Environmentalism v. our disposable culture

My new toaster arrived today. It's the same brand and style as my decade-old one but bigger, such is the way kitchen gadgets are these days. Pots and fridges are growing while cell phones and computers are shrinking. And it's not even one of those convection oven monstrosities. But it's so shiny and new I'll forgive it's wasteful girth.

In this blog I've been writing about trying to use less stuff to reduce my impact on the environment. My views are reinforced every time I turn on the radio, go online or pick up the newspaper (that may be bad for the environment but I've cut back to just Sunday). The latest reminder? Today while driving home I heard an interview on NPR by yes, another person who wrote a book about how we're ruining our planet. This guy was saying Earth is not the same as what we inherited. The air has 5% more moisture and the oceans have more acid. Yikes.

But life, and the little moments that make it up, sometimes get in the way of our best intentions. I blogged last month about my new ceramic mug with a lid that makes it look like a paper cup. But there I was on Sunday night after dinner with a friend, buying a chamomile tea in the Coffee Bean with no reusable mug. She's working the overnight shift and wanted a coffee to keep her awake. Me, I was cold. We'd sat outside for dinner sans heat lamps and  I wanted to be warm on our walk home. So should I have just gone without and stayed cold a little longer? It's not the end of the world, for sure. Comfort v. discipline. Being conscientious v. just relaxing already.

I've also blogged about how I eat way fewer energy bars since the wrappers aren't recyclable. But I bought one today after work because I was hungry and was going to be running the hill. I could have gone without but I would have been cranky and had less energy.

And well, then there's my daily culprit: my 60-mile roundtrip commute.

I think I'm partly sharing this so I don't have to feel like a hypocrite, waxing poetic about all the great things I do for the environment in my blog, when in reality it's a constant battle. Our disposable culture is all around us so when someone like myself wants to live more responsibly, I'm constantly tempted to run into a store or go online and in just a few seconds, I've got my quick fix. But what toll do all these indulgences take on our environment?

I don't mean to sound depressing. We can't put the genie back in the bottle but we can make the changes that are easy and permanent. Use reusable bags when you go to the grocery store. Store food in plastic or glass containers instead of plastic bags. Clean mirrors using a rag instead of paper towels. I know the list of "easy ways to go green" is endless, but it's worth a listen. I don't think all these authors and experts are blabbing on the radio and doing interviews for nothing.

Sometimes it's OK to buy stuff

I need a new toaster oven. I usually feel guilty when I want to replace items that still work, just because I'm tired of them or they're out of date. The first R -- reduce -- is in the lead spot for a reason. I thought about replacing my toaster more than a year ago when I moved into my apartment. Moving brings out that "spring cleaning" feeling of wanting to throw everything away and buy stuff that's as clean and new as your new place feels. But I held off because it worked just fine and after I gave it a good cleaning, looked pretty good too (except for some rust on the top).

Fast forward to now. A few months ago a piece of the knob chipped off, making it harder to rotate to broil, my most-used setting. But I still resisted. Then the other day I accidentally left the bag my tortillas came in on top of the toaster. It made a disgusting mess of melted plastic that then hardened. I had no idea how I would get it off. But I didn't spend any time thinking about it (and by that I mean Googling it) because I decided I'd had enough. I wanted, and was going to buy, a new toaster.

My bubble was briefly popped when I was driving to Macy's. I caught the end of an interview Patt Morrison was doing with Annie Leonard, the author of "The Story of Stuff." She was talking about our desire for stuff and the toll our disposable culture takes on the environment. "Our stuff is trashing the planet ..." Talk about a sign. But when I thought about it, I realized that I think this was the toaster my best friend bought me when I moved to Florida in 2000 for my first real job after college. I was poor and possession-less and it was a sweet gesture. It was also practical, since that Black & Decker toaster lasted 10 years and four moves. So I decided that Patt and Annie weren't talking about me. I wasn't being wasteful, just the opposite. I mean, does anyone keep a toaster that long?

Turns out that Macy's was sold out of the toaster I wanted. I didn't take that as a sign either. As soon as I got home I ordered the same toaster from Amazon. It'll be delivered any day now. And when it does, I'm not going to feel guilty. Only problem is that with the hardened plastic adorning the top of my old toaster, I'm not sure I can donate it to Goodwill. And that brings up a whole other issue. What do I do with a toaster that no one wants?

I listened to the whole interview while writing this post. Annie had some good suggestions, many which I follow.

-- Use rechargeable batteries. And if you do have regular batteries, don't throw them in the trash. Take them to an electronics store or a hazardous waste disposal site for recycling.

-- Stop using single-use disposable items like coffee cups and plastic bags.

-- Resist the urge to upgrade your electronics, which are loaded with lead, cadmium, mercury and other toxins. E-waste is the most hazardous part of our garbage. When you do get rid of something, make sure you recycle it with an e-Stewards certified recycler so it doesn't get shipped to a third-world country, where electronics are smashed open for the gold and copper, and all those toxins gets spilled out.

So for now, I'll continue using my cell phone even if I get made fun of for not having a new fancy one. It works just fine. With that one, Annie's got my back. But I'm going to enjoy the hell out of my new toaster too.

Cities should charge for bags

I love this story. In January, Washington, D.C. started charging a five-cent tax on bags and it has made a huge difference. The number of bags used by shoppers dropped dramatically -- from 22.5 million to 3 million.
 
I've always felt that cities should do what D.C. is doing because I think they're going to have to in order to get people to make the switch. We'd like to think that everyone is going to be environmentally conscious but the reality is that old habits die hard, that is until money is involved. All the folks at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods carry their reusable bags into the store with pride but the regular ol' grocery store is a different matter. Some people bring their own bags but it still seems to be a minority, even in California where the major chains are required to sell reusable bags.

I hear people saying they always forget their bags but if they were suddenly charged, I can guarantee they wouldn't leave home without them. It is an easy habit to get into. I hardly ever forget my bags because I have a half dozen at home, plus three in the car that roll up and fit in my glove compartment. All right, to be honest I did forget a bag today when I went to Home Depot. I almost was going to run to my car to get my bag before I got in line but I decided not to because I was being lazy. But I bet if I'd been charged for that bag, I would have gone back to my car. Not because five cents is a lot of money but because of the principal of it -- why pay for something you already have.

The tax is one of the first of it's kind in the nation, according to the Washington Post article. Even better, the money raised from the tax is paying for a river cleanup. I hope that other cities follow in D.C.'s lead, and soon.

More fresh eggs

I think I need to take a food photography class because I take a lot of photos of food for this blog, but it's hard making it look as good in the photos as it does in person. I need to learn the secrets of drool-worthy "food porn."

The picture above is of the eggs I bought at the farmers market yesterday. I made one for breakfast today and it did not disappoint. The woman working at the stand told me the eggs came from a farm in Bakersfield. I bought a half dozen for $2. That's more than a dollar cheaper than cage-free eggs at Whole Foods. It's more expensive than the grocery store (yesterday's Ralphs circular had a dozen eggs for a mere 99 cents) but I think it's worth it because they taste sooo much better. I like that they're big -- it seemed like the yolk was bigger than even the extra large eggs they sell at the grocery store. And maybe it's psychological because I know where the eggs came from, but it tasted really fresh.

I was inspired to buy the eggs after one of my students brought us eggs from her happy backyard chicken. Her eggs were smaller than the ones I bought at the farmers market but both were full of flavor and fresh. I hope I can make it to the farmers market on a more regular basis because now that I've been spoiled, it's going to be hard to go back to eggs at Ralphs.

A paper cup that isn't

If it looks like a paper cup, look again

I don't usually like to buy new things and claim to be doing something good for the environment, but I had to have this mug. It's called Non-Paper Cup and it's a travel mug made of ceramic with a silicone lid and sleeve that's made to look like a disposable cup. I bought it at Cost Plus yesterday. This morning I made green tea  in the mug and then was able to bring it in the car without worrying about spills. And it kept my tea warm (for a while at least). It saves the extra step of making tea in a cup and then having to transfer it to a travel mug. Plus my travel mug has a residual coffee smell that doesn't go so well with the gentle taste of tea.

I first saw one of these mugs at Christmas in the gift shop at the Dallas Museum of Art. It looked more like a real paper cup since it was all white, and it was nicer since it was made of porcelain. I was tempted to buy it but didn't want to add another item to my already bulging, post-Christmas suitcase. So I was excited when Laura told me she'd seen them in a Cost Plus flier. Doing a quick search, it looks like they sell them everywhere now, including Target. At $7.99, this one is a pretty good price. It's big at 14 ounces and the built-in sleeve is a nice add because the ceramic part of the cup does get hot. And it's fun to use because it feels like you've indulged in a hot drink from Starbucks.

Back to the farmers market

 

These Pink Lady apples were so crisp I had to buy them.

I know I know, I've been so bad about updating my blog lately. I'm particularly disappointed in myself because I'd planned to blog more often. I usually play rugby at this time of year but I took the spring season off because I wanted more time for other things, like blogging (and after 11 seasons, my body was telling me it was time for a break). OK, I know I have a small readership so who cares, right? But the point was committing myself to writing regularly (and I figured that if I did want to be read by more people than my dad and my sister, I needed to write more). So here it is the end of February and I've blogged only four times since the beginning of the year. I have one guess as to why. I've been training for a half marathon and so even though I'm not at rugby practice, I'm still spending time exercising, which leaves less time for blogging. And if that isn't the reason, I have no excuse except laziness, which is a definite possibility. But today, even with my training run, I have something to blog about.

My running partner and I ran past the farmers market on our 11-mile run this morning. She said she could smell fresh fruit. But with a stuffy nose, all I could smell was the overpowering sweet scent of kettle corn. I haven't been to the farmers market in months but seeing the row of white canopies (and smelling kettle corn in a weak moment!) made me want to go. So after our run, I stretched, showered and ate, then returned to the scene of the crime, this time driving since my legs were spent.

I stopped at the crafts fair first and bought two pairs of cheap sunglasses to replace the pair I lost last Sunday. Then, in the 10 minutes before the farmers market closed at 2, I filled one reusable bag full of $15 worth of fruit and veggies. Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onions, potatoes, grape tomatoes ... avocados, organic apples and an orange (extra vitamin C to help me get over my cold).

Rushing through the farmers market isn't the best way to shop. It's better to take one walk through to see what's being sold and then decide what to buy. I bought broccoli and then farther down saw bright green organic broccoli I would have preferred. I also bought organic apples after sampling crisp Pink Ladies. But at $2.50 a pound, they were more expensive than organic apples on sale at Whole Foods. But overall, the trip was worth it. You can't beat not having to roll a wobbly cart through massive aisles and waiting in line at the grocery store. And the vendors are much friendlier than grocery store clerks. A woman who was already packing away her produce went into the back of her truck to find an orange for me, even though I was only buying one for a whoppin' 50 cents.

Another benefit is that you have to stick to your budget, since the vendors only take cash. I didn't have enough money left over for a bag of kettle corn. But that was probably for the best!

Truly fresh eggs

 

Eggs from a very happy chicken, Gracie. They're so yellow.

I haven't blogged in what feels like ages. I haven't even updated the last two weeks of my mileage challenge, which ended two weeks ago. But since right now I don't feel like finding the notebook I was keeping track of my daily mileage in, I'm writing about something else much more fun than my commute: food. I don't write about the teens I work with very often because it seems like an invasion of their privacy since they interact with us without expecting anecdotes about their lives to be shared in a blog. But I just had to mention the tasty, fresh eggs the other editors and I got from one of our students. She's writing a story about her pet chickens and brought each of us two eggs from Gracie. Each pair were wrapped in a paper towel tucked into a paper bag. We unwrapped them to take a look and it felt like Christmas Day. The delicate eggs were different colors and sizes. I had one medium brown one and a small white egg. The words "happy chicken" came to mind, instead of "chicken factory."

I didn't know how long they'd stay fresh but didn't have a chance to make them over the weekend. So on Tuesday morning I whipped up the two eggs for breakfast before work. The yolks were bright yellow and my eggs were glowing on my plate. And they tasted sooo good and fresh. Because, well, they were. It felt even better than eating free-range eggs that still have to be packaged and shipped. These eggs just traveled down the 60 freeway from Walnut.

That morning at work we all raved about our eggs. Laura said it made her want her own chicken. I don't think I'm ready for that responsibility but she also said she wanted to try buying eggs at a farmers market. I think that's a much better idea!

Mileage count: Week 2

For week two of sharing my mileage in my blog I'm proud to say I have an improvement to report: 281 miles instead of 363. What made the difference was one day of taking the train, which I hadn't done in months. I also jumped on my bike a few times to cut out short trips.

Here's the daily breakdown:

• Monday: On my day off, I drove 15 miles to a doctor's appointment and to my softball game.
  

• Tuesday: Drove to work. 64 miles.
  

• Wednesday: Drove to work. 64 miles.
  

• Thursday: I took the train to work so I drove only nine miles. Hooray! And made good headway in the book that I had been neglecting.
  

• Friday: Back to driving to work. But I did bike to the gym at 5:45 am. 64 miles.
  

• Saturday: Drove to work, blah blah. 65 miles. Biked a mile to my friend's house (in boots, thank you very much) and then we walked down to 2nd Street for dinner.

• Sunday: Another no-driving Sunday. I'll call it a biking Sunday. I biked to the same friend's house so we could go running, then biked home, changed and biked to a park 1.5 miles away for softball practice. Coming home I was pretty exhausted and hungry. Yes driving would have been easier but biking isn't too bad, as long as I stay in a two-mile radius of my apartment.