Her Earth

 
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty;
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
 

Last week I took the kids (my own plus two) to see a glass blowing demonstration at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.  As soon as we arrived I noted that glass blowing was not an earth-friendly art form.  It takes heat ... lots of heat ... to melt glass. Creating enough heat to melt glass takes fuel, lots of fuel, generally propane or natural gas (methane).

 
Oil on the water
Flames across the sea
It's everywhere it's all around
Covers you and me
Down below the surface
Underneath the blue
Gonna swim with all my might
Just to get away from you
And all this oil on the water
Oil on the water
 
--from Oil on the Water by Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith
 

 
May Day Monsoon
 
They’re saying the May Day Monsoon was a once in a thousand years event.
I’m saying it’s another indication that Mother Earth is revolting. Nashville’s average annual rainfall is 48 inches; in May we typically expect about five. The rain gage at my house recorded 15.75 inches of rain over the weekend – about four months worth of rain in two days.

Doing the usual Terra Bella web surfing, looking for ideas for articles and for ways to be greener myself, I ran across this interesting little op-ed piece:
 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/04/opinion/04opchart.html

 
Looking for a fun, topical activity for School’s Out Good Friday?
Why not dye Easter eggs using natural dyes?  This is a terrific way to connect children of all ages to nature.

 
I have to say I’m tired beyond belief thanks to the confluence of spring break / daylight savings time last week, so I’m planning to hit the sack early tonight, turning off all of the lights at House of the Rising Sunflower, which is what the Clutter Palace miraculously morphs into every spring, for Earth Hour tonight @ 8:30 PM. Hope all of you will consider doing the same.  It’s only for 1 hour. 
 

 
There are a couple of special days to acknowledge this week:
 

The Diva Cup is a reusable menstrual cup that collects menstrual flow. When I first saw the price, I was shocked & thought, "$39.99, are you CRAZY?" But then I started doing the math & figured out the cost benefits & environmental benefits. Women spend about $100/year on menstrual products & each woman uses about 12,000-15,000 disposable tampons in her lifetime. That makes the Diva Cup a smart investment, financially & for the planet.

Did you know that the water that flows into your toilet bowl is the same as the drinking water that comes out of your faucet? Well, here is a great way to save water (which means you'll also save money on your water bill) & save space. This sink fits right on the back of your toilet (see picture above).