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Here’s the type of conundrum that Wendy Richardson often finds herself debating: If she is three miles from her office and realizes she has forgotten her reusable water bottle, is it more environmentally friendly to drive her Toyota Prius hybrid back to get it, or to walk 100 feet to a convenience store and buy a bottle of water?
Most people wouldn’t even think twice about buying the bottle of water, then tossing it in the trash. But Richardson is the type of person who tries, with everything she does, to literally help save the world.
A barrage of news about rising global temperatures, melting polar ice caps and other potentially disastrous environmental changes has prompted many people to recycle a bit more or consume a bit less.
“We’re seeing mushrooming interest in this, and it’s not just traditional environmentalists as you might think of them,” says Alexandra Kennaugh, who leads the Natural Resources Defense Council’s green lifestyles initiatives. “These aren’t just people who are wearing Birkenstocks and smell like patchouli.”
Some of those people, like Richardson, are taking that commitment to the extreme, trying to incorporate environmentalism into virtually every aspect of their daily lives.
Richardson, who lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids, drinks her coffee out of a reusable mug, abstains from meat and mostly buys secondhand clothes and toys to reduce her carbon footprint. She favors organic and local food whenever possible and even keeps a garden at the offices of Nerdy Books, where she works as an author and editor. Her family uses only environmentally friendly cleaning products.
She composts waste and is the go-to person in her community for gathering old printers, computers, batteries and other technology-related trash for recycling. When her kids have birthdays, there are no balloons, individual soda cans or goodie bags. If she gives a gift, it’ll be wrapped in newsprint, not commercial wrapping paper.
“We just basically stop before we consume and think,” she says.
With so many major environmental problems to tackle, from pollution-spewing factories in China to disappearing rainforests, it’s easy to question whether one person’s decision to abstain from plastic bags or water bottles can make a difference. But environmental advocates argue that if more people start taking personal action, corporations and governments will follow.
“I do think that individuals do make a difference,” says Jonathan Harrington, author of the how-to book “The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs and Save the Planet.” “It’s a bit like voting – if no one votes, then the system collapses.”
People who are making a deep green commitment say they at least feel better about themselves and the future.
When she was in high school, Michelle MacKenzie used to donate her babysitting money to environmental groups, and her devotion to saving the planet continued in college. But then she got involved in starting her career and, later, having kids, and “I just kind of forgot about it,” she says.
About a year ago, the stay-at-home mom took her two kids to the library to get some books about Earth Day. As they were reading them, it struck her how little her family was doing to help the planet.
“Literally, the first thing I did was, I went to Whole Foods and got a reusable bag,” she recalls. “It’s so, so small and I felt so empowered.”
At first, she just brought the bags to the grocery store. Then she started using them for other purchases. Soon she was recycling, composting, buying local food, making more trips on her bicycle and shopping at thrift stores and garage sales instead of Target and the mall.
These days, MacKenzie, who lives in northern California, says gardening and line-drying her clothes have become routine parts of her life. Instead of taking a “huge carbon suck” of a vacation to Hawaii or Mexico, she and her family recently rented a cabin at a nearby national park. Because this is the 21st century, of course she blogs about the whole thing.
“I guess I just kept feeling like, the environment, it’s not in a great place. I want to have a nice place to leave my kids,” she says.
Kennaugh, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, likes to tell people to start with the small stuff, as MacKenzie did. Swap out your light bulbs for the more efficient kinds. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Don’t open the oven while you’re cooking. If you live in Colorado and see strawberries on sale in December, think about the carbon output it took to get them to the store.
“Once you do one thing, it’s easier to do another thing and another thing and another thing,” she says.
John Tarantino didn’t even recycle much until about two years ago, when he moved from California to Eugene, Ore., and was struck by the potentially toxic impact of field burning there. Soon, he was volunteering with a local environmental group and meeting more environmentally minded people.
Now, the 24-year-old Tarantino is a hybrid driver who buys his recycled paper towels at the local grocery store and his produce at the farmer’s market and is always pestering his office colleagues to turn off the lights and printers. Lately, he’s even bought a couple of organic cotton T-shirts. (And, yes, he also has a blog.)
“I feel that that it’s almost like a misperception that being green, you have to make a sacrifice,” he says. “Me, I don’t think I’m sacrificing at all. I’m just making different choices.”
His family doesn’t necessarily see it that way, however, especially since his dad is in the meat industry, and Tarantino has given up fast food and meat in favor of locally produced tofu pate and other vegetarian fare.
“Everyone in my family thought I was crazy,” he says.
Still, Tarantino thinks he has been able to go green more easily than others because he is young, single and makes a good living as an electronic engineer.
“I get that all the time: ‘I don’t really think you can do that with kids. It’s a rich, single person’s game,’” says MacKenzie, the northern California mother of two.
But MacKenzie says she hasn’t found it hard for her kids to adjust. In fact, she thinks her kids actually enjoy going to the thrift store more than Target, because there’s so much variety. Her older son, who is 5, has a globe in his room and likes to try to understand where things come from, while her 3-year-old recently expressed mixed feelings about eating a honey stick flavored with watermelon because he knew watermelon wasn’t in season.
MacKenzie also doesn’t think her new environmental devotion costs significantly more money than her old life. While organic and local food can be more expensive, she saves money by doing things like making more food from scratch and buying secondhand items.
It may take more time to go to the farmer’s market than to drop by Safeway, she says, but it’s more interesting.
In New Jersey, Richardson says she is willing to pay a bit more to support a local business or buy organic produce if it means that in the long run the planet will be better off and there will be more choices for people who want to shop like she does. It helps that she tries not to be a big consumer.
Richardson’s kids, who are 8 and 10, are by now so accustomed to being eco-conscious that when they see their peers eating meat, Richardson says they are more likely to give a lecture on how the rainforest is hurt by raising animals for slaughter than to salivate over the carnivorous indulgence.
In that way, they are following in their mother’s footsteps. Richardson said she’s come to think that the best thing she can do for the environment is to educate others. She’s penned a book – “Just The Tips, Man For Protecting the Environment” – and has spoken at schools about making sustainable choices. A little more than a year ago, she made an enormous T-shirt to illustrate to her church the environmental and other costs of overseas clothing production.
“One thing I learned was (that) spreading the word is probably one of the best things you can do. I still do all the same things, but when I throw away a paper towel I don’t panic anymore,” she said.
Sometimes, though, it’s hard to speak up. Take those water bottles Richardson frets about. Environmentalists have expressed alarm about the number of disposable bottles that end up in landfills, but Richardson is hesitant to bring it up because she knows that, for most people, they are simply too convenient to give up.
She has similar feelings about teaching people to recycle properly, which often means reading the fine print from your waste management company, checking the numbers of the bottom of packaging and painstakingly sorting things into the appropriate bins.
“It’s very time-consuming, and you don’t want to really say that to people because then if it’s not convenient you’re going to have a difficult time (getting people) to do it,” Richardson says.
And, of course, there’s that unending list of more things that could be done. Richardson and her husband still take airplane trips, despite the environmental cost, and they could cut their carbon footprint by moving closer to their downtown area instead of living in the country.
Even as a young, single guy, Tarantino makes choices out of convenience sometimes, like driving to work – albeit in a hybrid – instead of biking or taking public transportation. Also, although being environmentally friendly is partly about living a simpler lifestyle, he admits there are status symbols surrounding it. He refers to his 2006 Honda Civic hybrid as “kind of an eco-bling thing.”
MacKenzie still drives her minivan and admits that, when she first started making changes, she missed going to Target and picking up little things for the house or the kids. But it got easier.
“I have to say, I’m so much happier living this way. Every day is much more meaningful and thoughtful,” she says.
“We really underestimate the power of one person, and if you give up and get too depressed, then where are you going to end up? We’re going to have to make some changes but, hey, it’s a better life anyway,” MacKenzie adds. “I definitely think one person can make a difference, and if we think the other way we can get nowhere.”
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{"commentId":1842045,"authorDomain":"alolson"}
A barrage of news about rising global temperatures, melting polar ice caps and other potentially disastrous environmental changes has prompted many people to recycle a bit more or consume a bit less.
Have you changed your consumer habits because of environmental concerns? Tell us your story.
{"commentId":1842045,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"alolson"}
- 4 votes
#1 - Mon May 26, 2008 3:37 PM EDT{"commentId":1844427,"authorDomain":"tiffanykingstonmorrison"}
It started with the occasional purchase of something organic from the grocery store. I recycled but only if it was convenient, like if a recycle bin was right by the trash can or there was a recycle pickup in the neighborhood. I already shopped at thriftstores but not for the environmental concerns, it was more about my hip fashion sense. That was about six years ago. Ideologically I totally supported the cause but my lifestyle didn't match. About three years ago I started getting more serious about it. The more I read and the more small changes I made I realized changing my habits wasn't that big of a deal and it was possible to make more changes and get closer to aligning my lifestyle with my values. Today my husband and I compost and recycle *gasp* even without a city pick-up service. We use Saturday mornings to take all our non-compostable recycleable materials to the recycle center. Between composting and recycling our trash bin may take two to three weeks to get full enough to be worth our time hauling it to the curb for regular trash pick up. We have started growing our food and buying whatever produce we dont grow from our local farmers market. If the local markets don't have meat then we buy organic meat from the grocery store. As far as organic shopping at the supermarket goes, I now check to see where the products are coming from as religiously as some people read labes for calories and carbohydrates. I try not to buy anything that comes from outside my region. I recently started baking bread in hopes of freezing enough so I don't have to buy any from the store. My husband and I made a huge change a year ago by actually relocating to a more agriculture friendly region. We now live in an area where farmers markets and backyard gardens are as common as fast food restaurants and gas stations in large metropolitan areas. Additionally, we bought a used motorcycle this year so we could park our truck and reduce the amount of fuel we need for transportation. I have been reading books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, People with Dirty Hands by Robin Cotzinoff, and Stronger than Dirt by Kim Schaye for inspiration and motivation when my discipline wanes. This year I made the biggest change yet. A career change. I quit my lucrative corporate job in the education research field and took a paycut (giving me a new reason to downsize and be more aware of my consumer choices) working for a university so I can go to go school for free and earn my degree in environmental science. I have yet to concetrate on a discipline, but am so happy about my future prospects. I look forward to spending my days playing in the dirt and growing things. Cheers to living in the green patch!
{"commentId":1844427,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"tiffanykingstonmorrison"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1845334,"authorDomain":"oboyluckyu"}
Yes - I have. I live in San Francisco.
-I have not owned a car since 2002 - I walk to work everyday. Take public transit around the city if I have to go other places in the city that I can't walk to.
-I keep 3 canvas grocery bags in my briefcase (the briefcase that I salvaged because someone wanted to throw it away in my office).
-I work with my lights off because I have huge windows that let the sun in all day.
-I keep all non essential electrical equipment at home unplugged until I need them.
-All lights are CFL's at home (yes, we have an issue now with mercury and disposal - unforeseen consequence).
-I contribute a % to PG&E of my electrical bill (which is only about $12 a month anyway)
-I have not turned on my heat at my apartment in two years
-I eat what I buy and never buy more than I need
-I recycle everything that can be recycled
-I live by the 10 R's of Sustainabiliy:
1. Reuse
2. Recycle
3. Reduce
4. Re-Engineer
5. Reward
6. Retrain
7. Rethink
8. Replenish
9. Respect
10. Refuse
{"commentId":1845334,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"oboyluckyu"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1842223,"authorDomain":"JTnews"}
I ride my electric scooter to work now, its fun!
{"commentId":1842223,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"JTnews"}
- 2 votes
#2 - Mon May 26, 2008 5:11 PM EDT{"commentId":1844425,"authorDomain":"susiemaddux"}
Yes! I dropped out of the silicon valley design scene to start the best reusable bag business. I couldn't stand designing one more plastic high tech product! I founded Hero Bags. Hero Bags are environmentally and socially responsible. All our bags and totes are made in the USA out of environmentally friendly materials such as recycled cotton. Check them out as www.herobags.com
{"commentId":1844425,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"susiemaddux"}
- 2 votes
#3 - Tue May 27, 2008 11:58 AM EDT{"commentId":1844869,"authorDomain":"tiffanykingstonmorrison"}
Awesome!
{"commentId":1844869,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"tiffanykingstonmorrison"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1844450,"authorDomain":"allison-linnmsnbc"}
Susanne - That's great to hear your story about starting your bag business. The people who read our previous story in this series, about buying American, might also like to hear about it!
{"commentId":1844450,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"allison-linnmsnbc"}
- 2 votes
#4 - Tue May 27, 2008 12:04 PM EDT{"commentId":1844586,"authorDomain":"tim-288490"}
If everyone in the world thought this way it would probably be beneficial to our environment. Sadly the ones practicing these ecologically sound habits are the minority. Remember we are all on the same planet and although we try to do our part, there are countless other countries more heavily populated that do not share your beliefs. While I agree with what you are doing, I feel it is all in vain until the rest of the world joins in.
{"commentId":1844586,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"tim-288490"}
#5 - Tue May 27, 2008 12:47 PM EDT{"commentId":1844658,"authorDomain":"annsand"}
if you aren't aware of FreeCycle, it provides a great way to recycle and avoid throwing things away. when my son furnished his first apartment, we found many items listed on freecycle that were in fine shape. it is a free service. you can go to and type in freecycle and your city and state to see if there is a group in your location. you can sign up to get emails or daily mailings. I recommend the individual emails, as "good" items go quickly.
you see EVERYTHING listed from baby items to furniture to building materials, paint, a little bit of all you can imagine.
{"commentId":1844658,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"annsand"}
- 1 vote
#6 - Tue May 27, 2008 1:11 PM EDT{"commentId":1844676,"authorDomain":"peteskenandore"}
I found a great article that I read over and over at www.gardenview.com
Looks like it was written quite some time ago, but is still relevant.
{"commentId":1844676,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"peteskenandore"}
#7 - Tue May 27, 2008 1:16 PM EDT{"commentId":1844681,"authorDomain":"annsand"}
Freecycle is an outstanding service - you go to yahoo.com and search groups for the Freecycle group in your city. You find postings for EVERYTHING from baby items, to furniture, to clothes, to home furnishings, a little bit of EVERYTHING! My son furnished a great deal of his first apartment free this way.
You can sign up for individual offering emails or daily postings of all offers. I would recommend individual email offerings, as items go quickly.
This a great way to avoid sending things to the landfills and conserve on all sorts of materials and decrease need for purchasing items.
{"commentId":1844681,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"annsand"}
- 1 vote
#8 - Tue May 27, 2008 1:17 PM EDT{"commentId":1844712,"authorDomain":"rampant1"}
I decided to not have children. That alone blows away all recycling, hybrid driving, non-meat eating stuff other folks are doing. Sure, I replaced the incandescent lightbulbs & do recycle, but the root of the problem is there are simply too many people on the planet.
{"commentId":1844712,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"rampant1"}
- 1 vote
#9 - Tue May 27, 2008 1:26 PM EDT{"commentId":1844882,"authorDomain":"tiffanykingstonmorrison"}
My husband and I agreed to our own form of population control. Not quite as drastic but close. No more than two biological babies will be allowed, if we find ourselves truly wanting more children then we will adopt.
{"commentId":1844882,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"tiffanykingstonmorrison"}
{"commentId":1846965,"authorDomain":"raccooncottage"}
To all those that have decided to adopt rather than create MORE people --THANKYOU.
Over-population is the CRUX of the problem here, and when we hit 9 BILLION in less than
20 years at the going rate, we will look back (those of us still living in what HAS to have become a disgusting cesspool of a planet) and ruefully shake our heads at our "ancestors" that thought that switching to a travel mug or a reuseable tote bag would save us.
Fine, clean up after yourselves, don't be a glutton about consumption and pay attention to the damage you do as you go about your daily life--absolutely, those are good, decent ways to conduct yourself. But face the fact, there are too many of us, and until we DECREASE global population to a sustainable level (say, 2 BILLION...) we are still just circling the drain.
{"commentId":1846965,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"raccooncottage"}
{"commentId":1844894,"authorDomain":"bhatgirl"}
Nope, all my consumer habits are based on financial considerations. I think for most people this is true as well.
My husband & I consume less combined than many single individuals and we are happy enough without a bunch of stuff.
The push to go "green" is linked primarily to morality but as the saying goes follow the money (which is a very real concern for most people in this world).
More people will go "green" when they are convinced that they can save money but can do so without significantly reducing their standard of living or limiting their choices. The individuals interviewed for this article, demonstrate this concept.
{"commentId":1844894,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"bhatgirl"}
#10 - Tue May 27, 2008 2:24 PM EDT{"commentId":1844928,"authorDomain":"lauriebee"}
I got rid of all my plastic in favor of all glass for food storage, recycle so much the city service left me a note of thanks, have all cloth bags in favor of plastic or even paper, and I am selling my extra lot to cut down the current yard work which translates into less water usage. That was just the start. Our office recycles and everyone turns off lights when not in use. I shop thrift & consignment stores for clothes & furniture. I even found a website that sells eco friendly surf products for my guy who surfs. Believe me, where there is a will, there is a way!
{"commentId":1844928,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"lauriebee"}
#11 - Tue May 27, 2008 2:35 PM EDT{"commentId":1845052,"authorDomain":"marzypants1"}
Wow! See? With adoption you can even recycle children! :-D
{"commentId":1845052,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"marzypants1"}
#12 - Tue May 27, 2008 3:20 PM EDT{"commentId":1845292,"authorDomain":"eliboone"}
I just bought a motorless Reel lawnmower for my yard and I love it. My yard used to take about 45 minutes to mow with a gas powered mower. It now takes an hour but I love the feeling of satisfaction from not relying on gas to run it. (I also love the increase in heart rate it gives me) I recyle pop cans and bottles, but unfortunately my town doesn't offer paper and plastic recycling. :(
{"commentId":1845292,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"eliboone"}
#13 - Tue May 27, 2008 4:38 PM EDT{"commentId":1845359,"authorDomain":"angelicatt"}
I too have committed to not having kids and not owning a car. I carpool in the morning and take the public bus in the afternoon (the bus runs on natural gas so there is at least some decrease in emissions). I work at a restaurant who's entire menu is from sustainable and/or local produce and we even recycle the oil to a bio-fuel organization. I buy everything I can from the local farmer's market using my cloth bags to traipse it home. Every bulb in my condo has been changed over to incandescent light bulbs and we do not use the A/C (no matter how hot it gets). I've signed myself and my entire family up to Greendimes.com (they get rid of junk mail) and volunteer at the local co-op while planting my own herbs and vegetables using Earth box (earthbox.com) on my porch. I also manage all the recycling programs at my work and condo complex (for the electronic stuff that the garbage co won't pick up). I'm determined to be as green as I can...every little helps.
{"commentId":1845359,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"angelicatt"}
#14 - Tue May 27, 2008 4:53 PM EDT{"commentId":1845673,"authorDomain":"jonlemerand"}
this is mostly bologna....CO2 is a naturally occuring part of our atmosphere & climate variations have occurred throug-out the history of earth.........human produced CO2 is neglible in this process....stop wasting your time.
JSL
{"commentId":1845673,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"jonlemerand"}
#15 - Tue May 27, 2008 6:41 PM EDT{"commentId":1845918,"authorDomain":"raccooncottage"}
Great to see Consumer preferences are changing toward more sustainable living. Finally! That being said, I feel compelled to mention the proverbial "800 lb. Gorilla in the room"; namely, our planetary over-population problem. 6.5 BILLION people....even living "Greener than Green" is still a gargantuan amount of consumption and waste. Now fast-forward 20 years to the projected 9 BILLION of us little resource-suckers milling about. What's a planetary eco-system to do?
Bottom line folks: We either have to voluntarily curb our reproductive activities with a goal of REDUCING our net population on this planet to say a nice sustainable 2 BILLION or so, or Mother Nature will do the job for us. She's already trying, and let's face it, we are now at the stage where no one in his right mind would even consider drinking unfiltered/untreated water. WATER for heaven's sake! That's just what a toxic cesspool we have created, and now find ourselves steeping in.
The religous people might say "God told us to go forth and populate the earth". My answer to that is OK--done THAT. Time to move on to the next task. He didn't tell us to OVERPOPULATE the earth!
And I'm not advocating anything rash...no need to kill yourself, your neighbour or abort anyone. But for pity's sake (for ALL our sakes) STOP BREEDING. To this generation...sit this one out. Adopt.
If we do this, in 100 years, our population will naturally stabilze such that we can reasonably expect to continue as a species on this lovely planet, once again, full of bio-diversity.
If we don't -- we perish. It's not the planet that is in peril here...It's US.
{"commentId":1845918,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"raccooncottage"}
#16 - Tue May 27, 2008 8:11 PM EDT{"commentId":1846235,"authorDomain":"texassolarcookers"}
I started off with solar cooking, then got into reusable bags, reusable bottles, and refillable pens. I put a galvanized metal roof on my house (this one saves *lots* of money here in south Texas!). I drive a small car that gets great mileage. I take really good care of my things so they'll last - I've had my car 17 years, I've had some shoes for 15 and some clothes for 10. There are only CFLs in my house. I have a sunroom on the south side of the house that provides heat and lots of light for my house in the winter. My favorite wine is grown and sold about 30 miles from my house. I manually grind my coffee beans and use a French press. I'm looking into composting and starting a small garden. I'm also looking into putting up a clothes line and maybe a solar panel or two.
Unfortunately, a lot of the produce sold at local farmers markets is astronomically priced and not very good quality - For example: $4 for a small (2-lb.) basket of tomatoes, and only the top layer was any good - the rest were rotted.
{"commentId":1846235,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"texassolarcookers"}
#17 - Tue May 27, 2008 9:38 PM EDT{"commentId":1846884,"authorDomain":"kamar-69"}
I have listened to people on both sides of this argument for years. Don't get me wrong, I am only 26. But come on people, giving up meat will not "save the world". That is a dietary change. And yes, it may mean that maybe an animal will not be killed you need to look at the larger view. Our species has been a hunter and gatherer group as far back as our own records can show. Yes, human kind has killed off several species but ask yourself how many more have changed by normal climate changes? Or do we blame our race for that as well for using fire to stay warm and to cook?
On the note of factories hurting the earth, uhm...the last time I checked none of the world's factories can equal the damage incurred by an earthquake or another type of natural disaster. The earth has been around far longer than we have and it will outlive us. Greenpeace and etc groups are looking at the reactions that can cause our own species harm. The planet will regrow.
Please don't get me wrong, I support eating healthier as well as recycling since that is something that makes sense. I ask everyone who reads this post ( before I get flamed) this, how much of the meat and produce currently found in supermarkets are grown for that purpose? We have been raising animals and vegetables/fruit/etc for several thousand years. That will never change nor has it hurt the planet. What hurts is when you have people willing to pay more for something, which encourages others to focus on greed.
Stopping people from drinking out of plastic bottles or eating meat or giving up their cars and etc is not the answer. The true answer is stopping those focused on nothing but greed to stop mass-producing everything. Factories can be tooled to be "healthier" as can everything else that is produced. None of that will ever matter until people stop buying overpriced products.
I expect to be flamed on part or maybe all of this post, but I do not care. It is my view, agree or disagree as you wish. Remember, to "save" our world we need to first stop being fools with our purchases.
{"commentId":1846884,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"kamar-69"}
#18 - Wed May 28, 2008 1:46 AM EDT{"commentId":1847732,"authorDomain":"m12"}
I started a blog for "eco savvy shoppers" because I was switching over to a more eco-conscious lifestyle. We feature a daily dose of green news, as well as reviews of eco-friendly, sustainable products and services. Feel free to check it out @ alternativeconsumer dot com
{"commentId":1847732,"threadId":"269990","contentId":"1513005","authorDomain":"m12"}
#19 - Wed May 28, 2008 10:26 AM EDT{"commentId":1852890,"authorDomain":"rawliving"}
I have been living off the grid solar power for 8 years. My house is oriented for passive solar gain. If houses were constructed to the proper solar exposure all over the country would be a massive savings and less carbon emission. That is simply changing where the windows are located and creating shade in the West.
I have had a lifetime of experience in wholesale food distribution.I saw shortages and increases in food costs coming a few years ago. There is a lot of inefficiency in the import , transportation and distribution of foods. The best foods in my opinion are organic. There is a nasty word going around in the supermarket and it is called "conventional" . To me Conventional means with toxic products. It means the producer used a product that is not natural, it is to either help growth, kill insects or prevent disease.
A healthy strong plant does not need this and a healthy body does not need toxins.
After growing up in the '60's with all the dream of creating a better environment we forgot it all in a shopping frenzy.
My contribution to others is to use my food distribution skills to lower the prices of many organic foods. Two years ago I started an on line/offline Super Foods store and we offer the lowest prices, lots of savings through bulk packaging and free shipping with min. orders. We do giveaways, sponsor environmental groups around the world. If you hunger for some real foods, full of super energy check out our efforts at www.organiclivingfood.com ... we happily offer information at no charge. There are many unique and powerful foods that grow in the tropics and other remote areas of the planet which can be produced sustainably and offer opportunities like never before.
"Food is Thy Medicine ... and Medicine is thy Food"
Eat Healthy food, live longer and healthier,
To good water ... good air !!!! How did we lose them in this vast land of Natural beauty.
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#20 - Thu May 29, 2008 2:33 AM EDT{"commentId":1868124,"authorDomain":"LocallectualKB"}
I do many of the "normal" green things such as bringing my own bags to the store, belonging to a CSA, eliminating plastic water bottles in favor of reusable ones, recycle religiously, composting, buying organic and local whenever possible, I gave up meat many years ago... But I wanted to do more, and one of the things that bothered me a lot was that while the "eat local" movement is really gaining momentum, I felt that the sometimes the same thought does not go into the distance that other consumer goods might travel. So, along with my co-founder, I launched a new online consumer tool for those who are concerned with the origin of the product they purchase: www.Locallectual.com. It covers all products - including but not limited to food.. That is great if you go to the farmers market and pick up your local produce, but what if your T-shirt and everything else in your house came all the way from China? What is the environmental impact of that situation? Not to mention the impact on the domestic and regional economy. Obviously, a 100% locally supported lifestyle is pretty near impossible, but what if we compressed the percentage of items that we procure from abroad by just, say, 10 percent... what would happen? How about 20 percent? But it is always a challenge for me, I always felt at the mercy of what was available. Eat Local groups and the 100 mile diet and the Slow Food Movement among others were helping the local food movement. We found the resources in finding other locally or domestically made goods lacking in many ways so decided to create our own. Our goal is really to help consumers make purchases that align with their ideals. Anyway, this is our way of trying to affect some social change, making it easier for everyone to find goods made closer to home.
By the way, the Hero bags mentioned above, I recognize from our site! It is actually a wiki-type site so you can add a company you know about if they are not on there already, your own or just one you have used. We have both a producer section and retailer section, so you can find out what is made near you, and also where to buy it. There is also a filter for eco-friendly companies. You can also do ratings and reviews. It is a very interactive site! We are so proud and excited, we have been working on it behind the scenes since last year and now that it has launched we still are working on it and growing it every day.
Karen Beauford
www.Locallectual.com
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#21 - Sat May 31, 2008 11:51 PM EDT{"commentId":1926276,"authorDomain":"Toots"}
Firstly, let me say thanks to MikeWV. I just can't believe some of the things I read from people in their 20's, 30's, 40's. I remember when sheets of plastic first became available for wrapping food. Not too long ago my granddaughter asked me if I was still washing ziploc bags...U Betcha. I only throw one away if it is no longer useable. Aluminum foil: I wash and salvage every bit I can. Dishwasher: I've had one for 14 yrs. in my home and probably haven't used it 12 times; they generally take 32 gallons of water, plus the electricity. Dryer: take items out before completely dry and hang. The washer takes 110 volts; the dryer takes 220 volts. Purchasing cloth totes for groceries? For God's sake...be creative and learn to SEW. Best If Used By on canned goods...this one amazes me. I used to home can 3,000 quarts of food every year while raising my children; if the jars are still sealed 5 years or more later, the food is still good...so what is all this Use By crap? If a can of food is sealed properly it should still be good; if a leak, or it doesn't smell right, throw it out. Don't take chances on beans or spinach...cook thoroughly. Mike is right...the human race has been hunters/gatherers for eons. Unfortunately, one cannot get really good meat anymore unless purchased from a farmer or a butcher shop. Buy the cheaper cuts; get creative again with marinades. The human body needs meat...but you don't need expensive steak! Boxed cereals/Cheerios: Cheerios has trisodium phosphate in it...a poison that keeps them crispy, but they are touted to lower your cholesterol; ever heard of Oatmeal??? or any other cooked cereal? Put a glop of butter in your oatmeal, shake on some cinnamon (very good for you), sugar & milk...delicious. Malt O Meal...just look at the label and all the good things it has in it; much cheaper than boxed dry cereals. It is absolutely beyond my comprehension that kids eat breakfast at school, and Mom just can't find the time to make them a lunch. Pudding in a little plastic cup? That one blows me away. Ever heard of Tupperware...and the responsibility it teaches a child to bring it back home? My sons are in their 40's...and they still have their first lunch box. And aside, I worked in offices all the time they were growing up! I sewed my daughter's dresses, boys shirts, a lot of my clothing. We are all thrift store bargain hunters, and since we aren't competing to be on the 100 Best Dressed, who cares as long as we are clean and look neat. When I was growing up my skirts were made from colored/flowered/patterned chicken feed sacks. Change your light bulbs/make kids turn them off when not in use. Only allow so much time in front of the TV or on the computer. And speaking of computers, when do you expect your kid to learn to type correctly above 40 wpm? (I used to type 97 wpm on an old standard typewriter!) That provided me with an income for many years. Organic food: when you purchase organic carrots, don't you cut the ends off, scrape off the peeling, then wash thoroughly? If you don't, then you are eating organic; if you do, then it is logical that you have disposed of any pesticides on the carrots...DUH! Think about it!!! Free range chicken eggs? You've got to be kidding. What are those chickens eating while they are roaming around...including bugs that may have come from the pig farmer 2 miles away? Brown eggs are best for you? Brown is a color...which comes from a certain species of chickens...not from what they eat; the color does not change the quality of the egg.
Yes, I'm a great grandmother, and yes, was raised on a farm, and yes, we grew/raised the majority of our own food. I fully realize it is next to impossible for the majority of people to do this, but it just boggles my mind that people believe all this bandwagon crap that is shoved down their throats. It's about time people started using their own logical brain power and quit being sucked into the status quo of all the propaganda thrown at us. The only people making any money because of all this are those who write a book. Tighten your belts and pocketbooks people, and eat those cooked cereals. If you watch the news about the people in China, you don't see one of them that are fat or wearing the latest fashions.
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#22 - Mon Jun 9, 2008 2:30 PM EDT{"commentId":4858975,"authorDomain":"clearperspective"}
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