One Small Change

January Challenge: Cut Your Energy Usage

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Ah, winter. It’s all snow and cozy and hot tea, until you get the monthly energy bill. You spent HOW MUCH on electricity??

This month, I challenge you to lower your electricity bill. (This is where you off-grid folks can fold your arms across your chest and smile smugly…) For many, heating is a huge expense this time of year. For me, it’s not heat – we don’t actually have a heater; when our temp hits 55 degrees, our only option is more blankets – but our bill is inexplicably rising. So, let’s work to depend less on the electric company.

If your electric bill reflects the need for heat this time of year, consider these easy to implement options – no home renovation required:

  • Turn down your thermostat. Even one degree will make a difference.
  • If you’ve got a drafty door or window, roll up a towel and use it to block the cold air.
  • If you’ve got rooms that aren’t really in use, close the heating vents to the rooms and close the doors. No sense heating unused space.
  • Got sunshine? Open the blinds to let in the warmth.
  • If you use your dishwasher, open the door slightly to allow the remaining heat to warm the kitchen when the cycle is complete.
  • Turn off the “heated dry” setting of your dishwasher. Allowing the dishes to dry slowly will teach you patience.
  • If you froze some of your garden’s bounty this summer, now is a good time to consider transforming those berries into jam. Processing the jars in the canner will free up freezer space and warm up the house.
  • Place several fire bricks inside your oven. When you cook, the bricks will absorb the heat. You only need to leave the oven door ajar to release that heat into your house (use caution with this plan if you have children).

Other ways to reduce your energy bill:

  • It goes without saying, but turn your lights off when you’re not in the room.
  • Only wash full laundry loads.
  • Dry clothes on a line if weather allows.
  • Be aware of vampire power.
  • If you tend to keep the TV on just for background noise, try to break that habit.
  • When you have the oven on, use it to full capacity. If you know you’ll be baking a casserole, think about pulling together a batch of granola or baking a loaf of bread.
  • Vacuum the coils of your refrigerator so it doesn’t have to work so hard to maintain its temperature.
  • Take shorter showers.
  • Use cold water for laundry loads when you can.
  • Set your computer to “sleep” mode when you’re not actively using it.

I’ll be working to bring my own bill down this month. I’m aiming for a reduction of about $20-30 dollars. I’d love to hear your suggestions for saving energy – and come the end of the month, will look forward to hearing how successful you were!

Photo: Flickr user David Paul Ohmer

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63 Small Changes to Make a Big Difference

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I’ve written about ‘Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet‘ in the past, so the International Energy Agency’s statement that  “On planned policies, rising fossil energy use will lead to irreversible and potentially catastrophic climate change” isn’t news to me. But every time I see a new study confirming that we are in deep doo-doo if we don’t make some changes post haste, I feel frustrated because I think so many people are not taking the issue seriously.

Sure, just a small percentage of the population is willing to raise a cow for milk or even plant a garden. But there are so many small things that can collectively make a difference in our footprint on the earth.

With the approach of the new year, many people are making resolutions. Will you try to add one or more of these to your list of changes for the new year? Will you share this list with your family and friends or on your social networks? Even people who are reluctant to step out of their comfort zone will find something here that they can embrace – we just need to convince them that it needs to be done, and that making small steps truly is not painful.

Kitchen:

  • Stop buying fruits and vegetables that have been imported from another country, for so many reasons.
  • Buy real food. If you can’t trace its origin, it shouldn’t go into your body (ahem, IMHO) and it’s surely not doing our environment any good.
  • Quit relying on takeout food. If you succumb, find a restaurant that uses compostable packaging and say no to plastic straws.
  • Learn to cook some really simple, really fast meals so you won’t be tempted by fast food.
  • Find a local butcher that uses butcher paper instead of buying your meat cuts on Styrofoam.
  • Find a source for local meat and eggs.
  • Turn up the temperature on your refrigerator, just a touch.
  • In the wintertime, put fire bricks in the oven to hold heat and keep the room warm.
  • Switch to glass storage containers instead of plastic.
  • Get rid of your Teflon coated pots and pans.
  • Use a dish cloth instead of a sponge.
  • Bring fewer containers into your home. Be sure to recycle those that you can’t reuse.
  • Compost your food waste.
  • Make your own salad dressing, mustard, and other condiments. It’s not that hard.
  • Cook double batches. Eat one lasagna tonight, freeze one for the crazy busy day that’s tempting you to turn to fast food.

Bathroom:

  • Nix the chemical cleaners.
  • Take shorter showers. Less hot water used, less energy used.
  • Switch to less chemically laden soaps and shampoos, or try your hand at making your own.
  • Still using disposable razors? (Stores are still stocking them; somebody must be using them!) Switch to one with a replaceable blade.
  • Use your bath towel more than once.
  • Try a fabric shower curtain instead of a plastic one.

Home office or at the office:

  • Switch to padded envelopes that don’t have a plastic bubble liner.
  • Stop junk mail before it gets to your house.
  • Consider online banking. You’ll eliminate the envelope as well as the use of much fuel to get your payment where it needs to go.
  • Opt to receive your monthly statements via email. Again, you’ll eliminate paper waste as well as fuel usage.
  • Use public transportation. Not an option? Find someone to carpool with.
  • Transform the water cooler at work: request paper rather than plastic cups. Better yet, encourage fellow employees to bring a cup from home.
  • Refill your ink cartridges instead of buying a new one when you’re out.
  • Not using your computer? Turn it off or put it to sleep.

Laundry room:

  • Wash only full loads of clothes.
  • Switch to a more eco-friendly laundry detergent. Or make your own.
  • Get clothes out of the dryer as soon as they’re dry, so you’re not tempted to “give them a little fluff.”
  • Better yet, set up a clothesline and hang your clothes to dry some of the time.
  • Install a time on your hot water heater.

The rest of the house:

  • Find out where your power comes from. Is it generated by diesel? Coal? Wind? Knowing that your energy usage is tied directly to environmentally unfriendly sources might make it easier to cut your energy use (good for the planet and your bank account).
  • Say no to products that come in plastic clamshells.
  • Keep a blanket on the sofa.
  • Turn down the thermostat on your heater, just a touch (with that blanket, you won’t notice).
  • Next time you need to buy linens and blankets, skip the man-made materials.
  • Turn off the TV if you’re not watching it.
  • Install window blinds to help keep the house cool in the summertime and warm in winter.
  • Shop second hand.

Outside:

  • If you have an arbor, plant a deciduous vine that will shade you in the summertime and allow sunlight and warmth in during the cold winter.
  • Grow your own food. If you’ve never done so, start small. Plant radishes. Or lettuce.
  • If you’re a garden veteran, consider sharing your knowledge with amateurs.
  • Plant an extra row for the food bank.
  • Collect some of your rainwater and use it to water the garden during dry spells.
  • Stop using chemicals on your lawn.
  • If you regularly forget to turn off your porch or garage light, set it up on a timer.
  • Deal with pests and weeds without chemicals.
  • Mulch. It will help hold moisture in and mean less water used. It will also help keep the weeds in check.

Around town:

  • Stop accepting the bags that stores offer (plastic OR paper) and bring your own.
  • Switch from plastic to glass bottles when buying goods at the grocery store. If it’s only available in plastic, skip it (bonus points for writing to the manufacturer to complain).
  • Choose fruits and vegetables that are sold loose. There’s absolutely no reason for peas, peppers, or tomatoes to be wrapped in plastic or strapped to Styrofoam.
  • Seek out local produce at the supermarket or (better yet) farmers market.
  • Eliminate excess baggage in your car. If you don’t need to carry it around, don’t. You’ll use less gas.
  • Take your own insulated mug for your coffee stops.
  • Combine errands so that you use less fuel.
  • Live near town? Walk, sometimes!
  • Seek out one wild food source in your area. Maybe it’s dandelion greens. Or maybe you’ve got a source for wild asparagus or blackberries.
  • Go meet your neighbors. Having a friendly community means a chance to share equipment rather than everyone owning the same snow blower or tractor.
  • Those same neighbors? May share their garden surplus or help you tackle all of those excess zucchini.
  • Think about needs versus wants. We’ve become a society of shoppers. Do you really need that new pair of shoes?
  • Choose to live with less stuff.

Photo: Flickr user by woodleywonderworks

Got another simple change to add? Please share it in the comments! And, hey. If you’re on Facebook, come join us there. We’re always tossing new ideas around!

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Set a Compostable Table

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If you’re gearing up to entertain a houseful of guests, you might have disposable plates and cups on your shopping list. (Because you don’t have enough dishes, we get it. Not because you’re shirking dishwasher duties.) Instead of Styrofoam or plastic that will end up in the landfill for a long, long time, consider actual paper plates. These plates and bowls are made from wheat straw, not trees.

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Black Friday Shopping – NOT!

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Year after year I’ve opted out of shopping on Black Friday, in part because we’re just not that into the latest “stuff” and in part because the thought of those crowds freaks. Me. Out. Black Friday to me is consumerism at its best. Consumerism for the sake of consumerism is something I’m not much of a fan of, so it’s easy for me to opt out. I suspect that many of my readers are on board with that sentiment, while some of you are kind of in a pushme-pullyou kind of existence: you like the idea of less, but when it comes down to it, it’s hard.

If you’re truly interested in a more sustainable, less commercial holiday, first you must know that while retailers have dubbed this Black Friday, some folks in the UK are celebrating it as Buy Nothing Day. I’m in. It’s good incentive, yes? If you are headed out to shop today, consider skipping the big box stores and their sales unless you really, truly have been waiting to buy that one specific thing at a lower price. (I’m all for saving a little dough.) If you’re just shopping, looking for the right gift for a certain somebody, seek out your local independent retailers. Help keep your hard earned dollars in your local community.

More incentive: Check out Unplug the Christmas Machine if you’re not exactly sure how to trim down the holiday season. I read this book years ago and really liked what the authors had to say.

And finally, I just ran across reference of Bill McKibben’s Hundred Dollar Holiday yesterday. I’ve not read it, but if you’ve been here long, you know I’m a fan of McKibben’s ideas. I’ll definitely be looking for this book.

The holidays are so full of excess, even when we think we’re cutting back. Let’s encourage each other to keep the waste and want not to a dull roar this year, shall we?

 

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Waste-Free Window Cleaning

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If you’re still using paper towels to clean your windows, it’s time to make a switch. One solution is to use crumpled newspaper instead, but it does tend to leave your hands black and inky. I prefer to use cotton rags. My system is two-handed: squirt homemade window cleaner on the window, then use one rag to wipe most of the grime and cleaner away (right hand). Follow this with final wipe-down with a dry rag (left hand).

Photo: Flickr user D’Arcy Norman

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Swap out One Food Item, Change the World

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condiments, homemade,

(This is not my refrigerator.)

Can I make you think for a moment? If you pondered your family’s eating habits and figured out the one prepared item that is used in your household, what would it be?

I asked a similar question on Facebook the other day and got a variety of answers: ketchup, salsa, ranch dressing, Miracle Whip*, barbecue sauce, bread, spicy mustard…

Now, think about the trash and plastic you could eliminate from the waste stream, the chemicals (in many cases) you could remove from your family’s diet, and the trips to the store you could avoid if you made that one item at home. What if instead of depending on Heinz and Kraft and Pace to fulfill your family’s desire for that must-have item, you made it yourself? Of course, you’ll likely need the help of a farmer or two for some of the ingredients necessary to make your version, but removing that whole step of manufacturing your favorite prepared item is better for the environment and very likely better for your health. It gives you the opportunity to choose organic or sustainably farmed items. And it teaches the younger generation that food, real food, doesn’t have to come with a label.

I’ve already converted to making my own grainy mustard, ketchup, hamburger relish, salsa, and barbecue sauce. My eldest son has started baking our sandwich bread. We’ve still got a long way to go toward eliminating all prepared foods, but it’s a start. And I can tell you that it has been a painless conversion. In most cases, all you need to do is commit to a half an hour or so of cooking. In the case of ketchup, it will take longer, but that’s because it needs to cook down. There’s not much active work going on during that stage. And that half-hour in the kitchen will generally net you way more of your favorite condiment than what you’d get at the store – for less money.

*I’m not a fan myself, but I found this recipe for homemade Miracle Whip. Even that can be created in your kitchen!

Photo: Flickr user sylvar.

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September Challenge: Cut Fuel Usage

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With gas up well over $4 a gallon (here, a brief pause while you all gasp) I’ve been limiting my own gasoline usage for quite awhile. I’m fortunate that we live within walking distance to town and both of my boys can walk to work. Since I work from home, I generally only drive the car once or twice a week. Certainly I drive it little enough that I’ve wondered if we truly need it.

This month, as school gets into full swing, many families may see a surge in their fuel usage – but I’m challenging you to cut it. Inspired by this post over at Living Large in Our Little House, join me during the month of September as I work to cut my driving down even more. As Living Large asks:

Do you really need to take the kids to school and pick them up, idling your car in those long lines in front of the school?

Here’s the challenge: Eliminate ONE car trip from your weekly travels. Ask yourself if you really need to drive to the post office, the bank, the store. Could you save that trip and do it on the day you have a can’t-miss appointment scheduled?

Living Large offers some great tips for using less gas. Here are a few more:

  • If you must deliver kids to and from school, make friends with the neighbors. Sharing this duty will save fuel for both of you.
  • If you’re a daily commuter, consider taking the bus one day a week. If there’s no way around driving to work and back, see if you can ride share. If those are just not possible, eliminate a weekend car trip.
  • Use a shopping list. Running back to the store for the one item you forgot uses just as much gas as you’d use for an entire carload of groceries.
  • Stock up at the store if you can. If you’ve got a full pantry, you’ll be less inclined to head to the store for one little thing.
  • If your pantry is relatively full, shop at home. Instead of making what sounds good for dinner (how’d we get into that bad habit?) make dinner with the ingredients you have on hand.

So. Who’s in? What’s ONE car trip in a week? Surely you can join in for the greater good!

 Photo: Flickr user Dylan Passmore

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August Challenge: Skip the Styrofoam!

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Now here’s a challenge that will be either super easy for you or really hard – especially if you do takeout on a regular basis in certain states (ahem, Hawaii!). While some communities have banned polystyrene (Styrofoam is a brand name for polystyrene), others continue to allow restaurants and food service companies to serve meals and drinks in foam containers. Foam containers that just. Don’t. Go. Away.

According to the EPA, Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 petroleum-based foam cups every year. And 500 years from now, the foam coffee cups we use today will still be sitting in a landfill.

If that’s not enough to make you stop the Styrofoam habit right now, I don’t know what is. So, here’s the challenge: say no to foam.

  • If you frequent a restaurant that uses polystyrene containers, bring your own container for your meal and let the owner know that you want them to make a change. If restaurant owners don’t know that it’s important to their patrons, they might not make a change.
  • Take the time to compliment a restaurant that’s using compostable takeout containers – even though I’m sure you’ve brought a container of your own to avoid the waste of disposable containers.
  • Take your own beverage container to conferences and events where foam cups are commonly used. Bonus: you can use it for water, too, and eliminate plastic bottles as well.
  • When you order items that will be shipped to you, ask the company not to use foam peanuts. If you do receive items in foam peanuts, recycle them with your own shipping or take them to a mail center that can use them.
  • Same goes for shippers – think wineries – that might use a foam packer to protect their product en route.
  • Skip the arts and crafts that start with foam cones or balls.
  • I’m sure this goes without saying, but if you’re planning an event, skip the foam plates and cups. See it as an opportunity to set a good example for the less knowledgeable!

Photo:Flickr user Gainesvegas under Creative Commons

 

 

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More Shower Curtain Smarts

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Wow. Who knew that a short, two sentence post about switching from a plastic/vinyl shower curtain to cloth would generate so many questions?

Melanie said:

Boy, in theory I agree with you, but I always seem to go with plastic because they’re so much easier to keep mildew-free in my house.

As someone who lives in a very humid climate that breeds mildew faster than my teenage boys can inhale a pizza, I can tell you that I have no problem with my fabric shower curtains. They mildew, yes. But it’s a simple matter of taking them down and running them through the washing machine to combat the problem – something I find easier to do than to continually wipe down a plastic shower curtain. Commenter JenJenn agrees. She lives in humid Florida and has found cloth to be a better choice than vinyl.

Kira wondered if I have any recommendations for a cloth shower curtain, while Becky asked about the cost. Although I’ve eyeballed organic options like this hemp shower curtain, in truth, I’m a tightwad and I have to balance my desire for a more sustainable household with my limited budget. The shower curtains I have are both from a discount department store and made of at least some polyester. Not my top choice for fabric, but they work. I can’t recall exactly how much I paid for them, but I’m thinking they were around $6-7 each.

Casey asks:

But what can I do about the inner plastic liner? We’re really splashy people…

Don’t use one! I’m sure my cloth shower curtain is technically meant to be used with a plastic liner, but I’m a rule breaker. My husband is a very splashy guy and we simply don’t have a problem. The thin polyester fabric seems to repel the water – no need to give up splashing!

And I have to agree with NoPotCooking, who mentions that brushing up against a cloth shower curtain in the buff is more pleasant than a clammy plastic shower curtain blowing against you.

And now let me share another shower curtain tip with you. I have one of those small stall sized showers in my bathroom. A full sized shower curtain is way too big, and having that much material jammed into a small space (whether you’re using cloth or vinyl) is just a mildew breeding ground. The shower curtain never gets a chance to dry out. So I cut my shower curtain in half and hemmed the edges. For the price of one shower curtain, I now have two, each just big enough to cover the opening of the shower. I can take one down, toss it in the laundry, and hang up the extra one without missing a beat or getting (ahem) sidetracked.

We don’t have to do things exactly like the manufacturers would like us to. Take commenter JenJenn for example. She’s taken her shower curtain subterfuge a step further: she’s using window curtains on her shower! Hooray for creative solutions!

Photo: Flickr user kissyface under Creative Commons

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Shower Curtain Smarts

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Next time you need a shower curtain, choose fabric rather than plastic. Fabric shower curtains are easier to wash and reuse, and don’t emit toxic fumes like PVC curtains do.

Photo: Flickr user kissyface under Creative Commons

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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]