What small things did you do today to reduce your environmental impact?

[Poundwise]

I'm really pleased with myself. I posted on a moms group for our school district to see if there was interest in petitioning for a safe walking route from the park to the school, and there has been a big response.  It wouldn't cost much for the town to draw a new crosswalk and some new lines indicating a pedestrian/bike path.

If this goes through, we could have 50 more kids a day walking instead of driving to and from school, for decades!

[GuitarStv]

Refused a straw today

The camel's back thanks you.

[frooglepoodle]

Took my toddler son to a park with a splash pad to play today, and packed lunch in reusable containers and brought our own reusable water bottles. Took the apple cores home to compost. Green habits start young! :-)

[jengod]

* Cargo biked the kids home from school twice this week.

* My daughter's speech therapy will be in walking/biking distance, so hopefully will keep a car off the road for transport to and from that.

* We haven't taken out the green bin in months because we compost all green waste on site, and we only take the blue recycling bin out every other week. Still working on reducing our non-recyclable trash. (We have a take-out food problem.)

[Imma]

Plans for today:
- Doing laundry and drying it outside
- Mending some clothes
- Sewing a curtain from thrift shop fabric and thrift shop sewing thread
- Gardening - for years I've been working on killing off an invasive exotic plant and so far I'm doing better than most years.

[Hula Hoop]

My kids made a "summer drink" when we got home after being outside - just OJ, pieces of sliced orange and ice.  Younger daughter asked why we couldn't have straws in our drinks and I explained that I no longer buy straws because of the environmental impact.  They just accepted it and moved on.

[Anatidae V]

I made a batch of muffins and froze them in a big tub with one layer of baking paper between instead of individually wrapping in cling wrap. I'll be carrying them in a lunchbox anyway, no need for the wrapping... And if it doesn't work, I'll buy a lunchbox with partitions and then it WILL work!

I also combined car trips so I only had to go out once this weekend.

[aetherie]

It's Saturday and we haven't driven our car since Tuesday.

[okisok]

Realized a prescription would run out during the long holiday weekend. I already had my running shoes on to go to the gym.
The office is just under a mile away, so replaced my running shoes with flip-flops and rode my bike! Twenty minutes of exercise, and errand completed.

(Also a personal win about not procrastinating until the office was closed, feeling guilty all weekend about running out of meds, then a rushed trip on Tuesday morning. :)

[okisok]

Rode my bike to the community garden to dump off a bag of compost. I live in an apartment, so it was real epiphany when I read (maybe here!) that I can put compostables in a bag in the freezer until I can get to a composter. No smell, no fuss, just a brick of vegetable peels and apple cores that fits handily in a paper grocery sack.

After I dumped the compost, I used the sack to collect cans I found in the street on my ride home. Exercise in the sunshine, less waste in the landfill, less trash in the street, and I made about $0.25. All the wins!

[Barbaebigode]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth

The research the guardian article is about is this.

[Anatidae V]

I planted beetroot, spinach and cos lettuce to be our leafy greens this winter (southern hemisphere, warm climate). Fingers crossed they grow! I may plant some in pots inside as well, on the kitchen bench to hedge my bets (pun intended).

[Hirondelle]

My cilantro, mint and basil plants are still going strong. Saving the plastic they're usually packed in when buying fresh herbs every time I pick them from my own plants :) :)

[chaskavitch]

I didn't let my MIL use paper plates for dinner for 4 people.  Mostly I don't understand why you would do that when we have a perfectly good, empty dishwasher.

[Hirondelle]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth

The research the guardian article is about is this.

I should avoid meat more often. We do eat vegetarian every now and then, but should do it more consequently, like every week. I try to prepare normal portions of meat though, like 100 gram per person.

Not eating or drinking dairy would be a big problem for me. I love milk, cheeses, yoghurt, creams. This would be a lot more challenging than not eating meat.

It depends on what your starting point is and what your meals generally look like. When I moved towards a more vegetarian diet I started out by replacing my morning milk by tea (now I dislike milk). Then I just refused to put meat on sandwiches and ate other stuff (cheese, peanut butter, jam etc) instead for breakfast.

Dinner was the hardest for me as I still lived with my parents and their diet was very traditionally Dutch potatoes-veggie-meat. However now I live by myself I greatly enjoy eating curries, vegetarian pastas and just any dish without meat (even potatoes/veggie ones!). For me it's hard to imagine why I would miss meat if I already have a delicious curry or chili or pasta with a wide variety of ingredients in it. Sure it can be nice, but why is it such a big deal to leave it out for so many people?

I'm mostly sad that cheese is one of the worst things - it's the hardest to give up for me :(

[jengod]

Decided I'm just not going to use disposable plastic stuff anymore. No soda bottles, no straws, no disposable utensils. Read the latest National Geographic to see why.

I think most of the content is online here if anybody wants to look:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/

(?)

[jengod]

* Cargo biked our school run
* Line-dried a load of laundry
* Watered our roadside sycamore with graywater from the house
* Cloth-diapered the baby
* Made tea from loose-leaf tea rather than bagged tea (which may have some non-compostable packaging)

[chaskavitch]

I just found the Trash is for Tossers website, and I'm seriously considering replacing all of my personal care products with things she sells as I run out.  Refillable floss,  refillable conditioner, shampoo bars, compostable hair ties.  And they all come in compostable packaging!  I've been looking for shampoo bars for so long, I'm pretty excited.

[Phryne]

I just found the Trash is for Tossers website, and I'm seriously considering replacing all of my personal care products with things she sells as I run out.  Refillable floss,  refillable conditioner, shampoo bars, compostable hair ties.  And they all come in compostable packaging!  I've been looking for shampoo bars for so long, I'm pretty excited.

I did similar to this last month! A local store here has bulk enviro friendly cleaning & care products, with minimal or refillable packaging (or byo, so you don’t need to purchase more plastic!) The shampoo is more exy than what I’d been using previously, but is divine. The dishwasher powder is hands down the best we’ve ever had- no caustic smell or squeaky plates and is lasting for ages so is better value than I realised. And I love supporting a local small business.

Small things-
- Ordered a local veggie box from a local not for profit now that our garden has slowed production. All sourced from farms within 40kms of my house!
- went for a run today, so no wine bottle in the recycling bin tonight. Am feeling extra virtuous!
- covered herbs with an old bedsheet to protect them from last night’s frost
- washing is drying on a rack in front of a sunny window

[chaskavitch]

I just found the Trash is for Tossers website, and I'm seriously considering replacing all of my personal care products with things she sells as I run out.  Refillable floss,  refillable conditioner, shampoo bars, compostable hair ties.  And they all come in compostable packaging!  I've been looking for shampoo bars for so long, I'm pretty excited.

I did similar to this last month! A local store here has bulk enviro friendly cleaning & care products, with minimal or refillable packaging (or byo, so you don’t need to purchase more plastic!) The shampoo is more exy than what I’d been using previously, but is divine. The dishwasher powder is hands down the best we’ve ever had- no caustic smell or squeaky plates and is lasting for ages so is better value than I realised. And I love supporting a local small business.

I never even thought about local specialty stores!  We have a food co-op in town, and now that I've looked at their website, it appears they have shampoo, household items, olive oil, vanilla - all in bulk!  It is out of my way to shop there, but it sounds like it is absolutely worth looking into.  I'm so glad your comment made me think about them @Phryne !

[jengod]

Walked four miles down the creek path to meet a friend for lunch.

[Fomerly known as something]

I had 2 family chair re-upholstered instead of buying new.  Of course I paid no mind to the fact I picked a pricey material but oh well.  two 40 year old chairs look new again.

[Hirondelle]

Bought 2nd hand shoes.

[Phryne]

- Worked from home (saving the 40km car trip just to get to the train station)
- Went for a 5 km walk at lunch time which meant I could keep the fire low, saving wood, emissions & power (as the fan wasn’t on)
- made faux fried rice for dinner to use up last night roast chicken (with tarragon...), the pakchoy from my veggie box & a bundle of ginger a neighbour gave me. Was inauthenticity delish!
- planted the ends of spring onions I’d cut up yesterday.
- had grated beetroot rather than the roasted beetroot I’d planned for my salad, seemed  silly to turn the oven on for so long for something so small

I love reflecting on my day like this, it inspires me to do more tomorrow!

[greengardens]

The pump on my liquid soap dispenser broke. Instead of buying a new dispenser I bought a new Pump. Still had to throw away the old pump but better than throwing away the whole thing!

[okisok]

Remember to take a plastic grocery bag with me on the dog's walk. I have the specialty poo bags clipped to the leash, but I've been trying to cut down on them--one-use plastic and something I have to pay for. I use fabric bags for my groceries, so I have friends who don't save me their castoff bags and use them for the dog's business.

[Anatidae V]

Made biscuits (cookies) instead of walking to the shops to buy them.

Walked to the library for baby rhyme time.

[Bracken_Joy]

Jumping in. My recycling company no longer accepts virtually ANY plastics. Only gallon size milk jugs. Full stop. Throwing away cottage cheese and sour cream and yogurt containers is KILLING me. We used to have a 3/4 full recycling bin and a 1 bag trash can a week. Now we have like 1/4 and a full trash bin. SO. I am making a plan. I already own an instant pot.

-I picked up conventional milk and cream to start, in case I screw up a batch or two. But I'm going to use my IP to make cottage cheese, sour cream, and yogurt myself. When I get the recipes tuned in, I'll start buying the organic variety of this local brand I always buy.
-Also entertaining making my own laundry detergent now, since I can't recycle those bottles either. Recipes are welcome. I have a LOT of skin sensitivites, so I've been using the Ecos brand from costco. We have an HE washer, so it needs to be compatible.
-Finally got myself organized enough to get the deposit down for our 1/4 cow from a local lady we like. Grass fed, uses biodiesel, etc. I was buying some organic beef at costco as a stopgap, but I really prioritize local too.
-Garden is coming along.
-Picked cherries from a relative's. She's not able body enough to do it solo, and they would go to waste otherwise. Gifted some to her, of course, and brought a lot home for ourselves. Now to figure out what to do with them! The tree isn't sprayed or netted, so a lot of them have bad spots. Jam maybe? They're on the tart side of sweet.

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

[HappierAtHome]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

[frooglepoodle]

Bracken_Joy, I’ve seen recipes for Paleo fruit crisps that look pretty good.

Cherry mole tacos: https://newleafwellness.biz/2016/11/03/crockpot-cherry-chicken-mole-tacos/ (surprisingly good considering the source is a white lady from Pittsburgh)
Cherry salsa: https://nwedible.com/cherry-salsa-canning-recipe/ (haven’t tried it but sounds delicious!)

* We’ve been eating a ton of local veggies from our CSA box and farmer’s market. I sautéed a new-to-me variety of squash with chard and kale with our dinner tonight.
* making a batch of homemade yogurt in the Instant Pot tonight.
* the last bit of last week’s milk smelled a little off so it’s going into pancakes tomorrow morning.
* bought bulk (1lb) bags of two herbal teas that our local natural food market doesn’t stock online. We drink a lot of iced herbal tea in the summer!
* I took a soapmaking class. I had to drive a reasonable distance to get to the class and the recipe we made wasn’t the most natural (I avoid palm oil and synthetic fragrances, but that’s what was provided), but I wanted to learn the process so I can make soap from locally sourced ingredients like lard, tallow, and beeswax!

[OtherJen]

Oh wow, I’m saving that cherry mole recipe. We have 3 lbs of cherries in our freezer from a Hungry Harvest delivery a couple of weeks ago, and we love mole.

We just received our third Hungry Harvest delivery yesterday, and it really makes me conscious of what fruits and veggies I have on hand and what needs to be used to avoid waste. I boiled potatoes for salad and sautéed zucchini noodles for a side dish early today, before the outside temperature went up. I have plans for a few more of the veggies tomorrow.

[OtherJen]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

This is nice to read. I have celiac disease (i.e., no gluten) and try to eat as varied a diet as possible, so I prefer not to put additional restrictions on my diet beyond the medically necessary one. It’s a balance: I feel really good when the bulk of my diet is plant-based and not highly processed, but my body craves some animal fat/protein every day. Even a couple of eggs or a piece of cheese is enough.

[HappierAtHome]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

This is nice to read. I have celiac disease (i.e., no gluten) and try to eat as varied a diet as possible, so I prefer not to put additional restrictions on my diet beyond the medically necessary one. It’s a balance: I feel really good when the bulk of my diet is plant-based and not highly processed, but my body craves some animal fat/protein every day. Even a couple of eggs or a piece of cheese is enough.

Gluten is such a great example, because it can literally give people cancer, yet my body is a-okay on plenty of wheat (I've done full elimination diets).

I love eggs, but with a recently acquired suspected egg allergy (yet to be confirmed by an allergist) I'm worried they're going to be something I never get to eat again. While I aspire to be mostly-vegan, I sure would have loved to have eggs once a fortnight or so.

[HappierAtHome]

Okay friends: has anyone successfully used a non-glyphosate method to kill oxalis? I've been researching and it looks like pulling the weeds makes it spread even faster; there are varying accounts of how successful the boiling water method is. I like the concept of snipping off all leaves on all plants as soon as you see them, but that's also very labour intensive and requires a level of vigilance I may or may not possess. But if someone tells me it definitely works, I'll try it!

[Anatidae V]

Okay friends: has anyone successfully used a non-glyphosate method to kill oxalis? I've been researching and it looks like pulling the weeds makes it spread even faster; there are varying accounts of how successful the boiling water method is. I like the concept of snipping off all leaves on all plants as soon as you see them, but that's also very labour intensive and requires a level of vigilance I may or may not possess. But if someone tells me it definitely works, I'll try it!

I've heard a tiny gardening flamethrower thing can work on weeds. If someone confirms that would work, can I use you as an excuse to purchase one? :P

[HappierAtHome]

Okay friends: has anyone successfully used a non-glyphosate method to kill oxalis? I've been researching and it looks like pulling the weeds makes it spread even faster; there are varying accounts of how successful the boiling water method is. I like the concept of snipping off all leaves on all plants as soon as you see them, but that's also very labour intensive and requires a level of vigilance I may or may not possess. But if someone tells me it definitely works, I'll try it!

I've heard a tiny gardening flamethrower thing can work on weeds. If someone confirms that would work, can I use you as an excuse to purchase one? :P

Ooooh I did notice that Diggers sells those. I wonder if they'd ship it to Perth... Also useful when the Triffids rise.

[Imma]

Okay friends: has anyone successfully used a non-glyphosate method to kill oxalis? I've been researching and it looks like pulling the weeds makes it spread even faster; there are varying accounts of how successful the boiling water method is. I like the concept of snipping off all leaves on all plants as soon as you see them, but that's also very labour intensive and requires a level of vigilance I may or may not possess. But if someone tells me it definitely works, I'll try it!

I've heard a tiny gardening flamethrower thing can work on weeds. If someone confirms that would work, can I use you as an excuse to purchase one? :P

Ooooh I did notice that Diggers sells those. I wonder if they'd ship it to Perth... Also useful when the Triffids rise.

I have a weed problem in the garden too and I was told about those mini flamethrowers as well. I have been too scared to try them, if you decide to try it please let me know how it went. It's not extremely dry around here, but the weeds are close to my house and I can already see myself accidentally setting my house on fire....

[Bracken_Joy]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

Thanks <3 From the responses, I can tell this is a far more welcoming and tolerant space then my anxiety convinced me it would be.

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

Bracken_Joy, I’ve seen recipes for Paleo fruit crisps that look pretty good.

Cherry mole tacos: https://newleafwellness.biz/2016/11/03/crockpot-cherry-chicken-mole-tacos/ (surprisingly good considering the source is a white lady from Pittsburgh)
Cherry salsa: https://nwedible.com/cherry-salsa-canning-recipe/ (haven’t tried it but sounds delicious!)

Oh man, saving that mole recipe. And fruit crisp is a great idea. We both do totally fine with oats (husband so long as we don't eat too many, or he's had a really active day), so a toasty oat'n'nut crust could be great. I didn't even think about just tweaking a blackberry recipe or something!

I'm not sure how I feel about cherry salsa! I really dislike salsa with mango or corn, any sweet pockets like that. Maybe with the cherries being more tart than sweet? Maybe I'll try that if I get a second haul this year.

Okay friends: has anyone successfully used a non-glyphosate method to kill oxalis? I've been researching and it looks like pulling the weeds makes it spread even faster; there are varying accounts of how successful the boiling water method is. I like the concept of snipping off all leaves on all plants as soon as you see them, but that's also very labour intensive and requires a level of vigilance I may or may not possess. But if someone tells me it definitely works, I'll try it!

I've heard a tiny gardening flamethrower thing can work on weeds. If someone confirms that would work, can I use you as an excuse to purchase one? :P

Ooooh I did notice that Diggers sells those. I wonder if they'd ship it to Perth... Also useful when the Triffids rise.

I have a weed problem in the garden too and I was told about those mini flamethrowers as well. I have been too scared to try them, if you decide to try it please let me know how it went. It's not extremely dry around here, but the weeds are close to my house and I can already see myself accidentally setting my house on fire....

Those flame week killers are super fun! But you're totally right Imma, they're kinda terrifying! You need to set up a really good perimeter, have 5-gal buckets of water on standby, etc. They're considered the gold standard around here for invasives, though.

[Hirondelle]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

Thanks <3 From the responses, I can tell this is a far more welcoming and tolerant space then my anxiety convinced me it would be.

Even within a meat+dairy containing diet there's still lots of space for tweaking to reduce environmental impact. Beef, pork and cheese are environmentally the worst, so replacing those by e.g. chicken already has a tremendous impact (if I remember correctly beef is 3-4x worse than chicken but correct me if I'm wrong!).

[Bracken_Joy]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

Thanks <3 From the responses, I can tell this is a far more welcoming and tolerant space then my anxiety convinced me it would be.

Even within a meat+dairy containing diet there's still lots of space for tweaking to reduce environmental impact. Beef, pork and cheese are environmentally the worst, so replacing those by e.g. chicken already has a tremendous impact (if I remember correctly beef is 3-4x worse than chicken but correct me if I'm wrong!).

I've struggled with this logistically recently- growing up, we raised our own chicken and turkey, so obviously could control a LOT of factors there. But now that I'm purchasing instead, it's been quite difficult- while there's a 25% or so premium to get local organic grass fed and finished beef over store bought conventional, there's a 5-6x price difference for chicken for even just store bought organic and local vs conventional. And even then, I can't find a good local farmer for it where the price difference isn't more like 10x! How do others deal with that, without raising their own? We live in the suburbs now, so hobby farming isn't really an option.

(We do fish a fair bit as well, to take the burden off land-based meats. And game when we have it. But a fair bit of our meat is still purchased)

[frooglepoodle]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

Thanks <3 From the responses, I can tell this is a far more welcoming and tolerant space then my anxiety convinced me it would be.

Even within a meat+dairy containing diet there's still lots of space for tweaking to reduce environmental impact. Beef, pork and cheese are environmentally the worst, so replacing those by e.g. chicken already has a tremendous impact (if I remember correctly beef is 3-4x worse than chicken but correct me if I'm wrong!).

I've struggled with this logistically recently- growing up, we raised our own chicken and turkey, so obviously could control a LOT of factors there. But now that I'm purchasing instead, it's been quite difficult- while there's a 25% or so premium to get local organic grass fed and finished beef over store bought conventional, there's a 5-6x price difference for chicken for even just store bought organic and local vs conventional. And even then, I can't find a good local farmer for it where the price difference isn't more like 10x! How do others deal with that, without raising their own? We live in the suburbs now, so hobby farming isn't really an option.

(We do fish a fair bit as well, to take the burden off land-based meats. And game when we have it. But a fair bit of our meat is still purchased)

I read the arguments in favor of ruminants as nitrogen fixers! :-) But we live in the Appalachians so a lot of land is really only suitable for grazing.

Are there are farmers in your area that offer bulk pricing on chickens? I pretty much only buy whole chickens, usually from a family that offers buy 5, get one free on whole chickens, and part them myself. We don’t have anywhere near the cost difference in our area, though. I pay $3.50-$4.50/lb for pastured chickens from local farmers depending on organic, etc. and I think the non-sale price at the grocery store is around $1/lb?

[krmit]

@Bracken_Joy, I'd love to hear what recipe you use for cottage cheese if it works out.

I make my own powdered laundry detergent (and actually store it in a plastic yogurt container): 1 cup borax to 1 cup washing soda to 1 cup shredded Fels-Naptha soap. I use 1 tablespoon per load in my non-HE washer.

[Bracken_Joy]

@Bracken_Joy, I'd love to hear what recipe you use for cottage cheese if it works out.

I make my own powdered laundry detergent (and actually store it in a plastic yogurt container): 1 cup borax to 1 cup washing soda to 1 cup shredded Fels-Naptha soap. I use 1 tablespoon per load in my non-HE washer.

I'm doing this recipe for the cottage cheese: https://thisoldgal.com/instant-pot-homemade-cottage-cheese-recipe/ and this for the sour cream: https://brigettholmes.com/recipe/make-cultured-sour-cream-instant-pot/ I'll report back on how they turn out =)

Re: the detergent, I found this comment: "That is the question I’ve gotten the most in the 100+ comments on my original laundry detergent recipe tutorial. I don’t personally have a high efficiency washing machine but have heard from dozens of readers and friends who do and they’ve used this in an HE washer with no problems.

The main concern with a high efficiency washer is creating too much suds, so a low-suds soap or detergent is suggested. This recipe is low-suds by definition and should be safe for HE, but always check with the instructions that came with your machine to make sure before using." From: https://wellnessmama.com/27059/high-efficiency-laundry-detergent/ And her recipe sounds a lot like yours! I guess I could always try making it, and if it doesn't rinse clean, then gift it through Buy Nothing or something. Having add a second rinse would definitely undo all the benefits! Haha.

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

Thanks <3 From the responses, I can tell this is a far more welcoming and tolerant space then my anxiety convinced me it would be.

Even within a meat+dairy containing diet there's still lots of space for tweaking to reduce environmental impact. Beef, pork and cheese are environmentally the worst, so replacing those by e.g. chicken already has a tremendous impact (if I remember correctly beef is 3-4x worse than chicken but correct me if I'm wrong!).

I've struggled with this logistically recently- growing up, we raised our own chicken and turkey, so obviously could control a LOT of factors there. But now that I'm purchasing instead, it's been quite difficult- while there's a 25% or so premium to get local organic grass fed and finished beef over store bought conventional, there's a 5-6x price difference for chicken for even just store bought organic and local vs conventional. And even then, I can't find a good local farmer for it where the price difference isn't more like 10x! How do others deal with that, without raising their own? We live in the suburbs now, so hobby farming isn't really an option.

(We do fish a fair bit as well, to take the burden off land-based meats. And game when we have it. But a fair bit of our meat is still purchased)

I read the arguments in favor of ruminants as nitrogen fixers! :-) But we live in the Appalachians so a lot of land is really only suitable for grazing.

Are there are farmers in your area that offer bulk pricing on chickens? I pretty much only buy whole chickens, usually from a family that offers buy 5, get one free on whole chickens, and part them myself. We don’t have anywhere near the cost difference in our area, though. I pay $3.50-$4.50/lb for pastured chickens from local farmers depending on organic, etc. and I think the non-sale price at the grocery store is around $1/lb?

That's a good idea on the bulk. Maybe I'll call around. I'll admit I haven't looked hard this year.

[Hirondelle]

I'd suggest cherry pie, but I don't think you'd do the pie crust?

(Also, please don't jump on me re: meat+dairy. A lot goes into our decision to eat the way we do, and we're not blind to the environmental impacts of it. Better is sometimes the best you can do when "best" isn't a good option. Thanks for understanding.)

I'd like to believe this is a jumping-on-people free zone.

My personal belief is that anyone who is putting thought into the impact of what they're eating is miles ahead of anyone who isn't (that statement applies to health as well as environment), plus different bodies tolerate foods differently. My body feels great on loads of beans, nuts and seeds; if I couldn't digest beans I might make completely different choices.

Thanks <3 From the responses, I can tell this is a far more welcoming and tolerant space then my anxiety convinced me it would be.

Even within a meat+dairy containing diet there's still lots of space for tweaking to reduce environmental impact. Beef, pork and cheese are environmentally the worst, so replacing those by e.g. chicken already has a tremendous impact (if I remember correctly beef is 3-4x worse than chicken but correct me if I'm wrong!).

I've struggled with this logistically recently- growing up, we raised our own chicken and turkey, so obviously could control a LOT of factors there. But now that I'm purchasing instead, it's been quite difficult- while there's a 25% or so premium to get local organic grass fed and finished beef over store bought conventional, there's a 5-6x price difference for chicken for even just store bought organic and local vs conventional. And even then, I can't find a good local farmer for it where the price difference isn't more like 10x! How do others deal with that, without raising their own? We live in the suburbs now, so hobby farming isn't really an option.

(We do fish a fair bit as well, to take the burden off land-based meats. And game when we have it. But a fair bit of our meat is still purchased)

That's a tough one indeed. It's always hard to try to optimize between better/organic products and low cost. However, this wasn't the point I was trying to make. Honestly, whether meat is organic or local or not has only a small effect on its environmental impact. In many cases organic meat can even be worse for the environment as animals need more space and grow slower (so use more resources while alive). Growing a cow, even if you do it yourself, just does cost a temendous amount of resources and emits lots of greenhouse gasses. For chicken or pigs these numbers are still much higher than for plants, but already lots lower compared to the beef-producing cows. Just giving up beef, while eating an equal amount of total meat could therefore already reduce your environmental impact by quite a lot (depending on how much your consumption was to start with ofc.)

Here's an example of an article that discusses the matter and provides some numbers. It was the first one I found on Google so not necessarily the most thourough/accurate one, but the general line of evidence is clear.

btw; not trying to "jump on you" or judge you but just trying to provide ideas to reduce your impact without completely going vegetarian.

[HappierAtHome]

Those flame week killers are super fun! But you're totally right Imma, they're kinda terrifying! You need to set up a really good perimeter, have 5-gal buckets of water on standby, etc. They're considered the gold standard around here for invasives, though.

That sounds... more intense than I was expecting. I just have a suburban yard (my block is only 0.11 acres, and it's mostly house). I'll be torching weeds that are growing between pavers, and in flower beds with (damp) mulch and fruit trees. I was planning to have a bucket of water on hand, and good stomping shoes if I need to stomp a tiny fire out. I might talk this through with some locals to see if I'm in danger of starting a real fire.

[Bracken_Joy]

Those flame week killers are super fun! But you're totally right Imma, they're kinda terrifying! You need to set up a really good perimeter, have 5-gal buckets of water on standby, etc. They're considered the gold standard around here for invasives, though.

That sounds... more intense than I was expecting. I just have a suburban yard (my block is only 0.11 acres, and it's mostly house). I'll be torching weeds that are growing between pavers, and in flower beds with (damp) mulch and fruit trees. I was planning to have a bucket of water on hand, and good stomping shoes if I need to stomp a tiny fire out. I might talk this through with some locals to see if I'm in danger of starting a real fire.

They're fairly easy to rent and borrow around here, maybe check into a rental situation? And then you have the added benefit of picking people's brains. I know we don't take near the precautions in the winter (soooo wet) as we do in the summer (soooo dry). So seasonality plays a role too!

[Fresh Bread]

I am also overrun by oxalis. I was going to purchase this sort of mini soldering iron thing (to burn words into wood). Maybe I could use it to zap weeds near the house??? There's no naked flame, I could stick the prong into the roots.

[The Guru]

Okay friends: has anyone successfully used a non-glyphosate method to kill oxalis? I've been researching and it looks like pulling the weeds makes it spread even faster; there are varying accounts of how successful the boiling water method is. I like the concept of snipping off all leaves on all plants as soon as you see them, but that's also very labour intensive and requires a level of vigilance I may or may not possess. But if someone tells me it definitely works, I'll try it!

I've heard a tiny gardening flamethrower thing can work on weeds. If someone confirms that would work, can I use you as an excuse to purchase one? :P

Ooooh I did notice that Diggers sells those. I wonder if they'd ship it to Perth... Also useful when the Triffids rise.

I have a weed problem in the garden too and I was told about those mini flamethrowers as well. I have been too scared to try them, if you decide to try it please let me know how it went. It's not extremely dry around here, but the weeds are close to my house and I can already see myself accidentally setting my house on fire....

we have one of those at the commercial greenhouse where I work, and you'd be amazed how much heat it takes to kill a weed (though useful to incinerate all those seeds oxalis throws off). Have you tried vinegar w/ a few drops of dish soap as a spreader? This burns off the foliage quite well (especially in full sun; you'll see results faster than w/ glyphosate); it doesn't kill the root, but if you do successive sprays the root will die due to lack of food from the foliage.

[birdie55]

Bracken Joy,

This Old Gal has a yogurt recipe that many, many people use successfully, on the IP facebook group.  I have never tried it, I don't eat enough yogurt to warrant making it myself.  However, I've read many posts about it. 

[Bracken_Joy]

Bracken Joy,

This Old Gal has a yogurt recipe that many, many people use successfully, on the IP facebook group.  I have never tried it, I don't eat enough yogurt to warrant making it myself.  However, I've read many posts about it.

Thanks! I do have a yogurt recipe I've made a few times already, although it's been a while. Cottage cheese and sour cream are new for me =)

The cottage cheese turned out okay, although *very* mild in flavor. I may try doing a fermented cottage cheese next, and see if I like the flavors better.