I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Out Of Energy – No Impact Week Day 5
photo credit: Michel Filion
Today in No Impact Week we are challenged to reduce our energy use. I had planned to hang clothes up to dry today, and then a storm decided to roll in and dump rain on us all day. When your bathroom is so small that you hit your knees on the bathtub when you sit on the toilet, or your back is against the water tank to get to the sink… there’s just not a lot of room for hanging clothes up inside.
We make an effort to keep lights turned off when not in use. Trust me, that’s no easy feat. The boys have a habit of turning on every light they pass and leaving it on, so I’m generally following behind shutting them off. We don’t watch TV during the day except on rare occasions, so that’s covered. If only I can convince Michael to stop unplugging his cell but leaving the charger still plugged in I’d be thrilled.
- Instead of using your washing machine, wash your clothes grape-stomping style like Colin did during his No Impact year.
- Minimize your need for the oven and stovetop (and maximize the nutrient value of your food!) by planning meals that do not require cooking. Google “raw food” and be amazed by the tongue-tantalizing results!
- Pretend you’re on a camping trip and store your food for the rest of the week in a cooler or try to make your own Nigerian Zeer Pot. You can also keep greens submerged in water, like you keep flowers
I was thinking of making a solar oven today with the boys, but again – no sunshine. The good thing is that’s it’s the perfect temperature right now. We’ve had the AC off for weeks and it’s not cold enough to need much more than a long-sleeved shirt. Especially since the laundry area is in the middle of the house. ONe load in the dryer and we’re snuggly warm all day from the radiated heat.
