That’s [Black] Gold, Jerry! Gold!

I have been in the market for some composting worms for over a month now, but every local worm farm has ignored my attempts to contact them.  I used a list of suppliers provided by the Griffith Park Composting Workshop and left messages for all the suppliers that were within a reasonable distance, but I did not receive a single call back.  Beginning to lose hope, I was directed to an online store by this blog post: slacker!

I just placed the order today with Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm, so I’ll update again when the little guys get in.

Slowing Down
I caught the bug going around, so I called in sick for a few days.  Not going to work = not needing a ride to work = not taking public transportation as much as I had planned.  However, I did manage to take the bus to work for two days last week, and as soon as I am fully recovered, I plan on adding to that total.

Why do YOU ride Metro?

So I missed a week of “living green,” and I figured I ought to do something big to make up for that (doing two regular things would be too simple).  My brother and I were discussing the issue of going green the other day, and he said, “If people really cared about saving the planet, they wouldn’t buy a Prius… they would stop driving.”  I replied, “People aren’t committed enough to saving the planet to give up their conveniences.”

For the next week, as long as time permits, I will be taking the bus to work.  This means waking up an hour and a half earlier than I usually do, which will be tough, but manageable as long as I can get to sleep on time.  Here’s the route Metro.net suggests:

Ride Metro Bus 20( DOWNTOWN LA – 7TH-MAIN) heading east
From: WILSHIRE/PARK VIEW(SW corner) Lv: 07:27AM
To: 7TH/OLIVE(SW corner) Ar: 07:37AM
Pay $1.25 + $0.30 for Transfer., Monthly Pass: $62.00, (EZ Pass accepted)
Ride Foothill Transit Silver Streak( MONTCLAIR TRANSIT CTR) heading north
From: OLIVE ST/7TH ST(SE corner) Lv: 07:47AM
To: EL MONTE STATION Ar: 08:18AM
Use Transfer or Media + $1.00, Monthly Pass: $80.00, (EZ Pass accepted)
Ride Metro Bus 176 (FIGUEROA-YORK) heading west
From: EL MONTE STATION/LOWER LEVEL BAY B Lv: 08:30AM
To: FLAIR DR/TELSTAR AV(NE corner) Ar: 08:37AM
Pay $1.25, Monthly Pass: $62.00, (EZ Pass accepted)

and the Metro.net calculated savings of

*Driving cost: is about $9.51 (based on AAA’s formula at 56.2 cents/mile)

Which I know can’t be right, or I would have to gas up every week, but I will be saving a nice amount of pocket change.  Conservation for the planet AND my wallet.  Can’t really beat that.

Next Wednesday, I’ll stop by Home Depot to check out the showerhead that Fred recommended.

Going CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs)

Before I embark on these little projects, I do some research and get some background about what I’m getting myself into.  A little late on the uptake, I’ve decided that I should finally make that switch to CFLs, so I hit up the usual suspects: TreeHugger, ApartmentTherapy, eartheasy, etc…  And as usual, I found the information I need, but unfortunately, there appears to be a lot more to switching lightbulbs than meets the eye. 

I will lay out what I think is the pertinent information and provide links if you are interested in learning more, but I think what I put up should suffice in getting you prepared to make the switch as well.  Through the week, if what is important to know and not know changes, I will revise this post and add new posts to supplement this one.  I have about ten bulbs that will be making the switch, including floor and desk lamps, wall sconces, ceiling lights, and outdoor lighting.

Saving Money and the Planet from Energy Star:

ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. 
Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime.
Produce about 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

Types of Bulbs from environmental defense:

Energy-saving light bulbs now come in all shapes and sizes. Choose as many or as few criteria as you like and we’ll recommend bulbs that match.

Some fixtures can be challenging to fit, so read our reviews, check the side-by-side pictures, and consult our tips for buying energy-saving bulbs. Thanks for helping to save energy and cut pollution!

Converting Wattage from GE:

	Standard Bulb		CFL Bulb
	60w	=	13w-15w
	75w	=	20w
	100w	=	26w-29w
	150w	=	38w-42w

Because the wattage of a CFL bulb is much lower than that of an incandescent, you can use higher wattage CFL giving you the equivalent light of a higher wattage incandescent. For example: If your fixture says not to exceed 60 watts, you can use a 15 watt CFL to get the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb or use up to a 42 watt CFL and increase the amount of light.

Dealing with Mercury from TreeHugger:

There has recently been some concern over the possibility that broken CFLs can be an important source of exposures to mercury, a toxic metal and a key component of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). Although mercury is a toxic pollutant, mercury exposures from broken CFLs are not likely to harm you and your family. This is due to several factors, including the amount and duration of your exposures and the specific type of mercury that you are exposed to.

Disposal from GE and Earth 911:

Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist. To find out what to do first check www.earth911.org (where you can find disposal options by using your zip code) or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options.

5 Minute Showers (Update)

This idea turned out to be much easier in practice than I thought it would be.  I usually shower in the morning and don’t have all the time in the world anyway.  (Quick tip: soaping up is much easier with a full bar of soap.  I was down to a sliver over the weekend, and using them increased my showering time a full minute.)  In fact, I will be consciously making this effort for a while, as I haven’t really experienced any sort of emotional or physical change - I don’t find myself missing longer showers, and I’m pretty sure I’ve maintained the same degree of hygiene.

Food for Thought
If I could have a shower like the ones at the beach, would that be so unbearable?  The kind that requires you to push the button every 10-15 seconds to keep the water flowing.  Think about how much water you could save while you are putting on soap or shampoo.  Most water conservationists already recommend shutting off the water while you are soaping up, but frankly, I don’t want to bother with that.  However, if the water were to stop on its own, I wouldn’t have a problem with that either.

Or what about wetting your hair and shampooing BEFORE you even turn the shower on.  This might not work for women or for men with longer hair, but most men only need a handful of water in their hair to get a good lather going.  I’m definitely going to give this a go, and I’ll see if any complications arise from it.

Going Paperless with OptOutPrescreen.com
The Good Human (thanks to Genevieve @ StylishGuide.com for the link) did a post entitled 35 Low-Cost Ways to Green Your Lifestyle, and #13 provides a link to OptOutPrescreen.com, a service that will stop the insane torrent of letters you get in the mail from credit agencies letting you know that “You’ve been pre-approved!”  I’ll sign up and see how it goes over the next few months.

5 Minute Showers

For this entire week, starting today and ending next Tuesday, I will only be taking 5 minute showers.  To some people, this might sound like a small feat, but to others this could be an impossibility.  On average, I take about a 10-12 minute shower, and even though my water pressure is a little lacking at the apartment, that shower would consume around 20 gallons of water.  Showers are great, especially on those cold mornings, but cutting out long showers for just 1 week can easily save 70 gallons of water, which is important during this drought we are experiencing in LA.

I know there are some people who like to spend 20 minutes or more in the shower, but what on earth do you really need to be doing in there:

0:00 – 0:30 – Getting acclimated/Prep
0:30 – 2:00 – Soaping up
2:00 – 3:00 – Shampoo
3:00 – 3:40 – Face Wash
3:40 – 4:30 – Rinse

I’ve even left myself a 30 second buffer.

Notes and Tips
- The clock starts when you turn on the water.
- Play a five minute song, or two songs that add up to five minutes on your stereo.  Or get a timer.
- If you REALLY want to save some water, turn the water off while you’re soaping up, shampooing and washing your face.
- I used to brush in the shower, but that wastes too much water.
- To see how much water you are using, plug the drain during your next shower to see how high the water goes in your tub.
- Replace your existing showerhead with either a low-flow or aerating showerhead.