Recent and Future Additions

In my last post I talked about some things I am doing (cloth diapers) and some things I've just started doing (detergents), so I thought I would add on to the last post with some more ideas and recipes.

When I watch and read educational material about our environment and our interactions with it, it feels like a spinning firecracker is going off inside me with ideas sparking left and right.  I feel like I need to change my whole life, become an activist, and tell everyone I know.  The wheels of my mind start cranking out ideas and a mental list of things to do and change accumulates faster than I can find a pencil and write it all down.  How to implement this and make that work without spending a fortune.  It's too much and like a firecracker my energy and enthusiasm soon fizzles.  As I peel back the layers of my consumerism, I realize that each improvement I added to my mental tally is imperfect.  I cannot live without polluting.  I then realized that although I cannot do everything at once, I can start doing something now; and that counts for something.  If I continually improve, I will always be getting closer to my destination.  I cannot live in a symbiotic relationship with the earth, but I can be a good steward of it. 

So I start using reusable grocery bags.  I recycle.  I change my lightbulbs to compact florescents.  Each step I take becomes part of my routine.  As each change becomes habit, I find I'm ready to add something else without feeling overwhelmed.  It's just one addition.  I can do that.

I'm constantly seeing lists of things people can do to help their environment.  It seems there's a top 10 of ideas accompanying every advocacy for the environment.  I love this.  Many of the ideas are the same and I've already checked them off.  So I've started off into new territory.  Improving in ways that fit into my life and make the biggest impact for me.  

I feel like, at this point, I do a pretty good job of conserving energy.  I put my tv and computer on a plug strip and turn them off at night.  I've changed my bulbs to compact florescent (Which if you haven't done yet you're crazy.  Each bulb you change saves you $10/year in electricity costs).  I'm currently working on moving away from my dryer and hanging up my laundry more and more.

I've decided the next area in need of change is to move away from chemicals and petroleum.  

My first step was to use natural oils in my diaper wipe formula rather than baby oil which is petroleum.  Yep, turned out to be cheaper.  Next was changing my cleaners.  It turns out that vinegar and baking soda are wonderful cleaners as well as cheaper by at least one order of magnitude.  I mix vinegar with water in a one to one ratio and put it in a spray bottle.  I clean the floors, table and counters with it.  If something needs some extra scouring power, use baking soda.  As I watch my baby crawl around on the floor, and see my daughter eat off the table, I'm relieved that I know exactly what is between them and the surfaces they interact with.  It's healthy and clean.  As I changed my cleaner, it made sense to change my detergents (see last post).   

The next change I've been wanting to make is to move away from antibacterial soaps.  Antibacterial soaps introduce huge quantities of antibacterial agents into the water system and environment.  Some people worry that this will lead to more and more resistant bacteria and 'super bugs'.  Regardless, antibacterial soaps, with few exceptions, are completely unnecessary.  Antibacterial soap works no better than regular soap against bacteria.  In addition, some studies have shown that regular soap actually works better than antibacterial soap against viruses.  I think that soap dispensers are easier to use than bar soap, and my little girl needs the liquid soap to be able to wash her hands by herself, and my husband prefers the foaming stuff.  I discovered that you can use normal liquid soap refill in the foaming soap dispenser if you mix 2/3 soap 1/3 water.  There are many ironic pricings at the grocery store.  The foaming soap which is diluted regular soap is more expensive than the regular stuff and antibacterial liquid soap is ridiculously cheaper than liquid soap without the antibacterial addition.  I've felt like until I was ready to take the huge step of making my own soap from scratch, I'm stuck with the antibacterial stuff.  I recently found another small step.  Making liquid soap from regular bar soap.  Homemade soap would be ideal without the perfumes, colors, and other chemicals, and I feel like eventually I'll get there.  In the meantime, I no longer have to use antibacterials and that's something.  Here's the link:

http://tipnut.com/homemade-liquid-soap/

Save Money While Saving the World

My first blog entry is inspired by Earth Day.

The environment was not something I thought about until I had J and started using cloth diapers because I couldn’t afford the disposable ones.  Twice a week I would see all of the diaper supplies I’d used hanging up to dry and be amazed that everyone else I knew was throwing that much away.  I wondered how we could still have landfill room left.  Then, because I was thinking about it, and I still had very little money, I started seeing the connection between thrift, health and the environment.  The cloth diapers were cheaper, better for the environment, and surprisingly much better for J’s bum.  No more diaper rash.  This connection existed for almost everything I did to save money.  Cooking from scratch was so much cheaper, so much better for us (usually tasted better too), and got rid of the waste of extra processing, packaging etc.  The clothes and toys I bought at yard sales were so cheap, and by buying used, I kept those items out of the landfill and eliminated the resources needed to make new one for me.

Here’s a great short movie - only 20 minutes - that should be part of your earth day this year.  

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Although a little longer, you should also watch this Frontine show on our drinking water.  

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/view/

There are over 100,000 chemicals that manufacturers use in our products.  Everything from Draino to hairspray to ends up down the drain.  Not only that but our pharmaceuticals.  The antidepressants and antibiotics we use, go through our bodies and then into our water supply.  Here’s the kicker: They aren’t filtered out in our water treatment plants.  Of the 100,000 chemicals that make their way into our water system, we’re only able to test our water for about 83 of them and of those 83 we can test, 2/3 are still in the water after going through the water treatment plants.  Also, of those 100,000 chemicals, only a few dozen are regulated and have been tested to know their affects on us and the environment.  

The only way to get this stuff out of the water, is to not put it in.  The way to do that is through activism and regulation.  Europe has already done this, so should we.  I’ve decided to start with myself and reduce and eliminate the chemicals I use everyday.  It turns out that this has a great affect on my budget too!  An easy way to start is with your detergents.  California has banned phosphates in their detergents because they are so harmful, but if you live in another state, your probably using phosphate detergents.  Here’s how to make your own.  All of these ingredients can be found on the detergent aisle:

Dishwasher Detergent:

Mix equal parts Borax and Baking Soda or Washing Soda.

Add 2 Tablespoons for each load.  If you use a rinsing aid or have hard water, replace it with Vinegar.

Laundry Detergent:

1 Cup grated Fels Naptha Soap, Zote, or Ivory

1/2 Cup Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Borax

I used my food processor to grate the soap and mix and chop everything up nicely.

Use 1 Tablespoon for a light or little load and 2 Tablespoons for a big or heavy load.

Happy Earth Day!