The mechanicals are my husband’s job. He takes care of things like foundation, structural, plumbing and electric. Then I come in and and do all of the finishing work. See, this way, I get all the credit for having a beautiful house. But I didn’t plan it just so I could get compliments. I actually become quite bored with the functional stuff sometimes and I really don’t understand it too well.

And that is my excuse for this poorly written post. I saw this Drywell Kit on Leed Pro and thought it looks like something that might work for our leaky basement. This post is my way of saying to the husband “Hey honey, check this out!”

Here’s what I’ve grasped from The Natural Home site:

Gutter runoff should be at least 20 feet away from the house to assure a dry basement. These drywells are 2 foot diameter x 2 foot tall recycled heavy duty, high density polyethylene. They will catch roof gutter runoff and yard puddles and can be used as a sump pit as well. Cost is $159 per kit, but you’ll probably need a few surrounding the house.

Sounds good? The website has all the info you need!

I don’t think I’ve ever bought moving boxes. I go to the supermarket or liquor store weeks in advance and stock up on soiled, too-small boxes because I’m too cheap to pay for a cardboard box. Plus, hel-lo….environment?!

But if you’re one of those people who doesn’t want to pack your white linens in a grungy box, then check out Ecobox.com. They sell used boxes of all shapes and sizes. I’m only assuming they are clean. I can’t imagine they would charge for a grungy box you can pick up from the supermarket.

The website also has packing materials. I filled my cart with bubble wrap and envelopes only to discover that this stuff is new. Oh well. At least the company is green.

I’ve been showering with Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap since the mid 80’s when I gave up on animal derived products! I read the label a few times and knew about the other uses! Sometimes when I run out of dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent or shampoo, I’LL USE BRONNER’S MAGIC ALL-ONE!

Before I get to the list of uses, I’d like to fill you in on some history about the man behind the crazy labels! Emanuel Bronner was the son of a German Jewish soap maker! He emigrated to the US in 1929 and his parents, who stayed behind, were killed in the Holocaust! To make a long story short, he married, had 3 kids! Wife died! He abandoned the kids to save “Spaceship Earth”! By 1947 he was thrown into an insane asylum! After 3 escapes, he landed in California where he started his soap business! He died in 1997, completely blind and was not a real doctor! His sons took over the business! READ YOUR BOTTLE label while on the bowl! It’s all there!

Ok, so what are these 18 uses?! They are not all listed on the label or the site, but here’s what I came up with: (!)

1. Facial and body soap!
2. Human shampoo!
3. Pet shampoo!
4. Floor soap!
5. Dishwashing!
6. Laundry!
7. Toothpaste!
8. Mouthwash!
9. Bubble bath!
10. Massage oil!
11. Baby oil!
12. Shaving cream!
13. Denture cleaner!
14. Car cleaner!
15. Toilet cleaner!
16. Sun tan oil!
17. Peppermint as mouse deterrent!
18. Lavender as moth and ant deterrent!

I’ve said it a thousand times before: Don’t get taken in by “greenwashing”. Look, I’m an environmentalist because I like animals better than people and I’m into green building because I like old crap better than new. So yeah, save the planet and recycle, salvage, yada, yada. But let’s tell it like it is.

So when I read the Forbes article on greenwashing, I was all “Yeah, that’s right!” They talk about “hidden trade-offs” in materials such as concrete and carpeting. Concrete will last forever once it’s installed, however the cement production isn’t too environmentally friendly. On the other hand, carpeting can be produced in an eco-friendly fashion, but the upkeep takes more energy than a wood floor. It collects more dust, which requires more vacuuming. Unless of course, you choose to ignore it.

And here’s why I loved the article. They say “older is greener”. I know, it’s obvious, but perhaps not to everyone. The key is to salvage your existing material and turn it into something beautiful, unique and inexpensive.

Virginia based Gusto Di Vita Coffee announced its new ‘BizPod’ Coffee kiosks which are made from recycled shipping containers. These are meant to be more functional than the Adam Kalkin Illy container. They can be transported almost anywhere and will stand up to extreme weather.

The Gusto Di Vita Coffee BizPods are more energy efficient than their previous models. The containers are finished with space age ceramic insulation paint externally; compact spray foam insulation internally and LED lighting throughout. New packages in the works include Coffee BizPods with PV solar generators and solar heating systems.

Oddly, I can’t find anywhere on the site whether or not the coffee is fair trade, shade grown.