Happy Earth Day everyone!! I’ve done a lot of thinking in the last couple of months about my personal impact on the planet and have taken a few small steps to start to minimize that impact. Many of my changes have been fueled and assisted by the Greencraft group on Ravelry. The people there are highly knowledgeable about these things and have shared a great deal of advice and personal experience on the boards. Do check it out!
So, I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been doing with you today since it seemed appropriate. Here’s my list in no particular order:
* A few months back we changed all our light bulbs to compact fluorescents. We did this in the old apartment and didn’t throw away the old bulbs. When we left, we replaced the compact fluorescents with the old bulbs and put the CFLs in place in our new place. We’ve noticed a bit of savings on our electric bill which was a nice side effect. I also try to be very aware of turning lights off when I leave a room and nag gently remind HWJF to do the same.
* We bought a digital thermostat and installed it. It’s programmable for wakeup, leave, return and bedtime for week days and weekends. The highest we allow the temperature to go is 68 degrees Fahrenheit and we go down to 58 at night during the winter, which is two degrees lower than recommended by the manufacturer. We no longer have central air, so it won’t help us this summer unfortunately.
* I’ve nearly totally eliminated using harsh, store bought household cleansers. I keep a little bit of bleach around because of the dyeing I do, but only use it sparingly. As a surface cleaner I use a mixture of white vinegar, water and lemon juice. It works on just about everything (even mirrors) and the smell goes away as soon as the surface is dry. Straight vinegar works for really tough spots. It’s nice to know that switching to this kind of cleaner also makes my house safer for my pets. It’s been another cost cutter too.
* After our recent move I started a vermicompost bin in the basement. We compost a great deal of our food waste this way, which has the nice side effect of making the trash less stinky and not needing to go out as often. We keep a small container in the fridge to put the waste in until worm feeding day (about once a week). For those in the NYC area, you can get a bin like mine and some worms at the Union Square Greenmarket by contacting this group. Another nice side effect to this kind of composting is that I need shredded paper for the bedding, so I bring home stuff from work that isn’t otherwise recycled and get rid of the non-shiny paper from the junk mail this way too.
* I think long and hard before I purchase something “new”. I’ve made good use of Craigslist and Freecycle in the past (and need to put more things up on Freecycle come to think of it) to give away things that might otherwise end up in the landfill.
* I try to buy things like yogurt in large containers so there is less packaging material. I pack my lunch for work on a daily basis and I use reusable containers and wrapping to make smaller portions for my daily snacks and other foods that I bring along with me.
* We bring cloth, reusable shopping bags to the grocery store with us. I used to think my mother was an idiot for doing this, but it turns out I was the idiot for not doing it! Some of them I’ve gotten at conferences, some my mother has sewn for us some have come from other sources. A lot of grocery stores are giving us a few cents back for bringing our own bags now which is nice. I also throw a small one in my commuting bag for times I have to buy things while I’m at work. The other nice side effect is that it makes it easier to bring the groceries in the house since we can throw the bags over a shoulder to carry them!
* I take public transit to work except for the trip from my house to the train station. If the local bus system was more reliable, I’d be doing that too.
* A few months ago I started trying the oil cleansing method. When I’m consistent, I’m actually quite happy with the results and my skin has looked a lot better than when I was using store bought cleaners. It’s taken a bit of tinkering, but I’m finding a blend of castor oil and sunflower oil to be working pretty well. I also use tea tree oil to help control breakouts (I just wish it smelled better!).
* I use naturally made soaps in the shower instead of store bought body washes. I’m looking forward to visiting the GotSoap.com booth at Maryland to stock up!
* We’ve switched to environmentally friendly hand soaps and laundry soap readily available at our Trader Joes. We use their dishwasher soap too.
* We wired our apartment to make sure that all non-essential items turn completely off when not in use through the use of surge bars. No more having the wireless router running all the time or the little light on the DVD player pulling power for no reason (these are called “Phantom Drains” in some of the literature I’ve read and can cost big bucks over time). We also liberally unplug things where surge protectors are not practical (think coffee pot, toaster, bread machine).
* I switched to an earth friendly deodorant. I’m still experimenting with trying to find one I really like though (that sounds kind of bad, but I assure you I am not in danger of offending anyone with my personal odors!).
* We buy mostly organic produce. Part of that was fueled by the arrival of Stitches, but we had done some of that before she came into our lives. Even small amounts of chemicals can be dangerous for rabbits. When I don’t think I can afford to buy all organic, I try to focus on items that travel the farthest, like bananas.
Here are some things that I hope to do in the future:
* Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.
* I’d like to try getting rid of my shampoo and conditioner all together and use a baking soda wash and apple cider vinegar rinse instead. There’s a lot of information on this in the Greencraft group.
* Once I use up my current cosmetics I plan on switching to organic brands. No more rubbing lead on my lids for me!
* If we can ever afford to buy our own house, I’d love to investigate solar power as an energy source or possible geothermal heat. Sadly I think the price of both these alternatives will have to come way down before they will be affordable for the average joe.
* Once we run out of our current supply of paper napkins, I plan to switch to cloth. The amount of virgin forest cut down for toilet paper and napkins is sickening.
I’d also like to suggest some reading for you all. I found this book very informative, inspiring and well researched.
Organic housekeeping : in which the nontoxic avenger shows you how to improve your health and that of your family while you save time, money, and, perhaps your sanity / by Sandbeck, Ellen.
ISBN: 0743256204
9780743256209
This book gives specific recipes for cleaning products and talks about ways to detoxify your home. I was really shocked when I discovered how much easier and cheaper a lot of her ideas were than the things the general media would like you to believe are “making your life better and easier”. Definitely worth checking out.
I hope you’ve found this post interesting and informative as well! We are by no means perfect and there are many more things we can probably be doing, but this is a start. I’d love to hear about your ideas and things that you are doing to minimize your impact on the planet. Do share in the comments! And go hug a tree today! 
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Awesome post! It’s not as hard as people think, and really this is the way that people lived before all the mass market garbage, so it’s not like it’s an alien culture or anything.
Have you tried The Stone as a deodorant? My husband loves his as he’s scent sensitive and can’t use almost anything else. It’s a mineral salt that comes in stone or stick form and it really does work. No chemicals other than the salt stick and the stick lasts up to two years.
My hats off to you, you guys are doing a great job.
lots of great ideas! i do a lot of the same – cleaning products, bulbs, shutting/unplugging (when I can get hubby to do it!!!!) – every little bit makes a difference!
Wonderful post! I’m dedicating today to improving my little patch of earth and preparing the beds for planting. Vinegar cleaning is great, isn’t it?? Always makes me want an Italian sub.
What a great post!!! I love that Greencraft group and have gotten a lot of good tips there too. Vinegar is my new BFF – my mom thought I was crazy when we went to B.J.’s and I bought three HUGE bottles.
I’ve been washing my hair with baking soda / acv for almost a year now and my hair is so much softer and healthier, I don’t think I’ll ever go back (although I did recently order a shampoo bar from Lush to try – if I love it, I’ll probably alternate between the two methods). We always used cloth napkins growing up and I continued to do the same when I bought my own house. 
I use the Oil-Cleansing method about once a week, but for daily use I found this: http://www.gingergarrett.com/downloads/ Click on the link for Beauty Secrets Three-Step Skin Regimen (it’s a pdf, or I would have linked it directly).
We already changed over from paper to cloth napkins awhile back. I take my own mug with me when I go to lunch or out for coffee. One less drink cup in the garbage.
My change today will be to park the car. I’m going to try for at least one car-free day per week. I have a good bike. I’ll be using that as my transportation today.
Happy Earth Day — let’s make EVERY day EARTH day!
Great post! I’ve been learning how to do a lot of these things in the past year, but lists like this show the variety (and the relative simplicity) of things that we can do for our environment. (I also love vinegar cleaning. I’ve got a solution that uses vinegar, water, and dishwashing detergent, and it works on just about everything.)
I’m not sure if the “sponge” part itself is a problem since I don’t hang out in any green type forum but Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser is absolutely magic and you only use water.
Wow, I’m impressed! You’ve got some great ideas here
Happy Earth Day to you. I’m very impressed by all you’ve done! As soon as I find a tree, I’ll be hugging it
What a wonderful post.
I love my CFLs and have been using them for about ten years. I found a biodegradable wool wash that I really like. Because we’re in a drought, I think I’ll be rinsing my socks and things onto the lawn (from a bucket), so the water will be reused. Just need it to be a tiny bit warmer first. I took a friend’s advice and started using baking soda to exfoliate and I’m very happy with how it’s working out. It’s a amazing how many simple things we can do that are better for the planet and actually save us money.
I’ve been doing some green things too, but not nearly as much as you – I’m impressed! We’ve been switching lightbulbs as the old ones wear out, taking cloth bags to the grocery store, and have signed up for a class on composting from the county, so it’s a start at least. I also have other plans, but like you some of them depend on first running out of other things, like cosmetics.
Vinegar is very good for cleaning *ahem* bunny pee, too.
Wow, what an inspiring article! You’ve really done so much. I’m particularly curious how the surge protectors stop the phantom drain; I didn’t realize surge protectors did things other than helping out after a power outage! I’m going to forward it to the DH so he can read it too!
You guys are really doing great! I wish I could claim to be doing as well. We’ve been focusing on our diet as part of going greener…buying more locally (Thank you wonderful CSA!!) and organic (Thank you Trader Joes for making it more affordable). I’ve also been working to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from our diet. A smaller thing, and more health motivated than earth motivated, but when farmers focus on lots of the commodity crops at the expense of other crops it leeches the soil of nutrients and reduces the biodiversity that keeps the soil, plants, and animals in the area healthy and thriving. One other trick I’ve learned (though haven’t tried) is to use coffee grounds as fertilizer. No more chemicals in your vegetable garden!! If you’re not a coffee drinker, check with local coffee shops because some will give away their grounds to those who want to use it as an organic fertilizer.
Thanks for the comment on my site. Great things you are doing, too! I use Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner and their face wash and I really like these products. Isn’t Freecycle great! I will have to check out the Greencraft group on Ravelry. Happy Earth Day!
Excellent tips! You are a green goddess. I’m looking forward to the gotsoap booth too. I have one bar left from Rhinebeck.
Good for you Jessica!! I’m impressed! I’ve made some of the same changes but I can always do more. BTW, if you find a deodorant you love, PLEASE tell me, I’m not very impressed with the ones I’ve tried and I have super sensitive skin so the less chemicals, the better!
That’s a great list! I’ve been doing more and more every day since I moved to the PNW and at this point it’s hard to figure out what to do next! Regarding the deodorant issue, I’ve been using the Alba Clear Enzyme stick which is glycol and paraben free (but unfortunately packaged in plastic, but I think they all are). I’ve heard lots of good things about the crystal deodorants but haven’t tried one yet (but that’s where I am heading when what I have is gone).
Retrofitting for solar power is expensive — we’re looking into it right now too. But, when you get to the point of looking for a house, check into local or state grant programs and tax credits. Solar retrofits might be more affordable than you think with help from these sources. Also, ask mortgage brokers if there is a way to build some kind of financing into your mortgage. We didn’t do this, but I’ve heard that there might be a way to do so. Reducing power consumption is an important first step, and we’re trying to find ways to do more, but it would be such a great feeling to know that we’re getting a lot of our household power from the sun!