Weekly Eco-tips

Marissa Knodel

Categories: Eco-tips

Aug 9, 2009 09:08 pm

So I apologize for being very behind on uploading these weekly eco-tips, but here are seven for you to consider:

Eco-tip of the Week: June 16-June22

Our first week on the road has taken us from Hanover, New Hampshire to Durham, North Carolina.

Eco-tip: Visiting the Cradle to Cradle certified company IceStone in New York made me think about ways to go beyond recycling. The first two that came to mind are using a reusable cloth bag for shopping instead of paper or plastic and using a reusable water bottle such as a Nalgene instead of a disposable plastic bottle. The world uses more than 500 billion plastic bags annually and 97% of them are not recycled. By banning ultra-thin plastic bags from its stores, China saved 1.6 million tons of petroleum and reduced plastic bag consumption by 66%. Try to use reusable cloth bags for all of your shopping needs so that next time the cashier asks you: “Paper or plastic?” you can say “Neither.”

Eco-tip of the Week: June 23-June 30

Our second week on the road has taken us from Charleston, South Carolina to Huntsville, Alabama.

Eco-tip: As a tenant in an apartment building or condominium, there are a lot of structural retrofits you are unable to change. However, there are still many energy saving and eco-friendly adjustments you can make in your living space. Here are a few to try:

· To minimize heat loss, make sure all doors and windows have minimal air leaks around their seals.

· Conserve water by turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, minimize your use of the dishwasher and sink disposal, do full loads of laundry and dishes, and buy a low-flow shower head (if allowed).

· Conserve electricity by using energy efficient appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs.

Eco-tip of the Week: July 1-July 6

Our third week on the road has taken us from Memphis, Tennessee to Houston, Texas.

Eco-tip: Unfortunately, the oppressive heat of the south bothered more than just the humans on the Bus, it killed the worms in our worm compost bin as well. For people who want to compost but do not necessarily have a yard to do so, or for people who want a unique way of disposing of food scraps, it is very easy to start your own worm bin. Here is a very useful and informative site: http://www.diylife.com/2008/05/07/start-your-own-worm-composting-bin/.

Eco-tip of the Week: July 7-July 13

Our fourth week on the road has taken us from Austin, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona.

Eco-tip: In Phoenix, Arizona, the desert heat makes a green, grassy lawn a very water-intensive and high-maintenance endeavor. Instead, many homeowners practice xeriscaping and xerogardening: the use of sand, rocks, drought-resistant plants, and other techniques that reduce the need for supplemental irrigation. Even if you do not live in a hot, dry climate where water is scarce, consider landscaping that uses less water, fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides.

Eco-tip of the Week: July 14-July 20

Our fifth week on the road has taken us from San Diego, California to San Francisco, California.

Eco-tip: One of the main highlights of summer farmers’ markets for me are heirloom tomatoes. At our stop in Claremont, California, two very generous women donated a basket of fresh produce from their organic garden. Sitting in its green-and-red striped glory in the middle of the basket was a gigantic heirloom tomato. Last summer I made it my mission to try as many varieties as I could. My favorite is Brandywine, which is large, purplish, and sweet. For a refreshing summer treat, try my recipe for Tomato Granita:

Ingredients:

· 1 pound of large heirloom tomatoes (I prefer Brandywine for this recipe).

· ½ cup cream Sherry

· 1 teaspoon sugar

· 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

Directions: Blend together tomatoes, Sherry, sugar, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Strain this mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding the solids. Pour the strained tomato mixture into a glass baking dish and freeze until partially frozen, approximately one hour. Scrape and stir with a fork. Continue to freeze and scrape until evenly frozen, approximately two hours more. Serve on its own, with an herb salad, or as a palate cleanser between the main course and dessert.

Eco-tip of the Week: July 21-July 27

Our sixth week on the road has taken us from Yosemite National Park in California to Telluride, Colorado.

Eco-tip: While hiking in Yosemite and Arches National Park, I was disappointed to see how many tourists were carrying plastic, disposable water bottles instead of Nalgenes, Siggs, or other reusable water bottles. In 2007, 8.8 billion gallons of bottled water were sold worldwide at a cost of $11.7 billion. The amount of oil it takes to produce all of those bottles is 1.5 million barrels of oil each year. That much oil could power 250,000 homes or 100,000 cars. Even though plastic bottles are recyclable, the amount going to landfills leapt from 1,175 million to 3,900 million pounds in the past decade. Besides the environmental impact, if you compare the $10-$12 it takes to buy a good, reusable water bottle one time and the $1 or so for each disposable bottle, it makes sense to invest in that reusable one. (Source: Gashler, Krisy. “Thirst for Bottled Water Unleashes Flood of Environmental Concerns.” USA Today. June 7, 2008).

Eco-tip of the Week: July 28-August 3

Our seventh week on the road has taken us from Telluride, Colorado to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Eco-tip: In Maple Grove, Minnesota, we toured Great River Energy, a generation and transmission coop that provides electric service to 28 distribution co-ops and over 645,000 members. Great River Energy coordinates grant and rebate programs for household, commercial, industrial, and agricultural operations that conserve energy or use renewable energy resources. For more information about these incentives, contact your electric cooperative.