Monday, December 31, 2007

I think I prefer our plan

This guy saved all of his trash for a year to see how much is thrown out.

To be honest, I don’t remember how it came up or how it meandered its way to the concept of me attempting to save my trash for a year. Needless to say, it did. Two months later, on December 4, 2006, I started saving it in the closet of my kitchen.

My original goal was to get two 96 gallon bins from the local waste management company. They quickly informed me that it was illegal to keep trash in bins and not have it removed regularly. Gotta love the law!! I decided to simply keep it in my closet, and instead of stuffing it into two bins I decided to organize it by type, so it could be seen, felt and understood more clearly.

I have accomplished the goal with 99.9% accuracy. I have kept all of my trash, per the rules I set for myself, for 1 year.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Terms and Conditions: Food and Entertainment

So, Elliott doesn't see the point of limiting eating out and going out. I can't quite put my finger on why eating out seems to go against the spirit of the project--it just feels like an unnecessary indulgence, and isn't that what we are trying to cut out?
So I'm proposing a limit but not outright ban on eating out. Limits are:

(1) We are allowed one breakfast or lunch and one dinner out per week.
(2) Restaurants must be local to where we are-- no national chains.

As far as entertainment goes, 99% of the time this involves going to the movies. So new rule that I'm proposing: rentals only, no going to the movies. Although I'm willing to make an exception for this tiny one-screen indie theater near us...

Friday, December 28, 2007

Reuse Coffee Grounds

Green Daily provides tips for using old coffee grounds. Not sure I will be trying all of these, though I do generate a lot of used coffee grounds.

1. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights.
2. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Pat on skin, massage over skin, rinse.
3. Add coffee grounds to your skin mask beauty routine.
4. Make homemade tattoos (temporary) with henna and coffee grounds.
5. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.
6. Add used coffee grounds to the pots of indoor plants.
7. Work used coffee grounds into your garden soil before seed planting. After your plants start to emerge, work in coffee grounds near the plants. Used coffee grounds are said to repel snails and slugs as well as adding nutrients to the soil.
8. Increase your carrot and radish harvest by mixing seeds with dry coffee grounds before planting the seeds.
9. Use coffee grounds to repel ants.
10. Keep cats from using your garden as a kitty box by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout flower beds.
11. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors. Add a few drops of vanilla to coffee grounds.
12. Grow mushrooms on old coffee grounds."

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Top Ten Green Resolutions

According to Green Daily this is what you can do for the planet:

1. Buy less stuff.
2. Do not throw it away. Find new uses for the old.
3. Eat local. Whenever possible, purchase food from local farmers and vendors.
4. Drive less. Look into public transportation in your area. Drive less by consolidating trips.
5. Change those light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs save energy and money.
6. Use non-toxic household cleaners. Not only does it save money, non-toxic household cleaners prevent over-exposure to noxious chemicals.
7. Go organic. For lawn and garden care, avoid chemical pesticides. A healthy lawn and garden are pest resistant. There are natural alternatives to fighting those pesky pests.
8. Use less water.
9. Stop buying plastic bottled water. Invest in a reusable water bottle.
10. Go homemade and handmade. In January, ask friends and family if they are as interested as you are in going crafty this coming year for the next holiday gift giving season.

Just when you thought it was safe to buy fake fur

Faux fur may still be fur: "Be forewarned, many garments out there that are supposedly 'faux fur' may not be.

According to ecorazzi, the law governing fur labels has one big loophole; if it doesn't contain $150 worth of fur, it doesn't need to be labeled as such. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sent a bunch of faux fur garments to the lab and found out that many of them were real fur, complete with skin inside. The HSUS reports that in at least 7 brands tested, the 'faux-fur' actually came from Chinese dogs (raccoon dogs), rabbits, and raccoons.

The HSUS asks that you report any suspected violators of the Fur Products Labeling Act to the FTC online or by phone: 1 (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357)."

Christmas, Made in China

I'm sure for most people with kids, buying Christmas presents is challenging enough without worrying about where they were made. The lead base paint problem had some people looking at this issue, but it is hard to find toys that are not made in China. Here are some of the gift from Christmas this year:







Monday, December 24, 2007

Because we can


It seems like a lot of times we go shopping just because they can. We may not really need something, but maybe we are just looking for something to do, so we go shopping. Sometimes we can't really afford the stuff we buy, but we don't think of that, because we have money in out pocket (or on the credit card). And sometimes the stuff we buy provides a profit for someone, but at the expense of poor working conditions and pollution for the workers, but we don't think of that either.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

And I Thought We Were Protesting the Commercialism of Christmas


Here's a story on MSNBC about a man who has Santa crucified on a 15-foot cross. Apparently he sent out Christmas cards saying "Santa died for your MasterCard."

ba humbug?




Tony Auth

Last Shopping Trip, Part 2

So we had to go back to exchange some things from our "last" shopping trip. We went at 8:30 pm to avoid the crowds. The humidifier I bought, which was made in Germany, and considerably more expensive than the others Bed, Bath and Beyond had, had a broken piece. And the U.S. made mattress pad we bought was not think enough, so we returned it and bought one a Target, which was made in China. I also bought a small plastic spray bottle for 99 cents, made in China.

I do intend to buy a ski jacket, which I will need. The last one I had from Patagonia had lost it's waterproof layer, and when I exchanged it, I bought a rain coat which I needed at the time.

Other than that, it will be 365 days without buying clothes. I was looking at my closet the other day, and I have several shirts that I have had for a few years. They are a bit worn looking, and maybe even out of fashion, but are still good and they will have to last for at least one more year.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Word of the Day: Locavore

Coined by some hippies, this was chosen as the New Oxford American Dictionary word of the year for 2007. Oddly enough, they didn't post the definition, just the goals of the movement. Guess that's how they get you to buy new dictionaries.

Wikipedia defines "locavore" as someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 50, 100, or 150 miles. The locavore movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to produce their own food, with the argument that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Disregarding rules on adverb usage, the next sentence is Local grown food is an environmentally friendly means of obtaining food, since supermarkets that import their food use more fossil fuels and non-renewable resources. But rule #1 in the environmental movement is question the obvious. This NYT article discusses some recent research suggesting the opposite.

The distance that food travels from farm to plate is certainly important, he says, but so is how food is packaged, how it is grown, how it is processed and how it is transported to market.

Consider strawberries. If mass producers of strawberries ship their product to Chicago by truck, the fuel cost of transporting each carton of strawberries is relatively small, since it is tucked into the back along with thousands of others.

But if a farmer sells his strawberries at local farmers’ markets in California, he ferries a much smaller amount by pickup truck to each individual market. Which one is better for the environment?

Mr. Tomich said a strawberry distributor did the math on the back of an envelope and concluded that the Chicago-bound berries used less energy for transport.

Also I've been to farmer's markets where farmers had come in from from out of state, driving several hours each way. Even at the Portland Farmer's Market we spotted some awfully large blueberries that were way too big to be Maine blueberries-- they were more like Jersey blueberries.

We are not the only ones, apparently

Hopefully this will last longer than the usual New Year's resolutions.

Many Americans aim to go "green" in 2008: "Three-quarters of Americans, the world's largest polluters, plan to be more environmentally responsible in 2008 by reducing household energy or recycling more, a survey showed on Monday.

Half of those polled said they would make a 'green' New Year's resolution, according to the survey by GfK Roper and commissioned by marketing consultancy Tiller LLC."

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Car sharing coming to Portland

A new condo building will have a car sharing program for its residents - not sure if it will be open to others. Sounds like a good idea, but there seems to be a lot of new, and empty, condo projects in town.

PressHerald: "The City Council unanimously approved a zoning change Monday that will allow Peter Bass to build a 26-unit condominium complex at Danforth and High streets with 42 fewer parking spaces than are usually required by city ordinance.

The four-story, modern brick building will have a 14-space garage on the first level, including two spaces dedicated to shared cars that will be owned, insured and maintained by the home- owners' association.

It is Portland's first officially sanctioned car-sharing program and an example of the city's effort to allow less parking as a way to encourage residents to have fewer cars, especially downtown."

Monday, December 17, 2007

What Not to Eat: Fish & Seafood Edition

I picked up the 2008 Sunrise Guide, which is like those Entertainment coupon books in other cities but specific to "living green in southern Maine." Today's info comes courtesy of them and Oceans Alive:

BEST CHOICES:
Abalone (U.S. farmed)
Anchovies
Arctic char (farmed)
Catfish (U.S. farmed)
Caviar (U.S. farmed)
Clams (farmed)
Crab - Dungeness, snow (Canada), stone
Crawfish (U.S.)
Halibut - Pacific (Alaska)
Herring - Atlantic (U.S., Canada)
Mackerel - Atlantic
Mahimahi (U.S. Atlantic)
Mussels (farmed)
Oysters (farmed)
Sablefish/black cod (Alaska)
Salmon - wild (Alaska), canned pink/sockeye
Sardines
Scallops - bay (farmed)
Shrimp - northern (Canada), Oregon pink, U.S. farmed
Spot prawns
Striped bass (farmed)
Sturgeon (U.S. farmed)
Tilapia (U.S.)

WORST CHOICES:
Caviar (wild)
Chilean seabass/toothfish*
Cod - Atlantic
Grouper*
Halibut - Atlantic
Marlin*
Monkfish/goosefish
Orange roughy*
Rockfish/rock cod (Pacific)*
Salmon - Atlantic (farmed)*
Shark*
Shrimp/prawns (imported)
Skate
Snapper
Sturgeon (wild*)
Swordfish (imported)
Tilefish*
Tuna - bluefin*

*avoid due to high levels of mercury or PCBs

Where's your thermostat at?


"You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for 8 hours, you can save about 5%–15% a year on your heating bill—a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates." - DOE

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility

Here is a good resource for socially responsible businesses in Maine.

MEBSR: "Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility, founded in 1993, is an association of businesses committed to creating a new business climate that recognizes that long-term, sustainable profitability is directly linked to acting in a socially responsible, ethical and compassionate manner. Members of Maine Businesses For Social Responsibility are interested in learning how to lessen the environmental impact of their business, treat their employees with increasing respect and fairness, and give back to the community in ways that contribute to the economic bottom line. MEBSR seeks to provide the tools for businesses to accomplish these goals."

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Last Shopping Trip

We did our "last" shopping today, to Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. We got a foam mattress pad, a laundry basket, a shower curtain liner, an air filter / humidifier, and a cookie cutter set. Surprisingly, only cookie cutters were made in China (though the liner does not say where it was made). Of course it was crowded, but we did not realize how bad it was until we were driving out, and I had flashbacks of D.C. rush-hour traffic.

Here are some photos (taken with my iPhone).



















Friday, December 14, 2007

Pollution (Made in China).

The NY Times' multimedia report on China, Choking on Growth looks at the enormous pollution problem that the country's rapid economic growth is causing. It is truly staggering.

Public health is reeling. Pollution has made cancer China’s leading cause of death, the Ministry of Health says. Ambient air pollution alone is blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water.
...
Environmental woes that might be considered catastrophic in some countries can seem commonplace in China: industrial cities where people rarely see the sun; children killed or sickened by lead poisoning or other types of local pollution; a coastline so swamped by algal red tides that large sections of the ocean no longer sustain marine life.
...
Experts once thought China might overtake the United States as the world’s leading producer of greenhouse gases by 2010, possibly later. Now, the International Energy Agency has said China could become the emissions leader by the end of this year, and the Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency said China had already passed that level.

Bill McKibben Hates Christmas (and apparently you do too)

At least that's what I glean from this piece from Grist. Here's some choice quotes:

"If stuff isn't valuable anymore, what is? Time, clearly. A gift of time -- a coupon for a back rub, or a trip to the museum, or a dinner prepared someday in the future -- is a gift whose exchange rate is figured in a stronger currency (if you're an economics major, think euros vs. dollars). Or gifts can come embedded with time already spent: a jar of homemade jam, a stack of firewood in the back yard.

"...Gifts can also be reconfigured to remove some of the hyperindividualism that marks our consumer society. Ask yourself what you'd rather receive: another thing, or a homemade card saying that, say, a cow had been purchased in your name and was now providing milk for a Tanzanian family that hadn't had milk before."

I think part of the problem with the anti-consumerist movement is the assumption that everyone else thinks the same way-- that surely no one is happier with more stuff! Personally, I'm not so sure. I hate the band Everclear, but I do love the line from the "I Will Buy You A New Life": "I hate those people who love to tell you/Money is the root of all that kills/They have never been poor/They have never had the joy of a welfare Christmas."

Report: Nation's Wealthy Cruelly Deprived Of True Meaning Of Christmas

T minus 18 days: Flashback to London, 1952

I was walking home from work the other day, breathing in the fumes from engines and catalytic converters that hadn't been allowed to warm up. Anyways I was reminded of my all-time favorite graph (because who doesn't have one?):


This graph is from the Great Smog of 1952, which occurred in London from December 5-9. Mortality per week is on the left axis. Over the course of 4 days, a cold fog settled on London, prompting residents to fire up their (high sulfur) coal-burning stoves. Total deaths attributed to the smog is estimated to be about 12,000: 4,000 during the event and 8,000 in the months afterwards. One doctor recounted: "There weren't bodies lying around in the street and no one really noticed that more people were dying. One of the first indications was that undertakers were running out of coffins and florists were running out of flowers." (source)

My point is that nowadays we don't really think of ambient air quality as an acute medical problem- thanks largely in part to the federal clean air laws. In response to the Great Smog of 1952, the UK passed the Clean Air Act of 1956. Seven years later, the United States passed the original Clean Air Act of 1963.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

10 great ideas for "stuff-free" holiday gifts

Hmmm... I feel obligated to post this link to grist.org, although I doubt most people receiving these gifts would say "thanks" in a non-sarcastic way. Click here for stuff-free gift ideas.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Pop Quiz: Who Owns Me?

Since I have no idea how to actually post an interactive quiz, answers are posted in the comments. Hint: only one correct answer is choice (a).

1.Origins Cosmetics:
(a) Origins
(b) Estee Lauder
(c) L'Oreal
(d) Revlon

2. Patagonia:
(a) Patagonia
(b) Columbia Sportswear
(c) VF Corporation
(d) Timberland

3. Odwalla:
(a) Odwalla
(b) PepsiCo
(c) Coca Cola
(d) Nestle

4. Aquafina:
(a) Aquafina
(b) Dannon
(c) PepsiCo
(d) Coca-Cola

5. The Body Shop:
(a) The Body Shop
(b) L'Oreal
(c) Unilever
(d) Estee Lauder

6. Naked Juices:
(a) Naked Juices
(b) Coca Cola
(c) Kraft Foods
(d) PepsiCo

7. Tazo Teas:
(a) Tazo Teas
(b) Lipton
(c) Starbucks
(d) Unilever

8. Ben & Jerry's
(a) Ben & Jerry's
(b) Unilever
(c) PepsiCo/Frito Lay
(d) Proctor & Gamble

9. Stash teas:
(a) Stash teas
(b) Lipton
(c) Yamamotoyama Teas
(d) Starbucks

10. Poland Spring Water:
(a) Poland Spring Water
(b) Nestle
(c) Dannon
(d) PepsiCo

11. Stonyfield Farms:
(a) Stonyfield Farms
(b) Kraft Foods
(c) ConAgra
(d) Dannon

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Movie Review: What Would Jesus Buy?

What Would Jesus Buy? follows Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping choir as they travel across the country in biodiesel buses preaching, proselytizing, and singing the gospel: stop the Shopocalypse. This movie is to charismatic evangelicals what Stephen Colbert is to Fox News, complete with sweat dripping down Reverend Billy's face, speaking in tongues, healing the sick, and even a baptism outside a Wal-Mart. His cause is twofold: to bring back the true meaning of Christmas and to stop Americans from continuing down the path of eternal debt. He also decries the death of Main Street to Wal-Mart and the exportation of US manufacturing jobs to sweatshops overseas.

This movie was...slow. Think "Supersize Me" with no plot progression. And less funny. Maybe the popcorn just wasn't sitting well. OR maybe the movie is the same thing over and over again each time the Rev gets to a new city. It's inspirational and sometimes funny, and even features a cameo by Ms. Levine herself. But midway through the 1hr 40min running time I started hoping for the real apocalypse.

Be Like George Bush?

The elder, that is. I missed this article when it came out.

Ex-president to utilize wind at Walker's Point: "Last week, a 33-foot-tall windmill was installed to generate electricity for the oceanfront home of former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara. The Bushes decided to buy and install a windmill after being approached by Southwest Windpower, a nationwide company that manufactures wind turbines, said Jim Appleby, personal aide to the former president."

Thanks to The Vigorus North

T minus 21 days: Still Panicking

Some miscellaneous stuff for today:

Reading list for next several months pertaining to the project:
*Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken: A leading environmentalist and social activist's examination of the worldwide movement for social and environmental change
*White Noise by Don DeLillo. "It's about fear, death, and technology. A comedy, of course." -- DeLillo quoted in 1984.
*A book about garbage- how much is preduced, where does it go, etc. There seems to be a plethora of these- any suggestions?

Last minute stuff to buy:
*Laundry hamper: the L.L. Bean bags ain't cuttin' it and the laundry situation isout of control.
*Metal pans: to put water in and set on top of the radiator as electricity-free humidifiers
*there was something else too... I forgot what it is now but I'm sure I'll remember after the 1st...

...oooh, I remember what it is now:

Marketplace Sustainability Report

Here is the radio show Marketplace's archive of it's extensive special report on sustainability, Consumed

"We are what we buy — a glib adage to be sure, but it prompts an interesting question: Is our consumer society sustainable? Marketplace and American Public Media take on that question in this special series. We follow consumerism from its origins to its dominance in the world's economy and, arguably, its culture. And we examine how, and if, it might be adapted to reduce its destructive consequences while keeping store shelves stocked."

Monday, December 10, 2007

Baby tax ?

NEWS.com.au: "Writing in today's Medical Journal of Australia, Associate Professor Barry Walters said every couple with more than two children should be taxed to pay for enough trees to offset the carbon emissions generated over each child's lifetime.

Professor Walters, clinical associate professor of obstetric medicine at the University of Western Australia and the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, called for condoms and "greenhouse-friendly" services such as sterilisation procedures to earn carbon credits.

And he implied the Federal Government should ditch the $4133 baby bonus and consider population controls like those in China and India."

I love my pets, BUT....

I'll post an intro to the whole fam later, but for now let me just say there are 3 cats and 1 turtle in the household. Like most people with pets I consider myself their caretaker and not "owner" (semantics, I know...). But I do think Americans have gone a little crazy. As evidenced by this article and this picture:


I really object to the line, "...you can't go wrong with giving your own pet a present."

Oh, and this puppy play-dealy looks an awful lot like the baby play-thing my sister has for her baby.




(puppy)










(baby)







Follow up: Yikes! I spoke way too soon: click here.

T minus 22 days: The Panic

One of my favorite things to do is "read the Sunday paper." By this I mean carefully peruse the pretty colorful glossy circulars for things I'd like to buy and ignore the non-glossy, non-consumerist rest of the paper. I like to flip through to Parade magazine, read the questions submitted to Personality Parade and wonder "Don't these people have Google?" (Or 'The Google', as the case may be.) The Target ad is by far my favorite because I can justify a trip to Target to pick up necessities when I know full well I'm going there to get something totally unnecessary that I saw in the circular.

Anyways yesterday was particularly sad because even though the "no-later-than" start date is January 1, I've told myself I'm not stocking up and not buying anything I wouldn't buy if not for the agreement. It's interesting to look at the circulars from a not-buying point of view and rather than a "oooh! Macy's has coupons!" point of view. Guess I'll have to start reading the "news" part of the paper from now on...

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Welcome Jen!

Jen's joining us as a guest contributor. She runs the Project Vegan Recipe Review blog.

Here's a scary picture I stole from MSNBC. It looks like he's walking literally over a river of trash. (Caption reads: "A Filipino man collects recyclable materials at a dumpsite in Manila on July 30.) Source

Saturday, December 8, 2007

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Food

So we need some input here-- what qualifies as "groceries" and when does it become extravagance? Buying unnecessary food isn't all that different than say, buying another shirt. It's both excess consumption. So there's a couple issues here--

(1) Should there be a "100 mile" or "250 mile" rule? This is what others have done, but living in Maine we'd get scurvy. I don't think it's a healthful combination with the whole veggie thing. I wonder what those Canucks grow...

(2) USA made/grown only rule: being Asian, this would suck. But it's definitely more doable, and it still lessens the transportation impact of our diet.

(3) Unnecessary purchases: what's excessive? I'm thinking a "grocery list only" rule. Yes we can put snacks and junk food on it, but at least you've written it down while you're rationally sitting at home-- as opposed to the current "wandering through the aisles while hungry" method I use.

(4) Organics/non-GMO: I'm not a big fan of a strict requirement here. My personal experience is that organic produce has to be eaten within a few days before they turn furry and brown. Also there's the cost issue of organic everything, and I'm not convinced it's more environmentally sound due to the decreased land efficiency AND higher spoilage rate.

(5) Eating out: should there be a limit or outright ban? I think this will be addressed in a later food and entertainment section.


FOLLOW UP: Molly pointed me to this article from the NYT on the carbon footprint of groceries. It'll make your head spin, but it raises some important factors in the equation that need to be considered.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Why and disclosures

Michelle suggested this the other day, seemingly out of nowhere, but I liked the idea right away. We both consider ourselves to be environmentally conscious, and studied environmental issues in school. I try to be aware as to how I live and the impact that lifestyle has on the world.

I also try to buy locally, in part for the environmental benefits, but also to support the local economy. I understand people need jobs, and much of the economy is based on peopling buying the things we won't be buying for the next year.

I am not anti-capitalist, nor even anti-consumerist. But I don't believe that even my modest lifestyle is sustainable if it were the standard of living for everyone on earth. I think a lot of the "stuff" that is bought today is not really necessary, and if looked at in light of the resource depletion and pollution it accounts for, would not fit into a sustainable system.*

We are not giving up everything (and we have not finalized all the details) - we will still use computers, have internet access at home, watch TV, drive cars - essentially do the things we do everyday already. But we will not be buying any new clothes, shoes, computers, kitchen gadgets and what not. We are fortunate to already have everything we really need.

In the interest of full disclosure: I actually sell one of the things we won't be buying (photographic prints), and we will have exceptions to allow for business expenses. I also own stock in companies that make and sell the very things we won't be buying.



* I am not a scientist; I don't actually know how many people this planet can sustain.

On a Philosophical Note,

Elliott actually sent me this article last March (nutshell: family of 3, lower 5th Ave. apartment, living "no impact"). The father has a book deal and a friend making a documentary about their experience. There's a definite "holier than thou" smugness (as there is with most ascetic life choices). Thing is, at any given time there's about 35.6 million people who can tell you what it's like to go without shopping. It's called being poor. But they're not getting book deals to describe how hard it is. Probably because people wouldn't buy it. Anyways, I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not looking for kudos and I'm not looking to see what it's like to not be able to buy things. Just looking to cut down on my eco-impact, make my next move a lot easier, and save a little money. At the same time I am very open to ideas and criticism (speaking of, the family in the article has a cleaning lady!). I see Matt's started on the latter already :)

Fwd: How to save money at Christmas...

I got this in my office inbox.



I fully plan on using this on my niece this Christmas (her first!). Just kidding, Irene. I'll wait a couple of years until she understands the concept of "Santa" and "death."

Thursday, December 6, 2007

The Impetus

Yesterday I was sitting at my desk at work, looking out at the snow and thinking, "do I have enough long underwear for the season?" And my hippie personality replied "Michelle, you have enough everything."

There's a couple of other things-- we have the movie listings for the local indie theater up on the fridge, and the listing for What Would Jesus Buy has been staring at me and making me feel awful guilty. Not that I'm big on the Jesus but I appreciate the concept.

Last, Elliott tries to by American not because he's the most patriotic guy ever but because of that pesky "slave labor" thing, and he's been quoting this Simpsons episode where Krusty goes "Hey, hey, 'Krusty Show' T-shirts are made for kids, by kids, and we pass the slavings on to you!" And I usually reply, "I'm Asian. Don't you want my relatives to have jobs?" Seriously though, slave labor is bad.

The Premise

Starting "after this holiday season" (no later than January 1), I am not shopping for non-essential items for one year. No new clothes, books, dvds, shoes, STUFF. I've convinced Elliott to go in with me for moral support. I know this isn't a new concept (see here and here*) but here's our blog of the experience. Why are we doing this?

(1) We have enough stuff. Every time I move I'm reminded of this.

(2) I like the environment, and I think this is antithetical to consumerism.

(3) I went vegetarian at 13, and I'm looking for a bigger challenge (veganism = too obvious).

(4) As much as I'd like simultaneous tornadoes to strike my student loan carriers (on a Sunday morning-- no casualties), I've accepted this is not going to happen. So yeah, there's a definite financial motive.

I'm not sure what Elliott's motivation is, other than to appease me. Over the next few days we'll hammer out the details (2 trained lawyers = NO LOOPHOLES). This blog will be a place for talk about consumerism, environmentalism, really good sales that make me regret this decision, really disturbing things that make me appreciate it, etc. We're looking for input, encouragement, advice, criticism, and anything else not spam.

*We will not be going without toilet paper. Sorry, trees.