I plan to post

Hello,

My name is bwings and I have not turned my back on you!

I have been receiving several letters of encouragement to return. I think I shall. I miss posting and learning new things about the products I use and their impact on both me and my environment. Although I continue to research products before making any major purchases and I have continued to move towards a greener lifestyle, I feel I would be more active in this department were I still posting.

A few days after google terminated my account they sent me a coupon for $100 of google advertisements to direct people to my blog. Wasn't that nice of them? *cough* Hey, you can no longer work for us, however here's a useless coupon...um....enjoy.

Oh well, bygones.

Klanchoe - Chloe

Hyacinth - unnamed

In the past month there are several moments I have meant to blog about something I have been doing. For instance, I have added two new lovely plant additions to my household plants. A kalanchoe I have named Chloe who I introduced to the house in January. And a Hyacinth who has not yet been named. But she smells beautiful! I brought her home just a few days ago.

I have also purchased a fountain to add essential oils to. This way I can have a smog free scent in my apartment. Rather than using candles and generating petroleum pollutants in my air. Oh and it's purrrrty too.

I also purchased my very own pedicure kit and put anything with EDTA back on the shelf. This was hard as some of these smelled oh so delicious! I chose instead to go with a more natural foot scrub and so far so good.

These are all the little things I've done in my absence. I now must filter through my Hippie Mom e-mails and answer some questions. I see Happy Hippie has written me a few questions and shall respond as soon as I finish this post.

See you all tomorrow, your friendly neighborhood hippie mom. 

Baby, it's cold outside!

Hello,

My name is "Bwings" and I don't have a wood stove...

... but some of my readers do.

Dear Hippie Mom,

I was wondering how environmental a pellet stove is for the environment both indoors and out.  

Anonoymous Hippie

Well Anon Hippie, tis the season to freeze our butts off in Canada, so that's a very festive question.

First, what is a Pellet Stove.

A pellet stove became popular in the 80's as a slow burning source of heat. They came about largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. Although burning pellets has been around for hundreds of years. Settlers would burn grass and buffalo chips, cow pie, meadow muffins, feces; if no wood or coal was available. Pellet stoves burn compressed wood or biomass pellets slowly with a constant flame. If history tells me much from my candle research slow burning is definitely a great thing as far as emissions go. But I'm not going to get ahead of myself.

So how green are these heat emitting devices in our family room? From everything I've read they seem to be very sound and the options for fuel consumption is quite vast. Some can use a long list of self-sustaining resources such as cherry pits, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds! Now isn't that great?! Then as far as their use goes there is a long list of pros as well. According to my findings most are self igniting and can be controlled by a thermostat or even a remote control.

I remember growing up with a wood stove and sitting on a freezing cold night huddled around the ice cold stove because no one woke up to stoke it. Smoke would pour out as attempts were made at starting a fresh fire. Often we resorted to boiling water, filling old pop bottles with said water and then tucking those in bed with us. We soon learned you wanted to keep these bottles a few blankets above you to prevent terrible burns like those my poor fathers leg experienced one frozen night. If you were really on top of things you would have 3 in your bed an hour before you went to bed.

To think these burns and late nights of smoked out kitchens and blaring smoke alarms that ended up disconnected more often than they offered security could've all been prevented with the addition of a pellet stove! Another pro, is that these pellets burn cleanly and create only a fine layer of ash rather than a thick sticky layer of creosote and therefore with proper care are far less likely to cause chimney fires. I know that could have saved a few firefighters from coming to my place too! In fact these pellet stoves pollute so very little they don't require certification from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) though most get certified anyway.

Also, it should be noted that because trees and plants suck carbon out of the air any burning of them would result in a 0 balance change in Carbon emissions. Thusly they are exempt from the carbon taxes in the world. I struggled to find anything for Canada but in the states an efficient pellet stove is eligible for a tax credit up to 30% of the cost of the appliance and labor. If you've just had one installed it is worth mentioning to your accountant during tax time.

These pellet stoves sound like a very practical and green choice for heating your house this winter. In fact the only two possibly negative thing that stood out was the fact that, like with a car, one should be aware of the grade of fuel they are using and try to remain consistent so as not to damage the "engine" so to speak. Also you'll want to make sure you have a pellet fuel source provider before making the switch as it's still gaining in popularity. In most cases cost is the same but if you have the mind power to use it I found a fuel value calculator that breaks it all down for you in determining how to save money.

Long story short a pellet stove is definitely a step up from a regular wood stove and doesn't use up precious resources such as fossil fuels. It causes far less toxic emissions and lessens our carbon footprint while trying to keep warm. It may not save you any money but it probably won't cost you more either. It will, however, reduce your carbon footprint as well as the carcinogens emitted into your home and that is a saving worth a switch for me!

If you want to e-mail your questions to Hippie Mom you can do so at hippiemom@hotmail.ca {note, ca not com}

Keep warm, your friendly neighborhood hippie mom.


Send an e-mail to Hippie Mom

OH Christmas Tree!

Hello,

My name is "Bwings" and I have an artificial tree.

Oh Artificial Christmas Tree, Oh Artificial Christmas tree, they leaves are so unchanging! Hey, that's more true for the artificial tree than the real ones. The real ones have to be watered, maintained and pose more of a fire hazard with those drying, dying leaves. Unchanging my butt!

As I sat glancing at my engagement ring I admit I had no idea what I would blog about today. It was then that I scolded my daughter for slapping the Christmas ornaments. My friend was on the phone with me at the time and commented on my tree. She mentioned how my blog had made her consider using an artificial tree from now on as it's more Eco-friendly. Of course I found myself surprised and flattered again that my blog has impacted another. Although I was mostly just thrilled to have such an obvious topic pointed out to me.

One might call my friend a tree hugger for wanting to save the trees. Perhaps even argue that it's only one tree! Nevertheless one must calculate that one tree per every house that celebrates Christmas every year for their natural life! Let's assume an 85 year life and a natural tree for each of them. That makes 85 trees per person and roughly 6.6677 billion people celebrate Christmas annually regardless of religion. Based on those numbers if everyone were to follow that logic that would be 6,667,700,000 trees per year and 566,754,500,000 trees per lifetime! Still think it's the most logical statement?

This is one of those moments where I admit that I am green because it saved me a buck or two. Not to mention time with decorating. Let me explain the pros with an artificial tree vs. a real one and then maybe offer some solution to those things you like about the real.

My personal pros with my personal artificial tree:

• Pre-decorated - You can have artificial trees with the lights already on them and wired in. I don't have one of those. Still, when I disassemble my tree at the end of the season I remove the garland & lights and leave the Christmas ornaments on the branches. The next year that's one less thing for me to do.
  
• Less maintenance - Depending on the age of your artificial there is little to no mess from fallen leaves. Mine has aged and so when first putting it up there is a dustpan of leaves to sweep up, still far fewer than there would be were it a real tree. I don't have to water it or pick it out in a lot.
  
• Cost efficient - returning to our 85 trees per life theory, let's say your parents bought 25 of those and you bought the remaining 60. At roughly $25 - $100 per tree off the lot that's $1500 - $6000 in a lifetime spent on a tree. Excluding decorations. A high end fake tree with lights already on it would run you $600. Mine cost me $20 and I have no complaints. I've saved myself $1480 - $5980 in trees!
  

Now, let's get a little negative, it's not as green as you think. 

Artificial trees are manufactures using PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) a petroleum-derived plastic. Non-renewable, does not biodegrade and results in unhealthy emission of many carcinogens (ex: dioxin, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride.) In a lot of cases, this may concern you the most, the manufacturers will use lead and other additives to soften the needles. These have been linked with liver, kidney, neurological and reproductive system damage. The trees may shed lead-laced dust, which may cover branches or shower gifts and the floor. Some trees will contain warnings of their lead content. If you suspect your tree contains lead keep children away from them and avoid contact. If you do touch the tree wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face or handling food. Do not vacuum under the tree with a vacuum that does not have a HEPA filter. It would spread the dust through the air creating an inhalation problem. 

Hmmm ...keep your child away from the pretty decorated Christmas tree? Don't touch the shiny tree? Sounds like a Merry Christmas!

But let's not be all anti-artificial. On the flip side one should also consider the pesticides used on the natural tree, likely the case if purchased. Obviously this is bad for the environment as well as the air in your home. In addition to pesticides these trees are often subjected to chemicals to speed growth and therefore production. The positive spin of course would be while they were being produced they were reducing the carbon dioxide produced by industries. Heck, if you wanted to be really chipper about your natural tree, you could say these naturally grown trees were reducing the carbon dioxide produced by the manufacturers of artificial trees. In addition the christmas tree farms are usually placed in areas unusable to other forms of farming since they are such a strong plant. Of course whenever a tree is cut down it will be replaced, naturally as this is the farmers source of income, however did you know most farmers will plant one to three trees for every one they cut down. This is done to increase their annual profit, as a result they increase the tree population thus reducing CO2 in the air that much more. That one tree a year for 85 years  doesn't sound as bad now.

It's obvious you can save yourself some money by purchasing an artificial tree and yes it is reusable. Nevertheless, when you decide you don't like the sparkle of the old one that tree is not recyclable or biodegradable and will significantly impact the environment. These trees when produced added many chemicals to the environment and when tossed out will never break down and become a permanent decoration in a local landfill. If incinerated the PVC will go into the atmosphere, dioxins and other carcinogens will be added to our air..  YAY

So what is my conclusion? I am completely frazzeled? I went into this post today feeling I had chosen an easy topic. Yet again I have forced myself to question my own actions and reconsider my stand on something. This might be reassuring to those reading as it confirms my lack of bias when researching a topic. Still it doesn't settle my mind. I may be a hippie, I am also a nerd and being the nerd that I am I made a chart

{click picture to see in full size}

I have reviewed the chart over and over and still it is quite 50/50 for me. I must admit though, that as far as personal health goes the natural tree is the obvious choice. As far as Environment goes, surprisingly the scales are still tipped, even if only in a slight amount, towards the natural tree.

As a whole Christmas trees (real or fake) are bad for the environment and completely illogical. As far as religion goes what in the heck do they have to do with Christ. What does the day have to do with him. He was allegedly born on another day entirely!! I'm going to celebrate my birthday in June from now on because I always wanted a summer birthday!! If Christ can do it so can I!! 

The last tiny figure to take into account is apartment dwellers. If you, like myself, reside in an establishment that does not permit the use of real trees there are still ways you can reduce your impact on the environment and even further save your money. Do like I did, purchase your fake tree second hand, give a non-biodegradable tree another chance to brighten a room once a year. When you are done with your tree try to sell it or give it away to a needy family. This will not just reduce your carbon footprint but will also improve your karma ;) {later is not a guarantee} If you are worried about your personal health I would worry less about the PVC in this case and more about the lead. Look for labels, warnings and never take for granted what you are purchasing. If you want that smell but will have or have to have an artificial pal then find a scented essential oil that matches that of a tree. If you must go with a scented candle obviously remember to make it as natural as possible. Reduce the smog in your home. 

For now, as with the PVC entry, I must admit I am mostly undecided. Notwithstanding I have no choice in my current situation. My location does not permit natural trees and thus I shall have an artificial or none at all. I will continue to use the tree I have and when I am done with it I will donate it to a worthy individual. Although I will be taking a peek to see if my tree allegedly contains lead. If that is the case, for the health and well being of my daughter, as was the purpose of this entire blog, I will be forced to discard it and seek a healthier substitute. Sorry earth, my hands are tied on this one.

Some fun, light hearted facts, you know, the useless stuff that Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper would throw at you in casual conversation:

The first artificial Christmas trees originated in Germany as metal wire trees covered with greenly dyed goose/turkey/ostrich/swan feathers. By 1930 Addis Brush Company created the first artificial-brush tree using the same machines used to make their toilet brushes! They patented their "Silver Pine" in 1950 which was designed to have a revolving light source under it and used colored gels to allow the light to shine in different shades as it revolved around the tree.

This entry took longer than expected so I must rest, your friendly neighborhood hippie mom. 

Blinded by the light

Hi,

My name is "Bwings" and I can't give up my fuel consumption

Have you ever thought of why the flame in your candle stays lit? I know I never did, until today. I feel like a fool for having ignored the obvious for so long. I suppose I just figured as long as there was a wick to be aflame and nothing to put it out it'd just burn. But now that I've thought about it, even for a moment, I realize that was an embarrassing ignorance on my part. 

Blinded by the light, engulfed in the delightful aroma I just ignored what was actually going on with my candles.   The candle itself is a solid block of fuel with a wick. Most of these are paraffin wax but they can also be made from beeswax, soy (and other plants) and tallow (beef-fat by-product). But I'll touch more on that later. Let's focus on the actual flame. 

Lighting a candle is as simple as applying a flame to a wick. When you do this you're also melting a bit of the solid fuel to light the wick. As the candle melts the wick continues to absorb the fuel and thus fuel the flame. Ignoring the fact that Candles are a leading source of house fires and that the temperature of liquid wax can cause skin burns (usually not severe). Disregarding those glass candle holders that, when left unattended (and sometimes just out of bad luck) can become cracked and/or break. There is the simple fact that a candle flame that is long enough to smoke will emit soot. Have you ever read the bottom of your candle where it tells you to trim the wick? Have you ever actually given two hoots and trimmed it? I know I didn't, but I certainly will start. Proper wick trimming will prevent soot emissions from most candles.

Trimming the wick maintains a lower burning temperature and rate of fuel consumption and prevent smoking. A main concern for frequent indoor candle users is a smoke film and what can be referred to as ghosting, carbon tracking or carbon tracing. Smoke can be produced when wax fuel does not burn completely and a scented candle would be a source of candle smoke deposits. Trimming wicks would be the easiest method to produce less smoke. the smaller the flame the less flickering it can/will do. Another method to produce less smoke is to avoid a draft that would flicker a candle and create smoke. 

So what does all this mean? It means you have smog (in small amounts of course) of whatever the fuel is being spread through your home. In respect to a carbon footprint any natural wax will have a neutral effect. This follows the logic that CO2 was removed from the environment to produce the wax thus burning would only replace that CO2 and thus leave a 0 balance. So let's break down the individual fuel sources. 

• Paraffin - a byproduct of petroleum refining.
• Burns far less cleanly and releases chemicals into the air. I have not confirmed this but I am told highly refined paraffin wax can burn just as cleanly as natural sources 
• Beeswax - a byproduct of honey collection
  Burns cleaner and releases fewer chemicals 
• Gel - Mixture of Resin and Mineral Oil
• Plant Wax - Palm, Carnauba, bayberry, soy. 
• Tallow/Stearin - Beef-fat byproduct using the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys, Rarely used anymore as it's not cost effective.
• Spermaceti - Extracted from the head of a sperm whale for use in candles, cosemetics, leatherworking and lubricants. 

When it gets right down to the nitty gritty though, it matters far less whether you're burning petroleum, beef fat, sperm whale skull, soy or beeswax if a lot of chemicals have been added to the fuel source. Consider your almonds. A container of untouched almonds are going to be far healthier than a container of candy coated or salted almonds. No brainer right? Same goes for your burning lump of beautifully scented, sparkly and colorful centrepiece. The cleanest burning candle will be built well, unscented, undyed, well trimmed and in a room free of drafts. In the end it's personal preference and balancing.

My resolve is to be more conscientious of the wax in my candles, the length of my wick and the amount of soot/smoke my candles may be emitting. I will also try to find some nice essential oils to replace my candles as a scent. I will never stop liking the lighting of a candle and the scent adds to the moment. But there are metal containers you can put on your lamps which you pour essential oils in. They heat and fill the room with the pleasant selected scent. If I could find an scented oil I liked I could replace my scented, dyed candles with natural chemical free candles. But in the end a few candles will certainly stay on my night stand *wink wink*

A final thought, how old is the candle you are using? Did you buy it from a second hand store? Is it your great-grandmothers? If so, you might want to toss it. Until the 1970's lead was used to hold the wicks straight up. I don't need to tell you why this is a bad thing. Current candle wicks use zinc or zinc alloy in lieu of the former lead cores.