Happy Green Beings

In an effort to protect us from harmful substances in toys, the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act was passed this year by congress.  The law goes into effect in two months, and will introduce sweeping changes for small mom and pop type toy operations.  These are just the kinds of places I do try to buy from, because I’m fairly well assured of a quality product.  You can read more about the act and what you can do to help here.

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I was looking for a book for my 6 year old son on how cars are built in the on-line catalog of our local library, and came across a book called “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car: Save money, breath easier, and get more mileage out of life” by Chris Balish. I wanted to encourage his interest in designing cars in case he has the engineer genes of both grandfathers. I visit web sites like Car Free Cities and participate in some bicycle commuter discussion groups, so I was familiar with some of the ideas that I might hear from this author. But the idea of an entire book dedicated to how I might benefit from living car free, particularly the economics of the choice seemed interesting, so I wrote down the call letters, and headed for the non-fiction aisles.

What I found was my second brand new untouched book on a green topic in as many visits to the Appleton Public Library. Since this book was placed in circulation nearly a year ago, it makes me a little doubtful about how well Americans are responding to international concerns about global warming. Our economic woes may have a bigger impact on worldwide consumerism than suggestions on how to individually reduce our carbon footprint. But then again, we wear huge blinders when it comes to our assumptions about using automobiles. This author may have found the way to get people’s attention with his argument that much of what keeps Americans from feeling wealthy is their habit of using automobiles. The actual cost of owning a car is about double the car payment. That turns out to be a lot of money considering that the alternative is to pay for something that looses value at 10% to 15% each year.

Now, I’ve long thought that when the price of non-renewable resources becomes high enough, maintstream people will begin using alternatives. But Mr. Balish points out that people have alternatives in the form of public transportation systems if they want to use them. He points out that there is always the rental car if you really need one for a trip not serviced by the transit systems. He goes on to promote the transit systems’ effectiveness by sharing paragraph long testimonials on page after page by people who have sold their cars, and live without them. They rave about the experience of not having to worry about a car, sit in traffic, worry about maintenance, and the many things that they have money for because they don’t own a car. The funny thing is that without exception, they look at the rest of us car dependent Americans as the people who are losing out. I’m talking with my family this holiday about getting rid of a car, and depending upon the Valley Transit System and my bicycle to see how much of a difference it makes for us. Even loosing one set of car related expenses may make a difference for us.

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Do-it-yourself may be lots of fun, but it can also be expensive. Paying full retail for lumber can cost close to the same price you may pay for discounted build-your-own-furniture kits. On top of that, you have to acknowledge the impact of the forest industry on our environment when it comes to production of full dimension lumber. And at retail prices, it seems expensive too. But with some luck, you may come across recycled supplies that will allow you to build something from scratch that, like a stone sculpture, is just waiting for a need to expose what potentially lies within.

The past two weekends, I’ve been on a mission that is nearly complete. Looking at the remaining cedar bleachers recovered from a school dumpster a few summers past, I had been wondering what lay in store. My trailer and I were over there the moment I saw one dumpster load hauled away. I had already floored a knee wall space of a walk-in closet, decked the crumbling concrete stoop and a concrete patio, and built a matching workbench and potting bench all from the recovered wood. But the remainder had yet to reveal it’s purpose to me, and was waiting in the garage rafters. The pile of boots that reappeared in our entryway as winter dawned became my inspiration. How about a storage bench to collect those annoying boots? Strategic placement just outside the garage entry might also help to keep our socks dry as we travel from one level to another of our split ranch.

A quick search of the web for diy woodworking plans revealed a simple and sturdy boot bench with complete plans for just $5.00. All I needed was some structural lumber to use with the cedar, a hammer, nail setter, circular power hand saw and a saber saw. Shopping carefully, I picked out four recycled 7′ long 2″x4″s at the Restore along with a pair of hinges and a piece of 1/2″ plywood that had once been part of a kitchen cabinet. (I also picked up a pair of unfinished cafe cabinet doors that I’ll use to hide our electrical box when I finish the laundry room next week.) The only thing that didn’t come from recycled materials were the finish nails. I could have used the assorted nails available from the Restore, but in my cold garage the pneumatic finish nailer sure sped up the process. It also makes my lack of skill less apparent. All together, this piece of furniture cost less than $15.00 to build, including the plans. Now that’s a price that only a rummage sale deal or an outright gift could beat.

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Just in time for frazzled mommies at the holiday time, a great give-away on the Simple Mom blog.  Good luck!

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I’ve always felt like my commitment to environmentally friendly ways came from a mixture of my science background, my finances, and my faith.  Many ideas about the Christian faith hold that the Church has historically done nothing toward healing the earth.  While there have been times of rampant environmental destruction in which Christians have participated, at least we can say that our faith has always encompassed care and concern for the earth.  Here are excerpts from a current statement of many of the present-day leaders of the church:

. . .the contemporary witness of Orthodoxy for the ever-increasing problems of humanity and of the world becomes imperative, not only in order to point out their causes, but also in order to directly confront the tragic consequences that follow. The various nationalistic, ethnic, ideological and religious contrasts continuously nurture dangerous confusion, not only in regard to the unquestionable ontological unity of the human race, but also in regard to man’s relationship to sacred creation. The sacredness of the human person is constrained to partial claims for the “individual”, whereas his relationship toward the rest of sacred creation is subjected to his arbitrary use or abuse of it.
These divisions of the world introduce an unjust inequality in the participation of individuals, or even peoples in the goods of Creation; they deprive billions of people of basic goods and lead to the misery for the human person; they cause mass population migration, kindle nationalistic, religious and social discrimination and conflict, threatening traditional internal societal coherence. These consequences are still more abhorrent because they are inextricably linked with the destruction of the natural environment and the entire ecosystem.

Orthodox Christians share responsibility for the contemporary crisis of this planet with other people, whether they are people of faith or not, because they have tolerated and indiscriminately compromised on extreme human choices, without credibly challenging these choices with the word of faith. Therefore, they also have a major obligation to contribute to overcoming the divisions of the world.

The gap between rich and poor is growing dramatically due to the financial crisis, usually the result of manic profiteering by economic factors and corrupt financial activity, which, by lacking an anthropological dimension and sensitivity, does not ultimately serve the real needs of mankind. A viable economy is that which combines efficacy with justice and social solidarity.

The Orthodox Church believes that technological and economic progress should not lead to the destruction of the environment and the exhaustion of natural resources. Greed to satisfy material desires leads to the impoverishment of the human soul and the environment. We must not forget that the natural riches of the earth are not only man’s property, but primarily God’s creation: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein” (Ps.23:1). We ought to remember that not only today’s generation, but also future generations are entitled to have a right to the resources of nature, which the Creator has granted us.

“Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, glory be to him in the Church and in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:20-21). Amen.

In the Phanar, 12th October 2008.

+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
+ Theodore of Alexandria
+ Ignatius of Antioch
+ Theophilos of Jerusalem
+ Alexey of Moscow
+ Amphilochios of Montenegro
(representing the Church of Serbia)
+ Laurentiu of Transylvania
(representing the Church of Romania)
+ Dometiyan of Vidin
(representing the Church of Bulgaria)
+ Gerasime of Zugdidi
(representing the Church of Georgia)
+ Chrysostomos of Cyprus
+ Ieronymos of Athens
+ Jeremiasz of Wrocіaw
(representing of the Church of Poland)
+ Anastasios of Tirana
+ Christopher of the Czech Lands and Slovakia

Amen.

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Visit Simple Mom this weekend for some sage advice, and a lovely eco-friendly giveaway.  The give away includes soy candles (non-polluting, not made from petroleum), some reusable produce bags, and a subscription for Pear Budget.  Pretty sweet!

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After sixteen years of sleeping on the same mattress set, we’ve splurged. W’s economic incentive rebate and most of our solar system rebate has been dutifully spread around. Beginning with a mattress that we hope will prove to be an

heirloom, we completed our new sleep platform. A 5″ thick hand made compressed wool mattress by Shepherd’s Dream has been dropped onto a set of latex foam strips, each glued to the slats of a wooden bed base. We are also enjoying the wool topper we bought to go with. They are shown together to the right. After 16 years of pillow top, we wanted more than a reed mat. We decided to opt for a queen sized IKEA Sultan Lovene which comes in two slat bases resting side by side. A single one is shown below to the left. Each base has it’s own independent adjustable section of slats located under the area where most of each person’s weight will be distributed.

This was no quick decision. We researched. We dialogued. We inquired. We sampled. We planned. And once we were granted the federal funds, we ordered. Shepherd’s Dream uses wool collected from sheep who are treated a certain way, by people who don’t believe in the use of hormones, etc., etc. The folks that make the mattresses charge enough to pay themselves a living wage (and they live in California). The sample was just large enough to lie down shoulders to hips, but it was the clincher. You’ll have to visit someone like us if you want to try it in full size, or go stay at a bed and breakfast in Canada. You won’t find their line in any show rooms because they don’t want to deal with retailers who may pressure them to do business in ways that they aren’t willing to compromise. Direct sales only. Smart in a know your limits sort of way, isn’t it? True to the testimonies, it really feels like a fine product.

IKEA’s bed base was a bit of a gamble on our part. We spent as much on keeping our bed frame and finding a way to support the mattress with it as we would have for a bed frame from Shepherd’s Dream. I like what we’ve found to go with our bed frame. But if we had it to do over again we would have ordered the Shepherd’s Dream box insert shown above to the right. The Sultan Lovene allows us the additional option to tip-up the head of the bed while reading, but we really haven’t used it yet. It also provides an area of adjustable firmness for each person, as well as independent support for each person, but the latex foam provided independent support anyway. It will allow the mattress to breath similar to the Shepherd’s Dream slat base. We tried the mattress set directly on the IKEA bed base and we could feel the slats. We were glad that we had ordered the latex foam strips which have been glued down over each slat. The latex strips are shown below to the left. Ours are not visible when the bed is made, but a few can be seen when it is not. The main challenge was that our bed frame has no midbeam, so wooden slats alone wouldn’t work. Initially, I thought I would want to install one of my own. But the prospect of watching our head board and foot board gradually come unglued during our slumber drove my search for another option. Our bed frame is designed for a box spring. The set of Bedbridge Trusses that I ordered provide support for the wooden slat bed bases by spanning from one side rail to the other, and come with adjustable posts supporting them at their midpoints. This is a major compromise on going with all wood support, and was not a green nor an inexpensive choice. Because I’m no engineer, I ordered another set offered by the same company that comes with a single truss, and a pair of Bedbridge Beams. That gives us four trusses with center posts and a pair of beams that have no posts. I’ve spaced them evenly, using the beams at the head and foot of the bed bases, and the trusses under the weight bearing portions of the bed bases. A new bed frame or the bed box that Shepherd’s Dream offers would have been greener options, but I was convinced I had a better idea. These are the sturdiest products I could find to go with the IKEA product, and I’m confident that they will support the bed bases for as long as they last.

About IKEA’s Customer Support. While ordering, the lack of a confirmation page led me to believe that my first attempt to order hadn’t gone through.  I ordered a second time, and the confirmation page showed that second order, but not the first. That’s right, I ordered two sets of bed bases. When they arrived, I was confused, and immediately navigated to their customer support page. Although I did have to wait a couple of days for a response, they credited our account, and I have been told to dispose of the extra set of bed bases. What could beat that?

So what is it like to sleep on after a month? I like it. With the latex foam and the topper, it feels like a firm mattress with a pillow top. I haven’t played with the slat bed’s firmness, but it is adjustable as long as you don’t completely glue down the latex foam across the entire surface of a certain section of slats. The directions are to leave the covers down during the day which suits me fine. There is enough give in this foundation, yet we don’t seem to feel the other person moving when they turn. I’ve also spent nights spread out across the center while Anja was away traveling, and there isn’t any problem sleeping over the seam between the twin IKEA slat bases. I really like the idea of not needing to throw a mattress into the landfill.

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This is a cool website for kids that has some fun activities and games. It’s all about the environment and it’s pretty creative! Check it out- http://www.meetthegreens.org/

Enjoy!

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Check out this link to some inspiring college students making a difference where they can.

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Grocery shopping is interesting at our house.  Rarely these days do we go to a regular grocery store.  I’ve managed to piece together several different sources where we can get quality food at prices that are often lower than the grocery store.

 We purchase milk and eggs directly from a farmer about 1 1/2 hours from our house.  The farmer delivers our order and several other families orders to our house once per month.  The milk is not certified organic, but they do use organic practices.  The eggs are from ranging chickens, who get to peck at the ground eating bugs, so their eggs are large, deep yellow and really nutritious.  The farm has a little store where they carry food that is healthful for those following the Weston A. Price Foundation guidelines for diet.  There’s raw milk cheeses, lacto-fermented foods, sea salt, natural sweetners, and sprouted grain breads to choose from.

Another source of year-round food for us is our natural foods co-op.  We buy from Natural Farms, a natural foods distributor out of Madison.  This order is also monthly, and we buy many things in bulk, saving on packaging and pricing.

We have hooked in with other folks who occasionally make runs for natural meats–Amish raised chickens, turkeys (in fall), chicken brats–and sometimes eggs, too.  I also buy coconut oil from another co-operative group about 2-3 times per year.

 In season, the Farmers’ Market is about the most fun way to grocery shop ever.  It’s like a festival every Saturday.  There are some good ones in the area.  Appleton has a lovely market, and the market in Madison is worth the drive.  I’d love to see comments from folks with their favorite markets.

Of course, since I work there, The Red Radish is a place where we get food, too.

 We finally own a piece of property that gets enough sun to attempt having a garden, so we will hopefully see a bountiful harvest of tomatoes and peppers there this season.

Some of our favorite local farms are:

• Cattleana Ranch:  grass raised beef, pork and lamb.  CSA for meats and produce
• Prospera Farm: growing “moreganic” produce, available at the Appleton market
• Park Ridge Farm: certified organic, available at the Appleton market
• Keune Authentic: growing produce biodynamically, CSA available.  also distributes other farmers’ produce
• Makes Scents: growing sunflower greens, pea shoots, and distributing other healthful products

So, lots of people ask why I do all this.  I love the community around food.  I love the connection with other people who wish to purchase quality foods for their families, and who are concerned for the impact our food raising has on the earth.  I’ve learned a lot from many of these folks, gotten to know them over the years, and it’s a joy to greet them and purchase my food from them.  I don’t have that kind of connection to our food if I go to a big box grocery store.  While I’m not a purist (I do buy avocadoes, citrus fruits, bananas, etc), I like that much of our food is local. 

I welcome comments from folks who have their own great sources of food, so that we can share.

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