Weekly Way

Who Knew Voting Could Be So Much Fun?

2009-11-03T21:50:00.013-05:00

What were you all doing last year at this time? It's probably easy to conjure up images of election parties past, since presidential elections (especially the most recent one) tend to be pretty memorable.

However, every election is important, especially since many local policies eventually filter up to the state and even the national level.

Granted, it's hard to get fired up about some of the measures on the ballot like whether or not to amend the King County Charter, which apparently was so poorly written that it gets amended every year. Lucky for me and my fellow voters, the funny folks at The Stranger in Seattle have done the admittedly dull legwork and condensed all of the info into an easy-to-follow (and laugh at) voting guide. I discovered the guide during my last voting stint in the summer primary, when I was unfamiliar with many of the candidates and the county brochure containing the candidate statements didn't offer enough info to help me make a decision. The Stranger's guide is so good that I'd read it for fun even if I didn't live in Seattle.

Your town or city will offer voting guides too, and even if they aren't as entertaining as The Stranger's, they are worth a read. Certain organizations, such as The Sierra Club, also publish voting guides by region.

So before you start filling out your ballot, take a few minutes to read the opinions of others, especially about issues you may not be familiar with. That way, you won't end up with a power-mad comptroller or a parking lot where your paradise is supposed to be.

Yellow Books and Halloween - I can tell you how to get rid of one.

2009-10-30T14:47:00.008-04:00

Ah, the yellow pages. No matter how many times I move, those hefty tomes seem to follow me everywhere I go. I moved into a new place last month, and I was rejoicing over the fact that the previous owner hadn't left stacks of old ones hidden in a drawer somewhere. But just when I thought I was safe, it happened. A Yellow Book. On my doorstep. In a plastic bag.

The funny thing is that I don't even have a landline, but apparently that doesn't make a difference.

However, with a bit of effort, it turns out that I can rid myself of them forever. You can go to YellowPagesGoesGreen and enter your mailing info to opt out of delivery. I also found this blog that lists all of the numbers needed to call to opt out of receiving unsolicited phone books.

Depending on where you live, here are the numbers:

AT&T/YellowPages (formerly SBC and Bell South):

1.800.792.2665

Verizon (Idearc):

1.800.888.8448

Dex:

1.877.243.8339

Yellow Book:

1.800.373.3280 or 1.800.373.2324

This left me with the problem of what to do with the yellow book I already have. I went to the Yellow Book Recycling Directory and entered in my zip code to find a place to recycle it. In Seattle, the phone books can go in the regular commingled recycling, so check with your municipality first to see if the same rules apply where you live.

Here's to only finding trick-or-treaters on our doorstep next Halloween!

What Are You Doing Tomorrow?

2009-10-23T20:44:00.005-04:00

No matter your whereabouts or plans, chances are you can find an International Day of Climate Action sponsored by 350.org near you. I've written about 350 before, and one of the founders is featured in my book. They are doing incredible work to raise awareness about climate change, and tomorrow's day of action is one that you can easily be involved in.

4500 events will be held in 181 countries to "call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis." You can locate an event near you by visiting the 350 website.

Remember, the Barcelona Climate Change talks are the first week of November, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is less than two months away. Now is the time to make sure your voice is heard on an issue that matters to us all.

Vote Yes on Referendum 1

2009-07-27T22:38:00.011-04:00

Seattle residents will soon be receiving their August ballots in the mail, and one of the most closely watched votes is Referendum 1, which decides whether or not to place a fee on plastic and paper bags.

As I wrote in my previous post on this topic, the fee was already passed by the city council, but then it was forced to a referendum. Keep in mind that a large portion of the funding to oppose the fee is coming from The American Chemistry Council (which lobbies for companies like Exxon and Dow Chemical and makes money from the sale of disposable plastics). The lobby has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into defeating the referendum.

There are many reasons why the fee is a good idea:

It will greatly reduce the use of both paper and plastic bags and therefore the resources used to make and transport them, as well as the litter generated after the bags are used.
Part of the revenue from the bag fee will go towards an educational campaign and towards purchasing reusable bags for low-income families.
Many cities and countries have instituted or are considering instituting a similar initiative, and many eyes will be on Seattle to see what our city does.

But perhaps the most compelling visual reminder of why the fee is a good idea came this afternoon, when I saw a homemade sign on Westlake Avenue asking voters to support the bag fee. Fifty yards down the road (and less than a hundred yards from Lake Union), I saw a plastic bag clinging to brush, hanging on until another gust of wind blew it elsewhere to live on as non-biodegradable trash, maybe even joining up with fellow plastic garbage on the infamous litter island known as the Pacific Garbage Patch.

If you live in Seattle, please vote yes on Referendum 1 by August 18th, and urge everyone you know to do the same.

Visit a National Park (For Free!) Next Weekend

2009-08-04T21:34:00.006-04:00

Time spent in National Parks allows us to experience nature's majesty by ourselves or with family and friends. Last July, I was visiting Glacier National Park for the first time and having my first encounter with a Grizzly Bear. Just to back up my assertion, The Huffington Post recently published a post by Barbara Fenig titled "Top Ten Best National Parks You Don't Know About," and Glacier was #1 on the list.

In case you need any additional incentive, next weekend, August 15th and 16th, entry to many of the parks is free! Here is a list by state of all of the parks that will be fee-free next weekend - Enjoy!

Wildlife Wimp...Meet the Glacier Grizzlies

2008-08-11T20:47:00.023-04:00

One of the best ways to become a conservationist is to see firsthand why forests, oceans, and open spaces are worth preserving. One glance up at the mountains from Yosemite's valley, and you will understand why Ansel Adams devoted his life to photographing and protecting wild places. From atop a vista in Glacier National Park, you will understand why it is so important to protect not only the glaciers that give this breathtaking park in northwestern Montana its name, but also the grizzly bears that roam freely throughout, existing in quiet splendor at the top of this magnificent ecological paradise. I have enjoyed every moment spent in Yosemite, Glacier, and several other National Parks, and I am committed to doing whatever I can to protect and preserve them.

And by the way, I am a total wildlife wimp. While I grew up in rural Vermont surrounded by black bear, moose, skunks, squirrels, and even the occasional coyote, I still get nervous on every camping, hiking, and walking trip that holds even the slightest possibility of an encounter with any kind of mountain lion, bear, or Loch Ness monsters (Yes, I do know that I don't actually need to worry about that last one). However, I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I love to hike, so I find myself on a lot of these "I wish I didn't have such an active imagination, but otherwise this is incredible" excursions. Did I mention Sasquatch?

Glacier National Park was no exception as such an outing. From the moment we entered the park a few weeks ago, we heard stories about a grizzly and cub that were frequenting the Iceberg Lake trail. (Please note, these bears will hereafter be referred to as Momma Bear and Baby Bear because that makes this story seem much less scary).

We were very excited for our few days in Glacier, as neither my husband nor I had ever visited. We splurged on the night of our anniversary and stayed at the storied and highly recommended Many Glacier Lodge. The lodge is situated on the east side of the park, only a few miles north of the Going to the Sun Road, which is the main road that runs through the park. Many Glacier Lodge was built in 1915, and it is situated overlooking one of the many lakes scattered throughout the park.

On our first full day in the park, we took a leisurely hike around several glacial lakes. We were excited the next morning for something a little more rigorous, so we set out on The Iceberg Lake trail. There were signs at the head of the trail with warnings about increased grizzly activity. There are also signs and pamphlets all over the park about what to do to avoid a bad bear encounter - make noise so as not to surprise the bear, stay calm and quiet in case of an encounter so the bear does not perceive you as a threat or prey etc. And it probably goes without saying that these are not the signs you want to see if you are a wildlife wimp. The prevalence of bear mace at the gift shop and on people's belts did not help either.

Taking it all in

Yet the stunning natural beauty of Glacier was enough to make me overcome my fear, and so up the mountain we trudged. It was a perfect July morning, the fog from the night before had all but burned off, and as we wound our way up alpine meadows and past streams, we were treated to view after view of valleys, mountains, and lakes. At the 2.5 mile mark (the hike is about 10 miles round trip), we began to hear stories about Momma and Baby Bear up ahead on the trail. No one seemed particularly concerned, and we were on our way to the well-traveled Iceberg Lake; really, what were the chances of us actually running into the bears!?

Icebergs in July!

We pressed on and after giddily stumbling upon a late season snow field, we reached our destination. After an hour of lunch and amazement at where we were and what we were seeing, we started to head back down the trail. As we got to a bend about a quarter mile down, we heard many voices shouting, "Hey, Bear!" and clapping and whistling. Irritated, I looked at Steve and said, "With those people ahead making all of that noise, we are never going to see the bear." Yes, indeed, that was the wildlife wimp talking. Something about the sheer and surreal beauty of the scene must have been getting to my head.

We joined up with the noisy and slow moving troop and continued our tromp down the trail. We rounded a particularly breathtaking bend and stopped to take in the mountain swooping up to our left and then crossing the trail, where it was transformed into a gently rolling hill, which continued its progression all the way down into the valley. We were snapped out of our reverie by, well, a snap. Bears that size, they move fast, and suddenly we heard branches cracking less than twenty feet to our right.

What we observed*

What it looked like to me

Just like that, there she was, Momma Bear, and there he was, Baby Bear. As for Momma, I swear she was looking right at me. The more experienced hikers (they all had a few decades on Steve and me, and most had encountered a bear before), rapidly and quietly made their way down the trail. I couldn't move; I just stood there, transfixed by this close encounter with a fellow top-of-the-food-chainer. And instead of being terrified, I was completely calm - Momma, she really didn't have any interest in me. She lumbered away down the slope following her baby (he was really more of an adolescent) towards Iceberg Lake. We heard from others further up the trail that the grizzlies had gone to the lake and wrestled, frolicked, played. National Parks are some of the last bastions of safety for this threatened species, and these bears seemed to know it.

By the time we got to the bottom of the trail, it had been closed due to "increased grizzly activity."

We can all take a lesson from this closing - At Glacier, it's as simple as this - the bears are respected here. The ecosystem in the park and beyond depends on the survival of such magnificent creatures, and the park cherishes and protects the grizzly as an integral part of this system.

Sadly, the grizzlies are not the only thing that needs protection in Glacier National Park. If the current rate of warming continues, all of the glaciers in the park will be gone by 2070. For more information on protecting the parks, visit the National Parks Conservation Association, and of course, I also recommend visiting some national parks. I don't guarantee that you will see a grizzly, but I can promise you that you will see something magnificent and worth protecting.

*Grizzly Family photo by DanDee Shots

Pour Me No Pesticides Please

2009-06-29T16:02:00.013-04:00

I was just in Los Angeles for a few weeks, and of course, I made sure to enjoy all of the local food and drink that California has to offer.

Some of the favorite wines sampled were:

Red Truck Organic Zinfandel
Bonterra Organic Rose
Tarantas Classic Spanish Red - (Not local, but delicious and this vineyard makes several types of red and white organic wine)

Many grocery and wine stores are now devoting entire sections to wines grown without pesticides - some of these are marked "organic", "biodynamic", or "grown pesticide-free" - and more and more wines are being produced with these lower impact practices. No matter where you live, ask your favorite wine store to carry more wines with these labels and inquire about vineyard growing practices at wineries and restaurants you visit.

Do you have a favorite organic wine? Let us know, and I'll compile a list of reader favorites in a subsequent post.

Okay, okay. I'm doing it!

2009-07-10T16:35:00.011-04:00

I'm kind of enjoying my recent foray into Twitter-land. Between Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter, I'm not sure what to update first, but as a pretty verbose person, I like the fact that I am limited to 140 characters per entry - can't quite bring myself to say "tweet" yet, but stay tuned...

Want to follow me? I'm @tenwaysLB.

I thought it would be really clever to write a post about Twitter with only 140 characters - you know, good practice and all, but this post is well over 400 characters. Looks like I have my work cut out for me on the pithy front !

Oh, and while we're on the subject of technology, check out Grist's Guide to Green Iphone Apps.

Living on Earth...and a Budget

2009-07-20T02:07:00.006-04:00

No matter where you turn, it seems that budgetary constraints are on people's minds, but as we've seen with the push for "green jobs" and a new "green economy", eco-conscious and economical are not mutually exclusive terms.

One of the benefits of living on a budget is that it helps us take a hard look at what we choose to spend our money on. Is it something that will last? Is it something that we need? Is it something that was created in an environmentally and socially conscious manner? How much waste will this product leave behind? How much energy will it require to operate?

A recent story on the NPR series "Living on Earth" profiled a house in California, which has received the highest level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification - platinum. One of the most interesting points made was that the best modifications made (like making the home more airtight) were also the cheapest. Listen to the full story here.

This is the house. Sadly, they won no awards for Leadership in Tasteful Color Choices.

In order to help you budget your own and your planet's precious resources, check out the user friendly (and free!) money managing software at Mint. With great sections like paying off student debt and creating a budget, Mint is perfect for users of all ages and needs.

World Refugee Day

2009-06-21T14:25:00.005-04:00

Today is World Refugee day, and we can all do something to help the 42 million people who lack basic needs such as clean water, food, and a safe place to call home.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works to meet these needs every day. Watch this short film about their efforts, and then visit their website to find out how you can get more involved.

The Book is Here!

2009-06-17T18:53:00.006-04:00

Well...almost. Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties will be released in November, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon. I'm also in the process of reaching out to universities and high schools, so if you are interested in bringing me to your school to speak, send an email!

Battling the Bagmonster

2009-06-04T01:09:00.037-04:00

Seattle is one referendum vote away from becoming one of the first cities in the United States to take a huge step toward reducing disposable bag consumption. The City Council has already voted to institute a 20 cent fee for disposable plastic or paper bags, and now the ordinance must be upheld by a public referendum in order to be enacted.

According to the Seattle Green Bag Campaign, which is working hard to support Referendum 1, the "optional" green fee pertains to people who don't shop with a reusable bag and is expected to reduce disposable bag use by an estimated 80-90%. Most of the 20 cent fee will go toward providing every household of Seattle with at least one reusable bag, with extra bags for those on low or fixed income, as well as waste reduction education programs.

This Tuesday, the city of Edmonds, WA took things even further when the city council passed a plastic bag ban, which will go into effect as soon as a pending environmental review has been completed.

Why all the fuss about disposable bags? Seattle uses an estimated 360 million plastic bags per year, and while at 8%, our recycling rate is slightly higher than the abysmal national rate of 3%, most of these bags are bound for the landfill. Worse still, many more will make their way out to waterways via storm drains and creeks. Once in the waterways, they can interfere with marine life, causing the death of marine mammals and sea turtles who mistake the bags for food. Others create huge plastic gyres or "garbage patches" in the middle of oceans. What's more, plastic bags don't biodegrade, they just break down into smaller and smaller toxic pieces.

Despite being universally reviled as an environmental menace, Bagmonster always has time for the ladies.

According to Heather Trim, the Urban Bays and Toxic Program Manager at the People for Puget Sound, "Even when plastic bags are recycled, they are often bailed up and sent to China where they are downcycled into lower grade products or stockpiled." Even if plastic bags are properly disposed of, the environmental price tag is already high as they are a petroleum byproduct that is shipped all over the world only to be used once and then likely thrown away.

If you live in Seattle, you can support the project by donating time or money to the Green Bag Campaign, telling your friends to be sure to vote to approve the all mail-in Referendum 1 ballot, and volunteering with the campaign.

If you live elsewhere in the country, encourage your city council members to institute a similar ordinance. The websites for The Surfrider Foundation and The Sierra Club are excellent places to start when initiating environmental action in your community. Other areas in the United States that are considering or have already taken similar actions include - San Francisco, CA, Westport CT, thirty Alaskan villages, Annapolis, MD, Austin, TX , Baltimore, MD , Berkeley, CA , Boston, MA , Chicago, IL , Los Angeles County, Madison, WI , Maine, Marshall County, IA , Maryland, Massachusetts, New Haven, CT, New York, NY, Oakland, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Plymouth, PA , San Jose, CA, Santa Cruz, CA , Santa Monica, CA , Texas, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

So join or start a bag ban movement in your hometown, and of course, always shop with reusable bags!

Hooray for Hulu

2009-05-08T23:40:00.014-04:00

I've been without cable television for a while now - mostly it's due to budgetary constraints, but partly it's a choice. The fact is that I don't really miss most of what I used to watch. However, there are certain shows that I am proudly addicted to such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. With the exception of these two shows, my subscription to Netflix fills in any potential pop culture holes that my lack of cable might be causing.

Recently, I also realized that Hulu, which is free for at least the foreseeable future, also has such shows as PBS's Scientific American and Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days available on their site. If you haven't seen 30 Days, I highly recommend it. The premise is simple, Spurlock, who rocketed to fame with SuperSize Me, places someone in an environment for 30 days that is either antithetical to their beliefs or one that will raise awareness about lifestyles that often go unexplored. It's like a highbrow Wife Swap - a Mormon stays with two gay dads or Spurlock spends 30 days working as a coal miner or in jail.

One of my favorite episodes places two self proclaimed fossil fuel addicts at an off the grid co-op for a month. Hardship and hilarity ensue when the two guests are faced with what to do without hair products or meat or with a composting toilet. However the most meaningful exchanges occur as guests and hosts share ideas and reach understandings that become possible under these admittedly unrealistic circumstances.

Contrary to other proud card-carrying members of the anti-cable club, I think you can learn something from television. So check out 30 Days - if nothing else, I promise it beats I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

Rallying to Repower America

2009-05-21T15:57:00.010-04:00

The Environmental Protection Agency held a hearing today in Seattle to discuss whether or not greenhouse gases should be treated as dangerous pollutants. Many people turned out to support efforts to reclassify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and as you can see from the photos, it was a costume-optional event.

Some Crabby protesters being Shellfish about their future

According to my twentysomething friend Anne, who attended the rally,"As individuals we can make all kinds of decisions - like changing our light bulbs and bringing tote bags when we go shopping - but we simply can't stop global warming without the full power of our federal government behind this issue. What we did at the rally today was critical in supporting the EPA's efforts to regulate greenhouse gasses and finally set the US on the path toward solving this challenge."

Also, the best costume award goes to the geoduck! :) The polar bear was a close runner up. Two salmon were also in the running..."

Even the polar bears are trading in cars for bikes

For more on what you can do to help reduce harmful emissions that contribute to global warming, support green jobs, and encourage responsible environmental legislation, visit Repower America and 350. Be sure to mark your calendars too - October 24th is 350's International Day of Climate Action, and you can start or join an action by visiting their website today.

Growing Your Own

2009-05-17T16:31:00.017-04:00

I've written extensively on this blog about the joys of local eating, but mostly my experiences thus far have centered on food from the farmers' markets or from restaurants that use local sources.

This spring, despite the fact that the outdoor space around my apartment consists of two very small "decks", and please note that I use that term loosely - two people can fit uncomfortably on them at once - I decided to try my hand at growing some of my own food.

Another "feature" of our apartment is that it gets very little sun. No worries, though. A trip to a few plant sales and some conversations with knowledgeable farmers yielded several veggies that would do just fine with limited sunlight like lettuce, arugula, radishes, parsley, and cilantro.

My porch runneth over

I purchased some starts, which are young plants, and thus far have had a bounty (okay a few salad's worth, but it's a start!) of my own homegrown veggies.

Container gardening is a great way to make use of limited growing space and the lessons learned in my mini-plot will stand me in good stead when I have the space for a real garden.

For more on urban gardening, check out this recent post I wrote for Earth911.

Opening Doors in D.C.

2009-04-30T00:21:00.006-04:00

Between the pundits, the politicians, the special interest groups, and shifting allegiances (Arlen Specter is going to be a Democrat?!), it's easy to feel like politics may be an arena that many of us are unwilling to negotiate.

However, from the economy to the environment to health care, issues directly affecting us all are being debated and decided in D.C. Of course, you can opt to just sit back and take what your lawmakers come up with, or you can take a more direct approach by sending emails or making phone calls to your representatives.

If you choose the latter, you can easily follow the progress of bills you care about, as well as the accuracy of statements made by politicians, by visiting FactCheck.org and Project Vote Smart. FactCheck is a nonpartisan website that researches statements made by politicians and then verifies or dispels them based on the results. Project Vote Smart offers access to representatives' biographical information, voting records, positions on key issues, public statements, interest group ratings, and campaign finances. Visitors can also follow key votes at the national and state level.

Tracking down this type of unbiased information on your own can be daunting. These sites make it easy to learn, and speak out, about issues that matter to us most.

A Very Merry Un-Earth Day

2009-04-22T20:25:00.013-04:00

Once again, we celebrate Earth Day. One of the main themes of this year's celebration is that we strive to live environmentally responsible lifestyles every day. With this goal in mind, the Earth Day Network has launched their Green Generation Campaign, which has 3 main goals:

A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.

An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption.

Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

For a round up of events and ways to get involved today and every day, visit the Earth Day Network's website and Earth911's Earth Day Network.

Now About That Storm...

2009-04-16T17:37:00.012-04:00

Last week's blog was a repost of my friend Seth Fischer's reaction to the recent Vermont legislation that legalizes same sex marriage. As Seth said, one of the most important variables in the movement towards granting human rights for all is a commitment from everyone to support and pass legislation towards this end.

While there has been predictable "outrage" and expressions of non-specific fear about this new legislation from groups such as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which made this commercial about a "brewing storm", it is critical that we all work together to expose these types of intolerant, fear-based arguments that have no basis in fact.

Of course a little satirical humor is effective as well, and Steven Colbert's spoof of the NOM's commercial does a good job exposing the nebulous concerns posed by the original, which you should watch first so you can fully appreciate the spoof:

It is up to us to support legislation, legislators, and activists who are working to make same sex marriage legal all over the country.

One organization that has been working hard to educate and lobby is the Human Rights Campaign, and I encourage you to visit their website, sign up for email action alerts, and consider making a donation. HRC's legislative and grassroots campaigns have been highly effective in educating and empowering the public to advocate for basic rights for all.

Homegrown

2009-03-25T19:27:00.012-04:00

A new sandwich shop just opened up in my neighborhood in Seattle, and it's some of the best "fast food" I've ever eaten. All of the ingredients at Homegrown are sourced from "organic, local, all-natural, and/or sustainable producers." Clearly not resting on their low-impact laurels, these guys take things a step further by greatly reducing the use of typical to-go packaging, which creates some of the greatest impact at an establishment such as theirs. In order to achieve "sandwich environmentalism", the Homegrown folks use compostable, recycled, and recyclable packaging. If you decide to eat in at the shop, almost everything you use, with the exception of the recycled paper napkins (which are composted), can be washed and used again. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that one can choose from delicious sandwiches and a rotating, seasonal soup menu. If you want to pick up a sandwich with absolutely no waste, consider bringing your own To-Go Ware containers to the shop.

Unexpected for the Northwest, the sign only refers to food.

For those of you who don't frequent the Pacific Northwest, look for these same types of practices in the restaurants you patronize. More and more restaurants and shops are springing up all over the country as awareness grows about the importance of eating locally and producing as little waste as possible in the process.

Of course, for those of you who want to embrace a local diet, you need not go out to eat. Check out Local Harvest to find farmers' markets and other local food purveyors near you. Thanks to my friend Anne for pointing me in the direction of the Mixed Greens blog, which has recipes and adventures to keep Northwest locavores (or any locavores, really) inspired and entertained.

Can We Get a Few More Vermonts?

2009-04-09T00:00:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday April 7th, Vermont made history by legalizing same sex marriage in the Green Mountain State. My friend and fellow Antioch MFA writing student Seth Fischer writes a blog called "A Map of My Brain for All the World to See." I met Seth at our first writing residency, and I was immediately impressed by both his insight and kindness. He posted the following on his blog about the vote in Vermont, the historical implications of legislation and court rulings on discrimination, and the current forces swirling around the issue of same sex marriage. He has graciously allowed me to repost it here:

Today, the Vermont state legislature overrode the governor's veto to legalize same sex marriage in the state. This is a monumental moment. Never before has a democratically elected body in the United States confirmed the rights of LGBT people to marry whom they choose. In Massachusetts, Iowa, and Connecticut, the courts have determined that marriage is a fundamental right for all people. (California did as well, but that decision was overturned by ballot measure). Now, for the first time, the representatives of the people of a state have passed a law making marriage legal for everyone. And while this might seem like something minor, it is hard to understate how important a shift this is, even if it did occur in a state as small and liberal as Vermont. If you look historically at rights movements for minority and oppressed populations in the United States, there are generally two phases. In almost all recent cases, courts get the ball rolling. Brown v Board, for example, helped kickstart the Civil Rights movement, but it led to nearly a decade of unprecedented racial tension and violence. Ten years later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, a law that cost the Democrats the south but also fundamentally changed this country's attitudes towards race. Today, racism is still pervasive, but it is almost universally frowned upon. Racial violence persisted, but it has gradually faded (though it still unquestionably exists). This, I argue, is largely because the people Americans chose to elect them passed a law granting further rights to African Americans and other racial minorities. It by no means fixed the problem; it did, however, help to fundamentally change the culture. The women's rights movement, unfortunately, is a not-as-happy counterpoint to the Civil Rights movement. Roe v. Wade, the decision that legalized abortion, resulted in a huge backlash against the women's rights movement. The Equal Rights Amendment, an amendment to the constitution that would have guaranteed equal rights for women, failed largely because of anti-choice concerns that it would invalidate any restrictions on abortion. This history is largely glossed over and hugely oversimplified due to the fact that no one will read more than a few paragraphs on a blog, but the point is this: court decisions do not necessarily mean that a minority group will gain any more stature in the long run. The civil rights movement was largely successful: legal segregation was ended, outright racial violence such as lynchings were minimized, and the culture was fundamentally changed, though a subtler and some would say more dangerous form of racism still exists. Women, on the other hand, continue to be beaten, raped, murdered, paid less, and kept out of positions of power. This can't all be blamed on any one thing, but the fact remains that the American people failed to ever stand up and have their legislature do much of anything to protect the rights of women. They did so for racial minorities, particularly African Americans. This is a huge difference. Today, over 50% of violent hate crimes are committed against LGBT people. Court decisions that stand up for the right to marry are welcome, but I fear they will do nothing to change the views of the people. Without that change, real change on the marriage issue -- and real change on hate crimes legislation -- will never happen. We need more Vermonts, desperately. We need to pass ballot measures that support the right of all people to marry, not vice versa. We need municipalities and elected officials of all types to do the right thing here. And that, unfortunately, means the people need to do the work. Yes, that means you need to do the work.

While we are rallying for a few more Vermonts, can we also get a few more Seths?! For more on what you can do to sponsor human rights for all, read next week's post.

Shifting the Power

2009-03-18T19:31:00.016-04:00

The first weekend of March in Washington D.C. was really cold, like face masks and long underwear cold, but that didn't stop thousands of fired up young people from gathering for the second Power Shift Conference, which brought youth from all over the country together to "hold our elected officials accountable for rebuilding our economy and reclaiming our future through bold climate and clean energy policy."

Guest blogger and high school freshman Amelia Schwalb recounts her experience here:

On February 27, 12,000 young adults ventured to our nation’s capitol in order to change the world. They traveled 28 hours through blizzards and braved long flight delays, but all eventually arrived at the Washington Convention Center for Power Shift 2009.

They were greeted with keynotes by environmental leaders such as Van Jones (Green for All) and Majora Carter and left with the sounds of Santogold and the So So Glows in their ears. These young people went on to spent their weekend attending workshops, panels, caucuses, trainings, keynotes, and concerts with a common goal: repairing our world. They learned that climate change does not only affect nature, but all human kind. They learned that through climate injustice and environmental racism, climate change affects those who cause it the least the most.

Most of all, they learned that climate change is an urgent issue that we must tackle if our species is to survive. Along with regional planning, the Power Shifters’ newfound knowledge culminated in a lobby day in which they asked their representatives to enact aggressive climate legislation adhering to the principles of cutting carbon, investing in a green economy, using renewable energy, and being eco-equitable.

After the lobbying was complete, the younglings headed to the West Lawn for a rally, clad in green hard hats and green t-shirts. Most of the Power Shifters then headed home to start their own mini-Power Shifts in communities all over the country. Memories of Saturday night’s impromptu rally echoed in their minds; “What is it that democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!”

1969 : Tree hugger :: 2009 : Recyclable-cardboard-and-mixed-paper-hugger. The more things change...

Adventures in Urban Composting

2009-03-12T18:14:00.010-04:00

It's my guilty moment of the week again - time to take out the trash. I glance in to see what the week's detritus consists of, and I feel that familiar twinge. While I am pretty happy about the fact that two people have generated less than a kitchen garbage bag's worth of trash, the majority of our waste is food scraps, which will decompose in the anaerobic landfill environment and produce methane, a global warming gas more potent than carbon dioxide.

I live in a city with a robust recycling system, so I am able to reuse or recycle almost anything else that might otherwise make its way into my garbage. According to the EPA, 24% of household wastes consists of food scraps and yard trimmings, so it seems I am not alone. Some cities, including Seattle and San Francisco are now offering composting bins for residents that are picked up once a week along with recycling and trash. Other areas, like Santa Barbara County, offer composting bins at reduced rates as well as free composting workshops. Check with your local municipality to see if they offer similar services.

If you decide to compost on your own, the EPA's website is a good place to start to get an overview of different methods and services available in your region. Santa Barbara County also has an extensive online composting guide available on their website.

If you decide to go the urban composting route and have limited outdoor space, consider vermicomposting - tapping into the magical power of composting with worms. I have a tiny deck outside my apartment, and this will be command central for my new compost pile.

According to the Santa Barbara County composting guide, bins also give you bang for your buck. You can build one for about $40 or you can order one from a gardener's supply store. The guide tells me how to calculate the size bin I will need, how many red worms to get, and what can be composted. Here is the rundown of treats for my new squirmy friends:

Vegetable Scraps
Fruit Peels and Scraps
Coffee Grounds and Filters
Plant Clippings and Leaves
Crushed Egg Shells
Stale Bread and Grains
Tea Bags
Untreated Paper Towels and Tissue Paper

In other words, I can pretty much compost everything that I have been throwing in the trash - hooray!

Of course, I'm also on a budget, so I'm off to search a few how-to sites to figure out how to build my bin. Temperature is a consideration when vermicomposting as well; the worms like 55-75 degree weather, which is pretty much the temperature in Seattle eight months out of the year, so I'm all set there. It's been hovering around 45 degrees lately, so I'm going to give myself a few weeks to gather the materials, do a bit more research, and let the air warm to ideal worm temp.

If you are considering setting up your own composting system, check out these resources:

For the true worm fanatic, there is also vermicomposters.com, but I don't think I'm there yet. Check back in a few weeks to see how the composting is going and whether or not I am eating my words (but not my worms!).

Armchair Activism

2009-03-07T23:51:00.008-05:00

With no more than a computer and an Internet connection, you can easily tell your political leaders, business owners, and other organizations with influence over policy what you think. Best of all, taking action won't cost you a dime (although I am sure the orgs would welcome your donations too!).

If this is your first foray into the world of armchair activism, you'll be happy to learn that many non-profit organizations now offer links from their websites to action items you can take, and if you sign up for it, they will also send you email action alerts. Usually, an action consists of no more than signing a petition or placing a phone call to your senator or representative.

Here is just a small sample of the many actions you can take today:

The We Campaign has launched a campaign to Repower America with 100% clean electricity within the next 10 years. Right now you can sign a petition on their website that calls for a cap on carbon pollution, which will be delivered to members of Congress.
ONE has launched a campaign calling on the African Union to support and uphold the new unity government of Zimbabwe, which is in its critical early stages.
The Sierra Club is asking people to sign a petition urging the Obama administration to ban mountaintop removal coal mining, which is a mining process that's just as destructive as it sounds.

With a new administration making important decisions every day, now is a crucial time to get involved, and these petitions, phone calls, and letters are an effective way to reach policymakers. Consider that the recent efforts of such groups as the Genocide Intervention Network and Save Darfur helped to convince President Obama to appoint a special envoy to Sudan, which is a diplomatic presence sorely needed in that devastated region.

For more ideas about organizations to get involved with, check out the directory of "Organizations Making a Difference" on the Ten Ways website and change the world today from the comfort of your chair.

Coffee Shop Rant

2009-02-24T23:43:00.009-05:00

Okay, this week's suggestion might just be the easiest one yet - it won't cost you any money, it won't require a lifestyle change, AND it takes no time. Ready?

If you are eating or drinking at a restaurant or coffee shop, don't accept to-go cups, containers, or plastic utensils. The vast majority of these products are made from the types of plastic that is impossible, or at the very least, difficult to recycle.

I have been spending a lot of time working in coffee shops the past several months, and I can't help but notice how much unnecessary waste is generated at these fair-trade, eco-minded havens. Even in Seattle, a city that prides itself on environmental awareness, the majority of people in the coffee shops I frequent are drinking out of to-go containers in the shop. A quick poll of the coffee shop I am in right now offers a good illustration of this point: There are 22 patrons, and of these mostly cheerful, caffeine-swilling folk, only 3 of them are drinking out of reusable mugs.

These cups and lids represent not only the resources needed to produce and ship them, but these one-time caffeine conveyors also add to the mounds of garbage that must be trucked out of the city. Seattle, like most metropolitan regions, pays to ship its garbage to its final resting place hundreds of miles away, and many cities have to send their unwanted stuff even further afield.

So the next time you have the choice, please make the one that will produce no waste.

If you want to take your efforts a step further, bring your reusable mugs and water bottles with you and refill and wash as necessary. For extra credit bring your own to-go containers and reusable utensils. For some excellent products, check out To-Go Ware, which was founded by Stephanie Bernstein while she was still in her twenties. And, of course, always try to purchase coffee that has been grown in an ethically and environmentally responsible manner. For more info on fair trade certified products, visit the website for Transfair USA.

Winter Markets

2009-02-19T16:30:00.014-05:00

Come for the cabbage, stay for the crepes

I have been singing the praises of farmers markets for a while now on this blog. I also know that many of you reading this blog may find yourself in an area covered with snow, and therefore might be having a hard time imagining what you could possibly find to eat right now from local farmers. The answer (no matter where you live) is probably plenty.

The ocean offers up its bounty year round...Its mysterious and terrifying bounty

Seattle, which has a temperate climate, has a year-round growing season and a few year-round markets, but even in colder areas like New York, there are still farmers markets selling goods that keep for long periods of time (think apples and potatoes) as well as goods that can be produced year-round like cheese and baked goods. Eating locally minimizes the carbon footprint of your food, and local delicacies are often made with healthier ingredients and therefore usually taste better!

A visit to a winter market is also a great impetus for trying new food - I am currently in love with rutabagas, which can be eaten raw in salads, roasted, or baked. Rutabaga Gratin anyone? Check out Local Harvest to see what's available in your area right now, and check out these pictures from my recent trip to the Sunday Market in the Ballard neighborhood.

Tomatoes are a stretch, but there's plenty of kale, cabbage, potatoes, and other root veggies around

Salmon and apples: Two things you can always find at Seattle markets