On top of old grassy January 15, 2007

A couple of the green bloggers out there are writing about a new “green roof” which actually is green, and are made out of - you got it - grass.  This grass roof is supposedly as easy to install as carpet, is self-irrigating and only has to be cut once a year.  Those are just some strong points to acquiring it and installing it. The benefits to the environment sound even better:  the grass actually absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and gives off oxygen, they provide natural cooling systems and help to conserve energy through thermal insulation. 

Wonder what it would look like to see a bunch of urban roofs made of grass?  All I can say is I’d much rather be “on top of old grassy” than “on top of old smoky” – which is where we’ll all be – if we don’t see ginormous changes in worldwide (specifically American) thinking on the subject of global warming.

Organic schmorganic January 4, 2007

Went to the grocery with the thought in mind that I’d like to try organic foods and environmentally conscious products this time.  After all, that’s what Mr. Gore’s website, climatecrisis.net, said was one of the things we can do to help combat global warming.  I didn’t even get past the first aisle (produce) before realizing I was going to ring up a much higher bill.  The vegetables and fruit were small, unappealing in appearance, and to top it all off, grossly more expensive than regular produce.  Still inspired to go green at the supermarket, we made it to the dairy aisle:  organic milk, a dollar more per half gallon.  And to the cleaning supplies aisle:  recycled trash bags, twice the price of the kind I buy regularly.  Recycled paper towels, on sale – but skimpy looking and still expensive comparatively speaking.  By the end of the trip I was pretty affected, especially when the cashier told me my total.  I’d reduced the number of items I normally purchase and still came out with a hefty bill. 

Obviously it’s not reasonable to expect people to pay twice as much at the grocery just to go green.  If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it.  I know I certainly can’t.  I’m still hopeful though, and I believe that there are enough future-focused, compassionate and environmentally conscious people out there (albeit many of them still apathetic and inadequately informed) for enviro-friendly products to come down in price soon.  That way hopefully the majority will be able to afford and actually purchase them on an ongoing basis.

At least Wal-mart is trying with their marketing campaign to support fluorescent light bulbs. 

So much for that hybrid SUV I’ve been dreaming of… January 3, 2007

Today I test drove a Saturn VUE Green line, hybrid SUV.  The car seemed really stripped-down to me, and the sales person told me that this is the first year GM’s made the hybrid – after I asked him if they were selling well.  He said that they’d sold a couple of them since September.  In other words, they’re not doing smashingly by any means.  I guess I can see why:  they don’t come in All Wheel Drive (a necessity for me living in the Northeastern Ohio snow belt), they have basic upholstery and no real fancy features (excepting expensive add-ons), and for the price I could get a much snazzier conventionally powered SUV.  It’s just a shame that this car is, from my perspective, being “thrown” into the market as a test case for hybrids by GM.  A shame because it was the only hybrid SUV in my price range, and since it doesn’t come in AWD and doesn’t appear to have a heck of a lot of support by the auto maker, it seems almost doomed to fail. 

To me it’s sad because my criteria in searching for a hybrid vehicle didn’t seem to be that outrageous:  4 wheel drive, less than 25K, and… nope, nothing else, that’s it.  So far, there’s nothing in the marketplace for people trying to meet these criteria.  Guess we’re actually not ready for the middle-class American to own a hybrid SUV.