Green Sexy

Keeping Your Gas-Guzzling Car May Make Cents

My wife and I once had the opportunity to test drive a Toyota Prius and we were just smitten. Unfortunately, love alone cannot make owning a hybrid car a reality.  We may live green at our house, but we don't necessarily have much "green", if you know what I mean.  With one car free of car payments and another almost paid off, the economics of our household precludes us from buying a hybrid car that can range anywhere from the low to mid $20,000's (for models like the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Saturn Vue) up into the $30,000+ range (for models like the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid or the Lexus RX 400h AWD).   No, the prospect of acquiring a car loan at this point is not only unattractive, but also economically suicidal. 

Unfortunately, despite all of our hybrid dreams, prudence takes the wheel and directs our course in this matter.  Even with ever-rising gas prices, most people will be better able to keep their heads above water by hanging onto their gas-guzzling cars, rather than springing for that oh-so-attractive hybrid car.  According to Consumer Reports, you'd be better off hanging onto your 2005 Ford 500 SEL V6 sedan (21 miles per gallon) rather than buying the 2008 Toyota Prius hybrid (44 miles per gallon).  How so?  Well, suppose you drive 12,000 miles a year with gas prices at $3.75 a gallon (you'd have to build a time machine to get back to those prices!).  That equals about $2,000 a year in gas for the Ford and just $1000 for the Prius---not bad, eh?  However, consider the total cost of ownership: "depreciation, finance charges for a 60-month loan, insurance, maintenance, sales tax and fuel costs...the Toyota will cost about $9,000 to own for the first 12 months, while the Ford costs $6,000 during the same period...a difference of $3,000."  Ah, the pain of cold, hard economics. 

Well, there's always the lottery...

Scotts Push Mower: No Gas To Cut Your Grass!

I did it---I paid over $4 for gas ($4.03, to be exact) AND I purchased a manual push mower from Home Depot, all on the same day.  Hopefully my move will help offset the pain of high gas prices a bit. 

This spring I only got one and a half cuts out of my gas-powered push mower before it stopped working.  The mower was leaking gasoline, it stunk up the shed and it wouldn't start.  My lawn was rapidly rising to the skies and I couldn't get any lawn mower repair shops to return my calls.  In desperation, I borrowed my neighbor's riding mower to mow down my lawn.  Not wanting to repeat this act again, I immediately looked into a greener option---my first instinct was to look at an electric mower.  While this seemed like an attractive choice at first, the prospects of trying to mow around a cord (for the lower-cost option) or paying $400+ for a rechargeable electric mower considerably soured my enthusiasm.

Then I had an epiphany (I had always wanted to have one of those)!  I decided to search for a manual push mower---they still make those, right?  Well, I found one for sale at Home Depot and I was there in a flash to snatch it up!  My Scotts 20 Inch Green Classic Reel Mower is simply wonderful!  It cuts moderate-length grass beautifully and it actually "cuts" the grass, instead of tearing the grass like traditional mowers do.  This is great because there's not all of this wet "green blood" all over the lawn and on my shoes. Also, weighing in at only 30 pounds, this mower is easy to push and does not take any longer to cut my rather large lawn than it did with a traditional gas-powered push mower.  In addition, my mower also makes a merry little whirring noise as it cuts the blades of grass, which is a vast improvement over the ear-drum shattering roar of my old gas-powered mower.  Perhaps best of all, there's no crank to pull, no gas to fill and no oil to check!  That means that there's no annual tune up to pay for!  Barring any major accident, the most maintenance I'll have to get for my push mower is a blade sharpening every 3-4 years.  This mower cannot, however, cut bendable weeds such as the stalks of dandelions, nor will it cut extra long grass.  If you try to mow these, you'll discover that they simply get bent over and then spring back up.  Unless you're willing to go back and forth numerous times to try to cut these down, you'd be better off using a weed whacker or some garden shears. 

All in all, I would recommend Scotts 20 inch Green Classic Reel Mower to anyone who wants to do away with their traditional mower---it's good exercise and it's great for the environment!  Now that's one green sexy product!      

Can You Canoe?

Every year my friends Mark & Jake organize a canoe trip on the Ischua Creek in Ischua, NY.  Some years there have been over 30 people camping at this event; and whether you're an experienced outdoorsman or a novice, all can partake in the joys of canoeing.  For those who don't have their own canoe, my friends have an arrangement with the Boy Scouts to loan a number of their canoes for all to enjoy (thanks, guys)!
Our paddling guide Take A Paddle rates the Ischua Creek as a four out of four paddles (the highest difficulty rating) for "fast current, sharp turns, and a few portages around downed trees", though we found that most of the creek is an easy and relaxing paddle.

What are the benefits of the sport of canoeing?  First of all, there are the physical benefits:  it's a great work out for the back, shoulders, arms, hands and the core muscles.  Secondly, canoeing has a therapeutic effect on the mind, getting you out on the water amidst nature, seeing things from a vantage point that those on the trails or on the road can never see.  Third, it's a way to engage in a sport that has no environmental impact---once you're in the water, it's all you: your muscles, your effort, your skill, your mind!

So, if you're interested in trying out this fun sport, make sure to go out with someone who has canoed before, and try out your skills on some still water, such as a pond or a small lake.  Then when your appetite for adventure is really whetted, get out on a creek or river and let the current take you where it may!

 

Plant Markers: Yet Another Use for Plastic Food Containers

Today my wife and I spent some time turning over our garden and adding some of our high quality compost to it!  Then we set about the task of planting our vegetables.  Today we added some carrots, lettuce, and bok choy seeds.  We realized that we needed to mark what vegetables were planted where, so I ran into the garage and picked out a plastic McDonald's cup that we had picked off of Hamlin Beach earlier this spring.  Then I set about cutting up the cup into nice plant markers and my wife labeled each with a permanent marker.  When the need arose for more plant markers, I ran inside to the recycling corner in our kitchen and produced a plastic yogurt container, and divided it up into more plant markers. 

So, if you're a fellow gardener, consider reusing plastic food containers by converting them into plant markers---I think that's one green sexy idea, don't you?

Curb Your Car!

The Town of Brighton, NY and their environmental initiative Color Brighton Green is sponsoring Rochester, NY's "Curb Your Car Week", which is to run from May 18th -May 24th.  During this week motorists are encouraged to reduce or cease their driving for this period of time, or to consider biking to work, taking the bus or carpooling.  There are other initiatives across the nation to reduce peoples' car usage, which may already be occuring these days because of increasingly high gas prices.  Some cities like Ann Arbor, Michigan are extending the "Curb Your Car" challenge for the entire month of May. 

May is also National Bike Month, and May 16th is National Bike to Work Day, so there's no better time to take to two wheels this month!  League of American Bicyclists has a pdf of 50 Ways to Celebrate Bike Month---check it out!   

Time Warner Goes Green---NOT!!!

When I received the green-and-white mailing that read:  "Go Green in May: go green for the convenience, go green for the stars, go green for the savings"; I was understandably intrigued.  I imagined it may be a new energy initiative from my natural gas provider or my electricity company, or it may even be some news about the proposed windmill farm in my town. 

Well, imagine my disillusionment when I opened up the mailing and discovered that it was an ad for the green list button on the Time Warner Cable digital remote control, and not anything remotely related to the environment!  Yes, folks, if you get a Digital Video Recorder from Time Warner Cable, you can press the green list button to pull up your most recently recorded shows, you'll also get the Starz movie channel, and finally, you'll get to "go green for the savings" and only pay $11.95 a month for 12 months!  Wowee-zowie!

Being that I just canceled two premium channels to try to reduce my obscenely high cable bill (I also have my phone and internet through Time Warner), which they promptly jacked up weeks later to deal with...I guess the cost of being a total monopoly---the last thing I need is to add another $12 to my bill. 

Also...what the hell?  Why are they using "Go Green" as their motto?  It's kind of like when you get that letter in the mail that says "You May Have Already Won!" on the envelope, and you open it and it's just a scam to get you to subscribe to Reader's Digest or something like that.  I felt kind of like a lemming, following some unseen instinctual force, marching towards the cliff because I had seen the words "Go Green"--- has it come to this?  Am I so brainwashed that, like Pavlov's dogs, I begin to mentally salivate when I hear or see the words "Go Green"?  And now a megacorporation like Time Warner carelessly uses these words totally out of context, knowing that it will attract the attention much better than: "Save Money...By Adding Another Superfluous Thing To Your Cable Service!" 

To quote Ice Cube, these ad execs at Time Warner had better "Check yo self before you wreck yo self!"  WORD.    

Our 100th Post!!!

It all began in February of 2007 with a post that simply read: "All about green...the new sexy."  My wife decided to create this blog as a journal of her green thoughts and aspirations, and with the hope that her writings could inspire others.  Her passion and idealism has inspired many---especially me, her husband and greatest fan.  Thanks to her initiative and support, she has enabled me to contribute to the cause of sharing our green dreams with the world.  Now we are celebrating two exciting events:  My 33rd birthday and our 100th post!

It's been an interesting journey thus far and we have met many like-minded individuals who have expanded our horizons with the perspectives they shared with us.  It's that open exchange of ideas that has made this experience so wonderful.  In that vein, we hope to hear from many more of you in the next hundred posts.  We are also going to add more features to the blog which will make your visits even more entertaining and informative.  In addition, we would like to reach out to other writers who are passionate about this planet and provide them with a forum for their ideas---right here on our blog!

Please join us as we journey further down the path of a greener world, and remember:  Green Is the New Sexy!

Thoroughbred Racing Is Inhumane: Eight Belles and Other Horse Tragedies

I've learned more about thoroughbred racing in the past week than I've known my whole life---and what I've learned disturbs me.  Despite the "sport's" ardent supporters' claims to the contrary, this "sport of kings" seems largely cruel and inhumane.

First of all, let me relate the tale of the filly Eight Belles (a filly is a female horse 3 years old or younger)---the first filly to run against the male colts in the Kentucky Derby since 1999.  She put up a good show, finishing second in the race, but then she collapsed suddenly, having broken both front ankles; a freak occurence, according to race officials.  Eight Belles was euthanized on the spot by lethal injection.  On my local sports talk show on WHAM 1180, there were many callers who theorized that her injury may have been brought about by the fact that she was so young, or that she was inexperienced at racing such a long distance (the race is 1.24 miles).  Whatever the reason, seeing these majestic creatures suffer horrific injuries (ie.- Barbaro) because of our human whim for racing and gambling is just appalling.  As Monical Ball from Peoria, Illinois wrote in a letter to USA Today (Tuesday, May 13, 2008):  "In what other sport would we so happily watch a living being be whipped to make him or her perform better?"  Well put, Monica!

Of course, thoroughbred racing has its defenders---Missy Apmann of Barrington Hills, Illinois wrote in a letter to USA Today (same date):  "...those directly involved with the horses have the best intentions...Eight Belles has not died in vain.  She is a tribute and celebration of the equine spirit."  Yes, Missy---Eight Belles is, in fact, a spirit now.  And as far as those directly involved with the horses having the best intentions, I'm sure there definitely are those who, in Seabiscuit-like fashion, would live and die for their horses, but because of the profit-motive, there are also a lot of scumbags in the "sport" that value their horses only as long as they bring in a dollar value.  Otherwise, it's not economically feasible to care for them, to feed them, to house them, and to train them. 

One thing that American thoroughbred trainers are guilty of is pumping their horses full of drugs as part of their training regimen (harken back to the East German Olympic Athletes or to today's baseball players).  A guest on a recent Newshour interview remarked that "I think the American racing community is, like, addicted to the use of drugs. They -- I don't think trainers would know how to train without them." 

For some reason, Europeans and the Japanese pay top dollar for horse meat.  The May 12, 2008 edition of Realsports on HBO profiled how (some) thoroughbred owners sell off horses who aren't fast or profitable enough to "killer buyers" who transport these horses to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada (it's illegal to slaughter racehorses for meat in the United States).  Concerned horse lovers attend these meat auctions and buy up as many horses as they can, sometimes for just a few hundred bucks, so they can save them from the slaughterhouses and put them up for adoption.  It was just gutwrenching to see these stately creatures getting shot with a bolt gun to the head (multiple times in some cases), getting shot at close range with a shotgun, being strung up while still alive and being gutted, or being stabbed in the spine with a dagger in a Mexican slaughterhouse.  When Realsports reporter Bernard Goldberg later confronted a trainer on why he sold his thoroughbred to a slaughterhouse, the trainer tried to disavow any knowledge of the practice, saying "I don't want to know."  It was brought up in this episode how it is not feasible to adopt out all of the thoroughbreds because there simply aren't enough adoptees adopters, but that thoroughbred owners can pay a $60 fee to have their old horses euthanized "humanely", which is the lesser of two evils when considering their fate in a slaughterhouse. 

Overall, it's just a shame that any of this has to happen.  Can't we humans be satisfied with watching our fellow man engage in sport?  Why do we further have to exert our mastery over the "lower animals" for our entertainment?  Haven't we already done enough damage to our animal brothers and sisters?  Feel free to send a message to your congressman regarding holding hearings on "Problems in Thoroughbred Racing" via PETA's online petition.       

Environmentally-Friendly Dishwasher Tabs from Ecover

My wife and I are trying to reduce our household cleaning product pollution, so now it smells like vinegar all the time in our bathroom!  Anyway, I know that dishwasher detergent is very caustic for the environment, so once our regular dishwasher tabs ran out, I promptly purchased Ecological Dishwasher Tablets from Ecover.  Ecover is an environmentally-conscious company founded in Belgium in 1980 that produces ecological cleaners.  Their products are marketed in over 20 countries and range from dishwashing products, to laundry products, to all-purpose cleaners, and even a heavy-duty hand cleaning product.  The great thing is, you know that when you use their products you are not adding harmful chemicals to the environment.

So, how did Ecover's dishwasher tabs perform?  Excellently, as a matter of fact.  I was quite impressed with how clean my dishes got (I do use the "Water Miser" setting on my dishwasher)---even dishes that I did not pre-rinse.  One more cool feature of the product is the fact that even the plastic wrapper that each individual tab comes in has a #5 recycling number on it!  Ah, if only all companies could be so committed. 

So, please consider giving all of Ecover's green-sexy products a try---you won't be disappointed!

Green Product, Not-So-Green Packaging!

I had purchased rechargable NiMH batteries and an accompanying charger from Energizer because I was

sick of throwing out traditional batteries, as I was instructed to do by my local hazardous waste facility, which maddeningly enough does not take alkaline batteries!  I was quite pleased by my purchase, as this would mean I could reduce my waste and reuse batteries many times over! 

But there was a problem, but not with the product itself (which actually works very well)---no, it's the packaging.  There is no recycling number imprinted on the plastic packaging!  How ironic, I thought, that I purchase a product for its Earth-friendlier properties, and I get saddled with non-recyclable packaging! 

I promptly emailed Engergizer, and basically lambasted them for not having recyclable packaging.  They emailed back that their packaging is "actually rated #3".  I inquired how a recycling facility would be able to tell what kind of plastic their packaging is if it has no number?  They responded that it is not required that they put the number on their packaging.  I retorted that by not putting the recycling number on their packaging, that they were perpetuating wastefulness amongst their consumers, who upon seeing that there is no number on their packaging, would promptly discard the packaging.  Also, I reiterated my confusion as to how a recycling facility would discern whether or not this unnumbered packaging was recyclable or not?  I implored them to consider imprinting the recycling number in their packaging and to be responsible stewards of the environment.

Well, anyway, I don't expect them to bow to my request, but if it is not required to put the recycling number on packaging, then WHY is it not required?  Also, even though it isn't currently required, shouldn't companies in this day and age do it anyways?  I think it's called...um, how do you say...oh, yes---"corporate responsibility"?