PICNIC FOR EARTH

 I know--- Earth day should be Earth Year... yadda yadda. But the one good thing about Earth Day is it gives attention to the problems (and solutions) concerning our planet. The Nature Conservancy is suggesting you host or attend a picnic for Earth Day, April 22nd. And from I gather it could be a small family picnic or a large affair. The idea is to get out and enjoy nature. My idea is to have a picnic with the "boys" for lunch at one of our local parks, since it is a work day. You may want to eat dinner in the back yard or attend one of the sponsored picnics on this map. In any case, have a meal Al Fresco and enjoy the day!
Here are some Picnic Tips from the Nature Conservancy's Picnic For Earth website

If You Picnic for Earth, then You Need Green Picnic Tips!
 Choose a Location Near You Hosting your own picnic? Choose a picnic site close to home, and walk or bike to your picnic location instead of driving.

Look for a green space nearby — a local park, a sports field, a Conservancy preserve or a friend’s backyard!

Use Re-Usable or Compostable Serveware Instead of packing paper plates and disposable utensils, pack serveware that you can wash and use again and encourage your guests to do the same. If this won’t work, many brands are now offering compostable plates and silverware.

Bring Healthy Foods The lower a food is on the food chain, the lower its impact on the environment. For example, it takes about 634 gallons of water to make a hamburger. So, add more fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes to your picnic meal — those things are good for you and the planet!

Need a recipe? Pack Local, In-Season Ingredients Nothing ruins an eating-well high in the U.S. faster than seeing a sticker on your apple that says New Zealand (no offense, kiwis!). Prevent the shipping-around-the-world blues by picking up your produce from a local farmer’s market.

Lose the Napkins No one wants to walk around with mustard on her face, but paper napkins aren’t the answer. Use the picnic as an opportunity to use that cute gingham handkerchief that came with your cowboy Halloween costume five years ago. Or, you know, any old cloth napkin will do.

Compost and Recycle Your Trash: I bet someone at your picnic has a compost bin (Are you ready to give it a try? It’s easy!). Enlist that person to take home all the compostable scraps from the event, and another person to collect any recyclables.

Clean Your Picnic Site: A good picnicker is one that doesn’t leave trash at his picnic site. A great picnicker is one who picks up trash at this picnic site. Use the picnic as an opportunity to make your local green space just a little greener.

Enjoy Nature: Once your meal is over, take some time to enjoy your natural setting. Take a hike, go bird-watching or just sit back and enjoy the sounds of nature. Have kids in tow? Try this Nature Treasure Hunt.

Use Electronics Wisely: Picnic for Earth is about reconnecting with nature, but whether it’s to play some picnic tunes or send us your picnic photos via Twitter (@allhandsonearth), Facebook or Flickr, we know that your electronic devices will make an appearance. Be sure to unplug your chargers when not in use to avoid “vampire power,” which accounts for about 10 percent of household energy usage.

Recently Earth 911 had an article about 5 Materials from Your Home Repair You Should Recycle. 
Very good article on a very needed topic. But they seem to have forgotten about reuse as well

Here are some re-uses I have found in my own home DIY projects-
1 Shingles- while never have having shingles as a waste problem, it was interesting to learn that Owens Corning Roofing has an industry leading Shingle Recycling Program and has already recycled 738,605 tons since the program’s 2009 kick-off. They recycle those asphalt shingles into asphalt roads! While more roads isn't probably a cool thing, that asphalt can be used to repair roads we already have! THe other use for Shingles, maybe when a person has a few to repair/replace is use them for roofing on small projects like dog and bird houses, or build your own little Free Library!

2-DRYWALL- I must admit to never having too much left over drywall- I am pretty exact about the amount I need for a project. When I do have leftover of any amount it is usually kept in the garage for later patching or repairing- And on a side note- if you have a small drywall job that doesn't require a full 4 X 8 Sheet, you can buy 2 x 2 squares at most home hardware stores. Easier to transport, store and carry!

3- PAINT- while I agree with th article on paint, I must also add that sometimes, with a little "home work" you can find organizations that need paint for one project or another and they would welcome a donation of your leftover paint!

4- BRICK- Another item I never have too much of. Old brick not used is saved for gardening: Making new raised beds, making walkways in garden beds, etc.

5-CARPET- I re-use my old carpeting and Rugs!: Makes a great weed block for under the gravel where I park my car, and I have used it in the garden (for weed block under raised planting beds) as well. Small area rugs are great to cut up and use in pots (When you need to slow the drainage down) and baskets

Earth Day Weekend

I celebrated the weekend in grand fashion! I attended the Environmental Science Center annual Earth day dinner fundraiser and auction. Where I won a quilt. (Don't ask me how much I bid for it). Had a nice dinner, And on Saturday, I did a bit of work in the garden and yard, bought some Tomato plants to donate to the Highline Food Bank garden, then I met up with my cousin Sue and her daughter Katy for a sandwich at Hey Paison! followed by a Casino Themed party for my Cousin Jessica's 40th Birthday.

On Sunday I went to a benefit showing of the movie Down By Law, a quite surprisingly good movie, at the Tin Room Theater. The Tin Theater and t's counterpart the Tin Room Bar & Grill are one of the best examples of Re-Use around... both were an old Tin shop and converted to a bar and later the movie theater and feature a bunch of the items from the old tin shop. The benefit was for a friend of mine's sister whom has cancer.  So all in all a pretty good weekend full of sunny weather, good friends and good food!

Earth Hour 2012- Are you going to participate?

Saturday is Earth Hour. I must admit while half heartedly participating in years past, I cannot this year. I will be at work, so shutting down the power for an hour is off. I can how ever make sure the escalators are shut down, and rest room lights are off. And that doesn't mean I can't participate later when I get home. I think the earth needs more than an hour or just a day. Personally, I believe we all need to do things to be kinder to our Mother Earth 365 days a year, 24 7. Saturday also marks the end of Crunchy's Frozen ass challenge, but thatdoes not mean I will be turning up the thermostat either. Are you going to participate in in Earth Hour this year?

Climate Change: Spend Four Minutes on This

I got this VIA Green Roof Growers- take 4 minutes out of your life and watch.

Happy Earth Day!

Well Happy Earth Day everyone. There is so much to do and to learn on Earth Day. A little history about the 41 years of Earth Day (from Earth Day.org):

"On April 22, 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator, founded the first Earth Day in an attempt to bring about a better understanding of the affect we have on our planet, and calling us to take action to make positive environmental changes in our community. The first Earth Day was attended by 20 million Americans nationwide, from college campuses to town halls, and giant teach-ins were organized in New York City and Philadelphia, the latter event turning into a seven-day event known as Earth Week.

This small attempt to start something of this scale on the national level brought millions of people to band together in their neighborhoods, starting grassroots campaigns to help revolutionize the way we handled waste, recycling, power consumption, and conservation in general. That event set a powerful precedent for the rest of the world, eventually inspiring more than 140 nations all around the globe to have their own Earth Days.

By the year 1990, over 200 million people on Earth were participating in the event, making it one of the most-attended organizational activities ever created, even being called “the largest secular holiday in the world” by the Earth Day Network, the nonprofit organization that is in charge of the event on an annual basis since its inception in 1990."

Here is a link to free Earth Day Poster from the Earth Day .org site!

How I Celebrate Earth Day:

Simple. I take romeo for a walk to the community garden tp do some planting, then onto a starbucks for a coffee and a couple of dog treats.

So, how do you and yours celebrate Earth Day?

Earth Day=Black Friday?

I am a bit amused at all the Earth Day Deals. When I was a kid, and Earth Day was started, it was a day for celebrating the earth and doing good projects like picking up litter, planting trees. Now it seems to me, it has become an opportunity for stores that can't wait to get on the "Greenwashing" Band Wagon.
Anyway, here are some sweet deals for tomorrow

• At participating Starbucks, you can bring in a reusable mug on April 22 to get free brewed coffee or tea.
• Lowe's is giving away one million trees on April 23
• All 394 U.S. national parks have free admission now through Sunday, April 24.
• Disney stores will offer a number of promotions, including selling $2.50 reusable tote bags that support The Nature Conservancy's Plant A Billion trees in South America's Atlantic Forest campaign. (You can buy your own tree for a dollar directly from TNC.)

• Babies 'R' Us: Reusable shopping bags make an appearance every Earth Day, but this year Babies 'R' Us is going one step further. With an online coupon that's valid through April 22, customers can get a free tote bag and 25 percent off all clothing and shoes that fit inside.

• Walgreens: Between April 18 and April 22, Walgreens customers can get 22 percent off a variety of green items, from cleaning supplies to beauty products. From April 22-25, the company also said that it would donate 30 percent of the sales from products from its Earth Day store to the World Wildlife Fund.
  
  

Celebrating Arbor Day

Arbor day is celebrated the 2nd Wednesday of April in Washington State. To see when Your state celebrates, click HERE. Traditionally, most of the states celebrate the last Wednesday of April. Anyway, this year I am not planting a tree. I usually try to plant a tree, an apple or such (last year it was a Peach), But I am tree'd out. But fear not. I planted two Red Currant Bushes this year, instead of a tree. Also to celebrate, one could make a purchase of trees to be planted in national forests and such, through the arbor day foundation, or check with your local city, county or state to see where volunteer oppurtunities exist. Or just plant one in your own yard.

"Trees are terrific in Cities and Towns"

Washington States's winning entry in this years Arbor Day poster contest!

"Trees are terrific in Cities and Towns" This years Arbor Day theme.
Long before earth day was Arbor Day a day when people celebrated by planting trees. In Washington state, arbor day is officially celebrated on the second Wednesday in April, but nationally it is April 30th. One of the ways I celebrate is Earth Day and sneak in Arbor Day too is plant a tree. This year I am planting a dwarf peach. Last year was the Columnar apples and a cherry tree. Year before that an apple tree. When I first moved into Rancho Flamingo, I planted my yellow chinese plum tree. If I keep it up I will have a nice small orchard in the years to come.

My new Dwarf Peach tree!

40 Years of Earth Day!

Rob's Dirty Thirty

I was recently challenged to come up with a list of at least 25 items I do to help Mama Earth- with Earth day looming in a month or so I took that challenge. To the person who challenged me- Nyah Nyah Nyah I came up with thirty. Phhhhhhhht.

ROB'S DIRTY THIRTY

30 Things I try do to live in a Cleaner "Greener" World

1. Grow my own food
2. Can My own Food
3. Carry a reusable mug for my coffee
4. Carry a Reusable Water Bottle
5. Make my own Soda and by pass the bottle and can
6. Use reusable containers for my lunch
7. Wash clothes in Cold Water
8. Use dryer balls to reduce the amount of drying time in the dryer
9. Use phosphate free dishwashing detergent
10. Use primarily CFL bulbs in my light fixtures and Lamps
11. Eat leftovers
12. Compost
13. Take 5 minute or less showers
14. Use low flow faucets and shower heads
15. Utilize rain barrels to help water the garden
16. Pee In the shower, Save pee for the garden
17. Limit my thermostat to 55 when not at home or in bed sleeping65 when home and awake
18. Buy peanut butter in glass jars
19. buy in bulk whenever possible
20. Reuse materials in the garden (i.e. Pop Bottles as bell cloches, utilize the caps for leveling flats in the green house
21. Reuse my towel for at least 3 weeks before washing
22. Use the dog's towel after bathing dog for a bath mat after taking a shower
23. Save seeds
24. Try to grow my own tea
25. Use a solar lamp for outside
26. Use solar in the scooter shed
27. Try to buy Locally when ever possible, and buy at the Farmers Makret when in season
28. Eat less meat
29. Use my rechargeable Lawn Mower and electric garden tools over my gas chuggling Lawn tractor and other gas tools.
30. Try to drive less and less

Well there is my list. While I think most of the things are good, many are just baby steps.Some areas could very well be improved on,(i.e. Line dry instead of using dryer balls to reduce my energy usage even more- but hey this is Seattle and dry days are few and far between and I do have a job so for now this is it)

ROB'S P.S.- A little background on this post here. The guy was one of those red necks I work with. He knows who he is. He said it with a smirk on his face.(What he said was "I bet you can't come up with 25 things you do to improve the earth". And in some ways,I understand what he said and why- Fear of Change. He thinks that if one guy starts making changes, then somewhere down the line He is gonna have to make changes. But when he said it, the hair on my neck stood up. And I cannot take all the credit- if you read this blog with any regularity, most of these things I got used to and learned doing all those goddamn challenges. so Thanks Crunchy, Chile, Melissa, Mountain Mama, Fake Plastic Fish, etc. etc. Your blogs give me strength. And make me prove myself to red necks!

Is Earth Day relevant?

This is the theme of the current APLS carnival.

Is earth day relevant? Well, it is the one time of year we celebrate earth. I see hope in the world- All of a sudden solar power and wind power are becoming more important, I see an elected official and his wife plan a garden in the white house. I see companies take some responsibility for the waste that their products make ( thanks to the tenacity of a blogger)But why not all year long? Doesn't Earth deserve 365 days of our respect and reverence? I think so. So this year, I will take my shopping bags (not forgetting them at home), always carry my own cup for coffee or water, Go meatless one day a week, participate in all of Crunchy's challenges. I will be jubilant in that I live in an wildlife habitat. I will continue my quest for electric transportation, I will get more involved in local community.

These are all great promises- but what if I forget my shopping bag or forget and buy a coffee without my muggsly? Will the earth suddenly gasp and die?

Probably not. And while doing those things is important- unless a lot more people start doing them they aren't going to amount to a hill of scarlet runner beans.

But What I do Know:

I know the best way to get folks to change is example. Maybe that's what Earth Day should be thought of- As a day of example, maybe that should be the relevance of Earth Day.

I know that doing these things is important, and I hope by leading living by example others will as well. Well that is except for the Bulgarian electrician I work with. He scoffs at my solar powered security lights- But, I have seen hope- my mom, the "plastic bag queen" uses a shopping bag now. And I don't get mad at her and bitch about it when she forgets to bring it. She is also getting good at bringing her own containers to thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to take home leftovers. I guess these are called baby steps. And I will celebrate them.

My Solar powered Security Light

So Happy Earth Day everybody. I hope it is relevant and meaningful for you.

Now if I could get the Bulgarian to try a solar powered security light.