Potential Pet Problems

I may be embarking on a highly controversial topic here, but have you considered the most eco-friendly ways to approach pet ownership? In our consumer culture, we are often suprised to find that certain problems even exist as a result of common behaviors. Take your pet’s poop, for instance; I never thought that having too many pets could contribute to landfill and water contamination issues–until I read this article by Sheryl Eisenberg of the Natural Resources Defense Council. She explores the delicate issue of poop disposal for dogs and cats. The bottom line? Trash disposal is best, but if you leave the waste on the ground, it’s best to keep it to your own yard–and to keep the pet population to a minimum.

Recyling water filters

After much petitioning, a grassroots campaign has succeeded in persuading Brita water filtration company to provide a recycling program for their plastic water filters. Go here to learn more, and go here to refill your own! (Thanks IdealBite!)

Green New Year’s Resolutions?

It is natural, I think, for eco-friendly folks to think about green goals for the new year. I, for instance, want to continue expanding my use of green products and reduce my use of disposable and convenience products. An example of the first goal would be switching to more environmentally- and health-friendly cleaning and beauty products; the second goal includes using fewer paper products for cleaning and fewer plastic or paper bags during any shopping.

I actually posted on this topic because I am more interested in the green goals of others. Please share!

Get the most out of your Christmas tree

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has some nice Tips for preserving the life of your cut Christmas tree–and, perhaps more importantly, how to use your tree once it’s reached it’s end.
Merry Christmas all!

A few green things

What’s on my radar:

• I can’t watch it myself, but if you have CNN and care about the state of the planet, then be sure to tune in for Planet in Peril: Battle Lines at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 11. Lisa Ling, Anderson Cooper, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta host a global investigation into “environmental conflicts between growing populations and natural resources including the threat of global warming to both humans and wildlife.” More info is available here.
• The National Wildlife Federation has a hopeful rundown of what’s in and what’s out following the recent elections.
• Ten great green sites for all tastes from a great blog, GreenHackz.
• It’s advisable to stretch your imagination and optimism from time to time with the latest in green innovation–take this vertical farming of the future, for instance.

Green Deeds That Save You Money

In the current economy, it’s harder to be consciously green. Some of us (myself included) might feel guilty when we can’t afford the organic this or the non-polluting that. There are, however, eco-friendly actions that can make a difference while saving us cash, and that’s something to be proud about. Below, five frugal ways to care:

• Stop the bottled water habit. Invest in a Brita-style water filtration system to cut down on needless resource and money waste.
• Buy fewer convenience foods. Look up recipes online for your favorite frozen or canned prepared meals and learn to cook them yourself for a lighter grocery bill and landfill load. Be careful, though; the ingredients you buy for some foods, like pizza, may add up to more than the prepared version’s price, so shop carefully.
• Unplug sleeping appliances. Summer’s fans and the T.V. in the guest bedroom aren’t doing your electric bill any favors, so unplug appliances not in use to save between 6 and 26% on your monthly payments.
• Keep your tires inflated. It might be a small difference, but improving your gas mileage is always good news for you and the planet, and it’s doesn’t cost much if you’re already at the gas station.
• Make it last. In our consumer society, folks are often more inclined to throw something away when the going gets tough than to attempt a repair. Next time your favorite clothes get ripped, stained, or too small, consider learning some basic sewing skills and care techniques to extend their life. Also, it may be cheaper to repair an appliance with a simple problem than to send it packing, but according to Nick Harder of the Orange County Register, “If the cost of repairing the appliance is more than 50 percent of its replacement cost, buy a new appliance.” Consult an expert when diagnosing the problem, but if it’s really time for it to go, don’t throw it away–recycle!

Going the extra mile: two web resources

In contrast to those things that veterans of the environmental movement consider essential actions of the green life, there are new issues arising all the time, and each one tests our determination to be eco-friendly. Today I have two ideas for those wanting a new challenge.

I have to admit, there are few environmental concerns more disturbing to me than increasing levels of pharmaceuticals in our lakes and rivers. I know I defer to them so often that I should have stake in the company, but Ideal Bite has a wonderful article and set of links for those wanting to dispose of their used prescriptions in a responsible way. I’m inspired to ask at my pharmacy if they have a recycling program.

Another issue requiring extra effort, depending on where you shop anyway, is that of virgin hardwoods being used for many tissue paper products on the mass market. I admit to being a Kleenex user; I guess I have to up the ante after reading the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Bird Friendly Shopper’s Guide to common paper goods that are and aren’t friendly to forests. Check for your brands–and their greener alternatives–if you dare!

Good Little Habits That Only Seem Hard

Hopefully, you have by this point in your life adjusted to turning off the lights when you exit a room and turning off the water while you brush your teeth. We all have slip-ups now and then, but these basic “green” skills are becoming such a part of our culture that most people are now doing something to help the planet. Some habits, however, seem too difficult to put forth the effort. They’re not. Below, five ways to up the eco-ante:

• Recycle your bottles and cans, already! If your area offers curbside recycling services, you basically have no excuse – all it requires is dropping the items into one bin versus the other. If you don’t have access to curbside recycling, set aside a place for your accumulations and take them periodically to the nearest recycling center on your way to somewhere else. Your conscience will thank you for it!
• Do the reusable shopping bag thing. The investment is minor – many chain grocery stores now sell inexpensive bags – and once you remember the bags a few times in a row, you’ll rarely forget them again. What I’m working on now is trying to widen my use of the bags to stores other than the supermarket.
• Set your computer on stand-by or turn it off for the evening. Not only does this not harm your hard drive, it also saves a great deal of energy and sets boundaries on computer-time in your life, which can only be a good thing. Go here for more details.
• Combine errands for more efficient car trips. All it takes is a little forethought, and you can visit the post office, the bank, and the grocery store in the same trip each week. Once again, this habit is easy to maintain after the initial effort required.
• Look for products with green label components, like certified organic, post-consumer recycled content, dolphin-safe tuna, and others. With so many companies coming on board with at least one environmentally-conscious practice, it’s not difficult to incorporate this into your shopping routine. Hey, you already compare unit prices and squeeze the fruit, don’t you?

Kids and Nature: What Really Counts

Since I wrote about Growing Nature-Loving Kids, I have become aware of an entire movement spurred by Richard Louv’s powerful treatise on the necessity of getting children into the outdoors. The author himself is chair of the Children & Nature Network, a network of regional groups dedicated to the cause. Several states have issued proclamations and plans to move kids outside during school, free time, and family time. The National Wildlife Federation is promoting a daily “Green Hour” of outdoor play. In short, it seems like everyone is jumping on this very worthy bandwagon.

I believe the reduction or elimination of recess and the increased structuring of children’s extracurricular time is a serious issue, along with childhood obesity and the widening gap between kids’ perceptions and the reality of the natural world. That is why I take great heart in these developments, the rallying to a call for more green childhoods. But I think we might lose the quintessential part in all the pomp.

If we are not careful, we will begin structuring this green time to the extent that children do not have the chance to learn from nature and experience the thrill and spiritual awakening that free exploration and natural wonders can provide. The most important point in all of the emerging research on the ill effects of nature deprivation seems to be that kids must be kids in the most kid-friendly environment there is, and that is the outdoors. No where else can a child have all the limitless variables with which to play, experiment, invent, dream, learn, and ponder. Indoor environments will always be contrived and lacking in comparison.

And so the most important thing that anyone–parents, relatives, teachers, mentors and friends–can do for a child is to get him or her outside for some genuine, unstructured, free and fun play. Who knows? The adults might realize that they needed the same thing, all along.

Hooray for Big Corporations

. . . Okay, maybe not all of them, but some consumer product giants like Deer Park, Kraft, and others are making their plastic containers sleeker to deliver the same amount of product in less packaging. They have even anticipated the fears of consumers and printed “Still 8 ounces!” or similar encouragements right on the package. It warms my heart to see even such a small step by the companies that, like it or not, control the majority of the product stream for the majority of the American public.

Another supermarket development you may have noticed is the introduction, and even T.V. promotion, of concentrated dish and laundry detergents. Buying liquids in concentrate saves money and packaging, as penny-pinchers have known for decades with their (admittedly sometimes scary) concentrated juice drinks. We all remember those from school. Now, it seems, concentrate is cool again, as long as you remember to use the amount on the package.

There are, of course, still corporations that need a push from their voters–the consumers–to make some needed changes to products millions use frequently. If you’d like to help, go here to sign a petition for safe cleaning products and disclosed ingredients from leading companies (with thanks to the Audubon Naturalist Society for promoting this opportunity).