sustainablemer’s Recent Comments

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  radiant heat

  i also had a home with radiant heat. i don't know how much energy it takes to reheat a space with a radiant heat source, but i found i simply too slow in responding. 12-24 hours might pass before my thermostat showed the increased temp requested, say 60F to 68F. was my system defective, or is yours really responsive?
  emmerOn Umbra on turning down the heat posted 11 months, 1 week ago 21 Responses

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  cleaners

  for eram:
  try diluting out your dish soap, say 25% with water. the brand i use doesn't cling so much to the dishes at that dilution. also, a little vinegar in the rinse water may help cut it loose.
  emmerOn Umbra on Method cleansers posted 1 year, 2 months ago 23 Responses

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  adult trikes

  i have a small-ish adult trike. it folds in half and will go into the hatch back of my car. as a sort of sport model it has a shorter than standard distance between front and back wheels. be prepared with this size to smudge the back of you calf occasionally moving it around. my trike is less grandmotherly than most. it has upright handlebars and a cushiony seat (but not a giant tractor-type sit-down). it is almost dainty looking with its smaller than standard wheels.
  that said, mine has an electric hub motor. i can pedal it on flats, but the 3 little 12 volt batteries and the motor make it heavy. around town it goes about 10mph and can go 15+ miles on an overnight charge. other configurations are possible.i like it very much and use it regularly for errands. it came with a back basket between the rear wheels and i added a removable shopping basket in front. i too have balance problems. getting out of toe clips at an intersection was always and invite to fall. the trike took care of that. as for hills, it's not going up that is the problem. after all, you can use the motor and pedal assist if need be. remember that a steep downhill is beyond the capability of the brakes, esp with the added weight of groceries or packages. JUST GO SLOW!
  ride any likely trike you find. you really shouldn't catalog order a model you have never ridden. look for models with spring front fork and seat. most can be retrofitted with a motor if you decide to go that way.
  good luck in your search. hope you enjoy yours as much as i do mine.
  blessings,
  emmerOn Umbra on adult tricycles posted 1 year, 3 months ago 16 Responses

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  diapers

  did the study look into the questioner's version of cloth, ie minimal chemicals in wash, cold water, air dry? or just the standard throw-them-in-hot-with-bleach-and-blast-to-dry?
  my kids grew up on cloth. i made them hourglass shaped and stuffed extra layers of anything absorbant in the middle. one was trained at 15 months, one at 21 and one at 26. i believe that these relatively early trainings were because a wet or poopy cloth diaper doesn't feel good--no stay dry lining. they sag unattractively and noticeably. they leak around the edges, making the child uncomfortable and causing him/her to connect the act with the consequence.
  old cloth diapers make great cleaning rags. cloth diapers can be made from sewing project scraps, terry towels, remnants, etc. the cost up front could be modest.
  think of it as like recycling. it really isn't a big thing, but it makes a easy green statement; it doesn't take long once you establish a habit; and it is a gateway to other green habits.On Umbra on the never-ending diaper ado posted 1 year, 4 months ago 25 Responses

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  bike calories

  recently read that an average car uses the equivalent of over 1800 calories per mile driven and an average bike uses 35. the article further stated that walking uses more calories than biking. bikes rate as one of the pro-eco wonders of the world!
  i have a small fold-up electric trike. it weighs almost 50# and moves at about 18mph. it carries me and a few bags of groceries and has cut my car usage drastically. if it is less than a mile, i walk. if more, i bike. the car is now used an average of 75 miles a month. :-D emmerOn Umbra on the impacts of biking posted 1 year, 5 months ago 21 Responses