Day 25: Schedule a Home Energy Audit

I have been thinking about getting a home energy audit for years, but just never got around to it. The weather got colder today, so I signed up for a free home energy audit with our city’s dept of energy.

Day 24: Stop Using Aluminum Cans

After reading a book about bauxite pollution in India and how mining companies displace tribal groups from land to mine bauxite, I’ve decided to stop using aluminum cans. A couple of years ago, Hungary had a big bauxite pollution disaster. It seems that one ton of aluminum requires 5-6 tons of bauxite. Of course, some aluminum cans are made from recycled cans, but do we know what percentage? Also, many poor countries rely on bauxite production as one of their few sources of income (Jamaica, India, etc), but this mining seems to help only the mining companies and the politicians they pay. In the meantime, I will be using glass bottles or my handy Klean Kanteen.

Day 23: Replace Dish Liquid with Dr. Bonner’s

I have been using environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent for years, but now I have replaced my grocery-store-dish liquid. Dr. Bonner’s soaps are biodegradable, vegetable-based, fair trade, and organic. They are also very affordable! Back in the day, we always used Dr. Bonner’s soaps on camping trips. We also used to enjoy reading the rather out-there labels. I now have an enormous bottle with a peppermint scent that is great.

Day 22: Commune with Nature

This morning I read the Post article about the problems the monarch butterflies will be having as they make their way across drought/fire-ridden Texas on their way to Mexico. We are seeing lots of monarchs making their way south here in DC, which is exciting. This morning as I sat outside looking for a new song bird who has appeared in our backyard, I saw a monarch high up in the sky flying south! The returns to communing with nature are more than just a beautiful sight; communing with nature can also provide us with new ways of thinking. According to Slate, Steve Jobs said that taking LSD was “one of the two or three most important things” he did in his life. Rich Doyle has argued that ecodelic plants across the centuries have introduced humans to new ways of thinking and have reintroduced humans to the interconnectedness of the earth. People can take these ideas in numerous directions, including those taken by Steve Jobs. I am not advocating such activities in any way, just appreciating and communing with nature on Day 22.

Day 21: Buy Local with Cash

Today, I became a conscious member of the Use Cash Movement. I’ve been trying to buy local food for some time. Why not try to keep my cash local too, rather than having my local store give credit card companies 3.5% or so in fees? Today, I went to buy some local Trickling Springs glass-bottled milk. I began to hand over my credit card to pay for the milk, but then realized that I should commit to cash now. While giving the clerk cash, I spontaneously said,

– I’m trying to follow the Use Cash Movement, where people try to use cash rather than credit cards.

– No, I haven’t heard of that.

– Would paying cash help you, like with paying fewer credit card fees?

– Yes, definitely.

Day 20: Unplug the Wireless Router at Night

With the goal of using no electricity at night or when I’m away, I follow the now general practice of turning off all power to my computer. Now, I am unplugging my wireless router at night. Of course, this would be so much simpler when I rationally reorganize the cords around my desk and have one power strip, but that will have to wait for another day!

Day 19: Use Only Rechargeable Batteries

Well, in day’s world, one really doesn’t have to use batteries at all, but there are some things that still use batteries. Rechargeable batteries have improved so much that they can replace regular batteries, and that is a great thing. The DC Recycler has a list of the best rechargeable batteries and chargers, so it is super-easy to figure out which to purchase. For Day 19, I purchased two packs of Eneloop AAA rechargeable batteries.

Day 18: Use Real Silverware at Work

I always have peanut butter sandwiches as snacks, which I put in Lunchkins, rather than plastic bags. However, I would really like to make my own lunch and bring it in an all-glass pyrex container that I already have. As a first step in that direction, I brought a metal spoon from home wrapped in a cloth napkin. Today, I used the spoon to eat my bought lunch and then washed the spoon in the bathroom later on in the day. The spoon and the napkin worked great, as to be expected.

Day 17: Continue to Move My Money out of the Big Banks

This year I finally became a member of a credit union, which I love. The ATMs are located in all 7-11 stores (and other locations) and are free. The mortgage rates are phenomenal. The employees remember my name and are so friendly. Even the checking account rates are good. One has to be an educator or a student to join my credit union. However, anyone can become a member of Self-Help Credit Union and Northcountry Cooperative FCU though others are probably open too (the government’s National Credit Union Administration [NCUA] also has a search engine to find local credit unions).

As my next step, today, I did two things:

• began the process of getting a new credit card by reading this great article by Green America and choosing a Self-Help Credit Union credit card. According to Green America, “Self-Help, headquartered in North Carolina, works in communities traditionally underserved by conventional financial institutions.”

• started the process of making a small investment in Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund, which has returns much better than Bank of America (just checked), though I don’t think it is FDIC insured. So, you have to have a particularly attitude toward this money, seeing it as “an investment in cooperation.”

Happy  Labor Day!

Day 16: Stop Using Petroleum Based Moisturizer

I have been using Burt’s Bees lip balm, which is made from beeswax and various natural oils. Finally (!), I bought some shea butter at my local Yes organic store. Shea butter has been used for centuries as a moisturizer and for a wide range of other uses. It’s made from the nut of the African shea tree. As a moisturizer, it is perfect.