Miomarmo

Burning Wood: Green or Not Green?

We live in an area of the country with very cold winters. Coming from a warmer climate (California), I never realized how much oil was used to heat homes/businesses! The picture  here is from the pile I've been working on for the last several days. It's not fun work, but as they say in New England, "Wood heats five times; once when you cut it, once when you split it, once when you stack it, once when you carry it in to the house, and of course, lastly, once when it burns."

But, I've also always wondered if burning wood was a good idea due to the smoke (in California, you are only allowed to burn wood on certain days due to pollution issues); and the fact that trees need to be cut down!

We have access to wood here, and we first take advantage of trees and limbs that have fallen down and have dried naturally. We've also removed trees that were in danger of falling on or near our house (damaged or dying), and lastly, we selectively cut trees from the forest around us (our own land, of course) that best help manage the forest for future growth.

So far, in the last 8 years, we haven't had to purposely cut a tree down just for firewood, but I suppose that day could come?

In Support of Burning Wood
From The Green Guide, National Geographic:

A properly engineered woodburning system is by far a more eco-friendly source of heat than gas, oil, or electricity produced from non-renewable resources. Like all renewable energies, though, attention to every aspect of the process is necessary—from the origin of the fuel to its final release as gas and smoke. In this way, wood can be fully exploited as a smart alternative to non-renewable energy sources.

...

Ecologists generally agree that wood is carbon neutral. While burning wood releases a significant amount of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas also released by fossil fuels—the gas is reabsorbed by growing trees and turned into carbon, which accounts for half the weight of wood. Whether a tree burns in your fireplace or decomposes in the forest, it will release the same amount of carbon into the environment in the form of CO2, methane and other gasses. However, all of this only makes sense when the wood has been grown and harvested according to sustainable forestry practices. For example, selective harvesting preserves the bio-diversity and integrity of the forest, which in turn ensures that the CO2 will be reabsorbed and that you'll have a place to get more firewood. Hypothetically, this cycle can be repeated indefinitely. Fossil fuel can make no such claim.

To read the full article from The Green Guide, click here.

Five Easy Steps to Responsibly Discarding Unwanted Junk

We've talked here about yard sales, selling stuff on eBay or Craigslist, or donating your unwanted stuff, all in order to avoid adding your unwanted junk to a landfill. But if there's no time (or patience) for a yard sale, selling it, or donating it, here's a simple how-to guide to rid of your stuff in a jiffy.

1. Find an old board or cardboard piece, doesn't have to be fancy.
2. Get spray paint or a big marker (or crayons) and write "FREE STUFF" on it.
3. Put your junk by the street.
4. Put your sign by the junk.
5. See junk disappear!

This sign WAS by a pile of stuff I did NOT want anymore. Now it's gone!!! Well, all but three sides to an old baby crib. To make it more fun, bet on how long it will take to disappear!

Simple Statement of the Day

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.
~ John Burroughs

Waste Reduction Week

This week, October 19 - 25, Canada celebrates Waste Reduction Week. I love the idea of an entire nation being mindful about what they use and throw away, and of course their choice of spokesgrouch is incredibly inspired. However, I think the addition of a "Hey you!" or, "Now SCRAM!" would have made this endorsement a little more realistic.

Even if you don't live in Canada, you can still declare it Waste Reduction Week at your office, home, or school. Some simple ideas you might want to try if you're not already:

• Use both sides of paper to print on, use as fax paper, or email instead of printing out at all.


• Bring your own mug to work instead of using paper products (same goes for plastic utensils, plates, and containers - bring your own, wash, and reuse them)


• Read this post about our continuing efforts to make our own office greener


• More good suggestions for schools and kids here. My absolute favorite is the suggestion for Zero Garbage Day: Challenge classes to see which group can keep garbage generation to a minimum. Encourage wasteless lunches. Remove garbage cans from all classrooms and common areas and give each student a plastic bag to wear around his/her waist to collect the garbage that he/she produces. At the end of the day, award a prize to the student with the smallest bag, or get students to study the contents of the bags of garbage and make recommendations on how to reduce their waste.

What's your favorite waste reduction tip? Share it with us!

Proposition 2 (or, 67 Square Inches)

On November 4 of this year, California voters will get to make their voices heard for those who can't speak for themselves: farm animals. Proposition 2 "stops cruel and inhumane treatment of animals, ending the practice of cramming farm animals into cages so small the animals can't even turn around, lie down or extend their limbs."

As Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society brought up on a recent Oprah Winfrey show addressing this issue: each chicken has 67 square inches of space—which is about two-thirds the size of a standard sheet of paper. "That's their living space, Oprah, for two years."

You might not live in California, but there are some simple things you can do to help fight animal cruelty at its most basic level:

Go Veggie (even if it's just one more day a week) - eat pasta tonight, or get a pizza (without pepperoni, of course!) Make eggplant, or a vegetable stir fry, or try our a new recipe from another country's cuisine you're not familiar with. You might just have a new favorite, and you'll be helping animals. (Read my post about this on my other site here.)

Vote with your wallet. I read labels. And because I do, my family only eats chicken that's been fed an all-vegetarian diet (that's a WHOLE other post besides) and eggs that are certified Humane. We've also been fortunate enough to find a local family to get our eggs from where I know they are free to roam and live normal lives and not be stuffed into a cage. Sometimes these items cost a little more, but you know what? We don't eat very much meat in our house, and I'd rather have a clearer conscience. I'm also trying to help create a demand - when the twins were small, I had discussions with the head of the dairy department about how we could get more organic milk on the shelf. Now our store has a whole organic section. One person's choices can make a difference.

Educate yourself. I can't recommend the book Food Revolution enough, but if you don't have time to read a whole book, check out:

Recap from the Oprah show - "Conscious Choices"
Lisa Ling Reports - "How We Treat the Animals We Eat" (2nd link if the first doesn't load)
The Meatrix - learn where the food you eat comes from.
HSUS Factory Farming Page - Working to reduce the suffering of animals raised for meat, eggs, and milk.

Quote of the Day

A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children.
~ John James Audubon

The best remedy

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.
~ Anne Frank