Memphis Democrat Column Week of 12/29/08
Hello Friends. This is Alline once again for Dancing Rabbit. It has been a quiet week here on the prairie - we had a lovely Christmas potluck dinner, with deliciousness ranging from mulled wine and tamales to Chinese food (a traditional Christmas day repast) and authentic plum pudding with hard sauce. Yum!
This week brings the start of a brand new year, filled with hope, anticipation and lists of oh-so-virtuous resolutions. Personally, this year I am throwing out all resolutions destined to make me frustrated, unhappy or just plain nuts. Instead, I am resolving to be more deliberate about my decisions, clear in my intentions, and thoughtful in my actions. Below you will find my List for 2009. Several of the items on the list are reflections of Dancing Rabbit’s Ecological Covenants, and several are my own personal obsessions. Background for my List comes from the most excellent “Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day” from the writers of the website Grist (http://grist.org/).
Alline’s Nine for 2009.
1. I will stop consuming high fructose corn syrup and pay closer attention to the ingredients in my food. This seemingly benign additive is making us fat, diabetic, and unhealthy, and is one more reason to eat organically. For an eye-opening (and sympathetic to farmers) peek into the corn industry, check out the documentary King Corn (see the trailer at http://tinyurl.com/9hzmdh).
2. I will use only compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light bulbs. These two can make a huge difference, both in our energy consumption and in our energy bills - compact fluorescents emit the same light as classic incandescents but use 75% or 80% less electricity. Learn more from this article in Fast Company Magazine http://tinyurl.com/zc76s . Also: GE has an online calculator that shows how much money can be saved by making the switch (http://tinyurl.com/64sltf ).
3. No bottled water. Evian costs over $20 a gallon to tap water’s seven cents a gallon. Multiple studies have shown that bottled water is no cleaner or safer than what comes out of your faucet or hose. Single-use plastic water bottles leach harmful chemicals into the water, especially as the bottles slowly break down in the trunk of your car. They create unnecessary waste: more than a million barrels of oil are used to manufacture more than 25 billion water bottles sold in the U.S. each year. I use an at-home water filter, and carry a Klean Kanteen stainless steel refillable water bottle.
4. I will always bring along my own shopping bags. No paper, no plastic.
5. Speaking of plastic, I am striving to cut down on any plastic coming into my home. For an amazing example of cutting plastic use, see what Beth is doing at http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/
6. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Hey wait - stop rolling your eyes! We’ve gotten so used to this one that we don’t even take it seriously. But before I go shopping, I’m going to really think about whether or not I really need the item, or if there is something I can reuse instead.
7. Shop locally - this includes buying veggies from my neighbors, and shopping in the small, independently owned stores close to home. I want my dollars to make a difference - Walmart doesn’t care about me or my family, but the folks at, say, Hopkins Lumber or Cook’s Men’s store do.
8. No more solo driving adventures - as you know from previous columns, at Dancing Rabbit we strive to make good use of every car trip. We carpool and do errands for one another. We also try to ride our bikes as often as possible.
9. I will continue to use non-toxic, inexpensive (and effective!) cleaners in my home - vinegar, baking soda, castille soap. For more info on easy, homemade cleaning supplies, see http://tinyurl.com/2xpqn5.
What resolutions are you making for 2009? We’d love to hear from you (please send emails to alline at milkweedmercantile dot com and I’ll forward your responses to the rest of the column writers). And while you’re writing, please let us know what you’d like to see in future Dancing Rabbit columns - more day-to-day adventures of Rabbits? Tips on living more sustainably? What it’s really like to live in a cob house?
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is a nonprofit and a residential community that demonstrates ecological sustainability in Rutledge, MO. Our tour schedule and Visitor Program will resume in the spring of 2009. Please call us at (660)883-5511 or visit http://www.dancingrabbit.org for more information.
This week brings the start of a brand new year, filled with hope, anticipation and lists of oh-so-virtuous resolutions. Personally, this year I am throwing out all resolutions destined to make me frustrated, unhappy or just plain nuts. Instead, I am resolving to be more deliberate about my decisions, clear in my intentions, and thoughtful in my actions. Below you will find my List for 2009. Several of the items on the list are reflections of Dancing Rabbit’s Ecological Covenants, and several are my own personal obsessions. Background for my List comes from the most excellent “Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day” from the writers of the website Grist (http://grist.org/).
Alline’s Nine for 2009.
1. I will stop consuming high fructose corn syrup and pay closer attention to the ingredients in my food. This seemingly benign additive is making us fat, diabetic, and unhealthy, and is one more reason to eat organically. For an eye-opening (and sympathetic to farmers) peek into the corn industry, check out the documentary King Corn (see the trailer at http://tinyurl.com/9hzmdh).
2. I will use only compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light bulbs. These two can make a huge difference, both in our energy consumption and in our energy bills - compact fluorescents emit the same light as classic incandescents but use 75% or 80% less electricity. Learn more from this article in Fast Company Magazine http://tinyurl.com/zc76s . Also: GE has an online calculator that shows how much money can be saved by making the switch (http://tinyurl.com/64sltf ).
3. No bottled water. Evian costs over $20 a gallon to tap water’s seven cents a gallon. Multiple studies have shown that bottled water is no cleaner or safer than what comes out of your faucet or hose. Single-use plastic water bottles leach harmful chemicals into the water, especially as the bottles slowly break down in the trunk of your car. They create unnecessary waste: more than a million barrels of oil are used to manufacture more than 25 billion water bottles sold in the U.S. each year. I use an at-home water filter, and carry a Klean Kanteen stainless steel refillable water bottle.
4. I will always bring along my own shopping bags. No paper, no plastic.
5. Speaking of plastic, I am striving to cut down on any plastic coming into my home. For an amazing example of cutting plastic use, see what Beth is doing at http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/
6. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Hey wait - stop rolling your eyes! We’ve gotten so used to this one that we don’t even take it seriously. But before I go shopping, I’m going to really think about whether or not I really need the item, or if there is something I can reuse instead.
7. Shop locally - this includes buying veggies from my neighbors, and shopping in the small, independently owned stores close to home. I want my dollars to make a difference - Walmart doesn’t care about me or my family, but the folks at, say, Hopkins Lumber or Cook’s Men’s store do.
8. No more solo driving adventures - as you know from previous columns, at Dancing Rabbit we strive to make good use of every car trip. We carpool and do errands for one another. We also try to ride our bikes as often as possible.
9. I will continue to use non-toxic, inexpensive (and effective!) cleaners in my home - vinegar, baking soda, castille soap. For more info on easy, homemade cleaning supplies, see http://tinyurl.com/2xpqn5.
What resolutions are you making for 2009? We’d love to hear from you (please send emails to alline at milkweedmercantile dot com and I’ll forward your responses to the rest of the column writers). And while you’re writing, please let us know what you’d like to see in future Dancing Rabbit columns - more day-to-day adventures of Rabbits? Tips on living more sustainably? What it’s really like to live in a cob house?
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is a nonprofit and a residential community that demonstrates ecological sustainability in Rutledge, MO. Our tour schedule and Visitor Program will resume in the spring of 2009. Please call us at (660)883-5511 or visit http://www.dancingrabbit.org for more information.