A Riot of Green Reasons

San Francisco on my mind

2010-05-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

I am suffering from a bad case of Sunday night have to go back to work tomorrow blues! Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a nomad. Simply traveling around the world. Volunteering, helping, and meeting people. One country after another.

Anyways.....here are some photographs from a recent trip to SFO.

Turning Five

2010-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

This blog is turning five today. In some sense it feels like a long time and in some, not so long. It all started as a rant against junk food. The documentary Super Size me had just come out and it shocked me into action. I haven't been to a fast food burger joint since. I started becoming more aware of issues, especially environmental. The more I read, the more I wanted to do something about it. It was through blogs that I gathered more and more information. And it was only a matter of time before I found myself blogging.

It is never easy being a treehugger. There is a never ending flow of bad news. Change is inevitable and mankind's relentless so called progress, does come with a huge impact. A lack of coherent and consistent reporting in the main stream media gives a false sense of well being sometimes. It is when you dig deeper that you begin to see the greater reality. In between all the gloom and doom were blogs like Treehugger.com and World Changing that got me looking at issues in a different light. They introduced me to the concept of environmental sustainability. They changed my way of looking at things. Change and progress is inevitable, how we change and how we progress now became the key question.

Not sure what, if any, difference this blog has made to the greater debate. But I have to say, it has made me a more aware and light footed person. From food, travel, buying and living, this blog has kept me honest, made sure I made every effort to reduce my footprint and practice what I preach. My obsessive recycling, carbon offsetting, organic dung wine drinking and organic righteous t-shirt wearing are the usual butt of jokes when friends get together. It is a lot of fun! In fact the more I blogged, the more productive I was, the more ideas I had, more blog friends I followed.

The last two years have seen blog fatigue creep in. Posts became few and far between. I had a lot to say but never got around to typing it all down. As I look ahead, I am not sure about the future. Green has come a long way and is becoming more and more mainstream. Unfortunately so is Greenwashing. While there has been a lot of positive developments, tackling of Climate Change still remains painfully beyond reach. I still remember blogging about Incovenient Truth. Al Gore brought the issue front and center even during the dark slash and burn days of the Bush administration. Then came the historic election of Obama and there was plenty of hope going around. Thanks to the mind numbing rules of US Senate, and the greed jockeys on Wall Street, nothing of significance has happened in the last one year. Copenhagen became Nopenhagen. Senator Inhofe is as toxic as ever. And now, the US Supreme Court has opened up the floodgates for corporate influence and money to pour into US policy making and elections.

I still believe that consumer awareness and behavior can go a long way in bringing about change. But I also believe that without sound policies and regulations in place, change can take a long while. I don't think we have that kind of time. Where does that leave me and this blog? I am not entirely sure! I guess I will take it one post at a time and see where it all leads. A new blog look and feel I thought would be a good first step to the next five years.

To everyone who has followed this blog over the years, thank you for your time, patience, comments and insights. Hope you will continue to stick around :)

iCertified: Freshaire Paint

2009-12-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

I thought I would get ready for the new year by giving my thinking room a new coat of paint. The room was badly in need of new life and the wallpaper from the 80s had to go. Plus it gave me a good opportunity to revive the good old iCertified series of posts.

I used to cringe at the very idea of painting. To me, the toxic smell caused by the VOCs in the paint is a big no no. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate at room temperature. They are really bad for health. Per EPA, here is a list of health effects.

Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.

[E]ye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment are among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics.

[M]any organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.

Over the last couple of years consumer awareness of the harmful effects of VOCs appears to have increased as is evident from the number of zero VOC paints that are available in the market today. This brings me to Freshaire zero VOC paint. I have been using it for over two years now and it has consistently yielded great results. Minus the toxic off-gassing.

In the US, they are sold exclusively through Home Depot stores, which makes it easily accessible. At about $27 per can, it is more expensive that the regular toxic ones you get. But isn't good health worth the price?

To add to its green goodness, the paint can is made of 100% recycled material. The Home Depot sales person tells me it is recycled car battery containers. The labels are made of 75% post consumer fiber printed on soy ink. The brochures are made from recycled fiber as well. All in a all a great product worthy to be iCertified.

Like I mentioned previously, there are several other options available in the market today. I haven't used them so I cannot vouch for any of them. To get a list of paint options and eco painting accessories available, head over to Green Depot (the green home improvement store).

Wishing every one a great green new year ahead!

Disclaimer / Disclosure
I am NOT getting paid by any one to say all this. It is my intention to promote products that genuinely appear to be green. It is not my intention to encourage rabid consumerism. I cannot be held liable/responsible for anything good, bad or otherwise that might happen by your purchase of this product.

Nopenhagen

2009-12-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Image Credit: Greenpeace via Flickr

The initial reactions from environmental groups confirm that Copenhagen was not Hopenhagen, but more of a Nopehagen where nothing of significance happened. Here are a few reactions.

Not fair, not ambitious and not legally binding. The job of world leaders  is not done. Today they failed to avert catastrophic climate change.  

The city of Copenhagen is a climate crime scene tonight, with the guilty men and women fleeing to the airport in shame. World leaders had a once in a generation chance to change the world for good, to avert catastrophic  climate change. In the end they produced a poor deal full of loopholes big enough to fly Air Force One through - Greenpeace International Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo

Climate negotiations in Copenhagen have yielded a sham agreement with no real requirements for any countries. This is not a strong deal or a just one -- it isn't even a real one. It's just repackaging old positions and pretending they're new. The actions it suggests for the rich countries that caused the climate crisis are extraordinarily inadequate. This is a disastrous outcome for people around the world who face increasingly dire impacts from a destabilizing climate. - Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth U.S

The world's nations have come together and concluded a historic--if incomplete--agreement to begin tackling global warming. Tonight's announcement is but a first step and much work remains to be done in the days and months ahead in order to seal a final international climate deal that is fair, binding, and ambitious. It is imperative that negotiations resume as soon as possible. - Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

The only way the world can be sure the US is standing behind its commitments is for the President to clearly state that climate change will be his next top legislative priority. The ultimate test of his leadership will be engaging the Senate and delivering action in Congress early next year.

The world's future hangs in the balance. At this critical hour, the fierce urgency of now, of which Dr. King spoke so about eloquently, is ringing loudly. - WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts

Island countries like Maldives were asking for a global temperature rise of no greater that 1.5C to give them any chance of a future. The draft deal in Nopenhagen set the bar at best at 2C. That could spell disaster for island nations.

Every eyes were on Obama today as if his words could miraculously stitch the world together. If he can barely get his own party together, there was no way he could get the entire world together. Obama's hands are tied by the US senate. He is wary of committing to anything he feels the senate will shoot down.

While the world leaders were busy negotiating, climate change deniers like Senator Inhofe flew to Copenhagen telling people that no climate deal will pass in the US senate. His words (via TruthFightsBack)

John Kerry was here yesterday and said we will pass something ...that is binding and is going to be cap and trade. That is not going to happen. I know John Kerry wants it to happen, but it is not going to happen.

Characters like Inhofe can make such statements because he doesn't have any skin in the game. His seat is safe and his election finances intact. The only language climate change deniers understand is the language of trade and money. I feel it is time for countries who will be most affected by climate change to form a Climate Aligned Movement. Align your trade interests with countries and states that have your climate interest in mind. If Maldives is importing things that are made in Oklahoma, this is the time to reevaluate and align trade interests with climate progressive states and countries. If you are in bed with the very same businesses that are funding Inhofe, this is the time to realign your trade interests.

I don't care much about Hugo Chavez, but what he said in Copenhagen is absolutely and brilliantly true - "If the climate was a bank [the west] would have already saved it."

Yes we should have ?

2009-12-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Greenpeace ad campaigns are always provocative. This one is no different.

If the current health care reform legislation is any indication, climate change legislation and ratification of any international treaty looks even more difficult to pass in the US.

Watching the health care debate and politics made me look back at the Bush years. The Bush white house got whatever it wanted. They had absolute power. Anyone opposing their agenda was quickly branded Un-American.

With the Obama white house, the power appears to have shifted all the way to the Senate. A handful of so called conservative Democrats now control the agenda. It is now very American to oppose what the large majority want!

Hope is the only thing that keeps the treehugger in me alive. So here is to hoping Copenhagen brings about an ambitious legally binding deal to save the climate. And Obama playing a key part in making it happen. Sign the petition if you can.

PS: If the news media has you convinced that the recent email hack uncovered a big scientific cover up, please head over to Real Climate for a sane rebuttal.

Photo:Greenpeace/Åslund

Egypt

2009-11-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

After Mayan pyramids, it was only logical to head over to the place where it all began. I jumped at the first chance to visit Egypt. Egypt it turned out was nothing like Mexico!(stating the obvious)

What I mean to say is that Egypt never felt like vacation. It was hard work. Tourism is a big industry here and touts of every form are everywhere wanting to make a quick buck out of you. So it becomes hard to let your guard down and go with the flow. Baksheesh is the very fabric of daily life. Baksheesh was never an alien concept to me, but the intensity and pervasiveness of it surprised me. Baksheesh Stress Syndrome is a real health hazard for tourists! I will qualify that by saying that it is not as bad as the Restless Leg Syndrome ads on TV. The only cure...wads of small change.

In retrospect, the things I did wrong was to go with a sub par tour operator and a punishing schedule. From Alexandria in the north, to Abu Simbel in south, Mt Sinai in the east to Bahariya in the west, I covered almost the length and breadth of the country in just two weeks.

Cairo was the base camp for all ventures around the country. Cairo is a lot like Mumbai. Very bad first impression. Noisy, crowded and choking with pollution. Treehuggers are sure to get a severe heartburn seeing the amount of plastic bottles that float around. But after a while, people say Cairo is a city to like. Two weeks is definitely not enough time for that. Although the last day in Cairo was a memorable one. I was at Abu Tarek restaurant gulping down the popular Egyptian dish Koshari. Made with lentils,rice, chickpeas, noodles, tomato sauce, and caramalized onions it is a delight to eat or in my case gulp. I was in a great mood that day. Maybe it was the Koshari, maybe it was because I knew I was going back to the comforts of my home or maybe it was the fact that I experienced Egypt and survived it.

All said and done, I don't mean to be a scrooge about my trip. I did meet a lot of nice and kind people. I remember being lost one day. When I finally decided to ask for directions, a young married couple tried to explain it the best they could. Then they walked with me it till I got there. That is how kind some people are here. The common man here is like anywhere else, hard working and decent.

Any post about Egypt cannot be complete without crooning about its history. There is so much of it that I was trying hard to learn it all. Carefully listening to all that the guide would say. Hoping to remember everything! Now thinking about it....How foolish of me! There is a reason why an entire field of study called Egyptology exist.

Egyptian history continues to unfold with new excavations and findings every other day. But an ever increasing population is putting a lot of pressure on land and resources. I sincerely hope Egypt is able to build its future while not destroying its fascinating past.

The rest of the pictures are here

PS: Sustainable travel options are few in Egypt. I am guessing the environmental movement is in its very infant stages. Here are a few recommendations.

1) The western part of the country is largely a desert. Here, close to the Libyan border, is the pristine Siwa oasis. Here you will find the highly recommended(Lonely Planet) ecolodge Adrere Amellal. This is a public private partnership aimed at preserving the oasis, its ecosystem and culture. I couldn't make it there but all the reviews I have read about it are great!

2) Bahariya oasis is much more accessible when compared to Siwa. I did go there and I would highly recommend camping in the White desert national park for a night. Ashraf was the tour guide and he was simply the best. Although his tour company planofsafari is owned by his brother-in-law Hany, Ashraf is in fact the heart and soul of the operation. He drives, he is the guide, he cooks, he puts up the camp, he sings and finally when you are tired and ready to sleep he will tuck you in. He is very conscious about cleaning up the camp site. Since this is a family run business, all profits directly benefit their family and the local economy.

Mexico

2009-11-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

Soon after Costa Rica, I headed to Mexico. Contrary to what you see and hear about Mexico from Lou Dobbs, there are places in Mexico which are just an absolute delight to explore. The Yucatan peninsula in particular is one such place. The secret to a great authentic Yucatan travel experience is to stay away from the "All Inclusive Package" crowds headed to Cancun. Once you manage to do that, you are guaranteed a rewarding experience.

Yucatan peninsula has miles and miles of beautiful white sandy shoreline. About 2 hours south of Cancun is the small town of Tulum. Here you will find several hotels and cabanas all claiming to be eco hippy. Most of the them off grid running solar panels and wind turbines. While every one claims to be eco, not every one is. Zahra, the place I stayed at was not particularly eco. Make sure you have a copy of Lonely Planet. They have great recommendations if you are looking for eco travel options.

What makes Yucatan special is the Mayan culture and their history. If you fancy archeology, history, meeting people, trying out different food, Yucatan is the place to visit.

Chichen Itza is the most famous Mayan site here and rightfully so. It is a fascinating place and you can't help wonder about the people who lived there, their ceremonies and belief systems and their day to day lives.

If you have seen Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, your view of the Mayans would be one of extreme violence. I was curious what the locals thought about the movie. Many thought it was realistic. Our guide at Chichen Itza Philipe had an interesting perspective though. The ruling elite he said had to control the population. They had to make sure people obeyed them and worked for them. The key to that was selective information. Rituals and sacrifices were designed to coincide with celestial events. The ordinary man, not aware of such things remained gullible. Citizens were expected to sacrifice and kill in the name of religion, beliefs and tribe. Philipe then asked me, "How is that different from today? Aren't politicians doing the very same thing to us? Aren't we killing in the name of religion and country?"

Overshadowed by Chichen Itza is the ruins of Ek Balam. Most tourists skip it. Ek Balam was the best part of my trip.

Since it was not very crowded, I could spend some quality time here, walking around and soaking it all in. The village of Ek Balam is situated a mile or two from the ruins. Here you will find every tree hugger's dream come true eco resort.....The Genesis Eco Retreat.

The structures here are made from recycled materials. The rooms are naturally cooled. An entire ecosystem of frogs, geckos and others keep mosquito levels down. The entire property is watered using rain water harvesting. The pool here is bio filtered, no chemicals used. The toilets all use a wet composting system.

The owner of the resort, Lee, works hard to ensure the local village benefits from the operation. She organizes an artisan tour through the village where you get to visit houses, meet people, make tortillas.

Now that is what I call eco paradise!!!

The rest of the pictures are here

Costa Rica

2009-11-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity of traveling to Costa Rica a couple of months ago. I will have to blame blogger's block for taking this long to post any thing about it.

Costa Rica first interested me when during a class discussion about tourism and sustainability, it was mentioned as a country which has had success with sustainable tourism. I was curious to see it was really true or if it was all hype.

Having gone there, I will have to say it is a mixed bag. In some areas the country is doing really good. It has been able to keep aside large areas of pristine forests by creating a national park system similar to the US. Around the parks, the government has initiated a private public partnership to create a buffer zone. People living in the buffer zone are given incentives to protect the land. The government is promoting the concept of sustainability and has a rating system in place. Hotels and tour operators are actively encouraged to join in.

On the other hand, tourism is a major revenue stream and with that comes some familiar problems. Resorts, hotels and condos are being built feverishly along many of the beautiful coastlines. In some places the never ending caravan of dump trucks and construction makes you wonder if the country is on a death march to resemble South Florida. Tourists are also actively investing in real estate which has obvious implications. Agriculture and cattle farming has an ever increasing footprint. And several locals and park rangers kept mentioning the changes in rainfall patterns and concerns about climate change. And then there is the ever present problem of illegal logging!

Having said all that, there are times when the beauty of the Costa Rican country side will lift you up and float you away. The cloud forests of Monteverde, the pristine beaches of Manuel Antonio national park, the wildlife, the biodiversity and the chance of seeing turtle nesting at Tortuguero are experiences I will never be able to forget. The people of Costa Rica are such a delight to talk to and befriend. It is a country not to miss.

The picture above was taken at the beautiful Rancho Makena. A family run ranch, this place is all about sustainability. From organic farming, to closed loop zero waste operation, this is the place to stay if you are near Monteverde. If you happen to be near Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos, I would highly recommend the truly eco inn Mono Azul. One thing I regret not doing is traveling to the southern tip of the country. Here the tourists are fewer and the wildlife many. The truly eco lodge Lapa Rios is a place I would love to stay. I met a family who had stayed there and had all kinds of great things to say about the place. Lapa Rios has some of the highest sustainability ratings you can get.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will say it again, Costa Rica is a country not to miss. Let me end this post by saying what the locals always say, "Pura Vida". It roughly translates to Pure Life. I am sure this chilled out Iguana knows what it means.

The rest of the photographs are here

Land of my forefathers

2009-02-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I find myself thinking about my home back in Kerala. I was there last Christmas. I got to spend some quality time there after a very long while. Kerala, especially my hometown of Kottayam is changing like there is no tomorrow. Once a sleepy little town, it is now choking under traffic and high rise construction. It can be a little shocking and difficult to come to terms with it. People look at you as if you lived in a bubble all this time. After a while, you are forced to reconcile. Change is inevitable, I guess. With a burgeoning population and an economy that is heavily dependent on expatriate remittances, a transformation of the landscape away from agriculture into a retirement community looks inevitable.

Kerala once upon a time was green with lush paddy fields. Agriculture was profitable and the economy's mainstay. Ample rainfall, the local climate and cheap labor made paddy fields viable. The photograph above is close to where my forefathers owned and tilled the land. Families were big in those days. With each successive generation, land was split among siblings. Smaller the fields got, greater the collaboration required to cultivate. Along the way, Kerala started experiencing political, ideological and educational shifts. As the labor force became more educated, they shifted to higher skilled and better paying jobs. Mechanized farming never filled the labor void. One could argue that retail politics prevented mechanization.

As agriculture waned, politicians enacted short sighted land use laws.A paddy field could not be used for anything else. Unless (of course there are loopholes) a field is not tilled continuously for a long period. I believe the magic number is 10 years. Many fields lay unused.

Climate Change has now almost made certain that paddy cultivation is nonviable. I was talking to an aunt of mine about her land. Rainfall is unpredictable and with every passing year it is decreasing. Last year it was about 25 percent less and ground water is depleting.

The global real estate boom has not escaped Kerala. As Tom Friedman would say, in a flat world, trends are global. Remittances from Malayalees nation wide and world wide find its way into real estate investments. With land expensive and difficult to find, unused paddy fields became the obvious targets and high rises the obvious solution. What is not obvious is water consumption and sewage disposal. Most places in Kerala do not have municipal water supply and sewage disposal. Large bore wells are sucking the water tables dry and septic tanks are playing havoc with ground water.

I still the remember the day I took this picture. It was early morning and as I walked past these fields, I wondered about saving the last remaining paddy fields in Kerala. I doubt if profitable agriculture is possible under the current laws in Kerala. One idea that has been bouncing around in my head is the idea of converting all these unused paddy fields into wet lands.

Why wet lands?

For one it will definitely help the depleting water table. It might also stop real estate developers from poaching the remaining fields. I think the key here is to have a successful public private partnership. The owners of these unused land will need an incentive not to sell them. That would mean continued income and a good understanding of environmental benefits. There are several government programs promoting watershed developments in India. What if those funds could be channeled here. The land owners could be given a monthly income for maintaining the wetlands.

Paddy fields which have already been converted to flats (condos) and villas continue to be marketed as homes with a view (a view of not yet poached paddy fields). So developers could also be a partner in the conservation efforts. Their properties will continue to have a great view.

These wetlands could be a blessing to both local and migratory birds. The fast disappearing frog population, I am sure, will be very appreciative. Lastly, the more green spaces there are, the more tourists there will be. That last part if not managed properly could actually be a bad thing!

A lot of wishful thinking for one post ! Anyways...here are some photographs from my travels there.

Book Tag: Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

2008-11-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Silent Eloquence for book tagging me. I have a good reason to wake me up from my blog slumber. The rules of the tag - Get the book closest to you. Open the book to page 123.Count to line five. Write the next three lines. Tag five people and acknowledge the person who tagged you

I would eat in silence until they were finished and then begin a long discourse on the problems of the city and the politics of the disposed. I scolded Maya for spending one evening watching TV instead of reading novels I'd bought for her. I instructed my mother on the various ways that foreign donors and international development organizations like the one she was working for bred dependence in the Third World.

I still remember the Christmas of 2007. I was at a friend's party being all merry. The conversation eventually wandered into American politics and the presidential election. The primaries were picking up steam and everyone acknowledged the inevitability of a Hillary Clinton win. I ventured to remark that if Obama were to win Iowa, he has a good shot at the presidency. There was a brief awkward silence.

I could never support Hilary Clinton. Her calculated posturing on Iraq and her about-face on bankruptcy laws made me very wary. Barack Obama on the other hand, started off with immature and ridiculous policy stances on energy and the environment, but was quick to learn and correct himself. If you read this book, you will see a man who is constantly learning, adapting and then learning some more.

Obama takes us through three distinct chapters of his life in this book. The Origins, Chicago & Kenya. I found origins the most interesting of all. He talks about his life in Hawaii, his move to Indonesia and back, about his father from Kenya, about his mother and grand parents from Kansas.

I am not sure I want to get into a detailed book review. I liked reading the book. It might not be a great book, but it is a good book and is definitely worth a read. He comes across as someone who is well read, who understands the history and brutality of colonialism and the struggles of post colonialism. Has a healthy respect for different cultures and a healthy respect for his own. I would definitely recommend this book to folks in the Indian media who are all hulla gulla about Obama not making that phone call and so Obama might not care about India and blah and blah.

So I tag all the hyper ventilating media pundits in India!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

2008-11-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally I can breathe better! This is historic!

The picture above was taken by a friend of mine when Obama won the nomination. I can only imagine the electricity in Grant park now. I so wish I was attending the rally. I am happy as happy can be. The axis of idiots, Bush-Blair-Howard has finally fallen.

Now comes the important task of solving grave problems like climate change. It is my hope that President Obama will go about tackling these problems with the same discipline we saw from him during the campaign

Greener JavaOne

2008-05-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity of attending this year's JavaOne conference. The conference is a yearly event where Java gurus from the world over descend upon Moscone center in San Francisco for a week. While the conference is mainly about Java, this year I sensed a thread, to my surprise and delight, about Java and sustainable development.

In the photograph above, John Gage, Chief Researcher at Sun Microsystems, is explaining how the entire conference is wired with sensors running Java and how these devices are communicating back information in real time on escalator usage, people movement and how all that helps understand electricity consumption better. The point being made was that technology can be used to facilitate energy efficiency.

Of course...plates, forks, knives, cups and such were all biodegradable. There was a visible effort to reduce paper and print. Information was made online for the most part. An embedded chip running Java in your ID card ensured access in and out of sessions. While all this was great, what I found more encouraging was the intersection of Java and sustainability.

I thought the technology leapfrog effect in Africa was particularly interesting. Mobile phones have outpaced land lines in the continent. Engineers from Nokia talked about how they developed a Java based application that helped Kenyans listen to internet radio on their mobile phones. Low power consumption, limited and intermittent bandwidth are important design considerations when developing applications for developing countries.

Engineers at Sun Microsystems talked about how mobile to mobile money transmissions are becoming popular in developing countries especially in microfinance operations.

Mobile phones were at the center of this year's JavaOne. Intel talked about its upcoming Atom line of chips for mobile devices. In fact, all chip makers had one message in common, that of energy efficiency. As chips get faster, smaller and smarter, mobile phones are expected to be the next hot platform for software development.

To me, mobile phones, open up new intersection points between technology and sustainability. Don't believe it ? Then take the case of eco2go, a great idea to reduce your carbon footprint using your phone.

Another project/idea that I found interesting was Sun SPOT (Small Programmable Object Technology).
Essentially these are micro devices running Java, capable of bridging the physical world with the digital. Intelligent sensors monitoring your environment for things like humidity, light etc.

Sentilla had a similar product showcase. Chips running Java connected to sensors. A winery in Napa is using their technology to monitor soil moisture and humidity to optimize water consumption. The same idea can be used to help optimize water consumption in agriculture. Even better, if we can figure out a cheap way to plug this into suburban lawns, it could greatly reduce over watering.

Finally, the Open Eco initiative. A global online collaborative community to reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions . It brings Web 2.0 to the world of sustainability.

To me, all this is very exciting!

A hairy proposition

2008-02-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help but smile when I heard this piece of news. Human hair it turns out can be a natural fertilizer and pest control !!! A company by the name of Smart Grow is behind all the buzz or should I say frizz :)

Apparently human hair has other noble uses like cleaning up after an oil spill. Here is another interesting fact, China & India both have a thriving human hair export business.

Image Credit : Smart Grow

Tata Nano Air

2008-01-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

A lot of has been said about Tata Nano in the past few weeks. Many like me feel a sense of pride at the achievement. Many like me are also concerned about the environmental ramifications of Nano.

In terms of fuel economy, it might be as good if not better than a Toyota Prius. The volume of adoption will however be the devil.

One can argue that 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers are the single largest source of air pollution in Indian cities. If they were to be replaced with a much cleaner vehicle like Nano, wouldn't it be better?.... I am not so sure.

What I am sure about is this, a true peoples car will have to be easy on people's wealth and environmental health. What we need is Nano Air. A Nano running on compressed air.

It has been almost a year since Tata Motors signed an agreement with MDI of France. Nano is the perfect platform to be airborne.

Mr Ratan Tata make us all proud.

Image credit: tatanano.com , aircar.com

My Tree

2007-12-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

Where was I all this while? Between tough deadlines and even tougher professors, blogging took a hit. On the positive side, I have my own tree and a little backyard now!

Chicago Green Drinks

2007-08-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a cold beer to jolt me out of what is commonly known as environmental fatigue. I keep myself upbeat and optimistic most of the time. However, a series of bad news this summer took the joy out of blogging. Raging wild fires, droughts, heat waves, floods and what not! Images of people precariously perched on tin roofs waiting for flood waters to recede can make any person feel blue. Millions of people increasingly affected and displaced by unpredictable and extreme weather.

Now getting back to the beer... Chicago Green Drinks is a monthly event here in the city where sustainability minded folks meet, socialize, get a little happy drunk, discuss and listen to local sustainability gurus. The idea originally started in London and soon spread to various parts of the world.

The speakers at this green drinks were from Chicago Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), Chicago Department of Environment and The Clinton Foundation. The theme for the evening was "Working locally to reduce Global Warming". Mayor Daley was among the many mayors who pledged to reduce their city's global warming pollution by 7% below 1990 levels as part of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The presentation at the drinks was about how Chicago would achieve that target.

DOE has partnered with CNT to do the carbon footprint and inventory analysis. They talked about their audit process, assumptions and limitations. It turns out electricity and not transportation is the biggest carbon contributor here in Chicago. This is where the Clinton Foundation comes in. Clinton Climate Initiative is engaging the 40 largest cities to reduce their green house gas emissions and they are injecting about 5 billion dollars worth of energy efficiency building retrofits into these cities. Chicago is expected to get a fair share of that retrofits.

Retrofits aside, the city is pursuing several other programs to achieve the necessary reductions. I have to confess I had a little too much beer that day to comprehend all the details! The city is expected to publish their road map soon. All in all the presentation and the plan of action sounded good. 2012 is almost here. I hope Chicago meets its targets.

Dandelions, Wine & Some Thoughts

2007-07-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was in Iowa a week ago, driving through acres upon acres of genetically modified Corn. The scenery rarely changes except for a few. One of them being the Amana Colonies. These colonies were once an experiment in communal living. The experiment was not all that successful but it is does make for an interesting stop. You still get to see parts of their history and taste the local harvest. I walked into a small wine shop with the idea of buying a local red wine. To my surprise, I found wine made from Dandelions! I was amused to say the least. Why so? Let me explain...

To many in the US, Dandelions invoke a sense of rage and disgust. Dandelions can be very persistent and are the perfect survivors. They can quickly turn a green lawn into a blooming yellow. Every one in American suburbia is a conformist when it comes to their lawns. There seems to be an unwritten law that mandates every house have well maintained square patches of green grass. In the front, in the back and every where around. Dandelions are unwelcome here. People go to any lengths to get rid of them. It is no surprise that there thrives a million dollar industry in the business of killing Dandelions!

Here are some scary facts. [via Organic Consumers Association]

# 67 million pounds of pesticides are applied to roughly 30 million acres of lawns in the U.S. each year.

# The #1 most water intensive crop in the United States is lawn grass. The average lawn is doused with 10,000 gallons of water each year (in addition to rainfall).

# Synthetic fertilizers run off into streets and local waterways, choking aquatic life and polluting our water.

# The EPA estimates that a mower emits as much pollution in one hour as a car emits in driving 20 miles.

# Numerous studies have linked common household herbicides and pesticides to asthma, cancer, reduced fertility and neurological harm to fetuses, infants and children.

The moment I saw the wine, I knew I had to taste it. I tasted it and I bought myself a bottle. It is very sweet and makes for an interesting sip after any meal!

Live Earth

2007-07-08T08:41:00.001-07:00

I caught a few glimpses of Live Earth coverage on MSN yesterday. I thought Snoop Dogg's performance was fun!

While there have been a myriad of sounds bites doubting the benefits of such a concert, I just hope it brings about real actions to combat Climate Change!

Urban Farming

2007-06-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

The class this quarter is focused on issues related to global urbanization, the challenges and opportunities it brings with it. As was widely reported this week, 2008 is expected to be the year when half of the world's human population will be living in an urban environment. This is a big deal. It is happening for the first time and it is a big milestone in human history. A milestone in our journey towards what, is the bigger question. Are we headed towards collapse? Or is there a brighter future awaiting us?

Today's cities are resource hogs, hogging food, energy, water and everything in between like there is no tomorrow. To feed the ever increasing needs of cities, food production and distribution today has become a massive global endeavor. The global food supply chain is increasingly dependent on massive amounts of oil, petrochemicals and genetic engineering. Food travels on an average of 2000 miles before it reaches our tables! The food industry has undergone unprecedented consolidations in the last few years to achieve economies of scale. About 10% now control 90% of the market!

Making cities more and more self sustainable is where the challenges and opportunities lie. Localizing resource production and consumption is gaining wider acceptance and popularity in sustainability circles. Think Globally & Act Locally seems to be the new mantra.

To make a long story short, I did a small project looking at decentralizing and localizing food production and consumption. A bottom-up approach of sorts! A perfect example of how this can work is the urban farm located in the heart of Chicago. It is called the City Farm and it is run by a non profit environment education organization called Chicago Resource Center. They explained to me how they took a vacant 1 acre lot and made it into a very productive organic vegetable farm growing 10,000 pounds of vegetables last year. They supply the produce to several local restaurants and the local community. The organic waste from these restaurants is composted back into the farm. Planting a combination of high intensity and low intensity crops, totaling 55 different varieties, they ensure a continuous availability of vegetables. On any given day, you can walk in and walk out with a bag full of fresh and great tasting vegetables. I have to say the Cilantro was yum! All this on a vacant lot that otherwise would have turned into a dumping ground with rat infestation.

It is estimated that the city has about 8000 such vacant lots. Imagine the good it will do if all it were put to productive use. An even great opportunity is the millions of square feet of rooftops available in Chicago. As of Oct 2006, 1 million square feet of roof is being converted into green roof. That is probably less than 5% of the total available roof space. Green roofing is big in Chicago. There are several city funds promoting it. Just imagine the possibilities if food were to be grown up there! That is exactly the idea Chicago Resource Center plans to promote. What they have done is prove that the concept works. What they will need is leadership from the City of Chicago. The Mayor's office is very supportive of the idea. While there are several funds and initiatives that help, there is no comprehensive policy on food.

Chicago calls itself a green city. I am not sure if it is entirely there yet. One city that is leading the pack is City of Vancouver, Canada. They have chosen to take a holistic approach to urban farming and sustainability in general. They have formed a Food Policy Council, bringing together local, regional and even global stakeholders and formed a comprehensive food policy. Policies are aimed at reducing sprawl, protecting metropolitan farm lands, and providing easy access to farmer's markets. No wonder a majority of Vancouverites eat local food and an impressive 44% of them actually do some sort of urban farming. In case they grow excess food, there are several easy mechanisms to sell or donate them. Local farmer's markets are available all over the city. Vancouver is expected to have 2010 community gardens/farms by the 2010 Olympics opening! The ingredients for success: leadership from the local government, consumer awareness and community involvement.

City of Portland looked at what worked in Vancouver and in Chicago. They too have formed a Food Policy Council.

A new kind of food future is possible!

Quote of the day
"To forget how to dig the earth & tend the soil is to forget ourselves" -Mahatma Gandhi

Glacier National Park. Montana

2007-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

The first thing you notice stepping into Montana is the sky. It is all around and it is big. If there is a term called city idiot, I would probably have personified it. I couldn't help gape repeatedly at the sky. Montana is called Big Sky country. I now understand why. The next thing you will notice is how friendly the people are. Hello or a Howdy is a customary must! And finally the traffic speed. 70 mph is almost a given and yet driving here is peaceful and even enjoyable!

Glacier National Park (GNP) is only a short drive away from Kalispell airport. The meadows soon give way to winding and climbing roads. Before you know it, you are inside the park. A few miles inside is the small village of Apgar. I stayed at the Village Inn here. Every guest staying here gets this view of Lake McDonald all to themselves!

I am sure there are a million blog posts and travelogues written about GNP. I still feel it is one post too little. So let me add one more!

Designated as a world heritage site and a biosphere reserve, the park is a place hopefully everyone will get a chance to visit and experience at least once. I feel eternally grateful to folks like George Bird Grinnell who had the courage to fight for, set aside and protect GNP from commercial piece meal development we all know today as suburbia.

There is so much to shoot(photograph) and see here. Every turn, every corner here is a potential photo op. I went on a photo snapping spree, worried that I might forget the sights. In retrospect, I should have just taken it easy, absorbed and enjoyed the place a little more! Anyways....bring loads of memory cards!

Photography can be a challenge. Weather changes fast around here. One moment it is sunny, the next it is overcast, windy and rainy. When in doubt, bracket your exposure like crazy. Clear blue skies will make your pictures sweeter. So if you find clear blue sky, you know what to do.

The park is a hiking paradise. The popular ones tend to get crowded. So get up early. Early morning hikes can be the most rewarding. Peace, quiet and wildlife. I ran into a baby black bear, numerous white tail deers, mountain goats, wild sheep, chattering variety of birds and rows upon rows of wildflowers glistening in the morning dew.

The hike that was most memorable was the one headed to Grinnell Lake along Josephine Lake.

Hiking isn't the only activity available. There is biking, boating, kayaking, canoing, fishing, camping and most importantly just chilling! One activity that is a must is going along Going to the Sun road. The road connects the western and eastern ends of the park. Sadly, the road was partially closed when I was there! Parts that I did see, simply blew me away. Pictures from the trip are here

While there are many many great things to say about the park, there are a few sad notes too. I found that park was being made too accessible. Power boats and helicopter tours are annoying and just plain wrong. Just when you think you are snuggled away from civilization you will hear that annoying sound of a helicopter. The biggest problem for the park though is climate change. The glaciers in the park are receding. There are also increased number of wild fires. While the national park service claims forest fires are a good thing, I have a feeling climate change is taking a heavy toll on the park. All the more reason why we need to offset our travel footprint. I am sure this Columbian Ground Squirrel would really appreciate that.

Net Impact

2007-05-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a hectic month since my last post. Term papers & presentations, deadlines at work and some serious bugs sucked all the energy out of me! I needed a little down time to recharge and I needed a little zing to get me back on my blogging groove. The zing came in the form of a Net Impact meeting last week. It was hosted by Net Impact's Chicago professional chapter and it brought together a very interesting bunch of MBA folks from the area

A little about Net Impact

Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world. We offer a portfolio of programs to educate, equip, and inspire more than 10,000 members to make a tangible difference in their universities, organizations, and communities.

Spanning five continents, our membership makes up one of the most influential networks of MBAs, graduate students, and professionals in existence today. Net Impact members are current and emerging leaders in CSR, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development, and environmental sustainability who are actively improving the world

I had heard of Net Impact before. Never realized that there would be this many concerned and genuine MBA grads. The meeting was about the role of financial markets in the quest for Sustainability. Glad I could attend and listen to folks on the cutting edge of Sustainability, making money and helping the world!

Update: A little more on the guest speakers
1) Jonah Smith: Smith Pierce Sustainable Asset Management
Smith Pierce is an upcoming start up company providing SRI investment services both for the institutional and the individual investors. He talked about the challenges and opportunities presented by the SRI sector, which is growing at an exceptional pace. It was his estimate that SRI had become a trillion dollar worldwide market!

2) Steve Ray: M1 Energy Capital Securities
M1 Energy Securities is a unique & peculiar case in the sense that it brings hedging to the renewable energy sector. Steve talked about a power project they executed in Texas which generates electricity from agricultural waste. I always thought of hedging as a sinister business art form. Am more inclined to see it in a positive light now.

3) Will Ferretti: Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)
Will walked through the basics of CCX. I have mentioned CCX before. One thing that interested me was the thought of commoditizing air and water to protect it. It would basically expand on the principles of SOx, NOx and Carbon trading. Will felt that there was great wealth to be made in the business of air and water protection. Not sure I am entirely sold on that.

Spring

2007-04-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Spring is here finally. Feels great!

Green Festival On Earth Day

2007-04-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Green Festival here in Chicago was the place to be this Earth Day. It was teeming with energy. People hungry for information. People eager to provide information. It was a beehive of activity and good things. From eco cosmetics to eco careers, from sustainable love to sustainable housing, from organic milk to organic punk rock pastry, from counter tops to counter myspace, this green festival had a range like I have never seen before. Speakers talking about SRI funds and speakers talking about non violent and non confrontational tree sit-ins. Television crews wanting to interview you and professors wanting to know if you would be interested in a degree in sustainability. There were over 300 exhibits. Everywhere I went, I found something new, interesting, intriguing and fun. Most importantly, I got the sense that the green movement is becoming more and more mainstream.

I was happily running around collecting information, exchanging business cards, taking pictures and repeatedly eating clif bar samples. As I was doing all that I noticed this father and son. They were engrossed in a conversation about living green. Now only if all fathers had that conversation!

I have a few more pictures from the festival here. Happy Earth Day everyone!

India Climate Exchange

2007-04-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity of listening to Thomas Cushing, Vice President of Chicago Climate Exchange. He was speaking at an event organized by NAEM.

I always knew CCX was the epicenter of all voluntary carbon trading in the United States. I however didn't fully realize the scale of their current operations. When it started trading back in 2003 with a handful of members, it was at best considered a quirky little thing. 4 Earth Days later, the membership has grown several folds to well over 200. They now have a presence in Europe and Canada as well. February 2007 trading volume (US) was 3.17 million metric tons of CO2. As of Feb 2007, 19.3 million metric tons of CO2 had been traded. At about 3.30$ per metric ton that sure is a lot of money!

This kind of growth for something that is purely voluntary is nothing but spectacular! No wonder Goldman Sachs decided to buy a 10% stake. Mr. Cushing was quick to point out that carbon could become the single largest traded commodity in the world. Larger than crude oil!

If you are wondering as to how carbon trading works, here is a little from their site.

CCX Members with direct emissions commit to reduce GHG emissions 1% per year over the years 2003 through 2006 relative to a 1998 through 2001 average. During 2006 program-wide net emissions must be 4% below baseline. Those members that reduce their emissions below the
required level can sell surplus emission allowances on the exchange or bank them. A member that cannot achieve the reduction target internally can meet its compliance commitment by purchasing emission allowances through CCX’s electronic trading platform from other CCX Members that reduce their emissions beyond the reduction target, or purchase project-based offsets. Eligible offsets can come from methane collection and carbon sequestration projects.

After Europe and Canada, CCX is now looking at starting operations in India. Back in 2006, CCX had announced a partnership with TERI. TERI helped register Indian offset projects. These projects were however traded here in Chicago. Now with the help of TERI, CCX is looking to set up an entire Climate Exchange in India. This would help bring Indian companies into the fold of carbon reductions and open up a domestic market in carbon offsets.

All indications are that US will soon regulate carbon emissions and in most likelihood it will be in the form of Cap & Trade. This shift in US policy to some extent is due to the success of CCX. I believe the formation of India Climate Exchange will help steer Indian policy makers also in the right direction.

I agree with the argument that Global Warming is a mess created by industrialized nations. However, India can no longer afford to stick to that line. While rich nations have to do some serious work, India also needs to do it's part. This op-ed piece in Hindu said it best

If it[India] pursues what is "fair" in a warming world by continuing to argue that industrialised nation are to blame and need to take urgent action, it will be placing the noose around its own neck while the hangman looks on [via Yodha]

So when is India Climate Exchange coming online? Mr. Cushing replied, "As soon as possible. May be later this year. May be early next year".

Energy Globe Awards

2007-04-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

Two projects in India (among the many interesting projects) have won the Energy Globe awards for sustainability.

India Solar Loan Program: UNEP teamed up with Canara Bank & Syndicate Bank to set up lending mechanisms for Solar lighting systems in South India. The project was launched in 2003 and to date, 18,000 households who did not have access to grid electricity have been able to get financing for solar panels. The UNEP press release mentions how this has helped Canara and Syndicate Bank develop a clean energy lending portfolio and also how it helped the Indian PV industry increase market penetration.

This is a great story and it reinforces my earlier thoughts on bringing micro finance and carbon offsets together for greater access to clean energy.

Public toilet assistance for biogas plant:
Sulabh Sanitation gets the award for it's human waste to biogas project.

In Shirdi in Maharashtra, Sulabh has constructed the largest public toilet with biological gas production in the world. Up to thirty thousand people can use the toilet complex per day. The project contributes to a sustainable energy supply using renewable energy source as well as to immensely contributing to the improvement of the hygienic situation. [Energy Globe]

The awards list makes for a very interesting and heartening read. Do head over there if you get a chance.

One thing I didn't quite understand is why Peabody Mining would win an award for its operations in Black Mesa. If you read this NY Times article, you get a very different picture! (registration required)

via UNEP :: via Indic View