Comments on: Going Green http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/ Red Hot Reads Fri, 18 May 2012 13:21:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Lori Borrill http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4469 Lori Borrill Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:50:25 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4469 LOL Jillian, I imagine the vegetarian society in Texas is rather sparse. LOL Honestly, I think the America is on the brink of coming full circle. My parent's generation thinks bigger is better. (My folks STILL don't understand why we sold our "big beautiful house"). But then again, they're living on pensions, social security, and have lifetime health care all but paid for by their employers. Despite having 25 years at my corporation, I'll be walking away with my savings and whatever is left of my 401K. So I really think we're going to start seeing families going back to smaller, more affordable, housing, driving more economical cars and in general, consuming less. For my family, our changes have very much been financially-based, and we're finding that as a side bonus, it happens to be green living too. It's a win-win. LOL Jillian, I imagine the vegetarian society in Texas is rather sparse. LOL

Honestly, I think the America is on the brink of coming full circle. My parent’s generation thinks bigger is better. (My folks STILL don’t understand why we sold our “big beautiful house”). But then again, they’re living on pensions, social security, and have lifetime health care all but paid for by their employers. Despite having 25 years at my corporation, I’ll be walking away with my savings and whatever is left of my 401K. So I really think we’re going to start seeing families going back to smaller, more affordable, housing, driving more economical cars and in general, consuming less. For my family, our changes have very much been financially-based, and we’re finding that as a side bonus, it happens to be green living too. It’s a win-win.

]]> By: Lori Borrill http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4467 Lori Borrill Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:39:33 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4467 I've never heard of CSAs. What a cool idea! Or Freecycling either. I'm imagining it's like Craigslist, but everything's free. Wow, such good ideas. And like you with the Prius, I LOVE my Element. It's totally me. Practical, boxy, yet a little quirky. LOL I’ve never heard of CSAs. What a cool idea! Or Freecycling either. I’m imagining it’s like Craigslist, but everything’s free. Wow, such good ideas.

And like you with the Prius, I LOVE my Element. It’s totally me. Practical, boxy, yet a little quirky. LOL

]]> By: Lori Borrill http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4466 Lori Borrill Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:26:40 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4466 Wow that looks great! I watch a lot of Food Network and have seen places like that on TV. Seattle's Pikes Market is very similar, but I'm not aware of anything like it around here. Though we do have a number of gourmet grocery stores around here. It wouldn't be the wine country without fresh breads and organic produce. But nothing on that scale. Lucky! Wow that looks great! I watch a lot of Food Network and have seen places like that on TV. Seattle’s Pikes Market is very similar, but I’m not aware of anything like it around here. Though we do have a number of gourmet grocery stores around here. It wouldn’t be the wine country without fresh breads and organic produce. But nothing on that scale. Lucky!

]]> By: Jillian Burns http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4458 Jillian Burns Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:19:18 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4458 Ok, I don't garden--I have a black thumb--and the closest I've come to meat free is Fridays during Lent. I'm a Texan. We like our steak, what can I say? However, I do use cloth bags for my groceries without exception, I recycle everything that is recyclable, and I've begun tolerating a much warmer house by cranking the A/C way up (79-80) most of the time. I admit, that's mainly because I'm trying not to pay $500 per month on a utility bill, but it also helps the environment, no? Neither of our cars are gas guzzlers and our house is small... I guess the most UNgreen thing I do is buy books. I just can't get into e-books, I don't have a Kindle or Sony. I like a printed on paper book in my hand. It's one thing I just can't give up. Ok, I don’t garden–I have a black thumb–and the closest I’ve come to meat free is Fridays during Lent. I’m a Texan. We like our steak, what can I say? However, I do use cloth bags for my groceries without exception, I recycle everything that is recyclable, and I’ve begun tolerating a much warmer house by cranking the A/C way up (79-80) most of the time. I admit, that’s mainly because I’m trying not to pay $500 per month on a utility bill, but it also helps the environment, no?
Neither of our cars are gas guzzlers and our house is small… I guess the most UNgreen thing I do is buy books. I just can’t get into e-books, I don’t have a Kindle or Sony. I like a printed on paper book in my hand. It’s one thing I just can’t give up.

]]> By: Jamie Sobrato http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4457 Jamie Sobrato Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:06:22 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4457 Fun post, Lori. I love that you have an orange car. If only my car had come in orange, I'd have been sooooo happy. I live in a teeny tiny apartment with no air conditioning (summer gas-electric bills are $21 a month!), drive a hybrid car (as you know, since you've ridden in it :-D ), shop at the farmer's market every week, walk rather than drive when I can, avoid buying stuff as much as possible, cook vegetarian at least half the time, and recycle/reuse whenever possible. Freecycle is a fun way to re-use stuff or find it a new home, but the Freecycle list in our area is so busy I can never manage to keep up with it. Because gardening isn't all that feasible for me right now, I've tried getting my veggies delivered through a CSA (community supported agriculture), which was VERY cool but I had to cut it out for a while due to budget and schedule issues. I tried Farm Fresh to You and loved it, but our area has quite a few cool CSA's to try out. I'm hoping to get back into it as some point. For anyone who's never heard of it, the idea behind a CSA is that you buy your produce directly from the farm or a collective of farms that produces it, and they deliver it to your home or a drop point in your area once a week. Many of the CSA farms also have harvest times and family visit times so that you can go visit where your food is grown and develop a more personal relationship with the farmers. It's so cool! Fun post, Lori. I love that you have an orange car. If only my car had come in orange, I’d have been sooooo happy.

I live in a teeny tiny apartment with no air conditioning (summer gas-electric bills are $21 a month!), drive a hybrid car (as you know, since you’ve ridden in it :-D ), shop at the farmer’s market every week, walk rather than drive when I can, avoid buying stuff as much as possible, cook vegetarian at least half the time, and recycle/reuse whenever possible.

Freecycle is a fun way to re-use stuff or find it a new home, but the Freecycle list in our area is so busy I can never manage to keep up with it.

Because gardening isn’t all that feasible for me right now, I’ve tried getting my veggies delivered through a CSA (community supported agriculture), which was VERY cool but I had to cut it out for a while due to budget and schedule issues. I tried Farm Fresh to You and loved it, but our area has quite a few cool CSA’s to try out. I’m hoping to get back into it as some point.

For anyone who’s never heard of it, the idea behind a CSA is that you buy your produce directly from the farm or a collective of farms that produces it, and they deliver it to your home or a drop point in your area once a week. Many of the CSA farms also have harvest times and family visit times so that you can go visit where your food is grown and develop a more personal relationship with the farmers. It’s so cool!

]]> By: Pamela J. http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4456 Pamela J. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:45:58 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4456 I thought I'd come back and add this in for anyone who wants to see what we here in PA call a "real" farmer's market. This is the web site for ours here in Allentown. It a permanant year round facility not like the open air ones that most places can only host during the summer months. http://www.fairgroundfarmersmkt.com/ I thought I’d come back and add this in for anyone who wants to see what we here in PA call a “real” farmer’s market. This is the web site for ours here in Allentown. It a permanant year round facility not like the open air ones that most places can only host during the summer months.

http://www.fairgroundfarmersmkt.com/

]]> By: Lori Borrill http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4455 Lori Borrill Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:36:57 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4455 I think that's quite a bit! I just read an article in Time about the damage meat and poultry does to our environment. Like Nancy mentioned, we're also trying to eat vegetarian more often, though we'd have a hard time giving up those burgers for good. But I was saying to my husband that if everyone did just a little bit, it would make a big difference. I don't think we all have to go overboard. Just doing a few things here and there adds up, I think. I think that’s quite a bit! I just read an article in Time about the damage meat and poultry does to our environment. Like Nancy mentioned, we’re also trying to eat vegetarian more often, though we’d have a hard time giving up those burgers for good. But I was saying to my husband that if everyone did just a little bit, it would make a big difference. I don’t think we all have to go overboard. Just doing a few things here and there adds up, I think.

]]> By: Lori Borrill http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4454 Lori Borrill Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:29:20 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4454 I use my cloth grocery bags--when I can remember!! Argh, I'm forever forgetting them in the trunk of my car. LOL But your farmer's market sounds wonderful! I've yet to see meat, though I hear the best one around me is up in Santa Rosa. I haven't gone to that one yet, but just might go this weekend. You've got me curious to see what's out there! I use my cloth grocery bags–when I can remember!! Argh, I’m forever forgetting them in the trunk of my car. LOL But your farmer’s market sounds wonderful! I’ve yet to see meat, though I hear the best one around me is up in Santa Rosa. I haven’t gone to that one yet, but just might go this weekend. You’ve got me curious to see what’s out there!

]]> By: Linda Henderson http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4453 Linda Henderson Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:22:14 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4453 I do my best to recycle paper and plastics. I buy fresh veggies when I can. I try to use the green lightbulbs that last longer but sometimes they are expensive. I have yet to figure out if they really last any longer. I'm getting better about buying bottled water, I use a filter pitcher at home. I guess that's about it. Linda Henderson I do my best to recycle paper and plastics. I buy fresh veggies when I can. I try to use the green lightbulbs that last longer but sometimes they are expensive. I have yet to figure out if they really last any longer. I’m getting better about buying bottled water, I use a filter pitcher at home. I guess that’s about it.

Linda Henderson

]]> By: Pamela J. http://blazeauthors.com/blog/2009/09/10/going-green/#comment-4452 Pamela J. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:04:27 +0000 http://blazeauthors.com/blog/?p=1677#comment-4452 Growing up here in my area of PA, it is common place to shop at our local farmer's market. Many of my neighbors do. Our's is almost a Foodies paradise. They sell almost anything you could want, all under one roof, year round. I love to visit the stands that sell the choice cuts of meats and poultry, and the bakery and preserved stands all from Lancaster County, PA. If you want organic done right, the original way, or as they say "The way God intended" thats where you need to go. The stuff is just amazing. My area also just started to use single stream recycling for items tagged 1 to 7 this year. I have to admit that I am having trouble remembering what some of those items are when I'm tossing things out. Plastic was always a given, but some of the other stuff gets fuzzy for me. (Like glass products) Other than that, all I do at home is use my reuseable cloth grocery bags when I grocery shop and I turn my plastic bags in at the grocery store for special recycling. I have changed quite a few of our lightbulbs over to the energy efficient kind also. For us thats about it. Thanks for asking. -Pamela Growing up here in my area of PA, it is common place to shop at our local farmer’s market. Many of my neighbors do. Our’s is almost a Foodies paradise. They sell almost anything you could want, all under one roof, year round. I love to visit the stands that sell the choice cuts of meats and poultry, and the bakery and preserved stands all from Lancaster County, PA. If you want organic done right, the original way, or as they say “The way God intended” thats where you need to go. The stuff is just amazing.

My area also just started to use single stream recycling for items tagged 1 to 7 this year. I have to admit that I am having trouble remembering what some of those items are when I’m tossing things out. Plastic was always a given, but some of the other stuff gets fuzzy for me. (Like glass products)

Other than that, all I do at home is use my reuseable cloth grocery bags when I grocery shop and I turn my plastic bags in at the grocery store for special recycling. I have changed quite a few of our lightbulbs over to the energy efficient kind also. For us thats about it.

Thanks for asking.
-Pamela

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