Zero Trash!

Thanks to Bay Area Recycling for Charities , my "carbon footprint" just got a whole lot smaller!!! Today I'm happy to say, I kicked Waste Management permanently to the curb :) Since I recycle and/or compost everything, I now have ZERO trash!!! WOO HOO!!!

Many people have asked me how I went to zero trash. Well, as they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day" :)

For nearly 20 years, I've been recycling in one way or another. Last summer, I built a compose pile for kitchen scraps. Also last summer, I migrated to cloth bags instead of plastic shopping bags. The grocery store I shop sells them for .99 or exchanges them free with points earned for shopping. I've traded points for approximately 30 bags and given bags to friends. The bags are washable and guaranteed for life. If they fray or wear out, the store will replace them for free.

This past spring when I noticed that the only thing in my trash was plastic bags (like from bread, produce, etc) or non-recyclable plastics, I was pissed that I was paying $15/month for trash service for essentially picking up what was non-recyclable materials. I got to really thinking about all that plastic in the landfill and it completely disturbed me!!

Another thing I thought about is how much we pay other people to take care of our trash. All we merely do is pay someone else for the convenience of not being responsible with our own trash. If we bag everything up and pay a company $15/month to pick it up, the trash may disappear from our curb, but it doesn't disappear from the environment. We pay $15/month to clean our trash, but also to clean our consciences. Something to think about...

Technically everything is recyclable. The issue is whether there is a market for it. Enter companies like Bay Area Recycling which not only endorses and educates that ALL trash is 100% recyclable or compostable, they also take plastic bags, films and other "non recyclable" items.

The major hurdle for trashing the trash and being 100% recycling/composting, is the issue of menstruation. As women know, one of the greatest monthly costs and trash factor is tampons or pads.

Two years ago I switched from tampons to a Diva Cup which is a hygienic reusable cup. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!! I've never ever been thrilled about "that time of the month". When I started using the Diva Cup, it was like I reclaimed my body from marketers, manufacturers and society telling me what to do with my body. For millenia women have dealt healthily with this monthly phenomenon. It's taken "modern man" to distort the view of our natural process and taught us that it's dirty or somehow needs to be sanitized away.

As you can see, I'm quite passionate about this! I can't tell you how truly liberating it's been. Being able to camp without fret about "packing out" used feminine products is a joy!! I no longer have to plan my camping or kayak expeditions around "that time"!!

Another bonus to the Diva Cup is absolutely NO cramps!! My body feels healthier and my >ahem< female area is pH balanced because it is no longer being leeched of natural moisture or absorbing harmful bleaches and chemicals from feminine products.

Email me for more info if you're interested on specific feedback, cost, ect.

Overall my journey to ZERO trash has been a little at a time, looking at MY own accountability regarding the trash I generated. I started shopping smarter (not buying products in excessive packaging, bringing my own bags, carrying things out without bags).

Certainly $15 a month is not going to make or break me. But adding more trash to our environment WILL eventually make or break the planet. No matter your religious persuasion or philosophical bent, Earth is the ONLY planet which is inhabitable for mankind. As Ghandi said, "Be the change you want in the world". I am making my world 100% trash free!! :)

My First Koan

A man sought wise counsel, so he sailed across the roughest seas, crossed the harshest desert and climbed the highest mountain. After considerable struggle, effort and time, the man finally reached the wiseman. 

The wiseman asked, "What is your question?"  

The man asked, "Who am I?"  

The wiseman responded, "Who do you think you are?" 

 The man answered, "I don't know." 

The wiseman replied, "Then that is who you are."

This is a Koan* I wrote today. What does this Koan say to you? Who do YOU think you are?

Many people, myself included, at one time or another spend considerable struggle, effort and time (and money) to try to find out who they are from someone else.

Truth is, we don't need to go to anyone else for that answer. The answer lies within ourselves, if we are willing to be honest with ourself, and willing to leave behind that which no longer is beneficial or good for our lives, if we are courageous to reach for shores yet not seen, brave to charter unknown territory.

The fact is, we change everyday. HOW we change is entirely up to us! What we do today affects our direction for tomorrow...


* A Koan is a story, dialogue, question, or statement; the meaning of which cannot be understood by rational thinking, yet it may be accessible by intuition. (A widely known Koan is, "Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?")

Review: Casio G'zOne Brigade

Well, after using the Casio G'zOne Brigade for over a week, running it through it's paces and subjecting it to various tests, I've come to the conclusion that although this phone IS hardy enough to go with me where ever I want, it simply does not deliver the features I need/want. It doesn't matter that the phone is out in the elements with me, if it's unusable, it's no better than having a dainty Smartphone with me. At least I can hard case protect the Smartphone from the elements and have a phone I can actually use! There's nothing I can do to the Brigade to make it more functional. It is what it is. And I need more out of a phone.

Thankfully AmazonWireless offers 30-day satisfaction guarantee on all phone products. My experience with obtaining the RMA was seamless. I am very happy with the "try it for 30-days" policy. Be on the look-out for my next preview: HTC Droid Incredible! :)

PROS:

• Tough construction.
• Solid feel.
• Waterproof.
• Thermal tolerant.
• Great speaker/mic.
• Camera flash doubles as awesome flashlight!

CONS:

• The internet browser sucks! It hardly renders HTML that well, let alone dynamic pages like Facebook. And you can absolutely forget about Youtube!! It will NOT render Youtube homepage, let alone stream ANY Youtube video. Trying to reach favorites takes 2 clicks, plus a third to select the favorite. Oh, and the most annoying thing about the browser, if you receive a call or email, it closes the browser (without an option to ignore inbound call or email). And every time the browser closes, it opens back up to the Home page instead of your last viewed page (I admit to being spoiled by that home page feature with Smartphones). The browser is a step backward by at least 5 years, reminding me of my old Nextel phone in 2003 which was the first phone I had with internet capabilities. The browser on the Brigade is every bit as chunky and clumsy. The only way you could be impressed with this browser is if you never had used a computer in your life and never had been on the internet. Strong words, but I calls it like I sees it :} Strike one!
• Not able to sync calendar. Verizon has their propietary "Office Kit", but it took me 2hrs just to get my laptop to install the driver for the USB data cable. I'm IT-saavy, so I can't imagine how long it would have taken a non-tech person. Apart from accessing my email, syncing my calendar is top priority for me. If I'm not able to know when/where I'm supposed to be, I might as well never leave the house! And if I never leave the house, the Brigade is worthless. Strike two!
• Clumsy email interface. It takes 2 clicks to reach my inbox and another click to read my email. That's 3 clicks total, for those of you keeping score at home. My Blackberry Pearl took only 2 clicks. Another thing about Verizon email interface, is that it doesn't give me the option to delete email only off my handheld device. Which means this is web interface email (direct to Yahoo, Gmail, etc), not client base email (not true POP3). I want the option to read/delete an email on my handheld and then allow the email to download later onto my laptop so I can take a closer look or answer it. Strike three!
• Not able to data transfer without jumping through hoops. Like I said, took me 2hrs to get my laptop to recognize my phone through data cable. Despite the Brigade having a "My Documents" feature it won't read or render Word documents or even Text files. What the bloody good is "My Documents" feature if it's not usable?!
• The keys are not responsive, having to press twice. It's like the keyboard "sleeps" and then you have to press once to awaken and then another time to execute the number. This was very evident while listening and deleting vmail. Quite frustrating to say the least! 
• Very limited customization of phone. You can change the menu layout (grid, list, icon) and change desktop picture, but that's it. What you see is what you get. For phone of this price range, I would expect MUCH more personalization ability.

RATINGS:

• Construction: 10/10
• Mic/sound quality: 10/10
• Signal strength : 8/10 (dropped several calls even when sitting still in my home)
• Web interface: 1/10 - nearly non-existent.
• Email: 2/10
• Calendar use: 0/10
• Overall rating: 5/10

Morning Dew

I like the imagery and inspiration in this meditation of the day...thought I'd share it here.

Morning Dew

The world awakens each day from its nightly slumber, transformed by a sparkling layer of morning dew on the grass, on flower petals and leaves, on cars and car windows. These glistening droplets last only a little while, an integral part of what imbues the early morning with its aura of magic. If we sleep too late, we miss the magnificent display of sunlight playing upon an infinite amount of tiny crystal balls. To step onto the dew-covered grass is to anoint our feet with a form of water that comes only once a day for a short time, a rarefied gift of the night air that will soon evaporate in the full light of the sun. If we inhale slowly and consciously enough, it is almost as if we are drinking in this magical elixir formed in the boundary between darkness and light.

In one myth, morning dew is believed to be tears from heaven, and in another, the droplets are poured from the vessel of the goddess of dawn. When we see the earth draped with these shimmering drops, it is easy to imagine fairies bathing in the water, or a sky god weeping from a longing to be closer to his beloved earth goddess. Seeing the sparkling beauty of the earth emerging from darkness, we may understand this longing in terms of our own gratitude; how blessed we are to be here.

Perhaps heaven really does long to be here on earth, and perhaps that is why we are here—as conduits between the divine and the earthbound. As we drink the morning dew in with our eyes, our skin, our breath, it is easy to imagine that it really is a magical potion, a gift from heaven, a reminder of our true purpose, and a daily opportunity to be transformed. 


Source credits: Daily Om

Preview: Casio G'zOne Brigade (waterproof phone!)

While most people are opting for smaller, thinner, lighter phones, I'm opting for a waterproof, thermal-tolerant phone. In other words, a phone that isn't afraid to be out in the elements with me! I don't often use my phone while out kayaking or photographing in winter, but it's good know that if I want to, I can.

I can't tell you how excited I am that I'm able to have such a phone. The journey towards this moment in time has spanned several years...

Back in 2005 when I was on Sprint's network, I looked (lusted?) at the Casio G'zOne Rock, but it was only available on the Verizon network. (Don't even get me started on proprietary phone contracts! Cell phones should be like a computer or any other device or appliance. If I paid for it, I should be able to choose my carrier or ISP.) But that's a whole other topic for another day!

Fast forward a few years and I had moved to Traverse City in Summer 2008. At that point Verizon service was inadequate in this area (as well as Sprint), so I switched from Sprint to Alltel as my carrier of choice. It seemed my dream of owning a waterproof phone was evaporating before my very eyes.

But wait! The story doesn't end there!!

Fast forward another 18 months to October 2009 when Alltel service is converted to Verizon (after Verizon bought Alltel in June 2008). Many corporate buy-outs cause more problems for the consumer, and who knows whether this acquisition is a good thing or not. All I know is that my dream of owning a waterproof phone was resurrected, like Neptune emerging from the Deep. Sure it may be just a phone, but I've learned that patience brings great reward for those who willing to wait :)  Since I had a relatively new plan with Alltel, I had to put in my time in order to qualify for an upgrade.

Yesterday, June 1st was that date! WOO HOO!!

Today I placed an order for the Casio G'zOne Brigade. The Brigade is a rugged and handsome phone that promises not cry if dropped on land or splashed by the sea. It meets Military Specifications 810F standards for "Water, Shock & Dust Resistance, Immersion, Vibration, Salt Fog, Humidity, Solar Radiation, Altitude, Low and High Temperature Storage".  Although "Solar Radiation" is just Military lingo for "sunshine", it's good to know that if I'm subjected to too much Sunshine, my phone can handle the exposure and I don't have to slather SPF-50 on it! ;)

The phone is completely waterproof...not splash proof, or water resistant, but WATERPROOF. This is my most favorite feature since I'm always outside in, on, under or near the water -- whether of the liquid or frozen variety. Sure I have a waterproof "otter case" for my cell phone when I'm paddling in my kayak. But if I really ever needed/wanted to use my phone, I'd be afraid of opening the otter case while on the water. The Brigade will find a nice place up front with me in my PFD pocket. No more allocating it to where I can't reach it, let alone use it! (Although The Brigade IS waterproof, it won't float. So this puppy will be attached to a leash to keep it out of Davey's Locker!)

Apart from The Brigade being waterproof, it will handle temps from 14°F to 160°F! I am much more inclined to be located toward the low end of the temperature spectrum. But if I find myself standing on the surface of the sun, I'm comforted knowing I can phone home!

I don't know how often or whether I will actually call from my kayak or while I'm out hip-deep in snow on a winter photo shoot, but I really like knowing that I have the option to use my phone in all sorts of weather conditions. Since I pay for a full month of service, I want a full month of potential usage no matter where I am located or what conditions I find myself.

My new phone is scheduled to arrive on June 7th. I'll post a follow-up entry after I actually use the phone. I purchased it online through Amazon Wireless Beta website which offered the best online deal, even beating Verizon by over a hundred bucks!

So call me up on a week or two and see how I'm fairing with the Brigade. If I'm out snorkeling, I'll even answer it while underwater to test the submersibility :)

Until then, here's to Adventures where ever they may lead us!

Slip-sliding Away

Over the weekend, I heard this essay on Public Radio International's "Living On Earth". What beautiful poetry and imagery! I'll allow the author, Mark Seth Lender, to speak so you can discover what he is describing :) If you'd like to hear Mark reading his essay, you can listen here.

Slip-sliding Away

by Mark Seth Lender

On the far side of the pond, bubbles Braille the surface, cerulean blue, soft as morning stars. Half light, the air is still, the lilies rustle. Their posted buds stirred by a breeze of water sway like channel markers. There just off shore someone breaking fast, leisurely. Jaws worked in whisper, reaching across the silence there. Then rolls and dips and disappears.

A beaver lodge stands nearby, they built this pond, but that was no beaver. The texture of its fur, the shape and the way it moved. The smoothness of the dive and how the surface rose and closed—a navel of water and what it brings to mind. That surface, opaque as skin, blind to what lies beneath. Patience! Patience!

The crease of a wake, grainy light, the water speaks. A head appears, oiled, sleek, coat like silk all umber and burnt ochre. Whiskers, dark eyes, fearless that broad, boy cat face so close, and my heart leaps—I, too, am fearless, I am soaring. I see what I was sure I would never see again. And now again.

The river otter alone in having had his long look turns away. Now head, now back, now tail slipping beneath. Some yards off he reappears, looks again, dives again, resurfaces. This time he has a bullfrog. It dangles from his mouth as if forgotten. His gaze still fixed on me, more intense than curious as if he has as much to tell as to learn. For the last time he slides below leaving a silence so profound, neither speech nor written word can break it.

Mark Seth Lender is a self-taught writer and nature photographer. His syndicated column, Salt Marsh Diary, reaches 100,000 Connecticut households through newspapers and the publications of  various conservation organizations.