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My sister and I bought and assembled an electric motor for my dad’s bike this Christmas. It was the first gift he’s ever enjoyed from us. Recently retired and now living in a suburb of St. Louis, we knew he’d never take to biking as there were a number of screw-this(!) sized hills all throughout his town. Through ten years of teaching I know that adults are far less resilient than children and often times … Read More
30 steps to a more sustainable you! 7-22-2008. A quarter of a year has gone by since I posted my Earth Day blog offering 22 suggestions to change your lifestyle Have you made any changes in the last 3 months? I’ll trust that you have, and in case you’ve done so well that you’ve incorporated ALL 22 suggestions into your daily routine, I have added 8 more in this post (following the original 22) to … Read More
T. Boone Pickens helps bring wind energy to the center of the energy discussion and the center of the political aisle. Misguided Probing I don’t think it made the 3 minute clip CBS aired, but in the full 12 minute interview Katie Couric instantly goes after T. Boone Pickens about his financial aspirations of starting a wind farm. Now I’m no big T. Boone Pickens fan, but Katie, people start companies to make money (and … Read More
To wrap up my ode to John Henry (and a more sustainable lifestyle) I am going to cover a few more everyday household plug-ins by giving the current ON the grid offering, it’s OFF the grid alternative, and weigh in on whether a switch is warranted. ON The Fridge: We all know what it does and why we use it–so what are the OFF the grid alternatives? OFF The Fridge: William “The Refrigerator” Perry, former … Read More
The Energy Star Washing Machine vs. The Wonderwash vs. The Basin vs. The Future of Home Dry Cleaning In this 4-way battle royal to earn the title “The Best Washing Machine for You and the Earth According to Joe”, a variety of factors need to be considered. Water use, electricity use, size of family, and–of course–convenience all need to be given a good look. And even though I am of the mindset that we have … Read More
Which is better for you and your lawn–the traditional gas-powered lawnmower or the human-powered push reel mower? Pros and Cons of the traditional gas-powered lawnmower Pros: * Consistently cuts everything growing in your lawn, be it grass, weeds, vines, etc… * Easy to push for long periods of time (ie large lawns) Cons: * Air pollution. According to the EPA the average gas-powered lawn mower emits as much pollution per hour as 11 automobiles do … Read More
It started with a long discussion betweeen my wife and me. We each thought it’d be fun to get a scooter, but worried that, for us–a 1 car, 2 bike family–we would actually be doing more environmental damage by getting a scooter. Meaning, unlike many who get a scooter to use instead of their car (wise choice), we’d end up using our scooter instead of our bikes (un-wise choice). Being our primary mode of transport, … Read More
Seawater Greenhouse inventor Charles Paton teams with the Eden Project and Grimshaw Architects to create the Teatro del Agua. I last posted on the Seawater Greenhouse in February. After writing that post I felt hopeful that this type of desalination plant would catch on, yet pessimistic that, based on the pictures I saw, it would neither reach the necessary scale to create enough clean water nor attract the type of investors needed to take this … Read More
I’ve long had a theory that many people enjoy golf because of the picturesque surroundings of the typical golf course. Wooded areas, rolling hills, green grass, lakes and ponds, rivers and creeks, sand…sadly, it is the closest that many people will get to “nature”, and the longest chunk of time many are willing to spend outdoors. And although it is beautiful to behold–the average golf course maintains it’s beauty with a high dose of toxic … Read More
