OUR MISSION Project Laundry List uses words, images and advocacy to educate people about how simple lifestyle modifications, including air-drying one’s clothes, reduce our The Newsletter of Project Laundry List dependence on environmentally and Autumn 2007 Volume 7, Issue 3 culturally costly energy sources. From My Clothesline to Yours by Kathy Siddons ByLines The act of drying clothing on a •Place laundry basket and sunglasses, and/or a hat while line is definitely not for clothespin bag/basket in an hanging out clothes in the hot From My Clothesline to Yours 1 by Kathy Siddons dedicated couch potatoes. area away from actual summer sun. But, enjoy limited View the time spent hanging clothesline so that you must exposure for Vitamin D in the The Wash House 2 walk each time to fetch a new fall, winter, and early spring by Susannah Eanes clothes as an occasion for real physical exercise, utilizing garment and pins. Gradually which should decrease the The Clothesline Said So Much 5 clever ways to increase increase distance for more symptoms of Seasonal by Margaret K. Walker bending, reaching, lifting, and exercise. Affective Disorder (SAD). stretching of the body in •Shake out each piece of •During the winter, breathing addition to walking (nature’s laundry firmly before hanging outside “fresh” air regularly is best exercise!). with strong motion for more beneficial to those having to •Place laundry basket at physical movement, creating “a live with the windows closed In Every Issue ground level and bend from good snap.” because of cold climates. waist, working up to not to •Consider yourself blessed if •Stiffer line-dried towels bending at the knee at all. the washing machine is down exfoliate the skin beautifully The Washboard View from or up a set of stairs. just like a loofah sponge. ♦ the Basket Letters-to-the- •Position actual clothesline(s) Editor Clothes Clips to hang just at a level that •Over time, gradually “overfill” Announcements Calendar requires you to stretch up on your laundry basket for heavier Special Advertising Reader/contributor Kathy Siddons your toes comfortably each weight-bearing exercise which may be reached by email at time to put a garment on the helps build stronger bones. [email protected] . line. Stretch both arms up •Don’t forget sunscreen, Featured Laundress simultaneously. Susan Taylor Bend, Oregon Beat the Heat, Wash in Cold, and Win an Eco-Friendly Home Office Once you pledge to "Beat the ton for Be sure to tell your friends too Heat, Wash in Cold" and pass four out because these actions can really the word along, you could win of every add up: if every American a $1500 eco-friendly home five loads household makes the switch to office or one of 27 other great of laun- cold water for four out of five prizes. dry you loads, together we'll save $6.7 Susan, featured in a September can cut 72 pounds of CO2 BILLION per year and keep Take the pledge at http:// Wall Street Journal article, is our emissions this month alone? nearly 50 tons of carbon out of c3.newdream.org official spokesperson and a Keep it up for a year and you’ll the atmosphere – the equiva- tireless advocate for the Right Did you know that simply by save more than $60 in energy lent of removing 10 million to Dry. pushing the "cold/cold" but- costs too! cars from the road! ♦ P a ge 2 Hanging Out Volume 7, Issue 3 event in Concord on Nov. 3, just a week after I The Concord, NH- The presented an improved version of "Laundry: An Inconvenient Chore?" at the Going Green New Washboard excitement of having the Wall Street Journal England Energy & Living Expo (October 27). I say we had started a also gave the presentation at Maine's Common Ground Fair, where several thousand people BOARD OF ADVISORS movement on the front page of their saw our incredible new booth. This was only a September 18 edition week after some of our partners from the Helen Caldicott, M.D. has garnered a lot of www.savetherupert.org coalition joined us in Matcham, Australia erecting a 400-foot clothesline across from Hy- Sabra Field attention. More to the point, we have re- dro-Quebec headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. South Royalton, VT Alexander Lee Barbara James ceived dozens of testi- Along with the attention from Korean TV, Ger- Exeter, NH Executive Director monials about people man TV, NPR, the BBC, the CBC, and nearly Bill McKibben changing their pat- every radio station and publication in Oregon, Watertown, MA terns as a result of our educational programs. the blogosphere has resounded with laundry David T. Suzuki, Ph.D. There are more clotheslines because of our information. We have several new volunteers Vancouver, BC work. helping us with the Clothes Peg (our blog's offi- In September, the mayor of Poughkeepsie, NY, cial name) and with development of a set of BOARD OF DIRECTORS broke a tie of her city council and restricted cross-curricular activities aimed at pupils and clotheslines to backyards only. Poughkeepsie is students of all ages. Nancy Brockway a relatively poor community where many people Perhaps, the most exciting development of the Roslindale, MA don't have backyards and the residents could last couple months is the forging of a partner- Jim Higgins certainly stand to save $100/year or more by ship with Real Green Goods, a Concord, NH- Lincoln, VT using a clothesline. We responded with an ac- based business that has agreed to share profits Senator Dick McCormack tion alert that caused one Italian-American on all laundry items that they sell through their Bethel, VT member of ours to write the letter that you find store. They only deal with socially responsible James Thaxton, Secretary South Royalton, VT on page 7. companies that deal in green, fair trade goods, J. Bryan Wentzell, Chair Right to Dry legislation is a fist, where what is which make them a perfect partner for us. Portland, ME needed is a glove. We need a change in attitudes Among the more creative initiatives that we ____________ and a voluntary shift of communities wishing to have undertaken recently is trying to encourage conserve energy and be more green. That is why socially-progressive textile manufacturers and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR two days after a conference call that we con- retailers to label their clothes as cold-water wash Alexander Lee vened with the Community Association Insti- and line dry only. The opportunities are endless, Concord, NH tute, we had a Right to Dry leadership summit but we cannot do all of this work without your to discuss our strategy. In attendance were Rep. help. Thank you for your support. EDITOR Suzanne Harvey, the bill sponsor in New Susannah B. Smith Hampshire; Tina Rasnow, a California attorney, Sumter, SC author of a resolution to change the California Walk in balance, Civil Code; Nick Sabelli, of Cord-o-Clip; and COPY EDITOR Poppy Madden of Fort Lauderdale fame, Stephanie Bridges-Bledsoe among others. Asheville, NC Project Laundry List had another Step It Up Volume 7, Issue 3. Hanging Out , the newsletter of Project Laundry List, is published quarterly. It is available for download from our website, www.laundrylist.org, and distributed to friends of Project Laundry List. In order to receive the newsletter by mail, please send $20 and address changes to 27 Holly Street, Suite A, Concord, NH, 03301. The observations and opinions expressed in Hanging Out are those of their respective authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official views of Project Laundry List. Copyright © 2007 by Project Laundry List. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise stated, all submitted artwork and pho- tographs are copyrighted by the artist. Project Laundry List is a 501 (c) (3) organization. Tax-deductible contributions can be made to “Project Laundry List.” Send your contribution to 27 Holly Street, Suite A, Concord, NH 03301. Hanging Out Volume 7, Issue 3 P a ge 3 Susannah Eanes, Editor show at the Piedmont Arts next month. Interviewing Association Museum in my Roanoke, Virginia artist hometown of Martinsville, Leighann Boone was a spe- Virginia. There among myriad cial treat. heart-stopping submissions in These past few weeks have all types of media displayed in been especially industrious three upstairs galleries, I spied for the staff at Project Laun- a warmly familiar scene de- dry List. With increased picted in watercolor, and knew exposure to our causes I had to have it immediately. comes a heightened sense of Perched upon a high rocky responsibility as well as mountain crag, a small white more opportunities to re- Sumter, SC- As the summer farmhouse stood out starkly spond to the questions, ends and the days grow crisp in against the deep grey sky build- comments, and submissions an enduring march toward fall, ing up with the thunderhead of to our website and newslet- I find myself spending more ter. You, our readers, will days outside, appreciating the reap the benefits as you read blissful feel of gentle breezes articles by your fellow read- on my skin. At the same time, ers, enjoy art and photogra- my calendar fills up with doc- phy submitted both by pro- tor appointments, school fessionals and talented ama- events, volunteer gigs, and teurs, and hear of upcoming work deadlines. Fall for me, events and media exposure. like many of you, is my busiest Artwork by Lara D. Blair We hope you will respond season. During this time the an impending storm. Behind in kind, and keep us current task of hanging out the daily the house fluttered the wash with your thoughts and laundry becomes an opportu- line, sheets and garments ideas.