Momnivore Meltdown

Have you ever fallen off the wagon? Been derailed by a some unforeseen force? Fallen flat on your face? Heck, forgotten the mission ("Squirrel!")? Yeah, that's me. The past, oh, month or so has been less than stellar, mission-wise. So it's confession time.

The greenest product I've bought was a pint of Ben & Jerry's. My son's 7th birthday party was an Alien/Outer Space theme, filled with glow in the dark toys and silly string, which can't possibly be natural. We used chemical warfare to rid Fido of fleas, and our favorite farm is on hiatus from the Farmer's Market until fall. My little container garden has all but died, for no reason I can discern, and Basil the Toad seems to have moved out. No, I haven't done well at all lately.

On the other hand, our A/C broke for almost a week, so we saved a lot of energy by not using it. We also saved a lot of personal energy by not moving much that week. We ate very little, mostly fruits and vegetables, since it was too hot to cook, or eat, and we didn't need the calories anyway since we'd given up moving. Since we were eating so much less, I could afford more organic, if not local, food. All in all, I guess we just about broke even. And the Ben & Jerry's was delicious.

I'd like to say I'm back on track now, but I'm not. I finally balanced my checkbook for the first time in several weeks, which only goes to show how far I'd fallen. In a few days we're off on a family vacation, and since it's not an eco-vacation, I doubt we'll conserve much of anything. We're staying in a commercial hotel, eating at restaurants and going to tourist attractions - generally being ugly, wasteful Americans. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to it. After that, it's time for back to school, and that mandatory supply list is always long and expensive. My children also insist on growing, so now I'll have to put them in bigger clothes, i.e. shop. I, personally, can't wedge myself into clothes I bought only a few months ago, but let's not go there.

So is there an end, or a new beginning in sight? Perhaps. At least I feel guilty for not living better, and that's a start. Eventually it may drive me to work harder again. Frankly, for a thick-blooded Yankee like me, summer heat is just like an "Off" switch. My brain fails, my will fails, all motivation is lost. Call me a big wuss, but I just can't take the heat in Florida in summer. I've been trying for years, but I just can't hack it. Even my kids are fantasizing about blizzards by now, and they're almost too little to remember snow. Even in Florida, though, this heat can't last forever. I'm hopeful that I'll get a second wind when it cools off a bit, maybe in October or November, at the latest. In the meantime, I hope the guilt kicks in for me, and that my shameful confession, if it sounds at all familiar to you, gives you permission to forgive yourself and start fresh.

Namaste'

Embracing My Eco-Footprint

ARGH! No wonder the Earth is going to hell in a handbasket. Here I am, an educated, well-intentioned woman with the support of my friends and family, and going green is a massive pain in the tail. Why, if I didn't have 20 hours a day to devote to it, unlimited educational resources at my disposal, and enough guilt to bring down the Vatican, why, I don't know how I'd do it.

Ok, maybe that's a bit much. Perhaps I should watch less Planet Green. Or focus on my accomplishments. Or heck, even give this blog a rest. To be fair, I am a bit of a control freak and insomniac who tends to think things to death. On one hand, that's the perfect person to lead a massive lifestyle overhaul. On the other hand, I'm totally overwhelmed this time. The gap between the average American family and the green ideal is so huge, I hardly know where to start. Worse, the more I look for guidance, the more I discover I'm not doing, and the worse I feel. One of my favorite people is moving away soon, and the only silver lining to her move is that I won't feel so guilty now that she won't be inside my evil, wasteful house anymore (my words, not hers - she's actually very non-judgmental, hence, one of my favorite people).

But I don't need her around to make me feel bad anyway. I just tried two different ecological footprint calculators and got vastly different, confusing results. One said I was a "40". 40 what? I can assure you, I ain't 40, thank you very much. The other said my household is so wasteful that our eco-footprint is 25 hectares. That's 250 acres, right? Really? Because I just watched Wa$ted, the show based on this very calculator and watched people in a 5000 sq. ft. home who took 40-minute showers and didn't recycle and their footprint was only 104 acres. I'm not strip mining an endangered animal reserve in my backyard. I don't slash and burn tires for fun. I don't wave plastic bags like prayer flags out my giant SUV windows while driving through protected wetlands. So what gives? Maybe the calculator sensed I'm on the Gulf Coast and automatically factored in the oil spill.*

I've had it with feeling guilty. I've had it with way too much information, and conflicting information at that. I'm tired of being frustrated with the limitations of not owning our home or land. There MUST be more people in the same boat as my family than on the green boat to sustainable living. Right? We can't be the only bad people left, right?

Here's my new plan, just to get me though this slough of despond. This week, I'm embracing all things green. I'm going to try, for one week, to focus on being green. I'm not always going to make the best choice, but I'm going to at least make a choice. I'm going to consider my options before acting. Maybe there are greener choices right in front of me that I'm missing, overthinking, or simply overlooking. I'm going to embrace the mountain of information and decisions, just for these few days, rather than being buried by them. At the end of the week, I don't know if I'll be more green or less, pleased or disappointed, exhausted or rejuvenated, but at least I will have dedicated myself to the Earth for a little while, and no matter what, that can't be bad.

* Actually, 25 hectares is about 61 acres, which is probably pretty accurate. However, the fact that each calculator uses it's own units and doesn't explain them just goes to demonstrate the challenges of going green.

Going Green Gradually

Earth Day 2010! A day of triumph and celebration for the Momnivore, right? Well, kind of. Sort of. Not really. See, first I overslept, then I turned on the idiot box in my sleepy haze. I wrestled with our rusty old hose so long that the sun was up by the time I got the sprinkler going, so not only did I lose water to leaks, but to the heat of the sun. I also watered as much pavement as lawn because for some reason, the sprinkler was channeling Niagara Falls today. Oh, and then I forgot it was on and totally over-watered. Usually, I'm really good about avoiding that, but I was distracted by giving my toddler a high-VOC pedicure (at her request - c'mon, you don't think I'd encourage that sort of thing, do you?). I haven't eaten any critters yet today, but my soy sausage was highly processed and my peanut butter had sugar in it. Not the best start to Earth Day, but you know what that means? Nowhere to go but up!

I've learned a lot during this Momnivore experiment, but the greatest lesson I've learned is that I can't change the world overnight. Heck, I can't change my socks without warming up a bit. Even though I'm often frustrated by my inability to implement everything immediately, or by the overwhelming information there is about going green, I have to admit that my family has made some progress in the past few months. We have filtered water, we support a local, sustainable farm, we recycle more and waste less. Perhaps most importantly, I'm always thinking green, questioning everything, looking for better alternatives and options. We didn't get here in a day, and we won't make any new radical changes in the next few hours, either. The improvements we've made have been earned one baby step at a time. Done this way, there's less overwhelm, less financial strain, and less lifestyle shock- all of which are important when making any change that involves the whole family.

In this spirit, I offer the Going Green Gradually post (Ta-Da!), a quick list of little ways to go green. Some you may have heard of, or done, others may be new, but all will be small. Even if something is beyond my present means to implement, I hope it will encourage you to discuss, research, or try it yourself. I will update this post as often as reasonably possible, keeping the list active and growing. One small kindness at a time, we can heal the Earth and leave her healthy and strong for generations to come. Namaste'

1. Visit one of the dozens of free online calculators and determine your carbon footprint. Knowing where you stand right now may motivate you to make some changes. Save your results and compare them with new results next year! I encourage you to take several tests, since many of the sites are sponsored by special interest groups. Taking several of them will help you get a good, balanced picture of your environmental status. Ready, set, GO!

2. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. I learned that little poem from my mother, who learned it from hers... Basically, it means use the stuff you already have, make the most of it, and fix it when it breaks. The world is already full of stuff. Buying more of it just uses resources and adds more stuff to the global pool. Think twice before buying anything.

3. Learn to cook. Ideally, we would all thrive on raw food vegan diets, but I like bacon too much to encourage that. Granted, cooking requires fuel, but cooking from scratch ensures that you'll know what's in your food. The closer your foods are to their whole, natural state, the better they are for you and the environment. Try comparing a recipe for a dish with that same dish prepackaged in the grocery store - the version you make from the recipe will always have fewer (if any) chemicals or preservatives. Cooking from scratch saves a ton of money, too, if you're into that sort of thing.

4. Research alternatives before you buy. Chances are good you'll still buy some stuff sometimes. Before you do, try to find out if there are greener versions of the same product available. For example, I shamefully still buy paper towels (gasp!). When I do, however, I try to avoid those with the pretty patterns, even when they're on sale for less than the plain ones, since the patterns require ink (chemicals) and more processing. It's a small impact, but at least I'm thinking about it. It's all about training your brain to think green.

More to come...

Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day 2010 is this Thursday, April 22nd. Somehow I always forget that hour each spring I'm supposed to turn everything off (I even forget what they call it, and it was only a few weeks ago), but Earth Day I can remember. There are thousands of ways to celebrate Earth Day, but if you're stumped, check out this article. If you have kids, here are some family-friendly ways to celebrate Earth Day with them. I have a little Earth Day project in mind for this blog, too, but I'm still sorting it out in my mind. We'll see what I come up with by Thursday!

For those of you who read The Momnivore regularly (Hi, Mum!), you'll be pleased to hear that Basil, our toad, has upgraded to the rosemary pot. The new pot is a 12" pot, as opposed to the 8" pot of basil he previously occupied, so there's plenty of room for his chubby toad-butt. We will not, however, be changing his name.

I'm not sure how long this link will work before they archive this article, but over the weekend I read this wonderful interview with Jeff Yeager, author of The Ultimate Cheapskate's Roadmap to True Riches. I hadn't heard of him or the book before, but I loved, loved, loved his financial philosophies as they came through in the interview. In his view, saving money and becoming wealthy is about living below your means, not pinching pennies or tackling Wall Street. How green is that? Think before you buy. Buy quality and buy once. Stay in your modestly-sized home for life. (Warren Buffet still lives in the same home he has for years, the one in a suburban subdivision, the one he paid $31, 000 for. ONLY $31K. Warren Buffet. 'Nuff said.) Not only do Mr. Yeager's financial views sound remarkably like my parents' and grandparents', but they certainly fit with today's green living and allowed Mr. Yeager to retire in his 40s. I can't wait to read that book - as soon as my library gets it. We don't need to discuss my rampant book addiction again, do we?

Finally, I'm happy to report that I found local meat and produce at both WalMart and Sam's Club last week. Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know. I shouldn't patronize either, but I do. And most of you probably do too, at least for some things, so just admit it and let's move on. The point (and the good news) is that enough of us who do sometimes shop at these places care enough about where our food comes from that the giant box stores are starting to notice. I didn't see enough local and/or organic stuff to live on at either store, but I certainly saw enough to compliment my shopping at Ever'man's (or your local health food co-op). For anyone trying to balance sustainable living with a budget, this is a welcome step forward, and the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step.

Namaste'

The Good, The Bad and The Yummy

I've fluffed off a bit over the holidays, I admit, but I've also had some successes and forward progress.

Christmas dinner centered around a modest 4.5 lb rib roast. Even though I didn't shop for it until Christmas Eve, Publix had a selection of their "Greenwise" beef roasts available, and at $35, quite reasonably priced. $7+ per pound? Reasonable? Absolutely. Their Greenwise beef met all the standards I was hoping for (except being local, which it may have been, but I couldn't tell), and was excellent beef. I'm ashamed to say I've spent far more on holiday roasts in the past, and this year's dinner left me with a clear conscience. Here's what Publix says about their Greenwise beef, so you know what I mean by that:

Publix GreenWise Market USDA Choice Beef

You can feel good about eating tender, flavorful Publix GreenWise Market Beef. Completely natural, with no artificial additives or preservatives, this beef comes from cattle raised humanely on a 100% vegetarian diet, never receiving any antibiotics or hormones. We "source verify" all of our Publix GreenWise Market Beef, keeping close track of the cattle all the way from birth, validating all feeding, handling, and living conditions, and ensuring that our strict standards are always maintained. Which means that you always get the very best quality, naturally delicious beef.

In addition to the beef, we had Yorkshire Pudding, which I made from scratch, sweet peas with no additives or preservatives or anything, and, um, I forget what else. To be honest, in our house Christmas dinner is all about the Yorkshire Pudding. The roast is really a means to that end, since you need good beef drippings to make it. All in all, it was a fairly natural meal, full of things that could have been found on Dickensian tables.

While I was shopping for the feast on Christmas Eve, our new Royal Berkey water filtration system arrived. I set it up, but had a hard time priming the optional fluoride filters. In fact, 3 days and many gallons of contaminated water later, we took the damn things off and are just using the regular black filters. I have an email into Berkey customer service and will update everyone when I hear back from them. Last night, however, 2 drops of water leaked onto my brand new iPod screen and etched the surface. I still have to wonder what's in my water. Just this morning I heard that ECUA (the local water company) is addressing the toxic chemicals in the water supply not by removing them, but by suing DuPont, whom they blame for the elevated levels of PTFE and other contaminants. DuPont may or may not be to blame, but as the public water provider, ECUA is most certainly responsible for providing safe drinking water immediately, with or without DuPont's bank account. When they get their greedy little paws on that, they can replace my iPod for a start.

Finally, on a happier note, I found (was shown, really) a wonderful source of farm fresh eggs today. I got 3 dozen and I can't wait to use them. Growing up, we always had a collection of cardboard egg cartons on the top of the fridge. Periodically we would go over to the Vento's and get some fresh eggs. That's where eggs came from - my best friend's family chickens. The only time we saw white eggs was when my mother would buy a dozen specifically to dye for Easter. My kids were tired after playing all day and didn't put up with my praises of eggs from "Happy Chickens" for long, and my husband simply thinks I'm a freak for driving any further than the supermarket for eggs, but I'm happy. And the chickens are happy. Of all the things I want to change about our family lifestyle, this is the first one that allows me to feel like I'm truly able to provide my family with the quality of life I took for granted as a kid. Other changes will be harder if not impossible to duplicate perfectly, but this one is settled. I'm a content and grateful Mother tonight for the generosity of a friend who introduced me to this (highly guarded, sorry) source.

Until next time, Happy New Year!