I can’t believe I’ve gone almost two years here without talking about how much I love my reusable bags. I know they only make a teeny tiny difference, but they give me an enormous sense of satisfaction. They’re so well designed that they may be my favorite purchase ever. And this is taking into account my Kindle, my bike, my computer, and my car. I know; I’m crazy.

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There are actually two different kinds of bags that I use:

• Reisenthel Mini Maxi Shopper – This is polyester and folds up into its own tiny bag. Some people like the kind that fold up into itself—so they don’t lose the tiny bag—but it hasn’t been an issue, and this takes up less space. I keep one or two in my purse at all times. That way, even if I didn’t plan on going to the store, I always have a bag handy. I probably use them at least once a day for something. (The more colorful ones make great gift wrap, too.)
• Hannaford Brothers Fold-A-Tote – This is cloth with metal grommets to reinforce the handles and a cardboard bottom. The cardboard limits how small it can fold up, but it allows it to stand on its own very well. These are the ones that I keep in the car for large shopping trips, because they can hold a lot without spilling everywhere. I’ve only found them at Hannaford Brothers grocery stores in Maine, but I’m sure they must exist elsewhere, too.

When I first tried bringing my own bags to the store I felt like a freak. (The blank stares from the cashiers at Star did nothing to make me feel better). And I had a hard time remembering them each time I went, which led to a lot of frustration. Like anything, it takes a while to get comfortable and find the perfect method for you.

A couple articles this week point out how instead of disparaging modern conveniences, we should appreciate them—and respect them enough not to waste them.

• Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine – TED Talks. TED talks are usually engaging, but this one really makes me appreciate the standard of living that we enjoy.
• Plastic: Too Good to Throw Away – New York Times. One-time-use plastic devalues a substance that has revolutionized our lives.
• A Tour of Yonkers Wastewater Treatment Plant – Eco-Centric. And Part 2. Is it weird that I really want to go on a tour of the Boston wastewater treatment plant?
• Today’s Smart Choice: Don’t Own. Share. – Time. I love this philosophy. (Thanks, Minka!)
• The pantry principle: Serve up easy dinners by cooking what you have – OregonLive. Simple meals and improvisation are the key.
• The simple beginners guide to cooking with dried beans – Stone Soup. I’m just starting to use dried beans instead of canned.
• Do Programmable Thermostats Really Save Money? – Get Rich Slowly. Why Energy Star suspended its rating for programmable thermostats. (Hint: they’re not useful if you don’t set them or fiddle with them all the time.)
• Is organic wine really better for the environment? – Slate. They came to basically the same conclusion that I did while hunting for organic champagne: if you live on the east coast, you’re better off just looking for stuff from Europe or South America instead of California.
• Life after Phosphates – Green Phone Booth. Massachusetts has been phosphate-free for nine months now, and I’ll bet most people didn’t even realize it. But I did go through a little trial and error before I found a dish detergent I really liked.

Not bad for two weeks’ worth of links. As always, if you find anything interesting this week, send it along.

Well, the Biokleen made our tub drain well—for about a week. Then it started running slow again, and for some reason I did nothing. Soon it was clogged tight. So I decided to use this as an opportunity to learn how to snake a drain. I don’t know if you’ve ever done it before, but it’s surprisingly easy. And I feel so handy doing it!

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1. First remove the cover for the tub overflow drain and pull out the stopper, to get a clear shot down the pipe.
2. Loosen the flynut on the end of the snake (a.k.a., drum auger) to pull out about a foot of line. Tighten the nut again. You’ll have to do this every time you play out the line.
3. Feed the snake down the overflow drain, turning it in a clockwise direction if it gets stuck. (Clockwise is important; it will screw the end of the snake into the clog once you find it.)
4. Once you go as far as you want (10-15 feet should be good—I couldn’t actually tell when I hit a clog), start pulling the snake back out, still turning clockwise so as not to unscrew the clog from the end. This is really disgusting, dripping black water everywhere. Wear gloves.
5. Ta-da! If the clog you remove fixes the problem, you’re done. Leave the snake unrolled in the tub to dry out so it won’t rust.

Unfortunately, while we did find a small clog, it wasn’t the issue. The real clog was farther down, past a drum trap, which is impossible to send a snake through. (If our pipes had a p trap instead, we would have been all set.) We had to get our landlord to open up the drum trap and run a snake from there.

On the bright side, now we have a snake, and it’s so easy to use that in the future we’ll just skip the Biokleen and try that first.

Okay, they’re more Sunday (almost Monday) green links. Close enough.

• Myths About Insulating Old House Walls – About Your House. Adding cellulose insulation to old homes could lead to moisture problems? (Thanks, Brian.)
• How to Install Cellulose Insulation – Green Building Advisor. Or not.
• How to Air-Seal an Attic: Introduction – Green Building Advisor. More on insulation.
• Could Polyester be the Next Eco-Friendly Fabric? – Ecouterre. Use and disposal make up a large part of a garment’s footprint. (Thanks, Sharon.)
• Last-Minute Little Dinners for One – Tips, Ideas, and 25 Recipes – Cheap. Healthy. Good. Good quick tips.
• Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty – New York Times. Bittman on soup!
• Plan to Can – Sense of Home. I’d like to think that I’m the sort of person who cans, but I’m not really. I like to live vicariously, though.
• The eco-guide to responsible drinking – Slate. Stick to draft.
• Know how green your consumer choices are with Sourcemap – Examiner. A little unwieldy, but interesting.
• The Ethics of the Most Ethical Companies – GoodGuide. Much like with my Social Choice retirement account, I wonder exactly what criteria they use to come up with this list.

That’s all, folks. As usual, if you find something cool this week, send it along.

On Tuesday I talked about some places to find vegan shoes, but there aren’t many completely vegan shoe stores around. Most of the time I’m stuck searching through racks and racks of shoes for the one or two styles that aren’t leather. Sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which. (Jason swears he can smell the difference, but I don’t trust his nose.) Usually shoes will  have one of two labels that state what they’re made of.

1. By far the most common is a stamp somewhere inside of the shoe that says “leather upper,” “all man-made materials,” or something like that. It’s often on the inside of the heel or the underside of the tongue.
2. Sometimes there’s a sticker on the bottom of the sole with symbols, but no explanation. Here’s a key:

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If it’s textile, all man-made materials, or other materials, you’re all set. Now go forth and shop!