Results tagged “savingusfromourselves”

While I think it is about time that, as a country, we begin to seriously consider our consumption and its impact on the Earth, part of the problem I have with the environmental movement as a whole is that some supporters have surpassed a moderate interest and are hovering around in fanatic territory. (You should see some of the outlandish emails I get being on PETA's email list!) When extreme attitudes are expressed in an off-putting way, it does nothing to further the cause and often can serve to scare away people who would be otherwise interested. For instance: there are reports that Woody Harrelson forgot to bring his vegan shoes and belt to Cannes. His assistants could not track down any non-leather alternatives, so he had his shoes and belt flown to France! This is extreme (and extremely ridiculous). When someone becomes so rigid in their beliefs that they have accessories flown halfway around the world, things have gotten out of control. (Note: I will be adding this story to my on-going list of reasons why I believe the Apocalypse is close upon us.)

We all know by now that we should be taking steps to conserve gas. We can do things like carpool or arrange our errands so that they are all done in one trip. But a key tip that we can practice every time we drive is this: SLOW DOWN. Many of us have read articles suggesting slowing down, but we are skeptical about just how much we really are saving. Well, according to this article at CNNMoney.com, "every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon." (Once you get into the higher rates of speed, for every extra 10 MPH, fuel economy is reduced about four miles per gallon.) That is a big difference that can add up quickly in terms of extra gas that needs to be purchased. Even so, just reading stats like that didn't have me convinced. Until last weekend, on a trip to Norfolk, VA to attend a wedding. Driving down, we averaged about 68 miles per hour and used up roughly 3/4 of a full tank of gas. However, on the ride back, because someone may have consumed a little too much Sauvignon Blanc at the wedding reception the previous night, a request was entered for a slower traveling speed for the trip home. After refueling the tank, coming home at 58 miles per hour, we arrived back in the Philadelphia area with only less than half of a tank of gas used. It was shocking to realize that so much extra fuel was eaten up by only ten extra miles per hour. It should also be noted that both trips took roughly the same amount of time, so it's not as if a great amount of travel time was added to the trip due to decreased speed. So next time you are on a major road or highway and are hitting the pedal to the floor (or setting the cruise to a high rate of speed), please think twice about it and consider travelling slightly slower. You may become unpopular with the drivers behind you, but it will certainly save you gas, and also it can't hurt to drive at a safer speed.

Pretty much every media outlet we rely on, mainstream or otherwise, constantly bombards us with "green" topics. Many retailers and manufacturers are moving towards greening their products (though whether they are successful or whether sometimes it is just greenwashing is debatable). These days it is pretty hard to avoid the issue, but sometimes there is just such an overwhelming amount of information, including both scare tactics and sound advice, that we might find ourselves using the handy old technique of avoidance. Since we know that's not the right answer either, probably the best way to go is take some time to sit down and think for yourself, considering all of the information that is out there, and decide what, realistically, you can do. And if you don't live alone, think about scheduling a time to talk to your roommate(s), significant other, family members, or whomever else about how you can work as a team to infuse some positive changes to your lifestyle. The key at first is to select changes that are realistic, that you can feasibly do. Don't pick as your first project a grand scheme to convert your house to solar power. Instead, think about planting a veggie garden in your backyard or patio (and maybe later add in composting to go along with it). Make a plan to carpool with a neighbor or a spouse. Try to limit yourself to one meat-based meal a day (if you are not already a vegetarian). Don't buy bottled water from Fiji. (Drink filtered tap water instead.) Wash your clothes in cold water and hang them on a rack to dry. This list could go on and on, but you get the idea—make it manageable to facilitate success rather than frustration and failure. Don't overwhelm yourself with doom and gloom, simply try to find ways to manage your life in a more environmentally friendly way.

We have all heard the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra more times than we can count. Recycling has long been a topic in the public eye, and of late, so has reducing one's consumption. But somewhere along the line that middle guy, reuse, gets lost in the shuffle. A key part of trying to live a more eco life should be attempting to use what you've got, in new and inventive ways. (Example: recycle old wooden crates into vegetable garden planters). But there will be many times when you find that you do need to purchase something that you don't already own. When those times arise, try buying used goods first whenever it makes sense to do so. A great place to start are flea markets. Of late, the term "flea market" has also come to include places that specialize mostly in knockoff handbags and other phony goods (and we know that stuff is all far from eco). But there are some quality flea markets still in operation, including the roving Phila Flea Markets which start for the season this Saturday, May 3rd at the 22nd & Fairmount Eastern State Penitentiary location.

This week's New York Times Magazine features an article entitled "Why Bother?" by Michael Pollan (the author of must-reads The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto). In "Why Bother," Pollan states that the bleakest part of watching An Inconvenient Truth for him was "during the closing credits, when we are asked to . . . change our light bulbs. That’s when it got really depressing. The immense disproportion between the magnitude of the problem Gore had described and the puniness of what he was asking us to do about it was enough to sink your heart." Many of us can relate to that. We think, wow, there are just so many environmental problems out there, how can what little I do make a difference? And with that defeatist attitude, many of us choose the path of not doing anything. Pollan argues that "Climate change is upon us, and it has arrived well ahead of schedule," but now is not the time to think that whatever you may do as an individual is "too little too late." He says, "For us to wait for legislation or technology to solve the problem of how we’re living our lives suggests we’re not really serious about changing—something our politicians cannot fail to notice. They will not move until we do."

Local writer/director/producer Michael Gleason recently sent us a link to his short comic news piece called "Arrgh! Taxes!" which we were planning on profiling today given that it is April 15th. However, one of his other pieces struck a chord with us about a topic near and dear to this column's heart: environmentalism. In his clip "Eco-tistical," he defines being eco-tistical as "someone who is more concerned about looking like they are concerned about the environment, than actually being concerned about the environment." He takes us through his decision to replace his Ford Taurus with a Toyota Prius, but he is concerned that his decision to purchase a hybrid would be eco-tistical. That is, he is afraid he's making the choice to buy the Prius for the wrong reasons. He considers instead planting trees or riding a bike to work. In the end he does choose a Prius because his "eco ego needs massaging." While he says this in jest, it is a true commentary on the way our society has grabbed hold of the eco movement.

This week, take some time to think about how much unnecessary paper we are using up each day. When you see your fifteenth movie of the Philadelphia Film Festival, don't pick up yet another copy of the film guide. Don't print out that third recipe for macaroni and cheese from your favorite food blog, complete with nine extra pages of reader comments. Don't print out the Juno screenplay and re-read again, shaking your head and wondering how that schlock won an Academy award. (Oh wait, maybe that's just me who is doing that). Don't subscribe to a printed publication that can be read online.

If you would like to become more environmentally conscious but think getting started is a rather daunting task, Sundance Channel's "The Green" might be a good place to begin your quest for knowledge. Beginning tonight, April 1st, Season 2 of The Green airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. and features a block of programming centered around the concept of environmental sustainability.

What are you doing this Saturday night? At 8 pm (local time) many people across the globe will be participating in Earth Hour. (Warning: dramatic Jeremy Piven narrated sound clip at that link.) The concept behind the Earth Hour movement is simple: shut off your lights for one hour. Just to see what it's like. To get us thinking. Do we really need to be consuming all of the energy that we normally don't give a second thought to using? The movement has expanded globally since its origination last year in Sydney. Now many major cities have embraced it. (A hotel bar in Toronto is even advertising themed drinks in support.) Even though Philadelphia is not listed as a partner that doesn't mean you can't participate.

Note: We realize that while not everyone celebrates Easter, hopefully this post can be taken as motivation to make greener choices in preparing for any future celebration or holiday.

By now, we have all heard about—and been sufficiently freaked out by—the news that major pharmaceuticals have been discovered in treated Philadelphia drinking water. (Editor's Note: Phillyist originally linked to this story in our news post on Monday.) Antibiotics, anti-convulsants, and mood stabilizers, oh my. While that says too much about the over-medicated state of Americans, our topic here is the water itself. Our first instinct after reading this might be to grab the nearest bottled water. But is that really the best option, even in light of this new study?

Contrary to what perceptions might be, environmentalism does not always equal extremism. Being environmentally conscious does not mean forsaking your interests and living in a shack in the woods. It is important, though, to be increasingly aware of the impact that you and your actions are making.

Scary fact: There are 17,000 petrochemicals available for home use, but only 30% of them have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment. Nobody likes scrubbing the bathroom – that in itself is scary enough. But if you stop and think for a minute, you really won't want to do another second of cleaning when you realize the potential damage you could be doing with the products that you've selected. So step away from those Scrubbing Bubbles and try something a little greener.

A column about how we Philadelphians can start thinking about controlling consumption and protecting our world in small increments.