Comments on: Best Eco for YOU, Not So Planetary

By: jamie

jamie — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:54:47 +0000

I need to start buying non toxic/vegan soaps for the bathroom. But when I see the prices on J*A*S*O*N products, my eyes bulge. Hard to spend $8 on shampoo.

By: Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:41:32 +0000

I agree. The biggest impacts on the environment, good or bad, will likely be on the corporate and industrial level, since they are driven by what masses of consumers demand. If we all demand more, faster, newer, now, environment be damned – they will provide it. If we demand less, slower, better, as we need it, please take care of our planet while you are at it – they might listen. That’s why, in addition to making the right choices for ourselves, we also have to have active voices and demand change from government institutions, corporations, industrializing nations, and all the ‘big’ players who can truly impact our world with their choices.

By: CJStewart

CJStewart — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:12:43 +0000

I was so excited to read this post. Don’t get me wrong. I love Earth. It’s my favorite planet. That being said, I always tell people that my first priority is my family. There are lots of things that are good for Earth that aren’t so good for my family. One perfect example is playground mulch. Grinding up tires to use as mulch instead of throwing them in a landfill? Great for Earth . . . really bad for my kids. Usually, by making choices that are best for my family I’m also helping Earth.

By: Handful

Handful — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:44:58 +0000

Kathy M. – Baby steps… I like that!
The Bag Lady – David and Goliath…excellent example.

I have a three acre yard. I do not use lawn chemicals. I do not water either. Brown grass is cheap grass! I do however water the garden. Luckily my well taps into a huge underground lake. And most of our fertilizer is organic. Still exploring ways to keep the buggers off.

I do wonder about our drinking water supply though. We drink straight from the well – it tastes so much better than our softened water – but with farm fields surrounding us I worry about the chems. We are looking at a whole house filter as suggested by?? Ivory or TL – sorry, can’t remember.

And, unfortunately, our refuse service (nor any other country pickup here) has NO recycling services. We have to drive 45 miles round trip to recycle so I ask is that eco friendly? My Aunt just moved to town though and I can start taking things to her.

A small thing but it just occured to me.

Why?

All you wonderful people!

By: the Bag Lady

the Bag Lady — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:57:08 +0000

Each individual who makes an effort contributes to the global effect, so even though it feels as though we are David against Goliath, we have to keep in mind that David did eventually prevail!
As cattle ranchers, we have made conscious decisions to try to lessen our impact – we do not fertilize our hayfields or pastures with anything other than what falls out of the back of the cows (ahem), nor do we use pesticides, other than the small amount we put in our cattle oiler (a device the cows walk under that prevents infestations of lice and other pests) or herbicides.

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:22:35 +0000

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

Remember that your actions can cause others to act. How many people would never change a thing if you weren’t an example for them? It only takes one person to start a revolution.

By: Sallie

Sallie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:31:53 +0000

Hi, I noticed you meantioned lawn chemicals. Well they are the worst! I was contaminated/ burned, by road side pest/herbicides sprayed by our county. I battled 2 years of health issues and still have fragile health. It was then I became more aware of what we are doing to our selves. I now run a ReUseIt group which I truely believe in keeping out of our landfills what we can.

One household does make a difference!

By: alice

alice — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:00:23 +0000

While I get what you are saying, and certainly don’t have any hate to fling, some of those changes are pretty darned easy and are a way to build habits of change and do ultimately make a small difference.

I think the lawn chemicals can really matter — both to us personally and to the earth. Yes farmers have huge fields and thus use way more chemicals in total, but individual householders tend to use proportionally more chemicals — often more than is recommended on the package and more than would be financially effective for a farmer. And really, a perfectly green lawn is not only unnecessary it is a wasteland for the bees we so desperately need. In addition a lawn that is not perfectly green is a note to your neighbours that those chemicals are not needed — a small flag of change.

Many tropical birds are dependent on our switch to organics — yep it would be better if I gave up coffee, but I am not there yet (no where near).

As for recycling my area picks up almost everything but electronics, plastic bags and styrofoam (so that is a cinch) and I can collect most of those and deliver them myself. The next step is to buy less so I recycle less. I will really be happy when we have successfully pressured electronics companies so that they make things that last (and be upgraded), so that I do not have to keep replacing my radio/cd player.

So lets all do what we can and eventually our individual changes will spread — like the example of my garbage company that picks up almost all recyclables now. Twenty years ago I had to cart off most of it. Twenty years ago several local stores would NOT let people out the door with a purchase and no bag — now asking if you want a bag is standard. Twenty years from now we will have made bigger strides.

By: Amy Sirk

Amy Sirk — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:16:36 +0000

It is really easy to become discouraged. I decided to see my efforts as part of a process. I’ve been in this house 3 years. Each year, each month I do more than before. Sometimes is takes me a couple of months to find a way to improve our footprint but I keep at it. Instead of making a list and making finite changes, every change I make clears my slate to look for a new change to make. I have our water use down to 12 gals/person/day. We use 1/3 of the electricity as the average household. Approximately 65% of our food is local. I was not able to do this all at once. It was a gradual progression of using less or using more efficiently. Right now my project is finding a way to keep the garden going through the winter. Once I have that worked out I’ll be able to turn my energies to another project. Don’t give up just yet.

By: Kathy M.

Kathy M. — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:32:37 +0000

Yea, but it’s not just you. People all over your town are making changes, and you may have inspired some of your blog followers to make some changes as well. I have inspired several people to keep chickens, and start or expand their gardens or plant a fruit tree. I teach people to can and make their own soap and laundry soap. Baby steps will lead to mass change eventually.

When processed foods started hitting the grocery stores, advertisers told people that if they wanted to do what was best for their families, buy boxed, frozen or canned! Now the pendulum is swinging back the other way, because we realize the error of our ways.