...in blogland, that is. We have finally made the move back to Boston, and are getting settled into our new schedules. For my fellow Bostonians, here is some pertinent information I have gleaned from the City of Boston government website (http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/recycling/) that you may or may not already know: if you live in a residential building with 6 or less units, you may request a blue recycling bin by emailing: pwdrecbinreg@cityofboston.gov or by calling: 617-635-4959. A small blue bin "will be dropped off at your doorstep in about a week, free of charge."
Saturday, January 10, 2009
I'm still here...
...in blogland, that is. We have finally made the move back to Boston, and are getting settled into our new schedules. For my fellow Bostonians, here is some pertinent information I have gleaned from the City of Boston government website (http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/recycling/) that you may or may not already know: if you live in a residential building with 6 or less units, you may request a blue recycling bin by emailing: pwdrecbinreg@cityofboston.gov or by calling: 617-635-4959. A small blue bin "will be dropped off at your doorstep in about a week, free of charge."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
gDiapers
Ok, so I don't have any kids yet - but I am a proud new aunt! I met my nephew for the first time over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I am utterly in love with the little guy :) My brother and sister-in-law are very eco-conscious, even when determining which baby products to use. They thought this product might be of some interest to my readers, and I agree!
We all know that disposable diapers take up exorbitant amounts of space in landfills and that cloth diapers require tons of extra washes, but we don't all know about gDiapers (green diapers). These breathable, plastic-free diapers can be flushed, composted, or thrown out (they break down in 50-150 days). GDiapers consist of a washable, cotton outer "pant" and a plastic-free flushable diaper refill. They contain no elemental chlorine, perfumes, plastic, inks, dyes, or latex. If you are interested in purchasing or researching this product, visit: http://www.gdiapers.com/
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Neti Pot
It's that time of the year again when bacteria and viruses run rampant - the common cold, the flu, bronchitis, etc. are constant threats (especially when you work with kids like I do!). Instead of filling my body with chemicals to ward off sickness, I prefer to flush out impurities that might lead to sickness. Enter the "Nasal Cleansing Pot" - a.k.a. the "Neti Pot". Traditionally used as a purification ritual for practicing yoga, the Neti Pot can also be used simply to cleanse the nasal passages.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Footprint Calculator
This is a neat website that allows you to "find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait
Cans Seurat, 2007 60x92" Depicts 106,000 aluminum cans, the number used in the US every thirty seconds.
Paper Bags, 2007 60x80" Depicts 1.14 million brown paper supermarket bags, the number used in the US every hour.
My friend sent me a link to the artist Chris Jordan's gallery entitled "Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait". This collection "looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something...this project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, [the artist] hope[s] to raise some questions about the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming."
Sunday, October 19, 2008
"Carborexic" - A New Entry for the DSM?
Friday, October 17, 2008
How to Recycle Anything
When you do the research, it's amazing to discover how many companies and organizations are devoting time and energy to recycling efforts.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Catching Up
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Green Schools
For more information, visit: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=51
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Ike Reflection
Although we are still in the middle of restoring our house, stop lights are out all over the city, and massive piles of leftover debris litter the sidewalks, we are trying our best to put Hurricane Ike behind us. As you can see above, we tried to make light of a heavy situation by donning headlamps during the 8 days without power - my fiance has a way of making me laugh even during highly stressful times!
I did learn some things about my daily consumption of energy from this experience. For instance, I found myself automatically flipping light switches in the middle of the day when entering a room. If it's light outside, there is no need to use electric light! I will be more prudent about this now that we have power again. I also realized that I am a culprit of using too much water. Sure, I turn the faucet off while brushing my teeth and try to limit the amount of time in the shower, but I can - and should - conserve even more water. There's nothing like a few days without running water to enlighten you about how much water you normally use.
As you can see, I've found an ecologically-sound silver lining to my first hurricane experience!
Monday, September 22, 2008
GreenDimes
Friday, September 19, 2008
Hurricane Update
Friday, September 12, 2008
Prep for Hurricane Ike
Step #1: Barricade any big windows against strong winds (with this category 2 storm, we'll see winds up to 80 mph). The photo of the back of our house shows the barricade my fiance put up over the back windows.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
SIGG Water Bottle
SIGG "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink From Plastic" 33 oz Lifestyle Water Bottle: Made from a single piece of aluminum, this light-weight, crack resistant, and recyclable bottle has been on my list of "green products to buy" for a while now. I was close to devastated (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration) when I found out that my beloved Nalgene and Camelbak plastic water bottles contained the harmful BPA (Bisphenol-A) chemical... look for the number 7 in the middle of a triangle on your plastic containers - if you see this, it's time to replace the container! BPA has come under suspicion as being a culprit for altering hormones by leaching into food and beverages from Polycarbonate #7 plastics. Luckily, "SIGG bottles exceed FDA requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure 0.0% leaching – so they are 100% safe," according to the SIGG website: http://www.mysigg.com/index.asp.
The SIGG company manufactures its products in "an ecologically-friendly environment," and donates 1% of all profits to environmental causes.
I'm not one to broadcast political statements for others to see, (i.e. on my car's bumper etc.), but living ecologically is one message I don't hesitate to proselytise.