Monday, December 27, 2010

Green Your Holidays

The holidays are (mostly) behind us now, but we wanted to share some ideas about greening such annual occasions...you could apply this to birthdays and other times of year when you're celebrating.  We put the word out on our Facebook page, asking friends what they've done to green their holidays, and got the following responses:

"Carpooling, and using recycled wrapping paper." - Mary M., employee at Mirbeau Inn & Spa
"Bike ride to my local watering hole...nothing out of the ordinary!" - Sean B.
"Reusing gift bags, and hoping those who receive them do the same." - Kyle K.
"[Making gifts] from upcycled or repurposed materials/remnants from...vintage pieces or sewing projects i worked on in the past..." - Dana C.
"I bought some used bows and wrapping materials at Dave's." - Beth O.
"Newspaper for gift wrapping and a cut up old red t shirt for bows. :) " - Kari S.

Thanks, everyone for sharing your ideas!  We believe it's also really important to support your local artists, shops and restaurants.  Take a few extra minutes to find something locally made and special, and your giftees will truly appreciate it!  Buffalo is full of unique places and people, so take advantage of what our local culture is offering.  For a list of local artists, artisans, and off-the-beaten path galleries/art spaces, check out the list I made (which is still in progress) or visit Buffalo First.

You could also consider donating money to local charities for the holidays, like Jon and I started to do about four years ago.  The first year, we gave to Thea Bowman House in Utica (where we lived at the time).  They offer preschool, after-school programs, a food pantry, domestic violence prevention services and a home for long-term foster children.   In the years that we've lived in Buffalo, we've given our time, auction items, or financial contributions to the City Mission, Paws and Claws Animal Rescue, Art for H.E.A.R.T. Charity Auction, and the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo , to name a few.

No matter what you choose to give, keep it green and local!  Happy Holidays, and wishing you the best for your new year.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Convenience with CarShare

Hello- it's Dana posting. While we've been members of Buffalo CarShare for over a month, we hadn't had a chance to use one of the cars until this week.  Since we sold our car, we've been biking or carpooling with others.  Two days ago, however, we needed to pick up an abundance of printing screens for Jon's business, Derailleur and our roommate Alicia's business, My Creative Noggin.  We reserved a CarShare vehicle (a two-door Yaris) only two hours in advance, via the online reservation system.  It was simple.  Jon biked up 6 blocks to grab the car, locked his bike in front of Quaker Bonnet, picked Alicia and I up, and off we went to Parkside! 

Penny Wyatt at Wyatt Design framing (corner of Parkside and Russell) had found herself with a number of screens a while back, and wanted someone to put them to use. We were more than happy to oblige! We loaded them into the Yaris, which was surprisingly roomy, and then grabbed a coffee from Sweet_ness 7 Parkside...yay!  After that, we got some groceries at Guercio's on Grant Street, stopped at Urban Roots on Rhode Island, and headed back.  Jon dropped us off, brought the car back to Quaker Bonnet, and rode home.  Done!

It was simple and fun.  We loved it, and strongly recommend CarShare to anyone who needs access to a vehicle sometimes.  Get rid of your second car, or even your first!  It's a freeing feeling to have the car when you need it, without being bogged down by big payments, DMV fees, and repair costs.  Happy CarSharing!

Monday, December 6, 2010

It's A Wonderful Bike!

Dana here!  The question I get asked the most when I tell people we sold our car is "What are you going to do when it snows?".  Well, first I will build an igloo.  Then I'll climb into it and hibernate for 5 months.  Just kidding.  If you guessed "suck it up and bike anyway", you were right!  Jon and I have been preparing for our winter bike adventure by acquiring gear bit by bit along the way...such as gloves for him, a new taillight for me, etc.  It is a bit daunting when you look out the window and those fat lake effect snowflakes are falling...but with preparation and caution, it's totally do-able.

One really important element is making sure one's neck and face are covered.  I have a good winter jacket that I've been wearing, but even zipped up all the way, air gets in.  Solution?  A neck gaiter!  Jon decided to make them for us, using felted wool sweaters and our sewing machine (that we got for free via Craigslist last year!).  So, he laid out the fabric, measured my face and neck, and got to sewing.  With some iron-on velcro, it's a simple matter of wrapping the gaiter around your face and fastening.

That wasn't all, though.  My little fingers have been getting cold as I bike, wearing thin velvet gloves.  Jon decided to keep his crafty pants on, and make me some mittens, too!  Now I'm all rainbows with my handmade winter wear.  Toasty!

As far as the actual bike RIDING in this weather, I have to say- it's not as scary as I expected. It will take a little getting used to, but I feel better on a bike than I do in a car when it's snowy.  I allow for extra braking time, as the brakes can get wet.  Also, I'm careful when riding over a slushy median/tire track...I've learned to take it slow to keep my wheels under me.  Finally, I'm using my lights!  The low visibility of a winter day means drivers may not be able to see me as well.  I keep them on the flash setting, and added a little reflective tape to my bike and helmet for extra safety.

With some preparation, you'll see that in Buffalo, "It's a Wonderful Bike!"  :)  Happy holidays.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Get off my back!

Hey all; it's Jonathon with another entry. We didn't post too much last week because of the busy holiday, but we hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving!

 Can you imagine transporting all of your groceries in a backpack? That's been our situation for a while, for many reasons, including being more green, but mostly because we enjoyed the summer weather and wanted to be biking. Sometimes we would take the car, especially when the weather wasn't so sunny. Now that we don't have a vehicle in our driveway, we realized that we needed another way of transporting heavy or bulky items (and get them off my back!).  We started the search for a used bike trailer, and a friend had one that her children outgrew, plus she was willing to barter. (Thanks Monika!)  Today was the first day we got it out on the road to see how it felt connected to my bike. It's surprisingly light and easy to maneuver. I put it through the motions; starts, stops, turns, and driveways, and I think I'm ready for my first trip to the grocery store. If you see me out there on the roads, give me a thumbs-up and a little extra room.


Dana plans to use it for her upcoming jewelry trunk shows.  She says she looks forward to having a simple way to transport her work, right to the door of an event.

We're excited to use our "new" trailer- you might even catch us giving our cats, Churchill and Mabel, a ride around the block.

(ps. Here's our talented friend Monika's Etsy store - check it out! http://Momika.etsy.com )

Monday, November 22, 2010

Local Love

Dana here.  As we head into "The Holidays" (insert horror film scream here), I wanted to take a moment to talk about the concept of being local.  There are lots of catchphrases and fun words like "locavore" being thrown around these days.  Nearly all of us patronize local restaurants, shop on Elmwood sometimes, or come into town weekly to buy what we need.  So, we're being local, right?

I would challenge everyone (including myself) to take that mindset a little further.  If you begin asking more probing questions, like "Where is my food grown?", or "What is this item made of, and where was it assembled?", and even "How far must I travel to get the things I buy?", you will see that there's so much more we can all do!  If you eat at a downtown restaurant whose ingredients were shipped from Florida, you could be more local.  If you shop at an urban store and buy a plastic item made in China, you could be more local.  If you have to drive 20 miles to purchase something, you could be more local.

We must begin to look in our own immediate neighborhood to see what's available.  There are urban (and rural) farms all around us, and with just a little extra effort, we can eat food that was grown only blocks, not miles, away.  Examples include Growing Green by MAP and the Wilson Street Urban Farm.  There are hundreds of local artisans in the Buffalo region who make their living by selling their work (Jon and I included).  If you want to find them, you can check out Etsy's "Shop Local" function, browse through Mind Web, or Artists In Buffalo.  Stroll the Elmwood Village, Hertel Ave, Allen Street, or South Buffalo's Old First Ward.  Finally, there are great little stores near you, whether you're in downtown Buffalo (Old Editions Book Shop), the suburbs (Peddlers Consignment Shoppe), or outlying towns (Nature's Network).

Jon and I do our best to keep it local, and with the resources at our disposal, it's getting easier every day.  Buffalo First keeps us aware of what's new in the locavore world, promoting independent businesses in our area.  We use their coupon book (available in every Buffalo CarShare car!) to save while supporting small companies and organizations.  We love to shop at Guercio's on Grant Street, and the Lexington Co-op.  Elmwood Pet is our go-to place for natural cat food, and we buy much of our hardware at Dibble's on West Ferry, or Mangione's on Niagara!  Bike, walk, or take public transportation to get a different perspective on the neighborhoods you think you know...you'll be surprised at all the fantastic small businesses you encounter. 

Until next time- cheers!!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Paper vs. Cloth Napkins

Hi, everyone; this is Jonathon posting.  Since watching the film "No Impact Man", my wife and I cut back nearly completely on our household paper product usage. We don't purchase or use paper towels, napkins, or tissues. We recognized that reusable items like cloth napkins and handkerchiefs were better.  Because we're not scientists, we used common sense to consider the sustainability of one option compared to another. For example, the plastic packaging used for paper products is wasteful and will take years to degrade in a landfill. Another example would be that you can use cloth napkins several times before needing to wash, while paper is usually only used once then tossed. Therefore, we assumed cloth was the eco-friendly choice.

An article on Treehugger.com discusses the topic of paper versus linen or cloth napkins.  The article points out some interesting statistics on natural resources, like how much water is used up in the production of paper vs. cloth and how much greenhouse gas is emitted during the process. I feel that idea could have been taken a little further by explaining how much greenhouse gas (CO2) would have been eliminated (converted to oxygen) over the life of the tree, but now won't be because it has been made into a paper napkin, and later will be added to a landfill thereby adding methane and CO2 gas to the atmosphere.

Our napkin usage is about 1 cloth napkin per person, per week. My wife and I throw these into our normal wash loads that we would be doing anyway (using a high efficiency washer with cold water and biodegradable soap). If we used more napkins in one week, we could even swap out a t-shirt or a pair of jeans and wear them one more time before washing to counter the load. At that rate, we're washing our two napkins 52 times a year or less in the laundry that we are doing anyway. If my wife and I used paper napkins, one per person, for each meal, three meals a day, we'd be throwing out about 2,184 napkins per year. Add to that the plastic wrapper that is wasted, and the production, delivery to the stores, the trip to the store to get said napkins (we bike to the store, but most people drive). Since paper napkins are thrown away, it doesn't stop there. Add the costs to dispose of that waste, plastic garbage bags, dedicated trucks to pick it up from your curb and deliver to the sorting facility then transporting to the landfill.

When all aspects of the issue are examined, it's clear to us that it's more eco-friendly to use cloth napkins (especially linen- see the article for more details). On top of that, we're saving money by not buying paper napkins, which is a nice little bonus. Who says it doesn't pay to be green?

Next week - organic vs conventional foods.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Selling the Car

This is Dana posting.  We did it!  We sold our car this morning!  Finally, after weeks of listing, re-listing, showing and test-driving, the right person came along and they bought it.  This is something we've been trying to do for a while now, and it will help push us not-so-gently into a more eco-friendly transportation mindset.  Check out the video- you can see that I'm not really good at hiding my true feelings. :)  I am happy that it's done and over with and we can move forward, but it's hard to watch a part of your life for the past 6 years just drive off into the distance!  Anyway, we know we're doing the right thing, and we are truly excited about starting this adventure, in earnest now.  See you again soon.

Dana and Jon

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Realities of Ditching our Car.

Hi, it's Dana posting. On this beautiful fall day, the welcome sun beats down on the city of Buffalo.  We treasure these last bits of warmth, the, shall we say, calm before the storm.  We all know what's coming and as much as we might not want to think about it, it's nearly December!!! 

What does this all have to do with being eco-conscious in the Green City?  Well, Jon and I are trying to sell our car, and change our mindset about transportation.  We've already joined Buffalo CarShare, which is a fabulous not-for-profit here in the city, giving the locals access to a car, should they need it.  Since our car tends to sit in the driveway 3-4 days out of the week, we made the decision to ditch it in favor of CarShare with a mix of bicycling and public transportation.  This will decrease our carbon footprint and help us stay true to the ideals we want to espouse.

Blah, blah, blah.  The uber-lazy American part of me is screaming, "But I don't want to have to bike, in the dark, up to 464 Gallery on Amherst Street tonight! I know it's good for me, and not even that cold today, but still!  I want to get into my heated car, sit on my ass, and have someone do the moving for me!"  And then I think about the times I've taken longer (for me) rides, to a friend's house in Walden Heights, up to Cafe Allegro on Hertel Ave...and how great I felt after those rides.  Refreshed, invigorated, and yes, a little sweaty.  Truly, the pros outweigh the cons here, and I'm sure I'll be glad I did it.  So, cheer me on if you see me out and about, riding my beloved 1972 Schwinn Suburban, "Elma".  I am putting on my happy face and hopefully losing some of my aforementioned ass in the process. 

We'll see how this flies when it's blizzarding and 10 degrees out.  Hehe.  Keeping it positive!  Cheers...

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Introductions

Hi!  We're really excited to launch Eco Buffalo!  Eco Buffalo will be our diary of trying to make changes in our own lives, whether related to transportation, food, buying local, and attending events that are in line with our ethical standards, etc.  We will include not only our own stories, but interviews with and articles about those people and organizations that are making a difference here in the Queen City/("Green City").  We're a husband and wife team; Jonathon Furman and Dana Saylor, and we're doing this because we want to live and model green and sustainable change in Buffalo, NY and beyond.

We were moved to make drastic changes for several different reasons: we became vegetarian two years ago and learned a great deal about the corporate food industry; we came into contact with great local organizations such as Buffalo First, Buffalo Car Share, and Green Options Buffalo and they are inspiring to us; and also we have spoken with many friends and colleagues in Buffalo about the kinds of things that SHOULD be happening to make positive, lasting change.  Oh yeah, and- we watched "No Impact Man."  We've put a real dent in our paper product usage, among other things.  :)

Seriously, though, we are just a small part of the greater Green movement happening in Buffalo, the United States, and the world.  We're going to try our best to make changes big and small, and we'll be sharing the successes and challenges with you via this forum.  Please follow us and "Like" our Facebook page so you can keep in touch and contribute your ideas, suggestions, and experiences. Thanks...stay tuned.