Pennywise and Poundfoolish

Rainwater belongs to all of us

2008-07-02T22:20:17-07:00

Ok. So I've been SUPER busy getting ready for my upcoming deployment and will PROBABLY not be able to get into the whole blogging updates for quite a while (plus typepad ate my last awesome article! GRRR!). But I found this awesome video in my email inbox that pointed me to this video:

apologies

2008-06-24T13:00:15-07:00

I am sorry for the absence of the last few days. On Thursday I was drilling with my Army unit out in the field (read: no technology, showers or real toilets!) and since I got back on Sunday, it's been quite hectic and I've just not had the energy!

I suggest checking out Green Bean Dreams for a couple of days while I'm recovering.

off to take a nap now. . .

Is it just me, or is this green lady hot. . .

2008-06-18T15:26:18-07:00

Who new green could be hot. Maybe it's just the accent.

good info too!

Bicycles are faster than cars

2008-06-18T10:48:10-07:00

Here's a cool video from one of the vendors at the Towards Carfree Cities Conference (my review here), StreetsFilm. These guys have pretty awesome content and are great advocates for alternative transportation. Check out their blog at www.streetsblog.com

I hope you all will consider the bicycle as at the minimum an option for some things like picking up groceries and going over to friends' houses. Remember, carfree means "freedom from addiction and the ability to take the most responsible mode of travel possible". For us with our 4 week old infant, we still use the car, but if it's just us on a leisure ride or a grocery run, we'll take the bike and put our groceries in it.

Towards Carfree Cities Conference

2008-06-18T08:08:33-07:00

I just got back from the World Carfree Networks conference, Towards Carfree Cities. Man, there was some interesting things being thrown around.

I only attended two seminars, but they had walking and biking tours all around. I caught the last half-hour of Obbie and Roz's presentation "The Transportation Liberation Roadshow: How to Save Money, Save Your Sanity, and Save the Planet by Not Driving". That was very enlightening. I've learned quite a bit that could be applied to city living, and what I'm hoping to do is to be able to turn this into solutions for rural and country living.

The second seminar was a workshop-- ah hell, I'll just copy/paste it because of the good links:

Towards Carfree Families: Transportation Solutions for Families in a Car-Oriented World Moderator: Angela Koch, Director, Safe Routes to School, Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Portland

Olivia Rebanal, Participant, Drive Less Save More Family Challenge; Co-Founder, UrbanMamas
Paul Adkins, President, GEARs; Travel Consultant, BikeFriday Eugene, Oregon
Lynn Lindgren-Schreuder, Executive Director, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, Portland
Marion Rice, family transportation columnist, BikePortland.org

So you see, it's actually very cool! What I learned was that there's a big question among the carfree bicycling activist community about how to share the road with automobiles in a better way.

Some thoughts that came from the conference:

Carfree is not only about bicycle usage, but rather means that one is liberated from the oil-addiction afflicting our nation. There were plenty of people that still have their cars and vans and such, but they simply opt to use those for the purpose they were intended; people who own a van only use it to transport things that they can't otherwise do via bicycle or bus.

"You can be a better driver by being a good pedestrian and cyclist." This was a comment made during the workshop by an audience member that seemed like a new thought. I've never considered it before, but apparently, according to Paul Adkins, who heads up a "Walking Bus" to his kids' school, there are kids who simply do not know how to walk on the street, not to step into traffic and such, and there are kids who know the rules. These kids are going to grow up to be people who either know how to be good pedestrians or not. The same is true for bicycling- knowing the rules of bicycling can inform you- as a driver- as to why a cyclist is doing something that may otherwise be annoying (like riding in the middle of the friggin' road- which they do sometimes for safety and because it's legal). This started a discussion about the possibility of modifying simple "drivers' education" to become "Mobility Education"- encompassing the whole transportation infrastructure's rules and options (what a well-informed and empowered citizen that would be!).

I asked a question to the effect of, "Do you think that the carfree movement can help increase local community and government revenue because more is being bought within the city instead of elsewhere?" It was right about then that I realized that I was in a room with a bunch of people who weren't interested in the least about helping government (not to mention I still seem to approach the problem with the Washington State idea of sales taxes that bring massive $$$ into the coffers of the city-- money that could be put into the transportation infrastructure). There's money to be made in creating a local community!

Paul Adkins had another comment regarding the involvement of his children. He actually involved them in the discussion of going carfree and making ecologically sound choices and do you know what? They loved it! To a 5 and 10 year-old, biking is awesome. Hell, how much fun could riding a car possibly be? I remember it and it sucked. I loved the fact that I could go forever on my bike. Paul's family had made the motivational leap to turning biking from something that's purely fun, to something that is both practical and fun- from groceries to going to school, Paul's kids bike an average of- get this- 8 to 20 miles per day! Crazy numbers for somebody under 10 years old.

Finally, somebody asked the question "Is Portland ready for a neighborhood that's completely carfree?" The general consensus seemed to be a resounding "Yeah! We could do that!". Skeptical? Well it's being done. In Norway. Yep.

Here's a video from the first seminar I went to:

Gresham GreenGroup-- if you're from NE Portland, you need this

2008-06-17T17:20:04-07:00

Well, it's official-- I've contacted enviromom and am starting (as far as I know) the very first Gresham GreenGroup. What is a GreenGroup, you ask? Well, from Enviromom's site:

GreenGroups are informal groups of moms (or dads!) from the same part of town who meet and share ideas for living a greener lifestyle and raising eco-savvy children. One person needs to coordinate meeting dates in order for a GreenGroup to work. Ideally a group would have 4-8 members, and members need to decide whether to meet with kids in tow or child-free. For the most part these meetings are free-form: someone has a challenge and the group brainstorms possible solutions. Someone has discovered a great new product or read an interesting article, and it is discussed. (Amazing things can happen when like-minded moms get together!)

So, I'm hoping that a few people will show up, kids in tow, and let us know what we can do to get our lives a little greener, and possibly begin to tackle the tougher questions like what our city stands to gain from a greener lifestyle (I tend to think that there's a lot of money to be made!).

So, if you're part of the NE Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village, or outlying areas, let me know if you're coming by! You can always get in touch with me pretty easy at zfolwick [at] gmail [dot] com.

The Skinny:

Gresham GreenGroup meeting at the Gresham Library

385 N.W. Miller Avenue
Gresham, OR 97030
503.988.5387

Sunday, June 29th from 1-2 pm
Kid friendly (bring your own toys and such. . . next time we'll have it in a coffee shop or something, I'm sure).

Shame! Horror! Shock! I forgot to mention the biggest good news of all this week!

2008-06-17T07:12:19-07:00

Today I'm attending the Public Day at Towards Carfree Cities Conference. This should be a fairly interesting time and I hope to learn quite a bit about bicycling and alternative transportation issues. Apparently this is a world event and somewhat once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me as this the last event was held in Istanbul!

Special thanks to "Portland Bike Event Calendar" maintained on Google Calendar.

What the midwest floods taught me

2008-06-17T06:19:30-07:00

Looking at the recent flood disaster in the Midwest will tell you that anybody who was relying on their own home garden plots will be either sorely disappointed, or hungry (likely both). The fact is that, as good and tasty and cheap as localized food sources are to us, recent climate changes and unpredictable, heightened levels of disasters makes me wonder if there's not something to this whole industrialized farming after all.

Industrialized agriculture came about along with the industrial revolution and matured through the application of efforts of wartime manufacturers in WWII to industrialized farming. With the development of refrigerated railcars, it became possible to ship goods extremely long distances. Couple this with the fact that science created higher-than-ever crop yields and you have increased supplies causing a decreased price. The ability to ship goods from hot climates to colder regions also extended the growing seasons of vegetables far beyond their natural (read: local) "lifespan". This convenience would be something that a busy "nuclear family" of the baby-boomer age would love, causing people- I imagine- to abandon their victory gardens in favor of the One-Stop-Shopping centers.

So why the harsh words against agribusiness? Why the whole "eat local" movement? I know, I know- industrialized farming works against not only the little guy, but the very soul of farming. With assholes like Monsanto suing people who save seeds (a several thousand year old farming technique), it's a wonder they don't just say that farming is "hazardous to your health".

Agribusiness has another gripe though. It is personally responsible for topsoil loss (great picture here), pollution of the waterways (via cattle waste run-off), less biodiversity- which causes massive crop vulnerabilities (remember the tomato scare going on right now?), and cripples the availability of real food-- seeds within your fruits and vegetables that will regrow into plants that produce food (Ellen informed me that this is a reality in this article, and gives a solution).

Imagine a world where you didn't have to fear that what you were eating still had poison on it, or that you didn't have to feel guilty over the amount of gasoline used to truck your strawberries a thousand miles to your doorstep. Such a culinary experience exists with the 100 mile diet and far surpasses any kind of traditional, cardboard-tasting freeze-fest that traditional farming could ever offer to your taste buds; it has the bonus of being far healthier for you- if for no other reason than that you will actually eat healthier because you like brussels sprouts. . . fresh brussels sprouts.

There's plenty of reasons to avoid the agribusiness and industrialized processes, and I would love to go on and on about them. . . however we must realize that when a large-scale natural disaster hits, it is the ability to truck in, at a moments notice, tens of thousands of pounds of food and distribute it in an organized manner that helps mitigate post disaster-related deaths. Of course, the downside to all of this is that agribusiness is somebody else. This "somebody else" is the guy that deals with every social problem in America today, "oh, don't worry, it's somebody else's problem" they say. There's no accountability because any issues raised will be the fault of "somebody else". Simplify the solution: DIY.

Monday's Good News

2008-06-16T17:15:34-07:00

Sorry for the late post but I've been unavoidably delayed!

Today my wife sold her truck! Yes! She's taken the plunge and got 2k for a 98 Ford Ranger pickup. We'll miss her, and I was somewhat against getting rid of her (old Earl's helped up plenty of times, and gets very good gas mileage). I'm proud of Jessica for taking this step and we'll definitely be able to take our frugal green lives to the next level and implement the Sell the Truck, Retire Early plan!
Every other week I get a chain letter via email from a very nice relative that I can't just tell to f--- off and fact-check for once, but this time it's different-- I have a blog on which I can vent! Ladies and gents, if you get ANY letter asking you to forward to ANYBODY about ANYTHING generic, check snopes.com for the real skinny. If it's not in their database, chances are it's not a hoax. They'll also tell you the background behind the chain-letter. Some good ones:

These are just some of the horrible junk going out there nowadays. Now, I'm not one to preach, but look at it like this: running a computer takes energy, and the more you clog people's inboxes with junk, the more they will have to run their computers, which means that those who send chain letters without first CHECKING ON SNOPES.COM only help to contribute to irresponsible energy usage, and they also expose themselves and their buddies to potential viruses. Please, think before you forward. Or just. . . don't forward things just because they tell you to.

I'm announcing my first challenge! Actually, it's not "my" first challenge, but rather a challenge from Sharon Astyk over at Causbon's Book. Her challenge is best described in her words:

I challenge myself and all of you to work on creating food Independence Days this year - that all of us try to do one thing every day to create Food Independence. That means in each day or week, we would try to:

1. Plant something. Obviously, those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere and having spring are doing this anyway. But the idea that you should plant all week and all year is a good reminder to those of us who sometimes don�??t get our fall gardens or our succession plantings done regularly. Remember, that beet you harvested left a space - maybe for the next one to get bigger, but maybe for a bit of arugula or a fall crop of peas, or a cover crop to enrich the soil. Independence is the bounty of a single seed that creates an abundance of zucchini, and enough seeds to plant your own garden and your neighbor�??s.

2. Harvest something. From the very first nettles and dandelions to the last leeks and parsnips I drag out of the frozen ground, harvest something from the garden or the wild every day you can. I can�??t think of a better way to be aware of the bounty around you to realize that there�??s something - even if it is dandelions for tea or wild garlic for a salad - to be had every single day. Independence is really appreciating and using the bounty that we have.

3. Preserve something. Sometimes this will be a big project, but it doesn�??t have to be. It doesn�??t take long to slice a couple of tomatoes and set them on a screen in the sun, or to hang up a bunch of sage for winter. And it adds up fast. The time you spend now is time you don�??t have to spend hauling to the store and cooking later. Independence is eating our own, and cutting the ties we have to agribusiness.

4. Prep something. Hit a yard sale and pick up an extra blanket. Purchase some extra legumes and oatmeal. Sort out and inventory your pantry. Make a list of tools you need. Find a way to give what you don�??t need to someone who does. Fix your bike. Fill that old soda bottle with water with a couple of drops of bleach in it. Plan for next year�??s edible landscaping. Make back-road directions to your place and send it to family in case they ever need to come to you - or make �??em for yourself for where you might have to go. Clean, mend, declutter, learn a new skill. Independence is being ready for whatever comes.

5. Cook something. Try and new recipe, or an old one with a new ingredient. Sometimes it is hard to know what to do with all that stuff you are growing or making. So experiment now. Can you make a whole meal in your solar oven? How are stir-fried pea shoots? Stuffed squash blossoms? Wild morels in pasta? Independence is being able to eat and enjoy what is given to us.

6. Manage your reserves. Check those apples and take out the ones starting to go bad and make sauce with it. Label those cans. Clean out the freezer. Ration the pickles, so you�??ll have enough to last to next season. Use up those lentils before you take the next ones out of the bag. Find some use for that can of whatever it is that�??s been in the pantry forever. Sort out what you can donate, and give it to the food pantry. Make sure the squash are holding out. Independence means not wasting the bounty we have.

7. Work on local food systems. This could be as simple as buying something you don�??t grow or make from a local grower, or finding a new local source. It could be as complex as starting a coop or a farmer�??s market, creating a CSA or a bulk store. You might give seeds or plants or divisions to a neighbor, or solicit donations for your food pantry. Maybe you�??ll start a guerilla garden or help a homeschool coop incubate some chicks. Maybe you�??ll invite people over to your garden, or your neighbors in for a homegrown meal, or sing the praises of your local CSA. Maybe you can get your town to plant fruit or nut producing street trees or get a manual water pump or a garden put in at your local school. Whatever it is, our Independence days come when our neighbors and the people we love are food secure too.

I�??m not suggesting you should do all these things on any day (heck that�?? s impossible) - but every day try and do one of them - or every week, or every weekend, if that�??s what your schedule allows. It takes practice to live and grow and eat this way - so let�??s do it now while we�??ve got the time and energy and each other for support.

I hope that all of you will post in the comments about your own personal independence day challenge. I would like to hear, particularly since this blog is about solutions not just discussing problems.

That's all for now!

Something Beautiful I read today

2008-06-14T03:43:46-07:00

Today I read an Amish website. Kinda strange, but cool at the same time. I stumbled upon a diary by a college kid who lived with the Amish for three months. Here is his final entry:

November 30

I�??ll be leaving tomorrow after getting up at 5:30 a.m. for the last time, feeding the heifers for the last time, and eating my last meal here. I hope that our friendship can continue, and I wonder how different it might be when John and family are not so much something to be studied as people to respect and have as friends.

Even though I will be glad to get back to "my world," somewhere inside I feel a sense of losing something. Losing a close contact with nature, animals, plants, and the country. Losing the experience of being on a farm. I also feel I will be losing some values which I might be better off having... the closeness of family and friends, the appreciation of what you have, and realizing one does not need TV, radio, movies, and the you-name-it "necessary" items of American culture. There is something here, in being content with what you have, with hard work, with simple things, which I believe is being lost.

What have I gained? I have gained an appreciation for farmers, particularly Amish farmers, and the work involved for what I casually eat or buy every day and take for granted. I�??ve learned what work is ---- work of the body, not just the mind --- and certainly to never look down on manual, physical labor.

I suppose in time I�??ll get over some of the tendencies I now have to look at people like me, and be amused at their dress, or their wasting time on unnecessary things when there are important things to do. I am the same way, but for three months I was kept from these things, and now other people look different to me.

I hope that now more than ever I can try to understand people different than myself, respect them, put faith in something and stick to it, and try to keep a bit of the humility the Amish have. I also hope to maintain some of the idea of not judging people. I have never really heard John say that someone was good or bad. He has called people and their activities "ignorant," but he has never really condemned anyone.

Finally, I can�??t help but think that if John had been born into my family, and I into his, I would probably be Amish now, and he a "typical" American. Each of us is a product of our culture, environment, and upbringing, with individual personalities, to be sure. I feel John is thankful that he was raised Amish by what he feels were parents who tried. I am now even more thankful for what I have been given by my parents. One may call John�??s upbringing "brainwashing," and I may think mine was freer, yet I may have been brainwashed in more subtle ways. Each of us is, perhaps, glad he is not the other. John is secure in the Bible, his way of life, his religion, his faith. He has doubts and faults like anyone. I am one who is still, and may always be, seeking and searching, but the Amish have added to the light.

I think that there is a lot that we can learn from turning off the TV, computer, unplugging, and simply doing what needs to be done, as opposed to trying so hard to find the textbook answer before you begin.