Eggplant, the Environment and Eco Friendly Savings

I hate eggplant. I always have. I always will. My earliest recollection of this vegetable was when it appeared on my dinner plate as a seven-year-old. I can still remember the unappetizing chunks looking like slimy bits of squid with little seeds all over them. I was convinced this eggplant stuff had to be an invertebrate, like the ones we studied in Mrs. Brewer's third grade class earlier that day. I recalled Bruce, the class pest, leaning over my school desk and whispering in my ear, "I bet your Abuela used to eat squid in Spain." My mother interrupted these thoughts with an announcement, "You have to eat at least half your eggplant, Ellie. It came from Abuela's garden and it's good for you."

I didn’t realize, until my adult years, what a “green” gardener my Abuela was and how important her eco-friendly style of living was to our environment. She used to make her own mulch from grass clippings and actually collected horse manure from stables in our Texas town. I thought it was totally gross at the time, but it was totally great for the environment—plus she saved our family money by growing her own fruits and vegetables.

There are a lot of ways that you can save money and help save the environment by going green. Here are a few simple changes you can make to help keep costs down for gardening and energy, helping you save money and live better.

Green Gardening

   If you choose to repurpose a section of your lawn for a garden, you’ll find that it’s really quite easy to align a green mindset along with your green thumb by incorporating some natural ideas that promote sustainable gardening. For example, leave the grass clippings on your lawn in order to return up to 50% of the required nutrients back into the soil. An added benefit is that there are no clippings to bag. Another part of being a sustainable gardener is to use compost – or use natural fertilizers such as seaweed and kelp – which will encourage plants to grow at a natural rate and also have the added benefit of keeping pests away. Additionally, if you plant your garden in closely packed hexagonal shapes, you’ll find that you use less water and weeds are less of a problem.

     By choosing hardy plants that are well adjusted to your climate, you’ll be able to feed birds and attract other wildlife as well. During the times when your garden is not producing fruits and vegetables, you might want to consider planting alfalfa, oats, clover or other grains. These will naturally replenish the soil, which means you’ll have a higher yield next season.

Saving Your Energy

    The latest report from the 2008 Consumer Expenditure Survey indicates that energy costs have risen 16.6% for people living in urban areas, which means many American families could pay over $3,600 this year in utilities (as estimated in a recently reported Marketwatch survey, May 21, 2008). Here are five simple steps you can look into today to reduce your energy usage and save money:

·         “Time of Use” – Electricity is a big expense in the summer and some states are offering a special discount for those who are willing to restrict their use of electricity during certain times of the day.  A programmable thermostat is a great investment that helps you not waste air conditioning when you don’t need it, and money saved could be up to $180 per year. You can also save on electricity by waiting until night to run specific appliances, like dishwasher or swimming pool pump.

·         Energy Survey – Most utility companies also offer a free energy survey. Since this is tailor made for your home and utility usage, it’s also the very best way to target specific areas that could save energy and save money. Go to your electric company’s website for more information.

·         CFL Bulbs -- Installing compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs is one of the easiest ways to start making an impact on your energy bills. Not only do you save money and energy, but you contribute to a cleaner environment by reducing fossil fuel usage. Modern compact fluorescent light bulbs, use 75 percent less energy, save more than $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb, and last up to 10 times longer.

·         ENERGY STAR Rated Products – If you want to save up to 25% in energy costs, then begin to look for the ENERGY STAR rating on everything from hair dryers and other small appliances, to refrigerators and other larger appliances.

·         Seal and Insulate – Stopping those air leaks and insulating your home properly can save you up to 10% annually on your electric bills, and again, save energy. See a helpful guide and tips for homeowners at www.energystar.gov. You should also check your air filters regularly to ensure they are clean and not overworking your unit.

By doing our part, little by little, we’ll find more green in our pockets and make a greener earth at the same time—that’s something my Abuela would have been proud of!

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