reduce my ecological footprint in 43 ways

43 43 43 ways. I guess it’s time to count em up so I can say I’ve done this, and write about the most important things I’ve learned in the last few years. Honestly I try to live up to this as much as possible every single day, despite the embarrassingly precious wording of the goal.
My coworker and I were talking today about how we are at a point where the ecological issues today are utterly out of reach of personal choices.I’ve always kept making bigger personal choices, committing a lifetime, my whole work life, despite the fact that even a commitment like this is likely to prove fruitless.

Tomorrow I’m facilitating a constituent meeting with our state senator to seek her support for An Act Concerning Diesel Emissions in School Bus Cabins. (She’s the head of the appropriations committee, and I’m in her district.)
This should be fun; she’s a lovely woman with a keen interest in health issues.

A good starter resource

A lot of electrical devices stay on, drawing power, even when they’re off. Anything with clocks, displays, chargers, etc. I used to leave my compy running all day (just turned off the monitor) but now I have Compy, TV and all their related gadgets plugged into power strips. When I turn off the power strip, they stop leaking juice all day and night.

After I turn the power strip back on, I only need to switch the main devices on. The peripherals boot right back up to where they need to be. No fuss, no muss. (Not being sure about that is what made me hesitate until now.)

Now I just need to practice using the power strips regularly….

Update: 3/16/07 This is something I’ve been practicing adding to my morning routine. I’m not 100% yet, but getting close. After that I’ll start turning it all the way off in the evenings, too. That would sure keep me from falling asleep with the TV blaring. A couple of years ago I didn’t even watch TV. hmmm….

cuz commutin’ is pollutin’. :S

I’m still learning how list of bests synchronizes with 43T, so this one’s over here.

This year I joined a winter CSA. Tomorrow is our last pickup. It’s nice to eat apples, squash, onions, turnips, carrots, beets and other winter-keeping foods grown by farmers I know and trust. It’s nice to know that the food hasn’t travelled across the country, or across the planet.