Posts
Inside the White House: The Garden
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
If you think you're an oddity in creating a home food garden, think again.
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Ditch the disposables: The problem with hummus...
Monday, 28 September 2009
As you know, I'm doing the Ditch The Disposables Challenge.
But disposables don't end with paper towels. Everywhere we look, there are examples of packaging that could easily be improved. Companies shove a "please recycle" statement on their product, and then assume it is up to us, the consumers, to get rid of their problem products.
It is our responsibility, but not to do the dirty work for lazy, greedy or ignorant companies. Instead, I believe it is our responsibility to tell companies we're not happy with their packaging, and to lobby government for changes to packaging laws.
Yummy hummus, 1000 year packaging...
I just sent off the following letter to Lisa's Hummus company.
- Dear Sir/Madam,
We've been buying Lisa's Hummus for a while now, and really enjoy the product. We buy several products in your range.
However, as part of our family's attempt to reduce the amount of plastic packaging and non-recyclable packaging we use, I have concerns about the packaging of your products, and wanted to contact you about this issue.
Our city council (Dunedin City Council) does not recycle plastic no. 5, which is what your containers are made of. Although your package labels state "Please recycle" it is a bit hard to do this when no recycling for the product type is available!
Plastic is becoming more and more of a problem in our world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean is now twice the size of Texas. And did you know that every single bit of plastic ever made is still in existence today? When you consider this, using plastic for "disposable" products seems an irresponsible thing to do.
Our family are not crazy "Greenies". We just have young kids, and want to leave them a better world, instead of one with our messes to clean up.
I ask respectfully that you consider another containing possibility for your products. Glass seems an obvious choice, and it is recycled everywhere.
I, and many others of your consumers I am sure, would love to see your company as part of the solution, rather than contributing to the problem.
Yours respectfully,
Leanne Veitch.
I don't know whether we'll stop buying Lisa's Dips or not. I love them (they're so yummy!), but it depends on what their response to my letter is.
Please feel free to contact Lisa's, using my letter as a template if you want to. Or contact your own favourite hummus/dip company about their own unsustainable packaging.
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1010global has been launched!
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Put your money where your mouth is at 1010global!
1010global has just been launched.
Because of annoying Greenies like you and me, pestering 1010uk.org for local versions of our own in our own countries, 1010global has arrived.
1010global is the place to organise local country 1010 action groups. If you want to see 10% emissions cuts in your own country - be it the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, wherever - 1010global is the place to get active and get those groups happening.
I'm not going to say much more right now.
I'll just give you the link: http://www.1010global.org/.
Spread the word in your own blog posts, and link to the site. Let you friends, family and workplaces know. We can create real, meaningful change.
See you there!
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Gardening in the cold
Friday, 25 September 2009
We've had another polar blast come in from the south. Over the last few days, the balmy glimpse of summer we were enjoying has disappeared, and now there is snow on the back hills again. Brrrrr!
No snow where we are, but touches of white ice the top of nearby hills, and it is too cold to garden. I'm checking no pots have fallen over in the wind, and that's about it.
Despite this, I realised it was time for a garden update.
First casualty
Chuck Norris, my super survivor lettuce, is dying. 
I can't even blame myself for his untimely demise. Despite the fact that Chuck is so fast he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head, he was no match for a two year old insistent on dragging him around by the stem.
But! Wait! What can I see next to him? Yes, it is! Look closely in the photo, and you can see that Chuck may live on in his super-spawn! Son Of Chuck is growing and spreading primary leaves in the corner of Chuck's pot. Which proves - nothing is tougher than Chuck. Not even a preschooler!
Expanding varieties and species
Apart from Chuck, everything is doing well. My strawberries are all flowering, the comfrey, elephant garlic, rocket and garlic have all doubled in size, and the raspberries are going bananas, if such a thing is possible.
I've added to the garden since my last post. I now have three varieties of raspberry growing, I've doubled my strawberries, and I've added to my blueberry numbers too.
The seedling nursery in the kitchen windowsills seems to be doing well. I swear I can see the tiny leaves of tomatoes, lettuces and cucumbers starting to make their way above the soil. No sign of the pumpkin yet. I really need to start keeping lists of the species I'm growing too, because I'm forgetting already which is which.
Buying seeds online
I've been buying seeds online, and as soon as the current load of seedlings is out in the fresh air, the next load will go in. Our problem is space - I've run out of windowsills, and the weather is just too wild for direct sowing of tomatoes and suchlike yet.
Online, I've bought Kamo Kamo pumpkin seeds and a microgreen mix, and am looking forward to sowing them. The nasturtiums and echinacea seeds are on their way in the post as we speak. I've still to go get some strawberry runners that have been very kindly offered to me by another blogger. All of them will grow inside, and be transferred outside when they're at least an inch or two tall.
Our last frost in these parts is supposed to be September 20th, but we were frosty yesterday morning (the 24th) and it has been so cold that I wouldn't be surprised to see another frosty morning tomorrow. I'm not game to risk my seedlings outside yet, so they're on the windows, soaking up the warmth.
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Cut your emissions 10% by 2010 with 1010uk.org!
Thursday, 24 September 2009
I have some bad news, and some good news.
The bad news: Our political leaders are not going to save us.
The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference will not deliver the changes we need to stop runaway climate change. Nations will not agree. Hard and necessary decisions will not be reached.
The good news: It is time for ordinary people, people like you and me, to make concrete changes with a hard deadline. Not 2020 or 2050, but next year: 2010!
We need to realise and understand, at a deep level, that our leaders follow us. They always have and they always will.
Corporations and polluting businesses follow us too. They need to realise it, and now is the time to give them a wake up call.
- "There will come a time when the earth is sick and the animals and plants begin to die. Then the Indians will regain their spirit and gather people of all nations, colours and beliefs to join together in the fight to save the earth: The Rainbow Warriors.
1010uk.org is an organisation encouraging British citizens to cut their emissions by 10% by 2010. It was created by the Filmmakers behind the documentary "The Age Of Stupid".
So you're not British? Neither am I. But we can still take a look at the website's recommendations, which are well thought-out and well-explained, and use them to cut our impact in our own part of the world.
1010NZ, 1010AU, 1010CAN and 1010USA - coming soon!
The 1010 organisation is looking at launching 1010 in New Zealand and other countries that have expressed interest.
If you think this is a worthwhile mission, and would like this to happen in your own country, contact 1010 at world@1010uk.org. I contacted them, and they were very prompt with their response. I have also requested a 1010 Facebook Action group.
The organisation has been inundated with requests for worldwide versions, and if you email 1010, or follow the site, you'll keep up with news about what's happening.
For me, I think this is a brilliant action network.
I am not willing to sit back on my laurels and wait for politicians to move on behalf of our planet, and I think that cuts by 2020 or 2050 may be too late to stop runaway climate change.
I want action now, and 1010 provides a facility and a means for us to get together, share tips and support, and get acting now!
10% by 2010 - Think you can do it?
If you'd like to join in the 1010uk challenge, grab a copy of the 1010 icon above, and post about the project on your own blog.
By cutting our emissions 10% (or more!) by 2010 and talking about it, we'll be sending a huge message to our communities that change can happen, and that change starts at home - with you and me!
The 1010 checklist
The 1010uk 10 point checklist offers the following checkpoints which people can tick off quickly and easily. I'm providing an abbreviated version below.
You can print out the full 1010 checklist at their website, and stick it on your fridge or home noticeboard.
Here's my abbreviated version of their list.
1. Fly less, holiday more.
Swap the plane for the train. If you never fly, or take only one return flight a year, tick the box right now.
2. Save 10% on heating.
Turn down the thermostat, and insulate your ceiling and walls. Check for government grants in your local area that may make this more affordable. If you don't use gas or oil, tick the box right now.
3. Save 10% on electricity.
Change to compact fluoro lightglobes, replace old fridges and freezers, turn off the "standby" gadgets. If you produce your own electricity from solar or wind, tick the box right now.
4. Drive less.
Leave the car at home one day a week. Walk, cycle or take public transport. Car-pool to work. Tick the box right now if you have no car.
5. Eat better.
Local, in-season fruit and veg = less emissions = less climate damage. Have one meat-free day a week, but don't replace with just-as-bad cheese. Tick the box if you don't eat meat or dairy.
6. Buy good stuff.
Less stuff made = less emisions. Buy good quality things that last.
7. Dump less.
Avoid excess packaging and buying pointless stuff that goes straight in the bin. Recycle everything possible, and compost your food waste.
8. Don't waste food.
The average British family throws away 50 pounds of food every month (that's $114 New Zealand dollars, or $81 US dollars). Don't buy more than you need, and use your leftovers.
9. Don't waste water.
Tap water uses lots of energy – and then heating it in your home uses loads more. Take showers rather than baths, and only run full dishwashers & washing machines.
10. Feel happier!
It's December 2010. If you've succeeded in everything above, tick this box!
Over the coming few weeks, I'll be tackling these ten points in a series of blog posts. To find posts on the 1010 10% emissions reduction challenge, click on the "1010 Challenge" tag at the top of this blog.
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Challenge yourself - Ditch the disposables!
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
I've just signed on for Crunchy Domestic Goddess's Ditch the disposables challenge.
From her website:
You can make the switch from:
Or, for the really crazy dedicated:
Want to join the Challenge? It's right here: Crunchy Domestic Goddess's Ditch the disposables challenge.
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Cluttercut - Be the change
Sydney experiences "Armageddon" dust cloud...
It's not really Armageddon, but it feels like it, to the residents of Sydney.
The photographs and news reports flooding the Australian networks are truly horrific. Check out the photo below:
Sydney is under a huge dust cloud, and people are reporting it looks like Armageddon. Birds are falling dead out of the sky, it is raining mud, and people with breathing difficulties are advised to stay indoors and shut their windows.
I can't help but wonder how much of this is to do with the deforestation and desertification we have done to our world, and how much worse it will get before our leaders take climate change and earth damage seriously.
You can read more about the dust storm here: Dust storm chokes Sydney.
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How to get your teenagers OUT of the bathroom in under five minutes!
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Here is an absolutely foolproof method that will help you get your teenagers out of the bathroom in five minutes.
But first:
- Are you ready to be a really MEAN parent, and potentially save hundreds of dollars a year on water and energy bills?
- Are you ready to have your sanity back again?
- Are you ready to have your bathroom back again?
- And are you ready to have all this for the total cost of about $20?
No, I'm not selling anything. You'll just need a couple of small gadgets that you can buy anywhere. You might even have them already lying around your home.
Here's how you do it.
The Method
These tips work just as well for adults and kids who like to hog the shower. But - lets face it - teenagers are pretty common culprits.
So I've written this post for long-suffering parents who don't know what to do and are contemplating adding another bathroom to their homes, just so they can get a wash themselves more than once a month!
The Steps
STEP 1: Get yourself a five minute egg timer (something like this one) and a stick-on four minute water shower timer (like this one). Neither are expensive, and you should be able to purchase both for less than $20.
STEP 2: If there's no suitable shelf outside your bathroom, get yourself some adhensive stick-ons that attach things to walls. 3M (the company that manufactures PostIt Notes) sells removable adhesive hooks that are great for this job. You can even stick them on walls in rentals, and they'll come off just fine with no damage.
Attach the five minute egg timer to the wall outside your bathroom.
STEP 3: Stick the shower timer into your shower, using its suction cup.
STEP 4: Remove any locks from the bathroom door.
You're ready for action!
The New House Rules
Tell your teenagers that there are some New House Rules.
These are:
- Bathroom time is now limited to FIVE MINUTES.
- When they enter the bathroom, the outside five minute egg timer will be set.
You may wish to do this yourself for the first few weeks / months / years / decades / centuries, depending on how easily your teenagers adapt to the New House Rules. - When the teenager enters the bathroom, it is up to them to set the stick-on four minute shower timer. This will help them avoid Major Disaster (someone walking in on them).
- When their time is up, the outside five minute egg timer will ring.
By then, they will have had one minute (the minute's difference between the shower timer and the egg timer) in which to dry and dress themselves - or at least cover themselves up. - After the five minute egg timer has rung, the bathroom is declared Free and Empty.
That means anyone can - and will - walk in. Private bathroom time is officially over, and the next person ready for the bathroom can move on in. - You may wish to encourage the Free and Empty status by opening the bathroom door, turning the bathroom heater off, or even taking embarrassing photos for your teenager's Facebook friends to admire. It's up to you how mean you want to be!
I never said these changes wouldn't cause a few family upsets at first, but I can absolutely guarantee they'll be worth it, especially for your hip-pocket.
Heating water accounts for 30% of the average household energy bill.
Cutting shower time can make a huge difference not just to a family budget, but also to greenhouse gas emissions.
By encouraging our families to take short showers, we are making changes that will leave us wealthier, and keep our planet in better shape.
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Plastic bags suck - but what about plastic food wrap?
Saturday, 19 September 2009
In July 2008, our family used up our last roll of "Glad wrap" plastic food wrap.
At the time, I made a vow to myself that I would never again use the stuff.
You know what?
This has been one of the easiest "green" promises I've ever kept! It was so easy that I don't even think about the horrible plastic stuff any more.
Why would I want to buy that?
I don't miss plastic wrap at all. These days, we store most of our leftovers in Pyrex dishes that have rubber seal lids.
We're looking at replacing our Tupperware (selling it, as it is too expensive to just toss) for glass jars with rubber seals. And we eat off ceramics anyway.
Plastic bags - an icon, but only one piece of the problem
Plastic bags have become a symbol of all that is wrong with our consumer society. You know - you shove something you bought in it, and then get home - or maybe even just to your car - then dump the bag, and never use it again.
Total useful life span of a plastic bag = 5 minutes.
Total life span of a plastic bag on our planet = Hundreds of years, possibly.
However, plastic food wrap is almost as short lived in its usefulness, and arguably less necessary to our lifestyles. I mean, at least plastic bags are useful for hauling stuff around! And you can make them into this:
But plastic wrap is not only destined to go into landfill - or worse, into our oceans - for the next few hundred years, there are serious doubts about its safety as well.
The FDA says, on the one hand, that cling wrap is safe, and poses no threat to human health, while on the other hand recommending that the wrap does NOT come into contact with food when being heated in the microwave.
Sounds to me like it's safe - sort of, kind of, maybe, NOT!
The FDA makes rulings - but who rules the FDA?
It must be remembered that the FDA, and similar bodies, are under a barrage of continued lobbying by powerful companies that want to market their products with as few restrictions as possible.
While I am not an advocate of conspiracy theories, our marketplace has a history of products not being recalled until long after the damage is done, and case after case of injury has been proven. My belief is where any doubt exists on the safety of a product, it is best to avoid that product.
Five great reasons to NOT buy plastic food wrap
Overall, "disposable" plastic wrap and similar products:
- Benefit no-one but the companies that sell them,
- Are a costly way to keep food safe,
- May not be particularly effective at keeping food sealed if not used correctly (and how many people actually READ the instructions on a pack of cling wrap?)
- May be hazardous to human health,
- Present a serious pollution and disposal problem for our planet.
Our world has a big problem with plastics.
While I don't think we are anything close to eliminating the use of non-essential plastics in the immediate future, I think we, as citzens, need to stop buying products that hurt our planet, are a waste of resources, and may be harmful to us.
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This blog post was inspired by Eco Yogini's thoughtful post, A plastic documentary must-see!.
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Seedlings on the cheap!
Friday, 18 September 2009
My potted garden is expanding, and doing well.
I've started a little nursery indoors on the windowsills. Ideally, I'd like a house with a conservatory, but for now, while we're renting, the windowsills will have to do.
I've mainly been buying seeds instead of seedlings. Sometimes I buy seedlings, but usually seeds. Seeds are a lot cheaper, and it is worth the effort to raise them up from scratch.
To do it on the cheap, I re-use seedling trays and pots I already have. I've also been using cardboard egg cartons.
I chop the top off the egg cartons, and use the "tongue" of the carton to label the seedlings.
Then I sit the cartons in tupperware that I already own so that I don't get water running all over the windows when I water my babies, and find a sunny windowsill for them.
When the seedlings have grown enough to go outside, I'll take them out of the cartons, and compost the cardboard. The seedlings can go out into my big pots outside, and take their chance with the wild weather of Dunedin! Then the tupperware trays will be washed and re-used for the next batch of seedlings.
This is really doing things on the cheap - each seedling works out to no more than a few cents, and the containers cost me nothing!
My family and I are really looking forward to the summer harvest!
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Going grey, and refusing "the bottle"!
I'm 38.
There, I said it.
And another confession: I'm starting to get grey hair.
Not many grey hairs, yet. But I've yanked a couple, mainly from around my hairline at the front, near my temples.
I look after my hair, and it is in good condition, but at my last appointment a few weeks ago, my hairdresser suggested that I might want to dye it.
But I've decided I don't want to dye my hair. I'm going to embrace my grey hair. I'm going to accept my silver! And I want to talk about why.
A feminist perspective
Have you ever noticed how men - get "distinguished" while women get extinguished?
Men can get as old and crusty as you could hope to see, yet they're still stars of action movies. 
Look at Clint Eastwood, age 79; Harrison Ford, age 67; and Sean Connery, age 79.
How many 79 year-old women have you seen in movies lately, in anything other than "character" roles?
Why is grey hair on women considered unattractive in society? Yet, if you think about it, grey is just a colour. Nothing more.
I sing in a choir full of people with grey hair, and some of them, particularly the women, have the most beautiful, well-kept hair you could ever see.
These women are anything but crusty! They are active, powerful, beautiful, glamourous women, and I'm proud to call them friends. I only hope I'll look so great when I'm 100% grey!
Slavishly following fashion: selling out our oceans when we buy in to "the bottle"
Then there's the issue of frosting, and high-lights, and low-lights, and all those other unnatural things. My hairdresser is in her early 20s, and has more colours in her hair than I could care to name.
Every second woman on the street, it seems, has fake colour in her hair. I don't understand why.
Fashion is fickle, but in this case, it is downright poisonous.
I happen to like natural-looking hair. I like seeing people who have kept their original colour, and can spot coloured hair a mile off. To me, it looks as fake as those people who sport orange legs in the hope of convincing people they're tanned.
All the while it is more chemicals being washed down the drain, into our waterways, where our frogs are dying out and our insect life is suffering and our fish are being poisoned. We're being warned not to eat those fish and the oysters and the shellfish, because we've fouled everything up so much.
So many heavy metals and chemicals and other rubbish finding its way into our lifeblood waterways, and so much of it all is unnecessary.
Taking a stand
Sooner or later, we have to take a stand. If we don't, who will?
All we see, when we colour our hair, is the gunk running down the sink, and "away" somewhere. We just see our gunk - our little piece of the puzzle.
But imagine, for a moment, all the hundreds of millions of women all over the world, colouring their hair, just like us.
Imagine all their gunk, running down the drain and "away" somewhere.
Where is "away"? Is that my backyard, or yours? My ocean, or yours? My drinking water, or yours?
What you've got is an ecological wreckage, based on vanity and someone somewhere's idea that having coloured hair is a good idea.
Probably that same "someone, somewhere" who sells hair colours. Or "beauty" magazines. Or both.
Yes, I could go for the so-called "natural" hair colours. But henna always looked a bit dodgy with my skin tone. It looks a bit dodgy on most people, to be honest.
And I don't believe the advertising talk on the back of the packages of so-called "safe", eco-friendly hair colours. If a product isn't safe to eat or put in my eyes, I don't want it in my waterways, thank you very much.
Daughter goes grey, mother stays brunette!
I'll feel weird when I see my mother over the next few years, and I go grey and she doesn't.
She dyes her hair, of course.
I wonder if my non-dyeing will make her re-think her hair colour?
Probably not. But maybe, just maybe, it will get a little embarrassing to have a daughter over 20 years her junior sporting grey hair, when she still has sleek, red-brown, bottle-shiny hair.
And there's the issue of believability. I mean, did anyone really believe that Ronald Reagan, for instance, never had grey hair naturally until he died?
If you believe that, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you!
Rethinking age and beauty
I think older women are sometimes stunning. I think older people, generally, can offer so much to our society, and I dislike the obsession our society has with youth and agelessness.
Sure, I'm as vain as the next person. I look after my skin and wear sun block and moisturiser to keep it looking as good as possible. I like my hair to look nice and well-kept - a real struggle with my bushy mane! And I like to wear clothes that are vaguely stylish and neat and in good condition.
But I am not willing to trash our oceans to do it. I'm not willing to put carcinogenic chemicals on my head in order to live down to a stupid expectation of everlasting youth - which is impossible anyway. I'm getting older, and hopefully wiser, and I like that.
I'm happy with the fact that I will be 40 at the end of next year. It is something to celebrate.
Sometimes the biggest changes in society, and in our world, start with the smallest steps. I will not dye my hair. I have called my hairdresser and told her I say NO to colour. Maybe you'll read this and decide that you want to take a stand too - that's your choice.
But maybe, if we all accept age and grey hair and wrinkles and all the other facets of ageing, we'd all be a lot happier. If we put down the "beauty" magazines, and instead looked in the mirror and accepted ourselves and our own, unique beauty, as we are, then our community - and our planet - would be a much healthier place.
This post was inspired by Franke James' provocative visual essay, The Beehive and the Hairball.
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Dentists, mercury fillings, and poisoned fish
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
I was at the dentist this morning. I needed a very old filling replaced.
Despite the fact that amalgam (mercury) fillings, which are sometimes called "silver" fillings, last a lot longer than the new white fillings, I'd decided to have my old filling replaced with a white one.
I'm going to talk about why. And it isn't because I'm worried about getting poisoned by the mercury in my teeth.
There is no dispute that amalgam fillings do leech mercury into the mouth, but the effects and levels at which this happens are disputed - exposure may be as low as 1-3 µg/day (FDA), or as high as 27 µg/day.
Scientists simply can't agree, which means they probably don't know for certain. Amalgams are not approved (not considered safe) in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. France and Canada are also currently considering bans on amalgams.
The main reason I decided against mercury in my mouth is because the World Health Organisation reports that mercury from amalgam and laboratory devices accounts for 53% of total mercury emissions.
To give you some idea, about 120 tonnes of mercury are used annually in dental care in the EU. This is the largest single use of mercury in products within the EU.
Making connections - dentistry and fish
Have you ever wondered where all that mercury in fish populations is coming from? Our fish are poisoned - it has to be coming from somewhere!
United States FDA guidelines recommend that pregnant women consume
- "no more than 12 oz of low mercury fish should be consumed weekly. "Highest" mercury fish should be avoided and "high" mercury fish should be kept to only three 6-oz servings per month."
Mercury causes brain damage to unborn babies as well as to people who are routinely exposed to it in their occupations or via their food supply.
Mercury in the environment is coming from several main sources, and numerous smaller sources.
Coal burning power plants create mercury waste into the air, which eventually falls back to earth and finds its way into our waterways and food chain.
The burning of other waste (such as municipal incinerators) likewise creates mercury pollution.
And there's dentistry. Overall, dentistry remains the largest single trackable source of mercury emissions.
Part of the solution
Choosing between mercury and white fillings doesn't seem like a big choice. Why would those little fillings in your head be such a big part of such a big problem?
But when you consider than dentistry is the largest single trackable source of mercury emissions, I think the responsible choice for environmentally-aware people is to choose not to have mercury fillings.
The American FDA has just come out with a statement that mercury fillings are not harmful.
Maybe, maybe not.
I'd argue that if three very advanced countries (all with better, more advanced health care systems than the USA) have banned amalgam, there may be a serious issue.
Regardless of whether they are safe to use or not, we don't live in a vacuum. We need to start looking not just at the safety aspects of a product while in use, but also at the overall impact of that product on the environment when millions of people are using it. Cradle-to-grave impact.
Not just for us and our generation, but for those who follow afterwards, hundreds of years into the future. And a product that contaminates our food supply, and poisons our air and our water, is not one I want to use.
Until we practice and follow this ethic, in everything we do, say, and believe, we cannot honestly say we're following the path to real sustainability.
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It's crazy what you find in the gutter!
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Today was our local recycling day. And I was coming back from dropping my son at Kindy, when I noticed a fantastic terracotta coloured plant pot sitting in the gutter on our street. It looked in perfect condition.
I figured that maybe someone had had it blown from their house, as it was so windy last night. So I said to myself that if it was still there this afternoon, I'd grab it.
Well, this afternoon came around, the plant pot was still there, and now it is mine!
Here it is, filled with potting mix and home to my comfrey, garlic chives and chives. 
Looks good, doesn't it?
The only thing wrong with it that I can see (apart from a few minor scratches) is that it is missing its saucer. No mind. I'll trot along to the Warehouse and buy one tomorrow - that will only cost me a couple of dollars, and I'll have a great, "freeganed" planter that cost me virtually nothing!
It's crazy what people throw out, isn't it! Maybe it didn't match their decor any more!
Garden update
And time for a quick garden update...
Everything is doing well, and so far I've had no fatalities, which is a minor miracle in itself.
The strawberries are starting to flower. Very pretty! 
The raspberry has doubled in size, and has so many bright green leaves on it. I'm going to have to tie it up soon, and transfer it to a bigger container!
The peas I planted only a couple of weeks ago are showing their noses above the soil. Here they are, in with the cranberries.
And the lettuces I shoved in the top of the strawberry planter, simply for the fact that I had some space there, are starting to grow well. I'll need to find a bigger container for them too!
I'm amazed at the fact everything is still alive! Touch wood! (But not the raspberries - ouch!)
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Challenge updates
Monday, 14 September 2009
I'm currently doing two Challenges - A Year on Tap Water, and a Month on Fair Trade Chocolate.
Here are my updates.
The Water Challenge
My first month of a Year On Tap Water is done, and yes, I've weakened. I haven't drunk anything but tap water, but I have been adding freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice to it, to make it more palateable.
I thought I could do this, but two weeks in, and I was going crazy! So I weakened the Challenge. I guess I figured that as long as I am hand-squeezing the lemon or orange to go in the water, there's no problem. It's much the same as eating a piece of fruit, so that's what I'm doing. Most of the time, though, I am drinking straight tap water still.
The amount of juice I've added has never worked out to more than about a tablespoonful per glass. So it's very weak, but it has been enough to keep me sane!
At the pub, I ask the staff to add a slice of lemon or lime for the same reason.
Also, during my illness, my husband made me two cupfuls of honey and lemon drink, made with fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey, to sooth my throat. This was for medicinal reasons, and I think it is probably okay on the Challenge. It certainly wasn't for the taste of it, as I couldn't taste anything at that stage anyway!
Apart from the added occasional hand-squeezed juice, I haven't weakened, or drunk anything other than tap water. Still no teas, soft drinks, alcohol, or bottled anything, and I haven't had any juices.
Yes, I'm finding this Challenge very, very hard. You can all judge whether I'm passing this Challenge or not, with my weakness of adding a squeeze of citrus, but that's what I'm doing. I'd rather be honest with you and tell the truth, than lie and pretend that I'm cruising along on this Challenge.
One thing I will be honest about - going a Year Without Chocolate (which I did from August 2008 to August 2009) was an absolute doddle compared to this!
I'm going to keep on this Challenge, but I think I'll have to keep doing the whole adding-a-bit-of-citrus thing, or I won't make it. Wish me luck.
So - how is everyone else on this Challenge going? Should I feel ashamed? Or am I doing okay?
A Month On Fair Trade Chocolate
I went a Year Without Chocolate last year, so by comparison, to be able to eat chocolate at all is pretty great!
However, it's the potential slip-ups you have to watch. For example, I can't eat chocolate cake, because I don't know where the chocolate is coming from. I can't have chocolate flavoured stuff, for the same reason.
Then there's my Very Mean husband, who saw fit to buy a big box of chocolate liqueur cherries, and plonk them down on the kitchen counter in full view of me. No, they're not Fair Trade, and no, I can't eat them. So of course I weakened last night and scoffed four of them. Darn!
It's probably all made harder by the fact that I'm now on a ridiculously healthy diet, probably for the rest of my life. If you want to read and follow what I'm doing to overhaul my eating habits, I'm blogging about it here at Daharja Eats To Live.
So I'm not doing as well on this Challenge as I would have liked. Maybe I'm learning that it is easier to go without completely than to have a little.
In the meanwhile, in my spare time I am writing letters to major chocolate manufacturers to request that they go 100% Fair Trade. The pressure is on, and I see a day in the not-too-distant future when all chocolate of any sort of quality is Fair Trade. It can't be soon enough for ethical consumers around the world.
Thanks again to Dixiebelle for creating this Challenge. It's a great one, and not as easy as I thought it would be.
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Dunedin's Rhododendron Dell
Sunday, 13 September 2009
I can't believe we had hail only a week ago.
Today it is 21 C (70 F), the sun is shining, and you couldn't ask for more beautiful spring weather.
I'm supposed to be at Church singing this morning, but I'm taking it easy as I'm still recovering, and will only be singing this evening, as I had a concert last night with City Choir, and didn't want to go too heavy with the singing when I'm still weak.
So instead of Church, we went for some nature worship, up at the Botanic Gardens.
Dunedin has a world-famous Rhododendron Dell - four acres of rhododendrons - and they're starting to bloom.
I'll share a few photos, but I only wish I could share the heaven-born scent with you! This is truly one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever known. Click on any of the photos for a larger version.
If you ever get a chance to visit Dunedin at this time of year, please make the Rhododendron Dell a key feature of your trip. You won't be disappointed.
The photographs don't do these flowers justice.
This is the Cherry Walk, framed on both sides by "Accolade" cherry trees. These trees were planted in 2000, after the original trees were struck down by silver leaf disease. They're doing well, as you can see, and the blossom is divine.
The magnolias are also out in bloom.
Everywhere you look, spring is evident. When I walk in places like this, there is a deep, wholesome gladness that wells up within me. Do you know that feeling?
It's a feeling of peace and contentment, and a knowledge that true beauty isn't found in things we buy or make, but in the natural world around us, if only we take time to reflect, and open our eyes, and look.
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Cluttercut - Be the change
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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Our family loves ice cream.
My husband's favourite variety is the locally-produced Rush Munro's Maple and Walnut flavour. It is delicious. It's a favourite with guests too. We're talking seriously good ice cream here.
However, we've stopped buying it. In an effort to reduce our plastic consumption, we decided that we would no longer buy unnecessary items that were packaged in plastic. Other ice cream varieties are available that are packaged in cardboard, so we've switched over.
I thought it was fair to let the Rush Munro company know why we've made the switch from their ice cream. After all, we loved their product. So I wrote them an email:
- Dear Sir/Madam,
I love your ice cream, but I have decided that I will no longer buy it for my family and myself.
I believe it is fair to write to your company and explain why.
As fairly environmentally-aware consumers, we are trying to reduce the amount of plastic, in particular disposable plastic, that we buy. So when there is a choice between a product available in plastic and a similar product packaged in cardboard, we will now choose the cardboard-packaged product in preference. We will only buy plastic packaged products when no better environmental option exists.
We've been buying the maple and walnut Rush Munro ice cream for a while now. But from now on we're switching to a similar product from another company that is packaged completely in cardboard.
I'd like to return to your product, because we love your ice cream and have always really enjoyed it. But we don't believe it is appropriate to create plastic waste that will exist for hundreds of years simply because we feel like a treat for our kids and ourselves.
Did you know that every single bit of plastic that has ever been created is still in existence? That's a really heavy footprint, and we're trying to lighten ours.
I respectfully ask that you change your packaging to 100% consumer quality NZ cardboard as soon as possible. We think that great food and great environmental standards should go hand in hand. Then we, and other families who have also opted out of the "disposable plastic" nightmare, can return to enjoying your ice cream :-)
Sincerely,
Leanne Veitch
And I received this letter in the post just last week:
Here's the text:
- Dear Leanne,
We very much appreciate your feedback, feedback is very important to Rush Munro's both positive and negative, as it allows us to evaluate any complaints and investigate, plus ensuring the positive are continued.
We are sorry to hear that you will be changing your ice cream brand because of our packaging as we have had excellent comments on our new packaging, both the new look of our brand and also the packaging itself.
Our 1 Litre ice cream packaging was selected specifically to achieve a number of things, one being a better seal for product protection and quality to ensure the consumer received product in the best possible condition.
Rush Munro's will be looking into a cardboard packaging at a later date due to the same issues that you yourself have with our current packaging. As you could appreciate there is a huge cost in re-branding and re-packaging a product.
I myself use the containers as storage containers and kindergartens, schools etc. like to use them for kids artwork also.
Please let me know if you would like me to send you a supermarket voucher for a 1 Litre ice cream.
Kind regards,
Tracie Allen
Sales and Marketing Coordinator.
I'm pleased that the company got back to me so promptly and, reading from the letter, it sound as though I am not the only one who has raised the issue of plastic packaging!
If you live in New Zealand, or consume this product, you might want to consider requesting the company to change their packaging as well. It sounds to me as though they're thinking about it. A few more letters just might do the trick! You can contact them through their website.
In the meanwhile, I'm going to write back to the company and thank them for their letter, repeat my request that they change their packaging, and decline the supermarket voucher.
We can make a difference!
I've been writing letters like this for a while. As consumers, we have a huge amount of power in encouraging companies to change packaging for the better. It is up to us to encourage them to make sustainable choices.
My next point of call will be milk companies. I think it's about time we saw the return of glass milk bottles, don't you?
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Cluttercut - Be the change
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Healing
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
It's been a bad winter for me.
A double whammy of flu. The first bout knocked me out for three weeks. This second bout has knocked me out for just a fortnight. I seem to be on the mend again, so I'm back blogging With A Vengeance. I guess you can't keep a good girl down.
As a result of being sick, I'm going on a pretty strict immunity-building diet for the next six weeks. It's Dr. Fuhrman's Six Week Challenge (you can find the Challenge in Dr. Fuhrman's excellent book Eat To Live).
The basic meal plan guidelines are:
Snacks are fruit and raw veggies, with plant-based dips and spreads, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.
There is no portion control, but there is a 10% rule - you can eat 10% calories from whatever you want, as long as 90% of the time you follow the guidelines. So I can go out for dinner if I want, but only 1 night in 10, or less.
Water only (of course!) to drink., although the original version allows herbal teas as well.
In short, it's a vegan, whole-foods, ultra-high nutrition diet, aimed at boosting my immunity and getting me super-fit and healthy again.
I'll also be taking echinacea supplements, and a multivitamin.
Why so extreme?
I've been really sick. I don't want to get sick again. Dr. Fuhrman's diet is evidence-based, and I know from experience that his methods work - it was by following his program that I lost a massive amount of weight (over 50 pounds) a few years ago and have kept it off pretty easily.
However, the last year the MOTS (Male Of The Species) and I have let our habits slide a bit, and although I haven't regained more than a kilogram or two, my health has deteriorated, and this winter's two bouts of flu were the result.
Not good. I need to get back on the wagon. And yes - Pizza is EVIL! ;-)
Looking for a group blog...somewhere...maybe...
I'm not going to bore everyone here at Cluttercut with the sordid details of my Six Week Challenge, what I'm eating, or any of that. If I knew of a group blog doing Fuhrman I'd join it, but I don't. If you know of one doing Fuhrman or similar, please let me know!
So I'll probably create a separate blog sometime soon, and if you want to read my doings, you can head on over.
What I will say, to conclude this long - and rather dull - post, is that I've realised it is really important to look after our health. How can we expect to be effective environmentalists if we're too weak to get out of bed? It has been a wake-up call for me that I really needed.
Finally, thanks so much for all the good wishes. It's nice to know so many people care. Thank you.
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Cluttercut - Be the change
Diet is "Die" with a "T"
Monday, 7 September 2009
An explanation for my absence from life this last week: I've been pretty much bedridden since Tuesday last week with a nasty bug.
It wasn't good timing. My husband had only just started his new job on the Monday, and I was hoping to be able to have hot cooked meals for him each night, and a well-organised home.
Instead he was left to pick up the pieces and support me the moment he got home each day, on top of learning the ropes at the workplace. The best I could manage was him not having to take any time off work in his first week.
I finally crawled out of bed yesterday to be driven to the doctor. She took one look at me, and immediately gave me an inhalor to help me breathe better. She also ordered some blood tests, which I had done this morning.
The good news in all this? Well, I haven't had the blood tests back yet, so we don't know what's causing my illness. But the bathroom scales are showing the reason my jeans are hanging off my less than festively-plump rear end - I've lost 4 kilos (8.8 pounds) in one week.
That's what you get for not eating anything at all, except a few mouthfuls of ice-cream to sooth a sore throat.
Diet is "Die" with a "T". Yep, that'd be right.
I'm going back to bed. I hope to get up to date with my email and other responsibilities as soon as I can, but at the moment, I need rest.
I know I need to contact some of you for various reasons, and I apologise that it may be some time until that happens. I wouldn't want to infect you right now, anyway! And as for social life, well, Facebook (if that) is about as heavy as anything I can handle!
Take care, everyone. And keep well.
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Cluttercut - Be the change
Frozen veggies
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
We've had an icy blast come up from the south.
Invercargill, a city down to the south of us, has had a late bout of snow. I'm right now sitting here typing to the sound of hail on the roof.
My little potted garden didn't expect this! But it is only September! Last year we had unseasonal snow as late as 5th of November.
If it does get colder, I can bring some of the more delicate species (like my Meyer lemon) inside.
Only yesterday, the temperature was climbing nicely, and a few game students were outing their lily white legs in shorts and skirts. I think they'll be back in their thermals today.
The Metservice is saying that we can expect snow to affect the high roads. I don't know whether that means us or not - we're about 120 metres / 400 feet above sea level. I guess we'll find out!
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Cluttercut - Green simplicity
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How my garden grows!
I was out at the garden center today, grabbing some more additions to my potted garden.
I've now added the following to my potted garden:
- Elephant garlic
- Garlic chives
- Garlic
- Sweet basil
- Comfrey
- Spring onions.
It's interesting how once you get the "bug" for something, you can't stop, isn't it?
Ever since I renovated my garden back in Australia a couple of years ago, I've been a keen gardener. I wanted to put in all food trees then, but the lack of water, money, and the fact that we were renovating the house to sell it, made us reach the decision to plant the garden entirely with hardy, drought-tolerant natives.
Here in Dunedin, water isn't the problem. The problem is we still haven't found a house to buy, two years on! But I'm getting my garden in order anyway! Then, when we do buy, I'll just move my potted garden with me.
Some of the trees I've put in will stay here, at our rented home, but most will come with me. And in the meanwhile, I'm learning the food-growing skills I need anyway.
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Cluttercut - Green simplicity
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The trouble with gardening...
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
The trouble with gardening is that it's addictive. Once you start, you can't stop.
In my case, I've got my tomato seeds planted. They're ready to go. They're tiny toms, so if it gets cold, I can bring them inside. All good. They haven't even tipped their noses up above the soil yet, or I'd have a photo to show you!
However, there lies the rub, as Shakepeare might say. Because what happens next but I come across this deliciously simple recipe for Tomato Basil Bruschetta at Green For Nothing.
And now I just know I need to grow some basil!
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Cluttercut - Green simplicity
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