Green for the Holidays

Well, the time has come again when the leaves are off the trees, there's a nip in the air, and the pressure to consume has reached a level where, if we were all charcoal, we'd turn into diamonds where we sit. But I'm here to tell you there's a better, and more green way to enjoy your holidays, so take a deep breath, sit back in your chair and relax. Everything is gonna be alright, mon!

First off, the most green thing you can do is to NOT consume. Each new gadget, toy, and As Seen on TV gift you buy adds to your carbon footprint (and you know what mom said about leaving footprints...) While this might not sound easy, it IS possible. Back in January of 2006, a group calling themselves The Compact set out to see if they could stop all consumption. Nearly 4 years later, they're still at it. Even if you don't want to go that extreme, every item you make or re-gift is a gift you didn't drive to get or have shipped to your door--besides, you saved everyone's favorite green, money.

If you can't avoid the pressure to give a purchased gift to your friends and family here are some ideas to lessen the environmental impact of your giving ways:

1) Do a gift exchange where each person gets one special gift for one other person. We do this with both my family and Stace's family and we keep it fresh by drawing names out of a hat each year so we don't have to get gifts for or from the same person every year. This cuts down on the total number of gifts and their impact.

2) Bake or cook something. Nothing says happy holidays like something made from scratch. We make salsa every year and give each person a red salsa and a green salsa to keep in the holiday spirit. This year, we planted a garden to harvest many of our ingredients. Muy Verde!

3) Buy locally, save globally?! OK, I realize that's not quite right, but you get the idea. The suggestion here is not to go to your local Wally World, but to buy from local artisans and stores. Whether you go to the farmer's markets and buy from crafts vendors or go downtown and frequent a local gallery or artisan, you'll be doing your community and your planet a favor by not buying items shipped across the globe.

4) Give the gift of your time and presence. In this fast-paced world we live in, one of the most awesome gifts you can give your friends and family is yourself. Give freely of yourself during the holidays and it will be a Green Holiday season to remember!

Update from our Small Corner of the Marble

I can't believe Earth Day was our last update--it seems like only yesterday, but, alas it has been over 6 months. Much has happened in that time in our corner of the Marble, so I figured it was time to share some of the great things we've learned and done with you, our faithful GreenMarble reader.

First off, we committed ourselves to taking on as many green projects as we could this year. We purchased some rural land, tilled and planted it, got some chickens, built a coop, and have made a big effort to get as much food as possible off of our own land. While we realize that buying rural land is not practical for everyone, we have also learned that there are literally a ton of resources to help you take even the smallest piece of land and turn it into a place to raise some of your own food, and yes, even chickens.

Here are some of the best sites we've found for chicken raising, organic gardening, and composting:

The Country Chicken

Backyard Chickens

Organic Gardening

The Organic Gardening Guru

Here are some photos of our coop and some of the organic bounty we've gotten this year. We'd love to see photos of your gardens, chicken coops, and even your nasty/lovely compost bins, so share links to your photos in comments!

Give Yourself an Earth Day Gift: An Energy Audit

OK, so it's Earth Day again and you're asking yourself this question, "What about me?!" I know, it's soooo difficult to give up even one day of self-indulgence and consumption. That's why I'm here to tell you how you can do something for the Earth AND its most important inhabitant--you! It's true, and it will even leave you with enough cash to get those extra accessories on the 2010 Prius you're going to buy yourself NEXT Earth Day.

What is this magical gift that keeps on giving you ask? It's called a home energy audit, and it's something you can do for yourself, or if you have a little extra cash and not much time, you can hire someone to do it for you. Done right, this simple exploration of your home's energy profile will identify all the ways you can save energy, save money, and lower your carbon profile. Some localities are even considering subsidizing these audits, and the energy efficiency improvements you discover while doing an audit.

So do yourself and our planet a favor this earth day. Set a time or make an appointment for your home energy audit--you'll be richer for the experience.

Check out these resources to learn more about home energy audits:

Energy Star
Daily Green's DIY Home Energy Audit
Energy Auditing Tips

Kick Your Gas Mower to the Curb

OK, so you're not ready to give up your lawn and go to xeriscaping yet, but you still want to travel a little more lightly on this earth? Your first step should be to trade your loud, carbon belching gas mower in for a clean quiet electric model.

Until recently, electric mowers simply could not compete in terms of price and performance. However, recent developments have changed all that. First of all, there are now many, many excellent quality electric lawn mowers. Second, and most exciting IMHO, is the development of trade-in programs in hundreds of communities. My recent online search yielded hundreds of programs in the US alone, and these programs seem to be growing as fast as the grass on my acreage.

So get out there and get rid of that gas mower. Your lungs (and your neighbors) will thank you.

Oh, and uh, if that seems like too much work, get rid of your lawn all together!

Super Green Household Cleansers

Just the other day, my friend Lachlan posted this not on his Facebook profile. The ideas are so great and simple, I had to share... here they are. I've also added an additional tip for eco-toothpaste that was added as a comment to his post... Enjoy, and use in good health!
_________________________________________________________________
Hey all!

I have now been keeping my home clean for over 2 years with just the following ingredients, and it's just as clean as it always was (no jokes about the "always was" part, now! Just hold your tongue!), so I am saving the planet, AND LOWERING MY RISK OF CANCER AND SAVING MONEY, without losing any quality of life. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Please consider shaking off old, chemical habits that were sold to you by Madison Avenue. Stock up on these items instead, and have fun mixing your own concoctions! Unlike chemicals, you can experiment with these without blowing anything up!

Below are the ingredients, followed by a few answers, followed by a few recipes.

Thanks!

Lachlan

-2 or 3 spray bottles
-White Vinegar (anti-bacterial, grease cutter)
-Lemon Juice (strong grease cutter)
-"CitraSolv" (orange peel oil and coconut soap) ((VERY strong grease cutter - the main ingredient of the industrial solvent "Goo Gone" is orange peel oil!))
-Baking Soda (abrasive, but don't use with the vinegar)((Duh. I've done it TWICE. Always surprises me!))
-Coarse Salt (abrasive to be used with the vinegar)
-Coconut Oil (protect your leather and wood)
-Olive Oil (for wood and other surfaces)
-Grapefruit Seed Extract (VERY strong anti-fungal)
-Eucalyptus oil (insect repellent, great for your bottle of kitchen cleaner!)

White Vinegar does NOT stink up your house. The smell is gone in minutes.

Citrasolv is available at any good sized market. It is expensive, but don't be shy, you only use a TEENSY bit in your spray bottle. I have had the same bottle for almost two years and it is not even half empty! And I use it to mop the floors too!
Coconut oil is so useful! You can cook with it (at lower heat) and use it as a hair conditioner and gel. I love this stuff.

Grapefruit seed extract (from the health food store) is VERY expensive. But, like the Citrasolv, a little dab'l do ya! Or skip it altogether.

Eucalyptus oil (also from the health food store) is not as expensive, but again, it is optional.

The only place where I notice having to work harder is in cleaning mirrors and windows. I am considering buying some rubbing alcohol to add to some vinegar so it will not take extra work. But really, it's just a little more rubbing. Like in Karate Kid... "Wax de car... Paint de fence..."

Here are some basic Lachlan mixes:

Bathroom cleaner/sanitizer-
mostly vinegar
couple tablespoons of coarse salt
cap of Citrasolv
drop of GSE
shake before use (for salt)

Kitchen cleaner-
half vinegar and half lemon juice
couple tablespoons of coarse salt
cap of Citrasolv
several drops of eucalyptus oil
shake before use (for salt)

Soap scum/tub cleaner-
Lemon juice
cap of Citrasolv
a few drops of GSE
separate shaker of baking soda or put it right in the bottle (might clog?)
(I spray the surface, then sprinkle the soda. You won't even need to scrub! Just wipe in a circular motion and rinse!)

From a mutual friend Jody: Here's a neat recipe for toothpaste.

Ten Green Tips for the New Year

OK—it’s a new year with a new administration. We’ve all voted, so now we can stop working and worrying and let Uncle Sam take over and do everything for us, right? Wrong. Real environmental change starts at home, so get crackin’ on these simple things this year!

1) If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down. I realized it’s kind of disgusting, but the amount of water you’ll save is immense-- about 3 gallons per flush. You’ll also save some money as an added benefit.

2) Offset your carbon at one of the many good carbon offset sites. It’s a real cheap insurance policy against a real huge disaster for our species.

3) Don’t listen to all the naysayers who say global warming is hoax cooked up by environmentalists looking for a handoun, blah, blah blah…I’d include a link, but why give traffic to these kooks. Suffice it to say, they are in bad company.

4) Compost your table scraps and green waste.

5) Find ways to creatively re-use household items that cannot be recycled or composted.

6) Work toward totally eliminating household trash.

7) Walk more, drive less.

8) Freecycle items instead of throwing them in the trash.

9) Get items from other freecyclers.

10) Eliminate bottled water and plastic grocery bags from your life.

Saving Money While Saving the Planet

I've thought this for quite some time, but here is further proof that you can do well by doing good. Enjoy!