Comments sarahbei has made

  • suggestions on wording

    I'm a big wordsmither, and I just keep coming back to Eric Eckl's Water Words that Work blog.  Lots of great tidbits about making outreach relevant to the masses.

    www.waterwordsthatwork.com

    May not help you with specific slogans but understanding these principles is priceless.On Umbra on catchy Earth Day slogans posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses

  • Whole Foods dropoffs

    I guess Brita figures anybody who's going to go to the trouble to recycle a filter already goes to WF on a regular basis... a bit of a stereotype I think, but it's a decent start.  I doubt we'll see conventional grocery chains doing this anytime soon.  

    A better next step would be to have the local/municipal hazardous household waste and recycling dropoff locations accept them, just like they do batteries, CFLs, etc etc.On Brita announces recycling program for used water filters posted 1 year ago 7 Responses

  • adjustable shower flow - useful for ladies shaving

    Sorry if someone already posted this idea, I'm in a hurry:

    I have a low-flow NAVY showerhead, which has a button on it that you can use to reduce or stop the flow.  I use it to reduce flow to keep some steam going while I lather/shampoo/shave (which actually makes it EASIER, since water isn't washing away your lather or shaving cream or whatnot).  It's a lot easier than trying to avoid the flow/splash, and you don't need the water on full blast to keep yourself warm.  It's really convenient to be able to control the flow without inadvertently changing temp, which most showers make it hard to do!  
    On Umbra on long, hot showers posted 1 year, 8 months ago 21 Responses

  • archive help?

    I entered the term "garbage bag" in the archive and didn't get one whit of useful information along the lines of this poor reader's question.  Perhaps some more detailed suggestions on how to mine the archive are in order.On Answers to readers' most frequently asked questions about green dilemmas posted 1 year, 8 months ago 3 Responses

  • radio show and book - fascinating stuff

    Fresh Air just had an episode on bananas.  Terry Gross interviewed the author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World and it was fascinating.  They also talked about how there is a banana fungus or something that is threatening to wipe out banana trees (since they're all clones it wouldn't take much).  

    Yet another example of how mass industrialization of  agriculture is bad for us.  Africa is going to be particularly screwed since bananas make up a very important portion of the average African diet (so I heard).

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1909 ...On Umbra on organic bananas posted 1 year, 9 months ago 22 Responses

  • i agree

    Americans "need" larger fridges for the same reason we "need" large cars: because we like to have whatever we want at our immediate disposal (pun intended).  In places where there are stores within walking distance, one has the slight inconvenience of having to leave one's abode to procure the delights of the world, and must bear the risk that the store might be out (heaven forbid!).  Americans and those seeking to emulate us prefer to bring the offerings of the world home, where they can be more easily stockpiled (hoarded), monitored, and controlled.  Note the "home gym" phenomenon, the "home cappucino bar" phenomenon, the "home entertainment megacomplex" phenomenon, etc etc etc.

    Now, I would absolutely LOVE to have a house with all those things.  But I would love it more to have those things be accessible to me and everyone else via a short walk or public transit ride!  I might just get some exercise and make an unexpected acquaintance in the process of meeting my daily [cappucino] "needs".  Malthus would be proud.On Umbra on refrigerator downsizing posted 2 years, 4 months ago 34 Responses

  • NC music fests

    I worked on Signal Festival, an annual electronic music festival in April in Chapel Hill, NC.  We composted for our meet & greet.  

    • I got some compostable utensils from the folks who do Durham, NC's Festival for the Eno River.
    • Chapel Hill's local waste department dropped off and picked up the compost bin (with some reluctance)
    • I had two volunteers to help make sure that no one threw anything in the compost that wasn't compostable
    The host venue didn't have to do a thing.  That's the way they wanted it...

    Any system that relies on the festivalgoer to figure out by themselves which bin to throw something into is doomed -- sorting has to be either done by staff/volunteers or done with staff/volunteer assistance, unfortunately....

    Perhaps if it's during the day and people aren't wasted some folks MIGHT do it right, if you have some of the bins that have openings shaped like what you're recycling to prevent mistakes.  If it's at night or inside and people are the only thing lit, forget it!On Music festivals across the country aim to lessen their footprint posted 2 years, 4 months ago 7 Responses

  • wine container itself

    has anyone done work on the new-fangled aseptic wine containers and bags?  The companies that use these claim that they "save packaging," but I can't see how that would be, since aseptic container recycling is hardly universal.  I guess it is because they contain more wine than a bottle, generally??

    I CAN see how the shipping costs/energy would be less, since these containers weigh far less than a bottle does.  

    Still, I can't see how the material itself is inherently superior to glass, which as we all know is so easily recycled.  Thoughts?On Umbra on wine corks posted 2 years, 7 months ago 9 Responses

  • toxins in plastics

    I'm no expert, but I believe that all of these toxins are fat-soluble (thus their persistency in tissues).  And guess when the ONLY time you excrete fat is?  Yup, you guessed it: breastfeeding.  On Umbra on plastic and kids posted 2 years, 8 months ago 13 Responses

  • water reuse/toilet flushing

    on the subject of toilet flushing in general, a friend of mine collects the shower/tub water that is not yet hot enough to bathe in and uses THAT to flush the toilet (if you pour it in you don't have to use the handle).  

    Not sure how this might work with fancier toilets, but it is a great way to use less water.  Just have to have a place to put the bucket between when you collect the water and when you "flush" the toilet.On Umbra on peeing in the shower posted 2 years, 8 months ago 18 Responses

  • dryer sheets and drying methodology

    Umbra didn't mention that dryer sheets and fabric softener make your sheets and towels less absorbent.  I always feel like I'm simply depositing lint on my skin when I 'dry off' with a 'softened' towel.

    i cut down on dryer use and clothes wear & tear by

    1. using the drying rack for all non-natural fabrics and only put cottons in the dryer.  
    2. ratcheting down the temp in the dryer:  1st 15 min are full blast 'normal', 2nd 15 min are 'low'.  
    I take out stuff as it gets dry, rather than leaving everything in till everything is done.  I find this keeps my clothes from getting cooked/lintbally and the remaining items dry much faster. On Umbra on dryer sheets posted 3 years, 1 month ago 11 Responses