The future of farming

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Sarah Chain

Last night I joined a mixed group of students and community members to watch “Out to Pasture: The Future of Farming?” at York College.

Actually, I first got lost finding the college, then struggled to find the stairs in the humanities building and then borderline stalked one student until he turned around to eye me suspiciously and I blurted out, “I’m not following you, I just can’t find the stairs.”

But in the end, I made it to the viewing. The film was originally created for a food system curriculum for high school students, but the reception has been positive across the board. It focuses on a handful of farmers who are rejecting conventional methods of farming in favor of practices that replenish depleted soil; use little (or no) pesticides, antibiotics or hormones; and are generally better for the animals — all in the name of producing better food and protecting the environment for future generations.

Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Local events | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An alternative to plastic wrap

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Sarah Chain

Education reporter Angie Mason linked to a New York Times article today on the Cram Session blog, reflecting on a push for eco-friendly lunches.

I read her post and the article, and it reignited the battle in my mind over plastic wrap. I dutifully bring my lunch to work on most days, and I’ve been better in the past year about using reusable glass containers for leftovers, sliced fruit or salads. But I deserve a big fat F for my sandwiches and wraps, which consistently get covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. There have been debates over which is greener, but the fact remains that I throw away the sheet after I finish my lunch.

I’ve thought, off and on, about using a square of fabric instead, and closing it with a safety pin. My sandwiches aren’t particularly messy, and that way I could wash it when I’m done and reuse it. I could have a collection of five so I’d last the week.

Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer choice, Do-It-Yourself | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Are hybrid cars really worth it?

Posted on August 29, 2011 by April Trotter

I am a bit of a self-proclaimed tree-hugger. So, after a bout of veganism and intense recycling and yoga, none of my friends were surprised when I got a 2010 Honda Insight. (For the record, her name is Ingrid.)

Upon some convincing from my dad — and some major number crunching — I decided to lease the car, hoping to work through any kinks with the new technology before committing to anything longer than 36 months.

At first, I was unimpressed with my gas mileage, which was fairly comparable to the 1994 Honda Accord I had traded in on the lease. But after losing my lead foot and actively trying to keep the dashboard color scheme in the green — the car rates your eco-friendliness as you drive with shades of blue and green behind the speedometer — I’m proud to say that my car currently gets about 46 mpg.

Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer choice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

York College to host screening of ‘Out to Pasture’

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Sarah Chain

I am an avid lover of documentaries. When people ask me what kind of TV I watch or books I read, I tell them I like to learn — secrets of the CIA, the rise and fall of the Third Reich, extreme couponing, the current (crumbling) state of America’s bridges and infrastructure — you name it, I want to watch it.

But what catches my eye especially are documentaries about food. Everyone eats, so why not be aware of where your food comes from? I admit it’s often painful — the first time I saw video footage of a concentrated animal feeding operation, I noticeably flinched. But it’s necessary.

So I was excited to receive an email from Rory Kraft, a professor at York College, about an upcoming screening of “Out to Pasture: The Future of Farming.” The film focuses on farmers who practice “alternative animal farming systems, looking at chicken farms in the Eastern Shore of Maryland, dairy farms in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and hog farms in central North Carolina.” You can see a trailer via imdb.com. Continue reading →

Posted in Local events | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A weight on whose shoulders?

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Sarah Chain

Yesterday I sat in on a presentation from Jon Clark and Steve Izzo, members of the York chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, a nonprofit organization that works to effect legislative action to promote a sustainable climate.

The group’s purpose is summed up in its slogan, or catchphrase, if you will: “Political will for a livable world.” They’re focused on the big picture, on government policy and legislative action.

One bill they talked about in particular is called “fee and dividend,” which would charge a certain dollar amount per ton of carbon dioxide that is generated by burning fossil fuels. That fee would then be returned to Americans. The idea behind the bill is that by adding this fee to CO2 emissions, fossil fuel-based energy becomes more expensive, and clean energy starts to look more competitive. The dividend returned to Americans would help offset the consumer’s increased energy costs.

Whatever your beliefs on the Obama administration’s environmental record may be (and the opinions are varied, as displayed during a Yale Environment 360 panel held in July), and however you may view this new fee and dividend plan, my question is this:

How far does personal responsibility go before we need wide-sweeping policy changes?

Many groups are quick to note that if every person in the U.S. walked to the grocery or biked to work instead of driving for one day, it would be the equivalent of taking x number of cars off the road permanently. Or if every American switched to CFL bulbs, we could save x number of dollars on our electricity bill. The  statistics are always staggering, but I often think, “Oh, if it were only that easy.” Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer choice, Do-It-Yourself, Government policy | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

‘Greenwashing’ creates confusion

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Sarah Chain

Anyone who’s been shopping recently knows the overload of options available at your fingertips — whether it’s at the grocery store, the mall or even the local coffee shop, you have choices. Some of them claim to be “green.”

What “green” means, however, is to be determined. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a column last week on the confusion brought on by products that claim to be “eco-friendly.”

The writer smartly notes:

“I’d like to buy greener products, but it’s hard to figure which they are. Is it the “all natural,” “entirely natural,” or “100% natural” food? Poison ivy and salmonella are natural, too.”

And therein, of course, lies the problem. Plenty of “green” marketing sounds good — great even — but without standards to go by, how do consumers know if the claims are supported by truth?

One example that comes to mind is the plastic water bottle. Coca Cola recently changed their plastic drink bottle to be made partially from plants — the advertising says up to 30 percent. Other water bottle manufacturers made similar changes, or are creating bottles with less plastic (read: bottles that are flimsier, essentially).

That’s really great, of course. But wouldn’t it be better for consumers to stop using plastic water and soda bottles altogether, and switch over to something reusable? Instead, consumers pat themselves on the back (and give a thumbs up to the corporations) because the case of water they go through each week is made with plants, or less plastic.

Have you run into situations where green marketing confuses you? Share your stories in the comments.

Posted in Consumer choice | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Getting paid to conserve energy

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Sarah Chain

This weekend, as I sat down to enjoy a delicious meal of spaghetti and fresh tomatoes, I noticed it was kind of hot in my apartment. And I was sweating. A lot.

I tried to ignore it, since my I normally keep my apartment pretty warm. I told myself it was because I’d just cooked dinner on the stove. And then I looked up and realized my air conditioner wasn’t on.

Correction: It wasn’t working. No matter how I turned that knob, it would not kick on. So clearly, I began to panic. How could this be?! How do I survive without an air conditioner?! It was all of a sudden not just warm, but unbearably sweltering. Surely I would die.

Turns out I’d tripped a circuit, which was easy enough to fix. I wondered if it had been an overage of energy usage in my apartment, or my building, or maybe the block. But I crossed my fingers and hoped it wouldn’t happen again — air conditioning is utterly priceless once you don’t have it.

But my overdramatic reaction to a pretty silly problem primed me to be particularly interested in a notice I got in the mail yesterday, which was a promotion for PPL Electric Utilities’ program, “E-power Peak Saver.” According to the mailer, a technician installs a device on your air conditioning / heat pump (for free). Then “during times of critical energy need,” the device cycles on and off to lessen the energy demand.

The PPL website says the program “typically operates on the hottest weekdays for a block of time between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., June 1 through September 30.” For each month you enroll, the company then credits you $8 on your electricity bill.

I don’t have PPL as my electric company (and I rent, which means I’d need approval from my landlord to install the device), but it seems like a painless program, specifically if you work during the day.

Has anyone tried this (or a similar program)? Would you consider it?

Posted in Consumer choice, Electricity | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

See local effect of climate change

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Teresa Cook

Check out this new web tool unveiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council. It lets you read how your state might be affected by climate change.

On the site, www.nrdc.org/climatemaps, users can see local data and maps detailing extreme weather patterns throughout the country, see local climate change vulnerabilities and learn about health problems in their own communities that are connected to climate change.

The NRDC says climate change is expected to worsen air pollution in northeastern states along with its associated health problems. The map is based on an analysis of data gathered from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other resources.

Posted in Government policy | Leave a comment

Energy audit — yes or no?

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Teresa Cook

I was visited recently by an eager Civic Works AmeriCorps worker for Retrofit Baltimore, a project to improve home energy efficiency while training the unemployed for green jobs.

insulate.jpegI attended the information meeting and I’m intrigued, but not ready to bite yet.
The group would perform an energy analysis of my house first. This would take four hours and cost $395. To do it, they place a big fan in a door, blow the air out of the house and check all over the house to see where the air is coming back in.

Once they determine where the air leaks and insulation needs are, they give me a plan and I hire them to do the work.

Has anyone does this? I’m wondering how the analysis works and if you notice big savings.

Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer choice, Do-It-Yourself, Electricity, Green jobs | 1 Comment

‘Changing Planet’ focuses on climate issues

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Sarah Chain

Chaning Planet logoWhen I got home Saturday night from the York Revs game (a win!), I caught the tail-end of a program on The Weather Channel called “Changing Planet.” The moderator at this town-hall style forum polled the audience on a series of climate-related questions, and two caught my eye.

The first was whether audience members would pay more for their electricity if it was clean energy. Seventy-eight percent said yes; 13 percent didn’t know (that leaves 9 percent at a flat-out no). Another question asked if the audience would be willing to pay an extra dollar per gallon of fuel if it was from a clean energy source. The response was less enthusiastic, but the majority (54 percent) still said yes. Thirty-three percent said no, which leaves 13 percent who didn’t know.

Continue reading →

Posted in Electricity, Government policy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment