For most of our existence, we humans have seen ourselves as superior to animals, as “above” the “lower” creatures. Rene Descartes, for example, in the 17th century argued that animals were mere “machines” incapable even of true feeling, let alone “higher” thinking. Cultures throughout antiquity sacrificed animals by the thousands to their gods, so that their value was in the ends they served rather than in their independent lives.

On the other side, there are some traditions of vegetarianism in our history. Examples include the Pythagoreans in Greece, Hindu yogis, Jains and Buddhists, among others. And other societies (such as the Native Americans) ate and used animals but with a reverence and gratefulness for the lives that they were taking. Overall, though, the predominant notion in the human noggin is one of superiority.

But then Darwin knocked us down a notch…at least some of us. Evolution and the descent of humanity from primates still left wiggle room for us to see ourselves as “thinking, rational animals,” and therefore still better than the lesser beasts. Around that same time, though, something started to shift in the cultural mindset. A cultivated, conscious concern for the welfare of animals began in the late 19th century in England and then spread. (For example, the SPCA has its origins from this era, not to mention the idea of a “vegetarian society.” Ethics entered into the discussion of how humans relate to, and treat, animals. There was a recognition that, however higher or lower we might be, we had some responsibility for animals.

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But sometimes consuming less and acting with a green heart still leaves much in the “gray area” of wastefulness and pollution. To help make your life at home as green as can be, Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin compile 100 great eco-tips in True Green Home. Part of the National Geographic True Green series, True Green Home serves as an accessible introduction to the countless areas of your home that can be either eco-friends or eco-foes.

It is also a great “cheat sheet,” as the authors call it, by combining comprehensiveness with brevity and generality.1 That is, you get a lot of quick glimpses into where your home (or apartment) might be wasting resources and some basic steps you can take to reduce your environmental footprint. (Nearly every page has more space devoted to a photo than words.)

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In his recent book Tar Sands: Diry Oil and the Future of a Continent, Nikiforuk lands a knockout blow on the kissers of the oil industry, oil-friendly bureaucrats, and petrol-guzzling North Americans. It is obvious that this Canadian is sick and tired of watching his own beloved habitat mutate from a pristine Northern ecosystem to a veritable toxic wasteland.

That said, Nikiforuk is clearly perturbed (another “p” word springs to mind…but this is a family-friendly blog). His book combines intensive research with a lively, caustic writing style…sort of enlightened invective. This makes for an astonishingly entertaining read that raises your hackles while raising your awareness about a seriously dangerous issue.

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“Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.”
“Think globally. Act locally.”
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
“Do no harm.”

Despite the didactic deluge from the –Isms, actually living in a sustainable, socially conscientious way is far from easy. It is not a matter of memorizing the rules, following the crowd, or going with “the flow.” Life, green or not, is a whole heckuva lot harder than that.

Indeed, the situations in which one must make a hard choice to be sustainable (or most sustainable, or even something resembling sustainable) are infinite, each one with many shades of green and nuances for ethical worrying over. This is especially true during the holiday season, when folks are feeling generous and so looking to give their loved ones some kind of gift–many of which are not very eco-friendly.

Yes, the complexity and reality of reality prohibits any reliable de facto rules. The quandaries we will face are infinite, but here are a few scenarios and larger questions that come to mind when I ponder this realization of mortality:

• Is it better to buy locally grown produce that is not organic (or chemical free) at the Farmers’ Market or shipped produce that is organic at a chain supermarket?
• Is it okay to drive to work (whether or not you have a hybrid) if you live within a few miles of the office? Should you walk or bike?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/24/meditation-hard-choices-of-sustainability/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/17/sustainability-spotlight-the-friendly-city-food-co-op/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/17/sustainability-spotlight-the-friendly-city-food-co-op/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:00:05 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/17/sustainability-spotlight-the-friendly-city-food-co-op/ Since moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia, I have been pleasantly surprised–okay, stunned–by the many green and community-oriented groups working to make this place a better place. Shortly after moving here and starting my new job, I was introduced by colleagues to a remarkable project in its formative stages: The Friendly City Food Co-op.

Bringing together community members, local farmers, and everything necessary for healthy, green living, the Friendly City Food Co-op is on its way to giving everyone in the Shenandoah Valley a chance to support sustainability at all levels. As the website explains, “The guiding principles are equality among owners, the enrichment of the community, and the support of local sustainable products.”1

Interestingly enough, the Co-op got its start after The Little Grill Collective, a local employee-owned restaurant and landmark, made a failed attempt at starting a natural foods/goods store in 2005. Alas, The Little Grill’s store never came to fruition, but after six months of trying the owners/staff contacted interested community members about the possibility of making the vision a reality.

Starting in 2006, 25 interested folks met repeatedly to discuss, plan, and gather resources to water that little seed so that it might sprout and grow. And, by the end of 2007, their work brought some impressive results: over $11,000 in raised capital, hiring of outside consultants (legal, business, marketing, etc.), and established the various boards and teams. All the while plans were taking shape and that vision of the Friendly City Food Co-op store kept growing clearer, firmer, and more realistic.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/17/sustainability-spotlight-the-friendly-city-food-co-op/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/10/book-review-smogtown-the-lung-burning-history-of-pollution-in-los-angeles-by-chip-jacobs-and-william-j-kelly/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/10/book-review-smogtown-the-lung-burning-history-of-pollution-in-los-angeles-by-chip-jacobs-and-william-j-kelly/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:00:57 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/10/book-review-smogtown-the-lung-burning-history-of-pollution-in-los-angeles-by-chip-jacobs-and-william-j-kelly/ The tale of one American city’s epic struggle with smog may not strike you as the most interesting of reads. It sounds more like a government report than a page-turner. But when that city is Los Angeles, things become much more complicated…and, I might as well say it, sexy.

In Smogtown: The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles, Chip Jacobs and William J. Kelly provide a well-documented, highly engaging, and widely relevant account of southern California’s battle with “the beast,” as the authors lovingly refer to smog. Placed firmly in the tradition of good old muckraking journalism, Smogtown covers over sixty years of pollution making and pollution fighting in Los Angeles.

Jacobs, an experienced journalist and author, and Kelly, also a writer and former spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, dig deep in their quest of tracking the beast. From that fateful day of July 8, 1943, that it first rolled into Los Angeles and up to the present, smog has managed to define life in southern California in many respects. Simultaneously, the beast’s reign of terror and humanity’s response to it parallel our entire civilization’s relationship with the planet.

Despite its clear intention of making a case for environmental awareness and action, Smogtown is not your typical “green’s” diatribe against big business and weak government. No, Jacobs and Kelly are much smarter–and fairer–than that in this book.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/10/book-review-smogtown-the-lung-burning-history-of-pollution-in-los-angeles-by-chip-jacobs-and-william-j-kelly/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/darken-decorations-and-brighten-hearts-this-holiday-season/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/darken-decorations-and-brighten-hearts-this-holiday-season/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:00:08 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/darken-decorations-and-brighten-hearts-this-holiday-season/ Now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday have come and gone, people and stores everywhere are gearing up for the next big holiday season: Christmas.

While kids are trying to be extra good to avoid coal in the stockings, many grown-ups are looking to deck the halls and display, in every way imaginable, that they have the spirit of the season. Thanks to technology, that expression of “spirit” nowadays means decorations that rival multi-million dollar movies in extravaganza, brilliance, complexity, dazzle…and expense.

I remember as a child my family’s annual ritual of visiting a neighborhood in which every single house and lawn (and tree and fence and shrubbery and…you get me) was covered, blanketed, buried in decorations. Lights, blinking or not, white or multicolor. Contraptions aplenty, such as the Santa with sled and reindeer troop that traveled around the roof on a track. I swear the place was so bright you could probably see it from space.

Now as an old Scrooge, I have watched with amazement and alarm how Christmas decorations have exploded in size, number, and power. Simple lights, wreaths, or even figurines in the yard have become virtually passé, too simple to be properly “spirited.” Once the weather turns cold and children’s thoughts turn to presents under the tree, you can count on seeing towering inflatable characters, animated setups, and lights so bright they blind hapless passersby.

For example, the Wal-Mart website lists this cheery array of outdoor lawn décor such as: Santa Crash in Tree, Santa Claus on Chopper [i.e., motorcycle], 7-Foot Ferris Wheel [yes, it spins], Animated Teeter-Totter–Santa and Reindeer [yes, it moves], Nativity Scene, etc., etc., etc. All inflatable, all highly bright, all under $100. Quite a steal for showing off all that holiday spirit, right?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/darken-decorations-and-brighten-hearts-this-holiday-season/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:38:42 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/ After what seems like an endless period of record-high gasoline prices, gas station signs are changing almost constantly as the cost for a gallon of gas tumbles. Although the numbers vary depending on where you are, the trend is the same: prices have hit the bottom of the (oil) barrel.

As I write, the lowest average price in America for a gallon of regular unleaded is $1.683 in Oklahoma, while the highest is $2.866 in Alaska.1 Whatever the exact figures, they are far more than half of what they were when prices were at their highest.

As I have watched prices plummet, I have felt my joy and relief rising in an inversely proportional ratio. I also know how many others feel the same, given the fact that commuting is a necessity for many folks…and that many folks drive a lot farther than I do and do not have a hybrid to help reduce consumption.

High gas prices have had serious effects on people’s lifestyles across the world, not to mention other things such as cost of food and other goods. People have been driving less and still paying more for just about everything, causing serious problems for people on fixed incomes or with large families, for instance. We have also witnessed the virtual death of the SUV…though you can still find a Hummer barreling down the highway now and again, gas prices be damned.

Ironically, Americans are lucky when it comes to gas prices. Consumers in many other countries pay a great deal more for their fuel, due to lack of subsidies, higher taxes, or other factors. According to NationMaster.com, the top five for gas prices are Uruguay, United Kingdom, Israel, Argentina, and Japan. America comes in at #102, fairly low on the list of 141 countries; the lucky last is Turkmenistan, of all places!2

Still, gas prices are dropping worldwide, whatever that means country by country and state by state. But with all the joy I am feeling, and just about every other human being is feeling, I also wonder if cheaper gas is not really a good thing.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/22/give-turkeys-a-reason-to-be-thankful-on-thanksgiving/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/22/give-turkeys-a-reason-to-be-thankful-on-thanksgiving/#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:08:28 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/22/give-turkeys-a-reason-to-be-thankful-on-thanksgiving/ Long before the Puritans decided to cop a squat on Native American land and then had the first “Thanksgiving” meal featuring turkey meat, someone managed to discover that the turkey was a good bird to eat. Somehow, despite all logic, some hungry human looked at this rather odd-looking (okay, ugly) bird and thought, “Boy, that sure looks tasty!” Or maybe that lucky hunter was just so desperate that anything would suffice for food.

Whatever the case, turkeys found themselves on the menu. And then after 1621, turkeys became the feature of Thanksgiving–comprising the main course and finding their way into just about everything else, from stuffing to leftovers for the rest of the week.

While gourmands may give praise to the first turkey eater, turkeys themselves have very little to look forward to on Thanksgiving–the Black Thursday for these birds. Even if their intelligence level is as low as it has long been held to be, even amongst (the stupidest) animals, turkeys are yet another victim of the meat industry. Unlike other commodified creatures, though, turkeys practically have their own holiday…with celebration centered on eating them!

Thanksgiving is particularly black for more reasons than the simple acts of killing and eating living beings (however ugly and dumb). Like most other commercial meat industries, the turkey industry is riddled with cruel practices, from raising to transporting to “preparing” the birds that end up on human tables.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/22/give-turkeys-a-reason-to-be-thankful-on-thanksgiving/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/15/moixa-energy-pushes-for-greener-recyclable-batteries-with-the-alkaline-awareness-campaign-and-usbcell/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/15/moixa-energy-pushes-for-greener-recyclable-batteries-with-the-alkaline-awareness-campaign-and-usbcell/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:00:42 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/15/moixa-energy-pushes-for-greener-recyclable-batteries-with-the-alkaline-awareness-campaign-and-usbcell/ With Santa’s e.t.a. drawing ever nearer, little boys and girls are trying extra hard to be nice rather than naughty in order to get their holiday wishes filled. And many of them are not having visions of sugarplums. No, a great many children of all ages around the world are dreaming of new super-techno-gadgets from iPhones to Blackberries to MP3 players to everything else in between.

While their individual wants may vary (probably depending on which commercial they have seen or which friend bought which gadget most recently), one common feature of the things they may want is a battery. Or multiple batteries.

Nowadays, just about everything requires one or more batteries to operate, some rechargeable by design and others using traditional, disposable alkaline versions. An estimated 15 billion alkaline batteries alone get made and then chucked every year. Unfortunately for the planet and its inhabitants, all of those batteries contain toxic components, such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and other metals. Equally unfortunately, only a tiny percentage of the rechargeable and disposable batteries used to power modernity’s techno-trinkets ever get recycled or disposed of in safe ways. As a result, those toxins combine with all the energy and pollutants emitted during the manufacture, transport, and storage of batteries that end up in the trash after a single use.

Recognizing the seriously hazardous trend in battery production and usage, UK-based company Moixa Energy has launched its Alkaline Awareness Campaign to help educate consumers. In addition, Moixa Energy is offering a special “Carbon Footprint” version of its USBCELL rechargeable battery–so that consumers will recognize how they are acting as “CO2 Savers” by using the USBCELL instead of alkaline batteries.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/15/moixa-energy-pushes-for-greener-recyclable-batteries-with-the-alkaline-awareness-campaign-and-usbcell/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/09/sustainability-spotlight-the-little-grill-collective/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/09/sustainability-spotlight-the-little-grill-collective/#comments Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:30:40 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/09/sustainability-spotlight-the-little-grill-collective/ Since moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia in October, I have had the pleasure and privilege of patronizing The Little Grill Collective, a historic landmark right in the heart of “The Friendly City.” These have been unusual privileges, too, as I typically shun eating out for several reasons: nearly all restaurants are perilous places for vegans, do not serve organic foods, are egregiously wasteful in many ways, and are equally egregiously overpriced.

The Little Grill, however, is a remarkable exception nearly every one of these and the many other reasons you might prefer to cook at home and brown bag it to work. From its early days in the 1940s to the time it became an employee-owned collective in 2003, The Little Grill has offered a wide variety of fare to please every palette. Whether you are a carnivore, an omnivore, or an herbivore, you will definitely find something to fill your tummy and make you smile at this joint.

The unique dishes on the menu range from appetite-stoking appetizers like the Black Beans and Rice or hummus and a pita with fresh veggies for dippin’. The entrees are even more diverse, from the whopping Ron’s Mexi-Plate to “Go Ask Alyce,” a falafel wrap with hummus, tahini, and a salad. You can also get burgers and other sandwiches, plus interesting desserts (including a yummy vegan cookie!) or smoothies. Their breakfast menu is famously full of to-die-for delights, from tofu rancheros to vegan flaxjacks. Be sure to get a big tall stack of those!

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/09/sustainability-spotlight-the-little-grill-collective/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:00:08 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/ When winter’s frigid weather rolls in (or “crashes down” might be more appropriate), we humans have the ability to head inside into comfy little dens stockpiled with plenty of food and kept snugly warm by various measures. Things are much harder on the various critters forced to endure the cold, the precipitation, and the widespread dearth of edibles in this “dead” season.

Winter is the perfect time, then, for you to practice a little cold-weather kindness by helping wildlife make it through these dark, grim days when survival is a constant challenge. With a little planning and effort, you can make your entire yard into an oasis in the icy desert, a shelter from the freezing storm, a larder filled with sustaining, tasty tidbits.

Here are some of the best methods for making your homeplace a wildlife-friendly winter habitat:

1. Keep your birdfeeders full and spread extra seed on the ground. Feeder birds are still plentiful in winter and will need the easily accessible, highly nourishing (and fattening) seeds available in birdfeeders. But if you spread some seed on the ground, too, you will ensure that birds and other critters (including squirrels, like it or not) get something to eat as well. Many winter birds will not venture up to the feeder itself; examples include sparrows of all sorts, juncos, and towhees, which are a joy to watch as they scratch and kick in snow or leaves to find little bits to eat.
2. Drop extra-special winter treats around your yard. For example, smear peanut butter in pine cones and hang them up or just throw them about. Dried corn cobs (with kernels, of course) will feed squirrels, deer, and some birds. Suet is a favorite of woodpeckers and other birds–and squirrels, if you let them get to it.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/26/white-throated-sparrows-and-the-return-of-old-sam-peabody/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/26/white-throated-sparrows-and-the-return-of-old-sam-peabody/#comments Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:28:47 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/26/white-throated-sparrows-and-the-return-of-old-sam-peabody/ Just because I am an admitted “nature lover,” that does not mean I have an equal affection for everything in and about nature. Who does? I mean, does anyone really love mosquitoes? Cockroaches? Hurricanes?

Natural pests and disasters aside, there is one thing about nature in particular that is always hard to love or even appreciate–or even tolerate: COLD.

Being deficient in natural insulating layers, a lack that clothing can never quite make up for, I dread the coming of late autumn and then winter. I spend a good half of the year preparing for, enduring, and finding (sustainable) ways to avoid the cold in all its terrible forms: frost, snow, sleet, ice, drafts, chilly winds, numbing gales….

And yet even the cold weather is not entirely absent from the warm places in my heart, thanks only to one saving grace. Yes, even the depths of the wintry cold, when the sun seems to mock us shivering mammals in this sublunary world, can make me smile, wonder, and fall in love again. For when the weather outside turns frightful and the fire inside is so delightful, those of us in the eastern and southern parts of the United States can enjoy the return of “old Sam Peabody.” Open your ears on a cold day and you may hear his song:

Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody.

Ah, yes, cold weather means the return of old Sam Peabody, i.e., the song of the humbly magnificent white-throated sparrow. After spending spring and summer up north, mostly Canada, the white-throated sparrow heads south (though not all the way down to the tropics like many other birds) to enjoy a milder winter clime than that in the boreal regions. (Smart bird!)

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/26/white-throated-sparrows-and-the-return-of-old-sam-peabody/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/make-receipts-optional-to-save-paper/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/make-receipts-optional-to-save-paper/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:00:56 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/make-receipts-optional-to-save-paper/ How many times have you gone to the store to grab a quick item or two and walked out with a receipt that is longer than you are tall? Do you then dump it in the trash? Or fold it up (many, many times) and stick it in your pocket? Or throw it somewhere in your car to let it “biodegrade” with all the other stuff in there? Or take it home and stick it in with your other paper recyclables?

Whatever your method of dealing with receipts, you may like me recognize that a great many of them are really unnecessary. As such, I have often told the cashiers in various stores that I did not need a receipt, thinking that this might avoid the printout and so save some paper (not to mention the bother for me of figuring out what to do with the bloody thing).

Sadly, I have discovered that my efforts were mostly in vain. After giving my habitual “just say no” line in a local natural foods store, I watched as the register printed out the receipt anyway and the cashier crumpled it up and threw it in the trashcan.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/make-receipts-optional-to-save-paper/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/18/from-new-place-to-sacred-place-homemaking-by-the-human-animal/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/18/from-new-place-to-sacred-place-homemaking-by-the-human-animal/#comments Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:00:54 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/18/from-new-place-to-sacred-place-homemaking-by-the-human-animal/ After recently going through and surviving (albeit not unscathed) the ordeal of moving from Harrisonburg to Charlottesville, Virginia, I have been reflecting a bit on the various ways I made this new place into my homeplace. In turn, making this place my home also entailed making it another sacred place for me. And, in turn, I find some strong parallels to how animals make some habitat their home in various ways–thus linking me and all humans to “wildlife” in every clime and time.

First and foremost, of course, was actually finding a home –a physical building to use for shelter. Now some of my fellow humans are pack animals and need many other warm bodies nearby. But I am a lone wolf, a forest solitaire, so this meant finding a place unto itself (rather than, say, a den in an apartment complex).

Like all animals, the surroundings helped determine my choice in this regard. Instead of settling in the hearty of the busy (ha ha) city, I settled down outside of town in a more rural, naturally stimulating locale. I had to have ample trees close by, along with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains; anything less simply would not do! And there just had to be thriving bird life, since my primary means of “planting my flag” and marking my territory is putting up at least one birdfeeder ASAP.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/18/from-new-place-to-sacred-place-homemaking-by-the-human-animal/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/15/get-out-the-vote-and-go-fish-with-fishvote08/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/15/get-out-the-vote-and-go-fish-with-fishvote08/#comments Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:01 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/15/get-out-the-vote-and-go-fish-with-fishvote08/ As the 2008 U.S. elections loom ever closer, the world’s many eyes are focused on who will become the next President and thus lead us into the nation (and world) after Bush. This election has garnered a tremendous, unprecedented amount of energy and activity amongst individuals of all demographics. As such, the next few weeks will bring only an increase in the electricity sizzling through our daily lives.

But even with this exceptional, and long overdue, participation in the political process by the general populous, you may still feel like your vote makes no difference in the long run, like you cannot really do anything to determine how the government runs–and runs your life. So you may feel like telling the politicians, pollsters, politicos, and button-toting supporters to “Go Fish!”

When it comes to real live fish, however, you now can have a genuine impact on making the fishing industry more sustainable. My friend and fellow blogger Mark Powell at the Ocean Conservancy is helping spearhead the organization’s FishVote08, which harnesses the power of democracy to help save different fish species.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/15/get-out-the-vote-and-go-fish-with-fishvote08/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/11/bubbla-air-inflated-packaging-a-safer-greener-way-to-ship/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/11/bubbla-air-inflated-packaging-a-safer-greener-way-to-ship/#comments Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:00:20 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/11/bubbla-air-inflated-packaging-a-safer-greener-way-to-ship/ Foam peanuts are the Devil. Evil incarnate. Darkness made visible. Senseless brutal waste embodied in a horde of impish, malevolent, noxious, toxic minions spilling out of boxes, bags, closets, basements, attics, trashcans, landfills. A wicked wind is blowing, and those infernal foam peanuts are riding it across the land, across the sea, across the Earth. They cannot die; they may be eternal.

Okay, so maybe foam peanuts and the other demons in the legion of packaging materials are not the creations of some sinister mad hatter, some oily oligarch, some short-sighted sorcerer’s apprentice, some wizard hiding in a city that is decidedly not emerald green. Nevertheless, the foam peanuts are steadily spreading with every package sent by air, sea, or ground. And this fact begs the question: Can they be stopped???

Take heart, my fellow Earthlings, for we do have an easy and eco-friendly way to say “YES!” to this question: Bubbla.

Although it may not have the name of a saving knight in shining green armor, Bubbla offers just about anyone–from large businesses shipping countless packages per day to the lone house dweller sending birthday gifts to family–a way to put a stop to the rampaging horde of foam peanuts. (Besides, how silly does “foam peanuts” sound?!)

Bubbla is an “on-demand” air-inflated packaging system produced for over 12 years now by Bubbla, Inc., a company in Canoga Park, California. (Believe it or not, the owner of Bubbla actually invented air-pillow packaging material, and the company owns four patents in this area. Obviously they know their stuff!)

Whenever you need some packaging material, you just make it using either the tabletop or freestanding Bubbla machine, both of which are easy to operate (with touch-screen controls), small (about 25” tall by 15” deep), and can be plugged in to a good old electric wall outlet. The machine quickly cranks out a supply of air-inflated packaging in one design or another (e.g., diamond wrap or long cells) to meet your demand. Make as much as you need, when you need. No fuss, no muss.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/11/bubbla-air-inflated-packaging-a-safer-greener-way-to-ship/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/08/autumn-is-the-time-for-persimmon-pickin/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/08/autumn-is-the-time-for-persimmon-pickin/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:15 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/08/autumn-is-the-time-for-persimmon-pickin/ When autumn, lovely autumn, swings round these here parts once again, so many things start to fall: leaves, acorns, pine cones, temperatures, humidity levels… Although spring and summer get the most credit as seasons for bountiful harvests, autumn has its bounty, too.

Amongst nature’s many freely offered wild edibles, we finicky humans have overlooked a vast number of scrumptious delicacies as we have evolved (or devolved) from wilderness gatherers to grocery-store, fast-food drive-thru, vending-machine gatherers. To our own detriment.

Now, summertime may be regaled as the season for sweet foraging, for then the many berries are bursting with sugary savory sweetness in bite-size bits. But autumn has its sweetness, too, in particular thanks to one oft-ignored tidbit: the persimmon.

Let me clarify: The wild persimmon of which I speak is the American persimmon, Disopyros virginiana. This is not the baseball-size, bright yellow, imported Japanese/Chinese kaki persimmon (Diospyros kaki you can find in grocery stores. No, D. virginiana is native to the American Southeast, though it has found its way out to the Midwest and even up towards the Northeast of these United States as well. Its fruit is much more humble in size, like a little ping pong ball, and much subtler in color, a sort of pale orange blending into rosy pink and purple depending on its ripeness. It is more sensitive as well, hence its absence from grocery store produce sections.

So to experience the wild persimmon, you must head out into the autumn woods and keep your eye up in the canopy or, alternatively, down on the ground for fallen edible offerings. Then you may discover the lovely American persimmon in all its autumn fecundity.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/08/autumn-is-the-time-for-persimmon-pickin/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/04/the-charlottesville-vegetarian-festival-and-the-power-of-green-festivals/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/04/the-charlottesville-vegetarian-festival-and-the-power-of-green-festivals/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:00:58 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/04/the-charlottesville-vegetarian-festival-and-the-power-of-green-festivals/ A few days ago, I went to the 12th annual Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival with a good friend (who is also the founder and Executive Director of GreenRight, a new environmental/social-justice nonprofit). Coordinated by the group Voices for Animals and run entirely by volunteers, the event brings together people of all stripes and shades from throughout central Virginia for a smorgasbord of green goodies.

After just a few moments at the Festival, you will be able to understand why it usually draws in about 6,000 visitors, making it one of the largest vegetarian festivals in the United States. In modest Lee Park in downtown Charlottesville, and spilling over into surrounding parking lots, local natural foods stores, organizations of all sorts, restaurants, and other vendors provide an unbelievable variety of goods, information, and entertainment. Add to that live music and animal adoptions, plus free samples and fun activities like face painting, and you can easily spend the entire day with other folks who are interested in livingly compassionately towards animals and the planet.

Just to give you a snapshot: Walk up to the table of the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation and take part in a poll of transportation methods used by attendees. Depending on your mode of locomotion (biking, driving alone, carpooling, etc.), you will get a colored rock that you then put in a clear tube. As the piles grow and the tubes fill, everyone can see which transportation methods are most popular–though the most popular may not be the most sustainable as well.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/04/the-charlottesville-vegetarian-festival-and-the-power-of-green-festivals/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/01/opt-out-of-credit-card-offers-to-reduce-junk-mail/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/01/opt-out-of-credit-card-offers-to-reduce-junk-mail/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:55 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/01/opt-out-of-credit-card-offers-to-reduce-junk-mail/ Sure, the American (and so the global) financial market is an absolute mess right now, largely because of dodgy credit and lending practices by major financial institutions. Sure, millions of Americans (and people across the globe) are buried in debt, be it a mortgage or a maxed-out credit card.

Despite these ominous signs of an economic storm on the horizon, credit card companies are more than ready to give you outrageously generous credit and a nice, shiny new plastic card. But wait, it gets better! Just sign up now, financial crisis or not, and you can get a year without interest, a new appliance or electronic gizmo, a trip to Cancun!

OK, maybe not those last two.

This scenario may well sound familiar for any of you who 1) have applied for or opened up a new credit card account at any point in your natural life and 2) receive postal mail in some manner. Despite the environmental crisis facing planet Earth, junk mail is far from being an endangered species of tree-killing pest. Along with catalogues, bills, advertisements, and other snail-mail SPAM you likely do not want, credit card offers contribute significantly to the paper used for junk (unsolicited) mail.

Fortunately for consumers and postal carriers, there is a way to free yourself from the avalanche of credit card offers and so help reduce the number of trees used for paper.

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