What happened Burt? You used to be cool

So I guess Burt's Bees is now a Clorox brand. I mean, sure, it hasn't been a small, privately held company since 1993 (they've been owned by a private investment group since then), but Burt's Bees still managed to have the vibe of a small company. Their products were, for the most part, organic, hypo-allergenic, not tested on animals, and used very little packaging.

While I'm sure their products won't change, I just have a hard time believing that Clorox will. You'll remember that Clorox tests their products on animals and encourages you to spray their products all over your home, family, and friends.

Their product is bleach. They spray animals with bleach just to see what happens. They then tell you to spray bleach all over your home, family, and friends.

Bleach. You know, chlorine?

The Burt's Bees products we currently have will be the last we purchase. I just can't support Clorox, no matter how bright they make my whites.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Via con Dios

On Saturday I took the next to last step in liberating myself from my truck by buying a bicycle from Craigslist.

It's not the prettiest, and it needs a little work before I can hop on, but I got it for $20, so I can't really complain. All it really needs is a new inner tube for the back tire, but a new seat cover wouldn't hurt, and the chain could use a little TLC.

But let's compare Señor Truck to my new Ciclo. Both are green with a little rust, both of them have a problem keeping me from driving/riding them, and I feel compelled to give both of them Spanish names.

Señor Truck
MPG: ~20
Pollution: 266 lbs CO2 per tank
Problem: Busted Head Gasket
Cost of Repairs: At least $2,000
Repair Myself?: No

Ciclo
MPG: Can only increase as I get in shape
Pollution: N/A
Problem: Needs new inner tube
Cost of Repairs: ~$10
Repair Myself?: Heck yes

Ciclo is the clear winner, but, man, I am going to miss that defroster in the Chicago winters...

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Came across something interesting

President Bush has asked Congress for another $68,000,000,000 to fund the War on Terror, right? Over at Solar Power Rocks they crunched the numbers and found out exactly how far that money could go if we instead spent it on clean, renewable energy sources, and the answer will shock you.

Next time one of the Presidential hopefuls stops by your area, why not print out the Solar Power Rocks article and demand action? We don't need expensive new technologies, it won't cripple the economy, and we can all breathe a little easier without all that coal dust and nuclear waste floating around.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Expanding on Batteries

A few posts back, I mentioned that I limit myself to only using rechargeable batteries, and today we're going to explore the hows and whys of rechargeable vs. "disposable".

The first thing you will notice about rechargeable batteries is that they are EXPENSIVE. My local Target sells a four-pack for just around $10, while "disposable" batteries can be had at prices ranging from $10 for a 24-pack to $12 for a 36-pack (quality varies, of course). Needless to say, I was hard pressed to justify spending $10 for four dinky little batteries, not to mention another $15 for a charger. You know what changed everything for me? Would you like to know what made me stand up and take notice?

My camera. I have a Fuji DSLR and it EATS batteries. Literally. There are tiny teeth and a tongue and everything. It's gross.

What it doesn't like to eat, however, are rechargeable batteries. It savors them, like you would a piece of hard candy. You pop them in, the camera does its thing, then you recharge the batteries for the next time. I went from buying those 24-packs of "disposables" to having two sets of rechargeables, and I'm not only saving money, I'm preventing acids and heavy metals from leaking into landfills and our water supply.

So do your part for your planet and your pocketbook. Pick up a pack or two of rechargeable batteries, take all of your "disposable" batteries to the nearest recycling center and make the smart choice.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

It's Eco Blogging Day

October 15th is the day everyone agreed on to help flood the blogosphere with eco friendly blog posts, sharing their best tips, helpful suggestions, and hopes for the future.

If you will permit me, I would like to share my best advice about preserving the environment.

Stop using so much stuff.

Stop buying things that cannot be either recycled or composted, and rewarding the manufacturers with your dollars.

Stop watching television and end the constant bombardment of consumption.

Take the time to think about where your goods came from and what will happen to them when you are done.

Slow down.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Carrying the sun on your back

We here at Easy Being Green are big fans of solar energy. Sure, we may sell the occasional solar gadget, but do we really walk the walk or do we just talk?

I would love to say that we do both, but I'd be lying.

You see, I could have been a cool environmentalist and made my own solar bag/backpack/messenger bag out of a bag I already have, but I went the trendy consumerist way and ordered one from Voltaic Systems. Now hold on, let me explain before you grab the pitchforks and torches.

As a sort of unofficial spokesman for the whole green movement (as we all should be), I saw it as my responsibility to get people talking about alternative energy (as we all should), so when I first heard about solar bags, I knew I had to have one.

Let me also say that this is not a commercial for Voltaic Systems. I am not an employee; I see no money from this whatsoever.

Now that all of that is out of the way, I have to tell you how incredible and liberating it is to have a bag that not only carries my stuff (books, cell phone, mp3 player, more books, camera, etc), but provides me with free electricity? I can charge ANY device that connects with a USB cable. Rechargeable batteries? Ordered a USB battery charger online. My phone's battery getting low? Pop one of the AA batteries into the charger.

Not only is it incredibly functional (and cost effective), it is a great conversation piece. Wherever I go, people ask me if those really are solar panels on my backpack and what they are for. I even had a guy yell out his car window at 10pm to ask what they were for. Seriously. He was stopped at an intersection I was waiting to cross and started yelling about how cool my bag was.

So whether you buy one or make your own, pull the plug on your appliances and put the sun's abundant energy in a bag.

There's nothing quite so cathartic as lifting your cell phone above your head and, while cackling wickedly, shout "This phone...is powered...BY THE SUN!"

Ok, maybe that's a bit of a stretch.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Easy Listening

Here in Chicago, we are fortunate to have an excellent public radio station. There is a wide variety of programs with local, national, and international focus, and one of my perennials favorites is Worldview. Yesterday's programs focused on Permaculture, which is something that every budding environmentalist should become familiar with. More than yet another ecological buzzword, permaculture is learning to seamlessly blend human existence within nature, not paving over it and killing everything we don't deem beneficial.

Do a quick Google search for Permaculture and read through the material. Study after study has proven the link between psychological/physical health and how much time you spend in natural environments, and this is a way to bring the natural world home instead of having to confine it into a forest preserve or public park.

Here is the link to the entire program. Listen, learn, and take action!
Download Worldview 10/09/07

It doesn't get any Easier than this!

Living in Chicago, we have an obvious problem with air pollution. As if urban smog wasn't bad enough, we live directly under an approach lane for O'Hare airport, and when I say directly under, I mean DIRECTLY under. Our apartment building shakes every time a plane passes overhead, and our home fills up with "airport dust", which I have been assured is not only irritating, it's also midly toxic.

What's a well meaning environmentalist to do? I've tried dusting, I've tried vacuuming, and I've even considered one of those fancy and expensive air filters. Thankfully, after a little research, I've found that I've had the solution living with me for years, and its name is Plant.

Plant is a Heart Leaf Philodendron, a perennial houseplant that I'm sure you've come across by now. It's hardy, has slightly waxy leaves, and grows long vines. A particular bonus of the Philodendron is its ability to filter formaldehyde out of the air, which, as we all know, is not something you want to be breathing!

And you want to talk about hardy! I've had a television fall on Plant and he's bigger than ever. I'll repeat it for emphasis.

A television fell on my plant and it continued growing. Like nothing happened.

So the next time you're shopping for houseplants, why not pick up a Philodendron? The only thing you can't do is eat it.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Learning my lesson

I don't know if you've ever looked, but Etsy has an incredible array of hand-made soaps in just about any scent you can imagine. As part of my attempts to green our home, I decided "how hard can it be" and gave it my best try.

Stopping at the local Hobby Lobby, I picked up a bag of pure glycerin soap that was ready to be melted down, scented, and poured into molds. Simple enough, right?

So I get home with my new goodies, start melting soap bricks with wild abandon, and realize I don't have anything to scent them with. Remember, this was early in my green efforts, so we didn't have the variety of fragrant plants yet. Looking around the Easy Being Green Research Lab (our kitchen), I found some flavored green tea. Yeah, that's the ticket! Tea has all sorts of antioxidants and stuff and it smells good! This is gonna be great!

Now that I have this pot full of molten glycerin soap and tea leaves, it dawns on me that I also did not pick up any cute molds that I could pour my new soap into. So there I was again, running around trying to find something, anything that I could pour this soap into! Finally, I came across an empty ice cube tray. It was about the right size and shape for soap. No sharp edges, nice and thick, this should work just fine.

My first batch was poured, cooled, and tested. My beautiful assistant (guinea pig) April tested them for effectiveness, attractiveness, and fragrance. All my samples came back with low marks. It was decent enough soap, but it was weird washing her hands with an ice cube, and it didn't have any particular scent. I made three other batches with varying ingredients (different teas, oils, added glycerin, etc) and they all came back negative.

Despite my rather glaring...oversights I must admit that I did enjoy making soap. But next time, I think I may leave it for the experts.

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Gren

Why not grow your own?

Here at Easy Being Green HQ, a lot of salsa is eaten (not so much by me; I'm a wuss), so when the time came to re-evaluate some of our habits, we started wondering if we could make our own.

Looking around this great big internet, we found this recipe from AllRecipes.com
(by the way, this makes 4 Servings)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 5 serrano chiles, finely chopped (seeds removed)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving.
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Now that we have the recipe, it's time to gather the ingredients. We need tomatoes, but we don't have any. For now, we'll pick up a few from the grocery store, but we can take matters into our own hands and grow our own with seeds from Burpees. Next are onions and peppers, which, again, we can grow our own. We already grow our own cilantro. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Unfortunately, we just don't have room for a lime tree.

Everyone wants a garden, and everyone likes saving money, so why not combine the two? It's like peanut butter and jelly, bab- Hmmm.....I know what I'm going to write about on Friday!

Be good,
-David
Easy Being Green

Fresh Start

I've gone ahead and blown out all of the old posts, which were just me repeating information from other sites. It wasn't interesting to post (I didn't know what I wanted to do for content), and I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to read someone else's work here. If you would like to check out those great blogs and websites, I have them listed on the sidebar.

Instead of telling you what other people are doing, I would like to focus on things that I am doing that can help you get the most out of your green lifestyle. Stick around because there's going to be good stuff every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

-David
Easy Being Green