Reusing and Recycling - A Lesson from Grandma Prisbrey

There are times when I purposely set out to give my children a lesson about the environment and there are times when the lessons just come up naturally. One of those times was the other day when my son noticed that there was some plastic trash in the compost we had picked up for the garden. I was able to explain about how long it takes natural elements to break down and how long it takes plastics to break down. Quick, easy lesson.

Another lesson came later that day when he and I sat down to read some of the books we'd gotten from the library. I've taken to picking out one age appropriate biography for him and had grabbed a book called Bottle Houses: The Creative World of Grandma Prisbrey.

In the 1950's and 1960's, Grandma Prisbrey built one room "houses" out of bottles that she had found at the local landfill. Beautiful, colorful houses. She furnished everything in these houses from things she found at the dump. People began to view these houses as art, and eventually Grandma Prisbrey built walkways out of things she found from the dump so people could easily come to visit.

These houses still exist in Simi Valley, California, although they suffered damage in the 1994 earthquake. 

The book is beautifully illustrated and the author makes these bottle houses sound so inviting that my son and I want to go see them. NOW. We can't do that, but  there are several websites that we were able to visit to find out more information and see pictures.

What I loved is that reading the book led into a natural discussion about reusing and recycling. The book never once uses the words "reusing" or "recycling." It's not written as a book that was meant to be an environmental lesson. It's a loving tribute to Grandma Prisbrey and her folk art. But the lesson is naturally there, anyway.

Here are some of the websites I found.

Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village - This looks to be a site put together by those who run the village.

Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village Tour - a YouTube video with footage from the village set to a Modest Mouse song. My five year old really likes to watch this over and over.

Bottle Village Walkway of Fame - Another YouTube video that has close up shots of the materials that were used in her buildings, and also tributes to those who contribute to its preservation.

Ride Your Bike To Work to Save a Polar Bear

Today there are two national eco-type days.

It is National Ride Your Bike to Work Day (which comes conveniently at the end of Ride Your Bike to Work Week).

It is also National Endangered Species Day.

This week, the Interior Department officially declared that polar bears are an endangered species. They said that the loss of Arctic Sea ice will likely result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century. This seems to be putting them on the fast track to extinction.

I don't talk much about global warming on this site for several reasons. The main reason is because I don't believe I understand enough about it to whole heartedly say I believe in it. I'm not saying that I don't believe in it either. I just know I'm not informed enough to have a definite opinion.

I don't think it matters whether I do believe in it or not, though. I do believe that we are polluting this world and not taking care of it the way that we should. I'm trying to live a green lifestyle because of that.

Doing things like bicycling or walking instead of driving whenever possible is one way to curb pollution. There's a chance that it will also help to save the endangered polar bears, too.

I don't have to bike to work because I work in the room next to my bedroom. However, I do have children to take to school. I'd love to bike there with them, but for some stupid reason, the school doesn't permit kids to ride their bikes and leave them locked in the bike rack that is at the school. So even if we biked there, I'd have a problem getting their bikes home. So we walk as often as possible. 

Can you bike or walk to work? If not, can you take public transportation? Are there other places that you frequent that you could bike or walk to? 

I truly believe that every little bit helps. They add up to lots of little bits, and if my lots of little bits help the polar bears, too, then I'm glad to help.

Thoughts from Affluenza are Consuming Me

I think I've mentioned this before on here, but it bears repeating. Economics is not my thing. I hated the one economics class I was required to take in college, and I've paid little attention to how our economy really works ever since.

So now I'm reading Affluenza. I know it seems to be taking me a while to get through it. There is so much information to take in that is taking me a while. I frequently have to stop and reread passages. Sometimes I have to stop reading altogether because what I've just read is making my head spin.

Such was the case yesterday when the book got me seriously thinking about the Gross National Product. Not just thinking about it, but taking an interest in it. I spent the better part of yesterday, thinking about the GNP (that was of course after I spent the morning shoveling compost). 

Here's the concept I read about yesterday that really grabbed my attention.  In our country the marker of progress is the making of stuff. When we hear the news anchors talking about our Gross National Product, they are talking about the health of our country. 

Here is what I wrote in the margins of my book (I never read nonfiction without a pen and a highlighter). "I have never thought about this before. How dangerous and counterintuitive (if you take the time to listen to your intuition) this seems. We always have to produce more whether or not we need it or our country will fall apart economically. If a majority of the people were to embrace to live simply, it would cause havoc."

Now, not being someone who is particularly schooled on US economic theory, in the past I would have read this and thought "hmmm. I wonder if this is true?" and then forgot about it in the next chapter. 

But my times, they are a changin', and I now think. And I started to connect some economic dots that made me realize that this could be true. Right now our country is in a "recessionary climate" (as opposed to an actual recession, huh?), and our government is not telling us to tighten our belts and wait it out. They aren't scolding us like a good government should and telling us that we lived beyond our means, we made our beds, now lie in them. Instead, they are giving us money, in the form of economic stimulus checks, and telling us to spend more! 

What's going to get out us out this mess? Buying more stuff that we don't really need. Raising our GNP. If we can do that, then we'll appear healthy. 

Perhaps its time we rethought what the indicator of health in the United States is. Because this current indicator seems to be an indicator of insanity. We have more than we could ever need in this country. Sure, I understand that it is not distributed evenly, but the "haves" consuming more and more is never going to fix that. That's a different problem that needs to be fixed. 

To produce more, to consume more, only to keep us "economically healthy" is a never ending vicious cycle that will cause people to always feel the need to work more so they can make more money so they can buy more things. When they've spent all their money on things, they'll have to start working even more to get more. And all of these things that we must buy are contributing to our environmental problems. Insanity.

These are simply my first thoughts on this subject, but I wanted to share them and see if you have any thoughts or words of wisdom. If you do, please share them.

Green Term of the Week - Composting

I sometimes have to just reflect on how "earthy" I've become. If you had told me a few years ago that I'd be taking trash cans and shovels in my mini van to scoop decomposed leaves, grass clippings and leftover food scraps and then haul it home, I would have never believed you. Seriously. That's what I did this morning with my husband and son. We went to a neighboring town's public works and shoveled our own compost for our garden.

Composting is a  process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper, and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioners, mulch, resurfacing material, or landfill cover. 

It's good for your gardens and its good for the earth. By using compost, I'm told, that I won't have a need for chemical fertilizers. It's a natural way to get nutrients into the ground that I will be growing my vegetables on. I'm told my vegetables are going to love it, and I'm inclined to think they will.

If you're still in the process of putting together your garden this season, consider using compost instead of chemical fertilizers and foods. Your food won't be contaminated with hazardous chemicals, the earth won't soak in the chemicals, and the animals in your backyard won't ingest them when they are stealing your veggies. 

Call your local department of public works to find out if they are any neighboring towns have compost that you can haul away for free or a small fee. If not, some garden centers do sell it.

We've decided that if we are successful gardeners this year, we'll start our composting center in the back of our yard. Wow, how I've changed. 

Green Product Review - Sesame Street's Love the Earth DVD

Yesterday, my five year old and I sat down to watch Sesame Street's Save the Earth DVD which is being released today. It's been a while since we've watched any Sesame Street around here, and I wondered if it would keep my son's attention. It did.

Here's the premise: Elmo, Zoe and Baby Bear go to the woods with Papa Bear in search of an elusive bird that they must spot to get a badge on their Bear Scout sashes. While trying to find the bird, they learn about littering, recycling, the importance of trees, reusing items and conserving water. 

In between each new segment that was created for the DVD, there are clips of older Sesame Street segments that reinforce the lessons that were just learned by the three friends in the woods. 

I thought the DVD was very well done. The lessons were simple and very age appropriate for young children. Children as young as two are capable of understanding the concrete lessons that were taught:

• you shouldn't throw your granola bar wrapper on the ground
  
• you should put some items in recycling bins instead of trash cans
  
• paper comes from trees and it's good to use both sides and then recycle it
  
• many things can be reused
  
• use water when you need it and no more than you need
  

For my son, none of these messages were new, but if you've got young ones and you're trying to introduce them to being environmentally responsible, this is an entertaining, gentle way to do so.

When I asked my son what the DVD was all about after it was done, he gave me one of those "why are you asking me a stupid question, mom?" looks. 

"It's about taking care of the earth, mom. I know it's important." 

This DVD will help other children know it's important, too.

When we were done, my son  went to the paper recycling bin and took out some food boxes and reused them to make other things, just like some of the kids in the video did.

A few things to know:

• The DVD runs about 45 minutes long
  
• It's only available at Walmart or Sam's Club
  
• Its suggested retail price is $14.93
  

The Lorax Project - Final Update

It just occurred to me that I never ran a final update on The Lorax Project that we'd been wondering about. One of the reasons is because on Earth Day, when their website was to be up and running, there were only a couple things on the site, and they were all marketing things aimed at adults. One was to raise money for a environmental organization. The other was for CFL bulbs. 

I was very disappointed. There was nothing for kids on the site. But, I've visited since and the site has been expanded. There are activities for kids on the site now. Like this list of 20 things kids can do to "speak for the trees" or these games.

Planning a Trip to the Farmer's Market

A lot of people will be making their first trip to a farmer's market this season. Over the past year the local foods movement has grown considerably. Awareness of the negative environmental impact that our conventional way of growing and distributing food has grown, also. 

If you're considering checking out your local farmer's market for the first time (and I highly recommend that you do), here are some things to help you on your first trip.

Finding a Farmer's Market 

 If you don't know where your closest market is, there are some websites that will help you locate one. 

• Local Harvest
  
• Farmer's Market.com
  
• Eat Well Guide

Arming Yourself

There are some things that you will need to take with you to make your trip successful.

• Cash - Most of the vendors at farmer's markets work on a cash only basis.
  
• Reusable bags - Sure the vendors will have plastic bags for you to carry your food, but taking your own bags helps the environment and saves the vendors a little money.
  
• Your own coffee mug - Farmer's markets usually don't just have produce, meats and flowers. Many of the larger ones have local coffee houses, bakeries, and crafters set up tables, too. When I get to the market at 8am on Saturday morning, I head right for the coffee table first.

Arriving Early

Things can sell out quickly at farmer's markets, so if you're looking for something specific, get there early. I've seen fresh flowers gone after the first half hour of the market. The first week that corn is in season creates a frenzy that you have to see to believe.

However, arriving right before closing time may have its advantages, too. Some vendors may cut their prices so they don't have to haul everything home. This doesn't always happen, but if you can't get to the market until later in the day, you may get some bargains.

Making the Rounds

Do a quick once around before you begin purchasing. One vendor may have zucchini at 2/$1 another may have them at 3/$1. Or you may spend all your money before arriving at a vendor who has something that no one else had. Doing a quick survey of what is offered and the prices the different vendors have before you begin to purchase is a wise idea.

Asking Questions

If your interested in buying only what is in season, buying only organic, or buying only locally, you'll have to question the vendors about their products. Just because something is at the farmer's market does not mean its in season, organic or local. I know that the bananas, lemons, limes and grapes sold at my farmer's markets are definitely not local and never will be. 

Don't be afraid to ask questions about the items being sold. If a vendor doesn't want to answer your questions, move on to the next one. 

Some questions to ask:

• Where was this grown?
  
• How was it grown?
  
• When was this picked?
  
• How far did this item travel from where it was grown to this market?
  
• What conditions did the hens live in who grew these eggs?

Many vendors are also more than happy to give you advice as long as they don't have a long line of customers to attend to. This past Saturday, I had a couple who run an organic farm happily answer my questions I had for my personal garden. People who are passionate about what they do are usually passionate about talking about it. 

Taking the Kids

It's a great idea to take your kids. My kids will often eat vegetables or fruits they helped pick out at the farmer's market that they would never eat if I just brought it home from the grocery store. Give them a dollar or two and tell them that they can spend it on whatever type of produce they want as long as they promise to eat it in the next couple of days.