followed by this one about completely redefined skyscrapers made me think how the future has been claimed by the green movement (no nostalgia necessary). The green movement is proposing incredible new buildings, cities, and modes of transportation that not only work within the ecological realities of diminishing resources and climate, but also bring with them a new way of living in which technology pushes us forward without sending us over an ecological catastrophe.
Mitchell Joachim:
Rotating Tower (I have problems with the claims the designer makes, but is no-less visionary)
mcdonough in China
Who is leading the way about using nano technologies, biomimicry, and high-performance in architecture? Ideas of feeding populations from rooftops, making autotrophs out of buildings, etc... The jetpack never arrived because it was too unsustainable of a proposition to begin with, the future and its visionaries just notice the need for a green change.
Q, interesting point. I think that the green movement is staking claims on the future out of necessity, but I don't know that there is a clear leader to the movement. I do believe that Al Gore has started the sea change which has really picked up a lot of steam in the past year or so since his movie came out. Like it or not, he has sparked more awareness of the issue than anyone else, but I feel like he's too polarizing to create consensus which will be needed for future efforts.
That skyscraper is interesting for sure, but a stretch....
sustainable design finally is getting funding from the banks and major lenders- yeay!!!!
A coalition of 16 of the world’s biggest cities, five banks, one former president and companies and groups that modernize aging buildings on Wednesday pledged investments of billions of dollars to cut urban energy use and releases of heat-trapping gases
tk- I do love how city and state governments are taking the issue on as well. For instance, in Washington all new construction on state schools is required to be LEED certified, and they generally aim for LEED silver. In California I think all state buildings are required to be LEED certified as well, and Santa Monica in particular is instituting a lot of requirements that don't carry the 'LEED' nametag, but bring the buildings so close to it they may as well go for the plaque. Anyway, the funding is great, and just think as well that the overall approach some states and cities have is stellar as well. After all, who owns the most land in a state? A lot of times it's the government.
Of the images Quilian posted, the last is easily the most feasible. And it would do so much good, without anything silly like rotating floor plates.
don't know where to post this, but this seems like a good place. i just started work on the first biodiesel processing plant to be built in detroit. design-wise it's pretty mundane, but in terms of ecology and urbanism, it is really fascinating. the company is planning on using grease from area restaurants (detroit has more fast food and coney islands than you could ever imagine; grease galore) and replanting local brownfield sites (also in abundance locally) with crops that will help rehabilitate the soil and provide fuel for the processing plant. and the plant is going to sited right in the middle of the city, not the burbs. it's such a great project. really gives me hope for detroit.
One of the things that I'm keeping busy till I find a new job is researching carbon neutrality for landscapes. So send me your ideas please! I will be trying to get this piece published in Landscape Architecture Magazine or maybe Metropolis.
what is the best magazine for publishing sustainable design stuff to reach the largest audience of designers???
so I'm back to work and the first thing I've noticed is how dry everything is compared to home. Apparently they've had a drought since early february.
But the result has been significant, microclimatically. The trees aren't as heavy with foliage. The ferns that grown on them have then become exposed and whiltered. The fauna (including the national bird, the oriole) that make homes in them have been suffering as they have no natural habit and are now easy prey or dying as a result of heat related illness.
Adams+Associates Architecture of Mooresville, N.C., completed the first LEED®-certified McDonald’s by adapting the omnipresent fast food franchise into a low-carbon footprint structure made of recycled and local materials and that maximizes natural light. It’s located in Savannah’s Abercorn Common, the first all-LEED certified shopping center.
first there was walmart, now there is mcdonalds. has the strip mall/sprawl really seen the green future?
I'm postponing my personal 'Bike to Work' week for a couple. Will explore routes this weekend and start once I've got one I'm comfortable with as far as traffic and lefthand turns goes!
tk- that puts me in mind of the "green" gas station, or the Playa Vista development in LA. OK, as long as you're going to build it, it's nice that it's going to be a little green. BUT, the fundamental premise of the project's existance is flawed! As architects, how do we navigate this? Do we cheer a project for this surface greening? Do we protest it for the deep-down crap it produces? Or do we keep quiet because those two things are in conflict?
i wouldn't break out the dom perignon yet there tk - these guys are greening a couple of outlets and then marketing the hell out of them. but where's the real corporate change?
it's like saying that driving my hummer is fine because i recycle.
and honestly, since i work in the hospitality industry, the fact that the LEED-NC does not even address what goes on in the kitchen is a total joke.
sure, building the thing with sustainable products is great, and day-lighting and good site-orientation is great, but the elephant in the living room, IMHO, is the energy consumption of the kitchen, the hoods, the grills, etc. What's green about running exhaust hoods 18-20hrs/day?
what's the stats on the carbon footprint there?
it's the same as with wal-mart. i'm sorry, but there is NOTHING SUSTAINABLE ABOUT WAL-MART. a couple of green buildings will not change that.
i don't think i'm overly cynical when i say that this is a bunch of greenwashing.
i don't think the strip-mall/sprawl culture has seen the green future yet .but mid-sized cities like savannah are apparently starting to.
i think it's important to be realistic here. walmart is one of the biggest companies in the world and one of the biggest polluters. it's not going away. neither is the car nor the gas pump (well, not at least for another twenty or twenty-five years). the more big bad companies like this start thinking and acting green, the better. it's more about changing mindsets at this point. action (hopefully) will follow. the green revolution is going to be this century's cold war; it's going to take patience.
unfortunately, companies like wal-mart and mc'dees aren't interested in the outcome of truly changed midset.
globalization is great from a cultural perspective...we see more of what happens in more places. maybe things like this can be lessened through a greater understanding of global citizenry...but i really feel that guys like wal-mart have NOTHING to gain through real green changes from within.
it's not in their best interest to do so.
it is, however, in their best interest to get people thinking that they're doing something about it.
this morning i went to alt build expo in santa monica airport barker hangar where most alternative events in west side take place such as ca boom and barney's discount sales.
there were all the usual suspects of green roofers, solar panel manufacturers, water purificationers, landscape irrigation system builders, building insulation products, environmentally safe paint and paint cans, pre fab builders (by default) and other decorative componenters, light bulb fabricators, utility companies, non profit orgs, city of santa monica and other gov. reps. all were there in booths.
what got my attention was the budding competition among similar products. by that i mean, just a few years ago you'd go into one of these festivals and you'd see one of each of what i listed above.
nowdays, with each year passing, you see more and more of the same product dealers, advocates and developers. that is a good thing i guess, when it translates to compotative prices and more main stream use of environmentally beneficial products.
my friend collected a lot of samples. there was a dwell magazine booth with nobody in it but free copies of the june issue. larry said i should pick one up and check it out if i want to pitch them an article in the future and i told him the san francisco condo decoration competition fiasco and archinect based uproar. he said "really?" and i said "better believe it."
today i am particularly happy because yesterdays dog figters cris and i became good friends.
friendships must be sustained too. as a matter of fact that is all where it starts. make friends with life and earth and not just count the dollar figures you'll save from photo voltaic solar collectors.
thanks cris...
Yay! There is a "green goods" type general store opening up a few blocks from my apartment in the 'hood in a few weeks. This is exciting not only because it is a "green goods" store, but because all the existing general stores in the area are rather shady.
this morning i came into work early. i like getting here early... the morning light in my studio is really nice- you don't need to turn on any lights, it is just equally bright without being overpowering. plus it's quiet.
an hour later a principal in another studio comes in and turns on every light in our "open studio".
ten minutes after that the principal of my studio comes in and turns them all off because he is eco-friendly and we don't need em on.
not 30 seconds after that, the other principal comes back and turns them on.
the principal of my studio then makes a very loud statement that we should install light sensors in the building since we can't seem to use our own brain power.
im going to do it. im going to sell my car. i am sick and tired of shelling out $500 for this and $300 for that to get maintenance done. i admit i have run my car in the ground--- 199k miles, 10yr old car... it's a V6 w/ leather and sunroof, but still it is prob only worth about $2500-$3k here. i calculated the expenses of "maintaining" it vs. renting a car (or zipcar, etc) on the offchance i need one (i metro to work everyday)... and i would save money by not having a car. it's getting cleaned and going up on craigslist this weekend.
done and done.
im in dc. but am about to be in charlottesville for grad school. i found an apt which literally overlooks the arch building. i dont need a car in dc (ill be here til august) and many of the students dont have cars (plus im w/in walking distance of where i need to be). i plan on coming back to dc next year (ill be done in may). i was reading the treehugger stories about how to get out of the "car mode".
honestly, i grew up in an area where you couldnt get around without a car. it was quite ludicrous to ride public buses because it would take you (seriously) 3 hours to get somewhere that should really take you 20 minutes. complete opposite of metrobus and metrorail here in dc. my family still lives there- and they have always only lived there- so the whole "car culture" is just natural. and was to me, too... til i moved here. i realized how ridiculous it is- and how it is ingrained in us that we can't possibly "live without a car". i know in some places you cant... but if there were enough people to protest where i used to live, it could EASILY be changed.
in the past two months i have driven to Philly, Charlottesville (3 times), Pittsburgh, and Norfolk (twice). that was all on weekends and all for grad school or family. it was an unusual amount of driving for me since i have been here. i dont drive during the week, and to be quite honest, if i really have that many groceries to get, i could order them and have them delivered (for $10- which seems to be what gas is about to cost for a roundtrip to the grocery store).
i am just tired of "maintaining" something i dont use regularly. i would like to take that $3k and put it in my savings or investment account instead.
Woo hoo, +i! I am getting rid of my car too....and moving to LA. This is potentially scary but I think I can do it, as long as I get that scooter I have my eye on.....
Also, I was worried about groceries, but then I remembered the place in LA that my BFF Katie always talks about called Pink Dot, and well, I think I might use it. Now if only we could get Trader Joe's to deliver, I would be set!
ive been reading the scooter thread too :)
id probably be much less likely to get speeding tickets on that ...
how much do one of those things run? do they work on hills? (charlottesville is really hilly- luckily they offer free buses for students all around town)
and i really thought i would get "scared" of being unable to go where i want when i want. to be perfectly honest, with all the traffic, i cant do that anyways! living in a city, if you cant get to it on your legs or a bike, you are going to have to plan for it.... just like you have to plan to take a little longer to bike somewhere.
I am currently trying to navigate through the bureaucracy required to get my motorcycle's learning permit. Although I have misplaced my SS card and they won't give me a packet until I find it, so I'm behind.
Anyway, I look forward to getting 98 mpg in my scooter when gas prices hit $4 a gallon, which I am predicting will happen by the end of the summer.
$4 doesnt seem pretty far away, does it... considering we are sitting at $3.05 and it isn't even memorial day yet.
im not trying to spend more on a scooter than i am selling my car for though... so a $4k scooter is a no-go... although i have seen some others for less :) that would be so great!
i remember being in rome in 2002... and scooters were EVERYWHERE. we laughed because most of us had never seen so many people commonly using them before. and their cars were also MUCH smaller than ours and were all hybrids... *sigh*
+i, there are some other decent scooters for less than the buddy. If I remember right the Yamaha Vino 125 is a reasonable price. Or you can try to find a gently used scooter.
Cris, yeah, definitely more bikers as well. I'm still on my quest for that perfect route to work, as the one that's best traffic-wise kicked my ass through a stretch that involved three steep hills in quick succession.
My boyfriend saw how much fun I was having with my bike, and put one on layaway for himself! Now he's planning to bike to work on Fridays, which doesn't sound like a ton but is a big step for someone as car-addicted as him.
I posted this NY Times article late last night about Ray Anderson. I gotta tell you, I love this guy. He's such a great role model for other CEO's.....used to run Interface "business as usual" until he had an epiphany after reading The Ecology of Commerce (I think that's what it was!). Anyway, now he's one of the most outspoken and visible promoters of "restorative business practices". AND he lives off the grid!
wk- cinci's gas may have just hit $3.05, but LA's gas is already close to $4/gal. this may be the summer of $5 gas in cali. all the more reason to get that scooter. btw, what is the emissions rating of that cute two wheeler? mileage is just one part of saving the planet- being able to breath is equally important. are there any very low/ultra low emission scooters available?
over in business week (thanks to the news link to future transport) there is an interesting discussion over Nukeular power. one of the commentor's has posted:
Many reputable international studies (IAEA, WNA) show that nuclear’s net CO2 emissions are about 2% of those from coal and about 5% of those from gas. The same studies also show that nuclear’s net CO2 emissions are similar to, or lower than, carbon dioxide emissions from most renewable sources, including wind and sun.
In burning coal, oil, or gas, or in fissioning uranium to produce electricity, the following carbon dioxide emissions are caused by burning 1 kilogram of each fuel: coal - 3 kilograms; oil - about 2 kilograms; gas - about 1 kilogram; uranium - zero.
In looking at the entire fuel cycle—mining, transportation, burning, and waste disposal—we see that the quantity of carbon dioxide from the nuclear cycle in which diesel engines and fossil fuels provide the electricity for the moment; then the amount of carbon dioxide associated with exploiting uranium rises to a few grams per kilogram of fuel used.
The reason for this is simple. Compared with the 1 to 6 kilowatt hours of electricity derived from each kilogram of fossil fuel burned, uranium produces about 50,000 kilowatt hours in a CANDU (the Canadian reactor) while using only about 1% of its fuel; about 250,000 kilowatt hours in a PWR (Most U.S. reactors) while using only about 3% of the fuel charge; and about 3,500,000 kilowatt hours with reprocessing and breeding in which the entire kilogram is used to produce electricity. Very little carbon dioxide is produced to obtain many kilowatt hours of electricity.
David Walters
So to nuke the planet or not, all energy (even renewables) have emissions.
tk, the way I understand it, the 4-stroke scooters are much better for emissions than the 2-stroke scooters are, and I am looking at the 4-stroke variety. Also CA emission laws are the strictest in the country so I won't be allowed to buy anything too bad, basically some scooters aren't legal, from what I understand. I am going to try to hit the scooter store when I am out there in two weeks to talk to a knowledgable person about these issues.
Nice straw bale guy interview, WonderK.
more straw bale stuff:
[url=http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/amazonails.html
]amazonails[/url]
they made a very useful straw bale guide (pdf)
and then there's this Austrian site (in German): asbn
On the asbn are some nice projects that show a straw bale building doesn't have to be 'birkenstock' architecture, straw can also have a clean/modern look.
Green Thread Central
followed by this one about completely redefined skyscrapers made me think how the future has been claimed by the green movement (no nostalgia necessary). The green movement is proposing incredible new buildings, cities, and modes of transportation that not only work within the ecological realities of diminishing resources and climate, but also bring with them a new way of living in which technology pushes us forward without sending us over an ecological catastrophe.
Mitchell Joachim:
Rotating Tower (I have problems with the claims the designer makes, but is no-less visionary)
mcdonough in China
Who is leading the way about using nano technologies, biomimicry, and high-performance in architecture? Ideas of feeding populations from rooftops, making autotrophs out of buildings, etc... The jetpack never arrived because it was too unsustainable of a proposition to begin with, the future and its visionaries just notice the need for a green change.
Q, interesting point. I think that the green movement is staking claims on the future out of necessity, but I don't know that there is a clear leader to the movement. I do believe that Al Gore has started the sea change which has really picked up a lot of steam in the past year or so since his movie came out. Like it or not, he has sparked more awareness of the issue than anyone else, but I feel like he's too polarizing to create consensus which will be needed for future efforts.
That skyscraper is interesting for sure, but a stretch....
from the NYT
sustainable design finally is getting funding from the banks and major lenders- yeay!!!!
A coalition of 16 of the world’s biggest cities, five banks, one former president and companies and groups that modernize aging buildings on Wednesday pledged investments of billions of dollars to cut urban energy use and releases of heat-trapping gases
thanks Bill!!!
tk- I do love how city and state governments are taking the issue on as well. For instance, in Washington all new construction on state schools is required to be LEED certified, and they generally aim for LEED silver. In California I think all state buildings are required to be LEED certified as well, and Santa Monica in particular is instituting a lot of requirements that don't carry the 'LEED' nametag, but bring the buildings so close to it they may as well go for the plaque. Anyway, the funding is great, and just think as well that the overall approach some states and cities have is stellar as well. After all, who owns the most land in a state? A lot of times it's the government.
Of the images Quilian posted, the last is easily the most feasible. And it would do so much good, without anything silly like rotating floor plates.
don't know where to post this, but this seems like a good place. i just started work on the first biodiesel processing plant to be built in detroit. design-wise it's pretty mundane, but in terms of ecology and urbanism, it is really fascinating. the company is planning on using grease from area restaurants (detroit has more fast food and coney islands than you could ever imagine; grease galore) and replanting local brownfield sites (also in abundance locally) with crops that will help rehabilitate the soil and provide fuel for the processing plant. and the plant is going to sited right in the middle of the city, not the burbs. it's such a great project. really gives me hope for detroit.
HA! ceo jim croce:
You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim
that's awesome. i didn't even notice.
Also promising for the Detroit economy, since the autofacs there have completely missed the boat on what the auto market needs right now.
jafidler, that's fascinating. Keep us posted on the progress.
just found ecosustainable links
One of the things that I'm keeping busy till I find a new job is researching carbon neutrality for landscapes. So send me your ideas please! I will be trying to get this piece published in Landscape Architecture Magazine or maybe Metropolis.
what is the best magazine for publishing sustainable design stuff to reach the largest audience of designers???
so I'm back to work and the first thing I've noticed is how dry everything is compared to home. Apparently they've had a drought since early february.
But the result has been significant, microclimatically. The trees aren't as heavy with foliage. The ferns that grown on them have then become exposed and whiltered. The fauna (including the national bird, the oriole) that make homes in them have been suffering as they have no natural habit and are now easy prey or dying as a result of heat related illness.
time for a rain dance?
Listen to Bill Clinton speak about buildings and energy use:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=57894_0_24_0_M
Adams+Associates Architecture of Mooresville, N.C., completed the first LEED®-certified McDonald’s by adapting the omnipresent fast food franchise into a low-carbon footprint structure made of recycled and local materials and that maximizes natural light. It’s located in Savannah’s Abercorn Common, the first all-LEED certified shopping center.
first there was walmart, now there is mcdonalds. has the strip mall/sprawl really seen the green future?
Today was National "Bike To Work Day". I walked.
I'm postponing my personal 'Bike to Work' week for a couple. Will explore routes this weekend and start once I've got one I'm comfortable with as far as traffic and lefthand turns goes!
tk- that puts me in mind of the "green" gas station, or the Playa Vista development in LA. OK, as long as you're going to build it, it's nice that it's going to be a little green. BUT, the fundamental premise of the project's existance is flawed! As architects, how do we navigate this? Do we cheer a project for this surface greening? Do we protest it for the deep-down crap it produces? Or do we keep quiet because those two things are in conflict?
yeah, my bike to work week won't be for a while! i'm so out of shape! there is no way i could bike to work as i am now.
i wouldn't break out the dom perignon yet there tk - these guys are greening a couple of outlets and then marketing the hell out of them. but where's the real corporate change?
it's like saying that driving my hummer is fine because i recycle.
and honestly, since i work in the hospitality industry, the fact that the LEED-NC does not even address what goes on in the kitchen is a total joke.
sure, building the thing with sustainable products is great, and day-lighting and good site-orientation is great, but the elephant in the living room, IMHO, is the energy consumption of the kitchen, the hoods, the grills, etc. What's green about running exhaust hoods 18-20hrs/day?
what's the stats on the carbon footprint there?
it's the same as with wal-mart. i'm sorry, but there is NOTHING SUSTAINABLE ABOUT WAL-MART. a couple of green buildings will not change that.
i don't think i'm overly cynical when i say that this is a bunch of greenwashing.
i don't think the strip-mall/sprawl culture has seen the green future yet .but mid-sized cities like savannah are apparently starting to.
i think it's important to be realistic here. walmart is one of the biggest companies in the world and one of the biggest polluters. it's not going away. neither is the car nor the gas pump (well, not at least for another twenty or twenty-five years). the more big bad companies like this start thinking and acting green, the better. it's more about changing mindsets at this point. action (hopefully) will follow. the green revolution is going to be this century's cold war; it's going to take patience.
i agree jafidler, it is about changing mindsets.
unfortunately, companies like wal-mart and mc'dees aren't interested in the outcome of truly changed midset.
globalization is great from a cultural perspective...we see more of what happens in more places. maybe things like this can be lessened through a greater understanding of global citizenry...but i really feel that guys like wal-mart have NOTHING to gain through real green changes from within.
it's not in their best interest to do so.
it is, however, in their best interest to get people thinking that they're doing something about it.
this morning i went to alt build expo in santa monica airport barker hangar where most alternative events in west side take place such as ca boom and barney's discount sales.
there were all the usual suspects of green roofers, solar panel manufacturers, water purificationers, landscape irrigation system builders, building insulation products, environmentally safe paint and paint cans, pre fab builders (by default) and other decorative componenters, light bulb fabricators, utility companies, non profit orgs, city of santa monica and other gov. reps. all were there in booths.
what got my attention was the budding competition among similar products. by that i mean, just a few years ago you'd go into one of these festivals and you'd see one of each of what i listed above.
nowdays, with each year passing, you see more and more of the same product dealers, advocates and developers. that is a good thing i guess, when it translates to compotative prices and more main stream use of environmentally beneficial products.
my friend collected a lot of samples. there was a dwell magazine booth with nobody in it but free copies of the june issue. larry said i should pick one up and check it out if i want to pitch them an article in the future and i told him the san francisco condo decoration competition fiasco and archinect based uproar. he said "really?" and i said "better believe it."
today i am particularly happy because yesterdays dog figters cris and i became good friends.
friendships must be sustained too. as a matter of fact that is all where it starts. make friends with life and earth and not just count the dollar figures you'll save from photo voltaic solar collectors.
thanks cris...
awesome orhan. it's good to hear that there is more competition in this market. competition will create a better product, in my opinion.
and, no problem orhan. thank you as well.
we'll have to get that cup of joe sometime!
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=lOEIRI5HSuQ]a song for Micky Dees and walmarts[/url]
ML- you've said everything that needs saying on the subject of rampant consumerism...
opps link
if only...
Yay! There is a "green goods" type general store opening up a few blocks from my apartment in the 'hood in a few weeks. This is exciting not only because it is a "green goods" store, but because all the existing general stores in the area are rather shady.
catsup?
Thought I'd do an Archinect green news round-up of the last few days, in case anyone missed anything...
The proposed town of Sky will be a "sustainable" development in Florida - something about this one just doesn't seem right....
NY Times magazine's most recent issue addresses Eco-tecture - interesting. They write a lot of good stuff, don't they?
Interview with a straw bale guy here.
And of course, the Hippies were right!
this morning i came into work early. i like getting here early... the morning light in my studio is really nice- you don't need to turn on any lights, it is just equally bright without being overpowering. plus it's quiet.
an hour later a principal in another studio comes in and turns on every light in our "open studio".
ten minutes after that the principal of my studio comes in and turns them all off because he is eco-friendly and we don't need em on.
not 30 seconds after that, the other principal comes back and turns them on.
the principal of my studio then makes a very loud statement that we should install light sensors in the building since we can't seem to use our own brain power.
it was slightly amusing.
im going to do it. im going to sell my car. i am sick and tired of shelling out $500 for this and $300 for that to get maintenance done. i admit i have run my car in the ground--- 199k miles, 10yr old car... it's a V6 w/ leather and sunroof, but still it is prob only worth about $2500-$3k here. i calculated the expenses of "maintaining" it vs. renting a car (or zipcar, etc) on the offchance i need one (i metro to work everyday)... and i would save money by not having a car. it's getting cleaned and going up on craigslist this weekend.
done and done.
awesome +i!
where do you live, if i may ask?
i have been tempted, but i live in the l.a. area!
yay, +i! There seem to be many of us planning to go car-free in the nearish future.
im in dc. but am about to be in charlottesville for grad school. i found an apt which literally overlooks the arch building. i dont need a car in dc (ill be here til august) and many of the students dont have cars (plus im w/in walking distance of where i need to be). i plan on coming back to dc next year (ill be done in may). i was reading the treehugger stories about how to get out of the "car mode".
honestly, i grew up in an area where you couldnt get around without a car. it was quite ludicrous to ride public buses because it would take you (seriously) 3 hours to get somewhere that should really take you 20 minutes. complete opposite of metrobus and metrorail here in dc. my family still lives there- and they have always only lived there- so the whole "car culture" is just natural. and was to me, too... til i moved here. i realized how ridiculous it is- and how it is ingrained in us that we can't possibly "live without a car". i know in some places you cant... but if there were enough people to protest where i used to live, it could EASILY be changed.
in the past two months i have driven to Philly, Charlottesville (3 times), Pittsburgh, and Norfolk (twice). that was all on weekends and all for grad school or family. it was an unusual amount of driving for me since i have been here. i dont drive during the week, and to be quite honest, if i really have that many groceries to get, i could order them and have them delivered (for $10- which seems to be what gas is about to cost for a roundtrip to the grocery store).
i am just tired of "maintaining" something i dont use regularly. i would like to take that $3k and put it in my savings or investment account instead.
Woo hoo, +i! I am getting rid of my car too....and moving to LA. This is potentially scary but I think I can do it, as long as I get that scooter I have my eye on.....
Also, I was worried about groceries, but then I remembered the place in LA that my BFF Katie always talks about called Pink Dot, and well, I think I might use it. Now if only we could get Trader Joe's to deliver, I would be set!
ive been reading the scooter thread too :)
id probably be much less likely to get speeding tickets on that ...
how much do one of those things run? do they work on hills? (charlottesville is really hilly- luckily they offer free buses for students all around town)
and i really thought i would get "scared" of being unable to go where i want when i want. to be perfectly honest, with all the traffic, i cant do that anyways! living in a city, if you cant get to it on your legs or a bike, you are going to have to plan for it.... just like you have to plan to take a little longer to bike somewhere.
I've continued to see increased scooter use around town, DubK. Apparently the rest of the city is getting fed up with gas prices.
yeah, i've noticed a lot more people on bikes around town too.
Yay for the Archinect Scooter Brigade.
I am currently trying to navigate through the bureaucracy required to get my motorcycle's learning permit. Although I have misplaced my SS card and they won't give me a packet until I find it, so I'm behind.
Anyway, I look forward to getting 98 mpg in my scooter when gas prices hit $4 a gallon, which I am predicting will happen by the end of the summer.
$4 doesnt seem pretty far away, does it... considering we are sitting at $3.05 and it isn't even memorial day yet.
im not trying to spend more on a scooter than i am selling my car for though... so a $4k scooter is a no-go... although i have seen some others for less :) that would be so great!
i remember being in rome in 2002... and scooters were EVERYWHERE. we laughed because most of us had never seen so many people commonly using them before. and their cars were also MUCH smaller than ours and were all hybrids... *sigh*
+i, there are some other decent scooters for less than the buddy. If I remember right the Yamaha Vino 125 is a reasonable price. Or you can try to find a gently used scooter.
Cris, yeah, definitely more bikers as well. I'm still on my quest for that perfect route to work, as the one that's best traffic-wise kicked my ass through a stretch that involved three steep hills in quick succession.
My boyfriend saw how much fun I was having with my bike, and put one on layaway for himself! Now he's planning to bike to work on Fridays, which doesn't sound like a ton but is a big step for someone as car-addicted as him.
hey, that NY article on Curitiba was very interesting. Thanks Wk
oooh sweet, rationalist! you converted (sort-of) your bf! that is my goal as well!
I posted this NY Times article late last night about Ray Anderson. I gotta tell you, I love this guy. He's such a great role model for other CEO's.....used to run Interface "business as usual" until he had an epiphany after reading The Ecology of Commerce (I think that's what it was!). Anyway, now he's one of the most outspoken and visible promoters of "restorative business practices". AND he lives off the grid!
wk- cinci's gas may have just hit $3.05, but LA's gas is already close to $4/gal. this may be the summer of $5 gas in cali. all the more reason to get that scooter. btw, what is the emissions rating of that cute two wheeler? mileage is just one part of saving the planet- being able to breath is equally important. are there any very low/ultra low emission scooters available?
over in business week (thanks to the news link to future transport) there is an interesting discussion over Nukeular power. one of the commentor's has posted:
Many reputable international studies (IAEA, WNA) show that nuclear’s net CO2 emissions are about 2% of those from coal and about 5% of those from gas. The same studies also show that nuclear’s net CO2 emissions are similar to, or lower than, carbon dioxide emissions from most renewable sources, including wind and sun.
In burning coal, oil, or gas, or in fissioning uranium to produce electricity, the following carbon dioxide emissions are caused by burning 1 kilogram of each fuel: coal - 3 kilograms; oil - about 2 kilograms; gas - about 1 kilogram; uranium - zero.
In looking at the entire fuel cycle—mining, transportation, burning, and waste disposal—we see that the quantity of carbon dioxide from the nuclear cycle in which diesel engines and fossil fuels provide the electricity for the moment; then the amount of carbon dioxide associated with exploiting uranium rises to a few grams per kilogram of fuel used.
The reason for this is simple. Compared with the 1 to 6 kilowatt hours of electricity derived from each kilogram of fossil fuel burned, uranium produces about 50,000 kilowatt hours in a CANDU (the Canadian reactor) while using only about 1% of its fuel; about 250,000 kilowatt hours in a PWR (Most U.S. reactors) while using only about 3% of the fuel charge; and about 3,500,000 kilowatt hours with reprocessing and breeding in which the entire kilogram is used to produce electricity. Very little carbon dioxide is produced to obtain many kilowatt hours of electricity.
David Walters
So to nuke the planet or not, all energy (even renewables) have emissions.
tk, the way I understand it, the 4-stroke scooters are much better for emissions than the 2-stroke scooters are, and I am looking at the 4-stroke variety. Also CA emission laws are the strictest in the country so I won't be allowed to buy anything too bad, basically some scooters aren't legal, from what I understand. I am going to try to hit the scooter store when I am out there in two weeks to talk to a knowledgable person about these issues.
Nice straw bale guy interview, WonderK.
more straw bale stuff:
[url=http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/amazonails.html
]amazonails[/url]
they made a very useful straw bale guide (pdf)
and then there's this Austrian site (in German): asbn
On the asbn are some nice projects that show a straw bale building doesn't have to be 'birkenstock' architecture, straw can also have a clean/modern look.
Another helpfull source is the building with straw book.
oops amazonails
yeah, the emissions on scooters have gotten a lot better since they've got a type out that does away with the whole oil/gas mixture crap.
Me and my bike made it safely to work together for the first time.
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