October 15, 2007

Will blogging save the planet?

That's right - today is Blog Action Day. What does that mean? It means that bloggers all over the planet pick one day to blog about the same issue. The issue? Our environment.

So what do I have to say about the environment? Well, I am kinda partial to it. I enjoy breathing clean air and drinking clean water. Other than that, I think it has all been said before and I am pretty sure that nothing I will say in this post will be so profound as to change your opinion. I mean everyone likes clean air already right?

So how can I use this day for something more than just another kumbaya feel good session of people wanting to change the world? I guess I could give you some action step? Switch to compact fluorescents. Or turn your AC up a couple degrees. Is anyone really going to do that based on my entry? Not likely.

If the blog world wants to make a real change maybe we should focus a bit. How about doing it near an election and posting information about how candidates vote cross referenced to campaign funds received from polluters.

I may just be a bit jaded right now because I have some frustration with people who talk a big game but don't lay out a gameplan and take action. Put down the flowers and tambourines next time and try using Blog Action Day for something more than Blog Blather Day.

Posted by CDogg at 02:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2007

Fits and starts

Every morning before the mercury hits triple digits I try to get a little bit of yardwork done. We are talking between 7am and 9am at the very latest. Its a time before the business world is ready to deal with me and after I walk Lou so it fits nicely.

Today's task was getting after the bushes that have gone waaaaay past needing a trim and into taking over the yard.

Every time I walked away from the ladder, Lou (who loves to climb) scampered up to get a better view.

The work didn't last long this morning - after an hour of trimming, I made some good progess, Lou was hoarse from barking at cats across the street, and I was soaked.

Looks like those shoulders could use more sun.

Posted by CDogg at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)

July 16, 2007

Your mileage may vary

I am all for "saving the planet" and "doing my little part" blah, blah, blah. As part of my elightenment, I made the switch to compact flourescent bulbs. The argument for them is pretty clear - save money on your electric bill, save the planet - what's not to love?

Let's start with how long these things last. I am okay with the slightly dimmer light output at the same lumens rating, but their savings, at least to me, seems to be total hogwash. When I first bought a pack of CFBs, the packages all boasted of a 5 year guarantee. As they started having to honor that, it was removed from all the packaging. (I notice these things.) All of the bulbs in the picture have burned out in just a few months time... I keep track of these things too because I have to lug my ten foot ladder into the living room to change them.

In defense of CFBs, I still have several in my house that seem to be doing fine, so either the wiring is really bad in my house (which could be true) or the failure rate is about one in three bulbs.

Posted by CDogg at 08:14 AM | Comments (0)

May 13, 2007

It IS Easy Being Green

A tribute to another Mother on this special day - Mother Nature.

I planted my small garden just a few weeks back after harvesting my compost. Since that time, I have done almost nothing - THAT is the secret to good gardening. I weeded it only once, and have never even so much as watered it. The trick is to plant things that fit the environment well and make good compost.

It is hard to tell the size from this quick camera photo, but the green beans are almost 5 feet tall, the tomotoes are about four, and the peppers and honeydew melon are also coming along beautifully.

Sure, you have to wait for Mother Nature to do her "thang," but the rewards are worth it. Fresh food with sooo much more flavor than anything you get at a grocery store (even Whole Foods.) Mmmm mmmm good.

Posted by CDogg at 01:25 PM | Comments (2)

March 16, 2007

To everything (turn, turn, turn)...

It is the time of the season for getting back to nature... time to recapture some of last season's trash as this season's treasure. I have been composting since the first year I moved into my house - something like 15 years ago. During the growing season and fall I throw the cuttings from the bushes, the weeds from the flower beds and various other organic waste into the bin. That is the extent of my effort. I don't have a tumbler, I don't turn the compost at all. I just let it sit and let nature do the work. Then, in Spring, I harvest the real black gold.

First step is to take the pitchfork and slide the top layer off...

... this reveals the finished compost below.

Upon closer inspection, the bin is home to boatloads of guests...

... can you find all three toads in this picture? In addition, the bin is home to hundreds of huge nightcrawlers... fishing anyone?

Using a sifter I made that first year I get all the sticks out.

It was super easy to make with a couple 2x4's and some chicken wire.

The result is 100% mana from the heavens...

... with this you never need another chemical. Forget Miracle Gro, forget fertilizers, plant foods, you name it... this is how nature grows healthy plants and this is how I do it.

Posted by CDogg at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2007

The great ice storm... kinda reminds me of Rita

I may be jumping the gun here and people could be saying "I told you so" later, but for now this "icy sleet and freezing rain" has been kind of a non-event. When it does drizzle a bit, the temperature stays above freezing and when it finally dips a few degrees into the water-to-ice zone, there is no precipitation to freeze.

I did see the first signs of a possible icing this morning while walking Lou. (Last year he hated cold weather, for some reason he is all excited about going out in it this year.) We were walking down our now-deserted trail and when he detoured off to do his "bidness," I noticed a crunching sound. Sure enough, if you look real close on the tiny clover leafs, you can see tiny droplets of ice.

I don't think it will stop me from driving, I know trading in my truck for a car was a gamble when it comes to bad weather driving, but somehow I think the Focus will survive this round.

Posted by CDogg at 08:45 AM | Comments (0)

January 08, 2007

Good stuff

I just wanted to mention one of my favorite video podcasts... Daryl Hannah's Love Life. Actress Daryl Hannah has long been known as an outspoken environmental activist but has often been portrayed as somewhat of a whack-job by mainstream media.

What you find in her video podcast is not a Hollywood elitist preaching a brand of morality easily affordable with movie star dollars. Instead, you see a normal person that is genuinely concerned about her planet. The videos are short (under 10 min each) and informational. I look forward to the new shows and have to say that my opinion of Daryl Hannah has definitely improved.

Posted by CDogg at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2006

"Fossil Fuels" is it just bad science?

It strikes me as odd that we believe oil and coal are "fossil" fuels - that is fuels that are created by decaying organic life. Where is the evidence? Is it just voodoo science that we have heard since we were children and thus believe? I think so. Where is the empirical evidence? Where are the scientific trials and studies repeating (and thus proving) the process? Maybe because those close to the issue know that oil is not the result of millions of years of pressure and decay, but instead the result of common chemical and physical reactions in our earth's core.

How else do you explain hydrocarbons (of which gas, oil, and coal are) present in other planetary bodies? Did they all have organic life that died millions of years ago, got compressed and heated, and then flung into space? Not as likely as further evidence that these hydrocarbons are the result of common chemical and physical reactions found throughout the universe.

So, is this another vast conspiracy to control the price of oil by pretending it is not abundant? Probably not. It could just be that the "old guard" still believes the fossil theory, it could just be that our usage is outrunning the rate of replacement, or it could just be that they are going to take care of some "political business" before announcing to the world that oil is indeed abundant and cheap.

I am going to predict that just as diamonds can now be created in the lab, oil will either be manufactured altogether or the technology to reach deep internal stores nearer the earth's core will be developed within the next decade.

And before you think that will solve the world's problems... remember that taking it from the earth and putting it into our atmosphere as C02 is STILL a huge problem for the health of the planet and everyone living on it.

Posted by CDogg at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)

October 09, 2006

Stupid Commercials continued...

A teen (Adam) sits on the floor of a messy room saying, "So my room can get a little dirty - but at least my environments getting a little cleaner..." and then he goes on to talk about how coal emissions are down and that coal is the energy source of the future. More greenwashing from one of the most polluted industries on the planet. It is one of a series of spots in which young "environmentalists" point you to LearnAboutCoal.org - a PR project created by Americans for Balance Energy Choices. What do you want to bet that it is funded by the coal industry. I know - nobody would take that bet.

Does this work on people? You tell me. Does it make you say, "okay solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal energy may not pollute, but hey - coal is getting cleaner." Hey coal companies - try taking a few of the millions you are spending on this greenwashing campaign and invest in some of these clean technologies. Instead of trying to keep Americans confused and living in the past, why not try to lead the way to the future.

Posted by CDogg at 09:36 AM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2006

139 - Adam Curry, Global Warming, A Football Shocker and more!

#139 - Lou speaks to the listeners, the case for global warming, a response to Adam Curry, a scary moment during the Friday Night Lights & Mom.

(Time: 26:31)

Linkies
Love in a Bottle - Lee Coulter
Liberty Jones - The Shakes

Call in and leave a voicemail for the show 206-202-3644

Posted by CDogg at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2006

Good times...

I took a few shots in the backyard again this afternoon. I was cooking up some burgers on the grill and noticed that my sunflowers are larger than they have been in previous years. The curren tallest one right now is 18 feet*.

1
1 - This is how you turn your backyard into a wildscape. With a curtain of sunflowers like this, you won't even notice that you have neighbors.

2 3

2 - I discovered why my TiVo has been acting up... I thought something was going wrong with the hard drive, but the sunflowers were blocking about 40% of the dish causing the picture to pixellate.
3 - The new tenants in Turtle World... my freecycle turtles.

* 18 feet doesn't sound that tall, but picture a six foot tall man - now picture three of them, one standing on the head of the next... that is one big sunflower!

Posted by CDogg at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2006

Trees or water?

I have a quandry... should I save the trees or conserve water? A while back, I noticed that I was running a lot of dishes through my dishwasher and figured that it must be one heck of a huge waste of water. So what did I do? I started buying paper plates. No, not the plastic or styrofoam ones that come from petroleum, but the honest-to-goodness paper ones. I bought multilayered ones so they could hold food without folding.

Well, the dishwashing slowed way down. Now it takes much longer to make a load for the dishwasher and it is all drinking glasses and cups. It made me wonder... should I switch to paper cups? It was then that I wondering about my consumption of paper. Was this all just going to another landfill or incinerated and released into the atmosphere? What is an eco-friendly person to do?

Here is my theory. Both water and paper are renewable. Is one more valuable? I would think that clean water will be harder to come by in the future. So what of the waste paper? Here is the beauty part of my equation. I make sure to buy only the unpainted, uncolored, untreated paper plates and then when I am finished... they go straight into the compost pile along with all the other biodegradable stuff. That's right... I am saving water and the paper that I am using is going back to its origins and being used to feed my plants and lawn.

Posted by CDogg at 08:37 AM | Comments (1)

May 05, 2006

Six Months Without a Purchase?

Okay, you have read a lot of nutty ideas on this in the past few years, but hold onto your hat. I am about to attempt the unthinkable... well, at least in the United States its unthinkable. I am going to attempt to go six months without purchasing something new.

Before you poo-poo the whole idea, hear me out. I am not talking about six months without a purchase, I am talking about NEW purchases. That means going to Wal-Mart, Best Buy, whatever and buying something brand new. Food is excluded because I need a constant supply of new food to live. Also things like electronic files, downloads, anything that is not a physical item is exempted. This is NOT about saving money... this is about consumption of resources.

That's right, it is a place to reduce my personal burden on the resources of the planet. Obviously, the neccesities of my job will also be exempt. If a video production job requires a new pack of tapes, I will have to get that. I will also have to purchase gasoline in order to continue running my business.

What will not be happening after this weekend are things like new clothes for six months, new gadgets for six months, new CDs (unless they are downloaded electronically) for six months, new shoes, new bike tires, new pots & pans, new toys (sniff, sniff - that XBox 360 sure was looking attractive) for six months. If I have to unwrap it from new packaging, it will not be purchased.

In the reduce, reuse, recycle mode, I will be purchasing some of my needs used... I will be foregoing other purchases... and hey, maybe even do some good old-fashioned bartering with things I no longer need or use.

It is all a pretty silly cycle when you take a step back and look. Like the image says, we are all here to work-buy-consume-die. I think that if I buy less and consume less, I will not only play a little part in slowing down my personal waste, but just may spend less time working and dying....and a little more time enjoying and living.

Posted by CDogg at 07:55 PM | Comments (3)

August 31, 2004

Backyard habitat - your own nature retreat.

You have read many a post about Turtle World and my various backyard guests. Well, you too can have a little piece of nature in your own backyard. You can do it by creating a backyard wildlife habitat.

The folks at the National Wildlife Federation have a program to certify your property as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat. My backyard is in the process of being certified. What does that get me? Nothing really - other than warm fuzzies for knowing that I am providing a place for nature to flourish amidst all the concrete, steel and rushing traffic. Well, that and a very relaxing place to kick back on a cool evening without having to pack the tent and head to the country.

Here is how my back yard looked when I bought the place...

Pretty plain-jane-normal-back-lawn. With duties like mowing, edging, weeding and planting flowers every season...

Here it is now...

At first glance, it is certainly more full of vegatation. It also appears to look more like just overgrown weeds... but there is a method to the madness. The yard is made up mostly of meadow grasses. There are trails cut throughout the entire backyard so that I can get to any area I wish without any troubles and can view a cornucopia of wildlife from any corner of my yard.

The trails take about 15 minutes with a weedeater every couple weeks... and really that is it for maintenance. Easy to keep up - relaxing to hang out - what more could you ask?

It is simple to do if you take your time. My backyard has developed from the standard concrete back patio and lawn to a lush area full of birds, fish, snails, lizards, frogs, butterflies, bees, ladybugs, dragonflies, moths, squirrels and much much more... Pennie and I sit for hours out there enjoying the free show Mother Nature provides.

If you are interested in creating your own little Shangri-la and need some advice... do not hestitate to call me - I love doing this stuff. While I may not rush right out and dig a pond for you... I will help you choose what is appropriate, plan the layout, and sure, I'll get my hands dirty too.

Posted by CDogg at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2004

Oh, What a Night!

If you want to find out what's important in life... put a pond in your backyard. Yeah, that's right - I said, put a pond in your backyard. No, the pond is not what's important - it is what a pond forces you to do... slow down.

Pennie and I just spent a great evening in the backyard listening to music, the sound of the pond babbling and talking. I have no clue how long we were out there, but I do know that for however many hours it was, none of the day-to-day crap mattered.

Once again, the 'good eye' award went to Pennie who spotted a small spider bridging the gap between one of the Zinnias and the Rosemary bush. He worked sporadically as he built the main cross beams and took large breaks between creating strands. Then, in a fit of activity, he proceeded to 'get jiggy with it' and create this perfect web, complete with tons of reenforcement. In no time at all, he had his first catch and dispatched him with ninja-like moves.

Okay, so you are wondering what the heck is so great about this live Discovery Channel rerun? It is the fact that we were not standing in line at a Wal-Mart, fighting our way through traffic, or watching the latest reality show. We were kicking back, enjoying the peace and quiet and marvelling at the cool things in life.

Did you know that garden orb spiders can number in the thousands per acre?
Wanna know how a spider spins a web? Check this out.
Or how about the different types of webs? Check this out.

How cool is that? I enjoyed a hell of a great evening, relaxed with my honey, and even learned something.

Posted by CDogg at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2004

Backyard habitat

I have really been getting into the Backyard Habitat thing. It has been growing over time ever since I really got Turtle World up and running. Here is a partial list of the creatures spotted in my backyard since that time.

Reptiles/Amphibians
American toad
Leopard frog
Green anole
Garter snake
Red-eared slider

Fish
Minnows
Goldfish
Channel catfish

Birds
Bluebird
Cardinal
Lincoln's sparrow
Brown-headed cowbird
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Grackle
Mockingbird
Mourning dove

Insects
Dragonfly
Bumblebee
Honeybee
Monarch butterfly

Posted by CDogg at 06:35 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2003

Here is Turtle World.

It is my mini-vacation spot. Pennie and I enjoy sitting out with our feet up, watching the fish, birds and her lizards - Big Green and Little Brown. Oh yeah - and as soon as it is finished, we will be watching a turtle or two as well. It's not a ranch in the country yet, but its a little bit of wilderness.

Posted by CDogg at 06:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2003

A greenie diatribe

I have been trying to ride more in an attempt to regain some semblence of 'shape.' To this end, I decided to take a leisurely bike ride before the "to-do's" of the day started their barrage. I loaded my Camelbak with water and ice, stuffed in my cell phone (not quite ready to totally escape responsibility) and camera (what adventure is complete without a visual record?) and hopped on my two-wheeled steed.

Leaving the cover of the scrub brush greenbelt, I entered the clearing that girded both sides of the man-made drainage ditch. The ribbons of muddy water abutted to slanted concrete banks are referred to locally as bayous. This naming convention is used both to recall a time when the "Bayou City" indeed was surrounded with bayous and to hide the fact that a more proper title would now have to be the "Concrete Drainage Ditch City." Not nearly as marketable.

Oh well. As I approached the bayou (we'll just play along) a trio of turtles sunning themselves on the bank skittered into the protection of the murky water. I had thoughts of snapping a picture much too late as the camera was zipped up in one of the numerous pockets currently strapped to my back. I rode on for a while and was enjoying the fresh air, sunshine and cool breeze. I saw numerous turtles poking their heads cautiously from the water and even a duck and her six ducklings. As these were wild ducks, I wasn't able to get too close, but I was able to take a couple shots.

A little further down, I was dismayed to see the following:

Once again, we (humans) were taking a natural area and shaping it to our needs. I really don't mean to wax too liberal here and I have never been too much of a tree hugger - but it is times like this that make you wonder if you should be a tree hugger. This guy (below) who was desperately attempting to find cover had obviously wandered into the wrong place. He was about fifteen feet away from where the heavy machinery was restructing his home. The water was too shallow to go for cover, and this was probably a good thing because his instinct would have told him to just dive under and hide and the steel blades slammed all around him shaping a "water feature" for nearby residents to enjoy nature.

I got off the bike - took off my socks and shoes - dropped the pack and all my gear and waded into the muck to retrieve him. He was not at all interested in being rescued as he fled desperately from me towards the construction. I was able to catch him because the water was so shallow and ... well, turtles are not so fast unless they are swimming. I grabbed him up and walked him over to the deeper, more established bayou which connected to this new creation and let him scurry to the depths. I wish I could say that I saved a turtle today - but he will probably return to his home before the construction ends and will be easy prey for a front end loader, or curious and slightly sadistic kid.

The whole thing got me thinking about something that I have ranted about in the past - there are just too damn many people. I know it is self-centered because I am not volunteering to "off" myself to alleviate some of the crowding, but I also haven't reproduced. (And the sighs can be heard all around the planet - haha) There can be no question that we as humans are the largest plague this planet has ever seen. Never in history has one species so dominated the globe. Not only are we covering it with people, we are paving over enormous portions and tearing down plants and trees and destroying other species in the process. Plants are the lungs of the planet and we are coating them with concrete.

There are those who say the planet is already fighting back. Suddenly, Nature has a huge vested interest in thinning our numbers. Weather disasters are on the rise, there is record flooding, volcanic activity, earthquakes, tidal waves etc. assaulting us more and more as we spread across the surface of our world. In addition, Nature is fighting back with diseases, virii and plagues of all sorts. AIDS was the first of what I think will be many to come. SARS is spreading rapidly across the plant and the CDC(Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta has stated that it has yet to peak even though we are throwing billions of dollars and the best scientists at the problem. This is to say nothing of Ebola, Reston, or Marburg (look into them)

Anyway, not sure where all this is headed other than to say that its all kind of scary, but maybe just by having it in the back of our minds, we can do something about it. Maybe we will remember next time we see a turtle crossing the road and instead of just swerving to avoid him - maybe we should stop and move him on his way.

Posted by CDogg at 05:24 PM | Comments (0)