How Long?

So here's a question: how long are things supposed to last? I may start posting surveys asking folks for their opinions on different items - like sofas, vacuum cleaners, and computers. I guess I find myself needing to replace things more often than I would like. I know, I'm cheap and lazy, but still... I don't want to be wasteful.

Car Miles and travel

There were almost 600 miles on my car this week.

See, this week we not only drove my husband down to meet up with a ride to New York, we actually drove down to join him the next day. And then drove back.

I don't always know what to do when it comes to travel. Whenever possible, I suppose, one should not travel. That's what would be best for the environment. But not traveling does not always work. We are greedy people who take distance for granted. We can work in places fifty miles from our homes. We expect to take vacations each year, many times hundreds and hundreds of miles away. And if we have family in different states or countries, they tend to get upset or disappointed if we don't see them during the holidays.

So what do we do? How do you make a choice on how to travel when you can't or aren't willing to give it up?

I make most of my decisions based on cost. We drive to New York instead of taking the train. It would cost almost $350 for our family to get to NY. And that's one way. And doesn't include the hassle of getting to and from train stations. Much less than parking for three or four nights. But taking the train is, I think, the more environmentally friendly choice.

Next week I go to Tennessee. It's much further than New York. It takes much less time to fly. This trip is a grown-up visit, so I go alone. So I'm flying. But the last two times I've taken the kids, I have driven. Yes, it's a long trip. Yes, it's two days in the car listening to kid music and stopping for small bathroom brakes and eating too much Burger King. Because the flights are about $400 each. And when you add four of those up, it costs a LOT more than gas and a motel room. Not to mention the fact that every single time I fly to Nashville I end up with a nightmare situation of flight delays and cancellations and end up with security personnel patting down my five month old while I hold him at arm's length I'm not even kidding this was two years ago and I'm still so mad UGH.

Anyway... I'm not sure which is better pollution wise - the drive to Tennessee or the flight. I mean, if everyone drove everywhere, it would have to be worse than some mass distance flying, right?

Is there a place to go to look this sort of stuff up? I'd like to get an answer, but I also don't want to be told I'm bad for visiting my relatives.

Spring Thing

I'm getting into a groove. Each day, as I move through the mundane tasks, I think - just for a moment - about what I'm doing that I wasn't doing a year ago, and what next steps I need to take.

I'm not talking about huge things here. I'm talking about putting my wet sheets on our deck to dry instead of our dryer, unplugging the coffee maker when we're done, baby steps.

With the warmer weather I have started drying my wet laundry out on the porch. I also started working in the yard. It's too early to plant anything here, because of the frost, but I can pull out the biggest weeds and I have started some tomatoes indoors.

And as I sit here, typing, I remind myself to use the computer less and to watch less TV at night.

Meatless Monday

I can't remember posting about this before. I might have.

Once a week, I make a point of cooking a meatless dinner for the family. The meat purchased at the grocery store is usually jam packed with antibiotics, mostly to counteract the e-coli and bacteria it's covered in due to the circumstances of the packing, processing, and even the living circumstances of the animals prior to slaughter. That, and the animals waste left by the farms and the fuel burned just getting the meat to the store from the slaughter house... I'm just saying that cutting back one night a week seems like the tiniest baby step we could make.

Honestly, if I lived by myself, I probably would have tried to cut meat out entirely after watching Food Inc.

But alas, I have a family of picky eaters to feed. So far they haven't flipped over anything I've made them. Actually, I've had many requests to "never make this again." High praise is when my husband says "This would go great with a steak!"

And yet I am holding fast. Sooner or later they'll get used to it, and they won't even notice when once a week becomes two or three days.... right?

Car Miles

190 miles on my car this week.

Last week was 375. I drove down to MA. to visit a friend. I drove Steve to the airport and picked him up. And I ended up making an extra trip to the church on Sunday.

But this week... this week I drove only when I HAD to. I made one extra trip to Target, but I had to go without kids, so there was no way around it. Other than that, it was just the normal everyday stuff. Most of which is in this town. And still this brings us close to 200 miles.

I guess I have a new goal. Under 200 miles in a week. How WILL I do it?

Making The Call

I have never been a politically minded person.

I believe things. I have strong views on certain things. And I try to vote accordingly. I sometimes give to charities that I feel uphold my beliefs. And yet I have never called a representative. I have never picked up the phone or protested a bill or even stood in support of one.

I think this is relevant. Because over the past few weeks, I've been asked to pick up my phone and call my representative to let him / her know where I stand on issues such as greener energy. And I have not. Which is hypocritical. Especially since I think that the actions of individuals can only take us so far. There are too many of us that opt for the easy way out. Too many of us cheat on our diets. Too many of us that use plastic bottles that we know will clutter our oceans, too many of us that go for convenience over the greater good. It's human nature. Without guidelines, this is what we do.

Especially when there are businesses out there willing to cut our throats to make a buck.

But I still haven't called. Nor do I have any immediate plans to.

I think I'm afraid to get involved. I fear being labeled a radical, or having my name added to some list of citizens to be audited and barred from travel. Or simply afraid that, if I call, I'll get ninety seven phone calls from people asking me to donate to the Firefighters of New England.

I think what I'm trying to do is to come to a place where I DO get involved and stand up for what it is I believe in.

Sponges

I found some sponges at the grocery store, from Scotch-Brite. They are supposedly made of recycled paper. I haven't tried them yet.

There are also a few other greener items - replacements for your SOS pads, your cloths, your softer sponges.

I have to admit, I hesitated. I prefer sponges with bright colored flowers, to cheer me up when I have to wash the dishes. The dull brown color of these green products actually look like the ineffective brown paper you dry your hands with in public restrooms. But I will sacrifice my pretty sponges for ugly sponges if it means helping out, even just a tiny tiny bit.

Evaluation

I've been thinking about the way I've been writing this blog. SO often I can't think of anything to say. I want to use this blog to heal measure my progress, but I find it difficult to type "I recycled my cereal boxes today, turned down the heat in the living room, and used my organic shampoo!" I mean, the first time I do each of these things, it's an event. The next ten times, not so much.

But I think there are a few things I CAN measure. I'm trying to cut down the miles we put on the car. I can post a bit more about those. And there are issues I meet every day that I might touch on - it might make for a few more touchy-feely posts.

The point is, writing here keeps this issue top-of-mind for me. And that, to me, is very important. So there.

A Nose By Any Other Name

A short while ago, I stopped buying a lot of products with fragrances.
Organic or plant based cleaners usually use baking soda, or scents like lemongrass or thyme. Shampoos and lotions use peppermint, citrus, honey, or rosemary. I've been using these for a few months now, and Ive found some that I like. And I've gotten really used to them.

But now, when I walk down the laundry aisle in the grocery store, I am overwhelmed. It stinks! It really makes me think about how many chemicals are in these products. I mean, the scents are nice and flowery, but I wonder why they are so strong. It's nice to have a little scent on something, but I really don't think we need as much as what's in there.

For one day, take note of all the products you use that are scented. It's probably more than you think.

Things I'm Doing

I'm busy - SO busy. Just with life in general. But here are a few of the things that I am doing:

Measuring how many miles we drive in a week. Last week it was 375. Ouch.

Thinking about compost. I plan on buying a compost bin this summer.

I need to make another trip to Good Will. I need another pair of jeans.

I need a few good meatless meals that I can make the family.

I have also been pondering the steps I'm taking, and I'm wondering if positive steps are even possible without government stepping in and setting some standards.