Imported from China

In nearly every major port along the Pacific Coast you will find a container terminal.  Each day huge container ships dock at these terminals and twenty-four hours per day computerized cranes rapidly offload an average of 71,000 containers of goods, most from China.  This flow of goods is regulated by the government, mostly, but there is another import from China slipping past our borders which has become impossible to regulate and it is making people sick.  I'm talking about dust.

China is rapidly becoming a desert. Each year 950 square miles of China's heartland is converting from fertile farmland to desert.  This is due to overgrazing of cattle, deforestation through clear cutting, urban sprawl as factory cities are built practically overnight  and drought.  The sand has become so pervasive in some areas of China entire villages have disappeared beneath the sand.  And now this sand is being exported to the world.  Here are a few links: 

China's Dust Storms Raise Fears of Impending Catastrophe

China Dust Storm

The Pacific Dust Express

China Losing War With Advancing Deserts

There is another side to this coin as well. Many of the electronic products purchased from China and used here in the U.S. are soon discarded.  If it is recycled, many times it ends up right back in China to be "recycled" in open-air dumps. The toxins and heavy metals become mixed with the soil, which then becomes dust and is then exported as toxic dust as the winds carry it back to the U.S. I could fill up pages of this blog with links on this problem but simply Google "China Toxic Dust" for one-million two-hundred-ten thousand links on the subject.

World Bicycle Free Day?

Note: This post has been "Censored". Apparently my attempt at humor was misunderstood by some and so my dry wit has been doused with water and the post edited. My apologies if anyone was offended by my previous humor. It was only intended as humor and nothing else.

Last Saturday, September 22, 2007 was "World Car Free Day". The intent was that everyone celebrate by leaving their car home for the day and get around some other way; transit, bicycle, on foot, roller skates, wheelie shoes, perhaps even by horseback. Judging by the number of cars on the road though, this day of celebration didn't have quite the same appeal as Christmas. Perhaps next year.

I, on the other hand, being fully in the mood to celebrate, put together, at the very last minute, a small spontaneous bike ride down the Springwater Corridor Rails to Trails from Portland to Gresham. I posted the ride on Craigslist for less than a week, but didn't really expect much of a response but I did receive one endearing e-mail though from R. L., who is obviously one of my greatest fans. It read, in it's entirety:

what i would prefer is a "World Bicycle Free Day," particularly the
Peter Pan dorks in spandex like they're in the Tour De France,
retarded Lance Armstrong wannabees. let me know when that happens.
P.S. I used to ride a bike, WHEN I WAS A KID. then i grew up.

R.L., if you read this in my blog, which I doubt, I did actually enjoy your e-mail, it gave me a very good laugh and there's no hard feelings. Really! Oh, and about the kid part...thanks! I love being a kid still and the last time I flew like Peter Pan on my bike was just quickly over my handlebars when I hit a deep patch of mud in Port Angeles. It wasn't that much fun. Oh, and I do in fact wear Spandex but only when it's hot. Not because I look cool, but rather because I stay cool and it has a little extra padding on the posterior where I am, ahem, a little lacking now. That is always helpful on a long ride. Most of the time I just wear pants and a t-shirt though and no one has yet confused me with Lance and asked for my autograph when I wear the spandex. I'll set them straight though, if they do, and let them know I'm just a wannabee and not really him. Honest.

There was a magnificent crowd that showed for my ride and I documented the occasion with a picture. As you can see it was just me, and uhhh, me. It was a great ride anyhow though. How can you not love a trail which takes you through a place called "Beggars Tick Wildlife Refuge"? I'm sure there's a history behind that name but I'm not sure I really want to know.

The highlight of the ride was a stop at the marsh just before you reach Gresham. I was greeted by a French-fry chomping nutria--essentially a huge amphibious rat with a long thick tail---who was looking for an additional handout from me. He looked very well fed by other passersby and certainly didn't need my help on his way to a rodent coronary. He flirted with my "Gorge Delight Just Fruit Bar" for a few minutes, but headed for the water when he discovered I don't feed wildlife and was just pulling out my camera for a quick shot instead of more food.

I hope to be a little better organized for this ride next year. I didn't find out about "World Car Free Day" until less than a week prior and jumped on it the best I could. China actually closed some of their roads to traffic in honor of the day and Portland, being alternative transportation friendly, I feel should follow suit next year. I'll see what I can do. Hmmm, another thing to feed my polyphasic mania.

Note: I traveled roughly thirty-five miles by bike and roughly the same by light rail. Total fuel expenditure: an unknown amount of electricity for the light rail train, one and one-half cups of oatmeal, a small handful of raisins, a generous splash of "Pacific Foods Oat Beverage (Plain)", about a cup of rice, a cup of beans, some plantains, a few slices of yam,Pico de Gallo, salsa and one "Just Fruit" Bar. Had I traveled in my automobile I would have consumed about 4.5 gallons of petroleum plus the above mentioned food items as well.

Nature deficit disorder in children

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of going on a backpacking trip with a friend and two of his boys. It was the first time the boys had ever been out in the woods, even just to camp, much less backpack, and they had a great time. The older of the two was a natural and was very disappointed to leave. So many kids now are simply into TV and video games, I can't tell you how good that made me feel.

Our pack trip took us to the Indian Heaven Wilderness in Washington State where we spent nearly three whole days. I had never been packing in this area before and discovered one of the most beautiful places on earth, right in my own backyard. The whole area was dotted with small lakes right next to giant meadows. There were several rock spires; one of which we climbed and peeked over the top into the meadow below; and surprising little wildlife. Based on the huge amount of steaming, bright blue, berry laden, bear scat we saw my assumption is the other wildlife were hiding out until the huckleberries disappear along with the bear. Never actually saw a bear, just the tell-tale signs they were not far away.

I believe each of us is programmed to love nature and the lives we live among the hustle bustle of the freeways and shopping malls disrupts that programming, or even turns it off. Time spent with nature though has a way of reprogramming us again if we let it. I also believe if we introduce kids at a young age to the wonders of nature, let them experience it close up, perhaps even get a little grimy, pick up toads and throw some rocks they will be less inclined to take nature for granted later and thoughtlessly destroy it. Having grown up myself in the era of John Denver, and others who sang of the earth, I learned a deep respect for walking in nature with a light footstep. On this trip we left no scar on the ground that would give away our presence except the small bit of dirt we took away on our boots.

I just discovered a new book titled "Last Child in the Woods, Nature Deficit in Children" which some are likening to "Silent Spring". Silent Spring is the book most credit with being the impetus behind the ecological movement of the 70's. The light of that movement has never truly died, even though the candle has definitely dimmed. I have not yet had an opportunity to read this book but it is high on my "read list" now; currently about twenty books long; and when I do I will post my comments and feelings about it. If you want to help in this effort, please send "Powell's Books" gift cards to... Just kidding, but if you do want to help, and you have kids, and have not taken them into the backwoods, even for a day hike, please do so now. Nature shows as much love to us, as we show to her. It is best to learn that love at an early age.

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Spread the word! September 22 is "World Car Free Day". "WORLD CAR-FREE DAY" started in the 70's and 80's in different forms but is now a regular planned event, and each year just gets bigger. "Car-Free Day 2007" may end up being the biggest yet. Even the government of China is planning official events in more than 100 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. They even plan to close some of their roads to private cars.

Our cities, towns and streets don't have to be dominated by cars. It was not long ago they weren't. We can convert our cities and streets into avenues for people-powered transportation once again, it just takes enough voices to make change. Cities can easily be traversed by foot, bike or,for longer distances, bus, light rail, subway or train.

Let's all make "Car Free" day a special event.

Note: Have a blog? Please cut and paste this text into your blog, including this note. Think viral!

Cars, cars and more cars

In the U.S. there are 239 million cars and light trucks on the road. All these vehicles log roughly 2.7 trillion miles every year. That is a 160% increase in miles driven just since 1970 and the amount increases every year. It costs all of us, in the form of taxes, 66.3 billion dollars every year to build and maintain the roadways for all these cars. Public transit sees about one-tenth that amount of funding and Amtrak sees even much less than that.

In the U.S. we account for just 5% of the worlds population, yet we contribute 45% of the global pollution from vehicles. Some states, like California, have decided to get tough on this pollution, but only fifteen other states have decided to follow their lead. The rest have lax, or no standards at all. And here is something that may actually surprise you. The big three automakers, GM, Ford and Chrysler, have actually called for a cap on global warming emissions yet, despite their call for a cap, there have been no federal bills passed to cap, or even reduce, pollution from ANY source. Hmmm...

Source: The Environmental Defense Fund

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Spread the word! September 22 is "World Car Free Day". "WORLD CAR-FREE DAY" started in the 70's and 80's in different forms but is now a regular planned event, and each year just gets bigger. "Car-Free Day 2007" may end up being the biggest yet. Even the government of China is planning official events in more than 100 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. They even plan to close some of their roads to private cars.

Our cities, towns and streets don't have to be dominated by cars. It was not long ago they weren't. We can convert our cities and streets into avenues for people-powered transportation once again, it just takes enough voices to make change. Cities can easily be traversed by foot, bike or,for longer distances, bus, light rail, subway or train.

Let's all make "Car Free" day a special event.

Note: Have a blog? Please cut and paste this text into your blog, including this note. Think viral!

Car Free Day is coming!-September 22

Spread the word! September 22 is "World Car Free Day".  "WORLD CAR-FREE DAY" started  in the 70's and 80's in different forms but is now a regular planned event, and each year just gets bigger. "Car-Free Day 2007" may end up being the biggest yet.  Even the government of China is planning official events in more than 100 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. They even plan to close some of their roads to private cars. 

Our cities, towns and streets don't have to be dominated by cars. It was not that long ago they weren't.  We can convert our cities and streets again into avenues for people-powered transportation, it just takes enough voices to make change. Cities can easily be traversed by foot, bike or,for longer distances, bus, light rail, subway or train. 

Let's all make "Car Free" day a special event. 

Note: Have a blog?  Please cut and paste this text into your blog, including this note. Think viral!

Bike to the Future

Last weekend I participated in a 28-mile bike ride called "Bike to the Future".  It was initiated by the "Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF)", which I had never heard of before this ride, but they seem to be doing some pretty good stuff. CLF coordinates the efforts of over ninety sustainability organizations in the Portland Metro area plus does some major research on sustainability practices. One of the greatest things they are doing right now is a program they call "Shift the Balance". Even if you don't live in Portland, click on the link and read the list of ideas.  It's a great list.  It really is a forward thinking agency and the stuff they advocate doesn't necessarily requires solar panels on the roof or a wind farm in the back yard.  

The ride itself was great and the hills were always perfectly timed with the areas I wanted to spend more time looking at, or vice versa.  It was also a great introduction to some really nice neighborhoods I never knew existed in North Portland. That's actually one of the great things about bike travel is that you see and experience what is around you, rather than just view it out your window like a dull movie with an NPR soundtrack.  Just keep an eye out for the cars because some of them are not keeping an eye out for you. Bright yellow clothing and flashing lights on your bike don't make you less cool, and they just might make you less dead someday. <<<<Safety message to some of my fellow bikers who equate "think safety" with wimpiness.  And to the guy who told me my bike looked like a Christmas tree, (I have one flashing light on the back end) I forgive you and wish you maximum visibility when you most need it. OK, repeat after me.  Lights...cool! Dead...not cool!  Lights...cool! Dead...not cool! 

There were three slightly interactive rest stops on this ride but the one I enjoyed the most was a brand new neighborhood called "New Columbia Housing". It is a project of the Housing Authority of Portland and is a superb example of thoughtful planning. Essentially what they have done is bulldoze what was once a crime-ridden community of ticky-tacky, industrially painted, drab, low-income only housing  and replaced it with a genuine neighborhood of  great looking low income, middle income and luxury homes, along with  low-income senior housing and apartments. To this they added parks, a recreation center, play fountain, play yards, lots of trees and grass, a brand new school and the most humongous upside down tree you ever saw. CHECK OUT THE PICTURES!  They even bulldozed AROUND the old trees, left them standing where they were and designed around them. Great thinking...really!

By realigning the roadways the housing authority was able to add more units in the process and serve more people. The entire project was also specifically designed to bring people together by the addition of walk-throughs and adding open spaces and trees making it feel more like a true community than a development. It was all built with sustainable practices in mind and I was quite impressed.  CLICK HERE to read more about how this development was built sustainably.  If other cities are not studying this as a model of housing done right, they should.

A beauty to behold

There was quite a difference in our ages but I was still very much in love.  She had just come out of a long term relationship with my brother and, even though they had seemed in love and were quite inseparable, that ended suddenly in a big blow-up on the way to the store. My brother just walked away, left her sitting all by herself, and then called someone else to go get her. He didn't ever want to see her again and, looking back, I'm not sure I really blame him. They had been through a lot together. This was not the first time this had happened.  In fact, it was actually quite a frequent occurrence. When all the facts were laid out, it was always clearly her fault. But this final incident pushed my brother to the edge, and any love he had for her was gone. That's how I ended up in a relationship with her. 

I picked her up at my brothers place and she was there waiting in the parking lot of his apartment complex when I arrived. I drove her home and, despite her tendencies to blow up without warning,  I loved everything about her.  We would have several similar incidents over the next year or so, and more than once I also left her sitting alone, but I always went back for her. I understood her problems better than my brother did.  She had lived quite a fast life, had been quite abused in her early years and was just more sensitive than others. Years later I also found out she had some pretty nasty scars from being hit but she kept them covered very well with make-up.

I am no longer in love with cars. Not like I was with that 1965, bright orange, with black stripes and black interior Opel Kadett Rallye. She had been used for racing and the original owner had modified the engine in a way that dramatically increased oil pressure. This was great for the bearings and camshaft but it also meant changing oil pump gears and pan gaskets on a regular basis.  I never knew when the oil pump was going to blow and it always happened in the worst spot. But I had gotten her absolutely free from my brother and so she came cheap. My brother was  sick of her problems but I, being eighteen, fairly mechanically inclined, and "needing" wheels didn't care about her frequent blown oil pumps and pan gaskets. She was still a beauty to behold and I just kept a spare oil pump in the glovebox and tools in the trunk. It was a nuisance but wasn't really a problem.  After a small fender bender I discovered the entire drivers side quarter panel had been plastered with about three inches of bondo and then repainted.  The sight of those huge chunks of bondo on the pavement was hilarious and made a very small accident look like a major collision.

I still think of vehicles as necessities but they are just expensive  hunks of moving metal to me now and no longer a love interest. In many ways I have started to hate the automobile. They are troublesome and expensive.  I hate driving around town and enjoy riding transit and reading a book much better than driving most times.  In truth, I don't think automobiles are quite the necessity we all think they are.  Personally I've grown used to having a vehicle I can use at a moments notice because it eliminates the need to plan ahead and  leave a little earlier to get places by transit, bike or on foot but I am working to break myself of this bad habit. Perhaps the truth is that while I have fallen out of love with the automobile, I am still in in love with her twin sister, Convenience, and they are quite inseparable. 

Junk your Junk Mail

I want you to pledge. No, this isn't PBS.  I'm not asking for money.  I just want you to pledge to fight junk mail. 

If you have a half-hour, you can print and mail a few free forms  which will dramatically reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. I used the site on Monday and it is a piece of cake to use. It will also help you send letters to your state representatives to start a junk-mail opt out list.

So do this, pledge first, then start printing your forms.  The trees are waiting.

PLEDGE NOW!

Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry

A boy, probably no more than twelve, sits at a sewing machine about to be struck by his employer with a club. He sits at this machine for ten hours every single day and earns just $1.00 but the upside is that we in the U.S. can buy T-Shirts for just $5.00 a piece. Isn't that wonderful! This means we can wear it just a few times, then give it to the Goodwill, who will sell it back to a third world country as scrap. Welcome to the world of "Fast Fashion".

I had another post lined up for today on junk mail but I received an article in my Inbox this morning I felt was important enough to share right away. Please read this article. It is long, so you may want to approach it when you have a little extra time, but even if you have just a few moments the pictures speak volumes.

Confession: I have a mountain of T-Shirts in my drawer. I volunteer a lot at bike rides and other events and always end up with a T-Shirt. I certainly don't need it, it's just a reminder I helped out and they usually look pretty classy. I'm going to print this article now give these shirts back in order to raise awareness these cheap clothes come with a terrific human cost.

One recent exception. FlexCar. FlexCar gave me a T-shirt this last weekend that was made in Downtown L.A., USA and is made from 100% Organic Cotton. These were being given free to all members. If they can do it, why can't everyone else? The answer: They can, but probably not at $5.00 a piece.

Please read this article, download the .PDF and hand these cheap T-shirts back with a copy of this article. Most people are not aware.

Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry

Ruminate on this!

I love the smell of a farm. There is something pleasing about the aroma of fresh dung in a field coupled with the bellering of cows and the cackling of chickens. Perhaps not all share my view but if you grew up around this smell it holds a particular sentiment and nostalgia. I honestly do love the smell.

But just exactly how much sentiment and nostalgia comes out of the back of a cow. Here are a few statistics that will probably surprise you as much as they did me.

They typical dairy cow produces 120 pounds of sentiment every day. Let's see, 120 times 365, give or take a pound or two, throw in a leap year every four, average for water content differences and divide the result by 2000. There it is, each cow produces 22 tons of sentiment every year. In Oregon alone, according to the Dairy Farmers of Oregon*, there are roughly 122,000 dairy cows creating such nostalgia. That means 2,684,000 TONS of new sentiment are created every year. I think if you are the guy with the shovel, this sentiment may quickly lose it's nostalgia though. Either way that is a lot of sentiment and there are not that many people, like myself, that wax nostalgic about this stuff. So, what to do, what to do?

Here is one idea. NW Natural, (our local natural gas company) has hatched a new plan to pick up all this sentiment, let it decompose in a sealed environment, and create BioGas which will then turn a turbine and generate electricity. There is even a plan that it could be "cleaned" and mixed with the the regular natural gas supply as well. I guess gas doesn't actually come much more natural than that anyhow. I'll ruminate on this a while and get back to you when I find out more.

(*Source: Portland Tribune: Friday September 7, 2007, Page:A 10)

Lighter Footstep - Train Yourself to Give Things Away

Well, I'm back from my backpacking  trip in the Indian Heaven Wilderness in one piece with no sore muscles. I not only had a great time, I was also able to commune with quite a few bears who made their presence known all along the trail but never stopped by to chat. Perhaps that was just as well. I also met a great guy named Rip Caswell, an artist, who shared his campfire and lots of stories with us each night. It was a great trip.

I haven't really gotten back into the swing of things since I returned and so I have missed a few posts. This one today is probably going to be a little light.

I subscribe to another blog called "Lighter Footstep".  Sort of like mine but without the occasional rant.  Below is a link to a short post about giving things away.  It is not long, very well written and it is something I am in the process of doing right now myself, having just moved.

I have been using FreeCycle like crazy, have posted a number of things on e-bay, which I practically gave away, and put a thing or two on Craigslist as well. If you don't belong to your local FreeCycle you should get involved.  It is a great way to get rid of stuff and let me tell you, it feels good to get rid of stuff.

Here's the link.  Oh, and don't miss the link at the end of the article about "How to give stuff away" You might need it.

Lighter Footstep - Train Yourself to Give Things Away

Mr. Green Jeans

I have discovered if I really wanted to be fully green, and self sufficient, it would take a pile of the other green....money. That is something I don't have a lot of right now.

I don't currently have 40 acres and a mule, I don't even have five acres and a riding lawnmower. I just have a condo I rent with a small backyard. I may be able to grow a little of my own food back there but, feed myself...forget it. I am reliant on the local grocer for that.

I have electricity, natural gas, water in the pipes, the drains run into the city sewer, and the landlord takes care of any problems I have. In other words, I am dependent on the community. That is the good part.

The bad part of that equation is that if the community chooses not to be so green, it is difficult for me to be fully green. Portland area is quite green but the manufacturers of the products I buy are not. This, I think is the entire premise behind the title of my blog, "Least Footprint". Could I make a lesser footprint than I do now? Absolutely! Should I? Of course. Then why don't I? The answer is simple. I don't yet know how but I am working on it plus it is also true that there are few products anymore that meet the fully green status. Being fully green is not easy.

I sometimes wonder if someone who reads my blog; I don't think there are too many right now actually; came to my house, would they expect I would be Mr. Green Jeans with solar cells charging batteries in the attic, tubes circling the roof to fill my hot water tank, a large greenhouse in the backyard full of tomatoes, peppers, radishes and zucchini and a couple of chickens running in the yard. To be honest I would welcome that life, but as I said, that takes money. Money I don't have. It is a goal though. However not eating chicken any longer those hens would have a pretty good life.

I pretty much began the whole green thing with eating better and that somehow led to starting recycling. I think it is because I started going to sustainability fairs and my eyes were opened to what my lifestyle was actually doing to the planet. It took a while to get really good at recycling but now my trash cans see very little waste. I'd estimate less than 10% of what we throw away now ends up in the landfill. (Unless the recycle station has dumped it there, which I hear does happen.) I am an avid recycler of everything I can now and when I can't recycle something now, and have to throw it in the trash can, it actually makes me sort of cringe. I have a stack of Styrofoam in the garage waiting for someone to start recycling it. I would think they could just grind it up and make something new out of it but I guess not.

My next step, after learning to recycle better, was to reduce the amount of stuff I actually buy. Less purchase, less waste. I have been partially effective at doing that and I still want, I just don't buy as much. I'm still working on that line between want and need.

I think my next step in this process is to learn to eat with the seasons and locally. That is not going to be easy in the winter. September, as it so happens, is "Eat Local" month and so now is a good time to get started on the local eating program I think. I'll report back how it goes.

Green Tip: It is no longer necessary to make a decision on cloth or disposable diapers. g diapers from Australia have just been introduced in the U.S. and they are made right here in Portland Oregon. Kind of makes me wish I had a baby just so I could see how well these things work.

g diapers can be flushed or even composted. Were you aware that 50 MILLION disposable diapers end up in the landfill EVERY DAY! Average time to decay...about 500 YEARS. g diapers completely ends that problem.

For only $26.99 you can try them out. After that you just buy refills and flush. A case of refills is $52.00 for 128 diapers. You can also use cloth inside the g Pants during the day and use then use the flushable at night.

Want to learn more? Visit the videos.

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers but as fountains of life." John Muir, 1898

I am taking John Muir's advice and will be communing with the birds, the bears and the trees in the Mount Adams wilderness for a long weekend. I call it "tree time" and it is a necessity for me to help maintain my sanity from living in the city. My heart lives in the hills and meadows of the backwoods, but my feet are still stuck in the city.

Note: My next post will be on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. Have a happy Labor Day. Get out in nature this weekend and show a tree a little love. You'll breathe better for it.

Oh yeah, check out my new "nature quotes" feed over there to the right. See, something new while I'm gone anyhow.

A trip to Ikea

When the Ikea store opened in Portland this last July the news harbingered huge traffic jams and the papers displayed  diagrams of how to avoid the traffic.  However, the biggest story, prior to the grand opening, was of those that camped out in line, some for a week, to be one of the first five-hundred in the door. I knew right away this was a place I wanted to avoid until things cooled off.

As it turned out there was not a single traffic jam, the ones who sat in line for a week, thinking they were going to get a free chair, simply got a coupon for a free hot dog in the cafe, and the doors opened on time to the sounds of Swedish oompah's by a brass band. I think there were a few dignitaries to cut the ribbon.

Well, yesterday, we finally took the light rail down to check the place out.  After all, if they build such a large cathedral to shopping it might be worth the time to at least step inside the door and find out what was doing with everything yellow, blue and square.  It was dizzying.  You are free to shop where you want but if you came with no specific plan they have conveniently put huge arrows on the floor to route you around the mouse maze interior. Ten-thousand different items made from wood,  plastic and paper in every form conceivable that is square.   They pride themselves on being square.  Appropriate for a store that resides in such a big box I guess.

Here is one big kudo to send Ikea's direction though.  If you want a plastic bag, they charge you a nickel.  They beg you with signs  not to use the plastic bags, or if you must they will sell you a large reusable bag for fifty-nine cents instead of the disposable.  They cite these facts in their plea:

The amount of plastic shopping bags that we all use once and toss is overwhelming:
-The average family of 4 accumulates 1460 plastic shopping bags a year.
-100-billion are given away each year in the U.S.
-It can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in the environment!

The nickel they charge for the bags is routed to American Forests, reported to be the oldest non-profit conservation association.  Every dollar donated to American Forests plants a tree apparently.  I had never heard of this organization until this trip to Ikea but a quick look at what they do made them seem like a worthwhile charity.  They will plant trees in your, or another persons name and would make a nice gift.

Ikea also had several displays showing how to live pleasantly in very small spaces.  One display showed how a family of three could live quite comfortably in 580 square feet. Quite livable actually.

Well, that was my trip to Ikea for the first time. I'm not  in a hurry to go back.  In the end we bought six glasses made in Russia for $3.54. The old glasses in the cupboard, the ones we got free at Spaghetti Factory years ago are headed on to Freecycle today to be adopted by a new family. 

Shopping Junkie

Do you ever just wake up and feel like you want to run out and buy something? Do you think it will make you happy?  Do you walk into a store and pick up things that are "on sale" knowing you don't really need it but it is "such a good deal" to pass up?  Do you grab the Sunday paper and sort the ads out, so you can read them first?  Don't want someone else to see the ad first and take them all before they are gone...right!   

Hi, my name is Scott and I am a shopping junkie?   "Hi, Scott!"

It is commonly thought that "women are the "shop-a-holics" but I have watched and men are just as bad.  It's just that we are drawn to the electronics, sporting goods, hardware and expensive things like boats, cars, snowmobiles, etc.  Personally my draw is books and camping supplies. I love camping supplies.  It used to be electronics too, but I have much better willpower now, although I still look. 

No, I am not going to list off a twelve step program in this post. Instead I have a video that is just a few minutes long and gives all the instructions you need better than I ever could. You won't regret watching it.  It is so "American".

WATCH THIS VIDEO

What's wrong with reducing?

There was a day when I was motivated for another kind of green. Cash! Over many years I tried different "get rich quick" schemes and attended real estate seminars looking for the "easy life". You know, the one where I would just sit back on my pile of cash, with little care for what happened around me, as long as I was comfortable and had a good remote for my HDTV. This, I thought, is what would make me happy. It didn't work out too well, I'm still not "rich" and actually I am quite glad.

The "get rich quick" schemes I tried seemed devised to make sure someone else got rich quick, not me. That is, unless I was willing to enslave my friends and family to be my sales minions in my own little army of vitamin salesmen. They would then enslave their friends and families to be minions in their own little army, and so on. Once I got these dollar signs out of my eyes I realized I wouldn't feel right enslaving my friends and family for my own personal gain.

I also tried the real estate thing, attended seminars, and even signed up for two different mentoring programs. I got dumped by both of the mentors because I refused to be slick and dishonest when dealing with homeowners in my quest for a cheap deal I could flip fast for a lot of dough. Selling vitamins through my friends and family was one thing but selling my integrity to buy a cheap flip was something I simply wouldn't do. It didn't take long and those dollar signs faded quite fast for me. The people I spoke with called it "the New Gold Rush." Here is the statistics on the last gold rush, in the Klondike. One-hundred-thousand began the trip to the gold fields. Only thirty-thousand actually made it. Of those thirty-thousand, only about four-thousand actually found any gold. Of those four-thousand, only a small handful found any substantial wealth. (Source:National Park Service, Klondike Gold Rush Museum) Keep those statistics in mind if someone invites you to the next gold rush.

I believe it was these experiences that caused me to re-examine my goals in life, so they were not a complete waste. My search now is for a different kind of life and a different kind of green. I started this blog as a way to hold myself accountable for my actions. I have been schooled my whole life in consumerism and it is a difficult transition to live more simply and desire less stuff. It also requires a lot of reading, research and contemplation. Old habits die hard.

I believe our desire for personal comfort is really just a basic part of human nature and always has been. The problem we have now, in our day and age, is that technology allows us to consume so cheaply, easily and quickly we each have the potential, right at our own fingertips, to inflict great damage to the earth without much effort. Just the flip of a light switch, the push of an accelerator pedal, the spray of a can, the pull of a plastic bag from a roll, the quick purchase of an electronic gizmo is all it takes. Moments of our life that can cause damage that will take thousands of years to repair. When we do that over and over it is deadly to all life, including our own.

Some have devised a way in which we can offset our guilt by just paying money. I have been approached by several of these organizations over the last couple years asking me to "offset my carbon footprint". The plan is that by paying someone to find a technological solution and commit a positive act this would in turn "offset" any negative act I choose to perform and get me off the hook for my overconsumption. This never quite sat well with me when it was presented and while it sounded good on the surface, I kept coming back to the same question; What's wrong with just reducing instead? I'm sure the money generated from the "carbon credit markets" goes to quite a few good projects but if we all reduced what we used instead, would many of these projects even be necessary? Here is an example of one of these projects.

A few days ago I read an article about a plan to dump one-hundred tons of iron filings into the Pacific Ocean off the Galapagos Islands in an attempt to increase the plankton count, which would absorb more carbon, thus slowing global warming. The company responsible, Planktos, is seeking funding through a "carbon offset fund". Here is a quote from their website that states it well.

Our Market

Carbon credit markets are opening up around the world, including in the USA. These markets have been created by new government policies and regulations in response to growing climatic and environmental concerns.

The largest carbon markets are driven by the Kyoto Protocol, which is designed to annually reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by 600 million - 1 billion tons. As part of the Kyoto Protocol, European nations began trading carbon dioxide emission credits in January 2005. And since emissions of CO2 are so extensive, the trading market is of substantial size and value, and growing quickly.

Because of the fast growth in the market, an increasing number of participants have sprung up to provide liquidity, trade exchanges, and financing. Beyond the public exchange floors, large market players conduct many private direct trades adding substantial volume to the trade. There are now also a significant number of investment funds established for the sole purpose of investing in CO2 credits.

When you read "since emissions of CO2 are so extensive, the trading market is of substantial size and value, and growing quickly.", you begin to realize there is a lot of cash being generated by "offset". I am not condemning offset entirely. I think offset funds are probably a good thing overall but not when they are used to absolve the personal responsibility to reduce. Reduction never seems to play into the goals of the funds.

In this example, the iron they intend to dump, at a cost of millions of dollars, will absorb the annual emissions of about five coal burning power plants. There are roughly four-hundred coal power plants in the United States alone, many more in the rest of the world. What do we do about the other three-hundred-ninety-five plants in the U.S.? How much simpler would it be to just reduce the amount of electricity we use?

Here is the link to the article on dumping iron in the ocean from the Wall Street Journal, no less. It's not very long and well worth reading.

Energy Roundup - WSJ.com : Upset About an Offset

BBC NEWS | Americas | Midwest awash after heavy storms

Perhaps Global Warming is not really real.  Perhaps all of these weather records being broken day after day is just a fluke of nature and it will soon all go back to normal.  But then, perhaps not.  Do we continue rolling the dice and hope for the best? 

BBC NEWS | Americas | Midwest awash after heavy storms

How to recycle your move

I believe boxes, like cats, should have nine lives. If you've moved recently you probably discovered boxes are just not very easy to come by anymore. In the olden days one went down to the local grocery and there was a bin right up front, just inside the door, where they threw all the empty boxes. The early bird always got the best boxes and most of them disappeared every day. Not anymore. Now the boxes go to the back stockroom, get shoved through a hole in the wall, are crushed, then are sent off to be remanufactured into a brand new box. I am not clear why that makes sense, economically or any other way, but it must because the stores invest major money in these huge crushing machines. Just another example of how our society has become geared toward disposability and not reuse.

Unless you know someone who has a cousin who knows a guy that has a sister with a boyfriend that works in the back of a store you are pretty much out of luck. I am fortunate to be married to someone that knows a guy in the basement of the hospital and if she went first thing in the morning she could get all the boxes we needed. Most I fear are not so fortunate though.

Here is an option some may not have considered. FreeCycle. After my recent move I posted my stash of lightly used boxes on FreeCycle. They were spoken for in literally five minutes after hitting the web. I was life two for the boxes and through Freecycle these boxes are now seeing a third life. Since this person intends to FreeCycle them when she gets to Boston these boxes will then have four lives and still be going strong. So, if you are moving and need boxes, post it on your local FreeCycle site. Have boxes you are done with? Post those too. It is a great way to recycle your move. Oh, you could also pass along any excelsior or bubble wrap you used as well. Reduce, REUSE, Recycle.

Afterthought: Don't stop at boxes. Put everything you don't want on FreeCycle. You would be amazed at what people are looking for out there. It may seem like junk but there may be an artist looking for exactly what you have. Freecycle.

Green Tip: Got a clogged drain? Forget the noxious chemicals. Boil a large pot of water. Add one cup of Baking Soda and once cup of vinegar all at once. Pour down the drain immediately. If your drain was fully clogged then let water flow until it clears completely. Cheap and effective. Try putting this concoction down your drains once a month to keep them cleared too.

If you want to see an endangered species, get up and look in the mirror.
John Young, Apollo astronaut

OK, that one was cynical but realistic. Here's the positive one.

We don't need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.

Donald Horban

Yeah, I like that one. It's a lesson I am still learning.

A correction

As I stood at the sink yesterday rinsing some dishes I noticed that the "Mason" jars I have are not Mason or Ball. They are Kerr. Who knew?

Mason Jars Don't Use a Secret Handshake

I love Mason Jars. Our pantry used to be full of plastic bins and bags. Now it is full of a standing army of Mason Jars. (Truth: There are still a few plastic bins and bags left but we are using up the contents and they'll be gone soon.) Anyway back to the main story.

We buy bulk now whenever it is available. Flour, beans, lentils, rice, oatmeal, spices, there are hundreds of things you can buy in bulk. It is always much cheaper and there is no packaging to throw away. I also like the fact that my food is in contact with glass and not plastic. Did mention that I hate plastic now?

I know some people are out there washing and reusing plastic bags, and I've tried it, but I could never quite get the hang of it. Mason Jars are so much easier and it's glass!

Some stores ( most stores?) will weigh your jar and note the tare weight on it so it can be deducted after you fill it. I don't bother with that, I just carry cloth reusable bags into the store,fill them up, then transfer the contents when I get home. The cloth bags can be easily washed then line dried and will last for years. Spices are the exception. For spices it is easiest just to buy it once in glass jar and then keep refilling that same jar over and over. No need to label as long as you don't ever run the jar through the dishwasher. (Don't forget to have the tare noted though before you fill the jar!) The bulk price of spices is a lot less than buying prepackaged stuff. Don't be fooled by the label on the big jar at the store that says it costs like $26.99 per pound. The spices weigh so little it usually comes out to only a few dollars when you fill the jar.

Mason Jars can be bought at most groceries, especially during canning season. Often in the off season they are piled on top of the freezer cases and require hunting down an employee with a ladder to get one down. I guess they just don't have the same appeal as candy bars which are always at hand level and everywhere. Here is another way to get jars though. Some products, like spaghetti sauce, come packaged in regular old Mason jars. Just buy the product, eat it, wash the jar, get a lid and you are set. "Free" Mason Jar.

If you decide to convert your pantry to an army of mason jars, here is a tip I learned from experience. I labeled the jars on the front....Wrong! Label the lid instead. It is much easier to find what you are looking for when they are four deep in your pantry. And don't forget, if you drop one and it breaks, don't throw it away, it still recycles. If the lid gets crusty you can recycle the lid in the metal bin. New lids can be bought separate from the jars in a little cardboard box but since you are not using the jars to preserve food (canning), they can get a little crusty or be bent out of shape and still be OK for pantry use.

I read the Fake Plastic Fish blog every day now and, as Beth has found out, it takes a long time to rid your life of plastic. I second that notion. I am on a much smaller campaign than Beth to rid the plastic from my life but so much comes in plastic now, I sometimes scratch my head at how it is really possible to fully eliminate plastic from my environment. Even the computer I write this blog on is made of plastic. Well, a lot of it anyhow. Slowly but surely I am ridding my life of as much plastic as I can. The Mason Jars (OK, sometimes they are Ball Jars) are a very good start and the way they look like an army of glass in the pantry is rather cool looking.

UPDATE: Beth at Fake Plastic Fish has come up with a great way to clean lids from spaghetti sauce jars. Here's the link to her post.

"It is not so important to know everything as to appreciate what we learn." - Hannah More (1745-1833; author, philanthropist,educator )

Green tip:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLFS) are used in shampoo's, toothpaste, dishwashing liquids, soaps and many other products as a sudsing agent. There is evidence they are a carcinogen and also can inhibit eye development in children. These chemicals are absorbed quickly through skin and mucous tissues so ingestion is not necessary to be exposed. SLS is also lethal to fresh water fish and since it does not break down well in the environment any put down the drain stays around for a long time. Don't forget that what goes down the drain goes to the sewage treatment plant. The solids are then removed and are commonly pumped onto the edges of roadways and into fields as a fertilizer. The SLS and SFLS enters the environment again at this stage and can wash into fresh water sources.

The Materials Safety Data Sheets for SLS cautions workers to avoid body contact. But this same chemical is put into most body and hair care products. Is that weird or what?

ALWAYS READ THE LABELS! Avoid products with these ingredients.

Another freebie quote-I love this one

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."

The Sioux Indigenous Peoples