Green(ing) Richmond

"Who Cooked the Earth?"

2010-08-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

....may be the best op-ed title of all time.

Actually, it's "Who Cooked the Planet," a piece by Paul Krugman in the July 25th New York Times.

"Never say that the gods lack a sense of humor. I bet they’re still chuckling on Olympus over the decision to make the first half of 2010 — the year in which all hope of action to limit climate change died — the hottest such stretch on record." (Krugman, New York Times, July 25, 2010)

Is all hope gone? If the big corporations, the Pentagon, and the big polluters don't change their ways, will recycling the envelopes my mail comes in really make a difference?

As Al Gore (channelling Winston Churchill) once said, 'now we are living in the time of consequences.' The goal now may well be to prevent a total breakdown of of water supply, air supply, and stall the end of the livability of this planet.

What dogs do

2010-08-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

As much as I care about quote upquote saving the Earth [although I really don't], there are some things I just can't seem to get a handle on.

What do I do about my dog's...offerings? You see, my sweet, schnooky-face, snuggle muffin has a nasty habit of defecating in public.

doggie poo..safely sealed away

Do I buy those ridiculously overpriced biodegradeable bags which might not even be biodegradeable? It doesn't matter if they are biodegradeable if they end up in a landfill.

Right now I am using plastic bags, and not just plastic bags, but those zippered sealable bags!!

Why? Because it is so lovely after picking someone else &$;(*(*)( to be able to seal it up in a hermetically sealed...sealing thing.

And then I put it in the trash, where it begins it's long journey on the way to killing the Earth.

"Aaah..sweet, sweet filth."

(said the seagulls)

What are some alternatives--I'd like to know....apparently, it's not as funny a problem as I'd like to think. Dog waste poses serious threats to water quality.

I just wish my neighborhood had one of these:

The Lazy Environmentalist

2010-08-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

...is one of my favorite television shows of all-time!

http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com/

If you subscribe to Josh's newsletter, he will e-mail you his report, "The 5 Laziest Ways to Go Green Without Spending a Dime."

He says he will e-mail this immediately...but I'm still waiting...so in the meantime, here are my top 5 lazy tips: (sorry if they intersect with Josh's, but I'm too lazy to cross-check..)

1. Stop buying bottled water - what can be easier then NOT doing something?
2. Recycle - yes, this requires "effort," but by my calculation, no MORE effort than throwing garbage away. Please tell me you do throw your garbage away!
3. Buy less, use less - again, doing less is pretty darned lazy!
4. One day a week, don't use your car
5. Let the sun dry your clothes -again, I'm so lazy--and entitled, I might add--that I'm not satisfied unless the largest thing in the solar system takes an item off of my "to do" list!

Never Buys - Bottled Water

2010-07-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy this list of things you should never buy. I haven't purchased styrofoam cups in five hundred years.

But there is one woeful omission.

Bottled water.

Who is still buying this? I can think a five bizzilion reasons not to buy bottled water, especially water in plastic bottles.

So here goes:

1. Plastic...comes from oil...BP spill? Birds covered in liquid death? Isn't it enough already?
2. Plastic...leaches into the water....that you drink...
3. Most bottled water needs to be shipped. Guess what fuel propels the vehicles they are shipped it in... O...I....L.
4. Glass. Needs to be manufactured. This takes oil.
5. Philosophical--when did we start buying water? Next they will be selling us air. Water is part of the commonweal. No one should buy this on principal. Because no one should be selling it.
6. Budgetary considerations - why are we paying anything for something that is virtually free?

All of this is bad enough. But for those who doubt global warming, or don't think we've reached peak oil, there are other issues, and that is the issue of social and economic justice.

Water companies are tapping the water from indigenous peoples, and selling it back to them at exorbitant markups. It is economic injustice at its worst.

The issue of privatization of water does not occur to me when I reach for bottled water, which yes, I still do on occasion. But the very notion of buying water needs to be questioned. Water supplies are being privatized all over the globe, and when we buy bottled water, we are voting "yes," we think private companies should hold the rights to the most precious resource of all.

Fiji Water is one of the worst offenders. After reading this article, I completely stopped buying Fiji water--and it was my favorite bottled water. You know what I mean--it tastes amazing. But Fiji Water supports (even if indirectly) a military dictaorship and has near total control of the islanders' acquifer. While we Westerners enjoy this pristine, hip, well-marketed water, the people who live in Fiji are forced to haul their own water to the hospital:

Half the country has at times relied on emergency water supplies, with rations as low as four gallons a week per family; dirty water has led to outbreaks of typhoid and parasitic infections. Patients have reportedly had to cart their own water to hospitals, and schoolchildren complain about their pipes spewing shells, leaves, and frogs. Some Fijians have taken to smashing open fire hydrants and bribing water truck drivers for a regular supply. [Fiji Water: Spin the Bottle, Mother Jones]

What is do deeply unfair about this is almost everyone who can afford to drink Fiji water has access to extremely good water.

See BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS for more information. This is mandatory viewing for anyone who cares even a little bit about social justice. As its website states: "Water is a basic human right, the right to survive."

So I pose the question: Why are the local natural foods stores stocking bottled water?

Virginia Farmer's Market Week: August 1-7, 2010

2010-07-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

Heat Storm 2010 is, if not over, abating, and today might be a lovely day for walking and enjoying the sunshine. Perhaps a good day to hit the farmer's markets.

There are lots of reasons to buy locally grown food, but the most personally compelling:

Buying locally means less oil-slash-petroleum-slash fossil fuel is used for transportation. A lot less.

By the by, supposedly the first week in August is Virginia Farmers’ Market Week. Nice, but how are we supposed to know these things? I've seen zero signage, zero advertising.

It's Thursday, so that means the 17th Street Farmer's Market is open--it's Growers' Market today (on other days you find furniture, beer, and crafts.) [8:30 am to 4 pm]

RichmondGood Life.com has a comprehensive list of area farmer's markets, csa's [more on that in another post], local "ethnic" grocery stores...whew! I'm not even going to try to replicate all of that...yet!

I myself feel very lucky because earlier this year, the Monument Market (Saturdays, 8 am - Noon) opened just down the street from me. Local, fresh eggs, gorgeous flowers, and enormous low-spray strawberries were on display the last time I went! (D'ja ever notice that when you buy fruit from a local farm or farmer's market, it lasts forever? I wonder if it's too late to go berry picking...]

To find a market near you, visit the VDACS website. Just type in your zipcode, and you're one step closer to fresh local produce.

Consignment stores

2010-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm excited because a new consignment store has opened on Cary Street: "B-Sides."

My first excursion was a bust because they were not open, even at 11 a.m. So instead I visited Mongrel, The Children's Exchange (a consignment store with really quite gorgeous children's togs), Chop Suey, a great bookstore with used items and titles of local interest.

...and then I finally stopped at Capital Coffee, where I bumped into A. and had some lovely lemon cake (locally-made by the owner, Beth).

Although I didn't actually make it inside B-Sides, I'm still pleased to see more sustainable businesses opening.

But it raises the issue: Are consignment stores green?
Any business generates trash, and uses electricty, water, and paper.
However, consignment stores do remove clothing from the waste stream and reduce the need to manufacture new clothing by encouraging consumers to re-use rather than purchase items new.

What do you think? Let us know in comments.

Also, send us information about other consignment stores you love.

Enter stage left

2010-07-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I don't know if there are other blogs about the effort to live an environmentally conscious life in Richmond.

But here goes.

Feel free to comment, complain, kvetch, lecture, and otherwise jump on board! Mostly I look forward to suggestions and tips on how to live sustainably in Richmond, Virginia.