Recycling with the parents

So I'm currently living with my parents, depressing I know but silver lining I thought that this would be an opportunity to get them to create a greener lifestyle, as in recycle more, or at least to start with.

Now I wasn't thinking about uprooting their entire regime overnight but implementing changes over my unknown length of staying in their home. Unfortunately my efforts have either been ineffective or ignored, or ineffective and ignored. I got talked to for buying organic broccoli, which was on sale.

I put my recycle bin in the kitchen because I thought it'd be easier for them to remember that the vast majority of food containers can actually be recycled. Little did I know that this would mean a discussion later with my father. Apparently the recycle bin must be kept out in the garage, something about bugs getting into the containers. Now my argument was that there should not be any food in the containers therefore would not attract bugs. I've been recycling this way for the last three years and it's worked pretty well for me. Regardless I lost; my recycle bin is now in my closet and is used personally as opposed to communally. My parents pile the recyclables (which for them consist of paper products and yoplait containers) by the garage door.

Another problem is actually getting my parents to realize what's recyclable and keeping the recyclables out of the trash can: glass, aluminum, paper and not just in the typical forms but also things like salad dressing and steak sauce bottles. You also may have to empty the food out of the container before you can recycle it. In other words don't just pitch it because it needs to be out of your refrigerator! The containers that I leave soaking in the sink so that they'll be easier to wash, seem to be disappearing into the trash can when I'm absent from the room. And yes I'm very suspicious of my mother.

They try to get me to do their projects by stating it's "very ecological", like going for a bike ride. Sorry there are better examples but this is one that seems harmless but comes up regularly. Riding a bike somewhere instead of driving is ecological but if you're just going for a bike ride then it's just a bike ride. Kind of like a walk, you're exercising but the alternative wouldn't be using a car that runs off of fossil fuels.

Between job searching and quality parent time, I'm somehow going to have to figure out a way to fix this. But right now, I've got no clue where to go from here. At least it can't get any worse, can it?

My summer using only public internet

From May 8 to August 13 this year I used only public internet access. My rational behind this was: it saves me money and since the energy is already being used I may as well take advantage of it.

Now this project had its ups and downs. During the majority of the week I used the Peter White Library's internet access, but because this was over the summer I went to a 3rd Street Bagel (a local coffee shop) on Sundays. This meant that I could only use the internet while these businesses were open. I had to sign a user's agreement every single time I signed onto the library's internet access that said I wouldn't be illegally downloading or looking up porn. Ironically the library would block some of my legal sites and would allow for porn popups, if only someone could explain that to me.

An unforeseen side effect of using only public internet access was that it created a hierarchy to what I got done. Fast email check, a momentary glimpse of Facebook and then job searching. At the beginning of the summer I would cruise around on Youtube but that stopped after an unfortunate incident with a very old man with no teeth who was very upset that I wouldn't go out with him. It became my mantra to get in and out with what I needed to get done in a timely manner.

There were some days that I didn't even bother going to use the internet, which is huge for someone of my generation who just graduated college. The internet is an integral part of a college students' life. It was almost like going cold turkey, with limiting myself to two hours maximum of internet a day.

It was hard getting a hold of people. For the vast majority of my friends, I don't have their phone numbers. I've always gotten a hold of them by way of Facebook and I didn't want to post my number online. But when it came to the Fourth of July, I didn't think about all my normal places being closed. And I was supposed to spend some part of the day with my friend Katrina. So the search began early that morning and eventually I remembered that Starbucks would've been my best chance. Score! After three coffee shops, walking in the insanely hot weather (the UP doesn't get that hot ever with that day being the only exception), one scratch on my car, Starbucks didn't let me down. And thank god I got in contact with people, spending the Fourth alone would've been depressing.

By doing this project I saved myself approximately $40 a month without having private internet, but I don't think I'll do this again at least for an extensive period of time. I couldn't watch any of the Olympics unless I was at the bar, I didn't feel comfortable checking my online bank accounts, my job searching efforts suffered and I really missed being able to chat on Facebook and Skype.

Public Transportation in da UP

In order to get to work, I ride the Al Tran public bus transportation system. They pick me up from Bluff St. in Marquette at 8 a.m. and drop me off at Grand Island Landing (the ferry dock). Luckily I have a $100 bus pass, which ends up costing approximately $2.50 one-way as opposed to the $6 without the pass.

One of the largest downsides of living in the country/rural area in the U.S.A./UP is that the public transportation system is drastically lacking. If I’m not at that bus stop before 8 a.m. or back on the mainland in time to make the bus, I’m screwed. I cannot get to work or home. There is a bus I can catch an hour later on my return to Marquette but it doesn’t take me completely to Marquette. It’ll drop me off in Harvey which is six miles from Marquette. Walking home from there wouldn’t be all that fun considering how badly I need a shower after work.

Some of the characters who ride the bus are quite a riot. Last year there was a Mexican man who asked my coworker and I, if Lake Superior was the Pacific Ocean. I’m still unsure of whether he believed us. Another man road because he had his license revoked due to drunk driving and yes he complained rather extensively every day. And a woman who also had her license revoked due to drunk driving but brought her high strung dog on board without a leash (and yes the dog would greet me whether I encouraged it or not). This year we’ve had some rather disgruntled housekeepers from various hotels in Christmas and Munising, Michigan and some car enthusiasts. I wish that I could retain the information from the car enthusiasts shared at a more fundamental level. Basic car maintenance would make much more sense to me if I could.

Tokyo: Waiting for the last train.

When I studied abroad in Japan, I was introduced to the concept of public transportation. I spent the summer riding the trains to see the sights and riding a bicycle to get around Hikone, the town in which I was staying. They have trains that can get you within walking distance of just about anything (minus the mountain villages). I got to ride a night bus to Tokyo and would’ve ridden the Shinkansen or “Bullet Train” if I had had the money and time to go Hiroshima. 

I really wish that we had something that was that accessible to the U.S.A. Our dependency of cars would be greatly reduced if we did. 

Novella Carpenter: Urban Farmer

WARNING: This post contains a few spoilers from Novella Carpenter's Farm City. I didn't go crazy but there are a few minor ones.

Novella Carpenter with fowl

A few months ago, back when I was still a college student and president of the Environmental Science Organization (ESO). We (being ESO) brought Novella Carpenter to Northern Michigan University’s campus. None of us had read her book at our decision making point but hey she had written Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer which was a National Best Seller so we were interested in what she had to say. We were really lucky to have her because she had just had a baby and her rep wasn’t so sure that she’d be willing to start up again. So we bribed her with a little extra money that we petitioned the Student Finance Committee for.

Farm City is her personal narrative about her urban farm in the ghetto of Oakland. She uses the anarchy of Oakland in order to create GhostTown Farm on 28^th Street. Unfortunately I didn’t get around to reading it before she came to campus, which I’ll admit was shameful. But I did read some of her blog and going in semi-cold turkey gave me the opportunity to really pay attention to her talk without any previous bias.

She read a bit out of Farm City, promoted her new How-To book titled: The Essential Urban Farmer, and stressed her view of eating meat. Which I understood to be that it’s alright to eat meat, it’s alright to be a vegan/vegetarian but if you’re going to eat meat it’s more important to know how that animal was treated before its life was ended.

Upon meeting Novella, I liked her instantly. She was easy going and really willing to talk to you. And not just about her but what’s going on in the community that she was in. Novella told this hilarious story about a drug bust from a warehouse across the street in which the police left all of the plants there and it became a free for all with the locals. This definitely shocked my friend Laura, but it’s one of the things that just made the event so much less formal and enjoyable.

I had been stressing all day about having to entertain Novella at dinner and not knowing what to say or even worse just sitting at the table awkwardly without a word being said. Not a problem. Novella was willing to talk and once we all got going it was like we’d all done that a million times before.

One thing that seemed to be really stressing Novella out was vegans/vegetarians who don’t agree with her views. They chose to not eat meat for animal rights, boycotting the mass slaughterhouses (where most often animals aren’t treated well) or whatever reason but condemn her for choosing to raise her own farm animals to eat as way of not partaking in the mass slaughterhouses. Now there are extremists in everything but to me you have to be willing to recognize that your choices are a personal choice for you (self-righteously written but really here people there’s not too many options to solve the differencing of views here).

One of the most hilarious and informative
nonfiction pieces I have ever read.

In her book she talks about a vegan who suggested on her blog that having a petting zoo instead of eating her farm animals would essentially teach the community about the animals. But she pointed out that she wants people (aka mostly children who come by) to know where their meat comes from; to have a connection with their food. It’s not a bad concept considering most meat you buy in a store today doesn’t even look like it came off an animal.

Following dinner that night I immediately bought both of her books through Amazon. And they cruelly came in the week of finals/graduation.

But I have finally just finished Farm City and I recommend it to everyone. Not only is it hilarious (literally laughing out loud and embarrassing myself on the public transit to work) but it really shows her purpose and view on food. It made me question my food choices. Questions like: should I eat meat if I don’t have the guts to kill the animal myself? How much can I invest into meat that was treated fairly while it was alive? What types of vegetables can I grow in an apartment? Should I grow these in an apartment that I share? And though I haven’t got any answers for my questions as of yet they’re viewpoints that I definitely need to consider.

Grand Island Native Plants

For last summer and this current one, I’ve been working on Grand Island in Munising, Mich. Since no one has yet to tell me what my work title is on the Island I’ve dubbed myself a “Native Plant Restoration Worker”, though technically I think I’m an independent contractor. But “Native Plant Restoration Worker” sounds so much more descriptive and implies the eight hours of fun that I have playing in the dirt and grievous torture of daily strip downs to look for ticks (a problem that has magnified since last summer).

The Farm Field, a previously planted plot full of invasive plants.

Explaining what I do, well it tends to bore people. I can’t figure out whether it’s because they just don’t care or if I’m botching the delivery to the (typically) unsuspecting family member.

I’m working on a restoration project in the Farm Field on Grand Island. I plant natives like milkweed, menarda, tickseed, black eyed susan, etc. Because of how my contract was written last summer, I was only allowed to plant. But this summer, weed work has been added. So I’ve been working on removing daisies, yellow rocket, spotted knap weed, St. John’s wart, blatter campion are a few that I’ve been working on thus far.

The people I work with are pretty tremendous. One of them randomly brings bake goods to work. Another is just awesome to work, she noticed that I had a tick on my ear and removed it for me. They also are willing to share information about the different plants, what kinds of edible fruits and vegetables can be found on the island and what habitat they can be found in. The ferry operator was rather excited for the leeks that were in season earlier this month. And he brought my coworker who bakes some rhubarb that he had found and yes she did make us some cake with it.

Unfortunately because I spend three days a week for eight hours a day out in the elements it makes my down time a bit focused towards the indoors. I mean I have to force myself to go to the beach to keep myself from getting a horrible farmer’s tan, as oppose to going to the beach for having fun.

Toothpaste Alternative

Half salt and half baking soda; the salt polishes your teeth while the baking soda cleans them. And I've got to say it tastes horrible, so if you decide to try it make sure you have your mouthwash at the ready. Personally I use Tom's of Maine mouthwash, no extra chemicals, they give 10% of profits to earth and humane programs and they provide a complete ingredient list (online but it is available).

Salt and baking soda are products that you already have around the house so you aren't paying extra for them. Together they really get the job done. I've been using it for about a week now and I've gotten use to the taste, still don't like it but at least I can handle it. My teeth feel just as clean as any other toothpaste I've used but I do suggest using a softer bristle toothbrush. This toothpaste alternative is pretty harsh on the mouth already and do not use if you have open sores in or near your mouth!

I have yet to ask my dentist about this alternative, I plan to during my next appointment.

Agriculture for Tomorrow with ESO

On March 6, I attended the Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference at Bay College in Escanaba, MI with a few of my Environmental Science Organization friends, Laura and Nick.

Though small scale, the conference attracted a variety of people with various viewpoints. I've become accustomed to the organic hippies/what's best for the environment is our main objective type. That was definitely not the majority at this conference, which was probably best and a welcome reality check for me because not everyone is going to go for the "What's best for the environment goes first". I think my friend Laura was a wee bit more surprised at this than me, but I grew up in a farming community that doesn't really plan for environmentally friendly farming. And some of these farmers at the conference were just trying to make as much money without high operation costs.

The conference unlike Bioneers, was restricted to one building on the campus of Bay College. It had one room of booths for co-ops, conservancies, organizations, etc. Down the hallways, presentations would be given in classrooms. The presentations I went to were: Northern Vines, Cottage Food Law & Beyond, Lunch Speaker Gary Sipiorski, Agriculture Assessment of the UP and Road to Independence.

The Northern Vines presentation was a combination of looking at Michigan's growing wine industry and Dan McCole, a viticulturist. Apparently Michigan is rated the number one undiscovered wine region in the world. The Traverse City area can allow growing for more European wines. Who knew?

Dan McCole went into what it takes to be a viticulturist in Michigan. In establishing a site, the viticulturist is looking for micro-habitats that will be best for the roots to grow. After selecting the site it must be prepped a year before planting. It takes five years to establish vines and they must be irrigated the first two or three years.

What I found most interesting about this presentation was the idea of having to hybridize the vines. The European vines can't handle Michigan's cold winters. So if hybridized with a local vine then the likelihood of establishing a vine and having a productive crop increases. I'm curious to see what types of new wines will come about due to this process, after all the kinks have been worked out.

The second presentation was basically about how to start a successful cottage food business in Michigan. The Cottage Food Law allows for the sale of home made good up to $15,000 gross sales per household. Foods sold under this law must be considered low risk (ex: jams, jellies, pasta, cotton candy, popcorn, chocolate covered items, etc). Anything that must be kept hot or frozen doesn't fall under the Cottage Food Law. All foods produced must have: "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development" written on it somewhere. The product's name, business name and address, ingredients, net weight and volume, and an allergen label must also be present.

Now this was the first time that I had heard of this law but finally resolved a few lingering questions of how my friends could sell some of their food out of their kitchens back home. (Laura and I had talked about it before but I couldn't think of the legislation that allowed this, so I felt like an idiot to bring it up.) But on food sold in the stores, if they were made in a factory that contained nuts they had to print a warning stating this. Wouldn't someone selling food under the cottage food law have to as well? Nope, apparently that's just for the big companies.

Participants really were clueless on some things. Like how clean was clean? Well the presenter, Beth (unfortunately I couldn't get a last name for her) took everyone step by step how to be as clean as possible. Though in their defense, after my Microbial Ecology class I wipe everything down that I think will cause me to get sick. Why was their canning method bad? Because you aren't making it for your family, you're making it for profit. Food must be sold in containers meant for food products, so no your mother's handmade baskets aren't going to cut it.

There aren't routine inspections at the home in which these products are made but if there is a complaint then an inspection will be made and food products can be seized. Just FYI for when you're buying Cottage Foods: don't let it deter you from buying their food, just be aware.

The Cottage Food Law helps farmer's markets with increasing their venders to more than just farmers and artists. The customer gets to talk to the cook and gets to ask what type of sugar she used or where she got her supplies. There's this really crazy honey bee lady at the Marquette farmer's market that I just love buying honey from. She just sells it straight up, no additional sugars and she dresses like a bumble bee.

If you're interested and want to know more here are a few links:
http://michigan.gov/mda
www.servsafe.com

There was a lunch speaker who focused on globalization, financing and all that jazz. He didn't really tell me anything I hadn't heard before in any of my classes. Not to say what he said wasn't important for others particularly those who aren't college students having this information drilled into them class after class. From speaking with older participants his talk wasn't something they'd thought about. The world is interdependent, what we do, what we create affects those outside of our area and they may be our customers.

The Ag Assessment was designed by MSU Extentions specifically looking at Upper Peninsula (UP) Farms. And there seems to be a zoning in the UP where the central portion has the "youngest farmers and greatest percentage of enthusiastic operations". What overshadowed this presentation though was the outraged farmers who opposed an upcoming new law that will not allow them to have their grandchildren help out on the farm and they wanted deregulation.

What would be a better way to teach young children to respect nature and love farming than working on a farm? It's practical and helps pass on the family business once the generation managing it gets older. Though I guess whether it teaches them to respect nature depends on the type of farming and mind set involved.

But on the other hand, shouldn't children who grow up in a farming family have the right to decide for themselves what they want to do with their future? If they don't want to take over the family farm, shouldn't that be respected?

I grew up in a community where children were raised to take over the family farm and it didn't always end well.

The Road to Independence was about entrepreneurship. Not going to lie, I was a little bored at this one. In its defense it was at the end of the day. Out of everything though, this seemed the most exploitative presentation. You have an idea and you turn it into a business. You base your business around your ethics and make sure that there's a market for your product.

"Everything is about convenience. Listen to the customers and learn to take negative feedback," Ann Chastain, presenter.

MIT gas research

MIT released a study in their Autumn 2011 Energy Futures magazine, that states that current energy regulations are not cost-effective and a better way to solve this would be to apply a "moderate tax on gasoline" that would "elicit the same reduction at a sixth of the cost." The study also states that it is currently not politically feasible to establish this tax within the USA.

I have no argument that people should be more conservative with their driving. It's believable that if people drove less then gas emissions would be reduced. Think global act local concept 101.

Putting a mandatory gas tax to force a person to drive less where I have mixed feelings.

The Environmental News Network released an article yesterday titled: What really are the best ways to cut gasoline use? This article really pushes for the gas tax.

Though it's true that people tend to react to the loss of money from their own pocket but I grew up in the country, where the public transportation system was unreliable at best and nonexistent on a bad weather day. On the flip side, almost every family I knew growing up had a pickup truck. Pickup trucks are necessary for farm life, there is no way a Toyota Camry can handle driving through the field or pull machinery. But a fair few didn't require the pickup truck's abilities, why do they insist on having them? The gas mileage is horrible, they're expensive and they're downright uncomfortable for long distance trips.

Trusting people to reduce their car usage on their own is naive. Some people won't care regardless of the tax and won't adjust their driving accordingly. Some people can't because they have a long commute. The last thing we need is to create legislation to solve a problem only to have it removed a few years later.

This problem only cries louder for the USA to develop reliable public transportation.

Think local

It's now safe to blog about the Christmas presents that I bought for my family. And I managed to find almost all of them either at local stores in downtown Manistee and the Marquette Co-op.

I bought my dad a bottle of local organic maple syrup at the Marquette Co-op. Though I hadn't ever tried the syrup before, I'm looking forward to finding out how delicious it is.

The real find for this holiday season was an apron for my sister. Its chartreuse with various cats printed on it. If my sister isn't a crazy cat lady then my skin in naturally purple. I found the apron in this little store in downtown Manistee called The Ideal Kitchen. Honestly when I bought the apron I wasn't so sure but as soon as my sister unwrapped it I knew I had chosen well. Her face light up and I just now got my hearing back.

Kitty Litter: third time's a charm

Finally I've found a suitable ecofriendly litter thanks to a recommendation from a friend. The World's Best Cat Litter can completely mask the smell and clumps so that it's easy to clean up.

Scented Multiple Cat Formula

It's a corn based formula. No clay or artificial ingredients are used. It's light and in a pebble like form just like normal litter, which makes the transition between the two brands easier for Pudge (my cat). I've noticed that Pudge has had no problem using this litter long term, unlike the Feline Pine.

The company suggests that 1 bag that weighs 34 lbs. should last 72 days with 1 cat, but I've been able to use that 1 bag for 5 months.

The largest downside of this brand is that it's rather expensive and not sold just anywhere. It's not carried at most supermarkets. But I have found it at the local pet stores. I guess that removes temptation from spending all of my money at the supermarket. One 34 lbs. bag cost $40. At the company's suggested use the litter costs $13.34 a month and I've been able to reduce that to $8 a month.

Getting use to the smell took a while. I bought the lavender scented by accident. It's wee bit different than the typical smell, kind of a strong sweet not so lavender smell. But after a few days the smell dissipates. Pudge was somewhat hesitant to use the litter at first because it smells so different than the normal litter but now she has no problems digging in.

None of the drawbacks are enough to stop me from using this brand. The biggest challenge is the price and to alleviate that problem I just have to cut out some of my junk food to allow for the litter in my budget.

Reducing water waste

Alexandra Cousteau visited NMU a few years ago. During this visit she talked about her connection to water, its importance and its misuse. For some reason I've really been thinking about this today...my theory is that it's due to the fact that I've been cleaning up the kitchen and finding a lot of half drunken pops and water bottles.  But it's just a theory.

Alexandra Cousteau

There are two things that I specifically remember from Cousteau's presentation was that water isn't as abundant as I presume and one person changing their habits may not make that big of a difference but a group of people changing their habits can make an impact.

I live by Lake Michigan, grew up on the shores of Lake Huron, and attend school located on the shore of Lake Superior. The Great Lakes contain 21% of the world's fresh water supply. When I studied abroad, the school/dorms were on the shores of Biwako (Japan's largest freshwater lake). Deserts, however, don't have the luxuries of high water abundance. Not everyone gets a shower every day or knowing that when they wanted a drink it would come without fail.

Two ways to save water that Cousteau pointed out that stuck with me were: when making coffee only make that which is proportional to what you are going to be drinking at that point and empty your pop/ice out before pitching it in the trash when out at a restaurant. Never have these methods of wasted water before crossed my mind.

At that point in my college career, I wasn't that much of a coffee drinker. But now that I can't really survive without it, I only make it by the cup on a consistent basis. This is done by putting only one mug of water into the coffee maker. Yes, I measure it by the mug that I'm using that day. Unless I know that it's going to be a long night then I make a whole pot. If there are leftovers, I refrigerate them. Not a particularly ideal situation but none of it gets wasted.

Throwing away bottles that still have water in it is problematic because you are removing that water from the ecosystem. This process puts it into a system that cannot reuse or reintroduce the water into the ecosystem.

I'm still working on dumping out the pop/ice before I toss/recycle the cup. Old habits die hard. But I've also found an alternative that removes me from this problem. Don't order a drink. Most of the time I carry a reusable water bottle, that way I always have something to drink and when it runs out I simply refill it along the way.

Anyone else have any other ideas of how to reduce water waste?

Communicating with the 'Rents

Being home has forced me to realize that my parents and I have a hard time communicating the meaning of "green". And the goals I have set for myself.

They support my major (Environmental Science), even if they don't understand it. But my dad seems to think my major is ecology and I'll be working in the Michigan DNR for the remainder of my life. Working directly with wildlife and yelling at poachers during deer season. Now that is an option, however it's not the only path for my major.

A friend of mine, who has the same major, wants to work on urban planning. He wants to work on protecting the habitat within urban areas and restore habitat like buried rivers.

Another friend of mine is student teaching in Peru this winter.  He's found a school that has a nice program that combines his love of Spanish and alternative energy.

I've been volunteering at a nonprofit called the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust (SWP). My work mostly consists of calling participants in an energy program about how they felt about their participation. I also input data into an online database and various other odd jobs around the SWP.

As awesome as these other opportunities are, it's hard to translate to my parents.  My dad thinks I'm a telemarketer asking for money. Not a good impression.

The biggest difference, while at home, for me has been food.  I've recently become obsessed with cheese, most particularly smoked Gouda. But I try to get locally made cheese, non-name brand/mass produced or at least cheese from a co-op.

I asked my mom to drop me off at the local co-op while she was on her way out. And was immediately asked why I was going to that store?

After stating what I was after my father replies with, "And you think you're going to find it cheaper at the Organic Store?"

 Yes it may be a bit more expensive but more of my money stays local. Cheese seemed a healthier alternative to high calorie, high sugar chocolate cookies. Cheaper doesn't equal better.

In the end they humored me and gave me some cash like I was a small child heading off to the ice cream stand.