Editor: Jan Weaver
422 Tucker Hall, MU Campus
by Jan Weaver
Spring is the traditional time to clear out the old accumulated clutter and dirt from the past year and bring in the clean, fresh and new. This year, in addition to a spring cleaning of your home, consider a spring cleaning of your habits. Here are some tips for making your life simpler, cheaper, healthier and more sustainable. Ideas are organized around the major areas of the home - living rooms, kitchen, bath and laundry, yard and neighborhood, and garage. These suggestions take little time and money, but that doesn't mean they are all easy. For a change that challenges your habitual way of doing things, schedule doing it differently once a day, once a week or once a month and build up your tolerance for the transformation. Baby steps are better than no steps at all!
Living Rooms - Keep a record of the energy and water use from your monthly utility bill. Turn your thermostat to 68° in winter and 72° in summer. Replace an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent - make sure the fluorescent fits your fixture and that it supplies enough light for the activity at that fixture. Limit electronic entertainment. Instead of watching TV or playing video games - pick one night a week or month and read a biography, play scrabble, walk around the neighborhood, fix a leaky faucet, organize your hazardous chemicals, play with the kids (wrestle, tag, basketball, bike), plan a trip, map out the garden, or learn the guitar. Then, increase frequency of your no TV nights gradually.
Kitchen, Bath and Laundry- Go to the USDA website and learn what a portion is and how many portions you need. Keep in mind these standards are not intended to make you feel good about your current eating habits - they are what you need to stay healthy. Limit soda, candy, cookies, snack foods to once a day or once a week. Eat lower on the food chain - once a week, have a vegetarian dish like macaroni and cheese, baked beans and corn bread, bean burritos, grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, black beans and rice, or pancakes. Eat locally grown food in season (visit the farmer's markets at Bus 70 and Creasy Springs or Ash and Clinkscales. Turn your water heater down to 120° (140° for dishwashers that don't preheat water - but this temperature can scald). Use warm or cold instead of hot settings on the clothes washer, and do full loads. Take showers instead of baths, and don't let the water run when you shave or brush your teeth (unless it is to warm it up).
Yard and Neighborhood - Once a week, walk around your yard (or neighborhood) and see what is blooming or flying (insects, birds, bats). If you can't name it, note its color, shape and size (use fingers and hand as a measuring stick). Draw a plan of your yard. Follow the water that drains from your yard to its major creek. Once the grass starts growing, set the mower to 3.5 to 4" (taller grass discourages weeds and conserves moisture- major factors in a better looking lawn). If you have a shady spot where the grass doesn't grow well, plant columbine, violets, sweet william, bluebells, celandine poppy or wild ginger and reduce the amount you have to mow. Set up a compost pile for leaves, small sticks and grass clippings (if you don't have a mulching mower). If you are going to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, take the time to learn about what problems they actually address, how much to apply and if there are alternatives. Plant tomatoes or green beans - use a large pot if you don't have much space. Plant some flowers for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds - black eyed susan, purple coneflower, tickseed, beebalm, butterfly bush, pincushion flower. Get a hummingbird feeder.
Garage - If you drive a car - master the art of slow starts and coasting stops instead of jerky start -stop driving. Without causing any safety problems, work on maintaining a constant speed, minimize speeding up and slowing down. Plan your errands so you minimize the time and distance required for them. Take care of your car - read the manual and make sure you are doing the regular maintenance. Learn how to do some basic maintenance - get a pressure gage for the tires. Let go of your car and add activity into your transportation mix - once a week or once a month, use alternative transportation (walking, biking, taking the bus) to get to work or to do one of your regular errands. If you live too far away to do without your car, then park further from work and closer to home. If you can get up to 30 minutes of activity a day with alternatives, you've met the minimum USDA goals for adult activity - what's needed to maintain weight. If you store your yard and car chemicals in the garage, collect them into one place, store them in a plastic container (to prevent spills if they leak) and put them up high. Go through them and if you decide you don't really need that container of chlorpyrifos from 1969, bring it to the Household Hazardous Waste drop off on 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 9am - 1pm at 1313 Lakeview (1 block west of city power plant).
For more information on living a simpler, cheaper, healthier and more sustainable life - check out the Sustainable Home Areas at this year's Earth Day Festival, Sunday April 23, Noon to 5 pm (music to 7 pm), MU Peace Park and Downtown Columbia.
BioRegional Quiz: How many bags of trash did volunteers pick up at last year's Clean Up Columbia Day?
Job of the Month: Community Conservationist, Missouri Department of Conservation, Kansas City. Responsibilities: Promote conservation of fish, forest and wildlife in an urban environment through interaction with government officials, planning and zoning boards, land use committees, development committees, urban development industries, park boards, recreation planning committees, developers, public conservation groups and others. Qualifications: Bachelor's in Fisheries, Forestry or Wildlife Management, Environmental Planning, Biology or applicable field and at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience or equivalent combination. Experience in community development and resource planning highly desirable. Closing Date April 14. Description at - http://www.ecoemploy.com/jobs/missourib.html. Apply at -www.mdc.mo.gov/about/jobs
Special Events/Programs/Classes/Talks The days are just packed!
PERCHE CREEK WATERSHED HISTORY: Friday April 7, 3:30 -5:30 pm, Memorial Union N214, MU Campus
ENERGY, CONSERVATION & CLEANUP ON THE MO RIVER: Saturday April 8, 1:30 - 2:25, 211 Middlebush, MU
RAIN GARDEN CONSTRUCTION: Saturday April 8, 10 am , check http://wildones.missouri.org/calendar.html
CLEAN UP COLUMBIA DAY: Saturday April 8 - participate informally by cleaning up your neighborhood or contact 874-7499 for more information. In either case, join the community wide lunch at Twin Lakes to celebrate the event.
US CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES, RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP: Wednesday April 12, 12:45 Reynolds D, Panel featuring Dr. Robert Dixon
HUNTING THE WILD FALCATE ORANGE-TIP: Saturday April 15, 1-3 PM Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Devil's Icebox parking lot. Led by Donna Brunet. Look for the butterflies of spring.
BRUCE BABBITT LECTURE: Thursday April 20, 7:00 pm, Monsanto Auditorium, Bond Life Sciences Center. "A New Vision for Land Use in America"
CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING MEETING: Friday April 21, Noon, General Services Building 194, MU Campus. Brown Bag lunch meeting to plan October 25 Campus Sustainability Day. mannt@missouri.edu for more info
EARTH DAY: Sunday April 23 (rain date April 30), noon to 7 pm, Peace Park , MU. Street fair registration forms at Peace Nook, 804 C E Broadway ($10 nonprofits not selling, $20 nonprofits selling, $30 artisans, $50 businesses)
ALBRECHT LECTURE: Monday April 25, 3:30 pm, Conservation Hall, (ABNR - MU). Balancing perspectives in soil and environmental management. Dr. Bob Sojka, ARS.
FLAT BRANCH BIOBLITZ: Friday April 28 through Saturday April 29. Help identify and record every species you see in the Flat Branch watershed. go to http://bioblitz.missouri.edu for information on participating.
COMPOST WORKSHOPS: Saturday April 29, 10 am; Saturday May 27, 10 am; Tuesday June 13, 6:30 pm - Capen Park
MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS: http://www.missouri.edu/~jesse105/committees/pages/environmental.htm
RECYCLING COMMITTEE: 882-3091
SUSTAIN MIZZOU: http://students.missouri.edu/~sustainmizzou/
Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Haven
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/
CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW
CITIZENS WATERSHED COMMITTEE: (573) 526-8916, Third Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Daniel Boone Bldg
COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
GREENBELT COALITION: 442-4789, gbelt@coin.org or http://greenbelt.missouri.org
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE: 815-9836, drop off or buy gently used doors, windows, hardware, tools, cabinets, appliances, unopened paint, fixtures - Mon to Fri 8:30 to 3:30, Saturday 8:00 to 1:00 pm, 1906 Monroe St. Columbia
MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY: npshawth@hotmail.com, http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org, 2nd Mondays in
Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov at 7:00 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd, Columbia, MO.
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org
PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.
Answer to BioRegional Quiz - Last year over 1,600 volunteers gave 3,200 hours of service picking up 2,280 bags of trash. Pick up trash in your area on Saturday April 8, then join other volunteers for a lunch at Twin Lakes.
Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri.edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.