Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Tiny Game Hunting

On a recent visit to Santa Barbara to see two of my dearest friends, who are both generally very hip about all matters environmental, I was astonished to find out that one of them has a pretty serious case of Myrmecophobia, or fear of ants, that she usually combats with chemicals.

After an unfortunate mishap involving some not well-placed cupcakes, we had an invasion on the premises. You kind of had to be proud of the ants' ingenuity - I mean after only one night of sugary bait, they had infiltrated everywhere - through the door, up the walls, and even halfway up the staircase. Impressive...but unfortunately for them, unwelcome.

Not Sprinkles.

My friend Amy pulled out a can of the chemicals and started spraying. What she was spraying was labeled with cautions, which meant that the contents were toxic, and it wasn't just the ants breathing it in either; my nose and lungs confirmed that we were certainly getting a dose too. The ants were dying fast, but I couldn't help thinking that there must be a better way to discourage the ants from entering in the first place. I know, I know, other than leaving out cupcakes - thank you very much!

So we did a little research, and Amy came across the book Tiny Game Hunting, by Hilary Dole Klein and Adrian M. Wenner. The section on ants starts out with a few fun facts:

Some people believe that the cockroach will take over the world , but we bet on the lowly ant. Breeding colonies of ants, sometimes known as superorganisms, are resistant to both radiation and industrial pollution. Colonies of some species can even survive in flooded ground. In terms of sheer biomass, ants, along with termites are the dominant insect species on earth. They not only outnumber us; they outweigh us. When it comes to social organization and cooperation, they are in some ways more evolved than humans, acting for the survival of the colony rather than the individual. Various ant species plant crops, herd other insects for food, wage ferocious wars, take slaves, and live with elaborate caste structures. Interestingly, ant colonies are virtual female societies; males are bred only occasionally and only for protection.

Whoa. These little gals are even more impressive than I thought. As for the benefits offered by ants, Klein and Wenner go on to say:

Besides being utterly impossible, it would be foolish to attempt to eliminate all your ants, because in many ways ants are our friends and allies, and we need them. Ants actually help control pests that we haven't always been very successful controlling on our own. Both indoors and out, they eat the eggs and larvae of fleas, flies, spiders, bed bugs, and probably silverfish and clothes moths. They also go after cockroaches and conenose bugs. In addition, ants patrol the perimeters of our houses and keep termites, their mortal enemies, from establishing colonies in our homes. If we let them do their job that is.

So, how to let them do their job and keep them out of your house without chemicals?

According to the book and my own common sense, it can be deduced that ants have needs too. Often they are entering your home to stay dry or to get food or water. Insecticides are unnecessary when you eliminate what might be attracting the ants to your abode. Here are a few suggestions from the wee game hunters:

  • Don't leave out garbage, sweet or smelly foods, crumbs, or dirty dishes.
  • Wipe down counters and walls with natural deterrents like soapy water or vinegar
  • Follow the trail to the point of entry and put down barriers of food not on the ants menu like citrus rinds or oil, mint, cayenne pepper, or cinnamon
  • If they are getting in through a larger opening, use caulk to seal it off
  • For food and and water dishes that you have to leave out like pet food, place the dish in a bowl of soapy water, which will act as a deterrent
For more suggestions on how to rid your home of unwanted pests without the use of unwanted toxic chemicals, check out Tiny Game Hunting.

Remember, only you can prevent cupcake tragedies. Only you.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Talking About a Shredolution

Lauren Slater had no idea how much money and energy she could save by making a few lifestyle changes to reduce her carbon emissions. She already lived in a modest home in Vermont, rode her bike whenever she could, was frugal with heat and water use, and generated very little food waste.

But when her mountain biking friends came up with the idea to form a group with the goal of decreasing each person's carbon footprint 10 percent by 2010, Slater was eager to learn about more ways to save energy.

Using David Gershon's book, Low Carbon Diet, as their template, the Carbon Shredders set out to reduce their emissions. The idea behind the group is simple; in addition to following suggestions from the book about calculating and reducing personal greenhouse gas emissions, people from the group also share ideas and useful websites on the topic at monthly meetings.

Since joining the group, Slater and her husband have instituted many simple energy saving steps around the house that may give you some new ideas too. They include:

  • Figuring out their carbon footprint and setting goals for reduction
  • Installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, which has reduced their electric bill by about 8%
  • Becoming more conscientious about turning off unnecessary lights
  • Reducing laundry by using a "clirty" hook for clothes that have been worn but are not yet ready for the wash, which was an idea introduced to them by eleven year-old Matthew Crowell, the group's youngest member
  • Never using the dishwasher's heated drying cycle
  • Turning thermostats down by a few degrees
  • Using only cold water to wash laundry
  • Hanging laundry out to dry
  • Rethinking car trips by combining errands and carpooling as much as possible
  • Reducing overall use of plastic by using reusable water bottles, reusable bags, and buying products with less packaging
  • Buying more environmentally friendly products
  • Taking shorter showers
  • Working from home and video conferencing as much as possible
  • Planning to replace propane water heater with a solar one
  • Looking into installing solar panels on their south facing roof
  • Starting to compost
Forced Labor. The next wave of the carbon shredding movement?

Many of the changes have been incremental, and as the Slaters see how easy it is to reduce some of their consumption habits, they are encouraged to find even more ways to save energy. According to Slater, "The best thing about the program is that it has raised my awareness about how all the little actions really add up. There are things that anyone can do that don't affect your lifestyle at all."

This testimony is good news for the shredders since part of the mission of the group, as well as the theory behind the Low Carbon Diet, is that people will see firsthand how painless it is to significantly reduce one's carbon emissions and will happily spread the word to others.

The time is definitely right to save both money and non-renewable resources, and the Carbon Shredders continue to grow. Check out their website for tools and tips to help form a similar movement in your hometown.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Drop Hundreds of Pounds without Ever Leaving Home

With the economy in the toilet and climate change showing no sign of slowing down, there is real concern among environmentalists and policy makers that actions to slow down the advance of climate change (which will affect all of us in the long-term) will be set aside in lieu of immediate fiscal concerns (which are, of course, affecting us right now).

If you are interested in saving money and energy, there are many easy steps you can take today towards both ends. From changing your light bulbs to driving less, there are many suggestions for reducing personal carbon emissions over at the carbon calculator site Earthlab, which is a website I reviewed in a previous post.

Another good source of info is Low Carbon Diet, by David Gershon, which offers a plan and action items to follow to help you to eliminate 5000 pounds of carbon emissions in 30 days. A few intrepid Vermonters are also using this book as the basis for their group, the Carbon Shredders. The shredders have started what they have dubbed a “shredolution”, and their website encourages others to join the movement and start groups in their own communities.



Gershon’s book offers tangible steps and goals that readers can take to substantially reduce carbon emissions, as well as ways to spread the word in their communities about how everyone can do the same. The book also provides the estimated time that it will take to complete each task and any supplies you might need.

Read next week's blog for a profile on one of the shredders and the simple steps she has taken to become more carbon conscious.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Don't Lose Your Chance to Choose

Whether all you can talk about is Thursday night's debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden or how excited you are about Tina Fey's impression of the Katie Couric/Sarah Palin interview, be sure that on November 4th you are able to do more than just banter about your ideal election outcome.

October 4th is actually the last day to register to vote online in a few states, and deadlines in other states are fast approaching. Dates vary by state, so log onto the Rock the Vote Election Center to find your polling place and check registration deadlines (many states will let you register in person after the online date has passed). This is an especially helpful resource if, like me, you have a). just moved, or b). lost that handy postcard they send you once you are registered...(I'm sure it is on my desk somewhere).

Not sure if you are registered yet? Whether you are planning on voting for Obama or not, his campaign has created an excellent tool to check on the status and location of your registration. At Vote for Change you can:

  • Register
  • Confirm your registration
  • Find your polling place
  • Apply for an absentee ballot
Checked everything off the "ready to vote" list? Why not volunteer at a phone bank to get out the vote for your candidate? These are critical days, and there are many candidates in tight races that could use your help. Simply go to the websites of your favorite candidates, and click on the links to volunteer and/or donate.

We are almost a month away from what could very well be the most important election of our lifetime - make sure you voice is heard!