Tiny Choices Survey: Esther!
By Jenn | July 3, 2009
Vital statistics (name, age, location, link to website/blog)?
My name is Esther Hawkins, I’m 30 years old and live in Springfield, MO. I’m originally from England but moved to the States when I was 20 so I still have the accent. My blog is hawkinshealth.com.
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)? Are your housing decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I live in a 3 bedroom house with my husband and 2 babies. We bought this house for the location - we love being close to everything we do, but mainly because it has a shop. My husband is a carpenter. For this reason, it’s necessity because his is our primary source of income so that was the main factor. We also wanted to have as little drive time as possible and this location is ideal. We love the house too.
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)? Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I drive a car and my husband drives a truck because of his business. Springfield has terrible public transportation and nowhere is walking distance unfortunately. I miss that. I used to go everywhere on foot or by bus or train in England. I’m not too sure I’d want to wrestle buses with the kids, stroller, diaper bags and 100 degree Missouri heat right now anyway.
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
Our move into town was such a good choice. We were living in the country so had to drive a lot just to get anywhere. We’ve reduced the amount of gas we use by about 75%.
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
Diapers! I tried using g-diapers but it didn’t work out. They leaked every time I used them, the velco quit working after 2 months and I used so much water washing them, I wasn’t convinced of the environmental benefit. I’m back to disposable but my next big purchase is the all-in-one diapers. I will conquer this! I guess I got tired of scrubbing poop too. I just need to stop cutting corners and do it right.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
It’s just a money issue right now. I’m ready to go as soon as we can do it. It’s expensive to get everything you need in one go.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
I’m a Naturopathic Doctor and educate people about natural health and living without drugs or toxins so I get a lot of people asking me for advice about using herbs and supplements. I get questioned negatively
about it too but that kind of goes with the territory. It has been encouraging to see how open people are to natural health now verses 4 years ago.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
Quit using OTC, pharmaceutical drugs and toxic chemicals
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
Yes but I have a long way to go. I realized when I started to make environmentally based decisions that you can really go pretty deep with it. I just do what I can do and try to adopt new strategies one at a time, when I am able. It has been a mindset change as it means sacrificing some convenience but it has given me a new level of appreciation for what I have.
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
I’m pessimistically optimistic. I think it could be really bad if we don’t make changes but I see enough evidence that people are acknowledging the issue and doing something about it to believe that it will change. It just takes each of us making small changes in our every day life that will have the biggest impact.
Topics: Surveys | 2 Comments »
Winners: Enivrosax!
By Jenn | July 2, 2009
Thanks to everyone who entered our Envirosax giveaway!
The winner of the 5-set case is: Jenna!
The winners of the single sacks are: Emmy Jay and Tammy B!
Congrats!
Topics: General | 1 Comment »
Low-Flow Showerhead
By Jenn | July 2, 2009
Back in April (oh my, time does fly!) I tweeted asking for recommendations for a low-flow showerhead. The one which was currently installed in my home was just a standard basic cheapo model which came with the apartment and had zero water saving features. It also provided close to zero water pressure, which made for longer and less fulfilling showers. So I knew I wanted to upgrade but was flummoxed by all the options out there– and also by all the price points. Showerheads range from a low of ~$4 to a high of over $200 and their flow output varies widely, and really, who has the time for all this research?
I got some great responses to my tweet, but my favorite was from the very best co-blogger in the world, Karina, because she said she had a brand-new extra one she didn’t need! Free stuff is awesome; free stuff which fulfills the exact need you have is awesomer.
So I recently installed my new showerhead, and I’m really happy with it. It’s the Evolve Roadrunner, which outputs 1.5 gpm and incorporates ShowerStart technology, turning the water to a trickle once it reaches 95 degrees F. Thus less water is wasted while waiting for the flow to heat up– smart! The one feature I wanted which it doesn’t provide is an on/off switch, to temporarily stop the stream mid-shower… but at 1.5gpm I’m not wasting too much water I guess, and it makes me more apt to stop dawdling in there. So, situation solved… thanks Karina!
What’re your favorite showertime water-saving tricks?
[Image by HaWee via Creative Commons]
Topics: General | 3 Comments »
San Francisco Recycles! and THEY MEAN IT!
By Karina | July 1, 2009
There was some big recycling news this month when San Francisco approved the most stringent and comprehensive recycling program in the country! This isn’t a huge departure from their previous recycling program - as I understand it, they’re basically just adding compost requirements. What’s new is the fines that will be imposed if inspectors see any inappropriately commingled materials. It’s so dreaded, however, that there is even an iPhone app to make it easier to recycle correctly!
The goal of the proposal is to cut about 2/3 of the waste sent to landfills, and to reduce to carbon footprint of the city and it’s residents. On the other hand, this is being perceived as a real big brother move. Why is that - just because it involves the possibility of someone looking into your garbage can? is this a secret privacy issue?
On the other hand, I think this is really interesting, especially considering that on the other side of the country the state of Georgia is using shame tactics to get it’s residents to recycle. In their own words:
This campaign is designed to raise awareness about the convenience and benefits of recycling, while also motivating behavior change among our target audience, 25-34 year olds. Funded by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Office of Environmental Management, this campaign is one tier of a comprehensive strategy to boost recycling in the state and to keep valuable materials out of landfills and in Georgia’s mills and factories.
This is not your “traditional” recycling education campaign. This campaign takes all of the misperceptions and lame excuses about recycling, exaggerates them to show their absurdity and by doing so, tells all of the non-recyclers “you gotta be kidding!”
There are five individuals profiled on the site and they post blog content about why they don’t recycle, and give you a chance to write in and explain why reycling is a good idea.
So what do you think is the more effective means to get people to recycle: the financial incentives, or the shame foactor?
Topics: Waste | 7 Comments »
Multi-Functional Hankies
By Jenn | June 30, 2009
I went hiking with a friend last weekend, and among the gear I usually bring along is a trusty bandana. They’re so useful out on the trail– napkin, washcloth, tourniquet, sweat-rag, neck-protector, hairband– the uses they fill are varied and important.
But this time, instead of grabbing a big bandana I selected a hankie from my pile of vintage ones, folded it neatly into my back pocket and walked out the door. And I really enjoyed using it during the hike! Instead of an unwieldy huge cloth flapping all over the place, I had a smaller and prettier cloth with which to mop my very sweaty brow, and to use during our lunchbreak on the top of a peak.
I was pretty excited to repurpose these pretty cloths, and not have to wait until I’m sick to appreciate their cuteness and usefulness. It was sort of an ah-hah! moment, I guess. This morning, I tucked one into my back pocket as I headed out the door on my bike commute to work, and it came in very handy after the steep ascent of the Williamsburg Bridge. It’s a little daintier (and much more efficient) to wipe the beads of sweat away with a pretty printed hankie rather than the backs of my grimy hands.
What are some of the varied uses you put your handkerchiefs to?
[Image by Ms.Lume via Creative Commons]
Topics: General | 5 Comments »
Tiny Choices Crafting!
By Karina | June 29, 2009
I wanted to share with you a website I found a few months ago - I’ve been reading it and secretly saving up for a post date. It’s called “Fun in the making” and it says right at the top: Welcome to Fun in the Making, a site dedicated to eco-friendly crafting, recycling, reuse, sustainable living, thrifty living, Earth day (every day) craft projects and making anything the green way … and it is so great! There are lots of fun crafts for kids, smart reuse ideas, and interesting notes on gardening and cooking. Here are a few of my favorie posts over the last year:
- I believe the way I found the page was by looking for hankie ideas. There is a great idea to build hankies out of old tshirts, or, you can use those tshirts to create a charming pennet flag.
- I just had very nearly decided to toss the MRI from my knee when my ACL was busted, but my partner put the kibosh on that plan and now that I see these neat halloween lighting and lampshade ideas, I guess I’m pretty glad that we still have those films lying around.
- What with the whole CSA season in full swing thing, I had sort of been thinking of a food dehydrator - but I guess it’s just as easy to use the oven!
- Did you know you can use beer cans to lure slugs out of your garden? Eep!
- These egg heads with grass hair are a great rainy day craft for kids.
- Bell Jars or Cloches are just some of the most lovely garden implements ever. Here are some homemade cloches out of old jars!
- If you’re in a state where you can keep your old license plates, try these really super license plate bookends.
- And last but certainly not least, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this robot party the author put together with her kids. It is so cool! Koala robot party favors! Make your own robot table! And! a ROBOT COSTUME! for a DANCE PARTY!
Go check it out - there are some lovely ideas over there.
What is your favorite green craft idea?
Topics: Crafts/DIY | 4 Comments »
Tiny Choices Weekly Roundup!
By tinychoices | June 28, 2009
Wherein we summarize all the fun and information from the previous week for your convenience!
Last week on Tiny Choices:
- Monday: Karina thinks abouthttp://tinychoices.com/2009/06/22/is-peeing-outdoors-the-right-thing-to-do/, and if it’s the green thing to do.
- Tuesday: Jenn posts a tiny choices giveaway for EnviroSax! Leave a comment before 6/30 to enter.
- Wednesday: Karina discovers some amazing beans, and sets about to justify the bicoastalness of their shipment.
- Thursday: Jenn worries that veganishes need smores too, and finds some suitable marshmallows.
- Friday: Tiny Choices Survey: Neil!
- Saturday: Easy Peasy Tip: Send ECards!
Topics: General | No Comments »
Easy Peasy Tip: Send e-Cards!
By tinychoices | June 27, 2009
Next time you’ve got an occasion to celebrate, mark the event by sending out e-cards instead of paper-based ones.
You can choose a more traditional service such as Hallmark.com, Blue Mountain, or go the eco-route: The Nature Conservancy offers eCards highlighting user-submitted nature photos, and Care2.com makes a donation to save a square foot of rainforest with every eCard sent. There’s also SomeeCards.com, offering a snarky twist on the eCard genre.
For super-special occasions, you (or a graphic designer) can create a unique and beautiful electronic image marking the occassion– sent via email, it creates zero waste!
[Image by Tim Morgan via Creative Commons]
Topics: Easy Peasy Tips | 2 Comments »
Tiny Choices Survey: Neil!
By Jenn | June 26, 2009
Vital statistics (name, age, location, link to website/blog)?
Neil, 39, Los Angeles. No website of my own, but here is the one I built for my wife.
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)? Are your housing decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
Artist loft (=steel shed) at the world’s largest artist community (The Brewery in downtown LA)
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)? Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
LA = car…. I hate this (I moved here 3 years ago from the UK, and never owned a car until relocating stateside). This is getting sold as soon as I can alter my life so I can avoid the need (The plan? Buy a sailboat and use public transport to get to/from it. Having the boat gives me a place to camp out so I don’t have to commute every day, and the possibility of getting about the planet without fossil fuels).
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
To bail on the consumer/capitalist economy and move to a self-empowered self-reliant existence as outside the status-quo as I can manage
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
How to get people to acknowledge the size of the problem and take some f@@king responsibility. Belief that driving a Prius makes you green makes you, as we say in the UK, a wanker.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
Trying to re-work my existence as proof that living well outside the normal paradigm is more interesting, fun and exciting than the norm.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
People question most of my existence. F@@k ‘em if they can’t take a joke…
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
Where to start? Take some responsibility and be part of the solution, not the problem… Learn to grow plants, ditch the auto and go bike/public transport, ditch the TV…
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
They are NOT sacrifices! If they are not made, we sacrifice our planet for a f@@king McD’s burger and fries…
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
Pessimistic about the chances for most of humanity, optimistic that the system will fail soon enough for the rest of the biosphere to have a chance.
Topics: Surveys | No Comments »
Veganishes Need S’mores, Too
By Jenn | June 25, 2009
What with the whole veganish thing I’ve got going on (and LOVING, btw), there was just one situation I was a bit worried about: how does one eat s’mores when one doesn’t eat animal products?
It seems strange to me that a simple and delectable snack such as marshmallows present such an issue– but they do: “Most commercially manufactured marshmallows instead use gelatin in their manufacture, which many vegetarians avoid, as it is derived from animal hides and bones.”
YUMMY!
So I checked out these newfangled vegan marshmallows the vegan blogosphere has been raving about– Dandies Vegan Marshmallows are animal-free, and melt just like the real thing… which means not only are s’mores back in the picture, but so are rice krispy treats! The only real downside here is the price of the things, as a bag runs about $5.50 plus shipping, bringing these babies up to approximately $10 per bag!
I figured it’s a worthy splurge, though– I have two camping trips coming up in July, and there’s nothing sadder than trying to melt a lonely graham cracker with a piece of chocolate over a campfire. Burned fingers, and without the melty marshmallowy stickiness, there’s really just not much of a point.
Viva la food science!
[Image by ninahale via Creative Commons]
Topics: Food | 3 Comments »
Rancho Gordo Beans, or, justifying a bicoastal diet
By Karina | June 24, 2009
I have been intrigued by Rancho Gordo and their wide variety of heirloom beans for a while, and a few weeks ago I bit the bullet and went ahead and ordered a whole bunch of them. Maybe it was this thrilling article from the NYTimes? Maybe it was the idea of getting a more steady vegetable based protein in my diet, because now I live part time now with a couple of little dudes who think beans are disgusting and just like baby poo and gross and oh hey where’s my hamburger/hot dog?
Anyway, the beans came in yesterday and it was so exciting to unpack the beans. It was even more exciting to cook them, especially when it turns out that the chestnut lima beans? are the most amazing and incredible beans I’ve ever eaten - SO FAR. I say so far because there’s still eight more varieties in the package I ordered. SO EXCITING. Also exciting is the fact that I actually made delicious and edible beans from dried, something I’ve never ever been able to do before.
Over dinner I was thinking about these beans, and how much I loved them. And then I thought about how I could write about them for Tiny Choices, and I realized I might have to justify my beans in an environmental context! Because when it comes down to it, these beans are transported via ground UPS from Napa California all the way to Southen New York State. That’s a long way. And it’s kind of in direct odds with my summertime CSA lifestyle, which is pretty profoundly locavore (except for spices, and the occasional tomato or onion, which aren’t quite in season yet).
So over dinner, my partner and I came up with this list of why it’s totally green to buy dried beans from California and ship them quite literally across the country:
- I’m not any good at making dried beans that are already in the local grocery store. Rancho Gordo tells me it’s not me, it’s the beans - they’re way too old to cook well. I’ll take it.
- Because I can’t make dried beans (that are already in the local grocery store), I buy a lot of canned beans, which are heavier to transport than dried beans.
- Rancho Gordo, at least, searches out esoteric beans in Mexico and raises them all locally - i.e., they’re coming from Napa California, not all over the world. One of the reasons to start Rancho Gordo was the inability of the founder to find locally sourced staples.
- Also these are heirloom varieties, not the monoculture types that big agriculture promotes so hard. Supporting biodiversity always wins!
The reasons that they are NOT good come down to the distance traveled, which, frankly, is something that is embodied in most food eaten in America - both organic AND traditional.
Regardless of the food-miles, I have to say that these heirloom beans were so delicious that I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to other beans. Seriously, so delicious.
What do you think? Are these (unscientific and unjustified) points sensible to you?
Topics: Food | 13 Comments »
Tiny Choices Giveaway: Envirosax!
By Jenn | June 23, 2009
We’re excited to be giving away three separate prizes, courtesy of our friends at Envirosax.
The grand prize is a set of 5 reusable bags, contained in a snap-top carrying case– perfect for keeping in your bike trailer or car:
The second and third prizes are for single bags:
To enter, please leave a comment below. Winners will be chosen at random next Tuesday 6/30, and must have a U.S. shipping address. Good luck!
Topics: General | 75 Comments »
Is peeing outdoors the right thing to do?
By Karina | June 22, 2009
I have to apologize in advance if this is the kind of topic that some of y’all may not be into first thing on a Monday morning. I know what you mean! on the other hand, I have nephews, and we got endless joy in my family hearing stories about how one of them (who will remain nameless, in the possibility that at one point he may want to run for public office) for a while refused to pee in bathrooms while on the road, insisting instead that his parents pull the car over so he could pee on a tree.
I recently read a post over at Treehugger asking if peeing in pubic is GREEN. The author makes some compelling points - he suggests (as the NYTimes has before) that there are important nutrients in urine that perhaps could be put to better use than flushed down the toilet. Of course, the author maybe slightly pro-public-urination - he also says this:
For those of us in the country, the at-home solution is easy enough. I regularly pee in my yard. Not only does this save water - but it has other uses too. A quick sprinkle of the compost heap helps start the decomposition process, and let’s not forget that urine is an important source of phosphate. I also pee around the flower beds and chicken coop to keep deer and raccoons away. And if you want to do more, check out how to use urine as a fertilizer.
I guess it really comes down to this: right now, agriculture relies on fertilizers to get crazy yields and it turns out that overuse of fields results in nutrient deficiencies. Urine is a good source of these nutrients! However, in an urban environment, how do you get the phosphate and nitrogen in urine out to where it’s needed for farming? I haven’t done the work here, do any of you know? can you just collect and dry and ship?
More immediately, we’re talking about putting in a fairly poorly structured compost heap in the back of the yard for our veggie scraps, and there is a little bit of concern about rats or racoons making free with the smorgasbord (ala the Templeton the Rat from Charlotte’s Web). But if I could just coerce some of the gentlemen of the house (younger or older) to, erm, mark their terratory, maybe this wouldn’t be a problem?
What are your feelings on this sensitive issue?
[[Instructional Photo by flickr user lantzilla via creative commons license.]]
Topics: Home, Waste | 13 Comments »
Tiny Choices Weekly Roundup!
By tinychoices | June 21, 2009
Wherein we summarize all the fun and information from the previous week for your convenience!
Last week on Tiny Choices:
- Monday: Karina wonders about the honeybees, and if they’re doing ok these days.
- Tuesday: Jenn reports back on her kitchen garden attempts.
- Wednesday: Karina goes on a business trip and wonders how that influences her tiny choices.
- Thursday: Jenn finds some reuse options for plastic bags.
- Friday: Tiny Choices Survey: Tris!
- Saturday: Easy Peasy Tip: Use Soap and Water!
Topics: General | No Comments »
Easy Peasy Tip: Use Soap and Water!
By tinychoices | June 20, 2009
Next time you’re cleaning up a traditionally hard to clean area, such as in the kitchen or bathroom, don’t bother with fancy cleaners in a spray bottle or squirty tube. Take a break from those boutique chemicals and try using just soap and water! You may have to pitch in with some elbow grease too, but it’s been proven that soap and water works on the toughest dirtiest surfaces. This saves time, money, and storage space. If you want to get fancy, keep a spray bottle filled with diluted soapy water for use on counter tops!
[[Photo from flickr user jeffypie via creative commons license.]]
Topics: Easy Peasy Tips | 1 Comment »
Tiny Choices Survey: Tris!
By Jenn | June 19, 2009
Vital statistics (name, age, location, link to website/blog)?
my name is tris mccall. i am thirty-seven years old, which is certainly old enough. you can find out much more than you’d ever want to know about me at www.trismccall.net.
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)? Are your housing decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
i live in a two-room apartment in downtown jersey city with my girl. the apartment is “ours”, which means we pay citibank rather than an actual human landlord. this is unfortunate, but i like the place. it has high ceilings and lots of windows.
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)? Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
i travel by bicycle. i don’t have a driver’s licence and i wouldn’t want one.
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
my small choices are all inconsequential, so i don’t remember making them. my large choices are probably inconsequential too, but i need to monumentalize *something*.
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
in order to keep me alive, hundreds of thousands of living beings need to die. these living beings never did anything to me. yet i don’t want to die — so i eat, trample, and otherwise destroy the organic life around me. it is no romantic exaggeration (nor is it in any way flattering or distinguishing) to call myself an agent of death; one busily cutting a man-shaped swath of devastation through the biosphere. this leads to what theologian paul tillich calls “anxiety of condemnation”. tillich claims we’ve all got it, but some are more conscious of it than others are.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
i agree with the theologian: there is nothing you can do about the anxiety of condemnation. as long as you’re alive, you’re going to be killing things, or paying for others to kill things for you. perhaps you can throw yourself at the feet of some sort of supernatural intercessor-figure? that is the hope of millions of religious people, anyway: a divine or quasidivine intercessor has been sacrificed to lift the burden of the guilt that accumulates from living on this planet.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
nobody ever hassles me about anything. they’re either afraid to, or they’re bored silly by my all-too-predictable responses. probably the latter.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
i do not understand why so many people choose to live in gigantic mega-houses on the distant peripheries of metropolitan areas. it’s as if they *want* to demonstrate they can burn all the fossil fuel they like. and of course they can; it’s a free country. sort of. it also strikes me as batshit nuts that people are comfortable walking around all day with small radioactive devices pressed against their ears. but i realize nobody agrees with me about this, so i’ll continue talking to the wall about it.
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
since i’m only alive to type this because there’s a ecosystem here to sustain me, it would be incredibly presumptuous for me to say that i make sacrifices for the environment.
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
i am certainly no responsible steward of the environment, so it is with no self-righteousness that i say that it seems like human beings are hell-bent on fashioning an apocalypse. perhaps we are determined to demonstrate our power with the universe as our witness? al gore said we’re treating the natural world like a business in liquidation. that seems about right.
Topics: Surveys | No Comments »
DIY: Crocheted Plastic Objects
By Jenn | June 18, 2009
While I rarely take disposable plastic bags from shops anymore, many people still haven’t gotten into the reusable bag habit and thus accumulate lots of the troublesome buggers. While this isn’t good news for the ecosystem, it is providential for anyone with an interest in making useful objects from plastic bags.
The basic idea is that you cut a used plastic bag to create plastic “yarn”, and then use that yarn to crochet durable objects such as doormats and totebags and hats & backpacks (it goes without saying that one should only use used plastic bags for this, and not new, right?) On one hand, this means that those plastic bags are then rendered unrecyclable, and the crocheted object will have to be tossed in the landfill at the end of its life. On the other hand, plastic is downcycled anyway, so each bag probably only has one second life before it too becomes unrecyclable. And by creating the second life yourself instead of sending it out for recycling, pollution is avoided (transportation and recycling facilities spew emissions) and the loop is closed locally.
I love this profile of an 80-year old Florida woman who’s been crocheting with plastic since the 80s:
“Josephine Swan has been crocheting since the early 1960s, when she was a student nurse. She doesn’t know how or why, but some 20 years later she started thinking about crocheting with plastic bags.
“It just came to me,” she said during a recent interview at her Reddick home. “I said, ‘That can work.’
Swan’s oldest surviving plastic bag piece is also her largest: a rug in her storage shed, approximately 4 feet by 8 feet. She made it in 1982.
As Ward says, “If it takes that long, and they’re not breaking down, what does it [an unrecycled plastic bag] do in a landfill?”
Good question, Josephine.
Have you ever crafted using plastic bags?
[Image by Moon Rhythm via Creative Commons]
Topics: General | 5 Comments »
Tiny Choosing Bidnez Style
By Karina | June 17, 2009
I’m on a short business trip this week to Chicago for a conference, and I found myself thinking a lot about how my environmental choices fall out differently when I make a business decision instead of a personal decision. See, I flew into Chicago, and for a brief moment I considered taking a taxi from the airport to my hotel in “the loop!” For those of you not familiar with Chicago (I wasn’t) it is SUPER easy to take the train from the airports - either one! - into the city. Way easier than it is in NYC, because there aren’t even any transfers to worry about. So, what the heck was I thinking?
This has been coming up a few times lately. Sometimes I have to go into NYC from northern NJ for business meetings and so far I’ve driven 2 times out of 3. The first time I drove to the PATH train and took public transit into the city and up to the upper west side for our meeting. I even got some comments remarking on my dedication to the cause. The next two times I was awfully double booked, so I drove in. It is super fast to get into the city from my office if you’re in a car. But I feel guilty about driving, for sure. It’s not the greenest solution! But I don’t feel so guilty about paying for parking because somewhere there is a benefit cost analysis that whispers in my ear: “your time is valuable, your employer will pay for parking.”
On my way into this conference I’m attending, it was tempting to listen to that little voice. I could expense a taxi! it’s no big deal! But at the same time, the conference I’m attending is one focused on Sustainable Remediation! we were asked to bring our own coffee cups and water bottles! That was enough to put me over the edge and force me onto the train, even though it was late and I was tired from traveling. So I paid my $2.25 and while I was on the train I thought about Big Powerful Businessmen, and I wondered what they do. Do they ever take transit? For that matter, do they ever sit in the very last row of the airplane, as I did? Do they consider their time that much more valuable than I do mine? Or do they just not even think about it?
Do you consider Big Powerful Businessmen? What’s your opinion on traveling greenly while traveling for work?
[[Photo from flickr user wallyg via creative commons license.]]
Topics: Transportation, Work & Politics | 4 Comments »
Greenish Thumb
By Jenn | June 16, 2009
Despite the cranky weather here in NYC, it’s springtime– and gardens everywhere are blooming!
Except for the one in my kitchen.
I tried. I really did– but despite my best efforts, most of my little planties aren’t doing well. Let’s take a look at the “before” photos, taken when I had high hopes for home-grown treats and things seemed to be going well:
Here’s a photo taken of my rosemary, peppermint, cherry tomatoes, and chives when all was right with the world:
The rosemary is still growing strong and curling out in all kinds of crazy directions– it looks like it’s having a lot of fun reaching for the sunlight.
From what I’ve heard mint is a weed, and supposedly grows as such… but, it’s now completely dead. I really have no idea what I did wrong here– can you really over- or under-water weeds? Don’t they not care about that sort of thing?
My tomato plant, my sweet tomato plant: she’s growing strong! I’ve put her outside on the fire escape where she’s happier, but I did that a few years ago and the hoodlum squirrels ate all the fruits. So I’ll just keep a close eye on her, and when she starts to flower maybe I’ll bring her back inside and see what happens. (Suggestions on effective and safe squirrel-deterrents welcomed!)
The chives were given to me by a friend who swore that they were thriving in her terrace garden, with little-to-no attention by her. They continued doing well for about a week and then all the sweet shoots keeled over. I put the pot outside where it’s been getting lots of rain lately, and while the original shoots are still limp there’s a second strong growth going on, which is encouraging.
Then there’s the lettuce– look how happy it was!
When I snapped this photo things were going swimmingly, and I was munching on some baby mixed lettuce leaves each day. As you might guess by now, things took a turn for the worse soon afterwards… the lettuce started wilting (overwatering or underwatering?):
It also (developed? attracted?) little flying fly-mites. So I put the lettuce planter outside on the fire escape thinking that the direct sun would work miracles and the mites would fly away… but guess which sinister urban forager forces came and ate all the lettuce plants? Yep. The Squirrel Squad. The planter is now a bare wasteland of organic soil. But I bet the squirrels really enjoyed their salad.
Oh, and you might notice the bottle of Terracycle up in the first pic– I’ve been wanting to try this stuff for years now, because it’s made from worm poop and packaged in reused plastic bottles, both exciting tidbits. I also love that it’s available for sale at “regular” retailers (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) which makes it a viable alternative for folks who don’t necessarily identify as eco-conscious but do want a solid product.
So, that’s where my gardening attempt stands thus far– I’ll be all set with rosemary and chives, and I might get some tomatoes as well– and I think I’ll pick up some more baby lettuce plants from the farmers market and give it another go.
Do you have tales of consolation or commiseration, or would you like to share the joy of your bounteous garden?
Topics: Food | 10 Comments »
Honey Bees Abound?
By Karina | June 15, 2009
I’ve been thinking about putting my new backyard to use by getting some honeybees. One of the things I wonder, though, about is colony collapse disorder, which Jenn posted about a while ago here and here. There is a fair amount of research out there, but until recently most US agencies were saying “we’re not sure yet, so be careful when using pesticides.” And while the idea of losing honey bees - some major pollinators! is really scary, I can’t argue with the idea that maybe we should just use less and fewer pesticides. You know, just in case.
However, I was just looking up information on olny collapse disorder and it turns out that there may be a single cause - there is, apparently, a mite or bacteria that lives in hives and is able to wipe out the entire colony. If this is the case, that’s great news! But on the other hand, check out what that article I linked to says: “The researchers then treated the infected surviving under-populated colonies with the antibiotic drug, flumagillin and demonstrated complete recovery of all infected colonies.”
So - yay for saving the bees, but, on the other hand, c’mon now! MORE antibiotics in the fiood chain and wreaking havoc out there without little supervision.
There may be another solution - Kottke links to a page indicating that if you use a smaller comb (the substrate that the bees build the honeycomb on) it will be more effective at, well, keeping the entire hive alive. The catch is that the smaller the comb, the less honey it produces, and I think we all know which direction this may fly when it comes down to bottom lines.
Of course, the real reason why I thought of all of this is because I read this article claiming that the onion juice from a fresh cut onion would inhibit swelling. That’s a great tip! Also,check this out: certain colonies in England which are now extinct are being replaced by genetically identical bees from New Zealand. They’re genetically identical because they were transported to NZ from England hundreds of years ago. That’s a neat save!
How are you feeling these days about colony collapse disorder?
[[Photo from flickr user automania via creative commons license.]]
Topics: Food | 4 Comments »
« Previous Entries