A Green Fire

There is a LOT of information in the news these days about how harmful and dangerous plastic is to human health.  Check out, Polymers Are Forever and Plastic Ocean.

The problem can seem overwhelming, the more you learn.  I am working towards improving my health on all levels, and part of that is trying to reduce the amount of plastic I use, as well as, the amount of new plastic I purchase.  These are small steps, but I think it is important that I am making them, rather than just ignoring the issue.  I am no where near the level of Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish, but I am thankful she gives such good information on how to reduce consumption.  She also offers loads of alternatives to plastic.

One step I have taken is my work water bottle.  I have a glass bottle with a metal screw top lid.  It started life as a bottle of apple juice that I bought.  When the juice was gone, I kept the bottle and now I refill it with tap water from the water fountain at my work.  I have saved about three dollars a day doing this, because that’s how often I fill it.  That’s at least three disposable bottles a day that I am not consuming.

At home, I have a filtered pitcher to filter out the chlorine from my water. I drink that water out of my glasses, and I use it in my coffee maker.  I don’t buy bottled water for home use.  My tap water is well water, not city water.  I live too far out in the county to be on a city system.

I will be going back on the road with my job in September.  One option I am looking into is a Kleen Kanteen.  Ms. Terry recommends this product.  The advantage is it almost plastic free, it is easily refillable, and I will ALWAYS know which water container is mine.  Also, if I drop it, it will not shatter.  Potential shattering is why I do not want to take a glass bottle with me.

What’s one change you have made to reduce plastic use in your life?

Yesterday, I found a site with plans for all kinds of solar ovens. Actually, the site has all kinds of information about solar cooking. Solar cooking is something I first encountered years ago on 3-2-1 contact, a PBS science show.  I am interested in it now, because I really like camping, and another way to cook food without having to find wood and build a fire, or to bring charcoal sounds wonderful to me.

Also, memories of hurricane Katrina are still fresh with me, and seeing all the flooding going on in Iowa reinforces that disaster can happen at any time, anywhere. I was lucky after Katrina, my power came on pretty soon. What if it happens again, and what if the disaster is more widespread? Having another way to cook will be pretty darn handy.

So, a solar oven is basically concentrating the sun’s rays onto a pot or cooking vessel by using several reflective panels. These can be incredibly simple or fancy. I was so excited to find that you can make a solar oven using the silver sun shade that usually sits on your car’s dashboard. Another example was made from a large umbrella. Basically, almost anything can be made to work.

Looking at videos on youtube, a man showed how he turned an old satellite dish and some mylar into the reflector for an oven.  I also have an old satellite dish and some Mylar, and glue.  I sense a weekend project coming up.   Once it’s finished, what should I cook first?

Growing up, we had a clothesline. All my cousins and friends had one. In fact, I really liked the one my cousins had, because it was in fact three lines close together. When all the clothes and linens were hung, you could walk between the sheets. They were damp and cool and it was a great way to briefly cool off while we were playing outside.

When I moved into my home, I always intended to put up a line, but somehow, I never got around to it. I knew using a clothesline to dry my clothes would cut down on my electric bill, but I never worked out the numbers. I have made the transition to line drying for a while though. I have been using my drying rack for several years, and I use my porch rail for my heavy clothes that won’t blow away. I think finally the time has come to put up a clothesline.

So today, I finally put up a line. It is so wonderful. I got the poles from my parents and I borrowed post hole diggers from my Dad. I dug both the holes myself, but I had to have a friend come over to help me set the last pole. It was so heavy. Here it is:

Here’s a closeup of the poles:

So now, as soon as it quits raining, I’ll hang out my first load of clothes. Next project, what to do with my obsolete dryer?