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For Melody: Share your green tips

My feelings on this are that no one of us can be all green. But it can't hurt if we each do a thing or two, whatever fits into our lifestyle. And where better to get great ideas than here?

Like, for people like myself who live out in the country this time of year, it's easy to buy local produce. On the way to doing other errands, I stop at a farm market for fresh fruit and veggies - whatever isn't growing in my yard yet.

Green for a few reasons. Local grown uses less gas for transport for both me and the grower, less pesticides and such usually too, and almost always better tasting and better priced.

I am fortunate to be able to grow a few potted herbs and lettuce plants and have some veggies in the ground. I grow organic and make my own compost.

I try to buy local meat too - nice to know your food was treated well, free range and healthy.

What was NOT more green? Palmolive Eco. Sure the first few loads in the dishwasher came out okay. But then it gummed up the washer so badly all the dishes came out with a powdery film. We were wondering if somebody dumped a whole bag of flour in the machine.

:confused:

I had to run it empty with a cup of vinegar to wash it out. I went back to regular detergents.

BTW, I use vinegar instead of Jetdry. Works like a charm.

I've been "green" for many years... and it began in Girl Scouting! (Think Green)

Limiting chemicals in my home is key...and yes! vinegar does wonders of all types of great cleaning. I can't handle the odor well for my lungs, but diluted with good ventillation works fine.

(Vinegar and baking soda make a great chemical reaction that cleans even the dingiest tile grout, for instance.)

I think my latest move back to green is away from paper towels. I've been able to accumulate quite a few rags, cut up from old towels, tee shirts etc, and I now grab one of them to wipe up spills and wipe down counters and such. I keep a plastic bucket to toss them into until I add them to a wash load.

I use epsom salt for baths now too. A great, healing soak without the additives.

I quit using bottled water altogether. Well, I have to have some on hand as it's hurricane season, but I bought it in gallons. When I realized that drinking from those smaller bottles causes lip lines (LOL) and the hassle of recyling and all that... I decided I just didn't need them.

I went to my power company's website and did their free energy evaluation. And while there, I checked to see what times of day electricity costs the most. While it changes for the summer, generally, for here it's between the hours of 6-10 am and pm. I try not to wash clothes, run the dishwasher, take hot shower/bath, or have the a/c on the coldest during those times.

Anyone else?

http://www.kingsolver.com/bookshelf/miracle.asp

Interesting book.

Barbara Kingsolver wrote this book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

It was called to my attention by a friend who is reading it and I have picked it up.

Quote:

"This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."

There is a term that has come from this book - locavore. People who only use locally produced products. Saves on petroleum. Can you think of any better way to "go green?"