The Green Buck Stops Here

“Has Anyone Done The Math?” is where I’d like you to answer my questions. Many years ago my geology teacher, a PhD and an environmentally savvy man, said that driving down the highway with your windows down and your air conditioning off does not save on gas. He said the drag created with the windows down used up more gas than the AC would have. It only worked driving at lower speeds such as in city driving. He did the math and came up with a more practical answer than the commonly believed myth.

I have questions and if any of you have done the math, I’d like to hear from you. Here’s my first question:

Overall, is it better to use a small paper towel made from unbleached recycled paper and is biodegradable to put your sandwich on…

OR

is it better to use a plate which is reusable but has to be washed using hot water (using water and electricity or natural gas), soap and, if you run it through a dishwasher, more electricity?

More generally speaking, is it better to use unbleached paper towels made from recycled paper sparingly or is it better to use dishes and towels that have to be washed?

Namaste Solar Electric and owner Blake Jones are superb examples of how to make money and grow the local economy by going green. This employee-owned solar electric company in Boulder, CO has grown from three owner-employees to 45 since it’s beginning four years ago. The company is generous to its’ employees and business is booming.

Here’s a great article on the company which includes an interview with owner, Blake Jones:

The Daily Green

You can also check out the company’s web site:

Namaste Solar Electric

I have a dog door that leads to my backyard so my dogs and cats have always been good about going outside to do their business, with one exception. My little black dog, Sunny, was afraid to go outside in the rain. If it were raining at night she would pee and poo on a particular spot on my living room carpet. I spent a fortune trying to get rid of the smell with all the “eliminates pet odors” products and repellents I could find, including the kind that has the enzymes that should have neutralized it. She even continued using the same spot after I replaced the carpet and pad. The smell was still in the sub-floor boards.

Dogs have a very strong sense of smell and once the odor is there, it’s an invitation for them to go over and over again in the same spot. I had carpet cleaner that would get rid of the smell for human noses, but Sunny still knew. I had given up thinking the problem would never end. I had the choice of a clean carpet or getting rid of Sunny. I chose, of course, to keep Sunny. I finally learned a couple of things that worked.

First, I remembered what my mom always said but being the rebellious one in the family I, of course, didn’t listen. She said to always use white distilled vinegar on pet stains. Still being the rebel, I added baking soda. I took one part vinegar and one part baking soda. I scrubbed it in to the entire area of the offended carpet and let it dry over night. The next day I vacuumed it up. She hasn’t used the spot since. Vinegar is a natural antibiotic and baking soda is great for soaking up odors.

Second, I had to address the problem of Sunny being so afraid of rain which caused the wet carpet problem in the first place. When we had a thunderstorm Sunny would start shaking and jump in my lap. I would hold her close and comfort her. I learned that what I was saying in dog language was that something scary was going on but I would protect her. I was reinforcing her fears. Instead of trying to change her ways, I changed my ways. During a thunderstorm Sunny would jump in my lap and instead of showing her I was protecting her from danger, I would treat the storm as a non-issue. Before long she took my cue and was no longer afraid of the rain. I did that during one thunderstorm then during the next thunderstorm Sunny came running in totally soaked, excited and very proud of herself as if saying, “Look, Mom! I went outside to pee in the rain and I’m still alive!” Now she sometimes calmer during a storm than I am. She’s probably telling me, “Chill, Mom.”

Dogs are quick learners. If it doesn’t work at first, keep trying. The trick is to communicate with them in ways they understand. Except for maybe understanding a few commands, dogs don’t speak Human. They communicate with each other through scents, body language and sounds. They are very keen on picking up our emotions and body language.

Sooo…

1. Instead of spending a fortune on chemical remedies, give white distilled vinegar and baking soda a try.

2. Instead of sticking their noses into it and throwing them outside, try to figure out the root cause of your dog’s problem and deal with it in a way they understand.

Here are two good resources:

Victoria Stilwell
http://www.victoriastilwell.com/

Cesar Millan
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/

If you have physical problems where you have to limit your sodium intake I strongly suggest you consult with your doctor before trying this one.

A few years ago I met a woman in her mid seventies. She had the most beautiful skin I’d ever seen on an adult. She was wearing no makeup and you could tell she had no “work” done but her complexion was flawless. Her hair was soft and shiny and she had a fresh, natural sent. She told me that she had always been very sensitive to chemicals and had always used nothing but baking soda for bathing and shampooing. She said the best part is that she seldom had to clean her shower because the baking soda kept it clean for her. The results were marvelous. I tried it and it really does work. Then I ran out of baking soda and forgot about it until today. It’s time I tried it again.

You can find large containers of baking soda at some stores, which is great if you also use baking soda for it’s many household cleaning and laundry possibilities. It’s great stuff. You can find it anywhere and it’s cheap!

Again, if you have problems, check with your doctor first. Baking soda contains a lot of sodium and might be absorbed through the skin.

Mimi

This is where you can add your own ideas about going green and saving and/or making money. Just add them to the comment section. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he’s been hugely successful in using his superstar power to educate the public about the environment. As Stephen Colbert says, global warming is real. The market has spoken. His movie made money. I don’t know the man so I don’t know if the rumors of his non-green habits are true or not. I really don’t care. What I care about are the results. Besides, I’m not perfect so I can’t judge.

Mr. Gore has issued a challenge to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and other clean sources within 10 years. This goal is totally achievable with the backing and financial support of the American people and our government. If the clean energy industry had the tax breaks and government subsidies the oil, natural gas and coal industries get, it would be a breeze. We already have the technology and some of the infrastructure is already in place.

Kudos to Mr. Gore for his 10 year challenge, An Inconvenient Truth and all the years of hard work and commitment.

See his entire speech here:

We Can Solve It
http://wecansolveit.org

Oil tycoon, T. Boone Pickens, Jr., is investing $10 billion in wind power. When his project is finished in about four years, he will have the world’s largest wind farm that will produce enough electricity to power 1 million homes.

He hasn’t converted for the sake of the environment, he’s doing it to make money and that’s o.k. He knows that oil is a finite resource and trying to get enough oil to meet our demands is putting our national security at risk.

My kudos go to him, not only for his project but because he is showing by example that it just makes good business sense to use clean, renewable energy. When someone as accomplished as T. Boone Pickens talks, people listen.

Here are a couple of links that you might find interesting.

PickensPlan: The Plan

http://www.pickensplan.com/theplan/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/14/windpower.energy

I know WalMart has had it’s problems and many people have refused to shop there. There is one big thing they have done right. They have made great strides in going green. Among other things they have installed solar panels on many of their stores, are providing more organic produce and have notified their suppliers that they will not accept products that are “over packaged.” I’m not going to guess or judge their motives but kudos to them. The world’s largest retailer has proven that going green can save money.

I’m far from a perfect tree hugger. I confess that sometimes I’ll drive when I could have walked, buy fast food instead of cooking real food at home and the things I’m doing to my house and yard are coming along slowly. If I’m in a time crunch and I need something new to wear to an event and the only thing I can find that works was made in China I’ll buy it. I don’t believe in sacrifice or suffering but I do believe in examining my priorities and making substitutions.

I’m not asking anyone to be perfect. All I ask is that you examine your life and see if there’s a better way of doing things. Do you really need and want the newest gadgets? If you do, go for it. If you’re just caught up in the newest trends and the money could be better spent elsewhere, then try to control your urges. When the weather gets cold, instead of turning up the heat in the whole house, just put on a sweater. If you really need a SUV, van or big truck, that’s fine but if all you do is haul around a person or two with maybe a few bags of groceries, then think about switching to a smaller fuel efficient car. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area that is serviced by an electric company that offers clean, renewable energy, it only takes a phone call. In hot climates the rates of most electric companies go up in the summer. If you switch when the rates go back down, many companies will let you lock in the lower rate for a full year.

The world offers abundance. If we use our resources wisely and stop hording more than we could ever need, we’d be fine. If enough people made easy and painless changes such as these, we could all be happy and comfortable and the planet would live to see another day.

After many years of learning and observing I truly believe that Global Warming is very real. I understand that changes in climatic conditions are a natural part of the earth’s cycle but these changes should take place over thousands of years, not decades. Geologists will tell you that the only other times there were sudden climatic changes, they occurred as the result of catastrophic events such as asteroids hitting the earth and mega volcanoes.  This time the catastrophic event is man-made.

We seem so small when we look up at the sky and it’s easy to think, “How can my actions have any effect on all of this?” Well, we do have an effect. Each and every one of us do. We’re small but there are a lot of us. Each action we take not only changes our own lives but can have a chain reaction that effects the lives of others. I’ve converted friends, neighbors and family with my low utility bills. I’ve educated countless people in grocery stores and restaurants when I’ve handed them canvas shopping bags and my own reusable take-out containers. It makes them think and the business owners love it because it saves them money.

There are many people who still believe that Global Warming is a myth and here are those of us who are true believers but there is a huge population of people who just aren’t aware. Non believers can sometimes be convinced to make changes when they see how much money they can save. Believers need ideas to make the changes quick and painless. I have found that most people fall in the unaware category. They know something is wrong but don’t know why or what they can do about it. They need to be educated and I’ve found that leading by example is an excellent method to do it in a non-confrontational way. Arguing about it might be fun but does no good at all.

It’s become obvious that we can’t wait on our leaders to do it for us but if enough of us make changes in our personal lives we might just avoid reaching the tipping point.  The way I see it, I have a choice. I can go green or not. If I go green, no matter what happens to the world, at least I tried. If I’m wrong the worst will be that I have a more natural and economical lifestyle. If I don’t go green and the worst happens, well…