Not too much to say about this. It’s too depressing to think about. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a dump that is estimated to be twice the size of Texas has formed. It’s just human-created debris. Visit “The Great Garbage Patch” for more information.

You Don't Have to Bike Like This!

The cold weather is here in the U.S. and those of us on the east coast have been taken a bit by surprise with the recent cold-weather snap. Many people wonder how it’s possible to still bike in colder weather, but I can assure you that, with the right gear, you don’t have to stop bike commuting simply because it’s cold outside. Following are a few cold-weather bike commuting tips that might come in handy.

• Layer, layer, layer - It’s the only way to bike commute, especially if you travel a significant distance. Wear a layer of synthetic material closest to your skin, and layer on out from there.
• Don’t Break the Bank - There are some great synthetic material clothes available at Target for very reasonable prices. Also, check sales racks of outlet stores. You don’t have to wear anything fancy, just functional.
• Let There Be Light - IMO, you can never have too much lighting on you in the winter time. I may look like a really tacky xmas tree, but people can see me. I am currently wearing three lights on my backpack (which puts them in a position more visible to cars) and two headlights on my front handlebars. I also recently ordered some valve stem lights. They should be here any day and I can’t wait to see how they work.
• Fingers and Toes - What you will want to invest in is good cycling gloves and decent winter socks. If you’re biking in weather below 40 degrees F, pick out these items with care. If it’s really cold and wet, I have found that plastic bags OVER my socks do a good job of keeping my feet dry.
• Head - You’ve gotta wear your helmet, but a nice balaklava under it and a helmet cover on top will keep your head toasty warm.
• Legs - If you’re cheap like me and don’t want to invest big bucks in expensive long john’s, I would highly recommend women’s tights (yes, even you guys out there will like these). They are very lightweight and inexpensive. A single pair for $5 can last you a good portion of the winter months.
• Outer Layer - I like to layer my jackets just like the rest of my outfit so that I can remove things incrementally. I wear a nice fleecie close to my body and a water-proof/wind-proof shell for my outermost layer. I have done this for years and it really works to keep the heat in and wind and cold out.

All 270 Whole Foods stores throughout the U.S., Canada, and U.K. will stop using plastic bags at the checkout counters beginning Earth Day (April 22) 2008.  Single use plastic bags do not degrade in landfills, litter the environment, and pose a serious threat to wildlife all over the world.  Plastic bags used in the U.S. can end up in the ocean thousands of miles away.

Plastic bags are bad, bad, bad for the environment!  They never biodegrade and the microscopic plastic particles infiltrate every corner of our environment, from the stomachs of Arctic animals to all our deep forests.  We MUST stop using plastic bags.  I have done this myself and, while it was hard at first, it proved to be very easy with a few minor changes.  I have invested in a set of reusable bags.  I take a pocket-sized one with me everywhere I go.  Visit Reusablebags.com (click on image below) to get your own reusable bags.  It’s one of those small efforts that we can take collectively to improve our planet. 

"The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman provides a fascinating look at our planet and what humans have done to the environment during their existence.  While this author’s main premise is to examine what would happen to the world if humans suddenly disappeared, the book is really examining what humans have done to the planet, through agriculture, development, and the chemical insults we have released on the environment.  The best part of this book is that Weisman successfully ties in the interconnectivity of our ecosystem, how plastic bags dumped in one part of the world go on to create havoc thousands of miles away.  It is a must-read for understanding the environmental impacts we are unleashing and the drastic measures we are going to have to undertake to stop them. 

To increase the number of people traveling on two wheels instead of four, Canada has eliminated retail sales tax on any bicycles under $1,000 until November 30th, 2008.  This exemption also applies to most safety equipment and accessories, such as helmets and lights.  It would be great to see America do the same thing!

http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/notices/rst/61.html

I don’t know where Americans, and for that matter the world, ever got the impression that something which is bigger is automatically better.  In America especially, this attitude is pervasive throughout our entire culture.  It applies to cars, homes, and anything else we can get our grubby little hands on.   The mentality here is that, if you have the money to do so, you should buy the biggest and most of everything.  We were driving through Potomac, MD this afternoon, one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, and I was literally nauseous by what I saw.  Homes, valued at more than $30 million, taking up huge plots of land and consuming quantities of energy and resources that could probably be used for entire cities.  Homes with indoor bowling alleys, movie theaters, 60 car garages, separate houses for the multiple housekeepers, and even a home with its own hotel!  Frequently, the owners of the home are only occupying the house a few months out of the year, as they have houses spread out over the country consuming equal quantities of energy.  So, you can afford a $30 million home, but does that really mean you should buy one?  I keep telling people that we have to take the initiative to moderate our own consumption.  Even if we can afford a huge house, it does not mean we should buy one.  If we don’t, we are going to soon live in an era where the government does so for us.  This means that, regardless of our income or wealth, we should be purchasing homes that meet the minimum basic needs of our family.  If you don’t have 15 kids, don’t buy a 15-bedroom house.  Take that money and buy up land to keep it out of the hands of real-estate developers.  Buy nature preserves and maintain them so that our ecosystem can continue to function.  As we drove through Potomac, I could not help feel disgust and pity.  Trust me, there was not a single iota of envy floating through my body.  I just saw wealth, greed, and people who don’t have a clue as to what life is truly about.  

I am constantly amazed at the things we are doing to degrade our environment and endanger our health.  The damage to our environment goes far beyond driving cars and cutting down too many trees.  Just about every single thing we produce leads to environmental damage in some capacity.  Something as seemingly simple as jewelry is no exception.  Gold mining in particular can have devastating impacts on the environment.  Gold mining damages water resources by raising the acid levels in rivers and lakes, which is harmful to both wildlife nad people.  Cyanide, used to leach gold from ore, pollutes water and kills fish and other life.  Mine wastes also include byproducts that include mercury and heavy metals, which can work their way into the food chain and cause numerous ill effects for generations.  In addition, gold mining pollutes the air because of the dust that is produced in open-pit mines.  The smelters used for release the gold from the ore release oxides of nitrogen and sulfur into the air, both of which cause smog and acid rain. 

I find it so sad that we’re willing to literally kill other people and living things to obtain jewelry and other gold products.  However, there are things that we can do.  First, don’t buy gold jewelry unless it comes from a retailer that uses either recycled gold, such as www.greenkarat.com, or sustainable mining techniques (for a list of such retailers, visit www.nodirtygold.org). 

Show your support for a carbon-neutral world.  Go car-free on September 18th here in DC.  With so many transportation options in DC (cycling, walking, bus, metro, train), it’s one of the best places to do away with a car.  And the best part about being car free in DC?  You don’t have to find parking!  Try it, you might just like it.