"Polar"izing Views

This tongue in cheek animated short includes both ridiculous (and viable) causes for global warming. I’ve heard some absurd theories on climate change stating that believers in climate change are part of a liberal cult, that the science regarding climate change is fraudulent and that if there is truly global warming there will at some point be beneficial effects such as reduced deaths due to colder temperatures and lower energy utilization for heating of homes.

What are the most compelling (or absurd) arguments contesting or supporting climate change that you have heard?

Movie Messages

I may be a little outdated in my cinematic experiences but I recently received the movie Avatar as a gift. With a large pile (or 5) of laundry to fold and three plus hours of time at my disposal, I plugged in the television, switched on the DVD and hit "Play".

Better late than never. My next several hours vanished into thin un-breathable air on a distant planet populated by large blue human like creatures.

I resisted the film at first for several reasons. These included, a lack of free time to watch movies, the price of admission at the theater, and the peer pressure to go see it. In addition, the film seemed to be so grossly over-marketed that I resented the push to view what I perceived to be an animated kids flick.

I couldn’t have been further from being correct. Avatar was not only a delight of visual imagery, but it carried a strong message of humanity, greed, and environmental and social irresponsibility. Aided by technology, we have the power to do right or wrong but as the principal at my child’s school can be constantly heard saying, “we need to make good choices.”

The lack of awareness in our society make it easier for us to ignore making these choices. If you haven’t seen this blue vision of a sister planet, I (like those who suggested it to me) encourage you to set aside the three hours you’ll need to enjoy the message of interconnectedness and environmental and social responsibility that run throughout this film. If you saw the movie, what did you think of its ability to raise our awareness of issues outside the theater (or living room, as was my case)? If not, what are you waiting for???

Note: If you go to the Avatar website, they have a Home Tree Initiative whereby they launched a worldwide effort to plant one million trees. When I checked there were 233,515 of 1,000,000 adopted. You can search the site to see where the most trees have been “adopted” and join the effort by adopting your own home tree.

In the know for a trip to the “go” (Chicago that is)
During a recent girl’s weekend in Chicago, this blogger enjoyed several glimpses of “green” in the go. Enjoying the public transport around town and covering quite a bit of ground by foot, there were several highlights worthy of suggestion to any interested in future travels to the windy city.

The first evening we commenced our gathering at Berghoff’s restaurant whose menu highlighted some local food options. My local selection was the Roasted Sweet Potato Panini which was specifically and sustainably succulent. After a filling dinner inspired by Deutschland, we took a walk to see what sights were nearest to our hotel and discovered the beautiful Chagall mosaic and the nearby Eye before returning to our hotel to plan our next few days.

Our second day began with some light exercise and a visit to the Green Mart of Chicago. This farmers market near Lincoln Park offered the most delicious crepes and organic fruits and berries which we procured for consumption on the grassy park area surrounding the Mart. The people visiting the market were equipped with reusable bags and totes and acoustic music could be heard from just beyond many of the outdoor vendor stalls. It was a refreshing gathering topped by a fantastic drink of Maple Water which from what I understand is filtered both by the Maple tree and the evaporative process involved in the creation of maple syrup. The water was clear, refreshing and left no aftertaste.

Our guide for the architectural tour pointed out many of the green architectural initiatives ongoing in the city and indicated some of the major efficiency efforts underway to improve upon buildings that predated the conscious current in architectural awareness.

Though a small book could likely be drafted on all of the fun eco-savvy travel tips for a visit to Chicago, these were a few of the highlights that were worthy of mention from my most recent weekend trip. Click here for some more insight into green Chicago travel or post your tips for green summer getaways to Chicago and beyond?

For more information, check out this link to planet green!

Greening the Boardwalk

Loud music accompanied by arcade games, the whirring mechanics of seasonal rides, bright lights, greasy foods on paper plates with plastic bottled beverages abounding mixed with the sound of crashing waves, and a salty sea breeze; these are the things I think of when I think of the boardwalk.

All were present at the boardwalk as expected this season with one addition. Through this blur of lights, smells, and sounds, there were some green messages. They weren’t especially prominent, but I was happy to see them making an entrance onto the boardwalk sub-culture.

In Rehoboth beach’s Funland, a sign was posted stating, “Our tickets are GREEN and so are we! The 108 solar panels on our roof are working to reduce FUNLAND’s carbon footprint.” When contrasted with the energy intensive rides and amusements, I found the sign a bit ironic but still a good start, nonetheless.



On the side of the boardwalk closest to the ocean, I saw some informative signs posted about the importance of grasses in preserving and stabilizing delicate dune ecosystems.

I did not see recycling bins, and noted when I ordered a funnel cake (couldn’t resist) I was given a whopping 6 paper plates to hold it on. There was an excess of packaging, an overabundance of trash, and a multitude of trinkets and petroleum based prizes (likely to be imports produced with a lack of consistent fair trade or labor standards in environmentally unfriendly conditions).

Rather than focus on the negative, however, I walked away happy to see that the green movement is being acknowledged and considered on the boardwalk. Even in places like Funland, being eco-savvy might be gaining power, at least in the photovoltaic solar sense!

Solar Searching

As with many of the decisions that have been made regarding “greening” at betterworldbuys.com, the decision on a new energy source for our home offices has been a challenging one.

Up to now, we have been paying to support wind energy with an extra fee on our monthly utility bill. Always seeking to do more, however, we began to investigate various options including a windmill, heat pump, and solar installation. After many consultations, research and soul (or in this case solar) searching, we chose to go forward with a new solar installation to power our residence and office space.

The bidding process ensued with several reputable firms participating. Halo Energy was selected to complete the work and owner John O’Boyle graciously agreed to allow us to blog about the process to share our experiences (positive and negative) with others interested in learning about solar power.

Our first official step was to have a solar tracker assessment completed to determine where on the property the installation would be most efficient (without requiring the removal of our beloved trees). The photo above is of the solar tracker used to determine the path of the sun in our area. From the assessment, it was determined that locating panels on our garage at the rear of the property would maximize the efficiency of the system with the least impact to our trees, home, and home office. The next step involves the completion and filing of all appropriate applications with our borough and state.

We’re interested in any comments from readers that have had experience with solar installations or with alternative energy questions.. As always, your feedback is invited and welcomed. We’ll keep you posted with updates on this process as we progress!

Declaration of Interdependence

In celebration of the Independence Day of this great nation, the words of our forefathers are recalled to inspire a look beyond our independence and at our interdependences:

“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….”

Their words have stood the test of time. Is it advisable now, however, to consider not just the Independence they declared, but also our Interdependence as implied in their references to our equality, our relationship to the ”Laws of Nature” and our “unalienable Rights”?

In the original Declaration, our forefathers brought charges against King George III, which demonstrated his violation of the rights of the colonists (subjects/citizens – depending on what articles you’ve been reading this week). Free of the monarchy, we now live in a society where big business and government create grounds for updated charges.

If we were to amend the Declaration to detail unalienable rights such as life, liberty and pursuit of happiness infringed upon today by various political and corporate powers, what would the updated charges entail?

Environmental discrimination, disruption of fragile ecosystems, widespread deforestation, depletion of resources, pollution, social injustices, and many more might be among the list of accusations.

What “charges” do you think should be added to a 2010 Declaration of Interdependence that could bring focus to our connectedness, while remaining cognizant of the beneficial role political systems and businesses play in our complex society?

A "Shore" Thing

I took a trip to a Delaware State Park beach late last week to spend a few days seaside enjoying the sun and surf with my family. I was dismayed to find the beach littered with trash and believe it or not a few scattered clumps of oil (which a nearby litter cleaning volunteer stepped in and had a terrible time getting off).

After getting several notes from friends around the world expressing concern over how our country is handling the BP fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico, I found myself shocked to see the impact on such a distant shore. One particular note I received from friends in South Africa’s Cape Town, expressed their dismay over the handling of this crisis-not by our government, but by our citizens. Their note indicated serious concern that our pubic wasn’t outraged and demanding action and resolve.

I was taken aback by the accusation that we were unconcerned as a society about the situation. Taken aback, that is, until I spoke with friends, coworkers and family to gauge for myself the level of this accused apathy.

I hate to admit it, but I was more than disappointed. It seemed the accusations were on target. Few people could tell me what was going on with the spill. Almost all, however, could tell me who won the Stanley Cup, the NBA championship or American Idol. Many had no concept of the irreparable damage being done to such vast ecosystems or the potential impact not only to our fisheries, but our little known oceanic frontier.

In this bloggers opinion, if we continue to be blissfully unaware and apathetic about negative consequences of our consumption decisions, the devastation of our environment will become much more than a “Shore” thing.