PLENTY
NINE SURPRISING INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY WE LIVE
IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
NEW WAVE THE FUTURE OF SURFING
THE FROZEN ZOO A QUEST TO SAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES
+
SHOP SMART: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE FARMERS’ MARKET
Supertasty. Superhealthy. Superfood. BOB BURNQUIST s k a te b o a rd e r | o rg a n i c f a r m e r | s a m b a zo n a m b a s s a d o r
The apple a day theory has evolved.
PLENTY IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
58
The push for a greener sport will force surfers to practice the values they’ve been preaching to others.
Contents August/september 2007 features 44
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE A new Australian trail offers a vast array of hikes, astounding views, and even koala encounters— as well as an intimate look at how climate change may already be affecting the country. By Christy Harrison
50
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL As pollution, habitat loss, global warming, and disease increase the number of threatened and endangered species, attempts to protect them are more crucial than ever. That’s where the Frozen Zoo comes in. By Alisa Opar
58
the next big wave Surfers may seem like free-spirited nature lovers, but they’re now facing the consequences of their sport’s negative
environmental impact. By Lisa Stasiulewicz
64
BACK TO THE FUTURE Enthusiastic as we are about the latest eco-gadgetry—solar-powered fabrics, electric sports cars, backyard wind
turbines—some of the most ingenious solutions to our planet’s woes appeared hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. By Justin Tyler Clark ON THE COVER 50 58 64 82
The Frozen Zoo The future of surfing Nine surprising inventions that changed the way we live Your complete guide to the farmers’ market
2|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
photo by elly clarke
Š2007 Travelocity.com LP. CST# 2056372-50.
Sandcastles or houses. What will you help build? With Travelocity’s Travel for Good, you can build more than castles made of sand. How about a schoolhouse made of wood? How about helping a village in Thailand become self-sustaining? How about protecting an endangered species? How about giving back to the world, one trip at a time? Well, how about it? www.travelocity.com/travelforgood
PLENTY
august/september 2007
FAST 15 One man’s coral fixation; U.S. mayors vie to build emerald cities; how the Farm Bill feeds us; Motorola helps power up Africa; testing eco-friendly drain cleaners.
FORWARD 27
PEOPLE Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sheila Watt-Cloutier
fights to save the Inuit from global warming. By Susan Cosier
30
72
TECH A new twist on geothermal energy could help curb our
34
fossil fuel addiction. By Mark Anderson
32
BUSINESS New technology for the shipping industry relies on
old methods. By Justin Tyler Clark
34
MOTION Mechanics are tuning up the car repair business. By Mark Vanderhoff
36
THINKING Keeping the faith with the Adventure Rabbi; rereading a Wendell Berry classic; a new film from the producers of March of the Penguins.
38
WILD WORLD A conservation program succeeds by embracing
30
trial and error. By Sarah Parsons
41
32
GREEN GEAR Office supplies and furniture that will cure your
case of the Mondays.
CHOICES 69
HOME An efficient home on the Rhode Island coast; pools that
don’t use chlorine; mainstream home retailers embrace green.
76
RETREADS One company’s quest to create new flooring from
old wine corks. By Peter Bronski wearing your eco credos on your sleeve; faking a tan safely.
82 88
FOOD Get the most out of your farmers’ market; icy treats to chill out with. THE LAST WORD Confessions of a yard sale junkie. By Jaqi Holland
in every issue 6 8 10 12
plenty online from the editor contributors letters
PLENTY
nine surprising inventions that changed the way we live
IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
neW WAve The fuTure of surfing
the frozen zoo A quest to sAve endAngered species
+
shop smArt: your complete guide to the farmers’ market
Cover illustration by Bill Mayer 4|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
41 To subscribe to Plenty call 800.316.9006 or log on to plentymag.com
illustration by thomas fuchs
STYLE Aveda gives it up to the boys; designer John Patrick;
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2007
78
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PLENTY
the next big Wave
august/september 2007
Want more Plenty?
photo by elly clarke
Read a first-hand account of the author’s trip to an eco-friendly surf camp in Cornwall, England.
Look no further than plentymag.com, where you can read more about your favorite stories from this issue.
Monkey Business
All Creatures Great and Small
Making a Splash
Taking endangered species from zoos back into the wild is fraught with disappointment. Check out a timeline on one success story—the golden lion amarin project.
Watch out, Kermit: The deadly chytrid fungus is wiping out your brothers and sisters around the world. Read a report on current efforts to protect our froggy friends from this plague.
Swimming pools sans chlorine could become all the rage. Watch a slide show of some of our favorites.
Plentymag.com introduces eight new blogs:
>On the Beat
P43 Prana
Kevin Friedl watches the media to tell you who’s covering the important environmental stories—and who’s missing the point.
K77 Fire
>Political
>The
From the White House to your house, Ben Whitford brings you the news you need about policy, legislation, and the people in power.
Patrick Metzger highlights what’s new in green technology.
Climate
V36 Autumn
Cutting Edge
K74 Karuna
>The Dirt
Colleen Kane dishes on the latest eco (and not-so-eco) activities of the stars.
>Extinction
>In the
>In Good
John Platt chronicles endangered species around the world, and the steps we can take to protect them.
Susan M. Brackney unearths the mysteries of her garden.
Sascha Zuger explores the growing trend of green-minded businesses.
Blog
Garden
Company
>Lifestyles of
the Green and the Famous
Roberta Cruger rounds up all the green gossip about your favorite celebrities.
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HealthyChild.org
from the editor
On second thought... In 2005, gas prices soared, triggering a national debate on energy policy. Up until that point, the United States had done so little to address global warming that many environmental leaders (and this magazine) advocated a range of incremental improvements—a whatever-works approach. Change usually happens gradually, unless there is some breakthrough in technology, so it seemed reasonable in the short term to support positive intermediate steps. Even corn-based ethanol didn’t seem so bad: it was, after all, cleaner than fossil fuels. Unfortunately, some of these intermediate steps seem to be becoming ends in themselves. The U.S. has large amounts of coal reserves and already dedicates considerable farmland to corn thanks to generous federal subsidies. Under the guise of energy security, coal-state lawmakers want to give billions of dollars to help produce diesel fuel from coal, and corn-based ethanol is set to expand considerably in years ahead. But some of the most promising technologies are getting far less congressional attention than corn. Take algae-based biodiesel: It’s about 200 times more efficient than fuel made from soybeans, and it can be grown in a variety of environments, including saltwater, unused desert land, and water-efficient factories. But despite its merits, the federal government devotes few resources to developing this technology. Solar energy has been around for a while, so it may have lost some of its luster. But an acre of solar panels is still a much more efficient fuel source than an acre of corn or soybeans. Although solar power is still more expensive than coal or petroleum, that probably won’t be the case a few years from now. Washington may be missing out on the next industrial revolution, but the private sector is
8|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
not. According to the Cleantech Network, a group that promotes investment in clean technology, venture capitalists invested $730 million in North America’s green tech sector during the first quarter of this year. That’s a 42 percent increase since last year. Some of the power sources we will be using 10 to 20 years from now will likely surprise us. There are potential breakthroughs in geothermal energy, for example, that could make this source far more accessible than it is today (“From the Ground Up,” page 30). And it won’t be the first time an old idea has taken on new meaning. Many of the technologies we use now have been around for quite some time, in some form or another—they just needed time to percolate. (“Back to the Future,” page 64). We’re steadily moving toward an era of cleaner technology, thanks to green-minded businesses and a new generation of visionaries. Americans have begun to follow their lead—and if the federal government does, too, we may get there sooner than we once thought.
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contributors
lynn harris (“Camping the Faith,” page 36) is a freelance writer and author of the new comic novel, Death by Chick Lit, as well as the book’s prequel, Miss Media. She’s also written several humorous, non-fiction books. An award-winning journalist, Lynn contributes regularly to Glamour, Salon.com, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. She writes a column (from experience) called “The Rabbi’s Wife” for Nextbook.org, and is the co-creator of the venerable website, BreakupGirl.net. Lynn currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband David, daughter Bess, and splendid roof garden.
felix sockwell (“Everything Old is New Again,” page 88), a freelance artist, illustrates Plenty’s “Last Word” department. He also makes drawings and illustrations for clients ranging from Coca-Cola and Herman Miller to the New York Times and Zipcar—when he’s not gardening, that is. A native Texan, Felix currently resides in New Jersey, and with the help of his friends at Plenty, he hopes to furnish his studio with sustainable stuff by the end of the year.
alisa opar (“All Creatures Great and Small,” page 50), an associate editor at Plenty, jumped at the chance to write about a conservation research program at the San Diego Zoo. The experience allowed her to revisit some of the careers she pursued in the past but couldn’t commit to, such as genetic research (interesting, but she couldn’t stomach killing red spotted newts for their DNA) and wildlife biology (a strong contender, but her love of bats and a good night’s sleep didn’t mesh well). When she isn’t writing about some of her former career interests, Alisa enjoys backpacking and curling up with a good book. She owns no cats. jennifer acosta scott (“Making a Splash,” page 72) covers health and lifestyle issues for publications such as Saveur, Shape, and Better Nutrition, among others. Environmental topics are among her favorite subjects to tackle. “Living in Texas, it seems there’s a gas well on just about every horizon,” she says. “So I’m really interested in hearing about people who are conserving resources instead of profiting from them.” She last wrote for Plenty about the return of the clothesline (“Well Hung,” April/May 2007, page 74). She lives in the Dallas-Forth Worth area with her husband, Mark, and son, Patrick, and is expecting another son this fall. justin tyler clark (“Back to the Future,” page 64, and “Sail of the Century,” page 32) is an eighth-generation Angeleno—but don’t hold that against him). He’s also lived in New York and Beijing, where he received a corporate grant to start a punk rock band. A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, Justin has also written for LA Weekly and Nerve. A veteran freelancer for Plenty, his last story for the magazine featured agricultureinspired art. When he’s not writing or planting his organic vegetable garden, Justin dreams of propelling himself along the Los Angeles River using the kite technology he covers in his story about wind-powered shipping.
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PLENTY
BABIES GO GREEN: FAB CLOTHES, CRIBS, AND TOYS
IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
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“either you are ECO a vegetarian, TRAVEL or you aren’t. 2.0 it’s like being ‘a little bit pregnant.’” YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLANET-FRIENDLY TOURISM
+SURPRISING DESTINATIONS +COOL TRIPS, EXPERT TIPS
no fence-sitting allowed I just read the article “Vegetarian With Benefits” (June/July 2007, page 84). I’ve been a vegetarian for 30 years now, and I only have one comment: Either you are a vegetarian, or you aren’t. It’s like being “a little bit pregnant.” Debbie Carey Meza, AZ
An Omnivore by any other name What do you call a person who eats meat? A vegetarian, according to your magazine (“Vegetarian With Benefits,” June/July 2007, page 84). The article starts by saying, “Not so long ago, fish-eating vegans and bacon-loving vegetarians would have found it difficult to explain their preferences to potential dinner-party hosts—let alone maintain their street cred with other ecophile foodies. These days, though, it’s common to meet people whose dietary regimens fall outside traditional categories like vegetarian, vegan, and omnivore.” I applaud anyone who reduces the amount of meat he or she eats. I think the effort is wonderful, but I believe people should go vegan because it’s the best way to live as ethically, healthfully, and environmentally friendly as possible. What about definitions? Do we care so little about what words mean? If you eat meat and plant products, you are an omnivore. If you don’t eat any meat (including fish), but still consume dairy products or eggs, you are a vegetarian. If you forego all animal products, you are a vegan. It is that simple. Please don’t mess with the meaning of words. How would you like it if people started calling themselves doctors even though they haven’t graduated from an approved medical school? What if
they offered their medical services to you? It’d make you feel downright nervous if you knew the truth, I’m guessing. You trust someone to use the word “doctor” properly. Words have meanings. These meanings are not flexible. If you eat meat sometimes, “flexatarian” is a fine word to use to represent your commitment to reducing your meat consumption, though you are technically still an omnivore. However, if you are going to call yourself a vegan, please do not order the Porterhouse steak. Andrew Keese Harlingen, TX
eat your words In “Vegetarian With Benefits” (June/July 2007, page 84), cooking instructor Myra Kornfeld claims that vegetarians can have problems absorbing and consuming enough nutrients, like iron. But many vegetarian foods—including vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains—are rich in iron, calcium, and other vitamins. The American Dietetic Association states that “appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” Potential vegetarians should not let nutritional concerns prevent them from adopting a more compassionate, environmentally friendly, and socially just plant-based diet. Andrea Cimino Montgomery Village, MD
say no to GMos I’m confused. When did genetically engineered crops become green? (“Power Plants,” June/July 2007, page 30). This article disturbed me with its topical discussion of ge-
letters netically modified crops with no mention of the questionable and controversial science behind them. If we believe in a sustainable, healthy world, then let’s do better than using genetically modified switchgrass and willows to feed our addiction to the automobile. Matt Skroch Tucson, AZ
message in a bottle While I agree with Greg Benchwick’s advice to reduce waste while traveling by carrying a water bottle (“The Eco Travel Tool Kit,” June/July 2007, page 51), globe-trotting greenies might want to pass on his suggestion to use “one, big Nalgene bottle.” Unfortunately, Nalgene bottles are made of polycarbonate plastic which contains bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical linked to hormone disruption. As Plenty pointed out in the last issue (“Plastic Oh-No,” April/May 2007, page 78), “If you want to limit BPA ex-
posure, one easy way is to minimize or avoid using polycarbonate plastic bottles (marked with #7).” Plastic bottles marked with #1—or better yet, glass—are safer choices from an environmental and health perspective. Human bodies are part of the environment, too—best not to pollute them with unnecessary toxins. Stacy Malkan Berkeley, CA
A salty situation First, I want to begin by saying thank you so much for Plenty—it enables people who are interested in caring to do so. I was reading the article, “A Brine Idea” (June/July 2007, page 32) and am wondering whether desalination is really the best idea. Americans are wasteful. This is a fact. Now, we’re beginning to feel the implications of our actions. But rather than cutting down on our consumption, we are finding
new ways to consume. I understand that we need to sustain life, but for the most part, I’m not convinced that taking water from the oceans is a great idea. This could lead to us overextending our supplies while still trying to solve the precarious situation we are faced with today. It will also give businesses another way to charge Americans for a necessary product and cover it up as “big business” or a great opportunity. Even if the brine is dumped far enough offshore, has anyone asked the question about how desalination will affect marine life? How much can the ocean handle before it gets overdosed? Right now I think there are too many vital questions to be answered before we can get too excited about desalination. Tina Vanderklok Holland, MI
Write us at letters@plentymag.com.
FAST
> Are aerosol cans still eco enemy #1? > One man’s home improvement— his own coral reef > Eco bragging rights: May the greenest mayor win > The gas vs. charcoal BBQ smackdown > putting natural drain cleaners to the test
Who knew that putting the laundry on the line could make a statement about global warming? In May, a group of artists strung 550 white shirts above the sidewalks of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District to draw attention to the reflective power of white surfaces—what scientists call albedo. Snow and ice have high albedo values and reflect sunlight, keeping the earth cool, while dark surfaces have low values and absorb sunlight, warming the planet. As temperatures rise, ice and snow melt, reducing the earth’s albedo, which—you guessed it—causes the temperature to rise some more. Entitled Albedo Clouds on Little West 12th, the piece is the work of a group called the Canary Project. Founders Edward Morris and Susannah Sayler are slowly amassing visual evidence of climate change around the globe. “The goal is to get people emotionally involved with what’s happening regarding global warming,” says Morris, “and we feel like art is the best way to do that.” —Justin Nobel
photo courtesy of The Canary Project
losing our shirts
fast
Emerald Cities?
dal e
y
You know we’re reaching a cultural tipping point when male big-city mayors start boasting that theirs is, well, the greenest. Unsurprisingly, the metropolis that comes out on top of two recent sustainability rankings is Portland, Oregon, shepherded by Mayor Tom Potter. But that hasn’t stopped Mike Bloomberg of the Big Apple, L.A.’s Antonio Villaraigosa, and a host of others from vying for the crown. Whether such claims are macho posturing or plain old civic boosterism, it’s good news: Urban areas are responsible for more than three-quarters of the world’s climate damage. Still, to help keep these Hizzoners honest, we’ve compiled a list of their environmental boasts and bona fides. —Liz Galst
Michael Bloomberg New York
Population 8,143,197, the
largest city in the nation
on the record boast
“We are going to seize this opportunity to…create the first environmentally sustainable 21st-century city.” Tree count 1,000,000 trees to be planted by 2017 (1/8 of a tree per resident) emissions reduction target 30 percent citywide
below 2005 levels
Best New Initiative that may or may not come to fruition
Congestion pricing, which would charge drivers a fee for entering certain sections of Manhattan, thereby significantly reducing traffic-related emissions. Funkiest new idea
Mollusks for water filtration
Richard M. Daley Chicago Population: 2,842,518, 3rd largest city in the nation On the Record Boast
“When I talk about making Chicago the greenest city in the nation, I’m not being idealistic. I’m being very practical.” Tree count About 30,000 trees planted per year since 1989 (1/5 of a tree per resident by 2010) emissions reduction Target Citywide targets
to be announced. Emissions related to city government operations have decreased five percent from the 1998-2001 baseline.
Best New Initiative that may or may not come to fruition 2030
Challenge: All new buildings will cut emissions by 60 percent by 2010 and be carbon-neutral by 2030. Funkiest new idea
Green-collar job training program for ex-offenders
Dilemma
I love to grill, but I’ve heard that barbecues can be bad for air quality and health. Which are better for the environment: charcoal grills or gas?
Q:
Greg Nickels Seattle Population 573,911, 23rd largest city in the nation On the Record Boast
None—Nickels is a modest guy. But a number of media outlets have called him the nation’s greenest mayor. Spokesperson John Healy says Nickels “wants every mayor to try to be the greenest mayor in America.” Tree Count 650,000 trees to be planted within 30 years (1 tree per resident by 2037) emissions reduction target Seven percent below
1990 levels citywide by 2012
Best New Initiative that may or may not come to fruition A plan
to cut them even further—a whopping 80 percent by 2050. Funkiest NEW idea The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. At Nickels’s urging, more than 510 U.S. mayors have signed on to the goals of the Kyoto protocol, promising major emissions reductions.
A: Who doesn’t love the smoky taste of a burger grilled over charcoal? But gas grills are cleaner burning, “hands down,” says Rollin Sachs, an environmental scientist who works on the air quality division for the Public Health Department in Kansas City, Kansas, the self-proclaimed barbeque capital of the world. Gas grills—usually fueled by propane or natural gas—do use a non-renewable resource, petroleum, and emit carbon dioxide, but are more efficient overall. Burning charcoal emits both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide as well
16|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
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Antonio R. Villaraigosa Los Angeles Population
3,844,829, 2nd largest in the nation On the Record Boast
“I realize that our city has historically been more synonymous with sprawl and smog, but we’re committed to making our city the greenest big city in America.” Tree count1 million to be planted within 10 years (1/4 of a tree per resident) emissions reduction target 35 percent below
1990 levels by 2030 for city government operations
Best New Initiative that may or may not come to fruition A plan
to generate 35 percent of city power supply—L.A. has a municipally-owned utility— with renewable energy by 2020 Funkiest new idea
Refusing to renew contracts with operators of coal-fired power plants
Gavin Newsom San Francisco Population 739,426, 14th largest city in the nation On the Record Boast
“The City of San Francisco is dedicated to being one of the greenest cities on the planet.” Tree count 20,000 trees in the next four years (1/50 of a tree per resident) emissions reduction target
20 percent below 1990 levels citywide by 2012 Best New Initiative that may or may not come to fruition Water
turbines that generate renewable energy under the Golden Gate Bridge Funkiest new idea
Citywide ordinance banning non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags
as particulates, which can worsen heart and lung problems. Not only that, as meat sizzles over charcoal and juice drips onto the coals, the flares create compounds that have been linked to cancer, which billow up and land on your food. Plus using lighter fluid can also produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs). On hot, sunny days, these compounds contribute to smog. To top it off, briquettes are often composed of coal dust, sodium nitrate, starch, limestone, and borax. Bottom line is, if you’re looking for the most eco alternative, grill with gas. illustration by jason lee
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BIONEERS
October 19-21, 2007 marin center san rafael, ca
CHANGING THE STORY: FROM FEAR TO HOPE – FROM DESTRUCTION TO RESTORATION “The Bioneers has been consistently ahead of the curve. The issues they were raising a decade ago have moved into the mainstream. It is now a hatchery for the next wave of important ideas that five years hence people will be talking about in Rotary Clubs.” – Author Bill McKibben, quoted in The New York Times, 2006
The annual Bioneers Conference connects the dots among diverse issues, ideas, cultures and movements to inspire a lifeaffirming culture of healing, justice and democracy. Join us in exploring practical solutions at the crossroads of ecological restoration, human health, social justice and the sacred. Sharing visionary solutions for: Restoring our ecosystems Preserving cultures Greening economies Protecting oceans Creating sustainable cities Building community And so much more . . .
P Explore
Visit www.bioneers.org for details on speakers, workshops and exhibitors, to locate a Bioneers conference in your region and connect with the ever-growing Bioneers community.
P Connect P Celebrate
Z
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
18th Annual Conference
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Watch for Leonardo DiCaprio’s feature documentary 11th Hour in movie theaters, featuring Bioneers founder Kenny Ausubel and many other bioneers.
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PHOTOS BY JENNIFER ESPERANZA
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877-BIONEER info@bioneers.org
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It’s all alive. It’s all connected. It’s all intelligent. It’s all relatives.
fast
Burning Question
Q:
The Farmer in the Bill
The U.S. Farm Bill, a complex piece of legislation that is renewed every half-decade, is up for reauthorization this year. With a proposed budget of $619 billion, it supports agriculture through measures such as subsidies—cash payments from the government to farmers—as well as funds allotted for nutrition research and land conservation. To a large extent, the bill determines what crops are grown, and, subsequently, what we eat. In recent years, the Farm Bill has come under fire from environmental advocates who say that it supports megafarms over family farms and doesn’t allocate enough monies for conservation. Here’s what we dug up.
37
Percentage of cash payments that went to corn farmers between 1995 and 2004.
1,000 Percentage increase in U.S. consumption of highfructose corn syrup over the past three decades.
15,000
Number of new food products introduced each year.
conn iggulden
Author of The Dangerous Book for Boys
10 Percentage of total 2007
60 Percentage of all farmers
Amount, in billions of dollars, by which conservation funding increased in the 2002 Farm Bill.
200 Number of organi-
Amount, in billions of dollars, by which the 2007 Farm Bill proposes to increase conservation funding.
7.8
dawn nolan
subsidies allotted to just five crops (corn, cotton, wheat, soybeans, and rice).
who do not raise one of those crops and therefore don’t receive direct cash subsidies.
40 Percentage increase in
Limit, in adjusted gross income dollars, that the 2002 Farm Bill proposed that farmers can earn and still receive subsidies.
25 Percentage decrease in the
Limit, in adjusted gross income dollars, the 2007 Farm Bill proposes farmers can earn and still receive subsidies.
price of soda and soft drinks (many of which are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup) over the same period.
Yes. Schools, parents, even organizations devoted to the outdoors, are effectively banning the kind of outdoor play that people my age enjoyed as children. Overemphasis on testing is pushing nature experiences out of education; worry about lawsuits is leading to what amounts to the criminalization of natural play; and fear of strangers—exaggerated by the news media—is scaring children straight out of the woods and fields. Yet new studies demonstrate just how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy development. Healing the bond between our young and nature is in our self-interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demand it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depend upon it.
93 Percentage of direct cash
75 Percentage of these new
the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables (which are grown with little federal support) between 1985 and 2000.
Author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Yes. Game machines involve someone else’s imagination doing the job for kids—making them passive consumers. If you have sons, you care about this, so make something with them—like a swing on a tree, a go-cart or a bow and arrow. Give them an afternoon outside they won’t forget. When it gets dark, get hold of a telescope and find the moons of Jupiter. It’s not hard, honestly. What’s hard is trying that with a sullen fifteen-year-old. Catch them young and show them your own sense of wonder. That’s it. That’s enough.
zations, including the Soil Association and Farm Aid, petitioning Congress to address the growing market power of corporate farms.
products that are candies, condiments, breakfast cereals, baked goods, beverages, or dairy novelties.
Richard Louv
2,500,000 200,000
18|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Farm Bill funding earmarked for conservation.
17.1
1.9
Amount, in billions of dollars, cut from conservation funding to pay for farm disaster aid in 2005.
Spokesperson, Girl Scout Council of Greater New York
Some may be, but many are not. In fact, many of today’s girls and young women have a greater sense of responsibility in regards to preserving the environment compared to those of past generations. In the 95-year history of Girl Scouts, outdoor activity has been fundamental. When the program began, it really broke with the more traditional roles that were available to girls by allowing them to participate in their community and environment. Today, we encourage girls to take care of the earth and provide opportunities for them to discover the natural world around them and make the world a better place by cleaning up parks and beaches, planting trees, and helping recycling efforts.
Sources: National Wildlife Federation, Redesigning the American Lawn, Pesticide Action Network North America, Toxics Action Center, Lymphoma Foundation of America, EPA, People Powered Machines, Gimme Green.
by the numbers
are kids today disconnected from nature?
fast The Stone Arch Bridge, one of Minneapolis’s bike-friendly crossings.
going places: Minneapolis
Jump into the City of Lakes Flying over Minneapolis, it’s easy to see how the city earned its moniker: Of the 10,000 lakes scattered across the state, 22 dot the city. But, lately, it’s the green scene that’s making a splash. There’s a park within six blocks of every residence and 43 miles of bike paths (the city
Shopping Birch Clothing (birchclothing.com) at 50th and Penn (above) offers chic pieces from the likes of Ecoganik and Loomstate. Linden Hills Natural Home (lindenhillscoop.com) has everything from luxe organic cotton sheets to Burt’s Bee’s baby clothes line. ReGifts, in the Standish neighborhood, sells purses made of license plates and other rad recycled wares (regifts.googlepages.com). Even the (in)famous Mall of America employs seriously earth-friendly practices. The building relies solely on natural light plus the body heat from its 40 million annual shoppers for heating (!), and the park is kept pest-free by ladybugs instead of chemicals.
Getting around A long-awaited light rail transit system (below) debuted three years ago, and now runs from the airport to downtown; the line currently has 17 stops. City buses connect to LRT stations and are timed for efficient transfer. Visitors can hop on the city’s extensive bike path system by renting a bike from Calhoun Cycle (calhouncycle. com) for $15 a half day.
20|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
boasts the most bike commuters in the U.S.). Minneapolitans are also enjoying a cultural renaissance as eco-friendly is being writ large on restaurant menus, retail tags, and public works. Flyover city? Hardly. See what else the Mini Apple has to offer. —Megan Kaplan Health and beauty The botanical-based Aveda empire was born in Minneapolis. Book an appointment at the flagship Aveda Institute to have a budding stylist give you a simple cut for just $14 (aveda.com). Fusion Lifespa, a half-hour west of the city, is a chemical-free shop where you can get a pedicure with phthalate-free polish or a facial with pomegranate and cranberry (fusionlifespa.com).
Sightseeing The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway is a 50-mile loop that includes lakes, waterfalls, and riverfront; the parks department has mapped it out (minneapolisparks.org). Highlights include hiking trails along the Mississippi River and the landmark Stone Arch Bridge, a pedestrian and bike crossing with a view of St. Anthony Falls. On the architecture front, the stunning Cesar Pelli–designed Central Library (above) has a green roof composed of prairie plants. (mpls.lib. mn.us). At the Bell Museum, you can see a rainforest canopy from an aerial walkway (bellmuseum.org).
a green future With the Central Library as a model, the city is greening more rooftops: One at City Hall is underway, and there’s talk of greening the roof of the Target Center. And Gold Medal Park, a 7.5-acre site in the historic Mill District, was unveiled in May; its goal is to be the first LEED-certified Major League Baseball stadium.
Eating Downtown, Brenda Langton’s eponymous Café Brenda (right) has been a sustainable standby since 1986 with homey fare like fresh walleye and the vegetarian Brenda burger (cafebrenda.com). Langton’s newer eatery, Spoonriver, is on the higher end in price and style, with creations like tomato-watermelon salad with vanilla vinaigrette (spoonriverrestaurant.com). Uptown, the farmers’ market-inspired menu at Lucia’s Restaurant changes weekly (lucias.com). A few blocks away, Galactic Pizza serves “pizza with a conscience,” and the delivery guys and gals don superhero costumes and drive electric cars that look like space pods (galacticpizza.com).The Birchwood Café in the Longfellow neighborhood is the organic answer to the greasy spoon, serving freerange eggs and fair-trade java from local distributor Peace Coffee (birchwoodcafe.com).
Designed by
Emerging August 2007 at www.secondtradeshow.com
fast
Coral Fixation dog may be man’s best friend, but Dave Lackland’s favorite pal is that underappreciated little invertebrate called coral. Yes, it’s animal, not plant, one that supports nearly one-third of all marine animal life, despite the fact that it spreads over less than one percent of the earth’s surface. Lackland, a coral culture biologist at the Mote Marine Laboratory in the Florida Keys, grows 24 species of coral in 20 tanks to help replace the ocean’s rapidly dwindling population. But recently, Lackland noticed an incongruity. He was working to right an environmental wrong, but wasting a lot of resources to do it—heating the water, running the pumps. To create artificial sunlight, he was using 1,000watt, $275 light bulbs, which needed replacing twice a year. So Lackland decided to build an energy-efficient coral lab in his own home using $25,000 from savings and a personal bank loan. He literally sliced into his two-story concrete house to add skylights this summer. Six solarpowered tanks are illuminated by those skylights plus LED lights that use 40 percent less electricity than the ones at work. “They
create almost no heat and last up to 22 years,” he says. But will the ocean’s coral population hang on even that long? Seventy percent of the world’s reefs are now threatened or destroyed. Though coral is able to grow its own food supply in the form of algae, it depends on adequate sunlight to do so. “That’s why they’re dying so quickly—partly because they can’t get enough sun.” Part of the problem is that fertilizer run-off from agriculture and lawns is causing marine vegetation to proliferate and block out sunlight. “When Mr. Johnson puts fertilizer on weeds in Kentucky—guess what? That’s coming down to the Florida Keys,” he says. And that’s just the beginning. Pollution, careless boaters, snorkelers and good old global warming are also taking a toll. “It’s not a one-two punch. It’s a barrage of punches,” says Lackland. “At the going rate we’re not going to have a single coral by 2040.” Even Lackland’s not sure he can mitigate the coral crisis. “We might be able to produce a few thousand corals in a few years, but that’s nothing when there are hundreds of thousands of corals going to hell.” He admits
Motorola tests off-the-grid systems in Namibia.
22|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Lackland shows off the energy-efficient lighting in his home lab and collects samples undersea, below.
Marine biologist Dave Lackland literally sliced into his own home to install skylights that power solar aquariums. that he’s only one man with one coral lab—well, two—but his plan is to show businesses like fisheries that they can get into coral repopulation with low overhead and a minimal carbon
footprint. It’s in the best interest of anyone that relies on marine life—pretty much everybody. If we don’t get involved, he says, “Everything up the food chain is going to disappear.” —Lisa Selin Davis
out of africa Sometimes it’s best to start from scratch. The Namibian village of Dordabis lacked a system to power communications, so Motorola stepped in. The company is currently testing a wind- and solar-energy system to provide power for cell phones, as well as Internet use. The trial is the first of its kind in the world. For developing areas, this fueling system makes financial as well as environmental sense: “Remote rural areas have to use off-grid power,” says Thomas Quirke, marketing director of Motorola. “A lot of operating costs can go to refueling diesel generators, or even flying materials to the sites by helicopter. If wind and solar power is shown to be commercially viable, rural markets will adopt it.” The site was activated last spring, and has been generating power ever since. “The wind turbine has been active through late afternoon and at night, so the batteries are getting regular 24-hour charge,” says Quirke. As an added bonus from Mother Nature, the wind has been clearing sand and dust off the solar panels. Next up is continued testing in Africa and Asia, in developed as well as less developed countries. —Pamela Grossman
Th M an o Re re cip es
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Blame it on the Drain Clogged drains (and the disgusting grease/hair/toothpaste sludge that comes with them) are an unpleasant fact of life. The easy solution is to use a conventional drain cleaner—but who feels good about dumping harsh chemicals directly into the tub or sink? The good news is that environmentally friendly alternatives exist. But can they possibly compete with the old noxious standbys? We put a few green drain cleaners to work on our problematic pipes and found that though they might require a little more patience than their more toxic counterparts, several brands are definitely worth trying. — Susan Cosier
Earth Enzymes
$8.39, ecos.com Mix the sand-like granules from the bottle with warm water and pour it down the problem pipe. After 24 hours, flush with water and voila—a cleared drain. It’s biodegradable, non-toxic, and works pretty well to unclog that pesky plug.
Bio-Flow
$19.50 (1 gallon), greenchem.com Total Solutions’ Bio-Flow contains enzymes and bacteria that help break down grease and food in your drain. It works well on clogged sinks while deodorizing the area with a minty scent. The ingredients can irritate your eyes and skin, though, so make sure to avoid splashing it as you pour.
CLR
$9.99, jelmar.com This liquid is the result of a partnership between CLR and the EPA’s Design for the Environment program, meaning it’s an eco-friendlier option than most commercial products. It seems to be the best bet for more serious clogs, plus it comes with a money-back guarantee.
Liquid-Plumr: Power Jet
$6.29, liquid-plumr.com This drain cleaner is also free of harsh chemicals because it uses a jet of liquid and air to blast out clogs It works surprisingly well for minor clogs that cause slow drainage. Take note: The container can be difficult to recycle, depending on local regulations.
the big picture
This ain’t so cool.
By Jessica Hagy
Drainbo Natural Drain Cleaner
$7.99, drainbo.com We love the pun-y name of this nontoxic liquid, which contains only natural ingredients. Its eco appeal makes it worth a shot for slow drains, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well for serious blockages.
claim check
IN THE CAN Back in the ’70s, scientists began to suspect that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the chemicals used in aerosol cans, were damaging the atmosphere. By the hairspray-heavy ’80s, CFCs were identified as the main culprit in causing the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica. Environmentalists soon convinced consumers to avoid aerosols like the plague. But recently a host of “eco-friendly” aerosol products have begun to appear on store shelves. What gives?
Aerosol sprays are bad for the ozone layer
The Claim
The Facts You might be in the habit of guiltily looking to the sky every time you reach for a spray can, but aerosols haven’t contained CFCs for a while now. In 1987, 57 industrial nations signed the Montreal Protocol, the first international agreement to deal with global atmospheric problems, and CFCs were phased out. Today there are virtually no aerosols on the market that contain CFCs. Instead, cans are usually pressurized with safer substances, like hydrocarbons, and research shows the ozone layer is on the mend. Still, experts don’t expect it to recover to 1980-levels for another 50 years or so.
Today’s aerosols won’t contribute to the ozone hole, but that doesn’t mean they’re good for the environment. Hydrocarbons are highly flammable, and the aerosol canisters can’t be recycled unless they’re totally emptied. (Local recycling rules vary.) Bottom line: Aerosol sprays are much less troublesome now than they were in the past, but it’s still better to choose products that use a pump mechanism if you have the option. —Christine Cyr
The Conclusion
24|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Green. With envy.
Green.
What shade are you? Green is feeling it more, not less. Green is living a lifestyle that supports innovation. Green is never compromising.
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FoRward people
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wild world
Activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier believes global warming is a human rights issue.
Northern Exposure Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier speaks for the first victims of global warming By susan Cosier The consequences of global warming—melting ice caps, rising seas, and warmer temperatures—will eventually affect people all over the world, but in the Arctic, Inuit people are already bearing the brunt of the change. In Nunavut, the northernmost region of Canada, Inuit leader Sheila WattCloutier, 53, has dedicated her career to advocating for her people—and these days, that means fighting hard to make sure climate change doesn’t destroy their ancient way of life. Watt-Cloutier began lobbying for environmental justice in
the ’90s as a member of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, a non-governmental Inuit rights group. In 2004, as chair of the group, she helped pass the Stockholm Convention, a United Nations treaty aimed at eliminating persistent organic pollutants that have accumulated in food sources—such as whale blubber—that are staples of the Inuit diet. But in the past several years, as northern temperatures have continued to rise, Watt-Cloutier has shifted her attention to climate change. In 2005, with the support of hunters and elders from her community, she submitted a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in hopes that the group would urge the United States to curb its carbon emissions; in the age of global warming, says Watt-Cloutier, those emissions amount to a human rights violation against the Inuit. The petition was rejected, but the world took notice, and last February she was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Plenty caught up with Watt-Cloutier on a couple of occasions to ask about her people, her work, and her nomination. How is global warming affecting the Inuit people?
The ice is forming much later in the fall, and it’s breaking up much earlier in the spring. * plentymag.com
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The conditions of the ice and snow have changed so much and so dramatically that when the ice forms, it is very difficult to read in terms of safety. We have glaciers that are melting very quickly. Streams that used to be very safe for our hunters to cross have now become torrential rivers. There are even a couple of communities that have to be relocated since they’re literally falling into the sea.
Watt-Cloutier was born and raised in the northernmost region of Canada.
Were the Inuit people eager to sign the petition?
Yes. Some people were cautious because of fear of political backlash, but not moving ahead in this strong, bold way would have been even worse because the future holds such stark realities for us. The whole idea behind the petition is that it wasn’t an act of anger or aggression or confrontation. It was a gift, an act of generosity from an ancient culture to a society that has largely lost its connection to the rhythms and cycles of nature. It was not a way to strike out, but it was a way to reach out. This was a way to pressure the U.S. to come back as a leader.
Have these developments changed how the Inuit live?
Yes. When the ice starts to break up too quickly in the springtime and people are still hunting and fishing, they need to take much longer routes. This costs more for people because they have to bring more supplies and more fuel to get to the same point than they used to. How do you convey the idea that global warming is not just an Inuit problem, but a global one?
Often I tell people that as the Arctic is melting; other places, like the small island developing states, are sinking because of sea level rise. If you want to understand the health of our planet, come north to take its pulse. What is happening in the Arctic is happening first and fastest, but it is going to happen everywhere else. It’s all very connected. Do you think that the global community is aware of the degree that climate change is affecting the Inuit?
What do you see as your biggest challenge moving forward?
There really are ‘‘people far away
from the source of these pollutants and greenhouse gases whose lives are being disproportionately impacted.
There’s a growing awareness. I really saw the shift happen when we started to make the connection between this issue and human rights. It raised awareness that climate change was not just about technology or politics. It wasn’t just about carbon sinks and emissions trading and greenhouse gases. There really are people far away from the source of these pollutants and greenhouse gases whose lives are being disproportionately impacted. 28|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
in terms of our cultural way of life, our right to health, our right to culture, our right to safety.
”
Why did you decide to submit a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights?
I didn’t want to go in the direction of lawsuits, which would cost us enormous amounts of money. It would also discredit our work since lots of people would say, ‘Oh, they just want money. They just want compensation.’ It would weaken our cause. We wove in all of the changes that were happening up here
I think the biggest challenge is to really get people to genuinely see climate change as a real, immediate, and urgent issue that needs to be addressed and to pull away from all of this politicizing of the issue. I would think that this is the biggest challenge at the political level. I think the citizens themselves, even within my country and the U.S., seem to be moving ahead of their own governments, which is a great sign. But at the same time we’re bound by political structures and a culture of politics. How long do you expect to fight for this cause?
As long as it takes. This is a life passion. I’m hoping that the global community will get the message very soon and start to really work together. I’m hoping that there will be a time when one doesn’t have to be standing on the rooftop here in the Arctic trying to tell that story to a deaf audience. The interest that seems to be building up now is only going to grow.
t t t t
SIMR AN SETHI S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y J O U R N A L I S T CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR, ETHICAL MA RK ETS H O S T, S U N D A N C E C H A N N E L , T H E G R E E N A N C H O R , E Q U AT O R H D , K E E P I T G R E E N
Simran Sethi, is no ordinary businessperson, and this is no ordinary business conference.
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forward | tech
From the Ground Up
New geothermal technology could help curb our fossil fuel addiction By mark anderson from the earth for thousands of years. While early on we relied on hot springs for warmth and bathing, these days geothermal energy heats and cools homes and generates electricity. And with an influx of federal dollars, a new take on this renewable resource could eventually provide more power than nuclear energy supplies today. In January, MIT released the first nationwide survey of the potential for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)—manmade reservoirs that tap into energy stored in the earth’s crust. The report concludes that EGS is a vast, clean energy source. “In 50 years, we’ll be able to get 100,000 megawatts, economically. That’s enough for 100 million people,” says report co-author Ronald DiPippo, emeritus professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Conventional commercial-scale geothermal systems depend on a series of geological flukes. Cold water pumped into one hole in the ground travels a circuitous route through naturally occurring cracks in bedrock two miles deep or less. It returns to the surface through a second hole as boiling, pressurized water that pushes turbines to generate electricity. The conditions have to be just right, which explains in part why geothermal systems produce less than 1 percent of all electricity consumed in the U.S. annually. According to the Geothermal Energy Association, a trade group, only Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah have commercial-scale geothermal power plants. No EGS power plants currently exist in the U.S., but recent advances make them technoologically feasible nationwide (though not economically viable everywhere), say the report authors. Improved drilling technologies allow
humans have used heat
30|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
access to geothermal sources six miles deep, and engineers now pump water to create small cracks in bedrock instead of relying on Mother Nature. From there, engineers employ the same electricity-generating methods used in conventional systems. “We’ve known for many years that [geothermal] is a huge, untapped resource,” says Richard Campbell, an engineer at the Colorado-based Industrial Company. According to a 2006 National Renewable Energy Laboratory report, geothermal energy is “equivalent to a 30,000year energy supply at our current rate for the United States!” Geothermal facilities have minimal environmental impacts, and, unlike wind and solar systems, they can run continuously. Despite these advantages, federal support for all geothermal energy has plummeted in recent years. The Department of Energy budget earmarked $23 million for geothermal research in 2006, but only $5 million this year. Last year the Bush administration proposed cutting funding altogether for 2008, sparking an ongoing debate on Capitol Hill about the merits of the research. Such cuts don’t bode well for EGS plants, which require at least a $300 million invest-
ment over the next 15 years to be competitive, according to the report. But funding may increase in the near future. On May 14, California Representative Jerry McNerney, a Democrat, introduced HR 2304, which proposes to boost the agency’s geothermal energy research funding to $80 million annually through 2012. The bill will likely be sent to the White House this fall as part of the congressional energy package. Karl Gawell of the Geothermal Energy Association estimates that it has a “better than 50/50” chance of surviving the legislative process. With federal dollars shrinking, business owners have been reluctant to invest in geothermal projects, experts say. Another problem is the uncertain future of tax incentives. The “production tax credit”—which grants businesses a 1.9 centper-kilowatt-hour credit for electricity generated during the first decade of a geothermal (or other renewable energy) plant’s operation—is set to expire on December 31, 2008. However, a bipartisan coalition of Congress members is working to extend the credit through 2013, which would offer investors more security. These efforts, experts say, could be just what are needed to get EGS plans off the drawing board and into the ground. illustration by thomas fuchs
forward | business
Sail of the Century
Shipping technology of the future borrows from the past by justin tyler clark Sails could help cargo ships drastically reduce fuel consumption.
32|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
buying local is
a great idea—when you’re talking about products that could be grown or made locally. But what about things you can’t get at home, like that hybrid manufactured in Japan? Or that energy-saving appliance from Denmark? Chances are it got here through marine shipping, a form of transportation that emits more sulfur dioxide that all the world’s cars, trucks, and buses combined, and is responsible for three percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. But a less polluting, more efficient solution may be on the horizon, in the form of windpropelled cargo vessels. This year, for the first time in decades, a sail-powered cargo ship will cross the ocean, using a combination of conventional engines and a gigantic kite. This 160-square-meter kite will tow the MS Beluga SkySails, a 140-meter cargo freighter operated by Beluga Shipping. Raised and lowered by computer, the kite system can cost as much as a few million dollars to install, but could save shipping companies up to 50 percent in fuel costs (and thus pays for itself in just three years). That’s according to Stephan Wrage, CEO of the Hamburg-based SkySails, who says the idea actually came to him decades ago. “At the age of 15, I was dragged by a kite along the beach at full speed” recalls Wrage. “I asked myself, how could we use this immense power in another way? From this, the idea was born to use the considerable potential for towing ships.” By some estimates, shipping emits nearly twice as much CO2 as aviation—a fact that has largely escaped the public’s attention. Recently, though, the European Commission as well as the United Nations have begun to focus on the problem. Feeling pressured, the International Maritime Organization agreed last October to set a timetable for CO2 reductions, a development which could help pave the way for emissions-cutting technologies like kite sails. The shipping industry, though, has historically been slow to adopt new technology, says Dave Culp, CEO of California-based KiteShip, and designer of a competing system. Since Culp first began experimenting with kite-propelled vessels in the ’70s, he has seen interest in wind power wax and wane with
At the age of 15, I was dragged by a ‘‘ kite along the beach at full speed, and I asked myself, how could we use this immense power in another way?
”
Comparing cargo ships shows some of the benefits of sails
costs)—but since they’re a familiar technology, people accept this as status quo. Another problem is shipping schedules. In fact, the shipping industry didn’t abandon wind power because it was too slow—engine-powered ships didn’t beat 19th-century sailing clippers for speed until the 1920s—but because wind is inconsistent. Of course, kite-equipped ships can always revert to engine power when the wind dies, but at this point, the industry prefers technology for which costs and benefits can be calculated precisely. Ultimately, though, proponents of wind power predict that our reliance on engine propulsion will become too costly, forcing shipping schedules to become more variable. Already, the high cost of oil-based shipping is creating a market niche for sailing cargo vessels, which were once considered too unreliable. For the past year, the Hawaii-based S/V Kwai has been sailing a South Pacific route, reviving a lost art. Coowner April Fountain says business has been thriving. Most of her customers are on smaller islands that are not serviced by large cargo vessels and can no longer afford the costs of air shipping in an era of expensive fuel. “When we come into port and start pulling 300 tons of cargo from our hold using hooks and a wench, the stevedores just stare at us in amazement,” Fountain says. Her operation resembles a scene from ports a century ago. “They haven’t seen anything like it in their lifetime.” They haven’t yet seen the MS Beluga SkySails, either.
177 meter bulk cargo carrier on engine power alone
Same bulk cargo carrier with SkySails system
43 meter S/V Kwai under sail power
15
14
6
7,800
6,700
43
$2.8 million
$2.4 million
$28,800
831
585
unknown
CARGO (TONS)
40,000–60,000
40,000–60,000
200
CREW (PEOPLE)
20-30
20-30
8
SPEED (KNOTS) FUEL CONSUMPTION (TONS) FUEL COST CO2 EMISSIONS (MILLION TONS)
illustration by jason lee
©2007 Travelocity.com LP. CST# 2056372-50.
the rise and fall of oil prices. In the ’80s, the Japanese oil tanker Shin Aitoku Maru was equipped with computer-directed, self-raising sails that oriented themselves toward the wind. Unfortunately, mast-based systems are considered too tall to navigate around most ports; it doesn’t help that they also cause their ships to list. What really doomed the Maru, though, was the drop in oil prices. With new technology and heightened awareness about global warming though, SkySails and KiteShip think it may finally be time for the sailing cargo ship to take off. Culp says his system, completed in 2002, is better designed and more cost-effective “I will challenge anyone to find another green technology that is immediately profitable without subsidy,” Culp says his system, completed in 2002, is better designed and more cost-effective than past endeavors, and will ride out the fluctuations in the energy market. The cost of making payments on his system is lower than the amount saved in fuel costs, he says, although shipping companies have so far shied away from being the first to put that claim to the test. SkySails, meanwhile, has overcome that hurdle, and will install two to four systems this year. Most shipping companies, however, simply intend to install older emissions reduction technology, such as exhaust scrubbing systems that run $4 million to $6 million per ship. That’s twice the cost of KiteShip’s system. So why the reluctance to switch to sails? Unlike sails, scrubbers increase costs (their operation adds as much as five percent to fuel
Sandcastles or houses. What will you help build? With Travelocity’s Travel for Good, you can build more than castles made of sand. How about a schoolhouse made of wood? How about helping a village in Thailand become selfsustaining? How about protecting an endangered species? How about giving back to the world, one trip at a time? Well, how about it? www.travelocity.com/travelforgood
forward | motion
Auto Focus Mechanics are tuning-up the car repair business By mark vanderhoff charley wilson has been passionate about fixing
34|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Mechanic Charley Wilson takes a greener approach to auto repair.
So what’s so “organic” about Wilson’s shop? To begin with, by collecting grease he eliminates the need to use absorbents: kitty litter–like substances that many shops use to soak up oil spills and then throw away. Although oil is regulated as hazardous waste, the contaminated absorbents are not, and they often reach landfills undetected. “When you throw away the absorbents, it’s like pouring oil straight into the landfill,” says Wilson, who started exploring greener auto repair practices in college when he was fixing cars to put himself through school. He became so fascinated with the work that he dropped his plan to become a veterinarian and opened his shop instead. Wilson has since found a plethora of ways to
make repairs cleaner and more efficient. He recycles his oil by selling it to a refinery, and then buys back the re-refined oil. He has also invested in a bioremediation device—a special sink that contains bacteria to break down and wash away grease. Small measures like using a refillable bottle containing a biodegradeable, citrus-based degreaser also help his cause. Behind the shop, double-walled storage bins prevent accidental leakage of used antifreeze and oil until the liquids are picked up for recycling. The parking lot is as clean as the service bay, so rain doesn’t carry pollutants into storm drains. “You’re making an impact at different levels,” says Wilson. “What we’re offering customers is another way to make a little bit of a difference.”
photos by mark vanderhoff
cars since he was a teenager, but he can hardly be called a grease monkey. This becomes apparent the moment one walks into the service bay of the 34-year-old’s Asheville, N.C., repair shop. The floors have neither a drop of oil nor a mark of grime, and there is no drain where he could have easily washed them away. When Wilson first moved in, however, he scraped a half inch of caked-on filth off the floor, and cleaned and sealed a drain that led to a nearby river. But Wilson is not just a neatnik, he’s The Organic Mechanic—an early adopter of a new approach to auto repair. Wilson’s three-year-old business is just one of many across the country redefining what is traditionally viewed as a dirty business. The powerful solvents used to cut grease in most auto shops can cause pollution—not only in their production and disposal, but during use, as they give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Automobile fluids that aren’t disposed of properly, such as oil and antifreeze, can also contaminate landfills and pollute local waterways. But a movement to make auto repair shops greener is underway. Some eco-minded mechanics are simply taking it upon themselves to offer their customers cleaner options, and, increasingly, national and local programs are aiming to bring more shop owners into the fold.
motion | forward As environmentally conscious consumers continue to look for ways to lessen their impact on the planet, Wilson and other green mechanics believe their way of doing business will catch on. In the meantime, they’re trying to educate consumers and establish credibility in an age of greenwashing and insincere marketing tactics. To that end, many local groups have established programs to certify eco-friendly auto repair shops. One such program, the Bay Area Green Business Program, started a green auto repair program in the San Francisco area ten years ago; about 150 repair shops are now on board. The program targets regulatory compliance, pollution prevention, energy and water conservation, and waste reduction. Participating mechanics say that having a green seal of approval has been great for business. Dana Meyer, who owns a shop in Albany, California, had been taking pains to run an environmentally responsible business since he installed water-conserving foot pedals on his shop sinks back in the ’70s, but the official benchmark has definitely brought more customers. Meyer displays his certificate prominently near the service desk, mentions it in advertisements, and receives referrals from the program’s website. That marketing edge is one of the reasons green auto repair shops remain competitively priced, shop owners say. And although the cost of environmentally friendly products is often higher than their standard counterparts, in many cases, simply changing their practices
(such as capturing spills in pans instead of using absorbents) costs nothing. In fact, owners actually save money by reducing the amount of absorbent they have to purchase. Other improvements may cost more up front but will eventually yield savings. Mechanic David Pothier, for example, installed radiant heating floors and a heater fueled by waste oil when he opened Cars Unlimited 20 years ago on Martha’s Vineyard. The entire system cost more up front, but paid for itself through reduced utility bills. It also reheats the shop more quickly than traditional heating systems after the bay doors have been opened, keeping the shop a balmy 72 degrees all through the cold northeastern winters, Pothier says. Though on the rise, the number of mechanics greening their shops remains small. A 2001 study by the non-profit Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) GreenLink estimated fewer than five percent of auto repair shops were in total compliance with safety and environmental regulations. That group hopes to change those numbers with a safety and pollution prevention training course that teaches federal regulations and promotes practices that go above and beyond those rules. More than 4,000 shops have enrolled in the course and more than 2,200 high schools and colleges teach the curriculum to students, says Robert G. Stewart, president of the association. “We’re training a whole new generation, and an existing one,” he says. “If everyone in the shop has that heightened sense of awareness, it’s going to be so much easier.”
The Organic Mechanic recycles his oil.
The Organic Mechanic is one of many garages helping to redefine what is viewed as a traditionally dirty trade.
How GREEN is your auto repair shop? ➤ Just ask It might feel awkward to question a mechanic about the shop’s practices, but it’s one of the fastest and most direct ways to find out how environmentally friendly they are, says Wilson. Break the ice by asking what the shop does with used oil. Then move on to more specific questions about recycling and other green practices. “If the shop is not forthright, I’m not sure they are what you’re looking for,” he says.
➤ Size them up Preventing spills and pollution is a major component of being environmentally responsible. Most conscientious shops will keep their floors, parking lots, and other spaces very clean, says David Pothier, owner of Cars Unlimited. “Generally, if it’s a clean shop, it’s run right,” he says. “If you see trash or junk cars, I would steer clear.”
➤ Check the certification CCAR GreenLink’s “SP2” label (Safety and Pollution Prevention) indicates that a garage’s employees have undergone training in environmentally friendly practices. Many state and local municipalities have more extensive certification programs that not only help the shops become greener, but let consumers know who’s making the effort and who isn’t. Here are a few:
The Eco-Logical Business Program portland, oregon
ecobiz.org
Arizona Green Business Program arizona
azdeq.gov/function/about/greenauto.html
Bay Area Green Business Program – Green Auto Repair Shops san francisco bay area
greenbiz.ca.gov/BGAuto.html
Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program monterey bay area, california montereybaygreenbusiness.org
California’s Vehicle Service and Repair Program california dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/vsr/ index.cfm
—M.V.
plentymag.com|august / september 2007 |35
forward | thinking
Rabbi Jamie Korngold brings worship to the wild.
Camping the Faith thinker
it’s a bright march
Saturday at Copper Korngold founded AdMountain in central Colorado. For 41- venture Rabbi: Synayear-old Jamie Korngold, a ski bum turned gogue Without Walls Reform rabbi, the day offers perfect con(adventurerabbi.com). ditions for spring skiing—and for prayer. Run on a shoestring After spending the morning on the slopes, from Korngold’s home the group she is leading stops and stands in office in Boulder, Adventure Rabbi offers Jewthe snow halfway down the mountain for a ish services and learning atop mountains and brief, not-so-traditional Sabbath service, mixin meadows, on snowshoeing expeditions, ing prayers with appreciation for the blesshikes, and camping retreats. (The Torah ofings of nature: sun on snow, sailing clouds, ten comes along in a dry-bag.) The group the mountain itself. Why not repair to the has about 300 active participants—and lodge—or a synagogue? “There are certain draws 300,000 visitors to its website each spiritual lessons we month, which includes a socan only learn outcial networking community side,” says Korngold. that helps people outside Because of KornBoulder organize Adventure gold, thousands of Rabbi–style activities on Jews—many having their own. Korngold’s webdrifted from the condeveloper husband volunfines of synagogues— teers his time; they have a have come to find that two-year-old daughter. for them, communing What’s the particular conwith nature is, quite nection between Judaism and literally, a religious exnature? The religion itself was perience. In 2001, inborn in a desert wilderness, its spired while performfundamental laws bestowed ing a baby-naming on a mountaintop, Korngold God in the Wilderness ceremony at the base By Rabbi Jamie S. Korngold notes. Then there are its central Random House, $11.95 of the Grand Canyon, practices. “Judaism teaches us
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the importance of slowing down and cultivating awareness of what we see around us,” says Korngold. Traditionally, Jews recite blessings for everyday moments—walking, eating, seeing falling snow—and observe the Sabbath by performing no work at all. “It’s a day on which we should not create, so that we can appreciate what’s been created,” Korngold says. Of course, it’s not only Jews who can encounter a higher power outdoors. “You sit quietly at an overlook or beside a Ponderosa pine, and it’s easy to experience a connection to something greater than yourself,” says Korngold, who is the author of the forthcoming God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi. “Out there we can no longer fool ourselves—ultimately, it’s not we who control the world.” However, it is we who must “till it and tend it,” as in the book of Genesis, she says: “When we recognize that the outdoors is a place of spiritual awakening, we know we have to take care of it.” —Lynn Harris
thinking | forward film
Ice, Ice Babies
re-read
Still Unsettled every home is an economy.
The big econo- begin to treat it more like a family member my is really only the composite of these many than a resource. This does not mean that we household economies—the small makes up the will stop outsourcing certain aspects of our large. Working from this idea in his 1977 clas- lives, but it does mean that we will live in sic The Unsettling of America, farmer and writer ways that allow us to take greater responsibilWendell Berry challenged the conventional ity for our home economies. Take food: Most activist approach of blaming the “big econo- of us can’t grow the majority of our own gromy”—corporations and governceries, but we can buy them ments—for our environmental from farmers with whom we woes. The problem, Berry behave personal relationships—a lieved, had deeper roots, and in hard thing to do if we move order to solve it, we must start in frequently. our own places in the world. But there are signs that the Thirty years after the pubwork that Berry started in The lication of The Unsettling of Unsettling of America is beginAmerica, our homes are still in ning to bear fruit. Berry was need of reform. Berry wrote one of the first to point to the that our society has created a need for a local food econosystem that makes it easy for my, and now, “buy local” us to relinquish responsibility has become a catch phrase, for our most basic needs—and showing up everywhere from The Unsettling of that’s still true today. We buy America the pages of Gourmet to the our food in grocery stores; we By Wendell Berry nightly news. “Once our perpay workers to clean our houses University of California Press, sonal connection to what is $13.95 and take care of our children. wrong becomes clear,” Berry This culture of outsourcing makes it easy for writes, “then we have to choose: we can go us to move from place to place, never truly on as before, recognizing our dishonesty becoming part of any one community. and living with it the best we can, or we Berry argued that the treatment for this can begin the effort to change the way we modern disease is to settle in a place, and to think and live.” —Ragan Sutterfield
Cue the cute creatures. From the producers of March of the Penguins comes Arctic Tale, a charming new documentary that chronicles two animals’ struggle to survive in a threatened habitat. Starring in the film are a couple of utterly irresistible babies: Nanu, a fuzzy polar bear, and Seela, a 600-pound walrus. As the two creatures frolic on the ice and in the water, seeking to learn the ways of their northern home, it is simply impossible not to fall for them. But what begins as a delightful childhood for these animals quickly turns into a painful adulthood. As soon as our hearts are stolen, they begin to ache when we see the protagonists fight to survive as their world begins to warm up and thaw out. It’s difficult to watch Nanu falling through the melting ice every few steps or Seela’s family getting overcrowded on the last piece of floating ice for miles. Arctic Tale addresses climate change without being preachy or picking a fight. Masterfully narrated by the witty Queen Latifa, the film will appeal to viewers of all ages. It might be a difficult one to explain to the kids afterward, but well worth it in the end. Arctic Tale opens in theaters across the nation this summer. —Sean Tanner
Arctic Tale Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson National Geographic (In theatres summer 2007)
New and Noteworthy > > > A Crack in the Earth: A Journey up Israel’s Rift Valley By Haim Watzman Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $23.00
The Rift Valley, an ever-widening gorge running through Israel and Jordan, is as intertwined with human history as it is with natural history. Watzman takes readers with him on a two-week journey through the area, and the geologists, zoologists, and archaeologists he encounters along the way enrich our understanding of this unique region’s rich past.
The Clean Tech Revolution: The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity By Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder Harper Collins, $26.95
Solar panels, wind turbines, and water filtration devices are more than just green—they’re lucrative, too. Entrepreneur Ron Pernick and award-winning journalist Clint Wilder explain how companies are using state-of-the-art alternative energy technology to turn a profit.
The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook By Amelia Saltsman Blenheim Press, $22.95
Three days a week, hungry Angelenos flock to the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market—an activity they’ve enjoyed since 1981. This cookbook is the result of years of discussion among shoppers and farmers who exchange recipes for soups, entrées, and sweets that call for the region’s seasonal ingredients.
The World Without Us By Alan Weisman St. Martin’s Press, $24.95
If humans suddenly vanished from the planet, what would happen? Some things, like pesticides, would remain, while others, like houses, would succumb to the forces of nature. Weisman explores the question of what would become of an earth without people, and invites readers to consider their own impact on the planet. —Susan Cosier
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|august/ september 2007|37
forward | wild world
Monkey Business A conservation program succeeds by embracing trial and error By sarah parsons several small monkeys with fiery, orange manes
and long furry tails leap from tree branches and rocks on the National Zoo’s forested campus in Washington, D.C. Occasionally, they dart into a shelter box that resembles a pet carrier and serves as their sanctuary. Meanwhile, a group of the same gray-faced monkeys, some sporting radio collars, scurry up vines and flowering plants in search of insects and tree resin in Brazil’s Atlantic coastal rainforest. Though separated by thousands of miles, the two groups of golden lion tamarins are part of the same conservation program led by the National Zoo and Brazil’s Golden Lion Tamarin Association, an organization founded in 1992 to protect the species. The program breeds the endangered animals in zoos worldwide and then releases them into the wild, a strategy known as reintroduction. Now in its 24th year, the tamarin program, unlike most reintroductions, is producing some encouraging results. Golden lion tamarins live exclusively in the Brazilian rainforest, and scientists estimate that a century ago they numbered in the tens of thousands. But in the early ’70s, deforestation, poaching, and people taking the monkeys as pets caused the population to dip to fewer than 200. Now there are about 1,500, just 500 short of the reintroduction program’s goal of 2,000. Scientists expect to hit this target well before the original goal of 2025, so long as advocates can secure enough land for the creatures. Tamarins are one of the few success stories when it comes to reintroductions; others include bald eagles and Galapagos tortoises. People have been releasing once-captive animals into the wild for thousands of years, but reintroduction with the purpose of preserving biodiversity is a fairly new concept. Scientists are unsure when the first reintroduction took place, but it may have been in 1907 with the release of American bison into an Oklahoma reserve. In 1988, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) formed the Reintroduction Specialists A mother wearing a radio collar carries her baby (top); researchers set up a shelter box (center); two tamarins peer out from their hideaway (bottom). 38|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
Group (RSG) to provide guidance for the growing number of reintroduction programs. Ten years later, it published its reintroduction guidelines. Though progress has been made, a 1994 study conducted by Ben Beck, coordinator for the golden lion tamarin reintroduction, found that only 11 percent of reintroductions establish a self-sustaining wild population. Those are daunting statistics considering that one in four mammals is in jeopardy and 16,119 species face extinction, according to a 2006 IUCN report. But experts say lessons learned from successful reintroductions may aid scientists in creating models for reintroducing other species. Nobody can pinpoint why most reintroductions fail to establish self-sustaining populations, but researchers do know that it’s a long, costly, complex process. “The science of reintroducing species is a new one. Anytime you’re dealing with a new science, there are going to be more questions than answers,” says Dan Wharton, director of the Central Park Zoo in New York, who is not involved with the project. “We not only have to deal with taking captive animals and putting them in the wild,” says Devra Kleiman, previous coordinator for the program and North American section chair for the RSG. “We need to think about local communities, education, governments, and local regulations.” And they need to be flexible. Those working on the tamarin project—who range from community educators to ecologists—rely on trial and error. When they find a strategy that works—or doesn’t—they adjust the program accordingly, says Beck. For instance, he and other researchers initially thought they could teach captive tamarins skills they would need in the wild, such as how to break open fruits and eggs. “It didn’t change the survival stats at all,” Beck says. As a result, researchers learned to focus on post-release support in Brazilian forests rather than training in the zoo. By closely monitoring the reintroduced tamarins and providing them with food, water, shelter boxes, and veterinary care, more of the animals reproduced. “Only about 30 percent of them survive two years,”
wild world | forward
TRIM
Tourists spot golden lion tamarins at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
host reintroduced tamarins, while another 12 plant forest to link separated groups. Tamarins have been breeding so rapidly in the wild that researchers haven’t reintroduced any more since 2000 to prevent overcrowding. The program has been so effective that the IUCN downlisted the animal’s status in 2003 from “critically endangered” to “endangered.” But for the monkeys to be removed from the endangered species list altogether, their
overall population must increase even more. That will require obtaining more land to join isolated groups. “Right now we have 200 animals here, 200 animals there, 500 animals somewhere else—and they’re all inbreeding,” says Kleiman. “Not one of these populations is really viable alone, so we have to ensure that the connection happens.” To that end, researchers are starting a nonprofit called Save the Golden Lion Tamarin. They aim to raise funds to expand the 17,000 hectares of fragmented reserves to 25,000 hectares of forest connected by corridors—sufficient space for the animals to reach a sustainable population. “Now we have to move forward and restore habitats and ecosystems,” says Beck. Then, tourists and locals will be able to view golden lion tamarins darting from tree to tree not only in Washington, D.C., but also where they belong—the rainforest.
i
visit savetheliontamarin.org for more information on tamarins.
TM,© 2007 Kashi Company
Beck says of zoo-born tamarins released in the wild. “But with intensive post-release management, that 30 percent is able to survive long enough to reproduce, and their offspring have very high survival rates, upwards of 80 percent.” Offspring survive because they pick up survival skills naturally, whereas reintroduced animals struggle with moving through the rainforest, finding food, and interacting socially, he says. Researchers also enlist help from locals. When scientists first reintroduced tamarins in 1984, many Brazilian ranchers, who own nearly 90 percent of Brazil’s Atlantic coastal rainforest, were reluctant to allow the endangered animals on their land. They feared that the government would confiscate their property, Denise Rambaldi, the reintroduction coordinator, says. But the association’s efforts—which included recruiting local high school teachers to give talks in schools, conducting surveys, airing educational TV segments, and bringing decision makers to the reserve to observe tamarins— won over local ranchers. Today, 33 ranches
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WINE COUNTRY F I L M F E S T I VA L JULY 19 - AUGUST 5 2007 American Canyon • Napa • Sonoma
In California’s premium wine country just 45 miles of the Golden Gate Bridge. A Festival of World Culture where Ci nema, Cuisine, Community and Conscience gather for enlightened dialogue and cultural exchange.
~ Eco Cinema presented by PLENTY & Gaia Hotel ~ World Cinema ~ U.S. Cinema ~ Arts in Film ~ Cinema of Conscience ~ Latin Cinema
Come for one or more days! Find out what locals and visitors alike rave about year after This unique Film Festival travels year. Enjoy the best cinema the world has to offer, savor great food from town to town showing and wine, make new friends and films outdoors in spectacular discover the magic of movies that wine country settings & select make a difference. theaters.
707-935-3456
www.wcff.us
Special thanks to
green gear
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Office Space The workplace is polluted enough (bad coffee, your cluttered inbox). These supplies and furnishings keep wastes to a minimum.
desk job A modern design made with modern materials: sustainable wood, eco-friendly veneers, and zero-VOC laminates. Knu Desk, $1,080 getknu.com
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photos by eugene gologursky (1, 2, 6)
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green gear 1|See the light
Sleek and functional, this desk lamp uses 20 LEDs, each of which consumes 40% less power than a single compact fluorescent bulb of the same brightness. Leaf Light, $499 dwr.com
2|Paper with Provenance
Recycled notebooks spell out their origins with covers emblazoned with messages like, “I used to be a juice carton…” Remarkable recycled notebooks, $4.95 to $15.55 biome.com.au
3|Sit and spin
Ultra-ergonomic, this design classic is fully adjustable so it’s as comfortable as it is eco-friendly. A whopping 96% percent of its materials are recyclable, and it’s designed for easy disassembly. Herman Miller Mirra Task Chair, $799 dwr.com
4|Write now
All the refillable pens in this new line are made from at least 65% recycled material. BegreeN Pilot Pens, $16.99 for 12 officedepot.com
5|Clip-N-Save
A desk necessity, the handles of these shears are made from 70% post-consumer recycled plastic. Acme Kleenearth Recycled Scissors, $6.49 for an 8-inch pair staples.com
6|Card games
Keep business cards handy with a holder that’s a little bit country, a little bit rock-n-roll. Recycled Bicycle Chain Business Card Holder, $19 shopbluehouse.com
7|Hold it together
No staples required—this handy little gadget cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses them to stitch together up to three sheets of paper. Staple-Free Stapler, $24 for a pack of six greenhome.com
8|Put a cork in it
Create your own patterned trivets, table runners, and mousepads with interlocking tiles made of natural cork, a renewable and recyclable material. Mio Haute Surface Cork Tiles, $20 for 12 tiles re-modern.com
9|Stick to it
These virtual sticky notes live on your computer’s desktop and won’t fall off like traditional paper ones. Post-it Digital Notes software, $19.99 3m.com
10|Scrap happy
Made from wood scraps collected from New York–based businesses like Steinway Pianos and Bettencourt Green Building Supplies, these storage cubes are pieced together using non-toxic glues. Scrapile Storage Cube, $382 velocityartanddesign.com
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Walk on the Wild Side
A new Australian trail offers a vast array of hikes, astounding views, and even koala encounters— as well as an intimate look at how climate change may already be affecting the country. By Christy Harrison
The majestic Great Ocean Walk winds its way through 60 miles of Australian coastline.
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photos Courtesy of parks victoria
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aving grown up in California’s Bay Area, I know this terrain well: winding two-lane coastal road, ocean far below, steep hills threatening mudslides at every turn. Eucalyptus and pine rustle under partly foggy skies; rain forms sheer curtains dividing one clear expanse from the next. If it weren’t for the left-side placement of the driver’s seat and the absence of fast-food joints along the road, I’d think I was driving up the Pacific Coast Highway, heading home from Los Angeles. But this is the Australian state of Victoria, an alternate-universe version of my home state—and billboards and new construction are restricted on this famous route, the Great Ocean Road. After winding our way inland, through green valleys dotted with farms and a temperate rainforest that swallows the car for several miles, we emerge near Cape Otway, where we’ll rest and refuel before heading out on the road’s pedestrian counterpart, the Great Ocean Walk—a new hiking trail that follows roughly the same path but encompasses the fragile areas of coastline where cars aren’t allowed. The walk opened last year—the culmination of years of planning and investment. Australia is famous for its natural beauty, but the states of Queensland, home of the Great Barrier Reef, and Northern Territory, home of Uluru National Park (formerly known as Ayers Rock) get most of the attention. In comparison, Victoria has not been an ecotourism hub. Aside from the striking coastline, the state is made up largely of farmland and has a more understated beauty. Considered Australia’s “food bowl,” the state has historically attracted tourists in search of fine dining and good wine—not necessarily visitors interested in the environment or the great outdoors. But lately, Victoria has become something of an ecotourism hotspot, and the Great Ocean Walk is emerging as its crown jewel. That’s partly because the government has
long protected the area’s historic aboriginal settlements, but it’s also because environmental awareness is heating up in Victoria right now. Severe drought has gripped the entire country for the past seven years and the lack of water has forced many farmers in the state to abandon their irrigation-intensive crops. It’s no surprise, then, that Victorians are becoming extremely eco-conscious these days.
“Did you bring hiking boots and plenty of warm gear?” he asks, drawing out the vowels and dropping the “r” on that last word in the classic Aussie way. “Definitely,” I tell him (though I’d thought it was only as a precautionary measure, it being summertime and all). Chadwick says that the forecast calls for intense wind and unheard-of low temperatures, as well as driving rain, which, I later learn, is somewhat uncommon in this droughtstricken country. Just my luck to arrive in the middle of this weather. That puts the kibosh on camping and daylong hikes. A ranger and firefighter, he Great Ocean Road was a project dreamed up after Chadwick travels all over Australia doing contract work for the park serWorld War I by local government officials, business- vice; he has the sun-creased face and sure-footed gait of someone used to people, and community members. It was meant to im- facing down the elements—and being jovial about it, too. If he says it’s prove access and attract revenue to once-isolated coastal that bad, I don’t feel inclined to argue. communities, and also to provide work for returning Resolving to make the best of things with short day hikes, we head off war veterans. The entire road had to be dug by hand with pickaxes and to the first night’s accommodation, the Cape Otway Centre for Conservashovels from the formerly impassable coastline on the southernmost edge tion Ecology. Our drive inland takes us through a fertile farm valley, which of mainland Australia. The area’s natural beauty has stayed relatively un- gives way to row upon row of neatly-planted eucalyptus (“blue gum planspoiled even after years of heavy tourism, tations,” Chadwick explains), and then The $2 million great ocean walk, thanks to government restrictions. Still, to a dense forest full of “koala crossing” driving is not the ideal way to see the en- which opened last year, was built signs and presumably even more full of vironmentally sensitive Victorian coast. almost entirely by hand with basic unseen koalas. We arrive at the Centre In the high season, traffic is bumper-to- tools to protect the area’s fragile and decide to take advantage of the bumper from the start of the road outside ecosystem. break between rainstorms to head out Melbourne to the endpoint, the majestic on one of the Centre’s own nature trails Twelve Apostles rock formation, about with co-owner Shayne Neal and the 250 miles away. The route veers inland in lodge’s three other guests. Five minutes several places, which protects some of the later, we find ourselves less than fifty most pristine areas from car traffic but feet from a mob of wild kangaroos cuts them off from visitors. grazing in a parched-looking field; Hence the creation of the Great Ocean just up the hill we spot several koaWalk, a $2 million state-funded project las lounging in the trees, some with that officially opened early last year. Like joeys in their pouches. Two different the road, the walk was built almost enkinds of wallabies—which I would tirely by hand with basic tools, in this case have mistaken for very young kangato protect the fragile ecosystem. In addiroos without Neal’s guidance—and tion to offering an incredible diversity of more species of birds than I can keep terrain and wildlife, the trail is friendly to Kangaroos routinely congregate in the meadows surrounding straight round out the hour or two of all levels of walkers, from people looking the Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology. These walking, which make venturing out friends came into view just minutes into a nature for brief, scenic strolls to hard-core back- furry in the wintry chill well worth it. walk around the property. packers. Its “step on, step off” design alNeal conveys an infectious enthusiasm lows visitors to do short hikes between lodges, campsites, or towns, or to about the wildlife and the region as he eagerly points out the various life hike the whole trail over eight or nine days. Tourism and park officials forms along the way and describes the work that he and his wife, Lizzie even pick up hikers by bus at the end of a day and take them to their Corke, did to restore the native vegetation to the once-denuded land. accommodations, which range from very basic and ultra-greened-out They built the spacious mud-brick lodge themselves and helped design campsites—complete with composting toilets, rainwater catchment the solar array that powers it, and Corke, a well-known zoologist, runs tanks, and bathrooms made from reclaimed wood—to modern ecothe wildlife-rehabilitation program at the Centre—one of a handful of lodges, which run on alternative energy, offer all-natural personal care such programs in the state. products, and serve healthy, organic, and local fare. Moonlight Head That evening, as freezing rain begins to pummel the building and the Hotel, a seriously luxe four-bedroom eco-villa designed by star green wind tears at the trees out front, our hosts crank up the solar-powered architect Glenn Murcutt, opened last year; an adjacent boutique hotel heating system in the guest rooms and stoke the massive old wood-burnwill open sometime in the next few years. ing stove in the living room area. Those, plus a couple of sweaters, help me thaw out after the walk. Still, neither a hearty, three-course dinner of local seasonal fare nor a heap of homemade muesli with yogurt at breakfast arrive for my Great Ocean Walk trip one morning in November— insulate me from the chill to come on the trail the next morning. Two early summer in Australia—planning to hike, camp, and stay in a short jaunts in the 40-degree rain and wind, which normally would take couple of different ecolodges. But it quickly becomes clear that the 45 minutes or so, last double that, since Chadwick and I are weighed weather has other plans. In the Melbourne airport, I am greeted by down by all our waterproof gear. But the slow going gives us extra time to my guide, David Chadwick, who gets right down to brass tacks. contemplate the incredible landscape, and I’m mesmerized in spite of the
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photos Courtesy of parks victoria
At Cape Otway in Southern Victoria, Australia, the Great Walk takes vistors through a pristine forest. plentymag.com
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meteorological challenges. As we make our way along the shore, we traverse tidepools and tiny rock beaches. Waves surge erratically and threaten to submerge these narrow chunks of land. The remarkable jaggedness of some of the rock formations hanging over the shoreline seems a little less incomprehensible after this display of oceanic force.
land than farming,” Chadwick says. Of course, Australians still have to get their food from somewhere, and imports to this far-flung continent are costly. So other greenminded folks are keeping the farming tradition alive, opting to use their land to grow fruits and vegetables using sustainable methods that demand less water than export commodities like rice and cotton. This shift is helping to create a thriving local food economy in or my entire stay in Victoria, it seems like everyone I meet— Victoria—and it’s one that draws ecotourists and foodies alike. from store clerks, to fellow hikers, to the wind-chapped old After our stay at Cape Otway, Chadwick and I link up with Jennifer lighthouse caretaker who looks like he’s seen nearly a century’s Wilkinson, the owner of Epicurious Travel, who has spent the past four worth of storms—comments on the freakish weather. And years organizing food- and wine-oriented treks all over Australia. She loves they almost always mention climate change in the next sen- Victoria in particular because of the ever-growing number of food artisans, tence. Water-starved southern Australia needs rain, but the freezing tem- small dairies, and local fruit farmers. We meet her at one of the handful of peratures and snow flurries along stretches parking lots along the Walk—and quickly of the Great Ocean Road are completely pop back into our cars to escape the freezanomalous this time of year, and they have ing rain, whisking the bountiful picnic people worried. Newspapers are packed she has prepared over to the farmhouse at with coverage of the drought each day: Johanna Seaside Cottages. The quaint old According to one article I find in The home, with its ample, welcoming kitchen, Age, some environmentalists and politiwas once at the center of a dairy farm. The cians (including South Australian Premier owner, Joy Evans, raised her five children Mike Rann) are blaming rice farming for here and has lived in this green valley the water woes; other articles quote scienfor all of her 63 years. Her late husband tists who link climate change and the hole grew up on this farm, and she was the girl in the ozone layer to the strange rainfall next door. When he died, she turned the patterns throughout the country. Tight reproperty into a B&B with a set of cotstrictions on residential water use are being tages, but also kept aside a few choice enforced throughout the state, devastating bits of land for a vegetable garden and The author enjoys a moment of sunshine overlooking two of the many gardens and green spaces. Far worse, chicken coop. Despite the name of the “apostles” at the Twelve Apostles rock formation. nothing can grow in the parched soil withproperty, none of the cottages actually out irrigation, which is now costly thanks to increased water-use charges. offer ocean views, and I ask Evans why. “I didn’t want to build right on Thus, many farms are being forced out of business—with food prices spik- the cliffs above the shore and ruin it for people down below, making ing as a result. In an effort to give priority to municipal water works, the them feel like they’re being watched,” she explains in a lilting accent federal government has already imposed irrigation water restrictions on that seems particular to this one tiny valley. many farmers in Victoria and the neighboring state of New South Wales. On the farmhouse’s heavy, rough-hewn dining table, Wilkinson, There is some worry that the government will shut off the irrigation water Chadwick, and I dig into our lunch: charcuterie and bread from entirely; if that happens, farmers say, nationwide prices for fresh produce nearby Apollo Bay; artisan cheeses from a local dairy farm; organic could triple within weeks. peaches from a little ways North, where it actually feels like summer. But the drought is also having some unexpectedly positive conseLater, after a meandering drive up the Great Ocean Road to the breathquences in farmland-rich Victoria. The record-low rainfall is drawtaking Twelve Apostles—a formation of massive rocks jutting out of ing attention to the fact that some of the area’s big commodity the water close to shore—with a few “step on, step off” hikes snuck in crops—such as rice and cotton—are extremely water-intensive, and between rain showers, Wilkinson prepares an incredible first course of some farmers who once grew those crops are leaving the business. fresh, local crayfish, followed by tender, grass-fed beef steaks alongside In recent years, a growing number of agroforestry companies have spears of just-picked asparagus. Completely satisfied and warmed been buying these farms and converting them into highly profitable by the meal and accompanying local Shiraz, I still manage to find tree plantations: With their deep root systems, trees require less room for a slice of Wilkinson’s lovely semolina cake while we sit irrigation water, since the trees can tap into lowered water tables around the fire. While I didn’t see as much of the Walk that day that other crops don’t reach. The federal government advocates as I would have liked, the experience of taking shelter from the these plantations as a sustainable solution to the country’s demand seemingly apocalyptic weather in an old farmhouse with two felfor timber and paper pulp (provided they’re managed in an ecolow ecophiles, sharing the local fare and our thoughts on the envifriendly way). But some environmentalists—and the influential ronment, feels just as emblematic of life in this part of the world. eco-organizations Bush Heritage and Trust For Nature—aren’t so It is a fitting way to spend my last evening on the Walk. hot on these tree farms, preferring to buy farmland and convert it Sometimes the best trips end up like this, in ways you’d never imagback into its native “bush” state to help restore the area’s shrinking ined. I went to the Great Ocean Walk anticipating an ecotourism expebiodiversity. That’s exactly what Neal and Corke did to create their rience more typical of the ones I often have as a green-minded traveler 100-odd-acre preserve; Chadwick wants to do the same and is lookand an environmental reporter. I expected to meet knowledgeable guides ing for his own farm to convert. “That’s a much better use of the with an impressive understanding of the local ecosystem and boundless
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enthusiasm for their organizations’ efforts to protect it. My previous ecotourism trips were planned around relaxing, not-too-emotionally challenging encounters with nature—physically taxing, yes, but also a lovely escape from my hyperactive home city. But a summer idyll this trip was not. My guides on the Walk certainly had vast knowledge of their region, but because of the weather, we probably spent more time indoors than out, and I barely worked up enough of a sweat on the trails to make up for all the decadent desserts I was eating. But as we donned winter coats in the supposed summer weather and waited in vain for the torrential rains to let up, I indulged in a pleasure I hadn’t anticipated: conversation. I talked with local people
about their families, their childhoods, and their feelings for the land. And wherever I went, I heard anxious murmurings about climate change. There was some hope that the rain would help ease the effects of the drought, yet nobody seemed completely relaxed about the situation, or about what they and their fellow Australians were doing to address it. What I’ll remember when I look back on this trip are the individuals I met—people who are in love with their ruggedly beautiful home and deeply concerned about its future. I came to the Walk expecting a vacation, and what I got instead was something far more lasting: a sobering but valuable glimpse of how the natural world can affect a cultural landscape.
Walk the great walk
Situated between Otway National Park and Johanna Beach, Johanna Seaside Cottages is close to both ocean and countryside.
With 57 miles of breathtaking views and pristine trails, the Great Ocean Walk has something to offer every breed of ecophile. Hardcore hikers and others looking for a challenge can trek the route from start to finish—roughly an eight-day, seven-night trip—and rest their heads at the park’s designated campsites, cooking their own meals on camp stoves. But the Walk also offers myriad opportunities for day hikes and short jaunts, perfect for guests of any of the charming (and in some cases, ultra-luxe) ecolodges and B&Bs along the trail. Any way you choose to walk, you’ll glimpse rarely-seen stretches of Australian coastline, as well as some of the country’s can’tmiss sights, such as the wind-whipped Cape Otway Lightstation (the oldest lighthouse in mainland Australia), and the incredible Twelve Apostles rock formations—massive limestone obelisks jutting out as high as 150 feet from the churning seas beneath. And, of course, there’s the wildlife: kangaroos bounding across your path; rare migratory birds (like the rufous bristlebird); and even a colony of about 1,000 “little penguins” (the smallest species of penguins, measuring only 16 to 17 inches tall) on the dunes at the base of the Twelve Apostles. For more information on the Walk’s attractions, visit greatoceanwalk.com.au. When to go Victoria’s prime travel season is between November (early summer) and April (late autumn). Getting there Several U.S. airlines, including United and American, offer nonstop or one-stop flights from the West Coast to Melbourne. Economy deals start as low as $900 per person round-trip. For a splurge, go with a business class ticket on Air New Zealand, which offers leather armchairs that convert into beds. (airnewzealand.com; around $8,000 roundtrip). Before you go, reserve a car through the discount portal VroomVroomVroom (vroomvroomvroom. com.au), and have a Prius waiting for you at the Melbourne airport when you arrive (around $40/day). Or on arrival, simply hop aboard a V/Line train, part of Victoria’s public transit system (vline.com.au), and connect to a regional bus (buslines.com. au) that will whisk you to the start of the Walk. You can also arrange for airport pickup by one of many tour operators,
including Epicurious and Bothfeet (see below). Where to stay Cape Otway Centre In addition to being adjacent to the Walk, this two-year-old spot also has its own nature trails, full of kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, and many species of birds. The Centre runs entirely on solar energy and gets its water from catchment tanks; rooms are stocked with all-natural toiletries and recycled paper products. (From about $160/night, including guided nature walk, afternoon tea, continental breakfast, and local Great Ocean Walk transfers. Five double guest rooms; capeotwaycentre.com.au) Johanna Seaside Cottages Guests are welcome to collect eggs from the chicken coop or pick veggies from the garden whenever they want and cook it all in their cottage kitchen. Or be indulgent and order an “in-house meal,” freshly pre-
pared by a local chef and delivered cold for re-heating. (From about $159/night; seven private cottages, johannaseaside.com.au) Campsites Seven hike-in campsites and four drive-in campsites are available. Hike-ins come equipped with tent pads, toilets (some are new composting toilets), shelters, rainwater tanks (untreated), and tables; only fuel stoves are permitted for cooking (no fires). Drive-in facilities vary; see greatoceanwalk.com.au for details on all sites. (About $16 per camper per night.) Eats and Drinks There’s no potable water or food along the walk, so pack your own water and snacks for short trips, and plan for refueling stops at the nearby hotels and towns for longer ones. Or let someone else handle the menu: Sign up with Epicurious Travels (epicurioustravel.com.au) or Bothfeet (bothfeet.com.au) for guided tours along the Walk with delicious gourmet meals included. (Prices and dates vary; see websites for details).
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All Creatures Great and Small As pollution, habitat loss, global warming, and disease increase the number of threatened and endangered species, attempts to protect them are more crucial than ever. That’s where the Frozen Zoo comes in. By Alisa Opar | Illustrations by bill mayer
On a sunny spring afternoon, the San Diego Zoo is teeming with shorts-clad tourists of all ages. While most visitors gravitate toward the pandas, giraffes, and gorillas, one little boy seems particularly taken with the Javan bantengs, a species of endangered Southeast Asian wild cattle that can grow to be seven feet long and weigh nearly a ton. Asked which one is his favorite, the child sizes up each of the animals before settling on a male with a dark blue-black coat grazing closest to him. It happens to be the spitting image of another banteng that died in 1980, and the resemblance is more than superficial:
The four-year-old animal at the zoo is its clone. 50|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
“The Frozen Zoo isn’t supposed to be just a place for the DNA of disappearing species. It’s a tool to prevent extinctions.” Oliver Ryder, who heads the Frozen Zoo, places samples into a liquid-nitrogen freezer, where they can be preserved for an estimated 10,000 years.
The banteng wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for a satellite of the San Diego Zoo located 35 miles north of the city, in Escondido. It too houses an impressive collection of exotic animals, but there are no tourists milling about here. Tucked in a corner room on the first floor of the zoo’s Center for Conservation Research, its inhabitants—not entire animals, but samples of their sperm, eggs, embryos, tissue, and other cells—are cryogenically preserved. Inside one of its thousands of vials, which are stored on tall racks and kept in huge cylindrical stainless-steel freezers, are cells from the banteng that scientists preserved 27 years ago. Welcome to the Frozen Zoo, perhaps the world’s largest repository of genetic samples from endangered species. For the past three decades, scientists have relied on its collection to carry out a variety of critical conservation and research efforts. And with the number of endangered species on the rise, its leaders hope to one day stockpile samples from virtually every type of animal on Earth.
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hen geneticist Oliver Ryder and his colleagues began collecting samples for the Frozen Zoo 31 years ago, they had no idea how essential these actions would be to saving endangered species. The project was the brainchild of pathologist Kurt Benirschke, who led the Frozen Zoo until Ryder took over 15 years ago. These days, Ryder sports a neat salt-and-pepper beard, wears a button-down shirt and slacks, and socks with his sandals. His serious demeanor drops occasionally when, without changing his facial expression, he cracks a joke to lighten the mood. But he’s all business as he explains that he began freezing cells because of all their practical uses. Zoos often held only one animal of an extremely rare species, he says, and when that creature died, scientists lost the opportunity to study it. Ryder was also interested in studying the chromosomes of various animals to determine how closely related they were to each other (a science that was cutting-edge at the time). So he and his colleagues decided to freeze and stockpile viable cells at every opportunity to save them for later studies. Over time, advances in technology allowed the preserved cells to be used for a wider variety of research and conservation activities. Today, the Frozen Zoo is a multinational research facility that stores samples from more than 7,200 animals representing some 675 species. Hundreds of scientists across the globe rely on its resources in their work to save endangered and threatened animals, and for a host of other purposes (see “ABCs sidebar”). The facility is run out of the department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES), a center funded by the nonprofit Zoological
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Society of San Diego, along with grants from many other institutions. Although the cells can be used for cloning, the zoo’s purpose isn’t to create carbon copies of endangered or extinct animals. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. “What we’re trying to conserve is the genetic diversity of species,” says Ryder, which gives animals the best chance of survival in the wild. As he walks through the labs adjacent to the Frozen Zoo, Ryder explains how samples from, say, a bush buck on the African savannah come to “live” in this frigid repository. Scientists collect samples from animals in zoos and in the wild (often the tab of skin that’s removed when an animal is tagged), and send them to the Frozen Zoo to be deposited. The cells are divided, processed, placed in vials, and then frozen in liquid nitrogen, which preserves them for an estimated 10,000 years. When researchers need a sample, they remove it from the freezer and thaw out the cells. The zoo’s workings are comparable to a bank—researchers deposit and withdraw samples as needed. “It’s not a mausoleum,” Ryder says, lifting a rack from one of the freezers with gloved hands and getting enveloped in the mist formed from the nitrogen vapor condensing water in the air. “This isn’t supposed to be just a place for the DNA of disappearing species. It’s a tool to prevent extinctions.”
O
ne of the most successful conservation efforts aided by the Frozen Zoo is the California condor recovery project. The program is headed by Mike Wallace, a lanky, tanned wildlife biologist whose office is one floor above and around the corner from the Frozen Zoo. Today he is willing to chat, but only for a few minutes. He’s itching to drive south to Baja, Mexico, to scour a canyon where he’s pretty sure a pair of the endangered birds of prey is tending to an egg. His hunch proves right; the egg was the first to be laid by a California condor living in the wild in more than 60 years. And earlier this year, for the first time in nearly a century, a condor was spotted flying over San Diego. When the condor preservation program launched in 1980, only 19 of the birds remained in the wild. Today, the condor population has swelled to nearly 300 birds, 135 of which live in the wild. “Condors are as rare and endangered as a species gets, and we came very close to losing them,” says Wallace. “With the Frozen Zoo, we basically have a duplicate population of condors. It’s a hedge for the future.” The project began by bringing the 19 wild birds into captivity at the San Diego Zoo, where they joined eight others already there. Then scien-
tists banked DNA samples from these 27 birds in the Frozen Zoo. Those samples have since been used countless times. One of the first steps to rebuilding the population required figuring out which birds should breed. By studying tissue samples, researchers discovered that the remnant population consisted of birds from three different clans, or families. So they devised a system to breed condors that were least genetically similar, which increases the chance that they’ll survive environmental changes and disease. “That way, each population we have is genetically whole,” says Wallace, so nearby birds can mate without the danger of inbreeding. Even as the condor population continues to climb, the Frozen Zoo’s resources guide conservation efforts for the birds in other ways. Researchers have discovered, for instance, a genetic disorder that causes some chicks to develop shortened appendages, which makes most of them unable to hatch. With cell samples from the Frozen Zoo, scientists have created a genetic map of the birds and are using it to find the mutation that causes the disease. They then will design a genetic test to identify the carriers (the process is akin to a test for cystic fibrosis in humans). Once they find out which birds have the mutation, they can adjust their breeding plans accordingly. “In the space of three years, we’ve made progress on the condor genome that took 20 years in human genetics—at one ten-thousandth the cost,” says Ryder.
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hile Ryder says the Frozen Zoo’s contributions to species conservation and genetic research have been exhilarating, he still feels an immense obligation to grow its collection. “All this technology is becoming available to ask questions that weren’t answerable before, and the material we’re trying to save is disappearing,” he says. “It’d be a real shame to have a collection of really good materials from something that went extinct. So the Frozen Zoo, though it may be the largest of its kind, is a token effort. We have 675 species out of millions.” Ryder has reason to be concerned. A number of studies indicate that extinction rates for many species are accelerating, spurred by loss of habitat, pollution, and disease. According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), more than 16,000 species face extinction today; in many cases, the loss or decline of even a single species has a ripple effect on other species that depend on it. A 2004 paper in Science, for instance, estimated that 6,300 parasites, pollinators, and other species might be “coendangered” because the animals they rely on for survival are endangered. These threats will only worsen, scientists say, if global warming continues unchecked.
All these challenges are also compounded by the fact that researchers often only realize what’s happening to a species “almost when it’s too late,” Ryder says. In part, this is because despite all of our knowledge, scientists still don’t fully understand how ecosystems work, and they can’t always predict how environmental disturbances will affect a particular species. Though the Frozen Zoo can’t answer every question, the studies conducted with its resources give the people who draw up conservation plans—not only the scientific community, but also policy makers and a host of others—a better understanding of the animals they’re trying to protect and the environments they live in. Black rhinos, for instance, are found throughout Africa, but researchers only recently discovered that different geographic groups are quite genetically diverse. “That means that if we want to preserve genetic diversity as it occurs in nature, or as we think it occurs in nature, we shouldn’t be interbreeding those animals right now,” says Ryder. The threat of extinction is not the only reason Ryder feels compelled to add new samples as soon as possible. Environmental disturbances can cause species to change over time, so studying older samples and comparing them to new ones help scientists understand those changes and develop conservation strategies. “No one sees the Frozen Zoo as a substitute for keeping the natural world intact,” says Dan Wharton, head of the Central Park Zoo in New York City who is not affiliated with the Frozen Zoo. “But when you think of the potential options that are inherent in this kind of storage, really, it is the responsible thing to do right now, because there is so much uncertainty as to how many other conservation strategies are going to unfold.” The Frozen Zoo is also pushing to diversify the types of species in its collection. For the most part, the samples stored there come from mammals, which regularly receive the most conservation dollars, due in no small part to their cute-factor. But in the past few years, the bank has been stocking up on bird and reptile samples. And this year, pending a grant, Ryder and veterinary pathologist Allan Pessier will begin adding more cells from amphibians, which are particularly vulnerable to extinction right now.
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essier, who speaks softly and quickly and often flashes a shy smile, is admittedly biased when it comes to amphibians. “I prefer them to most humans,” he jokes. In a more serious tone, Pessier explains that amphibians, while not “cute and fuzzy like pandas,” play a vital role in the food chain by keeping insect populations in check. They’re also important indicators of
“Condors are as rare and endangered as a species gets, and we came very close to losing them.” Wildlife biologist Mike Wallace releases a male Calfornia condor into the wild.
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How are genetic samples from the Frozen Zoo used? REPRODUCTION
4 Embryo transfer. An embryo grown in the lab is implanted in a surrogate mother. 4 Artificial insemination. Scientists place sperm into a female’s reproductive tract. 4 Cloning. DNA from an animal is injected into an egg from which the genetic material has been removed. The resulting embryo is implanted in a surrogate mother. 4 Correcting chromosomal abnormalities. Errors in the number or structure of gene-carrying molecules that result in birth defects are fixed.
GENETIC RESEARCH
4 Parentage and relatedness. Determining how closely individuals, populations, and different species are related. 4 Genetic diversity. Determining the genetic makeup of wild and captive populations. 4 Genetic health. Tracking genetic diseases in both captive and wild animals. 4 Hybridization events. Detecting instances in which different species mate and produce offspring.
DISEASE CONTROL
4 Cloning. Developing tests for genetic disorders.
“No one sees The Frozen Zoo as a substitute for keeping the natural world intact.”
4 Vaccines. Creating speciesspecific treatments and vaccines to increase or produce immunity to diseases.
4 Pathogens. Studying how disease-causing agents replicate and infect animals.
environmental health because they absorb water and oxygen through their skin. Amphibians are like the proverbial canary in the coal mine: If they start dying, it’s a red flag that the environment they live in is changing. Since 1980, more than 110 species of frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts have gone missing in the wild and are believed to be extinct, and populations of 435 species are in decline. Fully one-third of the more than 5,700 amphibian species known today are considered to be threatened, according to the IUCN. Not all of the problems are being caused by pollution and habitat degradation, however: One particular threat is an infectious disease called chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus, which is found everywhere from the Australian outback to the Rocky Mountains to the rainforests of Central America. The disease has been causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and complete mortality in others. Pessier, who has studied the disease for more than 10 years, has seen up close the damage it has caused. Last year, he traveled to Panama and visited an area known as El Valle, which had clearly been hit by the fungus. “It took us twenty minutes to find one frog,” says Pessier. Yet in another region, about 100 miles away in a rainforest outside Panama City, Pessier and colleagues encountered hundreds of frogs from 20-odd species. “We were literally slipping on them, there were so many,” he says. “I had no idea what declines associated with the fungus really meant until I saw the differences between infected and uninfected areas of forest.” Scientists are racing to determine the origin of the fungus and what makes it lethal to some frogs. But for now, the only line of defense is to bring infected frogs into captivity, treat them, and establish healthy captive colonies with the hopes of returning them to the wild. “The captive program assures that genetic diversity of these frogs is maintained despite declines and extinctions in the wild,” says Pessier. “It is an emergency measure, but necessary, since the frogs are disappearing so quickly.” Having cells from the skin of these frogs stored at the Frozen Zoo could enhance these measures dramatically, he says. By studying cell lines, researchers may be able to better understand how the fungus kills amphibians and determine ways to combat it. The biggest challenge right now is growing the cells properly. The samples stored
“We were literally slipping on frogs, there were so many.”
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Veterinary pathologist Allanpathologist Pessier studies Veterinary Allan amphibians; Pessier one-third of these creatur studies amphibians, a third of which are threatened with extinction.
at the Frozen Zoo must be uncontaminated—that is, free of chemicals, fungi, and other contaminants that interfere with research and testing procedures. While a simple cleaning process to take a skin sample usually suffices, the moist, porous skin of frogs is an ecosystem unto itself; it hosts anti-fungal bacteria and other microorganisms, which makes getting a proper sample difficult. So researchers are working on methods for obtaining viable samples from adult amphibians that have died naturally—perhaps taking cells from inside their eyes. To date, they’ve grown cells from two species, American bullfrogs and African claw-toed frogs. They hope studying these samples can lead to clues that will help them protect at-risk species. It’s a start, but Ryder stresses that collecting a reserve of amphibian cells will require cooperation from scientists and governments around the world. To that end, Frozen Zoo researchers have begun working with a variety of conservation groups, some of which are bringing amphibians into captivity to protect them from the lethal fungus. Such efforts, explains Ryder as he gently places a rack of cylinders back into the freezer, are crucial for saving all species, not just amphibians. “Our job right now is to fill as many of these freezers as we can and to get as many other people to do the same and to protect it as a resource for the future,” says Ryder. That way, scientists may have the same success with other species as they’ve had with condors. “We’re still at the very early stages of learning how to employ the Frozen Zoo and being able to extract information from it. Who knows what we’ll be able to do in the future?”
Frozen Zoo hall of fame
These are just a few of the scores of species the Zoo helps keep from extinction.
Javan bantengs
In 2002, researchers took DNA from the frozen skin cells of a banteng that died in 1980 and transferred it into empty eggs of domestic cows. The result of that experiment is a four-year-old male banteng that today lives at the San Diego Zoo. The feat was an important scientific step toward developing techniques that help maintain biodiversity, but researchers are still waiting to see if the young ruminant can reproduce.
Black rhinoceroses
Once roaming in large numbers across sub-Saharan Africa, this critically endangered species survives now in small, scattered populations. Cell samples from the Frozen Zoo have revealed genetic differences between east African and southern African black rhinos— information that has helped scientists shape conservation plans and assisted zookeepers in managing rhinos under their care.
Gorillas
Gorillas share nearly 98 percent of their DNA with human beings, but variation among individual gorillas is far greater than among us Homo sapiens. By studying samples accumulated over the last 30 years, researchers have been able to track gorillas’ breeding, discern how they migrate, and study how they pass genes from one population to another.
Przewalski’s horse
The Frozen Zoo stores live cells from nearly 500 of these critically endangered wild horses, named after Russian General Nikolai Przewalski, who first described the creatures in the 19th century. Przewalski’s horses and domestic horses, their closest relative, have cross-bred for decades, mixing their genes and creating a challenge for conserving the remaining Przewalskis. Researchers rely on samples from horses born as far back as 1952 to design management programs, confirm pedigree, and study whether the animals are particularly susceptible to certain diseases.
Caribbean iguanas
Human development and invasive species have imperiled 0 species of these reptiles. Researchers are assessing the genetic diversity of iguanas in captivity and in the wild so they can develop a breeding program and track wild populations. So far, scientists have established four new, self-sustaining populations on Turks and Caicos.
Visit PLENTYMAG.COM for an in-depth look at the Amphibian Ark project, which is helping protect frogs from the chrytid fungus. plentymag.com
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e v a w g i b t x the ne Surfers may seem like free-spirited nature lovers, but they’re now facing the consequences of their sport’s negative environmental impact.
by lisa stasiulewicz
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T
he sport of surfing—the solitary figure surrounded by seawater, drenched in sunlight—is inextricably linked with Mother Nature. Indeed, surfers are reliant on her for the blessing of a perfect wave. And their reputation for being eco-minded has grown over the last several decades, particularly since the establishment of such organizations as the California-based Surfrider Foundation, which works to keep oceans clean and beaches intact. But while surfers may appear to be role models in the fight for a better planet, their surfboards are proving to be an environmental disaster. Concerns about the eco-friendliness of surfboards came to a head on December 5, 2005, the day that Gordon “Grubby” Clark, founder and owner of Clark Foam in Laguna Niguel, California, abruptly shut down his business after more than 40 years of operation. At the time, Clark’s business manufactured 90 percent of all blanks—which are the foam cores used to make modern surfboards. He faxed a seven-page swan song to his customers, alluding to pressures he faced from the EPA and the state of California, among others, over the possible environmental and health concerns linked to the materials and methods he used to create the foam cores. Most troubling to the authorities were the toxic fumes emitted from the factory (which was located in an affluent neighborhood), as well as dust emissions and the resins used to make surfboards. “I should have seen this coming many years sooner and closed years ago in a slower, more predictable manner,” says Clark in his fax. “I waited far too long, being optimistic rather than realistic. I also failed to do my homework.”
Much is riding on the development of a more environmentally sound surfboard. plentymag.com
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The closure of Clark Foam (top right) sparked a hoarding mentality among surfers (above); the early days of foam board making (bottom right).
News of the closure shocked the surfing community worldwide. Clark ordered his workers to dismantle and dispose of his board-making equipment, and grieving surfers gathered at the disposal site to pay their last respects. The abrupt closure of Clark’s business (the date is now known to insiders as “Blank Monday”) sparked a panic that sent surfboard prices soaring. A wave of surfboard thefts started soon after, and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’s Office suspected it was a result of the publicity surrounding the blank shortage. Now that the biggest supplier had vanished overnight, where would the foam come from? And if the old foam was hazardous, how could manufacturers develop a greener board surfers would want to ride? Most surfboards today are made from a polyurethane foam blank that’s covered in fiberglass cloth and strengthened and coated with a polyester resin. None of those materials is eco-friendly, and Clark actually admitted the chemicals his company used emitted more than 4,000 pounds of styrene fumes per year. (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion.) But the biggest environmental culprit may be the blanks themselves. They’re not biodegradable, for starters, and the foam usually contains a chemical called toluene diisocyanate (TDI)—a possible carcinogen that the EPA also says has detrimental effects on the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. And making the foams releases carbon dioxide and VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, into the atmosphere. Because of these dangers, some surfers and environmental innovators are experimenting with new materials and methods that will make boards as environmentally friendly as the surfer’s image. But a new wave of change is coming from the southernmost county in England—thousands of miles and an entire ocean away from Clark Foam and California’s sunny shores.
british invasion Though Cornwall, England, may seem like an unlikely surfer haven, the local scene is booming there. According to London’s The Daily Telegraph, surfing in Cornwall brings in almost $83 million to the community annually. The Eden Project, an environmental education and research complex and tourist attraction, has its hand in many of Cornwall’s eco businesses, including organic farms, resorts, and, yes, surfing companies. 60|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Chris Hines started a movement to clean up Cornwall’s beaches (above) and is now working with others on a bettter surfboard (right).
The green community in Cornwall is in no small part the result of a recent environmental crisis that surfers took the lead in resolving. In 1990, there were 400 million gallons of raw sewage being dumped into England’s coastal waters every day, creating potential health risks for anyone who took to the waves. Surfer and Cornwall native Chris Hines got fed up and founded Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), a grassroots group that lobbied the House of Commons while wearing gas masks and wetsuits and carrying surfboards. The tactic worked. “Because surfing is sexy, we got a disproportionate amount of media coverage,” says Hines. As a result, Cornwall’s contaminated beaches were catapulted to the top of the political agenda. In 1997, Hines was named a special advisor to England’s minister for the environment to help acquire and spend nearly $10 billion to clean up the coastline. A decade later, you’d never know Cornwall’s beaches were ever anything other than pristine. SAS is still active, and Hines, not one to rest on his laurels, is now the sustainability director at the Eden Project. He’s also collaborating with a handful of local businesses to build a better, more eco-friendly surfboard. Lightweight foam blanks weren’t always the industry standard. Surfing was likely born in Hawaii around 1,000 A.D., and the first boards were made of wood from fallen koa and breadfruit trees. Surfing migrated to the U.S. by the early 20th century, and most boards were made from redwood trees and weighed up to 65 pounds. By the ’30s, a hollow board was being produced commercially in Los Angeles. After World War II, balsa wood became the favored board-building material, bringing down the weight of boards by half. In walked Grubby Clark. In 1958, he and his business partner at the time, Hobie Alter, pioneered the formula for their petroleum-based foam that became the industry standard for nearly half a century. Surfers loved the foam-core boards because they struck the right balance of lightness, strength, flexibility, and maneuverability. The foam was also waterproof, cheap, and readily available. So any eco-heir apparent to polyurethane
Once the industry’s biggest foam supplier vanished overnight, where would new board-making materials come from?
Danny Hess with one of his sustainable surfboards.
photos by elly clarke (left); erin kunkel (right)
Surfing without pretention: the laid-back vibe in Cornwall.
would have to be at least as good, if not better, in all those categories to satisfy the surfing community. Back in Cornwall, Hines had an old-school flashback: Why not use wood again to make surfboards? In 2004, the wood from a balsa tree that was cut down on the grounds of the Eden Project was used to create some prototypes, but ultimately, they proved to be too heavy to perform well and too expensive to manufacture. So he tried a different tack. Earlier this year, he promoted the efforts of local foam company Homeblown Blanks, which had been developing a new plant-based material since late 2005. The product, Biofoam, is 45-percent plant-based and is used to make blanks that create one third fewer emissions and use 61 percent less non-renewable energy than polyurethane when manufactured. Chuck Menzel, founder of GreenSurf.org, a non-profit that promotes environmentally responsible surf products, was another surfer involved in Biofoam’s creation. “We set out to find a foam that rides as well as or better than polyurethane, and I think we really nailed it,” he says. And with the new blank, the Cornwall collaborators formed the completed product, the Ecoboard—a surfboard made with a Biofoam blank covered in a 98-percent natural resin. At press time, the making of the first 20 Ecoboards was underway, but Hines says the project ultimately is not meant to be a full commercial operation. “This is a challenge to the surfing industry—we’ll make a few, but we’re not here to make boards,” says Hines. “We’re here to push the technology, so the industry can say, ‘Okay, we’ll make boards this way.’” And while the Ecoboard is a good start, it has some kinks to work out. The materials aren’t 100 percent natural, and the board’s performance is still in question because it’s so new. But there’s no doubt it’s a vast improvement on modern board-making, and it only stands to get better. “We don’t know yet how everything performs over time,” says Menzel. “Within a year or so we’ll know how the materials react, and we can make improvements.” Still, the new board may still be snubbed by the surf community, since Biofoam’s green-tan base color may be unappealing when compared to the stark white they’re accustomed to.
the ripple effect Hines and his cohorts aren’t the only ones on the quest for a better board. Danny Hess, of Hess Surfboards, has been using wood, expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is recyclable, and an epoxy resin that releases 80
all aboard
The Ecoboard is still in development, but these companies already offer greener surfboard choices. Ocean Green makes its Ecofoil boards from wood grown in sustainably managed forests in Nicaragua, and it’s shaped by fair trade carpenters. The hollow boards need no foam core, and they’re covered with organic hemp or cotton cloth. Oceangreen.org Sannyasi creates boards that are 50 percent biodegradable and recyclable at the end of their lifespan. The board is covered with wood from sustainably managed forests and finished with a biodegradable varnish. Sannyasi.co.uk Hess Surfboards uses reclaimed and sustainably harvested wood, cork, and recyclable EPS foam. The boards are also coated with a low-VOC epoxy resin, and they use only half the fiberglass found in conventional boards. Hesssurfboards.com Homeblown Blanks has made their eco-friendly Biofoam commercially available to shapers who want to use it in their own designs. Contact the company to find out which board makers are working with this new material. Homeblownus.com plentymag.com
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surfin’ safaris
These eco camps will teach you how to hang ten. GLOBAL BOARDERS Penzance, England This carbon-neutral surf camp is tailor-made for those who don’t like to rough it. The property has an eclectic mix of housing options, with amenities including modern kitchens (stocked with local organic food), wireless Internet access, and killer views of the Atlantic. The new surf shop carries their own line of eco surf wax, sunscreen and balms. Prices start at $740 for a two-night stay. globalboarders.com
An aerial view of the Eden Project.
“There is definitely a market among many industries to develop greener foam.” percent fewer VOCs into the air than the standard polyester resin, to make boards for six years. EPS is the most widely used alternative to polyurethane foam, and it is similar to the Styrofoam used to make beach coolers. The boards are as light and even stronger than traditional ones, but some surfers have complained that EPS boards aren’t as responsive to their movements. Hess’s boards are encased in sustainably-harvested or reclaimed wood. “The combination of the materials I use produce the strongest, most functional and environmentally-conscious surfboard I can build right now,” says Hess. While it is an improvement on conventional board-making methods, it’s petroleum-based, so it won’t become a long-term solution. “Chemicals are still involved, and I’m always searching for better alternatives that release fewer toxins into the atmosphere,” Hess says. “What I really want to see is a bio-based, EPS-quality foam.” Surfers are notoriously finicky about board performance, but the closure of Clark Foam forced them to embrace change—not just of new board materials, but also greener options in clothing and gear. Whether the motivation comes from necessity, guilt, or a desire to innovate, some say that the industry’s adoption of green practices and eco-friendly products is more of a business decision than one of conscience. “There is this social-economic trend around everything eco, so there is a demand for companies to go green,” said Erik Joule, the senior vice president of North American merchandising and design for Quiksilver, a surfing apparel and gear manufacturer. Not one to miss a beat, Quiksilver has incorporated organic cotton into all their T-shirts and woven clothing, and also designed some 100 percent organic T-shirts and recycled board shorts. Regardless of the industry’s motivation, the push for a greener sport will force surfers to practice the eco-conscious values they may have been preaching to others. And the impact of developing more ecofriendly materials could expand well beyond the world of surfing. “There is definitely a market among many industries to develop a greener foam,” says Jay Bolus, vice president of technical operations for MBDC, a sustainable product and process design company. “The quantum leap we’re all looking for is a new class of materials that will be 100 percent bio-based or easily recyclable.” 62|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
SOLOSPORTS Punta San Carlos, Mexico Owner Kevin Trejo made his camp eco-friendly out of necessity: the location is so remote, there’s no water or electricity. The facility relies on solar power, composting toilets, and a desalinization plant for drinking water. If surfing’s not your bag, try mountain biking or wind surfing instead. Prices start at $200 a night. solosports.net
TEAMPATY ECO SURF CAMP Pescadero, Mexico
Surfer and environmental activist Patricia Baum runs this school, where you can learn to surf and even participate in sea turtle releases from September to December. Guest stays are arranged in private homes, and visitors can enjoy daily yoga classes along with twice-daily surf lessons. Cabanas that sleep two to four people start at $40 a night. todossantos.cc/ecosurfcamp.html
Visit PLENTYMAG.COM for the author’s personalized account of visiting Global Boarders in Penzance, England.
good vibrations Surfboards aren’t the only surf gear going eco. Etnies “El-Jefe II” sandals $9.95 store.etnies.com
1 A natty 55% hemp hat that would look equally cute on a surfer girl. Planet Earth “Claymore” hat $29.95 dogfunk.com 2 Made from a quick-drying blend of 55% hemp and 45% recycled plastic bottles. Planet Earth “Sprout” boardshort $54.95 skateparkoftampa.com 3 Heals sunburn, minor rashes and chapped lips with a natural combination of oils (olive, tea tree) and botanical extracts (rosemary, lavendar, comfrey). Surfer’s Salve $10 wetsand.com 4 Water-resistant, and naturally protects you against UVA and UVB rays. Dr. Hauschka Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 $14.95 bigelowchemists.com
7 Made from 100% recycled polyester for top-notch protection from sunburn and rashes. Patagonia “Troncones” Boardies $64 patagonia.com 8 Tissue-thin organic cotton clings in all the right places. Roxy “Nature” tee $20 roxy.com 9 An organic-cotton tote with enough room for two towels. Roxy “Fiona” tote $11.50 roxy.com 10 Cushiony flip flops with a 20% recycled foam insole. Patagonia “FreeFlow” Thongs $50 patagonia.com
5 All of skate and surf company Sector 9’s T-shirts are made from organic cotton and printed with water-based inks. Sector 9 tee $25 sector9.com 6 Super-durable and totally PVC-free flip flops that get you to the beach and back.
11 A completely natural and biodegradable surfboard wax, available in formulations for different water temperatures. GreenSurf Wax $5 for a pack of four wetsand.com
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photo by eugene gologursky eco stylist: camilla slattery
By Justin Tyler Clark | illustrations by john francis
Windy Cities Long before oil was discovered in the land now known as Iran, its inhabitants pioneered a far cleaner energy source. Around 700 A.D., Persians developed windmills to mill grain. After spreading both east and west, the technology served as one of Europe’s primary energy sources until the Industrial Revolution, even surviving the attacks of Cervantes’s delusional hero Don Quixote, who mistook them for giants. Now the fastest growing source of energy, wind power accounts for eight percent of power production in Cervantes’s homeland, Spain, and twenty percent in Denmark. Will windmills become giants once again? Quixotic as it sounds, we think so. 64|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Behold a brave new past. Enthusiastic as we are about the latest eco-gadgetry— solar-powered fabrics, electric sports cars, backyard wind turbines—maybe it’s time to acknowledge that some of the most ingenious solutions to our planet’s woes appeared hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago, long before their inventors could have even anticipated the environmental problems we face today. So rather than discard these advances of yore, let’s pick out what we can reuse, and recycle it.
totally tubular How many German physicists does it take to screw in a light bulb? We don’t know, but it took only one to set us on the path to energy-efficient lighting. Heinrich Geissler, trained as a glass blower, created a predecessor to the fluorescent bulb in 1856, almost a quarter century before Thomas Edison patented his own incandescent bulb. The Geissler tube contained electrically-excitable gas, just like today’s mercury vapor-filled fluorescent lights, which use two thirds less energy than incandescents. Why then did Edison’s invention catch on faster? At the time, fluorescent lights were expensive, huge, and emitted eerie colors – kind of like the last Pink Floyd concert we attended.
peDal pushers Boomers might wax nostalgic for 1967, but 1819 was the real summer of love. That was the year German inventor Baron Karl Drais invented the Laufsmachine, a pedal-less predecessor to the modern bicycle, sparking an urban fad on par with scooters, Segways, and online dating. Drais’s “running machine” was exactly that: Riders sat on the frame and propelled themselves, not very elegantly, by pushing along the ground with their feet. (Crying “YabbaDabba-Doo!” was strictly optional.) Interestingly, it may have been climate change that brought about the Laufsmachine. The abnormally cool weather of 1816’s “Year Without A Summer” decimated grain production across northern Europe, causing humans and livestock to starve, and possibly inspiring Drais’ interest in horseless transportation. Unfortunately, bike lanes hadn’t yet been invented; the Laufsmachine caused an uproar when well-to-do young men in London began terrorizing pedestrians on their “dandy horses.” As a result, many municipalities banned the Laufsmachine, delaying the development of human-powered transport until 1862, when a French baby carriage maker named Pierre Lallement attached pedals to Drais’s invention and created the first bicycle. plentymag.com
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churn and burn Environmentalists often have mixed feelings about hydroelectric power, an energy source that requires the construction of expensive reservoirs, which sometimes damage surrounding ecosystems. But that shouldn’t lessen our admiration for the Slovakian inventor Johann Andreas von Segner. Water wheels already existed for 2,000 years in the mid-1700’s, but Segner’s design harnessed the force of a water stream with much greater efficiency, making it the precursor to the modern hydroelectric turbine. The energy source Segner helped pioneer provided 40 percent of the nation’s power needs in 1940, and all of Idaho’s as recently as 1995. Large-scale hydroelectric power may remain controversial, but Segner’s invention helped demonstrate the potential for renewable energy.
liquid assets Before bars started serving it during happy hour, ethyl alcohol proved one of humanity’s most useful discoveries. For that, we can all toast eighth-century Persian alchemist Jabir Ibn Haiyan, inventor of the alembic: a simple chemical instrument consisting of two small glass chambers connected by a tube. Jabir probably wasn’t much of an environmentalist, or a drinker, but his device permitted the distillation of ethanol, a fuel source that today provides 40 percent of Brazil’s non-diesel gasoline and is generating plenty of bipartisan buzz stateside. The alembic also aided the development of pharmacology, by providing a solvent for medicines to be dissolved within, and is still used today by today’s chemists, some of whom believe ethyl alcohol, otherwise known as ethanol, might be just the right pick-me-up for the planet. 66|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
drink up Here’s a classic eco-invention that might help you, should you ever wind up as a contestant on Survivor: stick a bucket full of impure water in a pit, cover the pit in clear plastic, wait until the sun heats up, and voila! Pure water condenses atop the plastic. While not widely used in developed countries, solar still plants across the developing world provide a cheap, fossil fuel-free way to purify water. For decades, the remote South African community of Kerkplaas relied on water truck deliveries; in 2002 the government solved the problem by building the country’s first solar still plant, using a technology first documented by Arab alchemists in the Middle Ages. For those who are tired of paying for a resource that is literally in the air all around us, some companies sell modern solar stills that are small, inexpensive, and easy to operate.
drop by drop Sometimes a leaky pipe can be good thing; ask any farmer or homeowner who’s slashed their water bill after installing drip irrigation. By soaking the soil one drop at a time through tiny pipes, the drip system conserves our most precious resource and allows greater yields. But an even easier way has been practiced for millennia in arid regions of Central America: Farmers there fill porous clay pots with water and then bury them in the soil. As the pots leak, the plants drink. Still in use in developing countries, this evaporation-resistant irrigation system wastes less water than the most expensive modern drip system and is loads more efficient than conventional irrigation.
get a jolt The human body is one of the world’s most efficient machines, but still—no system is perfect. Adding up lost body heat and movement, we fritter away roughly 100 watts at rest, 400 while walking quickly, and 1,600 while sprinting. Capturing that energy isn’t easy, but one promising solution is piezoelectricity, the use of crystals to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The potential applications are many: the military has even discussed running soldier’s communication devices off of piezoelectric devices, while architects hope to power buildings by using floor vibrations generated through foot traffic. So why is this spaceage technology on our list? Because it isn’t space-age. Thousands of years ago, the Ute Indians of Colorado cleverly filled rattles with pieces of quartz that glowed when shaken together to create the world’s first flashlight, no batteries required. in the dirt In one (possibly apocryphal) account of the building of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s fellow colonists were baffled by his decision to build the estate out of rammed earth—a construction method in which a mixture of dirt, water, and sand are tamped down until it becomes hard as stone. With acres of virgin forest around for timber, they asked, why would you build a house out of mud? Maybe Jefferson just knew his world architecture history. Since ancient times, rammed earth has provided soundproof and temperate dwellings for folks from China to the Mediterranean, cooling their occupants on hot days and warming them on chilly evenings. The first-century Roman author Pliny the Elder was full of praise for the earth shelters that existed before the Romans discovered concrete: “Do they not last for ages, undamaged by rain, wind and fire, and stronger than quarry stone?” In an age of rapid deforestation and skyrocketing utility bills, it’s no wonder that today’s architects have rediscovered rammed earth, or that some construction firms even specialize in it.
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Simple design strategies make this cedar-clad riverfront house energy efficient.
Skimming the Surface
A waterfront home in Rhode Island reveals the nuts and bolts of sustainability By David Sokol
has come full circle. The Portsmouth, R.I., home that he recently designed for himself and his wife Susan is, in principle, remarkably similar to one of the architect’s first projects. In 1967, fresh out of the University of Virginia, Graham joined the Peace Corps in Colombia, where he designed a simple hospital for the coastal town of Buenaventura. The building encapsulated “the whole notion of passive environmental design,” he says. Thanks to excellent ventilation, proper solar orientation, and other features, the little hospital could operate with minimal use of air conditioning and electricity. Graham admits that his 1,700-square-foot residence is fully air conditioned. “I wanted to keep my marriage intact,” he says. In fact, Graham didn’t sacrifice creature comforts in any
photos by Bruce T. Martin
the architect gary graham
respect, but by taking the climate into account like he did with the ’60s hospital, and a few 21st-century features, the house operates more efficiently than the average home. The most important green decision, says the architect, was to keep the house small. With the couple’s four children all in their 30s, there was no need for extra rooms to accommodate potential post-college identity crises. The * plentymag.com
|august/ september 2007 |69
choices | home
Clockwise from top left: A home office has a picture-perfect view of the Sakonnet River; glass-block walls on the ground floor can detach from the home to prevent it from collapsing during a flood; windows overlooking the river provide ample daylight to the dining area; a walkway to the backyard ends in a small patio; balconies on two floors enlarge the house’s usable space in milder weather; sunny yellow paint in the living room is low in VOCs.
70|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
cozy spaces are connected in an easy, fluid floor plan to enhance the sense of openness and increase air circulation. They also maximize exposure to the north and south. It is much more difficult to block out the low-angled sunlight that would flood windows facing east or west, Graham explains, so his design allows the home to receive a lot of natural light without the problem of overheating. In summer, when the southfacing living and dining rooms would bake in the sun, a postcard-perfect Norway maple tree substitutes for a canopy. In what Graham calls “another relatively easy choice,” the bones and tendons of the house are green. Following local regulations, the building is raised on wood posts filled in by breakaway walls made of glass block, which can literally detach from the home in the event of a flood to prevent the structure from collapsing. Above this base, the wooden framing system is designed with hollowed-out corners to save lumber. To keep chilly drafts to a minimum, a foam insulation called Icynene was installed in lieu of traditional bat insulation (the fiberglass kind that comes in huge pink rolls). Unlike the more familiar product, which is precut and jammed into place, Icynene is sprayed into the wall’s cavities and expands to fill voids.
home |choices
The most important green decision, says the architect, was to keep the house small. The cozy spaces are connected in an easy, fluid floor plan to enhance the sense of openness and increase air circulation. Graham estimates that Icynene costs about four times as much as regular insulation, but figures that his bank account is benefiting from the added efficiencies it offers. Another green strategy was using doublepaned, “low-e” windows, which have a special coating that prevents glare and screens out the sun’s harshest rays. As for that dreaded air-conditioning, it’s split into zones so that the system can be turned on in a bare minimum of rooms. Other than the two or three weeks of unbearable heat that inevitably hit Portsmouth each summer, ceiling fans usually shoulder the task of cooling the house down. Due to rising energy costs, Graham is unsure exactly how much his house’s occasionally pricier green features save in fuel con-
sumption, but he happily recalls the $1,200 he earned in Energy Star credits for installing efficient appliances. There’s also a thirdparty testimonial: “The propane guy who comes down the street told me that we buy only half of what the other houses in the neighborhood use,” Graham says. Just as the Grahams’ house saves energy inconspicuously, it doesn’t look too different from the neighbors. With its white cedar shingles and backyard deck, this slice of Portsmouth seems like any other cottage enjoying the views of the Sakonnet River to the southeast and of Mount Hope Bridge, which connects Bristol to Portsmouth. There are a few surprises, though you have to look for them. The top of the roofline, for
instance, is split down the middle to reveal a private roofdeck for sunbathing. Inside, the Sherwin-Williams paint is low in VOCs; Graham swapped hardwood floors for quickgrowing bamboo; and the area surrounding the fireplace is tiled in limestone, which captures some of the warmth from the winter sun and radiates it back into the house at night. “I always believe a building should fit into its context,” says Graham, who remembers the fledgling eco houses of the ’70s that sacrificed style for solar efficiency. And there are more green features on the way: Graham is planning to attach a photovoltaic array to his rooftop, which will not only reduce the house’s footprint even more, but also let the world know of the new and improved workings within. plentymag.com
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Pools that use plants to cleanse and purify water are more popular in Europe than the U.S.; here, a countryside residence in Austria has a bi-level, contemporary design.
Making a Splash
Natural swimming pools need no chlorine to keep the water clean By jennifer acosta scott
one of my favorite parts of a plane ride is the descent. While my fellow passengers close their eyes and brace for the drop, I’m glued to the window, trying to identify the town’s features from my bird’s-eye view. The drab brown parcels confuse me, as do the green squares (is that a park or cropland?). But the easiest areas to spot are the affluent neighborhoods, with perfect rectangles of aqua water dotting the landscape. They seem intended for only one thing: wet refreshment. But if Mick Hilleary and his colleagues have their way, the purpose of a backyard pool may not be so clear-cut. And it might even be harder to spot from Seat 4A. 72|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
Hilleary is one of a handful of designers who build natural swimming pools—recreational structures that combine the clear water of a traditional pool with the lush, untamed scenery of a wilderness pond. Cleaned without the aid of harsh chemicals, the ponds are slowly garnering attention in the U.S. as homeowners seek healthier, more attractive alternatives for water recreation. “Sometimes we get couples,” says Hilleary, owner of Total Habitat, a firm based in Bonner Springs, Kans., that builds pools and zoo exhibits. “One partner wants a pool, one wants a pond. When they see our thing, it saves the marriage.”
The most notable feature of a natural swimming pool is its lack of chlorine, a substance which some say causes skin irritation and aggravates pre-existing health conditions. A 2002 study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that children who swam regularly in chlorinated pools had a higher risk for developing asthma. Natural pools also don’t require emptying and refilling like many chlorine pools, says Michael Littlewood, a landscape artist and natural-pool designer who wrote Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration for Harmony with Nature (Schiffer, 2005). Natural swimming pools can vary widely in appearance, from a simple geometric shape to
home |choices structures that are more complex, complete scaping and boulders, Hilleary says, which with decks and bridges. But essential to each further increases cost. Littlewood estimates of them is a regeneration zone—an area that a ballpark cost of a natural swimming pool serves to keep the water clean. Pumps and at about $900 per square yard, a figure that’s skimmers remove debris and keep the water based mostly on European projects, he says. from becoming stagnant, while gravel beds Most designers agree, however, that a natuand fast-growing aquatic plants absorb and ral pool’s self-sustaining ecosystem results in filter out pollutants and bacteria. The result: a different (and often less frequent) maina miniature, man-made ecosystem that’s just tenance schedule for the owner once estabas safe to swim in as the “sterile, dead water” lished. Usually all that’s required is an annual of a chlorine pool, says Bryan Morse, owner trimming of vegetation and the occasional use of Expanding Horizons, a company in Vista, of a pool vacuum to remove excess sediment, Calif., that builds rock-and-water projects. Littlewood says. Morse, who lives in Vista, CaSome people are turned off by the algae that lif., built his own pool in 2001 out of a backyard can cling in small amounts to the walls of a pond. He says he spends very little time keeping natural swimming pool in the hotter months, it up, though he does plan to recolor the lightMorse adds. “They assume it’s dirty,” he says. aqua cement liner to dark gray to make the wa“But algae is not dirty or dangerous to huter look bluer, creating a “lagoon-in-a-tropicalmans. It’s just another plant.” location kind of effect,” he says. Though a novelty in the U.S., natural pools Natural swimming pools can be installed in have been around for at least 15 years in Eu- just about any region of the U.S., but it’s crucial rope. David Nettleton, owner of Bristol, Eng- to adapt the design to the local climate. Some land–based pool company Clear Water Revival, aquatic plants can choke out other vegetation, attributed their stateside scarcity while other species may not to the relative lack of working Natural grow vigorously enough if the prototypes here. “If you get more swimming climate is too cold. Water hyaexamples in the U.S., that would cinths, for example, which tend really kick it off,” Nettleton says. pools can be to be invasive, will take over a The infrastructure to support installed in pool in Florida, but they usuowners of natural swimming ally do well in San Diego, Morse just about pools—like companies that says. Littlewood’s book includes build them, or supply materi- any region an index of plants appropriate als for them—is also lacking, of the U.S., for each region of the U.S. Hilleary says. His company has The pool’s depth should long-range plans to train build- but it’s also be appropriate for local ers to construct natural pools crucial to weather; owners in warm cliand to work with suppliers mates should have theirs dug adapt the so the materials will be more about 10 feet deep, Littlereadily available. Hilleary and design to the wood says, to keep the water Littlewood have formed a trade local climate. from becoming too warm and group, the Natural Swimming encouraging algae growth. Pool Association, to set standards for the inThe best feature of a natural swimming dustry. The group currently consists of only a pool is its versatility, Hilleary says. “You handful of members, but Hilleary says others can enjoy them all year round,” he says. “I are preparing to come on board soon. have clients sending me e-mails that they The cost of installing a natural swimming had breakfast by their pool because it was pool is comparable with that of a regular ina nice December morning. They never reground pool, though a natural pool’s relative member doing that around their traditional rarity may drive prices up a bit, Nettleton pool. We have type-A workaholics spendsays. “Regular swimming pools are a bit more ing every night by the pond. The therapy is standard in their design. We don’t have, as through the roof.” yet, a range of off-the-shelf options for natuvisit plentymag.com FOR MORE ral swimming pools.” Many owners also like photos of natural swimming pools. to enhance their pools with elaborate land-
GET YOUR FEET WET
Thinking of going au naturel? Check out these resources on chlorine-free pools. ➤ Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration for Harmony with Nature, by Michael Littlewood (Schiffer, 2005). Littlewood, a natural swimming pool builder, combines lush photos of natural pools with practical information on designing and constructing your own backyard haven. $32.97 at amazon.com ➤Natural Swimming Pools & Ponds—
The Total Guide, by Mick Hilleary and Dale Gracy. This downloadable e-book provides step-by-step instructions for building three different natural swimming pools. Great for experienced DIYers or novices working with a professional pool designer. $99 at totalhabitat.com
➤Local lakes and ponds. Unsure of what
plants you can put in your pool? Head to your local bodies of fresh water and start digging—it’s the best way to ensure successful growth, Morse says. Be sure to rinse off the plants thoroughly before placing them in your pool; otherwise, you may introduce unwanted bacteria.
➤Professional firms. If building a natural swimming pool exceeds your skill level, consider hiring a specialist. California-based Expanding Horizons (expandinghorizons.biz) and Total Habitat in Kansas (totalhabitat.com) design custom pools, but be warned—it may cost you a pretty penny, especially if you don’t live nearby.
i
plentymag.com
|august/ september 2007|73
choices | home
With soy-based foam seat cushions, and wood certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Rainforest Alliance, this overstuffed chair lets you rest easy. Crate & Barrel, “Lockport II” Chair $1,099 crateandbarrel.com
Mainstream Goes Green
Another page in the “it’s about time!” file: The big names in home furnishings are finally starting to use eco materials. Here are some of our favorite pieces. Okay, so it’s not all eco (the wood frame is not sustainably harvested). But the woven seat, made of natural, renewable seagrass, is a step in the right direction. Pottery Barn, “Seagrass” dining chair $139 potterybarn.com
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Natural-fiber rugs are a friendlier alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting, which is often made from petroleum byproducts. West Elm, Jute Bouclé Rug $19 to $279 westelm.com
A rustic, oversized mirror made from reclaimed Brazilian peroba wood would look striking hung up or simply leaning against a wall. Crate & Barrel, “Seguro” mirror $699 crateandbarrel.com
An Asian-inspired classic made from solid bamboo joined without screws or nails. Crate & Barrel, “Kyoto” sideboard $1,799 crateandbarrel.com
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choices | retreads
A Spring in Their Steps
One company’s quest to turn old wine corks into new flooring By peter Bronski a few years ago, when Stephen Yemm and his wife set out to build a bigger house for their growing family and home-based business in Marquand, Miss., an architect recommended cork flooring for some areas of the home. Yemm immediately thought of using wine corks for his new floor. “I’ve always been saving them, but never knew what to do with them,” he says. After all, there’s a limit to how many cork bulletin boards one person can make—or use. But while wine cork recycling programs are common abroad, Yemm couldn’t finda a single one in the U.S. The stage was set for his company, Yemm & Hart Limited, to bring the trend to this country. Y&H started out in 1981 making office furniture; eight years later, Yemm took a risk and pushed his company in a new direction, making construction materials out of recycled content—old rubber tires, detergent bottles, milk jugs, and the like. His grand experiment in wine cork recycling started in 2004. Natural cork wine stoppers are made from the bark of the Cork Oak tree (Quercus suber), a native of the Mediterranean region and one of the best examples of sustainable agro-forestry. Once a tree reaches 25 years of age, the cork can be harvested while leaving the tree standing, alive and intact. The cork can then be harvested again every nine years thereafter over the course of the tree’s 200-year-plus lifespan. When making wine stoppers, whole natural
corks are punched out of broad sheets of cork, leaving a Swiss cheese–like sheet of waste material which, in turn, is ground up and pressed into even more stoppers known as technical corks. “It’s doubly-green,” says Jennifer Biscoe, head of marketing for Globus Cork in Bronx, New York. “It’s a sustainably harvested material that uses its own post-industrial waste.” Beyond the reuse of wine stoppers, Biscoe notes that cork flooring has its own range of benefits. It’s durable, antimicrobial, soft underfoot, easy to clean, and it insulates against sound, vibration, and temperature. Cork flooring has a devout following in the architecture and interior design worlds, since it can help buildings earn certification in the LEED program, which awards points for both recycled-content materials and rapidly renewable materials (flooring made from old wine corks meets both criteria). Yemm draws his inspiration from recycling programs abroad, in which corks are often collected, curiously enough, by young girls. In Australia, a group called Guides—the Down-Under equivalent of the Girl Scouts of America—have been collecting wine corks for more than a decade, sending more than 90 million corks (weighing some 9,800 tons) to ACL Comcork, the world’s largest wine-cork recycling plant. In Canada, the Ontario Girl Guides operate a similar program called Bag-A-Cork. In the pro-
gram’s first year of pilot testing, which ran from 2005 through December 2006, the group diverted 1.6 million cork stoppers from landfills, sending more than five tons of cork to the Ontario office of Jelinek Cork Group, one of the oldest continually-active cork companies in the world. Y&H issued a call for donations of cork wine stoppers on its website, which immediately caught the attention of designers, architects, and people doing Internet searches for wine cork recycling. The first donations trickled in during 2004; predictably, much of the cork came from restaurants and wineries. Soon, corks began arriving from across the country, their sources as diverse as individual wine drinkers: Magazine offices, churches, ar-
wine cork facts ➲ During the 17th century, the
French monk Dom Pérignon— best known for his invention of Champagne—was one of the first to start using natural cork as a wine stopper.
➲ According to the Cork Quality
Council, Portugal and Spain generate 84 percent of the
world’s cork supply, producing 52 percent and 32 percent, respectively.
➲ The world’s first cork-stopper factory opened in 1750 in Anguine, Spain. ➲ An average cork oak tree
reaches its prime at 80 years old,
76|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
and produces about 440 pounds per harvest, or enough cork to make about 25,000 natural wine cork stoppers.
➲ In Portugal, the cork oak is a protected species—it is illegal to cut one down. ➲ The Whistler Tree, in Portugal,
is the most productive cork oak on record. Nearly 220 years old, it is 45 feet tall and its trunk has a 15-foot circumference. First harvested in 1820, it currently yields more than one ton of raw cork per harvest. That’s enough to make 100,000 wine bottle stoppers.
retreads | choices
TM,© 2007 Kashi Company
chitecture and law firms, industrial manufacturers—even Barneys New York—all donated. By March 2007, Y&H had accumulated 1,200 pounds of cork material. Along the way, Yemm and his colleagues had already begun experimenting with different methods of processing cork. They acquired 40 pounds of cork that had been granulated in Europe (presently it’s difficult to find U.S. companies that do this), and, using a polyurethane binder, pressed it into a cube that could be sliced into thin sheets for flooring. But Yemm wasn’t content to stop there. “You might spot a little stain in the cork from red wine here or there,” he says, “but we wanted to do something more exotic to acknowledge the cork’s origins in wine bottles.” Phase II of Yemm’s experiment was to dump the whole corks they’d collected (thus preserving their stained ends) into a hopper, along with granulated cork to fill in the gaps, and press the material into blocks that, when sliced, resemble a sliced Jell-O mold filled with fruit: cross-sections of wine-stained cork
Flooring made from cork is durable and easy to clean. Like carpet, it also absorbs sound—and it doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
embedded in a natural cork medium. The project caught the attention of Mithun, a Seattle-based architecture firm specializing in sustainable design. “Cork is such a wonderful material. It’s a shame to just throw it away,” says Tyra Sorensen, an associate architect there. “With our emphasis on sustainability, we’re always looking to see if there’s a way we can do
better, whether with a small recycling gesture, or with a bigger gesture like solar panels or storm water catchments. Was there something better we could be doing with our corks?” Y&H’s recycling program was the answer. Sorensen started an office- and client-wide recycling effort, and Mithun made its first donation in October 2006. Since then, the company has sent in more than 74 pounds of cork, the equivalent of nearly 10,000 wine bottle stoppers. Once Y&H starts manufacturing cork flooring on a commercial scale, Mithun hopes to use the products in its work with clients. In a way, it’s the ultimate closedloop system—the same champagne cork popped to celebrate a deal with a client becomes part of the floor of the client’s project. And with the cork donations coming in fast and furious, that day may not be far off. “There’s real passion behind this project,” says Yemm. “There are wine drinkers everywhere, but we didn’t realize just how much support there truly is.”
choices| style Positive Energy (+E) tank $33 thegreenloop.com
t u O t i Shout
or totes, s t ir h s T g ment-makin king a word e t a t s e s e h t f Sport one o e message without spea h and spread t Katherine E. Hamnett Men’s and Women’s Organic Cotton T-Shirts $59 to $108 katherinehamnett.com
Edun “ONE” Tee $40 edunonline.com
No Added Sugar Kids T-Shirt $35 noaddedsugar.co.uk
Sector 9 “Organically Grown” T-Shirt $25 sector9.com 78|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
Sally Walton “Candy Striped” bag $49 carry-a-bag.com
No Added Sugar Kid’s T-Shirt $35 noaddedsugar.co.uk photo by eugene gologursky eco stylist: camilla slattery
style | choices pure and simple
BYOB “Cheeky” bag $25 bringyourownbag.ca
Green Label Organics “Bummer” Men’s T-shirt $30 thegreenloop.com
What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. Unless you’re designer John Patrick, whose January 2004 sojourn in the Netherlands led to the launch of ORGANIC, a fashion line with global ambitions. “I was riding a bicycle one morning and was struck by the utter simplicity of the Dutch way of living, the way people just jump on their bikes and ride to work and back,” says Patrick. “I decided I wanted to take my design experience and bring that simplicity to clothing.” But the clean and classic pieces of his sophomore collection—plant-dyed cotton tees for men, wide-leg wool trousers for women—mark only one element of ORGANIC’s devotion to simplicity. A passionate promoter of organic farming, Patrick is on a mission to “raise people’s awareness of just how many chemicals we’re dousing ourselves in all the time.” The 46year-old, who’s based in Albany, New York, and Lima, Peru, frequently continent-hops to get inspiration and visit potential sources. “I’m meeting with fabric manufacturers and talking about their taking that next step toward organic cotton and wool, or I’m scouring places like Lima to find artisans and weavers and craftspeople,” he says. Patrick also drops in on the farmers who produce the organic cotton included in much of his clothing. To pull more small farms over to the pesticide-free zone, ORGANIC is currently helping a collective of 10 “little tiny agrarian farmers” in the Peruvian Amazon to get certified organic. “It’s about bringing the smaller farmers into the loop so that they don’t get lost,” he says. “We should be encouraging them to grow organic cotton and not burn down the jungle to farm genetically modified cotton.” While his efforts are good for his business, Patrick’s support of small farms doesn’t end with eco-fashion. “You’ve got to think about and embrace the farmers, which comes back to shopping at farmers’ markets for local, seasonal foods,” he says. “We don’t want these people to barely scrape by—we want them to thrive.”
Still, he hopes that more consumers start to realize that “you are what you wear, not just what you eat.” Recycling is another fascination for Patrick, whose Spring 2007 collection featured an adorably precious embroidered eyelet dress made from old organic-cotton bed sheets. It’s that kind of innovation that distinguishes ORGANIC from Patrick’s previous work, an eponymous line of Neiman Marcus and Fred Segal staples that he calls “classic to the point of being invisible.” And while ORGANIC’s turning up in high-end hotspots like Barneys and the upscale New York eco-boutique Kaight, Patrick’s already got a back-up plan in the works. “I’ll keep it up until I get sick of it,” he says. “And if it ever becomes too much of a headache, I’ll just go and be a farm advocate.” —Elizabeth Barker plentymag.com
|august / september 2007|79
choices| style
Faking It Are natural self-tanners a safe alternative to catching rays? With the ozone layer still very thin, it’s more important than ever to protect your skin from the sun. But there’s just something about a sunkissed glow that says “summertime.” Many companies are marketing organic or botanicalbased self-tanners as natural ways to give your skin a glow without the risk of UV exposure, yet the active ingredient in these products is still a chemical—dihydroxyacetone (or DHA), a colorless sugar that interacts with the amino acids in your skin cells to give you a tanned look. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s nontoxic and the most effective chemical compound for sunless tanning. “DHA is very safe. It works with the superficial layers of the skin and doesn’t get absorbed,” says Jeannette Graf, dermatologist and author of the book Stop Aging, Start Living. The naming and labeling of these products can be misleading, however. The “natural” or “organic” label refers to some of their ingredients, but the products aren’t completely natural, according to Graf. These added natural ingredients usually serve as moisturizing agents, since self-tanners often contain alcohol, which can dry out skin. So if you want to look like you’ve been laying out at the beach all day, what are your options? Environmental Working Group, a public-in-
terest watchdog group that runs the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, has tested more than 150 sunless tanners for safety and has ranked Lyphazome Inside Tan ($23.80, dermazone. com) as one of the safest of them. It’s chockfull of natural moisturizers, like sesame seed and jojoba oils, and time-released ingredients mean you have to reapply less often. Alba Botanica Golden Tan Sunless Tanning Lotion ($8.23, springvalleyherbs.com), which has aloe vera to moisturize, and Kiss My Face Instant Sunless Tanner ($10, kissmyface.com), which utilizes walnut-shell extract to darken the lotion so you don’t get streaks, are two other good options. If the thought of slathering on a chemical-laced cream still worries you, go for a truly fake tan. Try a tinted face and body moisturizer like Nature’s Gate Happy Glow Lucky Bronzing Creme ($14.99, natures-gate. com), a caramel-colored lotion that you smooth on to darken your skin tone; it washes right off with soap and water. For the face, bronzing powder is also a good bet. The Colorescience Face Colore Retractable Brush ($59.95, coolibar.com) has the powder right in the brush and contains the natural sunblocking minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Either way, there are safe options, chemical and non, to take the glare off pasty skin. —Carol Kim
Mr. Clean hair
Men tend to fall into two categories: those who are content to use bar soap to wash their hair and those who pamper their strands with deep conditioner and styling wax—but hide the evidence (those girlie bottles) under the sink. For the latter group, now there’s Aveda Men, a new natural hair care line especially designed for men’s scalps, which are thicker and more prone to oiliness than women’s. The line of shampoos, conditioners, and stylers adds moisture, which actually combats excess oil (because when the scalp is dry, oil production goes into overdrive), and each product contains a blend of plant-based ingredients that calms itchiness and irritation. A range of styling products, from a strong-hold pomade to a thickening grooming clay, are available to complete that perfectly tousled I-didn’t-do-my-hair-it-just-looks-this-way-naturally look. Plus, Aveda, ever the good green example, is offsetting energy use at the factory where the products are manufactured. And the packaging—made from post-consumer recycled plastic and printed with soy ink—screams “manly!” Finally, guys can leave the bottles in full view with no shame. —C.K.
80|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
TM,Š 2006 Kashi Company
choices | food
Cornering the Market These tips will help you make the most of your trips to the farmstand By amy zavatto farmers’ markets have become a food source to be reckoned with, and not just in bountiful 4H states like California. You can see it in places like Santa Fe, New Mexico, where last January, the city broke ground on a permanent sustainable structure for their 40-year-old farmers’ market, and in über-urban areas like New York City, where 44 markets take place citywide every week during the growing season. According to the USDA, there are currently 4,385 farmers’ markets nationwide—a seven percent jump since 2005—with sales topping $1 billion annually. There are serious reasons why we’re ditching the shopping carts in favor of farmstands. The mysteries of food sourcing have been underscored by incidents like last year’s E. Colitainted spinach debacle and this year’s news of salmonella-laced peanut butter from contaminated sources in China. More than ever, it’s vital to know how our food is grown and where it’s coming from. These tips will help you make the most of your local farmers’ market bounty in no time.
1. Get Over the “O”
While the organic label means that food is grown or raised without pesticides or herbicides, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your veggies were grown anywhere near where you live and eat. “Organic milk may be made with organic milk powder from New Zealand,” says Gabrielle Langholtz, publicity manager for New York City’s Greenmarkets. Many farmers choose not to go through the certification process because 82|august/ september 2007|plentymag.com
their farms aren’t large enough, or because it’s too expensive, but they nevertheless grow their crops sustainably, consistent with organic-farming standards. “If the farmer lives and raises his family on his farm, he’s disinclined to use chemicals to spray crops that are harmful,” Langholtz says. “Your main environmentally conscious question should be: How many miles did this food travel to get to me?” Also keep in mind that organic and sustainably grown food does not always look picture-perfect: “Don’t demand cosmetic perfection, because that may require chemical treatments.” 2. Think Season, Not Reason
Sometimes you get to the farmers’ market with a great recipe in mind. You look around, and none of those ingredients are there. This is a clear-cut case of putting the cart before the horse. Buying fresh, local produce means getting to know what’s in season when. Marne Duke, marketing manager for the Nashville Farmers’ Market, the oldest in the nation (it started in 1828), suggests picking up a seed catalogue, like one from Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Company, to see what grows when and where (and what it ought to look like). You can also check out the non-profit Sustainable Table’s “Eat Seasonal” guide (sustainabletable.org), a great resource for enthusiastic but befuddled cooks. If the preparations seem intimidating (“How do I cook a fava
bean?”), get your hands on a guided-by-seasons cookbook that you can turn to once you bring your bounty home. Some favorites: Vegetables Every Day (Morrow, $30); The Gardeners’ Community Cookbook (Workman, $19.95); and A Well-Seasoned Appetite (Penguin, $15.95). 3. Sniff, Don’t Scratch
One of the biggest conundrums of produce shopping is the eternal question: How do I know if it’s fresh and ripe? First and foremost, the food you are browsing through probably hasn’t traveled much more than 100 or so miles to get to you, and it was probably picked the night before, as opposed to the piles of plasticwrapped, suspiciously hued veggies and fruits in the supermarket, which were packaged weeks prior and are bred to take a beating in their long journey to your table. As for ripeness, it’s easier than you think: Pick it up and smell it. If you close your eyes and someone holds a tomato under your nose, it should smell like a tomato. Don’t squeeze the fruits or rip open an ear of corn—you’ll needlessly damage them when all you really need is a good whiff. 4. Price It Out
There’s been a lot of talk about how expensive farmers’ markets are. Hog wash. While it’s true that you might pay more for certain items because they are difficult to grow, delicate to trans-
port, or yield small crops, there are plenty of others that you can buy for a song. “Don’t form an opinion based on one farmstand,” says Langholtz. Don’t forget the obvious: Items that cost more early or late in the season will be cheaper at peak season. And no matter what the cost, you will get what you paid for: fresh, flavorful local produce sold to you by the people who grew it. 5. Bring a Buddy
Grocery shopping tends to be a solitary endeavor and, for most of us, one that we try to do as quickly and efficiently as possible. But when it comes to shopping your local farmers’ market, the buddy system works the best. “It’s a team sport,” says Duke. “A buddy can also help you carry things and get you a great bargain.” For instance, at peak season some venders will happily cut prices on bulk items like tomatoes or corn if you buy enough—a much easier endeavor if you’re sharing the bounty with a friend. And since chemical-free, freshfrom-the-farm produce has a shorter shelf life, splitting the goods allows you to stay true to the credo of waste-not, want-not, as it’s less likely to end up rotting on your counter. 6. Talk It Up
Getting to know your farmers is vital to getting the best there is at your market, but sometimes they don’t seem like the chattiest of folks. What to do? “As with any relationship, when you’re trying to strike up a conversation, think about what might be interesting to them,” says Duke.
“For instance, I’m in the South and I don’t know how to cook greens. So I ask. They tell me about some amazing technique that they get from their mom, and immediately we’ve had some kind of bond.” Even more importantly, don’t insult them, Duke says. “Stay away from questions like, ‘Are these the best tomatoes you have?’ They take a lot of pride in their product!” Langholtz adds: “Don’t treat your farmer like a clerk at a grocery store. He or she is going to take it personally, and every time you go back, you’ll never get that special treatment you think you deserve.” 7. Pack Accordingly
Some items on your list might be delicate, perishable, or just plain heavy to slog around. One answer to this is to ask a farmer to hold heavy or delicate items at his stand until you’re ready to leave. They don’t want you to see you struggling to carry their lovely lettuce or delicate half-pints of currants any more than you do, and asking them for this small favor is another opportunity to forge a relationship with them. Another smart idea that Duke insists on: Bring along flexible insulated storage containers to keep frozen organic meats, yogurt, cheese, and other perishables from…well, perishing. And as long as we’re on the topic of luggage: for Pete’s sake, bring your own bags! Whether it’s that old canvas tote you’ve had crumpled at the bottom of your coat closet, or plastic ones from previous supermarket trips that you’d like to get some use out of, bagging it saves money and resources for the farmers and keeps waste to a minimum.
Chilling Out
Need a little refreshment during the dog days of summer? We did too, so we sampled a freezerful of fruit bars and fudge pops to bring you our favorite organic frozen treats. —Christy Harrison
Natural Choice Organic Mango “Full Of Fruit” Bar $4.99 for a box of 6
ncf-inc.com Rich mango flavor and a smooth texture made this bar a hit among our tasters, who liked the fact that it wasn’t overly sweet. It’s loaded with vitamin C and packs only 70 calories, making it almost as healthy as a real mango (and more appealing on a really hot day).
FruitFull Raspberry Bar $3.59 for a box of 4
Tofutti Marry Me Bar $4.49 for a box of 6
fruitfull.com We loved the balance between subtle sweetness and a hint of acidity in this bar—it’s the perfect snack to reach for when the heat starts to feel oppressive. As one editor noted, a chopped-up bar would make a great addition to vodka and seltzer for a tasty adult beverage.
tofutti.com The Marry Me bar is a simple idea executed very well: vanilla “Tofutti” enveloped in a rich dark chocolate coating. With its smooth, crystal-free texture, you’d never guess this ice cream contains no dairy. The bars are sweetened using organic sugar.
Julie’s Organic Blackberry Sorbet Bar $3.99 for a box of 4
juliesorganic.com With an airy but slightly creamy texture (despite containing no milk), this pleasantly tart bar is satisfying enough to eat as dessert. It’s the least sugary of the naturally-sweetened bars we tried, and the lowest in calories— but, thankfully, it doesn’t taste like diet food.
food | choices
Yellow Tomato Soup Alexandra Guarnaschelli, executive chef of Butter restaurant in New York City, is a farmers’ market devotee who constantly shapes her menu to include local, seasonal ingredients. Her take on tomato soup celebrates that lovely juicy fruit in all its late-summer glory. Serves 6 Ingredients
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 red onion, peeled and minced 1 leek, dark green tops removed, halved, minced, and washed Kosher salt to taste Freshly-ground black pepper to taste 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 large bunch fresh basil 3 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes Pinch of red pepper flakes 1 tbsp. granulated sugar Cold water, as needed 24 ounces tomato juice (preferably Sacramento brand) 4 tbsp. unsalted butter ¼ cup tarragon leaves, stemmed additional olive oil (for garnish) 20 basil leaves, stemmed (for garnish) A few sprigs of dill (for garnish) procedure
➊ Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and season them with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the garlic and basil and cook until all of the ingredients “melt” together, about 5 to 7 minutes. ➋ Add the tomatoes and the red pepper and cook until the tomatoes break down, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the sugar. Note: if the soup is “dry” or the vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a little water as it cooks. ➌ Add the tomato juice and swirl the butter into the soup. When the liquid comes to a boil, add the tarragon leaves and then transfer the soup to a blender, puréeing until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Strain the soup through a sieve or strainer with fairly large holes. ➍ Ladle the soup into a large serving bowl or individual soup bowls. Drizzle additional olive oil over each portion; garnish with basil leaves and sprigs of dill, if desired. Serve immediately. plentymag.com|august / september 2007 |83
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the last word
Everything Old Is New Again Confessions of a yard sale junkie by jaqi holland
addiction started as a casual Saturday morning diversion. I was 24, on a budget, and on my way to work when a fluorescent green sign beckoned. I had to pull over. For five bucks, I scored a vintage, flowered tablecloth and a much-loved copy of Jane Eyre with intriguing marginalia. When I discovered I could snag a stack of the latest hardcovers, a ’50s style Formica kitchen table, or an old-fashioned Olivetti typewriter, all on the cheap, I started hitting the sales every week. It wasn’t until years later that I began to think of my hobby as an earth-friendly alternative to traditional American consumerism. Suddenly, hitting the sales wasn’t just about frugality, or a fondness for pre-loved items; it had become a satisfying challenge to see how much I could reduce my ecological footprint, swearing off all things “new,” and their excessive packaging to boot. The average American produces four and a half pounds of trash a day, contributing to the 245 million tons we produce as a nation each year, and I was on a one-woman mission to shrink landfills nationwide—one used toaster at a time. I started to pause before buying anything new, confident that I could find it on my weekly yard sale jaunts. If I wanted a mixing bowl, I could squelch the urge to run to Target and instead strike out on the weekend in search of a much-loved and much cooler
my yard sale
mixing bowl—and in the process, discover the charm of Fiestaware. Cut to ten years later and I’m a hard-core yard saler averaging 20 tag sales per weekend. I look around my apartment today and can’t identify more than a handful of things that I bought new. What I can do is tell you the story behind each piece of furniture in my home. I can tell you about the colorful, young French couple who sold me their purple bookshelf and plump red armchair before they moved back to Europe. Or the burly man who sold me his giant rubber plant, maneuvering the heavy terra cotta pot into my backseat, nestling it in a blanket, and securing the seat belt. I can tell you who sold me my shabby chic bureau, my reading lamp, my vintage suitcase nightstand, even the clothes in my closet. “You got that at a yard sale?” my friends ask of my outfits, incredulous. I’m not much of a fashionista, but scoring a pair of Dolce & Gabbana skinny jeans for 50 cents (50 cents!) remains my most triumphant moment. Sure, there are people who would never dream of buying a used item. A colleague who recently complimented me on my sweater was horrified to learn I had bought it at a yard sale. “Somebody else wore that!” she cried. Yes, I thought; to me, that’s part of its charm. I like to imagine the previous owner buttoning her favorite sweater before a first date. I’m not proposing you buy
your underwear and dusty canned goods from the old woman down the street, but I do think the stigma of buying secondhand is fading. Plus, retro is all the rage these days—from cherry red KitchenAid mixers to fondue sets to Vespas. Enter our 21st century Internet culture, and virtual yard sales like Craigslist and Freecycle are emerging as a way to scour your neighborhood for bargains without even hopping in a car. I recently acquired an entire used living room set via e-mail. So don’t look for me at the mall on the weekends. I’m out cruising my neighborhood with the radio on, list of sales and map in hand. Or walking around town, enjoying the fresh air, poking through people’s yards, getting to know neighbors. The allure of yard sales for me is the possibility of discovering one unusual item that kindles nostalgia or fills a need. I’m not out to buy heaps of stuff—I’m adding a fourth “R” to the old mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle, rummage. And I’m a firm believer that it’s much easier to maintain a sustainable lifestyle if you’re wearing Dolce & Gabbana skinny jeans that you scored for less than a dollar. Jaqi Holland is a writer and copy editor from Watertown, Mass., who can be found browsing neighborhood yard sales most Saturday mornings.
Got an eco story to tell? E-mail us at lastword@plentymag.com. 88|august / september 2007|plentymag.com
illustration by felix sockwell
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From the
Kitchens
& Bean Salad
Kamut® Ditalini
©2007 Eden Foods, Inc.
1 package EDEN Organic Kamut Ditalini Pasta 1 can EDEN Organic Garbanzo Beans, drained 1 can EDEN Organic Kidney Beans, drained 1 can EDEN Organic Great Northern Beans, drained 1 cup thinly sliced celery, with leaves 3 large plum tomatoes, quartered ½ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley 1 jar, 12 ounces, artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and quartered 2 Tablespoons EDEN Selected Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 Tablespoon EDEN Organic Brown Mustard ¾ teaspoon EDEN Sea Salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. When pasta is done, drain and add to bowl, toss to mix. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes and serve.
Serves 6 • Prep Time: 15 minutes • Total Time: 30 minutes
More pasta recipes: www.edenpasta.com Eden Foods, Inc. Clinton, Michigan 888 424-EDEN
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