Disqus - Latest Comments for Beth Terry

Re: 12 Cool Urban Bicycles Ready to Replace Your Car

Beth Terry — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:37:12 -0000

Awe. The bike that replaced the car I never had in the first place isn't on your list, but it's awesome. Giant Suede. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/women/2295/36569/

Of course, I added an awesome cupholder. Don't all cars have those?

Re: 5 Ways to Green Back-to-School (And It’s Not this “Eco” Supply Kit)

Beth Terry — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:36:46 -0000

Hey Chris, while I totally agree with you that buying used is generally the better option than buying any new "green" thing, in the case of binders I have to disagree a bit. I don't want vinyl binders in my home. I don't want vinyl anywhere near me, and I wouldn't want it near my kids if I had them. Vinyl (aka PVC) contains phthalates and can contain lead. And kids (and kitties) put everything in their mouths. So I'm all for the natural binders made from recycled cardboard.

In fact, I've got some (made by a different company) that I'll be reviewing (and possibly giving away) on Fake Plastic Fish soon. You can come and visit and argue with me about it there if you want.

Love ya!

Beth

Re: It’s Smart to Ride a Bike — and Riding Makes You Smarter

Beth Terry — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:33:07 -0000

I just found out that here in the Bay Area Bike to Work Day is Thursday, May 14. Had to update my own post on the subject. So people should check with their local bike advocacy group to find out when it will be observed in their communities.

Re: Hooray! Companies Coming Clean on Cleaners

Beth Terry — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:05:49 -0000

I looked at the site. They don't have many products listed yet, but I'm impressed that they intend to list all ingredients in preservatives, dyes, & fragrances (many other companies are not) and that they are phasing out all phthalates.

Also, I was kind of confused because I always thought SC Johnson and Johnson & Johnson were the same company. I guess not?

Re: Aquafina’s New Eco-Fina Bottle: Greenwash or Progress?

Beth Terry — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:17:33 -0000

Oh, you knew I'd be all over this one!

I appreciate that they are trying. But the whole idea of bottled water is wrong-headed in the first place. They are bottling and shipping *water* ! Yes, it's necessary in an emergency. But that's no what they have in mind. The environmental impact of water bottling has to do with so much more than the actual bottle. It's the impact of extracting water and shipping it away.

I also appreciate that compared to spring water bottlers, Aquafina has less of a shipping footprint because they have bottlers all over and can do it more locally. But still, they are bottling and selling our water back to us. To me, it just sucks. And it discourages people from drinking their tap water and from pushing for stronger regulations for tap water.

Oh, you know all this. I just had to say it. I wouldn't buy Aquafina even if it came in a biodegradable bottle. Just wouldn't do it.

Re: Say No to Bottled Water

Beth Terry — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:53:13 -0000

Bottled water definitely has its place -- during emergencies or in countries where the water quality can make us sick. But you're right. In this country, it's mostly about convenience. *Sigh*

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish’s last blog post..Bottled Water Problem: It's Not Just The Bottle!</abbr>

Re: Eco-Confessions

Beth Terry — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:34:56 -0000

I may have a thing for McD's french fries, but it's the Cokes that leave me cold. No desire for them at all. I do like carbonated water and have a Soda maker for that purpose. Otherwise, sodas are no temptation at all.

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish’s last blog post..Please Give Just $1 For The Charities That You Help To Choose</abbr>

Re: Eco-Confessions

Beth Terry — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:31:44 -0000

And soggy! They are best when they've been steaming in the paper bag for a while until they are limp, soggy, mush. I'm actually not kidding.

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish’s last blog post..Confession of a Fast Food Addict who ate at Amanda's and forgot to BYO.</abbr>

Re: Eco-Confessions

Beth Terry — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:39:57 -0000

McDonald's fries are awesome. Let's just say it. We know how they're made. We know why we shouldn't like them. We know we should be totally grossed out. But we also know that they rock and leave all other fast food fries in the dust.

Although, honestly, I think they were better back when they were made with shortening. Mmmmm... trans fats!

:-)

My first job was at McDonald's when I was 17. We would scoop big chunks of that white glop out of a metal container and plop it into the french fryer. It was always funny when a customer on a low sodium diet came in and ordered fries with no salt because the bottom of the fry bin was so caked with salt already that the fries were covered with salt before we added any more.

Okay, I'm starting to feel nostalgic about my brown polyester uniform. Need to sign off now.

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish’s last blog post..Confession of a Fast Food Addict who ate at Amanda's and forgot to BYO.</abbr>

Re: Reducing the Use of Plastics

Beth Terry — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:28:50 -0000

I just love those Anchor glass containers. Plus, they get so squeaky clean in the dishwasher. Not like plastic which always feels greasy to me.

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fishs last blog post..New FPF Video & Volunteers needed for Bay to Breakers!</abbr>

Re: Spring Cleaning with a Twist

Beth Terry — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:10:46 -0000

I have this recurring dream where I'm looking through my closet for something new to wear and lo and behold, there are whole outfits I didn't even know I had. It's sad when I wake up to the same old clothes.

Well, this weekend, trying to find something to wear to a creek restoration event that would require getting dirty, I forced myself to clean out a closet and -- OMG -- there were 2 pairs of brand new jeans that miraculously fit me. I had forgotten all about them. Have no idea when or where they were purchased. Which is weird because I buy so few new things.

The Spring Cleaning Fairy must have snuck in and put them there as a reward for when I finally got around to doing it.

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fishs last blog post..Do you have an Eco Confession?</abbr>

Re: Mommy Bloggers are Quitting

Beth Terry — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:58:21 -0000

Great post, Sommer. And very useful links. I just want to add that it's not just Mommy Bloggers who are overwhelmed and disorganized. I think it can be pretty much all bloggers. I don't have kids, but I do have a full life and often wish there were more hours in the day. Now I realize it's what I'm doing with the hours I have that is unhelpful.

I used to complain when I had over 500 messages in my email inbox. Now, I just laugh because I've got over 1100. Most should probably be deleted unread, but I keep emails like old clothes just in case they might possibly be useful some day. (And this is not counting the thousands and thousands of emails that are filed in folders.)

Okay, getting off the computer now and back to "real life."

Beth

<abbr>Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fishs last blog post..Showing Some LunchBots Love & Quitting My Tupperware</abbr>

Re: A Lesson About Greenwashing and Laundry

Beth Terry — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:41:03 -0000

Thank you for such a thorough, thoughtful, and skeptical review. So many green bloggers these days just accept whatever marketing companies tell them without question and regurgitate the results on their sites. I really, really appreciated reading this, and it was fun. Kinda like a mystery!

Re: Win a Brita Faucet Filter from EcoTech Daily!

Beth Terry — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:08:25 -0000

http://www.takebackthefilter.org) to urge The Clorox Company, which owns Brita in North America, to redesign their filters and provide a way for us to recycle them, as is done in Europe. I urge you to join me!

Here’s how you can help:

Sign the Petition (http://www.gopetition.com/online/18444.html)

Send in your used filter cartridges: (http://takebackthefilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/send-us-your-used-filters.html)

Read more about the issue: (http://www.takebackthefilter.org)
Spread the word. This is a grassroots movement. If we don’t speak up, who will?

Re: Woah! Did they just say “Recycling is Bullshit”? Twice?!?

Beth Terry — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:49:47 -0000

Recycling kind of is bullshit if it's used as an excuse to overconsume. But you just said that.

I believe producers should be responsible for taking back and recycling their crap. That's why we're so excited that Brita is going to announce a recycling program for its water filter cartridges:

http://www.takebackthefilter.org

If companies are going to create disposable products, they ought to be responsible for cleaning them up. Then, perhaps, they'd create fewer in the first place.

Re: Is it Safe to Microwave Plastic?

Beth Terry — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:53:49 -0000

Mmmm... Stouffer's macaroni and cheese with a side of BPA. Delish.

I kid, but can't count the number of Stouffer's mac & cheese frozen meals I lived on back in the day before Fake Plastic Fish. Oh, how ignorance was such bliss. That stuff is such awesome comfort food. Especially the hard crunchy cheesy bits on top.

Sometimes I wish I could return to the simpler time before I really understood how toxic all this crap is. A rainy afternoon w/ Stouffer's mac and Entenmann's chocolate cake... those days have flown.

Re: 3 Myths About Bottled Water Exposed

Beth Terry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:47:04 -0000

Thanks, Alicia! The bottled water carnival is going up on Fake Plastic Fish today.

Re: Plastic water bottle advertising campaign from Brita

Beth Terry — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:54:57 -0000

Hi. Thanks for mentioning Take Back The Filter! We're collecting used filters and petition signatures, for those who don't know. We'd like Clorox in North America to recycle the filters the way the German company already does in Europe.

Re: Forget Plastic, Try Boxed Water

Beth Terry — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:55:32 -0000

Oy vey! Bottled water, whether it's packaged in plastic or corn or cardboard (which, by the way, is coated with plastic) is a huge environmental burden. I really feel that those of us who write green blogs have a responsibility to urge people to fill up reusable bottles from the tap rather than supporting an industry that extracts water from one area and ships it to another.

Re: Plastic Resin Pellets: Your New Source of DDT and PCB

Beth Terry — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:08:08 -0000

@Virgil Plastic resin pellets, aka "nurdles" resemble fish eggs, which is why they are eaten by marine animals. This is how they enter the food chain.

Do you want PCBs and DDT in your fish?

Check out this report from the North Pacific Gyre and photo of a rainbow trout. The (plastic) contents of its stomach will put you off seafood:

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2008/10/report-from-north-pacific-gyre-join.html

Re: Elizabeth Royte Says Boxed Water Just As Bad As Bottled

Beth Terry — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:50:41 -0000

@Steaming Pile -- did you even read the article? You ask "So which is better, saving volume on the truck, or saving (easily-recycled) plastic in the container itself?"

How about NEITHER? How about drinking tap water and not transporting it in any disposable packaging.

Also, plastic is not recycled. It's downcycled into other products.

Re: Rate Your Stinky Hippy Factor: Do You Really Need Deodorant?

Beth Terry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:18:01 -0000

Plain baking soda works great. No need for added essential oils or corn starch. I put it on with a powder puff to dry armpits. And honestly, I have less odor than I did when I was using deodorant every day. Oh, and I buy it from the bulk bin at Berkeley Bowl, bringing my own cloth bag, so it's a zero waste purchase.

And no, I am not a stinky hippie!

Re: Stapless Stapler

Beth Terry — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:46:04 -0000

I ordered a free sample of this stapler and am currently in the process of sending my free sample back to the company! I thought I could use it to save resources (staples.) But the thing came packaged in so much plastic that I'd have to go through an awful lot of staples to make up for the packaging. Layer upon layer of plastic bubble wrap.

And the thing doesn't even work! The pages pull apart very easily. Ridiculous!

Re: Extreme Makeover: The Tea Bag

Beth Terry — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:33:36 -0000

I'm REALLY surprised that Planet Green is linking to this article now. I would have thought that with all the negative comments, Treehugger would have put this one to bed.

This is just a ridiculous waste of resources, as so many others have commented. I don't think I'll be subscribing to Planet Green if they are going to continue to promote products with so much excess packaging!

Re: Book Review: Small Living

Beth Terry — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:57:23 -0000

I would have passed this article up, if it weren't for the line that caught my eye, "although the text is often meaningless and less than useful. But hey, we buy these things for the pictures."

This sounds like just more consumption to me! Do we really need to be buying books with pretty pictures and meaningless text? Do we need to buy new books at all when there are library books waiting for foster parents and used books waiting for adoption?

The environment would suffer so much less if everyone would just stop buying so much stuff!

Re: Book Review: Made to Break

Beth Terry — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:39:46 -0000

I agree with the commenter above. Like it or not, we live in a society that is rabid for newness. Sure, we can create products that will last for generations. But will people keep them that long, or will we just end up with mountains of solidly-built products lasting and lasting and lasting in landfills for generations?

Unless the mindset of culture reverses, which seems highly unlikely to me, it would be better to build disposable products that biodegrade and feed the earth, so that people can continue to feed their own shopping habits. Is that co-dependent? Maybe. But I also think it's a lot more practical than wishing and hoping that millions of people will change over night.

Re: Disappearing Act: Biodegradable Lawn Furniture

Beth Terry — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:37:42 -0000

Here! Here! I've said it before. Why make products that will last a long time when people often don't want to keep them a long time? That's how we end up with a lot of perfectly good and useful items lasting a long, long time in landfills.

Biodegradable is the way to go!

Re: Disappearing Act: Biodegradable Lawn Furniture

Beth Terry — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:45:18 -0000

However, having just checked the abeio site, I notice that there are a couple of errors in this article:

1) In the second paragraph, aveioLight should be spelled abeioLight.

2) Also in the second paragraph: "Since abeioLights are made from soy wax..." No. They are made from beeswax.

Beth

Re: Packaging Gets Functional: From Box to TV Stand

Beth Terry — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:53:01 -0000

It seems cool, until you realize that it's made of petroleum-based plastic and that it will eventually end up in a landfill... just not right away.

How about the people who already have a TV stand? What if they want the particular TV that is packaged with this stand, but they don't want the stand itself? Since it's impossible to buy the TV without the packaging, there goes the stand, into the landfill.

What happens when people grow tired of this TV stand and want a different one? Or want to upgrade their TV?

We need to be thinking about biodegradable packaging solutions, I think. Everything has a lifespan. What happens at the end of that lifespan is very important to consider in design!!!

Re: Ask the EcoGeek: Durable Bio-Plastics

Beth Terry — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:17:22 -0000

Another question is: What is the definition of durable? Just because an item is durable doesn't mean it won't end up in a landfill. People throw away durable goods all the time just because they grow tired of them.

I agree that the disposable plastic items are the biggest problem, but durable plastic is a problem in the waste-stream too, as folks discard items that still have some use in them. And we are still using a non-renewable highly polluting resource to create them.

So I too would like an answer to the question of what alternatives to petro-plastic have been developed for "durable" goods.

Re: Swaptree: New Online Trading System for Books

Beth Terry — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:24:20 -0000

And how green is it to be sending individual books and CDs through the mail to faraway locations? I can understand using it for things that you just can't find in the local library or from your local Freecycle or Craigslist. But I'm not crazy about the idea of using all that fuel to ship things that could easily be obtained locally.

Re: Just What You Needed: The Nag

Beth Terry — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:21:08 -0000

Unfortunately for me, according to their web site, they only nag people in the UK right now. Where can I get some American nagging?

Re: Oh My Gawd! She Wore the Same Clothes All Year

Beth Terry — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:06:17 -0000

Give me a freakin' break! I've worn the same clothes from my closet for SEVERAL years. The only time I find I have to buy clothes is when I gain or lose weight. Who are these people that think they need new clothes every season?

Well, I guess if it weren't for them, there'd be no hand-me-downs at Goodwill for those of us who struggle to keep our money.

Re: Get Hip, Get Green, and Bring Your Own Bag

Beth Terry — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:15:51 -0000

>>We can't think of anything less chic than trashing the environment. Or toting a disposable plastic bag, for that matter.

That's the problem with all this "green chic." You are giving up common sense for "looking" the part.

What are you doing with all those plastic bags that you already have? Throwing them into a landfill because you are afraid to look unhip? Please! If you've got plastic bags already, REUSE them!

DON'T buy new bags made from oil, no matter how much longer they last than disposable plastic bags. EVERYTHING is disposable over time.

Read my rant about this very topic:

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2007/08/be-careful-on-reusable-bags-bandwagon.html .

Re: Green or Not?: Braun's Energy Star Shavers

Beth Terry — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:58:39 -0000

I actually just wrote a post today about plastic-free shaving from a woman's perspective. It's at

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2007/08/plastic-free-shaving-part-1.html.

I use a safety razor (bought from an antique store) for my legs and armpits, and I have found some very inexpensive, good blades on eBay that are plastic-free. They come in a very small cardboard box of 100. There is a photo at the link above.

I haven't decided which shave soap works best, so anyone with experience with shave soap, please e-mail me and let me know. I'm still using up a can of Gilette shave gel, and when that's gone, I'll need to switch to soap.

Re: The Umbrella Pot Waters Your Houseplants with Rainwater

Beth Terry — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:39:09 -0000

Is the tiny bit of water you save worth this hunk of plastic?

Just say no to more useless plastic crap. If you're going to go through all the polluting to drill for oil, you outta create something really useful out of it.

This is ridiculous.

Re: Tope: A New Green Material for Wallets from db clay

Beth Terry — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:29:46 -0000

WHAT IS IT???

You (and they) tell us what is not in it and state the characteristics that make it eco-friendly. But what IS in it? What's it made out of? I can't find that info anywhere on their web site. Isn't that strange???

They say that it decomposes. They do not say that it biodegrades. Is it some kind of plastic that only breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces?

I have a feeling that this "synthetic" is no different from any other kind of petro-plastic. The difference is that people jump on the bandwagon because they have insufficient data to make an informed decision.

Maybe I'm wrong and it's actually made from a biodegradable source. But if that's the case, why don't they reveal what the source is???

Re: How to Detox Your House

Beth Terry — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:56:42 -0000

All cleaning needs can be met with combinations of baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and pure castile soap. Dr. Bronner's comes in 100% recycled plastic containers and is refillable.

I used baking soda and water to scrub out my fridge, and nothing else. It worked great.

What do you do with the old toxic cleaning products? That's a good question. Take them to the household hazardous waste facility? Send them back to the manufacturer with a letter stating why your family can no longer use their product? (You could ask for a refund while you're at it. It can't hurt to ask, right?)

Re: Nice Jugs and How to Milk Them for all They're Worth

Beth Terry — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:51:08 -0000

I am wondering if the study took into consideration the consequences to the environment of the entire cycle of plastic production, including the plastic pellets called "nurdles" which are filling up the oceans and attracting and concentrating toxins which are making their way up the food chain. I don't think these studies go far enough.

I am avoiding plastic is much as I possibly can and will continue to buy my local, organic milk from Straus in Marin County. I just wish they could find a non-plastic cap for their reusable glass bottles.

Re: PolyWhey™ Floor and Furniture Coatings From Vermont

Beth Terry — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:13:25 -0000

I used the PolyWhey furniture coating to finish a pine bookcase, and it seems to have worked great. I wrote about my experience with it and its recycled plastic container on my blog on December 19:

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2007/12/plastic-free-yogurt-well-almost-plus.html

Of course, time will tell how it holds up. I can attest that there was only a very mild smell while I was using it, not unlike Elmer's glue.

Re: PolyWhey™ Floor and Furniture Coatings From Vermont

Beth Terry — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:15:07 -0000

I used the PolyWhey furniture coating to finish a pine bookcase, and it seems to have worked great. I wrote about my experience with it and its recycled plastic container on my blog on December 19:

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2007/12/plastic-free-yogurt-well-almost-plus.html

Of course, time will tell how it holds up. I can attest that there was only a very mild smell while I was using it, not unlike Elmer's glue.

Re: Take Back the Filter Campaign Succeeds: Brita Will Recycle

Beth Terry — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:14:37 -0000

There are actually two separate Brita companies. The original German company, which put out those ads that you have displayed, has already had a recycling program in place since 1992.

The North American portion of the Brita company was purchased by Clorox in 2000, and until now, they have not had a recycling program of any kind.

Take Back The Filter originated in the U.S. and targeted Clorox's North American Brita company. We don't have further info about recycling in countries outside North America. We hope that Canadians and Mexicans will be able to recycle their filters as well, but we don't know what the plan is for those North American countries.

Also, we don't have any info at this time about recycling Brita faucet, refrigerator, Braun, or any other types of Brita filters. The program that will be announced on Tuesday only covers pitcher filters.

Beth Terry

Take Back The Filter

http://www.takebackthefilter.org

Re: Take Back the Filter Campaign Succeeds: Brita Will Recycle

Beth Terry — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:22:10 -0000

@Cash -- many people think that everything they put in their recycle bins actually gets recycled. That is not the case. Putting a cut-open Brita filter into your recycle bin is just another way of sending it to the landfill. That is the reason we started the campaign -- because until now there has not been any way to recycle a Brita filter in North America.

Re: Beth Terry's Lessons in Activism

Beth Terry — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:16:18 -0000

@john doe I totally agree that we should boycott companies that are blatant polluters. My comment is not so much that we should ignore them, but that given the choice of companies to pursue for pro-active change, let's go after the "low-hanging fruit" first. Many people have asked us why we targeted Brita instead of Pur or one of the other water filter companies, and a big reason was that Brita was already "talking the green talk" with their "responsible water" commercials and Filter For Good campaign. We figured they'd be the most open to considering a recycling program. And once their program was in place, we could then focus on other water filter companies.

Re: Plastic Resin Pellets: Your New Source of DDT and PCB

Beth Terry — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:08:08 -0000

@Virgil Plastic resin pellets, aka "nurdles" resemble fish eggs, which is why they are eaten by marine animals. This is how they enter the food chain.

Do you want PCBs and DDT in your fish?

Check out this report from the North Pacific Gyre and photo of a rainbow trout. The (plastic) contents of its stomach will put you off seafood:

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2008/10/report-from-north-pacific-gyre-join.html

Re: Elizabeth Royte Says Boxed Water Just As Bad As Bottled

Beth Terry — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:50:41 -0000

@Steaming Pile -- did you even read the article? You ask "So which is better, saving volume on the truck, or saving (easily-recycled) plastic in the container itself?"

How about NEITHER? How about drinking tap water and not transporting it in any disposable packaging.

Also, plastic is not recycled. It's downcycled into other products.

Re: Rate Your Stinky Hippy Factor: Do You Really Need Deodorant?

Beth Terry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:18:01 -0000

And no, I am not a stinky hippie!

Re: Hatchery Horrors: Video Shows No Mercy for Baby Chicks

Beth Terry — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:12:57 -0000

Buying "certified humane" eggs is not a guarantee that the chickens that laid them came from humane hatcheries. I did some research this weekend and learned that most egg producers, certified humane or not, buy their chicks from hatcheries that may engage in these practices. But there is something we can do! The executive director of Humane Farm Animal Care suggests writing to the Secretary of Agriculture and asking for the USDA to invest in research on sexing embryos.

I wrote a detailed post this morning about my discussion with her and what we can do here:

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2009/09/male-chicks-macerated-for-our-eggs-but.html

Beth