6footsix

I ♥ envirosax

I work at Trader Joe's and throughout the day the comment I hear almost as often as, "how tall are you?" is, "darnit, I forgot my bags again."

Never forget your reusable bags again when you use an Envirosax bag! They are awesome huge bags that fold up to a teeny tiny size so that you can stick them in your purse and carry them with you always.  They come in packs of 5 from the website.  You will be amazed to discover how many ways to use your Envirosax when you carry them with you always.  They make great beach bags, moving bags, and even purses.  They come in many different styles and colors to harmonize with your unique individulituy.

And guys, don't worry, no need to carry a murse (male purse) - the folded Envirosax can fit in your pocket!

(Seriously, shouldn't I be their official spokesmodel ♥)

I tend to make things look small... 

   but take it from me - this is teeny tiny    !!

so sweet!

greening your home one room at a time

Greening Your Home One Room At A Time:

Part 1

Certainly not the most glamourous place to start but a place that every one of us uses and cleans: the bathroom.  When finding cleaning agents to use in the bathroom, we need strong, fierce products that are going to cut through gnarly toilet muck and goopy toothpaste stains and be environmentally friendly at the same time.  

Introducing: my favorite cleaning products!  A multi-purpose cleaner from Trader Joe’s, a glass cleaner from Simple Green, and a toilet cleanser by J.R. Watkins.  First off, our multi-purpose cleaner, which has the pleasant scent of cedar wood and sage.  My favorite part about switching to environmentally friendly products a few years back is that they always smell good.  They come from nature and what do you know in nature that smells bad?  Trader Joe’s makes a wonderful multi-purpose cleanser that I use to clean my bathroom sink and countertop.  It also happens to be the product I use to clean my shower tiles and tub...and it smells fantastic.

Moving on to the mirrors and sliding shower doors.  Glass is not always the easiest surface to clean.  Many of the products I have used in the past leave streaks.  And when I try to get rid of the streaks, I leave more streaks.  Simple Green has a new line of products termed “Naturals.”  Their natural glass cleaner smells like a forrest and leaves a streak free surface.

Moving on to the throne.  I choose J.R. Watkins Toilet Bowl Cleanser.  Yet another product that can be used on your shower tile, however, I would rather be thinking of my toilet while showering despite its pleasant lemony scent.  It gets the job done and that’s all that we ask for, right?

Not only do all of these products work well on the surfaces that they clean, their bottles are also recyclable.  Now that is what I call green!

The general rule I use when finding products to clean with is to read the ingredients.  If there is one or more ingredients that I cannot pronounce, it is not an environmentally friendly product.

Feel free to send me your favorite cleansing product!  Perhaps it will make my top 10 list!  

  

way to go ny transit!

On a recent trip to New York I discovered that the taxi cabs do not look like they used to.  Many of them are now hybrid vehicles.  There are over 10,000 taxis servicing New York on any given day so the amount of energy and fuel that is being saved by using hybrid vehicles is huge.  

Just one more reason why I ♥ NY!

spreading green!

This past week while my mom was in town, she helped me make the entrance to my house look inviting.  Since I live in a place that does not get a lot of rain, We decided to plant a succulent garden.  Chiggity check it out!

I also took my mom to Santa Monica while she was in town.  S.M. is one of my favorite places to hang out because the people are very friendly and there is a bit more environmental awareness than most other places.  It is also home to one of the biggest community gardens I have ever seen.  Have you ever seen a sunflower so big???  Shopping in S.M. is also fun because many of their stores use only organic material to make their garments.  Patagonia is one of these places.  Their mission statement says it all: 

“Our definition of quality includes a mandate for building products and working with processes that cause the least harm to the environment. We evaluate raw materials, invest in innovative technologies, rigorously police our waste and use a portion of our sales to support groups working to make a real difference. We acknowledge that the wild world we love best is disappearing. That is why those of us who work here share a strong commitment to protecting undomesticated lands and waters. We believe in using business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.” 

While at Patagonia, I bought a t-shirt whose proceeds will go to supporting their current environmental cause: Freedom to Roam.  The goal is to create, protect and restore pathways between wildlife habitats so that the animals can survive.  I also bought a long sleeve shirt that is ideal for working out in cold weather.  It keeps me dry and warm on the beach during the winter months. 

I applaud and fully support the efforts and practices of Patagonia and encourage others to support them as well.  Individuals can make big differences by making small environmental decisions in their lives, as well as by supporting the businesses that operate under environmental ethics.

build or fix something today

Today is Black Friday when everyone goes to the malls for the sales. 

Here is another idea 

Why don't you spend some time repairing what you have or making something with your own hands. Homemade things make wonderful gifts from the heart and fixing stuff means it isn't going to the dump and you save. 

This is really good if you are a kid. Show 'em how creative you are! Zula and Daisy Mae would do it if they could, but you can't imagine how dangerous they are with power tools.

(image is cc geishaboy500)

the cheapest way to save energy

We're all facing living with a bit less these days. Giving up some things may be hard, but others are easy and will save more than money. 

It is easy to give up burning money - let's see how.

It may not seem sexy, but the cheapest way to save energy and lower carbon emissions is conservation.  Some types of conservation are very easy.  Unplug things that use electricity around your home when you aren't using them.  TVs, stereos, PCs, set top boxes, game consoles.  You can plug them into power strips to make it easy and this may save more than a hundred dollars a year for most of you if you are serious - and lots of carbon too!

It is wrong to burn money, but this is exactly what you are doing when you aren't switching your stuff off when it isn't being used.

This is something where you kids can lead the way!  Set the example.  Make sure things are switched off on power strips when they aren't in use.  You can read about what California is doing and write to the people who run your state and the country and ask them why they don't do the same things.  Figure out how much you can save and maybe you can even make a deal with your parents and get some of the savings for making it happen.  You can start now! 

You might even find better things to do with your time when the TV is off.  Zula and Daisy Mae like to run and bark.  You may not bark as well, but running, playing games and riding your bike is a lot more fun than sitting in front of a TV.  

But even if you stay inside, remember to unplug things off when they aren't being used.

White roofs, not lighting the sky up at night, fixing air ducts ... There are thousands of other things that can be done and California is leading the nation on energy efficiency - the US could cut make huge cuts in energy use and carbon emissions if it adopted California's policies.  The power companies have good incentives to promote savings - check out the plans from Southern California Edison.

We all have to use energy and cut our green house emissions, but if we are smart about it we don't have to suffer and can justify the important things.

game consoles use waaaaay too much energy

Hey kids - here is a place where you can make a real difference! 

Big game consoles like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 use a lot of power. The National Resources Defense Council says these games use about as much power as two refrigerators! (here is a paper for those of you who want to learn about it)... about 150 watts.

Let's see how much 150 watts is...

Daisy-Mae says energy is power something uses times how long it is on.  If  you just leave the game on, you use 8760 hours in a year times 150 watts for a total of 1,314,000 watt-hours of energy. The electric company sells energy in kilowatt-hours (1000 watts in a kiloatt), so this is 1314 kilowatt hours. Where Daisy-Mae and Zula live electricity is about 14 cents a kilowatt-hour, so this is over $180 a year! Not only are you wasting money, but a lot of carbon is being emitted.

This is definitely not cool.

These games have idle modes, but they use almost as much power as when you are playing a game.  You can set them for auto-shutdown, but you have to do that as they don't come that way.  Leaving it plugged in and idling is almost as expensive as using it around the clock. 

Better yet just unplug them when you aren't playing!  

Tell all of your friends about this and kids can lead the way and save a lot of energy.  Maybe you can make a deal with your parents that they will pay you something for making sure your game console is unplugged when it isn't being used.   

Here's another suggestion.  Games are nice, but you won't get strong playing computer games.  A Wii might be cool, but try playing something real.  Play fetch with your dog, race your bike with friends, run, play some football, shoot some hoops, or play some volleyball.  Not only is it more fun than a game, you'll get stronger and look better than kids who just sit around indoors.  

homemade holiday gifts

The  holidays are coming up soon and it is time to think about what to do for friends and family.  You can go out and buy things made in China in the mall, but what fun is that? 

Maybe it is better to give something that you or a local crafts person have made.  Something really special and from the heart.

Kids probably want the latest toys, but those of us who are a little more mature love the thought, the time and the love that go into something special.  Maybe you can sew. Maybe you can draw.  Maybe you are good at woodworking.  Maybe you can make amazing jams and jellies.  Maybe you can write a little story for someone.  Maybe you can tell stories and can make a recording.   Repair something special that is old and broken.  Teach them how to play volleyball or how to become more  fit.  Show them they are one of a kind by giving them something one of a kind.

You have to worry about the quality because it is you that is coming through. There are a lot of special touches you can use. If you draw or write something, you might want to use great paper.  

Smile and think of them while you do this.  Listen to the music that makes you think of them.  Don't choose too many so you have the time and maybe you can tell them ahead of time that it is homemade and suggest they do the same.

You can have a wonderful holiday and focus on love and friendship rather than racing around the mall looking for something.

Another great thing that can still be personal is to find local artisans.  People who make beautiful things.  Sometimes you can describe what you want and still find something very special.

and remember

Remember the dreamers and those who are doing impossible things.  The person doing amazing things in college.  That totally awesome athlete.  The person with a passion and a cause. Find a way to support them that may not be conventional.  Make them smile and make them stronger.

Remember the animals. Zula and Daisy Mae give so much as it is that they don't have to make anything special, but they enjoy getting special things and aren't very picky about neatness.

It may seem like a lot, but start out with a few people and spend a few weekends thinking and maybe writing, sketching, baking, sewing or building.  There will still be regular store-bought gifts, but just give this a try and see if it works.

Your time is a very special gift.  For many of us it is more special than money.  Give things that time rather than money buys to those who are close to you.

So what are you waiting for?  Go out an get started!!

(holiday tree image under cc by stephendl)

bikes are great

Are you worried about $4 gas or maybe you want to get in better shape? A lot of your trips may be in bike range. And kids can get around without waiting for their parents to drive them. So have your old bike tuned up and enjoy the ride. And if you need a new one, most of you probably can even find one that fits.

A friend sent this link to a good CBS piece on using bikes. Have a look!

There are so many good reasons and there are many great resources. On the web try a commuter tip site like this one. Visit your local bike shop and ask for suggestions. They'll be a great place to get your old bike in shape and the work is much less expensive than what you are used to paying for your car.

Just go out and do it!