For those of us in Pennsylvania, the Penn State Agricultural Extension offers some excellent resources on their site to help you track down which native plants will do best in which soil types. I’m a fan of perennials, and Bee Balm, Black-eye Susan, and Narrow-leaved Sunflowers are all in various stages of maturity in my backyard. The Bee Balm is one of my favorites as it has so many uses (tea, salads, and as an actual balm to help sooth bee stings!) Besides all that, it grows quite nicely with my strawberries.

Bee Balm and Berries

If you are more adventurous type, you might try buying Mom some edible flowers so she has a snack along with her pretty bouquet! Be sure you consult a guide book or recipe book, however, with detailed pictures and assure you buy the flowers from a source where you can be certain they haven’t been sprayed with any harmful pesticides.

Happy Mother’s Day!

After weeks of shouting up the stairs for them to hurry, or knocking at the bathroom door to expedite their showers, I was at a breaking point. I questioned if I was being too harsh, and so I secretly timed them one evening. Without being rushed by me, their showers lasted between 6 and 12 minutes. (Try to understand how difficult it was for me to sit quietly watching the stopwatch as the water was running …and running…and RUNNING…past 10 minutes!)

Armed with the facts on their shower times, I sat the children down and asked them if they knew how much water they used each night. They had no idea. We talked about our recent trip to Cambodia and Vietnam where clean water is so scarce and only bottled water was fit for drinking and brushing our teeth!

Water bottle along irrigation channel, Cambodia

Everyone agreed that conserving water was important, so we set out to find a solution.

Our shower puts out a flow of about 2.64 Gallons per minute (typical low flow fixtures claim a 2.5 GPM rate). We all agreed that we could complete a shower, and be completely clean (including shampoo and conditioner) within 5 minutes. To help keep us honest, I purchased a small shower timer that mounted to the shower wall with a suction cup. It beeps after 5 minutes. The timer keeps me from yelling, and assures that we aren’t wasting as much water, both of which make me feel better.

So far so good!

What is the average time per shower in your household?

As I walked, I could hear the soothing sounds of the ocean, and smell the calming scent of eucalyptus. The breeze danced through the grove of trees that surrounded the sandy path. Emerging from the stand of trees, I crossed the railroad tracks, and found myself at the edge of a cliff from which I could observe an entire colony of harbor seals.

The Carpenteria Seal Rookery is one of four remaining rookeries on the southern California coast according to www.sealwatchcarpenteria.com. It was enchanting to watch as the cows and their newborn pups played in the sand and surf as the pelicans looked on from nearby rocks.

Conservenature.org reports that “the number of Harbor Seals that inhabit the Pacific coast has greatly declined in recent decades”. Some of the biggest threats to these magnificent mammals are water pollution and people, and the seals at Carpenteria seem ironically juxtaposed with the many oil rigs off in the distance, and the activity at the pier nearby.

To learn more about what you can do to get involved in conservation efforts or to adopt-a-seal, check out the Marine Mammal Center. Additionally, if you are seeking to recreate the calming scent of a grove of eucalyptus trees, consider trying our Yuza Mint Energizing Body Butter!

Are there other animal conservation efforts that are near and dear to your heart? If so, please share them with us by adding them as comments to this blog.

I was returning from taking my daughter to school last week when I heard the trash trucks rumbling down the alleyway from a distance. Judging from the sound, I had just enough time to get into the house, gather up the glass, metal, plastic, and paper I’d been saving all week, and bring it out to the container supplied by my municipality for recycling.

With all the items I’d gathered from the back porch in one hand, and a paper bag full of cardboard and recyclable paper in the other, I made it to the alley in the nick of time.

I’d just set down the bin of recycling next to the recycling can from the township and lifted the lid, when I realized all at once that the truck was for trash only and not recycling. Sigh of relief. I no longer had to hurry. At that same instance, the gentleman picking up trash picked up the recycling bin I’d just carried from the porch and dumped it into the trash truck. As he was lifting it, I managed a desperate “Wait, that’s recycling, not trash.”
He dumped it anyway, and a quick strong wind blew several papers out of the bag with paper recycling and scattered them on the ground between us.

“It don’t matter,” he said.

“It really does though,” I replied. “It does to me.”

As I bent down to pick up those few scraps, he knelt to help me, and I realized that I was crying. I didn’t look up as I thanked him, and he moved away as the truck proceeded to the next house, so I hope he didn’t notice.
In that one, less than 60 second exchange, I was shaken to my core and wondering if he was right. Do the efforts of one person, one family, one town, really matter?

I believe it matters. What do you think?

Amy Reinert 1975-2012

I lost my best friend last week to an aggressive cancer. She was 36. Amy was my inspiration from our duets in the elementary school choir, into high school biology and chemistry, through college majors in environmental studies, and in educating others to conserve the world for future generations.

She inspired me most by living what she taught, and through her desire to always keep learning. She volunteered in the Peace Corps, worked tirelessly as a high school teacher, camped often, sang loudly, played hard, loved deeply, and had such a hearty overwhelming laugh that it sometimes took over her entire being, forcing her to sit down wherever she was to recover.

Doing right for people and planet was second nature to Amy, and her passing has again inspired me to do more with the short time we have, to be a better steward of the earth. And so dear friends, I’m starting to again blog for betterworldbuys.com as one step in my efforts to make the most of each moment.

If you were fortunate enough to have known or encountered the lovely Ms. Reinert, I invite you to respond to this blog with some examples of how she has inspired you!

I’ll sign off for now with the quote Amy used to wrap up all of her e-mails…

“Now I see the secret to making a good person:
It is to grow in the open air and eat and sleep with earth”
-Walt Whitman

For all you have inspired me to be and do Amy, I thank you.

My green guilt kicked in (again) last week as I enjoyed my favorite winter sport – downhill skiing – during a long weekend trip to the Colorado Rockies. We carpooled from the Denver airport over icy mountain passes in a (less than fuel efficient) vehicle that I will admit to being pleased to have had considering the many vehicles we passed which were either flipped over or crashed into the guardrail (we counted 6 auto and 2 truck accidents!) on our way to Vail, CO.

Skiing is an energy intensive sport, but Vail is one of the few resorts that have recently implemented self imposed energy reduction strategies. Using hybrid buses for mass transportation and making recycling receptacles readily available, were some of the more visible green efforts I noticed. Other efforts were noted in a Newsweek article last winter. Despite these surface efforts, however, I think the onus should be shifted to skiers to seek out ways to improve the green impact of our beloved winter pastime. Creating demand for energy efficient means of traveling to and from our favorite downhill destinations (like a high speed train or electric AWD vehicles capable of making the treacherous journey on I-70 safely) is just a start.

In addition, staying in green hotels, purchasing eco-friendly snow attire, and seeking out sustainable options for the boards we strap to our feet on which to speed more sustainably down the slopes, skiers passionate about our sport and our planet should be driving change.

If you are interested in learning more about skiing green, consider joining the Mountain Riders Alliance which is a “group of like-minded people dedicated to making a positive change in the ski area industry, as well as supporting the environment, surrounding communities, and what’s best for the ski community.

Ironing is one of my least favorite domestic tasks and I had hoped that going green might get me out of this much dreaded household chore. I considered simply not ironing, but realized after a short experiment in ironing abstinence, that I looked too unkempt to continue on in that manner.

Short of replacing 75% of my working wardrobe, I would simply have to fire up the iron and press on… (pun intended).

If iron I must, I decided to do some research to see if there was a more eco-friendly way to accomplish the tedious task.

One article I found instructed that one should, “collect as many pieces as you can to press at the same time.” As indicated by the photo, I could check this pointer off my list! The author also suggested that, “While the iron is heating up, press the thinner clothes that require less heat first. When the iron is hot, press the more difficult ones. If you have thinner items again you can turn off and unplug the iron and press the clothes that need less heat again to end.” These sounded like wise words.

A typical steam iron uses between 1000 and 1700 Watts/hr. According to another insightful blogger, there was an additional trick of the trade I needed to employ. The blogger advised, “to reduce ironing time and save energy, put foil under the ironing board cover. This will reflect heat up on the clothes as you iron.”
I tried this, and noticed that it did help get the stubborn wrinkles out more readily.

Do you have any green ironing insights to share? If so, please add your comments below!

The holidays flew by just as quickly as 2010! In the last week of the year, I was able to spend time with family and friends and craft 2011 New Year’s resolutions.

During a visit with my Aunt Sallie, she shared a book received as a gift from her daughter Melanie that features Mel’s husband Aaron. Aaron and Mel live in Missoula, Montana where Aaron works as the Director of Development for the Missoula YMCA. This brilliant and dedicated young couple is admirable for so many reasons, but Aarons work with the YMCA and the Missoula Food Bank is truly inspirational. He has made great strides teaching people to grow their own food. In addition, he has managed to help incorporate this local fresh food supply into the Food Bank to support healthy and nutritional local food options for Food Bank recipients. The book he is featured in is called Growing A Garden City by Jeremy Smith.

In the travels to and from family visits, our carload of happy wanderers brainstormed 2011 resolution ideas. My son, who is a talented young creative spirit, resolved to work on his painting skills. My daughter wants to climb more trees and plant and care for a garden. Maybe Aaron can share some of his insight with us as we work out a plan for our garden this year!

If you have any resolutions to make the world a better place, please share them as comments to this blog.

Intro
PA residents: In case you weren’t aware, PECO will be raising their electricity delivery rates by roughly 10% (about $8 more per month), starting on January 1.
http://www.peco.com/newsroom/newsreleases/NR+033110.htm

The estimated rate PECO will be charging is called the Price To Compare (PTC), which is used to evaluate offers from its competitors. The PTC is updated on a quarterly basis and looks to be 9.92 cents per kWh for January 1 – March 31, 2011, and is estimated to rise to 10.16 cents/kWh from April 1 – June 30.
For more on PTC click here and click to view 2011 PTC rates

Shopping around
Given the current state of the economy, PECO is encouraging customers to look for cheaper providers, and the PA Public Utility Commission has created the PA Power Switch website to help people switch their power supplier.

On the PA Power Switch homepage, click the Find Suppliers link in the main graphic on the right. You will then be prompted to enter your zip code, followed by the type of service you want to shop for. (Pick Regular Residential Service for electricity providers.) You’ll then receive a list of providers in your area. The rest of this note will detail my research for the providers in my zip code.

Of the 17 electric suppliers I received in my search results, I immediately crossed off all those that had variable price plans. Of the remaining companies with fixed plans, I narrowed it down to the three with the cheapest listed rates: BlueStar Energy Solutions, Dominion Energy Solutions, and Gateway Energy Services. I called each company and asked them the same four questions. Here were their responses:

1. What are your 2011 rates?
BlueStar: 8.88 cents/kWh, fixed for 12 months
Dominion: 10% less than PECO’s PTC for 6 months, then a flat rate of 8.99 cents/kWh for the next 6 months
Gateway: 8.90 cents/kWh, fixed for 6 months

2. Do I have to sign a contract?
BlueStar: Yes, for 12 months
Dominion: Yes, for 12 months
Gateway: Yes, for either 6 months (at 8.90 cents/kWh), 12 months (at 9.90 cents/kWh), or 24 months (at 10.8 cents/kWh)

3. Is there a cancellation fee if I break the contract?
BlueStar: Yes, $10 for each month left on the contract
Dominion: No
Gateway: Yes, $12 for each month left on the contract

4. Do you provide any other discounts or promotions if I sign now?
BlueStar: No
Dominion: No
Gateway: Yes, a $50 Visa gift card, which you will receive after 1 month of paid service

Monthly payments
So, let’s crunch some numbers. Say you use an average of 500 kWh per month. (This number will be laughably low for people with high-end electronics, energy-guzzling appliances, and/or children. You should see the real number on your monthly electric bill.) Multiplying your kWh usage by the rate gives you the amount you will spend per month. Remember that when we say 8.88 cents, we’re multiplying by 0.0888.

BlueStar: $44.39 per month for all of 2011
Dominion: Since PECO’s PTC changes per quarter, you’re actually paying one rate from January until March (8.93 cents) and another rate from April until June (currently projected at 9.13 cents). That means $44.65 each month for the first quarter of 2011 and $45.70 per month for the second. For the remaining half of the year, you’d pay $44.95 per month.
Gateway: If you sign to a 6-month contract, $44.50 per month for the first half of 2011, minus the $50 you get back with the gift card

Verdict
Though all three providers would still give you significant savings over PECO, Dominion is obviously the most expensive. If you don’t like putting in a lot of time or research to save money (i.e. “set it and forget it”), then go with BlueStar.

However, because of that $50 Visa gift card, Gateway is the least expensive provider for January through June (a total savings of $49.34 over BlueStar for the same period). Of course, that means that I have to shop around for another provider come July 2011, but as you can probably tell, I don’t mind doing a little research.

Hope this helped! Let me know if you have any questions.

I met with Lori Jacobs of the GreenSpring Institute last week for coffee. Beyond her adventures as a talented internationally acclaimed musician, she is a brilliant woman with interests stemming from years of experience in the IT realm, and a burning desire to go Green! She coupled these attributes with her knowledge of building inspections and architecture to help found the GreenSpring Institute.

GreenSpring offers a virtual training suite of green building, OSHA, industry code, and specialty courses. They are a part of the U.S. Green Building Council and have resources for professionals and homeowners to learn more about green building practices, materials, and energy efficiency options. As a former Environmental Health and Safety professional, I found the information on hazardous materials training particularly helpful!

Thanks Lori for sharing your vision to “create a regenerative world through integrative education” with me. If you are interested in learning more about this expanding field, GreenSprings Institute is a great place to start!