Random ECO-HUMAN IDEAS We Can Share

These ideas apply generally in most circumstances, but circumstances and special needs always rule our decisions and choices!

We can mend our clothes and darn our socks if one is listening to music or watching TV or having a seated, relaxed conversation with a friend or family member;

We can wash our clothes in COLD water and use only 3 TBSP of laundry powder for a heavy load; less if the load is lighter;

We can bikeshare, carshare, book-share, tool-share, space-share, clothes-swap, hand-me-down, and generally free ourselves of clutter;

Soap is highly concentrated to reduce shipping and storage costs, so please DILUTE your cleaning agents with generous amounts of water - the more dilute the cleaning solution, the more effective it is; in fact, water is the universal solvent - soap is merely an additive we can introduce when cleaning tasks become more onerous due to the passage of time and the stubborness of stains. Cardboard laundry soap containers are generally more eco-friendly than plastic laundry containers, even though they are made of recyclable HDPE2! A great recipe for degreaser that cleans stubborn stains and doesn't harm the environment: one part vinegar: one part dish soap: one part baking soda;

As amateur materials scientists, WE ALL learn intuitively through our experiences as we try out things we have invested in with our precious time, attention, and hard-earned money. Somethings fail, somethings serve to some degree, and some things exceed our expectations. Here are a few tips from my engineer Dad and our industrial design family friends and our nutritional researchers:

Only after careful deliberation and reflection on Someone's 7th Generation Decision/Purchase Assessment Strategy, when we buy an appliance or tool or piece of equipment, we must also assess the mechanical virtues (mechanical simplicity is best) of its design; the fewer moving parts there are in a design, the less likely it will break and need to be repaired.

Human beings can only absorb maximum nutritional benefit from one palm-sized portion of meat proteins per day.

When we buy groceries and other items, we try to opt for the sustainability hierarchy of packaging materials for Vancouver, BC:

• from best to least favourable: 1) nothing; 2) paper wrappers, paper cartons and paper cardboard; 3) aluminum or glass (it's a tie); 4) tin or metal; 5) plastics

• can you or someone else re-use the container or packages your food (or other items) come in?

• is a bag or container necessary for safe transport and storage of your food (or other) item(s)?

• can you bring your own containers and bags from home for refill?

• can you make your own bulk food storage bags from clothing remnants at home?

• can you invest in a durable and well-designed grocery store trolley bag with wheels instead of relying on power operated motor vehicles?

  
  

Books worth reading:

The man who started it all in my life with regards and respect for the environment is a writer named Victor J Papanek who wrote "The Green Imperative"; The woman who opened my eyes to the challenges and grave problems of the BP Gulf of Mexico Macondo Incident Oil Spill is a writer named Antonia Juhasz who wrote "Black Tide"; The writer who is my "stand in" grampie - when my own were half a world away in the Philippines and now deceased - is Robert L Fulghum who wrote several good light-hearted, entertaining, and good-humoured books!