past few weeks I’ve been thinking and eating differently, and I’m fully ready to make the jump to a vegetarian lifestyle.

I will be going vegetarian first and foremost for its’ environmental impact as well as a social protest against the cruelty inherent in killing animals for food in the US, both in the dangerous factory conditions and negative mental health impact for the workers who kill those animals as well the way they are raised and slaughtered. I know there will be health benefits as well. I am considering going fully vegan, but since I obtain my milk, eggs and cheese locally, I don’t feel that’s a decision I need to make at this time, but I’m not ruling it out as a possibility. (Edited to add: On May 7, 2007 I made the decision to go vegan!) Here are a few links that explain how going vegetarian is the single most effective impact you can have on benefiting the environment (then, on to the recipe).

Meat and the Environment — Would you ever level 55 square feet of rain forest for a single meal or dump 2,500 gallons of water down the drain? Maybe you would.
Vegetarian is the new Prius — The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.
Tip the Planet — Environmental reasons for becoming a vegetarian
Going Vegetarian and Vegan, a Sustainable Choice — has some good tips about how to gradually adopt a veg diet

All that said, I didn’t become a vegetarian overnight, and the times I tried that, it didn’t work for me. I slowly phased out different animal products, and after a while I didn’t even miss them. Ok, I still miss shrimp and would probably still request it as my last meal before execution, but you get the point. Try vegetarian or vegan dishes a couple times a week, they can be delicious and you might be surprised at the new foods you come to enjoy.

One new food I highly recommend people try is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). I use it as a blank canvas to pair with other foods, much like I would use rice or polenta. The awesome thing about quinoa is its’ extremely high protein content. There’s a great post from the Nutritionista on just that subject. Quinoa has a nutty flavor and a satisfying texture and I personally think it looks cool. Here is a recipe for a delicious vegan dish you should try out.

Quinoa, Leek & Potato Casserole
makes about 6-8 servings
this recipe is vegan

1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 onion (preferably Vidalia)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh dill (more or less to taste)
1 leek, chopped into rounds (just the white & light green part)
3 small red potatoes, sliced into bite size pieces
1 can pinto beans
1/4 cup or so of Panko flakes (you could also use breadcrumbs)
salt & pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa (just like you cook rice). Get an 8x8 glass dish and line the bottom with the quinoa.
2. Saute the onion and garlic with the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the pinto beans, leeks and dill and let simmer. Add salt & pepper to taste.
3. Boil the potatoes in water for a few minutes to soften.
4. Now layer everything up. The beans & leek mixture goes on top of the quinoa. Then drain the potatoes and layer them on top. Then cover everything with a generous sprinkling of Panko flakes or breadcrumbs. These will toast and give it a crunchy texture.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes. Serve up hot.

I know many people that read this site are vegetarian or vegan, so please feel free to share resources or suggest new foods or especially cookbooks. I’m definitely trying to increase my vegetarian cooking repertoire and would love advice. Thanks!