What does it mean to “live sustainably”? These articles explore everything from big picture sustainability to the smallest everyday details.
I’m pretty self conscious about my body. Not the most original thing for a young woman to say, but there it is. A lot of people will act shocked when I talk about this kind of stuff because I’m good looking. “You have nothing to worry about; you’re beautiful!” they say. The assumption is you …
One of the most common zero waste questions people ask me is, “What about toilet paper?” Sometimes asked with smugness, sometimes with horror, the question of toilet paper waste is universal in the western world. Until recently, I didn’t have a satisfying answer. Mostly, I worked in compromises. Zero Waste Home suggests getting toilet paper …
Not too long ago, I was taking the bus to my job when I noticed an ad behind the bus driver. I don’t remember the exact wording, but the message was clear: Seattle was now providing public transportation from the city to hiking trails around Washington starting this summer. A rush of adrenaline coursed through …
I’ve been thinking a lot about kids ever since I went to see a play called “Lungs” last summer. It’s about two hyper-intellectuals deciding whether or not they should have a kid based on their social and environmental responsibilities. The play was a bit dated (circa 2006–they were far more concerned with carbon emissions than …
This guest post was written by my friend, Michaela McGinn. Not only is she one of the reasons I started down the path to zero waste, but her work in biofuels is an inspiring insight into the potential and hurdles of renewable power sources. She graciously agreed to inform my readers about her work and …
The term “zero waste” freaks people out. Here’s the thing to remember: There’s no such thing as zero waste. Every zero waste guru has a list. A list of things they still use even though they’re wasteful. I know I’ve talked about bad days where you can’t muster up enough energy to maintain a zero waste lifestyle, …
The coolest thing about being zero waste is when people tell me my incessant ramblings caused them to change. It doesn’t have to be a big change. Maybe they realize straws are bogus or they start recycling at work or they make a zero waste swap, like using a french presse instead of a Keurig. Regardless, …
This post was written by my friend, Katie Winzenburger, who was kind enough to pick up the slack I’ve left behind while settling into my new Seattle home. This is part 2 of a series of guest posts that highlight how other people in my life are applying sustainable practices to their lives. I promise there …
This post was written by my friend, Loren Kreher, who was kind enough to pick up the slack I’ve left behind while settling into my new Seattle home. This is part 1 of a series of guest posts that highlight how other people in my life are applying sustainable practices to their lives. I promise …
Midwesterners have a lot of road trip games centered around cows. A popular one in college was every time you saw a field of cows, the first person to say “Cow” got a point. If you saw a body of water, the first person to say “Body of Water” erased everyone else’s points. The person …