With All That Went Wrong In Japan, Is It Time to Give Up On Nuclear Power?

The 9.0 earthquake in Japan has been a nightmare for people in that country. Not only are thousands dead or missing,  with massive destruction by both the quake and the tsunami, they have a crisis with a nuclear power plant. Even milk and spinach in the area have been found to be contaminated as a result. Small amounts of radioactive iodine have been found in tap water.

Naturally, this disaster has resulted in many people calling for nuclear power plants to be shut down. I understand why. You can’t see radiation, you can’t tell if it’s effecting you, but it can shorten your life. That’s a scary thing.

That said, as of this writing I haven’t heard anything to make me stress about the radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant. It has plenty of problems, but so far it hasn’t done the worst possible, by a long shot.

I’d love for solar, wind, geothermal and hydro power to take over the power generation we need. That would be wonderful. The only problem is that it won’t happen soon. There are a lot of obstacles in the way, and quite simply people aren’t willing to make that sacrifice, even though we’d be better off once we made it work.

I fully expect nuclear power to be around for a long time to come. That’s why I’d rather focus on making it safer.

For one thing, the radiation from a functioning nuclear power plant is actually less than that coming from a coal power plant. You don’t really think about natural radiation coming from coal, but it does. XKCD made a really interesting radiation chart, and it’s amazing to see what the numbers really are.

With Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima as examples, engineers now know more about the disasters to plan for in a nuclear power plant. Much of it was known before Fukushima, but that plant was old and lacked certain safety features.

The major problem I have with nuclear power is disposal of waste. Spent rods have been a big part of the Fukushima problem, after all. Nuclear waste is hazardous for far too long and is incredibly difficult to dispose of safely. More passive safety features must be in place in all nuclear power plants.

Grist has some interesting points on using thorium in nuclear power plants, stating this is safer than uranium. Some of the people commenting on the article have interesting ideas as well.

I hope that more serious looks will be taken at generating power in safer ways than nuclear or coal, but I’m also realistic enough to know it’s not going to happen that soon. Too many people with too much power over the situation are invested in keeping things the way they are. I think it’s better to fight to make them safer as we continue to work toward using more sustainable technologies to power our country.

Plastic Wrapped Bananas? Say What?

Yeah, sure, that makes sense. Wrap a banana in plastic and say it’s green because it keeps them fresh longer.

I’m not sure I have words for the idiocy.

I suppose on a business level there’s a certain degree of brilliance. Apparently they’re going to cost about $1 per individually wrapped banana, compared to maybe $0.20 or less per banana if you buy them in a bunch.

The keeping them fresh longer as green line I just don’t buy. Can’t possibly make up for the wasted plastic. Besides, that’s what banana bread was invented for! It’s easy to use up overripe bananas if you want to.

Last I checked, bananas have a fabulous natural wrapper. It decomposes beautifully in the garden. It keeps the part you eat fresh and clean until you’re ready to eat the banana.

It never ceases to amaze me how anything can be greenwashed into an eco friendly perspective if the marketing department tries hard enough.

What’s So Green About Extended Breastfeeding?

I got a question from a reader about a month ago asking what’s green about breastfeeding, especially past age 2. While it’s easy to say it’s better for the environment to breastfeed an infant than to formula feed, it’s harder to say what’s so great about it as your child gets older.

I have to admit, I don’t really think of extended breastfeeding as a specifically environmental issue. It’s certainly popular among eco friendly moms, but others do it as well. A lot of research shows that it’s good for the child and the mother.

The early benefits of breastfeeding are simple. Breastfeeding means you don’t have to buy formula and all the supplies to go along with formula feeding. The only thing you must have is you. That’s less waste right there. The breast pump and other supplies are nice if you want to let others feed baby sometimes, but not an absolute must. The fewer supplies you buy, the more eco friendly it’s going to be in those early days.

The greatest benefits of breastfeeding, both for the normal duration and extended, may be emotional. There’s no bond quite the same. The bond between a formula fed baby and mother is still utterly amazing, but it’s a different sort of intimacy from breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has an emotional impact on mother and child, especially when it’s enjoyed by both. If it’s not still being enjoyed by both parties, I’m a firm believer in saying that it’s just fine to call it quits. You still love your baby and will still be loved by your baby.

Health Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding

Extended breastfeeding has proven health benefits. It cuts down on the odds of ear infections, diabetes, heart disease, and other health disorders. It also has health benefits for the mother.

This may not seem like a “green” issue at first glance, but one’s use of modern medicine can most certainly have an ecological effect. Too many medications make it into the water supply either through improper disposal or by its presence in urine or feces after you’ve taken the medicine.

Fewer medications making their way into the water supply may not be specifically about breastfeeding, but it’s something to think about.

Having just dealt with a still breastfeeding nearly two year old with a really bad cold, I can also state that extended breastfeeding is wonderful when a child gets sick. There’s no greater comfort food.

Eco Benefits to Extended Breastfeeding?

Beyond simply cutting down on the odds of needing medications to treat a sick child, there’s one very basic ecological benefit to continuing to breastfeed an older toddler: You’re using less cow’s milk.

Most cows are not kept in an ecologically sensitive way. You can improve matters by buying organic milk from grass fed cows, but your own milk is still the best. It doesn’t have to be transported from a distance. It doesn’t have to be stored in any containers. You don’t have to give it in a cup or wash the cup after. It’s there when your child needs it.

Overall, I have to say that extended breastfeeding really isn’t about being green. It has some benefits that can be described as being eco friendly, but that’s not the main benefit at all. It has much more to do with the health of the mother and child, with potential long term health benefits. That’s what makes it so popular with “green” moms. Extended breastfeeding is one more way to try to do the best things for our families. That it’s not bad for the environment is just a little plus.

Have You Made Your Green New Year’s Resolutions Yet?

Here comes the New Year, so soon after Christmas. Have you started planning your resolutions for the new year. Any goals yet?

I’ll admit that I prefer to think in terms of goals rather than resolutions personally. There’s just no surprise about it when someone gives up on a New Year’s Resolution. Lots of people fail at those.

It stings a bit more, in my opinion, to drop a goal. The commitment simply feels different to me.

Whatever you want to call it, make sure you’re being realistic about it. You can’t set a goal of living in a perfectly sustainable home completely off the grid if you’re barely scraping by and haven’t made any changes yet. You have to focus on the things you can really accomplish.

That doesn’t mean give up on the idea of off grid living if that’s what you want. It simply means you should break down your goal into more manageable steps, and work toward the big goal over time.

Goals don’t have to be all that grand, of course. You can have much simpler goals if that’s what you’d prefer. The main thing is to commit to action.

Since we’re talking about green goals, this has nothing to do with your resolve to lose weight or other traditional resolutions. They’re just fine as goals, and you can combine them with your eco friendly goals. Plan to lose weight by going vegetarian or eating more vegetarian meals, for example. Eating less meat is definitely good for the environment, and a well thought out vegetarian lifestyle can help you lose weight.

Now is a good time to start thinking about it all. If there’s something that needs to be bought for your goals and someone still needs an idea for a Christmas present for you, this may help you give them ideas. Who says you have to wait until next year?

Need some ideas? Think about riding a bike for more errands or to work if that’s possible where you live. Think about other ways to drive less or use public transportation more.

Think about your garden or starting one if you don’t have a garden yet. What would you love to grow? Don’t limit yourself to vegetables or foods that have to be replanted each year. Fruit trees are a great idea. You can’t get more local than grown in your own backyard.

Think about cutting plastic out of your life as much as possible. Can you commit to using your reusable shopping bags? Where else can you quit using plastic, especially any single use plastic?

Have you been considering any volunteer opportunities? It might be the right time to quit thinking and start doing.

How good are you at the “reuse” part of “reduce, reuse, recycle?” Could this be the year you fall in love with shopping at thrift stores? Some amazing deals can be found in thrift stores.

What else would you like to do to be more eco friendly in the new year? Are you ready to start now?

Remember to Give to Charity

This is a great time of year to give to charity. Actually, any time is a great time, but this is the time of year many of us think about it. So do it.

It could be a gift to that relative who really doesn’t want anything more. If you know his or her favorite charity, make a donation in your relative’s name.

Take some time with your children and help out at a local charity. It’s a great way to show them that they can help out with a favorite cause. It may take some searching to find something age appropriate, depending on the age of your children. Many organizations have a minimum age limit for volunteers.

Then, for your own sake and to give to others, declutter your home and give the reusable items to charity. Help your children to do likewise.

It’s often hard to get kids to give up toys, even ones they no longer use, but it is possible. Here are some ways to go about it.

1. Talk about why you clean out the excess toys.

Many children these days have far more toys than they could possibly play with. Others have very few because their families can’t afford to give them much. Sending old toys to the thrift shop means that families with less money can afford to give their children something fun to play with.

That’s what works well on my kids most times. I don’t buy a lot of toys for them, but they get a lot of them as gifts.

2. Make two piles and have your child choose between them.

This works for getting rid of toys or just storing the excess away for a time. Be sure that you allow trades between the piles for particular favorites, and be very clear on what is happening to each pile. Try to keep trades even between the piles, so that the “stay” pile doesn’t keep growing.

3. Sort them out yourself.

I’m not too fond of this option personally – I like my kids to be involved in the decision. Sometimes it’s necessary when the piles of unused toys get too extreme and you aren’t getting any cooperation on getting rid of toys.

If you do this, be prepared for some anger when missing toys get noticed. Kids can come up with a reason why any toy, no matter how neglected, was important. It may help to discreetly store toys taken this way for a time before sending to your local thrift store. This allows for any serious mistakes to be corrected. Or you can be firm about the matter and point out how many other toys are still all over the house.

However you go about it, make sure your kids see you giving up things as well. Children shouldn’t feel as though they’re the only ones having to give things up for others.