My green guilt kicked in (again) last week as I enjoyed my favorite winter sport – downhill skiing – during a long weekend trip to the Colorado Rockies. We carpooled from the Denver airport over icy mountain passes in a (less than fuel efficient) vehicle that I will admit to being pleased to have had considering the many vehicles we passed which were either flipped over or crashed into the guardrail (we counted 6 auto and 2 truck accidents!) on our way to Vail, CO.
Skiing is an energy intensive sport, but Vail is one of the few resorts that have recently implemented self imposed energy reduction strategies. Using hybrid buses for mass transportation and making recycling receptacles readily available, were some of the more visible green efforts I noticed. Other efforts were noted in a Newsweek article last winter. Despite these surface efforts, however, I think the onus should be shifted to skiers to seek out ways to improve the green impact of our beloved winter pastime. Creating demand for energy efficient means of traveling to and from our favorite downhill destinations (like a high speed train or electric AWD vehicles capable of making the treacherous journey on I-70 safely) is just a start.
In addition, staying in green hotels, purchasing eco-friendly snow attire, and seeking out sustainable options for the boards we strap to our feet on which to speed more sustainably down the slopes, skiers passionate about our sport and our planet should be driving change.
If you are interested in learning more about skiing green, consider joining the Mountain Riders Alliance which is a “group of like-minded people dedicated to making a positive change in the ski area industry, as well as supporting the environment, surrounding communities, and what’s best for the ski community.
Ironing is one of my least favorite domestic tasks and I had hoped that going green might get me out of this much dreaded household chore. I considered simply not ironing, but realized after a short experiment in ironing abstinence, that I looked too unkempt to continue on in that manner.
Short of replacing 75% of my working wardrobe, I would simply have to fire up the iron and press on… (pun intended).
If iron I must, I decided to do some research to see if there was a more eco-friendly way to accomplish the tedious task.
I met with Lori Jacobs of the GreenSpring Institute last week for coffee. Beyond her adventures as a talented internationally acclaimed musician, she is a brilliant woman with interests stemming from years of experience in the IT realm, and a burning desire to go Green! She coupled these attributes with her knowledge of building inspections and architecture to help found the GreenSpring Institute.
GreenSpring offers a virtual training suite of green building, OSHA, industry code, and specialty courses. They are a part of the U.S. Green Building Council and have resources for professionals and homeowners to learn more about green building practices, materials, and energy efficiency options. As a former Environmental Health and Safety professional, I found the information on hazardous materials training particularly helpful!
Thanks Lori for sharing your vision to “create a regenerative world through integrative education” with me. If you are interested in learning more about this expanding field, GreenSprings Institute is a great place to start!
Betterworldbuys.com founder, Katie Eames (aka this blogger), decided over the summer to move forward on a solar installation to power residential and home office electricity needs. In a blog from July, the decision making process and the solar tracker device used to determine the best location for the installation were discussed.
The last several months were spent on the lengthy and labor intensive permit process. PA’s Sunshine Fund approval finally came through last month, but then there were local permits, fees and engineering inspections to deal with. Thankfully, our contractor, John O’Boyle of Halo Energy, has handled all the logistics. Despite an additional $1000 in fees and permit costs, we are finally ready to proceed.
A new roof was laid to support the garage based installation, trenches were dug, and wiring installed. The panels are due in next week, and the project is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving. Solar power; now that is something to be grateful for!
In my last blog, I wrote about Vampire Bats, but what about some vampires still lingering in our homes after October 31st? It’s the vampire drains on our electrical bills I’m referring to.
PCWorld’s JR Rafael reported on the topic and shared that one of the worst offenders is, “A plasma TV, (which) costs a whopping $165 a year for its standby power consumption alone.” Rafael goes on to note the common energy sucking costs (“based on applying the national average electricity cost of 11.8 cents per kilowatt-hour to the electricity consumption of each device”) of other household vampires: cable box $10.33, CRT TV $5.16, VCR $3.10, Desktop computer $6.20, Laptop (fully charged) $2.06, LCD computer monitor: $1.03, Wireless router: $4.13, DSL modem: $5.16, Computer speaker system: $5.16, Inkjet printer: $4.28, DVD player: $3.60, Powered subwoofer: $15.50 and the good old fashioned Microwave oven: $2.48 (Raphael, 2008). These costs are per year but when added up and considered along with all the other plugged in appliances such as cell phone chargers, DVR’s, stereo receivers, and others, they can become a figure we would like to banish using more than garlic and wooden stakes.
A quick solution would be to rid yourself of these phantoms by unplugging appliances not in use. For other more technical solutions to ridding yourself of these unwanted energy suckers, consider purchasing items with the Energy Star approval or referring to Rafael’s article for details on some energy saving devices that might help. Additional tips are available from Lori Bongiorno at her blog “The Conscious Consumer”.
With preparations for Halloween underway, I’ve been thinking about more macabre topics. As I contemplated making a faux cemetery of recycled cardboard on the front porch for the trick or treaters, questions about the earthly remains of the departed came to mind.
I mistakenly thought cremation was the most eco-friendly method of disposing of human remains. When my mother brought up the topic prompted by a recent article by Susan J. Tweit in Audubon magazine, I realized I had much to learn. From Tweit’s article, it seems that the ashes to ashes concept has many more consequences in terms of fossil fuel consumption and air pollutants emitted than I suspected. In her Dying to Be Green article, Tweit reports that approximately 350 pounds of carbon dioxide are put off per cremation in addition to “soot particles, sulfur dioxide, and trace metals…Then there are the fossil fuels consumed in heating the ovens” (Tweit, 2010).
Traditional burials turn cemeteries in to toxic waste sites. After being “pumped full of formaldehyde-based embalming fluids, which cause elevated rates of cancer in workers who handle them every day…our remains are often sealed inside “decay-proof” metal caskets, and entombed in concrete vaults”. As if this weren’t enough, we need to consider the upkeep of the cemetery grounds which can require a host of pest and weed controlling chemicals (not to mention the use of fossil fuels for mowing, digging, etc.)
Opting instead to be buried in a simple shroud without embalming fluids in a natural preserve is becoming an increasingly popular (and less expensive) option, but one which requires planning. Talking to loved ones now about these important choices can help us carry our green values to the grave and beyond.
For more information on this interesting matter of life and death, check out the Green Burial council or Mark Harris’s blog, Grave Matters.
At a CAKE concert at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia I was pleased with the musical performance, the vibe of the crowd, and also in the green efforts made prior to the close of the concert.
Lead singer, John McCrea did a fabulous job engaging in the audience in sing-a-long participation segments. The crowd was moved and rocked along with the band for the duration of the double set of tunes performed.
Prior to closing the show (with an amazing Encore of “The Distance”), McCrea – standing next to an apple tree seedling that was a bit taller than he was – asked for a volunteer. He was specific, however, that the volunteer needed to be willing to commit for 20 years (at a minimum) and be able to tell what type of tree seedling was being offered.
The volunteer also needed to have a yard in which he could plant the tree, own that land and commit to the responsible cultivation of the seedling. After announcing that the tree was a Fuji Apple Tree, the singer noted that whoever volunteered would need to be willing to share the fruit of the tree (with anyone that was at the concert and someday needed/wanted an apple!).
One lucky guy was chosen, but the entire audience was part of the commitment to support the growth of the tree.
I know it’s only one tree. But the green movement is all about people making small individual commitments that lead to a collective and positive environmental impact.
Thanks CAKE for the reminder of the power of music to bring people together and for your efforts to build a green community conscious following!
PS: Check out the CAKE website under “News” to get information on obtaining your own free tree, carpooling and even a link to register to Vote!
While on vacation at Yellowstone National Park, I took a Hot Springs Discovery walking tour of the Mammoth Hot Springs area and learned some amazing facts about the thermal features there. The Ranger guiding the tour emphasized her theme of the importance of water to all life. As we walked along viewing the magnificent hot springs, vents and mud pots that comprise the area, we learned about the heat loving (thermophilic) bacteria that give the springs their dramatic colors, the power of water to mold and shape landscapes, and the essential link between water and life.
At the conclusion of the talk and walk, the Ranger took out a large 16 oz (reusable) water container and poured off all but about 1 oz. This she said represented the fresh water in the world if we were to eliminate all the salt water. From this meager 1 oz, she poured off all but a few drops. These, she dramatically concluded are all we have not so severely polluted which we can still live upon. Her message was clear. Protection and conservation are needed not only to sustain our fresh water supplies, but life on our planet as we know it.
This tongue in cheek animated short includes both ridiculous (and viable) causes for global warming. I’ve heard some absurd theories on climate change stating that believers in climate change are part of a liberal cult, that the science regarding climate change is fraudulent and that if there is truly global warming there will at some point be beneficial effects such as reduced deaths due to colder temperatures and lower energy utilization for heating of homes.
What are the most compelling (or absurd) arguments contesting or supporting climate change that you have heard?
Loud music accompanied by arcade games, the whirring mechanics of seasonal rides, bright lights, greasy foods on paper plates with plastic bottled beverages abounding mixed with the sound of crashing waves, and a salty sea breeze; these are the things I think of when I think of the boardwalk.
All were present at the boardwalk as expected this season with one addition. Through this blur of lights, smells, and sounds, there were some green messages. They weren’t especially prominent, but I was happy to see them making an entrance onto the boardwalk sub-culture.
In Rehoboth beach’s Funland, a sign was posted stating, “Our tickets are GREEN and so are we! The 108 solar panels on our roof are working to reduce FUNLAND’s carbon footprint.” When contrasted with the energy intensive rides and amusements, I found the sign a bit ironic but still a good start, nonetheless.
On the side of the boardwalk closest to the ocean, I saw some informative signs posted about the importance of grasses in preserving and stabilizing delicate dune ecosystems.
I did not see recycling bins, and noted when I ordered a funnel cake (couldn’t resist) I was given a whopping 6 paper plates to hold it on. There was an excess of packaging, an overabundance of trash, and a multitude of trinkets and petroleum based prizes (likely to be imports produced with a lack of consistent fair trade or labor standards in environmentally unfriendly conditions).
Rather than focus on the negative, however, I walked away happy to see that the green movement is being acknowledged and considered on the boardwalk. Even in places like Funland, being eco-savvy might be gaining power, at least in the photovoltaic solar sense!
