The impending collapse of the big three auto makers

Stop fighting it. Consumers are telling you that they don't want your product anymore.
Instead of the government spending billions of dollars bailing out car companies whose products are unwanted, they should take that money and help those smaller electric car makers rise up and start mass producing their products, which consumers do want. Electric cars are the way of the future.

What I mean when I say it ain't easy...

There's a site called Cosmetic Safety Database where you can look up brands, products or ingredients and see how safe they are for you. They're rated 0-2 low hazard, 3-6 moderate hazard, and 7-10 high hazard. They also take into account how safe it is for the environment.
Most of the items I use are rated at least a moderate hazard. It's so depressing. It seems like everything these days could kill you.
My choices are to either pay through the nose for something more natural and safer that doesn't have ingredients that could give me cancer, or spend most of my time making my own products. Or keep using the same products I've been using, and risk giving myself cancer.

Disposable culture

A perfect example of "disposable culture" is the new LG commercial with the tagline: "The only thing standing between you and your new LG french door refrigerator is your old refrigerator." with images of the "old" refrigerator being destroyed in various ways.
The disposable culture has this idea that old=bad and new=good. So, even though that "old" appliance (or car, or whatever it might be) might still be in perfect working condition, you should get rid of it and buy this shiny new appliance because it has more features, it keeps your food colder, it gets your whites brighter, and did we mention it's shiny and new?

We, as a society, have to change the way we think about things if any real change is going to happen. People seem to think that you can just throw something away if you don't want it anymore, but there's really no such thing as "away". Garbage goes into landfills, where it sits for hundreds, even thousands of years where it releases greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere, and releases toxins that seep into the ground and make their way into groundwater.

Alternatives to disposable razors

The EPA estimates that 2 billion disposable razors end up in landfills every year in the US.

If you don't like the idea of being responsible for dozens of disposable plastic razors going into the landfill every year, there are alternatives to disposables.

Those old-fashioned safety razors that your grandpa used to shave with are making a comeback. Since it's made of metal, the handle will last a long time, and with only one little blade to dispose of, there's much less waste, and it's better for the environment than plastic.
If you're brave enough, there are also straight razors.

If you'd rather have the tried and true double or triple blade razor, you can have your cake and eat it too. Preserve sells razors made of 100% recycled plastic, and when you're done with them, you can recycle them or mail them back in the postage paid envelope they provide, and they'll recycle them for you.

If you'd rather wax than shave, there's good news for you, too. You can make your own environmentally friendly cold wax with the following recipe:

1 cup of sugar
1/8 cup of water
1/8 cup of lemon juice


Mix together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (just so it's simmering). Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cook until the sugar reaches 250°F or softball stage. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, drop some of the mixture into a cup of cold water. Pick it up with your fingers and form it into a ball. If it forms a soft ball, you're done).
Pour it into a heat resistant container and let cool.

To use: Use a popsicle stick or butter knife and spread it in a thin layer in the direction of the hair growth. (If it doesn't spread easily, put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to soften it). Put a waxing strip or piece of cotton cloth over it, and pull off quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth.

And since it's water soluble, it's easy to clean up.

Car ownership doesn't make sense

If you stop and think about it, owning a car doesn't make much sense, financially speaking. First, there's the cost of the car itself. Then there's gas, oil, insurance, repairs, tires, etc etc etc. Then when that car reaches the end of its life, you get to buy a new one and start all over again, burning thousands and thousands of dollars in the process. And in the end, you have nothing to show for it. It's like putting $40,000 into a savings account, but after ten years when you take the money out, you'll only get $4,000. It just doesn't make sense.

Something near and dear to my heart

If you've never heard of menstrual cups, they're the best thing since sliced bread. Really. No, I don't work for one of the cup companies. I own a cup, and I wished somebody had told me about them when I first got my period. Not only would I have saved a lot of plastic from going into the landfill, but I would have also saved a lot of money, and wouldn't have had to deal with that diaper-rash like thing that you get after using disposable pads for a week or so. (They really are like wearing a diaper).
And they're a lot more comfortable to wear than pads or even tampons.
There seem to be more and more companies popping up every day. A couple of years ago, there were only The Divacup (Canada), Mooncup (UK), and The Keeper (US), but now there are the Lunette (Finland), Femmecup (UK), and Moon cup US (Made by the same people as The Keeper).

There also cloth menstrual pads that you wash and reuse. It's really not as gross as it first sounds. I've been using them for over 2 years. They're much more comfortable than disposable pads, and don't create any waste.
As I'm sure you already know, plastic is horrible for the environment. It takes approximately 1,000 years to degrade.
Not to mention the chemicals that they put into tampons.
There are a few companies that make cloth menstrual pads, (Gladrags, Lunapads) and there are also lots of patterns online if you want to try making your own. I would recommend using PUL as a backing if you're going to make your own, so that they don't leak through to your panties.

The Story of Stuff. This is a great short movie.

Ottawa proposing new car efficiency standards

Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said Thursday the government is working towards a “made-in-Canada” solution to reduce the fuel consumption of new cars and light trucks by 2020.

On Thursday it announced that it will launch a consultation process that will help create new rules for fuel economy.

As promised last year, Cannon said Ottawa will begin in 2011 to regulate the fuel consumption of new vehicles. The aim is to at least match U.S. standards by 2020.

“By 2020, the average new vehicle sold in Canada will have a fuel consumption better than some of today’s hybrid cars, and produce fewer GHG emissions, than approximately 93 per cent of all vehicle entries listed in the 2008 Fuel Consumption Guide,” said Cannon.

In 2006, the combined new vehicle fleet (car and light trucks) average fuel consumption was approximately 8.6 litres per 100 km in Canada.

“The U.S. Congress has recently set an ambitious target of 35 miles per gallon, or 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres, for the average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in 2020,” said Cannon.
Link

Starting in 2011? They’re hardly even trying, are they?

Hybrids are good, but they still emit pollution. We need to move away from oil products, and greenhouse gas emissions aren’t the only reason. The world’s supply of oil isn’t going to last forever, and what are people going to do when it runs out? Alternative fuels aren’t being developed quickly enough. With estimates that the world will run out of oil as soon as 4 years, we’ll all be left out in the cold, literally and figuratively.

New year’s resolutions

One of my resolutions for this year is to use fewer plastic bags. People used to look at me strangely when I’d say “that’s ok, I don’t need a bag”, but people are starting to get used to it, which is a good sign.