Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Posts tagged Journey
Beyond the Taco Stand
Apr 28th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
I love tacos. Now, I’m not just talking about your average Taco Bell taco. No, I’m talking about authentic, Mexican tacos. You know, the ones that you actually get in Mexico. The ones from the taquería (taco stand) where they warm the tortillas and then throw in that freshly cooked meat. Then they proceed to add on all the accoutrements including the fresh guacamole. They’re best with carne asada but I also enjoy the al pastor, pescado (fish), and even the cabeza (head meat; not brain). Just typing this, my mouth is salivating.
In case you are underestimating how much I love these, many of my usernames and email addresses include some variation of taco and lover. My twitter handle: @scottlovestacos. At my wedding, we had Mexican food. My favorite taquería is El Apache in Ensenada, Mexico.
Long story short: I am a carnivore. Well, an omnivore really, but I really enjoy meat. While I love tacos and all Mexican food, I also really enjoy eating well prepared meat. The odds of me becoming a vegetarian are very slim.
Now up until a little while ago I basically thought my meat originated in the grocery store. Of course, it’s not like I thought that a piece of steak had no history. It’s that I never thought about it, effectively removing any history it did have.
I guess in my mind (particularly due to some very good advertising here in California) I figured that these animals had happy-go-lucky farm lives prior to their journey to the local supermarket. I did not know much about what went on. To be honest, I am not sure I wanted to know. You see, by divorcing myself from their history, I effectively dodged any moral dilemmas I might encounter when faced with the reality of their treatment.
All that said, I have been on a journey of late which has strongly impacted the way I eat. I’m not exactly sure how it came about. Perhaps it was watching the movie Food, Inc. Or discovering more about how animals are typically treated in the factory farms most of our food comes from today. Or learning about the huge ecological footprint of eating meat. Or participating in Meatless Monday. Or from all that I have learned from Ben DeVries and the work of Not One Sparrow. More likely it was some combination of all these things.
The first step in this journey has been one of discovery and understanding. Through the sources listed above and a several others, the curtain has been pulled back. I have learned that there is a deep environmental cost to the meat I consume, especially beef. I have learned that there is a much larger story behind the meat you pick up at the grocery store; that bacon, for example, didn’t began as bacon but as a pig with a history. I have learned that the image of a laid back country farm where the Wilburs are cared for, loved, and happy is not actually the case. I have learned that as creations and and fellow worshippers of God animals should receive our care and consideration.
In the second step in my journey I really took these things to heart. Between the ugly images of how animals are treated and brutalized and the balanced, inspiring words I have read at Not One Sparrow, I have come to realize that this is more than meat, it is an animal. And an animal is much more than food, it is a creation of God. I do believe that God has given us animals for our use and consumption. But He has also given them to us for our care. This journey has led me to see – not just in an abstract way – that our consumption cannot be divorced from our care. I have come to realize that I myself am complicit in the poor treatment of animals even if it is indirectly. I have come to develop a newfound respect and compassion for God’s creatures.
The third step has been to put some of this into action. For me it began with a notion that I should cut meat out of my lunches. I did this for the following reasons: to improve my health, to lessen my impact on God’s creation, and to opt of out our factory farm system a bit more. So I now go about 6 days a week without having any sort of meat for lunch.
Then came Meatless Monday. Jon Mestas, fellow blogger at Creation Hope, brought this to our communities attention. Simply put, you don’t eat meat on Mondays. While the thought of becoming a vegetarian seems daunting, I was certain I could go one day without meat.
Lastly I have made an intentional effort to choose better alternatives. This is less concrete but important nonetheless. Animals with a smaller environmental footprint are preferred. Then attempts at better options based on free-range or not, what they are fed, etc are made. To be honest we have a long way to go on this, but we are trying and moving forward.
The amazing thing to me is how easy all of this has been. Perhaps we are not yet doing much, but the steps we have taken have been quite painless. On meals or days without meat, I do not feel less fulfilled as a person. Nor am I less full. Nor has eating less meat affected my manhood or quality of life. While it does take some intentionality, it is not a hard switch.
The remainder of my journey is yet to come. In fact, we are so new to this that I have no idea where it is going to go. That said, my wife and I have been intentional about talking and exploring ways we can further change the impact of our consumption. Here are a few that we are considering (and are open to further suggestions as well):
- Discovering more about how we can consume meat in a compassionate manner
- Continuing to cut our consumption of meat, especially those with the greatest impact on creation
- Purchasing a side of beef (probably with someone else) of a grass-fed cow that has been raised locally and treated appropriately
- Raising our own chickens in our backyard for eggs and perhaps meat in order to ensure that they are well cared for
- Working to reduce waste to ensure that the cost of an animal’s life is not so that it wind up in a landfill without ever being consumed
To be honest, I am not ready to eliminate meat from my diet. As of today, I don’t think I ever will do so completely. But that does not have to prevent me from continuing my journey to eat in ways that respect the value and worth of each of God’s animals. I have not eaten my last taco. But I have eaten the last taco that thinks the meat originates at the taco stand.
Tacos are now forever changed for me. No longer is it a carne asada (marinated beef) taco; it is a taco made from a vaca (cow). No longer is it carnitas (pork), it is a cerdo (pig). No longer is it pollo (chicken), it is a gallina (chicken). No longer is it pescado (fish); it is pez (fish).
The meat we consume does not come into existence at the taco stand or at the market. It has a history. It was an animal – one of God’s precious creatures. No matter where you are in your journey, I encourage you to see beyond the taco stand and into the life of the cow, the pig, the chicken, and the fish. What steps can you take to better care for each one of these unique and incredible creations.
{I originally wrote this for Not One Sparrow where it was posted as “beyond the taco stand.” Thank you to Not One Sparrow and Ben DeVries for featuring it and allowing us to use it here on Creation Hope as well. Not One Sparrow is doing some great work being a voice for animals in the Christian community. In addition to their website you can connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.}
* Taco image from
Also consider:
Green Adventures: Greening Coffee
Apr 21st
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Greening Coffee
For some of us, coffee is something to be avoided. For others, an occasional indulgence. For others an absolute necessity. For yet others, it is practically the “nectar of the gods”. As for me, although I can do without it, I quite enjoy coffee and find that mornings with coffee are so much better than those without it.
Not only is it part of my normal daily routine, but it is tied to special memories. I learned to drink coffee while living in Costa Rica years ago. While living in this coffee producing country, I learned to appreciate this wonderful beverage. Not only would I have my morning cup or two, but every afternoon we would partake in cafecito. Cafecito was a time when we would gather mid-afternoon for a nice cup of coffee, some pan (bread), and most importantly some good community.
As I have learned more about the environmental impact of coffee it has been something that I have wrestled with. There is this tension – a conflict even – between my appreciation for coffee and my desire to better care for God’s creation.
How do we respond to this? Do we ignore the consequences of coffee? Do we cut it out of our lives?
Coffee’s Impact
First, let me briefly describe some of the related issues as I understand them:
- Pesticides & fertilizers – as with so many other crops, many coffee farmers use pesticides to protect their crop and chemical fertilizers to enhance them. Unfortunately we are learning more and more how these things negatively impact the life around them.
- Deforestation – many forests have been removed in order to make space for a coffee crop to be grown under the sun. While this apparently increases their yields, it destroys forests which are so important locally and globally. This also seems to result in soil erosion.
- Biodiversity loss – when forests are removed for crops to be grown in the sun, one result is a serious loss of biodiversity. What a tragedy it is when God’s creations disappear from an area or – worse – are forced into extinction.
- Water pollution – often the processing of coffee results in polluted the waters around the processing plants. This in turn affects many other plants and animals.
- Water consumption – apparently it takes approximately 37 gallons (~140 liters) of water to make 1 cup of coffee. Here I thought it took 6 or 8 ounces. As we just saw on World Water Day, water is an important resource that many in the world do not have access to. Perhaps we should be more careful about our consumption (from the entire process). [This chart is quite revealing about water consumption]
- Farmer compensation – many coffee farmers worldwide are unable to earn fair wages for their coffee and have been treated in ways that should not be condoned. While this is not a green issue, it is a matter of justice related to our coffee that Christians should be concerned about.
Journey Toward a Greener Coffee
Fair Trade
For many years now I have been drinking Fair Trade coffee. Fair Trade coffee is basically coffee that is purchased from the farmers for fair and sustainable wages. I began doing this as a matter of justice and caring for my neighbor. By purchasing fair trade products you are helping to avoid taking advantage of your neighbor (even though you have never met them). While much of our background encourages us to always get the best deal, we must not forget that we are called to love our neighbor.
Unfortunately Fair Trade coffee is not always as easy to find as you would think. Most of the time when I go to a coffee shop such as Starbucks (which I don’t do often) and ask for Fair Trade coffee my request is met either with a blank stare or I am informed that it is not currently brewing. While many places are improving, Fair Trade should be the norm not the exception. Even at Trader Joe’s where I have often bought my coffee beans, there is only a small selection of coffee that is Fair Trade. That said, for many years I have been able to partake of coffee that, though a little more expensive, is more socially responsible and respectful of my coffee-producing neighbor.
Organic
One of the benefits of buying Fair Trade coffee is that it is often organic as well. Organic coffee, of course, means no fertilizers or pesticides are used. This reduces the coffee crop’s impact on its local ecosystem.
I have been buying organic coffee for years. However, the truth is that for years I was buying organic without even realizing it because the Fair Trade coffees I was getting were organic. I have been pleasantly surprised over recent years to discover that I had been doing this unknowingly. Now that I know the value of going organic, I ensure that all coffee bean purchases only include coffees produced organically.
Shade Grown
More recently I have become aware of the benefits of shade grown coffee. When grown in the shade, forests are retained, erosion prevented, the need for chemicals eliminated, and biodiversity preserved.
Although I had been aware of this, I had a hard time finding shade grown coffee at my local markets. Fortunately, I recently came across Café Campesino – a company committed to organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee. I recently purchased their Mexico Oaxaca Full City Roast and Colombia Medium Roast coffees. These did come at a bit of a premium but the price was still reasonable.
Just this Monday I brewed my first pot of the Oaxaca roast. What a great coffee! In fact, I am sipping a cup of it as I write this. Although I have not yet opened the Colombia roast, it smells incredible, and I cant wait to try it.
Other Steps
Here are some other steps you can take to reduce the impact of your coffee consumption:
- Be sure to bring a reusable mug when going to a coffee shop for coffee. Think of all the disposable cups that you could save if you bought coffee once a day or even once a week in a reusable mug.
- Only brew as much as you need. If you are like me and don’t like day-old coffee, be sure not to brew extra coffee that will go to waste.
- Convince your church or office not to use Styrofoam cups. Worse than even disposable cups, are Styrofoam cups with are notoriously detrimental to creation.
- Add your used coffee grounds to your garden or compost. Many praise the effect of adding coffee grounds to their garden. Others find that coffee grounds are great for their compost. Both are good options and are better disposal methods than sending it to a landfill.
- Consider purchasing a local coffee. If you are able to find an organic, shade grown coffee that it grown locally that would be incredible. A local coffee would reduce the impact by eliminating the impact of shipping it thousands of miles.
Where to buy
Here are a few reputable online retailers for Fair Trade coffee (note that while they all sell Fair Trade, organic coffee it seems that only Café Campesino offers shade grown):
Final Thoughts
Our coffee – like everything else we consume – comes at a cost. In order to care for God’s creation it is important that we work to reduce our impact. I have found this particular adventure to be quite simple and rewarding while still enjoying high quality coffee. Yes, it does cost a little more. But the reward is knowing that you are caring for God’s creation and for your neighbor.
I encourage you to consider how your habit impacts creation and how you might take a step forward in order to partake in a more sustainable manner.
Also consider:
Green Adventures: Green Business Cards
Apr 14th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Green Business Cards
When we started Creation Hope I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. When your mission calling others to live lives the care for God’s creation, business as usual is often not an option for you. Whereas another business or ministry has standard ways of doing things and resources, we have to go out of our way to do things in more creation-friendly ways.
When most organizations need dry erase markers, they simply go to their business supply resource and pick them up. In contrast, we felt the need to find eco-friendly markers which meant doing a lot of research to track down a better option.
When most organizations need to purify the office air, they buy an air purifier and plug those electric smelly thingies into the outlet. In contrast, we felt the need to find natural cleansers which ultimately meant tracking down indoor plants that clean toxins from the air in our office.
When most organizations need business cards, they buy them from their normal local or online printer with relative ease and quickness. In contrast, when we needed business cards we embarked on a huge adventure.
Months ago I began looking into the most creation-friendly way to create our business cards. What you would think would be a simple, straight-forward task, has resulted in countless hours of research. I figured that I would simply need to track down what others before me had down and follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately that was not the case as there weren’t many footsteps to follow. As it turns out, there are very few options for truly green business cards.
Sure quite a few printers claim to have green business cards, but a more in-depth look reveals that it is mostly greenwashing (making things look greener than they really are). For example, some printers call their products green when the only eco-friendly thing about it is that it contains 10% recycled materials in the paper. Others use paper with higher recycled content but still use chemicals to brighten the paper. Most use ink that is petroleum based and emits VOCs (volatile organic compounds – basically things you don’t want to be breathing in and are bad for the planet).
There are a few exceptions however. I finally tracked down the companies that I thought offered the best available options. In fact, I really liked what Greenerprinter had to offer. They offer 100% recycled paper processed without chlorine, use soy and vegetable inks with no or low VOC’s that are processed chemical free, minimize their waste, AND they even offset their carbon emissions (a purchased offset results in the reduction of carbon emissions elsewhere; i.e. planting trees). I have been thoroughly impressed by this company. I fully expect to purchase some future printing project from them.
Regarding our business cards, several times I priced them out, uploaded my own design, and nearly purchased them. However, I did not go ahead for a few reasons:
- Our organization has extremely limited resources. While the cost was not excessive (as little as $30 for 250 cards, though more expensive as you customize certain items; I think my order was priced out at like $60 for 500), every little bit counts for us. While not much more than regular business cards, there is definitely a premium that you pay.
- While great, recycled is not the first option. Many of you will be familiar with the adage “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” There is a hierarchy here. First we reduce our consumption, then we reuse things vigorously, finally we recycle items. [Note: putting things is the trash should be a last ditch effort.] So, I just felt a little bad participating in this same system when there might be other alternatives.
- I can be a little bit insane at times (my wife certainly agrees). I have a tendency to be a perfectionist and take things to the extreme on occasion. Purchasing them from Greenerprinter was an excellent option, the best I had found yet something in me pushed me to take it a step further.
This decision not to move forward with a professional printer left us in uncharted waters. It was back to the drawing board. More research. More scouring the internet for any ideas. More brainstorming and thinking outside of the box. If recycled wasn’t the route we wanted to take, where did that leave us?
I was left holding the following competing goals in tension:
- It had to be done in a way that was respectful of God’s creation.
- It had to be reasonably priced. Given our limited resources here, high priced options are not available to us.
- It had to be professional. I was willing to give up a degree of professionalism if it was for the sake of gaining creation-friendability (hmmm I kind of like this new word) and uniqueness however.
- It had to be feasible. This is perhaps the one I was most willing to give in on. Odd but true.
I’m sure you are noting two things right now: First, these are all relative. Second, the Greenerprinter option pretty much satisfies these. I know. I know. Let me refer you again to my insanity plea in reason #3 above.
Along the way I have considered many options. The following are some of the more interesting ones:
- Handwritten on scraps of (already used) paper.
Just carry around a pen (preferably an eco-friendly one), find any scrap of paper, and write it out. Easy enough. While this achieved goals 1, 2, 4, it did not achieve #3. It was neither professional nor terribly unique. Of course, it looks even worse when your handwriting is as bad as mine (above writing is about as good as it gets). So I had to pass. - Printed on leaves. This certainly achieved goals 1 & 2. While it
didn’t exactly accomplish #3 I was willing to give in here because it would be so stinking cool. However, feasibility was a big problem. First, it would be very difficult to get the ink on the leaves cleanly (note the failure to do so in the image above). Second, it would also be difficult to get the ink to dry well and stay on the leaf. Thirdly, it’s not exactly realistic to carry a stack of leaf business cards around in your wallet. Not very durable or portable. Tempting, but it would have to wait. Perhaps for a conference sometime. - Portable custom stamp inked onto any available object.
This sounded so cool. Have a custom, self-inking stamp made that you would take everywhere and stamp it on whatever was handy. Possible targets would include: notebooks, hands, newspapers, books, trash, clothing, etc. The possibilities are endless and so much fun to think about. This would achieve goal #1. Again, I was willing to give in on #3 because of the uniqueness. Unfortunately, because of the size of business cards and the fact that the stamp would be custom the cost was quite high (if you could even find them that big 2 x 3 1/2). Also, it is not too practical to carry a big old stamp around everywhere. Sadly, this too would not work.
I went on for weeks and weeks, comparing different options to see if they met my criteria. Some came close. Most didn’t. In the end I have developed a two-pronged strategy.
Strategy 1: Digital business cards
The first part of my strategy opts out of the traditional business card approach. I have created both a vCard and a jpeg image of my business card. Both are now stored on my phone. When needing to share contact info, I can quickly text or email one of my digital business cards. No paper. No printing. No shipping. No wasted inventory. No bulky items to carry around. No waste from data being entered into Outlook and then having the card tossed into the trash.
It seems that this option achieves all four of my goals. While not the most professional route, I think it works. For the most part it is a practical solution that gets the job done. At the same time it does not allow the recipient the opportunity to quickly grab a card and disappear. Nor can you write a note on the back (though this could be included in the email). But in the end, I think this is a great option.
Strategy 2: DIY business cards on trash with vegetable ink
The second part of my strategy puts a major twist on the traditional approach. I have opted to reuse instead of recycle (or use new paper). I am collecting would-be trash or recycling and cutting it into 2 1/4 x 3 1/2 business cards. 
The packaging from that Tinker Bell underwear we bought my potty-training daughter, from that Prius brochure, from that cereal box, from a friend’s Cheez-It’s box, from the Drumsticks that our youth group consumed, and other items are now re-purposed as Creation Hope business cards. We have eliminated the collection, shipping, cleaning, recycling, and other related efforts and emissions. Not only is this a good way to conserve resources, but it is unique and eye-catching.
The rest has not been easy. Figuring out how to get the information onto these cards has been quite the challenge. After much research I purchased a custom rubber stamp mounted on wood from RubberStamps.net for a mere $20. [Note the stamp was well made and arrived just 4 days after I ordered it; that’s with the cheapest, slowest shipping.] The end result is certainly not as clean looking as something printed from a professional printer but I have been willing to sacrifice for the bigger goal here.
Now, by far the hardest part has been the inking process. I have searched and searched trying to find soy or vegetable ink stamp pads to no avail. This has been so frustrating. You would think there would be an eco-friendly stamp pad option. But it seems they don’t exist (if you know otherwise please let me know).
Here is where my wife really thinks that I have lost it. Instead of settling for regular stamp pads at this point, I (foolishly?) chose to attempt to make my own vegetable based ink as opposed to using a petroleum-based, VOC emitting stamp pad. Again, I had an impossible time finding instructions on how to do this. You would think that among the countless how-to websites that help you do everything from fixing a computer to building a chicken coop to constructing a hydroponic garden in your window you could find instructions on how to do this. In all of my looking, I only found 1 set of instructions.
So, I gathered up my ingredients: vegetable oil, granular soy lecithin, Kool Aid, and water. I mixed them up, put them in a container with a paper towel as my stamp pad, and began stamping away. Now, here is the part I wish I didn’t have to write. I am two ink batches in but have not yet produced an ink that works well. It seems to be a little too watery still and thus does not stamp crisply and cleanly onto the business card as you can see below.
I will have to continue researching and refining the ink. In the meantime I have borrowed a regular stamp pad and done a few tests to see how it looks (see below). If I want to justify this aspect, the ink pad is refillable (though the 2 ounce bottles come with waste of their own). But perhaps that is a stretch.
This strategy also achieves the various goals, though to differing degrees. It most certainly achieves goals 1 & 2. It is fairly professional, though it definitely lacks the quality a professionally printed card would have. But, what it lacks there, it gains in terms of uniqueness. The place this is most wanting is in terms of feasibility. The problem is neither the card nor the stamps, it is in the ink itself. When it’s all said and done, I am very pleased with our results. They are created in a way that cares for creation, they are very affordable, they are fairly professional and totally unique, and they are mostly feasible.
I will continue refining my business cards, but for now I am quite satisfied and excited about how this strategy helps us to care for creation and achieve our mission.
What do you think? Do you like this approach? Did we succeed in our goals? Am I totally insane? Finally, do you have any suggestions to help us improve? I would love to hear your ideas.
Also consider:
Green Adventures: Baking Bread
*Custom stamp image from
http://orders.rubberstamps.net/FixedSize.aspx?ProductID=4927&qty=1
Green Adventures: Transforming Trash
Apr 7th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Transforming Trash
About a year or so ago I started to realize the overwhelming amount of waste that left our home every single week. Thanks to some of those programs where they show how much trash people accumulate and throw out over a couple weeks time, I was not only ashamed but felt compelled to do something more about our own waste levels. Enter composting.
Composting was a way to significantly reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills and generate prime, organic fertilizer for our home garden. For composting-newbies, composting is basically collecting organic matter such as your kitchen and garden waste and helping it decompose. The end product is dark soil filled with nutrients for your plants. So you begin with would-be garbage, cut out its trip to the landfill, wait a while, and find yourself holding the ultimate organic fertilizer. And it’s free. It’ takes minimal effort, saves money, helps your garden, and cuts your impact on creation. It’s a win-win-win.
I was tempted to compost for a while but wasn’t sure how to go about it or get started. I had looked up composters online but found them quite expensive to buy. At the same time, because I did not really know what I was doing, I was hesitant to build my own. While doing some other green research I came across a program where the sanitary district in my city offered a composter which was heavily subsidized by some grant. Whereas I had been seeing composters for $70-80 for entry level composters and on up from there, my city was offering the Earth Machine (pictured above) along with a kitchen collector for a mere $20. The appointed time had come and I sprung into action.
After squeezing the composters (I actually picked one up for my church as well) into the back of my little Civic and getting it home, I immediately set it up, oozing with enthusiasm. Sounds a little weird, I know. I put the kitchen collector next to the trash and we starting diverting would-be trash.
Surprisingly, it did not take long to adjust to composting versus trashing. My mind quickly switched to the mindset of asking first if something could be composted. If not, then could it be recycled? Only then would I open the trash can. And with a kitchen collector (pictured below) right there, it didn’t really take any extra effort. Once the collector was full I would take it to the composter out back. Every so often I would turn it over to ensure it was mixed well and aerated.
Here is a list of some of the things I have thrown in:
- Coffee grounds and filters
Food scraps (everything including fruit waste, pasta, vegetables, nuts, corn cobs and fruit peels but not dairy, meat, and large fruit pits) - Tea bags
- Leaves, some grass, garden waste
- Paper napkins and paper towels (not all but quite a bit)
- Some newspaper
- Compostable cups
When I started we did not have a whole lot of leaves and other “browns." [Note: in composting it is extremely helpful to have a good balance of greens (nitrogen rich items like vegetable waste and coffee grounds) and browns (carbon rich items like dried leaves and straw) in order to speed up decomposition and avoid a stinky pile.] While the balance was good enough to avoid any stench, the pile did not get heated up too much and progressed slowly.
More recently however, I have noticed that my composter is really cooking (literally and figuratively). As I was turning it the other day, there was even steam coming off of it in relatively warm California weather. Because I keep adding more and more material and turning it in with the rest, I have not yet taken any out. But when I do there will be a ton of good, decomposed, would-be trash. How exciting!
In case you’re wondering here are a few things I would do differently from the start:
I would work to achieve a better balance right away. While we have always had a decent balance, it was more lacking at the beginning. This had to do both with a lack of necessary inputs (i.e. leaves) as well as a casual attitude. However, now I find myself wishing I had been more intentional up front. - I would be more aggressive about collecting fodder for my composter. This includes collecting my food scraps from meals out (which I wrote about earlier in The Strange Things We Do) and gathering leaves from our local park and neighborhood when needed for balance.
- I would be more careful about the size of garden waste. We made the mistake of throwing the remnants of our summer garden plants in without cutting them up small enough. By cutting them smaller there is more surface area available which can be broken down.
- I might think about purchasing a composter turner to help with turning the compost. I have been using a 3-tine cultivator kind of like this one which has worked pretty well for me.
- I would not put compostable cups in my compost. I have had some in my composter for a few months now and they do not show any signs of breaking down. There were not specific instructions on the package but I have come across notes elsewhere that say they will take at least 6 months and possibly over a year to break down completely. I might consider guerrilla composting them by just digging a hole in the ground somewhere for them to break down on their own schedule.
- I would get a second collector for dry compost. For Christmas I was given another kitchen collector. Not the most common Christmas gift, huh? What does that say about me? Anyways, I decided to use one for things that would not mold or attract flies inside and another for the moist, attractive-to-bugs items like tea bags and banana peels outside. That has helped to keep bugs out and lessen the urgency to take things all the way to the composter right away. Of course, in my situation this is aided by the fact that there is a kitchen window that opens to an outside counter which makes it super easy to use the outdoor collector.
The inside of my composter after a recent addition of leaves, grass, and kitchen waste.
Some final thoughts for you:
- It has not smelled at all. Many people are afraid of the stink or of annoying their neighbors, but this is something that is easily controlled with good management.
- You may remember that I have previously talked about my composter when I did my post on the adventures of trying to bake my own bread. Then I showed you a picture of my failed first attempt to make my own bread sitting in the composter. I’m happy to report that were you to (be weird enough to) dig through my compost you would not find it. It is fully broken down or is at least unrecognizable. How cool is that!
- At one point I went to add items to my composter and noticed that the contents were undulating. A closer inspection revealed a swarm of maggots devouring the contents. A little research revealed debate about whether or not this was a good thing. I seemed to lean on the side of it being beneficial (like worms they quickly break the food down helping you out) and decided to allow them to stay. Before I knew it though they left as quickly as they had come and have not come back since. I kind of miss the ugly little things. Just kidding, but (sort of) seriously.
- As I mentioned, I also picked up one of these for my church. I installed it only to have it stolen a few weeks later (yes, with rotting food, coffee grounds, and garden waste inside). How bizarre! Seriously, who steals a (used and dirtied) composter?
Instead of taking the risk of having my heart broken again, I re-purposed some pallets that we came across and built my own (pictured to the right). It actually worked pretty well until people started mistaking it for a trash can and garden waste collector (filled to the brim only with leaves and trash). How? I don’t know. I am a bit discouraged but am planning on giving it one more shot while I wait for the leaves to break down. For this, I hope to build a second one with some pallets I am hoping to score this week. Perhaps I will have enough to put a lid on it or something. Ps. if you happen to be the Costa Mesa compost bandit, please make your compost confession and stop.
Note: in our Creation Hope store we sell a rotating composter (which is much easier to turn) and a worm bin (which is a great way to compost). Note that these are expensive options. While we would love you to support us by purchasing one, I actually recommend that you first check and see if your city offers a subsidized composter like mine above. Also, if you are the adventurous type, consider building your own (there are a variety of ways you can do this). You can find instructions online or through the resources below.
Sometime soon I will do a full post on how to get started composting. In the meantime here are several resources for you:
Also consider:
Green Adventures: All Aboard (Part 1)
*Kitchen Collector image from Earth Machine
*Compost Turner image of Exaco Trading ECO Spyro Compost Mixing Tool as seen on Amazon
Green Adventures: Diaper Changes (Part 3)
Mar 24th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Diaper Changes (Part 3)
Drum roll please. This is the moment all you regular readers have been waiting for. That’s right! The conclusion to the series tracking my family’s journey to switch to the more creation-friendly cloth diapers is finally here. If you are a new reader or happened to miss the original posts, I recommend you start with part 1 and part 2.
This final post will note a little more about our experience, list the items you would need to get started, give step-by-step instructions for diaper changes and laundry, provide you with some tips to be successful, and finally give you my evaluation of the prospect of switching to cloth diapers.
*Many thanks to my wife who has been more than helpful in putting together this post.
Experiences
Here are a few more experiences that have come up in the weeks since the last post:
We (normally my wife) do a load of diapers every 2 or 3 days right now. Of course, that depends on how many diapers your child uses a day and how many you own. We have 18 and my daughter uses about 5 a day these days. But if you have a newborn who is using around 10 a day, you might need a lot more. In fact, we will probably pick up a few more if and when we have another baby. Be sure to factor this into how many you buy.
There have been a couple times where we chose to put her in some leftover disposables when others were watching her because we didn’t know if they would know how to change the diapers. Of course, we have learned that with a brief explanation they do an adequate job. Problem solved.
At first the diapers seemed to leak a lot, but it turns out that it was not the fault of the diapers. Turns out we just needed to arrange them a little better on her body. Haven’t had a leak in weeks.
Finally, we have had a closer relationship with human excrement than I was used to. I have had to become a little more used to touching urine (i.e. when removing the wet inserts) than I had been. The reality is that you quickly get used to that (and all the other steps) and it becomes routine.
[To continue reading, please click more]
Green Adventures: All Aboard (Part 2)
Mar 3rd
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
All Aboard (Part 2)
Last week I shared with you part 1 of my journey to take the light rail as a more sustainable form of transportation. I shared why and how I came to the decision to make the switch in my commute and described the journey as well as some of my mishaps. Today, join me as I continue to describe this adventure.
Wild adventures
Adventure is certainly a fitting word to describe the move to public transportation. Each trip provides something new and unique. I have found myself riding with convicts and businessmen, the drunk and the sober, kids and adults, the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy, the talkative and the reserved. And the stories. Oh the stories.
There’s the time when the guy and his girlfriend were fighting. She was moving from row to row to get away from him. The arguing got louder and louder (and closer and closer to me). When they were just a few seats away, she basically tells him to get lost and he loses it. Shouting now, he tells her that he will kill her if she leaves him. Then he proceeds to tell everyone within earshot that he will kill them too. At that point me and a few other passengers silently made a pact to step up and protect her and anyone else if the situation demanded it. Isn’t it amazing how much you can communicate with just your eyes when necessary? After that they calmed down and soon she made a quick exit (I believe to the safety of a waiting vehicle).
Or there was the time when the guy was so drunk he couldn’t even stand up. He annoyed a woman and her son for a few minutes before passing out in his seat. It was interesting watching the little boy trying to figure out how to get around him from the outside. Eventually he chose to crawl on his belly to get underneath him.
Or there was the time when I was sitting with several guys that had literally just gotten out of jail. Though not the wisest of guys (they were talking about breaking the law again in just a couple hours), they were quite friendly with me. I loaned then a pen and we struck up a conversation. I was able to share about how and why I was going to seminary. Who would have guessed?
And then there was the time when we stopped for probably 30 minutes on a part of the tracks where they are elevated by a good 100 feet or more. Then the driver get out of the booth, opens the train door, and hops out. And doesn’t come back (well… for 20 minutes at least). Turns out there was a potential jumper (not too mention road kill candidate) on the tracks in front of us. Eventually the person was coaxed down and out of the way and we were on our way.
Now, not every day is like this. Really, these are the best stories I can remember after countless trips. Fear and potential harm are rare. But adventure is always there. In fact, while always having good intentions of reading and studying, those intentions were often thwarted by all the quirky people there were to watch.
Tips for taking the train
- Bring Purell. Certainly this is my germophobia coming out, but I recommend it nonetheless. If you imagine all the grime and bacteria on the seats, poles, etc… well, just don’t because it’ll creep you out. Bring purell or promptly wash your hands afterwards. It will keep you healthier.
- Use Google Maps for directions. They have now built in a feature that allows you to select your mode of transportation (by car, public transportation, or walking) when looking for directions. This is very helpful, especially when taking more than one system.
Pros and cons
Cons:
- Time – for the most part taking the train will take you longer. There are certainly days, times, and commutes where this isn’t true. However, for the most part, be sure to factor in enough time to get to your destination.
- Loss of flexibility – especially in southern California where we do not have an extensive system, you are limited by both time (schedules) and locations (where the lines run)when you rely on the train.
- No eating or drinking – although many people ignore this rule, you are not allowed to eat or drink while on the train. For many of us who live a busy lifestyle, we are used to eating and drinking while on the move. Unless you are willing to risk the potential fines, the train will leave you hungry.
- Crowds – if traveling during peak hours you might have to sit next to someone else or even stand. Of course, when driving alone this is not a problem.
- Storage – finally, you are limited by what you can tote around with you. This was especially difficult as a student. I often needed to lug around a laptop, books for class, food, and water. Then add on the walking and it was after quite the pain.
Pros:
- Savings – for the most part, taking the train is significantly cheaper than driving. This is particularly true when you factor in wear and tear and possibly insurance (if you were to do away with your vehicle completely).
- Better for car – as noted above, this significantly reduces wear and tear. This results in tires lasting longer, less frequent maintenance, etc. This saves you money and time. It also means your car (a valuable resource with a big footprint) last longer.
- Ability to relax or be productive – when taking the train you have the freedom not to focus on where you are going. This frees you up to be productive, catch a nap, or people watch. I personally find driving through traffic stressful, so it’s nice to arrive without the added stress.
- Exercise – inevitably you will have to walk more versus driving. This allows you to get your heart rate up and simply enjoy (hopefully) fresh air.
- No risk of falling asleep at the wheel – there were times commuting at 5 am after studying until late or getting up in the night with my daughter when the hardest part of driving was staying awake. It was awful having to open the window in freezing temperatures (relatively speaking since i live in California) just to stay awake. Public transportation takes away that risk and the associated pressure.
- No parking hassle – this option allows you to skip the hassle of finding or paying for parking. I know in some places this isn’t a concern. In others, however, it is important. I have been able to save significantly on parking costs via this method, not to mention the time of looking for a spot.
- Connection to others – when we lock ourselves behind our car doors and windows we lose a valuable connection with each other. We can travel hundreds of miles without even greeting or noticing another person. That’s a shame.
- Green – this is the option that better cares for God’s creation. Mass transit allows us to minimize emissions and such.
So, what do we do with all of this? While the train is not for every commute, I highly recommend it. I have always – well almost always – felt incredibly safe despite my tales above. It is generally cheaper. It has less of an ecological impact. Many of the cons are really just adjustments we need to make rather than major problems. Perhaps we should be adjusting in some of these areas anyways.
If you find yourself faced with long commutes, high gas bills, and a lack of connection with others, I encourage you to learn from my adventures and consider taking the train. It certainly won’t be dull.
Also consider:
Green Adventures: All Aboard (Part 1)
Feb 24th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
All Aboard (Part 1)
A couple years ago I found myself regularly commuting 100+ miles a day (often 5 days a week). I quickly tired of the drive. But unfortunately I had no choice but to commute. Telecommuting or just not going were not options for me. However, I was really getting sick of that drive. (Of course, no one likes to drive that far through LA traffic.) I was also over the ridiculous amounts of money I was spending on gas as the price had skyrocketed even though my car gets nearly 40 miles per gallon. Neither did I like struggling to stay awake while driving at 5 in the morning. In addition to all that I did not like my negative impact on God’s creation from using a non-renewable resource, pumping out bad gases into the air, etc. It was time for a change.
So, I began researching what my alternatives were. Unfortunately there weren’t many. I couldn’t stay up there for days at a time. Nor could I walk or bike. My car has years of life left in it and I couldn’t afford to replace it with a Prius or other gas-sipping hybrid. There was really only one option – public transportation.
I had two main options: drive 10 miles to catch a really expensive train or drive 20 miles to catch a more affordable light rail train. I chose the latter and my journey began. It would consist of a 20 mile drive, 3 separate trains, and a 10-15 minute walk. Hardly convenient, but necessary.
I remember being nervous the first day I began my new commuting method. I wasn’t sure where to go, what to do, how to pay, etc. Up early, I drove to Long Beach (to catch the train) in the dark. My directions were wrong but I eventually found the station. I tried to read while on the train but I was too afraid of missing my stop that I couldn’t focus well. [The funny thing is that my stop was actually the end of the line – whoops!] When I arrived I followed the sea of people to the other platform. As soon as a got there a train showed up and was quickly loading with gobs of people. Not wanting to miss the train I hopped on and was excited at my fortune for having caught it just in time. Moving along and feeling good. Then I look up at the map to plot my next move, and it dawns on me – I’m going the wrong way! Can you believe it? I had been in such a rush to catch the train that I hadn’t even figured out where it was headed. Not my brightest moment.
So I hop off at the first stop, catch the train going the other direction, now checking and re-checking that I know where I’m headed. Fortunately I found the next train with minimal confusion and soon found myself at my final stop. A 15 minute walk later (and over 2 1/2 hours after I left home) I was at my destination. A few hours later I reversed the process to get home. This time I only had one mishap – an improvement. So, at one of the stations I chose the wrong way out and found myself standing on the right platform but the wrong side of the tracks. At first I wondered why I was the only one waiting for the train. Then, after opening my eyes and seeing a couple hundred people on the other side I again became aware of my foolishness. After going back down and then up the correct side of the station I was back on track. Though I looked ridiculous to the other passengers I hadn’t missed the next train. After suffering through some traffic I later arrived home, exhausted. My 2 1/2 hours round-trip commute had turned into 5 1/2 hours.
As time has gone on I have perfected this commute. I know exactly where to park, where to go, how to relax on the ride and enjoy the walk. That commute does still take the same amount of time however. Overall, it has become a great way to get to my destinations in a more sustainable way that respects God’s creation.
HOWEVER, this commute is often filled with all sorts of wild excitement. Follow along next week as I go on to describe the crazy people and situations I have encountered. We will take a look at the pros and cons of this alternative mode of transportation. I will also get into some tips for you if you are interested in taking the train. Note: we will return to the Diaper Changes series after this.
Also consider:
Green Adventures: The Strange Things We Do
Green Living: #2 Reuse Your Booty
Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/12453467@N00/ / CC BY 2.0
Green Adventures: Diaper Changes (Part 2)
Feb 17th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Diaper Changes (Part 2)
Last week I wrote part 1 of a series of posts through which we bring you along on our journey to switch from disposable diapers to reusable cloth diapers. I walked you through the decision process and my hopes and fears. We have now been using the BumGenius cotton diapers for 1 week and it’s time to update you on the latest on our journey to better care for God’s creation.
So, we are one week in. That’s certainly not enough time to experience all the pros and cons of switching to cloth diapers. However, I wanted you to be able to walk through this with us. Besides, it wouldn’t be very exciting if I just told you all the tips and how-tos once all was said and done. The point of journeying together is that you can experience the ups and the downs together with me.
It has been an interesting week. For the most part we have really adapted well. There has been no second guessing ourselves or wondering if we could return the diapers. We have made the jump and there is no looking back. We simply grab a different type of diaper than we did before and have a modified process once the dirty diaper is off (more to come about how it all works in part 3). Although it does take more time to change a dirty (aka poopy) diaper, a wet diaper does not take any longer. In fact, I have been surprised at the relative ease with which we have made the transition.
[Continue reading to see more about how the week went]
Green Adventures: Diaper Changes (Part 1)
Feb 10th
A series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Diaper Changes (Part 1)
Many of the changes that we make to care for God’s creation are really quite easy. Often it only means purchasing one product instead of another. For example, buying LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescents. Other times it is just a subtle change in habit like remembering to switch off lights and unplug electronics that are not being used. However, there are other times where it is much more difficult and it really challenges us to go green. The reality is that caring for creation often comes at a cost. And our latest adventure is one that I think will definitely come at a cost.
My wife and I have wanted to change to more eco-friendly diapers for a long time. In fact, we were really looking into it a year or so ago but couldn’t pull the trigger. Since almost everyone we know uses one of the same two brands of disposable diapers there was a sense of fear about what lay beyond the known world. It was like we were embarking into some dark chasm of the unknown world of alternative diapers. Somehow it slipped our minds and before we knew it another year had passed.
Now, for those of you who don’t know, disposable diapers are really awful for the environment. The short of it is that it takes them ages to break down, they preserve bacteria and whatnot which can get into water that may not be treated properly, and they take up a ton of space in our landfills. Most of the time there is just no beating things that we reuse versus things that we throw away in terms of carbon footprint and environmental cost. This seems to be one of those times. Did I mention how stinking expensive disposable diapers are? Even when you buy them from discount stores in the largest packages possible (which at least reduces packaging) they are not cheap (about 20-25 cents each). Not to mention that babies use a lot of them each day. My daughter, who is almost 2, uses about 5 a day, but it was easily twice that when she was really little. Well, that really adds up my friends.
So, recently the whole area of diapers came up again as we targeted new areas of our life to change in order to better care for God’s creation. We looked into the more eco-friendly disposable diapers. We discovered however that even the “eco diapers” came at a steep cost. There were certainly improvements over regular diapers, don’t get me wrong, but to be honest they just seemed like minor incremental changes. It’s nice that they are chlorine-free and are made from better materials. Unfortunately, however, they just did not seem to do the trick and ultimately still wind up making our landfills a little taller and smellier.
We kept looking. Of course, there aren’t too many more places to look. There are really only 2 other options; well, 3 if you are okay with your toddlers walking around naked, conducting their business wherever they please. The first (and better if you can pull it off) is to potty train your child early. In our case, our daughter is not yet ready for that step. If your child is, more power to you. Using the toilet would certainly be the best option. The second is to move to cloth diapers. At this point we were past the point of no return. We had decided to move forward but did not know it would cost us so much. We were slipping head first into a big pile of… well, at least they are made of cotton. So, we made it official. We were moving into the world of cloth, non-disposable diapers. A world that is much more complicated. A world that takes a lot more work. A world in which my likelihood of getting human excrement on myself is much higher. But a world which is much cheaper (we expect to recover the initial cost outlay in about 3/4 of a year) and which, more importantly, will help us to better care for God’s creation. And so our latest adventure began.
[Continue reading past the break to follow the rest of this phase of our adventure.]
Green Adventures: You Melt My Heart
Feb 3rd
A series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
You Melt My Heart
When you have kids, it often feels like you’re surrounded by waste. Diapers, food wrappers, broken toys, tissues. Oh the tissues! My daughter will sniffle into a tissue once, pitch it, and then immediately reach for another. Some of these things can’t be avoided, some progress slowly, and others can be remedied now.
Take crayons for example. My daughter is just learning to color but we are already wasting crayons. They either often break or get run down into small pieces that are no longer usable. If you think about it, at least 25% of crayons are wasted and the unusable parts tossed into the garbage and shipped to a landfill. What a waste!
This week we implemented a new solution to help with this problem. Well, actually my wife did. Props to her for her creativity and follow through. So, how do crayons and green go together? If you’re Crayola, apparently about 89 ways (sea green, forest green, etc). If not, I’m not sure. But this week our journey led us to at least one way that we can green our crayon waste. Thanks to the long thread my wife got the brilliant idea to turn crayon bits into a Colorful Valentine’s Day Card. Incidentally, Siel from Green LA Girl just posted a similar idea this week as well, while my wife was preparing to do this.
So here’s what my wife did:
First, she gathered up all the old broken bits of crayons that are no longer of much use and removed any remaining paper they were wrapped in.
Second, she chopped them up into pea sized bits. I’m not sure why peas? I don’t know. I’m sure you’re wondering with me why not eraser-sized pieces (although to be honest I don’t think she got the pea memo).
Third, she took all those pieces and put them into some kind of oven mold thingy. Seems easy enough. Though apparently (as you can see from the picture below) she actually kind of grouped them by colors that would look good together. And now you understand why this was her project. I might have just left it to chance.
Fourth, she threw it all in the oven at 175 degrees. While the instructions called for 15 minutes she wound up needing 30-35 minutes for it to fully… catalyze? Perhaps it was because it was a silicone pan as opposed to a metal one. Just keep an eye on it till you know what works for you and your equipment. Note the catalytic, synaptic, enzymatic – you know, the melting process taking place below.
Fifth, she popped out the newly transformed, now heart-shaped crayons from the mold. Where there was once a broken pile of useless garbage, there was now a pile of fancy crayon hearts steaming in multi-colored goodness. She did point out that she had to trim some imperfections from the edges.
She wasn’t quite finished however. Finally she printed out some Valentine’s cards from the long thread and attached the hearts for the final product.
I’m sure my daughter’s little friends will love them. Just think, not only would this have all wound up in a landfill, but we would have had to buy new stuff in place of it. What a great way to give new life to a bunch of would-be junk.
Now if you didn’t want to give Valentine’s cards out you could just make the hearts and use them in some other creative way. Furthermore, this does not have to be a Valentine’s Day project. You could do this any time of the year with other molds (i.e. a muffin pan). I bet some of the more creative among you could actually figure out a way to turn them back into a more usable crayon.
Be sure to let us know how it goes and about any ingenuity you work into your process.
Also consider:
