Compost smell control

Steps towards smell control is in place. Seems to be working better but can definitely improve. 

The older batch has been given daily supplements of shredded newspaper in addition to stirring. On top of the pile, I've also placed a plastic container with perforated top cover half filled with baking soda. I intend to use the baking soda on my clean up day for scrubbing the toilet. 

This older batch still smells considerably. But it does seem to be reducing. Either that or my nose is acclimatizing. And the moisture is being absorbed by the paper. Perhaps I'm getting my ratio better. Mind you, because neither Hubbie nor I quite like the smells of the compost leacheate, I've opted for no holes at bottom of tub. Hence a very wet compost bin. This makes it more difficult to manage. But it also means we only have to deal with the smells when I stir. Not all day all night.

The newer batch is also given shredded newspaper. One whole sheet per little sieve container full of kitchen waste. And of course, the stirring. 

*fingers-crossed*

Product Review: Earth Choice Laundry Liquid

Price : RM12.50 per liter (at 1/3 cup - 80ml per 'heavy' load, it works out to RM1.25 per topload)

Claims : Post-consumer recycled PET packaging, No animal testing or ingredients, Low chemical formula, Australian owned and made, Phosphate free, Biodegradable, "Quality Products That Don't Cost the Earth"

Ingredients : Water, Alkyl polyglycosides, Potassium oleate, Sodium coco fatty alcohol sulfate, Sodium carbonate, Sodium citrate, Fragrance, Hydroxymethyl ureide derivatives, CI 61585

My thoughts: 

Price & packaging

Okay, at RM12.50 per bottle of 1 liter, I thought it was on the ok priced side when I compared it to an equivalent that I would buy. It's nice to know the packaging's made from recycled materials. However, I find the

 sticker's unnecessary. Text is clear and easy to read and understand. The ingredients also clearly listed. Gives fairly clear instructions on how much to use. Cap could've been made more 'measure' friendly. I had to use a baking cup to measure 1/3 cup. But then again, I think the next time, I could just follow my MiL's advise, 2 glug-glugs is fine. 

I'll need to check on the ingredients. I've not had much reading on some of them and will make a more informed review based on that in the future. 

Washing

My first load with this was a white load. I didn't add anything to the wash except the recommended dose. I specifically took a photo of my 2.5 yr old daughter's shirt after a long day out and about with stains from ice lollies, soup, little bits of grease from playground floors, and just general stains. Also noted some blood on one of my articles of clothing. I put it into my top loading machine, set it to soak 1 hour, and normal wash. 

After years of using fragrance free/minimal products in my laundry, the scent of this came across to me as slightly overwhelming. That said, it's still a whole lot milder than common brands which I find choking. 

My daughter's shirt came out clean. The yellow from the ice lollly came off ok. General stains came off ok too. Not super white. But it wasn't all that clean to begin with. To be super clean, I've got to scrub. But me not super mom. To see for yourself, see photo comparison. The blood came out generally but still stained. Not too happy about that though. 

My cloth napkins didn't come out too clean. They usually come out a whole lot cleaner. Other stuff which didn't need too much cleaning came out ok. I didn't smell BO on the clothes or anything, but the fragrance probably did away with that. 

Overall, so far I'm not wonderfully impressed. However, I AM comparing it to my normal detergent which does use enzymes which would work on all that I've mentioned. And this detergent does actually mention cleaning without the use of enzymes... (which I gathered is not that great for sensitive skins, like babies' bums for instance). But I really would prefer if they didn't add the fragrance. Kinda ironic since they also mentioned 'without the use of heavy fragrances'. Guess it depends on whose nose.

For the next wash though, I'm going to try adding baking soda and the next, hydrogen peroxide. See how it fares then. I'll update. 

I don't normally care too much for visual cleanliness, if it doesn't harm me too much, it should be ok. Just wear darker clotheslah.

Environmentally Responsible Pet Ownership

(From Guest Contributor Ee Lynn)

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP

Some environmentalists claim that the best way to be an environmentally-friendly pet owner is to have no pets at all, because pets consume so much water and food and generate so much more disposable packaging and waste that it will put a strain on the Planet. However, most people would agree that animals bring us joy and happiness and improve our physical and mental health. Here are ways to ensure that you and your beloved animal companion do your part for the environment:

1. Adopt only animals that have been selectively bred to live with humans and depend on humans for care and companionship, such as dogs, cats and rabbits. Do not support the wildlife trade by purchasing exotic animals such as sugar gliders, raccoons, green iguanas and Indian star tortoises.

2. Opt to adopt – Our animal shelters and pounds are full of animals in need of good homes. By adopting from shelters and pounds, you are not only preventing the needless killing of healthy animals, you are playing your part in reducing the numbers of unwanted animals that may end up abandoned. Animal breeders contribute to the problems of pet abandonment and stray overpopulation by bringing more animals into the world when there is already an existing shortage of natural resources and fresh water.

3. Spay or neuter your pet – Pet overpopulation creates social and environmental problems such as noise and faecal pollution. Hungry stray animals scavenge in landfills and waste bins, chase people in their search for food, and contract and transmit diseases. The easiest and best way to end the plight of stray animals is by ensuring that your pet is neutered before he or she has had the chance to reproduce. You will save yourself the agony of trying to find good homes for the offspring, and feeding and caring for more animals than you could afford to.

4. Clean up after your pet – Letting your pet eliminate waste in public areas is antisocial, and could lead to groundwater pollution. There are several eco-friendly ways of disposing of pet waste. Flushing it down the toilet will ensure that your pet’s waste ends up in the sewage treatment plant. Try getting a pet waste composter where available. These bins are buried halfway into the ground and then filled with pet waste. From time to time, digester powder and water or activated charcoal is added to help the pet waste break down safely. Burying pet waste in ornamental garden beds (not in your compost bin or vegetable patch!) is an acceptable way of dealing with pet waste. Just ensure that it is away from water sources (lakes, streams, wells, irrigation canals). Dig a hole between 6 inches and 1 foot deep, fill it with pet waste and cover it thoroughly with soil to prevent flies and other disease vectors from being attracted to it. It is advisable
to bury pet waste a little distance apart each time to allow time and space for decomposition. Putting too much pet waste together in a hole may result in the formation of leachate or may attract flies and rodents. You can bury pet waste together with newspaper scraps, biodegradable litter, garden waste, lawn trimmings, sand and/or vegetable waste.

5. Go organic – If you could afford it, make or buy organic food, treats and/or toys for your pets. Organic products are better for the environment because they are produced without chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, and thus are less likely to pollute water, soil and air or disrupt the ecosystem. In addition, organic products are better for your beloved companion because they contain no artificial colouring, flavouring, phthalates, preservatives or animal by-products from diseased animals.

6. Reuse old items and repurpose them into pet toys – Who says your pet needs plastic knick-knacks to be happy? Cut old t-shirts up and braid or knot them into tug toys, or sew 2 pieces together and stuff them with t-shirt scraps to make cushions and rugs for your pampered furry one. Old shuttlecocks, tennis balls, wine bottle corks, cardboard toilet roll tubes and small (but secure!) containers make great cat toys. Unwanted cardboard boxes of all sizes make great hideaways and cubby holes for cats, puppies and other small animal companions.

7. Use natural cleaning products – Your pet’s nose and paws may be more sensitive than the average human's nose or hands, so make sure you do your pet and the environment a favour by using only natural cleaning agents. Fruit or veggie waste enzyme can remove dirt, and lemon juice helps to deodorise ‘accident’ spots and deter pets from using the same spot as a toilet again. Lemon and orange peel work well as a chemical-free deterrent to stop your cat from climbing up the kitchen counter or scratching the furniture. A drop of multipurpose organic/biodegradable cleaning solution in a pail of water is good enough for cleaning the floor, gutters and kennels/cages. Choose biodegradable soaps and shampoos with natural ingredients.


8. A Friend Is For Life – A companion animal is a long term commitment, and he or she will depend on you for food, shelter, medical care and companionship for his or her entire life, so never treat your pet as a fad or an accessory. We depend on them for love, security and companionship – at the very least, we owe them a better life.

How Much CO2 Do Internet Searches Generate?

(By Guest Contributor Ee Lynn)

HOW MUCH CO2 DO INTERNET SEARCHES GENERATE?


Many of you would have heard a public service announcement on radio claiming that “performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle of water” or about 7 grams of CO2 per second.

IS THIS TRUE?

We are happy to report, upon researching online, that the above does not refer to a one-hit Google search taking less than a second to complete, which Google says produces only about 0.2g of CO2.

It is only when a Google or other Internet search engine search takes several attempts to find the object being sought, and which may last for several minutes, that the CO2 emission rises. Various experts put forward carbon emission estimates for such a search of 1g-10g depending on the time involved and the equipment used.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CLICK ‘SEARCH’

“Google operates huge data centres around the world that consume a great deal of power,” said Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist whose research on the environmental impact of computing is due out soon. “A Google search has a definite environmental impact.”

A recent report by Gartner, the industry analysts, said the global IT industry generated as much greenhouse gas as the world’s airlines - about 2% of global CO2 emissions. “Data centres are among the most energy-intensive facilities imaginable,” said Evan Mills, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Banks of servers storing billions of web pages require power.

Though Google says it is in the forefront of green computing, its search engine generates high levels of CO2 because of the way it operates. When you type in a Google search for, say, “energy saving tips”, your request doesn’t go to just one server. It goes to several competing against each other.

It may even be sent to servers thousands of miles apart. Google’s infrastructure sends you data from whichever produces the answer fastest. The system minimises delays but raises energy consumption. Google has servers in the US, Europe, Japan and China.


CO2 EMISSIONS CAUSED BY INTERNET USE

Researchers have also calculated the CO2 emissions caused by individual use of the internet. Alex Wissner-Gross’ research indicates that viewing a simple web page generates about 0.02g of CO2 per second. This rises tenfold to about 0.2g of CO2 a second when viewing a website with complex images, animations or videos.


A separate estimate from John Buckley, managing director of carbonfootprint.com, a British environmental consultancy, puts the CO2 emissions of a Google search at between 1g and 10g, depending on whether you have to start your PC or not. Simply running a PC generates between 40g and 80g per hour, he says. Chris Goodall, author of “Ten Technologies to Save the Planet”, estimates the carbon emissions of a Google search at 7g to 10g (assuming 15 minutes’ computer use).

Nicholas Carr, author of “The Big Switch, Rewiring the World”, has calculated that maintaining a character (known as an avatar) in the ‘Second Life’ virtual reality game, requires 1,752 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

Though energy consumption by computers is growing - and the rate of growth is increasing - Newcombe argues that what matters most is the type of usage.

If your internet use is in place of more energy-intensive activities, such as driving your car to the shops, that’s good. But if it is adding activities and energy consumption that would not otherwise happen, that may pose problems.

GREEN LIVING RECOMMENDS:

1. Limit the amount of time you spend surfing the Internet and viewing unnecessary websites such as entertainment websites or playing online games.

2. Do not generate, forward or transmit spam. Use a spam filter to reduce the amount of time you spend online deleting unwanted mail. BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) the names and e-mail addresses of your e-mail recipients to reduce the chances of their names being ‘harvested’ from your e-mails by spammers.

3. Use the Internet as a substitute for activities that would otherwise use more fuel, energy and resources, such as paying your bills at a bank, going shopping, purchasing newspapers and magazines or sending snail-mail.

4. Do not conduct unnecessary Google searches, such as looking up your own name or your friends’ names!

5. If you have a blog, social networking page or Facebook page, reduce the number of applications and animations you have. Keep it basic. If it’s taking too much time to load your page, chances are, it’s using up more energy and releasing more CO2 than it should.

(Source: Extracted and compiled from http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5489134.ece)

Product Reviews: The beginnings

I just realized something. One of the reasons I started out  not using commercial organic cleaners are either because they are too inaccessible or too expensive. So I found cheaper, more basic alternatives. 

However, I do respect that people are different. We do things differently and we think differently. And if there are alternatives to my alternatives, it's totally cool. We're all aiming towards a similar goal. 

And today, while browsing at a local grocery store, I found some new 'green products'. Normally, I'd give these a good look, put them back and walk away. Neither positive nor negative about it. Just so. But as I thought harder, as I've mentioned, when I started looking aeons ago, these things are almost impossible to find or too expensive. 

But I'm seeing slightly more affordable (read - affordable, not necessarily cheap... yet) and accessable stuff now. It's nice to know these things are available here in KL. If it helps people decide to choose greener products over their regular products, I think this will be worth it. 

It's time to share. 

'Green' stuff reviews to come: 

Greenworks Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner (Clorox, USA) RM17.95/709ml

Earth Choice Laundry Liquid (Natures Organics, Australia) RM12.50/liter

Organic Tea Light Candles (Gewax Trading, Malaysia) RM2.20/10pcs

Carbon Calculator Review - carbonfootprint

www.carbonfootprint.com

The very first carbon calculator I used. Also the first one on Google's list. Well, here it is. My first review. It'll need working on. But let's start somewhere.

My foot print is 8.68. 

Country average is 7.00 tonnes. 

Average worldwide footprint is 4.00 tonnes.

The worldwide targe to combat climate change is 2 tonnes. 

Wow.

Pros: 

1) It's got a 'save' function. Which will technically enable you to monitor your footprint. 

2) Car selection range is quite extensive. I found my little Kelisa in it. Which is a relief. 

3) Has a wide selection of 'other' fuel that maybe people other than me use. Like for boats, barbeque (coal), things like that.

4) Public transport selections are good too. Regular buses, long distance buses (coach), national rail, international rail, tram (not quite for us, but no harm I suppose), tube and even taxis. I like the taxis one. 

5) Incorporates daily lifestyle choices like food, recreation and things like that into the calculator. 

6) You can add it to your own website. 

Cons: 

 

1) Has selections  like use of wooden pellets (for heating?), that don't apply to us. But then again, if you use it, it doesn't contribute to your carbon calculations. Can actually think of that as an upside. 

2) Flight carbon calculator only has capacity for up to 5 flight itineries. Definitely not for frequent flyers. Then again, I think frequent flyers don't even dare to come close to the calculator. 

3) Doesn't mention too much about waste. It's incorporated into the lifestyle (secondary) option.

4) Incorporates daily lifestyle choices into the calculator, which I find is very vague and can really really bump up your footprint size.

Pasar Malams

I went to the pasar malam this evening. It's actually been a while since I've been. But really, things have not changed much. Or has it?

It's one I've not been to before, but generally stalls, people are pretty much the same.

But one thing that's definitely caught up with the times. The use of styrofoam and plastics.

People sitting at the makeshift tables slurping up their bowls of beef soup. Well meaning stall keepers offering you bag after bag of plastic so your cloth bag doesn't get wet - ??? 

Styro plastic gado gado anyone? By the way, I did have one of that. Aside from the damage I've done to ME (Ma Earth), I've also done myself damage, the sauce tasted burnt and I've got some nasty heartburn from it. Serves me right.

On the upside, I loved the warm tempe wrapped in banana leaf held tight with a little lidi stick. Loved that the vegetables I bought didn't have those plastic stickers holding them together which pulls off the vegetables as well when you pull the sticker off. Loved that I wasn't forced into bringing home unnecessary packaging that most supermarkets and hypermarts use on their fruit and vegetables. Loved that the vegetables are fresh. They have to be. They don't have the ill fate of having to sit in an air conditioned environment to preserve them while travelling long distances and negotiations and packaging.

Just back to good ol' shopping. I'm lucky.

Carbon Calculator Reviews - The beginning

Recently Hubbie received an interesting phone call which made me sit up and realized that despite all my perceived efforts in reducing our impacts, I wasn't making it measurable. I felt I fell into the category of people who claimed they were concerned but were not making calculated measurements in documenting my carbon footprint. So how would I know if I'm making POSITIVE impacts?

Well, I immediately went online, clicked the first website to have a calculator. And was appalled at the size of my foot!.... print. 

However, analysing it further, I really couldn't be sure. And I'm still not sure. I was told it's just an indication, and I'm sure it is. To help us vaguely identify things we could do to reduce our carbon footprint. And I agree. 

But I also think it would be far better if we had a calculator that's more appropriate for us, in the Malaysian context. For the first one I did, was for people based in the US. And most of the others I found later were also for people in the US and Europe. And sometimes the calculators don't even work if you don't put in an American state. Hmph. I also don't use heating. In this heat, I think I'll roast. 

Anyway, I've decided to just try them out. One by one. With set parameters and test them out to see their variations and what I think of them. 

Here are my parameters based on the few that I've done so far. Will modify in terms of measurements as needed. 

Electricity usage: 

60kWh per month per person

180kWh per month in our household of three persons

Cooking gas: 

14kg ESSO tank for half year 

8.9kWh per month per person 

Based on calculations of 11.94 kWh per kg

Waste:

2 kg per week for a household of three persons

Transportation: 

Flight: 

1 long haul approx. 10550km/way per year

2 short haul approx 300km/way per year

6 train rides approx 50km each per year

Vehicle:

1 1000cc petrol car 

YOM : March 2003

Current fuel consumption: 17.75km/liter

Approx mileage per month: 1200km

For 2 adults

Wish me luck!

I desire... I don't... sigh...

All this experimenting so far has brought me to this very tempting looking contraption on the right. It's known as the NatureMill Indoor Composting Bin by TreeHugger. 

Oooh, you had no idea how tempting it looks and sounds. Takes up minimal space. No odor. No work. Almost all foods, including bones etc. Compost ready in  a neat little tray in 2 weeks. 

Price tag: USD299-USD399 excluding shipping of USD85 (or something like that...). And on top of that, it uses 5kWh. *egads*

I bet a lot of people like me, get so so tempted with machines like this. It takes the work out of composting for time strapped or lazy people like me. 

(Ok, redemption time, I'm not THAT lazy. I've tried different methods of composting but none satisfactory so far. And I live in an apartment. I cook an average of twice a day producing fair amount of kitchen waste. So, you can imagine the number of 'composting bins' I have at home at the moment.)

There are pros and cons. I'll discuss them later when I've had some fuel...

Man on bicycle

Yesterday while out with hubbie, we saw a man on a bicycle. I'm not saying we don't see this often, but this man was decked in a helmet, his bicycle has panniers, he's dressed very smartly and yet comfortably. He looks very comfortable on his bike. And he rides with respect for the traffic. Giving signals when moving in and out of lanes. 

Just like I do! ;)

It's very encouraging to see. 

It makes me feel good about myself too. Heee heee.

I'll write about my bicycle and cycling too soon. Maybe also put up a photo of my darling bicycle when I get a replacement camera.

Ant control

Just wanted to make a note of something I did over the past couple of weeks during 'ant season' in my apartment. We have this 'season' a few times a year. I really need to scientifically record this. But anyway. 

Now normally I don't care if they're outside and they don't bite me or my loved ones. But when they come in to my home, have illegal gatherings, fumigate my drinks with formic acid, and *egads!* bite, then I gotta do something. 

Long before, I had resorted to all kinds of commercial pest control. Yep, I've done that. Not ashamed to admit it. I just look forward towards healthier alternatives, for the sake of the planet and my loved ones.

Okay, enough history.

I decided I wanted to try using almost nothing this time. Last season, and the few before, I used Diatomaceous Earth. It was non-toxic and effective. No problems with that. 

This time, all I did was just sweep the floor first thing morning. And last thing at night. And when they got really scary - basically having illegal gatherings under stools or cupboard crevices, I just sprayed them with some soap water (a drop of LOC in a spray bottle full of just plain tap water).

Seems to work. 

The sweeping seems to disorient them. 

The soap water drowns them. If you were awake in Science classes during school, you'd remember that insects breathe with holes all over their body. And when in water, the water particles can't enter coz it's too big or something like that (I must have started to doze off around there). That's why they float and stay alive. Roaches don't get flushed down no matter how many times you try because of this same reason. Anyway, the soap water breaks the water tension and sort of just drowns them with almost a drop. Like I said, works  on ants and roaches. Tested.

Smelly compost

Bleh... 

It's hard to do composting in an apartment. 

I've got a tub of 'garbage enzyme' compost in my drying area. That stank. I also don't like that it creates methane and ground level ozone. So, I won't be doing that anymore. 

Now back to old composting in a tub. This time without any drain holes (last time I did that, it stank all day all night, not only when I stirred it). But now with a whole lot more effort. Pouring out excess liquid every day. Stirring at least once a day if not twice. Still stinko. Sigh... Well, the first tub anyway. The second tub hasn't got a chance to start yet. 

Still experimenting... 

On the upside, our trips to the garbage bin has reduced to an average of only 1 a week. And only one relatively small bag - smaller than your normal plastic bag obtained from a super market. The medium sized one. Not one of those super large ones. This keeping in mind, we're a SOHO. And I usually cook twice a day. 

Towards ZERO waste and beyond!

...

The most difficult people to convince are the ones who matters most to you. 

Refuse Refuse Refuse

The first thing at all times before even considering the typical 3Rs is "REFUSE". I think far too many people don't realize that. Especially when it's not your doing. 

I've been rejecting napkins at restaurants rather consistently these days now. And this evening, Hubbie brought me to a nice place. A few years before, I would've been a whole lot shier and less likely to assert myself. But me happy. This evening I told them to take the specially printed place mats and the napkins away. The waiter was taken back a little. For the napkin, he thought I just wanted another one. I had to explain to him, no, I don't want the napkin. Period. 

:)

My pasta came wrapped in baking paper.  :(