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

Yesterday I was reading an article on a group of people here in Chicago who are trying to get the city to ban stryofoam. Yay! Finally!! I was completely shocked and appalled to learn that Chicago Public Schools serve school lunches to it’s 400,000 students everyday on DISPOSABLE POLYSTYRENE TRAYS. I could not believe what I was reading. Seriously?

When I was in school we had reusable plastic trays. They worked just fine.

This is not only a disgusting disregard for the environment but an enormous waste of money! I found a website that sells similar trays and they cost about $37 for 500 trays. That’s about $29,000/ day. Five days a week. No wonder our schools are in such financial trouble. Holy crap!

What kind of message is this sending to children? Why did this switch happen? Why is my tax money being spent on this?

Styrofoam is another huge pet peeve. When I worked downtown my office was right across the street from this place that was kind of like a convenience store but they had a little salad bar and some prepackaged sandwiches etc. From time to time I’d go in there in the morning to get a muffin before work and would see person after person filling up giant styrofoam cups with coca cola and then piling salad fixin’s into a big styrofoam clamshell container. It pissed me off quite honestly.

Then I’d go to work for a few hours and go out to lunch at Corner Bakery and see person after person grab the prepackaged salads or sandwiches pay for them and eat them there instead of just ordering a sandwich ‘for here’ and having it come on a plate. Day after day I watched people getting up from their tables leaving behind a massive pile of plastic containers and paper and huge piles of napkins they grabbed and only used one. It made me crazy.

I had to try to stop myself from yelling at people..

I really wanted to do an installation art piece in a major office building downtown of a huge pile of Starbucks cups and to-go containers so people could see how wasteful is was. The average office worker probably goes to Starbucks (or other coffee place) at least once a day. Then at lunch they probably go to a fast food place where their food probably comes in a plastic or styrofoam container or wrapped in paper and put in a plastic bag. Add in all the paper napkins, condiment packets, soy sauce in a little plastic container, the plastic lined paper cup your soda comes in and don’t forgot the lid and the straw too. That’s just 1 day for 1 person. Multiply that by how many days a year those people are working, and multiply that by how many thousands of people work in offices in downtown Chicago. It’s insanely.. well insane.

But there is hope..

www.nofoamchicago.org

If you live in Chicago check them out. If you don’t, see if there’s a similar group in your city. There are so many alternatives to styrofoam that are much smarter and less toxic. There’s no reason why it should still be in use on such a large scale.

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

This is topic near and dear to my heart. Nothing gets me more riled up (well almost nothing) than getting a bunch of spammy junk mail in my mailbox.

We recently purchased a home and of course now we’re getting tons of junk mail. Super frustrating, wasteful and annoying!

Over the past couple years at our old address I spent countless hours calling catalogs and signing up to be removed from direct mailing lists online. I do all of the bill paying online through our bank account and signed up for paperless billing for all of our utilities and our credit cards. I had pretty much tamed the mailbox.

Over the past few weeks our mailbox has been exploding! It’s pretty small, but still…  I kind of knew this was going to happen. Our info was put out in the world again and sold to a bunch of insurance company lists. We’re getting right about 6 or 7 mortgage insurance or mortgage payment plan letters per day. So in the 6 weeks we’ve been here that’s probably about 100 unsolicited pieces of junk mail. This isn’t including the mailers from Home Depot, and the local banks and other ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ mailers.

I know it might seem crazy to get so wound up over this stuff but I really really hate people trying to sell me things I don’t want. I especially hate people trying to scam me by sending me official looking paperwork. So my battle of the mailbox starts again. I guess it gives me something to do.

A couple great resources to check out if you’re sick of getting a bunch of garbage mailed to you.

1.  DMA Choice
2. Catalog Choice
3. wikiHow (There are a bunch of links and tips in this article)
4. http://www.discountlifeleads.com/ (Call these people and get removed from their insurance leads list)
5. (Another article with a lot of links)
6. 41Pounds.org (This is a paid service.)

The one everyone should really do is 

https://www.optoutprescreen.com

There’s a link to this website from the DMA Choice website too. This is a way to opt out of credit card offers and other pre-screened offers based on info sent out from consumer credit agencies. 

Here’s one more website that has a lot of information about protecting yourself from identity theft.

http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/

Lots of homework I know but really worth it. If you don’t have a lot of time just do the DMA Choice opt-out and the optoutprescreen.com. These 2 will reduce your junk mail substantially.

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

Hooray!

Well kind of..

Okay so there have been some new guidelines started today here in the US about ‘country of origin’ labeling for meats, fruits and veggies. It’s great, I’m all for it. But I don’t see why it’s a huge change for some things. If you actually read the little tiny stickers on your oranges usually it does tell you if they’re a product of the USA or not. I feel like a lot of the meat packaging I come across tells you where the meat is from as well.

So what’s really changing?

Some labeling guidelines have been established over the years to give consumers more opportunity to know where their food is coming from. There was a push in the 1980’s when people began becoming more conscious again about wanting to know more about the foods they were buying and eating. The new laws on meat packaging will tell us where the animal was raised, slaughtered and processed.

The updated laws on muscle meats:

If the label on the family’s future pork roast reads “Product of USA and Canada,” it most likely means the hog was raised in Canada and then shipped to the U.S. for slaughter and packaging. Or if it reads, “Product of Canada,” then the piglet was born, raised and readied for consumers in Canada before being shipped to the U.S.

More details on the rules for pork, beef, lamb and goat meat:

• Meat may be labeled a U.S. product only if the animal was “born, raised and slaughtered” in the U.S.

• Meat from animals born in another country but raised and slaughtered in the U.S., such as Canadian feeder pigs, can be labeled a U.S. product and/or the other country.

• Meat from animals born, raised and slaughtered outside the U.S. must be labeled as a product of the foreign country from which it came.

• Meat from animals born, raised and/or slaughtered in more than one country – other than the U.S. – may be labeled with a list of those countries.

For Fish & Shellfish – aka (I guess) non-muscle meats.. :

For fish and shellfish, the method of production — wild or farm-raised — must be specified.

The term “farm-raised” means hatched, raised and harvested in captivity, while “wild” means naturally born or hatchery-raised fish and shellfish harvested in the wild.

And of course for every rule there are always exemptions:

Chocolate. Roasted peanuts. Teriyaki-flavored pork loin.

They’re just a few examples of processed foods the USDA has marked as exemptions under the new labeling system, USDA officials say.

What defines a processed food? It’s any commodity that has been altered from its original state. For example, breading or tomato sauce are processed foods.

Also, there are certain methods that create processed foods. They are:
• Cooking (includes frying, broiling, grilling, boiling, steaming, baking and roasting)
• Salt and sugar curing and drying
• Hot and cold smoking
• Emulsifying and extruding

Other examples of processed food items:
• Breaded chicken tenders
• Marinated chicken breasts
• Salad mix that contains lettuce and carrots
• Fruit cups that contain melons,
pineapples and strawberries

Also exempt from new labeling regulations are food service establishments such as restaurants, lunchrooms, cafeterias, food stands, bars, lounges and similar enterprises.

This is the biggie!

So really, salad greens that have carrots mixed in are considered a processed food? So you aren’t going to tell me where my bag of salad came from, that kind of sucks.

All the more reason to, if you actually care about this stuff, to go to the farmer’s market or grow your own salad greens or at the very least buy a pre-packaged bag of salad that’s certified organic.

I’m not saying that non-organic iceberg lettuce is the devil but the more I’m paying attention to what I’m buying and reading more and more about how our food is grown and what the impact is I’m starting to lean more to the organic small scale farm side. If you can’t make a perfect choice at least try to make the best choice you can. Organic food is expensive!! Organic meat is really expensive! But that being said I have fought my inner penny pincher and sucked up the extra couple bucks for a pound of chicken. I’ve sat in the poultry aisle with the 2 packages, one in each hand, and have battled it out. Organic doesn’t always win. Sometimes I just can’t spend $11 for 3 chicken breasts but I try to do it most of the time.

Baby steps.

I’m really looking forward to the next couple months. I’m lucky to now live within a few blocks of a farmer’s market. Last summer I had the best intentions to go every week but it just wasn’t convenient and I wasn’t willing to make the time to go. I made it once. This year I’m hoping to do much better.

Finally we are mostly settled into the new place. We at least have everything out of the old place now and have handed off the keys. Still a few things to find places for and organize but for the most part it’s starting to feel like home.

What a crazy couple weeks. Well couple months actually. I’m glad it’s over!

Here are a couple things I learned while going through the home buying process for the first time.

1. It is not nearly as regimented and absolute as I thought it would be. Be prepared to fly by the seat of your pants a little.

2. Communication is key. Make sure the people you are working with are organized and good communicators. We were lucky to be working with some great people but the seller’s agents were a little frustrating.

3. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone a little as far as location of properties. I’m really glad we decided to check out this neighborhood. It wasn’t on the top of my list but as it turns out I couldn’t imagine a more perfect area for us to live in. 

4. Be prepared for extra costs at closing! This was a really big one for us. Make sure you have some extra ‘just in case’ money hanging out. 

5. Relax, try not to get too stressed out about all the paperwork and emails. It’s crazy and daunting and overwhelming but it’s all worth it!

6. Get movers! It’s so worth the little extra money. 3 1/2 hours and we were all done. There is no way we could’ve moved all our stuff up to the 3rd floor without them.

7. Educate yourself on the home buying process as much as possible. Do your own research on different types of loan programs available, and what to look for at inspection etc. Learn as much as you can before you get started, it’ll really help.

I love the new place but I’m a little sad about saying goodbye to the old one. Yesterday when we left I got a little teary. I felt silly about it but that place will always have a special place in my heart. 

I’m excited for this weekend! I have a good friend coming for a visit to keep me company while the hubby is out of town playing some shows. I’m looking forward to relaxing, watching movies and enjoying the new place.

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.