Garden update--cicadas, a well, and being green.

They started drilling the well. Everyone in the neighborhood can see it. WOW.

Long watermelon!

do watermelon come in "crookneck"?

round watermelon

spaghetti squash--nearing the end...

Okra--too hot for the pods

I heard that there aren't the expected amount of cicadas this year. Imagine my surprise to find them in our yard. Oh wait, we get to see every kind of bug here...

cicada on palo verde

cicada on tree stake

Down to one truck.

Leaving--this "path" can't be planted...

They are done drilling the well. Now the pump installation...

We had a guy come out from an energy audit company to evaluate our house and make recommendations on improvements to reduce our utility bills. We knew it would be a sales pitch but, wow, I didn't know he'd be there that long. It was exhausting. The good news is that there isn't really anything substantial we need to do. Most of his recommendations were about putting film on the windows. I'd consider it but it's a lot of money and I'm not sure it's that much benefit. I just can't tell you how exhausting that was.

Oh, how my garden grows. -ish.

Some things are making progress, some seem to be the same as last week.  I can't find any more of those green catepillars, since I actually dug up the affected plants and pulled some babies out from underneath.  But there are little green aphid looking things on my lettuce now.  I sprayed this weekend when I saw them.  I'm still struggling with the mushroom invasion, now taking more root in the pots outside the garden but still showing their slimy heads in my raised garden as well.  I'm still uncertain about the amount of water the garden is getting--it seems too wet but what do I know.

I'm doing a little reading from my Linked-in groups and found several ideas and resources.

• I need to borrow a dehydrator from someone.  I bought this awesome freeze-dried herb mix in the produce section of the grocery store a few months ago, and have never seen it in a store again since then.  I would LOVE to make my own.  I would not love to buy another thing that I don't know how much I will use.
• For you, K: homemade cleaners, including how to clean your oven without toxic chemicals.  I need more plastic bottles...
• I can (and should) eat these spices for better health.  I'll have to remember to add cinnamon to my almost daily oatmeal.  I should probably just follow this blog and get it over with.  It's, well, I want to say it's kinda green, even for me, but that's not quite right--it's just a crafty vibe.  Anyway, it has great resources and tips.  And I like the progress reports about the organic garden.  Much better than mine!
• I'm not sure I completely agree that Wheat is evil.
• A guide to rose colors.

In the news: go organic, where's the fish, and kids aren't smart.

Someone was recently telling me about what a rip-off organic food is and there isn't any benefit to organic gardening.  I knew he was wrong.  Key findings of a 30 year study show:

•Organic yields match or surpass conventional yields.
•Organic yields outperform conventional yields in years of drought.
•Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system.
•Organic farming uses 45 percent less energy and is more efficient.
•Conventional agricultural systems produce 40 percent more greenhouse gases.
•Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional farming systems.

*****

An article in the LA Times (no link, annoying video ad) had this tidbit buried:

AquaBounty's proposal calls for the embryos of the fish to be sterilized in Canada before being shipped to Panama, where the males would be exposed to estrogen and sex-reversed. If the FDA rules in favor, the salmon would become the first genetically modified fish approved for human consumption.

The article was all about the fishing or fish farming industry and completely missed that these Frankenfish would expose the consumer to MORE estrogen.  Ewww.

*****
And why you should not tell a kid "you're smart"

Green bits

I keep running across what to do about ants.  They must be a bigger problem than I thought.  I hope that ant was ready for his close-up.  I feel itchy now.

When we finally get grass in our yard, if I can get a landscape maintenance company that is green, we can use our grass clippings to discourage weeds.

There are apparently some issues with hand sanitizers, but it looks easy to make your own with just a few ingredients.  I may even have the ingredients now.

I loved the fun theory on the piano stairs and these are almost as good.  The rubbish bin makes a freefalling sound effect and the recycling bin is an arcade machine.  I love how the guy picks up someone else's trash in the first one and the kid in the second one dances when he gets the points.

Maybe you CAN build a better light bulb.  We'll see....

Green bits

Vegans are destroying the Amazon.  Due to expanded soy planting, deforestation has increased.  I mentioned this tidbit in mixed company and some guy I don't know at all told me that China is the biggest consumer of soy.  I don't know that they are the biggest importer of soy, but whatever, vegans are destroying America.  I'm pretty sure I heard so on the Colbert Report.

The USDA is a government agency responsible for reporting pesticide data, but it is not on schedule to release the latest study.  In addition to asking for the information usually released in January, a request has been made for "documents about communications it has had with the pesticide industry."  Hmmm.

Globally, a third of food produced for human consumption is wasted.  After explaining why less visually appealing produce is thrown away, a suggestion is made to display less.  I think I like it, but it could be hard to implement.

To improve bedroom health: Add a pure wool or natural rubber topper to your mattress. Also, encase your mattress and pillows in organic cotton barrier cloths or zippered encasings to protect your lungs from dust mite allergens. Choose pillows made with untreated cotton, organic cotton (better), buckwheat hulls (great neck support), wool (best at moisture wicking), or natural rubber (97% natural latex). Avoid down comforters (and pillows) because they draw moisture in but don’t dry out quickly and can produce mold. They also attract dust mites. Instead, select a wool comforter for warmth and superior moisture-wicking properties. It’s also very lightweight. (Isn't wool warm? Or is that a myth?)

Vinegar can be used for removing hard water stains as well as killing or deterring ants in the home. For bugs in houseplants: Mix 3 tablespoons of natural liquid detergent into a gallon of water. Pour into a spray bottle and use on your plants once a week as necessary.  Can someone tell me what to put in the live plants throughout our office building to get rid of those friggin black gnats?  The. gnats. are. so. annoying.  Everyone in the office looks crazy swatting at the air.

Never put a used condom in your reusable bag.

I have stopped driving my car.  The brakes are going and the A/C doesn't work, among other issues.  There is enough gas to get to the dealership where I will be picking up my new car next week.  (OK, yes, I'm a little excited.)  As I get ready to give my car a new life (without me), I had to clean her out.  I usually have some combination of these items in my car: library book/book on CD, magazine or newspaper, and coupons.  In my trunk, I have a box of reusable bags.  Yes, I have a box of bags in my trunk.  You never know how many you will need, and if you don't have them in the car, you won't have them.  Well, I do keep one in my purse.  Anyway, stop judging me for my collection of reusable bags.

When I shop, I prefer to bag my own groceries if I can because I know what fits best in what bag.  If someone else bags my groceries, I know they will do a weird or awful job--whether they use my bags or plastic bags.  That's the way it is and has always been; I deal with it.  I wash out some of my bags, but many of them are canvas and I do not put anything "leaky" like meat in them, so I rarely wash those.  (I have had mixed luck with washing--some bags become misshaped or small, and I seem to have lost my favorite one.)

I know I have a lot of reusable bags but they were FREE and I use them.  I no longer look for coupons for free bags, since I have enough.  I was at the grocery with my girlfriends after a pedicure and we got plastic bags except for filling my bag in my purse.  And everyone said they should carry a bag, would start carrying a bag, or do usually bring a bag.  So is it worse to collect reusuable bags or use plastic bags?  I think reusable bags are better in every way.  But there are sanitation issues with them, in particular that people are not keeping them clean.  And I had no idea how much cashiers and baggers feel inconvienienced by them.  (Sorry, I don't care that they take longer--put in more and better self checkout lanes.)

If you use reusable bags (and why wouldn't you--do you hate whales?!), please make an effort to follow Ten Commandments of Reusable Bag Use.  I learned that I should put them in the front of the order (I usually hand them to the bagger or cashier); the rest seem completely obvious to me.  But, just in case you didn't know: never put a used condom in your reusable bag.

Going Green. Or white.

I can't get behind the efforts to convert to CFLs--the squiggly bulbs with mercury in them and poor performance.  So I keep reading about LED technology and waiting for the bulbs to cost less than lunch for two.  I relate to the struggle this author has, wanting to take notice of recent news (like the NYT story she listed, with bulbs around $20, or the story I recently saw about Philips' new bulb) but skeptical of the "too good to be true" ring of the hype.  She lists the pros and cons of LED; fortunately, the cons are improving and are not as significant as "contains mercury."  (I still don't understand why this is NOT an issue for almost everyone, especially environmentalists.)

She gives several tips for choosing bulbs, including logos to look for.  Highlights include looking at lighting design stores, selecting "wattage...“equal to” or “equivalent to” not “similar to” a comparable incandescent wattage" , and testing the bulb after 30 minutes of use (it should not be too hot, or cold, but rather warm to the touch).  There are some notes on dimmers and colors also.

The bottom line is that a lot of research has to be done, "just" to buy energy efficient light bulbs.  Unless my husband decides to go green and research this, I don't think it's going to happen.

So many cars, so little time

My Volvo is falling apart, so we are looking for a new car.  It will be my commuter car, so the primary factors to be considered are fuel efficiency, safety, and price.  I drive on the interstate with big trucks, so I don't want something unsafe.  My Volvo was our first "expensive" car and that has not ended well (maintenance has been very expensive).  And I drive 30 miles each way to work.

Of course the first car to consider is the Prius.  I'm reluctant because one, everyone has one, and two, I understand that the manufacturing is not environmentally friendly.  But it is THE most fuel efficient car, has very good safety ratings, and is reasonably priced.

My husband agreed to work with me to analyze the options and see what else could be possible.  After he worked on a spreadsheet, our short list included a couple of Volkswagons, a Lexus, and a couple of Hyundais.  The Volkswagons were both diesel, which is currently priced higher than other fuel.  While fairly fuel efficient, they weren't as good as the Prius.  And they were manual, which I haven't driven in about 20 years and my husband was not at all excited about.  The Lexus hybrid was the most expensive of the options, but still pretty reasonable and safe.  The Hyundai hybrid also did not match or beat the Prius.  The Hyundai Elantra is not a hybrid but seemed to be less expensive and very fuel efficient for a non-hybrid vehicle.  My BIL has one, but I think he bought it when they were still lower priced.  I test drove one, but the bottom line was that it was about the same price as the Prius, although I'd lose about 10 mpg in fuel efficiency.

Although several people will give me grief (and many more won't agree with our decision), I put a deposit on a  Prius and will be driving one by the end of the month.

Every day is Earth Day

My coffee maker is broke.  I only make a cup of coffee each day.  My niece has one of those machines that makes a cup from a little plastic cup of coffee.  It seems pretty handy, but I thought--what happens to all these little plastic cups of coffee grounds?  And then I asked the lady at Starbucks if they had coffee grounds for my compost (since I'm not making any right now).  The Starbucks by my work has the grounds packaged, but this one essentially gave me a plastic bag of grounds.  When I put them in my composter, I noticed that there were little round shapes.  And then I read that they are using K-cups.  The author, like me, is an environmentalist in the making; the comments remind me of why I'm not sure I'll ever make my blog "public."  Yes, I will still go to Starbucks sometimes!

I don't usually plan ahead of time that I'm going to Starbucks, so I probably won't have my own cup, so I am part of the 99+% who get their coffee in paper cups.  But more interesting in this article, Safeway and Target have higher ratings for sustainable seafood than Whole Foods (or most every other supplier).

I have had some itchy issues with my scalp and tried some of those natural, expensive shampoos without any benefit.  I'm not sure if this is enough to get me to try again.  Sodium laureth sulfate is a very effective foaming agent, which makes it highly effective in the removal of oily stains and residues.  It has also been reported to have other undesirable effects on skin and the environment.

I'm inclined to believe that BPA is not safe, but Coke (among many products) has said they will not change their packaging since evidence is insufficient.  Maybe there is insufficient evidence because:  Four authors of a new report that finds “no noteworthy risk” in human exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA) have ties either to the chemical industry or to companies and groups involved in the manufacture or promotion of BPA.

Be killed. Or evolve.

Pesticides kill more than pests (what a sad story). 

So does caramel coloring in sodas.  (We already know that aspartame in diet sodas is killing us.)

But maybe we'll just evolve like the bottom feeding tomcod, a Hudson River fish that has evolved in the past 50 years to resist toxic PCBs.

What not to wear, and other news

Seventh Generation highlights its chemical free detergent, noting that it does not have optical whiteners like so many commercial detergents. Optical whiteners do not take dirt out of clothes but rather leave chemicals in the fabric to make clothes appear brighter. Clothes washed in conventional detergent will glow purple under a black light. Because of this, the military has instructed that uniforms are laundered with detergents that are free of optical brighteners.


Perhaps more commonly known is that formaldehyde is used in clothing, especially no-iron shirts, one of the reasons that clothes should always be washed prior to wearing. And sports clothing sometimes has triclosan, an antibacterial chemical, which is also found in toothpaste, although it is a pesticide. Um, yum?


The EPA has slightly altered the instrutions for broken CFL bulbs, which have a "small amount of powdered mercury in them." Mercury is toxic and dangerous, and I can't understand how or why these light bulbs have been permitted and promoted.


As the public becomes more aware of BPA in product packaging, companies are looking for alternatives. This report names names and grades companies based on their transparency and their efforts to reduce BPA in packaging. One of the more interesting tidbits is that a company (in this case, GE) can choose to use BPA-free can linings for one product line (Muir Glen) but not the rest (Progresso and Green Giant). I'm not surprised to see Kellogg's gets a D--I can't remember the last Kellogg's label I read that didn't cause me to put the package back on the shelf. Stores are not going to take action until, as Costco says, until "a safe alternative becomes readily available."


I'm a little late but here is A cute picture story for Christmas.

Catching up on message boards

I'm catching up on emails and notifications.

• The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for the fourth consecutive year. It will be milled and processed into a house for a family in need.
• A time capsule was recommended for an eco-craft for kids, maybe using a cookie tin from the holiday season. I wonder if we should do one and bury it in our backyard when we start work there.
• On my "new" commute, there are a couple of those fancy new digital billboards. I noticed that one had a concert ad still showing from last month and was a little confused--how is that not changed out yet? But my primary reaction to these signs is annoyance. They tend to be in driving areas that are busy, accident prone freeways. While they are probably more profitable, they also may be worse for the environment than traditional billboards.
• No, I don't want to start my own organic gardening business, but thanks for the resources and tips.
• A post on a website I don't want to share or promote in any way did have an interesting post about the "junky gift syndrome" or "plastic disaster." How much STUFF did we exchange during the holidays that wasn't wanted or needed this Christmas?
• Someone recently questioned my use of sea salt in my kitchen. I explained that I actually use both "regular" salt and sea salt--they are right next to each other by my stove. This person felt that I would not get any iodine (maintains thyroid glands!) if I used sea salt. Table salt is fortified with iodine, but there are other sources of iodine.
• A thread on a message board discussing the worst excuses for not getting healthy and I ran across this possible tidbit: "People diagnosed with Celiac disease are eligible for a tax deduction on gluten-free foods (because of the extra cost)....do a search for tax-deduction for celiacs."
• Study suggests that consumption of cranberry juice cocktail does not decrease UTIs. Commentors on the message board were concerned with the HFCS or other artificial sweeteners that could impact the effectiveness, as many have moved to either pure cranberry juice (YUK!) or cranberry pills. I take the pills and I think (anecdotally) that they are effective.
• Red No. 40 is not safe for consumption, but it is one of the most commonly used food coloring in the US. Those candy canes are good enough for American children, but as of this summer, several countries have banned the use of this artificial food dye, along with Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 and something called Cochineal Extract. Great, more things to add to my list of groceries to put back on the shelf instead of in my basket.
• My sister and brother have been visiting and we had to go to the grocery store. They drink whole milk--a lot of whole milk. A Harvard Study shows "Whole-fat dairy products may lower diabetes risk." In related news, "Confusion among nutrition experts: High-fat dairy product eaters have 40% higher risk of mortality." I would question the validity of either study, as many factors do not appear to be controlled. But if both were valid results, does that mean that drinking whole milk will keep you from getting diabetes but you will die sooner?!
• Find a registered dietitian! I've been trying to find a good source, not for weight loss, although that would be a great side benefit, but for better health and digestion. I think that some of my pain and health issues could be addressed through diet if I just knew how and could work with someone to figure it out. So now, do I look for someone who works with immune disorders (MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease), oncology patients (my medicine is a cancer drug), digestive disorders, or do I select based on another criteria such as location or use of metabolic measurements? I looked at some of the websites and I don't want someone to give me meal plans or recipes--I have plenty of both.

This very cute picture story "Let it dough" is worth a view or two.  I'm off to allocate my assets to sprinkles...

CFLs are killing us

I may be considered a treehugger, but I have issues with CFL bulbs. We don't have them in our house. We had a few in our old house and they sucked. They burned out within a year or two. In a bathroom. And made a popping sound with a horrible smell and visible fumes when they quit working.

I soon realized that people don't know they have to dispose of them "properly" so the mercury is ending up, well, wherever it ends up. If it is slightly inconvenient to properly dispose of them, it won't happen!

And now, add this to my list of why we don't have CFLs in our house: dirty electricity.

Homemade Chalk

I don't have kids or any (current) reason to make chalk, but this is a great idea for all those parents (or crafty people making gifts) that have kids drawing in the driveway.

Eco beauty

Hmm, vinegar and water for sunburns, whitening toothpaste for discolored nails, and baking soda for chapped lips, interesting tips.

Recycling Cosmetic Containers

I knew about the MAC program (thanks, M, my fave shoe shopping friend) that will give a free lipstick for returning 6 containers. Here are a few more.

And Origins will take containers from any company, which is great for me since I am a Clinique fan. But maybe I can be persuaded to change to one of these companies.

Green myths

Wow, this article gave me some things to think about! And I'm already a skeptic of most things I read. I liked the term "energy sprawl" as I just read something on LinkedIn complaining about how the southwest won't let the desert be covered in solar panels. Why can't we put them on buildings first before we start destroying the beauty of the desert? And I've never understood how green jobs would be new jobs. Won't people that have a certain type of job just be doing a different job? I know I'm naive, but that's why I'm a skeptic!

Earth Day: Inner Eco Lady

In case you think you have gone green, here is an article about someone that picks up other people's trash to recycle. Yep, out of the trash can. I'm sometimes tempted, so maybe I'll be there someday, but I am just enough of a germaphobe to resist....

Earth Day: Green branding

Being green can be confusing. Something may be greener than another option or be perceived as green when it may not be or perceived as not green when it is. This article has some great examples. I was interested in the plastic vs glass bottles as I have heard about this trend towards glass drinking bottles and haven't decided what to do on that one. I love my Nalgene bottles, but saw a cool glass bottle with a sleeve that could substitute.

Earth Day: Going green with Paper bags

Who would've thunk it? A company in China has made the production of paper bags a more green alternative. In China, where the bags have been made in a fairly labor intensive process, this new machine also reduces the cost and labor for producing paper bags. Not sure this is the greenest way to go, but it is better than they've had in many places.