The Earth Savers Blog

How Words Could End a War

Not the least of which is SORRY.

Kill Your Dry Cleaning

Have you ever walked in to pick up your dry cleaning and been slammed by noxious odors as soon as you cross the threshold? Did you know that the solvents used in conventional dry cleaning are especially harmful and toxic to humans and to the environment?  It's also alarming to think that the cleaning process used that contains perchloroethylene (perc) not only leaches into the water system and land, but also is active in clothing that has been dry cleaned while you are wearing it, which can enter your skin, and effect your health.

Imagine wearing that nice sweater that just got cleaned with your newborn infant snuggled up close against your chest? If that's not enough to have you stop and consider the devastating truths behind dry cleaning here's more:

How can PERC affect my health?

"The health effects of PERC depend on the level and duration of exposure. PERC has been used safely as a general anesthetic agent, since at high concentrations it is known to produce loss of consciousness. When concentrations in the air are high - particularly in closed, poorly ventilated areas - a single exposure to PERC can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness, and death. Skin irritation may result from repeated or extended contact with PERC. By far the most significant exposure to PERC occurs in industrial environments. Liver and central nervous system effects have been observed in workers in industries using PERC.

Animal studies suggest that PERC has the potential to cause liver and kidney damage and developmental effects in the unborn. PERC can cause cancer in laboratory animals that were exposed to large amounts over their lifetimes.

The currently available information is not sufficient to determine the health effects from low levels of PERC exposure and whether PERC causes cancer in humans"

In researching alternatives I came across several- and it's becoming more and more likely that you can find an alternative "green dry cleaner" in your neck of the woods.
 
1) GREEN EARTH CLEANING

2) The EPA  also has a PDF list of dry cleaners that use two alternative methods – wet cleaning and CO2 cleaning both of which are acceptable and preferable methods of cleaning your high maintenance garments.

The Darling of Conservation

During his lifetime and career, "Ding" Darling was most widely known for his editorial cartoons, which appeared in nearly 150 newspapers nationwide and earned him two Pulitzer Prizes. All of his cartoons were created and illustrated before the introduction of T.V. and many before even radio. In those days  newspapers were the primary source of information and commentary, and were published frequently on the front page, having enormous impact on public opinion.

Ding's passion was teaching the wise use of the world's natural resources and advocating for environmental awareness.  He was skilled in speaking, articulate in writing, and devoted his talents to the higher cause of conservation education and to developing programs and institutions which would benefit wildlife.

"The prize-winning biography, Ding: The Life of Jay Norwood Darling, by David L. Lendt, is a must-read for all who are engaged in the on-going battle to conserve our nation's precious natural resources. While by definition the story of one individual, it is at the same time a fascinating history of the early conservation movement in the United States.

The Papers of Jay N. Darling is an extraordinary archive maintained by Special Collections at the University of Iowa. It consists of over 60 lineal feet of materials including letters, manuscripts, and speeches.   Additionally, Special Collections maintains a searchable archive of nearly 9,000 of "Ding" Darling's original editorial cartoons that are viewable online."

How Rich Will We BeWhen We Have Converted All Our Forest, All Our Soil,All Our Water Resources and Minerals to Cash?

This question, "How Rich Will We Be . . ." seemed heretical when "Ding" asked it in 1938. Today we not only recognize the wisdom of the question, we shudder when we consider the answer.

Recycle Crayons For A Rainbow Of Color And Fun

Ever wonder what you should do with the carnage of broken crayons that end up in every corner of the house? Here is a great idea that is practical, easy and fun for the kids.

1) Gather all your broken crayons and take the wrappers off
2) Cut them into small pieces.
3) Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
4) Fill the muffin tin or a candy mold with an inch-thick layer of crayon pieces.
5) Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the wax is melted.
6) Allow the tin to cool; then pop out the crayons, and they're ready for use.

Tips:

• If you don't have a muffin tin to devote to crayon making, you can line your regular muffin tin with foil cups.

• Cover your workspace with Newspaper- the melted wax can be quite messy and we are working with kids after all (wink wink)

• Recycled crayons make a great no-cost gift or party favor! The kids love them.

• Try using candy molds or any other fun shaped baking tin for really cool shaped crayons!

It's not GROSS...It's GREEN: The Benefits of Re-sale and Consignment

I'm standing proudly at the counter of our new high end consignment boutique Little Bits Recycled eagerly working my way through the items our customers have brought in to re-sell, and a impeccably dressed woman walks in to check out our offering. It's a moment later before she says "excuse me miss...why does this pair of Gucci shoes look scuffed on the bottom?... her voice trails at the end as she realizes she is holding something "DIRTY" that was once worn by another, and I can tell from her desperate look she wants to pull out her purse sized hand sanitizer immediately. I try to stifle a giggle. "So all your items are USED?" she states distastefully, of course it's not really a question but rather an accusation as she high tails it for the front door and as I stare at the space that was once her obviously superior being I and am reminded of a cartoon image of Broom Hilda where she exits so quickly that the sheer force of her departure leaves only her bobby pins on the floor.

We have been so very spoiled haven't we? For the past ten years and longer our generation has basked in the glory of entitlement and has never had to take "seconds," "hand-me-downs," or "used." Our media has marketed the new, the shiny, and the next generation release of every product on the market announcing the new, improved, and latest in technology, fashion, transportation, toys, appliances, and gadgets. We have flocked to buy the new - while our barely used items sit forgotten on our shelves in favor of an upgrade as our parents and grandparents looked on, more than a little shocked at our complete lack of frugality or compunction. 

This is the age of sustainability, and if we are all to do our "little bit" - we need to all ask ourselves FINALLY, where can I trim the fat? What do I really need? How can I get additional use from this item? 

Don't get me wrong- I like everyone else LOVE to shop and spend money, and I am as into fashion as any other red blooded American woman, but when the level of consciousness is reached where you understand the throw away nature of our culture and the level of contamination and pollutants that go into production and manufacturing you can no longer justify your lusts as freely...or can you? Shopping consignment is not only eco friendly but can be an incredibly satisfying experience. 

Here are just some of the benefits of shopping resale:

• The Consignor benefits by cleaning out their home and generating income and cash and creating additional "value" out of the items she no longer needs or is using.     
• Smart Shoppers benefit by saving $$$ and buying a gently worn/used item instead of new one leaving more money for other needs.        
• The EARTH benefits because one less toy, handbag, or sofa is not polluting a landfill, not to mention the fuel saved or burned in order to create and ship new products over from far away lands such as China. 
• Children Benefit by example and view their parent as smart, caring, responsible, adults who teach them the value of conservation, and responsible consumption. 

Wood Burning Stoves and Other Alternative Adventures

 

One of the biggest selling points when we purchased our home over a year ago was the fact that it had multiple fireplaces. Our Victorian home is charming- with it's wood floors, beautiful moldings, and historic feel we lucked out and purchased it for the right price, and at the time it just seemed so practical...ehem.
Huge old windows and high ceilings = NON ENERGY EFFICIENT. The romance of the fireplaces died as quickly as the fires themselves, as we quickly learned that keeping it alive and hot enough to heat the room was it's own full time job. The cozy comfort I had envisioned when we bought it, turned into a traumatic episode of Little House on the Prairie as we huddled in front of the fire trying to warm our hands. UGH.

After choking on receiving the second oil bill of the season we decided to consider other options.
A good friend of mine had recommended a wood stove, and although I loved the idea, I was skeptical.
After doing some research we settled on a small insert made by Lennox, and invested in what would hopefully pay itself off in one season knowing what it "should" save us in oil bills.

One week later we are completely impressed with it's efficiency. We fill it with wood every 4 hours and although it's their smallest stove ( the one we could afford) it heats the entire downstairs of our home, and get's toasty warm. When I looked into the additional benefits of having one, this is what I found out:

• It requires only a third of the fuel of an open fireplace
• It's up to 70% more energy efficient  
• Although buying the wood fuel is an ongoing cost if it's bought in bulk (by the cord) it's usually less expensive
• Wood as fuel is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels and is "carbon neutral" meaning that when it us burned it releases only the amount of carbon dioxide it absorbed while it was growing.
• Unlike Oil, wood can usually be sourced locally 

In addition to wood burning stoves a range of wood filled boilers are also available that are incredibly efficient and can convert over 90% of the fuel into heat. Although it takes some effort to keep them fed wood chips, or corn or wood pellet stoves can also be automated to control settings and only need to be refilled every few days!

 

Good Deed's Made Easier By Volunteer Match

Love this website I came across called Volunteer Match. Makes doing a good deed a whole lot easier, and because my New Years resolution included volunteering in my community around environmental efforts I can easily browse the site based on my zip code and area of interest for opportunities to do so.
The site itself is robust, easy to use, and also has a plug in for Google Earth which allows me to see the exact location of the building or park where the event takes place. In their own words:

VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 62,000 nonprofit organizations.

Go A Deeper Shade of Green With Recycled Couture!

     

January / 2009

Dear Ladies,

Over the past month or two, many of you have asked us what is going on with our South County Commons location, and we've done the best to answer you all to the best of our ability, but the truth is that we didn't really know ourselves. That is until now!

We are thrilled to announce LITTLE BITS RECYCLED at South County Commons. We have always dreamed of adding a sustainable angle to our already popular Brand and Retail Locations at littlebits.com  What better way to do that than to invite our customers to re-sell their items in a high end women's and children's "gently worn" boutique? After all - we already know you have impeccable taste! I don't know about you, but in this economy I've been hearing the dreaded words BUDGET cross the lips of many of our customers and the villainous word HUSBAND not too far behind! It's time to get serious ladies, and re-claim our natural born right and responsibility to FUEL this slacking economy. How are we going to do it?

THE 3 R's 

REDUCE, RECYCLE, REPLENISH !!!!

Think wardrobe "pieces" and bring in your:
1. Retired Handbags and Accoutrements aka: purses, bags, wallets, clutches, and any other fancy shmancy stuff you've got laying around just collecting dust waiting for the next gala event you may never attend.
2. Estate Jewels aka: basic extra's you don't wear or are tired of looking at inside your jewelry box!
3.Ball Gowns and Feather Boas aka: any clothing you want to try to re-cycle that might generate some extra spending money for your "needs"
4. Home Goods aka: Shabby Chic, Throw Pillows, Angela Adams, and any other cool stylish home wares.
5. Little Princes' and Princesses' Wardrobes aka: While you are going through your closets, you may as well go through theirs too- and we can recycle their gorgeous clothing too, and how about that nice wooden high chair you paid a fortune for? Bring that too!

Here's what we're looking to have you bring in:
Gently Worn Children's Clothing Sizes 0-8
Gently Worn Women's Accessories and Clothing Sizes 0-14
Gently Worn Maternity Clothing Sizes 0-14
Gently played with Wooden Toys & Books
Gently jostled Baby Gear such as Slings, Wooden High Chairs and Cribs (No plastic)
Unique Furniture Pieces in Good Condition (please send a picture before bringing anything in)

Call Noelle at 284-3933 and set up an appointment or if it works better for you Monica is now in the "house" from 10-3  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and you can "drop in."

We see this new venture as a way to help everyone in our community. Some of you will benefit by getting great new fashions at great prices and others of you will benefit by making a little extra money, and all of us, including the planet, will benefit by recycling our perfectly good products and reducing our carbon footprints.

We know some people are hesitant to buy or sell on consignment, but you'll be missing out on great deals. Right now we have items in stock by FENDI, DOONEY & BOURKE, CHRISTIAN DIOR, DOLCE & GABANA, SEVEN FOR ALL MANKIND, ANTIK DENIM, LACOSTE, COACH, and RALPH LAUREN just to name a few. Remember, gently worn items are not GROSS, they're GREEN! Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing you paid half as much as that other lady did on her Seven jeans.

We will also offer a small selection of eco gifts at Little Bits Recycled and you can continue to shop our Newport store for fantastic current season merchandise!
Once we get established with our new merchandise we hope to also be able to offer many programs that coincide with sustainable living. Please do not hesitate to let us know what you would be interested in seeing as part of these programs. We want to provide you with what you're looking for.

A wise woman once said "what separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

Let's not let this nasty "little" economy thing become a threat to our sense of entitlement (wink, wink...)

We look forward to starting this new venture with you in the New Year!

Sincerely,
Monica Rodgers (CEO: Chief Entitlement Officer)

PS: And please don't forget to check out our blog http://www.earthsavers.typepad.com subscribe to the blog to get email updates sent to you.

PSS: Feel free to comment as well - we want to hear your thoughts !!!!

COCO ECO- Because What Would Green Be Without Glamour?

Where Style Meets Sustainability.

See our previous Post where we interviewed Summer Rayne for our Earth Savers Interview Series
HERE

Soil Not Oil

From Media Mouse: 

With all the trendy "green consumerism" and corporate green-washing that dictates so much of current discourse around environmentalism, it is important that we examine independent perspectives on the severity of the world's ecological crisis.

Author Vandana Shiva has provided a fresh and independent perspective for more than two decades now as she has confronted how we think about environmentalism by writing books about water, seeds, global trade policies, and patriarchy's relationship to the natural world. In her most recent book Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis, the Indian activist provides needed analysis for those of us who might be duped by the market approach to environmental justice.

Shiva argues that the world is faced with three fundamental global crises: global warming, energy use/depletion and food. The author believes that these three issues are inter-connected, therefore how we respond as a global community with any of these issues will impact the other two. Soil Not Oil does not just address those three issues, it provides an analysis and challenge to those of us in the US who think we have the best approach to solving the climate, energy and food crises.

For example, the business community has primarily dominated the response to global warming in the US, much of which has been supported by the ideas put forth by Al Gore. Shiva argues that these "solutions" are imperialist in nature since they dictate what the poorer countries of the world should do. This imperialist response by rich countries is best demonstrated by the idea of carbon trading. Carbon trading allows the biggest polluting nations and corporations to transfer their pollution onto other nations and communities by investing in "green" technology abroad. Shiva believes that the market should not be deciding how to deal with something so crucial as climate change and suggests that carbon trading is a false solution since "it does not begin with policies and laws that protect and support the nonpolluting patterns of production, distribution and consumption."

Carbon trading will in effect mean that the big polluters will be subsidized to continue to pollute, because "slightly greener" companies can sell their carbon credits to the worst polluters. This market solution provides no real incentive for developing truly sustainable ways of production, which is why Shiva believes that the nuclear industry has been cashing in on the global warming frenzy. Nuclear power has received the support of politicians and some environmental groups despite the fact that the uranium mining that is done in order for nuclear power to work is highly toxic and unsustainable.

When discussing energy use, Vandana Shiva focuses on the cost of car use in her home country of Indian. With the increase in personal auto transportation on the rise in countries like India, it not only increases the global demands of oil production, it has resulted in increased deaths and road construction. The new road construction throughout India has primarily impacted India's rural farming communities, communities that have lost their land and their livelihood.

This shift to greater car production and use in countries like India has meant less land for food, the third major crisis that Shiva tackles in Soil Not Oil. Not only does road and parking lot construction take away precious land from small farmers, it necessitates that more land is used for bio-fuels to power the machines. This has resulted in less land for food production and high prices for basic food staples. Those of us in the US have experienced increased in the cost of basic grains, but this increase in global food prices has hit people harder in countries like India. So why bio-fuels are presented as a green fuel it has actually caused more environmental destruction and poverty.

Shiva believes that the market-based solutions that the rich nations have adopted in responding to the global climate/energy/food crisis has and will only make things worse. The author believes that the power to make decisions about food and energy should be put in the hands of smaller communities, decisions that she believes would be more sustainable. Shiva cites numerous examples in India where people have created their own seed banks to promote traditional grains like millet, which is more nutritious and sustainable to grow. When local communities have control over the most fundamental resources such as food and energy production there is a greater chance that the issue of how it impact that community will be central to the decision making process, unlike when corporations or nation states impose their decisions on communities.

Soil Not Oil concludes with the author appealing to the idea encompassed in the Indian work Shakti, which means the "capacity to do" or "to have power." When local communities have the capacity and the power to determine the futures, a future that is not driven by external market forces, only then can the world overcome the global climate crisis we are faced with. Soil Not Oil is an excellent resource for those who are serious about not just averting a larger global climate crisis, but for those who want to preserve living communities of bio-diversity.

Vandana Shiva, Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis