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More from the Virtuous Consumer by Leslie Garrett
Freeing our Kids...to be Kids
2010/07/30
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My 12-year-old, when she returns home from day camp today, will load up her battered shopping cart with advertising flyers, 75 of them that she spent last night assembling as per instructions, and head out to deliver them. Alone.
She’s had this job since shortly after her 11th birthday. Shortly after she told me she wanted a Wii. And an iPod Touch.
“Get a job,” I suggested nonchalantly.
So she did.
Her then-eight-year-old brother joined her with his own route. Together they kept our neighborhood apprised of the sale price of peaches at our local grocery store and the cell phone packages at Best Buy.
Together they bought the Wii. At that point my son dropped out – his work ethic doesn’t include sweating for some vague reward sometime in the future – but my daughter stuck with it.
She added an iPod Touch to her possessions.
And still, she delivers. Like the fabled mailman, in rain, sleet and snow.
“You let her go out alone?” is frequently the incredulous response from other parents.
Yep.
“Aren’t you worried?” they ask.
Perhaps a bit. But I’m more worried about kids who don’t get off the couch. Or who are so programmed they can barely use the washroom without consulting a schedule. Or who think things like Wiis and iPods fall from the sky.
To hear some tell it (and I have heard some tell it!), I’m guilty of nothing short of child abuse.
But I hear the fear behind the accusation. The fear that out there is dangerous for our kids. Out there is where predators lurk. Danger exists. And by letting my child go out there without supervision, I’m basically abandoning her.
Yet abandoning our kids is exactly what I think we all need to do more. Though I prefer to think of it as giving them freedom.
It’s the best gift we can give our children – the conviction that they’re capable. That they’re smart. That we trust them.
There’s a Chinese proverb reminding us that if we’re always holding our child’s hand, it gives her one less hand to use.
And so. Tonight my daughter will roam the neighborhood. Alone.
She’s run across problems already. The lady who yelled at her for putting the flyers on her porch instead of in her mailbox. The man who chats endlessly when she just wants to finish her route and get home to her electronics. The employer who chastised her for missing a house.
And, there was the time she returned home, noting casually that a car had parked near her and the guy driving sat and watched her as she delivered.
He made her nervous, she said.
Gulp. Me too.
We talked about gut responses and what she could do if it happened again.
And I continue to let her go. And to ride her bike to school, though I fear the distracted drivers dropping their own kids off more than any stranger abduction.
It has been only one generation. Ask just about any parent and they walked or biked to school. They had paper routes. They stayed out until dark.
But not their kids.
Mine, though.
And, I hope, yours too.
Greener by the Day…
2010/06/30
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Adopt these simple eco steps to create a greener you…by the day.
•Love thy farming neighbor: When you eat local, you’re supporting the people who grow food right in your community. The food is fresher and more nutrient-rich. What’s more, local products haven’t contributed huge greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
•Go organic: Organic products, whether food, fabric or personal care products are better for us.
•Green your grid: Take this one simple step for huge eco-benefits. Call your power company and ask about a green power option. For roughly an extra dollar a day, you can ensure that an equivalent amount to the power you use is purchased from renewables.
•Avoid disposables: Think durability when making a purchase. Less garbage – and more money in your pocket as products that last longer or can be reused are generally better value. And get a load of this: Those disposable dusting cloths? More than 83,000 are tossed annually in the U.S. – enough to fill 9,000 18-wheelers.
•Get a greener clean: Many of the cleaning products we use for a sparkling shine contain petroleum. What’s more, these products release volatile organic compounds into our air. One study by the American Lung Association noted that, on cleaning day, levels of chemicals in indoor air can be hundreds, even thousands of times higher than outdoor air pollution.
•The ugly truth about getting pretty: Few consumers realize that only 10% of cosmetic or personal care product ingredients have been tested. Common ingredients include parabens and phthalates – both hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to reproduction problems and cancer.
•Put your food scraps to work: Start a compost pile in your backyard and by next summer, you’ll have wonderfully rich soil for your garden. And you’ll keep organic waste – which makes up 15% of what we throw away – out of the landfills.
•Go car-less, at least occasionally: When possible, leave the car at home and use your bike, your bus pass or your feet to get around. You’ll not only save money and reduce air pollution, you’ll be doing your heart and lungs a favor.
•Get your kids walking: Just think how excited we are when our children take their first steps. Then we drive them everywhere from that moment on! Get your kids back on their own two feet. If safety is a concern, work with your school to create a “walking bus.
•Steer clear of vinyl: Both the production and disposal of vinyl create some of the planet’s most damaging industrial pollutants in the form of dioxins. And vinyl releases toxins during every stay of its life cycle. Where is it? Everywhere. Kids’ toys, packaging, your shower curtain, rain gear and much more. Look for it, usually but not always identified by a number three…then avoid it.
•Unplug electronics: You know all those electronics with that freaky blinking red eye? They suck up 75% of the power they use – when they’re not even turned on. Either unplug them completely or plug them into a power strip that can be turned off. And unplug battery and phone chargers once the item is charged, too. They continue to draw power – as much as 40% – as long as they’re plugged in.
•Leap into animal-loving action: If you, like me, don’t want to use products that were tested on animals, there’s a logo offering up a shorthand for cruelty-free. The leaping bunny logo is the result of cooperation between eight animal rights group and is an independently certified mark. It indicates the product was free from any animal testing – from ingredients through to finished product.
•Kick your shoes off: An EPA study founds that lawn pesticides are easily tracked indoors and exist in the carpet or on flooring for years. Avoid this by ensuring that everyone takes shoes and boots off at the door.
•Lose the lead: Kids love to play dressup. Unfortunately, much of the faux pearls and gems that companies love to sell to pint-sized princesses may contain lead. There is no safe level of lead for children – any exposure is too much. Be sure to keep on top of toy recalls. And avoid:
glossy fake pearls
vending machine toys
toys with small metallic parts (that can be swallowed)
•Padding landfills: If you don’t want to contribute to the more than 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons clogging up landfills (or toilets!), consider some alternative feminine protection products. From menstrual cups to reusable pads to sea sponges, you’re sure to find something that works for you…and the planet.
•Toys for big kids need to be safe, too: If toys are a part of your…ahem…adult fun, then look for non-toxic products. Unfortunately, much of what’s on the market contains chemicals that off-gas toxins in levels many times greater than that considered safe for exposure. What can you do? Avoid anything labeled “jelly, cyberskin or elastimer” in favor of medical-grade silicon or surgical stainless steel, for starters. Those more courageous than I can also insist that the shopkeeper open any package and do the sniff-test. If it smells like chemicals, give it a pass. There should be no noticeable smell.
•Drowning in confusion about seafood?: Just when you think you’ve got the wild or farmed salmon debate sorted out, a new study comes out warning of more fish issues. But with fish still being recommended as part of a health diet, what’s an ocean-lover to do? A good rule is to eat lower on the food chain – think sardines. And look for the new Marine Stewardship Council certification – your guarantee that you’re fishing for the right answer.
•Go small, if at all: Use smaller appliances over large – a microwave or toaster oven, for example, over a full-size oven to reheat food or cook small meals.
•Nothing crude about it: Few people consider that when they wash their car in their driveways, that water (now contaminated with detergent, gas, oil and exhaust residue) is going into storm drains…and into rivers, streams and wetlands. A better bet is a commercial car wash, which is required by law to drain their wastewater into sewer systems (and frequently recycle water). Or wash your car on a lawn or over dirt, which will act as a natural filter. And use biodegradable soap.
•Host a clothing swap: It works like this: a date is set, then each friend shows up with clothes that they no longer wear. A pile is created, hors d’oeuvres are ingested, wine is sipped, then each of the women sifts through looking for new-to-her items. A fashion show ensues and everyone goes home with some great new clothes to add to their emptier closet. Anything left unpicked gets taken to a women’s shelter.
•Consider a car-share: If you like the idea of autonomy, but not the idea of your own automobile, consider programs that allow you to share a car. For a membership fee, you can generally have a car when you want one…and not when you don’t.
•Shop online: The practice of online shopping is more eco-friendly than you might believe. According to the nonprofit Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, shipping 10 pounds of packages of overnight air – the most energy-intensive delivery mode – uses, on average, 40% less fuel than driving roundtrip to the mall. Ground shipping by truck uses just one-tenth the energy of driving yourself.
•Who speaks for the trees?: Paper generally plays a big role in any office. Your best bet is FSC-certified or wholly recycled paper, made with a high percentage of postconsumer waste, that has undergone chlorine-free bleaching.
•Get ready to “greenovate”: If you’re planning any major projects, include proper insulation. By insulating your walls and ceilings, you can reduce CO2 emissions by two thousand pounds a year and save about 25 percent in your home heating bills, according to the Environmental Defense Network. For further savings, you may even find that there are tax incentives to any renovation you’re planning.
• Make the cut: Taller blades of grass absorb more sun, are better at pushing out weeds, and conserve moisture by better shading the soil. Aim for three to four inches. Or aim for cutting off only about one-third of the grass height at each mowing. Any more stresses the grass. Cutting a third of the height also leaves clippings that decompose quickly. To give the environment an added boost, use a manual lawn mower, rather than a gas or electric one. The new generation of reel mowers are far less clunky than the mowers of your youth but still give you a workout.
• Name that tune-up: Whatever type of car you drive, keeping it tuned up can go a long way toward improving its fuel-efficiency: Keeping tires properly inflated can improve mileage by 3 percent. Using the recommended grade of motor oil improves mileage by 1 to 2 percent (look for motor oil with “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol—it reduces friction). Tuning your engine can further improve mileage by up to 4 percent. Replacing air filters regularly can improve mileage by as much as 10 percent and keep impurities from damaging your engine.
•Don’t litter: Not only will spaying or neutering eliminate the chance of unwanted litters of animals, you’ll be making your pet healthier. Spaying means no chance of ovarian cancer and a reduced risk of breast cancer (yep, pets can get it too). Neutering means no chance of testicular cancer and a reduced risk of prostate disease. What’s more, spaying or neutering generally leads to a less aggressive, more even-tempered, and affectionate animal—in other words, a better pet.
•Don’t have a blast: Fireworks continue to be made the way they’ve been made for hundreds of years—with gunpowder. The ignition of gunpowder releases a variety of toxic pollutants, including the radioactive element barium and carcinogenic copper compounds, along with cadmium, lithium, antimony, lead, and potassium nitrate, all of which can cause respiratory problems and other health issues.
These chemicals and heavy metals can sometimes find their way into the water supply.
As a result of environmental and health concerns, a number of cities and states restrict the use of fireworks.
Forget the Gulf! Your Home is Drowning in Oil...
2010/05/30
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From all accounts, it’s a mess. It’s hard to get an accurate measure of just how big the Gulf oil spill really is, given that the BP rig continues to bleed oil at 200,000 gallons daily, or roughly 5,000 barrels/day. Most reports simply call it “big”, “unprecedented”, sometimes “massive.”
There’s plenty of predictable outrage. Finger pointing. Blame-shifting.
But while Washington dickers over whose fault the initial blow-up is and just how, exactly, to stop I up then mop it up, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at the role we play in this ecological disaster. Even if you ride your bike and eschew plastic, you’re likely as addicted to oil as the rest of us.
It’s hard to believe but petroleum isn’t just the fuel of choice of our automobiles and airplanes. I confess the multi-tasker in me is incredibly impressed. Less than half of a 42-gallon barrel of oil is used to fuel transportation. Which means that more than half – roughly 22.6 gallons – is used to create an astounding assortment of day-to-day products. Like? Well, just look at the bizarre places you’ll find oil in your own home…
Your kids’ room: Those crayons that smell like childhood? That’s right. Petroleum.
Your office: The ink you use to sign your name? Uh-huh. (Which finally explains why eco-biz supply companies tout their use of soy-based ink.)
The medicine cabinet: Got a headache? Pop aspirin (with its unique blend of benzene and petroleum) for your pain. If allergies are your issue, petroleum to the rescue again – in the form of antihistamines.
The dresser drawer: Heading off to a fancy dinner? You’ll want to wear nylons – a.k.a. petro-panty-hose.
The kitchen: Those vitamin capsules pack a lot of synthetic nutrients…er…petroleum.
The bathroom: Keep cavities at bay with a dab of petroleum-slash-toothpaste.
The dining room: Make dinner romantic by lighting a little scented petroleum – in the form of a candle – for ambience.
Your purse: Freshen your mouth with a quick chew of – you guessed it – petroleum-based polymers in your gum.
The stereo: Your CD? You guessed it.
Your makeup bag: You’ll find plenty of petroleum here…starting with your lipstick.
And the list goes on. And on. Just like the oil spewing into the Gulf…
Remains of the Day…
2010/04/23
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I’m firmly in the denial stage of my spring cleaning project, convinced that not only is what I’m attempting possible, it’s inevitable. In a short time, I’ll be the proud owner of a spiffy, clean and – empty-save-for-vehicles – garage.
It’s crazy that the part of my home with such obvious purpose – to house our car – is so jam-packed with stuff that my vehicle languishes in the driveway, buried in snow in the winter, leaves in fall, tree buds in spring and sun in summer. And of course, this spring cleaning project can’t help but serve as a visual indictment of too much stuff!
Though I hesitate to call myself a hoarder (lest I become jaw-dropping fodder on reality TV), I do have a thought process that owes more to Depression-era scarcity than new-millenium abundance. I, for example, save flower pots – even broken ones. Why? Because I love the look of mosaic and someday, mark my words, those broken flower pots will come in handy when I find the time and talent to launch my mosaic hobby. I hoard kites (just need to replace the broken string), toboggans (they’ll still work with a few cracks), a shopping cart (just needs a new wheel), and rusty rakes with handles that give me splinters (just have to remember to wear gloves)…
I also still have the tub of cracked corn from last summer we use to feed the ducks and geese at the park. Though I know it’s likely bad and moldy and could, perhaps, kill them…or at the very least give them indigestion, and though I know I’ll end up tossing it, I just can’t throw it out. Not yet. It might still be good.
And there, of course, is my problem. My relentless optimism but – for a lack of time and/or ingenuity – I could make all these items quite usable again. Actually, that’s only part of my problem. My main problem – along with just about everyone else in North America – is that I own too much stuff.
A nearby church, which always delighted me with pithy sayings on its sign such as “C’mon in. We have prayer conditioning”, was recently sold, demolished and replaced with a self-storage facility. Apparently we don’t need another place to feed our soul…but to store our stuff. And consider this: Fifty years ago, self-storage units didn’t exist. Or perhaps they did but we called them the shed. Or the dump.
Today in the U.S., there’s 6.8 sq. ft. of self-storage space for every man, woman and child in the country. Of course, tossing our stuff isn’t any better. Before the Fresh Kill landfill was closed in New York, it was the first thing astronauts saw from space – more noticeable than the Great Wall of China. Just think about that? These astronauts are floating around, likely feeling all warm and fuzzy about our fragile blue planet. And when they look down on the miracle that is earth, they get an eyeful…of trash.
Contributing to our landfill woes is that stuff has become so cheap. Clothing prices actually dropped in the decade from 1993 to 2003, creating economically valueless items and leading to a mountain of discarded but perfectly wearable clothes. Kids’ toys, similarly, have actually gone down in price in recent years. Materials are cheaper (though with all the toy recalls of the past few years, we’re certainly paying the price in other ways), labor is cheaper, and, until the recent crash, transport was relatively cheap. We’ve created a culture of disposables because, after all, why bother to hang on to or repair something that it’s so cheap to replace. From t-shirts to stereos, kids’ toys to toasters, we simply toss what no longer works.
Or, if you’re like me, you put it the garage.
An eco-clothes makeover...
2010/02/28
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My closet wasn’t the least bit green. For one thing, it bulged – clear evidence of over consumption. For another, it contained items made of – I still can’t quite believe it! – petroleum. So while I would ride my bike or drive a hybrid to reduce my dependence on oil…I was nonetheless wearing it every time I donned something made of synthetics.
But, while I found it easy to green other areas of my life (what I eat, how I get around, where I source electricity…), my closet remained my dirty little secret.
I knew that the cotton for the tees I loved is the second most pesticide-soaked crop in the world, accounting for 25% of the world’s pesticide use. I knew that workers in garment factories often worked long hours for little pay, no benefits and non-existent health and safety laws. I was sickened at the thought of child labor. And I sweated over where my clothes would end up when the season was over and I revved up for the next collection?
I was clearly on the horns of a dilemma…and I didn’t just want to hang my Burberry trench on them, I wanted solutions I could feel good about. Fortunately, the greening of our world, while it has produced some imposters, has also created some genuine eco-contenders.
Fabrics:
Organic cotton is becoming far more widely available and is essentially the clothes-based version of organic food: better for you, better for the planet. Hemp is an enormously versatile and incredibly strong fabric. It’s also extremely warm – my hemp socks (no they’re not rough or scratchy) and hemp/wool sweater (no it’s not rough or scratchy) are all I need to stay cozy through a Canadian winter.
There are myriad plant-based fabrics, such a soy, bamboo, even corn. There was recent controversy when the U.S. Federal Trade Commission revealed that much of the bamboo being sold as “green” was essentially rayon, a highly manufactured material that bears little resemblance to the original bamboo. However, others argue that it’s still more green than many of the fabrics available. The verdict…anything new is rarely as green as:
Vintage:
Vintage (or second-hand) clothing covers off the first two Rs of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra. Because it’s being reused, no new materials go into its manufacture, no new pollutants are created and there’s very little embodied energy involved in its transport. I’m a die-hard vintage fan. You’ll find one-of-a-kind (or perhaps its only-one-left) items that will give your wardrobe new life. Recently, Levis-Strauss added “Donate to Goodwill” to its care tag instructions in the hopes of diverting tons of clothing from landfill. If you’re a vintage Levis lover (and I am!), Goodwill might be a great place to look!
Sweatshop-free:
While there isn’t a single universal certification program for sweatshop-free, some companies are more dedicated to its workers than others. (You can sometimes find fair-trade clothing at eco-conscious retailers.) Generally speaking, the cheaper the clothes…the less a worker was paid to produce them (makes sense, if not cents…). The “Made in…” part of a label isn’t much help either because even clothes made in the U.S. or Canada can come from less than reputable producers…or come from components manufactured elsewhere and simply assembled here.
Fortunately, more companies are realizing that consumers want brands they can wear with pride and are implementing transparent codes of conduct to ensure that garment workers are paid fairly and provided safe working conditions, such as Gap and Nike.
If there’s a store (online or bricks-and-mortar) you love, talk to the manager about how the clothes are produced. Write to companies and ask about their policies, assuring them you’d love to buy their clothes…but only if you can feel good about it.
The result of my own closet greening is fewer clothes, but more that I absolutely love. More natural materials, more vintage wear…and a lot less guilt.
Blame it on Blue Monday.
2010/01/28
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January 18 – dubbed Blue Monday – is ostensibly the most depressing day of the year. Psychologists factored in a number of things, such as debt, diet, weather and social connections, to determine that January 18 is when these things collide in a maelstrom of angst.
Frankly, I don’t have debt, and I never diet. Admittedly the day was grey and foggy and damp, pretty much the official weather of depression. And I confess that I am choosing a good book and warm bed over get-togethers these days. But can that explain my burst of melancholy when I pulled into my driveway and saw, hanging from a hook in our garage, our clownfish kite? Immediately, I burst into tears.
It wasn’t that our garage was a mess (it was…but I’m used to it). It wasn’t that someone forgot to close the garage door and our house was bleeding heat like a war wound (though that did irk me). It wasn’t even that it isn’t kite-flying weather (though it most certainly isn’t).
Nope. What triggered the tears was the undeniable fact that my kids are growing up. And that my days of kite-flying are drawing to a close. These days they’re more likely to tell me to go fly a kite, though they’re not quite as colloquial, than actually invite me to do it with them. Board books have given way to Twilight, board games to a constant whine of boredom. No longer can I entertain them with a glue stick and construction paper, or delight them with a grilled cheese cut into odd shapes.
Of course, those days weren’t all giggles and sunshine. My eldest almost rendered me a candidate for Nanny 911 with her ferocious tantrums – always public. Always ill-timed.
And the years – and two more babies – that followed left me frequently exhausted.
But still there were days. And weeks. And sometimes even months when I knew I’d found my centre. They’re still young…ish. Life is more complicated. Puberty and peers have changed our family in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Still, perhaps, that kite has some flight left in it yet. Perhaps some sunny, breezy spring day to come my kids will join me. We’ll watch it soar, get tangled and crash…until we set it aloft. Again.
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