Misstropolis

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

It’s So Easy Being Green

by Janine Nickel

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Summer is the perfect time to test out easy ways to be “green.“

Outside more often, we experience first-hand the effects of the sun, wind, and even water on our lives. Why not try to harness that energy in your daily routine? I’m not talking about solar panels and wind turbines; I’m talking about things you can incorporate into your lifestyle with very little investment (if any) and very little effort.

Harness the power of the sun
The sun and its heat have been celebrated for centuries. Make like a cave-mama and instead of throwing pool towels in the dryer, hang them outside to dry in the hot sun. For that matter, take your drying rack outside and see how quickly clothing dries out in the fresh air.

Build a simple solar oven using a pizza box, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap and test out easy recipes like English-muffin pizzas, s’mores, and chocolate chip cookies. Solar ovens are known to get very hot and it’s entirely possible to cook an entire meal in one if you use a large enough box, with maximum sun exposure, and a tight seal with the plastic.

Try a Container Garden
Growing your own veggies and herbs means minimizing your carbon footprint and cutting back on what you spend at the store. Food sold in most grocery stores impacts the environment due to the fertilizer and equipment used on the farm, the energy used in packaging and refrigeration, and the fuel used for transportation.

Container gardens are perfect for small places and for people who don’t have a lot of time to build and maintain an in-ground garden. At home we’ve successfully grown everything from tomatoes, to peppers, lettuce, herbs and more in containers that stay close to the house, making them easy to maintain and protecting them from squirrel and deer.

Capture the rain
A great way to go green - and maintain your container garden - is by installing a rain barrel. Rain barrels have come a long way from the barrels that bad guys in westerns would fall into (usually butt or head first). A rain barrel connects to your downspout where it collects and even filters out some of the debris from the rainwater. Collecting and reusing this water keeps it from running off into the street, local streams, and creek beds where it can cause erosion and pollution. A rain barrel costs roughly $100-$300 and can be easily installed. Using water stored in a barrel will cut down on your water bill and can act as an emergency source of water if you lose power during summer storms.

Ditch the plastic bag
Even though it’s summer kids still need lunches for camp, picnics or beach days with Uncle Bob. Try a litterless lunch - a lunch packed without using one plastic baggy.

There are so many reusable options for packing lunch that it can be fun experimenting with different products. Try a washable eco-friendly sandwich wrap like the Wrap-N-Mat which not only keeps food protected, it acts as a place mat and protects food from a dirty picnic table. I like reusable plastic containers like the TakeAlongs from Rubbermaid which are dishwasher safe and keep sandwiches from getting crushed. These containers come in all different sizes and I’ve learned to use them for everything from grapes to pretzels to salad dressing.

Green your cleaning products
The chemicals in most cleaning agents are not earth-friendly and many feel they are not people-friendly either. Some major brands have listened and many have created special lines of eco-friendly, natural cleaning products for the laundry room, kitchen and bathroom. One of my favorites is the Clorox GreenWorks line of plant and mineral based cleaners. They work well and actually smell pretty good too. Costco’s own Kirkland brand offers an environmentally friendly dishwashing detergent and laundry detergent that contain no phosphates, chlorine, dyes or perfumes, is not tested on animals, but DOES contain biodegradable cleaning agents which are much better for the environment.

You can also get a little bit Martha Stewart and make your own cleaners using varying amounts of baking soda, vinegar, bleach (non-chlorine to be greener) and water.

Enjoy trying out these ideas and let us know in the Comments section below if you have some simple green solutions of your own!