The Environment Site Blog
The Environment Site Blog is unlike most environmental blogs.
We assume that you care about the planet otherwise you wouldn’t be here in the first place, hence it focuses on how we can all do our bits and be a bit greener. The blog will take the form of several online diaries, with each diary outlining simple ways you can help the environment, be it at home, work or play.
The online eco diaries will be written by some of the wonderful members of The Environment Site. We wanted to choose people who care for the environment out of pure passion rather than any professional or academic interest as we felt this reflects best the majority of you out there. Thus the following people will do us the honour of sharing their green adventures with us:
Carolyn
Hi, I’m Carolyn. I am a keen conservation volunteer, and I take part in various countryside management projects throughout the year. I will be keeping an online diary about these projects, including the reasons for doing each task, and how the work is carried out, as well as what happens during the day. Hopefully, I will be able to inlcude photographs and possibly quotes and stories from my fellow volunteers. I am hoping that you will all be encouraged to get out there and volunteer, whether for just one day or on a more long term basis. It really is very satisfying and a great way to meet like-minded, interesting, friendly and knowledgeable people.
Marie
My name is Marie and I will be 30 on June 15th. I am married with 2 children–a boy who will be 5 soon, and a 1 year old girl. I have been trying to live green for less than a year, so I have a lot to learn, and a lot of products to try as my wallet allows. Every little bit counts, I think, and I am slowly trying to change my entire house over to green. My blog will be about everyday encounters with trying to lead a healthy life for me and my family.
I try to eat organic, and if I can’t afford or find organic products that I need, I go as natural as possible. I make my own body oil to use instead of commercial lotions, using household ingredients. I buy cheap soap that is all natural. My husband and I ripped up our living room carpet and replaced it with lumber that would have been thrown away by the lumber cumpany. We laid it out in a pleasing design, sanded it, and sealed it with shelac. My children drink goats milk from our own goats, and we eat eggs from our own free-range chickens that we feed our organic leftovers and scraps to supplement what they find in the field. I clean with vinegar, Murphy’s all-natural oil soap, and baking soda and old cloth diapers. We donate any toys, clothes, books, etc. that we can’t use anymore to Goodwill instead of throwing them away. I plant my flowers in old horse manure from a large horse barn nearby. When I need to shop, I make sure I buy everything I need for a couple of weeks so as to not drive much. I only leave the house once or twice a week, and I would even less except I have to do things for my elderly stepfather. My husband is a carpenter/contractor, and we are fixing up our house with things he brings home from clients homes that they were going to throw away. When we paint, we use the low VOC paint.
My son loves to watch nature programs, and we are trying to teach the children to love and respect animals and nature. I would never take them to a circus that had animal acts, as I do not condone it. We have many pets, but they have a good life. We have two hamsters, many fish, a dog, and a cat, and my husband just brought home 2 baby ducks. The goats and chickens are like pets also, but are really “owned” by my mother and father-in-law that live next door. The fish have large tanks with live plants, the hamsters have fresh bedding (I use their old bedding as mulch around my flowers) and when the ducklings get big, they will be turned loose in the large field with the goats and chickens. The dog has a large lot, and the cat has free reign.
So that is my background. Let the blogging begin.
Claire
Hi, I’m Claire, and I’m going to be blogging my attempts to “green” my new house.
I think most people who frequent the forum will know me quite well already but here’s a little bit of my background for those who don’t.
Since being a small child who loved going to the bottle bank (well, OK, it was mostly for the crash as the bottles hit the bottom, but you’ve got to start somewhere) I’ve become gradually more and more interested in and concerned about the environment and our effect on it. Almost two years ago I decided I wanted to shift profession slightly. Ideally I wanted to still use my engineering skills, but with much more of a professional interest in sustainability. Luckily for me a combined PhD and job came along that was ideal, and even more luckily my application was successful. I’ve been on a steep learning curve ever since and my ideas on sustainability and the environment have (I hope) been maturing.
Towards the end of last year I decided the time was as right as it was ever going to be to get onto the housing ladder. For someone who’s moved at least 25 times in the last 10 years, and had around 21 addresses, this was rather a scary thought, but I found a great house that suits me to the ground. I moved in a few weeks ago now, but I will start blogging with a mix of previous happenings and current occurrences which hopefully will not become too confusing.
Some of the things I’ll be talking about are…. water (where I want more of it and where I want less of it), paint – is it possible to REALLY DIY?, the flaws in the floors, tiles and tribulations, and all the lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) that will probably have to be evicted from the overgrown garden before I can turn it into a veg patch, herb garden and pleasant retreat. Not to mention the things lurking in the shed…(not for the faint-hearted I promise you). I’ll even try to be sensible at least part of the time and try to minimise the terrible puns.
