terra, not terror

Moving - Update your bookmarks!

2007-09-22T14:08:00.001-07:00

Thanks for visiting terranotterror.blogspot.com.

I have moved to terranotterror.com. That's right... my own domain. I know it's annoying to have to update your links and bookmarks, but I hope you'll follow me to terranotterror.com. I won't move again, promise. I think the new features will make everyone happy.

http://www.terranotterror.com

This site will remain, for everyone to catch up, and so you don't have broken links. There is already a fascinating new post about solar-thermal power. Don't miss it!

Friday Recipe: Bulgur & Bean Pilaf

2007-09-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

Bulgur & Bean Pilaf

1 med onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup water
2 med tomatoes, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed, drained
dash ground red pepper
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (or soy cheese)

1. Saute onion, garlic, green pepper. Stir occasionally until vegetables are crisply tender. Add bulgur, continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add water, tomatoes, beans, salt and red pepper.
2. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until bulgur is soft and chewy. Immediately sprinkle with cheese. Cover, remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Bulgur is cracked wheat, and it has the consistency of oatmeal. So, if you love oatmeal, you will love bulgur. This is one of my favorite meals.

-Land O'Lakes recipe book from grocery store line

Car-Free Day... Week... World

2007-09-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday is world car-free day. One day out of every year is selected to highlight the idea that it is possible to live without cars. It really is.

In China, cars will not be allowed on Saturday in 108 cities to raise awareness about pollution, and to ease congestion. Only pedestrians, bikes, and busses will be driving on Saturday.

"No Car Day'' will cut 3,000 tons of emissions and save 33 million liters of gasoline, according to the ministry. (that's 8.7 billion gallons)

Some places have been celebrating car-free week. Greenwich, UK, is celebrating by closing the town square to cars, and having a party with art, music, and a beach. Montreal, Canada, is also closing town square for a concert, and they're having hiking and other events this week.

If you're interested, here are 10 ways you can break your auto dependence. Also check out carfree.com.

Britain plans to be entirely gas-free by 2040. It is possible. There are so many options for alternative fuel. It will be nice when consumers have the freedom to choose which type of energy they prefer, and how much they want to pay for it. Good luck, Britain, and thanks for leading the pack!

Fall Cleaning

2007-09-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't written about my favorite yard tool - my push reel mower! My neighbor has one, and it's so quiet and odor-free that I had to try it. I fell in love instantly. The whirring sound of the blades is actually kind of comforting.

This mower is so easy to use, even I can use it. When we brought it home, and to this day, my husband and I almost fight over who gets to mow the lawn. I'm not kidding! It goes like this... "I'll do it." "No, that's ok. I can mow it." "No really, you go inside. I'll mow the lawn." Finally we agree to split and each mow half. We've even had neighbors come over and ask if they can push it around, and they reminisce about the good old days.

Once you try one, you'll never want to crank up the gas mower again. The smell of gas and grass is not pleasant, and it's useless energy consumption. The reel mower is so much more fun, energy conscious, good-smelling, and easy. Give it a try.

After searching the internet and garage sales for a used one, we went to Sears Hardware and bought one for less than $100. Do a little fall cleaning and push that gas mower to the curb or the thrift store.

Bioneers Conference in Cleveland next month

2007-09-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

Bioneers.org brings together people who are committed to the environment, health, social justice and good living. They have a yearly conference in California, which is "beamed" to satellite sites around the country. We are fortunate that Cleveland is one of these sites! Mark your calendars for Oct. 19-21 to attend the Beaming Bioneer Cleveland Conference at Cleveland State University.

The format is as follows - Local speakers and activities in the morning, California conference beamed in the afternoon. Daily yoga sessions, area tours, and panel discussions enhance the experience. Here's the schedule.

Topics include:

Green affordable housing in the city
Healthy Workers/Healthy Business
Solutions that benefit people, the planet, and profit
No Child Left Inside!
NE Ohio transportation
Plastic from alternative sources (not oil!)
Citizen Blogging - featuring terra, not terror

I will be part of a panel on Saturday morning to discuss Citizen Blogging and how bloggers can impact the environment.

I hope to see you there!

Farm Aid

2007-09-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Farm Aid was started in 1985 by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp to raise awareness about family farms, and to raise money for farmers. For 22 years, they've been having concerts to educate people about the value of the American family farm.

This year's concert, held on Sept. 9th in New York City, featured 21 bands. Vendors provided fresh, local food to satisfy the growing demand for healthy, non-factory farm, non-hormone-laced food.

America's family farms face many challenges from bird flu to genetic engineering, globalization to factory farms. We can help family farms by buying local food, teaching kids how to grow food, and being aware of where our food comes from. Factory farms are producing hormone and antibiotic-laden meat and chemically-produced vegetables that have an adverse effect on our health, which costs billions in the health care industry. Helping family farms helps everyone.

Check out Food Routes, or Local Harvest to find farmers markets near you.

Happy Constitution Day

2007-09-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

VegiTerranean, Metro Living, Save the Civic

2007-09-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had the Akron experience. We toured Akron's Metro Living, saw the opening ceremonies of VegiTerranean (actually opens in late October), and attended the rockin' Akron Civic Theatre benefit concert featuring Chrissie Hynde and Friends.

The Metro Living Tour was interesting, but slightly disappointing for a few reasons. We wanted to take the shuttle, but it never seemed to be available, so we had to drive from place to place. None of the "homes" were taking advantage of advances in renewable energy. There are so many chances to utilize solar power, which will be the norm in 10 years. If you want to be cutting-edge, you've got to reach out to the future. The Northside Lofts were ultimate high-class. There was a TV in every room. Coming from a 1-TV house, this was a little extreme. On a positive note, the color schemes were really nice. Spicer Village will be very cool when it opens in 2008. Rooftop gardens!

Next was the opening of VegiTerranean. We walked up as Chrissie Hynde was putting on an outdoor concert. Her voice is absolutely moving. It was a very energetic event! There was a food sampling expo featuring Akron restaurants. Strangely, it was all meat except for VegiTerranean. If you're having a vegetarian restaurant opening, don't you bring your vegetarian dish? We didn't eat. But, the menu for VegiTerranean was extensive, so it should be a nice place to enjoy a good meal.

It's great to see Akron renovating and trying to rebuild this great city. The views from the Exchange St. dorm make you realize how beautiful our city really is. We have great people here who really care about the city, and their efforts are to be commended. I look forward to seeing Akron's revitalization in the coming years.

The benefit concert was incredible! My husband's cousins are in The Diffi Cult, which opened the show, followed by 6 other bands. (I also really liked Pat Sweeney and The Numbers Band) Then, Chrissie Hynde again. She came out in her PETA t-shirt. It was excellent! The whole crowd essentially had to applaud PETA. (her boots, by the way, were made by Stella McCartney) While I am a Person for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, I tend to disagree with some of the tactics and statements by Peta, so even I was a little uncomfortable (I'll elaborate in the comments). Her set was incredible! Again, what a voice! Finally... Jerry Lee Lewis. They rolled out the piano and the rock legend was escorted onto the stage by Akron legend Chrissie Hynde. His set was so fun and energetic. We had a great view of the shadow of his hands on the piano. What a night! The whole stage was rockin' and people were dancing in their seats. It was a great show in Akron. I hope to see more fun events like this at the Akron Civic Theatre. Thanks to our good family for the tickets!

What is a Vegan?

2007-09-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

What is a vegan? Chrissy Hynde said a lot of Akronites don't know, and she's probably right. In fact, a lot of people don't know, so I'll do my best to explain.

Vegans don't eat or use any products made of, or made by animals. This includes meat, eggs, dairy, gelatin, honey, and refined sugar. Gelatin is made of marrow or hooves; honey is made by bees; and refined sugar is bleached with charred animal bones.

Some good alternatives for vegans include the meatless products that are generally made of soy. In baking, eggs can be replaced by applesauce, bananas, tofu. Soy, rice, and even hemp "dairy" products are good. (check out this video that turned me off milk for good - it's not gross) Gelatin can be replaced by something called carrageenan, which is made from seaweed (gelatin is not a vegetarian food either, so warn your veggie friends when you cook with gelatin). Honey can be replaced by syrups and molasses. Instead of refined sugar, look for pure cane sugar or turbinado sugar. (I've found it really cheap at Marc's) Additionally, "natural flavoring" can include animal-based products, so that ingredient should be avoided by vegetarians and vegans.

Vegans also avoid leather and other animal-based products, and don't use products tested on animals.

Why would someone be a vegan? There are many reasons, usually beginning with animal rights, concerns about factory farms, the environment, and health. Vegan and vegetarian diets have been shown to reduce many health problems, especially high cholesterol because only animal-based foods have cholesterol.

(wiki also does a pretty good job explaining veganism, with some great links at the bottom)

Friday Recipe: Corn & Potato Chowder

2007-09-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Corn and Potato Chowder
(a favorite at the not terror household)

olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1 cup thinly sliced celery (2 stalks)
4 cups peeled (or not) russet potatoes cut into 1/2 in. cubes (2-3 medium)
3 1/4 cup soy milk or lowfat dairy milk
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
pepper, minced parsley (optional)

*Heat the oil in a 3-4 qt. saucepan. Add onion and celery and saute over medium heat until the vegetables soften, 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
*Add potatoes and milk. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes. Mash some of the potatoes in the pot with a potato masher to thicken the soup. Add the corn kernels and peas. Cook just until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Add the salt and season to taste.
*Sprinkle with parsley.
Enjoy!

from the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook

We don't use salt or pepper and it's just as good.
The smashed potatoes give the impression of a cheesy soup. Delicious!

Sustainable Clothes

2007-09-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

For those of us who want sustainable, environmentally responsible lives, we like to consider all aspects, including clothing.

Think about what your clothes are made of ... when evaluating natural vs. synthetic products, a lot must be considered. Pleather is not as long-lasting as leather, but it's cheap and not made from an animal. Polyester is made from petroleum (=oil!). It also doesn't breathe as well as cotton. Nylon is also made from petroleum, vs. wool made from sheared sheep's fur.

Some people are looking for more eco-conscious clothes and finding new (not-so-new) materials such as hemp, soy, bamboo, and organic cotton. They are long-lasting, durable materials and easy to care for.

Many companies, including Great Lakes Brewing Company, are also looking towards these new fabrics as consumers are becoming more eco-responsible. I've been looking into hemp and soy clothes, and found these options for companies to outfit their staff, or sell to customers. Along with suppliers Kami has found (see comments), these companies are appealing, and their t-shirts don't cost much more than a regular cotton t-shirt.

Onno.com seems to be the best option for wholesalers. They have some good options, and put the prices and quantity available right on the website.
Efforts in Canada has a good selection of sustainable clothes, and offers wholesale prices with no minimum orders.
Bamboo Clothes offers a lot of clothing at reasonable prices, and they say their bamboo/cotton blend are the softest t-shirts on the planet (...mmm... tempting).
Rawganique.com has many styles, and unisex t-shirts range from $16-18 retail. (no new wholesale customers)

One problem is that a lot of these companies are small, to avoid sweatshops and poor quality, so they don't offer wholesale volume yet. The trend is catching on, so look for wider availability soon. Ideal Bite lists several soy clothing suppliers, which seem to be more expensive than the hemp clothes.

Check your label ... are you eco-stylin'?

Chrissie Hynde featured in Vegetarian Times

2007-09-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

Chrissie Hynde, lead singer of The Pretenders, was featured in this month's Vegetarian Times. She is opening a new vegetarian restaurant in Akron, called VegiTerranean. It will be a coffee house, bar, and restaurant featuring vegetarian Italian food. Yum! The VegiTerranean preview celebration is this weekend, Sept. 15, and the restaurant will open in October.

In VT, Hynde talks about being a vegetarian for 38 years. She started this lifestyle because of her compassion for animals. We're now learning about how destructive the meat industry is for the environment - it's the #2 polluter behind the auto industry.

Hynde wants to know why there aren't vegetarian fast food restaurants? And why don't they sell veggie burgers at rock concerts? Thanks to her, we don't have to ask why Akron doesn't have a vegetarian restaurant.

Paint-on Solar

2007-09-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have created solar cells that can be painted or printed onto surfaces. Most solar cells now are made from purified silicon, which is not a readily-available product. These new paint-on organic solar cells are made from polymers, which are a less expensive material. Energy is conducted through carbon nanotubes, which are smaller than human hair, and conduct energy more efficiently than copper wires.

“Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations.”

Awesome!! I think this could be the future of power.

If you have iTunes, you can find out more about this solar research by typing "NJIT solar" in the search box and listen to the podcasts or watch the videos.

100 mile diet

2007-09-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

One trend among people who want to eat healthier, environmentally responsible diets is the 100 mile diet. Following this diet means you eat foods grown within 100 miles of your kitchen. It reduces pollution from transportation, and generally provides healthier food. (more reasons)

This diet takes considerable planning at the beginning. If you start cold-turkey, you may get frustrated by not being able to find your favorite fruits and vegetables. You have to learn a lot about the seasons, and your local farming community. Alisa Smith and James McKinnon, who wrote a recent book about the 100-mile diet, said they ate a lot of potatoes in the beginning. Finding wheat for bread was difficult in the Pacific NW. They were finally able to find a local wheat farmer.

People find it to be a rewarding experience that becomes kind of addicting. Now, when traveling, 100-mile dieters strive for local food, and really learn about the food and customs of the country they're visiting.

It's a lifestyle change. One that requires flexibility and an open mind. An easy way to start may be a state-based diet, where you eat food only from your state. The goal is to learn more about what you eat, and what you can do to reduce your footprint.

inspiration

2007-09-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

VW offering Carbon Offsets through January

2007-09-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen is teaming up with Carbonfund.org to offset an entire year of carbon emissions for every car bought between Sept. 1, 2007 and Jan. 2, 2008. The money will be directed to "help reforest areas of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) in Northern Louisiana."

Not only does this program help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere but it also restores native trees to habitat, provides food for local wildlife, reclaims barren pastureland and increases water security.

-Autoblog

Surprise! Food coloring and preservatives are bad for kids

2007-09-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

A new study in Britain has found that food coloring and preservatives can increase hyperactivity, including ADHD in kids age 3-9, and also have adverse effects on the general population.

Children tested showed significant differences in their behavior based on whether their fruit drink had added colorings and preservatives, versus those drinks that were more natural. The additive-laden drinks increased hyperactivity.

“It supports what dietitians have known for a long time, that feeding children on diets largely consisting of heavily processed foods which may also be high in fat, salt or sugar is not optimal for health.”

-MSNBC

Let's try to eat fresh, natural foods that are healthy and taste good!

Small... Smaller

2007-09-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Check out this ultra-small, ultra-efficient, totally cool toaster-oven/coffee maker/griddle. It's the Instant Kitchen. Perfect for a dorm, apartment, or people who just don't like having a bunch of "stuff" everywhere. It's only $45. (I saw this on Treehugger)

Back to comments: You may notice that I have re-activated comments. I really like getting post ideas from readers. So, I will be "moderating" comments, which means that I read and approve them. I'm following this blogger's philosophy - as long as comments add value to our lives, they will be welcome.
I look forward to your ideas about how to be more environmentally-friendly.

Friday Recipe: Easy Nacho Skillet Dinner

2007-09-07T03:41:00.000-07:00

Easy Nacho Skillet Dinner

16 oz. can black beans
16 oz. can kidney beans
15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups frozen corn
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups slightly broken baked tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or soy cheese)

Stir first 5 ingredients together until corn is thawed and everything is heated through. Sprinkle tortilla chips even over mixture. Top with cheese. Cover, simmer 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. (There's nothing green in this recipe, so for variety, you could add a green pepper or something.) Enjoy!

-Altered recipe from the back of a package of frozen corn

Green Dorms

2007-09-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Many college students are demanding eco-friendly dorms, and colleges are starting to meet that demand with simple changes such as energy-saving light bulbs, low-flow showers, and other high-tech changes.

NPR highlights Pitzer College. Pitzer students returned to school to find organic gardens, buildings built with recycled modular steel, and 80% of building materials found within 200 miles of the campus, which saves on transportation while helping local economies. Dorms feature cross-ventilation, solar power, low-flow toilets, and the campus showcases stormwater recycling and drought-resistant plants. Pitzer's renovations have received Gold LEED certification.

Students at the University of South Carolina have found that it's easy and fun to reduce your impact on the planet - to live "green" in their Green Dorm. The West Quad dorm uses solar panels to heat the hot water, and recycles rainwater to water plants. It was built for the same cost of conventional dorms, and reduces the cost of energy throughout its use. USC's housing director predicts the green dorm to cost 45% less because of the renewable energy. Students noticed the odor-free atmosphere. Carpets were made of recycled material (so they don't give off carbon dioxide), odorless paint was used, and construction workers weren't allowed to smoke in the building.

Buildings like West Quad also enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity, improve air and water quality, reduce solid waste, and conserve natural resources. Other benefits include improved individual and community health.

Many students go home with the environment in mind and encourage their families to recycle, and live more eco-responsibly. When I read these stories, I'm always looking for something revolutionary, but these ideas are so simple! Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the prominent themes. They save the universities money on energy, and benefit the environment at the same time.

Here are some easy, fun ways to green your dorm, even if you don't live in a LEED certified green dorm.

Just say no

2007-09-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Your average quarter pounder, according to one Cornell University study, siphons 600 gallons of water, 1.2 pounds of feed grain, and 6 square feet of former prairie land—plus the loss of five times the patty's weight in topsoil—even before it gets slapped on a grill. -Treehugger

If you've ever been interested in becoming a vegetarian, check out this guide. Some good steps: Have a good reason, start by eliminating red meat, get some good recipes.

(sidenote: people are often offended by vegetarianism. When I post about a vegetarian diet, it will be a post of facts and alternatives, just like all the other topics on this blog.)

Bed Nets against Malaria

2007-09-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Researchers in Kenya have found that insecticide-treated bed nets are more effective at reducing Malaria-related deaths by 44% than outdoor spraying of DDT and other insecticides. Making the nets available for free increases the effectiveness of the nets because more families have easier access to prevention.

Increased ITN (Insecticide-Treated Nets) coverage in Kenya has resulted in 44 per cent fewer deaths in children, and increases in the birth weight of babies, according to preliminary data from the Malaria Control Department of the Kenyan Ministry of Health.

Check out Nothing But Nets, a program partnering with the UN Foundation to provide free ITNs to people in Africa.

The US Military and Green Power

2007-09-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

Our US military uses renewable energy to save money and resources. They have the manpower to research, purchase, and build eco-technology. Renewable energy would also help when they are on assignment in locations where fuel is scarce. Here are some of the technologies our military is using:

Powerfilm solar tent covers. They are able to generate solar power by covering their tent with a "thin amorphous silicon technology."

Aviation Biofuel. The Defense Department is looking for ways to reduce the military's reliance on oil to power jets, ground vehicles, and ships, so it is turning to biofuels as a possible source of energy.

Micro fuel cells. MTI builds fuel cells the size of a phone book, which is a portable source of energy for our servicemen and women. These fuel cells utilize methanol, which is not as flammable as gasoline.

"Efficient in-the-field solar cells." Instead of transporting batteries to soldiers in the field, which is costly and dangerous, soldiers can use solar cells to generate the power they need.

Ground Combat Hybrid. That is, hybrid tanks. BAE Systems designed these hybrid tanks, which have been tested and are planned for production in 2008 as part of the Army's Future Combat Systems.

Soldier Solar. United Solar Ovonic is working on a solar pack that can be worn by soldiers to generate solar power to be used in powering field generators and vehicles.

Hybrid Aggressor. “The Aggressor [is] a high-performance, off-road Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV) for military ground exploration and scouting missions." The Army had been exploring fuel cell technology, but has decided to go with diesel-electric hybrid power for the Aggressor.

- earth2tech

Root Cellars

2007-09-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Root cellars used to be part of every home. They are a good way to use the natural ground temperature to store fruits and vegetables. You can bury your cellar two feet underground to take advantage of the earth's cool temperatures. Root cellars also need humidity and air circulation so your produce doesn't spoil.

Root cellars used to be built into hillsides or mounds. They were essentially a walk-in natural freezer. I like the garbage can root cellar. It's a simple way to store enough vegetables to get you through a season.

If you dig a square hole, you can use pallets for circulation and stability. You could also recycle an old refrigerator into a root cellar, provided you give it some good ventilation. There are plenty of old materials and ways to make a root cellar. Check out Earth House for inspiration. Ehow also breaks it down nicely in 8 steps, using an old fridge or freezer.

One way to reduce your impact on the planet is to follow the 100 mile diet, eating foods within 100 miles of your home. The most difficult part of this would probably be the seasonality of fruits and vegetables. A root cellar is a great way to have local vegetables year-round. Another use of root cellars is for disaster prevention. In the event of a disaster, a root cellar and a well-stocked pantry could provide months of food.

Links: This site has a good explanation of root cellars. Here's a little of the history and usage of root cellars. Some approximate storage times can be found at the bottom of this page.

(Thanks to billygoat for the topic suggestion. I hope this helps.)

Northside Art Walk

2007-09-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

We did the Northside Art Walk tonight, and it was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed seeing the art and artists, and we took notice of the fun and creative ways the artists have reused some unique spaces downtown.

The Red Light Galleries are in an old brothel, which made it a perfect space for an art gallery. (the website doesn't do it justice) The artists were able to spread their works through the old brothel rooms. Some of the old wall structure was maintained, with plaster and brick showing through, which gave the building some raw character. Village Green has good pictures of the gallery. Having a downtown studio / gallery allows people to see how artists work and appreciate the process of creating art.

Mocha Maiden had 2 vast, open rooms upstairs. It's part of Akron's Historic District, and the owners have maintained feeling of a historic building, while creating an "atmosphere of stylistic enchantment."

The last (certainly not least) place was the old Ice House on Summit St. The artist, Troy Myers, lives and works in a converted loft. He paints, draws, and makes unique clothing. His home is a site to see in itself, with high ceilings, exposed electrical and pipes, and a beautiful, old-style kitchen with a metal ceiling. His home will be part of the Akron Metro Living Tour on Saturday, Sept. 15th from 11am - 11pm.

It was so nice to see some historic, unique Akron buildings reused for art and public enjoyment. The characteristics of these spaces add so much to the Art Walk, and exemplify the benefits of "reduce and reuse."

Instructables

2007-09-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

I love Instructables.com. You can find all sorts of ways to recycle and reuse old goods into cool new stuff. For example, you can make:

Free Air Conditioning (if you have well water!)
Credit Card Flower Box Fridge Magnet
Reusable Grocery Bag made out of 2 old Pillowcases
Copper Rain Chain
60 Minute Bookcase
Convert old CD packaging into a flower pot
Soda Can Fireplace
Glow Ground Effects Lights for your bicycle

The ideas are endless. Don't miss the Go Green contest! Check out this site for a rainy day craft project with the kids.

Comments

2007-08-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, some readers do not share our desire to discuss positive ways to reduce our impact on the planet. In order to keep this blog productive, I will turn comments off for a while. We're all here to have fun and share ideas. We don't all have to agree with the ideas. I certainly wouldn't insist on anyone flushing their dog's waste into the sewer system, and not everyone likes potatoes in their burritos or cucumber in their water.

I hope you will continue to read. I've certainly enjoyed learning about what other people and companies are doing to make the world a better place, and I hope you have too.

Friday Recipe - Mashed Potato Burritos

2007-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mashed Potato Burritos

4 large potatoes, peeled (or not) and diced
6 large tortillas
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk
salsa
grated cheese

1. Preheat oven/toaster oven to 400F.
2. Cover potatoes with water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover,and simmer gently until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven.
4. Combine drained potatoes and milk in a mixing bowl and mash well.
5. Divide mashed potatoes among the tortillas, spreading some down the center of each. Spread a little bit of salsa over the potatoes, and sprinkle with the optional cheese. Roll up snugly and enjoy.

(We skipped the oven and just used the microwave - save energy)

- The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet

Bonus: Banana Pudding

Mash a banana in a freezable container and freeze overnight. Pack it in your lunchbox, and by lunchtime, you'll have banana pudding. Fun!

More on pet waste... CATS

2007-08-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Cats
The best choice for cat waste is a natural kitty litter. There are many options - some made of pine chips, newspaper, corn, and wheat. Treehugger highlights Swheat Scoop as a good "green" litter, and readers share other options in the comments.

Clay litters are bad news all around because they must be strip-mined, which is bad for the environment, and it later ends up in the landfill. Plus, the dust is bad for kitty, and you.

Over 2 million tons of non-biodegradable cat litter made from clay that is mined ends up in municipal landfills each year.

Thurston County, WA is concerned with pet waste, and gives suggestions for disposal. One suggestion is to flush dog and cat waste down the toilet. There has been some confusion about toxic cat waste, and whether flushing is a good solution. Do not flush if you buy clay litter. It must be flushable. If so, it is perfectly safe to flush. Some people even train their cats to use the toilet. The concern with cat waste is from feral cats who relieve themselves outside, which will seep into ground water and sewer water.

Pets
Here are some other ways to "green" your pets. Some people are actually converting cow poop into energy, which can power an entire farm!

By popular demand... a post on pet waste: DOGS

2007-08-30T03:59:00.000-07:00

Dogs
Dog waste is hard to get rid of because the plastic bags aren't exactly biodegradable. Some say they are (here's one), but as I've learned, our landfills are designed in such a way that nothing really biodegrades. We walk our dog every day, and she usually dumps on the walk, but sometimes does it in the backyard, which is where a waste removal system would be most beneficial. There are a couple of ways to design a backyard dog waste remover: a Doggie Dooley, a home-made dog waste compost, or a flushing system.

The Doggie Dooley is a pre-built waste disposal system that you put in your backyard. You add enzymes to get the stuff to compost, and the rest is history. It seems pretty simple, and you don't have bad smell, bugs, or garden contamination.

Visit the City Farmer.com for a step-by-step guide to making your own dog waste composter. All you really need is a garbage can and a shovel. Cut out the bottom of the garbage can, dig a deep hole, bury the garbage can, dump the poop inside, and cover with the garbage can lid. You can add enzymes to start the composting process. Since this method reaches the soil, make sure you bury it away from food gardens.

This site, Pet Habitats, designed a dog waste flusher that may work for you. It connects to the sewer line and uses your outside hose to flush the waste down, bags and all. They say it doesn't clog the pipes. Pet Habitats offers these environmental facts about their product.

I like the home-made composter and the Doggie Dooley. They're both good options for people who want an easy set-up and low cost. Pet Habitats attempts to meet the needs of dogs like mine, who "go" on walks instead of in the backyard. They are all interesting options for getting rid of your dog waste in a environmentally friendly way.

Guest Post on Fair Trade

2007-08-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from my husband, a high school social studies teacher. In his personal studies, he has become very interested in Fair Trade, and loves to share what he's learned.

What in the world is Fair Trade? In actuality, there is no concrete definition of Fair Trade. However, the term generally refers to the movement to ensure that producers in developing countries receive more of the benefits from products sold to consumers.

Companies certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO) ensure a minimum price for farmers, for example. The theory being that the “minimum wage” will help assist those struggling regions to develop into an economically productive region. As a side note, some products claiming to be fair trade might not dedicate themselves to a minimum price, thus allowing adjustments as they see fit.

The Fair Trade market might be small, but it is growing quickly (perhaps more quickly in Europe than America).

Advocates applaud Fair Trade’s pricing. By cutting out the middleman, Fair Trade seeks to relay more of the money back to the producer. In addition, producers learn about the market, trade and exporting. While advocates point to the possibility of Fair Trade’s assistance in eradicating poverty, critics claim Fair Trade’s weak impact, saying that Fair Trade helps a small few, while not really helping the big picture at all. Similarly, critics proclaim Fair Trade as counter-productive by delaying the inevitable—the need for developing nations to diversify their economies.

There definitely exist concrete pros and cons to Fair Trade. There is good reason to think its impact is too small. However, Fair Trade possesses one more unmistakable positive—the power to educate and enlighten. Sure, perhaps its impact is minimal. That’s for the individual consumer to decide. But the fact that Fair Trade is in stores and people are asking questions about Fair Trade creates a discussion.

The true concept behind Fair Trade is to build awareness about the poverty in the world. So maybe you hate Fair Trade and its coffee, teas, chocolates and clothes, but we can’t deny the fact that Fair Trade brings to light a greater question: What are we doing to assist the poor of the world?

Ohio Flooding

2007-08-29T04:05:00.001-07:00

Please keep Ohioans in your thoughts as some regions recover from severe flooding and other thunderstorm damage. If you are able, you may consider donating to the Red Cross, who is helping flood survivors in Ohio. You may direct your gift to the Ohio Floods specifically.

Earlier this week, a string of severe thunderstorms caused significant flash floods, mudslides and dam breaks throughout Ohio. As families and individuals wade through deep waters towards shelter, the rains continue. Local chapters immediately opened shelters for the hundreds of people that had to evacuate their flooded homes. Over 700 Red Cross disaster workers are serving hot meals and snacks, as well as distributing clean up and comfort kits to affected residents. - Red Cross

Vinegar Cure-All

2007-08-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find a good cleaning product that is safe for you, your children, pets, and the environment. Many products look and smell clean and pure, but you can never be too sure. And most are needlessly tested on animals. Here's one product you can use with confidence - vinegar!

Vinegar and water can be used with great success to clean just about anything (test a spot if you're nervous). Clean windows, countertops, mirrors, wall smudges - the list goes on. It may smell at first, but the smell goes away. You could also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to your vinegar spray bottle to lessen the smell. Vinegar is excellent for getting rid of ants or fruit flies - wipe everything in the affected area with a sponge dampened with vinegar-water and they'll be gone before you know it.

Combine vinegar with baking soda and you've got an excellent scrubbing cleaner that's not harmful to the environment, you, or your pets. (use equal parts vinegar and baking soda, and let the foam settle first)

To get rid of weeds, spray the area with undiluted vinegar on a sunny day. They'll shrivel up in no time. (Remember, every chemical you use in your yard could end up in groundwater... would you rather have vinegar, or Weed-B-Gone?)

Apple Cider vinegar can be used to cure anything from allergies to acne and high cholesterol. It can even help dogs and cats.

I put a bowl of apple cider vinegar with a touch of fruity dish soap near my fruit, and the fruit flies are gone.

Bonus - vinegar is very inexpensive, and a big bottle will last a long time!

Make a mini recycled dry erase board

2007-08-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm stealing this straight from Treehugger...

Put your old cd cases to good use - make a mini dry erase board. It's great to entertain kids on a long car ride, hang it on the fridge for grocery lists, or jot down quick notes. I love it!

Instructables lays it out for you.

Using Technology to Save Plastics

2007-08-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Many treehuggers are encouraging people to use techie devices like iPods, mp3 players, and other online downloads to save on plastics. If you download a song or cd, you don't waste materials (and money) on the plastic packaging.

Check this out:

every month in the United States some 100,000 pounds of CDs become outdated, useless or unwanted. Every year, more than 5.5 million software packages go to landfills and incinerators. -earth2tech

Computer software is another element that is being moved to the web almost entirely. By the time a CD-based software program hits the shelves there may be updates, so you can save packaging, and maybe some money, by buying software online.

At my house, we have just moved from the VHS tapes to DVR and I'm excited about not having to buy tapes, and throw them away when they get overused. We record every episode of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, so we've gone through a lot of tapes in 3 years (when we got cable). With the DVR, we don't produce excess waste, and it saves energy because the "box" and the VCR can be turned off, and still record our 2 favorite shows.

Other technology like the TiVo/Amazon Unbox is similar. You can rent movies that download directly to your TiVo. Slightly better than Netflix (although more expensive, I think), this saves on production and transportation entirely. Netflix is competing by offering "Watch it now," where you can watch movies on your computer.

The wireless competition is good for us reducers. But I like to keep the end result in mind. The computer, tv, and mp3 player will eventually run its course. When that happens, be sure to recycle it - Earth 911, Dell, Techsoup, etc.

Penguins at the Akron Zoo

2007-08-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Akron Zookeepers let the new penguin chicks choose their own names! The zoo held a contest for people to submit names for the Humboldt Penguin chicks, and received over 640 names. The zookeeper wrote the names on a paper fish for the penguins to select. They chose:

Poquita - "Little one"
Aletta - "Winged one"
Fausto - "Lucky"
Guapo - "Handsome"

Humboldt penguins are warm climate penguins, unlike their Antarctic relatives. Humboldt penguins are commonly found in more temperate climates like Peru and Chile.

They are an endangered species, with some estimates giving them 10 years of existence. Akron Zoo worked with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan to breed the chicks.

Saturday Toilets and Scooters

2007-08-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

Toilets
My toilet was leaking from the tank to the bowl - wasting water and money. So, instead of messing with the rusty, corroded old tank pieces, I replaced the whole toilet tank contraption. No more float ball for us. A few observations from the experience - if your toilet is leaking, you should fix it to save water; "hand tighten" is different for plumber hands and little girl typist hands; I now understand why plumbers charge $100+ an hour; it is possible to fix a toilet yourself. Anyway, our toilet is no longer leaking, and it's all cleaner than it was before.

Scooters
After fixing the toilet, we drove to Cleveland to check out some scooters. I've always loved motorcycles, but they seem a little dangerous. I recently discovered how economical scooters are on gas. They get over 90 mpg!! So, we're looking into getting one for my daily commute. That way, I'll take the 100 mpg scooter, and my husband can drive the 42-44 mpg hybrid. Scooters range in price from $1,500 to $4,000+. We went to Pride of Cleveland Scooters in Lakewood to check out the Bajaj Chetak, Genuine Scooter Buddy, and of course, the Vespa (just to look at, not to buy). Scooters have plenty of storage, and the one I'm thinking of gets over 100 mpg, has a cell phone charger so I don't have to charge at home, and goes up to 60 mph. It weighs about 200 lbs and I can hold it with one foot on the ground with very little effort. We also checked out the Honda Metropolitan, but it just isn't the scooter for us. I think I'll go with the Genuine Scooter Buddy.

Driving around Cleveland neighborhoods was fun. My husband loves dive restaurants, so he kept reading the names of the restaurants as we passed - "Old Fashioned Hot Dogs," "Joe's Hot Dog," "Hot Dog and Chili," everything "hot dog." It's so interesting to see the different places and wonder about the people who live there. We passed Arabic neighborhoods, the Cleveland EcoVillage, a Jerusalem jewelry store next to a Middle East eatery, Irish pubs, poverty, junk yard dogs, and lots of stuff we don't see in Akron.

More innovations from Wozniak

2007-08-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is building an energy-efficient house. His design ...

... uses the right kind of wood that serves as a heater and as an air conditioner, combined with some other techniques in how the wood is assembled to operate energy life pressure. You don't have to add energy into a house after you build it. I love that concept. It's like the way I used to make computers. I want to build it myself.

His home will be built from Southern Yellow Pine, which maintains a temperature of 71 degrees. He said that more Souther Yellow Pines are planted each year than are cut down. Read this article to learn more. This engineering is fascinating - it is well worth your time!

Wozniak makes some good points here.

One aspect of conservation is to use less so that there is more to go around, either to more people or for a longer time. I disagree with this concept pretty strongly. Personally I want to conserve but I wouldn't push that concept on others as a "right" way to live. I only want to serve as an example. I don't want to tell others that they are bad people or doing "wrong" things. That's not a good way to keep open communication.

It's definitely a good idea to live by example, and to share ideas about what we're doing to reduce our impact on the environment. Pick what works for you, and do that. You'll save $$ and feel pretty good, too.

Friday Recipe - Cucumber Water

2007-08-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Cucumber Water

Add some cucumber slices to your ice-water for a refreshing change.

Stay cool!

No Left Turn

2007-08-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun, challenging way to save gas - avoid left turns! Left turns use more gas by idling while you wait for an open spot to turn. UPS is reorganizing its delivery routes to minimize left turns, hoping to save money and avoid accidents. The environmental benefit is an added bonus!

"Everyday drivers can adopt some of our best practices to ease their pain at the pump, reduce exposure to accidents and lessen their own environmental impact," said Robert Hall, UPS's fleet environmental manager.

With a travel makeover from UPS, a family of four recently shaved 84 miles a week off its driving. Using the routes mapped out by UPS, the family discovered it could save $3.69 a day, or almost $1,000 a year, on weekday travel alone.

$3.69 a day? That's $25 a week!

Plan ahead to try to save gas (and $$) by combining errands and reducing left turns at the same time. Remember, too, your car uses more gas to idle for 10+ seconds than to turn it off and back on.

Corn is not the answer

2007-08-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

In the search for alternative fuels, ethanol creates a lot of discussion about its potential to generate cleaner, renewable fuel for cars. This is great. The discussion gets us moving in the right direction. However, using alternative fuel should not mean higher food prices, crop soil destruction, and forest clear cutting (to make more land to grow corn). A good alternative to using fresh corn for ethanol is to use cooking grease, and turn it into some form of biodiesel. Alternative fuel entrepreneurs, a.k.a. hippies, have been using grease in their cars for decades.

Another solution to the renewable fuel puzzle may be sugar cane. To succeed corn, it should be cleaner, cheaper, and not destroy land in its wake. Here are a few sugar positives:

"it's also easy on the atmosphere, releasing a fraction of the carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that add to the world's steamy greenhouse"
"making sugar ethanol requires only a fifth of the gasoline and diesel it typically takes to make fuel from crops like corn"
Brazilian sugar cane is "efficient, brewed without the official price props or government handouts that are common in Europe and the United States"

Opponents fear sugar cane may present many of the same problems as corn - namely the clear cutting forests and destroying native crops to make room to grow sugar cane. It may also eventually force farmers to grow more sugar to meet demands, driving up the price of food crops. However, sugar cane doesn't grow well in rain forest conditions. "To show they're going the extra mile, many [sugar cane companies] have signed a pact to gradually put an end to the slash-and-burn method of harvesting that has been a sooty hallmark of sugar cane farming." With this approach in mind, sugar cane may be better than corn ethanol. Either way, let's keep this discussion going.
- Newsweek

We're a tough crowd - those of us who want alternative energy that doesn't do more harm than good to the environment. (My favorite solution is still an electric car that you plug in to your solar-powered home. I'm a dreamer.)

Rubber Sidewalks

2007-08-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

American company Rubbersidewalks has created a (I think) brilliant product. They recycle car tires and make rubber sidewalks out of them. Why? The rubber sidewalks allow tree roots to breath and get water, so they don't pop up through the sidewalk and cause all sorts of damage and unsightliness. Saving trees and city sidewalks... what could be better? They save money and keep tires out of landfills too!

Other benefits:

The reversible pavers don't expand in hot weather, and they absorb and retain less heat than concrete. The system has been freeze-thaw tested according to ASTM C1026 with good performance characteristics exhibited, and is also ADA compliant for pedestrian and wheeled traffic. While the pavers aren't considered porous themselves, the system provides immediate drainage at the module seams.

Washington, D.C. tested it last year and found that, although it costs more initially, the rubber sidewalks will save money, trees, and resident complaints, and it won't have to be replaced for about 14 years - 3 times as long as concrete. Part of the high cost is due to the fact that the company is located in California, so shipping is a big factor. They are hoping to open a New York location to spread the goodness.

Excellent innovation!

cool off: Drink cool liquids and eat cool meals during the upcoming hot & humid weather.

The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out

2007-08-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have recently discovered the benefits of composting. I had been thinking about it for a while - every time I threw a banana peel into the garbage -there's got to be a better use for this. So, we looked more into it at the Burning River Fest. The people from The New Agrarian Center were very helpful, as was the guy from Great Lakes Brewing Company. Both are master composters.

Here's what we did - it's pretty simple. We bought a storage container (a big Rubbermaid one), some mesh screen, organic dirt, and 1,000 red worms. Drilled holes in the container - worms need to breathe air - and filled it with 6 inches of organic dirt and wet strips of newspaper and computer paper. This bedding is supposed to be moist, not dripping wet. The compost bin was set up in the basement, to avoid smell and dog curiosity, and so it could be bigger than under-the-sink. We left the light on for the first week to discourage the worms from escaping. Next, we collected all of our food scraps - banana peels, strawberry tops, bell pepper cores, onion peels, coffee grounds, etc. - and buried them under 2 inches of bedding. Now the worms take over. We're supposed to put the food in a different place each time and add new bedding every 2 months. (Don't put meat in your compost - it'll attract rodents)

What's the benefit of having a pound of red worms chewing up your food? Well, the whole process creates worm castings, which is this magical organic fertilizer that you can use in your garden. Essentially, it's natural recycling. We eat the food, feed it to the worms, they turn it into fertilizer that we'll use to grow herbs, which we'll eat in the spring. Aside from the initial set-up, it doesn't take a lot of work to maintain, and in about 4-6 months we'll have some pretty awesome soil for our garden.

Wikipedia does a good job of describing vermicomposting, or you can Blackle it. Worms Eat My Garbage is supposedly the definitive composting guide. The Village Green does outdoor composting, which is an excellent way to get rid of weeds and fallen leaves. If you do start a compost bin, don't dump your worms in the garden - red worms are not native to North America, and are an invasive species, which can threaten other earthworms.

(Here's the rest of the worm song)

Cleveland EcoVillage

2007-08-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland EcoVillage is constructing Green Cottages at Pear Ave and W 58th St. The homes will have a new "green design," sell at affordable prices, and have excellent energy efficiency. Click the picture for details about their eco-design.

The cottages were designed by the Cleveland Green Building Coalition's Emerging Designers program. Heating costs will be less than $400, and electric will be about $250 per year. Green Cottages will be near the Rapid Station, churches, community gardens, schools, shops and restaurants, to encourage residents to walk more.

The EcoVillage is thriving around the concept of rebuilding a community to be pedestrian-friendly, and ecologically sound. The area is built around the Rapid transit station, and is full of community gardens and outdoor activities that residents love. Homes have superior insulation to conserve energy and save money.

Paper or Plastic: Not

2007-08-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Which is better - paper or plastic? It seems like paper would be the better choice because it feels more natural, so we think it will biodegrade. On the other hand, plastic takes up less room in the landfill. A lot of elements must be taken into consideration when choosing which bag to use at the grocery store.

Paper

Processing trees into bags requires a lot of energy
Higher transportation costs because of size (to & from the store, to landfill)
1/2 of landfill space is taken up by paper
"14 million trees in 1999 alone were cut down to manufacture the 10 million paper grocery bags used by Americans"

Plastic

Plastics are the waste products of the oil refining process (when considering the impacts of plastic bags, also keep in mind the impacts of oil extraction)
Require less energy to produce than paper bags
Take up less space in the landfill
Marine life is threatened when they ingest plastic bags, which become lodged in their throat or stomach and cause starvation
Can clog sewer pipes, which lead to standing water and health problems

So which is better? Plastic requires less energy to produce, and takes up less room in transportation and in landfills. But, once they're here, plastics take hundreds to thousands of years to biodegrade. Paper requires cutting down trees, and takes up more room in a landfill. The biodegradability may be a factor, however, today's landfills are constructed so that nothing biodegrades because materials are cut off from air and water supplies needed to biodegrade.

Solution: buy a reusable bag, and reuse it. Keep your bags by the door or in the car, so you remember to take them with you. Many stores offer a discount if you reuse, and you've done a lot to reduce waste in your community. (I wonder when stores began providing bags to people, and passed the expense onto the consumer.)

This doesn't just mean plastic and paper grocery bags. Consider ziploc and brown paper lunch bags. They have an impact too. Get some reusable storage containers (Glad and Ziploc make excellent ones that are cheap and recyclable), and a cool lunchbox instead of creating waste every day. It'll save you money, and help the environment.

Month in Review

2007-08-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've been writing this blog for exactly one month, so I thought it would be fun to have a quick look back. I started this with the intention of sharing positive stories about the environment, ways to live a "greener" life, be healthier, and appreciate nature. I did it because I love learning new things, and to learn something good every day has been so refreshing for me. I expected to post once a week, but I've been posting every day! That's a lot of good news.

My Favorites

Painted Black - I love Blackle. I'm convinced it's easier on the eyes too.
Solar Powered Indians - anything solar is fantastic!
Great Lakes Biodiesel - this company really sets an example
Dammed if you do - good story
Rain Barrels - I just love it

Things I've Learned

Lavender oil is great, but lavender mixed with eucalyptus may be better because bees aren't attracted to eucalyptus (we haven't been stung, but I notice bees around the Lavender plant a lot)
Green Clean for Drains
Turn a Garbage Strike into something good
How to get rid of Japanese Beetles
That's certainly not all I've learned, but it's a start

What are your favorites?
Things you'd like to see more of?

Fun facts to save energy

2007-08-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Your car uses more gas to idle for +10 seconds than it does to turn it off and back on again. conserve: turn your car off if you're in a traffic jam or stuck at a long light.

Appliances that are "off" still use energy. reduce: Unplug large appliances (fans, toasters, heaters, laptops, etc) when you're not using them.

To disinfect kitchen sponges, microwave them for 2 minutes. reuse: Use sponges instead of paper towels for cleaning.

It takes more energy to leave lights on than to turn them on and off (popular misconception). use less: Turn the light off when you leave the room.

Running the water while you brush your teeth wastes about 5 gallons of water. (2 minutes, 2.5 gallons per minute). be efficient: Turn the water off when you brush your teeth or shave.

Eco Living

2007-08-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

PowerPod has created a super ecologically-friendly house. The roof is designed with solar panels, and they bounce sun off each other to ensure maximum exposure and absorption of the sun. It funnels rain for collection and reuse, and the solar panels heat the water. So far, no carbon use.

These pre-fab homes have extra high ceilings with plenty of windows to let in a lot of natural light, and they're well-insulated so you don't loose a lot of heat or cool. Extra thought went into the technology of these houses, including heated floors with "a radiant heating system that circulates hot water through insulated subflooring."

More pics here! More than just pods!
- Treehugger.com

Friday Recipe - Vegan Snickerdoodles

2007-08-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

Vegan Snickerdoodles

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1 sick vegan margarine, softened (try Willow Run soy margarine - it's awesome)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS ground cinnamon
(can also add nutmeg or alspice)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Cookie Dough: Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in bowl. Beat margarine in separate bowl with electric mixer until soft. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in soymilk and vanilla extract 30 seconds or until smooth. Add flour mixture, and beat 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. Cinnamon Sugar: Combine sugar and cinnamon on large plate. (It makes a lot, so keep it in the fridge for the next time you make these cookies, which might be soon!)
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in Cinnamon Sugar, and place 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until cookies look dry on tops and are lightly browned on bottoms. Store in airtight container.

per cookie: 49 cal, 1G protein, 1.5G total fat, 9G carb

-Vegetarian Times

Vegan foods have no cholesterol because cholesterol only comes from animal products (meat, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, etc). So, if you have high cholesterol, consider eating at least 1 vegan meal a week, and switch to soymilk and soy margarine.

Burning River Fest - Best Festival Ever

2007-08-15T17:31:00.001-07:00

We went to the Burning River Festival on Saturday and it was the best festival ever. It was on Whiskey Island in Cleveland and the weather was perfect! There were vendors from Whole Foods, Great Lakes kegs of course, Green Energy Ohio, the Cleveland Co-op, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, The New Agrarian Center, and so many others. Everyone was fantastic and the food was great. I missed the Great Lakes ice cream, but was treated to chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert!

We learned about composting, the Ohio Solar Tour coming up October, fair trade, Reduce - Reuse - Recycle, etc. More on all of those topics soon!

There was a lot of awareness-building, educating people about reducing their footprint on the planet. The whole festival was well organized with something for everyone and the atmosphere was so positive. We bought an upside down tomato plant. They grow well because no ground-based bugs eat them. I'll keep you posted.

Plastic bottles

2007-08-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

We're learning more and more about how much harm plastic bottles are causing our planet and our people every day. Not just water bottles - this includes pop, juice, and even baby bottles.

Teeth
As the popularity of bottled water rises, so do cases of tooth decay for young children. One reason is because they miss out on the fluoride that cities add to tap water.

Babies
Baby bottles contain a harmful chemical, which could be causing "prostate cancer, breast cancer. They (children) become hyperactive. They show learning impairment. It's a poster chemical for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." Unfortunately, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in the urine of 95 percent of people it tested."

Women
Plastic bottles are made with a chemical that causes reproductive harm to women's bodies. The chemical seeps from the bottle into the beverage, into the human. "That damage is a possible predictor of reproductive diseases in women, including fibroids, endometriosis, cystic ovaries and cancers."

Planet
Bottled water is a fast-growing consumer item. Last year, Americans spent $11 billion on bottled water. Unfortunately, the bottles often end up in the landfill. "Only 14 percent of water bottles are recycled."

The solution
It's nice to recycle, but we've got to Reduce and Reuse. Get a reusable water bottle and fill it at home using your tap or your water filter pitcher. This will reduce the amount of plastic that needs to be produced for your drinking convenience, and will also save you a lot of money. I couldn't fathom spending $2.50 a day for 2 bottles of water. I get mine essentially for free.

The Pronounceable Diet

2007-08-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

I try to follow what I call the Pronounceable Diet. That means that I try not to eat anything I can't easily pronounce, specifically, things like TBHQ (tert-Butylhydroquinone), acesulfame potassium, cochineal, mono or diglyceride, etc. The purpose is to avoid un-natural chemicals in what I eat.

Do you even know what's in those things without looking them up? Were you aware that cochineal is a red coloring that's made from insects? Did you know that mono and diglycerides can be made of animal products? Bad news for vegetarians. There are so many preservatives and chemicals in today's food, it's no wonder we have the health problems we do. (foreign food is excluded from The Pronounceable Diet)

Instead, I try to eat fresh food. I make nearly everything myself, and I read every label and try to buy things with fewer than 10 ingredients to get the least processed food I can. Not only does the Pronounceable Diet have fewer preservatives, fresh food tastes much better! Next time you're grocery shopping, check out the labels. It's not a pleasant surprise.

Also, don't eat things with numbers, like red #40. If there's a number sign, it shouldn't be eaten.

(The picture is from The Onion)

Green clean for drains

2007-08-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a good way to clean your drains - as a preventative measure, or if they're clogged. We tried it last night and it really works!!

1/2 cup baking soda
1-2 cups cheap household vinegar

Pour the baking soda down the drain, followed by the vinegar. Put a plug in the drain and fill the sink with water. Wait a few minutes, then pull the plug and let the water push everything down the drain, cleaning as it goes. Awesome! -Heloise

(more on the magic of vinegar later)

Thanks Betty Sutton

2007-08-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Betty Sutton introduced legislation to increase federal penalties for dog fighting. This bill has 9 co-sponsors. People care about dogs. The same legislation has been introduced in the Senate by John Kerry.

There are so many loopholes in the current dog fighting laws that people can easily slip through. Spectators are currently not open for prosecution. They are the reason dog fights happen, so they are just as bad.

“My legislation will close these loopholes and make our federal animal welfare laws more comprehensive by ensuring that anybody who knowingly sponsors, exhibits an animal in or views a dog-fighting venture can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. My legislation also ensures that it is illegal to buy, sell, possess, train, transport or deliver any animal specifically for the purpose of participating in a dog-fighting venture,” Sutton said.

There could be tens of thousands of people involved in dog fighting in the US every year. Even in Ohio, dog fighting is a popular activity. "In March, a federal grand jury in Dayton, Ohio, indicted nine people on 45 counts for their roles in the operation of an extensive, multi-state dog-fighting ring." NE Ohio has also seen some dog fighting and cock fighting cases.

The legislation will also delete provisions in current law requiring prosecutors to prove that animals crossed state lines to fight and increase the penalty for dog fighting from a maximum three-year prison sentence to a five-year prison sentence.

It should have a much longer sentence, in my opinion - participation in dog fighting unveils some serious psychological problems, and animal abuse often leads to domestic violence and other crimes.

Dogs are so amazing and should be treasured for the joy they bring people. I hope this legislation does a little more to deter this vicious activity.

What is yogurt?

2007-08-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

I had to ask because the airport security took my yogurt when I flew to Baltimore, and I wasn't sure if it was a liquid or solid. I don't think they should have taken it for several reasons:

it's so questionable
it was sealed
I purchased it with my breakfast at the airport.

It was my lunch, so I had to buy something else inside the security checkpoint.

Poll results: 4 solid, 1 liquid

No A/C for me

2007-08-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some creative ways to stay cool without using the air conditioner. Save energy and money!

Cool ideas:

Close blinds and windows during the day, open them at night (if it's cool out)
Plant trees for shade
Hang your laundry out to dry
Utilize ceiling fans - a little air flow goes a long way
Eat light, cool meals or grill outside
Take a cool shower
Make a solar oven
Spritz yourself with some cool water (or even lavender water)
Hang a wet sheet in an open window
Go to the movies - it's always a/c overload at the theater

Burning River Fest Saturday

2007-08-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 11 from 1-9:30pm is the Great Lakes Brewing Company Burning River Fest.

MISSION
With the goal of raising awareness of environmental issues that affect our region and the Cuyahoga River ecosystem, the annual Great Lakes Burning River Fest educates families and the community on how to sustain a cleaner and healthier environment through interactive programs, music and art.

Location: Wendy Park at Whiskey Island
off the Edgewater Park Exit in Cleveland
$7 adults, kids 10 & under are free

Friday Recipe - Open Face Tomato-Basil Sandwiches

2007-08-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Open-Face Tomato-Basil Sandwiches

1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil
1 1/2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese (or soy Parmesan)
1 1/2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TBS nonfat plain yogurt
4 English muffins, split
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced

Blend basil, Parmesan, olive oil in food processor or blender until well combined. Add yogurt and process until smooth. Season with salt & pepper.
Preheat broiler (toaster oven works great to save energy & keep kitchen cool!). Place muffins on baking sheet. Broil 1-2 minutes, or until slightly toasted. Spread each 1/2 with basil mixture and top with several tomato slices. Broil 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

203 Calories, 7 G protein, 7 G total fat, 29 G carb, 2 mg cholesterol, 354 mg sodium, 2 G fiber, 3 G sugars.

- Vegetarian Times

Smart University Dining

2007-08-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

As students are becoming more concerned about food quality and sustainability and nutrition issues, universities are challenged to adjust their menus to fit the needs of their student population. There are two common options for sustainable eating - organic and local. Organic food is grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides. Local food might not be organic, but has a smaller "footprint" because it travels fewer miles, and it supports the local community.

The University of California, Berkeley has committed to organic salad bars in their dining halls. The largest dining hall on campus, and the three others, have certified Organic salad bars. They have a separate prep station, and the organic veggies are not usually mixed into other meals. Most of the salad bar food comes from a 150 mile radius (sounds local to me).

Kenyon College in Ohio uses local food, including a student-run farm right on campus. Check out Kenyon's Food for Thought, a program designed to help local farmers and provide quality food at the same time.

Duke University also uses organic and locally grown food. About 20% organic and 35-70% local food can be enjoyed at Duke. Green Mountain College has a Farm and Food Project, which focuses on local foods. They have a student run farm, but like many small farms, they aren't pursuing organic certification because of costs, and limited options. Plus, they say people know how the food is grown and they trust the students. They do, however, run their greenhouses on solar and wind power, and students can "participate in our internship program with the vineyard, farm, and agricultural museum at Brunnenburg Castle in Italy." Excellent!

-University Business

Painted Black

2007-08-07T18:01:00.001-07:00

Many conservationists have been urging Google to transform to an all-black screen to save over 750 megawatt hours of electricity a year. Google does some excellent work in the alternative energy field, so I'm surprised they haven't jumped on the opportunity. An independent company in Australia has created a black-screen version of Google called Blackle. It's a Google powered search engine that will give you the same results as Google, but will save mega energy. Find out more.

Make http://www.blackle.com/ your homepage so that every time you launch the web, you save a little energy and remind yourself of the need to save even more.

www.blackle.com

Japanese Beetles

2007-08-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

Many of us have the Japanese beetle plague. They're attracted to roses, and go on to consume our flowers and trees. So, how do we get rid of these nasty creatures? I've searched for some natural remedies, and this is what I came up with:

They arrived here by boat. In Japan, they aren't a problem because they have natural predators that don't exist here.
They're here to stay. We can't kill them all, so we have to find a way to avoid them.
Japanese beetles are originally grubs. So, you could start by getting rid of grubs.
"Beneficial nematodes, insect-eating nematodes, microscopic parasitic roundworms, seek out grubs in the soil." Milky spores also target grubs. - source

Some solutions:

Plant greenery that Japanese beetles don't like (list here)
Don't plant things they do like (roses, Japanese Maples, etc)
Plant a lot of garlic - Mother Earth News
(Garlic will ward off many predators, and is also great for cooking)
Make a spray out of garlic and water. Let the garlic soak, and then spray the bugs. If you need it a little stronger, add cayenne pepper
White-flowering geraniums and zinnias are also good. Yarrow also repels bugs, and can help other plants grow
Consider an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. "IPM uses biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical controls to keep pest populations below levels that cause economic damage."
Use traps (the bags they sell at Lowe's, etc). They attract more beetles, but most will end up in the trap. Change it frequently because they start to smell bad.
Plant catnip near roses to repel Japanese beetles (this is my plan for next year - lots of catnip and garlic)
More ideas and list of plants here.

Good luck!

Make the most of it

2007-08-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

A garbage strike in Vancouver, Canada, has had some interesting results. Workers have been on strike for a week, and instead of complaining, residents are recycling more and many have started composting. While the city works on ending the strike, it is also encouraging people to recycle to reduce the amount of trash they accumulate.

Here are some of the things the city has suggested, but I think we could all try some of these to reduce our impact:

an environmentalist's dream: separating wet garbage, crushing cans, adding grass clippings to the compost, letting grass grow longer (and setting your mower to mulch instead of throwing grass away), and put fruit and vegetable waste in the compost.

Will these waste-reducing residents hamper the striker's leverage? Possibly. If people use less, reduce their garbage, and learn to recycle and compost, the garbage collectors may not be as critical as they thought. The garbage strike won't be fun long-term, but it may get people to think about their consumption, and where it all goes.

The dangers of coal

2007-08-06T10:20:00.001-07:00

Here's another great reason for the country to move away from its dependence on coal. A coal mine in Utah has collapsed after a 4.0 earthquake, leaving 6 men trapped inside. This mine is southeast of Salt Lake City, in the desert of Utah - a great place to generate solar power. Coal-powered electricity is not only dangerous to the planet, but also to humans, in so many ways.

I hope those men get out alive.

Southern Ohio

2007-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

I graduated from Ohio University, and I loved Athens so much that my husband and I try to go down there every year for the Athens International Film Festival. We didn't make it this spring, so we went down for 2 days this week. We brought our dog, Kimse, and stayed in a cabin on Lake Hope. It was beautiful! We packed our food, and grilled every night. I enjoyed a Burrito Buggy burrito for lunch. Yum! Athens is such a fun town, and it's always interesting to drive the back roads and wonder about the people who live in Southern Ohio. Here are a few pictures of our trip.

On Friday, we took Kimse and rented a rowboat to paddle around Lake Hope. Kimse, of course, had to fall in. She's no fan of water, but she composed herself quite well after the experience.

I wanted to show you what poison ivy looks like. It can look different from time to time, so be careful. We saw some that had leaves bigger than your fist, and some with small leaves too. I've also read that poison ivy is heartier and more potent recently, possibly due to global warming (co2 is an excellent fertilizer for poison ivy), and clearing land for homes and shopping centers. Poison ivy normally grows on forest edges - where the trees end and grass begins. It also climbs trees, so check the ground around trees for signs of ivy. Leaves of three, let it be! It also has a little red where the leaves meet. Virginia Creeper has the red center, but it has 5 leaves.

What a wonderful trip. We relaxed and listened to the bugs, did a little sightseeing, and spent a lot of time in nature. It was very peaceful.

I like turtles

2007-08-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'll be out of town again for a few days.
Enjoy your weekend.

Sweet Kitty Litter

2007-08-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

A while back, I was reading Peppermint Lisa's blog and she wrote about a new kind of kitty litter called Swheat Scoop. It's made of wheat, ground down to the size of regular kitty litter.

The clay kind was nice at first, but the cats kicked up a lot of unhealthy dust, and a lot of plastic bags were used to remove the mess. Also, the clay kind is mined out of the earth, which is not so nice. This new wheat litter comes from a renewable resource, is biodegradable, and can be flushed down the toilet. It also smells better - more natural. You also don't need to put a plastic bag in the garbage every day - just flush it down the toilet.

One word of caution: my cat Lemon thought it was food, because his is sometimes given buckwheat pancake mix. To avoid that, sprinkle the old litter on top for a few days, but be sure to throw that out - don't flush it until it's pure Swheat Scoop.

be efficient: Wash your car on the grass.

Curious

2007-08-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you see or hear the word 'organic'?

Solar powered Indians

2007-07-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

Jacobs Field in Cleveland has partnered with Green Energy Ohio to install solar panels at the stadium. These solar panels will provide enough electricity to power all 400 tvs at the Cleveland Indians stadium. The Indians are the first American League team to use solar power.

Green Energy Ohio has worked in concert with Doty & Miller Architects to design and install 42 GE solar panels on a newly erected pavilion.

On the west coast, the San Francisco Giants have installed 590 solar panels to power their stadium, and other Pacific Gas & Electric customers. AT&T park will be the first baseball stadium with solar power.

AT&T Park was designed to save energy from the start by using fluorescent lighting, motion sensor lighting and energy management systems. The new scoreboard this year is said to use 78 percent less energy than the old scoreboard. . . . In addition, PG&E and the Giants are starting a five-year public awareness campaign to educate and encourage Giants fans to use energy responsibly.

I'm proud that Cleveland is leading the AL in new energy technology and public education about renewable resources.

simplify: Check out a book from the library.

World's 1st Green City

2007-07-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

China is building the world's first sustainable city, called Dongtan. Dongtan will be built on an island just north of Shanghai, and will include the following features:

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE: The city will create and harvest its own clean electricity.
CARBON BAN: Only zero-emissions vehicles will be allowed within city limits.
65% OPEN SPACE: Parks, waterways, and organic farms will permeate the landscape.
HIGH DENSITY GREEN BUILDING: Super efficient structures will be clustered in walkable neighborhoods.
WASTE REPURPOSING: 90% of all waste will be reused and/or entered into multiple loop cycles.

Dongtan aims to house 500,000 people by 2020 in a healthy, sustainable environment.

-GoodCommonSense.net.

Great Lakes Biodiesel

2007-07-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

We took a tour of the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland a few months ago, and were thrilled to learn about their environmental practices. They focus on sustainability to lower their costs, support local business, and help clean up the environment.

Great Lakes also hosts the Burning River Fest to educate people about water quality issues in NE Ohio. I can't list all of the wonderful energy-saving things that the Great Lakes Brewery does, so check out this page.

Here are a few things they do:

The shuttle bus, The Fatty Wagon, is run on vegetable oil from the restaurant
Some of GLBC office paper, etc, is composted and made into high quality fertilizer
Recycle nearly everything, and use recycled products for their 4- and 6-packs
so much more...

Great Lakes also held "Dog days of summer" a few weeks ago. The street was packed with people and dogs, and a good time was had by all.

Tip of the day: Teach your dog to fetch your beer. ;)

Dammed if you do

2007-07-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

This week, Portland General Electric began the largest dam removal in the Pacific Northwest in nearly 50 years.

Removing these two dams will allow water from the Columbia River to flow from Mt Hood once more, freeing fish and other wildlife to resume their natural habitat. Steelhead and salmon need fresh flowing water to survive, and "removal of Marmot Dam is a historic moment in salmon recovery taking place in the backyard of metropolitan Portland."

Eight feet of the 47-foot-tall Marmot Dam was removed by Tuesday afternoon and over the next two months there will be five more blasts, along with jackhammers working daily, company spokesman Mark Fryburg said.

"Today, this partnership took a great step toward restoring a breathtaking river for fish, wildlife and people," Portland General Electric CEO and President Peggy Fowler said in a statement.

Using dams to create electricity seems like a nice way to use a renewable resource (rushing water) to generate power, but the damage it does to the eco-system probably isn't worth it. As Portland General Electric saw, the dams will one day have to be removed to restore critical fish and wildlife. Portland electric consumers are fortunate to be able to use wind power, at a considerable discount. Wind and solar power allow electric companies to reduce their impact on the environment.

Unfortunately, NE Ohio is considering building more dams to generate electric power. Our current dams are posing health risks because the water downstream is so polluted. While power companies in the west are taking steps to remove dams, this seems like a step backward. Why not invest in wind and solar? We do get plenty of sunny days here, and plenty of wind too. I hope more companies follow the example of Great Lakes Brewing Company, and the Cleveland Indians stadium, and invest in renewable energy. (posts on those forthcoming)

Tip of the day: Use a Brita or Pur water filter pitcher instead of bottled water. (saves money, power, landfill space, and plastic)

Eat Up Fridays - Magic Burritos

2007-07-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to post a recipe every Friday. They will be filled with fruits or vegetables, grains, proteins, and flavor!

Terra's Magic Burritos

1 tomato
1 green pepper
1 can of black beans (or whatever beans you like)
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup edamame (a green bean - found near the frozen corn)
cheese, optional
tortilla shells

Dice the tomato and the green pepper. Rinse the beans. Cook corn and edamame according to package directions (you can boil them together). Drain water. Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl or reusable storage container. Spread as much as you want on a tortilla. Top with cheese. Microwave 45 seconds. Roll into burrito and microwave another 45 seconds.

This flavorful burrito is jam-packed with protein and vegetables. I usually make a batch when I know I won't be cooking much the rest of the week. It makes enough for at least 5 burritos. Enjoy!

USPS Goes Cradle to Cradle

2007-07-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

The United States Postal Service is the first shipper to be certified cradle to cradle. Essentially, the "cradle to cradle mantra suggest[s] a world where everything industry churns out can either be composted, reused or recycled into something else." After surpassing government minimum standards, the USPS went a step further to ensure energy reduction and sustainability.

"Based on the recycled content of the more than 500 million Express Mail and Priority Mail packages and envelopes the Postal Service provides its customers each year, more than 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions now will be prevented annually. Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes and envelopes also are 100 percent recyclable.

To achieve certification, all 200 suppliers contributing to the manufacture of Postal Service envelopes and packages completed a demanding series of measurements and assessments of materials for human and environmental health.

All materials were examined using 39 criteria for human and environmental health, including toxicity, renewable energy, water stewardship, recyclability and other manufacturing attributes. The Postal Service also worked with MBDC to gain certification for an additional 200 million pieces of mailing supplies used each year, including decals, labels, packing tape, examining inks, tapes and adhesives."

Well done.
- GreenBiz

Tip of the Day: When traveling, stay at a Green Hotel.

Lavender spray

2007-07-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

I have found the best mosquito repellent ever! My sister-in-law recommended it a few years ago and I've been using it ever since. Lavender oil. I just put a few drops in a bottle of water, spray it on, and the mosquitoes don't touch me! My husband uses it too, and we both swear by it. (10-15 drops in 6 oz.) The best part is, you don't have to shower off some sticky, chemically spray before you go to bed at night. And don't worry about using it on the kids. Unless they're allergic, it's safe for the little ones.

You can find lavender oil in the essential oils part of the natural foods section of a grocery store, a natural health foods store, or an herb shop. It costs about $8 for a small bottle, which will last well over a year. During spring and fall, I put a few drops in my lotion so I smell good, and already have my mosquito repellent on in case we eat outside. This site recommends putting it in a massage oil, but I've found water to work just fine.

Lavender water is also an excellent way to give you a refreshing clean feeling on a hot and humid day. Skip the 2nd shower on those sticky nights and just spritz on some lavender oil-water.

Tip of the day: Download music instead of buying cds - saves on packaging and transportation costs and waste.

HomeGrown Saturday Mornings

2007-07-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

Get some fresh, local food at the Saturday Farmer's Market at Lock 3 every Saturday from July 28 - September 22. Homegrown Saturday Morning begins at 9am and features fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, and all sorts of other local vendors.

Buying local fruits and vegetable helps our community, and also reduces pollution because your produce travels less to get to your table. And it tastes excellent!

(I've just returned from Baltimore and will update you soon on my trip. Yesterday's flight was canceled.)

Out of town

2007-07-21T17:36:00.001-07:00

I'll be out of town until Wednesday. Until the, check out the links on the right column.

Rain Barrel Day

2007-07-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

The Akron Beacon Journal featured a story about rain barrels in today's paper! I hope everyone takes advantage of this natural, renewable resource. We can have green plants, and not use treated water. I don't expect my water bill to go down because I just haven't been watering my plants this summer. But, now I can water them for free! And, they'll be healthier for it.

Link of the day: Calculate your carbon footprint, and find ways to reduce it.

Harry Potter's Happy Pages

2007-07-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night at midnight, the final book of the Harry Potter series will be released. I love just about anything that gets kids to read and Harry Potter is wonderful at engaging people's imagination and getting people excited about books. Thousands of bookstores, libraries, even towns will be having a party on tonight, in anticipation of the release of the 7th book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Good news... This 784 page book will be printed on recycled paper! J.K. Rowling requested that all her books be printed on recycled paper. American publisher Scholastic is using 30% postconsumer paper (get the deluxe edition for 100% pcp) in the US, and the Forest Stewardship Council will approve 2/3 of the paper, which means that the trees used did not come from endangered forests. This saves 130,000 trees (but how many were cut?). Canadian publisher Raincoast Books did even better and used 100% recycled paper on all the books.

Over 12 million copies will be printed in the first run. Printing this book on recycled paper will save so many trees. It's a good effort. I'm a little disappointed in the American publishers, and hope to see them use 100% recycled paper for future books.

Tip of the day: Turn lights off when you leave the room.

The Purpose of Dogs

2007-07-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mostly, to make people smile. To get us through the day. To provide endless love and affection. To inspire us to be better. Also:

Seeing Eye Dogs
Police Dogs
Hearing Dogs
Therapy Dogs (soon to be my dog, fingers crossed)
Search and Rescue Dogs
9/11 Heroes

Shall I go on? Dogs are here to enjoy life. End of story.

What does this have to do with the environment? I believe we are responsible to the environment, and to all living things. We should appreciate and be good to them. Doing so will bring us nothing but joy. (I really had to get that off my chest, in light of recent news, and keeping with my desire to be positive here.)

A couple of fun Friday quotes:

~ Happiness is a warm puppy. ~Charles M. Schulz
~ Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear. ~Dave Barry
~ The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. ~Andy Rooney
~ Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really. ~Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Ride the Rail, Bike the Trail

2007-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has a $2 fare for bicyclists. You can flag down the train and hop aboard with your bike, and then bike back to your starting point. It runs Wednesdays through Sundays during the summer - through August 31.

Get your bike out and enjoy the summer Towpath Trail.

Is Ford stepping up?

2007-07-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ford is teaming up with Southern California Edison with plans to test new rechargeable hybrid cars. SCE will receive one Ford plug-in hybrid this year, and possibly 20 by 2009 to test their "durability, range and impact on the power grid" said Susan M. Cischke, Ford senior vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering. (Wouldn't it be nice if the U.S. had a Department of Sustainability?)

The plan is to bring plug-in hybrids to the market more quickly. Plug-in hybrids are attractive because the car can be charged in a standard outlet. It uses battery power until the battery runs low, and then switches to the combustion engine. Therefore, in-town commuters will use little or no gas, and can still use their "electric" car for long trips. Until other sources of fuel are more readily available, this is the best technology we have.

I would love to have an electric car for short commutes, and a plug-in hybrid as the long-term car. *dreaming*

- Beacon Journal article.

Tip of the day: Unplug your cell phone charger and charge your phone in your car during your commute instead.

Welcome to terra, not terror

2007-07-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Why?
I'm starting this blog to discuss some earth-friendly activities going on around the world. I like to keep up on the progress that's being made to create an earth-friendly, less expensive, safe, energy-efficient place to live. I love doing whatever I can to save money, energy, and resources, so I'll show you my ideas, too.

What?
This will be a positive space for us to share what we're doing to reduce our footprint. I hope you enjoy reading about efforts to help our planet. (Negative comments are not welcome.)

When?
I plan to write something at least once a week. -that's a lot of progress!- I imagine this page will evolve over time, and I hope you check back once in a while to see what fun things are going on in the "green" world.

The name?
When Bush talks about the "war on terror," it usually sounds like "war on terra," which I jokingly take offense to. (Terra is Latin for Earth, and is also my name) Whether a war on the planet is actually his strategy is open for debate. We should focus on living in harmony with the earth, not living in fear.

My new Rain Barrel

2007-07-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

My new favorite thing... rain barrels. They collect water from your gutters via the downspout and store it for later use. It is beneficial to the plants, which don't need cold, treated tap water. Rain barrels also help you save money on your water bill, and re-use a resource that otherwise goes to waste.

I recently installed a rain barrel in my back yard. I am thrilled! My barrel holds 50 gallons, and originally held Greek pickled peppers. I plan to use it to water my wilting flowers, and keep the lawn more green than yellow. Mine cost $80 for the "blemished" barrel + $24 for the downspout diverter. I put it on a hose box, so the hose and the barrel are in one place, and to get more pressure from the elevated barrel.

The picture shows water rushing into the barrel, just minutes after we set it up. It took about 5 minutes in a heavy downpour for the barrel to fill, so it's important to have a hose diverter to move the water away from the house. The downspout diverter I got is nice because when the barrel is full, I just close it and the water flows down the downspout as normal.

Make your own!
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes is having a workshop in August on making your own rain barrel.

Tip of the day: Lower your thermostat 2 degrees in winter, and raise it 2 degrees in summer.

Solar Powered Zoo

2007-07-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

I went to the Cleveland Zoo last week and was thrilled to see that they are powering their speakers with solar panels. I love to learn about animal conservation, and to see energy conservation in use at the same time!

Solar is a renewable energy and is pollution free when used. Contrary to popular concerns, solar will still provide benefits when the sun isn't shining... When it is sunny, you're usually at work, and not using a lot of energy in your home, so the energy is stored for later use. When your solar storage runs out, you're back on the "grid" until the sun shines again. Imagine the $$ this could save.

Germany is currently leading the rest of us in solar power generation. (Germany is not exactly the sunniest place on Earth.) "It was not fear of power outages, high gas prices or tripled power bills, but economic incentives that jump-started the solar revolution in Germany...Producers of renewable energy get 43 cents for each kWh (kilowatt per hour) of solar power generated and 7 cents per kWh of wind energy generated." They're leading the way. I hope we follow soon!

Tip of the day: Reduce junk mail by visiting the Direct Marketing Association's "remove me" site.

Efficient Cars = More Jobs for Ohioans

2007-07-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

"Ohio is among seven states that would gain the most if car manufacturers would improve fuel economy, according to a study released Wednesday by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a national nonprofit organization in Massachusetts."

If the car industry had a fuel economy standard of 35 mpg by 2018, Ohio would gain 10,500 new jobs. These jobs are not only from the auto manufacturing sector, but many would be the result of consumers saving money on gas and spending it on retail, restaurants, and new homes. More fuel efficient cars may cost more, allowing the automakers to invest their revenue in new technology. As with some hybrids today, the gas savings would offset the higher price of the vehicle.

- Beacon Journal article.

Tip of the day: Buy fresh food instead of frozen. It takes 10 times more energy to freeze food.

Itsy bitsy progress

2007-07-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've read a couple of exciting things lately in the efforts to bring consumers a choice on their automobile energy sources. I love these ideas because they don't rely totally on gas, they're American, or they move us in a totally new direction.

Google.org announced it is offering $1 million to anyone who can create a 100-mpg plug-in hybrid, and another $10 million to develop the car. Love it! I would like to get off oil completely, but I really like the idea of a plug-in car. It is so much less expensive for the consumer. And once we start using solar and wind power, the plug-ins have absolutely no emissions. (Plug-ins currently would use your home's electricity, which is coal-based) Check out the video. A plug-in hybrid would allow you to use zero gas for your work commute, plus the flexibility to take longer trips without stopping at an outlet.

Saturn has created the hybrid Vue. While Saturn is the company that ditched the all-electric EV-1 a few years back (for no good reason) I applaud their development of hybrid technology. It's the first American hybrid. This is an SUV, so it gets an estimated 27 city, 32 highway mpg. Not great, but not too bad. I look forward to more exciting, green American cars.

Best for last... an Indian company, Tata Motors, will soon begin selling a car that runs on air! (pictured) It can go 68 mph and expected to have a range of 125 miles. Then you fill it with compressed air at the gas station!! (more articles) It seems there is talk of a air-car hybrid that uses compressed air most of the time, and a "bio-energy system" for more extended driving. The MiniCat and CityCat will cost less than $10,000.

(originally posted on The Chief Source)

Tip of the day: Combine shopping trips to reduce commute time.

Petri Burger

2007-07-18T10:16:00.001-07:00

A team of scientists has figured out a way to make meat without slaughtering farm animals! Instead, they're growing them in a laboratory. Here's how it goes: they take a few muscle cells from a live animal and let them grow and divide in a vat that maintains the animal's body temperature. Then it's continually stretched to keep the cells growing. A few weeks later, a sheet of meat can be peeled off and rolled into hamburger. Tada!

Sound gross? C'mon, the meat sold in stores now is already filled with so many chemicals, people would probably be better off having it grown in a petri dish. In fact, because cows are being fed corn and grains instead of grass, they have to be pumped full of antibiotics just to keep them alive. Those transfer to you when you eat them. It may not sound too bad to get your antibiotics with your meat, but remember, this is 1,200lb cow-grade antibiotics - not meant for a 150lb human.

However gross this new meat sounds, it will reduce the number of factory farm animals, which would mean a reduction in land and water pollution (1.6 billion tons of manure per year). The Dutch have invested nearly $5 million and plan to have the ground meat product in 6 years. The question is, would you eat it?

(originally posted on The Chief Source)

Tip of the day: Keep your car tuned up and proper tire pressure to increase efficiency.

It's Gettin' Hot In Here

2007-07-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is a must see. It felt strange to pay to see a slideshow presented by arguably one of the most boring speakers ever, but it was excellent, and well worth the $6. Gore was funny, and truly sincere. The most important part was that everything he presented was fact. Scientists have been studying the earth's temperature and the output of CO2 for years, and the results indicate that humans are truly having an impact on the temperature of our planet. It's true that the planet has gone through periods of heat and cold, but we are at record-breaking high temperatures, which follow almost exactly, the amount of CO2 released into the air. We are thickening the atmosphere through greenhouse gasses, which forces heat to stay inside our atmosphere. Some other notable facts:

Media
Over 928 scientists have written academic papers and studies regarding the effect of greenhouse gasses, and the human contribution to the problem, on our atmosphere. The number of times they've disagreed? 0. None. Nada. Zilch. 0. Our media has presented articles about the same topic. They presented doubt 53% of the time. Where are they getting their information? Certainly not from scientists. Perhaps they were told by Bush's Environment Chief, who was previously from the Oil Lobby. (When it was discovered he was editing documents, he resigned and went to work for ExxonMobil.)

Energy Consumption
Our use of fossil fuels is part of the problem. We must find alternative sources of energy. Not just to be rid of our dependence on foreign oil, but on oil altogether. But here's what the President of Shell Oil said: "I think energy independence is going too far." Wrong. Our country should be leading the development of new technology in energy - then we could sell our product all over the world, instead of relying on others to provide it for us.

What We Can Do
The technology is here to make a real and lasting impact. Here are several steps you can take to make a difference.

(originally posted on The Chief Source)

Tip of the day: Use more recycled paper products, including napkins, paper towels, notebooks, etc.

No cheese

2007-05-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

I stuck with it and cut the cheese (ha!) out of my diet. Much better! And, I found some soy cheese and rice cheese that actually melt. Awesome! We had pasta and swiss cheese on Sunday and I had a headache on Monday. No cheese, and no headaches the rest of the week. I definitely think it's the cheese. So, I guess now I'm an ovo-vegetarian. No more lacto. I don't even eat eggs very often, and when I do, they're egg-beaters.

Good news... G is going to do the cleanse when school is out. He said he'll do 7 days like I did. I'm going to do the last 3 days with him. Those were the hardest to resist food. I think the first few days are just fascinating that you can actually not eat. The last 3 were tough to be around food. Plus, I really like the effects and want to keep them going. I could definitely do 3 days at a time every 3 months or so. I'll never do it for 7 days again, but 3 days is fine.

I can't wait!

Day 8: Food!!

2007-03-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

I started the morning with the Smooth Move tea, just to get one more cleaning. My orange juice tastes heavenly. Greg said it's watery. Funny. We bought ingredients for soup all week. Good soup like split pea, corn and potato chowder, and minestrone today. We're going out to eat on Thursday, but we're going to an organic/healthy food restaurant, so that should be tolerable. Burrito for me? Maybe.

My usual food schedule is oatmeal or Bumpers for breakfast, yogurt covered pretzels at 9:30, banana at 11:00, lunch at 12:00, cheese & crackers and/or Bumpers to snack on all afternoon. I'm going to try to take out the yogurt covered pretzels and cut my afternoon snack portions in half. One thing I've learned on this cleanse is that I don't need to eat all day. It's had not to eat at work.

Glad to be done!

Day 7: Last day!

2007-03-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day. I have to say I'm pretty happy about it. I have really been missing solid food. The party last night was tough. Ralph brought mac n' cheese - homemade - and there was some nice greasy pizza and cookies. Yum! Of course I resisted.

My stomach still hurts before and after I go to the bathroom. I can't believe there's stuff coming out after not eating for 7 days. How can it be?! I feel pretty good overall about the results. I haven't had any of the usual aches and pains. I didn't achieve "mental clarity" but I did decide to limit my cheese intake - a lot. I'm going to get soy cheese and try to use that primarily instead, and only have real cheese occasionally, so that I can still tolerate it when we eat out.

Here's my plan for tomorrow: orange juice in the morning. Make minestrone for lunch and only drink the broth. Maybe a little rice in the afternoon. Eat the soup for dinner. That should be pretty good. I still have plenty of lemons on hand, so if I need to make my drink, I'll be able to.

Day 6: Almost there!

2007-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done. Tomorrow is my last day. Thank goodness. My stomach hurts occasionally today too. I've had a lot more tea than usual, which seems to help. But the point is to drink the lemon drink, I thought.

The party tonight will be tough. As I said, there will be lots of excellent food, and I'll get more weirdo looks than I already do for doing this. Oh well. I'll feel better when I'm done.

Speaking of feeling better, I haven't had any of the pains, etc, that I listed below since I started this. My left leg still goes numb, but I think that's more from my 14 lb Lemon sleeping on my legs all night. I'm feeling pretty good.

I've decided to start eating soy products instead of milk products. Do you ever think about the fact that humans are the only animals to continue to drink milk past infancy and childhood? And we drink the milk of another species. Yech! So, I'll get soy cheese and soy milk from now on. What about cottage cheese, yogurt and eating out? I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. The first two actually have health benefits, so maybe I'll keep eating them, in moderation of course. No cheese when I eat out. Sad.

I switched to Soy milk, reluctantly, a few weeks ago. Mostly because of this video. You have to watch it! Totally grossed me out of milk.

Unrelated: I'm so sad about the pets getting sick from bad food. It turns out there was rat poison in it! Those are some good brands, too. We buy our kids Nutro Naturals because it doesn't have corn and other fillers in it. That's one of the brands being recalled. Luckily, when the kitties get wet food, it's Paul Newman's because his is as close as you get to going to the meat counter.

Day 5: Worst

2007-03-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

My tummy doesn't feel so good today. I shouldn't have taken the garlic pill. It was unfair to the people who share the public bathroom, and I think it's hard on my stomach. I'm having a hard time drinking my lemon juice now. I think I should have used more syrup. Lessons learned.

Day 4: Morning

2007-03-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

My teeth hurt! They're really sensitive to cold. I imagine the acid from lemons and the sugar isn't great for teeth. Do I need calcium?

I'm not as hungry, which is great. I still miss food. I've decided that I'm going to end on Saturday. We have enough going on next week - going out to dinner, so I want to be able to eat regular food by Thursday. I'll start with soups, and try to leave out the cheese from all my meals.

I don't think I drank enough plain water yesterday. Today I'm going to drink a glass between each container of lemon juice.

Here's my reward for finishing on Saturday. I can't believe I've gone 3 1/2 days without eating!

Day 3: Noon

2007-03-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday wasn't too bad. Although, I started to get a migraine before bed. It continued into the morning but it's gone now. I have had headaches nearly every day until I started this, and now... none. I think I'll transition back to food a little at a time so I can pinpoint what causes the headaches. I don't eat a lot of processed food (fewer than 8 ingredients in everything I eat), so I'm not too concerned about that. I'm afraid it's cheese. :( I love cheese.

Today is ok. I feel so much lighter - not too full. But I'm at work today, where I can easily get bored and distracted. So, I feel much hungrier. My work day cycles around what I eat, so it's really hard. I've already had 3 glasses of tea and finished my 20 oz. lemon drink. I have to pace myself - I only have 32 oz. to last all afternoon. Plus, this week I have an hour for lunch. What do I do with myself?!

Lemon (my kitty) has been a great support. He sits on my lap and snuggles when I go #3. He's a little angel.

1:35 Update Well, I figured out what to do during lunch. I was in the potty the whole time! My tummy is hurting a little, but it usually does after I go - too empty. A little crampy too. I'm still hungry and cheese and crackers sound really good.

There's a party this weekend. Lots of good Italian food, and G's cousin usually makes lots of good vegetarian stuff. That will be extra tempting. Good pesto with sun dried tomatoes and cream cheese. Yum! Maybe I can take some home. *pout*

I'm freezing!

Day 2: Noon

2007-03-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

I went to bed hungry, but it felt more like 'I ate at 5 so now I'm hungry.' So, that was good.

I woke up at about 3:30am with cramps. Went to the bathroom around 4:00am. It seems all the solid food is gone already, which is good. I'm feeling alright. Maybe a little disoriented.

I stayed home from work because I didn't get enough sleep, and I just wanted to get one more day at home - plus, I don't know when the bathroom urge will hit and I want to know what the warning signs are. So, I'm glad I stayed home. I think I'll be ok to work tomorrow.

When I woke up, I took Kimse for a walk (in a blizzard in the middle of March) and then did my Kathy Kaehler workout and Pilates. I haven't done Pilates in a while, so that was fun. Although the girls on TV don't have a Rottweiler laying on the mat next to them!

I drank my Smooth Move tea first thing, while I made my lemon drink. It's noon, and I've had some of my Egyptian Licorice tea, and already had 32 oz of the lemon drink. It's amazing how full I feel when I drink it. I really like the taste too.

My muscles feel weird - they feel pretty tight, but it's also cold in here, so that could be why.

Day 1: Morning

2007-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

I had a nice Irish-type dinner last night. We had gnoccis with sage, sugar snap peas, and cheddar scones. Yum! It was a great dinner. I had tea for dessert. Around 10:30, I got a splitting migraine. One of the worst I've had in a long time. Nothing helped! I had a wet cloth on my neck, then some "icy-hot" type stuff on my neck, a neck massage, and went to bed. I took Excedrin around 12 and not even that helped. Finally, Lemon came and laid with me, and I tried to think about the Buddhist practice of "experiencing" the pain rather than suffering it. Somehow I was able to go to sleep that way and when I woke at 1:00 it was gone. Whew! I'm glad I'm doing this cleanse. My body really needs it.

I woke up starving of course. This will be a strong test of mind over matter. I have to keep telling my body that it's not hungry, and not getting any food anyway so quit acting hungry. We'll see how that lasts. I couldn't make my juice fast enough though.

I made my Smooth Move tea and my lemon juice. I love the tea and the juice! Consuming only these things won't be too bad, so far, since I really like the taste. The lemon juice has a nice thick texture - kind of yogurty. It takes about 2 lemons to make 4 servings of juice, so I'm thinking I'll go through 4 lemons a day. I don't even mind the cayenne pepper like I thought I would.

We bought 14 lemons yesterday ($1 each - ouch!), so I'll have to get more mid-week. I also got a "Fasting" tea that has some "hunger-prevention" herbs. That will be good. All herbal tea - no caffeine. I like my juicer too. It's manual, but it's a lot easier than I thought. Plus, I can pick out some pulp to make the juice thicker. My drains will be smelling pretty good for these 10 days.

Starting the Master Cleanse

2007-03-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

I'm starting the Master Cleanse tomorrow. It involves eating nothing for 10 days, and drinking a mixture of lemons, maple syrup, water, and cayenne pepper. Crazy! I can also have tea. In fact, every morning and evening, I will have a tea called Smooth Move - a laxative tea. You're supposed to do a salt water cleanse (drink sea salt water), which I will try a few times, but I think I'll end up sticking with the tea. The goal is to flush all the nasty stuff out of my body. There's a lot in there. I haven't been feeling tip-top lately, so I think this will really help. I want to record how I'm feeling now so I notice a difference.

Here are some observations/aches/discomforts:
-upset stomach after lunch
-pouchy tummy not going away, despite not eating cookies for 2 months and doing sit-ups almost every day
-need to take Tums every day
-occasional acid reflux (I think)
-left leg goes numb a lot
-headaches
-neck, back soreness
-vertigo
-grouchy
-tired
-short attention span/fidgety

I'm afraid of a few things:
-I anticipate a huge headache.
-I hate going to the bathroom, so that part will be particularly unpleasant.
-I usually get dizzy if I don't eat often enough. I think I'm hypoglycemic, so I'm a little nervous about that.
-I hate doctors, so I'm going at this on my own, which is not recommended, but oh well.

Let's see what happens...

About the Master Cleanse

2007-03-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the official information on the Master Cleanse, if you're interested.

The Master Cleanse book
Raw Food Diet - Master Cleanse
The Lemon Drink
Wikipedia - (questionable)

These blogs inspired me to do the Master Cleanse. Gross! But, totally awesome results. I'm looking for my belly pouch to disappear, but mostly for the mental clarity and the overall good feeling.

Dorklepork
Yes They're Fake