Simplicity and the Holidays pt 2

So my usual holiday stance of buying as little for people as possible or making gifts has worked out well for many years now, but in the hectic hustle and bustle of traveling cross country and working like a crazy person for 8 months, I have neglected the wee ones in my life. I have a 3 year-old and a 1 year-old that I'm visiting shortly with nothing in hand. But I figure I shall spend the morning (er...early afternoon, sorry, slow start today) here in NYC scouring the city for an eco-friendly toy store. Don't fail me now Google!

Simplicity and the Holidays

So Ma & Pa didn't seem very much in the festive mood when I rolled into town in the eco-mobile a few days ago. It was thrust upon me to hunt the back 40 to find the tree to cut down this year. After some searching, I realized there was nothing close to being an option. We're talking weaker than a Charlie Brown tree-slim pickens. Plus sawing into a 2 year old spruce would cause a puddle of sap on my mother's den floor that would get me no praise. So I headed off to the local farm (I had every intention of finding a charity lot somewhere but figured supporting a local farm was a fair trade off.) Arriving at the farm tree man hooked me the minute I got out of the car, pointing out the live trees. I'm a sucker for a tree. After peeking at the cut trees, I couldn't justify buying something that was killed just for sake of tradition. So I slapped down the platinum card for the live tree and now it resides at the manor. Parental units not too keen on the prospect of transplanting come spring, being that it took 3 of us to get it out of the borrowed truck and into the house—and not very gracefully at that. (it and it's pot of dirt weigh over 120 lbs. and the diameter of the root ball is about 5 feet wide, and 2 feet deep.) Here it is, all decorated and festive, our little Fraser Fir (I have named him Bruce, every tree needs a good name) I like how the Fraser Fir looks two-toned, green on the top of the needles and white on the bottom. Two trees in one!

On the hunt for the O+ kidney donor

It's been a hard few months for a very good friend of mine—she was diagnosed with anemia and almost out of nowhere, she learned that her kidneys were shutting down, operating only at 12%. A kidney transplant would need to happen...eventually. But as we move along, dialysis is looming and the transplant center suggests that you have your donor lined up before you get started with the delightful process of dialysis. It has really got me thinking, as I would cut my own kidney out for her in a heartbeat (and I don't really believe that I say that only because I am the wrong blood type) but that I would be willing to trade my kidney to a stranger for her. The average waiting time for a kidney is seven years and most on the waiting list die before their name comes up. As we all know, I'm the consummate recycler...is it really so shocking to consider organ donation the most important form of recycling? I'm going to look into various ways to become a Living Donor.
For more information on Living Organ Donation
To find out ways you can help my friend specifically with her medical bills visit Candy Mountain.

Who wants Electric Vehicles? We do!

Maybe it was the death of David Hermance, known as the "American Father of the Prius" today. Or maybe it was the fact that I finally used one of those "How's My Driving" phone numbers to comment on a driver. Or maybe I'm still pissed off after watching Who Killed the Electric Car? last week. . . but this morning I finally decided to put my mouse where my mouth is. Using the delightful site "The Petition Site" I set up a petition for those who are interested in bringing back the electric car. I set the bar high, thinking 20,000 signatures wouldn't be overly optimistic... but would send the message that interest in Check it out, send the link to your friends, help get the ball rolling!

Click here to sign!

Doc Review: "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

I had heard about "Who Killed the Electric Car?" back when it first came out but didn't think too much about it beyond remembering to put it on my Netflix queue. What makes this such an amazing story for me is that it was simply not talked about publicly until now. Despite the extensive research I have done concerning alternative vehicles, the fact that I was so quick to jump on the Gas/Electric hybrid bandwagon, and the fact that I lived less than a half mile from the GM Training Center that is heavily featured in the film and passed the EV-1 protestors dozens of times as they sat on the sidewalk, even I was unaware of the magnitude of what their protest represented. The documentary is the story of the brief existence of a few models of cars that operated solely by plug in electric power, most notably, the American designed and manufactured EV-1. GM’s EV-1 was literally not for sale in its brief existence, the only cars produced were offered for lease and were then all recovered by the manufacturer at the end of lease terms. Many of the lesees were celebrities—Ed Begley Jr., Tom Hanks, and Peter Horton, who was shown as the last person to have his EV-1 taken away. (The appearance of EV-1 supporter Mel Gibson pre-drunken arrest but in full wild man of Apocalypto beard is odd in itself, but maybe he wouldnÂ’t have been stopped on the PCH had he been driving his old EV-1 instead…) What the documentary shows is that while car companies claim that they did “massive” campaigns to advertise their models of electric vehicles, they repeatedly claim that consumer demand was almost non-existent. Though ask almost anyone, and none of them could tell you what the EV-1 was or who made it. Car companies could easily cite that no one wanted their electric cars but left out the reason being no one had heard of them. And even in this fascinating look at alternative vehicles, the most interesting interviewee was Stanford Ovshinsky (and his cute little wife Iris), who essentially invented the battery that made the EV-1 go and now is found in every hybrid car on the road. (Even more interesting was the glimpse he provided of solar roofing shingles that if implemented would probably change the world as we know it.)

On March 15, 2005, when the final 78 EV-1s that were being stored at the GM Training Center lot were loaded on trucks to be taken away to be destroyed, I was sitting in my apartment down the street unaware that this was the death of the electric car and thus the end of a viable solution to the oil crisis, to the pollution problem and to move the United States into the automotive future.

More daylight? Ingeniuous!

Okay I must have been out of the loop when this was passed but I figure now's as good a time as any to praise it's merits. Apparantly Congress passed a law last year that starting in 2007, Daylight Savings Time will be extended by two months each year. Beginning in 2007, DST will start the second Sunday of March and end on the first Sunday of November. The theory behind this is that we will use less energy because sunlight will "last longer" and the need for electric lighting will be reduced. I'm all for saving energy, but I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean we're off the hook for saving energy in other ways.

Simplicity & Recycling: Ink & Toner

I'm not usually one to subscribe to the "Planned Obsolescence" theory that many have about consumer products built to fall apart sooner than they should so that consumers will buy more and more. But ya see, I've got this printer... and let's not go naming any names...(Epson Stylus C86) but it has this automatic refusal to print ANYTHING if you run out of any of the four different ink cartridges. Now I'm not usually one to print in color, but I need to keep 3 full color cartridges in the printer in order for it to work at all. You can't just take them out. You can't try to trick the printer and put a black cartridge in the Cyan slot. All you can do is head out and purchase a new full one for $20-$30 a pop. Worse yet, even if you don't use the color at all, they dry up on their own. So I'm mad as hell and I can't take it anymore and I head down to ye olde office supply store to get one of those syringe refillable ink set ups. But of course, my printer is one of the few that is not even allowed to be refilled this way.

But here is an idea I think whose time has come. Check out Cartridge World, a retail outlet that will do the dirty work of refilling your toner and ink for you.

Forgive me readers, for I have strayed...

Life has been somewhat overwhelming this month, what with an apartment move, an ungodly heatwave, and taping 2 shows a week for the craptacular number one show in America. Which leaves me a day and a half off a week, which I can barely muster the energy and brain capacity to get out of bed, much less work on completing my book. Worse yet I've been on a spending spree that my old simplist self shakes her head at in disgust. A dustbuster when I could have just bought a broom? Nickel-plated house numbers when I could have made a creative sign myself? Direct TV (but only because the antenna received no broadcast signal and cable wasn't available in my neighborhood). And my gardening addiction has reach a fever pitch, a hose when I could have just continued to carry buckets of water outside? And with the supplies dwindling at my favorite nursery (which closes its doors end of August) I am increasingly more reliant on Lowe's and Target. Sigh. I shall dear reader, attempt to redeem myself in your eyes. I have tried to recycle as much of my stuff as possible—creating one set of curtains from two to help block out some of the 111º heat, fixing the drawer of a 30 year old dresser to make it last just a few more years and returning items that I thought twice about after the fact. Stay cool readers, summer ain't over yet.

Another One Bites the Dust

(big heavy sigh)
As part of my recent move, I have become excited about the prospect of having my own patch of ground to tend and love. After some research and a call to the Burbank Shade Tree Program (free trees!) I decided to head on over to my favorite plant place:Steven's Nursery in Valley Village when much to my dismay, a huge banner proclaiming "Going Out of Business Sale" festooned the chain link fence. Upon conversation with a staffer, I learned that the land had been sold to build condos and the business was dissolving because the oldest Steven brother had recently passed away and there wasn't anyone who wanted to try and continue the business. So come August 31st, Steven's is shutting it's doors forevere. Why were they the best in town? Sure they knew their plants, and they loved what they did. For 65 years, they kept the San Fernando Valley in bloom. And even in 2006, they did all their receipts by hand (no registers!), even calculating tax with a calculator. They were personable, knowledgable and treated their customers like friends. If you're in the neighborhood stop by, they're having a terrific going out of business sale, (I got a bougainvillea tree, a hanging ivy plant, a shovel, a dwarf lime tree, grass seed and two huge bags of soil for just over $100) and say thank you for the hands on service they've given to the community for so many years.

Link of the Day: One Red Paper Clip

Hello fellow simplists, sorry I have been MIA lately, it has been a quick turnaround what with deciding to move and moving all in less than 2 weeks. Phew. New apt is divine, QUIET, no drama (though I need to still exorcise some of the bad juju from prior tenants: let's just say there was some abuse, not cool.), and most importantly peace and quiet. Commute is even better too, all zip zip highway driving so that the gas mileage on the 'brid is up around 50 mpg instead of 45.

Today's neat little web link is One Red Paper Clip. Here's the gist of the story. A twenty-something Canadian decided one day to see what he could get just by trading something small for something of slightly more value. He started with one red paper clip, and now he has a 3 bedroom house in only a year. A great creative idea with the added bonus of supporting the barter system. Love it!

I Guess You Can't Take it With You.

To paraphrase the wit and wisdom of Lloyd Dobler, (and I guess we have to thank Cameron Crowe as well): "I gave him $31 billion dollars, and he gave me a book." But I guess it is the thought that counts. (Especially because I'm pretty sure Warren Buffet has at least glanced at "The Wealth of Nations" in his illustrious career.) But THIRTY-ONE BILLION DOLLARS is just an inconceivable number—how exactly do you thank someone for that? And while I know little about Gates' ability to run his charitable foundations, it seems like it might be a good place to park some cash you've got lying around. He's got grand goals (wanting to see the end of AIDS in his lifetime is one of the more noble ones), but importantly, he seems utterly commited to them (stepping down from MicroSoft to focus more time on charity is a start) . I think if anyone can do it, he might be the one. Gates Foundation.org

Link of the Day

Okay I'm secretly very jealous of this new site a friend turned me on to, mostly because it's everything I want my own work to be. For a fun sassy daily dose of eco-wisdom check out Ideal Bite. I highly recommend the daily emails that provide bite-sized, easily digestible info delivered right to your inbox.

Simplicity & "What's that Smell?"

I had begun to take for granted the LA smoking ban, until of course 2 days ago when a new neighbor moved in below me. During that 48 hours, I thinking he's consumed a carton of cigarettes and each one of them has wafted up to my apartment and now resides in all of my belongings. Interesting that in that short time, the clean and fresh smell of my apartment (that I also took for granted) has been obliterated. I went from loving my apartment and tolerating my other crazy neighbors to hating my apartment and looking for boxes to pack and move out this weekend. Just a learning experience of how important clean air is and how easily and quickly it moves from one space to another. Also one of my favorite scary stats: if you can smell it, you're ingesting particles of it. Grab your painter's masks kids, it's gonna be a long weekend.

A little Monday morning smog

Who can find the Hollywood Sign in this picture? It's there, I swear.

Wish List: Create Your Own Energy with a Bike Trainer

Imagine what it would be like if you had to expend personal energy in order to watch TV or use your microwave or light your bathroom. I imagine a world where health problems and waistlines have decreased. Where seratonin levels and sales for bicycles have increased. And where the skies are cleaner and fresher. According to RealGoods.com (the alternative energy superstore) "Most adults can generate a steady 75 to 150 watts with spurts of double that power." A laptop computer uses about 15 watts of power, (another reason to switch from the desktop models). Who's going to start mass marketing these devices? When can we finally say "get on the bike, y'all"? Until then, I'm trolling the internet looking for plans.

I love Al Gore (& I don't care who knows it.)

Finally got out to see An Inconvenient Truth last night with the peeps, and it was every bit as shocking as it was watching Gore's presentation live and in person. Though I do have to admit, my love for the man has grown. Now everyone should realize this film isn't Democratic propoganda; global warming is not a political issue. Global warming is a human rights issue and Gore is one of the few people to stake his professional reputation to try and scare the public into action. The facts are indisputable. For us to ignore the information now would be irresponsible. We are all contributors to the problem, but we can all work together to fix it.

I am fortunate, living in California, one of the few states that understands the need for regulation (we're still far behind where we should be, but at least the ball is rolling.) The thing that saddened me most is that people in California and Oregon and Massachusetts and Vermont will see this movie and say, 'okay, I'm ready to make a change...' but will the documentary be received in say Boise? or Des Moines? or Little Rock? or one of the thousands of small cities and towns across the country where going to Wal*Mart is a pilgrimage, where fast food is daily meal, and if it's disposible it surely makes life easier?

This film clearly has the makings of changing society as "The Jungle" did for the meat packing industry in the early 20th century and "Unsafe at Any Speed" did for the auto industry in the 1960s. Will the world take the challenge?

To learn more about what you can do to stop global warming, check out www.climatecrisis.net.

Daily Pop Quiz

The best adjective to describe American culture is:
a) Disposable
b) Instant
c) Plastic
d) Throwaway
e) New
f) Easy
g) Convenient
h) All of the above

Simplicity & the Economy of Action

I'm beginning to really associate with the character of "Dwight" on the NBC series "The Office"—efficiency is his middle name and "direct" may be the best adjective to describe him. Where is this all going? Just a rumination on the economy of action and its relation to simplicity. When you organize and simplify your life, you learn to maximize your time. I think now I find myself weighing options more for their overall benefits. If I ride my bike to work, I kill 2 birds with the one stone, I get to my destination and I accomplish my exercise goal for the day. If I leave my computer at work, I don't have to shuttle it in and out of the car. Granted the trunk of my car is beginning to look like a satellite apartment with all the stuff I've got in there now, but I know that I am prepared for the unexpected trip from work to the gym to the beach to the mountains. And though I have a vacuum, I'm justifying my purchase today of the Roomba knowing that now vacuuming will actually get done now...more than once a month. Work smarter, not harder is Dwight's motto, and I think it may be mine too.

Recycling: The BIOTA Bottle

Water is crucial to our health and most people don't drink enough, but if you're like me, you drink water like it's ... well, water but loathe the fact that over the past few years it's become a tremendous waste of resources and expense. Working in production, we go through palettes of water a day. (On the most recent shoot day, the craft services gal bought cases of 8 oz bottles which we nicknamed "Baby Waters" because they are so ridiculously small that one bottle doesn't even quench your thirst.) I often suggest that they set up the water cooler style jugs on set, but the cases of single bottles usually win out for convenience. On set recycling is always non-existent. Very frustrating.

But today I came across the BIOTA bottle, a Colorado spring water company who's bottle is made entirely from corn plastic and biodegrades within 80 days when placed in a composting facility. As of now, BIOTA has a very small toe-hold on the ladder of bottled waters, but could you imagine what would happen if Coke (Dasani) or Pepsi (Aquafina) switched their waters to corn plastic bottles? Just thinkin' on a Wednesday.

Am I Doing Enough?

Having a hum drum day (as usually happens when I have too much time on my hands) and I start to wonder ... am I doing enough? I always take the stairs instead of the elevator. I bring apple cores home for the composting worms. I drive a hybrid and use my bike on short errands whenever I can. I haven't used a clothes dryer in 8 years. I reduce, I reuse, I recycle.

But is it enough? Am I compensating for that mother of 6 in middle America who shops at Wal*Mart, feeds her kids McDonalds 3 times a week, as she shuttles them long distances in her under 20 mpg SUV? Am I compensating for 10 people? 100? or not even my own lapses in judgment?

This too shall pass I'm sure. But today I'm in a funk