Mile after mile, trying to be Green

It's been a while since I posted to the blog. Vacation got in the way, but the trip provided opportunity to consider just what it means to be green while away from home. We drove a pretty fuel efficient SUV -- I know, can that even be possible? But when you're packing a teen and an adolescent who have grown up in today's society, squeezing them into the back of my Civic for 850 miles was not going to happen. Not if we all wanted to get there and back in one piece.

So while on the way we kept our use of bottled water to a minimum and while we certainly pushed the speed limit and a little more, we didn't load the roof rack with our luggage carrier so we kept the wind drag down. While I can't verify the science behind this website, www.metrompg.com demonstrated that a roof rack could reduce fuel efficiency measured in MPG by as much as 12 percent.

So the ride down the road was pretty green. But what about eating out and things like that? It's becoming more widely known that food production, transportation and packaging disposal are serious contributors to climate change and landfill use. So what's a green guy to do? Well, at least here in Virginia the state is trying to certify restaurants that claim to be green.

The Department of Environmental Quality is beginning to certify restaurants that claim to be green by requiring that they prove it based on a several criteria. The list of participating restaurants can be found here.

The truth about trash

For the last couple of years I've been a big fan of shows like Man vs Wild and Survivorman. As all of my friends know, the closest I come to the wilderness is the Animal Kingdom amusement park in Disney World. I'm on my way there now, and while traveling I've made a few stops along the way and came face to face with the truth that Bear and Les (hosts of the two shows above) talk about.

No matter where you go in the world, they say, there's trash from civilization. They find old water heaters washed into the Everglades by hurricanes, or fishing nets from ships long since visited the coasts of remote Alaska.

I find plastic bottles, tossed cigarettes and enough plastic bags to make a balloon that might get me to place where there is no trash. Not likely though, because I hear that there's trash even on the jagged slopes of Mt. Everest.

But while none of us is likely to get into too many wild places that another person hasn't already been and maybe left some stuff behind, it's good to know that there are organizations -- and the people in them, of course -- that care enough about the outdoors to clean it up. Futile as it may be, and although returning every few years to pull another truck tire from the river or styrofoam cups from a creek makes me think that they're crazy, I am glad there are thousands of volunteers around the U.S. and the world who do that type of stuff.

I'm going to join a group when I get back to VA and do my part, act crazy and demonstrate that I care a little more.

A Frenemy

Environmentalists got a whopper of news a few days ago when ExxonMobil (formerly headquartered in Fairfax, VA) announced that it was going to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the research of converting algae into biofuels. The announcement was described by some as a turnaround for the giant oil company, but others saw it as a natural step for the firm to take as it strives to maintain its leading role as an energy producer -- fossil fuel-based or otherwise.

It definitely is a surprise considering that the ExxonMobil CEO is not a public proponent of efforts to combat global warming. According to an article in the New York Times, Mr. Rex W. Tillerson once described biofuels as moonshine. But then again, a lot of fortunes were made back in the days of prohibition from moonshine, so it probably is not too great a leap to think that a profit machine like ExxonMobil would turn to another way of printing greenbacks, even if it means going green.

The move by ExxonMobil means that we're going to have to pay close attention to the old adage, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer", or better yet, start considering the oil giant as a frenemy.

Why Water

The other day I received my Loudoun County water bill. With all of the rain this spring, I haven't had to water my lawn, and since I don't wash my car at home, the bill was about what I expected. But tucked inside the envelope was a the latest newsletter from the county -- NewsLeak. Not as clever as they could be, but the title aside, the contents were interesting.

It seems that Loudoun water received $1.78 million in federal stimulus funds for two separate water projects here in Northern VA. Apparently there is some kind of water industry term for reclamation projects -- purple pipe. Here in Loudoun, the utility is reusing water for irrigation and cooling purposes. Excellent choices and smarter thinking that using fresh, drinkable water to keep lawns green or buildings cool.

Fresh water brings me to a column in today's The New York Times by Nicholas Kristoff, "Clean, Sexy Water." Kristoff tells the story of the man who started charity:water, a group that I heard of for the first time a few years ago. I was in Kansas City at a business conference and strolled into Saks (I'm a world-class shopper, albeit without a world-class check book) after noticing an interesting poster. The store was selling rubber bracelets with the words charity:water stamped on the face.

The bracelet's not as sturdy as the LiveStrong ones that seem to be on everyone's wrist, but just like Lance's quest to raise funds to find a cure for cancer, Scott Harrison the founder of charity:water wants to find a way to find a way to get clean water to families around the world, especially in Africa.

Kristoff and Harrison, and importantly, Loudoun County all know that clean water is precious. Let's all do our part like Scott Harrison and encourage our government and local utilities to continue supporting projects that use water wisely.

Water and Waste

The lure of lakes and oceans is particular hypnotic in the summer. That's why the report recently from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on the quality of the water in our public areas is so disturbing. As written about in The Washington Post earlier this week, the CBF reported that bacteria that has the nasty desire to make people sick are having a good ol' time in the waterways that feed the Chesapeake, Virginia's most important water resource. 

The CBF, no friend of the government whether a Democrat or a Republican is in office, laid the blame for the sorry state of the Bay and its waterways on ineffectiveness at the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has a lot on its plate now a days, but you'd think that with Environment being right there at the front of its name, the EPA would be the one department that would keep its eye on the ball when it comes to, say... wait for it... the environment!

I shouldn't be so hard on the EPA. The agency did find in favor of California recently when that state tried to tighten rules on air pollution from cars. But that's out west. What about back east right in the EPA's back yard? Stay tuned for more or check out the ebb and flow (I just had to do it) by visiting the CBF's website.

Meanwhile, folks living in Loudoun county might want to start sorting their trash because the pick-up of household hazardous waste is happening on July 18 in Leesburg. 

A list of what types of household waste from automobile anti-freeze to paint thinners is available on the county's website.  And while it doesn't seem as if its the run-of-the-mill household stuff that is polluting the Chesapeake, it makes sense to dispose of the toxic stuff lying around in basements and garages appropriately. And remember, don't toss anything down the storm sewers -- the junk goes right to the bay and the ocean.

Being Green This Vacation

The summer officially began a couple of weeks ago, and unofficially kicked-off Memorial Day weekend, but the reality is that summer vacation for most of use doesn't begin until the Fourth of July. This year, summer vacations are likely to be found closer to home, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).  Although air fares to some of the best destinations have dropped, they may be on the rise according to USA Today.

And with gas prices coming down from early Spring-highs, hitting the road is proving to be the way to go. Moreover, with most of the on-line travel sites offering deals ranging from a free nights stay with only a couple of nights paid for, booking an affordable vacation in a nice hotel isn't that expensive.  So trying Yahoo travel, Expedia or Hotels.com or the larger aggregator sites is worth a few minutes (or hours) this holiday season. 

Importantly, if you travel by car this year, you're using a lot less carbon-based fuel than when you fly, cutting green house gases and global warming.

The Congress is finally taking action on global warming, having kept their heads in the sand for years. Problem is, the president's push to get something done has created a monstrous bill that doesn't do nearly enough to change behavior or to provide the right incentives for business, and puts too much junk into what should be a simple bill, so I'm paraphrasing David Brooks.

And for those free marketers who think that government shouldn't be in the business of promoting business -- you know, the whole winners and losers argument-- well I have two items for you to consider: the home mortgage deduction and the highway trust fund. Both of these choose winners: homeownership over renting on one hand, and cars over trains on the other.

Those of us who want a greener Virginia and a greener America can make the choice to drive close to home and enjoy the ridiculously incredible sights that are within a few hundred miles of us. Or, better yet, we can take a train, which uses even less fossil fuel than our cars. Of course, trains don't go to as many places we can reach with cars or even those carbon catastrophes called planes, but trains are fun. When is the last time you said that about taking a plane trip?