About Cherl Petso

Cherl Petso is the Associate Editor at Disaboom.com, an online magazine for people with disabilities. Her writing expertise includes articles about the environment and sustainable living, and vegan/vegetarian issues. A vegetarian for 16 years and a recent vegan, Cherl is passionate about animal rights and issues. She enjoys writing about simple ways to lessen the impact on the Earth. Cherl recently moved to Denver, Colorado from Bellingham, Washington. She enjoys hiking and hanging out with her puppy. You can visit Cherl at fiftytwonamesforsnow.com

Posts by Cherl:

Free Refills on Your Water – TapIt

We all know that the use of disposable water bottles and coffee cups is on the rise and out of control. If you’re reading this, you probably already have a snazzy reusable water bottle and mug that you haul around to lessen your contribution to the landfill. Unfortunately, when we’re out and about, it can be difficult to find a place to refill your bottle. Some cafes and restaurants will turn you away from using their water if you’re not a paying customer.

And if you live in a big city, public restrooms and sanitary water can be a rarity. The TapIt water bottle refilling network is an attempt to make it easier to refill your water bottle so you don’t have to pay for water (something that used to be free!). Founded in 2008, TapIt is working with cities to map out places of businesses that have agreed to provide free tap water refills. Several businesses sign on as partners and these partners can be found on city maps. Have an iPhone? There’s an application to let you know the nearest TapIt partner location.

According to TapIt, they are “. . . not just about going bottle-less; less bottles, less recycling, less water privatization and extraction,A it’s about understanding why those things are a problem and finding new and sustainable 21st century solutions.” They also claim to be advocates for health, since sugary drink substitutes are often what people will succumb to if unable to find free fresh water.

So far, New York City is the only city available, but TapIt is working hard to coordinate with other cities to make the TapIt project a reality across the nation.

You can learn more at http://www.tapitwater.com/

Green Apartment Trends: Coming to a Community Near You!

As the green movement marches on, apartment buildings are starting taking notice. Green building has been largely focused on houses and remodeling, leaving the renter out of options for greening up their home. In fact, living in an apartment or shared housing situation decreases your carbon footprint greatly versus having a house.

As a renter of a house, I’m continually frustrated at the helplessness I feel at not being able to remodel my house to be more energy efficient. Yes, we recycle, limit water use, and use green products, but the house still has a long way to go before it is environmentally-friendly. The fact is that I don’t have the money to remodel a place I will move out of in a year or two. Most people don’t want to invest the time and money into making a place sustainable when they’ll leave eventually.

The Green Apartment Trend
Green apartment complexes are springing up to meet new demands for a sustainable place to live for renters. These complexes vary in their execution of what they consider to be green, but generally they are more energy efficient through building materials or alternative energy. They also will tend to encourage environmental practices, like having safe bike storage or offering free electronics recycling. Some places will even donate a percentage of their property management fees to an environmental cause.

The Boutique Apartments in Denver, Colo., is one such green apartment company that is trying to change the face of renting. They own eleven buildings throughout the city—each with a different theme, all with the same commitment to green living. They install energy efficient kitchen appliances, water heaters, and boilers. They use white roofs instead of black ones to keep the buildings cooler in the summer, thus using less air conditioning. Bamboo floors were installed instead of oak floors, as bamboo is a more sustainable resource.

Green AND Beautiful
The aesthetics of green, sustainable apartments in general are also unique and beautiful. I’ve always been depressed by the uniformity of giant apartment complexes: white walls, identical floor plans—boring. It seems as though the leaders in the green apartment business are interested in making beautiful spaces for their tenants with recycled art, funky appliances, beautiful low-VOC paint on the wall in an actual color. It’s these little touches that will make the green apartment trend blow up.

Some states are starting to give incentives to those that build apartments in a sustainable fashion. Even without the incentive, these buildings will eventually pay for themselves through energy savings. Renters are looking for the X factor when scouring complex after complex, and this is it.

Tips for Starting a Cooking Habit

With the economic crisis and the sustainable living trend picking up, more and more people are coming home to eat. But what if the idea of cooking freaks you out? You just know you’ll cut off your finger or start a neighborhood fire. Or maybe you just don’t know where to start or don’t have the time. How can you start a cooking habit?

1. Get the tools.

Invest in a few cookbooks. What kind of food do you like to eat at restaurants? American, Thai, sushi? Browse some cookbooks and open the book randomly to a few recipes. Would you actually make or eat what you see? You can always take it home and try out a few things and return it if you find that the cookbook author’s style just doesn’t suit you.

Check out online recipes and sites. Many food magazines have websites that post most of their recipes. Read more

Are Fireworks Environmentally Friendly?

The Fourth of July is a holiday of mixed feelings and varying acts of celebration. Some people hide in the bathroom with their pained, frightened dogs while sounds of war surround their city, while others spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks and relish the opportunity to make things go BOOM. The one thing about the Fourth that’s agreed upon is the wonderful day off from work that accompanies this holiday. But what about the fireworks? All the smoke and chemicals can’t be good for the environment, right?

Right.

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Why See a Nutritionist?

Have you ever thought about seeing a nutritionist?  Most people think of nutritionists as professionals that you see when you want to lose weight.  While it is advisable for someone who is trying to lose weight to visit a professional, it’s useful for people of a healthy weight to see a nutritionist as well.  Even if your diet is balanced, a nutritionist can still reveal holes and patterns in your diet and help you feel your best.  There are other valuable reasons to visit a nutritionist besides shining a light on your diet.

Disease and prevention. If you have a preexisting condition, changes in your eating habits may help your body fight it and manage symptoms.  Thyroid disorders are very common and there are key foods to avoid, like soy, that a nutritionist can show you alternatives for.  If you don’t have any illnesses, take a look at your genetics.  What are you predisposed to?  Is breast cancer common in your family?  Then your nutritionist will recommend foods and supplements that may help you prevent your genetics from fulfilling themselves.

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Father’s Day Planning: Get Green!

Father’s Day is fast approaching–do you know what you’re doing for the father-figure in your life?  Fathers can be very difficult to shop and plan for.  They seem to be famous for the “just your love is enough” gig—which, while very sweet, is useless in helping you plan and buy.  But Father’s Day does have its advantages over Mother’s Day in that it’s one month later and you can be more sure of a nice weather weekend.

If your dad is of the green sort, or you are and want to celebrate with him in an eco-friendly way, here are some activity ideas to consider on the big day:

•    Plan a picnic. Take your dad on a favorite hike of yours and feast at the summit.  Or, if your dad isn’t the run-up-a-mountain type, you could take him to a ski area that runs their chairlifts in the summer and treat him with a sweat-free view.  Or, to save on gas, go to the local park or the local grass in your backyard and munch away.  After all, everything tastes better outside, right?

If your dad is a chef or enjoys cooking, let him be a part of the cooking process.  Hit up the local farmer’s market in the morning and let the season dictate your lunch!

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Iodine: What is it and Why Worry About It?

For most people, Iodine is something studied in science class and maybe noticed on the salt container.  Iodine is an essential element in humans.  It is crucial for thyroid hormone production, which is a significant player in metabolism and other hormone function.  Children with iodine deficiencies can be at risk for stunted growth and mental retardation.  It’s especially risky for pregnant women as well, as they are at greater risk for miscarriage and stillbirth.

For most Americans, getting enough Iodine is no problem.  It’s naturally occurring in most fish, mayonnaise, some cheese, eggs, seaweed, and other sources. But, if you’re like me and don’t eat most of those things, what can you do?  Iodized salt solved the deficiency problem in the early 20th century, but people are using iodized salt less and less.  Salt isn’t the healthiest ingredient and some people are turning toward the more interesting un-iodized salts—sea salt, black salt, etc.

While other nutritional deficiencies can be easily supplemented—B12, iron, calcium, etc.—Iodine supplementation is not so simple.  Over supplementing Iodine can also lead to thyroid problems just as easily as deficiencies.  And even worse, specific thyroid disorders are not linked to a deficiency or an over-supplementation, so you can’t tell on your own what you’re doing wrong.

Some experts recommend getting a urine test before supplementing to be sure that it’s necessary.  Seaweed has very high levels of Iodine, so be careful not to overdo it.  In addition, many multivitamins add their own Iodine, so you may be getting plenty through your daily vitamins.  You can talk to a dietitian or endocrinologist about getting tested, but don’t be surprised if he or she says it’s unnecessary.  If you’re really concerned, stand your ground or find someone who will administer the test.  Consult your doctor or nutritionist for more information.