Congratulations, your actions do matter! Plus Simple Green-ness!

[It started (as many things do around here) with an infographic. ]

On the internet it's a go back and forth thing- Here are the steps YOU can take to save the planet vs. There's not a darn thing YOU as an individual can do to save the planet. Most of the time I'm in camp one - let's roll up our sleeves and get to work saving the planet!  Once in a while, I get too immersed in the news and camp 2 sneaks into my thinking.

And then there's my love of infographics- those friendly pics with graphs that tell you in a glance lots of stuff you need to know. So I am happy to share with you an infographic that Grist was happy to share with me.

The Grist Link, Sierra Club link, and the Northwest Earth Institute link

(Eventually, you may see someone post the Mesquite Hugger link, but don't hold your breath.)

I really like the Sierra Club link (above). It describes the creation of this study (and infographic). And it is ultimately practical - when people ask what they can do to stop climate climate change, here are some options you can offer them:

Personal choices to reduce your contribution to climate change

Low Impact
Upgrade light bulbs

Moderate Impact
Hang dry clothes
Recycle
Wash clothes in cold water
Replace typical car with a hybrid

High Impact
Eat a plant based diet
Switch electric-car to car-free
Buy green energy
Avoid one roundtrip transatlantic flight
Live car free
Have one fewer child

Feeling inspired to make any changes? There's a list. It's not an exhaustive list, but the actions are ones that are pretty easily measured and a great place to start.

And while we are on the subject...look at the list and see which ones fall in the live simply category. Are there any on the list that would cost you nothing? Whether you measure that in money or time, which ones just ask you to do something a simpler way?

For me, it all rolls back to that Personal Carbon Reduction thing and Spreading the Word. So I guess it's time to get back to living, writing  and talking about it. (And maybe I should write a little less about shiny things with wheels.) Our actions do, indeed, matter, so let's get out and do something worthwhile.

For me, it's time to hop on the not-so-shiny bike and make something of the day.

May your days be filled with better choices and may we all be richer for it.

Lubbock on a Bike: Two Great Videos for Bike Commuting

It's been a carbon news whirlwind for me lately. All of the news about Exxon cover ups and Keystone pipeline shenanigans and a little bill called Keep it in the Ground. It's given me a lot of motivation to strengthen my own quest for personal carbon reduction. And the biggest part of that is transportation. It's been a good week for that - I rode a bike to work four days this week. My body is a little tired but my spirit is greatly lifted.

In case you crave some of that good feeling but do not know where to start, here are two videos to encourage and educate your inner cyclist.

 

How to bike in the city (tips for the bicycle curious)

 

This video, by the way, is from Grist

 

If you've been hanging around here much, you know that I am a bit obsessed with hauling stuff on a bike and hanging out with my favorite canines, I offer you this video from Mind the Gap:

 

URBAN BIKING: The Art of Carrying Things by Bike

And in case you are looking for cleaner forms of transport but the bike is just not the answer for you, here is a great (and very comprehensive) Green Living Ideas article to let you know what's out there.

Green Living Ideas: What is Alternative Transportation?

May your spirit be lifted by the way your body is transported, and may your carbon be reduced.

Lubbock on a Bike Minipost: We Made the List!!! (107)

(Click here to see Lubbock in the NBC)

I have a hard time saying that Lubbock is a terrible place to ride because I really enjoy riding here, but I cannot say that I feel terribly welcome on the streets. (That may be true of anyone on any Lubbock street - we cyclists just take near-death encounters very personally.)

Today on Grist I saw an article touting a list of bike-friendly cities. I read the article and clicked on the list specifically to see how Texas fared - not Lubbock, since I did not expect to see it on the list. But there we were at 107. Wow! It must be the fairly nice weather and the lack of hills. Anyway, it was a shocker for me.

The Grist Article

The Actual Redfin List

Another shocker for me was Texas' top bike-friendly city - way to go, plain old Plano! You are rocking it at 67! Biking anywhere near the Metroplex freaks me out a bit, so I salute your bravery!

From a Texas ego standpoint, it was a little rough to see our Kansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico neighbors higher on the list, but I wouldn't mind biking in Albuquerque either. And we were ahead of Oklahoma, which must be worth something.

May your city be friendly to you on your bike, and may you return the favor!

PS. Have any of you spent time in Boise City, Idaho? What's it like? It's on the list and I am curious about it. Idaho looks great in pics!

[Loyal MH readers, I promise I will publish something non-bike-related soon.]

Lubbock on a Bike: Helping Others Ride (Co-Op Bike Shops)

Two days in a row commuting on the bike! Beautiful weather! Snagit, it feels good to leave Lucy (the Ford Ranger) at home and pedal to work. It feels good to pedal in silence. It feels good not to be polluting, not to be paying money, not to be supporting OPEC, and not to be getting fatter in traffic.

• Super-low-cost transportation
• Super-low-cost workout program
• Significant personal carbon reduction
• I get to be outside (Yesterday I saw that the Northern Shovelers and the wigeons are back in town!)
• And life is more enjoyable behind handlebars

So, dust off your bike and join me! (I have almost gotten around to the point.)

Besides finding joy in riding, I also find joy in helping others ride. It's not a rare occasion at all to have one of the neighborhood kids show up needing advice or help with repair work. It's not much more rare to have an adult ask for help or advice as well. And my limited mechanical skills are very well suited to things with no carburetors or electronics. (In other words, I'm not the sharpest  tack in the road, but I can help you remove that tack from your tire - and plug the hole!)

I read an article on Grist today that discusses two places where people feel like I do about the joy of biking and the joy of helping others bike.

This co-op bike shop will teach you to fix your own damn bike (and that matters) - Be sure to read about the Bikery and BICAS to see two different approaches.

Co-op, workshop, bike kitchen, whatever you would like to call it, I love the idea of a community space to promote and support bicycling by helping and sharing with people.

Here is my first post on the topic: upCYCLE!

May health, wealth, and joy ride with you!

"The problem is...we're human." Joe Hanson

A YouTube video showed up on Grist today: Why People Don't Believe in Climate Science. It's a little over 7 minutes and it explains a lot about the ways our brains choose to deal with or not deal with threats.

I watched a little bit and shut it off. I am a victim of my own "optimism bias" and I have a "finite pool of worry." I kid - I watched the whole thing and enjoyed it a great deal. And now I am armed with phrases like "optimism bias" and "finite pool of worry." And I have a better understanding of the community around me that wants bigger trucks, more beef, and more trainloads of coal to power our stuff. What I did not gain is an understanding of what to do.

For now, maybe it's time to hang up my keys and get back to pedaling. Please flip off the lights on your way out.

May we work together for better.

Lubbock: We want a playa-lake island for Christmas!

An open letter to Santa or our wealthy Dickensian benefactor:

 

One of my foibles as I get a little older is a deeper and deeper appreciation for birds, pretty much all birds. From house finches to great blue herons, I am a fan.

I used to work across the street from this playa-lake park:

And every day my office mate and I would take a walk around the park. It became our park. Some days we would carry bags to pick up trash. Some days we would fish during our lunch hour. Some days we would take cameras and binoculars to check out the new ducks and shorebirds that had stopped over.

 

 

 

The frustrating part with the shorebirds was in knowing how much it disturbed them when we walked around the pond. There was nowhere for them to escape people (and dogs and cats) and still be at the pond.

 

So we speculated a plan. We needed an island where our visitors could hang out in relative peace. A few parks in town do have islands, and the birdlife thrives in those parks.

 

We actually came up with two plans - the public plan and the stealth plan. The public plan involved the city council and an indiegogo campaign. The stealth plan involved my old canoe and some construction site castoffs. Neither plan actually got off the ground, snagit!

I recently found an article on Grist about a Scottish company, Biomatrix Water, that thinks like we do - that adding islands to existing bodies of water can be very beneficial, but they are looking on a broader scope. Their islands benefit birdlife, but they also improve water quality, reduce pollution, support fish and plant life, and reduce algae blooms. Lots of benefits from a very simple structure.

So, that is what JG and I want for Christmas - a couple of Biomatrix Water islands. She wants hers in Jan Jennings Park, I want mine in the un-named park at 78th and Orlando or Remington Park, or both :-).

May our migratory friends find a light on at the inn.

Texas in Eco-News this Week

Just bringing together a few things I have run across this week for you locals and semi-locals.

Texas messes with Texas, pits landowners against pipeline-builders (Keystone XL)

Joel Kotkin thinks you want to live in Houston. Here’s why you don’t. (Suburban vs. Urban)

Spur Coming Up! (Spur Tiny House Pessimism)

Texas couple builds 100 sq. ft. tiny home for $7,000 (Snagit! That thing is tiny!)

Code 3 Hillbilly Emergency (From SmallTownTexas) (Aquaponics and herpetology!)

May you have plenty to talk about around the coffee maker this week!

PS. Here is another tiny house website  with an article about Spur: http://tinyhousebuild.com/tiny-house-friendly-town/

Tesla in Texas - the Melodrama Continues (Not eating crow yet)

Two of the most-read blog posts on Mesquite Hugger are this one and  this one that deal with my doubts about Lubbock, or even Texas, becoming the home of Tesla's new and gargantuan battery factory.

Since then I have heard a few fairly reliable rumors that this particular snowball in hell is still quite solid. And I was able to tour a facility here on the South Plains that has the capacity, expertise, and location to actually appeal to Tesla on a real level. (And our tour guide mentioned that they were in high level talks with a very interesting car manufacturer.)

All that said, I am a pessimist wearing a very optimistic sweater. I just don't see it happening. And I would love to be wrong!

Our beloved  state governor, however, has been doing some serious courting. Thanks to Grist for publishing this article today!

http://grist.org/list/texas-gov-rick-perry-wants-teslas-green-jobs-whats-texas-willing-to-give/

May you have a wonderful day filled with good news.