Where Does Your Toothbrush Go?

     You brush your teeth? If you don't, you might want to buy a toothbrush. But what kind? There are so many to choose from. Colgate, Oral-B, Reach, Sonic Care. Much like the cereal isle at the supermarket, the choices afforded us just for a freaking toothbrush are mind boggling! Straight or angled head, sound waves or high-pressure water, soft bristles, medium, firm...I'm just trying to clean my teeth for christsake! Why does it have to be so complicated? Did you know that you are only supposed to use a toothbrush for a few weeks before it is recommended we buy a new one? The toothbrush companies say it can prevent bacteria from growing, or to prevent the bristles from wearing out or because the corporations that make toothbrushes need to increase profits for the fiscal year. When you consider the number of people brushing their teeth, multiplied by everyone getting a new toothbrush every month or so, year after year, well that's a lot of toothbrushes! What happens after you pitch them?

http://being-pall.com/category/travel/

They end up on the beach and in the ocean.

     I didn't think about where all those toothbrushes went. I think back on it and I know I went through  at least 4 toothbrushes a year over the past 30 years. My Dad, the king of Christmas stocking stuffing, always made sure we had a couple of spare toothbrushes every year. When the bristles started to fray, I just tossed it and grabbed a new one from under the sink. I never really thought about where my old one would end up. Back then, I thought when you recycled something, it, you know, got recycled! Unfortunately, that is not the case. The majority of plastic items we purchase every year are un-recyclable. That's right, they are made from plastic that is unable to be or is too expensive to be recycle. So they are tossed into landfills. Inevitably, some fall off the truck or ship or barge and make their way into rivers and streams and the ocean. There, they threaten sea life by absorbing toxic chemicals and leak those nasty things out in other places, or are ingested by animals, which can kill them. That's not good.

     Over 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year. That is the equivalent to 8 garbage bags per 1 foot of coastline. And to think, I contributed to this mess! Thank God there are people out there like the Sea Shepherd Marine Debris Team, who go out and clean up whats out on our beaches. Its a tall task which will take a LONG time to clean up. But in order to stop this plastic pollution, we need to change our behavior when it comes to something as simple as brushing our teeth.

https://www.facebook.com/SSAUBeachCleanUps

      My wife found a website here in Germany where one can buy a fully compostable toothbrush. It comes in a completely compostable package. When these babies wear out, you can burn it in your fireplace, or throw it in the compost, or if you have a chipper-shrewder, you can mulch that baby. Totally natural, made of bamboo and just as good as those colorful plastic fancy things. Bamboo is such a fast growing plant, that it is a much more sustainable material than other wood items. And unlike plastic, they easily can be recycled or allowed to decompose naturally. You can also re-purpose them in many creative ways.

Brush With Bamboo in the USA.
Hydrophil in Europe.

     Here are the websites to purchase the bamboo compostable toothbrushes. Take a look. If you never thought about where your toothbrushes have been ending up, now you know. You can switch without changing your daily routine or sacrificing quality dental care. You can help clean up the planet and keep your beautiful smile.

Reprieve

   The summer was not kind to Climate Guy 73. During the past year, I saw monthly increases in site visits, culminating in the all-time high of 12,436 in April. Ever since, the numbers have dropped so fast you would think you were looking at the temperature graph of the stratosphere for the past 40 years. (Look it up. That was my best science joke ever.)  I figured that people were just probably outside more, it being late Spring and then Summer.  Now, the green of Summer is giving way to the brilliant colors of Autumn as we speak. There is so much to do and see and experience in the world, why waste it sitting  inside on a computer? That has got to be the reason my loyal readers stopped coming by. (I'm sure it would have nothing to do with my erratic blogging, week long absences, or precipitous decline in the quality of my writing. Hey, you have a baby while living in a foreign country, all the while taking german classes to learn a new language.)

     The break was cathartic in a lot of ways, in all honesty. In this business, you can have your throat handed to you in the snap-hiss of a lightsaber. I have been read the riot act by many who think I am too radical, too "Left", that say I taint my message with "environmental alarmism" which damages my credibility. After awhile, I'll be honest, it can get to a person. There is a dread deep down, when it comes to the future of the planet, that this all maybe for naught. Am I making a difference? Are people reading? Am I doing enough?

    Then I look at my son: five months of smile and drool. The kid is easy going and sweet, the center of my universe. One smile from that toothless wonder and I realize that "Fuck yes it is all worth it!" People have to understand that we are damaging our rivers and oceans, leveling our forests, and killing millions of species every year. I owe it to my son to raise that red flag so it does NOT go unnoticed before it is too late, if it isn't too late already. I owe it to everyone's kids to do that! Even if I only get one person every few weeks to stop in and say, "Wow, that guy was funny! And I'm going to look into this Climate Reality Project, or the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards, or the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. " That's real all that matters.

     So I amble on. Reading new articles and watching new interviews everyday. Dropping into online communities and sharing what I know and have learned, while trying to learn more. Starting the conversation and reaching out to fill in the gaps for those who want to know more. Of course, this means lots of people rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when they don't like what I have to say. I have been told on more than 734 occasions (not that I'm counting) that I am wrong about the Climate, that Climate Change isn't real. Those people that say this to me ignore the science, the facts, the evidence. I even had a few people tell me that since they KNEW they were right, they didn't HAVE to prove it. It was up to ME to prove them wrong. What?! These are the people that take part in a scientific discussion and ignore the parameters set forth by science to state one's case. Instead, they just dismiss me as a brainwashed liberal who wants to trick people into buying clean renewable energy and plant more trees. They say I am a tree-hugger, a hippie, an Alarmist.

     Look, if you don't believe that Climate Change is real, that it is happening right now and will continue to happen in the future, and that we are the cause...this is not the blog for you. Especially now, with me back from a few weeks break and ready to type! I am trying to open the eyes of people on this planet so they can see how they are affecting the world today with their actions, and how they can affect the future by altering our present course. Some out there call me an Alarmist. I don't agree. Why? Well, it's not Alarmist if it's true, right?

This Is What It Comes Down To...

Meme Predicts Study Results

     I posted this meme last year sometime. I think I posted it again some time early this year. Here it is again just to refresh your memory.

     And for those of you that always brush aside memes as silly internet speak with no basis in fact, here's the article that provides documentation that the meme is indeed real. Suck it.

     Its the truth. We can measure this accurately because its only been a few hundred years since we started doing it.

   

Bubkis

     The planet is getting warmer, as we know. The warming is change climate patterns, as we all know. So, imagine my surprise when I read an article this week that said the opposite was true. A report out there this week that says the Earth will have a "mini Ice-Age" by 2030. Yeah, that report is bubkis. I just wanted everyone to be clear on that.

Where Does Your Waste Go?

     One of the main goals for me here is to get people to reduce their ecological footprint. Using less materials that can't be recycled, reducing the amount of single-use items (I'm looking at you plastic bags!) and making compost out of food waste. Without being obnoxious, I try to help my friends think a little bit about their actions and the repercussions that those actions have. Yes, my advice is at times unsolicited, however I do my best not to cram said advice down people's throats. I just try to share what I have learned reducing my amount of waste. Point out that some things are thrown away for no reason. If you're just gonna toss it after using it once, why not skip that step and not even use it to begin with, you know?

     Yesterday, a friend from my German class drove me home. She asked me if it was okay with we stopped at the supermarket so she could pick up a few things. First stop was the produce aisle (supermarkets are pretty much the same in Germany as in America, just smaller). My friend grabbed some bananas off the shelf, pulled off a plastic bag from the roll and threw them in, like so many of us do. How many times to do you that? Grab a bag for something that really doesn't require one?

     I was like, "Whaaaaat? You don't need a plastic bag for bananas. They are already attached together in nature's carrying case. They come pre-wrapped in their own organic wrapper! Do you really need a bag?"
     My friend looked perplexed and said, "But the bags are here for us to use." It seems that she hadn't really considered why she had grabbed one, but just automatically grabbed the plastic bag off the roll because they were there. "It isn't a big deal. So what?" she waved me off and moved on to the spice aisle.
     So I asked her, "Are you going to use that bag again?"
     "Well, no," she answered...and then there it was. The look. The look that many people get when they realize something for the first time. I had interrupted her normal behavior with a question that she could not quite answer.

     My friend kept the bananas in the bag and after checking out, she drove me home. I did not convince her to not take the bag, nor did I try. But, I did get her to think about it. In a week or so, she may very well show up to class and tell me that she bought bananas at the market again, but this time didn't put them in a plastic bag. Which is a small victory. We have been so conditioned to grab things when we shop that we really don't need: plastic bags, individually wrapped meals, all that crap at the check out counter. Many times, we grab that stuff because everyone else does without thinking about what happens to that plastic bag once you get home, remove the bananas and toss the bag away.

     Quite often, when I point these types of things out to people, they stop and think. If I can get someone to re-evaluate those small actions, then it makes a difference. Because the person I get to reconsider their behavior with something as ingrained into every day life like grocery shopping, they will most likely share with others what they now do if they make a change. That helps shift towards a more closed-loop and sustainable way of life. Less waste because we reduce, reuse and recycle. That's how you change the world.

     Here's a video about food waste. Its short and good. Enjoy!

Study Pollution, Go to Jail

Photo by: John D Murray May, 2013

     Did you hear the one where the state legislature that ensured people's rights by taking away their freedom?  The State of Wyoming recently passed a law that makes it a crime for citizens to take pictures of waterways or land, take samples of water or soil or to collect any other type of data that is considered pollution data from any public or private land. Only people granted special and specific permission will be allowed to do so. FREEDOM!!!!

     So, Wyoming, the home of Devil's Tower, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and  the head waters of the Missouri River has taken away the rights of their citizens. All this talk about freedom and liberty and putting an end to the government conspiracy to take away people's rights, and no one in Wyoming stood up to stop this? So now, in order to discover if a company is polluting a river or the State is not adhering to environmental regulations, a person has to get permission from the government to take water samples, take soil samples...shit, even take photos? Sorry, but that does not ring of freedom to me.

     Wyoming is a conservative state, with  a large group of people who are fighting to maintain gun ownership rights, to reduce government regulations and government influence on their everyday lives, as well as to ensure freedom for all their citizens. So for them to pass such a law that gives the government more power over the lives of their citizens is contradictory and hypocritical.

     And people wonder why we are falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to leadership, innovation and education?

Too Much BS

     Dear Senator Inhofe: CO2 is good for sodas, not for maintaining a healthy biosphere. You say CO2 is necessary to grow things, yet you fail to realize that too much is detrimental. Don't believe me? Well, oxygen is essential for humans to live, but too much oxygen and one little spark and ...BOOOOOOOM! It can explode. Oxygen doesn't sound so good in that case, does it?

     Or how about sugar? Sugar (or glucose) is necessary for our bodies to metabolize and go about its daily routine. Its the source of energy that life requires to, well, live! Without it, our cells would die, and so would we. While sugar is essential to our very existence, our bodies cannot handle too much sugar. Too much sugar can cause people to get really fat. Or develop diabetes. The body’s routine functions become seriously impeded with too much sugar, and over a long period of time can lead to serious health concerns or even death! Did you know that?   

     How about Red Wine? Studies have shown that Red Wine has some very beneficial components that can help our bodies. Many doctors say that a glass of wine with dinner can flush the body of toxins, promote heart health and keep our arteries clear. But if you drink too much wine, you can get intoxicated. Being drunk can cause you to stumble around, knock shit over and yack in the toilet. And when you wake up in the morning after a night of wine-drinking, the headaches can be wicked! Kind of like what the human race will feel like when we wake up one morning after all of this binging on oil. 

Thursday Memes

Cloudy Days

     I took this picture this morning. I love how the clouds looked with the Sun streaming through. The fact I got the solar farm in the shot was just a bonus. I've taken so many of that thing over the past few months. Of course the one driving by at 60 mph from the car is the best one. A nice way to wake up in the morning, yes?

     Believe it or not, the clouds don't stop the solar array from making electricity. This a common misconception that many people have about solar energy. Many detractors of solar power like to wax on about how cloudy days mean no electricity. As usual, they don't know what they are talking about.

     Think about it this way: On a cloudy day, is it dark like it would be at 2am? No, it isn't. Why not? Because the Sun's rays still penetrate the clouds. Even the most menacing storm clouds don't make it so dark that you can't see. So, the fact that there is enough light to allow you to see when it's cloudy means the Sun's rays are still hitting the Earth, and any solar panels positioned to catch them. (Do I sound like a Public Service Announcement?)

     It is even possible, under the right conditions, to produce more electricity on a partly cloudy day than on a hot sunny day. PV panels can get too hot from all that sunshine and sometimes part of the array will shutdown so the panels can cool down. Cloud cover keeps the temperature low, which can keep more panels cooler during the day, thus allowing them to operate longer. All that can mean more energy produced!

    (The heads of anti-solar people everywhere just exploded. Because I'm sure they all read this blog, right?) 

     So, on cloudy days, photovoltaics keep right on converting sunlight into energy. That means when it's cloudy, you can still charge your computer, wash your kids dirty clothes in the washing machine, go for a walk without a flashlight or turn the tv on so you can watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You know, all the important things in life.

The more you know...

Happy Earth Day

     "Now I know why I am here. Not for a closer look at the Moon, but to look back at our home, the Earth."        
                                                                                                     - Alfred Worden, Apollo Astronaut

     "Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust in a sunbeam."
                                                                                                      - Astronomer Carl Sagan

Denial in the Time of Climate Change

     I found this online yesterday: a "Denial Guide". Used by dysfunctional families everywhere, this blue-print is also used by Climate Change Deniers in there campaign to make it appear as if there is a debate about Anthropogenic Climate Change. This is how they create doubt and  confuse people into thinking that Climate Change isn't happening...or that Climate Change IS happening, but is natural and is not caused by humans...or that it is natural but is good for us! What these Deniers say always depends on who they are talking to and in which situation. Their message is always catered to their audience.

     Many of you may be surprised to learn that this script isn't new. The blueprint has worked effectively for the past 160+ years: for opponents (past and present) of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, for Watson and Crick's DNA model, for the Tobacco Companies in the 1960's and 70's who claimed that smoking was not bad for you. That's why the Fossil Fuel industry uses it today...its effective! Imagine if Albert Einstein had let the naysayers affect his theory on General or Special Relativity?

     Geneticist Sean B. Carroll wrote "The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Record of Evolution", in which he identified the "six core features of denialism". The comparisons between what happened with the Tobacco Industry

Volcanoes vs. Fossil Fuels

     Next time some one tells you that volcanoes cause more global warming than burning fossil fuels, show them this little graphic. Then politely inform them that before the Industrial Revolution just over 200 years ago, there weren't any CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Then tell them that over the past 200 years, we have cut down almost 50 percent of the worlds forests.

     Then ask them again, "Do you really believe humans cannot have a lasting and dangerous effect on the planet's atmosphere?"

All That Ice

     I saw this video surfing the net this morning. Now, I know it may sound alarmist, but its something to think about. While most of the leading scientists think that all of the ice melting is improbable, some of the cities in the video would be greatly affected with just a few meter rise in global sea levels. That means hundreds of millions of people in the South Pacific, Northern Europe, The East Coast of North America and Southeast Asia would be homeless.

     That's why people like me worry and want to spread the word on how we are changing our climate.

Electric Cars and Dirty Energy

     I love memes. Who doesn't? Every few days I scour the world wide web, trying to find new ones to store in my "Meme Locker". You just never know when you're going to need a good meme. While many are funny, others can be a bit misleading. Like the one below. Sure, if you buy an electric car and just plug it into a power outlet at home, you are most likely charging it with electricity generated by coal. At first glance, the picture below shows the hypocrisy of buying an electric car and charging it with the dirty energy that comes from environment-polluting coal power plants.

     But, this image also shows the huge opportunity we have when it comes to our power needs and the future of transportation in the world. Just because your house is getting its power from a coal power plant doesn't mean it has to stay that way. If you could utilize solar power, you could charge your car with the Sun. You could even power your house and charge your car with the right size solar array, but that would depend on a lot of factors. Does your house get enough sunshine? Do you have tall trees that cast shadows on your roof? How big of array do you need? Is your home energy efficient? Can you afford it?

     Let's say for arguments sake, you just want a PV system to charge your car, with whatever is left over being used to lower your home energy bills a little every month. Sure, it will cost more upfront, but your return on investment happens a lot faster than you think. Let's do the math.

     The average American fills up there car once or twice per week, according to GasBuddy. So, lets go with 1.5 just to be on the safe side. The average fill-up per person is about 15 gallons (you have to factor in those SUVs). Current gas prices are about $2.00 per gallon, so that's (15gal x $2.00) x 1.5 = $45 per week in gas. Multiply that by 52 weeks that's $2,340 spent per year per car. (This is just an exercise. Prices vary from place to place and not everyone drives a Toyota or a Ford Focus. SUVs use more fuel, so maybe the SUVs bump the gallons and fill ups higher? Only a more detailed study would be able to tell you, which I did not do nor did I find.)

     Now, a brand new Photovoltaic system on your roof costs anywhere from $4,500-$30,000,  depending on the size. Average cost is about $12,500 for a 3kw system, which would provide about 25-30% of an average American household. US citizens receive a 30% federal solar tax credit for buying the system. Your state and/or county and/or city may also have a grant program in place that would further increase your rebate. At the very least, you get $3,500 back in the federal tax credit in year one. You also no longer need to buy gas, because you car runs on electricity that you are producing with the help of the Sun. So you start saving on gas immediately. (Check out the site PVWatts to figure out what size system you could have at your house and how much you could save each year.)

     Current gas prices are hovering around $2.00 per gallon depending on where you live (sorry New York, DC and California...it just costs more for you to buy gas. It's called demand.) You would see a Return on Investment of $2,340 per year. Places with higher gas prices would obviously save more. At that rate, you would recoup your solar investment in 3.85 years. That's if gas prices stay as low as they are now. History says they won't stay low and will go back up. If gas goes up to $3.00 per gallon by next year, you would save $3,510 in year 2 in gas-not-purchased, and the ROI accelerates. You would then pay back the PV system in just under three years. If prices drop again, or rise again, it will change the ROI time. You still get your full investment back faster than you would with most other investments.

     So, as it stands today, if you buy an electric car and plug it in at home, yes, you are most likely using a local coal-powered power plant's dirty energy to charge your environmentally friendly electric car. But, with a little foresight and some planning, you can charge your car with clean renewable energy. It takes investment and some out of pocket expenses, but it pays back in the long run. Then, we can redraw the meme above and show solar panels on the house and the disconnected power lines to the power plant. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, there are ways to do it. You just have to take the first step.

Check out the these websites to learn more about clean energy, energy efficiency and what you can do to start making the transition to renewables!

http://epa.gov/greenpower/buygp/index.htm
http://energy.gov
http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php

Myths and the Ease of Change

     Popular Mechanics released a great article about the myths of Climate Change. Some of the things being said are grossly inaccurate, so I was tickled that they shared. Yes, I said I was tickled. So what?
You can read the article here.

     To think, just by not throwing away that leftover meatloaf so the kids can eat pizza, you can reduce waste, reduce methane emissions and safe yourself some money too! I think that is one of the huge misconceptions about being "Green". Being more environmentally conscious isn't more expensive, it can save you money from the get go! Sure, solar panels, beefed up home insulation and LED lightbulbs cost more upfront, but that stuff pays you back pretty fast and then you're in the black! Green is the new Black!

      If you want to be more green, check out these websites and learn how easy it is to reduce your footprint on this lovely planet. Sometimes its as easy as having certain houseplants to clean the air or planting a tree in a strategic place outside. For real. You don't have to be a tree hugger to like trees.

Green Living Ideas
Sustainable Baby Steps
Earth Easy
Real Simple

     If you want to speak out and speak up to encourage our elected officials to take action and stop ignoring the cold hard facts, visit Citizens' Climate Lobby. You can make a difference. You just have to say something.

New House Update

     The new house is coming along. What you see here is the rainwater cistern. We will be using rain and snowmelt to flush the toilets. Drainage from the lot will be directed into the cistern, where there is a pump that will direct the water, through a filter and then to the service lines for the toilets. You can't see it, but the cistern is about 3 meters deep, which means quite a bit of water capacity.

     Not a big money saver, but it's a water saver. Reducing how much water we buy from the city was important to us. Utilizing rainwater helps reduce our impact on the environment and make our house a more sustainable domicile. 

     We will also use rain barrels at strategic downspouts around the house so we will be able to water the garden and plant beds.  The cistern and rain barrels will only save us pennies in terms of what we save from buying water from the city (which we still do for showers, sinks, etc.) but it helps save water resources going forward. We are just redirecting rainwater for our use. We will use less of the city's supply, which makes more available for others. The rain barrels will allow us to water where its needed without it flowing onto the street or other impervious surfaces where it can't soak in. 

     There are other sustainable things we have planned, so stay tuned and I will show them to you as we progress! Have a great weekend. 

Ted Cruz: Modern Day Galileo

     Ted Cruz compared himself to Galileo the other day.
     Hahahahahahahahaha...hahahahhahahahaha!(Sorry about that.)

     Like the famous physicist, engineer, astronomer, philosopher, and mathematician *yes, Galileo Gallili was all of those things) back in Florence during the Renaissance, Cruz is the modern day equivalent.

     Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! (Again, sorry. Let me wipe these tears away.)

     Cruz compared today's modern scientists with the people who believed the Earth was flat in Galileo's time, with Climate Change being what today's best scientific minds have got wrong.

     But Senator Cruz has it all figured out because he is a lawyer. Which means he knows more about scientific theory than modern day scientists. You just have to ask him, he'll tell you. Actually, you don't even have to ask him. He will tell you anyway. He's so much smarter than everyone else that he likens himself to being the modern day Galileo. There are some similarities, I have to admit. Galileo was place under house arrest by the Catholic Church for promoting his theory that the Earth revolved around Sun, a theory since proved correct. Cruz sent thousands of federal workers home with no pay for a 16 days a few years ago in an attempt to defund Obamacare. So you see, Galileo and Ted Cruz are practically the same.

     Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...(breath)...hahahahahahahahahaha!

Milk Bones for People?

     My dog Mona is more than a handful. If she were a bra, she would be size EEE. Seriously. We found poor Mona at the Anne Arundel ASPCA in December of 2013 on Christmas Eve. A pure bred, chocolate lab with the shiniest coat I have ever seen, of course we jumped at the chance to own her. The angels above sent us a dog with very little discipline and no training, so to say she has been a pain in the ass is an understatement. But, like most rescues, she has been well worth it.

     While Mona is difficult, she is also very trainable. It did not take us long to get her on a schedule, nor did it take long to teach her to sit, lay, shake, speak and stay (sometimes). What has been the real mother is breaking her of her old habits. She has incredible focus. But when she attempts to charge down the street and tackle some kid on a bike while out for a walk because she thinks thats how you are supposed to play with kids, that focus is a monster. Getting her to train that focus on me or my wife has been a struggle, but it has been paying dividends. Small, incremental dividends. At a snail's pace. An excruciatingly painful and slow snail's pace. Like if the snail was frozen and crawling across the surface of Pluto...in the winter...at night...billions of years from now after the Sun has burned all of its fuel and disappeared from the sky. And the Universe has grown cold and quiet.

     With progress there are growing pains. Mona knows

Funny