Going Green

So i've reently decided to go as green as i can at home with the price of utilities going through the roof. the cost of living in Japan (like everywhere else in the world) is going up up up so i stopped by my local Bic Camera to get a bunch of eco efficient lights for the house. now all of the regular bulbs in my little apartment are low wattage. yes, each individual bulb is slightly more exy than your standard bulb but i hope it pays off in the long run. they work fine, it's just a bit dark when you first turn it on. it takes about a minute for the bulb to "warm up."

i continue to use gray water for flushing the toilet. japan actually has a neat little built in sink at the top of the toilet. when you flush, clean water comes out of the top where you can wash your hands and drains into the tank below for the next flush. plus we have a 2 liter bottle of water in the tank which makes each flush use less water.

been using a bowl of soapy water to clean my dishes as well. i used to run the water the whole time but i realized how much of the stuff i waste. i've also gotten J to stop doing the dishes because a) he washes the inside of the cup but fails to clean properly around the rim where it's the most dirty and b) because he runs the water a lot. yes, it's extra work for me but i end up washing it again after he does it so might as well make him stop doing it altogether (i hear those of you smirking that i'm a control freak).

the veggie garden on my balcony is also getting bigger, a student brought me a few sprigs on mint which have begun to show roots and the jalapeno plant and 2 kinds of basil are also starting to come up. it's all organic, no pesticides and extra junk, which means a few leaves will get eaten my the little critters in the pots but hey, we all gotta give a little.

aside from the ecological factor, it makes sense financially too. although i'm not quite on biodegradable soaps and TP yet (probably will be within the year), i hope the green thinking works out in time. remember, it takes a while to see big results but it all adds up!