Foux de Fa Fa.

Flight of the Conchords. Pretty good song. Great video.

Troubled Waters.

In Europe, the cities sparkle from above, due to their abundance of rooftop solar power systems. Still, in America, we are quite slow on the uptake. In fact, the homes most likely to have passive solar systems in other countries are the less well-to-do, which is the opposite of the way the green movement has worked in America.

Anyway, a simple system, like the pictured one, costs little more than $1000 installed and will pay off in a couple of years. And it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how it works. The tubes hold water until it is warm, then it filters down to your shower or sink. Brilliant, right?

There are plenty of manufacturers in the US, and these passive heaters can be put up in about any climate, as long as sun is around. These look a bit different, but are similar in producing hot water.

There is hope for housing yet.

A public housing complex in Yonkers, image courtesy the New York Times

A dilemma of low-income housing in America is that it often is associated with blighted inner cities or, oppositely, suburban sprawl. This is not difficult to understand, as both locations are of the lowest real estate value, making them sensible areas for low-income residents to inhabit. However, these locations each have their problems. In order for the government to remedy the failures of housing policy, it needs to look to the future without ignoring the past. No single housing policy fell out of favor because it was a bad idea. Each proposition that has been suggested in housing policy history has deteriorated for particular reasons which have stood in the way of effective, long-lasting resolutions. For example, public housing largely failed due to poor design, criminal management, and lack of funding. However, when the task is given to review the downfall of public housing, the result tends to point the blame at public housing itself, despite the fact that done correctly, public housing could be entirely effective. Public misconception about the successes and failures of housing policy has also become a major stumbling block in the path of progress for housing in America.

He was a friend of mine

I just can’t get enough of Cat Power these days. She really is personally attached this song and to the friend she thinks of when she sings. Chan’s famous for her covers of people like Bob Dylan, but this is by far my favorite. I can’t understand why she is so bland in person.

This one, Lived in Bars, could fight with the Bob Dylan one and I’m not sure who would win because I like them both. I especially like this one because it’s an original of hers so it has a naturally more blues jazz vibe. Plus her dancing is pretty fetch.

Not to toot Al’s horn…

…but there’s a nice little refreshing online magazine out there called WorldChanging which he’s got his name on. But even though Al Gore may turn some people away from the cause, it’s about time that people start coming together on this front. And reading more about this kind of empowerment and actually doing stuff in response. There isn’t time or reason to wait on the government or the vague and mysterious “someone” to take care of the problems that we have a history of creating.  The WorldChanging site is a dialog about getting started. The book that began it (see below) is now a closed dialog about the same seven principles that are now discussed on the website: Stuff, Shelter, Cities, Community, Business, Politics & Planet.

Worldchanging: A Users Guide for the 21st Century is a groundbreaking compendium of the most innovative solutions, ideas and inventions emerging today for building a sustainable, livable, prosperous future. From consumer consciousness to a new vision for industry; non-toxic homes to refugee shelters; microfinance to effective philanthropy; socially responsible investing to starting a green business; citizen media to human rights; ecological economics to climate change, this is the most comprehensive, cutting-edge overview to date of what’s possible in the near future — if we decide to make it so.

Charging batteries: no longer just wallflowers.

Ok, well I did just write about the importance of an anti-consumeristic movement, BUT sometimes batteries are important for cameras, mp3 players, mice, and other electronic things that are already in our lives. So we can at least be a little more responsible about how we power them. These batteries plug right into a usb port to get a recharge, which is pretty darn practical. My question is: do they still charge on regular rechargers? You can get them for pretty cheap to a little more expensive. The cheapest are less than $10. Not bad!

The Compact will bring down the Consumer.

San Francisco, the apparent hub of the American green movement, has a pocket of responsible citizens (who have a following elsewhere as well) who have made a life-changing decision. These individuals have chosen to avoid all consumption of the unnecessaries. Or to put it more appropriately, they have decided to whittle their lifestyle down to the necessities and not add the other junk that the American market has pushed on us ad nauseum. How refreshing to force the extra out of life, and certainly how money-saving! Check out their blog to catch up on the lifestyle, which is absurd to so many.

Their statement is simple:

1) to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc;

2) to reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er);

3) to simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact)

Furthermore, anyone choosing to take on this task can do it as extensively or not so extensively, or however much is necessary. That is the beauty of the Compact – it is truly a promise to yourself as much as it is to the future. This is not all or nothing. You can go as far as you want for as long as you want, but taking that first step to sticking with the Compact is essential. Tell your friends. It’s possible – if nothing else, it’s a start.

We can solve it.

Al Gore gets a lot of criticism for being imperfect in his lifestyle. I am critical of those nay-sayers for giving up on something entirely if it doesn’t work for them. Those who call out for his blame are often those who are too lazy or stubborn to budge on changing their lifestyles, something I have no respect for. The important thing, whether you like the guy or not (and personally, I don’t really), is that he’s got the means to bring attention to the issue, and not many have that opportunity. So hopefully he will continue to bring in more believers. The ad below, which has been running on tv for a couple of weeks now, is a perfect image for Americans to remember. It’s not appealing to the consumer craze and leading to more green washing. It’s appealing to emotion in a way that drags people into the movement, comparing it to American history. The green movement has not yet fit into the Americana Dream, but this is a start by making us nostalgic and reminiscent. Plus, the subtle m to w flip in “me” to “we” says it all.

I’ve always had a fascination with the Amish.

Anouk confirms that they are amazing, indirectly. Ok, maybe the video stylizes their lifestyle a little, but what isn’t stylized anymore? Just watch.

It’s ABOUT time.

For some Roundabouts.

In 1999, Pierre Vivant installed his traffic light tree in a roundabout in London town. How ironic to see this little ditty poking fun at the overwhelming use of traffic lights all over the world.

Vivant’s creativity brings me to my point: why don’t we see less traffic lights and more real trees? Traffic circles (aka Roundabouts) are a great way to green up in the city. They look pretty, they’re more sustainable and easier to maintain than pavement, and they are also pedestrian-friendly. Not to mention that they save electricity and slow traffic without constant stop-and-go. Sound ideal? Yeah, pretty much. Now there’s just one problem: American’s don’t like this because we didn’t create them and we don’t know how to use them because we don’t use them at all. We need to be more aggressive about planting roundabouts than installing lights everywhere.

Think if you had one of these babies at the corner nearest you. Cute, right?