For years we’ve been told that we should recycle. It’s doing our part to make the world a greener place and so on and so forth…but…what happens to our goods AFTER we’ve left them on the curb or put them in the bins at our office buildings? Glad you asked!

We here at Eco-monkeys were curious about the recycling process as a whole. Where do the goods go? What happens to them? Is it all used? Is there any waste?

In order to begin to answer some of these questions, we contacted our friends at the Balcones Recycling Plant here in Austin, TX. Balcones handles over half of the paper waste that comes from commercial sources (office buildings, plants, retail) in the Austin area. The plant manager, Andy Andrasi, gave us a tour of the facility and explained to us, in layman’s terms, the general process.

Probably the most striking thing to learn is that (as far as paper goes) there’s very little being broken down, shredded, torn apart, burned, mulched or otherwise being made into some sort of raw material. Most of the actual reshaping of old product into new product happens at the paper mills, production houses, and manufacturers of paper products. So what the heck goes on in a paper recycling plant? Sorting. Lots and lots and lots of sorting.

When a truck full of waste paper comes into the plant, it is immediately sorted into different quality piles. Not all paper is created equally. Some has already been recycled many times and it becomes less and less useful each time because the actual wood fibers become shorter and shorter, leading to a lower quality product. Some of the paper is mixed with waxes or plastics and becomes a different quality because of it. Some is bleached. Some has already been shredded and well maintained. Some is from industrial sources and is extremely high quality.

Once the paper is sorted, it has to be cleaned. This usually involves a combination of human power, visually culling the paper to take out any glass, organics, trash, plastics or other pollutants that cannot be used in manufacture, and lots of conveyor belts and contraptions designed to sift the different sizes and qualities of paper many times to end up with a clean product.

Once these piles are sorted and cleaned, they are separated into huge compressed bails that are ready to ship to a mill for reprocessing. This mid-sized plant in Austin produces thousands of tons a week in recycled paper!

But what about waste? There has to be SOME junk that comes into the plant that can’t be used and ends up in the landfill, right?? Yes, but not nearly as much as you’d think. Andy estimates that less than 1% of the incoming product from the plant ends up in a landfill. Balcones Plant also ships away most of its waste product to a plant in Arkansas that can use most of the solid waste product as fuel.

So what can the average consumer do to help the recycling effort (besides recycling, obviously)? According to Andy, demand and BUY recycled products! The hard facts are that it costs corporations money to buy product from recycling plants to use in manufacturing. It also cost them tons of money to convert their plant to be able to use recycled paper at all! By buying recycled you are sending a message to big wigs that it can indeed be profitable to them to sell and push recycling. And money talks. Yes, you might be paying a premium for buying recycled, but by sending the message that recycled products are commercially viable, you give the big companies a reason to expand production, becoming more efficient and causing prices to go down. Right now it’s a standoff between the consumer and the producer, and somebody has to take the hit in their wallet first. And most likely it won’t be the producer. But isn’t it worth it?

Check back soon for video footage from our tour. Special thanks to Andy Andrasi and Sara Koeninger at Balcones Recycling for taking the time out to show us what you do!

Look for more posts on the recycling process including articles on restaurant recycling and composting and lots more coming soon!

… 11/15/09

As ‘oxymoronic‘ as it seems, yes, vegetarians get to eat chili too.

It’s the 21st annual Lonestar Vegetarian Chili Cook-off.

Come out to the old Historic Travis County Farmer’s Market on Burnet Rd on Sunday the 15th. It’s right next to the new pub, The Pour House. There will be competition for the best veggie chili and the best booth. There will be exhibits, live entertainment, and giveaways.

Not only that, but the awesome 512 brewery will be out there supplying delicious beer who, just recently, celebrated their 1 year anniversary with a batch of an awesome Belgium strong ale that blew up in popularity in Austin.

This should be pretty fun. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We have a couple of friends who will be out there with their chili and we will definitely be there to eat their chili!

It’s $7 for adults and $3 for kiddos and goes on from 11:30am to 4pm.

Hope to see you out there!!

Recycle… Reuse… Restore… Sustainability… Renewable resources… Carbon footprint… Climate change… Change life.

There are a lot of things that the current generation is having to suddenly grow conscious of. Most of us are having to change our only known way of living!

I hear a lot of people tell me that they don’t feel they make much of a contribution to this change. “What does it matter if I recycle my trash? No one else does! I don’t really have that much trash anyway!”

It’s sad that people think that way! Because that’s just not true! We have the power to influence! As individuals we have that power!

Our small efforts to help the environment do not go unnoticed. In fact, what we do encourages others. If I decide to throw my trash on the ground, then some who watched me will do the same.

But what if  I threw my trash in a trash can? What if I threw my Coca-Cola can in aluminum recycling?

What if I did this on a daily basis? What sort of message would I be caring, then?

Instead, what if someone decides to row across the ocean, carrying the message that now is the time for change?
How far do you think that message would go?

In 2005, a woman named Roz Savage decides to row across the Atlantic; 3000 miles in 103 days from the Canary Islands to Antigua… rowing solo!
In 2008, again rowing solo, Roz rows in the 1st stage of 3 in the Pacifc. She is the first woman to row solo from California to Hawaii. 
In 2009, her 2nd stage in the Pacific, and in
2010 she will complete her self-organized trip across the Pacific. From San Francisco, CA to Australia. And she will be the 1st woman to do that, as well!

That’s some pretty amazing stuff! But why’d she do it? You can read her explanation here for a full description but mainly, she had the desire to change her ordinary life to something more fulfilling. More valuable…

Since her the Pacific, she has become an integral part of the eco-community:

• She is an ambassador for the BLUE Project
  
• She is a trained campaigner for Al Gore’s Climate Project
• A hero of the United Nations Climate Program
• An Athlete Ambassoador for the 350.org project
• And she is supported by Dot Eco, the Blue Planet Foundation, and the Blue Frontier Campaign.
• She also advocates a ‘Pull Together‘ which asks people to start walking and biking more and driving less.

That is a lot for one woman!!! Her work, alone, shows just how much one person can do. But it also tells me that whatever one person does, is a lot!

So, in the spring of 2010 she is planning the 3rd stage. As she has done each race, she will be updating her journey constantly on her website. I will be there, showing support, and I want to invite you to do the same. Show your green and blue support!!

I will keep you in the loop as I hear more information!!

In the meantime, visit her blog and you can watch as she works to make change!!

As you can tell, I’ve become quite intrigued by this woman, so I made another post about her on my other blog. You can view it here at www.rushmonkeys.com. Oh, and visit her site, of course!!!

(pictures and video courtesy of www.rozsavage.com)

-t

I never preach about being a vegetarian. I never push my practices on others. I let them ask questions and I answer them honestly. If it makes them think then I feel i have done some good. So, I am not here to convert or preach… I will let the facts do that for me. Johathan Safran Foer has written a book called Eating Animals and has an interview on NPR that is an eye opener on the impacts of eating meat. Impacts not only on the body but on the environment and society. Foer’s words might be shocking to some but only made my practices and assumptions more concrete.

Living a lifestyle of not eating meat is not the end of the world. It is cheaper. I do not feel lethargic after meals. I find myself opening up to a much broader line of cuisine. Many cultures all around the world have been living a non-meat lifestyle for centuries. It is today’s society that has put emphasis on eating meat to the point where humans consume 150 times more chicken than they did 80 years ago. There are many pitfalls to supporting companies that provide beef, pork, and poultry. Environment and social economic impacts that will continue to get worse if changes are not made. Foer makes very good points and supports them with facts.

Read the full article or even listen to the interview here.

If your trying to lower your electric bill or just enjoy the natural lighting of candles there are a few things to consider. There are some hazards that come with using candles for light and heat. Burning candles are the leading cause of residential fires. Soot is put out by some candles and can cause physical harm when inhaled. In the past candlewicks contained a lead core, which is harmful to humans. Not to worry though! With a little common sense and modern alternatives you can light those candles with no worries.

Candles can be made from many products such as beeswax, paraffin, stearin, gel, tallow, and various plant waxes. If your environmentally conscious stay away from candles made from petroleum based products. Paraffin and stearin are both petroleum products as well as certain gels. Vegans and vegetarians have to pay close attention to some candle ingredients. Tallow is made from animal fat while beeswax comes from the cultivation of honey and honey byproducts. Plant based candles might be something for you to take into consideration. No animals are harmed and no petroleum is utilized in soy, carnauba, bayberry or many palm waxes. Soy candles are becoming very popular and are affordable. I use soy candles and love them!

Containers for candles come in many forms and lots of decorative designs. Glass containers can shattered due to stress factures caused from the prolonged heat of the candles. Any container used for the candle can be decorated in tons of wonderful ways but stay cautious of any flammable containers i.e. wood and any paper based materials. Paints used in the decorating of the containers should be considered as well. Some paints contain lead, flammable materials or simply melt with the heat of the candle.

For a few candle alternatives here are a few websites you can visit for more information.

http://www.findsoycandles.com/

http://www.candles-delight.com/why-vegetable-wax.html

http://www.caterpillarscandles.com/soy-candle-facts.htm

Do you feel enlightened? Please let me know any alternatives that you use!

Yesterday I wrote a post regarding the efforts of 350.org, a group dedicated to promoting awareness of the climate change that is occurring globally as a result of carbon emissions exceeding 350 parts per million.

The International Day of Climate Action is intended as a grassroots movement to bring awareness to this issue because there is a big conference in Copenhagen in December.  The has been talk that the participants will consider setting the accepted limit at 450 parts per million rather than trying to contain the damage that has already been done.

Austin is part of this movement – how could it not be? – and the local group, austin350.org, is planning their event for October 24.  According to their website, the austin350 members will be participating in an “unconference” on sustainability.  Location is yet to be announced.  The week before the International Day of Climate Action, they are asking for people to participate in some form of alternative transportation at least once.

So take a moment and see what you can do to be involved!

And just because I like the videos…

“If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm, but likely less than that.” ~ James Hansen

Here at Eco-Monkeys it is one of our proud missions to do product reviews so that you can make knowledgeable purchases which will take you one step closer to living green.  The biggest complaint I hear about almost all green products is the price.   It seems that many products that are termed eco-friendly end up being much more expensive than their counterparts.  Other concerns include whether or not the product works as well as non-green products and if the product is actually as eco-friendly as it claims.

I was doing a little shopping at a new grocery store in my area and came across Holy Cow Glass Cleaner.  The label  boasted an amazing green product and it just so happened that I was out of window cleaner.  I was immediately curious if this product could stand against those that were more mainstream.  That’s where the Eco-Monkeys come in.  Product review time!!!

During the initial uses of the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner I was extremely impressed!  Not only did it smell good,  it did a fabulous job on all the surfaces the label claimed it would clean.  I started with the mirrors in my bathroom and moved on to the windows throughout the house.  It worked great.  However, windows are mirrors are not difficult to keep clean in my house.  The true test of this product was when I used it to clean my pick-up truck.  My truck was dirty inside and out.   Not only did it do a fabulous job on the inside of the car, it also made easy work of cleaning the winshield, removing mud and dead insects with almost no effort on my part.

The cost of this product also lends to its charm.  I paid $2.99 for a 32 fl.oz. bottle for the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner and for comparison I purchased a new bottle of Windex for $4.57 in a smaller 26 fl.oz bottle.  Not only was the amount I paid for the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner substantially less, the volume of product was significantly more.

So, what’s in it?  So far the Holy Cow Glass Cleaner is winning but is it actually a green product?  The label claims: non-toxic, biodegradable, cruelty free/not tested on animals, no ammonia, no vinegar, and no harmful chemicals.  The website claims the Holy Cow products have no VOC (volatile organic compounds), no alcohol, no harmful oxygen-based bleach cleaners, and to my surprise no citrus-based products that would possibly dissolve rubber or plastics.  Seriously, so what is in this stuff that makes it work better than Windex and holds to its claims to be green?  The ingredients are listed on the bottle… sort of.  Holy Cow Glass cleaner “contains a proprietary blend of surfactants, solubilizers, and drying agents. Organic and natural fragrance added.”  They might as well have listed the ingredients as “STUFF”.  The ingredients list was too vague and draws concerns.  I am sure that protection of the product is very important, however, I feel that it is also important to list the specific items involved in making the product to let the consumer know what they are buying.

Though more investigating into the ingredients will need to be done I will continue to use the product over any of the other brands of cleaners out there.

Check out the full line of Holy Cow Products.

I like Holy Cow Glass Cleaner so much that we even made a video about it.  CHECK IT OUT!

Eco-monkeys will explore alternative housing in another installment of the What Is… series of articles.

A yurt is a Mongolian home that is becoming popular in the western world because of the low impact it has on the environment. Yurts can be quickly constructed for a low building and very little cost for the upkeep of the house.

Rammed earth homes are made from materials from the earth that it is constructed on. The walls of the structure are made from the dirt in the area and eliminate shipping building materials long distance.

Recycled Structures are a very creative way to reuse larger objects for housing. Using old large boats for housing on land is one way to preserve the boat and keep it in use for years to come after it has been retired from the sea. Shipping containers also make for a solid structure to live in.

Any creative home building and green additions to homes will be covered through this on going series, so stay tuned.

Here are a couple of places for alternatives to the suburban home blues.

http://www.yurts.com/

http://www.diyrammedearth.com/

The Egyptians are credited for some of the earliest recipes for beer. In their day the effects of human carbon imprint on the planet probably was not a consideration. Today we can look at the damage that is done simply by a single product that is accepted in society… ALCOHOL.

If you partake in the consumption of alcoholic drinks you may have never taken into consideration the damage that a single drink can cause the planet. A bottle of beer, wine or other alcoholic products are transported from the factory to the store or establishment where the consumer purchases it. This transport is most likely done with the aid of a delivery vehicle that runs on fossil fuels. Wine can come from local vineyards or from out of state but the majority of wine is international. Australia, South America, and many European countries are among top wine distributors. With further distances air transport is heavily relied on. Majority of wine is bottled in thick glass bottles that along with the wine itself can weigh on average of 2 pounds per 750ml. bottle. Twelve bottles in a case plus the weight of the box it’s self can really effect the gas efficiency of a vehicle.

Which is better bottles or cans? Well if you are at the pub go for a pint and avoid both. If you go to the store options are limited. Does your town have a good recycling program? Is the product your buying made locally or is there a long shipping distance for it to reach your store? If bottles and cans can be recycled in your area get bottles for the locally brewed and aluminum cans for the out of state brews. The shipping weight alone will help in the carbon dioxide output of the delivering. Boxed wine utilizes paper and plastics in its packaging is a little more difficult to separate for recycling. Corks for the wine is a much debated subject with distributors and connoisseurs and now come in traditional cork, screw tops and few new alternative products. While this debate continues you can always turn to your organic wine option. Most organic wine distributors will take the alternative route in their packaging as well. Don’t forget to read those labels and ask questions when in doubt.

The production of the actual alcoholic product should be taken into consideration as well as packaging a shipping. Brewing of beer creates carbon dioxide as well as the carbon dioxide put into the environment from the delivery of the product or even the trip to the store for a six-pack. Spirits, beer, and wine are all contributors of carbon dioxide in the environment. There are scientific studies that say none are worse than the other in it’s output of carbon dioxide.

Nina Shen Rostogi wrote a really informative article on the subject of carbon imprint of alcohol. Check it out here.

Alcohol is technically a depressant, not this story. This eco-monkeys article was meant for enlightenment on the subject not a sobering slap on the wrist for those who drink.

Oh yeah, totally!

How gross? Hey, it’s no more disgusting than using public restrooms and actually, urine is sterile! It may smell funny or look strange, and definitely NEVER invite anyone to shower with you until after you have peed, but going in the shower can save our water. It can also save you money on energy and money on your water bill. 

If it seems strange to you at first, just grab a bottle of bodywash or conditioner, open the lid, and pump the bottle a few times in front of your face to get a good whiff of flowers while you do your deed.

After a few times of this water conservation practice your body will become conditioned to relieve itself anytime you get in the shower. Like clockwork.

Do I sound like I have experience in this? That’s because I do.

Little known secret (maybe well known), I have used this technique for years now. Only now that I have been focused on water conservation has it become apparent to me that this is used and encouraged by many enviro groups.  

Think of the gallons you can save! Think of the trees you save by using less T.P.!

In Brazil, an environmental group urges people to use this technique. They suggest to “Pee in the shower! Save the Atlantic rainforest!”

I’m sure this is new to many people and can seem extreme, but if you have ever peed in the woods then you will see that this is the same thing! Only difference is; you can rinse.

Remember: yellow is the new green!

So, if it’s yellow keep it mellow. But, if it’s brown, flush it down!

See? Saving water can be fun and adventurous!

Oh, and if you need more encouragement, check out this video:

GIves a new meaning to the term ‘golden showers’.

Tuesday, September 22 is Benefit Day for Health Alliance For Austin Musicians (HAAM).

Austin, Texas is the live music capitol of the World. No matter what your musical tastes are you can be assured you will get your fill any night of the week. People living in Austin or just passing through know that live music is a true blessing and we owe a great deal of gratitude to the many musicians that provide this service. Sadly most musicians cannot afford many services such as health care. HAAM makes these services a reality to underpaid musicians in Austin, Texas. Musicians can apply with HAAM through their website and will be able to see if they are eligible for services. For the application click here.

HAAM provides professional musicians in greater Austin access to health services. These services cover mental health, dental care, and primary health care. Seton Family of Hospitals provides the services for the primary health of musicians registered with HAAM. St. David’s Community Health provides dental care and mental health counseling is handled by SIMS Foundation. I knew Sims Ellison personally and I have a special place in my heart for the work SIMS Foundation does. I am grateful for the joined efforts with HAAM and the SIMS Foundation.

How can you participate in Benefit Day?

1)    Go support some of these musicians directly by going out and supporting live music. HAAM has a huge line up of performances to celebrate HAAM Benefit Day. Look here for the performance list.

2)    Go shopping at participating stores that will give 5% of the days proceeds to the cause. (For a list of those contributors look here)

3)    Become a HAAMbassador by volunteering! Your time and effort working with HAAM is greatly appreciated.

4)    Donating money directly to HAAM is available online through their website donation or mail in your donation to:

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

PO Box 301496

Austin, Texas 78703-0025

I am a local musician and I appreciate HAAM for everything that they do. I encourage you to support live music and HAAM.

For more information about HAAM please visit their website here.

For more information about SIMS Foundation please visit their website here.

Billboard signs are everywhere I drive in Austin and although I have been able to block most of the obtrusive marketing going on, one sign did catch my eye as I drove past.  Organic Mattresses For Sale!  This was worth a second glance and a little research.

It turns out that an “organic” mattress is simply a common mattress that utilizes organic materials; no synthetic materials or bleached materials can be used. All the fabric is made from 100% Certified Organic Cotton  or even 100% organic wool while other parts may consist of natural rubber (Latex).  Just like run-of-the-mill mattresses, the prices of organic mattresses vary substantially.  Your average non-organic queen-sized mattress usually ends up costing somewhere between $500 and $1000.  I found organic Queen-sized models that started at $1,200 and shot up to $3,000.  My favorite was The Healthy Round Bed for $4,679!!! Yes it’s a round bed! No more waking up on the wrong side of the bed anymore.

Organic bedding goes beyond just the mattress.  You can also find organic pillows, sheets, comforters, duvets, and moisture pads.  There are even box springs and mattress foundations made from organic wood.

If you’re really eco-conscious when it comes to your sleep, there is another tier of products involving hemp, though be prepared to open your wallet wide!  For a queen-sized hemp mattress expect to pay about $2,300.

If you’re interested in reading more, here are a few places that you can visit:

Bensons For Beds - a shop in the U.K. that offers some organic options.  The members of their staff threw this fun little video together:
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The Organic Mattress Store

Earthsake

Humans spend 1/3 of their lives sleeping. Wouldn’t you want to make sleeping a more healthy and relaxing experience? Is spending a little more money worth it so that you and your family can rest on a healthier option?

Katie and I ventured out with the Austin Progressive Vegetarian group once more to tackle all that is good and healthy in our fair city. It has been nice meeting new like-minded people and getting a chance to try out some eateries that we might otherwise have overlooked. Cheer Up Charlie’s is a trailer located at 1104 East 6^th Street that serves vegan/raw foods, coconut drinks, and smoothies, as well as handmade raw chocolates.

The owner Tamara fixed us a couple of her signature health drinks; Katie had the Bare Bones and I tried the Bruce Lee. Not only were both a good price at $5 apiece, but they were a dose of energy badly needed mid-week. After the outdoor screening of Fletch, I decided to get a hummus burrito to take home for later.  It was devoured within minutes. The hummus burrito was by far the best thing I had eaten in weeks and it left me craving more. A real treat during the evening was unknowingly standing in line with musical group The Dandy Warhols. The band was headlining at local venue Emo’s that night. Tamara had volunteered to stay open to host their after party and I was welcomed to stay for a late evening.

Cheer Up Charlie’s is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am-9pm, Thursday 10am-10pm or later, Friday 10am-midnight or later, and Saturdays 1pm-3am or later. Please keep in mind that they are closed Sunday and Monday for a well-deserved break.

So after my post about the WaterSmart carwash product and washing days located here in Austin Texas, we got an invitation to see what its all about.

So, tomorrow around the afternoon time, we will meet up with a wonderful lady named Sarah who will educate us further about the WaterSmart product then give us an example of how it works. We will finally get our grungy cars sparkling! I do look forward to understanding further how the product keeps the dirt from scratching the paint as you clean it.

But you know us, and a rushmonkey couldn’t go out there without getting our hands dirty (or clean, in this case) so we are going to get involved and wash cars ourselves. Probably each others!

The weather is great here in A-town. A little overcast, but when considering how hot it’s been all summer, cooler temperatures are welcome. And since my post about the drought, we have gotten some heavy rainfall! Oooh, I do have powers!

So after tomorrows excursion, we will put up the videos of us washing and being washed. 8-o

So stay tuned. thanks guys!

Lakes and waterways are drying up, the Texas land is parched and cooking at degrees well above 100, and forcasted rain never comes. Us Texans are suffering the worst drought season in years. In Austin, our two sources of water are drying up fast: Lake Buchanan, and Lake Travis. Lake Travis is 54% down and vegetation is growing thick on the newly exposed floor, and all but one boat ramp is closed.

This land was never visible, but now, it grows thick grass. Sad.

So naturally, the community is worried about their water and how much longer it will last.

Usually, it doesn’t occur to people how water is being wasted. Of course the most obvious things stand out, like running faucets. But think about it, where are gallons and gallons of water wasted?

Carwashing!

Since the newly implemented and enforced water restrictions on Texas water usage, I have been hesitant to wash my two cars at all. ( my poor supra needs a bath! )

But I recently discovered a new way to get the muck off my car. A company called WaterSmart has employed a carwashing team that uses less than 10 ounces of water to clean your car. You can read the article HERE.

Also, you should check at the end of the article to read about a product that dissolves the dirt, which will prevent scratching the paint.

Don’t fear! I worry about my paint job as much as anyone, but these products lift and dissolve the dirt away. Click here to visit their website to learn about the products and technique and to get an idea on what they are doing to conserve water usage.( www.watersmartautocare.com )

This is a really neat thing: where typically we use 20 gallons on a wash, we can save that water by using a few ounces to get our cars clean!

I hope that this company and the innovative eco-friendly ways to wash your car will become well known and widely used. I would love to hear that all self-serve or service carwash companies are now switching to this technique!

Spread the word and help us save our water and care for our home, planet Earth! Visit the WaterSmart carwash group on Friday at the Frost Bank tower downtown and support this movement! If you can’t make it on Monday, then you can visit them on Mondays at the St. David’s hospital’s parking garage downtown on Red River.

You can also purchase the product on their website. Click this link.

I took some pictures back in April of the Lake, then I went out today and took some pictures of it now. There is a dramatic difference in the levels. In the first picture, you can see a boat with a blue roof. In the third picture you can see where the boat has moved to.

Lake Travis in April

Lake Travis in April

Lake Travis in September

Lake Travis in September '09

Part of the what we are doing here at Eco-Monkeys is examining our current lifestyle choices and determining whether or not we can choose more eco-friendly ways of living. Last night I was out at a restaurant waiting for a friend and as I sat there I blatantly snooped on the conversation that was occurring behind me. A couple in their late twenties was discussing the merits of riding the bus verses driving a car to work and it began to dawn on me that I had never even considered taking the bus to work. The female in the couple stated that she just didn’t think the bus stops were convenient enough to warrant her taking the bus but that when it became easier to get from place to place, she would hop right on.

I decided to investigate this and log on to the Capital Metro website to see what my bus riding options were. There are no buses that come directly to the area in which I live so I would have to drive about ten minutes to get to one of their transit centers. Once there, the bus ride itself would be 50 minutes long (according to their online schedule) only to get to a stop that is a 15-minute walk from where I work. I could get closer to the school, but it would require two bus transfers and a lot more time. So with the walk, the trip would take 1 hour and 15 minutes. According to Google Maps, the actual distance from my house to my school is 12.4 miles. An hour and 15 minutes for 12.4 miles? This does not seem time-effective, nor does it seem like it would be drastically beneficial since I would have already had to drive 10 miles in my own car to get to the first bus stop.

Another question began forming in my mind as I thought about what it would take for me to switch to the bus. How much do buses actually contribute to decreasing air pollution? Don’t they take more gas to run and create larger emissions? How many people have to be riding the bus in order to make a difference?

According to the environmental section of the Capital Metro website:

“Riding Capital Metro for just one day reduces your carbon emissions by about 20 pounds. The benefit to the environment is far greater than some of the common actions people are encouraged to take.”

20 pounds, hmm? I decided to test that. There was also a link to a carbon savings calculator. Factoring in that I’d only really save 2.5 miles in each direction and that I’d only be able to ride the bus on days that I didn’t teach after school – Mondays and Fridays – my weekly carbon savings came out to 7.19 pounds . Interesting, but definately not 20 pounds per day that I would be riding. In fact, it wouldn’t even be 25% of that.

Now I’m not saying that public transportation is a bad idea. The buses do cut down on congestion and can save the rider a lot of money on gas. And if your route from home to work is pretty direct, you may actually be able to ride the bus and not have to sacrifice most of your morning. However, until there is a route that enables me to get to work in a timely fashion and one where I don’t actually have to drive most of the distance I would normally just to get to the bus stop, I don’t think that this is a lifestyle change that I will be able to make in the immediate future. I may have to look into carpooling as an option instead. Now I realize that I actually did not solve anything here, but I will continue to do research and try to find a more amenable solution to the “ride to work” issue and I encourage everyone to examine the bus route schedule and do the same. Although riding the bus may not prove to be a viable option, at least beginning the process of thinking about what might work is a carbon-free footstep in the right direction.

In the hunt for new footwear I came across many eco-friendly options at prices that don’t trip you up. I rarely shop for clothing, and when I do it has to be as painless as possible. I like to know exactly what I am after before I even consider an outing for new duds. To keep up with the times of ever changing trends in fashion, I turned to the internet for answers. Shoes were the first step in updating my wardrobe, but what kind? I knew that I needed a new pair of hiking boots, some running shoes, and some smart casual dress shoes. Let’s face it. I hate shopping and I wait until my situation is dire before admitting it is time to make trip to the dreaded mall.

For years I have heard about alternative footwear such as vegan shoes but I have never made the effort to look at the many options. Vegan shoes are footwear for men or women that do not incorporate any animal products. Why buy shoes that use animal products when you don’t have to? I have come across plenty of styles ranging from flip-flops to men’s dress shoes. Women get more options than men in terms of style, and there are even designer shoes including a line by actress Natalie Portman.

For plenty of options while avoiding the mall, I found several companies that offer environmentally friendly products in a variety of styles. Ecowise has vegan footwear available in Austin, Texas.  Alternative Outfitters is a good place to start looking shoes and other clothing products. I really liked the selections of New York-based company Moo Shoes. Vegan Wares is based in Melbourne, Australia and boasts an impressive amount of non-leather products as well as footwear. The owner of Vegetarian Shoes started out as a shoemaker utilizing scrap tires as tread for his shoes and evolved into using a variety of products in his footwear.

I am going to get one or more of these products soon and do a product review. I will keep you posted on my findings and would appreciate any input for any vegan-related clothing.