This week I came across this article in the Chicago Reader about the garbage issues facing the city of Chicago. Honestly it was a little depressing. Mayor Daley is constantly up on his little pedestal saying how ‘green’ the city is and how he’s committed to making Chicago the greenest city in the country but we still don’t have a fully functional citywide recycling program. Granted he has implemented a few good ideas like having green roofs on some city buildings but overall he hasn’t done enough.

My neighborhood is one of the few that actually has the ‘Blue Bin‘ program but my building can’t get one because we have 13 units. We pay for our own recycling pick-up from an independent company. The problem is that we can’t recycle every thing that you can recycle using the city’s blue bin. We can only recycle #1 and #2 plastics in the shape of a bottle. No yogurt tubs, no margarine containers.. It’s not a huge deal but I think it’s silly that our neighbors who have 2 people living in their house get this huge cart to use and can recycle pretty much everything and we have to pay for a private company to come out to get our and we can only recycle a fraction of what they can.

And so I’m happy to have a little bit of power. I’m really happy my neighbors are excited about composting. I’m hoping it’s not too difficult to get people in the habit of doing it and doing it right.

Leaf blowers have always kind of gotten on my nerves. They are noisy and incredibly wasteful. What’s so terrible about having a leaf on your sidewalk anyway? What about a broom or a rake?

It seems to me like they are they equivalent of using a bazooka to kill a fly.

Today as I sit in my house enjoying a lazy Saturday morning there’s a symphony of leaf blowers blowing dust and dirt all over the neighborhood. The warm breeze blows the exhaust in my window. Lovely.

So I’m going to do something about it instead of just complaining. I wrote my alderman this morning and have started doing some research on how to get a ban on leaf blowers passed in my neighborhood. I’m also talking to our management company about having our maintenance people not use leaf blowers on our property.

The thing that makes me a little crazy about the whole issue is the same neighbors I see outside with their electric or old fashioned human powered push mowers are the some of the same people who have landscaping companies out there blowing leaves around.

Why are gas leaf blowers so offensive?

They pollute the air. A single gas-powered leaf blower can emit as much pollution in a year as 80 cars. It’s not just the emissions that pollute the air it’s also all the stuff they stir up into the air.

-From nonoise.org

Street dust includes lead, organic carbon, and elemental carbon according to a study conducted for the ARB. The Lung Association states “the lead levels are of concern due to [their] great acute toxicity… Elemental carbon…usually contains several absorbed carcinogens.” Another study found arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and mercury in street dust as well. The ARB states that a leaf blower creates 2.6 pounds of PM10 dust emissions per hour of use, and based on this a report from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District states that leaf blower dust is responsible for two percent of our PM. Blowers are widely used in residential areas where many people are exposed.

They’re really noisy. A normal decibel level, considered acceptable in residential areas, is about 60 decibels (60dB). Every increase in decibels means noise that is 10 times louder. Leaf-blowers usually generate about 70-75 dB. According to the U.S. EPA this level of noise actually degrades quality of life by interfering with communication and sleep, leads to reduced accuracy of work and increased levels of aggravation, which can linger hours after exposure.

They worsen allergies and asthma and irritate the lungs. Because they operate at such high velocities, leaf blowers stir up the mold, allergens, and dust particles that otherwise have been tamped down with rain and decomposition.

They waste gas. Two-stroke engine fuel is a gasoline-oil mixture, thus especially toxic. Rakes and even electric-lawn blowers offer a petroleum-free alternative.

Some alternatives to gas leaf blowers:

Leaf sweeper. It picks up leaves and puts them into a  bag as you roll it over your lawn or driveway.

If you just have to blow leaves around, choose electric.

Electric leaf blowers are lighter, quieter and vibrate less than gas units. An electric motor drives the fan, so there’s no need to mix fuel or refill. Smaller and medium-sized yards are especially good candidates for electric blowers. There are two types:

Corded leaf blowers provide constant power as long as you have access to an electrical outlet. The attached cord limits mobility so this may not be the best choice for a lawn with lots of trees. Look for a cord retention system to prevent the cord from being accidentally unplugged during use. Also, use an electrical cord that’s rated for outdoor use.

Rechargeable/battery-operated leaf blowers are good alternatives for smaller areas or jobs. They work well on solid surfaces like driveways and garages. They’re limited by their run time and the fact that they move less air than larger models.

If your landscaping company gives you trouble and says it’ll be less efficient and more time consuming, send them this.

Grandmother Proves Rake and Broom as Fast as Leaf Blowers

The major challenges to keeping the place cool are
#1 We’re on the 3rd floor
#2 South facing windows
#3 No shade from other buildings to keep the sun from beating down on the brick all day

We did inherit a window ac unit with the place which is good but it’s not big enough to cool the whole place. And it’s in our dining room. We have a blow up mattress in there just in case we can’t take the heat and need to sleep in a cooler room. So far we haven’t had to use it.

So I’ve been doing some research to see if there’s anything I can do besides buying an additional ac unit to keep the place cooler. Of course just buying another unit would be the quick and easy fix but I don’t want to spend the money to buy and run it right now.

Here are some things I’ve done that have helped a little and a couple others that are on my to do list.

1. Fans Fans Fans – Fans are really cheap to run. We have a ceiling fan in the bedroom and have been setting up a standing oscillating fan as well as a box fan at night. It’s been in the mid-90’s and I have to say it helps but isn’t completely perfect. The circulating air feels much cooler than still air.
2. Close the Blinds or Curtains – The main objective has been to try to keep the heat out. Closing the blinds the ‘wrong’ way, with the blades facing up keeps more sun out. This has helped keep our South facing living room much cooler.
3. Use a Dehumidifier – My in-laws who live in Texas suggested this. Drier air feels much cooler.
4. Wear Natural Fabrics – Dress for the weather.  Seems like kind of a no-brainer but try to wear clothes that breathe and are loose fitting.
5. Shut Off Heat Generating Appliances – Keeps tabs on lights, appliances and computers. Shut off what you can.
6. Avoid Cooking,Laundry, and Showers at the Hottest Part of the Day – If you can’t avoid these then try to ventilate the room to get the excess heat and humidity out.
7. Drink Water – Stay hydrated! If you get really hot run cold water on or put ice on your wrists.

1. Bring your own bag to the market, convenience store, hardware store, everywhere.

2. Bring your own cup.

This one too is not just limited to the coffee place. Use that mug as much as you can. I’m not sure if fast food places like McDonald’s would be as open but I’ve used my own mug at Subway. They’re usually open to it if it’s a place where you fill your own drink. Know how many ounces your cup holds and make the effort. People usually don’t care. It costs them less to not give you a cup, lid and straw.

3. Turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth

My little bathroom faucet pumps out 2.5 gallons of water a minute. It takes a lot of energy and resources to get the water from the treatment plant all the way to your faucet. Be conscious of how much water you’re using and try to shut it off when you don’t need it.

4. Another water related one. Modify your toilet by either displacing some of the water in the tank with a brick or some other weight (A plastic soda bottle filled with water or sand work well). This will mean that your toilet is using less water to do its work. If you’re feeling a little adventurous you could look into modifying your toilet and installing a toilet lid sink. Sounds kind of unsanitary and weird, yes but kind of intriguing. Here’s an article with more info.

5. Unplug chargers and other small (or big) appliances when they aren’t in use.

Phone chargers, coffee makers, computers, TV’s pretty much any electrical appliance draws some sort of power even when not in use. These ‘Phantom Loads’ account for about 10% of the average household electricity bill. So when you’re phone is charged unplug the charger from the wall. Don’t use standby buttons on TVs or computers if you can help it. Plug them into power strips that have an on/off switch and shut it off when it’s not in use. Also remember to shut lights off when you leave a room. And think about installing motion lights in outdoor spaces instead of having lights on all the time.

6. Buy local, seasonal food.

Not only does local produce taste better and fresher it’s so beneficial to support the local economy. If you can’t make it out to a farmer’s market or there’s not one near you try to do your shopping at local independent businesses instead of large chains. It might cost a little more to shop locally but the pay off is huge.

7. Buy rechargeable batteries.

8. Be conscious of where you’re spending your money.

This is one of the biggest ways we as consumers can make an impact. Let your money be your voice. Do some research on the companies you spend money with. Find out what their environmental policies are. Are they taking steps to help the earth? Where do they get their materials from? Where is the product you’re buying manufactured? This can be really time consuming and overwhelming but you can save yourself some time by finding a couple good store or online retailers that try to carry eco-conscious goods.

9. Stop using toxic cleaners in your house

This one is really important, especially for those with small children, pets or people with asthma or other respiratory issues. There are a lot of companies making non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products these days. Read the labels. Go for perfume and dye free laundry soap and skip the dryer sheets.

10. Pick your battles.

Don’t try to do everything at once. It’s great to want to be an eco super hero but you have to be sure to keep things in perspective and not to beat yourself up too badly when you accidentally throw that glass bottle away. Every little bit helps and it takes a while to replace the old habits with new ones.

I watched this movie this morning.. I’m kind of speechless about it. Not sure if I’m angry, helpless, empowered or sad. I think a good helping of all of the above would be accurate.

Having lived in the Midwest my whole life and being surrounded by large bodies of fresh water I never really had to think too much about not having clean water to drink. I never experienced any restriction on water usage, have never gotten a serious illness from drinking contaminated water or really given much thought to where it comes from or goes to. I turn on the tap, wash my dishes, take a shower, fill my glass whatever, it’s always there.

I’ve started thinking a little more about my water usage lately along with every thing else I consume and noticed that there’s a lot of room for improvement in this department. I’m a water waster. I leave the water running while I brush my teeth. I love long hot showers. I wash my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. This is one of my worst things for sure. I’m working on it but old habits die hard.

One thing I don’t do though is buy bottled water.

Flow explores, among other water issues, the huge impact bottled water has on the environment and communities. The plastic bottles are bad but so are the practices of the companies who are harvesting the water. One of the most surprising things they mentioned was that most bottled water is from municipal water supplies. So basically they are selling you what you are already paying for from your tap. I though the big issues was the packaging not what was inside.

Please check this movie out if you come across it. If you can’t catch it at least check out the website. The have a bunch of links on there about how to educate yourself on water issues and get involved if you’re so inclined.

Today while taking a little break for lunch and playing around with my iPod Touch, I found a great little app in the App Store from Buster McLeod, called Locavore. It uses data from the Local Harvest website to tell you what fruits and veggies are in season in your area and the dates and times of local farmer’s markets. Really great! You can also choose to look at individual items and see where they are currently in season in the US and find recipes.

I took a look at the Local Harvest website as well and wanted to include their link. The website has a lot of great info on finding a CSA program, farmer’s markets, co-op grocery stores, etc. in your area. It’s a valuable resource for anyone trying to get a little more local and eat seasonally.

Go to Local Harvest’s Website

A couple weeks ago on my drive back from visiting WI I was listening to NPR and heard an interview with the host of Eco Trip, David de Rothschild. It’s a new series on the Sundance Channel about the environmental impact and the steps involved in producing common thing we consume. Very interesting.

Link to Video on Sundance Channel’s Website

The more I’m learning about these things the more motivated (and slightly overwhelmed) I’m becoming. To keep myself from going completely insane I try to remember to not beat myself up too badly over somethings. It’s difficult making the informed decision. Even when you think you have all the info you find out that the info you’re getting isn’t always correct.

I think this series is worth watching. It has a lot of great information.

Now that I’ve finally starting recycling on a regular basis I’ve started thinking about composting. Though I’ve noticed a huge reduction in the amount of garbage we’re producing, it’s still not as good as it could be.

My husband and I cook quite a bit and I’d say probably about 60-70% of our garbage now is probably compostable.

I’m really interested in starting a compost bin but I have a couple reservations about it. The biggest one being the smell. I know if you do it properly it’s not supposed to smell at all, supposedly. My sense of smell is really sensitive and I find it really hard to believe that rotting organic matter in a closed bin isn’t going to have some sort of odor. Another reservation I have is attracting bugs.

One of my biggest issues previously with the idea of composting was what to do with the compost itself. I didn’t have a garden or a lawn, just a couple house plants. Now we do have a courtyard and some trees, it’s a shared outdoor space but at least I have a use for the compost.

I’ve started doing some research again on the subject and found this great website that talks about composting in the city. I wonder if there’s a similar program in Chicago…

The New York City Composting Project

The Chicago Recycling Coalition has some great info as well.

Another website with a lot of info on composting is MasterComposter.com

A link to some books on the subject

Over the past year or so I’ve been slowly phasing out my non-stick cookware. After reading about, and having my own suspicions about the safety of non-stick coatings I decided that I was done with it. Even if the health risks are minor there are so many other options out there why not try something else.

I’ve gotten a few different types of pans to replace the old ones, some have been better than others. We got a few pieces of really nice anodized aluminum cookware as gifts and I wasn’t really impressed at all. They are great for some things but food sticks to them like crazy. They also require too much babying. I have to keep referring to care card that came with them to remember the proper way to clean them.  They end up sitting in the cabinet most of the time. 

We got a couple stainless steel sauce pans that I’ve been really happy with. They’re easy to clean even when something happens to stick like rice or oatmeal. I’ve been pleased with them overall.

The 2 stars though have been the cast iron and enameled cast iron pans. The one draw back is that they are really heavy and I’m kind of a weakling but they work great. We have an enameled cast iron braising pan and use it all the time. Really easy to clean, food doesn’t stick to it. Same thing with the regular cast iron skillets.

If you’re looking to change your cookware to something a little greener, here are a couple things to keep in mind.

Avoid pots and pans made with perfluorochemical (PFCs):  PFCs are the chemicals that make your pans “nonstick.” PFCs is a collection of substances that among other things, keeps food from sticking to pots and pans. PFC’s aren’t just used in cookware, they are also used in cosmetics and a variety of other applications. PFCs may be worse in dishes than other applications because there are many health hazards of having PFCs in your body, and PFCs last forever both in our bodies and they won’t degrade in the environment. You don’t want to cook on and eat off this stuff.

The best choices of cookware are stainless steel, glass and cast iron. 

The worst pots and pans: Non-stick pots and pans – anything with Teflon coating.

What if you already own non-stick cookware?: The best thing to do is upgrade your cookware, but if you do hang on to your non-stick pieces, don’t heat them to above 450 F and get rid of them if the non-stick coating starts to peel off.

The Environmental Working Group website has a lot of great info and research on a variety of topics.

I think these kinds of things are a little scary. People should pay attention to the things they buy and take just a second to think about the impact of that product. When in doubt go for the least processed, least engineered, most natural option.

Give these kids a big giant gold star!

Almost daily there is a story about how the CTA is complaining about needing more money to fix the rail system. Here you go. I’m sure the initial investment will be substantial but if Daley is as serious as he says he is about making Chicago the ‘greenest’ city in the US, this is a fantastic step in the process.

Personally I think all city vehicles and taxis should be hybrids. It makes sense from a financial standpoint. They use less gas which equals lower operating cost which equals tax money being used for something else. It’s a no-brainer.

We should all find things we can do as individuals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but the biggest impact we can make is pushing our cities and towns to do the same.

Here’s a link to the whole article in the Tribune.