Green Living Tribe - Part II - Page 6

[lilylove]

I totally agree that giving people ideas on what they can do helps take the message home I should have added that my next project is a sheet with ideas for simple changes to live a greener life.
That is a great list, I'll bookmark it to use when I start that. Thanks!

[EnviroBecca]

Great article from Time! Here's a similar list but with many different things on it: http://www.earthlingshandbook.org/dolist

Eli's Mommy, sorry you're having cramps! Are you sure the Diva is the cause? I've generally had much LESS cramping with a cup than with tampons.

Anybody have a cool idea for an Earth Day project for Girl Scouts 9-10 years old? We're looking for something to do in one meeting (90 minutes). We meet in a church within walking distance of a park and a neighborhood business district.

[flowers]

Originally Posted by ladywolf

Yahoo!!! I am getting to commute to work on my bicycle!! I am getting to commute to work on my bicycle!!! (and my husband has been taking his motorcyle instead of his truck!!)

You know I don't think I every told you guys that we run our car off of waste vegetable oil. Talk about feeling good! Driving up north in the summertime reusing a waste product, not using gas, and cutting our emissions up to 90%!

Check out www.greasecar.com

[snozzberry]

Originally Posted by kellid

I've been lurking forever trying to learn, but the bit I do, my dh undoes in 2 seconds. I'm the one that does all the cleaning and he doesn't complain until he sees I might have made the product and then all of a sudden he questions how clean things are. : I've been cloth-ing on the sly too, but I think he's on to me. Only because I had to tell him so we wouldn't have any more fights over "who didn't change the tp roll when they were done"...........hmmmm, that would be YOU. He said, "that is sooo gross". It does make it hard, I don't mind the extra work, it's the mental weight of not being on the same page that gets heavy. So I will keep lurking and keep trying.

Hang in there! I've found that some people take longer to come around...maybe your DH is like that? Can you do "sneaky" things like leave articles in the bathroom as reading material and remove any other bathroom reading he has stashed there? Or can you practice coming up with short little factoids so that when he questions you on something, you have a pithy quote/fact to come back with?

Originally Posted by lilylove

I am putting together a fact sheet for a discussion topic on green living for a mother's group meeting. I thought I would post what I have to share, and hopefully if anyone has any facts that I could add they could let me know : I would really like to add facts on the enviromental effects of conventional/factory farming. I would like to provide information from easily identified sources.

What an AWESOME idea! The list is so great!!! One thing I wanted to suggest was for the facts about garbage if you could tie it to what all that means. I've found that a lot of people don't really *know* what happens to garbage. Or if they have thought about it, they just think it goes to a landfill and "out of sight, out of mind". But if you can find some facts about the negative impacts of a landfill, maybe that would help drive home the garbage facts? I don't know of any off the top of my head though...

Originally Posted by EnviroBecca

Anybody have a cool idea for an Earth Day project for Girl Scouts 9-10 years old? We're looking for something to do in one meeting (90 minutes). We meet in a church within walking distance of a park and a neighborhood business district.

Is there a nearby park you can clean up? That's always a fun group activity. Or maybe you could get together and come up with entries to the Stamp Out Carbon contest? Here are some other things I found by googling kids "earth day" activities:
EcoKids
PlanetPals

[kellid]

[QUOTE=snozzberry;7758775] Hang in there! I've found that some people take longer to come around...maybe your DH is like that? Can you do "sneaky" things like leave articles in the bathroom as reading material and remove any other bathroom reading he has stashed there? Or can you practice coming up with short little factoids so that when he questions you on something, you have a pithy quote/fact to come back with?

Unfortunately, he is a very educated man, it's on of those things that the more I am the more he doesn't want to be, and I am not an in your face gal. He also doesn't beleive in global warming. He's not in denial that it is happening, he is under the school of thought that it is a natural "life" process of the earth, that history repeats itslelf and it is "time' for this cycle to begin again. It's very difficult to argue with him. I don't do it for the sake of global warming, I just do it. I'ts wasteful and glutteness not to, if you know better. I fall off my wagon often, but I climb right back on. And I'm learning more and more and more everyday from the likes of you ladies.

[kellid]

Originally Posted by snozzberry

Hang in there! I've found that some people take longer to come around...maybe your DH is like that? Can you do "sneaky" things like leave articles in the bathroom as reading material and remove any other bathroom reading he has stashed there? Or can you practice coming up with short little factoids so that when he questions you on something, you have a pithy quote/fact to come back with?

Unfortunately, he is a very educated man, it's on of those things that the more I am the more he doesn't want to be, and I am not an in your face gal. He also doesn't beleive in global warming. He's not in denial that it is happening, he is under the school of thought that it is a natural "life" process of the earth, that history repeats itslelf and it is "time' for this cycle to begin again. It's very difficult to argue with him. I don't do it for the sake of global warming, I just do it. I'ts wasteful and glutteness not to, if you know better. I fall off my wagon often, but I climb right back on. And I'm learning more and more and more everyday from the likes of you ladies.

[RaRa7]

Originally Posted by arismommy

Hey mamas-
not sure if this fits here but this is where I lurk EVERY day and feel comfortable! (if you have advice on where to x-post that would be helpful)
So-
We have had well water since we bought this house. We recently had to pay $1300 to get access to public water(the entire town did) However, we haven't "hooked up" to it yet. We still pay $45 every 2 months but don't use it.
Anyway, they are saying we now MUST hook up. Granted the well water isn't the best (we do have a great filter though) as we have a nuclear power plant nearby as well as ADM (one of the world’s largest agricultural processors of soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa. peee-yew!) and a munitions dump.
SO my question to you all is this:
Which water do you think is better??????????????????????????Should we fight this?

Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

[eco_mama]

Originally Posted by arismommy

Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

Hey Erin.

Really the question shouldn't be, 'which is the better water?' The reason is because none of it is restructured and revitalized. Nature in its cleanest state makes structured water that is revitalized by going through the filtration process in earth and making its way to a natural flowing current, like a stream or river. The problem with man ruining everything pretty much leaves you with only a few choices to obtain this water. I highly recommend ionized minerals because they perform the functions within the water that nature does. So really, it wouldn't matter which water you used. The stuff I use actually seperates the bad stuff out over night and you can see it sink to the bottom. I have been using it for years now and my children rarely get a sniffle that lasts longer then a day or two. They also haven't been to a pediatrician for over 3 years. It goes back to the old saying, "If the fish is sick do you treat the fish or do you treat the water?"

[lilylove]

Maybe you could see if your DPW has any info on the water quality where it comes from. Are they monitoring for contaminaion, if so who is monitoring it and with what standards? I would test the well water too and see what seems like the best choice for your family.
I'm wondering how they can demand you use city water? If your water is safe do they really have the authority to dictate that you abandon your well?

[ladywolf]

Cool about running on WVO flowers. We run my husbands truck on biodiesel!

[RidentMama]

Originally Posted by lilylove

I'm wondering how they can demand you use city water? If your water is safe do they really have the authority to dictate that you abandon your well?

Within the city limits, you're pretty much under the city laws. In the last place we lived (just outside of the city limits thankfully!), they required everyone to connect to the city sewer system...at their own expense ($5,000+ per person was the figure I heard about). Makes rural living all that much more desirable.

[flowers]

Originally Posted by ladywolf

Cool about running on WVO flowers. We run my husbands truck on biodiesel!

You know I had tried to start a Tribe for Wvo/biodiesel folks and there really wasn't any response. I thought there would be more!

Are you really building a cob tea house? If you are that is one of the coolest ideas. I like just thinking about it!

[treefolk]

Haven't had a chance to read this whole thread, but...

We are actually getting ready to move INTO town from a rural wooded cabin in the woods! Although I love the peace and quiet and the lovely trees and our house (i will truly miss it all) - I have spent more time in my car than I have enjoying our home. Plus it is a lot of work caring for even our few acres, and trying to convert into a more green property. We enjoy the work, but also enjoy doing other things as well!
We will be able to walk to work, walk kids to school, walk to hiking trails along a wonderful river, and many many parks! I can't wait!!!! Plus I'm looking foward to having a small urban garden with lots of sun! (gardening in the woods is very challeging!)

[flowers]

Originally Posted by treefolk

Haven't had a chance to read this whole thread, but...

We are actually getting ready to move INTO town from a rural wooded cabin in the woods! Although I love the peace and quiet and the lovely trees and our house (i will truly miss it all) - I have spent more time in my car than I have enjoying our home. Plus it is a lot of work caring for even our few acres, and trying to convert into a more green property. We enjoy the work, but also enjoy doing other things as well!
We will be able to walk to work, walk kids to school, walk to hiking trails along a wonderful river, and many many parks! I can't wait!!!! Plus I'm looking foward to having a small urban garden with lots of sun! (gardening in the woods is very challeging!)

Know the feeling! A few years back we were in a yurt without electricity an hour away town on the Appalachian trail. Very cool, but yeah...WAY too much time in the car and a lot of time not so efficient.

We just bought a house where we can walk to the farmer's market,downtown, parks, bank EVERYTHING! We are so excited. It is in a big neighborhood with sidewalks and we are very excited for this new lifestyle.

Congratulations on your new life move. May it be abundantly blessed!

[mtn.mama]

Originally Posted by New Mama

I wrote a post about this here, but does anyone know if you can use straight rainwater for laundry? I could rig up a rain barrel just outside the basement window above our washer, feeding a hose through with a nozzle that can be turned on and off.

But I don't know if the water would be harboring bacteria that would be harmful. I would only use it for the first wash of cold (the final rinse would be regular tap water) and not at all for loads on hot.

I'm excited about this idea but I can't seem to find any idea for using straight rainwater.

I use alot of rainwater in the summertime. I just use rubbermaid trash cans with a bug net over the top for collection from all the gutters. Ben installed these drains at the base that shut off and attach to a hose, so I don't have to dip water all the time.

I use the rainwater for everything except drinking and cooking. I got really sick from drinking unboiled rainwater several years ago. Anyway the water gravity feeds down to the garden, and I haul it inside for the wringer washer, carry it to the dogs and goats, heat it on the stove for washing dishes.

Every once in a while I scrub out the trash cans because they will grow red scum in the sun. And if the surface starts to bubble or get green scum then I dump the water and pray for rain.

We don't have running water here, just 'run and get it water' from our hand dug spring. Usually the only water I have to haul in the summer is drinking water, unless its a terribly dry year.

[treefolk]

he he he -- flowers - my name is hilary , too!

[goddessgold1]

subbing

[AJP]

Originally Posted by kellid

Unfortunately, he is a very educated man, it's on of those things that the more I am the more he doesn't want to be, and I am not an in your face gal. He also doesn't beleive in global warming. He's not in denial that it is happening, he is under the school of thought that it is a natural "life" process of the earth, that history repeats itslelf and it is "time' for this cycle to begin again.

I mentioned this is the first thread, but it's worth repeating - there's a good book on global warming and the evidence that human activity is accelerating it beyond the natural climate cycles, it's called The Weathermakers, http://www.theweathermakers.com/. It's academic, logical and scientific enough that highly educated skeptics can't really poke holes in it, if they're being intellectually honest (IMO). Maybe you could get your husband to read it. It's also available on CD unabridged. And a good website on this topic for those same skeptics is http://www.realclimate.org/ ("climate science from climate scientists", and beware there is some sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek stuff). TBH, the Al Gore version of climate science comes across to skeptics and many who are uncertain as extremist and the-sky-is-falling, making it easy to dismiss.

Originally Posted by flowers

You know I had tried to start a Tribe for Wvo/biodiesel folks and there really wasn't any response. I thought there would be more!

Did I reply? I don't remember. I would have if I'd seen it. We run on biodiesel, wih the intention of switching to WVO when the warranty is expired on our vehicle. I fantasize about growing our own oil!

Have you all seen http://www.themeatrix.com/ ? It's about factory farming of animals, and has info about alternatives. (I'm not veg, but try not to support the CAFO system in any way.)

[eco_mama]

Originally Posted by AJP

Have you all seen http://www.themeatrix.com/ ? It's about factory farming of animals, and has info about alternatives. (I'm not veg, but try not to support the CAFO system in any way.)

yup. i've seen it. :Puke

[BellaLuna Rayne]

Subbing again, I had subbed to the original thread but got a little sidetraked with other things. In the next few weeks I am going to be moving to a small 2 bedroom house in a town of less than 600 people, I am just renting at this point but I hope to be there awhile. DH comes home in the fall so I need to get out there and get things ready for him.

I plan on changing all the lights to CFLs, using green friendly cleaning products, less paper products, I just bought a DivaCup today and can't wait to try it out! I am planning on starting a veggie garden and if I have enough space composting. I'm trying my hardest to get DH to convert to more green ways but he is resisting my ideas, I guess I am having a much easier time since he is thousands of miles away.

Can't wait to keep reading all the ideas!