Dishwasher versus Handwashing

Surprising results. Check it out here:Treehugger.

Bottled Water=BAD CHOICE

One of my favorite posts from No Impact Man is this one:Bottled water isn't the answer. You can get the lo-down on and all of the great links from the original post. But just to entice you to follow through on this, I have included the reasons why you should NOT purchase bottled water.

* 40% of the bottled water sold in the United States is tap water anyway.
* The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires hundreds of tests each month on municipal water supplies, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water, requires only one test a week on bottled water.
* Only 40% of bottled water--that which is sold across state lines--is regulated by the FDA in the first place.
* Plastic bottles in the United States require some 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture each year--enough to power 100,000 cars.
* 86% of plastic bottles in the United States never get recycled.
* Tap water costs about a penny a gallon and bottled waters costs up to $10 a gallon.
* Chemicals that leach from plastic water bottles may affect our health.
* If people abandon the use of municipal drinking water, then there will be no political will to ensure that we invest the necessary resources in the water infrastructure.
* The United States has some of the best drinking water in the world and we must keep it that way.

The Ripple Effect

So far, my approach to having less impact on the earth has been to make one choice everyday that reduces my carbon footprint. Some of my choices have been seemingly small, while others will obviously have a profound, hopefully positive, impact. 'Small' choices might include walking to work, unplugging my entertainment center, buying cloth napkins. Choices that seem 'larger', harder to implement, might include cooking all of our snack foods instead of buying packaged goods, not purchasing a yearly trash decal so that I will have to pay a higher rate per bag(major incentive to reduce our trash output)and installing alternative energy systems. But I'm sure you already know where I am headed- every decision, 'small' or 'large', has an impact. What you might not have considered in this equation is the impact on my emotional and spiritual well-being. Being conscientious of my actions has made me so much more aware of the wonderful resources I have in my community. And I am more present in the moment when I am actively searching for the most environmentally sound approach to daily living. It's so much more fun to pick strawberries and make jam with my daughter than to drive to the closest mega-mart and buy jam. So, start small- the benefits will be big!

Cleaning Up

A sad picture of what lies on the Rivanna Trail as it winds through the city. And a picture of the beauty of the Rivanna. Still, you can see some trash sticking out of the dirt. If everyone took one day a month to help, we could clean this wonderful place up. Or, even better, don't make a mess in the first place!

A Little Goes a Long Way

I have put off blogging about my daughter's field trip because I can't remember for the life of me what park we visited. I know- crazy. But I can't wait any longer to post these links because I think that they are very important if you live in Central Virginia.
The first link is http://www.ccs.k12.va.us/programs/give.html- Teens GIVE Program. This group teaches the value of volunteer work to Charlottesville students and matches the kids to volunteer-based groups. Very cool.
The second one is http://www.rivannariver.org/home.html- Rivanna Conservation Society. This is a very dedicated group of volunteers working to safeguard the Rivanna River which is a watershed eventually contributing to the Chesapeake Bay. I learned so much in just 45 minutes. And we actually accomplished a few things too. Some kids learned to test the water's ph levels, some cleaned trails, while others cleaned and restocked the information kiosk.

Cluck Cluck

Lorena, my neighbor, does it all- grows food, has a beehive, her husband brews beer and soda, on and on. But the thing she does that I love best is raise chickens. The girls, as I call 'em, are so funny! They constantly escape the backyard, just to run around front and peck on her door. But the coolest thing is that they lay easter eggs. For real. The eggs are pink and blue-green. Completely different than store-bought, the yolks are day-glo orange and super rich. Makes you feel cheated when you get a mega-farm store-bought egg.

Also, I want to include this link to a site that I think everyone should check out. Let me know what you think: http://www.worldchanging.com/

Belmont Barn Raising

My husband had an idea for a group that organizes neighbors to lend a hand. Basically, if one neighbor needs his roof repaired this weekend, we help out. Next month, if we need a window replaced, they help us. Also, the elderly or disabled people in our neighborhood should be able to count on us for help.
I have been inspired by this project to try and facilitate a kind of barter system in our neighborhood. So many of us in Belmont grow our own food, raise chickens, bake bread, etcetera. But one person can't do it all in this age of work-til-you-drop and run the kids to 15 different extracurricular activities. Soooo..... it makes sense to choose a couple of things to DIY and trade with someone else for their goodies.
I know that these aren't new concepts ( hence the reference to Amish barn raising), but it is still a good idea. "Think globally, act locally"!
We've been talking to some really great people about this idea- getting the word out, getting advice. I would love some feedback from my fellow bloggers. Oh, and the blog dedicated to Belmont Barn Raising should be up shortly.

Love It!

Go to hell Wal-Mart. I can get what I need right here.

Loteria Crazy

The series that I am working on is the result of taking Fenella's wonderful printmaking class at PVCC. The techniques and materials that we used in the class were very primitive due to the large size of the class and the absence of an area specifically designated for printmaking. This sounds like a negative thing, but it worked out quite the opposite. Fenella and the students encouraged each other to take the simplest technique as far as it could go. The results were quite striking- many pieces became mixed media and a few even became 3-D. I encourage anyone with the slightest artistic inclination to take this class. It is so much fun!
Well, my point is that my last two projects for the class have been the catalyst for my current obsession with loteria (Mexican bingo). These are pics of finished linocuts and works in progress.

More On The War On Plastic

My daughter loves yogurt. She has eaten it everyday since she was a baby. Great for her health, but bad for our planet. Have you noticed that yogurt only comes in the type of plastic not accepted at the recycling center? Well, she and I made our first batch of homemade yogurt and it is so easy. No more plastic yogurt containers- hurray! And I can get all of the ingredients from local sources- bonus! I recommend Recipezaar at www.recipezaar.com for instructions.

And Begin!

In my first attempt to join the green brigade, I have been looking for a way to end the plastic bag issue in our house. Previously when shopping, I would put the majority of my purchases in cloth bags and a few items in plastic. Why? Because I have a dog and he has a poopy habit. Well, now that I am going 100% plastic free I have to figure out how to pick up after the dog when we walk through the neighborhood. I did find some great biodegradable dog poo bags at our local eco shop. I paid six bucks for a box of fifty. Still, the point is to consume less. Not buy more stuff just because it is more eco friendly. Any suggestions?

Good Morning!

A week and a half ago, we went to the Folk Life Festival at Boar's Head. I was pleasantly surprised to find Guatemala represented. These men make vibrant, beautiful art from colored sawdust and rice that is kept damp to hold the shape of the stencils. It reminded me of tibetan sand painting that was demonstrated here in Charlottesville when I first arrived.

No Impact Living

I recently have become obsessed with a blog called No Impact Man. It's the story of a family in New York City(!) that make the switch to no-impact living and it is an incredibly honest account of trying to live consciously. If you check out this blog make sure that you read the comments. That is where a lot of the action happens- especially in the entry that he states his mission.

This blog has so inspired me that I have decided to make some radical change in my life- change that goes beyond shopping at Whole Foods and visiting the Farmer's Market for strawberries and donuts. I'm talking painful, life-altering change. I mean, come on! I live in Charlottesville for a reason. Almost everything that we need to live a very happy and comfortable life is available locally. Now I have to figure out how to make better,if not easier, choices that sustain and even heal.
As No Impact Man demonstrated, a good way to approach monumental change is to have a plan. I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks researching my local resources and writing out a plan. Anyone care to contribute?

Oh, I forgot!

Love, love The Five Deadly Venoms. They are a bluegrass group from Brooklyn(?) which usually leaves me suspicious, but they were really great. Thanks Patricia for sending me the invite. Also, my first time at Bel Rio- terrific atmosphere, but our food took ages to get to the table. I will go back though.

Virginia Discovery Museum

We are one day away from opening the new treehouse room at the Virginia Discovery Museum. This is a really cool installation that will be a permanent addition in the former train room. Lots of people have contributed to this kinda big project that was funded by Dave Matthews' charity organization, Bama Works. The only part that I have not enjoyed is painting for two days in a small room with the doors shut because little children can't read "Please don't enter" signs. But I'll get over the migraine eventually.

Soooo, if you're on the Charlottesville downtown mall this Saturday- poke your head in and check it out!

Four Corners

Nothing new to show for the treehouse room, yet- everything is still in pieces in the basement. But I will take lots of pictures of the install next week.

The pictures are of two murals in progress for May's exhibit- Four Corners of the World.

The Long Night

I forgot to add the newest painting. This is actually covering a painting featured in a previous post, Sugar Daddy. It is now called The Long Night- fourth in a series exploring loneliness and sorrow. This image stems from the night that I drove across Nevada on the loneliest road in America. Brian had just had surgery and Eden was very young, so they slept through most of the trip. It was such a surreal experience. I hope that I have conveyed the idea of a strange and dreamy tale.

Countdown

About two months ago, I joined the exhibits club at Virginia Discovery Museum. This has been so much fun and such a great opportunity for me to learn new skills. The big project at the moment is the treehouse room. Really cool- everyone is going to want their own treehouse room after they see this installation that will be a permanent addition to the museum. The grand opening is Saturday, April 4th.