Planning Ahead

The Snow is Accumulating Rapidly in Our Yard

It is hard to reduce my carbon footprint in the winter.  We need heat to keep our house warm in this frigid weather and I am certainly not one of those brave souls who actually bike in Minnesota when it is cold and there is snow and ice on the ground!  In fact, I barely even walk outside.  So when the temperature gets above 10 and the wind stops howling, a walk seems like a good idea - particularly if the sun is shining.  Yes, 10 and above, sunny and no wind is actually pretty darn comfortable weather.

This morning fit the bill.  It was snowing, but the temperature was reasonable and I decided that I would walk to my noon hair appointment.  I am particularly lucky to live in the city where it is possible to walk to the grocery store, the library, shops and services without too much effort.  The beauty salon is a little farther so I knew that I had to plan an extra 20 minutes into my leaving time to make this work.  Didn't happen.  At a quarter to (instead of half past) I tore out of my house in my big boots, waved a thank you to my neighbor who just finished shoveling the sidewalk in front of our house - once again- and hit the deep newly fallen snow at a jog.  I made it about a block before deciding there was no way I would make my appointment in time. I returned home to get the car. The difference between driving and walking to this appointment was a matter of 15 minutes.

So much of what we need to do to reduce our carbon use significantly is like that.  It's not necessarily hard - in fact much is quite pleasant.  The walk in the newly fallen snow would have been lovely and healthy.  Riding to a meeting or an outing with friends, ie: carpooling is fun.  Reducing clutter in the house and not filling it up with more stuff is liberating.  Yes, much of the changes I am trying to make are not only good for the earth, they are good for me.  And yet it does mean that I have to change the way I think about doing things.  To walk to my hair appointment means leaving the house 15 - 20 minutes earlier - to carpool means taking the time in advance to email my friends and suggest we share a ride - to reduce waste means remembering to take a reusable bag to the store, to think twice about buying that cute whatever on the shelf, to think about how to reuse the things I have.

I'm working on it, but it certainly doesn't happen overnight.

Update:  For those of you who read yesterday's post on solar leasing, the company I mentioned sent me some additional information on their business partners.  If you are interested in that update, I've added it to yesterday's post.

Solar Energy Leasing - A Great Way to Save on Your Electric Bill

Solar Panels

A few days ago Cathy Eberhart alerted me about a really exciting opportunity to get solar panels on my roof at hardly any upfront cost and to benefit from reduced energy charges for years to come - but the opportunity is going to go away in a few weeks.

Here is how it works:

• Cooperative Energy Futures will install a 3 - 10W solar array on your roof at basically no upfront charge. (A $25 share and a $300 refundable deposit). 
• You pay a monthly bill for the electricity generated by the panel at 75% of your current electric rates for 15 years
• After 15 years, the ownership of the solar array transfers to you along with a 10 year warranty on the equipment.  At that point, you get full credit for all of the electricity it produces.

Cooperative Energy Futures says that during the first 15 years you can expect to save from $150 - $300 per year on energy costs and after the first 15 years, they are projecting savings over $1000 per year - and of course, you are reducing carbon use for all of those years!

For this to work, you need to live in Minnesota, get your electricity from Xcel Energy (for this program.  There may be other folks offering programs for other Minnesota power companies) and have a roof position that will enable a solar array to generate enough electricity. And if there are too many home owners applying, there will be a lottery to choose who gets to go ahead.  Here is the site with the details:
Solar Leasing: Cooperataive Energy Futures

This program is dependent upon the Minnesota Made Solar Incentive program, one of those great initiatives of the 2013 legislature that I mentioned in an earlier post.  But the deadline to apply for that is February 28th and to get approved through Cooperative Energy Futures, you need to apply by February 14th.  So if you are interested, call: Bruce at Cooperative Energy Futures right away.  His phone number is: 612-568- 2334.  He's a nice guy - easy to talk to, and it doesn't hurt to at least see if your house qualifies.

I called him regarding our house.  He Googled our address to look at the house on Google Maps - it's that easy.  Unfortunately, the neighbor's trees and the particular shape of our roof puts us out of the running, but at least I tried.  Why don't you give it a try too.

Now keep in mind, that I have not worked with Cooperative Energy Futures and this is a new business model and there may be other companies offering similar models, so read the details, ask the questions and make your own decisions.  I'm just passing along information on what sounds like a good idea and a good deal.  Let me know if you do it and how it goes.

Update:  After I wrote this post, Cathy shared it with Cooperative Energy Futures.  They thought you all would also like information about their partners - all Minnesota companies - in this project.  Here is the information they sent to me with links to those companies:

Cooperative Energy Futures is working with the following partners to offer this solar leasing program to its members:

The Gopher Solar Program coordinates the financing and manages the financing and bill payment system for Minnesota’s first solar leasing program. Developed locally in January 2014, Gopher Solar harnesses the recent 2013 Minnesota solar legislation to enable Minnesotans to install solar at no upfront cost.

Innovative Power Systems is one of Minnesota’s oldest and largest solar installation contractors, named a top 100 Solar Contractor nationwide by solarpowerworldonline in 2013. Since 1991, IPS has installed hundreds of solar systems across Minnesota and serves as the system developer and installer for this program.

tenK Solar, based out of Bloomington, is one of two Minnesota manufacturers of solar     electric panels. This project will utilize their latest 410W modules, which have built in micro-inverters, full 25-year equipment and production warranties, and qualify participating households for the Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive.

Copper Mining or Copper Recycling?

Birch Lake, Minnesota

The battle is raging in Minnesota over whether or not to allow PolyMet to begin mining for copper adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  This is in the iron range - mining country - and lots of folks in that area want the mine because of the jobs it will bring.  Lots of other folks are terrified that a copper mine in the Boundary Waters watershed area will pollute the water and have frightening environmental and health consequences for hundreds of years to come.  

The environmental hazards of copper mining are pretty scary to me.  See this article: Sulfide Mining in Minnesota.  This is also disturbing: Recycling copper saves up to 90% of the energy of mining and processing virgin ore, yet the United States only recycles about half of its copper scrap.  The rest is exported to other countries!  Here's a quote from a Bloomberg Business Week article on exporting scrap metal to China: 

"Demand for copper in the U.S. is too low, and labor is too expensive, to be worth any scrap yard’s time." .... "for the last decade  (China) imported more than 70 percent of the scrap copper it uses. Meanwhile, the U.S., which throws away far more scrap metal than it can ever use, has become the world’s most attractive market for the savvy Chinese buyer."

So why do we need to build copper mines here that will harm our environment - and our drinking water - when we have so much recyclable scrap copper here that we export it overseas?  I imagine it is so that we can export even more copper.  Hmmm.Let's save that 90% more energy that mining uses and build some copper/ metal recycling plants on the Iron Range.

Whatever your views are, the environmental review for the PolyMet project is in process.  The last of the three public hearings is tomorrow at RiverCenter.  Show up if you can and make your views known. (5PM Open House, 7PM Public Comments)

If you can't make it,contact a key official.  Here are a few names:

Govenor Mark Dayton
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Tom.Landwehr@state.mn.us
Lisa Fay, Environmental Impact Statement Manager
Lisa.Fay@state.mn.us
Douglas Brunder, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
douglas.w.bruner@usace.army.mil & mvp-reg-inquiry@usace.army.mil
Tim Dabney, Deputy  Forest Supervisor, U.S. Forest Service, Superior National Forest: t.dabney@fs.fed.us
John Stein, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
John.Stine@state.mn.us
Rep. Betty McCollum
www.mccollum.house.gov
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
202-224-3244
Sen. Al Franken
202-224-5641

Great Recipe for Lentil Soup

Lentil Vegetable Soup

I've been trying out vegetarian and vegan recipes.  My family puts up with me.  We still eat meat because I'm not the only one in the house who shops and we do have a freezer.  Still,  as I wade through recipes, I do come up with plenty that are quite tasty.  I use Pinterest to collect my recipes.  It is just so inspiring to look at the beautiful photos of how other people's recipes turn out.

Here's one for lentil soup that I tried last month and just loved.  It was so hearty and made me feel good to eat it, but I haven't tried it since.  This weekend I'll be at a cabin with friends eating and snowshoeing and reading and talking.  I'm going to make the lentil soup again.  We will have it with some corn bread, a nice hearty salad and a yummy sounding cake with icecream. Wish me luck.
Here's the recipe:
     Lentil Vegetable Soup Recipe

Here's a link to my Pinterest recipe to try collection and here is a link to my Tried and True Recipes collection.  It's smaller by far.   There are others I've tried and liked but they aren't on Pinterest yet. Maybe one of these days I'll take photos of my own - assuming I get any that look photogenic enough.

Regrowing Vegetables I've Bought at the Store - In My Windowsill

Rooting Celery, Scallions and Romaine Lettuce

Here is a dandy way to reduce food waste, save a little money and garden in the middle of winter all at once - use the ends of your lettuce and other vegetables to grow new ones on your windowsill.

I didn't grow up on a farm and sometimes I miss the most obvious things.  One is that those vegetables I buy at the supermarket can often be used to grow a whole crop of new vegetables.  Peppers, onions and garlic are an example.  Then just a few weeks ago Elizabeth Andrew (who by the way is about to publish a great new novel) circulated this great blog post
 "10 Vegetables & Herbs You Can Eat Once and Grow Forever".  Now that is an idea that appeals to me.  Does growing garlic sprouts, carrot greens basil, scallions, Romaine lettuce, bok choy, onions, cilantro, ginger and mushrooms in the middle of winter appeal to you?  Me too.  Read that post for details.

The onions & ginger will require some soil right away, but all of the other vegetables can be grown or at least started in water right by a bright window.  I've started the Romaine, scallions and celery so far.  It seems amazing to me that I can grow a new head of Romain from the stump of an old head that's been sitting in the fridge a week, but, by gum, there is a nice little head of greens forming.  It's about an inch and a half tall after a week - no roots.  The greens are just popping up from the middle of the stump.  I have no idea how big they will grow, but I'm hoping for something harvestable.  Here's a close up:

Romaine Growing in Water

I've only started the scallions, from some slimy ones in the bottom of the crisper drawer.  The celery stump has been at it just under a week.  There is a root growing and a tiny bit of green coming up from the center.  It's going to be fun to see how they grow.

Getting Rid of Plastic Food Containers

"New" glass containers for pantry shelf

My mind has been on plastic the last couple of days.  It is everywhere! In the pantry, in the fridge, kids plates and cups, the shower curtain, the bathtub, every single lotion and cosmetic container, the milk jug, the vegetable wrappers, indestructible packaging and on and on and on.  And yet, there is plenty of evidence that many plastics are just plain bad for you - not to mention the environment.  I've known this for a long time, but when I look in my cupboards and my refrigerator, there is plenty of plastic and in the past I have been complaisant about heating up food in the microwave in plastic containers.  NO MORE!

Part of my problem has been that I wasn't really sure what plastic is OK and what is not and there is always the thought that if the government let's manufacturers sell the stuff, it must be OK.  Well, maybe not.  I found a good website yesterday that clearly defines by recycling number, what the different types of plastic are and which ones ought not to be around food.  (Stay away from 7!) Here's the link to the list:  Exposure to Chemicals in Plastic.
 This site also provides lots of information on breast cancer, and the things one should do to reduce cancer risks.  Now I had breast cancer 20 years ago and had sort of stopped thinking about it, but in the last month two people close to me have been diagnosed with breast cancer and I've heard several stories of the fatal return of cancer in women who had been cancer free for years.  Ooops.  Maybe I should be paying more attention to these things.  If not for me, than for my daughter and my grandchildren.

So today I got rid of the antique plastic containers I've been using in the pantry because you know they probably have BPA, as well as all of the plastic kids' plates, bowls and glasses just to be on the safe side.  My house is still full of plastic, but I feel a little better about the food.  Besides, I like the look of the glass jars full of goodies, don't you?

Oh, and of course, I don't really want to throw the old plastics away.  The containers will get use as storage organizers for non food items, but I'm not sure what to do with the kids plates etc.  I should give them away, but if I think they are not a healthy idea, how can I give them away just because other people aren't as worried??

Gardening to Reduce Climate Change

Roberta's garden (from DigginFood blog post)

It's the middle of winter.  It's cold outside.  There is snow everywhere.  Of course, I'm thinking about gardening.  The thought of green things growing, the smell of soil and flowers - it is like dreaming of going to a vacation paradise.  It's pretty good for the earth too.  Growing your own vegetables is certainly a way to avoid buying plastic enclosed vegies at the store.  Picking vegetables and fruits in your own yard takes less carbon than buying ones that have been trucked to your city and composting your fruits and vegetables will reduce the amount of produce that is thrown into landfills where methane - a heat trapping gas 23 times more potent CO2 - is formed.  I'll probably be sharing lots of posts on my efforts to grow vegetables this year, starting with this one that has some ideas for how to reduce the carbon impact of our gardens.  Here are a few ideas gleaned from The Union of Concerned Scientists website.  I know nothing about the organization, but the points in this linked article "The Climate Friendly Gardener" certainly make sense.  Here is a summary of their climate friendly gardening tips:

1. Choose low emission garden products and practices (use push lawn mowers, and avoid fossil fuel based fertilizers and pesticides, and peat based potting mixes).

2. Grow cover crops at the end of the season to keep the soil covered and replenish nutrients

3. Plant trees and shrubs.  They suck up CO2

4. Compost your food and garden waste

5. If you have a lawn, avoid those fossil fuel based fertilizers, mow high and water during the cool times of the day to reduce the negative impact of watering.

Here's a nice graphic on the flow of CO2 in our atmosphere:

And here is another plus to gardening - it is a way to reuse containers that are lying around!  Here is a link to a blog post from DigginFood of the garden that grows behind Roberta's pizzeria in Bushwick, Brooklyn (pictured at top).  This garden is planted on top of storage containers.  I love that she has used old cans for planting  and great big plastic containers for her raised beds.

What fun reused items have you used in your garden?