Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's new environment minister, wants his coal-dependent country's youth to see the fight against climate change as "sexy" and "fun". Maybe he thinks it can be something like this:
I didn't attend the fun and sexy Climate Change protest in London yesterday, but I was heartened to see the number of young people who marched. My excuse for non-participation is that I am still ill and I tire easily, I am practically deaf in my left ear, I was drinking a beer with three of my neighbours (important) and I decided to write a blog post instead. I am an avid recycler and I really do try to minimize my carbon footprint. I bike or walk when I can, and I am interested in purchasing an electric vehicle. If I could convince my neighbours to co-operatively purchase such a vehicle, I would be really happy! Especially if it could be parked in my driveway.
The climate change / destroying the Earth issue can be overwhelming for people. Bureaucrats move slowly, the people in charge don't care enough to actually do anything and we are all busy. I do think that everyone can make small changes to try to improve our dire situation. Here is a list of some of the things that I have done or currently do to minimize my carbon footprint. And before you get annoyed with me, let me tell you that I am no saint: I have two vehicles, I live in a big house, I drive frequently and I have a pool. No air con though. I do what I can to feel better about the way I live. Here's my list of easy things that you can do to feel better about the way you live:
COMPOST. I have three composters and a green cone. They were all purchased at the City of London's Recycling Depot. I use the compost that I produce in my gardens, and I yell at my kids and husband when they chuck things in the garbage instead of the compost. I did not have a garden this summer because I went briefly insane (another story), but I did enjoy the fruits of my neighbour's labour (Hi Dave!).
The Green Cone is a recycler's dream. EVERYTHING can go into it. It is really disgusting and I love it.
I also have (scratch that - HAD) a dog shiz composter. I don't need one any longer because all the dog waste can go in the green cone. It was really easy to make: cut the bottom half or third off a plastic garbage can, dig a hole as deep as your can, put the bin in the hole and fill around it until the top of the bin is level with the ground. Add some septic starter. Kapow! You're in business. Take that, dog crap!
I have composted my food waste since my early twenties. I did not grow up in a household that composted but once I became aware of this easy, waste-minimizing activity, I was on board. Here's what my compost looks like at the time of this writing:
Let's see what delicacies are hiding in the can: orange peel, pomelo skin, espresso grounds and some dried leaves (found on the kitchen floor because our back door is always open so that the dogs can come and go, and because of this there's often garden waste in the house. And yesterday Gwen caught a squirrel in the dining room! Another story for another day). There are also yam skins in the bottom. Please don't bitch at me for not eating local - my daughter begged for the pomelo and I caved. See, I'm only human. Oh and there's a nectarine pit in there now too because I had to take a sustenance break.
I am amazed at the number of friends of mine who do not compost. Why the fuck not? They say that the composters will attract animals (they're right, they do, but who cares?); they complain about foul odours (not an issue if you empty it frequently) or they are just lazy (no excuse). Here is a list of some of the surprising things that you can put in your composter besides the usual kitchen scraps: dryer fluff (start hanging your clothes to dry, people, and then you won't have that lint problem), tea bags and coffee grounds, old bread and pasta, hair (because everyone cuts their own hair, right?), newsprint, printer paper, cardboard, and vegetarian animal waste (because who doesn't love them a guinea pig?). Things that should not go into your compost: dog poo (green cone), human poo (lol), meat and oil (green cone) and noxious weeds.
Get thee a composter, peeps!
We briefly had a worm bin in our basement but that was my husband's domain (man cave). I am not sure what went on down there, but I know we are no longer vermiculturists.
PERIOD
People hate it when I talk about my period. You know who you are and you know what, I don't care. I bleed, if you're a woman of childbearing age you bleed, and if you're a man, your Mom and sisters and girlfriends and wives bleed. If you're one of those new people who are neither man nor woman, you might bleed too. To the bleeders, I say, get out your trusty sewing machine and make some pads. If you're not handy, ask a friend (not me) to make them for you. Or buy them. I bought my daughter some made in Canada period underwear and she loves them. You should also invest in this:
It's a Diva Cup / keeper / menstrual cup. Made in Canada, it is a total life-changer! You can wear it all day long, you don't feel it and IT ROCKS! And ladies, you know how when you have your stupid period and you want to swim because you're one of those women who say "eff you period, you're not cramping my style", and you put in a tampon and you swim, and then when you get out of the water you know that you have a limited amount of time before the blood will leech down your tampon string and cause an embarrassing accident? Well that doesn't happen with the Diva Cup! Another no-brainer.
BODY WASTE
A shit-hot topic for all. I used MOTHER-EASE (made in Canada) diapers for my kids. I saved tons of money, and I resold them for approximately 70% of what we I paid after they had been used by BOTH kids.
THE ISSUE WITH TISSUE
Did you know that toilet paper could be doing more damage to the environment than driving a large, gas-guzzling SUV? I bet you didn't know that. Read this article: toilet paper is crappy. I keep meaning to force my family to use old facecloths that I have cut up to wipe, but I haven't gotten around to it. I am going to start though. They are going to be mad / disgusted, but they'll get over it. If they want to feel the cotton-y softness of Cottonelle they can use their own money to buy their own tissue.
As for the issue of "number 2", I don't want to deal with people's poo cloths - even my own family's! - so this is what I have come up with:
1) Use newsprint / sheets of paper from a catalogue - hahahahahahhh! Damn. Where's the Christmas Wish Book when I need it?
2) Everyone in the family is responsible for washing their own shit tickets. Right. That will never happen in this lifetime.
3) Bidet purchase- hmmmn. I will investigate. Okay, I just did some investigation and this is what I found:
A bidet attachment that is under $50 and one that people actually like and use (read the reviews): Brondell bidet. I am going to buy it and will report back.
I really do want to reduce our toilet tissue usage. I am going to implement the washcloth strategy discussed above, and that combined with my new Brondell should save me some money and the earth some trees. If you are my friend and you visit me and need to use my loo, don't fret, I promise that I will have some "guest tissue" just for you!
PLAQUE
I DESPISE TOOTHBRUSHES as much as I hate SINGLE USE PLASTIC CUTLERY (get yourself a little pouch and shove a knife, fork and/or spork in it. If you are one of those people who insist on using straws, then get a metal one of those too).
Sure, I like to brush my teeth once in a while and I love that minty-fresh feeling in my mouth but what the hell is up with the idiots who produce those rock-hard plastic tooth scrubbers? That plastic will never break down. How could it? It makes my head hurt when I think of it. My darling daughter bought me some bamboo toothbrushes for Christmas last year and I love them. They are recyclable, although the instructions on the side of the box that they came in were a bit much. You have to pull out the bristles with a pair of pliers, discard them, and only then you can recycle the brush. Better than plastic though.
STORAGE
We don't buy saran wrap any longer and you know what, we don't miss it. I did catch myself reaching for it in the beginning, but I got used to not using it. What we do: stick your leftovers in a bowl and put a plate on top. Bam! You can also use pyrex with glass lids like they did in the "olden days". I get a lot of these at the Goodwill, and they are usually priced at $2 - $4.
Okay, this blog post is getting lengthy and you are probably tired of reading it. The rest of my good things are going to go in a list with little or no elaboration. If you have questions, ask away.
I didn't attend the fun and sexy Climate Change protest in London yesterday, but I was heartened to see the number of young people who marched. My excuse for non-participation is that I am still ill and I tire easily, I am practically deaf in my left ear, I was drinking a beer with three of my neighbours (important) and I decided to write a blog post instead. I am an avid recycler and I really do try to minimize my carbon footprint. I bike or walk when I can, and I am interested in purchasing an electric vehicle. If I could convince my neighbours to co-operatively purchase such a vehicle, I would be really happy! Especially if it could be parked in my driveway.
The climate change / destroying the Earth issue can be overwhelming for people. Bureaucrats move slowly, the people in charge don't care enough to actually do anything and we are all busy. I do think that everyone can make small changes to try to improve our dire situation. Here is a list of some of the things that I have done or currently do to minimize my carbon footprint. And before you get annoyed with me, let me tell you that I am no saint: I have two vehicles, I live in a big house, I drive frequently and I have a pool. No air con though. I do what I can to feel better about the way I live. Here's my list of easy things that you can do to feel better about the way you live:
COMPOST. I have three composters and a green cone. They were all purchased at the City of London's Recycling Depot. I use the compost that I produce in my gardens, and I yell at my kids and husband when they chuck things in the garbage instead of the compost. I did not have a garden this summer because I went briefly insane (another story), but I did enjoy the fruits of my neighbour's labour (Hi Dave!).
The Green Cone is a recycler's dream. EVERYTHING can go into it. It is really disgusting and I love it.
I also have (scratch that - HAD) a dog shiz composter. I don't need one any longer because all the dog waste can go in the green cone. It was really easy to make: cut the bottom half or third off a plastic garbage can, dig a hole as deep as your can, put the bin in the hole and fill around it until the top of the bin is level with the ground. Add some septic starter. Kapow! You're in business. Take that, dog crap!
I have composted my food waste since my early twenties. I did not grow up in a household that composted but once I became aware of this easy, waste-minimizing activity, I was on board. Here's what my compost looks like at the time of this writing:
I am amazed at the number of friends of mine who do not compost. Why the fuck not? They say that the composters will attract animals (they're right, they do, but who cares?); they complain about foul odours (not an issue if you empty it frequently) or they are just lazy (no excuse). Here is a list of some of the surprising things that you can put in your composter besides the usual kitchen scraps: dryer fluff (start hanging your clothes to dry, people, and then you won't have that lint problem), tea bags and coffee grounds, old bread and pasta, hair (because everyone cuts their own hair, right?), newsprint, printer paper, cardboard, and vegetarian animal waste (because who doesn't love them a guinea pig?). Things that should not go into your compost: dog poo (green cone), human poo (lol), meat and oil (green cone) and noxious weeds.
Get thee a composter, peeps!
We briefly had a worm bin in our basement but that was my husband's domain (man cave). I am not sure what went on down there, but I know we are no longer vermiculturists.
Last but not least, the city of London plans to implement a green bin program in 2020. About time, I say: Green Bins in London. I am not sure why it has taken council so freaking long to make up their minds about this.
PERIOD
People hate it when I talk about my period. You know who you are and you know what, I don't care. I bleed, if you're a woman of childbearing age you bleed, and if you're a man, your Mom and sisters and girlfriends and wives bleed. If you're one of those new people who are neither man nor woman, you might bleed too. To the bleeders, I say, get out your trusty sewing machine and make some pads. If you're not handy, ask a friend (not me) to make them for you. Or buy them. I bought my daughter some made in Canada period underwear and she loves them. You should also invest in this:
It's a Diva Cup / keeper / menstrual cup. Made in Canada, it is a total life-changer! You can wear it all day long, you don't feel it and IT ROCKS! And ladies, you know how when you have your stupid period and you want to swim because you're one of those women who say "eff you period, you're not cramping my style", and you put in a tampon and you swim, and then when you get out of the water you know that you have a limited amount of time before the blood will leech down your tampon string and cause an embarrassing accident? Well that doesn't happen with the Diva Cup! Another no-brainer.
BODY WASTE
A shit-hot topic for all. I used MOTHER-EASE (made in Canada) diapers for my kids. I saved tons of money, and I resold them for approximately 70% of what we I paid after they had been used by BOTH kids.
THE ISSUE WITH TISSUE
Did you know that toilet paper could be doing more damage to the environment than driving a large, gas-guzzling SUV? I bet you didn't know that. Read this article: toilet paper is crappy. I keep meaning to force my family to use old facecloths that I have cut up to wipe, but I haven't gotten around to it. I am going to start though. They are going to be mad / disgusted, but they'll get over it. If they want to feel the cotton-y softness of Cottonelle they can use their own money to buy their own tissue.
As for the issue of "number 2", I don't want to deal with people's poo cloths - even my own family's! - so this is what I have come up with:
1) Use newsprint / sheets of paper from a catalogue - hahahahahahhh! Damn. Where's the Christmas Wish Book when I need it?
2) Everyone in the family is responsible for washing their own shit tickets. Right. That will never happen in this lifetime.
3) Bidet purchase- hmmmn. I will investigate. Okay, I just did some investigation and this is what I found:
A bidet attachment that is under $50 and one that people actually like and use (read the reviews): Brondell bidet. I am going to buy it and will report back.
I really do want to reduce our toilet tissue usage. I am going to implement the washcloth strategy discussed above, and that combined with my new Brondell should save me some money and the earth some trees. If you are my friend and you visit me and need to use my loo, don't fret, I promise that I will have some "guest tissue" just for you!
PLAQUE
I DESPISE TOOTHBRUSHES as much as I hate SINGLE USE PLASTIC CUTLERY (get yourself a little pouch and shove a knife, fork and/or spork in it. If you are one of those people who insist on using straws, then get a metal one of those too).
Sure, I like to brush my teeth once in a while and I love that minty-fresh feeling in my mouth but what the hell is up with the idiots who produce those rock-hard plastic tooth scrubbers? That plastic will never break down. How could it? It makes my head hurt when I think of it. My darling daughter bought me some bamboo toothbrushes for Christmas last year and I love them. They are recyclable, although the instructions on the side of the box that they came in were a bit much. You have to pull out the bristles with a pair of pliers, discard them, and only then you can recycle the brush. Better than plastic though.
STORAGE
We don't buy saran wrap any longer and you know what, we don't miss it. I did catch myself reaching for it in the beginning, but I got used to not using it. What we do: stick your leftovers in a bowl and put a plate on top. Bam! You can also use pyrex with glass lids like they did in the "olden days". I get a lot of these at the Goodwill, and they are usually priced at $2 - $4.
The modern version of this product has plastic lids instead of glass. I find that the lids break easily and so when I can I try to use the vintage products, like the one above:
I know what you're thinking. If you are bringing a casserole to someone's house, what are you to do? I tend to transport it au naturel. Nothing happens, I promise. It won't become contaminated, bugs won't eat it. It will be okay. If this is TOO MUCH for you, cover your food with a clean dishtowel. Or buy one of those 9 by 13 glass baking dishes that come with a lid.
- Shop consignment and thrift stores. The Goodwill is my favourite store.
- Try to fix things that are broken
- Don't buy bottled water.
- When grocery shopping, byob (bring your own bag or use cardboard boxes). Why are so few stores offering free cardboard boxes for customers to use? Jeez. Don't use those small plastic produce bags that the stores provide. Make some reusable ones.
- Ditch your air con. Plant some trees around your house. Shut the drapes during the day. Invest in ceiling fans.
- Refuse to buy things that are wrapped in plastic
Okay enough from me. I have more things to add here but I am tired of writing this. I have been at it for an hour and a half.
If you enjoyed this post, you might like this one that I wrote a couple of years ago:
To end, this is a poster that I made when I was a kid. Lord knows why I saved it, but it makes me laugh. Especially the stylish beer cap jewellery and car part cutlery.
I usually end on a musical note with a Youtube video. Let me just tell you all that Raffi has written a new song called Young People Marching with references to Greta Thunberg. I am not a fan of said tune so here's some Tom Petty instead:
