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10 Green Myths

Live green? Me? That’s for women and for Al Gore. Hold on there, buddy—don’t think like your grandfather. In the 1950s, your granddad and American culture reached a height of mass production products, when the belt-tightening of the WWII years gave way to postwar exuberance and plenty. Food, albeit highly processed food, was cheaper and more plentiful than ever, and Americans ate it and happily tossed myriad individual cans, wrappers and bottles into the landfill. The Fifties left us with a legacy of Spam, WonderBread—and people who popped off from heart attacks at a tender age.

 

Depending on where you fall on the human-caused global warming debate, there are still reasons for using the eco-friendly tips below. Greening can save money, prevent overflowing trash cans (that means less trash to take out), and create tastier, healthier food. Whether you’re a conservative who likes the idea of avoiding your grandfather’s mistakes or a Democrat who’s feeling guilty, there are plenty of ways that the green trend can actually make life better.

 

1) To green my car, I’d have to trade it for a hybrid.

 

False, unless you’re driving an ultra-guzzling junker that’s on its last legs. As gas prices climb ever higher, high MPG has actually become a new status symbol. But slapping a “hybrid” badge on a car isn’t the only key to upping MPG. The Toyota Highlander hybrid, for example, averages about 25 MPG—about the same as a standard sedan. Woo hoo. Of course, many hybrids actually DO rock. The Toyota Prius, which starts at $21K sticker price, averages 45 to 48 MPG. The Honda Civic Hybrid ($22K MSRP) gets anywhere from 35 to 45 MPG, depending on who you ask.

 

Diesel is about 30 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline, but it generally produces more pollutants. If you want the greenest AND most money-saving option, a hybrid is the way to go—for now. But perhaps second best is a diesel vehicle. Pick a used one to maximize your savings. You’ll also prevent the energy and resource drain associated with producing a new vehicle just for you. There’s a comprehensive diesel vs. gasoline analysis at GrinningPlanet.com. 

 

To make the most of the vehicle you DO own, keep the tires and engine in top condition. (No, that does not mean 20” dubs or neon air filter covers.) Fill the tires to the ideal PSI, and make sure that the wheels are balanced and the tread is worn evenly. Check your timing often and keep essential fluids topped off. Oh, and that story about waxing your car to improve your aerodynamics and your MPG? Yeah, we’re pretty sure that’s a myth.

 

2) Conventionally-farmed produce is bigger and cheaper, so you get more for your money.

 

Yeah, but have you tasted organic? The best strawberries we ever had came from a relative’s organic garden. They were much smaller, but were so much sweeter and more flavorful that they seemed like a different species than the bloated supermarket fruit. Our first glass of organic milk tasted so much richer and sweeter to us that we did a double-take—is this really 2 percent? A 2001 study in Nature magazine found that organic farming produced fewer tart apples and more sweet ones. The UK’s Soil Association found that

 

3) Organic food is better for the environment.

 

Sometimes—if it’s locally grown. Buying organic tropical fruit which jetted here from Brazil—not better for the environment. Buying organic fruit, which was trucked from a local farm from a farmers’ market—better for the environment. If the local products look weird or hard to cook, ask the people hawking their goods at the farmers’ market for some easy recipes for their products.

 

However, going all organic is a double-edged sword. If you skip conventionally farmed produce, conventional farmers have a skinnier profit margin. If they live in developing nations, where organic farming is financially impractical, they lose out on earning a living wage. And domestic conventional farmers who are losing money will export less to developing nations, who lack any food at all, let alone organic food. Something to ponder.

 

4) You should buy nothing but organic produce if you want to avoid pesticides.

 

Ever heard of a peel? Usually for fruit and vegetables with peels, you can save a few bucks and buy conventional produce. That includes everyday buys like bananas and oranges. For both conventionally-farmed and organic leafy veggies, strip off the outer leaves to get to the cleanest part. For produce that you don’t peel (like berries), stay organic. 

 

Here’s a breakdown of how to save on organic versus non-organic produce:

 

Buy organic (the Dirty Dozen)	No need to buy organic
Apples	Bananas
Cherries	Kiwi
Grapes	Mangoes
Nectarines	Papaya
Peaches	Pineapples
Raspberries	Asparagus
Strawberries	Avocado
Pears	Broccoli
Celery	Cauliflower
Bell peppers	Corn
Potatoes	Onions
Spinach	Peas

 

Source: Nutritionist Joy Bauer, Todayshow.com via MSNBC.com

 

And even USDA-certified organic products are not totally pesticide free. Organic produce has an average of one-third as much pesticide residue as conventional produce, according to a 2002 study by the Consumers Union. But the same study points out legal pesticide limits are extremely safe. It’s up to you. Which brings us to…

 

5) Organic food is better for you.

 

Sometimes. In general, the more time that produce spends getting to you or sitting on the shelf, the greater the number of nutrients lost before you eat it. Conventionally farmed produce is more likely to have been treated with tricks to extend its shelf life, so its nutritional value may have degraded. But in reality, the jury is still out on the nutritional value of organic produce versus conventionally-farmed produce.

 

If Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs switches to organic wheat, sugar and cocoa beans, it’s (mostly) free of pesticide residue.  However, the rules of nutrition still apply—that big “organic” seal doesn’t negate any fat, excess sugar or empty calories. But the major manufacturers, who are under increasing pressure to go green, want you to think that it does.

 

6) Only green thumbs—or those who actually have a backyard—can grow their own food.

Now you’re sold on eating fresh, but you think that you can’t grow your own food. False. Even an apartment dweller with a black thumb can keep a mini-herb garden alive. It tastes better than the dried herb/spice stuff at the supermarket, and have you seen what they’re charging for those little bottles?

 

Build your kitchen garden at herbkits.com. Be smart and consider what kinds of herbs you cook with often. If you don’t have a yard, place your potted garden near a window or on a patio, but make sure it’s not in full sun all day. When an herb is ripe, either whip up a dish that uses it fresh, or clip the herb and hang it upside down to dry. Once it’s dry as a bone, either grind it with a mortar and pestle ($5 at Linens & Things or Bed Bath and Beyond) or put it in a Ziploc bag and smash it well. When the herb’s fully crushed, stick it in a jar or Rubbermaid container. Voila—organic gourmet spices. Fancy.

 

7) Green cleaners suck. They’re hard to find, expensive, ineffective and girly.

 

Haven’t you ever noticed the overpowering smell of the spray cleaners you use, or the faint wheezy feeling in your lungs after you spritz them? Could it be that some commercial cleaners are too strong? When they swirl down the drain, the residue gets into the ocean. Not good, unless you like your sushi with a side of Windex. Even worse, commercial cleaners drain your wallet with their fancy scents and too-strong surfactants. So make your own for much cheaper.

 

You can clean and disinfectant almost any hard surface with ordinary dish soap. Trader Joe’s sells cheap eco-friendly options ($3.50), but even using conventional dish soaps like Palmolive can create less indoor air pollution (i.e. toxic chemical cloud) than spray cleansers.

 

To clean windows, mix half vinegar, half filtered or distilled water. You can also use plain tap water if your water is soft. Put the mixture in a spray bottle, spritz, and wipe with newspapers.

 

Grab a bunch of microfiber towels and stash them everywhere. You can usually get them cheaper in the auto parts department than in the cleaning supplies area (about 10 for $7). You don’t have to throw them away, and they absorb and polish excellently.

 

Clean your metal stuff with hot water, baking soda, salt and a strip of aluminum foil.  (Check out WikiHow’s silver cleaning tips).

 

To clean metal appliances, use a thin coat of olive oil and a soft, clean rag.

 

For a huge list of homemade green cleaners and the reasons you should use them, check out this article from Grist.com.

 

8) Tap water tastes bad but bottled water is better.

 

If your tap water tastes nasty, install a household water filter (prices vary—check any hardware store or advancedwaterfilters.com). A faucet-mounted system from Pur or Brita runs about $30. Big box stores like Target, WalMart and Costco carry filter refills for those models, so they’re easy to find. Get a bunch of 32 oz. Rubbermaid bottles ($4) that’ll actually fit in your cupholder, or Sigg aluminum bottles ($20), which come in sports bottle shapes and hip designs, and are reputed to last for up to 20 years. Sigg bottles are coated with an interior liner to prevent a metallic taste. (For more info on aluminum bottles, check this article from reusablebags.com).

 

9) If I don’t use commercial soap and shampoo, I will morph into a smelly hippie.

 

If you’re camping or in a hurry, dry shampoo your hair with cornstarch. (Cornstarch is about $1.50 for 12 oz. It’s used in lots of recipes, so it’s a good buy.) Sprinkle your head with enough to make you look elderly, then use a natural bristle brush or very fine-toothed comb. This works best on hair that really is greasy. (This tip is from Natural Beauty at Home by Janice Cox, a book your wife or girlfriend will love. But don’t buy it for her; she’ll take it the wrong way.)

 

Your mom or grandmother probably added Borax to laundry to lift stains, and it’s still much, cheaper, gentler and greener than those fancy stain treaters. It’s a gentle cleaner derived from desert alkali. We know a chemist who gets seriously dirty in his garden uses straight Borax to wash his hands, and they’re never chapped or dry. When we wash our hands about 5 times a day with Softsoap or Dial, we’re seeing cracks in no time. The cool thing is that Borax is about $4 for a massive 72 oz. box, and every big box store stocks it. A booklet of stuff to do with Borax can be found at the 20 Mule Team Borax site here.

 

10) Recycling means schlepping stuff to a center, or sorting bottles and cans.

 

Yeah, yeah, you know what conventional recycling is—but did you know that recycling means cashing in on free stuff too? That’s right—getting free stuff is part of the reduce, reuse, recycle slogan that’s been beaten into our heads. Craigslist.org offers a free section full of stuff that people just plain want out of their lives, from free fill dirt to Bratz dolls. Go to Craigslist.org and choose your location, then choose your location. Under “For Sale,” click “Free.”

 

A slightly weirder Cragslist option is the “Barter” category, where you’ll find people looking to trade a service or item for something else. You’ll find everything from “Nintendo Wii for baby furniture” to “Sick A** Tattoos for Barter or Cash” to “Karate Lessons for Pool Cleaning.”

 

Also in the category of recycling—yes, really!—is Freecycle.org, a series of interconnected networks of people across the U.S. looking to unload free stuff. (The United Kingdom has its own network at uk.freecycle.org). Freecycle is more selective than Craigslist (but really, who isn’t?), because Freecycle’s moderators must approve membership and items.

 

Now, aren’t you proud of yourself?