Hi again, everyone!

I love the idea that I know, for the most part, who my audience is. This group started with those people who were invited to our wedding: naturally, those friends and family of ours who support Geoff and I wholeheartedly and only want the best for us. Since then, it has expanded a bit, to include more people important to both of us as well as to the rest of you. I say this for the following reasons...


Ecofrau Site:
In response to my last email tip, I received some feedback that I might want to start a blog. My concern was, that if I started a blog, and I stopped sending these emails, people wouldn't make the extra click to seek out the info on my blog (and, that I wouldn't feel like I was writing to a particular audience). I know we're all very busy, we all have our own agendas and lives full of all sorts of cool stuff. For this reason, and requests from others, I have chosen to continue these emails, AND create a blog and website where the information resides in more colorful hues than this here email. I have copied all my past emails to that blog, so, should you be interested, the emails can be searched by topic. The website I created, www.ecofrau.com (Thanks, Rachel, for the great name idea!), is a combination of my teaching and my eco-passion. The blog, oregon.ecofrau.org, is simply for the eco-effective aspect of my life (but are they really so disconnected?) Over time, I will add a collection of links to places that will help you discover the same things I am...

C2C Online Community:
When I first started these emails, I mentioned the term Cradle to Cradle--as you may remember, the concept that things should be created to last forever, as opposed to ending up in the landfill. Well, after I read that book, I wanted to connect with other readers, and take as much action as possible. But, when I went to the website, there was no interactive piece of the puzzle yet. HOWEVER, now there is!! YAY! I strongly encourage you to check out the forum, as you can find such AMAZING concepts as: Steven Spielberg is supposedly making a movie about Cradle to Cradle!
community.mbdc.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=mbdc_c2c
There's also a blog, the link is on the forum page on the left.

Writing Letters:
The last, but perhaps most important tip I have today is what inspired me to write this email today: a visit at our school by Howard Patterson, a trained presenter of an Inconvenient Truth...
According to Ginny Burdick, an Oregon state senator, making a phone call to a congressman counts as 500 votes. Statistically, the amount of effort needed to make that phone call represents 500 people. It used to be the same for an email, but according to what Becky told me, that number dropped to about 250 votes.
Writing an old-fashioned letter (or even typing one), on paper, with a stamp, in an envelope, counts as 1500 votes!!! Wow. It only took me 15 minutes to write two, and I can have that effect. I'm so impressed.

When I sat down to write my letters, I felt overwhelmed. What can I say that won't make me sound as dumb as I feel? What can I say to get them to listen to me? Well, the answer that I received to my questions helped me make it happen. Essentially, I now understand that I don't need to have all of the facts, or even any, to persuade them to listen to me. I simply need to make the time to voice my opinion. Most people don't, for a variety of reasons, just like I didn't. But I also didn't know then what I know now. So trite, I know. But it's really how I feel.
I'll include a few links with addresses...I know I was more motivated to write when the information was put in my lap, literally: gsmith.senate.gov, wyden.senate.gov, blumenauer.house.gov, reid.senate.gov, sfnancy@mail.house.gov
Oh. I forgot to mention why this even matters right now: there's an energy bill that's supposed to be passed really soon!


So, anyhow, thanks for reading this far. If you would rather take the time to check the blog on your own time, just drop me a line and I'll remove you from this list. There's a box at the bottom of the blog to subscribe to the blog. I don't know how that works yet, if it sends you a link when I update it...someone can let me know once they try it.

I hope your weekend is wonderful, and you can feel as much hope for the world as I do right now. =)
Smiles,
Tamara

Hi everybody!

Here I am, trying hard to remain young and beautiful, when lo and behold, I'm spreading what some profess to be carcinogens all over my skin! I learned this from an article that I read through the greenguide.org--I proceeded to do research on my MaryKay products, as well as my JASON Natural and Organic, as well as my Colgate toothpaste...and in ALL of those products I found ingredients listed on the Dirty Dozen List published by the Green Guide (http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/100/10uglies).

In the process, I found this amazing website which allows you to both search for specific products, as well as find lists of products in order of toxicity!!

www.cosmeticdatabase.com

You've GOT to check it out. Yeah, I know, you may not be as obsessed about the carcinogen-thing as I am, but the way I see it, how many people do we EACH know that have either already died of cancer, have been diagnosed, or had somebody close to them die from some form of the beast?! I'm choosing to air on the side of caution, in hopes of avoiding the deadly monster and keeping my breast milk (SHOULD I ever have the need to produce any...) as scott free of chemicals as possible!

In addition to sharing that HUGE tid-bit with you, I've had a few people make some recommendations as to what I'd send out this time, so let me do that as well...

Toaster Ovens:
Devin recommends that people consider using/purchasing a toaster oven, perhaps even with a convection feature on it (I add), and use that to cook smaller portions when you might otherwise use the regular oven. That can save a lot of energy! Geoff and I hosted a small thanksgiving last night, in fact, for Granny and my mom, and we used the big oven to cook the turkey, and the smaller, convection oven to cook the potatoes and the green bean casserole (a must for every Thanksgiving, right!?).  Not exactly proof of saving energy (though our oven is gas), but something to consider nonetheless.

Nalgenes:
Another pointer I received recently was from Trina. She sent me a link on Nalgene water bottles, which I brought up a few tips ago.The main message is this: Don't keep your Nalgene for longer than 6 months; use it for nothing other than cold liquids (bummer, because I always heat water in mine to put in my sleeping bag at night!); don't use harsh detergents or put it in the dishwasher; and wash it with warm soapy water and let it air dry when you first get it.

www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/nalgene

So, these tips aren't turning out to be as regular as I initially intended, but, I hope you can appreciate the irregularity with which they arrive. Kind of like Christmas or Hanukkah or Thanksgiving or Kwanzaa when you least expect it. =)

Next tip...I'm thinking of sharing the link to the TRUE, and newly created, Cradle to Cradle Community (the one that I was hoping existed when I first created this list, but didn't yet)! Stay tuned....

Enjoy your day, may it bring you many opportunities to smile upon the world!
Tamara
p.s. Are these tips growing too long. Shall I shrink them so they aren't too overwhelming?

Hi there!

I kinda feel good when I refrain from sending out these tips, because in my heart of hearts, I still assume people hate "mass" and impersonal emails such as these. It's kind of strange I feel that way, however, as I continue to receive feedback from people that they appreciate my efforts. That leaves me feeling a bit bad that I missed a few weeks...perhaps I can disguise the truth (as many companies do to hide the facts), and tell you that I was simply allowing you time to put into practice some of what I've shared thus far. =)

Either way, today I've got some infomation to share about paper products.

First of all, some of you may have seen the video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZCym0DB7hA ) about Kleenex, and how they use "virgin fibres" (as they have proudly advertised in the past) from forests between 70 and 150 years old, and how they clear cut these forests. There is an organization called Kleercut ( www.kleercut.org) that works hard to protect these ancient forests. On this website, you can find responses that Kleenex wrote to letters sent to them about this issue, as well as options to making responsible decisions about purchasing paper producuts. It's actually not just Kleenex, but all Kimberly-Clark products, which include:
 in Canada: Kleenex
in the United States: Kleenex, Scott, Viva, Cottonelle
Globally: Kleenex, Cottonelle, Cottonelle Puppy, Andrex, Scottbrand, Hakle, Scottex

Instead, you are encouraged to purchase products with a higher recycled content: Toilet Paper: CVS Bathroom Tissue 1000, Cascades, Marcal, Natural Value, Earth First, Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's, 365 Everyday Value
Facial Tissue: Marcal Fluff Out, Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's Paper Towels: Marcal Bella, Natural Value, Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's, 365 Everyday ValueCheck out the site for more information!

My other paper piece is how to reduce junkmail. The following information comes from a response that I received to these emails. Christina told me that her company sends out a monthly tip like mine, and they even have a COMMITTEE that gets together to figure them out and publish a pdf. I am not sending you the pdf since it's specific to their office, but instead, sharing the pertinent information:

JUNK MAIL - It's like death and taxes, right?

QUICK FACTS:

The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to

10.8 pieces of junk mail. That equals 560 pieces of junk mail in a year. Out

of that, 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread.

Your name is typically worth 3 to 20 cents each time it is sold to mailing

lists

ReSoURCeS FoR RedUCIng jUnK mAIl:

CRedIT CARd/InSURAnCe oFFeRS: Call 888-567-8688. This single

automated phone line takes you off the lists of all major credit bureaus. You can also

do this online at: http://www.optoutprescreen.com

To do this, send a postcard

with your name, address and signature to: Mail Preference

Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643,

Carmel, NY 10512 or download the online form at

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist

Get more tips online at:

www.nativeforest.org/stop_junk_mail

So, enjoy! And next time you have an inkling to grab a paper tissue, napkin, or papertowel, use a cloth one instead!

Take care and enjoy your week!
I love hearing back from you guys...Thanks so much for your continued feedback and continual sharing of information!
Tamara

Hi!
This week, I'm a little early with this here tip. In fact, I'm not even sure if this "counts" as my tip--I guess it does, really...though there's probably another one out there that could be a bit more applicable for some of you. But I couldn't resist the opportunity to invite you to this awesome tour of sustainable homes that is taking place in Portland this Saturday from 11am-5pm. I know, I know--some of you live a bit far away, and at least one of you could be a bit too pregnant to consider the option--BUT, I wanted to include you all, if for no other reason, to inform you about what is happening out there, and hopefully, to inspire you to seek out the same in your city or town:

http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?c=41893

I am incredibly inspired at the moment to install a rainwater catchment system, not only to water our garden, as I've been thinking we'd do, but now I want to go so far as to install a gray-water system as well!  This is the best free resource I've found, for those of you who are curious or interested--I really like the intro, in which they discuss the benefits of rain water!

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rdedition.pdf

Anyhow, as I've said in the past, please let me know if and when you've had your nose full (as they say in German!) with receiving these tips. I know it can feel a bit overwhelming at times, and I am really impressed with how few people have opted out so far! But, to each her own: no hard feelin's if you want out.

I hope you can find as much love in your life, and in your job especially, as I feel for mine!
Smiles to you,
Tamara

Hi!

I considered waiting a day or so for those who hadn't had a chance to check their email over the weekend. But, I said I'd send this on Sunday, and so I shall. I don't want to disappoint, and I know there are those of you on the edge of your seats! =)

This weekend, I decided to read the label of my Hillshire Farms turkey sausage that I was going to eat for dinner. I ended up eating Ben and Jerry's Caramel Sutra for dinner instead because this is what I discovered (ok, so I may have eaten a few other items as well...):

Sodium nitrite is a dangerous cancer-causing component that the processed meat industry uses in their food to enhance the color and flavor of their products. Many tests have been conducted, and though the USDA attempted to prohibit the use of the product in the 70's, the meat industry won out. According to some tests, leukemia incidents were up by 700% after the consumption of hot-dogs, and the risk of pancreatic cancer has been found to increase by 67% after the consumption of processed meat (hot dogs and sausage).

Most processed meats, including breakfast sausage, jerkies, bacon, lunch meat and even canned soup contain nitrites. This includes lunches that kids are fed at school (children, and especially infants, have a VERY hard time processing nitrites). But there ARE meats, mostly in healthier food stores, that are made nitrate and nitrite-free meats.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/processedmeat050305.cfm


Maybe you know this stuff already. Or maybe you've already had enough. Either way, please feel free to contact me at any point if you'd like to remove yourself from our new little community, or if you have good reason to believe that my information is off-base whatsoever.

Have a great day, and be safe!
Tamara

This blog arrives to you through a flurry of personal inspiration on my part, and slight encouragement from my sister...

While we were in Austria, in my dad's wonderful timeshare hotel, we found this book, Cradle to Cradle, on a book-share shelf. Without going into so many details that I lose you, the book is written by a chemist and an architect who joined to form a consulting company in which they inspire and assist others to consider environmental alternatives to what is currently happening in the world. Basically, they recognize that much of the production that happens today stems from an attitude that began with the Industrial Revolution--things are designed to be used for a limited time, discarded, and sent to the landfill or firepit, basically a Cradle to Grave methodology. They are encouraging and supporting corporations to change their philosophy of production. The goal being to design and produce with the future in mind, so that things may be "up-cycled" instead of "down-cycled", which is what happens now in the recycling process. They refer to this attitude as eco-effectiveness (a more proficient form of eco-efficiency).

Geoff and I read this book on our honeymoon (along with a bit of a lighter read: Blink) and I am now inspired to move forward in as many ways as possible! My sister recommended I put together an email community, and send out weekly Eco-effective Tips to those who may be interested. My plan is to keep them FAR shorter than this explanatory email, and to simply give the brief tid-bit that I've discovered and, hopefully, the source.

It'd be something like: "An analysis of a child's swim wings, made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), showed that they off-gassed potentially harmful substances, including, under heat, hydrochloric acid. Other harmful substances, like the plasticizing phthalates, may be ingested through contact. This scenario is particularly alarming in a swimming pool, since a child's skin, ten times thinner than that of an adult, gets wrinkled when wet--the ideal condition for absorbing toxins."  Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough and Michael Braungart, p.40

Intrigued? Interested?
If so, do nothing, I will keep you in our little "community" and will send my 2nd tip on Sunday. If you're not interested, no worries, just drop me a quick line and let me know. Or you can try out the tip-lifestyle and see how it treats you, then tell me to move along.

And pretty soon, I hope to have some pictures out there for your viewing pleasure so you can see what else we did on our honeymoon, other than attempt to change the world...=)

Have a great day!
Tamara