Living Green


What can I do about the environmental crisis?  

First of all be gentle with myself.  I am part of the problem, and, I can be part of the solution. Rather than throwing my hands up in despair at the enormity of the task, I find that making a series of small choices empowers me to seek more solutions.  I invite you to join me and would love to hear from you about your green path.

Using a Green Gas debit card I pay an extra ten cents per gallon at the pump.  This tariff-by-choice goes to projects, such as planting trees, that reverse the environmental impact me burning fossil fuel.  Learn more: https://greengasmovement.org/


My default browser is Ecosia.  Each time I make 45 searches, a tree is planted.  It's free. Ecosia has planted over 116,000,000 trees. Learn more: https://info.ecosia.org/
Composting my kitchen scraps creates black gold (fertilizer) for my vegetable garden. The process also reduces the solid waste picked up by my city, trimming my disposal fees. I use an Earth Machine Composter. This device is currently unavailable, but there are similar units out there.

I also have small charcoal filtered bin under my kitchen sink to collect the scraps odor free before taking them out to the composter. Can't find a kitchen bin locally?  Just search for "Kitchen Compost Bin".





I mow my lawn employing a vintage reel mower that my father used for many years.  Using this tool is a pollution free approach that gifts me exercise and my neighbors quiet.  Scott's makes a modern version that is lighter, if not as durable. Can't find a mower locally?  Search for "Scott's Reel Mower".





I save about ten percent on my electric bill by contracting with Syncarpha, a company runs a solar farm 50 miles from my home.  Learn more:  http://www.syncarpha.solar/   





I heard about Barukas, the super delicious and healthy nuts, listening to an interview with Darien Olien on the Rich Roll Podcast.  Until this interview with Olien, I had not heard of the Cerrado, a huge, biodiverse savanna in Brazil seriously under threat from deforestation for agriculture.  Olien works with indigenous collection cooperatives to harvest the nuts and provide sustainable jobs.  Order from Barukas.


You can do lots of journaling with one pencil! 



I invite you to visit Seeing Green, a companion page that showcases my explorations of art and our environment.

John Nordell teaches courses in the Visual and Digital Arts Program at American International College in Springfield, Mass. He blogs about the creative process at CreateLookEnjoy.com  Instagram: @john.nordell   




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