Environment

Make the Switch to Green Grass

Make the Switch to Green Grass

If you’re still maintaining your lawn using chemicals, stop! (Now, wasn’t that easy? Think how much time I just saved you!) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that U.S. households use nearly 90 million pounds of herbicides and pesticides on their lawns each year. Those chemicals end up in our groundwater and run off into rivers and oceans. If growing your own food is on your sustainability agenda, you certainly don’t want those poisons ending up on your kitchen table via the vegetables you grow.

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Switch from Plastic to Paper…Swabs

Switch from Plastic to Paper…Swabs

If you use cotton swabs, make sure that you’re using those that are made of paperboard rather than plastic. They’ll break down easier in the landfill and can even be added to your compost.

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Just What IS Sustainable?

Just What IS Sustainable?

sus·tain·a·ble maintaining ecological balance: exploiting natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area Well, that sounds like a nice idea, now, doesn’t it? Here in America (and in many other parts of the world, to be sure) we are no longer living a sustainable life. Native cultures did it, and did it well. They utilized the resources they had on hand in their region. They wasted nothing. They cared for the earth as a provider. Us? We suck at sustainability. Unfortunately, we can’t just decide to go back to being sustainable. There’s too much to undo. What we can do is start from here. From where each of us is right now. Each one of us will tackle sustainability differently, but we’re all headed for the same result. Consider these the guiding light in our joint efforts to make a difference in the world. Stepping stones to sustainability, if you will. Do it yourself. This covers so much, but is so important. The biggest tenet of sustainability as I see it is to stop depending so much on other people for our needs. One example is food. If you get all of your groceries at the local...

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Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet – Impetus for Change

Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet – Impetus for Change

As a girl, I read the Little House on the Prairie series and dreamed of a time when people cooked over an open fire and gave handmade gifts. As an adult, I actually hoped that Y2K would bring a change. While we called it a “scare” back then, few would have guessed Y2K  could actually have saved humanity. A forced change in our lives of excess might have depressed the masses, but the idea of living closer to the earth always appealed to me. Reading Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet was like spending time with an old friend who shared my desire for a simpler life. A smart old friend. While I’m passionate about living a simpler, more sustainable life, author Bill McKibben lays out for readers exactly why drastic changes are necessary to the way we’re living.

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Welcome

It’s one thing to think, “Hey, I’d love to be more self-sufficient!” and quite another to implement a lifestyle change that might require learning some new skills.

Attainable Sustainable is about bridging the gap between wanting change and making it happen without becoming overwhelmed. Nobody’s saying you have to go get a tractor and a cow. Attainable Sustainable is about discovering – one step at a time – how to make changes in your life to support a sustainable lifestyle.

The Author

Kris Bordessa has been gardening for most of her life. She's been authoring books and writing features for the past ten years or so. It's about time she combined the two, don't you think? [More about the author]