Faith and Environmentalism
Submitted by Faith in Action on March 19, 2007 - 4:07am.
Climate Crisis | Energy | Environment | Faith in Action | Global Warming
Faith and Environmentalism
The Faith in Action Team
Introduction
This series discusses ways that faith and environmentalism are closely linked to each other.
“Environmentally… we must do more to protect our natural resources, enabling us to extend their economic value indefinitely through wise natural resource extraction policies that protect the beauty and diversity of our American ecosystems - our seacoasts, mountains, wetlands, rain forests, alpine meadows, original timberlands and open prairies….”
General Wesley Clark
100-year vision
Confessions of an Imperfect Steward
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." Genesis 1: 26-31
Am I a Saint?
“After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25: 19-21
- I drive a Prius because my driving style and daily commute utilize its gas-sipping engine to the greatest advantage.
- I had high-efficiency HVAC installed 3 years ago to conserve natural gas and electricity. Heat and air conditioning are turned down when at work and while sleeping.
- The showerhead has a small shut-off switch so I can stop the water flow while soaping up and turn it on again to rinse off.
- Only large loads of clothes are washed; all clothes drying is done at the same time to take advantage of a warmed up dryer.
- Recyling has been a way of life for 20 years and purchases are made based on the recyclable nature of containers.
- I pay a bit more for household cleaners not made of petroleum products.
- Most of the lights in the house have compact fluorescent bulbs and are turned off when not in use.
- Electrical appliances are plugged into powerstrips which are turned off when not in use so the ubiquitous powerbricks don't constantly pull electricity.
- I mow the lawn with an electric lawnmower.
Am I a Sinner?
“It is He who produceth Gardens, with trellises And without, and dates, And tilth with produce Of all kinds, and olives And pomegranates, Similar (in kind) And different (in variety):
Eat of their fruit In their season, but render The dues that are proper On the day that the harvest Is gathered. But waste not By excess: for God Loveth not the wasters.” Qur'an
(6:141)
- I live in a 40 year-old home with the original leaky windows, very little insulation and asbestos siding.
- I insist on running the water while brushing my teeth.
- Only a few clothes are hung outside to dry in the summer and I use Downy in the washer for softness instead of white vinegar.
- The light most often used in the house does not have compact fluorescent bulbs because I haven't been persistent enough to find bulbs that can be used in a chandelier.
- I leave the cable modem on when I'm not using the Internets.
- The refrigerator and washer/dryer date back to the inefficient 1980s.
- I compost shredded leaves, but use a gas-powered leaf vacuum to shred them.
Is it time to Sacrifice? Being a faithful steward means I must do more, but like many of us I am restricted by means. (Three more years of college tuition equals three more years of leaky, inefficient windows and doors.) I may not be able to afford the new windows, insulation and siding, but I can afford to replace the refrigerator - the largest energy consumer in the house - with a newer, more efficient model. And while it may not be a sacrifice, I pledge to change a few bad habits:
- I promise not to run the water while brushing my teeth.
- I promise to turn off the cable modem when not in use.
- I promise to find compact fluorescent bulbs that will fit the chandelier.
Faith Watch
Environmental News and Commentary
www.grist.org
The Prophet Mohammed: A Pioneer of the Environment
www.islamonline.net/english/Contemporary/2003/02/Article02.shtml
Bill Moyers - Is God Green?
www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/green/index.html
use some common sense. Camels and methane - what was she thinking?
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
whatever her pastor tells her to believe. The camel thing had to be on his TPM to get out to his congregation. She also brought up that argument about people having to quit breathing, since we exhale CO2 and I had to bring up again that's nothing compared to all the cars on the road and other ways CO2 emissions are going into the atmosphere.
This business of people thinking that God supposedly knows what he's doing so therefore, mankind is off the hook when it comes to environmental issues, drives me crazy. It's simply an excuse so that they can keep on doing the things they are doing and don't have to feel guilty about it.
I loathe people who use the concept of God as some sort of crutch. I really do.
“The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives” -- Mahatma Gandhi
“Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.” -- Mahatma Gandhi
and finally....
“It is possible that mankind is on the threshold of a golden age; but, if so, it will be necessary first to slay the dragon that guards the door, and this dragon is religion” -- Bertrand Russell
As God's will? Yeh, that must be it. As Gore said this morning, "Earth has a fever."
"...Because when you can do good, you should." Wes Clark
We were given the greatest gift that any of us can ever want, the Earth. It is up to us to treat that gift with all of the respect and care that gift deserves. How else can we thank the giver and prove our worth.
I'm not perfect; but I'm also not a slob and ingrate. My life is simple but most people's standards. Our windows don't leak and have been replaced years ago. Our latest push is to improve our insulation in any way we can. There's more that we do, and there's more that we can do. Perhaps the best thing that we've done is to pass those values onto our daughter. She gets it.
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
I have met him and damn he is smart. Do a search for his name and check out what he has to say about BioD and Ethanol. It reminds me of what I have been thinking for a long time, all tho I am not as smart. :)
Below is his Author name:
biodiversivist
Find him by doing a search at:
http://gristmill.grist.org/
Kevin
-
Thanks for this diary. It's opened a floodgate of thoughts and memories. Being conscientious is often a balancing act, and I see my “sins” through that prism. Still, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Does anyone else go through these mental/emotional gymnastics?
• Hubby and I use a riding gasoline mower, but it mulches the grass very, very well. We have 3 acres that must be mowed around our house and out-buildings to eliminate ladder fuels in our wildfire-prone area, so if we had to use a push mower, we’d never get the job done. I tell myself it's okay because we "balance" by hanging 90 percent of the laundry outside (which I would do anyway because I love how the clothes smell).
• We have two smaller-model pick-up trucks necessary for ranch life; one of those is 20 years old, the other 10 as we buy new and keep almost forever, because Hubby keeps them burning clean and getting decent mileage. We wanted to replace our Volvo station wagon we’d driven for 28 years (and 350,000 miles) with a hybrid Toyota Highlander, but the idea of possibly having to replace the battery for $$$$ in 5 years scared us off.
•We're converting bulb by bulb in all our buildings to the new--and costly--ones, but I'm finding that sometimes they last half the time of the old ones and a 10th the time the package says. Hubby is trying to check out why with his electricity-savvy friends. Anyone have a clue?
• Sometimes people overlook that remodeling and updating houses, and buying newer appliances create another problem: disposing of the old. When Hubby and I moved and then did a major remodeling of the "new" house, we saved and reused every gosh-darn 2x4, etc., that could be salvaged and sold or gave away every sink, window and fixture we weren't reusing. Our trip to the dump was only one pick-up load. The gleaning process was very time-consuming, but to have wasted these would have given us both a massive guilt attack. (Friends going through a remodel at the same time had at least 8 dump truck loads they pitched.)
•We both grew up "poor" when recycling was a matter of making ends meet--except we called it "reusing." It was an ethic ingrained in us by our depression-era parents. For example, in my small town, if you weren’t a gardener and therefore composting, your veggie scraps went to the curb in a can twice a week where the local pig farmer picked them up free to feed his critters. Win-win. Clothes were hand-me-downs, sometimes remodels, sometimes not. Hubby tells me his overalls had patches on patches. He had to share bath water; thank goodness I did not as my mother, a survivor of tuberculosis, was very conscious of hygiene. I was allowed only 5 inches of water in the tub, but it was my own! Countless more examples, but you get the drift.
•"Waste not, want not" was the rule, and the Biblical basis was to be good stewards of what the Lord had given us. And rather than making either of us stingy, it made us appreciate and therefore willing to share. It wasn't "making due"; instead, it was "making the most of," and I still enjoy the challenge of creating something special from whatever I have on hand.
•I scowled at my daughter when she decided to use disposable diapers when her baby was born. However, I knew she was true-blue to her values when she presented me with all her careful research showing that the pluses and minuses of cloth vs. disposable come out pretty equal when water use, burning fossil fuels to heat the water, the problems with soaps in the sewage, etc. balanced against the production factors and landfill considerations, etc. When these came out as equally bad choices, she voted for ease.
•My biggest dream for the near-future (other than Clark becoming President, of course) is to install solar on a 20,000 sq.ft. roof of an office building we own WITHOUT compromising the leak-proof integrity of a $60,000 new membrane roof we put got just two years ago. Another balancing act.
• My biggest concern in the large picture of the environmental future is the availability and purity of water.
I babble on.
"...Because when you can do good, you should." Wes Clark
It provoked some additional thought!
On the hybrid car batteries - Toyota currently believes the life of them should be ten years, but of course, no one knows for sure how they will do until a few more years now.
On the CFL - I have two in my bathroom fixture that have been there for nearly 20 years. I imagine some poking around on the Internets would find some reasons why yours aren't lasting long.
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
I'm at 70K now and holding my breath. If they give out before 80K, they're covered under warranty. After that, it's my problem.
Here's an interesting tidbit--completely unscientific. My Insight has wheel skirts on the rear wheels, which Honda claims gives about 5mpg. The Prius does not have them. Well, my wheel skirts are a pain in the butt and tend to fall off, so now they are in my garage. And, sure enough, I'm taking a hit on mileage. Here's the thing... and it seems somewhat obvious... the faster I drive, the bigger the hit from the lack of wheel skirts. And I have heard that the Prius starts to do really shitty the faster you drive. Maybe the wheel skirts really ARE very important. Sigh... perhaps I should figure out why mine refuse to stay put.
on the highway can get pretty good mileage depending on how the wind is blowing and if I have to go uphill, etc... I'd say my best mileage comes with a combination of city and higher speed driving. It all depends on how much I have to hit the gas pedal to maintain velocity. The electric system on my Prius is covered for 8 years. They already replaced the big battery a couple of years ago. I had to replace my regular battery, which was more expensive than it would have been in a regular car. I had to get the new improved bigger battery with a special mounting thingy. My car is low mileage, but I have 2 years left to finish my 8 years, so we'll see how it goes after that. I wish they'd come up with a plug in type of battery I could swap for when the time came to get 100 mpg. It would be worth paying the money for it.
because of the bracket required to hold it in that was different than what it came with when it was new. It was about $300.
I didn't know Toyota made a hybrid Solara. I have a 2004 traditional Solara, and yes -- very sharp.
I bought my last tank of gas on February 1, and since March 3 it hasn't moved.
"Break a leg for global warming relief!"
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
The Ganges River in India is dying
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ganga_among_10_dying_rivers/articleshow/1785564.cms
The Danube River on the critical list-- on life support
but that's from that liberal leftie rag "Business Week"...
Rio Grande joins most-endangered list
By Staci Matlock | The New Mexican
March 21, 2007
The Rio Grande joins the Ganges River on the World Wildlife Fund's list of the world's top 10 most endangered rivers, both of which are threatened by overuse.
The report, released this week, says the Rio Grande, known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico, is threatened by the diversion of too much water, an altered flood plain, dams and invasive plants. The Rio Grande, like some of the other rivers on the list, struggles to reach the ocean, according to the report.
Jennifer Montoya, director of the World Wildlife Fund's Chihuahua Desert Program based in Las Cruces, said even her organization was surprised to realize the Rio Grande, managed largely by the United States, faces the same kinds of threats as rivers such as the Ganges that are managed by developing countries.
SNIP
Even the great rivers can't survive the bush administration.
Next they'll be telling us Keith Richards is sick.
670 DAYS
But Who's Counting?
endangered for years. Do people realize how many large communities use the water from the Colorado River?
Arizona depends on that river.
We are in trouble.... and I've sat here crying off and on about one show with Tucker and O'Donnell who are laughing at Gore's "moral" issue.
Honestly, this whole "debate" about Global Warming is upsetting. There should be no debate, there should be action, and poor Al Gore is trying desperately to get our mis-leaders to pay attention and wouldn't it be absolutely amazing if the United States became the leader in this very moral issue?
Just sick to my stomach with the Republicans and their greedy supporters!
Sorry... I've been ranting about a lot today. :(
I missed most of it in deep business today but saw the link to Mama Boxer scolding Imhoff at the Gore hearings-- that was just too precious for words. I heart my Reps oh boy.
That was priceless.
Colorado supplies loads of our water too if I'm not mistaken, piped in via Mr. Mulhollands systems set up eons ago. Remember "Chinatown".
We are living in interesting times. The challenge is to choose the correct way to deal with it.
Meanwhile I fell today rushing at work leaping to the fax machine, trying to meet a deadline, broke the fall with my HAND! My left hand this time and the thumb bent backwards...Ow!! LOL. Just got the right arm "fixed" .... and now....klutzy, I am. : /
I think the Universe wants me off the keyboards.
Heal quickly. That's can't be the Universe's message!
A wise friend's gave me this advice: Fight, Rest, Heal. Fight, Rest, Heal.
"...Because when you can do good, you should." Wes Clark
Truly, you are trying to do too much to fast?
I'm so sorry. The Gods are telling you to slow down.
:/
I got so used to working with one hand, I have now switched over to doing all things right-handed (as that wrist is healed) and leaving off the left hand! Shampooing has become an art form.
As a Coloradoan, I can't but help treating the water in the Colorado River as "ours."
People downriver are doing unnatural things to the environment -- creating artificial small ponds for backyard enjoyment and growing vegetation to beautify their property.
There's a rugged beauty in the natural landscape in the arid Southwest. Lush lawns and private swimming pools don't fit in the scenario.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
and the river through the Grand Canyon is truly suffering. So here's the problem...
You are so correct. Generic living.... people moving into Phoenix and other parts of that state have decided they are taking their east/west coast vegetation to the desert. Go figure. Zeroscaping can be beautiful, and certainly will not drain that beautiful river.
I'm sure all the landscapers in Arizona will not like what I'm saying here.... they make a lot of bucks off those palms (that are going extinct and were never indigenous to CA or Arizona which I didn't know about until I watched a documentary) and sod and other flowers that need a lot of water.
Yeah, but the lion's share of the water IN the river came from Colorado. (We Coloradoans can be a little snarky about our river.)
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
Rocky Mountain High fed that river, right?
You can be snarky all you want, ... what I am saying is that it goes thru Arizona and those people are siphoning it faster than you can sing... Rocky Mountain High in Colorado! IN other words, I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was suggesting Colorado should cut off the water to Arizona and say you aren't going to take it anymore. uh, her, no.... maybe not that drastic, LOL, but someone better tell those people on all those golf carts in Phoenix that the water is running out, b'cuz many of them are contractors and building more houses and more golf courses.... and people don't seem to care or are in denial (not the river in Egypt, but now that I think about it, that river is also showing many signs of problems, too). :/
And what about Las Vegas and Energy, while we are talking about it. Will that lake last? Vegas is overbuilding now too. ugh!
RIP John. :(
Stop Global Warming Virtual March
03/21/07
NEW PARTNERS AND MARCHERS
This week the Virtual March grew to over 670,000 marchers! Recent partners include Napster, Sacramento Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Rock N Renew founder and Jonny Lives! leader Jonny Dubowsky, former NFL great Rod Woodson, sports journalist Rich Eisen, NBA MVP Steve Nash, and New Orleans Saints star Reggie Bush. The sports world is paying close attention to the issue of global warming. Check out the March 12 Sport Illustrated cover story (click here to see its remarkable cover).
POLAR BEAR SOS
Time is running out for polar bears, as they suffer the effects of global warming: birth rates are falling, fewer cubs are surviving and more bears are drowning. With more than 25 percent of the world's polar bear populations already in decline, further warming could drive the polar bear to extinction by century's end. Please join us and the NRDC to tell the Bush Administration to protect polar bears and their critical habitat. Visit PolarBearSOS.org and take action now!
CLICK HERE to to protect polar bears
ACT LOCALLY
The lack of leadership on global warming at the federal level is empowering citizens to take action locally. A recent New York Times article described how New Hampshire residents are considering a state referendum to ask the federal government to address the climate change issue. The measure also calls for state solutions for stopping global warming. Organizers hope to force presidential candidates to address the issue during the New Hampshire primary. Hopefully New Hampshire's efforts will help send a message that change can begin at the local level.
CLICK HERE for more on the New Hampshire citizen effort
GLOBAL WARMING AND KLEENEX
Kimberly-Clark, parent company to Kleenex and Scott brands, refuses to stop using virgin paper fiber from the endangered North American Boreal forests, which represent one quarter of the world's remaining intact ancient forests, vital to fighting global warming. More than 700 businesses have pledged not to use Kimberly-Clark products, and we encourage Marchers to do the same. We also encourage you to join Greenpeace in taking action, by visiting KleerCut.net and voicing your opposition to Kimberly Clark's clear-cutting.
CLICK HERE to stop Kimberly-Clark from destroying ancient forests
GUSTER'S CAMPUS CONSCIOUSNESS TOUR
SGW Virtual Marchers Guster again have teamed up with environmental action group Reverb to launch the second annual Campus Consciousness Tour. The band aims to spread environmental awareness and inspire students to get involved with earth-friendly causes. The tour kicks off March 28, 2007 in Winston-Salem, NC at Wake Forest University. For more information about the Campus Consciousness Tour and tour dates, visit http://www.campusconsciousness.org/.
ROCK N RENEW ON THE ROAD
New Virtual Marcher Jonny Dubowsky, lead member of indie band Jonny Lives!, is taking his Rock N Renew effort on the road. Rock N Renew is an educational series for students that examines the topics of global warming. During the band's upcoming tour, Jonny will be visiting schools in each tour market, and will be utilizing local club venues, promotions and media to help raise awareness about global warming. Great work!
CLICK HERE for more on Rock N Renew and the Jonny Lives! tour
Keep Marching!
Laurie David
Founder
StopGlobalWarming.org
I'm not doing all I can...none of us are. I won't list everything I do daily, and I won't list all I haven't done that I need to. But we all have to do our part to the best of our ability and I'm seriously working on it.
I do know that big corporations who continue to disregard environmental issues are the biggest culprits. We have to disregard them. For example, I have not gone into stores like Albertson's since the early 80s. When they stop selling Proctor & Gamble and other subsidiary products (see above re Kimberly Clark...)that hurt our environment, and are health hazards to-boot, I'll think about being a patron. In the 80s Albertsons began promoting their canvas shopping bags that one could purchase and collect for shopping. It didn't last long. They continued offering paper and plastic bags and in a short time the canvas bag idea died. I still take my own canvas bags when I grocery shop, and even walk into the store with a small box full of the bags that I can fill with items as well.
Anyway, it's just one thought...... where do you shop, what do you buy that hurts the environment, and how much are you willing to give up with certain products to help protect our environment and your own family's health?
Which stores can you patronize that are pro-environment? Can you purchase products from small family-owned businesses in your community that don't sell products in packaging that hurts our environment?
And don't be afraid to ask managers at stores why their store is not pro-environment. The more people who call them on something (giving plastic bags), the more they might speak to their higher-ups about the complaints.
to Kleenex products?
Do they have a suggested one?
I'll bet my Whole Foods does now that I think about it.
I buy toilet tissue and paper towel with recyled content, but never gave one thought to nose tissue! If I were a real saint, I would probably use cloth handkerchiefs, but I spent much of my youth ironing them for my father who I believe is the only person in the world still using them! (At my grandmother's funeral we all had our bunches of Kleenex, but he had a very classy cloth handkerchief he put to good use.)
Now to find the recycled ones at the store; I'm sure there must be some.
"Kimberly-Clark is the largest manufacturer of tissue products in the world and owns the brand names Kleenex, Scot, Viva, and Cottonelle. It is a highly profitable company raking in 1.7 billion dollars in profits last year. Unfortunately much of its profits are based on turning ancient forests into disposable paper products that consumers use once and then throw away or flush down the toilet. Kimberly-Clark is also one of the least progressive tissue product manufacturers continuing to rely on massive amounts of virgin fibre to produce its products - it uses over 2.5 million tonnes of virgin tree pulp each year and less than 19% of its fibre in North America comes from recycled sources. The industry average for recycled fibre use is 60%. and major and minor competitors of K-C have taken very progressive steps to become more sustainable."
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11858
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
Your dad is NOT alone in his use of handkerchiefs! My dad has chronic hayfever-type symptoms and is never ever without his hanky in his pocket to this day!
Unfortunately, he also is a huge tissue user and will buy whatever's on sale. Won't get him to boycott on that I'm afraid.
But him having grown up in the Great Depression shaped his life (and thus ours) so that basic conservation has always been a way of life for my family. And that includes water, which my dad knew back in the '60's -- when he started taking water management classes at the local community college -- was going to be a huge problem in our future. I remember him saying way back then that some day there would be water wars for clean, fresh water.
Also, I lived in a teepee for close to 5 years, and that made me even more aware of and conscious of how much water and energy we waste without even thinking about it. I swain, to this day, I don't turn on a water faucet without appreciating having hot water at my fingertips!
I could do a lot better on some stuff, but all in all feel pretty good about our efforts. Probably closer to the "saint" side than "sinner" but definitely not perfect!
KathyB, I loved reading your post! Thanks for that!
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
...teach good lessons in conserving resources. You deserve a prize for living that way for five years!
A favorite camping memory is taking a shower with a bag of sun-heated water dangling from a tree. It felt deliciously naughty to stand naked in the woods. I'm still stingy with water in my shower--trying to imagine if I've used my 5 inches yet--LOL--remembering the childhood bathtub rule.
Traveling a lot over the past 15 years, I've been thrilled to see the trend in motels and hotels to encourage guests to reuse towels and not expect clean sheets every day. It's likely that it's the expense factor that got their attention, even though the explanation card hanging in the room say "to save the environment."
Whatever the reason, it's a good move. I suspect that it will be a combination of idealism and profit that finally turn the tide.
I am an active optimist, even smiling cheerfully when the clerk in a grocery store sneers at the crumpled plastic bag from that store that I want to reuse. The guy today rudely said, "But it's dirty."
"No," I said. "The only thing that's been in it are groceries from this store, and the ones you're checking now don't look dirty to me. Eventually I will line my trash can with it. I'm just doing my part to save the planet."
"Yea," he said with his best snark, "one plastic bag at a time." I gave him my best grandmotherly look. With my Clark 08 button on my purse, I don't want to get nasty!
"...Because when you can do good, you should." Wes Clark
My mom was scheduled to have her knee replaced this year. She went through all the tests at the hospital and they had to postpone her surgery because she tested positive for a staph infection.
The doctor questioned her about the use of handkerchiefs. He told her to go home and throw them all away. They are huge collectors of germs.
Our hospital now tests all scheduled surgery patients for staph prior to their stay. It has helped a great deal to reduce complications.
Just fyi.
"Some of them put on their cowboy boots and put their feet up on the desk." -Wes Clark
practices. I wash all clothing in cold water and hang my clohes on a hanger until they are barely damp before I put them in the dryer. Instead of dryiing 90 minutes I put them in for 30 minutes. I save one hour of drying time (gas) for each load of laundry. I of course can't do that for towels, sheets, etc., but it works great for jeans and other clothing. Saves me $$$ too.
Do the clothes "soften" up with that little bit of drying? In the winter it would certainly help add moisture to the air and in the summer I can put stuff on a clothesline for a bit.
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
I only dry things in the drier for a short time (timing depends on the fabric) then I hang them to dry. The heat takes out most of the wrinkles, but they must be removed from the drier promptly, not allowed to sit and cool. Then clothes, hung on hangers need little, if and ironing. Also I never dry on maximum heat - its too harsh for fabrics.
Things that definitely have to be ironed are taken from the drier damp and pulled into shape. If ironing has to be left till later, they are folded and placed in a plastic bag which is placed in the outside refrigerator to keep them damp enough for ironing.
All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.
--Woodrow T. Wilson
with the damp clothes in a plastic bag put into the refrigerator! She taught me this trick and I have done that often for some garments, mostly all cotton, that have to be ironed. They don't mildew until you can get to them! Some things never change. ,)
I have new washer/dryer set that are water/energy savers. I really love them. Now I hope they last 15 years like my old ones, but these are soooo much better for the environment!
if they're new. Am glad to see that front loaders are now becoming the norm in the U.S., could never understand when I came here why all the washing machines and driers were so old fashioned. I had front loaders when my daughter was born and she is now 33!! I'm still using my Maytag stackable washer and drier which has been going strong for 12 years now.
All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.
--Woodrow T. Wilson
I know Sweden did. Yes, they are front loaders. These are Japanese made, Brand:LG Tromm. I love them. According to everything we found in our research, they are the most efficient. Now I wish I had purchased the stackables, but I would have lost wall cabinets.... I have a small laundry room, and would have had more room for a table.
front loaders in Europe for many many years, though I can remember my Mother's washing machine was a top loaded and at that time there were no driers other than sunshine. That was a long time ago though.
Stackables are really good if you have a small space, but the drums are not as large as those in front loaders. Never been a problem for me though, because I always sort laundry into different loads, colours, towels, etc., and even launder queen size down duvets when needed.
All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.
--Woodrow T. Wilson
Which is great. But if your space is very small, then I don't know if this brand would fit...though this brand can be bought in smaller sizes, too. I just didn't want to lose that side of my cabinetry. :/
...to use a front loader. Years ago, pregnant with my first child, I absent-mindedly opened the door of my front-loader while it was full of soapy water!! That was a lovely mess to clean up. I blame it on the hormones, but....
"...Because when you can do good, you should." Wes Clark
too.
Also, I know I'm weird because I like ironing!! Particulary if there's something good on tv like Masterpiece Theatre or a good film to watch. Also, wear mainly linen for at least six months of the year, so liking ironing helps!
All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.
--Woodrow T. Wilson
talking ironing.
I never minded ironing except when I was working and had to do so much of it. Then I purchased a steamer way back in the 70s and it's still working and I love it.
But some things must be ironed. And since we are talking environment, I'm NOT sending much to the dry cleaners anymore because they pollute the air and the chemicals are not healthy on our bodies.
I like linen too. I had a friend from NYC tell me I shouldn't iron it, I should just take it out and shake it.... somehow it never looks good when I do that. LOL!
Just the same as if drying from wet to dry. I have a wall shelf in my laundry room and it works perfectly as a drying rack. I just have to not forget and let them dry fully. Sometimes that happens and I just put a wet t-shirt in with the dry load and it usually does the trick too.
I have plenty of room to hang clothes on hangers to partially dry.
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
these bulbs. When they finally burn out or are accidentally broken special disposal is required - they cannot be thrown in the trash. IKEA take back
the bulbs after they die for disposal. As far as I know,they are the only company providing this service at the moment. Otherwise you need to call your local garbage collector.
All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.
--Woodrow T. Wilson
Definitely check with your trash company. Ours will take a certain number at a time, requesting only that they be separately packaged.
They also have a program for electronics. Given that it costs more to repair a DVD player than to buy one (if you can even find a repairman anymore), I'm damn glad there's recycling available....
Joy
Link goes to NYT. First impression is this couple are Saints!
" A sour odor hovered oh-so-slightly in the air, the faint tang, not wholly unpleasant, that is the mark of the home composter. Isabella Beavan, age 2, staggered around the neo-Modern furniture — the Eames chairs, the brown velvet couch, the Lucite lamps and the steel cafe table upon which dinner was set — her silhouette greatly amplified by her organic cotton diapers in their enormous boiled-wool, snap-front cover.
A visitor avoided the bathroom because she knew she would find no toilet paper there."
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
her response:
"That's so funny, I heard this on the radio this morning. I couldn't live without toilet paper!"
All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.
--Woodrow T. Wilson
The biggest source of energy efficient lightbulbs is your local home improvement store. They have every size, type and wattage, even for your ceiling fans and chandeliers.
But paying attention is also hugely important. To just be aware.
We can't afford a new more efficient car (although ours is pretty good, actually), so we combine trips. Solo flights for single items no longer happen. Line 'em up and do them all at once. Do without until you can.
I find myself thinking every time I reach for an item on the shelf: Is this green-wise? Can the packaging be recycled? How far did it have to come? I turned down green peppers the other day because they came from Chile. Sure missed them in my sauce. But I can wait until the crop comes in here. Did the same with oranges.
It's not only the big stuff, it's the little stuff, the tons of little stuff, that should make us pause. We can make green decisions every time we get in the car, buy a product, or decide whether something is truly essential right now.
Once you start noticing these things, it becomes a fascinating exercise.
Joy
P.S. I'll hunt for recycled tissues, but I'll be darned if I'm going to use hankies. Those things are disease spreaders.
and the packaging they come in.
I had a campaign going years back about Toys R Us and how the packaging, the plastic toys are killing our environment. And try to get parents to think beyond their screaming kids "I want it, I want it!"
Cosmetics! How expensive are cosmetics because of packaging that is harmful to our environment.
Computer products. I bought a new blue cord to connect to broadband in a hotel. The packaging was so ridiculous I almost cut my hand off trying to get into it. Seriously! WHY? Why are we putting up with this ridiculous packaging?
Why do medications have to come in plastic bottles? What happened to glass? Why not take your old glass bottle back to the pharmacy when you need a refill? Tell that to your pharmacist and watch his eyes glaze over.
I won't give up toilet paper, but there are so many ways we can clean out our stores of the products that are hurting our environment that end up in landfills.
The used plastic medicine containers go right into the recyclable container. Are you unable to recycle plastic, MSBE?
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
We have been fighting this fight for a long time.
Oh, and glass bottles are recycled if clear. Oh, and plastic milk/distilled water bottles.
But it's not just recycling....it's the production of plastic petroleum products. There's no need for it, not as much of it, if we go back to glass. It isn't biodegradable, and glass is.
My doggies take the medications in my household, too.
kinds of plastic and glass. Don't even have to sort them! (Most of my recyclable bin is my empty Coca-Cola cans...)
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
That's a wonderful point. Toys. Thank goodness I don't have to buy them anymore, except when I donate, but you're certainly right.
In our area we can recycle a lot, from plastics, to bottles, to cans, etc. And we do. A lot of newspapers let you subscribe online now. Who cares if they use recycled paper and it can be recycled again. At some point it was trees.
Medicine bottles used to tick me off. Recently my pharmacist told me they take returned empties and send them for recycling. The recycling needed by these containers is not done in my county. I just hope they're really being recycled.
Batteries... most places that sell electronics will recycle rechargeable batteries. Toner cartridges for your printer... HP in particular will pay for return shipping by UPS in order to recycle them. I don't know about inkjets, except that they can be refilled.
I sometimes buy more expensive products simply because the containers can be recycled.
And I agree about overpackaging. Good grief, it's often like trying to break into a bank vault to open a blister pack, none of which has a recycling logo on it.
I guess all we can do is keep making noise about it. So much of this crap occurs because of overhyped "safety" concerns.
Anyway, you got me thinking. How about a packaging boycott? By that I mean: Purchase your products, go to Customer service, remove all unnecessary packaging, and hand it to them. Tell them you're sick of the waste, find a way to recycle.
Hehehehe. I can almost see the faces.
Joy
Yes! Packaging boycott! Dump the packaging back in their laps. ,) Of course, that means that in my car I am going to need a laser to open the friggin' plastic containers. Have you ever tried to tear that plastic AFTER you finally get a snip or hole in it with SOMETHING strong and sharp enough to enter the plastic? I'm tellin' ya, it's ridiculous! NASA must have come up with that packaging!
Yep... one person at a time, as I always say. :)
Thanks!
Maybe. Or maybe it was just some diabolically possessed marketing guy with Lucifer whispering in his ear: "Let them buy it, but don't let them open it...."
The more I think about the packaging boycott idea, the more I like it. Our supermarket takes plastic and paper bags, and foam flats that have been used on anything except meat. I understand the not wanting foam that's had meat it, but what about going back to recycled cardboard for that stuff? What about the little absorbent pads they put under the meat so it won't leak? Hey, if they can make my CAT5e cable inaccessible, why can't they find a way to make meat leak-proof that doesn't involve more waste?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Target particularly drives me nuts. Their idea of recycling is to tell you ten ways to re-use their bags. The only improvement I've seen is that recently they started using thinner bags. I reuse and reuse them (especially when I shop at Sam's) but in the end I've still got that plastic, torn to shreds, with no recycling mark. Maybe I should just take the torn heap back to them.
OTOH, I've been thinking lately about taking my bags WITH me when I shop Target, or using my canvas grocery bags there too.
Hey... is there a demon whispering in my ear?
Joy
Finally! Found chandelier CFL bulbs (that even work with the dimmer switch...) and have put them to work. Only 15 watts burning now instead of the 125 that used to be on.
As for tissues, no recycled paper tissues at my local grocery but they did have a 100% cotton version. No dead trees for my nose. The cotton tissues are, however, a bit rough. They must use the left over bits for tissues!
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
Props to you (as my kids would say)!
You fought the good fight! Now I gotta find some of those dimmer bulbs....
Joy, who has giving up using her chandeliers because the dimmer won't work with the CFL bulbs....
recycled toilet paper and facial tissues. You might check your yellow book.
Please, what is the brand-name for the chandelier CFL dimmer bulbs and is there a website I can go to to see them?
Those are the last of the bulbs I need to replace and have not found them here.
Thanks!
I know, but no one else local carries anything.
The company name is N:vision. If you google chandelier compact fluorescent, you'll find several places to order bulbs online. I wanted to avoid the extra shipping costs since local purchasing for everything helps the environment. (which is why I'm having bypassing the strawberries that are beginning to appear at the store...)
Also on the package is a website for lamp recyling.
PS. I had to go get the plastic packaging from the recycle bin!
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
toilet paper comes from. Now I have to look at the packaging, but I believe it's from the U.S.
Thanks for the tip, and also for the N:vision tip, etc.
...reminds me to mention using second-hand shops whenever possible. That's my first stop to find toys, clothes, holiday decorations, even to replace kitchenware. No package, great bargains, and another way to recycle.
No recycling effort works unless there is a buyer for what is recycled.
"...Because when you can do good, you should." Wes Clark
Cheerleading here. :)
That's a great idea. And more and more of these shops are springing up, at least in my area.
Joy
Excerpt http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/70/Economists_Get_Stern_Warning.html
There are many reasons to be concerned about global warming, and now the Stern report on climate change has added the economic dimension to the worries we face with this mounting catastrophe. Written for the UK government by former chief economist of the World Bank Sir Nicholas Stern, the report concludes that global warming could lead to the biggest recession since the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression.
Until Stern’s 700-page tome was released late last October, economists were generally of the view that taking action on global warming would be too costly to be warranted. Overnight, the widely-reported Stern report rewrote the economic argument. Stern added up the costs and benefits, and made it clear that failing to curb greenhouse gases would result in an economic disaster.
It’s telling of the limitations of neoclassical economics that to assess the economic implications of climate change, Stern compared the costs in reduced GDP of preventing climate change against how much climate change will reduce future growth in GDP. That’s like comparing the cost of repairing the brakes on your bicycle to the costs you will face when the brakes fail and you crash into oncoming traffic.
The detailed economic consequences of global warming tallied up in Stern’s report are far more alarming than the projected drop in world GDP he emphasized to the press. Stern warns of melting glaciers reducing dry season flows to one-sixth of the world’s population, declining crop yields leaving millions of people in Africa hungry and impoverished, acidifying oceans leading to less fish to catch, rising sea levels displacing up to 200 million people, more deaths from malnutrition and heat stress
And yet, all these vast tragedies, all these livelihoods rendered more difficult, get simplified by most economists into one measure, a hiccup in their dreams of an ever-increasing GDP. But Stern didn’t just change the economic argument on global warming. Himself a highly respected member of the economic profession, soon to return to the London School of Economics, Stern found that using mainstream economics to analyze climate change stretched the discipline to its limits. For Stern, climate change “presents a unique challenge for economics: it is the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen.”
Leading ecological economists told Adbusters that they agree that climate change poses challenges to mainstream economics. Here is a sampling of their reactions.
'Welcome to Walden Pond, Fifth Avenue style. Isabella’s parents, Colin Beavan, 43, a writer of historical nonfiction, and Michelle Conlin, 39, a senior writer at Business Week, are four months into a yearlong lifestyle experiment they call No Impact. Its rules are evolving, as Mr. Beavan will tell you, but to date include eating only food (organically) grown within a 250-mile radius of Manhattan; (mostly) no shopping for anything except said food; producing no trash (except compost, see above); using no paper; and, most intriguingly, using no carbon-fueled transportation.'
their carbon footprint to see how they rate, then work to make it smaller? An interesting exercise. If we each do our part we can be proud of our efforts.
My neighbor, a devout evanagelical, told me she didn't believe the global warming thing. She asked me, "don't you think God knows what he's doing?" She brought up that in biblical times camels produced methane and there's nothing in the bible about that. I pointed out to her we have way more cars on the road than there are camels. She did say she and her husband have one car and she feels that's their part to reducing carbon emissions. I told her planting trees (she has two in her small yard) help and it would be fine with me if they made wind farms all over western Kansas. That appealed to her, so it is possible to have this conversation. Just can't be too pushy. I've driven a Prius for nearly 6 years now. My neighbors are starting to buy them. With the high cost of gas, people are making changes.