EcoMetro's blog

I have to admit. I love to drive my car. I try not to because I know it's bad for the environment, clogs the roads and I need to exercise anyway! But seriously, when it's rainy or I'm running late I definitely take the easy way out and drive. 

But....then I found out how much driving is really costing me.  Using this handy online calculator I figured out that I am paying almost $6,000 a year on driving! If I was able to cut out commuting to work driving, I would save myself over $1,000 a year as well as taking one more car off the road on a daily basis. I also know that when I don't drive to work, I usually compile all my car trips into one or two trips on weekends which would further reduce my mileage!

What a difference one change can make in my life which directly benefits my community and the environment! 

Our mild climate in Seattle enables us to have access to tons of vegetables and fruits all year long.  But many people find themselves in a produce rut, unable to branch out, often for suspiciously vague reasons.  

When I joined Full Circle Farms this past fall I had to google some of the produce listed!  Being exposed to vegetables I would not normally buy at the grocery store has been a great way for me to expand my home cooked meal repertoire.  I also love that most CSAs provide recipes, either online or when you pick up the produce.  

I love scouring Goodwill and Craigslist for almost everything I want to buy. New to me food processor? Check. New to me dresser? Check.

Part of the fun is the treasure hunt aspect. Finding something I really like for a fraction of the cost that I would pay brand new. The other part is why not use these items that others don't want or need anymore, instead of perpetuating the consumer cycle? I feel that I am doing my part of waste reduction by purchasing items at a reduced cost, usually supporting a great non-profit organization, and using a perfectly usable product that could potentially end up in a landfill if it wasn't for my rescuing of it!

Check out ecometro.com "used" for some awesome local retailers! 

Walkable (walkability) - Capable of or suitable for being walked. Merriam Webster Dictionary

Or, as defined by Christopher Leinberger, a Land-use Strategist at the Brooking Institution on a NPR interview, “It's where you can get your daily needs met within walking distance. And walking distance is generally considered to be about a half-mile, 3,000 feet. And if you live within that kind of a district, you will probably be using your feet a whole lot more than you're using your car.”