Ashes to Ashes

O.k. so most of us don't think about death, but the sad fact is that our traditional burials actually pollute the earth with toxic chemicals. Opting for cremation isn't the answer either because of the high level of energy expended.

This article, Meeting the Green Reaper, gives discussion of options that are kinder to the earth and help protect future generations from toxic chemical exposure. Eco-friendly options are also easier on your survivors' wallets by reducing the immediate costs of your passing. Given that the loss of your income will be bad enough for your family, it makes sense to let them know that expensive caskets won't help once you're gone. They will also appreciate being able to deflect die hard traditionalist with the defense that they are following your instructions.

So if you want to perform one last act of kindness for your loved ones and everyone else's, opt for eco-friendly. Telling your loved ones now what you want also relieves them later of the burden of planning when all they want to do is grieve. Finding out what your relatives are comfortable with and what the laws in your area require will also assure that your death is handled well.

A full kitchen in a tiny footprint of space

I discovered a cool new design-related site today, Decodir. While they don't cover my area of interest often, when they do it's something very interesting indeed!

Check out their discussion of the Circle Kitchen for Small Kitchen Space from Compact Concepts or Lazy Susan Kitchen.

The designer's site is Das drehbare Rundküchen Konzept die clevere Büroküche

Folding chairs as wall art

Oddly enough I saw this option at a hospital! While my husband was recovering from his heart by-pass surgery I spent a lot of time in his hospital room. If you haven't been in one of late, let me tell you there is never enough room for everything that gets crammed into it. There's the bed, all the electronics and support equipment (including a computer for linking to the hospital wide records system), a day bed for the relatives to crash on, a arm chair for the patient, a bed table for the patient's water and meals, and miscellaneous other necessities. So there isn't much space for extras, like seating for yet more visitors. Their solution was to have nice looking folding chairs which they simply hung on the wall.

The chairs stay out of the way of the nurses, aids and primary visitors but it's easy to grab them if more visitors suddenly need to be accommodated.

I could see this working in an apartment as long as you got the nicest looking folding chairs available. Or you could even make colorful fabric frames to cover each one. That way you have color on your walls and get your extra chairs out of the way.

Are there really green electronic gadgets?

Burning Question: Is There Really a Green Gadget? Well yes, and manufacturers are working to get more toxins out. Check out Epeat, a site that offers "a system that helps purchasers evaluate, compare and select electronic products based on their environmental attributes."

So look closely at those cell phones, digital cameras, computers, DVD players, etc.

What's better for the climate, tofu or meat?

Here's an interesting article, How Green Is Tofu? Basically it depends on what you are eating now. If you are mainly eating chicken, switching to tofu may not save that much energy. Getting more of your food from local sources would have a bigger impact because it reduces the energy used for transportation. Given that 'local' food is often fresher, riper, and potentially less exposed to pesticides and preservatives doesn't hurt either.

Are they really green?

Confused by all the recommendations and claims? Want to do the right thing but wondering if living green is like diets where what's bad for you yesterday is the wonder food of today? Check out this great article about how to judge products, also check out their recommended web sites that can provide more detailed information about specific products.How can you tell if it’s really ‘green’? Everything seems to be marketed with an eco-spin, but is it really?