Green Solutions

[Garry]

What things do you do to "help" the environment?

We recycle and compost pretty thoroughly.   I commute shop and run errand by bicycle... A bit of natural gardening for flowers and food and soil health... 

What do you do?

[Thadius]

We do as much as we can think to do.

We recycle, a lot. We only use biodegradable detergents, soaps and cleaning products. We try to conserve water as much as we can. I use mass transit to get to and from work. We use reusable bags everywhere (I won't use plastic bags). We try to buy local and organic in as much as we can, we get fruits and veggies from http://www.organicstoyou.org/ We research every purchase we make and always try to go the 'greenest' route. This includes large purchase such as kitchen flooring or a new fridge, down to simple things such as light bulbs or t-shirts.

We try to support local and socially and ecologically responsible companies.

Making small changes in your decision making process can accomplish a lot. I've actually been surprised by how easy our changes so far have been. The biggest surprise for me though has been that these changes aren't only good for our planet, they've actually been good for my wallet too. Some products are more expensive, but the money I've saved in energy costs and commuter costs easily outweigh it.

This is a nice site and I'm happy to have been invited. I'm always looking for new ideas and ways to do more.

[Emett]

That's an impressive list of great efforts. All for the good the world and your family. I have noticed that one thing leads to another when being green, and the need is sooo great. thanks. nice link

"We try to support local and socially and ecologically responsible companies."
Thanks again. I have a 401(k) from work and I don't even have a green mutual fund choice, and I swear I got *dirty* looks when I brought up the subject a few years ago when a my new company bought the plant and held a meeting with the new 401(k) provider.

And finally, thanks for the compliment, and I'm glad you're a part of it...

[Emett]

I have taught my girls to pick up litter, and we even bought a litter picker-upper from Freddy's for $20. We've cleaned up a lot! I also pick up litter on my commute if I have the time to spare. It's kind of a cheap self-worth boost: it's easy and makes a visible difference that I can feel good about, or with the girls, proud of. If I see flat tire causing debris, I usually stop and try to get it... that has really brought my flat tire rate down... (1 in the last 6 months of pure bike only commuting)

Honestly, I don't recommend looking for litter all the time, because there can be so much that it's a bit saddening and frustrating, and then it's all you can focus on... I've had that ruin a few rides when I didn't have the time to stop and clean up. But it's nice to have big green legs to stand on.

I have a OK list of our other efforts, but will have to come back to the subject later. -e

[Emett]

I thought I'd report that after 2 years of composting coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetable cuttings, and what yard debris I could work in that the soil in my backyard is much better and the worms have come! No compost bin, no worm bin, just digging a little hole, dumping a small bucket (I used 1/2 gal milk cartons for the first year) of kitchen waste, then a little mixing and chopping with the shovel then pulling a few inches of soil over to cover it up. Easy peasy. I hope the trees are loving it.

By the way, I use a electric or hand tools for my yardwork, including a push mower, and let the grass go dormant in the summer to save on water. I do need to cut some branches from the large trees in the back to let in some light if I what to try to grow some food, I'll have to study how to do that right. I'm dreaming of strawberries and blueberries and more. Interestingly, numerous tomatoes plants have been springing up on their own from the composting!

We live "Car Light." I personally don't drive, and I hope to keep it that way. When I was a kid, both of my parents had comments that made me think. Mom, to a very young Emett: "I think about how I grew up with better air in my childhood than you have available during childhood." Now its worse, I worry worse for my children. Then later, Dad said, "You know Emett, not having the stress of driving might add 10 years to your life..." I hope that's true, cause working a night shift for this long has probably taken quite a toll.

thanks for reading, please comment with your tips and solutions...

Peace and Abundant Light to You -e

[Oji Kenobi]

Portland singer/songwriter Carley Baer hopes to "inspire more people to abandon their cars. . ." Said inspiration to be delivered by her "West Coast Train Tour" this summer.

Check out the details on her website http://www.carleybaer.com/

[Emett]

She's got a great plan!

Can you get her this link:

Move by Bike


so that she can have bikers help her move her gear when her tour comes to Portland, if she wishes...

[Martha Adams]

I have been using biodegradable detergents, soaps and cleaning products for many years - reading labels carefully.

Use transit to get to and from work - carpool for country marketing, reusable bags, buy local and organic when possible, and support less packaging.

I wanted to let people know how much you can lower energy consumption with a home security system.  It will allow you to monitor lights, thermostat levels, and energy consumption from your freezer and refrigerator too. They are so easy to use now, you can access them via Internet or phone apps while away from your home or business.

 

[Emett]

I've had that thought before, about the home control systems.  We need control of the flow of power to the sockets from a remote location, the tech is getting closer.  Thanks for the great link.  Lets see... check out this comment thread from here on Unpollute.

 

Sounds like you could start a forum or blog on the subject, don't wait for me to it, I'm slow (well, busy)...