A Wake Up Story!

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I found this video while doing some catching up this afternoon and it really could not have come at a better time.

I say this because I’m hoping  to write a post about toxins soon.  A recent shopping trip left me feeling frustrated about all the toxic products in our lives!!!

Funny, how the law of attraction works 

Help spread the word!

Be Planet Wise Use Rechargeable Batteries

Photo credit: JohnSeb via flickr

Before I started vlogging I honestly had no idea how many batteries we might of gone through (A LOT, I’m sure!). The Flip camera kills batteries fast- a major drawback about the Flip. Myeco guilt was killing me ever time I changed the Flip’s batteries. It seemed like I was changing out batteries on the constant. It was gut wrenching each time I replaced out  batteries.

After expressing the guilt I’d been feeling to my dad one day he turned around went into his office and came back with a  rechargeable battery charger. My hero! I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it earlier. I took the charger home and was ready to start a new eco life using rechargeable batteries.

I mean just look at that awful picture above! It’s amazing when you think of how many things around our home require batteries. Having rechargeable batteries makes a huge difference for the planet and your wallet. I no longer change out new batteries I replace them with charged batteries.What a relief!

Did you know…

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Our Last DAY

Tomorrow we leave the beautiful area of Mammoth Lakes, CA. It’s been such an adventure and we’ve enjoyed the amazing scenery of the Eastern Sierra. Wildflowers hug the edge of paths and are in most flower beds in our condo complex. The hot springs experience was incredible. Starry nights with the Milky Way hovering so clearly. Even though this trip I’ve been eaten alive…it’s still worth every moment. Watching Tristan and Clark enjoy nature makes my heart pitter pat.

We celebrated my dad’s birthday and our anniversary on this trip! Yesterday, Tyler and I married in Yosemite, 4 yrs. ago. We’ve been together for 12 yrs! We met our senior year of  H.S. – shared a class together and met through a mutual friend.  Being here with our  boys is way the perfect way to celebrate!

Oldies but Goodies: Not Your Grandmothers Dipes!

Guest post by Melanie Chamberland. Melanie blogs at Hedda Dabbler and is a mother of one. Her son is Signal is 3 years old.Melanie enjoys knitting and children’s literature.

“These aren’t your grandmother’s diapers!” It’s a phrase I see so often in today’s cloth diapering world, as diaper manufacturers compete to sell people on the idea of cloth diapering. However, I amhappy to say that my favourite cloth diapers are prefolds and flats. Just like my grandmother used!

My partner and I chose prefolds and flats when we started diapering primarily for the cost savings. For about $2 a diaper brand new, it was obvious that we‘d be saving a ton over the cost of disposables. Secondly, flats and prefolds are the lowest maintenance cloth diapers there are. No synthetics to cause repelling, no elastics to break down with use, no microfibre to lead to stink problems. Just all-natural cotton next to baby’s bum! We ordered our prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers and our flats from Little Lions Cloth Diapers. Both are excellent stores for those interested in more “basic” cloth diapering.

As with any cloth diaper, there is a learning curve involved. You’ll need to learn to fold the diapers to best fit your child. But with all the different folds out there, you’re bound to find one that works for you. And as your child grows and changes, you can constantly customize the fit of prefolds and flats. So handy. For our son, we learned that a doubler tucked inside the prefold helped up the absorbancy; he‘s a bit of a super soaker! There are also tons of waterproof covers to choose from. Among the brands we have tried, we especially like Thirsties and Booroi covers for fit and performance when it comes to PUL. Wool and fleece covers can also be used, providing a completely breathable yet waterproof diapering system. Got to love that!

With how inexpensive, easy to launder, and easy to use prefolds and flats are, I am honestly very surprised that they aren’t more widely loved. Are you thinking about cloth diapering but worried about the initial cost and the long term care? Give your grandmother’s diapers a try. She just might have been on to something all those years ago…

Please Give Just $1 For The Charities That You Help To Choose

As writers, we know that part of good stewardship is sharing information, but even the most intelligent among us can not make change without DOING something!

So The Good Human & Twilight Earth, along with Grass Stain Guru, Lighter Footstep, My Green Side, The Smart Mama, A Little Greener Every Day, Fake Plastic Fish, Allies Answers, Natural Papa, and Recycle Your Day have teamed up to carry our message with one united strong voice. The message is that there are great organizations out there which are suffering in this economic downturn through decreased donations…and they need our help! So we have decided to give you, our readers, a voice and a choice. We have decided to take on a very simple fundraising mission, and we are asking you to donate just $1.00.

A single dollar; that’s all.

Who cannot afford a buck even in these times? We know you can spare a dollar to help out our fellow humans!

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How Is My Electricity Made? Power To The People

This Guest post is by guest blogger, science teacher and green activist Glenn Fay who is passionate about sustainability, renewable energy and social responsibility.

When you flip that light switch or click on your toaster oven did you ever wonder how our power grid electricity is made and where it comes from? This short slideshow shows all the exciting details, from using moving water, wind, fossil fuels, nuclear power and even the sun! Which source(s) of electricity make the most sense to you?

World Ocean’s Day!

I’d been saving this post since January when I attended the Go Green Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I thought that I lost the video for it when I did a defrag on the computer but I found it this morning. Now, I can’t figure out how to upload because it’s saved as a zip file (I think). I don’t know. Serves me for being so savvy with the lappy.

Anyway, I wanted to highlight the Algalita Marine Research Foundation since it’s World Ocean’s Day. I had the opportunity to speak with Anna Cummins back in January at the Expo. She was very passionate when she spoke about what plastics are doing to our marine life. She stated that plastic is not only destroying our marine environment but also pointed out that it eventually makes it back into our systems. Her booth was displayed with the plastic debris samples and pictures of plastic trash from the North Pacific Gyre.

Anna explored The Garbage Patch in a month long expedition with Captain Charles Moore and crew from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation collecting surface samples for research and education.  In my video she mentions her fiance, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, traveled to the Central North Pacific Gyre, on what’s know as the JUNKraft.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Central North Pacific Gyre known as “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” it is roughly twice the size of the U.S. and is completely covered in plastic pollution aka “plastic soup”. I learned about the CNPG crisis two years ago and have been trying to reduce my plastic consumption since.

Some quick facts:

- Estimates of plastic in the world’s oceans exceed 100 million tons. 20% of it is derelict fishing gear, 80% comes from land from our watersheds.

A large segment of what ends up as marine debris is single use disposable consumer items!!!!

- Pieces of plastic outweigh surface zooplankton by a factor of 6 to 1.

- 90 % of Laysan Albatross chick carcasses and regurgitated stomach contents contain plastics.  (Fish and seabirds mistake plastic for food)

- Plastic debris releases chemical additives and plasticizers into the ocean.

- Plastic adsorbs hydrophobic pollutants, like PCBs, and pesticides like DDT.

These pollutants bioaccumulate in tissues of marine organisms, biomagnify up the food chain, and find their way into the food we eat.

After learning some quick facts, Anna told us her husband caught a fish while exploring the Gyre and opened it up to exam it and found 16 pieces of plastic in it. She further noted and ended our conversation with “there is no such thing as plastic throw away”.

Anna also gave me a Bring Your Own produce bag that she sewed up herself and was selling at the Expo! I could tell Anna had so much conviction about the issue of plastic and how it’s destroying our oceans. She exuded so much passion about the plastic problem that it reminded me of Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish. Both of these woman are pioneers in helping to spread the word about plastic pollution.

Currently, Anna and Dr. Marcus Eriksen are riding their bikes to raise awareness about the issue of plastic marine debris. They began their “Junkride” journey on April 4th, 2009 in Vancouver, B.C. and plan to ride 2000 miles to Tijuana Mexico.  They’ll be giving away samples of polluted ocean surface to educators, organizations, and legislators to educate others about the problems and call for an end to The Age of Disposable Plastic.

Two things we can do to protect our marine life:

HOUSEHOLD CHALLENGE: (from Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s pamphlet)

* Create a 100% recyclable and compostable grocery list. Imagine all of your household waste going into the compost pile or recycle bin!

* If you must buy consumable products, choose paper, glass or bio-plastic.

This household challenge reminds of the challenge Beth at Fake Plastic Fish is hosting…

We should all take the time ti examine our plastic waste…are you up for the challenge?

Ultimately, can you limit your plastic intake?

What is the issue?

Plastic marine debris is a vector for organic pollutants that impact human health and our environment.

UPDATE: Beth, from Fake Plastic Fish tipped me off about this video- Thanks Beth!!

** I can’t get my video to work- I’m super bummed about this. A few months back I did a defrag on my computer and thought I lost the footage. I found it today and apparently it’s been converted to a zip file that I don’t know how to convert back to video if that’s even possible. I wish you could hear Anna for yourself and listen in on what she told me about plastic and their research. For now, it’s just a picture (featured above).

Who Ya Gonna Follow? @FollowNathan!!

With all your favorite television programs gone for the summer…

Why not get interested in one man’s journey to bike for the planet!

On May 10, 2009, Nathan Winters started his journey in Maine to cycle across the nation this summer in an effort to raise awareness for land and nature conservation. Greenopolis has sponsored his “recycling” journey and they are also keeping track of his progress. Nathan has chosen to raise funds for The Nature Conservancy and so far has raised 3% of his expected goal. Nathan has made stops along the way spotlighting recycling, reuse, conservation and all the ways everyday folks across North America are transforming waste to resources in their own unique ways. You can view some of the videos he’s recorded with local folks at Greenopolis.

What inspired you to start follownathan.org/ this journey?

There was no moment of specific inspiration.  It’s simply been a dream of mine to ride my bike across America and experience all the wonderful things this country has to offer.  I wanted to take the opportunity to give back to my planet.

What is your personal goal and how much do you plan to raise?

My fundraising goal is to raise $50,000 for the Nature Conservancy by the end of 2009.  Essentially, I would like to see 5,000 people donate $10 through my firstgiving.com/follownathan website.  My personal goal is to meet and speak with people who make an impact in their local and global communities and who care about the preservation of our natural habitats.

Why is living sustainably important to you? AND Why should it be important to others?

It’s important that we act together to conserve and to protect the one planet that we all share.  I feel it is essential that each individual plays his/her part in the sustainability movement.  We each have a chance to impact the environment in both positive and negative ways, and living sustainably means choosing to have a positive impact.  We all need to be accountable for how our decisions and our actions play a part in sustaining this one planet on which we all live.

Besides donating money, how can we help?

Spread the word! Tell others about my journey, send them to my website, offer me words of encouragement or advice for my travels via my social networking sites.

You’ve been riding a few weeks now; what have you learned so far?

As you can imagine, thus far on this journey, I have met some incredible people and have been a part of some amazing experiences.  But, without a doubt, the most incredible learning experience up until this point has been the rapid personal growth that I have witnessed within myself as I pedal along.  Each place I visit and each person I meet, I take something from those experiences and translate that into something I would like to see in myself.  I have also learned that with the power of community, anything can be accomplished.  When people work together, there are no limits to what they can do.  In addition to that, I’ve been able to accomplish some wonderful things physically, things I never thought I’d be able to do.  For example, pedaling my bike uphill in the rain, carrying 70 lbs of extra weight, reminded me of my ability to tackle any obstacles in my way and has given me a wonderful sense of accomplishment as well as drive to continue growing and pushing myself on this journey.

Book Review: The Green Teen by Jenn Savedge

The Green Teen is just the book I truly wish I had when I was a teenager. I always dreamt of getting involved and taking action but never had the guts or motivation to do it.

The Green Teen by Jenn Savedge offers great points and tips on how to get involved, how to go green, is filled with plenty of eco resources, ideas for organizing and communicating environmental change, as well as, ways to land job in the environmental field.

The Green Teen is an eco-friendly teen’s guide to saving the planet. In less than 200 pages it covers basics on what teenagers can do to protect the environment.

It will make an eco pioneer out of your teen! Children are the future and this book helps them to realize how important it is to start doing something about saving the Earth now.

I found the book to be very encouraging and delightful. It’s an easy read for teens and even provides interviews from other “green teens” to make it relatable and encouraging. Teens are very interested in ways to help save the planet and want to do their best to make each day a little greener. The Green Teen gives teens the green light for GO! Visit G2GGREEN.ORG

Eco Tip: Cotton Swabs

You might be wondering how cotton swabs and the planet go hand in hand…

I came across this tip and thought it was one of the items you don’t often think about when you’re greening up your act. It’s a very good tip!

USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE
Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.

I’m totally guilty of using the plastic spindles at one point in my life. They were cheaper and colorful. We no longer use these type of cotton swab we made the switch and so can you!

Be mindful. Be conscience. Make a difference.

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