Earth-friendly chocolate June 23, 2009

Once again, my good friend, Jen from Eco Women, is here to tell you all about something we all love and how to love it even more.

People who know me, either in real life or through my blog, know that I love chocolate.  Not a little, but a lot.  So much so, that if my house were burning and I had time to grab only one thing before I headed for safety, I might waste a moment or two trying to decide if I should bring my chocolate stash with me.  Yes, that’s how much I love the product of the cocoa bean.  (Don’t worry, my children always come first in my priorities!)

If you’re reading this blog, the chances are that you are looking for ways to live a bit greener.  Maybe you’re new to this or maybe you’re an eco pro.  Either way, I’m going to talk about three different ways you can make a difference with your chocolate consumption.

Chocolate Tip #1:  Go local

In my mind, one of the best ways to be environmentally friendly is to be a locavore.  I shop locally — local stores owned by local citizens — whenever I can.  Are you lucky enough to have a locally-owned gourmet chocolate shop?   If so, shop there.

Here in my community, we have an amazing chocolate shop that is just a little slice of cocoa-scented heaven.  The owner got his start making desserts for a local restaurant and, when he was ready to strike out on his own, the owners of the restaurant helped him get started.  To this day, that restaurant offers chocolate truffles on their dessert menu.  Really, it doesn’t get any more local than that.

Chocolate Tip #2:  Go organic

Okay, so maybe you don’t have a great local gourmet chocolate shop.  Do you have an organic grocery store, whether it’s a locally-owned shop or Whole Foods?  If so, check out their offerings.

Why should you go organic?  Organic chocolate was grown with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, which means a safer and healthier Planet Earth and a safer and healthier YOU.  And, if you choose organic chocolate, chances are that it is also Fair Trade chocolate, which means that the farmers growing the cocoa beans were paid living wages and worked in safe conditions.

Chocolate Tip #3:  Be wise

What if you need chocolate right now and there are no local or organic options?  Then make some smart choices.

I personally don’t buy  chocolate made by Hershey’s and Nestle because I have issues with some of their corporate practices.  Instead, I prefer Cadbury’s and Ghirardelli. What you do or not buy is up to you, but if you’re committed to making a change to benefit Planet Earth, do your research.  Find out where different companies buy their cocoa beans.  If they buy from Central America, do they buy Fair Trade cocoa beans?  Or do they get their cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast, which has a sordid history of human rights violations and use of child labor in the cocoa industry.

If you follow just one of the tips above part of the time, you’ll be making a difference while still eating delicious chocolate. For more information on organic and Fair Trade chocolates, click here.

As you can imagine, I have some favorites.  Okay, that’s an understatement, but here is a list of my five favorite chocolates that are either 100% or partially organic or the companies have corporate ethics that I admire.

• Lake Champlain Chocolates – I’ve never had anything but the most amazing chocolates from this company.  Not all of their products are organic, but they’re trying to get there.  In the meantime, LCC  uses high quality ingredients, many of which come from local sources.  If I had to choose just one thing — and it would be a hard decision — I’d go for their truffles.
• Newman’s Own Organics — From signature gourmet chocolate bars to peanut butter cups to Newman-O’s, these yummy treats are certified organic.  Plus, we all know that Newman’s Own and Newman’s Own Organics give their net profits to charity.  So you’re doing a good thing when you eat NOO chocolate!
• Whole Foods — Like most grocery stores, Whole Foods has its own in-store brands; unlike most grocery stores, these chocolates are made with organic ingredients.  Try the truffles, you won’t be disappointed.
• Vosges — Vosges makes a variety of gourmet treats, but my personal favorite is the bacon bar.  I am not kidding.  Rich creamy chocolate with nibs of smoked bacon.  To quote Homer Simpson, “Mmmmmm, bacon.”  [Excuse me while I drool a bit here.]
• Charles Chocolates — This particular company is relatively new to me, as I’ve only bought their products a couple of times.  They are fabulous, but a little pricey, so I’ll probably only buy them on rare occasions.  While Charles Chocolates’ products are not 100% organic, they do use some organic ingredients and everything they use is of the highest quality.

So that’s the skinny on chocolate from an eco-friendly chocoholic!  If anyone else has any recommendations, please leave them in the comments so that we can all give them a try.

Jennifer is not employed by any of the companies mentioned here, nor was she paid to review their products.  All photos courtesy of the companies’ websites.

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Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

National Healthy Schools Day April 22, 2009

Today, I’m pleased to have Janelle Sorensen, the the Senior Writer and Health Consultant from Healthy Child Healthy World, guest post at Trying To Be Greener. Healthy Child Healthy World works to broaden awareness of environmental hazards and its impact on children’s health, advocates for governmental legislation that will protect children from environmental hazards, and so much more.

National Healthy Schools Day
What you can do to make sure no child’s health is left behind

Janelle Sorensen

When my husband and I first toured schools to find the one we wanted to enroll our daughter in, I’m sure I was silently voted one of the strangest parents ever. Why do I feel I was secretly endowed with this title? Because every room and hallway we were taken through, I sniffed. A lot. And, according to my husband, I wasn’t terribly discreet.

I didn’t have a cold or postnasal drip. And, I’m not part bloodhound. I was simply concerned about the indoor air quality. My daughter was (and still is) prone to respiratory illnesses and I wanted to be sure the school she would be attending would support and protect her growing lungs (in addition to her brain). For many air quality issues, your nose knows, so I was using the easiest tool I had to gauge how healthy the environment was.

While air quality is a significant issue in schools (the EPA estimates that at least half of our nation’s 120,000 schools have problems), parents are also increasingly concerned about other school health issues like nutrition and the use of toxic pesticides. Many schools are making the switch to healthier and more sustainable practices like green cleaning, least toxic pest management, and even school gardening. What they’re finding is that greening their school improves the health and performance of students and personnel, saves money (from using less energy, buying fewer products, and having fewer worker injuries among other things), and also helps protect the planet. It’s truly win, win, win.

To highlight the issue, the Healthy Schools Network coordinates National Healthy Schools Day. This year, over three dozen events will be held across the country (and more in Canada) on April 27th to promote and celebrate healthy school environments.

What can you do? Healthy Schools Network recommends simple activities such as:

• Adopting Guiding Principles of School Environmental Quality as a policy for your School;
• Distributing information related to Green Cleaning or Indoor Air Quality (IAQ);
• Writing a letter or visiting your Principal or Facility Director to ask about cleaning products or pest control products;
• Walking around your school: looking for water stains, cracks in outside walls, broken windows or steps, and overflowing dumpsters that are health & safety problems that need attention. Use this checklist.
• Writing a Letter to the Editor of your local paper on the importance of a healthy school to all children and personnel.

You can also help support the efforts of states trying to pass policies requiring schools to use safer cleaners. (Or, initiate your own effort!) There are good bills pending in Connecticut, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, and Oregon. According to Claire Barnett, Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Network, the key pieces to promote on green cleaning in schools are:

• Not being fooled by ‘green washing’ claims—commercial products must be third-party certified as green (to verify claims);
• Understanding that green products are cost-neutral and they work; and,
• Learning that “Clean doesn’t have an odor.”

She encourages parents and personnel to tune into one of the archived webinars on green cleaning (like the first module for general audiences) at www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org.

The fact of the matter is that whether you’re concerned about the quality of food, cleaning chemicals, recycling, or energy use – schools need our help and support.  Instead of complaining about what’s wrong, it’s time to help do what’s right – for our children, our schools, and our planet.

What are you going to do? There are so many ideas and resources. Find your passion and get active on April 27th – National Healthy Schools Day.

Additional Resources:

• Creating Healthy Environments for Children (DVD): A short video with easy tips for schools and a variety of handouts to download and print.
• Getting Your Child’s School to Clean Green: A blog I wrote last year with advice based on my experience working with schools.
• Healthy Community Toolkit: Healthy Child Healthy World’s tips and tools for being a successful community advocate and some of our favorite organizations working on improving child care and school environments and beyond.
• The Everything Green Classroom Book: The ultimate guide to teaching and living green and healthy.

Janelle Sorensen is the Senior Writer and Health Consultant for Healthy Child Healthy World . You can also find her on Twitter as @greenandhealthy.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Celebrate an eco Easter March 30, 2009

My good friend, Jen, and fellow Eco Woman is here today to talk about going “green” this Easter.

Easter is coming, which means that parents everywhere are starting to prepare for the Easter Bunny’s arrival at their house.  They’re buying baskets, plastic eggs, and all sorts of candy.

Before you join the crowds at Walmart, I’d like to offer some suggestions for how to make your Easter a bit more eco-friendly this year.  Some of my suggestions come from the experience of having daughters who are now 8 and 10, which means my husband and I have quite a few Easters under our parenting belts.  Some of my suggestions also come from the book Celebrate Green:  Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations, and Traditions for the Whole Family by Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell, which I read last fall.  (For a review written by Kirstin, the owner of this blog, click here.)

Let’s start with the foundation — the Easter basket itself.  Most people buy their children new baskets every year, which is wasteful to both Planet Earth and your wallet.  Buy one that is of good quality materials (NOT plastic) that will last for a long time.  Both of my daughters have Longaberger baskets, which are made in Ohio (not China or some other far-off country) by people making fair wages.  Longaberger baskets last FOREVER and I feel confident that my daughters’ baskets will be around for their children to use.

The next important part of Easter for every eco kid is the eggs. Hopefully, you are already buying eggs that are from chickens that are cage-free and vegetarian.  This year, instead of getting one of those dyeing kits from a big box store, how about using natural ingredients?  Not only will you be doing your part to save Planet Earth, you’ll be saving yourself a little bit of money in the process.  For tips on how to dye your eggs the old fashioned way, click here.

A lot of people buy that fake plastic grass for their children’s Easter baskets.  Don’t do it!  If you really feel like you need something to look like grass, use a little bit of shredded paper and then recycle it afterward.  Or maybe some pretty fabric.  I don’t use anything at all because it takes up valuable real estate that could be used for more important things…

… such as the Easter loot!  Like many parents, I don’t completely fill my daughters’ basket with candy, opting instead to add a few other small things that they’ll enjoy and that won’t cause their blood sugar levels to plummet by lunch time.  Some parents opt for cheap plastic crapola that will end up in a landfill pretty quickly, but I encourage you to think about quality over quantity.  Why not give your child a book that he’ll read over and over?  Or how about some art supplies?  In recent years, the list of things I’ve put in my daughters’ baskets includes: colored pencils, stickers, books, CDs, DVDs, seed packets (we’re avid gardeners), fun socks like Little Miss Matched, jewelry made by someone I know, Etsy artists whose work I admire, new water bottles, and even small things for their dollhouse (which was mine when I was their age).

And then there’s the candy…

Celebrate Green recommends that you put healthy treats in your children’s baskets and also make your own candy.  Let’s get real here.  If  I make my own chocolate bunnies, my kids are going to know, plus who has time for that?  (Besides, Martha Stewart, that is.)  And, if I put raisins or other healthy stuff in my kids’ baskets, I’m going to have a revolt on Easter morning.  So I compromise — I buy my girls enough chocolate to satisfy them, but not so much that they’re on sugar overload all day.

Instead, I recommend that you buy organic chocolate and candies, such as the bunny shown on the right from Lake Champlain Chocolates.  If it’s not in your budget, how about just buying just one or two organic goodies?  It may not seem like much, but it’s a start and those small actions combined make large statements.

I freely admit that we’re not perfectly eco here at my house.  I will get a few organic chocolates, but I will also buy some things at World Market and Target.  Not huge amounts, but I’m not going to deny my children their Jelly Bellies and M&Ms.

And finally, we need to talk about the plastic eggs.  Whether or not you use them is a personal decision.  But, if you do, I hope that you’re not throwing them away after Easter.  Wash them and use them again next year!  If you have some that you’re not going to use, then give them to someone who will.  If you don’t know anyone who could use them, then you’ll probably find takers on your local Freecycle network.

So that’s how we do Easter baskets here at my house.  One of my girls knows about the Easter Bunny and the other one suspects but doesn’t really want to know, so it looks like we’ll be leaving a carrot out on the evening of April 11.  Then again, knowing my love of holidays, something tells me that I’ll still be doing Easter baskets even when my children go off to college!

Photo credits, top to bottom:  MarthaStewart.com, eHow.com, Yahoo Images, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Flickr.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Getting to know Vermicomposting January 7, 2009

Jill, another crafty, knitting, and blogging friend of mine, is guest posting today about Vermicomposting. “What’s that?!!!” you ask? Oh, you’ll see – read on!

Raise your hand if you feel that little pang of guilt when you go to drop kitchen scraps in the garbage. Yeah, I know…me too. It’s like you need your own little composting machine to return the nutrients to the soil and keep those goodies out of the landfill. That’s where vermicomposting comes in.

Vermicomposting is a natural process that uses worms, specifically red wigglers, to turn food scraps into a nutrient rich worm castings. The castings are then used as a natural fertilizer.

Final Product

Vermicomposting is absolutely fascinating. By turning your scraps into compost you are aiding the earth in about a bajillion ways. Not only are you saving space in a landfill, you are also reducing the use of chemical fertilizers, AND helping air-cleaning fruit-bearing plants thrive. It doesn’t get much better than that. Plus, the nice bit about worm composting compared to regular composting is that you don’t need to worry about the balance of browns (carbon like dead leaves) and greens (nitrogen like kitchen scraps) and can thereby avoid the vomit like end product of a green overload.

You’re ready to start your own worm bin now, aren’t you?

Starting a worm bin doesn’t have to be all that complicated or expensive. Sure you could buy a “fancy bin” and “order worms online”… but who doesn’t love an easy DIY project?

Making a Basic Worm Bin:

Supplies-

• Newspaper
• Rubbermaid container with lid (not clear, dark colors are best)
• Drill

First: Drill a line of holes about half way up the sides of the container all the way around. These are air holes that allow the worms to breath and bacteria to break down matter. Don’t make your holes so low that they become an escape route.

Then: Rip newspaper into strips about 2 inches wide. You are making a soft bedding for the worms.

Next: Soak the newspaper in water. Wring out excess water so it’s like a sponge and not dripping. Arrange the paper in the container so it is covering the bottom. A little worm nest.

Then: Toss in a handful of dirt and grit. Nothing special, just straight from the flower bed.

My worm bin looks like this. Nothing fancy.

Worm Bin

It’s time to add your worms!

How to Obtain Worms

Worms

You have a few different options when it comes to locating worms. Whichever source you choose, you will need about 1 pound.

1. Order online. A variety of online retailers sell red wigglers for a hefty price. I’ve seen worms listed for between $15 and $30 per pound.

2. Garden Centers. Some gardening centers have worms available to sell. As with buying online, it will cost you.

3. Ask a friend. I was lucky enough to get my worms from a co-worker. It’s worth it to ask around. Someone you know might be ready to harvest their worm bin and give you their excess wigglers.

4. Network. If you don’t know anyone with worms try visiting: http://vermicomposters.com/ You can locate your city on the map and find vermicomposters in the area- many who have worms available for free or a small fee.

Now that you have your worms and your bin all set up, all you have to do is unite the two and celebrate with a good feeding. Cover the worms with more newspaper and replace the lid to keep it nice and dark, and your worms happy. (See why you didn’t want a clear container?)

Cover with paper

Feeding Your Worms

When I feed my worms, I keep it simple. I try to remember three things:

• Chop it up small.
• Keep it vegan.
• Nothing stinky.

The more surface area of the food you expose, the faster it will break down and become edible to the worms. See that apple? It’s wasn’t chopped up and it’s been there forever.

Apple

Some items worms won’t eat, like meat and dairy. My personal rule is vegan only compost. Furthermore, worms tend to not like strong flavors. For example, I keep onions and garlic out of my bin. Just about anything else is fair game.

Depending on the size of your bin, you’ll need to feed your worms about once a week. You don’t want to overwhelm them with food (for all sorts of scientific complicated reasons). But if you peek in there and notice most of the food is breaking down, add a little more.

You now have your own little compost machine.

For more information on vermicomposting I’d first recommend:

• Recycle with Earthworms: The Red Wiggler Connection by Shelley C. Grossman and Toby Weitzel… This book is easy to understand and includes a lot of good information on worms in general and troubleshooting with your bin.

Other resources:

• Worm Woman – http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/index.html
• Urban Agriculture Notes – http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html
• Cheap and Easy Worm Bin – http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm

Jill is based in the Pacific Northwest where she regularly experiments with gardening, teaching, crafting, cooking, baking, and living. Visit her blog, “Pilliebee.Handmade”.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Greening your giving in five easy steps December 11, 2008

My friend and fellow Eco Woman Warrior, Jen, is back today with some easy steps to make your holiday gift giving a little “greener”.

This holiday season, as you are making your lists and checking them twice, here are five ideas to help you be a little greener and earth-friendly:

#1 — Come up with a plan. Don’t go shopping without one or else you’ll end up making some bad choices, such as getting your diabetic cousin a kit to make funnel cakes.  Having a written plan will also ensure that you don’t forget anyone on your list.

One year, I actually forgot to finish shopping for my father and didn’t realize it until Christmas morning.  Oops.  I now keep a shopping list on my computer all year.  On it, I list every single person we need to buy for, including my children’s teachers and a tip for the newspaper carrier.  I also list my gift ideas for each person as I come up with them and, later on, I list what I actually got everyone and check them off when I’m done.

#2 — Don’t buy cheap plastic stuff that will end up in a landfill by Valentine’s Day. Seriously, your nephew might adore his remote control car collection, but how many does he really need?  Instead why not get him something that will last longer?  For example, this year four of my nephews are getting good quality wind-up LED flashlights that don’t need batteries and will last for years.   You might also try shopping at  locally-owned stores in your town, as well as supporting artists and crafters.  Etsy.com is a great place to find handmade goods for nearly everyone on your list.

#3 — Cut back. There’s no reason to go overboard with your giving.  Give reasonably and not in excess.  My husband and I force ourselves to stick to a prescribed number of gifts for our children (two girls, ages 8 and 10), even when there are more things we want to give them. We’ve learned that more is not more — it overwhelms our kids and they don’t appreciate each gift as much.

#4 — Think disposable. This may sound odd, but you could also give something that’s neither lasting nor permanent.  No, I’m not talking about plastic crapola; I mean things that are meant to be used up.  Some examples, are baked goods for your neighbors, stationery and stamps for your grandmother, and art supplies for your niece.

This year, my husband and I are building a house and we’ll be giving the construction crew — three guys we’ve gotten to know pretty well in the past nine months — a themed-assortment of local organic treats.  I’m going to put everything in canvas shopping bags and will tie festive ribbons on the handles so that the gifts are eco-friendly from start to finish.

#5 –You don’t have to give STUFF. There’s no reason that you have to hand out beautifully-wrapped boxes of sweaters, books, electronics and more.  There are other options.   Last year, my older daughter got to spend a day baking with her aunt, which was far more memorable for both of them.  One year, I gave my retired neighbors heirloom daffodil bulbs AND I planted them. My in-laws co-founded a nonprofit in their small town that they actively support, so my husband and I make gifts in their honor for their birthdays and/or Christmas.

There are a lot of ways to be greener with your giving this holiday season.  You just have to stop and think about what you can do.  Even if you don’t follow these guidelines for everyone on your list, just making a few changes will help Planet Earth.

All images courtesy of Flickr.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Rethinking Thanksgiving November 12, 2008

Once again, my friend Jen and fellow Eco Woman is here at Trying To Be Greener. This month, it’s all about Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, which means that people all across the country will soon be descending on their grocery stores with mile-long shopping lists.  Grocery stores are stocking up such items as turkeys bred for size and not flavor, boxes of instant stuffing, and cans of jellied cranberries.  Sounds appetizing, doesn’t it? No, not really.

What if this year, you were to do something truly radical?  What if you were to change all or part of your Thanksgiving dinner to include more homemade foods?  AND what if you were to cook seasonally and only serve foods that are available to you this time of the year?

Hmmm… That makes things a bit more challenging, doesn’t it?

Cooking from scratch is actually less expensive than buying processed foods.  For example, a box of stuffing mix costs $3-$4, depending on what brand you buy.  Instead, you could make your own stuffing and it would taste so much better, as well as contain fewer preservatives and involve less wasteful packaging. And, instead of using instant mashed potatoes, why not cook up some russets yourself?

Homemade food — that’s the easy part.  But what about eating seasonally?

Ahh, that’s a little trickier.

I majored in American history in college and one thing that has always fascinated me is the so-called First Thanksgiving at Plymouth Plantation, which was a simple harvest festival that was held in 1621.  (The reality is that harvest festivals and meals of thanksgiving have been held for centuries and no one knows when the first such meal occurred in what is now known as the United States.)  For their festival, the Pilgrims ate what they had available at that time of the year.  In that part of Massachusetts in 1621 those foods were:

• fish (cod, bass, herring, eel) and seafood (clams, lobsters, mussels)
• birds (wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge)
• venison
• grains (wheat flour, Indian corn and corn meal, barley)
• vegetables (squashes, beans, and possibly peas)
• nuts (walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, hickory nuts)
• dried fruits (raspberries, strawberries, grapes, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries)

Hmmm, no cranberries on that list.  Or green bean casserole.  And definitely no sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

The foods that Americans now traditionally eat for Thanksgiving are actually the result of a national day of thanksgiving that Americans celebrated in 1863, and which has been celebrated annually ever since.  Again, foods that were either readily available or had been stored for the winter were eaten:  turkey, potatoes, cranberries, pumpkins, and more.

Since that time, Thanksgiving dinner has evolved and become much more a matter of personal taste and family tradition than a meal that celebrates another successful harvest and features seasonal foods.  There are debates on the different kinds of stuffing (cornbread, chestnut, etc.) and the different ways to prepare the turkey (roasted, deep fried, and even grilled) and one’s preferences are highly personal and usually based on family traditions.

So, what about eating seasonally?

Well, that’s going to vary, depending on where you live.  For example, I live in Virginia, where cranberries would not normally be found, so I would eliminate cranberries from my meal.  (And who really eats those anyway?)  Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins are readily available here.  Apples are plentiful in the Old Dominion, so it would make sense to have homemade applesauce, cooked apples, and/or apple pie.   I could make a butternut squash soup, roasted acorn squash, and/or cauliflower gratin.  Late fall greens, such as collards, spinach, and even some hardy lettuces would also be possible.  Pumpkin pie would definitely be on my menu.

In short, for me, it would be incredibly easy for me to eat seasonal local foods for Thanksgiving.  I’m sure that in some regions it might be a little trickier.  But, it is possible for everyone to make at least part of the meal seasonal.

If you are interested in learning more about eating seasonally and locally, I encourage you to read Barbara Kingsolver’s wonderful book Animal, Vegetable Miracle (click here for a review), which talks about her family’s year-long experiment with eating locally.  She writes honestly about the challenges and pleasures of their endeavor.  She talks about Thanksgiving, of course, and devotes a very humorous chapter to turkeys, which is we all know is the most important part of the meal.

A hot topic in recent years is heritage vs. conventional turkeys.  The typical Thanksgiving turkey is  a Broadbreasted White that has been raised on a farm, force-fed grains that are not part of their natural diet, and pumped full of antibiotics.  Broadbreasted Whites are grown for size, not flavor.  In fact, they grow so large that they cannot move themselves easily by the end of their short lives and cannot even reproduce without outside help.

Heritage turkeys are the exact opposite.

Heritage turkeys are breeds that have been around a long time — generations.  Heritage turkeys are not kept crammed into cages, nor are they stuffed full of feed and antibiotics.  They get much more exercise and have a varied diet.  Heritage turkeys take longer to reach maturity, but the resulting bird has more fat.  Fat = flavor.  If you are interested in finding out more about heritage turkeys, go to Heritage Foods USA.

Unfortunately, heritage turkeys do cost more per pound.  A lot more.   Usually, 4-5X more, which is just not feasible for a lot of people.  More budget-conscious alternatives would be to check out your farmers’ market or your organic grocery store for an organic locally-raised turkey.

So that’s the low-down on how to re-think your Thanksgiving meal.  My challenge to you is to try to make your meal more seasonal. How you do this is entirely up to you, but I hope you will make at least one change, great or small.  And, don’t forget to give thanks for the farmers who grew your potatoes, corn, and more.

Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.

Eco Construction September 17, 2008

Jen is a friend of mine who will be guest blogging here at “Trying To Be Greener” once a month. As you will see, she has a lot of first hand knowledge in the many possibilities in building an eco-friendly home. Take it away, Jen, and thanks for being a part of things here!

My family lives in a college town in Virginia and this summer, after five years of planning, we broke ground on our dream home.

It took us two years alone just to find the right property. We were looking specifically for something within a short distance of our little downtown, so that we could walk or bike to restaurants, shops, the library, and other places. As you can imagine, finding an empty lot in a 250+ year old town is not an easy feat.

Luckily, we eventually found the perfect lot on a little street that was developed about 45 years ago — old enough to have some character but not so old that it’s in a historic district and we would therefore have to meet any strict architectural restrictions.

Another bonus is that our new house is less than a half mile from a bus stop. My husband already bikes to his job at the local university, but having a bus stop nearby will give him other options. As for me, my office is currently in my house, so I have the easiest commute possible (as well as a pretty terrific office dress code).

When my husband and I were planning our new house, we had four firm requirements:

1. It has to be modern — we prefer sleek, edgy design. Our little town is over-run with red brick Colonials and faux Colonials. While traditional architecture can be quite lovely, we wanted something that was clean-lined and not the same old, same old.
2. But… it also has to be comfortable — after all, this will be a family home. Our daughters are 8 and 10 and we want this house to be a fun place for them and their friends.
3. It has to be as environmentally friendly as we can afford — green construction is not always affordable, but we wanted to do the best we could.
4. It has to be built on a reasonable budget — anyone can build a house on an unlimited budget. It takes real creativity to build well while still sticking to a budget. When we were still in the research phase, builders and architects told us to expect to pay $200-$300+ per square foot — not including the land. We knew this was unreasonable and not necessary, so we kept researching our options. We ultimately found a builder who thinks the same we do and uses basic materials in creative, fun ways. Consequently, we are currently on course to spend well under $150/s.f. — including our one-third acre lot. And we are definitely NOT skimping on the materials we want to use, including gorgeous woodwork in every room and stunning tile in the bathrooms.

We designed the house specifically for our lot and the layout is based on the direction of the sun, so as to take advantage of passive solar heating. Large windows will face south, east, and west and the light should stream in during the cold months. During the warm months, the roof overhang will partially protect the interior from direct light and therefore keep the house cooler.

We considered solar power and water for our house, but ultimately did not choose them, as they were outside of our budget. Maybe in the future…

For the construction of the house, we (okay, really it was my husband) chose Superior Walls for the basement and structural insulated panels (SIP’s) for the first and second floors. You can see the actual construction of our basement here. In short, the resulting basement is solid, well-constructed, and very energy efficient.  The SIP’s only just arrived this week, but we already have a completed first floor and will have a completed second floor by Friday afternoon.  The roof — also SIP’s — will go up on Monday.

All of the joists and other structural beams are made from engineered woods that were produced from scraps and not old-growth forests. The joists are constructed in such a way that they use less wood in general. The house will have one structural steel I-beam, which will include some recycled metal.

The walls will be rated R-24 for insulation and the roof will be R-40. If you are not familiar with insualation values, let me assure you that these are excellent numbers!   The windows will be low-E insulated windows. For heating and cooling, the house will have a very efficient heat pump, which is one of the best options for our particular climate. We are anticipating that, because the house will be insulated so well, our actual heating and cooling costs will be low.

We are huge fans of the Not So Big House movement, so we worked hard to keep the size down and to have no unused rooms or large, wasteful hallways. Including the basement and the garage (also in the basement), the entire structure will be less than 2,800 square feet. The bedrooms and bathrooms will be small, so that the bulk of the square footage will be given over to communal spaces, like the living room, kitchen, and the family computer room. (As I mentioned earlier, I work at home and my husband also telecommutes at least once a week.) We also found space for a 10′ X 12′ toy room next to the children’s bedrooms (each 10′ X 11′) and, instead of a guest room that doesn’t get used very often, we’re instead using that space for a craft room, which will probably be used on a daily basis, as both my daughters and I are always working on a variety of projects.

All paints, sealants, glues, etc. used in the house will be low- or no-VOC. VOC’s are volatile organic compounds and they release vapors into the atmosphere. You know that new paint smell around construction sites? Those are VOC’s and they are not good. I don’t want VOC’s in my house and, luckily, our builder feels the same way and has actively sought out more environmentally friendly products.

On a related note, we will not have any wall-to-wall carpeting in the house.  Instead, we are bringing our existing area rugs — most of which are FLOR, which is very eco friendly — and reusing what we already have.  We do need to pick up a few extra rugs and they will be either more FLOR or some other green rug option (we’re still researching).

All light fixtures in the house will be either fluorescent or LED. It has been a challenge to find great lights that don’t use halogen bulbs, but I’ve found them and they’ll look fabulous.

All appliances will be Energy Star rated. Toilets and faucets will be low-flow.

Unfortunately, truly green kitchen cabinets were outside of our budget. Instead, we chose Ikea cabinets, which Consumer Reports loves for being well-built and very budget-friendly. We love how great they’ll look! We have not yet chosen the kitchen counters, but are considering a variety of options, including Formica, which has become much more environmentally friendly in recent years.

One final thing I should mention is that our builder has made the construction site as green as possible. There’s no dumpster for trash, as the builder believes that dumpsters encourage waste; all so-called trash is sorted first to remove anything that can be recycled or reused in some way. What is left has thus far been a very small pile of debris. The builder has two guys working for him and they both bike to work — and the builder is planning to start doing so soon as he recovers from a running injury.

I recognize that some of our choices are not the absolutely most environmentally friendly options, but we’re trying to find that balance between green (eco) and green (budget). I also recognize that building a new house is more wasteful up front than renovating an existing house; however, in the long run, if built well, the new house will be more energy efficient.

If you are interested in following our progress, we are blogging the whole process.
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