Mom Goes Green

Usually I’m here offering suggestions and solutions.  Today, I’m just looking for answers.

First, the backstory:  We are, without doubt, a water conserving family.  We have water efficient appliances, have taught our kids to conserve and have put all of the best water saving tips in place.  Our usual water bill runs between $45-$65 per quarter.  The accompanying sewer usage fee costs us a fairly equal rate per quarter, so for this time of year, I was expecting a bill of just under a hundred dollars.

The bill arrived. (Hold onto your hats:) $260!!!  Did I choke?  Yes… I did.  (And I also swore profusely!)

After 57 minutes(!) of waiting for a City of Cleveland Division of Water customer service representative they put my bill “on hold” and schedule a service appointment.

Yesterday the tech arrived, ran all the tests, said everything was in working order  – no leaks, no problems detected -  and that he would report his findings to the office.  I was advised to call tomorrow for a “decision”.  What EXACTLY does THAT mean?… a “decision”?

The interesting thing is that the tech also assessed our previous 16 months of bills and commented “Wow, your family really IS efficient!” According to him, a family of four typically uses just over 3 MCF units per quarter (this is the measurement of usage in cubic feet per thousand).  He also says, when they are teenagers, it normally raises to 4!  We have been consistently at, or just below, 2… yes, 2!

So what gives? Honest answer… I have no idea.  And what are we supposed to do?  The curious thing… my mother-in-law’s last quarter bill?  $500+!  This quarter?  $1200!  WHAT is going on with the Cleveland Division of Water?  How do you battle what they claim is true when you simply know it cannot be?

Has this ever happened to you?  What is the solution?  Because this time, I have absolutely NO ANSWERS…

I’ve always been, and will always be, an advocate of drinking tap water over bottled water.

Some readers agree, others have said “never without a filter first”, but one of the most common comments is the concern over the chlorination of tap water.   A good filter can remove the chlorine but did you know you can remove the chlorine in one simple step, even without a filter?

This is all it takes…

Fill a pitcher with water, leave it (uncovered) overnight on your countertop and by morning, your water will be chlorine-free… the chlorine will actually evaporate out of the water overnight!

Drink it throughout the day, store it in your refrigerator, cook with it….what you do with it after that is all up to you.

That’s it for today… short, sweet and (chlorine-)free!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries.  See “Comments” for winner announcement!)

No one was more disappointed than I was with the news that Sigg bottles had come under fire for actually containing BPA in the epoxy liner inside their bottles manufactured before August 2008.  After all, I did recommend Sigg as a choice to avoid that nasty chemical and I have a couple of those bottles in regular use for my own family (insert my frowning face here!).

Well, I’ve “looked into”(and I do mean literally and figuratively) EcoUsable stainless steel bottles and I can assure you… they are safe and one outstanding line of products.  They have even pioneered the world’s first stainless filtered water bottle and have launched the “Make the Switch” campaign. This campaign encourages consumers with aluminum water bottles to make the switch to EcoUsable stainless steel, BPA-free water bottles produced with no lining at all.

The amazing thing about this bottle is that it literally filters the water you drink!  So while you’re away from home you can always have clean, safe water… anywhere.  Need to fill it with tap water?  Go ahead … it filters it!  Need to fill it with water from a lake or stream?  Go ahead… it filters it!  Need to fill it with water from a POOL?  Yep, go ahead… it filters it!!!

Sound crazy?  It does!  But you want one, don’t you?!?

Well, then leave a comment here saying you’d like to win and tell me where you’d use your EcoUsable bottle, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winner will be selected one week from today’s post. (US entries only… sorry!)

This giveaway is valued at over $40, and they’ve even thrown in a “Green 4 Life” bottle wrap for an extra little statement!

They are also offering a 20% discount on products until October 31, 2009, during this campaign.  Just click here to take advantage (discount is automatically given at checkout).

So if you want to know that your drinking water is as safe as it gets while you’re “on the go”, join me… and “Make the Switch”!

I’ve never wavered on my opinion about drinking tap water over bottled water for reasons that include BPA, an abundance of trash and the simple waste-factor. While I still believe in filtered tap water, new studies are becoming rather alarming.

Recently, in my home state of Ohio, the EPA reportedly found pollutants in all 30 of the landfill facilities they investigated.  Each landfill has waste-collection systems, ponds or pumps that make it possible to draw water (the other 25 do not).  But the concern is clear – all were found to contain arsenic, benzene and vinyl chloride (all suspected carcinogens) as well as lead (which can cause brain and nervous system damage).

In addition, as many as 29 pollutants were found at levels that exceed drinking-water health limits and pollution standards for streams, and it poses a hazard when it’s released into groundwater or surface water.  Simply put, this is polluting our environment, our soil, our wildlife and our families.

This makes my stomach churn and I have an instant headache.  Suddenly my glass of water doesn’t look so tasty!

But all joking aside, it makes me wonder when, or if, we will ever be able to drink water and not feel that we are potentially drinking a glass full of toxins at the same time.  To me it means the EPA needs to “step up” and enact tougher standards to prevent this awful contamination, and violators needed to be assessed astronomical fines until they cut it out!  WHERE exactly are we supposed to get clean water otherwise?

To make matters worse, my husband also sent me an article from the New York Times regarding data compiled on more than 200,000 facilities that have permits to discharge pollutants.  Permits to discharge pollutants?!? “Permit” and “pollutants” should never even be in the same sentence.

The database comes from the Environmental Protection Agency and the California State Water Resources Control Board and includes businesses and industry in every state of the US.  Take a look, check your zip code and I hope you aren’t as shocked as I was.

To me, this says we sure have a long way to go.

THAT is a question I never thought I would have to ask myself, but surprise… I’m now asking myself that exact question.

I originally became the proud owner of a Sigg bottle on Mother’s Day, as one of my only requests. I have been proudly sporting my Sigg for almost a year and a half now. It seemed only logical that I should have one since I’ve made no secret about my dislike for bottled water, for both the trash they create as well as the risk factors associated with BPA.

Now the brand that I always thought I could trust has let me down… waaaay down!  There has been some question as to whether or not the “older version” Sigg bottles (manufactured before August 2008) are actually 100% BPA-free.  There have been scientific studies and disputes and measures that go way over my head, but the fact of the matter is, there is no undeniably reliable answer.  It seems the tricky part is that, while they contain some BPA, studies show that it does not leach into the water.

Sigg has released statements reassuring their customers that their bottles are safe, yet what I find bothersome is that they have actually changed the liner of their bottles in the past 12 months.  I understand that products are ever evolving, but this kind of smells to me, especially if they touted themselves as having the best product on the market.

Now the CEO is apologizing.  Seems, yes… BPA is in my Sigg.

When I looked at the lining comparisons on their site, I was disappointed to find that my bottle does have the old lining.  So how do I continue to use my old Sigg?  Well, I don’t.

Fortunately, they are offering an exchange program where you can return your old Sigg and get a new one (with an EcoCare liner!) for only the cost of shipping it back or (soon) you can simply exchange it at a retailer.  Am I going to take advantage of this?  You bet I am.

Have I lost confidence in Sigg?  Yea, I guess I have somewhat.  It’s like an old trusted friend that tells a lie… or stretches the truth a bit too far, and that’s what they did.  Will I give them another chance.  I guess I will.  Is that crazy?

The reality is that any stainless steel or aluminum bottle is undoubtedly better than the mountains of plastic water bottles that are consumed daily.  They create less trash and have A LOT less BPA.  If you’re interested, other alternatives I recommend include Klean Kanteens or CynerGreen bottles.

Today I must pack my Mother’s Day gift and send her back.  Sorry.  You have a lot of lovely dents and scratches to commemorate the places we’ve been, but I bid you a fond farewell… just in case.

A few months ago, I wrote a post about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch… the sickening, swirling area of approximately seven million tons of plastic debris and waste floating in the Pacific that is roughly twice the size of Texas (and some say, twice the size of the entire US).

It swirls through the ocean between the continental US and Japan, and contains everything from plastic bags to Legos to footballs.  One fifth is believed to come from trash dumped from ships and oil rigs, and the rest comes from land and all of the plastics we discard on a daily basis.

I certainly got my fair share of comments and emails.  Some readers were appalled (just like I am), while others were skeptical. One particularly fine gent emailed me and wanted to know why there weren’t pictures of this “plastic island” that everyone keeps raging about and why I’m making false statements.

Well, I first think he’s taking terms a bit too literal!  It’s not an actual island where you can dock your yacht, Mr. Crabby Pants!  This garbage patch is an AREA, where the vortex of ocean currents collects all of our discarded trash.   It’s that simple.  The ocean eventually breaks down the plastics into little bits and tiny pieces of plastic that marine life mistakes for plankton (their primary food source). It floats on both the surface to 100 feet below the surface… so NO!  No “island”, but we shouldn’t falsely believe that this is not an issue.

Now, a new expedition to study the Garbage Patch, led by a group of University of California scientists, states that they found much more debris than they expected and are concerned that the “patch” may be much larger than originally thought.

It’s hard to imagine what we can do to prevent this… even experts don’t have the answers.  The only hope is to decrease our dependency on so many plastics, improve our recycling practices and simply change our overall behavior… and clean the mess that already exists.  We must find ways to decrease the plastic trash that reaches the oceans and waterways… period.

The most disturbing part?  There is said to be another patch in the southern hemisphere… and it’s four times larger.

Not long ago I talked about an encounter with a TruGreen (ChemLawn) truck and feeling as though we were going to be asphyxiated as we drove by the chemical spray being applied to a neighborhood lawn.

I simultaneously felt a sense of guilt that I used to have a lawn service and those same chemicals were once sprayed on my yard.  I still gasp at the thought.  Those chemicals are pollutants that contaminate ground and surface water, as well as pose a threat to wildlife and beneficial insects.  Plus they create serious health risks for humans, with children being the most vulnerable.

But those precious little feet can still have a healthy, green lawn. And if you just adopt some simple practices, you can have a nice, clear conscience too:

• Go easy on the watering – lawns only need an inch of water per week so this means about ONCE a week.  And if mother nature is helping (via rain), even less frequently. Too many shallow waterings also bring roots to the surface and burn out the lawn faster.
• Don’t “mow low” – the optimal length is 3”, so don’t over-mow or mow too short.  Taller grass grows a deeper root system, grows slower, requires less water and helps prevent weeds.
• Don’t “ bag it” – mulching mowers actually cut grass and chop it so it can act like mulch to hold moisture, but if you do have a bagging mower, consider composting the clippings.
• Consider timing – don’t mow in the heat of the day (grass loses moisture) and water in the early morning or evenings to prevent evaporation.
• Water wisely – actually water the lawn (not sidewalks and drives!), use timers or pay attention not to overwater and prevent waste.
• If you must control a few weeds – use white vinegar in a spray bottle and spot treat.
• Go crazy – sell your lawn mower and buy a push mower (although my husband’s not “buying that one” just yet!).
• Skip the fertilizers – even the organic kind. Honestly, do you really need them?

I think all we really want is a lawn that is healthy and green… a place where our kids can run, play and roll around without worry, and a sense that we aren’t doing more harm than good “in pursuit of the most pristine lawn on the block”.  I assure you, your kids don’t care about that, but the environment surely does.

Just the other day I was driving through the neighborhood with our kids and a smell started to fill the car (and it wasn’t “compliments” of either of the kids because there were no “accompanying giggles!”).

We rounded the corner and I immediately spotted the TruGreen (ChemLawn) truck.  It was sitting in front of a house and idling(!) while the “lawn tech” doused the yard in streams of harsh, nasty, polluting chemical fertilizers and weed killers.  My first reaction was (sincerely) “my god, I used to let that happen in my yard”.  And then I felt ashamed that I ever let it happen.  Next, I wanted to tell my kids to briefly stop breathing.  Then I envisioned screaming at the lawn guy to “turn off his truck!” … followed by knocking on the door and vigorously shaking the homeowner.

Why such the obsession for having the greenest, most pristine lawn on the block?  Do they think the weeds will crawl in the window late some night?  Or someone will pass “judgment” based on their lawn? The reality is that these chemicals are pollutants.  The runoff works its way to ground water, pollutes surface water through the soil and causes major contamination.  It also threatens wildlife and the beneficial insects.

I think about walking through the lawn and then walking into our homes, WITH our shoes, and I shudder.  Every chemical you just walked through spreads itself all over your home and into the indoor air.  And what about those precious LITTLE BARE FEET that touch the lawn?  It’s like walking into a chemical field.  I could never dream of subjecting our kids to such dangerous conditions.  Research has shown that chemical lawn fertilizers and pesticides can present numerous symptoms, including respiratory problems, nervous system disorders, and aggravation of pre-existing conditions (such as asthma) and our children happen to be the most vulnerable.

Now consider this: Each year, in the US, over 103 million pounds of toxic chemicals are applied to lawns in our pursuit of “visual appeal”. That’s all it really is… an aesthetically pleasing look.  This post could go on forever (and in the very near future, I will give more information about regular practices you can adopt to have a healthier lawn) but for now, if you feel you MUST pamper your lawn, at least consider greener solutions.

Check out NaturaLawn of America or (if you’re in Ohio) GoodNature, provider of lawn care for our beloved Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  This hasn’t even scratched the surface, but there are great do-it-yourself solutions that I promise to provide… soon!

But, for now, to top things off, the very next day there was a ‘hanger’ dangling from a door knob on the front of my house.  TruGreen’s “Anthony” was offering me a monthly estimate of $53 to contaminate my yard… and family… and the environment.  Thanks, but no thanks, Anthony.  Move on.

Water is essential for a healthy body.  (In fact, 60-70% of our bodies are made up of water.) 

So when my husband recently announced that the landlord of his studio space had decided to get rid of the water cooler and buy bottled water instead, I  GASPED!  Then I immediately emailed him some of my objections and begged him to reconsider.

First, bottled water is both wasteful and harmful if their containers are not properly recycled and they wind up as trash in a landfill – and every year 38 billion bottles, valued at $1 billion, DO end up in landfills. It even takes approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil to meet America’s $22 billion(!) annual demand of bottled water! Add to that the cardboard bases they use, the plastic wrap that goes around the case and the carbon footprint of transportation… more waste, more trash, more CO2!  Not very environmental or economical.

I also have an on-going concern with the BPA content in the bottles themselves.  Research has shown links to side effects that include behavioral problems, brain development issues, cancers and a whole slew of other debated conditions, especially when consumed by children.  That alone should be enough to scare anyone away.  Not very healthy.

But now I have a crazy idea… tap water anyone?!  I know there will be some groans at this suggestion and objections about the taste, as well as questions about whether tap water is really safe, but in most cases, yes, it is absolutely safe.  If you have concerns or just want more assurance, install a water filter… simple as that.

We were raised on tap water, right?  But marketers have “gotten” to some of us by glamorizing bottled water (as if it “says” something about us) or claiming some health benefit.  Don’t buy it or “buy it!” And despite some companies trying to make a more environmental product (like boxed water), I can’t be swayed! Bottled water is convenient, but the best, most environmental, healthiest choice is investing in a good, reusable, stainless steel or aluminum bottle, and “tap into your tap”!

Next time someone asks if you’d like a bottle of water, be prepared to hold it high and say proudly “no thanks… I have my own!”

As we try to be as green as possible in our daily lives, one thing we sometimes forget about is our car.  I’m a mom and I drive (gulp…) an SUV!… guilty as charged, green officer!

I admittedly love it and I’m not likely to go out and buy a new car anytime soon, but I have found steps that we can take to see that we have less impact on the environment, no matter what we drive.

Use the cruise – hitting that little button can increase your mileage by 15%, simple as that.
Plan errands – at the start of every week, plan what you need to accomplish and where you need to go.  Batch together the errands that are in the same area and get ‘er done, all in one fell swoop!
Maintain it – a well maintained vehicle actually saves gas and creates less pollution because it runs more efficiently.
Keep your tires properly inflated – this also affects fuel efficiency and emissions.
Use drive-thru car washes – it’s the only option during snowy winter months (unless you want to risk getting frozen to your driveway!) but car washes are more water efficient. If everyone took just one car wash over washing in your driveway it would save 8.7 billion gallons of water annually!
Clean out your trunk – all that extra stuff you’re carting around in the back (dear husband, this means YOU!) adds more weight and reduces your fuel efficiency.
Avoid idling – did you know this consumes more fuel than when you’re actually driving, so don’t warm your car for 15 minutes and shut it off when you can.  Skip drive-thrus… they’re an “idle nightmare”, and (contrary to belief) restarting it does NOT use more gas.
Keep speed steady and stop flooring it – this is the reason cruise control is more efficient and flooring it for just one second actually causes a burst of CO2 emissions equal to 30 minutes of normal driving.
Stay the speed limit – for every 5 mph over 60 it’s like paying 20 cents more per gallon of gas because it burns faster.
Consider telecommuting for your job once a week – if it’s possible and you never asked your employer, consider it… they may say yes!  Other option, carpool with a local work pal.

If you’re looking for a new car, the EPA offers a guide to the best car choices to meet your needs.  But in the meanwhile, just use the tips above to make your car greener… and don’t worry about the green paint… no one needs to look like they’re driving a brussel sprout!