"48 States in 48 Days: One Man's Journey of Activism."

When I think back on my childhood role models of activism and environmentalism, the foremost couple in my mind are the wonderful Barbara Clark and Charlie Adler of Attleboro, Massachusetts, the parents of my lifelong best friend Carlen. From the time we were little, Barbara and Charlie graciously and selflessly opened their home to international exchange students, and offered them a quintessentially American learning and life experience, paving the way for my future goal and experience hosting my very own students in my house.

Photo: From Charlie's @48states48days Facebook page

Charlie has always been very active in local land conservation and city politics, often running for positions to help steward the green spaces and interests of Massachusetts. I remember the fabric wall hanging in their house of political buttons reaching back decades and the stories of Barbara and Charlie's involvements in supporting candidates in every election. I have always admired their work and efforts.

This past election cycle has created a cloud of apathy against the major party candidates, pitted patriotic Americans against each other as we argue about the way to move forward, and broadcasted an ugly and contentious political race both internationally and to our children at home, as a race unlike that of which I have ever seen in my three decades of life.  Yesterday, I learned that Charlie is undertaking a quest of personal activism to travel to the State Houses or Capitol Buildings of all 48 of the contiguous States of America to share the following important message:

Photo: From Charlie's @48states48days Facebook page

As a fellow environmentalist and traveller, I will be tracking Charlie's journey and countdown to election day. If you would like to learn more or follow his journey, please like and follow @48states48days on Facebook. Wishing you a safe and positive journey, Charlie. Godspeed!

"America's Dirty Habits: Bad for the Environment, Bad for U.S."

Of course there are many things that we have adopted into our culture that are bad for the environment but today's post outlines some big offenders. I am spreading awareness to try to break this mold of "standards" that have originated from other ecosystems (Lawns), to get people to consider alternatives to dry-cleaning and hot air drying, investing in reusable universal BPA-free plastic bottles, and even trying to raise awareness about communities that aren't recycling. Check 'em out!

-> Comment Forum: Let me know about any other Bad Habits for the environment that you might be educated about below.

1. GREEN LAWNS. Lawns are a big offender. First, there's the water waste in watering the millions of lawns across America, many of which are in ecosystems where green grass is not natural. There are also the billions of gallons of fossil fuels used to mow and maintain these lawns. Then there are the pesticides, herbicides and chemicals used by landscaping companies with big development or business contracts that are polluting the ground, and areas nearby and underneath these lawns. Read more about the hazards to the environment as a result of lawns here on Smithsonian's Blog.  I truly resent that the "classic green lawn" is the standard for subdivisions and businesses everywhere. They are not conducive to a green planet, even though they may look like it.

Where did lawns originate? In England, where rains are a daily occurrence. It's ridiculous to me that this fashionable landscape can be found in the deserts of America in subdivisions and of course at golf courses throughout many climates where irrigation, reclaimed water and vast amounts of chemicals are needed to maintain the greens.

What are alternatives to a green lawn? (1) Replacing your lawn with clover, which requires little water, no herbicides and gives you good luck! (2) Planting a wildflower garden or meadow. (3) Replacing your concrete or asphalt driveway with gravel. (4) Creating a vegetable garden paradise instead of a lawn. (5) Creating a pebble or rock "zen" garden. (6) Creating a "southern desert" rock garden.

2. ELECTRIC DRYERS. I live in the humidity of Tampa, Florida and I understand why hanging laundry outside is a bad idea: mold, bugs, pollen, spores, etc...However, there has to be an alternative to these electric dryers. Even the newer ones use a large amount of energy. However there are ways to be mindful of the energy being used. Read my friend Nicole's blog post about "Ten Eco Friendly Laundry Tips" here. For example:

• Use a tennis ball, or a natural dryer ball (read Nicole's review of organic ones here.)
• Use less of the heat, more of the air dry.
• Consider hanging clothes inside instead on a clothes rack or a line.

3. DRYCLEANING. Don't dryclean your clothes. EVER. The chemicals are extremely harsh (and carcinogenic), and are put on your skin when you wear the clothes. You can read all about it on the EPA's website here.  Educate yourself! Besides, contrary to the name, dry cleaning is not a dry process, and also requires heat drying, which wastes power. Hand wash instead! Or consider trying to find an "Organic Drycleaner" which are becoming more and more popular. 

4. PLASTIC BOTTLES. I can't believe how many plastic bottles Americans go through each year. This isn't going away, folks. They are just increasing in number in vast quantities and so many of them aren't being recycled! It's sickening. Please buy reusable BPA-free bottles. TIP: While I know they can pile up and be expensive, if you buy many that are the same type it is easier to find lids for them. 

5. COMMUNITIES that AREN'T RECYCLING: That's on you, Florida! (And many other places.) While the counties around me recycle, none of the apartment/condo/townhouse subdivisions do. That's hundreds of pounds of trash that needn't be in the landfills. It makes me ill to think about it, and no one is advocating for change in this regard. I've been known to drive bags of plastic and paper to recycle centers, but these are few and far between, and it still uses gas to get there. Any ideas on how we can clean this dirty habit up? Comment below. 

So perhaps I missed the Bad Habit that you wanted to read about: Flying, home energy consumption, junk mail, newspapers, eating meat, plastic bags, driving and parking. I too considered these habits, and wanted to learn more about them. I found a great article by the Chicago Tribune which included these habits, which is highly worth reading if you want to educate yourself about even more bad habits. 

Really, to change a habit requires commitment for about thirty days. So challenge yourself this year, and if you forget for your New Year's Resolution to axe some or all of these habits from your list and you can join me in the quest to leave less of a carbon footprint on mother Earth. Thank you for considering making some of these changes: together we can change the world.

I'd be honored if you would share or like this post. For more reading like this, FOLLOW me on Facebook at FootstepsintheDirt.

Lean and Green Frugal Living: A great blog you should check out!

Check out my friend and colleague Nicole's Blog about Lean and Green Frugal Living! She has great tips, coupons and reviews about living green in a challenging consumer economy! 

http://leanandgreenfrugalliving.blogspot.com

My 100th Post: "American Clothing Consumption."

I originally started this blog last year to bring awareness to environmental, social and worldly issues. Today for my 100th post, I return to that mission to discuss American clothing consumption.

"American Clothing Consumption."

Today I learned a frightening statistic: that the average American buys 64 items of clothing per year. In 2009, that averaged almost $1900 per person. Considering overall income: clothing and apparel services was only about 4% of an American's total income: see graph below for the visual economics of expenditures.

(Click on Photo to enlarge.)

However, this number (64 items on average per person) was shocking. Then I thought about how many of these clothing items are NOT recycled, reused, or redistributed and I decided that it's time for a Sustainability Reinvigoration! Please donate your used clothing and items to one of the following charities: (click on linked name for locations) the Salvation Army, Goodwill, the American Red Cross, Vietnam Veterans "Pick Up Donation" service, and more instead of throwing them out. (If your favorite donation charity is not listed, please add the link to it under the "Comments" section of this post!)

Another fashion issue to consider for increased sustainability is the quality of clothes purchased. The cheaper or more badly made the clothing item, the less "wear and tear" it has and the more likely it is to be thrown out. The "trendier" the item, the more likely it will be thrown out within a few seasons! There was an interesting interview with Elizabeth L.Cline (the author of the new book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion) on the other issues with "cheap fashion" on MarketplaceReporting.org, about the environmental and human costs as well. Her wisdom? Buy clothing guaranteed to last, that is "classic," and comfortable. 


How do you determine the value of a brand in regards to Sustainability? For this information, I turn to my trusted Better World Shopping Guide. (As a young teacher, my means are limited, but there can be power in every dollar I spend if I spend it the right way.) Check out your favorite brands from the Better World Shopping Guide's Clothing Brand Analysis. To find out how they created these rankings (based on Human Rights, the Environment, Animal Protection, Community Involvement, and Social Justice) please visit their website here.  


"In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine." - “The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations: The Great Binding Law.


By educating yourself about the sustainability of the brands you buy, by buying better and buying less, and by recycling all of the clothes that we need to get rid of, we can change the world.

Thank you for reading my blog. If you like it: Please Follow Me! 

Carbon Footprint: The Royal Wedding Edition!

"Carbon Footprint: The Royal Wedding Edition!" 

Aimee having a Low Tea at Nicole's 

As consumed as I was this week watching the beautiful historical moment of the British Royal Wedding of TRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton, (see photos) I did also spend a good deal of time thinking about the impact this event would have on our planet. I was comforted to know, in this modern age, that this was considered in many of the plans for the Wedding and related events. 


Green Points: According, to Justmeans.com, the menu (for the Prince of Wales' evening reception), was sourced from organic and local foods, and the cake featured free range eggs. The Royal Couple asked supporters to donate to Earthwatch as one of their 26-charities benefitting from the Royal Gift fund, the invitations were printed on recycled paper and the media stands were constructed with Forest Stewardship-Council certified wood. Catherine's ring was made from  Welsh gold, (instead of conflict ridden minerals) and her dress was made with British textiles and traditional handicraft (not a sweatshop). The flowers were seasonal and not exotics shipped in for the event. The 140 tonnes of waste collected from the city will be recycled as well. 

Nicole's tea in honor of HRH
The Duchess of Cambridge.

The UK Telegraph used the Landcare Research estimates which included: international guest travel, to local crowd travel, the flyover, television and media coverage electricity, and emissions from hotels and venues...these considerations and more, but left out "any emissions from the millions of tons of bunting, cheap Union Jacks and confetti flooding the streets on the day or the flights of the international media." (source)  However, there were other considerations the UK telegraph suggests that they could have taken advantage of, which could have further reduced the carbon footprint of the day, which they did not: such as asking guests to come by public transport, or to offset their flights, and more. 

I do appreciate that the Royals asked people to donate to charities or their gift fund in lieu of gifts. (Which saves packaging and shipping carbon.)

The charities that are benefitting from the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund are:
Peace Players
Ocean Youth Trust

Greenhouse Schools

Oily Cart

Dance United

IntoUniversity

Venture Trust

Beat Bullying

Keyfund

A National Voice

Association for Children’s Palliative Care (ACT)

Youth Access

Community Foundation in Wales

Community Foundation in Scotland

Community Foundation in Berkshire

Combat Stress

Cruse Bereavement Care for Children of Forces’ Families

Household Cavalry Benevolent Fund

Irish Guards Appeal

Army Widows Association 

Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund

ZSL

EarthWatch

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary

New Zealand Government’s Christchurch Earthquake Appeal

Royal Flying Doctor Service – Australia

I think it's important to think about our own individual carbon footprints: for every event, large or small, in our lives. You can check out my other posts on carbon footprints here... or visit my carbon footprint calculator post.

Earth Day 2011 Challenge: Get involved!

DO:  Pledge an Act of Green! "A Billion Acts of Green," Sponsored by Earthday.org. Quickly Register with the Facebook App to show your friends what we can do together!

READ: Check out the Huffington Post's "9 of the Best Books You Should Read to Celebrate Earth Day!"

ATTEND: A Local Earth Day event near you! For listings, click here...

CONNECT: See what your friends are doing on Facebook! Challenge them to pick something to give back to the earth today!

CHANGE: Commit to these "five ways you can embrace Earth Day everyday!"
1. Turn off the lights!
2. Use less water.
3. Don't print. (From the printer)
4. Offset your carbon footprint: plant a tree!
5. Talk about "Earth Year" instead!

CELEBRATE! Check out what you can do to help celebrate Earth Day! For 15 great ways to celebrate Earth day: click here!

LEARN: The Top Ten things you can do to make a difference on Earth Day!

My challenge to you: pick one and report back on it here at the end of the day!

Aimee's Recycling Challenge Results!

 Aimee's RECYCLING CHALLENGE RESULTS!!!

Last week, I kicked off my first RECYCLING CHALLENGE, offering a prize gift card to the winner who collected the most recyclables and then uploaded a picture to the Facebook Event, or to my e-mail. I feel it was hugely successful because people, like myself, looked beyond their normal recyclables for extra odds and ends around the house that they could reduce, recycle and reuse!  Here are the entries:

Melissa's entry!

Grace's recycling entry!

Cleaning out my own fridge!

Randi & Jenna's recycling entry!

Carlen's: Part I

Carlen's recycling entry! Part II

And now to announce the winner! A young man, who endlessly searched his neighborhood for cans and paper, and more, one of my seventh grade students: Matthew, created this YouTube video of his efforts, which are to be commended. 

Thank you to all of my participants! Keep up the great work! 
Happy EARTH DAY month! 


Love, Ms. Aimee Nadow.

Carbon Footprint: Can you buy back yours?

When I flew up to Boston this weekend for my brother's wedding I started thinking about my carbon footprint again. Usually when you buy a plane ticket, nowadays, there is the option to add a fee which "buys back your CO2 consumption" and supports companies who contribute to green technologies or something. I decided to see exactly where this money goes by researching the companies being invested in.

(First, you should calculate your carbon footprint by visiting this online calculator...)

But I know mine's high. I'm a teacher: I get a lot of vacation time: so I travel a lot...how can I invest some of my money to help reduce my carbon emissions? Here are some companies willing to help:


1. The Nature Conservancy accepts charitable gift donations and plants trees to offset CO2. 
2. Carbonfund.org also offers a carbon footprint calculator and through money gifts invests in projects in three categories: Renewable Energy & methane, Energy efficiency & carbon credits, and Reforestation and avoided deforestation. (Read about their projects here.)
3. Green Mountain Energy (and its projects) support alternative fuels: wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, landfill, methane capture carbon offsets, and hydro.
4. Carbon Footprint also offers a clean energy portfolio and Certified Emission Reduction. (Chosen by IKEA, Hoover, and Deutsche Bank businesses.)

I wonder if there are actually statistics of what percentage of people actually pay the voluntary airline fee/donation to these companies-and how much this opportunity is actually helping the world. The native Massachusetts-taxachusetts democratic influence over me wishes the $12? Fee could just be tacked on- just like the environmental fee with every oil change these days...although there is something inherently wrong with the mentality of "buying back" bad environmental behaviors. That sort of mentality could foster a nonchalance and indifference that sets us back 20 years again. (Check out the Climate Commissioners that agree with me: we can't stop the heat.) There has to be a way to unite everyone uncertain practices that improve our world instead if burdening it with gases and trash...I guess simply educating people about the difference a single person can make is a start.


Carbon Emissions in the News: (What you should know).
Mar 28th: "Five Everyday Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint." By Susan Cornell.
Mar 28th: China announces targets for carbon emissions and energy cuts.
Mar 7th: The EU sets emissions targets for airlines as of 2012.







         

Aimee's RECYCLING CHALLENGE! (Yes, there is a prize!)

Aimee's Recycling Challenge! Think you're a great recycler? Play my game this week to win a prize! The Challenge: collect as many pieces of recycling as possible, take a picture at the end of the week, I will determine who has the biggest "pile" or fullest bin(s). Please no cheating! What counts: paper, magazines, cans, glasses, plastics, etc. Photos should be uploaded here on this wall by Saturday (April 2nd, 2011) by Noon EST. The winner will be announced on Sunday morning. The prize (a gift card of your choice) will be mailed out on Monday morning! Go get those recyclables!!!

A HILARIOUS review of the new Chevy volt...

Jay shared this with me today, and I spent about ten minutes busting a gut over it during fourth period. If you need a laugh, check it out! (It's from the snarky point of view of a man determined NOT to like the Chevy Volt and his revulsion at actually liking it after all.)

"A highly charged volte-face - St. Petersburg Times," from the Washington Post and St. Pete Times.

 

Enjoy!

Carbon Footprint: Calculate your consumption!

From bananas to soda, car mileage to milk, every human creates their own carbon footprint. Learn more about your own at the link below:

Calculate your CARBON FOOTPRINT here...

Fashion Forward: A Look at Fashion and its Impact on the World.

Dior Runway Show:  Jan. 24, 2011

It's Paris fashion week, and in light of the Haute Couture fashions shows: today's showcasing Dior (click link to see the runway show pictures, photo below) and Giorgio Armani Prive,  and tomorrow featuring Chanel and the scary models of Givenchy, and on Wednesday Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino, I thought I'd take a moment to think about the impact of fashion around the world.

I'm constantly examining the labels in my clothes to see where they came from. Most commonly I find Sri Lanka (an island nation with a population of 20M) where just this week there was an article in the UK Telegraph about how Sri Lanka is recycling fashion from waste materials "on an industrial scale." Although only a few years ago, embroiled in illegal sweat shops, workers (mostly female) were being paid less than $40.00 U.S per month. Now, these thoughts are front and foremost in my mind, but this wasn't always the case...

I remember in high school, my dad threatened to "throw out anything I bought from Ralph Lauren," because of the accusations of sweat shop labor. This message has always stuck with me throughout the years as I became a consumer and was able to purchase any label I wanted.

In my two years at Saks Fifth Avenue at the tender age of eighteen and nineteen, I became more brand-savvy, partially because I was trained and tested on name brand (pronunciation too) recognition. I became somewhat of a brand snob as I purchased a collection I've since discarded to consignment shops to another customer's delight, thinking that the brand or label made the woman or man. I've since learned that it's not what you wear, but how you wear it, that matters. (Thank you for teaching me that lesson: Natalie.) Always harking in the back of my mind were the thoughts of: how much money it was costing and how much waste it created when I got rid of it after it wasn't fashionable. I've since reconciled my 'wasteful fashion sense of youth' with the tried and true mantra, "The Classics Never Go Out of Style," and tried to stick to solid colors (not prints that go out easily) and the basics: pant, skirt, blouse, sweater, blazer/jacket.

Beyond the basics of clothes: I think it's important to think about our carbon footprint on the world. Think about this: since you were born, how many things and how much "stuff" JUST for you has been thrown away? Clothes, shoes, food trash, paper, etc? You can see the stats for an average human lifetime footprint here but the average weight of your lifetime (~77.9 years) of trash is TWENTY tons. That's about 22 elephants. Or three school busses PER PERSON. Multiply that by the current global estimated population of 6.9 billion people.

How can we begin to educate ourselves about responsible companies, such as the Brand Names of the Fashion world? With sites such as greenamerica.com. They outline how to live green, discover fair trade and the benefits of supporting fair trade companies, how to buy sweat-free products and what to boycott to send a message home to a company. It's not the only company out there leading the charge, but it's a start. I hope you'll take a minute to check out their site.

Have a great night!
-Aimee