And that's why the Prius gets made fun of...

I've always tried to avoid being, "that eco-girl". You know the one I'm talking about; the one who makes everyone feel like idiots because they don't recycling. Instead, I've always just thought of it as my decision to live a certain way. I suppose that stemmed from being a vegetarian. No one else understood my decision, but even though I knew the benefits I didn't ever want to make anyone feel bad for their choice to eat meat. Everyone has the right to choose, right? Wrong. At least when it comes to taking care of the planet, they don't. Living here is a privilege, not a right. Still, I've prided myself in not being too pontifical when I talk about living a sustainable lifestyle, and I've been reassured of that many times at work. Not until a coworker asks me how I spent my weekend do I tell them that I picked up other peoples' litter. I do notice guilt in their faces, which makes me then feel guilty, but they also usually express gratitude; they thank me for not being that "annoying" person: the preachy little do-gooder. I think that there are too many people out there who brag and preach about how their lifestyle is better. Obviously, this leaves a very bitter taste in the mouths of others. In turn, when other, genuinely caring people try to talk about the benefits of being green, people don't want to listen.

And that's why the Prius gets made fun of so often.

Eco-friendly people often come off as a self-righteous, egotistical folk. They think they are superior to others and feel the need to lecture everyone. I have found that more people have caught on to the eco-friendly things I do just by observing them. My coworkers have now begun to recycle, and bring their own lunches, among other small steps. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, right? That's why, when my boss (who, unlike my coworkers, has his own smug outlook on life: feeling he has the right to trash the planet) asks me how I spent my weekend I respond by smiling, knowing he has never made even the slightest effort to help the planet, and I tell him the truth. I may be bragging here on this blog, but it's to no one specific. It's because I am proud of myself. And if I am being preachy, it's to the people who have the right idea- they're doing right by the Earth- but have poor execution when trying to gain followers. I still spend my time humbled among others, acknowledging that my actions alone mean nothing without their help as well. No one person can save the planet on their own, but we're not going to build an army by insulting and belittling our adversaries.

Affordable and Realistic Sustainable Shopping

When you're transition to a sustainable lifestyle, you realize a lot of products and things you buy no longer work out for you. Unfortunately, the eco-friendly and sustainable products are rarely made accessible, and often can't be purchased on a normal day of errands. So what do you do when you want to find a manual clothes washer and the WalMart put everyone else in town out of business doesn't sell it? Okay, first off, I hope anyone trying to be sustainable has boycotted WalMart long ago. Still, that hand washer that would make doing laundry by hand much easier probably couldn't even be found at the local home store. That's where the internet comes into play. It uses electricity, takes time away from being outdoors, even has cause for certain health concerns, but the internet is still a terrific green resource. It links people to green information, products, and communities better than any other resource could.

Let me begin by emphasizing the significance of the scenario above. The only reason we turned to the internet in the first place was because we needed something that couldn't be found locally. You should never buy online something that could be bought in town. That being said, a lot of sustainable tools can ONLY be found online. When you're trying to find a gadget that makes living a sustainable life easier, the internet is a treasure trove! Here, I shall provide a process I find most useful in researching, finding, and buying sustainable items.

First, ask yourself: do I really need this item? Rethink the purchase if you're buying the hottest eco-friendly item on the market just to replace the same perfectly good-but not "green"- item you already own. Carl Elefante once said, "the greenest building is the one already built." This can be applied to everything.

Next, does the wringer I want for drying out my hand-washed clothes need to be brand new? No. Eco-friendly products are hard to find in general, so searching for them used will be harder still, but it's well worth the search. The following websites will help you in your search for pre-owned goods:
Freecycle.org
Craigslist.com
eBay.com

If you can't find it used, you'll have to next begin the search to find it new. Do your research and comparison shop using a website like Pristine Planet.

Here is a list of a few merchants that might lead you in the right direction!
A Greener Kitchen
A.R.E. Naturals
Abe's Market
Bambeco
Bona Fide Green Goods
Bright Green Ideas
Buy Green
Celery Street
Compostable Goods
E3 Living
Earth Lover
EcoFriendly Green Things
Ethical Ocean (a great site!)
GetN' Green
Go Green Items
Goods for the Garden
Green Ostrich
Greenfeet
Green Rainbow Shop
Lehman's(a favorite!)
Maku Eco Shop
Moss Envy
Practical Organic
The Pristine Home
The Ultimate Green Store
Yes It's Organic

When shopping, don't forget about savings! Websites like Ecobunga, GreenDeals (through Green America), GenGreenLife, SustainLane are good places to find great deals!

Reposting Compact Life

I wanted to repost an entry from my old, personal blog, wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi is an old Japanese view that finds beauty in the imperfect. It accepts the impermanence of all living things on this planet. It defines much of my own beliefs.

Let us start with "Compact Life", From January 24, 2010

I feel like a new me, though still very frustrated and upset with the lifestyle my career is forcing me to have, I am doing my best to eat healthier, exercise more, and live a more fulfilling life. I have been eating fresh fruits, I made my own banana nut muffins to have for breakfast, I'm making sandwiches for lunch instead of prepackaged foods, and I'm keeping a food journal to keep track of it all. I've been going to zumba regularly, and as frequently as possible...aaaand I just bought a 4 DVD set of zumba exercises off ebay :).
I spent a shit ton of money at Target buying fitness stuff, and then more money on ebay getting yoga bricks.

I've been shopping on ebay because I'm trying to live a more "compact" life. I read an article about a group of ladies in california living, what they called, "compactly". They only bought used. With the exception of toiletries, food, essentials, and underwear, everything was purchased at vintage shops, salvage stores, flea markets, and the like. I can't find that article again, but that isn't stopping me from living this way myself. I only decided this Friday afternoon, so I don't have much to boast for. The DVDs were used...the yoga bricks weren't. (I suppose that must be considered unsanitary, though, because ebay didn't even offer any used.) But I'm really excited about this. I feel healthier and better about myself already!

The compact lifestyle has gone well. Not a perfect success, but I'm still proud. I've bought my clothes used a thrift stores, books used off Amazon or in local used book stores, I occasionally made some purchases of items new- usually "green" items that I can only find new. I buy magazines- paper, not online- but they teach me to live a better life.

I strongly urge everyone to buy only used, it teaches discipline and respect for the planet. How so? Check out this website: The Story of Stuff

Local Milk

A year ago, I tried local milk for the first time. I've had local ice cream, local cheese, but never local milk. Well I tried some from Trickling Spring Creamery. They sell it in the market in a glass bottle that can be refilled, at $2 off with the returned bottle. Well, it was an awful experience. It tasted terrible and looked strange. I couldn't even bring myself to finish the bottle, so I tossed it. For a year now, I couldn't even think about buying that milk again.

You've got it wrong if you think I'm about to slander this creamery. I love the creamery! I eat their cheese often. Well today, I decided to give it another shot. Maybe last time the milk I bought was bad, maybe I got the wrong kind of milk- whatever it was, the milk was different then. Today, however, it was AMAZING! So much better than the milk I've been buying. "The way milk 'ought-to' taste," as it says on the bottle. I only wish I gave it another try sooner!

Aside from taste, why is this milk better? It's local. Local milk supports local farmers and your local economy. Local milk doesn't have to travel hundreds of miles to get to your table. This milk is all natural, from grass-fed cows, it's chemical free, antibiotic free, synthetic-hormone free, and has no rBSTs. It's also Pennsylvania Certified Organic!

If you have the opportunity to buy local milk, whether from a farmers' market or a local grocery, I strongly suggest it!

Charm City Eco Cleanup

Today was our first event with Charm City EcoVillage. We arranged to cleanup a reservoir that provides drinking water to the city. I anticipated some more volunteers (after all, I DID send a note to almost all of my facebook friends, and I had texted almost all my contacts in hopes of gaining volunteers), but I am very happy that I had some family and friends come along. We found a trail through the woods along the waters edge and walked along, cleaning up litter as we went. We found some interesting things; bed sheets, abandoned clothes, luau lei's, LOTS of beer bottles... had all been left behind or washed up with the tides.

It's disappointing that people from this area do value and appreciate having this feature in our county- they fight to be able to use the space for recreational purposes- yet still treat it so poorly. It's like they don't know how to be respectful, they don't know how they are supposed to take care of it and they always just think that if they don't throw it in the trash someone else will- that someone being us today and others who regularly participate in trash cleanups. That's rarely the case! When we're not able to go behind others and pick up what they've left behind, their litter would remain that way until an animal comes along and suffers in some way because of it- as they often do.

I don't think I'm wrong in believing that if you enjoy going someplace and being there, then you would keep it the way it was when you came upon it. You're favorite spot wont be as pleasant when you arrive to find empty beer cans and cigarette butts, candy wrappers and soda cups, fishing line and hooks, or broken bottles and Styrofoam!! And the next time you're walking along a park and notice someone's trash that's been left behind, don't put it below you to pick it up and throw it out for them. You're a better person than that.

Oak Park Hates Veggies

If you aren't aware of the drama boiling in Oak Park, MI involving resident Julie Bass, let me explain. A mother of 6, Julie Bass decided to replace her torn-up lawn with a vegetable garden rather than grass. With this garden, should could assure that her children ate healthy, organic food. But the city of Oak Park would not have any of it, and now she faces 93 days in jail for refusing to remove the garden after her citation.

How unbelievable!? Only in America! Well, I was rather upset when I heard that the city planner even explained, in defense, the ordinance that requires owners lawns to be comprised of only "suitable" material. His definition of suitable: common. "Suitable, live, plant material." He is also obviously unaware of the concept of edible estates!

Entering the city planning profession, myself, I would not stand for this. Appropriate or not, I wrote in to the city planner of Oak Park, MI and gave him my two cents.

Hello, Kevin, I hope this message finds you well. My name is Megan Schwartz and I am writing from Maryland. I recently read about the issues Oak Park has been having with resident, Julie Bass. To be honest, I am appalled and embarrassed. How confused has American society become that something as essential as growing ones' own food has become illegal!? As an outsider, I understand my opinion lacks weight. As a graduate student pursuing my Master's degree in Urban Planning, however, I refuse to let my strong opinion on such a matter go unheard. In the report I read, your name was cited when the term "suitable" was defined as "common". It saddens me to say I was devastated to hear even the city planner, the city official I always value most, was speaking out in defense of the clearly outdated city ordinances. Should this woman have felt her lawn were a suitable place for, say, an over-sized sculpture that were pornographic in nature, I would completely agree with you. But she didn't. Rather, she turned her lawn into a sustainable, healthy living organism that provided food for her family. How ancient, how integral to our human existence is a vegetable garden!?

Most devastating to me, however, is the fact that Julie Bass' vegetable garden lawn is much more beneficial to the planet than her neighbors' counterpart*- incredibly so- but Oak Park is still against it. Oak Park, instead, encourages (or shall I say "forces") city residents to tend to the antiquated idea of the American lawn. This action furthers the decline of our planet's health and, thus, affects even my well being- all the way over here in Maryland! Considering this, then, I feel my voice in the matter is just as significant as that of an Oak Park town resident. When citing the ordinance, did the city ever stop to consider that Mrs. Bass' garden IS in fact the "suitable, live, plant material" the city demands? Are vegetables no longer considered plants? Have we forgotten that our food comes from the Earth, not the supermarket? Instead of punishing Julie Bass, Oak Park should praise her for showing her community what potential there is in a lawn! She should be a spokeswoman for edible lawns! Look at Michelle Obama, look at the urban farms of our country's great metropolitan hubs. If the respectable TIME Magazine finds it a suitable use for a front lawn*, why doesn't Oak Park?

Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to visit Oak Park, Michigan. So to get a better feel for the community, I have taken advantage of the streetview feature on Google Maps. I have found nothing but short grass. It's a pity: think of all the water wasted on watering that grass, the pesticides released into your community- into the Detroit Watershed- (and into our nation's waterways) to keep that grass weed-free, the gas and electricity used to mow those lawns.... well I, for one, find the Bass family lawn to be the most attractive of all those in Oak Park, MI.

Mr. Rulkowski, please consider my words when I say that no human should be stripped of their natural right to grow food on their property. I understand that Mrs. Bass' lawn was not a typical, expression. It obviously wasn't the norm in the area- not until recently, at least. But think of your grandparents- imagine your ancestors- they didn't look for the most concealed location to plant their food, they planted it where they needed to. They shared a connection with their food- one that Americans no longer share today. And please consider the future of food. Food production needs to be brought back into the community, and not sourced from farms many hundreds of miles away. Julie Bass has the right idea, she's ahead of the curve. Please don't take long to get on board and plant your own garden right on Oak Park's front lawn, out on Oak Park Boulevard. Before you lies an incredible opportunity for our planet. It would be a shame to let it pass by.

From an aspiring planning professional to an established planning professional, I can not emphasize enough how important your next actions will be; much more important than you might currently think. Oak Park's decision on July 26th will affect thousands more than just those who make up the population of Oak Park. This is your city's chance to stand out in this nation as a forward-thinking, sustainable community.

Thank you for your time,
Megan

*References:
TIME article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1816764,00.html
To see the harm in grass lawns, please refer to this link: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-death-of-the-american-lawn.html

I was a little flustered, and tried to write in an encouraging tone, but it's difficult to hold back the anger. Of course, over email, (if he even reads this message) things can be misread.

Again, if you have not been following this story, check out the article here.

Waste-free and Eco-chic!

It has been for years that I have been on my slow journey to preparing waste-free lunches. It all started back in elementary school. Back then, I had little more say in my lunches than my choice in lunchbox, but that was all that mattered. It was for materialistic purposes, though, as my mom was the one who sought after a reusable box and I had no concept of the havoc trash wreaks on our planet. As I grew up and entered high school, however, something very sad happened. I ceased to use a reusable lunchbox for a few years as lunchboxes always looked nerdy and uncool. Fortunately, that's not the case today. You can find myriad lunchboxes today, often referred to as lunchbags as they sometimes look like purses. I adore mine, it's my second Koko lunchbag (The first one is still usable, mind you-when I upgraded I gave it to a co-worker who was trying to be more eco-friendly). I have the Michelle Lunchbag in Neon Garden- so cute and it looks like me.

Well, in the last few years, I have been paying extra attention to all that other stuff inside the bag. What about all that waste? The plastic sandwich baggies, the napkins, the yogurt cups, the candy wrappers and chip bags, the soda bottles...the list goes on and on. When you think about it, about half of what we pack for lunch becomes trash (And that's IF you pack. Buying lunch is worse and in so many other ways as well). So I've been trying to pack waste-free lunches.


First off, until I start making my own yogurt, bread, peanut butter, jam, etc. I will never be truly waste-free. But what I definitely have addressed is the temporary container issue. Two years ago, I ditched the plastic baggies. I bought reusable sandwich and snack bags, called Lunchskins (pictured above). I started out with just one or two, and immediately went back to buy 6 total: 3 sandwich size and 3 snack size. I've had them for 2 years now and haven't replaced them. I found them pretty inexpensive at MOM's Organic Market, recently, and so I bought 2 more. But when I got home, I realized I didn't actually need them, my others were still perfectly fine! So as to not contribute further to the waste issue, and not to succumb to my materialistic tendencies, I returned them. I've also stopped using disposable flatware, and I've replaced paper napkins with linen cocktail napkins. And of course, I always have my reusable water bottle with me.

One of the more difficult steps has been to cut out individually wrapped food products. They made packing lunch a breeze. In turn, however, I've become more conscious about the food I eat and thus healthier. Above is my yogurt in a reusable tupperware container. The yogurt is still store-bought and comes in it's own recyclable container, but buying in bulk is great and until I make my own yogurt-this is the greenest solution.

So what does an eco-chic, waste-free lunch look like?
Complete with Solio solar charger for my cell phone, iPod, and PSP. And a cute picnic blanket that I got for free from IKEA in exchange for a donation of childrens' books.