Great John Muir Quote

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.” – John Muir.

I think that effectively sums up my posting on tradeoffs. View it here.

Next time you are in the San Francisco area, be sure to visit Muir Woods. It’s amazing.

Four Easy Ways to Reduce Your Trash

The concept of recycling is still a novel idea for many. It’s probably the easiest step to take to reduce the amount of waste sent to local landfills. In our community, trash is picked up twice a week. It means that over 100 times a year a garbage truck (which probably doesn’t get the greatest gas mileage) swings by our house to pick up our trash. Nice convenience or just a huge waste (pardon the pun)?

We are currently placing our trash curbside on average once a week through some minor changes we’ve made with a goal to only have to put out trash once every two weeks. If you are trying to reduce your trash each week, here are steps we’ve taken to do so for the average week:

1. Curbside recycling. Our curbside service takes aluminum, tin, paper, and most types of plastic.

2. Recycle everything else you can. We currently take our glass and a few other items to a local recycling center.

3. Paperboard, you’re next. All of those cereal boxes and pretty much anything else on the “inside” aisles at the grocery store are recyclable. It’s just that most curbside services don’t take them. We have some room for improvement on this one.

4. Compost! All vegetable and fruit waste now makes its way to our homemade compost bin (that’s a future post). We eat our fair share of fruits and veggies, so those rinds, peels, and anything else now go back into our yard…eventually.

If you have handy, simple tips on how you’ve reduced your trash output, please comment!

Tradeoffs

When it comes to tackling the huge challenge of identifying viable options for renewable energy resources, there are hidden costs in most of the options currently being proposed. With large government subsidies helping to seed investment in ethanol, farmers in Iowa may be some happy campers. But for the dairy farmers or cattle ranchers who buy corn for their livestock, they all of a sudden have met some fierce competition. The result – the commodity market has seen explosive growth. For most of us, we’ve felt that in our grocery bill.

This brings me to the debate facing many landowners here in Texas regarding wind farms. A recent article in the Austin-American Statesman cited the lack of regulation in the wind farm industry in this state (the United States #1 provider of wind energy), equating it to the oil rush 100 years ago. Most recently, the debate has made its way to the Texas Hill Country. Energy providers would like to build a series of wind farms in Texas’ Hill Country. Known more for its picturesque hills than its wind, many landowners have put up a fight and won.

Tradeoffs. I have to agree with the landowners in the Hill Country who fought this battle. The Hill Country is a popular tourist destination known for the rolling hills, wildflowers, quaint towns, and wildlife (much of which serves the hunting industry). Sure, this sounds like the traditional debate, “I support it, but I don’t want it in my backyard.” But take a quick look at wind data in Texas, which suggests there are more responsible and profitable locations for wind farms across the state. I lived in one area for a couple of years – the Panhandle – where the wind never seems to stop blowing.

My hope in this quest for renewable energy resources is that responsibility, not just profitability, is at the forefront of these debates. Let’s hope that responsible decision making doesn’t go blowin’ in the wind. Some tradeoffs will be needed as we chase renewable energy sources. At least the chase has begun…
Image courtesy of the TX General Land Office

Click to enlarge

Top 10 Ways to Go Organic For Your Yard

Yes, it’s still pretty cold around most of the U.S., but I figured it’s never too late to be thinking about the spring. For us in Texas, it’s really only six or eight weeks away. I figured I would share the top ten ways that I’ve been able to go green on the green stuff outside…the yard.

Here’s my top 10:
1. Never bag your grass clippings. It’s food for the lawn. It’s free fertilizer.

2. Raise your mower’s cutting height slightly higher than you might be used to. It helps reduce water needs and promotes stronger root growth.

3. Fertilize only with organic fertilizers (preferably, customized for your region’s soil types). If you mulch your grass clippings, it’s likely you are providing enough food you may not need to fertilize. In Central Texas, many local nurseries offer organic fertilizers that cost just about the same as many of those useless weed and feed products.

4. Prevent weeds with an organic pre-emergent: corn gluten. In Central Texas, I apply it mid-October and mid-March.

5. Fight fungus with cornmeal. Yep, corn again…the wonder drug. While you’re at it, add some dry molasses to “sweeten” your lawn. It helps drive ants away.

6. Reduce the amount of grass you have to mow. This has many positives, but I have to admit, I like grass.

7. Mulch. Many city recycling programs offer free mulch. This is a great way to keep those plants quenched during the warm days and warm during the cold days.

8. Xeriscape. Plant as many native plants as possible and reduce the water needs of your yard!

9. Mow electric. Full disclosure, I don’t have an electric mower, but I’ve borrowed my mom’s before. Her Neuton mower is great for most lawn sizes. It’s quiet and you don’t smell like gas afterward. If you can’t make the switch, just mow after 5 and keep that mower tuned up.

10. Plant native trees. This is my favorite. Just be sure you plant the right species for your weather and the right size for your lot. Here’s a great resource for us Texans: http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/index.html

Many thanks to programs that have taught me a ton (Central Texas Gardener) and for pioneers like Howard Garrett and John Dromgoole. Although I’ve never met them personally, their wisdom and resources have been instrumental in helping me grow organic.

I hope that helps you go and “grow” green. Your yard, pets, kids, neighbors, and Mother Earth will thank you.