[gottadance]

Hi all - Well, how did you do in 2010 in being green? Things you thought you'd do but didn't? Things that didn't work/pan out? Any great successes? What are you going to try to do in 2011?

In 2010 the new stuff I did or tried, beyond my regular green stuff:

Planted more fruit/veggies in my yard - peach/plum trees; strawberries; gooseberries; grapes; asparagus. Peaches got eaten when still green - I think by chipmunks. Strawberries were miniature variety - good flavor, but tiny. Want bigger ones.

Planted more native plants in my yard - spring bloomers and vines

Tried to use cloth napkins at work, but got busy and kept forgetting to bring clean ones to the office. I'm thinking I need to just bring a stack of them?

Put horse manure in my garden

Joined an organic CSA and threw away very little because it went bad - froze and canned stuff

Bought almost all organic products at the grocery stores

Had Freon added to my a/c (how is this green you ask- well, I don't run my a/c very often - I prefer fresh air, but when a/c is low on freon, it doesn't get as cold and you run the a/c longer. Now I can run it a shorter time, use less energy, to get the same results.)

Composted lots of pet bunny poop

Fed pet bunnies only organic veggies

Bought a new small freezer for storing organic veggies, homemade soups, etc.

Used more CFLs

Stopped using plastic glasses to drink out of

Got new slowcooker without teflon lining

Learned from a friend how to extend the life of my 7 year old computer which had it's Internet port damaged by a power surge - thus saving having to buy a new one (I have my Internet connected through a USB port)

Found a green cat litter that I like and the cats like

Saw a handful of documentaries related to green living

Started researching raising chickens for eggs

Replaced vinyl shower curtain with cloth nonPVC curtain

Threw away all baby toys that could potentially have PVC

Registered for organic baby stuff

Although I couldn't afford an extremely green flooring, I found a vinyl that is low VOC and installed that and didn't use the glue to put it down, just had the flooring fitted.

2011 goals

- In addition to summer & fall CSA, do spring CSA
-Use cloth napkins all the time
-Figure out how to keep critters off peach tree so I can actually eat and can them
-Plant a variety of strawberries with larger fruits
-Cook homemade stuff even more often than I already do - homemade stuff I make is organic, food eaten out isn't.

I look forward to reading others' suggestions, maybe there are some things I'm not doing. I already do a lot, though.

 

[gmarie]

Good job!

What brand cat litter are you using?

 

[AspiringToBeFrugal]

I didn't really keep track of all the "green" things I was doing in 2010, but I know I stepped up the recycling BIG TIME. We have at least two, sometimes 4-5, bags of recycling to be picked up each week.

I want to make sure to keep that up this year. Additionally, I want to plant more veggies in the garden I work on with my aunt, I'd like to get a container garden going here at my apartment, use less paper--paper towels, napkins, etc., and use my drying racks more this year. With the price of gas going up, all these little "green" things should really be able to help me save some green!

 

[gottadance]

I'm using Arm & Hammer scoopable Essentials, made from corn. Now I know that there are pesticides involved in growing corn, but at least there's not the digging of clay which is so destructive and the corn based stuff is biodegradable, whereas the clay stuff sits in the ground and takes forever to decompose.

 

[ncarr]

I really reduced our use of paper products in 2010. For 2011 I want to work on eating less meat (this will be tough b/c my husband is such a carnivore). I also want to keep up better with my green/frugal blog.

 

[Rhiamon]

my 2011 goals are to
use cloth napkins
quit smoking good for my health and the enviroment
start cleaning everything with vingar instead of vim
eat more meatless meals and eat more beans etc.
recycle more
plant a patio garden ( i have to find veggies that will grow in shade)
bake from scratch more then I have been.

 

[The Muse]

2010 was a very green year for me. The lifestyle shift with moving to Europe gave me a headstart, but here are my major accomplishments:

1) Continued the vegetarian path.

2) Cut my living space in half.

3) Stopped driving, I get around by public transit, bike, walking, or riding with people already going in that direction.

4) Drastically reduced my spending and quit buying new, almost all of my furnishings are thrifted.

5) Use CFLs.

6) Cooked from scratch using minimally packaged ingredients.

7) Recycled and composted as much as possible.

This year will be the same, but I will make some minor improvements. I've already switched to cloth napkins. I plan to keep on the no kids path, which is super green! I'd also like to plant a garden, though gardening in Scandinavia can be a challenge without a greenhouse. I'm also reducing my dairy consumption.

 

[madhen]

I like a litter called Secondhand News (? I think) made of recycled used newspaper. I have found both my bunnies and the foster kitties use it, and it composts beautifully.

 

[madhen]

I am not sure about 2010. I think I tried to "live lightly on the Earth," and I am conscientious about my carbon footprint. Unfortunately, there are some things that I have to do that I can't change; i.e, not carpooling or taking public transportation. My car is assigned to me by my work specifically so I will be able to travel at a moment's notice, so leaving it at home and taking light rail is a big no-no. I am looking forward to turning it in, when I retire, and traveling by scooter.

I have a veg garden each year, some years more successful than others, and several dozen fruit and nut trees planted around the property. I have chickens who provide me eggs. I have cashmere goats and an angora bunny (and a Chow), who provide me with fiber for spinning. I compost and vermicompost.

One of my dream projects is to go solar, at least partially. I live out on a bluff, so I get plenty of sun, year-round, and I have the perfect slant on my roof to put a panel. I just don't have the $15,000 or so it takes to retrofit my house, and I don't feel like going more into debt to do it, even though it would pay for itself eventually.

Things I could do better this year would be to be less dependent on electricity (although I'm not sure woodstove fires aren't screwing up the air quality), recycle more (I go in fits and starts right now), buy more local and organic (to cut down on processing and transportation energy), be more aware of excess packaging and try to avoid it.

 

[Lynn4]

Great list gottadance! You have done a lot. I have hit most of the items on your list at some point. Though I think we could have chickens where we live, a dog and a husband are enough critters for me to handle! Fresh eggs sure would be wonderful!

I purchased a couple cast iron pans in 2010 to replace the disappointing "green" pan. Quality organic garlic and shallots went into the garden in fall--I'm getting ready to order my organic seed potatoes. Plan on getting more food out of my garden this year--asparagus should really produce this year. We usually have enough fruits and vegetables through summer and fall, but I'd like to get more into the freezer for winter. Oh and I'm reading a book on gardening in my area that describes what vegetables I can grow into late fall early winter so I'm hoping to extend my growing seasons.

 

[gottadance]

yes, I'd like to extend my growing season, although now that I joined the fall CSA, not as important since I get fall veggies from them.

I am also eating less meat and only eating grass fed meat.

 

[renmerc446]

*Try to get more veggies from the local farmer's market than I presently do. Another option is going to a couple of local farms more. If not, at least try and get more organic/local stuff from the grocery store.

*Use my crockpot more, instead of resorting to frozen dinners

*Use cloth napkins more when over my parents rather than paper (I currently use them at home)

*Clean more with vinegar and baking soda, rather than regular, chemical cleaners. Go for the organic/more natural cleaners, if that can't be done.

 

[gottadance]

One of my dream projects is to go solar, at least partially. I live out on a bluff, so I get plenty of sun, year-round, and I have the perfect slant on my roof to put a panel. I just don't have the $15,000 or so it takes to retrofit my house, and I don't feel like going more into debt to do it, even though it would pay for itself eventually.

Yes, I'd love to be able to go solar. Well, prices are coming down slowly but surely - and some companies are coming up with new financing ideas, where the cost of them is attached to the house, so if you sell the house before you pay them off, the continued costs will be paid by the next homeowner.

 

[Redmocha]

Using vinegar to clean; make my own toilet bowl scrub; buy less packaged cleaning products (cost too much and unhealthy for us and environment), use less plastic bags at grocery (take my own bags), throw away less food (we're poor now that I don't work so that one'll be easier)