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Flexitarian Commenters Set Me Straight on Meat (Or Lack Thereof)
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2009 Comment (2)On Wednesday, I wrote about an article in Audubon Magazine which revealed that, to halt climate change, we needed to eat about a quarter of the amount of meat we currently consume each day. A flexitarian diet, as we've all heard before, is better for our planet and our waistlines, but the term "flexitarian" is so all-encompassing that anything goes, really. Now climate-change flexitarians have something to aim for - no more than 3.1 ounces of meat per day, no more than half of that being red meat.
But many of the commenters, both here and on other sites that linked to the post (thanks, Lifehacker and Serious Eats), disagreed with my wording, and approach. If someone wants to cut back on meat, rather than thinking about maintaining a certain day's quota, it's better to go vegetarian for breakfast and lunch, or breakfast and dinner, or only eat meat when you're at restaurants or with friends. Then, after a few vegetarian meals, you're free to indulge in that burger, or juicy piece of chicken. Creating boundaries, rather than measuring portions, is the way to go, I'm told.
Here's their advice:
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'UFO Octopus' Destroys Wind Turbine; Gore Fears for Life
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2009 Comment (27)A few British papers are running a story, based on eyewitness reports, that an "Octopus-shaped UFO" swept through Lincolnshire, UK and destroyed a wind turbine, lopping off one blade and twisting another.
Well, this explains everything. Polluted water? It's because of the Loch Ness Monster. Melting ice caps? blame the Yeti. If we could manage to catch a unicorn, their magical powers would help us get to 350 million parts per million of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Rather than being man-made, global warming is monster-made. Al Gore probably anticipated this, and is hiding in a monster-proof, alien-proof bunker, trembling (he's purchased offsets for his emergency generator, of course). Clearly, he is next on the octopus alien army's list.
Or, you could believe that the blade was blown off by some errant fireworks, or ice that had built up on the blades. Whatever.
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The Consumer Electronics Show Gets Greener
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2009 Comment (1)This year's Consumer Electronics Show is the greenest it has ever been. So far:
--The "Greener Gadgets Tech Zone" of the Las Vegas convention has grown to 3,000 square feet this year, from 520 square feet last year.
--On the heels of MacWorld's green battery news this week, Toshiba has announced that they have developed a more sustainable, longer-lasting battery.
--A presentation from the Consumer Electronics Association discussed the trend of gadgets going green:
The authors found that 64% of consumers say recyclability is a factor for them in purchasing a PC. However, the authors also found that 40% of consumers say they’re not really sure what makes one computer more green than another. Interestingly, gender slanted 45% to 35% female to male, which the authors attributed to women’s connection with mother Earth, or some such stuff.
[Rolling my eyes. Way to stereotype, CEA.]
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How Much Meat Should a Climate Change-Wary Flexitarian Eat?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2009 Comment (10)There are plenty of reasons not to eat meat - animal rights, health, the environment - but not everyone can make the leap to full-fledged vegetarian. If we all limited our meat consumption each day by adopting a flexitarian diet, though, we could have our prime rib, and our planet too.
But surely, it's not good flexitarian behavior to abstain from meat for breakfast and lunch, and then eat a giant steak for dinner. In Mike Tidwell's article for Audubon Magazine about how he went from a barbecue-loving Southerner to a strict climate change vegetarian, he figured out the stats for how much meat a flexitarian should eat.
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MacWorld Sustainability Update: "Take That, Greenpeace."
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2009 CommentThis summer, Greenpeace chastized Apple for environmentally-unfriendly practices in its quarterly scoring of tech companies' green efforts, ranking the company 11 out of 18. But today's MacWorld Expo keynote prompted one MacWorld blogger to declare, "Take that, Greenpeace."
The environmental report card for the new MacBook Pro is looking pretty great. It has an ultra-green battery that can be recharged up to 1,000 times, and recycled at the end of its use. With a lifespan of five years, fewer batteries will end up in a landfill. The MacBook Pro is arsenic-free, brominated flame retardant-free, mercury-free, PVC-free, highly recyclable, has Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool Gold certification, and on top of it all, packaging is 34 percent smaller.
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How We've Changed Throughout the Bush Era
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2009 Comment (1)The January/February issue of the Atlantic has a neat graphic that shows how our country has changed over the Bush years. There are some interesting environmental stats here:
--The price of a bushel of corn has more than doubled, from $1.86 to $4.81, thanks to ethanol.
--The price of electriticy per 500 KWH has gone up from $47.47 to $65.69 in September, thanks to rising fuel costs.
--Oil consumption, however, has stayed about the same. It was 19.7 million barrels a day in 2000, and 19.5 million barrels a day as of September 2008.
--How the mighty fall: General Motors' market capitalization in 2000 was $28.30 billion. In December 2008, it's $2.99 billion.
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California May Ban Big Screen TVs
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2009 Comment (11)State legislators in California are drafting regulations that may prevent California retailers from selling power-sucking big screen TVs by 2011. It's a move that, according to EcoGeek, may eliminate plasma screen TVs from the market there, as they're less efficient than LCDs (though, inch-for-inch, both TVs are more efficient than cathode ray TVs - they're just bigger). Retailers are upset that the regulations would send customers to neighboring states, or online, for purchases.
Says the LA Times:
The consumer electronics industry opposes the regulations, expected to pass in mid-2009, and claims that they could remove some TVs from store shelves and slightly boost sticker prices.
But the California Energy Commission is looking for ways to relieve the strain on the power grid. Officials say the standards, once fully in place, would reduce the state's annual energy needs by an amount equivalent to the power consumed by 86,400 homes.
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Audio: Green New Year's Resolutions
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2009 CommentOver the weekend I spoke with WTOP in Washington about why green New Year's resolutions are great for 2009. Last week, I wrote about green resolutions for the home, the office, your food, fashion and transportation - as well as a site that will help you keep those resolutions. Green resolutions are worthwhile for a few reasons. First, they'll help you maintain your financial resolutions by helping you save money, whether you try bicycle commuting or give your home an energy makeover. Second of all, most green resolutions are not that hard to do. This isn't on par with quitting smoking, or losing 50 pounds - it's turning off lights when you leave a room, and bringing reusable grocery bags.
LISTEN NOW:
Eco-Friendly Resolutions for Your HomeSubscribe to Money & Business
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Where to Find the Best (and Worst) Environmentally-Friendly Ski Resorts
Tweet Share on Facebook January 5, 2009 Comment (3)Ski season is in full swing, so the Ski Area Citizen's Coalition has released its annual list of the best and worst ski resorts for the environment. Ski resorts have a lot at stake when it comes to climate change, after all - warmer winters could mean shorter ski seasons, and lost revenue. The SACC grades the resorts on preserving undisturbed lands, conserving water by avoiding snowmaking, renewable energy, waste stream management, and accountability, among other factors. The resorts are graded on a scale of 0 - 100 percent, and you can check out their methodology here. So, if you're looking for some fresh powder, where should you go?
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Green New Year's Resolutions: Transportation
Tweet Share on Facebook January 2, 2009 Comment (1)As we spend the next few days thinking of ways to better ourselves in 2009, here are a few green resolutions to add to your list. Many of them will help you with your financial resolutions, as well, since going green can often save you money. Add your own resolutions in the comments below.
(More green resolutions: For the home, the office, food, fashion)
- Many of the trips we take frequently are less than two miles from our homes. Try walking or biking for these trips instead of driving.
- If you don't have the space to store a bike, you can join a bike-sharing program. it's like car-sharing: you pay a membership fee, and then swipe a card when you want access to a bike. After a few delays, bike sharing programs are starting up in many cities.
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