Posted by Daniel Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:08:00 GMT
Posted by Daniel Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:59:02 GMT
Al Gore won some big award for his movie on improving the environment. He testified before congress about global warming and the need for immediate action. Al Gore’s house is 10,000 square feet (is that really enough for him and his wife?). His electric bill and gas bill are both independently more than I make each month. But, he says, he lives a carbon neutral life because he gives someone a bunch of money to offset his carbon emissions. Bologna. If we want to make a difference in global warming or anything else, at least those who want to make a difference will have to make some sacrifices in order to see a difference.
On the other hand, George Bush has been one of the worst presidents for the environment. His contributions as president include starting a war centered around oil. Yet, George Bush’s house in Texas is only (only?) 4,000 square feet and uses some of the greenest forms of energy production. He has a heating system that uses deep holes in the earth (where the earth is a constant temperature in the upper 60s) to keep his home warm without electricity. He uses solar power for much of his energy needs and he has a gray water reclamation system to conserve water in addition to a system that collects water running off from the roof of his house. I have not agreed with many of Bush’s policies, but his home is actually a model to be followed.
[Suprised? Nah. It’s one of the great disconnects in “environmentalism”. Offsets are junk. A way to feel better about what you’re doing without improving anything. The whole movement used to be called “conservation”… but that requires doing with less… who the heck wants that? If you can find a truly green alternative fine. Otherwise, be prepared to do with less. You’d be surprised how joyous less can be.]Posted by Daniel Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:08:37 GMT
The title says it all. I've come to think that this is very important. Motion is most important of all.Posted by Daniel Sun, 24 Dec 2006 16:27:00 GMT
Posted by Daniel Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:56:37 GMT
Posted by Daniel Tue, 05 Dec 2006 02:40:00 GMT
Posted by Daniel Sun, 29 Oct 2006 14:28:00 GMT
Momentum is your friend is a recounting of the summer Joe Kurmaskie spent pulling his sons across the US on a bike and trailer set up. If you like travelogues you will enjoy this one. It inspires me to try a longer trip with my son than I would have considered before, but it’ll be years before I could consider a trip longer than a few hours. But I wasn’t considering even a few hours before, at least until Noah could ride on his own.
Two quotes really caught me as I read it: “Either you glide over the road or you wear it.” Pithy. I’ve often found that to be true.
A page later Joe quotes Rick Reynolds, a comedian “of the highest order”. “He likes to stumble around Costco trying to spot people with real problems. It’s easy: ‘The more crap in your heart, the more stuff in your cart.’ ”
Can I get an Amen? Costco, in case you’re not familiar is one of those big box stores, that sells the huge size of everything in the name of savings (rarely true), massive consumption (always true), and fewer trips to the store (I don’t see this to be the case.)
Posted by Daniel Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:18:07 GMT
Here’s my goal: To own nothing that I don’t find beautiful and love. At this point, to the limits of function, I’d rather not have, than to have something that doesn’t please me in its function or aesthetics.
]Posted by Daniel Thu, 21 Sep 2006 19:57:35 GMT
As we reported this morning, Mayor Bloomberg is in California with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make a major policy announcement on a long-term environmental sustainability initiative. The key components of the Mayor’s plan include:
Posted by Daniel Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:17:00 GMT
Mental Speed Bumps: The Smarter Way to Tame Traffic is a practical, down-to-earth guide for residents, parents, health professionals and city planners that turns conventional wisdom on its head. [Similar to the work of Hans Monderman, but with a nifty book.]
Posted by Daniel Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:57:00 GMT
Hans Monderman is a traffic engineer who hates traffic signs. Oh, he can put up with the well-placed speed limit placard or a dangerous curve warning on a major highway, but Monderman considers most signs to be not only annoying but downright dangerous. To him, they are an admission of failure, a sign - literally - that a road designer somewhere hasn’t done his job. “The trouble with traffic engineers is that when there’s a problem with a road, they always try to add something,” Monderman says. “To my mind, it’s much better to remove things.” [Yeah, baby. I’ve seen it work as well, and is supported by this.]
“The common thread in the new approach to traffic engineering is a recognition that the way you build a road affects far more than the movement of vehicles. It determines how drivers behave on it, whether pedestrians feel safe to walk alongside it, what kinds of businesses and housing spring up along it. “A wide road with a lot of signs is telling a story,” Monderman says. “It’s saying, go ahead, don’t worry, go as fast as you want, there’s no need to pay attention to your surroundings. And that’s a very dangerous message.”
Posted by Daniel Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:37:45 GMT
Typical, and hilarious, and sad. To everyone who worries about your bike being stolen: Contact New York City Council Member Erik Martin Dilan, Chair of the Housing and Buildings Committee and ask that he convenes a hearing on Intro 38-2006, which would mandate that commercial building owners allow tenants to bring their bikes inside. It’s a commonsense bill that would greatly improve bike commuting in NYC, and by extension, the quality of life of all New Yorkers as getting more people on bikes means less people on over- crowded sidewalks and subways, less people in cars, and less pollution, noise and traffic congestion, too! Without public support, CM Dilan will not hold a hearing on Intro 38.
Posted by Daniel Fri, 26 May 2006 19:11:11 GMT
A new pet peeve. Every morning during the week I drop Noah off at daycare. (I’ve expressed before how much I hate having to do this, but we’re not yet capable of making the lifestyle changes that not doing this would require as yet.) Every day I seem to see at least one parent who is dropping off their child—leaving their car running. To be clear: No child, person, nor pet. (And no accounting for the safety of that strategy.) No reason at all to leave the engine running. I’m not sure who it is, and I’m considering whether I should say something or not, but you’d think in this day of $3+ gas prices that out of sheer self interest folks would shut down their engine at every opportunity.
How about the environmental impact… which affects us all, and whose damage is not limited to the finances of an individual family?
What a waste…
