Give a Little Love

Write a Little Email

Important post today from No Impact Man, asking us to take all of two seconds to send an email. I hope you will oblige...


I really, really need support from all of you today...

Next Friday, May 30, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York's Eight Congressional District has kindly agreed to meet with me in his New York office. As one of his constituents, I intend to ask Representative Nadler to support an effective global warming mitigation policy that is based not on what is politically possible but on what is scientifically necessary.
More specifically, I intend to ask him to:

• Introduce, as soon as possible, a non-binding resolution to the House of Representatives asserting that we need a climate change mitigation policy with a goal of no more than

350 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide (read why here). Furthermore, the resolution should say that the United States must collaborate with the international community to achieve an effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol that will achieve the 350 goal or better (depending on how the science progresses).

Pledge to support the 1sky.org policy platform that also includes creating five million green jobs (through, for example, weatherizing our buildings and manufacturing solar panels and windmills), and placing a moratorium on the building of new coal power plants.

Pass on to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter addressed jointly to her and Representative Nadler, in his position as Assistant Whip, asking them both to push for the introduction of new and the strengthening of currently pending climate change legislation to reflect the crucial 350 goal. This means, at the very least, aiming for an 80% reduction in climate emissions below 1990 levels by 2050 and a 25% reduction by 2020.

Now then, here's how I was hoping you could help. My dream is to present Representative Nadler and Speaker Pelosi with between 350 and 3,500 (10 x 350) emails of support for these policy objectives. Can you help? All it requires is a cut and paste job (see below).

Here's how to send in your email of support:

Simply cut and paste the below, making sure to substitute in your name, mailing address and email address, and send it to noimpactman+nadler+pelosi@gmail.com (it looks like a weird email address but, don't worry, it will work).

Dear Representative Nadler and Speaker Pelosi--

Thank you for your hard work on behalf of the people of the United States. It is indisputable that the health, happiness and security of the American people depends upon the well-being of our planetary habitat. It is also indisputable that the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases is causing changes in our habitat that will adversely effect Americans on every level--from our health to our economy.

On May 30, Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man will visit Representative Nadler to express to him support for a number of climate change mitigation policies that are much stronger than those currently passing through Congress. Please consider this a letter of support for the measures Colin Beavan will be advocating.

Specifically, I support Colin Beavan in requesting that Representative Nadler and Speaker Pelosi both, together or separately:

Introduce, as soon as possible, a non-binding resolution to the House of Representatives asserting that we need a climate change mitigation policy that accords not with what is politically possible but what is scientifically necessary--a goal of no more than

350 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide (read why here). Furthermore, this resolution should assert that the United States must collaborate with the international community to achieve an effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol that will achieve the 350 goal or better (depending on how the science progresses).

Pledge to support the 1sky.org policy platform that also includes creating five million green jobs (through, for example, weatherizing our buildings and manufacturing solar panels and windmills) and placing a moratorium on the building of new coal power plants.

Push for the introduction of new and the strengthening of currently pending climate change legislation to reflect the crucial 350 goal. This means, at the very least, aiming for an 80% reduction in climate emissions below 1990 levels by 2050 and a 25% reduction by 2020.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name, Mailing Address & Email Here]

Because You Asked For It...

Here's the flyer I did for the kids' preschool. It's double-sided with info for parents on one side and kid-friendly project ideas on the other. If any of you are so inclined to "put yourself out there", feel free to use it however you can! If you want a copy in Word, just email me at emcoe AT verizon DOT net and I'll send you out one that you can edit.

Power OF the People

Get off your butt and do something today


Or better yet, sit right there and do something today. If you're bored, and obviously you are, because you're sitting here reading this, then I've got a couple of projects for you. I promise they won't take long and they're all for very good causes!


Take Back The Filter Campaign

You all know Beth at Fake Plastic Fish is one of my favorite bloggers. She kicks plasstic and I wish I had half the energy, focus and dedication she has when it comes to following up gripes about corporate apathy with bonafide action.

Anyhow, Beth has started a grassroots campaign urge Clorox to take responsibility for the millions of plastic Brita water filter cartridges that are disposed of each year.

The original Brita company in Germany has had a program to collect and recycle used filter cartridges ever since 1992. They process them in their own facility, separating the materials and recycling or reusing them. The North American branch of the company was sold to Clorox in 2000. Clorox has not provided any way to recycle these used cartridges.

Clorox and Nalgene have teamed up with the FilterForGood campaign to encourage people to give up bottled water and opt instead for the combo of reusable bottle and Brita filter, to cut down the amount of plastic bottle waste. This is a great effort. But Clorox has not addressed the plastic waste from the water filters themselves, as the Brita company has done in Europe.

Beth is trying to convince Clorox to follow the principal of Extended Producer Responsibility and provide a way for its filter cartridges to either be refilled or returned and recycled.

So here's how you can help. Please go to http://www.takebackthefilter.org/ now (yes, "now", what the f? You're just sitting there... click on the freakin' link already. But then come back when you're done, because I've got more homework for you.) and sign the petition. Then, start sending your used Brita cartridges to Beth so she can deliver them en masse to Clorox.


The Gap Between Reality and Fantasy

This issue started last week when Orgie posted about the unsolicited plastic bag Old Navy sent her. Around the same time, my sister told me about how Old Navy doesn't reuse or recycle their plastic hangers -- they just toss them in the dumpster. Well, I told Orgie about this and she jumped on it like a drunken quarterback on the prom queen.

Long story short: Orgie is urging everyone to call The Gap (parent company of Old Navy and Banana Republic) and ask them what, exactly, is their policy on hangers. So far, Orgie, Arduous and I have all called and we've gotten three different answers. So just for fun, give them a call at 1-800-GAP-STYLE, option 4, option 4, and then option 2. Let's see if we can't get them to institute a company-wide policy on hanger reuse or, at the very least, a policy on giving a consistent answer to annoying eco-dork inquiries.

More Like a Don't

The Crunchtastic One has decided to bare it all for charity. No, she's not stripping down to let us see if she truly is green all over. She has challenged her blog readers to help her raise money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. If she can raise $10,000 by May 10th, she'll shave her head.

As of this writing, she's just shy of the $2,000 mark. So, if you haven't already contributed (oh hell, even if you have) please just drop a couple bucks in the plate. I'm telling you, every little bit does make a difference. Even if you just skip the morning latte today and donate the $3.00 you save, that would be AWESOME! Thanks!

350 PPM

OK, I've mentioned this new charity before, but wanted to let you know that they're starting to make the presses. After hearing about 350.org in my Riot for Austerity Group, I checked it out. It is a brand new organization that is trying to raise awareness of the general public about global warming. (350.org is from the same people who brought Step It Up to worldwide attention last year.) It has the backing of Bill McKibben, a long time environmentalist and author of several great books including The End of Nature and Deep Economy. (I just finished Deep Economy and I HIGHLY recommend it).

Anyhow, 350.org is just trying to get their name out there right now and I'm trying to help. Here's some info from their website:

350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.

We’re planning an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, and we need your help. We need to make sure that the solutions the world proposes to climate change are to scale with the level of crisis that this number represents. Everyone on earth, from the smallest village to the cushiest corner office, needs to know what 350 means. The movement to spread that number needs to be beautiful, creative, and unstoppable.

What we need most right now are on-the-ground examples for how to take the number 350 and drive it home: in art, in music, in political demonstrations, in any other way you can imagine. We hope this project will grow tremendously in the months to come, and it helps all the more if people can see the great things others are doing already. We will connect actions all around the world and make them add up to more than the sum of their parts-but we don’t have all the ideas and all the inspiration. We need you to act on yours.

So if you've got any ideas to help these folks get the word out, by all means, stop by their website and lend them a hand!

Well, I guess that's enough homework for one night. But, if I catch you loitering around here again, you can bet your bippy I'll find you something else to do. Hoodlum.

#206 - Spreading The Word

Sharing What I've Learned With Others

Those of you who read my blog know that I'm pretty much a closet-greenie. I make these changes here, in the safety of my own home, without discussing them with the outside world. Why? I dunno. Fear of looking like a tree-hugging hippie? Fear of looking like a freaked-out peak-oil doomsayer? Fear of sounding like an annoying missionary from the Church of Climate Change?

Doubt it. Most likely it's just that same old fear I've had since I was six. Fear of Being Different. Because for whatever reason, I'm one of those fucked up individuals who wants nothing more than to fit in with everyone else. Strange. Double-strange, actually, since I'm also the biggest, loudest attention-seeking ham you'll ever meet.

Well, for a couple weeks now I've been thinking how great it would be if the kids' preschool would do something -- anything -- to celebrate the upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd. And today... guess what I did? Mmmmmhmm. I marched my fat ass down to the preschool office, declared myself EcoDorkess, Lord of the Green Tips, and offered to create an educational flyer to stuff in every kids' cubby.

I held my breath and prepared for the worst. But you know what? It never came. They did not laugh. They did not point. They did not throw rotten tomatoes at me. They didn't even stifle giggles while humming circus music.

In fact, they thought it was a great idea and asked if there were any other eco-activities I'd like to coordinate. Shuh. Yeeaaahhhh!

So this post is gonna have to be short and to the point so I can get to work on the flyer. Did I make a point yet? Oh, guess not. Well my point is: I have amassed a certain amount of eco-knowledge over the past year in my quest to be more green and it's time I shared some of that information with others. Because by sharing our ideas with others, we inspire. And when we inspire, we encourage others to take action. And action, my friends, is what will make the difference in our planet.

So go spread the word, folks. With the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. Or better yet, with a school near you!

#202 - PS...

Adding Enviro Post Scripts to My Emails

So, a couple of weeks ago, I get an email from my friend Jennifer* and at the bottom, right under her signature line, it says "Each day you wake up is always a good day! :-)". I read it, it makes me smile, and then I totally rag on her about it. Because that's the kind of friend I am (I know, you are SHOCKED that I'm not more popular, aren't you?!).

Anyhow, she goes on to inform me that it's something her Karate instructor tells them, that every day is a fresh chance to start anew with a positive attitude. Very zen stuff. Highly motivational. And much better than what I thought it implied which was: "That day that you don't wake up?... well that day's not gonna be so good". Anyhow, by adding this message as a post script to her email signature, she's able to share this cheery thought with others every time she sends out an email.

And you know what? It works. Because every time I see it, I still smile. And that improves my attitude, if even just for a moment.

So I decided, hey, if it works for happy, motivational thoughts, then why not use it for scary-ass, end-of-the-world, peak-oil, dying-polar-bear messages? Then I re-thought that thought (are you still with me?) and decided that maybe there's some middle ground between zen messages and a panic messages. And that middle ground is: eco-tip messages.

And so I've added an "Erin's Green Tip o' The Month" message to my signature line. I'll update it each month with a new helpful tip that will hopefully inspire others to take steps toward a greener future. If nothing else, it will definitely let anyone I email know that I'm a true-blue greenie. April's tip is:

Did you know you can change your energy supplier to a clean source such as wind, solar or biomass? The cost to you is only a penny or two per kWh, but the gain to the environment is huge! Check out the Green Power Network's page at http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml to see if green power is available at your home!

Ok, it's a little wordy, I admit, but hopefully it will be read by at least a couple of individuals who go "huh? Really? OMG, I MUST CHECK THIS OUT NOW!!!". Or maybe they'll just say "Ohhhhhhh, I get it. She's an ECO-FREAK. Well, that explains a lot."

Anywhich, adding a signature line is super simple. At least in Outlook and Outlook Express. If you want to add eco-messages to all your outgoing emails, without having to type them in every time, you send an email, just follow this simple 42-step process:

In Outlook, Click on Tools... then select Options. Click on the Mail Format Tab and at the bottom you'll see an area labeled Signature. Click on Signatures to create a signature. In this new dialogue box, click on New... then give your signature a name. In the Preview box below, type in whatever you want your signature to be. (I have my Name, my blog link, my VMS link and under that is my eco-tip). Once you've got your signature set up the way you want it, click OK. Now you should still be on the Mail Format tab of the Options box. Go ahead and select your new signature from the drop down boxes in the Signature area. You can choose to put it only on new messages, or just replies/forwards, or for both. I put it on everything. When you're all set, click OK on the Options box and you're done! Easy peasy.

So what do you think? Is this about the easiest way to spread the word or what? It's definitely a lot cheaper than that ad I was going to take out in Times Square.

*Jennifer is her actual name, I was too lazy to come up with a fake name to protect her identity. And yet, I just took the time to type out this elaborate footnote. Go figure.

Are You Sick Of Planned Obsolescence in Your Electronics?

Even more disgusted with the fact that you can't repair these crappy products, that you have to dispose of them and buy new? Well, you're not alone. Not by a long shot! And thanks to the efforts of the Electronics Takeback Coalition, you've got a chance to let your complaints be heard.

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition is a national coalition of non-profit organizations promoting responsible recycling and green design in the electronics industry. Beth Terry, the infamous Fake Plastic Fish blogger, contacted ETBC last week about issues she was having with her piece of crap HP Monitor that can't be repaired. Turns out, ETBC loved to hear her story and wants to hear from any of you who have similar Dead Gadget stories. Here's the email she received from Barbara Kyle of ETBC:

We have focused on the recycling end of the e-waste problem. But we want to do more on promoting reuse, and green design concepts that allow us to hang on to our electronic products longer, and to upgrade them to keep up with advances in technology. So far, the industry has focused on energy as the primary criteria for “green design.” While we don’t disagree that energy use by the product is important, the energy used to create new products is even more significant, and could be reduced if our products simply lasted longer.

We want dead gadget stories!

We would love to receive stories just like the one you documented on your blog, showing clearly how products simply can’t be fixed or upgraded, because of clear choices made by the product designers. Please send your stories to Stories@deadgadgets.com and include the following information:

• Make and model
• Year they bought it. Is it under warranty?
• Why it’s dead. (Doesn’t turn on, won’t reboot, can’t upgrade it to run certain software, etc)
• Steps taken to try to fix it, or cost to fix it. (Here’s where your story was incredibly compelling. You didn’t just say your monitor died – you found someone who tried to fix it, identified the part needed, made the call, and then was rebuffed. So asking your readers to fill in this part would be great. Making the call to get an estimate on what it would cost to fix it (vs replace it) is good. But actually getting the company to say they WON'T sell you a replacement part gets to the heart of the issue. So that’s an extra step, but if you could ask them to document this, it will help us tell this story. Feel free to include whom they spoke with at the companies, so there can be no question of misunderstanding.)
• Picture of the dead gadget. (Be sure we can see the manufacturer name or logo!) For our dead gadget gallery (soon to come). This request includes broken TELEVISIONS, not just computer-type devices.

According to Beth, Barbara also added that if there are any serious reuse and upgrade geeks out here, she'd love to talk to them in more detail about how they could do a more thorough “study” of this issue, trends they see with different companies, etc.

So if you've suffered similar frustrations, please take a minute to send your story to Stories@deadgadgets.com and help persuade companies to take responsibility for the products they release into the world.

Supplemental Post - Shameful

Seriously? We Elected This Guy? Twice?!?!?!

The good news is, no -- we didn't actually "elect" him twice. He bought his way in on the first one. But the bad news is, he's still there -- and will be for another year. Right at a time when we need someone who actually gives a rat's ass about the environment.

Bush refuses to fucking commit to any solid numbers when it comes to reducing emissions. He might as well get a zamboni and start running over polar bears and penguins now.

If you're wondering what I'm pissed off about, read this article from CNN about how European nations will boycott U.S.-led climate talks next month unless Washington accepts a range of numbers for negotiating deep reductions of global-warming emissions.

Day 135 - Either A Borrower Or A Lender Be

Doing What I Tell My Kids To Do: Sharing

There's been a lot of discussion in my Compact Group recently about the importance of sharing. We all know that it's the nice thing to do, the neighborly thing to do, but rarely do we think of it as the ecological thing to do. But it is.

Think about all the items in your home that are used so infrequently that you might not miss them if they were gone for a week, a month or even a season. From weed-whackers to rakes, sports gear to power tools, we all have items we don't use on a regular basis. All of these possessions you have stowed away in the attic, basement or garage may be of use to your neighbor or friend. Why not let them borrow instead of buying?

Just as there are HUGE eco-savings to be had when buying used products, borrowing leaves a nary an ecological toeprint. Savings from borrowing include: the resources required to manufacture the product, all the packaging associated with buying new, the transportation required to ship the product to the store, the cost of keeping the store open, lit and heated, etc. All of this disappears when we share with our neighbors instead of buying our own item from BigBoxMart.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not always the best when it comes to sharing. Somewhere along the line, I became... well, possessive of my possessions. I worry that if I were to lend something out, it might get damaged or lost. A valid fear, some may say.

Well, as you all know, I don't ever post about something I'm not actually willing to try and so I've given this 'sharing' issue quite a bit of thought. I've decided that if I'm going to really embarce sharing, I'll need to adopt a new way of looking at my possessions. Here's what I've come up with:

Products are not people. People count. Products don't.

Not very catchy and it doesn't rhyme, but it does remind me of where my priorities lie. How sad is it that I need be reminded of such things anyhow? Shouldn't that be an inherent human truth? That stuff is just stuff and if it were all gone tomorrow and all I had left were family and friends, I would still be ok.

Wow, pretty philosophical post today. I must have loaned out my sarcasm. Hopefully it'll be returned to me in time for tomorrow's post.


Savings:

Incalculable


Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

Lending out my possessions will be easy. I have a four year old son and a two year old daughter. My house is at maximum capacity of people who don't share well. And I simply do not need to be one of them.

Borrowing, on the other hand, will be slightly more difficult. Why does it take a bit of pride-swallowing to ask your neighbor if you can use his seed spreader? Is there some weird human chromosome that makes not having your own seed spreader seem like a personal inadequacy? Do we really think our neighbors stand around and gossip about it?

Pssst: Did you hear? That freaky eco-chick doesn't have a seed
spreader. What the hell is wrong with her?... And what's with her hair?

Ah, it seems my sarcasm has already been returned. See? Sharing really does work!

Supplemental Post - Stop The Presses!

Holy crap, I think they're going to print my Letter to the Editor! I just got a call from the Richmond Times Dispatch, asking if I had submitted a letter to them. Yikes. I need to go throw up now.... ;-)

Day 122 - Letters to the Editor

Calling Bullshit When I See It

Have you noticed how commercial environmentalism has become? Everyone from movie stars to football franchises, governments and even giant BoxMart stores all want to be seen as environmentally friendly. And that's great, as long as they're backing up all the talk with action.

BUT.

Don't try to tell me it's green when it's black -- I'm not color blind. And now, inspired by my daily dose of Blue Girl, Red State, I WILL call you on it.

Example: One week ago, our county decided to ban new residents from participating in the bi-weekly curbside recycling (to save money, of course). The story got a mention on the late night news, but that was about it. The next week, there was a HUGE - I'm talking front page - write up about how the county was on the cutting edge of green-ness and was a leader in the arena of environmental protection and waste management.

Smell bullshit? I did. And so, for the first time ever, I actually sat down and wrote a "Letter to the Editor". I might not be the most eloquent writer, but if I don't call it out, who will? I can't sit back and hope others will put their neck on the line, just because I don't want people to think I'm "one of those" angry, letter-writing people. Here's what I wrote:

There was an interesting article in this week's Richmond Times Dispatch's Sunday Pullout about Chesterfield's waste division being accepted into the EPA's Performance Track program. While I do applaud their efforts to recycle vehicle oil to heat buildings, I really think it would be a stretch to say that Chesterfield County's Waste Program is a "leader in the country".

Just last week, the Water and Resource Recovery Department instituted a ban that would prohibit new residents from participating in the curbside recycling program. If Chesterfield County really wanted to be a leader in environmental protection, they could begin by not only allowing, but REQUIRING all residents and business to recycle their paper, glass and aluminum. And would, of course, follow through by providing the necessary curbside resources to support such a mandate.

I'm pleased to see that Chesterfield County's application to the EPA PT program was accepted (as virtually all applicants are), however, perhaps instead of applying for government funded programs that lower their priority for routine inspections, they could put their resources to better use by maintaining the county's sorely needed curbside recycling program.


Not exactly poetry, but I think I got my point across. Hopefully this will draw some attention to the fact that while being able to slap a cool EPA logo on your letterhead is nice, what is more important is to ensure that all of our residents are able to do one of the most basic of environmental tasks: RECYCLE.

Savings:

None. :-(

Difficulty Level: 4 out of 5

Why so difficult? Well, despite all my tough talk about calling people out, it is something I HATE TO DO. I'm always afraid of offending people (makes you wonder why I don't shut my mouth more often then, doesn't it?). My fear is that this decision was made by someone with great intentions and here I am crapping all over their idea. Part of me secretly hopes the newspaper doesn't publish it!

Day Eighty - Stand Up and Be Counted

Register to Vote / Update Voter Registration

Just like the lottery, when it comes to voting for our elected officials, "you gotta be in it to win it". Many states, like mine, require that you register to vote one month prior to the election. Since elections will be held this year on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, that means it's show time. We've all got until October 6, 2007 to make sure our registrations are current and valid for the jurisdiction where we live.

If you've never registered before and need help, here's a great link presented by DeclareYourself.com to help you get started. It lists every state's voter laws and registration deadlines. It even gives you links directly to the states' election websites. If you've moved during the last 12 months (like me), be sure to go and update your voter registration NOW. Don't wait until November when you might end up being that poor, disenfranchised democrat that makes the nightly news. (Of course, you can ALWAYS fill out a provisional ballot, if any questions arise as to your true jurisdiction or registration).

Now I know these local races aren't nearly as exciting as the "Big Race" coming in 2008. However, the local legislative bodies are routinely faced with environmental issues that will affect your life daily. Take the next month to research the candidates whose names will appear on your ballots. Familiarize yourself with their track record, when available, or at least with their stance on environmental policies. If it all looks like jibbertygooblepuff, drop the candidate an email and ask some point-blank questions on issues like commercial development, protected watersheds, public land use... whatever you feel is most important.

There is simply NO EXCUSE for not voting. All the personal water conservation, recycling efforts, volunteering, composting and blogging doesn't mean a damn thing if we don't back it up at the polls. This is just a gentle reminder to everyone that if you don't vote, your license to bitch about policies, big and small, will be immediately revoked.

So, we've got about ten days to make sure our collective ducks are in a row. Pull out your wallet right now while you're thinking about it, and make sure you're voter registration card is in there. If not, now is the time to do something about it.

I'm serious, get off your ass, step away from the computer and check. I'll wait....



FREAKIN' GO ALREADY!


Thank you. You're a Rock Star! See you at the polls! :-)


Savings:

Possibly the planet, or at least your little corner of it.


Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

It's only a "2" if this is your first time registering, and that's only because some states want you to register at the DMV, which is like being sentenced to three hours in HELL. However, most states let you do it all online or via mail, so for the majority of folks, it's no big sweat.

Day Seventy-Four - 90% Rules

Taking On A Challenge I Don't Think I Can Meet

Even though I've decreased the amount of time my laptop is plugged in, I still manage to find time to search out interesting eco-blogs and other like-minded folks online. One that I stumbled across this week was the Riot for Austerity which offers an interesting challenge to those of us who are attempting to reduce our ecological impact. It asks those who sign up to reduce their emissions to 90% of what the Average American uses, within one year.

The 90% figure is borrowed from George Monbiot's plan to avoid reaching a tipping point, beyond which temperature rise will run out of control and major ecosystems will collapse. In Monbiot's book, "Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning" he has presents his views on how to avert this disaster. To avoid hitting the "critical threshold", he says, the world’s total carbon emissions must be reduced to 60 percent below current levels by 2030—a target that would require the developed world (that's you and me, friend) to reduce emissions by 90 percent, in order to compensate for growth in China, India and other developing countries.

In the "Challenge", there are seven basic categories for reduction and they are:

1. Gasoline
2. Electricity
3. Heating and Cooking Energy
4. Garbage
5. Water
6. Consumer Goods
7. Food

There are, of course, a lot of rules on how to calculate your savings, so that we all measure our success with the same yardstick. You can check out all the rules, averages and factoids here. Now, I know that I most likely will not be able to hit the 90% goal in any, much less all, seven categories, which, according to Austerity Rules, would put me on par with the emissions of a Chinese Peasant. However, I am going to try my damndest to see just how low I can go.

Why take on a challenge that I'm pretty sure I cannot meet? Because by striving to achieve the impossible, I will no doubt reach further than I would have, had I been grasping for a lesser goal.

So, what do you think? You up for it? Are you "in the game"? Think you can do it? Huh? Huh? HUH? To quote GOB Bluth "CO-CA-CAW! CO-CA-CAW! CO-CA-CAW!" (Note to Readers: If you're not familiar with Arrested Development, here is where you would picture someone doing a very poor "chicken" dance).

Well, if nothing else, check out the rules to see what the average American uses and compare it with your current usage. Are you doing your part to lower those averages or are you a consumer whose consumption bumps them up?


Savings:

Well, duh, 90% -- if I can do it! Less if I fail. But here's the cool part: even if I fail the challenge, I still succeed at reducing those averages! :-) Besides, it's not like they can flunk me and I'll get kicked off the planet.... can they?


Difficulty Level 5 out of 5

This will be the biggest challenge I will undertake and it will take me a full 365 days to find out if I have succeeded. It is basically the culmination of all the changes I've made, and have yet to make. But now it's more like a competition -- which makes it even more fun! I'm already on Day 74 and I know I've made a dent already, I guess we'll find out some time next summer how I measure up.

Day Sixty-Eight - YOP!

Speak Up and Tell Manufacturers What You Want

I am a firm believer that one of the best ways to elicit corporate change is to use your purchasing power. For example, when you buy something organic, you are sending a message to that manufacturer that you are willing to pay a little more for a greener, chemical-free product. That, in turn, provides incentive for the green manufacturer to continue his organic efforts, and induces other companies to join the green movement. This "Dollar Voting" is a great way to let manufacturers know what you think of their products.

All that being said, sometimes the easiest way to let manufacturers know how you feel is to tell them. Surprisingly enough, they listen!

Customer service experts know that for every complaint or comment they receive, there are hundreds or perhaps thousands of other consumers who share a similar view. They pay very close attention to the comments and concerns they receive via email, mail and their toll-free consumer hotlines. The information is gathered, tabulated and sent in weekly reports to various members of the organization -- to be used in modifying and improving the product and its packaging.

This week I have contacted both Skippy and Yoplait to let them know my concerns about their packaging. Here's what happened:

Skippy's new natural smooth peanut butter is a great product, but it appears to only be offered in a 12 oz package at Krogers. This violates my vow to Buy in Bulk. Fortunately, the great customer service rep I spoke with told me that I could find larger packages at my local Costco AND offered to send me two coupons for FREE jars of peanut butter. uh, SCORE!

Yoplait has some super yummy yogurt, but like most other yogurts, the containers are made of #5 Polypropylene, which is not widely recyclable. The lids, however, are made of an aluminum foil coated in plastic, that is recyclable in some areas -- but not mine. I was disappointed on both counts, since I try to faithfully recycle everything that can be recycled in my area. However, the fabulous customer service rep gladly took my comment requesting that new packaging be considered that utilizes the more universally recyclable #1 or #2 plastics. She also asked if I would be willing to be part of a consumer focus group that provides feedback to Yoplait about its products. I gladly accepted the invitation and look forward to sharing my views with them.

Savings:

Every time we let our voice be heard, we are one step closer to a greener environment. In our consumer-driven economy, we have great power to influence how heavily the corporate giants tread on our earth. And who knows? They may be waiting until they receive 50,000 complaints before they feel it is economically advantageous to change their packaging. So be like small JoJo in Dr. Suess' Horton Hears a Who and let out a small "YOP". That small "yop" might put it over.

Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

Yeah, it's not fun spending your precious time waiting on hold for "the next available customer service representative" and hearing that "your call is important to us", but really, what is 5 minutes of your time? Besides, it's nice to bitch to someone about something and have them be paid to sound like they care. It's like free therapy.

Day Fifty - Gone Campin'

Getting Back to Nature the Eco-Friendly Way

Well the laundry's going (in the new energy-efficient front-loader), the dog has reservations at "Uncle Ray's", and the mini-van is being loaded up with tent, sleeping bags, camp stove and marshmallows. Sounds like we're going CAMPIN'! Woo hoo!

Yes, the lazy suburbanite is taking yet another "mini-vacation" and is heading out to the woods of Southern Pennsylvania for a weekend of natural beauty, quality time with family and s'mores. This is the first summer that I have been camping since I was a kid and I am LOVING IT! Whenever we head out, we try our best to be good campers and follow some basic rules for treading lightly.

1. Camp where you will have minimal impact. This means don't go setting up a campsite in a brand new, pristine area. Use a pre-existing campsite whenever possible. Personally, we have really enjoyed making use of National and State Park camping sites.

2. Bring two trash bags - one for real trash and one for recyclables. No need to stop recycling just because you're on vacation.

3. Use that trash bag to keep your site clean. In fact, go the extra mile and leave your site cleaner than when you found it.

4. Don't bathe without a tub! Don't use any soap in streams, creeks or lakes. The fish don't like the bubbles. Besides, if you're in an area that remote, odds are there's no one around to complain about how skanky you are anyhow.

5. Does a bear shit in the woods? You betcha, but he doesn't leave a toilet paper trail and you shouldn't either. Remember rule #3 and pack up ALL your trash -- especially TP! Also, if you're doing #2, be sure to dig your hole 8" deep and bury it.

6. Only build campfires in designated rings.

7. Use only dead, downed wood for campfires, don't go breaking live branches off trees. That's just mean.

8. Never burn plastic in campfires. It releases nasty toxins and makes the marshmallows taste funny.

9. Be sure your campfire is 100% extinguished before going to bed or leaving your campsite. Forest fires are no joke.

10. If you go hiking, stick to the trails. Do not go trampling over local flora in an attempt to find a shortcut. You'll kill native plants, get lost and end up with poison ivy.


Hope you all get a chance this summer to get back to nature, whether it's a day trip to the ocean, a weekend camping trip in the woods or an afternoon hike at your local park. It's nice to get out there and be reminded about all the beauty in nature. Remember to "take only pictures and leave only footprints". Have a great weekend everyone, I'll be back online Monday!

Day Forty-Three - Lend A Hand

Participating in Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup

In 1986, a staff member of The Ocean Conservancy was appalled by the amount of trash she found littering the shores of South Padre Island, Texas. She took responsible action by organizing a beach cleanup. In three hours, 2,800 Texans picked up 124 tons of trash from 122 miles of coastline. With that, Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup was born.

Since that time, the annual coastal cleanup has grown by leaps and bounds. Since that first cleanup in 1986, thousands of volunteers from around the globe have cleared over 100 million pounds of trash from 170,000 miles of shorelines, rivers, lakes, and wetlands!

The cool part is, you don't even need to live near the ocean to participate. From the list, it looks like every state in the US participates, as well as several other countries. To learn how to join in, check out the Coastal Cleanup Site. You can get information on where the cleanups are happening near you and when. Most cleanups are be held on September 15th, but you can find ones ranging anytime from September 1 - October 31.


Savings:

I'm betting my two little helpers and I can easily pick up three paper grocery bags worth of trash. But again, it's that small effort multiplied by all the other people around the world who show up to help that netted the Ocean Conservancy over 7.7 MILLION POUNDS OF TRASH in 2004. Not bad for a day's work.


Difficulty Level 3 out of 5

I know, I know anytime you have to do something "organized" it takes more time and effort. Now you have to work around someone else's schedule and that's not always easy. But imagine how exciting it is to be part of something so wonderful! Of course, schedules are schedules and it's certainly understandable if the cleanup near you falls on the same date and time as Old Aunt Mabel's 80th birthday celebration. If you can't make it to your local OC cleanup, write down a day on your calander when you can help out -- and stick to that pledge. Get in the spirit, by going to your own local watering hole, river or ocean sometime during the month of September and doing your own cleanup.

Day Thirty-Five - Old Mother Hubbard

Cleaning Out the Pantry to Avoid Waste

Maybe it's because I have two little ones here who can be fickle-eaters at best, but somedays it seems like we toss out more food than we eat. Being brought up in a "you should always clean your plate" atmosphere, this of course makes me insane. However, I don't want to be responsible for my children's future eating disorders (although I'm sure I'll be blamed for lots of other issues) so I generally bite my tongue and toss the half-eaten sandwiches, the single-bite granola bars and the dog-hair covered bananas down the drain.

Even though I'm their mom, I really have no control over what my kids will or will not eat. I present them with somewhat healthy choices and hope for the best. They will waste what they waste and that's how kids are. What I do have control over is what I waste.

Every day I paw through the food in my pantry, pushing the unwanted items out of my way to get to the stuff I really want. Day after day, I look at mixes I will never bake, fruit-filled Jell-O the kids won't eat and items I bought by mistake. Don't laugh -- you shop with two maniac toddlers who take turns tossing pretty boxes into the cart when you're not looking and see how many items you purchase by mistake.

The bottom line is, I have come to the grips with the fact that -- I will never, ever use this food. And yet, here I let it stay, week after week, month after month, continually deteriorating, while people right here in my area may be going hungry. Today I start a new policy -- to clean out my cupboards every three months and donate what I'm not using to the local food bank.

How is this green, you ask? If I don't donate it, it will eventually go bad and that would have meant that all the energy going into its creation and distribution will have all been for naught. By giving this food to people who will use it, I will avoid having wasted that energy. As a perk, someone who is hungry tonight may not be as hungry tomorrow.


Savings:

I cleaned out my cupboards and got a paper grocery bag about 75% full. I know I just cleaned my cupboards sometime in April or May, so if I can do this every three months, that will be three full grocery bags per year. Hard to quantify the actual energy savings, but it was definitely something more than nothing. And that is what matters.


Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5

Cleaning the cupboards was pretty easy. I did it while the kids watched an episode of Tom & Jerry (bad mom, I know). Also, I'm lucky, in that our local food bank has several convenient drop-off locations around town. If you don't know where your local food bank is, check online. If your town doesn't have one, you can always Freecycle food pretty easily.

Day Twenty - Talk the Talk

Talk to Your Friends & Neighbors About Recycling

I get so many notes and emails from all you guys out there and I appreciate every single one. It reminds me that there are other people out there who are trying to make a difference in their own ways and gives me more great ideas for improvements! It's this sharing of ideas that helps us all learn about how we can do our best to leave a clean, habitable planet for our children's children.


So, hopefully my great friend, Leah, won't mind when I use her story as a great example of how talking with your friends and neighbors can make a BIG difference! This is an email I recieved from her after my post about recycling:

I was shocked that Alabama did not recycle when I came here! I was so used to doing it and later saw a stack of newspapers in my neighbor’s garage. I asked them if they were recycling and they were, but they had to drive their recycled papers to the plant in my town. Once I found out that there was one and that they offer recycling as an option, I was all over it! I taught my step kids how to do it and we began significantly cutting down on our garbage. We save money, because we are only allowed on full trash can per week, but we don’t even have that much.

Then I saw somebody with a blue bin and thought, “I remember those!" And was
very excited to find out that if you ask, the recycling plant would give you one free of cost! AND... I later talked to the plant and found out that if I could get at least ten neighbors to recycle, then they would come by our homes once a week to do a pick up. I went door to door and gave my neighbors the pamphlet and Sign Up sheet and found out that most all of my neighbors were interested. Those that were not interested do not have garages to keep the bins in covered. The homeowners association also now provides each new homeowner with the written information and the option to Sign up for a bin. I feel like I have helped a little bit in the way of recycling.

One idea that helps with recycling is saving your soda cans in a separate bag. At home and at work. Alabama does not offer a deposit or refund like NY. I used to take all my cans and bring them to my church who gets a small amount of money for them. Most recently I have just been taking them to my neighborhood pool. They have just started using the money made by the cans to save for new outdoor furniture for the pool area, which we are in need of. I have gotten my co-workers to recycle all their soda cans for this purpose, whereas before they just threw them in the trash. I set up a box in our office and I take the cans ever week or two, throw them in my trunk and then drop them off at the pool a couple of times a month. Everybody wins becuase the homeowners association is making funds for the pool and all of my co-workers are now recycling all of our cans instead of just throwing them away. I assume most people who live in a development have a home owner’s
association that may be interested in making extra money and this is just a thought of how to go about it. The secretary of the home owners association is taking the responsibility of turning the cans in for a little bit of money, but her whole motto is “you got to start somewhere!” which is good attitude.

A great attitude indeed! Kudos to Leah for taking the initiative, talking to her neighbors and GETTING THINGS DONE! You're the rock star of the day!

Savings:

Sounds like at a minimum, Leah got ten neighbors to start recycling! Assuming they all cut their trash consumption in half (very conservative), she has probably saved 390 gallons of trash per week! That's 20,280 gallons of trash a year! Just by talking to her neighbors and discovering they wanted to recycle too. That doesn't even count her efforts at recycling the soda cans. You go, girl!

Difficulty Level: 3 out 5

I haven't done it, so I'm not sure, but I would guess it depends more on your personality and how close you are with your neighbors. But if you live in an area that doesn't currently provide curbside recycling, call your municipality's waste management division and find out how many neighbors you would need to sign up to get it. Then go meet your neighbors and get them on board. It'll give you a good excuse to meet them :-)