Margo1972 watered my plants, my peas are growing, yay!

make a smaller ecological footprint

Worth doing!

Simple changes at first  — 1 week ago

I’ve committed to commuting by bike 2 – 3 times per week.
I’ve gotten a plot in my local community garden and I’m growing some veggies and herbs.
I remember to unplug or shut things off.
I bring my own containers and reuse them (coffee mug, travel mug, Tupperware/lunch/bento box, cloth shopping bags, etc.)
As my light bulbs died I replaced with CLF type bulbs.
I look around for other means to reduce my footprint. I track my progress via some websites in order to encourage other people that it can be done and not in some crazy, extremist way, but just simple practical changes. I’m on http://www.makemesustainable.com and also on the ZeroFootPrint site as well.

May 06, 03:22PM PDT 5 cheers

Comments:

Sherpa (Alvie)

nice!

awesome changes Margo! and you’re right you really do not need to do a lot just to be more eco-concious.
Using reusable containers of all sorts is a simple change and helps much, as is growing any amount of food you can.

All steps towards becoming more environmentally concious just start with consciousness.

Cheers
Alvie

May 07, 08:54AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

Margo1972 watered my plants, my peas are growing, yay!

Thanks!

I’ll take all the positive feedback I can get, especially given how hostile massachusetts drivers are around bicyclists. exasperated sigh But you’re right – simple changes can make a big difference, so that’s why I figured I’d post my changes and make them visible that I’m “walking the talk” :)
thanks!

May 07, 06:28PM PDT | Respond to this 1 cheer

woodstockdc

Very awesome changes!

And you’ll personally be healthier to boot with the biking and the eating more veggies.

On the CFLs…just remember, the do have mercury in them so in most localities they are considered a hazardous waste. When they do die, and they will eventually, they can’t just go in the trash.

Thanks also, for the interesting link to the sustainability site.

May 07, 06:32PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

Margo1972 watered my plants, my peas are growing, yay!

Thanks! And yes, sadly, they do contain Hg but I can live with that. I actually have access to some extensive recycling opportunities through my office, so my old batteries as I use them up (I’ve adopted some so-far pretty reliable rechargeables) I recycle them at the office. Likewise with the bulbs. I’m learning that if I just keep my eyes and ears open, there are solutions to all the drawbacks.

May 07, 06:46PM PDT | Respond to this

Ember39 is enjoying a beautiful spring day

Great ideas. You’ve encouraged me to make this one of my goals. Thank you.

May 07, 06:36PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

Margo1972 watered my plants, my peas are growing, yay!

Go you!!

That’s great! I’m so psyched – okay, that was nerd tastic onmy part, but seriously, wodstockdc is right – between the (more nutritious cause they didn’t get picked before they were ripe in order to travel 2,000miles in cold storage to the supermarket…) fresh veggies and the bicycling, I’m hoping for some obvious direct health benefits from this little set of changes.
Seriously, if you want either encouragement or info sources, let me know. I’m happy to oblige.
best,
Margo

May 07, 06:49PM PDT | Respond to this

atmosphear

Way to go!

I am anxious of getting back to commuting by bike. I had a ligament torn off my thumb in February and got rid of the plaster some two weeks ago, so it has been impossible for me to bike to work, but now both my thumb is healing and the weather is getting so sweet that I really want to hop on and ride to work.

Last year there was only two weeks between May and December that I didn’t commute even once by bike. One of them I thought I was too busy and the other I had been with fever. This year I reach for even better results.

Otherwise I am doing also the extremist part by dumpster diving those veggies and fruit that have traveled thousands of miles. But that’s just me. :)

May 09, 06:48AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

Margo1972 watered my plants, my peas are growing, yay!

Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow! Torn ligament OW!

Sorry, I had a thumb injury at one point that mysteriously arrived and just as mysteriously went away after several months (and I’m not complaining that it just disappeared again). You have my sympathies on that.

but please be careful about the dumpster diving for produce – I heard an interview once where supermarket chains have a practice of dumping chlorine bleach or other chemicals on their extra produce that they throw out, to discourage people fromdoing just that. please be careful, okay?

May 09, 08:33AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this

atmosphear

Dumpster diving has been safe

Thanks for your sympathy. I was thumbless for three months and you can bet I was happy to get the plaster off. I needed a surgery, otherwise my left thumb would have been useless for the rest of my life.

At least in Finland everything has been going swell: I haven’t had any bad experiences. Besides not being malicious, I bet that Finnish shopkeepers should afraid of poisoning people. I will still heed your warnings.

Fortunately at least chlorine smells strongly so it would be easy to avoid. Other types of more harmful chemicals then again might be completely odorless. I don’t know of rat poisons, though.

I get only packaged or washable products. Bread, fruit and vegetables.

May 09, 09:20AM PDT | Respond to this


Margo1972 has gotten 5 cheers on this entry.

 

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