So after having a nightmare last night about the wedding, despite the fact that it's 15 months away (Eek, 15 is not a big number when I look at it written down), I sat down this morning to do some more research on how I can pull this off and be as green as possible. I have to say, some of the information I found was HORRIBLE.
I understand that green is the new black but many of these "environmentally friendly" tips only look good on the surface. In reality they are nearly as bad for the planet as whatever they are replacing. This is why I'm writing this, to get good information out there.
Lets start with flowers; even though this is something I plan on avoiding at my own wedding. A lot of sites encourage you to order organic flowers from various places which will happily ship overnight to you organically grown flowers. Wait.... ship, overnight? That probably means a plane ride, LOTS of gas and a ton of packaging. How is that green? A much better alternative is to check out local growers and see what is in season around the time of your wedding. My farmer's market always has at least one stand with flowers during the spring and summer which have the benefit of being organic, affordable, and don't come with all of the extra carbon from shipping. If you are having a fall or winter wedding really think about other alternatives to out of season flowers. Candles, locally grown gourds and other options make pretty decorations AND have the benefit of being truly green.
Invitations are another problem. John and I have decided to go the route of sending out e-invitations to most of our guests and reserving a few paper ones for close family members/friends who will want a keepsake. This saves energy since very little has to be produced and reduces gas from them being delivered. For the invitations we are sending I'm trying to find locally made paper (recycled or treeless if possible) and will hand make them myself. We are keeping our RSVPs online and will not have all of the extra junk that goes along with "traditional" invitations. Really, our thoughts on the matter are that people will probably want pictures to remember the event by more than an impersonal piece of paper.
Most importantly the best way to have any event be green is to follow the three Rs in order. Reuse, buy used or rent/borrow if you can and then give away what you don't need anymore for the next couple. Examples are buying dishes, flatware, cups and tablecloths from Goodwill, washing them up and then redonating. You get inexpensive items and don't create any waste and a good company gets business. Reduce, really modern weddings have gotten out of hand. Cut out everything you don't need and I guarantee that as long as people have a good time they won't notice. Recycle, buy disposables that are recyclable and donate non disposables via thrift stores, freecycle, or craigslist.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
The snot rag wars
We'll start this off with a little video from the awesome MC Chris that I just KNOW was written about me.
So yeah, if you want to speak to my heart saying that you think seasonal allergies are sexy is a good start.
Seriously though, all nerdy references aside, I finally had to come to grips with the fact that I was using a TON of tissues. In fact, most days the only reason our custodian had to empty my trash can at all was because of the snot rags and thus something had to be done.
I tried to relieve my conscience by buying facial tissues made from recycled material but even those used energy to produce, package and ship and where then thrown away. So I took an old pair of cotton pajama bottoms I had gotten my senior year of high school which were worn beyond repair and made myself a nice set of handkerchiefs, a matching drawstring bag to hold them and then an extra bag for produce.
Overall I have to say that handkerchiefs aren't bad at all. No nasty slimy ick in my pockets or on my hands, no spreading of germs, NO PACKAGING!! My dad and grandfathers used them for years so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. One tends to last me all day though I carry around two and then I toss them in the bucket we have by the washer for our nastier dirties for my one hot wash of the week. Then they go back in the drawstring bag by the door so I remember to grab a clean one on my way out.
So here are instructions on making pajama bottom handkerchiefs with bags... okay, maybe just the bags since all I did for the snot rags was cut the legs into squares. For the bags I took the pants from the crotch up and cut them in half up the inseam. I sewed the side and bottom shut, and used the existing drawstring channel with one extra hole cut for my second output. There, so freaking simple a monkey could do it, though the monkey would probably fling poo at you in the process.
So yeah, if you want to speak to my heart saying that you think seasonal allergies are sexy is a good start.
Seriously though, all nerdy references aside, I finally had to come to grips with the fact that I was using a TON of tissues. In fact, most days the only reason our custodian had to empty my trash can at all was because of the snot rags and thus something had to be done.
I tried to relieve my conscience by buying facial tissues made from recycled material but even those used energy to produce, package and ship and where then thrown away. So I took an old pair of cotton pajama bottoms I had gotten my senior year of high school which were worn beyond repair and made myself a nice set of handkerchiefs, a matching drawstring bag to hold them and then an extra bag for produce.
Overall I have to say that handkerchiefs aren't bad at all. No nasty slimy ick in my pockets or on my hands, no spreading of germs, NO PACKAGING!! My dad and grandfathers used them for years so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. One tends to last me all day though I carry around two and then I toss them in the bucket we have by the washer for our nastier dirties for my one hot wash of the week. Then they go back in the drawstring bag by the door so I remember to grab a clean one on my way out.
So here are instructions on making pajama bottom handkerchiefs with bags... okay, maybe just the bags since all I did for the snot rags was cut the legs into squares. For the bags I took the pants from the crotch up and cut them in half up the inseam. I sewed the side and bottom shut, and used the existing drawstring channel with one extra hole cut for my second output. There, so freaking simple a monkey could do it, though the monkey would probably fling poo at you in the process.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tennis elbow vs tetanus
Okay, I admit it. The Mean Green Girl just hasn't felt like writing lately. But I don't want to lose my readers due to a lack of content so I'll just schlog through it and hopefully the muse will hit me again soon.
Readers? Oh you poor delusional soul.
::glares:: One of these days I will find you and then bang, zoom, straight to the moon!
Anyways, I thought I would get back to writing with a product review. Because I end up stapling 2-3 sheets of paper together quite often at work I decided to buy myself a staple free stapler. (This model to be exact.) Unfortunately I was unable to find a model that was made in the US but I was able to buy it at a local retailer located within walking distance of my office.
There are a number of reasons I dislike traditional staples. Mainly they are made mostly of virgin steel and are not collected for recycling due to their small size. There is also the getting stabbed in the thumb if they come lose or the ripping of pages when they don't want to come out. Basically, as far as I am concerned, staples and I are not friends and never will be.
So the way a staple free stapler works is it cuts out a notch in the paper and then threads it through a slit (as demonstrated here). I found that this model handles 2-3 sheets quite well and can do four though it doesn't always complete the threading action. The paper holds well for normal use but will fall apart if it gets flung around too much.
On the con side the design is not good for repetitive uses. I do budget work once a month which involves stapling about 400 sets of two pages and after using this for a full day my elbow is swollen and hurts like a grumble grumble grumble. Also it is very hard to tell where exactly the staple will go which sucks when you're having to deal with punched paper.
Overall, I think this is a good addition to any desk for periodic use though I wouldn't throw away the old traditional stapler. I give this three out of five trees.
Readers? Oh you poor delusional soul.
::glares:: One of these days I will find you and then bang, zoom, straight to the moon!
Anyways, I thought I would get back to writing with a product review. Because I end up stapling 2-3 sheets of paper together quite often at work I decided to buy myself a staple free stapler. (This model to be exact.) Unfortunately I was unable to find a model that was made in the US but I was able to buy it at a local retailer located within walking distance of my office.
There are a number of reasons I dislike traditional staples. Mainly they are made mostly of virgin steel and are not collected for recycling due to their small size. There is also the getting stabbed in the thumb if they come lose or the ripping of pages when they don't want to come out. Basically, as far as I am concerned, staples and I are not friends and never will be.
So the way a staple free stapler works is it cuts out a notch in the paper and then threads it through a slit (as demonstrated here). I found that this model handles 2-3 sheets quite well and can do four though it doesn't always complete the threading action. The paper holds well for normal use but will fall apart if it gets flung around too much.
On the con side the design is not good for repetitive uses. I do budget work once a month which involves stapling about 400 sets of two pages and after using this for a full day my elbow is swollen and hurts like a grumble grumble grumble. Also it is very hard to tell where exactly the staple will go which sucks when you're having to deal with punched paper.
Overall, I think this is a good addition to any desk for periodic use though I wouldn't throw away the old traditional stapler. I give this three out of five trees.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Would someone please slap the government
"Hard-working American families are suffering from higher gasoline prices. John McCain calls on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. "
I sometimes think that maybe I shouldn't spend all day listening to the news as half the time I'm one step away from a screaming fit. NO NO NO, the idea of a gas tax holiday is NOT the answer. However, other people (including Barack Obama) have explained this much better than I so instead I'm going to write about how to reduce our demand on oil.
First and foremost we, as a nation, must get it through our big fat heads that we need to drive less. I've had it quoted at me that if people drive 10 fewer miles a week it would reduce their carbon emissions by 500 lbs a year. Now, I'm not saying that you should take that figure as gospel but 10 miles a week isn't much AND the equation is easy
Less driving = less gas used = less demand for fuel + less pollution + $$ saved
How can you do this? Walk, bike, ride the bus, carpool and combine trips. This isn't something everyone doesn't already know, but most are just too damn lazy to do it. Well get off your ass and do something if nothing else you'll have a little more money in your pocket for your other vices.
So since everyone already knows about that what else can you do?
Well buying local always works. The average American meal travels about 1,200 miles from where it is grown to your table which takes engergy, lots of it. So get to know your small local farmers especially the ones who use responsible farming practices. Not only will you get fantastic food you will be saving the family farm which has been a part of our nation's history from the get go. One way to do this is at local farmer's market (remember to bring some totes). These are so much fun and you get to meet the people who grow your food face to face which is so rewarding. You can also participate in a Community Sponsored Agriculture program (CSA). Each program is different but John and I get a box of produce every other week for $60 a month. The food is always very fresh and it makes us try things that we might have otherwise passed up. (I never knew fennel was sooo yummy).
Okay, this is it for the day. For some reason the writing juices aren't flowing. So sorry to my readers and I'll be back in force next time.
I sometimes think that maybe I shouldn't spend all day listening to the news as half the time I'm one step away from a screaming fit. NO NO NO, the idea of a gas tax holiday is NOT the answer. However, other people (including Barack Obama) have explained this much better than I so instead I'm going to write about how to reduce our demand on oil.
First and foremost we, as a nation, must get it through our big fat heads that we need to drive less. I've had it quoted at me that if people drive 10 fewer miles a week it would reduce their carbon emissions by 500 lbs a year. Now, I'm not saying that you should take that figure as gospel but 10 miles a week isn't much AND the equation is easy
Less driving = less gas used = less demand for fuel + less pollution + $$ saved
How can you do this? Walk, bike, ride the bus, carpool and combine trips. This isn't something everyone doesn't already know, but most are just too damn lazy to do it. Well get off your ass and do something if nothing else you'll have a little more money in your pocket for your other vices.
So since everyone already knows about that what else can you do?
Well buying local always works. The average American meal travels about 1,200 miles from where it is grown to your table which takes engergy, lots of it. So get to know your small local farmers especially the ones who use responsible farming practices. Not only will you get fantastic food you will be saving the family farm which has been a part of our nation's history from the get go. One way to do this is at local farmer's market (remember to bring some totes). These are so much fun and you get to meet the people who grow your food face to face which is so rewarding. You can also participate in a Community Sponsored Agriculture program (CSA). Each program is different but John and I get a box of produce every other week for $60 a month. The food is always very fresh and it makes us try things that we might have otherwise passed up. (I never knew fennel was sooo yummy).
Okay, this is it for the day. For some reason the writing juices aren't flowing. So sorry to my readers and I'll be back in force next time.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
5 easy things to do
Happy earth day everyone! This morning I was listening to NPR and one respondent to the show wrote in to complain that she was tired of feeling guilty for not being "green enough" in her daily life because she was "too busy". Bullshit. Do you have to be perfect? No! Do you have to live a trash free organic tofu eating life? NO! (Tough don't knock organic tofu until you've had some that John cooked)
You wanna know a dirty little secret? Probably the best thing you could do for the environment is DON'T CONSUME SO FREAKING MUCH! Seriously, that's it. Think about the things you use and buy. Do you really need it? Can you get it used? More durable? Do you really need that giant house that will take tons of energy to heat/cool? Do you need a huge SUV for your 3 person household? The population of the world is growing though the planet is not. We in the west have been taught that we are entitled to whatever we want whether we need it or not, myself included. Once you start thinking about these things its amazing how your world view changes.
So, thinking is not hard, we've evolved these amazing brains. Use them!
On that note, today I'm going to share some really easy things that you can do in your every day life, things that are so easy there really is no excuse not to do them. Also, please feel free to share your secrets to using less.
1) Ditch disposables at lunch. Even biodegradable "plastic"wear take energy to produce and ship and really only work in a compost environment. I just have two sets of reusable utensils and two cloth napkins in my desk drawer at work. Once I'm done eating I wash off the silverware dry it off with the napkin and then back into the desk with it. I can usually get 3-5 good uses out of a napkin unless I have soup for lunch, but that's just because I'm messy.
2) Just say no to paper towels. If you work in an office it is easy to keep a small hand towel at your desk (I hang mine from my chair's armrest). It takes a while to get used to leaving the bathroom with wet hands but even if you only remember 50% of the time, that's a lot fewer paper towels over a year.
3) Reuse, reuse, reuse! Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew and Reuse to Make Things Last has a lot of really good ideas on giving new life to old objects. Turn old clothes into rags, which can then be used to replace paper towels. Nice bottles can be reused to store bulk liquids. Prescription bottles, which cannot be recycled, can be donated to local animal shelters for reuse.
4) Plastic bags blow so take totes with you when shopping. This takes a while to get used to but once you get in the habit the benefits really rack up. Some stores offer a discounts for people who bring their own bags, they hold more than disposable bags and are more comfortable to carry. If you buy dry bulk foods reuse the plastic bags especially since those bags usually aren't recyclable.
5) Raise your voice. Share your ideas on living greener with others, communicate with your representatives about your feelings on government policy, call people out when they need it, protest. Don't be passive, don't worry about offending people. This is important and people have to realize that. Bad Religion said it best "Our evolution didn't hinge on passivity so raise your voice".
You wanna know a dirty little secret? Probably the best thing you could do for the environment is DON'T CONSUME SO FREAKING MUCH! Seriously, that's it. Think about the things you use and buy. Do you really need it? Can you get it used? More durable? Do you really need that giant house that will take tons of energy to heat/cool? Do you need a huge SUV for your 3 person household? The population of the world is growing though the planet is not. We in the west have been taught that we are entitled to whatever we want whether we need it or not, myself included. Once you start thinking about these things its amazing how your world view changes.
So, thinking is not hard, we've evolved these amazing brains. Use them!
On that note, today I'm going to share some really easy things that you can do in your every day life, things that are so easy there really is no excuse not to do them. Also, please feel free to share your secrets to using less.
1) Ditch disposables at lunch. Even biodegradable "plastic"wear take energy to produce and ship and really only work in a compost environment. I just have two sets of reusable utensils and two cloth napkins in my desk drawer at work. Once I'm done eating I wash off the silverware dry it off with the napkin and then back into the desk with it. I can usually get 3-5 good uses out of a napkin unless I have soup for lunch, but that's just because I'm messy.
2) Just say no to paper towels. If you work in an office it is easy to keep a small hand towel at your desk (I hang mine from my chair's armrest). It takes a while to get used to leaving the bathroom with wet hands but even if you only remember 50% of the time, that's a lot fewer paper towels over a year.
3) Reuse, reuse, reuse! Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew and Reuse to Make Things Last has a lot of really good ideas on giving new life to old objects. Turn old clothes into rags, which can then be used to replace paper towels. Nice bottles can be reused to store bulk liquids. Prescription bottles, which cannot be recycled, can be donated to local animal shelters for reuse.
4) Plastic bags blow so take totes with you when shopping. This takes a while to get used to but once you get in the habit the benefits really rack up. Some stores offer a discounts for people who bring their own bags, they hold more than disposable bags and are more comfortable to carry. If you buy dry bulk foods reuse the plastic bags especially since those bags usually aren't recyclable.
5) Raise your voice. Share your ideas on living greener with others, communicate with your representatives about your feelings on government policy, call people out when they need it, protest. Don't be passive, don't worry about offending people. This is important and people have to realize that. Bad Religion said it best "Our evolution didn't hinge on passivity so raise your voice".
Monday, April 21, 2008
Better late than never
So it turns out that I actually have readers. WHEEE! Of course this means that I actually should start, you know, writing. >.>
That being said here is my review of the Seattle Green Festival which took place weekend before last.
We actually got to the festival pretty late on Sunday since I was not having a good day. I feel like I still got a really good feel for the convention despite being unable to hear any of the speakers. Next year my goal is to go for both days (maybe as press if my blog gets big enough hopehope).
The goodness started at the registration desk. John and I had free tickets from being delegates at the Democratic Convention, but Green Festival had partnered with Better World Books to offer a discount for people who donated their used books. I'm a big fan of Better World Books and like what they are trying to do. While at the convention I got a chance to talk to one of their representatives about some suggestions I had and they were excited to hear what I had to say, especially when I mentioned that I was getting my master's in library science. I got the guy's card with his e-mail address and will hopefully have many more productive conversations with this company.
The first set of exhibits was for Seattle Climate Action NOW. Most were programs that I already knew about but the information was FANTASTIC for beginners. (Oh heck, even the queen of green learned a thing or two but I'll never admit that again.) I did find out about the Way to go Seattle program which encourages people to drive less by offering incentives for good behavior. Well, one of those rewards is for selling a car so your household has more drivers than vehicles so hopefully I'll be able to take advantage of that.
Once we got into the main area we were assaulted by every kind of eco friendly business imaginable. There was everything from green toys, organic food and beer (w00t beer), to natural fiber wedding dresses. I met lots of great people who really care about the planet and got a bunch of samples which I'll be reviewing here as they get used. Overall this was an amazing experience and helped me to realize that what I'm doing here IS important and that I'm not the only one who cares. So check out the Green Festival website and see if it's coming to a city near you. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
That being said here is my review of the Seattle Green Festival which took place weekend before last.
We actually got to the festival pretty late on Sunday since I was not having a good day. I feel like I still got a really good feel for the convention despite being unable to hear any of the speakers. Next year my goal is to go for both days (maybe as press if my blog gets big enough hopehope).
The goodness started at the registration desk. John and I had free tickets from being delegates at the Democratic Convention, but Green Festival had partnered with Better World Books to offer a discount for people who donated their used books. I'm a big fan of Better World Books and like what they are trying to do. While at the convention I got a chance to talk to one of their representatives about some suggestions I had and they were excited to hear what I had to say, especially when I mentioned that I was getting my master's in library science. I got the guy's card with his e-mail address and will hopefully have many more productive conversations with this company.
The first set of exhibits was for Seattle Climate Action NOW. Most were programs that I already knew about but the information was FANTASTIC for beginners. (Oh heck, even the queen of green learned a thing or two but I'll never admit that again.) I did find out about the Way to go Seattle program which encourages people to drive less by offering incentives for good behavior. Well, one of those rewards is for selling a car so your household has more drivers than vehicles so hopefully I'll be able to take advantage of that.
Once we got into the main area we were assaulted by every kind of eco friendly business imaginable. There was everything from green toys, organic food and beer (w00t beer), to natural fiber wedding dresses. I met lots of great people who really care about the planet and got a bunch of samples which I'll be reviewing here as they get used. Overall this was an amazing experience and helped me to realize that what I'm doing here IS important and that I'm not the only one who cares. So check out the Green Festival website and see if it's coming to a city near you. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Sometimes it's easy to forget
It's so easy to get caught up in the bad, in the despair that I sometimes forget why I'm doing this. Thanks Discovery Channel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)