Urban Sustainabilty

Moving to the cabin is an opportunity for me to finally reduce my environmental impact and slash my dependency on environmentally unfriendly habits.

Firstly, I will reduce my impact by using less resources. The cabin is heated only by wood stove. Using fires for heat was not plausible in Clifton Heights (a college town). Additionally, poor installation and windows that weren't properly sealed in previous apartments I have rented made me a slave to my heat bill. Jacob and I are learning about the proper way to use of wood stove to effectively heat our home.



We will keep our use of electric to a minimum by continuing to unplug what is not in use. The cabin was designed with natural light in mind, so during the day we will not need artificial lights. We are replacing all the bulbs in the cabin with CFL's (complements of our energy company).

We are going to reduce the amount of water we use by collecting rain to water our garden.


Secondly, I will buy less. Being secluded on the farm will eliminate the impulsive consumer decisions; specifically, opting for take-out instead of cooking at home.

We are going to start growing herbs and food. Our location is ideal for this, as there is a grow room in the cabin, a greenhouse on the property, and a massive lawn for planting when spring arrives. I have registered for courses at the Civic Garden Center in Cincinnati to learn about gardening vegetables and raising chickens for eggs. Jacob recently was hired at Farm Fresh Deliveries, a company that delivers local and organic produce to homes and business. He is entitled to a free basket of groceries each week! A perk of my job is weekly coffee and tea. We will purchase supplementary groceries in bulk to avoid wasteful packaging. Since we will not be walking distance from take-out, we're going to start cooking everyday. This is not only a positive choice for the environment, but also for our health and relationship.

Thirdly, I am going to strive to produce no waste (or as little as possible). Our goal is to compost or reuse all our waste. We are even looking into home-brewing or buying small kegs to reduce the amount of glass bottles in our recycling bin. Because, admittedly, we drink a lot of beer!

Fourthly, I am adapting the DIY approach in practice, not simply theory. It's time to quit talking and start walking.

Moving to the cabin has encouraged me take the DIY approach rather than being dependent on the market. I've always had this mentality, but living in a city makes it easy to be lazy and hit up the store. I have picked up some books (Radical Homemaking and Make Your Place) about making my own cleaning products, health remedies, and other household concoctions.

Transportation is going to be my biggest obstacle. Currently I live walking distance from nearly everything I need. I can ride my bicycle anywhere and I live right on the city busline. The farm is just far enough outside of the city that even bicycling is not a feasible method of transportation for 6 AM mornings at the coffee shop. To counter this I am looking to purchase a gas efficient vehicle - such a motorcycle - to use as my primary mode of transportation. Jacob and I are considering purchasing a Jeep Cherokee Sport or a similar 4x4 vehicle to share for bad weather or in case we need to transport passengers or items. We are working out ways to eliminate unnecessary car trips by carpooling and running all our errands in one swoop.

Farm Life

For the fourth time in my life I am moving. This will be my first experience living with a romantic partner. We have our concerns, of course, but mostly we are just excited.

I lived in my parent's home for the first eighteen years of my life. My first move was into the dormitory on campus at the University of Cincinnati. The next year I moved into my first apartment on Ohio Ave. I spent three years there and had three roommates. Last January I lived alone for the first time and moved into a one-bedroom down the street. Now I have decided it is time to escape the sounds of college partying and instead surround myself with the tranquility and beauty of nature.

Jacob and I are moving to a farm in Cincinnati. It is seemingly our dream home because it has all the perks of being close to the city, but is secluded and surrounded by fields and forest. It is a rustic cabin located on an organic farm. We are thrilled.

There will be plenty of projects to keep us occupied. Firstly, the cabin is only heated by wood burning stove so we are researching how to properly operate that. Thinking ahead, we are planning ways to cool the home during summer months. We are also looking into methods for pest control - specially mosquitos because the house is located right beside a creek.

We plan to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables. We are also going to raise chickens.


Jacob entering our new front door.

FCKH8.com

It Gets Better!

The It Get Better project is a response to gay bullying, specifically in high schools. The project was prompted by a recent rash of gay youth suicides. The project utilizes social networking to reach out to queer youth with a message of hope. People participate in the project by uploading videos to YouTube describing their experience as a youth and offering encouraging words.

There is no place where fitting in is more important than in a high school. It is hard to feel different in high school, especially if you are being labeled in a way that is different from how you choose to identify. Teens struggling to accept a gender or sexual identity that does not conform with mainstream definitions of "normal" are at a far greater risk for depression and suicide than other teens.

The It Gets Better project attempts to reach out to these students - and any student struggling with their identity - with a positive message of reassurance. Things do change. Yes, it may be hard now, but there are people who understand. There are people who care. There are countless other people who suffered, were harassed, and felt isolated and alone because of their sexual or gender identity - and those people went on to lead happier, better lives. As unfortunate as it is, the reality of our society is that queer people are not treated justly. Until things change, this projects intends to let youth know that even though life may never be perfect, it will get better. It's worth living.

Friends of mine at the University of Cincinnati put together a video to contribute to the project. Their video was featured on the university's homepage, various local news outlets, and the Katie Couric show.

Watch it! It's Amazing.

Pretty Things

I bought a new 15" MacBook Pro this week. After nearly 5 years of use and abuse my previous MacBook was slowly deteriorating and I could hear Steve Jobs telling me it was time to shell out some bones and replace it with a shiny new lap top.


It feels good.

By no means do I advocate finding self-fulfillment through material possessions, but I'll admit: it feels good. Instead of copying my hard drive I am selectively transferring important files. A new hard drive is a new beginning. No more junk and wasted space. I'm turning over a new (digitalized) leaf. I am enjoying the user-friendly interface, the faster processor speed, and all the empty gigabytes that will one day be filled with new thoughts, new pictures, and new sounds. I am reconnected to the wonderful world wide web and now have no excuse to delay making progress on my graduate school application process.

Of course, I couldn't afford this computer. I bought it nearly entirely on credit. But I'm content with the debt. What's the point of working your days away to make money if you aren't going to spend it?

Here's to debt, new beginnings, and being impulsive!

Featuring Me!

In the spring of 2010 I was featured on the University of Cincinnati's website for my involvement in a variety of on campus activities. Click on the above screen shot to read the article.

Guerrilla Queer Ball

Last year a group called Guerrilla Queer Bar formed in Cincinnati to bring awareness to the city's queer population. The group describes their method: "Every FIRST FRIDAY of the month, Cincinnati's queer community will flashmob and take over a popular straight bar, transforming it, for one night only, into queer dance-love-heaven." [From: Facebook]

Since June is National Gay Pride month the group hosted a Guerrilla Queer Ball at the Mockabee in Cincinnati's West End. The party was an absolutely fabulous time, but best of all the party was socially responsible. The struggle for queer equality is not isolated - all oppression is connected. There was a photo op tribute to Butler County Sheriff Jones (a notorious anti-immigration presence in the Greater Cincinnati Area). This display was used to promote an Immigration Reform arch that took place downtown the following day.



Unfortunately I was unable to attend the march in Cincinnati, but I did attend the National Immigration Reform march on the Washington Mall in Washington D.C. in March of 2010. Here is my favorite image:

But I Thought Earth Day Was Last Month...

Being environmental friendly not only saves energy, it also saves money! Here are a few simple ways to "go green" without spending money or making drastic changes to your habits. I will elaborate on some of these suggestions in later posts.

Turn off the lights!

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.

UNPLUG! Appliances and chargers use electricity even when they are turned off. Power strips make this super simple.

Don't overfill your refrigerator.

Turn off the A/C! Open your windows instead.

Set your thermostat a few degrees lower. (It makes a HUGE difference in your bill.)

Cover your windows with plastic insulation and thick curtains during the winter to retain heat.

Keep your house shaded in the summer by closing blinds in the rooms that get a lot of direct sunlight.

Hang your clothes up to dry instead of using a dryer.

If you use a dishwasher, turn off the heated dry option.

Shower only when necessary. Shower quickly. Learn to enjoy a cool shower.

Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, washing your face, etc.

Wash your clothes only when absolutely necessary, and use cold water.

Don't wash your car or water your lawn. Seriously, is that necessary?

Aim to put less trash on your curb. Recycling, composting, and reducing the amount of single-use products you purchase are some solutions.

Minimize toilet flushes. If it's yellow, let it mellow!

Say NO to bottled water. Buy a reusable beverage container and bring it everywhere.

Make your own cleaning products.

Buy used!

Bring a reusable coffee mug to the cafe. Many places offer a discount for doing so.

Say no to one time use items such as plastic bags, styrofoam containers, straws, and plastic cutlery. Bring along reusable items.

Sign up for online billing and direct deposit to reduce the amount of paper you waste.

Grow your own food!

Use a rain barrel to collect water for your plants.

Walk or ride a bike for nearby errands. Utilize public transportation. When you must drive, combine trips and carpool.

Breastfeed (if applicable).

Use a menstrual cup instead of disposable pads or tampons.

Victoria's (Dirty) Secret

Everyone has probably heard the motto, Think Globally, Act Locally. But how does one think globally while acting locally? One way is by making responsible consumer choices. Every purchase has an impact. When you make a purchase you are choosing to support either a locally-owned business or a multinational corporation. You are choosing to support either a company that promotes human rights by using ethical labor or a company that relies on cheap - often child - labor and uses inhumane conditions such as sweatshops to manufacture goods as cheaply as possible.

Sweatshop labor is pervasive, especially in clothing chains. This reality is a huge deterrent in sustainable living. Personally, it was one of the last things I considered as I thought of ways to make my lifestyle more sustainable. When you need/want something it is a huge hassle to first sit down and research the ethical violations of the company you are considering supporting... especially if the purchase you are about to make is a sale item or an impulse my. I'll admit that a lot of the clothes in my closet were not produced ethically.

Last week I was using a Victoria's Secret gift card and wishfully hoping that just maybe Victoria's secret is that she uses organic, fair trade cotton and her products are made in Ohio, where her company's headquarters are located.

Then I saw this tag:

A glimmer of hope! Made with love, just for me!

But the cynic in my prompted me to look a little deeper. The tag on the inside of the garment revealed:


Made in China? Hmm.

So I went home and with a quick Google search determined that in the future I am going to have to look elsewhere for adorable and comfortable underwear. Shame on you, Victoria, and your dirty little secret.

The National Labor Committee’s report titled, “Sewing Victoria’s Secret: Garments in a Hidden Sweatshop,” outlines the human rights violations committed by the Mina Garments Factory, which supplies goods for Victoria’s Secret. The lack of respect for workers’ basic human rights included the following:

Human trafficking and involuntary servitude of guest workers

Confiscation of workers’ passports and denial of legally required identification cards

Routine work shifts of 14.5 to 15.5 hours, with 40 percent of guest workers kept on 19 hour all-night shifts

No sick days, paid vacations, or government holidays allowed

Wages at 8 percent below the legal minimum

Workers denied the legal 25 or 50 percent premium compensation for overtime hours

Sporadic pay

Inadequate and unsanitary working conditions

Workers subject to pay reductions, humiliation, violence, and threats if production goals not met

Forced deportation for any worker who spoke out about factory conditions

[Source: National Labor Committee] and Green America: Responsible Shopper]

The unfortunate reality is that most mass produced clothes are made overseas in low-income countries, and most often under inhumane conditions. It's hard to avoid. Some companies, such as Urban Outfitters, are starting to carry some eco-friendly and responsible items. All American Apparel clothes are made in the United States (though I have other issues with American Apparel - I'll save that for another post). My solution: by used whenever possible. And buy quality items that will outlasts trends so that you aren't replacing your wardrobe every six months.

Take Back America

So, the other day I was cycling behind a middle age white lady in a fancy car with a bumper sticker that said, Take Back America! and featured the Tea Party Movement logo. I pulled up beside her at a stoplight and asked, "are you Native American?" Of course it was a rhetorical question and of course she just starred at me blankly - but seriously, think about that bumper sticker...



Who are we taking back America from? I have seen other, less subtle, versions of the sticker:





The only people in the country now known as the United States of America that have any right to complain about immigration ruining the country are the Native Americans. The history books are so skewed toward the European male bias that we may have forgotten that we actually took this country over from the native inhabitants. We are all immigrants. Immigration is our heritage and we should embrace that.

Nothing makes me cringe more than the word illegal but I do agree that no one should have to be in this country undocumented. The solution is immigration reform, not deportation.

[Images borrowed from Zazzle]