Globally Green Living

What were you doing during earth hour? My mom said there would likely be a baby boom on March 29 at 8:00pm and she is probably right. (I’m not sure how good that will be for the environment.)

Without televisions and computers running, a lot of people probably did spend some quality time with each other.

We attempted a game of monopoly by candle light. It didn’t go smoothly but we had fun trying. I love how the picture turned out but have no clue how I achieved it.

Here is a crazy conversation that happened with the kids. “Ok, turn off the lights.” “But I can’t see my toys!” Trying for dramatic effect, “Don’t you get it? The world is going to blow up!” Reply, “Oh, alright then.”

After that, they decided it would be fun to see which neighbors did not turn off their lights and started hollering their names and describing what they were doing. The ones next to us who were watching their television must have heard them.

Reduce Your Impact Throughout the Year

Earth hour is a great way to get everyone together, save energy, brings awareness and creates conversations about how to conserve long term.

Recycling, adjusting your thermostat, turning off lights when not in use and switching to florescent bulbs are some ways we can continue to save energy. I think it’s great that millions of people all over the world are making a difference together.

• Check out Earth Hour and World Wildlife Fund’s website for more information on earth hour in your city, pictures and more ideas on reducing your impact on the environment.

Don’t forget tomorrow at 8:00pm is Earth Hour. Millions will be turning their lights off for one hour to show they care by reducing their impact on the earth and helping to fight climate change.

This Nature Photo Slideshow With Music is brought to you by Jonathan Jessup, who takes breathtaking pictures of nature.

Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl, teaches us about urban sustainable living. She designed her organic garden so that it would be inviting and fit in with the city. Her garden has 15 raised beds altogether and rabbits, chickens and compost help fertilize it.

Patti has also included an arbor with a seating area that I agree is important if you want to encourage people to spend time in the garden. My mother has always had one and it is a beautiful inviting gateway to her garden.

She grows grapes on it so that they wrap all around it and flowers peek around the edges. It is sort of slanted sideways now and has been somewhat neglected since dad died but we can revive it with some new sturdy wood.

Raised Bed Gardens

Raised bed gardens are perfect for an urban environment because you can put them on pavement and move them around where you like. They are also perfect for people with disabilities because they’re more accessible. Here’s a video with simple instructions from Patti on how to build a raised bed for your garden.

Indoor Gardens

How about an indoor garden? Patti gives us tips on planning and setting up a successful indoor garden with this five part series. She makes it looks easy and also shares her supply list along with costs. Her indoor gardening supplies added up to less than what it would cost to buy a whole kit. It’s still snowing here but I’m eager to get some seeds started indoors.

I’m getting better with recycling but Eddie House has me beat. He says he has no need to toss trash on garbage day but he has been sued by the city because of it.

I’m guessing it’s a bit of a neighbor’s feud. Eddie admits to complaining to the city about the apartment beside him because of litter and parking issues. Neighbors have called on him for burning something foul smelling but Eddie says he was just burning wood.

• ” The lawsuit, filed by San Carlos Deputy City Attorney Linda Noeske in San Mateo Superior Court on Jan. 22, seeks a permanent injunction forcing House to maintain garbage service. City officials are also seeking to recoup from House the costs of the lawsuit.”(City Sues Man for Canceling Trash Service, Tamara Barak Aparton, Jan.29, 2008)

It will be interesting to see what becomes of it anyway. It sounds as though there are two sides to this story. Besides the burning bit Eddie could probably teach us how to recycle more thoroughly.

Recycling Resources

Want to learn more about recycling? Check out some of these educational resources.

• Recycling.org.uk has some excellent guides, tips and facts. One is that 50% of waste can be composted.

• How Can I Recycle This has all sorts of ideas on how to recycle items you may never thought of recycling.

• Recycle Now shares advice and the many benefits of recycling.

• Earth Odyssey has a great general guide on how to recycle.

• The Daily Green advises us on how to recycle our electronics.

• The Lighter Footstep shares 5 Ways to Recycle a CFL.

• Earth Care has some interesting Canadian recycling facts and FAQs.

• How to Green Your Recycling on Tree Hugger is also worth a read.

If you have more ideas on sites that help teach us how to recycle, feel free to add to the list.

Ruby the resourceress from Second Hand Saints turns trash into art, designing each piece of jewelry with personality and fun.

A resourceress can apparently kick ass in a pretty pink dress but this one also creates wonderful bottle cap jewelry. She gets her bottle caps from bars, delis and pizza joints.

I have seen jewelry made from beer bottle caps but never dressed up quite as nice as these ones. Sparkles, beads and foil add pizazz to pieces of trash.

Besides the fact that Second Hand Saints recycle, they also work for social change and help support artists, women, disabled people and those recovering from addictions and abuse.

I had such fun browsing their junk mall and here’s a few of my favorite finds but check it out yourself. They have buttons, zipper pulls, belts and magnets if you don’t want any jewelry.

Second Hand Saints do custom orders if there’s a certain image you want on the bottle caps that’s not available. I adore this pirate girl bracelet and think it would look good as an anklet but I’m weird.

How about a choker/bootlet? This particular choker was created recycling foil from left over chocolate wrappers. It’s a very colorful festive effect.

The belts are awesome and if you really want to make a statement try a belly dancing belt or a jingle belt made with junk jewels (recycled foil).

Ruby is a wonderful writer with a great sense of humor so even if you don’t buy anything, it’s worth visiting her site for the smiles she brings.

Since it is Sunday I’m kicking back with some music but wanted to share this pretty song called “How Can I Keep From Singing?” Enya sings it beautifully and is known for her Celtic songs. St. Patrick’s day is tomorrow so why not combine some Enya with nature.

The video features beautiful pics of flowers, landscapes and people. It is a very soothing Sunday song. Enjoy. I’m off to sing some more and wish you all a happy St. Patrick’s day.

My life goes on in endless song
above earth’s lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear it’s music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness ’round me close,
songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
while to that rock I’m clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
how can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear
and hear their death knell ringing,
when friends rejoice both far and near
how can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile
our thoughts to them are winging,
when friends by shame are undefiled
how can I keep from singing?

Music: Rev. Robert Lowry (1826-1899)
Words: Anne Bartlett Warner, ca. 1850
Third verse: Doris Plenn, 1956

More info at the Enya.com Discography

I found some reasonably priced organic coffee at the grocery store today by President’s Choice. It’s simply called President’s Choice Organics and it’s a medium roast arabica bean coffee that’s fair trade certified through Transfair Canada.

It was $8.99 for 454 grams, which is about a pound. It’s almost twice the price of regular coffee but other organic coffee choices were more and some of them were not even fair trade certified. I enjoyed it and it was smooth yet still had that nice Columbian bite that I like.

Organic and Fair Trade Certified

Although fair trade and organic produce don’t always coexist, they often do. Fair trade certification standards require that organic agricultural techniques be used so they don’t use pesticides and herbicides.

Smaller farms have a hard time making a living and competing with larger corporations. It can cost them more money producing the beans than the price they can get for the coffee. When the price of coffee drops, if people are not certified it’s often not even worth growing coffee beans.

Many people start growing other crops and may even resort to illegal crops/drugs in order to feed their families. There has been a lot of publicity about that in Columbia but it happens all over the world. If they’re fair trade certified, they are protected and can depend on a minimum price to make a legitimate living.

• I’ll continue to taste test other organic products on a monthly basis and keep you in the loop about the quality, price and brands. If you have any suggestions, I appreciate the input as well.

The Dervaes family has shown what a difference one family can make on the environment with their urban homestead.

Their path to sustainability and self sufficiency did not involve leaving the city and it has expanded to become an enormous organic garden in the middle of Pasadena California.

Jules Dervaes was turned off with genetically modified organisms in food and his father was a gardener so he already had the skills to grow his own produce.

Six Tons of Food on One Fifth of An Acre Homestead

The garden expanded to growing more than 400 different plants including fruit and vegetables on one fifth of an acre. They get 75% or more of their food from their own garden in the summer so they are able to live off their land.

The urban homestead has thrived and become such a successful business that in the last year, they have managed to produce 6 tons of food and the goal for this year is 8 tons. Customers include gourmet chefs, caterers and individuals.

Chickens provide the Dervaes family with fresh eggs and they also have ducks and a couple of pet goats that help supply fertilizer for the garden.

Off the Grid

Not content to simply grow organic food they decided to go off the grid and installed solar panels so they would not be dependent on mechanical electricity. Their Chevy was converted to run on biodiesel that they make from recycled vegetable oil. The fuel only costs them 70 cents a gallon.

It took some courage and a lot of work and faith to take on this unusual revolution for an urban homestead. The Path to Freedom website offers encouragement, inspiration and advice for others who are also striving for a self sufficient lifestyle.

Today I was checking out some “green” stuff for St. Patrick’s Day. We have a full house so could always use another bag. I found a cute reusable canvas bag with a shamrock on it at Cafe Press.

How about some funky recycled glassware from Inhabitat? Independent artisans make this recycled line from Guatemala. These fair trade products are created from recycled wine and beer glasses. The designs are brilliant and bring new life and class to old glass.

Eco-Artware (Gifts from recycled natural materials)

I love these fern green sachets made by graphic designer Lotta Helleberg. She used non-toxic paint on the back of leaves to create the design and the natural linen is colored with eco-friendly dyes. The sachets are then filled with fragrant organic lavender.

Have a musician friend or family member? Even though I can’t play guitars, I adore these necklaces at Eco-artware. The lucky picks come from Fender and Dunlap guitars.

Artist Susan “Sass” Brown has been creating art out of found objects since she was six. She also designs jewelry out of old pottery and game pieces. The charm is a nice touch and I think the same thing would make a great pair of earrings or even a bracelet.

• If you want to check out some Irish books, blessings and signs, here’s one of my favorite sites: Irish Jokes and Irish Blessings

“May brooks and trees and singing hills
Join in the chorus too,
And every gentle wind that blows
Send happiness to you.”

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after their decision not to recover the jaguar, an endangered species. (Bush Administration Refuses to Protect the Last of the American Jaguars, March 3, 2008)

Apparently there’s some loophole in the Endangered Species Act that allows them not to pursue a recovery plan if the animals past and present ranges are in other countries.

Jaguars Range

Presently the jaguars’ ranges in the U.S. are mainly in Arizona and New Mexico. Part of the problem is walling off the U.S. Mexico border would interfere with the freedom to access more of their range. There’s a small group of jaguars that exist along the U.S. Mexico border.

• Since jaguars are top-level predators, they contribute to balancing our ecosystems. They’re beautiful graceful animals that prefer to stalk and ambush rather than chase their prey. People kill them over conflict with land while more of their habitat is being destroyed and disappearing.

Jaguars are mostly solitary, meeting to mate briefly and the female jaguar raises her young alone. They look a little like leopards but are larger and more muscular. To learn more see Wikipedia’s page on the jaguar.

• To learn more about biodiversity and/or to take action on saving jaguars or other endangered species see the Center for Biological Diversity.

“They are beautiful animals that help keep the balance of nature, and preventing their extinction involves helping them reclaim the homelands from which our government exterminated them.” (Michael Robinson from the Center for Biological Diversity)

Since it’s the beginning of March I thought I would switch up the songs and share some interesting quotes on the environment from some famous people instead.

“Now, I truly believe, that we in this generation, must come to terms with nature, and I think we’re challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.” (April 3, 1963 CBS series, The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson)

“It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.” Dalai Lama

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth day

“In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy.” John C. Sawhill

“By employing the intelligence of natural systems we can create industry, buildings, even regional plans that see nature and commerce not as mutually exclusive but mutually coexisting.” Brad Pitt, 2006 PBS Special

“We’re in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyones arguing over where they’re going to sit.” David Suzuki

“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?” Robert Redford

“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.” Henry David Thoreau

“We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.” Unknown

“The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don’t say, ‘Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it’s not a problem.’ If the crib’s on fire, you don’t speculate that the baby is flame retardant. You take action.” Al Gore