Friday, April 29, 2011

Arbor Day


While I was listening to a college radio station this morning, the host was chatting about the contrast between big business and the environmental movement. "The oil industry has money, but the environmental movement has the collective." He went on to assert that the collaborative nature of the environmental movement, sharing members and resources, allows for many leaders who vie for progress not power. The power of the environmental movement comes from everyday people making choices in their everyday actions-- and in this way, the collective can affect change. For example, my students recently implemented a water bottle recycling program at our high school, capturing 1.3 tons of plastic in March alone. Needless to say, the actions of individuals, positive or negative, have a combined result.
With Arbor Day upon us, it seems like an appropriate time to encourage the collective response of planting trees. Instead of a national day of consumption-- cards, flowers, candy, toys-- let's honor a day dedicated to improving our natural habitiat. The collective act of planting trees has great political power too. Wangari Maathai started the Green Belt movement in Kenya one tree at a time-- the end result was massive in terms of the environment and the empowerment it provided.
And why not plant trees? We need to counteract those lost annually to overdevelopment and to storms in order to provide a healthy environment to animals and people alike. Consider adding a tree to your yard this spring, or simply protecting the ones you have. Or instead of giving out a rubber bracelet for a fundraiser, or a tchotke as a wedding favor, consider sharing saplings. Those trees might just add up to a forest.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Oak Beach Project in Green Builder Mag


On Friday, USA Today printed a front page story about the mass manufacturing of homes that, by using alternative energy, create more energy than they use. The concept is one that James has been working on for several years now. Green Builder Magazine decided to use Bouler Architecture's Oak Beach project and YouTube video to showcase how a net-zero energy home can be achieved through passive design and photovoltaic and geothermal systems. If we are going to move this country forward, sustainability will be the key to our success.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Urban Planning


Our LA view

With our recent tour of a few American cities, it became all too clear that it takes a vision to create a livable urban environment. I could barely pry James and Olivia out of Portland, OR-- a cityscape whose scale is both pedestrian and cyclist friendly, surrounded by parks and wildlife-- whereas we scarcely left the hotel in LA. True, the hotel was one of the most amazing rockstar experiences of our life with a rooftop pool and a free minibar, but it was the thought of driving through the urban sprawl which made sightseeing of little interest. The city is a study in poor planning and lost opportunities. Worse yet, with its expanse of sunny rooftops, the city was screaming for arrays of solar panels which were few and far between. Heading south, the French Quarter in New Orleans was its usual charming pedestrian self, with tourists returning to the area for some gumbo and beignets, and our last stop in Fairhope, Alabama, was a keen reminder of what a vibrant downtown fabric can do for a community.
The underlying element of success for a city seems to be simple-- design it for people and not for cars.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Earth Day-- Every Day


What I like about Earth Day is that it reminds us that our everyday actions can be a positive influence on the health of our environment. Every year I take stock on what I've been doing to reduce my carbon footprint, and every year, improvements can be made. Recently I've cut our household meat consumption to one day a week, improved our composting, and gone electronic on my household bills. Yet, paper still comes into the house, stray plastic bags creep into the closet, and I'm not sure how to get all the peanut butter out of the jar for recycling. It's a daily decision to strive for a smaller impact on the environment.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Spill: A Year Later


There isn't enough time this morning to compose an entry which truly encapsulates the events of this past year; however I could not let the day go without commemoration.
When the Deepwater Horizon Rig exploded last year, eleven men lost their lives and the Gulf of Mexico's habitat became the casualty of lax regulation and our insatiable thirst for oil. What has changed since then? Environmental groups like Audubon and Ocean Conservancy, took on the Herculean task of trying to save as much wildlife as possible, but unfortunately many animals perished and continue to suffer. Thousands of birds died, and many more will continue to feed contaminated food to their young as oil and corexit make their way through the food chain. Attempts to change the oil industry were close to fruition this summer when the spill was finally contained, but are currently at a standstill with the new Congress elected in November. How many oil spills does it take?
On a personal note, my family decided a year ago that this manmade tragedy was unacceptable. Through Olivia's fundraiser, the entire family threw our energy into doing what we could to help the environment. It's taken many forms, but we can only hope that all of them add up to making a difference and encouraging people, including our elected leaders, to have a new way of looking at the world. Are we a country that subsidizes a polluting and dying industry, or do we look to the future by investing in alternative energy sources? Are we a country that squanders its beautiful habitat with shortsighted decisions, or do we look ahead to preserving and restoring what we have?
So I guess you can say that since the spill, I've become a 'one issue' voter. To me, to my family, and to the thousands who have heard Olivia's message, we know the environment is too precious a gamble. Please mark the anniversary of this preventable disaster by using this link and sending a letter to your representatives in Washington DC.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Book Revue






Huntington's Book Revue is the kind of book store that you might see in a movie-- a funky, independent village spot that functions like a town square. And when Olivia's publisher asked where we'd like to have her Long Island book signing, it was an immediate response: The Book Revue. Sure Bill Clinton signed his book there, and Mary Tyler Moore too, but it was also a store I've frequented since I was a teenager growing up in a nearby town. The turn out today for Olivia was just amazing. Pitched in Newsday today as one of the 'top ten things to do on Long Island', the crowd ranged from friends, family, colleagues, her teachers, my students, James' clients, and people who read in the newspaper about this girl who drew birds. IT was part reunion, part eco-activism. By the time car service came to take Olivia and James to the airport, headed for Portland Oregon, the goodies had been eaten and the books had sold out. Thanks to all of you who were there to celebrate Olivia's Birds!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Small Actions, Big Impact



Olivia (center) with NY Islanders and fellow Hometown Heroes

A year ago, I attened The Ethnic Pen, Bay Shore High School's annual writing conference and heard about Wangari Maathai's Green Belt project. I was amazed at how one woman's tree planting campaign changed the Kenyan landscape and the course of history. Four days later, the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, and little did I know, my daughter's subsequent action of donating bird illustrations to raise funds for recovery efforts would have a ripple effect in our own community and beyond.
At this year's Ethnic Pen, filmmaker Jennifer Arnold described the power of one woman's seemingly small actions and their ripple effect in her recent documentary, A Small Act. Hilde Back, a Swedish survivor of the Holocaust, chose to sponsor the education of a young, rural Kenyan student, Chris Mburu, sending off small amounts of money to cover his primary schooling. Mburu went on to graduate from Harvard, evenually becoming a Human Rights Lawyer for the United Nations. After Mburu decided to find the stranger who changed his life, he started a scholarship program of his own, naming it after his former benefactor. This exceptional story's ripple effect continues thanks to Arnold's film, which in itself, fought the odds to be made.
After the conference, I took Olivia and Jackson to the Hometown Heroes reception with the NY Islanders. Olivia, who had been made a Hometown Hero in January for her Gulf fundraiser, was surrounded by other Long Islanders who also took action when they were called upon.
It was a rewarding day, a reminder that each one of us has the opportunity to make a difference in small and big ways.
If you are in the Huntington area tomorrow, please drop by The Book Revue at 3 pm for Olivia's book signing.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Hanging Around the House With Modernemama




When Modernemama realized she had new art work on hand which needed proper placement, she called in the experts. Rockstar framer Cherie lead the collaborative efforts of the crew, moving this one a little to the left, and that, over to the right. With an attention to composition, color, and lighting, the wide array of art was showcased to its best advantage. Afterwards we raised a glass or two to celebrate a successful work party.

Monday, April 4, 2011

The New and the Old




After visiting Cornell's Lab of Ornithology this weekend, habitat seemed to be a central theme. Whether for humans or animals, where we live is an evolving process. The lab's new facility, a beautiful piece of modern architecture based on the structure of a bird, functioned perfectly with its mix of public spaces and research facilities. In the distance was the traditional and classic Kip's barn, a harbinger of the past.
Birds, too, need evolving habitat, and it can be found in some unlikely ways. One Cornell project meant to supplement chickadee nesting sites uses PVC pipe, whose hollow structure could be made to mimic the interior cavity of a rotting tree. Next to it sat a more traditional bird house for comparison. Wouldn't you know it, the chickadees preferred the PVC-- a simple enough way for even a novice to create some new habitat. For directions to build your own, click here.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Signs of Spring


A million thanks to mother nature for bringing springtime weather to Long Island. This spring, however, will be different for us. Olivia's book tour will take us cross country, leaving the garden to 'go natural' until we return to our usual routine in May. Til then, I can enjoy birds eating at the feeders and building their nests on a sunny Sunday morning. That may be all I need anyway.