tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152359272011-07-07T13:02:24.809-07:00EARTH, MUSIC, AND THE REST OF IT<br>SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-74391784696524124412007-02-15T13:00:00.000-08:002007-02-15T13:04:31.534-08:00

"What does it take to bring a turnaround in social consciousness - from being a racist to being in favor of racial equality, from being in favor of Bush's tax program to being against it, from being in favor of the war in Iraq to being against it? We desperately want an answer, because we know that the future of the human race depends on a radical change in social consciousness." -- Howard Zinn,

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1143092892882143212006-03-22T20:41:00.000-08:002006-03-26T13:00:54.493-08:00

I'm taking a break from blogging. I'm not always sure what I'm accomplishing, and I'm certainly growing more cynical. I just ran across this same sentiment at Pocket Farm's blog. The cynicism, I mean. It's beginning to feel like another chore, rather than something enhancing my life and cause. Now that I'm going to be working again I'd like to minimize my obligations. I still plan to stay

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1141760914716998072006-03-07T11:26:00.000-08:002006-03-07T14:39:40.410-08:00

The meat industry never ceases to amaze me. Perusing baloghblog today, I learned that beef is now being treated and packaged with carbon monoxide to maintain its color and texture. According to Don Berdahl, vice president of Kalsec Inc., a maker of natural food extracts in Kalamazoo, Michigan, carbon monoxide-treated meat could be left on the kitchen counter for five days and would still look

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1141415357619220872006-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:002006-03-03T11:49:17.686-08:00

This unique Cuban transport vehicle, called a "camel", can carry 300 passengers. (Photo by John Morgan, from the Energy Bulletin website)Check out how Cuba is way ahead on sustainability and building a society with minimal dependendence on oil.A few highlights: Today an estimated 50 percent of Havana's vegetables come from inside the city, while in other Cuban towns and cities urban gardens

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1141074531089308992006-02-27T13:05:00.000-08:002006-02-27T14:12:00.763-08:00

au·tar·ky or au·tar·chy A policy of national self-sufficiency and nonreliance on imports or economic aid. A self-sufficient region or country. from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: 2000I ran across this word (and a lot of other words I'd never read or heard) in James Kunstler's The Long Emergency. Here's a short review on Treehugger that will give you an idea of the

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1139672965125093952006-02-11T07:17:00.000-08:002006-02-11T07:50:12.026-08:00

I'm so in love with the Path to Freedom folks. I've mostly been reading their journal, and it never ceases to inspire me. These people are really doing it - they've created an urban homestead, growing tons of organic food on their 1/5 acre in Pasadena, using greywater to irrigate, raising chickens and ducks, walking and riding bikes, making their own biodiesel for car trips, building a solar

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1139108113870391382006-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:002006-02-06T11:53:43.903-08:00

Thanks to all the parents who responded when I asked about green parenting. It's a dilemma I respect. I have a difficult enough time being conscious of my own actions and choices, and modelling my behavior in little bursts, like writing this blog, or interacting with others in some social setting. But if a child were right there, seeing everything I say and do (for the most part), and learning

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1138595900477036042006-01-29T20:17:00.000-08:002006-01-29T23:00:12.226-08:00

I changed the template on my blog. I like this layout better, and I find the light green to be easy on the eyes. The other color scheme was hip but it got to be too dark for me.I just finished The Consumers' Guide To Effective Environmental Choices from The Union Of Concerned Scientists. I found it at the local library and it's an excellent resource. (Scroll down on that page, and you'll see a

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1137881735449525742006-01-21T13:16:00.000-08:002006-01-29T20:38:57.850-08:00

When I was taking care of my nieces for a week recently, I couldn't help but examine how I (and the media) influenced them as little consumers. The 2-year-old seems to fly under the radar by still having one foot in babyhood. The 4-year-old, however, with her bright and curious mind, is ripe for the messages of wanting and consuming. It would be nearly impossible to shield her from a culture of

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1137459804826964752006-01-16T16:54:00.000-08:002006-01-16T17:03:24.836-08:00

I've been asked by others, and struggled with the question myself, why I continue to do and say what I do, in the face of what appears to be unstoppable environmental destruction. How do I enjoy happiness and peace when I am constantly reminded of my impact and the impact of those around me? The other night I caught a PBS documentary on Martin Luther King, Jr., and was incredibly moved by some

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1137092205425900752006-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:002006-01-12T11:40:27.236-08:00

I'm on the third day of taking care of my nieces (2 and 4) while their parents are out of town. Grandma came over to help out and asked me if there's anything I'd like to get done while she watches the girls ... immediately I requested uninterrupted time on the computer! I don't know how you bloggers who are parents find the time to do it! I can barely find time to shower, dress, or feed

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1136063160546061752005-12-31T13:00:00.000-08:002005-12-31T13:20:17.966-08:00

I wish everyone a wonderful and peaceful 2006. I'm not a big believer in New Year's resolutions but I always like to take the opportunity to reflect and reassess ... and I will get back to my blog after the holidays. I am babysitting my two nieces (two and four years old) ... from Jan. 10 to 16, so I'm not sure if I'll have the energy or brain power for blogging during that time. Wish me luck

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1134773797669222922005-12-16T14:54:00.000-08:002005-12-16T14:56:37.680-08:00

ThanksgivingThis day we give thanksFor our daily breadbaked of the fruitsof the soil we've bledBe thankful now forThe turkey you're carvingCause not too long agoOur country was starvingWhile the food in the fieldsLay, rotten, forgottenHomesteaders evictedFor a few seasons' cottonYou can see what happenswhen market forces overrideThe health of the landOn which we subsideThe dollars won't tell

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1134598037029090092005-12-14T14:05:00.000-08:002005-12-14T14:13:48.033-08:00

Here is some information on the use of chlorine in bleaching paper. As Paul suggested in his comment on 12/11, it's the manufacture of chlorine that is the real problem, not the disposal of it on the other end.In 1993, the American Public Health Association passed a unanimous resolution urging American industry to phase out the manufacture of chlorine because of the danger to public health and

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1134339031654124892005-12-11T13:58:00.000-08:002005-12-12T13:38:03.306-08:00

Many thanks to Lauren, who suggested I search for reusable coffee filters. I didn't realize there would be so many choices! Here are a few links I found, for the green coffeeheads. Several of these companies offer all sorts of other eco-friendly products as well ... but these links will take you to directly to the filters:Ecofilter1earth1designAbundantEarthVeganUnlimitedGXOnlineStoreIt also

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1134255860920742632005-12-10T14:22:00.000-08:002005-12-10T15:10:39.053-08:00

My "environmental awakening," as I like to call it, took place about midway through this year, so there are vestiges of my former life lingering around my home. Specifically, products remain that I would not now purchase, but which I feel compelled to use because, well, here they are. As my partner said about our plethora of paper towels, they're garbage either way. Unless we can find some way to

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1133992348568977672005-12-07T12:55:00.000-08:002005-12-07T14:04:31.600-08:00

I have been reinspired by a blog I stumbled upon ... another blogspot gem: carfreefamily. This guy is a stay-at-home dad and ordinary environmentalist like myself. I sense in his writing the same feeling of helplessness tempered by hope and love for this place. He's honest about the frustrations and difficulties (and joys and rewards) of living without a car, tending a garden, and watching most

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1131087548676929992005-11-08T17:07:00.000-08:002005-11-08T17:08:49.716-08:00

I moved out of the city to a small town (Ellensburg, WA) and already I can feel the difference in my state of mind. It's much easier here not to drive or spend very much money. Today I ran several errands which all took place in the same 3 or 4 block radius. It's only about a 15 min. walk into town and just a few minutes by bike. My rent has gone down by more than half, my car insurance (I still

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1131067855092538442005-11-08T17:06:00.000-08:002005-11-08T17:06:30.456-08:00

Warning: this is personal blather but it's part of my environmental journey. This post will be followed immediately by a post with useful information.I moved to Ellensburg. During this transitional period I'm having difficulty focusing on environmentalism. I never stopped thinking about it, I just couldn't muster the energy to consciously do something. Namely, to research and write.Weaning off of

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1129760120918265372005-10-19T15:07:00.000-07:002005-10-19T15:25:48.783-07:00

Money-making is the life force of corporations. It is their one and only reason for existence, at least in the structure of capitalism that we function under. I just had to rent a truck through Budget Rental ... I'm not happy about it, but I need a one-way rental and only the large companies offer this. Just for kicks I clicked on their "Moving Tips" section, and this caught my eye:"Buy quality

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1129684519471231502005-10-18T18:08:00.000-07:002005-10-18T18:18:25.013-07:00

I copied the paragraph below from gristmill ... a great environmental blog on grist.org.It has an excellent summary of the climate change / global warming issue, which is the biggest threat to the planet's survival, along with (and caused by) overpopulation.There are links throughout the paragraph to specific evidence of climate change. Research it for yourself and share it with someone who

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1129658985480610612005-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:002005-10-18T11:14:06.296-07:00

I will get back to more practical solutions and issues at some point, but currently I am getting a much-needed boost in motivation from The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry. Berry is an author from Henry County, Kentucky, who chose amid a successful career in New York to return to the native land of his family and live an agrarian lifestyle in harmony with the natural

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1129085806316272762005-10-11T19:43:00.000-07:002005-10-12T01:59:42.166-07:00

I know some people will be looking for a Bass/Nature Camp entry on this blog. It has been hard to imagine how to wrap words around such an experience. At first I felt I didn't know how to talk about it, yet found that it's all I was talking about.If you'd like to see pictures on the website of our week at camp, take a look here.Next week I will speak in my brother's Jazz Workshop about my

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1127724157379057102005-09-26T01:37:00.000-07:002005-09-26T01:42:37.383-07:00

It's my 32nd birthday today. I'm also leaving for Nashville in just a few hours. I'll stay there Monday night and then catch the shuttle in the morning to Victor Wooten's Bass/Nature Camp in a state park outside of Nashville.I'll let you know how it goes. Aside from getting monster bass chops and having a really good time, I also plan to spread the message of environmentalism and see what

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1127257237962437032005-09-20T15:43:00.000-07:002005-09-21T14:57:31.376-07:00

I am leaving my corporate job and moving from Seattle to Ellensburg, WA. I no longer wish to support a system that does not reflect my values; in fact, a system that stands in antithesis to my values. I cannot express the depth of my relief at getting out of this job and company, however much I personally care about and appreciate some of the individuals with whom I work. Living in a small town

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1126639837875264982005-09-13T12:27:00.000-07:002005-09-13T12:43:24.296-07:00

From the Democracy Now website:ExxonMobil Sees Record $10B 2nd Quarter ProfitsOil giant ExxonMobil is expecting to report profits of over $10 billion over the past quarter -- making it the most profitable single quarter for any company ever. This means ExxonMobil averaged making over 4.5 million dollars every hour for the past three months. During that same period gas prices shot up to record

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1126204637344115872005-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:002005-09-09T09:20:25.040-07:00

I have recently read an article entitled "The Oil We Eat" from the July 23, 2004 issue of Harper's Magazine. It is by Richard Manning, an environmental journalist and author. The article traces the origins of our food staples (corn, wheat, rice), and assesses them in terms of the fossil fuels used in production and distribution. It is truly shocking. You will not find optimism in this article.

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1125474010363002622005-08-31T00:21:00.000-07:002005-08-31T01:01:14.860-07:00

... lies Vashon Island. I read this yesterday in the Seattle Times:"Though it's just a few minutes from Seattle, Vashon Island has always remained a community apart, rural and artsy. Now an environmental-research group is proposing that the island further separate itself by producing all its own energy."The full article is here.First of all, I must note the curious way the author worded this

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1125304568956509412005-08-29T01:21:00.000-07:002005-08-29T01:50:48.386-07:00

I believed I was prepared for a significant psychological change as a result of opting out of consumerism. This change is much more profound than I expected. At first I experienced relief and elation, countered by moments of deep despair; then it started to seem normal, and guilt set in heavily when I had weak moments and made choices that felt wrong. Right now life doesn't look like much fun .

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1124815727249788232005-08-23T09:11:00.000-07:002005-08-23T10:39:56.710-07:00

I researched biodiesel a little bit and discovered that you do not need a specially built new car to use this fuel. You can run biodiesel in any diesel car, and more stations are becoming available that offer this fuel. Some people are making their own biodiesel from waste oil, though currently the biodiesel available in Seattle is not from recycled oil.Here are some resources:Seattle

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1124388390621096632005-08-18T11:03:00.000-07:002005-08-18T11:06:30.626-07:00

This is from the blog of a woman I'll be meeting at bass camp next month. Her words spoke to me so eloquently about being true to oneself (for whatever the cause) that I wanted to share them:"It takes courage to make a decision like this, especially when your decision affects other people. I did not make it lightly. I had to make it. I'm not a martyr, in fact I'm violently allergic to martyrdom

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1124382788418334732005-08-18T09:11:00.000-07:002005-08-18T09:50:37.173-07:00

It hurts to alienate people I love with my words. Unfortunately I can only assume this is part of the process. There is no change without struggle, nor without breaking out of familiar patterns and comfortable exchanges.It's hard to see things the way I see them now, but when I think about trying to "go back," it is impossible. Though I am now liberated to clearly view my choices about the impact

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1124210025092691122005-08-16T09:12:00.000-07:002005-08-16T12:59:49.750-07:00

A few links for you and an interesting example of avoiding a pointed question.First, a friend mentioned this to me:"One thing I learned recently, which you might already know, small electric appliances - radios, microwaves, clocks, tvs - always pull some amount of current even when off. If you plug in a strip and then plug the devices into that - and turn the strip off when you're not using it -

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1123860547479043572005-08-12T08:27:00.000-07:002005-08-12T13:57:30.353-07:00

It's time for me to recap the changes I've been making. I've decided to focus on what I'm DOING rather than what I plan to do. Naturally I have grandiose aspirations, but since they're just aspirations at the moment, and I want to keep things real, I think focusing on the now is more productive. Additionally, I suspect this may be the first post read by many of my friends and family (I'm sending

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1123748572280626822005-08-11T00:54:00.000-07:002005-08-11T01:36:11.600-07:00

There is an element of selfishness to any good work. Maybe there are some who rise above it, but for the ordinary citizen I think it can be useful.I dearly love Maker's Mark Bourbon, and as a gluten intolerant person who can't drink beer, and tires of wine, I believe it's my good fortune that I've developed a taste for a specific liquor. So I have been quite a devoted customer, when I can afford

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1123697031568312652005-08-10T10:50:00.000-07:002005-08-10T17:09:35.440-07:00

I know I had written this yesterday for myself in some form, but I was doing so much writing in various formats: emails, journals, blogs, writing my own ideas on my brain cells ... maybe I imagined it and never really wrote it at all. Anyway:As Owen Meany once wrote in his own journal, I know three things.1) I must affect change. I cannot close my eyes to what I have finally allowed myself to see

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1123657498279012382005-08-09T23:40:00.000-07:002005-08-12T11:50:32.896-07:00

.... for whatever reason, for me to put these thoughts down.Primarily, the shift in my consciousness of late has necessitated that I examine every little thing I'm doing. At the risk of blatantly copying Tory's opening message to his "Saving the World" blog ... I suggest you watch "The Corporation" , and also "What the [Bleep] Do We Know?" ... before proceeding.Read Tory's blog too. Per his

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15235927.post-1123540142060276252005-08-08T15:28:00.000-07:002005-08-10T19:25:27.543-07:00

Is this thing on?Gonna try a link here Tory's Blog

SustainableGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04790865287516848757noreply@blogger.com1