I don't know about you, but I love The Daily Show. Unfortunately, my schedule rarely allows me to watch it. Thanks to Sara for spotting this one. Here's to mixing in a few laughs.
If you're a fan of T.D.S., you'll immediately get how much Samantha Bee is mocking this guy who is arguing that promoting organic, local food is elitist and will drive obesity rates in the U.S. If you've never watched this witty, sometimes abrasive, mock news program, get ready for a bit of uncomfortableness...
On a serious note, I can't believe (actually, I can, sadly) that there is an organization out there -- one with such an austere name as the American Council on Science and Health -- that could even attempt to argue such a position. But then you realize that they have been underwritten by some of the biggest names in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and package foods companies and it all begins to make sense. You have to love a healthy dose of spin when you see it... Enjoy.
I came across the Windspire unit a few weeks back and it has intrigued me ever since. Manufactured by Mariah Power, this nine-meter horizontal blade unit looks a bit more home-friendly than its more traditional looking vertical blade cousin. A visit to their website discovers that they are now manufacturing the 1.2 kW version of the Windspire in Michigan. A larger 3.0 kW as well as a direct-to-batter version appear in the works. While this is eligible for tax credits, I couldn't find anything on the base price at the Mariah site. A third-party site stated a cost of $4,000 for the 1.2 kW unit.
I have no idea if and how Mariah would ship the Windspire to our neck of the woods. A possible alternative is someone like Northeast Windpower of Westport Point who installs your more traditional vertical blade units. I've seen at least one unit in Westport put up by this company. In fact, from certain vantage points these "personal" wind turbines seem to dot the Westport horizon.
I don't have time for it now, but it would be interesting to do a full comparison of similar sized units in terms of footprint, energy generation, noise factors, etc.
Yesterday, the RI Community Food Bank released its annual report on the status of hunger and food insecurity in the state. Not surprisingly, with everything going on both are up this year, continuing a terrible trend. Now, one in six children live in a home where getting adequate, nutritious food is a problem.
The Food Bank distributed 10 million pounds of food last year through its network of nearly 300 agencies. Now I haven't looked at the list, but I'm sure that those networks extend in to our neck of the woods.
As Thanksgiving approaches, it's reports like this that make you pause and be truly thankful. I know we are. More info on the report here and what you can do to help.
OK, maybe not, but don’t you wish on the heels of that unfortunate DPW news from the last post? Here’s something to help. Did you know that according the EPA nearly two-thirds of municipal waste streams (our trash) is made up of organics? Food scraps, grass clippings, yard debris – all things that could easily be composted and turned into that magical Brown Gold.
We have been composting for years – both the conventional bin method and worm-based vermi-composting -- even when we lived in the middle of Providence. There is nothing simpler than letting nature do what it does best: Run its course and take care of itself. We use two piles -- one in a plastic Earth Machine, the other made from recycled wood pallets -- alternating piles about every six months, building one while the other breaks down and does its magic.
If our landfill is nearing capacity and two-thirds of our waste stream is made up of things that could be recycled o-natural, then why aren’t we taking advantage of something that could help extend the life of the landfill and save some of that precious municipal budget at the same time? Many communities have municipal composting programs that are a win-win for multiple bottom lines.
URI offers a Master Composter program – something I’ve always wanted to do. Do we have any graduates in town? Maybe, maybe not; but wondering if folks might be interested in some composting how-to clinics to learn how to get started. It’s not hard at all. And you don’t need any fancy equipment either. Could us fellow composters band together to form something here?
The benefits of composting are incredible – less waste, better soil, better plants, compost tea, and worms for the kids to play with. Want a good intro to composting? Check out this great video from Kitchen Gardeners International.
Thanks to my friend, Jamie, up in Maine for the inspiration for this week’s Tube For Tuesday. There are weeks when our recycling bins are so chock-a-block full that I have to hold some material back until the following week. What a recycling buzz kill that is. Well, I’d be made in the shade if I lived in South Portland.
In conjunction with EcoMaine, South Portland recently unveiled new 65-gallon wheeled recycling bins for homeowners, replacing their small 14-gallon predecessors. Granted, they have a single-sort system (paper, glass, plastic, aluminum all in one bin), but nonetheless, it sure makes things a lot easier for boosting recycling rates. Based on the numbers, the double-digit increases in recycling volume should generate a faster ROI on this investment in the form of decreased waste hauling costs and increased revenue from selling raw materials gathers via recycling. Tiverton’s Town Council began discussion of that last notion awhile back. I wonder where it is in the Lost World of Good Ideas.
Thanks to EcoMaine for the video showcasing their recycling center. Some interesting stats within. I know you’ve always wondered what happens to that paper and plastic…
I looked for a video from RI Resources Recovery Corporation, but nothing there. Enjoy.
After a bit of a hiatus, Tube for Tuesday is back. Here's a great segment from NECN about how locally produced food is getting an edge cost-wise over traditionally supplied food. Why? Local food has lower transportation and distribution costs. That translates into less sticker shock at the check-out. The icing on the cake is that you're supporting your local farmer and economy.
Bonus Round: This boston.com story from today is all about this year's growing trend (pun intended) of home gardens in response to rising food costs. You can't get much more local than that.
