The Going Green Project

The Laughing Gas Threat

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:53:00 +0000

The biggest threat to the ozone, according to a recent study, is laughing gas. Yup, good old N20 is the new villian. Perhaps just another reason to avoid the dentist? Well, not exactly. The nitrous oxide in the air comes from fertilizer and animal waste.

The good news is that we've seen this before. Remember the '80s? Metal bands like Poison and Winger were using enough CFC-rich hair spray to deplete our precious ozone. Fortunately, we realized the threat and got interested in grunge rock and hip-hop by the early '90s, killing off the hair bands and their evil ways. Also, the Montreal Protocol, when 190 nations agreed to ban the use of CFCs, probably helped.

Now we need to find a way to regulate nitrous oxide. The Kyoto Protocol called for regulations, but of course, not everyone singed that one. And it runs out in 2012. Stay tuned.

Final note -- I love the internet as much as the next guy. But when you start a blog, and then get busy and distracted, it can be somewhat embarrassing that the blog sits there. The last post, its date stamped visibly next to the title, can be cringe worthy.

Is there anybody out there?

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:51:00 +0000

:Knock, knock:

Hello, is this thing on?

Apologizes for the extended absence. The GGP took a solid five weeks off in August this year, Euorpean-style, to re-charge the old AA batteries. Fortunately, vacation dulled neither my passion for going green nor for writing the blog. So while you may have been wondering if a new post was ever forthcoming, you may now rest easy.

Tomorrow is September 1st, and with the new month will come new posts and discussion here at the GGP.

Stay tuned.

A Farm for the Future

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:48:00 +0000

One of my favorite topics on this blog is food. One of the easiest and yet most effective ways to living a more sustainability life occurs when we chose what to eat every day. Your food choices have a wide-ranging impact on the environment, and we should all be more aware of where our food comes from and how it ends up on the table.

But of course, awareness is only part of the problem. As our planet's population increases, we face the growing problem of how to feed all those people. How can we move towards more sustainable agriculture when there are people starving in the world even now?

The BBC has recently produced a documentary on this very subject (which I discovered on the Civil Eats blog). Called A Farm for the Future, the program shows how Rebecca Hosking explored how she might turn her family's farm in Devon, England into a farm that doesn't use any fossil fuels. As you might expect, nature holds the key.

You can watch the entire video below. As you can imagine, it's extremely well done and very interesting:

Litterbug, litterbug

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

We've all seen it: you're walking along in the city, or maybe down a suburban street in your hometown. You're minding your own business, perhaps whistling a tune or daydreaming. And then, out of the corner of your eye, you see someone blatantly littering. They're dropping a wrapper, tossing a soda bottle, crumpling up a piece of paper and letting it fall to the ground.

So what are you, a concerned citizen, supposed to do? Do you silently continue on your walk, stewing about the disrespect some people have for the planet? Do you lurk around the corner and then pick up the trash yourself when the litterer is out of sight? Do you confront the person, there and then, in middle of the street?

I encountered a litterbug yesterday while out for a run. I was minding my own business, listening to my iPod and generally struggling through the heat. I suddenly noticed a man walking towards me, about 30 yards away, who was unwrapping one of those cheap convenience store ice cream cones. He was peeling off the wrapper, and as I got closer, he just let the paper fall on the ground. This was a grown man, in his 40s or 50s, not some child who didn't know better.

So I slowed my run, got right up close to him, pointed at the wrapper, and forcefully but politely suggested that perhaps he was unaware that he had dropped said wrapper. He looked at me blankly. Perhaps it was the endorphins from the run, but at this point I decided to tell him loudly that he reminded me of a particular part of the human anatomy. You might be able to guess which one.

I'm not sure if this is the most effective way to deal with people who litter on the street. But then again, what can you really do?

The Green Arches?

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Are the Golden Arches going green? That's what the Daily Greenz blog asks today. Can McDonald's, that famous icon of American cuisine and subject of quasi-documentary film exposes, be a green company?

Ok, so they're upgrading the light bulbs in their stores to improve their energy efficiency. And yes, Greenpeace is on board with MickeyD's efforts to step up their effort to save the rainforests.

Still, the Daily Greenz asks the all-important question: how green can a company that relies on the principles of factory farming really be?

I'd stop short of accusing them of greenwashing. Their efforts are in fact good for the environment, and we can't fault them for changing out their bulbs. Let's recognize the good, but not go overboard in calling them the Green Arches just yet.

Measuring sustainability at Wal-Mart

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Wal-Mart announced on Monday that it will soon be placing a sustainabilty index on all their products. Yup, when you buy something at Wal-Mart, you'll be able to study not only the nutritional information, but the sustainability information as well. Wal-Mart is turning itself into the Golly Green Giant.

Of course, nothing is simple or straightforward -- not when it comes to corporate sustainability and certainly not when it comes to Wal-Mart. Marc Gunther's blog raises a few of the most important questions about this Wal-Mart story. What factors should you consider when measuring the environmental impact of a product? It's hard to really put numbers on sustainability at the moment. Heck, it's hard enough to define the term, especially we are talking about sustainability for bottom-line driven corporations.

But all skepticism aside, it's still a positive step. Wal-Mart is reacting to consumers' demands (as they always do -- it's way they're so succesful). If consumers want more information about sustainability, Wal-Mart will put the screws to their providers and find a way to provide it. That can only be good in the long term.

AirTran looking to reduce footprint

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Nothing wrecks a well-maintained carbon footprint faster than taking a cross-country flight. That's why it's nice to see airlines taking a long, hard look at their environmental impact.

AirTran, one of the U.S.'s low-cost carriers, has agreed to join an environmental sustainability program in Atlanta. This program will provide a model for the company to use in AirTran's operations in 60 cities across the country.

No a bad start. Now if they can just figure out how to give me a little bit more leg room, I might be willing to use AirTran to finally take that trip out to Vegas.

Adding to the layout

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:58:00 +0000

As you can of course see to the left of this post, I've added a couple of new features to the blog. I'm hoping this adds a little bit of variety to the blog.

A the top of the list is the Green Product of the Day. This will take you to the Pristine Planet website where you can browse all green products from many different eco-friendly retailers. There are merchant lists, reviews, and, of course, shopping. The site has a lot of information, and is definitely worth a visit.

Next, we have the iGo Green Tip of the Day. Yup, this is exactly what you think -- a new green tip every day. If you're really feeling saucy, you could post this to your own website/Facebook page/MySpace page, et cetera and so on.

Enjoy.

Amateur photography time

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Here are a couple of pics I snapped over at the Boston Local Market today. It runs during the day on Tuesday and Thursday, and it's been busy every time I've walked through.

Recycled marathon shoe

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:52:00 +0000

I worry about the environmental impact of my running habit. A committed runner is buying a new pair of sneakers every three months (if not sooner!). That's a lot of sneaker, and it starts to pile up after a while. It's hard not to look at a pile of all running shoes and think of the waste.

Is there a solution? Brooks is now producing a recycled shoe for marathon runners called the Green Silence. Made from 75% postconsumer recycled materials and non-toxic dyes and colorants, Brooks certainly has every right to shout about their new product.

So how does it work as a shoe? That's the big question, and one that we won't be able to answer until next February, when the shoe hits the streets (so to speak). Runners are notoriously picky about their footwear, so it will be interesting to see if Brooks can make a dent in the running shoe market.

Will I buy one? Perhaps. I've been wearin the same shoe for over two years, and I fear change, but I'm intrigued by this one, even if I don't exactly understand the name "Green Silence."

Looking back, looking forward

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:22:00 +0000

When I started the Going Green Project one year ago today, I was hoping to chronicle an adventure. My first idea was that this blog would be a journal of sorts—one that followed me around as I learned about how to become truly, authentically green. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I was hoping a blueprint for “going green” might eventually emerge.

Over the course of the year, I started to drift away from this original idea. I allowed myself plenty of leeway to write about whatever I wanted. (It’s nice to make up your own rules, isn’t it?) I wrote a lot of posts about the Presidential election in the fall. Although it wasn’t technically about my own adventure, it felt important enough and relevant enough that I wanted to share my thoughts. In fact, I think it added a lot to the project. Blogs can be a strange thing—they are somewhat narcissistic by definition. While it’s interesting to for me to write about my trip to Home Depot or offer a breakdown of what I had for dinner, it may not always make for the most interesting read. So by opening it up for more general discussion, I hope that it added a bit of variation to the proceedings.

In addition, I discovered that being green can mean a lot more than worrying about what’s happening in your own home. Issues of green jobs, the economy, sustainable business practices, and many, many more are all interrelated. It doesn’t make sense to be looking only inward. At the same time, I don’t want to forget about the original intent. Which means, lucky you, that there will still be occasional posts about what I’m eating for dinner.

With all that in mind, I’m going to keep the wide-open format of the blog going for now. In fact, I’d love to expand the format and try to do as many new things as possible. As to what those “things” are, you’ll have to check back to see what happens. I’m not suggesting you hold your breath, necessarily, but I have a few ideas I’d like to experiment with.

Finally, and I’m going to stop short of making a pledge here, I would love to keep to a stricter posting schedule. There were too many times over the last year that I didn’t write about something cool, interesting, funny, or important, simply because I didn’t have the time. Let’s see if I can crack the whip on myself and make sure the blog is always fresh.

The Climate-Change Bill

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:07:00 +0000

The House has passed the Waxman-Markey bill, aka the climate-change bill. Although it passed, 212 Representatives voted against the bill. Did your rep vote for or against? If so, did your rep think the bill was too weak to truly battle climate change, or do he/she simply feel that climate change is not worth fighting. Paul Krugman provides closer look at those reps who feel the jury is still out on science.

Keep an eye on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which now heads to the Senate.

One year of the blog

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:20:00 +0000

What's the life expectancy of the average blog? For every blog that has been churning out content and commentary for years, there must be hundreds that lie dormant out there on the web, taking up their small slice of virtual space.

I'm happy that the Going Green Project has survived a full year. For most of that time, it's been active, even though it's limped to the finish line in the last six weeks or so. The primary goal for Year Two will definitely be a more consistent posting schedule. Now, if real life would just cooperate and stay out of the way...

Tomorrow's the actual anniversary, so I'll conjure up something more exciting. For now, I'll leave it to the polar bears:

Local Markets

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:15:00 +0000

I've talked many times about CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) boxes. If you're lucky, in your area you'll be able to find a farm that will deliver the freshest produce to your door once a week during the summer. It's a great way to support local farms and it's probably the best single thing you can do to reduce ye olde carbon footprint.

Not everyone has access to a CSA program, so you may have to be a little more ambitious about seeking out a farmers' market. Or maybe you'll just get lucky, as I did last Thursday. While wandering around somewhat aimlessly on my lunch break, I discovered a farmers' market just around the corner from my office in Boston.

The Boston Public Market has set up a farmers' market on Tuesdays and Thursday, from May through October, right in downtown Boston. With over a dozen vendors selling produce, breads, and other farm-fresh products, the market is going to make it easy for me to stock up twice a week on my way home from work. (As a side note, this also is a smart way to quiet the Rose Kennedy Greenway detractors who think that the green area in the city is a waste.)

If you're in Boston, check out the market in Dewey Square. If you live elsewhere, I hope you stumble upon a market of your own!

Phish Greening Site

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:09:00 +0000

I wrote recently about how I've tried to contact the Phish organization to see what their doing about reducing the environmental impact of touring. Now that they're embarking on their first tour in five years, I'm happy to say that they've put up the Phish Greening Site. A lot of people spend a lot of time and energy traveling with this band from city to city, using a lot of fuel and creating a lot of waste along the way. Phish is recognizing the environmental impact of their tour, not just of the band, but of the swarming hordes that follow them around.

The website offers tips on "Traveling Light," and has a Rideshare program for interested carpoolers. Furthermore, it seems that the band will be taking a number of steps to reduce their own footprint, from biodiesel in the buses and Green Crews that clean up after the show to buying carbon offsets. It looks like a lot of time and effort has gone into the site and into Phish's efforts to be green.

I'm curious if any other bands are taking similar steps. Radiohead has always been vocal about their steps to reduce their touring footprint, and I'm sure others are doing the same. If you are doing any amount of traveling to see live music this summer, it's worth looking into what your favorite artists are offering to help make the trip a green one.

128-floor vertical farm?

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:24:00 +0000

How about this for fantasy? This concept for a 128-floor vertical farm in New York City looks like the stuff of science fiction. Or maybe the nighttime vision of an urban planner who keeps a pad and a pen by her bed so she can scribble down her strangest dreams. Maybe it's just the bizarro Dubai -- the eco-friendly version.

According to the architect who came up with the plans, the "Dragonfly" is built using "bionic and energetically self-sufficient architecture." The building is supposed to contain housing, office space, reserach labs, and whole lot of farms. Plus it's powered by solar and wind.

Strange? Yes. Is it something I expect to see in the near future? Not exactly. But you gotta admit, it's much better vision of the future than, say, Blade Runner.

Do it Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:54:00 +0000

My sister, who has been environmentally conscious since the days when only Kermit the Frog was claiming to be green, sent me a great article this morning about a group of young Pakistanis. Tired of a lot of talk from the government that never seemed to go anywhere, they decided to take matters into their own hands. They formed a group called Responsible Citizens, and every Sunday, they pick up garbage in the city. It couldn't be more simple. There's trash on the streets -- what do we do? Instead of waiting for someone else to solve the problem, they did it themselves.

It's a great example of how doing the little things can make such a big difference. While this group of kids probably weren't thinking explicitly about the environment, their actions are already having a ripple effect that will create a cleaner and more livable community. The feeling that things can change, that they won't always be the same, is not easy to bring about. But once it takes hold, it can be unstoppable.

Spreading the word

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Whenever a friend of mine gets invovled in a green project or business or hobby, I like to call attention to it. Actually, if it's something to do with the environment and sustainable living, I'll probably write about it. And you really don't even have to be a friend -- simply leave a comment here or email me and I'll be happy to spread the word about whatever it is you're doing.

The above preamble is just a wordy way for me to link to http://www.rebekahgreen.com/Blog/Blog.html. Appropriately named for the job, Ms. Green has done a lot of great work in helping to create affordable green housing. You can also find both video and audio podcasts on her site. Clearly a lot of work has gone into these -- can you beat an interview with Tim Gunn about sustainable fashion? No, I didn't think so. We need more people to take the initiative like this and get involved in the green economy, for both economic and environmental reasons.

Did somebody say "Bees"?

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:41:00 +0000

It's taken me several days just to calm down from my previous post. In fact, several times I started a follow-up post that so I could continue my rant. I had another YouTube clip about light bulbs lined up, and I had even thought up a too-clever Pynchon reference to go with it. Fortunately, I didn't post it. Sometimes the best thing to do is just move on and not give attention seekers what they're looking for.

Enough of that... instead, let's talk about something Albert Einstein once said. Perhaps you've heard this famous quote before:

"If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years to live."

Actually, many people think that Einstein probably didn't actually say that, even though you can do a simple internet search for that quote and get thousands of results -- shocking, I know, that there might be false information on the internet.

Whether it was Einstein or some other uncredited soul who muttered those words, the quote itself is right on the money. Colony collapse disorder is a frightening problem in the US. Many crops, from nuts to fruits and vegetables, are pollinated by honeybees. No one knows why so many honeybee colonies are dying off, but it's a serious problem. Many theories point to irresponsible human behavior as the cause, but as of yet, no one really knows.

All of this is my way of welcoming back the bees. Here in Boston, we just had our first weekend of summer weather, even though we're not quite out of spring yet. As a result, many bees have emerged from their slumber. Although most people don't celebrate the bee, I'm going to take it as good sign whenever I see one bouncing from plant to plant. Sure, they sting sometimes, but as Einstein (or whoever) said, we kinda need them around, don't we? Even the friendly bumblebee, more goofy than scary, is not so bad when you think of it that way.

What will they think in 100 years?

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:02:00 +0000

100 A.D., Rome -- In the Colosseum, persecuted Christians are thrown into the ring with blood-thristy lions. Contrary to Hollywood-inspired popular belief, Russell Crowe was not actually present to save the day.

1692, Salem, MA -- The Salem witch trials culminate in the deaths of at least 20 people accused of witchcraft.

1945, Germany -- The Holocaust.

These are all historical events that, when we look back on today, we can only ask ourselves, "how did that happen? How did the people who lived through that not realize how crazy things were?" Can you imagine bearing witness to such crazy events and not realizing how completely bizarre and irrational they truly were? Is there anything that our great-grandchildren will look back on in the year 2100 and shake their heads and wonder how we could have ever been so stupid?

I humbly submit the following for consideration. I do not mean to make direct comparisons between what I've listed above and what the people are talking about on this clip. I'm only trying to suggest that this type of attitude and disrespect will someday be remembered as a tragedy in its own right. Hopefully, when people look back on this type of attitude as a relic from history, they'll be doing so from a green, healthy planet, and not some dark, sun-less, Bladerunner-type existence.

What more can I say about a person who expresses a feeling of erotic pleasure about the chopping down of trees on Earth Day. Perhaps I'll leave the last word to Thomas Pynchon. He was writing about nuclear armageddon, but if you substitute "Slothrop" for "Beck," and "rockets exploding in the sky" for "trees being chopped down," you'll see it's not so far off.

"Jamf was only a fiction, to help [Slothrop] explain what he felt so terribly, so immediately in his genitals for those rockets each time exploding in the sky... to help him deny what he could not possibly admit: that he might be in love, in sexual love, with his, and his race's, death."

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Is Disney's Earth movie a great way to improve environmental awareness, or just another corporation looking to cash in on Americans' increasing interest in sustainability?

The philanthropy vs. publicity debate is an important one, especially in this age of greenwashing. I've been bombarded with Earth Day promotions and offers, and it's difficult to separate the good from the too-good-to-be-true. It's a subject I'd like to return to soon. As I mentioned yesterday, the Disney Earth movie's promotion to plant a tree for every ticket sold seems like a great idea, not to mention the actual content of the movie itself.

Check out the debate over the Disney movie here for more.

Happy Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:08:00 +0000

So what's going on this Earth Day? Among all the crazy promotions and promises made to capitalize on the buzz, I liked this one: Disney's Earth movie starts, and for every ticket that's purchased, Disney will plant a tree. It's as good a reason as any to check out the film. The added bonus is, thanks to the commercial, the promise of the Sigur Ros song Hoppipola on the soundtrack.

In other relevant news, President Obama continues to push his aggressive environmental agenda. That's a hopeful sign for all of us. Let's hope that he's successful, and that the blossoming green-collar economy not only helps us combat climate change, but also can provide a boost to the economy (in case you haven't heard, there's a recession on).

Whatever your plans for tomorrow, it's important to remember the now cliche saying, "every day is Earth Day."

More tomorrow.

Green book deliveries

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:45:00 +0000

For those of you who live in the Boston area, check out the Harvard Book Store's promotion for this week. You can get free delivery this week of any book order, and your order will be delivered by bike. The delivery service will continue after this week, although it won't be free. Still, if you live within the deliver range, and you've been to the Harvard Book Store, you'll know why I'm excited about this.

The bike company is called MetroPed, formerly the New Amsterdam Project. It's the same company that delivers my CSA box in the summer. The emissions-free bikes, which I've seen often in the area making their deliveries, are kinda badass.

I apologize to those readers who do not live in Boston. I don't know if you have any exciting book delivery offers in your area. But since it's Earth Day on Wednesday, keep your eyes peeled for promotional offers. I'm sure there's some cool stuff going on all over the place.

Earth Day in two days...

Bikes for Boston?

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:10:00 +0000

Is Boston getting ready for a bike-share program?

In a great article in the Boston Globe (and please note it's a Globe article--I shudder to think what the failure of the Globe and other newspapers would mean for the future of green blogging and in fact all information, but that's another post...), Boston's readiness for a bike-sharing program is explored in all its gory details.

What might such a program look like here? Paris has the Velib service that's been in existence since the summer of '07. You can get a year-long pass to Velib for around $40, and a one-day rental for less than $2. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's green.

Of course, those of us who've lived in Boston for any length of time know that bike availability isn't the only problem for would-be Bostonian cyclists. Quite frankly, you need to get armored up like RoboCop to protect yourself from the drivers. A successful program probably requires significant investment, not just in the bicycles, but in providing safe, usable roads and sidewalks and pathways. Think about Boston in January, and then think about navigating the already treacherous roads on a rented bike. There's still some work to be done here.

Still, it seems like excellent timing for such a project to take off. It would be a great investment in public transportation, forcing the city to deal with infrastructure problems, employing everyone from city workers to bike mechanics, and just maybe making the air of the city a little easier to breathe.

Looking ahead to Earth Day 09

noreply@blogger.com (Owen Milbury) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Now that Earth Hour has come and gone, it's time for look forward to Earth Day. Yup, a whole twenty-four hours dedicated to the Earth! This year Earth Day is on April 22, so make a note on your calendar.

Please excuse the lack of a creative segue here, but if you look to the left of the blog, you'll see a badge from the folks at Brighter Planet. They continue to come up with unique and creative campaigns that bring awareness to environmental issues. For Earth Day, they've begun the #earthtweet tweet-a-thon.

Full disclosure: I've never used Twitter. I'm already so hooked in to everything, from email to instant message to the internet to Facebook, that I basically have wires coming out the back of my head, Matrix-style. So I've honestly never taken the time to explore the wonderful world of Twitter.

However, for you Twitter-ers out there, check out earthtweet.com. Set up to bring awareness to Earth Day 09, you can send updates on what you're doing to celebrate Earth Day. And while I'm not making any promises, if I do end up on Twitter, this will be my first stop.