Trash At The Beach - Why You Shouldn't Litter

We went to the beach this summer and the first day there was so much trash in the ocean that I was inspired to do a post in the style of the many "Wordless Wednesday" blog posts.  This is a collection of pictures of the trash we found on the Jersey Shore.

What struck us was that this was a very
affluent shore community.

Plastic wrap tangled in seaweed

Red ribbons - likely from a balloon
balloons are biodegradable, but the ribbons are not.

More trash on the beach

Lots of bottle caps washing up

Recyclable bottle washed up by the waves.

Person walking right by plastic bottle on the beach.

I saw a young girl yelling "Get it! Get it! and some boys trying to grab something in the water.  I waded out and hauled in this plastic bag.  The lifeguard jumped down to take it from me after it drained of water.  He said that every day they haul trash out of the water.  

The crazy thing was,  there were sets of the recycle and trash cans at every entrance to the beach AND all over the beach closer to the water.   There was always one in easy distance wherever we were.

Next time you're leaving trash on the ground, remember these pictures and think about whether that trash is going to end up in our oceans and on our beaches.  Picking up trash, whether you're on the beach or in the woods, is a great use for extra plastic bags, just make sure it all makes it into a trash can!

Happy Greening!
Alicia

Where do you go and find trash that really makes you mad? Share your experiences in the comments.

Back To School: The Great Kill-A-Watt Giveaway

As we're preparing to get our kids back to school we're relishing some of the additional free time we'll have in our schedule.   One use for that time is to assess the amount of electricity various devices in our house use and make a determination as to which of these we really need and which are worth the hassle of unplugging (or turning off the power strip) when not in use.

Kill-A-Watt Meter

Also,  we're very pleased that Jonathan and I both worked with our City's Energy Committee and Friends of our Library to make 4 Kill-A-Watt meters available to borrow through the library system.   In celebration of this long coming achievement  (this year wasn't the first time we have tried to get the local library to lend these out), we have decided to give away one Kill-A-Watt Meter to a lucky reader.

For basic information on how use a Kill-A-Watt meter,  read our post Building Your Energy Savings Toolbox - Kill-A-Watt meter.  For a better understanding of units of energy and what is worth cutting back and what isn't, read our post What Impact Does 1 Watt Have?

If you already have a Kill-A-Watt meter and you're interested in something more advanced, read First Days with our Ted-5000 Home Energy Monitor.

For an overall look at determining your energy use, read Where Do You Use the Most Energy?

So, without further ado, the Giveaway:

This giveaway is not sponsored by anyone, we are not being compensated for it and the Kill-A-Watt P4400 is compliments of Green Lifestyle Consulting.

To enter,  fill out the form below with a guess as to what uses the most electricity in your home, between now and midnight EDT on Tuesday, September 6, 2011.

For an additional entry, "like" us on Facebook, then come back to this page and fill out the form selecting "Like on Facebook" - if you already "like" us, just select that option.

For a third entry,  use the subscribe box on the left to subscribe to our blog via email (note that you will be sent a confirmation email and you MUST click on the confirmation email to be subscribed).  Then come back and fill out the form again and mark "I subscribe via email." (or choose it if you are already subscribed).

Maximum of 3 entries per person.

We will use a random number generator to choose the winner. We will only use your email address to let the winner know and request your mailing address to ship your prize to you. You will only receive future emails from us if you fill out the form to the left to subscribe to blog posts. If you have trouble filling out the form below, please email us at info@greenlifestyleconsulting.com.

Good luck and Happy Greening!
Alicia & Jon

Congratulations to Becky S. who won!

Extra Hurricane Tips for "Greenies"

As I was working through the list of things that the government recommends you do before a large storm, http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm a few extra things occurred to me that I thought I should share with my fellow "greenies".

Take Out Window Fans
We have several wonderful window fans that help circulate air through our house. They're convenient because they are just held in by putting the window down on them and they are very light. Remember to take these out of the windows before the storm gets strong!

Bikes May Not Be Safe Outside
We have a carport where we are putting things to be safe during the storm and prevent them from blowing around. However, things may blow around the carport and into the carport. Therefore, the kids bikes may not be safe in there. We'll probably borrow space in a friend's garage for them.

Harvest Fruits and Vegetables

Grape Tomatoes from our garden

If the winds are high enough and the rains strong enough, they can ruin your garden. Therefore, harvest now anything that is edible or will ripen inside. We'll be frying up some green tomatoes tomorrow! I'm taking a chance that most of our carrots will be just fine in the ground, even if the tops get beaten down.

Secure Potted Plants
Many people are growing gardens in pots these days. If you're one of them, think about moving those pots inside, into a garage, shed, or even under a porch to protect them from becoming projectiles. Even if you don't mind losing the pot or plant, you don't want that pot going through someone's living room window!

Charge Rechargeable Batteries and Equipment
You might lose power for an extended period of time. If you're like us, you have rechargeable batteries, rechargeable lanterns and maybe even a rechargeable radio or blender (no, I'm not kidding). Batteries in storage lose their the charge after a while, so plug those things in now and get them charged up before the storm!

Plan Your Diaper Washing
We're thinking about when we expect the storm to really hit here, and planning to have all clean diapers at that point, so if the power goes out, we will have clean cloth diapers to last us as long as possible. In our case it means doing a load Saturday evening to have clean, dry diapers when we wake up Sunday morning.

Cook Before The Storm
If you're better than we are about avoiding pre-made and processed foods and make everything from scratch, think about whether you have a few days worth of meals that don't need the stove or microwave. You may want to cook up a batch of something the day before to last you - I'm making beans. If you have a propane stove (for camping or grilling) make sure you have propane on hand!

Refresh Emergency Water Supplies
We have been keeping water in bottles that we filled ourselves. This seems like a good time to dump them and make sure we have fresh water in them.

Added Aug 27, 2011
Secure Compost and Recycling Bin Lids

Compost Bin Lid
securely locked

Recycling Bin Lid secured
with bungee cords

Be sure that you lock the compost bin lids down and secure your recycling bins.  If you have a big 96 gallon totter for recycling like we do, you can bungee cord it down.  Better yet, put it in a garage or shed.

Stay Safe and Be Prepared!
Alicia



What extra things have YOU needed to do to prepare for a disaster because you live a green lifestyle? Tell us!

Going for Solar - Adding Insurance for Solar Array

Hurricane Irene 2011 - Photo courtesy of NASA

With Hurricane Irene heading straight for Boston I finally got around to calling my insurance company to see if I needed to make any changes to my homeowners' coverage now that we have this expensive solar awning on our home.  I've been meaning to do it once the installation was finished, but nothing like a natural disaster heading our way to motivate me.  It took less than 15 minutes to talk to an agent and get our homeowners' coverage increased by the installation cost of the solar awning.  Now for only $7/month, I can stop worrying about whether our solar installation is insured, IT IS!

Now I need to recommend this as a step for our solar contractor to recommend to all their customers when they install solar.

Happy Greening!
Jon

What are you doing to prepare for Hurricane Irene or other natural disasters?

Going for Solar Series

Check out the other steps in Green Lifestyle Consulting's Going for Solar Series including photos throughout the construction.

Why Buy Recycled?

As you're doing your back to school shopping, look for the whether the products you are buying are made from recycled materials.  Depending on who made the product and where you're shopping, this might be a little tag on the back, big letters on the front or a symbol next to the item on a webpage.

There's two "kinds" of made from recycled materials.  There's made from recycled materials and made from post-consumer recycled materials.  What's the difference?  "post-consumer" recycled materials means that it was made from stuff that peopled used and recycled - just like you do when you put your recycling out for the waste haulers.  The "other kind" is materials that were left over during manufacturing and never made it into the hands of the public.  Both kinds of made from recycled materials is good,  buying post-consumer recycled materials is better. 

Why should you buy made from recycled materials items?  (That is the title of the post, I should get to it eventually...)

1. If you buy something made from recycled materials they didn't have to go cut down more trees or refine more oil to make the product.  The trees were already used or the oil was already refined and manipulated.

2. To [create/encourage/build/contribute to] a market for recycled materials.  If everyone recycled all their plastic and paper, but then insisted on buying everything from virgin materials, what we would do with all the recycled stuff?  It's important that we help "close the loop" on recycling by buying recycled things.

How does this affect your back to school shopping?  Virtually everything your buying to send your children to school with has a version that was made from recycled materials.  Last year we even bought some pencils that were made from recycled jeans!  Some of these things look just like everything else you could buy, and some will make a statement.  Which will you choose? 

Happy Greening,
Alicia

When you buy something made from recycled materials, do you want the item to blend in, or do you want it to make a statement so everyone can tell it was made from recycled materials?  Leave a comment and tell us!

LIttle Things to Make A Big Difference - Try Bar Soap

Looking for some simple things to change that allows you to lessen your impact on the environment in a big way?  Here's one that might seem simple and small, but if everyone changed, it could impact the environment from a number of different angles - switch from liquid soap to bar soap.   Soap is such a little thing, but it's something that we all use every day.  Switching from liquid soap to bar soaps has so many benefits that it's hard to know where to start (in fact, I keep re-arranging the order of the sections below - feel free to skip around when reading them!) 

Support local merchants and artists
Many artists and small craftsmen make bar soap.  You can support artisans through purchasing their soaps.  Soaps made by individuals in their homes typically contain all natural ingredients and essential oils for scents, rather than harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances.  Buying bar soaps from farmers markets and craft fairs is another way to buy local.

Avoid artificial ingredients, and harsh chemicals
Even if you do not have access to local artisans that make soap, there are companies that make all natural bar soaps with no harsh chemicals of artificial fragrances, such as Tom's of Maine.  You can also find a large variety of handmade bar soaps on Etsy.

Better packaging
Liquid soap almost always comes in plastic containers.  Plastic is made from oil and isn't biodegradable.  Bar soap is usually wrapped in paper and may come in a cardboard box.  The paper and cardboard come from renewable resources and are often recyclable.  Soap bought from a local artist or a natural foods store may not be wrapped at all. 

Skip shipping liquids
Liquid soap is heavier than bar soap because it is mostly water.  When you ship bottles of liquid soap it takes more energy to move the liquids from where they are manufactured, to the store to your home.

Use less soap, Use only what you need
When you use bar soap you tend to use only what you need and therefore you use less soap, which is good for your skin and good for the environment. It's also good for your wallet.  You'll spend less on soap.

But I love my exfoliating poof-thing!

Actual pieces of oatmeal in the soap

You can get exfoliating bar soaps.  We have one with actual oatmeal in it that gives a nice exfoliating, but not gritty, feel when you rub the bar on your body.  If you want, you can rub the soap onto your poof-thing and wash that way.  I actually have an oatmeal bar for washing and a smooth bar for rubbing on my legs before shaving (I use a bar soap instead of a female shaving cream or lotion, it's much more cost effective and cuts down on the number of personal care products I need).

Take the One Month Bar Soap Challenge!
Not convinced that bar soap is the way to go for you?  Take the One Month Bar Soap Challenge.  Buy one bar of soap - spend as little as $2 or as much as $7 on a bar of soap, put it in your shower, and use it for one month.  Then come back and tell us what you think about using bar soap!

Happy Greening,
Alicia

Tell us: What's your favorite soap?

Typical Household Energy Use and Related Emissions

Have you ever wondered what the energy use of a typical household is?

I came across this EPA resource while doing research for a campaign/petition I hope to start shortly and found it very useful and worth sharing.

Check out the EPA's Household Emissions Calculator Assumptions and References to find out typical household electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and propane consumptions.  The site also has information about vehicle emissions, but surprisingly they don't provide an estimate there.

Based on the EPA's average of 12,000 miles per year and the 20.3 MPG average passenger vehicle fuel economy and the 19.4 pounds of CO2 emissions per gallon of gasoline the typical US household consumes 591 gallons of gasoline and emits 11,468 pounds of CO2 per car or light truck.

The site is great in that it provides details on how they calculate each value and the carbon emissions and provide links to references.

If you are looking for typical household energy consumption, check out the EPA's Household Emissions Calculator Assumptions and References.

Happy Greening!
Jon

Cub Scouts Meet "Windy" the Wind Turbine

Our regular readers may have noticed that we're posting a little less frequently than usual this summer. In addition to having our children home from school, our environmental outreach activities have been keeping us pretty busy recently.

Nature themed coloring project.

Our regional Boy Scout Council held Cub Scout Day Camp at the base of "Windy" the municipal wind turbine in our city for the first time this summer. This location was a particularly good choice because their theme this summer is "Day Camp Goes Green." Realizing that the wind turbine could serve as a great educational focal point around energy and conservation, the Boy Scouts approached me for information and suggestions about how to tie Windy into their programming.

I met with the Director of the camp to get a better understanding of the camp activities and ages of the children. I suggested a craft for the boys to make their own wind turbine models out of simple materials including a half-gallon milk or juice container, popsicle sticks and index cards. Then we discussed putting together a simple presentation explaining electricity, pollution, clean energy and how the wind turbine makes clean electricity.

When I went to talk to the boys they split them into two groups, K-2nd grade and 3-5th grade, with almost 50 boys in each group. I really enjoyed the opportunity to explain about renewable energy and electricity to children because it is challenging to explain these issues to children in a way that is both accurate, yet understandable for them.

The Cub Scouts were very interested in the turbine, making guesses at how many houses she can power (answer: 16) and contributing to their peer's education with information they had about electric cars. The Cub Scouts learned about why the wind turbine was built, what some of the concerns were and why it is important to make clean electricity. Afterward we went out to touch the turbine and check out how noisy (or not) it is for themselves.

In addition to having a speaker and activities about the wind turbine, this year the camp Dens had names like "The Recyclers", "The Composters" and "The Solar Powers." The activities included learning to fish and doing a variety of crafts from recycled items. The boys had a great time, my son included, and I hope the camp comes back to our city again next year!

It's really great to see mainstream organizations picking up the green banner and I applaud the Boy Scouts on their choice of theme and location!

Happy Greening!
Alicia