Scott Sherman on “Introductions, Footprints, and Empowerment,” as part of the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP).
ESLP is a student designed, student developed, and student facilitat. . .
Posts Tagged ‘environment’
2
October
Sustainable Living Program, Environment 185, Eslp, Lecture 1, Ucla
posted under environment, Eslp, Lecture, Living, Program, Sustainable, Ucla | Comments (0)
8
July
Top 3 car-free solutions to reduce carbon footprints
Those who know me in real life are familiar with the fact that I DO NOT possess a car, let alone a driver’s license. Many people are surprised and constantly bugged me for an explanation. To most, having a car is second nature in this fast-paced world, but I like actually like NOT having a car. Yes, there are times when it’s frustrating especially with a toddler in tow and the cab or bus isn’t in sight, but in the long run, I believe that we are saving quite a bit of money without having to pay for car instalments as well as fuel.
If you want to go car-free, check out my list of alternatives below. And by the way, this post is created to answer the challenge posed at one of my favorite green living blogs – Reducefootprints.blogspot.com. I’d love it if you commented about the efforts you are currently undertaking, or if you want to share your own experience!
1. Take the bus
I like taking buses and trains, and instead of driving, you can just sit back and relax, and enjoy the view. There’s also something rather appealing about people watching – imagine what the lady with her set of noisy twin sons is thinking about, or what ails the man in the wrinkled sports coat sitting in the corner. Take along your iPod or MP3 player and enjoy the ride!
2. Ride your bike
When’s the last time you felt the pleasing breeze in your hair? You don’t have to sit in a Corvette with the top down to experience this. Just ride a bicycle and you’ll definitely enjoy seeing the world whizz by. This is great for the environment too, because unlike cars, bicycles do not emit noxious gasses that pollute the surroundings, and neither do they make awful vrooming sounds too.
3. Walk, walk, walk!
And walk some more 
Walking is good for your body, and I enjoy taking daily walks with my toddler who has just begun to discover the true pleasures of walking. There’s no reason to be jaded with walking – put yourself in the shoes of a baby who’s just learning to walk and you’ll see the finer points in walking.
Hope you enjoyed the post and again, I look forward to your comments!
posted under car pool, car-free, environment, green living tips, reduce carbon footprints, walking | Comments (4)
2
July
3 green kitchen tips you can start today
I’ve always procrastinated when I told myself: “Hey, let’s make this world a greener place to live in!” Reason is I find it rather troublesome to find things to recycle or even to lug my recyclables to the recycling center which is only a 5-minute walk in the neighborhood. But then, scraping a plate of unfinished meal into the garbage bin made me feel doubly guilty all of a sudden, and I vowed to start living green in the kitchen today (or tomorrow because thee is only 3 minutes left “today”). Hence, this post is conceived to help other lazy people like me start doing their bit to save Mother Nature
1. Garbage enzyme to the rescue
Are you feeling guilty due to the leftover food you constantly had to throw away? Fear not! You can start your own garbage enzyme solution which is typically a DIY liquid you can make to break down harmful substance in your household. It’s awfully useful in cleaning stuff too. Pour a little down the drain and you’ll eliminate the stink in no time!
2. Clear out your fridge and oh, while you’re at it, get a CFC-free refrigerator!
If your refrigerator’s from the Jurassic era chances are it is not CFC-free. It’s time to invest in one and retire your old fridge. And on the subject of clearing out your fridge, you should avoid food wastage by periodically rummaging through your fridge and see what’s nearing its shelf life. Do a cookout, invite friends to your potluck, do whatever it takes to finish the food in the kitchen! I personally like trading food with neighbors or giving it away to people who need it more.
3. Start your own hydroponic corner in the kitchen
Fine, if your kitchen is tiny like mine, you can place the hydropponic system somewhere in your backyard or lawn but the point is… START ONE! Not only is it healthier to consume home grown veg, you get to save money buying organic food at the market. I always look at it this way — if I planted it, it must be good, and if it’s good, by Jove I’LL EAT IT! 
You can also DIY your own organic garden.
I’ll be writing some garbage enzyme tips after this so be sure to look out for it! Meanwhile check out this must-have green living kit I am currently using.
posted under DIY organic garden, environment, garbage enzyme, green living, kitchen tips | Comments (2)
28
June
Go green and save money doing it!
The heat wave here is just terrible these days. Blame it on El Nino! What’s worst, there have been reports saying that this condition will last until September later on this year — that’s a full 3 months plus a week to endure!
I don’t mind the heat as long as it’s not too immense but my 14-month old daughter detests it. She loves BOTH the cool breeze from a nice blustery day as well as the air conditioning in her room when she sleeps at night, but with the heat wave, we’ve had to cool down our place by turning on the A/C more often. As a result, our electricity bills are on the rise and there is no sign of it being reduced anytime soon.
So as I was rocking the little milk monster to sleep, I thought: how can I save money and reduce my carbon footprints at the same time? I Googled about lowering the A/C bills and found out that you should ideally keep the temperature as high as you can, maybe 20 or 21, not at 16 degrees like we usually do, and use a fan to circulate the air. It worked! It somewhat reduced the following month’s bill.
I’m going to try build my DIY organic garden soon! There’s a Green Living Kit I have just discovered so I’ll be posting little nuggets of tips on how to go green and save money at the same time.
posted under environment, green living, green tips, money saving tips | Comments (0)