Madison

I have been completely consumed by the on-goings here in Madison WI over the past week so I've been totally ignoring this blog!   I don't want to turn this political...however I believe I've shown my distaste for Governor Walker in the past...so it may be no secret.    Also as a member of the middle-class and someone who tends to lean to the left politically, I'm fighting for my fellow public employees and the future of the Democratic Party. 

Also, as a public employee, I'll be immediately affected by this Budget Repair Bill.  Though it is my opinion that we will all be negatively affected.

Here's a great video with a great song.  Some of the individuals in this video have become familiar faces here in Madison as they've helped ignite the rallies day after day.  

Madison Reaches 2010 Waste Diversion Goal!

http://www.channel3000.com/goinggreen/26822335/detail.html

B-Cycle Coming to Madison!

From what I've heard it passed with 15 votes, the exact number that was needed! 
I'm looking forward to checking the bikes out this spring!  
 

Scott Walker-Open for Business or For Sale???

Scott Walker gives his State of the State Address tonight. As I'll probably be stuck home with the incoming Blizzard, I might watch...with one eye open and one eye closed.
I received this email from the Wisconsin River Alliance today regarding shaky ground on which our wetlands stand with the new Governor. Check it out:  http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Wisconsin---Open-For-Business--or--For-Sale--.html?soid=1103691007752&aid=lYUVvpNNcyo
In other news. I purchased our water filter today. I"m hoping it is easy to install....not that I'm going to be doing the installation but for Mike's sake!!
It's on sale at Home Depot if you know of anyone in Madison looking for one that helps remove Chromium!
http://www.homedepot.com/Kitchen-Water-Dispensers-Filters-Under-Sink/h_d1/N-5yc1vZaqv5/R-100567554/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Trek wants to bring B-Cycle bike sharing program to Madison

Bike Sharing is a program that has taken off in Denver and Chicago. B-Cycle Stations have bikes for rent! The Stations are typically set up in convenient areas around town. You walk up to the Station, swipe your credit-card or B-cycle card if you've purchased one, a bike unlocks electronically from the Station and you bike away. When you're done riding, find another Station, roll the bike into an available spot and wait until it has been securely returned! http://www.bcycle.com/

I think this is a great opportunity for Madison! And we have an opportunity right now to become B-Cycle's second largest program in the country!
The City Council will be considering this program at its February 1st Meeting!
Please contact your City Council Representative and tell them you support this program!

Here's the link to search for your Representative. http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/findAddress.cfm

http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=31982

Chromium-6 in My City Well

Madison WI Water Utility began testing for Chromium 6 after an environmental group claimed it found this possible carcinogen in our drinking water. The city of Madison's tests found it too. Chromium-6 is the same chemical compound found within the water of Hinkley California which was brought to everyone's attention by the involvement of Erin Brockovich and of course the movie staring Julia Roberts.

Hinkley California's levels peaked greater than those found in our wells, but I'm still concerned! The current EPA standard for total Chromium is .1mg but they do not yet have guidelines for Chromium-6 specifically.

There were 12 samples tested from four wells in the Madison area. All of them tested positive for Chromium 6. The well that supplies all of my drinking water at home tested with the highest levels of Chromium-6.

Our well has 2.11 ug/l of total chromium and 1.73 ug/l Chromium-6 which converts to 0.00211 mg/l total chromium and 0.00173 mg/l chromium-6. So if you trust the EPA's current assessment of safe drinking water (total chromium levels of 0.1 mg/l) our wells should be fine.

According to Wikipedia, however, the Average levels of Chromium-6 in Hinkley were recorded as 1.19 ug/l with a peak of 3.09 ug/l. That average of 1.19 ug/l is less than the amount my well contains.

Also, if the wells are safe according to EPA standard, why has this been in the news? I guess the answer may be because EPA is currently drafting new guidelines for chromium 6 and they are expected to be released within months. It is an expectation that the EPA will be tightening drinking water standards.

I'm interested to see what the EPA comes up for as a standard for Chromium-6 and I'm currently looking at water filtration systems that remove it. I don't want to start drinking bottled water at home because it's such a waste of resources but I also want to make sure that I'm protecting my health.

It looks like the best water filters that I've found so far that remove Chromium-6 are going to run a couple hundred dollars. This is not exactly what I had planned on purchasing with a portion of my tax return...however I believe it's worth it.

I'm still reading "The Body Toxic" and I feel a greater desire to be pay attention to these issues more closely as they affect my health and the health of my neighbors!

This issue also ties into my New-Years resolution to try and be a more informed consumer. As a consumer of Madison tap water from Well number 14...I'm trying to stay informed.

However, I must admit that all of this converting parts-per-million and parts-per-billion to ug/l to mg/l is completely draining me!

Man Grows Garden, Raises Fish In His Garage - Kansas City News Story - KMBC Kansas City

Man Grows Garden, Raises Fish In His Garage - Kansas City News Story - KMBC Kansas City


Awesome!

My New Years Intention

It's the new year! Time to make a resolution or set an intention on how I'd like to live, love and interact in 2011. One of my New Years Intentions is to become a more informed consumer. I feel like I've made giant improvements in the way that I eat by doing some research to find out where my food comes from and making better decisions. Our household is currently purchasing 80-90% organic or local in the grocery store. I feel great with the choices I have been making when it comes to the food I put into my body.

I stopped eating meat at the age of 13 but just this last year I've started adding some fish to my diet to improve my Omega 3 and Protein consumption and I'm feeling great! We've been purchasing most of our fish at the Willy Street Coop and we've recently made the switch to sustainably caught canned tuna for sandwiches and salads.
Mike asked me the other day if I could tell a difference between the Wild Planet canned tuna http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/ versus the standard and cheaper StarKist brand.
I noted that I just feel better eating the Wild Planet version and it does taste and look better too! I think it's definitely worth the extra $2 a can. I will continue to do my research on other grocery products through the new year, however, now that I have the focus and knowledge to make better choices in the grocery store, I think it's time for me to move onto other consumable products!

Questions I intend to ask myself this year:
What are the ingredients in my shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, and toothpaste? Are any of these known carcinogens or do they mimic hormones like estrogen?
What exactly does that non-stick pan have in/on it?
What are the ingredients in my cleaning products?
What about the saran wrap?
Do I need all of this plastic in my house?
Where were these clothes made? And by whom?

I've been wanting to do a sweep of my cosmetics and lotions for a while and switch to more natural products. The more natural products are of course a bit more expensive than the name-brands from Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson so I need a push. Also, I've always wanted to be more informed about the clothing choices I make to ensure that I'm not supported sweat-shop labor.

To get myself pumped up enough to put some serious energy into this endeavor I have picked up the book "The Body Toxic" by Nena Baker.

I just started reading it last night. The book digs into how the hazardous chemistry of everyday things, from our carpet, office chair, television, lotions, seat-belts and water bottles potentially threaten our health and well-being. Mike picked up the book last night when he saw it and said sarcastically, "Well that looks uplifting". I laughed! Truth...this is not uplifting. Luckily, I'm not looking for a feel-good story here, but rather some information that will outrage me enough to take some personal action. There are hundreds of chemicals in each one of us. We were born with some of them as they traveled through the umbilical cord while we developed in the womb and others we've accumulated. Scientists who are currently studying this phenomenon call it the Chemical Body Burden. Even those born after the DDT pesticide was banned may have DDT in their system as grasses and other products sprayed with DDT were consumed by animals and the animals held onto these chemicals for a period of time in their system, later those animals were consumed by humans who held onto these chemicals for a period of time and those humans had babies who may be born with trace levels of DDT. Are these trace amounts harmful to us? What about when we add this trace amount of DDT to trace amounts of 100s of other chemicals? It appears that we all have this Chemical Body Burden, I only want to learn how to make better choices to reduce mine.

Here's a link and video clip that have helped with my determination to fulfill my intention.

http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/



If you don't want to go down this road with me...I understand. However, I'm charging full speed ahead to a place full of more natural products and less synthetic chemicals...at least this is my intention!

Happy New Year!

Get Rid of the Old and Do some Good

Madison Children's Museum needs some items that you might just be throwing away or recycling this week. Have any CDs or CD cases you were thinking about tossing? How about a couple shoe boxes, bubble wrap or ribbon from the holidays? Do you collect sea-shells when you go on vacation only to realize you have no place to put them when you get home? Drop them off at the Museum and they'll be used for educational purposes, plus you will keep these items out of the landfill!

From their Website:

Wish List

Art Studio

To keep in line with our Sustainability Initiative, Madison Children’s Museum tries to use as much recycled and nature-based materials as possible in art projects. Please help us by collecting the following things at home.

For our recycling station: Cardboard tubes, yogurt/plastic containers, water bottles and caps, plastic and paper bags, egg cartons, spools, corks, film canisters, used CDs/CD cases, paper, yarn scraps, ribbon, string, twine, twist ties, fabrics, plastic containers, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, electrical or craft wire, dowels, craft tiles, shoe boxes, small cardboard boxes, and carpet squares.

For our nature-based station: Pine cones, cotton, hemp strings, pieces of wood, pebbles, river stones, dried fall leaves, dried flowers, acorns, sticks, twigs, vines, empty eggshells, sea shells, volcanic rocks, starfish, and seeds.

Materials not accepted include: Anything glass, pill bottles, computer and television monitors, and anything potentially dangerous to children.

If you have items to donate to the museum, please leave them at the front desk on your next visit.

Visitor Services

Items needed: Child’s wheelchair, weighted blankets. Please call 608.256.6445, ext. 149, to arrange for drop-off of your donation.

Rooftop Ramble

Items needed: Apparel for the Cultural Coat Closet (coats, wraps, footwear, and accessories from many cultures, countries, and climates throughout the world); good-quality juicer; hand-crank ice cream maker; flip-lid canning jars; acrylic specimens (animals, insects, plants, flowers); antique egg collecting basket; nature collections; fossil and rock collections; kid-size cooking implements (wooden spoons, bowls, small cast iron frying pans and pots); enamel cups, plates, pitchers, and bowls; small-sized silverware; magnifying glasses; heirloom/rare seeds; and books about chickens or pigeons.

Please drop off at the front desk or call 608.256.6445, ext. 142.

Sunday Paper

Dear Sentry Grocery Store at Hilldale,
No I do not want a free Sunday Newspaper. Please stop asking.

That is all.
Kind Regards,
Melanie

(On average, a year's worth of newspaper (one paper per day) produces 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of waste paper. An average New York Times Sunday edition produces 8 million pounds (3.6 million kilograms) of waste paper.)

Vacation

It's almost time for vacation. I do not plan on getting back onto a computer again until January 3rd. As I spend at least 8 hours a day on the computer during the work week, this is the best holiday gift that I can give myself and my weary eyes!
We will be out of town for vacation and to keep the energy use down in the house while we're away we will be turning the thermostat down to 56 degrees (it's recommended not to go below 55 so the pipes won't freeze) and I will be unplugging all appliances except the refrigerator.

We have found some local grocery stores and a Whole Foods at our vacation destination so we can continue to purchase local/organic produce while we are away.

Though, we are flying (not great for the environment) we do have a direct flight. Why does this matter? It’s not just because we are traveling fewer miles. It’s because as much as 50% of airplane carbon emissions come from takeoff and landing!

Stay Green! Happy Holidays!

Holiday Survival Guide - Sierra Club

Check out this entertaining Guide to challenging environmentally charged conversations that may come up over the dinner-table this holiday season.

Holiday Survival Guide - Sierra Club


Cheers!

Holiday Giving

The Holidays are fast approaching. It is apparent by the frigid temperatures, the bountiful amount of snow on the ground, the lights up on my neighbor's house, the music being played on the radio, the amount of cookies and candy in the office and of course the full parking lot at the mall.

I love the holiday season. I love drinking hot chocolate (and peppermint schnapps), I love walking in the snow, I love my broken Nutcracker that sits on the bookshelf, I love Charlie Brown's Christmas Special, I love candy-canes and the holiday lights and music and spending time with friends and family.

One part of Christmas that I don't celebrate much anymore is the gift purchasing madness. For the first 28 years of my life we had loads of presents under our Christmas Tree at home.
For my entire life, I would ask my father what he would like for Christmas and he would respond "Save your money all I want is World Peace" (or Whirled Peas...depending on the mood he was in). So each year I would search the stores to try and find something to buy him because though he said he didn't want a gift, I couldn't buy something for everyone else in the family and leave him out. It was usually a sweater or socks or as I got older a gift-certificate to Gander Mountain. These gifts weren't special and given the number of sweaters that I purchased and never actually saw my father wear, it was unnecessary. It probably made my father feel bad to receive a gift he knew he wouldn't be using and it made me feel bad to wander the stores knowing that nothing I found would be what he had asked for...because you can't buy World Peace.

My family doesn't exchange holiday gifts anymore. We stopped exchanging gifts when the state of the economy changed in 2008. With cash a little tighter in everyone's pocket we decided it didn't really make sense to purchase gifts that year. Along with the shift in the economy, a shift was occurring in my family and we began to think more about our belongings and our needs. It was harder than ever to answer that one simple question..."what would you like for Christmas?".

This year the members of my family will be purchasing a goat for a family in need through Heifer International. http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.195980/
Through Heifer International, one can purchase live-stock, trees, bees, etc. that will be given to families in need across the world. Heifer provides training which allows the families to maintain their livestock as a source of food and income. Heifer calls these animals "living loans". In exchange for the livestock and training each family receives, they agree to give one of their animal's offspring to another family in need. Now that's a gift that keeps on giving! From their website- Heifer International has helped over 70 million men, women, and children across the world on the road to sustainability. Providing livestock and training is the helping hand you can extend this holiday season with your gift. The organization allows people to purchase an animal, like our goat ($120), or a share of an animal (usually around $10.00). People can also purchase a flock of ducks or chicks for around $20.00.
This allows for the opportunity to contribute at any level!

Though the adults no longer purchase gifts for each-other in my family we do purchase gifts for my two young nephews. This year my gift is not something tangible. I've gotten my sister's family a membership to the Madison Children's Museum. http://www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org/
So they will have one year of free admission and reduced parking.
I know there are days, especially in the colder months when my sister is home with the kids and they just need to get out of the house, so hopefully this will provide a place she can take them without spending any money! It sure beats walking around Target drinking a Starbucks coffee with the kids in the cart, just so that they can get a change of scenery.

This year, if gift-buying is unavoidable, think about some non-tangible gifts.

Here are some ideas;
- A donation to offset your loved one's carbon footprint. http://store.terrapass.com/store/c/18-carbon-offsets.html
- A donation to your loved one's favorite charity (or purchase your loved one a goat or some chickens through Heifer International).
- Tickets to a show or concert.
- A State or County trail pass (biking, skiing etc)
- A State or National Park pass
- Membership to the local zoo, museum, aquarium etc.
- Membership to a local co-op grocery store.
- Gift Certificate to a restaurant or coffee shop.

Happy Holidays!

Synopsis

We recently received a break-down of how we are doing in the Eco-Challenge.

Here is a brief overview:

Driving- 40% below the Madison average for one person is around 650 miles per month. Our miles per month were 677 mil/month, 879 mil/month, and 670 mil/month is August, September, and October. Now this is above our goal for one person however there are two of us driving the car, so individually we are well below.
Perhaps we can get 40% below the average of one car-driver. That's our new goal! It will be interesting to see if we drive more or less in the winter months. I think a lot of our trips are actually high-mile trips out of town to do different activities like camping and kayaking. So, since we aren't making those trips in the winter, it may drop down. I guess we will see!


Trash- The goal for trash per month should be no more than 82 lbs (40% less than the Madison Average). We keep track of our trash generated for one week of each month. We have generated 2.5lbs/week in August, 3.5lbs/week in September, and 6lbs/week in October. Each month we were well below the 82 lbs/month mark. So we're doing pretty well so far but I would still like to reduce this amount by purchasing more items in bulk from the co-op.

Electricity- Our goal is 360 Kwh a month (40% of Madison average of a 2 person house-hold.) We used 321 Kwh in August, 320 Kwh in September and 233 Kwh in October. I'm hoping to purchase a wall clock - and run it on rechargeable batteries so that we can unplug the microwave when not in use since that is our main source of telling time and it's pulling unnecessary energy. We are continuing to use task-based lighting in the kitchen to help reduce our energy use. Also, two light-bulbs have burned-out in the bathroom and we haven't yet replaced them...so this might help bring it down even further. The goal for a one-person household is 222kwh-it would be awesome to see how close we could get to this number!


Food- We have been eating a lot more than 40% local and organic which is great! Typically we are anywhere between 80-90%. We are also striving to make more conscious decisions when eating out, by going to restaurants that purchase meats, cheeses and vegetables locally. With Willy Street Co-op on the west side of town, I think the amount of local and organic products we are buying will only increase!


I plan on researching some new ways to help reduce our electricity! Also as the temperatures drop (and they've sure dropped today currently 10 degrees, feels like -4) we have turned on the heat. It will be interesting to see in the next few months where we rank in gas-use.

I'm curious how the other families are doing.....

Handkerchiefs and Snow

The lack of recent blogging has to do with an unfortunate cold/virus sweeping through my tiny house-hold. Perhaps I should have attempted to blog this week while deliriously fighting a fever, drinking Nyquil and swallowing Sudafed tablets. That may have made for some entertaining ramblings.

I must say that when fighting a cold, my attention diverts away from trying to lower my environmental impact. I noticed myself leaving some lights on, cranking the heat and of course going through boxes of tissues.

I do admire those individuals who carry a handkerchief to wipe their wet noses. However I wonder if these folks use them when fighting a pesky virus? That would be one interesting load of laundry, full of sticky handkerchiefs.

We are on the mend and feeling better around here and just in time for a delightful snow fall! Madison got 3-5 inches last night and it's still coming down. There were multiple instances overnight where one of us jumped from bed to peek out the window and see how things were coming. We woke early with anticipation and by 8am we were outside shoveling the driveway and sidewalk...hopefully without waking our neighbors.

I've only recently become so excited about the snow-season in Wisconsin, after finally accepting the fact that I live here....and not somewhere tropical. In the past I would walk around in the winter with a light weight coat and leather clogs, complaining about how cold and miserable I was. After some initial investment in some "real" winter gear and some awesome winter toys, I'm ready to play outside! Granted it took me almost 30 years to figure this out.

This afternoon Mike and I took a nice walk in the snow to the Babcock Dairy Store for some lunch. http://www.babcockhalldairystore.wisc.edu/
Babcock Dairy is the University of Wisconsin's Dairy Plant that is mostly staffed by students and covers 100% of its costs through the sale of the ice cream, milk and cheese produced. Unfortunately for us, the store doesn't serve lunch on Saturday, so instead we purchased some fresh cheese and ice cream! I suppose that is about as local you we can get within the city when it comes to cheese and ice-cream production. It's delicious, locally produced and within walking distance.

To the gentleman leaving Babcock this afternoon with two bags full of ice cream and an ice-cream cone in his hand - Right on man! It's never too cold for a Babcock ice-cream cone.