[ Ali Edwards ]

Blog Action Day : the environment

Chris took this shot a couple weeks ago when he was down in Southern Oregon visiting his grandparents. The fog was actually rolling up and over the hill in a giant steady wave.

Today a very cool thing is happening all over the internet called Blog Action Day. It is a day set aside for a mass posting about  a single issue - this year it is the environment. I just learned, as I was reading about the organizers, that one of them is Leo who writes one of my favorite blogs: Zen Habits.

So today, in honor of Blog Action Day, I want to talk a bit about the idea of green scrapbooking.

First thought: is this even possible? Let's face it, scrapbooking as most of us experience it today is really not very environmentally friendly. And the truth is, you really don't need all the excess stuff to tell your story and document your life creatively (the simple heart of what we do is words + photos). That said, since I am still planning to continue buying and using new products as most of the rest of you are (choices + balance, right?), there are definitely some things that can be done to lessen the impact on this one and only planet we call home.

Here are some things I am doing (or trying to do - as with everything else it is a work in progress) or have been thinking about in order to work towards a "greener" hobby/job/life:

1. Recycle all the paper scraps that don't go into my scrap-box for later us. This is super simple. I also recycle all product packaging, printing mistakes, bits of this and that, etc. In my office I have a big basket for paper recycling that gets put into our large recycle can for pick-up each week. This is an easy thing to do to lessen the amount of things going into the trash. Here's a great site that talks all about paper recycling.

2. Reuse. As you may have noticed in my post about my office last week, I buy a lot of my storage pieces second-hand. I love the character, charm and chance to re-purpose something that was originally created to be used for something else.

3. Re-purpose. Lately I have been looking for things to add to my projects at flea markets, garage sales, Goodwill, antique stores, etc. Accents, type-based papers, fabrics, etc can be located and purchased and become a part of my creations. This doesn't mean that I am going to stop buying some of the fun cool new products, it simply means I am broadening the scope of potential things to incorporate into my projects.

An off-shoot of this same idea: use the stuff that comes in the mail (that everyday "stuff" that accumulates...junk mail, etc) on your projects and pages. Re-purpose all that junk for some creative good. I talked a bit about this idea related to a "daily creative something" in a recent issue of my newsletter.

And if you think these are crazy ideas and you simply want to work towards eliminating the amount of junk you receive in the mail, you can do so by registering on the national "do not mail" list.

4. Simply use what you have rather than always buying the newest thing. For me this has started to mean being really conscious of what I buy. Many of you commented on how I am now using only four or five colors of cardstock rather than hundreds. This not only simplifies my choices when I am ready to create (which for me is a good thing), it also means I am not buying stuff that I am not going to use. There is nothing wrong with being picky when it comes to buying products. Thinking before you buy is a good thing.

5. Consider going digital or incorporating some digital products into your projects. Printing patterned paper at home using recycled paper is a cool option.

6. A question: Are there any scrapbook companies currently using recycled materials - paper or otherwise? If you know of one could you let me know by posting in the comments or sending me an email. I would love to be able to support companies that are using sustainable practices or working with recycled materials.

7. Encourage your local scrapbook store to recycle (and have recycling available in their crop room) and use compact florescent light bulbs. Simple stuff that can make a big impact. Here at home have changed over all of our bulbs over the last year or so - man, they really do last a lot longer than the traditional bulbs and with so many rebates available to price is really right.

8. Read this post from Worsted Witch (another of my favorite blogs) for a post on eco-scrapbooking.

Bottom line, as crafty creative people there are definitely things we can do to participate in the movement towards a greener earth. Recycling and reusing and reducing are words and actions that can become a part of our creative vocabulary and our creative lifestyle. Every little bit helps. 

Learn something new everyday.

Chris told me to file this one under "you learn something new everyday."

We had a guy from our local utility company come out today for an energy audit. It is a free service they provide to give you a heads up on ways to cut down your bill and use less energy (what we are ultimately striving for). Highly recommend doing this if your local company offers it as a service - it was eye opening to say the least.

One thing we learned - you really do need to change your air filters. The one Chris is holding is the same one that was in place when we moved in last December. Um, yuck. Totally inefficient and those ducts are super cheap and easy to change. Tom, our new energy efficiency friend, said it should be changed monthly.

Another thing we learned is that our home is seriously lacking on the insulation front. Further investigation into this is currently being done by Chris.

If you are local you can give EWEB's Energy Management Services a call to set up your own audit at 541-484-1125.

Wednesday stuff.

A couple of things today:

A new issue of the AEzine/Life Artist newsletter should be arriving in your inbox or can be found here.

I have set up an archive of my Creating Keepsakes column Studio A. Go here to download the pdf versions.

Thanks for all the thoughtful comments and additional links on the green post yesterday. And like I mentioned, I am taking it one day at a time - trying to make educated choices as I go along. Regarding ethanol - it is by no means the solution when produced using corn. Here is an interesting read regarding the production of ethanol from cellulose (paper, cardboard, wood, etc). I so agree with Anne who commented: I hope all of us empower ourselves with information from multiple sources before going along with changes with significant ramifications.   

Biofuels Bill + Green Thoughts.

Last week, before heading to the coast, we attended the bill signing ceremony for House Bill 2210 at SeQuential Biofuel station here in Eugene. Here are a few of the things that this bill will do:

• It creates a statewide Renewable Fuels Standard which requires the addition of 10% ethanol to all on-road gasoline and 2% biodiesel to all on-road diesel triggered by set volumes of in-state production of each fuel.  The RFS will quadruple the market for biodiesel in Oregon and will expand the ethanol market by more than five fold.
• It establishes tax credits for Oregon agricultural and forestry producers who send their raw materials to certified biofuels production facilities in Oregon.
• It encourages use of biofuels in state fleet vehicles.
• It establishes individual tax credits for drivers who use high blends of biodiesel and bioethanol in their vehicles.

Yea for Oregon. We have been filling up our car there with E10 (10% Ethanol - our Subaru can only take this right now). The state is doing something to make a difference.

This gas station is totally cool and totally green - including a living roof and a convenience store that features organic/natural foods (+ some conventional stuff). How refreshing to go into a gas station and be able to have some healthy options.

Here's one of my favorite photos from the day:

Simon directly behind the governor having a snack (gotta love that healthy bag of cheez-its). Five minutes before the Gov had sat in that same seat to sign the bill. Simon decided that was the best place for him to sit (a table and a chair is a good place for a snack right?) and it gave me my first few moments to breathe rather than chasing him from one location to the next.

I have been spending some time lately learning more about (and thinking a lot about) clean energy, composting + organic gardening, local eating, carbon offsets, conscious consumption and green living in general. Just as with everything in life there are arguments on every side for this or that or the other. Even within the "green" community there are disagreements about which way is the "right" way to move forward (especially it seems in regards to ethanol).

Here are a few of the green blogs I have been reading:

The Worsted Witch

No Impact Man

One Local Summer + Eat Local Challenge

Treehugger

GOOD Magazine

There is so much information out there on all this. Enough to make me want to plug my ears and cover my eyes at times - lots to think about and lots of small changes to make to do something within your own home to conserve energy or make this planet a little greener, a little better, a little cleaner. I'll share some more thoughts about this another day.

So yep, that's what's up around here today.