make a smaller ecological footprint

Ah how I love Kiss My Face, Dr. Bronner’s and Toms Of Maine to keep clean and green! Dr. Bronner’s is the best, 95% plus organic ingredients and certified fair trade. Plus, it’s good to use on more than just skin.

Further trying to be a bit cleaner and greener.
I got a second bike, second hand. A mid ‘80s Miyata Three Ten road bike, and I loves it! That and my old Motobecane have done wonders for keeping me from depending on automobiles.

I brown-bag virtually all my own lunches these days, all vegetarian food, in reusable containers (Tupperware sadly) I don’t think I’ve eaten much meat in the last few weeks since substitutes have been available. I’ve reduced beverage waste thanks to first a Nalgene, which I lost :( to be replaced with an elusive SIGG .75 liter bottle found at a local business a few blocks from my house.

Cheers
Alvie

I will never claim to be virtuous, just concious.

Carpooling much, almost never driving alone unless I have too. Never driving unless I have too. I bike, use transit, and walk. Nothing new, just always worthwhile to do.
I’m really excited this summer for food. Not only will I grow my own produce in my backyard, striving for organic produce, even at the expense of high yields.
I’ll also participate in organic gardening projects near my home and apply such knowledge to my backyard garden. Not to mention subsidize local and organic food sellers and farmers this summer.
Eating far less meat, especially beef. Making vegan “smoothies” with OJ, chopped up fruit, non-dairy milk (hemp, almond, soy) nice mixed in a blender.

Much of what I’ve written about before will continue to be acted upon.

Wow, almost 40years of earth day.

Tonight is Earth Hour, and despite having guests over, I feel like it will be essential to be a part of this. I will have most of my lights out, all but about one where people are congregating.

I like messenger bags, despite the difficulty posed wearing one while riding a bicycle. I got it second hand at a thrift store, and not in the best shape to begin with, as one of the woven nylon loops the strap is secured to was fraying, but for $1, I was willing to put up with a lot. At the end of last semester, it finally frayed away, I went ahead and just punch a whole in the “leather” and secured the strap on that end. Not pretty, if you look at it closely, but for 30-seconds work with a pocket knife, I’m not complaining. Part of the zipper broke off, will get a safety pin as a handle soon. The zipper it self came off one night, I dreaded the thought of replacing the bag, even with a lovely fair-trade model made of hemp with love or such.
So with some persuasion, I managed to get the zipper back on, though it looks a bit weird, as my photo indicates.

I’ve found I like Silk’s unsweetened soy milk a lot, goes great with cereal.

I rode my bicycle out to a local health-food store, despite the heavy traffic, I will do so again in the future, as I much prefer biking over driving.
Besides buying some organic beans and tomato sauce, I bought a deodorant crystal, it seemed kind of expensive at $5 for a chunk of mineral salt, but if it lasts a year, AND really works, then it will be worth it.

Why I try to get my electronics properly recycled, also why I never buy new electronics if I can help it.
Short video by Greenpeace on e-waste in India.
http://tinyurl.com/2vdnd9

I’ve gotten a start making the upcoming semester a little greener then the first.
I’m only taking two night classes, both I need not use a car to get to, one I can use my bike or just walk to get too.
I already got one of my books used, hopefully I can get the other one used as well.
I can reuse two of my notebooks from last semester since I write on both sides.

http://www.storyofstuff.com
Annie Leonard’s 20-minute piece that presents in clear and plain language where our stuff comes from, how our system came to be and what can be done about it.

Just a short update on how the eco-living thing is going.
I’m back at school, and of course that entails putting out great amounts of money for things, books, notebooks, other supplies. While I of course go for used over new whenever possible, I alas could only get new books this semester, and while I liked the idea of tree-free notebooks, I went with regular ones they had on hand out of budgetary issues. However, I never throw out notebooks for anything and will be keeping them a long time. I also declined acquiring trivial things like t-shirts, hoodies, pennants etc. Not that I don’t like my school, I just didn’t need those things.
For getting to class, I can use the bus to get to all of my classes minus one. It’s at a building off campus, but not far from where I live, so I can use my bicycle to get there.
I need another computer, but I’ll be getting one from a friend second hand that hopefully will work out, or if not, I’ll get one refurbished online.

Another vice: clothing, for the most part my “greening of my wardrobe” will be buy fewer clothes and buy second hand whenever possible. As much as I love green clothing made of organic fibers, reclaimed materials and whatnot, I just cannot afford much of it. Minus second hand.