Granite is beautiful and is great for counter tops. An unfortunate problem with granite is radiation. Not all but some granite slabs contain high levels of uranium and emit gamma radiation. Find out more on Treehugger in a great little blog post there.

Don’t trust your sales person remember many of them may not know or may not want to have a discussion about something that could jeopardize a sale. Do your own research and be persistent about getting answers from your supplier and installer. Another thing to remember is that no sealer is going to stop radiation from emitting, perhaps maybe lead, and with that you have other issues??!!

My Amazon store has a few products on right now and all those in the store I have put there. You will find a similar product section just to the right of my store and even though I do get a referral credit when these items are purchased I have not picked them specifically. The reason I am writing this post is because I was just on my store and saw an “organic” processed “food” product in that section. I want everyone to know that I do not endorse any “food” product. Please do not think that I am if you see something in that section. You will know, by reading this blog, that I believe in eating food not “food” products.

Buy what you like just know what you are buying.

I am in the middle of moving. The world is in the middle of flux. I should be back to some semblance of normality by Friday. I will catch up on my ranting then.

I believe that part of being sustainable is being aware and responsible of your surroundings. Turning off a light that isn’t being used, not holding the refrigerator door open while you decide what to eat, turning the heat down at night and when you are not in your house, carry your own bag to stores are all simple things you can do to effect your environment. When thinking about how you live you are thinking about the environment right around you. It is very hard to think about environmental issues on a global scale but it is easy to do when thinking just about your own space. I believe that thinking globally is important but sometimes you have to be more topical to think on a large scale.

Last weekend Zanne, Izzy and I went out for our Sunday breakfast at our favorite breakfast place. It was cold this past Sunday, really cold by Seattle standards in the twenties. The wait staff tried very hard to get people to use a door not right by where all the patrons were sitting. They put signs up on the door large with many colors. It didn’t work, people would look right at the signs and just walk right though the door. I was flabbergasted at the apparent lack of awareness or maybe apathy that these people showed. The wait staff placed some chairs in front of the door and people would take the time to move the chairs hence holding the door open longer, the last resort was to lock the door. It is unfortunate that things had to come to that. People never cease to amaze me with how stupid and complacent they are.

Change the world. Disrupt the apathy.

I want this blog to be more than just written word so I decided to create an online store on Amazon. In this store are items that are both useful and inspirational for your new venture into cleaning and being green. The products and books in my store are a combination of products I have used or read and those I have not but feel confident in suggesting that you try them out. As I go along I will be writing thorough reviews of as many products in my store as I feel necessary. Being sustainable is not easy and it will take work on everyone’s part. If any of the products I list you feel should not be there please let me know and let me know why. Also if you know of any products which you feel should be on the list please let my know as well.

If all of us take some steps forward we can change our world.

I was waiting in line at Fred Meyer with Izzy a few days ago to buy a small bit of groceries. There were three people in front of us and as we waited I couldn’t help but notice the stupidity of the check out person and the customers. One lady was buying about ten small candles and the check out person proceeded to put each candle into a plastic bag, presumably to protect them. I thought what the hell does she think this woman is going to do with those candles that they need so much protecting, send them off to a foreign land to be used by missionaries?

(Mind you ever since I was in college it bothered me the amount waste being produced in one use bags. I carried around 10 and 20 times used brown paper bags for my groceries or just put them in my back pack.)

When Izzy and I reached the check out I put my reusable bags up on the counter and the check out person, who obviously wasn’t having the best of days, looked at them and me with a little disdain. It was that look that pissed me off the most. I bring my own bags, I pack my own groceries, I make your day a little easier, I save your company money, I produce less waste and lastly I managed to do it all in a pleasant way and you look at me and my bags with disdain? And here lies the true problem with a disposable society anyone who does not believe in it or does not follow the path of least resistance is a trouble maker, a nay Sayer. Please, please don’t make me learn something new…

I didn’t go shopping on the infamous Black Friday, I am not really a shopper, although I do love to watch people. Saturday we did go out with Zanne’s family to Target. It was pleasant enough until I watched some one buying a DVD and the check out person dropping this one item in a plastic bag. I thought, this has just become so entrenched in our minds to use bags like this, it is a habit that I have seen come to a head in my life time and one that now needs to be broken. As I sat and watched row after row of check out people use bag after bag I just began to fester. I have seen so many stores and individuals try to make a difference on this horizon, with no luck, and now I think we need something more concrete.