May 1 – New Hampshire No Impact Week – Wherever you may be, The No Impact Experiment is a one-week carbon cleanse, which was inspired by the book and film and person, No Impact Man, Colin Beavan and his No Impact Project  (http://www.noimpactproject.org/)  From May 1st to May 8th, you are challenged to lower your impact in a different way (Monday is trash, Tuesday is transportation, etc.) When you register, you will receive an info guide for with tips and goals for your challenge!

No Impact Man

Different locations that may work in your house include the basement (especially if on the cooler side), the bulkhead stairs to the basement, an unheated garage, or in the ground/in an actual root cellar.

Keys to successful cold storage:

• Aim to keep the produce between 32 and 50^oF. Don’t let it freeze!
• Store the different vegetables and fruit in separate containers and with enough space between the containers to allow air circulation.
• Only store produce that is not bruised or has other defects.
• Reuse a wooden pallet to keep the containers off of the ground, especially if storing on a dirt or gravel surface.
• Check the produce often and remove pieces that show spoilage.

If you don’t have separate locations with varied humidity, you can do what I do and create mini environments in covered plastic bins. For example, my garage is typically between 35 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. I keep all of my produce in one location, using shelving and plastic bins to keep the different vegetables separate.

The winter squash and pumpkins sit on the open shelves; next to them I keep garlic and onions in wooden baskets. My root veggies, like carrots, rutabega and beets, each have their own bin in which they are layered with slightly moistened sand. Potatoes sit in plastic baskets within a larger covered plastic bin. The baskets sit atop a layer of very moist sand so that the potatoes are not in the sand.

Here is a short list of produce that are easy to store around the house, arranged by moisture/humidity requirements:

Above all, don’t worry if you cannot find the ideal conditions around your house. Finding an area with conditions close to the ideal will still provide some shelf life for the produce and allow you to enjoy the local, fresh produce into the winter.

Contact Mimi White, mimiwhite@earthlink.net, 964-6586 for more information and to sign up.

You can also attend the Green Saturday morning programs at the Seacoast Science Center and learn more about how you can tighten up your home. Details are in the Events Calendar on this site.

TEN+ ACTIONS:

1.  Recycle and buy minimally packaged goods as much as possible.

2.  Wash clothes in cold water. (Ed. – It works as well as warm, really!)

3.  Install low-flow shower heads to use less water.  (Ed. Feels the same as full-flow)

4.  Run the dishwasher only when it is full and don’t use the heat to dry dishes.

5.  Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. (Ed. They come in all shapes and sizes now, some dimmable and instant-on)

6.  Plug air leaks in windows and doors to increase energy efficiency.

7.  Replace old appliances with energy efficient models.

8.  Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation whenever possible.

9.  Adjust your thermostat – lower in winter, higher in summer.

10.  Share these simple steps with family and friends and increase awareness!

Other steps that have been taken:

Put up a clothesline or wooden rack.

Wrap hot water pipes.

Insulate attic and cellar.

Reglaze, recaulk and tighten old windows.

Use cloth draft-prevention “snakes” at bottom of doors and windows.

Have a home energy audit. Call your energy provider – they may do this for free or a very reasonable rate.

Program thermostats.

Compost waste.

Plant a vegetable garden.

Buy local at the Rye Farmers’ Market