Weekend Update

We got a fair amount accomplished this weekend and seemed to indulge everyone's whims. Saturday morning we went to the great neighborhood garage sale. Over 175 sales this year! We hit about 2 dozen or so of them. Itty Bitty found a Cinderella Vanity for $5. Cinderella actually appears in the mirror and they get ready for the Ball together. The boy found an action figure he wanted for $0.25, if even that, and some free chocolate covered sunflower seeds. I found some clothes for IttyBitty for $0.50 a piece. My honey found a potatoe masher. We gave up when we realized that 1) we didn't really need anything and 2) we were just going to come home with more toys for the kids, especially the girl, that we really didn't need.

The boy had a baseball game that afternoon. They won and he actually scored a home run. I stayed home and cleaned the dining room. Then they all came home. I filled them with pizza and sent my honey on his way. I folded laundry. The kids played.

Sunday, we were out again in the morning and did some cleaning at a very grassroots neighborhood clean-up. We headed out to Lake Hiawatha where most of our kids like to go play and there is a little beach and a rec center. We worked mostly in the grass while a larger group worked the beach area. It got hot and several of us got very allergic within about 30 to 45 minutes. The kids helped a bit and then went off to play on the playground.

IttyBitty wasn't feeling very well. She actually did not play at all. We got home and worked on things around the house a bit. Then she came and snuggled with me until we both ended up taking a long nap -- 3hrs for me, 5hrs for her.

In other news though, my honey finished building a compost bin for me. It is a barrel with a spoke and a stand. He dumped our kitchen compost in (suddenly the bugs in the kitchen disappeared!) and it stank to high heaven. Thankfully, we both had done a little online research about this and the family shredded up the paper from last Sunday and added that plus some store bought compost that we used in the garden earlier. No stink! No bugs! Yay!

The garden has lots of green things growing in it. Lots of them. The beets don't look like they are producing very well yet though. Maybe they just need more time. I don't know. I'm not exactly a gardener.

Overall a good and productive weekend, time spent outside, time spent cleaning and doing laundry and time spent resting. And nearly all of it was family time.

Clean Energy Bills in Congress

Here is the info from MoveOn:

It's 2009. Democrats have ample majorities in both houses of Congress. President Obama campaigned on the promise to tackle climate change and boost our economy by investing in clean energy.

So why on earth is Congress considering an energy bill that:


Would weaken current law, repealing President Obama's authority to crack down on dirty power plants,1 and
Doesn't actually require the creation of new solar or wind power? (The Union of Concerned Scientists has concluded that the clean energy standards won't make power companies produce more clean energy than is already in the works.)2
Why? Because Big Oil and Coal have teamed up with conservatives in both parties, and they've been successful in weakening the bill.

These are major flaws, but the bill has a lot of really good provisions, too. The key thing is that Congress can still strengthen it—if there's a public outcry. But we don't have much time: Congress is expected to vote on this bill in less than three weeks.

Can you sign this petition to Representative Keith Ellison today? Eighty thousand MoveOn members have already signed. We need to double the number of signatures by Wednesday—that means we need 338 more signatures in Minneapolis. MoveOn members will personally deliver this petition to many congressional offices the next day. Click here to add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/cleanenergy/o.pl?id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=4
The petition says: "We need a stronger energy bill to fulfill Obama's vision of a clean energy economy. Congress should strengthen the clean energy standards and restore Obama's authority to crack down on dirty coal plants."

Congress must change the energy bill to require power companies to produce more clean energy for America. Wind and solar create more than twice as many jobs as coal and oil.3 And Congress needs to hold polluters accountable by restoring President Obama's current authority through the EPA to crack down on global warming pollution from power plants.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that the current version of the clean energy standard "won't require utilities to use any more renewable electricity than...would be generated as a result of state renewable electricity standards already in place and the recently enacted stimulus package."4


If we just sit back, we'll miss our chance to go big with wind and solar—and we'll lose the jobs those industries would create. Big Oil and Coal will keep getting billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. And President Obama will be powerless to stop more than 100 new dirty coal plants, which will crowd out the clean energy growth we need to boost our economy.5

There are some good parts of the bill, but these are significant problems. As the Sierra Club's Carl Pope writes, the bill establishes strong long-term goals for cutting carbon pollution and very strong energy-efficiency investments, "but in its present form, it won't do all that's needed. The oil, coal, and dirty-utility interests...were able to prevent enactment of President Obama's much bolder vision...Yes, they will try to kill the green-jobs recovery in its cradle, and yes, they will try to block our clean-energy future."6

Please urge Rep. Ellison to fight for a stronger energy bill. Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/cleanenergy/o.pl?id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=5

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Michael, Joan, Noah and the rest of the team

Sources:
1. "Bill Needs Strengthening to Guarantee Necessary Carbon Reductions, New Green Jobs and Consumer Benefits, Science Group Says," Union of Concerned Scientists, May 14, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51475&id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=6


2. "EPA urged to act on climate, not wait for Congress," Associated Press, May 18, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51479&id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=7


"American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009," Library of Congress, May 15, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51482&id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=8


3. "Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy," Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, September 2008
http://www.peri.umass.edu/green_recovery/

4. "Bill Needs Strengthening to Guarantee Necessary Carbon Reductions, New Green Jobs and Consumer Benefits, Science Group Says," Union of Concerned Scientists, May 14, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51475&id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=9

5. "Stopping the Coal Rush," Sierra Club
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51483&id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=10


6. "So How Good Is This Climate Bill, Anyhow?" Sierra Club, May 22, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51478&id=16315-6704178-w8xN1kx&t=11

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Cookies by Candlelight

My daughter and I participated in Earth Hour tonight. Being 3yrs old, light is pretty important to her. She got really upset at first when I dimmed the lights that she was playing by but the treat of running around with two flashlights and a lantern made her happy again. I lit candles all over the house and coaxed her away from the computer games on Nick Jr. We made chocolate milk by the refrigerator light and got some iced tea for me. We snuggled up on the couch together and ate chocolate Madeline's and black & white cookies from Starbucks. The light from the lantern looked like the moon on the ceiling. We talked about all the fun things we got to do today -- Circus School, the trip to Claire's for sparkly and shiny things, coloring, riding the big wheel, playing computer games, reading books, playing dress up. She is such a girl.

Now, we didn't get Earth Hour quite right because when we were done chatting, we watched King of the Hill on TV. She says to me, "Mommy, he needs better skills" regarding Dale Gribble on the show. Sometimes, she is too smart.

Anyhow, she's laying down in bed, my bed. She's still talking... a lot. I really wish she'd be quiet and go to sleep. I'm exhausted.

I never managed my nap today. She got a nap. Her daddy got a nap. When I finally laid down, my sister called 10m after I fell asleep. Then I got up and cleaned house some. Then I tried to lay down again. And 10m later, Bitty needed Mucinex. Rather than ask her dad where it was, she came up and banged on my door. Then the neighbor's dog started barking. Then lots of sirens went by. Then she came upstairs and stood in her room, which shares a wall with ours, and screamed for her daddy. He was in the basement. She was on the 2nd floor with me. Grrr... I got to lay down, but no actual napping. Now, she's just talking and talking.

Tomorrow, we need to make a trip to the library again. We have lots of books to return and we should check out some new ones.

I'm getting a sore throat. I'm all hoarse. I would really like the weather to level out so I can't not get sick again.

Hmmm... I must be tired too as I am just rambling... I'm doing the same thing that she is doing, only in my blog instead of out loud.

G'nite All!

Experiments in Going Green

At work, I've been diligently working on the three Rs of reducing, reusing, and recycling. I've managed to eliminate all the Styrofoam cups, plates, and small bowls from the cafeteria. I've also gotten rid of the plastic utensils in favor of corn or sugar cane. I can't remember exactly, but I chose sugar cane over corn whenever possible. All I have left that is bad in the cafe is a big Styrofoam bowl. I cannot find a replacement for it yet. Everything else is recycleable or compostable.

Today, my tech tells me as we are digging through utenils that the cafe manager said, "Do not microwave the forks." No reason why. Now, we've been suspiscious of these utenisils. I mean, its organic material. How is it not melting in the hot coffee or hot soup? It is heat tempered somehow. But we've been given this challenge.

So we microwaved a spoon -- made of the same material as the forks we were told to not microwave. I'm the safety person. I have to test these things, right? Right!

It melted exactly where he'd touched it. Clearly further experimentation is called for though. I may need to know if the oils from his skin reacted with the spoon causing it to melt or if the spoon will melt without those oils.

Anyhow, time to eat my yogurt. Experiments will have to wait for another day.