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We’ve only had two days of our eco-challenge and already we’ve fallen behind.

My very first thought yesterday morning was to empty our trash cans so that we’d be able to see every time we messed up. Unfortunately, our trash bags are plastic, so that would violate the “no plastic” rule. Instead, I plan to use a paper grocery bag. Since our wet garbage gets tossed to the worms, it’s not as important to use plastic and I’ve been meaning to switch over for a while.

I also had trouble picking up some food at the grocery store. I wanted some soup and some peanut butter. The soup was no problem. Everything was in cans, so I could pick whatever I wanted. Peanut butter was surprisingly problematic. Only one brand (Smuckers) had a glass container and it had a plastic wrap around the lid (for my protection, I guess). I considered going with apple butter, since it was in a glass jar without the little wrapper, but decided to take the hit and go with peanut butter.

Maggie’s had similar little problems, the sort that we hadn’t expected when we signed up for this. Ironically, she’s had to throw away a couple of “organic” stickers from her fruit. Tonight was also a fundraiser for the Sycamore Land Trust, so her nametag eventually found itself in the trash.

We’ve also thrown away the little strip from Netflix envelopes that covers the sticky part. I think we could recycle it, but Maggie’s not sure.

I’ve also made a couple of compromises. For example, I had a sandwich today from bread in a plastic bag. Since I bought the bag weeks ago, I figured it was better to eat the bread I’ve got and then get a different type rather than just throwing it out (more trash!). In the shower arena, Maggie is continuing to use her plastic shampoo bottle since she can refill it at Bloomingfoods.

At the moment, I’d say that we’re at about 1 to 1 in terms of difficulty. Let us know if you’ve got any tips!

Current difficulty: Plastic 1 vs. Trash 1

Do you find yourself reading avoiding this blog because it’s not cute enough?  If so, I’ve got the perfect solution! I ran across the webcomic Luz: Girl of the Knowing a couple days ago and spent an hour or so reading the story thus far. You’ll probably want to start at the beginning.

Luz follows a young girl (the eponymous Luz) as she tries to learn all of the skills necessary to thrive after peak oil. Most of the strips offer a little piece of information (canning is a way to store food over winter) or observation about the current state of society (plastic is everywhere). Occasionally, Luz tries to convince other people (particularly her video game-obsessed friend Robert) about the importance of changing lifestyles, with predictably poor results.

It’s not a funny comic by any means. There are occasional funny moments, like when Robert has to go without Internet during a city blackout, but the majority of the story thus far consists of Luz exploring the benefits and drawbacks of local, environmental living from her open, accepting perspective.

The message of each comic is obvious but, like King Corn, Luz manages not to seem preachy. Partly this is because things don’t always work out the way Luz intends, to which I can certainly relate. If everything green makes you cringe, this isn’t the comic for you, but you probably shouldn’t be reading this entry either.

I’m also a big fan of the art. The simple line-work and duotone color recall old-time woodcuts while still retaining a fluid feel. After the jarring colors and sounds that assault us regularly, <i>Luz</i> feels almost soothing, which is a good mindset for learning.

Luz updates once a week, on Mondays, and started late in 2007, so there have only been 27 strips so far. Go check it out! You won’t regret it and you might even learn a little something from it (I know I have).

After much deliberation, we decided to rise to the challenge of Crunchy Chicken’s Extreme Eco-Challenge. To make it even more interesting, we have each chosen to champion one of the challenges. It will be a cooperative effort but we’re each spearheading the idea that sounded most feasible.

I am going to shoot for no garbage output in May, encouraging us to beef up our recycling (I’ve been meaning to call city recycling department and get some clarifications on items like shrink wrap and unnumbered plastics) and our composting efforts, as well as paying even closer attention to packaging at the grocery store.

Will is going to shoot for no plastic consumption in May and so we will be shopping for non-plastic alternatives for our groceries and other consumables. He is a little concerned about having lost already since he ordered Wii Fit last week and it will arrive sometime in May, no doubt entombed in plastic.

Actually, we both anticipate failing. We’re viewing this challenge as an unachievable goal like perfection. Nobody will every be perfect but it’s still worth striving towards. Hopefully this will give us some insight on how we can make a few more changes at home to keep moving down the green path. Wish us luck!