happy winter solstice

even though this weekend kicked off winter with a bunch of snow, today is the shortest day of the year. a great excuse for celebration. i guess i wont be partying tonight, but i will be content in knowing that days will be getting longer from here on out.

i rode my mountain bike to work. not as fun, but a nice change (except for not putting on the rear fender and having a wet butt this morning)

The religion of environmentalism

On an NPR-broadcast BBC news program yesterday I learned about a British guy who is suing his former employer for philosophical discrimination, based on the legal precedent of religious discrimination. The philosophy in question was centered around Climate Change and his relatively radical environmentalist ethics. Now, I don't know his whole ordeal, and I can't say I support his legal actions, but I was intrigued to think of environmentalist philosophy as a spiritual/religious ethic. The plaintiff said "my belief is underpinned by moral and ethical values comparable to many of the world's religions...it is crucially underpinned by ...overwhelming scientific evidence..."

One listener ("J.R." of Boston) responded to the story to criticize this guy's actions saying environmentalism was in no way similar to any of the world's faith-based "religions" which rely on faith in the unknown, whereas Climate Change has a scientific basis. [This is the best I could do to transcribe what was said:] "Religion is based on blind belief that notions established by others are purported to be the word of a higher being and that your own well-being will be enhanced by following and making offerings to those bringing you the Word. Climate Change is based on scientific evidence. How we are causing damage, how to avoid doing so, and the consequences of not making changes are not a matter of faith..." That is a terrible comparison. I can agree that religion is faith-based, but to deny a spirituality grounded by science is sad. And having to follow and make offerings to the ones bringing (i.e. interpreting) the Word? That statement really narrows it down to the blind leading the blind. [I'm not attacking religion here, but the choices of words used to describe Religion in such a myopic way.]

My thoughts? How cool it is that the ethics of environmentalism have a proof-driven, scientific basis! And it could be argued that there is plenty of unscientific faith and sublime wonderment in nature and environmentalism. For example, compassion toward animals is purely an ethical thing. A stance against pollution is comparable to a stance against murder or, more generally, a stance against Evil.  I love the thought of environmentalism as a spiritual, religious movement. It makes perfect sense. Everything one does to benefit the environment is a religious act; going on a hike (or a bike ride) is a pilgrimage...

A BBC article on the story can be found here

The radio "programme" that includes the quotes above can be heard

here (at ~14 minutes)

Interesting: 9 years without spending money

Daniel Suelo wasn't poor, a victim of bad luck, mentally ill, or even uneducated. He just decided that he wanted to have nothing to do with money. So he gave up consumer culture altogether, and for the last 9 years, he's survived by living in a cave in Utah, and dumpster diving, foraging, fishing, and occasionally hunting for food. He spends his time in the great outdoors--and in the public library, where he blogs about it all.
Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or other government assistance, and despite what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, he's certainly not crazy. He's just got an aversion to money.

(source: treehugger.com article)

Seulo's blog Living Without Money
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Response to FAQ #14: "You say you don't use money, yet aren't you using products of the money system & relying on the hard-earned money of others? [Revised October 10, 2009]"

What's good

Sorry if this blog is getting boring. I've been super busy at work (which means decrease time on the internet - ha) and kinda busy at home.

What's good is I'm preparing myself for a bike camping trip this weekend. 130 miles round trip, between Columbus and Yellow Springs. Not sure why I think I can make it, but should be a blast with 5 or 6 people I don't know but hope are cool. Forecast is dry, but Saturday night should be down to 35-degrees "F" (think four-letter word). Fortunately my sleeping bag is rated to 25-degrees "F". Saturday is also the Yellow Springs Street Fair which we'll hopefully get to enjoy--my father-in-law will be there selling wood things, alongside C and my sister- & bro-in-law.
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This is my packing list:

Rear Rack: sleeping bag, sleeping pad (borrowed from brother), a bundle of extra clothes (long-sleeve wool shirt, wool socks, long underwear, jeans?) rolled into a waterproof coat

Saddle Bag (hanging from bike seat): toothbrush/paste, glasses, "energy beans" (2 packs), cliff bars (2), spare tire tube, tire tube patch kit... wallet?

Front Rack: ??? (Maybe this is where I'll stash my bundle of clothes)

Plus: water bottle, gloves, arm warmers?
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We plan on getting food along the way, and someone is bringing a huge tent for everyone to sleep in.

Not sure I'll have a camera, but hopefully someone will be taking photos...

Bike payoff?

Miles Biked (year to date) ~550 miles
Car's gas mileage: ~27 mpg
Gas price per gallon (average for Regular grade in the Midwest, Jan-Sept 2009): ~$2.76 (source)

Saved: $56.20

Damn. I really thought that number would be like $200. Hahaha.

"Out Your Backdoor"

Just stumbled upon this website: OYB (or "Out Your Backdoor"). It's a DIY outdoor adventurer site, a collection of resources and philosophies to promote independent action culture and social creativity. Here's what OYB says about itself:

What is OYB? -- An HQ for Indie Outdoor Action
Hi, I'm Jeff Potter and I herd the cats here. OYB has been celebrating thrifty independent action culture since 1991, offering 1000+ hard-to-find stories, links, books and goodies (luggage, too!) that offer the Vision Thing that anyone can afford.

Hard times aren't new. They're the base condition for folk culture and social creativity. They can even be voluntary or not noticed. Doing without some consumer "necessities" can be freeing. What's hard for one is just right for another. Simplicity encourages hands-on culture, integration and versatility. Which makes us want to share and celebrate what we've found. But where? Here!

These efforts can sometimes be lonely. Also, it's easy to lose our bearings. So, again, OYB is a place to share what it's like for you and show how we can make it all work together.

Then, too, indie culture is a great good source of sustainable creative reality for anyone, no matter what their situation. Flush times, lean times, it works.

For now, I'll be posting OYB in the "Good Stuff" link list... Enjoy.

Art, clotheslines

Went to "Urban Scrawl" with C and J&M. Beautiful weather for sure. Met up with a couple friends--not close friends, but people i think are cool and just about the only people who live around Columbus that aren't family that I occassionally communicate with and share some commonalities with. Ever since seeing "I Love You, Man" I'm super self-conscious about my interactions with other "dudes." I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up calling someone Jobin, or something as ridiculous.
Anyways, I was pumped to see kids skating, hear a punk band playing, and then watch a bunch of people paint on a disjointed wall of plywood.

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Speaking of sustainability...
I am on a list to get emails from a local sustainability group. The last email included a link to this group about clotheslines: Drying For Freedom. I think clotheslines are wonderful, and as far as I understand, many communities ban them. I haven't looked at the website yet, but I'm sure there info in there about it. I'm pretty sure my town bans them, and I've been contemplating putting one up anyway. I think some neighbors down the way have one....
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What else?
I don't know.

Work, dirt

While it seems like I have more complaints about my job than one should, days like today make up for the bad ones, a hundred times over. Most of my day were spent establishing a prairie garden outside of the big wall-to-wall/floor-to-ceiling window that is the back side of our office. Alongside our intern, I turned over sod, loaded dirt from my house (stockpiled from our patio construction) in two trips, unloaded the dirt, spread it out, then planted a few preliminary plants. While we were loading dirt into the truck I was also able to let Aldy run free in the backyard and do his business. With the addition of some more flowers, we'll have a pretty impressive prairie garden blossoming below our bird feeder, to provide more food and habitat for native wildlife. It reminded me how inspiring my boss can be and how nice it has been to work for a small company that allows me to work on such cool projects.

Wealth Underground & backyard farming

The crew over at The Wealth Underground Farm of Portland, Oregon, have unloaded a couple more visual treasure chests of the bounty that has emerged from the fertile depths of their backyard.

The operation that Chris, Nolan, and Brooke (with the help of their friends and community) have established is a true inspiration to me.

If I could go "balls to the walls," as they say, my backyard farmstead would include the following: one or two sugar maple trees for sugaring (=maple syrup, right behind the house for summertime shade), goats for milk, cheese, and lawn mowing, chickens for eggs, and maybe even some bees for honey. I don't have a sugar maple tree and couldn't get one to grow quick enough; I probably don't have the space for a goat; and I'm sure I don't have the temerity needed to raise a colony of bees. But it's a pretty sweet visual in my mind's eye. That leaves chickens but besides C's objections there very well may be some newish local codes that prohibit such a wholesome pastime.

bats

The other night, C and I rode our bikes to the gym. Afterward we split off and I went to the grocery store and she rode home. Back on the path from the store it was dusk and I realized I was seeing bats flying through the "corridor" eating bugs, dive bombing as low as my head a couple times. Naturally, bats do this over streams lined with trees, eating bugs that are flying over water. The bike path is pretty similar to a stream in that it is an unvegetated, flat surface that opens up some room between the trees on either side--perfect for bats.

Anyways, I'm as fascinated with bats as I am with hawks, so I was pretty pumped.

More on climate change & controversy

So, I'm a proponent of both environmentalism and science. I also promote a "proceed with caution" approach when it comes to accepting facts about Climate Change and Global Warming. That said, I believe Climate Change threatens life as we know it--perhaps human existence--and has been influenced in unprecedented ways by human activities.

Enter Australian geologist, Ian Pilmer. This article introduces Pilmer's view "that man-made climate change is a con trick perpetuated by environmentalists." It continues:

While environmentalists for the most part draw their conclusions based on climate information gathered in the last few hundred years, geologists, Plimer says, have a time frame stretching back many thousands of millions of years.

The dynamic and changing character of the Earth's climate has always been known by geologists. These changes are cyclical and random, he says. They are not caused or significantly affected by human behaviour.

Polar ice, for example, has been present on the Earth for less than 20 per cent of geological time, Plimer writes. Plus, animal extinctions are an entirely normal part of the Earth's evolution.

...He says atmospheric carbon dioxide is now at the lowest levels it has been for 500 million years, and that atmospheric carbon dioxide is only 0.001 per cent of the total amount of the chemical held in the oceans, surface rocks, soils and various life forms. Indeed, Plimer says carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, but a plant food. Plants eat carbon dioxide and excrete oxygen. Human activity, he says, contributes only the tiniest fraction to even the atmospheric presence of carbon dioxide.

There is no problem with global warming, Plimer says repeatedly. He points out that for humans periods of global warming have been times of abundance when civilization made leaps forward. Ice ages, in contrast, have been times when human development slowed or even declined.

So global warming, says Plimer, is something humans should welcome and embrace as a harbinger of good times to come.

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Enter evolution and Homo sapiens, 400,000 years ago.
Our species has been present through one ice-age (20,000 years ago when ~5 million people inhabited Earth), and as far as I can tell, it was far less impressive than the "Snowball Earth" of 635 million years ago. We are currently riding the tail end of the latest ice-age ("glacial retreat").

Soo... to say that global warming is pretty rad and totally natural, Pilmer is basing his argument on lots of time before humans existed. Flowing further down this stream of thought, if we are to accept Global Warming, we are to accept lots of extinction (which has been predicted... by environmentalists) and possibly the end of Human existence... sorry, that was redundant. Yeah, the end of Homo sapiens as well as nearly everything else that currently exists is pretty inevitable--just look back in history. Sure, climate changes naturally, up and down, which is also evident.

I haven't read this guy's literature, but based on this article, I've read nothing that provides evidence that humans aren't speeding up the process through Industrialism, etc.

And when you start charging environmentalism as a conspiracy by "urban elites" you've pretty much surrendered yourself as a conniving douche-bag.

Done.
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Sorry these last few posts have been fueled with so much negativity!

"To a certain extent, the sky's the limit."

words of a Chevron employee while standing on a floating oil rig, 160 miles from the coast, 7000 feet above the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico, that pumps 65,000 barrels/day from depths to 32,000 feet below the platform
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Americans constitute 4% of the global population, yet we consume 25% of the world's oil (which is 2 times more than China and India combined).
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"We operate like we have oil because we used to have oil." - T. Boone Pickens
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(stuff I learned from a T.V. special about oil consumption on ABC)
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Sounds like we have to turn a lot of stuff around.
Go ride a bike this weekend.
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A political cartoon for the weekend:

Reblogged on GetBuck

Oi Polloi

This morning--amidst being really busy at work--I was considering some of my hard-line theories regarding environmentalism. What came to mind was an old favorite band from Scotland named Oi Polloi who's motto was "No Compromise in Defense of Our Earth." I decided to post up the band's logo--and was considering not including any other commentary, until...

As usual, I turned to the almighty Google to fetch the image. To my dismay, the first listed result for "Oi Polloi" was Oi Polloi. No, not the band, this store in Manchester, England. Apparently, as seen in this photo of the store front, their motto is "Talent Borrows, Genius Steals"--which is the ironic sugar in my bitter tea.
A gentleman's outfitters, filled with expensive, delicately crafted garments mixed with random camping and cycling accessories. Funny, because the name is a spin off of the phrase "hoi polloi" which is a derogatory Greek phrase that means "the many" and refers to the masses, or unwashed, proletarians of the working class. I want to puke (metaphorically) and embrace everything they sell at the same time. I love art and design and things that look great. Undoubtedly. I love vintage things and, to a certain degree, "masculine" things. At the same time I hate expensive things that are only expensive because they evoke some symbol or image [esp. when that image is of the working class, when the thing can only be afforded by the rich] or status rather than performing like they should. Or maybe, in some cases, these things would perform but aren't used in they way should... Get it? It all goes back to my love for dirt and believing things should get dirty and people should be doing useful things which probably involve getting dirty... It kinda doesn't make sense and in many ways I'm a hypocrite, oh well...

Peeeep

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Spent the last two days climbing up and down crazy steep slopes, in and out of old mine ponds, fighting with multiflora rose and black raspberry bushes, sweating away layers of bug spray and sunscreen, while trying to avoid poison ivy, ticks, mosquitoes, and dying.

I'm learning how to deal with days like these--and that usually means coffee for the drive, packing an extra sandwich (and carrots, which seem to offer good hydration, believe it or not), a couple bottles of water plus a sugary sports drink, lots of bug spray, 50 SPF sunscreen, long sleeves, thick pants, a ball cap... and, if I'm lucky, a candy bar (thanks wife!).

Despite the conditions, which sometimes seem hellish, it's not unusual that we stumble upon little, fascinating creatures like this tiny spring peeper and a million of his or her peeper friends and family. Snakes, turtles, salamanders... colorful woodland birds (like the common yellowthroat)... mastodons and terradactyls--wait, no. Even plant life can be as awe-inspiring as the animals that seek refuge in the places we find ourselves.

So, while I might complain about my job, I'm pretty lucky in many ways that I have the one that... I have.

Bugs, Animals, Compassion

I've been seeing small praying mantises around the garden lately when I've been pulling weeds. Pretty awesome.

Besides the fact that mantises are (1) great insect control and (2) amazing in appearance, they are believed to be good omens, harbingers of luck. On that first note, I should clarify, while they will prey on unwanted insects like mosquitoes, they will also feed on beneficial garden insects too...

While I'm on the subject of "bugs," I almost stepped on this buddy today: a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia).
I feel bad for disrupting him so much--In transit back to my office I realize I caused many of the powdery scales to fall off his wing tips (Moths are from the taxonomic order Lepidoptera--which also includes butterflies; lepido- means scales and -ptera means wings). As far as I understand, this could hinder his ability to fly. Ever again. Crap.

I guess this points me in the direction of a post I had been contemplating for a while now which is about how my dog Alden is inspiring a compassion in me towards all non-human animals that is more profound than ever before. I mean, this compassion is strongly directed toward mammals, but certainly includes those other members of the Animal Kingdom. A few weeks ago I was hiking up a steep slope in the woods, up from a stream (it's my job!), and noticed that a few feet above me a TINY fawn was curled up in a ball as if to hide from approaching danger. All you could see was a fuzzy brown ball with white spots and two pointy ears poking up from the head that was tucked into its body that was hardly hiding in the few forbs of the forest floor. I could see its ears were twitching and alert and the fawn must have been terrified and unsure about what to do. What amazed me was that this baby deer was no bigger than my 23-pound puppy. I just wanted to pick it up and let it rest in my lap like Alden does, and console it: let it know we weren't going to harm it; that it was safe.

Alden can be a huge jerk. A lot. Like, he acts out--and it's probably just play. But sometimes I get mad. But to think about him getting hurt and in the times when he is sick, I feel such pain inside--it breaks my heart. The bond I've formed with Alden is as strong as the closest ones that I've formed with any other person and it's pretty amazing. And the fact that he is a (non-human) animal has inspired me to translate that compassion, like I said, to other animals. So I get sappy over plump little songbirds that bop around on our deck; or a young calf that follows its mother through the field; or the... whatever. And I get really bummed out when I see a beautiful creature that is hurt or killed, like the Cedar Waxwing that died in front of our bank, probably because it crashed into the window thinking it was sparring with another male that was really just its own reflection.

So, what was going to be a couple sentences about praying mantises turned out to be this longer rant about compassion. Back to work!

Old Old-School

I was thinking about how some of the stuff that I think is cool is basically just regressive and nostalgic in essence. You know? I don't mean like mustaches or aviator sunglasses or popped collars or whatever. I mean like bigger scale, not-ironic kind-of stuff. For example, organic agriculture and small, family farms: like I said before, these are throw-backs to pre-War farming methods. What else? Cycling: essentially unchanged since it's invention in the 1800's (unlike the automobile which was developed around the same time). Environmentalism: basically a way of life before Industrialism. Whole foods: came before mass-production, processing, and packaging.

Strangely, all these things tend to connect, I guess under the umbrella of pre-Industrialism environmentalism. Straight up conservatism. 'Ism for shizzim.

"In the year two-thousand..."

Surely, every generation finds itself in the middle of some pretty huge changes that gives that generation an identity in history.

Despite the inherent vagueness of the definition of "generation", everyone believes and understands they are part of some sort of generational bond with those around them.

In my (our?) case, the newest change might include this recession. Despite it's temporary nature, it could likely affect how the global community interacts from here on out. I'm not even going to get on with Information Technology. The speed of the expansion of modern technologies makes me want to laugh and puke at the same time--kind of like being on one of those carnival rides that demonstrates centrifugal force. I'm proud to say I almost got through high school without the internet or cell phones. Currently I'm getting along fine without an iPhone.

What might be a bigger phenomenon defining this generation is climate change and how we respond to it.

I just read this strange article about the future of farming (published by The Columbus Dispatch; found at Columbus Community Gardening). Is it possible that farms of the future will in fact be massive, self-contained greenhouses? My gut reaction at the end of the third paragraph was that this was a total environmental catastrophe waiting to happen. Apparently it's not: energy-neutral, sustainable, water conserving, fertilizer reducing, production-increasing, worker-friendly future farms... It is Biodome come to life.

Currently, family farms seem to be disappearing--not due to the climate, but other problems. At best, big, trend-conscious cities are experiencing a spurt of small farms peddling organic, heirloom, free-range goodies--which is sort of a throw-back to pre-War agriculture. But these hip farmsteads, especially, won't survive severe climate changes that scientists are predicting.

Farming (or "raw food production") can't die, but it's apparently possible that farms and Agri-Culture as we know them might. Obviously farms have changed a lot over the years, and I'm not a big fan of what are known as "conventional" mega-farms that, collectively, are the monster of the Industrial Agriculture Revolution. (Fun fact: agriculture developed roughly 10,000 years ago.)

So, it occurred to me that the end of farming might be impressed upon my (our!) generation. I can't really say how the disappearance of a farm might affect my daily life other than I pass them on the highway and I appreciate the aesthetics of their seasonal variation; I take comfort in the fact that farms have a potentially positive ecological relationship with the surrounding natural environment as they might benefit animals and watersheds, to say the least. Also, while I've decided to not pursue a life in the Country, I care about the preservation of Rural America which is part of my identity in many ways.

And consider this: if farms are being replaced by greenhouses because of the climate, how soon will neighborhoods turn into big, climate-controlled bubbles?

(Photo Source)

Footprints, footsteps, pedal pushing

I just stumbled upon Lighter Footstep: a website about eco-friendly living. "The Daily Footstep" is short columns about small choices that make big differences. Brandi at Get Buck linked up the article It's Smart to Ride a Bike - and Riding Makes You Smarter:

A 2004 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that aerobic activity yielded up to a 20 percent improvement in pattern recognition and sorting. It also produced dramatic improvement in short-term memory.


While I may recognize patterns and be able to sort like a champ at 9 o'clock in the morn, I'm not convinced biking helps out my memory. It does get my blood flowing, however, and probably keeps the edge off on these days when I don't have coffee.

I should mention May is "Bike Month" and this week is the official "National Bike to Work Week." Columbus is doing it real big, with a website and lots of events: www.b2ww.org. On Thursday I intend on joining a group of local cyclists for an event called "Green Drinks: Bike Hop" which will travel down a bike path between a few local bars around Happy Hour. Should be fun as they predict scattered showers throughout that day. And don't worry - I'm developing a strategy involving drinking a lot of coffee before the event and not drinking a lot of beer.

April flowers... and other plants

I keep forgetting to post this but as early as April 2nd (here in Central Ohio) I saw lots of woodland wildflowers emerging from the leafy carpet that lines our local forest floors. This included toad trillium, dutchman's breeches, cutleaf toothwort, and Virginia springbeauty to name a few. I suspect you could find mayapple and troutlily near flower about now in Southern Ohio. To the north I bet those same flowers are starting to peak their first leaves. I'm sure there are plenty others to name. Feel free to post them in the comments section!

That said, gardens are coming alive too. Besides the early and obviously blooming bulbs (tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths...), lots of peonies are stretching out which has really captured my attention. My sugar snap peas are unfolding their cotyledons (first leaves), as well as lettuce and spinach. Hopefully we'll be feasting on these salads in about a month.

Go take a hike in the nearest woods you can find and see what is coming up. Take photos and try to identify them back at home... or bring a field guide. A really user-friendly key to wildflowers is Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (~$20).

Garden

3/12 - planted two rows of sugar snap peas (days are around 50 degrees; nights getting near 35, yikes!)
3/27 - planted lettuce, spinach, a 3rd row of snap peas (days between 50 and 60 degrees)
3/29 - put stakes along each pea row; started tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and creeping thyme in basement; C laid an awesome brick path to our garden spigot reminiscent of one found aside a quaint English cottage--preferably one with a thatch roof and a hobbit inside. I hope to plant some creeping thyme that might fill in the cracks between the bricks...
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4/4 - scheduled delivery of 3 cubic yards of pine bark mulch, 40 lbs of composted cow manure, and a bag of potting soil.
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Just contacted a guy selling white plastic 55-gal barrels... Gonna try to make a rain barrel for the yard. Yeehaw. Hopefully, when I get my act together, I will post photos and instructions! Woop