Plasticific

This is disturbing. Last week I found this picture of a turtle on The Ecologist and it wrenched my heart. Poor little baby hatchling must have got caught in a plastic ring commonly used for six-packs of beer cans. And grew into it.

They also mentioned the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” in the article, which was news to me. According to the Independent it is twice the size of the continental US and it’s a soup of plastic in the Pacific Ocean.

Plastic takes FOREVER to break down. And there is currently no good recycling systems for many of the plastics. And typically toxic additives are used and toxins are released during production and when it's breaking down or being burned. In fact, plastics don't break down by exposure to the sun only. They slowly photo-degrades to a molecular level, at which point further degradation can only be achieved by burning. That means it will be sitting in the ocean for a long time. The pieces might be so small that we don’t see them, but they will still be there. These plastics are eventually getting into our food stream. What effect this has on us and the environment is little known. I have heard that some might be hormone disruptors, but either way: my intuition tells me it’s probably not good.

The garbage patch was discovered by rich sailor Mr. Moore, when he was looking for a short cut on his yacht back to LA. When he ended up being in the plastic soup for a week, he realized that this is crazy and turned into an environmental activist. I guess, even the nicest yacht is not so great anymore, if the places to discover are trashed. Mr Moore warns that unless consumers cut back on their use of disposable plastics, the plastic stew would double in size over the next decade.

...for every 6 pounds of plastic that we got, there was only one pound of zooplankton.
Captain Charles Moore

What's next? Should we lie back and watch the clouds go by and keep on trashing our environment?

I think, we urgently need a more environmentally-benign replacement for plastic.

Maybe biopolymers are a solution, like these biodegradable plastic baskets, which are claimed to degrade after 18 weeks in the ground?

In the meantime, now more than ever, whenever I can choose between plastic fork or a metal fork, I will most definitely choose the metal one.

bike-to-work

brit on bike on bike-to-work day

The City of Calgary has a draft version of a bicycle and pedestrian policy in place. It lists some good points that, once implemented, will transform Calgary into a more walk- and bike-friendly city. For example:

“Plan for cyclists separately from planning for pedestrians; the needs of the two groups are different.” Absolutely true – that will reduce the risk of running over kids, dogs, and drunks. Dedicated bike lanes in the down town core would be wicked too!


Read the policy here, and if you have any constructive comments, let the City know by sending them an email.

What we choose...

...to buy can change the course of life on this planet.

Janette

Crackberry

One thing I learned from my boss from Texas, is that if you want something you have to ask for it. So I did. I asked for a blackberry, which really is blue and really is crack. After the recent lay-offs a few BBs became available, which goes well with my interest in sustainability: re-use, the middle of the RRR.

• It allows me to stay connected with my inbox, even when I am not at my desk. I am always on time, and 50% of humanity are not: so it's useful when I am waiting for other people in a meeting room.
• And working from home just got easier.
• It's a good alarm clock too.

So don't forget to ask.

Venice Beach

Here are a few pictures from a while back - the Sunday morning in Venice Beach. Nice and hot! It's a really cute neigbourhood with a sense of community. Beautiful lush tropical plants in the front yards and palm trees along the boulevards.

Cool Architecture

Cool People

And I was surprised to see Meinl Kaffee from Vienna and Gruener Veltliner on the menue at the Three Square Bakery. It felt like at home in Austria, well ..., like Austria in the tropics.

Baby Instructions

In case you are one of the people of expecting new little people in your life, to be on the safe side, here are some instructions and warnings.

Sitting

Today I came across this review of Zody, the chair I sit on all day, when I am at work. Geeks gave it two thumbs up. I like it too. It’s adjustable in many ways, so I make sure that the arm rests are in line with the work surface and at a height that keeps my shoulders broad and relaxed. Most importantly I tilt the seat slightly forward, so that I sit upright and my pelvis is in a neutral position, which maintains the natural lordosis of the lower back: the slight inward curve that helps to avoid compression in the lower back.

After all we don’t want to end up like this guy:

Rrrrussian Mafia

Our special guest Yana from Moscow is in town, so we played a round of Mafia. It's a good party game, especially if played with Russians, they are pros, but I am sure Italians can kick ass too. My skills are improving. I am not being killed off in the first round anymore - yeah!

I believe it was Socrates who said you get to know a person better by playing a game for one hour than by talking to a person for 1000 hours. It's worth a try. You can find the instructions to the game here.

Mafia boss Yana with her Russian body guards - you don't mess with her! ;)

Who is the Mafia? Who is innocent? Who can be trusted?

Rebecca and the Russian Presidents - from Lenin, blurry in the foreground, to Gorbi and Putin further in the back. In the very back, that's Rebecca - not a Russian president.


Brit outing himself as an innocent citizen (red card) after he was killed. I am sorry!

More pictures on flickr!

focus

Really focus on the people in the white shirts:

Kindness

Ram Dass has said, that there are three rules for living a rich life with meaning and purpose:

"Be kind. Be kind. And be kind."

I heart LA

Did I already mention that I love California?

And that despite of 10-lane highways, a 24/7 rush hour (in LA that is), and ridiculously long line ups at LAX.

But it offers everything: people from all over the world live there, fresh food is plentiful and whatever your heart might desire, you can be certain that you will find like minded people. After all, there are 36 million people to choose your friends from.

California

Another trip to sunny California to experience sun, palm trees and to visit with friends. And I am certainly glad I did absorb the heat over the last few days, because in half an hour I will drive to work..in a snow storm.


This time the desert was blooming!

Happy Easter! Easter eggs in front of a mansion in Pasadena.

Battery

Today I found out the City of Calgary doesn't mind that regular household batteries (AA and such) are going in the regular trash, and will end up on the landfill. I was REALLY surprised, because in Europe, or at least in Austria, this is illegal.

In the US, corporations have to collect batteries and pay for their disposal at a special hazardous waste landfill (probably by putting more effort into sealing them), but households, which - by definition - contribute to the use of household batteries, are exempt from the regulation. Which doesn't make any sense: if I recognize the need for recycling in one area, corporations, I understand that its components, the heavy metals are very useful for certain uses, such as in generating energy, but that they should be kept away from our food, water and air cycles. Fresh water is a finite resource and demand is growing by an increasing population. Therefore we have to keep our fresh water supply clean, and we also don't want to incinerate batteries: the heavy metals make the air we breathe toxic.

Taking the raw material and keeping it in a closed-loop cycle, from extraction to end-of-useful-life to re-manufacture and re-use. Where the resource is used and re-used with the least amount of "dirty energy" necessary to run the whole operation. That would be a good tactic - with future generations in mind. Or do we expect from our children's children that they shall mine our landfills? Let's not put the heavy metals there in there in the first place.

Free Tibet

So that this blog doesn't turn into a botany blog introducing all my house plants to you: here is an entry about democracy in action including a picture that is a colour other than green.

Tibetan people are upset. The Dalai Lama is asking for a dialogue. China says: Sure, let's have a dialogue - there is only one condition: do not talk about independence.
Not sure if that qualifies as "dialogue".

I added my 2 cents by signing Avaaz.org's petition: three lines and a mouse click. One person won't have an effect, 1000 won't have an effect either. But if it's hundreds of thousands, then the 2 minutes I have invested might add up. It's worth a try:

Petition to Chinese President Hu Jintao:

As citizens around the world, we call on you to show restraint and respect for human rights in your response to the protests in Tibet, and to address the concerns of all Tibetans by opening meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Only dialogue and reform will bring lasting stability. China's brightest future, and its most positive relationship with the world, lies in harmonious development, dialogue and respect.

Click here to sign.

Dieffenbachia

I finally found out the name of my tallest plant: he is a Dieffenbachia, and I gave him a first name as well: Hiro, a Japanese name, because I thought he looked like he could grow in Japan. And it's all about postive reinforcement: if he is called Hiro, he will hear "Hero", hence he will grow like a hero! I was wrong though - he is tropical, not from Japan. In Japan he would most likely only be abundant in homes, just like here in Canada.

I also discovered that Dieffenbachia is highly poisonous. It has been used by native Amazonians for the poison used on arrows. During the slave era it was known as "dumb cane", because it would silence un-welcomed visitors. It was used for human torture. The little calcium oxalate crystals damage tissue. I had no idea, that this was such a powerful plant.

Survival of the Fittest

I went to Bow Point Nursery on the weekend. It's just west of the city. They focus on native plants, that don't require watering and that are hardy enough to survive the harsh Albertan climate (cold winters - hot summers).

I found the usual suspects - like lodgepole pine and sage.

I was rather surprised to see yucca, which are plentiful in California and Mexico - but Canada? According to BPN-Ken they grow naturally in Writing on Stone National Park in Southern Alberta and can deal with Calgary's weather just fine.

Who is an Einstein?

Well, according to an interview on zeit.de the probability that you are an Einstein is higher, if you are a man. The speaker references studies on IQ and differences between men and women.

But decide for yourself, here are the findings of the studies:

• The average IQ of men and women is the same
• Men tend to overestimate their intelligence
• Women appear to underestimate their intelligence
• People underestimate the intelligence of their mothers and daughters
• People overestimate the intelligence of their fathers and sons
  
• Women’s IQ distribution is a steeper bell curve
• Men’s IQ distribution is a rather flat distribution

If these studies are right, then this would mean:

• There are more really, really stupid men than really, really stupid women (the bell curve of men's intelligence is flatter).
  

• There are more really, really intelligent men than really, really intelligent women. This could explain why there are more men in higher positions than women. On the other hand, if bullet points 5 and 6 are true, then a feedback mechanism could be responsible for women believing that they are not as intelligent. Just like Henry Ford said:
  

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right.

spring

the ice on the bow river is melting.
the geese are returning from their winter vacation.

spring can't be too far out - bring it on!

Loremo

Loremo stands for "low resistance mobile," which combines an efficient diesel engine with low weight and minimal drag to get upwards of 150 mpg (1.5 (!) liter / 100km). From New York to LA with only 3 times stopping at the pump. Not quite a zero emission vehicle, but a lot better than most vehicles currently on the roads.

German design. Available in Europe in 2009; in N-America in 2010. 15.000 Euro (22.000 US$). Not bad - especially since gas prices have tripled since I came across the ocean in 2000. I'd give at a test drive. Read more here.

Honey

Ronald Fisher, Beekeeper, Davis CA
© Richard Avedon

I L O V E honey. I went on a little shopping spree in Austria and got all kinds of different types of honey. It's a good food to take across the ocean - it does not have an expiry date. It might crystallise, but I was told it doesn't go bad. I wouldn't know, because it never lasts that long in my household.

I hope the little bee guys keep hanging in there - they have a pretty tough life though: mono cultures don't provide food year-round, they bloom only once a year. So some bees also have to commute - hopping on the truck and going wherever the next blossoming is happening. Stressful, because we also take some of their food (honey) and give them sugar water instead. Plus the drugs.

Anyhow, more biodiversity would be beneficial - for both, us and the bees.

Just do it.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mineralwasser

I am wondering: are there no mineral water springs in North America?

My favourite drink these days is fresh lemon or lime juice with mineral water. But I can only find European mineral water like Gerolsteiner or Perrier on the shelves in the grocery store. Mineral water is also called "healing water" in German, I assume the healing properties depend on the mineral content in the water. I also like it because alkaline-forming nutrition is hipp, at least among "tree huggers and bunny kissers" as my Texan boss would say.

I'd buy North American water, if there was an equivalent - i.e. water that contains natural minerals.

North American bottled water brands like Dasani (aka Coca Cola) and Aquafina (aka Pepsi) are tap water (PWS stands for Public Water Source, in the case of Aquafina it's Detroit's public water) that underwent another round of filtering *Eau Dear* and maybe got some additives added, but they are far from spring water.

I'd love to try some sparkly mineral water from North America, if there is one.

Lunar Eclipse

February 20 2008 - Lunar Eclipse in Virgo/Pisces - as seen from my door.

Plants

I think, 2008 will be the year, that Anna finally figured out how to keep plants.

Plants provide more benefits than just being-good-looking and decorating my place. Plants clean the air from CO2, and toxins: in this study philodendron, spider plant and golden pothos were most effective in removing formaldehyde (which is listed as a carcinogen). A different study points out that surprisingly it is the plants' root-soil zone that appears most effective for removing chemicals from the air (I would have guessed that it would be the green parts of the plant). To put it into perspective: good ventilation and avoiding toxins at the source (e.g. choosing low-VOC paints or adhesives) are more important measures than considering your house plants as your pollution control army.

Anyhow, here are a few lessons I learned from my unsuccessful years of being a plant keeper:

• Find a reliable plant keeper for your holidays. Most plants DO need water on a regular basis (yes, it took me over 30 years to realise that).
• Don't be afraid of death. Face it and get rid of the dead leaves (or entire plant if necessary) - it looks prettier.
• Google your plant species and ask your flora-savvy friends and family for tips on watering, light, and special care.
  
• Add plant-food to the water.
• Enjoy your plants!
  

monday

Today was lay-off day. Apparently for the first time in over 7 years, about 20 people from the office were let go. The nice English gentleman, who gave me a ride, when we were neighbours, the funny woman from Jamaica, the guy in Purchasing, who made me laugh: all gone.

Funny, how my perspective changed over the course of the day: on my way to work, I was thinking that the weekend was way too short and how I'd rather be staying in bed than going to work, while on the way home in the evening, I was grateful that I still have a job.

We eventually got confirmation that our department is unaffected, but in the afternoon, when things were still unclear, I was contemplating my options, in case I would have been on the black list; it's always good to have a plan b in the back of your mind. Here were my top 3 Plan Bs:

1. Focus on Yoga - possibly with some intensive training in warm areas around the globe
   
2. Opening a Day Care Facility for Mini-Wexis in St. Poelten (I KNOW that would be a good business)
3. Take a Foot Massage Course..
   

Artisan Bistro

I discovered a new restaurant, that offers good, fresh food for brunch. It's fairly priced and in my 'hood - even better!

The Artisan Bistro Cafe is run by a family from Chile with their roots in Spain. They have an espresso machine (a must have), and offer a variety of coffee drinks with some unusual combinations such as espress-cchino. I stuck with the Americano. I like my coffee simple.

The food iss tasty. The fruit was freshly cut, which is important to me: I can't deal with melons and grapes, that have sat in their own liquid in the fridge for hours. To my taste buds, that makes them taste more acidic and takes the pleasure out of eating. And that's just not right. At the artisan the food is fresh. The portions are European sizes, but nobody says you can't live the North American life style and order eggs AND French Toast!

french toast with maple butter and fresh berries

So, when you are looking for me on a Saturday morning, find me at the Bistro!

The Vento

It's official: The Vento is North America's first multi-residential project to earn LEED Platinum. LEED is a rating system, a checklist including different categories, where you can earn points, most are voluntary, some are prerequesites (like the recycling room). The first step (LEED certified) can be done with little changes to current building practices. To earn LEED Platinum (which comes after Silver, and Gold), you have to be ahead of the game and show some leadership in sustainable practices, like they did in the Vento by using grey-water for flushing the toilet, low VOC paint, and using materials with high recycled content.

Sustainable buildings are high performance buildings. When they increase thermal insulation, to decrease heating costs, they also increase acoustical insulation, which adds to (my) quality of life and the quality of my neighbours, when I listen to music.

Also, in minus 40 degrees weather, a heated floor is pretty much as close to paradise, as you can be in a blizzard.

The Terrazzo sink countertop contains recycled glass, and is easy to clean, durable, inert, and, I think it's beautiful.

But LEED is about continuous improvement. LEED Platinum is not enough. In a few years, it might be standard construction. We got to be innovative and creative. Some ideas will flop, some will work out. The journey to live completely sustainable is still a long, windy road. Only when we live in healthy buildings that use only non-polluting, sustainable sources to heat and operate, only when we use our resources wisely and put them back into a closed-loop for reuse instead of let them rot in the landfill, only when our home supports a sustainable way of living, can we claim that we live sustainably.

Esquinas Rainforest

Finally, I found an organisation that I feel good about giving money to. In Austria, Budi spoke about this project enthusiastically, so I too bought 100m2 of rain forest in Costa Rica for only 14 Euros. The money is given to the owners, and then the forest is donated to the national park.

The project is called "Regenwald der Oesterreicher" - Rainforest of the Austrians. It does rain a lot in Austria, but that doesn't make a rainforest yet, therefore, I assume, they had to go to Costa Rica. The project includes a research station, which is a partnership with the department of botany of the University of Vienna.

Socratea Exorrhiza

When we compare Austria's and Costa Rica's biodiversity, Costa Rica is laughing. There are 40 different kinds of palm trees in this NP, one of them can even walk! Socratea exorrhiza uses its roots to find the good sunny spots and can move up to 1 m a year. Not quite a long distance runner, but for a tree pretty amazing.

One area, where improvement is needed, is that they are still using the antique way of payment, i.e. they send you an invoice by mail. I sent them a note, to join Paypal or something similar, so that next time, it's truly me, who buys the forest, not my family in Austria (Danke, by the way).