Badda Bing, Badda Bloom Box

"It's about seeing the world as what it can be and not what it is" K.R. Sridhar, inventor of the Bloom Box says. Any company who starts with that kind of philosophy has my backing. Originally designed for NASA, the Bloom Box was re-engineered to be a stand-alone power plant in a box. The goal is for consumers to be able to purchase a single Bloom Box for about $3000 for their backyard or basement, which could then power an average American home. Bloom Energy, the manufacturers, estimate that customers could make up the initial purchase cost in 3-5 years with money saved in energy production by the Bloom Box.

The Bloom Box takes in oxygen, and combines it with a fuel of your choice to produce electricity. Fuels can be fossil, like natural gas, or renewable, like gas produced from landfills, or solar power. I'm still a fan of the Bloom Box even when using fossil fuels, as they use half as much fuel to provide the same amount of energy as conventional methods. See the full story on 60 minutes here.

Viva la Transit Revolution!

I'm so excited about bus rapid transit for Richmond, VA! GRTC wants to put in a rapid transit line on Broad St. starting between Rocketts Landing and Willow Lawn, eventually expanding to Short Pump. There are also plans to establish a transit hub with train, bus, taxi, limo, airport shuttle etc. at Main St. station - sweeeet! The first public meeting is tonight:

Public Meeting #1:  Will introduce the project to the public, explain the study process, and introduce the concepts that are being studied.

6-8pm, February 24, 2010

Children’s Museum of Richmond

2626 W. Broad St.  

There's also an identical meeting at the same time Thursday evening:

6-8pm, February 25, 2010

Thomas Jefferson High School

4100 W. Grace St.

Even for those of you who will still need to use your car on a regular basis to commute, this will mean in the long term:

1) Reduced traffic volume, less traffic jams, potentially less accidents

2) More time saved during commute to spend with your family and friends

3) Less CO2 emissions into the air from vehicle traffic, less smog, better air quality

4) Less traffic means less wear and tear on the roads, hopefully better quality roads with less necessary maintenance and less taxes spent!

Seeds of Suicide

Disturbing exposé on the plight of cotton farmers in India: Seeds of Suicide. Many farmers are persuaded to buy genetically modified (GMO*) seeds, which haven't been properly tested for ease of growing and crop production. These GMO seeds can cost more than five times the amount of traditional cotton seeds, and require costly pesticides, fertilizers, and more water than non-GMOs. GMO seeds are patented, and are not allowed to be saved by farmers for next season's planting. Most farmers are forced to borrow money to buy GMO seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. When crops fail and the moneylenders come knocking, some farmers are shamed and desperate enough to look for a way out: suicide by drinking their own pesticides.

Some are now turning to organic cotton. Organic methods produce lower yields, but much less risk to the farmer, because they often don't need to borrow money to start their crop, and can save seeds to plant for the next season. For more information and background, go to Frontline.

*Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are plants or animals that have had genes (heritable material) permanently added to them to produce desirable traits, like disease resistance, drought tolerance, or increased size of fruit. GMOs are akin to gene therapy, introducing genes into living human cells to cure disease, in which there can be great benefit, but also risk if not carefully planned out and monitored. Watch my blog for an upcoming post with a more in-depth description of GMOs, and possible risks and benefits.

Glossy Goodness

I think I'm in love. With a lip gloss. I've been having an affair with Tarte lip gloss for nearly two years now. And why would I ever want to stay away from something this good? Free from parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates. Your lip gloss does end up in your mouth eventually, and I don't know of anyone who likes to snack on petroleum products. It comes in three pretty colours, as well as a set of 15 mini-glosses, which you can give as gifts or keep all to yourself (I'm very possessive of my lip gloss lovers, so naturally chose to keep them all). They all have subtle, pretty scents, are very moisterizing, and long-wearing. They are also great to layer - a little for a sheer look, a lot for bombshell. While each full-sized gloss is $21 at Sephora, they are always having site-wide sales, and it ends up being a good bargain, as the tubes last quite a long time. Plus, if you sign up with a site like ebates, you get 4% back from your purchases. Oh l'amore.

Energy Vampires

Unlike large appliances that have become more energy efficient in recent years, many small appliances have not. Your TV, DVD player, and coffee maker, for example, are costing you money even when you aren't using them! According to the California Energy Commission, nearly 20% of energy used by small appliances is used when these appliances are plugged in, but not in use. Check out their website for the low-down on these energy vampires:
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/small_appl.html

Here are 3 different kinds of stakes to put in the heart of these energy vampires...

Veggie Grow Op

Planted my seedlings yesterday...finally! Next year I'll try to start at the beginning of February. Our frost date in Virginia is about half-way through April. I mixed 1/3 organic seed starter, 1/3 store-bought manure/humus, 1/3 generic potting soil, a small scoop of blood meal and a small scoop of organic fertilizer. Last year I used 100% seed starter mix and it was really hard to water it thoroughly, because the water just beaded on top of all that peat!

Here's a google spreadsheet of the seedlings I planted in plastic, reusable trays:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aqvu0HFKFzwGdGZzczdJVGZXMEdzdjI2VVVrbDJLS3c&hl=en

I tried a number of new tomatoes this year, including jelly bean, a type of grape tomato, and yellow pear. I also tried Early Girl, an early fruiting variety that worked well for my neighbor last year. Of course, if all of my seedling grow I won't know what to do with them all - how would I ever use 72 tomato plants?!? But I figured I could sell some of the plants, and maybe plant some extra tomatoes this year, again to sell. After all, if I'm going to keep rescuing feral cats, I have to fund my efforts somehow (more on this later!)

Black Gold

Here's a useful youtube video on how to make your own black gold - compost! Compost can be used as a mulch to keep down weeds, and as a natural fertilizer to help enrich your soil for growing vegetables, flowers, or grass. I think I may follow the tips in this video to make myself another compost bin. I bought a compost bin August 2008 that you could use for anything, including meat (which you can normally never put in compost). It has worked well but is now completely full, and never had enough room for all of my yard waste.

Nifty Thrifty

I wish there was a map of all of the thrift stores near Richmond, Virginia. Oh wait a minute, now there is! Using the fantabulousness of Google Maps, I was able to combine various maps that other people have made for thrift stores in the Richmond, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and Washington DC area into one super-map! Now you can easily save money and the environment, all in your own backyard!



View Virginia and DC Thrift Stores in a larger map


To combine your own maps is easy, just follow these simple steps...

Really Really Free Yourself From Consumerism

Richmond, VA's "Really Really Free Market" is a new found phenomena for me, and something I will be sure to start visiting! Held on the last Saturday of the month, rain or shine, everything you find there is free for you to cart away. Expect to see books, movies, toys, furniture, food, clothes, anything! You can bring your own things to give away, or just come to reap the free goodness. I've heard there are often free workshops by community members, such as how to change a tire! And as the weather gets better there is sure to be free music as well.

Not only do events like this save you money, but they also allow items to find new homes, reducing the amount of new materials and items being made, and keeping old items out of landfills. Plus, I seem to remember a few of you resolving to get organized and clear out your clutter, hmmm? So stick it to the man, and make it out to the next Really Really Free Market:

RVA Free Market
Saturday, February 27, 2010
12:00pm - 5:00pm
Monroe Park
Corner of Laurel and Main Streets
Richmond, VA
Contact Phone: 804.300.0026

If anyone knows of any similar free markets in their community, let everyone else know by posting a comment!

Potatoe Loco

This year I will trying to grow potatoes. I don't know why, but they just seem more intimidating to grow than other vegetables...so I did my homework. As usual, the first place I went was gardenguides.com, and I wasn't disappointed. They had a great article to get me started, plus some instructional videos, with two slightly different methods...

Start Your Garden Right with Tricycle Gardens

Tricycle Gardens, a local, non-profit, community gardening organization in Richmond, VA is holding a Seed Starting & Soil Preparation workshop Saturday, February 27th:

Learn how to grow your own vegetables and flowers by starting them from seed. We’ll discuss everything you need to know to successfully start seeds for your garden, how to prepare your garden soil and how to care for your young seedlings. We’ll also discuss popular vegetable varieties that will grow well in this area!

Location: Bryan Park Greenhouse
Time: 10am- 12pm
Cost: $20

Please email learn@tricyclegardens.org to RSVP.

Green Power Turns Me On

I had just moved from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was living in Richmond, Virginia for 6 months before I discovered that my electricity was being generating by coal. And here I thought coal power was reserved for 3rd world countries! I guess I just took it for granted that people in North America don't burn fossil fuels anymore. My bad. So I was pleased to see that Virginia Dominion Power offers a program to purchase sustainable energy.

Ooh La Lavanila

I am constantly using this body butter from Lavanila to keep my hands from drying out this Winter. It's free from any nasty chemicals, which I love. But it also actually works! It's nice and thick, but also fast absorbing. And you can see an instantaneous improvement in your skin after you put it on, as well as long-term benefits. My favorite is vanilla coconut, but vanilla grapefruit is also a great scent. Sephora has a smaller 2.75oz size for $12, if you're unsure about spending $25 for 8oz. Or better yet, try the 3 x 2.75oz sample pack for $30, and get the 3 best-selling fragrances!

Composted Goodness

Whether you realize it or not, composting saves green. Trash pick-up is included or subsidized by the taxes you or your landlord pays. The more often and the greater the quantity and/or weight of trash collected, the more the city is charged for this service. And the city is kind enough to pass that charge along to you.

Build Your Own Rain Barrel

Here is a YouTube video by Lowes that helped my husband and I build our rain barrels. We didn't end up using the exact parts they did, but it was useful none the less. We combined the ideas from the Lowes video and this website to come up with the cheapest, most effective design for our needs. There is also a video that shows how to make one using the parts on that website.



You may also find this video helpful:

Sprouting into Spring

I'm really excited for Spring to arrive, and gardening to begin! Right now I'm in the planning stages. This year I plan to grow cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, squash, potatoes, watermelon, cantelope, carrots, and pumpkins. Plus many varieties of herbs, and a cut flower garden. This is in addition to my currently growing strawberries (of which I need to add more plants), raspberries, and blueberries. I've never tried to grow squash or potatoes before, so it should be interesting. And now, readers, you may begin to understand why I have so many rain barrels!

Warm Up to Savings

If you live in an older house or apartment, you know the pain of Winter heating bills. It's either freeze or starve. Until now. You could try wearing of a ridiculous amount of winter layers...Or you could try a space heater!

Space Heaters
By turning your thermostat down and only heating the room you're in, you can conserve mega mula this Winter.

Plants need friends too!

Like high school, plants often separate themselves into natural cliches. Some individuals get along and work altruistically together, while some covertly gossip and sabotage other plants behind their backs. The art of planting groups of plants together that work well as teams, while separating plants that are natural enemies, is called companion planting.

Companion planting isn't hard to learn, and their are many great websites that can help...

Green Police

I nearly died laughing when I saw this commercial...Honestly, sometimes I want to go out and bust people's asses for not recycling like the green police! But when I read the comments on youtube I did a double-take. People are FREAKING out about this video. Why is it so controversial? I guess many people are sick of every company putting the 'green' label on their products to increase sales (never mind that many of the sustainability claims they're making are not backed up by fact, and there is often no regulatory body overseeing these claims). Or I guess maybe people think that this could actually happen in the foreseeable future. But honestly, people, asking you to be more sustainable is not an infringement on your rights. It will save you money, and cause less shortfall in the long-term of renewable resources. What's the point of owning a gas guzzling car if there will be no gas to make it run in 20 years?

There has been resistance to many movements, like sustainability, that are ultimately for people's own good. Smoking bans in public places, seatbelt enforcement, and health care reform, to name a few. Yes, change is scary. But comparing the 'green movement' to Nazi Germany is a little over the top, don't you think?

The Quest for Rain Barrels

Many of us have probably seen rain barrels at our local hardware store, but these probably represent the most expensive option out there:

Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?storeId=10051&N=531673+90401&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&cm_sp=c3cc8e7f-b971-405e-be30-05235d8dffdf

Lowes:

http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&N=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=rain+barrel&x=0&y=0

Another option would be to search your local paper or Craigslist for rain barrels people have made from 50-60 gallon plastic food/cleaning supply barrels, which usually run from $45-$60.

Rain Barrel Bananas

I went a little crazy last year with the rain barrels...I currently have 4 hooked up (but not in use over the winter), and 3 more assembled, but waiting to be hooked up. Wait a minute...you don't know about rain barrels? What you don't know could be costing you money!

How to recycle anything?!?

Awesome article on how to literally recycle anything from A for Aerosol cans to Z for Zippered plastic bags!

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/tips-techniques/recycle-anything-00000000006117/index.html

Send Junk Mail to Junk Hell

Stupid junk mail, having to sort through mountains of mailings to get to more important memoranda! What's that you say? There's a solution? Stop junk mail before it starts?

Visit: http://richmond.bbb.org/article/6373

In under 10 minutes, you can be virtually junk mail free! By visiting four websites you can stop the majority of junk mail, and guard your sanity against the endless sorting through mail. You can also tell your mail carrier to stop delivering flyers and coupon books. Businesses that participate constantly update their mailing numbers, so if less people receive flyers, less will be printed! And don't forget to recycle those errant straggling junk letters that still get through.

P.S. For those who value their privacy and don't like being interrupted during dinner, put yourself on the 'do not call' list for telemarketers at https://www.donotcall.gov/

Fluorescent Potpourri

In the past few years, the variety of fluorescent bulbs has skyrocketed. Chances are, if you use it, you can find it in fluorescent. Best of all, fluorescent equivalents can be much brighter than incandescents. Many also come in natural daylight varieties.

Check some of these out...

Fluorescent Bulb Mythology

Ever notice how hot incandescent bulbs can get? You would have if you ever tried to change a bulb without letting it cool first. Well, that heat is costing you money! The energy that should just go into producing light in incandescents is actually being wasted a good deal as heat...But most of us know that fluorescent bulbs are cheaper to light our homes with. The cost of buying the bulbs seems to be what's stopping most of us from switching.

What many don't realize is that besides being cheaper to run, fluorescent also last for about 5 years with standard use - about 2-3 times longer than incandescent!!! How can you get around footing the big bill to switch?

1) Consider buying fluorescent as your incandescents burn out, so that you only have to buy a few at a time.

2) Try switching all your bulbs to fluorscents after you get your income tax refund

3) Participate in bulb swaps, where local organizations or businesses will sometimes trade a fluorescent bulb for each incandescent you bring in

4) Put fluorescent bulbs on your birthday/wedding/baby shower registry

5) Look for good old-fashioned coupons in your local newspaper

Green beginnings

If I had a bumper sticker it would read "Recycle or Die". When a group of us decided to dress up this Halloween, I was the obvious choice for Captain Planet. And I have been known to dig through trash cans to 'save' recyclables. All very good reasons why I should start posting my adventures in recycling in blog-form. Keen on green at an early age, I have now progressed to the state of obsession where I'm a member of the sustainability committee at Virginia Commonwealth University, garden organically, and compost nearly everything. So while I won't actually physically harm someone for not recycling, I want to help make sustainability easy for anybody.