So we're just a couple of students working on a sustainability project for school and we need your help. We get a lot of high level information on what we can do to help the environment, but we need to know what people are doing in their own homes. Little things turn into big things. Help us make an impact, please let us know what you are doing to be gentler on our environment.
9 comments:
I love what you guys are promoting here!
In my own personal house, I try to be environmentally conscious wherever I can. For instance, I don't use chemical cleaning products. I use BioKleen products for washing my family's clothes and washing our dishes. For cleaning kitches, bathrooms, floors, etc... I only use vinegar, as it will kill most germs, and does not leave behind any poisonous chemicals that me and my family could breath in, eat, or absorb through our skin. Vinegar also played a HUGE part in getting rid of an ant problem I had in my yard. The entire story is explained here, but to make a long story short... I had a pesky nest of red ants that I couldn't get rid of, until I poured an entire bottle of vinegar into their nest. Ants (and other creatures) don't like the smell of vinegar, so they picked up and moved their nest somewhere else!
I live in Portland and I found your flyer at Peet's Coffee on Broadway. Thank you for the map, I found it very interesting. Looking forward to visiting some of these sites this spring/summer.
One big thing I've done is disconnected my downspouts from the city sewer system. I now either let them run freely into my yard, or into old wine barrels in my backyard. In the dryer months, I use the captured water to irrigate my plants.
Disconneting my downspouts reduces the amount of water flowing through our sewer systems, which was one of the major causes of sewage overflow into the Willamette.
I purchase my fruits and vegetables from a CSA (community supported agriculture). I get fresh produce weekly which is nice for my family and get to try things I've never had. The produce tastes better than anything you can get from a store, it is fresh, and hasn't been transported from a farm 1500 miles away!
oops! Forgot to post a link I found to CSA's throughout the Portland Metro Region! If you can't afford the CSA you can get the same quality from a local farmers market.
http://www.pacsac.org/oregon-csa-farms.php
Hey guys. Glad kids these days are concerned about the environment. Found your flyer at the Stumptown on Belmont. Have to say I'm a little disappointed that you had to post flyers about your site. I mean, you're whole idea is about promoting sustainablity and you chose to print and strew a bunch of paper that's going to end up getting thrown away (hopefully recycled) by someone other than you. Shame....
On the otherhand, how would I have known to help you out if I didn't have your amazing map of sustainable sites!!
I wanted to post and let you know that I've totally given up owning my own personal vehicle. I bike everywhere rain or shine. It keeps me healthy and I'm not releasing pollutants into our environment. If you live and work in the same urban area, there's no need to own a vehicle. Bike or take Portland's public transit.
If I don't know how to recyle something I go to metro http://www.metro-region.org/. They have all the information on what you can recycle and where. They also hold collection sites for hazardous materials and electronics at various times and locations throughout the year. I save old electronics and paints until their collection happens in my area. I never throw this stuff into our landfills. My husband hates the stuff piled up into "his" garage but he understands why we need to be responsible.
I didn't know there were so many green building on campus. I checked out the native american center the other day. It was hard to find the entrance to the green roof. Nothing was posted. The outside space was great, but the garden area needs a little love. I live in Eppler Hall and I love the rainwater system outside. Did you know accross 12th street is a communal garden plot? The school owns it and students get to garden there.
What else can a student in a dorm do to stay green? I don't see a lot about that here. Would like to see more tips for people who live on campus.
Compost, compost, compost! Eliminating food waste from my weekly trash service has cut my garbage in half. If you want tips on composting and other sustainable living, check out METRO's site: http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24199
My next project: a worm bin. I found easy instructions for creating a home version here (complete with photos!) http://homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/PhotoAlbum23.html
I love what you are doing and promoting here too!!! I have purchased 10 reusable shopping bags and no longer bring home plastic or paper bags from the grocery store. We are recycling our aluminum, glass and plastic bottles as well as cardboard and paper products.....(there will be a few changes you'll notice when you come home)..we use environmentally friendlly cleaning products and are switching much of our cleaning to vinegar and baking soda. we're going to be working on how to capture rainwater and divert it into the lake....haha that already is being done thanks to our handy dandy french drains
keep up the good work....i'll expect some advice when you come home and can't wait till you design your dad and me our green retirement house....
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