NEW PROJECT RULE! ... and some Youtube for good measure.

Today being Earthday, I didn't allow myself any electricity (baring the computer charger. I NEEEEEEEED it. It is essential. There is a reason I'm not Amish.)

But anyway: I realized that for most of the day using the lights is completely unnecessary! My apartment is extremely well lit. It's sunny and delightful. However, I augment this pleasant natural glow with those horrible compact fluorescent lights most of the time I'm home. Why???? {Ok Ok, I know they're better for planet earth, but they take forever to warm up and make everyone look as though they're about to be incarcerated.}

This seems silly and wasteful. I have friends who refuse overhead lighting on principle and go about setting mood lighting in their homes through the use of many expensive floor lamps and track lighting. I could just NOT do that, not use lights anymore during the day, and achieve the same fabulous ambience! I could also outfit my tiny reading lamp with a better bulb and use it to light things in the evening (when, lets face it, all I need light for is reading.) I know that candles emit more greenhouse gases than using electricity to light your home, but once in a while some candle light wouldn't hurt in the evenings.

So there we have it, RULE # 3:

I WILL NOT USE ELECTRICITY TO LIGHT MY HOME DURING THE DAYTIME. IN THE EVENING I WILL LIMIT USE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

Also: In honor of earthday I want to link to one of my fav Youtube videos, starring Clea Duvall and Leisha Hadley:

A revelation: RULE #2: NO DISPOSABLE FOOD CONTAINERS

Last night I went out to celebrate the completion of a thesis chapter. We dined at a bar/restaurant that uses a ton of local products, and I drank a local organic beer. For those in the party who eat meat, all of the beef is from 2 miles down the road. I was happy in my dining choices until I got home and realized that, since I hadn't been able to finish my black bean and mushroom rueben, the server gave me an aluminum and plastic takeout container in which to take it home.

MORE DISPOSABLE STUFF!

And so Project Rule #2 struck me quite hard:

I WILL NOT USE DISPOSABLE FOOD CONTAINERS ANYMORE. This means no takeout, no delivery, no lattes that aren't in real mugs, and no leftovers transported in any containers but my own. I started carrying a glass mason jar around for my tea and water yesterday like No Impact Man but this isn't enough. I need to plan ahead when going out and bring my own "tupperware" (I use pickle jars.) I need to have the foresight to plan what I'll be eating for lunch so time and desperation doesn't send me to the student union for a substandard and very packaged meal.

PROJECT RULE #1: NO MORE JUNK!

Ok, So I have decided on the first project rule to add to the Manifesta:

I WILL NOT BUY USELESS CRAP!

One of the scariest things about our environmental situation is that recycling doesn't really cut it. Yes it helps, but if we really want to make progress we need to cut down on the STUFF! Our economy is based upon the use and discard model. This past weekend I went to Target to buy deoderant and shampoo and ended up spending 70 dollars on crud I don't even REMOTELY need such as:

~A ceramic decorative ball (???)
~The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (It should be noted that I have a Netflix membership)
~Wash clothes that matched my bathroom rug (I already have 2 dozen)
~Chocolate Covered Pretzel Sticks - each individually wrapped in plastic!

This must stop!
Moving forward, I will buy less crap. IF I make the decision to buy anything (that falls outside the realm of food or personal care) I must:

1) Post my rationale for the purchase on the blog
2) Post a picture of the item on the blog
3) Leave myself open to rebuke in the comments