A Failed Attempt at Trying to Feel Better about the Election and the State of Things in the USA
October 1st, 2008
I just wanted to share an interesting perspective from my aunt about this whole failure on Wall St. mess. She talks from a perspective of not only looking out for the human species, but all other species. So, the bright side of being 10 trillion in debt and possibly going into a recession/depression is that the impact of our actions will be much lessenned and it will be better overall for our planet earth. We won't be able to consume so much, produce so much and deplete the earths' resources at the pace we've been going at these past years.
I'm not sure if that works for anybody, but it definitely is a different way of looking at things.
In general I amjust dejected over all with the state of things. Another point made- and highlighted by Jim Lehr- whatever plans the presidential candidates have for the country won't be implementable because of the staggering mess of debt we are in, so the argument is that it doesn't matter who wins. I'm not too sure of that- I don't think McCain is stupider than Bush, but he is just as much a stinking liar and only out for himself and others of his ilk. And maybe he would appoint advisors just as stupid as the ones Bush chose. Anyway, it is too bad Obama couldn't come into a White House with his hands freer. I still want him to win really really badly.
I hate McCain and the Republican party and anybody who voted for Bush. Stupid stupid awful, morally bankrupt people.
On other notes, I got a full-time substitute instructor position at Cuny, City College of Technology. My wish of working in a more diverse environment came true in spades. So that is wonderful.
A Departure from Environment to think about Race
June 22nd, 2008
note- I wrote the below entry awhile ago and debated awhile about putting it up because it doesn't quite conform to the topic, but it is important to me, so here goes:
A couple of things have happened lately that have made me realize how far from my ideal living situation I've gotten. First, a little bit on that ideal: For high school, I went to Bronx Science, a school that had an incredibly diverse student body. Every race and socio-economic background informed my world. My first boyfriend was Philipino, my best friend was Korean, we had study sessions at my friend Deepak's place whose mom would cook us Indian food. It happenned to be a huge breath of fresh air for me after some years at Fieldston which was mostly white and wealthy. A lot of my negative feelings about Fieldston had to do with those awkward adolescent years, but the social order at Fieldston was really apparent to me and was a basic split between the kids who took the Liberty Lines buses and the scholarship kids who took public transportation and were Black, Hispanic, and me. And yes, we were lowest on the social pecking order. Enter Bronx Science I loved going to school every day because there were so many different kinds of people, the people who didn't have money outnumbered those who did, and things felt more open. Yes, there were cliques, but they were bigger and lines weren't drawn so rigidly. So in short, my ideal world is one where money doesn't matter and there is racial and socio-economic integration- where people are dealing with each other on a daily basis on a meaningful level so that there aren't any imposed distances and everybody is a friend of everyone.
I laugh because this must sound so naive to anybody reading that last sentence, but that is how it goes.
The thing that made me realize how distant I was from my ideal was when I went dancing one night with a guy who I was dating. He took me to Negril, a place in the west village that plays hip-hop and dance hall. We were the only white folk there, save for this other couple, and well, we were clearly not welcome. And my point in telling this story isn't to say, oh look, I'm trying to integrate and be friends but it is not working, it is to say that once upon a time, I could have gone to this place and had no problems because I would have already been friends with the people there or been invited in.
Now I live on the upper east side, all white neighborhood, work at Touro College, also almost all white, granted, Orthodox Jewish, which makes me a minority. Williams College was a joke in terms of diversity, as is the art world circle I sometimes flirt with. So, through the choices I’ve made, I’ve ended up in homogeneous environments.
The Use and Abuse of Green
May 18, 2008
Yesterday, I made plans to go to Pain Quotidien with a friend who had recently read my blog and he texted me to 'bring an extra napkin for him.' I'd never actually tried this out- ie- making the napkins a part of the place setting at a restaurant. I'd usually just unobtrusively push the paper napkin to the side and hope that the waiter would see it wasn't used and save it for someone else. So, as the waiter was about to make our place settings, we quickly said, 'oh, we don't need napkins'. Then he asked if we needed utensils. Those, we needed. I was thinking that the waiter thought we had some obsession about cleanliness, but he commented that we were the easiest customers. So that was cool. I guess I have this thing about being perceived of as 'weird' or 'nuts' which I will get over. I know there is a growing acceptance of green efforts-if only because it is now a trend. On the one hand, this 'trend' is good because it increases awareness. On the other, it is frustrating because the point is to consume less over all, and now, 'being green' is used to pitch every product on the market. A case in point was Earth Day, when Fairway was giving out these great canvas bags which contained all these mini-samples of organic this and that. All the packaging of these samples was wasteful and I had to throw most of it out in the regular trash. Organic does not necessarily equal Green. That is a whole other post, and a whole chapter in a book actually- Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma - Chapter Nine- Big Organic
E.O. Wilson, HIPPO, and Little House on the Prairie
April 27th, 2008
HIPPO is the mnemonic device used by E.O. Wilson to itemize the top 5 threats to biodiversity. He explained each one, and a host of other things while interviewed by Elizabeth Kolbert at an event sponsored by the NRDC. I've got to say, his words were incredibly engaging and thought provoking. What struck me the most was how only half jokingly he invoked moral imperative and duty whenever he could with regard to getting our species to work toward sustainable living. He explained that his tactic was to think about who Americans were. And his answer was that 70% of Americans were religious people. So, the argument would be that to honor God properly, it is important to value His creations, and thus take actions that would preserve His work. The point is, that 'environmentalist', to these people is a dirty, lefty liberal word, so that to engage them in this campaign, a different approach, a different way of thinking has to be utilized. I don't mean to write 'these people' as if they are aliens. To me, the rational, scientific arguments for more eco-friendly practices are enough- but, I, and I'll bet everybody at the NRDC event, are the heathen minority. If both groups can have the same goal, then wonderful.
And do I still remember the top 5 threats to biodiversity, 3 days after the lecture?
HIPPO stands for Habitat Destruction, Invasive Species, Pollution, Population, and Over-Harvesting ( over-fishing)
Another point Wilson made in relation to engaging people with the planet was the imperative to get children out there and get their hands dirty with dirt, leaves, and to not give them a boring lecture on what everything is. That would be the best way to get them to lose interest. I am thinking about the community garden I went to photograph in the Bronx earlier that day. 4 teenagers were hired by the Council on the Environment of New York City to work and plant in the garden, as part of the Learn It, Grow It, Eat It Program. I know the NYC Enviro's program has an educational bent to it, but at least the kids are exposed to green. The kids seemed pretty engaged, though the irony of them going to Popeye's for lunch and then telling me to eat well wasn't lost on me : ) I just checked to see that the Fresh Air Fund still exists- another way to get the urban kids out into the dirt.
This urban kid is spending the weekend in a historic part of Connecticut and just visited an old colonial farm open house, where we were shown how plowing was done back in Little House on the Prairie time (way before, actually) It made me realize that my first exposure to the country could have been through television because that is how I related to everything I saw on this farm- , "Oh look- this is the general store where Harriet Olson and mean Nellie worked." - And, "Oh wow, no wonder Charles always had such a tough time with farming" In a similar vein, it made me realize that my friend Anwar's comment about city people's only exposure to nature being nyc urban forests- or our parks, is right on- after television of course.
The Red Cup, the Canary Project, and Broken Promised Land
April 12th, 2008
This past Thursday, I decided to bring my re-usable plastic red cup to my friend's opening and use it to drink the wine instead of using the usual clear plastic throw away cups. No one really even noticed and it was only talked about when I brought it up. I have done stuff like this before- asking the folks at the diner to put coffee in my aluminum cup or bringing my tupperware to the pizza parlor and eating off that instead of the paper plates. Now I've taken to carrying my cloth napkins around. Next time, the plan will be to bring all my red cups and hand them out to other people to use. This plan has some kinks because I'll have to figure out how to get the cups back...
During the opening, I had a good conversation with the director of the graduate program at SVA. He told me about an alumnus who started the Canary Project - a woman by the name of Susannah Sayler. The mission of the project is to build public understanding of global warming by producing visual media, events, and art work. Susannah has spent the past couple of years photographing the visible effects of global warming. Below is one of her pictures.
Now, I hear about stuff like this and think- this is the kind of thing I should be doing- it is the visual expression of my interests. But then, I also like exercising the practical side of things. I've definitely struggled with what to do since my video 'Super Natural.' Sometimes it is easier to do the practical things, but yes, I'm working on the art making part..
And last but not least, the context within which these conversations took place was Shai Kremer's solo show entitled Broken Promised Land at Julie Saul Gallery - One of the reasons I like Shai's work is because it highlights the detrimental impact of military actions on the landscape. His work, of course, has other meanings in it, but this is the one that I tend to focus on.
Avoiding Paper Napkins and Trash Bags- Part 2
April 11th, 2008
I just wanted to follow-up on other options for plastic garbage bags.
biobags-I read about these in <The L Magazine> in an article by Amanda Park Taylor entitled But What About Garbage? Further Complications of a Plastic-Free Life
The bags are 100% biodegradable and made from corn. The author also highlights bucket bags from Gecko Traders. On their web page, they seem to sell only their silk fancy bags, but their 'bucket' or tote bags can be found on various web sites like reusablebags.com. The author prefers to not spend money on items that will go straight to the trash, like the made from corn bags, so she prefers to use the bucket bags which she will use over and over again. She has one for recycling paper, another for regular trash and when full, she just empties them out in the appropriate bins.
Avoiding Paper Napkins and Trash Bags
April 6th, 2008
An idea that arose from planning a friend's baby shower was to use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. I was also having problems with guests who didn't know what to wipe their hands with because I never had any paper napkins in the house. I dyed an old white blanket, cut it into squares, and sewed them up on my friend's sewing machine. Thank you Heather, for crash course in how to use a sewing machine and make the napkins and for the times I could come over and sew. Now, these napkins have what Heather would call personality and character- ie- they are far from perfect. If anybody would like some 'charming' napkins, give me whatever old thin white blanket you have lying around and I'll do the honors. See picture for one of these napkins folded in four.
On other notes, I ran out of all the existing plastic bags that were in my cupboard for garbage use and have started to buy 7th Generation Drawstring Tall Kitchen Bags. Their minimum total recycled content is 55% and their post-consumer content is 16%.I got them at Fairway, second floor, organic section.
Trader Joe's carries their own brand of toilet paper that is 100% recycled, 80% post consumer content, and no chlorine bleach was used in the manufacturing of the product. 7th Generation makes toilet paper too.
The NRDC has a nice chart that evaluates paper products.
The Socially Conscious, but Incredibly Unhealthy Key Lime Pie
March 29th, 2008
Last week, I decided I would make key lime pie from scratch since my favorite place for procuring keylime pie had closed down its 14th and 9th Ave location. The challenge was to make the pie in a socially conscientious way. (I know, this can really get a bit much, but it was a personal challenge). Straight away, I'll say that the keylimes were not organic or locally grown and came in non-recyclable packaging.
What turned out to be an issue was the graham crackers needed for the pie crust. The stores in my neighborhood only sold Nabisco's graham crackers. (I tried Trader Joes and they didn't have any- maybe I should have tried Whole Foods) Nabisco is owned by Phillip Morris, which had a name change in 2003 to Altria. I'll admit that I once owned this stock and I think I inherited it from my grandmother. I'm not too sure. At some point, I couldn't live with myself owning shares in the company, so I sold them.
I decided to make the graham crackers from scratch, which solved that problem.
For the pie itself, the potential pitfall was the condensed milk. I wanted to avoid Nestle's condensed milk for a whole host of issues. I went to Trader Joes asking 2 salespeople for help and they said they didn't have any- but when I got to the cash register, the worker there was annoyed at her fellow co-workers, because Trader Joes did, indeed, sell condensed milk. And, it being Trader Joes, it was organic condensed milk. I need to double check the brand but it was either Heavenly Organics or Santini. Other brands of condensed milk include Goya and Borden. I haven't done the research on them, but stay tuned.
No other potential issues arose, except that the amount of butter, and sugar used was a little much. You needed butter to make the crackers, then added more butter when it came time to make the crust..Other thoughts- graham cracker crumb flavor is a key consideration in making the pie and it is worth it to experiment with different recipes.
Carbon Offsets
March 26th, 2008
I downloaded Mandelberg's RealCostsFire Fox plug-in to see how it worked and it was pretty cool. I went to the Delta.com web site, put in dates for an imaginary trip to Venezuela, and out came the CO2 costs for the trip- 5752 lb. Then, I was given the options to offset the carbon and the link brought me to a web site callled Terrra Pass. Here, I was asked to type in my departure and arrival city again and the amount of carbon was much lower because they didn't account for the stops or roundabout way Delta would get me to Caracas. 1649 lb of carbon is the direct calculation. I was also given my share of the fuel use: 84 gallons. I was presented with a bunch of different level products of the Flight Terra pass- in this case, the Terra Pass Puddle Jumper, which balances out 2000 pounds of carbon emissions. According to the web site, my purchase of the Puddle Jumper pass would fund industrial efficiency projects and renewable energy projects. The pass would cost 9 dollars and 90 cents. Other pass levels are 8000 lbs, 20,000 miles, $39.60, free luggage tag. If you find yourself buying the highest level pass, they give you a fold-up bicycle as a hint or message. I found that amusing. ie-if you are buying the highest level pass, maybe you should think a little bit more..
Overall, I think it is an interesting idea, and follows along with the idea of having enough information to make environmentally conscious decisions about travel. It is also nice to think that if you do have to travel, you can feel better about it by funding these projects.
One friend was concerned that people would just take advantage, rationalize that it is okay to buy and drive SUV's because they would use their terra passes and could thus defend their right to pollute- and I agree that this is a danger.. I forgot who once said that humans can rationalize anything. I also replied to him that we could only focus on our own behavior and perhaps set an example.I also wrote about the hope to shame suv drivers into changing their behaviors and that maybe one day conservation would be the societal norm.
My aunt also had some comments. She writes:
This could be less than it claims to be. It is better to just cut down, conserve, reuse and reduce every day, and fly only when you have to. (Indeed, this is pointed out in the web site as well)
The rest of her note to me reads as follows:
I do believe we have already turned the corner on global warming, and things will get much worse, and at a faster rate, than even the scientists and climate experts have predicted. As you have heard me say, "not my favorite species." It is just so sad for me to know that we will drag so many other species down with us. Let us hope our species demise will be quick, and that more than the cockroaches survive past us.
Just think how much better off we would have been if people had built passive solar houses like mine!!! And I am no genius, as we all know. Still, how come I was so smart, back in 1983??? On that cheery note - Love
from your Auntie Ann
I love my aunt. :)
Please feel free to write to me with comments and I'll publish them .
The Paper Report
March 21st, 2008
After making my students present their mini-research project findings this week, here I am, about to do the same on my paper research tests. Some top level conclusions and thoughts:
- After sampling all this lovely paper, I ended up wanting to find an image that would work with the paper texture, rather than finding paper that would work with all images in general.
- The proper photographic paper was more or less under my nose- fact being that I knew of its existence, but hadn't known how eco-friendly it was. Legion Paper organizes their paper along green categories such 'tree-free', and chlorine-free. Their photographic paper brand is Moab and their product lines include Somerset Enhanced, Somerset Photo, Colorodo Fiber, and others.
On other fronts, I found a news report that Epson is working to abide by its new paper procurement policy by 2010.
- People are sometimes nice about sharing information, and there are a huge bunch of web sites brimful of information about this stuff. Thank you to Katie, from charmingwall, who informed me that they print their artists' work on Mohawk Color Copy Gloss 100lb cover with 15% post consumer recycled content. Web sites I came across included http://www.greenseal.org/ http://www.treecycle.com/ http://www.nyccompost.org/
If you want more detail on the first conclusion, read further:
The papers I bought were off-white, practically creme colored. When I printed the image, its colors came out dull. With some photographs, this quality could work, though I understand that 'dull' colored doesn't sound that appealing. What is neater is how the texture could work with the photograph. The danger is it being cliche. It always made me groan when I saw photographs printed on water color- "oh look! a photograph looks like a water color painting! - Too bloody easy. One artist that uses texture in a great way is Bob Bowen. His postcards from the past came to mind when I was doing these experiments. His use of texture evokes another era- point being, there is rhyme and reason for him to use it.
When I scanned the paper print, the scanner chose to make the creme-color the white point, and adjusted the dulled colors accordingly. So ironically, the colors looked great. In the scanning software, I had to lessen the contrast, and then in Photoshop, lessen it more so that what you see on the computer screen, is more like the original print.
The picture below is printed on the Strathmore Windpower Drawing paper. This paper had the least texture, was the smoothest, and colors appear the most flat.
The image below is printed on Tree Free Premium Hemp paper by Aquabee. The paper makes the picture look like it has a texture of fine sand paper. The colors appear slightly brighter on this paper, compared to the Strathmore.
The last type of paper I printed on, Mantra Jute, had the most texture, consisting of fiber and stretched needle work pattern. This paper also absorbed the most ink.
I wouldn't consider printing this particular image on any of these papers. But, I can think of an image of a dirt road working well with the texture of the aquabee hemp.
Reckless Abandonment vs Right Living
March 15th, 2008
I haven't done the paper tests yet, but I did go to eyebeam's exhibit called Feedback- What does it mean to Think Green. I can recommend it for its breadth, educational value, and some projects' combination of practicality and innovation. My favorite one was the firefox plug in that inserts carbon emissions information on travel sites once you've entered your departure and arrival spots. On subsequent pages, it gives you the chance to buy the right to pollute or figure out ways to offest the carbon and shows you alternatives to flying. The project is called The Real Costs .
For me personally, the main issue is how to incorporate green thinking into my life in a practical way, such that it doesn't prevent me from doing what I truly enjoy. For example, I think I could very well throw away my whole photography career because of the paper/chemicals, or never travel. And sometimes I wish that all my friends lived on the same pretty block in Brooklyn somewhere, instead of in Stockholm, and the other far flung places they seem to be (but that is an aside). Point being, I could deprive myself of these great sources of pleasure due to my principles. Or worse yet, use them as an excuse to not do anything.
I really like the idea of living within a framework of rules. Life is not about pure enjoyment. I think the compromise is really to actively think about your actions and decisions on a daily, consistent basis. Incorporate active thinking and see where you can change your behaviors. Michael Mandiberg, the creator of the 'real cost' plug-in, gives us information that will hopefully make us consider our decisions in travel and turn us into engaged citizens.
My friend was teasing me about how it seemed the Swedes were winning out against the Puerto Ricans in my cultural make-up... Mama Sverige's rule making government sucks the life out of Puero Rico's fun-filled all the time-partying. (yes, feeding stereotypes). My stance is- 'fun within the framework'
Inaugural Entry
March 13th, 2008
Monday morning, I visited the Park Avenue Armory on 67th to check out the Whitney Biennial and I was very taken by MK Guthe's work entitled Ties of Protection and Safekeeping. The artist asked viewers to answer the question,"What is worth protecting?" and to write their answers on pieces of red flannel. These pieces would then be attached to the a long train of braided artificial hair. It was a question to take seriously and while thinking of my answers, I couldn't help but feel a strong admiration for the piece. It involved viewers by making them seriously think. It was easy for all to understand, yet not simplistic.
My answers were:
- The forests in South America, (because I'd recently read the article in the New Yorker by Michael Specter, and one quote particular had impressed me)
..during the next twenty-four hours the effect of losing forests in Brazil and Indonesia will be the same as if eight million people boarded airplanes at Heathrow Airport and flew en masse to New York.
- Social Democrats like David Simon, producer of The Wire.
- The sanity of those who work for the public good (like the public interest lawyers who defend tenants from hideously awful landlords) -note-no comment about the ironic timing of this thought, thank you.
Yes, my answers are dead give-aways as to where my political sentiments lie, but more interestingly, this project got me to thinking about what happens afterward. If, indeed these things are worth preserving, then what do I do to ensure the preservation of these things?
I'm trying hard to apply eco-friendly principles to my daily life and the one I've decided to focus on is the paper issue.
This blog is the think-out-loud process of figuring out how to live by one's principles, but will also sometimes be about just the figuring out how to live part.
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I am currently doing the research to find out which recylcled papers papers will display my photographs well. The paper that will be tested in the upcoming days are:
- Strathmore's Windpower Drawing- (100% windpower, 30%post-consumer fiber)
- Aquabee Tree-Free Premium Hemp Paper 100% recycled