MOJO article: Are Shorter Showers Beside the Point?

Mother Jones' e-magazine just came out with an interesting table and short article, "Are Shorter Showers Beside the Point?" When you look at the table it's about everything you'd expect -- the things individuals do make no impact, while the things industry does makes all the difference. The biggest reduction in CO2? Reducing it 13.2% by using half the amount of energy produced from coal and replacing it with wind turbines.

The article, written by Steve Aquino and Gary Moskowitz, states that "we could trim the nation's ghg footprint by almost 30 percent over the next 25 years by getting business to invest in efficient cars, appliances, and buildings as well as cleaner energy, with incentives including tax credits, subsidies, offsets, and fewer 'regulatory hurdles.'"

But that's the problem. We need to use less of these appliances, build less, and regulate more. tax credits are fine for industries that need to have made these changes to cleaner, more efficient methods of production, but subsidies? I'm tired of mollycoddling industry who have their corporate heads so far up their asses they can't think beyond making a ton of money at the expense of the environment.

The problem with GM is a case and point: they were so worried about shareholder investments and the huge markup they were getting on gas-guzzling SUV's that they forgot that the time to start making more fuel-efficient cars was 10 years ago. Now the U.S. is bailing them out and not because we want to, but because millions of jobs are at stake if the U.S. auto industry goes under.

Okay, going back to my thesis, now...

Need-a-Bag? Project Update 10.19.08 and Blog Round-up #2

It has been three weeks since I've updated on the Need-a-Bag? Project, and that's because there really hasn't been much to report. Also, I've been running over-time with school projects -- this is the final push, folks, and I have got to graduate this semester. I'm afraid to think what will happen to this blog when I go to graduate school...!

Anyway, all it seems I have time for these days is reading and commenting on other people's blogs (reading and commenting take a lot less time than coming up with original content). So, here's where I've been dwelling when not swirling with papers and projects:

Yecats Gniwe -- the ever intrepid Need-a-Bag? Project Associate bag putter-awayer, Stace, reports on a Saturday in the hinterlands beyond the Gainesville reality limits in "Saturday of Serenity and Strangeness."

Nom, nom, nom! -- you'll see why a woman and her homemade mayonnaise cannot be parted when you read "another mayo triumph." Obama sun symbolism alert!

Gee-ville Deals -- Bren has another fabulous day fattening her family's larder in these depressed economic times in "Olive you, Publix." A shrewd commenter notes that "olive you" sounds like the bark of a dog attempting to say "I love you," as evidenced in the many America's Funniest Home Videos we have as videographic proof. Bren agrees and...well, great minds think alike!

SAME HAT! SAME HAT! -- the blog's proprietor is issuing #1 of Electric Ant zine -- I think it has something to do with manga and the people who are obsessed with it. I have no idea what they're talking about, but I'm getting my copy!

That's it for now -- if you have news of note (eco or the exact opposite) in your blog, drop me a line at tmgnordlie@gmail.com

The new ridealong set up with trailer for hauling groceries. There's a new Schwinn in the house...-- hey, get out of the way, son, you're blocking the view!

More underwear

Sorry the exposure's so bad!

One Less Car Underwear--Limited Edition!

Um, and this picture is full-size so y'all can click on it to get your undies super-sized, if you dare! Boo! Haha! Happy Halloween!

Orange and BLUUUUUE!

Ways to make coffee: Paper, cloth, or pure gold

I was tooling around on one of my favorite new blogs to read, Nom, nom, nom! and she was giving her take on how she makes coffee. I can relate because I use a death-dealing, bisphenol-A plastic Melita maker, as well. She combines paper filters with one of those gold filters (which she claims you can find at a garage sale but I have never, ever seen one). It's an ingenious method of putting the paper filter in the Melita maker, then puting the gold filter on top of that and then puting the coffee in the gold filter. That way she can get rid of the coffee grounds without damaging the paper filter and can reuse the paper filter because, let's face it, the gold filters by themselves suuuuuck...

A few months ago (when I was foot-loose and fancy-free; that has sadly ended) I posted about making a Melita-style filter using fancy cheese cloth and some old bias tape I had lying around. Boy, I wish I had more time to sew stuff, because I'd make that Nom, nom, nom! person a filter.

Need-a-Bag? project update 10.18.08

It was a little busier today at the farmer's market. It is a nice thing to see. Because DG and the old man went to the FOL book sale at early o' clock, DJ was enlisted to help with Need-a-Bag? this morning. He was a great help! When we had gotten to the bottom of the bin he noticed there were all these plastic bags and was like, "if you're trying to discourage people from using plastic bags, why do you have this pile of plastic bags." Good point, son, now let's change the subject!

We also got a bag back! And we also got another bag! And, it was not even Jean who donated it! I think this is the beginning of stage two -- people are realizing that we will do this every weekend and are not hoarding bags. Hooray!

Stace said that when she and her husband went to collect bags later that morning there were 7 left on the fence. We probably had close to 20 out there, so business is picking up.

This weekend also marked the first usage of the new fabric labels. I was unable to get the paper backing off so sewed the whole thing on a couple of cloth bags before leaving for the market. It takes way more time to tack the label on the bag with a few stitches at each corner than slapping on a paper label, but I think it will be worth it in the long run because it will wear better and last longer than the paper labels after repeated washings.

The fact remains, though, that sewing the labels onto each bag will be more labor-intensive, something that Need-a-Bag? Project Associates do not need to be messing with. That is why I propose a concerted effort to find a Bedazzler at a garage sale or thrift shop for attaching the labels. They'll be securely attached and they'll be all shiny and pretty.


Top Photo: The Need-a-Bag? Project's first corporate sponsorship. They thought they were being all smart by taking the "?" off, and they didn't put the web address for the AE blog like I asked, either! Feh.

Got the photo of the Bedazzler from AsSeenonTVGuys.com

Update on Charlie's Soap

Well I was wrong about rinsing out the washtub with vinegar. You use a double scoop (two tablespoons) of the soap with some old rags and run the machine through the entire cycle. I had a bunch of rags that I was going to wash, anyway, so right on.

First, the 5-gallon bucket is dang heavy and, unfortunately for me, the old man had already gone to bed. Bend the knees, that's my advice.

Anyway, my first impressions are good -- they give you a tablespoon scoop taped to the top of the bucket -- the bucket is type 2 plastic so entirely recyclable.

Update: I've used Charlie's soap for 3 loads and it is working very nicely. It essentially works like the petroleum-based detergents I've been using up until now, so at least it's not under-performing. The laundry also smells fresh, like it's been line-dried. I'm so going to miss that sharp, weird, synthetic flower smell but I have to get beyond that.

Here's a link to the babysashanmom blog that has lots of good information and links -- mostly pertaining to washing diapers with Charlie's soap, but all of the information is directly relative to other clothing.

Charlie's Soap has arrived

Hi, sorry to Dan who posted a comment about what my impressions are of the Charlie's Soap. Well, Dan, I was lazy, as usual after making a declaration such as, "I'm buying a buttload of Charlie's Soap everyone!" Of course, I've just received it in the mail this past Friday. I will tell you this about Charlie's Soap, their customer service is tops and it was free shipping for orders over 25-dollars in the U.S.

Promise! Will try Charlie's Soap immediately! In fact, I have a load of laundry sitting right next to me. I think I have to rinse the washer tub with vinegar to get all of the scum off from those nasty, un-eco-friendly detergents, so will commence to do that now. I promise! Here I go...wait, oh, a new email just came in...

The Overflowing Box of Veggies: My CSA gives me more food than I can eat...is that bad?

Just a short post to point readers to this article on Slate.com about one writer's experience with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that is probably across the board relevant to many CSA participants around the country. Jacob Leibenluft, a.k.a. The Green Lantern, gives the main talking points about CSA's everyone should be aware of, such as that CSA's help decrease carbon emmissions simply because they are distributed through local farmers, thus decreasing the use of petroleum to cart them to and fro; also, CSA's are the best way to know how the food you are eating is being grown through an actual communication with the farmer; local farmers are more accountable to folks than some faceless agro-corp somewhere in the Himalayas. And, of course, CSA's are the best way for a community to support their local farmer; a CSA share enables your family to have the best foods to eat in your area, and you keep a small business farmer doing what he or she loves best. Such a deal.

Anyway, here is a post from about a year ago on where to find a farmer's market near you, and also on the Japanese phenomenon, Chisan Chisou. Also, here's a post about foodsheds.

If you want some direct info about where to find a CSA near you, go here.

Swiped the photo from the Slate article

Update on using cloth handkerchiefs

Waiting for class to start and I'm feeling sleepy and still a little sick from a cold our family went through last week. So, I've been using lots and lots of hankies for the copious amounts of snot I've been dealing with. Before this turning point I was using the hankies for the odd nose-blowing, but more for little personal housekeeping issues; a couple of spilled drops of coffee on my desk when I'm in class; a quick napkin when I'm eating. Now, however, I'm using up the flannel wipes-turned-hankies almost as fast as I can wash them. Luckily, I ran across a sizable largesse of handkerchiefs at a garage sale this past weekend (along with some bitchin' White Castle mugs [they're square!] and sunglasses that make me look like Lee Majors). Also finally cut up a skirt that I was planning on making a tote bag out of but really it's more of a handkerchief, or handkerchiefs, as the case may be.

Got the pic from The Daily Ping...raise your hand if you remember Dynamite...