Day 29 - No more plastic wrap

That's right - when the current roll is gone, bye bye to the plastic wrap. But then I get to thinking...what am I going to cover my food with when I microwave?

I've been using recycled aluminum foil now for a few weeks, and yes, it is thinner than the regular stuff. I recycle it after I am done with it, and I do try to wash it and reuse it, but, being thinner, it often doesn't hold up. It fails pretty badly when you unwrap something (like a loaf of bread), and then re-wrap it. Once or twice of this and the foil is tearing and soon you have mouldy bread.

I made some sturdy drawstring bags last night to take to the bulk food store, and to use as produce bags (as opposed to those thin plastic bags often provided in the produce section.) When I get my bulk items home, I can put them into plastic containers (which I already own), and wash/reuse the bags.

But seriously, the foil isn't what I'm used to, and what am I going to use in the microwave? Honestly, the microwave is the only place I use plastic wrap. One website suggests wax paper. Ok. That could work. I suppose parchment paper would also work.

Man, I'm doing a lot of whining today. Here is an excellent article regarding alternatives to conventional food wraps. It appears that cellophane is the only smart alternative.

Day 27 and 28 - No more pedicures and reprimand smokers who litter butts/ashes

Yesterday was going well. Quiet, sunny, sort of warmish. I woke up, promptly put on my glasses, grabbed the book on my nightstand and started to read. I lay in bed until approximately 12:30, until I had finished the book. What, you ask? The 100 Mile Diet, by Vancouver authors Alisa Smith and J. B. MacKinnon. Yes, it was that riveting, and it convinced me even further that eating locally, supporting your local farmers and relishing in the bounty of each season is truly the way to go. Plans are underway for me to start the diet in the coming weeks.

After I finished reading, I showered, did my hair and makeup, and then my best friend called. It was her birthday (I knew that) and did I want to meet her just up the street for a pedicure? Sure, why not. I put on a white eyelet sundress, my flip flops and headed out. As soon as I got outside the sky opened. By the time I got to the salon, I wasn't more wet than if I had just taken a shower fully clothed. My dress was plastered to my legs, my hair was plastered and dripping, and the poor Vietnamese salon workers did not know what to do with me.

The pedicure was nice - I had never had a pedicure with a girlfriend before, and I have to say it was a lot of fun. But as I sat there, I realized not only how bad this, and most all salon services, are for the environment. I didn't need a pedicure - my feet are in great shape and I had just cut my toenails last week. I have to admit that feet in general are not attractive, but they are much improved with nail polish. But couldn't I do that at home? Without all the scented soaking, the hot towel massage and the gritty goo? (In case you can't tell, I'm not a girly-girl, and I get nervous when fussed over.) And couldn't I find a natural nail polish and polish remover? A quick scan on goodsearch.com revealed that yes, these products do exist, and are available online and in some local natural stores.

So if the beautification of my toenails becomes a priority, I can do it without hurting the planet. But really, until then, I can live without pedicures. Because I have more important things to do like griping at smokers who litter.

This is a huge peeve of mine, and honestly, it never bothered me until I started riding a motorcycle. It irks me to no end when I pull up next to a car and the driver oh-so casually drops their still smoldering butt out the car window, inches from where I am, with no consideration for me or the planet. Thus, I am declaring war on smokers who litter.

I have never smoked, never tried, and have no desire to. I have no idea what it is like to have a chemical dependence on a substance, but I do know that dependence or no, that doesn't mean you have to litter your ashes and butts. People standing outside of buildings are one thing - most buildings provide some sort of receptacle, and people generally use it for their butts. But cars are built with ash trays! Use them! Littering your ashes and butts tells me that not only do you not care about the planet, but you are too damn lazy to use/empty your own ashtray and you expect others to clean up after you. Or maybe you aren't even thinking about all that stuff, because you are too concerned with looking cool, talking on the phone, eating or any number of other things.

Some appalling data on cigarette litter. Yes, this website is old, but you get the idea.

So. The next time I see someone littering a cigarette product of any kind, they will know the gentle chiding cum vengeful wrath of penguin.

I really hope I don't get beat up.

Day 26 - recycle dead batteries

Last week, I was stranded at a Starbucks for 5 hours because the battery in my Harley decided that would be a good time to die. Couple with that a few days before, the battery in the key fob that activates the security system also dies. Suddenly, an 800 lb machine becomes a hunk of immovable metal.

A few days, and a couple hundred dollars later, Suenos (that's the bike's name) is back on the road, but now I'm left with a dead 12v battery and a dead button battery. I smell the opportunity for a green change! The button battery will be saved until one of Toronto's environment days (the next one is September 12), where I can take it and give it to folks who know what to do with it. The dead 12v went back to the Harley dealership (which is where I also recycle my used oil) for them to recycle. Easy! I tried to find out exactly how batteries get recycled, but haven't come up with any info yet (I find processes like that to be fascinating.)

In my inbox today, I received a message from Douglas Farquhar who is in charge of business development for a e-company called buygreen.com out of Irvine, CA. Their site offers green products for personal and commercial use, as well as offering green tips and links. Do any of you have any experience with this company?

While brushing my teeth this morning, I noticed that eco-friendly toothpaste will be making it's way into my life soon, and I'd appreciate any suggestions as to what you folks are using. This little penguin needs all the help she can get.

Day 25 - No more margerine

There are so many reasons not to eat margarine. Sure, it's soft and tastes "buttery", and it's cheaper than butter, but c'mon folks, it's nothing but chemicals. I'm starting to employ the logic that if I don't know what the ingredients are, then I shouldn't eat it. Here is the wikipedia article on margerine, which is very factual, based on the food research that I've been conducting the past few years.

Not only is my challenge an effort to go green, but also one to eat healthier, more in line with what is good for the planet is good for the body.

Growing up, my mother only bought margerine. It came in a tub, which we used on our toast, and in stick form, which she would use for baking. Only when company came for holidays would she buy a stick of butter to place in the butter dish on the table, to be used on the mashed potates and rolls. I remember eating this butter and feeling that it was a very special thing, as it was only served at holidays, much like the good china was used at these meals.

5 years ago when I started cooking for others and really getting into the art and science of food, I became a purist, and while I would still have margerine in the house for bread, butter was the only acceptable thing for cooking and baking. Now, I'm giving up margerine altogether. I just purchased a butter bell on ebay (until then my butter is sitting on a plate on the kitchen counter), and I'm quite pleased to have eliminted another source of chemicals from my life.

Day 24 Pick up any and all litter I come across

This challenge is deceptive. You think that picking up litter and disposing of it properly would be a piece of cake. Not so. Some garbage really shouldn't be handled with bare hands, sometimes the garbage you find is far, far away from a proper waste receptacle and so you end up carrying it around, and people tend to look at you funny. Like "what kind of hippy do-gooder are you?" and "maybe this chick has mental problems". This attitude is particularly prevalent in areas of affluence (Bay and King - the Toronto financial district) and areas of rash consumerism (malls).

You know that look of disdain that skinny 15 year old girls can pull off? The "ewww, that is so gross, I'm going to text my friends right away and tell them about this creepy lady picking up mall garbage." Well even though I am twice their age, that look still gets me. Perhaps because I've never been popular and suffer from low self esteem.

I can't believe I've been at this challenge for 24 days already. This might just be the longest I've ever stuck with anything. I'm better at being green than sticking to a diet. Humph.

In other exciting news, my condo has started a blocking of junk mail program. Now I have a pick paper taped to the inside of my mailbox, telling Canada Post that this box wants no more junk mail. Hopefully the junk mail I would receive is going back to the sorting plant to be recycled.

Day 22 and 23 - It's all about the hair

Ever since I got back from vacation late Tuesday night, I've been crazy busy, and while I haven't kept up on the blogging, I have kept up with making a new change every day. So here is my update.

Yesterday I switched to organic shampoo and conditioner, and today I'm switching to natural deodorant. Using a new product usually gets me excited - perhaps there is something better out there that I have yet to discover, and perhaps this product will change my life in some way. These past two changes, however, were approached with trepidation. Allow me to explain.

I have had a long and troubled history with the hair on my head. My hair, presently, is roughly longer than my shoulders, a fairly bright red, and naturally curly and prone to frizz and odd kinks. I have never dyed my hair, or permed it. Over the course of my life, it has gone through some awful hairstyles, has fallen out twice due to extreme dieting, and while it and my scalp are very healthy, I have bad hair days more often than not. Couple all of this with the fact that I wear a motorcycle helmet, sometimes for long hours, and if not secured properly, my hair flaps in the wind and gets mighty tangled. All I've ever wanted from my hair was to be somewhat curly, not frizzy and about mid-back in length. So I approached this change with mixed feelings - would I miss my old products (Infusium 23)? Would these new products be better for my hair as well as the environment?

The gal at Big Carrot assured me that these new hair cleansers were good for the environment (I bought the apricot scented products from the JASON line), but they were also good "transition" products. Transition? As in, I need to adjust? Like learning to live with bad hair all the time type of adjustment? I'll let you know how these new products work out. They do smell nice... The girl also mentioned that some people have luck with their hair growing faster if they ingest liquid silica, which they also sell. "Silica? As in the granular stuff they put in your new shoes?" She didn't know. I know that I tried to use those granules to dry flowers in the microwave and it didnt' work out. But I digress.

While I was there, I also picked up some natural deoderant, which the helpful girl led me too, saying that it was a best seller and everyone at the store used it. Dr. Mist, of the roll-on variety, in case you are wondering. The girl looked at me pointedly and asked if I had ever used natural deoderant before. "Um, no." I said. What was different? She then went on the explain that conventional deoderants clog your pores, which keep sweat from coming out. Apparently, natural deoderants work with my body chemistry to prevent odor, and that there would be a transition (there's that word again) period until my body got used to having open pores, and that I might find that my natural "smell" changes over the course of usage, so much so that conventional deoderants will no longer work, should I go back.

Smelly hippy land, here I come. You'll know me by my aroma, the bad hair and lack of nail polish. Mother Earth, I hope you like this.

Day 21 - I'm back, and I'm squeaking this one in

With only 24 minutes left in what has been a crazy day, I'm sneaking in this eco-change. I'll admit, it's an easy one, but after the day I've had, I need a break. From now on, I'm using GoodSearch as opposed to Google, and donating the proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund. GoodSearch donates to charitable causes when you use their search engine. I love animals, and I couldn't find any charities that deal with penguins specifically, so WWF was a good choice.

Speaking of animals, I had a few encounters with animals this past weekend on my travels. Most of them were pleasant (watching a family of wild turkeys cross the road in the Allegheny forest in western PA, visiting the Pittsburgh zoo and going gaga over the adorable penguins) and one of them was not so pleasant (getting stung in the boob by a hornet as I rode my motorcycle - the air draft over my windshield blew the hornet right down my shirt where the poor startled beastie stung me). I'm fine - no lasting damage.

I'm actually pretty proud of myself - looking over my list of changes, I was able to stay true to all of them while on the road. Before I pat myself on the back too much, the only one on the list that actually applied was the no using of hand dryers or paper towels to dry my hands in public bathrooms.

So here we are, 21 days into the challenge and doing well. I'm seeing some natural deoderant in my future, as well as the dreaded Diva cup. Stay tuned for what new adventures those will bring. :-)