Come the Revolution

Archive for February, 2008

Sometimes I think that the internet has ruined my life. Other times, I think it is the glue that keeps me sane. Realistically, it’s both.

Like many of you and unlike many people just a few years my junior, I can remember when computers were not standard fare in suburban, middle class households. I grew up without one, then one for my parents’ work (they were computer programmers for ages by the time computers were small enough to be called PCs) which I was not allowed to play with and had only DOS interface, then one with Windows so that my brother could easily be an advanced high schooler. Suddenly around that time, computers ‘tipped’ (a la The Tipping Point) and everyone seemed to have one.

Up until I started high school, I generally wrote my papers on a word processor (that, thankfully, let me save the files onto floppy disks). Now I think I might want that word processor from my parents’ so that I might have the ability to work with few distractions while still typing. I can no longer imagine writing something without also having a messaging program and a browser open in addition to the word processing program.

A couple of summers ago Amanda and I lived in a small cottage on Cape Cod. This particular cottage had shakey wireless internet and no television. The only thing to do in town was go to bars… and I was just under 21 with no fake ID. So we played a little Scrabble (which I love, and she dislikes) and talked a lot. We planned a business, we planned about 3 different futures, we discussed political happenings, cultural shifts, recipes, public health, and sometimes we didn’t discuss anything at all. Now we discuss what we’ve recently seen or read on the internet. We discuss webcomics and blogs, and what some blogger believes about something or another that’s seemingly relevant. Still no TV, but the internet has seemingly expanded (or at least our use of it has) to fill in the time that was once, and should still be, reserved for spending time just being together.

In response to this, I am going to institute a computer-free day for myself. I’m not dragging anyone else into it, but one day every week will be spent computer-free. No blog posts, no e-mails, and no stressing over it. An e-mail can always wait until tomorrow. I won’t even watch movies (which is on the computer). This day will tentatively be scheduled for Tuesdays. If that doesn’t work I will try another day instead of stopping the idea altogether. I am determined to start powering down.

This past summer, I worked on a farm. That particular farm was interested in moving to renewable energy sources, and it was part of my job to figure things out. Now, for reference, This is a farm in the temperate Mid-Atlantic region, with lots of trees and not a hell of a lot of water. It’s also one with seriously limited funds. Keep that in mind.

There are a few main options for moving toward renewable energy. Since I already said that water is out, let’s move on to wind. Wind power requires an optimal amount of airflow at a certain height. Those windmills are built really tall so they catch the airflow that we don’t generally feel at the ground. The more airflow you feel regularly, the better. Ever been near DelMarVa in the heat of summer? The air doesn’t move. At all. I’m talking thick, heavy, hot, humid, and disgusting. As it turns out (and you’d never have guessed this from the last sentence), there’s not enough airflow to warrant a windmill in this area, either.

That leaves solar. As energy goes, solar’s generally a good option if you live somewhere the sun shines. There are two general ways of harnessing solar energy for home or farm use- turning it into electricity via photovoltaics (pv), or using its thermal energy to heat water. Either setup is best when maximizing southern exposure (in the northern hemisphere; northern exposure should you be in the southern hemisphere). Pretty straightforward- set something up to be facing the sun as much as possible.

Photovoltaic panels are mostly attached to a roof if they’re small-scale. For a flat roof (say on the apartment building in which I sit) there are stands that hold the panels to a proper southern slant. This is where most people turn for their energy consumption. Most folks with solar panels work with their local electric companies and get wired into the grid. They’re feeding the grid during daylight hours, and getting paid by the electric company to do so. During the evening and night hours, outside of standard business hours, it’s often possible to get a reduced rate on consumed energy. The two in combination can save people hundreds of dollars per year- thousands if the house is heated via electricity. Photovoltaics are expensive to buy and have installed, though. So when I was looking at them for the farm I did what most people do if they’re pondering ‘going solar’- I closed the window.

Thankfully I knew about solar water heaters and their waxing popularity in the states, so I looked into those. There are a few different kinds of these, but as I was researching for (and many of you would be) a temperate zone, and for a house that didn’t have any south-facing roof. That type is the evacuated tube method. It’s a bit more expensive to install, but is more efficient, transferring the heat through metal to heat the water inside your house. For its price, and that there are limited concerns related to freezing temperatures, it’s an awesome investment for homeowners in temperate climates. And it saves money on electric or oil bills, depending on how you heat your water for everyday use.

Congratulations- you’ve read a basic and boring post. For those of you who read this far or skipped ahead- there’s a prize. Links! But not just any links- ones that take you to magical lists of solar installation companies! Here!

This morning I learned of Fidel Castro’s resignation as president of Cuba and my response was sitting down to blog before 8am. Now I’m sure your first thought on the matter is wholly political, but mine is revolutionary. This blog’s kind of revolutionary, that is.A number of years ago, when the Soviet Union fell, something amazing happened in Cuba. The country went from having access to a lot of oil to having virtually no access to oil. Suddenly there were a lot of cars that were unable to be powered. Suddenly there were miles between where people worked and where they lived, and the once-insignificant commute was a cause for alarm becuase it had to be powered by the commuter. Suddenly, Cuba went through peak oil. After some aid from China in the form of bicycles and some aid from the government in the form of buses, many Cubans were able to get to work again. This was good to have out of the way so that the people could concentrate on their biggest problem.Of course, the biggest problem was food. This isn’t an awful tale of a government not feeding it’s people (for all you die hard Bush fanatics out there), but quite the opposite. Cuba had, like many countries, centralized its food production over the years and used tons (literally) of fossil fuels powering their version of big agriculture. Without petroil, Cubans were likely to starve. But many individuals and communities stepped up. The government matched such efforts with essentially opening up some farmlands from the huge agribusiness setups for community use. There were, within a very short time, a lot of people working the land again for their own and their community’s benefit. There are rooftop gardens in the cities. There are programs for children which are essentially summer camps learning agriculture.

In some ways Cuba has met the revolution and continued. A lot of folks are saying that with Raul Castro in power in Cuba the restrictions on travel will be less strict. This could lead to a lot of exchange of information between local farmers from Cuba and farmers in the US. In my mind this is more than just a cultural exchange or exchange of information, but a serious cross-cultural collaboration in order to further understand farming intensively and sustainably.

For more information, please see The Power of Community, which is an amazing documentary which is heartening if all you’ve seen is the End of Suburbia and Who Killed the Electric Car.

Don’t tell Cian, but I’m having an affair. Her name is Clementine. She’s got curves in all the right places, and she sings–

Okay, actually, she doesn’t sing so well just yet. But we’re working on it.

I love bluegrass. I’d been thinking for months about learning to play the banjo but, not wanting to give in to any whims, I resisted the idea. In early January, with all the talk of New Year’s Resolutions, I started thinking about it more seriously.

Then, outrageously, the mercury hit 70 degrees, and I got spring fever. I needed a banjo. I searched Craigslist, read about good models for beginners on Banjo Hangout, and finally, cautiously, tried the idea out on my coworkers over lunch. I half expected them to laugh, and–well, they did, kind of. And they hummed Dueling Banjos. But in a good-natured, encouraging way. One of them mentioned a particular instrument store in my neighborhood, and I thought, well, it doesn’t hurt to look, right?

The rest is history. I brought Clementine home with me that night. Cian, who had no idea how seriously or how soon I wanted a banjo, was surprised but supportive. That first night I couldn’t do much more than pluck out the melody of Yankee Doodle Dandy, but that didn’t bother me any. Now, more than a month later, I can play Bile ‘Em Cabbage Down and Cripple Creek (although not as fast as I’d like to, of course), and I’m working on Old Dan Tucker. And I love it. Clementine sounds better every day, and I’ve got an awesome callous on the tip of my middle finger.

As the government finalized their plans for an economic stimulus package that will land us each with some “extra” (hah) cash this year, Sharon compiled a list of productive ways to make use of this last consumer climax. Her recommendations ranged from burying the cash in the back yard to getting that dental work you’ve been putting off, but coming in at number eight:

Buy a musical instrument. Have you always wanted to learn the violin? Do you play a nice saxophone, but don’t have one? Even in hard times, there are reasons to celebrate, and music makes celebrations. If the economy tanks and you are out of work, a. subway busking becomes a more economically viable choice (although pianos are tough for that) and b. you’ll have time to practice, or to bug the kids into it.

Come the revolution, I’ll still be able to make music! Sounds good to me. Well, at the moment “good” is probably an overstatement. Better go practice.

Photo: Banjo by taberandrew.

I’m excited to be able to say that I saw a Smart Car yesterday for the first time, although I am less enthused that I saw it after I narrowly missed becoming intimately acquainted with its rear fender and the pavement. You’d think a Smart Car driver would be more willing to share the road!

Anyway- Smart Cars are pretty amazing contraptions. They’re built for two, built for cities, have trunk space for your groceries or whatever, and are very euro-shic. They are also one of the easiest things to park- being half the length of a lot of SUVs I’ve seen trucking around the narrow DC streets. In short, they’re one of a few really good ideas for urban dwellers car-wise.

What makes them even more exciting is that they’re available on the East Coast. That and in two short years they will be available in a plug-in electric and a hybrid form. Brilliant!

So if any of you are looking into buying a car for two, I suggest looking into the Smart Car.

Growing up as the younger of two boys, I got to play with a lot of transportation toys as a kid. There’s a model train setup in my parents’ basement to this day. More than that, my dad’s Lionel model train set from the 1950’s is also in that basement, as is a stationary model engine with turning wheels and a steam-release. It runs on a tiny steam engine inside the model, well, steam engine. I can even remember there being a small store in my hometown that used to sell Lionel train sets. It, like the doll house store (in a Victorian that looked like a dollhouse) and most of the other locally-owned stores of my childhood, went the way of the dinosaur long before I could afford a real purchase. My love of trains, thankfully, has remained strong.

Now the trains that gain my attentions most are Amtrak. They are the trains that get me from Union Station here in DC to Penn Station in New York, to Boston to see friends, and to western NY to visit my brother. Around here there’s the MARC for commuters, where I grew up there were NJTransit and LIRR trains, and a few other cities have good rail systems still in use (including SanFrancisco, where they’re trollies). It used to be that there were a hell of a lot more of them- both trains and trollies- running throughout the states. What happened? The age of the car and cheap gasoline happened. And now that age is ending.

I think my vote to move back to trains is clear- the re-building and upkeep of tracks would provide jobs and labor, as would the construction of rail cars and the customer service positions (conductors, ticket sales persons, etc). There’s another reason, too. Train systems- ones that are used and well-kept- are better in a lot of ways than other forms of transportation. Less polluting than cars, buses, and planes per capita (or, for argument’s sake, per container); they can be made especially efficient using magnets and electric wiring. They leave safe walking/riding space in and around the streets, putting less pollution directly into the lungs of you and your kids. In short, I love trains.

Recently I started working in a children’s toy store and, lo and behold, there’s a 3+ train set. For those of you far removed from small children or their train sets, it’s a table set up with a basic but nice set of wooden tracks with little wooden (plastic outside this store) engines and cars set up to play with. Every single three year old, and most four and five year olds, beeline past scores of toys for this table. Every time it happens, I can’t help but smile.

We now reach the time of year when people prepare for Lupercalia. Young men and women awaiting the festival- two men wearing loin cloths running through the streets lashing young women with strips of goat skin. Ok, maybe that was only done in my high school. I suppose most people don’t sacrifice goats and a dog to celebrate Rome, nor do most folks celebrate the Purification of Mary- the early Church’s response to the popularity of the Pagan Lupercalia.

Most folks do celebrate the consumer version of a particular Saint’s day (actually quite a few priests named Valentine may have been meshed together for this one- it was a popular name at the time), thinking it the holiday of love. Being that most folks reading this blog are likely opposed to the consumer culture in which we live, I decided to make some suggestions for alternative Valentine’s Day presents. This isn’t saying that one should give gifts just because we’re told to culturally- I just like to take an excuse at least once a month to surprise the person I’m dating with something nice, even if it’s “just” a card.

Co-op America has an offer that for every $20+ donation they’ll send you two fair trade chocolate bars. Give the gift of support, and get the gift of chocolate. Amanda has been hinting at this one for weeks. If I weren’t around to pay for it, I’m sure she’d give it as a gift to herself.

If you’ve a nerdy lover, share the gift of history. A few years ago I researched and wrote- in longhand- the history of St. Valentine’s day for a girlfriend who was convinced it had come from Hallmark.

Alternately, write him or her a passionate love letter a la Victorian Era long-distance courtship. Great examples can be found in Searching the Heart by Karen Lystra. Or you may find some inspiration online.

Tell your lover or a close friend what you think with a rose. No, not a dozon (especially since it will put you back a lot of cash to do that). The meaning of the color will tell him or her how you feel (although I’d include a card explaining it).

Give a poem that has no beginning or end in a Love Knot. This costs only the mental energy of writing the poem and creating the knot. I have given this one as well, and it was difficult to get the lettering right. Absolutely worth it, though.

For the math nerd, give him or her one of these equations, or all of them with notes of love and appreciation.

If you’re crafty, you may be able to find something on Instructables.

And you can always give your special someone a venerial disease. I have two- they were from ThinkGeek, where mocking is in style.

Not to forget the other vein of presents, I have a series of mix CDs called Love Bytes. I give them to Valentine’s dates when they’re platonic (we hang out, have some wine and a lovely dinner, and curse at couples). I got to do this last year with Sarah, and she loved it. I highly suggest Masochism Tango and I Hold Your Hand In Mine by Tom Lehrer. They’re hard to find but have hysterical lyrics.

And Bittersweets, which are the really tart versions of those stupid candy hearts.

How do you know when it’s too cold to ride your bicycle? This is something I have thought about quite a bit over the past few years, as I’ve relied more and more on my bicycle for transportation. Last week I finally knew for sure what too cold was. I made a brilliant decision to ride to work when it was less than 20 degrees out, windy, and a largely uphill ride.

Going downhill felt like the descriptions I’ve heard of skydiving. One can’t really inhale, but it is, at least occasionally, unnecessary. On flat ground breathing was sharp and painful. As soon as I hit an incline I couldn’t inhale. It wasn’t hard to inhale after a moment or two, it was absolutely impossible. No oxygen, no power. I had to walk the bike uphill.

Thankfully after the shift it was a bit warmer and I managed to bike myself back home without walking halfway. I’ll tell you, there is nothing that makes me feel more like a wuss than walking my schwinn on the sidewalk. Even when I’m sporting my new (thanks, Amanda!) sexy helmet.

This video has been pinging to and fro around the intertubes for a few days now, but I couldn’t bring myself to watch it until today. I’m still not sure I should have. It shows footage from a slaughterhouse, where sick cattle are being beaten and kicked and rolled with forklifts when they can’t get to their feet. I’ve got a soft-spot for animals (even though I think they’re tasty), and this both made me sick and broke my heart. As a kid I was horrified by hunting — who would need to kill an animal themselves when they could just go to the store? Now I realize that, more often than not, a hunted deer will be treated with a lot more dignity than a agribiz cow.

So here’s reason number one to choose humanely raised meat: Instead of supporting the Agropoly, you can support a local farmer who treats her livestock well. Just make sure to ask questions, or you may be disappointed. When The Slow Cook asked his local vendor where his pork shoulders were coming from, he was dismayed to learn they’d come straight from the “farm” at Smithfield.

Reason number two is our little friend, E. coli. He likes to hang around manure, and there’s a lot of manure around conventional feedlots and slaughterhouses. If you’ve read Fast Food Nation or seen The Meatrix II: Revolting, you know what I’m talking about. Fecal matter has way too many opportunities to make it into your burger. By going with a small producer, you’re very likely lowering your risk for infection. Oh, and seriously cutting back on the yuck factor.

Reasons number three and four come to us from our reliable friends at Consumer Reports, who have run their analyses and determined that grass-fed beef may be better for your health and the planet’s. Via Ethicurean:

CR’s take. This beef could have benefits. The limited research completed to date suggests that steak and hamburger from grass-fed cattle may contain less total fat per serving, according to a review by the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists. Grass-fed steak can also have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce heart-disease risk. Grass-fed ground beef usually has more conjugated linoleic acid, which might improve the immune system and help fight cancer, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes, lab and animal studies show. And raising cattle on well-managed pastures can lessen erosion and boost soil fertility, the scientists’ group found.

One more reason. All that fat you find in meat? It doesn’t just clog the arteries around your heart. It’s not for nothin’ that vegetarians have better sex.

Photo: Brenda Anderson.