Monthly Archives: May 2011

5 Simple Environmentally Conscious Steps You Can Make Today

Being aware of the impact your lifestyle has on the environment isn’t always as difficult as it sounds when you first consider the problem. It’s not all about sacrificing comfort and going off to live in a cave. Matter of fact, it’s not at all about living in a cave. If you want to be more environmentally conscious, try these simple steps to get things moving.

1. Be more aware of the resources you’re using.

Just take a little time and think about what you’re using when you do things in your daily life. How much electricity and water do you use in a day? How much gas do you use? How much stuff do you buy?

Awareness may not sound like much, but it’s the first step in taking action to decrease your use of resources, especially the ones that aren’t renewable.

2. Find ways to cut back on the resources you use.

Once you’ve become more aware of the resources you use, you can also consider ways to cut back on what you use. Not only is this likely to be better for the environment, using fewer resources usually saves you money in the long run and often the short run.

It’s not all about getting off the grid or things like that. Such things are beyond what many can afford, although if you can make it, it’s not a bad choice. It’s about looking at what works for you, such as replacing light bulbs with more efficient bulbs, turning lights and electronics off when they’re not in use, carpooling or using public transportation, shopping less, taking shorter showers, things like that. Things that fit into your budget.

3. Reuse.

Reducing is the most important step, but after that comes the reuse of the resources you already have. This can be as simple as finding a new use for that glass jar the spaghetti sauce came in or using an empty gallon jug for watering plants in the garden. You could even make a reusable shopping bag out of an old pair of jeans.

The point to reusing things is to remember that just because something has served its original purpose doesn’t mean it’s garbage already. Think about other ways you could reuse things before you throw them out or even send them for recycling.

Consider buying some products specifically because they can be reused, rather than buying single use products over and over again. Water bottles are a great example of this. Drinking water is a great, healthy habit, but buying bottled water is not. Not only are the bottles wasteful, bottled water is less regulated than your tap water in most places, and may not be as good for you as you think. Get a water filter if you really need filtered water, and carry a reusable water bottle with you. A good quality one will save you money over the cost of buying bottled water.

Also consider a good quality reusable shopping bag. This won’t save you money if you aren’t charged for paper or plastic bags by the store, but just think about how fast bags add up in your home. That’s a lot of waste you can prevent.

4. Recycle.

Reducing and reusing your use of resources is important, but we all have to use some resources. There’s no way around that as long as we’re alive. What you need to consider is how to allow resources to be reused when possible.

Recycling is much easier now in many communities than it was even a few years ago. Large recycling bins are more common now, and you often no longer even need to sort your recyclables to have them picked up. Pay attention to what can be recycled in your community, as not every one has the same rules.

If recycling isn’t easy in your community, find out what it takes to get the job done. If you have to drive to a recycling facility, decide how often it’s worth it to you, and how you can store recyclable materials until that time.

Particularly important is to pay attention to how you dispose of electronic waste and hazardous waste such as old paint, certain types of batteries and so forth. It cannot just be disposed of in the trash. Many communities have particular places or particular days where they will allow you to bring in electronic waste such as old computers, televisions and so forth, or for the disposal of hazardous wastes. Some of these can be recycled in this way, while others need more careful disposal.

5. Get outside.

You won’t completely appreciate the environment if you don’t get out into it. Go for a hike, head out to the beach, even walk around your own neighborhood. Get out and enjoy yourself outdoors.

This is especially important to do as a family when you have kids. If you’re trying to be more environmentally conscious, then you’re probably trying to teach them the same, and how are they going to understand what they’re protecting if they don’t see enough of it?

How Can You Keep Your Lawn Care More Eco Friendly?

The biggest problem with lawns is that they’re really not all that eco friendly at their best. They take a lot of water and don’t give much back aside from giving the kids a place to play and making the yard look acceptable to neighbors. Some places that’s really important. But in many climates they take too much water, most popular lawn mowers aren’t too good for the environment, and too many toxic chemicals are used on most lawns.

These are some options to make your lawn care a bit more eco friendly. Even though they aren’t ideal environmentally speaking, sometimes a lawn is the choice you’re going to make.

1. Use a push reel mower.

A lot of people don’t like push reel mowers, remembering the hard to push around models from years ago. I have one now, however, and it’s really not that bad. Only slightly more challenging to use than a powered mower.

The advantage to a push reel mower is that you don’t have to plug it in or buy gas for it. It’s all human power.

2. Keep the fertilizer eco friendly.

All those chemical fertilizers people use on lawns add problems even though they green up the lawn nicely. They’re the major cause of lawn thatch. Worse, the runoff from lawns that have been fertilized is very bad for the environment.

Leaving your lawn clippings on your lawn is very good for it. They won’t provide all the nitrogen your lawn needs, but they will provide some. If you don’t want to leave them on the lawn, make sure you at least compost them.

If you can stand it, let clover grow in your lawn. Clover brings in nitrogen too. Its blooms attract bees, which is good for the bees, but may mean that kids may prefer shoes when playing on the lawn to avoid stings. Some places the homeowners’ association will give you trouble over clover, so you may have to be careful. You may also want to watch out if you have burr clover, as those burrs can be very annoying when they get in pets’ fur or into the carpet in your home.

Watch out for how much phosphorus your lawn needs too. Manure fertilizers have more than enough, and you should not add more phosphorus to your lawns if you’ve used manure on it.

3. Sweep after you mow.

Sure, it’s easier to use a leaf blower to clean up the clippings along the sidewalk or driveway after you’ve mowed the lawn, but it’s a huge waste to do so, not to mention hard on your ears. It’s better to sweep up the clippings with a broom and toss them into the compost pile.

If you don’t want to do it and you have kids who are old enough, set them to sweeping up after you mow. It’s a good chore and doesn’t require perfection.

4. Water at the right time of day.

The time of day you water makes a big difference in how much water your lawn needs. You don’t want to water at night, but you should water early enough in the day that the heat doesn’t cause too much of the water to evaporate.

Also avoid watering at times that tend to be windy, as this will blow too much of the water away. You want the air to be calm and cool when you water. Early morning is good in most places, but it’s always good to check with a local garden center for further advice.

5. Don’t use poisons to control weeds.

Weeds are an annoyance in a lawn, at least if you perceive them that way. You can see them as a benefit, such as the nitrogen clover adds to a lawn, or the biodiversity added by having weeds in your lawn, or they can be seen as a nuisance, especially if you are dealing with a homeowners’ association that tends to be difficult about such things. Weeds can also be a nuisance if they make your lawn less pleasant to play on.

The key to weed control is getting them while they’re small, especially before they’ve gone to seed. The most eco friendly way to get rid of them is probably to do it by hand. It’s tedious, but you can really get in there and get a lot of the roots, so it probably won’t grow back.

Corn gluten can work as a preemergent weed killer. It also gives a little nitrogen, so it will benefit your lawn in other ways.

You can also use boiling water to kill weeds. The great part is that it kills them pretty quickly – within a day or so of pouring the water the weeds will be quite brown, but it’s safe within minutes for children or pets to play in the area. It also won’t kill any seeds you spread there once the water cools.

You may have to repeat a boiling water treatment a few times to fully kill a weed if its roots are deep enough. Each time the weed will be weaker, and eventually it will stop coming back, so long as you are persistent.

I will warn you that killing weeds with boiling water is quite tedious if you have a number of them to do. It’s very effective, however, and can be worth the effort.

6. Let your grass grow at least 3-4 inches tall.

Tall grass is healthier grass. It’s better at keeping the weeds away and it needs less water. Don’t trim it as short as possible – trim it to no less than 3-4 inches tall if at all possible. Your lawnmower will probably have a setting that allows you to leave your grass about this tall.

7. Rethink how much lawn you really need.

There are reasons you need a lawn, such as having an easy place for the kids to play or because the homeowners’ association says you must have one, but do you have more lawn than you need? You may be able to turn part of your lawn area into something more eco friendly, such as a vegetable garden in the back yard, or a larger flower bed or more trees in the front.

8. Accept the brown.

It’s perfectly normal for your lawn to be less green in the summer. That’s its natural cycle. You don’t really have to water it so much that it keeps that perfect green all year round unless you’re required to do so. The weather is hot, and it’s much harder for your lawn to stay green.

Are Genetically Modified Food Crops (GMO) Really That Different From Selectively Bred Crops?

Hearing about genetically modified food crops (GMO) makes a lot of people uneasy. It doesn’t sound like a good thing to be messing around with our food supply, not to mention the surrounding environment. GMO crops have been touted as a boon for farmers, but have produced problems for them as well. Are the stated benefits worth the risks?

Selectively Bred Crops

Let’s start by taking a look at how selectively bred crops come about. This is a much slower, much less precise method of giving a crop the characteristics you want from them.

A grower grows the crop, and chooses to use seed from the plants that are closest to the characteristic he’s after. This could relate to disease resistance, flavor, production, water use and more. Each generation of the crop planted allows the grower to choose the ones that are closest to the desired end result.

This takes time, but it’s why we have such a variety of plants available. Just look at the many different sorts of carrots, tomatoes, roses and so forth available. Many of these came from selective breeding.

Genetically Modified Foods

People in favor of genetically modified crops like to point out that selective breeding is a form of genetic modification. However, when speaking of GMO crops, that’s not what is meant. Instead, genes from other sources are added into the genetic code of the plants, giving them new characteristics that either you couldn’t breed for or that would be more difficult to breed for. It also allows the company to patent the plant, giving them the absolute right to control it even when the farmer grows seeds purchased from the company that modified them.

One of the big ones you hear about are the Roundup Ready crops created by Monsanto. These crops are resistant to Roundup, so farmers can control weeds without damaging their crops.

What Are the Benefits to Genetically Modified Crops?

One of the major benefits touted for GMO crops is that they’re better for the environment because they require less use of pesticides and herbicides. They’re often made to deal with such problems better. This can also lead to better production, as less of each crop is lost to pests. This can also mean less tilling of the soil is required, which results in less loss of topsoil.

GM crops can also be grown in places that aren’t so friendly to other crops. This can be a benefit to areas where growing food is a major problem.

While not directly related to food production, genetically modified organisms also show promise in areas such as biofuel production. Creating organisms which can be used to produce biofuels more efficiently than current methods is an area of great potential.

The potential to grow medications in certain crops is also being investigated. This could bring down the costs of producing certain medications, if it can be done safely and successfully.

What Are the Problems With Genetically Modified Crops?

When people consider the problems with GM crops, they’re mostly considering the food varieties. There are some definite problems with these crops.

A major one is that farmers are not allowed to save seed as they would with non patented seeds. They have to buy new seed each and every year. This is an extra expense for farmers.

The patents have also led to farmers being sued, not just for saving seed to grow the next year’s crops, but for having their crops crossbreed with a GMO variety. Growing such crops is considered a violation of the patent, even though farmers may not know such cross pollination has happened.

Cross pollination is also a problem for organic farmers, who can’t have their crops be contaminated by GMO crops, as their crops would no longer be considered to be organic.

Another concern is that weeds and pests that can easily be treated now in fields with GMO crops will become more resistant to the herbicides and pesticides that can currently be used on such fields. This means more chemicals would need to be used to control problems that are currently easier to manage. One way this could happen is if natural gene transfer happens between GM crop and weeds that are closely related to that food crop in the field.

Some GM crops have also been shown to be damaging to other forms of life. One variety of corn was shown to cause high mortality in monarch butterfly caterpillars.

The claim that genetically modified crops increase the yield has also been disputed. Certainly the use of pesticides means you lose less crop to pests, but that’s true whether the crop is GM or not.

Health Concerns for Humans

Many people are concerned about how eating genetically modified foods will effect humans. Allergies are a potential issue, for example, although genetically modified foods are carefully tested for such things.

The biggest concern with GM foods and human health is that there hasn’t been enough testing to know the long term results from eating such modified foods. Some studies on rats indicate the potential for serious issues. There are concerns about GM foods causing cancer and other conditions.

Social Concerns

There are a lot of social concerns with genetically modified foods as well. The patents on such seeds, as discussed above, mean that farmers cannot just save seed for the next season, and must buy more. This can be a major hardship on farmers in poor countries, or when bad weather ruins a crop.

The issue is that too much acceptance of GM seed means that regular seeds will not be so readily available, giving the corporations too much control over food production.

There are also concerns about how GM foods fit in with religious and other ethical concerns. Are GM foods kosher? Are GM foods harmful to farm animals that are fed them?

Overall, I think it is very clear that genetically modified foods are very different from selectively bred crops. There are potential benefits, but there are also risks that may not be acceptable. It’s best to consider the risks carefully and look and what it takes to manage your contact with GMO foods.

Further Reading

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/

Climate Change – Covered by Warranty?

CC: This is the Terra Firma Customer Care line. How may I help you today?

HM: Hi, this is Hugh Manity, and I’m calling about a warranty issue on the climate. When can someone be out to fix it?

CC: Just a moment please sir, while I call up your account… Mr. Manity, it appears that you’ve contacted us on this issue in the past and been informed that the damage is outside your warranty coverage. Is this correct?

HM: That’s correct, but I called in a tech of my own, and he said the damage isn’t my fault and should be covered by warranty. I want you to fix it.

CC: I am very sorry sir, but our tech found that the change in your climate is in part due to your own actions, and therefore not covered by warranty.

HM: That can’t be right. My guy said that the stuff I’ve done is too little to account for the changes and that they must be natural. The changes made to the atmosphere by me are too small compared to what volcanoes and other natural sources put out on their own.

CC: I’m sure you’d like to believe that sir, but that’s just not how the system works. Your planet has a balance that it can deal with and it doesn’t take as much as you’d think to throw it off. Our tech also noticed a few other issues we think you should be aware of before they cause you further problems.

HM: Like what?

CC: I see in the notes on your account that we’ve previously explained to you about your climate change being in large part due to your carbon dioxide emissions. Has the effect of those emissions on your oceans been explained to you yet?

HM: What about my oceans? They’re huge. They can take it.

CC: Not really, sir. Some of that carbon dioxide is dissolving into your oceans and making them more acidic. Frankly sir, this may be a bigger deal than the original issue you called about today.

HM: You have got to be kidding me. Is that covered under warranty?

CC: I’m afraid it doesn’t, sir.

HM: Dammit! What am I supposed to do about all that? I can’t afford to make a lot of changes to my lifestyle, and I certainly can’t afford to pay for repairs on my own! Can’t you make an exception? I’ve been a really good customer.

CC: Our hands are tied, sir. If you want your climate and oceans repaired, you’re the one who has to handle it.

HM: But you’re talking billions of dollars and massive changes to my lifestyle! It’s ridiculous! Surely you don’t expect…

CC: It’s not about my expectations, sir. It’s about yours. I can say that the sooner you get started, the better.