Another NYT Article: About Urine (and #2)

If you haven't figured it out yet, I love the New York Times.  While perusing it this morning, I happened upon another article that I just HAD to share.  This amazingly interesting article talks about a way to solve the following problems:  human waste, fertilizer production, water consumption, and even energy creation/use.  As I read it, I kept thinking "wow, this is brilliant...and WHY has no one implemented this before?"  Well, I guess there are good reasons why, and those reasons will keep this technology away from the US for a while to come...but it's definitely worth a read.

How much water does pasta really need?

An article in the New York Times today talks about cooking pasta in less water, thus saving both water and energy...

"After some experiments, I’ve found that we can indeed make pasta in just a few cups of water and save a good deal of energy. Not that much in your kitchen or mine — just the amount needed to keep a burner on high for a few more minutes. But Americans cook something like a billion pounds of pasta a year, so those minutes could add up."

Grief for Being Green

Does anyone else out there get a lot of grief from some of their friends or even strangers because they try to live a sustainable lifestyle? When I tell people I'm a biologist, it is often assumed that I am some crazy-liberal greenie, who is going to stand on my soapbox filled with compost and preach to the world about humanity's evil ways, while green lasers shoot from my eyes, zapping all those who walk by carrying a disposable cup. Or, alternately, I spend all my time in the woods hugging trees and crying over their destruction, while making hemp potholders and waiting for my hair to start dreading.

Well peeps, I hate to break it to you, but the vast majority of us environmentalists are most definitely not either of those people. Sure we have our views, but we don't (usually) judge people because we think differently about the environment. We know we're right, and we'll just wait patiently for you to come around :)
For example, I received the above e-card (which is admittedly pretty funny) from a friend who adores razzing me for being an environmentalist and thinks it's hysterical to mock my "hippie ways" (somehow he misses the fact that I am far more preppie than hippie). And you know what? I laugh right along with him. On day, when green is mainstream, I hope he'll say "You know what, Dale? You were right all along." And I'll just laugh and say "I know."

No car = no car payment

There has been a lot of speculation on whether the economic downturn would help or hurt the green revolution. Though this article about stocks of unsold cars piling up around the world doesn't even mention the environment, I can't help but think about the carbon footprint of the production of all the vehicles sitting in those lots...it's seems so wasteful and unfortunate. Maybe as the demand for cars continues to drop, we can make changes during the downturn to ensure that the demand remains depressed (bad for the economy in the short run but better in the long run for both the economy and the environment)...like buying used cars, carpooling more, vowing to take public transit, sharing a single car between your roommates/family, using a car sharing program, etc.

I know not having a car seems like a huge change, but think about ALL the money you'll save on car payments, insurance, gas, and repairs, while also taking a huge step towards living more sustainably. We're talking about thousands of dollars per year and thousands of lbs of carbon dioxide...not having a car (or sharing a car) is most definitely a way to be young, not-as-broke, and green.

Follow up to "Plastic Kills"

In case you aren't all reading the (5) fabulous comments left by my millions (and by millions I mean a few hundred) readers, I wanted to share a link from my friend, Kevin. Apparently, the next generation's high school science projects are going to deliver us from our evil consumption. Click here to read about 16-year-old Daniel Burd's science project. I'm very, very impressed.

Plastic Kills

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Lotti, sent a great email out to her friends and family, and I was a lucky recipient.  It was such a great, heartfelt email that I want to share it with everyone else out there in the e-world:

"Dear Friends and Family,

The other day I was browsing the web for some plastics pollution information for a project I'm working on for the SF chapter of Surfrider Foundation (here is their website if you want to check it out: http://www.surfrider.org/).

Then I came across this article and it really shocked me. (http://killedbyplastic.blogspot.com/2008/01/greenpeace-article.html) Its called Killed By Plastic and was written on Jan. 3rd, '09 by Green Peace. It pretty much sums up exactly why I am such a recycle Nazi. Everyone is human and can't be a super recycler, but it is so important to try to do the little that we can. Just wanted to pass on some info so we can all understand why we should recycle (and compost).

For most of you, I am preaching to the choir, but I find it important to remind ourselves of why we take responsilibty of our actions, and our trash. Since it does not only affect us but so many other animals on Earth. Happy recycling and have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Lotti

P.S. There is a graphic photo of a dead bird in the front, so if you're a little queezy with dead things, maybe you should keep a trashcan near by, or make sure you're near a bathroom..."

Lotti is very right...every little bit counts.  So the next time you finish up your bottle of water (which you know you shouldn't be drinking anyway, right?), don't be lazy and toss it into the nearest trash can.  Stick it in your pocket or purse until you find a recycle bin.  It's worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Being on a Umbra kick, I thought I'd pass these tidbits onto my own readers. This is simply a little list of everyday things you can do to reduce your footprint...

Should I use paper or plastic bags at the grocery store?

Neither one is better. Best choice: bring your own cloth bag.

Should I dry my hands with paper towels or the electric blow dryer?

Use the dryer if you can't drip dry (I like to use the bottom of my jeans. Who cares if your pant leg is a tad damp?).

Should I wash my dishes by hand or use the dishwasher?
If you and your dishwasher are efficient, avoid the sink (and use biodegradable soap!).

Is it better to leave [lights, cars, computers] on when I'm not using them, or turn them off and restart them?

Restart! Whether you're driving, defeating darkness, or doing work, it takes more energy to keep your power-suckers running than it does to turn them off and on.

My old [car, refrigerator, washing machine] isn't energy efficient. Is it worse to keep using it, or to toss it and buy a new one?

In general, it's better to upgrade (whether washing machine, fridge, dishwasher, or car) -- but make sure your old machine is reused or recycled if possible (and PLEASE don't do anything like this).

Is it better to buy organic food from far away, or non-organic food grown locally?

Ideally, buy food that is both organic and local -- but if you have to choose, local is the way to go (farmers' markets rock).

I want to follow your recommendation and buy compact fluorescent lightbulbs, but I've discovered they contain mercury. What should I do?

Buy them anyway -- the small amount of mercury (less than in a watch battery) can be handled by a hazardous-waste facility. Just be sure to dispose of the used bulbs correctly.

Which plastics are OK?
We don't like plastic, in general. But just make sure you avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics.

Which is better: Diesel? Biodiesel? Straight vegetable oil? Hybrid?

They're all bad. Stop driving! But while you work toward that goal, here are thoughts on some of your quandaries: diesel vs. regular gasoline; converting to biodiesel; converting to veggie oil; biodiesel vs. veggie oil; and hybrids vs. veggie oil.

What's the one thing I can do to help the environment?
There's no one answer, but try to limit your consumption and keep the big picture in mind.

Beer or wine?

Which is greener, beer or wine? Well, according to Umbra, it turns out the answer is not so simple.

It turns out that, for wine, the size of the container and the method/distance of transport are the big variables. Therefore, we should all be buying magnums from local vineyards (twist my arm). However, studies of beer show that refrigeration in open coolers at stores is a big factor. This means that consumers can help by drinking local brews (fun!), shopping for unrefrigerated beer (meh), brewing their own beer (fun!), and taking large containers of beer home from the local brewery(really fun!).

The take home point is that the emissions for a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer are small compared to the most important factor: how you obtain the beverage. For you as a sipper/chugger of beer and wine, the biggest factor is likely your own transport to the adult beverages. Keep that in mind next time you head to the bar.

Eco-friendly ski resorts?

Hi readers, I've been MIA all weekend because of a rad trip I took to Tahoe. Not taking advantage of the incredible snow just wasn't an option, and after spending 3 days shredding (ha), I'm thoroughly worn out and ready to start blogging again.

On my way home, I was thinking about eco-friendly ski resorts and their actual level of "greenness." I remembered an article I'd read in Outside magazine last year, and so I dug it up to refresh my memory. As we all would have guessed, as much as they're trying to do in the industry, greening ski resorts "is putting lipstick on a pig. Name another sport with as much impact on public lands—clear-cut runs, heavy machinery, millions of schussers in the wilderness in winter. And for every ton of carbon saved by an energy-conscious Aspen or Vail or Telluride, you could point to another planeload of jet fuel burned to get there and another new forest of fudge shoppes and condos in what used to be elk habitat. 'There are a lot of things they're doing well, but you cannot deny the long-term and permanent impacts of the industry,' says Myke Bybee, a public-lands specialist at the Sierra Club."

And Myke (really? With a 'y?') is right. But at the same time, few industries get such a large number of people outside and enjoying that same wilderness, appreciating the powder runs through the pines or the views of the mountains from the lifts. If people don't get out and enjoy these beautiful places, they won't miss them when they're gone. So despite skiing's indisputable environmental impact, the sport can't be all bad. Let's continue to encourage resorts to reduce their carbon footprint and avoid urban sprawl, bringing about the necessary changes to make sport as sustainable as possible. Like Auden Schendler says in the Outside article "In a sustainable world, you're probably not going to fly or ski all that much. But in the interim…" let's enjoy the wilderness responsibly.

NYT's New Energy and Environment Section

In the business section of the NYT, they have started an entire Energy and Environment page. If you, like me, need the occasional little break from work in the middle of the day, check it out. They have some very cool stuff on there. I also like that it's in the Business section as opposed to the Science section. Going green is most definitely a business.

Let this blow your mind.

I'm currently speechless after watching this video.  

Watched it?  Yeah...I'll give you a second to breathe/recover/process...

I know it's not about the environment specifically, but the implications of the information it contains are mind boggling.  Two things really stood out to me.  The first was the population statistics in the beginning.  I firmly believe that overpopulation is one of if not THE greatest environmental concerns our planet faces.  Without getting too technical (and likely stating the obvious), the earth has a finite amount of resources and therefore a finite carrying capacity (i.e. the number of people it can sustain).  Once you surpass, say, the number of people that can be supported by the earth's total fresh water, you run into some problems...catch my drift?  Living in EXPONENTIAL times is not a good thing when it comes to population.

However, the second thing that struck me was the speed at which we are technologically advancing.  Advancing at an exponential rate in that area may just be the thing that saves us...who knows?  Are we making strides in the right direction to create the technologies that will allow us to clean up our messes and live sustainably?  One can only hope so...

So, will our story be like WALL-E, or will it be...actually, I don't know of any movies where humans destroy the environment and then come up with a way to save it.  Readers, any suggestions?

Bus Adventures: Part 1

Public transit is a fickle creature. We all know that it's better for the environment and saves us money on gas (and/or on car payments), but sometimes the trials of the crowds/delays/etc make you want to pull your gas-chugging hummer out of the garage and drive 3 blocks to the grocery store (I kiiiiiid, I kiiiiiiid...but you get the idea. And no, I will never set foot in a Hummer again. Hate them). However, once you look past the minor, and often funny, inconveniences that the bus provides, public transit really is a great thing.

This morning was no exception. I merrily skipped out my front door just in time to see a loaded express bus go flying past my stop because, it being 8:05 am, we are smack dab in the middle of morning rush hour. Well, not being one to take rejection sitting down, I threw my computer and gym bag over my shoulder, and started powerwalking to a bus stop a bit earlier down the bus line...this was when the eccentricities of the SF bus really started to manifest themselves.

1) After hiking 4 blocks with two large bags over my shoulders (luckily I wore my cowboy boots today. I would not have tried this is heels), I saw another express bus coming and thought "YES!" only to watch it fly by just as the previous one did. At this point (1o min behind schedule), I started thinking "WTF? I've hiked a half a mile in work clothes carry at least 40 lbs (my laptop is from 1982). What does a girl have to do to catch a bus?"
2) I walked one more block and saw another express coming. Luckily, this one was pretty much tailing the last bus, so it was not too full..and guess what?!?! I got on and GOT A SEAT!!! Getting a seat during rush hour is kind of like winning the lottery...but without the taxes.
C) Side note: another aspect of bus-riding baffles me...the heat/stuffiness of the bus vs. the cold of outside. If I board the bus in outside gear (sweater and jacket), I am sweating withing 4.2 seconds. Like, socially unacceptably sweating...but I look around and everyone in wool coats seems to be cool, happy, and sweat-free. What am I doing wrong here?!? Teach me your secret, large suit-wearing man!
4) My whole morning was significantly improved by getting a seat because it gave me a place (i.e. my lap) to put my two large bags. I mean, what do you do if you have to carry your laptop, workout bag, tupperware, AND purse to work everyday (like me). Fancy, dressed-up, corporate chicks do NOT like my dirty running shoes in their face. Dale + bus seat = happier commuters.

So the moral of this story is this: I got to work on-time and car-free, feeling good about the gas I've saved AND the fact that I don't have to deal with a car/pay for parking downtown. Additionally, I can take Muni to watch the Duke/UNC game tonight, and I don't have to worry about driving home after celebrating Duke's crushing win. The bus really is a great thing, and if it wasn't a bit of an adventure to ride, I wouldn't have had anything to blog about this morning. Win/win situation for all.

Four Day Work-Weeks? Yes, Please!

I had heard of a few friends in Alabama who were doing the 10-hour day, 4 day work week, and now it looks like it's becoming more common as reported on by the New York Times last week. Not only would less energy be used IN the workplace, but Grist did back-of-the-envelope calculations to estimate highway fuel saving of $200 million, had such a measure been implemented in 2007.

Let's be serious...who wouldn't want to have 3 day weekends AND save energy? This is brilliant. Now to convince my boss of this....

Grow Your Own Air

YBGers, my pops sent me an interesting article over the weekend that I wanted to share with you. It's a short so I'll make it easy:

A presentation delivered this week at the TED 2009 conference demonstrates how you can “grow” fresh air indoors with just three varieties of plants. The discovery was the result of 15 years of testing at Paharpur Business Centre and Software Technology Incubator Park (PBC™ - STIP) in New Delhi, India, an eco- friendly oasis for businesses avoiding polluted air. The research showed that there’s a 42% probability of increasing blood oxygen by 1% if one is inside the building for 10 hours, boosting worker productivity by 20%. They were also able to reduce the fresh air supplied to the building and still meet industry standards for healthy indoor air, netting a reduction of energy costs by greater than 15%.

Pleased with the results, the consortium is planning on replicating the concept with over 60,000 of these plants in GreenSpaces, a 1.75 million square feet LEED© certified ‘Super’ Platinum Green Building and Technology Park, just outside of Delhi.

Also, if you're interested in learning more, there's a presentation that expands on the concept, naming plant species, the number of plants needed, etc. While it's obviously very cool that you can boost worker health and productivity with these plants (or lack of productivity if, like many of us, procrastination is your drug of choice in the office...what?!?! Who said that? Not me), I'm personally more interested in the 15% reduction in energy costs, and by energy costs, I'm going to assume he also means energy use. Sorry, I don't have time for due diligence on this one. Did you know that buildings consume 40% of the world's energy? If we could all convince our employers to install an indoor jungle in our offices, we could have a relatively significant impact on the world's energy consumption...a hypothetical 6% reduction in energy use worldwide. Obviously, not everyone is going to sign on for this new idea (and heck, it may be bunk), but it's still food for thought.

Maybe I'll stop by my local nursery on my way home...

Is that Vodka Organic?

Last night was my friend Han's birthday.  We all went out and partied our miniskirts off at a fun little place in North Beach called Rosewood Bar.  Now, over the course of the evening, more than a few vodka sodas were consumed by the crew, and as I sit here the morning after, dehydratedly reminiscing about our weak attempt to recreate Beyonce's "Single Ladies" on the dance floor, I also wonder about the eco-impact of the clear beverages that fueled our prancing.  Not only is there a lot of energy that goes into the production of vodka, but it's a highly inefficient way to use the pesticide-covered corn, potatoes, and/or grain grown by farmers around the world.  However, not being willing/able to give up this cheap and oh-so-mixable spirit, I decided there had to be ways to mitigate the impact of our consumption.

A quick search of "organic vodka" on Google turns up plenty of results, so apparently, there are lots of organic options out there.  In fact, Green Daily did a nice, little article that sums up some of the pros and cons of the various green choices, and since I don't have the money or the liver to try them all out (in a timely fashion), I'll let GD do it for me.  Anyway, if I was going to start making the "green choice," I was more interested on the effect that organic vodka might have on my wallet than whether it "has a scent of deep pears."  Let's be honest, unless it's a special occasion or our boss is buying, we drink well drinks, and as long as the vodka doesn't make us gag or sear off our tastebuds, we're going to drink it (I drank enough Popov in college that I generally avoid going there).  Therefore, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that Rain Organic Vodka is a mere $12.99 for 750ml.  I mean, if Popov is $9.99, you know you're getting a deal.  And guess what?!?!  Rain even tastes good!  Seriously, lots of reviewers agreed on that.

So this is a no-brainer, right?  Cheap, delicious, organic...let's all start buying Rain for our pre-game cocktails and requesting Rain (or other organic options) at our local bars and clubs.  Then maybe, just maybe, the booze gods will smile down at us because of all the pesticides we're avoiding, and make our hangovers that much more bearable.

PS  According to their website, this is a Rainy Sundae (cheesy and delicious-sounding):

Fill blender with ice

Pour 2 parts coffee over ice and let cool

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

2 parts Rain

1 part coffee liqueur

1 squirt chocolate syrup

Blend until smooth.  Pour into glass.  Garnish with whipped topping, chocolate syrup, and a cherry

YBG's Grandish Debut

Today started fairly typically...bad TV, some organic coffee, gChatting with my best friends, hydrating for a run later today...BUT this morning was little different in that this was the morning I was going to roll out my new blog.  However, a devistatingly clever blog needs a catchy, sexy title, which I lacked.  Therefore, I recruited Miss Elizabeth (law student and all around goddess at the U of TX) for a brainstorming session, and THIS is how young.broke.green. was born.

me: hey girl
Elizabeth: heyyyyy
me: do you have a sec?
Elizabeth: of course
me: i want to start a "real" blog about, well, why don't you look at the description itsnotthateasybeinggreen.blogspot.com
but i'm having trouble coming up with a good name
Elizabeth: first of all, GREAT idea
me: thanks :) i'm thinking hard about trying to get into green writing/journalism
Elizabeth: AWESOME!!
me: yeah, it's pretty exciting...if i can make it work
Elizabeth: god, i am so not creative...the kermit angle is amazing
me: yeah, i'm definitely sticking with that....i just need a catchier name
Elizabeth: what about something that isn't as obvious like "kermitwasright"
me: do you think it'd be an issue or confusing that i'm talking about a muppet instead of green living in my title?
Elizabeth: i actually think it is clever- but that is a good point
asgreenasyouwannabe
ummmmmmm
sorry day, I am so uncreative its amazing
me: ha, no worries. thanks for trying :)
Elizabeth: greenation
Elizabeth: greenathon
greenacres
californiagreendreamin
agreenment
me: LOL, you're awesome!
Elizabeth: letsmakeanagreenment
letsmakeadale
that sounds sexual
me: haha
doingreen is available, but it's too sexual
Elizabeth: mygreencanbeatupyourgreen
greenerific 
greenerification
isthatagreeninyourpocketorareyoujusthappytoseeme
me: HAHAHA
that's my fave so far
Elizabeth: yes, indeed
shrek is green
greenmonster
greenonomist
me: go, girl, go!
Elizabeth: itssciencelookitup
me: HAHA
dude, you're on a role
Elizabeth: i know, I just had to get warmed up
ingreenwetrust
thegreengoeson
me: theyoungandthegreen
Elizabeth: ooooo
youngbrokebutgreen
me: young.broke.green. YBG

wow, i really, really like that.  a lot.  straighforward but also hip, and totally catches the idea of the blog.

YBG
Elizabeth: greenisthenewwallstreet
iusedtoworkforlehmanbrosnowiliveonacommune
greenapocolypse
greenrevelations
greenitswhatsfordinner
me: i can't stop laughing long enough to type
Elizabeth: godisgreen
useyourgreenforgreen
me: iwillworkforgreen
greenexperiment
Elizabeth: ok, i have looked at the word "green" so much it doesn't look right anymore
me: say it over and over again out loud
then it really gets crazy
Elizabeth: conservenation
mymulchpileissexy
me: illshowyoumycompostifyoullshowmeyours
wanttoplayconserver
youknowwhattheysayaboutaguywithabigmulchpile
Elizabeth: HAAAAAA
increaseyourgreen
me: greentastic
Elizabeth: raiseyourgreenstock
me: standardandgreener
Elizabeth: ivegotaneconomicstimuluspackageinmypants
has nothing to do with anything
me: dying
can't breathe
Elizabeth: smokinthegreen
me: that one HAS to be taken, esp in CA
Elizabeth: rollingthegreen
greenamorous
me: ridingreenie
hitmegreenieonemoretime
Elizabeth: greenasaurus
me: greenerizer
Elizabeth: brianaustingreener
yourfacelooksalittlegreen
feelingreen
me: or just youlookalittlegreen
Elizabeth: itsnotjustforhippiesanymore
notyourparentsgreen
me: yuppieequalsgreen
mybfisgreenerthanyourbf
Elizabeth: greenismainstream
greenstream
greenofconsciousness
me: i like greenstream
but it's not available
blast
Elizabeth: that's not available?
me: nope
Elizabeth: walkthegreencarpet
greenlikeme
kissmeimgreen
me: theirishgotit
Elizabeth: leangreenbloggingmachine
greensteen
"the boss" 
me: haha
i can definitely write a post about that
Elizabeth: ok, i am going to veg out on the couch a little bit
i am slightly hung over 
but I will keep thinking about this!
me: go for it
i keep going back to young.broke.green.  

i'll let you know what i decide.  laters.

And, ladies and gents, this is how YBG came to life.  Love it or hate it, it was born out of slap happiness and residual alcohol...two things I know a lot about.  Welcome to my eco-world!