This is Why Santa Feans Don't Recycle!

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2013/04/24 - 12:18pm
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Santa Fe Recycling Flowchart

Santa Feans recycle less than 10% of all possible materials that instead go to a landfill. When the national average for recycling is 34% why is the rate in eco-conscious Santa Fe county so low? Because recycling in Santa Fe is a pain in the ass. To illustrate, a friend created this flow chart for visiting relatives to explain what items could be recycled and what couldn't. At first I laughed, because recycling really is this ridiculously complicated in Santa Fe. Then I had a realization.

Why I Garden #34

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2013/04/10 - 10:44am
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Asparagus - first harvest

Asparagus ~ Spring on your plate.

This may not be the most impressive harvest to come from our garden, but it is satisfying. Fresh asparagus is a sure sign of Spring and I was very happy to cut even a few spears from our garden. Asparagus plants (Asparagus officinalis) are perennial and take two years to establish before the spears can be harvested. This first harvest was a very long time in coming and even sweeter for the wait. We did "cheat" a bit and added store-bought asparagus to our own to make a more generous serving of roasted asparagus spears.

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Food Writers, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down...

Submitted by EcoMommyo on Thu, 2013/03/28 - 8:43pm
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Bent fork

Food writers, I love you sometimes but when your recipes fail you totally bum me out and leave me with a bad dinner debacle.

For example, hey you Smitten Kitchen, your recipe produced the greasiest carrot cake I've ever eaten. It made EcoBaby's birthday kind of lame. I even cut back on the listed amount of oil! For Pete's sake woman! But oh boy, your mulled spice cranberry bars were a total winner. More of that, less of the oil.

Local Power and Clean Energy

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2013/03/14 - 7:57pm
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Green Power to the People

How can a city shift to renewable energy when the local power utility is committed to fossil fuels? Boulder, CO has decided to "explore ... forming a city-owned utility". The Kit Carson Electric Coop in Taos, NM has a customer-owned solar array and other renewable energy purchase contracts. The City and County of Santa Fe, NM are researching creating their own publicly-owned electric utility.

Let's Plant Some Sh!t

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2013/03/08 - 2:17pm
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Ron Finley - TED talk

To quote Ron Finley, "Let's Plant Some Sh!t"! Ron is a guerrilla gardner in South Central Los Angeles where he has put shovel to soil and redesigned his neighborhood by planting gardens.

“Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do, especially in the inner city. Plus, you get strawberries.”

It's time to get off my cushy chair and grow some change in my own neighborhood.

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All The Green News That Fits

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2013/03/05 - 1:13pm
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Green Blog Gone

Those of us who live in the U.S.A. are familiar with Freedom of the Press which is a part of the first amendment of our Constitution. But the idea of journalistic responsibility is less familiar, if just as important.

The Cutting Edge of Water

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2013/02/06 - 10:08am
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Watershed Restoration Model

By necessity, life in the American Southwest depends on the availability of water. Aldo Leopold understood the importance of watersheds and those lessons are being re-learned today. Here is a documentary of a two day watershed restoration workshop held in October 2012 at Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center near Madrid, NM. "The Cutting Edge" was taught by Brad Lancaster, Amanda Bramble, Jan-Willem Jansens, Steve Carson and Craig Sponholtz. The workshop focused on catching, sinking, storing and using water where it falls.

Happy to be Nominated

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2013/02/05 - 11:12am
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If you read green blogs, you've noticed there are a LOT of them. It's difficult to stand out in this big, green crowd. So, I was pleased that EcoDaddyo.com was included in a "Top 100 Green Blogs To Follow In 2013" list. Don't worry, I won't let the fame and glory go to my head.

"I just want to be nominated; beggars can't be choosers."
  - Nicole Kidman

LED Vs. CFL in our Home

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2013/01/16 - 1:44pm
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LED Omnidirectional "Bulb"

Better to use an LED than curse the power company. That may not be the original saying, but it works pretty well for today. We've had good luck with CFL 'bulbs' around the house, yet technology marches on and LED lights are becoming better and cheaper. I just replaced two failed CFL's* with new LED '60 Watt Equivalent' bulbs. CFL's would have been cheaper to buy, but I'm betting on the longevity and other benefits of LED.

Bathroom Remodel Part 3 - Trampled Under Foot

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2013/01/02 - 4:05pm
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Linoleum roll

While replacing the deck and subfloor we researched bathroom flooring choices. Our criteria for the floor were: low maintenance and water resistant, not cold underfoot, moderate to low price, and preferably a sustainable product. Those requirements quickly narrowed the choices to linoleum.

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