Green. Not Crazy.

I Am Woman, Here Me...Or Don't

2009-09-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Just because you want to naturalize your life, doesn't mean that you have to live in a tree and only wear burlap and bamboo. Try something simple, like your home decorating.

I would describe my style as somewhere between Modern and Rustic. I'm a city girl at heart, but I grew up in the middle of nowhere and so I'm pretty in touch with the outdoors too. I like the clean lines and simple forms that modern furniture (think IKEA) offers, but I'm partial to those things in dark, or warm colored woods and enriched with fabrics and upholstery that bring color and life into a space. So here are my top 5 ways to green your home, without sacrificing comfort or style

5. Pick an awesome REAL piece.
Every room should have a focal point. Whether it's an overstuffed couch or an interesting table, try to find one piece that you love that is also a conversation starter. The best place to find these pieces? Try Salvation Army or yard sales. Whatever doesn't get sold is going to the trash so you are helping out the environment by keeping these pieces out of the landfill. Excellent.

4. See the hidden potential
Whether it's an old lamp, or your conversation piece, try to see the diamond in the rough. Salvaging and refinishing not only gives you a sense of accomplishment, but you can usually save yourself some money, not to mention a ton of post consumer waste by revamping something you already have or find at an unusual location.

3. color, Color, COLOR!!!!
Paint is a great way to make a statement in a space. Not into conventional color? Try applying it in a new way. Use a natural sea sponge, textured roller or just flick it on with a natural brush. A cool effect that won't cost you anything and saves you a trip to the recycling center? Newspapers. One page at a time crumple up your black and white paper and paste to the wall using wallpaper paste, or just a combination of glue and water. Let dry completely and then roll on a light coat of your favorite color. I suggest a vibrant red. It gives a new meaning to Black, White, and Red all over. Make sure you use a paint that has a low VOC rating. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, which are a variety of chemicals in paint (also in carpet, wall paper and some upholstery) which release a not thoroughly pleasant smells back into your home. In days gone by, residential areas weren't air tight enough and the smell, and possible nasty side effects filtered out through the walls, and cracks in the framing, but anymore, homes are so tight that the residue can last for practically ever. So avoid that. The paint store people will know what you are talking about, so just ask them. So of the newer paint that advertise "No Paint Smell!" really mean "No VOCs!" but no one would know what they were talking about.

2. Warm it up with Fabrics
Even the best color scheme is going to feel like a prison if you don't add something to it. Pillows are a great way to go. If you own a sewing machine and can hold fabric in a straight line, there is really no excuse not to have a ton of pillows. They literally require two seems. TWO. And they are straight. No Joke. Throws and Wall hangings are another great way to brighten a spaces.

1. Take a walk, and Accessorize.
Instead of buying useless knick-knacks to accessorize your space. Take a walk and bring back interesting rocks, petrified wood, dried leaves for pressing, or whatever strikes your fancy. It's a great way to get out with the kids or your sweetie. Shells from the beach, or little vials of sand make great show pieces. I'm from up north and we pile pine cones in empty baskets all the time. It's great because they will keep forever. Tip: try to make collections of no more than 5 items and arrange them together to add cohesiveness. Avoid too many pieces. You don't want to look like the beach followed you home. Ick. Also avoid things that can easily be moved by a puff of air. Straw, for example, or a pile or leaves that haven't been pressed and framed. You probably also want to stay away from things that will die and crumble like tree bark, although, I've done it before and literally hot glued the bark back on when it fell off. What can I say? Most importantly, make sure that your items are clean and free of critters before you bring them in. Unwelcome house guests are hard to get rid of. They never take a hint.

Sometimes The Old Folks Just Get It

2009-09-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Ever since I took Christian Dagg's studio almost two years ago, I've been convinced that the single most important thing you can do to your house to green your routine and reduce your energy costs is this: insulate.

Seriously. Insulation is the thing that will pay itself off quickest and will give you the most bang for your buck. Plus with dozens, dare I say, hundreds of new styles and types of insulation, you are no longer confined to the toxic fiberglass batting that was your only option for home insulation as little as 10 years ago. There are blown, filled, batted, recycled, expandable alternatives just waiting for you to discover. The possibilities are endless.

My parents, the people who have been the sounding boards of my growing environmental obsession have been listening to me bitch about insulation for two years and finally got sick enough of it that they are doing something. They are getting a foil-like secondary skin installed in their attic which will reduce their energy costs by about 20%. This means 20% less energy used and 20% less coal needed to heat and cool their house.

I don't thing I've ever been so proud in all my life.

Going Hybrid: More Harm Than Good?

2009-08-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

First of all...I know I know. I'm not a great blogger. I've been moving and travelling and ignoring the blog. I'm sorry. My bad.

Okay...moving on.

I've been considering the idea of buying a new car. So, being the responsible person that I am, I've been checking out various types and trying to figure out what I want. Once I finally figure it out, you'll all be the first to know. One of the things I've been considering is hybrid vs. internal combustion engines. Going Hybrid is a really popular way to go "green". But is it really worth it? Consider the following...

Is the Cost worth it?
On average, you're going to pay $4,000-8,000 more for a hybrid vehicle vs. a comparable internal combustion engine. In return, your gas mileage will increase about 10 miles per gallon. Awesome. Now stay with me. Let's say you pay $6,000 more for a hybrid crossover (that's the smaller version of an SUV) which gets 27 mpg and gas (though volatile at best) is $2.50/gallon for the life of your vehicle. If you put 10,000 miles on your car in a year, that's about 370 gallons in a year, which costs about $926. Still with me? Okay, now if you got a non-hybrid you'd only get 17 mpg so your cost per year would be $1470 or so. Sounds like a good deal, right? Remember though, you spend $6,000 extra. You'll save $544 per year, but it will take you 11 years to recover the difference in what you paid for the car. Interesting.

Now, if you buy a Prius, then you'll get 51 mpg, but honestly?

Is it doing any good?
The carbon emissions from a vehicle are a VERY small portion of the total waste created. Consider how the manufacturer makes the car. Is there a lot of post consumer waste? Consider companies like Subaru, that make all of there fuel efficient vehicles in an environmentally safe plant, and have been doing so long before it was popular.

What happens later?
Hybrid and electric vehicles have batteries, which is the only way (outside of some sort of hamster wheel arraignment) to carry around electricity. But where do batteries go to die? Into the dump, where the acid leaks out and destroys the ecosystem. Maybe a little dramatic, but think about it.

The point of this rant? Well, it's two-fold.

Fold 1) Check the facts and know what you are doing. Don't let commercials or your friends or what you see on the news sway your thinking without doing your own research.

Fold 2) Don't think ill of people driving responsible non-hybrid vehicles. It doesn't mean they don't care.

Go green or go home.

...simone

Here Comes the Bride, All Dressed in...Green?

2009-08-06T05:06:00.001-07:00

So I was reading the Washington Post Weekend Section this morning (I realize that it's already Thursday, I just haven't gotten a chance until today) and, to make a really long story really short, I decided to write about "Green Weddings". A dear cousin of mine, who's more like my sister (unlike my sister, who's more of an acquaintance) is getting married next year and so my fascination with weddings has been renewed in recent weeks. So here are my personal Top 5 Ways to Green Your Wedding.

5) TRAVEL...OR LACK THERE OF

Destination weddings are great, if you are only inviting 3.2 people. If you are having a medium to large wedding, consider staying local so that family and friends don't have to travel so far to get to you. Not from the same area? If you and your sweetie went to different colleges and have friends and family from allover, consider picking a central location for your nuptials so that you can accommodate the greatest number of people.

4) FLORA

Instead of having flowers flown in from across the country or the world, consider using whatever is local. I know that brides go a little nuts and want things just so, but remember that the more shipping has to be done, the more the price tag, and your carbon footprint, are going to go WAY up. Look around and ask your local florist what flowers are available in your location at the time of year you chose for your big day.

3) TURN OFF THE LIGHTS...AND TURN UP THE MUSIC

Try reducing the amount of energy you use by having a candlelit wedding or getting married during the day, outdoors. Candles can give a lovely romantic glow and are inexpensive and cut your energy costs way down. Outdoor weddings are beautiful, especially if you live in an area with more nice weather than not. Whether it's on a beach at sunset or at your grandparents country club, natural lighting and surroundings are a lovely backdrop to any day. To reduce your need for sound equipment, and the energy use that goes with it, try using live music, like a string quartet, for the wedding and only cranking up the stereo during the reception.

2) GIVE A TREE

Here's a really cute idea that I got from a wedding I attended this summer (one of many). For favors, instead of Jordan Almonds or some knick knack that will only clutter up your guests' homes, try giving each guest a packet of seeds with a card that asks them to plant the flowers or foliage in your honor. Each plant represents the growing love between you and your honey, and plants soak up carbon dioxide, a dangerous greenhouse gas.

1) HONEYMOON GREEN

Honeymooners don't have to choose between green and fabulous. Use a website like www.greatgreentravel.com, www.gogreentravel.com, or www.greenhotels.com to find a environmentally responsible destination for you and your sweetie. The planet will thank you, and these sites lead to some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Go green or go home

...simone

Children of the Corn

2009-07-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

I was reading a magazine in my chiropractor's office the other day, and I came across one of those adds for High Fructose Corn Syrup (hereafter, HFCS). It wasn't the first time I had come into contact with the Corn Refiners Association's campaign to promote HFCS, but it was the first time I took a few moments to check out their website, www.SweetSurprise.com. It's a nice enough website, but the copy is a little desperate sounding. They spend a ton of time and energy not answering questions and avoiding the fact that while HFCS is no worse for you than sugar, it's no better and both are pretty darn unhealthy.

What really gets me about this whole campaign is the idea that we've become okay with people chemically altering our food. Not just HFCS, which I personally try to avoid because the Juicy Juice commercial freaked me out, but any kind of processed food. Think about what you are putting in your body. Forget the fat content or calorie count, just think about the artificial chemicals. *Shiver*

Why am I ranting about this? Really it's just because I saw it in a magazine and got all riled up, but this does relate to environmental concerns too. Consider a concept called "food miles". Food miles are the number of miles traveled by the various components of food. If you think about processed foods that have many ingredients that are shipped in from all over the country, or even the world, that is a TON of food miles for one product. Buy local produce, meats, dairy, and bread items, and it is possible to use fewer food miles than in one Big Mac. Also, buying fresh and local stimulates your local economy and helps you develop your cooking skills by using only what's in season.

I'm starting a new idea. Each week we are going to have a "Green Challenge". The GC is going to be a small thing that you can do for a week to help the environment or enrich your life. This week's Green Challenge is to consider skipping processed foods for one week. Instead, try simple recipes (www.cookinglight.com is a GREAT resource) that use natural ingredients. If you don't want to cut out all of your processed foods, try choosing one meal a day. Maybe cut out fast food dinners and try cooking instead, or pack your lunch instead of buying it out. I think you'll be surprised at how much money you'll save, and how great you'll feel. Your body is a machine; put good things in, get good things out.

Go green or go home...

...simone

Talk Dirty To Me.

2009-07-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about an unpopular topic....

CLEANING!

If you know me, or grew up near me, or have ever met me, you know that my experience with cleaning is limited. Clutter is my bff.

That being said, I was reading the latest issue of "Cooking Light" and they had an entire article about Green cleaning products. I am now inspired to compile some tips, tricks and products suggestion for your reading pleasure.

According to www.planetgreen.com here are some tricks for cleaning your home without hurting the planet:

Employ green cleaning products As the health and environmental impacts of conventional cleaning products become more thoroughly understood, more and more brands of healthy, green, and effective cleaning products have started hitting the market and competing for that coveted place of honor under your sink. Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum). But if designer labels aren’t for you, home-mixed cleaners can get the job done and then some. Vinegar and baking soda can be used to clean almost anything. Mix in a little warm water with either of these and you’ve got yourself an all-purpose cleaner.

Clean your indoor air naturally Skip the store-bought air fresheners and instead try boiling cinnamon, cloves, or any other herbs you have a fondness for. Fresh chocolate chip cookies also have been known to create a friendly aroma. Also, plants may not make your house smell different but are good for filtering interior air--pretty much any broad green leaf plant will do. Peace Lilies are a favorite choice.

Leave the toxins at the door Imagine what’s on your shoes at the end of the day. Bringing that oil, antifreeze, animal waste, particulate pollution, pollen, and who knows what else into the house is not good news, especially for kids and other critters that spend time on floor level. Keep the sidewalk out of your home with a good doormat or a shoeless house policy. Many green buildings now include entryway track-off systems as a means of maintaining a healthy interior environment. Less dirt also means less sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming, which means less work, water, energy, and fewer chemicals.

And here's a HUGE one

Toss toxic cleaners carefully When replacing your cleaning products, don’t just throw the old ones in the trash. If they're too toxic for your home, they won’t be good for the drain or the landfill either. Many communities hold toxins & electronics recycling days and will take all of these off your hands. Throwing chemicals in the trash or down the drain means they might end up back in your water supply and come back to haunt you

A complete list can be found at http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-cleaning/green-cleaning-top-tips.html

Okay, so those are some basic tips, but lets take a minute to delve a little deeper.

Green cleaning products are great. Many use natural ingredients and are safe to use on all surfaces, many even around kids, pets, and food. One thing to keep in mind though, is the idea of bacteria. For little hands and faces, even during cold season, anti-bacterial soaps don't clean any better than regular soap and warm water, and can cause damage to the essential bacteria in a septic tank system, for those living in rural areas. However, in a kitchen setting, where bacteria such as salmonella and e.coli are a concern in food prep areas, green products may not cut it. Many plant-based cleaners are not strong enough to kill these dangerous disease causing bacteria. Employ a disinfectant, not just a cleaner in these problem areas.

I've included a list of popular brands of plant-based, or natural cleaning products. If you have a favorite brand of cleaner, you'll probably find that the company is now marketing a plant-based version. Remember that it isn't just the contents of the cleaner that makes it sustainable. Many companies are concentrating their cleaning formulas and asking the consumer to add their own water to make the product, allowing them to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging. Discarded plastics fill up about 75% of the average American garbage can.

S.C. Johnson - Nature's Source www.naturessoursecleaners.com
The site has information on the products, as well as mini projects to green your home and simplify your life.

Clorox - GreenWorks www.greenworkscleaners.com
The site features videoblogs from people all across the country who are taking the 30 Days to Natural Challenge.

Weiman - Perfect Planet www.dtep.com/perfect.htm
Natural Cleaners for flooring and other hard surfaces.

Method Cleaning Products www.methodhome.com
Buy online or visit the site to find a location near you.

That's it for today, kids.

Go green or go home....

...simone

Shoo Fly...Don't Bother Me.

2009-06-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about two of the most popular current media buzzwords.

Sustainability:

Sustainability is a word that is being thrown around to mean making something using natural or fewer ingredients. It's a word that has been around in the design field for about a decade and literally (and I'm quoting this from memory, so I might not get it exactly right) means:

Meeting the needs of this generation, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Basically being "sustainable" means that you can continue to do whatever you do forever, assuming your own personal mortality isn't an issue. So anything that you do that requires Fossil Fuels? Not sustainable. That means petroleum based plastics, internal combustion engines, coal powered electricity, and a myriad of other things. Even taking out your trash isn't sustainable, because eventually, if we keep throwing away things that aren't biodegradable, there will not be anywhere else to throw trash. It will be eerily similar to "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out" by Shel Silverstein (a hysterical poem about the dangers of disobeying your parents that you should read if haven't).

Green:

"Green" is a term that is being used to describe anything that is related to bettering the natural environment. The problem with the concept of green, is that it is so thoroughly non-specific. You could talk about Recycling as a "Green Initiative". For plastics, sheet metal, wood pulp, batteries, ink cartridges, and glass, recycling is incredibly good for the environment. HOWEVER recycling paper is actually a terrible idea.

Sure the paper is being used again, but unlike metals and plastics, cannot be made into an equivalent produce. In fact, while aluminum can be recycled many many times, paper can only be recycled a time or two before it is useless. The chemicals that are use to de-ink the paper are not "sustainable" and are in fact harmful to the natural environment. The trees that are cut down to create new paper predominately (at least in the United States) are coming from tree farms and are regenerating themselves at an alarming rate. By cutting down trees you are sequestering carbon, a practice that can gain LEED points in building and prevents greenhouse gasses from returning to the environment. Paper is also a natural ingredient that is biodegradable and will return to the soil in a compost environment.

Even for general recycling, no one seems to think about the transportation costs or fuel usage or the cost of building and powering recycling centers.

Do I think you should stop recycling? Of course not. I do think it's important to do research and really get to understand the consequences of any action before you start doing it, though. Especially if you think that you are helping, when you may actually be doing more harm than good. Research, think, and decide for yourself. Don't let me or the media convince you that something is absolutely "good" or "bad" weigh the whole equation. Also, don't be fooled into thinking that an idea, candidate, or position is good, just because people talk about it a lot. Everyone used to think the earth was at the center of the universe, remember?

It's not...so don't act like it all revolves around us.

...simone

Not Your Average Nature Girl

2009-06-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Green. Not Crazy.

If you've stumbled across my humble blog it must be for one of the following reasons.

1) You are a friend or a family member who was directed to this blog by my facebook or commanding voice. You are more than sweet for indulging me this one time.

2) You entered in the weirdest search into google and are now no where near where you intended to be, but thought that the page seemed intriguing and are, again, indulging me.

3) You had the same idea for a blog, only slightly later, and want to see who else came up with the same idea you did.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here.

The idea of Green. Not Crazy. came about as a response to the question: What are you going to do with your life? The answer, as always is: I'm not sure. I do know however, that this is a start. I want to help you do what you already do better.

I don't believe in "global warming" and I'm not a tree hugger, and if tearing down the Messahagga National Forest and destroying the natural habitat of the Spotted Flying Skink is actually necessary for whatever reason, then the skink is going down. I do believe that the earth is a gift and an abundant resource. As is true with anything of great abundance, we should be good stewards of the gifts we've been given. I see it as a personal, religious, ethical, philosophical issue, but if you only want to take care of the environment so that your neighbors think that you are a good person, that's fine too. I don't care why, just do it.

This blog will be the center of discussion (mostly by me!) and information about environmental concerns. I'll try to be as apolitical as possible, because I think that politics SHOULD have little to nothing to do with environmental issues.

I'll also provide tips, tricks, and ideas for everything from how to reduce your energy costs, to throwing and environmentally friendly birthday party for a six year old. I'm not about tearing out your roof and replacing it with a PV array, but there are simple ways that you can help out.

So for anyone who's still with me and wants to learn how to affect the world in small ways, without losing their mind...

Welcome Home.

...simone