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Sometimes with this blog I worry that my suggestions go too far to be appealing to most people (fridgeless experiments, doing without heat, etc.). Other times, I feel the suggestions might be too obvious and therefore not inspiring. The truth is, though, everything we do with the intention of living more gently and respectfully on the earth counts, even the things that seem small.

In that spirit, I would like to share a win with you. Over the past few months I’ve been making a point of buying packaged snacks less often. One thing I love is tortilla chips. Lately instead of buying them at the store and ending up with a (non-recyclable, non-compostable) bag, I’ll go to my favorite Mexican restaurant, where they make their chips in-house. That’s Part 1 of the win: cutting out the non-recyclable bag, plus supporting a local business and of course getting to eat tasty, warm, fresh-made chips.

Part 2 happened last night when I remembered in time that they always put the guacamole in a styrofoam container. (The chips are served in the restaurant’s reusable basket, which is lined with paper.) Last night I asked them to just put the scoop of guacamole in the middle of the basket, on top of the chips. Worked like a charm! I could grab a chip off the side of the basket and dip it into the scoop of guacamole. No separate styrofoam container needed. Then after enjoying my feast, I brought the paper basket-liner home to compost. Another great thing about eating chips at a restaurant is it becomes more of an occasional special treat, rather than a more frequent “run down to the convenience store” temptation.

Small things add up. Here’s another small thing: You know those mesh bags that produce sometimes comes in? Little plastic mesh bags of tangerines or potatoes or whatever. I don’t buy my produce in those bags but sometimes we get them at church, or a guest brings one to my house. Well, those plastic mesh bags make good pot-scrubbers and sink-scrubbers! And they last a long time. I just used one to scrub my kitchen sink today.

What “small things” have you been doing in your life? And what have the benefits been? Do you ever notice a burst of creative energy and inner satisfaction after doing one of these small things? I know I do! Not the kind of satisfaction that turns into complacency, but the kind of satisfaction that encourages me to keep going.

I started out washing dishes outdoors to make it easier to collect water for my yard rather than let water go down the drain. Then I noticed other benefits, including: 1) getting to be outside more, have more opportunities to observe plants & wildlife in my yard; and 2) the indoor environment stays drier (less humid, less prone to damp yucky smells, less attractive to critters) when I mimimize running water indoors.

Photos show two different version of my setup. One is more smooth and rectilinear; the other (my latest version) is more “rocky”-looking to go with the overall look of my shaded patio area. The “rocks” are chunks of concrete that I scavenged from curbside.

Concrete makes a great dish-drying surface. It wicks away moisture (which then evaporates); and it isn’t slippery, so dishes and plates stay put.

I have two water sources to choose from: well water (via the hand pump) or city water (via the faucet on the right). I also have rainbarrels but prefer to save that water for making coffee, for putting directly on the plants, for washing my skin, etc.

An outdoor dishwashing area can be set up with very little space. I even had one on my porch while I was living in an RV park. All in all, even on a cold day, I find dishwashing more pleasant if I can do it outdoors.

The dish liquid and washing-cloth are tucked into one of the niches in the cinder block beneath the dish-drying surface.

I wash dishes in the smallest container possible for the job (saves soap and water). Silverware gets washed in a mason jar if that’s all I’m washing. A full batch of dishes gets washed in a large oval-shaped pan that was originally designed as a baking dish (and can still be used for that purpose also).

My setup is a work in progress, not only in terms of functionality but also in terms of appearance. I’m a strong believer in PLAYING with the design of things. Having fun, trying various things, not getting uptight. Consumerist social norms put pressure on us to be perfect and get it magazine-pretty right off the bat. I’m unlearning that, having fun, and actually end up designing things that work better for me AND look great.

One of my favorite permaculture design principles is “Observe and interact.” In a nutshell, this means make your initial observations, try something, and then observe the feedback from your environment. Then make adjustments accordingly. It’s an iterative process that allows for much experimentation and fine-tuning. And it’s a very low-footprint approach, in contrast with the conventional approach of putting some huge change into place all at once. The latter approach is more vulnerable to failure, and when it fails, is likely to be more expensive.

I hope you allow yourself this kind of experimentation too, in creating and revising the systems that make up your everyday world. Let me know how it goes!

Nowadays, most people in the USA and other industrialized nations don’t know how to keep food cool without electricity. It’s a skill our grandparents had, and a skill that can be lifesaving in times of emergency.

One approach to reducing your dependence on electric refrigeration is to reduce or eliminate food that requires refrigeration. This is simpler for vegans than for people whose diet includes meat and dairy, but is also do-able for us omnivores.

Another approach is to explore low-tech food-cooling options including root cellars, evaporative cooling, and passively cooled cabinets.

Melliodora permaculture center in Australia has a “cool cupboard for storage of fruit, vegetables, eggs, cheese and flour. A vent at the bottom of the cupboard draws cool air in from under the floor into the insulated cupboard and a roof vent releases warm air. Wire baskets allow the air to flow through. This design feature means that only a small refrigerator is required, saving considerable energy.”

5 Forgotten Ways To Keep Food Cold Without Electricity (article from Off the Grid News) offers brief descriptions of a root cellar, running water, evaporative cooling, Zeer pot, and icebox.

Also, there are commercially produced low-tech products such as the Mitticool clay refrigerator, mentioned in this article by Inhabitat which also mentions some pretty futuristic, cutting-edge options including a gel-based cooling device and a futuristic-looking underground fridge designed to mimic a root cellar.

My current “outdoor non-fridge” pictured above, is viable for short periods in cool weather but is not practical in the long run. I’m working on a design for a storage closet made of concrete blocks. I’d put this on the north side of my house just under the drip line of the roof. In our coastal climate we get water dripping off the roof most nights. The evaporation of the water off the concrete would help keep things cool. Sort of an above-ground root cellar. It’s actually similar to the concept of the “Mitticool clay refrigerator” linked above.

Also, my refrigerator, even when it’s not plugged in, is significantly cooler than the surrounding environment. I’m currently storing condiments in there.

At one point I thought of buying a mini fridge, and may still do so, for the few things I ever would need to refrigerate. But if you go this route, you need to check the wattage carefully. I hear that mini fridges can consume almost as much electricity as a full-sized energy-efficient fridge, in which case you might as well stick with that if you have one. (My fridge is large and not energy-efficient.)

If you’d like to read more about my experiments with doing without a fridge, type “Fridgeless” in the search field (right sidebar).

In a future post I’ll be talking about simple, low-tech methods of food preservation. In the meantime, stay cool, everyone!

In previous posts, I’ve shared the link to the Riot for Austerity footprint calculator. This calculator makes it easy to compute your personal or household footprint in relation to the U.S. average in seven basic categories: transportation, electricity, heating & cooking fuel, garbage output, water, consumer goods, and food.

Now I’ve just stumbled on another really handy calculator for computing your carbon footprint. The carbon footprint calculator on Michael Bluejay’s website lets you compute your footprint in relation to the U.S. average in four categories: home energy use, driving, diet (vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore), and flying. Michael’s calculator additionally allows you to see where your total footprint stacks up in relation to the world average.

I find both of these calculators really useful, and will use them both on an ongoing basis. Both sites also offer a wealth of tips on the best ways to make major reductions in your footprint.

While it isn’t necessary to calculate your footprint, many of us have found it a very helpful or even essential step in making reductions. Plus, it’s really kind of fun to see where you stand in relation to the average, and to chart your progress in the different areas over time.

You can also create your own calculation by picking out some area of your life that’s costing you a lot of money, time, effort, or other resources, and aiming to cut that expenditure. For example, you could notice that you’re spending $100 a month on gasoline, and aim to cut that by 20% or 90% or whatever you feel is both worthwhile and doable. You could notice that you’re spending 10 hours a day online, and aim to cut that time, say, in half, by focusing more deliberately instead of noodling aimlessly.

What are some areas in your life where you see opportunities to cut your footprint? And how would you like to measure those, what targets would you like to set?

Interestingly, my experiment this time was initially motivated by my efforts to reduce my internet footprint. I noticed how much I value having internet access, even to the point where I would rather do without a fridge than do without internet. (Not that it’s likely I would ever have to make that choice, but it is interesting to take note of one’s personal priorities.)

In the course of investigating the footprint of my blog and other internet activities, I learned I’m currently using about 15kWh a year total, which is very little. Of that total, this blog uses about 10kWh per year.

If my blog were to suddenly start getting, say, 5,000 times as much traffic as it does now, there would be economies of scale, and the blog itself would consume about 550kWh per year. That 550kWh per year is about the same as what might be consumed by an Energy Star fridge from the early 2000s. (An old-school fridge from the 1980s might use 1,400kWh per year!)

Reassuring note from my webhosting service when I asked them for numbers: “As a rough point of reference, the busiest site on your shared web server, which is pushing about 5000 times more traffic than your site, is burning roughly 550kW a year.”

Further Reading:

My two previous posts on this subject are Electronic Decluttering: Online Footprint; and Electronic Decluttering: Online Footprint (Part 2).

Part 1 of my “Fridgeless Experiment” took place in Austin TX in the summer of 2011. You can read about it here. Nutshell, a lot of things don’t need to be refrigerated, and it isn’t all that big a deal to do without a fridge. Living within walking distance of a food market definitely makes it easier, as does growing at least a few of your own greens and fruits, and knowing your local wild edible plants.

Recently I decided to have another go at fridgeless living. I’ve had my fridge unplugged since just after Thanksgiving. (I have actually gone fridgeless at a few points since my first effort back in 2011, but since I’ve mostly been living with roommates since then, the experiments have been limited to short durations of a few days at a time.)

From my current round of fridgeless living, here are some of my tips for food shopping and storage:

I grocery-shop once a week, at my local Saturday farmers’ market. Although produce doesn’t need to be refrigerated, it does fall into perishability categories, from “must use quickly” (berries and other soft-skinned fruits; veggies such as lettuces and broccoli) to “lasts longer” (apples, citrus fruits, cabbage, potatoes). I keep most produce in the coolest, shadiest corner of my shaded patio, as opposed to indoors.

Berries, star fruit, other soft-skinned fruits: I always plan to eat them that same day or the next day. Strawberries and other berries will keep overnight but not much longer. If I buy raspberries I eat them right away (not only because they’re perishable but also because they are an irresistible special treat)! Save the more durable fruits such as apples, bananas, citrus for later in the week. Watermelon: SHARE! Buy with sharing in mind. If any fruit was meant to help people form closer bonds with their neighbors, surely it is the wonderful watermelon. Or, you can buy one of those mini melons and eat half one day and half the next day.

Broccoli: Eat the floret part within one or two days. I cut off the tops to eat right away (aim to finish eating them within two days of purchase, which for me means finish them by Sunday evening). The tougher “trunk” of the broccoli can be grated, and along with carrots and cabbage, makes a delicious ingredient for slaw. That broccoli “trunk” lasts for days. What I have been doing for storage is take the broccoli, and also the carrots and put them in a shallow tub of water. (I use one of the veggie storage drawers from the fridge for this purpose.) I take the tops off the carrots and stick those in their own widemouthed mason jar like a vase. Carrot tops last a few days. UPDATE: It turns out that carrots themselves keep for several days in water as long as the air temperature is cool, say in the 40s at night and no higher than the mid-60s in the daytime. But once the temps started getting more “normal” for us Floridians, I noticed the carrots getting soft spots and eventually going completely bad after 3-4 days. I may experiment with adding vinegar to the water. And eating up the carrots faster!

Dressings and condiments: generally do not require refrigeration. Then again I don’t use mayonnaise or anything that contains mayonnaise. If I used mayonnaise I would be worried about leaving it unrefrigerated.

Cheese: lasts for days outside the fridge. Butter doesn’t need to be refrigerated. In summer in hot places, the liquid separates out and the butter goes all to mush, which is probably why our friends in India invented ghee.

Yogurt: Can keep outside the fridge for a few days, especially in cool weather.

Meat: I have heard that ceviche (fresh fish “cooked” in lime juice) will last for several days unrefrigerated. Have tried that for 2-3 days and it was fine. Other meats, I either eat on the spot (at a restaurant) or eat the leftovers by the next day. I wouldn’t advise anyone to leave meat sitting out overnight, though I do it all the time and have never experienced ill effects. Raw meat, I would never leave out.

Tofu: I would buy in small batches if I could, and use quickly. In Austin I knew a woman who had a tofu-making business. Maybe there is one where you live. Or an Asian supermarket that sells tofu in bulk, so you can bring your own container and only get what you need that day. I once ate a tofu wrap that had been sitting out overnight in summer and it was fine, but I would not advise anyone else to assume that would be fine.

Eggs: They supposedly keep for a long time outside the fridge and only go bad if they are washed. (In the USA they usually are washed, unless you get yours straight from your own chickens or a friend’s chickens).

Ice: I generally only use ice in summer, and even then only as an occasional treat. (My joke, as a person who doesn’t like the cold, is “Don’t even SAY the ‘I-word’ to me between October and May!”) When I have guests, we buy a bag of ice and keep it in a cooler. The ice can keep for days if stored in the shade in a well-insulated cooler. And actually, a lot of the friends who come stay with me are likeminded, so we don’t even always buy ice.

My weak spot: is/was cream for my coffee. Right now I’m drinking it black. Sometimes I buy a can of evaporated milk but that will only keep for a couple days outside the fridge so it would be a waste unless we get a spell of really cold weather. If you live up north, it’s easy for you to have cream in your coffee without a fridge, at least in winter. I’ve had condensed sweetened milk last for up to 5 days outside the fridge, but I don’t generally like sweetened coffee so I usually don’t go for that option.

I still have my fridge, so I can plug it back in anytime if I have extended guests or a longterm housemate. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the experiment which has cut my electricity consumption in half. Note, doing without a fridge is not likely to cut your electricity consumption in half, unless you are like me and are already going without heat, air-conditioning, clothes-dryer, and water-heater. It will cut your consumption significantly though — by about 13%, according to Department of Energy data quoted on Michael Bluejay’s “Mr. Electricity” website.

Besides saving a bit of money and a considerable amount of electricity, what’s the point of doing without a fridge? For me, besides those benefits, there’s also the very significant benefit of improved self-reliance; household preparedness. Knowing I can do without a fridge, I feel much less vulnerable to power outages. Thanks to this experiment and my various other steps to reduce my dependence on electricity, I really don’t worry about power outages, and I’m better equipped to help other people deal with outages. If you try a fridgeless experiment, let me know how it goes and what you learn!

Resource Alert: My 2011 “Fridgeless Experiment” post was originally published on the Austin EcoNetwork blog. Whether or not you live in Austin, AEN’s site is a valuable resource for green living and activism.

Photo 1: Christmas wreath.
Photo 2: Christmas wreath transitions to New Year’s wreath!

Except for the little red birds (which I purchased at a vintage thrift shop) on the Christmas version of the wreath, it’s all made of scraps and upcycled “trash” that came my way. To me the “landfill diversion” aspect makes it that much prettier!

My first thought as I stepped back and looked at my work was, “Yikes, this doesn’t look polished or professional.” But then I realized that the homespun quality was not necessarily a bad thing. “Perfection pressure” (brought to us by Martha Stewart, Southern Living mag, etc.) can really put a damper on the fun of decorating.

Personally, I believe that house decorations are a success if they 1) are fun to make and put up; and 2) help create a cozy welcoming atmosphere in a neighborhood. Of course, if a person gets genuine pleasure out of aiming for a polished, “perfect” look in their decorations, that is fine too! Then it becomes authentic self-expression rather than stress or pressure for that person.

Happy 2019 to all of you. May this year bring you an abundance of everything that gives depth and meaning to your life.