Well, it has rained here for a solid 2 months, and we are having flooding issues, but we were in a 5 year drought, so no ones complainig yet, lest the rain be taken away forever.
Fro, I think that we have to have fridges. Like it was said, buying perishables every day isn't much of an option for most. Even when I lived in Rome, and did get fresh pasta for dinner every night, there were left overs that I would eat the next day for lunch. Throwing away the extra food would be more wasteful I would think.
As for bottled water...
I have learned, that while pregnant, you should drink tap water because bottled water isn't held up to our government standards for clean water. Not that its dirty, but that it could be, so I'm not suppose to have it. Good thing I don't spend money on something I can get for free-ish out of the tap! And my new fridge has a filter and water tap built in. And it is a ton more efficient than the previous 1981 fridge we had, and sooo quiet.
rationalist- answered your chain lube question on the bike thread. Sorry I missed it, I try to chime in on all of the neglected non-fixie issues over there.
SH- I didn't mean to advocate not having fridges. I was jsut wondering if keeping a 1981 fridge alive and plugged in was actually a positive thing, in the big picture. Personally, my fridge is way too big for my lifestyle so I keep several gallons of water and a few 2"x7"x24" slabs of sandstone in there to keep the efficiency up.
sorry, didn't mean to make it sound like science. I noticed that my fridge was cycling a lot ( it would wake me up turning on and off sometimes). So I thought if I added a bunch of good thermal mass to the air, mustard, and polaroid film in there then it would cycle less. It worked, so now I assume everything I've been led to believe about thermal mass is actually true.
the 2x7x24 is a guesstimate, it's just some capstone pieces I had left over from a job.
So I watched .... Big Ideas for a Small Planet last night. It was on cars, and being that I do have an affinity for all things fast, and motored, I was interested. I have to say that I was impressed by Tesla motors, and their approach to the electric car. I think they are on the right track because they are marketing to the upper classes and turning the electric car into a status symbol. They have retained all the reasons people by sports cars, and made the car stylish, as well as fast (100 + MPH). Also, on one single charge, you get 250 miles. In Texas, thats not too far, but in places like LA and the east coast, I imagine it to be quite a ways.
The other electric car they showed I felt was less successful. It was intended for commuters, only a one seater, looked like something out of Dr. Suess, and only went 25-30 miles on a 6-8 hour charge. I drive 24 miles to work, and then 24 miles home each day, this wouldn't work for me. They are entering the market around 25 grand, hoping to be a car for every man sort of thing, but I don't see it sticking.
They also mentioned hybrids, but I still have my doubts. Studies have shown that many hybrids out today actually get only about 10 mpg better gas milage than their all gas counter parts. Lexus' new V-8 powered hybrid I feel may be more of a 'feel good' product than a helpful one. They kept touting that it would go 100 mph, but I know its doing that on gas power. The electric part only kicks in while coasting and stopped. So if you are out driving your car hard, with the AC on, then you aren't using the hybrid capabilities. I think hybrids are a nice thought, but I think its mostly people fooling themselves.
And while I'm on the subject, not that I like the hummer, but why are people so against it. It gets comparable gas milage to any v6 motor, so car, suv, small truck the like. Why do we only pick on them? I thought maybe its because trucks have another purpose that allows us to justify their high consumption rate, or because cars are small, so we assume the eclipse driving past us gets good milage.
Yay! I love this series. I've posted a couple of links to particular episodes. I actually bought the season pass so I have them all at home.
The Tesla is quite a beautiful piece of machinery, isn't it? The second car that you mentioned, formerly the Sparrow (can't remember it's new name) is nice in theory but it just isn't viable yet. It's way too expensive for how little charge you get, and no one going to buy it when they can get a Hyundai for $15,000.
The Lexus hybrids are more of a status symbol. In truth, all of the SUV hybrids still don't get as good of gas milage as, say, a new Fit or a Yaris. Those little buggers get somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 miles a gallon, with a standard gasoline engine. If you really want an SUV hybrid though, the Ford Escape is ranked the highest in gas milage.
I think people pick on Hummers because they are the epitome of excess. You only have to look at them to imagine how much energy it took to make them and how much it takes to operate them. Rob Corddry on the Daily Show did a fantastic bit a couple of years ago where he drove a Hummer stretch limo around all day, and basically just went from gas station to gas station filling up, it was hilarious.
On a side note, I heard an awesome segment on Marketplace Morning Report today about a club in Rotterdam that not only used recycled materials for 80-90% of its construction, but it also uses an "electricity-generating dancefloor" to produce a lot of its power. How fantastic! Check it out, the place is called Worm.
Now I want a house so I can put an "electricity-generating dancefloor" in it, LOL.
yeah, that would make me laugh. I had to ride in a hummer once, 16 y.o. grandson of a client that was going to lunch with us, client took a liking to me. They are tiny inside. No headroom, no leg room. Really kind of suck. I wouldn't buy one no matter what.
Yeah, the hummer is just a symbol for the whole problem, I don't think anyone's arguing that it's the only or even the worst problem. Land Rovers, Range Rovers, Tahoes, Suburbans, V8 Thunderbirds.... they're all a blight on the landscape. The Hummer is just the one whose image jumps out as excessive and flashy and oversized so it gets picked on.
But there are some suvs that get decent gas milage. THe BMW x5 gets something like 35mpg. I figure the rovers are similar, but I cant say for sure.
And you will never convince me not like cars. My husband is on a race team for god's sake. We are two people with 4.5 cars between us. One doesn't run so I only count it as a half. I'm not saying that 4.5 cars isnt excessive, I feel like I live on a car lot at times, but we only drive one at a time. So we have them more as projects. Husband drives a pickup most days, I drive a focus. The cobra sits in the garage waiting for sunny days to take her out, and a 1986 bmw sits in peices next to it taking up my parking space. We have a ford fairlane, but its at my dad's under a tree. It runs beautifully. So cars are part of my life.
Oh, crap, this damn pregnancy has caused me to completely forget why I am telling you all this.
Damn. Nothing, I'm completely blank. Maybe it will come back when it is no longer relevant and I will confuse everyone all the more.
ok, well I found one bit of Live Earth that I can get behind (via treehugger):
"Zerofootprint is inviting you to participate in something extraordinary. Tomorrow, join a group of world citizens and pledge to reduce your Environmental Footprint by 10%, in 1 year, at Zerofootprint's online event during Live Earth.
I've done pretty well at reducing my footprint in the past couple of months. In fact I think according to the simplified calculator, I reduced by 20-25% (I'm too lazy to page back and look). But I'm going to try to do this. I've been thinking about what I can do to bring it down further, and here's my list of resolutions....
*I will buy more locally grown and/or organic foods. I've never really paid attention to this too much before despite knowing I should, so I'll start making an effort.
*I will turn off my personal computer every night, and if I turn it on in the morning, will turn it off again while I'm at work. Yes, I'm horrible, I leave it on constantly now.
*I will try not to use plastic bags. I have cloth bags, but am lazy lazy lazy about bringing them with me.
*When I sell my car, those trips currently made by car will be replaced by mass transit.
Hopefully, that can get me down another 10%. So, is anyone else going to pledge to bring down their footprint in the next year? If so, share with GTC what your specific goals/ways you plan to bring that about are.
It's broadcasting into my living room via Bravo.....they showed the video earlier of the band from Antarctica. They were actually pretty good. I don't know how they played without gloves though.
Such a lucky day....7-7-7.....
Don't forget to sign the pledge if you are so inclined. You don't have to check all of the boxes if you don't want to (i.e. I hate sending email to people so I left that one out)
for those that may or may not check the school blog, I posted an entry thinking about live earth, the criticism it got, and other "green" threads and issues that have been on my mind lately... http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/entry.php?id=60669_0_39_0_C
I watched quite a bit of it. Which led to a unique feeling....on the one hand, it was really cool seeing all the stars standing up and encouraging everyone to tread a little more lightly to help the environment. On the other hand, I had the TV on all day. Soooo....
ok, let's see if this works...
have any of you been following this story about "Vista Hermosa" High School? Formerly known as Belmont High School, I think they think changing the name will make us forget. This is so wasteful on so many levels (green and other-wise) especially considering the dismal state of LA's public school system. It's just sad...
Downtown-Area High School Construction Costs Tower At $400M: Work Halted In 2000 When Contamination Found On Site
LOS ANGELES -- The construction debacle once known as Belmont High School will cost taxpayers about $400 million by the time it opens next year, it was reported Sunday.
About half the total the was spent before construction ground to a halt in 2000, when the school district learned that the site just west of downtown was plumbed with old oil wells. They learned that methane and hydrogen sulfide, potentially harmful gases associated with petroleum, were seeping to the surface.
With constantly rising material and construction prices, the cost of the restarted project, now known as Vista Hermosa, has risen from about $111 million to nearly $197 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.
When first proposed, the district hoped to complete the school for about $45 million.
For all the money spent, "they probably could have built three more high schools, maybe four," said 1st District City Councilman Ed Reyes, who represents the area. "That's a very painful reality. I think 70 percent of the cost was not necessary."
cameron diaz was soooo blitzed, you'd think that they would make the celebs sign a contract requiring them to be sober... very annoying when idiot stars try to be intelligent. there is a reason why they are actor and not scientists....
I liked the recylced tire/oil can backdrops in meadowlands/london. the other sets looked like printed billboards- too bacd they didn't take the recycled material reuse even further around the planet.
dubK - don't feel too bad! if you want to make an omelette, you need to raise some chickens...err, uh...
...i mean, break some eggs!
i read an article recently in the NYTimes about an energy researcher in NYC...i can't remember his name, but the interviewer was asking if he biked to work, seeing as how he's so big on clean energy and waste reduction and what-not...his response was that no, he takes a taxi.
his point was that what was important was him being at work...not wasting the time on a bike that could be put to significantly better overall use designing clean energy systems. (or whatever the heck he did...damn i can't recall.)
mightylittle™'s point? : we all have to pick our battles from time to time.
'belmont learning center' was built on an abandoned oil field - lots of uncapped undocumented oil wells directing methane. benzene and other carcinogenic hydrocarbon vapors into the schools basement where they can go boom. the entire cluster*** was from incompetence in the education department not doing any due diligences and the original architects not asking any questions why the site was still empty after 50 years. so most of cost was to install a vapor recovery system under the already constructed foundations, and then the rising cost of materials pushing the completion costs up so high.
it is unfortunate that this particular school has cost so much money in the end.
we all know developers out there are not going to spend money on a site like this - so while it wasn't necessarily done in the correct way, could it be good that the site is being used instead of sitting empty while new land is cleared?
laurilan...I totally see your point, but I am conflicted. I just can't get over the waste...as in, if it was determined earlier and they still used the same site, so much money and material could have been saved because they could have attacked it in a different manner. Let alone the state of the land in the first place and how much damage the fumes did to life and air before it was discovered. It's just all sad...a literal waste...
For $36 a year - a dime a day - they stop your junk mail, save trees, and plant a tree on your behalf every month! They even stop credit card offers!
Ok, so you guys probably already know about this or it got posted 2 pages ago or something (my memory is terrible), but I think it's pretty cool, anyway.
OMG, WonderK! No, I did NOT know about that! I would pay $36/year for that service, even if it didn't save a single tree or plant a single tree. I hate junk mail. The fact that they do those things is just a great bonus.
It can get a bike rack and it might impede its foldiness, but I'd rather have the rack than the foldy. I need to ride it a few days before I decide which rack I get though. There are a couple varieties.
It has all of the necessary holes for frame mounted but I like the seatpost mounted one better. However I have my bike lock mounted in the vicinity now so I have that to contend with.
Uh, sorry for hijacking the thread to talk about our bikes, everyone....carry on....
If it doesn't impede the foldiness too much, go for the frame mounted one, as frame mounted racks are more stable and can hold considerably more weight.
yeah, my family (in england) just laughs at me when I bitch about gas prices here. I think it's the equivalent of $7-$8/gallon.... that's why most drive diesels.
yes, I even tried posting in the forums a bit last week (under the same screen name), but frankly I don't like them. One of the moderators is super-bitchy, and the whole thing's just lacking some sense of community.
Green Thread Central
Well, it has rained here for a solid 2 months, and we are having flooding issues, but we were in a 5 year drought, so no ones complainig yet, lest the rain be taken away forever.
Fro, I think that we have to have fridges. Like it was said, buying perishables every day isn't much of an option for most. Even when I lived in Rome, and did get fresh pasta for dinner every night, there were left overs that I would eat the next day for lunch. Throwing away the extra food would be more wasteful I would think.
As for bottled water...
I have learned, that while pregnant, you should drink tap water because bottled water isn't held up to our government standards for clean water. Not that its dirty, but that it could be, so I'm not suppose to have it. Good thing I don't spend money on something I can get for free-ish out of the tap! And my new fridge has a filter and water tap built in. And it is a ton more efficient than the previous 1981 fridge we had, and sooo quiet.
rationalist- answered your chain lube question on the bike thread. Sorry I missed it, I try to chime in on all of the neglected non-fixie issues over there.
SH- I didn't mean to advocate not having fridges. I was jsut wondering if keeping a 1981 fridge alive and plugged in was actually a positive thing, in the big picture. Personally, my fridge is way too big for my lifestyle so I keep several gallons of water and a few 2"x7"x24" slabs of sandstone in there to keep the efficiency up.
FRO, excuse my ignorance, but huh?
"...a few 2"x7"x24" slabs of sandstone in there to keep the efficiency up."
it should be full to be efficient? I'm embarrassed, but i never heard/ knew that.
sorry, didn't mean to make it sound like science. I noticed that my fridge was cycling a lot ( it would wake me up turning on and off sometimes). So I thought if I added a bunch of good thermal mass to the air, mustard, and polaroid film in there then it would cycle less. It worked, so now I assume everything I've been led to believe about thermal mass is actually true.
the 2x7x24 is a guesstimate, it's just some capstone pieces I had left over from a job.
same principle that makes my oven work better when i keep the pizza stone in there all the time.
btw - i talk really good english.
ok, that makes sense. You dun bin edumacated.
thanks ;)
So I watched .... Big Ideas for a Small Planet last night. It was on cars, and being that I do have an affinity for all things fast, and motored, I was interested. I have to say that I was impressed by Tesla motors, and their approach to the electric car. I think they are on the right track because they are marketing to the upper classes and turning the electric car into a status symbol. They have retained all the reasons people by sports cars, and made the car stylish, as well as fast (100 + MPH). Also, on one single charge, you get 250 miles. In Texas, thats not too far, but in places like LA and the east coast, I imagine it to be quite a ways.
The other electric car they showed I felt was less successful. It was intended for commuters, only a one seater, looked like something out of Dr. Suess, and only went 25-30 miles on a 6-8 hour charge. I drive 24 miles to work, and then 24 miles home each day, this wouldn't work for me. They are entering the market around 25 grand, hoping to be a car for every man sort of thing, but I don't see it sticking.
They also mentioned hybrids, but I still have my doubts. Studies have shown that many hybrids out today actually get only about 10 mpg better gas milage than their all gas counter parts. Lexus' new V-8 powered hybrid I feel may be more of a 'feel good' product than a helpful one. They kept touting that it would go 100 mph, but I know its doing that on gas power. The electric part only kicks in while coasting and stopped. So if you are out driving your car hard, with the AC on, then you aren't using the hybrid capabilities. I think hybrids are a nice thought, but I think its mostly people fooling themselves.
And while I'm on the subject, not that I like the hummer, but why are people so against it. It gets comparable gas milage to any v6 motor, so car, suv, small truck the like. Why do we only pick on them? I thought maybe its because trucks have another purpose that allows us to justify their high consumption rate, or because cars are small, so we assume the eclipse driving past us gets good milage.
Thoughts?
Sarah>
Yay! I love this series. I've posted a couple of links to particular episodes. I actually bought the season pass so I have them all at home.
The Tesla is quite a beautiful piece of machinery, isn't it? The second car that you mentioned, formerly the Sparrow (can't remember it's new name) is nice in theory but it just isn't viable yet. It's way too expensive for how little charge you get, and no one going to buy it when they can get a Hyundai for $15,000.
The Lexus hybrids are more of a status symbol. In truth, all of the SUV hybrids still don't get as good of gas milage as, say, a new Fit or a Yaris. Those little buggers get somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 miles a gallon, with a standard gasoline engine. If you really want an SUV hybrid though, the Ford Escape is ranked the highest in gas milage.
I think people pick on Hummers because they are the epitome of excess. You only have to look at them to imagine how much energy it took to make them and how much it takes to operate them. Rob Corddry on the Daily Show did a fantastic bit a couple of years ago where he drove a Hummer stretch limo around all day, and basically just went from gas station to gas station filling up, it was hilarious.
On a side note, I heard an awesome segment on Marketplace Morning Report today about a club in Rotterdam that not only used recycled materials for 80-90% of its construction, but it also uses an "electricity-generating dancefloor" to produce a lot of its power. How fantastic! Check it out, the place is called Worm.
Now I want a house so I can put an "electricity-generating dancefloor" in it, LOL.
yeah, that would make me laugh. I had to ride in a hummer once, 16 y.o. grandson of a client that was going to lunch with us, client took a liking to me. They are tiny inside. No headroom, no leg room. Really kind of suck. I wouldn't buy one no matter what.
- so you can draw greener lines when CAD'ng
Yeah, the hummer is just a symbol for the whole problem, I don't think anyone's arguing that it's the only or even the worst problem. Land Rovers, Range Rovers, Tahoes, Suburbans, V8 Thunderbirds.... they're all a blight on the landscape. The Hummer is just the one whose image jumps out as excessive and flashy and oversized so it gets picked on.
But there are some suvs that get decent gas milage. THe BMW x5 gets something like 35mpg. I figure the rovers are similar, but I cant say for sure.
And you will never convince me not like cars. My husband is on a race team for god's sake. We are two people with 4.5 cars between us. One doesn't run so I only count it as a half. I'm not saying that 4.5 cars isnt excessive, I feel like I live on a car lot at times, but we only drive one at a time. So we have them more as projects. Husband drives a pickup most days, I drive a focus. The cobra sits in the garage waiting for sunny days to take her out, and a 1986 bmw sits in peices next to it taking up my parking space. We have a ford fairlane, but its at my dad's under a tree. It runs beautifully. So cars are part of my life.
Oh, crap, this damn pregnancy has caused me to completely forget why I am telling you all this.
Damn. Nothing, I'm completely blank. Maybe it will come back when it is no longer relevant and I will confuse everyone all the more.
party at dubK's everybody!!
ok, well I found one bit of Live Earth that I can get behind (via treehugger):
"Zerofootprint is inviting you to participate in something extraordinary. Tomorrow, join a group of world citizens and pledge to reduce your Environmental Footprint by 10%, in 1 year, at Zerofootprint's online event during Live Earth.
I've done pretty well at reducing my footprint in the past couple of months. In fact I think according to the simplified calculator, I reduced by 20-25% (I'm too lazy to page back and look). But I'm going to try to do this. I've been thinking about what I can do to bring it down further, and here's my list of resolutions....
*I will buy more locally grown and/or organic foods. I've never really paid attention to this too much before despite knowing I should, so I'll start making an effort.
*I will turn off my personal computer every night, and if I turn it on in the morning, will turn it off again while I'm at work. Yes, I'm horrible, I leave it on constantly now.
*I will try not to use plastic bags. I have cloth bags, but am lazy lazy lazy about bringing them with me.
*When I sell my car, those trips currently made by car will be replaced by mass transit.
Hopefully, that can get me down another 10%. So, is anyone else going to pledge to bring down their footprint in the next year? If so, share with GTC what your specific goals/ways you plan to bring that about are.
Yay! Happy Live Earth Day GTC!
It's broadcasting into my living room via Bravo.....they showed the video earlier of the band from Antarctica. They were actually pretty good. I don't know how they played without gloves though.
Such a lucky day....7-7-7.....
Don't forget to sign the pledge if you are so inclined. You don't have to check all of the boxes if you don't want to (i.e. I hate sending email to people so I left that one out)
http://www.liveearth.org/
for those that may or may not check the school blog, I posted an entry thinking about live earth, the criticism it got, and other "green" threads and issues that have been on my mind lately...
http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/entry.php?id=60669_0_39_0_C
Testing. 1,2,3,4 Testing.
Well it doesn't look like I'm having any problems with this thread :oP
dubk...guess it just doesn't like my story ;(
an old high school chum was seen banging the drums for shakira in hamburg during one of the liveearth shows.
anybody actually watch any of it?
i saw none. too bad. my most famous friend on global tv, and i was too busy eating pancakes or something.
I watched quite a bit of it. Which led to a unique feeling....on the one hand, it was really cool seeing all the stars standing up and encouraging everyone to tread a little more lightly to help the environment. On the other hand, I had the TV on all day. Soooo....
ok, let's see if this works...
have any of you been following this story about "Vista Hermosa" High School? Formerly known as Belmont High School, I think they think changing the name will make us forget. This is so wasteful on so many levels (green and other-wise) especially considering the dismal state of LA's public school system. It's just sad...
Downtown-Area High School Construction Costs Tower At $400M: Work Halted In 2000 When Contamination Found On Site
LOS ANGELES -- The construction debacle once known as Belmont High School will cost taxpayers about $400 million by the time it opens next year, it was reported Sunday.
About half the total the was spent before construction ground to a halt in 2000, when the school district learned that the site just west of downtown was plumbed with old oil wells. They learned that methane and hydrogen sulfide, potentially harmful gases associated with petroleum, were seeping to the surface.
With constantly rising material and construction prices, the cost of the restarted project, now known as Vista Hermosa, has risen from about $111 million to nearly $197 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.
When first proposed, the district hoped to complete the school for about $45 million.
For all the money spent, "they probably could have built three more high schools, maybe four," said 1st District City Councilman Ed Reyes, who represents the area. "That's a very painful reality. I think 70 percent of the cost was not necessary."
keep reading...
cameron diaz was soooo blitzed, you'd think that they would make the celebs sign a contract requiring them to be sober... very annoying when idiot stars try to be intelligent. there is a reason why they are actor and not scientists....
I liked the recylced tire/oil can backdrops in meadowlands/london. the other sets looked like printed billboards- too bacd they didn't take the recycled material reuse even further around the planet.
dubK - don't feel too bad! if you want to make an omelette, you need to raise some chickens...err, uh...
...i mean, break some eggs!
i read an article recently in the NYTimes about an energy researcher in NYC...i can't remember his name, but the interviewer was asking if he biked to work, seeing as how he's so big on clean energy and waste reduction and what-not...his response was that no, he takes a taxi.
his point was that what was important was him being at work...not wasting the time on a bike that could be put to significantly better overall use designing clean energy systems. (or whatever the heck he did...damn i can't recall.)
mightylittle™'s point? : we all have to pick our battles from time to time.
'belmont learning center' was built on an abandoned oil field - lots of uncapped undocumented oil wells directing methane. benzene and other carcinogenic hydrocarbon vapors into the schools basement where they can go boom. the entire cluster*** was from incompetence in the education department not doing any due diligences and the original architects not asking any questions why the site was still empty after 50 years. so most of cost was to install a vapor recovery system under the already constructed foundations, and then the rising cost of materials pushing the completion costs up so high.
fyi - any one in the bay area, next weekend is New Belgium Brewery's Tour de Fat at Golden Gate Park's Speedway Meadows.
It's a benefit for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and looks to be a great time.
check it HERE!
it's july 21st.
cross-posted in the bikes thread also.
it's just sad. so much waste all around and it seems fingers can be pointed in a lot of directions. I mean, how did no one catch it?
...For all the money spent, "they probably could have built three more high schools, maybe four," said 1st District City Councilman Ed Reyes
it is unfortunate that this particular school has cost so much money in the end.
we all know developers out there are not going to spend money on a site like this - so while it wasn't necessarily done in the correct way, could it be good that the site is being used instead of sitting empty while new land is cleared?
any ideas on this?
laurilan...I totally see your point, but I am conflicted. I just can't get over the waste...as in, if it was determined earlier and they still used the same site, so much money and material could have been saved because they could have attacked it in a different manner. Let alone the state of the land in the first place and how much damage the fumes did to life and air before it was discovered. It's just all sad...a literal waste...
Look what I found!
http://www.greendimes.com/
For $36 a year - a dime a day - they stop your junk mail, save trees, and plant a tree on your behalf every month! They even stop credit card offers!
Ok, so you guys probably already know about this or it got posted 2 pages ago or something (my memory is terrible), but I think it's pretty cool, anyway.
Here's a gem I thought I'd pass along:
"I look at sustainability the same way I look at motherhood. I'm in favor of it, but it's something I'm incapable of doing."
-- Peter Eisenman
6 July 2007, during a talk at Columbia University with Mark Wigley, in response to a student's question about sustainable design.
OMG, WonderK! No, I did NOT know about that! I would pay $36/year for that service, even if it didn't save a single tree or plant a single tree. I hate junk mail. The fact that they do those things is just a great bonus.
WK...once again, you enlighten me. That's freakin' awesome!
As soon as I move to Philly, I will sign up.
tidbit from their site
Did You Know?
To produce junk mail for one year, we use 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water.
2 1/2 months on backorder and 7 pages of GTC later....
Darcy has finally arrived!
Where's Cris these days anyway? I can finally talk Dahons with him :-D
Darcy like Mr. Darcy?
practical Q: can it get a back rack? or would that impede upon the foldi-ness?
It can get a bike rack and it might impede its foldiness, but I'd rather have the rack than the foldy. I need to ride it a few days before I decide which rack I get though. There are a couple varieties.
what, like frame-mounted vs. seatpost-mounted?
Yes.
It has all of the necessary holes for frame mounted but I like the seatpost mounted one better. However I have my bike lock mounted in the vicinity now so I have that to contend with.
Uh, sorry for hijacking the thread to talk about our bikes, everyone....carry on....
If it doesn't impede the foldiness too much, go for the frame mounted one, as frame mounted racks are more stable and can hold considerably more weight.
News round-up!!!
There's a lot going on with sustainability in the news these days. So much so that I'm too lazy to follow proper posting protocol with my links....
Article about Bloomberg's efforts to reduce cars in New York:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=60804_0_24_0_M
New Zealand deals with climate change:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=60840_0_24_0_M
Viva Las "Green" Vegas:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=60847_0_24_0_M
New Jersey blows:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=60850_0_24_0_M
and something about a US Climate change report:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=60853_0_24_0_M
from treehugger:
A Picture is Worth... Oil Consumption Per Day
I was surprised by some of the rankings...thank god I'm going car free in less than 2 months!
wow. WOW. I would never, ever drive if I lived in the UK.
This hurts my head.
yeah, my family (in england) just laughs at me when I bitch about gas prices here. I think it's the equivalent of $7-$8/gallon.... that's why most drive diesels.
btw, I'm sure someone has brought this up...but I am going to do this!
have you guys tried fusing plastic bags?
also, are you guys faithful treehugger readers too? so much good stuff...
for some reason, today has been especially interesting.
i found this on amnp
architecture doesn’t have to strive to be “green”, if that’s it’s purpose then it’s mediocre
yes, I even tried posting in the forums a bit last week (under the same screen name), but frankly I don't like them. One of the moderators is super-bitchy, and the whole thing's just lacking some sense of community.
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