Green Options

VP-FBB on the Antarctic Plateau

As I take off from the ice runway at the British Antarctic Survey’s Halley base, situated on the Brunt Ice Shelf (75o34’S 26o34’W), I finally realise I am living and working at the extreme of human endurance.  I am in one of the Survey’s De Havilland Twin Otters, known as Victor Papa Foxtrot Bravo Bravo (or VP-FBB), heading to the remote automatic weather station known affectionately as Baldrick, located at 83oSouth.

The weather station is hundreds of miles from the nearest living thing (human or otherwise) in the middle of the most inhospitable environment on the planet.  My life is entirely in the hands of the pilot Mark; fortunately they are very skilled hands.

I’ve got that special mommy touch:  I can touch my children and know if they have a fever. Where my mommy touch fails me in knowing how high a fever they have. When my children are really sick, I do rely on a thermometer.  We all know that mercury thermometers are toxic if broken and have been largely been phased out in the US.  The problem is every battery operated digital thermometer I have tried has not lasted very long, the batteries are hard to replace, and they spread germs if not properly sterilized between use (I don’t use those little plastic covers).  I think I have found the solution:  Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer.

Neither of my kids have liked having their temperature taken orally (actually, my son refuses).  I remember the temporal artery thermometer they used at the hospital after my son’s heart surgery, and I thought it was really cool. They are now available at a relatively affordable price (about $40). I am sure I have already spent that amount on cheap digital thermometers over the years.

According to a study appearing in this month’s issue of Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, products such as Vicks VapoRub may stimulate mucus production and airway inflammation, which can have serious negative effects on infants and young children.

The ingredients in Vicks can be irritants which cause the body to produce more mucus in order to protect the airway.  In children, whose airways are much more narrower than adults, this could lead to severe respiratory distress.

[Creative Commons photo by Matt Musselman]

Winter is close, and cold and flu season is here. That means lots of sniffles and a lot of tissues and over the counter medications. North American goes through about 156,000 tons of tissues each year, most of them during the winter months. Sales for medicines like decongestants also increase this time of year. When we’re sick, it’s easy to put some of this green living stuff on hold in the name of getting well. Here are a few tips for treating your sickness with less of an impact.

Oymyakon, Russia

Oymyakon (map) is the coldest inhabited place in the northern hemisphere. It’s so cold, locals say that birds freeze to death in mid flight. Ironically, the village is named for a hot spring. In the local minority language, Sakha, the name means “non-freezing water” because of a nearby hot spring that keeps water from freezing. The village is home to about 800 people, a school that only closes when temperatures sink below -52°C, and one general store. (For reference, at -60°C, spit freezes before it hits the ground.) In the winter, daily life includes ice fishing and hanging around at the store. The coldest temperature was recorded on January 26, 1926 at −71.2℃ (-96.2°F).

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!)

For many of us who take environmental protection into our own hands daily, a bicycle is an indispensible part of the dream.  Throw off those winter blues… bicycling can make your winter green!

Bicycles are an efficient way to transport yourself daily for a number of reasons.  To me, the most important benefit to using a bicycle is that it improves my health and fitness.  Probably the next most important to me is a bike’s economy.  You pay for occasional maintenance throughout the year, but on the whole, it is far cheaper than using a car, or even travelling by public transportation!

On the environmental front: unlike motor vehicles, bicycles produce no greenhouse gases from their use.  Their parts can often be manufactured from recycled materials.  Overall, while not perfect, bikes make for a significantly smaller footprint than any other existing mode of efficient, long-travel transportation out there.

The distance from my home to my work is 1.8 miles.  (Another good way to think green: move close to your essentials!)  Walking, that might take me 40 minutes!  But on my bike, I am there in 9-12 minutes.  As the nights get longer and the air gets crisper, however, I am reminded that unless I take certain measures, I will soon be prevented from using my bike to get to work by the “elements.”  Common enemies to the bicycle include: snow, slush, ice, gravel, and salt.

But if you’re like me, you strive to think green in all seasons… not just the warm and sunny ones.  Surely, winter is the least popular time to ride bikes–it’s cold and difficult, and just plain inconvenient!  However, who doesn’t need to keep fit in the winter months?  And with a few quick steps and some basic knowledge, you can equip yourself and your bike with the necessities to keep it sturdy and rideable throughout the winter months.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "do one thing every day that scares you." Until about a month ago, I felt—and I don’t think I’m alone here—that cold showers were pretty scary. I’ve since come to love the refreshing, energy-saving thrill of showering cold. Now, I know that you may never want to try this daring piece of everyday eco-activism. But in case you’re curious, here are the greatest thrills and chills of la douche froide.

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You know you're in hot water when you get your electric bill every month, but did you know that if you stopped using so much hot water, you'd help yourself and the environment? Today we're asking you to adjust how you wash your clothes - and it's going to be easier than you think.