Top 10 lists

Top 10 best things we have done to simplify and reduce our impact so far...(if you want more info on how to do these things, go back and read the earlier posts in May)

1. Drastically reduced our waste.
we have yet to put the garbage out to the curb. in fact, we had one 13 gallon kitchen garbage can unfilled for over 2 weeks. much of this garbage was stuff from before we started all this. there were a few things that went in there that could have been minimized: two food take-out containers, some wrappers, etc. But I have made a very conscious effort not to buy anything that comes in packaging that can't be reused or recycled. I have only used bulk bin plastic bags (over and over), glass jars, tin cans, plastic bottles and tubs that are recyclable. We have to take our #2 and #5 plastic tubs (like margarine tubs) to the store, because they can't be recycled at the curb. I haven't bought anything like crackers or cereal that come in a bag in a box. It hasn't been as hard as I thought. sometimes, it just comes down to "i am not going to buy this" because of its packaging. I have never done that before, so it is something I have to think about consciously.

2. Re-going vegan. The lower you eat on the food chain, the less you pollute, the less carbon you emit, the less waste you produce.

3. Not buying anything new. We haven't (other than those cloth diaper covers for elsie and the computer router that jay got). The amount of stuff we consume is destroying the earth. Plus, i've gotten some killer deals at garage sales lately!

4. Drastically reducing our energy consumption with a few very simple changes: line-drying laundry, washing laundry in cold water, using compact fluorescent bulbs for all lights, leaving things off when not in use (even if you just are out of the room for a short time). these things really make a difference.

5. Not buying anything disposable. No more paper towels, paper plates, napkins, tampons/pads (check out the Diva cup, Moon Cup or Keeper for more info. there are also lots of cloth/reusable pads out there), very little T.P thanks to "family cloth", no juice boxes, no individually-wrapped granola bars. Nothing that you just use once and then throw out.

6. Switching our household energy to green power.

7. Reducing our use of the car. We are working on selling the old car. We are using the bus and walking a lot more. We are grouping our trips together, and meal-planning so we only have to food shop once a week.

8. Stopping the junk mail.

9. Composting all food waste.

10. Localizing our food. I have made a big effort to not buy any produce from further away than Washington, California, and in a few instances, Mexico. Almost everything has been organic. We are also getting really excited about our garden, which is already growing so fast. In just a few weeks we will be eating our own zucchini, lettuce and tomatoes. I can't wait! Some things are just insane: don't buy apples from new zealand. Don't buy pine nuts from china (i think they ALL come from china). Don't buy turkish apricots--they really are from Turkey! We have enough food choices without shipping food across the globe.

Top Six Things That Have Been the Hardest...
1. Reducing use of the car. Sometimes, I want to take the bus, but its such an effort I just can't do it. Getting two kids and our stuff on the bus, especially if we need to transfer, walk a long distance, etc. Is just too much for me. Just a trip across town, a 45 minute bus ride, is scary to contemplate with two kids in tow. We are looking for a bike trailer, but I'm not really comfortable with Emmett riding in it for long distances. Our entire country has been set up with one thing in mind: the car. It is hard to imagine living without one. But we have reduced our use and become more efficient with it.

2. Not buying food from far away. Sometimes, you just don't know where food comes from. Maybe it was "made" in california or something, but where are the ingredients from? Unless you write to the company, you can't know. They probably don't even know, because it probably changes. It makes it pretty hard to buy some things local, like crackers, pasta or things like that.

3. Not making waste. Not making any waste would mean never, ever buying some things again. Maybe some day I can give up things like crackers (or maybe I could make my own?), certain kinds of cereal, etc. I have stopped shopping at Trader Joe's. They only have a few things that meet my criteria now. Almost everything there is completely over-packaged. It just makes my skin crawl to buy bell peppers in a non-recyclable plastic container with a styrofoam tray under it. What I need to do is write to companies and ask them to reduce their packaging. Why does cereal have to come in a bag in a box? It's so unnecessary.

4. Not buying "stuff". Although we haven't been shopping at the mall or anything, we have picked things up at garage sales and goodwill. I still feel the desire to consume stuff. To "solve" a problem with buying. I think I am done for a long while, but it seems like sometimes I just feel the need to buy something. I think we are conditioned to do this.

5. The difficulty with vegan vs. our goals/the environment. Sometimes, to be vegan, you need a certain product that you can't get just anywhere. What if that product is overpackaged (a LOT of vegan things have really awful packaging that is unnecessary or not recyclable, etc.) Some days I feel really restricted. I try to remind myself that I have so many choices and so much privilege that we think we are entitled to things, when really we are just used to them. So i can do without.

6. Taking short showers. Ok, so I love to take long showers. But I'm working on it, really! I justify it because now that I have two kids I only get to shower like twice a month. Ok, not really, that's an exaggeration. Four times a month, at least.