Java Mug Take 2 . . .

Yesterday I mentioned that I had started using a travel mug daily to reduce my usage of disposable cups. Because coffee if one of my four main food groups (the others being bread, cheese and wine), I took a deeper look at my habit—one part wanting good quality coffee, one part morning laziness—of buying coffee so often.

The first part was simple, mornings and I generally don't get along. But that was exacerbated by my French press, which while it makes amazing coffee, it just takes way too much time and effort to make a cup for the road.

So I realized I could make another change to save that coffee money everyday, time in the morning to stop for coffee, and the gas I burn when I drive by the cafe instead of going straight to work. I researched and bought a single cup coffee maker. I throw in grounds and tap water and in two minutes it makes one cup of coffee directly into a coffee cup, which I then pour into my travel mug as I head out the door. Not only am I saving energy--no boiling water, exactly one cup of water used--in the 16 days I've been using it, I've already saved more money than I spent on the coffee maker!

Take a Breath

We've been walking this path together for just about a month. I hope you feel good about having tried something . . . anything other than the way we have been using our resources and ignoring our impact on this world we love. Just in case you've been doing more reading than trying, here's some end of the month tough love --

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.
~W. Edwards Deming

It's Getting Hot in There

I won't tell you the weather out here in California. It'll accomplish nothing but increase the east/west divide. Instead, to help with the healing, this is especially for those in the East (and North!):

Did you know that driving heats your car faster than idling in the driveway to warm it up? Well now you do. And that's for older vehicles. Modern cars need only about 30 to be at driving temperature.

So by the time you're buckled up, backing out of your driveway, and praying someone will let you merge into traffic . . . your engine is as warm as a California day . . . oops! Didn't mean to go there.

Take a Mug for that Shot

I'm one of those people who believe it is sacrilegious to start a morning without a cup of coffee. Especially a Monday morning. Brrr, I shiver just thinking about it . . . But what I had to admit recently was that all the disposable coffee cups I was using at least five weekdays every week was far more sacrilegious. So now when I get my shot of java each day, I use my travel mug whether I'm making coffee at home or buying at a cafe. And I'm giving myself bonus points for it having bought a mug that raises money to help fight breast cancer.

Take a Breath . . .

Warren Buffet "Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they are too heavy to carry."

Put A Lid On It!

Many of us automatically put a lid on our pots when boiling water--a habit can be such a wonderful thing. But a surprising many don't. And that's the beauty of how numerous the simple things there are that we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Even if you won't use the lid once you've added the items to be boiled to the water, using the lid while it heats is very much worth it.

A lidded pot of water heats and therefore boils faster. That means it uses less energy. Also, with less water evaporating during the heating, there's no need to add that 1/4 cup or more to ensure you have enough when it boils. My favorite part? A lid that's only been used while water boils doesn't need to be washed. Score two for the environment and one for me.

The Not Always a Star Rating

Fridge on blink? About to upgrade your stove? The word is that Energy Star appliances are the way to go. They are reputed to save energy and therefore costs during use. Now that's good news for homeowners, but apartment dwellers can at least try to make suggestions to a landlord who has agreed to replace a malfunctioning appliance.

The good: The Energy Star rating is a standard established to make one consistent set of rules for companies to meet in order to deem their products energy efficient. It makes it easier for consumers and it has forced improvements in many products.

The bad: Let's say it all together, "corporations are about the bottom line." If there's a rule, corporations will find a way to break it to save a penny. So companies have found ways to eek by and get the designation. For example, Consumer Reports found one dishwasher company ran its tests on dishwashers filled with clean rather than soiled dishes. It passed. Now aren't you excited to buy a dishwasher that conserves energy when it cleans clean dishes?

The reality: even if they are marginally fulfilling the Energy Star ratings, these appliances are likely to be better energy conservers than the products that can't even fake it! I now, I know a hollow victory. But let's chalk it up to a step in the right direction.

February's Water Saver

Don't use running water to thaw food.

The best alternative, both for saving energy, resources and good health, is to thaw in the refrigerator section. That means planning in advance what you're going to cook. That can be tough with my schedule. But wasting all that water is tough on the planet too. I think my schedule is the better place to take the hit.