Elizabeth
- Changed thermostat
- Changed settings on refrigerator, freezer, water heater and washer
- Replaced at least one third of light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs
- Disconnected electronic devices when not in use
Wild Card Items
- Eliminated second freezer or refrigerator
- Insulated water heater
- Replaced appliances with green-certified products
- Hung clothes up to dry instead of using the dryer
- Sealed all of the windows and doors
- Ate a vegetarian diet one day a week
- Cut down on take-away meals
- Limited daily intake of beef to 8 ounces
- Switched to sustainable seafood
Wild Card Items
- Started a food-based garden
- Ate vegan or raw for a certain number of days per week
- Bought grass-fed beef instead of conventional
- Gave up at least one processed food
- My own action: asked the shop where we buy food for our school o stok local fruit
- Drove no faster than the posted the speed limit, avoided rapid acceleration or braking
- Removed extra weight from car, inflated tires
- Used public transportation instead of driving
- Reduced your planned air travel by one trip
Wild Card Items
- Bought carbon offsets for travel
- Carpooled or found a ride-sharing program
- Invested in a more fuel-efficient car
- Recycled all glass, aluminum, plastic, batteries and paper
- Eliminated advertising mail
- Changed to paperless billing
- Eliminated the use of plastic and paper bags
Wild Card Items
- Began composting at home
- Used biodegradable bags for trash or walking the dog
- Recycled or donated old athletic shoes and clothes
- Recycled or donated old electronics
- My own action: Reduced consumption of over-packaged (but much-loved) Kinder Bueno bars
- Gave up bottled water
- Turned off tap when brushing teeth, scrubbing dishes
- Shortened showering time
- Replaced shower head with a low-flow model
Wild Card Items
- Used xeriscaping for yard
- Installed a rain barrel to collect water for garden, lawn and plants
- Installed a low-flow toilet
- Tallied stats for water, electricity, natural gas and gasoline use
- Switched to organic produce
- Switched to eco-friendly cleaning methods
- Switched to locally made (non-produce) products where possible
Wild Card Items
- Cut use of disposable items
- Repaired or extended use of clothing items
- Stopped using wrapping paper for gifts
- Changed Printing Habits
- Rented or borrowed instead of buying infrequently used items
Held to Account by Your Blogging; Becoming a Better Inhabitant of the Planet
Posted by Elizabeth on July 11, 2011 A few years ago I did a strict weight-loss diet. It was one of those that had me weighing out oats every morning and counting the number of cashew nuts I could have for lunch. There were set menus and exercises for each day, but one day a week you were allowed to eat what…
The Big, Slow Stuff. Si Tu N’as Pas Le Temps, C’est Que Tu Es Déjà Mort
Posted by Elizabeth on July 6, 2011 Every person starts their day with a different amount of money, health, and love; but we all start it with exactly the same amount of time. Of course the amount of money, health and love you have will affect what you then do with your time, but no one should complain that they don’t have…
The Virtuous Shopper, and the National Geographic Magazine Big Idea
Posted by Elizabeth on June 27, 2011 This week we’ve been focusing on the non-produce products that we buy, and I thought it would be a difficult week to do that because I’ve been back in the UK. Normally a visit to the UK from Kosovo brings out the materialist in me. It is true that Kosovo does have a rising culture…
A Small Sticky Footprint
Posted by Elizabeth on June 20, 2011 I have a hobby which reduces my carbon footprint, and turns it golden and sticky… I am a beekeeper. On my first birthday in Kosovo, five years ago, I was given a beehive as a present. Looking after my bees has been a way for me to get to know Kosovo’s countryside and its village…
Attempting a Life Without Plastic
Posted by Elizabeth on June 15, 2011 The biggest change for me this week has been about plastic. And that’s entirely due to the experience of writing this blog. Someone posted as a comment on my blog last week a link to some haunting photographs taken on Midway Atoll in the Pacific, showing the skeletons of baby albatrosses whose parents mistakenly feed…
From Kinder Bueno to Beans – Trying to Eat Local in Kosovo
Posted by Elizabeth on June 6, 2011 So you may recall my confession last week – about the imported Kinder Bueno bars I was going to try to ditch in the interests of eating local. Well I’ve been doing well – total Kinder Bueno bars consumed last week: 4. Total consumed this week: zero. When the 5 o’clock munchies hit yesterday, I…
The Case of the Kinder Bueno Bar
Posted by Elizabeth on May 31, 2011 I had a certain smugness as I sat down to write this post, where I was required to calculate my water, electricity, natural gas and gasoline usage over a year. Water I can’t estimate because water in Kosovo isn’t metered (that is, of course, a problem in itself: If everyone pays a flat rate for…
Eco-Saint or Eco-Villain?
Posted by Elizabeth on May 23, 2011 Kosovo is caught between two phases of development – the families who’ve hosted me here who live mainly deliciously home-grown and beautifully home-spun because they don’t have money to live otherwise, and the chic city folk friends of mine who aspire to conspicuous consumption, plastic and imports. I can’t decide whether I’m living in an…
