Abendigo R.'s Profile
"green is you"
Member since October, 2006
User stats
286 reviews
87 useful ratings
233 listings added
5 friends
Location
San Francisco, CA
My affiliations
SustainLane, Glide Foundation, Esalen
Last great book or movie
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
My blog or website
My Dream Product
a bioPod
How we'll get around in 20 years...
we won't, it'll come to us
Offline, find me...
going through withdrawals
My heroes
Val, Anne, Peter, Jesse, Nellie, Roger, Sarah, Ronnie, Robert, Dale, and Napoleon
My non-green guilty pleasure
coffee, lots of it
Confessions of a Guerilla Composter
I want to start a new movement called Guerilla Composting. All you SF urban dwellers can begin composting today, if you don't already!
My Victorian building on Dolores Park in The Mission doesn't have composting. But every Wednesday night our neighbors roll out their green Norcal compost bins onto the street for Thursday morning pickup.
My wife and I have a small plastic bucket that we fill with coffee grounds, vegetable husks and egg shells. Then, quietly, ever so surreptitiously, every Wednesday night I (usually it's me), since my wife and I have this deal, where whoever dumps the compost doesn't have to clean the bin, I sneak down into the street, and find a nearby bin, and lift the lid, and voila! My compost bucket has been emptied.
I'm no dumpster diver, you know, or anything like that, but I can say with a certain assuredness, I'm a guerilla composter.
Heck, there's even a program at McGill University in Montreal (didn't the founder of Terracycle go there?), and guess what it's called? Gorilla Composting!
http://gorilla.mcgill.ca/compostingatmcgill.htm
Did you think this review was helpful?
(1)
Ecover Does It Again!
This natural linseed floor soap smells like you could drink it. Ingredients are all plant based and there are no chemical residues whatsoever. I use it in an almost all-purpose way, for toilets or for cleaning my compost bucket after I do my "Guerilla Composting (stay tuned -- that will be my next post subject). It may not work quite as well as a harsh detergent-ridden cleaner, but most of us are becoming more aware of the environmental hazards of using such products around pets and kids, not to mention yourself. ;-)
The instructions are simple:
1. Add a tad to lukewarm water
2. Mix it up
3. Hit the floor with your mop!
Everything in this product is biodegradable. Even the UN has recognized Ecover for its outstanding products. Oh, and their factory has a green roof too.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(0)
Consistent Yoga Classes at Yoga Tree!
What I like about Yoga Tree, is that you always know what you're getting. The yoga teachers are solid and high quality, they don't take too many vacations like most yogis ;-), which means that they show up consistently to teach the classes.
I've been doing a bunch of yoga again lately (3x a week), and I have to say, the benefits far outweigh any other considerations!
I like Yoga Tree on Valencia St. because it's just a few blocks from my house, it's comfortable (though the classes can sometimes be overly full -- that's why I avoid the 4:30pm weekday classes whenever I can), and the teachers are kind and helpful. Some of them are outstanding. I recommend Karl Erb as an oustanding Iyengar teacher, with almost 20 yrs. of yoga under his belt.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(0)
Chocolove: Belgian Dark Meets Australian Ginger
Made with 65% cocoa that's melded into a dark chocolate bar loaded with Australian crystallized ginger, these hot-spicy bars make for a great snack. Chocolove is a Boulder, CO-based comapny. It's funny, the wrapper has a love letter inscribed on it.
keywords: chocolove, crystallized ginger, dark chocolate, cocoa, chocolate bar, snacks, candy, belgianDid you think this review was helpful?
(0)
User Comments:
Jenn A. says:
Hey Ben - QA flagged this as "not organic" though other products are - your thoughts about why it "fits" (other than yummy!) more »
Abendigo R. says:
Yeah, thats' a good question, Jenn. I know you can get these bars in Whole Foods and Wild Oats across the country, and they have fairly stringent standards -- no colorings, artificial flavors, et cetera. These bars are... more »
Mighty Leaf Rooibos Tea!
This is my new favorite herbal infusion, a non-caffeinated mixture of rooibos leaves, with hints of vanilla. It comes in these handcrafted biodegradable pouches that give off the smell of fruits and herbs unlike most any boxed, pouched tea I've ever bought! And Mighty Leaf is from San Raphael, I think, which makes me feel good, because I'm supporting a relatively local company.
Even though there's no caffeine, the rooibos can certainly be called a stimulant, in my book, because I feel more active when I drink this tea but not in a frenzied way, more in a calm, clear and slightly expanded way, soothing yet stimulating.
And the tea tastes wonderful, especially with a little soy milk.
As you may know, rooibos is commonly known as South African red tea, and only grows in one of the western provinces of South Africa. It's got a sweet, nutty overtone. You can actually get a much more refined, expensive green rooibos, which is unoxidized.
It's loaded with antioxidants and has especially low tannin content, even though it's made in the same way as black tea.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(0)
Check out Simple Green's FAQs
Not only is this a great product that won't harm your children or your animals (how many all-purpose cleaners or disinfectants can you say that about?), used on everything from airplanes to microwaves to bikes, but they're also an upstanding company. I recommend checking out their FAQs on their website, where you may get some excellent ideas:
http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_faqs.php
It's been tested by the likes of OSHA and is recommended by the EPA because of its biodegradability. I also learned that it's actually a great carbon remover, I don't know what that means, but I think it's interesting. :)
Did you think this review was helpful?
(1)
Industrial Recyclers Need More Green Cred
Since 1978, PM Recovery, Inc has been a leading direct processor of scrap metals and spent catalysts. The company specializes in reducing the environmental liability and footprint of other industrial behemoths, such as Exxon-Mobil. These are the kinds of behind-the-scenes companies that are the true "green" heroes of today.
Specializing in tungsten carbide, cobalt, vanadium, nickel and molybdenum, these guys are basically a logistics company that takes part in every aspect of the industrial catalyst and metals recycling process. In other words, they aren't brokers but actual participants in the systems of industrial recycling, with actual physical secondary materials recovery plants.
On the catalyst side, you've got industries like aerospace, electronic, magnet production, medical, mining, automotive and other applications. And on the metals side, you've got industries like oil and petroleum, pharmaceutical and industrial gases. And PM Recovery does it all.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(1)
Not Crazy about the New Orr Hot Springs
Not that I've ever been to the old one. But Orr finally reopened to the public (given you've made a rez), after a long-overhaul of its hot springs facilities.
When you take a private tub (there are half a dozen private tubs enclosed in cedar rooms), the noise of the hot springs pumps and machinery are SO LOUD that you can't even relax with your ears under the water. Major oversight for a relaxing hot springs environs, major design flaw.
I don't mean to be a hot springs snob -- however, you can hardly escape the noise. I was disappointed, only because Orr is expensive and the property and location are utterly pristine. And the noise was enough to unwarrant a return visit, because it was difficult to relax. Also, the new tubs that opened have a permanent architectural hot springs "faucet" that's essentially always open, eliciting intermittently the sound of falling hot springs into the tubs, and because the sound is loud but unconstant, it's also startling and creates an unrelaxing environment. Another major design flaw, IMHO.
Now the major benefit of Orr is that Montgomery Woods, a huge old growth redwood grove, is just down the street, where you can take a majestic hike, and I mean truly staggering. We also stayed in a very cute yurt.
I had been hearing about Orr Hot Springs for years, and was so excited to get up there, and I have to admit, I'm not excited to return. I'll go to Indian Springs instead, or Wilbur. Thankyou.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(1)
User Comments:
Jenn A. says:
I was pretty surprised that you rated this so low - I thought it was plenty quiet! Sure - there's a low hum from the pumps, but that just becomes white noise. If you're looking for noise, you'll find it, you know? I... more »
Abendigo R. says:
I brought my rating up to 3 stars!
Did you just go, to the new tubs?
I wasn't looking for noise at all -- but like I said in the post, I'm not trying to be a hot springs snob. It's just a basic tenet of feng... more »
Fra' Mani Salumi from Berkeley
I adore the hand-crafted, artisan salumi Paul Bertolli and co. crank out in Berkeley. It's flavor profiles are truly outstanding, and everything is made with the finest ingredients, no nitrites or nitrates, gluten free, no added msg, no antibiotics or hormones.
I'm especially a fan of the fully cooked, spicy Italian sausage.
I was shocked to recently find the San Francisco Costco carrying Fra' Mani product. Go figure. I hardly ever buy food at Costco, I use it more for printer ink and Pellegrino, but every once in a while I pick up a bit of Fra' Mani there, since I don't get over to the East Bay all that often.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(0)
Mud, Glorious Mud Baths!
Okay, so Indian Springs is a posh, historic hot springs -- several geysers gush out of the multi-acred property, one huge one right next to the Olympic sized pool filled with mineral hot springs! And they have dark, rich mud baths that leech toxins out of your skin. I recommend going in the winter time, when fewer people are there.
And of course the town of Calistoga has some nice dining -- the Wappo Bar is probably my strongest recommendation.
The rooms are extremely plush and comfortable, with all modern amenities, and they set an example of unparalleled cleanliness when it comes to spa resorts, at least in my experience.
Curl up in front of one of the fireplaces with a mug of coffee. Swim the length of the pool alongside the geyser. Oh, and the steam room is the hottest steam room I've ever been in.
Did you think this review was helpful?
(1)
User Comments:
Christine V. says:
great idea ben! Probably also good if you leave near a restaurant since they always have compost bins. more »