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Today was cleaning day, a bit hot and late in the year to be called Spring cleaning, but when motivation strikes – go with the flow!
As I dug through my closet, I found years of bags that I had collected (freebies from various conferences). They collect dust or become give aways to anyone who can use them.
But today, I found six hidden in the dark recesses of THE Closet! They are fabric and absolutely perfect for reusable grocery bags. They now grace a hook in my kitchen, that previously only held my lunch box.
They are prominently located that I should remember to bring them with me on my next excursion, yet discreet enough to look just fine hanging on my kitchen wall.
So here are a few more REALLY simple tips:
Cloth grocery bags – washable, reusable over and over again
Plastic bags hanger - They still make their way into the home. In response, I have always had a ’sack’ hanging in my kitchen (from a curtain rod) that holds plastic grocery bags. We reuse these and use them again and again
Fluorescent bulbs - When we were 100% solar powered, we changed everything over to fluorescent (very streamlined and aesthetically pleasing). We still have a few incandescents around, but they are in less trafficked fixtures and on dimmers.
Challenge question 1: I installed several dimmers throughout the house, assuming this would draw less power and to ease eye strain when full 40 or 60 watt was not needed. Does anyone know if dimmed incandescents reduced power usage AND/OR can you run fluorescent on dimmers. My electrical installer says no, and I do not want to burn the house down around us! If you have experience with or knowledge on this topic, please comment back!
Challenge question 2: I have wondered for years, do you use less water and power running a full dishwasher OR filling a sink with sudsy water, rinsing (efficiently – meaning turning water on and off as needed) Of course the dishwasher is set to NOT DRY!
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As I watched the concert on TV (on a variety of really significant channels, I am happy to report), I began receiving responses from family & friends I sent this blog link out to. Already I am getting some grassroots things people are already doing to reduce their carbon footprint.
If you are not quite ready to forgo the huge pickup, or the really cold AC setting (we are in the sweltering southwest) and it is July after all, BUT… start with SOMETHING!
- Plastic ziplok storage bags – instead of throwing them out, rewash and let air dry on dowels, stuck like toothpicks, into a ‘chunk’ of wood
- Weeds from the garden – in Michigan, not spraying the weeds, pulling and composting
- When cleaning out the daily coffee pot, let it air dry – save those paper towels!
Keep ‘em coming! So many of us are already doing wee bits of something, we just aren’t even aware or conscious of it – BE CONSCIOUS – just like exercise, start small with little yet significant increases over time.
On a local community website I found an invitation to a MoveOn home party to watch the concert. Just around the corner, I am delighted – too bad I read it after the event BUT so glad to know there are at least a few like minded folks in my neck ‘o the woods!
Here are the videos but cannot find ‘Polar Bear Man’, maybe I recall the name wrong, if you find it – comment me the URL. It was water (melting), he starts on the ground floor, ends up on the roof! And HE is finally AWAKE!!!
Take a moment and on this same page, take a gander at the Interactive Map and read some of the comments in areas under great duress:
http://www.liveearth.msn.com/green/liveearthfilmproject
When she introduced Al Gore, Melissa Etheridge challenged us to say it loud and say it proud! I Am Awake!!! Are You???
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Today is ‘Live Earth’ Day, a worldwide call to global awareness and action on behalf of the Earth. www.liveearth.org
My nephew is attending the North American concert (in NJ today) as a guest of Al Gore. (there are simultaneous concerts on each continent today!) In response, my action is to establish a clearinghouse of small changes each of us can make (often with insignificant sacrifice) on a website I call www.GreenEncounter.org. Site not posted yet – but I did lock-in the domain name!
Every magazine seems to list tips and clues and articles and problems, but I have (not yet) found a clearinghouse of all this collective wisdom. If it was a little easier to take action, wouldn’t you?
I am hopeful that by embedding this blog (and a wiki) I will provide an opportunity for anyone interested, to contribute to the database!
Has your idealism been lost through the years? Here’s are 2 reminders that one voice can, and does make a difference!
AIDS Lifecycle www.aidslifecycle.org
This is an inspirational and moving piece of one person who recognized PTSD in soldiers returning from combat, and through solitary effort now has the ear of Congress:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6657706
Gina D’Abella (ECO-Recycling) and The Greening of Maricopa
