Making Tracks

I'll be driving from Cleveland to Columbus on March 3rd to attend the Passenger Rail Lobby Da y in our state's capital. If all goes well, my future trips will be spent reading or computing on a train instead of spewing carbon as I grip my steering wheel with eyes glued to Interstate 71.

I have never lobbyed for anything before, but the Lobby Day sponsored by the Sierra Club, Ohio Environmental Council and All Aboard Ohio is supposed to teach me how to effectively communicate the importance of passenger rail to my representatives .

The deadline to register is tomorrow, February 25th. Register for Rail Lobby Day

The Schedule is as follows:

8:45 am Arrive at Sierra Club Ohio Chapter Office (131 N. High St., Columbus 43215)

9:00 am Training and Educational Session

11:00 am Teams begin Ohio Senate visits

12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch available

1:00 pm Teams begin Ohio House of Representatives visits

3:30 pm Teams report back to Sierra Club staff

Light breakfast, lunch, and materials will be provided at no cost to you.

For more information about passenger rail initiatives in Ohio, check out All Aboard Ohio.

Makin' Babies

During last Monday’s discussion/action group, which we are now unofficially calling Transition Cleveland, we discussed chapters 7 and 8 of the Transition Handbook. This part of the book transcends the typical fear, doom and gloom predictions for post-peak oil society. The author asks us to create a positive vision for the community. 

As a group, I think we struggled with this; we seem to be more comfortable talking about transition-ing rather than what life might be like after the transition.

We also learned how to ferment tea to make Kombucha. Jeff and I were given a “baby” (a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria)  to start our own batch. Each batch of tea has a “mother” (a colony of yeast and bacteria) and produces a baby colony that can be given away. Kombucha has a refreshing taste and is said to contain probiotics. Kate says she has been drinking it everyday and has never felt better. 

I am interested in learning more about fermentation to increase the nutritional properties of preserved food. 

DIY Plumbing

Yesterday I  converted my bathroom sink into a simple greywater system. It didn't take too long to accomplish, but I should have had the foresight to wear rubber gloves. There was a bit of an ick factor with the trap.

The way this works: The greywater in the sink drains into the bucket. The water from the bucket is re-used to flush the toilet. This prevents the flushing of drinking quality water. I should have the added benefit of a less expensive water bill.