I am a typical American in so many ways. I battle a waistline that bulges as a result of my ready access to so many edible goodies. And I produce more than my share of carbon and other waste, as a result of my ready access to so many consumer goodies. Both my body and my carbon footprint suffer the effects of that American disease, affluenza.I'm not especially good at battling either one.
I've gained weight over the years. Right now, it's probably about what it was when I was pregnant with my daughter years ago; certainly, I'm not the sylph I was in high school.
As for my carbon footprint, it's pretty porky, too. I'm not quite as "fat" a polluter as the average American, who outgasses a hefty 20 tonnes of carbon a year. But my annual contribution of 15 tonnes a year to global warming is certainly higher than the average for other industrial nations, of 11 tonnes, let alone the current worldwide average of 4 tonnes per year.
And that's not even considering the amount of unrecyclable plastic waste, recyclable plastic waste that "downcycles", toxic chemicals, and contributions to environmental atrocities like mountain-top removal mining that I'm contributing to, directly and indirectly.
I'm going to get depressed in a minute... and that won't help anybody. So, let me share some good news with you first:
My gall bladder has decided it doesn't love me any more.
Yes--this is good news. And I promise not to turn this entry into a long whine about my aches and pains: no "organ recital"--cross my heart.
It took some time for me to figure out what was going on. I started to have pain. Several times a day. And enough to wake me up at night. It hurt, and I didn't like it.
I'll leave out the medical sleuthing that led me to suspect it was my gall bladder. I will say that my feelings were hurt by the idea: I associate gall bladder problems with fat middle-aged people. I kind of resented looking the truth in the eye.
My body thought I was fat. And was unhappy enough about it to give me those nasty little twinges and aches.
Bodies don't lie. Even if we offer to take them out for an ice cream sundae.
My doctor shared my suspicion and ordered the usual tests. But in the month between the initial visit and the revisit to discuss the results, I decided to act like it was my gall bladder, even if we didn't know for sure. What makes gall bladders unhappy? High fat foods and eating too much. What makes gall bladders happy? The kind of foods we all know we should be eating: lots of fruits and veggies, not a lot of processed crap, more fiber, and less fat. And less generally.
So I tried it. Really tried it this time, because every time I got sloppy or lazy, my body would wake me up at 3 AM for a little motivation session. My body got very good at plain speaking, and I got better and better at listening. And after a while, my body stopped giving me a hard time, because I stopped giving it a hard time, and yielded to the hard truth:
I can't eat like a fat, happy American any more.
No more the slices of pizza, dripping with mozzarella; no more the chocolate bars and brownies; no more the salt-and-pepper potato chips (my irresistible toxin of choice).
Pain has been a great teacher.
By the time I saw my doctor again, my weight had dropped noticeably, but, best of all, I was almost symptom free. It took me about a month, but when I finally understood where my pain was coming from, changing my lifestyle was nowhere near the struggle I would have predicted it would be. At this point, the weight loss is slowing, as I figure out ways of controlling my fat intake without being hungry all the time. But it has not stopped. It probably won't stop until I reach a weight my body--not my brain--thinks is acceptable.
I'm cool with that.
So, here's the environmental angle. (I told you I'd get there eventually.)
Having made one set of lifestyle changes has made me much more aware of others I need to make. Not only is my energy use and consumerism a lot like my pre-gall-bladder-diet in being loaded with "fat", but the strategies I used to create change in my body should also be helpful in my relationship with the earth. Dramatic changes are hard to sustain... unless you build them in. Losing weight turned out to be easier than I'd thought it could be... once I'd made the changes to my day-to-day life that supported it.
A little negative reinforcement to keep me faithful was helpful, too. Happily, increased energy costs are doing a nice job with this in the area of carbon footprint.
So the stage is set to make some changes.
Here's where I make some shameful admissions. While Peter and I do a lot of things that are reasonably good for the earth--we keep our thermostat low in the wintertime, recycle everything that comes into our house that can be recycled, eat very little meat, and so forth--we also do some not-so nice things. For instance:
- We wash our dishes in a dishwasher. Just two of us and the dogs, and we use a dishwasher.
- We use an electric clothes dryer. Even in the summertime.
And I'm writing about things I know full well are significant sources of pollution, and, worst of all, unnecessary. Very few people can claim to actually need dishwashers or electric clothes dryers. It's just that, like salt and pepper potato chips, they're handy, quick, and appealing.
So we're trying an experiment, Peter and I. We're washing the dishes by hand.
gasp!
I know that those of you who, like us, got addicted to this appliance are thinking to yourselves that the energy savings are not likely to be earth-shattering. And I know that those of you who are working to eliminate all plastic waste from your lives are likely thinking that this is a very minor gesture.
The point I'm trying to make here is that small changes sometimes make good levers for larger ones. Once I began counting grams of fat and reducing portion sizes, I began looking for ways to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and to increase my fiber intake, too. And each discovery of a convenient way to sustain one change seemed to lead to another way to initiate another change. Thus far, the changes in my diet have been both surprisingly easy to sustain and, from the point of view of my body, effective.
And in the Chapin-Bishop household, effective environmental change begins with the dishwasher. Let me walk you through the steps:
First of all--why we use a dishwasher. It's a habit, of course: that's the most obvious and probably even the most important reason.
But also, we have a tiny galley kitchen, that (literally) used to be a closet. There is just barely room for the sink and one under-counter cabinet (or, in our case, a dishwasher) to the left of the fridge on one side, and the stove and another under-counter cabinet, with one wall unit, on the other. Two people can fit into our kitchen only if they are very, very good friends, and there is no way to set up a traditional dishwashing sink, with counterspace on either side (for dirty and clean dishes, accordingly).
We got the dishwasher around 1993 or so, when we were living in a group household with 5 adults and a child. Another two adults--Peter's parents--were in residence for probably a month or so every year, and we hosted many coven and Pagan community events that drew a record of 23 people at one time. Add to that the hours a day of elder care and taking care of a young child that were part of our household routines, and a dishwasher seemed to us to make sense. So we got one, and we've used it ever since.
Now, Mt. Toby is a relatively large meeting. We often have fifty or more people staying for hospitality after meeting for worship, and the annual Thanksgiving dinner is probably even more. And there is no sign of a dishwasher in that kitchen. Though it can be awkward making sure that there are enough volunteers, there usually are enough hands to make the work speed by pretty quickly.
And the message is loud and clear: we, as a community, don't think we need to waste the energy and resources that dishwashers consume.
I have felt embarrassed about using ours for some time now.
But, though it was my gall bladder that pushed me over the edge, it was the dishwashing station at Woolman Hill that showed me the way to make a change.
In October, Woolman Hill conference center hosted the FUM General Board. There were somewhere between forty and sixty people there, for a full sit-down dinner, and Peter and I had volunteered to help host. In addition to bringing food, I wound up doing a stint in the kitchen afterwards, washing dishes at the i-Pod of dishwashing stations. By which I mean, this hand-washing station has a design that is so user-friendly and carefully thought out as to make legions of converts. Irritations I'd never really thought about, like the way that the counter
under the dish drainer always becomes sodden, or the chronic lack of space in the drainer, were addressed.
Washing up for the General Board was far easier than it had any right to be. And, since I am a good American, I immediately began thinking in technological terms about how to address my problem: my desire to go low-tech with dishwashing, in a tiny kitchen.
Peter, it turns out, had been as impressed with the triple-decker dish-drainer as I had been, and agreed that--come summer, when the demands of his hectic teaching schedule abated--he'd make one for us. And my brain began to scheme, in the way brains have. And then, when my gall-bladder demonstrated that lifestyle changes were easer to reach than I'd thought, I began working on a series of lifestyle changes that might make us a little less piggish in our use of resources.
We do not have our triple-decker dish drainer yet. Peter's school ended only last week--mine only ended yesterday. But, for the past month, our only use of the dishwasher has been as... a double-decker dish drainer.
It's not as elegant as Woolman Hill's, I must say.
However, it has allowed us to test the theory that, properly configured, we can make a dishwashing station that will be as convenient to use as our dishwasher, and a good deal more energy efficient. We've discarded the sink-stoppers of my youth (do those things ever work?) for plastic tubs in each sink, found scrubbers we like, and kept up with the dishes just fine. In fact, though it's inconvenient to have to bend over to remove the clean dishes from our dishwasher-cum-drainer, it's actually begun to seem a little bit easier than using the dishwasher. It was always such a project to arrange the dishes so they would all get clean, and my favorite mug was always dirty and waiting for the next wash, and so on.
Even before installing the triple-decker over our countertop, I am ready to declare Project Hand-Washing a success. What's more, it was successful at our busiest, tiredest time of the school year, suggesting that this lifestyle change is sustainable.
Which means I can take the dishwasher out, and proceed to Step Two.
Step Two involves laundry.
Laundry is another big energy piggy in our house, because of that electric clothes drier. We use the drier because our washer is in the basement, and the basement, while dry enough to allow clothes to dry eventually, generally imparts to them a delightful aroma of heating oil and mildew. Not Very Nice.
What's more, our yard is tiny. There is nowhere for a clothesline to go. So indoor drying is really the only alternative to a clothes drier--but the washer is in the basement, which is at the end of not one but two narrow and twisting flights of stairs from our part of the duplex in which we live. Not only does this mean that carrying the wet clothes up the stairs would be a huge project, but it has also always meant that Peter, who does not have the back problems I do, has been stuck doing the laundry all on his lonesome.
And whatever my feelings are on the energy waste of electric driers, it's pretty clear to me that those of us blessed with mates who are willing to do all the laundry, every single week, are ungrateful and pettish little monsters, if we turn around and preach at them about how it gets done!
The only way to ethically reform our laundry drying system, I believe, is for me to be doing at least half the work. (More would be better--I owe this guy for about fifteen years worth of sorting, toting, and folding!)
And for that to happen, the washing machine needs to be on the same floor we live on.
Like, maybe in the vacancy in our kitchen where the dishwasher used to be? Maybe one of those nice, energy efficient front loaders?
Wish me luck. Peter says he's willing to consider it. And I've got a few ideas for space-efficient clothes drying racks, too.
12 comments:
Incidentally, I'm aware that the vast preponderence of online information will tell you that hand-washing dishes is much less efficient than using dishwashers.
One problem: all of the published discussions of the topic that I have found that mention any source for this counter-intuitive finding mention the same source: a study from the University of Bonn which compared the most efficient modern models of dishwasher with hand washing.
I do not read German, so I have not read the original article. But some of the details I've gleaned second-hand are suggestive: that a dishwashing manufacturer helped sponsor the research, for instance, and that the method of hand-washing used was washing dishes under continually running hot water.
That is not how I do dishes--do you?
It is possible that fully loaded dishwashers, while still new and highly efficient (and therefore, not, like ours, needing the dishes to be pre-rinsed or soaked in order to come clean), when run on their most energy-efficient settings and with the consumer taking the trouble to open the door and allow the dishes to air-dry (rather than auto-dry as the dishwasher generally does) will do pretty well on gallons of water heated for use. It's also true that if compared with, say, an electric hot water heater, run at the highest setting, uninsulated, and without a tub to collect the dishwater and the rinsewater (ie, run continually, as appears to be the case in the study), the dishwasher will do pretty well compared with hand-washing.
But the claim that washing dishes by hand uses 27 gallons of hot water--nearly the entire contents of our hot water tank--is poppycock. Those tubs hold about 2--3 gallons each, max, when in use.
And my hot water is not heated with electricity. Nor does it come from a tank set to the highest possible setting. Nor do I use it unmixed with cold water.
Nor do the dishwasher comparisons take into account the environmental impact of manufacturing the dishwasher, replacing it when it becomes less efficient over time, or disposing of it at the end of its useful life.
There's something rotten here, in my opinion. And, until someone replicates this study--and publishes it in English, so I can read it and look carefully at the research methods used--I'm going to stay deeply, deeply skeptical of the energy consumption of dishwashers vs. hand washing.
'Cause if it looks too good to be true... it probably is.
Not to strain an already strained metaphor too far, but, again, I'm reminded of my weight problem. How many fat cures and miracle diets have we all seen come and go? Fat-blockers, high-protein, metabolism boosters, fat-burning supplements...
We all want to consume our way out of our pain. But there's still no such thing as a free lunch--high fat or not!
With you on the weight loss or what Erynn describes as "imperialist expansion." I've been walking (lots) and cutting back and its helping.
Am keeping the dishwasher. Brand new German model. Eco features include no (extra) water heating and no power drying. Dishes come out amazingly clean.
Very useful, it is, with a 17 year old in the house who seems to create used dishes out of thin air. All somewhat ameliorated by the fact that we use 100% renewable electricity or to be more precise, our power company is obligated to buy as many kw of electricity from wind and other sources, which is expanding renewable energy production.
Nothings simple, but every small thing helps in some way.
David
One of the things I love about the ways the Quakers I know do ethics is through individual clearness rather than fiat... There's the famous story of Penn asking George Fox if, as a gentleman in an era when gentlemen universally wore swords as a token of honor and rank, he (Penn) was obligated to stop wearing the sword now that he had become a Friend. Fox's reply is supposed to have been, "Wear it as long as thou canst," and Penn is supposed to have reached his limit on wearing his sword one day out riding, and cast both it and his wig away and left them in the road without a second glance.
There is some doubt about the historicity of the tale... but none about the underlying principle: that even a testimony as central to Quaker identity as the peace testimony is supposed to be prompted by the inner workings of the Light, transforming us from within in the ways and at the times that make sense in our circumstances.
I find myself more and more uneasy with my consumerism, and I'm trying to find ways to follow those leadings. But, when Nora was alive, at the time when the dishwasher was new, our situation and our leadings were different. So, not only is your dishwasher a newer and more energy efficient model than mine, but your life circumstance is, as well. And, should hand-washing ever be your leading, it will rise within you from the promptings of Spirit (provided you work at becoming clear and faithful to what leadings come your way).
We're different, and what we're asked to do will be different, too.
Carpooling is another very obvious environmentally friendly thing for someone with a long commute, like mine, to do. I've been resisting that change, though--it represents more of a sacrifice. In fact, the solitude at the beginning and end of each work day is so important to me for staying in balance in my life that this is a step I hesitate to make... We'll see.
But if it's what I'm being led to, I hope I'll be faithful to that leading. I'm just trying to weigh out (no pun intended) when the leading is from my ego or desire to be self-importantly martyr-like, vs when it's from something more sustainable--the Light of Spirit nudging me to follow it.
So--enjoy your dishwasher! And your own battles with "imperialist expansion." (Great phrase!)
A number of years ago I was starting to have a lot of gall bladder pain whenever I had foods with much fat content, severe enough that I was thinking I might have to have it out. Someone I trusted suggested taking supplements of lecithin capsules whenever it was a problem. I've found the lecithin to give almost instant relief, and am quite impressed with its efficacy.
That said, I offer the customary internet caveats: that I offer my own personal experience and your experience may differ, and that you should not try supplements or any other medical regimen without checking with your primary medical caregiver first.
Hi, I came here for the Quaker and the pagan... and am only now bothering to comment... on dishes. While I deny any belief in astrology, I fear I must say I'm a textbook Virgo who happens to have been born in early September. I'm also a dreadful lurker who really enjoys your religion posts.
That said, I've stumbled on my own dishes solution: limit the number of dishes in circulation. Figure out how many dishes you need for day-to-day living, then put the rest somewhere slightly hard to reach but available should company arrive. You'll be washing more often, but with fewer dishes you'll need less space to process them.
Just my two cents.
Many, many thanks for the analysis of dishwashing. You are helping to settle a five-year-old question in my household!
Another consideration to factor into your thoughts on laundry is that a dryer ages clothing (by tumbling and beating it) much faster than actually wearing the clothes does. Take it from a guy who's been selling clothes for a living: you'll find your clothes last much longer if you hang-dry them.
Oh, and Michael Season's makes a delicious unsalted reduced-fat potato chip!
Hi, Graylor,
Thanks for delurking, and I'm glad you find my posts of interest. :)
It's interesting. It seems that the dishwashing vs dishwasher debate is one that a lot of us instinctively care about. There's a huge number of references to the question out there. Why dishes are a matter of such intense interest and environmental debate, and not, say fabric softener or shrink wrap packaging I do not know. Maybe because we all hated washing the dishes as kids?
My daughter has been drawn to your approach, in any case. In fact, we have a set of plates she gave us when she cleared excess plates out of a group living situation last summer. It's an approach...
Marshall, you're right about the dryer being a source of wear and tear on clothes. You remind me, in fact, of yet another way to reduce my footprint--wearing used clothing. At my current size, it can be hard to find good quality used clothes, but it was something I loved to do when I was younger (and thinner) though not so much to save the planet as because I'm cheap, and never could see buying a pair of jeans when I could spend the money on books instead!
I've taken a resolution this summer to stop buying new books, in fact. I'm sure there will be exceptions--in fact, I'm going to wind up ordering a textbook from Amazon, in order to be confident I'll have it before my course begins in two weeks. But since book buying is a big part of my budget, having less of an impact on my wallet and my footprint could be a good thing. We'll see.
And let me just put in a plug for my favorite environmental blog, Fake Plastic Fish. It's well-written, often funny, and definitely has got me seeing my use of plastic in a different light.
I really enjoyed this post and I look forward to exploring through your blog some more.
I agree with everything you've said here and just want to state that in all my married life, I have never used the dishwasher- perhaps it goes back to having the job of emptying them all through my teenage years. And I love washing dishes- it's just a peaceful thing for me, have my hands in warm, soapy water, looking outside at my yard...
But only recently have I stopped using the dryer. I went out and bought myself some of those drying racks and I can set it up outside when I want to or bring it inside for when the weather looks not so great! I like the fact that I am saving energy, money, and our clothes all at the same time, but perhaps there is something even deeper than all of that. I just feel GOOD about it. It makes me feel responsible or useful or caring- all of those, I guess. And it's very simple- all these things are very simple. That's good, too!
Anyways, just wanted to say that.
Looking forward to visiting more!
Dear Cat,
Used clothing is a great choice if your lifestyle will permit it. Giving away any perfectly good clothing you no longer wear, especially to charities that distribute them to the poor without charge, is also a good policy. I've had many customers at the department stores where I've worked who change their own wardrobes entirely every two years — but who are members of churches in poor neighborhoods, and make sure that their still fine-looking castoffs go for free to their hard-up sisters and brothers.
While I understand your reasons for no longer buying used books, I hope you understand that by doing this you are withdrawing your financial support for living authors. Should your policy catch on, we must expect the quality of new writing to suffer, at least in the fields that interest people like yourself.
Err — that final paragraph should have begun, "your reasons for no longer buying new books." (*Blushes.*)
Hi, Regina, thanks for stopping by and for sharing.
Marshall, I think the same criticism could be leveled at libraries as at used bookstore patrons. I mean, it's a point, but I have drunk so often from the well of newly published books, that I think maybe its time I let others have a turn before me.
In truth, the books I read are generally either books whose authors are doing very nicely thank you, and will not miss my money, or are books so obscure and odd that they go out of print immediately, and never earn their writers back enough money to pay off their research costs.
I'll always make exceptions for the books my friends write, though. I just love the small, but growing, collection of books with my friends' names on the spines, and their signatures inside. That is one vice I don't imagine I'll be able to wean myself away from.
It's always hard to weigh out all the competing goods in a question like this. I'm just trying to be more awake when it comes to the impact of my impulses on the planet.
Hi, Cat!
The issue of libraries is so far off your original topic that I will refrain from responding to it here.
Thanks for all your replies — they do mean a lot to me.
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