Overwhelmed much??

Sometimes it feels overwhelming with everything that we can and should do in order to make a difference with our carbon footprint.  I often need some inspiration for ideas that I can do in my daily life that will help to reduce the amount of waste that I produce.  I was recommended a blog recently that serves that exact purpose.  It is called "The Zero Waste Home" and is by a women in California and all that she does so that her home does not have ANY waste.  Some of it is pretty extreme but I figure that if I can even implement some of the things that she tries in her home, I will be making more of a difference than I currently am.  It definitely gives me some ideas and helps me to see that it is possible to live with what some people think are extremes. 


Check out the blog here and tell me what you think about it.  Are there any good ideas that you are willing to try in your home?


http://thezerowastehome.com/

Why We Need Change

I came across this article today that someone posted on Facebook that explains why it is so important for us to change the way that we live our lives.  Read the article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/ymedia-alias:story=biggest-jump-ever-seen-global-warming-gases-183955211.html

It discusses how the climate is changing more rapidly than even the worst case scenarios predicted in 2007 by the IPCC report.  

What types of things do you do to reduce your carbon footprint?  Every action that you make can make a difference. However, it is getting to the point that we have to do more than just make minor changes.  We have to spread the word and help others to make those changes too.  How have you done this?  How do you set an example for others to follow?

Like I mentioned in the last post, I plan to change the reason for this blog to be more about actions that you can take to spread the word and help the environment.  I will still mention businesses from time to time, but I think that it is more important at this point in time to talk about the necessary actions that we must take in order to greatly reduce our collective carbon footprint.  Let me know if you have any ideas or requests that you would like me to cover!

Getting Stuff Done

I know that I have not been great at keeping up with my blog... I haven't been good at all.  I want to try to start posting again and talking about things that we can all do in order to help to reduce our carbon footprints.  


With that being said, the new thing that I have pledged to do is to e-mail the president, my senators, my alderman, and the mayor every week to talk about either what they are doing well to help the environment or give ideas about things that they should be pushing for.  I urge you all to do the same.  The more of us who tell them that environmental initiatives are important, the more likely that it will become a bigger issue in politics.  If you are interested, here are some links so that you can send messages.  Send them often!


President Obama:
http://capwiz.com/politicsol/mail/?id=3181&lvl=F&chamber=P


U.S. Senator Dick Durbin:
http://durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/footer-contact?p=contact


U.S. Senator Mark Kirk:
http://kirk.senate.gov/?p=comment_on_legislation


U.S. Representative (find yours):
http://www.house.gov/

Alderman (find yours):
http://chicago.legistar.com/People.aspx


I still have not found the e-mail address for Mayor Emanuel or his office...  If you have his or any additional people to contact, let us know so that we can make sure that the politicians we vote for know what is important to us: protecting the environment!

Companies to Avoid!

This blog focuses on sustainable businesses or people around Chicago so that we can all make more informed decisions about what products or services that we are purchasing.  I came across an article that can also help us make informed decisions, but not because of how sustainable the business is.   This article features some mega-companies that ONLY care about profits.  It is about non-sustainable businesses that aren't specifically in Chicago... but I feel the need to spread the word about these companies so that we can all be more informed about the problems these companies are creating.  Check it out:


http://earthfirst.com/profits-before-people-7-of-the-world%E2%80%99s-most-irresponsible-companies/

(Image from article)

The article by Stephanie Rogers talks about the 7 companies that are doing the most damage to the world (Nestle, Chevron, Wal-Mart, Pfizer, Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, and Monsanto).  Read it and let me know your thoughts.  What do you think we can do to expose these companies more?

Wormplicity

I had the opportunity to e-interview Stephanie Kichler, owner of Wormplicity, a business to help set up worm bin composting.  If you want to check out the website for Wormplicity, go to www.wormplicity.com.  Here is the interview:

What is Wormplicity?

Wormplicity is a small consulting and educational business I created to help bring the knowledge of worm composting to the public. I use a simple approach to composting that can be done easily and cheaply by anyone who is interested in composting.  I really try to keep my methods and teachings simple.

Where is Wormplicity located?

Wormplicity is located at my home, in my computer and in my head :)  I don't have an actual store - I do have a website: www.wormplicity.com.  I spend the majority of my time going out to classrooms, businesses, and doing private in home consulting. 

How long have you had your business?  What was the inspiration for starting it?

I have had my business for just about a year.  I have been teaching about worm composting for over three years now.  I previously worked at a museum in Chicago and when I left that job I had a clear understanding that there was need and a draw from the public to learn about composting.  I loved teaching about it so I simply continued to do so with many of the contacts I had made.  

What is the goal that you have for your business?

I want to inspired people to compost.  Indoors, outdoors - in whatever capacity they can.  It might be the first step they are taking towards a sustainable lifestyle or it might be something they have been wanting to do for a while.  I want the public to see composting as something that is simple, easy, fun and inexpensive.  

Why should people compost?  

Composting is one way the people can recycle or close their own loop.  Wastes are traditionally thrown away and discarded in our dumpsters.  When that happens, the loop is open and the food will end up in landfills.  When you compost you are turning your food into something usable, making it a cycle or a closed loop system.  Reducing the amount of wastes that end up in our landfills is something that can easily be done by composting.  

Some people do compost for other reasons... those being: for the compost, to use on plants and in gardens - the other for the worms, which are a great fishing worm! 

Why do you prefer worm bins to other composts?

Worm bins can be any size, live inside and be active all year round.  They also are much more productive than any outdoor method.  I live in a city and outdoor composting is just not something I could consider here.  I also rent an apartment so if I set up an outdoor compost bin I might move the next year and it would be impossible to take that with me.  I can take the worms with me anywhere I go and keep them inside.  As for size, I don't have a lot of room so I actually keep a few smaller compost bins, rather than one big one.  

The worms are very productive because they quickly eat the food wastes.  Composting outdoors takes about a year to turn the food wastes into soil, with worms you can have a usable amount of compost in just a few months.  During the winter months outdoor composts bin have little or no productivity - but with worms they live indoors so you can keep feeding them all winter.  

If I want to start a worm bin, can I just get worms from outside after a storm?

Those worms you see are usually night crawlers which are not a good choice for composting.  There are two types of worms.  Worms like night crawlers which are great at burrowing and aerating the soil, they don't eat a whole lot.  The best worm to use for composting is the red worm or red wiggler.  These guys are great at eating and decomposing but won't move around a whole lot.  Red worms are also a great option because you can easily purchase them online or at any bait shop.  

If someone wants your help with a worm bin, what do you do for them?  How do they contact you?  Do you have any classes coming up in or near Chicago?

I can give advice as needed over e-mail or phone or I can come for an in home set up.  I can be contact at stephanie@wormplicity.com 

Here are my upcoming classes in the Chicago area:

In these classes I give a demonstration with an option to buy a worm composting starter kit which is $17 and included 100 worms and a small shoe box sized bin,

April 9th Whole Foods Market Palatine - 10am

April 16th Whole Foods Market Hinsdale - 10am

April 16th Whole Foods Market Wheaton - 3pm

April 17th Whole Foods Market Sauganash - 1pm

April 20th Whole Foods Market River Forest - TBD

Aprril 20th Whole Foods Market Naperville - 1pm

How much room does someone need in order to compost or have a worm bin?  What size are the bins?

It depends on how many worms you want, or how much food you want to compost.  A couple would need a minimal amount of space.  A compost bin about the size of a two by three foot plastic bin would be great.  I personally have three smaller shoe box sized compost bins at home right now, they live on a bookshelf.  You just need to find something that works for you.  

What's the best advice that you have for people interested in composting?

There a lot of different ways to set up a compost bin.  Research and figure out what will be the best for you based on food wastes, space, price and maintenance.  Do what is most convenient for you.  When figuring things, keep in mind that 1,000 worms = 1 pound of worms which will eat about 3.5 pounds of food a week.  You can usually put about 2,000 worms comfortably in a regular plastic storage bin.  I only have about 300 worms for my boyfriend and I - we cook at home and eat out.  We don't create a lot of food wastes but we do feed the worms everything we can.  

Do any of you have composts set up?  If so, what type of composting do you do?  Do you have any other advice for people who want to get started?

Carbon Footprint

Are you interested in knowing how sustainable the choices that you are making are?  Take the Carbon Footprint Quiz at: http://myfootprint.org/.


They calculate out your footprint based on how many Earth's it would take if everyone lived like you do.  I know that there are a lot of footprint calculators out there, but this is the best one that I have used.  Let us know how many Earth's your choices are equal to!

Green Renovations

I was listening to a Stuff You Should Know podcast today about green renovations and construction and I thought I would share it with you.  You can access and download it at:

http://podcast.com/episode/65925171/68331/?cp=1125

It also reminded me of the Smart Home at the Museum of Science and Industry. Have any of you been there? Here are some pictures that my sister took when we went there:

Picture of the Vertical Wall

They had some great ideas at the Smart Home for ideas to make sustainable choices if you are renovating your home. If you plan to do that in the near future, I would definitely recommend going to the Smart Home to get some inspiration to make green choices in your renovation. You can find more information on the Smart Home at http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/smart-home/.

Have you done business with any green builders? If so, who are they and what do they do to be sustainable?

Recycled glass counter top

Meat and Farming

So a new butcher opened up in our neighborhood a few months ago.  My husband and I hadn't gone their yet (with me not eating meat right now and all...) but decided to go the other day to find out some more information about them.  It is called The Butcher and Larder.  They use all local farms to buy their meat from, all located in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.  The animals come whole so that they are able to butcher the animal at shop (and to make less waste).  This is the type of meat that I would eat.  I decided that I want to talk a little bit about the farms that the meats come from because people can go purchase there if they wanted.

Happy grazing cows at Dietzler Farm.

Dietzler Farm

- Provides meat for several restaurants around Chicago.

- Raises all natural beef free of anti-biotics or agh's (artificial growth hormones).

- The cows consume only grass and naturally raised non-genetically modified grain.

- Located in Elkhorn, WI and at http://www.dietzlerfarms.com/

Slagel Family Farm

Slagel Family Farm

- Beef, pork, and lamb raised all naturally outdoors.

- Fed grain and hay that is grown on the family farm.

- Animals are not given hormones or implants.  

- No preservatives or artificial additives.

- They also use bio-diesel that they pick up from restaurants they deliver to and use the cooking oil to run the meat trucks and farm equipment.

- Located in Fairbury, IL and at http://www.slagelfamilyfarm.com/

Happy grazing cows at Kilgus Farmstead.

Kilgus Farmstead

- Pasture raised Jersey milking cows (brown cows... have more protein and calcium).

- Mostly known for their milk products.

- Also have milk raised pork and goats.

- Located in Fairbury, IL and at http://www.kilgusfarmstead.com/

These places have the types of meat and dairy that you don't have to be worried about eating.  They are raised locally, which lowers our carbon footprint, and they are raised in a sustainable and natural way (Cows and the bacteria that live in their tummy love grass, not corn).  Compare those farm pictures to this taken outside of a factory cow farm in California (on our honeymoon...): 

You can't even see grass, so you know that the cows aren't eating it.  

Do you support a local farm that I haven't included?  If so, what/where is it?  How do you make sure that the meat you eat is safe?

For those of you interested in getting some meat at The Butcher and Larder, they are located at 1026 N Milwaukee Ave in Chicago and at http://thebutcherandlarder.com/.  (They are still a new business, so the website isn't so great yet).