Part Time Vagabond

5 Simple Green Life-Changes

ChrisCavs — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:00:30 +0000

It’s easy for those who embrace green living to make changes toward more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyles. But most people – Americans especially – have a very difficult time accepting those changes. Ask the average American why they won’t do certain eco-friendly activities, and you’ll get a wide range of excuses, from “It costs too much” to “I’m just too lazy.” Trying to convince people of the benefits of, say, recycling their bottles, can be a fruitless endeavor, as the attitudes they have are usually well-ingrained. The old adage, “Actions speak louder than words,” rings very true here. Instead of telling them what to do, help them get the tools they need to start going green.

These tips may seem like common sense to you, but the average American has a lot of misconceptions.

1. Give your friend a bag.
Starting with your close friends is a good idea because you already have a certain level of trust built in. Give them a reusable shopping bag – like the Chico bag – as a gift, explain what it’s for, and encourage them to use it. Don’t mention “It’s Green!”

2. Water bottles are in.
Aside from being a new fashion statement, reusable water bottles from Sigg, Nalgene, and others help cut down on plastic waste. The BPH problem is no longer a factor with Nalgene, so make sure you tell your friend this. Remind them of the money savings, and carry yours with you everywhere.

3. Get your CFL on.
Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs are great. Buy a few for your friend, and show them that they emit light that looks just like normal tungsten lights, but at half the energy consumption.

4. Ride a bike.
Once you get a car, you tend to forget how much fun riding a bike is. Instead of saying you’re trying to save Mother Earth by riding, have your friend go for a ride with you. If they don’t have a bike, visit a flea market or search Craigslist for cheap or free ones. Start out with short rides, then move on to longer ones. Take a route that goes by your friend’s workplace and they should get the hint.

5. Take a trip to the Farmer’s Market.
These are becoming more popular in more places, and with good reason. Cheap, fresh, and many times organic. Cook dinner one night with a bunch of friends and tell them you got the ingredients from the farmer’s market. Invite everyone along next time.

There are hundreds of other ways to convince people to go green. The key is to not preach, but to practice. People don’t like to be lectured; they like to think they came to the decision on their own. So let your friend come to the green conclusion, while you work your magic behind the curtain.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

ChrisCavs — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:46:39 +0000

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I hope everyone will take some time to enjoy the holiday and remember it’s true meaning – in between pints of Guinness of course! While the holiday is a great day to celebrate with friends at your local pub, drinking up pints of craft beer and gulping down an Irish Breakfast or corned beef & cabbage, it’s also a day to celebrate Irish heritage and culture.

Wikipedia has a nice article on the holiday, and here’s a little tidbit on the National Leprechaun Museum.

Sláinte!

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VIDEO: The Path Less Pedaled – Coasting

ChrisCavs — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:17:07 +0000

In Part 4 of my interview with Russ & Laura from The Path Less Pedaled, Laura describes one of her favorite parts of their trip: Coasting down into the redwoods from Oregon. Take a look.

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Friday Snapshot: Collinsville, Connecticut

ChrisCavs — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:00:42 +0000

Click to see larger size.

Collinsville is a sleepy little town in western Connecticut, a former mill-town that now plays host to tourists and leaf-peepers. And of course, photographers. A few years back, I joined my brother and his photographer friend Joe for a little photo/video jaunt through the town. As we passed by the mill that sits right on the Farmington River, Joe snapped this stunning photo of the changing leaves. While he was making magical photos, I was off shooting video, which you can see below:

*Photo courtesy Joseph M. Arthur Photography.

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Nike ad asks “How quick are you going to get up?”

ChrisCavs — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:45:58 +0000

Ok, I’m not one to post a lot of ads on here, especially without getting paid for it, but this is just too cool not to share. This ad from Nike is pretty inspiring, but is also technologically and artistically cool. Take a look.

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Google Maps adds Bike Directions!

ChrisCavs — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:02:55 +0000

If you hadn’t already heard, Google announced that they will be offering bike directions on their Maps application. This is great news for all cyclists, as now you can plot routes and save your maps. It’s also great news for bike commuters looking for better ways to get to and from work. Some of the best news is you’ll get to see bike trails and bike lanes right on the maps. Doing a search for bike directions here in Portland, Maine, I notice that not all bike lanes are on the map yet, but as this service is developed I’m sure we’ll see more.

Good for Google for taking the initiative to promote alternative modes of transportation! (Unfortunately, the maps can’t be embedded so I’ll just provide a link.)

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Stone Skips Across The Pond – Stone Brewing Co.

ChrisCavs — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:00:48 +0000

This is fantastic! If you love craft beer, or if you just want to watch a fun, well-produced video about a brewer going to Europe to collaborate on a new beer, then watch this video from Stone Brewing Co. Co-owners Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, along with Head Brewer Mitch Steele went first to Norway, and then to Scotland to pair up with Nøgne Ø and BrewDog, respectively, all to create some great specialty beers. Take a look at the 27 minute video below to see the entire trip. You’ll love it.

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VIDEO: The Path Less Pedaled Interviews – on learning to slow down

ChrisCavs — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:02:13 +0000

Our daily lives can be quite hectic without us even realizing it. Even if you take a vacation, you try to pack as many sights into a short period of time as you can because you see the end before the trip even begins. But when you have no firm end date in sight, when you don’t have to cram lots of things into a limited to-do list, it comes time for you to learn how to slow down.

In part 3 of my interviews with Laura and Russ of The Path Less Pedaled, they discuss coming to the realization that their freedom to choose comes with a price.

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FRIDAY SNAPSHOT: London, England

ChrisCavs — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:00:49 +0000

A few years ago, I was sent to London, England for work. My crew and I were there to video tape some very cool technology segments for a show we were working on. One day of the week we spent there, I had some time where I could go shoot what’s called b-roll: it’s the footage that covers other video that is related to what’s going on in the segment. I know, bad description, but you get the idea. This day, I decided to grab a few snapshots, and as I was getting some video, I also snapped this shot of Westminster Abbey. The architecture in England is truly stunning, and the Abbey is absolutely gorgeous. While I didn’t get to go inside, the starkness of the Abbey’s stone exterior set against the bright blue sky (one of the few sunny days we encountered there) was beautiful.

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VIDEO: Compass Points TV Falls for Ricketts Glen

ChrisCavs — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:30:10 +0000

Dave Pidgeon over at Compass Points saw that there was a need for well-produced outdoors videos on the web, so he went out and did it himself (I’m right there with him on that point…it’s why I started PTV). Enter Compass Points TV, Dave’s video version of his blog, where he does video trip reports and other videos. He’s just started his second season with a trip to Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania. He and his buddy went on a hike to see the official National Natural Area that boasts 21 waterfalls in 7 miles. That is a hike I must take someday.