Comments: Ben Carmichael

Lessons From A River

Thanks your comments, all.

Your comment has reminded me to order "A Language Older than Words." It's been on my reading list for years. Thanks for the nudge.

Best,
Ben

Energy Boon or Dirty Boondoggle: Which Would You Choose?

George! Thanks for writing. Love the photo - and thanks for its use.

Using Google to Combat Climate Change. (Part 2)

Thanks for your comment, Andy. I actually have been in contact. They're doing some really good work now that I'm sure they'll continue in the coming months, if not years. I'll let you know when and if I have any updates.

Cheers,
Ben

England: A Dusting of Snow, A Climate of Chaos

Hi Dan,

First, let me say thank you for taking the time to read and comment.

You’re right, of course, that the snow fell unevenly across England. Oxford received a few inches, while London was covered in a about a foot. That can make the difference between life as usual, and life disrupted.

But that wasn’t the point, was it? Even in such areas as London and Scotland did the snow warrants bold headlines declaring “chaos”, as a number of the national newspapers reported. Did it warrant not only front page headlines, but two page spreads? And what of the Times yesterday that warned, “Prepare for another crippling fall”?

My point was not how much snow there was, but rather very similar to yours: weather is regional, and not everyone is prepared for even a small change in patterns. My further point was that, in a changing climate, even the globally privileged will have to adapt – and especially England, as northern latitudes gain more precipitation over the coming century, as climatologists predict.

Even now, England should by all means be prepared. They are a country admired for a rugged strength, as much for their antiquated aristocracy. Moreover, in this country, weather is used as excuse, filler and substance in conversations. They certainly have relied on it over the past few days, sometimes to existential effect.

Following the storm, on BBC Radio I heard the announcer ask: “But is the weather good for nature?” The guest responded by saying, “It’s neither good nor bad. It’s simply the weather.”

As I write this, more snow is falling – more in Oxford than we had in the first round. I suspect there will be more delays. This time, it’s expected for, as the Times is reporting, there are “fears that Britain is running out of salt and grit.”

Best as ever,
Ben

Must I Throw Out The Whole Hog?

Thanks for your comment, Conrad. Hope you're able to rustle up some good vegetarian options in mountains of northwest China.

Your comment comes on the heels of an excellent article written by Mike Tidwell for Audubon. Called "The Low Carbon Diet," check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/95pxjm

Tidwell has chosen to become a vegetarian. I haven't gone that far; I like my Sunday bacon too much. And so I advocate a more moderate approach. Merely eliminating meat one day a week can have a considerable impact. Going without four days a week is, in my mind, a reasonable balance. But Tidwell outlines the challenges, and the decisions, well.

Happy eating,
Ben

In Search of a Homegrown Beer

Thanks for your comment, Liam. You are right, of course – the role of yeast was mischaracterized. But I think you’ll find neither of us framed it quite right.

The role of yeast is more complicated than simply providing alcohol or carbonation. In reality, it does both.

In the instance your refer to, yeast itself doesn’t provide the alcohol. Rather, it facilitates the fermentation of beer. Yeast takes the sugars extracted from the grain -- barley in most instances -- and metabolizes them, producing both alcohol and carbon dioxide in the process.

You’ll have to forgive the mistake – I’ve been living in England for a while now, where we drink our beer flat and at a carefully regulated basement temperature.

As to hops – you’re quite right that New York was once home to a bustling hops production. You’ll see I mention that above. I haven’t tried it, but I do know that, as my friend Katy Nicholson mentions in her comment, that there are some breweries in NY using locally grown hops. There is -- or, at least, there was, from what I’ve heard -- a group at Cornell working on this.

In A Hot, Flat & Crowded World, Thank God For Cities

Thanks for your comment, Nathan.

You suggest that competition can be a catalyst for activity, and progress. I would agree. But I wonder: how exactly would you structure this sort of competition?

Many of the networks have been structured less around competition, and more in response to the need for information, inspiration, and even funding. The rewards in these systems are informal, or reputational.

Are you suggesting a more incentive driven structure? Or that pride of place can be enough to drive this sort of competition.

Looking forward to your thoughts,
Ben

Lessons From Hallsands: A Warning to Slapton Ley

Thanks for your comment. Let me clarify a few points.

I enjoyed these communities. Not only are they beautiful places, but they remind me of the coast of Maine, where I grew up. I have sympathy for their situation, and their hardship, beyond the issue of erosion.

My post was motivated not by a conviction that these communities should be abandoned. Indeed, I would like to see them continue to flourish. But there is a difference between needlessly locating your home atop of a cliff and resting it a 30 or 40 meters back from the shoreline. The difference is between courting disaster, at the expense of distant taxpayers, and accepting personal responsibility for inevitable and, I would argue, unstoppable natural processes.

The situation is different, of course, in each town. If I remember correctly, there is at Beesands and, to a limited extent at Hallsands, room away from the cliff to accommodate a small cluster of homes. These would still be seaside, would still have views, and would preserve the local community.

The trouble is with Torcross and the road along Slapton Ley. What we know for certain is that erosion has been slowly wiping away the beach. We also know that the ocean is rising, if slowly. The question, then, is not if the road will some day be beyond our recovery, but when. It may be hundreds of years away, it may be within our lifetime. I don't know, and I don't know if anyone can know with certainty.

The suggestion of abandoning these places would not be without precedent. Other countries, such as the Netherlands, in which large areas lie below the floodplain, are negotiating a managed retreat of large sections of the country should sea levels rise dramatically. Closer to home, parts of England have been submitted to similar manged retreat negotiations.

I agree with you -- this is a sad process. And it should be done in only the most necessary of cases. But it's my opinion that the road at Slapton is being held in place by matchsticks. It will only take a small natural incident -- a strong wave system, say, or a hurricane -- to wipe them out. How many times will we rebuild? How many times can we beat the odds?

Cities As Segregated Green Spaces

Thanks for the heads up re. the photo. I'm no longer living in New York City, and wasn't able to take my own shot. You'll see I've updated the post with a new photo of NYC -- this one definitely not taken from the Passaic.

Al Gore at DAR Constitution Hall: Live Blogging

A friend just wrote me to say this:

"Was the speech really anything new? Did being in person really help it out? It seemed ok, but certainly not deserving of 'delivering the challenge for the next century.' I feel that challenge was delivered, unwrapped and scrutinized a long time ago. The only new thing is that Al Gore is now saying it – only well after many other people have said it.

Plus, on the NYTimes front page, he's trumped by the Emmy nominations.

Anyway. I was hoping for something big, new and innovative. I guess I'm just disappointed."

What do people think? Was it what you had hoped for? More? Less?

Serious Pigs: Rabelais Books, Portland, Maine

Hi Jeffrey,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience at Rabelais. It could not have bee further from my experience. Not only did people come in and out of the store, but both Don and Samantha were nice to all. And this was not to put on a good show; before we began talking formally, they were quick to offer help, and advice. Next time you're by there, stop in again. I hope you'll find them to be engaging.

Best,
Ben

To Eat Less Meat, Maybe We Should Just Be Ourselves

Hi Kristen,

I think you make a great analogy, and one I hadn’t thought of.

We so often think about these issues in terms of large, sweeping changes. But change your diet just slightly, and the energy savings are much larger than the sacrifice.

You’ve been doing this for 17 years. Do you have any suggestions for people? Ways to change their diets? Their kitchens? Any delicious recipes? Let us know.

Thanks, again,
Ben

Flying III: Would You Fly If You Had More Options?

Thanks for all of the thoughts, John. Let's talk more directly about it, shall we? I'd love to talk you about something. Email me at bcarmichael@nrdc.org

Thanks,
Ben

Flying III: Would You Fly If You Had More Options?

Hi John,

I think you're absolutely right to argue that the barrier to progress is not simply building the network -- a huge challenge in and of itself -- but in reorganizing the way in which Americans live. We need new zoning laws that not only permit, but encourage mixed-use communities. One of the best answers to global warming is a well designed city -- one that attracts rather than repels families.

This conversation reminds me of an article published by Paul Krugman in the International Herald Tribune a week go in which he claims to have seen the future in Berlin. He wrote:

"Europeans who have achieved a high standard of living in spite of very high energy prices - gas in Germany costs more than $8 a gallon - have a lot to teach us Americans about how to deal with that world.

"If Europe's example is any guide, here are the two secrets of coping with expensive oil: Own fuel-efficient cars, and don't drive them too much."

It's not simply a matter of automotive innovation, as you say, John, but of changing the geography of our neighborhoods. There have been stories recently about public officials being excited over a 5 to 10 per cent increase in ridership on public transportation following the increase in fuel prices. But only about 5 per cent of Americans take public transit to work. We need that number to be much, much larger. And in order to make it larger, we need neighborhoods that are accessible. That contains green spaces. That provide amenities like grocery stores, churches and offices. It's about houses, yes, but also about homes.

In the short term, we need to stop sprawl. NRDC's Smart Growth program says, "Sprawling land development is gobbling up the American countryside at an alarming rate of about 365 acres per hour." Figures like this make you realize how far America is from coming to terms with the problem, let alone the solution.

Best,
Ben

Gear Up For Bike to Work Day

Thanks for the comments, Hal.

You make a great point about freedom. Here in DC, the bus schedule at night can become terribly inconvenient, with a half hour or more in between buses. All the more reason to ride a bike, I say! You can come and go as you please.

The problem of cities evolving around cars is more problematic, and is why I like reading about what's happening in smart growth communities so much. Julia Bovey has a great post about this problem over on Switchboard. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jbovey/tysons_corner.html

Also I'd recommend this podcast we did a while back. It's good stuff.
http://www.onearth.org/multimedia/podcast/bike-commuting-part-one

Happy pedaling,
Ben

Gear Up For Bike to Work Day

Thanks for the support Conrad, and for the additional information.

I find that one of the most compelling parts of this conversation is also one of the simplest: people need to spend more time outside. You pointed this out; a half hour every day is simply not enough. Getting out into the world -- whether on a trail or sidewalk -- reconnects with you a changing world. It's one thing to read about it, another thing to participate in it.

But if it's so good for us, and the world, why don't people do it more? This is a question I'd like to explore in a further post.

Any thoughts anyone?

Best,
Ben

Air Travel II: Learning to Fly

Thanks for your comments, Alex, and apologies for the delay in responding. Mother's day and all...

As for your suggestions, I do enjoy reading all the new environmental blogs. There's a wealth of information now available to people trying to make informed, smart decisions. Something I think we all support.

But I don't have a favorite carbon calculator. Part my argument was that they're unreliable. What they do well is impress upon people that with each trip should come a sense of awareness, if not responsibility, to the world around us. What they don't do well is give a precise measurement of this impact. Not because they're not trying, mind you, but because that's virtually impossible to do on a case by case basis.

Instead, we should use this conversation as an opportunity to talk about how Americans need more transportation choices. Car and air travel simply isn't enough. I plan to talk about this in my next post on air travel, coming up in the next few days.

In the meantime, anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ben

Nicked by Nalgene? Try Stainless Steel

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your comments. I always appreciate reader feedback, especially when you can help catch factual errors. You’re correct to point out that SIGG is made of aluminum, not stainless steel. This was my mistake.

But I should clarify that I never disputed that SIGG canisters contain a lining. In fact, I pointed readers to a few links confirming they do. The question, rather, was whether this liner leaches BPA -- a question a lot of people are asking. An article from Treehugger posted few days ago asks this same question. Another article on Grist from a year ago also looks into this issue. You pointed out a discussion, as well.

Many of these discussions come to the same conclusion: we just don’t know yet. There is evidence that the liners are safe, but much of this evidence is questionable because it was either paid for by SIGG, or comes from an unknown source. In my opinion, it seems like SIGG’s liners are safe, but it could be that we simply haven’t done enough research yet.

There are other factors here that complicate the choice of which reusable water bottle to buy. On the one hand, SIGG is made from aluminum, which has been linked to Alzheimer's, and while is recyblable, is made from virgin, non-recycled aluminum -- a process with serious environmental side effects. (Note: I’m still trying to find information on the recycled content. I’ll update when I know more.) Kleen Kanteen’s products, on the other hand, are made in China. I see that someone in your discussion, Ben, chose to go with China. Not all will feel the same way.

The lesson? It’s still an imperfect solution. Is manufacturing an aluminum bottle, coating it in a liner of undisclosed contents, and then shipping it off from Switzerland, or its US location, really without adverse side effects for our environment or our health? No. But it is better than plastic, in many ways.

What we’re talking about is incremental change. I think we would agree that enabling people to make informed consumer decisions is essential to reducing environmental waste, and avoiding health risks.

Thanks again for your comments.

Best,
Ben

A Wiser Dryer

Interesting post, Molly. I'm always trying to find ways to cut back on my energy use -- especially with a dryer. Whenever you feel the radiant heat coming off one, you know -- energy conservation is not their game.

And while I applaud the move to use less energy, wouldn’t it be better to use no energy at all? I’m talking about clotheslines.

Clotheslines offer a number of advantages beyond reducing your energy consumption. Consider:

- Your clothes last longer
- Sunlight both bleaches and disinfects
- Whereas indoor racks can actually humidify the room in dry, winter weather
- And some even argue they smell better

The biggest barrier to using clotheslines, it seems to me, is the stigma we associate with them. We’ve come to associate clotheslines with lower income neighborhoods – with those who can’t afford the luxury of a dryer.

But isn’t it time we reassess this association? Those who hang their clothes out choice aren’t dong so because they can’t afford the dryer, but because they understand the social and environmental cost of dryers. We should thank them, not criticize them.

After all, as Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately.”

If you’re compelled, April 19 is National Hanging Out Day. That’s the day to hang ‘em high.

Bamboo Bike Fever

Hey Audrey,

Thanks for the question - glad to hear you're interested. As for the price, it varies. If you check out Calfee's website, there's a full list. they run somewhere between two and three thousand dollars.

While you're there, check out the Ghana Bike Journal: http://www.calfeedesign.com/Ghana2008.htm Craig Calfee, owner of Calfee, went to Ghana to build bamboo bikes for local use. His story is really engaging.

Best,
Ben