I watched the film Chasing Ice, which chronicles the amazingly rapid pace at which the glaciers are melting, with a few mama friends last night. At the end of the movie, we talked about how difficult it can be to watch movies like that and feel like you don’t even know where to start in addressing … Continue reading
Filed under Sustainability …
Genetically Engineered Foods? Not on My Plate!
This week I received my ballot for the fall elections. There are a lot of important things to vote for (or against) this cycle, even though it’s an “off” year. Initiative 522 is at the top of my list. 522 calls for the labeling of foods that are genetically modified, aka GMOs. It was put … Continue reading
Drink More Draught Beer (and Less Bottled Water)
After hearing Chris Jordan speak a few years ago in support of Seattle’s plastic bag ban, my awareness about the problems of plastic grew by leaps and bounds. Chris uses digital images to help us understand what large numbers of things look like so that we can wrap our brains around the impact that we … Continue reading
No Sleigh Required
I was that child in third grade…the last one still clinging to the firm belief that Santa was real. Many of my peers told me that Santa was make-believe, and I refused to believe them. I was the lone holdout in the third grade. But I was confident in my faith in Santa. Two weeks … Continue reading
Eco-Bitch, At Your Service
Last week, I read blog entry entitled, “Mother Earth called. She wants you to stop being such an asshole.” For a moment, I entertained the hope that this blogger would be calling people out for asshole-ish behavior, like continuing to buy huge Hummers while plastering “I support our troops” bumper stickers to the back of … Continue reading
Recycling Avengers…Coming Soon to a School Near You!
Last night our school held its annual back-to-school social. Our family is not is any way ready for school to resume, but we packed up and went. Ostensibly so that my son could meet his new teacher. But realistically because I had volunteered to manage the evening’s waste plan. When Soren was in kindergarten at … Continue reading
It’s Official
Thursday night, when I delayed bringing in the groceries from the car because I had to rescue my neighbor’s Styrofoam from the trash pile, I realized that I have officially crossed the line. I am Pemco’s Northwest Profile #17 – Obessive Compulsive Recycler. I know this is not news to many of you, especially my poor … Continue reading
A Very Good Thing Indeed
Yesterday I spent part of the afternoon tending the compost and recycling station at our neighborhood’s summer festival. I was recruited by my friend Barb, who is my main resource for all things waste-related (and also my idol). If you think I know a lot about recycling and waste, you should meet Barb! She puts … Continue reading
The Nancy Reagan of Pollinators
This spring I joined the ranks of the estimated 150,000 non-commercial beekeepers in the United States. Backyard beekeeping is quite the trendy hobby here in my neck of the woods, or urban forest as it were. Here in Wallingford, Seattle, I have already encountered four other beekeepers that live within walking distance. Within a few … Continue reading
Saving the Planet with Duct Tape
So, while I didn’t actually “save the planet” with spools of colorful duct tape, I did help inspire creativity and reusable eco-chic behavior in the scads of children who stopped by the CoolMom booth today at Earth Day for Kids. Our project was making coin purses, wallets and other little pouches from Capri Sun juice … Continue reading
Idealist Girl! 