In Israel, we drank bottled water because even when filtered, the water had a distinctly rotten egg flavor.  We originally had a bottled water service, which though more expensive, was appealing since the company reuses their jumbo-sized plastic containers.  I figured that had to be better for the environment than all those little bottles.

But then I noticed that the big bottles were plastic #7, which is known to contain BPA (Bisphenol-A, a nasty organic compound that is both a carcinogen and an estrogen disrputor, among other things.)  The litre-and-a-half bottles were plastic #5, which is considered a “safe” plastic (although I’m starting to wonder if there is such a thing), so I switched back to the smaller bottles. And recycled a couple of dozen every week.

When we moved back to America, the water mercifully smelled and tasted a lot “cleaner” — and frequent testing does indicate that the vast majority of drinking water in the States is both clean and safe.  So we were able to ditch our bottled water service and save a pretty penny in the process.

The truth is, though, that I still had a bit of a bottled water addiction — to those little half-litre size bottles that are oh-so convenient when you are out running around.  And Costco sells them so inexpensively, that it almost seemed unfrugal NOT to buy them.

Even still, I obviously knew that spending $.50 for a bottle of water was still 50 cents more expensive than drinking tap water.  Plus, I reasoned, a bin full of tiny little drinking bottles just couldn’t be good for the environment!

So like any other bad habit, I just quit buying those teeny bottles cold turkey. I forgot to bring the kids’ sippy cups a few times, and that generally entailed a lot “I”m thiiiiirsty” whining. The kids were completely unimpressed when I tried to show them how to make a cup out of their hands and drink some water from the bathroom sink. I quickly learned to remember to refill their sippy cups before we left the house.

Even if you go and invest in a BPA-free bottle for every member of your family (I’m putting the Kleen Kanteen on my Hanukkah wish-list), breaking the bottled water habit will save your household — and the planet — a good deal of green. Which is why it is my thrifty green tip this week.

Now as is the way with good Internet karma, I happened to read a post about this very same topic on No Impact Man (now there is a serious environmentalist!) just as I was composing this Thrifty Green post.  Apparently the New American Dream is asking all Americans to take the Break the Bottled Water habit pledge, which goes:

I pledge to Break the Bottled Water Habit by Thinking Outside the Bottle and using a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. I also pledge to support the efforts of local officials to stop spending public funds on bottled water and prioritize strong public water systems over bottled water profits.

If you aren’t sure about taking the pledge, here are some facts about bottled water that may just push you over the edge:

• In 2006, Americans consumed 31.2 billion liters of bottled water. That’s an average of 167 bottles for every man, woman and child.

• Manufacturing those plastic bottles takes 900,000 tons of plastic.  It takes more petroleum to produce those bottles than it does to fuel 100,000 cars for a whole year.

• Bottling water is ironically very water-intensive.  According to the Pacific Institute, it takes three litres of water to produce just one litre of bottled water!

• 86% of water bottles are not recycled (I found this stat particularly unnerving).  It takes 700 years for a plastic bottle to even begin decomposing in a land fill.

• If just three times a week, you filled a glass of water from the tap rather than grabbing a bottle of water, you would save more than $230/year. (Run your own numbers to see how much you could save at the bottled water calculator.) Now I’m thinking $230 would buy an awful lot of organic produce!

When you decide to take the pledge, leave me a note in the comments section — and leave a link to your own blog post about taking the pledge. Come on guys…let’s take this thrifty and green campaign viral!

Sacrifice at the Pump

Does anyone remember that famous President Carter speech about sacrifice?  The one where he bundled up in a Mr. Roger’s sweater and urged Americans to accept the notion of personal sacrifice? Where he called for mandated gas rationing and lowered thermostats to help buck America’s dependence on foreign oil? You can go to PBS.org to read the full text of his speech.

As you might imagine, President Carter’s call for personal sacrifice went over like a lead balloon.  And interestingly enough, every subsequent American president has avoided the word sacrifice like the plague.

Then in last night’s Presidential debate, a viewer emailed in a question asking about sacrifice: What would each candidate ask Americans to sacrifice in order to move past this current crisis (credit, energy — take your pick)? I had to laugh as I watched both Obama and McCain dance around the word sacrifice but never actually say it. (To read a much more in-depth analysis of Carter’s sacrifice speech and the current Presidential election, check out this August 2008 article from Salon.)

As far as energy sacrifices go, my dad says that Americans think cheap gas is their birthright.  I think he might be on to something.  Personally I’m thrilled to pay “only” $4/gallon (and you should have seen my happy dance when it dipped below $3/gallon this week). In Israel, where my family lived for the last 14 years, we were paying the equivalent of $9/gallon. Despite the relatively “cheap” cost of gas here, I do try to be mindful about maximizing fuel efficiency — checking our tire pressure, driving a steady speed, etc.  Here’s a quick list with more suggestions for getting the best gas mileage.

The question in tonight’s debate get me thinking.  What else can I do… what sacrifices can I make? In addition to setting our AC on 78 this summer, I’m working on implementing these tips for minimizing heat loss in the winter.  But I know that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So, let me ask you: What sacrifices are you and your family making (or willing to make) to help America reduce its dependence on fuel — foreign or otherwise?

Photo Credit: StockXPert

There, I said it. Ms-Trying-to-Be-a-Greener-Parent served her son’s birthday dinner on paper plates.  If you’re at all interested in my rationale, here it is: I have been incredibly busy and stressed out, between nursing strep throat (my five year old’s), cooking and hosting Rosh Hashanah meals, and tackling a never-ending list of work commitments, my house has taken a backseat on the priority list.  To wit: My sink is practically sinking under the weight of dirty dishes. 

So, when it came time to sit down to dinner last night, I couldn’t even wrestle up seven clean plates. Which is why I copped out, grabbed the last of our disposable stash and set the table with paper plates and plastic cups.

Of course, the convenience of the disposable plates quickly got overshadowed by my eco-guilt. As Tree Hugger said back in February, eco-guilt is a powerful force — akin to Jewish mother’s guilt (at which I am an expert), but worse.

Every choice, from diapers to dishwashing, can leave parents with the stress of finding the greenest choice and the guilt of not going far enough with environmental efforts to keep your loved ones safe.

My list of guilt-inducing decisions doesn’t stop with disposable plates.  In fact, just today I managed to feel guilty about:

• Ordering a cup of tea at Panera and taking not one, but TWO, styrofoam cups. (That hot water burns right through the single-ply.) I did vow to bring my travel coffee mug the next time I visit Panera.
• Washing my dishes with Cascade gels, rather than an ecological tablet, like the ones Ecover makes. Those gels tap into my whole dilemma between living frugally vs. living green.  Many times, these two goals line up in perfect sync. But other times, I’m still choosing to use a mainstream product that I can get practically for free (thanks to advice from couponing geniuses like the Money Saving Mom).  Perhaps I’ll try making my own detergent.
• Putting my cottage cheese containers in the garbage bin rather than the recycling bin. My justification was that the sink was overflowing (remember?), so I couldn’t reach the faucet to rinse the containers out. That said, I have noticed that since implementing a home recycling program, we throw out significantly less garbage.

Tree Hugger suggests that the antidote to eco-guilt is taking action. Maybe I’d better go fish those cottage cheese containers out of the garbage.

Do you suffer from eco-guilt, too?  What trips up your green conscience?

In the spirit of doing the best that I can with the resources I have, I present you with this list of ten cheap and easy ways to reduce your family’s exposure to toxic flame retardant chemicals (if you’re not sure what I’m referring to, click over to my post from last week about PBDEs).

#1. Damp-dust all surfaces at least once a week. Chemically treated furniture and consumer goods off-gas — and those particles are found in alarming rates in your household dust. Help rid your home of this dusty danger by using a slightly damp cloth on all surfaces.  While you’re at it, mop any tiled or wood floors, too.  Especially if you’ve got little kids at home who spend a lot of time hanging out down there.

#2. Use a HEPA-filter vacuum to sweep your carpeted floors at least twice a week. I can just hear the groans now (or maybe that’s just my own voice ringing in my ears), but remember this: PBDE-laden dust isn’t just hanging out on your curio and your coffee table, it’s also getting trapped in your carpets. As an added bonus, HEPA-filter vacuums go a long way toward reducing allergens, too.

#3. Eat low-fat meat and dairy products. That’s because all those PBDEs being found in animals are accumulating in their fat.  By eating low-fat cuts of meat, you’ll be ingesting far fewer toxic chemicals. You should also try drinking skim milk. I know a lot of people turn up their noses at skim milk, but besides being heart-healthy, it’s also PBDE-free.

#4. Avoid catfish and farmed salmon. In a 2004 study of PBDE build-up in animals, catfish and salmon were two of the biggest offenders. Choose wild-caught salmon or try tilapia (yum!), which has one of the lowest levels of PBDEs.

#5. Avoid polyester like a bad 1970 movie. Seriously, aside from the fact that polyester is just an icky fabric that doesn’t let your skin breath, it’s also a petroleum-based product.  Which means, in the event of a fire, your polyester leisure suits — or your kids’ pajamas — are gonna light up in an instance.  Which means, manufacturers coat those suckers in PBDEs. Pick natural fibers when you can, and definitely insist on cotton PJs for your little ones.

#6. Buy used. As I’ve said before, new products off-gas their coating of flame retardants.  Now my understanding is that this stuff never fully goes away, and that eventually it starts to chemically decompose, which can’t be good.  Nevertheless, buying second-hand household goods and clothing does save you from that initial off-gassing. Plus, garage sale/thrift store shopping is fun and frugal. (Look for a post soon on why I prefer to buy second-hand clothes for my family.)

#7. If you are in the market for a new computer, buy an Apple. I love my MacBook.  Love, love, love.  So when I started learning about PBDEs being used on computers, I held my breath and Googled “PBDEs + Apple Computers”.  I was relieved ecstatic to read that Apple, along with other computing manufacturers like Sony, IBM and Intel, have phased out PBDEs flame retardants.  To make sure that your new computer is PBDE-free, check the packaging or refer to your manufacturer’s website.  The same goes for any new electronic purchase.

#8. Launder new clothes and sheets in hot water with ½ cup of vinegar added to the wash cycle. Repeat this two or three times before wearing them in order to strip (or at least significantly reduce) the PBDE coating. Better yet, buy natural or even organic fabrics when possible.

#9. Avoid contact with crumbling foam in upholstered furniture, carpet padding, children’s toys, etc. Don’t attempt to reupholster old foam furniture, especially if you are pregnant.  (Did I mention that PBDEs cross the placental barrier?)

#10. Wash your hands frequently. Which, incidentally, is also good advice for avoiding all kinds of other ickies, too. Make sure your kids’ hands are well washed before they eat (especially if they prefer to eat with their hands rather than silly modern inventions like forks… can you tell I write from personal experience?)

So that’s it: 10 easy way to reduce your exposure to PBDEs. Think of these tips as putting on your seatbelt before getting behind the flame retardant wheel. Do you have any other suggestions? Please leave them in the comments section!

On the one hand, I think “Great! This planet can use all the help it can get!”  On the other hand, I’m starting to think that going green has become window dressing. Two parts marketing ploy, one part environmental movement.

Case in point: I just got home from my sons’ preschool Back-to-School night. The director gleefully announced that, “the preschool is going green!” And just how is the school doing this? By installing a paper recycling bin at the front door.  Parents who don’t have curbside pick up (we don’t) are invited to bring their paper to the school.

It’s a nice idea, right? An opportunity to increase recycling rates while teaching our kids about recycling. And yet something about her ebullient announcement seemed empty.  Empty, perhaps, because on any given day, I receive at least three handouts from the kids’ teacher and four more from the school administration.

Now, I’m all for good communication with parents, but are all these flyers really necessary? Could this information not be shared via e-mail? (The school has all our e-mail addresses, as we also get an e-newsletter once a week.) Or how about posting one copy of the flyer at the door to each classroom and asking parents to initial it once they’ve read it?  Or maybe they could just photocopy on both sides of the paper?

I’m not picking on our preschool, because really, it is a lovely place and does a great job with our kids.  But I do think that their green “initiative” (my word, not the school’s) is rather anemic as far as environmental impact goes. One recycling bin does not “going green” make.

Then again, like I said yesterday, we’re all works in progress. Something is better than nothing and even small changes can make a big impact.

So while I’m pondering how our family can make more small changes, I’m also going to draft a letter to the preschool director — congratulating her for the recycling bin and suggesting some ways the school could reduce paper consumption. After all, if I’m going to complain about it, I’d better be prepared to do something about it.

I’ve been mulling over the idea of starting a for-public-consumption blog for a long time.  As a freelance writer, I blog for hire (currently about finding the perfect job and financing your college education). As a mom, I blog in relative seclusion (and with increasing infrequency) about raising my kids.

About six months ago, a friend (and blogging smartypants) told me I should write a blog.  I took his advice to heart, especially the part where he told me I needed a niche.  That niche part really stumped me.

But after near endless mulling on this niche idea, it finally came to me: My niche is the intersection between parenting and green living. You see, as a freelance writer, there are two gigs I love to land — writing about parenting and writing about green living. It’s no wonder these subjects are my favorite assignments, since they are two of the three topics I spend the most time thinking about. (The third being frugality, which will, undoubtedly, rear its penny-pinching head in this blog every now and again, too.)

So what does Greener Parenting mean?  Why greener? Why not just green parenting?  Well, for one, there’s already a blog by that name, written by Jenn Savedge, the author of The Green Parent Bible Guide. Plus, and this was the real reason, I felt that green parent implied a level of confidence and mastery that I just don’t have.  Yet.

Instead, I identify with “greener” parent because I am a work in progress.  (More work than progress some days.) I have stopped drinking those little bottles of water, but only recently implemented a full-scale recycling program in our home. I talk to my kids about protecting our natural resources, but have spent far too little time actually enjoying nature with them. I shop at the farmer’s market with my kids, but still buy most of our produce from the grocery store.

Like I said, I’m not green. Yet. But I’m getting greener.

In the meantime, I Google incessantly and subscribe to more blogs than any one person could possibly read.  That’s because the more I learn, the more I do, and the more accountable I become.  Greenerparent.com is my way of reaching out, of becoming a greener parent, together, with you.  Because I’m betting that I’m not the only one who does better when she (or he) knows better.