Precycle! The "Stop & Think" method of Saving the Planet.

Never heard of Precycling? Well it's easy and you are probably already doing it. . . Precycling is remembering, before you buy, to consider what's going to be left when you are done with the product and choosing to purchase the least amount of packaging possible. It might mean buying a huge container of shampoo or dish-soap instead of 4 or 5 smaller ones over time. Or, it might mean taking the 30 minutes to cancel all that junk mail. It could also mean purchasing your honey "bulk" and putting it in your own container or buying a product in a recyclable or reusable container rather than one wrapped in plastic, or choosing to forgo the plastic bag for your onions.

Speaking of plastic. I have decided to follow a "no plastic for Christmas" policy. This means that I will not be giving gifts made of plastic. Not even gift cards. I get that this is much easier for me than for someone with small children. But not impossible, I hope.

Here's another precycle idea: Read magazines and books online. I used to get a magazine. I actually cancelled it because I didn't like throwing into the recycle bin when I was done with it. I don't read it online, either. Clearly, I don't really miss it. I have to confess that I don't enjoy reading the newspaper online. I generally will only read the breaking news. It makes me wonder if my attention span is getting shorter. . . and, I don't have, or want, a Kindle.

I like to hold a book. I like to turn the pages. I also like the way they smell. . . especially in the stacks at the library! I am committed to using the library. I have a cute brightly colored library card designed by a local preschooler named Chloe. I check out books for me and for Mr. Green from the tiny branch library across from my place of work. We have four out right now. I have two more on order. I use the online reservation system and it's easy. And I like giving them back.

And, of course, remembering your re-usable shopping bags is a big part of precycling. I am getting better at it, although I'm far from perfect. I look a little bit like a bag lady most of the time. And I still turn up without the damn things 30% of the time. Mr. Green finds it just a bit annoying when we walk out of our local co-op with both our arms full because I forgot to bring a bag and refuse to take another one home.

Shopping at the farmer's market is another way to pre-cycle. Put all that fresh produce right into your re-usable bags and Voila! no packaging! Just another reason to Buy Local.

Precycle! It's Fun & Easy! Pause and consider the planet before you buy.

What do you do to save the planet? Leave your suggestions!

Saving the Planet

I saw the premiere of "The Age of Stupid" here in SF. We went to a theater that had a live feed to the premiere in NY. This is the same little bit of technology that allows people to see live opera from the Met in New York in their local theater. This technology is amazing to me. One could, in theory, link the world through local theaters to all see the same broadcast at the same time. Very 1984. I digress.

The movie is set in the future, post disaster, after we have done nothing but talk about global warming. It is a disturbing film that follows the stories of six people living now and their struggles with the global warming question. Here is a review of the movie, written by Mr. Green and picked up by a blogger named piece 2.0: http://bit.ly/14JYeW

The movie left me feeling overwhelmed and wondering what I could possibly do to stop being a contributor to the problem. How do we really buy out of the oil pipeline? Like Really. Without sacrificing things that are important to us and without it becoming some sort of weird obsession.

I've been mulling this over for a while now. I've decided that, as I explore the options for personal sustainability, I'll share them here. I already do quite a few things to make my earth footprint smaller. I ride my bike, garden, sort my trash, eat local food, dine in restaurants who seek out local ingredients, turn the light switch off, keep the heat at 68 degrees and I don't buy a lot of stuff.

We'll start with one of those. . . I bike to work at least 3 days a week, weather permitting. I take the bus home more often than not.

This does not mean that I'm never in the car. Mr. Green drives me to work probably once a week, on average, depending upon what I'm doing. Sometimes I need to run errands for myself or work. Sometimes I just don't want to spend an hour on the bus. Take today, for example. It's pouring rain. Mr. Green will be driving me. Will he drive me home? Possibly. I'll decide later this afternoon.

How inconvenienced am I willing to be? That's the real question, isn't it? I get that right now there are people screaming "Stupid Spoiled American!" at their computer screens. It's true. I am. I have the privilege of access to a car. Could we choose to use it smarter? Absolutely.

We won't be getting a more fuel-efficient car. We own the truck. It gets about 15 miles to the gallon in the city and 20 on the freeway. This isn't great, but it is what it is. We paid it off last winter and, unless someone hands us a set of keys, we'll be driving it for a couple years longer. Of course, there are great fuel-efficient choices out there. And, if you are like me and are not in particularly impressed by the body style of the 3rd generation Prius (can you say Ulgy?). You could always drive a Tesla. Now there's a midlife crisis car that's all about sustainability! Saw one on the street over the weekend. Boy do they go zoom-zoom!

We don't really drive a lot now. Comparatively speaking. But there is always room for improvement, right?

Here is what I am willing to do:

Work from home? Would LOVE to! Definitely in my future. With my current job? Possibly. Could probably make the case for one day a week. Never hurts to ask. . .

Ride my bike as often as possible. This can be up to five days per week and also to the Farmers' Market on the weekend.

Batch our trips. If I am going to ride to work in the truck in the morning, we will run all errands that we need to do that day during that trip. Which means anything we forget gets put off until next time. Will take some planning.

Consider using Muni, biking or walking instead of driving the truck Every time we leave the house. This may seem small but I can tell you there are many times that I can recall when we've been driving around downtown looking for parking and have agreed that we should have taken Muni.

Pay an annual carbon offset fee for the miles we drive. This is a grey area for me. I don't think that sending money to someone to grow a tree should let us out of making better choices. . . but, there's also no getting around the fact that som

etimes I will be riding in a car. Yes. I will do this.

I consider it a privilege tax. No different than entertainment tax. There are lots of carbon calculators out there. TerraPass, Carbon Fund and Sustainable Travel International are all good ones.

If carbon offsetting is new to you, here is a short definition from carbonfund.org: A carbon offset represents a reduction in emissions somewhere else - like a renewable energy or a reforestation project - to balance out the emissions you cannot reduce. Basically, you send money, based on info you enter into a carbon calculator, to a carbon reducing project. With some sites you can choose which project your money will support. With most, you support a portfolio of projects. Here is a more in depth description of why one would do this with some pros and cons.

I want my fee to be used to offset carbon locally. There are a few choices. I like the idea of the Chino Basin Dairy Farm Biodigester. I don't really want to give through one of the websites. I'd rather see the project and hand the project manager a check. For me this is the same as buying a chicken from a farm that I have visited. It makes sense. This will require more research. I'll keep you posted.

What are you doing to save the plant? What are you willing to do? Please leave your comments and suggestions here.

Coming up next. . . Grow Your Own!