Last Post ( for a while)

This is my last post on this blog for a while. I feel as if my goals have been achieved and that I have done my part. I thank you all for all of your support.You've been a wonderful audience. Don't worry. I will come back some day.

Back again!

Just took wwf quiz and it says 2.11 earths. I don't know which one to choose!

I'm slipping up

Took the foot print quiz again and I'm back up to 5.28 earths. I hope this is kinda like the slip up thing people do in thier new years's resolutions. By the way, I've scrapped my goals because they have become so intertwined, I can meet three and meet them all at the same time. We are kinda getting wet snow right now so it looks like no gardening tomarrow.

Gas

Gas prices are going up and UP! It cost almost 60 dollars to fill up my mother's honda civic. I want to know if rising gas prices are changing your driving habits. Mine can't change much. I'm dependant on the car for dance and piano. I could walk to and from school everyday but I live a mile and a half away and my back pack is " too heavy" for me to walk. By the way, no job, dance instead. Otherwise, still working on everything. Garden project is going well. It would go even better if it didn't rain constantly but nature does weird things sometimes. Is all this rain a side effect of global warming? I never remember it being this wet.

Paper Update

I recucled 10.2 lbs of paper. That brings my total to 54.2 lbs. Go me!

I'm still here

Sorry everyone! I've been a little busy with my garden and dance and school and trying to find a job and piano ( you get the idea). I finally started my planting because the weather straightened out. I'm going as organic as possible, some of the fertilizers aren't as organic as I want them to be but none of it is dangerous. As I mentioned earlier, I'm trying to find a job. If possible, I want to work someplace near my house because I don't want to drive as much and gas is going to be very expensive this summer. Plugging away at the goals little by little. I might be able to total up my cardboard tomarrow.

An update

Still working on my garden project but we've had snow and hale for the past few days and we will have more later. Recycled some stuff via two day garage sale and went to the recycling plant.

Peace out!

Paper update and Footprint

So, I've managed to recycle 21.4 lbs more paper. That brings my total to 43.9 lbs, I think. But, I took my footprint quiz, and I'm back up at 4.25 earths. Yaga, I'm taking your suggestion.

An Environmental Riddle

This is something my mom is doing that is confusing me environmentally. She is burning wood in our fire place to heat up the house. It is saving money on our electricity bill, but it is putting carbon back into the atmosphere. Is burning wood better of worse for the environment that electricity use?

Garden Project

Started full scale on my garden project today. I haven't planted anything yet, but I will in a month or so, once it warms up. Otherwise, everything is going well. We seem to be using less electricity and less gas. I haven't noticed much in the way of reducing trash volume or paper towel usage yet. I'm still looking for scrap cardboard and paper to recycle in the house. I'm going to take the foot print quiz again in February and see if there is any change.

Garden Project

I'm starting a massive garden project soon that will hopefully meet my goal of growing 20% of our food and the 100 mile diet goal. The project is to grow the quantities of the 15 most common veggies we eat in a year in our back yard. One Huge Project!

Update

Sorry everyone. I've been really busy with school starting and my SAT on saturday and everything, so I haven't had a bunch of time. Working on my goals though. I will do another evaluation in a few weeks.

I'm famous!!

Guess what, Talking Science picked up my blog post and put it on thier websight.

http://www.talkingscience.org/2011/01/help-the-environment-one-day-at-a-time/

Way cool!!!!

By the way, I started a cardboard recycling bag in addition to the cans and bottles.

Paper update

I forgot to tell you, I recycled 5.4 lbs of paper a few days ago. That brings my total to 23.2 lbs of paper, or a fifth of a tree when you think about it. ( A tree equals 118 lbs of paper, about).

Stay Green!

Questions about CFL's

Thanks for all of the feedback! I would be happy to answer your questions you have about CFL's.


As a commented, CFL stands for compound florescent light bulb.

CFL's contain mercury. The amount of mercury is relatively small, but it can cause environmental damage if the bulbs are crushed in a landfill and the mercury escapes. Mercury causes severe neurological and kidney problems in humans.

When it is time to dispose of CFL's, you can either take them to a hazardous waste drop off or a special recycling center. DO NOT throw them in the garbage. Stores like IKEA and Homedepot will accept them too in some areas.

If you break a CFL, don't panic and follow these instructions for clean up

1. • Open a window or several windows for ventilation. If the room (e.g., bathroom or kitchen) has an exhaust fan, turn it on.
   • Leave the room and instruct others to do the same, carefully walking around the damaged area. Don't forget to remove pets from the room as well.
   • Shut off your heat or air conditioning to ensure mercury vapor doesn't recirculate throughout the home.
   • Allow room to ventilate for 15-20 minutes before venturing back into the area to clean the breakage.
   • How to clean CFL breakage on hard surface floors such as tile and wood.
      
     1) Scoop up glass fragments and powder using cardboard or a piece of paper that you have curled up lengthwise and dump contents into a plastic zip bag.
      
     2) Grab a large piece of sticky tape (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, or packing tape) and pat affected area to remove tiny glass fragments and/or powder you missed during the first cleaning.
      
     3) Wipe the floor with a wet rag or wet paper towel and place it in the zip bag.
   • How to clean CFL breakage on rugs or carpet floors.
      
     1) Put on your gloves and carefully pick up shattered glass fragments.
      
     2) Place glass shards in a plastic zip bag.
      
     3) Grab a large piece of sticky tape (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, or packing tape) and pat affected area to remove tiny glass fragments and/or powder you may have missed during the first round of cleaning.
      
     4) Vacuum the affected area to ensure no tiny shards of glass have made their way deep down into the shag.
      
     5) When you are done vacuuming, remove and replace the vacuum bag. If the machine is bagless, affix your dust mask or respirator onto your face. Dump into a trash bag and seal tightly.
   • How to dispose of dust and debris from a shattered CFL. Check with your state and/or local government regarding disposal of hazardous waste. If no restrictions exist, immediately take plastic bags outdoors for regular disposal; otherwise you may have to hand the broken bulb to a special recycling center.
   • Wash your hands thoroughly. It's also a good idea to wash clothes as well.

Read more: How to Clean a Shattered CFL | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6015210_clean-shattered-cfl.html#ixzz1AGxqHZRq

Remember, when properly handled, the benefits of using CFL's ( energy savings) can be great. Don't avoid CFL's or not use them if you have them. As with many other beneficial technologies, a small amount of caution is required.

I hope I've cleared up some of the problems and answered your questions . Stay green!

Acespace Live

My first blog post is on Acespace now! http://www.acespace.org/blog/2011/01/small-steps-and-my-own-green-blog/

Check it out! 

Thanks Everyone! Stay Green!

I've got my work cut out for me

So, the new year has started. I have 9 goals to accomplish and a massive eco-footprint to cut. If you need a little refresher on my goals:

1. Become a more conscious consumer
2. Recycle all paper
3. Cut water usage -accomplished
4. Cut electricity usage
5. Adopt a 100 mile diet
6. Cut gas usage
7. Grow 20% of what we eat
8. Change dad's paper towel/energy usage
9. CFL's
10. Cut trash volume in half

We've got the CFL's, just need to install them. Cutting electricity means turning off the lights or not using them. A used clothing store 4 miles away from my house sells organic cotton clothing.

If I have all of these opportunities to do environmental good, why is it so hard?

Any answers?