The One, The Only, Planet Earth
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| Products with earth-friendly themes are in use at my house.[Photo by Sue Bush] |
Greener Pastures
Yes, when engaged in conversation, I could chat up the virtues of recycling and wind power, I could [and can] do battle over why a "beautiful view" or two might be worth significantly reducing dependence on fossil fuel and foreign oil, and I have always been a fan of Burts' Bees products.
But I did not read the labels on my household cleansers, I considered most versions of ornate packaging an inconvenience, not a cause, and I was a plastic, not paper, gal at the market. This mindset wasn't so much a flagrant, in-your-face denial of environmental issues, but more of an it's-a-lot easier-this-way mentality. And let's face it, in most cases, "going green" means "spending green."
<L2>But in this Bush household, the times, they are a-changin'.
It was the spinach recall, followed by the peanut butter problem, followed by my wonderful meeting with the passionate and inspirational Rachel Payne, followed by the sad and continuing pet food debacle, and finally, some seriously scary reading about inconvenient truths that has brought me to what I'll call "greener pastures."
"The One, The Only, Planet Earth" is a direct result of my desire to borrow, not take, from this Earth. I plan to be "teachy," not "preachy."
I plan no great debates about global warming or ozone depletion or emissions of any kind.
Comparison Shopping In Green
I do plan to share my experiences as I navigate a world of products and actions deemed good for the planet and its' population. I plan to tell you what new cleaning products I've tried, and how well those products performed. I'll buy the organic pet food and share if the pets actually eat it, and if it makes as big a difference in their health as it does my wallet. I'll shop independent venues such as Wild Oats in Williamstown and Spice 'N Nice in Bennington, Vt. as well as the growing mainstream supermarket "organic" and "natural" product aisles and let you in on the items that lived up to expectations and those that fall short.
I plan to change the light bulbs and I'll let you know what happens to my family's ability to see in the dark as well as the electric bill.
In short, this weekly column will focus on a real life attempt to tackle a real life issue in almost real time.
This week, I introduced two products to my cleaning arsenal that are promoted as environmentally friendly. A "method" brand "wood for good" floor cleaner lists among its' ingredients "biodegradable surfactants," "naturally-derived performance boosters," and "natural oils."
A 25-ounce plastic bottle with a squirt-top sold for $4.99. I used this product on my recently-installed Pergo Everyday flooring. The almond-scented liquid left the floor clean and with a satiny sheen that was not dangerously slick.
A lavender-scented dishwashing liquid, also marketed under the "method" brand, promoted itself as "non-toxic and biodegradable," "phosphate-free," "naturally-derived," and "no animal testing." According to information printed on a 25-ounce plastic squeeze-type bottle, the concentrated liquid contains aloe and Vitamin E. This product performed as well as the mainstream brand I've used for years. The purchase price was $3.59.
No End In Sight To The Pet Food Situation
The pet food situation worsens daily, and even those whose focus surrounds pets are experiencing challenges as they try to report the newest developments in an accurate manner. I am including a few Internet web links to sites that I find helpful as opposed to hysterical.
www.petplace.com [this site requires a free registration to access articles]
www.itchmo.com
www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1 [this site is dedicated to animals and animal issues]
Pet Foods I Am Trusting...So Far
As a pet owner caring for one mature dog, one puppy, one mature cat and two seven-month-old kittens, the constant pet food recall list expansion is really frightening. I am now feeding Newman's Own pet food to my felines and Petguard to my canines. This is very expensive, and the foods were not plentiful at Wild Oats or Spice 'N Nice, however, at the Bennington store, the owner agreed to order the food for me. A clerk at Wild Oats said she believed I could order the pet food there was well.
At Wild Oats, one 5.5-ounce can of Newman's Own cat food sold for $1.59 [tax not included], while at Spice 'N Nice, a 14-ounce can of Petguard adult dog food sold for $2.25.
A Switch To Pellets
Whether I will be able to afford to feed these foods remains to be seen but I won't rule it out. In November, we installed a pellet-burning stove in our home and I couldn't be more pleased. In our situation, we saved about $700 in heating costs, and I think next winter, when the house isn't in such an open state [due to renovations], we may save more. Pellet fuel is renewable, pellet stoves are easy to install and easy to use, and the stove's ability to heat my home was proven time and again. We do continue to rely on LP gas for cooking and hot water. The cost of the stove and one ton of pellets was about $2500.
Natural Hair Dye: Now There's A Phrase!
Future columns will examine environmentally-friendly laundry detergents, bathroom cleaners, organic foods for people and pets, strategies for cutting carbon dioxide emissions and their effect on a budget, and additional topics.
I will even share what happens when I use natural hair coloring products!
Investigate Home Heating Options NOW
Tip of the Week: Now is the time to investigate home heating systems and options. There are about 25 weeks of mild weather ahead; use the time to evaluate your windows, doors, and roofs, and rate efficiency of your current heating system as it performed over the past winter. Investigate the cost of swapping out an oil-burning furnace for a pellet stove [there are now stoves that burn pellets made from corn and other products as well as wood] or a coal furnace. It is much easier to make changes when the weather is warm and homeowners have plenty of time to research what alternatives will work best for their homes.
