Even though I have a reel mower which uses no resources and does not vibrate your hands and deafen you and drown out the sound of the birds, I had someone use my gas mower. This mower is new and only uses 100% gasoline, no ethanol. None of this is completely earth friendly, but the best I can do.
Instead of dumping leaves in the street, I had them dumped into Dominique's pen and she is composting them for me. I am not sure what the leaf truck does with them, but I do I take care of them.
I ate food in the refrigerator even though it killed my back to get so low. This way, I won't allow something edible to spoil.
More LEDs were installed to use less energy. I had one burn out after three months, but I took it back and got another instead of using the incandescent ones I have still.
I ate eggs from my hen, scrambled like I like them instead of using store eggs. Dominique eats well, but no commercial chicken feed.
I think I only drove to get J home. A tornado warning sounded when she was here, and I did not want her walking.
When I scrubbed a few pots, I used a drop of Dawn, vinegar, and baking soda instead of a commercial product like Soft Scrub or ZUD. I used the same on sinks, too.
Finally, I turned off the switch that controls the 60 watt bulb that keeps Dominique's water from freezing in winter. I just kept forgetting!
My efforts at being a good citizen of Planet Earth are not earth-shaking. Some of you do much better.
update: I also did not use the dryer. All my efforts are usual for me, not just a special one-time effort.
Your turn
How did you celebrate Earth Day? Any special activities or festivals?
If all of us made the same small steps you did, the changes would rock the world.
ReplyDeleteEC, Thanks. I hope I can do better. Oh, I did not use the dryer, either. All these are normal for me, not just a one-day effort.
DeleteLinda, like you we do many small things every day to help our Mother Earth survive. We use cold water for laundry, have a solar hot water heater, don't heat the pool just let the sun do it, use the computer for the newspaper and magazines to save trees, use LED light bulbs, keep our electric use to a minimum, run errands & appointments if at all possible just one day a week to save gas, only buy what is necessary, don't use a dryer, and on and on.
ReplyDeleteBTW have you ever watched Dollar Tree Hauls on Youtube. The main comment seems to be "it's only $1, how can you go wrong?" I'm kind of hooked on them as I'm fascinated with what they buy. It's not Earth Day promoting .
Bellen,
DeleteI do some of those other things, too. Thanks for reminding me.
never heard of that show, but I know I will be fascinated and hate that logic. J wants to move out of friend's house and rent a house of their own. She buys bottled, sweetened water and says, when I look askance, "But, it's only a dollar and the bottle is so pretty." I want to scream, but it would do no good. Now, I am going to watch some of the Dollar Tree Hauls.
I am more conscious of my carbon footprint now than I have ever been. Here we have recycling door pick up, so there is no hassle on anyone. I am amazed at how few of my neighbors actually recycle since they (the waste management company) even provide the rolling recycling bins. All you have to do it put stuff in there and roll it to the curb. I do admit to using the dryer more than I have to. I hang nearly all my clothes to dry, but towels and sheets? We have a no clothesline neighborhood covenant , so I can't hang them.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteWe only get a basket the size of a clothes basket for recyclables. It usually does not need to be taken to the road but once a month.
Some people rig up a clothesline on a porch just for sheets and rugs, sneak things out to dry and quickly bring them in. I hung a sheet to dry indoors by putting it over washer and dryer. Right now, there is still too much pollen for me to go out that long or live with the pollen brought in. I just put towels on a pants hanger and hang it in a doorway, several in one doorway.
I went to a friend's house, bringing a guy who wanted to buy something from her. She whispered for me to hang back with him so she could get her panties off the clothesline in her kitchen. I had never noticed the clothesline because her house was so cluttered, not hoarding, just a mess. After that, I noticed she had several clotheslines all over the house. No, I am not recommending that, nor will I try that. Well, I might put one in the laundry room.