... Going D o o o w w w n n n ... [Not for love in an elevator.]

I subscribe to National Geographic and thumb to their Environment section automatically every month. June's issue is fantastic (featuring Stonehenge as the cover story). Their environment coverage is always interesting and relevant, but there was one particular article that reminded me of something we should be discussing right now.

Peak Oil is eminent.
[That photo is courtesy of National Geographic- you'll see it when you pull up the above link.]

What is Peak Oil, you ask? For those unaware, oil is a natural resource. Like all natural resources- there is no endless supply. Humans have been probing for the crude garbage for decades and at one point in our history it seemed as if the stuff would never run out.

Newsflash: It's running out. Fast.

There's no real way to predict exactly when Peak Oil will hit, but if my gut tells me anything, it should be soon.



I found the above video on the Myspace page of a fellow tree-hugger. I think it really speaks to what's going to happen to us in no uncertain terms.

We're screwed guys, it's time to wean or face an economic disaster. I'm working on finding a job closer to where I live, though the task seems even more daunting all the time. The recession isn't helping things, that's for sure.

So the big question is: How? How do we, and I say we in all general terms, how do we- as a society- lead the way in reversing our dependence on foreign oil and potentially put an end to drilling in our own country?

The answer is complicated and best left to professional environmentalists, scientists politicians and special interest groups.

On an individual level, I'm sure there's SOMETHING we can do, right? Like I mentioned before- living close to work helps a great deal. Since that's an impossibility for me right now, Mark and I have decided to do this instead:






These are the first photos of our community garden plot. Our spot hadn't been used in two years (as you can see from the first shot) and rototilling it was like going to war with a golf course rough. Thank goodness our generous garden neighbor Phil and his brother Ed did us a solid and used their tractor on our sad 50' x 25' rectangle.

Gardening and peak oil? What could they possibly have in common?

A lot.

1) Everyone should be a good steward of the Earth in one form or another.

2) We'll spend less gas going to the grocery store to buy food all the time. My garden is so close I can run or ride my bike to it with ease.

3) Since we won't be using the produce at the supermarket, we'll decrease the demand for produce grown in far away places. Therefore, we won't be adding to the fuel consumption of food transport.

4) Did you know that traditional, non-organic fertilizers require mining and petrol additives to maintain the final product? Oh yeah, there's crazy shit in there and it's best to leave it the hell alone. Organic fertilizers from local producers (we use a pellet formula from a local farm) reduce all of the mining, petrol and trucking required for the other stuff that commercial farms use.

Speaking of commercial farming and fertilizers, take a look at this!





See that contrast in water quality? That's created by nitrogen run-off, the result of mass produced fertilizers, draining into the Mississippi River and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. When these fertilizers dump into the Gulf, they create giant algae plumes. The algae grows so thick that it blocks sunlight from the ocean floor. Marine life that can swim away does so quickly. Animals that can't, like micro organisms and most invertebrates as well as aquatic plants, eventually die off. When the algae plumes die, the sink to the ocean floor where bacteria eats away at it. This decomposition requires oxygen, the supply of which is used up so quickly that any remaining life in the water is killed off completely. In the end, you get something that looks like this:



That red section is the dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico, stretching from the Mississippi Delta, as of 2001. It's much larger today and it continues to grow every year. This phenomenon is often referred to as Hypoxia [the literal definition of hypoxia is oxygen starvation to the body].

If the Mid-West can do this much damage to such a large body of water, imagine what our run-off does to our local water supplies.

All you Bostonians know what I'm talking about when you see those drain covers in the city that say, "No dumping, drains directly into the Charles River." There's a reason they don't want you pouring God-knows-what in there.

This has been quite a rant- maybe because it's Friday, maybe because I've found a lull in my work obligations. Regardless, this is all stuff I needed to get off my chest.

Please share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.
Happy Fryday, ya'll- in honor of being green, try ordering an organic beer this weekend. Woolavers and Peak Organic are both a great choice.


Love,
Say

Tune in, Tokyo.

If you have a Yahoo! e-mail account or at least use their search engine, you probably saw this headline:

Least Eco-Minded City

Apparently, folks living in Tokyo, Japan- at least a large percentage of them- are not willing to make sacrifices to help in the fight against global warming. The populations of eight cities were surveyed. Paris and Milan boasted the highest environmentally conscious populations.

Interesting.

This doesn't really surprise me. The location does, but the amount of people who polled such an opinion does not. Lots of people think going green means eating cardboard and using Oak leaves for toilet paper. Tokyo may be a world leader in newer and cleaner technologies, but there's a lot of people living on that tiny island called Japan. I think that no matter where you go, many people are not willing to change their lifestyle to better the planet. With the misconception of green living being uncomfortable- a martyr's post, if you will- who can blame them.

Being greener can be virtually effortless. I'm struggling with the very office I work in- my boss thinks turning off computers overnight wears down their parts and makes them break easier. [I know, I know ... whaaaa?] Turning off all of our computers at the end of the work day makes our computers not only faster, but more energy efficient. Changing the light bulbs in you home or office helps, too.

Does anyone else find this effort to be an uphill battle? Why do so many people choose not to listen?

At any rate: bullocks to the nay-sayers. Leave a comment and tell me about your latest effort in protecting the planet.

Thanks for reading.
Love,
Say

Bears! [You're putting the whole station at risk!]

I have a bone to pick with the Bush administration ... yet again.

This is an article from the Natural Resources Defense Council describing the necessity of listing the Polar Bear as an endangered species.

This article was written in 2005 and since then the Bush administration has agreed to at least list Polar Bears as "Threatened." What's the difference? Threatened species do not garner the same protections as Endangered ones. Now, in 2008, this issue is being revisited. There are arguments from both sides.

Leave it to the Canadians to know what's really going on.

So, as the above article proclaims, the Polar Bear has become "champion" for all ice dwelling animals. Who can blame conservationists for picking the big, white man eaters? They're large, in your face and draw huge crowds at zoos all over the world. New examination of this legislation will ask that Polar Bears become listed as endangered not because people should leave them be, but because endangered species require habitat protections. We would have to stop making the greenhouse gases that are melting the bear's habitat. Genius, if you ask me.

However, there are always nay-sayers ... Ugh. Here, the Heritage Foundation explains why listing the Polar Bear as an endangered species is just plain bad voodoo for our economy.

Their only argument? Energy. In order to avoid Polar Bear habitat, we would have to circumvent oil drilling in Alaska. That would result in the continued escalation of oil prices in the United States.

This is where I rant.

Good. Keep gas expensive.

If I've learned anything about the American population in my 24 years, it's that people only move for change when it's in their favor. We have a "What's in it for me?" mentality. Want people to lower emissions from large factories? Create a cap-and-trade system that is functional and profitable for SOMEONE, anyone. Want people to invest in clean fuel technologies? Make their current fuel too expensive. Tada! Problem on it's way to being solved. High gas prices are just what this country needs to convince the greater population that it's time to stop relying on Middle Eastern oil. It's about the only thing that makes voters move ... money money money. I've said it once and I'll say it again: We need to start leading the charge in environmentally responsible technology. We should have done that a long time ago. If it takes a Polar Bear to get the job done- so be it.

So what, Heritage Foundation? I'm not immune to the high cost of fuel. I guarantee I make less money than any other writer on that web site and I bet they don't have to pay for their travel expenses. I do. I travel all over New Hampshire for my job and don't see a cent back for it. Is that fair? No. Do I have to deal with it? Yes. So those ready to point the finger and say I don't understand how much fuel actually costs- point that finger somewhere else. I'm coming from a place of experience. I have empty pockets, but I care more about a healthy planet for my children than spending a few extra dollars at the pump. Call me liberal.

Anyway ... back to task.

Here's some information on Polar Bears, provided by the World Wildlife Federation.

Sure, the whole thing reads like a back-door global warming policy, but c'mon ... What else can we do? Action needs to be taken on all fronts. I support listing Polar Bears as endangered, even if it means I can't drive to Canada on a tank of gas anymore. Such is life ... and quality of life is much better when you don't have to wear a hazmat suit to play outside.

Love,
Say

Got gas? Ouch.

Okay, we've all been hearing a lot about this proposed "Gas Tax Holiday" on the parts of presidential hopefuls Clinton and McCain. If this isn't a clear indicator that these two will do just about anything to get elected, I don't know what is.

Here's a great article from Grist about Obama's stand on the Gas Tax and why Earth Action has officially endorsed him as a result.

I wish I could write more, but I'll make an effort to babble a bit tomorrow, if not at some point this evening.

Green Love,
Say