Yuppy Elites Fret Over Disposable Diapers

"Those who skim the surface of the earth’s crust in their needlessly huge fossil-fuel vehicles, tossing their foam coffee cups out the window, may never give such matters a second thought, focused as they are on getting to the mini-mart and saying to the clerk, “A six-pack of your finest spring water, my good fellow. And would you mind triple bagging it?” But for those who are concerned about green, life is fraught"

The article in the NY Times discusses the difficulties of blending convenience and sustainability. Danny Seo, author of Upcycling said (to the times of course :), "“A Patagonia jacket you might have worn out ... makes the chicest, most gorgeous Gore-Tex shower curtain. It will never mold or mildew. If you bought a Gore-Tex shower curtain, it would retail at $600.”

Now that is a really good idea, except when you are poor and have to work two full months to save enough to buy the jacket for your son who will then pass it down to their siblings... etc. etc.

Most of the worlds population probably can't afford a Patagonia jacket in the first place. It is a nice thought for middle classers but for those in poverty, sustainability is not always an option. I don't think this is true sustainability (for our selves, our planet, etc.). Most companies like Patagonia (although Patagonia is much more sustainable than other mass market sports wear companies utilizing recycled fabrics and such) utilize minimum wage labor (if in the US) or below poverty level child labor (uh-hum ... NIKE! As an aside, the goddess of victory probably crys just a little every time some one buys a new pair of Nike shoes... anyway...) outside the US. This is NOT sustainable. Most factories are not environmentally friendly, gobble up more resources than can be acquired locally, and provide nauseatingly horrid working conditions. How can this ever be sustainable? Just because buildings have lights that turn themselves off doesn't mean it's green!

You can have the greenest building in the world but if it is filled with people wearing products made of petrol and by children how sustainable can it ever be?

That isn't even addressing the consideration of what the people in the building do. Are they weapons manufacturers? Is it a uranium recycling facility? Is it a mill or other extractive business?

As the young couple in the article find out there are pitfalls to 'going green'. Theirs is disposible diapers.

This quote sums it up, “I don’t think the environmental movement should be about living in a cabin without electricity or running water — it isn’t a back-to-earth movement, it’s about redesigning everything, about being more sustainable.” Here is the question, what if that isn't enough?

March to Keep Fear Alive and Restore Sanity at the Same Time!

Being an fan of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart I am happy to say that at least two of Demeter Design's staff members will be attending this much needed rally. I can't wait to report from Washington DC day of!

Neighborhood Forest Management Plans

Portland Parks and Recreation recently accepted a grant from the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District for the purpose of creating Neighborhood Forest Management Plans within the city. This allows citizens to inventory and evaluate existing neighborhood street trees. It also provides for the establishment and implementation of tree goals for each area. Goals often include increasing canopy cover, planting site appropriate trees, and ensuring that urban growth/development does not adversely affect existing tree counts.

Garminfone

We have recently added a Garminfone to our arsenal of GPS devices, and given the lack of info on it on the web, thought I'd give a recount of our experience. The display is great, the interface convenient, and the GPS itself is great (really good resolution and pickup). The phone service is limited by the T-mobile network however, which is not the best.

The hardest thing has been the interface with our PC. Getting data off, and more specifically on, is not always easy, and our normal GPS program (ExpertGPS) was not compatible. You can use ExpertGPS to read the spatially tagged photos however, which is nice.

It also does all of the normal smartphone, android things, with the limit of Android 1.6 (for now at least). All in all it is a good product for us, but may be less so for anyone not needing the standalone GPS capacity.

Wildwood

Autumn has been anxiously beating at the door of summer, certainly trying to get in earlier than usual - earlier than I'd normally allow. Generally, I've felt that September was solidly considered part of the summer - but this year, I'm not so sure.

Therefore, it seemed fitting that my recent dinner at Wildwood felt the very definition of fall. The russet potato gnocchi with bacon, lobster mushrooms, and Sauvie Island sweet corn was exceptionally earthy. The mesquite roasted Carlton Farms pork chop with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn and cilantro butter was a terrific follow up, a little more rustic than the gnocchi. I finished the meal by going out on a limb from my normal chocoholic leanings, and had the sourdough donuts with candied applies and caramel corn ice cream. That may have been taking it a bit too far, as I don't even like candied apples or caramel corn - but it just seemed like the perfect end to a fall day. Except on my plate.