Remember those old fashioned lawn mowers our grand parents used to use? I was surprised to see that these things are still being manufactured and sold at local hardware stores. So, I did some research and here’s what I found.
Pros:
-No Gas = zero emissions!
-A lot less noise. I can listen to my baby monitor or communicate with my wife while mowing.
-Just as easy to push as a standard push mower. Possible because reel mowers are much lighter.
-Much less maintenance than a standard mower.
Cons:
-Occasionally leaves a grass blades standing.
-Must clean yard of twigs and other debry before mowing. Generally a good idea anyways!
-Won’t mulch leaves as well as a standard mower.
Well, I decided to jump on the go-green band wagon and buy a 20″ Scotts Reel mower. I was initially surprised at how easy it was to push. It made a bit more noise than I wanted, but it is still much less than a motor running. The quality of cut is MUCH better and I’m guessing healthier for the grass. The one thing that I don’t like about the mower is how many blades of grass it leaves standing. I didn’t think it’d leave as many as it did, but it does. So, you can either live with it or mow those areas again. If I hadn’t gone back over those areas, I’d guess I’d have mowed the lawn in about 3/4 less time than I would have with my self-propelled mower. When I got done and looked back over my lawn, I was overcome with a feeling of happiness. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it was because I had gotten some exercise while not sucking in fumes. Or maybe it was because I was doing something good while not having do any measurable amount of extra work.
This post was submitted by Joe Kissell.
People always think that “going green” means making sacrifices, so here’s one that’s all good. Try sleeping for an extra hour or two each night. I read once that before the electric lightbulb, people slept an average of 9 hours a night. NINE HOURS!!! Most people I know struggle to get seven. Believe me, you’ll LOVE how you feel once you let yourself enjoy getting a few extra hours of sleep.
So forget what you’ve been told about being lazy, sleeping more is good for you and good for the environment. So try turning in a few hours early, that’s a few extra hours each day when you can turn down the furnace, turn off the lights, TV, computer etc, and enjoy feeling more rested and happy! See, going green is easy!
This post was submitted by Rebecca.
Equation for Life:
Start 3 people: 2 adults, 1 child. Add dog & parakeets for color.
Add 1 small, fuel-efficient car (35 mpg, though sometimes when going up mountain you feel like you should get out and walk to spare the engine-gerbils. Tell self again- 35 mpg!!)
Add 1 job: 50 mile round trip commute each day- work from home 1 day per week. (see also above, 35 mpg car) Avoid rush hour to avoid idling.
Add an already-built townhouse with Southern Exposure that shares utilities. Subscribe to power company’s “green energy” program to use 50% wind energy. Add upgraded attic insulation, a few gallons of low-VOC paint and live with the old purple carpet until can afford recycled-material new carpets. Do NOT add A/C- enjoy basement during summers.
Add 1 elementary school just under 1 mile away- bike to & from unless bitterly cold (be warned: 8 year olds define “bitterly” somewhat differently). Add warm coat and umbrella. Teach to ride bicycle one-handed. Deny all claims that this is child abuse.
Mandate that most clothes be purchased secondhand- anything worn by an 8 year old is going to be destroyed immediately anyway. Add rule that “actually new” clothes must be of organic materials whenever possible.
Add food bought in minimally-packaged bulk amounts. Do this rarely to save gas. Take own bags. Don’t buy single-serve anything.
Add organic products. Subtract tested-on-animal products, products imported from the other side of the planet for no reason, products you saw on TV, and anything you could get secondhand.
Add the twirly lightbulbs that take a minute to get bright and stick way out of the fixtures downstairs but which haven’t had to be replaced in 3 years & counting.
Add an “it’s not THAT dirty!” laundry policy, add condensed ecofriendly detergent, combined with a new energy-star gas dryer and the cheap ancient washer that came with the house: permanently set to Cold Water Wash. Subtract bleach- despite what the commercials say, nobody’s judging you on your whites!
Add entirely inherited furniture to save money- spend to replace a couple of the criminally inefficient appliances like the fridge. Maintain that empty rooms are Zen-like. Add furniture as garage sales and freecycle allow.
Add rolls of recycled unbleached toilet paper and “This is NOT a paper towel!” organic-cotton kitchen towels. Add ecofriendly cleaning products.
Add Family Rule that all holiday gifts given to adults must be Fair-Trade, Organic, Sustainable, Ecofriendly, or all of the above. Learn that people are delighted to get a pound of fair-trade shade-grown coffee and fair-trade chocolate bars wrapped in a reusable shopping bag with a pretty design. Consider Adopt-A-Water Buffalo or similar from Heifer or WWF. People don’t need more STUFF!
Add common sense: an 8 year old would not be consistently delighted with with such a gift, so add Captain Underpants books or Pokemon manga from Paperbackswap.
Subtract disposable anything. Recycle/compost/donate/freecycle what you dispose of.
Speaking of which- realize in 1st week of 1st grade that school lunch is served on styrofoam trays which are immediately thrown away- subtract school lunch. Add reusable lunchbag & sandwich boxes. Add fifty cent mismatched spoons at Goodwill, to prevent loss of own precious inherited silverware.
Subtract the American conviction that you must have a new electronic device every 6 weeks to be a success.
Subtract the need to HAVE. Substitute the need to BE.
This post was submitted by Mia Wederski.
1. 18 years of living aboard sailboat on a floating mooring in the middle of San Diego Harbor (ie) not hooked up to electricity or water; no refrigeration except ice chest, no hot running water.
2. Operate electrical items by solar to battery, wind generation to battery.
3. Shopping done on a fresh item basis with almost all foods/meals made from scratch and made in proper portions so no waste if no ice.
4. Shop using own carrier bags.
5. Don’t replace it if it isn’t broken. By the same token, constant review of systems keeps everything in good working order so things don’t break. Use it or lose it.
6. When we are travelling abroad we use the two person kayak as much as possible for shore transportation instead of the outboard motorized dinghy.
7. We SMILE at everyone we see and WAVE until they wave back to PASS IT ALONG!!
Cheers!
This post was submitted by caryn and gary.
What I have view on your site I have been doing for years. I grew up this way on a rural farm in North Dakota. We never wasted anything. Everything was recycled. All paper was shredded or rolled into tight logs to be burned in the fireplace. All foods Scraps were recycled in the garden or given to our pets. We raised our own vegetables, eggs and meats. We purchased milk from a local farmer. We canned or froze everything for food during the winter. We had a rootceller that we kept potatoes, carrots and such. We rendered our own lard. The only thing my mom had to purchase were fruits and we would buy them in bulk and can them for the winter. Oh we also had to buy the basics such as flour, spices and dish or laundry soap. For cleaning we only used dish soap and bleach on most everything. We only used the dryer in the winter months when we could get to the wash line because the snow was too deep or the clothes would freeze on the line. We very seldom used any paper products. My mom even reused bread bags if she decided to make bread rather than purchase it. All cereal bags were reused to seperate meats in the freezer or used to wrap sandwiches for my dad when he went to work. Only once a year did we purchase new clothes and that was for school…the rest of the time we got hand-me-downs or Mom made our clothes. The only thing we never really was able to save much on was transportation as we lived 2 miles from the closest town (50 people) and 15 miles from the closet stores. And yet then we saved also…we only went to town maybe once per week to get things we needed. We did go visiting and those times were usually scheduled when we went into town…unless there was a special event of some sort.
We were going through some stuff of my parents as they are starting to think about being prepared for their deaths. We had such a good time laughing and remembering things because they still have much of the stuff we used as kinds for traveling distances…the old coolers, water thermoses and all that fun stuff…us kids were shocked they still had it…my parents just looked funny at us and said “it is too good to throw out yet.”
I guess I have been a “green” person my whole life and never realized it. It is nice to see the younger generation doing the things us “older” folks have been doing for years…thanks for joining us.
This post was submitted by Lesha.
I just heard the interview “No Impact Man” on CBC radio.
I was insensed that people are making such a big deal about one family doing this “experiemnt” for one year.
For my family, it is a way of life out of necessitiy and have been making changes for years.
It started with my first pregnancy to give my baby the best during development and then my decision to become a stay at home mom.
( Somewhat forced upon me, as my boss at the time deemed me to not be a team player with the interests of the business at heart, if I would dare want a family, not a career. Can’t do both, apparently.)
So, my about-to-grow family was down to one income, living in an apt. with increasing monthly rent, utility expenses and having a new baby born with food allergies; I din’t have a choice but to change my mindset as to what was imortant and where the money would go.
I applied and was accepted to move into a new low income housing project, and I educated myself on healthier food sourcing, learning to grow my own, or make do with less. I always viewed the housing project as a stepping stone and now have a home of my own on a small city lot. I now have three sons to raise.
The cosmetics and hair care products are long gone, and I have learned that even the use of deodourant is not a daily need as the comercials would have us believe. Not every article of clothing MUST be washed after every wearing, with care and monitoring of the amont of time an item is worn. There are no commercial cleaning products in my house.
I rarely buy anything new, clothing, furniture or housewares are always second hand and I don’t buy things made overseas.
No plane, train trips. My world is my backyard.
No magazine subscriptions…There is always the library, for movies and music too. I didn’t have a car of my own until I was in my mid-forties. Bought used and only used for very pertinent needs. It is a small car, very gas efficient and no electronic gadgets. I walk where I need to go or I don’t go.
I have become a child of the Earth and have become as consciencious of my choices for the Earth’s sake as I was when making decisions for my unborn child.
I don’t have a throw away lifestyle. I consider how to get rid of a spent item before I take it into my life. I prefer to live without, not live with more. I am blessed with so much comfort and in no way feel I am going without or am deprived. It is a whole mental, spiritual shift that I evolved through and am at peace with.I mourned during the sheeding of things and am now filled with contentment and renewed purpose.
My garden is organic and uses only human power,animal additives and fresh rainwater. I am part of a special circle of life that taught me more than I learned in school. This whole journey is now my way of life and the way I raise my sons.
We do not need all the material and chemical junk the media/economy brainwashes the population to believe we can’t live without.
I am looking into ways to go off grid as much as possible and further reduce my eco footprint.
When I work for money, it has to be a green all the way job.
It is more physical and mind encompacing work, but I know I have EARNED a good home made meal and a good night sleep at the end of the day.
I joined FREECYCLE a few years back. I was able to send on goods to others as my boys grew out of them, and receive “new to us” items as we needed them. It feels so good to help others through this venture.
I don’t want to have so much stuff manufactured just because someone says an item is “out of fashion” or ” you must have the newer version or you are not Cool”.
The Earth’s resources will come to a end.
We must reduce, reuse and recycle and keep stuff out of the landfill.
We must change how we use and dispose of items and resources,
and stop polluting our environment.
So maybe a better project to experiment with is to go a year without disposing of ANYTHING.
See how fast you change what you do in a day and how you do it.
If you can’t get garbage pick up and can’t flush it away without a thought to where it is going…maybe you’ll think more about what is important to you and the Earth and what you truly need around you, where it is coming from and how to keep using it till it is all gone.
Finding new uses for things other than what they were designed for is fun.
If you lived in a third world country, you would even have to harvest your drinking water when it rains, and collect other’s thrown away items to make your home.
Money isn’t everything…I sure don’t have any and am just fine.
I have always had what I needed when I needed it. That is enough.
This post was submitted by Valerie.
Eat locally, eat organic, eat vegan.
Hang dry clothes.
Wash clothes in cold water.
Take own bags when shopping.
Buy less stuff.
Eat organic.
Converted backyard to a big vegetable garden.
Reduce size of lawn.
Ride bike or walk more often.
Use a reusable water bottle (absolutely no plastic water bottles!)
Recycle everything that is recyclable.
Reuse stuff that is not recyclable as much as possible.
Buy whole unprocessed foods as opposed to packaged processed foods.
Use CFLs.
Use thermostat.
Quick 2-4 minute showers.
Don’t pre-rinse dishes before loading dishwasher.
Use a reel lawn mower.
Buy eco friendly laundry detergent, cleaning products and personal care products.
This post was submitted by Anu Kamath.
It took 12 years but I am finally car-free and loving it! I started by commuting one, then two days a week by bicycle from Hayward to Redwood City across the Dumbarton Bridge on San Francisco Bay. You’ll need wicking clothes (ski underwear is good and cheap, and looks pretty cool actually if you layer them aesthetically); rack & panniers for long commutes like mine; drink lots of water 24 hours before the ride; 75 – 100lb armadillo tires inflating them every 5-7 days; and “crystal stick” mineral deodorant if there are no showers at your worksite. When I moved to Oakland and recalled a fellow bike commuter who rode 5 days a week from Alameda to Palo Alto (BART to Union City), I said “I can do that”. So I slowly increased to 3 and 4 days/week and by 2005 I was my doing my 4days/10hr. work schedule all by bike and train in a loop around the Bay. About 30 miles of bike riding and 45 miles of train. I was able to read everyday for an 1-2 hours and get much better information than via TV, was physically fit and relaxed at work, and eating and sleeping like-lovin-life.
Then last year my car was stolen. I had tried to share it with folks in my area, but seems folks are addicted to 24hr access and haven’t learned to decouple from car tyranny, so I just let it go. No more $600/yr auto insurance for a car I never used. No waiting in traffic, no gas stations or repair nightmares. I figure now that I have taken an early retirement and live locally my car-free live-local lifestyle is saving me about $3000/year in car costs and about $200/month in groceries and meals. I shop at the market, go to movies and meals and travel anyway in the Bay Area on bike and train. I even commute to see a girl friend in Portland, bringing my bike with me on Amtrak. It’s so much fun and stress free, I wish I had been doing this my entire life.
Here’s a link to Carbusters Magazine so you can keep up with the latest in Car-Free developments across the globe…
http://www.carbusters.org/index.php
Happy Trails!
Sandy Sanders
This post was submitted by sandy sanders.
I work on a university campus. In the last few years it has become a practice to provide meeting participants with a bottle of water. I decided last year-no more water bottles would be offered at meetings. We have a drinking fountain in the hall and we ordered stainless steel reuseable bottles with our logo greeningthearts@illinois.
This post was submitted by mary ellen oshaughnessey.
Tuned out years ago from the media hype about what I “want/need”; got in touch with my own value system. Learned how little I need to feel comfortable/satisfied. Gave up beef years ago. Eat fresh foods mostly; do our own cooking. Not a major consumer; shop thrift stores when I really need something. Recycle. Seldom watch television (it’s basically a wasteland and a product delivery system–do not have cable! Do not own a cell phone. Live in a fourth-floor walk-up.
I think the first important thing I learned was to unplug from the media hype; when I did that, my life slowed down and I had more time for creative thinking and learning what really interested and satisfied me. Pulling back from the cultural value system really opens up your eyes.
This post was submitted by Patricia Morimando.