20 May 2011
By Amber
In Green
We are doing a fair amount of traveling this summer and fall and that has made me start to wonder about my Carbon Footprint and offsets and how much they would cost, and what the diference was between driving or flying. So I went to www.carbonfootprint.com and started calculating and here is what I got:
Total Flights Footprint = 0.12 metric tons of CO2 Ticket cost $604.00
Total Car Footprint = 0.09 metric tons of CO2 Gas Cost $77.52
Total Pathfinder Footprint = 0.23 metric tons of CO2 Gas Cost$180.88
Then I started to wonder about offsets and how much they cost and even weather or not they are legit. Through www.carbonfootprint.com I had to buy a minimum of .333 Tons was $3.92 for a Clean Energy Portfolio Offset. All of the other types required a 1 ton minimum. Thats when I discovered it was a UK based website. LOL
So then I started doing some research and found this post at the HuffPost Green it had 3 sites listed as legit.
Native Energy $14.00 per their calculater
Terra Pass $5.95 for 1,000 lbs
The Climate Trust This is a silly website I couldn’t find where to purchase offsets anywhere.
I really liked the Terra Pass website it had options to buy a annual offset for a family of four or for a yearly hybrid car and the like. Plus the clearly say how the money is used!
After all of that research I’m still not sure what to do
carbon offsets, Green
19 May 2011
By Amber
In Thoughts on Thursdays
Life is just easier when we work together. Packing for a trip? Everybody pack their own stuff and then help the other person make sure they didn’t forget anything. Cleaning the house? Divy up the list? Mom’s got a project she wants to do have Dad take the kids out of the house or at least out of the way. Heck neither Mac or I like driving so we take turns on long trips (ahem Chicago anyone?)
When everyone is pulling their own weight (or as much as they are physicaly or mentaly capable of) it makes a marrige stronger. You feel more like a team and less like a parent taking care of their child. This can cause all sorts of problems.
Here are some more Thoughts this Thursday.
I’m my own worst enemy.
Thoughts on Thursday
18 May 2011
By Amber
In Food, Green
Yea! My veggies are in (for the most part) and they haven’t died with our recent cold nights. So far I’ve Planted Black Cherry Tomatoes, Green Zebra Tomatoes and a Bush Tomato Plant, Red and Green Peppers, Habanero Plants and one thing of butter lettuce just to try it. When I get back from Chicago this weekend I’m going to plant he herb seeds and the green beans!
Check out the fun colors of my tomato cages, they are such fun colors and they were the same price as the boring silver ones. I’m going to go back at the end of the season and hope they are on sale, I need two more for next year. I’m going to plant my green beans in a row in front of these plants.
Next year I hope to dig out another 6″-10′” to a brick line that is already laid but buried.
Food, Garden, Green
16 May 2011
By Amber
In Cancer
I know that if you have read my story you know that I’ve been married once before. I was ma rried to Mark when I was 19 years old it was great, we had a wonderful time. 2 years into the marriage He was diagnosed with cancer. After a 3.5 year battle he passed away on Dec 10th 2007. What you don’t know is that the reason he passed away was because the cancer spread to his lungs and caused a fluid build up that caused stress on his lungs. It was a peaceful passing in our living room with myself , his parents and our dog in the room.
Last week I found out that my friend and Pastor (who married Mac and I and was so helpful to Mark and I) had his cancer come back, in his lungs. This is causing the same early symptoms that Mark had when this was found. The great news is there have been many great advances in the last 3.5 years and the doctors have more options now than they did with Mark.
The bad news, well its cancer, and its scary and those options aren’t guaranteed. He has a family, Wife and 3 kids. What a scary time for them. Many people say they can’t imagine how it must feel, but I can….I really can. I know how much it hurts to see your husband in pain and you can’t do a darn thing about it. I know the all to real fear of losing your husband far to soon. I know the frustration of doctors and waiting for answers. I understand the pain of the what if’s and whats next.
I don’t like it, I don’t like that they have to go through this and I don’t like reliving this myself . I’m having a hard time right now. I know I need to ‘get over it’ but as we all know its never that easy. Its a hard thing for my new friends and Mac to understand. Not because they don’t care just because they weren’t there.
So yeah I’m gaving a hard time right now, but as always writting it down has helped so thank you all for reading .
16 May 2011
By Amber
In 2011, Aspirations, Food
Well after a short stint of going out far to often….oops. I’m back on the wagon. Even while going out I was pretty good about the non processed food thing, its simple really. Just make sure you choose restaurants that use fresh ingredients. Around here we have some Korean, Mexican, and Vietnamese restaurants in the area that do. Sadly not many American restaurants have fresh food.
But as I said at the beginning I’m back onthe cooking train infact last night we had ribs, homemade in the slowcooker ribs from A year of Slow Cooking. Umm they were delish you should try them, and oh so simple. I went to the grocery store last week and did a pretty good stock up so that I would have no excuse to dine out.
But still the excuses appear. My friend got a ‘Big Girl Job” (salary and benefits) I got some bad news so Mac took me out to make me feel better. Plus tonight is a belated birthday celebration with some of my girlfriends. So when I go out I do research and find the lowest calories and most natural ingredients possible. For example tonight we are going to a Mexican restaurant. I’m going to get the fajitas, right away 1/2 is going in the to go box for my hubby then only eat one with a tortilla and the rest with fork.
So yeah it goes its still a battle but I’m making better decisions and that is the goal right?
