Green Copywriter

This is tangential, but I'm so excited about it I just have to tell you!

Yesterday I got my first bona-fide check for a sales letter I wrote - I'm an official freelance copywriter!

The bank officer who opened my account for me said just looking at how excited I was made her day!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am. I've been writing for our own businesses for a while now(you can see my websites at MichelsenMusic.com - that's an early one, I'll be revamping the whole thing starting in January- and MarathonRenewableEnergy.com.) And it's one of those love-affair things. As soon as I started doing it I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up!

I plan to combine my passions and specialize in writing for companies which promote alternative energy and sustainable living.

I'll have my green copywriting website up by the end of the year, if all goes well. And I'll certainly let you know about it.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know would like to know how I can help you promote the heck out of your green business with direct response marketing materials and techniques that really work, do contact me. Together, we can create a greener tomorrow!

Insulating Winter Windows

The thermometer registered 9 below (Fahrenheit) this morning when I went to walk the dogs.

Since we live in an older house and it's not yet fully insulated (believe me, we're working on it!), we've figured out a few tricks for minimizing our heating bill (and our carbon footprint.)

One involves a rather unusual window treatment.

My husband Dan went out to a building supply place and bought several sheets of 1 1/2" Sturofoam insulation. He then cut it to fit inside the bedroom and office windows.

Part of our nightly ritual is putting these "heat-loss preventers" in place. It's amazing what a difference it makes in the level of comfort in the room. And they're easy to take down and set behind the door during the day to let in the natural light. (Often we'll leave them up as long as nobody's using the room.)

It may look a little out-of-the-ordinary, but on a day like this, who cares?

Think Before You Buy

I just got an email urging me to look into "Green gifts for your green sweetie."

Curious, I clicked the link and was taken to a page promoting items such as the "fountain jet home seltzer maker" (complete with "a seltzer machine, bottles and gas cartridges so you can get bubbling".)

How many people do you know who are so into seltzer that the manufacture, transport and eventual disposal of an electronic device like this would offset their consumption of (recyclable) seltzer bottles?

If you're really concerned about using bottles, why don't you start a campaign urging companies to start using reusable bottles? Or better yet, just drink good ol'plain water? It's better for you anyway.

"Green" is becoming such a buzzword that companies are jumping at every little chance to call themselves "sustainable."

Don't buy into it!

The Lazy Conservationist's Way to Save Energy

My husband poked his head in at my office door.

"What the heck are you doing down there?" he asked.

"I'm (mmfff!) trying to get my computer plugged back in, " came my muffled reply from amongst the tangle of wires and dust kittens inhabiting the dark recesses under my desk.

"Oh," he said, coolly leaning back against the door frame to observe my contortions. "You really don't have to do that, you know."

"Of course I do!" I replied indignantly, wiping a strand of cobweb from my eye. I glared at him. He knows as well as I do that the average American household could save up to 10% of their power bill each year - and reduce the amount of carbon pumped into the atmosphere - just by unplugging appliances when they're not in use.

"Cool your jets," he said smugly. "Why don't you just clear a path to that?"

"To what?" He seemed to be pointing to a blank wall.

"To the ground fault interruptor," he enunciated, in that tone of voice usually reserved for kindergarteners.

I peered past my stacks of books at the wall. There was some sort of electrical plate on the wall.

"Just push that in," he said, indicating a little button on the plate, "and it'll turn off the power to the entire circuit."

"Oh," I replied, heaving myself up from below. "Yeah. Thanks. I will."

He sauntered off to the kitchen, rolling his eyes.

Infuriating.

But as usual, he was right.

It really can be easy being green.

Popcorn

Mmmm...popcorn! Who doesn't love it?

But what a bunch of waste! Depending on the size of the bag and how hungry you are, one bag of microwave popcorn is about enough for 1-4 people. Then you throw out the bag.

Contrast this to a 1-2 pound bag of old-fashioned popcorn kernels. One dinky little bag contains enough popcorn to keep a large family happy throughout an entire film festival, and then some. And in many locations, the bag is recyclable.

Although popping your own has become a lost art, it's simple enough for a 12-year-old to master. All you need is a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, some oil and unpopped corn. Pour a couple tablespoons of oil into the pot, follow with a single layer of popcorn kernels, and set it on medium high. Don't forget the lid.

You can let it rest for a few minutes while the oil heats up. But as soon as you hear popping, it's time to shake, rattle & roll! Shake your booty (and the pot, too) until the wild popping dies down.

Making a big production out of the shaking is part of the fun. Your kids will probably want to join in on the "popcorn dance." (And it's even more fun if you have a glass-lidded pot. Just make sure they don't fall off the chair in the excitement of watching the little yellow kernels explode into tender, fluffy white morsels.)

It may take a little practice before you get it just right, but when you do, don't be surprised if popcorn becomes a nightly ritual (don't forget to top it with real butter - there will be plenty of residual heat left in the pan to melt it!)

And guess what - you won't even have to feel guilty about the bag!