Rachel Carson: The Power Of One

After listening to a Moms Clean Air Force webinar, it struck me that protecting the air our kids breathe can seem so overwhelming that one might feel powerless against the onslaught of information. I am reminded that one individual can, and did, change our nation's pollution history. Rachel Carson used her extensive scientific knowledge, her prolific writing skills, and her love of nature, to make citizens aware of the dangerous chemicals in our air. She not only cleaned up a pollution problem, she led the way for the EPA to clean up the air for the future.

Rachel Carson's groundbreaking book, Silent Spring called for a ban on the chemical DDT, and other harmful pesticides. She provided scientific evidence of the devastating effects these chemicals had on living things - changing the way we viewed pollution forever.

Carson was already a renowned nature author and marine biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when she heard from a friend on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, about large bird kills that had occurred as the result of DDT sprayings. To no avail, Carson tried to gain the interest of a magazine to publish her findings about the incident. Then she decided to go ahead and tackle writing a book about the issue.

In Carson's meticulous prose, Silent Spring describes how chemicals enter the food chain and accumulate in the fatty tissue of the bodies of humans and animals - causing cancer and genetic damage. Carson's conclusion was that DDT and other pesticides had irrevocably harmed birds and animals. She also presented an alarming statement that the pesticide had contaminated the entire world's food supply. In the most evocative chapter, "A Fable for Tomorrow," depicts an American town where all life "from fish to birds to apple blossoms to human children had been silenced by the insidious effects of DDT."

In the early 1960's, The New Yorker picked up the story. Ater the release of the article, claims by chemical companies and terrified readers attacked Carson's words: "If man were to faithfully follow the teachings of Miss Carson, we would return to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases and vermin would once again inherit the earth." ~ American Cyanamid Chemical Company

Much to the chemical company's dismay, and because of Carson's findings, DDT was eventually banned. Many believe Carson was one of the inspirations behind the formation of the EPA: "There is no question that Silent Spring prompted the Federal Government to take action against water and air pollution - as well as against the misuse of chemicals - several years before it otherwise might have moved." ~ from a government natural resources expert after Carson's death

Rachel Carson's message still resonates strong today. Let the legacy of Silent Spring serve as an awareness wake-up call: All living creatures are vulnerable - the littlest ones have the most to lose.

“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, what if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" ~ Rachel Carson

I highly recommend reading Silent Spring. One summer, my family visited the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge in Maine. It is a beautiful vacation spot, and an idyllic environment to view the habitats of coastal creatures. The tidal salt marsh is particularly fun for hands-on exploration. Teaching the powerful message that each and every one of us can clean up the air is a gift worth sharing with our kids.

Main Photo: Chris-Lamprianidis via Deviantart

Tale Of 3 Toilets

I can attest that not all toilets are created equal. There have been three distinctly diverse toilet systems in my life. This little story is mainly about my different middle toilet. The first toilet was kind of boring and my last toilet is really spectacular.

When I met my husband, green was just a color. He lived in a house named, thumb“The Ecology House”. The idea of building a sustainable home was so forward-thinking at the time, that the house was highlighted in the book, 30 Energy-Efficient Houses, by Alex Wade. It was designed and built by a local man as an experiment. We called the house the A-Frame.

Living in the A-Frame was like living in a park full-time. My husband, his cat and I lived in this special house in the pre-kids years. We swam in the roaring creek that gushed over rocks just footsteps from our back door. We peered out the windows at the mountains, and hiked trails that zigzagged through the woods. The attributes that embraced the land surrounding the A-Frame were breathtaking.

There were a number of innovative energy-efficient properties that made the A-Frame a truly groundbreaking example of a green home. The passive solar house was built entirely on bedrock. No septic and no basement. This house was magnificent in its smallness and simplicity.

The toilet in the A-Frame was something I had never encountered. It was called the Clivus Multrum Composting Toilet System. It wasn’t one of those “hold your nose and go as fast as you can” toilets that you might find in an outhouse or porta-toilet. It worked very simply once you got used to not flushing. The one thing we stressed to everyone that visited our bathroom was that you had to leave the seat closed for it to do its composting magic.

“Composting is the breakdown of organic matter in the presence of aerobic organisms. This is the same process that happens wherever organic matter is exposed to oxygen and moisture: In forests, garden compost piles, lawns, etc. The composting toilet system allows human waste to break down into simple, stable compounds that have value as plant nutrients.”

These toilets have so many components of green living. They are low maintenance, conserve water and convert waste to reusable fertilizer. Most importantly, they have no odor and the air stays clean and fresh. Our Clivus, which we affectionately called it, was upstairs in a second story bathroom. Its tank was discreetly hidden downstairs behind the kitchen wall where the fertilizer was produced.

We lived harmoniously with our Clivus, until the day that we brought a new puppy into our home. In our excitement over our cuddly new family member, we had forgotten about the cat. We couldn’t find him. Frantically, we searched and found the cat perched over the Clivus with the concentration of an Olympic diver going for gold. He was so petrified of the dog that he was about to take the plunge. Someone had forgotten to close the seat!

We moved from the A-Frame to accommodate our growing family, and for many years had traditional water and energy zapping toilet systems

After the greening renovation of our bathrooms, my third toilet system was installed. I can attest that our dual-flush toilet is a true beauty. It meets our family’s needs, it appeals to my design sense, and makes the environmental nod our planet appreciates with a water savings of 67%. Did I mention there is also no possibility of losing a beloved pet?

Photo: Ted Fink

Small Homes: How Low Can You Go?

“Wow, this house is small.” That is what a cute little six-year friend of my son’s once innocently blurted out during play date. Let me set the record straight – by no measurable means is my home small. According to Mother Earth News, the average American home is 2,343 square feet - more than double what the average was in 1950. All things considered, that girl was correct because my average house and detached studio was a lot smaller than her family’s whopper-sized McMansion.

Erecting an average home results in roughly 8,000 pounds of construction waste, and yearly 136,000,000 tons of construction and demolition waste that ends up in…you guessed it – the landfill. Bigger is not better.

I’ve been following the tiny house movement, and while these homes are energy-efficient and economical, what they lack in size, they often lack in style too. We all have our unique requirements for home sweet home. Could I be happy in a smaller home? Sure, a smallish, stylish and slowish home like one of the houses in Small ECO Houses, Living Green in Style, by Cristina Paredes Benitz and Alex Sanchez Vidiella would be dreamy.

I just reviewed this fresh new book. The houses profiled are the perfect mix of eco and style. Small ECO Homes challenges the reader to recognize how good design can transform a small space into a comfortable, modern home. And even more importantly, the inspirational planet-loving solutions create incredibly beautiful results. Read the full review HERE.

How small could you go?

TEDWomen: Changing The World With Humor

Last year, I interviewed my friend, New Yorker cartoonist, Liza Donnelly for an article called, Drawing For Good. At the time, Liza had recently returned from attending a conference in France where she, along with several other women cartoonists from around the globe were being honored for their humorous contribution as a catalyst for change. I asked her if expressing her personal convictions about women, art, politics, or the environment, limits or expands her profession as a cartoonist, Liza explained: "I am a cartoonist first, and while I bring my perspective as a woman to many of the cartoons I draw (whether they be about women, feminism, politics, whatever), it is not the first thing I necessarily think about. I draw as a person, and feel compelled sometimes to draw about issues that affect women around the world. Acknowledging that part of me only expands what I do. And as for politics, I love to make light of things in the news, and the best cartoon is when I can make people laugh and make a serious (sometimes disguised) point."

Women cartoonists are few and far between in their representation in publications such as the New Yorker, and no one has championed women cartoonists like Liza has. In fact, she's written a book called Funny Ladies: The New Yorker’s Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons, and more recently she released, When Do They Serve The Wine.

In December, Liza announced to her friends that she was doing a TEDTalk. Having been an environmental writer for some time, I knew that being invited to talk at a TED conference was a big deal, and certainly mega-news in this neck of the woods. Plus, Liza wasn't just doing any 'ol TEDTalk, she was speaking at the first ever TEDWomen. Here is her recount of how she prepared for her TEDTalk.

What inspires me most about Liza is not just that she had the guts in all her shyness to speak at such a high profile event (and her knees look steady), but how she steps out from behind her drawing table to make this world a funnier place...and a better one too. I'm sure you will agree after viewing the video, that Liza infuses her creative talent and social commentary about women with just the right amount of humor.

DIY Eco-Gift For The X-traordinary Techie On Your Holiday List

Do you have a techie on your list that goes to extraordinary measures to repurpose electronic items that would otherwise be relegated to the landfill? I bet that person has a bunch of dead computers lying around (doesn't everyone). When a dead computer gets thrown away, it does not biodegrade. It just lives in its toxic hole and continues to die a slow death - Yikes!

Computers can be reincarnated, and 62 Projects To Make With A Dead Computer (and Other Discarded Electronics), by Randy Sarafan will have your techie turning dead computers, printers, cell phones, iPods and keyboards from trash into treasure. They'll even learn how to make an iMac terrarium, a laptop digital photo frame, a mouse pencil sharpener, and a slew of amazing new creations.

Who knew?

Photo credit: Amazon (...but buy it locally if you can)