Rustle the Leaf - Global warming animated short.

First off, don't actually click the image to watch, you have to click HERE.

Secondly I thought that after stooping to the level of putting up a Futurama clip (which some might have recognized from "An Inconvenient Truth") then I figured I could also use November's Rustle the Leaf animated short about global warming.

Not only am I pointing this out so that the fine folks over at Rustle the Leaf get some good credit but also to try and spread the word about environmental teaching aids.

COUGH COUGH (Rustle the Leaf has tons of information about this.)

Right, well I think I beat that drum rather successfully.

Non-Kyoto compliance and enforcement

This is pretty much an older news item but one that I have been watching with some interest. I made a conscious effort not to comment on it until I could study it more and figure out exactly what it meant. The November 13th proposal during the UN Climate Change Conference in Nairobi by France's Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to place taxes on imports from nations not complying with the Kyoto Protocol (mentioned here a billion times so far) by 2012 seemed rather interesting.

I suppose the wording and intent of the proposal was what really caught my eye. Early reports stated that the actual proposal would affect nations that refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. That in itself is a problem as nations such as the United States actually did sign but have yet to ratify the pact and make it part of our national agenda. Or what about Canada, who has signed the Protocol but does not expect to meet it's 2012 goals? Will it also be penalized?

Perhaps supposition of this is moot anyway. De Villepin's plan to have created a more solidified plan of action by spring 2007 relies on WTO trade treaty provisions and obligations as neither the Kyoto Protocol nor the Climate Change Convention currently have the authority to create and enforce trade restrictions. Unilateral trade restrictions will no doubt be challenged by the United States as the current administration has already voiced intent to remove itself from the Protocol and while the US has never really ratified the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties the "State Department has stated in the past that it considers the Vienna Convention to be a codification of customary international law and hence also binding on the US". This allows the US to use Article 18 which states that even though the US was a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol if it (US) “shall have made its intention clear not to become a party to the treaty" it will no longer be bound to adhere to Kyoto restrictions.

So what does this really mean? That even were the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention no Climate Change) to impose tariffs upon countries not following the Kyoto Protocol to reduce GHG (Green House Gases) that there already exists a rather gaping hole in the ability to enforce such tariffs.

Even inserting trade language into the current Kyoto Protocol to allow for the ability of an international body to impose and collect tariffs would possibly open the entire protocol up to re-examination and could eventually undermine the entire intent of such an important international convention. Some thoughts have been to actually adjust the duties of the UNFCCC and grant them the power to impose and enforce more stringent standards.

While currently a "hot button" issue, due to the widespread acceptance by the scientific community backing human based global warming as well as most industrialized societies actually wanting to accept the responsibility that planning for change brings I cannot imagine why any nation would want the mantle of not supporting stricter international regulations on GHG or other pollutions as an attempt to protect humanity as a whole. It seems to fly in the face of any political parties inherent interest to protect it's citizens.

Resources:
Comments on the Proposed Use of Trade Sanctions Against Non-Kyoto States

Kyoto Protocol Primer

Interactive: What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Cute Polar Bear Cubs in Trouble care of Ms. Marjie

Matt Groening's "NONE LIKE IT HOT" Care of "Futurama"

National Buy Local Day - Nov. 18th

If anyone were to take the time to read any of my past posts you might wonder if I was all ahead of the curve with my lament upon finding a starting place to research for an attempt at beginning a 150mi. diet.

Recently I have decided that in order to become fiscally solvent (in any sort) I should stop wasting money on prepared foods when I can make stuff just as tasty (and I enjoy cooking) cheaper by myself. The major problem with this is that I do not currently live by myself and there are annoyances whenever I begin attempting to cook. Anyway, I am still contemplating my attempt at starting my 150mi diet and hopefully will use National Buy Local Day as a springboard.

I really don't know how in depth I can go into this topic. I suppose I could start listing all the reasons one would want to buy local goods. How about that?

1. Supports the local economy. That one is easy. You actually put money directly into the pockets of your neighbors every time you purchase a local product. That allows your neighbors to purchase goods for themselves, each time putting money into the local economy which pays for things such police and fire protection, health, infrastructure, possibly education (depending on how your local tax system is set up).

2. Purchasing local goods protects human rights. Strange but true. Many of the goods that are purchased from "Big Box" stores are manufactured in countries that do not demand wages or working conditions equivalent to what we would expect here. What does that mean? It means that there are children working in factories to make your shoes or designer jeans. Think for a second about what that means about you as a person. By purchasing local goods you can trace the path of your good back to the raw materials. You know not only who worked on it but who can be held responsible if it doesn't live up to expectations.

3. Purchasing local does wonders for the environment. Now I know that the United States currently doesn't hold the most stellar record for halting pollution during manufacturing but by purchasing local you are saving energy that would be used to transport those goods. Imagine your shoes coming over from Asia. Are you the type of person who walks to the corner store instead of driving? Then why do you think it is reasonable for your shoes to come over on a giant boat from some far off country you have only seen on TV?

4. Purchasing local makes you part of the community. It makes you an independent investor in where you live. You are making a conscious choice to put money into your local economy and are creating opportunity for more smaller businesses to thrive. These smaller businesses will bring diversity and competition. They will create a dialogue of various styles and choices and provide an increasing array of new things to try and discover.

So please, take one day (I know asking for a Saturday is a big deal) but try and visit some local shops, visit some smaller boutiques, maybe even a local farmer's market. Say hello to the proprietor and maybe make a new friend. Then just imagine, if you find a shop you like, how you can share that knowledge with your other friends. Imagine the difference you can make.

Winter Cycling in Ohio

As Cleveland begins to enter the typical season of wacky winter wonderousness usually attributed to bitter winds, driving snow, sleet and ice, short days (I already miss the sunshine) and the arduous act of preparing oneself to go outside and face the weather many of us are packing up our more mild weather goods. From kayaks to lawnmowers, wind surf boards to kites, many of our "toys" are prepared for the long winter hiatus. Being a Clevelander I won't go into how even our grills never really get put away, instead I am going to concentrate on another "summer sport", cycling.

For many cycling is more then just a leisure activity, it is a means of responsible and healthy conveyance and many Clevelanders actively enjoy it. Personally I love my new bike and actually taking the time and effort to do a little bit of research and investing in a bike that was by far more comfortable (and a touch more expensive) then my Big Box Brand generic ride keeps me interested. While I will actively bemoan the fact that my new job does not currently provide facilities for those that would like to commute into work via bicycle I like to think that someday (with enough prodding) that amenities will be created.

I am sure that many would argue that expecting to ride a bicycle into work is fine for the summer, but, as the previous paragraphs suggest, what about the winter? Well my friends, there are quite a few people that enjoy their bikes in the winter too. Enough that the Ohio City Bike Co-op held a seminar on that very topic. The Winter Riding Seminar included tips regarding proper attire (quite a big portion of staying warm in the winter), cycle maintenance, and proper equipment. If anything it is an easy read and should at least make you realize that winter cycling isn't really that difficult or intimidating.

Of course there are many such places to find good tips about winter riding. Just Google search will bring up a plethora of tips and ideas. I suppose though, the most difficult portion of bike riding, bridges the seasons. By that I mean the legalities and laws of riding a cycle on a public way.

Recently Ohio updated it's bicycle safety laws with the passage of HB 389 which actually became effective in September of this year. While not perfect there are some noted improvements and anyone who is going to be out on a bike on a public road should do their best to educate themselves on the proper way to operate their vehicle. I suppose I could go into an entire rant on how bikes ARE considered vehicles and SHOULD be allowed safe operating space and should be respected but I don't think I could go down that line of thought without also pointing out that a lot of cyclists don't follow the laws themselves and actually could be aggravating the aggressive behavior of many drivers out there. Some of you jerks know who I am talking about.

Regardless, it would behoove you to check out some of the nice resources I went through all the trouble to collect for you. Besides, a lot of the people involved in said resources are pretty nice and fun to talk to anyway.

Ohio Bicycle Federation
Cleveland Bikes
Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 45 XLV (Traffic Laws)
Chapter 45.11 (Rules of the Road)
Chapter 45.13 (Equipment Rules)

-Image taken from Crash Course another site offering winter riding tips.

Timely: Viktor Schreckengost and Cleveland's Chinatown

Alright, today is a trifecta. That should make up for my slacking on posting anything new and exciting yesterday.

Well, in a somewhat scary coincidence the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article with a somewhat dubious tagline that combined two of my recent posts. Perhaps I have a fan? Naw. Anyway Mr. Viktor Shreckengost is has what is quickly becoming my favorite last name to type designed a wonderful fiberglass pig which will be decorated by local artists and placed throughout Cleveland's Chinatown in front of the various businesses that sponsor them.

You probably remember the Year of the Dog, dogs and the plan is the same for these friendly pigs. So far the St. Clair Superior Development Corporations has contacted about 300 local artists asking them to submit proposals and plan to whittle the selection down to about 25 in the upcoming couple of weeks.

For details you can call Katharyne Starinsky, commercial development manager at 216.881.0644.

Chinese Zodiac Page for fun

City Fresh Forum: Local Foods, Mental Health and Nutrition

City Fresh Forums: Local Foods, Mental Health and Nutrition
Thursday, November 16, 2006
6.00pm - 8.00pm

Urban Community School 4909 West Lorain

Just a Reminder that The New Agrarian Society and City Fresh are hosting a special forum on poor nutrition and it's correlation to high incidences of physical and mental health problems.

Presenters:
Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, PhD with Ohio State University Extension
Jennifer Scofield with the Cleveland Department of Public Health
Dr. Farah Munir, DO with University Hospitals

More info here that I already mentioned and made links and even embedded a pretty little image.

E4S - Celebrate the 2006 Champions of Sustainability

Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4s)
Celebrate the 2006 Champions of Sustainability
Thursday, November 16th, 2006
Great Lakes Brewing Company, Tasting Room
2701 Carroll Ave, Cleveland, OH
5.30 pm - 8.30pm

Entrepreneurs for Sustainability is a local grass roots group that works in conjunction with other small local organizations to create a meeting space and dialogue between those that are marketing green products, those that use green products and those that are interested in how green products work.

Throughout the year E4S holds a "Third Tuesday Network Event" which are typically held the third Tuesday of every month (Turkey Day is throwing everything off this year) and are free 3 hour long networking events that have key speakers regarding that night's specific topic from environmentally friendly landscaping to solar power. They are pretty informational and I try to catch as many as I can.

This specific event is to celebrate Champions of Sustainability that have been nominated and chosen by their peers and whom represent local business owners who are educating the public and strengthening the "green design" stance in Cleveland through their business or volunteer activities.

It should be a fun event to cap off a good year for E4S. This event is FREE and held in a wonderful brewery's tasting room but you should at least register. Which you can do when you Click Here for more information.

Smog eating concrete

If you just so happen to be visiting the Italian Pavilion of the architecture exhibition in the Venice Biennale between now and November 19th you might notice that the air seems a little bit crisper, the sky a little bit clearer or you may just notice the demonstration of concrete that utilizes titanium dioxide that when exposed to light (natural or artificial) can break down nitrogen oxide, benzene and carbon monoxide in a difficult to pronounce chemical process called Photocatalysis. So far measurable affects have been rather impressive with a 45-60% reduction in nitric oxides. The concrete doesn't magically sequester or destroy the smog creating compounds but rather breaks them down into relatively less harmful compounds of carbon dioxide, nitrates and water. It would seem to me to be a perfect material to build urban planters out of.

The "smog-eating cement" (known in Italy as "cemento mangiasmog" - by Italcementi ) is a patented technology which of course demands a premium price, however the actual smog eating cement need only be applied to the exposed surface material of the building, sidewalk, etc.

Paving blocks may cost up to a third more the traditional materials however the cost of upgrading a facade (the article did not mention it they meant upgrading an EXISTING facade with a screed, etc. but I suppose that would be possible) would demand a relatively small cost.

Besides decreasing atmospheric pollution the concrete would also preserve the building's appearance as it prevents build-up or discoloring and corrosive material.

Definitely not something that we should expect would alone save our cities and atmosphere but instead this represents a material that would help and provides multiple advantages for any urban environment. Sidewalks, roads and building facades present an incredible amount of surface area in any inhabited environment and increases proportionally with density, mirroring automobile traffic and pollution creation. While I would rather see a city lined with trees and covered in green roofs I can definitely adjust my Utopian "clean(er)" city to welcome the wonderfully plastic material of a smog eating concrete.

Cite your source: Businessweek

Things to do in Boulder when you're dead (and being carbon sequestered)

In a moved that is no doubt surprising people that hate taxes Boulder, Colorado the country's first anti global warming municipal carbon tax. That is right, the city of Boulder, Colorado decided to tax themselves (based upon electricity used) a whopping $.0022 per kWh.

Estimates say that Issue 202 will raise the annual electric bill per household $16 to $20 dollars and around $46 annual increase for businesses.

The people of Boulder hope to raise $1,000,000 (That is one million smackers, American) that will be collected by the utility Xcel Energy who will put the funds towards "energy audits". These energy audits will advise property owners (maybe some renters too) how to save energy by utilizing more efficient lighting, better insulation and more energy efficient equipment/electronics.

Most of Boulder's electricity is produced via coal and those in Boulder who opt for green power (such as wind power) will not be subject to this tax.

Boulder is rather progressive when it comes to environmental issues after adapting the Kyoto Protocol (remember that one, the agreement most industrialized countries signed but not the good ol' US because we didn't believe in global warming?) and even created their own gigantic 71 page Climate Action Plan (available in pdf).

I have to admit to being a little bit jealous. I think these resident proposed and created environmental plans not only make a lot of sense but as more and more municipalities start holding themselves accountable the outlook for everyone starts to look a little bit brighter. I am a little disappointed that Boulder is getting their power from a coal plant in the first place but I shall not throw stones as I live in Ohio and even with our proliferation of nuclear power plants I know we still have plenty of coal going up into the air around here.

Hopefully this will act as inspiration and incentive to all those cities out there that are looking for ways to sell themselves as a more progressive, environmental city without too much of a tax (industry would cringe at this though) and create a plan that would put money back into energy incentives. Boulder hopes to save over $63 million in the long term. As long as the "long term" is less then 63 years, they might just come out ahead.

Cite yer source
Thanks to the lovely Marjie for sending this one along.

Congratulations: Viktor Schreckengost

Congratulations to Cleveland Height's Viktor Schreckengost as he will receive the 2006 National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and art patrons by the United States Government.

Viktor Schreckengost is an amazing man and has probably touched every single American's life in one way or another whether we have used a product he designed or have seen his art in a museum. Recently he celebrated his 100th birthday and the Viktor Schreckengost Foundation exhibited more then 100 works spread out among all 50 states.

On a local level his birthday was celebrated in Cain Park and was attended by the birthday guest and a rather large crowd.

Schrekengost graduated from the Cleveland School of Arts and eventually became a teacher there (Cleveland School of Arts became Cleveland Institute of Art) where he founded the nation's first school of industrial design.

A perfect example of a homegrown hero who's desire for innovation and invention has shaped and inspired millions, Viktor Schrekengost followed his own passions and constantly strove to create for his fellow inhabitants. I admit he is somewhat of a personal hero to me and I just wanted to do my part to say thanks and spread the word so that others could also find inspiration.

Slate: Eight Week Carbon Diet

There has been a lot of personal soul searching lately. I suppose part of it stems from espousing the virtue of a "green" lifestyle coupled with the constant bombardment of realizing the impact and breadth of why I decided to study and become what I have. Recently I have had the chance to feel the sort of motivation needed to finally sit for my LEED exam and have been exposed to a work environment that is allowing me to finally carry on the sort of conversations about social responsibility and design, history and language that has been missing since I left the safety of the academic womb that was University.

I suppose another cause is realizing that I am finally reaching an age where the path that I begin to take should be one that I deliberately set and if I am sure upon what I feel I need to do then I should knock off the screwing around and actually do it. It isn't as if there is an awful lot of sacrifice involved.

Alas, that could actually be the problem.

I could go on and list my blessings but instead I will keep this moving along the semi-profession vein I attempted to set when I started this blasted thing. Last week sometime it dawned on me that I miss some of the simple pleasures such as cooking and experimenting with food, growing vegetables and herbs and generally studying cities. I made some bold statements such as "I will attempt to begin a 150 mile diet in Cleveland in the winter" and "I will cut my carbon footprint".

The diet is taking some time. I admit I am almost at a total loss of where to start. Google, I suppose will help a little bit, and there is research, which scares me a little bit. Oh, what horrible truths will I learn?

Cutting the carbon footprint should be pretty easy, especially when there is the possibility of PRIZES. Slate e-zine is trying to motivate some of us to go on a large scale 8-week carbon diet with the goal of individuals cutting their carbon footprint by 20%. I know this might not sound that hard, but it is going to be winter and 8 weeks takes us into 2007 (criminy, I can't remember to even write 2006 on checks...), with all the cold weather, horrible bike riding weather, bundled up cold as the dickens weather we can possibly stand to bear. This means more car driving and idling as it warms up, furnaces and space heaters on full blast, dark afternoons with lights blazing huddled in the living room watching the TV or hunched over our computers, and hot cocoa. Lots of electricity for hot cocoa.

It won't be easy but I will try it. I am a sucker for a free T-shirt and Treehugger.com is a co-sponsor and I secretly think I want their approval.

So if you are up for a challenge, one that can encompass every aspect of your life from home to work and everything inbetwixt while attempting to do something better for the world maybe you too would like to try to win a free shirt and join me on the carbon diet. I swear, the spokesperson is cooler then Jared.

Nov. 7th, Cleveland. Diebold impressions.

It actually went pretty well. I showed up at my usual time (8-ish, before work) and was the fourth person in line at a polling station that had 3 new fangled machines. Everyone moved along at a pretty brisk pace and the machines seemed actually easy to operate, even for the elderly and those with vision impairments.

I was rather nervous, making sure that I highlighted the correct selection. I even went back a couple of times to make sure. Then, at the end I again went back to check my previous verification. I think HBO made me a little bit nervous. Attached to my voting machine was a printer (sounded like a dot matrix) that printed out my selection at the very end. This is the only discrepancy I have found between polling stations. Some printers printed out your selection as soon as your choice was made however at our station (or maybe it was just my machine) there was a preview screen that let me go through all my selections and then print out the report page by page.

Regardless, the paper trail alleviated a lot of my unease (of course they could just throw them out at the end of the day) and I feel pretty good about the process as a whole. Now I can't wait to hear the results in the polls as they trickle in.

I love the new "I voted today" sticker. First because it says on it "vote your conscience" which makes me wonder how many people take that to heart but the mere suggestion that a little round sticker can help people make the right choices sort of makes me grin. Then there is "change our world". Indeed. Change it indeed. We need change, progress, solutions. We are going to need them more then ever in the near future. Lastly there is an image of the earth in the background. This seems partisan to me but since I am a treehugger I really don't mind. I suppose if it was partisan then there are stickers out there with dollar bills on it too.

I wonder if the average American thinks about their midterm election decision and how it affects the entire world? I wonder how many people even noticed that the earth was on their little sticker?

Oh well, it is done. Over with. Fini. Time to start gearing up for the next one.

2006 Nov. 10th: Tremont ArtWalk

Friday, November 10th, 2006
Tremont ArtWalk
Tremont, OH
6pm - 10pm

Well kids, it is almost that time of the month again. The second Friday is coming up and that can only mean one thing, time for another Tremont Art Walk. Last month led to a good time, some fun photos (that I am probably not allowed to share) and some hand holding due to the very chilly weather. Well, it seems like the weather for this Friday will be better so I expect to see more of you out there looking at art goodies and taking in the wonderful Tremont vibe.

I promise to try and take some photos of stuff I can share for the next Tremont ArtWalk post. And yes, there will be one. Its a staple.

Hacking Democracy

Well folks, tomorrow is the big day, and by big day I mean the day that you get to wake up earlier, roll your butt out of bed and make the ever important decision. Delicious waffles or good for you oatmeal.

No, I mean whether or not you are going to trudge to your polling place (local?) and partake in the great American game of pretending that you can make a difference and your opinion matters.

I am attempting to only appear sarcastic and mildly bitter. I actually believe that every vote counts and that people should spend the time to research the issues and walk down to their polling station and actually vote their conscience. I know there has been stuff all over |some| of the news about the faults of the Diebold voting machines and how 80% of the national voting public will be using extremely susceptible machines. I have heard through the grapevine that there are even some incredibly scary and damning television/web programs about this very issue. Some of which Diebold does not want you to see OR believe.

There are some precautions you can take. Double check your results. Then double check your double check. Then make sure again. Then, just walk away and try not to worry about it. Try not to dwell on whomever is responsible for letting the system get this way, don't let fear color your vote. Chances are you probably did that two years ago.

Anyway, you might as well watch the HBO special, at least to prime yourself for the upcoming weeks when the outcome will no doubt plaster every media outlet you can get your little paws on and even more bickering (akin to 2004) will seep into every nuance of your day.

Oh the humanity!