Could car sharing be the future of personal transportation?

Beyond Zipcar: Peer-to-peer car sharing may soon be here

Above is a link to an article that discusses different types of car-sharing options. One is Zipcar, the world's largest car sharing service. How it works is you sign up for the service, reserve a car for when you need it, then pay by the hour whenever you use it. Simple, easy, and way more eco-friendly than owning your own car.

Why is that? People who are members of the Zipcar service obviously don't own their own cars; they only rent out a car when they really need it. This forces people to decide when they really need a car, and when they can get by without it. That means, more often than not, people will choose to walk, bike, bus, or even just carpool to whatever destination they would ordinarily use their own personal car to get to. Every one car that is off the road makes a huge difference.

Zipcar is also a lot cheaper than owning your own car. You don't have to pay for gas, insurance, or any maintenance; all of that is included on your Zipcard! And with the Zipcard, you can reserve any type of car that you want. In Seattle, you even have the option of renting out a hybrid!

Another great thing about the Zipcar service is that it's incredibly convenient. You can reserve your car online or on your mobile phone, and you can even sign up for a text service that alerts you when you are getting near the end of your reservation. If it's available to be rented out for longer, you can simply text back and extend your reservation.

The article above also discusses a new car-sharing option that might soon hit Seattle. With Zipcar, the cars are owned by the service and rented out by whoever is a member. With "peer-to-peer" car sharing, members of the community will put their own personal cars up for a service where other members of the community can rent it out. Zipcar has limited options, but with peer-to-peer car sharing, you can find any type of car at any location, at any time of the day! You look at your options online, find the one that's best for you, then pick it up straight from the owner.

While this may sound sketchy, people have actually begun to show real interest in a program like this being implemented. A service called Getaround has already been established in many areas, and would like to come to Seattle. People who put their cars up for rent are able to choose what price they want to rent their car out for (either $/hour or $/day), and they can actually make a healthy profit out of it. And for those that do put their cars on the line, insurance is included as part of the service, so you don't need to worry about damage to your car.

I personally think that car-sharing is a great idea. Too many people feel the need to get their own cars because they think they need one. But ask yourself - especially those living in a big city - how many times could you really get around without a car? I bet it's more than you realize. With great public transportation, bike trails, and excellent access for pedestrians, it would often be much simpler (and greener) to choose to keep the car in the garage and take the bus, bike, or street. Then if you signed up for a service like Zipcar or Getaround, you would still have the option of getting around with a car when you absolutely needed to.

When I read this article, I immediately looked up Getaround to see if it was something I could reasonably do. I love the idea of sharing my car with people in the community, especially since I'm a college student who doesn't use her car that much and could use some extra cash. I want to do anything I can to help not only the environment, but members of my community. We're all in this together!

Click here to learn more about Zipcar or Getaround.

Urban Selection: Behavioral change resulting from cities

The urban environment as altered how we interact with each other. We merely need to walk a couple of blocks to migrate from home to work to grocery shopping and etc. Our lives and behavior have been altered. I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about how urban life compares with its suburban counterpart. Our conversation shifted drastically to talking about song birds.

My friend was talking about some article she had read about song birds in urban settings compared with forests. The article was published recently but was referencing a research article published by the Animal Behavior journal. Erwin Nemeth and Henrick Brumm from The Institution of Ornithology in Germany wrote that article summarizing their results that Blackbirds sing higher-pitched songs in cities.

I thought that it was really interesting because everyone talks about how humans have transformed the land and are destroying the habitat for many species. Here, one species has adapted to the concrete jungle.

Nemeth and Brumm measured, using electrical recording equipment, the song frequencies of many birds in the forest and cities. They reported that songs (which were any type of sound used to communicate with other birds) sung in the city had significantly higher frequencies than ones sung in the forest. They say that this might be due to two factors. One is that the birds are trying to overcome the noises produced by the cars and other mechanical equipment used in the city. The birds use these songs to communicate, so they need to differentiate their sounds to attain better “contrast”. The second factor that plays into that is the buildings. Sounds can be heard at great lengths in the forest, but those same sounds have a hard time escaping the dampening effect of concrete.

For those reasons, scientists believe that “urban selection” has permanently altered the behavior of these species.

WWOOOOOOOOOOWW!!!!

Urban Farming, Part III: Urban Ducks & Geese

By Hannah G.

An alternative or addition to raising chickens for eggs (or meat) can be ducks and/or geese if you have the interest and space.  Geese reputedly are intelligent and social, with strong awareness of social cues and memory.  Many of the same benefits of keeping chickens can apply to ducks and geese, such as eating and selling the eggs, educating children (and yourself!) about other organisms and food production, as well as therapeutically grounding yourself to the land and feeling connected and responsible for another living being.

The information below draws from the book, "Keeping Ducks and Geese" by Chris & Mike Ashton (2009).

The Abacot Ranger Duck can be relatively tame and approachable, lay over 200 eggs a year, and will clear slugs from your garden.

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The first two considerations before taking on ducks or geese is your space and local zoning laws. First, check if your city accepts ducks and/or geese.  If legal, bear in mind that some breeds are noisy and inappropriate for keeping in close proximity to neighbors, so make the right choices. Secondly, ducks and geese need more space than their egg-laying counterpart, chickens.

• Two average-size ducks need at least 33 square feet of area to roam.
• Two small geese need a minimum grassy area of 33x66 ft because they need space to graze.

Additionally, waterfowl need water to bathe.  You don't need a literal pond in your backyard, but will need a large enough container of water, which can be cleaned, and will allow the birds to fully submerge their face and eyes and splash around in. (This is how they keep themselves clean.) And -- always make sure the smallest duck or goose can get out of the water container.

Besides a secure fence to protect your waterfowl from predators, geese and ducks need a "secure wooden shed with a good ventilation panel which faces away from prevailing winds and rain" Garden sheds and dog sheds are often satisfactory.

Eggs.
Keep in mind that ducks lay more eggs than geese and each breed varies considerably, so if eggs are your primary goal, find a breed with high laying-potential. Also, different duck breeds produce different sized eggs.
Eggs can provide great nutrition:

"It was once thought that the cholesterol in eggs was bad for human health but the reverse is now thought to be true.  Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein, and egg yolk is one of the best sources of the beneficial nutrients lutein and xenazanthin...Birds fed a free-range diet high in greens also produce healthier eggs for humans to eat.  The egg supplies complete protein and vitamins A, B, and D. Almost half the fat in eggs is healthy monounsaturated, the kind found in olive oil." 

- Keeping Ducks and Geese (Chris & Mike Ashton)

High-Yield Egg Laying Breeds

Ducks - Different breeds (and strains within those breeds) produce widely varying amounts of eggs.
  
The Indian Runner variety (left) can produce over 200 eggs/year given the right strain and has various beautiful color mutations. The Campell (right) can lay up to 300 eggs/year!

Geese - Most breeds produce about 30 eggs a year between February and June.
  
The utility breed of Chinese Geese (left) can produce up to 80 eggs/yr. Roman Geese can lay between 40 and 60 a year and are a good breed "to start with if you have limited space".

Important Note. As cautioned in the previous two urban farming blogs, PLEASE do your research thoroughly before committing to an animal.  This is by no means a guide on keeping ducks and geese -- this is intended to bring attention to urban farming and give you some ideas to consider for your own backyard. Always buy from a reputable breeder -- do not encourage animal abuse.

Urban Farming, Part II: Urban Goats

By Hannah G.

The second part of my Urban Farming series (following chickens in Part I) examines another – albeit bigger – animal that has gained popularity in recent years as a useful and lovable addition to urban farming.  Milk is just one of the many uses goats can provide.

The following knowledge was drawn from a very informative guide by Sue Weaver: The Backyard Goat: An Introductory Guide to keepingProductive Pet Goats.

Goats are undeniably a bigger project to undertake than chickens, but one that is worth it for many people. They do need a bigger range than chickens, so be ready to delegate the scope of your backyard if need be.  Adult goats of full size breeds need 20 square feet of protected and sheltered living space. Miniature varieties need comparatively less.  Additionally, all goats need a penned area to play, roam, and exercise in. According to Weaver, “goats thrive in refurbished chicken coops, homemade A-frames, extra-large doghouses, calf hutches…”, so you do not need to spend a fortune on constructing housing – it just needs to be safe-guarded against predators as well as draft-free and dry.

The following are some of the many benefits of the urban goat:

• Milk. The most common use of the backyard goat (beyond companionship) is milk. When organic cow’s milk runs at $5.00 or more a gallon, goat’s milk from your own backyard can be a great alternative.  More than being cost saving, goat milk is highly nutritious too. It “contains less fat than the other types of milk consumed worldwide…and it has more calcium, protein, riboflavin, and vitamins but less lactose and saturate fat”.  Note: be sure you can commit to the milking schedule before undertaking such a project.
• Cheese. Making cheese from your goat’s milk is not only delicious and a source of food for the family, but can bring supplemental income if sold.
• Wool. Specifically the Angora, Pygora, and Nigora breeds produce fiber than can be used or sold.
• Harnessing & Packing. Goats are well adapted to pulling carts and carrying packs because humans domesticated goats through the past millenniums.  Goats can be harnessed for cart pulling, which can be both useful (hauling groceries, etc) and fun (giving rides to neighborhood children or the elderly).  Additionally, goats can have packs attached to their backs (up to 25% of their body weight) to help carry items locally (e.g. groceries).  Some enthusiasts like to take goats on day hikes or camping, as goats are agile and do well on terrain.
• Companionship & Connection. As mentioned in the previous part on chickens, animals often aid us in connecting and grounding us to the land and to ourselves. They can provide comfort, routine, and satisfaction, which are therapeutic and healing.  Working with animals can help teach kids responsibility along with providing satisfaction from their work.

An Alpine goat.  This goat breed is described as "productive milkers, hardy, agile, uncommonly friendly, and easily adaptable to a variety of climates. The breed also comes in a miniature variety.

A mini-Nubian nurses her kids. Nubians are "intelligent and inquisitive with endearing, quirky personalities". They also can be either full-size or miniature.

Please Note: As with bringing any animal into your family, make sure to do your homework first. Goats have specific needs beyond diet and shelter, so please research thoroughly before beginning.  Also, please buy from responsible, humane breeders or farmers. Do not buy from a sale barn – they can be badly treated, sick or cull. Please – do not contribute the cycle of animal abuse.

Urban Farming, Part I: Urban Chickens

By Hannah G.

A movement has been growing over the last two decades to keep chickens in urban backyards, and as long as you aren't moving soon, this is a great way to provide nutrition and even supplemental income for your household.  Particularly, they are helpful if your closest local food suppliers seem to be mini-marts or fast food -- or if buying organic food overreaches your budget. Just walk into your backyard for your food!

Rhode Island Red chicks

Here are some of the great benefits of owning chickens in your backyard as outlined by the helpful book, The Chicken Whisperer's Guide to Keeping Chickens.
*Please note these are only annotated descriptions -- not verbatim from the book. For more complete information, especially on keeping your chickens healthy and safe from predators, please use a book (such as the one above) or do thorough research on complete, trustworthy internet source(s). The more information you have, the better.

• Fresh Eggs!  By producing eggs yourself, you don't even need to go to the grocery store for them and you (and your family) are guaranteed a steady stream of this healthy, protein-rich food source.  Additionally, you know they are healthy, organic (providing you use organic feed), and were not trapped in scary, disease-ridden, inhumane cages.
• Great Waste Disposers.  As long as you don't over-do it, giving table scraps to your chickens is a great way to get rid of food that may go bad or be thrown out, as well as providing the chickens with a tasty treat.
• Fertilizer.  If you own plants, have a garden, or even grow food in your backyard, chicken poop provides a rich, chemical-free fertilizer!  Just mix it in with the dirt or create a compost pile for future use.
• Insect Control. Chickens spend a great deal of time foraging for bugs.  They can be a great way to keep your garden and plants healthy too. As stated by the above mentioned book, "chickens can work in your garden before, during, and after you plant to keep away pests." What a great (and natural) way to avoid using pesticides or other harsh chemical treatments!
• Education.  It is easy to forget where food originates.  Chickens are an interesting (and relatively easy) way to see your food's production first-hand.  This is particularly helpful for showing children. They can also learn hands-on, interactive responsibility where direct results follow (the eggs)!  Not to mention having them involved in the chicken-care helps spread the responsibility equally among the household, helping them feel involved and a positive, integral part of the home's welfare.
• Entertainment.  Don't forget the fun part! Chickens are interactive and some are particularly friendly and will even sit on your lap and let you pet them -- especially when raised from chicks.  For many of us, animals can have a therapeutic influence, provide healing and companionship.  Working with chickens can help one feel more connected and grounded with the environment and the earth, and even help relieve stress and tension from work, relationships, and our outside lives.

A Bonus: Can't eat all those eggs yourself? Why not sell them to friends, neighbors, and coworkers for a little extra cash?  You're sure to gain a fan base with your extra-delicious home grown eggs! Or just use them to spread goodwill and connect with your community.

Keeping your chickens safe: Don't underestimate the power and perseverance of predators.  Invest in the one-time cost of building (or buying) a strong chicken house or coop.  Consult some of the resources listed in this blog or other sites and books. (Try your local library.) Those already keeping chickens such as feed-store providers or other people in your neighborhood are often good sources.

The Plymouth Rock (left) and Rhode Island Red (right) breeds are described as particularly good for new urban chicken owners.  Make sure you get the appropriate breed for your climate and lifestyle.

Learn more at the following sites:

Urban Chickens
BackYard Chickens
Urban Chickens Network

Greenwashing and Product Ratings

One easy way to decrease your own carbon footprint is by buying products that are more eco-friendly. Whether you choose to buy organic fruit (no harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers!), or just buying products that are manufactured locally (little to no harmful gases released in transportation of goods!) , any little bit you do can help. However, often times it can be hard to know which products are more "green" than others. Often times large companies advertise themselves as "green", when in reality, they're just greenwashing.

Greenwashing is a term that describes a company's practice of marketing itself as actively participating in sustainable, environmentally friendly practices, despite the fact that it is actually not putting in any effort to do so. One example of this is when hotels put placards in their rooms encouraging guests to reuse their towels in compliance with the hotels' "green campaign." However, the hotels don't charge extra for guests not reusing their towels, they're not installing more efficient washing machines, they're not actually doing anything to enforce their so-called "green campaign" besides printing up placards (on un-recylced paper, no doubt!). Placing that placard in the rooms was merely a scheme to increase profit; businesses that appear to "go green" often have much better reputations.

Overall, the term "greenwashing" is used when businesses are putting more money into advertising their "green campaign" than actually implementing a green campaign. It's sad that this term even came to be, even more so that it applies to most of the "green" organizations today. In order to fight back against these business, make sure to research which companies are actually holding up their end of the bargain. Don't be fooled by placards in hotel rooms! Do your part and support the businesses that are putting in genuine effort to make themselves more eco-friendly. One way to do this is to look up the "green rating" of the products that you purchase.

There are many websites available to everyone to look up product ratings, one of which is

http://www.goodguide.com/

The video above gives an excellent description of the features of the website, but, in short, this website rates products based on a number of criteria, all inclusive within the categories of health, environment, and society. It helps you determine whether or not the products you buy are right for you, and even provides alternatives to those products when they aren't (in the context of sustainability). I think this is an excellent tool that will benefit everyone who uses it - especially if they choose to use the mobile app and transparent toolbar. It's hardly an inconvenience to scan a barcode while you're out shopping or check a toolbar while you're making online purchases, and it could make a huge difference in your sustainable practices. Don't support companies that don't put any effort into making this planet more green - they don't deserve it. Support the businesses that are trying to help the Earth and make it a better place for you to live!

Project Nim – Watching with An Environmental Justice Eye

Off Topic - but...

 I’ve never had a personal face on animal rights – This is where anthropomorphizing an animal can help attract people to at least look at the issues of animal cruelty, ethics, and responsibility., since the beginning of this course I had zero qualms about EJ this being such a human centered paradigm considering there are many other organizations where they have found success at protecting ecosystems and species. But, Environmental Justice is not just a human issue and this documentary helped me actually see this clearly.

I just watched this great documentary about one of the famous chimps that have involved in learning sign language. It was the 1970’s -Trying to answer the question is a chimp could learn to communicate in ASL if treated like a human since birth. Nim started out living in a home with a large family a raised as a human child with a mother and many siblings.

Herbert Terrace, who ran the program, ended it abruptly when he surmised that Nim was only performing sign language to get what he wants out of his trainers, that no real language skills have been conferred to the chimp in his years in the program. Much like in the recent Planet of the Ape Reboot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Nim was sent to live with a chimp colony in Oklahoma, where I can only assume he had little in common with the other chimps. Mirroring the movie even more the ranch even included a cattle prod wielding antagonist.

When Nim was 10 years old he was sold to a TB lab and became a medical experiment. Eventually he was “rescued” by supporters and sent to live in upstate NY in a large cage where he ultimately died at the age of 28.

So the EJ Issues are obviously

Agency – Not that a chimp should be roaming the US making his own decisions, but I can be certain he would not choose to be moved from NYC to Oklahoma ranch, and then to a medical research lab.

Structural Violence – Obviously the whole mechanism that allows this chimp to be sold to a medical research lab and really any movement outside of the home in Manhattan where he spent the first two years of his life was a cruel cold machine if not literally, at least psychologically grinds chimps into pulp.

IGHT – This continued structural violence of selling and testing on chimps generation after generation is can be nothing other than IGHT – could Nim’s mother had a wonderful life? I doubt it.

Place Based knowledge – Chimps, I’m sure, do best in the place where they can know where to go for food, water and recreation – this is what is taught to them as children in a natural colony. Removing them from this place integrated to their culture can create a disjointed and confused chimp.

The mother of the NYC family said “essentially tricking him into believing him thinking he’s human being with no plan whatsoever of protecting him” and I think this is the key to watching this movie – If you are going to get this chimp to perform for you in a manner unlike anything he would do in nature, you have a responsibility to his well being for the rest of his life.