Think, Act, Prosper

Beyond Meat Beyond Sausage - Plant Based Sausage Review

2018-04-16T13:08:00.005-04:00

While shopping at the grocery store on the weekend, I passed through the meat alternative section and noticed a new product from Beyond Meat called "Beyond Sausage - Plant Based Sausages". I have experience with Beyond Meat from trying its hamburger patties, which are delicious, but a tangent that I will not diverge into in this post. As a former carnivore, I used to consume a significant quantity of sausages, bratwursts, wieners, frankfurters, etc., and after moving to a mostly plant based diet, it's been something I have missed. There are some enjoyable vegan hot dogs out there, but I haven't had a sausage that I liked previously, so I was excited to give these a shot. There were three varieties, original brat, sweet italian and my selection, hot italian. Whole Foods was offering them on sale for a heft $7.99, a $1 discount off the post $8.99 price, which I thought was pretty hefty for four sausages but decided to give it a shot. My plan was to saute fajitas style with bell peppers and onions, so I picked up a red, yellow and green pepper and a red onion as well.

In the evening I busted out my trusty non-stick frying pan, sharp knife and cutting board and got down to business. I diced up half of each of the bell peppers, the full red onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and tossed in the skillet on medium heat. I let this cook for a few minutes until the onions started to get soft and meanwhile cut the "sausages" into small rings. The consistency was actually not that dissimilar to other sausages and you could definitely small the "sausage" herbs and spices!

After about 12-15 minutes of cooking, the kitchen area definitely smelled like pork sausage fajitas! The food smelled great and as you can see the sausages look very similar to the original. I actually cooked even more than in these pictures and it browned/blackened up like one would expect that real meat would.

I had already eaten dinner and was preparing food for the week, but given my curiosity I put a couple chunks and some fajita veggies on a plate with white rice to have a taste. I found the texture to be similar to meat, but definitely a difference could be noted. The casing did not have a crisp snap and the inside was definitely a bit softer and perhaps more granular than meat would feel. The taste was very good, there was a juicy quality to the pieces and sufficient spices to make it taste good. While it was labeled hot italian, I found the spiciness level to be low. While it didn't taste just like a pork sausage, it was close, and I really enjoyed the small plate I had. The next day, I had a small portion as a side dish with my meal and found the leftover experience to be delicious as well.

Overall, I give the product a B+ rating for taste, but an A+ rating for delivering an effective meat alternative. The health statistics (see below) are very favorable vs. real pork sausages and the ingredients are all relatively healthy and natural sounding. There does not appear to be any odds chemicals or additives so I feel good about consuming these. I will not be adding this to my regular shopping list, but I could see myself purchasing these every couple of months.

Ingredients: Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Refined Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Contains 2% or less of: Rice Protein, Faba Bean Protein, Potato Starch, Salt, Fruit Juice (For Color), Vegetable Juice (For Color), Apple Fiber, Methylcellulose, Citrus Extract (To Protect Quality), Calcium Alginate Casing.

Tesla Model 3 Electric Car

2016-04-11T15:30:00.002-04:00

I have been eagerly anticipating the release of Tesla's "mass-market" sedan, the Model 3. It is slated to start around $35,000 and most are expected to sell in the $40,000-$50,000 range including upgrades. That compares very favorably to the approximately $100,000 range that the current Tesla models sell for. Electric cars are definitely the future, given that fossil fuels are a limited, nonrenewable resource.

The car is very attractive, sleek and impressive, like the rest of the Tesla line. The performance is definitely going to be lower than the current Model S, but it is expected that the battery should last 200 miles per charge, which is awesome. Speed and performance will likely be good as well. If you haven't already put in your pre-order, then you probably won't be getting one of these until 2018, unless you buy off the gray market!

Spring Cleaning

2015-04-13T13:55:00.001-04:00

Spring is in full swing here in New England, as temperatures peaked up above 70 degrees in Boston over the weekend. After a dreadful winter, with historic snow totals, every single citizen of the region is ready for Spring. An annual tradition, across the globe, is the practice of Spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new. Or, if you are a Think, Act, Prosper reader, then let's try to make it just out with the old. If you really need something new, lets carefully consider the options and make sure that it is something you need critically before purchasing, quality over quantity.

Spring cleaning is generally the time when you clean your entire residence from top to bottom, every nook and cranny. As you go, you will come across a number of items that have long outlived their welcome and need to be disposed of. Think of it as another time to declutter. This year, take a critical look at items that you have not used, and likely won't use again. Even if they have some sentimental value, but literally no practical value, they should probably be purged. If you see things that could be repurposed, make sure to set them aside!

I like to start with big jobs first, and for my family that is the kitchen and bedrooms. The kitchen is used every day, since we much prefer to make our own food than purchase take out food. This means that the oven, microwave, and cupboards get dirty. Obviously, we spot clean as needed, but the spring cleaning ritual is a great time to do a more thorough cleaning than we typically would. Next, each person is responsible for cleaning up their bedrooms, and we will aggregate all the items that are no longer needed to dispose of them in the proper manner. Another perpetual junk collector is the garage, take special notice for items that might have value to someone else, and give them away!

I am not going to put together a guide, because I actually think Martha Stewart's checklist is quite solid!

Local Breweries: Hill Farmstead of Vermont

2015-04-10T15:54:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my wife and I made a trip to one of our favorite places in America, Vermont. My primary desire was to replenish my stores of Hill Farmstead Brewery. This brewery is widely considered the best in America, and some would say the best in the world. Sean Hill, the brewer, is not a specialist, he makes world class hoppy ales in addition to sour, dark, farmhouse and everything in between. He is committed to a sustainable business that can support itself and although he has grown rapidly, there is a target size for the company that he does not want to exceed. This goal allows him to focus on doing the best possible work he can, which results in amazing beer. He utilizes growlers so that he can ensure that his beers remain fresh. I much prefer to support a "local" brewery than one of the large conglomerates. Also, Sean goes to great lengths to respect his community and helps support other local businesses. He takes great pride in working in a remote area, and although you have to actually go to the brewery to buy his beer, he avoids wasting resources on things like distribution to stores.

The brewery

My haul

Edward - Flagship Pale Ale

Single Hop Pale Ale - Mosaic

Society & Solitude #5 Double IPA

Repurpose What You Can

2015-03-31T16:06:00.000-04:00

Repurposing things is a great way to avoid new purchases and help the environment. I always try to re-use plastic/paper bags from the grocery store and other shops as many times as possible. I use newspapers from work as packing material. I always use a refillable water bottle. Those are obvious, but here are some of other ideas!

If you aren't buying in bulk already, then you are likely accumulating a ton of packaging from the modern food industry. One of my favorite repurposing tips is to take the jars that salsa comes in, wash them out, and use for organizational purposes, Mason style jars make great cups as well!

This may be obvious to people, but if you do a lot of mailing, particularly for gifts, you should always seek to repurpose the boxes you receive to save on packaging! Then you can use newspaper or mailing to ensure the package is tightly packed and the contents safe inside! While I like to send gifts electronically to avoid the damage of shipping cross country via a courier, sometimes you need to send your homemade gifts to your cousin in Los Angeles!

If you ever purchased CD's in bulk to create your own playlists, repurpose the empty container into a bagel sandwich holder! Obviously not practical for everyone, but it looks great.

Paperclips are great for wire organization rather than purchasing some plastic doo-hicky.

Repurpose old books as shelves, for a cool antique look

I use broken clay pots as garden markers rather than purchasing some sort of cardboard marker that sticks in the ground. Aesthetically they are much more pleasing, and it gives new life to your chipped pots!

Frugal Travel: Camping

2015-03-26T13:51:00.001-04:00

Camping is one of the best memories I have of my childhood. It's not that we were poor, but we were certainly blue collar, and did not take any trips to St. Tropez or West Palm Beach. We made plenty of trips to Orlando, where my grandparents lived, and looped in Disney and other theme park trips with our vacations. There is just something about camping's rustic charm that I loved and has always stuck with me. Far from the commercial reaches of the marketing machine in a tent in Vermont or New Hampshire, my family and I spent quality time laughing around a camp fire, swimming in the lakes, and hiking in the nearby mountains!

The great thing about camping is that you aren't engaged in a ton of consumption, other than things you typically would, other than a few additional graham crackers and marshmallows for S'mores! There are camping areas just outside of every city, numerous places to be explored for years to come. No one is saying not to take any vacations that require a plane trip, but if you can stay somewhat local and still get that vacation feeling, its a great opportunity. Also, for those of us with busy lives, a long weekend "away" can do wonders! Also, no need to get a dog sitter!

Frugal Travel: Airbnb & Local Cuisine

2015-03-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

Travel is one of my favorite luxuries. There are so many astounding places in the world, and yet the vast majority of us spend our time within our homes and workplaces. Even those of us who travel for work, often are only visiting conference rooms and generic hotel rooms. Travel is a great alternative to consumption of goods. The opportunity to visit a new location, take in the history, culture, and cuisine of a location, and add an experience to your life is worth more than purchasing another new sweater or jacket! Cuisine to me is one of the most important aspects of my life. I love eating! I love trying new and tasty foods. Local specialties are my favorite. Whenever you travel, avoid the big chains and try something new!

One of my favorite frugal travel tips is Airbnb. For those of you who aren't familiar, Airbnb is a hotel alternative. Individuals who have extra space, post it online for travelers to utilize when they come to visit. The spaces vary from an extra bedroom within someones home for very little money, to a studio apartment/guest house, all the way up to an entire house. The prices vary accordingly. This is such a fundamentally amazing idea, as it allows people to monetize their personal real estate, and gives travelers an option other than staying at a boring corporate hotel. Many hosts will offer tips on the locales they know best which can be invaluable.

There are many ways to find the specialties that are only available at the place you are traveling. First of all, word of mouth is extremely powerful, so I always tap my network for suggestions when I travel. Second, we are living in the days of the internet, information has never been easier to acquire. I tend to utilize websites like Yelp which offer reviews, which I of course take with a grain of salt. Also, once you are in the neighborhood and find a coffee shop or boutique you like, it helps to ask the owner what restaurants/foods they like. The shrimp po boy above is a perfect example from New Orleans. You will often get a great answer that you might not find elsewhere! Personally, I always like to try local beers when I travel, and with the proliferation of the craft beer movement throughout the USA, there has never been a better time. If you are ever planning to come to Western Massachusetts, these are the beer stops I recommend. Worcester's Armsby Abbey is pictured below.

Here are some Airbnb highlights (including a castle!)
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/13783
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/530250
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8357
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/13253

Minimalism in Practice: Declutter

2015-03-10T10:04:00.003-04:00

Recently, I have begun to reconsider many things in my life. By things, I mean physical possessions. I live in a small apartment, it is approximately 800 square feet, it has one bathroom, one open kitchen/living room, and one bedroom. There is one small storage facility that I use to run my home business. However, I own hundreds of pieces of clothing, notably over 30 pairs of shoes, over 40 dress shirts, 25+ pairs of pants. I own a number of kitchen appliances including a Vitamix, George Foreman style grill, Pressure Cooker, 3 frying pans, Le Creuset Dutch Ovens, Sauce Pans, Stock Pots, beer glasses, wine glasses, multiple bowls/plates/small plates/mixing bowls and the list goes on and on. Do I really need all of this, especially given my limited real estate. I have a book shelf teeming with books that are rarely read. Some of these things I love, but some of them I just tolerate.

What to do about all of this? My goal over the next year is to figure out the items that I use the most, and get rid of the rest. Sure it is difficult to give up things that you may have purchased for large sums of money, but there is a cost to having immense clutter in your life. I can donate the items that still have life left to Goodwill, or try to sell them to earn extra cash. Avenues to sell items include Craigslist and Ebay. You will be able to help someone repurpose the goods you no longer need, and give them a bargain. This is good for them and the environment.

The two images above are an exaggeration, but sometimes it feels like that. Below is my goal.

Buy Once - Quality Over Quantity (Minimalism)

2015-03-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Buying products is an integral part of life in the modern world. We need products to provide various services and for various functions that make up our lives. The bad part of this, is that the manufacture, sale, distribution, etc of these products can have a horrible impact on the environment. My thesis is to buy something of high quality that will last an extremely long time, so that we can minimize the amount of purchases that need to be made. A prime example of this is in clothing, which is something I think about constantly, but it also applies to furniture, cooking utensils, and really every product. The one that can be most frustrating, is technology which goes through constant iteration, and products that were recently state of the art are almost entirely outdated in a few years.

Let's consider this through the furniture example. Furniture at Ikea or other low cost makers is extremely affordable for any budget, however the expected life on many things is only several years. In addition, the amount of travel and economic output that went into this product is extremely high. Instead, you could contract with a local woodworker to have a piece custom made for your home with high quality materials. Sure, the price would be much higher, but you would have a one of a kind piece, made by a local craftsman.

That may be a bit extreme, especially since the marginal price increase of artisan furniture is probably beyond the budgetary confines of most people. Instead, you diligently research your options and find a piece that you know will last you a long time from a stylistic perspective, and also make sure that the item is sturdy and well built. For example, check out the Herman Miller above. This means you will not need to replace it nearly as soon.

If your piece of furniture begins to wobble in its legs, instead of just donating it to the Goodwill (or even worse throwing it in the garbage) try to repair it yourself. Or if you are not able to, call in a favor with a handy friend. It would even be preferable to consult with a carpenter who would possibly be able to repair it himself.

This applies to all things. If your computer is slowing down, instead of simply replacing it, see if you can upgrade it. Your car as well. Clothing may become damaged or you may gain/lose a few pounds. That's what tailors are for, especially if the garment is well made, it can be adjusted. Shoes can be repaired. Make sure to perform all regular maintenance to ensure that you can facilitate the longest possible life out of these assets.

What's better than heating your home by consuming natural resources?

2013-11-21T00:15:00.003-05:00

Many people turn on their furnaces and space heaters full blast as the weather turns cold. While this is certainly the most convenient, and modern method to get warm and be able to wear shorts 365 days a year, it is not the best one. Instead, take out your sweaters, long johns, wool pants, and so forth and put them on. If you don't have adequate clothes, walk over to a thrift store and spend some money, it goes to a good cause. If you have a little more money, support one of the great merino wool brands available today, my personal favorite is Ibex.

Green Winter Clothing Redux: Merino Wool

2013-02-27T10:20:00.000-05:00

I have already extolled the virtues of merino wool for green winter clothing before. It is a superior fabric, both from a performance standpoint and an environmental impact aspect. Although Patagonia is one of my favorite brands, they are not the only great company these days. If you aren't able to find something second hand at a thrift store or online auction, there are several companies and pieces that I would recommend.

Below is a list of the items that are in my regular winter rotation, this post appeared previously on my other blog ATerrificLife.

I am a huge fan of merino wool. It is warm, soft, comfortable, and stylish. Not only that, but it is environmentally friendly! Only downside is the relatively high cost. I think all considered it is worth it, especially if you are careful to shop during sale times!

First item is my Smartwool, gray stripe s/s

This is a great, versatile piece and I am very happy with it, need to get more short sleeves for the slightly warmer months.

Ibex Zepher Zip - Ibex' thickest base layer. Very soft! pretty warm and stylish, although it is a little bit big for me as it is a size large. Certainly not a deal breaker. Purchased on Black Friday from the Ibex store on Newbury St, Boston.

Icebreaker Mondo Zip Tee - Bright red, a favorite of my wife. A very slim fitting piece, I think this has to do with the provenance of Icebreaker, people not from North America are just smaller!

Ibex Woolies - Thinner than the Zepher and more appropriate for wearing as a layering piece. I like the black and white stripe design. This is also the piece I sleep in most often!

Ibex Shak - given to me by my wife, its one of ATL Essential: Winter Edition because it is such a great piece! Much thicker, not a base layer in any but the most outlandish locations. This is an amazing mid layer and can even be worn as an outer layer on milder days. I tend to pair this with my Smartwool short sleeve.

I sometimes wear synthetics too. Patagonia Capilene 3 and a Regulator Zip fleece mid layer. Not as warm and tend to get stinky, but I got them awhile ago.

Go Green for Free

2013-02-12T21:49:00.001-05:00

Going green is often done by those who are thrifty in method, it can be a great money saver over time, but one of the biggest problems is start up costs. Not everyone has $35,000 laying around to buy a Prius and not necessarily everyone can afford to buy from a CSA. I would definitely argue that both of these things are worth the money, but that is beside the point. I wanted to present some ways to go green that won't cost a penny, and hopefully will have a positive impact.

1) Reuse - Reusing stuff is one of the simplest ways to go green for free. Need rags? Don't buy them from Target, cut up old threadbare shirts or sheets, these make perfect rags. Storage containers? Reuse old grocery bags, beer crates, produce boxes!

2) Recycle - Take your old bottles and cans to be turned to cash in bottle deposit states, something that I think should be expanded. In those states you will make 5-10 pennies per can. Even if you don't live in one of those states, recycling require minimal effort, especially in single stream recycling communities.

3) Borrow - Before you go out and buy something new, especially a book or media, ask your social network if they have it available for you to borrow. Maybe you can repay them buy letting them borrow one of the many things you already own, or trade another service such as cooking or watching their children. Libraries are a great resource, not only for dusty old books, but DVDs and Blu-Rays are available in most towns.

4) Re-gift - Giving green gifts is an extremely effective way of saving money. You can bake, cook, build or create online tons of gifts that will be appreciated. You can also let your extended family know that you would prefer they not purchase you any items for upcoming events. Let them know your philosophy about buying frivolous things and the impact it has on the environment. They might think you a little eccentric, but will respect you. If you have something that you received as a gift, don't feel bad to re-gift it to someone else, just make sure you don't give it back to the person who gave it to you!

5) Exercise outside - Don't get me wrong, I love to exercise in the gym, but that $30 a month that Gold's gym takes from you each month really adds up. Not only that, but they keep the lights, TVs, and legion of machines on 24 hours a day at many gyms, no need to support that! Get outside, take a hike, run, walk, play. It's free!

I hope I can come up with more cost-free tips to go green, but feel free to check out my list of 20 Effective Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference.

Western Mass CSA: Introduction

2013-01-04T00:02:00.002-05:00

As a relatively recent new resident of Western Massachussett's bucolic Pioneer Valley, I am very happy with all of the great agricultural options that are available near by, especially compared to Boston, where I was born and raised. There are tons of local farmstands and it is not at all uncommon to drive by a farm. I have always been fascinated by CSAs, which is an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture. It's basically a pre-paid subscription to a delivery of vegetables from a specific farm. You put up support, often before the planting even occurs, then you reap the benefits of the harvest. The benefit to the farm is that they are secured funding and customers, and the benefit to you is you are guaranteed whatever food is produced at the farm that summer.

Some of the things that are attractive to me, are that I would be supporting a local farm. This is good, because local food is often fresher and certainly greener. I will not be contributing as much to the pollution associated with full size agricultural operations or the transport of the food to my local market. It will force me to eat more vegetables, which have a lower environmental impact than meat does. They are also likely healthier, which supports a secondary goal of improving my health. Finally, it will force me to be creative, as CSAs are known for sending all kinds of oddball veggies in their assorted weekly pickups. I am struggling to become a decent cook, and one of my trends is that I tend to buy and cook the same things all the time, hopefully the CSA veggies will force me to do otherwise.

Downsides are the big upfront cost, probably in the $600 range. This is a lot of money for me, but if I break it down into 20 weeks of vegetables, its only $30/week, not too crazy. I fear that at times I will need to augment my CSA veggies with others to make some of the dishes that I plan, but hopefully that will not run more than an additional $10/week. If i budget out $60 a week in meat/cheese/other veggies, I should be able to achieve a $100/week food budget, which would be great. On the other hand, I could take the $40/week and go to a local farmers market or Whole Foods, I would be paying more per item, but I would have greater choice over my elections. Also, I am only cooking for myself and my wife, hopefully this will not be way too many veggies for me and her, as she is already not the biggest vegetable fan to begin with! Finally, I need to be able to pick up on my schedule, which is often quite busy during the week's business hours.

In my next post, I will compare the various CSAs available here in Western Mass, and make a decision based on the various factors that are valuable to me.

T.A.P. 2012 Year in Review

2012-12-27T15:50:00.000-05:00

If I haven't said it before, thanks for reading my lowly little blog. I write it because it gives me an outlet to promote my thoughts regarding recycling, green living, and environmental friendliness. The blog is not an overwhelming commercial success in any sense of the word, but thanks for those of you who put up and occasionally click on ads through my blog. I sincerely thank you for tolerating them even though I generally am not in love with the thought of acquiring more items.

I have made many personal strides in my own life this year. Eating locally, purchasing items second hand, preferring hand made goods to those commercially made abroad are some of the strategies I have focused on. I will continue to put these to good use, and may even opt in to a local CSA for the summer months.

Here are three of the most popular posts on Think, Act, Prosper this year, and I hope you will re-read them or discover them for the first time, since many of these articles are worth reading more than once!

1) Replace Paper Towels with Rags
2) Use Natural Light and Air Conditioning
3) Go Green: Beer Growlers
4) Green Investing
5) Buy Food in Bulk

Check out my series 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference for a number of small ways to make impactful change

Finally my favorite post of all time, Single Stream Recycling, a topic I plan to revisit!

Environmentally Friendly Christmas

2012-12-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Holiday Seasons are upon us and as an Anglo-Saxon American, I celebrate Christmas with my family. The holidays are a time of excess and consumption here in the United States. It's extremely unfortunate, because the bedrock of Christmas is the Christian holiday, but all of that has changed. People eat tons of unhealthy food, max out their credit cards to buy gifts, and drive all over the place to get to sales, malls, and various parties.

All of this is a shame and it hurts our precious environment. Here in New England, where I live, we are having an extremely mild winter so far, which one of my favorite bloggers, An Affordable Wardrobe, touched on this week. This thrift shopper extraordinaire laments the lack of snow and bone chilling cold of the days of yore, and although it can't be definitively proved that global warming and our pollution is at fault, it can't help.

We do not necessarily need to go as far as Leo of Zen Habit's who is advocating his Buy Nothing Until 2013 Challenge. There are however some things you can do to limit the impact you have on the environment this holiday season.

Consider second hand gifts, such as from a thrift store or eBay
Green gifts
Make things yourself, people love a personal touch
Bring your own bags when you go shopping
Support a local business and buy a real Christmas tree and adorn it with homemade ornaments
Buy local food in bulk for meals
Have a fire with your family, and turn off the lights
If Grandma gives everyone ugly Christmas sweaters (or not), turn down the heat!
Drive less often, and when you need to go to malls or parties, drive slower!
Be careful with waste, always recycle

Obviously, we all can't do all of these, but we should do our best to enjoy the holidays responsibly!

Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkuh!

Green Winter Clothing

2012-12-05T20:34:00.001-05:00

Clothing is one of the items that the US has such a ridiculous surplus of, yet we still continue to produce in the cheapest, most wasteful, least green methods. That's what the market desires, low prices and coinciding low quality. Winter is when we need clothing the most, especially here in chilly New England. I am a huge proponent of thrift stores, although if I convert too many of you to shopping at these great second hand clothing outlets, all the great finds will dry up extremely quickly! I am on the look out for some great blankets for winter and a heavy jacket at the moment. A pair of boots would be nice as well.

There are however several brands that I can recommend in good conscience. First of all, if you don't need a new item, don't buy one. You can always repair your old things. However, if you have identified a need, I follow a process like the following.

1) imagine the perfect item to fit my needs
2) reach out to people in my network for ideas and suggestions
3) search for more information about potential choices, Google is your friend
4) consider second hand outlets like eBay
5) buy the item and use it for many years

Some of my favorite brands, particularly for winter are Ibex, Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Patagonia. I prefer wool for all weather clothing. It is incredibly warm, soft and durable, a far superior fiber to cotton. Don't even get me started on Polyester. Not only is it a better performance fiber, it is much
more green. Watch Ibex's video below.

Hurricane Sandy: Gas Rationing NYC

2012-11-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

Disasters often cause us to reconsider the old way of doing things, for example last year Hurricane Irene was a major disaster in my area. Mayor Bloomberg's gas rationing program in response to the damage and ensuing shortage of gasoline following Hurricane Sandy was issued for the city of New York to limit gas consumption. This terrible storm badly damaged the city, particularly the subway, which many New Yorkers rely on for daily transportation. In response, denizens of the city loaded up on gas to power generators and alternative transportation vehicles.

The ban restricts the ability to purchase gas based on the last digit of the owner's license plate. If it ends in an odd number, that individual can buy gas on odd days, and vice versa for even days/last digits. The only other gas rationing I have experienced was in crowded Beijing, China. They take it even further, wherein drivers can only drive on odd/even days.

Although no one likes their liberties being restricted, there is definitely the potential for good to be accomplished through a rationing strategy. My idea is to promote gas rationing, but make the incentives positives rather than negative. Offering benefits for those of us who choose to only purchase a small amount of gasoline per week/month, or offering cheaper public transportation. In addition, I think gas prices should be increased, and the additional tax used to offset damage caused by pollution.

These suggestions take time to implement, but this is the exact type of external benefit or cost that supply and demand economics fails to accurately capture. The maximum marginal value to society is not reached at the supply and demand equilibrium price and quantity. By limiting gas consumption through raised prices or artificially lower quantities, it will encourage more efficient use of the precious fuel. This non-recoverable, polluting resource consumption must be curtailed, and it won't happen organically.

20 Ways to Go Green That Make a Difference - COMPLETE!

2012-06-25T08:53:00.000-04:00

On September 12, 2011, I penned a list of 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. It took me more than half a year, but I am glad to say that I have finished. I tried to write up tips that would not be huge investments of time or money, and would actually have a positive impact. I think that I was successful. Here is the full list, I have bolded the posts that I think are my best.

1) Drive less
2) Drive at or below speed limit, saves gas and is safer

3) Eat local food, less resources used for transport and supports local farmers

4) Grow your own vegetables, even if its just herbs in your window

5) Bring your own bags to the grocery store, fully reuse paper/plastic bags if you forget

6) Drink from a reusable water bottle

7) Green garbage?
8) Turn off lights when you are not using them

9) Run full loads in the dishwasher/laundry
10) Conserve water in everyday situations
11) Make things yourself
12) Use rechargeable batteries

13) Buy clothes/furniture sensibly

14) Utilize libraries, and other green options for media

15) Give green gifts

16) Green Investing

17) Volunteer

18) Use natural light and "air conditioning"

19) Limit food packaging, buy food in bulk

20) Use rags or old clothing over paper towels

My next series will be on affordable ways to go green, I have still not developed the list, but I expect there will be more than 10. Not everyone can afford to buy a Prius, but we can all find ways to go green!

Replace Paper Towels with Rags

2012-06-22T19:28:00.002-04:00

This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment. This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal.

Paper towels are extremely expensive. Several cents per sheet, in fact. Don't believe me? Peruse your local Wal-Mart and see the packs of rolls on sale for $20. They are also extremely not green. Many people use them for a small stain and toss them right in the garbage.

A much better alternative is to use rags. The key with them is reusability. Unlike a paper towel, after you soil a rag, just toss it in the laundry. If you have a large set of rags, you can run a load just for rags, or even toss them in with your regular laundry. While this does increase the cost from the ~75 cents you pay for the rag, it will pay off in green dividends and cash dividends if you wash the rag enough times.

Rags do not necessarily have to be purchased, and this is where the real savings both green and otherwise comes in. You already have a bunch of rags sitting in your closets somewhere, the fiber is just in the form of your old clothing. Old t-shirts (see above) make great rags, and repurposing your old clothes means you don't need to outlay any money for rags. Just grab your scissors and an old shirt or set of sheets and cut into rectangles. Soon you will have a big bucket of rags. Reach for them in any situation that you would need a paper towel.

Finally, if you must use paper towels, make sure to get maximum utility from them. Do not use a huge piece of towel for a miniature stain. Make sure to grab a small piece of towel and use it completely. If you are mopping something up, make sure to wring out the excess liquids and try to re-use. If you end up getting a paper towel not that dirty, you can recycle it.

Buy Food in Bulk

2012-06-21T17:16:00.003-04:00

The modern food industry is a topic that fascinates me and is often the subject of posts here. There are many ways we can make this industry greener and it is very important to consider changes, as this is one of the industries that affects every single person in the world. We all need to eat, and if we can make green improvements in this industry, the scale will make a big impact.

One of the biggest problems is packaging. It is very wasteful and in most cases unnecesary. Preservation of food is one thing, but the excess packaging favored by marketing types to "differentiate" processed foods is completely excess and unnecesary.

We do not need food wrapped tightly in plastic, then stuffed into a cardboard box. Many of us simply see this as more garbage, and promptly deposit it into the trash barrel. This could be recycled, which would be better, but what would be best is simply avoiding it at all. I have mentioned my "deposit theory" and I believe if there were a deposit on cardboard boxes and plastic bags, it would incentivize people to reduce consumption or increase recycling, any excess money would go to recycling programs to sort the actual garbage to find deposits which were not redeemed. This would create more jobs and would improve the environment, a win/win if there ever was one.

One way individuals can go green is by buying their food in bulk. Not just granola is available, although feel free to buy that in bulk as well. Beans, rice, nuts, candy, flour, sugar, spices, vegetables, coffee, meat, syrup, honey and many other commodity goods can be purchased with simple bags (that you will re-use) and priced by the pound. You may want to consider bringing reuseable containers right to the store, to avoid wasting bags. Another way to buy in bulk is by purchasing a large side of beef direct from a farmer or a fish from a fisherman and wrapping it minimally before putting it directly into your fridge or freezer. Bring back old egg cartons and fruit boxes to the farmers market and re-fill them. There are many ways to go green in the food packaging world, so be creative.

A related topic is the packaging of commercial foods. Although 100 calorie snack packs allow you to keep your portions of crappy processed food in check, they are mainly vehicles that allow food companies and their marketing teams to make a few more percentage points of profit from you. Avoid pre-sliced food that is then packaged and sold in smaller containers (for a higher price). When buying deli meats, have them weight your meat and cheese separately, then put into one deli bag.

These changes may seem small, and on an individual scale, they might not make a difference. However over the course of a year they certainly will. Every human on the planet needs food and if they bought in bulk, it would cause a huge shift in the food industry and cut down on waste and pollution. I also bet everyone would have a few more bucks left in their pockets! Green and cheap, a solid combination. Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma is a great read if you want to re-think the food industry.

It's Summer, Get Out There and Enjoy It!

2012-05-18T10:54:00.000-04:00

The summer is here in my eyes. Although it is only May 18th, things have been getting warm here in the Northeast. I realize I am a bit hypocritical, since I am sitting in a cool air-conditioned office, but I can not wait for the weekend to get outside and enjoy the weather. Go green and enjoy the weather. Instead of playing video games, using artificial lighting and air conditioning, and other creature comforts, do things outside.

There are tons of great options to consider. My personal favorite is hiking. Find a local mountain and just get out there. Other options to consider are fishing, local and delicious food awaits. Swimming, bicycling or other sports are a great way to have fun and enjoy the weather, make sure to bring that re-useable water bottle. For those of you with a green thumb, get your tressle and go gardening.

Patagonia x eBay: Common Threads

2012-05-05T18:03:00.000-04:00

As regular readers of this blog know, I believe one of the easiest ways to make a difference by going green is through used clothing. I have advocated shopping at thrift stores and second hand shops before and eBay is a virtual extension of this, except that it allows you to get the exact items you want!

Patagonia, which is a great outdoors company, striving to do good in the world, through use of sustainable farming of organic cotton in its products has teamed up with eBay to create a new program called Common Threads. The idea is to encourage people to buy used clothes and recycle their old ones, rather than wasting by buying new when used will do.

Here is the link to the webshop on eBay. If you are in need of Patagonia clothing, make this your first destination.

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

2012-04-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

I purchased the Omnivore's Dilemma at a thrift store for $2.00 a few months ago, and it had been sitting on my shelf for awhile. I delved into it one lazy weekend, and although it took me the better part of a month to read, it was very eye-opening and enjoyable. I first heard about the book, through the film Food Inc, which I highly recommend as well. Both works cover the modern food industry, which is very different from the rest of human history's food, and the resulting effects on our planet and our bodies.

I obviously care about food a great deal, as I believe what you eat is literally what you are. If you constantly eat crappy fast food and sweets, then thats what you become. Food expenditures in the US these days are at the lowest percentage of family income of all time, and the plethora of options available at the supermarkets has never been bigger. The Omnivore's Dilemma helps us to navigate this new situation, and helps us to understand how the food gets to our table, and the answers are surprising.

I do not want to give the book away, but Pollan discusses the world's most plentiful crop corn, which is in nearly everything we eat. He discusses how this organism has evolved to be perfect for human needs and allowed it to take over vast amounts of land. He also discusses the organic food system, and how at its ideal, this is an excellent way of thinking about food, but in practice mirrors many of the less tasteful things about the rest of the industry. Next he lives with Joel Salatin (pictured above), owner/farmer of Polyface Farm, which is my favorite section of the book. Finally he examines hunting and foraging, which is how human ancestors ate for centuries, before agriculture.

The book is great, and is a good read, as Pollan is able to make the topic very readable. It is also enlightening, especially about something that we spend a good portion of every day doing, but maybe do not think about enough...

Use Natural Lighting and "Air Conditioning"

2012-04-10T22:49:00.000-04:00

The summer is coming, and that means long days and hot weather. For many people this means high bills from central air conditioning. This is one of the most wasteful and unnecessary creature comforts that human society has. While it is comfortable and pleasant, there are plenty of ways that we can mitigate the environmental waste and damage caused by these creature comforts.

Since summer is coming, the days are going to be much longer. This means that we will not need to waste as much electricity on lighting, since days are going to last longer. It is important to harness as much natural light in both office and residential settings. Large, well placed windows will allow us to bath in the radiance of the sun, and avoid wasting electricity for artificial lighting. This is fairly straight-forward, but the design of many buildings does not effectively take advantage of the free solar lighting offered. To make this change, demand windows and natural lighting. Also, if you have it available to you, make sure to take advantage of it, and consciously turn off lights if they can be avoided. Furthermore, get out and enjoy the sun, especially for those of us who live in the northern part of the country, take advantage of long summer days and get outside in the evenings rather than watching TV indoors. Have a bar-be-que, play sports, or just lounge outside with a book. Free lighting everywhere! I also try to take advantage of this in the winter, by going to bed earlier, so I do not need to waste electricity at night. Candles are great, especially before bed!

As far as natural "air conditioning" this is a bit more difficult. Obviously, everyone loves the cool comfort provided by central air and fans, but do we really need it? No, humans are well adapted to warmth, and we sweat out all of our excess heat. Instead of using a fan or the air conditioner, open up the windows! This goes for both the car and the house. No need to waste gasoline by using your air conditioner, just slow down and roll down those windows and drink in the breeze. Although there is a chance that pests may get in your house, its not much of a bother, just get a screen! If it gets unbearably hot, try to use low levels of air conditioning, rather than cranking it up to the highest setting. Most of the time, you just need a little bit of conditioning rather than the frigid cold in the middle of July!

Green Investing

2012-04-03T23:55:00.000-04:00

Today's topic is something many of you have probably not considered in the course of your green education. That topic is green investing. You may have a 401k for an employer, an IRA from your parents, or an account at a brokerage. Your investments make a difference. Just like every dollar you spend, every dollar you invest is a vote of support for that company.

There are many ways to invest greenly. You could invest directly into an alternative energy company, but that opens you up to the risks of not being diversified. To counter that you could consider a green mutual fund like Gabelli's SRI Green Fund. This fund invests in socially conscious firms and you benefit from having professionals in the investment world managing the day to day of your money for a marginal fee.

iThere are a number of organic and natural foods companies you may want to consider directly investing in. These include Whole Foods Market, the organic grocer, or Lifeway foods, makers of Kefir and other healthy foods. It is also as important what you do NOT invest in as what you do actually make an investment in. Things to avoid are industrial farmers, makers of GMO altered foods or seeds. I am not going to list their info here, as I do not want it to be misconstrued as support, but do your research and make sure not to invest in companies or in funds with holdings in these types of corporations.

A final option you may want to consider is a micro-loan. This is a direct loan to an individual, often in a poor country, for them to make a business. Kiva is the largest marketplace for this type of a loan. Although many do pay back their loans, I would not consider this a viable investment strategy and should be considered more as entertainment or charity. I have heard success stories and it is an option you may want to consider.

As always, it is important to think about what you are doing and to act intentionally. Although all investors are in search of the "green," not all of them care about being green on the way to profits. You can make a difference by both NOT supporting the offenders and by supporting the green energy firms who are creating new products and services to make our planet better!

Disclaimer: Although I do work in the investments field, I am not a registered investment advisor. These are solely my opinions and should not be taken as investment recommendations.