From my email inbox

I've been sending myself thoughts to post... this is a great idea...

The story: http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/state/story/Gleaners-take-to-fields-amid-recession/W91ICDKmtUah8r1q-jwsaA.cspx

Trash

Wouldn’t it be cool if I could do something about the amount of garbage we produce? (We being me and Chad). We took our garbage out and we have to-go food boxes, paper towels, junk. We compost about 75% of our compostable food scraps – so that’s SOMETHING, but really, we eat a lot of prepackaged foods. New Seasons had a bin at the front of their store for plastic bags – that was cool.

Reforestation effort through tea...

Chad and I bought Guayaki Yerba Mate from New Seasons, in both the bottled and loose tea variety. The company replants the Atlantic Rainforest (South America) and employs indiginous tribes in the process. It's a pretty cool business model (Market Driven Reforestation), and the tea itself is interesting. I prefer the sweeteneed stuff in bottles, but it can get spendy (at least it serves a social mission), so we've been making a french press full of the loose stuff in the mornings, and after my blueberry pancakes this morning, it was halfway enjoyable! ;o)

Put the pan-handlers to work!

I take a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood when I'm feeling particularly spunky. I am amazed at the amount of trash that collects against fence lines. The city doesn't have the money (I assume) but I'd be willing to pony up some cash, and maybe collect it from my neighbors, to fund a neighborhood cleanup. Why not put the homeless to work picking up garbage along the streets? Payment could be in food kitchen vouchers, food coupons, or clothing vouchers (to avoid perpetuating addiction). I'd fund that mission...

Cool article about planting an extra row...

From last week's paper - about those who plant an extra row, and those who use the food...

One positive note. Everyone in my work group goes to coffee every morning. I've been bringing my travel coffee mug for a few months now, and today, my coworker asked about it. He said he's noticed me carrying it with me, that he's heard me talk about sustainability, and that he's going to look for one. When we got back to the office, I sent him a link to the company that makes it (OXO - it's a leakproof stainless steel travel mug). So I'm feeling gratified that he is now thinking about making this one small change in his life. It's all about baby steps...

It's July 4th, Saturday, the middle of a three day weekend, and it is *HOT*. We run 2 fans constantly through the day and evening - not sure what that's going to do to the power bill. The next step, assuming the hot weather continues, is to put the air conditioner in the window. When we bought it, we got an energy efficient model, but it feels like I am betraying a cause when I consider installing it. Wish the house was built into a hillside like a hobbits, but it wasn't.