Boy am I going to be in debt....

Not fiscal debt, but carbon debt...I'm going to be heading to Singapore tomorrow and I punched in my impact into one of the many carbon calculators, and my generally carbon life existence that had me under the average goes to the other side. I was walking with friends this weekend and we were chatting about how much we love travel, and some of our mixed feelings about the endeavor as we learn more.

And that goes to the theme of this blog, kiss an engineer because they are going to rescue us. We're not going to be able to Makes me want to go back to my roots. The internet took 25 years before it took off, and it was a series of technologies sitting right under our noses, until we had the kicker. We have the really cool LED lights and hybrid engines, and better vegetarian cooking, it's just a matter of finding the kicker when it becomes normal and we'll go gee we've had this for a long time, what took us so long.

A "Diet for a Small Planet" for our ages...

In the 60s and 70s Francis Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet opened people's eyes to the impact resource wise that our diets have. It's one of the reasons why I've tried to moderate meat in my diet over the years. Though I have a soft spot for sushi, and my diet tends to ebb and flow. I remember the impact of 10,000 bushels of wheat to raise a cow. A meat everyday diet is overkill for our protein needs, and not so great for our arteries either.

Well Laura Stec and Dr. Eugene Cordero, a gourmet caterer and meterology professor respectively are publishing The Global Warming Diet with lower eco-impact diets. This is a natural follow on to the localvore movement.

It's a matter of being conscious of our consumption. One of the challenges is becoming informed, It's tough even when you are... which brings me to my next post....

A pedestrian bill of rights...

I know i've been remiss in my posts, so here is a catch up post or two. Sadly, I need to manage my energy, which means I'm about ready to go to sleep....

But yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle had an article on what urban planners should start with when designing cities. I'll make it easy, think Paris.

Which green are people talking about?

I've been busy planning for a trip way overseas to visit my brother. I'll be reporting on a car free life in Southeast Asia and talk about the pros and cons there of living on foot. Speaking of which, yesterday I had a marathon day tromping around San Francisco, looking at the new developments popping up over the city. There is one called the Arterra which is suppose to be San Francisco's first "Green Building", I was struck how "green" these days is draped in the cache of hip and stylish, while in the past it was couched in simplicity and understatedness. I'm not sure I could live among all the hot people in the building, I mean global warming is making things pretty warm already. But maybe a cool cat like me could bring a little balance. ;)

Coincidentally, the San Francisco Chronicle has an editorial on how the new green is predicated on spending lots of green, on new things, and that it goes back to a consumption model as oppose to a reuse model. My place in Colorado is amazing in that it's over 100 years old and still standing, however the new construction is jokingly referred to as "20 year houses on 30 year mortgages"

The goal is not to think about being green, it's about creating a world where we don't think about green, we just live it.

Earth Heating up.....

My friend created this cool composite for a class, its her husband's hand. My friends are so talented.