Chinese Fog

Here is a picture from December 2nd (courtesy of European Pressphoto Agency) of Chinese Fog, commonly known as Air Pollution, in Beijing. This is similar to what used to be called London Fog, but  mysteriously vanished thanks to air pollution regulations dating from the 1950s on.

So, next time you hear someone complain about the Clean Air Act here in the U.S., just tell them to be thankful we don't have American Fog.

Ocean-front property

For the past few years I have felt that global climate change has offered me a rare opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade. If I could only figure out how much of the eastern seaboard would be wiped out by rising tides, than I would be in a prime position to buy some first-rate ocean-front property in-the-making.

Alas, this may not be the case. In an early preview from The Economist it appears that a professor out of Oregon State University is set to publish an article in Science claiming that the Earth's atmosphere isn't as sensitive to CO2 as many fear.

No doubt that global climate change is occurring but wouldn't it be great if this scenario turned out to be true? That we aren't completely doomed to a mid-life relocation to the Midwest or maybe the Moon, along with the remaining polar bears is undoubtedly a positive thing.  Of course, I will have to find another business venture in which to make my instant millions.

Nature-Deficit Disorder

There is a fantastic article in Newsweek on what Dr. Andrew Weil refers to as America's "Nature-Deficit Disorder". Here is a quote from the article,

"In my experience, the more people have, the less likely they are to be contented. Indeed, there is abundant evidence that depression is a disease of affluence, a disorder of modern life in the industrialized world. People who live in poorer countries have a lower risk of depression than those in industrialized nations. In general, countries with lifestyles that are furthest removed from modern standards have the lowest rates of depression."

He goes on to highlight the work of another psychologist Stephen Ilardi who has conducted research among the Old Order Amish that has found that members of this religious group -that shuns modern conveniences like cars or mobile phones- have far lower rates of depression than other Americans.

It seems that the more time we spend in doors in front of our t.v.'s and computers, the more depressed we become.  Behaviors strongly associated with depression such as reduced physical activity and human contact, and eating processed foods are the very things that nowadays our jobs and home lives literally force us to do.

I have always argued that a more sustainable life-style is also one that coincides with a happier, and healthier one. Just from my own experience those evenings when I come home from work after sitting in front of the computer all day and crash in front of the t.v. are the days when I feel more stressed and anxious. When I come home and talk with my neighbors, cook a nice meal, and go for a walk with my husband, I feel a lot more calm and relaxed.

So, I guess the moral of the story is that all of us need to conquer our "Nature Deficit Disorder", not just for the sake of the environment, but for ourselves as well.

Carnivores vs. People

There is a great article in the NY Times this morning on the changing relationships between wolves and ranchers. If you don't follow the state of large carnivores in the western U.S. here is that back story: In 1995 grey wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. The wolves had long been extirpated from the area and, as a result, elk populations had exploded and were destroying the vegetation in the park. The program was a success and wolves rapidly spread outside the park boundaries.

The relationship between ranchers and wolves has always been a tense one. Most wolves do not prey on livestock but a minority can become chronic livestock predators. One of the ranchers had an interesting take on the situation. He argues that if Americans along the coasts want to see the grey wolf maintain a presence in the western U.S. than they should have to share the costs. I agree. And I also believe that maintaining healthy large carnivore populations is a necessary if we truly care about the health and diversity of our ecosystems and that the cost is well-worth it.

The red wolf is native to the southeastern U.S. They became extinct in the wild but, thanks to a captive breeding program, are now successfully breeding in North Carolina. I wander if the range of the red wolf starts to spread and the animals move into populated areas, will easterners be as eager to provide protection for this species versus the grey wolf which is out of sight and, therefore, out of mind for the most part?

Beware of exotic carnivores

This summer when our illustrious leaders tried as hard as they could to shut down the federal government, I got in the habit of rolling my eyes at folks when they excitedly exclaimed that we would all be better off if the federal government did indeed shut down. I rolled my eyes because we Americans take for granted all the great things that yes, gasp, the bureaucrats inside the Beltway actually do for us. These things I am referring to include the availability of clean drinking water, the development of life-saving vaccines, and providing safe air travel.  I am now happy to add another item that the federal government should take up: protection of citizens from exotic animals. If you somehow have missed out on this story it goes something like this: Ohio has some of the weakest exotic species laws on the books in the U.S. A crazy man (he qualifies as crazy in my mind) was able to house upwards of 50 exotic species of mammals on his property. These animals included lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Local officials had to warn people to stay in the cars and homes for fear of becoming dinner.

Where the federal government comes into play with this issue is that federal legislation should be enacted to prohibit the private ownership of exotic animals. Amazingly, the illegal trade in wildlife is second only to that of drugs in the United States, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Federal law is often circumvented by breeding these animals in captivity and selling them with state lines. No one needs to keep a Bengal Tiger as a pet. Most people can barely take care of their golden labs.

Women in Science

This week I had the privilege of sitting in on 51 presentations given to the Technical Committee of the DoD's ESTCP (Environmental Security Technology Certification Program) Program. The presenters came from private industry, non- DoD federal agencies, and the Department of Defense and compete for grant money. The point of the program is to fund innovative alternative energy research to benefit the DoD and, if successful, the American public at large.

As the presenters came up, I noticed a trend rather quickly. When the presenters were women, few were married and the ones that were tended not to have children. These are bright and dynamic scientists and engineers. As a country, can we not figure out a way to keep women from dropping out of the R&D world if they decide to pursue a family?

There is a tendency to view America as falling behind in scientific research relative to the rest of the world. We could go a long way in addressing this concern if we found a way for female scientists and engineers to combine a career with raising a family.

It's a Freecycle World

So, if you haven't tried it out I would suggest that you join the Freecycle network. Its a nonprofit movement of individuals and organizations dedicated to keeping stuff out of landfills. It works by electronically (email) connecting individuals in a community. You post that you have something to freecycle and if someone wants it, they will respond with an email. You then pick the person you want to freecycle it to and, voila, a stranger shows up on your doorstep and takes it away with a smile on their face.

I have so far freecycled a dish washer and a dresser that even the Salvation Army wouldn't take but which my husband and I didn't have the heart to throw out with the trash. (Yes, it seems that nonprofits are picky when it comes to their furniture). The dresser is now in the bedroom of a ten-year old girl.

You can also send an email requesting an item. Folks will email you if they have it and want to see it come to second life helping another.

So, sign up today and Freecycle something. Your an American and more than likely have enough in your home to keep the Freecycle community in operation until the end-of-the-world.

Verbaling for the environment

So, last Thursday I did something I never thought I would do: I verbaled someone. If you don't know what verbaling is, let me enlighten you. To put it simply the act of verbaling involves yelling at someone from your car as you are driving by ensuring that you are free of reprisal from the person you just yelled at. (I first learned about verbaling from my husband. It appears to be something that college-aged men do rather frequently).

So, who and why did I verbal. I would peg the man to be about 45, single, maybe a computer programmer? On second thought I am going with a government employee. He had just left Target and, lo and behold, in the bottom portion of his cart sat a twelve-pack of bottled water. Before I could stop myself I yelled at him out the window that he was being ripped off by Coke (he had a thing of Dasani) and was the poster boy for lack of environmental awareness in this country. (My husband, at least, wasn't so horrified by my outburst - all the college verbaling he did, I guess - but he did tell me I had bad eye sight because the guy obviously had bought Aquafina and not Dasani).

So, why did I have my little meltdown in the parking lot of the Fairfax Target? Well, because I am fed up with all the bottled-water buying people do. I mean, lets be real, we all are guilting of buying the stuff but these days we have so many more options (think aluminum water bottles that you can fill up with tap water). We Americans have the BEST drinking water in the world and it is literally free and piped into our homes and we insist on turning around and buying that same tap water from Coke or Pepsi. (Yes, some bottled water does come from underground aquifers but a lot of it is just tap water sold back to you at an exorbitant price). And, on top of this, we then litter our planet with plastic bottles after we are done drinking our tap water that Coke just sold to us even though we can get it ourselves for virtually nothing. Who doesn't see plastic water bottles strewn about everywhere when out on a walk these days?

So, I apologize to the random man I harassed in the Target parking lot, but maybe what we need more of in this country is some environmental verbaling to change our behavior.

Would you like your tomato with or without chemicals?

It seems that organic farming is coming to a college near you. There are now over a dozen colleges that offer degrees in sustainable/organic agriculture.

I am trying to do a better job of buying locally-grown produce. Growing up, my grandmother in Mississippi had a farm and so each summer we would load down my dad's 83 Chevy impala with fresh vegetables destined for my mother's deep-freezer. My grandmother passed away over ten years and since that time I have been struggling to find another way to ensure that I have fresh, locally-farmed vegetables to consume all winter long.

I shop at Wegmans and have found that they do a pretty-good job of making available a selection of produce from MD and VA. I have even started to buy organic but, as with most people, I sure can tell a difference in price. Strawberries are a prime example of this: this is a fruit that should be purchased organically but have you noticed how much organic strawberries cost????? $5.99 per lb. versus $4.99. In actuality a dollar difference isn't that big of a deal but  people don't have a lot of money to spend these days and my fear is that organic, sustainably grown produce is going to become a province of the rich.

My only hope I have decided is to convince my husband to move to a farm in Loundon County, VA and grown our own food. Except, I don't like country living. What I need is a friend/family member that does and can grow me sustainable/organic food out of the kindness of their heart.

Taking out the trash

Great article in CS Monitor today about the growth of trash in China. It seems that we Americans are no longer #1 in trash production! (I don't know how this is possible given that my neighbors throw out enough trash on garbage pick-up day to sink a battleship, but anyways.....) The good folks of Hong Kong threw out  an estimated 2,000 pounds of garbage per person last year with Americans throwing out around 1,700 pounds per person.

There is currently little environmental awareness amongst the citizens of China (I could say the same things for the U.S.) and the government is attempting to change this. Some sort of incentive program you say? Nope. This being China the incentive comes in the form of a penalty. Residents of several Guangzhou suburbs have had to start sorting their trash into recyclables, trash, and kitchen waste or face up to a 500 yuan penalty (about $78).

It will be interesting to see if this approach to trash reduction will work. Could it work here? I doubt it. I am sure someone would point out that we have a constitutional right to as much trash as we want (do you hear my sarcasm?).

Boomer Yard Sale

There is an article today over at SmartMoney about the sheer amount of "stuff" that Baby Boomers have accumulated over the years. Now that many are empty-nesters and are trying to downsize they are having a hard time unloading all this "stuff". The American obsession with accumulation has gotten so out-of-control that Goodwill has a glut of used clothing that it is trying to contend with.

In my house we have strict rules about what can come in (no freebies from conferences for instance). Of all the problems my husband and I might experience as we age (which is happening way too fast in my opinion) what to do with "stuff" will not be one of them.

If I can offer any advice to people in my age group, it is to go ahead and start helping your parents unload their "stuff" so that when they need to move into a smaller dwelling place or their time here comes to an end you wont be left having to deal with it. And as far as yourself, how about not buying this "stuff" in the first place so we don't end of in our parents position with a thousands of unused or little used items that most often end up in a dump as waste?

Ethanol Subsidies

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D, Calif.) says she had reached an agreement with Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D, Minn.) and John Thune (R, S.D.) over ethanol subsidies. Under this agreement the 45-cent-a-gallon tax credit for blending ethanol into gasoline would expire on July 31. The 54-cent-a-gallon tax on imported ethanol would also expire at the end of the month.

Ethanol, once seen as a possible solution for our oil-based consumption problems, has been shown to have greenhouse-gas emissions that exceed or match those from fossil fuels. Ethanol production also takes prime farmland out of production for food crops, therefore exacerbating food prices, which disproportionately affect the world's poor.

It is good to see Congress doing something positive for both the economy and the environment for once.

As American as Kudzu

Kudzu... As much part of the American South as sweet tea and fried chicken. Until relatively late in life I had no idea that kudzu was not native to the region. It came to the United States in 1876 by way of the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. It has made itself at home ever since.

Kudzu is what conservation  biologists call an invasive species. For those who don't know, invasive species are considered the great evil of the biological world, crowding out beloved native species and generally ruining everything good in the world (o.k., not really, conservationists can get a little over-wrought at times).

An article published recently in Nature magazine questions whether in today's globalized world if the idea of invasive species even has a place anymore. The authors argue that conservationists should assess organisms on environmental impact rather than on whether they are natives. I had a professor last semester at GMU (a freshwater ecologist that spends much of his time in the Potomac watershed, a hot-spot for invasive species) that argues invasive species tend to reek havock for a short time after their introduction and then gradually settle in to their new home.

So, maybe the moral of this story is that we should relax and not worry so much about the kudzu encircling the neighborhood. It might not be native, but it is very much at home.

Plastic bags be gone

There is an interesting article in Newsweek on plastic consumption. Give it a read. What frightened me the most was the statistic that North Americans and Europeans are projected to use 308 pounds of plastic per year by 2015.

Now, I am realistic enough to know that we will always have plastic in I think our lives. Think of all the uses the stuff has in medical equipment, etc. I think the key is to get to amount down in our day-to-day lives (think plastic bags and wrapping). Last week, my husband and I ran to Macy's to pick up a pair of jeans for him. I stuck one of those cloth bags into my purse and when the cashier when to grab a plastic bag I quickly whipped out my more environmentally sustainable one. I use them all the time at the grocery store but I had yet to use one in a retail store. From now on I will be using the cloth bag wherever I go, be it Barnes and Noble, CVS, or Ann Taylor.

I would like to know what percentage of that soon-to-be 308 pounds of plastic per year comes from plastic bags? If we all could get away from using them, maybe we could go a long way towards beginning to lower that frightening statistic.

Extreme Couponing

Continuing on with my rant against out-of-control consumerism, I somehow found myself watching a television show on TLC by the name of Extreme Couponing. A woman from Iowa purchased 2300 items for about $57 total. (I, on the other hand, usually spend $57 on about 12 items). She spends much of her time clipping coupons and visiting coupon sites for strategies from other extreme couponers. Now this woman seems like she is salt of the Earth. She is going to donate a lot of her freebies to local charities. I hate to be a curmudgeon but do food insecure individuals really need barbecue sauce and kitty food? I am thinking not.

Extreme couponing appears to me to be a form of hording (call me Dr. Jane, Psychologist Extraordinaire). Hording is nothing more than the excessive acquisition of material possessions. And isn't the acquisition of stuff a significant source of the environmental degradation around us?

Junk

So, I meant to get a picture for your enjoyment but I was in such a rage come Monday morning that it slipped my line as I glared at all my neighbors still tucked away in their beds. And why was I in such a rage? Well, Monday morning is trash day in my neighborhood. On opening my door I was greeted with a pile of junk on the curb so high that I think it might have qualified as small mountain. Close your eyes and visual what I am going to describe to you (all right, I know you can't close your eyes and read at the same time but you know what I mean): two computer monitors, an indoor bicycle from circa 1974, three kitchen chairs, a kid's plastic swimming pool, a purple stuffed bear, a book bag, a pair of crocs, 15 bags of garbage, and a ceramic cupid. (I was particularly disturbed by the ceramic cupid. What exactly does one do with such an object?) Now, I must also tell you that this garbage comes from approximately 7 townhouses. 7. In my heart of hearts I am hoping that one my neighbors is running a flop-house and that this is the reason for all the junk. But alas, I think the true answer is that we Americans are addicted to junk. Can't get enough of it but as soon as we do, have to get rid of it so we can make room for more of it. About half of the junk was in perfect condition and could have been donated. The other half could have been recycled but because we do not see what happens to all our junk in the end, we just throw it out without another thought.

My question is this: the Earth is reaching its carrying capacity. That goes without argument. What exactly are we going to do without our ability to buy junk? Maybe paint great works of art again? Write novels that will be read generations after they have been completed? Compose a piano piece that could rival Mozart? I think one of the main reasons that modern folks have pretty much lost the ability to do these things unlike our counterparts in centuries past is that we spend too much of our time, energy, and talents buying, consuming, and then throwing away stuff. Just a thought.

Planet Earth is fed up!

The Onion has a great article titled "Planet Earth Doesn't Know How To Make It Any Clearer It Wants Everyone To Leave". All humor aside, the recent spate of tornadoes, floods, and draughts has a lot of people talking who, I suspect, don't usually concern themselves much with climate.

Hopefully we can use the tragedies in Joplin, Missouri, Massachusetts, and the Mississippi River Valley as a starting point for a national dialogue on how to get to a point where we are once again living within the bounds set by the natural world that we live in. For too long we have pushed the planet beyond its limits and the day is fast approaching (if we haven't reached that point already) when it will no longer be able to absorb the impacts of our lifestyles. And I am afraid that the recent environmental catastrophes we have witnessed will grow more frequent.

The end of bottled water?

D.C. has announced that it is partnering with TapIt Water, a network founded in 2008 that partners with local restaurants to give people free water if they have a reusable bottle. Hopefully, this will spread around the country and prove to be a popular alternative to bottled water. Everyone should check it out!

Environmental Regulations & Crime

So, you might ask, what exactly does environmental regulations and crime have to do with one another? Well, in today's WSJ, James Q. Wilson looks at whether the EPA ban on lead in gasoline and paint in the 70's is the cause for the declining crime rates in this country. This article goes a long way in demonstrating that ensuring a healthy environment for all has many beneficial effects, some of which are not easily recognized.

The Return of Meatless Fridays?

In the WSJ today, there is an interesting article by Francis Rocca on the return of meatless Fridays throughout the year, not just during Lent, in England and Wales. Up until Vatican II, Catholics abstained from meat as a form of penance on Fridays, the day that Christ was crucified.

When I read the article I couldn't help but reflect on the interplay between religion and the environment. Modern meat production is environmentally unsustainable and with millions more people moving into the middle class each year around the world, we are all going to have to cut down on our meat consumption. By expressing their faith each Friday by not consuming meat, Catholics will also be helping their environment. Just imagine the impact this could have if the billion or so Catholics on the planet abstained from meat at least once a week?

My husband and I have been trying to cut down on eating meat this past year. As Catholics, this call from across the Atlantic to abstain from meat on Friday may be just the thing to push us to finally do it.

Retail Therapy

According to Wikipedia, the definition of retail therapy is "shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer's mood or disposition". I thought this topic would be an appropriate one to begin a blog about the global ecosystem and sustainability. Why is this the case? Well, probably the main reason that the Earth's ecosystem is in such dire straits these days is that we have in place a global economy based on the consumption of stuff. (Pause here and think of the stuff that is currently in your house or car and then calculate how often, if ever, any of it is actually used or really needed.) For most of us, myself included, the answer is that we have a lot of stuff and that we really only regularly use a handful of these items. (This is where I confess that I am wearing my favorite summertime skirt today and I could have possibly already worn it twice this week - I like to think this is very European of me.)

The fact of the matter is that I think the vast majority of us understand at a basic level that this accumulation of stuff (after taking care of our basic necessities of course) doesn't really improve our mood or disposition. Any feelings of euphoria we get from retail therapy quickly dissipates and we are back to where we began pre-Target trip. If we instinctively understand this, why don't we stop? Well, I believe this is for several reasons: First, animal instinct. Back home on the plains of eastern Africa we had a much harder time obtaining food and the other necessities of life, and when we did we held on for dear life. I think we have brought this baggage along for with us though, at least here in the U.S., it has outlived its purpose. Second, marketing. I would hate to even take a guess at how many advertisements we are exposed to in a day. I will never forget the time I went shopping with my best friend and her then two-year old son. We passed by a McDonald's and he hummed aloud the "Buh Duh Bum Dum Da! I'm Loving it!" theme song without even batting an eye. Third, competition with our neighbors and family members. We humans are terrified of being left behind economically and in order to demonstrate that we are still in the game we display material things.

So, what can be done to cut the cord to our consumerist ways? Well, it is at once easy and hard. My husband and I decided not to exchange gifts this year at Christmas. We wanted to plan activities with our friends and family instead and really enjoy our time together. You should have seen the reactions we received from people. Usually it involved a ten second period of absolute silence and then a frantic scramble to leave our vicinity. You would have thought we had announced that we had injected ourselves with the Ebola virus. But once you get passed people's responses it is actually quite easy to limit your shopping. For instance, when I want to spend time with a friend I purpose an afternoon kayaking, a hike, or maybe a free concert downtown, anything, that is, but shopping. Next time you think about running to Crate & Barrel in order to pass the time my suggestion is that you go for a walk instead. I guarantee that you will have more fun and meet more people the latter way.

If you are really interested in learning to live without stuff read this blog that I frequent: No Impact Man by Colin Beavan. Colin spent a year, along with his wife, kid, and dog trying to see if it was possible to live with no environmental impact. I think you will be surprised by the results.